Every other sport – college or pro – builds up to an amazing finale. In NCAA basketball, you have March Madness. In the NFL you have playoffs and the Super Bowl. College football isn’t like that, though.

First, there’s the regular season. That’s all fine and good, even if it is a bit daunting to have so many teams. Most people just follow the conference they like best or even just their favorite team. Then there’s a bit of downtime – a few weeks that most teams have off.

Then bowl season starts and everyone gets excited. There are some awesome match ups, every year. But you know what?

I don’t care how evenly match Team A and Team B are. If they’re the teams ranked fourth in the Pac-10 and second in the Sun Belt, who the hell cares? In other words, they aren’t playing for any reason. It doesn’t matter how good the game is if there isn’t really a point.

So, after about two weeks of bowl games, we enter the college football fizzle. Sure, we still care about “our” team. Oh, and of course, there are games that are exciting to watch, like the BCS bowls. In general, though…who cares who wins the International Bowl or the Papajohns.com Bowl or any of the other dozens of ridiculous bowl games? Do you even know who is PLAYING in those bowls?

I don’t want to get into a whole argument about a playoff system. Why? Because at this point, I don’t think there really is an argument to be had. There are multiple different ways to do this, it just needs to be done. We don’t HAVE to have a 16-team play off. We don’t HAVE to have conference championship games. We just have to have SOMETHING that doesn’t lead to a big fizzle right before the national title game is held!

And you know what? I’d bet a million dollars on it that they’re working on something. I know that the people at the top keep saying “no playoffs!” but let’s not be silly – they know the BCS system we have right now doesn’t work. Even the colleges are complaining, and if people start to jump ship, refusing to play in bowls at an alarming rate, we’ll have a real problem on our hands. So you bet your ass that they’re working on something.

Post from: EveryJoe

The College Football Fizzle

You can read the full story by ESPN at their website, but here are the main points:

• Assistant athletic trainer Robert Jackson says that Plancher appeared to be exhausted, but never complained that he felt sick, hurt, light-headed, etc.
• The schools says that the workout was “routine” and “not taxing,” but two players have gone on record (and a number have commented anonymously) that the workout was extremely intense.
• Plancher’s parents intend to sue for wrongful death.
• The schools reports did not include Plancher’s medical records, and they did not begin interviewing other players until over a month after the incident. Multiple players, including two that have since left the team, said they were never questioned.
• Plancher suffered from the sickle-cell trait, which has been cited in the deaths of 11 athletes since 2000. About nine months prior to Plancher’s death, the National Athletic Trainers’ Organization issued a warning about this condition, along with recommendations for athletes suffering from it. Trainers and Plancher himself were aware that he carried the trait.
• Players say that the school hasn’t been completely honest about the circumstances that day. They say that Plancher fell while trying to run a set of sprints, and that he stumbled to the finish line 20-30 seconds after the rest of the team. In addition, they’ve noted that Plancher was singled out by Coach O’Leary who reportedly yelled at him “You are better than this. You are a receiver. You should be able to run for days.”

So, long story short, the parents and players blame the school, but the coaches say that they didn’t do anything wrong. What do I think?

I think that this is an awful shame. I think that the school should have formed a workout plan with Plancher due to his sickle-cell trait, but I also think that he should have been responsible enough to know his limits. When you have a health condition, you have to understand how to take care of yourself. You have to stop the coaches and say, “I can’t do this,” not continue to workout because you’re proud.

So do I think that it is the school’s fault? They certainly could have handled things differently. That said, Plancher had a choice in this matter. They weren’t holding a gun to his head, forcing him to run. They weren’t ignoring his pleas to stop, his reminder that he had a medical condition. In life, everyone makes choices, and sometimes the collective choices of people in a situation lead to a tragedy. And I believe that’s what happened here.

Weigh in with your own opinions by leaving a comment below.

Picture via Newscom.

Post from: EveryJoe

My Thoughts on Ereck Plancher’s Death

Every year about this time, the BCA (Black Coaches and Administrators) begins to rise issue with the percentage of minorities working in college football. Whenever coaching positions begin to open up, there’s a big stink about it. It makes me roll my eyes, to be honest.

Listen, I know I’m white, but I am not a stranger to fighting persecution. I’m female and writing about sports – I’ve been told time and time again to shut up and that my opinion doesn’t matter because girls don’t know anything about football. Another topic I write about is video gaming…another male- dominated industry. In short, I know how it feels to be a minority on some level.

I get it. Some people are still very racist. The country, as a whole, however, just elected a bi-racial man to our highest office in a landslide win. We’re moving forward. In football, there are definitely cases of racial discrimination. But is that the norm? No way.

I truly believe that there are a number of factors dictating the percentage of minority NCAA-F head coaches. Racial discrimination is a very small factor. Sure it hurts, but I ask you this – why should the job go to a black man if there is a white man better for that job?

Frankly, athletic directors just want to win games. They see talent, not color. That’s like saying that NBA basketball coaches are discriminatory because there are more black starter than white starters. They aren’t…there are just more talented African-American players in the system.

For example, last year, Mississippi hired Houston Nutt without interviewing any minority candidates. The BCA gave them a grade of F on last year’s reports.

But come on…there’s an award-winning coach with two SEC West Championships in just 10 years who’d be perfect for your job resigning at another major BCS school, and you’re going to talk to a no-name black candidate with no experience as a head coach instead? Give me a break. That had NOTHING to do with race.

Or how about Dayton? That school also got an F after not interviewing any black candidates. Why didn’t they? Oh yeah, they didn’t interview anyone. They promoted an alumni coach who had been at the school for over 30 years.

I’m just sick of hearing about the race issue. After all, one third of the candidates interviewed last year were black, even though far less than one third of all people interested in general were black! To me, that is racist – giving someone an interview just because his skin is black and you want to please the BCA. No wonder only 4 were hired in the 31 positions open. Schools were interviewing black coaches who didn’t have a chance at all, just to be pc.

With the firing of Tyrone Willingham (pictured above) and Ron Prince, the BCA is raising a fuss once again, but you know what? A good coach is a good coach, and if you have losing seasons and unhappy fans/players, then you’re going to get fired regardless of your skin color.

If you’re black and want a head coaching job, here’s what you do: work you way up the ranks. If you’re getting road blocked by someone racist, you look for a new job, because if you’re honestly good at your job, another school will hire you. Make yourself a viable candidate for a head coaching position, and then start applying. Again, if you’re really good at your job, you’re going to get hired. I think it is pretty unlikely that 27 out of 31 ADs last year were racist.

Pictures via Newscom.

Post from: EveryJoe

Lack of Minority Head Coaches: It is that Time of Year Again

Last week, Texas backup center Buck Burnette was dismissed from the team for violating unspecified team rules. Later, we found out his dismissal is due to a racial slur posted on his Facebook profile after Barack Obama was elected president.

Now, on one hand, how a person sees the world doesn’t effect how he plays football. Even though he might be terribly prejudiced (and probably still is, even if he did issue an official statement of apology via the AP), that’s the risk of freedom in America. In other words, EVERYONE is free to express their opinions, not just the people who are tolerant.

That said, I’m a believer that this dismissal was fair. While he certainly has a right to his opinion, as a football player for a major college team, he is in the spotlight. I’m sure he had NFL dreams someday, and at that level, he’d be in an even brighter spotlight. Football players are minor celebrities, and on top of that, they are role models. Yes, you can have an opinion, but it is important to make responsible choices about expressing your opinions. He could have been critical of the election results without using racial slurs.

I do think this is a hard decision. Burnette is a a sophomore, which means that he’s probably only 19 or 20 years old. Who hasn’t made a stupid remark at that age without thinking? This is definitely a tough lesson to learn, but one that I’m sure he’ll carry with in.

Weigh in with a comment below. Was his dismissal fair?

Picture via Newscom.

Post from: EveryJoe

Buck Burnette: A Hard Lesson, but Fair?

Problem is, this isn’t a movie. There are a lot of young fans in the audience and watching TV, and some think that this cheer is embarrassing and inappropriate. On Thursday, Kansas coach Mark Mangino actually sent out an email to the students, asking them to forget the chant.

Still, for some, it is just a fun tradition. Even some of the team members stand behind it – senior linebacker Joe Mortensen said that it is motivation. Students ignored the requests to censor their shout and yelled it again today, causing the alumni and other fans to boo loudly.

I can see both sides on this one. There are other, non-offensive ways to cheer on Kansas, but maybe people are being a little too sensitive. What do you think?

Picture via Newscom.

Post from: EveryJoe

Rip it Off or Cut it Out? The Kansas Chant

Today, Michigan State put Notre Dame in their place, beating the Fighting Irish 23-7 rather easily.

It seems these days that no ND game is without sensationalism, though. If it isn’t J-Claw’s new hair (I just threw up a little in my mouth), it’s head coach Charlie Weis getting clobbered by his own players. Or how about today’s story – aptly named Laptopgate by Rivals.

Oh brother.

Basically, that story goes like this: An intern for Notre Dame brought his (or her…they didn’t say) laptop to the game and was using it in the coach’s box. Someone from Michigan State noticed it, and alerted the officials. They  approached Weis (right). Weis said there wasn’t one.

Fast forward a few minutes. Weis realizes that one of the interns has one. He immediately tells the officials, and they remove the computer.

Of course, people are tying this to the Bill Belichick scandal last yeah in which the Patriots and Belichick were fined and sanctioned by the NFL for supposedly using video cameras to tape sideline signals of their opponents. Weis worked with Belichick as the Patriots’ offensive coordinator from 2000 to 2004.

Again, Oh brother.

I might not be a ND fan, but I respect Charlie Weis. Now, I agree that computers can’t be present for any team. You can use them to quickly track stats and do other things that could give you an edge in a close game. This story, however, is already being blown out of proportions. Weis wasn’t cheating. The intern was probably trying to get some work done for a class while at the game or live blogging the event or…whatever interns do. *shrug*

“The last thing I ever want to do is lie,” said Weis

And I’ll defend that. He’s a good coach and, in my opinion, a good guy.

Beside, if they were really cheating…don’t you think they would have been playing better…

Pictures via Newscom.

Post from: EveryJoe

Laptopgate? Oh Brother.

Today, the NCAA announced their decision that Auburn did not commit academic fraud in 2005 and 2006. The investigation was a result of one professor claiming that some other professors were allowing students to take classes that required no class time and little work.

What the NCAA found was that some independent study courses weren’t as structured as they should have been. They were what I call “fluffy.” They didn’t go into great detail, but I’d venture to guess that these classes had students meeting once every week or so with a professor and working on a larger project to present at the end of the semester.

Now, anyone who’s read this blog before knows that I’m of the opinion that academics need to be first priority, yes even above football and even for guys who will definitely be drafted, probably in the first round. That said, sometimes you just need an easy class.

I had an independent study course in college, my last semester. Did I do work for it? Yes. Was it as demanding as my other classes? No way. In fact, that question is laughable.

You don’t have to take advanced physics every semester to get a good education. Sometimes, it is simply a matter of making good decisions so that your schedule is manageable. And really, if the school is doing what they should, there shouldn’t be enough “easy” classes to fill an entire semester. After all, for an indy study course, you’ll likely not get a full three or four credits. In short, you can’t get by in college ONLY taking easy courses.

How do you feel about the “easy courses” issue?

Post from: EveryJoe

Are "Easy" Classes an Issue for Athletes?

You can read about it here. And here. And here (linked removed, since I accidentally linked to idiots, see comments) and here and here and here and a million other places. Frankly, I’m just sick of creating links.

The call sucked. Washington Quarterback Jake Locker, in the last play of the game, scored a tying touchdown, and through the ball in the air as he jumped with his teammates. It wasn’t an “in your face” gesture. He probably wasn’t even aware he had thrown the ball instead of “placed” it on the ground. Everyone, from the lowly blogger to the guys on Sport Center agree that the rule is stupid and the officials were wrong.

When they kicked for the extra point, it was blocked, and they ultimately lost the game.

In case you missed it, here are the game highlights:

Guess what?

IT DOESN’T MATTER.

This call didn’t lose the game. Had the kicker been just short or had they tried a two-point conversion and fell short, you could site the 15-yard penalty as the reason the game was ultimately lost.

The game was lost, though, because the kick was BLOCKED. That would have happened had they not had the 15 extra yards. It didn’t matter, so forums filled with angry comments and ESPN reader mail, and all of that other bullshit…it doesn’t matter! They would have lost anyway.

So stop bitching about it.

That is all.

Post from: EveryJoe

The BYU Bad Call – It Didn’t Lose the Game

Well, let’s just say that they denied him five times. This last time, they said that he was out of time, and that he wouldn’t be granted any more appeals.

So, he went over their heads. Mauk is now, in essence, suing the NCAA. The court case is being held in Hardin County, where Mauk grew up, and is being overseen by Judge William Hart, who refused to throw out the case as the NCAA requested. That doesn’t mean he’ll grant Mauk the right to play, though. Both sides make valid points for this case:

Mauk’s side: Mauk was injured early during his freshman season. He couldn’t play and was only a part of the team because they didn’t have a third QB to take his spot. He was then injured again in 2006 during the season opening, so essentially, he missed almost two full years.

NCAA’s side: Mauk was injured, but team doctors cleared him to play. Even though he didn’t play that year, he was officially part of the travel team and Wake Forest has no records indicating that he couldn’t have played if needed in a game.

So, really, there is a lot of gray area here. Mauk’s appealing be, I’m sure, he’s hoping to come back for another great season and be drafted. Why else would you fight so hard for another year of playing time? And really, I’d probably fight too. He had a great career once he transferred to Cincinnati, leading them to a #17 ranking last year and throwing for 31 touchdowns and over 3,000 yards. If he has anther year like that, he’d def be drafted.

Though I have to say this – he is injury-prone and NFL teams aren’t going to overlook that. Plus, at this point, when the season’s already started, is it worth the time to continue on with another trial, which I’m sure (if he is turned down) will lead to another appeal? There comes a point where enough is enough.

I do tend to think that the NCAA is being hard on him, since they’ve granted others sixth years in the past without this much trouble. Sure, Wake Forest might not have documentation of everything, but three doctors have come forward to say that Mauk is right – he couldn’t have played, even if he was “officially” a part of the travel team.

So what’s you stance on the Ben Mauk story? Should they grant him another year? Should he keep fighting?

Picture via Newscom.

Post from: EveryJoe

Ben Mauk Keeps On Fighting

Currently, NCAA regulations allow networks to broadcast commercials for beverages containing 6% or less of alcohol, which means that most beers make the cut and rarely are liquor or wine ads shown. Stadiums are allowed to advertise beer as well, although the sale of alcohol is not permitted during games and all advertisements must be covered during championship games.

University presidents and coaches, such as Bobby Bowden and Jim Tressel, have supported the banning of beer ads, and over 100 presidents and 200 athletic directors have written to the NCAA to encourage this ban. Not surprisingly, though, networks aren’t in favor, as beer advertisements pay well.

You can read more about this story at ESPN.

My position? College students and NCAA fans are going to drink during, before, and after games no matter if they advertise Budweiser or Pepsi. Advertisements for beer don’t, in my opinion, promote drinking in general – they promote their brand of beer over other brands of beer. So, really, removal of beer ads won’t make the consumer stop drinking – they’ll just make the consumer less informed about which type of alcohol to try.

I believe that a more effective way to combat college drinking would be to require networks to show one anti-drinking commercial for every beer commercial they show. I think that the Truth campaign, which aims at discouraging smoking, is highly effective, and I think a similar anti-alcohol campaign could, at the least, help college students think more responsibly about their consumption of alcohol.

What do you think – should beer ads be banned at NCAA stadiums and during NCAA broadcasts? Do current ads and commercials cause people to drink more? Leave a comment!

Post from: EveryJoe

Beer Ads and College Football