This Orlando Sentinel guy just won't let this go.

[BulldogBear]

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/os-mike-bianchi-saturday-circus-0607-20140606,0,4432256.column

He's been passing this off for years.

UCF and USF don't add ANYTHING to TV revenue the SEC doesn't already have with the Gators. I've never met anyone with a degree from either of these commuter schools that cared about sports unless was the FLORIDA GATORS. Does he really think people in Orlando and Tampa are watching USF and UCF? They are watching UF and FSU. If you drop the MIssissippi schools, the SEC would lose more "tv sets" than it would gain by picking up USF and UCF, because it already has them. There are some UCF and USF fans okay, but it's like USM. They're cute but even a good bit of them are folks that didn't or couldn't go to Ole Miss or State for logistical reasons, career choices, etc.

[bluelightstar]

Being mercilessly ridiculed on Twitter today, even by other sportswriters. Deservedly so.

[CadaverDawg]

Being mercilessly ridiculed on Twitter today, even by other sportswriters. Deservedly so.

What is his twitter handle?

[Dawg61]

What is his twitter handle?

@BianchiWrites

[CadaverDawg]

@BianchiWrites

Dude acts like a kid dying to sit at the cool kids table at school. But seriously, I think he is just trying to get attention for UCF and USF in hopes that people will actually consider what he's saying. It's an embarrassing look for UCF and USF.

[Topbulldawg]

I live in Orlando and I can say that UCF does have quite a following around here. It's the 2nd largest public school in the nation (a very surprising fact). With that said, it doesn't have anywhere near the following of OM or MSU. It's for sure higher then USM and probably higher then Vandy.

[Dawg61]

Dude acts like a kid dying to sit at the cool kids table at school. But seriously, I think he is just trying to get attention for UCF and USF in hopes that people will actually consider what he's saying. It's an embarrassing look for UCF and USF.

Oh he's definitely trying to stir the pot for views and exposure. It works too. I kinda take it as a show of respect. He's jealous of MSU and Ole Miss and he wants what we have for UCF and USF. I'd be jealous too if I was a fan of those two schools. It's only going to get worse from here on. We don't sit at the little boys table anymore. We sit up with the big boys and all the little boys sitting below take pot shots anytime they can cause they want to sit where we are. Here's an article written to him from the Jaguars because he wouldn't shut up about them refusing to sign Tim Tebow. The guy is just a troll getting paid by the Orlando paper.

http://www.bigcatcountry.com/2013/5/4/4299766/mike-bianchi-tim-tebow-jaguars

[CadaverDawg]

Oh he's definitely trying to stir the pot for views and exposure. It works too. I kinda take it as a show of respect. He's jealous of MSU and Ole Miss and he wants what we have for UCF and USF. I'd be jealous too if I was a fan of those two schools. It's only going to get worse from here on. We don't sit at the little boys table anymore. We sit up with the big boys and all the little boys sitting below take pot shots anytime they can cause they want to sit where we are. Here's an article written to him from the Jaguars because he wouldn't shut up about them refusing to sign Tim Tebow. The guy is just a troll getting paid by the Orlando paper.

http://www.bigcatcountry.com/2013/5/4/4299766/mike-bianchi-tim-tebow-jaguars

Wow, ha. That article is pretty funny

[ckDOG]

If it were all about the numbers, both programs would have been dumped years ago. We both take more from the conference than we put in from a pure dollars and cents perspective. However, there is something to be said for tradition and geographic location, neither of which do those Florida schools offer to the conference. If the SEC wants more TV sets from a Florida school it will go after FSU first, Miami second, and bail on the plan if that doesn't work.

[Dawg61]

If it were all about the numbers, both programs would have been dumped years ago. We both take more from the conference than we put in from a pure dollars and cents perspective. However, there is something to be said for tradition and geographic location, neither of which do those Florida schools offer to the conference. If the SEC wants more TV sets from a Florida school it will go after FSU first, Miami second, and bail on the plan if that doesn't work.

The SEC doesn't have to/need to/want to or is allowed to go after any other Florida schools. For starters we already have Florida which means the entire state of Florida is under the SECNetwork umbrella which means the entire cable base of customers are now paying extra for the SECNetwork every single month. Every one of them that has cable is already paying the SEC. Adding FSU does nothing to that. That whole state is already covered. The only way to add more customers is to increase the size of the umbrella meaning expand into a state not currently under the umbrella. Meaning North Carolina, NC State, Virginia Tech and Virginia would be the next targets and only one in each state. The SEC isn't allowed to add any new universities residing in the same state as any of the current 14 members. That's been known for awhile now. FSU, UCF, USF can cry all they want to it won't matter. The state of Florida is closed for SEC admittance.

[dawgs]

anyone wanna c&p the article? i need a good laugh and don't want to register for their site to see the article.

[Quaoarsking]

The SEC doesn't have to/need to/want to or is allowed to go after any other Florida schools. For starters we already have Florida which means the entire state of Florida is under the SECNetwork umbrella which means the entire cable base of customers are now paying extra for the SECNetwork every single month. Every one of them that has cable is already paying the SEC. Adding FSU does nothing to that. That whole state is already covered. The only way to add more customers is to increase the size of the umbrella meaning expand into a state not currently under the umbrella. Meaning North Carolina, NC State, Virginia Tech and Virginia would be the next targets and only one in each state. The SEC isn't allowed to add any new universities residing in the same state as any of the current 14 members. That's been known for awhile now. FSU, UCF, USF can cry all they want to it won't matter. The state of Florida is closed for SEC admittance.

Adding FSU could conceivably allow the SEC to increase the fees to Florida subscribers and bring in more money. If it comes down to, say, Florida State vs. West Virginia, it could financially make more sense to get extra money out of Florida's 20,000,000 inhabitants than to go from 0 to whatever with West Virginia's 2,000,000 inhabitants.

But it's probably all a moot point since I doubt Florida would agree to it (they could theoretically be outvoted, but I doubt they would be). But I wouldn't say it's completely impossible for the SEC to double up on a state even in the "SEC Network subscribers are the only criteria that matters" era.

[ShotgunDawg]

I've met Mike. Good guy, and just writes this stuff for page views and to grab hold of the local Orlando. When he wrote this article a few years ago, I asked him about it and he laughed. Say that he didn't believe and just wanted to stir the pot. Mike is completely different in person that his writing.

[dawgs]

seems like his whole point is that if you give usf and ucf $20+M/year in tv revenue, they'd be sec caliber in 5 years or so. well hell, you can say that about a lot of programs. probably could say it about uab, ga southern, east carolina, houston, etc. too, but that doesn't mean it's the smart or good move.

[dawgs]

I've met Mike. Good guy, and just writes this stuff for page views and to grab hold of the local Orlando. When he wrote this article a few years ago, I asked him about it and he laughed. Say that he didn't believe and just wanted to stir the pot. Mike is completely different in person that his writing.

so he's an internet troll posing as a paid journalist.

[CadaverDawg]

I've met Mike. Good guy, and just writes this stuff for page views and to grab hold of the local Orlando. When he wrote this article a few years ago, I asked him about it and he laughed. Say that he didn't believe and just wanted to stir the pot. Mike is completely different in person that his writing.

So he's a Matt Stevens style douchebag? Got it.

[Dawg61]

Adding FSU could conceivably allow the SEC to increase the fees to Florida subscribers and bring in more money. If it comes down to, say, Florida State vs. West Virginia, it could financially make more sense to get extra money out of Florida's 20,000,000 inhabitants than to go from 0 to whatever with West Virginia's 2,000,000 inhabitants.

But it's probably all a moot point since I doubt Florida would agree to it (they could theoretically be outvoted, but I doubt they would be). But I wouldn't say it's completely impossible for the SEC to double up on a state even in the "SEC Network subscribers are the only criteria that matters" era.

Hadn't even considered the SEC could "double dip" the state and just increase the cost to have the network in Florida. Pretty smart actually. I like it haha. Maybe Texas and/or FSU do still have a chance but not a good one because Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina etc all have agreed to veto any school in any of each other's states trying to get admittance. No GTech, Louisville, Clemson, FSU, Texas etc.

[bluelightstar]

anyone wanna c&p the article? i need a good laugh and don't want to register for their site to see the article.

http://touch.orlandosentinel.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-80433091/

shouldnt require registration

[BulldogBear]

When I compare UCF to USM I'm not trying to diss on the school. One of the several graduates I'm mentioning is family. I'm saying support compares to UF/FSU the way USM compares to UM/MSU. Read that as it doesn't really compare. Not even close. I'm only making a point that you can't compare UCF or USF to MSU or Ole Miss, the TV market of which is not "Oxford" and "Starkville." It's the whole state, something USF and UCF together can't begin to deliver.

I think he may ACTUALLY be trying to make a point to be "overheard" by the Big 12. YOu know, the way you say something in earshot of someone whom you ACTUALLY want to hear. IOW he's trying to make sure they are considered for Big 12 expansion. Not a bad idea.

[Quaoarsking]

UCF is a football program waiting to explode. Enrollment of 50,000, situated in a booming, football-crazy metropolis that doesn't have an NFL team. 20 years down the road, that's a lot of alumni and a lot of fans pumping in money. If the ACC or Big 12 wanted to make a long-term investment, UCF would be a great choice.

USF has similar potential, also being a huge public school, but for whatever reason, they aren't realizing it yet.

[Dawg61]

USF has similar potential, also being a huge public school, but for whatever reason, they aren't realizing it yet.

They once climbed all the way to #2 in the BCS and then fired Jim Leavitt. Haven't sniffed it since.