Thursday Happy Hour: Kirby Hocutt Speaks Out on Miami Scandal, ESPN and Texas Defend the Longhorn Network

Don Williams of The Williams and Hyatt Show and Lubbock Avalanche-Journal and David Just

interviewed Texas Tech Athletic Director Kirby Hocutt over the University of Miami booster scandal that Yahoo! Sports broke Tuesday and many people are anticipating the proverbial public execution of the Hurricanes Football program. Hocutt was the AD at Miami from 2008 to early 2011, but denied he knew Nevin Shapiro, the man behind the allegations at Miami, no better than any other high level donor or even on a personal basis.

On Thursday, the University of Texas and its common law partner, ESPN, defended the Longhorn Network to reporters during an open house at the LHN Studios in Austin. Kansas State has been singled out for the second game to be broadcast on LHN and Texas Athletic Director DeLoss Dodds having to give the obligatory propaganda said, "I think in 30 years the Big 12 will look smart for doing it this way."

Thanks, Mr. Dodds. I'm sure you believe every word of that. The issue of the LHN isn't about jealousy and is a cop out answer for those who refuse to think about the issue. Was it right for Texas to accept the proposal for their own network? Under the current Big 12 television contracts, no. I'm for the free market to be unfettered, but these are government entities and they must regulated, no exceptions.