Catching Up: I have been MIA for the last few days and I can't tell you guys and gals how much I appreciate you posting FanPosts and FanShots to help me out. This is excellent practice for DTN when I leave for a week to go to Ethiopia for my wife's and my adoption (we actually have to go two separate times so it will be two weeks at a week at a time). And a quick update on the adoption front, we have officially moved up to #10 for boys, #13 for girls and #10 for twins. We've told the adoption agency that we're open to a boy, girl or twins, whatever happens first. We're actually really excited to finally hit the top 10, it's been a long wait, but we're not getting impatient.
Football Programs: I don't know how I ran across this gem, but I found this blog, Texas Tech University Archives that is updated rarely, but is updated with links of things that have been digitized. There are some cool, non-athletic things there, but there's also this link to PDF versions of some very old Texas Tech football programs and even has the first program from the very first game that was played at Texas Tech through 1950-ish. This is an awesome trip into history. I highly recommend you taking a look at some of the old programs if you have the time.
Canceling TCU in 2011: As you've already posted, Texas Tech canceled TCU in 2011 from their non-conference schedule. As I try to think this out, on one hand, if I'm TCU then I'm pissed, especially so late in the game. On the other hand, TCU doesn't have to play Texas Tech's conference schedule. The way that the bowl system works isn't that you get to have one win against an FCS opponent and you really don't get bonus points for playing a non-AQ school like TCU. Again, I get why TCU fans would think it's weak, but right now, the system is set up for teams like Texas Tech, in an AQ conference, to not play TCU, while teams like TCU, in a non-AQ conference, to want to play teams like Texas Tech to beef up their strength of schedule. I've had this article emailed to me saying that TCU canceled 2010 because they got Oregon St:
But playing Oregon State instead of Baylor made TCU less hungry to play Texas Tech. So Brown helped move a potentially lesser Tennessee Tech team onto the Frogs' schedule on Sept. 11, postponing a trip to Lubbock. When that game will be played has yet to be determined.
The person named "Brown" referenced above is a big-wig at ESPN. Also, it's my recollection that Texas Tech had to re-work part of the 2010 schedule with scheduling Texas early, but at that time, I didn't think that TCU was on the schedule. My memory is getting bad.
Recruiting Stuff: The DMN has a couple of articles on the area colleges and their recruiting efforts. We may not be able to link to DMN's content much longer as will be moving to a subscription based service: $16.95/ month for online content. Soak it in folks. Anyway, the DMN's Mike Graham writes a bit about each recruit, although there's really nothing new there. Graham also writes about which uncommitted players could sign with Texas Tech and mentions two players from Pennsylvania, DE Branden Jackson and DT Delvon Simmons as possible pickups. Finally, Graham has a Q & A with RRS.com's Aaron Dickens that I found the most interesting. Go read the whole thing. I should also mention that the DMN also did a Q & A with TexAgs.com's Billy Lucci and if you recall, that there was a big to-do with current Texas Tech commit RB Kenny Williams and Lucci was reporting that Williams had switched his commitment to TAMU. Lucci is the only one that ran with this story, something about how the TAMU coaching staff told Lucci that Williams switched his commitment, which may be a recruiting violation (i.e. can coaches talk with the media about commitments?). I don't have a clue, but in this Q & A Lucci mentions that Williams is still a possibility. Personally, I don't have a clue.
Tuberville's Contract Extension: I'm having trouble keeping track of plays, but earlier this week, Texas Tech announced that head coach Tommy Tuberville's contract was extended to 2015. For Texas Tech, I think this is a good thing and I think it helps recruiting if a coach can say that he has 5 years on his contract. If I had to guess, this is probably the biggest reason why it was done, only a year after Tuberville was hired. There are comments that Tuberville hasn't earned the contract and I guess if that theory was true then he never should have received an initial contract, nor should any coach receive a contract for more than a year, but unfortunately, the coaching game doesn't work that way. I may be in the minority, but I think it's a good thing to have a coach locked up for 5 years and I don't think it's any coincidence that it was announced right now. I'm also hoping that the administration may have learned from some of their past mistakes.
Longhorn Network: I'm sure that there will be complete objectivity as ESPN has purchased signed the Texas Longhorns to a television deal (big hat-tip to CFT John Taylor for the dig at UT and details on the deal). Yahoo! Sports Dan Wetzel already has an idea as to what the programming might entail:
Midnight Replay of the 2006 Rose Bowl
2:00 The Most Interesting Man in the World: Mack Brown
2:30 This is Oklahoma Football: The John Blake Era!
3:00 Our Greatest American Heroes: Mario Edwards, defensive end, Denton Ryan High School
3:30 Mad Money: Have we mentioned how dang rich we are?
4:00 Who Stole Vince Young’s Heisman? Live Interview with Lloyd Lake
4:30 Remember the Alamo: Panel discussion on remembering the Alamo
5:00 Walker, Texas Ranger: Chuck Norris wears Mack Brown pajamas
5:30 Bevo: Our mascot will kick your mascot’s ass
6:00 Bored to Death: Lubbock
Giggle. In other television news, per the Tulsa World, the Oklahoma Sooners say that they want their own television channel / network this year.
Miscellaneous: Baron Batch writes about getting back from Haiti and meeting his new agent and working out for the NFL Draft . . . DT's Tommy Magelssen writes that Texas Tech has called a special meeting of the board of regents to discuss student housing, but to also approve the hiring of a consulting firm to advise on the new athletic director . . . if you want to know more about what "oversigning" is then start with Dr. Saturday's Matt Hinton and if you really want to get educated, then check out Oversigning.com . . . SB Nation's Jon Bois takes a look at how much home field advantage has in sports . . .