Scattered thoughts about BYU, Gatlin Bair, and gardens from my scattered brain

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I've never been diagnosed with ADHD, but dozens of online tests and TikTok doctors have convinced me that I'm an ADHD victim. But, more than the tests and more than the TikToks, it's the neverending conversations that are going on in my head that have me most convinced that I am, at leaset, ADHD-adjacent. At any given moment, my brain is having multiple conversations with itself about a myriad of topics.

It's random and it's weird BUT it makes for some great content when the brainwaves move to interesting topics. That is where things are at today. So, without further ado, let's crack open my skull and see what my brain is thinking about today.

Gatlin Bair

The four-star wide receiver from Idaho (who has serious five-star potential) was recently highlighted by Max Olson of the The Athletic. This kid is on a trajectory that will make him a more famous Idahoan than Taysom Hill. If he lives up to the hype, he could become a more famous Idahoan than the real Idaho legends like Aaron Paul, Sacagawea, or the most famous of them all, Torrie Wilson .

Bair's climb to fame and BYU fan's confidence in landing the talented wideout have a direct correlation. With every offer that goes out, a new BYU fan account on the internet tweets/posts/shares, "I don't feel good about BYU's chances."

To you people I have a simple message: Stop being so soft.

I don't know where Bair ultimately decides to play college football, but I do know that BYU is going to be a factor in his recruitment all the way to the end. The Cougars have done a great job showing Bair love, showing him how he would fit into the offense, and showing that BYU is a great place for him on and off the field. Bair is committed to serving a mission after high school, something that he hasn't wavered from despite his ascension to Jesse Pinkman-fame, and BYU knows missionaries better than any school in the country.

BYU has a very compelling pitch and they will be a contender. So, stop acting defeated. Stop protecting your feelings from heartbreak. Jump head first into the love/hate relationship of recruiting and hope for Bair to come to BYU. If it doesn't happen, we'll commiserate together. If it does happen, you'll be able to tell your friends that you knew it all along.

The Royal Blue

BYU's official collective continues to operate in the background and it continues to make a difference. It is my belief that you will start to feel the fruits of their behind-the-scenes efforts as Mark Pope finalizes his roster in the transfer portal.

TRB and BYU will never be the school that is doling out millions of dollars for Bronny James. But TRB will allow BYU to be competitive - and that's where BYU is at right now. We've chatted with enough folks in the last few days that we can confidently say TRB is an asset to BYU and Pope as he dabbles in the transfer portal right now.

Speaking of BYU and Pope and NIL, let's dig into Pope's comments from a few weeks ago when he said that BYU was struggling in the NIL game.

I've chatted with a few sources and have learned that Pope whiffed. He didn't mean to call out the collective or the University directly, but rather, it was meant to be a plea for fans (individuals and businesses alike) to pony up more cash and donate to NIL causes. That complaint doesn't sting the ears as much because, frankly, he's right.

BYU fans probably feel tapped out. Ticket prices are going up, you have donate more to the Cougar Club to get access to season tickets, polo shirts are like $80 a shirt now, and tithing is still 10%. Nobody doesn't understand that BYU fans donate more than enough to athletic causes. But, Pope is right in saying that BYU will be limited in NIL until they have more fans participating in NIL causes.

BYU can't fund NIL. Period. It has to come from people and people's companies. Until those numbers climb, the Cougars will be at a disadvantage. There is money there, make no mistake about it, but people need to figure out more ways (i.e. call TRB) to get money into the hands of players.

If you are a Cougar Club donor who didn't get your seats of choice - or didn't get seats at all - may I suggest pulling your money from the University and giving it to a collective? Sure, you'll lose tickets and you won't get your cool Cougar Club license plate frame, but you'll make a bigger impact to wins and losses on the field and BYU doesn't need your money anyways. They have oodles coming in from the Big 12 that they've never had before.

May 20, 2020

That's the date of our first episode of GEHB. We're approaching the three year mark of the podcast, newsletter, Dicord community. Thank you all for the support. It's been one hell of a weird ride.

The PAC-12 continues to do stuff by not doing stuff

Smoke surrounding the Colorado defection to the PAC-12 is at an all-time high right now. There is real buzz from moderately connected people saying that a move from Colorado could happen soon.

My take?

It probably isn't happening - at least not imminently.

But, I don't think it's not happening because everything is honky dory in the PAC-12. I think there are real fractures and real concerns for the future, and I think that University presidents have basically admitted as much to the world.

The messaging at the University President level has been all over the map. Oregon State's president says a deal by March 15, Arizona's sets a deadline and then walks it back, Arizona State's says it needs to happen soon, Utah's says a deal isn't even close.

There is no consistency and there is no real messaging. Presidents are being asked to opine on something and it's clear that they don't have walking orders or a leader at the top who is controlling the message. This begs the question... why don't they?

There are a few possible answers. It could be because things change quickly in the media relations world and all of these presidents are being transparent, honest, and forthright as they answer questions. That seems extraordinarily unlikely, but it's possble.

It could be that each president is trying do to what's best for their school and they are quietly showing their hands a little bit. That seems more likely than being totally transparent. It makes sense that Utah would talk about a deal not being close but mentioning they aren't worried - Utah doesn't want to leave the conference. It would make sense for Oregon State to report all good news all the time - Oregon State won't have a home witout the PAC-12. It would make sense for the Arizonas to be a little more aggresive and try to force the action - the Arizonas aren't Big Ten contenders and can almost spit on the western wing of the Big 12 because they are so close.

Each school president representing their own individual plan makes a lot of sense.

It could also just be one big smokescreen and presidents are just saying things without anyone really holding them accountable for the validity of the things they say.

Either way, the buzz is buzzing and, frankly, George Kliavkoff should be embarrassed as hell. The only way he saves face at this point is to come up with a kick ass TV deal. He is getting beat to a pulp in the PR game, his presidents are going out on their own, and the media is still scratching their heads, waiting to see what happens.

No matter what happens to the PAC-12, Kliavkoff has one avenue to protect his job. If the media deal isn't great, well, watch out.

Garden with me

Maybe I'm getting old, I don't know, but I'm going all in on gardening this year. I have 9 large grow boxes (think metal water tanks like you'd see at a dairy farm) full and ready to roll. There is just something about clean food and knowing where it came from that makes me happy - even if that food is vegetables.

This is my second year gardening, and my first year getting really serious about it. It's fun, it's a great way to blow of steam, and it's cool for my kids to have some chores too. You don't need a ton of space. You can do grow bags like this or you can do grow boxes like this or you can just dig a hole in the ground and grow from there. There are a million ways to do it and it's all kinda fun.

So, garden with me, folks. We'll share our experiences about what works and what doesn't together. And we'll all feel a little older and a little more homesteady throughout the summer.