Around the Big Ten

[iam416]

I'm not quite the expert on "really ugly" as The Wizard, having only had a few occasions to "spend time" with Mrs. Wizard in a mercifully poorly lit alley behind the North Platte bowl-o-rama, but my sense of things is that they have been "really ugly" for a really long time.

[Optimus Prime]

So you are saying she's a painted lady of the evening or common Jezebel?

May God have mercy on your soul.....

[THE_WIZARD_]

No he's saying he is a fucking retard.

[Optimus Prime]

Boot to the nutsack!


bowl-o-rama....

Is that 5 or 10-pin?

[Tony G]

but my sense of things is that they have been "really ugly" for a really long time.

This

[Dr. Strangelove]

B1G to stay at 8 conference games

http://espn.go.com/blog/bigten/post/_/id/54113/delany-b1g-to-stay-at-eight-league-games

[Jeff Buchanan]

The Erickson interview is revealing ......

First, by what authority did he conduct secret negotiations with the NCAA while keeping the PSU BOT out of the discussion? Astounding.

Second, how does a coalition of reportedly PHD level intellectuals that call themselves college presidents, get in bed with Emmert and this coercive action he dreamed up, to force PSU to accept the punishment laid out by the NCAA? Astounding.

Finally, Erickson is a coward of the first degree. He hid out and did not seek counsel with the BOT (the worst of all possible courses of action in this ordeal), conducted secret negotiations with Emmert, thereby by-passing all the checks and balances inherent in the fact finding, adjudication and penalty assessing processes of the NCAA infractions committee, then allowed PSU to succumb to unnecessary humiliation at the hands of an out of control NCAA. He should have stood up to Emmert and said, bring it on. We'll have no part in a lynching.

I'm with talent and others. I'm not worried that this is ever going to happen again. NOBODY WOULD BE STUPID ENOUGH T0 LET IT HAPPEN AGAIN. I'm just astounded at the rush to judgement and the lack of thinking this through. The lack of assessment of unintended consequences (recruiting for example .... and I note Hoke and M will not be a part of any of the carcass picking .... good) is stunning.

....... anyway, I'm done with it. Very sad circumstances for every innocent person who has been touched by the crimes of Jerry Sandusky, the four PSU employees who failed in their duties to report him to proper authorities and the incredible fall-out that will ensue. A good deal of the collateral damage could have been avoided by wiser more thoughtful men. Instead we have the likes of Mark Emmert, the college presidents and conference chiefs who got in bed with him and finally, Rodney Erickson who will go down in history with other cowards such as "Peace is at Hand," Neville Chamberlin, J. Bruse Ismay, the managing Director of White Star Lines, who famously abandoned ship during the sinking of the Titanic, leaving women and children to die and more recently, the Captain of the Costa Concordia, Francesco Schettino, who was ordered to return to his ship by The Italian Cost Guard and coordinate passenger rescue, after he was found to have boarded a life boat for shore as his ship floundered on the rocks.

I wish CFB good luck with the fine group of men that has been assembled to lead and direct its course in the next decade.

[entropy]

Makes you wonder how much more there is that they wouldn't fight..

[Wild Hoss]

Stewart Mandel @ slmandel
RT @ CecilHurt: How far was NCAA manual tossed in PSU case? Bylaw 19.5.2' "death penalty" provision for repeat offenders only allows 2 years.

I see this, or the Nebraska textbook probation, then look at Auburn essentially buying a national title with no consequences and must draw the conclusion that the bag of cats in Indianapolis (who threatens to sanction schools for using native American mascots) is simply irrevocably broken. It no longer retains any sembance of a properly-functioning organization. In instances involving their actual mandate they are often bogged down in operational minutae to the point of absurdity, and here they throw due process, jurisdiction, and common sese to the wind and come down like dictators.

Furthermore, as Ent and I were discussing earlier, the only conclusion that can be drawn here is that the proper course for any school to follow in engagement with the NCAA is to battle the amoral dipshits tooth and nail. Between Auburn, Nebraska and Penn State the evidence is clear as to which path- confrontation or collaboration- works best.

[iam416]

Goodness, such reasonableness. WTF?

It's an interesting question -- the confrontation/collaboration one. Ohio State was more in the latter -- the email that buried Tressel was self-reported.

So, you look at USC, who, IMO, got hammered because they didn't cooperate. You look at Penn State, who got hammered even though they did cooperate. You look at Auburn who told everyone to fuck off. And you look at OSU, who was likely going to ease by until DeGeronimo sank them with a FtM charge.

I'd contend that, as with all NCAA bullshit, there's isn't even a coherent precedent to answer the collaborate/confront issue. That said, I hate those asshats, so I'm all for telling to them to go fuck themselves.

I do know that if I were an Oregon or Miami fan, I'd be petrified.

[hack]

Again, so incredibly ungrateful! They did let you ``ease by'', if by that you mean ``continue acting like the foul and craven thickskulls that we are''. Its very unseemly to not express the appropriate amount of gratitude.

[Mike]

Again, so incredibly ungrateful! They did let you ``ease by'', if by that you mean ``continue acting like the foul and craven thickskulls that we are''. Its very unseemly to not express the appropriate amount of gratitude.

Amen!

[Wild Hoss]

Goodness, such reasonableness. WTF?

It's an interesting question -- the confrontation/collaboration one. Ohio State was more in the latter -- the email that buried Tressel was self-reported.

So, you look at USC, who, IMO, got hammered because they didn't cooperate. You look at Penn State, who got hammered even though they did cooperate. You look at Auburn who told everyone to fuck off. And you look at OSU, who was likely going to ease by until DeGeronimo sank them with a FtM charge.

I'd contend that, as with all NCAA bullshit, there's isn't even a coherent precedent to answer the collaborate/confront issue. That said, I hate those asshats, so I'm all for telling to them to go fuck themselves.

I do know that if I were an Oregon or Miami fan, I'd be petrified.

They did come down on SC...but it tooks years, when they had motherfuckers living it up in beachfront condos like moviestars, and frankly I think most people were honestly surprised when they actually did something. Then of course they levied sanctions that a school like SC could weather, and even thrive with. Penn State was essentially killed.

That said, you observation stands...and perhaps more pertinent is your second bolded observation. Its often stated by unhappy fans that the NCAA needs an enema, but IMO it is now abundantly clear that it is actually needed. The organization isn't functioning.

[Wild Hoss]

According to ESPN, the NCAA had an administrative budget of $30.6 million in 2010-11. We clearly are not getting our money's worth from that group.

For that kind of scratch they should easily be able to afford a a small investigative staff assigned to each FBS conference, full-time. Hire quality financial investigators paid at what the market rate is for commensurate individuals for auditing goverment and corporations, subject to thorough annual personal audits themselves. (Especially those in SEC territory) Keep them together and working in each conference region so they can learn the "lay of the land" and have authority to drop in on any school, any time, and see any records they wish. Every year their work is reviewed by by the office of a group assigned to another office, and none are assigned to conferences in which their alma mater is affiliated.

Pipe dream, but that is a rough sketch of what I'd do if it were up to me.

[iam416]

To be semi-fair to USC, I think Reggie Bush was big violation. They had gads others for crapola, but it was pretty much just Bush.

Then of course they levied sanctions that a school like SC could weather, and even thrive with

Yeah, I'm not so sure what they could do. I mean, they got a bowl ban AND got raked for 30 scholarships over 3 years, IIRC. That's a significant hit. The fact that they're USC and Lane-O is recruiting the shit out of things, meh. I mean, are you going to tailor sanctions to how good the program is or try to levy consistent penalties regardless of school? Of course, the NCAA does neither on a consistent basis, so it's entirely theoretical, but I prefer a well-defined code or precedent on penalties rather than an outcome-driven process.

Your idea re conference-specific investigators is interesting. It's an interesting idea to do "random" testing. Send a team of 2 or 3 to a given campus, unannounced. Have them survey the parking lot at the practice facility (this, incidentally, was Andy Geiger SOP). Then have them "tail" players (require that each school provide a roster with addresses to the NCAA). Spend 2-3 days doing this.

Lemme tell ya, that would scare the bejesus out of, well, ummm -- every major football program.