w likely is this to repeat? Theres no question that Hendricks has become a quality starter. Theres no question hes one of the most valuable Cubs, and indeed, one of the more valuable starting pitchers. Yet Hendrick

SALT LAKE CITY -- Some of Utahs most influential Mormons, including Mitt Romney, Gov. Gary Herbert and the president of the Utah Jazz, lobbied to get the private, Mormon church-owned Brigham Young University an invitation to join the lucrative Big 12 athletic conference.Jazz President Steve Starks said BYU was asked not to directly lobby other universities, so he instead worked to drum up support for the Provo school and enlisted help from the governors office.Starks, a Mormon, didnt attend BYU but said hes always been a fan and the universitys entrance into the conference would have been good for Utah and Utah sports.Big 12 university presidents and chancellors authorized Commissioner Bob Bowlsby to begin evaluating potential expansion candidates in July, and BYU was among several schools that made it clear theyd like to become members of the Power Five conference.But the Big 12 Conference announced Monday that it has decided against expansion from its current 10 schools.To make a case for BYU, Starks said there were several of us that I think have pulled out our Rolodexes and made phone calls. He declined to name names beyond Romney and Herbert, but said there were many others.Romney, the most prominent Mormon in the country, called Oklahoma State billionaire booster T. Boone Pickens to make a pitch for his alma mater, Pickens told reporters in September.Messages left with a representative for Romney were not returned, but Starks said he didnt ask Romney to get in involved in the effort because the 2012 presidential candidate already was making calls.Starks called the Utah governors office to see if Herbert, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, would reach out to his counterparts in states with Big 12 power schools to urge their support for BYU.In August, Herbert called Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to urge support for BYU and days later made a similar pitch to Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin while they attended a Republican Governors Association meeting in Colorado, said Herberts Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox.While Utah officials said a spot for BYU in the Big 12 would have brought prestige to the school and showcased the state to football fans elsewhere, it was also personal for Herbert. He attended BYU, as did his children, and his son-in-law, former Canadian football player Ben Cahoon, is the schools receivers coach.Herbert, a Republican, was not the only elected official to wade into the issue -- governors in Texas and Ohio issued tweets or wrote letters on behalf of schools in their states. In Texas, the lieutenant governor, Republican Dan Patrick, issued a formal statement urging the conference to not only take Houston but also the private Southern Methodist University.Entrance into the Big 12 would have entitled BYU to a piece of the Big 12s shared revenue. Conference members split a record $304 million in net revenue, about $30.4 million per school for the 2015-16 school year.BYU athletics broke away from the Mountain West Conference in 2011 as the university looked for better opportunities. The football program became an independent after not making the cut when the Pac-12 expanded from 10 to 12 teams. Most of the other sports joined the West Coast Conference.Independence has allowed the football team to play more high-profile games without a mandatory conference schedule against mid-major teams. The opportunity to reach the College Football Playoff from a non-Power 5 conference is slim.University of Utah coach Kyle Whittingham has said his schools entrance into the Pac-12 Conference in 2011 was the most significant thing to happen to its football program. From a pure monetary standpoint, Utah has seen its athletic department revenues jump from $26.165 million in 2009-10 to $59.271 million in 2014-15. The national TV revenue grew from $1.222 million to $18.084 million.For BYU, joining the Big 12 would have also opened recruiting doors that can be closed otherwise. The highest caliber athletes in the country typically lean toward playing in a Power 5 conference, which besides the Big 12 and Pac-12 include the SEC, Big Ten, and ACC.The expansion talk came as federal education officials investigate how the school handles sexual assault reports. The scrutiny followed complaints from students and alumni about BYUs practice of opening honor code investigations of students who report sexual abuse.The strict honor code bans premarital sex and alcohol consumption, among other things. Gay rights groups also pushed back against the schools inclusion, arguing it has discriminatory policies.Rachel Sanders, executive director of left-leaning watchdog group Alliance for a Better Utah, said elected officials shouldnt have tried to influence a sports issue, especially one involving a private school.Sanders said officials that pushed for BYU were sending a message that any problems with BYUs honor code and LGBT policies are acceptable.Cox said the Utah governors conversations were brief and didnt dive into the schools religious practices or honor code. The governor instead highlighted the schools strong ticket sales, academics and support from state leaders.---Associated Press writers Paul Weber in Austin and Sean Murphy in Oklahoma City contributed to this report. Terry Dischinger Jersey . By having more great seasons. Manning was the only unanimous choice for the 2013 Associated Press NFL All-Pro team Friday. 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Hendricks might get rewarded with the National League Cy Young, but even if he doesnt, he has proven himself, a feather in the cap for everyone who has ever said its better to be a pitcher than a thrower. If you go back to the Chicago Cubs getting Hendricks from the Texas Rangers in a trade for Ryan Dempster all the way back in 2012, it wasnt just one lopsided trade that helped the Cubs to build a championship rotation.However, Hendricks 2.13 ERA is worthy of closer examination. Whenever you see any extreme data point, you should ask yourself, how likely is this to repeat? Theres no question that Hendricks has become a quality starter. Theres no question hes one of the most valuable Cubs, and indeed, one of the more valuable starting pitchers. Yet Hendricks season was at least partially the result of some extraordinary circumstances. In part, it was about Hendricks. In part, it was about everyone else around him. But its almosst impossible to imagine the same season happening again.ddddddddddddTo start with some little stuff: Hendricks isnt a contact pitcher, but hes also not a high-strikeout guy. He struck out batters at a rate a couple points higher than average. He also walked batters at a rate a couple points lower than average. Put the rates together and you get K-BB percentage (or K-BB%). Hendricks finished last year at 17 percent, while the average was 13 percent. That makes Hendricks compare well to frequent comp Greg Maddux, but when Maddux ran a K-BB% of 15 percent between 1992-2001, the average was 7 percent. Baseball has changed -- strikeouts are everywhere. Hendricks has a long, long way to go if he wants to be a real Maddux 2.0.Hendricks is good in part because he does get his strikeouts. Hes boosted, as well, by the fact that he limits his free passes. But just in terms of K-BB percentage, Hendricks was the same as Julio Teheran and John Lackey. Hendricks thrived because of his timing, and because so many batted balls were turned into outs. ' ' '