Mondays with Bowlsby
July 23, 2012 by Mike Casazza
You are looking live at the Dallas room in the Westin Galleria. Big 12 Conference commissioner Bob Bowlsby speaks at 9 a.m. CST to open the first of two media days — and if you’re interested, WVU has obligations for tomorrow only. Anyhow, I’ve got you covered. Probably want to follow along at twitter.com/mikecasazza for the Bowlsby stuff. I’ll update, as can.
(Update: Tweets pasted below if Twittah is blocked whgere you work.)
@mikecasazza
Official Bowlsby press conference stats: Just 1 “talk about” question (it was a solid question), 3 “good question” replies from Bowlsby.@mikecasazza
RFP for host site for Champions Bowl out in next two weeks. Leagues deep into discussion about TV deal. Will be after Rose Bowl Jan. 1.@mikecasazza
Bowlsby on expediency of NCAA on Penn State: “Accting quickly and the NCAA are seldom mentioned in the same sentence.”@mikecasazza
Man, Chuck Neinas used to be most mysterious guy in CFB. Bowlsby just said B12 Coach of the Year award named for CN — who did help save B12@mikecasazza
Bowlsby eeems a proponent of strength of schedule in playoff selection. “We want games in Sept. to be as important as games in Oct. and Nov”@mikecasazza
Consistency, stability in commish? BB saying same things he did at WVU.@davidubben says BB wearing tie he wore at intro press conference.@mikecasazza
Also, Bowlsby still anticipates the 13 year grant of rights as part of TV deal that will provide “unprecedented national coverage”@mikecasazza
Bowlsby said “I don’t know if we’d get two votes” if Big 12 voted today to expand. B12 happy at 10 and round robin football over title game.
@mikecasazza
Bowlsby cites 2 TV netowrks, 10 presidents, ADs and general counsels and inevitible difference of opinion for delay in finalizing TV deal.
Man, not a lot actually happened today.Five coaches have 20-minute press conferences. We break for two hours for lunch. Then there’s one hour for breakout interviews — 30 minutes with players from five teams and then 30 minutes with coaches. It’s hectic.
Me? I was getting daily stuff, but mostly gathering stories for later use, and especially during the season. I did take a momentot talk to Paul Rhoads for a story for tomorrow that answers very important questions about the relationship between WVU and Iowa State.
Also, Paul Rhoads did a mean and terrible thing and shavedhis wonderful beard. Turns out the gift basket he got for the ESPYs nomination for best upset — ironically, the Los Angeles Kings won … which had to at least pleaes Rhoads’ hockey beard — had a facial hair trimmer.
“I didn’t like the way I looked when I woke up today,” Rhoads said. So he shaved Monday morning and then flew to Dallas. So sad.
Bowlsby’s speech was probably the new item of the day worth chasing, so we did. Lots of information in there about the who, what, when, where and why involved with the Big 12 right now, but, really? Nothing riveting or even brand new.
I really tried to gauge players on what they thought of WVU. Even went off the record with a few. Sorry to tell you this, but it’s legitimate respect. No one thinks WVU will run away with the league and hide, but no one thinks WVU is so far in over its head that the season will take on water after the second trip to Texas.
Now, a few people hadn’t followed WVU, either closely or at all. A few had no idea the luck/struggles involved late in the season. The 70-33 pasting of Clemson was in the minds of many, but what stood out was the way WVU played.
Players from three opponents said the Mountaineers were a clean team that executed very well and that even if that was a one-game thing, or the product of a month of preparation, it was still something they could build on and carry over to the regular season because how well it worked in the bowl is fresh in the mindsof WVU’s players. I found that interesting.
Things get interesting tomorrow when Texas arrives. There are, of course, a lot of people looking forward to WVU. I had one national personality ask me today if I’d dream of missing Dana’s press conference. I shook my water bottle at him and left.