NFL working with Krantz and Shelton to create “Week 14”

The NFL is about to kick off its season and now comes news that the league is looking to extend its popularity. Reports are that the league is teaming up with Tony Krantz (“Sports Night”) and Ron Shelton (“Bull Durham”) for a film titled “Week 14”. According to Variety: “Aimed to be a four-quadrant movie in the vein of “Crash,” pic will chronicle the last three weeks of the NFL’s regular season as seen through the eyes of fictional players, coaches and their significant others. The script, which Shelton has completed, features interweaving storylines that sources familiar with the project describe as PG-13 content, since the NFL is very protective of its family-friendly brand.”

So,  basically a light version of the TV series ESPN tried a few years back right?

Lukas Eggen can be reached at eggen.lukas@gmail.com.

Blue Friday: Big year for Nevada football

The good news for the Wolf Pack football team is it’s making at least six television appearances. The six games currently scheduled to be aired on CBS Sports Network, NBC Sports Network or ESPN networks are: vs. South Florida, at Hawaii, vs. San Diego State, at Air Force, vs. Fresno State and vs. Boise State.

This is a big year for Nevada football once again. Quarterback Cody Fajardo should be one of the top QBs in the Mountain West Conference now that he has a year of experience under his belt. Like 2010, this season’s schedule lends itself to gaining some national attention if it can play well. The Wolf Pack opens its season at Cal, a chance to make a statement right off the bat. Head coach Chris Ault has the chance to make an impact once again. I realize this is a team that is retooling in a lot of positions. But, if Nevada can have a one or two-loss season that would put them back on the map. And Fajardo would be returning for at least another year and probably two. This is a chance for the Wolf Pack to prove itself in front of national audiences once again. Hopefully the team’s up to the task.

As a side note, the Boise State game has been moved to Dec. 1. The last game of the season. You don’t think Boise’s the more important rivalry than UNLV?

Lukas Eggen can be reached at eggen.lukas@gmail.com.

 

Report: Peyton cleared to play

ESPN is reporting that Indianapolis Colts’ quarterback Peyton Manning has been medially cleared to play. You can read their story here. According to the story, one source told Manning that “if you were my son, I’d tell you to play.”

Obviously, some big news for Manning. The story reports that Manning was told to continue a rehabilitation program. The question will be if and when Manning returns to the high level of play that led him to sign a $28 million per season contract. The Colts and Manning’s future together is still unclear, but this is a big hurdle that Manning has apparently overcome in his attempt to come back from his neck injury.

Lukas Eggen can be reached at eggen.lukas@gmail.com.

Pac-16 back on again?

Here is a link to the espn.com article about how Texas, Oklahoma and perhaps Oklahoma State and Texas Tech could join the Pac-12, creating a 16-team super conference.

Here we go again. Last year, Nebraska left to the Big 10 while Colorado and Utah joined the Pac-12. The Longhorns would apparently have to give up the Longhorns Network to join the conference. While both sides are obviously trying to downplay this, it seems to be more of a question of when this will happen than if. Texas A & M is already making its intentions known that it wants to join the SEC. Of course when teams like Boise State start making a mark, what does college football do? Try and shut them out.

Lukas Eggen can be reached at eggen.lukas@gmail.com.

Nevada named as one of the non-AQs on the rise by ESPN

ESPN has named Nevada as one non-AQ schools on the rise. You can read the article here.

However, I do think it’s a little unfair to judge whether Nevada falls back to the pack, as the article puts it, or keeps up its momentum. The true test will be after this season to see whether Cody Fajardo or Mason Magleby can step into the starting role.

Fresno State was also listed.

Lukas Eggen can be reached at eggen.lukas@gmail.com.

Movie about the creation of ESPN coming

The book “ESPN: Those Guys Have All the Fun” is already gaining interest. After talking to past and present ESPN reporters, producers and personalities, supposedly the book has lots of stories, both good and bad, about the sports media empire. So much so that 20th Century Fox has bought the rights to make a movie out of the book.

I suppose “The Social Network” showed that an entertaining and well-made movie could be made off the formation of a major company. And, it would be kind of nice to see the ESPN story hit the screen.

Lukas Eggen

 

Why WAC is making a big mistake

The RGJ reported earlier today that the Nevada Wolf Pack football team did not have any games scheduled to be on ESPN. ESPN along with the Western Athletic Conference, decides which games should be televised. Fresno State, which is also leaving the WAC after this season, will have one game on ESPN televised.

I get that WAC commissioner Karl Benson is angry at the two teams for leaving. Funny thing is, I remember Boise State being on ESPN quite a lot, despite it announcing it was leaving the conference. I get why he’s mad. I mean, in a matter of two years, the WAC is going from an up and coming conference to one of the worst in the nation. But, come on, this is childish. This is your last year to get major TV exposure with Fresno State and Nevada. To shun them is nothing short of immature and stupid.

Why not ride out Fresno State and Nevada as long as you can? Why not let them bring you some press while they still can? Who else are you going to put on ESPN? Such great teams as Utah State and San Jose State? Cause they’ve had such great teams the past few seasons. Congratulations commissioner Benson. You’re going to make the WAC one of the nation’s laughing stocks one season early.

Lukas Eggen can be reached at eggen.lukas@gmail.com.

Big 12 schools clash over Longhorns Network

It wasn’t so long ago that Texas saved the Big 12. It was the Pac-10 which was supposed to expand into a super conference, with the death of the Big 12 a by-product. The Longhorns, however, prevented such happenings and met with the remaining Big 12 schools to save the conference. Among the things created was the Longhorns Network. Now, with a deal with ESPN in place and plans to broadcast high school football games, other schools in the Big 12 (though it now has only 10 teams) are starting to complain.

Texas A & M questioned as to whether broadcasting high school games violated any NCAA recruiting rules. But with Oklahoma, Texas Tech and the rest of the schools agreeing to save the conference last summer, do any of them have any right to argue about this now?

It is a little funny to see this all happening now. Everyone knew Texas wanted to create the Longhorns Network. Yet, now it’s as if the schools are seeing this for the first time. Texas has every right to do this. Texas is the reason the Big 12 still exists. Texas is the premier school in the conference. Texas is why all the schools didn’t have to find new homes last summer. And all the schools agreed to this. It’s no defense to say, oh I signed a deal with a dictator but I didn’t know he wanted to rule by himself.

I mean, these schools are complaining that it’s unfair. Let me get this straight, division I schools in a major conference are saying that one school having a TV network isn’t fair? Oh my gosh college athletics isn’t fair, who would have thought. Ask Boise State about that. The rest of the schools in Texas’ conference should just stop talking. They signed up for this. They made their own bed. Now they have to lay in it.

Lukas Eggen can be reached at eggen.lukas@gmail.com.

NFL owners meet, ready to vote today

According to ESPN, NFL owners have been told to be ready to vote on a new collective bargaining agreement between 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. PST. At least 24 of the 32 NFL owners must vote to ratify the new deal.

It looks like this deal is close to getting done. The players were expected to take a vote yesterday, but didn’t. However, Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher said he doubted the Hall of Fame game would take place even if a deal was ratified today. It’ll be interesting to see if that game is cancelled or not.

Lukas Eggen

SEC Commissioner Mike Slive proposes changes for NCAA

At the SEC media day, Mike Slive had some big suggestions to improve the NCAA and college football. Here are the main points, as reported by ESPN.

• Raising the academic entrance requirements for incoming freshmen, from a minimum 2.0 GPA to 2.5. Slive also suggested prospective student-athletes would be required to complete a minimum number of core courses during each year of high school.

• Slive also proposed offering cost-of-education scholarships, which would pay more than just standard room and board, tuition, books and other fees. Under that plan, NCAA schools also would pay for things like health insurance, clothing, travel and other education-related costs.

Slive also offered up making scholarships four-year contracts, instead of one-year deals that currently exist.

• Slive also wants to modernize NCAA recruiting rules and allow coaches to text players and contact them via social media like Facebook and Twitter.

My opinion? Nice thoughts, but not the right moves. The raising of the GPA from 2.0 to 2.5 won’t make that much of a difference. Athletes find their way around that requirement anyways as it is. Extending their scholarships…are you kidding me? Clothes, travel, health insurance…this is a complete joke. Do any other students get money to buy clothes. No. And travel? Yes, we all know athletes can’t work. If they need money, they can do what the rest of us college students have to do: take out a student loan. They, more than any of us, have the best opportunity to pay it off quickly if they make it in the big leagues. They’re there to play sports and learn something. Not to spoil them and make them feel even more entitled than they already are.

The recruiting rules make sense to me. The NCAA does need to catch up with the times. But, come on. These student-athletes don’t need everything handed to them on a silver platter.

Lukas Eggen can be reached at eggen.lukas@gmail.com.