Link’n’Learn: How Maryland has fit into the Big Ten

Any biologist will tell you that diversity is not only desirable, but necessary for survival. As such, today’s contribution to Maryland week are links to two articles, one truly inspiring and the other a blatant attempt at trolling and clickbait.

How’s that for variety?

Did I mention that I have to do substantially less work when I simply provide links to hard work done by others?

As I mentioned in my opening salvo, the Maryland Terrapins football program was in tatters in 2019 when Locks was hired, largely because of the tragic and unnecessary death of Jordan McNair. Believe me, there is ample blame to go around. In fact, some people deserve a generous extra helping of blame.

Here is a story about Jordan’s parents moving from anger to forgiveness, recognizing that anger is unproductive and destructive, whereas, forgiveness allows for something good to come from the tragedy.

If I am ever faced with similar circumstances, I will think of the McNairs for inspiration. Their grace in the face of tragedy is remarkable.

My apologies for the complete 180-deg pivot in content and tone: Now for the fun stuff.

Grab the popcorn for the B1G pissing contest. And the flood of self-serving justifications that should not be rec’d but flushed. Get it? The really subtle symbolic references I just used. I should be a writer, not a “writer” for OTE.

Kudos to TerpinBoilerCountry from SBNation’s sister site, Testudo Times, for compiling this data. Without further ado, Championships for B1G teams since 2014, when Maryland and Rutgers infected the B1G like an annoying and embarrassing STD:

I’m counting on some self-righteous folks to find the errors that are sure to exist and take this way too seriously. That’s part of the entertainment.

For those who don’t like to read stuff with lots of words, a few totally objective an unbiased takeaways:

• Rutgers, get your shit together. We Terps are tired of being associated with you. You’re an anchor. You’re the complete opposite of a wing man.
• What?!? Two of the top three national championship getters are “expansion” teams (Maryland and PSU)!?!. Maybe Maryland joining the conference wasn’t as much a money-grab for Maryland but a talent grab for the B1G. God, this is fun.
• Did I mention Maryland has the most B1G championships behind only our obscenely wealthy overlords, UM and OSU? This will trigger the fact-checkers. I really hope TerpinBoilerCountry wasn’t drunk when he compiled these lists. Otherwise, I’m going to take a beating, like Rutgers in just about any sport.
• Besides Rutgers having no national championships, three “original” members also displayed a similar level of ineptitude, Illinois, Indiana, and Purdue. The conversation is team sports, Purdue, not individual swimmers and divers. Do better. Can we gerrymander the state if Indiana to the SEC?

Okay. Have fun. And be every bit as nice and cordial as I have been.