It’s weird, the feeling that exists in Big 12 country today.
Immediately, there’s the validation, of course. Oklahoma’s win did more than move Bob Stoops record in Big 12 Championships game to 7-1. It was the self-affirmation a bruised Big 12, the once-trendsetter-conference-turned-hanger-on, had desperately sought since the messy breakup was announced.
The Sooners played the hero in dramatic form, coming from a 17-0 deficit to knock off the hated Cornhuskers 23-20. In winning, OU gave closure to many who could not stomach the thought of the conference’s last crown going to an institution that no longer wanted to be a part of it.
Boy, did the Huskers show that.
Had Nebraska played its cards right, it could have kept the attention on Texas (it was the Longhorns who were, and still are, ultimately responsible for the current disaster) and the Big 12 (who, in its shameful, woeful meekness, have let Texas run the thing).
But, the Huskers didn’t play right. They assumed the role of villain and reveled in it. Threats to the conference commissioner, lighting up radio airwaves and Big Red play-by-play man Greg Sharpe dutifully checking the Big Ten scoreboard during Big 12 radio broadcasts. No, Nebraska didn’t do itself any favors.
It poured gasoline on a hatred firestorm that burnt any chance of the other schools caring why Nebraska was leaving. They just knew Bo Pelini was angry and chewed gum like it was a freshman quarterback’s backside. They grabbed on to every bad Nebraska memory and breathed new life into them.
They hoped, together, that OU would keep the Big 12 Championship within its current members’ fold.
So, from Ames to Lubbock and all the places in between where fans of the nearly have-nots are left to tread the future’s uncertain waters, you’re damn right that for one night the world was right as the team that didn’t want to stay had to leave without the big trophy. The Big 12 conference won. It was validation.
Except, it’s not.
Validation suggests things are now settled, that the conference can move forward sans Nebraska with its head held high.
I don’t know anybody who speaks with passionate pride about the current Big 12. This is a conference that’s fanbase could only raise half-hearted disgust over not offering Texas Christian University an invitation to join before the Big East; not because they wanted TCU really, but because they felt, again, that their conference is sitting on its hands waiting for its next command from Texas.
It was half-hearted because it is what Big 12 country has come to expect from its “leaders.” Proactive, expansion, solidarity, fair – they are all dirty words around these parts.
Unless you put the burnt orange logo on it – only then is it groundbreaking stuff.
Nebraska grew tired of it and it has left for what it (and everyone else) believes to be a much more equal playing field. I’m not a Nebraska fan, and I don’t know all the specifics, but I don’t blame them for thinking anything not-Big 12 has to be better.
Nevertheless, on Saturday, as the 5-7 Longhorns and everybody else watched, it was Nebraska, the team that had found a way out, who was hated. And, while in the long term it may have won, on Saturday it was Nebraska that lost.
It was the Big 12 that made things feel right.
Except, it didn’t.
With such a gloomy future, none of this feels right – not the steps that led to Nebraska and Colorado leaving, not the way that all information (as needed) has somehow emerged from Texas’ backyard each time, not the way Big 12 Commissioner Dan Beebe’s increased television revenue “plan” refuses to budge from “proposal,” and definitely not the future.
It doesn’t feel right.
It feels like a loss.
Comment below or send your info to kitchenski@hotmail.com.
Why So Gloomy?
Hard to see why you are so gloomy about the Big 12’s prospects.
The conference has OU, Texas, an up-and-coming Oklahoma State and Missouri. Plus the best coach in the conference at Kansas State. Baylor has something to prove. A&M is getting better.
What does the Big 10 have on a national scale to compete? They’re gonna beat each other up and none of their teams will ever see National Championships.
Good read, Curtis …
… you made some good points made, but Ptolemy is correct; "They’re gonna beat each other up and none of their teams will ever see National Championships." ……………… I still think this is a bad decision for the corncobs, they will NOT become a dominant team in the Big 10 to the same extent they were in the Big 12. It just ain
Between curtis/glazer and hall….
they have the combined sports background and knowledge of my
grandma.
Where did you come from Curtis? are you another of hearnes
pussy chasing buddies. What qualifications do you have to tell us
the big12 didnt win.
Fuck yea we won. Oklahoma won. The corncobs showed what low
life pieces of sh*t they really were. And pellini showed he’s no coach
after all with the way he was outcoached and outplayed saturday
night.
The big 12 has a gloomy future? Even though I wanted my team MU to
leave for the big 10 saying the big 12 has a gloomy future is the
stupidest thing someons said. They’ve got 4-5 top 20 football programs
and even though this year featured some young players…this league
will only get stronger. Next year expect texas to bounce back..
k state to be stronger…MU with all those returning players and the
running backs with one full year of experience possibly being a
top 5 football school….oklahoma has all young players coming back…
texas a and m….next year will be even a more exciting year
than the last 3.
Basketball? uh…yea…sure without the corncobs and the dope smokers
from boulder this leagues power rankings explode! the best conference in
the nation. Oh my….the future is bleak here too.
Wrestling…baseball…come on you numbnut wake up. The big 12 will
survive and prosper!
Why was nebraska hated. Pellinis a dick…did you watch him and his
brother physically assult texas players last year. did you see how he treated
his own players…how he consistently thought nebraska never committed
one single penality in over 2 years…the verbal abuse he gave
refs on every call? did you not seethe corncob fans with knives and
blood imitating physcial harm to the refs. The blood on the uniforms.
That wasnt jut a few fans …that was the majority in the stands at that
game. 2000 death threats…harrassing the league’s head with threateningto
kill his daughter. I had a friend at that game in lincoln….and he said it
was a fucking mess. He was so embarrased at the national coverage
it got. The corncobs could have left with class and dignity. With
the grace of a top school. I liked many nebraska fans…but this year their
true hatred and behavior came out.
Dr. Tom…in normal times he would have come down on his coach for
similar behavior. goodgye tom….you lost the governors race..nwo
you’ll be a big loseer in the big 10.
Curtis…let me give you a history lesson because you are one sorry
excuse for a writer. Many times our mu team got screwed. Call that
cost them huge gam es…..kicked balls versus nebraska….5 downs….
penalties in the last 10 seconds of games….calls that were wrong and
cost us huge huge games. But we didn’t bring knives and bloodied
ref shirts to the next games…we didt illegally threaten the leagues head
and his daughter. We didn’t call league authorities who had nothing to
do with the calls….WE FUCKING TOOK IT AND MOVED ON. we knew
the gfames were over and we acted likie adults and realized this is
nothing BUT A FUCKING GAME!
You’re just another know nothing writer on this site. SO TAKE YOUR
WORTHLESS WRITINGS SOMEWHERE ELSE. HEARNE HAS ENOUGH
KNOW NOTHING WRITERS ON THIS SITE ALREADY.
PLEASE…SHUT THE FUCK UP!
Have you two met?
Harley? Curtis. Curtis? Harley. Carry on.
The point of the article
in my mind is that there isn’t much of a future for the Big 12. Really, unless you are OU or Texas, you don’t have a say. This thing has a very short life. And I still don’t get the animosity towards Nebraska. They did what any of our teams would have done. MU fans are just pissed because they can’t believe that Nebraska got what they thought they were getting. KSU fans just hate Nebraska because…..well, I really don’t know why they hate them. They just do. Kansas fans…..well, there are a lot who dislike Nebraska but I just don’t hear the venom like MU & KSU. ISU, are they still around????
Life will go on
Nobody knows what the future holds for the Big XII Conference. There are the doom and gloomers who say that the end is near. Fact is, Texas isn’t going anywhere and why would they. They have a conference with teams ready to play every year, ditto for Oklahoma and A&M. Our teams will survive. The Big XII is getting better as a basketball league, and I agree that we should start thinking about expansion. I believe Arkansas wants to come home. That team would have won the Big XII and likely competed for a national title and they bring great hoops tradition to boot. Add either a Memphis or Louisville and this conference competes with any in the nation. As for Nebraska, reality will hit soon enough. The Big Ten is not going to roll over for them and kiss their behind. I don’t blame them for going and the way they acted validated a lot of the local fans feelings for them. But life will settle down. Bottom line: this isn’t the end of the world.
P.S. The Chiefs are in first place by 2 games, so things are looking good in this part of the world from my perspective anyway.
Great read!
Of course NU didn