NCAA Football FanHouse

Ed Podolak 'Retires' From Iowa Gig After Enjoying Women, Beer

Brian Cook — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 12:09:00 EST

Filed under: Iowa, Iowa State, Media Watch, NCAA FB Scandal

Hawkeye football announcer Ed Podolak likes Budweiser and, er, the inside of ladies' shirts. As you can see above, there's now photographic proof thanks to some Iowa State fan who took the above photo and a couple others and posted them to the Internet.

This is trouble for Podolak because the Internet goes "hur boob" and massively replicates photos like this. They spread outward from the origin point, reached the athletic department, and spurred the inevitable overreaction:

I've got a second confirmation. Iowa radio football analyst and legendary Hawkeye Ed Podolak will retire from the booth in the wake of post-Outback Bowl bar photos. An announcement from the University of Iowa could come as early as today.

"Retire" in this case is obvious whitewashing: Dude got fired.

The most immediate comparison that leaps to mind is Larry Eustachy crashing a frat party, but that was egregious in ways this isn't. Podolak isn't in charge of a bunch of college-age athletes (Why won't anyone think of the children?). The lady in question isn't 20 and seems to be having a good time. Podolak isn't a grown man drinking Natty Lite. All he's doing is flirting with a receptive female at a bar.

Aren't we past this by now? The once-shameful private lives of people are now plastered all over Facebook, and at any time you can be photographed committing a slight indiscretion. The correct response to the new situation is to shrug your shoulders and say, "Oh well." Don't fire the guy.

I'm reminded of an old Bloom County in which Opus has been driven from his home by evangelical rodents. When this is met with a "let he who is without sin cast the first stone," Portnoy (the groundhog) replies "yeah, and we cast that first mutha." In a word: lame.

By the way: I'd like to personally congratulate Jay Christensen of The Wizard of Odds, by the way, for posting these photos in a bid for cheap hits and costing a guy even Iowa State fans think is pretty awesome his job. Good work there. You've contributed greatly to the national discourse of college football with this. Love the utter lack of remorse in the follow up.

Ed Podolak 'Retires' From Iowa Gig After Enjoying Women, Beer originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 14 Jan 2009 12:09:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rey Maualuga Gets Blasted by Women's Sports Foundation, Apologizes to Erin Andrews

Will Brinson — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Penn State, USC, Big 10, Pac 10, NCAA FB Gossip, Media Watch, NCAA FB Scandal, Video, General CFB Insanity, Bowl Games

Rey Maualuga moved to number one in the blogosphere's collective heart recently when he did a little shimmy-shake behind Erin Andrews. It was baller and hysterical all at the same time. Well, not so fast, my friends. Turns out Donna Lopiano, a former CEO of the Women's Sports Foundation, didn't think so.

"[Maualuga is] my first-round pick for 'offensive' player of the year" and his dance behind Andrews "another example of a narcissistic, high-profile athlete believing that any behavior, no matter how inappropriate, is acceptable because of his status. For those who would laugh off, celebrate or enable this behavior, think twice. Ms. Andrews could be your sister, daughter or wife."

Since this is a serious matter, I'm not going to make the seemingly requisite "Erin Andrews as my wife" blogger joke. You know how I know it's serious? Rey even apologized (Go on. Kiss it.) according to a statement from USC.

"The situation was addressed immediately," the statement said. "Rey both e-mailed and spoke to Erin and apologized to her. He realized he made a mistake and used poor judgment. He deeply regrets his actions."

I see the inherent sexism that could be pulled out of this little stunt, but I also kind of tend to think that Andrews would (and probably did) laugh this whole thing off. That being said, it's still pretty awkward anytime a football player pulls off a sexist-related act on the field towards a female reporter, so, yeah, this is probably how it should have worked out.

Rey Maualuga Gets Blasted by Women's Sports Foundation, Apologizes to Erin Andrews originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 07 Jan 2009 16:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Miami QB Marve's Transfer Gets Interesting

Ian Cohen — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 10:41:00 EST

Filed under: University of Miami, ACC, SEC, NCAA FB Gossip, Rumors, NCAA FB Scandal

The obvious joke from day one was that super-recruit Robert Marve might as well have pulled a Joe Theisman (sorry, ma- rhymes with "Heisman" or "Thighs Man" now) and switched over the "r" and "v" in his last name- couldn't hurt amongst the Peter Kings of the world. From the looks of things so far, however, he's already performing at a Favre-like level when it comes to off-season drama.

First came the last-second signing day switcheroo where the Alabama native spurned the Crimson Tide for the Hurricanes. And two years later, with the departure of OC Patrick Nix and the promotion of Jacory Harris to 2009's clear cut starter at QB, Marve has sought a transfer from the U. But Randy Shannon isn't making it easy- according to Marve's father at the outset, Shannon put an embargo on all other SEC and ACC programs as well as any other in-state school (27 in all). Which would be pretty crappy enough, but in a clarification as to why Pa Marve was so ticked off, as it turns out, he has recently been dealing with prostate cancer as well as the separation from his wife.

And now, we've been given something resembling clarification. On Friday, it had been revealed that Marve could indeed transfer to an SEC school, barring Florida, Tennessee, and LSU. But hey, Mississippi State is wiiiiide open. Eugene has obviously called this "ridiculous" and plans to transfer, but here's the issue, according to the Miami Herald:

UM said it ''has reason to believe'' the Marve family or others on behalf of Marve contacted those schools regarding Marve's potential transfer during the season, before he was given his release by UM. Eugene Marve denied that accusation Saturday: ``There has been no tampering.''

But hey, at the very least, over a dozen schools have rushed to offer Marve a scholly, including Cincinnati, which, let's be honest, knows from QB controversies and probably want someone who did marginally better in Miami than Tony Pike. This could get ugly come spring time, that's all I know right now.

Miami QB Marve's Transfer Gets Interesting originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Tue, 06 Jan 2009 10:41:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mack Brown Will Vote Texas No. 1

Brian Grummell — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 00:20:00 EST

Filed under: Ohio State, Texas, Big 10, Big 12, Coaching, NCAA FB Scandal, Bowl Games

FanHouse gathers around the TV to bring you insights from Bowl Season '08.

Texas has just emerged victorious in a tensely fought Fiesta Bowl, 24-21. The Longhorns came back from a 21-17 last-minute deficit and scored a touchdown with just 16 seconds left, narrowly escaping defeat against much-doubted Ohio State. During the award ceremony, Texas coach Mack Brown had the following to say:

"I wasn't sure before, right now, in Friday morning I'm going to vote Texas No. 1 because I think this is the best team in the country"

No offense, Mack, but you barely got by Ohio State. Its a nice gesture to your team but its a little unfair to Oklahoma and Florida with the BCS Championship game yet unplayed. Amusingly, Brown will be bucking the Coaches Poll's agreement with the BCS to vote the BCS game winner at No. 1. Good luck getting that vote back next year.

I'm against a playoff in college football and have mixed feelings about the BCS, but would love to see the coaches' poll eliminated from the BCS. Brown's pending vote is part of the reason why. Add his opinion to the frenetic mix of discussion that abounds about college football's method of determining its mythical champion.

Mack Brown Will Vote Texas No. 1 originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Tue, 06 Jan 2009 00:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ken Norton Jr. Spars With UCLA

Brian Grummell — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 18:02:00 EST

Filed under: UCLA, USC, Pac 10, Coaching, Recruiting, NCAA FB Scandal, General CFB Insanity

Sparring, because his father was a pugilist, get it? Good. In a bit of a red on red turned cardinal and gold on powder keg blue and gold moment, USC linebacker coach Ken Norton Jr. aired grievances this week with dear old alma mater UCLA. Reports the Los Angeles Times:

[Norton] said UCLA has told prospective players that he would be joining Coach Rick Neuheisel's staff if defensive coordinator DeWayne Walker leaves for another job.

"It's coming from there and it's wrong and it's not true," said Norton.

He then threw another barb, saying:

"It's kind of a pattern of what happened in the past," Norton said in mentioning Slick Rick's latest alleged escapade.

Predictably, UCLA fans are in flames, treating Norton like some combination of Judas and Benedict Arnold. UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel took the unusual step of releasing a statement denying the allegations. Predictably, this followed:

"If DeWayne leaves, I would consider several candidates for the defensive coordinator job. Kenny probably would have been among those considered, with no guarantees. However, his quotes in the paper say he is staying at USC, so we wish him well."

Translation: good luck ever getting hired by UCLA. Ahhh, catty man fights. Usually this stuff is so NFL.

Both sides end up looking fairly stupid in all of this. For UCLA its more of the same with Neuheisel. The Times' pot-stirrer T.J. Simers wants the "truth", whatever that means. Pete Carroll is sticking by his guy, telling the times if they want the truth to "talk to the recruits".

Problem is, recruiting is one of those rare areas where the NCAA has fairly extensive punitive powers. If I'm either school I'm not inviting newspapers to ask recruits about what is being said.

To think, goodwill between the programs was at a recent high just a few weeks ago as they traded timeouts in wearing contrasting uniform colors, against NCAA rules in restoring an old tradition.

Ken Norton Jr. Spars With UCLA originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Tue, 30 Dec 2008 18:02:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bowl Season '08: Andre Smith Says Farewell to Alabama a Few Days Early

Chris Burke — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 17:55:00 EST

Filed under: Alabama, Utah, BCS, NCAA FB Scandal, Prospects, General CFB Insanity

FanHouse gathers around the TV to bring you insights from Bowl Season '08.

Alabama's Sugar Bowl challenge against Utah got a little trickier on Monday, when Nick Saban announced that stud offensive lineman Andre Smith had been suspended for the game.

Sources told ESPN.com that Smith's suspension was related to improper dealings with an agent. Saban's statement on the matter said only that it was due to violation of team rules and policies.

So I guess that answers the question of whether or not Smith would return to 'Bama for his senior season. In all reality, though, there was about a 99.999999% chance that Smith was about to play his last game for the Tide -- most mock drafts have him being selected in the top five, some even as high as No. 1 or No. 2 overall.

If this information is accurate, and the suspension is agent-related, then it doesn't necessarily hurt his stock at all. In terms of red light, pre-draft offenses, having early contact with an agent ranks around "Didn't maintain a high GPA," and well above things like arrests or taking drugs or organ theft. That last one would probably cost you a few spots.

Obviously, this does hurt Alabama's chances. Smith recently won the Outland Trophy as the nation's best lineman, and he anchored the Tide's formidable ground game. He also protects quarterback John Parker Wilson's blindside. Smith's absence substantially weakens Alabama's front five -- and also likely provides a disappointing end to a stellar collegiate career.

Bowl Season '08: Andre Smith Says Farewell to Alabama a Few Days Early originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 29 Dec 2008 17:55:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rage, Rage Against the Slight Shortening of College Football Games

Brian Cook — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 13:45:00 EST

Filed under: Coaching, NCAA FB Scandal

In the offseason the NCAA decided to change its clock rules for the third consecutive year, implementing a 40-second clock a la the NFL and allowing the clock to run on an out-of-bounds play after the ball is ready to snap. There was due outrage. The rules committee claimed games would be no shorter; I thought this was plausible.

What actually happened? Survey says:

G Plays/G Time/G Pts/G
2005 717 140.71 3:21 52.61
2006 792 127.53 3:07 47.53
2007 792 143.42 3:23 55.37
2008 770 134.73 3:11 52.78

Breaking it down:

2005 and 2007 were "normal" years with the clock rules from time immemorial. There were 142.1 plays per game on average in those two years.
2006 was the Hated Rule 3-2-5e Year. Games were 10% shorter than they usually were that year, and Bret Bielema kicked off 1000 times in a row. Or something.
In 2008 games were 5% shorter than in normal years.

So, yeah, the NCAA rules committee was full of it when they tried to sell their clock changes as benign. They were not. But the reason is not what everyone claims it is: the 40 second clock had little impact on the length of games. The real culprit was the change in the out of bounds rule, which is likely responsible for the vast bulk of the decline. That thing should get repealed lickety-split.

Rage, Rage Against the Slight Shortening of College Football Games originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Fri, 19 Dec 2008 13:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Charles Barkley Apologizes for Dogging on Gene Chizik, Still Thinks Hiring Was Racial

Will Brinson — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 16:30:00 EST

Filed under: Auburn, Iowa State, Media Watch, Rumors, NCAA FB Scandal, Video, General CFB Insanity

Charles Barkley made a pretty big stink recently when he said, publicly, that he believed Gene Chizik's hiring at Auburn was racially motivated. It wasn't shocking to hear that someone disliked Chizik's hiring -- most people at Auburn did as well -- but what really stirred the pot was the race issue. Yesterday, Barkley appeared on PTI, and while he was sorry towards Chizik and his family, he's standing by the issue that the hiring was racially motivated.

To be honest, I'm not entirely sure that I believe the hiring was totally racial -- it's not like the school was really doing the smart thing by chasing Tommy Tuberville out so quickly anyway. However, the athletic department made a poor choice (something, as Ciskie noted, isn't entirely unusual) and veered away from an African-American candidate who might have been better for the job. So, yeah, they're going to hear about it.

Charles Barkley Apologizes for Dogging on Gene Chizik, Still Thinks Hiring Was Racial originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Thu, 18 Dec 2008 16:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jim Tartt, Florida Gator, Joins 'Africa Gives Nothing ...' Facebook Group

Will Brinson — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Florida, Media Watch, NCAA FB Scandal, General CFB Insanity

Jim Tartt made a bad choice that will probably get him kicked off of the Florida football team (ironically, this was discovered -- I believe -- by Spencer Hall, a Florida Gator fan, presumably because he's friends with all the Gators, and then used for blogging purposes) when he recently joined a group on Facebook entitled "Africa Gives Nothing to the World but AIDS."

That is, in the words of Gob Bluth, "a huge mistake." And, as Spencer pointed out, hopefully (although unlikely) Tartt just did what I usually do whenever I have 4,000 friend requests (daily) and 10,000 other things that people want me to join: plow through the list by just slamming "Accept" on each one.

But that seems a touch unlikely; obviously there's a far greater chance that Tartt either a) meant this as a "humorous" way to display his raw emotional dislike of a particular continent or b) just doesn't get exactly what joining this group means in terms of a public statement.

So, again, athletes: stop doing stupid things on Facebook.

This isn't like saying something to a camera before, during or after a game when your emotions are on a high; this is clicking a button or typing something in that everyone in the freaking world can see. If you're going to be hateful -- and you shouldn't -- at least do it in the privacy of your own home.

Speaking of houses, it's also going to be interesting to see how Urban Meyer handles this -- Mack Brown already showed that he's not afraid to punish someone for making a poor public choice, so whether Meyer's willing to do the same (arguably, in a slightly different situation) might end up saying a lot about the Florida program.

Jim Tartt, Florida Gator, Joins 'Africa Gives Nothing ...' Facebook Group originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Fri, 12 Dec 2008 16:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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University of Texas Campus Police Make With the BCS Funny on Today's Police Report

Will Brinson — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 16:30:00 EST

Filed under: Oklahoma, Texas, BCS, Big 12, Campus, Police Blotter, NCAA FB Scandal, General CFB Insanity

Texas Longhorn fans are understandably bitter about their inability to play for a Big 12 title and a BCS Championship. After all, they did beat both Missouri and Oklahoma in head-to-head fashion, which, one would think, might matter a lot. Of course, one would also think the BCS was actually responsible for its mistakes, but, well, yeah.

And in a bitter action designed to poke fun at the number-crunching overlords of college football, the UT campus police slid a little prank in yesterday's campus police report.

DKR- TEXAS MEMORIAL STADIUM, 2200 Robert Dedman Robbery:

Several UT staff members, faculty, students, and Texas Ex's discovered a fraction of a percentage point had been taken and was transported across state lines. The percentage point was discovered north of the Red River at the campus of another Big 12 South University.

In case you can't tell, they're not being serious. Even though the BCS is a legitimately serious crime against humanity and all sports enthusiasts.

One would also suspect that after this little prank (which I got via Spencer at TSB) made the rounds on the interwebs, someone in the higher ups of the University would have said "please remove that since we are talking about crimes here," but no, apparently everyone's on board. Of course, you'd have to be looking reeeeeally hard to actually see it in between all the "Public Intoxication" tickets handed out, so perhaps it was just an oversight.

University of Texas Campus Police Make With the BCS Funny on Today's Police Report originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Tue, 02 Dec 2008 16:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The BCS System Really Lacks Any Kind of Actual Responsibility or Check-Balance System

Will Brinson — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 11:55:00 EST

Filed under: Fans, NCAA FB Gossip, Media Watch, NCAA FB Scandal, General CFB Insanity

Dennis Dodd inked a quick little number this morning (gracias, Piler) about an inaccuracy in the BCS system that was recently revealed. Shocking, I know -- the BCS is, in fact, not absolutely, 100% perfect. (Please note I mean that as a sarcastic jab at the shoddy ranking system, not Mr. Dodd for being nitpicky.)

And, aside from just being fatally flawed in some sort of overall manner, it appears that the computer statistics for 2008 are all kinds of funked as well, at least according to Jerry Palm of CollegeBCS.com (pay site?).

Anyway, it turns out that Colley, Palm states, forgot to input two games this season -- Idaho at Hawaii and UC-Davis at San Diego. Idaho-Hawaii had no impact on the numbers. However, UC-Davis-San Diego did matter.

Palm says that the BCS got erroneous data from Colley this week. Hold onto your computers. It didn't matter in the BCS top 25 but that's not the point.

So, yeah, it might be lame of someone/anyone to harp on such a minor mistake in such an already obviously flawed system, but the more important point here is the general secrecy with which all of the BCS ranking systems operate. See, as Dodd points out, the Colley system is the only one whose formula is made public.

Meaning, Colley is the only one with any sort of public accountability. For all we know, the rest of the computers are run by Nick Saban, Bear Bryant and Beelzebub himself in some sort of freakish, lever-pulling, orgy-astic fashion that ends up looking like that Urbanspoon iPhone app (or, for those less tech oriented: a row of freaking slot machines in the seediest Las Vegas hotel available.)

The point, though, isn't the sold-out nature of Saban's soul: it's that for all we really know, there are flaws lining everyone of the BCS computer rankings systems, but because they don't have to publicly tell us how they achieved the score, we just blindly follow along every Sunday when the results seem close enough to reality not to cheese us off too much.

The BCS System Really Lacks Any Kind of Actual Responsibility or Check-Balance System originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Fri, 28 Nov 2008 11:55:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jason Whitlock Freaking Unleashes on ESPN, Calls Them an 'Enemy of Truth', Etc.

Will Brinson — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 02:30:00 EST

Filed under: Ball State, Coaching, Media Watch, Rumors, NCAA FB Scandal, General CFB Insanity

Jason Whitlock and ESPN are probably not friends (not that you can really be "friends" with a mouse-operated, soulless corporate entity anyway, but that's beside the point). Whitlock did, after all, take some shots at the conglomerate on his way out, and they did, after all, fire him.

So I suppose it's not a huge surprise if he throws an occasional dart at them from his column at FOX Sports. Except in his most recent column, the occasional dart suddenly df with regard to the WWL's treatment of Ball State and quarterback Nate Davis' chances to win the Heisman trophy.

Ball State's football season perfectly illustrated my problem with ESPN and why I believe the World Wide Leader is the most evil and destructive force in the sports world. It has driven and hastened the destruction of authentic, independent, democratic, courageous sports journalism.

ESPN is the enemy of the truth, and all who believe a pursuit of the truth is the lifeblood of a genuinely free society must stand against the Wal-Mart-ization of sports journalism.

I reached this conclusion when trying to figure out why Ball State quarterback Nate Davis isn't one of the top-five Heisman Trophy candidates and Ball State coach Brady Hoke isn't the front-runner for national coach of the year.

The fact of the matter is that Whitlock, while misfiring at times in this column (Ball State at 12-0 is harder to do than Oklahoma at 11-1? Really?), is dead on with this abundance of conspiracy-laden talk re: ESPN.

Anyone who followed the Barry Bonds or Brett Favre's sagas knows that the WWL has an agenda with the story it promotes, and that most often revolves around a) who is giving them interviews and b) who is the most popular.

And while the latter is technically just annoying when it comes to an obscene amount of Yankees - Red Sox coverage in baseball, it's borderline criminal when it affects the way the nation perceives the Heisman race ... which it most certainly does, because they control who the public gets to see the most.

Jason Whitlock Freaking Unleashes on ESPN, Calls Them an 'Enemy of Truth', Etc. originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Fri, 28 Nov 2008 02:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Florida State Might Want To Consider The Triple Option Tonight

Ian Cohen — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 13:50:00 EST

Filed under: Boston College, Florida State, ACC, Police Blotter, NCAA FB Scandal

Honestly, we'd love to focus all the attention on how Myron Rolle is making good on his 2005 promise about coming to Florida State for the academics. But his trip to Birmingham is one week away, and a more pressing concern for the Seminoles is a situation where the police are doing things like making the "finding of the chair-thrower" a priority. In the wake of a campus brawl reported earlier this week, Florida State has suspended five players for this weekend's tilt against Boston College, and the crazy part is that they're all wide receivers.

Useful ones, too (well, three out of five) -- Taiwan Easterling, Bert Reed, Corey Surrency, Cameron Wade and Richard Goodman will sit Saturday's crucial Atlantic Coast Conference contest, and the first three have combined for 51 catches, 722 yards, and eight touchdowns -- four by Surrency. Apparently, this fracas was the result of long-simmering tension between the football squad and the Phi Beta Sigma fraternity; usually, in these situations, it's a heated discussion about whether 311 truly fell off with "Transistor," but then I realize that I haven't been a fraternity pledge for a decade, and at this point, I'm sure it's whether we're truly ready for a ska revival.

Florida State Might Want To Consider The Triple Option Tonight originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 15 Nov 2008 13:50:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FSU Players Brawlin' at the Student Union

Ryan Ferguson — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 11:25:00 EST

Filed under: Florida State, ACC, NCAA FB Gossip, NCAA FB Scandal, General CFB Insanity

Several FSU wide receivers were allegedly involved in a brawl at the Student Union midday on Wednesday.

According to Florida State PD spokesman Major Jim Russell:

"It allegedly involved some members of the FSU football team and members of the Phi Beta Sigma fraternity," Russell said. "I would say it was a large crowd, 10 or more people... There were four people injured that we know of at this time, two male and two female students."

Since this was a public brawl, unofficial reports as to the nature of the fight have been filtering in ever since. Scully from Saurian Sagacity found two such reports, unattributed to the original source, but echoed by other, more impartial bloggers:

The alleged score that needed to be settled had to do with disrespecting Nigel Bradham's girlfriend, although I am pretty sure that whatever the Sigma said she deserved it (just my opinion though). Lots of punches thrown, mace was brought out, lots of new tenants for the local facility - both football players and frat guys. The players that were recognized in the midst of this melee were Carr, Surrency, Reed, and Easterling - apparently you don't want to mess with the Seminole receivers. There were more football players there but not all were recognized due to the melee.

Bobby Bowden's comments on the situation? Utterly predictable:

"The incident today, I really have no comment on it,'' FSU coach Bobby Bowden said following Wednesday night's practice. "The police will look into it and let us know what they think. That's all I've got to say about that.''

Always a shining example for program discipline, Bowden offered up one final gem.

When asked about the recent rash of suspensions -- four players have served one-game suspensions the past three games due to missing too many classes or for failing to fulfill other responsibilities -- the veteran FSU coach said:

"Well, that's America for you, isn't it.''

FSU Players Brawlin' at the Student Union originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Thu, 13 Nov 2008 11:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Texas' Buck Burnette Learns Why Racist Obama Facebook Updates Are Dumb

Will Brinson — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: Texas, Big 12, Campus, Coaching, NCAA FB Gossip, NCAA FB Scandal, General CFB Insanity

For those that don't know, Facebook status updates are broadcast to everyone you know. So, if you're going to post something that sounds racist or bigoted, well, don't.

Texas Longhorn lineman Buck Burnette learned this the hard way. See, here was Buck's Facebook status following Barack Obama's win the presidential election:

"all the hunters gather up, we have a #$%&er in the whitehouse"

Geez, Buck. Even if you actually feel that way -- which is sad -- why not just keep it to yourself? You know, instead of telling five million people. But he didn't, and naturally, he is now paying the price; he's been kicked off the UT football team.

On the very tiny bright side, Burnette at least claims to be somewhat remorseful and not racist, issuing the following apology:

Clearly I have made a mistake and apologized for it and will pay for it. I received it as a text message from an acquaintance and immaturely put it up on facebook in the light of the election. Im not racist and apologize for offending you. I grew up on a ranch in a small town where that was a real thing and I need to grow up. I sincerely am sorry for being ignorant in thinking that it would be ok to write that publicly and apologize to you in particular. I have to be more mature than to put the reputation of my team at stake and to spread that kind of hate which I dont even believe in. Once again, I sincerely apologize.

Yeah, that's all fine and dandy, but it doesn't really help the whole situation.

What Were They Thinking?

Buck Burnette, C Texas: The backup lineman has been dismissed from the team after he posted a racially-charged facebook update about Barack Obama's election win. Burnette claimed poor judgment in an apology, but it was too little, too late. Check out other athletes who got in trouble for boneheaded mistakes.

Brian Bahr, Getty Images

Heat rookie Mario Chalmers, left, and Grizzlies rookie Darrell Arthur were thrown out of the NBA's rookie transition program in September after reportedly being caught with marijuana in their hotel room.

Robert Laberge, Getty Images

Nebraska wrestler Paul Donahoe, above, was one of two athletes kicked off the Huskers wrestling team in August after nude pictures of them appeared on a pornographic Web site.

Carlos Osorio, AP

Georgia linebacker Darius Dewberry, center, was suspended after vandalizing a hospital. Dewberry, the sixth Bulldog to be disciplined in the offseason, broke a parking lot barrier and four potted plants in early August.

John Amis, AP

Josh Jarboe, an incoming freshman player at Oklahoma, was dismissed from the football team August 1 by head coach Bob Stoops after a video of him rapping about guns and shooting people appeared on the Internet.

You Tube

Oklahoma guard Jenna Plumley was suspended indefinitely on July 14 following an alleged petty shoplifting incident. Police said Plumley was stopped by store personnel at Wal-Mart with cosmetics in her possession.

Alonzo Adams, AP

Former Florida State star Peter Warrick was charged with grand theft in 1999 after he reportedly attempted to fleece a department store in a pricing scam with then-teammate Laveranues Coles. Warrick received a two-game suspension from the Seminoles and Coles was kicked off the team.

Mark Foley, AP

Ex-MLB outfielder Ruben Rivera was voted off the Yankees by his teammates following a spring training game in 2002. Rivera took Derek Jeter's glove and bat and sold them to a sports memorabilia dealer, reportedly for $2,500.

Peter Cosgrove, AP

Florida safety Jamar Hornsby was kicked off the team in May after being charged with using a credit card issued to Ashley Slonina, a student who died in an October 2007 motorcycle accident. Hornsby was accused of using the dead woman's credit card 70 times for a total of $3,000 in charges.

Doug Benc, Getty Images

In July 2007, tennis player Anastasia Rodionova became the second player on the WTA Tour to be disqualified from a match when she smacked a ball toward fans rooting for her opponent at the Cincinnati Women's Open.

STRDEL / AFP / Getty Images

And maybe Buck doesn't feel that way -- but I also, sadly, believe that there is a significant amount of this type of hatred still hanging around our country. After all, if there wasn't, Obama being the first African-American president wouldn't even be a big deal (or, at least, he might not be the first).

But to close out on a somewhat good note, this situation was resolved in a positive manner -- a young man acted in a totally unacceptable way, he immediately paid the price for it, and appears to recognize that it is completely of his own accord. It won't stop the hate, but at least visible consequences can maybe serve to curb some of those feelings.

World of Isaac via Deadspin

Texas' Buck Burnette Learns Why Racist Obama Facebook Updates Are Dumb originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Thu, 06 Nov 2008 14:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Long, Slow Arm Of The Law Catches Up With UVA Fullback

Ian Cohen — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 15:40:00 EST

Filed under: Virginia, ACC, Police Blotter, NCAA FB Scandal

It's hard to tell what made October most positive for Virginia- having gone the entire month to this point without a loss, or having gone the entire month to this point without some sort of off-the-field problem...obviously, both the losing and the defections were threatening to define what was only recently shaping up to possibly be Al Groh's last season in Charlottesville. Well, who knows what will happen against Miami, but at least one of those streaks has come to a strange and bitter end. Rashawn Jackson, Virginia's starting fullback, was charged with breaking and entering into "new" new dorm Cauthen, perhaps to get a crack at their vending machines or superior computer lab. Not to downplay things, but I suppose this is a pretty garden variety infraction as far as college football player mishegas go, but the odd part about this whole thing is that it's based on a B&E that happened nearly eleven months ago- November 22nd to be exact. While one can wonder how UVA's coaching staff let this slip under the radar, we can all at least rest easy knowing Charlottesville's 5-0 is more on the ready to prevent alcohol theft at gay bars.

The Long, Slow Arm Of The Law Catches Up With UVA Fullback originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Thu, 30 Oct 2008 15:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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More Michigan (State) Football Meatsticks Players Decide to Beat Up on Hockey Players

Will Brinson — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 23:59:00 EST

Filed under: Michigan State, Big 10, Campus, NCAA FB Gossip, NCAA FB Scandal, General CFB Insanity

Last week it was a University of Michigan running back attacking a hockey player, and this time it's the same thing, only it's dealing with Michigan State. (Via College Football Talk.)

A fight lands an MSU hockey player in a local hospital. But this fight didn't happen on the rink, it happened at a home in East Lansing and may have involved several other student athletes.

[...]Police say it all unfolded just outside this home on the 100 block of Center Street in East Lansing where a number of Michigan State Hockey players live. Several witnesses say they saw several cars pull up outside this residence at about 1 o'clock in the morning on Sunday. A number of MSU students jumped out and,we're told by sources, some of them were MSU football players. Now just after that, a big fight broke out, and when it was all over, an MSU hockey player who lives inside the home was sent to the hospital.

Not cool, gentlemen. Not cool at all. Obviously there could be issues here that we don't know about -- a hockey player ran his mouth about the team losing to Ohio State maybe -- but that still doesn't excuse beating up a fellow student.

I'd make a joke about hockey being a niche sport or perhaps football players scaring off all the potential young puck-heads, but there's a kid in the hospital, so there's no real reason to crack any puns. Instead, I'll just shamefully shake my head in the direction of these football players who think the rules don't apply to them.

More Michigan (State) Football ~~Meatsticks~~ Players Decide to Beat Up on Hockey Players originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 20 Oct 2008 23:59:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Marcus Vick Pleads Guilty to Drunken Driving

Ian Cohen — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 17:05:00 EST

Filed under: Virginia Tech, ACC, BCS, Police Blotter, NCAA FB Scandal

At this point, is he just doing it to keep up with ~~Pacman~~ Adam Jones?

Honestly, that's not a completely off-base question to be asked in regards to ne'er-do-well Marcus Vick after his latest run-in with the law. In this case, Vick has been convicted of drunken driving, as well as, as the report ominously states, "other charges." For the time being, we know the miscellany to include eluding police (I guess he's lost a step since 2005) and driving on the wrong side of the road.

On the one hand, it's another troubling turn in the personal life of a really, really disturbed (and possibly bored with Michael in jail) guy. On the other, it's pretty amazing that in 2008, a Marcus Vick arrest somehow still manages to get headline treatment by ESPN.

So, you know -- maybe Mark Cuban takes a chance when the time inevitably comes for him to show and prove in the UFL.

Marcus Vick Pleads Guilty to Drunken Driving originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 20 Oct 2008 17:05:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Michigan Running Back Arrested After Attacking Michigan Hockey Player

Ryan Ferguson — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 18:23:00 EST

Filed under: Michigan, Injuries, NCAA FB Scandal, General CFB Insanity

Before you ask: no, this is not some bizarre cross-sport intramurals thing.

Steve Kampfer, a junior defenseman on the Michigan hockey team who was injured early Sunday morning in an off-ice incident, incurred his injuries when he was thrown headfirst into the sidewalk by a Michigan football player, sources say.

The eyewitness described the attacker as a short, athletically built blonde male. He said the attacker was accompanied by two other men with athletic builds and blonde hair. All three were wearing jeans and black shirts that read "Get Wet" in red or orange on the back, according to the eyewitness.

Multiple sources with knowledge of the situation said the attacker was LSA senior Mike Milano, a redshirt junior on the Michigan football team. Milano, 22, is listed as a 5-foot-7, 196-pound running back from Rocky River, Ohio on the athletics department's website. A former wrestler who wrestled for Michigan his first two years on campus, Milano walked onto the football team in spring 2007.

Bizarre as this sounds, this is really no joke. Kampfer sustained injuries and appeared to be unconscious after the attack. He will miss classes and "be out of the team's lineup for awhile" while he recovers, according to Michigan head hockey coach Red Berenson.

No word yet from Michigan's athletic department.

Michigan Running Back Arrested After Attacking Michigan Hockey Player originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 15 Oct 2008 18:23:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Virginia QB Lalich Kicked Off Team

Ian Cohen — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 21:35:00 EST

Filed under: Virginia, ACC, Police Blotter, NCAA FB Scandal

It's a story I've been following with an admittedly light tone, but now, I'm pretty much out of ideas on how to crack wise here. It's just kinda sad. Peter Lalich, Elite 11 quarterback and seen by many as the future (and present, come to think of it) of Virginia football, has been kicked off the team after admitting that he indeed did consume alcohol during his probation for underage drinking. Frankly, I grow weary of "rock bottom" posts, but um ... what the hell else can go wrong this year?

What this means in the short term for the Hoos is that Marc Verica, he of the 22-30, 158 yard 1 INT performance against UConn likely has the job for the rest of the season, but this actually raises an intriguing possibility for 2009- though Jameel Sewell is ineligible this season, he's stated time and time again that he plans on coming back once he gets his academic situation settled. Does Groh (um, he'll still be there, right?) hand the controls back over to the guy who guided the team to the Gator Bowl, or is Verica the future ... at least until they convince themselves that Ross Metheny is the next Matt Schaub?

Virginia QB Lalich Kicked Off Team originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Thu, 18 Sep 2008 21:35:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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