He's actually from Georgia. This may explain why he handles our pitchers so well; Matt Cain is from Memphis, and as I'm sure you'll recall from last autumn, MadBum is from Hickory, NC.

so with San Francisco area sports teams we'd have nothing to talk about, except for the Patriots. I miss the old regulars like Awsi Dooger. Hurricanes-USC-Miami pro sports but I appreciated his outside-the-tunnel view & his deep knowledge of the team's rosters that he follows. I like how he called Taylor Mays a "Roy Williams clone" way before the scouting profile did that Upton posted following the 49ers selection.

I miss era veteran keeping us updated on Kentucky's championship run right after their elimination from a regional semi-final.

Don't know where the Browns fans are like many a good man. Probably football season brings back those posters though there was a surefire way to get a (I think) Hugh Beaumont post which was to post the "Most miserable sports cities" list. I'd think he or she would be around with James & Cleveland in the finals.

There was the Washington fans though I see them briefly from time-to-time though probably need a Capitols or Wizards thread.

So many, Upton just left though no idea why. I was hoping cboy would come back following the 2nd and 3rd championships though not like it was here when I first came here (someone in the lounge saying H2O Man's boxing threads were the only thing for that poster worth checking out but I stayed for the entertainment) and the "Rock Show" went on a hell of a run during all the wild card bashing threads.

Condem I valued on college football but the coal union bashing sub-thread rubbed me the wrong way. happyiowan, I had no issues with but I miss all the college football talk he was the driving force behind.

So many I'm probably forgetting to mention but glad to see the Miami folks around and also you, madinmaryland, and the others so just glad you're around and don't mind talking about 49ers or Warriors since both teams are in my teams' division and have an interest & like even though I have a fallen interest in baseball so my view of the Giants is still Lincecum, Brian Wilson, though Buster Posey I know well he came up for the catcher they traded to Texas that they faced in the World Series.

Now they are quiet in Iowa City. Or is it Davenport?

I just got a more friendlier vibe or something, like off the top of my head I remember a disagreement over Boise State or something like that playing nobody she came in with common ground in agreement of the talent and the desire to see them against bigger competition on a regular basis. Either way, the coal union sub-thread and the irony of the example used for comparison wages and how it applied to myself but was actually on Forkboy's side but stayed out of it because he had a good handle on it. Just a red flag plus the making it personal. Not a big deal really but happyiowan seemed to be without that, over here anywhere with a seemingly positive personality. Didn't mean to elaborate really more than I did but to clarify.

I think Iowa City or they were regulars on game day. Don't know Davenport or where Iowa towns are located from each other such as the "cow town" Ames or the others but had to be pretty close if I remember correctly, running into Ferentz in town or examples like that.

I enjoyed the discussions for the most part -- the expansion rumors was from him before I heard of it anywhere else even Big 10 fans were doubtful but called it as far Conference network money. Media consolidation is huge and gives them leverage over providers, especially when the existing contracts run out on the big conference games on ABC/ESPN, Fox, Fox Sports 1 and they have the exclusive copyright over them. As far as I heard they Directv and the Pac-12 are still apart in talks -- well the SEC network after Directv announced no intentions to carry it (probably were far apart in negotiations) SEC went on the social media and encouraged subscribers to call in and complain and the outrage was too much they agreed to carry it. The Pac-12 wants the same pre-subscriber fee for all the states which a long list of providers including Dish agreed to but the SEC agreed to a lower per-subscriber fee outside the Southeastern states (no idea the Big 10 network deal but I imagine it is very favorable to their terms). Directv wouldn't agree to the same per subscriber fee plus Pac-12 wanted to be included into the standard packages or regular ones I'm not sure the Big 10 and SEC are while Directv wanted to be an optional customer's choice sort of thing. Plus the big conference match-ups (not the minor or the vs New Mexico games) were already scheduled to air on ESPN or wherever. Also SEC would probably complain about the same per-subscriber fee everywhere rather than the lower per-subscriber fee outside the states they just agreed to (at-the-time, about this time around last year though more closer to the end of the summer rather than the beginning.

Customers often complain the providers tell them their bill is being hiked because of the addition of the SEC Network or whatever questioning the logic over something they don't watch or the non-sports fans but what they tell them is different than why the charge the higher rates which is because they expect an increase in subscribers with the addition of the network rather than a loss they have to make up by charging more which is actually a bad strategy if the demand stays the same or falls. There is a reason why Coors Field charges the prices it does rather than simply lowering the price enough to sell-out every game (they'd lose money with that strategy)/ The conference networks or the Big 10 or SEC ones or Pac-12 with most other providers have the bargaining power to demand to be included with the regular package so the providers aren't willing to risk the loss in customers or revenue by maintaining a top tier package. I remember people who left Dish years ago over Versus or NBC Sports Network now.

That will change when the 100% independent Pac-12 network has the exclusive copyrights to all the games or not sure how the out-of-conference stuff works, I imagine it goes to somebody depending on who. Plus their commercials will make more sense -- instead of encouraging call & complaints they were airing ads encouraging a switch.

Didn't intend to go off-topic but those early rumors to now and media consolidation from the sports conferences to economics in general and especially economics of sports interest me next to politics & sports but it is about offering less & charging more. Then AT&T merged with Directv which hinged on them winning the rights to call itself the exclusive carrier of the overrated NFL Sunday Ticket but there it is though not familiar at-all with U-Verse (though they agreed to carry the Pac-12 Network which Directv has yet to do so don't know how all this is going to fit in together in addition to all the other media consolidators from the providers to the networks themselves.


Just doesn't bode well for a positive outlook for the consumers, especially the college football fans just the watch the teams in the same city. Don't know what role the FTC is supposed to play but they seem to be allowing this to occur but considering the NCAA is a cartel or an incidental cartel I wouldn't have an issue with if athletic departments, coaches, broadcasters & networks weren't making big money without the labor fairly compensated (pretty much unheard of in any other industry in America that I can think of). Can't have a bus system without bus drivers, can't have a basketball game without basketball players.

by about 1000%.

Sorry, my fault.

because I find it interesting or the economics of it anyway reminded by the usual doubt from the Big 10 supporters though Nebraska was in addition that was viewed as reasonable but the predictions of Rutgers, Maryland or other schools (don't know who all eventually joined) but there was the no way traditions, rivalries, and so dominating their view of the likelihood and Condem was right with money as the response.

I remember the Big 12 south almost left for the Pac-12 but then something about satisfying Texas and keeping the Big 12 member but renegotiated an extension with their TV deal schools happy but still suffered with the second wave losing Texas A&M & Missouri to SEC trying to increase TV deal bargaining power. Added TCU & I'm sure you know all this, there is an interest to expanded back to 12 for the conference championships games particularly with the co-champions shut out of the playoff looking at mid majors such as Boise State or Colorado State or the East to Cincinnati or Marshall to do an East-West thing with West Virginia.

Reminded of the mid-major schools sorry but during all this Big East was increasing their football strength while the basketball "Catholic 7" were scared of the BSU or the Southeast mid-majors sinking conference RPI got out of that with the Conference brand and added Iowa school (I think) Creighton as well as Butler & Xavier though not sure why if not Wichita State wasn't extended an invite. Now they have Missouri Valley Conference schedule that doesn't include Crieghton.

My point was Condem drove a lot of the college sports discussion that was very interesting particularly during the expansion era though the contempt of the idea of the coal country Universities led to something that turned into something else that turned into the display I was referring to.

I live in Davenport and Condem doesn't live here. Nothing much sports wise going on in Iowa City right now. Minor League baseball and a world class road race next month, as well as the conclusion of RAGBRAI here. But in I.C., nothing until college football.

He's doing fine, but I think he had lost interest in college sports, at least at that time.

I've been busy and don't have a lot of time during the week to post on DU, and as a result haven't been able to work on stirring up shit in here. I really miss getting on BossHOG's and forkboy's nerves, also!!

ETA: What about the DU'er that changes teams and avatars more often than his underwear??

They were awesome