The Karl Benson Interview (old BR)

I talked with WAC commissioner Karl Benson this morning and here’s what he had to say.

“What did you like the most about your trip to San Marcos?”  Benson loved the enthusiasm shown toward moving up and was impressed with the leadership of Trauth and Teis and the rest of the administration.  He was particularly interested in the stadium complex and the West end improvements.  Once finished, he felt that we would have the premier football facility in the Western Athletic Conference.  He thought we were already in the top half of the league as is.

“ What did you think the biggest difference between Texas State and Texas-San Antonio’s candidacy was, and did anything from either school really stick out with you?”  Benson said one WAC member AD mentioned in October at the presentations that in five years he thought UTSA will dominate the conference.  Their administration had a very methodical plan and the potential of San Antonio as a member city was enormous.  He appreciated that UTSA has potential and that Texas State had a actual plan, and that each could be the next Boise State.  Both had “the necessary ingredients and pieces” to be monster programs.

Benson liked what Texas State and UTSA would bring for Louisiana Tech and New Mexico State.  He said it formed a natural pocket and a great travel destination for weekend Olympic sports.  The Aggies or the Bulldogs could play a game versus UTSA on Thursday and against Texas State on Saturday.  He mentioned that Texas State and UTSA are likely travel partners and the same went for NMST and LA Tech.

Regarding a playoff, Benson said without having an automatic qualifier status for the conference, a playoff wouldn’t be any different than the BCS.  The 8 team model would have to have an at large granted to a team ranked as high as TCU is and that there would be an uproar from the BCS conferences that would get a one or two loss team shunned over a 6-6 league champ from another BCS league in addition to the at large teams from non-AQ’s.  He also said a 16 team playoff with 11 automatics wouldn’t happen in this generation.  Best case scenario for him would be for schools to follow the Boise/TCU/Utah model.

Benson talked about how the WAC is losing affiliation with the New Mexico Bowl and Hawaii Bowl, plus the likely loss of the bowl game in Boise.  There are arrangements with the bowls in San Francisco and San Diego, but there’s to be no new bowls until 2014 – the NCAA has approved 35 games until then.  He stated with all the bowl games in Texas, UTSA and Texas State would be considered extremely attractive at-large candidates.  He acknowledged how well Texas State travels to current FBS schools.

Finally, what I considered to be the best part of our talk.  Benson acknowledged a 3 to 5 year plan to extend membership to some combination of Cal Poly, Sacramento State, UC-Davis, Montana, Montana State – plus “some Texas schools to join us whenever they are ready”.

Greg Davis (old BR)

We got word last night that the former Texas offensive coordinator is strongly considering applying for the HC job on his own, and that's why he told Brewster he wouldn't consider the OC role. His record at Tulane from 88-91 was 14-31 in his only stint as a head coach (replacing the 11-23 Mack Brown), and has also worked over the years at Texas A&M, Arkansas, Georgia, and North Carolina.

Davis - for all his criticism at UT - is widely considered the most effective recruiter of the Beaumont/Port Neches-Groves "Golden Triangle" area and is a former McNeese QB. There's a laundry list of ex-Longhorn offensive players in the NFL that played under him, and he's been to two BCS title games.

This was confirmed out of nowhere on Christmas Eve - I blame the eggnog - but it's from our best UT related source. Note that I said "strongly considering", not hired or interviewed or anything of that sort. Mr. Parker and his search team are doing their thing, and we respect that. One of the reasons we started this site was to pass along news, and the interest of one of the most polarizing figures in UT's history is certainly newsworthy.

I have a shitload of family obligations today, but this site is fully mobile capable. If Justin, Brent, or I hear anything else we'll let everyone know. Merry Christmas, Bobcats.

Hey Steve!

This roach has been on the floor by the east side door of my office building since Monday. I worked late the last two nights so I know the cleaning crew is at least in the building, but "Steve" is our joke for the week. Steve is the guy in charge of making decisions about our telephone service. Steve is out in the hallway putting the final touches on a big deal. Steve is the office rainmaker and he can certainly help fill that need, but he's a little tied up right now.

Steve loves this place and we love him too. Hopefully he makes it to Friday.

Sieg Heil

I was shocked this wasn't on a BMW or a Mercedes.

Do NOT screw with the Addison Police Department

Not when they can hunt you down Predator style on one of these babies.



I guess whatever Ponch and John rolled on wasn't good enough for the city of Addison, population 14,166. Does anyone else wonder if that thing has a tractor beam or a laser cannon mounted to it?

more Prius fun

Apparently my dinosaur ass has problems with Haughty Ecocar Driver. This one was taken on Thursday. But...51MPG!


That bumper sticker on the right reads "My Hybrid Can Beat Up Your Hummer", and the KT sticker is from Kingston upon Thames in London, home of the Kingston Green Fair, where it sounds like people go barter hemp for grain or something.

I hope you spill your half-caf soy latte all over your environmentally friendly douchemobile.

douchetastic driver

So this guy in front of me kept texting on his iPhone in some serious traffic this morning. I'm sure I broke some sort of traffic manlaw by getting a cell snapshot but I couldn't help sharing.


1. A Prius. Hurray, we're saving the planet and you're not! Hybrids! Carbon footprints! Tax credits! Green stuff! That might as well have been a Massengill box with four tires in front of me. I automatically dislike Prius owners. Except for Nancy from Weeds because she took a piss in a Starbucks cup coming back from Mexico in hers. That's hot.

2. Look at that license plate. "-CO2 4U". I wonder how many cocktail napkins this fuckstick doodled on before coming up with that one. Thank you for saving me from carbon dioxide. Of course, that eight cylinder beast I was driving behind you probably canceled out whatever emissions your cute little environmentally friendly trendy-as-fuck overpriced cruising vessel puts out.

3. USC alum. In Fort Worth, Texas.  Matt Leinart probably drives a Prius. Go jerk off to Will Ferrell, you sanctimonious prick.

4. That sticker on the right isn't a vote Obama decal - it's a OMGOMG Obama Won!!!!!!!!!!!11!!!!!!1!11!!!!! decal. That is just as retarded as the "W - still the president" stickers. What, are you gloating? No wonder politics is a contact sport in this country.

adventures at Wal-Mart

On my way home I stopped at Wally World to pick up some stuff for dinner tonight. When I get to the express lane, the two checkers working are talking about their hair and ragging on some other coworker that's stocking a beverage cooler next to them. I don't really give a shit what they are discussing, but I do notice that my clerk didn't scan a couple of my items. Of course, I say nothing, since it's her job to make sure I paid for what I brought to the counter, not mine.

So I walk towards the door, get waved through by the old lady, and then she jumps in front of the cart of this Hispanic couple with a crying baby and demands to see their receipt. There's a language barrier (again, not my problem), they start yelling at each other, and the baby is still screaming. Right then some guy comes running by out the door carrying a hand basket full of stuff in one hand and an 18 pack of Bud Light in the other, jumps into the passenger seat of a waiting green beaten up Buick idling by the entryway, and hauls ass away.

This wasn't as funny as the time the WW2 veteran got pissed at the greeter over the lack of available mobility carts ("You mean to tell me that fat people can't walk to where the food is?"), but not bad. Certainly a WTF moment.