Jim Delany is a smart guy. He’s got a law degree and has spent nearly 30 years as a collegiate conference commissioner, the last 18 as the Big Ten’s head honcho. He has presided over a number of advancements in collegiate athletics over that time, from the addition of Penn State to the league in 1991, to the establishment of a conference hoops tournament and the advent of instant replay in football.
But even smart guys can lose their wits from time to time, especially when they get their dander up. Such was the case with Delany on Thursday, when he used a conference call with reporters regarding the fledgling Big Ten Network to take a giant cable outfit to task for perceived slights against the Big Ten.