Friday Randomness Thinks About Feeling Bad For Tim Brewster, Reconsiders

Hey Tim Brewster, still enjoying your tenure as head coach at the U?

First, Tim Brewster embarked on a Minnesota worst 1-11 season, which included an NCAA embarrassment of a defense and a loss to North Dakota State. That couldn't have felt good.

To his credit, Brewster dusted him self off and started anew. He put together a heralded Class of 2008, filled with high-level wide receivers and touted quarterbacks. This looked great on paper until the roof started caving in.

First, Brewster was forced to give up on Harold Howell a would-be sophomore out of Florida that was touted to be a return man with the lightning in a bottle quality of a Devin Hester. Howell was horrible, couldn't catch a punt and obviously couldn't find it within him to excel academically. That couldn't have been fun..

Yesterday, Brewster's own son, Clint Brewster, a one-time verbal commit to Illinois, has decided to leave his father's 1-11 football team behind and pursue other options. Homers can spin this by suggesting that the younger Brewster was expendable because the Gophers have depth. Sophomore Adam Weber poised to return as the starter, veteran backup Tony Mortensen remains and two allegedly talented newcomers in JUCO transfer David Pittman and hyped dual-threat quarterback Marqueis Gray are arriving this fall.

But in all honesty, we can't really know what members of Brewster's class of 2008 will ever wear maroon and gold. It has been reported that Brewster's class, which ranks by most any measure in the upper echelon of the Big Ten, may see it's numbers fall after the academics czars at the U have their say. You see, some of these prized recruits can't pass their entrance exams and can't gain admission by other means. Sid Hartman tells us Brewster isn't too happy about this.

I can't imagine he would be.

Yes, it's been a rocky year-plus for Brewster. But, then again, some of us were convinced Brewster was a public relations disaster last year when he allegedly decided to go on an anti-Notre Dame rant and call Charlie Weis a fat slob. Michael Floyd apparently is more concerned about substantive coaching then waistlines.

Enjoying the Tim Brewster era yet? Despite what he'll say, I'd guess he's not either.

*** I read this as Tubby Smith bitch-slapping Billy Gillispie. Nice. Tubby, as president of the NABC, is saying college coaches should chill on the recruitment of pre-pubescent athletes. I totally agree with this.

*** Congratulations if you have Comcast, you will now be able to watch your favorite Big Ten team on cable.

*** Hawkeye State at Black Heart, Gold Pants, chronicled a recent conversation between Tim Brewster and Ron Zook. Classic.

*** Easy target that he is, Tim Brewster is a recruiting machine. He racked up recruit number six for his Class of 2009 recently in Sartell's Nick Rengel. Minnesota was the only BCS major to offer Rengel. However, North Dakota State made an offer, so at least Brewster was able to out maneuver a DII team.

That's it for today. Everyone have a good weekend!

Friday Randomness Talks Brewster's Recruiting

Grandpa Sid Hartman had an interesting tidbit in his column this week on Tim Brewster's hyped 2008 recruiting class.

The big question about the Gophers football team's highly ranked recruiting class is how many of the players haven't passed their entrance tests or don't have the credits to gain admission to the university. The scholarships given to recruits include money for enrolling in summer school. Some people, who should be in the know, report that coach Tim Brewster is not happy with some of the decisions that the school's admissions office could make. More than a couple of
the top recruits might not be admitted.

That's the first indication that Tim Brewster's top-20 national class might not be all he's spun it to be. On its face it is impressive that Brewster was able to lure as much talent as he did to Minnesota after a 1-11 season. But, as Papa Sid reports, this recruiting class might well take a step or two backward before the first game is played this fall.

I'm no expert on college football recruiting and on the kinds of things that are offered to these kids (like money for summer school), but it would seem to me that doing such a thing is a measure taken by a coaching staff or administration that values winning way too highly above academics. Didn't Brewster learn anything from the Harold Howell experiment? Every other college passed on Howell because of academics (and also probably because his football skills were poor) but Brewster bit at the opportunity to bring in an athlete despite academic issues. The result? Howell struggled on the field before being unceremoniously booted for academic reasons.

So, the question is who is this year's Howell?

*** So, the SEC is considering starting its own network. You didn't see much ranting here against the Big Ten Network, because living out in Northern Virginia and having DirecTV, I absolutely loved having it. I was able to watch every Gophers basketball game. How sweet that was.

But for the blog Coaches Hot Seat to opine about how grand the BTN was, well, they obviously weren't paying that close of attention. Basically, I'm nitpicking' here as much of the rest of the piece is spot on. But here's the' line that I couldn't help but add my two cents on.

Overall the Big Ten network programming is very well done, and the studio shows and play-by-play/color commentators are practically network/ESPN quality

Yeah, um, the production on the BTN, the commentators, the color analysts, the booth guys especially, were close to downright horrible. Gene Keady, while aesthetically pleasing, is not cutout to do booth work or color commentary. Gary DiNardo and Howard Griffith? I couldn't stand to watch them, and I don't think I was alone.

*** Highschoolhoops.com ranks Royce White as the #2 small forward in the 2009 recruiting class. Of the Minnesota commit, the Web site states: "White is one of those rare players who mixes superior talent with hustling. The Minnesota bound forward also finishes around the basket with ease." That sounds good to me.

*** If you weren't aware, Minnesota AD Joel Maturi seems to be a prospect to fill the same position at Notre Dame. Maturi has only stated (that I've seen) that he's happy at Minnesota. But one has to think an opportunity to go to his alma mater would be appealing. Goldhelmet.com did a rundown of ND AD candidates and listed the good and bad on Maturi. On the good side was his effective lobbying to get the football stadium passed and his hiring of the late Terry Hoeppner when Maturi was at Miami (Ohio). The bad? You guessed it, the "questionable" hiring of Tim Brewster.

BTN To Go Behind The Scenes With Tubby

"Minnesota Basketball: The Journey." That's the title of an upcoming 8-episode series on the Big Ten Network that will aim to take us behind the scenes as Tubby Smith attempts to turn around the University of Minnesota men's basketball program.

According to a release put out today by the Big Ten Conference, "The Journey"will first air on Friday, Dec. 21 at 6 p.m. CT with an hour long episode. Subsequent episodes will be 30 minutes long.

Via the release:

MINNESOTA BASKETBALL: THE JOURNEY will follow the Gophers' entire season, including activities on the basketball court and beyond. The show will take viewers on campus and deep inside the Minnesota basketball program with the players, coaches and support staff. Big Ten Network cameras will travel with the Gophers on the team plane, capture practices, pre-game shoot-arounds and time-out huddles, as well as many of Smith's pre-game, halftime and post-game speeches in the locker room.

"As Tubby Smith brings his history of success north, the transformation of Minnesota basketball will undoubtedly be an interesting story to tell," said Big Ten Network Executive Producer Leon Schweir. "We plan to capture it all."

While the program will debut this Friday, subsequent episodes won't air until January.

If these are done well, it has the potential to be compelling television. However, it's not easy to do programs like these well--especially in a 30-minute format with commercial interruptions.

Nonetheless, I plan to tune in. The Big Ten Network desperately needed some original programming, and it pleases me that they are branching out and bringing attention to our men's basketball team.

It also might be another reason to say goodbye to Comcast and call DirecTV.

U Athletic Department Misleads About BTN

I'm sitting in my Northern Virginia home right now watching the Big Ten Network. So far, I'm unimpressed. But it's early. I'll give the network time.

Unfortunately, I'm likely in the minority of Minnesota Gophers fans who are able to watch the Big Ten Network right now. The largest cable operation in Minnesota, Comcast, has yet to sign on the dotted line with the Big Ten for it's money grab. I haven't opined about this from my digital soapbox because, well, it doesn't impact me. But it impacts many of you.

And I can't help but be slightly outraged by the contradictory press release sent out by the UofM today. Here's a snippet from the release.

"The new Big Ten Channel will result in higher visibility for Gopher athletics and the entire University of Minnesota both in our state and nationally," said Athletics Director Joel Maturi.

The Big Ten Network will provide more exposure for football and basketball and for sports programs that traditionally have received little or no television coverage such as baseball, soccer, gymnastics, volleyball and wrestling.

And there will be a dramatic increase in the amount of televised women's sports. More than 60 Big Ten women's basketball games will be broadcast this coming year, doubling the previous average. Within one year, women's sports will comprise half the network's sports programming.

The Big Ten Conference is the second conference to launch its own television network, but it is the first to have guaranteed national distribution. Available nationwide with Direct TV satellite and some smaller cable networks, the BTN is still negotiating with larger cable operators to expand its availability in the future.

The BTN can't be both a venue to add exposure for Big Ten teams while failing to come to an agreement with many large cable outlets throughout the country. The BTN has concentrated on cable companies in states that are home to conference teams. The network fails to realize it is 2007 and we live in an increasingly small world. I know many Big Ten fans working in the nation's capital. They'll need DirecTV to see many of the games they could otherwise have seen on their normal cable operator a year ago.

I'm not going to get into whether or not the BTN is asking too much per subscriber from Comcast and others or if the cable operators are in the wrong. What I will say is this propaganda from the University of Minnesota needs to stop, or at least include a dose of honesty.

Eavesdropping On Glen Mason's BTN Interview

What follows was leaked from a very inside source. This is a conversation that you likely would have heard had you been lucky enough to get entrance into negotiation talks between the Big Ten Network and Glen Mason. As I'm sure you are aware, our former gridiron leader has a new gig with the Big Ten Network.

Big Ten Network: So, Glen, what can you bring to the Big Ten Network?

Mediocre Mason: Clearly, guys, I have a record. I’ve competed in the Big Ten. And if it weren’t for that damn Metrodome, I probably would have won a Big Ten title. The Metrodome really hurts recruiting, you know.

BTN: That’s a debatable point, Glen …

MM: Recruiting is even tougher now in Minnesota, with the open-air stadium on its way. Kids don’t want to play outside a climate-controlled facility.

BTN: Glen, you’re not the Minnesota coach anymore, there’s no need for excuses.

MM: Right. Sorry.

BTN: Anyway, we’re more interested in what insight you can give viewers.

MM: I can give color commentary from a coach’s perspective. If a team has a big lead in the fourth quarter, and is punting inside its 20, I’ll be able to relay from experience what the punter should do in the event all hell breaks loose.

BTN: Undoubtedly you have a good sense of the Minnesota program, but the others?

MM: Ohio State was going to hire me before they went the popular Division 1-AA route to hire Jim Tressel. Lots of programs are going the no-name coach route these days.

BTN: Sounds like a pot-shot at Tim Brewster.

MM: Not at all. Timmy will do fine if he can circumvent the tough academic standards at the U.

BTN: Hasn’t that theory been debunked?

MM: It’s hard to recruit at Minnesota.

BTN: OK, Glen. As a color analyst or in-booth guy, you’ll be a member of the media. But you seem to have a certain disdain for the media. How will that work?

MM: I have a record of being open and personable with Minnesota fans. They didn’t call me PR Glen for nothing. The media loved me. Ask Sid Hartman.

BTN: They called you what?

MM: PR Glen. You know, because I did a yeoman’s work pumping up the media and public at large. The Minnesota media and fan base loved me. Honestly.

BTN: How will you react if you are calling a game and the student section offers up a “Fire Tressel” chant?

MM: I’ll give them a cursory glance. Then I’ll probably run quickly to the AD’s office to drop off my resume.

BTN: What were some of the high points of your tenure in Minnesota?

MM: If you didn’t notice, I installed one of the most high-octane running attacks in the country. We put up 424 rushing yards against Michigan and 411 against Wisconsin. That’s good work for one Saturday afternoon.

BTN: Didn’t you lose those games?

MM: I didn’t lose those games. It was bad luck. It’s not my fault. Look at the numbers. I’m God’s gift to football. I know it and, well, I know it.

BTN: What was the best part of being in Minnesota?

MM: The $3.6 million stipend I received on my last day didn’t hurt.

BTN: You have any reservations about accepting a job with us?

MM: Not really. But don’t expect miracles. This is a new network. It will take time to build this program up. I am God’s gift to broadcasting. But I can’t work miracles with a program that has no record of success. Expect mediocrity for about 10 to 20 years. In the interim, don’t be surprised if you hear my name bandied about at CBS or ESPN. I’m coveted. It’s my personality, I think.

BTN: We’ll let you know, Glen.

Big Ten Network's Minnesota Football Preview

Found this 3-plus minute video today from the Big Ten Network previewing the Minnesota football season. Thought I'd pass it along. It includes Coach Tim Brewster's requisite positivity and chats with Amir Pinnix, Tony Mortensen and former backs Marion Barber and Laurence Maroney, among others.

Why Is The Big Ten Network A Good Thing Again?

If you haven't read, the Big Ten Network is the best thing to happen to the Big Ten since Jim Wacker was forced out of Minnesota.

No, really, it's going to be great. Ask Marcus Fuller at the Pioneer Press. You'll realize once you read Fuller's article that very little time is actually spent spelling out what the Big Ten Network will be, and considerable time is spent perfecting the art of stenography.

Oh, the Big Ten Network will be good for recruiting you say Mr. Tubby Smith. Well, then, why not report that.

The Big Ten Network, scheduled to launch in August, plans to give more national television exposure to Big Ten Conference teams as well as expand regional coverage for regular-season and conference games. Smith talked at a news conference Tuesday about what kind of impact the new network would have on his program.

"I feel it gives us a lot to sell in the recruiting area when we go into homes and legitimately say that this is something no other conference has," he said. "Say there's a kid in Atlanta now or in California or wherever in the States. Families can see him play. Fans and relatives can see him play. That's going to be a critical piece when we go out there and sell Minnesota basketball."

That would all be great if it was 100 percent accurate. As it is now, Big Ten fans across the country, whether they are in SEC territory or out west, can see every game of every Big Ten team. Fuller doesn't explain this, but all games, it doesn't apppear, will not be available for every fan. Fuller does note, albeit briefly, that the Big Ten Network right now is only affiliated with DirecTV. Those of you on Comcast or some other cable provider--and this goes for Tubby's recruits in Atlanta and California as well--there's no guarantee you are going to get the Big Ten Network.

This isn't to say the Big Ten Network is going to be a Jim Wacker-like failure. The point is, with just a few months until the network launches, many questions are unanswered. It's up to reporters like Fuller to ask the important questions. Thankfully, the Big Ten Network, in it's trip around the conference, stopped in Detroit this week. Detroit Free Press blogger Mark Snyder picks up the slack.

His primary explanation -- that the giant cable companies have bigger issues than simply adding another sports channel -- makes sense. And his plan to place the BTN on a variety of platforms, including video on demand, broadband content as well as the standard television network, is a response to a changing digital world, which complicates the larger negotiations.

But there are other questions. When BTN President Mark Silverman did a Q&A with Hawkeyenation.com, he made a long-winded statement that leads me, and a Michigan University blogger wondering if people living outside of the Big Ten's markets will be able to see our teams--as we can now. It's long. Apologies.

Silverman: The Gameplan package as you mentioned will no longer have the Iowa games. The important thing to understand is that every Iowa home game, and we have no control over away games, the deal the Big Ten Network has incorporates only home games. The second key piece is that games will either be part of the ESPN/ABC family of networks or the BTN. The first three weeks are selected during the summer, then they are done in a six to twelve day advance window. As we go forward, every game played in Iowa City will be owned if you will by ESPN/ABC or the BTN. If that game is aired as a part of the BTN, what I am pledging we will do, is that we will have one BTN game of the week. In addition to those games, we will have a regionalization. Where we can put the Iowa game on in Iowa. If you are not in Iowa, and the game of the week is say, Ohio State-Northwestern, and that is on the BTN, what we are offering to Direct TV, Comcast, Time Warner, Mediacom and everyone, are all of these games. So the BTN primary feed will be the game of the week, but in addition to that, we are making these games available as a part of carrying the network. So the cable provider or satellite operator will have the chance to air all of the games. So there will be a crawl on the main saying if you want to view another game, go to this channel.

So, just for kicks, let's pretend that Minnesota and Illinois are kicking off at Noon on a Saturday at the same time that Wisconsin and Michigan are in the BTN Game of the Week. While BTN says it will have a crawl on the screen to alert viewers where to go, what is the liklihood that a cable provider in Oklahoma, Los Angeles or Virginia is going to carry all of these games? Those of us outside Big Ten Country would like to know: Will we be able to see our team every week?

And about those recruits Tubby speaks of. Are they going to be able to watch Minnesota v. Wisconsin hoops on a Saturday at The Barn if Michigan State v. Illinois is the game of the week?

My take on this may be off, and if so, someone give me a heads up. But with the reporting done on the network so far, there are a lot of unanswered questions.