NCAA Football, 2014-2015

[Syt]

Just checked my listings. After ESPN quit the cable market here, we still get college football, but no more College Game Day, it seems.

(And no pregame/half time shows for NFL, either)

[MadBurgerMaker]

SHSU and EWU have been playing on EWUs terrible red field for a couple hours now.  The Bearkats can't stop committing penalties.

[CountDeMoney]

Just checked my listings. After ESPN quit the cable market here, we still get college football, but no more College Game Day, it seems.

(And no pregame/half time shows for NFL, either)

What the hell, man.

[Syt]

Aye. Also no more SportsCentre, 30 for 30 etc.

For a long time the coverage was with NASN ("North American Sports Network"), who were bought by ESPN like six or so years ago. ESPN stopped last year. I think the problem might have been that ESPN Europe financed themselves through subscription fees only (and they were part of my standard cable package, so no special fees). They broadcast mostly their own productions, obviously, except for live pro sports: NHL, MLB, NFL. For example NFL they showed three live games on Sunday, Monday Night Football and the Thursday night game, plus most other games taped after Sunday. For which they most probably had to pay extra to CBS, FOX etc.

Might have worked better if they had tried for third party advertising during ad breaks (their admittedly funny promo spots got old after seeing them a dozen times during a football game), but oh well.

At least the German station Sport 1 who took over don't put German commentary over the football games. Because that's *really* atrocious.

[CountDeMoney]

One would think Disney would be more open to taking Europeans' money.

[derspiess]

So my Marshall friends are trying to talk me into going to their game at Miami (OH) Saturday.  It's the same time as the WVU game so I'd normally say no, but given how I'm about as unenthusiastic about this year's team as I've ever been and how I can always record them getting destroyed by Bama and watch it later, I'm tempted to go.

Funny thing is I was looking on Miami's site for ticket info.  Apparently you can get season tickets (6 home games) for as little as $75

[Barrister]

So my Marshall friends are trying to talk me into going to their game at Miami (OH) Saturday.  It's the same time as the WVU game so I'd normally say no, but given how I'm about as unenthusiastic about this year's team as I've ever been and how I can always record them getting destroyed by Bama and watch it later, I'm tempted to go.

Funny thing is I was looking on Miami's site for ticket info.  Apparently you can get season tickets (6 home games) for as little as $75

I just looked, season tickets to the U of A Golden Bears football team cost $36 (for four games).  That's not "as little as" - that's the price for everyone (less if you're a student).

[derspiess]

The $75 for Miami tickets is for 18-under.  You pay $95 if you're an adult (and of course more for "premium" seats).  Students don't have to pay to get into games at most/all US universities.

[Berkut]

Anyone following the Josh Shaw story out of USC?

Formerly starting CB managed to get high ankle sprains on both ankles outside of football. Out indefinitely.

Depending on who you believe, he injured himself either

A) Bravely jumping from a second floor balcony to the ground and then crawling into a pool to heroically rescue his drowning nephew, or
B) Jumping out of window while engaging in a burglary of a apartment building, or
C) Something else.

USC must be really missing Pete Carroll right now.

[grumbler]

Anyone following the Josh Shaw story out of USC?

Formerly starting CB managed to get high ankle sprains on both ankles outside of football. Out indefinitely.

Depending on who you believe, he injured himself either

A) Bravely jumping from a second floor balcony to the ground and then crawling into a pool to heroically rescue his drowning nephew, or
B) Jumping out of window while engaging in a burglary of a apartment building, or
C) Something else.

USC must be really missing Pete Carroll right now.

I don't think it was a burglary.  It was his girlfriend's apartment.  I suspect they were having a tiff and he wasn't going to go away.

He definitely needed to come up with a better story, though.  Concocting a heroic story and then watching everything spiral out of control... sounds like something a teenager would do.

[grumbler]

The $75 for Miami tickets is for 18-under.  You pay $95 if you're an adult (and of course more for "premium" seats).  Students don't have to pay to get into games at most/all US universities.

I'd say that the number of Div-1A schools that don't charge for student tickets is probably less than those that do.  Michigan charges $295 for season tickets; OSU $252; Alabama only sells half-season tickets at $10 per game.  Texas charges $175 for an entire years' worth of tickets in all sports.

[Ed Anger]

I need to go to a game this year. I need to hear "seven nation army" played repeatedly.

[grumbler]

Interesting story about Hugh Freeze pranking his players to end two-a-days.  I'm undecided over whether this prank just went to the edge, or went over it. http://www.redcuprebellion.com/2014/8/26/6070637/coach-hugh-freeze-likes-practical-jokes

Throughout two a day practices, Freeze sends his "guy" (someone he trusts) up into Vaught Hemingway to look over the practice field with a camera phone and binoculars. When he sees the man take his post overlooking practice, Freeze yells at security, "Get that guy out of here! He can't be up there! Get rid of him!" Off the guards go, chasing the man away. Eventually, the players think nothing of this.

On the last day of two a day practices, Coach Freeze lets Paul Jackson in on his prank. Paul Jackson, of course, is the Strength Coach for the Ole Miss Rebels. With Coach Jackson in on the secret, they continue out to practice. As usual, Freeze's guy shows up to spy on practice. When Freeze sees the man, he yells out, "That's it! Forget security! Coach Jackson, get that camera and get that guy out of here, now!" Coach Jackson takes off running toward the stadium. The players go back to work, preparing for Oklahoma drills and other full contact drills.

As Coach Jackson begins to approach the man, Freeze exclaims to the team, "Look guys! Coach is about to get him!" Everyone looks up to see Coach Jackson knock the camera phone out of the man's hand and over the side of the stadium. The team begins to get excited and begins to cheer on their Strength Coach. The spy takes of running up the stadium with Coach Jackson in full pursuit. Players are screaming, "Get him Coach!" All eyes are on the chase that is taking place high up in the Vaught.

Now, what no one knows, except for Freeze, Jackson, and the spy, is that there is a dummy hidden atop the stadium. The dummy is dressed just like the spy. When the men reach the top, Coach Jackson hurls the dummy over the side of the stadium, seemingly sending the spy plummeting to the ground. You can hear a pin drop. The team goes from cheering to speechless. Immediately, Coach Freeze begins to shout, "Call the paramedics! Coaches, get these guys in the locker room now! No cell phones! Take their phones and don't let them talk to anyone!"

Now, with the players and the assistant coaches in the locker room flustered and bewildered, Freeze walks in. He looks over his team and begins to speak, "Okay guys, this is it. This is one of those All In moments. We have to protect Coach Jackson. We're going to bury the body, and we're going to bury the shovel."

The players faces are blank. Even a few freshman are heard whispering, "bury the body?!"

At this moment, Coach Jackson and the spy come rolling into the locker room. Practice is over, and the prank is a success. The team heads off to the movies. This is how two a day practices for the Ole Miss Rebels comes to a close in August of 2014. The End.

[alfred russel]

That is one of the funniest things I've read.

[derspiess]

I'd say that the number of Div-1A schools that don't charge for student tickets is probably less than those that do.  Michigan charges $295 for season tickets; OSU $252; Alabama only sells half-season tickets at $10 per game.  Texas charges $175 for an entire years' worth of tickets in all sports.

Ouch.  Seems a bit odd if you're already paying a student activity fee.  But I guess if the tickets are in demand that much you can do it.  At Marshall the students bitched about having to pay $5 for I-AA playoff tickets (which were subsidized by local businesses).  And at Delaware they couldn't pay students to attend.  About the only students who went to football games were freshman girls who had nothing else to do.