Pounding the Trojans

POW!!

And boom goes the dynamite.

USC crushed by NCAA sanctions.

You know who this is really bad for? Kentucky basketball. The new NCAA doesn't like cheaters.

Yay Rah, NCAA!

"I got out in time!!"

The NCAA for years has refused to give significant punishment to it's big revenue generators. That will all change tomorrow when the official punishment following the NCAA's investigation of the Trojans is released.

Here's what it looks like will happen:
-All the wins from the '04 & possibly the '05 seasons will be expunged from the books
This type of punishment always seems silly to me...the revenue from tickets is still theirs, the fans still think those games count...so no big deal here, to me.

-20 scholarships lost for the USC football team
This is a big penalty. Even with USC's typically-talented roster, depth is still needed and with early defections, it's always good to be able to allow a player a year before he starts. Plus, most 19 year olds, even the highest-touted, aren't as big and strong as the average 22 year old college football player.

-No post-season play for two seasons
Another significant punishment as this hurts exposure and if nothing else will affect the psyche of the fanbase during the holiday season.
-Possible removal of Bush's Heisman
This is a somewhat-large deal simply because it's unprecedented (I believe)...but a few sources don't think this will happen.

I still can't find if there's any ramifications for the basketball team, but I think they should also be punished...as should USC's athletic director be fired and forced to never hold such a post in the NCAA due to his lack of control of the situation...but that probably won't happen.

It might be interesting to see if USC seeks to hold Carroll, Bush, Floyd, Mayo and others accountable after the punishment is official.

The NCAA took way too long to complete the investigation and then hand down the punishment. But, if the above is what comes to fruition, the NCAA got it right...for once.

What I'd still like to see is the coaches being held more-accountable for such violations. For instance- if your team is guilty of multiple-major infractions that leave a program decimated, you not only can't coach for 5 years, but will also be fined if you decide to return to NCAA coaching after the punitive period (as a deterrent). Sure, it won't happen, but one can dream.

Nothing Sticks to the Smart Ones

It took the feds a long time to actually get something to stick to John Gotti. Like all big time gangsters, the guy knew the law and knew how to dodge the big rap. But, eventually, a life of breaking the law caught up with him and he ended up in prison.

Are we seeing the same thing at Kentucky as things seem to be closing in on Teflon John Calipari?

Truthfully, I doubt it...Calipari is smart-enough to clean his dirty laundry through channels of people who don't seem to even know whom they're working for. But, the story surrounding Eric Bledsoe has more layers than an onion and its stench is much stronger.

This one's got a bit of everything- academic impropriety, money exchanging hands, people hiding things so investigators can't get information and tons of denials and important parts giving the silent treatment...it's a bushel basket of rules, if not laws, being broken by quite a few people...and the whole mess leads back to the guy who does no wrong, Kentucky's current coach.

Perhaps this story will be what sends Cal to the NBA once again as he and Bron Bron finally make their love for eachother public.

If it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, waddles like a duck...it's probably a Huskie

I'm not a fan of Jim Calhoun. He seems to treat a lot of people like junk. Sure, some of that is just East Coast charm- two of my best friends are from the Northeast and the gruff demeanor is just the way a lot of people are out there...but Calhoun bristles to another level. Plus, he's decided to surround himself with some people that are questionable...from players to parts of the program, the NCAA has had their eye on the Huskies for a few years. Before our Boilers played them in the '09 tourney, we heard a lot about how Robinson didn't attend class after his near transfer for nearly an entire semester...yet remained on campus. And in the last five years, my pals in Big East country have told me numerous times that UConn was filthy...or at minimum extremely unethical.

Well now, it looks like it's official. So what's going to happen?

Well, with the NCAA sniffing around, UConn thought it was a good time for a contract extension for the old man- good move. No matter, he'll be fine...but everyone around him will probably be fired and made an example of.

Give it to 'em NCAA!!!

Same old, same old.

Slap on the Wrist coming for Wolverines?

It's being reported that Rodriguez & Co. might have been bending the rules this summer...While I'm not naive-enough to believe anything serious would come to one of the NCAA cash cows, I do believe there might be some sort of public humiliation in the town square for UM...We'll see. Regardless, this isn't good news for the snakeoil salesman.

Addendum: Just watched the SC highlights of the presser- looks like Rodriguez is near the breaking point....and this seems like something that is an easy out for UM's athletic department if UM doesn't get double-digit wins. I think there will be much more from this story.

(Thanks to Shawn and Boilerbuzztap for the heads up)

Hey UK Fans-

I talked about it with you...warned you...and now it's getting closer.

Let's all countdown until the NCAA comes a-callin'!

At this point, isn't it a question of when, not if?? Enjoy your deal with the devil.

Friday Gumbo

Falling Apart
ARod has vowed to try to play injured as its been found that he not only has a cyst on his hip, but a torn labrum as well.

Here's the problem with HGH...it's not when you're on it, but when you cycle off. Your soft tissue becomes more brittle, your recovery time to all injuries becomes longer and you become human. As every 30+ year old among us knows, every year your body pushes back...little gym injuries can nag and nag you until you're constantly hurting somewhere. While ARod's level of coordination, athleticism, size and ego might all be super-human, without magical drugs, he gets injured, heels and re-injures himself like the rest of us.

We've heard this type of story before...

Neckbeard + Super Ego=???
And speaking of HGH users, T. Owens is a free man right now.

Rick Morrissey of the Chi Tribune is either drunk or has never watched the NFL before, as he suggests TO's new home should be on the banks of Lake Michigan. TO burns down every franchise he leaves. His ego became too much for the Niners to handle as he tried to ruin Jeff Garcia's career, he had two seasons in Philly that were tumultuous as his one-time pal, Don became his sworn enemy, and in Dallas, after one good season and a cry baby plea to the media about "his quarterback" getting the popcorn was the last thing on JJones' mind.

Morrissey calls the potential move of picking up this cancer "bold and daring", I'd call it stupid and shortsighted...but then again, I can't stand Chicago- so while it will hurt Kyle Orton, I'm going to go ahead and endors Morrissey's suggestion. Bears fans and Owens were made for eachother.

NCAA Field Forecasting
CBS Sportsline has Purdue as a 6, as of now.
ESPN has Purdue as a 5.

I tend to lean toward the former...but I think Lunardi is a tool. In spite of the entertainment network's constant undressing of the BT, they've got 8 teams in the dance; that seems very high to me, but I don't know how you differentiate the middle of the conference at this point.

Shut It
A lot of talk is going around about Xavier winning it's third-straight A-10 championship and about how Memphis has breezed through the ConUSA season. Let's be honest, before we crown either of those teams kings of anything- the A10 and CUSA are about a half-step stronger than the Horizon League at this point. Those teams are OK, but how would they faire in the Big East, BT or ACC? I'd estimate third to fifth place. They have a nearly unabaited jaunt to the end of the season, while those monster conferences are night-in, night-out slug fests.

Pace Yourself
The Indy 500 will be paced this year by the new Chevy Camaro...a very good-looking car, in my opinion. This move breaks up the 5-year streak of Corvettes leading the field in Indy. Hopefully, GM will still be in business come May.

Note To IU: You're Kidding Yourself

In an effort to save itself from pending doom, the IU Athletic Department announced that after a half-assed investigation, they agree with all five allegations brought up against Sampson and Co. while at IU. The university also believes it's suffered enough during the last year and doesn't deserve any further punishment from the NCAA.

"Since the University now has a new coaching staff that was not involved in any way with these phone calls (or the other allegations) and since this staff already has to serve the remainder of the self-imposed penalties, the University continues to believe additional penalties are unnecessary," the school's response said.

I have one question for IU, its fans and its staff-

Are you serious?

Here's the problem I have with this train of thought- You did it to yourselves...Plain and simple, you now must pay the cost.

No one made IU hire a cheater...They did it themselves in an effort to win, right now, at any cost.

No one made IU throw Sampson's assistant under the bus in an effort to diffuse the situation...They did it themselves in an effort to brush a more serious punishment aside.

No one made IU loosen its self-imposed sanctions on Crean...They did it themselves while trying to give a quick-fix to the world of sh*t that the program is now in.

Say whatever you want IU fan, but you're not going to convince me that the university is not somewhat, if not very culpable for the rules that have been broken at your university in the last two years.

Sampson has responded by saying he never knowingly broke any rules. Here's the fact, Kelvin- IU and the NCAA are going to believe you right around the time I believe IU.

Neither is ever going to happen, and for good reason.

The Clock is Ticking

Last night we got to see one of the best endings to an NCAA Final Four ever. Only seven times in the tournament's history had a championship needed an extra frame to define the winner. It honestly couldn't have been written any better...Like John Calipari said, "With :10 left, we were national champs...a few minutes later we weren't." And Calipari took responsibility after the game for being the reason his squad didn't cut down the nets and wasn't the featured act on One Shining Moment. That said, Calipari is by no means a respectable guy.

His old team, UMass' was forced to give back over $150,000 made by making it to college basketball's final weekend and their Final Four was wiped clean from the books because they were found to have broken academic rules as well as rules that disallow student athletes to take money while playing NCAA sports. Now the question is: How long will it be before Memphis' accomplishments for '07-'08 get the royal Fab 5 treatment as well? We probably know that the academic insurrections will not be a problem since Memphis doesn't have the academic standards of a Kansas, Michigan or even UMass. But, it will only be a matter of time before we hear about $1000 handshakes for CD-R (is Roberts his married name?), Rose and others.

Sure, by that time any violations are officially recognized, Calipari will be onto another program that is willing to make its deal with the devil. But, our memory of last night's game and Memphis' astounding tourney run simply can't be erased with Miles Brand's findings. Much like UNC didn't play a one-team championship back in 1993- Those games against the brash UM team happened. Chris Weber would like us all not to remember the time out and the travel (that wasn't called) in the same way Rose and CDR would like us to forget the way they wilted under pressure on the biggest collegiate basketball stage, but we won't. Nor will we forget Dorsey's thuggish chest bumps, shoves and berating of his opponents, or his team mates' undercutting fouls at the beginning of the game and clothesline intentional fouls at the end. The Memphis Tigers played like a bunch of thugs because they were coached by one.