I love to write. I have a tendency to be an incredibly sarcastic ass.These elements often lead me to write angry or hostile letters. Typically, they are in relation to some sort of customer service conflict that I want to bring to light.
As I've decided to expand my horizons, I thought I'd share these with my scant listeners as a new regular item.
...
I went to Texas A&M University for BS and Master's degrees. As some of you may be aware, Texas A&M recently decided to make a big change athletically, as they will now be playing in the Southeastern Conference. Many consider this to be a major step up in competition, and there's every chance that A&M will get beaten down for a while until they get adjusted.
Regardless, A&M has received a considerable amount of criticism for this move. Far more, I might add, then other schools who have made conference switches in recent years.
One of these other schools was Texas Christian University (TCU). They recently made plans to move into A&M's soon-to-be former conference, the Big 12.
Well, after reading coverage on that event, one particular columnist perturbed me to an abnormal level. So, I thought I'd shoot him an e-mail. The following is a word-for-word duplication. Please enjoy.
To: ivan.maisel@espn.com
Subject: TCU's great new conference move!
This is a bit long, so I apologize in advance ...
On September 26, Texas A&M announced they were moving to the SEC. The 3 main reasons stated were conference stability, better exposure, and greater financial opportunities.
On October 10, TCU announces a move to the Big 12. They seemingly have made this move for greater exposure, better conference stability, and greater financial opportunities.
Texas A&M had made a commitment to the Big 12 one year earlier. When the powers-that-be felt the conference arrangement had changed unacceptably, they rescinded.
TCU made a commitment to the Big East one year ago (after ditching the Mountain West). When their powers-that-be felt the conference arrangement had changed unacceptably, they rescinded.
Texas A&M will reestablish long-standing, historic rivalries with Arkansas and LSU (and has firmly held a desire to keep the rivalry game with Texas going out of conference.)
TCU will reestablish long-standing, historic rivalries with Texas, Texas Tech, and Baylor.
On Sep 8, you made sure to take a shot at Texas A&M in your "3 Point Stance":
Texas A&M president R. Bowen Loftin didn’t need to wrap himself in the American flag Wednesday. “We're being told that, ‘You must stay here against your will,’” Loftin said, “and we think that really flies in the face of what makes us Americans…and makes us free people.” Loftin might think twice about extolling patriotic attributes when A&M is turning its back on a league it pledged to support a year ago. You want to leave? Fine. But Americans like people who stand by their friends through thick and thin, too.
On September 25, you published a rant / hatchet job claiming that Texas A&M. Some of your lines:
- The Aggies are McFly in "Back to the Future," Private Pyle in "Full Metal Jacket.
- Never has one school combined an indomitable spirit with such a domitable football team.
- Them being so full of themselves may have made Aggie jokes resonate to the rest of us.
- All this because Texas A&M decided pride in being an Aggie wasn't enough.
- Regional rivalries, the lifeblood of the sport, are tossed aside like the unsold items in a tag sale.
- Texas A&M traded in 117 years of tradition because it didn't think Texas played fair. Talk about not playing fair -- all of us are paying a price, too.
On October 10, you gushed over the greatness of TCU ditching the Big East for the Big 12. Some of your lines:
- TCU has dreamed of this day ever since the Big Eight and four of the Horned Frogs' Southwest Conference brethren left the Horned Frogs at the curb in 1994.
- Unlike the other schools that have brought realignment into the headlines this year, TCU is joining a new conference because of geography, tradition and history, rather than in spite of them.They must be feeling very satisfied in Fort Worth today.
Let's not forget that Syracuse and Pittsburgh are bolting the Big East for the ACC. In a chat you had the following exchange (http://m.espn.go.com/general/chat/chat?eventId=40354&page=1&wjb=):
Q: Do you see either Pitt/Syracuse or more probably the ACC backtracking on their decision now? I realize that's a PR nightmare, but really do those schools really add that much to the pie?
A: They add TV footprint to the ACC. They add basketball value to a league that has a lot of basketball tradition (and value). I think it's a smart play by the ACC.
Now, I'm sure you have a list of reasons that will show how much smarter you are than me, and that I just don't get the differences between these situations. Maybe you're right, and Texas A&M is the Evil Empire who acted to destroy all of college sports (seeing as there have only been a scant 61 conference moves since 1940 (http://www.mrsec.com/2011/09/conference-realignment-isnt-evil-its-evolution/). This one move by this one school surely will destroy the universe.
And I guess the ACC and Syracuse/Pitt are just making good business decisions, as I don't see them getting ridiculed by a national columnist.
Or maybe TCU is such a heart-warming, fluffy kitten of a story that it is exempt from any and all criticism.
I mean, it's certainly not possible that your complete lack of consistency isn't editorially directed. Not when your employer has a contractual agreement to strengthen one Big 12 conference member over another. Not when your employer has been INSTRUCTING CONFERENCES WHICH SCHOOLS TO PILLAGE FROM OTHER CONFERENCES: http://www.businessinsider.com/scandal-espn-told-acc-which-teams-to-take-from-big-east-conference-2011-10
I was just curious if you were going to address your complete lack of consistency and your employer's lack of credibility on this issue, or if you'd brush it aside and assume no one would notice. I don't expect a response ... like I said, I'm sure I'm just too stupid to see the nuance.
Maybe it can come up in one of your droll tweets, or your little 3 Point Stance column. That'd be fun.
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