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Too Much Dust

I'd like to type out a lengthy counterargument to the Hoke-to-NFL prediction, but there's just too much dust in my eyes.

Educated Guess

24-10, Michigan.

Criminal Grab Bag

With respect, you may be accurately setting forth the standard for bail determinations, but that standard is hardly applied with anything approaching equality across cases.  Would you dispute that there are hundreds of instances of bail being denied to small time drug dealers  based on the standard you cite?

Why does Sandusky not pose a flight risk?  He's facing hundreds of years of imprisonment.  If he's a narcissist (I have no clue if he is), he could feel a deep repulsion toward the prospect of being dragged in handcuffs before the public and labeled a monster.  My guess is that Sandusky made bail based on a combination of the quality of his legal representation and an unwillingness on behalf of the DA to show their cards during the early stages of a high profile case.  This is only "our criminal justice system" as it exists in practice, not some idealized theory.

As for danger to the public, you seem to suggest that Sandusky meets this requirement based on the fact that most parents and law enforcement in central Pennsylvania are aware that he is an alleged sexual predator and should know to take appropriate precautions.  Tell that to the petty criminals now sitting in jail whose cases, and indeed their very existence, are low-profile, receive scant legal representation and scant judicial consideration.  That, too, is "our criminal justice system," which is the criminal justice system of the greatest democracy in the world.

 

Wendell Courtney

Here's an interesting aspect to the alleged cover-up.  When the 1998 incident was being investigated, Penn State did not have an in-house general counsel.  PSU relied on Wendell Courtney as outside general counsel.  Wendell Courtney is referenced in the Grand Jury Presentment as having given his blessing to an investigation of Sandusky by University Police regarding the 1998 incident.

In 1998, Wendell Courtney was also counsel to The Second Mile.

In 2002, PSU Athletic Director Curley reported the March 1, 2002 incident to PSU President Spanier and also to Second Mile Executive Director Raykovitz.  At that time, Wendell Courtney was outside general counsel to PSU and was also counsel to the Second Mile.

It stands to reason that Wendell Courtney was aware of both the 1998 incident and the 2002 incident, quite possibly in his potentially conflicted role as counsel to both PSU and the Second Mile regarding both of those incidents.

Amazingly, PSU President Spanier testified to the Grand Jury that he was unaware of the 1998 University Police investigation of Sandusky for incidents with children in football building showers.

Did Spanier not speak to PSU's outside general counsel about the Sandusky incidents?

Did PSU's outside general counsel fail to mention to PSU's President that he was aware of at least two separate incidents involving Sandusky with children in the football building showers?

Did the Second Mile's counsel, Wendell Courtney, fail to notify the Second Mile that he was aware of at least two separate incidents involving Sandusky with children in the football building showers?

Here's a picture of Wendell Courtney and President Spanier riding bikes to a Penn State football game on October 13, 2007.  Courtney's in the middle, dressed in black.  Spanier's to the right in the blue shirt sans tie.

The Tears of Unfathomable Sadness ...

... belong to us this week.

Saving all effective plays for Ohio?

There is only one consolation to the seeming waste of this game:  we revealed none of the ultra-effective plays that we are saving for Ohio.

That's a very steep price to pay - not using effective plays - but if it leads to domination over Ohio, then it's a price I am willing to pay.

Saving all effective plays for Ohio?

There is only one consolation to the seeming waste of this game:  we revealed none of the ultra-effective plays that we are saving for Ohio.

That's a very steep price to pay - not using effective plays - but if it leads to domination over Ohio, then it's a price I am willing to pay.

38-14

38-14

Careful what you wish for O'Brian, but good luck!

Sufficient Height

If Denard's 6' or 6'1" listing is excessive by 2 or 3 inches, are the listings for the other QBs also excessive by a similar margin?

In any event, I believe Denard's height won't be an issue, if his passing accuracy improves.  The Alabama game will be a good opportunity to evaluate Denard's pro potential.

Michigan Men

We want guys with a fanatical love for Michigan.  Guys whose toughness is only exceeded by their incredible accountability.

There appears to be just such a wide receiver out there.  His name is Jordan Payton.

Re Denard's NFL Potential

Denard's the same height as Michael Vick, and is only 15-20 lbs lighter than Vick.  As a passer, Denard shows promise with the deep ball, but has not yet displayed the ability to consistently throw the short to mid-range laser passes that are a staple of pro play.  In my opinion, Denard's potential as a pro QB turns on his improvement in throwing the laser passes.  If he makes that improvement, his height won't be an issue.  For this reason, the arrival of Hoke and Borges was a real opportunity for Denard to focus more on his passing game, including his footwork.

Epic Double Point to WolverineBlue

Sometimes justice delayed is not justice denied



You Ain't Even Going to Whip Them?

As of December

1. Wisconsin

2. Michigan

3. Nebraska

4. Illinois

5. MSU

6. Iowa

7. Ohio

8. PSU

9. Northwestern

10. Indiana

11. Purdue

12. Minnesota

Michigan 27-10

Gardner gets some reps, field goal kicking is worked on.

Throwback helmets

I'm guessing Desmond is referring to Michigan wearing their throwback helmets from the Notre Dame game.

Time to Institute a Blacklist at the Big House

It's also time to provide Talbott with written notice that if he is spotted in the Big House, he will be arrested for trespassing, fined, and then escorted to the Michigan-Ohio border.

Yes, there's more evidence against Miami

But if Sarniak chose to speak out, I'm sure he could say a great deal about his interactions not only with Pryor, but also with Tressel.  Dennis Talbot could say a great deal, if he were so inclined.

9/17/2011: Miami vs. Ohio State

This game should be renamed the Shame Bowl:  where the winner is also a loser.

Yes, the handling of TSIO's case bothers me

Parsing the Dispatch

I believe the following excerpts from the Dispatch article point to a possible explanation of what's going on:

 

[1]  The university has received no indications from the NCAA that it could face additional allegations or findings, Lynch said.

[...]

[2]  The letter did not make any references to an ongoing investigation of the football program, Lynch said.

[3]  “The university has not received any additional allegations from the NCAA ... We do not anticipate discussing any additional allegations” on Friday, Lynch wrote in a statement.

Excerpt 1 could well be the "talking point" that OSU's PR machine wanted to make.  That is, even if the letter said that OSU's Football Program remains under investigation, that does not, in and of itself, indicate that OSU will face any other allegations or findings.

In excerpt 2,  Lynch may have strayed from this "talking point," stating that the letter did not make any reference to an ongoing investigation.

In excerpt 3, a written statement by Lynch is quoted, in which he gets back in line with the "talking point" in excerpt 1.

Given the efforts of the OSU PR machine this week, you can probably go ahead and add another $10,000 or so to the $800,000 bill OSU is racking up on its "defense."

Wolverines on the Big Screens

(I don't have enough Mgopoints to start a thread, but if someone reads the below and considers it worthy of its own thread, please make it so.)

As a possible accommodation for those who would like some kind of Michigan mascot, but without offending the sensibilities of fans like myself who are decidedly anti-mascot, there might be an excellent short film clip of a wolverine in the wild that could be played from time to time on the new, larger, HD scoreboards.  Perhaps a slow motion clip of a wolverine running at top speed through the snow.  Here's a rough example, where a racing wolverine in being followed by a snowmobile. Imagine something similar without the snowmobile.

Letter appears to be missing page 2

The letter attached to OSU's Answer as Exhibit 1 appears be missing page 2.  I say this based on the partial sentence that begins at the end of page one ("Indeed, we regularly interacted"), but does not continue onto the next page.  However, the reference numbers on the  bottom of each page of the letter do not reveal a missing page.

The letter itself is a total stonewall.

Adding to ESPN's obstacles is the fact that 3 of the 7 Justices of the Supreme Court of Ohio attended OSU's Law School.  At least 3 other Justices attended other law schools in Ohio.

I'm not suggesting that Ohio's high court would not faithfully interpret and apply the law toward OSU, but I'm not so sure they'd be in any rush to put a stop to OSU's blatant stalling and stonewalling tactics.

My Apologies

I was not trying to stir the pot.  I should have directed my comment towards the Bare Cupboards theory, especially regarding the DBs.  Those same cupboards are now being installed in the NFL's kitchen.  As far as I can tell, the Bare Cupboards theory is not valid other than with respect to Carr's promise to Mallet not to recruit a second QB for the class of 2007 and Mallet's subsequent transfer in early 2008.

How Many Future Pros on the 112th Defense of 2010?

Is this not an indictment of GERG's, and even RichRod's, coaching of the defense?  At present, two of last year's linebackers and one of last year's corners have signed - in whatever capacity - with NFL teams (Mouton with the Chargers, Ezeh with the Redskins, and Rogers with the Broncos).  Consider further the current Michigan defensemen who may end up signing with an NFL team in the future:  Mike Martin, Craig Roh, Cam Gordon, Kenny Demens, Ryan Van Bergen, and Will Campbell.  (Not considered or included is Troy Woolfolk because he did not play in 2010 due to injury).

Based on the above, it is not unrealistic that half or more of the starting defense for 2010 will end up signing with an NFL team.  Yet that talent finished 112th?  Is that not an indictment?

Showing he has the right stuff for TSIO

I think people may be misunderstanding Dantonio's comments.  I believe he was merely wanting to show that he has the "right stuff" for TSIO.

On the subject of Tressel:  Ignore the rules violations/cover-up, focus on Tressel's wins

On the subject of Brandstatter:  Pretend that you don't even know who Brandstatter is, while simultaneously stating that this unknown person cannot possibly have had any "real meaningful relationships" with college players.

You see?  Dantonio can look past Tressel's ignominious end at TSIO and focus on Tressel's wins.  Perhaps Dantonio can relate to that "real meaningful relationship" that Tressel had with Pryor.  Perhaps, but just perhaps, Dantonio has the right stuff for TSIO.

Fun with innuendo

No, it wasn't.

Judging the pair

I'd want to see the pair of them together before drawing any conclusions about their size.  Also, we haven't really had a chance to see the backside.  So I'm reserving judgment, but excited to see everything live.

Guess about playoff yardage

Per the write-up on the Main Page, Scout and Rivals list Houma as rushing for 1,211 yards and 9 TDs during his junior year, while his highlights video lists him rushing only 1,064 yards and 7 TDs.  If his highlights video did not include his playoff stats, that would mean he rushed for 147 yards and 2 TDs during the playoffs.

TSIO knew in Dec that Vest spoke to player in "spring 2010"?

As I see it, conversations between Compliance and St. Tressel in mid December were the beginnings of the investigation arising out of the December 9 letter from the DOJ.  Perhaps TSIO should receive some flack for maintaining that the university simply did not know what Tressel knew until January 13.

But I believe the bigger issue relates to TSIO officials hearing from a player that "[St.] Tressel discussed related issues with him in the spring of 2010," to quote the article (not the player).

If TSIO learned from this player that St. Tressel was aware of the issue BEFORE the December 9 DOJ letter, that was a big red flag for TSIO regarding St. Tressel.  Why didn't TSIO sit St. Tressel down immediately and get to the bottom of things?  Why did it take almost a MONTH to uncover emails to and from St. Tressel's school email address involving Cicero?  Why didn't TSIO get to the bottom of this BEFORE allowing St. Tressel to coach TSIO in the Sugar Bowl?

We all know why.

Look at the pylons in the sketch

Granted, the pylons in the above sketch appear quite notional, but those pylons are all under the display screen, with the frame around the display screen extending well beyond the outermost pylons.  If the sketch is accurate (which it may well not be), there's more display screen to come.

FSU over BSU; 2 year bowl ban

Florida State over Boise State in the National Championship game.

TSIO's FOIA delay tactics prove effective, and TSIO gets off lightly with a mere 2 year bowl ban.  Fer what they done?!  Fer what they done?!

 

Forcier can and should overcome this

Forcier seemed like a fairly intelligent guy, so he should be able to perform well enough during a year at a JUCO to subsequently satisfy the academic expectations of lots of universities with football programs.  If he wants to solve his relatively small problem, he can do it.  I wish him the best.

Denard

Even the question of who is the best all around athlete on the team is hopelessly broad (yet fun to consider during the offseason).  Perhaps a more answerable question is who dominates the competition the most on the field.  In 2009, that person was arguably Brandon Graham.  In 2010, that person was Denard Robinson.  In 2011, that person will in all likelihood be Denard Robinson.  Denard not only has elite speed, he has super-elite acceleration.  With that combination of acceleration and speed, he leaves fools in the dust.

Cars & TSIO Football

Given that the car accident appears to have been precipitated by the couple's love for TSIO football, the police officer probably "looked the other way" and did not cite them for any violations.  The couple and the police officer probably just took their cars to Auto Direct or Jack Maxton Chevrolet for a bitchin' loaner-car for the next couple months while the football fans at the car dealership work out the problems with the original cars.

Faggedabadit, kid, it's Columbustown.

 

Possible Approach to Self-Imposed Penalties

TSIO may decide to be backward-looking in its self-imposed penalties by, for example, vacating the Sugar Bowl win over Arkansas, vacating a number of wins in 2010 under Tressel and the Tat5, etc.  While this approach may strike some TSIO fans as unfair scapegoating, it would send a message to the NCAA that TSIO would appreciate some balance between retroactive penalties and prospective ones, such as future bowl bans, scholarship reductions, etc.  Were the NCAA to go along with this and later issue predominantly retroactive penalties, that would help TSIO's future recovery, especially on the recruiting trail.

Of course, I believe the NCAA HAMMER should fall heavily on the past record and future privileges of TSIO "on account of what they done."  On account of what they done!

Just in from the Dispatch

Addressing the same subject as the OP:

http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2011/06/21/car-…

 

MSU Is a compound

MSU is one giant compound.  To the south of this compound, the university buildings give way to university farm lands.  If you're interested in a bite to eat or a cold beer, you will need to exit the compound in a northerly direction, crossing the four-lane thoroughfare that is Grand River Avenue.  On the north side of Grand River Ave is the East Lansing strip - like Vegas but without gambling or large buildings.  North of the East Lansing strip is off-campus housing.  That's where they burn couches to celebrate.

Talbott Had Sufficient $$

It's pretty clear that Larry James will make statements to the press that he would not make in his capacity as an officer of the court.  Consider the following:

 

"I know Dennis Talbott," James said. "I don't mean to belittle Dennis Talbott but Dennis Talbott is not a deep-pockets player. This is out of his league. He does not have this kind of cash.

"Dennis was a part-time photographer who knew a lot of players. He was known around town. He is harmless. He definitely did not have that kind of wherewithal to do that kind of stuff and that story is just bogus."

http://sports.mobile.msn.com/en-us/ncaafb/article.aspx?aid=827488&acid=…

A big problem with James' statements are Talbott's tax liens:

[Talbott] has managed or owned staffing and employment recruiting businesses in the past decade, though a search of public records reveals a series of liens and financial judgments against him. The most substantial include an Internal Revenue Service lien filed in 2009 for $278,875 in unpaid federal taxes, followed by a state of Ohio tax lien in 2010 for $74,227.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=6637444

For someone to owe $350,000 in back taxes means that person had personal income of around $1 million, give or take a $100,000 or so depending on the number of years at issue.  Moreover, that Talbott didn't pay his taxes means that the $350,000 that he presently owes to federal and state authorities was available during the relevant period for use on memorabilia, etc.

James is talking out of his ass.

Recommended Response

Recommended response:

The below email was sent to me from what appears to be an official email address of the Ohio State University.  I feel you should be aware that some moron is distributing stupid messages from that address.

Sincerely,

The above is a riff on one of the great response letters of all time (http://deadspin.com/5716038/the-greatest-letter-ever-printed-on-nfl-tea…).

Attention OSU Fans

There are stages of grief beyond denial and anger.  Will you kindly move on to fear?

Friday Night August 14 just became Tuesday Night June 7
One of the Best Stonewalling Departments

OSU's Compliance Department appears to be inept in establishing protocols that foster compliance with NCAA rules, such as a simple notepad/ledger showing which equipment has been issued to which player.  However, when it comes to stonewalling the media and responding to FOIA requests, OSU seems to have some effective strategies in place that have achieved several months of delay.

Epilogue to the original

Epilogue to the original post:

If you check Ebay and Craigslist today, it's no longer awash in questionable OSU "game worn" memorabilia.  And of what remains available on these sites, it appears that the Public Relations Fairy has paid a kindly visit.

On Ebay, there is a pair of "Authentic Game Worn Ohio State 2010 Pro Combat Pants."  The pants are only $74.99 and as of 9:30 PM today had not yet garnered any bids.  Conspicuously stated in the item description is the following (in all caps):

THESE PANTS WERE ACQUIRED FROM THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY AND WILL INCLUDE A COPY OF THE BILL OF SALE FROM OHIO STATE'S ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT.

The seller lists similar pants from over 30 other OSU players, indicating for some that they are already "SOLD" and for others what their sale price is.  Point is, folks, that this is a legitimate sale and the other pants listed as "SOLD" must have also been entirely legitimate sales, right?  Nothing to see here.  Move along!

On Craigslist, there is an "Authentic Ohio State 2007 BCS Championship Player Warmup, #11 Gonzalez" selling for $750.  The offer states explicitly:  "These items were acquired directly from the Ohio State University Athletic Department & will include a copy of the bill of sale."

Nothing to see here anymore, ladies and gentlemen.  Move along!

Additional Issues related to Worthington

The Doug Worthington story does suggest that OSU Campus Police and Ken Gordon at the Columbus Dispatch took pains to conceal that Worthington was driving an Escalade when he was arrested for a DUI.  There are additional issues raised by the story.  Note the reference to his vehicle upgrade, from a "GMC sports utility vehicle" to the Escalade.  In this regard, the recent article about OSU LB Brian Rolle turning down an offer for an "better" and "cheaper" car might be revealing:

Rolle's statement came when [Jason] Smtih [of ESPN Radio] asked, "Give me an example of something you said no to."

“Somebody actually offered me a car and I said no,” Rolle said. “I actually bought a 2002 VW Jetta in ’09 and someone offered to give me another car, a better car, and cheaper, but me being the type of a person I am I said no to it because I wasn’t raised to do something like that.”

http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2011/jun/02/football-former-immokalee-st…

Was OSU's Compliance Department aware of Worthington's Escalade upgrade at the time of Worthington's DUI?  If not, did Compliance at least have Worthington's Escalade properly registered (for purposes of NCAA compliance) after the DUI?  Or did Worthington's vehicle remain unregistered even after the DUI and its attendant news coverage, including Lesmerises' article in the Plain Dealer?

Further, questions appear to surround not only Worthington's car deal(s), but also his OSU memorabilia and his relationship with Edward Rife of Fine Line Ink Tattoos.  Worthington was Facebook friends with Rife and sported at least one elaborate tattoo.  http://www.sportsbybrooks.com/ohio-st-item-cited-by-ncaa-seen-on-pawn-s…

Worthington was also questioned about some Golden Pants bearing the initials DW and year 2008 that were sold on the TV show "Pawn Stars."  Worthington told Anthony Rothman of WBNS Radio in Columbus that he "gave his pants to family members and can't imagine any of them selling them to anyone."  http://www.sportsbybrooks.com/ohio-st-item-cited-by-ncaa-seen-on-pawn-s…

I could be wrong, but it seems like Worthington opted for OSU's "full benefits" package.

 

 

 

When a defamation lawsuit horribly backfires

Here is clip from the deposition of a man who commenced a defamation lawsuit against a woman who spoke about the amount of evidence indicating the man's involvement in his stepson's murder.  The man, Terry Hobbs, had his lawsuit dismissed and is now under much greater public scrutiny than before the lawsuit.  The case is related to the famous West Memphis Three trials depicted in HBO's Paradise Lost.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LzDTLXC2sxk&feature=related

Thanks Gremlin

And I'm not just saying that to get my third Mgopoint

OSU LB says he was offered car in 2009

This would be a separate posting, but I don't have enough Mgopoints to create a a post on my own.

OSU LB Rolle told a Naples, FL news outlet and ESPN Radio that he was offered a "better" car in 2009, but turned down the offer.

http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2011/jun/02/football-former-immokalee-st…

Raiding the Equipment Closet?