Independence Day came and went and we escaped with a couple of scratches, bruises, and about six pounds of weight. While we are recovering, we are reminded that we are inching ever closer to start of the new college football season. Sooner or later, I have to get started on some site improvements and my previews. Until then, we keep on chooglin’ to another Crib Sheet:
- Former Hawaii, and record breaking, quarterback Timmy Chang was arrested for robbery. I completely forgot the guy. When that happens, one can guess that crime is heading their way. Especially since he fizzled out like he did. It’s pretty terrible that a record holding qb gets released from a Canadian football team.
- The New York Times is now profiling the case that Sam Keller filed against Electronic Arts and the NCAA. He makes a good point about players being used to take in bucket loads of cash for EA Sports and the NCAA. If he wins, it may open the door to some other types of compensation for the players.
- ESPN’s Tim Griffin points us to a company that sifted through the stats to produce the five common traits BCS Championship teams and which teams fall under that for this year. Texas is in the mix but so is Iowa, surprisingly. Florida’s there too, however. The safe bet I guess is Texas vs Florida this year.
- So another hearing on Capitol Hill took place the pitted Senator Orin Hatch from Utah against the BCS. It stunk very much of grandstanding, and nothing came of the hearing. Many columnists gave their reaction, so I will give mine. This will continue on until the start of the college football season and then it will go away. Hatch is rattling swords for his state and really thinking so much of the other smaller schools. The best part, that Tim Griffin pointed out, was when Hatched asked Nebraska chancellor Harvey Perlman what more could Utah do and Perlman suggested that Utah play a tougher schedule. Utah president Michael Young responded that the school wishes Nebraska would play them. Tim Griffin points out that Utah backed out of a chance to play Texas last year. End of story. Case closed. The roar of the crowds on opening day will overcome the whimpers and cries coming from the state of Utah.
So some news outlets are saying that May is the black hole of news for college football. We here at the KCCGD are diligent in digging up interesting news and actually found enough to fill a column this week. We’ll weather this storm together and hopefully ride out into June when practices start. For now let’s do our best to ignore all of this lame-o baseball, weak basketball and hockey playoffs, and a post NFL draft hangover. Here’s this week’s ration:
- Holey Toledo! Some football players including some basketball players from the University of Toledo were indicted on point shaving charges. Nobody likes to see players go at it light. Especially if they are getting paid for it. Okay, I give in. I just wanted to say Holey Toledo!
- The Big 12 coaches decided to keep the tie breaking rule. Huh? Bo Pelini goes on the comment about how no matter what the 3rd team left out will get the shaft. Okay, that’s understandable. Is there a better way to break the tie? We say rock, paper, scissors.
- It looks like the Utah Attorney General is trying to push for a Senate run with his latest comments about the BCS. Let’s look at it from a point of view perspective. An undefeated team in football and no national title. They have the right to be upset. The way they are going about it? Mmmm not so much. A more clever way would be to rally support from all the non BCS conferences and begin to push as a whole on the BCS conferences. If you really wanted to shake their boots, don’t schedule games with them. Play outside of the BCS. The BCS conferences would then freak becauces of the lack of weak team warm ups at the beginning of the season.
- Sam Keller, a football alum from Nebraska, is suing EA Sports and the NCAA for using the likeness of athelets to make money off the games. This is a hard one to call. More and more the argument is growing for student-atheletes to be paid for promoting the school through sports. While there is a pandora’s box of enabling that, surely the least they can do is up the stipend in terms of the scholarship and toss in a couple of Xboxes to boot.
- ESPN blogger Tim Griffin takes us on a trip to the past and review a lesson taught to us by Mark Mangino of Kansas. The old quote talks about how Mangino wanted to keep the spirit of the rivalry in tact. Now that the tables are turned it seems that maybe this rivalry will be alive an well in Manhattan this year. Snyder and Mangino go at it again. I was at the game last year and as a Wildcat fan it stung hard. Now there’s a fresh start and we hope that at the very least it is competitive because Kansas is the definite favorite.
- So someone is selling a 2005 Rose Bowl ring belonging to former Texas Longhorn lineman Austin Sendlein on eBay, including his 2004 ring. It looks as though he left it in the hotel room he was staying at in Columbus, Ohio to watch his brother play. Seems that Buckeye fans don’t take to kindly to Longhorn folk. Although he did goof and leave it in the hotel room. Linemen are supposed to be smart.
College Sports, Kansas City style
