Michigan State, Ohio State Settle Complaint Over Game Tape Tampering

 

Ohio State (14) beat Michigan State (20) this afternoon in a tightly contested game by the score of 17-16. Apparently Sparty didn’t take the loss very well as the Detroit Free Press has reported that Michigan State has filed a complaint against Ohio State to the Big Ten. 

The complaint relates to game film that the Buckeyes sent to the Spartans prior to today’s game. MSU defensive coordinator, Pat Narduzzi confirmed the report of the complaint and said that Ohio State tampered with the game film by cutting off pre-snap motions and shifts before plays on film of its four previous games this season. 

“We had tape cut off all week, where they changed the tape, I’m not gonna lie to you,” Narduzzi said following the game. 

“They send you tape and they’ve got it all cut off and you don’t get to see shifts or motions or anything else.”

“A few other teams we talked to that they played, and we compared what they were looking at on tape to what we were looking at. We’re like, ‘we don’t see any of that. We see it on their tape but not on our tape.’ So that’s something I’m sure the Big Ten office will hopefully take care of.”

The report is not clear on when Michigan State filed the complaint, but it would seem to me that Sparty should have known much earlier than today if the shifts and motion were cut out of the tape. After all, it’s not that hard to take a look at a TV copy to confirm. 

While this is likely not a big deal in the big picture, if these allegations are true, I’m sure the Big Ten will be none too pleased with Urban Meyer and the Buckeyes. 

 

**UPDATE** 9/29/12 9:36 PM

Subsequent to the Detroit Free Press article linked above, multiple reports, including ESPN have now reported that Ohio State and Michigan State have worked together in order to settle their differences without involving a formal complain to the Big Ten.

Officer says he was fired after ticketing Clemson Head Coach, Dabo Swinney

 

A police officer claimed today that he was fired for giving a speeding ticket to Clemson Head Football Coach, Dabo Swinney. 

Officer Michael McClatchy ticketed Swinney on September 3rd after clocking the coach going 63 mph in a 35 mph zone about 20 miles from Clemson. 

Reportedly, several fans recognized Swinney on the side of the road and stopped to get autographs. Some witness reports indicate that Swinney had a “meltdown” and others indicate that the office is a fan of rival South Carolina and ticketed him for that reason. 

The City of Pickens says it fired the officer because he posted his version of the events on a South Carolina message board while still on duty and using a police issued computer. 

The officer disagrees and says he “only briefly edited the post at work and believes officials were looking for an excuse to get rid of him because he didn’t let one of the most popular figures in the area get away with breaking the law”. 

McClatchy added: 

“I was wrongfully terminated for doing my job. The computer issue is a red herring.”

Photo of Child Doing “Keg Stand” at ASU Tailgate

A photo courtesy of The Blaze is circulating around today which appears to show a small child performing a “Keg Stand” with the assistance of some adults.

It cannot be determined from the photo whether the child is actually drinking beer, but this is a horrible thing regardless.

Honestly, who would consider this “funny” or “amusing”? This is just embarrassing.

Ohio State Spent $64K on Bow Ties for University President

 

The Dayton Daily News has reported that The Ohio State University has spent in excess of $64,000 on “bow ties and related items” since the fall of 2007 on behalf of University President, Gordon Gee.

Gee, who was the center of criticism for his handling of the Jim Tressel, Terrelle Pryor fiasco, is known for his trademark bow ties. 

The newspaper requested various documents from the University nearly a year ago and reports the following:

“Ohio State says the bow ties are props or symbols of the university and its President who expenses a total of $7.7 million in that same period.”

Gee is the country’s highest paid University President and the benefits of holding this title don’t end at his salary as the Daily News reports that millions have been spent for Gee to “travel the globe, throw parties, wine and dine donors, woo prospective faculty, hang out with students and staff and maintain a 9,600 square foot mansion on 1.3 acres.”

Gee has made $8.6M since taking over as President in October of 2007 and he has funneled nearly that much ($7.7M) through the University as expenses as well. 

Whether legal or not, this certainly seems to be a bit on the excessive side given the fact that Ohio State is a public University. Not to mention the intense scrutiny the University has been under since the Tressel/Pryor scandal. 

 

How High Can Cam Newton Go?

 

Now that Super Bowl XLV is behind us, there are only a few NFL related topics to be discussed. Obviously the Super Bowl lawsuit and the increasingly troubling labor dispute are currently on the forefront. But the NFL Draft is what most fans are most interested in at the moment. Heisman Trophy winner and National Champion, Cam Newton held a “media only” workout yesterday in California where he worked out in shorts for various members of the media.

There are couple things that should be taken in consideration when evaluating the workout. The first being, it was for the media only meaning that actual NFL talent evaluators were prohibited from attending. Translation, it was a media event conducted for the purpose of creating hype as we enter the NFL draft season. Secondarily, it was in shorts. Savvy NFL scouts will tell you that one of the biggest mistakes they can make is to get too enamored with a kid based on what he does in shorts. Whether that be at a pro day, at the combine, or at some event like Cam Newton participated in yesterday.

With that being said, the event appears to have been a complete homerun. At least when comparing it to it’s initial purpose. The purpose was to create hype and it succeeded on all accounts. Trent Dilfer who is  known as being highly critical of various NFL QB’s was absolutely GUSHING over Cam’s workout and other media outlets have highly praised the workout. What we don’t know however, is how NFL scouts are reacting.

So with his tremendous talents, physical stature, and the ESPN hype machine apparently behind him, just how high can we expect to see Cam Newton selected in the NFL Draft?

Lets look at the things that working for and against Newton to try to determine his likely draft position.

Pros:

History is working strongly in favor of Cam Newton. NFL executives have a long history of falling in love with measurables and Cam is certainly not lacking in that department. Cam is 6’5, 250 pounds and by all accounts runs at least a legit 4.5 40. He has a big arm and has shown the ability to lead a team to a championship.

Think about it, if NFL executives (albeit it was Al Davis) was so enamored with Jamarcus Russell who showed much lesser attributes than Newton to select him #1 overall, that speaks well for Newton. If Tim Tebow, who was projected to go in the 2nd or 3rd round was taken in the mid first round, that speaks well for Newton.

Alex Smith is another QB will far lesser talent and track record for success who climbed to the top of the draft due to a late run of hype and because of his impressive workouts. Cam Newton is likely a much better athlete and QB than any of these players I just mentioned which leads me to believe that someone will roll the dice and reach a bit for him.

Another thing working in his favor is his mechanics. While not polished, he is certainly more advanced in terms of his throwing motion, dropping back under center, and overall footwork than Tim Tebow or Jamarcus Russell were. Make no mistake about it, he is and will be a project for some team, but he has all the physical tools to not only be successful in the NFL, but to thrive. Just based on his physical tools alone, he is a far better prospect than Sam Bradford and maybe even Matthew Stafford depending on your system.

Team needs could potentially work heavily in his favor in the draft. I could make a case that the Panthers, Bills, Bengals, Cardinals, Browns, 49ers, Titans, Redskins, Vikings, Dolphins, and Jaguars all need a QB. Most mock drafts have him going by at least this point in the draft so unless something changes dramatically, it’s unlikely that he could fall any further.

The composition of the draft will also help him tremendously. What I mean, is with the absence of Andrew Luck, there really isn’t a consensus sure fire franchise QB in the draft. Ryan Mallett and Jake Locker have as many question marks, if not more, and probably a lower ceiling than Newton. For this reason, it’s entirely possible to think that Newton will be the first QB selected and with that being said, his draft position immediately skyrockets.

Cons:

Even though he’s more polished than some of the recent QB’s selected high in the draft, he is still a significant work in progress. In addition to the footwork required to play in the NFL, the reads are far more complex than he is used to making in the spread offense at Auburn. Now one thing that will mitigate this issue a bit for him is Sam Bradford’s immediate success in transitioning from a spread offense to an NFL offense. I’m not saying that Cam Newton will be able to duplicate this transition, but it is something that NFL scouts will consider and potentially use to justify the gamble.

Obviously Cam has had multiple off the field issues dating back to his time in Gainesville. Some will place the majority of the blame on his father, and it’s just my opinion, but I don’t buy it. Cam knew what was going on if you ask me based upon the information available and his answers and demeanor in interviews. I’m not sure that this will give pause to NFL teams or not, but it is certainly something that has caused players to drop in the past.

Being “more polished than Jamarcus and Tebow” isn’t exactly singing his high praises either. He may be better off than those players at this point in their development, but he is still very weak in terms of footwork under center. The good news for him is that he is further along than most and that can only get better as he works with NFL coaches.

Now this is just a crude breakdown of some of the things working for and against Cam Newton as he approaches the NFL draft and obviously the draft is a very fluid beast. Things change on a dime and who knows what information may or may not come out and how he continues to perform in workouts relative to other players projected to go in the 1st round.

There are numerous teams in the top 10 that could potentially be looking for a QB and many things will factor into the final selections. Obviously any team high in the draft needs a lot of help and the selection of one player isn’t going to change the franchise. But as we approach the draft and if the hype continues to build around Cam Newton, I wouldn’t be surprised at all if someone reached extremely high on him to make sure they don’t miss out.

The top 3 teams are largely projected to take defenders, but they all could use a franchise QB. Cincinnati, if they deal Carson Palmer will be looking for a franchise QB and they are the exact type of team that would roll the dice on Newton at the #4 position. At this point, I’ll be a little surprised if he doesn’t go in the top 8 if not the top 3 or 4. At this point I would think he’ll be the first QB selected and I can’t remember an NFL draft that did not include a QB in the top 3 picks with the exception of the 2000 draft.

Don’t be shocked to see Cam Newton selected in the top 3 and there is a very real possibility that he could go #1 overall to either Carolina or to someone moving up to get him.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jared Sullinger, the Anti-Terrelle Pryor

 

Jared Sullinger is the latest of the freshman phenoms recruited by Ohio State Buckeyes Head Coach Thad Matta. Matta has had incredible success in his tenure in Columbus both on the floor as well as on the recruiting circuit. The unbeaten Buckeyes stand poised atop the NCAA landscape at #1 in the country, largely due to Jared Sullinger.

Sullinger has not only been the best player for the #1 team in the country and positioned himself for National Player of the Year consideration, but he has done it the right way. Sullinger, by all accounts, appears to be humble, hardworking, sincere, and despite his young age appears to be a leader on the Buckeye team.

Sure, he is not THE leader on THE Ohio State Buckeyes due to the strong senior leadership that is exhibited by guys like David Lighty and Jon Diebler, but he already exhibits more leadership qualities than Terrelle Pryor likely ever will. Before you get upset with my disdain for Pryor, remember that I am a huge Buckeyes fan and I want the same things you do. I want all Buckeyes teams and players to succeed.

I’ve seen things from Pryor, however, that honestly hurt the team and I personally have no respect for him. Yes, he’s a very young man and he can grow and change. But to this point he hasn’t and he has shown little to signs of improvement in my opinion. I am not a fan of Pryor and you have every right to disagree with me.

I am, however, a huge fan of Jared Sullinger. He assuredly a top 5 pick in the upcoming NBA draft should he choose to declare, he’s the best player on the best team in the Country, and at Ohio State he is literally treated like a god among men. Yet he still remains humble, polite, hardworking, and a great teammate.

For instance, you may have heard the story about the Minnesota fan who taunted Sullinger with a sign during the Buckeyes recent victory over the Golden Gophers. The fan had a sign with a picture of Sullinger wearing lipstick and earrings mocking his rendition of a Miley Cyrus song (video below).

Now, ask yourself how Terrelle Pryor would likely have responded. All you must do is think back to many of his ill-advised tweets and comments responding to criticism last year. But Sullinger approached the young man (Andrew Wagner) and requested the sign from him. The Plain Dealer asked Sullinger why he requested the sign and he said that he wanted to give the sign to his mother, thinking she would “love it, to have it to hang up.”

Wagner later read the story on the Plain Dealer and contacted Sullinger on Twitter. Sullinger responded by mentioning this fan on his account, telling everyone that he liked the sign and asked them to follow the Minnesota fan. The fan was so impressed by Sullinger’s response on the court and on his twitter account that he mailed the sign to him.

Wagner is quoted as saying “He was very classy and professional in dealing with the hostile crowd, he had a good sense of humor about the sign and it was for his mom.”

This is just one example of the class, professionalism, leadership, and decency displayed by Sullinger throughout his short career with the Buckeyes. It’s a shame there aren’t more guys like this in sports and it’s a shame that he will likely only be around for this one season. Hopefully he and the Buckeyes can make it one to remember for many years to come.

ESPN, University of Texas reach 20 year, $300M deal

 

USA Today and others released the details about ESPN’s 20 year, $300 million contract with the University of Texas to develop a dedicated TV network for the University.

The network will broadcast Longhorn sports and other content and includes Texas’ marketing partner IMG. Texas is set to receive $247.5 million of the contract with the remainder going to IMG. Texas is also able to make additional revenue based on the amount of profit from the network, which is set to begin airing this fall.

Texas President William Powers, Jr. told the Austin American-Statesman this:

“We see this as a very important part of sort of continuing to reinvent the models through which we do buisnesss. This is reflective of being much more creative in how public higher education positions itself as we go forward, even aside from the athletics.”

I personally don’t think it’s a great idea for a “news” network to be in bed with specific teams and/or Universities, but I guess this isn’t anything new with ESPN. They have long ago given up any semblance of credibility or independence as they are tied to the hip with certain athletes. For ESPN, they drive their own ratings by building up the popularity of certain players and teams. So much so that it often interferes with the reporting and objectivity that should exist in a news organization.

I would guess that this is just the first of many similar contracts that will be put in place in the future.

Will Hill and why college athletes should NOT use Twitter

 

I came across this article by EDBS detailing the life of University of Florida safety, Will Hill. Florida fell off significantly this season with an 8-5 record and Urban Meyer has now stepped away, presumably for real this time. Now I can’t say that all, most or even a few players lived their lives like Hill did/does, but if even a few share similar priorities, it’s no surprise that Florida football dropped off.

A couple things surprise me, no shock me about this. The first is that I cannot believe that not one coach or person from the Florida compliance office stepped in and took control of Hill’s twitter feed. The second, is that I cannot believe that kids are this ignorant! Oh, and that was his profile pic until recently up above.

So a college athlete has a twitter account and isn’t the brightest… big deal right? I mean, Terrelle Pryor is guilty of this. Hell, LeBron James is a professional athlete and he can’t intelligently navigate his twitter feed.

Well, here are a few examples of what the big deal is and check the link above for a more complete sampling:

 

Wow, I thought Terrelle Pryor was an idiot! It’s fine to enjoy your college life, don’t get me wrong, but how ignorant can you be to put it out like that for all the world to see? I have to admit, I’m a bit jealous, but you’d like to think that he could have some fun and play football at the same time and use a little discretion. This just isn’t smart!

I don’t know, maybe if he spent half as much time training and watching film as he did “blowin on that sour” or chasing puerto rican ladies they would’ve had a more competitive team. I sure hope he’s the exception and not the rule down in Gainesville.

I bet if Tim Tebow were still around that none of this would have ever happened. Will Hill would have been a better person and football player for having just spoken to Tebow for 5 minutes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Les Miles turns down Michigan

 

The University of Michigan has fallen on hard times as of late. The once proud football program has camped out in the basement of the Big Ten Conference and after the Rich Rodriguez experiment failed miserably, it appeared that they couldn’t even fire a coach the right way. Rumors and reports came out that Rich Rod was fired by Michigan which was something everyone expected. The UM Athletic Department sternly denied those reports and then promptly fired him the next day.

Michigan made it clear that they would be in search of a “Michigan Man” to replace Rich Rod and to hopefully restore the program to it’s glory. The number one target was John Harbaugh who wouldn’t even take an interview with his Alma Mater.

Michigan then turned it’s eyes on alumn, Les Miles who is the current coach of the LSU Tigers. Miles has his flaws and is regularly criticized for coaching decisions and clock management, but he has been successful winning a National Title in 2007. Over the past couple days, rumors swirled that if the University extended an offer, he would likely take it.

Miles even went so far as to interview with Michigan last night and Fox Sports is reporting that Miles notified LSU Athletic Director Joe Alleva that he would be staying in Baton Rouge. LSU has indicated that Miles will hold a press conference when he returns to the University from a convention in Dallas.

The Detroit Free Press says that Miles and Michigan were not able to agree on parameters that fit both sides which caused Miles to stay at LSU.

So strike another “Michigan Man” off the wish list for the Wolverines. I’m not sure where they turn next….

Another reason to hate NCAA Football

 

As if we didn’t have enough reason to despise the current state of NCAA Football, this morning gave us another. Sure, there are the usual things to rail on like the NCAA’s constant hypocrisy, the BCS, all the greed, lies, and more greed… the ridiculous amount of Bowl games, the ridiculous time delay in the national championship game, the greed, the lies and more greed…

But this morning, the final AP Poll of the year gave me more reason to disgust the institution that is the NCAA. Sure, they have no direct control over what the AP writers do or how they vote, but it’s just another example of why the entire system is broken. Last night the Oregon Ducks lost to the Auburn Tigers by 3 points on a last second field goal. They played the #1 team in the country evenly and lost on a last second field goal. And yet, they were somehow leapfrogged (pun completely intended) by TCU.

Did Oregon do anything last night to lose their #2 ranking? I mean, all they did was come within a fluky run by Dyer from potentially winning the national championship. You’re telling me that a loss to the national champions by a last second field goal caused the writers to drop them from #2 to #3 behind TCU? Is Oregon better than TCU? I have no idea! Without a playoff system no one knows. But I can tell you if Oregon was #2 going into last night, they sure as hell are #2 this morning!

Does it matter? Of course not. What’s the difference between #2 and #3? Nothing. TCU doesn’t get a special runners up trophy or more money from the NCAA or BCS. It doesn’t matter at all. But it’s annoying, ridiculous, and unfair.

By the way, since Vegas had the over/under last night at 74 and there were a combined 41 points scored, doesn’t that show you just how ridiculous the 36 day waiting period is for the BCS title game? They are ruining the most important game in the sport’s season by waiting so long to play the game.

Wouldn’t college football be infinitely more intriguing and enjoyable (not to mention profitable) if we spent the last 3 or 4 weeks navigating through a playoff system to ultimately crown the national champion? I don’t know, I guess that would take away the one thing that these douchbags in charge of this whole mess love even more than money…. power and control.