re: So.. about that Longhorn Network, hows that doing again?

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but no one can break down a game like Gary, pair that with his calling ability and that's why I think he is among the best right, and has been for a good while.

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Jesse Palmer >>>> Gary. Yeah, I said it.

Also, some UT games are not available to a lot of fans in Texas because they don't have access to the LHN. In the end, it's always the fans who have to bend over and take it.

I live in Dallas, and I don't get LHN.

That's what I hate about all these fights over carrying networks, like Viacom and DirecTV, AMC and Dish, etc. etc. etc..

"Contact your cable provider and tell them that you want......."

They don't tell you the whole story. The cable network is often at fault or at least carry at least as much of the responsibility.

To use the Viacom example, they should tell the viewers to "Contact your cable provider and tell them you want your rates to go up 3 or 4 dollars a month just so that we can have a dozen more channels on your cable system that you're not even going to watch anyway."

Here are the issues:

1. The NCAA putting a stop to the LHN's plan to televise high school games (more specifically, games which feature longhorn recruits). That would have been almost half of the channel's appeal. ESPN was not powerful enough to get the NCAA to back down and lost a significant amount of face here.

2. Like was said earlier, there simply isn't national appeal for a network dedicated to one school 24/7.

3. ESPN's refusal to take a deal like the Big 10 and PAC 12 networks...basic package in those conferences' states, premium package everywhere else. They wanted it forced on the BASIC cable package.

4. ESPN strongly underestimated the backlash from item #3. The number of customers "demanding" the LHN was outnumbered almost 6 to 1 by the number of customers threatening to cancel their service if the channel was added to their lineup.

5. Texas' actual fan base. The majority of Texas fans are bandwagon at best...or illegal Mexicans. There simply aren't enough fans of the school who care about anything besides football...certainly not enough to merit a 24/7 sports network for all other sports.

This year is making things that much worse when you take in the fact that Texas A&M's first three games are NATIONALLY TELEVISED while the only reason Texas' THIRD game is televised on anything other than the longhorn network is because they're playing an SEC opponent. A&M is guaranteed to have more games available to everyone than Texas is...even if the SCSU game and SHSU game are only available on a PPV basis.

Time Warner's acceptance of the PAC 12 network was a proverbial slap in the face to ESPN and the Longhorn Network.

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5. Texas' actual fan base. The majority of Texas fans are bandwagon at best...or illegal Mexicans. There simply aren't enough fans of the school who care about anything besides football...certainly not enough to merit a 24/7 sports network for all other sports.

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I don't see how they ever thought this was a good idea. No one outside of Central Texas gives two shits about the Longhorns. I've personally seen far more A&M fans in Houston than Longhorn fans.

Plus, they straight up suck. The glory days are over. Vince is long gone. Colt is busy holding clipboards as the 3rd string QB. There are no superstars or nationally known players on that roster in site.

And outside of the football program there is very little interest in UT sports outside of central Texas much less nationally.

So they just come off looking like the stingy douchey older brother bullying their smaller siblings.

Meanwhile A&M has come out smelling like roses being in the SEC and getting far more national coverage now.

I agree,once you've read the book Inside ESPN, you'll really understand that it is all bout money, money & more money. ESPN initially had to pay providers to put its programs on and once they made that change, it's all been downhill for the network as far as practically printing its own money. All those millons of dollars they are paying conferences to cover their games comes predominately from the subscribers; the ad money brings in a lot smaller amount in comparison.

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The fact they don't even have full penetration in Texas is just sad, though.

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Limp dicks.

I think its hilarious that aTm is making out better while the LHN can't even get traction. The worm has turned.

Texas has always considered itself more than what it really is.

It's not "A Whole Other Country". A lot of morons there just think it is.