A FIST OVER SPORT • This is a notion. Disagreement is good. You can have an opinion, we can have the opposite opinion and that’s fine. It’s a sign of maturity. Intellectual prowess. Two things that rarely have a place in the global school football game.
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• We’re kidding, of course, but we’re right. And it has to do with the new agreement with the football media that the Pac-12 closed this week. Washington state and Oregon state will play 11 of the thirteen home football games at the CW — the last two — visits to Oregon (in Corvallis) and Texas Tech (in Pullman) — on a Fox channel.
Is this a plan or a bad plan?
Those on the right side come with two of the brightest minds in West Coast sports journalism, Jon Wilner of the Mercury News, whose work also appears in The Spokesman-Review, and former Oregon columnist John Canzano, who has an article on those days.
But there’s also a dissenting opinion, that of current Oregon columnist Bill Oram. After reading the two words the trio has written about the deal, today and in the recent past, we are divided. We see the aspects clearly. Understand the pros and cons. And it’s hard for them to form a definitive opinion.
What is the debate about? It wasn’t exposure, as opposed to money, that likely governed the process, as the Northwest duo were left adrift through their 10 myopic siblings in the Pac-12.
It’s about the afterlife as opposed to the future.
Wilner, after citing resources within the broadcasting industry in favor of the deal, which will generate about $1 million consistently with the house game, ended his column with this statement: “What (the two schools) want now, what they can’t do without — is exposure. The deal with The CW and Fox offers just that.
Canzano emphasized the same, writing that the agreement “provides maximum visibility to both schools. This is a key point that the Cougars and Beavers emphasized.
Well, we get it. And that’s okay. Exposure is more vital than money. Keep Pac-12 in the national spotlight, at least to some extent. Both schools want other people to know that the convention is not dead. He won’t go anywhere, at least for two years. And streaming your games on a network available to 99% of American households is one way to do that.
But Oram asks a key question: Is anyone going to see him?If the answer is no, the schools have simply shown the point of view of the other conferences. The duo doesn’t add any value. With this in mind, he thinks that there is some other way, a way that looks beyond the present, beyond what has been proposed, beyond, perhaps, the obsolete.
This is a point that George Kliavkoff (don’t let his involvement influence your thinking too much) tried to clarify with the last 10 members not long ago. The big two of school football, the SEC and the Big Ten, have taken over the only linear streaming entities worth their time. For the Pac-12 to survive, then and now, it will have to embrace transmission to a large extent. It’s not the long term anymore. It’s now.
“One industry veteran I spoke to said (the state of Oregon) would have been sensible to negotiate a live option in the local markets (Portland, Eugene, Bend, Medford) and then offer a live or streaming option for the other enthusiasts. “Oram wrote this morning, focusing on OSU, sure, but his mind also encompasses Washington state.
The challenge is simple. With this settlement, Pac-12 is back in waters containing sharks living in the SEC and the Big Ten. On the other hand, if they had a deal with Apple TV, Amazon, or Paramount Plus, buying their percentage of them if necessary, it would be the big fish in an ever-growing pond.
“And yet, once again, what’s left of the Pac-12 has decided not to bet on itself. This is a choice, with no long-term benefits,” Oram wrote.
Who’s right? Nobody? Everyone?We’re only sure of one thing. The prestige quo in college sports no longer exists. Everything is changing. What worked today no longer works, at any level.
We understand why WSU and OSU played it safe. We’re just not sure if they are or never will be. We could also break new ground. And look what happens.
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WSU: Sure, we connected with the previous comments about the football media deal, from Wilner (on SR), Canzano and Oram. But we also have the real-life story of Pullman’s Greg Woods and the politics of the Oregonian. And elsewhere. Array. . Elsewhere in the Pac-12 and across the country, this story gives hope to high school basketball enthusiasts everywhere. If Doug Gottlieb can be hired as a Division I coach, anyone can. Closer to home, the UCLA UC Regents deserve to send $10 million a year to failing Northern California. But only for 3 years. First of all. Once the $30 million is paid, they will revisit the issue. Why did the Bruins help USC destroy the convention again?Array. . On the football field, we broadcast Stewart Mandel’s mailbag on The Athletic just because we enjoyed it. Array. . There’s also TV news from Colorado. Array. . On the basketball court, Caleb Love will have to make the decision whether or not to return to Arizona. Array. The Stanford women added the occasional transfer. What’s happening at Harvard Bay Area? Matrix. . Finally, Arizona received the majority of Arizona State in their new Pac-12 rivalry contest.
EWU: The Eagle women probably would have had the most successful season in their history. But in today’s world, it’s hard to depend on that outcome. Joddie Gleason experienced this firsthand when three key players entered the moving portal. Dan Thompson spoke with the East coach and shared his thoughts on this story. Array. . Elsewhere in Big Sky, women from the state of Idaho rounded out their list.
Preparations: The district’s golf tournaments ended Tuesday. Jim Meehan has the results. . . Dave Nichols has a rundown covering the other sports in the district and at the same time a look at the state’s baseball and softball matchups. . . Greg Lee has written an Athletics Diary that begins with a review of the difficult decisions that exceptional athletes must make at this time of year.
Indians: Dave also had other duties on Tuesday, heading to Avista Stadium to cover Spokane’s series opener against Vancouver. In fact, the weather was better than the last time the two met, or not, in Vancouver. The Indians won 4-1 and took first place in the NWHL on percentage issues over Eugene. Elsewhere in the NWL, the Emeralds lost 3-2 to Everett while Tri-City ruled the ladder in Hillsboro 8-4.
Velocity and Zephyr: It’s that time of year. Adding and subtracting to lists.
Mariners: If Logan Gilbert needs to win the Cy Young Award, he’ll have to leave no cursor in the middle of the marble. He made a bad pitch last night and, with the M’s helpless offense on display, it loaded him and his team with expensive. The Royals won 4-2. . . . Hey, there’s an offensive assist that’s emerging among the miners. Hopefully, the initial release will still be there when the aid matures.
Seahawks: Nearly every draft pick on the Hawks is signed.
Storm: Seattle opened its season against Minnesota and lost. But the organization is new and would possibly take some time to come together. . . We don’t know what the ratings will be for the ESPN2 broadcast of Caitlin Clark’s deyet last night, but we did see a few. And you?
Golf: The PGA is this weekend. Stop yawning. He’s a major player, even if he’s the youngest of them. Who’s the favorite? We have our money in Rory McIlroy, even if the PGA Tour doesn’t have it. No, not Scottie Scheffler. I’ve probably been up all night lately, with a new baby at home.
Sounders: With some momentum after the win in Portland, Seattle takes on Real Salt Lake in a midweek matchup.
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• If you think WSU and OSU did the right thing, be smart for yourself. If you don’t believe it, we’re fine with it too. We are divided. But we think that if a 67-year-old is a complete fan of streaming, and we are, he’s no longer “new. ” It’s common. See you later. . .