Greg Sankey's alter ego (Josh Pate) extends an olive branch to the next Commissioner of The Big Ten. Hmmm. Very ominous opening scene: "People are so scared of what The SEC could do. Did you ever stop to think about what they would do?" Yeah, Josh. We think about it almost every day. Later: J.P. reveals to us how sad Mr. Sankey felt when he was forced to expand with TX/OK. He didn't want to do it. Our leading actor portrays both sides of a dialogue wherein TX/OK plead with the Commissioner to save them. Sankey refuses twice before he finally relents in the face of their tears. It was either take them in or let them fall into the abyss of the Chicago Gang. You would do the same, if it were your decision, right? Anyone with the slightest sense of humanity would have rescued them just as Mr. Sankey did. If you dare to criticize him you are an oozing pustule on the lip of society. Greg Sankey continues regarding conference realignment: "We've done it well geographically; we've done it well from media positioning; and I'm not a recruiter; and I respect my colleagues." Now the very erudite linguist, our Mr. Pate, translates from the original Latin: "Even though FSU and Clemson may become available soon, The SEC is sittin' still for a while. What The SEC really wants is UNC and UVa. SEC could take plenty of schools if they wanted to, but they don't think it's prudent right now. If anyone, The B1G for example, should be so crude as to expand with FSU, or whomever, while The SEC is observing an appropriate quiet period, well that party is clearly a stinking recruiter and has no respect for our colleagues. (BTW were willing to stand down from FSU.)" Epilogue To this observer Sankey is signaling to the next B1G Commissioner that the two should collaborate behind the scenes to slice-up The ACC so that both conferences make out like bandits without having to do any expensive bidding. I guess that's unlawful (should be.) So Sankey mumbles innocuous nothings into his Pate-ophone and words come out the other side, which Sankey can rightly swear he never said. The two will also need to team-up to squeeze out the lion's share of revenue from the next playoff system, so let's remain pals until that gets done. Whether the world of college football cowers under the fear of what The SEC might do next might be viewed as an exaggeration by some. That statement and the one that about The SEC poaching any school they want give me the sense that The SEC is a rookie poker player over-representing his hand. The single fact that answers a bunch of questions is: is there a pro rata agreement between ESPN and The SEC? If not, then The SEC has absolutely none of that "leverage" that Mr. Pate referred to and they look surprisingly vulnerable. ESPN has them in a World Wide back pocket for the next ten years. Is The SEC waking up to a new reality? ACC II? Remember, ESPN is not your friend.