After being pulled through the mud by Dan Beebe, I’m going to look at just about everything Jim Delany does and assume he’s a mastermind who is looking out for everyone’s best interests. No conspiracies, no favoritism, just peace, love, and harmony.
After all, I’m comparing Delany to the guy who essentially treated us like Jodie Foster in The Accused.* There’s really no way to go but up with Delany. In fact, I feel so comfortable with him already, that I’m willing to stay on a first name basis with him, much like I do with Bo. Jim, you’re a swell guy.
*I should have warned you: Don’t click the link if you get queezy watching either A. a rape scene, or B. Jodie Foster dancing seductively. Also, how ridiculous that the creator of that video titled it "Jodie Foster hot rape scene?!"
Because of this completely understandable man-crush I have on Jim, while Every. Other. Columnist. Was. Laughing. at Jim, I was supporting him 100% on the announcements he made a few days ago concerning the division names and conference trophies for the B1G Ten. There is so much to love about the announcement, I have 1G of them I feel I should share:
Leaders and Legends
1. I’ll be the first to admit, I probably would have hated these names if Nebraska had been a part of the Leaders division, but we’re in the Legends division, and that feels a helluva a lot better than being in the “North” while all the big kids get to be in the “South.” It's like we're actually being treated like an adult.
2. You think you’re having trouble calling divisions Legends and Leaders? Think about how great it will be to hear it on ESPN over and over and over. Let's say Nebraska is leading their division over Michigan in October. Sportscenter isn’t going to say, “Nebraska is atop their division.” They’ll say, “Nebraska is atop the Legends Division.” Nebraska. Legends. Nebraska. Legends. It’s that kind of repetition that’s going to remind the nation, recruits, everyone who Nebraska is/was/will be. Then again, same will be said for Iowa if they ever start winning...but we’ll address when/if it happens.
3. This feels like a good WWE rivalry. Leaders vs. the Legends. Steel Cage Match. You know how you would sometimes root for Big 12 teams vs. other non conference teams just because you wanted the Big 12 to be represented well? (You know, except for this upcoming bowl season.) I have a feeling this will be a microcosm of that. Even though it hurts our chances to win the Legends Division, we’ll secretly root for Michigan to beat Ohio State, for Northwestern to beat Illinois. Sure, we’ll still root for Iowa to lose every game, but for the most part we’ll be rooting for the Legends.
4. I know the SEC has won the last 5 National Championships,** but don’t you get the feeling that this lit a fire under their ass? They’ve dominated college football over the last decade, and yet the B1G Ten*** has the audacity to name themselves the Leaders and Legends? “We’ll see about that!”
**I want this post to hold up in 2011, so I’m just going to give Cam Newton and the Auburn Tigers the trophy already. Like the Heisman ceremony, we know what’s going to happen, so why fight it?
***I will never get tired of typing “B1G Ten”
I never felt like the Big 12 measured up to the SEC. The Big 12 didn’t know what they were suppose to be...up in the North we could have been 3 inches and a cloud of dust, but the South was more of a Run n Gun division. The B1G Ten did the North’s job better, and the SEC did the South’s job better.
Now that Nebraska is in the B1G Ten, we get to be part of an identity, and we get to go up against the rival SEC in at least three bowl games every year. It’ll be the blue collar guys up in the north vs. the good ol’ boys down in the south. A true inter-conference rivalry is about to start...just wait.
5. For anyone who has ever played fantasy football, how can you not love this? After all, when was the last time you created a league and called your two divisions “East” and “West” or “Black Division” and “Blue “Division?” That’s right, you never did that. Instead, you called your divisions “Billy Haywood” and “Jimmy Dugan” (like I did for a fantasy baseball league) or “Turtle Cheesecake Poop” (like Isaac Smith did for a division in fantasy football....don’t ask.)
Conference Trophies
I love trophies.**** WWF Intercontinental Champion, the Stanley Cup, the Heisman? I love them all. For the B1G Ten to create EIGHTEEN OF THEM...that’s me getting a Christmas present early.
****Unless it’s one of those “Participation Awards.” If I were Adam Carolla I’d have a 10 paragraph rant on that. Now do you feel like you’re missing out? Need an Adam Carolla rant? Okay, here you go.
Here are a few of my favorites:
6. Stagg-Paterno Trophy for B1G Ten Championship Game Winner: I don’t really care that they put Paterno’s name on the trophy. They gave Hayes and Schembechler the award for Coach of the Year, so adding Paterno would be sure to mention all of the important coaches in the B1G Ten’s history.
What I love is that when the B1G Ten says they respect history, they really mean it (as opposed to the Big 12, which ignored history immediately when they eliminated the OU-Nebraska game....I’m still bitter.) Not only did Amos Alonzo Stagg win his last B1G Ten championship almost 90 years ago, but he did it with a team that hasn’t been part of the conference since 1946. AND THEY STILL RECOGNIZE HIS CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE CONFERENCE!
To contrast and compare: Earlier this year, in the middle of June, about a day after Nebraska announced they were leaving the Big 12 for the B1G Ten, I went to a UT baseball game. At baseball stadiums, a traditional thing to do is to hoist up flags of every team in the conference along the outer walls in the outfield. This is two freaking days after the announcement and the Colorado and Nebraska flags were already taken down. I went to a Lids store at the mall a day later...you could not find a Husker hat to buy. The Big 12 and their pettiness, Ladies and Gentlemen!
7. Griese-Brees QB of the Year Award: Not only is it fun to say “Greasy-Breeze,” but it’s also fun to think of all the Michigan fans who first heard of the award and thought, “They’re praising Brian Griese and NOT Tom Brady!?!?” only then to find out that the award is based on Brian’s father, Bob, followed by “They’re praising Bob Griese and NOT Tom Brady!?!?” I’m going to have fun with Michigan fans.
8. Ameche-Dayne/Smith-Brown Awards: That’s the fun thing about college awards. Ron Dayne and Courtney Brown can still have their names etched in stone even they were only good when you were up against mainly sophomore and juniors in college. That’d be like giving out the Eric Beck MVP Award to the top player at Elkhorn Middle School....seriously, he was a beast. He was like Spike from Little Giants.
9. Rimington-Pace Offensive Lineman Award: The B1G Ten could have easily left Nebraska out of all the awards, and I would have been fine with that. After all, we haven’t had made a single contribution yet. Consider this as them throwing us a bone. Having said that, not it makes you wonder “Why wasn’t Frazier included for QB of the Year or Phillips as RB of the Year?” (kidding)...I guess we’ll have to settle with Rimington, which I’m okay with. Thanks for thinking of us, Jim!
10. Highlight Videos and Montages: While there are a lot of things I hate about TV Broadcasts of games, one thing I love are old highlight videos. One of the things I was most excited about for the Nebraska-OU game was going to be all of the nostalgic videos they’d play throughout the game, highlighting the history those two teams shared (Like this obligatory video shown every time the Huskers and the Sooners play).
You know they’re going to do that throughout the B1G Ten championship game, right? They’ll show old footage of Tony Dungy playing QB and Morten Andersen kicking in his 20’s. I’m giddy for it all.
And if they ever show footage of Woody Hayes at his finest, I’ll be happy about that too.
What I love is that when the B1G Ten says they respect history, they really mean it (as opposed to the Big 12, which ignored history immediately when they eliminated the OU-Nebraska game....I’m still bitter.) Not only did Amos Alonzo Stagg win his last B1G Ten championship almost 90 years ago, but he did it with a team that hasn’t been part of the conference since 1946. AND THEY STILL RECOGNIZE HIS CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE CONFERENCE!
To contrast and compare: Earlier this year, in the middle of June, about a day after Nebraska announced they were leaving the Big 12 for the B1G Ten, I went to a UT baseball game. At baseball stadiums, a traditional thing to do is to hoist up flags of every team in the conference along the outer walls in the outfield. This is two freaking days after the announcement and the Colorado and Nebraska flags were already taken down. I went to a Lids store at the mall a day later...you could not find a Husker hat to buy. The Big 12 and their pettiness, Ladies and Gentlemen!
7. Griese-Brees QB of the Year Award: Not only is it fun to say “Greasy-Breeze,” but it’s also fun to think of all the Michigan fans who first heard of the award and thought, “They’re praising Brian Griese and NOT Tom Brady!?!?” only then to find out that the award is based on Brian’s father, Bob, followed by “They’re praising Bob Griese and NOT Tom Brady!?!?” I’m going to have fun with Michigan fans.
8. Ameche-Dayne/Smith-Brown Awards: That’s the fun thing about college awards. Ron Dayne and Courtney Brown can still have their names etched in stone even they were only good when you were up against mainly sophomore and juniors in college. That’d be like giving out the Eric Beck MVP Award to the top player at Elkhorn Middle School....seriously, he was a beast. He was like Spike from Little Giants.
9. Rimington-Pace Offensive Lineman Award: The B1G Ten could have easily left Nebraska out of all the awards, and I would have been fine with that. After all, we haven’t had made a single contribution yet. Consider this as them throwing us a bone. Having said that, not it makes you wonder “Why wasn’t Frazier included for QB of the Year or Phillips as RB of the Year?” (kidding)...I guess we’ll have to settle with Rimington, which I’m okay with. Thanks for thinking of us, Jim!
10. Highlight Videos and Montages: While there are a lot of things I hate about TV Broadcasts of games, one thing I love are old highlight videos. One of the things I was most excited about for the Nebraska-OU game was going to be all of the nostalgic videos they’d play throughout the game, highlighting the history those two teams shared (Like this obligatory video shown every time the Huskers and the Sooners play).
You know they’re going to do that throughout the B1G Ten championship game, right? They’ll show old footage of Tony Dungy playing QB and Morten Andersen kicking in his 20’s. I’m giddy for it all.
And if they ever show footage of Woody Hayes at his finest, I’ll be happy about that too.
And it wouldn't be the B1G Ten without the following:
11. Did you ever notice how Jim Delaney...
12. Looks a lot like Sam The Eagle?
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