jk….

Anyway, as many of you know, I’m a pretty big fan of the MAC (probably the biggest MAC football fan any of you will ever know). So, I don’t like it much when I feel as though my boys get slighted.

Now understand, I’m extremely realistic. No, I don’t think the best MAC teams (or Sun Belt teams or WAC teams (outside of Boise St.)) can compete with the teams from the SEC, Big 12, Big 10, Pac-10, etc. on a regular basis. From time to time there will be teams that do compete, but that level is rarely achieved for more than a year at a time.

And if anyone didin’t know, the reason I’m such a huge fan of the MAC is because of my alma mater, Northern Illinois University. When I started at NIU, the football team wasn’t great but the running back was. LeShon Johnson. Amazing running back who started (for me) a pretty long run of impressive running backs to come from NIU.

LeShon, Michael Turner, Garrett Wolfe to name the one’s you guys should recognize, and to be followed up by Chad Spann (and maybe Me’co Brown) on this years squad (a junior and a sophomore).

Anyway, this is where my ire with espn has developed. Espn apparently recognized the talent that these less-known/smaller schools were putting out. And since espn originally made their name on obscure sports, I figure they felt like exposing these football teams (NIU, Toledo, San Jose St., Louisiana Tech, Nevada, Ball State, Central Michigan, Troy, Miami, etc., etc.) to the nation.

So, a few years ago (4 or 5 years ago) espn and the MAC (as well as the Sun Belt and the WAC) came to an agreement that espn would put these schools on a National broadcast. The hook though was that these schools had to play these games mid-week. Okay. So, you’re going to take a bit of a hit in attendence, but you’ll get the game on national tv. The stands won’t look too impressive, but being on tv is important. I could live with that.

Well, espn has completely stabbed these conferences in the back.

For the first couple of years, everything worked fine. But then espn developed ESNPU and ESPN 360. It started last year, and has been ridiculous this year. While the MAC is still playing a huge number of games mid-week late in their seasons (last weekend they only had 2 games on Saturday), they’re lucky to get one game on tv (and that’s typically ESPNU). Instead, espn puts Syracuse or Rutgers or some other team (seems like its usually a Big East game) in place of the non-BCS games.

Heck, a lot of the time, the game, while being played on a week night, isn’t even on espn. What’s the point of that? Espn is forcing the MAC to schedule mid-week games and then doesn’t even put them on 360.

A couple of weeks ago, NIU played a Thursday “night” game that started at 5pm. Good luck getting anyone who isn’t a student to that game before kickoff. Btw, the game was on espnu.

So, this is my beef with espn. If you don’t want to show the MAC games, let them out of the contract. Hell, maybe they could hook up with Versus? (Although I’m a little concerned about the riff with DirecTV)

Anyway, sorry for the rant. Just felt like sounding off.

about Hill. the kid’s good. he should probably transfer to a 1AA team. I doubt Southern needs his services, as we’re set at the position too.

Anyway, always love to read your rants Tacklebox. For the record, I’m in my late twenties and I’m STILL sore from my Turkeybowl. Jesus.