Cooperstein, Followill don’t understand Baylor’s actions



Chuck Cooperstein



Mark Followill



I really admire Chuck Cooperstein and Mark Followill as Dallas Mavericks play-by-play announcers on radio and television respectively and I really enjoy Coop’s radio program on ESPN (although I think he surrenders too much to co-host Nate Newton). But I have been reviewing some of their tweets today about Baylor’s threatened legal actions and, boy, have they both thrown air balls!

The issue concerns Baylor’s threat of a lawsuit to prevent Texas A&M from running away to the Southeast Conference. Followill tweeted:

“Tweeted umpteen times I wish A&M would stay in B12 but suing isn't the answer. Shotgun weddings don't work. Time 2 wish em best & move on.”

And Cooperstein has been insistent with tweets such as this one:

“Why Baylor and the others would be doing nothing more than wasting their time. And Money.”

What these two “experts” don’t understand is that Baylor’s actions have nothing to do with keeping Texas A&M in the Big 12. It’s all about keeping Oklahoma in.

A little more than a year ago, the Big 12 signed a lucrative television contract and a number of Big 12 schools, Baylor and Iowa State in particular, launched major athletic capital construction projects they planned to finance with this television revenue.

A&M leaving the conference is no big deal. But now Oklahoma is threatening to go and, if it does, it will take Oklahoma State with it. That means the end of the Big 12 and that fat TV contract. IF OU, OSU, Texas and Texas Tech leave for the PAC 12 as rumored, that leaves Kansas, Kansas State, Iowa State, Missouri and Baylor as the only teams left. The SEC would want to grab Missouri to make it a balanced 14-team league and the Big East is ready to pounce on Kansas, particularly for its basketball program. That leaves Kansas State, Iowa State and Baylor as the only ones homeless and without TV revenue. Do you see a connection with that and the fact that the legal action has been filed by Baylor with Iowa State and Kansas State showing strong support for Baylor’s actions?

What these three schools want is not for Texas A&M to remain in the Big 12. I think everyone connected with the Big 12 are glad to be rid of the Aggies. But they don’t want any other defections. They are demanding Oklahoma, at least, sign a binding, long-term agreement to remain in the conference. The thinking is “If we can get Oklahoma to stay, none of the others will leave either.”

You see, Baylor’s suit is not about forcing Texas A&M to stay; it’s about forcing Oklahoma to stay.