BREAKING NEWS: The Media Is Clueless When the Jerry Sandusky trial began, the media narrative went into a tizzy over the fact that almost all of the jurors in had direct or indirect ties to Penn State, because the geniuses in the media somehow convinced themselves it meant a greater chance of Sandusky getting acquitted. Now that their sheer stupidity has been proven on that front, the media has switched over the latest predictively idiotic narrative: Death Penalty.
Fortunately, we have smart people like Matt Hinton over at CBSSports who rightly point out that the NCAA has no jurisdiction in this matter, the last two paragraphs of which hit the nail on the head:
Another reckoning awaits with the publication of the results of an independent investigation into the university's response by former FBI chief Louis Freeh. Many individuals have been and will continue to be held accountable in myriad ways for the negligence and ethical lapses that helped perpetuate so much human suffering.
But those lapses had nothing whatsoever to do with gaining an unfair advantage in football or complying with NCAA bylaws; the latter is so far afield that conflating it with actual justice almost threatens to diminish the severity of the former. The NCAA has more than enough on its plate to worry about how to go about toppling the last remaining pillar in a demolished mansion. Sometimes – not often, but occasionally – football is just beside the point.
And then there's Gregg Doyel, who while also rightfully pointing out the fact that the NCAA's lack of jurisdiction, ruins it with paragraphs like the one below:
Q: The school covered up rape. Isn't that the definition of "a lack of institutional control?"
Well, sure. But not as it relates to sports. I'll allow that Sandusky's apprehension and conviction years earlier would have hurt recruiting then -- as it will hurt Penn State's recruiting now -- but Penn State officials weren't gutless years ago because they were afraid of a recruiting hit. They were afraid of Joe Paterno. This was his program, his school, and if he wasn't going to punch Sandusky in the nose and call the cops every hour on the hour until they started investigating that monster, well, neither were they. It wasn't about some schoolboy quarterback from Altoona; it was about the revered, feared old man running the show.
I'll let you point out the numerous factual errors yourself. Think of it like those video games you play at a bar where you have two pictures of the same background and you have to touch the screen to point out the differences. I even suggest having a few drinks before you go ahead and pick Doyel apart.
$h*t Jim Delany Normally Doesn't Say Yes folks, Jim Delany, the same Jim Delany who for years had been seen as open to progress and modernization in college football as your grandparents were to the Internet, has done a complete 180 on his philosophies regarding a playoff, according to SI.com's Andy Staples:
"We've got a great regular season. I think it'll be more exciting than it has been. It's hard to believe that, but I don't think it hurts that one bit."
So which playoff lover made that statement? Slive? Swofford? Tulane president Scott Cowen? Nope. It was Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany, who as recently as December said he wasn't sure if his league would participate in a playoff. Though Delany was painted by some in my field as an obstructionist during this process, his thinking was actually quite progressive -- once he accepted the fact that a playoff was inevitable.
Glad you're finally coming around, Mr. Delany...
Cael Sanderson's Always Down For a Good Ol' Fashioned Scufflin', Y'all Chattanooga announced that it will be hosting a second annual 'Southern Scuffle' wrestling tournament which will take place in Chattanooga's McKenzie Arena on January 1st and 2nd of 2013. The defending national champion Penn State wrestlers will try to remain the only school to ever win the Southern Scuffle, as they are also amongst the field of participants.
Here's Some More Positive Wrestling News Wrestler David Taylor and women's soccer star Maya Hayes were named Penn State's Athletes of the Year, making them both automatically eligible to win the Jesse Owens' Men's Athlete of the Year and Suzy Favor Women's Athlete of the Year, respectively. Such an honor is considered the most prestigious in Big Ten athletics, so this is kinda of a big deal. We congratulate David and Maya and hope they both carry home more such high honors.
2012 Wil Be Remembered as The Summer of Tim Frazier It's been a quite a ride this Summer for Tim Frazier, as he was invited to participate along with the a select few current college stars at the Nike Deron Williams Skills Acacdemy in Chicago. As Jeff Rice of Lions247 notes, it was quite the valuable experience for the rising senior point guard:
Frazier was able to develop a strong rapport with Thomas as well as North Texas forward Tony Mitchell, a projected first-round pick in next year's NBA Draft. His major focus during the week was getting his big men the ball in the right spots on the floor and firing passes that hit their "shooting pockets."
He also picked the brain of Boston Celtics assistant Kevin Eastman, who instructed Frazier and other players on "some of the things" Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo -- a player similar in body type and tempo to the 6-foot-1, 170-pound Frazier -- does.
Additionally, Frazier was rated the #31 returning player in college basketball according to Basketball Prospectus, based on the criteria below:
In 2010-11, Frazier posted an offensive rating of 101 on 18 percent of possessions; in 2012, he recorded an OR of 104 on 33 percent of possessions. That is staggering. Penn State finished 12-20 and, considering the rest of their roster (Frazier led the team in efficiency! While using a third of their possessions! A third!), that is equally staggering. He even finished in the top 50 in steal rate. Frazier put up an extraordinary season. Hopefully this year someone will notice.
No need to worry BP, somebody WILL notice, especially if D.J. Newbill combines with Frazier to help back up Pat Chambers' claim that PSU will have the "best back backcourt in the country."