I was driving today when I heard the breaking news of Jameis Winston being suspended for the first half of the Florida State-Clemson game this week. Full disclosure, I wasn't even aware at the time of what he had done. It was obvious that it went to the degree that the university felt the need to issue some type of punishment. Now the debate has begun as to whether a suspension was even warranted or if the suspension was severe enough. I didn't care about either of these issues. My immediate thought was what would happen when Winston took the field for his first drive of the second half. The answer is obvious: 80,000 plus fans would rise to their feet, cheer wildly and reinforce the idea to Winston that he didn't do anything wrong. Then I started getting mad. Luckily for me I was driving in the middle of nowhere Nevada and was in no danger of road rage.
What made me upset wasn't this specific situation. It was this and all the other occasions that empower athletes to behave how they want. Player behavior is obviously a big topic right now. The NFL is dealing with several issues in regards to what their players are doing off the field. The players, the teams and the league itself are taking a large amount of heat for how they are handling the situations. This got me to thinking of why they do this and the answer is simple, us. Fans. Our attitude...our need to identify with sports teams and athletes fuels their arrogance. Everyone remember the reaction at Ravens camp when Ray Rice came out to practice after his initial 2 game suspension was announced? He was given a standing ovation! He was their player and he had those fans' support no matter what. He is still getting support from Ravens fans. Fans in every other city turn their noses up and say what a disgrace he is to the league and how awful the Ravens organization has been. And they're right. But what if it was your team. How would you, or the fan base of your team react? Most likely just like the Ravens fans. When it's your guy the feelings toward behavior seem to be very different. Excuses are made. Acts are rationalized. All in the name of trying to win some games.
I hadn't written on this blog for quite awhile...2 years in fact. But when I came here to do this tonight I laughed as I realized what I was thinking were very similar thoughts to what I wrote 2 years ago. We enable. We enable and empower the athlete's, the teams and the leagues themselves. We give them the arrogance that we are now acting upset with. We tell them whatever they do is ok as long as they win games. Just as long as it is our team doing it and not our rival. When it's happening for another franchise we point fingers and tell them how awful they are. It's time to change our own attitudes if we expect them to change. It's time to boo the players on our own teams, not just for poor play, but for being bad people. Tell the team and league that employs them that you don't support them no matter what. Tell them you don't want them representing your team, your city or your school. If you don't, you're no better than the people you're throwing stones at from your soapbox.
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
Saturday, November 10, 2012
The Boys Picks for 11-10
For those of you that follow me on twitter, here are the boys' picks. All the lines from LVH
Northwestern +9.5, UNDER 52.5
Clemson -31.5, OVER 55.5
Wake Forest +7.5, UNDER 50
Army +17, OVER 52.5
Louisville -1.5, OVER 58
Miami(FL) +1, UNDER 53.5
Illinois -3, UNDER 46
Wisconsin -7, UNDER 55
Iowa -5, UNDER 48.5
Vanderbilt +2.5, OVER 50
Georgia Tech +8.5, OVER 66
Eastern Michigan +2.5, UNDER 63
Miami(OH) +6.5, UNDER 56
Idaho +40, UNDER 49
UMASS +16.5, UNDER 58.5
Western Michigan -2.5, OVER 54
Alabama -14, OVER 56.5
Auburn +14.5, OVER 52
Nebraska -8.5, OVER 51
Boston College -19.5, UNDER 48.5
Arizona State +9, OVER 63.5
Utah -1.5, UNDER 46
New Mexico +2, UNDER 53.5
San Jose State -20.5, OVER 54.5
Cal +28.5, UNDER 67.5
West Virginia +10, OVER 77
Kansas State -6.5, UNDER 58
Cincinnati -8.5, UNDER 54.5
Missouri +3, UNDER 60
Texas -10, OVER 54
San Diego State -7, OVER 58
Southern Miss +14, UNDER 50.5
Marshall -3, UNDER 74.5
Tulsa -3.5, UNDER 67
UNLV +1, OVER 53.5
Hawaii +28, UNDER 52.5
Washington State +16.5, OVER 61
Central Florida -13.5, UNDER 51
Arizona -29, OVER 66
Arkansas +14, UNDER 52
Texas Tech -26, OVER 56.5
Louisiana Tech -20, OVER 69
Oklahoma -21.5, OVER 76
Memphis -1, OVER 56
Oregon State +4, OVER 44.5
Mississippi State +16, UNDER 44
Fresno State -3, UNDER 68.5
Florida Atlantic -16.5, UNDER 49.5
Troy +2, OVER 60
North Texas -7, UNDER 48.5
UL-Lafayette +27, UNDER 50.5
Northwestern +9.5, UNDER 52.5
Clemson -31.5, OVER 55.5
Wake Forest +7.5, UNDER 50
Army +17, OVER 52.5
Louisville -1.5, OVER 58
Miami(FL) +1, UNDER 53.5
Illinois -3, UNDER 46
Wisconsin -7, UNDER 55
Iowa -5, UNDER 48.5
Vanderbilt +2.5, OVER 50
Georgia Tech +8.5, OVER 66
Eastern Michigan +2.5, UNDER 63
Miami(OH) +6.5, UNDER 56
Idaho +40, UNDER 49
UMASS +16.5, UNDER 58.5
Western Michigan -2.5, OVER 54
Alabama -14, OVER 56.5
Auburn +14.5, OVER 52
Nebraska -8.5, OVER 51
Boston College -19.5, UNDER 48.5
Arizona State +9, OVER 63.5
Utah -1.5, UNDER 46
New Mexico +2, UNDER 53.5
San Jose State -20.5, OVER 54.5
Cal +28.5, UNDER 67.5
West Virginia +10, OVER 77
Kansas State -6.5, UNDER 58
Cincinnati -8.5, UNDER 54.5
Missouri +3, UNDER 60
Texas -10, OVER 54
San Diego State -7, OVER 58
Southern Miss +14, UNDER 50.5
Marshall -3, UNDER 74.5
Tulsa -3.5, UNDER 67
UNLV +1, OVER 53.5
Hawaii +28, UNDER 52.5
Washington State +16.5, OVER 61
Central Florida -13.5, UNDER 51
Arizona -29, OVER 66
Arkansas +14, UNDER 52
Texas Tech -26, OVER 56.5
Louisiana Tech -20, OVER 69
Oklahoma -21.5, OVER 76
Memphis -1, OVER 56
Oregon State +4, OVER 44.5
Mississippi State +16, UNDER 44
Fresno State -3, UNDER 68.5
Florida Atlantic -16.5, UNDER 49.5
Troy +2, OVER 60
North Texas -7, UNDER 48.5
UL-Lafayette +27, UNDER 50.5
Thursday, July 19, 2012
We All Play A Part
I'd like to sincerely apologize to the victims of Jerry Sandusky. This doesn't come from someone associated with the tragic events. I am not a Penn State alumnus nor even a current student. In fact, I'm not even a fan of Penn State. However, I am a fan of sports, have been all my life, and the events that have taken place in State College have made me reflect on the role of fans in contributing to such horrific actions.
Passing judgment on those directly involved is easy to do; evaluating the root causes of this tragedy is much more difficult. Sick people exist in the world, and as much as society would like to be able to eliminate them and their activities, it will never happen. One thing that gives us reassurance is the assumption that responsible people will do the proper thing when they learn of others misdeeds. At Penn State, this did not occur. In fact, some of the people given positions of highest responsibilty, both by reputation and title, failed in spectaculor fashion. They not only failed to do the right thing, they worked together to do the wrong thing and cover up those misdeeds. Plenty of others out there have been and will continue to analyze what should happen to these people as well as to the University itself. I want to take a moment to assess what made these people think covering this up was even an option.
The reason they felt this was an option was us...fans. We as consumers give them their power. We watch the games. We buy the merchandise. We attend the games. We idolize humans for an ability to teach a sport to capable young men. Everything we do has added up and created the modern college sports landscape, a multi-billion dollar industry. This won't be changing anytime soon. I'm not even advocating that it should. Sports are a great way to for many people to relax, to escape from the stresses of daily life. They also can be a huge benefit for the players. The nature of the game teaches life lessons non-players might not learn until much later in life. As a fan, I love college sports and will continue watching.
So what can be done? As consumers, and more importantly, as taxpayers, we hold the power. Most of the institutions playing the games we love are public entities, relying heavily on money from the federal and state governments. Before we continue to blindly watch the games and support everything around them, we as consumers have to hold those involved accountable. This includes coaches, athletic directors, presidents and members of the boards of trustees. Now some will say, how could this have been done with the Penn State situation? Admittedly, it would not have been easy. We oftentimes have to rely on other professionals, those in the media, to be diligent regarding their jobs. We have to push them to ask questions and dig into things that look suspicious. There were many signs at Penn State. But we all know now that things were hidden, buried and not properly investigated. Too often though we don't find about the wrongdoing until it is too late. That was the case here for some of the victims - but not all. Many victims could have been spared had the people trusted to act responsibly done so. But they didn't and now the responsibility to act must fall to others.
That is why someone, whether it's the NCAA, the Big Ten, the state or federal government must step in. Someone has to step to the forefront and tell the world these actions in no way, shape or from will be tolerated by our society. Football must be taken away from Penn State immediately. You can argue that this punishes innocent people. Too bad. You can argue this will hurt businesses in State College. Too bad. A culture has been created around that football program that led to these monstrous acts. The best way to try and ensure that this doesn't happen again at any other school is to inflict the stiffest penalty possible. Losing out on playing football for Penn State or a few dollars at your business does not begin to compare to the loss and pain experienced by the victims of Jerry Sandusky and all those that covered up for him to protect themselves and Penn State football. Protecting innocent children and the values we base our society on are way more important than any sports program. If it isn't, then we truly are headed toward a hell on earth.
Passing judgment on those directly involved is easy to do; evaluating the root causes of this tragedy is much more difficult. Sick people exist in the world, and as much as society would like to be able to eliminate them and their activities, it will never happen. One thing that gives us reassurance is the assumption that responsible people will do the proper thing when they learn of others misdeeds. At Penn State, this did not occur. In fact, some of the people given positions of highest responsibilty, both by reputation and title, failed in spectaculor fashion. They not only failed to do the right thing, they worked together to do the wrong thing and cover up those misdeeds. Plenty of others out there have been and will continue to analyze what should happen to these people as well as to the University itself. I want to take a moment to assess what made these people think covering this up was even an option.
The reason they felt this was an option was us...fans. We as consumers give them their power. We watch the games. We buy the merchandise. We attend the games. We idolize humans for an ability to teach a sport to capable young men. Everything we do has added up and created the modern college sports landscape, a multi-billion dollar industry. This won't be changing anytime soon. I'm not even advocating that it should. Sports are a great way to for many people to relax, to escape from the stresses of daily life. They also can be a huge benefit for the players. The nature of the game teaches life lessons non-players might not learn until much later in life. As a fan, I love college sports and will continue watching.
So what can be done? As consumers, and more importantly, as taxpayers, we hold the power. Most of the institutions playing the games we love are public entities, relying heavily on money from the federal and state governments. Before we continue to blindly watch the games and support everything around them, we as consumers have to hold those involved accountable. This includes coaches, athletic directors, presidents and members of the boards of trustees. Now some will say, how could this have been done with the Penn State situation? Admittedly, it would not have been easy. We oftentimes have to rely on other professionals, those in the media, to be diligent regarding their jobs. We have to push them to ask questions and dig into things that look suspicious. There were many signs at Penn State. But we all know now that things were hidden, buried and not properly investigated. Too often though we don't find about the wrongdoing until it is too late. That was the case here for some of the victims - but not all. Many victims could have been spared had the people trusted to act responsibly done so. But they didn't and now the responsibility to act must fall to others.
That is why someone, whether it's the NCAA, the Big Ten, the state or federal government must step in. Someone has to step to the forefront and tell the world these actions in no way, shape or from will be tolerated by our society. Football must be taken away from Penn State immediately. You can argue that this punishes innocent people. Too bad. You can argue this will hurt businesses in State College. Too bad. A culture has been created around that football program that led to these monstrous acts. The best way to try and ensure that this doesn't happen again at any other school is to inflict the stiffest penalty possible. Losing out on playing football for Penn State or a few dollars at your business does not begin to compare to the loss and pain experienced by the victims of Jerry Sandusky and all those that covered up for him to protect themselves and Penn State football. Protecting innocent children and the values we base our society on are way more important than any sports program. If it isn't, then we truly are headed toward a hell on earth.
Friday, January 20, 2012
Har-baughlls Out
I've been involved in sports in one form or another all my life. Playing as a kid and becoming a fan to now working in the industry. Living in Vegas you see and hear some crazy things. As a writer in a sportsbook, you hear even crazier things when it comes to betting theories. For the nearly three years I was behind the counter, I heard countless ideas that left me shaking my head. But in the last couple days I've finally had enough. It is time to draw a line Not some fake line in the sand that can get erased either. This is a carved in granite, deeper than the Grand Canyon line.
The theory I have heard on more than one occasion this week revolves around the NFL conference championship games. It goes like this; IF the Ravens win on Sunday, you know the 49ers will win because Jim Harbaugh will want to play his brother in the Super Bowl. HUH?!?! REALLY??? Now, I've heard numerous excuses to place a bet on a particular side, but this is by far the most ludicrous. When I heard it the first time I basically laughed it off. But upon hearing it a few more times I had to say something or my head would have exploded. For this theory to even be plausible, one has to assume that a coach of an NFL team, playing for an opportunity to lead his team to the largest stage in his sport, is somehow not already trying his hardest. Think about that for a moment. Keep thinking. Now, add on top of that the coach in question is one of the most intense, and it gets even more ridiculous. I'm no cheerleader for Jim Harbaugh. I think he has done a remarkable job in his first season, but other than that I'm pretty indifferent. But to imply that the guy is magically going to try harder because his brother won earlier in the day is insane. However, let's go down that path for just a step. Let us spend a minute in fantasy land and pretend that Jim Harbaugh will suddenly care more and want to win more if his brother is successful. IT'S TOO FRIGGIN' LATE!!! Ask anybody that knows anything about football and they will tell you that the majority of success comes from preparation. IF Baltimore wins Sunday, Jim won't be jumping into his DeLorean, firing up the flux capacitor with 1.21 gigiwatts of plutonium power, and travelling back in time to make his team practice more or break down more film. I doubt the playcalling will be any more intense if Baltimore wins rather than loses. Whatever is going to happen to the 49ers on Sunday will be happening whether the Ravens win or lose. The outcome will not be determined in any way, shape or form based on what happens in Foxborough.
(Deep breath) Ok, now that I have that out of the way, the Ravens and 49ers will win this weekend. I was asked when the playoffs started who I thought would be in the Super Bowl and I predicted those two teams so I will stick with them now. But it has nothing to do with super magical motivation. I just believe those are the better teams left. All year long we witnessed an offensive explosion with passing records being shattered. The old theory had been blown up, offense can win championships. Then last week happened and both the Packers and Saints got beat. Whoops. Defense does still win championships and that's where my money will be this weekend. Good luck, and remember, never bet what you can't afford to lose.
The theory I have heard on more than one occasion this week revolves around the NFL conference championship games. It goes like this; IF the Ravens win on Sunday, you know the 49ers will win because Jim Harbaugh will want to play his brother in the Super Bowl. HUH?!?! REALLY??? Now, I've heard numerous excuses to place a bet on a particular side, but this is by far the most ludicrous. When I heard it the first time I basically laughed it off. But upon hearing it a few more times I had to say something or my head would have exploded. For this theory to even be plausible, one has to assume that a coach of an NFL team, playing for an opportunity to lead his team to the largest stage in his sport, is somehow not already trying his hardest. Think about that for a moment. Keep thinking. Now, add on top of that the coach in question is one of the most intense, and it gets even more ridiculous. I'm no cheerleader for Jim Harbaugh. I think he has done a remarkable job in his first season, but other than that I'm pretty indifferent. But to imply that the guy is magically going to try harder because his brother won earlier in the day is insane. However, let's go down that path for just a step. Let us spend a minute in fantasy land and pretend that Jim Harbaugh will suddenly care more and want to win more if his brother is successful. IT'S TOO FRIGGIN' LATE!!! Ask anybody that knows anything about football and they will tell you that the majority of success comes from preparation. IF Baltimore wins Sunday, Jim won't be jumping into his DeLorean, firing up the flux capacitor with 1.21 gigiwatts of plutonium power, and travelling back in time to make his team practice more or break down more film. I doubt the playcalling will be any more intense if Baltimore wins rather than loses. Whatever is going to happen to the 49ers on Sunday will be happening whether the Ravens win or lose. The outcome will not be determined in any way, shape or form based on what happens in Foxborough.
(Deep breath) Ok, now that I have that out of the way, the Ravens and 49ers will win this weekend. I was asked when the playoffs started who I thought would be in the Super Bowl and I predicted those two teams so I will stick with them now. But it has nothing to do with super magical motivation. I just believe those are the better teams left. All year long we witnessed an offensive explosion with passing records being shattered. The old theory had been blown up, offense can win championships. Then last week happened and both the Packers and Saints got beat. Whoops. Defense does still win championships and that's where my money will be this weekend. Good luck, and remember, never bet what you can't afford to lose.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Is It Over Yet?
It wasn't nearly as tough as I thought it would be, but I didn't watch one play of the BCS Fraudulent game last night. Based on comments I've heard today and read on twitter, doesn't sound like I missed too much. Perhaps the most interesting thing this bowl season has been the decline in TV ratings and attendance. Perhaps the powers that be are finally getting the message. It looks like the plus 1 formula will be coming soon, which isn't great, but at least an improvement. But since the season has now come to a close, let's think about what could have been. I agree with the authors of Death to the BCS that a 16 team playoff, with games on home campuses until the title game, is the best method. The other levels of college football use this system and despite what critics say, it can work at the FBS level. I won't get into all the arguments here, just go read the book. The primary reason I like this method is it gives every school a chance. Each conference champion is in the playoff and joined by the top 5 teams that do not win their conference. There is no limit to the number of teams from any given conference either. If this system were in place for this season, here is what the playoff bracket would have looked like.
1)LSU
16)Arkansas State
8)Kansas State
9)Wisconsin
5)Oregon
12)Southern Mississippi
13)West Virginia
4)Stanford
3)Oklahoma State
14)Louisiana Tech
6)Arkansas
11)TCU
7)Boise State
11)Clemson
15)Northern Illinois
2)Alabama
See any interesting matchups there? I would be very excited to see Boise getting to host a team from a BCS conference in a game that really meant something along with Stanford, led by Andrew Luck, hosting WVU, where his father is the athletic director.
While this is the method I think is the most fair, I also realize it will probably never happen in my lifetime. And while I am a big fan of the traditions in college football, I no longer believe that conference alignment is one of those. With the changes that have taken place recently, it is obvious that the schools don't truly care about this either. That is why I came up with my own system of aligning teams. The basic premise of my system is that during the regular season, teams in a division play the same teams. Currently, teams competing for a division title are often not playing comparable schedules. This year, for instance, Georgia didn't play any of the top three teams from the SEC West, which were clearly superior to the other three. South Carolina, on the other hand, did have to play Arkansas, and lost. As it turns out, the Gamecocks finished one game behind the Bulldogs. Now, we never know what would have happened had both teams played the same schedule, but it hardly seems just to determine champions in such an unfair way. That being said, here is my model for the new college football.
Mid-East
Ohio State
Michigan
Michigan State
Notre Dame
Boston College
Cincinnati
Indiana
Purdue
Wisconsin
Penn State
Pittsburgh
West Virginia
Virginia Tech
Virginia
Syracuse
Connecticut
Rutgers
Navy
South
Florida State
Miami(Florida)
Florida
Tennessee
Georgia
Georgia Tech
Wake Forest
Louisville
Kentucky
Alabama
Auburn
LSU
South Carolina
Clemson
N.C. State
North Carolina
Maryland
South Florida
Mid-West
Nebraska
Arkansas
TCU
Missouri
Kansas State
Kansas
Illinois
Northwestern
Minnesota
Oklahoma
Oklahoma State
Texas
Texas A&M
Texas Tech
Mississippi
Mississippi State
Vanderbilt
Baylor
West
Arizona
Arizona State
Utah
BYU
Air Force
Colorado
Iowa
Iowa State
Boise State
USC
UCLA
California
Stanford
Oregon
Oregon State
Washington
Washington State
Fresno State
The idea with this system is that each team plays the other 8 within their division and they play 3 other games against teams from another conference, but not from the division within their conference. Division champs are determined by division record and the two champs meet up for the Conference championship, essentially the first round of an 8 team playoff. Yes, I realize that is only 11 games, which is really what college football should get back to. One argument against a playoff is the number of games, but college presidents had no problem adding a 12th game when it meant another home game and more money. Bowl games could still exist and be filled by all the teams eligible that don't make the final four. I also like the idea of the European soccer leagues that drop and add teams based on performance. Teams that finish last in their division drop out and the teams not included here will get a chance, based on being successful on the field. This will help eliminate schools benefiting from success decades ago and will reward schools getting it done.
So there it is, my elaborate plan for college football. Let me hear what an idiot I am.
1)LSU
16)Arkansas State
8)Kansas State
9)Wisconsin
5)Oregon
12)Southern Mississippi
13)West Virginia
4)Stanford
3)Oklahoma State
14)Louisiana Tech
6)Arkansas
11)TCU
7)Boise State
11)Clemson
15)Northern Illinois
2)Alabama
See any interesting matchups there? I would be very excited to see Boise getting to host a team from a BCS conference in a game that really meant something along with Stanford, led by Andrew Luck, hosting WVU, where his father is the athletic director.
While this is the method I think is the most fair, I also realize it will probably never happen in my lifetime. And while I am a big fan of the traditions in college football, I no longer believe that conference alignment is one of those. With the changes that have taken place recently, it is obvious that the schools don't truly care about this either. That is why I came up with my own system of aligning teams. The basic premise of my system is that during the regular season, teams in a division play the same teams. Currently, teams competing for a division title are often not playing comparable schedules. This year, for instance, Georgia didn't play any of the top three teams from the SEC West, which were clearly superior to the other three. South Carolina, on the other hand, did have to play Arkansas, and lost. As it turns out, the Gamecocks finished one game behind the Bulldogs. Now, we never know what would have happened had both teams played the same schedule, but it hardly seems just to determine champions in such an unfair way. That being said, here is my model for the new college football.
Mid-East
Ohio State
Michigan
Michigan State
Notre Dame
Boston College
Cincinnati
Indiana
Purdue
Wisconsin
Penn State
Pittsburgh
West Virginia
Virginia Tech
Virginia
Syracuse
Connecticut
Rutgers
Navy
South
Florida State
Miami(Florida)
Florida
Tennessee
Georgia
Georgia Tech
Wake Forest
Louisville
Kentucky
Alabama
Auburn
LSU
South Carolina
Clemson
N.C. State
North Carolina
Maryland
South Florida
Mid-West
Nebraska
Arkansas
TCU
Missouri
Kansas State
Kansas
Illinois
Northwestern
Minnesota
Oklahoma
Oklahoma State
Texas
Texas A&M
Texas Tech
Mississippi
Mississippi State
Vanderbilt
Baylor
West
Arizona
Arizona State
Utah
BYU
Air Force
Colorado
Iowa
Iowa State
Boise State
USC
UCLA
California
Stanford
Oregon
Oregon State
Washington
Washington State
Fresno State
The idea with this system is that each team plays the other 8 within their division and they play 3 other games against teams from another conference, but not from the division within their conference. Division champs are determined by division record and the two champs meet up for the Conference championship, essentially the first round of an 8 team playoff. Yes, I realize that is only 11 games, which is really what college football should get back to. One argument against a playoff is the number of games, but college presidents had no problem adding a 12th game when it meant another home game and more money. Bowl games could still exist and be filled by all the teams eligible that don't make the final four. I also like the idea of the European soccer leagues that drop and add teams based on performance. Teams that finish last in their division drop out and the teams not included here will get a chance, based on being successful on the field. This will help eliminate schools benefiting from success decades ago and will reward schools getting it done.
So there it is, my elaborate plan for college football. Let me hear what an idiot I am.
Friday, January 6, 2012
Idle No Longer
As the college football season trudges along to its' conclusion, it got me reminiscing about why it is my favorite sport. It's pretty simple, and probably not much different than anyone else, but it goes back to when I was a kid. Living in Ohio, fall was the best time of year due to weather and football. We had high school football on Fridays, college on Saturdays and the pros on Sundays. As a naive kid, it couldn't get any better. I remember spending Saturday afternoons raking leaves with my dad and playing catch as we listened to the Ohio State games on the radio. The mid 80's were a special time for us from Massillon, Ohio since Chris Spielman, our hometown hero, was leading the defense for the Buckeyes. I was in second and third grade when Chris was playing high school football for the Tigers, and he was as close to a God as I could imagine. Every kid in town wore their high tops with the laces undone just like Chris, that is until one kid broke an ankle and the school system required we tie our shoes(thanks Todd Fair). Chris was a high school superstar before EsPN was making everyone a star and he even appeared on a Wheaties box while still in high school when being on a Wheaties box meant something. So it was in these formidable years I was introduced to Script Ohio, Hail to the Victors, Chief Osceola and Howard's Rock. I got hooked on college football and the all pageantry and tradition that came with it. Unfortunately I had to grow up and learn some truths.
It's 2012 now, and college football is the most corrupt sport we have this side of FIFA. I won't go into all the details, but if you have not yet read Death to the BCS, please do so. It does an excellent job of highlighting how we have gotten to the point we are now with the sport I, and millions of others, love. College football is the only sport where at the beginning of the season, if you are in the MAC, Sun Belt, WAC, Mountain West or Conference USA, you CANNOT win the national championship. No matter how good you are or by how many points you win all your games, you will not get to play for the title. What other sport tells nearly 50% of its' participants, before ever playing a game, that you will not have an opportunity to prove you are the best team. The entire concept of this is ridiculous. Yet, we as college football fans continue to accept it. Sure, we like to piss and moan about the BCS system, but every year we still tune into games, buy jerseys and support the corruption with our dollars. Well, I plan to finally take a stand. I realize it won't mean much in the big picture, but that will no longer deter me. My wife has a quote on our refrigerator from Helen Keller(no relation and yes, I've heard all the jokes so feel free to stop chuckling now). The quote goes, "I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything but still I can do something. I will not refuse to do the something I can do." I've read this numerous times and thought it was great, but never acted on its premise. That ends today as I will boycott the BCS Championship this season. I may be the only one to do it, but I will still do it. And in the effort to not refuse to do what I can, I am also going to ask all of you to boycott as well. The chances of that are slim, but if you love college football, and want to change the system, this needs to be done. There is no other way the decision makers will hear us. They only respond to money, so taking our eyes away from the televisions is the biggest statement we can make.
Good luck, and remember, never bet what you can't afford to lose.
It's 2012 now, and college football is the most corrupt sport we have this side of FIFA. I won't go into all the details, but if you have not yet read Death to the BCS, please do so. It does an excellent job of highlighting how we have gotten to the point we are now with the sport I, and millions of others, love. College football is the only sport where at the beginning of the season, if you are in the MAC, Sun Belt, WAC, Mountain West or Conference USA, you CANNOT win the national championship. No matter how good you are or by how many points you win all your games, you will not get to play for the title. What other sport tells nearly 50% of its' participants, before ever playing a game, that you will not have an opportunity to prove you are the best team. The entire concept of this is ridiculous. Yet, we as college football fans continue to accept it. Sure, we like to piss and moan about the BCS system, but every year we still tune into games, buy jerseys and support the corruption with our dollars. Well, I plan to finally take a stand. I realize it won't mean much in the big picture, but that will no longer deter me. My wife has a quote on our refrigerator from Helen Keller(no relation and yes, I've heard all the jokes so feel free to stop chuckling now). The quote goes, "I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything but still I can do something. I will not refuse to do the something I can do." I've read this numerous times and thought it was great, but never acted on its premise. That ends today as I will boycott the BCS Championship this season. I may be the only one to do it, but I will still do it. And in the effort to not refuse to do what I can, I am also going to ask all of you to boycott as well. The chances of that are slim, but if you love college football, and want to change the system, this needs to be done. There is no other way the decision makers will hear us. They only respond to money, so taking our eyes away from the televisions is the biggest statement we can make.
Good luck, and remember, never bet what you can't afford to lose.
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Why only IF?
There has been alot of talk about Penn State and its' football program lately. The general discussion is now revolving around what type of sanctions, if any, should be put on PSU. Opinions range from nothing should be done to the death penalty should be used on the football program. Paul Jarley, Dean of the Lee Business School at UNLV looked at things from a business and academic standpoint and made the point, "...that if the allegations of abuse and institutional cover-up involving the Sandusky incident are all true, the business case for closing down Penn State football is a strong one." I agree with what Dean Jarley says, but actually go further. I think we already know the allegations of institutional cover-up are true. As for Jerry Sandusky and what he is accused of, as it pertains to the fate of Penn State football, it does not matter.
My basis for believing the cover-up is true comes from the grand jury testimony of Tim Curley and Gary Schultz. After Mike McQueary told them what he saw, they ordered Sandusky not to bring children on campus and reported the incident to Sandusky's foundation, The Second Mile. This leads one to believe they knew something was wrong. Stopping there and not taking the report to the proper state authorities is the definition of trying to cover it up. What reasons would they have for not turning the information over to the police? I don't believe Curley or Schultz are trained investigators, nor did they even try. Their only thoughts were to protect the Penn State football program and themselves. After all, Sandusky was a retired coach that the school would have been able to distance itself from very easily. How on earth could we have known something like this was going on? The "Jerry was a pillar in our community and he had everyone fooled" would have been a very compelling argument coming from a respected institute like Penn State. The only problem was, this wasn't the first incident, and by turning Sandusky in this time they would have in essence been turning themselves in. So the cover-up was on, or in this case, continued. These actions took place by the leaders of the University, and regardless of Sandusky's guilt or innocence, Penn State administrators put the entire reputation of the school at risk for the football program.
Now I realize there will be those that argue that innocent players, both current and future, at Penn State would be getting punished and those people would be correct. But unfortunately, that's life. In a case like this, where it involves an institution that stands for things much bigger than athletics, a message needs to be sent. Rather than think of the players that would be punished, why don't we focus on the good it could do for Penn State along with the message it would send to other institutions. Because I'll be honest, I have zero doubt that at other schools there are administrators that would willingly fall on the sword to protect the brand and if that were to happen just one more time it would be one time to many. It may be bad for Penn Staters, but it's time a message is sent that athletics exist to compliment the university, not the other way around.
For those that would like to read Dean Jarley's entire commentary, here is a link. http://business.unlv.edu/dean/the-business-case-for-closing-penn-state-football/
My basis for believing the cover-up is true comes from the grand jury testimony of Tim Curley and Gary Schultz. After Mike McQueary told them what he saw, they ordered Sandusky not to bring children on campus and reported the incident to Sandusky's foundation, The Second Mile. This leads one to believe they knew something was wrong. Stopping there and not taking the report to the proper state authorities is the definition of trying to cover it up. What reasons would they have for not turning the information over to the police? I don't believe Curley or Schultz are trained investigators, nor did they even try. Their only thoughts were to protect the Penn State football program and themselves. After all, Sandusky was a retired coach that the school would have been able to distance itself from very easily. How on earth could we have known something like this was going on? The "Jerry was a pillar in our community and he had everyone fooled" would have been a very compelling argument coming from a respected institute like Penn State. The only problem was, this wasn't the first incident, and by turning Sandusky in this time they would have in essence been turning themselves in. So the cover-up was on, or in this case, continued. These actions took place by the leaders of the University, and regardless of Sandusky's guilt or innocence, Penn State administrators put the entire reputation of the school at risk for the football program.
Now I realize there will be those that argue that innocent players, both current and future, at Penn State would be getting punished and those people would be correct. But unfortunately, that's life. In a case like this, where it involves an institution that stands for things much bigger than athletics, a message needs to be sent. Rather than think of the players that would be punished, why don't we focus on the good it could do for Penn State along with the message it would send to other institutions. Because I'll be honest, I have zero doubt that at other schools there are administrators that would willingly fall on the sword to protect the brand and if that were to happen just one more time it would be one time to many. It may be bad for Penn Staters, but it's time a message is sent that athletics exist to compliment the university, not the other way around.
For those that would like to read Dean Jarley's entire commentary, here is a link. http://business.unlv.edu/dean/the-business-case-for-closing-penn-state-football/
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