In Defense of Delany

Submitted by Gameboy on

I know I will get neg banged, but what the hell...

I just saw that HULU launched their new on-line TV streaming service and BTN was included in it (with SEC Network as the only conference TV stations offered on basic service). This means most of the new on-line only streaming services (like PSVue) are all offering BTN as part of their basic bundle.

I know Brian and many others have criticized "short-term" thinking about cable bundles and adding Rutgers, but as you can plainly see, bundling TV channels is not going away any time soon and the fact that BTN is part of a basic package in the biggest media market in the country (and where many of the decision makers for these new streaming services live), I think has a huge impact on how BTN is being included on every one of these new streaming services.

I want to give Delaney a credit where it is due. Adding Rutgers was a terrible decision competition wise, but it is working out pretty well for media expansion.

East German Judge

May 3rd, 2017 at 12:35 PM ^

While it is fun and entertaining to disparage jd about rutgers, what is indefensible is his constant ignoring of issues effecting Michigan like osu officiating, 2 straight aways games at state, not defending JH and the satellite camps, etc. Can't defend him!

massblue

May 3rd, 2017 at 12:52 PM ^

The full impact of adding Rutgers and Maryland to BIG will take years to be realized.  There will be some degree of self-fullfilling prophecy as these two programs are getting financial help from BTN and this should help them with improving their programs.  

It is irresponsible to ignore the potential importance of BTN to some of the original BIG schools. States are facing financial difficulty and the resources available to non-revenue sports may be cut.  For example, look at Purdue.  The money generated by BTN is very important to them. Without the BTN money many of the BIG schools would have less resourcces to work with affecting the overall competitiveness of the BIG.  UM and OSU could have survived without BTN, but the level of competition in BIG would have suffered.  

BTN money may end being even more important given the difficulties of ESPN and other networks.  The money paid by them to broadcast BIG games may go down.

 

Human Torpedo

May 3rd, 2017 at 12:51 PM ^

Was a very bad decision. But it shouldn't define his commissionership in the Big Ten. And neither should giving MSU two home games against us in a row (not like having the Big House would've helped against Sparty with THOSE teams playing for us). I personally had an indifferent or even positive opinion about him, or at least I did before his lukewarm endorsement of Harbaugh's satellite camps. But now the guy seems like a lame duck at this point and doesn't want to do what it takes to get on the level of the SEC or ACC competitively in the revenue sports. To be fair, the conference he inherited in 1989 was just as much a mess in that regard. Maybe it's just too uphill a battle demographically for a Upper Midwest program outside of OSU football to win the national championship aside from some miracle team once in a generation like 1997 Michigan

Ali G Bomaye

May 3rd, 2017 at 1:06 PM ^

We were five points away from an undefeated season this past year. But you're right, winning a national championship is impossible.

The fact that the B1G has only a couple teams that can challenge for a national championship makes us just like basically every other conference. In the past 55 years, no conference other than the SEC has had more than three different teams win championships:

  • B1G (Michigan, Ohio State)
  • ACC (Clemson, Florida State)
  • Big 12 (Oklahoma, Texas, Nebraska)
  • Pac 12 (USC, Washington)

If you want to count championships that current conference members won before joining the conference, you can give Nebraska and Penn State to the B1G, Miami and Pitt to the ACC, and Colorado to the Pac 12. But the point still stands - the fact that the vast majority of the conference isn't contending for a national championship isn't unique to the B1G.

growler4

May 3rd, 2017 at 12:57 PM ^

Thank you for some original thought and not just parroting the occasional erroneous opinions of the originator of the blog.

As far as I know, point totals on this blog are not transferrable into any useful or meaningful currency, so I would not be too concerned about potential criticisms.

Rufus X

May 3rd, 2017 at 1:04 PM ^

not for the opinion itself (which is 100% wrong) but to offset the "Disagree with Brian and you are wrong 100% of the time" crowd that will neg the crap out of you forthwith.

MGB

May 3rd, 2017 at 1:08 PM ^

I've learned two new things from this post. 1. Jim Delany has an mgoblog account. 2. Jim Delany still plays gameboy.

Sleepy

May 3rd, 2017 at 1:27 PM ^

...result of Buttgers joining the B1G was that it kinda/sorta eliminated the idiotic Heroes/Legendary divisions.

God, I hated those.

Gulo Blue

May 3rd, 2017 at 3:12 PM ^

Gameboy misses the point. Technology is allowing more accurate metering of TV watching. You can't argue so easily that you deserve $X per subscriber when there's better data about how many people are actually watching. Getting on platforms is now easier, but you won't automatically get paid for it anymore unless people actually watch. The proof is in ESPN's cuts.

Esterhaus

May 3rd, 2017 at 10:42 PM ^

But a "defense of Delany" post is sure to make me reconsider. I regret that I have but one neg vote to give for my fellow Wolverine Nation. /s/nathan hale to the Victors valiant