Let Me Get This Straight

These Ohio State players broke the rules. They sold personal items (which they quite literally earned with their blood and sweat) for money. They made money off their status as a NCAA athlete. Therefore, they will be punished.

Suspended for five games.

Starting next year.

The next game, the nationally televised BCS Sugar Bowl sponsored by All-State... they can play in that game.

Why?

Well, because they didn't know the rules. The same rules that they broke (which were so bad, it warrants a five game suspension). They didn't know about those rules.

And since they weren't aware of those rules, they're allowed play in the bowl game.

But they still get suspended for five games for breaking the rules that they weren't aware of.

Starting next year.

So now Ohio State players are aware that they aren't supposed to take free services or sell items related to their status as NCAA athletes and they'll still be able to participate in the Sugar Bowl and all that comes with it:

Michigan State had hoped to earn an at-large bid to the Sugar Bowl, but was beat out by Ohio State. What gifts are the Buckeyes receiving? Custom earphones, a watch and a cap. Participants also will attend a gift suite were they can order gifts up to a value predetermined by the Sugar Bowl, not to exceed the $500 limit.

Got it? No more than $500.

Ugh.

The whole business of big time college athletics just feels so skeevy to me.

What a system we have. This is a system where (mostly white) men in their 50s and 60s make millions of dollars off of the work that the (mostly poor, minority) kids put in. These kids literally sacrifice their bodies to play in these games in front of 100,000 people. Apparently the best of these players (Terrell Pryor, Boom Herron and DeVier Posey are all major contributors on Ohio State) feel the need to sell items that should be regarded as family heirlooms to get some quick cash.

Some players made as much as $2,500! Almost three-grand! How dare they taint this pure, innocent game.

Again we come to the whole "Should players be paid?" argument. I don't know how that would even work. A work-study program? A stipend for every athlete? Would football players get more than cross country runners? Hourly pay? There's not a lot of easy answers.

I know these kids receive scholarships worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. They earn a free education and that's not nothing. (Nevermind how many pro athletes end up broke, but that's another story).

Scholarships are all well and good, but getting free math classes doesn't buy you a dinner. Or allow you to purchase clothes.  Or provide money for family emergencies. (Or buy booze or pot or whatever).  It's not like these kids can really go out and get 9-5 jobs for some extra cash. (Lord knows how often their pestered by boosters, alumni or fans asking for favors as well. The opportunity is certainly there).

A lot of OSU folks are mad that they sold Big Ten Championship rings and the Gold Pants pins. For shame! Don't they know how special and memorable these items are? Well... no. These are 18, 19, 20 year old kids who need money (and have won the Big Ten and beaten Michigan every year), let alone the fact that it's their personal property.

I just can't get that upset with these guys, especially since they're all still eligble for the Sugar Bowl. I might feel like they actually did something, you know, wrong if they were actually forced to miss a BCS bowl.

But that can't happen, Ohio State has to be at full strength, right? If Terrell Pryor and company sat out that game, who would want to watch? Who would buy commercial air time? Who would place bets on the outcome? Who would tune in? Would Ohio State fans still travel to game? We need Pryor vs Ryan Mallet. Ohio State vs Arkansas! Big Ten vs SEC!

All-State paid good money to sponsor this game, we can't blow it by sitting out the star players.

But they still need to be punished. They broke a rule so egregious that they need to miss five whole games.

Just not the next one. That game is worth money. A lot of money.

Just not to the players.

Missed both of em

Due to work, I missed both the Ohio State-Miami game and the Browns season opener against Tampa Bay.  Though to be fair, I did see the 4th quarter of the OSU, so I didn't miss the whole thing.

My main thing I take away from both these games is how annoyed I am with the fans of these teams.  The Buckeyes won fairly easily but my Twitter feed was full of people calling Pryor overrated and bitching about Tressel-ball.  During the Browns game, people were freaking out about Mangini and some were even calling for Seneca Wallace.  Awesome, only took about a half.

I mean, all Jim Tressel does is win a crap load of games. Sure, he can be conservative at times but the dude wins.  Period.  Pryor is kinda difficult, because he looks so good at times (like his 2-play, 80 yard drive) but then he'll botch some short out pass (he throws too hard, kinda like Derek Anderson).  Sometimes I feel as if OSU are pissed that Pryor isn't better than he is.  

And the Browns... I like what Terry Pluto had to say:

They have a new quarterback in Jake Delhomme who is desperately seeking a fresh start and a revival of his confidence. They are a team with limited talent, a team that must win with shrewd coaching schemes, smart players and an approach to the game that avoids big mistakes.

Exactly.  The Browns best players are their kicker and their return man.  They can't afford fumbles inside the red zone or throwing picks at the end of halves.  I'm always pessimistic about the Browns but I think they should be better this season, but as Josh Cribbs tweeted:  

 today it was browns vs browns, & the browns lost... 

The Browns have the talent to beat other teams, they just can't lose their mental focus and beat themselves. 

Big Ten in 2010

Gotta love the way the Buckeyes and the rest of the Big Ten entered in the new decade. Ohio State won the Rose Bowl, Penn State topped LSU and while Northwestern didn't win, they played a hell of the game, losing to Auburn in OT (I'm OK with faking the field goal in OT but I thought the play they ran sucked. They didn't look ready at all). Wisconsin set the tone for the rest of the conference by beating Miami (15) on Tuesday. I'm not usually so pro-Big Ten but I was fired up today (though to be fair, I didn't have to watch either Purdue or Michigan).

Great game by Pryor (I enjoyed Musburger's "Pryor is growing up in this game" comment 4 plays into the game. Give it time man), great gameplan from Tressel and the coaching staff and another excellent game from the Ohio State defense. It was fun to see them close it out by running off the clock. I'm too used the Browns, I forgot how fun that is.

I saw the game with some college friends down in Columbus (it's just not the same watching in Cleveland) and had a lot of fun (New Years Eve was a delight as well). Know what wasn't a lot of fun? The drive back through the snow that took over three hours (it's usually 2ish). Yikes.

One good and one great

First, nice win by the Cavaliers. Thank the lord that the Cavs only visit New York once this year. Jesus Christ, that was nauseating. And great Chris Rock interview ESPN. Awesome idea Chris, trading LeBron for Brook Lopez, Devin Harris and 3 picks. Oh could we? Brook Lopez AND Devin Harris? Would the Nets do that?

(There's gonna be a ton of "The Cavs should trade LeBron" stories over the course of this season from both columnists playing devil's advocate and Clevelanders too used to our East Coast farm team. No, you do not trade LeBron-this isn't baseball and they are not the Indians. The Cavaliers differ from the Tribe in two major ways 1) they have a very real chance to win a championship and 2) they can pay LeBron the most money.

The goal is to win the title. If Sabathia leaves via free agency and you aren't going to win the title this season, then of course you trade him. By not letting him leave for nothing, you're helping your chances for future titles down the road. But if the Cavs are in the playoff hunt and if we all can agree that they won't get equal value in any realistic trade scenario, then by trading LeBron, you're hurting your chances to win a title. Trading LeBron hurts your chances to win now. The goal is to win the title.

Also, you can't be the guy who trades away LeBron James. If he leaves, it's has got be his decision. All the Cavs can do is field the best team they can and, oh yea, pay him the most money. Danny Ferry cannot trade LeBron James and certainly not for the likes of Devin Harris and Brook Lopez.

Perhaps it would be a fitting end to a Cavalier career that began as the Next Larry Bird).

Anyways, I liked that Mike Brown started J.J. Hickson. He has a better face up jumper than Varejao (which works nice with Shaq) and he should be on his best behavior (i.e. focused) by playing with LeBron and the starters. Plus, you can sub Z, Varejao and West in together for a more than solid second unit.

Also, great win by the Bucks over Penn State. The Vest looked like he had a solid game plan (and solid mid-game adjustments) and Terrelle Pryor didn't make any mistakes. Did he turn the corner?! Is his career a mirror of Vince Young's?! Obviously, who knows. But it was great to see him win a big game on the road.

And that Buckeye defense. Yikes. Iowa has had 10 or 11 (I'm lazy) turnovers over the last two games and they get to face THAT defense. Good luck with that.

College

LeBron is giving Terrelle Pryor some tips and pointers:

James said he has been speaking to Pryor on the phone in recent weeks to try to help him deal with celebrity at a young age. James knows something about that, since he appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated under the headline "The Chosen One" while he was still in high school in Akron, Ohio.

"Being that No. 1 guy, how do you adjust to it and how do you get through it and still perform at a high level?" James said. "Sometimes it can be very difficult on [a young athlete]. I'm trying to be that guy who can really help him get through a lot of situations which he's never seen before but now he's seeing and understanding."

Pryor has been under fire from Ohio State fans after throwing two interceptions and losing two fumbles in the then-No. 7 ranked Buckeyes' stunning 26-18 loss at Purdue last week. They tumbled to No. 18 this week, and meet Minnesota on Saturday.

Adding to the pressure surrounding Pryor, his high school coach in Jeannette, Pa., said this week that Ohio State's offense is not maximizing Pryor's abilities. In a story which first appeared on ESPN.com, Ray Reitz said his former charge looks like "a robot" in Ohio State's offense.

Now, a cynical jackass like myself might wonder if LeBron has any idea what Pryor is going through. Sure, on the topic of being a young sports celebrity, I'm sure Bron-Bron can help a bunch. But has LeBron ever had the on court/field problems that Pryor is dealing with?

James has been a stud his entire NBA career. Sure, there have been blips here and there (free throw shooting, passing to Donyell Marshall, walking off the court without shaking hands) but for the most part, LeBron hasn't had many terrible games. Even when they lose in the playoffs, no one dares say LeBron was the reason, it's always the crappy teammates not helping him out (never mind that LeBron played off the ball for the entire year UNTIL the Orlando series when he would bring the ball up court every possession. Mo and Delonte weren't spot up shooters all season, but they were vs Orlando. Ya know what, let's move on).

The ongoing saga with Pryor pretty much summarizes why I just can't follow college sports like I do the professional leagues. Has Pryor stunk the past few weeks? Sure he has, no one denies that. But with all of the hype coming out of high school, Ohio State fans seem to view Pryor like an overpaid free agent bust rather than a 20 year old kid (who's dealing with on field adversity for the first time in his life). He's not Larry Hughes.

I just can't get that upset that when an 18-20 year old kid screws up (though it's not like I don't get pissed while watching the games). You couple that with the college football BCS format (where one bad game can ruin your title hopes) and the insane amount of pressure that playing for a big time program like Ohio State entails and I'm not surprised that guys like LeBron are lending a hand to help him out. It can't be easy.

(BTW- the Cavs were charging 50 dollars to see last night's exhibition game versus the Celtics in Columbus. Classy).

Anyone? Bueller?

Does anyone out there have a good feeling about the Ohio State-USC game on Saturday?

I'm not in panic mode just yet. USC's big first win doesn't really scare me. And I don't think Ohio States "close call" against Navy is all that much to worry about either (mostly because Navy has that weird offense and a couple fluky/big plays happened real close together).

But I'm not anywhere near what you would call 'confidant'. I mean, can any "real" (re: non-moronic) Ohio State fan be anywhere North of "cautiously optimistic"? I have friends who are absolutely terrified of Saturday's game.

This is a big game for Ohio State and coach Jim Tressel. They've blown some games (and gotten blown out) against top ranked out of conference schools (Florida, LSU, USC) and another loss could really hurt the school (and the Big Ten).

I guess you could mark me down for cautiously optimistic. USC is starting a true freshman against Ohio States defense. That has to count for something, right? (nevermind that USC may not even need to throw the ball- their running game DOES scare me). Pryor looks like he's the real deal (despite his Mike Vick love).

The big thing for the Buckeyes will be to get off to a good start. Don't get down 7-0 (or 10/14-0) and take the crowd out of it. If the crowd can keep the pressure on the Trojans and Pryor can make a play or two, Ohio State has a shot.

Has a shot.

That's not good sign, eh? If x, y and z happen, OSU has a got a chance. Awesome.

Anyone out there wanna tell me why Ohio State will beat USC? Anybody?

Great

And thus ends the most painful football season in Cleveland Browns history: the expectations, the national games, the preseason problems, the dead start, the timeouts, the field goals, our hope returning after the Giants, injuries, K2 wanted to be traded, Braylon dropping balls, 6 weeks of no touchdowns, the Savage email, losing at home to the Bengals in 12 degrees, coaches fired, GM fired, Edwards crying about Michigan, Raven-Steelers AFC Championship and capped off by a Steelers come-from-behind Superbowl win (including two or three all-time SB plays). Wow.

Obviously, I was pulling for Arizona. Rooting for Pittsburgh... I've tried before (the Cowboys SB) and I just naturally gravitate to the opposing team (I do the same thing with Michigan, even when it'll help OSU if they win, I still root for them to lose, preferably with injuries). I wouldn't say I'm pissed they won, because I expected it. I'm just happy(?) that they at least had to earn it. This wasn't a blowout where one team completely outclassed the other- this was a very good, very competitive ballgame (although, it was a little to similar to the OSU-Texas game for my liking).

Even though I hate the Steelers, I hafta be proud for the Ohio guys. The biggest plays the Steelers made were all by guys who went to college in Ohio. The MVP of the game? From Ohio State, where I got my undergrad (Santonio was AWESOME. Even his catch on the saftey was ridiculous). That 100 INT returned for a touchdown? That's James Harrison, Kent State alum (where I got my Masters). And Big Ben? Miami (where I got hammered).

The Cardinals gave Pittsburgh an fight. They kept in it. The NFL has gotten really lucky, these last couple Super Bowls have been fantastic.

Other stuff:

The Transformers II commerical was a delight. Although this (fake) version is a bit awesomer (though I'm not sure it's better than the Thundercats). I was also suprised how bad-ass the new Star Trek looks.

I still don't get those Sobe commercials. Like, I was unware the first one was so loved that it warrented a sequel.

Speaking of fakes, this fake Bonnaroo lineup makes my dick hard (why yes, Rules of Attraction did come up in conversation last night, why do you ask?). You have no idea how happy I'd be if this was true. The official announcement comes tomorrow and I'm fairly certain Springsteen (along with Phish) will be there.

Nice game from Boobie yesterday. They're gonna need him playing with confidence (and fire) if they want to win a title (especially if Wally is traded and not bought out). I feel like, at times, Boobie is a little too pleased with himself (or maybe he's a little too comfortable). He'll loose the ball or do something stupid but he'll still have a big grin on his face. D up, knock down your shots and don't try to do too much. He's in the NBA because of his jumper, there isn't anything wrong with being a standout shooter.

I still haven't decided if I want the Cavs to trade for a big or a wing. On one hand, someone like Wallace or Stephen Jackson could take the defense to another level. But then again, if they could land Brand (I believe the reports that he's available), they'd be in an amazing spot. I'd love to land Marcus Camby, but I don't see how they get him.

Well, that sucked

I'm not really sure what else I can say about that game.

I honestly thought that Ohio State was going to get their asses kicked so, on one hand, I feel like I can't be too pissed off that they only lost by a field goal. But at the same time... you had it. It was right there.

Even though the defense blew that final touchdown catch (or the coaches blew it for them- Really? Texas needs a TD and you have nobody back deep?), I think if there's any 'blame' for this loss, I put it directly on the Ohio State offense.

They needed to have better possessions in the third quarter. Period. The defense was tired, Texas was throwing all over them (though they still had their moments) and the Buckeye offense couldn't get them off the field. Too many 3-and-outs and not enough sustained drives (the third quarter killed them).

As for Colt McCoy and the Texas Longhorns... meh. Don't get me wrong, they are a great college football team and they had a great game last night. However, as dumb as this sounds, I'm not all that impressed with McCoy. Texas had a great game plan of throwing underneath and they executed it well. But it was mostly dink-and-dunk, no?

Terrell Pryor. Ya, he made some mistakes; he held onto the ball too long, he didn't prepare enough for some throws and he got lucky with a couple of Longhorn drops. But overall, I think he's done all you can ask of his as a freshman. He's obviously improving with every game and if you don't think he has a really bright future, you're nuts.

More than anything, I really feel bad for the Buckeye seniors. They've now lost to huge games to Florida, LSU, USC and Texas. 1-3 in Bowl Games (all BCS I believe). They kept this game closer than I expected (Todd Boeckman? Wha?) and it sucks that they couldn't pull this out. (But hey, they haven't lost to Michigan, huh?)

And then there's Jim Tressel. Some Ohio State fans have been getting greedy (or stupid) and are fed up with these bowl game losses (and USC). But as far as I'm concerned, The Vest should coach the Buckeyes as long as he wants to. Ohio State isn't guaranteed spots in BCS games. Tressel has his flaws, like any coach, but I think he does an excellent job and I don't think these losses should be held against him too much. He's won a title and he's giving them good chances to compete for one every year. Not much more you can ask.

Finally, there's Beanie Wells. As a fitting end to his career at The Ohio State University, Wells played a great game but couldn't finish it due to injury. I know he's undecided on whether or not he declares for the NFL draft and I'll be honest: if he returns to Ohio State, he's a dumbass.

Don't get me wrong, as a Buckeye fan, I'd love seeing Pryor: Year II paired up with Wells: Year IV. But a running back doesn't have a long lifespan in the NFL and Beanie has proven just about all you can at the college level. He shouldn't go another season getting hit unless he gets paid for the pleasure. Running backs can contribute in the rookie season, there's no reason to waste another year of hits at the college level. Go pro Beanie (and if Rey Maualuga is off the board when the Browns pick, I wouldn't mind watching you run down by the lake on Sundays).

All and all, I can't really be pissed at the game. It sucks, don't get me wrong. It sucks real bad. But they played a great game. Sure, they made mistakes, but after the first half, I was just pleased that the game was close (let alone Ohio State having a lead). In the end, even though they wound up snatching defeat from the jaws of victory (where were the safeties?!?!?), I think we can applaud the effort (and be glad they weren't run off the field) and enthusiastically look ahead towards 2009.

It's almost as if the game doesn't matter

Well I'll be damned:

Ohio State is making tickets for the Fiesta Bowl available to the public Wednesday, just one signal that the Buckeyes' latest trip to Arizona isn't the most popular party of the season.

"For fans who want to travel and don't want to spend a lot of money, this is the year to go because prices are being slashed," said Anbritt Stengele of SportsTraveler.net, a Web site specializing in sports travel packages. "Fiesta Bowl interest is low, extremely low, and what Ohio State fans have been telling me is that after the national championship games, why should we bother? There's nothing at stake."

The reason why I've never gotten into college football as I have other sports is plain and simple: the bowl season. College football is a great game and I can't put into works how much I enjoy OSU football and how I cherished my time at the Horseshoe. But that's as far as I can get.

I've never gotten the hype about the bowls. Ever. This year no. 10 Ohio State is playing no. 3 Texas and only one team has anything 'real' at stake (and even that is pushing it). OSU is playing for what, sixth place? If Texas wins handily (gulp) they could give themselves a shot at a share of the National Championship, so Texas has every reason to run up the score and whoop the Buckeyes. Ohio State just wants to put up a good show that they can point to when they're out recruiting (winning would help this). It's really a glorified exibition game.

The fact that OSU fans aren't coming out in droves isn't exactly surprising. The economy sucks balls, they've been to Phoenix multiple times over the past 5 years and the Buckeyes have suffered some bad losses to top teams from other conferences (including the last two bowl games). The odds are that the Bucks are gonna get killed, in a meaningly football game. Awesome.

I imagine if this was an early round playoff matchup, I'd wager you'd see more interest from OSU fans.

That sucked

Couple things:

1) 4th and inches, Illinois has the punt team out and OSU calls timeout. Illinois comes back and runs for the 1st down. Excellent time out.

2) Hey ABC, wanna mention the fumble on Illinois first drive? The one on the goal line? No? OK

3) Maybe this time they'll pass... Nope... how about this time? No? OK this time they gotta pass... OSU's defense might want to look for the run at some point.

4) If anyone is surprised that OSU had trouble with Juice Williams, they obviously didn't watch OSU's game against Washington and James Locker. Locker would have these long drives that would end with an INT or some kind of mistake. Williams didn't make those mistakes.

5) There was going to be a game where Todd Boeckman stunk it up and the defense needed to step it up. This was it. Too bad the defense stunk it up too. Also, Boeckman threw some terrible picks. The one in the endzone was brutal (he got spooked in the pocket, even though there was no pressure).

6) Everyone pile on OSU. Please. Come on, they didn't deserve to be number 1, they didn't play anyone good, blah blah. Enjoy it. Only 2 of the 24 starters are seniors, they're gonna dominate next season.

7) In the same vein, OSU fans shouldn't be that mad or upset. Seriously, this was the rebuilding year. There's still a chance for a BCS game.

8) Speaking of the BCS, this is great. Obviously, I'd rather have OSU go undefeated... BUT if they were to lose, I'd want it to screw up the BCS as much as possible. And having OSU as one of the 1-loss teams hurts the BCS. The more big name teams with 1-loss the better.

9) Maybe they'll pass this time...

10) I was worried about Michigan losing and playing against Ohio State free and easy with nothing to lose (solely to mess up OSU national championship hopes). Well, both teams lost... so... ya...