FLORIDA TO MOVE TO BIG TEN! NEW COACH: SASQUATCH!

Florida to the Big Ten! Sasquatch!
This is…this is just fucktarded. Just Darwin award dumb. Like, Oscar Davenport Wonderlic dumb. The kind of dumb that you’re afraid to even shake hands with, lest it prove contagious.
From David Jones at PennLive.
And former Big 12 commissioner Kevin Weiberg’s recent move to the Big Ten Network only adds to the intrigue. He knows about Texas’ TV clout better than anyone.
Texas in the Big 10! It’s a done deal! How this happened earlier we’ll never know, with only geography, history, demographics, and other “facts” getting in the way of this arrangement. But wait! There’s more ether left in the can. (HHHHHHHUUUUUUUUUFFFFFFFFFF.)
And if not Texas, stay south. Florida? It’s by no means out of the realistic realm. More snowbirds are from the Midwest than any other area. Think UF wouldn’t move? Think again.
First off, snowbirds are from New York. Long Island South takes great offense at this. Play “Piano Man” in an oldish bar in Tampa and watch the wrinkled, sunburnt elbows sway in drunken unison. There’s plenty of midwesterners, sure, but they’re in Orlando, fearful of that “water” shit surrounding the coasts.
Second, Florida would leave the SEC, but only if coached by Sasquatch. He’s an Oregon grad, though, and likely to wander West for his dream job in a few years, and therefore not a good investment. However! If the Gnomes of Zurich collaborate with the Cult of Cthulu and place enough leverage on the Masons, then just maybe fellow Druid cult leader Jim Delany could wedge fellow sacrifice cult leader Jeremy Foley into it. Let’s just hope the Elders of Zion don’t object!
We could do this all day, really. Rutgers to join League of Nations! USC to leave Pac-10 for the Bundesliga! Michigan to join DEI Racing! Don’t think it’ll happen? (Where’s my bullshit rhetorical device of the day…ah, there it is.) THINK AGAIN!!!
If this column were any dumber, we’d have to keep it inside during rainstorms to keep it from drowning as it looked up. (HT: Brian.)









1
Aerobab says:
Oh God…Keep this one away from the “Sports Junkies”!
July 31st, 2007 at 10:21 am
2
Run Up The Score says:
HEY! David Jones is MY piñata!
July 31st, 2007 at 10:21 am
3
bhors says:
If The Big Ten got Florida in, wouldn’t that concern Delaney that Florida would bring down the B10’s academic standards?
July 31st, 2007 at 10:21 am
4
Rival says:
Daft.
July 31st, 2007 at 10:22 am
5
hawkeye says:
If my courting of Katie Holmes doesn’t work out, I think Giselle is a “resonable fallback position.” It’s within the reasonable realm of possible reality. Really.
The Big Televen: you thought our inability to count was us trying to be clever? No, we really are fucktarded! (greatest. word. ever.)
July 31st, 2007 at 10:24 am
6
Upstate Underdog says:
Wow, did that paper actually pay that guy to write that nonsense ? I wonder if he also suggested that the New England Patriots join the XFL ?
July 31st, 2007 at 10:25 am
7
Brewster Crew says:
In response to USC’s move to the Bundesliga, Notre Dame moved to Italy and will play all of Serie A, but will remain independant and negotiate their own TV contract.
July 31st, 2007 at 10:26 am
8
gerry dorsey says:
is bundesliga where bunda comes from??? if so i might follow usc there.
July 31st, 2007 at 10:27 am
9
Jerkwheat says:
FLORIDA! INDIANA! NEXT ON THE BIG TELEVENWELVE NETWORK!
July 31st, 2007 at 10:28 am
10
Rival says:
What the hell movie is that image from?
I’m having vague flashbacks to B movies witnessed in my youth.
July 31st, 2007 at 10:29 am
11
gerry dorsey says:
and 100 cocktails for working in “harry and the hendersons.” i’m fucking rolling over here.
July 31st, 2007 at 10:29 am
12
TIGERinATL says:
I think Delany hired Mal Moore as a consultant regarding this issue.
July 31st, 2007 at 10:33 am
13
Rival says:
Ah, the ol’ John Lithgow vehicle.
I don’t get to say Lithgow enough.
Lithgow, Lithgow, Lithgow.
There, that’s better.
July 31st, 2007 at 10:35 am
14
parker91 says:
RUTS, you can always can a couple of free whacks at Ron Bracken any time you like. I’m sure he won’t mind it a bit.
July 31st, 2007 at 10:36 am
15
Allahver Fist says:
Well, Foley may be talking to Harry, but that unscheduled stop on the way back to Gainesville? Howard the Duck.
July 31st, 2007 at 10:37 am
16
Nick says:
The guy that played Harry is the same dude that played the Predator
July 31st, 2007 at 10:37 am
17
ChicaGoBlue says:
That would be “Harry and the Hendersons,” a movie I saw in the theater with my family. And enjoyed, shameful as that is to admit now.
July 31st, 2007 at 10:37 am
18
Harris says:
Michigan to join the Legion of Doom?
July 31st, 2007 at 10:38 am
19
Kahuna says:
I would have preferred a Pick of Destiny reference, but Harry and the Hendersons is quality kitsch…
July 31st, 2007 at 10:38 am
20
mhentz says:
We Penn State fans have to put up with that dope’s nonsense year round. Any chance the Orlando Sentinel will take him of our hands so he can start covering UCF?
July 31st, 2007 at 10:40 am
21
Doug says:
I already have it on good authority that the SEC will be adding Notre Dame, USC, Georgia Tech and Texas to form a 16-team superconference, so piss on your idea, David Jones. All your conference are belong to us.
July 31st, 2007 at 10:41 am
22
Rival says:
#16
Now I’m going to have bad dreams.
July 31st, 2007 at 10:41 am
23
Coop says:
I am shocked and amazed that this guy keeps his phone number and email address public.
Conversely, this is just too stupid to respond to. I would not know where to start.
How does he have a job? How is he not considered legally retarded?
July 31st, 2007 at 10:47 am
24
Chuck says:
Marshall to lose its criminal past by joining the French Foreign Legion!
July 31st, 2007 at 10:51 am
25
PSUrob says:
Bracken’s fucktarded comments are par for the course. He needs to eat some brains.
July 31st, 2007 at 10:51 am
26
Mike @ Black Shoe Diaries says:
Oh great. Now David Jones is going national. And I thought his asinine opinions were just limited to central Pennsylvania.
July 31st, 2007 at 10:54 am
27
Year2-Dave says:
Congrats, you are now driving traffic to PennLive.com and registering them some ad impressions. All it had to do was put up something inflammatory, and people link to it.
It’s a trick that technology journalists have been doing for years, usually saying something dismissive about Apple and watching the Mac fans blow it out of proportion, discuss it in 1000 different places, linking to it each time. It’s a great scam for getting page views and driving ad revenue.
Granted, this was probably published in the newspaper first, but publishing inflammatory material to get readership has been around since the sinking of the Maine. It is now bleeding over into the Internet, and everyone across all the sports blogs who are covering this bit.
You have to watch closely for these guys. If it’s something that has nothing in reality or logic backing it up, it could be a page view scammer. Be vigilant, my friends, and don’t humor them.
July 31st, 2007 at 10:59 am
28
Scalz1 says:
If you’re going to go Lithgow, you MUSt go “World according to Garp” transvestite Lithgow. You’re welcome.
July 31st, 2007 at 10:59 am
29
Biggus Rickus says:
This is the kind of thinking that put the Saints and Falcons in the NFC West.
July 31st, 2007 at 10:59 am
30
Oops Pow Surprise says:
You think Bill Richardson won’t graft seven penises to his forehead in a desperate bid for the Democratic nomination? THINK AGAIN!!!
July 31st, 2007 at 11:01 am
31
Orangeblood says:
This isn’t the first time the idea of Texas joining the Big 10 has been batted around. When they planned their departure from the SWC back in the 90s, they looked very hard at joining the Pac-10 or Big 10, the criteria being a conference of schools with high academic standards. The problem as you pointed out is one of geography. Joining the Pac-10 almost happened, but I believe Stanford was the lone hold-out in a consensus vote.
There’s a great article on the whole history of the collapse of the SWC, formation of the Big XII, and how the Governer (Baylor grad) and Lt. Governer (Tech grad) blackmailed Texas and Texas A&M (who was originally interested in joining the SEC) into taking Baylor and Texas Tech with them. I’ll post it if I can find it…
July 31st, 2007 at 11:03 am
32
DevilGrad says:
If David Jones were any dumber, you’d have to water him weekly and toss Miracle Gro on him once a month.
July 31st, 2007 at 11:11 am
33
Nick says:
I suggest “Buckaroo Banzai” Lithgow
July 31st, 2007 at 11:14 am
34
Brewster Crew says:
#30,
Is this what you’re talking about?
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/stories/MYSA081405.3N.SWCbaylor.tech.1ca3e1c.html
July 31st, 2007 at 11:14 am
35
gerry dorsey says:
#30
that is a great article as i’ve read it too. there was some shady shit going on in that little transaction.
July 31st, 2007 at 11:16 am
36
mlmintampa says:
If Florida ever joined another conference it’d be the Big East. Our two Catholic coaches would be a great fit with Providence, Marquette, St. John’s, and Georgetown. (Wait, none of those guys play football. Woohoo! A conference title every year!)
July 31st, 2007 at 11:17 am
37
Orangeblood says:
That’s the one!
July 31st, 2007 at 11:17 am
38
Kahuna says:
#32
Laugh while you can, monkey-boy! Still one of the great come back lines of all time…
July 31st, 2007 at 11:21 am
39
Rob says:
“Texas is known to be displeased in the Big 12, both because of a low revenue stream and a dearth of big-market, high-academic-profile schools such as itself.”
Ha, imagine that. Nobody listened to Tom Osborne when he said adding four schools from Texas was going to be bad for the Big 8/Big 12, and now Texas reportedly doesn’t even want to be here.
Guess he knew what he was talking about all along.
July 31st, 2007 at 11:27 am
40
Palouse says:
Harry and the Hendersons was definitely my favorite Sasquatch-related film. The actor who played Harry incidently has a Bacon Number of 2.
July 31st, 2007 at 11:33 am
41
WhoooTex says:
Where in the hell’d he get “six million televisions in the state of Texas” from…? There are a hell of a lot more TV households than that.
July 31st, 2007 at 11:41 am
42
Papa Lou BSU says:
First off, a hearty thanks to Orson for his evisceration of this latest piece in the now-annual off-season ritual wankery involving conference re-alignment.
However…
“There’s plenty of midwesterners, sure, but they’re in Orlando, fearful of that “water” shit surrounding the coasts. ”
I take it you’ve never been to the Fort Myers-Naples metroplex, then? More sunburned, chunky Midwest ex-pats there than are people left in the Midwest, I think.
Saw more Chicago Bears car flags on my recent trip down there than I do driving around the city. No joke.
July 31st, 2007 at 11:49 am
43
jebushchrist says:
Hah!
July 31st, 2007 at 11:57 am
44
sb says:
#39…how many sasquatch-related films have you seen for “Harry” to be your favorite?
Re: MILF Tuesday? Go or no go?
July 31st, 2007 at 12:06 pm
45
chickensupernova says:
This just in: USC will join NATO and finally take care of that Darfur situation.
The it’s off to the AFC West.
July 31st, 2007 at 12:11 pm
46
Palouse says:
#43 – Do the Star Wars movies count? =)
I live in the Northwest, and I try to make it to the Sasquatch Festival every year. I see several Sasquatches there every time, and there’s sometimes a screening of a low budget 70’s Sasquatch movie there too. Good fun!
July 31st, 2007 at 12:16 pm
47
Oops Pow Surprise says:
#44 – That would bring a tear to Rick Sutcliffe’s eye.
July 31st, 2007 at 12:17 pm
48
Upstate Underdog says:
@mlmintampa, G’town plays 1-AA football
July 31st, 2007 at 12:31 pm
49
Anonymous IV says:
Orangeblood, that is correct it was only Stanford that said no. The rest of the Pac-10 wanted Texas. In fact the city of Austin would have been a better fit with the cities of the Pac-10 than the cities of the Big 12. It would have also opened up Texas to the Pac-10 and California for Texas for recruiting. I can see it now an annual game between USC and Texas. The Pac-10 cheering for Texas to beat Oklahoma, Texas playing the Big 10 and Notre Dame on a more regular basis for out of conferance games, and Nebraska playing Oklahoma on a yearly basis, etc.
What could have been
July 31st, 2007 at 12:45 pm
50
Scalz1 says:
I’m glad my MILF Tuesday idea is embraced by the unwashed masses … but it might be a strain to post 2 decidely hot women in one week. A suggestion to make it simpler: Nikky Taylor.
July 31st, 2007 at 1:11 pm
51
Craig Barker (Yostal) says:
You know what I always love about conference realignment chatter is when they forget to do the math on travel costs for non-revenue sports.
Sure, Iowa City is only 1,000 miles, give or take from Austin, State College is only 1,500 miles from Austin (by comparison, Iowa City to State College is about 800 miles and about 900 miles to Syracuse).
I love Austin as a city and have enjoyed it every time I have been there. I’d love to have them in the Big Ten, but I’d also like several million dollars tax-free and a girlfriend that looks like Rachel Specter. I don’t see either one happening in this lifetime.
July 31st, 2007 at 1:13 pm
52
YMB says:
By the way, here in Florida, Sasquatch prefers to be called Skunk Ape
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skunk_ape
July 31st, 2007 at 1:23 pm
53
tzubear says:
That settles it. Next year will revert back to the old #1 Big-10 team vs. #1 Pac-10 team Rose bowl match up, for that year only. Winner gets the Longhorns in thier league. More to the point, winner gets a hot cheer squad in chaps.
July 31st, 2007 at 1:30 pm
54
Scalz1 says:
Ah yes, the reviled Skunk Ape. Where I live, Titusville(read: twilight zone), the city actually instructed the wildlife control officer(read:Gator catcher) to search a wooded area for said ferocious beast.
July 31st, 2007 at 1:35 pm
55
Meg says:
You shouldn’t mess with Sasquatch…unless you are eating beef jerky.
July 31st, 2007 at 1:46 pm
56
tOSU_radar says:
MILF suggestion #2: Catherine Zeta-Jones
And to continue the Messin’ With Sasquatch thread:
http://www.messinwithsasquatch.com/
July 31st, 2007 at 2:08 pm
57
Mr. Wrong says:
“In Search Of…Sasquatch
That was a kick-ass In Search Of…
With Leonard NiiiiiiMoy
Kickin’ out the ja-aams”
July 31st, 2007 at 2:22 pm
58
M1EK says:
I went to PSU and lived on both coasts of Florida, and my sister went to UF.
West coast = Midwestern snowbirds. Your Tampa crack is just total BS. Ohio, Michigan, Illini retirees out the wazoo.
The east coast (southeast) is exactly like Seinfeld portrayed it. Del Boca Vista uber alles.
UF’s all the way up in Gainseville, i.e., in the middle of redneck country, and neither batch of snowbirds gives a crap about UF, but I suppose the ones from Tampa might drive up for a game, and there’s still a huge PSU alumni walking-dead contingent in South Florida which might watch on TV. Big deal – that’s worth about a buck fifty economically speaking, since UF already makes about as much money as a Big Ten school does, and as noted, they don’t have to send the lacrosse team 18,000 miles a year to do it.
July 31st, 2007 at 2:24 pm
59
Big Ten Joe says:
Hailing from the Land of 10,000(+) Lakes, I have to take umbrage at the suggestion that Midwesterners–at least of the Minnesotan variety–have less familiarity with water than Floridians. I feel compelled to point out that Minnesota has more shoreline than Florida, California, and Hawaii combined. It is the birthplace of the Mississippi River (Itasca) as well as water skiing. It is home to the largest water-based national park (Voyageurs National Park), and the world-famous Boundary Waters Canoe Area. We have more recreational boats per capita than any other state, about one for every six people (although I have seen similar claims by Arizonans, so maybe Minnesota is second now, or maybe the Arizona folks are including non-recreational watercraft). I know Michigan and Wisconsin have lots of water too. So, bottom line, is Midwesterners (or at least Minnesotans) = aquajunkies.
See Minnesota Fast Facts and Trivia for more tidbits.
Papa Lou BSU is right. Miami and Tampa may be full of New Yorkers, but Naples and Fort Myers at least are major outposts for well-heeled refugees from the Twin Cities, Chicago, and Detroit (well, suburban Detroit, anyway). There are a fair number of Minnesota businesses (grocery stores, restaurants, banks and investment firms) that have only one location outside of the Twin Cities, that being in Naples. If they have a third location, it’s in Scottsdale, AZ.
July 31st, 2007 at 2:40 pm
60
Judge says:
#53..Twilight Zone…The Movie: Crazy-shoot-up-a-plane Lithgow. In the original Shatner episode, that plane critter looked a bit like the Skunk-Ape…..maybe that’s where he originally came from….THE MOON!
July 31st, 2007 at 2:43 pm
61
Big Ten Joe says:
Hailing from the Land of 10,000(+) Lakes, I have to take umbrage at the suggestion that Midwesterners (or at least those of the Minnesotan variety) are unfamiliar with water. I would like to point out that Minnesota has more shoreline than Florida, California, and Hawaii combined, and Wisconsin and Michigan can make similar claims. Minnesota is the birthplace of the Mississippi River (Itasca) as well as waterskiing. It is home to the largest water-based national park in the U.S. (Voyageurs National Park) and the world-famous Boundary Waters Canoe Area. Minnesotans also have more recreational boats per capita than any other state, about one for every six people (I have read that Arizona claims to have the most boats per person too, so maybe Minnesota is now second, or maybe Arizonans are counting non-recreational watercraft too). In any event, Minnesotans = aquajunkies.
Also, Papa Lou BSU is right. Miami is full of New York snowbirds, but from what I know Naples, Fort Meyers, and Sanibel Island are primarily outposts for well-heeled refugees from Big Ten country, especially the Twin Cities, Chicago, and Detroit (well, suburban Detroit, anyway). There are a number of business from Minnesota (restaurants, at least one upscale grocery store, banks, investment firms) that have only one location outside of the Twin Cities–that being in Naples or Sanibel Island. If they have a third location, it’s in Scottsdale, AZ.
See, e.g.,
Jerry’s Foods (http://www.jerrysfoods.com/Store/StoreHome.aspx)
Lowry Hill
(http://www.lowryhill.com/profile/profile.htm)
D’Amico & Sons (http://www.damicoandsons.com/frame.asp?s=location)
Campiello (http://www.campiello.damico.com/)
July 31st, 2007 at 3:05 pm
62
gerry dorsey says:
#56
excellent tenacious d reference.
July 31st, 2007 at 3:16 pm
63
Palouse says:
Minnesota pride! That’s just great, but it’s still freezing there in winter.
July 31st, 2007 at 3:38 pm
64
ESMjr. says:
M1EK:
and those of us from “redneck country” are still hoping the bottom half of the state drops into the sea, taking you and all your midwestern/yankee bluehair friends and relatives with it.
curse you, henry flagler!
July 31st, 2007 at 3:38 pm
65
DevilGrad says:
I guess Dave Barry said it best when he observed that “happiness is one hundred thousand Canadians heading home — with an Ohioan under each arm.”
July 31st, 2007 at 4:44 pm