Here's The Story Regarding Our New Site Background

This morning, I awoke and my butler brought me my imported Italian blend coffee, as well as my robe and slippers. I prepared for my day and the chauffeur got the car ready. You know, a typical morning.

I happened to check the BS email as I am wont to do and there was a love note from Collegiate Licensing Company (CLC), vaguely stating that we had failed to respond to a letter from them on November 2 of last year. The email text said "Please find attached a letter from the Collegiate Licensing Company legal department.  Thank you." 

Why explain what's happening, right? Just assume I know. Solid work. 

The letter stated what you see on our background, but I will paste it here for ease of viewing:

Naturally, this did not go over well with me. Both the patriarchs of BS have a temper and we can be set off at any time. Some of you have seen this on this here site or on Twitter. We know this about ourselves and have kind of come to embrace it. It's especially useful when dealing with ignorant bullies. 

Since I couldn't conceive of anything on our site that was a trademarked Purdue logo, I fired off a response to the "assistant" at the CLC who sent the email:

We do not use or display Purdue University trademarked logos or marks for anything and we never have.

We also did not receive the referenced letter dated Nov 2 that we are accused of ignoring.

Please advise your superiors that we will consider further such letters to be harassment and will treat them accordingly. 

Sincerely,
Boiled Sports

This particularly pisses me off in light of the fact that Purdue themselves came after us a couple of years ago when we offered the t-shirts on the site. I don't think we ever fully detailed this on the site, but here is that story. 

We wanted to offer some fun, original, entertaining t-shirts to fire up the fanbase. When we designed and produced the t-shirts, we went out of our way to ensure we weren't using anything that was protected, trademarked, copyrighted or proprietary. That didn't matter to Purdue's athletic department, though. We still got the threat of legal action because people could interpret that it had to do with Purdue. We spoke to more than one attorney at the time (another benefit of being a Purdue grad -- there are lots of other smart Purdue grads willing to help you) and the general consensus was that, yeah, they're being jerks and we could probably win such a lawsuit -- but do we really want to spend the money we'd need to spend to do so? The answer is of course not, since we barely cover our expenses on this site as it is, despite how small those expenses are. So the big iron fist of communist Purdue management wins again. We complied and ceased selling the shirts. And thus lost money. 

Back to this morning. 

Within an hour, a response appeared from the CLC's  "Associate General Counsel":

 

I am in receipt of your e-mail response below. I am unclear as to how you can contend that you are not using the University’s marks. The University’s marks are wallpapered to the background of your site (see link below).

www.boiledsports.com

Thank you for your response and cooperation.

So he was referring to our background image, which he apparently mistakenly believed was a Purdue logo. It was most certainly not. It was our redesigned, improved logo. I decided to tell him that and to be a d-ck in the process, mainly because that's what they're being:

Unclear, indeed.

The image "wallpapered" on our site is in fact NOT the official Purdue train logo. It is actually a revised, improved logo that we designed when the new one was released and universally derided as having phallic smoke, among other things. The official train logo is side-by-side with ours in the attached image for your reference.

We also are not profiting or attempting to profit from Purdue logos. We're only trying to support our alma mater.

However, to be left alone, we have removed the wallpaper, as you call it, from our site.

Kudos to the NCAA for, as always, having the proper perspective and focusing on what's important.

Was I obnoxious? Absolutely. Did the CLC have a claim? Sure, you could argue they did -- but not really in the "spirit" of the law, so to speak. 

Trademark violations are usually when someone is attempting to profit from someone else's protected work. We aren't doing that. We don't charge a subscription fee, we don't sell anything for profit, etc. And with everything going on in the NCAA, bullying a small-time Purdue site is what they spend their time on? (And yes, I know the CLC and the NCAA aren't the same thing, but let's not pretend the NCAA lets anyone meddle in their schools' affairs without approval.)

The CLC has been busy lately bullying and just being downright obnoxious. Check this out down in Alabama. No cookies for you! Gotta get their cut.

Another thing that bothers us about this -- immensely -- is that the CLC didn't stumble upon this by themselves. There is no doubt in our minds that they were tipped off to this by Purdue and, more specifically, Purdue's athletic department and sports information people. 

We aren't sure what we did to make them dislike us, but Boilerdowd was told to his face by Tom Schott once that he (Schott) doesn't trust us. Oh wait, did I say I wasn't sure what we did to make them dislike us? Sorry, that's not true... I do know. We aren't under their control -- that's why they don't like us. They don't have us under their thumb like they do with the whole of the Lafayette media (such as it is) and other blogsites that rely on press pass access and the like. They have nothing to hold over us, as we haven't asked for a press pass in years and we don't require anything special from them that they get to deny in their heavy-handed way. If it sounds like this pisses us off, that's because it does. 

We write a site that is by and for Purdue fans. We love our alma mater and we fight for it to be respected by national writers, other sites, and TV networks like ESPN and BTV....and we do it so much that at times we've had a reputation for it. We fight for Purdue to be respected more than Purdue does. That should tell you almost everything you need to know about Purdue athletics. 

Sometimes we're critical of the athletic department and/or coaching staffs. On occasion, we're critical of players, too. But for the most part, we support them, watch them, write about them and publicize them. Readers and listeners have told us that they come to us because they can't get more than a few scraps of Purdue coverage elsewhere and that being able to read our posts "scratches the itch," as the saying goes. We love that and are flattered that we can do our part. The athletic department doesn't like this because we don't regurgitate their approved media narratives and we think independently. We criticize. We call a spade a spade. When the head coach of the football team says fans who criticize him are low-character losers, we react accordingly. When the University almost pisses away Matt Painter and then blames the alums for being cheap, we call them out for their poor judgment. Same goes for the abortion of New Pete, "Makers All" and the list goes on and on. 

Again, though, these instances of criticizing our school are far outweighed by the game analysis, rah-rah columns and requests that everyone get out to support the student-athletes. 

In the end, this is a bump in the road and I guess it's the price of being as famous as we are. But we will never understand why there is such resistance to our existence. Everyone who writes here or has written here either has a Purdue diploma or soon will. We love our school. We donate money to our school. And yet because we dare to have an opinion that isn't filtered through the University, we're somehow the enemy. 

Some schools and organizations embrace amateur writers and social media outlets because they comprehend the value of partnering (or at least getting along) with other places that people go for coverage of their teams. That continues to not be the case at Purdue. And if you want people to play nice with you, one way to start is by playing nice with them.

 

Yay NCAA!! (A Look at uniform stupidity)

A few seasons ago, Purdue wore uniforms that were ruled to be in violation of the NCAA's uniform rule that states numbers on a basketball uniform must be a contrast color to the base of the uniform:

Illegal!!

Fair enough...gotta play by the rules, right?

BUT, if you watched Duke or Florida play on Saturday, you might have said to yourself, "Self, those numbers don't seem to be a contrast color to the rest of the uniform."

You are correct.

Legal!

BUT, you need to understand, these Hyper Elite Platinum uniforms were not merely some Nike uniform for boring ole Purdue...instead, these beauties were a showcase of new uniform technology for some of the most-exciting and elite teams in all of the land (and Arizona).

Nothing to see here, I guess...as you were.

Monday Gumbo

A-O-KK

Purdue's football team scrimmaged again this weekend, and this time the defense showed up. Gone was the 10 yard/carry performance by ATM, and it was replaced by more-human 7yds/carry while Carlos averaged around 3. But, the 2nd and 3rd-string QBs were kinda sloppy with the ball as they had a combined 4 picks.

Robert Marve had a solid day without any picks. Based on the stats being released, it seems (not surprising to anyone) that Marve is putting space between himself and Henry/TerBush.

Kawann Short had a pick six on a screen and is now going by "KK" on GBI. No problem there as a big, bad dude can do what he wants...but Kawann sounds a ton-more tough, at least to me, than KK. Hopefully his old nickname doesn't become what's printed in media guides.

Spring football is so odd- because, as a fan, you really don't want to hear about either side of the ball dominating...so these manic swings of success are a good thing. But, if you're like me, they're not easy to hear about. It's gotta be difficult to play the same guys and same coaches, day-in, day-out as adjustments are meant to combat very-specific strengths and usually work. Regardless of outcome, it's good to see some of the early injured players in camp are getting back on the field and most of the veterans are showing as they should be.

F1 Lite

As some of you know, I'm an Indy Car fan. But what I saw yesterday, while an extremely-clean race, was flat-out boring.

Much like it is in the F1 ranks, this race had little to do with the drivers and everything to do with preparation and what happened behind the walls in the pits. And, once-again, Penske came out on top as Castroneves was a mere technician in the equation. I thought the venue looked good on TV, but it clearly didn't race well as passing was nearly-impossible. This is quite a contrast when compared to the previous races that seemed to be more competitive and had some solid action as out-breaking your adversary paid off...not so much in 'Bama.

When you think of the deep Southeast, you obviously think Indy Car first...right?? And, when you think of road course, after road course, after road course, same thing?? Me neither. This series needs to figure out its identity in a hurry.

I was glad to see Danica not in contention for most of the race though and Duno was a non-factor as well. I'm not comparing the two, because Danica at least has guts and ability...but I like getting a break from her cute mug in front of the camera whining or being the focus of a human interest story.

No Surprise

Mickelson won the masters going away on Sunday as he made a ton of big shots and simply made the tournament into no contest. Westwood couldn't stay with Lefty's pace and Woods simply had an off day...but still finished in the top-5. While I think he'll win at least one major this year, I think his season will get more-interesting as the shelter of Augusta are lifted and he ventures further-out into the real world.

For me, almost- nothing is better in HD than golf, especially the Masters...and this weekend didn't disappoint. But, the loss of USA's coverage was disappointing as there were huge gaps in the TV coverage and the online cameras didn't show the entire course.

The Fall Guy

In case you haven't been following it, the NCAA, EsPN and USC are following a predictable business model in their handling of the long-overdrawn saga of Reggie Bush and OJ Mayo. The formula is quite simple, as we saw in Columbus a few years ago.

Step 1: Vilify a player that's inconsequential.

A few years ago, it was Clarett who's reputation took it on the chin. Sure, he was an easy guy to dislike as he clearly didn't have a work ethic and had been given everything in his life...but he wasn't the devil incarnate that aOSU and the media made him out to be. Remember, his pal Troy Smith was also involved in receiving a car and other perks that weren't within the rules of the NCAA, but he went on to win the Heisman and a National title...not so much for Tressel's former prized recruit.

In SoCal, Bush, Mayo, some coaches and some parents' reputations are taking on the chin...kinda. Too bad their breaking of the rules, and maybe the law, don't really matter at this point.

Step 2: Find an internal part of the Athletic department that can be publicly-humiliated and eventually fired.

That part in the aOSU case was Andy Geiger...and Tressel, who didn't know what was happening, kept his job and handsome vest.

For the Trojans, that guy is Mike Garrett. Right before the NCAA's findings are about to be released, Tim Floyd's complaint of Garrett as a boss has come to light...and conveniently, so have ex-players' accounts of how much of an angry, out-of-control guy Garrett is.

Pete Carroll has exited stage left to the NFL ranks, without a slap on the wrist, mind you...Bush and Mayo have gone on to become sanctioned professionals at their game of choice...Tim Floyd has gotten a job elsewhere in the NCAA where, of course, he could never break any rules again. And the hammer's about to come down on Garrett, not USC, with great vengeance and furious anger!

I'm not saying he's a good guy or doesn't deserve some of the blame. But, I'm amazed that these literal scandals, especially with the cash cows of the NCAA, seem to always tie up so neatly and tidily. It's funny how that happens, isn't it?

At the same time, programs like IUPUI's athletic department are shaken to their foundations by much-lesser accusations and findings...and the Purdue's of the world get set-back 5-10 years with less-egregious rules being broken...but guys like Kiffin, Tressel, Calipari, Calhoun and even legends like Holtz and many others skate on with the bubble of protection around them that some simply don't have the opportunity to utilize.

Step 3: Continue as you were like nothing happened.

Ta-Da! Scandal over, disaster averted...and the NCAA's big-money programs continue as they were.

BCS Continues Wearing Opponents Down

In a fairly quiet story on Weds night, the Mountain West Conference signed an agreement that they would behave and go along with the BCS for at least the next four years.

This is significant because if we're ever going to get a better system -- one that isn't a national punchline by the end of an otherwise terrific sport's season -- conferences need to fight the good fight. Even if they're the Mountain West. Fighting for an equitable system by teams and universities is what is needed. Not the rambling and ranting by fans and media types. That does no good. Actual schools need to stand up to this nonsense. And the Moutain West kind of was, but eventually wore down. I at least enjoyed the quote:

"... The Mountain West believes it has no choice at this time but to sign the agreements. If a conference wishes to compete at the highest levels of college football, and the only postseason system in place for that is the BCS, no one conference can afford to drop out and penalize its football programs and student-athletes."

In other words, "we think this royally sucks, but we don't see a victory in sight and we'd rather not punish our student-athletes."

None of the "big time" conferences were interested in fighting it because, hey, they were all somewhat fairly represented. You win a major BCS conference and you're likely in a BCS bowl game and if you're lucky and the stars align just right (and Penn State loses to Iowa), you've got a shot at a national title. That sort of thing.

Oh, and you schools stand to make gobs and gobs of money. Because, as usual, that's what it's all about. Which is what continues to be infuriating about the BCS -- a logical, sound, reasonable, manageable playoff of some kind (really, almost any kind of playoff) would rake in just as large gobs of money, if not more.

But this is college athletics, where common sense never wins out and the silly notion of old traditions do.... at least when they're convenient traditions.

Winning at Any Cost: University of Kentucky Basketball

The University of Kentucky, its alums, its administration and its athletic department are sick and tired of losing. They ran Tubby out of town because 20+ wins/year wasn't suitable...They hired Gillespie because of his success at T A&M...but he wasn't able to win quick enough...So they made their deal.

They went out and purchased a winning program in the form of a coach who, like the UK family, doesn't care about how they get there, but just wants more championships. Today, we saw the next phase of this as the Wildcats' recruiting class became complete as John Wall signed on to play for Coach Cal.

So, here's UK's incoming class (according to Rivals):
Four (4) Five-Star players Two (2) Four-Star players

A total of six blue chip players...The #1, #2, #22, #23 & #40-ranked players in one group of six incoming freshman to one school...who's in a state of transition. The last time a class like this was assembled was in Ann Arbor a few years back. Worldwide Wes, Coach Cal & Mitch Barnhart (who was probably feeling the heat) have come together to create a can't-miss championship program in a matter of mere months.

But, if you were Kentucky, wouldn't you be willing to win at any cost too? The NCAA refuses to make significant punishments to the fuel of the Title IX machine...and the Wildcats will be no different when, not if, this house of cards tumbles downward.

Congrats, UK alums...You're getting what you wanted.