The Saturday Column With No Name – NCAA Rejects Sorsby/Texas Tech Appeal, The Behemoth That College Softball And Baseball Could Be For TV Networks, Texas Tech Fans…Never Rob Yourself Of Sports-Joy… Embrace Greatness Even If It Means Second Place….

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It’s back and bigger than ever. It’s the column so big in fact, it has no name. That or we just have run out of good column titles and that’s the way it goes. Either way, here we go. Enjoy, add your own thoughts and comments and then share with a friend or three on social media today.

1. No shocker today that there are multi-media reports that the NCAA has told Texas Tech NOPE when it comes to the Brendan Sorsby appeal from a few days ago. This we expected. Remember this is only the progress from Texas Tech declaring to the NCAA on May 22nd that they found Sorsby to be ineligible under NCAA rules. Texas Tech appealed for reinstatement the same day. That was denied and now this appeal is denied. Seems like Texas Tech as an institution has done all they can for Sorsby. If we were a part of the Sorsby Camp, we’d tell Texas Tech thanks, but leave it alone from here. Here’s why: With the NCAA dropping the forever-ban on Sorsby, his legal team can try and claim more harm. It also speeds up the process with the NFL knowing exactly what the NCAA stance is going forward if Roger Goodell wants to put a suspension on Sorsby for the coming season as part of a condition of employment. So… we await the court ruling here in Lubbock in the next few days, the procedural appeal on that and then… something. We think the something is Sorsby applying for the NFL Supplemental Draft on June 22. Either way, Texas Tech did what they felt like they had to do and the NCAA has done what was expected. And the lawyers always get paid somehow, someway….
2. When you look at the TV ratings for the NCAA College Softball Tournament and for College Baseball over the last few years, you’ve got to wonder why ESPN first and foremost isn’t showing more games in prime-time during the season. Imagine what the ratings would look like if the American sports viewing public actually knew the players before late May and June…. ESPN should absolutely being showing more softball and baseball. If they don’t want to, Fox should get in on the action. If the NCAA wants to grow the sport great. If not, the Big 12 could work with the networks and provide them great entertainment in a world where it’s harder and harder to have live sports during the Spring after college hoops is over.
3. Speaking of College Softball. It Texas Tech ever gets to the point where fans can’t celebrate and enjoy a team that finishes as a National Runner-Up in any sport… I don’t want to be associated with those fans. For the most part, Texas Tech fans were more than happy and pleased to enjoy another season of Texas Tech Softball that ended in OKC in the Finals of the CWS. We know the history. This is new and an emerging program. For the most part, Texas Tech fans ignored the mantra of “national title or bust” that some in the media draped on the program. The most laughable thing was ESPN announcers over the tournament talking about this Texas Tech teams being “built to win a national title”. Well. Ya. What was Texas or UCLA or Alabama or Oklahoma softball built to do? Arts and Crafts? Sing in the musical Cats! Texas Tech Softball shows all the signs of being able to sustain greatness. And yes… finishing second in any college sport is greatness. I watched some Texas Tech Lady Raider Basketball fans in the 90s and early 2000s not be able to enjoy great seasons because Texas Tech didn’t win a National Championship in 1993. Those folks, and even at times some folks inside the program, robbed themselves of a great amount of joy. Don’t let that happen to you as a Texas Tech Softball Fan.

Hyatt

Thanks for taking a second or two to read our quick Saturday thoughts. We’ll be with you in the morning right here for our 5 Things We Know On A Sunday column. For now, feel free to share this and comment. Be sure and follow us on our growing and engaging Facebook Page, on Twitter/X and our YouTube Channel and never miss out on what we do in Raiderland!