The Big 12 expansion groundswell

[CJF]

That, or he may just be reading this thread and seeing everything being posted by Cougar Nation.

I shudder to think what your views on the University of Utah and their arrogance must have been one year ago. You have a kind and forgiving soul to have accepted them back with such open arms.

[Senioritis]

wrong. Birds the size of the common raven love the Emerald Ash. Why, you might ask? Simple. The Emerald Ash borer makes for tasty eating.

I can accept this as truth if you are discussing a Common Raven with a birth defect, or an injury that has made flight impossible. Such a Raven would be fine feasting on the delightful Emerald Ash borer, which is found, almost without exception, only in the portion of the trunk within three feet of the soil.

However, a healthy Common Raven would not stoop to such a level, regardless of the size of the borer infestation, preferring instead the more substantial food sources found in the mighty oak, or any of a group of large conifers.

As your statement was about the crow "flying," I can only assume that the Common Raven you used to make your estimate would be able to sustain flight, which would therefore render useless any thought of such a sized bird spending any time around the Emerald Ash as I have previously proven.

You seem to want to go to great lengths to justify your deceit.

[kccougar]

I shudder to think what your views on the University of Utah and their arrogance must have been one year ago. You have a kind and forgiving soul to have accepted them back with such open arms.

I think everyone knows Utah was on their knees begging. There were no "negotiations".

[Blueintheface]

I think everyone knows Utah was on their knees begging. There were no "negotiations".

You are about to get Hot Lunched.

[Hot Lunch]

You are about to get Hot Lunched.

KC just might be the most arrogant of all the cougar faithful on this board.

[TripletDaddy]

I can accept this as truth if you are discussing a Common Raven with a birth defect, or an injury that has made flight impossible. Such a Raven would be fine feasting on the delightful Emerald Ash borer, which is found, almost without exception, only in the portion of the trunk within three feet of the soil.

However, a healthy Common Raven would not stoop to such a level, regardless of the size of the borer infestation, preferring instead the more substantial food sources found in the mighty oak, or any of a group of large conifers.

As your statement was about the crow "flying," I can only assume that the Common Raven you used to make your estimate would be able to sustain flight, which would therefore render useless any thought of such a sized bird spending any time around the Emerald Ash as I have previously proven.

You seem to want to go to great lengths to justify your deceit.

You are backpedaling now. Initially you cited a bird the "size of" a common raven. Now you are specifying a common raven. Which is it?

I agree that a common raven would likely not eat an emerald ash borer, but then again, that wasn't what you initially said, was it?

Here are the undeniable facts so far:

1. The BYU pop-up tent is 15 feet from the parking structure (not the van )
2. A bird the size of the common raven would love to feast upon an Emerald Ash borer
3. The tree in question is highly unlikely to be an Emerald Ash, as any graduate of BYU can attest (award winning grass and landscape around campus). The Emerald Ash has an invasive root system and messy fruit droppings that make it impractical for high traffic areas adjacent to structures....structures such as multi-level parking lots.

[MarkGrace]

You are about to get Hot Lunched.

I'm pretty sure that has to do with stroking something, but I can't remember what.

[Blueintheface]

KC just might be the most arrogant of all the cougar faithful on this board.

I thought we'd established that I was the most arrogant. Damn, I'll have to work on that. How's this?

Texas better come begging that we allow them to use BYUtv when the LHN doesn't get distributed! Hold out, BoT, hold out!

[Uncle Ted]

I thought we'd established that I was the most arrogant. Damn, I'll have to work on that. How's this?

Texas better come begging that we allow them to use BYUtv when the LHN doesn't get distributed! Hold out, BoT, hold out!

Amen brother.

[Paperback Writer]

You forgot to highlight the important part...

Pitt AD Steve Pederson is sending out signals the Panthers are content in the Big East.

This is bizzare. Pitt in the Big 12 and TCU in the Big East???

So Texas A&M is leaving and Pitt might be joining. Time for a bit of trivia. What do Texas A&M AD Bill Byrne and Pittsburgh AD Steve Pederson have in common?

[kccougar]

KC just might be the most arrogant of all the cougar faithful on this board.

..

[Hot Lunch]

I thought we'd established that I was the most arrogant. Damn, I'll have to work on that. How's this?

Texas better come begging that we allow them to use BYUtv when the LHN doesn't get distributed! Hold out, BoT, hold out!

I never said that. I said that your were the one that would call me out the most if I didn't stroke the ego of Cougar Nation with my posts. Big difference.

[Uncle Ted]

So Texas A&M is leaving and Pitt might be joining. Time for a bit of trivia. What do Texas A&M AD Bill Byrne and Pittsburgh AD Steve Pederson have in common?

PBW, you are making my head hurt.

Edit: Wait, both were at Nebraska.

[Senioritis]

You are backpedaling now. Initially you cited a bird the "size of" a common raven. Now you are specifying a common raven. Which is it?

I agree that a common raven would likely not eat an emerald ash borer, but then again, that wasn't what you initially said, was it?

Here are the undeniable facts so far:

1. The BYU pop-up tent is 15 feet from the parking structure (not the van )
2. A bird the size of the common raven would love to feast upon an Emerald Ash borer
3. The tree in question is highly unlikely to be an Emerald Ash, as any graduate of BYU can attest (award winning grass and landscape around campus). The Emerald Ash has an invasive root system and messy fruit droppings that make it impractical for high traffic areas adjacent to structures....structures such as multi-level parking lots.

Don't put words in my mouth! YOU are the one who cited "as the crow flies." I, trying to give you the benefit of the doubt, assumed you meant the Eurasian Jackdaw, as it's clear that the Common Raven wouldn't be caught near, around, under, or over the type of deciduous tree that is between the pop-up tent and the parking garage.

However, it is clear from subsequent posts that, indeed, you meant the Common Raven when you cited the "crow." Therefore, we agree that a Common Raven wouldn't be caught dead near an Emerald Ash.

The invasive root system of the Emerald Ash is perfect for such a location, as the wind currents generated from a northerly flow would only be intensified when whipping through that particular parking garage. Any tree without such an invasive root system, such as the Speckled Alder, would be ripped out of the ground by such a magnified wind.

Therefore, the Emerald Ash in the photo is well placed, and perfectly suited to that location, but some moron placed a pop-up tent right underneath it, jeopardizing invasive root system by opening it to the possibility of human foot traffic. Don't hate the Ash, hate the tent placer.

Finally, and I think most importantly, the distance from the tent to the parking garage is the key issue here. Without proper surveying equipment, or at least a common measurement with a standard gauge measuring tape, we are left to rely on your estimate of 15 feet "as the crow flies" between the rear of the tent and the parking garage. I do not believe your estimate, as the Emerald Ash in the photo appears to me to be well beyond the girth that would be required to place the tent within the 15 foot radius.

I don't think the importance of this can be overstated. If the tent is within 15 feet of the parking structure, BYU goes the Big 12, with all of its attendant glory and treasure. If, however, the tent is outside the 15 foot perimeter, BYU might totally fail or die or something.

I am considering bringing my surveying equipment downtown in the next 24 hours to put this issue to rest.

[Paperback Writer]

Time for a bit of trivia. What do Texas A&M AD Bill Byrne and Pittsburgh AD Steve Pederson have in common?

PBW, you are making my head hurt.

Edit: Wait, both were at Nebraska.

That's a BINGO. Both were AD at Nebraska prior to going to Texas A&M and Pittsburgh respectively. In Pederson's case it was Pitt-Nebraska-Pitt.

So we have a former AD of Nebraska (Byrne) usherhing his school (Texas A&M) out of the Big 12 while another former Nebraska AD (Pederson) rumored to be taking his school to the Big 12 (Pittsburgh).

The Nebraska AD tree goes: Byrne-Pederson-Osborne.

This can only mean that BYU needs to trade Toms - Tom Osborne for Tom Holmoe in order to join the Big 12. It will also come in handy should BYU ever need to leave the Big 12.