It's Wednesday already. Time for the Blue-White Roundtable-Fight Club Edition. I came up with the questions this week. I'm in the middle of a crazy week so I didn't put much time into the questions. Sadly, I must admit I put even less time into the answers. Go check out Run Up The Score and The Nittany Line. I'm sure they did a better job.
Charges are expected to be filed later this week in the player brawl from over a week ago. Assuming what we've heard is true, that a bunch of football players barged into an apartment uninvited and assaulted people, what would you consider to be an appropriate punishment?
This is going to make me sound like a major apologist, but in my personal opinion, fighting outside of football should carry very little punishment. College kids get in fights all the time. I'm not saying it's ok, but at long as nobody gets seriously hurt I don't care. This case is a little different in that the players barged their way into an apartment which may result in felony charges. That may end up getting Judicial Affairs involved, but at the end of the day it's just a fight. I think a one game suspension or less is appropriate. It's not like they raped or killed someone. That's why I'm not as worked up about this as the message boards are.
There is a rumor floating around that Josh Gaines has been demoted for breaking a team rule and Aaron Maybin is the new starter at defensive end. On a scale of one to ten with one being equivalent to dying at the hands of a thousand hermit crabs eating you alive and ten being a one night stand with Selma Hayek, where would this rank if true?
I put this at a seven. I think this is a good thing. Maybin has a lot more potential as a freshman than Gaines has as a junior. Plus everyone says Maybin is a very vocal leader in practice. I like to see guys like that get rewarded.
Spring practice moves on. Name a Nittany Lion who is playing out of position in your opinion.
Lydell Sargeant needs to be moved to the offensive backfield. The kid tore it up as a running back in high school. He's been shifted around and they can't seem to find a home for him. Now he's backing up Justin King which means he'll only see the field if there's an injury or PSU is up by 30 points.
We're dangerously thin at running back after this season. On the flip side we're completely loaded in the secondary. It makes perfect sense.
So far in recruiting we've offered eight linebackers and two running backs. It's almost mid April and we don't have a verbal commitment yet. Is it time to hit the panic button?
I've got the hammer in hand and I'm winding up to break the glass. I'm ready to hit the panic button. We're letting other schools get the jump on all the good recruits. We'll get into the game late with kids who are already enamored with some other school. It will be Broderick Green all over again.
I'm holding out hope that they've already offered some kids the recruiting services just haven't heard of yet. I'm sure the coaches are in contact with some kids letting them know Penn State is interested and an offer will be on the way. I mean, they have to be in contact with kids. Don't they?
On his radio show, Don Imus called the Rutgers women's basketball team a bunch of "nappy-headed hos". Your reaction?
Who's Don Imus? I mean seriously, the guy hasn't been funny since the 70's. He's a washed up insignificant douche bag and an angry old man.
Having said that, I'll feel sorry for him if he loses his job over this. We live in a PC world where a guy who depends on the First Amendment to make a living has to worry about what he says in a comedy routine. It's too bad.
Lightning Round
Which out of conference opponent would you most like to see PSU play down the road?
I want to see the Miami series renewed. We've played some real classics against them over the years. They're like the anti-Penn State.
Ever have to defend your lady in a fight?
Nope. Chivalry be damned! Though I've offered to beat the crap out of some guys and had my wife tell me it wasn't necessary. She never lets me have any fun.
Have you ever got your ass kicked in a fight?
I don't think so. I had some run-ins on the playground in grade school, but I never got my ass kicked. Mostly we tangled in a feat of strength until we both fell down and wrestled a little bit. I don't even think any punches were thrown.
One time at a PSU game I was standing in the student section and the guy in front of me was pissed off that I was standing on his seat like the other 40,000 students do. He kept elbowing me in the gut when I would stand on his seat telling me to get off. He had a little kid with him and didn't want me stepping on him. There was a play down in the endzone and I stood on the seat again to see the play. He turned around and grabbed my collar and had his fist cocked. He was going to throw a punch but the guys standing behind me told him that wouldn't be a good idea unless he wanted to fight all of them. Then they let me stand on their bench (my seat). That was probably the closest I've ever come to a full blown punches fight.