Questions for the Bear

"Chasey T"
-So Brown Bear it has been a few interesting days in the MWC. Thanks to BYU we now have a bunch of things up in the air and don't know what the MWC or the WAC will look like. Rumors are flying that the BIG 12 could still come calling for TCU and BYU. Independent will bring the money and business side of football. There's no arguing that. There is however uncertainty of if it will work and how they would make it. So I ask you my friend. You're BYU. Independent or Not?

"Brown Bear"
-First off, I had to resist punching my computer out when you called me BYU, haha, just kidding. Chasey T, I gotta be honest with you, I think we both agree what the Cougars need to do in this situation. The landscape of College Football is on the verge of significant change, and to me, the biggest way to make it through change is to rely on the continuity that you already have. For BYU, this means staying where they are, in the new powerhouse of the non-BCS conferences, the Mountain West Conference.

For the record, I think BYU should go indy, but I figured I'd take the opposite perspective on this one.

"Chasey T"

-Brown Bear I'm glad that on the record you agree with BYU going Indy. Satying in the powerhouse of Non-BCS schools has no appeal because it is steal a non-BCS conference. Going Independent is a way for BYU to get exposure and make more money. Which as we earlier discussed is the best thing for everyone. I question though if going Independent is the best option now that the WAC is breaking up. Before it was a no brainer, but now where do they go from here if they go Independent?

"Brown Bear"

-Here's where I get to with this whole situation. We know that more money typically means more power, because you can use that money in different ways to recruit kids, hire top coaches, etc, but that goes against what Bronco Mendenhall has built in Cougarville. The man from day one has embraced the differences that the University has when compared to other schools, most notably in recruiting. Bronco has said over and over that kids that want to come to BYU will come, and they don't have to worry about the rest. He's right. They'll be competitive for as long as they have a program, because football is a game where hard work and effort can get you to the same places that talent does. Did anyone argue that BYU thumped Oklahoma last year? Not at all. In fact, had the Cougars not lost to Florida St, I think they could have been national championship contenders. My point is this, going independent, while perhaps more lucrative, does little to change BYU as a program, other than they become more marketable to other teams. If you're Duke, and suck at football but need a good revenue game, why wouldn't you negotiate a deal to have BYU come out and kick your team's ass? You get boosted ticket sales from the legions of fans the Y supposedly has across the nation, possibly get on ESPN or at least the BYU-TV network which is on every provider anyway, and if you win, you've knocked off a big time college team. Its no more difficult than beating New Mexico or Wyoming. Here is what I get to though, with this move you become more of a travelling circus than a football program. Stay in the MWC, continue to do what you, keep scheduling games with Texas and so forth, and force the MWC to renegotiate their deal so you get money. At this point Craig Thompson has played his cards, so he doesn't really have anything left. You're in the driver's seat, either way you go, you'll be safe.

Well guys the Brown Bear has spoken! If you don't know, now you know! Stay Good - Chasey T and The Brown Bear