Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby put his name on a strongly worded letter to ESPN on Wednesday. Well, we think that’s his name and not just a drawing of a wave, haircut or EKG.
He signed a cease-and-desist missive addressed to Burke Magnus, ESPN president of programming and original content. Bowlsby alleged that the network is trying to break up the Big 12 by enocuraging/promising incentives to other conferences to expand and poach Big 12 schools. Texas and Oklahoma announced this week that they would leave the conference in 2025, and then they asked to be invited to the SEC.
MORE: Latest news as Texas, Oklahoma move to exit Big 12
ESPN is a broadcast partner of the Big 12. It owes the conference $1.06 billion in rights fees through 2025, but it wouldn’t have to pay if there isn’t a Big 12. A dissolved Big 12 would also allow Texas and Oklahoma to not pay a reported $80 million each in exit fees.
And while all that is serious business, Bowlsby’s scribbles were unintentional comedy. The internet’s attempts to decipher them were just for laughs.
A sample of how Twitter tried to make head or tail of it.
Um, that says “nuttttttttttttttttttty”
— Kansas Blue Blood (@BlueBloodsBlue) July 28, 2021
That’s not a signature. It is the current EKG of the Big 12.
— Bart Harris (@bahatexas) July 28, 2021
What on earth kind of signature is that from Bowlsby? I’ve got the R and the y down, but everything in between is just loop-de-loops on 🔁
— Ja Fairless (@JasonFairless) July 28, 2021