Open Letter to ESPN (long - so very long) - JUMP to #3 only if needed

Dear ESPN: ( tl:dr types - simply jump to #3 only)

Your "experts", "analysts", and "journalists" are spread too thin. They are putting out opinions and making statements and demands which are silly.

I recommend you inform your team of the following:

1) LSU has a very long perception that the SEC has become progressively biased. You may not have lived it and you may not understand it, and you may not see this issue from that lense, so therefore you are not "getting it". That perception is that Alabama and Florida, at least since the Spurrier era (and in the case of Alabama further back) are the clear favorites. Again, you may not agree, but you need to understand the lense the LSU perspective see this...But this is NOT the main point of this post, so please read on...

2) LSU believes that Florida INTENTIONALLY and STRATEGICALLY dug in their heels to get this game "postponed", and did not give good faith effort at any point in the so-called "negotiations". It seems that the large number of key personnel injuries on the Florida squad is the real reason for this strategy, but we cannot prove that. However, what IS CLEAR is that there was not a good faith effort to play this game last weekend. It was a strategic gamble to throw the pressure on LSU so Florida could avoid a forfeit, with this half-baked notion of a "postponement" when there was not valid concept that would be reasonably felt to be mutually acceptable.

3) Here is the main LSU issue: LSU finds it as a COMPLETE NON-STARTER to end the season changing from an already brutal schedule to an UNTENABLE and UNSAFE end-of season schedule. The current schedule calls for Bama, then AT Arkansas, then home for South Alabama, then AT College Station on a short week. That is tough, but LSU SIGNED UP FOR IT, so bring on the regular form of brutal. HOWEVER, a travel game to FLorida on 11/19 changes this in a way that a 5th grade girl should understand is not nearly acceptable. Its like the difference between a Cat-2/3 Hurricane, and a Cat-5 Katrina-style storm. The ending you folks are stating that LSU should accept is as follows: Bama, then AT Arkansas, then AT Florda, the AT College Station on a short week. That is 4 brutal, consecutive games against top teams, with 3 consecutive SEC ROAD games against 3 "rivals" who will be in the top 20 (most likely) - ALL in 12 days timeframe. Can't you see that this is an unacceptable and UNTENABLE, NON-STARTER option? Are you as smart as a 5th Grade kid? THAT MEANS THAT ANY DISCUSSION OF LSU TRAVELING TO GAINSEVILLE on 11/19 WILL BE REBUKED IMMEDIATELY. PERIOD. NO DICE, UNLESS SOME OTHER COMPONENT CHANGED SIGNIFICANTLY ALONG WITH THIS ENDING. THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF THIS ENTIRE DISCUSSION. Everyone knew this was not going to work at the time of the "postponement", so it is BS to continue this "negotiation" It is a classic non-starter.


3A) LSU gave up a home game last year, so can't you see how they are unwilling to do so again this year? Can't you process that? Can't you understand that this would cost to the tune of 5+Million overall to do so? But, again, don'ty falsely point to this, as this is not the main objection. I point you firmly to #3 as THE MAIN ISSUE. I said #3. That would be #3. Pay MOST ATTN to #3, please. Ok, every one should get it now.

4) Another question for you. What was the REAL HARD STOP last Thursday to decide the game's viability in Gainseville? I do not believe that it had to close when it did. I have been engaged in far more complex weather-related decision windows, and will not accept that this was the hard end of the decision window. I believe it was the artificial end that would allow Foley to get his intended outcome, and for clear strategic reasons. The storm wobbled to the west, but about 4-6 hours later, which would have been an acceptable time to defer the final decision, it was further north and had shifted again. Had the SEC and Foley extended the decision window to Thursday evening, leaving a Sat OR Sun game option on the table, the game would have been played last weekend.

5) Finally, we all watched the women's teams of Florida play road games in volleyball and soccer. Admittedly, these are much different in terms of logistics, but why was this not a safety issue? And of course we know that ND and NC State played in the storm, and that UGA and USCe got this done, as did the Miami game. The reason: Foley was not involved. LSU made every possible concession to play at Florida last weekend, including in front of an empty stadium and traveling to/from Gainesville on Sunday.

6) Foley "worked" Sankey. Period. He should be forced to forfeit the game for being completely unreasonable at every turn. The only concession LSU should be willing to make is to play the TAMU game on Sunday evening at Kyle Field, which would soften the blow from #3 above, which AGAIN, is the main reason why this has not been worked out, and why LSU will not accept the proposed end-of-season "option", because it is viewed UNSAFE and UNTENABLE.

So, ESPN mouthpieces: Can you understand, or will you continue with things you intellectually understand to be bad ideas just for revenue generation for Mickey Mouse?

All in all, LSU believes Foley was not acting in good faith. Foley gave no reasonable consideration. Since Foley's strategy and un-cooperativeness are why we are here, and since the SEC cannot move the SEC Championship game back, then Florida and Foley should forfeit -OR- the SEC should change the rules to establishing the SEC-East and SEC-West champions being only based on SEC-East and SEC-West intra-division records as the only alternative remaining that is reasonable and fair. If Sankey has the judgment and balls to do so, that is.