Food for Thought 7-24-2012

Photo courtesy of zimbio.com. Penn State will have to turn their back on the tarnished legacy of Joe Paterno (pictured above) moving forward.

By Josh Kramer

Think back to November 22, 1997.  On that particular day in history, Penn State defeated Wisconsin 35 to 10 at Beaver Stadium.  Mike McQueary was the starting quarterback and Jerry Sandusky was the defensive coordinator for Penn State.  Talk about the irony.  After Mark Emmert and the NCAA officially came down with the wrath of fury on the Penn State football program yesterday morning, this somewhat insignificant day of nearly 15 years ago will go down as the final victory of Joe Paterno’s career.

I know this will be hard for many of you to believe, but I am floored by the NCAA’s extremely harsh punishment on Penn State.  This punishment makes the infamous death penalty of 25 years ago at SMU look like child’s play.  I realize what went on at Penn State was arguably the most egregious act ever to occur in collegiate athletics.  I am well-aware of the magnitude.  These were despicable acts, but “criminal” acts at their core.  I feel the NCAA has completely overstepped their bounds and now are making current players and coaches, who had nothing to do with these horrific acts, pay the price.  And yes, I feel for the victims and their families who are still feeling the pain of the monster that is Jerry Sandusky.  Their pain is far deeper than that of the current players and coaches.

Advertisement

Is it always about the U?

Photo courtesy of zimbio.com. Al Golden (pictured above) sweat a lot last season as the Hurricanes limped their way to a 6 and 6 record. With recent allegations servicing around the program, things may get a whole lot worse.

By Josh Kramer

Is it just me, or is it always about the U?  Sure Ohio State has had their moments over the past couple of years.  North Carolina had the spotlight for a short time as well.  A not so happy, “Happy Valley” has been the center of attention for some time now.  I digress though.

One would think that Al Golden learned from the “hurricane” that struck the U last off-season.  Apparently he didn’t.  I guess without a severe punishment, some will never learn.  Nevin Shapiro may be in prison, but his spirit is still looming large all over South Beach and the Miami Hurricane football program.  One of Shapiro’s good buddies , Mr. Sean “Pee Wee” Allen is a key culprit in the recent allegations.  Nobody is ever as they seem.  Joe Paterno obviously wasn’t the man we all thought he was.  Jim Tressel wasn’t exactly Mr. Perfect either.  Just add Al Golden to the growing list.   Golden was supposed to come in and clean up the program.  He has done just the opposite.  Go figure.

Weekly Nickel 7-16-2012

Photo courtesy of zimbio.com. The “Dwight Howard (pictured above) Soap Opera” continues. Most people just want it to be over with at this point.

By Josh Kramer

Baseball’s second half has begun with a bang.  NBA free agency continues at a rapid pace.  The “Freeh Report” has turned a legend into a monster officially.  And guess what?  Things are only going to get better.  Last week was one that will be remembered for a long time, but this week will fun its own right.  Here are the events to keep an eye on.

5.  All eyes will remain focused on the no longer “Happy” Valley.  The Freeh Report has shaken up the entire college football stratosphere.  Paterno’s legacy has been forever tarnished and his role in the horrific incidents are no longer in question.  The real question now is what will be the punishment doled out to Penn State’s football program?  Are we on the verge of witnessing college football’s first death penalty in over 25 years?

4.  Start your engines, and take a deep breath.  For the first and only time until mid-November, the NASCAR Sprint Cup series takes a break this weekend.  After Kasey Kahne stole the show in New Hampshire, everyone is looking to thrust themselves into the top ten of the standings during the course of the next seven races.  Either you are in or you or out for the CHASE.  As of now, Kahne and Carl Edwards are fighting to move up just a couple of spots by the end of the day on September 8th.

3.  The NBA free agency frenzy, has been just that, an absolute frenzy.  Nobody has any clue what is going to happen next in the “Dwight Howard Soap Opera.”  I for one do not really care at this point.

Welcome To Heartbreak

Photo courtesy of zimbio.com. Joe Paterno’s (pictured above) legacy has been forever tarnished. 61 years of coaching. One major mistake.

By Josh Kramer

409 victories. 61 years.  24 bowl wins.  Three Big Ten Championships.  Two National Championships.  And one massive mistake.  How many times have each of us been told, “The reputation of a thousand years may be determined by the conduct of one hour (or something similar)?”  Joe Paterno was a man who seemingly did everything right.  He was larger than life in Happy Valley.  With the release of the 267-page Freeh report, the truth has been set free.  Paterno’s legacy will forever be tarnished, and deservedly so.  The former God-Like figure in Happy Valley will now be forever associated with victims, and not wins.

I by no means am a Penn State fan or critic.  Nor “was” I a fan or critic of Paterno.  I always respected the coach who was known as the “embodiment of integrity.”  Now I have no respect for Paterno, the Penn State football program, and all involved in this horrific cover-up.  Happy Valley by no means is a “Happy” place these days.

Throwback Saturday Part VIII

Photo courtesy of zimbio.com. Jerry Sandusky (pictured above) is one of the many faces that represents a year of scandal in the NCAA.

By Josh Kramer

Welcome to the eighth edition of “Throwback Saturdays.”  By this point, I think you all know the drill.  What was happening in the wide world of sports on March 10, 2011?  How about on March 10, 2010?  Well let’s find out.

One year ago..

State of College Athletics

Here is a snippet..

“The NCAA’s core purpose is to govern competition in a fair, safe, equitable and sportsmanlike manner, and to integrate intercollegiate athletics into higher education so that the educational experience of the student-athlete is paramount.”

That is directly from the NCAA website.

It’s hard to believe in those words these days.

Reggie Bush.

Cam Newton.

The “Tat Five.”

Lane Kiffin.

Bruce Pearl.

Jim Calhoun.

Jim Tressel.

All of those people were recently involved in major scandals in college athletics. Don’t forget about oversigning either. College athletics is in worse shape than LeBron James’ reputation in Cleveland.

What’s worse is some university presidents and athletic directors will stand by these men at all costs (To finish reading this post, click this link).

Food for Thought 1-24-2012

Photo courtesy of zimbio.com. Billy Cundiff (pictured above) is now the most hated man in Baltimore sadly.

By Josh Kramer

Championship Game Scapegoats

How would you have liked being Billy Cundiff or Kyle Williams on Sunday? New members have joined the exclusive club that features the likes of Bill Buckner, Dan Goodale, and Steve Bartman.  Okay maybe not Steve Bartman.  And maybe not even Bill Buckner for that matter.  But Billy Cundiff and Kyle Williams joined an exclusive club of “Choke Artists” on Sunday.  Now I am a person who firmly believes that all teams win as a team, and lose as a team.  It is never just one specific individuals fault.  But the common fan and the media love to portray losses squarely on the shoulders of a specific individual.  It is just the way our culture operates, especially in regards to sports.  The blame game simplifies things.  It keeps complex situations black and white.  This is the beauty of scapegoating.

College Football Bowl Picks Week 1

Photo courtesy of temple-news.com. Temple looks to open up the bowl season with a victory over Wyoming. In order to win, the Owls will need a big performance from their star running back Bernard Pierce (pictured above).

By Josh Kramer

Bowl season is finally upon us.  Sadly, there is no way to sugarcoat it though. The first week of bowl games are anything but flattering.  This is probably the worst week we have had all year in terms of matchups.  35 bowl games are far too many.  As a result, we end up with weeks like this.

Saturday:

Temple vs Wyoming (Gildan New Mexico Bowl)

–Owls by 3

Headline:  Owls old-school smash mouth style proves too much for the Cowboys.

Food for Thought 11-29-2011

Photo courtesy of nunesmagician.com. In my opinion, Syracuse has no choice but to fire their legendary coach, Jim Boeheim (pictured above).

By Josh Kramer

I love sports just like millions of other people across the globe.  Sports are something that I confide in.  Something that is always there no matter the time of year or the time of day.  There is always some sort of sport going on.  Sports are a universal langauge that everyone has an opinion on.  I have always been a person who believes in the purity of sport.  A person who believed that sports were about competition, sportsmanship, and fair play.  And sure sports do embody these wonderful attributes.  But sadly, especially over the past couple of months, I have realized just how much sports are first and foremost about money, and riddled with scandal.

Now I am not a naive person.  I realize scandal has been going on since the beginning of time and sports have never been above it.  But lately, scandal has smacked the sporting world in the face.  People thought the Tressel bonanza at Ohio State was big news.  But in the grand scheme of things, college kids selling their memorabilia and getting some free tattoos and cash was not a big deal.  Then little Nevin Shapiro shook up the U.  And these horrific acts seemed to be the end of the world.  It wasn’t.  A couple of weeks ago, Happy Valley became an “Unhappy” place.  Jerry Sandusky ruined the name of one of the most prominent figures in sports and brought down a very prestigious academic institution.  Sadly though, the Sandusky case, though horrible, may just be the tip of the iceberg.

Bye Bye Boeheim

Doing it the right way

Photo courtesy of zimbio.com. Mike Krzyzewski (pictured above) is now the all-time leader in Division 1 hoops with 903 wins.

By Josh Kramer

Records are made to be broken.  And on this night, another mythical record fell.  Whether you are a fan of Duke or not, you have to tip your cap to Coach Mike Krzyzewski.  The man commonly referred to as Coach K is now the all-time winningest coach in Division 1 NCAA Men’s basketball.  With the still very prevalent Paterno scandal unfolding, tonight demonstrated what doing it the right way is all about.

Coach K played for the great Bobby Knight at Army from 1966 to 1969.  And though he was never a great player, he learned from one of the greats.  Following his very lackluster playing career, Coach K served as an assistant coach under Bobby Knight at Indiana before taking over as the head coach at his alma mater.  After six years at West Point, Coach K took his talents to little-known Duke in 1980.  And well, the rest, is history.

Week 11: Will all of the kickers please stand up?

Photo courtesy of http://www.tri-cityherald.com. Boise State freshman kicker Dan Goodale (pictured above) has officially become the new Kyle Brotzman.

By Josh Kramer

The “Game of the Century” was in the rearview, but that did not affect the caliber of play this week.  Great games from start to finish.  The excitement began on Thursday night with a great ACC battle that lived up to the hype and ended with the marquee event of the week in Palo Alto, where LaMichael James “sprinted” himself back into the Heisman consideration.

Do not underestimate the significance of the kicking game