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Time for a Week in Review Grab Bag!! Let’s see what we find!! (I hope it’s a Zhu Zhu Pet!!)
Nebraska + Iowa = Kansas
Looks like Lew Perkins was resigned to take his third choice thrilled to hire former Nebraska QB and Buffalo head coach Turner Gill. Gill has been listed as one of the “Neat’o Awesome Up-And-Coming Coaches” (official title) for the past couple of years. He’s had some moderate success at a place where nobody expects even moderate success, and took Buffalo to their first bowl game ever.
These are all (yawn) good things, but what most people are talking about is the crack staff of assistant coaches that Gill has assembled to serve on his staff.* These names include such also-rans as Carl Torbush and former Iowa QB Chuck Long.
* ”Serve on his staff”…This sounds a lot dirtier than it should…
Many are hoping that the recruiting trail will open up a little wider* with both on board, because, you know, nothing says Kansas Football like former Iowa and Nebraska Quarterbacks!! Still, from experience, people in Iowa are fucking crazy. Chuck Long’s name still holds a shit ton of water down here, and it’s a hell of a lot easier to convince a corn-fed half-ton youngster to take the trek to Lawrence, KS than it is to get him to go to either Buffalo or San Diego.
* “The recruiting trail will open up a little wider” …This also sounds a lot dirtier than it should…
Oh, and I’d be remised if I didn’t mention Whitlock’s take.
If you’re scoring at home:
Turner Gill: “I’ll give [him] two years before offering a strong opinion.”
Todd Haley: “Fuck that guy”
Trey Hillman: “Who??”
My advice, Turner?? Invite Ole’ Whitty over for a nice all-you-can-eat buffet before the season so that you can butter him up. You don’t want to face the wrath of a Whitty scorned. And if that fails?? I’m sure Charles Barkley will be more than willing to take you up on your offer.
High Powered Recruits + Overmatched Opponents = Kansas
It’s that time of year again!! Snow on the ground?? Check. Fifty point victories?? Check. Sherron Collins trying to shed the last few pound of off-season McDonalds weight?? Check and mate.
It’s College Basketball Season!! Yeeay!!
It’s a little hard to tell about these Jayhawks. They are absolutely rolling right now, and if not for a single renegade Texas vote, they’d be a unanimous #1. Now, traditionally, there’s not much to be said for CBB before January, and KU’s pre-Big XII season in the past hasn’t been filled with heavy-hitters either, but this season is particularly void of nearly any competition.
Really, the only time KU has struggled this year was against Memphis, and boy was that scary. As down as Memphis is talent-wise this year, they’re still the most formidable opponent they’ve faced this year, and they just barely squeaked it out.
Still, with as bad as their pre-conference schedule is this year, the Big XII itself is looking better and better. Mizzou is always a tough out and only two years removed from an Elite Eight run. K-State is no longer an afterthought, and back in the Top 25. Texas Tech is finally buying into Knight Jr.-ball. Even Iowa State is improved; returning their top scorer for the first time in five years. Looks like the conference is bound to give the KU steamroller some speed bumps this winter…and that’s not necessarily a bad thing…
Also, is this a bad time to mention that I had a dream last night that KU was beaten by Wisconsin in the second round of the tourney in a game in which Cole Aldrich scored only five points?? Also (in real life) I already have tickets to go with HP to the Midwest Regional Final in St. Louis in March.
OK…I’ll shut up now…
Mizzou + Big Ten = Cash Cow
The Big Ten, as they do every couple of years, has made some noise this week by stating that they will be looking at the possibility of adding a twelfth team to the conference, or as I like to call it, “Shit, we’re insignificant after Thanksgiving…let’s stir the pot.”
The usual names of Pitt and Notre Dame, of course came up, but one, Missouri, might sound surprising. Missouri, after all, is not viewed as a traditional Big Ten school. But take this into consideration.
Plus for Mizzou: The Big Ten Network has been a financial boon for the conference, with the proceeds split between all conference members. The Big XII TV Contract with FSN is heavily geared toward the southern half of the conference. Also, they already have a natural Big Ten rival in Illinois. Not quite the Border War, but an established rivalry none-the-less.
Plus for the Big Eleven: Despite gaining another team for the purposes of hosting a conference championship game, the Big Ten would figure to expand their reach to not one but two metropolitan areas; St Louis and Kansas City. Oh, sorry…that’s $t. Loui$ and Kan$a$ City.
But, it being college athletics and all, it probably makes WAY too much sense for anybody to actually go for it.
December 20th, 2009 at 10:29pm
I am not sure how you overlooked the fact that I, L. Wood Kellogg, will be attending the Midwest Regional Finals with you and HP. Oh, and I think your dad is coming as well. Someone break out the Old Milwaukee and the Winstons. That whole weekend has the makings of the greatest column ever…
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