Clemson and FSU rank 17th and 15th in the country in revenue. They are absolutely additive properties to any league on offer. Once you move past the legal entanglement of the ACC GOR, the question becomes do the networks have enough buying power/liquidity to pay an increased yearly carriage fee? There's no doubt fsu/clem are additive properties, what they lack is leverage. The networks know that fsu/clem would cut their left nut off to get into the super 2 because not getting in could ultimately prove fatal for any top tier athletic aspirations. They will settle for a discount to move, for sure.
It's always so funny how these pieces read. "X conference was incompetent and grossly negligent in its fiduciary duty to Y school... Y school proceeded to sign 30 year TV deal with X conference including a $99999999999999 buyout."
Why is "Horns Down" considered so offensive? UT fans act like its akin to being called the N word. I'm genuinely curious, I just don't get it.
OK. Oops! That sign is offensive to some cultures. The outrage is truly funny. But they have a long way to go to match Rice's MOB in the past for creativity.
I have no idea. It's fair play and makes things fun. I think it's lame when I see fans of schools like Washington, who has no history against us, do it but to each their own.
I really don't get who is perpetuating the whole horns-down sanctity campaign. Fans, students, and alums don't really seem to give a **** (rightly so). It feels like it's all just an edict from some suit in an administrative ivory tower somewhere.
It's entirely media driven. Big school that everyone seems to have an opinion on and a topic that drives negative press/anger at UT leads to a lot of clicks and attention. Once it starts spiraling, it gets the attention of Texas fans and PR, who then "confirm" what opposing fans think of Texas by claiming they don't care, and the cycle continues, leading to more clicks and attention.
It's not a media invention. The gesture ends up codified in rule books and playing part in some really petty stuff. The media has nothing to do with it. Some folk(s) sitting in a big ass chair in a burnt orange building somewhere really get their fee-fees all bruised over it.
It's b.s....always has been. I've never known, and I've know a whole lot of, a worthwhile UT fan who actually gave a crap. So Baylor came up with it 60+ years ago right after the Horns came up with their sign. Great. SEC has already said they don't care, do or do not, and get over it. UT people being upset about it has always been more annoying and candyass than fans of teams like OU, Tech, Baylor, UH, etc... actually doing it (which was candyass to begin with)
It's very weird. I get it being a problem if you're on the field throwing it in someone's face (just like any other taunting penalty), but other than that just get the **** over it.
It annoyed UT alums and admins enough that they asked the B12 to put in rules making it a taunt, and separately caused our basketball coach to go a little nuts last week, so it's not entirely media driven. I find it weird when random schools do it when playing Texas. But I find it especially weird when A&M or OU do it when playing someone that is NOT Texas. Like why are Aggies doing horns down when they score against Alabama? Overall, seems like harmless fun to me. Fans trying to get under the skin of other fans, I guess.
TBH I think horns down at a UT player, staff, or fans should be a taunting penalty, because it is taunting. You're attempting to provoke someone with a show of contempt. Plain as day. But problem with instituting that rule is that it means horns up at someone who isn't a UT player, staff, or fan is also taunting. At which point it feels so litigious as to be silly.
