M - MSU Mad Lib...
I saw this in an article about Washington and Oregon.
Washington prides itself as old money, a high-academic institution claiming to be a historic blue-blood power, the centerpiece of a metropolis bursting with big tech. Oregon is new money, backed by a Jordan-wearing sugardaddy whose resources have helped lead to its transformation as one the nation’s most recognizable brands despite a rural location — and a losing record in this very series.
The bitterness knows no bounds. There is deep hatred here dating back decades.
I considered making this about UM - OSU, but it's MSU this week, so let's go with MSU.
Fill in the blanks:
Michigan prides itself as old money, a high-academic institution claiming to be a historic blue-blood power, the centerpiece of a metropolis bursting with big tech. MSU is ________, backed by a ______ sugardaddy whose resources have helped lead to its transformation as one the nation’s most ________ despite a _______ location — and a losing record in this very series.
I thought about replacing "centerpiece" and "big tech" in the Michigan text, but eh that's too much work.
October 18th, 2023 at 8:44 PM ^
The article was linked from Brian's UV: https://sports.yahoo.com/inside-oregon-and-washingtons-jump-to-the-big-ten--it-was-both-of-us-or-none-of-us-141725222.html
October 18th, 2023 at 11:05 PM ^
You buried the lead here. The important part of the article was the information on the inside BIG disagreements. (Assuming it is true.)
Apparently, the opposition to Washington and Oregon came from USC, UCLA, Michigan, Ohio, and Penn State.
That does seem reasonable, W & O are currently at what seems to be their historical max as high profile football schools. They're also in relatively warm weather locations and serious competitors for recruits. As members of the BIG they will be even more high profile and have a new in for mid-west and eastern recruits. And probably more appeal in the football hot beds of the south.
If W&O had ended up stuck in some modified PAC they would have been much reduced competitors for recruits. Even if they had gone to the Big12 they would have had less exposure and status
The real question is: Why in the heck were the other BIG programs willing to fight to get them in? Are they that anxious to add some new serious competition for recruits and add another loss or two to their schedule each year?
October 18th, 2023 at 11:31 PM ^
The reason is:
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
October 19th, 2023 at 10:12 AM ^
Not true. O&W are not major TV markets. The number of new viewers they bring in does not justify the additional dollars they would be paid as full members.
October 19th, 2023 at 11:45 AM ^
“On that Wednesday, it was shared with us that Fox was in the mix offering more money,” a Big Ten source said. “It would not be dilutive. It was new money. We’d already studied the demographics and realities [on UW and UO] last year, so it moved quickly.” ...
While all other Big Ten teams will earn about $60 million next year, Washington and Oregon will start at $30 million with an increase of $1 million until the expiration of the Big Ten’s seven-year television deal with Fox, CBS and NBC. The schools will become full-earning members under the league’s next media contract.
It looks like FOX was going to pay for basically the whole amount of money that UO and UW are going to get, so any tangential cost (e.g., travel) to the B1G schools was minimal. I mean, you can agree or not agree with that, but that's obviously the calculus the schools did themselves.
So since it's low-to-no cost to add two big brands, the other schools are thinking long-term; this is an arms race. Expand the empire and best position yourself for the future.
I speculated somewhere else that OSU, UM, and PSU are the only ones who viewed this as a threat because it makes winning the conference that much harder. Minnesota isn't worried about winning the conference in reality, so that's less of their concern.
Directly or indirectly, the answer is always money.
October 18th, 2023 at 8:51 PM ^
Cow laden, Ish, predator enabling, chip on the shoulder.
October 18th, 2023 at 8:59 PM ^
An agricultural university, loan shark, regional football program, mediocre
October 18th, 2023 at 9:07 PM ^
over taking ass !
October 18th, 2023 at 9:15 PM ^
Ann Arbor is actually a very strong Midwest tech hub. It's just not a metropolis.
October 18th, 2023 at 9:26 PM ^
Michigan prides itself as a high-academic institution and as the state's flagship university, boasting a historic blue-blood football power. The University is the centerpiece of one of the nation's great college towns, bursting with big tech. Michigan State is a cow college, grasping for relevance in the shadow of its big brother, backed by a handful of predatory mortgage billionaires whose resources were squandered on an incompetent and also predatory coach, having helped lead to the school's national recognition as a laughing stock, despite its membership in the NCAA's richest conference. Naturally, they have a losing record in this very series.
October 18th, 2023 at 9:30 PM ^
Very well done! Kudos!
October 18th, 2023 at 9:34 PM ^
Thanks. I tried to stick to the prompts as provided but it was too restrictive.
October 18th, 2023 at 9:36 PM ^
Ag school ...haven for sexual predators... Unqualified mortgage lender... Embarrassing dumpster (and couch) fires...muskeg
October 18th, 2023 at 9:49 PM ^
Michigan prides itself as old money, a high-academic institution claiming to be a historic blue-blood power, the centerpiece of a metropolis bursting with big tech. MSU is utter trash, backed by a crime and sexual predator enabling BOT nicknamed sugardaddy whose resources have helped lead to its transformation as one the nation’s most despicable programs despite a terrible concrete stadium in a lame ass location — and a losing record in this very series.
October 18th, 2023 at 10:14 PM ^
bitch
bitch
shitty
bitch-ass
October 18th, 2023 at 10:16 PM ^
so it reads easily for you
MSU is BITCH, backed by a BITCH sugardaddy whose resources have helped lead to its transformation as one the nation’s most SHITTY despite a BITCH-ASS location — and a losing record in this very series.
October 18th, 2023 at 10:37 PM ^
in math terms:
Michigan/Washington is not proportional to MSU/ Oregon
MSU is a couch fire, backed by a dumpster fire sugardaddy whose resources have helped lead to its transformation as one the nation’s most recognizable tire fires despite a methane fire- prone location — and a losing record in this very series.
October 18th, 2023 at 10:42 PM ^
I tried to ignore this but I am compelled to vent about how even professional writers are so completely sloppy with language. There are so many examples of writers seemingly just throwing out words that they apparently have no idea of the meaning. In that article
"Two months later, in an incredible tiff of irony, the Huskies and Ducks — the Big Ten’s Pacific Northwest package — are, arguably, the Pac-12’s best chance at a national championship in the league’s final year of existence."
A tiff is minor quarrel. It has no meaning in that context.
October 18th, 2023 at 10:55 PM ^
Sure, but I wasn’t analyzing the article. I was having fun at MSU’s expense.
October 18th, 2023 at 11:20 PM ^
Washington is an excellent school, outstanding engineering programs and other majors. Oregen is a very good school. I think the UM = UW and MSU = Oregon are probably undercutting Oregon a bit.
Washington went through a maze of coaches post Don James, who got pushed out for BS reasons - a bunch of "hamburglar" NCAA trumped up charges. Chris Peterson did an excellent job as has Kalen DeBoer. They had a maze of chumps or has-beens, like Tyrone Willingham, Rick Neuheisel, and worse.
October 18th, 2023 at 11:33 PM ^
hate to admit it, but OSU and MSU are actually ranked pretty high
OSU is right there with Washington and MSU is better than both Oregon schools.
It varies depending on who created the list, but here's an example:
https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-universities
October 19th, 2023 at 12:27 AM ^
It usually depends on the program. For example, UW is exceptionally strong in Computer Science - much better than OU, OSU, MSU. (According to CSRankings which is a better source than USNews for CS).
OU, OSU and MSU are relentlessly average.
What makes U of M so amazing is that it's great in almost everything. Most schools are good at a few things (e.g., Illinois - great at CS but not much else - I know a lot about CS...)
https://csrankings.org/#/index?all&us
October 19th, 2023 at 10:11 AM ^
Dirty shot taking , Dantonio knob slobbers. I respect, but dislike Ohio state and wanna never lose to them. I want Harbaugh to let Tuttle work on his deep ball the whole 4th qtr after Ben Hall rushes for 100 yards in the 3rd while our starters cheer from the bench.