Getting paid
The SEC generated $527 million in revenue in the fiscal year that ended Aug. 31, 2015.
Wow. Those numbers are from a USA Today report after the newspaper requested the league’s tax documents.
That money comes TV deals and the spigot that is the college football playoff.
Texas A&M head coach Kevin Sumlin yells at an official after safety Howard Matthews was ejected in the first half of the Liberty Bowl NCAA college football game against West Virginia, Monday, Dec. 29, 2014, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey) Last spring, the league split more than $455 million among its 14 schools – roughly $32 million per school, far and away a new high – and amazingly, that total will likely go up come spring in Destin, Fla., when the league officials meet.
What does this mean? Well, it looks like we know who is profiting from the red ink at ESPN. And in truth, with the growth of the SEC Network – and with a CBS-friendly deal that could be reworked soon for the SEC’s best game of each week – the money for college football’s best league will continue to flow.
At least in the immediate future.
Will it flow well enough for Texas A&M to pay Kevin Sumlin $5 million not to coach? (A very real possibility if the Aggies do not find a quarterback for the upcoming season.) Or will Auburn have enough to clear the deck if the Gus Bus sputters to another break-even type of season?
Hard to know long-term, of course, but as of right now, the business of being the SEC is quite profitable.
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Leaving early
Several interesting stories about college football players leaving early.
Here’s TFP ace columnist Mark Wiedmer on the value of Alvin Kamara. (And man, Weeds is all in on the Vols. Who knew he was such a big UT supporter?)
Here’s an ESPN report on the winners and losers from draft declaration decisions from the perspective of the schools. Of note there is that THE Ohio State and Clemson lost the most and Alabama and UT are among the winners with key contributors returning. (Side note: How Alabama kept that many underclassmen – Eddie Jackson, O.J. Howard and defensive lineman Jonathan Allen, who was pegged as a first-rounder – hardly seems fair. Wow, that defense returns a ton of talent. By comparison, Auburn had more early entries with three than the national champion Tide did with two.)
Tennessee’s Alvin Kamara (6) runs against Vanderbilt this past season. He has decided to remain with the Vols for another season.Finally, here’s a Yahoo.com column on how the concussion fall out – and the economics of the decision – continues to increase the number of underclassmen entering the NFL draft.
It’s an interesting take, and it plays off Antwan Randle-El’s recent comments that he wishes he had never played football. Randle-El, who made millions in his NFL career, says at 36 he has trouble going up and down stairs and has memory lapses.
The shortening career span – the column also references Calvin Johnson contemplating retirement at 30 – combined with the rookie salary structure makes getting into the league as soon as possible paramount.
Along those lines, there has been a record number of early entries into the NFL draft in four of the last five years, including the 103 underclassmen who left early this year. (By comparison, 53 left early in 2010.)
Unless the colleges are willing to seriously start reimbursing the stars, it’s tough to see this trend not continuing to grow. In fact, the guys who declare and do not get drafted still are finding ways onto NFL rosters and get to jumpstart their earning cycles. For example, Auburn had only four players drafted last year, but there were 14 rookies from Auburn on NFL rosters (be them active or practice squad) this season.
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Oscar flack
There are a lot of black actors who apparently want to boycott the Academy Awards because there were so few black nominees.
OK.
We fully respect everyone’s right to protest for equality and in a million years we’d never tell someone else what should or should no cause them to feel discriminated against.
That said, wouldn’t this be like some white folks claiming there are not enough white people in the NBA?
FILE – In this April 24, 2015 file photo, Whoopi Goldberg attends Variety’s Power of Women Luncheon at Cipriani Midtown, in New York. Goldberg, is backing off her support of Bill Cosby after getting some legal advice Tuesday, July 14, on the daytime talk show “The View.” (Photo by Andy Kropa/Invision/AP, File) Plus, the boycott would in some ways hurt Chris Rock, who is hosting the event.
Knock yourself out and, we know this: When Whoopi Goldberg is the voice of reason in a situation like this you know it’s a crazy situation.
Goldberg rightly said the boycott should be against the people who make the movies and for not creating enough roles for black actors. That at least makes sense.
That uses the strongest color possible – green as in money – in a place that could enact change, if that change is warranted.
Again, everyone has the American right to protest whatever they see fit. But with that right comes the right to earn criticism for those decisions.
And speaking of criticism, a big part of this ‘outrage’ was started by those close to Will Smith, the famous actor who some believed was going to be in line for award accolades for his portrayal of the doctor in the NFL-bashing “Concussion.”
And to “Tell the Truth” – Smith’s oft-used line from the movie – Smith performance was shaky by all accounts and his accent was rough. Plus, the movie takes – “Concussion” has earned less in three weeks than “Ride Along 2” earned in its opening weekend.
Now if this time next year, Kevin Hart is not being discussed in award circles, then we’ll have real problems.
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This and that
– From TFP UTC ace Mean Gene Henley comes news that UTC has added more talent to its coaching staff. Look like a couple of fine additions.
– Denver and New England are trading barbs before Sunday’s AFC title game. Over/under on potentially 45 million people watching that game?
New England Patriots defensive end Chandler Jones (95) fights off a block by Tennessee Titans tackle Taylor Lewan (77) to strip the ball from Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota (8) in the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 20, 2015, in Foxborough, Mass. Patriots defensive tackle Akiem Hicks recovered the ball for a touchdown. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)– The Titans are open to trading the No. 1 overall pick. In truth, with as much as the Titans need, they should be open to trading everything not nailed down and not named Marcus Mariota.
– Crazy but true: Thanks to a stumping Final Jeopardy question Monday – and the fact that all three players bet all the money they had – there was not a returning champ on Tuesday night’s Jeopardy show.
– NASCAR is putting a Chase-style playoff system to determine the champs in the Infinity and Truck series.
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Today’s question
We’re open for any and all comers today.
Also, the mailbag is right around the corner.
As for a Rushmore, well, try this one: On this day in 1892, the first basketball game was played under the watchful eye of James Naismith in Springfield, Mass. Some 76 years later, the classic Houston-UCLA game between the mighty Bruins and the mighty Elvin Hayes was played on this day.
What’s your suggestion for the Rushmore of single basketball games? (Can split them in college and pro if needed.)
Go, and remember the mailbag.