TexasLidig8r
10/5/2006, 11:30 AM
At last, after all the gnashing of teeth, the conspiracy to take down OU's football program can be revealed.
Everyone knows the Phil Knight, CEO of Nike owns the State of Oregon. What people don't seem to know is that Michael Dell (of UT fame) and Knight are good buds.
Texas changed its uniform affiliation from Reebock to Nike a few years ago. That's when Dell and Knight met and became fast friends. Most people also don't know that in the last year, Nike changed their hardware equipment from HP.. to.... Dell Computers. Now, there was a price to be paid.
Dell wanted the OU football program to suffer. So, he agreed with Knight that they needed to manipulate the refereeing system used by the Pac 10 at their home games, especially the home game with Texas' hated rival.. OU. Now, knowing that the home team can select the ref to sit in the review booth, Knight and Dell, found someone they could manipulate. He had to appear to be harmless, a man of great experience toward the end of his career. And they found, the perfect man for the job. But, at first, he was reluctant.
Almost all hope was lost until, Dell contacted two other wealthy UT alums, Red McCombs, co-founder of Clear Channel Communications and Tom Hicks. Hicks and McCombs, through intermediaries went to said official and made a sweetheart deal that after the OU-Oregon game, he would announce a leave of absence and in consideration for a low six figure payout and a job at Clear Channel, at their Austin, Texas office, he should find a way to, "misread" several replays.
The fix was in.
Dell, Hicks, McCombs and Joe Jamail go to DeLoss Dodds, put pressure on him to reup with Nike (and a new 10 year extension is about to be released).. Knight gets a new contract with UT and a big win over OU, Texas gets the OU fanbase, alumni and team so focused on the Oregon screw job that they don't focus on Texas... and Texas gets a big win over OU and the inside track on a BCS bowl as the Big XII rep.
and NOW you know... the rest of the story.:D
Everyone knows the Phil Knight, CEO of Nike owns the State of Oregon. What people don't seem to know is that Michael Dell (of UT fame) and Knight are good buds.
Texas changed its uniform affiliation from Reebock to Nike a few years ago. That's when Dell and Knight met and became fast friends. Most people also don't know that in the last year, Nike changed their hardware equipment from HP.. to.... Dell Computers. Now, there was a price to be paid.
Dell wanted the OU football program to suffer. So, he agreed with Knight that they needed to manipulate the refereeing system used by the Pac 10 at their home games, especially the home game with Texas' hated rival.. OU. Now, knowing that the home team can select the ref to sit in the review booth, Knight and Dell, found someone they could manipulate. He had to appear to be harmless, a man of great experience toward the end of his career. And they found, the perfect man for the job. But, at first, he was reluctant.
Almost all hope was lost until, Dell contacted two other wealthy UT alums, Red McCombs, co-founder of Clear Channel Communications and Tom Hicks. Hicks and McCombs, through intermediaries went to said official and made a sweetheart deal that after the OU-Oregon game, he would announce a leave of absence and in consideration for a low six figure payout and a job at Clear Channel, at their Austin, Texas office, he should find a way to, "misread" several replays.
The fix was in.
Dell, Hicks, McCombs and Joe Jamail go to DeLoss Dodds, put pressure on him to reup with Nike (and a new 10 year extension is about to be released).. Knight gets a new contract with UT and a big win over OU, Texas gets the OU fanbase, alumni and team so focused on the Oregon screw job that they don't focus on Texas... and Texas gets a big win over OU and the inside track on a BCS bowl as the Big XII rep.
and NOW you know... the rest of the story.:D