The 2022 NFL Week 12 Roundup | Pac-Zen
They did WHAT?!?!
On July 1st, George Kliavkoff was celebrating a professional triumph. Leaving behind him — if only temporarily — the buzzy, busy world of collegiate sports in the Bay Area, George escaped to the pristine, distraction-free and pure big, blue skies of Montana to fly-fish and decompress with reflection, reward and renewal. His first year as the new Commissioner of the Pac-12 Conference began mired in sticky trepidations. But he met his well-deserved Summer vacation with confident smiles having stabilized the ship and welded fortifying plates to his Conference’s keel. And so he found it curious that as he pulled onto the highway after a relaxing — and catchless — day in angler pants, his iPhone buzzed to life with alerts, messages and notifications galore having ventured into a relatively cellular-rich stretch of road. George pulled over to make sense of the digital blizzard only to have his heart broken into 10 pieces. News that the cornerstones of his Conference, USC and UCLA, had silently broken up with him and had bolted to the Big Ten 2000 miles away landed as twin flame-lit daggers to his heart. George could do nothing but drop his phone into the clutches of his console-mounted cupholder and shake his head in quiet disbelief. He sat there for a few brief beats, the Big Sky sunset creeping into his rearview mirror casting his vision into slow-motion dancing eruptions of firey starbursts. George pulled his sunglasses down from his temples, grasped is phone and tapped a message to his executive team back in San Francisco: We’ve got work to do.
When George arrived to lead the Pac-12 in the Summer of 2021 after an exhaustive 5-month search, he brought with him a background uniquely tuned to the transformational time that menacingly greeted his Conference. Among a new breed of executives with LinkedIn highlights heavily weighted towards media, George was just the ticket with his superlative experience including MLB Advanced Media, NBCUniversal, Hulu, Hearst Communications, ESPN and MGM Resorts International. So a pivot to the structured world of collegiate athletics at a time when the entire ecosystem continues to endure seismic disruption seemed a natural, challenging — if ominous — fit. His first day on the job can best be described by a face palm emoji. George’s unrestrained optimism and upbeat enthusiasm crumpled when his inherited executive team spelled out the state of the Conference in a dour PowerPoint presentation studded with minefields. Relationships with certain of his 12-member conference were described as contentious, at best, in a kickoff slide of the Challenges section of the deck. The Pac-12’s overall lack of competitiveness and, in particular, evergreen absence of representation in the College Football Playoff was next. Conference-shopping among schools looking for higher prominence held its own infographic. At this point, George scribbled notes on his notepad and looked up to see a slide entitled Finances. It painstakingly listed the revenues flowing to each school in the Conference as compared to those in the SEC and Big Ten. The comparisons were not flattering. George jotted down Media Rights, underlined then circled the two words and scratched a #1 to the right. The presentation closed with a slide on the Conference’s high overhead and a gaggle of questionable financial decisions undertaken with the prior Larry Scott regime. Never had George envisioned such a scorched, devastated landscape. The forever optimist, he rolled up his sleeves and got to work.
The year since that introductory, seminal State of the Reckoning meeting has been a largely successful one. He met with each of his Conference’s member universities in-person and carefully laid in from of them his vision for the Pac-12 complete with greatly increased prominence, exposure, credibility and CASH. All the melodic and pretty things Athletic Directors, Chancellors and Presidents like to hear and see. That George embarked on a full-fledged listening tour and strategy session, in 12 pieces, did much to mend broken fences and displaced spirit. In August 2021, these same member schools where tickled pink when a joint announcement was released heralding an unprecedented Alliance between the Pac-12, Big Ten and ACC outlining non-Conference scheduling and College Football Expansion. In large part a rebuttal to the ever-voracious SEC, the arrangement addressed key visibility problems. George brokered the groundbreaking agreement and added heft to his growing reputation as a change agent and needed elixir to the Pac-12’s deep-seated ills. His next order of business was one that falls nicely in his wheelhouse. Eager to maintain the excited momentum he’d built up, George went to the open-market hoping to cash-in on Pac-12 linear televised and streaming rights. The Conference’s current rights deal doesn’t expire until 2024 but with ramblings of the Big Ten’s imminent rafter-shaking $7B/7-year agreement (ultimately inked August 2022) with Fox/CBS/NBC, George felt the time ideal and the iron hot enough with residual sizzle to leverage for advantage. The negotiations began at a leisurely pace and were progressing as-expected just before a pause allowing for all parties time off in observance of the July 4th holiday. George took advantage of the holiday break to get away and fish for some much-needed R&R in Montana. He would go on to reel-in horror on the shoulder of a desolate big sky highway upon learning of the defection of his marquee schools USC and UCLA from his iPhone as that familiar face palm emoji resurfaced, ringing his consciousness.
As George drove back to his hotel, he couldn’t push away twin foundational betrayals as he saw them; betrayals that no amount of optimism could possibly temper. Firstly, USC and UCLA are the reigning heavyweights of the Pac-12; USC a traditional powerhouse in football and UCLA a longstanding dominant force in basketball. Together they amass nearly 40% of the Pac-12’s $500M media value, the shared piggy bank from which all 12 schools in the conference are apportioned an equal share. This equitable arrangement has forever rankled USC and UCLA despite their prominence, national popularity and ability to disproportionally draw paying fans to seats and eyeballs to screens. The universities felt they were getting short-changed in comparison to what they were pounding the table with. Without the anchors, the math turns ugly fast. Which segues nicely to betrayal #2. Fully aware of their joint compelling value, USC and UCLA went shopping unilaterally and in-secret to cash-in. They knocked on the Big Ten’s door only to find an enraptured ear and an outstretched hand with bundles of cash. A courtesy Pac-12 right-of-first-refusal wasn’t even entertained. This gnawed at George even if he couldn’t really blame the rogue duo. From the forewarning PowerPoint on Day1, he knew he’d inherited an egalitarian financial structure funded largely on the backs of two schools. He knew it wouldn’t be long before the house of cards collapsed which is exactly why he sought to renegotiate his Conference’s next media rights deal two years early. He’d planned to offer UCLA and in particular, USC, stepped up and proportional revenue shares. But it will all be for naught as the Power Five superconference realignment churns ever forward.
Can you really blame USC and USC? Had USC and UCLA remained in place, George estimated that each school would net between $40M-$50M annually once the Pac-12’s new 2024 deal was signed and gloriously spun into motion. That pales in comparison to the Big Ten $60M-$70M yearly sum for each that had the schools all googley-eyed. That’s what a $7B new media rights deal in the here and now can afford. What’s worse is that not only is George currently negotiating a contract without heavy hitters USC and UCLA, but he’s doing so in a depressed media rights environment which significantly drags down valuations of the entire enterprise two years out. This doesn’t bode well for the remaining schools in the Pac-12, especially UC Berkely which is inordinately dependent upon Conference revenues to finance the university’s athletics endeavors. The UC Board of Regents is reviewing UCLA’s authority to leave the Pac-12 but is largely expected to bless the departure having years ago ceded such autonomy and decisions to campus Chancellors.
Today, George is fighting tooth and nail to keep his anguishing Conference together. He’s promising increased multi-tier payouts to USC and UCLA and to pay the reported $15M Big Ten breakup fees should the schools opt to return. The promises of course aren’t credible in the exhaust of the Big Ten Brinks truck. And so now George is left to takedown the Process on social media, which as a matter of course, means you’ve lost the argument AND your prized possessions. Further, there is conceivable fear that remaining Pac-12 schools including Washington, Oregon and Stanford will be the next ones out the door. If that happens, then the Pac-12 (err Pac-7) becomes too impoverished, too feeble to compete in the Power Five. At that point an embarrassing merger with a rival Conference would result with the triggering of the end-all Panic Button. But there’s much runway between here and the unthinkable. Heck there’s even talk of poaching schools from rival Conferences, however glossy-eyed. Nevertheless, George in the sunset of 2022 finds himself at the helm of a Conference in existential crisis. The Pac-12 is inarguably in worse-off shape than when he sat for his tutorial PowerPoint presentation back in July 2021. Different problems of a different order of magnitude cloud George’s trademark sunny optimism. But as a ship’s captain doesn’t learn anything in calm seas, the same holds true for George as he navigates an ocean of rogue waves in a rubber dingy. The thing with dingys, though — they’re inherently non-submersible. The same holds true for George’s steely resolve as he valiantly attempts to vanquish the unthinkable and command the remarkable. He meets the moment with his signature outlook: It’s time to get (BACK) to work!
After a nice long Thanksgiving break for all of us, the NFL at Week 12 exemplifies zero rest for the weary. The few high-fliers remaining remain comfortably on auto-pilot while yesterday’s sure bets wilt as the also-rans restlessly beg, cheat and steal just to maintain playoff eligibility. The rest await a high 2023 Draft position. Among the middle of the pack are the Jets who found the troubled Bears tumbling into the Big Apple. The Jets flung open their doors with one question: Zach Wilson WHO? After a disastrous showing against the Pats last week, it appears as if the Zach Wilson experiment has been put out to pasture. The Team’s #2 2021 BYU Draft selectee, Mike White, was put in as starting QB and to glorious affect (22/28 315yds 3TDs) at that. His elasticity and connectivity with 10 different RECs flies in stark contrast to the staid Zach Wilson picturebook from earlier this Season. Mike’s performance supercharged the Offense which then expertly carved up Chicago’s secondary. A 31–10 drubbing resulted. Granted, the Bears are not a good Team so NYJ’s WIN comes with air quotes. Nonetheless, the Jets might have found their North Star while CHI sees stars. Over in the city of Brotherly Love, Jordan Love replaced an injured and offensively ailing Aaron Rodgers nearly 15 years to the day that Aaron replaced Brett Favre in Green Bay. Jordan instantly injected much-needed octane into his Packers Offense but by that time the die had already been cast in a misshapen way. Jaylen Hurts reminded the league of his MVP status with an excellent air game exceeded only by his ground game (an astonishing 157 rushing yards). He took his Eagles along for the ride and collected yet another W, 40–33, bringing their record on the Season to 10–1. As for Green Bay, a shambles smolders where once a proud NFC institution presided. At 4–8, playoff contention is unlikely.
Out west in Glendale, the Cards played host to the visiting Chargers and suffered yet another stinging loss, 24–25, by the thinnest of margins. A last-second 2 point conversion pushed the winded LA Team over the top. While Justin Herbert may not exhibit the magic of yesteryear, he remains the backbone of LAC’s offensive weaponry. Which is a blessing a curse as his surrounding line is a glaring weakness that needs addressing should the Team seek legitimacy. ARI QB Kyler Murray returned from ankle injury to a solid outing attached to a drowning 4–8 Team seating in the HBO Hard Knocks In-Season spotlight. The Cards look to be unfortunately regressing to their pre-2021 mean. Up in Seattle, the Seahawks endured their second loss in a row (to the Raiders, 34–40) despite the timely and fortunate promotion of QB Geno Smith. Conversely, Las Vegas appears on a comeback mission snapping back into winning form with an especially powerful assist from RB Josh Jacobs. LAS is still stuck at 4–7, they’re still a terrible Team and still won’t make the playoffs. But at least for the moment they have Week 12 to soothe them at night. 1833 miles away at Arrowhead Stadium, the favored Super Bowl contenders in the Chiefs thrashed the crippled Rams, 26–10. The Chiefs doled out a far-from-faultless performance; it needn’t have been perfect as the crippled Rams appear to be done-in for the Season, a trembling and gaunt ghost of its 2021 reflection.
In our Round Robin, the 49ers blanked the Saints 13–0. The beastly kings of the NFC West exhibited their typically stout Defense to hand NOLA their first shutout in nearly two decades and with it pocket their 4th victory in succession. A tantalizing January showcase showdown with PHL remains. The Commanders defeated the Falcons, 19–13, though the overall WAS feeling is that the Team’s level-of play isn’t commensurate with its 7–5 record. Whatever the case, QB Taylor Heinicke is lofting what it takes to resuscitate what remains of his Team’s Season shelf life. The Fins dispatched the Texans with ease, 30–15, as did the Panthers over the flailing and troubled Russell Wilson-led Broncos, 23–10. Tom Brady and his Bucs went belly-up to the Brownies in a 17–23 OT loss. Remarkably at 5–6, Tampa Bay stands atop the foul-smelling NFC South. Definitely not the look Tom Brady unretired for. Lastly, the Bengals slid past the Titans in a tough AFC matchup, 20–16, as WR Ja’Marr Chase returns to the CIN fold this weekend. And the Ravens lost a tough one to the Jags, 27–28, with an outrageous Q4 that saw a combined 33 points capped off by a rare Justin Tucker 67-yard FG miss. Though at 7–4, there are no tears in Baltimore. Yet.
