Randolph Duke

I guess the ags haven't yet figured out the conference's new television deal with ABC/ESPN contains this little gem: "And starting next year, the network can broadcast one nonconference football matchup on ESPN+ with each team." https://www.si.com/college/2020/12/10/sec-espn-abc-tv-contract-leaving-cbs The new S!E!C! television contract will require fans to purchase ESPN+ subscriptions to watch what is now being broadcast on SECN. Part of that subscription revenue will be directed to the conference to make up for the revenue SECN is not generating. SEC schools will get nothing for T3 rights in 2020 or 2021 due to the fact their T3 deal is a profit sharing agreement, as opposed to the LHN deal which is a licensing agreement (UT still gets paid). So, whine all you want about ESPN+, my dear ags, but every one of you fuckers is going to have a subscription in the very near future. Let's do some quick math - ABC/ESPN is paying $300 mil/yr, which is roughly $20 mil/school. $15 mil is new money, above what CBS was paying. At $10/mo for a ESPN+ subscription, the breakeven for ABC/ESPN is 125,000 new subscriptions per school. 500,000 current aggy alumni, 70,000 current students. SECN will be the first conference network to go completely behind the ABC/ESPN paywall. Mark my words.

A&M wasn't even the best team in their division, let alone the best team in their conference. A&M hasn't had back-to-back seasons with a winning record in conference play since the 1990s. The thought that A&M is one of the powerhouse programs in the nation is laughable.

What's funny is that since this is the first year the ags were anywhere close to the conversation around the national championship, they are having the exact same conversations the fans of about 30 other programs have been having for the past decades. Newsflash, "gallant Texas negro killers," your program isn't the first to be denied a shot at playing for the national championship and no, this isn't the beginning of the end of college football.

She doesn't understand the aggys. Yes, they have a shot a finishing #3 in the country. But they won't. Because they are aggys.

lol. When this thread starts advocating criminal activity or the dumping of feedlot manure on the yard of CFP members then you can start making Texags comparisons. Until then, fuck off and enjoy the comedy.

"The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has approved the creation of a $91 million influenza-vaccine manufacturing facility in a joint venture between the Texas A&M University System and GlaxoSmithKline in what Chancellor John Sharp described Tuesday as “one of the most significant developments ever in the state of Texas.” The facility will speed up the research, development and delivery of vaccines and therapeutics in cases of pandemics or other national emergencies. The center would also supply preventive vaccine for pandemic influenza, and, once it’s up and running, will be able to supply 50 million vaccine doses within four months of receiving a strain of the flu, with initial doses ready in 12 weeks." https://www.statesman.com/article/20130326/NEWS/303269670

"But if someone were to take a dump truck, and dump 10 tons of feedlot manure outside the front door of a certain committee chairs house, would that be ok? Just a delivery of organic lawn fertilizer. Nothing illegal about that... " https://texags.com/forums/5/topics/3168724/replies/58284313 If only those racist fucks actually carried through on their redneck rantings. How I would love to read about some dumbfuck dumping a truckload of shit in front of the CFP member's house, grabbing his nuts and shouting "whoop." It would define aggy in the minds of the rest of the nation just as we have come to know them. The cherry on top would be of the idiot demanded the CFP member thank him for his service to his country.

"I think we should start thinking of next steps in terms of legal strategy and non-legal strategy. Legal strategy would be the FOIA approach as well as subpoenas, civil lawsuits, Texas state investigations, etc. I won't detail the non-legal strategy for obvious reasons, but let's just say we'll need to get creative on that front." https://texags.com/forums/5/topics/3168724/replies/58283910 aggys promoting criminal activity to seek retribution against CFP committee members. Stay classy, aggy. You worthless, redneck human pieces of shit.

It only takes one person to send a records request. Why this idiot doesn't understand he can just send the request himself is illustrative of just how fucking clueless those rednecks are.

"Maybe Deloss and some of the old guard kept us out of the playoff." https://texags.com/forums/5/topics/3168632/replies/58281066

At some point, the ags are going to have to admit not many outside their cult are impressed with "that which is aggy." Good luck in the Cotton Bowl, ags. Wait till next year!

We will never have the program we hope until and unless we are willing to accept there will be decisions made along the way that require some (or all) of us to sacrifice. Tom Herman is not the coach we hoped for. He is not a coach who will ever win a national championship. Until he goes back down to the mid-major level, he won't win another conference championship. But we are stuck with him for the time being. We owe it to the kids who are at UT now and who will go through the university in years to come to get this right. We owe it to ourselves to get this right. If we are stuck with Tom Herman, it is up to Chris Del Conte to get Bellmont sorted out while the rest of us suffer. He not only has to get rid of the bloat, he needs to convince us he has gotten rid of the bloat within Bellmont. He owes it to all of us to build an athletics program that performs to the expectations of the alumni (not all the alumni, but at least the non-scumbag alumni who truly care about the kids and not about their individual, petulant desires). The first thing we need is transparency. This shit is anonymous "BMDs" making wrong head coach hire after wrong head coach hire have to end. The "BMDs" behind the scenes have to be made known so there is some level of accountability for their fucking horrendous mistakes. 1) The concept of being born into the lucky sperm club gives one a lifetime pass on having no clue whatsoever on how to run an athletics department are given the most consideration regarding decisions on how to run an athletics department has to come to an end. 2) There needs to be greater transparency into Bellmont's financial position. As it stands, Penn State University stands as the paragon of transparency when it comes to the financials of college athletics. https://gopsusports.com/sports/2018/8/8/ot-financial-reports-html.aspx Let me state this more clearly. Penn Fucking State is the paragon of transparency in college football, at least as far financial transparency is concerned. That not only says a lot about Penn State (at least SOMEONE gets it at Pedo State), but it also says a lot about college athletics. The ADs want us to pay for it, but they won't be up front about how they spend the money. Fuck that. The ADs, starting with Chris Del Conte need to grow the fuck up and start teaching that accountability matters. So (for now) I will leave it at this. We have to put up with Tom Herman in 2021, but we get to tell "the smartest person in the room" to either put up, or shut up. I have no doubt this will be nothing more than a 12 month lesson in humility, topped off with (yet another) Cheezit Bowl invite. I will never again be able to think of Tom Herman without thinking of Cheezits. He should be their spokesperson. I hate Cheezits.

If your position is that those who believe it is a priority for UT athletics to pay its debts and to again begin to be able to pay its payroll are a cancer on the program, I will stand in disagreement. If your employer was defaulting on outstanding debt and couldn’t make payroll for four months running, would you think you were a cancer for wanting your full paycheck? I have no wonder why CDC ignores the alumni. I’m beginning to think UT football sucks because the alumni got the program they deserve.

People may believe they are entitled to spend their money as they wish, but insisting UT athletics do something against its long term interests because some lucky sperm club alumni wants to spend his money on hiring a human piece of shit to coach UT football isn't an absolute right. The cancerous alumni who will ignore the defaulted debt and ignore the back pay owed to employees to insist their personal whims be granted are a cancer on the UT athletics program.

Do all the mental gymnastics you want to justify your belief that being unable to make debt payments or pay employees means nothing. Like I said, there is a cancer. The next financial reports don't get filed until Jan 15. I am looking forward to seeing them. The latest athlete head headcount I have seen is 556. With the cuts on Sept 1, employee headcount is probably down to about 450. (EIA report) It is insane to not be able to pay debt service or make payroll, yet insist "money is no object" and alumni refusing to contribute to help keep the lights on because "operations need to be streamlined." UT athletics unquestionably has a cancer on it. That cancer is the BMDs and alumni who don't first make sure the bills are paid. Ethically, we owe it to the debt holders, and we owe it to the employees who haven't been paid their full salaries. It is far more embarrassing that UT athletics can't pay its bills than to lose to any football team.

We can't pay our debt service. We can't pay our employees their full pay. How are those not the highest priorities of any functioning business? And yet, when we literally can't pay our bills, people want to declare "money is no object" and want to assert trying to stay out of default on debt obligations is "moronic." UT athletics is broke and unable to pay its bills. Can you see where my "cancer on the program" comment comes from? The BMDs don't care about UT athletics being on the verge of default on our debt of the fact that hundreds of employees are being deprived of their pay to help keep the lights on> To their narrow, self-centered minds, the "money is no object" attitude has to prevail. No. This entire episode is proving just how dysfunctional UT athletics is. And people wonder why a completely dysfunctional program acts dysfunctionally. If any "BMD" doesn't care enough to help the athletics program make its debt payments or pay the employees, to Hell with them.

First of all, we are no longer in 2013, so wherever you got your 2013 numbers from, get current numbers and try again. You have no clue what the numbers are. Let's just admit that now. I understand people donate money for athletics. But when UT athletics can't pay its debt service, and people who aren't willing to donate enough to help UT athletics pay its bills want to micromanage the athletics department according to their individuals whims, it's time to tell those people to go to Hell. We have a cancer on our athletics program and it is the self-centered BMDs who only care about their interests and don't truly want to help promote student-athletes on the UT campus. Fuck those alumni. Pay the fucking bills first, then start making self-centered demands. That UT athletics can't make its debt payments is a far bigger embarrassment than losing to any football team.

The University of Texas athletics department couldn't meet its financial obligations and needed to defer a debt payment this year. And yet the "BMDs" have $40 million to "demand" the athletics director act "as if money is no object." Let me speak more pointedly - We can't pay our bills, we have eliminated positions, we are today taking money from employee paychecks to keep the lights on because of financial distress. Yet, the complete assholes from our alumni base want to ignore the unpaid debt service, ignore the fact we are asking over 200 employee to sacrifice for the program, and to look the other way as "we" declare "money is no object." NO! The toxic element of UT athletics have become so self-centered they "demand" their own narrow interests be the only consideration for all of UT athletics. The people insisting on this are a cancer on UT athletics. Those who are the core problem with the athletics program should not and can not be given control of our athletics program. We neither need, nor do we want those assholes involved with the athletics program in any way. The same alumni who aren't willing to step up and help make the debt service payment that we didn't have the money for are now insisting their voice be the only one heard when it comes to the best interests of the program. Fuck them. They are a cancer on the program.

No there isn't. If the donors aren't willing to donate to help support the people who operate the program, we can't assume those donors care in the least about the program. Taking money from the paychecks of over 200 employees, while simultaneously having "unlimited" money for "special" people sets up a toxic dynamic that would lead to dysfunction and operational failure for decades. Herman, at least, was willing to defer pay to help Bellmont through its current financial struggles. Making a clear statement that people (and students) don't matter, and that Texas football exists only for the benefit of millionaire coaches and millionaire donors isn't anything I could support. I would not be shocked in the least if Texas has to cut athletics programs due to the current financial situation. Having an "untouchable" football coach while rank and file employees as well as students suffer isn't consistent with my personal ethics, or in how we should encourage UT athletics to be operated. It isn't smart to take money from over 200 employees claiming financial distress, pay the athletes themselves nothing, and lavish financial opulence on a coach. Especially when the U.S. Congress is about hold hearings on possible legislating focused on the abuses in college athletics. The self-centered nature of people who refuse to look at the big picture or the long-term interests of UT athletics, all because their personal wants with the best interest of UT athletics is beyond pathetic. the people pushing for this at this time are the ones who are at the core of the "cesspool" accusations that taint UT athletics. I'm not in love with Tom Herman in any way, but I would rather keep Herman for another year and tell the toxic alumni to fuck off. We need real leadership from Hartzell and CDC, not capitulation to the worst elements of our alumni base.

Herman has long seen himself as being the smartest person in the room. He has been exposed as not being anywhere close to that. I see Tom Herman as someone completely lost. He has lost his personal identity. He has lost his professional identity. I don't see him as someone capable of turning his current challenges into an opportunity to grow as a person or a professional. I am sure Herman thinks all that is going on around him as everyone else's fault. I am just as sure he has no clue what part he personally played in his current freefall. Tom Herman, for all his positives, has simply reached the limits of his ability as a football coach. He makes a competent offensive coordinator. He is competent as a mid-major head coach. But he lacks the ability to compete against his peers at the highest levels of his profession. I think the upside for UT football in 2021 is the Cheezit Bowl. Maybe the Texas Bowl in Houston, if he gets lucky. Lincoln Riley has to laugh when he hears mention of Tom Herman's name. No coach in the Big 12 has any doubt he can beat a Tom Herman coached football team. It is what it is.

(still not used to the new software. Hit wrong button to edit)

Exactly why would Texas waive that provision from the contract? If "money is no object" why not just cut him loose and throw $15 mil at him? For that matter, if Herman wanted to coach South Carolina so badly, why wouldn't Herman just waive his $15 million buyout? Either CDC wants him to stay or wants him gone. CDC isn't going to keep Herman on the payroll because he didn't want Herman to have to pay the $9 mil buyout. Herman is coming back because it is the responsible thing to do, all factors considered. On Sept 1, CDC eliminated 80 positions and instituted (still ongoing) salary reductions from over 200 staff, all because if "financial distress." To then, just 12 months later, (while salary cuts are still in place) to publicly claim "money is no object" would be damaging beyond description. But if you have to, keep working those mental gymnastics you need to convince yourself Paul Finebaum is correct. Because we all know S!E!C! homers NEVER would make up some stupid story to make UT Austin (or a long list of other schools) look bad. It amazes me how so many "educated" people fall for clickbait so easily. It doesn't help that Bellmont's media staff are completely incompetent. There isn't a person on that staff who shouldn't have been let go on Sept 1, and they prove that every opportunity they get.

Herman’s current contract pays him $6 mil/ yr. If he wants to walk, he has to pat the school $9 mil. If CDC fires him without cause, the school pays him $15 mil. So the people claiming Herman wanted to leave UT for South Carolina are asserting Herman would pay 3 years salary from his new job to get paid half his old salary. The break even on that arrangement is 8 years. In other words, if he chose this option, he would work for the next eight years and not improve his financial situation by as much as a dine until his ninth season as head coach of South Carolina. This is goes to show how some people believe anything and don’t think for a moment whether (the day before NSD) someone from the S!E!C! would put out false information to harm Texas’ recruiting efforts. Think, people! If Herman was worried about getting fired and paid $15 mil, would he instead choose to forego the $15 mil to instead pay $9 mil out of his pocket to grab the first job he could? I can't believe how gullible some people are. And because of his offset language, if he got fired his next employer wouldn't have to pay him for the first three years. If Herman terminates the contract, he pays the $9 mil out of his pocket. If he gets fired, the $15 million is paid in monthly installments over the next three years and the pay from his next employer would be subtracted from what UT owed him. Quit believing everything Paul Finebaum, Clay Travis, or any S!E!C! homes says about UT Austin. Finebaum (yet again) says something absurd and clickbait suckers fall for it hook, line and sinker.

It's time the self-centered and ethically challenged alumni quit holding holding the university back. If we have to hire a human piece of shit as head coach to win games, it's time to shut down the football program. “It’s the big cigar guys with big dollars who are willing to spend it, because it suits them and because they can,” Turner said of donors. “Universities get held hostage over that, and it just takes courage on the part of presidents and other leaders in higher ed to say that’s inappropriate.” https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/2020/12/17/college-football-coach-firing-costs-rise-much-75-million/3930808001/