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Pac-12 Commissioner Dots
- You’ve probably heard before just now but the Pac-12 announced that it hired MGM executive George Kliavkoff to be the new commissioner. Just like Larry Scott he enters the job with no previous college sports experience. He does however have a background in sports media rights and portends a move of the conference headquarters to Las Vegas.
- Mike Vorel has his thoughts on the new hire after hearing his opening press conference.
- The Athletic’s Stewart Mandel writes that Kliavkoff seems to have the right priorities if he wants to make Pac-12 football’s appearances in the CFP a regular occurrence.
We're all conditioned to react to major hires. The reality is no one can look at someone's LinkedIn page for five minutes and then develop a worthwhile opinion about how, exactly, this will impact the Pac-12 as college sports heads into an incredibly unpredictable era.
— Kyle Bonagura (@BonaguraESPN) May 13, 2021
The thinking behind this hire, source said: Kliavkoff has had experience leading big-time properties (MLB, Hulu, NBC Universal, MGM) through significant periods of change. Reputation of being a collaborator, innovative. Revenue-driving obviously an important area moving forward.
— Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) May 13, 2021
Oregon president Michael Schill, on George Kliavkoff: "He knows what he knows, but more importantly, he knows what he doesn't know."
— Mike Vorel (@mikevorel) May 13, 2021
This feels like a subtweet.
Basketball Dots
- Eastside Catholic/Wasatch Academy 4-star PG Nolan Hickman, who recently decommitted from Kentucky, announced his new top-3 schools. Despite having said repeatedly that closeness to home was a major factor in what he was looking for now, the Huskies did not make the cut while Auburn and Kansas did. Seems on the up and up.
Former Kentucky commit Nolan Hickman is down to Auburn, Gonzaga, and Kansas, per his father. An official announcement is expected in the next few weeks.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) May 13, 2021
One of the top point guards in the 2021 class.
- Perhaps not coincidentally, TCU transfer PJ Fuller stated yesterday on social media he was ready to announce a decision...and then didn’t. Fuller’s impending commitment to UW appears to be just about the worst kept secret on the interwebs and presumably the delay is due to an edit or video needing to get finished.
feels like a good day to make a commitment to a University & start this new journey tbh ♂️
— Swagg (@PhilipPJFuller) May 13, 2021
- Poor Nigel Williams-Goss...wait I mean anonymous person with the initials NWG
"She was busting this dude's ass in warm-ups."
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 13, 2021
Terrence Ross tells a story about how @KelseyPlum10 was giving a former University of Washington men's player so many buckets in open gym he transferred schools right after
(via @SmrtAsh)pic.twitter.com/FaRXOBEvxI
- If you aren’t prepared to kill and/or die for Matisse Thybulle are you really a true Husky fan? (I would never presume to tell someone what qualifies them for being a fan. But really now, how can you not love Matisse with every fiber in your being?)
Washington Athletics Dots
✅ Gabbie Plain’s 10th shutout of the year
— Pac-12 Network (@Pac12Network) May 14, 2021
✅ Morganne Flores moves to 2nd in Husky history in RBIs
✅ Huskies 40th win of the season#GoHuskies | @UWSoftball pic.twitter.com/Y98dAlWJWH
After finishing second in the nation in assists, Charlie Ostrem becomes the sixth Husky defender ever to earn All-American honors!
— Washington Men's Soccer (@UW_MSoccer) May 13, 2021
>>https://t.co/fb68ogpecj#GoHuskies pic.twitter.com/FMg3NK0HUV
A MAC Hermann semifinalist and now Dylan Teves is the fourth First Team All-American in Husky history!
— Washington Men's Soccer (@UW_MSoccer) May 13, 2021
>>https://t.co/fb68ogpecj#GoHuskies pic.twitter.com/Piy31DNwqI
After leading the Huskies in scoring for the second straight year, Summer Yates becomes the fifth All-American in Washington history!
— Washington Women's Soccer (@UW_WSoccer) May 13, 2021
>>https://t.co/kWvz1UIFgS#GoHuskies pic.twitter.com/8mquldkcAf
Bonus Dot
- I hope Jimmy Lake checks out this article from Bill Connelly noting that each of the 5 most recent national champions were led by a 1st round pick QB and that the game manager as a winning strategy has fallen by the wayside.
In the past, hotshot QBs at Wazzu or NC State threw for all the yards while Alabama or whatever team Nick Saban was coaching won the title.
— Bill Connelly (@ESPN_BillC) May 13, 2021
Now the Saban teams are throwing for all the yards, and title-winning game managers are things of the past.https://t.co/x2jsMii0ZV