Say what you want about Tom Hansen he is nothing if not consistent, even on his way out the door. But once again he misses the big picture in trying hang on to the old ways of the Pac-10 instead of embracing change and leveraging the positives of his conference.
I will throw out a few random questions form the article...
Question: Does it bother you to leave with the USC investigation still unresolved?
Answer: It doesn't bother me, because it's a rare time where you don't have some investigation going on. I realize the Reggie Bush part of this has gone on, I think it's safe to say, longer than any case that's happened during my tenure. . . .
The frustrating thing is that it's been so extremely difficult to gather information even when people are running around leaking information that they alleged to be true. I notice that most of the time when people are talking in these cases there's a book about to come out, but I'm sure that's just happenstance.
This is an interesting take by Hansen and I will give him credit here. The NCAA has not acted on this because they have so little to go on. Hansen's comment about leaked information "alleged to be true" is also very telling and it goes to the crux of the matter can we believe the words of a convicted felon who had a financial stake in the alleged dealings? There has been very little information coming from the Reggie Bush/USC side of this as most of the chatter has been coming from the Lloyd Lake camp. It makes you wonder just what the real story is here.
As much I dislike the decisions that Hansen has made in running the conference and marketing his product, he is still very shrewd and astute. He knows more than he will let on and his comment here reveals that...providing further evidence that the NCAA may not have much of a case in regards to Bush.
It gets a little more interesting though as we move on...
On the Pac-10's Bowl Package...
Q: Should the Pac-10 be in better bowl games?
A: We have been criticized. But we have talked to bowls not on the West Coast. They're not interested. People, I believe, unfairly overlook the fact we're in the Rose Bowl, which happens to be the best bowl game of them all. They kind of pass over the fact we sell 37,000 tickets, we the Pac-10, in the Rose Bowl. . . . We've talked to bowls who are good partners of ours about going Jan. 1, but there are four bowls there already before the Rose Bowl game. The networks don't want more bowls there, and the ones that are there are not in our area.
I would be interested in hust how hard Hansen tried to sell the Pac-10 to bowl games outside the west coast...particullary the Cotton Bowl. The Pac-10 needs one big bowl game affiliation, maybe not on the first tier but definitely on the second tier of bowl games. I think that helps the Pac-10 tremendously. The Pac-10 should be able to swap out one of their "lesser" bowl games for a brand name bowl game even if it is not played on New Years Day. Tis where Hansen misses the mark.
On the Pac-10's basketball scheduling...
Q. Wouldn't it be easier if you had a better working relationship with ESPN?
A: We've been criticized a lot because we're not on ESPN, particularly in basketball. We talk to them. . . . ESPN would put us on Thursday night almost every week of football season, but they'd want us to play at 5 o'clock. Our campuses are not emptied by 5. Your [parking] garages are full. Traffic is horrific. We just can't start a football game at 5.
Well, I could understand about football when you are talking about 50-90,000 fans that is goignt o be anissue but basketball is completely doable. We are talking about an average of 25,000 fans and parking could easily be solved by making classes end at 1pm at the school where the game would be televised we are talking 1, maybe 2 schools a week depending on the match-up...it is certainly doable.
Anyway, not to beat a dead horse. Hansen pretty much sticks to his guns in all the areas that he has in the past.
The Power Conference Blog has a nice take that is well worth the read...it is short and to the point.
It will be interesting to see just what direction incoming Pac-10 Commissioner Larry will take. I have a lot of confidence that he will explore new ideas and approaches in pushing the Pac-10 brand into the spotlight. I guess that is what I really want to see, some effort to try and make some changes...not holding on to ald ideas just because at one time they were tried and true.