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Ready for the post post-season chaos!

grizzlyjournal

grizzlyjournal

Well-known member
I'll be the first to admit that I'm a traditionalist. But I'll also admit that the "good old days" of collegiate sports were, in so many ways, seriously UNbalanced, particularly with regard to those we say matter the most: the "student" athletes.

In an op-ed that said it best to me, Chicago Sun Times sports columnist Rick Morrissey described the 2023 post-post season as a "Beautiful Mess." Get used to it, embrace it," he wrote. Ok. I'm in. Read Morrissey's excellent op-ed here: https://chicago.suntimes.com/2023/3/31/23665157/get-used-to-beautiful-chaos-of-college-sports-florida-atlantic-ncaa-tournament-nils-transfer-portal

But there's more to this than the transfer portal, and within the next few months, collegiate sports will look like something we've never seen. Start with:
1 -- Conference re-alignment. Starting with the imminent departures of UCLA and USC, the Pac 12 is a conference looking for a new identity. BYU is also "looking east." And Gonzaga fans... absent yet another shot at a title, are saying the Zags need a conference other than the WCC. I've already read that San Diego State and Boise State are knock-knocking at Pac 12's door. Which leaves...
2 -- The Mountain West looking at some big holes to fill. And several other Power 5 conferences also figuring out how to preserve... or build an identity.
3 -- If Morrissey's right, then we'd better expect the portal to go into overload, and
4 -- See a possible re-alignment of coaching changes among schools clamoring for major conference alignment. And then
5. -- Try to predict how traditionally smaller D1 and mid-major conferences strive for second-tier stability. Conferences like the Mountain West in danger of losing their marquee schools will be affected the most.
6. What we don't quite realize yet is how the NIL scenario will affect smaller conferences and schools/communities not-quite ready to provide more $$$ for their school's athletic programs. In this area, I strongly believe Montana is well-positioned. Will it be ready? Or will Griz football, and men's & women's hoops fans resort to whining, as Morrissey puts it: One translation of that would be, “Hey, my school’s getting outspent on legal recruiting! No fair!!!”
In short, the reverberations in NCAA sports will be chaotic. Whether or not the mess is Beautiful remains to be seen.
 
Have to admit, I was surprised at Danny Sprinkle's departure to Utah State. I watched him dominate the state as a high-school player from Helena... then get in a couple of big wins vs. the Griz when he played for the Bobcats. I really expected him to stay with his Montana and Montana State roots. Wish him the best. As I stated elsewhere, Utah State would be a perfect non-conference, pre-season opponent for a home & home series with the Griz.
 
grizzlyjournal said:
Have to admit, I was surprised at Danny Sprinkle's departure to Utah State. I watched him dominate the state as a high-school player from Helena... then get in a couple of big wins vs. the Griz when he played for the Bobcats. I really expected him to stay with his Montana and Montana State roots. Wish him the best. As I stated elsewhere, Utah State would be a perfect non-conference, pre-season opponent for a home & home series with the Griz.
Click to expand...

So Sprinkle pulled a Tinkle who left his beloved alma mater for more money, echoing Krystkowiak, who did the same thing. When money becomes an issue, you'll sacrifice all values, including loyalty, in pursuit of it. That's the atomic and sub-atomic and everlasting nature of us human beings. So be it.

I've long felt that the guy behind Sprinkle's success is Chris Haslam, without whose recruiting ties to England the Bobs would not be where they are. I'd guess he's a frontrunner for the job; and that without him, there will be some key defections on that roster. He might just blackmail his way into this job.
 
grizzlyjournal said:
Have to admit, I was surprised at Danny Sprinkle's departure to Utah State. I watched him dominate the state as a high-school player from Helena... then get in a couple of big wins vs. the Griz when he played for the Bobcats. I really expected him to stay with his Montana and Montana State roots. Wish him the best. As I stated elsewhere, Utah State would be a perfect non-conference, pre-season opponent for a home & home series with the Griz.
Click to expand...

So Sprinkle pulled a Tinkle who left his beloved alma mater for more money, echoing Krystkowiak, who did the same thing. When money becomes an issue, you'll sacrifice all values, including loyalty, in pursuit of it. That's the atomic and sub-atomic and everlasting nature of us human beings. So be it.

I've long felt that the guy behind Sprinkle's success is Chris Haslam, without whose recruiting ties to England the Bobs would not be where they are. I'd guess he's a frontrunner for the job; and that without him, there will be some key defections on that roster. He might just blackmail his way into this job.
 
I can’t understand how people can criticize Sprinkle for taking the USU saying he abandoned the cats and where is his loyalty to his alma mater. College athletics as well as high school and the pros your job security is more about wins and losses. Trust me if Sprinkle had gone 10/22 or even 14/18 over his tenure he would be looking for a job. Look what happened to Larry K at Utah. Wayne is on the hot seat at OSU after getting to the Elite 8 3 years ago? Job security is an oxymoron in athletics.
Not only is Sprinkle going from $200K to $900K a year but he being tasked to build on the very successful program at USU and he’s not being tasked to rebuild the program. Anyone in their right mind would be crazy to not jump at the job. In the words of that immortal Griz coach Joe Glenn, keep the Cadillac on the road. (sic)
 
Sport said:
I can’t understand how people can criticize Sprinkle for taking the USU saying he abandoned the cats and where is his loyalty to his alma mater. College athletics as well as high school and the pros your job security is more about wins and losses. Trust me if Sprinkle had gone 10/22 or even 14/18 over his tenure he would be looking for a job. Look what happened to Larry K at Utah. Wayne is on the hot seat at OSU after getting to the Elite 8 3 years ago? Job security is an oxymoron in athletics.
Not only is Sprinkle going from $200K to $900K a year but he being tasked to build on the very successful program at USU and he’s not being tasked to rebuild the program. Anyone in their right mind would be crazy to not jump at the job. In the words of that immortal Griz coach Joe Glenn, keep the Cadillac on the road. (sic)
Click to expand...

I agree with you. No brainer. Great for him.
 
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