Big Ten Network finally on the air, too

By Ron Kantowski

Sunday, June 22, 2008 | 11:38 p.m.

NOW:

Remember a couple of years ago when the Mountain West said having its own TV network was such a good deal that the Big Ten decided to copy it and start its own network?

Well, it took nearly two years since it was launched to get The Mtn. on satellite TV, and for the Big Ten Network to get on cable TV. But now that both are, bring on those Wyoming volleyball and Northwestern baseball games.

The Big Ten Network and Comcast Corp, which supplies cable TV in most Big Ten markets, have finally reached an agreement. The Mountain West recently announced that The Mtn. will be available to DirecTV subscribers beginning Aug. 27.

It's easy to poke fun at the less than major sports, or at least the limited interest in them, that fill most of the programming slots on these fledgling college sports networks. But in the long run, The Mtn. and the Big Ten Network may prove to be a big hit with fans because of the cash cow sports, football and basketball.

In the short run, they probably shouldn't have gone on the air without signed contracts from the TV service providers.

----- During Sunday's Indy Racing League telecast, ABC ran a spot for its new prime-time game show called "Wipeout" which showed cars running around the track at the Indy 500 while the voice-over guy said something to the effect that the only reason people watch auto racing is to see drivers wipeout. Maybe I'm being too sensitive, but I thought that might have been a little insensitive after Scott Kalitta, the drag racer, was killed in a crash the night before.

----- Remember when Fresno State and UNLV were baseball rivals in the Big West? Well, now the Bulldogs are in the WAC and the Rebels are in the Mountain West and it's the WAC that is going to get a ton of free publicity when Fresno and Georgia meet for the NCAA baseball title beginning Monday night.

----- You might have missed this, but The Fighting Cummards -- Lee, the co-Mountain West player of the year, and wife, Sarah, who was in the middle of a fight in the stands at the Thomas & Mack Center during last season's conference tournament -- have withdrawn from the NBA draft and will return to BYU for their senior season.

THEN:

"In football the object is for the quarterback, also known as the field general, to be on target with his aerial assault, riddling the defense by hitting his receivers with deadly accuracy in spite of the blitz, even if he has to use shotgun. With short bullet passes and long bombs, he marches his troops into enemy territory, balancing this aerial assault with a sustained ground attack that punches holes in the forward wall of the enemy's defensive line.

"In baseball the object is to go home! And to be safe! - I hope I'll be safe at home!"

-- George Carlin 1937-2008