NCAA Football washington state Cougars

Pity the poor Pac-10; its revenues are barely half of the SEC, Big Ten, and, shudder, the ACC.

As a result, the Pac-10 is exploring a route that has already made it rain on the SEC and the Big Ten, starting their own network. The Big Ten started their own network in conjunction with FOX and netted $66 million from the network last year. Rather than start their own network, the SEC partnered with CBS and ESPN. Beginning this year the SEC will bring in -- wait for it -- $205 million a year just from television rights. Why does that matter? The Pac-10 conference had revenues of just $88.78 million in 2007. Yep, by 2009, the SEC will triple the Pac-10 in sports revenue. That's a huge deal in the arm's race that is major collegiate sports.

Fortunately, as a lover of all things college football, I'm here to help the Pac-10 ensure their network is a hit. How do we do that? Programming, baby, it's all about the programming.

College Football Spring Storylines 2009 looks at the key developments and big news from spring ball.

Since 2002, the Pac-10 has been derisively called USC and the nine dwarves. Its more than a little unfair, but that's the prevailing wisdom. Although the conference is consistently among the deepest and most competitive around, USC's monopolized that top spot. Any chance of that changing this year begins with decisions those programs make this spring.

We're not quite sure if this is altruistic or stupidity, but Washington State quarterback Marshall Lobbestael was arrested Saturday after being discovered passed out in a pickup truck at the police station.

Being 19, he picked up a minor in possession charge. In response, Washington State has suspended him from the team.

The University of Washington wants to renovate Husky Stadium. They estimate the cost to be roughly $300 million. Naturally, the school would like the state to kick in $150 million by extending the taxes the state legislature levied in King County for the construction of Safeco Field and Qwest Stadium.

A contingent of Washington State alumni are doing what they can to derail it.

Athletic Director Scott Woodward and noted Huskies booster Ron Crockett, owner of Emerald Downs racetrack, told legislators that the stadium, built in 1920, needs substantial repairs for basic safety that shouldn't be the responsibility of private donors.

But the unofficial group of WSU alumni, who have launched an e-mail campaign urging lawmakers to vote against the project, said UW should turn to its wealthy base of donors, not taxpayers, for the project, especially since the state is facing a deficit of at least $5 billion.

"We think that they have the capacity at the University of Washington to fund their own stadium," said Glenn Osterhout, a WSU alum who noted that WSU's Martin Stadium is also in the middle of a renovation, which has not received state money.

The Washington State alum view see no reason that the state should fund the renovations which would only serve as a further advantage to the Washington football program in recruiting and marketing. This is when you know that there is a heated in-state rivalry. Everything is fair game.

Washington State itself is taking no sides in this little battle since the WSU Athletic Director admitted that if UW succeeds in getting the money, the Cougars would consider a similar proposal. That seems to be the nature of these things -- whether it is partisan politics or rival schools. Spread the money to both sides, and everyone is happy.

scha·den·freu·de

–noun

satisfaction or pleasure felt at someone else's misfortune.

[Origin: 1890–95; < G, equiv. to Schaden harm + Freude joy]

On This Week In Schadenfreude we explore the sputtering rage, gibbering condemnation, and resigned ennui of the college football fan who has recently undergone humiliating defeat. Because even in your darkest hour, someone else is suffering too, and probably worse than you. Unless you are a Michigan fan who has just finished watching the Appalachian State game.

I don't think a winning team has ever pulled down the Tears of Unfathomable Sadness award, but we have history this week. LSU fell behind against the Troy Trojans of Troy (We're From Troy!) 31-3, causing a mass exodus from Death Valley and a truly epic message board war. This is the nuclear bomb:

At this point LSU fans just need to STFU. We are largely irrelevant, living off past glory, full of self-congratulatory bluster. Even now, some tard (sorry PJ) is on my radio talking about Nick Saban. Saban ? We don't believe in our team, we don't believe in our coaches, it's not important to us anymore to even stay at the stadium. We have made second-guessing an art form and have a juvenile view of reality. We bitched our way through a National Freaking Championship and now we are sniveling through a 9/10 win season. THAT IS WHO WE ARE. Snivelers. Whiners. Crybabies. With a ridiculous sense of entitlement.

I'm not blaming us or even asking for change, I'm just acknowleding the Truth.

Uh. Wow. And then you've got the first response:

It was either leave or kill the wife to stop the whining and there were too many witnesses to do the right thing.

Yes, what they say about LSU fans is true: they smell like corndogs and are complete lunatics. (Just kidding LSU fans! Please don't dip me in batter and fry me!) The rest of the week in spleen after the jump.

scha·den·freu·de

–noun

satisfaction or pleasure felt at someone else's misfortune.

[Origin: 1890–95; < G, equiv. to Schaden harm + Freude joy]

On This Week In Schadenfreude we explore the sputtering rage, gibbering condemnation, and resigned ennui of the college football fan who has recently undergone humiliating defeat. Because even in your darkest hour, someone else is suffering too, and probably worse than you. Unless you are a Michigan fan who has just finished watching the Appalachian State game.

Notre Dame fans were okay-ish with a loss to Michigan State and upset but understanding after coin flips with North Carolina and Pitt that went against them. A 17-0 blanking by Boston College in which the Decided Schematic Advantage(tm) racked up under 300 yards of offense and turned the ball over five times? Eh, not so much:

I now consider us a Div II program
by FLBOB73 (11/08/2008 23:12:46)

---

...I truly believe that Navy will have their own streak begin with their second win in a row. We will lose to USC and others. Maybe we can beat Syracuse, but I'm not even sure we can reach bowl eligibility at this point. I am sick in my heart. Don't talk to me about next year, don't talk to me about learning curves and the talent that's coming. Bulls---. We're medicore and we're coached like a high school team. We play without emotion, without a plan and without any determination. We talk trash and that's it. ...

Elsewhere, Domers are offering up youtube clips of "The End" for Weis. In the eyes of the faithful, it's over: Notre Dame is dominated with discussions about the new coach. (One particularly outstanding suggestion: bring in Holtz for one year. Please let this happen.) Newly D-II Notre Dame, you are the Tears of Unfathomable Sadness award recipient.

The rest of the week in spleen after the jump.

Saturday was a painful, agonizing experience for hapless Washington State. The Wazzu Cougars lost 69-0 to mighty USC, prompting analysts on other networks to make unflattering comments about Southern Cal head coach Pete Carroll. The insinuation from Tim Brando and Verne Lundquist, in particular, was that Pete Carroll felt the need to run up the score to earn a few style points for his team's BCS hopes.

It was a total mismatch of teams. Washington State put up a meager 116 yards of offense to USC's 625. It could have been much worse. Had Pete Carroll been in a record-setting mood, I suspect the Trojans could have put up yardage in the four-digit range. Scary thought, huh?

But a very cursory examination reveals that despite the shutout, USC had no intention of embarrassing Wazzu any more than they were already embarrassing themselves.

It ain't pretty. On ESPN's Pac-10 blog today are two links to stories about Washington State's near-historic ineptness. I noted earlier that they are 40+ point underdogs against USC this weekend -- although that may be worse for USC than the Cougars.

Some numbers for you:

Washington State is allowing 55.6 points/game through four league games and faces mighty USC next. The Cougars are 116th in scoring at 15.9 points/game despite playing the No. 100, 69, 68, 66, 55 and No. 27 scoring defenses as well as lower division Portland State. Overall in conference play against the impotent Pac-10 this year they have been outscored 223-33. Among those scores was a defensive touchdown, a garbage-time score and a field goal on a drive that went for negative four yards.

This is pathetic stuff.

Almost a year ago to the week, Stanford toppled USC in one of the most ridiculous upsets in college football history. Staring down a ticked off Pete Carroll, the Coliseum crowd, a 41-point underdog status with gamblers and working with a backup quarterback who had only attempted a handful of passes, Stanford did the impossible: 24-23.

I get heartburn writing about it. The darn event even has its own Wikipedia page.

So it gives me no great pleasure to be reminded that USC is once again massive favorites -- 42 to 43 points at last check -- to possibly an even worse Pac-10 foe, this year's Washington State Cougars. How bad is Washington State? The Cougars have already surrendered 60-plus points to opponents three times this season (66 to California, 63 to Oregon and 66 to Oregon State). College football doormat Baylor pasted them 45-17. UCLA's pathetic offense managed to beat then 28-3. Just terrible all around.

Not unlike Stanford last year.

scha·den·freu·de /???dn?fr??d?/

–noun

satisfaction or pleasure felt at someone else's misfortune.

---

[Origin: 1890–95; < G, equiv. to Schaden harm + Freude joy]

On This Week In Schadenfreude we explore the sputtering rage, gibbering condemnation, and resigned ennui of the college football fan who has recently undergone humiliating defeat. Because even in your darkest hour, someone else is suffering too, and probably worse than you. Unless you are a Michigan fan who has just finished watching the Appalachian State game.

Your Tears of Unfathomable Sadness victor for this week is blindingly obvious: Ohio State. Unfortunately, the massive OSU message board at The O-Zone expires posts after only a day or so, so I can't link to the source of this, but one Buckeye fan provided a script for Ohio State versus Non Big Ten/MAC/I-AA Opponent:

By meckbuck on 23:12:26 09/13/08

1. Start of game: Big play and/or Big Drive which throttles complete irrational exuberance including misguided phone calls to other fans with quotations such as "..and WHO said we were going to get our butts kicked this game? - HA HA!!"
2) 1Q/2Q: Irrational exuberance replaced with mass panic as defense breaks down and stupid error spikes - opposing team dominance officially sets in now firmly setting the tone for the rest of the game
3) End of 2Q: Praying to your God for halftime to come as soon as possible so beating (which has usually reached a pinnacle by now) can at least cease for a few minutes
4) Halftime: Glimmer of hope slightly returns due to ancient halftime rituals and slogans which no longer hold true in the modern work [probably means 'world' -ed] - such as "still a lot of football to be played" - "need to make slight halftime adjustments"
5) 3Q: Opposing team dominance returns with a fury. All halftime adjustments officially unwound. Mass panic numbed with large quantities of alcohol or OTC drug-induced sleep
6) 4Q: I'm not sure even what happens in the 4th Q. At this time announcers are talking about local food joints, future schedules of the winning team, and various Heisman situations in order to hold onto any remaining viewership who have not switched over to Simpson reruns.
7) Next day at work with other non-OSU fan - pure torture

If these weren't Ohio State fans we were talking about, someone, somewhere, might be experiencing the tiniest shred of sympathy. Since we are talking about OSU, a nation says "Buckeyes, your tears are so yummy and sweet."

The rest of the week in spleen after the jump.