gangrene

Could SMU end up in a drastically different Big 12? DMN UH's Big 12 invitation could be in the mail. Or there could be something better. Houston Chronicle Wow! Snubbed by both the DMN and the Chronicle on the same day. The Chronicle snub actually hurts more as they failed to mention North Texas but did include Sam Houston, Texas State and UTSA in their conference realignment scenarios.

As someone who has worked in the advertising industry for 15+ years, I have to quietly smile/laugh to myself every time I see conference officials mention TV markets as a selling point and revenue-generating entity. Sure, the rationale is valid today. However, it may not be for much longer - at least not in the same sense it is today. DMA (designated marketing area) is a term created by Nielsen to define areas for media measurement. While Nielsen continues to update and upgrade their methodology and technology, it still exists much in the same manner as it did some 60 years ago, when the media environment was drastically different than it is today. Nielsen has no issues justifying it's meager ratings system, which oftentimes reflects less than 5% of DMA's population, and thus far advertisers/marketers continue to accept this increasingly antiquated form of measurement. Poor Nielsen ratings result in TV programs being canceled after only a few episodes. Unrealistic expectations of prime time ratings comparable to 20, 15, even 10 years ago still exist amongst many advertisers and marketers. The reality is that the way Americans choose to consume their media has evolved in such a way that Nielsen's smoke and mirrors measurement system is slowly being exposed. Still, Nielsen is the most trusted and respected name in media measurement and, has been the behemoth for so long that they have been able to fight off most competitors in the media measurement war. However, Nielsen is currently in debt by an amount of $8.6 billion dollars and has made the decision to try to reduce that debt by going public. Just yesterday, Nielsen announced its intentions to raise as much as $1.75 billion in an initial public offering, in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. I, for one, will not be purchasing any Nielsen stock. Fitch is considering a one-notch upgraded on Nielsen's IPO announcement but, currently, Fitch rates Nielsen at B, which is five notches into junk territory. I believe their TV ratings system is a grossly inaccurate and irrelevant means to measure the effectiveness of advertising and I am not alone in that opinion. As more accurate and detailed results are being reflected in interactive advertising, the Nielsen ratings are becoming more of an inside joke in the advertising/media planning world. I predict it won't be much longer before marketers realize just how much they've been overpaying for TV advertising these last 5-10 years. So, to see the emphasis placed on the value of TV markets mentioned in every conference realignment discussion always makes me cringe a little.

I'm really sick of the chip-on-the-shoulder Tech fan. DMN writer, Chuck Carlton, blogs about the question the shunned Big XII members are all asking themselves this morning - Why Tech got the nod ahead of Kansas, Baylor He even adds this comment, "(Don't take offense, Red Raider fans. It's a fair question)." Still, the Tech fans fail to understand why their invite is even being questioned and cite absurd claims about Lubbock being the "second largest city in the Big XII" as legitimate rationale as to why they were chosen over Kansas. Tech has been riding the coattails of Texas and A&M for far too long now and they are just too damn ignorant to realize it. I wish nothing but failure for Texas Tech and hope the new conference alignment, if it materializes, brings them several winless conference records (they'll continue to fill their non-conference schedule with FCS teams, so a winless season is pretty much out of the question.) I think it would be awesome if Tech became the same thing to the Pac 16 as Baylor was to the Big XII. Lubbock is a wasteland that even Mad Max would find intolerable.

I posed the question of what would become of the four remaining Big XII teams in my previous post. The Kansas City Star: "Death to the Big XII" is asking the same questions. This isn't exactly what I had in mind, but it does propose a conference realignment, Heartland Conference, that includes several of the CUSA teams I mentioned. Unfortunately, North Texas is never discussed. Keep in mind, according to the author, the methodology of this new conference is largely based on the strength of the basketball programs, hence the inclusion of the basketball records in the chart below. Still, I question the presence of several, as well as the absence of several (mainly, Western Kentucky and North Texas) HEARTLAND CONFERENCE

From reading that article, it sounds like there's more fire smoke to Chip Brown's anonymously sourced story. If all the speculation is true, there could be four Big XII schools without chairs when the music stops. Do the remaining schools, Kansas, Kansas State, Iowa State and Baylor, bring enough to the table on their own merits to get other schools to leave the WAC, CUSA and/or SBC to form a new conference? Rice, SMU, Houston, La Tech and Tulsa come to mind. TCU seems happy with the MWC, but would they consider a reunification with their former SWC-mates? Enter North Texas and the SBC - I think any one SBC school from Arkansas, Tennessee or Louisiana could make sense from geographical perspective. As a last resort, aspiring FBS schools Texas State and UTSA could be considered. Generally, I tend to ignore as much of the conference realignment talk as I can, but it feels different this year. The proverbial sh*t is about to hit the fan and I'm really concerned that North Texas could get left out in the cold.

The reaction on Hornfans.com seems to indicate approval.

According to the Houston Chronicle, the Aggies are more interested in joining the SEC: Could Ags, Horns go separate ways? Take Texas A&M athletic director Bill Byrne's reaction Wednesday when asked if the Southeastern Conference is an option for the Aggies, should the Big 12 break up. "It might be,'' Byrne said, pausing. "You know what? It might be.''

Yeah, but he was 1st team all-district WR! Since he played both offense and defense, conditioning shouldn't be a problem. He participated in the long jump and 200M relays, so he's fast, but I'd like to know just how fast. I can't find any 40 timings on him. I'm betting he'll redshirt this year, unless he's just an amazing returner.

I was thinking that it's about time for the NY Times to start their 2010 countdown, so I did a bit of searching. I found this: Four teams were in the running for the ignominious spot of No. 120 in the Countdown, but a decision has been made. Just so you know, those four came from the Sun Belt (two), the WAC and the MAC. I won't go any further than that, but here's the hint for tomorrow's No. 120, which will start the four-month show: Our first program won seven games in 2004 — two coaches ago — or only three less than it has won in the five years since. That's a pretty easy one to get things started. In the past, I've had people say the hints were too hard; fewer have said they were too easy. But this is a nice, easy one to get things started. Remember, that team needs to play in either the Sun Belt, WAC or MAC and fit that above criteria. If you'd like, make a guess as to who it may be in the comment section below. Otherwise, check in tomorrow afternoon for the answer. Ok, there's really no need to delay the suspenseful misery any longer. (This has been out since May 6 and I'm sure several GMG posters already saw this and just ignored it like I wish I could.) No. 120: North Texas Ouch! The Sporting News has already started their countdown as well. Fortunately for us, they started from 100 so we're spared from the 120 ranking there. A few notables from The Sporting News' list: 43. Middle Tennessee State 61. Clemson 79. Army 84. Florida International 85. Kansas State 90. Troy

I'll miss Fouts about the same way I missed the Texas Rangers' Arlington Stadium. I had a lot of great memories there but I made plenty of new ones at the new Ballpark @ whatever it's called now.

Um, I'm a little afraid to ask, but I will. What kind of football are they playing over on the hilltop?

You're being too kind. I don't see much begging any more. It looks more like demanding and expecting to me. And then those countries we send aid to tend to complain that we didn't send enough or didn't send it quickly enough. Calderón's comments are no different. He wasn't politely asking anyone to carefully review the Arizona law and reconsider, he was demanding that it be overturned...just like he demanded the US send him helicopters and demanded that the US ban assault weapons to help "us" fight the drug war. Of course, it's no different than the US demanding that Iran or North Korea give up their pursuit of nuclear power...except that we're supposed to be on friendly terms with Mexico.

From the DMN: Calderón blasts Arizona immigration law during White House visit Some comments from the article that I found of particular interest: Mexican President Felipe Calderón, arriving at the White House for a state visit, wasted no time today criticizing Arizona's new immigration law as unfair and discriminatory. My mother always told me "life's not fair" - so what? Lots of laws are "unfair," deal with it. Obama vowed to work with the Mexican government to create jobs, fight drug cartels, and "ensure that our common border is secure, modern and efficient, including immigration that is orderly and safe." Mr. President, I believe you forgot to mention one key word; how about legal? "We can do so with a community that will promote a dignified life and an orderly way for both our countries," Calderón said, adding in English: "Can we overcome these challenges? Can we build that future of prosperity we want for our people? Yes, we can, if we work together." Translation - Mexico wants the US to wholly fund the immigration battle, just like the drug war, so corrupt Mexican officials can pocket the majority of those funds and do very little to actually correct the problem. Mexico is home to several of the world's wealthiest people, yet they continue to allow greed and corruption to keep a large percentage of their population living in shacks and extreme poverty. By some estimates, one-tenth of Mexico's population resides in the United States without permission. So, 10% of Mexico's population lives in the US illegally? Nice. Remind me again, why is it "discriminatory" to ask Mexicans for proof of lawful US residency?? Meanwhile, to make the Mexican delegation feel welcome, the State Department was poised to announce it is speeding up delivery of long-delayed aircraft promised under the $1.3 billion Mérida Initiative — a pact hammered out by Calderón and President George W. Bush more than three years ago. Two Bell-412 helicopters will be delivered in October. The Defense Department and Coast Guard will deliver four maritime patrol/surveillance aircraft in the last quarter of 2011. And three Blackhawk helicopters will be delivered in September 2011, two years and two months earlier than anticipated just a month ago. Calderón has complained repeatedly to U.S. officials that the delays have hampered the Mexican government's fight against drug cartels, a stated priority of his administration since he took office in late 2006 — a point he made to Granger more than a year ago. Case in point, why not throw in a couple dozen buses or additional funding for a high-speed, cross-border light rail transportation system and not ask any of those passengers for passports?

Once again, The Dallas Morning News has snubbed UNT and shown that they do not consider UNT an "area school." The following headline of the article I'm about to link is printed in the Sunday paper edition of the Sports section: "Area Schools Ready for Anything - TCU/SMU." However, they have, at least, changed the headline for the online version of the story to this: "Conference expansion could open doors for SMU, TCU." Now, I understand that the writer (the metropolis of hair) is also the beat writer for SMU but it still pisses me off to see an article about "area schools" that excludes any mention of UNT. It's not even the omission from the story that peeves me so much as it was the headline and what insight that wording of the headline tells me about the paper's opinion of North Texas. Let the emailing of the DMN Sports editor commence: Garry Leavell (Sports Editor): gleavell@dallasnews.com and/or Michael Kondracki (Sunday Editor): mkondracki@dallasnews.com

I'm more of a buy and hold trader myself (certainly not a day trader), but I'm always looking for new entry points. Yesterday, I saw several stocks on my watch list hit prices that were prime for buying. However, it all happened so quickly there was little time to pull the trigger. Agreed, investing today's market is certainly not for the weak-hearted.

Cinco de Mayo is nothing more than a marketing ploy to sell Mexican-related products in America, likely based on the success of St. Patrick's Day. I don't recall exactly which advertiser first decided to promote Cinco de Mayo, but I know that Corona has been on board for a LONG time. With Corona's promotions, bars and Mexican restaurants quickly took advantage to create an event that would result in sales increases. From there, it just swelled in popularity...grocery stores jumped on board with Corona, avocado and Tostitos sales, etc. It has no more historical significance in Mexico than many other days, yet the Mexican-Americans, as well as most of the general population in America, have embraced Cinco de Mayo as a Mexican-Heritage day even though hardly anyone knows the meaning of the date. The quote I posted by the HS student incorrectly proclaiming Cinco de Mayo is "Mexican Heritage Day" is proof of this. I have no doubt that if the marketing/advertising industry (of which I belong) could find a way to turn Armistice Day into a major promotional event, they would. My mother is a middle-school teacher in the DFW area and had similar problems at her school on Cinco de Mayo. She said the kids of Mexican origin brought Mexican flags to school as well as face-painting and clothing depicting the Mexican flag. Sometime during the day (I think it was during lunch) when all the kids were together, several of the kids began chanting, "Mexico, Mexico, Mexico!" and waving their flags in the faces of some of the African-American kids. Well, the African-American kids didn't appreciate this and began taking the Mexico flags, throwing them on the ground and stomping on them. Several fights broke out and the police were called. Now, I ask you, who is being incendiary???

Yesterday, I watched my stock ticker in absolute astonishment as the Dow, Nasdaq and S & P simultaneously dropped and then spiked within about a 15-minute window. It was the craziest thing I've ever seen. When I went to lunch at noon, the Dow was down about 45 points and, even with the crisis in Greece, the morning trading had been fairly stable. When I returned from lunch about 1 1/2 hours later, the Dow had dropped to -350 and then the real zaniness hit. As I watched, the Dow fell about 100 points every few seconds. In a matter of about three minutes, I watched it drop from -350 to -980. I left my desk to inform a friend and ask him what the hell had just happened that could trigger such a panic. When I returned to my desk no less than 5 minutes later, the Dow was back to -450. It was something straight out of Hollywood, think "The Taking of Pelham 123." Wall Street experts have blamed the anomaly on erroneous trades, high-speed computerized trades, stops/stop limits and the ever-growing popular theory of the "fat finger." Luckily, I didn't have any stop orders in, so I wasn't caught in a loss that quickly recovered. I see that the Nasdaq has canceled all trades that occurred 60% away from last prints at 1:40 PM.

Yes, it saddens me too. However, when you understand the mindset that is being instilled in the heads of young Mexican-Americans and the ever-growing rumblings of "reconquista," it's not hard to comprehend why this is occurring. What is hard to comprehend is why we (as US citizens) are allowing it to occur, and almost without any resistance whatsoever. Being proud of your heritage is fine, but being offended by the sight of the flag of the country in which you live is unacceptable. I'm actually glad that these type of events seem to be occurring more often though. Hopefully, it will make people wake and up and take notice to what is happening and...finally...do something about it. What I love so much about America is that it is a melting pot of cultures and people that have come together as one. I remember growing up and having many friends from many different backgrounds. When I would visit my friends at their homes, I would be introduced to new kinds of foods and cultural traditions. But, when we were at school, we were all pretty much the same. No one from a different culture than mine ever tried to force their culture, religion or traditions onto me. That's not happening any more. We are being forced to accept a culture that is not ours and anytime people are forced into doing something there is going to be backlash. I was channel surfing last night and came across a program on ID (International Discovery) called "I (Almost) Got Away with It." It held my attention for a while. During a commercial break, I noticed an ID ad for "Cinco de Mayo Marathon" and after watching a couple of back-to-back episodes of IAGAWI, realized the common theme in the program was escaped convicts (mostly violent) fleeing to, and finding refuge in Mexico. Most of the incidents occurred after 2001, so it was even more incredible to learn that these escaped convicts, who were being pursued by US Marshals, were able to cross over and then back into the US (through major border crossings) without being detected. One, in particular, really caught my attention because it involved the Mexican Immigration Office. A wanted murderer had been living in Mexico for 9-10 years and the FBI had finally tracked him to a small town in Mexico. Instead of notifying the Mexican government that he was a murderer, they informed them he had overstayed his visa and asked Mexican immigration officers to stake out a Western Union. Upon the man's arrival to the Western Union and confirmed ID by the cashier, three Mexican immigration authorities proceeded to apprehend, by force, the man they wanted for overstaying his visa. Just outside the entrance, two more Mexican immigration officers, with AK47s ready, awaited to assist. The narrator of the program made it very clear the Mexican government had no knowledge of the crime the wanted man was accused of, just that he had overstayed his visa. Now, maybe the writers of the show didn't portray all the facts exactly as they happened but I can guarantee there is no way in hell ICE would show up with a SWAT team to apprehend a suspected illegal immigrant (with no other cause for suspicion) in the US. And, if they did, protests from every civil rights group in the country would be plastered all over the news.

Students Kicked Off Campus for Wearing American Flag Tees The boys said the administrators called their T-shirts "incendiary" that would lead to fights on campus. "I think it's absolutely ridiculous," Julie Fagerstrom, Maciel's mom, said. "All they were doing was displaying their patriotic nature. They're expressing their individuality."But to many Mexican-American students at Live Oak, this was a big deal. They say they were offended by the five boys and others for wearing American colors on a Mexican holiday. "I think they should apologize cause it is a Mexican Heritage Day," Annicia Nunez, a Live Oak High student, said. "We don't deserve to be get disrespected like that. We wouldn't do that on Fourth of July.

Well, that's not right. Del Taco was my first ever job, while I was in high school. I know it's been a long time since I was in high school, but it sure as hell wasn't in the 70s. I stopped working there in '87 and I think the location I worked at finally closed '89 or '90. I can't say I've eaten at Del Taco since '87 and haven't really missed it. I don't really eat much fast food, but it might be nice to try again after all these years.

JJT: Sports commissioners should vow boycott if unjust Arizona law takes effect And 'Los Suns' jerseys set for Cinco de Mayo

I guess time will tell because it's going to face a full assault from the Federal government and the civil rights groups. I noticed Arizona May Day marchers barely numbered a thousand.

From the above article: Standing near potted trees and bushes for sale at a Home Depot in east Phoenix, Diaz, 35, says he may follow three families in his neighborhood who moved to New Mexico because of the law. He says a friend is finding plenty of work in Dallas.

Thanks for the input. It sounds like your experiences have been similar to mine and I, too, consider the immigration subject to be a sensitive and personal one. I find it VERY difficult to just sit on my hands and say nothing when people complain that illegal immigrants aren't hurting anyone and should be granted amnesty simply because they "contribute to our society". It totally baffles me how the INS can be so strict and by-the-book when legally admitting immigrants to the US but the federal government does nothing about those who refuse to abide by the laws and unlawfully reside and work within the US. Many of those who enter illegally do so because they just don't want to pay the fees and wait the 6-12 months (or longer in many cases) to do it legally or have already been refused visas - none of which is a justifiable reason for illegal entry. I agree that the real solution is much more complex than beefed-up security, ID checks or more fences that will just be circumvented. But, I think the real problem centers around ignorance of the current laws. The average American knows zip about the immigration process and, therefore, sees no problem with granting amnesty to all those here illegally. And the media works the emotional angle by doing stories on families who are "ripped apart" by ICE when illegally-present parents are deported, placing all the blame on ICE rather than the parents who chose to put their children in the situation. The problem with making it easier to come here (and I don't necessarily disagree with that) is that 3/4 of the world wants to come here. Making it easier to get a tourist visa, or even a temporary work visa, will solve nothing without better accountability and a fool-proof system for tracking people here on those visas. Illegal status is not solely achieved by illegal entry. Many of those who currently reside in the US illegally followed the laws and came here legally - they just didn't go home when they were lawfully required to do so. Yes, the entire immigration process is very confusing, and almost as intimidating as the IRS tax code, but I think the best place to start is to educate the public by communicating the basic requirements for legal immigration, why those requirements exist and why illegal immigration should not and will not be tolerated. Aside from being much more lenient and unenforced, our immigration policies are not that different from most other countries. But, instead of educating themselves on the subject, everyone wants to claim racial discrimination and civil rights abuse because those accusations are what make our government cower. Get ready for this topic of immigration to really heat up with all the planned protests/demonstrations we'll witness this weekend (including Dallas). Hopefully, we won't see the same refried-bean vandalism the Arizona capitol recently experienced or any of the "reconquista movement" that was/is present in California at past May day marches.

Texas lawmaker to introduce anti-immigration bill similar to Arizona law As someone who has personally navigated the US immigration waters, I feel I have an above-average understanding of immigration policy - US laws, as well as those of many other countries. At the same time, I realize the majority of Americans are ignorant on the subject and attain much of their knowledge on US immigration policy from Hollywood romantic-comedy movies. (No, foreign nationals don't simply obtain US citizenship immediately upon marriage to a US citizen.) It's not easy to get a tourist visa, much less an immigrant visa, for citizens of most countries outside of Europe - those included in the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). For that reason, my daughter barely knows her maternal grandmother, aunts, uncles and cousins. But, I also don't believe we should allow anyone in the world who wants to come to the US to simply enter undocumented and in unlimited numbers - we'd quickly be overwhelmed. So, from my perspective, simply ignoring the illegal immigration problem on our southern border is not fair to the citizens of other countries who'd like to come to the US, but have no other choice but to do it lawfully. As much as I try, I simply can not fathom why the US federal government is so lenient when it comes to enforcing the immigration laws on our southern border and in our southern states. (Take my word, they are certainly not as lenient when processing paperwork at the US embassies/consulates abroad.) I know of all the common excuses - separating families, working the jobs that typical Americans won't work, afraid of losing votes, etc, etc. However, none of those excuses hold any merit with me. As far as I can tell, the "new (state) law" in Arizona is nothing more than enforcing the federal laws in which enforcement has been neglected by the federal government. And, "showing immigration papers" (as every news source is reporting) can be as simple as showing your state-issued driver's license, because all but nine US states now verify lawful US presence before issuing identification cards/driver's licenses. Even though the Arizona law is not yet in effect (and may never be if the White House administration gets involved), it is already making those unlawfully present in Arizona scatter, just as Oklahoma's 2007 bill did. And, you can rest assured, many of those will make their way to Texas. I am, obviously, happy that similar legislation is being proposed in Texas and will support it.