Friday, September 2, 2011

Gary Pinkel Fingers Dan Beebe For The Big 12's Problems

In an interview on Tim Brando's Yahoo! Sports show, Missouri head football coach Gary Pinkel didn't mince words when he talked about the problems the Big 12 conference is having trying to stay together.

"Obviously, we have some issues in our league. When you have Nebraska leave one year. Colorado leaves. Also now Texas A&M. Three really good football teams. … You know, we’ve got some issues. Without question there’s some issues that other leagues don’t have. You don’t hear anything about any other league in the country having these kind of problems. We all know where it starts. Mike Alden’s not the point man here. Dan Beebe is. Dan Beebe’s our commissioner. He’s the guy to ask. I don’t know what they’re going to do. I’m just focusing now on winning the football game. … There’s just no one in the country, no other league in the country, where this stuff goes on. And it’s really a shame because the potential of the league is just so tremendous. Anyway, I have no control over it. We’re just trying to beat Miami (Ohio)."


This is almost a repeat of what he said in Dallas for Big 12 media days in late July. He lays the blame right at Dan Beebe's feet for pretty much bowing down to Texas and letting them call the shots in the Big 12. The fact that Nebraska left should have been a red flag right there. To chase off one of the original Big 6 teams takes some work. It's clear Beebe will do whatever he needs to keep Texas happy. Tom Osborne is far too classy to come out and say why the Huskers bolted though I think most of us with a pulse can figure out why. I think Pinkel summed up what a lot of others in the conference are thinking but won't say. Texas A&M simply went public with it albeit in a very aggressive manner.

It's beginning to look like the Big 12 may crumble sooner than expected.