The Very Big 12

My cell phone has lost the ability to e-mail photos. That's a shame, because if you go back and look at the first few months of Abu Dhabi entries, you'll see that many times such photos provided key illustrations of Abu Dhabi wonder and weirdness.

It's also why you aren't looking at any photos of Musandam, where I, Mrs Blog and some friends spent two days on a boat cruising around the fjords and frolicking with dolphins and jellyfish. It was beautiful, and I saw one of the most eerie, surreal and incredible moonrises ever over the water there. But whatever. No photos means no blog entry. You'll just have to live in suspense until this story can be properly visualized.

Meanwhile, back in the States, the Big 12 Conference is apparently on the verge of becoming the Big 12 Minus Two That Is Joining the Pac-10, or something. I guess it's a big deal, but it's difficult for me to get to upset or excited about. First of all because this already happened back in the 90s, when the Big 8 became the Big 12 by adding the state of Texas. Supposedly this most recent move will send Nebraska and Missouri to the Big 10 (which already has 11 teams, but OK) and leave the rest of the league looking for a new alignment.

Dominating Pac-10 teams: Now coming twice a year?

It would be a bummer to see two of the original Big 8 teams hit the road, but it's hard to see much of a downside for the bestest university in the Big 12, KU. Losing a rival, that's bad, but the basketball program alone means the athletic department will land on its feet. The worst thing about re-aligning with a West Coast conference would be the massive road trips, but on the other hand, there are a lot of TV sets in California, and that might make it easier for me to find it on my TV here in the 'Dhabs. We'll see.

The one thing that could have a concrete impact on me, or my hometown, anyway, is the location of the conference tournament. I have many fond memories of watching the Big 8 and Big 12 tournaments on TV and in person, live from Kemper Arena and the Sprint Center. It's hard to imagine that continuing if the epicenter of the new conference were closer to LA than KC.

I guess for now, though, all there is to do is watch from afar and wonder what the new logo will look like.