Seriously... it's not their fault.

UT is only doing what is in their nature.  That is, they're going out and getting the best deal possible for their school.  Let's pretend for a second that it's Texas Tech.  Let's say that CBS Sports (because eff ESPN) comes along and offers us millions of dollars and our own tv network.  Let's say that the Big XII rolls over and lets us run off with all that money without sharing any of it.  Do we take it?  Hell yes, we do.  Is that greed, or is it just doing what's best for your own interest?  I don't think we can blame UT, because we would do the same thing in their shoes.

On the other hand, I do blame Dan Beebe and ESPN.  

ESPN is supposed to be an objective media outlet.  For them to profit from the success of a single team creates an unquestionable conflict of interest.  How can they be expected to offer objective reports or even equal airtime to other teams when they have a vested financial interest in the success of UT and the SEC?  How can they be expected to offer honest reporting on athletic scandals when the very athletes in question appear in their commercials (a la Barry Bonds or Lance Armstrong)?  One is left with the conclusion that ESPN has forgotten its mission as a sports media outlet and is bent instead upon ambitions to manipulate college athletics for its own financial gain.  That is greed.

Moreover, Dan Beebe is to be blamed not because I think he was a willing conspirator, but because he is so clearly incompetent.  What exactly did he hope to gain by allowing UT to rake in all the profits?  As a commissioner of an AQ, I'd expect him to know that the thing that makes athletic conferences great is parity.  The SEC is a great conference (albeit a backwards, redneck, barefoot, cousin-dating one), because you never know who is going to win.  South Carolina, Florida, Alabama, Auburn, LSU... all these teams could compete for the conference championship.  Hell, even Vandy wins sometimes.  But in the Big XII, it's always the same old shit... OU, then UT, then OU, then UT.  Frankly, it's boring.  Revenue sharing would have gone a long way toward solving that problem.  Instead, Beebe just rolled over like a UT cheerleader and let Bevo have his way.  I don't think the Big XII can be saved at this point, but if it can Beebe must go.

That's my analysis.  UT is just doing what any other school would do in their shoes and hardly deserves the blame.  I'd like to see much less "Eff UT" and much more "Eff Beebe" and "Eff ESPN" in the comment sections of this and other blogs.

Flame away.