Whether you are a mask wearer, or a Covid-sharer, a Left-Wing Commie, or a Right-Wing Nut, a mere fan, or an Athletic Director, or some bizarre mix and “middlin” of all of the above, lend me your ear (and $50.00 if you can spare it).
I hope that the powers-that-be can take some advantage of a bad situation, have some guts and creativity, and maybe, kick this Covid-19/China Virus in the nads, financially and otherwise.
America has always fought poorly in the first-half of any war, smacked itself and each other around, then rallied, unified, and kick a little ass (usually a lot of ass) in the end.
Maybe the powers of college football could lead the way, with just a little guts, a little creativity, and maybe a little sense of humor, too.
What we face: a worldwide pandemic, resulting economic uncertainty, a national election in a deeply divided country, a modified football season focusing on conference-only slates, potentially reduced live crowds at stadiums, and FCS, G5 and even smaller conferences/schools facing economic hardship or potential loss of programs.
What we have: time to think: hope of improving health, the hardiness and relative health of collegiate athletes, television networks and advertisers aplenty; potentially millions of viewers/subscribers who likely won’t be sitting in their favorite football stadium and later eating ribs in packed restaurants on Saturday evenings, and lots of untapped potential for once-in-a-lifetime matchups.
And the Conference-only schedules are a damn good start, as they should enhance TV revenue; a Bama vs. Any-SEC school is worth a ton more money than Bama vs. Troy.
But I would hope the powers that be remain flexible, and think outside the box: if fans are largely or entirely excluded, games could be planned, contracted, televised and executed in a much shorter time frame than usual, and revenue enhancing matchups . . . perhaps agreed to be “for exhibition only” type affairs could be worked into open dates, and even replace missing bowls.
Some ideas: Texas and Texas A & M haven’t squared off in a while . . . how ‘bout a “Kick Covid’s Ass Cattleman's Confrontation” be played on a Saturday or Sunday during or just after their respective seasons, with their teams costs first defrayed, then TV revenue/pay-per-view, etc. used to benefit G5, FCS and even smaller schools in Texas and SEC country?
How ‘bout a “Catholic Covid Contest” between Boston College and Notre Dame, with TV revenue to assist smaller Catholic colleges and universities maintain their sports programs? Hell, every self-respecting Southern Protestant would pay to watch, knowing that one Yankee Catholic School or the other would get it’s Ass handed to it . . . . . . (I jest, ——I’m really just kidding , . . . some of my best friends are . . . . . Pentecostal).
And were I in charge of the SEC, working on the 10 game conference slate, I’d shock the world, and shoot for the big bucks: I would make the “best” 8 teams predominantly play . . . the best 8 teams, seek a 4 team playoff at the end HOPING that one-or-more of Vandy, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Arky, South Carolina, and/or Mizzou crash the party, and use some of the added TV revenue of the additional playoffs to assist smaller schools in the South East maintain their athletic programs.
And, hey, we have two well-funded Presidential campaigns that about half the country despises and distrusts (both ways), so on the game days prior to November 3rd (special, or regularly scheduled) lean on those billion dollar political organizations to run ads in “toss-up” markets in Georgia, Texas, Florida, North Carolina, during our games so we can split some damn revenue with small schools in the South.
We need to find ways to take advantage of our situation to maintain economic activity and preserve traditions. If 80 or 100 percent of us are forced to stay at home, give us some matchups we and the networks and advertisers will be willing to pay for.
If playing in empty or near-empty stadiums, take advantage of the flexibility afforded to schedule once-in-a-lifetime matchups for the sake of revenue that can save our minor programs.
And in the end, we can have our football, spice it up a little, see some sh!t we might never get to see, again, share revenue with smaller programs, elect or re-elect our least despised septuagenarian, whilst picking his and his opponents respective pockets, and have a little fun and a few laughs along the way.
I hope that the powers-that-be can take some advantage of a bad situation, have some guts and creativity, and maybe, kick this Covid-19/China Virus in the nads, financially and otherwise.
America has always fought poorly in the first-half of any war, smacked itself and each other around, then rallied, unified, and kick a little ass (usually a lot of ass) in the end.
Maybe the powers of college football could lead the way, with just a little guts, a little creativity, and maybe a little sense of humor, too.
What we face: a worldwide pandemic, resulting economic uncertainty, a national election in a deeply divided country, a modified football season focusing on conference-only slates, potentially reduced live crowds at stadiums, and FCS, G5 and even smaller conferences/schools facing economic hardship or potential loss of programs.
What we have: time to think: hope of improving health, the hardiness and relative health of collegiate athletes, television networks and advertisers aplenty; potentially millions of viewers/subscribers who likely won’t be sitting in their favorite football stadium and later eating ribs in packed restaurants on Saturday evenings, and lots of untapped potential for once-in-a-lifetime matchups.
And the Conference-only schedules are a damn good start, as they should enhance TV revenue; a Bama vs. Any-SEC school is worth a ton more money than Bama vs. Troy.
But I would hope the powers that be remain flexible, and think outside the box: if fans are largely or entirely excluded, games could be planned, contracted, televised and executed in a much shorter time frame than usual, and revenue enhancing matchups . . . perhaps agreed to be “for exhibition only” type affairs could be worked into open dates, and even replace missing bowls.
Some ideas: Texas and Texas A & M haven’t squared off in a while . . . how ‘bout a “Kick Covid’s Ass Cattleman's Confrontation” be played on a Saturday or Sunday during or just after their respective seasons, with their teams costs first defrayed, then TV revenue/pay-per-view, etc. used to benefit G5, FCS and even smaller schools in Texas and SEC country?
How ‘bout a “Catholic Covid Contest” between Boston College and Notre Dame, with TV revenue to assist smaller Catholic colleges and universities maintain their sports programs? Hell, every self-respecting Southern Protestant would pay to watch, knowing that one Yankee Catholic School or the other would get it’s Ass handed to it . . . . . . (I jest, ——I’m really just kidding , . . . some of my best friends are . . . . . Pentecostal).
And were I in charge of the SEC, working on the 10 game conference slate, I’d shock the world, and shoot for the big bucks: I would make the “best” 8 teams predominantly play . . . the best 8 teams, seek a 4 team playoff at the end HOPING that one-or-more of Vandy, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Arky, South Carolina, and/or Mizzou crash the party, and use some of the added TV revenue of the additional playoffs to assist smaller schools in the South East maintain their athletic programs.
And, hey, we have two well-funded Presidential campaigns that about half the country despises and distrusts (both ways), so on the game days prior to November 3rd (special, or regularly scheduled) lean on those billion dollar political organizations to run ads in “toss-up” markets in Georgia, Texas, Florida, North Carolina, during our games so we can split some damn revenue with small schools in the South.
We need to find ways to take advantage of our situation to maintain economic activity and preserve traditions. If 80 or 100 percent of us are forced to stay at home, give us some matchups we and the networks and advertisers will be willing to pay for.
If playing in empty or near-empty stadiums, take advantage of the flexibility afforded to schedule once-in-a-lifetime matchups for the sake of revenue that can save our minor programs.
And in the end, we can have our football, spice it up a little, see some sh!t we might never get to see, again, share revenue with smaller programs, elect or re-elect our least despised septuagenarian, whilst picking his and his opponents respective pockets, and have a little fun and a few laughs along the way.
