Every year this time of year I look at my Dish package and wonder if I can drop any channels and therefore drop the cost. I got so tired of paying for channels I wasn’t watching that I put my Dish on “pause” for three months - the cost was around $5.00 per month, and I haven’t watched any TV since. (Interesting tidbit - even though there were nearly no channels available to me, BTN was still active.)

One disappointment to come out of Big Ten Media Days was the lack of an announcement for a digital-only streaming option for BTN. There are a lot of people, myself included, that keep wondering when we’re going to be able to drop our cable (or in my cash, Dish) packages and just buy the sports packages they want, whether they’re over the air or streamed.

The idea is that the cost would be lower, but you get the feeling that might not be the case. I guess it’s still too soon.

The irony is - we’re all happy that the Big Ten got a great big television contract, largely because we can shove it in the other conference’s faces (TAKE THAT BIG 12 NINCOMPOOPS), but we don’t want to pay for it when it’s obvious that someone has to.

Everybody wants to make $15/hour, but nobody wants to pay $10 for a Big Mac.

We updated our Go Big Red Nebraska t-shirts to include white ink. It’s more expensive, but you asked for it, so you got it.

Law app supports 'Build Your Character' | UNL Today | University of Nebraska–Lincoln

This fall, the University of Nebraska College of Law will unveil a sort of “Fitbit” for aspiring lawyers: A smartphone app where students track progress on skills needed for successful lawyering.

Like Ambulance chasing. And putting up one of those big “Been Injured?” billboards along the highway. Knowing the best places to dump your partner’s body so it will never be found. Learning the entire section called “Yes, that sonofabitch needs to pay alimony”.

Oh, I kid. I’m sure that everything one needs to know to be a successful lawyer can be found right here. It won’t be long until I’m ready to defend myself in my next case, as in the Rick and Morty animation below.

(Now the whole law school and all its graduates will hate me forever.)

Researcher sees end to 'summer of no butterflies' | UNL Today | University of Nebraska–Lincoln

"I'm calling this the summer of no butterflies," said Spomer, a research technologist in the Department of Entomology at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. "It started out really strong in the spring, then the butterflies disappeared. It is easily one of the worst seasons I've ever experienced in terms of finding butterflies."

I like butterflies. If there were lawyer butterflies, I’d be really conflicted.

UNL named global ‘Rising Star’ in research | UNL Today | University of Nebraska–Lincoln

Springer Nature, one of the world’s leading publishers of natural science research, has named the University of Nebraska-Lincoln to its international list of 2016 Rising Stars. The list ranks UNL No. 9 among U.S. institutions, No. 11 in North America and No. 90 among more than 8,000 worldwide research institutions.

A RISING STAR!

It’s not like I know anything about this but wouldn’t it be safe to assume that Nebraska’s academic prowess is increasing and that Big Ten thingie is getting us some payoff other than just sports?

Is this not proof, or is that too simple?

Brown, Carriker Highlight Hall of Fame Class - Huskers.com - Nebraska Athletics Official Web Site

Long-time NFL kicker Kris Brown and former NFL defensive end Adam Carriker headline the group of four Huskers and one state college star to be inducted into the Nebraska Football Hall of Fame in 2016.

Manning Still the Coach Overseeing Burroughs’ Legacy - Huskers.com - Nebraska Athletics Official Web Site

To the surprise of few, if any inside the wrestling world, Mark Manning remains Team USA’s Olympic coach to help complete the journey for Jordan Burroughs, the icon he recruited from New Jersey, coached at Nebraska and then coached to win his first Olympic Gold Medal in London in 2012.

I met Mark Manning on Monday. He spoke at the annual Minnesotans for Nebraska Golf Outing. As I walked into the club for dinner (I don’t golf), he walked right up to me and introduced himself.

Like a salesman, except, not an icky salesman. More like the most upbeat personal coach you’ll ever meet. It wasn’t difficult to understand why he’s been named an Olympic coach.

Manning Named U.S. Freestyle Olympic Coach - Huskers.com - Nebraska Athletics Official Web Site

Nebraska Head Coach Mark Manning will serve as a U.S. Freestyle Olympic Coach for the 2016 Rio Games, USA Wrestling announced on Wednesday. Manning will be one of three volunteer freestyle coaches for the U.S., along with Tom Brands (Iowa Head Coach) and Lou Rosselli (Ohio State Associate Head Coach).

Officials Keeping a Close Eye on RPOs | Hail Varsity

The RPO, short for run-pass option and also referred to as a packaged play, is designed to look one way while, depending on a read, doing something else entirely.

Nice article by Vogel over there at HV.

Uniforms by Kanye West. You might roll your eyes or worse, but what about the KIDS??????

Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images

The Michigan hype train is charging down the tracks. Is Jim Harbaugh's team ready? - SBNation.com

This schedule will lead to a gaudy win total even if Michigan isn't ready to win at MSU or OSU, and it's clear Jim Harbaugh's program is headed quickly in the right direction.

Jim Harbaugh and Michigan’s magical, millennial, marketable machine

According to Michigan associate athletic director Kurt Svoboda, the university increased its season ticket sales in 2015 to 89,875, the highest total since 2012. Of those, 72,076 were non-student tickets, the highest total since 2009. Student ticket sales increased from 11,597 in 2014 to 17,899 in 2015.

Ohio State will slip in quality in 2016 ... and maybe win the Big Ten anyway - SBNation.com

Urban Meyer's Buckeyes lost a whole era of stars all at once. Even if there's a dip this year, the Buckeyes will be making runs at the conference title indefinitely.

No love lost between Lovie Smith and Northwestern - Inside NU

In his introductory press conference back in March, Lovie Smith took a page out of former Illinois coach Tim Beckman's book and referred to Northwestern as "the team up North." Now, it's usually never good to take anything out of Beckman's book, but either way, it appears that Lovie is fully embracing the competition for title of "Chicago's Big Ten team."

I’m pretty sure that Nebraska could be “Chicago’s Big Ten team”, given how many fans we’ll have show up in Evanston this fall. I realize we have to pull together a good season this year to have any credibility talking this much smack, but I have faith in our guys.

Wisconsin football preview: Badgers’ defensive line brings heralded reputation into 2016 - Bucky's 5th Quarter

The play of Wisconsin’s defensive line will be a major factor for the outlook of the entire unit under Justin Wilcox.

Why Purdue Football Still Matters... (To Me) - Hammer and Rails

Purdue football still matters to me. It mattered as a young child, as a middle school student and playing high school football (Hell I wore #40 for Mike Alstott). I am not trying to persuade you to back Hazell and what he is doing. But back these young men as they try and obtain their academic & athletic achievements.

You could have been born a Purdue fan.

37-year-old ex-NFL player says he's now bedridden for half his life | FOX Sports

Less than a decade later, Cooper says he now spends up to 18 days a month bedridden with symptoms of CTE, the brain disease that the NFL finally acknowledged last week is linked to football-related concussions head trauma.

At 37 years old this is horrifying.

N.F.L.-Backed Youth Program Makes Unsupported Concussion Safety Claims - The New York Times

The drop in practice injuries among Heads Up Football-only leagues was 63 percent, a very meaningful figure. But combined with the in-game injuries the total reduction became about 45 percent, far less than the 76 percent presented by U.S.A. Football and the N.F.L. for the past year and a half.

At least they’re dropping.

Participation for tackle and flag football increases in 2015 | Youth Football | USA Football | Football's National Governing Body

Among U.S. children ages 6 to 14, 2.169 million played tackle football in 2015, up 1.9 percent from 2014 (2.128 million). Flag football participation among the same age group totaled 1.669 million in 2015, up 8.7 percent from 2014 (1.535 million).

Top 20 'Freaks' in college football for 2016 | FOX Sports

Bruce Feldman's college football 'Freaks' list is back for 2016. Let the countdown begin!

ACC Network to debut in era of cost-cutting - SportsBusiness Daily | SportsBusiness Journal | SportsBusiness Daily Global

Several distribution executives responded with pessimism to last week’s news that ESPN plans to launch an ACC Network in three years, suggesting that ESPN is going to have a hard time convincing cable and satellite operators to take the planned channel. Speaking on background because they have yet to even start negotiations, the executives said the launch of a new sports service flies in the face of the industry’s trend of providing lower-cost tiers of programming.

So, there’s gonna be an ACC Network, but nobody’s gonna buy it. What the hell does the Big 12 think they’re gonna be able to sell?

THE END OF THE ROAD - Black Heart Gold Pants

After nine years, we're moving on to different pastures. You should follow us, and you should stay here, too.

The main guys at BHGP have moved on. I wish them luck. They stated they were the longest tenured editorial staff, but we’ll be celebrating our 10th year next month. HAHAHAHAHA!!!!

Events

If you have an event (or stuff) you'd like to promote, send me an email at cornnation@gmail.com.

Heartland Cancer Foundation

The Heartland Cancer Foundation in Lincoln is raffling off season tickets (club seats and a parking pass) in the west stadium for the 2016 football season. This would include tickets for all home games. The drawing will be held at anupcoming golf event on Aug 4th.

You need not be present to win. Raffle tickets are $100 each. But hurry! Only 1,000 tickets are available for purchase. Go to the linked web site above to purchase a raffle ticket.

Then There's This

LOL: This Rick and Morty Georgia Court Animation Is Just the Best

At their Comic-Con panel last weekend, Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland delivered a Rick and Morty Georgia court animation based on a real court transcript.

This is very NSFW and if you happen to listen to it at work or anywhere else and get in trouble, DON’T GO BLAMING ME. It’s unbelievable that this is from a real transcript.