Joe on utepia

More Miner games on TV?

Inside word is the feud between local Time Warner and CSTV is abating, and that could mean Time Warner and UTEP could get together and televise more Miner road games. It should be imperative that the Miners be on TV as much as possible.

Because CSTV has a solid deal with UTEP's Conference USA, it has a big say in what games can be televised. CSTV pays C-USA big money for that right.

Last season it got so heated, it's said, that both Time Warner and CSTV had lawyers involved. And CSTV basically told Time Warner to stand back and shaddup.

It's good to hear that the two may work something out because basic cable subcribers of Time Warner cannot access CSTV.

Texas vs. The Nation

Texas vs. The Nation will be played on Saturday at 3 p.m. at the Sun Bowl, and the game includes three UTEP players.

For all your Texas vs. The Nation news, check out the El Paso Times' page dedicated to the game.

Also now available is a podcast on the game that will get you up to speed on everything you need to know before you head out to the Sun Bowl. To listen to or download the wide-ranging discussion between Bret Bloomquist, Pablo Villa, John Erfort and Jay Koester, click here.

Special Sun Bowl podcast

Below is our last preview podcast of the Sun Bowl before the big game. It's a special podcast because along with hearing Joe, Bill, Pablo and Jay talk their nonsense, you'll get to hear audio highlights from the coaches taken today at the Sun Bowl luncheon. Check it out.  And if you'd rather download the mp3, that link should be available soon at Sun Bowl Mania.

Talking about the Sun Bowl

Joe Muench and crew are talking about the Oregon Ducks and the South Florida Bulls in their Sun Bowl podcast. Take a listen.

Also, if you have a question or comment for the next podcast, just leave it at (915) 546-6130, and we'll try to use it on our next show.

No surprise at NMSU

These are the days when mid-major colleges, such as UTEP and New Mexico State, hire persons who are recruiters first and coaches ... well, maybe second or third.

Getting talent at a mid-level school is more important than honing skills and trying to sneak into the NCAA Tournament with a conference tourney win.

So New Mexico State made a good pick in choosing Louisville assistant Marvin Menzies to replace Reggie Theus.

Had NMSU wanted a coach/recruiter, NMSU alum Rob Evans would have been a good pick. He's been head coach at Ole Miss and Arizona State, and was a long-time assistant at Big 12 schools.

Yes, the days of the Haskins' and Hensons' are over at schools that need high flying dunksters to lure TV, rather than nose-to-nose defense-minded coaches who use wiles to position players for upsets of bigger schools every once in a while.

The hiring of Menzies, known as a player's coach and a great recruiter, will also likely help convince Reggie's recruits to stick around in Aggieland.

Suing New Mexico State

I think I'll sue New Mexico State University.

I'll get the ACLU to handle my case, for free, so those Aggies will buckle their knees and pay me a lot of money in an out-of-court settlement.

They do that, you know. Sue 'em and they settle.

NMSU settled out of court this week on a lawsuit brought by four former football players against Coach Hal Mumme. The basic complaint was Mumme allegedly didn't treat them well, and they said it was because they are Muslims.

Aw c'mon!

A few years back, NMSU backed out and paid off its former basketball coach, Neil McCarthy, some $800,000 when he sued over being reassigned to some gymnasium job across campus, if I recall. Teaching dance, was it? In the McCarthy case the Aggies had to pay the lawyer(s), too — about a million dollars, if I recall correctly.

Hey, these Aggies are easy money. Sue and get paid.

I can see why the school just wants to get it over — settle and get on with hoping they don't get sued again. It's a state institution so the taxpayers cough up the money, anyway.

Here's my suit (are you listening ACLU?):

For more than 15 years, as sports editor of the Las Cruces Sun-News, I had to cover that terrible Aggie football program every single fall, year after year after ...

Then, when I came to El Paso in 1985, I had that equally terrible UTEP football program eroding my natural wonderfulness.

I'm a warm, gracious, loving person. Anyway, that's what God intended. The real me would never, ever, say an unkind word about anybody in print.

My suit contends the Aggies turned me into a tell-it-like-it-is, mean ol' sports columnist when I could have been a beloved suck-up to the home team.

Anyway, do you think I can get a million or so out of the Aggies?