The Patriots’ release…

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The New England Patriots have signed quarterback David Greene and defensive back Ray Ventrone to their practice squad. Additionally, the Patriots have released offensive tackle Clint Oldenburg from their practice squad. The Patriots practice squad now stands at its limit of eight players.

Greene, 25, was originally drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the third round (85th overall) of the 2005 NFL Draft from the University of Georgia. The 6-foot-3-inch, 225-pound quarterback has not played in an NFL game and served as the Seahawks’ third quarterback for 28 of 32 games from 2005-06. He was Seattle’s backup quarterback for four weeks of the 2006 season while starter Matt Hasselbeck was injured. Greene was released by the Seahawks on Sept. 2, 2007. At Georgia, Green became the winningest quarterback in NCAA history, with his 42 career victories as a starter passing Peyton Manning’s previous record of 39.

There’s news this week that the New York Times is dropping its Times Select "paywall" which placed a subscription barrier in front of columnists and archives. There is also speculation that the Wall Street Journal, one of the few remaining high-profile newspapers charging for online content, might follow suit under the new ownership of News Corp.

With this news, I couldn’t help but think about Rivals.com and Scout.com. These two networks dominate the niche of college team and recruiting news, and they have succeeded with a subscription-based model. This model was a very natural fit for these networks because they grew out of the 900-numbers and magazines that covered college sports and recruiting in the 1990s. Fans were used to paying for niche coverage of their teams. A much younger Rivals.com experimented with advertising-supported content around 2000, but both sites settled on the much more reliable subscription model after the shakeout in 2001.

I’m not bringing this up to suggest that Rivals and Scout drop their subscription model. It’s working for them. I do have one suggestion though: open up the archives.

It’s been nearly ten years since AllianceSports and TheInsiders networks launched around 1998. Following some name changes and the Web bubble, both networks have been relatively stable and archiving content consistently since 2001. At UGASports.com, this archive goes back into 1998. Among newspapers, only the Athens Banner-Herald offers archives as easy to search and navigate. Subscribers come mainly for current content – what happened in the last game, which recruit will announce this weekend, who are the best high school prospects this year, and so on. But there is also a wider audience of more casual sports fans with interests in a specific player or news story from the past. The sites are already destinations for news, but they could also become important research resources and the "archives of record" for college sports news. Archives can also be an effective marketing tool showing off the depth and quality of coverage that a site offers.

The Times "discovered" what many had warned them about before attempting Times Select:

In a statement, the paper said more users were coming to the site through search engines, instead of directly visiting NYTimes.com. Removing the subscription barrier to content available under Times Select will result in a boost in traffic and advertising revenue from that increase will replace the money that once came from subscriptions, it said.

In another ten years, think about the information that will be locked away behind these subscription paywalls at Rivals and Scout. You’ll be able to take an NFL Hall-of-Famer, look back to the end of his high school career, piece together his college decision, and follow his entire college career before he became a pro superstar. That information might already be out there in various places, but the databases and content management systems at Rivals and Scout pull it all together in one place. That’s just one application for the content and data.

It’s a completely different type of sports fan from the obsessive guy looking for instant news and updates on his favorite team. It’s also a group that probably won’t invest a month’s subscription to satisfy a few curiosities. As the Times found, they will arrive by search engines with a specific query in mind.

Rivals (Yahoo) and Scout (Fox Interactive Media) now both have partners with the experience in the online world to recognize that they have an opportunity in the years of content currently trapped behind their paywalls. Open up the archives, enjoy the increased flow from search engines and writers, and show off your networks to a wider base of sports fans.

Cats Gone Wild

Kentucky’s in high cotton, and they’re making the most of it. After being denied prime goalpost-crashing opportunities in 2002 by Georgia and in 2003 by LSU, the Wildcat fans have now stormed the field in 2 of Kentucky’s last 6 games at Commonwealth Stadium. The first celebration was last November in a game we won’t speak of. The second was after Saturday’s upset of Louisville.

The SEC enacted a policy in 2004 that "access to competition areas shall be limited to participating student-athletes, coaches, officials, support personnel and properly credentialed individuals at all times." Kentucky was nailed as a first offender last November for tearing down the goalposts, and this second "offense" will cost Kentucky $25,000. A third time would cost $50,000. I believe a fourth offense would involve a firing squad.

At least Kentucky fans tore down the goalposts after a home game.

The answer: Thomas, Ramarcus, and the grass

The question: name three things in Sanford Stadium that will be Brown in a few weeks.

Athens-Clarke County recently tightened watering restrictions to completely ban outdoor watering, and Sanford Stadium isn’t exempt. Trucking in water and digging wells aren’t practical solutions, so things will remain parched Between the Hedges. One saving grace is that the cooler fall temperatures won’t be as harsh on the turf as the 100+ degree temperatures of August.

The fire marshal might start to sweat a little when he sees Knowshon Moreno entering the game.

What the heck is going on? First there was Tebow and Joiner and now this:

But the win did seem to restore some of that Alabama swagger, and not just among the fans. Asked about Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford, defensive end Wallace Gilberry said: “I don’t know anything about him. But after the game Saturday, I can tell you anything you want to know – his birthday, his telephone number, his home address. I’m serious, because I will know.

“I’ve got to know where to send the flowers after the game.”

Sideline embraces? Sending flowers? Not that there’s anything wrong with that. At least Gilberry seems like the kind who won’t forget his anniversary.

At any rate, the 2007 Cocktail Party now has a theme:

Western Carolina players and coaches have an opinion:

“That should be a good game, but I think Georgia should win,” said WCU quarterback Todd Spitzer, who completed 6 of 10 passes Saturday for just 16 yards before giving way to backup Adam Hearns. “In my opinion, Georgia is bigger and faster and a lot stronger.”

“I thought Georgia was a much more physical team, and I thought they had a little bit better athletes,” said (Catamounts coach Kent) Briggs. “Alabama can go out there and match up with them (better than the Catamounts did), but I think Georgia is the more skilled team overall.”

“They’re both tough teams, but I thought the way Georgia went after us was a little bit more difficult to deal with,” said (defensive end Jeff) Bradley.

The AJC columnists have set aside this week to play "House, M.D." with the Georgia program. First it was Jeff Schultz’s diagnosis that Georgia and its coach were soft. Now Terence Moore offers that the problem is a lack of leadership – or, more specifically, someone "who can growl while throwing a chair across the locker room".

Moore’s point I think is closer to the heart of the matter. He does take an odd disapproving view of "leadership by committee" considering that he names several former leaders who were on the same team. Still, I tend to agree that the leadership issue is valid. I think we can put it even more simply: this is Matthew Stafford’s team, and we’re waiting for that big play or moment that cements it. There are locker room leaders, and you do need the veteran guys who keep everyone focused.

At the same time, you need the leaders and playmakers on the field. That the coaches are just as likely to have Tony Wilson as Sean Bailey in the game during key drives tells us that the team has a bunch of almost-but-not-quite playmakers. Go-to guys. Is Sean Bailey becoming one? How about Knowshon Moreno? In the end, though, I believe that the team will go as Stafford goes.

On to Western Carolina

Fans want a 70-0 bloodbath in part as a catharsis after last weekend’s loss but also as a demonstration that the team can really throw, catch, run, block, and tackle. Responding to the nebulous criticism of Schultz earlier in the week, they want to see some sort of "killer instinct" reflected on the scoreboard. If history holds, the Dawgs should win easily but not threaten that 70-point mark.

Mark Richt’s Bulldogs have played three 1-AA* opponents, and the results (at least on Georgia’s side of the scoreboard) have been steady:

• 2002: 45-7 over Northwestern State
• 2004: 48-28 over Georgia Southern
• 2006: 48-12 over Western Kentucky

Even as 1-AA teams go, Western Carolina is no powerhouse, so style points will be the main focus of the game for Georgia fans. With Alabama coming up next week, fans will inevitably compare Georgia’s performance against Western Carolina with the Catamounts’ season opener at Alabama. The Crimson Tide won 52-6. That’s about what I expect from Georgia: a score in the ballpark of 50 points while making it tough for WCU to get on the scoreboard. While we’d prefer a shutout, you never know what will happen when the 7th string is in.

While the guaranteed wave of substitutions will make a direct comparison next to impossible, there are a few stats worth watching. Bama held Western Carolina to 247 yards of offense – 76 rushing and 171 passing. Bama was also effective running the ball. Tailback Terry Grant rushed for 134 yards in his debut with three touchdowns. Will Knowshon Moreno or Thomas Brown have big games? Turnovers will also be something to keep an eye on. The Dawgs have turned it over only once this season – a Stafford interception against South Carolina – but they have also caused just one turnover. While the Bulldog defense has generally been stingy holding two good opponents to an average of 15 points, they could do a good bit more to make plays and cause turnovers. We’ll see if they are able to create some things against a lesser opponent.

* – I’ll still refer to this level of competition as 1-AA. 1-AA was good enough for Erk Russell, and it’s good enough for me. The "we actually play college football with a playoff" subdivision is a nice attempt at rebranding, but "1-AA" reminds us that there is a hierarchy to things and that "Appalachian State" is a Cherokee phrase meaning "Chaminade."

It’s always an interesting exercise to watch a sports columnist try to shoehorn a few quotes and vague observations into a definitive diagnosis and prescription for a team. Jeff Schultz gives it his best shot.

The suggestion that Mark Richt is soft or bland or an unemotional robot isn’t new. It’s been the favored position of many message board denizens for years. I don’t blame them. They just see Richt on television or hear him on radio where he is calm, polished, and even a bit boring.

In fact, Georgia was dealing with this same perception five years ago. In 2002, Georgia beat Alabama in the Bulldogs’ most recent trip to Tuscaloosa in the famous "Man Enough" game. It’s a coincidence on the eve of another trip to Alabama that Schultz does his best Pat Dye impersonation and calls the Dawgs "soft" while questioning Richt’s ability to light a fire under the team.

This is one of those topics that tells you quickly who has spent much time at a Georgia practice or speaking with players about the subject. A Georgia practice isn’t church, and Richt is as intense about his job as any of his peers. How do you last for 20 years coaching major college programs without that intensity? Details like that are no match for a columnist at a press conference with a story in mind:

There are all sorts of theories as to why Georgia lost to South Carolina, not the least of which has to do with Steve Spurrier, needles and a little puppy voodoo doll he keeps on his nightstand. Matthew Stafford was off target. His receivers were off kilter. His offensive coordinator was off his rocker.

But here’s another possibility: They’re soft, and their coach is lacking in the verbal equivalent of a forearm shiver.

Let me translate: "Ignore all that football stuff and let’s run with my pet theory."

Schultz tries to bolster his point with a very selective (and incorrect) memory about Richt’s approach to team discipline.

Richt used to be soft on crime. Telling Odell Thurman to run stadium steps wasn’t going to fix the problem. But it was residual from Bobby Bowden’s school of discipline. Eventually, Richt changed. Even he grew tired of the arrests and the criticism. He got tougher.

Odell Thurman was actually kicked off the team in 2002 for disciplinary reasons and spent that season at Georgia Military College. The Dawgs started the 2003 season at Clemson with eight players suspended. Do you remember the name Randall Swoopes? Georgia’s center of the future was kicked off the team in 2003. Jasper Sanks was shown the door during Richt’s first season, leaving the Dawgs with only a fullback named Haynes to carry the ball. Schultz’s argument that Richt’s toughness in disciplinary matters was a reluctant evolution is exactly opposite of the historical record.

Just as Richt’s approach to discipline didn’t need or receive a sudden injection of toughness, Richt’s personal toughness is grossly underrated by those who just see the public face of the program. A former player wrote on the DawgVent several days before Schultz’s column,

Mark Richt is as intense as they come. He is an obsessive hard ass. And he’s tough. I don’t think any of these posters commenting that he’s too "soft" or "calm" or "lacks killer instinct" have ANY clue what he’s really like as a coach. The renewed toughness of our program didn’t come from VanGorder or Fabris or Garner – it was a mandate from Mark Richt. He is the last coach on our staff any player wants to cross or upset, and the competitive fire burns hotter in Mark Richt than any one person in our program.

I don’t know what measurement of physical toughness Schultz is using. A new offensive line with two freshmen going against an experienced defensive front seven was able to match South Carolina’s running game production. The Dawgs defense bowed up and kept Spurrier and his senior quarterback from doing much damage. The Western Carolina head coach said this week, "I feel that Georgia will be the most physical team we have faced since I’ve been here at Western. They appear more physical on film than was Alabama, so this week will be a big challenge for us this weekend." Sounds "soft" to me.

I also don’t see many problems with the mental toughness of a team and coach that stared a 6-loss season in the face last year and rebounded from a horrific midseason with three straight wins over ranked opponents. They also refused to fold down by several touchdowns to the #1 defense in the nation.

Richt will remind no one of Woody Hayes. He’s not going to get into a trash-talking competition with Steve Spurrier. Schultz and others seem to be waiting on Richt to club a player on the sideline to show his intensity, but all they have to do is open their eyes to how this program has operated for six years. Schultz downplays several times the effects of youth and maturity on this team, but sometimes the answers are just that simple.

Kudos to Marc Weiszer of the ABH for raising this topic. Often a game that is hyped as a showdown between units or players ends up turning on something else entirely. A great pitcher’s duel turns into a slugfest. A basketball battle between dominant centers is won by outside shooting. Happens all the time. There are other people on the field, and the real opportunities and threats can come from places other than the matchups in the spotlight.

Weiszer highlights OSU tight end Brandon Pettigrew as a possible x-factor in Saturday’s game. A good mix of size and speed comparable to Leonard Pope, Pettigrew could present matchup problems for linebackers and defensive backs in the middle of the field. That’s a good pick by Weiszer, and we’ll have to add the tight end now to the list of things to watch.

We’ve been over the Dawgs so many times that it seems like a wasted effort to try to uncover that hidden angle. You could mention Georgia’s placekicker Brandon Coutu, but he’s hardly a secret weapon. With Matthew Stafford in the spotlight on offense, one might even pick a running back like Thomas Brown or Knowshon Moreno as Georgia’s x-factor. Weiszer went with OSU’s tight end; will Georgia’s be as much of a concern for the OSU defense?

Since I don’t know what I’m talking about anyway, I’m going to go out there and make my pick of middle linebacker Dannell Ellerbe as Georgia’s x-factor in this game. He’s played well enough on the inside during the preseason to make the coaches scrap their Brandon Miller experiment. Against a diverse and balanced offense, the man in the middle will be put under tremendous pressure, and I look for Dannell to come through.

Good job, John – now about the yellow… (Photo: USOpen.org)

This weekend’s football season opener is an obvious reminder of what drives the Bulldog identity, but the US Open tennis tournament is showing us just how transcendent that identity is.

John Isner, the Bulldog tennis star I’ve mentioned a time or three here, is already making an impact on the professional tour. Earlier in the summer he advanced to the finals of one of his first professional tournaments. Now under the spotlight of the US Open, he’s continuing that success, winning over the crowd, and bringing the sounds of Athens to New York City.

Last night, in front of a partisan crowd, Isner recorded a straight-set second round win over South African Rik de Voest to advance to the round of 32. That’s the good news. The bad news is that Isner’s next opponent is Roger Federer, currently the most dominant men’s tennis player in the world. Isner will take his imposing serve and a shot of confidence into the match. "I’m going to believe," Isner said. "I’m not saying I’m going to win, but I’m going to believe."

Win or lose this weekend against Federer, Isner is already turning heads. It might be too soon to annoit him the next great hope of American tennis against the European juggernauts like Federer and Nadal, but Isner’s stock is on the rise. Easily likeable and fun to watch, he is a fresh face on the scene with a growing and distinctive cheering section. The US Open is already known as a place where tennis lets its hair down, but the barking for Isner is noticed even against that backdrop. His school ties are getting as much press as his serve:

He’s a Georgia Bulldog all the way, backed by barks each time he plays. A few months ago, Isner finished his senior year by leading Georgia to the NCAA team title. He proudly wears his school hat, the one with the giant G, every chance he gets.

With Isner’s match of a lifetime against Federer set for Saturday, it’s likely that most Bulldog fans will have Athens and football on their minds. But in Flushing Meadows, Isner and a small group of red-clad barking fools will be hunkered down in their own battle, and we congratulate them and wish them all the best. A great career is just getting started.

We ask the tough questions – without math.

South Carolina starting quarterback Blake Mitchell was suspended for this weekend’s season opener, and that suspension has been upheld after an appeal. Mitchell’s suspension was the result of missed classes over the summer. Now the temptation to blow off a few classes, especially during the summer, can be too much for any of us to take. It takes a special kind of person to understand those temptations and relate them to larger societal issues around the globe.

We turn to correspondent Lauren Caitlin Upton, Miss Teen South Carolina, for her unique perspective as a young woman all too familiar with competitive pressures and the spotlight. Lauren, can average Americans possibly comprehend the internal struggle of the high-profile student-athlete as he attempts to fulfill his academic obligations and avoid the trappings of college life and summertime in the South?

I personally believe that U.S. Americans are unable to do so because, uh, some people out there in our nation don’t have maps, and, uh, I believe that our education like such as in South Africa and, uh, the Iraq everywhere like, such as and I believe that they should, our education over here in the U.S. should help the U.S., er, should help South Africa and should help the Iraq and the Asian countries, so we will be able to build up our future for our children.

Well put, Lauren. Next up: Miss Upton’s thoughts on North Korea and Senator Blutarsky’s 10 questions for the 2007 Georgia season. In a just world, she’d be added to the College Gameday crew this season. It would be worth it if only for the point-counterpoint with Lou Holtz.

Some familiar names are popping up in some strange places during the Tournament of the Americas Olympic qualifier currently underway in Las Vegas.

The United States national basketball team easily dispatched the Virgin Islands 123-59 yesterday. The interesting thing about this lopsided win was the heavy Georgia flavor of the Virgin Islands coaching staff. The head coach of the squad is Tevester Anderson, a well-respected former Bulldog assistant who has coached at Murray State and Jackson State. Anderson coached at Georgia from 1987-1995 and has coached the Virgin Islands team since 1983.

One of the newest additions to Anderson’s Virgin Islands staff is our favorite pariah, Jim Harrick.

The trip down memory lane continues. Mexico’s coach is none other than former Arkansas head coach Nolan Richardson. Other than a short stint with the Panama team, the Mexican job is his first step back into the spotlight since leaving Arkansas in 2002. He’s bringing "Cuarenta minutos de infierno" (40 minutes of hell) with him.

Looks like Tennessee is in for a lesson in big-time football:

As if they needed any more reason to make noise, Cal will be passing out 50,000 mini-megaphones before the season opener against Tennessee at Memorial Stadium. "It’s going to be loud," said Jackson. "Everyone’s been waiting to play Tennessee. Just like Tupac said, it’s going to be ‘all eyes on me.’ "

If only Tennessee had experience playing in front of large, loud crowds in meaningful games.

Since this is Cal-Berkeley we’re talking about, Phil Fulmer will eschew the usual tactic of blaring loud music at practice to simulate crowd noise. He will, however, invite 500 anti-war protesters and Karl Rove to practice.

We’ll wait to see if we can record the mini-megaphones alongside other notorious crowd disasters.

(h/t CFR)

Odell Thurman is currently sitting out his second straight NFL season. After a DUI arrest and a missed drug test, Thurman was suspended for the 2006 season. That suspension has been extended without explanation for a second season, though Thurman has been in the news since that original suspension. Now his quest for reinstatement is trying a new tactic. The Orlando Sentinel reports,

Tampa Bay Buccaneers CB Torrie Cox and Cincinnati Bengals LB Odell Thurman have filed discrimination claims with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to have their NFL suspensions overturned. The players contend they have been viewed as alcoholics by the NFL, and that perception is the basis for the action imposed by Commissioner Roger Goodell, ESPN.com said.

You see? They contend that their "alcoholism" is a disability. They are leaning on a case from the 1990s where the "EEOC ruled that NBA violated the Americans with Disabilities Act when it did not reinstate (Roy) Tarpley even though he apparently passed drug screenings for four straight years."

There seems to be a genetic component to alcoholism where the condition is passed through heredity, but scientists may be shocked to learn that DUIs can also be transmitted.

Kara Braxton, Thurman’s girlfriend and mother of his child, recently plead no contest on a charge of "operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol." It shouldn’t be a surprise that Braxton’s charge came as a result of "a Sept. 25, 2006, arrest in Cincinnati." Braxton’s not a stranger to the wrong kind of headlines – the WNBA all-star was dismissed from the UGA basketball program several years ago – but DUI is new territory for her. She was suspended for just two games by her league and did not seek any EEOC sanctuary.

The Offense Strikes Back

The weekend started with a bang. After the defense looked strong in the first scrimmage of the preseason, the offense showed up in Friday night’s scrimmage. Quarterbacks combined for six touchdown passes, and three of the passes went for over 30 yards. Excuse my optimism over hitting the deep pass. "You know we had a lot more success offensively today than the other day," remarked Coach Richt. He credited the improvement in part to a better effort from the offensive line. "The number one unit blocked really well," he said.

Other than a few individual plays (like Geno Atkins’ 40-yard fumble return), the big news from the scrimmage is that 1) there were no serious injuries and 2) the coaches haven’t had much time to go over and make changes to the depth chart based on the scrimmage. Any changes might come early this week, though several positions are still very much up in the air.

One-headed Monster?

I can’t be the only one who’s noticed that, despite fewer carries, Knowshon Moreno has led both scrimmages in rushing yardage and YPC. Scrimmage stats might be as relevant as G-Day stats, but no one would be dismissing these stats if it were Brown or Lumpkin putting them up. The running backs only got carries in the first half of Friday’s scrimmage.

Richt made it clear though that the tailback rotation would continue. "Whether people like it or not, they’re all very talented and they all are ready to play and they’re gonna play." Meanwhile, Caleb King’s nagging hamstring injury makes his chances of redshirting greater and greater with each practice missed.

Fine Line Between Dedication and Insanity

I consider myself a pretty big fan – I think that’s obvious, right? I’ll concede there are more devoted fans. I’ll also concede that having children can and does change your priorities. But none of that should involve camping out overnight for a chance at a picture with Uga and/or Mark Richt. Ching writes,

I always enjoy the details on picture day of who showed up first for the guaranteed tickets for photos with Uga VI and Mark Richt and WHEN. This year’s Uga winner was Athens’ Joe D’Angelo, who got in line for the first of 120 guaranteed tickets at 8 p.m. Friday night (the dog’s time at the stadium was between 1 and 3 p.m. today). Jackson’s Wayne Parker started the Richt line at 4:30 this morning. He got the first of 250 Richt tickets. Demand again was pretty high. A little more than seven minutes after UGA staff began distributing the tickets at 9 a.m., they were all gone.

There are lots of reasons to attend Picture Day even on an extremely hot day like Saturday. Kids seem to love it, and the players enjoy the interaction. But there are literally dozens of better opportunities for getting a snapshot with Richt or Uga. I hope it was worth it for those gentlemen.

Man Down

Our best wishes to D.J. Shockley for a quick recovery after sustaining a knee injury on Friday night that will keep him out for the 2007 NFL season. Shockley tore his ACL and injured his MCL against Buffalo.

Spotlight on the Receivers

Everyone in the world seems to be sensitive to (or at least aware of) the issue of dropped passes. Whether you believe it’s a question of talent, coaching, scheme, or some combination of them, it’s the 800-lb. gorrila in the room when the subject of receivers comes up.

You even have other players sticking up for the receivers. Thomas Brown said,

The receivers were making plays. They’ve received a lot of criticism in last season and in the spring about not being able to catch the ball. But they’ve made a lot of great steps. They’ve been doing it all camp long in practice, making diving catches and things like that, so they’re gonna be fine.

Matthew Stafford added,

Their effort is up. Their confidence is up. That’s what you want from any position.

We’ve seen several articles now with this slant. "Massaquoi forgets the past." "Georgia receivers have something to prove." "UGA wide receivers are sticking together."

There are two ways that this kind of spotlight can affect the situation. Right now, everyone’s happy. Us vs. the world. "We’re all in it together, no matter who is catching the ball, no matter who it is thrown to, no matter who has the touchdowns," said Mikey Henderson. That’s a great attitude, and fellow senior A.J. Bryant has echoed it. If that kind of prove-everyone-wrong approach is what it takes for the receivers to step forward this year, great.

But as Mark Richt likes to say, you never really know how good a team is until it is tested by adversity. The receivers seem focused and a close-knit group now, and I hope they can keep that attitude after the first inevitable drop and the simultaneous groan of 92,000 fans. There has been a lot of self-doubt and a lack of confidence in the passing game (and, to be fair, the receivers are far from the only group affected by drops). With an emerging star in Matthew Stafford, the receivers should have the talent, experience, and the quality passes they need to have the kind of year they are talking about. All they need now is for that attitude to show up on the field.

I know that the comical launch of the Big 10/1 Network is usually Sen. Blutarsky’s specialty, but it’s interesting to watch the Big 10 attempt to mirror the strategies of some other specialty sports networks like the NFL Network. The NFL Network doesn’t come cheap, $100 million dollars in the case of Time Warner cable, so cable operators are considering adding the network to their premium "Sports Tier" packages where customers who want the NFL Network will pay for it. The NFL naturally wants cable operators to place the network on basic cable where it would reach the most eyeballs.

The standoff is to the point where cable operators have begun arming their CSRs with responses when customers call in to complain. An NFL spokesperson responds,

"Time Warner wants the network on a sports tier — where fans would have to pay extra," he said. "That’s not something we’re willing to do — have our fans exploited for Time Warner’s profits."

That’s right…Time Warner can’t exploit our fans for profits. Only we can exploit our fans for profits! Does this sound familiar? The Big 10 seems to think that they too belong next to CNN (h/t of course to Get the Picture):

“When the cable company decides to send 70 channels – the food channel, and the dog channel and the bike channel and the jewelry channel – into your home, (we believe) that the Big Ten Network deserves to be in that grouping,” Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany said. “Everything else is pretty negotiable.”

If the NFL Network, an existing channel with some actual live professional football games, is struggling with cable providers over its placement in the cable lineups, what chance does Iowa volleyball have?