The Texas Network

You don’t make $80 MM profit every year without pissing everyone off

Ok, let’s say that I am one of 10 phone makers in the South. Myself and the 9 other companies all represent AT&T.  All of the money we generate, and all of the hype we generate benefits not only ourselves but also AT&T.  If I’m AT&T, it doesn’t really matter who of the 10 of us does well, it just matters that a) AT&T has a representative in the discussion versus Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile, Boost, etc. and b) cellular phones, in general, maintain their growth and popularity.

Now, my company happens to make the most money of the 10 companies, and my company gets first pick when it comes to the best talent to be hired: creative people, sales people, technology people, you name it.  The best talent usually chooses to go and work for one of the top 3 companies in the area.

Because my company has the most money, and because my company’s phone is one of the e most widely used phones, to the point that a lot of the nation inside and outside my area has my phone, I am able to broker a deal with the Belo Companies to have my own page in the Dallas Morning News, my own site on DallasNews.com, and a my own spot on WFAA to be run during every show.  It benefits me because I get to promote my product, and it benefits Belo because their relationship with me ties my loyal patrons to them as well.

AT&T benefits because they get high profile.  Cellular phones benefit because they get more promotion.  My company benefits because of the deal that I have struck with a media channel.  In the business world, I would be heralded for smart business sense and I would be lauded for the deal that I have made.  Would my competitors be mad?  Sure, but it isn’t my job to make sure my competition does well.  As long as AT&T has a competitive phone against the other companies, it doesn’t matter because AT&T can still compete.  Other companies can switch allegiances to Verizon and what-not, but AT&T is too recognizable to not be in the “who’s the best cell phone provider in America?” argument. 

So…explain to me again, how is it Texas job to take care of the rest of the conference and why are Oklahoma and A&M screaming foul?

Texas Tech usurps everyone as the stupidest university on the planet

Are you fucking kidding me?  Really?  This is the stupidest god damned thing I’ve ever seen and I’m not even a supporter of this school!?

Mike Leach fired!

I think I speak for everyone when I say…

What. The. Fuck.

Craig James has now destroyed SMU and Texas Tech.  You keep your ass away from Austin, Craig James.  So help me, God, I’ll ruin you if you or your progeny step foot on the 40 acres.

Man, even I find this a little dirty

So, if you haven’t seen the story Josh Selby, let me give you a little bit of background here…

Josh Selby was Tennessee’s prize basketball recruit.  The proverbial crown jewel of the class.  Selby’s a consensus top 10 national recruit, and he committed to UTenn back in September of last year. Now all of the sudden, after attending a basketball camp with his mother, Selby has decommitted to UTenn and is now looking at Kentucky and Oregon.

Now, given the landscape of recruiting in 2009, the commitment/decommitment rituals of the high school student are nothing to be surprised at.  Shit, when I was 17/18, I was emo-confused about what I was going to eat for dinner.  So, why is Selby’s case so special?

Hint Number 1: Tennessee is an Adidas school
Hint Number 2: Kentucky and Oregon are Nike schools
Hint Number 3: The camp that Selby attended was a Nike camp

See where this is going? 

The man at the center of this controversy is a man named William Wesley.  Name ring a bell?  How’s about his nickname, “Worldwide Wes”?   His Wikipedia page...

See, no one knows how or what the hell purpose Wes has, but he’s always at the center of these things.

So, to recap:

1) Selby recruits to Tennessee, an Adidas school
2) Selby attends a Nike camp with his mother
3) Mother chats with William Wesley, noted Nike shill and good friend of John Calipari (now coach at Kentucky. Former coach at Memphis where both of Selby’s cousins play)
4) Selby de-commits from Tennessee and now is interested in Kentucky.

The NCAA seems sit on a pretty high perch when it comes to slapping people with recruiting restrictions…loopholes sure are fun.

So I have a problem with this.

Over the weekend, news "broke" on ESPN's outside the lines, that former USC basketball player O.J. Mayo received a bunch of money from an agent over the past 4 year. This would include that since he was a sophomore in High School, somebody was trying to buy their way into being his agent when he turned pro.

This is a problem that's been around sports for ever, and people have different thoughts and opinions about this stuff.

Some aren't surprised, and want to blame the NCAA and NBA for making these kids play one year of college ball.

Pat Forde thinks USC should get the Death Penalty.

I, myself, sit somewhere in the middle. Much like the use of performance enhancing drugs, I don't like the fact the college kids get free perks, but I know it happens. It happens everywhere. From the Brown's big bad UT, to Gerys Alabama, My North Texas, and the Serpa's South Carolina's institute of Technology. If your a bad ass, You get stuff free. Simple.

My problem lies with how ESPN found out about all this Mayo stuff. Enter Louis Johnson. He is a guy that until recently was a part of Mayo's cliq. Not a bad move for the guy, see this high school phenom, befriend him, knowing that he will make it to the pro's and get paid, and hang around for all the perks that come with it. While not the most noble idea, its a decent one non the less.

So Johnson gets booted out just a few weeks before payday, gets pissed and runs to ESPN to tell on his former friend.

In layman's terms. He snitched.

I hate people who snitch. I hate tattle tails, cry babies, and selfish people. I hate them all.

Now don't get me wrong, when it comes to seeing something bad, and police are involved, you have to tell the truth and say what you saw.

But when its just about money, and how your not getting some? Your a pussy, and a Snitch.

Can Johnson hit an 18 footer? Can he drive the lane? Can he carry his team with 18-7? Is he the one that is about to get drafted by an NBA team with a top 10 pick in this years draft?

No. Mayo is.

So because of his shortcomings, he has bring down someone else to his barren level of existence. Like I said earlier, all Schools have people taking money, Didn't you watch the Program? Who care if someone gave the Kid 30,000 over 4 years.

Fucking Snitch.