Good Riddance, Pac-12

[TheCatInTheHat]

If anyone wonders, I intentionally did this as a separate post, rather than adding to the endless and tired realignment thread.

This year has some similarities and some differences to our last year in the WAC, 1977. Then, we were strapped for cash with spartan facilities, we were nervous about our ability to compete in a tougher league, we had a new football coach starting over with a mediocre team, and we were basically starting over with new personnel in basketball. And we were walking away from some long-time conference rivals, who played the "you think you're better than us" card and tried their best to give us a bloody send-off. Now, we've established our brand nationally, we're pretty confident that we'll do well going forward, and we're in one of three groups moving elsewhere. (So I guess maybe WSU and OSU have some revenge motive.)

Anyway, the point is that, as this school year unfolds, it's interesting to me how certain aspects of what remains of life in the Pac-12 come off differently. When you can't change something, you tend to suppress certain annoyances. But, when it's on the way out the door, you feel more open about saying "don't let the screen door hit you where the good Lord split you."

Won't miss the Pac-12 Network with its mediocre and often-biased announcers. (Yogi Roth seems like a good dude, so I hope and assume he'll land on his feet.) Also won't miss their decisions on what to promote and what to ignore. Lots of women's (and even men's) soccer, but no to a sold-old Red/Blue game that has been THE pre-season showcase for Pac-12 basketball. Won't miss the California-centric league office approach, with inherent biases toward schools that already enjoy built-in advantages. EX: "Everyone else will just have to suffer a little so both USC and Stanford can get worked into Notre Dame's schedule." Often biased officiating, with plenty of "He touched the ball!" examples, but always overly-technical ticky-tack crap to extend games endlessly. Won't miss trips to the PNW or Bay Area, and I won't miss media from there, like Canzano and Wilner. Glad they're so excited about Washington and Oregon and hope we didn't get in the way too much. Won't miss the arrogance of USC and UCLA, and the way the LA media covers-up poor behavior by their athletes and coaches and hypes and roots for them like high-school cheerleaders.

So, regardless of how our various sports seasons turn out, when the above and other stuff inevitably happens, it's a blessing to be able to shake your head, smile, and just say "bye-bye."

[Merkin]

Lute's smiling up in heaven. I imagine Miller is pretty happy about it too.

Who were the announcers last night? It was all UDub all the time. Don't recall so much favoritism for such a heavily favored team. You see it all the time with underdog teams v. UA MBB, but that is understandable.

[UAEebs86]

[TheCatInTheHat]

Lute's smiling up in heaven. I imagine Miller is pretty happy about it too.

Who were the announcers last night? It was all UDub all the time. Don't recall so much favoritism for such a heavily favored team. You see it all the time with underdog teams v. UA MBB, but that is understandable.

I generally have the sound off or low enough that I only hear some of the roar of the crowd and maybe the field announcer, but the P-B-P and color is more of a drone I can tune out. Last night was full off. It says the Bay Area's Ted Robinson (formerly 49ers/Stanford) did P-B-P and Yogi Roth did color. Can't stand that weasel Robinson (who I'd guess will have to "retire" at the end of this year or maybe be relegated to MWC games), but Roth has tended to be fair to us. I'm sure the Pac-12 is hyping Top Ten Washington as maybe the league's best team and a national contender, so no doubt that was the angle for the evening, particularly with the three "analysts" at the game at field level. They weren't there to see us. I'm sure all parties were glad Washington won, but disappointed they didn't look more impressive against us. Really heart-rending.

[CatsbyAZ]

Glad CatInHat posts this, details I wouldn't think all the way through.

What I won't miss about the Pac 12, in no particular order:
-Pac 12 Network, mostly inaccessible
-Refs, but I'm sure the B12 will have their dreaded officiating crews
-Oregon Ducks

[AZCatGirl]

ASU is so damn perfect.

[Merkin]

[EastCoastCat]

That’s hilarious.

[Carcassdragger]

ASU is so damn perfect.

This is hilarious. Wish I could find it on YouTube so I can send to a friend.

[TheCatInTheHat]

Perfect!

[TheCatInTheHat]

So, in the official Pac-12 website, UCLA "fell" to Arizona in volleyball at McKale, because that's the copy/paste from UCLA's media release. Arizona was the home team, and they also provided a media release about Arizona "beating" UCLA in four. And that's part of the Pac-12's attitude problem in microcosm. In most sports, other than to each other and maybe Washington and Oregon, the LA schools only "falter" and "stumble", but the other schools rarely get much credit for "defeating" them. I watched the Kansas St at Oklahoma St game last night, and I had as much interest in the status of those future fellow conference schools as I'd have for WSU, Oregon St, and the rest not named USC and UCLA. Other than the fact that they were part of a P5 conference, I never really gave much of a shit about playing Pac-12 schools other than the LA schools. And that was mostly about getting some LA media coverage and the Hollywood/beach scene imagery, which, along with a few dollars, gets you a Starbucks. The LA schools have all kinds of inherent advantages, they're tough, and it's been pretty cool playing them for these 45 years. But, it also got pretty old that they also enjoyed having loaded dice. Looking forward to the Big XII with no regrets whatsoever. For the basketball-only junkies, there''ll be Kansas, which hasn't taken a back seat to UCLA since 1975. And in every other sport, it should be very tough, but nicely balanced, and I don't anticipate much in the way of anybody's idea of a "star system." I think they've had quite enough of that themselves with Texas and Oklahoma.

[azcat49]

One thing I do enjoy about the PAC 12 networks is the ability to watch the Olympic sports and to see the other teams in the league. I do wonder how much we might see some of the games in these sports in the XXII. Not sure they even have a network that would broadcast some soccer, volleyball, golf or baseball

[UAEebs86]

One thing I do enjoy about the PAC 12 networks is the ability to watch the Olympic sports and to see the other teams in the league. I do wonder how much we might see some of the games in these sports in the XXII. Not sure they even have a network that would broadcast some doctor, volleyball, golf or baseball

While it was great for us to be able to watch those sports, PAC-12 football and basketball were never seen by most people, either because they had DirecTV, or their cable system didn't carry PAC-12, or they didn't pay extra for the sports tier on Sling for example because their schools were on ESPN/FOX.

It was a master class in how not to be seen.

[84Cat]

No Big 12 network

[TheCatInTheHat]

No Big 12 network

There are different kinds of intelligence, but it's hard to believe major university presidents could be as naive and inept as they've been on so many issues. We've heard recently about the Utah president and Kliavkoff stumbling and fumbling the last media negotiation. But way before that, Larry Scott of women's tennis had exactly what expertise in launching a multi=channel cable TV start-up spread across multiple states covering major sporting events? With full-time studio hosts? It's ridiculous. But, he conned the presidents into letting him double-dip for conference commissioner pay as well as TV network CEO pay. Back to local school streaming for the small stuff. Arizona Athletics does it reasonably well. (Just try to remember to announce it in advance.)

[TheCatInTheHat]

After the game, Williams gave us zero credit and complained about being hit after the whistle. I recall one play where Justin Flowe held both hands up so he wouldn't be called for Standing Too Close. Meanwhile, I think most objective people would agree that we didn't get our share of the 50/50 calls and USC got away with a LOT more holding than they were called for. And their media narrative is nothing about improved Arizona, just that their defense isn't good enough and they "stuck together and survived." How sweet...and all as expected. I'll celebrate whenever they get any bad news. So long to football games in LA; don't need ya.

[ChooChooCat]

One thing I do enjoy about the PAC 12 networks is the ability to watch the Olympic sports and to see the other teams in the league. I do wonder how much we might see some of the games in these sports in the XXII. Not sure they even have a network that would broadcast some soccer, volleyball, golf or baseball

ESPN3 will have most of these.