College Football: Arkansas Legislators Want New Rules After Newton Scandal

It looks like the lawmakers of Arkansas want to see some major changes in the way sports-agents are penalized for "rogue" behavior—at least by their state.

According to published reports, Attorney General Dustin McDaniel is introducing new legislation that would make it a "Class D felony for agents or their representatives to induce student-athletes to sign a contract by furnishing goods or services of value".

The bill would also "make it illegal for parents or others to seek the same illegal financial benefits in exchange for the promise of a student-athlete's commitment to a college or university athletic program."

Hmmm, sounds like Mr. McDaniel may not be too happy that his alma mater's (no surprise here, it's the University of Arkansas) shot at BCS glory was thwarted by a team many still feel was winning games with a dirty player who should have been deemed ineligible—Auburn.

Not that this was his only motivation for pushing the bill—sponsored by David J. Sanders—said McDaniel,

"Sports agents need to know that we in Arkansas will not tolerate them coming into our state, breaking the law, and jeopardizing the future of our student-athletes...further, we're going to make sure that our kids aren't used as pawns by their parents or others who think they can get away with selling their services to the highest bidder."

Wow, that language sure sounds pointed, no? He goes on to say,

"NCAA penalties could cost the hotel owner in Fayetteville or the convenience store owner in Jonesboro, all because of the actions of some unethical sports agent from outside the state...we support this legislation because we want our local economies to thrive and we want our student-athletes and our universities to be protected. It just makes for a better experience all around when everybody plays by the rules."

Well, not for nothing, Mr. McDaniel, but your head coach isn't exactly a saint himself—just saying.

If put into place, the penalties could be pricey if an agent or agent-representative is found in violation. The current penalty is $50,000 per offense, that would increase to $250,000 under this new law.

WATCH: Oregon Ducks "Take It All" Music Video

Is he a rapper? A singer? A producer?

Whatever he thinks he is, this video is his contribution to the 2010 Oregon Ducks and their trip to the National Championship game in January.

My advice would be for him to have a nice backup plan—just in case this whole rapper/singer/video production thing doesn't work out to his liking.

ESPN's Bob Griese: "I Would Not Vote For Cam Newton"

Bob Griese was asked—today during ESPN's broadcast of the Northwestern/Iowa game— if he would feel comfortable giving Cam Newton his Heisman vote—given the circumstances. He had this to say:

"Yeah, you know, as a voter, I'm a little bit concerned with what I'm hearing, especially on top of all this with the Reggie Bush situation and all that. My feeling right now is, there's just too much going on, and then, especially with the Auburn people coming out and saying, well we have "no comment"—where they have been commenting before. I would not vote right now and, if I had to vote, I would not vote for Cam Newton."

The controversy with the Auburn star took an interesting turn last night when, yet, another unnamed "source" came forth and confirmed that Cecil Newton did indeed solicit his son to Mississippi State in exchange for signing a letter of intent.

The story has not been confirmed or denied by any of the involved parties but, according to a story published by Mark Winne (an admitted Auburn alum) of WSB-TV, Cecil Newton admitted that he asked Mississippi State for money—without his son's or his wife's knowledge. Furthermore, Newton, allegedly, claimed that his son is clean of any wrongdoing.

All of this has led to doubts about Newton's eligibility to play in today's game.

Auburn has issued a firm "no comment" about the matter and has said nothing since the report on yesterday.

College Football Debate: To Pay or Not To Pay—Should There Be A Question?

By now, most everyone has either read or heard about the interview that, Josh Luchs gave to Sports Illustrated regarding his time as a sports agent. It's an interesting read, chocked full of all types of tidbits that make you raise an eyebrow at just how seedy the world of college athletics can truly be— when no one is watching.

However, after finishing the article, only one question can possibly come to mind: Should the NCAA allow amateur athletes to be paid or not?

The question is simple enough, but the answer is more complicated than any could possibly imagine because there is no black and white response to a query that has so many shades of gray. Of course the hard-line response would be to say that athletes are paid already—via their cushy $100,000 plus scholarship.

While the majority of college graduates will exit with a mountain of debt, most athletes will exit not only debt free, but with a degree that will be worth something in the job market, and a level of recognition that, depending on where they live, will grant them an opportunity to find a career that pays well.

Think about the sheer number of former athletes who find their way into the broadcast booth, onto the radio, and linked to lucrative business offers just for the use of their name and image—mostly because they played football or basketball.

There are benefits to being a successful collegiate athlete—even if you aren't an all-conference player who manages to garner a pro contract.

That said, the NCAA, and the institutions that these athletes serve, are also getting paid. The A.J. Green incident shed new light on the fact that a college athlete is powerless to what they can do for monetary gain. He sold his jersey for $1,000 and, while he was wrong for doing so, the NCAA sells a replica of his jersey for—at minimum—$50.00.

Look around Sanford Stadium and count the number of No. 8 jerseys—how many do you see? Is it more than a $1,000 worth—does Green get a cut of that? Did Reggie Bush reap the benefits of his No. 5? I bet Tim Tebow could have paid for a lot of circumcisions with his No. 15—just putting that out there.

Furthermore, look at the video game industry, they've struck gold with NCAA football series—the recently released NCAA 11' football sales increased 8% over the previous version. Keeping that in mind, it has to sting a little when a popular college football player sees their jersey number, but not their name, featured amongst the 100-plus schools the game promotes—knowing that most fans will know exactly who they are on said game.

And then there's the issue with players accepting monies, gifts, or favors. If they do so, there are steep consequences attached. Yet, the NCAA expects them to get by only on what they are allowed to have under the guidelines: tuition, books, meals, and on-campus housing are covered. However, there are no stipends given to cover other non-academic expenses: clothing, entertainment, etc.

Many of these athletes are poor and don't have the means to do anything.

Sure, the NCAA allows them to work but, let's be honest, what student-athlete has the time to fit a job into their daily commitments? Between practice, training, classes, tutoring-sessions, and study time, there isn't enough time in the day to hold down a job?

So, that leaves the athlete to depend on his/her family for any extra expenses and most cannot afford to do so.

That said, there will be some athletes who will take advantage of their popularity by accepting money and gifts from an agent, a booster, or an overzealous fan. Is that the right thing to do? No, but, despite what the NCAA has to say about why student-athletes aren't paid, there is a need for further discussion on how to best address these matters.

The debate is one that has so many angles that it's difficult to tackle them all, but it's anything but black and white—it always has been.

What say you?

The NCAA Don't Need No Stinking Investigators...TMZ Will Do Just Fine

Who needs to investigate the wrongdoings of the collegiate athlete when you can just find a cheap tabloid television show to do it for you?

The fact that A.J. Green jeopardized his season for a few extra spring break ducats was a lot less surprising than his mention of TMZ being the initial impetus of the NCAA's investigation into his actions.

Said A.J., "I didn’t know anything about it, Green said of the party. "When the NCAA told me about it, they said they heard it from [website] TMZ. [The NCAA] just heard it was a rumor, so they came down here and asked me." (AJC, 9/28/10).

In case you have no idea what TMZ actually is, it's a celebrity gossip site known for being very unfriendly to famous people. If tabloid journalism had rungs, TMZ would fall somewhere between US Weekly and The Enquirer—in other words, it's pretty close to garbage.

So, it seems rather comical that the NCAA has agents patrolling cheesy tabloid websites for information on what the college athletes they get paid to keep tabs on are doing. It makes you question their ability to actually find out anything major, that's not self-reported by the institution, on their own.

Perhaps that's why it took them five years to figure out that Reggie Bush was dirty, North Carolina was paying tutors, and South Carolina players were living in hotels—jeez, Marc Emmert (the new NCAA president) has a lot of work left to do if he expects to streamline that operation.

Adding more insult to injury was the fact that the NCAA investigation into A.J. Green's actions continued long after it was established that he wasn't in attendance at the South Beach party. Why was that even necessary? Just thinking out loud here, but, wasn't that the reason for the inquiry in the first place? He was rumored to have been there and—shocker—the rumor turns out to be a fabrication.

Why then mull over his bank statements from the previous 15-months?

Did the NCAA agent feel a little silly coming away empty-handed after their "source" ended up being complete hogwash? Did it then become necessary to find something—anything—to justify their contacting Green in the first place? If that wasn't case, why didn't they just leave well enough alone?

Unfortunately for Green, they did unearth his dirty, little secret. One that he, admittedly, knew was wrong but didn't properly calculate the consequences of after the fact.

It's all over now, thankfully, and Georgia can see what restitution Green can  repay the Bulldogs on the football field. Georgia offensive coordinator, Mike Bobo, is already foaming at the mouth trying to come up with better plays than the slants, draws, and iso's he's been blindly running over the last three weeks.

Even still, it's perplexing to think that the NCAA expects anyone to take them seriously when they rely on such trashy mediums as TMZ to point them in the right direction—Seriously?

You know that somewhere, someone is thinking, "if not for that POS (piece of shhhh) website, Georgia could be 4-0 right now", right?...just putting that out there because someone is thinking it—no doubt.

As for the NCAA, when asked about the allegation that they don't have agents who can find their own dirt, minus the help of entertainment news, they had no comment. 

Is There Really Any Chance That Temple Beats Penn State?—The Lady's Friday Links (9/24)

The head coach at Temple University, Al Golden, has the Owls on the cusp of relevancy. After two winning seasons, their first bowl appearance since 1979 (in 2009), and a hot start (the Owls are currently 3-0), Golden has his program standing at the threshold of college football legitimacy.

After last weeks surprising win over Big East power, Connecticut, the Owls head into Saturday's match-up against Penn State with a lot of confidence—are the Owls for real? This game will surely be the one that answers that question.

Read more about the emergence of the Temple football program right here. 

Michigan State head coach, Mark Dantonio, is on the mend but his team will retake the field this weekend—hoping to remain undefeated.

Florida coach, Urban Meyer, will add his name to an exclusive group of head football coaches if/when he reaches the 100-win mark over the next four games. He would be the fastest coach, in more than 50 years, to reach the milestone—boy...it sure does pay to stay in-state and play those pansies, eh Urban?

The Alabama Crimson Tide are tentatively scheduling a game with the Michigan Wolverines. The match-up would take place in Dallas, TX in 2012—the Crimson Tide are really looking to expand their brand under Saban...well played.

Randall Cobb and the Kentucky Wildcats will look to get their program-defining win in The Swamp on Saturday night. Said John Clay, of KentuckySports.com, "You might expect a little more respect for a program that has been to four consecutive bowl games. You might expect a little more respect for a program that won on the road at Auburn and Georgia last year, that boasts a Randall Cobb, that competes in the SEC."—with all due respect to what the Wildcats were able to do last year, their schedule this year has been a joke. If they win at Florida, then they should join the conversation, but they are hardly worth a top 25 nod after beating a couple cupcakes and a pansy.

And speaking of Randall Cobb, he's mighty sensitive where his team is concerned. Red Lobster has lost his business for a little while after a hostess, unwittingly, dissed the Wildcats football program—you can hardly blame her, it was an honest mistake. 

This writer offers a different opinion on the Reggie Bush debacle, he seems to feel an injustice was done to both Reggie Bush and USC. Says Jerry Soifer, "Where is the media outcry against the people who bribed Bush and his family, taking advantage of a 19-year-old man and a family that had very little at the time?"...uh-huh. I have a better question, where was Reggie Bush's honor code? He wasn't nine, he knew what he was doing was wrong—I hardly feel sorry for him. It's called accountability. 

The cost to the Colorado Buffaloes to leave the Big 12 and become a member of the new Pac-12: a whopping $6.836 million—ouch.  

Before the start of the season, a lot of people felt like the Pitt Panthers were going to be major players in the BCS this season. Well, after last night, that notion took a big hit. 

Some cool video:

Bobby Petrino talks Bama:

Is Reggie Bush Kidding or Delusional—The Lady's Friday Links (9/17)

Reggie Bush returned his 2005 Heisman trophy to the Heisman Trophy Trust on yesterday. The former USC running back stated that: “It’s definitely not an admission of guilt. It’s me showing my respect to the Heisman Trophy and to the people who come before me and the people who come after me. You’re going to keep hearing the same thing because that’s what it is. It’s not an admission of guilt it’s me feeling like this is the best thing for me and the Heisman Trust right now.” Awww, isn't that special, Reggie is finally thinking of someone other than himself. Seriously, if he doesn't think he did anything wrong, why bother returning the trophy in the first place? Not inclined to buy that he's suddenly become enlightened about the situation, despite what he says.

Are Alabama and Oregon heading for disappointment in week three?...Doubtful, but I guess the story makes for good copy. On the other hand, that Tennessee over Florida pick makes perfect sense—just saying.

Isaiah Crowell is skipping his visit to the University of Georgia football game this Saturday, but the AJC assures that this is nothing to be worried about, if you're a Georgia Bulldog fan.

Speaking of the Georgia Bulldogs, wide receiver A.J. Green will be heard by the NCAA at some point today. The junior is currently serving a four-game suspension for selling his bowl game jersey. UGA hopes that his suspension is reduced and he will be allowed to play with the team on tomorrow—don't hold your breath.

After a few stellar performances, Michigan phenom, Denard Robinson, is already being analyzed as a future NFL prospect. It may be a little too early for the Michael Vick comparisons, but I guess the college football world needs something to hang onto right now.

Florida hasn't been impressive this season, thus far, so I suppose that gives writers an opportunity to turn their attention to the other things about Urban Meyer's program that is worthy of mention...like whether or not he's running a "dirty program" in Gainesville. Wow. what a difference a Tebow-less team makes. 

If you have been impressed by the performance of the Kentucky Wildcats, under new coach Joker Phillps, so far this season, then this writer has a little bit of reality to impart about just how good the Wildcats really are—don't get your hopes up. 

Tulane head coach isn't saying it's okay that his team lost to Ole Miss last weekend, but he is able to find the silver-lining—it wasn't like they were blown out by the Rebels (they lost 27-13). Said Bob Toledo, "“That’s the first time I’ve seen our offensive line run off the ball and knock people back...we were more physical in that game than we’ve been in four years since I’ve been here. Our physicality on both sides of the line impressed me.” No offense to the Green Wave but, Ole Miss is looking less and less impressive by the day.

This writer thinks the SEC East is the weaker of the two divisions this season (due mostly to Florida's offensive losses). Hmmm, that's funny, I don't recall one of the Eastern Division teams losing to it's I-AA opponent—just saying.

Middle Tennessee State will get their prized quarterback/running back, Dwight Dasher back in time to play conference power, Troy, on October 5th. Dasher was suspended for four-games due to accepting an impermissible loan of $1500.

I'll tell you this much, Bruce Pearl (Head Basketball Coach at Tennessee) has one hell of an agent. Despite his recent admission of guilt, Tennessee may not be able to terminate his contract. Man, that AD over in Knoxville has a way of getting screwed by his head coaches—didn't Kiffin get away free as a bird with a menial buyout? I think they need a new overseer in that department because the current one is not exactly top-notch.

Cool videos of the week—the SEC is well-represented.



That Beano Cook cracks me up! Do they actually pay him for his analysis or what?



Georgia has turnover issues?...What games has this guy been watching?

Reggie Bush Still Doesn't Quite Seem To Get It

"...I can't dwell on the negatives because I do have a job to do and I have a whole organization and a city riding on my back, not necessarily my back, but the team's back."(ESPN, 7/31/2010)

Reggie Bush is moving on from the scandal that recently brought his former alma mater to its knees. Even though he has all but been erased from the visual memory of his days as USC's star running back, he isn't allowing it to effect his current responsibility as a New Orleans Saint.

While I can understand that the past is the past, I am bothered by the, seemingly, lackadaisical attitude that Bush continues to display about this matter. It's as if he's silently saying, "I did it. It's done. Too bad it amounted to all this but, I can't fix it so, I'm over it".

Really Reggie?

If you think I am exaggerating his emotions too much, just take a look at his last comment  in regards to rebuilding his relationship with USC, "I hope someday at some point it can be repaired," Bush said. "We'll see what happens. That's all I can do."

Umm, yeah. So, you all but decimate one of the most dominant runs in USC's history, this decade, you handcuff the program for the next two seasons (via scholarship limitations and bowl bans), you brought shame to the football program, and, you may very well be responsible for the departure of countless veterans from the team (since the sanctions allowed juniors and seniors to exit without penalty), and you honestly think the relationship isn't severed—permanently?

Again, I say, Reggie Bush doesn't get it.

I know there are many who will say, he was lured by the money and the opportunity to help his family get ahead. He was struggling, despite the money USC was making off his presence, what was he supposed to have done?

Well, that answer is easy, he was supposed to say "no", move on, and await his shot in the NFL...LIKE EVERY OTHER PLAYER.

While I do not agree with USC's over-the-top response to the situation, I can understand the philosophy behind the actions they have taken. They don't want to glorify the man who essentially has crippled them and they wish to send a stern message to any player who might be thinking of following in his footsteps.

However, I would be remiss if I failed to mention the hypocrisy in removing his jersey and returning his Heisman copy while still allowing the trophy and jersey of disgraced former star, O.J. Simpson to remain—just saying.

Yet, I digress.

Reggie Bush made a poor decision. A decision guys he never played with will have to suffer through for the next two seasons. It's not just an "outside distraction" that "is what it is". It's the principle of the thing. He made a huge mistake and, honestly, he's gotten off easy.

Sure, USC will remove his jersey and his Heisman but, no matter what they do, most people will still respect Bush as one of the greatest college football players—ever.

Reggie Bush will still be Reggie Bush no matter what USC or the media does to vilify him—like it or not. He likely knows that and perhaps that is why he can be so philosophical about the whole thing. He just doesn't get it.

I doubt he ever will.

New USC AD Pat Haden Could Be Trouble For Lane Kiffin

Today, the USC Trojans did some house cleaning and, in the process, sent a message to the NCAA and the college football world that "Playtime Is Over" in Southern California.

Athletic Director Mike Garrett was fired,  replaced by the clean-cut, wholesome, image of Pat Haden—a former Trojan and member of the USC board of trustees. He has since resigned from the latter.


He is a well-respected figure in the community and, at USC, few will find any reason to disagree with the choice—especially given the recent turmoil the program has suffered with Garrett at the wheel.

Also gone is any material memory of Reggie Bush. His No. 5 jersey along with the Heisman Trophy he won in 2005 have both been removed from Heritage Hall. Said president-elect Max Nikias, "The Trojan Family honors and respects the USC sporting careers of those persons whose actions did not compromise their athletic program or the opportunities of future USC student-athletes,". 

USC is certainly following the guidelines set forth by the NCAA which advised them to disassociate themselves from Bush in the wake of the scandal. However, it does make you wonder, will they return all the revenue they reaped as a result of his jersey sales? Will they return the money that was likely generated from the boosters and alumni who gladly opened their checkbooks thanks to his greatness on the field?

Don't get me wrong, Reggie Bush was a punk for what he did and he deserves to be stripped of the Heisman, but lets not be naive to how much money USC made off his success either—just saying.

But, I digress.

It's all business now at USC and that means there will be a lot less hand-wringing and side-chatter surrounding the program and it's dealings where the athletes and coaches are concerned. Which naturally leads us to new head coach, Lane Kiffin.

I seriously doubt that his "dream job" entailed him having a semi-permanent set of eyes looking over his shoulder. However, that may very well be the case now that J.K. McKay will be appointed the associate athletic director of football.

McKay's primary job will be to act as the liaison between new AD, Pat Haden, and the football program. In other words, Kiffin's freedom just got a whole lot more restrained.

It's no secret that McKay and Haden have a close relationship and that leaves little doubt as to where McKay's loyalty will be.  He will surely scrutinize Kiffin's every move and that could make Kiffin's time on the sidelines a lot less enjoyable.

It doesn't help that Kiffin has already come under fire for his, somewhat, questionable recruiting tactics at USC already.

The first red flag came after he accepted the job. One of his assistants, with Kiffin's blessing, was rumored to have called some of Tennessee's (Kiffin's former employer) best prospects in an effort to get them to switch their commitment to USC instead.

Then came the Seantrel Henderson debacle.

Kiffin was, allegedly, dishonest with Henderson about the severity of the upcoming sanctions. Henderson never did sign with the Trojans due in large part to deception.

Add to that, the recent transfer of a number of junior and senior players to other Division I schools, and Kiffin has already been through the wringer without having called a snap.

If more of these shenanigans continue, I foresee swift and definitive action by Haden to cut Kiffin loose.  After all, USC can undoubtedly find a more experienced, less media-obsessed coach for $4 million.

Either way, I set the over/under on Kiffin's departure at 2-years because his dream just turned into a nightmare.

Sam Bradford Could Earn $50 Million Based On His...Potential—Huh?

Sam Bradford was the No. 1 pick in the 2010 NFL Draft by the St. Louis Rams. He is now entitled to guaranteed monies in the neighborhood of $45+ million—more than Matthew Stafford received last season from the Detroit Lions as their No. 1 pick.

My first question is, why?

Bradford sustained an injury in the first game of the 2009 college football season and, basically, missed the year.  Yet, he's guaranteed to make $45+ million as a pro player?...Wow, that's a nice gig if you can get it.

First of all, I don't blame Sam Bradford for taking the money, but I can understand a proven veteran player who will feel upset as a result. Bradford may be full of potential but, as my mother always said, "potential means you ain't done squat, yet."

Bradford will be a rookie on a team that is in rebuild mode but commanding that kind of a price tag on your skills means that your learning curve just got shorter. No matter what state the Rams are in at this time, Bradford will be looked upon as the savior and, as such, will be expected to produce big results  within the next season or two.

Is that fair to Bradford? No, but it comes with the job and the money. Just ask Reggie Bush how hefty his burden was coming into New Orleans after the tragedy of Katrina. Or, better still (and a little less dramatic), ask Matthew Stafford what he's expected to do in season two with the Lions—they expect better than eight wins in 2010.

No excuses. 

However, if there were a more reasonable system in place for paying the unproven rookie, players like Sam Bradford, Matthew Stafford, JaMarcus Russell, and Mario Williams would be less savior than table-setter. Even more, the passion and the work-ethic to prove their worth would be greater—possibly translating into more-focused play on the field.  

For example, Sam Bradford's contract would likely look like this: 3-years, $8.5 million with around $4 million guaranteed—sounds like a bargain, right? Perhaps Bradford's agent wouldn't be nearly as happy with his cut, but in my opinion, it's high time the agents stopped becoming the focal point of the negotiation.

Let's get back to the dollars and sense of it all: if it doesn't make sense, don't spend the dollars. Period.

Some might say, well, what if Bradford comes in and blows people out of the water (leading the Rams to the playoffs in his first two years as a starter)? At that point, you have a situation where the Rams will be placed into a bidding war for his services—they could lose him to a team with deeper pockets.

Look at what happened in Cleveland with LeBron James!

That's a good point, but, you have to take into account your relationship with that player as well. If he sees the opportunity to continue with the franchise that drafted him as a positive thing (i.e. they are bringing in the right personnel and making the proper adjustments around him to help him maintain his success), then the likelihood of him bolting is minimal.

It's a calculated risk but it's a risk worth taking when you consider the sheer number of players selected in the Top 10 who don't pan out.

The downside of this is that as the picks get higher, the guys outside of the Top 15 will stand to make even less money than they do now. However, that also means that some early-entry players from the NCAA ranks could decide to stick around a little longer to increase their draft stock.

As a college football, fan, I see little wrong with that scenario. One more year of Knowshon Moreno and Matthew Stafford would have been nice for Georgia in 2009—just saying.

In the end, though, there is plenty to be discussed and lots to consider when making a change as big as this one would be. However, the fact remains, it's time for a NFL Rookie Wage scale to be put into place—pay needs to start reflecting play instead of potential.

Nuff' said.

Sunday Clickables: A Few Links To Make You Think

Congressman Barton says that the recent expansion madness is all about the money. Oh yeah? Well, in other news, water is wet and the sand in Saudi is hot. Barton has long since been a proponent of a playoff and thinks that the Big XII's demise is due to the lack of one. Actually, Congressman, the Big XII's demise has a lot to do with the conference dropping the ball on sharing the wealth.

This article points out the exact reasons the Big XII has fallen like a house of cards.

I read this section and had to pick myself off the floor: "Another party that this is inherently unfair to is the current coaching staff at USC.  Yes, the current head coach Lane Kiffin was on the coaching staff during those Reggie Bush teams, but to say he had a hand in any of this would be a huge stretch. "--is that supposed to be a joke. Kiffin was involved with the offense almost as intimately as Carroll. You think that slimeball didn't know something?...Please. 


In keeping with a post I read early last week from T Kyle King of DawgSports.com the Texas A&M Aggies are looking into a move to the SEC. 

Boise State will be an official member of the Mountain West Conference (MWC) this time next year. That's great for the MWC exposure but not so much for its members as Boise has routinely beat up on them too—go figure. 


USC running back, Dillon Baxter, has stated that both Alabama and Florida contacted him about transferring to their school in light of the sanctions. Baxter reached out to an ESPN reporter to send the following message: leave me alone. I guess, despite the presence of both Mack Brown and Jeff Demps, the Gators are still in need of a good tailback—shrugs. 


No offense to the Auburn team of 2004, but, do you really want a trophy that everyone will still consider USC's at the end of the day? Just sayin'.


The Baylor Athletic Director thinks the Big XII is still viable with 10 schools. It could be, if four of those schools weren't Kansas, Kansas State, Iowa State, and Baylor.

Pete Carroll Is Lying and Everybody Knows It—Shame On Him!

In the wake of the sanctions placed on the USC Trojans football program, former head musketeer, Pete Carroll released a video statement to the Trojan family. In the video, he states that he is "absolutely shocked and disappointed" and goes on to say that he "knew nothing" and this was just another case of outside forces tampering with a student-athlete.

Yeah, and see, it's that kind of bologna that will make him a prime candidate to run for political office someday—or at least give it some heavy consideration—because clearly his name is mud in college football if the NFL doesn't work out for him.

For those of you who didn't know, Pete Carroll is lying through his whitened teeth. That's right, I'm saying it: He's lying!

I don't believe for one minute that he had no idea what was going on with Reggie Bush—his star player. No, Hollywood Pete not only knew what was going on, he turned a blind eye to it because he wouldn't dare jeopardize the greatness that was USC football from 2004-2005—he figured, no harm, no foul as long as everything remained status quo.

Don't ask. Don't tell.

The first clue to his knowledge was his decision to leave Southern California for Seattle—no offense to the great northwest, but who does that? Seattle may be beautiful and bountiful but Pete had it made at Southern Cal. He was a rock star and the team was his band—they always played to a full house and everyone bought the record.

Furthermore, of all the NFL teams in the league, Seattle is in need of the most repair. Building an NFL team is nothing like the college ranks. It's going to take a lot more than a smile and a shuck and jive for him to sell big time free agents on his dream.

He's going to be sleepless in Seattle for sure and the reality of his mistake will hit him much sooner than many think. However, I digress.

The NFL will offer nothing close to the lifestyle or the environment that he built for himself at USC. He may feel like a hot commodity right now, but, just ask Steve Spurrier and Nick Saban how long that lasts with an NFL fan once their team starts losing.

He'll be looking for a new job in about four years, if that long, and he will find the pickings much slimmer after this debacle.

Secondly, the lackadaisical atmosphere he introduced to the sideline of USC was tailor made for slime. No one was outlawed—heck, I could have gotten in there if I wanted to—the more the merrier. He liked the spotlight and so did his players.

That said, how on earth would he expect anyone to believe that he "knew nothing"? He knows an agent when he sees one and he has been around long enough to know when they are lurking and trying to make a deal.

If Reggie Bush was doing deals, you can be sure that people knew about it—the players, coaches, and even the administration had some idea and Pete Carroll was likely in on that memo.

"Knew nothing?", give me a break, he can barely look into the web cam and say that with a straight face.

Pete Carroll should change his name to Pinocchio, but, then again that would give the impression that he's just about ready to become something that he hasn't proven to be so far in this situation: a real man.

Honestly, Pinocchio deserves better company.

Stay Classy, Pete.

See the full Associated Press (AP) video statement below and judge for yourself:

Forget Pac-10 Expansion, USC's Sanctions Just Altered The Landscape of College Football

The NCAA has released its report on the USC Trojans and the findings have netted the following sanctions:

1. USC is banned from post-season play for two seasons. 
2. They will lose 10 scholarships per year over the next three (30 total)
3. The team will have to forfeit all games in which Reggie Bush appeared, starting from December 2004 to the 2006 Rose Bowl. This includes the national championship win over Oklahoma.

Reggie Bush was said to have been "disappointed" with the outcome and he "disagrees" with the findings. Those findings were, in short, that Bush and his family accepted more than $300,000 in gifts and monies from an agent while he was enrolled at USC.

The money was given to Bush in order to secure a spot as his agent once his college career was over.

In light of the sanctions, coach Lane Kiffin was quoted as having said the following:

"I don't think it's going to have an impact on our recruiting," Kiffin said. "We've talked to a lot of people from our team, to our signees, to recruits, and we have not felt an impact at all, because USC is still USC. We're still going to play an extremely high level of football. You can still get a great education if you come to USC. I don't feel an impact at all so far today, talking to a lot of people, talking to our staff, a lot of different kids." (USA Today, 6/10/10)

Let me just say that whatever Lane Kiffin is drinking, give me a sip, because he is clearly wasted in LA LA land.

He thinks it won't have an impact?...Of course it will have an impact. Very few players on that USC roster are there for academic reasons. So, it doesn't matter how great the education opportunities are at USC.

If education were the primary goal of every top notch football player in the nation, then both Stanford and Notre Dame would be more relevant each year, Duke and North Carolina would rule the ACC in more than just basketball, and Vanderbilt would be the SEC Champion on a regular basis.

In truth, these guys go to school to play football. The education is a lovely perk but, at the end of the day, they are trying to make dollars.

How do you make dollars? You go to a winning program with a national reputation, you dominate in conference play, and you make an appearance in the best bowls that the post-season has to offer—period.

That said, USC and Lane Kiffin are screwed for the next two years as the Pac-10 just became an equal opportunity employer. Stanford, UCLA, and Cal have to be salivating at the possibility of netting some of the guys who may now reconsider their interest in USC.

Even more, the NCAA will allow any junior or senior who wishes to transfer from the program, in light of this decision, to do so without imposing their traditional one-year ban on play. I don't know that any player will necessarily do so, but the option is there and it may prove to be tempting.

It's got to be a sad day for the Trojan fan, but the Tennessee fan has to be laughing his collective backside off. Lane Kiffin finally got a little visit from the karma fairy and, for once, the joke appears to be on him.

Ha. Ha. Ha.