If I were NCAA Dictator...

I'll admit, I'm kind of excited to see a little jumbling of conferences in the NCAA. I realize there are some old rivalries that may never be the same, or even exist anymore, but I think it will be interesting to see how it all ends up, kind of like this NBA off-season (can July 1 come sooner please?).

As of right now, Colorado to the Pac-10, Nebraska to the Big Ten, making it the Pac-11(?), and leaving the Big XII with 10 teams and Big Ten with 12. Anyway... It looks like Texas, Texas Tech, Texas A&M, OK and OK St may end up in the Pac...16? I still can't figure out why on earth Nebraska leaving makes the Big XII crumble, but it is what it is.

So, what next for ?

Obviously, the conference will be up to the schools, and we'll see how important basketball and football are to them. But...if I were an NCAA Dictator (and more interested in basketball than football), I would poachify the following teams to create a new conference:

The Big East has a ridiculous amount of teams for basketball, many of whose sole claim on "east" is that of being this side of the Mississippi. Therefore, I would send DePaul, Notre Dame and Marquette to join the Big XII leftovers in a new...Heartland? conference. In addition to those, I would steal Memphis (the lone star in Conf USA). THAT would be an awesome basketball conference, and a fair football.

In a perfect world, I might go a step further and throw in Louisville and Cincinnati too. That might take away the Big East's BCS spot, but do they really deserve it anyway? Maybe they could beg BC and Miami to join them.

So there you have it; introducing the Heartland Conference. Take that Big XII!

The re-Tool

Ok, it has almost been two years since I posted anything. Apparently the last post (below) contained about two years worth of posting in itself. People complained. I was offended...I'm ready to forgive...

I've found two things since July 2008 (well, more than that, but for the sake of BREVITY, I shall limit myself to two things). Exactly 15 days after my last post, I took out my future wife on our first date. We went peach picking; we got married. I love her to death. She's kept a very good record of our lives (The Famblog). Annnnd...

I've found sports radio, which I guess means I am an actual commuter. Any potential for productive thought on my 1hr+ ride home has given way to the latest 3 stories ESPN has allowed to be spoken of that day. It's not all bad. I like the show I listen to--The Sports Reporters (AM 980; ESPN Radio in DC)-- and it helps me unwind.

At this point, however, I'm regaining a sports vigor I haven't had since high school. Perhaps that means I'm immaturing as my hair thins and joints stiffen, but for now I need an outlet! Sometimes the media skips over my great ideas and interesting comments and it's not fair to everyone. So...at least until this phase passes and I find something better to do with my commute, I'm going to use this to stop myself from talking back to the radio on my way home...