Froggies

[LA_Mustang]

Although it's tough to fight through this article, Newy does have a decent point.

Will Frogs find rivals in West?

By Newy Scruggs

Special to the Star-Telegram

I like to make sure I get out West once a year, try a new vacation spot. This year, I decided Lake Tahoe would be a nice place to visit.

They held the 1960 Olympic Winter Games at Squaw Valley. The International Olympic Committee should come back because this is one of the truly beautiful places that man hasn't screwed up yet. The Lake Tahoe water is blue -- I'm not joking, blue -- and clean.

American gold medalists from 1960 included Carol Heiss in figure skating. The United States won the gold medal in hockey, upsetting the Soviet Union in the semifinals. I won't call it the Miracle before the Miracle on Ice of Lake Placid 20 years later, but the Americans' win was unexpected.

Lake Tahoe is nature at its best. Skiing, hiking, golf, fishing, water sports and time to think.

My trip West has made me thankful SMU is leaving the Western Athletic Conference for Conference USA. I drove out to Reno and found out firsthand SMU had absolutely nothing in common with the Nevada Wolf Pack. Why the WAC experiment went on so long is beyond me.

When I tell the locals I'm from Texas, they think Dallas Cowboys and Longhorns. SMU doesn't even register.

It also makes me wonder what TCU has gotten itself into by leaving Conference USA and joining the Mountain West. The football competition will be better, but good luck trying to find some rivals. How many North Texans have been to Provo, Utah? You know, the home of BYU?

How many Frog fans are planning on making the trek to Laramie, Wyo., on Oct. 8?

Maybe they'll head out to San Diego on Oct. 29 to support the Frogs as they take on the Aztecs of San Diego State.

I was a big believer in former Frogs athletic director Eric Hyman's vision for the Frogs' program. Hyman did a great job explaining how the move from Conference USA to the Mountain West would be better for TCU in the major revenue sports.

Here comes that famous word ... but ... when it comes to North Texas fans traveling in the colder months to Utah, Colorado State and the Air Force Academy, I don't see it. The games in Las Vegas and San Diego could inspire a road trip. Forget students making these long road trips.

The old saying "Winning cures everything" could make all my points moot. UNLV did it for years in the Big West in basketball and won a national title in 1990. Utah went undefeated in football in 2004. Those schools were a great road draw. Good luck to the Frogs.

Newy Scruggs is sports director at NBC 5 and can be heard 9 a.m.-noon weekdays on ESPN/103.3 FM's Good Fellas.

[LA_Mustang]

I must say, I'm really hurt that I posted this story first and everyone replied to 50s post.

[The PonyGrad]

I must say, I'm really hurt that I posted this story first and everyone replied to 50s post.

It's a PR thing. Compare the subject lines. Which would you have responded to?

[The PonyGrad]

I must say, I'm really hurt that I posted this story first and everyone replied to 50s post.

It's a PR thing. Compare the subject lines. Which would you have responded to?

[EastStang]

The answer of course, is that they will have a real hard time finding a rival team for several reasons. There are 9 teams so without a mate they might be hard pressed to find a partner. UNM makes the most sense geographically right now, but they probably have a rivalry developed with someone. AFA could be a candidate, but I suspect they have one with intra state rival CSU. BYU is a private school, but they are LDS rivals with Utah. So, they may be on their own.