New Era Radio: Games people play

On a new NER ... Cacique deals with the prospect of his daughter dating; do the Saints actually miss Gregg Williams?; and what would drive someone to commit murder?

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New Era Radio: Breaking Down

On a new episode of NER ... It's Back to Football; the guys talk college & NFL; Cacique's moving adventure; should Chris Lighty's death start a culture change for black men?

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New Era Radio: Iced Out

On the latest episode of NER...Marcas' new weight loss plan includes buying Stanley Cup Finals tickets. Cacique has no problems with this year's NBA draft lottery results and why are people angry with Diddy now?

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Episode 49: I Wanna Be Your Superhero

On a new episode of New Era Radio...the boys say a bittersweet goodbye to Entourage (for now); It's QBs Gone Wild in Week 1 of the NFL season and lots of (talking about) nudity!

Episode 47: Lace 'em up

On the latest edition of NER...College Football is back! The guys break down the big games from the first weekend while Marcas puts on his Grumpy Old Man face for conference re-alignment

Episode 43: Spread Your Wings

The NERD's talk about their weekend field trip; Marcas finally watches Jersey Shore; Who should Kimbo Slice fight next? And what did Soulja Boy spend $55 million on?

SEC coaches want to pay players out of their own pockets

At a time when allegations of improper benefits have taken down one of college football's most respected coaches in Jim Tressel, you'd think other Leaders of Men wouldn't be so eager to admit to thinking about committing violations. But Steve Spurrier has never been like most coaches. 

According to Matt Hayes of the Sporting News, Spurrier says he and six other coaches in the SEC have discussed a plan to pay players $300 per game out of their own pockets.

Spurrier says he's gotten support from Alabama's Nick Saban, LSU's Les Miles, Florida's Will Muschamp, Mississippi State's Dan Mullen, Ole Miss' Houston Nutt and Tennessee's Derek Dooley. He also said that he was willing to narc on coaches who weren't down with the plan.

Not sure if Spurrier has gotten the memo, but paying players is against the rules. If you believe him, his intentions are good. He tells Hayes that he's looking for a "way of giving the players a piece of the pie." Even if South Park has started taking aim at the hypocrisy of the NCAA, this certainly isn't the way to do it.

Aside from the obvious violations of the NCAA's amateurism rules (stop laughing), there are major issues with giving SEC schools a huge advantage in recruiting. That advantage would be polarizing even within the conference. Coaches like Spurrier, Saban and Miles command enough of a salary that they can afford to dish out an allowance to their players. It's hard to imagine that every coach in the conference could do the same. 

There's also the issue of Title IX. If football players are going to start receiving a little extra something, you can bet that a lawsuit will be filed immediately on behalf of female athletes in the name of fairness. 

Even before contemplating those issues, it's curious why Spurrier would take this moment to bring up such a topic. The NCAA has its antennae up and is sure to give it some attention. Then again, Spurrier has always been pretty good at using the media to get his point out, so there very well could be a method in his madness.

Terrelle Pryor Driving Without A License?

It must really suck to be in Columbus, OH these days. This is not the usual hot bed for scandel in the college football world. Well I tell you what, times are a changin, with Tressel stepping down admist all the controversy his star QB or should I say is his former star QB Terelle Pryor is racking up all kinds of violations.

Pryor was seen on TV driving away in a Nissan Z yesterday and reports have come out today that he has been driving without a license. This also known as "Drivin Dirty".

NBC4I.com reports that Pryor has not re-applied to renew his liscense to the DMV:

http://www2.nbc4i.com/sports/2011/jun/01/11/pryors-drivers-license-suspended-records-show-ar-514788/

NCAA Denies USC Appeal

It took four months, but the NCAA has finally spoken in regards to USC's appeal of the sanctions levied in light of the investigations in Reggie Bush and Todd McNair. USCFootball.com was the first to report that the appeal was completely denied.

The Trojans football team will be allowed to sign no more than 15 players to scholarships for the next three seasons (against a top limit of 25 for schools not under sanction).

And of even more immediate impact, USC would not be able to compete for the first-ever Pac-12 championship or appear in the first-ever postseason championship game in 2011 as well. 

Of further concern, the NCAA's unprecedented additional sanction allowing players affected by the postseason ban this year to immediately transfer to another institution without sitting out a season would still be in play for this year's seniors.

The school is unable to comment until the decision has been released to the public, which is expected to happen on Thursday.  There had been some hope that at least a portion of the appeal would be accepted in light of lesser punishments handed out to Auburn and Ohio State after recent infractions. However it appears that the NCAA will stand by their apparent decision to make an example of one of its marquee programs run amok.

Congratulations to the NCAA for finding the gumption to finally drop the hammer on one of its major programs for being caught in the act of major infractions. But with Jim Tressel being caught allegedly hiding violations and Cecil Newton shopping his kid out to at least one school, maybe consistency should be the next thing to work on.

Troy Polamalu: Super Bowl Champion, Pro Bowler...College Graduate

Friday was Commencement Day at USC and among the hosts of student-athletes that received diplomas was a face very familiar to NFL fans.

Troy Polamalu was among those who celebrated graduation day in Los Angeles after returning to finish a degree in history. But he wasn't the only former Trojan football player who returned to school. Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Keith Rivers went back to finish a degree in Public Policy Development and Planning.

(H/T to Arash Markazi)

Justice Department Starts BCS Anti-Trust Probe

Lest you think the NFL is the only football operation in the country coming under legal scrutiny, college football isn't off the hook yet either.

The United States Justice Department says it has opened an inquiry into whether the much-despised Bowl Championship Series violates anti-trust laws. This step has likely been a long time coming, especially with Utah senator Orrin Hatch having been a vocal opponent of the BCS.

Justice Department officials informed the NCAA of the probe via a letter before holding a meeting with reporters to discuss the reasons why.

Via CNN:

The decision to release the letter came hours after Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, a major opponent of the current system, demanded further consideration of the issue in a face-to-face appearance with Attorney General Eric Holder at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing. Holder then disclosed the Justice Department had sent the letter to the NCAA on the issue. 

In her letter, Varney asked Emmert to explain why college football does not have a playoff when so many other college sports do. She also asked what steps, if any, the NCAA has taken to create a playoff, and whether the NCAA has determined that there are aspects of the BCS system that do not serve interests of fans, colleges, universities, and players.

While most fans (myself included) would love to see the demise of the BCS, it still isn't the kind of issue that the U.S. government needs to be getting involved with. However, it should shake college football's gatekeepers a little bit. Especially after BCS mouthpiece Bill Hancock said less than a month ago that he had not been contacted since, in his belief, "they know the BCS complies with the law."

Of course with the Pac-12 just signing a monster television contract, it means more money in the coffers of another BCS conference. That means a stronger claim on any BCS games and the revenue they bring. Stay tuned, this could just be getting started.

San Diego State's Rocky Long Calls Boise Turf "Unfair"

Thanks to their enormous success, Boise State was everyone's rival when they played in the WAC. The Broncos have yet to officially lace 'em up in the Mountain West and they're already taking shots from others around the conference.

This time it's San Diego State head coach Rocky Long who sounded off about the Broncos and their famous blue turf.

Via Brian Murphy at The Idaho Statesman:

"I think they ought to get rid of that blue turf. I think it's unfair," said Long, the former New Mexico coach who is in his first season as the Aztecs' head coach. 

When asked to expand, Long said, "it takes the visiting team a quarter or two to get used to that different field."

Unfortunately for Long, things seem to be going in the opposite direction. Since Boise came to prominence, both Eastern Washington and New Braunfels (TX) Canyon High School have gone red while there were rumors that UT-San Antonio could end up with an orange field. In fact, when you consider some of the new, avant-garde playing surfaces out there (I'm looking at you, Oregon basketball), this trend seems to be all the rage amongst athletic departments seeking more revenue and/or attention.

Maybe Long should convince the folks at SDSU to roll out the nation's first all-black field. That'll show 'em.

Is Oklahoma-Oklahoma State Rivalry Catching Bieber Fever?

How do you take a rivalry known as "Bedlam" and make it even crazier? Just add a pinch of Justin Bieber.

At least that's the suggestion of Tulsa World columnist Dave Sittler.

To paraphrase Elvis, Bedlam's temperature will keep on rising if Holder can convince Justin Bieber to sing the National Anthem before the Dec. 3 game at Boone Pickens Stadium. 

The idea that Biebs might sing at the game isn't as crazy as you'd think. Bieber and Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy have a connection, albeit a loose one. Bieber revealed that he uses Gundy's infamous "I'm a man!" rant as his ringtone, so the coach reciprocated by making Bieber's hit song "Baby" as his own ringtone. Gundy later suggested that Bieber come check out Boone Pickens Stadium and maybe, you know...buy a suite.

Sittler's idea is that Bieber can perform a concert at a sure-to-be-sold-out Gallagher-Iba Arena the night before the game against Oklahoma, then sing the National Anthem at the football game on Saturday.

It's a nice idea and if it were to happen (so far, there's no word from Biebs himself) it would definitely create even more hype for a game that's already pretty long on it. Except with OSU's 2-10 record against Oklahoma in the Bob Stoops era, maybe they should save their gimmicks for things on the field.

Report: BCS Watchdog Was Previously A BCS Lapdog

Southern Miss AD Richard Giannini
reportedly took a cruise from Orange
Bowl organizers

It appears that Bowl Championship Series officials are trying to do what legions of fans and legislators couldn't...take down the Bowl Championship Series.

On the heels of an eye-opening report about graft and largesse surrounding the organizers of the Fiesta Bowl, comes a report from Yahoo's Dan Wetzel that the BCS has created a task force to investigate potential illegalities surrounding the other BCS bowls.

So who better to put on that task force than someone who took advantage of some of that glad-handing?

Giannini, the task-force member, was one of more than 40 administrators (plus spouses, of course) who accepted the Orange Bowl’s “complimentary getaway” to the Caribbean in June. He was pretty much just following the crowd. (He has not responded to attempts seeking comment). 

According to records obtained by PlayoffPAC, there wasn’t a single business meeting scheduled for the entire trip. The brochure did note that attendees would have time for things like a day on the private island of CocoCay, which “offers activities for everyone, from parasailing to sipping delicious ‘Coco Locos’ on a hammock.”

Of course now we're left to wonder not if the rest of the bowls are shady, but how shady they actually are. Something has to be going on to keep wretched games like the Hawaii Bowl and the Meineke Car Care Bowl afloat. It certainly ain't ticket sales.

Wait, let me rephrase. Schools have ticket guarantees they have to hit, so the bowl organizers are pretty much taken care of whether fans show up or not. Isn't it just a little curious that the attendance for all of these bowl games is exactly or close to the capacity of the stadium?

So while most of the college fooball-watching public has been clamoring for a way to slice up the golden egg so everyone can get a piece, The Powers That Be have had their hands firmly around the neck of the goose.

Alex Trebek Calls College Football Games!

Who knew that Alex Trebek, the venerable 70-year old host of Jeopardy!, might have a second career waiting for him if the game show thing ever went south?

The guys at The Solid Verbal, that's who:

Take that, Rolf Benirschke! 

Episode 20: The Player President

This week...we remember No-to-ri-o-us (you know the rest) and flash back on the '90s; wonder if the NCAA will have the stones to drop the hammer on Jim Tressel and Ohio State and Cacique gives the Gas Face to Tiki Barber.

In honor of Biggie, this week's show comes with a parental advisory sticker.

Episode 19: Digging In

On this week's winning episode...we drop some gnarlyisms over Spring Training and the Combine; deploy our ordinances on the BYU Honor Code; sail across the winds of the NFL and NBA universes and read behind the hieroglyphics of Kim Kardashian's new single.

Oh and we talk about Charlie Sheen.

Sunday Reading: Will the NCAA Make An Example of Oregon?

Sandwiched in between the minute-by-minute updates of the NFL's labor negotiations, breakdown of the BYU Honor Code and the start of college basketball's conference tournaments have been reports that the NCAA is showing an interest in the recruiting practices for the University of Oregon's football program.

Just in case you hadn't heard - and considering most of America's media has been swimming in Charlie Sheen's Tiger Blood all week, it's understandable - the short version of the story is that Oregon paid $28,000 to two men with close ties to a pair players who committed to the school. The university says the money was paid for recruiting services, including video tapes of the players. You can read about it in-depth here.

Oregon has been forthcoming about its payment of the middle men involved in the story. Since the expenditures can be found on the state's website, it's pretty hard to deny it. On the surface it all looks pretty shady, but whether any NCAA rules were broken isn't clear.

But as George Schroeder of the Register-Guard points out, this could be the beginning of some uncertain times in Eugene.

When it comes to the NCAA, this isn’t so much about hammering Oregon. The Ducks have simply provided the opening the NCAA has been waiting for: the chance to send a message about the expanding influence of street agents in football recruiting.

At best, Oregon is guilty of nothing more than being bad comparison shoppers. Anyone involved in any aspect of college recruiting (or just anyone with good sense) will tell you that paying $25,000 for tapes is ludicrous. But financial irresponsibility isn't necessarily against NCAA rules.

What is against the rules is paying someone considered to be a street agent to funnel athletes to your institution. In the worst case scenario, that's what Oregon could be found guilty of. It's a possibility that gains legitimacy when the mother of one of the players in question expresses concern that the man her son considered a friend and mentor was paid by the school he eventually chose.

In between the two extremes is a large, murky Purgatory of NCAA investigation. As Schroeder points out (and as any USC fan can tell you), it's hard for any athletic department to hold up under deep NCAA scrutiny. Even if Oregon is cleared of any of these latest recruiting issues, what else might come up in a deep investigation.

But there is another issue at work. The scourge of street agents and AAU coaches has left a stain on college basketball recruiting and appears to be spreading to football. As such, the NCAA believes it has a chance to nip the problem in the bud. That could mean bad news to the people in Eugene (and College Station, Clemson and elsewhere). If there is a touch of impropriety, does the infraction committee drop the hammer on the schools involved?

This time, Lyles delivers NCAA's full attention

With the ongoing investigation into Cam Newton's recruitment to Auburn (and other places), the potential of having the BCS runner-up under scrutiny is the last thing college football needs.

Virginia Tech Loses $1.6 Million On The Orange Bowl

Earlier this week, the University of Connecticut released figures showing it lost in the neighborhood of $1.7 million on its trip to the Fiesta Bowl in January after having to eat the cost of more than two-thirds of their allotment of game tickets.

Turns out they weren't alone.

Dan Wetzel on the Death to the BCS blog reported on Friday that Virginia Tech took an even bigger bath with its trip to the Orange Bowl.

Total expenditures ran $3,343,689. The ACC, like most conferences, pools all its teams bowl revenue and then pays out the money in an effort to allow teams attending smaller bowls to potentially break even. The listed bowl share for Va Tech was just $1,725,000.

So it wasn't bad enough that the Hokies lost badly to Stanford. They lost badly at the bank as well, to the tune of more than $1.6 million. At least it turned out better than VaTech's 2009 Orange Bowl bid in which the school fielded at $2.2 million shortfall.

In addition to ticket guarantees, schools are forced to pay for tickets even for their marching bands, regardless of whether the game is sold out or not. They are also mandated by bowl organizers to purchase blocks of expensive hotel rooms for expressed periods of time. Yet while the schools must pay face value for the tickets ($255 a pop), the secondary market offered huge blocks of tickets for around $50 each - some for even less.

When UConn's numbers were released, people pointed to the team's lackluster season, winning a weak Big East Conference then asking their fans to fly all the way across the country from Connecticut to Phoenix for a bowl game. But Virginia Tech had a successful season, winning 11 straight games and earning the conference title in the competitive ACC before taking a relatively short flight to Miami for the bowl game. Yet the school and the conference had to buy back more than half of the 17,500 tickets it was allotted to sell to fans.

It's easy (and actually kinda fun) to point at the big, bad bowl organizers who perpetuate the on- and off-field madness of the BCS. But it takes more than old guys in loud colored blazers to keep this traveshamockery going. The universities involved are complicit as well because they keep backing up to the pay window every year - even if they're making more deposits than withdrawals.

Which really makes it amazing that college presidents - allegedly intelligent men and women - continue to allow this to happen. If a Virginia Tech business student were to propose that a company align itself with an industry that continually bleeds even its most successful organizations, that person would be advised to find a new major. But somehow, the "grownups" in this conversation won't object to losing massive sums of money on a yearly basis.

In the meantime, the investigation into the alleged improper dealings of Fiesta Bowl organizers continues. So far, the Orange Bowl remains untouched by the rumors of corruption. But it's easy to imagine that someone is already digging to see if similar indiscretions exist. Until then, you can expect your favorite school to continue hemorrhaging money at the hands of college football's backward postseason.

Thursday's Birthday Shout-Out: Herschel Walker, The Endzone Stalker

Herschel Walker is a freak of nature. 6-foot-1, 225 pounds with an uncommon (and almost unfair) combination of speed and strength, to watch him succeed as a mixed martial arts fighter would lead you to believe that he was born for the sport. It stands as testament to Walker's athleticism, desire and steadfastness.

Not bad for a guy who says he eats one meal a day.

Walker dominated the college game from the moment he first stepped on the field at the University of Georgia. By the time he left Athens, he was one of the most decorated college football players ever, having been a three-time All-American, a Maxwell Award and Heisman Trophy winner and being a major contributor to a national championship team as a freshman. Walker remains the only college football player ever to finish in the top three in Heisman voting every year of his career.

Sadly, his NFL career could never match his collegiate work. Part of the reason is he played for coaches who weren't quite sure how to use him. Part of it was that after his college career, the expectations placed on him were gargantuan. Those expectations only got bigger after the Minnesota Vikings gave away the store to acquire him in a trade from the Dallas Cowboys. The Vikings gave up five players and six draft picks (three of which turned into Emmitt Smith, Russell Maryland and Darren Woodson) which led to the Cowboys' resurgence in the 1990s.

But Walker's pro career wasn't a total letdown. Herschel's time in the USFL was nearly as spectacular as his time at Georgia. Playing for Donald Trump's New Jersey Generals in 1985, Walker ran for 2,411 yards - a single season pro football rushing record that still stands. Enjoy the record breaking run...and the cheesy ESPN graphics.