McCall

Actually, the "Pointless" portion of the thread title isn't in reference to the realignment proposals themselves, but rather the general existence of the thread because a lot of people around here didn't like it when people posted them in other threads. So they created this thread for those of us who do like realignment ideas, but named it as such to remind people how others feel about it. So basically, it's just the "REALIGNMENT OUTPOST". Then they added "POINTLESS" to the name to show their disdain for it. Probably should have been titled "(POINTLESS) REALIGNMENT OUTPOST" to be more accurate.

I can't tell how serious you are about these, but I sincerely hope that you don't actually believe any of this should happen.

Is that a cartoon dog or an emo kid belting out Celine Dion?

Yes, I'm aware. But you're putting it all on the owners. Players command these big contracts. They feel it's what they're worth and it's the market the drives them up, which is good for them and other players in regards to their future contract possibilities. But it's also because MLB is what's generating the money. Now, do they need to have better conditions, absolutely. But it's the market working as it's intended to work, and how the players want it to work, that is resulting in these contracts. (off topic but somewhat not off topic note: I went to school with that one former player-turned-lawyer, Garrett Broshius [pronounced BRUSH-HOUSE] from Kindergarten through Second Grade in Advance, MO. One of my best friends.)

I'm not saying MiLB players shouldn't be paid better, but arguing about the gap between established major league players (the top tier, no doubt) and minor league players who have yet to do anything in the majors and therefore earn these massive deals, is a rather odd take.

Actually, the SEC hasn't really gone outside their territory. The Big Ten, for the most part, hadn't. Yeah they went a little east with Rutgers and Maryland, but they maintained a continuous border. Now, they are definitely chasing the biggest markets, while the SEC is just merely expanding within what can be considered their region. Missouri is the only one that's not considered "the south", but, taking into account the entire state, we border (soon to be with the addition of Oklahoma) four SEC states. Plus, where I live, is more southern/southern plains (i.e. Oklahoma/Texas) culture than what's perceived to be typical midwest culture.

Yeah, but by how much? $350M/13 comes out just shy of $27M/year. So the Twins could've offered anything between $270M/10 and $349M/10 and, although the AAV would be higher, overall, it'd be less money.

Players Union would never go for it. Plus, with no salary cap, there’s really no means for instituting one.

Yeah, but we all decided not to talk about it around here.

Yeah, those cities are in my "area". (Our ABC station is in Harrison, IL and NBC in Paducah). When you cross over into Illinois from here, you definitely see a difference in the condition of the land AND buildings. When we went to Nashville about 5 years ago, once we crossed into Kentucky from Illinois, it was like beautiful green grass everywhere again.

You're complaining about an issue that's not there, though. You keep saying schools are being left behind. They aren't. You keep saying other sports are being kept out of FBS. They aren't, because FBS is a football-only division that has no effect on other sports. All sports in these conferences (that are currently division I) REMAIN division I. If you don't like the idea of them forming an FBS conference, ok. But all of the reasoning you've listed for this, that you put out there for scrutiny and criticism, is not accurate. This has NO effect on schools in the two conferences that may not want to go FBS. It has NO effect on other sports within those two conferences. None. Nobody's being left behind nor screwed over. It's just not the case.

I still don't think you're grasping what exactly is happening. You have football schools from two, FCS conferences, wanting to form an FBS conference, while maintaining their membership in the separate, DIVISION I, conferences for all other sports. This new FBS conference is just that , A NEW FBS CONFERENCE. No schools are being left out. Any school from these two separate FCS conferences that want to go FBS were probably invited to join. If they aren't, then it's probably because they want to stay FCS. These schools are not leaving these two separate conferences for any sport other than football, the only sport where FBS exists. You're literally complaining about nothing.

I don’t think you do get it. You still haven’t explained how this is actually bad for any other sport or anybody, period. These schools from theses two FCS conferences want to be FBS, so they plan to form one together. Again, has no effect on any other sport whatsoever. And there’s no automatic bid in FBS.

It's not really odd at all. A lot of conferences in FCS and division II do it. I fail to see how this affects the other sports as you're implying it does.

What? FBS only exists in football. FCS is still a Division I level, so all schools would probably still be Division I in all other sports, if they so choose. All sports: Division I Football: Division I (FBS)

By choice. We all choose whether or not we want to purchase something or some service (entertainment included) from someone or some company. What that company chooses to do with that money (legally, of course) is up to them. If we disagree with how they use it, we can choose to no longer do business with them. But we don't get to tell them what to do, nor other customers what to do, for the sake of our own, individual opinions. If you don't like contributing to the "astronomical" salaries of players, then don't purchase anything that would contribute to it. But you don't get to tell others they shouldn't just because you don't like how the money's being used. It's up to each individual to decide for themselves.

St. Louis area? That's a little different than further south.

The fact that angry beavers are considered the "most intelligent mammal" in southern Illinois tells you all you need to know about the people of southern Illinois. Believe me. I live just across the river from it. (Actually lived over there until I was 3)

It's actually got a lot of dark gray in it.

Willson Contreras to the Cardinals. 5 years/$87.5m.

They are going to make the Battlehawks Defenders uniforms more complicated than it should aren't they? They are going to make the Battlehawks Guardians uniforms more complicated than it should aren't they? They are going to make the Battlehawks Roughnecks uniforms more complicated than it should aren't they? They are going to make the Battlehawks Renegades uniforms more complicated than it should aren't they? They are going to make the Battlehawks Brahmas uniforms more complicated than it should aren't they? They are going to make the Battlehawks Vipers uniforms more complicated than it should aren't they? They are going to make the Battlehawks Sea Dragons uniforms more complicated than it should aren't they?

I believe San Francisco offered basically the same thing.

There are 32 teams competing for 14 playoff spots in the NFL. There are 131 teams competing for 4 playoff spots (currently) in FBS. The systems are not comparable.

Harper got 13 years and no opt out.