Bacon tidbit that is not in Endzone
This morning on WLBY, 1290 AM Bacon gave a tidbit about the reason we played msu away two years in a row. "Dave was not the most popular AD in the B1G (shocker), They told him you can ether play twice there or will move one of them to Detroit." I was hoping he would elaborate more but alas he did not. It still doesn't make sense to me why we had to (other than the fact it was a way the B1G could smite DB) (divisonal realignments my ass) but at the end of the day I side with Bacon on his opinion that college game should be played on college campuses not racetracks or NFL stadiums. So happy we get em home this year. Even if the schedule is stupidly loaded every other year now...but thats a topic for another thread.
Go Blue!
August 26th, 2015 at 12:21 PM ^
as a fan base, we should have no qualms about getting challenged about the split 1997 national championship or the league AD vote that prevented Bo's from playing in the Rose Bowl after tying Ohio State.
We should just accept the vagaries of those decisions as well which were not decided on the field but by outsiders and resulted in historical perspectives that challenge the impiracle success of those teams because of factors the teams had no control over.
August 26th, 2015 at 11:13 AM ^
Just win.
August 26th, 2015 at 11:14 AM ^
August 26th, 2015 at 2:30 PM ^
It is not as simple as saying MSU needs to come here twice because that would cost them a B1G home game. It takes three teams to make it work. MSU would have to agree to come to A2 twice, someone likeIndiana would have to agree to go to MSU twice to make up for that home game that MSU is losing by making the trip to A2 and UM would have to agree to go to Indiana twice to make up for the home game PSU is losing by going to MSU.
August 26th, 2015 at 10:26 AM ^
If this is true:
1. UM having to go to MSU 2 years in a row, blame Brandon, people hate on him
2. Game played at Ford Field, blame Brandon, corporate sell-out, people hate on him
I'm not defending the guy, I'm glad he's gone. But if the B1G only gave him those options, he couldn't win.
August 26th, 2015 at 10:28 AM ^
...or he could have told the B1G to fuck off.
August 26th, 2015 at 10:30 AM ^
In a fantasy world sure. In the real world Jim Delaney would have told the new guy..."ok, we'll decide for you pizza boy"
August 26th, 2015 at 10:35 AM ^
Strong leaders don't get rolled... particularly when logic is on their side. DB caved - Hackett would have found a way... and maybe still can.
August 26th, 2015 at 10:44 AM ^
As prickish as it might have been, he could have taken the B1G to court.
August 26th, 2015 at 11:22 AM ^
when you are arguably the strong (quiver) brand with one of the largest fan bases. You say fine I will go ND and play independent or jump to another league and take all of that revenue with me.
We drive the revenue for the big ten and split it with the bottom 2/3, 1/2. You don't act weak when you have a clear position of power.
August 26th, 2015 at 11:48 AM ^
Truth
When the entire cable TV model breaks down, I can see Michigan, OSU, and Penn State telling the B1G thanks for the memories, but we are leaving.
An alliance of the 10-20 major power programs in football would garner 60%-75% of the TV dollars. No one who except for graduates from Purdue, Indiana, Minnesota or Illinois tunes in to watch those teams play. This is generally true for eavery Power 5 conference that there are a few teams that drive fan interest, and a bunch that ride coat tails.
August 26th, 2015 at 12:41 PM ^
jbibiza hit it on the head. Part of the AD's job is to represent the University with the conference and to not get rolled like this. Of course, step one of that process is not to be a prick to the other ADs so that the other schools back you when something like this happens. Seems like that might not have happened here.
August 26th, 2015 at 10:34 AM ^
Yeah, that would've seriously been cool.
Go the route of the University of Chicago and get out of the the stupidity of high-end college sports.
If the NFL wants a minor league, let it create one. Then we'll see the true test of these lawsuits started by O'Bannon - would player X really have any value on "the market" if he went straight from high school to playing for the Des Moines Rattlers in the NFL minor league. Or, does the player's value partially derive from playing for Alabama, Michigan, etc......
August 26th, 2015 at 10:45 AM ^
Is this how you've handled your professional interactions? How's that going for ya?
August 26th, 2015 at 11:14 AM ^
Listen, there is a time to bend over and take it and there is a time to stand up for your school/business/self. If anyone thinks there were only two options available to resolve this problem they are kidding themselves. There possibly were only two options presented to DB, but with the slighted pushback maybe a fairer outcome could have been found.
August 26th, 2015 at 10:31 AM ^
I think if he'd explained this situation, people would've grumbled but certainly gone with the UM/l'il bro at Ford Field for one year. That effected us one year vs. every year.
August 26th, 2015 at 10:34 AM ^
The question is how did it get to just those two options? I didn't hear Bacon's discussion of this fact, but I wouldn't be surprised if the reason why those were the only two options was because Brandon failed to raise the issue in a timely enough manner to make the change. If Brandon waited until the schedule was pretty much set, I could see the Big Ten saying "tough luck."
I refuse to believe that the Big Ten unilateraly made a schedule without consulting with the various schools about what was important to them in scheduling. If Brandon didn't say at the time OSU last game and MSU and OSU at home in alternate years, it was a major, major failure on his part.
I can't prove it was Brandon's fault, but given everything else we know about Brandon I'm going to assume it was his fault until someone conclusively proves otherwise.
August 26th, 2015 at 10:44 AM ^
If Brandon didn't say at the time OSU last game and MSU and OSU at home in alternate years, it was a major, major failure on his part.
That is exactly what he didn't say when he had the opportunity to.
August 26th, 2015 at 11:52 AM ^
I believe it must have been a casualty of the post 2016 schedules, where teams in the East are supposed to host 5 conference games in odd years and 4 in even years (or vice versa, I don't recall). That being said: give us Maryland or Rutgers or anyone but OSU/MSU away two years in a row! That would have maintained balance in our schedule and not given our rivals an advantage two years in a row.
Out of all the things Dave Brandon did, allowing the Big Ten to screw us like that might have been the easiest to remedy. As soon as that proposed schedule came across his desk he should have been on the phone to Delaney asking for a switch. Are you telling me that Md/Rutgers/PSU would have objected to having us at home two years in a row? Something tells me you're right on it being Brandon's fault.
August 26th, 2015 at 11:44 AM ^
Look, realignment was going to require schools to do something they did not like. If Brandon had been a strong AD would have just played a game at Ford Field and then explained his reasoning to our fans. People would not have liked it, but it made more sense for the long-term. If Brandon was not ACTUALLY a corporate tool, he would not have been afraid of people calling him a corporate tool.
Imagine if, right now, Hackett had been in the same position. . . If he simply explained that he only had two choices, and decided that playing a game at Ford Field was preferable to creating a fucked up schedule for the next few decades, he would have just told us this. And honestly, I think we would be praising him for being transparent and far-sighted in his leadership.
August 26th, 2015 at 10:29 AM ^
I disliked playing there two consecutive years, but I don't mind having both rivals home/away. Every other year will be tough, although I believe we start beating Sparty >50% of the time in the next years, but also every other year will be set up nicely. 2017 for example. If we come out and beat Florida in Dallas...look out.
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August 26th, 2015 at 10:50 AM ^
IMHO, it does matter for season ticket holders as one year is great with both main rivals at home, and the other year not so much.
August 26th, 2015 at 2:14 PM ^
August 26th, 2015 at 10:56 AM ^
This is fine as long as there are other OOC or conference games at home. Next year, for example, the premier games are Colorado (who may be getting better), UCF, PSU, and Wisconsin at home. On paper, UCF, PSU, and Wisconsin look like good games next year but who knows?
I think the balance is weird because there are 8 home games in 2016 but only 6 (plus a neutral site) in 2017, so it is almost like the lack of quality games has been made up with just more games. The 9 game conference schedule is better than another cupcake, as long as at least one of the teams from the West is good.
August 26th, 2015 at 10:30 AM ^
I have a hard time believing those were the only options. I'm sure that's how Brandon spun it.
August 26th, 2015 at 10:45 AM ^
I agree, because both seem pretty unfair. Why would we lose a home game? Why is that an option? Obviously JUB's may not of had time to explain it all in-depth, but I'm sure there is more to it.
August 26th, 2015 at 11:26 AM ^
August 26th, 2015 at 10:34 AM ^
August 26th, 2015 at 10:35 AM ^
August 26th, 2015 at 10:36 AM ^
This "loaded schedule" every couple of years will be a non-issue once MSU is (hopefully) relegated once again to B10 mediocrity.
August 26th, 2015 at 10:46 AM ^
"Don't worry, Sparty's fun is just about over"
Commonly heard on MGoBlog since 2011 and probably earlier. Hey, I guess if it keeps getting said one day it will be correct.
August 26th, 2015 at 10:47 AM ^
August 26th, 2015 at 10:59 AM ^
The "Michigan fans all live in the past" thing lives because of attitudes like that one. 2005 was a long time ago, man. Life moves quicker in college football than some people care to admit. Recruits weren't even in middle school when we were better.
But hey, the '70s sure did suck for them! Seriously, who cares about that anymore?
August 26th, 2015 at 11:00 AM ^
except for disco.
August 26th, 2015 at 11:02 AM ^
August 26th, 2015 at 11:10 AM ^
Oh please. What a homerific spin.
And I'm pretty sure you can find plenty of OSU fans with the "living in the past" slam these days. Most of their past certainly doesn't suck.
August 26th, 2015 at 11:12 AM ^
August 26th, 2015 at 11:15 AM ^
OK. I won't bring them up. I'll bring up intelligent, third-party observers, who I'm confident would almost all laugh at you saying disregard the last decade and look at 1970-2005.
August 26th, 2015 at 11:16 AM ^
August 26th, 2015 at 11:19 AM ^
Your implication was that past generations were a greater indicator of success in the near-future than recent history. Which is preposterous.
MSU's success is well past the blip-on-the-radar stage.
August 26th, 2015 at 11:22 AM ^
August 26th, 2015 at 11:28 AM ^
Then what was?
August 26th, 2015 at 10:56 AM ^
August 26th, 2015 at 10:58 AM ^
And Boise State was mostly garbage from 1968 until 1999. Things can change. You might well be right that they return to that era of football, but we can't assume it. We sound petty and ignorant when we don't recognize what Dantonio has done there.
August 26th, 2015 at 2:19 PM ^
August 26th, 2015 at 12:22 PM ^
Spoken like a true Sparty. if I wanted comments like that Id go to RCMB. My only regret is I cant neg you to Bolivia myself.
August 26th, 2015 at 12:23 PM ^
Spoken like a true Sparty. if I wanted comments like that Id go to RCMB. My only regret is I cant neg you to Bolivia myself.
EDIT: So profound it needed to be said twice.