Penn State fans demand Sean Lee win the Butkus

May 1, 2008 by 16 Comments

Blog/site newsORLANDO, FL – Students from Penn State University entered their fourth day of protest outside the Downtown Athletic Club today, refusing to back down from their demand that Sean Lee, the school’s coveted linebacker, should win the 2008 Butkus Award.

“It’s not fair,” said Rufus Engolman, a freshman landscape architecture major. “They’re saying that just because he won’t play a down this year, he’s not eligible.”

Sean Lee broke his anterior cruciate ligament in practice on April 11, ending his chances of contributing this season. Fans say Lee’s status shouldn’t preclude him from being considered for the award, typically given to college football’s best linebacker.

Eighth-year senior Barney Slonicker agrees. “I mean, we’re Penn State, you know? Last year was the Laurinaitis travesty, and now this. Don’t even try to tell me there’s not a bias against us.”

In 2007, OSU’s James Laurinaitis won the Butkus over the favored PSU Linebacker Dan Connor. The consensus in the CFB community is that the award was given to make up for the snub that occurred the previous year, when PSU’s Paul Posluszny won the award over the future NFL Hall of Famer A.J. Hawk, an OSU graduate.

“Okay, maybe, just maybe, we’ll be able to compromise on Lee actually winning the award. His nomination had better be a given, though. Or maybe they could create a new award for him, something like the ‘Lee’s Knees Memorial Award’ or something like that. Understand? We just want someone to listen to us. And do what we say.”

The Downtown Athletic Club disagrees with Slonicker and the other protesters. Two days ago, the organization sent its spokesperson out to the crowd to read a prepared statement: “While we respect the fact that Penn State has, on occasion, produced a quality linebacker, we are unable and unwilling to make an exception for a player that will not play a down this season. Thank you for your interest, and we wish all of you a very exciting college football season. We’ll see you in December.”

The statement was not received well by the protesters, who drowned out the company official with profanity-laden chants and then attacked her with a violent flurry of beer bottles.

Big 10 commissioner Jim Delaney offered his own opinion on the events. “The sense of entitlement Nittany Lions fans have is shocking, and absolutely not representative of the rest of the Big 10 Conference. I’m starting to wonder how good of a decision it was to let them in. Our condolences go out to the victim’s family. We’re all praying for a speedy recovery.”

Filed Under: College Football

Don’t worry, Manningham can’t read this

April 29, 2008 by 5 Comments

Michigan’s proudest WR, Mario Manningham, managed to score a 6 on the NFL’s Wonderlic intelligence test.

6.

An average score on the Wonderlic is 21, right were OSU’s Vernon Gholston landed. That’s supposed to represent an average IQ. But how bad is 6?

“Charlie Wonderlic Jr., president of Wonderlic Inc., says, ‘A score of 10 is literacy, that’s about all we can say.’ ” (Link)

But wait! Manningham still hopes to earn a degree one day:

“That was kind of hard, leaving without getting my degree, but I’m going to go back and get it.”

Uh, sure. Best wishes with all of that.

And before someone posts “Reggie Germany 0.0 LOLLERCOPTERSeleventy!1” in the comments section, note that there is a huge difference between getting a 0.0 for not showing up to class, and going to college for three years without becoming literate.

Link – “More Wonderlic Scores”

Filed Under: College Football, Pro Football

Spring rumblings

April 12, 2008 by 3 Comments

OSU’s offensive line has been hit with injuries… veterans Steve Rehring and Ben Person have been assigned no-contact status and will not be seen in the spring game. Superstar frosh Mike Adams has been sidelined with an injury as well.

Just as we were sharpening our pencils to tease Wolverine fans about Manningham’s problems with the devil weed, three members of OSU’s starting defensive secondary are being disciplined for the same thing. It is possible that Donald Washington, Jamario O’Neal and Eugene Clifford could be kicked off the team. As terrible as the news is, the 2008 Buckeye defense is still deeper than Friedrich Nietzsche reading the Mahabharata inside a bathysphere lying at the bottom of the Marianas Trench, so the loss of these three should only move OSU’s defense from zOMG hide teh children to maybe we’ll let you score once per game status.

Quarterbacks coach Joe Daniels has been battling cancer, and recently had surgery to remove a kidney. He’s not expected to return full-time until the autumn. His replacement, backup QB coach Nick Siciliano, is stepping in to juggle the QBs – but has some juggling of his own to do as the proud father of newborn quadruplets. Still, with all of that on his plate, reports are positive that things are humming along efficiently.

The same is apparently not the case with the fullback position. With Dionte Johnson and The Tank gone, competition is fierce. Linebacker Ryan Lukens is moving from LB to FB. The same experiment is being tried with Austin Spitler.

The importance of getting the FB situation resolved soon cannot be understated. Beanie Wells, the nation’s best back, is set to begin a much-hyped Heisman campaign. His Stiff Arm of Tackling FailTM cannot do it alone; he needs a stud FB in front of him exploding defenders into tiny bits.


A good OSU fullback can actually help save B10 defenders from this humiliation.

Tressel has hinted that the 2008 offense may feature less pounding I-formation and more two-back sets, with Saine and Wells in the backfield.

Where Tressel’s idea gets exciting is when one considers where Pryor may fit into this mix. As the spring progresses, the talk of Pryor redshirting is becoming less frequent, and is being replaced with a desire to see him in niche situations, not unlike what Urban Meyer did with Tim Tebow in 2006 (and Tebow wasn’t surrounded with the talent that Pryor might be).

Consider this for a moment: OSU has first and goal on the three yard line, and Pryor trots out as goal-line QB, with Wells and Saine in a two-back set behind him and three receivers at the line. It’s enough to make most defensive coordinators lose their water. It’s easy to see why Tressel doesn’t view the FB weakness as urgent as the rest of us. Still, the spring scrimmages should tell the tale. There’s not a lot of time left before USC, so experimentation will have to give way to in-stone game plans soon.

Filed Under: College Football, Ohio State Football

It’s a boy!!

March 19, 2008 by 4 Comments

OSU FootballJEANNETTE, PA — OSU football coach Jim Tressel gave birth to a healthy, 6’6″, 235 lb., 4.4 forty-runnin’, dual threat quarterback this morning.

Dad and baby are doing fine.

pryorchoosesgoodoverevil2.jpg

Paternity tests have confirmed that Rich “Enrod” Rodriguez was not the father as had previously been alleged.

Link

Filed Under: College Football, Ohio State Football

Nash gets the ‘C’

March 13, 2008 by 2 Comments

cbjlogonew.jpgnashcaptain.jpg

As expected, 23-year-old Rick Nash has been chosen as team captain for your Columbus Blue Jackets.

Rick is the fifth captain for the franchise, which has never seen a captain last more than three seasons.

It’s another in a string of ‘good long-term decisions that may not pay off right away,’ (something that Jackets fans are quite used to). Nash will have to grow into the role, but as we’ve seen, he’s been able to do everything asked of him so far. It’s a good move.

Link

Filed Under: Blue Jackets Hockey

Thoughts on the trades

February 27, 2008 by 1 Comment

cbjlogonew.jpgSo Howson frees up a couple of million this year, some fans go nuts, and some fans are cautiously optimistic.

I’m somewhere in the middle. I’m sure the Jackets could not have done much better with regards to Fedorov. With the possibility of him bolting this summer, at least they got something out of it now.

Same with Foote. To me, the way his situation worked out seemed more like “shades of MacLean” than anything else. Still, it was clear that Howson saw the writing on the wall here and thought now was as good a time as ever.

The surprising thing to me, though, was that it stopped there. Peca, Vyborny, et. al made it through yesterday without having to change PO boxes. I can’t tell if this was a wise, ‘surgical’ approach to making the team more competitive, or a rather poorly-executed attempt at cleaning house.

One thing is clear: come summertime, the Jackets will be at least $20-25 million under the salary cap. Whatever Howson’s plans for the summer were, at least now he’ll have a little more breathing room.

Nash’s take on the trades:

“I just don’t know what the thought process is. I feel like we have been building for a few years now to get to the point that we’re at. It’s tough to see these guys leave, but if they don’t feel like this is our year and they want to free up some money and get some young players I guess.”

I like this quote. There’s so much here for us to read-between-the-lines. Rick expresses his puzzlement, and wonders where this fits into the moves the team has made over the past few years. Then he wonders aloud if the trades mean the brass is surrendering on this season. (Ruh-roh, Astro.) Rick wraps up with a final shot about them wanting to “get some more young players in here.”

It says a lot.

His thoughts on possibly wearing the ‘C’:

“I’m still a guy who’s 23 years old. It’s kind of tough telling a guy who’s 30 years old to pick up his game and things like that, they might not listen, but I’m ready to take that jump, starting trying those things and I’m sure a lot of guys will be behind me.”

After having some more time to think about it, I’m fairly certain that Nash will be the captain next year. When Hitch came to the team last season, he told a Columbus radio station that the reason he immediately put Nash on the PK was because Nash played his best when he was forced to work outside of his comfort zone. Paraphrasing, he said, ‘Nash is a great shooter with great talent, it’ll be up to me and the veterans to make him a good, well-rounded hockey player.’

And I wonder if that’s how we’ll define Fedorov’s CBJ legacy — if nothing else, as a mentor to the younger players like Rick, Nik, Zhil-Bayre, etc. Sergei didn’t come in here and challenge any scoring records, that’s for sure, but he played hard and did anything asked of him. First line center? Okay. PK? Youbetcha. Oh, want me on the blue line for a couple of weeks? No problem. That attitude had to be contagiously beneficial to the others alongside him in the dressing room.

But back to the trades. No matter what, the first reasonable expectation of playoff-level performance should come next year. Hitch and Howson have set themselves up for a rather critical evaluation next season. We’ll be watching with higher expectations, for sure.

Filed Under: Blue Jackets Hockey

Foote traded

February 26, 2008 by 3 Comments

cbjlogonew.jpgToday was the trade deadline, and the Blue Jackets have announced that Adam Foote is moving to Colorado.

Captain Adam Foote.

Foote was traded to the Avs for a 2009 first-round and conditional fourth-round pick.

So, who will be the new team captain in 2008/9? Nash is still quite young, but will no doubt be the fan favorite. I wonder if the team will go with Fedorov for his experience.

Who do you want leading your Jackets in the locker room?

UPDATE: Fedorov has also been traded (to Washington). The trades of the past few weeks make it clear that (1) Howson is trying to free up tons of money for a free agent, and (2) he doesn’t care how much of a veteran you are, you’re in danger if you don’t have a good plus/minus.

Filed Under: Blue Jackets Hockey

MotSaG Mailbag – Jackets whining; Influenza; OSU’s 2008 recruiting class; VG to the Jets?

February 7, 2008 by 2 Comments

Blog/site newsTime for a new feature on Men of the Scarlet and Gray, where we respond to comments, feedback, questions, and suggestions provided to us via the MotSaG Contact Form and/or individual post comments.

MotSaG reader Rob writes:

“You should change the name of your website. Every time I come on here, it is all about the Blue Jackets. On national signing day in which OSU pulls in one of the best classes of that last several years you put this article about how the Blue Jackets have given up.

What gives?”

No excuses here, Rob. You’re right, we totally dropped the ball. In our defense, el Kaiser, the MotSaG recruiting specialist, has spent the past week playing host to an unwelcome visitor from the Solomon Islands. And the CBJ post was written in frustration right after Tuesday’s loss, when yours truly was still loopy on cough medicine after hosting the same overseas traveler the week prior.

Still, after a quick perusal of our archives and some quickie math that involved sticking a finger up in the air, throwing a dart at a dartboard, and dividing the value by pi (which was hard because we missed the board entirely and hit the wall instead), we’ve discovered that over 1 out of 2 articles here at MotSaG are OSU-football related. The remainder is made up of other college football news, Ohio pro and amateur sports teams, and other miscellaneous time-wasting, mindless, and quite frankly, embarrassing entertainment (of which this post is a pristine example). The CBJ comprise only 4.9% of our time – which seems fair, because They Have Given Up anyway.

So, point taken, sir. You’re right, perhaps we should have been analyzing OSU’s recruiting class instead of writing fake Pryor chat logs. Keep an eye on this space for our take on the Buckeyes’ 2008 class. We promise to give our two Abe’s worth just as soon as the fever breaks and the NyQuil wears off.

MotSaG reader and most excellent Jets blogger Brian Basset writes:

“Greetings! …I wanted to inquire about Vernon Gholston… could you send me a rundown on him? Many fans seem excited that he might be sitting at #6 when the Jets will likely pick.”

Happy to do it, Brian. Here’s the MotSaG man-crush’s relevant information:

  • Height: 6’4″
  • Weight: 265 lbs.
  • Bench Press: 455 lbs.
  • Bicep circumference: Unknown (The Cray supercomputer on west campus is still working on that number)
  • Lawsuits pending: 1, against NBC (Vernon claims that Law and Order are the trademarked names of his left and right biceps)
  • 2007 TFL’s: 15.5
  • 2007 Sacks: 14
  • # of mothers of said QBs who felt a sharp pain in their uterus after their son was sacked: 14
  • # of QBs he made to fill their shorts with excrement: 28 (includes the backup QBs who were watching game film)
  • Number of patents he holds: 1 (his sweat is collected into cans and sold under the name Red Bull)
  • Records: Single game sacks – 4, for minus 32 yards (the QB is recovering nicely, btw), single season sacks (tie – Mike Vrabel).
  • Moves it takes him to win a Connect Four game: 3

Sounds to me like we’ve got another excuse to post a Vernon Gholston pic:

gholstonlsu.jpg

 

Filed Under: Blogging, Blue Jackets Hockey, College Football, Ohio State Football

They’re starting to give up

February 6, 2008 by 3 Comments

cbjlogonew.jpgThe most disappointing thing about this team since the All-Star break isn’t the four losses, or the fact that they’re letting teams come from behind to win.

It isn’t that three of those losses were at home.

It’s not even that Pazzy – once again – won’t be able to pull off an injury-free season.

No, the most disappointing thing is that the team allowed Pazzy’s injury to go unanswered. Laing bull-rushed a franchise neminder – an All-Star player by most opinions – and not one Jacket stood up for his goalie? Where were the enforcers? Does the squad miss Jody that much already? (Would Jody have done anything if he were still here anyway?)

To me, that’s indicative of the team’s attitude. For the first time in franchise history, the team has had something to lose, and now that they’ve hit a slump, cohesion is clearly suffering.

The primary reason the Jackets were fighting for that 8th spot was LeClaire’s performance. The forwards’ collective numbers are comparable to last year’s; it’s only the French Alfalfa’s performance that had the team in position for a playoff push. If there’s one player you do stick up for, it’s him.

Now, down four points from the last spot, with a stretch of eight of nine games on the road starting on the 15th, the Jackets’ playoff hopes are probably dashed. It’s not likely they’ll be able to make this up with the rough month ahead. Sure, it’s possible; stranger things have happened. But realistically, it’s quite unlikely now, especially with a mighty-cold Norrena between the pipes (saving only 77% in relief last night, 80% in his last three starts).

So the question remains… what will the team do? What tone will the leaders set heading into spring? Men or mice? Fall apart and start pointing fingers, or pull it together and keep working toward that long-term goal (in this case, playoffs in 08/09)? Time will tell, and we’ll be watching.

Filed Under: Blue Jackets Hockey

To Catch a Recruiter

February 5, 2008 by 4 Comments

hansen.jpg[ Scene: A modern living room, the front door at one end and a kitchen at the other. Separating the two rooms is a long bar, upon which is a computer. Two barstools are present, one on each side of the counter. Cameras are located behind two-way mirrors and hidden behind furniture. ]

A knock at the front door. Staff scurry into their places. The young man (YM), hidden from view, speaks:

    YM: Yo! C’mon in.

The door creaks open. A middle-aged man wearing an orange and blue jacket peeks his head in.

    Man: Hello?!?

    YM: Yeah! I’m here. Be down in a sec.

    Man: Is ‘Lil_V_Young’ here?

    YM: Yo. That’s me. Be down in a sec. You can sit down at the bar. Be down in a minute.

Man nervously sits down at the bar. His eyes scan the room, and he fidgets with the zipper on his jacket, then pokes at the computer mouse.

[ Chris Hansen (CH) enters the kitchen from the stairwell. ]

    CH: Excuse me, who are you? What are you doing here?

    Man: Uh… hm? What?

    CH: I asked what you were doing here.

    Man: Uh… just here to visit. Who are you?

    CH: I’ll ask the questions here. What exactly are you doing here?

    gator.jpg

    Man: Nothin’ man. Just, you know, just come by to visit someone.

    CH: Who? What’s his name?

    Man: Um. Why?

    CH: Because I’d like to know why you’re here to visit this young man.

    Man: He’s just a friend, you know. He invited me to come over, you know, hang out. Are you his father?

    CH: No, I’m not. But I do have a couple of questions. What did you mean when you told him, “I can’t wait to see those long galloping legs with my own eyes”?

    Man (sweating profusely): What?!? I didn’t say that to nobody, man.

    CH: I’m gonna stop you right there; you see, I know who you are, gator4114. And I know why you’re here. My name’s Chris Hansen. And no, the young man you came to see is not here, and he’s not a teenage boy. You were chatting with one of my staffers, I’ve got all those seedy conversations right here, and you’re on television right now. There’s the camera.

    Man: What? I don’t know what’s going on.

    CH: Don’t. Just don’t. You’ve seen a show called ‘Dateline,’ haven’t you? Well, you’re on it, and these chat logs are disgusting. What do you have to say for yourself?

    Man: …I dunno. I just thought… maybe he’d want to play for me. It was nothing.

    CH: Nothing? You wrote, and I quote, “I love the way you protect those balls, el-oh-el.”

    Man: …

    CH: These officers will have a few questions for you. You’ll have to go with them.

    Man (crying silently): I don’t know what I was doing… I’ve never done this before… I swear. I just thought… just thought…

    CH: You need help.

Officers escort man out of frame as Hansen shakes head in disgust.

[ Scene continues… stage is quickly reset as another man approaches the door. ]

Knocking, YM speaks again:

    YM: Yo! C’mon in!

The door opens wide, and a pudgy man (PM) with a round face confidently strides in. Little confetti-like flecks of paper coat the arms of his new blue sweatshirt. He brushes them off.

    PM: Dude! Where you at? YO!

    YM: Be down in a sec. Go ahead and have a seat.

    PM: What? C’mon man, let’s see you.

    YM: Taking a leak! Be down in a second.

    PM: m’Kay! Walks around the room, looking at pictures, whisting & singing to himself.

    blue.jpg

    PM (singing softly): mmm hmm hmm…. to the plaaaace…. mmHMHMM… mountain mam-

    CH (Walking into frame): Excuse me.

    PM: Huh? Who’re you, slick…?

    CH: Who are YOU?

    PM: Who’s askin? What’s going on? Is he coming down or what?

    CH: Have a seat.

    PM (scans around the room quickly): Don’t think so.

    CH: Why not?

    PM: Don’t feel like it. Who are you, anyway?

    CH: Someone who wants to know what you were thinking when you tried to hit on a teenage boy in an Internet chat room.

    PM: I never did anything of the sort.

    CH: I’ve got the chats right here. See that? That’s you, ‘EnRod,’ and you were talking to a teenage boy, ‘Ain’tGotNoPriors.’

    PM: That ain’t me, man.

    CH: Oh, no? What about this: “w3rd. I’m sure that underneath that UnderArmour shirt lies abs as tight and tough as the Roaring Plains of the Monongahela.”

    PM: I don’t know wha- (takes off at full gallop)

Officers close in quickly and tackle him to ground in the front yard. Paper dust flies everywhere in the scuffle.

[ Scene three, that evening. An elderly man (EM) shuffles to the door, and knocks quietly. ]

    YM: Yo! C’mon in.

    EM: What?

    YM: Yo! C’mon in.

    EM: Huh?

    YM (loudly): COME IN!

    EM: Er, okay.

The aged man opens the door. He shuffles into the room, looking around in apparent confusion. He takes his thick glasses off to wipe them clean.

    CH (entering and startling the man): Hello!

    EM: Oh, hello! Where am I supposed to go?

    CH: You can have a seat right here.

    EM: Thanks. Boy, this is different, eh?

    CH: Who are you?

    EM (laughs politely): You don’t know who I am?

    CH: Oh, I know who you are.

    EM: Nice. What’s your name? (offers his hand)

    CH: My name’s Chris. (shakes hand, a puzzled look on his face)

    em.jpg

    EM: Pleased to meet ya. What do you do, Chris?

    CH: Well, I’m a host anchor for a nightly news magazine show, Dateline NBC.

    EM: Is that right? Good for you then. Wow. News reporter, that’s great. So, when are we going to get started?

    CH: Uh, started with what?

    EM: You know. The games. Where is everyone?

    CH: Are there more coming?

    EM: Usually, sure. I’ve never done this by myself, you know!

    CH: Are you aware of what I’m doing here?

    EM: You’re not here to play?

    CH: No, I’m not. That’s disgusting. I’m here to discuss some very disturbing things with you.

    EM: Oh, really? What do you mean?

    CH: Well listen to this exchange, for instance:

    JP_Ly’nRoar: I have to meet with you.
    NotRelatedToRichard: Why?
    JP_Ly’nRoar: I can’t stand thinking of you leaving home. I must have you.
    NotRelatedToRichard: For what?
    JP_Ly’nRoar: I need you to ‘run my spread,’ eleventy1!

    What do you think?

    EM: Sounds nice. I dunno. Sounds like some nice young men talking. Their names are weird though. Must be a club or something (laughs).

    CH: Does that sound appropriate to you?

    EM: Well, sure. Hey, when is this thing going to start?

    CH: Do you even know what’s going on? How much trouble you’re in?

    EM (eyes open wide behind glasses): Trouble? What have they done now?

    CH: Enough! You’re JP_Ly’nRoar, aren’t you?!?

    EM: What? Hm? I don’t understand what you’re saying, sonny. What do you mean trouble?

    CH: Why are you here?

    EM: Same reason you’re here. The bingo game. Jay told me to show up here, that there would be a late game.

    CH: Bingo?!?

    EM: Yeah. Play all the time. What, did I get the address wrong again?

    CH: You said, “Jay” sent you here?

    EM: Yeah, he watches out for his old man. Good kid.

    CH: I think there’s been a mistake.

    EM: Yeah? Too bad. I drank an extra Ensure; was hoping for an exciting night.

    CH: Where is Jay now?

    EM: I dunno. Said something about going to the playground around the corner from my house. He goes there a lot, helps him think. Asked if he could borrow my computer again.

    CH: Well, thanks for your time, I guess.

    EM: No problem. It’s been my pleasure. Wow, NBC, wow. Must be fun to work there.

    CH (sighing deeply): Sometimes.

[ As the crew packs up, the young man is seen slipping out of the apartment and approaching a limousine. A middle-aged man wearing a vest opens the door for him, hands him a red shirt, says something quietly inspirational, and the two climb in. The sun, a blazing scarlet, is setting behind the gray clouds in the western sky as the two drive off. ]

Filed Under: College Football
« Previous Page
Next Page »