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      Nebraska heading to the Big Ten – are four more Big 12 teams on the move?

      June 11, 2010 /

      The downfall of the Big 12 is about to be underway, as ESPN.com is reporting that Nebraska has officially accepted an invitation to join the Big Ten.

      Nebraska departs the Big 12 to become the 12th member of the Big Ten. Earlier this week, a source told ESPN.com that no other schools are imminent to accompany the Cornhuskers into the Big Ten.

      The future of the Big 12 is in jeopardy after Colorado agreed Thursday to jump to the Pac-10. The Pac-10 is also reportedly interested in inviting Texas, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Texas Tech to form a 16-team league.

      University of Texas regents will meet next week to decide whether the Longhorns will remain in the Big 12 or switch to another conference.

      The regents announced Friday that they will hold a meeting by telephone Tuesday for “discussion and appropriate action regarding athletic conference membership.”

      Rumor had it that if Nebraska left the Big 12, then the rest of the conference would dissolve. It appears as though the Pac-10 is on its way to being a 16-team conference, although as I wrote yesterday, that doesn’t mean that it’ll implement a championship game. (Which is just a ridiculous notion when you think about it.)

      Joining the Big Ten makes a lot of sense for Nebraska, most notably from a revenue standpoint. Big Ten schools bring in $22 million each year thanks in large part to the Big Ten Network, which can now extend its reach once Nebraska comes aboard. The Huskers now have more security in the Big Ten than they did in the Big 12, which was apparently held together by cheese and crackers.

      Nebraska and Michigan will finally get to settle the 1997 debate. Too bad nothing will be left of the UM program after Rich Rodriguez gets done burning everything in Ann Arbor to the ground.

      College Football, External Sports

      Kobe wipes a booger in Ric Bucher’s hair [video]

      June 11, 2010 /

      Actually, I think he just wanted to touch Bucher’s hair and happened to scratch his nose beforehand. This post title is more provocative though…

      Ric Bucher comments on Twitter:

      Didn’t see Kobe coming, re: head chamois. I was interviewing him for radio, so I didn’t care until I saw the cameras. Thought bubble: Damn.

      Love the music and the slow mo…nice work.

      External Sports, Fantasy Basketball, Humor, NBA, NBA Finals, Video

      Should the Lakers trade Bynum for Bosh?

      June 11, 2010 /

      To me, the first question is…can they?

      Honestly, I thought this trade rumor was well behind us after Andrew Bynum suffered yet another knee injury. Yet, here are two Los Angeles Times writers arguing about whether or not the Lakers should trade him for Chris Bosh.

      T.J. Simers takes a few shots at Bill Plaschke…

      It’s been several days since I have had the chance to remind everyone how clueless Plaschke can be, and since this was a wasted game, I certainly don’t want to waste such an opportunity.

      Plaschke continues to make the case that the Lakers have to unload Andrew Bynum, insisting they replace him with free agent Chris Bosh. And by Sunday, I believe.

      Plaschke maintains that the Lakers will never be able to depend on Bynum’s body, and while he’s presently got that right, it doesn’t speak to what we’ve learned about the young man.

      The kid has been determined, tough and tough-minded as he has pushed himself, obviously the kind of competitor a team needs to win a championship.

      That last sentence summarizes Simers’ argument — since Bynum has played through a knee injury, and since he has potential, the Lakers should forgo Chris Bosh in order to keep him.

      I don’t think that the ball is in the Lakers’ court. While the Bynum-for-Bosh swap made a lot of sense earlier in the season, it doesn’t make much sense for the Raptors now, unless they are willing to risk the two years and $28.6 million remaining on Bynum’s contract even though he has missed an average of 32 games over the last three seasons. A team option for the third year does make the trade a bit more palatable, but it all depends on what other sign-and-trade deals are out there for Bosh. In other words, is a gimpy Bynum the best Toronto can do?

      He is just 22 years old and could very well bounce back from the knee problems that have plagued him over the past three years. But how common is it for a seven footer to suffer major injuries in his first few years and then suddenly become durable? While it’s true that he’d be a good fit alongside Andrea Bargnani, who is more of a power forward than a center, it’s not going to do the Raptors much good to trade for a guy who can’t seem to stay healthy.

      As for the Lakers, of course they should do this deal. Chris Bosh is a 26-year-old who will be a top 15 player in the league for the next five to six years. This coincides nicely with the remainder of Kobe’s prime, and he’d give the Lakers a fighting chance when Kobe finally hangs ’em up. He’d be a better fit than Bynum alongside Pau Gasol, who is arguably the league’s best post player, at least offensively. Bosh’s ability to hit long jumpers would create more space for Gasol and Kobe to do their thing.

      I just don’t think the Lakers are going to be the ones that have to make the decision. That’s Bryan Colangelo’s call now.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      External Sports, Fantasy Basketball, NBA, News, Rumors & Gossip

      USC juniors and seniors can transfer without having to sit

      June 11, 2010 /

      In what could wind up being a massive blow to USC’s football program, the NCAA has ruled that juniors and seniors to-be can transfer to other FBS programs without having to sit out a season.

      ESPN.com has the details.

      “The second school would have to submit a waiver asking to waive the year in residence, but NCAA rules allow for this waiver to be granted if a student-athlete’s first school has a postseason ban in their sport,” NCAA spokeswoman Stacey Osburn said in an e-mail to ESPN’s Joe Schad.

      The rule does not apply to freshman who have signed national letters of intent, however. But schools with an interest in a USC junior or senior are allowed to initiate contact with the player, Osburn said.

      Among juniors and seniors whom the transfer rule applies to are quarterback Mitch Mustain, running backs C.J. Gable and Marc Tyler, receiver David Ausberry, cornerback T.J. Bryant, tight end Blake Ayles, safety Drew McAllister and center Michael Reardon.

      First-year coach Lane Kiffin said Thursday he hadn’t heard from any schools with possible interest in a USC player.

      When asked if he’s concerned about some of his juniors and seniors transferring, Kiffin said, “If someone wants to leave the best place in the country to play football, we won’t stop them.”

      Lane Kiffin has quite the situation on his hands. For the next two seasons, his program won’t be competing for the chance to play in the postseason and he’ll also lose 30 scholarships over the next three years. He also has the daunting task of recruiting players who know that the Trojans won’t be playing in a bowl game until 2012 and now his juniors and seniors can transfer without fear of sitting out a full year.

      It’s unfair to the current Trojans players that because two sports marketers pampered Reggie Bush, they won’t have the opportunity to play in a bowl game over the next two years. I wouldn’t blame any of them for wanting to jump ship and start fresh elsewhere, although I’m sure Kiffin is doing all he can to keep them right where they’re at. If he doesn’t, who knows what kind of a team he’ll be able to field over the next two seasons.

      College Football, External Sports

      What is Tom Izzo thinking?

      June 11, 2010 /

      Tom Izzo is still considering the Cavs job, per ESPN…

      Izzo told reporters late Thursday night that “it won’t go on forever, I can tell you that.”

      The coach had just arrived back in East Lansing, Mich., after traveling to Cleveland on Thursday afternoon with his wife, daughter and son.

      Izzo said: “I feel bad that I can’t talk. I feel good that I did what I had to do.”

      Izzo is apparently closer to saying yes to the Cavaliers than previously thought, a source told ESPN.com’s Andy Katz on Thursday.

      That source discussed Izzo’s future with a close confidant of Izzo’s who is coaching in the NBA. The source told Katz that Izzo, who talked to his team earlier this week about his interest in the Cavaliers, is leaning toward taking the job if it is offered.

      Byron Scott appears to be Izzo’s main competition (or the Cavs’ backup plan?)…

      Wednesday night, an NBA Eastern Conference executive with knowledge of the Cavaliers’ thinking told ESPN The Magazine’s Chris Broussard that Byron Scott is a strong candidate to be offered the job.

      The executive told Broussard that Scott is on equal footing with Izzo.

      Scott, a former Los Angeles Lakers guard who has coached the New Jersey Nets and the New Orleans Hornets, has spoken with members of the Cavaliers’ front office the past few days. Late Wednesday night the talks took on a more serious nature, the source told Broussard.

      Izzo is 55 years old and is making $3 million a year coaching 30-35 games at Michigan State. He is basically untouchable in East Lansing, but if he goes to the NBA, he becomes just another head coach. Like Dick Vitale said earlier in the week, he’s eventually going to get fired. Seemingly everyone gets fired in the NBA, no matter how good you are. Hell, Mike Brown just got fired in Cleveland after the Cavs had the most wins during the NBA’s regular season.

      I understand that Izzo’s ego (or any top college coach’s ego, for that matter) might convince him that this is a challenge that he should undertake, to succeed where so many others have failed, but in the NBA, head coaches just don’t have as big of an impact on the game as they do in college.

      The players are far more stubborn and are often paid more, and it’s difficult to steer the ship when there are that many egos on board. Izzo’s fiery nature works well with unpaid college kids who are only in school for 3-4 years, but when you’re talking about $17 million-a-year prima donnas, that in-your-face bit isn’t going to fly.

      I presume Izzo knows this, and will attempt to adjust his style, but that aggressive approach is what makes his style so effective. The best NBA coaches — Phil Jackson, Gregg Popovich — are successful because of their ability to manage their roster, specifically their stars. Izzo knows the X’s and O’s, but can he talk to LeBron in the same way that Jackson talks to Kobe or that Pop talks to Tim Duncan?

      Speaking of LeBron, if Izzo signs on, it’s a clear indication — to me, at least — that he has assurances from the Cavs’ camp (presumably with confirmation from LeBron’s camp) that LeBron will re-sign if Izzo is named the coach. Otherwise, why would he agree to take over a roster that might be mediocre at best? Would he really leave a cush job at Michigan State to coach a team whose two best players are Antawn Jamison and Mo Williams?


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      College Basketball, External Sports, Fantasy Basketball, NBA

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