HUSKER$ VS LONGHORN$ ALREADY PERCOLATING, REPRINTING 14K MEDIA GUIDES & AN ELMER GETS A BEATDOWN FROM "SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD" WINNER
The October 16th game between the Texas Longhorns & Nebraska Cornhuskers in Lincoln is already generating a huge amount of interest. There's extremely bad blood between the football programs & this is their last regular season matchup since Nebraska will join the Big-10 in 2011. There's a chance they could meet again in the Big-12 Championship game, but this game is certain. Since Texas joined the Big-8, they have a 9-4 record against Nebraska, something the Huskers aren't used to. The 'Horns have won five straight, the last three by a total of 6-points. The capper was the "let's put 1-second back on the clock so Texas can kick the winning field goal & go to the BCS title game" mess from last December. To say the Huskers & their fans haven't gotten over this game is an unstatement of ridiculous proportions. They are absolutely salivating for this rematch. Pretty much since Texas joined the conference, Nebraska has been shoved off their pedestal, one they had shared with Oklahoma for decades. Texas has flexed their rather prominent muscles while the Huskers were on their post-Tom Osborne slide into also-ran status. The hiring of Bo Pelini has reversed that slide & the Huskers are once again on the ascent. The one thing this program, this university & this state wants before exiting for the Big-10 is to put a first class, old fashioned ass-whippin' on Texas. ESPN's Pat Forde points out today that on StubHub.com, the biggest ticket broker on the internet, ticket prices for this game are higher than for any other Nebraska home game in the sites' history. Minimum prices are $205, almost double of the $103 minimum price on any other Husker home game this year. The primo seat prices are off the charts as well, $1,395 for a seat between the 20-yard lines. This game is on my birthday, what a great present knowing this will part of our viewing package that Saturday. It's definitely the best matchup of the day, but Ohio State @ Wisconsin, BYU @ TCU, Arkansas @ Auburn, KSU @ KU, Okie State @ Texas Tech & Mizzou @ A&M will make football watching that day a good B'Day.
Former Kansas wide receiver Kerry Meier signed a 4-year deal with the Atlanta Falcons. The former quarterback who really blossomed as a receiver, was a 5th round draft pick this past April. The contract is said to be worth $1.95 million with a $160,000 signing bonus. I honestly believe Meier has a future in the NFL, he can read coverages, he runs precise routes, has large, dependable hands & tho he's a slowpoke, he produces.
The Chiefs finally signed another draft pick, fifth round selection Cameron Sheffield of Troy. The former defensive end will compete for playing time with Mike Vrabel & Andy Studebaker. Per usual, no terms were disclosed regarding Sheffield's deal, only that it will cover 4-years.
The University of Georgia is reprinting 14,000 media guides because of Damon Lewis' DUI. The former athletic director was arrested recently for drunk driving with some unsavory complications. The school asked for & receiver his resignation & now that want to cleanse themselves of Lewis completely by reprinting the media guides to reflect their new A. D. Frank Crumley. The cost for the reprinting is $50K, ouch. I'm assuming the public service announcements featuring Lewis speaking about the dangers of drinking & driving will be pulled from Dawg games. Maybe Crumley will film a new PSA cautioning fans not to drink & drive or have a very loud, drunk woman in your car that's not your wife & to be sure you don't have her red panties in your hand when the cop asks for your license & registration. All sound advice.
Two former Kansas Athletic department employees have plead guilty to "misprision of felony" in the ticket scandal that rocked the Lawrence campus last May. Brandon Simmons & Jason Jeffries entered guilty pleas yesterday & await a September 29th sentencing. Both agreed to the "surrender of certain personal property." Three other ex-employees could be next as well as a former consultant, now that the evidence has been turned over to a federal prosecutor. This gang stands accused of stealing $887,000 worth of basketball tickets & $122,000 in football tickets & reselling them thru ticket brokers. The IRS is inline to join the probe as this band of geniuses neglected to claim nearly $1.2 million in income.
The University of North Carolina is currently undergoing a preliminary investigation by the NCAA. It is of the football program & is extensive. Rumors are the first player interviewed by the NCAA was star defensive tackle Marvin Austin, followed by 12 others. The university has put a tight lid on information regarding the investigation but ESPN's Joe Schad reports the problem stems from agent-player contact, a no-no that is etched in stone by the NCAA. Players may not have any contact with sports agents or marketers while they have any remaining eligibility. Schad reports his source said "it's more than contact, it money, it's expense paid trips, it's rent-free housing & more." Could be Reggie Bush II, same story, different coast.
A federal bankruptcy advocate has gone to court in an effort to recover nearly $2 million Michael Vick handed out to family & friends before he entered prison & claimed bankruptcy. The advocate wants the money returned to the court so it can be redistributed to his creditors who were left holding the bag when Vick was stripped of his substantial NFL contract. There's nothing really new regarding this practice on either side, felons stash cash & lawyers try to recover it for their clients, but once again, bad press for Michael Vick. How much more will the league & the Philadelphia Eagles tolerate?
Dr. David Chau is under investigation by the Drug Enforcement Agency, he is a physician for the San Diego Chargers. The DEA started looking into Chau's prescription policies after Charger safety Kevin Ellison was arrested during a traffic stop for having 100 Vicodin tablets without a script. The agency released a statement yesterday stating the good doctor has 108 perscriptions he's written for himself during the past two years. Apparently Dr. Chau is a very sick man since 99 of these scripts were for pain relief drugs.
Another knucklehead, Cleveland Browns defensive lineman, Shaun Rogers, will enter a "diversion program" instead of serving time or community service for having a loaded handgun in his carry-on luggage. The gun was discovered last winter when it was scanned at a security checkpoint in the Cleveland airport. I don't really understand what a diversion program is, I just know it keeps football stars & showbiz people from having to mingle with the little people.
My girl Erin Andrews has filed suit against several prominent hotel chains following the conviction of her stalker, Illinois insurance executive, Michael David Barrett. Radisson & Marriott are among those charged in the suit. In court papers filed yesterday, Andrews claims the hoteliers confirmed to Barrett that she was staying on their property & in three cases, they even provided her room number. If the hotel chains are smart, they'll settle this one out of court & soon. Barrett used the information he received from the hoteliers to reverse the peepholes in her room & in two cases, stay in the room right next to hers. Barrett used the peepholes to video tape Andrews in the nude. He posted several of the tapes online & attempted to sell the tapes. He plead guilty to interstate stalking & was sentenced to 30-months in prison.
Greg Beddard of the Milwaukee Journey-Sentinal is reporting this afternoon the NFL has suspended defensive lineman Johnny Jolly for the season & possibly beyond. He has been in the cross hairs of both Texas & Federal authorities since he was arrested in Texas for a marijuana & gun charge. Jolly never distanced himself from his "crew" & apparently they will bring him down, all the way down. Jolly was a very disruptive D-lineman with a great future in Green Bay. It looks like all that is over now. More bad decisions, you have a chance to truly "get out" but preferring to stay on the streets trumps that future.
The new NFL quote machine, Jets' head coach Rex Ryan, got a beauty yesterday, one I'll file for my preseason prognostications. He said "the buzz is this is the team to beat." It's not trash talking if you can back it up. If you can't, all these quotes can come raining down on you when things go badly. So many Jets are talking so much sh*t right now, we'll see how many more quotes we get once training camp begins & HBO is there to document it all for "Hard Knocks."
On June 22nd, Ole Miss running back Rodney Scott was given the Southeastern Conference's Sportmanship Award for his quick action after Auburn safety Zack Etheridge sustained a serious neck injury. Less than thiry days later, Scott has been arrested & charged with disturbing the peace & assault after a late-night campus beatdown of one Elmer Johnson. Elmer? Seriously? I mean when I was a kid, you couldn't swing a dead cat without hitting an Elmer, but in 2010, it's not a name you hear, especially on a college campus. College Football Talk's John Taylor pointed out this morning Scott was arrested on two misdemeanor charges but Johnson was charged with a felony for being named Elmer.
We are in Branson for a quickie vacation & apparently we missed a really nice article in our paper, The Lake Sun, about yours truly. Linda's boss texted her early this morning about it. It runs into a 2nd page, wow. I was interviewed this past Tuesday by Rance Berger of the paper & altho he's a sharp guy(a Mizzou school of journalism grad no less) you just never know how things like this will turn out, but we've been told by folks back home, it's quite good. I didn't give them a picture, I like my privacy, the autograph hounds & the paparazzi can make life so difficult! Oh I'm quite a celebrity at The Lake now, yeah right. Thanks to Rance for writing such a nice piece, we'll see it when we get home next week.
We're in a semi-big-toot to get out of the hotel, so I'm posting this piece without spellchecking or proof reading it. So if there are numerous mistakes, understand this, I've become a celebrity here in Mid-Missouri & often I don't have time for such mundane things!
UPDATE @ 2:20am CDT: After a night on the town, I read this post & was horrified at how many mistakes I made. The Budweiser sharpened my concentration & now they've been corrected plus I added a picture of Erin Andrews, which is always a good thing.
Former Kansas wide receiver Kerry Meier signed a 4-year deal with the Atlanta Falcons. The former quarterback who really blossomed as a receiver, was a 5th round draft pick this past April. The contract is said to be worth $1.95 million with a $160,000 signing bonus. I honestly believe Meier has a future in the NFL, he can read coverages, he runs precise routes, has large, dependable hands & tho he's a slowpoke, he produces.
The Chiefs finally signed another draft pick, fifth round selection Cameron Sheffield of Troy. The former defensive end will compete for playing time with Mike Vrabel & Andy Studebaker. Per usual, no terms were disclosed regarding Sheffield's deal, only that it will cover 4-years.
The University of Georgia is reprinting 14,000 media guides because of Damon Lewis' DUI. The former athletic director was arrested recently for drunk driving with some unsavory complications. The school asked for & receiver his resignation & now that want to cleanse themselves of Lewis completely by reprinting the media guides to reflect their new A. D. Frank Crumley. The cost for the reprinting is $50K, ouch. I'm assuming the public service announcements featuring Lewis speaking about the dangers of drinking & driving will be pulled from Dawg games. Maybe Crumley will film a new PSA cautioning fans not to drink & drive or have a very loud, drunk woman in your car that's not your wife & to be sure you don't have her red panties in your hand when the cop asks for your license & registration. All sound advice.
Two former Kansas Athletic department employees have plead guilty to "misprision of felony" in the ticket scandal that rocked the Lawrence campus last May. Brandon Simmons & Jason Jeffries entered guilty pleas yesterday & await a September 29th sentencing. Both agreed to the "surrender of certain personal property." Three other ex-employees could be next as well as a former consultant, now that the evidence has been turned over to a federal prosecutor. This gang stands accused of stealing $887,000 worth of basketball tickets & $122,000 in football tickets & reselling them thru ticket brokers. The IRS is inline to join the probe as this band of geniuses neglected to claim nearly $1.2 million in income.
The University of North Carolina is currently undergoing a preliminary investigation by the NCAA. It is of the football program & is extensive. Rumors are the first player interviewed by the NCAA was star defensive tackle Marvin Austin, followed by 12 others. The university has put a tight lid on information regarding the investigation but ESPN's Joe Schad reports the problem stems from agent-player contact, a no-no that is etched in stone by the NCAA. Players may not have any contact with sports agents or marketers while they have any remaining eligibility. Schad reports his source said "it's more than contact, it money, it's expense paid trips, it's rent-free housing & more." Could be Reggie Bush II, same story, different coast.
A federal bankruptcy advocate has gone to court in an effort to recover nearly $2 million Michael Vick handed out to family & friends before he entered prison & claimed bankruptcy. The advocate wants the money returned to the court so it can be redistributed to his creditors who were left holding the bag when Vick was stripped of his substantial NFL contract. There's nothing really new regarding this practice on either side, felons stash cash & lawyers try to recover it for their clients, but once again, bad press for Michael Vick. How much more will the league & the Philadelphia Eagles tolerate?
Dr. David Chau is under investigation by the Drug Enforcement Agency, he is a physician for the San Diego Chargers. The DEA started looking into Chau's prescription policies after Charger safety Kevin Ellison was arrested during a traffic stop for having 100 Vicodin tablets without a script. The agency released a statement yesterday stating the good doctor has 108 perscriptions he's written for himself during the past two years. Apparently Dr. Chau is a very sick man since 99 of these scripts were for pain relief drugs.
Another knucklehead, Cleveland Browns defensive lineman, Shaun Rogers, will enter a "diversion program" instead of serving time or community service for having a loaded handgun in his carry-on luggage. The gun was discovered last winter when it was scanned at a security checkpoint in the Cleveland airport. I don't really understand what a diversion program is, I just know it keeps football stars & showbiz people from having to mingle with the little people.
My girl Erin Andrews has filed suit against several prominent hotel chains following the conviction of her stalker, Illinois insurance executive, Michael David Barrett. Radisson & Marriott are among those charged in the suit. In court papers filed yesterday, Andrews claims the hoteliers confirmed to Barrett that she was staying on their property & in three cases, they even provided her room number. If the hotel chains are smart, they'll settle this one out of court & soon. Barrett used the information he received from the hoteliers to reverse the peepholes in her room & in two cases, stay in the room right next to hers. Barrett used the peepholes to video tape Andrews in the nude. He posted several of the tapes online & attempted to sell the tapes. He plead guilty to interstate stalking & was sentenced to 30-months in prison.
Greg Beddard of the Milwaukee Journey-Sentinal is reporting this afternoon the NFL has suspended defensive lineman Johnny Jolly for the season & possibly beyond. He has been in the cross hairs of both Texas & Federal authorities since he was arrested in Texas for a marijuana & gun charge. Jolly never distanced himself from his "crew" & apparently they will bring him down, all the way down. Jolly was a very disruptive D-lineman with a great future in Green Bay. It looks like all that is over now. More bad decisions, you have a chance to truly "get out" but preferring to stay on the streets trumps that future.
The new NFL quote machine, Jets' head coach Rex Ryan, got a beauty yesterday, one I'll file for my preseason prognostications. He said "the buzz is this is the team to beat." It's not trash talking if you can back it up. If you can't, all these quotes can come raining down on you when things go badly. So many Jets are talking so much sh*t right now, we'll see how many more quotes we get once training camp begins & HBO is there to document it all for "Hard Knocks."
On June 22nd, Ole Miss running back Rodney Scott was given the Southeastern Conference's Sportmanship Award for his quick action after Auburn safety Zack Etheridge sustained a serious neck injury. Less than thiry days later, Scott has been arrested & charged with disturbing the peace & assault after a late-night campus beatdown of one Elmer Johnson. Elmer? Seriously? I mean when I was a kid, you couldn't swing a dead cat without hitting an Elmer, but in 2010, it's not a name you hear, especially on a college campus. College Football Talk's John Taylor pointed out this morning Scott was arrested on two misdemeanor charges but Johnson was charged with a felony for being named Elmer.
We are in Branson for a quickie vacation & apparently we missed a really nice article in our paper, The Lake Sun, about yours truly. Linda's boss texted her early this morning about it. It runs into a 2nd page, wow. I was interviewed this past Tuesday by Rance Berger of the paper & altho he's a sharp guy(a Mizzou school of journalism grad no less) you just never know how things like this will turn out, but we've been told by folks back home, it's quite good. I didn't give them a picture, I like my privacy, the autograph hounds & the paparazzi can make life so difficult! Oh I'm quite a celebrity at The Lake now, yeah right. Thanks to Rance for writing such a nice piece, we'll see it when we get home next week.
We're in a semi-big-toot to get out of the hotel, so I'm posting this piece without spellchecking or proof reading it. So if there are numerous mistakes, understand this, I've become a celebrity here in Mid-Missouri & often I don't have time for such mundane things!
UPDATE @ 2:20am CDT: After a night on the town, I read this post & was horrified at how many mistakes I made. The Budweiser sharpened my concentration & now they've been corrected plus I added a picture of Erin Andrews, which is always a good thing.
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