Friday, December 31, 2010

Today's Bowl Picks

My best bets today are probably Notre Dame and South Carolina. I have been 50-50 on bets and so I hope I hit the Notre Dame one. Their defense has been playing great ball and welcomes back Ian Williams to the front wall. Miami is so inconsistent that if they are "on" then this should be a classic game. As for the Gamecocks, I just think that they are a level above FSU. I went with USF and Georgia in the other two games.

Thursday, December 30, 2010

View From Bennett Avenue

Jim Tressel blew it. Yes he was trying to address the reality that one or more of the players penalized for selling merchandise and receiving improper benefits could easily play in the Sugar Bowl and then enter the NFL draft--and therefore go unpunished--by passing on his right to disallow them from suiting up for the bowl game in exchange for a pledge that they return next year. And, of course, they all made that pledge. But he should suspend players for the bowl game if he feels they deserve it, or not suspend them if he feels it is not justified. Using the chip of playing in New Orleans to encourage these players to return is unseemly. And it is wrong. As soon as he heard about what they did he should have suspended them immediately. Then the NCAA would have added 1-3 games next year on top of it. Instead we have a circus.
Let me also address the notion that the rules the players broke are light ones as they owned the items they sold. And yes this is not as bad as their breaking into someone's apartment and selling stolen material. But, like the Cam Newton situation, if you do not crack down on this behavior you are encouraging other student-athletes to do the same and encouraging boosters from loading up prize athletes with money. And selling items they earned from football is making them quasi professional athletes. And, finally, the lack of respect they showed OSU football was a disgrace.

New York State of Mind

Although that was a bs call at the end of the Pinstripe Bowl, I am here to celebrate the afternoon sweep by two New York State programs, Army and Syracuse. Army upset SMU in Dallas earlier today and then Syracuse held off the KSU Wildcats in the Bronx. Throw in the fact that former Fordham QB John Skelton is 2-1 as a starter for the Arizona Cardinals and times are high here in the Empire State.

Bowl Update and Picks

See, it sucks playing in your own stadium for a bowl game. and SMU is showing it by losing 16-0 at half.
Meanwhile I have decided to protest the number of bowl games by not going to the nearby Pinstripe Bowl. I am also protesting the building of the new Yankee Stadium too. That said I like Syracuse and the under.
I also like UNC and Nebraska later today and 2 more unders. Let's go defense.

Reclamation Bowl


SMU and Army are in a bowl game. That is a stunning statement, or would have been just a couple of years ago. These two programs had been left for dead after years and years of losing. But new coaches--and these two teams are proof about the power of the head man--June Jones at SMU and Rich Ellerson at Army have done a terrific job of straightening out these former doormats.

Neither team has a shot at the top 25 this year, of course. But the turnaround has begun. Each team is looking at today's Armed Forces Bowl as a way to continue the good vibes from the season. SMU is aiming for the Conference USA title next year while Army has Navy and Air Force to beat in 2011. While both programs will lose senior leaders next year, they return underclassmen at the skill positions including QBs Trent Steelman of the Cadets and Kyle Padron of the Mustangs. It is great that both programs have some hope.

Of course I hate the fact that SMU is playing at home. Still Army is gutsy and will come there to represent the armed forces well. The contrast in styles--there I said it--should be fun to watch.

and kudos to Jones for having his ponies play in black to honor servicemen everywhere. They will be watching from around the world and will be glad for the respect shown.

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

View From Bennett Avenue (and picks too)


What is to make of the situation out of College Park regarding the head coach of Maryland football? Well for one, the fact that the media cares little could be construed as proof that a change was needed. That is, coach Ralph Friedgen needs to go because Maryland football is so completely under the national radar that the firing of the recently named ACC coach of the year can produce nothing more than a yawn.

But the situation is really about perception. The big shots at Maryland believe they can magically lure a big-name coach who will make Terp football relevant. That the empty fannies in the seats are not a reality in a pro football town without tradition of college football Saturdays as the priority of 60,000 people. That Friedgen's level of success, in which they were a game away from the ACC championship this year after struggling in 2009, was somehow insufficient at what is, and what will always be, a basketball school.

But we have seen this before at other schools that think they should be competing with the big boys. How can Maryland be as successful as some of the schools they compete with, like Florida State and Clemson, who sit in the middle of great recruiting zones at places in which football is king. And let's say they do well with this hire--how would they keep the guy if he is successful? Let's face it, they kept Friedgen after he went 31-8 in his first three years because of his appearance.

So anyway good luck to them. But perhaps they should have asked Kansas how happy they are after year one without Mark Mangino. Or Minnesota in the three years since they canned Glen Mason.

Although I am rooting for Friedgen to go out a winner, I am taking the points with ECU. I like that one a lot. Ditto Oklahoma State, while Baylor is another I like today.

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Today's Bowl Picks


We are overdue a quality bowl game and the squads at the ChampsSports Bowl may deliver. The match-up of West Virginia and North Carolina State is one with an obvious meeting of dynamic QBs in Geno Smith of the Mountaineers and the underrated Russell Wilson of NC State. And, of course, we can witness Wolfpack coach Tom O'Brien trying to outwit the staff of the Mountaineers, his former rivals from his Boston college days. O'Brien was a whiz this time of year, while West Virginia has won four of their last five post-season contests. This game should be a good one. I took the Pack and the points.

Tonight we also have the Insight Bowl and I am unsure what to make of this game. I feel that Missouri has been overrated all season, while Iowa has suspended both its leading rusher (Adam Robinson) and second leading receiver (Derrell Johnson-Koulianos) for drugs. The big mystery is whether the Hawkeyes bounce back from a dreadful finish to the season without these two stars or fold up the tent. I did pick Iowa, but am more confident in the under.

Monday, December 27, 2010

Bowl Picks


I went with Georgia Tech today, plus 3. I'll probably end up rooting for Air Force, however, but either way I welcome a game that is not a contrast in styles. What I mean by that is that every time these teams face off against an opponent the announcers focus on the contrasting styles between option teams and their opponents without properly analysing the type of offenses these teams run. So, hopefully today's crew can describe how the teams are different and the ways each has prepared for the other. One advantage for Georgia Tech is that coach Paul Johnson won his last five games (2003-07) versus Air Force as head man at Navy. That is a streak he would like to keep going; so too Georgia Tech's 14 straight years with a winning record. But, the Yellow Jackets have lost five straight bowl games, so we are guaranteed the end of at least one streak.

Both teams are hoping to welcome back injured offensive leaders as Tech QB Josh Nesbitt (broken arm) and Falcons HB Jered Tew (broken fibula) are both expected to play. Whether or not they are factors, the reality is that both teams will run, run, and then run some more. a match-up of the team ranked number one in the nation in rushing (Tech at 327y per) and number two (Air Force at 318y) should be compelling.

Friday, December 24, 2010

View From Bennett Avenue

Well it seems clear that television ratings are driving the decisions being handed down by the NCAA this season. How else to explain that Cam Newton and the Buckeye Five are playing in bowl games? And this "I didn't know?" defense is unbelievably lame. But again, once the decision is made to let these kids help drive television ratings, an excuse has to be drummed up. And so sportswriters ran around talking about some supposed "loophole" in the NCAA rules regarding Newton, despite the fact that it is pretty clear about not selling your services and that parents and guardians are considered the same as the player when it comes to recruiting, and now with these jokers the school comes out publicly to state that they did a poor job explaining a rule that is common sense. Let's see, you do not get paid to play and your are not allowed to even have a job during the school year, but you can sell your uniforms and trinkets and get free tattoos? Yeah right. It is a sad lie to make that to cover up cheating you admit the players are morons. You see Ohio State, it is one or the other. You are cheating or are stupid.
The other excuse being handed down for these kids is that times are tough and that they did this for their families. But a closer look at the crimes pops holes through that one. I have no idea about the finances of any of the families involved but an aspect of the charges are that Terrelle Pryor and others received free tattoos. I am unsure how the families could eat the ink on their sons' arms but maybe they know something that I do not. And this goes back to the compliance issue for OSU. If you are going to say that some of your kids are so poor that they need to sell stuff to help their families, then why didn't the presence of hundreds, possibly thousands, of dollars worth of tattoos not sound an alarm? If they are so poor that they need to sell this stuff then they cannot afford tattoos. And if they are too poor to afford tattoos, but have tattoos, then they got them for free.
The NCAA must come down hard on this as it is very easy to sell memorabilia today and a booster or agent could easily offer a kid more than a jersey or ring is worth to keep the kid happy. But by avoiding the bowl game, the NCAA is basically saying that seniors or underclassmen who could go pro--like Pryor--can break the rules and still play in a glamorous bowl game. Meanwhile I lost the little respect I had left for Ohio State and coach Jim Tressel after the way they handled Maurice Clarett.

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

And Tonight We Like...

Utah getting more than two TDs. And the over.
Now about Rex Ryan's wife's foot fetish...

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Another Bowl Pick

Well we have had three bowl games to date--were any of you paying attention so far?--and all three produced routs. With so many games still to play you cannot blame anyone for moving on to something else. I certainly cannot point any fingers as I did the same.
So hopefully tonight's game will deliver some suspense. I like Louisville to cap a great week (scooped up two former Miami recruits including QB of the future Teddy Bridgewater) by beating Southern Miss by more than the FG spread.

Saturday, December 18, 2010

Bowls Picks: Part 1

Am a bit late and so will not count my BYU pick in game one. It is 31-10 at the moment, although there is plenty of time for a UTEP rally. Fortunately I got my bet in on the Cougars and on the over 50. The over was my best bet for today. I also like Fresno and Ohio today.

Friday, December 17, 2010

View From Bennett Avenue


A recent theme this time of year has been the importance of the 15 days of practice bowl teams get to prepare for their game. That these extra two weeks are unbelievably important to the future of the program, or at least that is what we hear from the head coaches of 6-6 teams trying to justify a post-season appearance.

But if that is true, why don't all programs get December practice time? After all, who needs extra practice time more than the teams who did not make a bowl game? Shouldn't Washington State get to improve in December as much as Oregon? It is like the draft order of professional leagues being reversed with the best teams picking highest. Give the Cougars some extra practice time!

Thursday, December 16, 2010

MAC Raided Again


Fans of Pittsburgh football must have been a bit anxious this month as the program looked for a successor to coach Dave Wannstedt. Would athletic director Steve Pederson make the right call or do something boneheaded like choose the equivalent of Bill Callahan, as he did at Nebraska? It did not look good at first as Pederson--and how does he keep getting big jobs?--did not seem ready to replace Wannstedt, despite the buzzards circling around his coach since the team started the season 2-3 with wins over New Hampshire and FIU and losses to Utah, Miami and Notre Dame. Once West Virginia routed the Panthers 35-10 on Thanksgiving Friday, the ability for Wannstedt to save his job was long gone. But Pederson was not ready to pounce on both Al Golden, the head coach at Temple, and Dana Holgorsen, the offensive coordinator at Oklahoma State, who were rumored to be Pitt's top two choices as soon as Wannstedt resigned in early December. Worse still, West Virginia lured Holgorsen to Morgantown and Pederson had better hope that the Mountaineers do not hit a home run with that choice.

And so Pitt turned to Miami of Ohio head man Mike Haywood and gave him a five year deal. Now Haywood is a much different hire than Callahan as he does not have an NFL background and will not install an offense totally ill-suited to the talent at Pitt. He is an excellent recruiter, who has ties to Texas, and will install discipline to the Panthers program. Which is all well and good but I do not know if his two years at Miami were enough for him to establish Pitt as a Big East power. While Haywood's RedHawks impressively won their last five games, including three straight on the road and a huge showdown with Golden's Temple before upsetting Northern Illinois in the MAC title game, his record out-of-conference leaves something to be desired. Yes they hung with Florida early and even beat a lousy Colorado State team, but routs at Missouri and especially Cincinnati were rough. The Bearcats are a big rival of Miami and only finished 4-8 this year, but one of those wins was a 45-3 shellacking of Miami in mid-season.

That is only one game and hopefully Haywood will have the Panthers playing good ball from day one. With Notre Dame, Iowa and Utah on the schedule next year, he'd better be the best man for this job.

Monday, December 13, 2010

Sunshine State Hires


Now let me get this straight. Florida once went to a second-tier school to hire an ambitious, offensive-minded head coach (Steve Spurrier) and hit a home run. After a great run he moved on and the school hired an excitable defensive guy without head coaching experience (Ron Zook). That did not go so well. After he was fired the school then pounced on another ambitious offensive-minded head coach from a second-tier school (Urban Meyer) and hit another home run. He then retired. So, now needing to hire a new head coach, Florida again hired an excitable D guy without head coaching experience (Will Muschamp). Good luck.

As for Miami, I am a big Al Golden (pictured) fan and like the hire. He will recruit brilliantly and get the Canes D back to its past high level. For his sake I hope he recovers some of the recruiting losses Miami has suffered since firing coach Randy Shannon. It will be good to see the rivalry develop between the big 3 Florida schools and their new coaches.

View From Bennett Avenue

Every time I go to events honoring football greats the thank you speeches inevitably touch on the crucial role played by parents in the development of each athlete. The sacrifices and lessons imparted each shaped these individuals as much as god-given talent. And so it is a bit sad that the past two Heisman winners could not share the moment in person with their fathers--fathers who both loved their sons--for negative reasons. Hopefully this trend will not continue.

Friday, December 10, 2010

Remember When


I mentioned Jim Young the other day in such a positive light that I do not want his head to swell. And so 25 years after it happened, here is one of the more memorable recent Army-Navy clashes and a game that must still bother Young.

December 7, 1985

Navy 17 Army 7 (Philadelphia): On day he finished 7th in Heisman vote, Navy (4-7) TB Napoleon McCallum (in photo in other action) completed illustrious career with award-worthy show. McCallum rushed for 217y as Midshipmen outgained Army (8-3) on ground by 313y to 192y. Middies' finest moment was 58y drive on last possession that ate more than 5 mins of clock and ended with clinching 26y FG by K Todd Solomon. Navy's D highlight came late in 1st H with GLS that cost Army services of QB Rob Healy, who suffered separated shoulder on 4th-and-1 rush for no gain from Navy 2YL. GLS kept score tied at 7-7, where it stayed until 4th Q when Navy FB Chuck Smith scored winning 5y TD run with 8:26 left. Cadets FB Doug Black was held to 64y rushing to fall 50y short of consecutive 1,000y seasons. McCallum set NCAA records with 7,172y all-purpose and 1,137 plays all-purpose.

Army would go on to beat Illinois in the Peach Bowl to finish with nine wins for the first time since 1949. So Coach Young and his Cadets did gain some satisfaction that season--at least as much as you can get without beating Navy.

Thursday, December 9, 2010

View From Bennett Avenue


I have a lot more to say about Urban Meyer but will save that for later. After all, his story ebbs and floes.

I wanted to drift back to the NFF press conference from the other day. Once the inductees and then Bill Cosby and Tom Brokaw spoke, the free-for-all to secure interviews before the next phase of the presser begins. It can be crazy. My main concern was Sam Cunningham, but he was surprisingly busy. I would have introduced myself to Marie Tillman, but she was nowhere to be seen. With many of the heavy hitters of college football journalists in attendance, plus a couple of tele-journalists, I tend to spend my time with the forgotten inductees. After all, my emphasis is on the history of the sport and therefore any Hall of Famer is a worthwhile story. And there was poor Mark Herrmann being ignored as any Purdue player from the era between the Bob Griese/Leroy Keyes teams from the late 1960s and Drew Brees would be. After I chided Herrmann for not getting an analyst gig with fellow Boilermakers Griese and Gary Danielson busy as such, we talked about his recruiting (wanting to stay local he chose Purdue over Notre Dame because he could play right away...as a Notre Dame fan I am forced to wonder how good the Irish could have been in 1979 and 1980 when they were rock solid everywhere but at QB) and about his coach Jim Young. Young and Hermann began at Purdue at the same time and together they rebuilt a program that had slipped to mediocrity after the heights of the late 1960s. By year two they were 9-2-1, beginning a string of three years that produced a 28-7-1 record with three final poll rankings and three bowl wins. Herrmann had nothing but praise for Young, who he credits with both his development as a future Hall of Fame quarterback and with instilling ideals in all of the Boilermakers of that era.

After finishing with Herrmann, I waited nearby Cunningham who was being interviewed. But there was a camera crew nearby so I needed to get something accomplished about a book i am proposing that would need a lengthy interview with Sam the Bam. And so, fortunately for me, I was able to spend some time with Charles Young, a classmate of Cunningham's at Southern Cal and a fellow member of the Hall of Fame. Despite being both a Trojan and an Eagle, Young is a great guy and instantly offered his services to introduce me to Cunningam. That had to wait until the current college players, finalists for the Campbell Trophy that honors a healthy mix of athletic achievement, academic success and community service, spoke. Once they finished--and the award went to DE Sam Acho of Texas (see Texas did win something this year)--I was able to talk to both Cunningham and Young for a long time about the book project, which as Cunningham points out, hopes to be accurate about the integration of the SEC. I'll write more about Sam the Bam and this book project in the off-season, after I do a full interview with the talented back.

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Urban Meyer

What's to say? Once again he is not only stepping down as Florida coach but is talking about priorities and need to be with family. But why paint himself into that corner? And then when he takes the Denver Broncos job we will all come down on him again. And of the big three college football programs in Florida, Jumbo Fisher is now the coach with the longest tenure--1 year.
Hopefully for Meyer's family's sake he will spend more time with them. And hopefully for Mississippi State they will not have to look for a new coach this winter. It is my prediction that they will. I also feel that this will make Miami hasten their search so that the new guy can poach some Gator recruits. All's fair in love and coaching.

National Football Foundation Press Conference

I attended the National Football Foundation press conference for the annual awards ceremonies and Hall of Fame inductions yesterday, which went well despite the frenetic pace of the morning. I do not envy the media relations staff of the NFF as there is a lot to do in a limited amount of time. Phil Marwill and his crew do a great job keeping the flow going and balancing the needs of the media with the needs of the honorees. I was fortunate to not only get a great deal of material from comments made by the next class of Hall of Famers and the current student athletes honored for their current ability to excel at school and football while also contributing community work, but through interviews with some of the honorees in attendance. Most importantly I laid the groundwork for a future book, but more on that at a later date.
The event began with a presentation on the future 50,000 square foot home of the Hall of Fame, which is scheduled to break ground in downtown Atlanta in August of 2011 with a March 2013 scheduled opening date. The building certainly looks impressive and the ability to pair future inductions ceremonies with the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Classic every late summer make the decision to move the Hall from South Bend to Atlanta a brilliant one.
Next up, the next class of Hall of Famers plus special award winners Bill Cosby and Tom Brokaw. Two members of the class are no longer with us and North Carolina State great DT Dennis Byrd was represented by his son David and Arizona State's (and the country's) Pat Tillman was represented by his wife Marie. The others all expressed their humility and sense of joy at being honored, with former Arkansas lineman Ronnie Caveness, whose hat was bigger than former Navy DB Chet Moeller, getting the biggest laugh (not really for what he said but his general good-ol'-boy demeanor). Many of those being inducted stressed the importance of teammates, family and coaches, while former Colorado LB Alfred Williams, one of the youngest of the group, admitted that he broke down on his radio show when told that he made the Hall of Fame. Gene Stallings also got a laugh for knocking today's cream puff scheduling mentioning that while at Texas A&M his non conference schedule was LSU at Baton Rouge, Ohio State in Columbus and Michigan in Ann Arbor (I looked it up in The USA TODAY College football Encyclopedia--makes a great Christmas gift!--and the year was 1970 and is Aggies did beat LSU that season). Bill Cosby then went on a comic rant making fun of his playing days before Tom Brokaw finished that portion of the morning in his usual style.
I have to get to the library now but will delve into some of the interviews I conducted and mention the scholar-athletes honored yesterday.

Monday, December 6, 2010

Bowl Line-up: First Glance


My goal this year is to pay attention to all bowls featuring a match-up of teams with winning records. In other words skip the contests featuring 6-6 clubs as they have no reason to be rewarded with post-season play. So New Mexico Bowl, showcasing 6-6 BYU and 6-6 UTEP on 12/18? Sorry, but I will be watching college hoops or making eggnog or buying presents. Beef O' Brady's Bowl on 12/21? Not only do I have no idea what that means, but 6-6 Louisville does not merit December watching (until next year as the program is turning around). Little Ceasar's Bowl featuring 6-6 Florida International? Nope (and how has this game survived?). The next one is the toughest one as Air Force and 6-6 Georgia Tech square off in what could be an interesting Independence Bowl game on 12/27. So I may cheat there. But the double header on 12/29 of the Military Bowl and Texas Bowl with 6-6 ECU and 6-6 Illinois respectively? They are easy to pass on. Another potential dilemma occurs the following day wen Army takes on SMU in the Armed Forces Bowl. Right now the Cadets are 6-5 but Navy still looms on the schedule. Later that day I will skip the Holiday Bowl, annually one of the better bowl games, as it features 6-6 Washington getting crushed by Nebraska for the 2nd time this season. On New Year's Eve I will focus in on the Sun Bowl at the expense of the Meineke Car Care (with 6-6 Clemson) and Liberty (6-6 Georgia) Bowls. January 1 is thankfully free of .500 teams, but it is sad that 5 teams sporting 7-5 records get to play on that day including one (Michigan) whose coach may get canned. And later in January a 6-6 Middle Tennessee team is somehow playing in a bowl game that I will skip as too a 6-6 Kentucky squad. Sorry, but by then I will be burned out on games. Although if I am still alive in my bowl pool...

Sunday, December 5, 2010

What We Learned Yesterday

The seemingly inevitable did occur as Auburn and Oregon locked up undefeated seasons and expected spots in the BCS title game with generally easy wins. I firmly believed that Auburn was getting into the championship game with a close loss, but now we do not have to worry about it. TCU does get a nice consolation with the Rose Bowl and it will be interesting to see how they plan to stop the steamrolling Wisconsin offense. Oklahoma needed a full game's effort to subdue rival Nebraska, who wrapped up their Big 12 play. Meanwhile kudos to both Virginia Tech and Connecticut who both rebounded from poor starts to the season to wrap up conference titles. This is new territory for the Huskies, who are expected to draw Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl. I'll comment later when the full bowl roster is determined.

Saturday, December 4, 2010

Mighty MAC


Miami stunned Northern Illinois with 26-21 victory last night, winning on late 33y TD pass from frosh QB Austin Boucher to WR Armand Robinson. Boucher was making only his third career start yet was dominant performer on night, completing 29-46 for 333y with TD and 0 INTs. Robinson caught 14 passes for 176y. The RedHawks defense was also instrumental to delivering the win by holding Northern to only 92y net rushing. Huskies QB Chandler Harnish did throw 3 TD passes in defeat and laid a 4th in his receivers' hands that was dropped in 2nd half (leading to a punt).

It was funny seeing Miami in the role of underdog and the announcers talk about what a great story they are after finishing 1-11 last year. But Miami is arguably the traditional power in the conference and indeed this title was their MAC-best 15th overall. Remember Miami earned the moniker "cradle of coaches" for being affiliated to the following as players or coaches or both: Paul Brown, Woody Hayes, Bo Schembechler, Paul Dietzel, Ara Parseghian, Sid Gillman, Weeb Ewbank, George Little, Bill Mallory, John Pont, etc. Of course much of their tradition is a bit old now, but back in 2003 with some guy named Roethlisberger at QB Miami won 13 straight games after an opening loss to Iowa and finished 10th in final AP Poll. It has been up-and-down since then with last night being a very big up.

I am a big fan of the MAC and they are a conference that has been negatively effected by the BCS (without 90% of television analysis discussing what teams will play in the BCS Title game there is no room for competitive conferences playing quality football but lacking a program good enough to rise to BCS prominence). Hopefully they can open some eyes this bowl season.

Friday, December 3, 2010

Picks

I won't bore you with my lousy picks but do hope the games this weekend are good ones. Hopefully we will enjoy an upset or two. I'll be back with picks for the bowl games.

Thursday, December 2, 2010

NCAA is a Silly Place

I have to give the NCAA credit for one thing. They obviously could not care less what other people think of them.
Announcing that Cam Newton was eligible for both the SEC title game and Auburn's bowl game, while making it okay for Heisman voters to cast their votes for the young quarterback, was considered a huge positive for college football. At least I assume that was the behind-the-door reasoning that came to this poor decision. If the decision was not based on helping the sport's television ratings, then what was it based on? Common sense? No way. The NCAA found evidence that Cecil Newton offered his son's services through a peddling agent to Mississippi State. But they ruled that since there was no evidence that Cam knew about the deal, nor that Auburn did anything wrong, they are ruling him eligible and slapping the dad on the wrist. Auburn can go ahead and continue their charmed season.
The reasons this is a stupid ruling are myriad. For one thing, your father is an extension of you when it comes to recruiting. All decisions are made by the family together and the onus should have been on Cam to prove that he did not know anything about pay-for-play offers. Secondly, we have to assume that Cecil also shopped his son to Auburn. That is what everyone outside of southern Alabama thinks. Is the NCAA already finished investigating Auburn? If so, that was rather quick and will not assure fans of the sport that the NCAA exhausted all avenues in this regard.
But my biggest problem with this ruling is the message sent to players, their families and schools/boosters that cheat. The NCAA came down hard on Dez Bryant to not only punish the receiver (and cynics will say ensure Texas's undefeated regular season) but send a message to players: do not lie to the NCAA. Then this summer the NCAA dropped the hammer on USC. The message: establish your program in a way that makes compliance, not cheating, easy. So now they can make a statement about the selling of star players to colleges. But despite finding evidence that Cam was offered to MSU, the NCAA dropped the ball. The message: continue to sell your kid to programs but keep him ignorant of the situation and keep the number of people in the know about the offer to a minimum.
This is a ridiculous ruling.

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Heisman Chatter

Unless something stunning happens soon, the truth about Cam Newton will not be known by the time votes are due. That is a shame because voters understandably are torn about picking the best player or picking the best player who will not one day have to give back the trophy.
With his performance in the Auburn rally against Alabama, Newton wrapped up any "most outstanding player" awards out there. The Heisman is a different story thanks to the troubles of 2005 winner Reggie Bush. And all of the evidence out there points to Newton being guilty. He is not even defending himself, but keeping quiet. And no one has proven to me that the growing number of people with information about attempts to sell Newton's services to Mississippi State have a reason to lie. The Bulldogs are building a nice program under head coach Dan Mullen. Why risk a good situation with a host of made-up stories about a guy playing for Auburn?
Of course there are plenty of voters who believe that Newton should have been able to sell his services. And others who do not care what the best player does off the field as long as he is the best player on it (even if he cheated to become the best although that does not seem to apply here).
Me? I'd vote for Kellen Moore.