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Sharp went on Dan Patrick to talk about...well...stuff. Besides the typical anti-Michigan BS (like calling quality control grad assistants assistant coaches) I think there was something significant in there that shouldn't be glossed over.

He said that the "current players" in the article were the two freshmen answering questions at Media Day. He then suggested that the other four people who tattled on the program were former players and could very well have an axe to grind.


Dan Patrick: Current players turned on RRod. What's that all about?

Sharp: Well the Free Press talked to a couple freshmen at media day. They gave an honest answer - that's what work days are like. They were surprised how long it was. Now there are some former players, who knows if they have an axe to grind, but it doesn't preclude the very real possibility that these guys are telling the truth...hard to believe all these guys are lying.


In other words it seems like this isn't a case where anti-RRod people currently on the team are going to the media to damage his reputation.

Now why the article said their "sources" had to speak on condition of anonymity due to repercussions from coaches is definitely an unresolved issue. Perhaps they feared their current coaches on whatever crappy teams they play for would punish them?

Audio can be found at: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/danpatrick/blog/75663/index.html


Please share your interpretations.

So upon reading reports that some programs count their time TO THE MINUTE to be under the limits it brought me to a new thought - what constitutes a 2 hour workout?

From what I can tell a workout consists of some variation of the following routine:

1) Putting the ipod and armband on, setting the playlist you like best, and bobbing your head cause you know you can't dance
2) Getting to a station, putting weight plates on
3) Doing a set (and grunting for the last 2-3 reps)
4) Looking at yourself in the mirror while you muster up energy for the next set
5) Change the song on your ipod and begin the next set

Hyperbole aside, in that routine I see a relatively small portion of actual "workout" time. I imagine teams that calculate to the minute factor that into their time limits and only say time actually lifting iron plates is "workout time".

My point is that when a player says they take even 4 hours for a workout, it's entirely possibly that would still fall within a 2-hour limit.

Thanks NCAA for making all this crystal clear.

Now a slightly off topic complaint regarding punishments experienced for missing an off-season workout - note the article never states whether that punishment is for missing time in the within-rules mandatory 8 hours of off-season conditioning or for missing a voluntary workout. It simply aims to imply that it's for missing anything. That's the only "solid" evidence the article presents to show that off-season stuff is required - YES 8 HOURS IS REQUIRED!

Furthermore, if you schedule time to workout and don't show up (voluntary or not) - shouldn't you be punished. Your'e wasting someone else's time by making an appointment and not showing up.

Alright I'm a little off topic with this one but I want to sound off and get others opinions on this.

I'm a life-long Packers fan and grew up with Brett Favre as my hero. He was my role model for sports - playing with passion, for the love of the game, never quitting unless you had a leg cut off, and leaving it on the field no matter what.

Then all this happened. When the drama with the Packers happened last year I felt kind of bad for Favre but completely agreed with the Packers. Part of me died inside - it was as if my childhood love of sports was partially torn away. Here's a brief rundown of that drama:

• Packers had Aaron Rodgers that they had to either get trade or start.
• The Pack told Favre to decide before the draft (where they drafted 2 other backup qb's cause he retired).
• They then gave him another chance a month before camp to come back. If he came back they had to trade Rodgers, if not they had to change their schemes to accommodate his skill set. Favre deep down wanted to go to Minnesota (hence the tampering charges later) and said no thanks to the Pack.
• Right before camp started Favre said he wanted to be unconditionally released so he could go to the Vikings. Pack said dream on. He then said he wanted to come back to the Pack and the team said "well we have another qb you can compete with" which was obvious posturing but take it for what it's worth.
• After all the ensuing drama they said "go to the Jets". Meanwhile Aaron Rodgers did quite well (but the Packers went 6-10 due mostly to injuries on Defense) and the Jets did what they did.

Now this summer Favre again asked for an unconditional release from the Jets - which he was given. Then he got surgery/rehab but didn't want to go to camp. The Vikings lied to the public and had a deal ready the whole time. Today he signs with them and creates the horror that will be Favre @ Lambeau in purple.

One little note to all this is that most people may not realize that, during Favre's years in Green Bay (especially the earlier ones), the Vikings along with the Cowboys were far and away the biggest rivals. There are many great teams and great games between these teams. Seeing Favre in purple is almost as if Lloyd Carr wore a sweater vest.

I know most of Michigan nation doesn't care about either of these teams, but I'm sure people have opinions about all this. Sound off. I'm personally pissed, somewhat heartbroken, and feel like my childhood hero just exposed himself for what he really is.

Just hope the Pack can beat the Vikings (but that'll be tough thanks to Adrian Peterson and the Vikes #1 defense).

Alright so I decided to look this up among the “Big Ten Expansion” hoopla. It’s obviously BS media frenzy cause the Big Ten will only consider Notre Dame and the Irish have that oh-so-lucrative NBC contract – or is it?

Notre Dame’s NBC contract – granted it’s just for football – is worth $9 mil/year.

Big Ten’s ABC contract – which includes some deals for Mens/Womens Bball and Volleyball – is over $100 mil/year. That’s $9.1 mil/year for each Big Ten team.

Add Notre Dame to the Big Ten and I’m pretty sure those contracts improve enough to more than cover those financial issues OR sharing the money evenly appears to balance quite nicely.

Plus the Big Ten gets royalties from the NCAA Tournament which I imagine are comparable, if not more, than what the Big East gives Notre Dame (cause we have the same amount of successful teams in the tournament and less teams to share it with).

The only thing I can’t seem to find is how much the Big East gives Notre Dame for Basketball TV deals – which I don’t think is a whole helluva lot considering they have 16 teams to share the money with and the Men’s Bball regular season doesn’t generate NEARLY the money football does. Not to mention the Big Ten has a pretty huge fan base that will generate comparable money for basketball regardless of the quality of our conference. Also I heard Notre Dame has agreed in the past to join the Big Ten for every sport except Football – which means their only issue appears to be Football finances which I just disproved earlier.

My point: the money issues are non-existent and should be easy to work out. The real reason behind Notre Dame’s independent status must be more about tradition than actual financial concerns.

If anyone knows more details about Notre Dame’s financial arrangements do tell cause this isn’t adding up. Does the BCS pay Notre Dame an unfairly higher amount than the major conferences? Is there football revenue that I didn’t account for which Notre Dame would have to share with a conference if they joined? Do tell.

Conclusion: Notre Dame coming to the Big Ten and adding a conference title game should more than make up any difference in money and actually make Notre Dame more than before. I’m surprised by this and no longer understand the business arguments they put out there.

Also, for the record, I’m completely against conference title games. I think they’re just de-facto playoff patchwork to make money. If you want a 12th game, conference title game, and a bowl game (not to mention a +1 national title format) – isn’t that enough games to just put together an 8 or 16-team playoff? YES IT IS!

Sound off por favor.