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Archive for the category “big joke”

21 Mar 2011

Big Ten & Big East are big in name only

The Big 10 and the Big East certainly didn’t live up to their names in the opening weekend of the NCAA basketball tournament.

After inexplicably seeing seven of its teams make the tournament – four of which were only .500 in conference play – the Big Ten flamed out as only Ohio State and Wisconsin managed to make the Sweet 16.

Michigan State and Penn State were both one and done – not surprising when you consider they each entered the tournament with 14 losses on the season – and Michigan and Illinois quickly followed them over the weekend.

But that was nothing compared to the Big East.

Eleven teams “earned” a spot in the tournament – which is beyond ridiculous – and only two teams are left standing for the Sweet 16. And those two – Connecticut and Marquette – advanced over the weekend only by beating Cincinnati and Syracuse – fellow Big East teams.

If Connecticut and Marquette had to play non-conference teams this weekend, it’s very possible there would be no Big East teams left in the tourney.

Four Big East teams – Notre Dame, Georgetown, St. John’s and Louisville – all lost to teams seeded 10th or higher, and the Irish, Hoyas and Red Storm all lost their games by double-digits.

Oh, and the only No. 1 seed to lose so far? Pitt from the Big East, of course.

So the Big Ten and Big East have two teams each – the same as the Mountain West Conference (San Diego St. and BYU) and as many as the town of Richmond, Va. (Richmond & VCU).

Thanks for playing.

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Bruce Pearl is reportedly out as coach at Tennessee, according to ESPN.

Pearl was charged with unethical conduct by the NCAA for misleading NCAA investigators, and Tennessee is set to appear before the NCAA’s Committee on Infractions in June.

Pearl has admitted to giving investigators false information when asked about a cookout at his home attended by high school juniors.

So Pearl lied to the NCAA about giving some high school kids hot dogs and hamburgers and paid the price with his job.

Ohio State’s Jim Tressel lied to the NCAA to keep some of his best players eligible for the 2011 season. Hmm …

It would be surprising – and a bit ridiculous – if Ohio State were to fire Tressel. But in light of what happened to Pearl, you have to wonder what the NCAA is going to have to say once it completes its investigation.

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Remember how the UFL’s Hartford Colonials were “interested” in former Browns coach Eric Mangini to replace another former Browns coach, Chris Palmer, as the Colonials’ head coach?

Well, they went with Jerry Glanville instead.

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The NFL is considering changing the kickoff rules for next season, which would certainly impact the Browns and kick returner Josh Cribbs.

We covered this last week, someone at The Plain Dealer must be paying attention.

Posted in BIg 10, Big East, big joke, Cleveland Browns, NFL | Leave a comment
02 Jan 2011

Big 10 a Big Joke

Boy, what a New Year’s Day for the Big 10 as the conference was once again exposed as the most over-rated football conference in the nation.

Texas Tech handed Northwestern its eighth consecutive bowl loss in something called the TicketCity Bowl. (What happened to the Cotton Bowl?)

Alabama held Michigan State to minus 48 yards rushing in a 49-7 beating the Capitol One Bowl.

Mississippi State scored 52 points on Michigan in the Gator Bowl, the most points the Wolverines have ever given up in a bowl game.

Florida intercepted Penn State quarterback Matt McGloin five times as the Gators won the Outback Bowl.

Finally, TCU stood up for all the small schools who never get a chance, knocking off Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl.

Five bowl games, five losses on the day.

And we still have Ohio State and its 0-9 record in bowl games against the superior SEC waiting to take on Arkansas in the Sugar Bowl on Tuesday night.

Jim Tressel may want to suspend himself for that game.

Posted in big joke, Big Ten, Bowl Games | Leave a comment
30 Dec 2010

That will show them!

Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel apparently consulted The First Grader’s Guide to Playground Etiquette when he made the six players suspended for five games next season pinkie-swear that they will return to the Buckeyes if they are allowed to play next week in the Sugar Bowl.

Yeah, that will teach the players.

In addition Tressel won’t bench any of the players or punish the players in any way for the Sugar Bowl.

“We told them they would have to make the decision on the NFL prior to leaving for the bowl game,” Tressel said at his first Sugar Bowl news conference. “It wouldn’t be fair to not face the consequences down the road.”

What a joke.

How will Tressel enforce the promise if any of the players decide to leave? That’s right, he can’t.

It was silly enough that the NCAA penalized the players in the first place; the items they sold belonged to them, they should be able to do what they want. But Tressel’s comments made him sound as clueless as Joe Paterno.

“A number of people reached out as we’ve been dealing with this thing maybe to calm my thinking or whatever, and one thing said was, ‘Keep in mind, Coach, you’re dealing with a different generation,” Tressel said. “Back when you were growing up one guy got a trophy, maybe, and now you’re dealing with a generation that if you were on the team and you were 7 years old, everyone got a trophy. Maybe this generation doesn’t understand the value of awards like we did,’ “

Sorry to break it to you coach, but players don’t go out to the Malt Shop with their high school sweethearts after the game anymore.

If Tressel was serious about wanting to punish the players, he would suspend them for the game. But that would just increase the odds of the Buckeyes being embarrassed again by an SEC team, so you know he never even considered that.

Suspensions aren’t realistic, we get that. There’s too much money involved for that. But for a school and a coach that thinks they are better than everyone else, and for the apologists who believe Tressel can do no wrong just because he beats Michigan, this just shows that OSU is like everyone else in big-time college football.

We’re just surprised OSU president Gordon Gee didn’t find a way to blame all this on Boise State.

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Is Mike Holmgren ready to coach the Browns? Doubtful.

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Are the Steelers worried about Sunday’s game with the Browns? Certainly.

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Scott Rabb weighs in on Eric Magnini at Cleveland Frowns

Posted in big joke, Cleveland Browns, NFL, Ohio State | Leave a comment

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