Texas Tech Football:
LAJ's Don Williams has an interesting article on the financial side of Texas Tech going to the Gator Bowl. This somewhat ties into what we talked about yesterday, inequities with the recruiting budget between state schools and the football program. I have been able to find the Summary Operating Budget for 2008 as well as the US Department of Education, Equity in Athletics webpage. You'll have to search for teams on your own, there's no way for me to link them, but there's some interesting stuff if you just look around. Just for grins and giggles, UT's recruiting expenses for all of their men's teams is $746,769, Texas A&M's is $638,185, and Texas Tech's is $533,605.
Back to Don's article, Texas Tech's Bobby Gleason, the athletic department's CFO and deputy athletic director for business personnel has this on making the trip:
Don breaks down the figures, including what Texas Tech will receive in total payout from the Gator Bowl, the conference allowance as well as an airplane allowance.
Good stuff this morning.
Texas Tech Basketball:
The Red Raiders had their rears handed to them yesterday by the New Mexico Lobos and Steve Alford, 80-63. I didn't get to watch the game, but DTN reader Liquidsmoke provided a nice breakdown of each player. And I should have a review based on the boxscore later today.
From LAJ's Jeff Walker, the story to the game for me is Zeno only getting 5 minutes the entire game. Coach Knight had this to say about my favorite player:
Wow. I'm torn in this situation. I've never known Zeno to be lazy or not hustle, he's always seemed like a hard-worker, despite being so athletically gifted, a rare combination for an athlete if you ask me. So could Zeno have shown Coach Knight that he wasn't best for the team in 5 minutes? Did Zeno just not play at all? Was it even Zeno at all? Last year I thought that Jay Jackson was portrayed as somewhat of a malcontent the further along in the season and is Zeno now getting the same treatment? I don't know about you, but Zeno just doesn't strike me as that type of guy.
Much was made of the numerous turnovers, but it was the two freshmen who played so well, Mike Singletary and John Roberson, who were responsible for half of them (11 combined and 6 for Roberson and 5 for Singletary). So, is Singletary's stellar play (25 points, 6 boards and 2 assists) and Roberson's outstanding work (12 points, 1 board and 1 assist) tempered a bit from the standpoint that without their turnovers, perhaps, Texas Tech has a better chance at winning the game.
A very interesting game, and I'm intrigued as to how this will play out against Stanford.