MD leaving ACC Rant

When the University of Maryland Terrapins announced they were leaving the Atlantic Coast Conference to join the Big Ten I was devastated. Sure I know MD wasn’t really a great fit in the ACC, even though the Terp’s spent 59 years playing sports with the Tobacco Road Gang, and at least Maryland is logistically on the Atlantic Coast. I moved to MD in 1978 and gave up the Big East for the ACC and rooted for the home team. I grew to despise Duke and UNC more than I did the Russians in the 1980’s, and every once in a while we got a big win from my team. I even earned my BS degree in 1987 at College Park. The University of MD never to be known again as UM, because that‘s the University of Michigan and has been in the Big Ten for a long time (1896). Maryland has chosen to pay a $50 Million dollar penalty of taxpayer, donor, and tuition and fees money to purchase their way out of the ACC. Read that right, not to spend money on classrooms or dorms or administration buildings but to join another Athletic Conference. When I heard the news I actually lost my mind for a spell. How could any University President throw out rivalries with Duke and UNC? How could any former Coach (Gary Williams) agree with this plan to throw out the old and bring in the new? What about travel expenses for 21 teams back and forth to the Midwest? The University is paying for bus rides now, it will be paying for Airplanes from BWI in the Terp’s future, and expenses are going to rise for sure.  I read about the Testudo Formation: In Ancient Roman warfare, the testudo or tortoise formation was a formation used commonly by the Roman Legions during battles, particularly sieges. Testudo is the Latin word for "tortoise". The Romans used this technique in battle; I saw a great use of this in “Troy” with Brad Pitt, however; playing possum until your opponent falls asleep does not lead to extreme excitement for you school, or the invitation that College Game Day from ESPN is coming to College Park. Look at the Ducks of Oregon. They are in the middle of the woods and ESPN does its Saturday AM Show from Oregon College because there mascot is a Duck. Americans love ducks: we like to eat them, we like to visit them at Disney World, and we even like to shoot them. (Arcade games) Americans don’t like Turtles. There I said it! I let the air out of the balloon at the party! Turtles make great soup but lousy mascots. School Officials wanted to get rid of the Turtle. This must be the underlying reason for transfer to the Big Ten Conference. Testudo (type of Diamond Back Terrapin) is a slow moving, cowardly creature hiding all limbs up in the shell. What kind of Mascot tells its team mates to slow down and pull up in the shell? Secondly, the University knows too well they will never unseat Tobacco Road Schools as the premier University with the Testudo leading the charge. So why not change conferences and mascots to be the best you can be? The Tar Heels, the Duke Blue Devils, the Wake Forrest Deacons, and seriously who doesn’t love the Wolf Pack of North Carolina State?The Big 10 is actually going to be the Big 13, but if you count mascots there are 3 schools which have none; Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan. Perhaps Maryland would be the 4th. Or perhaps Maryland wanted to change the conference and keep the mascot. Get a load of these Mascots in the Big 10: MSU-Sparty the Spartan, MINN-Goldy the Gopher, OSU-Brutus Buckeye, PSU- Nittany Lion, IOWA-Herky the Hawk, Northwestern-Willie the Willcut, PUR-Purdue Pete and the Boilermaker Special, Nebraska-Herbie Husker and Lil Red. Yes two mascots for one College! Nebraska created another mascot to relate to the younger Cornhusker Fans. I cannot make this stuff up. University of Maryland with the Testudo will fit right at home with this bunch. I have no doubt in my mind the University of Maryland will have the best mascot to beat all the other mascots in the Big 10. What Maryland won’t have are the Athletes to compete with Nebraska, Michigan, Michigan State, Penn State, Ohio State, and even Wisconsin.