Sportaholic LSU vs. Tennessee Preview

LSU vs. Tennessee preview:

                                                                          

One of the best games of the week happens to come to Neyland Stadium as LSU continues its quest for its 3rd BCS title as they face the Vols of Tennessee as they look for payback for the last second controversial loss in Death Valley and is one time defensive coordinator John Chavis homecoming. The Vols are coming off a devastating loss to Georgia and losing starting QB Tyler Brey. LSU on the other hand had its way with Florida. These two teams with vastly different outcomes from last game will clash in another good SEC battle.

Offense vs. Offense: The Volunteers are missing Brey and leading receiver Justin Hunter, they will try to run the offense with fifth year senior Matt Simms, who played in eight games last year ( including the LSU) but a lot has changed since last year. LSU offense got some more life with Jordan Jefferson playing, Jarrett Lee improving as QB, and Miles showing no fear in going for it on 4th down again. Even if LSU doesn’t score just having long drives with Alfred Blue, Spencer Ware, and Michael Ford running the ball. Wearing down Tennessee’s defense can open up the passing game which will open up Russell Sheppard and emerging star Odell Blackmon to put up an offensive explosion in Knoxville –Edge LSU

Defense vs. Defense: LSU once again, but has to be aware of Simms he is a senior so he isn’t going to be rattled early and he kept UT competive in the game last year. LSU defense however has had 3 years under John Chavis’s defensive scheme so they are familiar with it and in each game has gotten better and better. Tyrann Mathieu aka the Honey Badger is going to try to put some pressure on UTs receivers and Sam Washington and the D look to bring the heat to Simms all night. UTS defense will be playing “pick your poison” get pounded by the run or hit by the pass. - Edge LSU

Intangibles: Even though they are playing in Neyland Stadium LSU has won big games in Hostile territory this is going to be no different outcome- Edge LSU

Winner and why: LSU has gotten better every game offensively and defensively, but the main thing LSU hasn’t made dumb mistakes, hasn’t “given up “the big play”, stayed healthy, and remained focused. This will remain true this weekend even though UT will “give their all for Tennessee” it will not be enough. Too many weapons on both side of the ball on LSU for UT to handle- LSU 45 UT 17

Sportaholic College Football Weekend Setup 10/05/11

As we enter week 6 of the college football season, we can finally see some separation from the contending teams and the pretending teams. LSU, Bama, Wisconsin, and Oklahoma in the infamous words of Dennis Green’s Monday night football rant “Are who we thought they were” as all have been at the top of the polls since before the season started and they all have proved they belonged. On the other hand Texas A&M, Virginia Tech and Florida State have all tumbled out the top 10 and are just holding on for dear life to salvage their seasons. There have been a few upstarts as well as Clemson, Texas, and maybe the biggest surprise of them all in my book the Auburn Tigers have silently crept up the polls and put themselves in prime position to contend this year. The meat and potatoes of most programs schedules are now on deck and the battle for a spot in the BCS national championship really takes hold. This week’s feature games include the Red River Shootout between Texas and Oklahoma of course, which may be much more interesting this year than most of us anticipated. Florida vs. LSU would have been good match up this time last week until Bama made a pretzel out of Jeff Brantley’s ankle. Lord be with you Jeff Driskell, the freshman starting in place of Brantley against that mean LSU defense. Ohio State vs. Nebraska sounds like it should be to-notch game especially with the weight those two names usually carry, but that’s until you look at those two teams season so far. Ohio State has been dismal on offense and the Huskers just got husked by Wisconsin.

Our local products in Tennessee have fared well so far this year. The University of Tennessee is 3– 1 on the strength of Tyler Bray’s arm and the teams prolific aerial attack. Even the Vanderbilt Commodores are 3-1 although they are coming off a blowout loss to South Carolina. There is plenty to be excited about for both programs as both show potential to be in the mix of the SEC East this year and beyond. I know a lot of people reading this will say ok I will give you Tennessee but Vandy? Yes the Commodores traditionally stink but young James Franklin is bringing a certain level of swagger to that program and has picked up the recruiting as well. Don’t be surprised when Vanderbilt pulls out a few upset victories over the next couple of years.



Now let’s jump into a few breakdowns:

Red River Shootout: Texas (4-0) vs. Oklahoma (4-0) – Going into the season it was hard for me to imagine this game would be any good. Oklahoma was far and away the best team in the Big 12 and ranked # 1 in the pre-season polls. Texas was just trying to get their respect back after a disappointing 5-7 campaign last year that saw them miss a bowl game altogether. But with the emergence of the little bro duo as I like to call them, Case McCoy and Jaxon Shipley have brought the Longhorns back from the dead (And David Ash as well). Oklahoma has been rolling of course with that explosive offense and experienced defense. You can’t start off a conversation about Oklahoma’s offense without mentioning QB Landry Jones and his top WR Ryan Broyles. Those two guys are in sync more than Justin Timberlake and JC Chavez. They provide a tough match up for the young Longhorn secondary. Another bright spot for Texas is freshman RB Malcolm Brown who has provided the rushing attack the Longhorns missed so much over past few years. This one should be close just for the sheer hatred that both of these schools have for each other. But when push comes to shove and Jones begins to heat up for OU, I just don’t see how the young Texans will be able to stop the Boomer Sooners offense. The Pick: Oklahoma

Georgia (2-2) vs. Tennessee (3-1) - This is an elimination game of sorts. Both teams already have one lost in the SEC with Georgia going down to South Carolina and Florida drilling UT a couple of weeks ago. The winner of this game will at least be tied for first place in the SEC East after South Carolina lost to Auburn last week. The game itself should see excellent QB play as pre-season 1st team all SEC QB Andy Murray of Georgia will be going up against the Tennessee gunslinger himself Tyler Bray (Who surprisingly didn’t make the cut of All-SEC picks in the pre-season when guys like Stephen Garcia did, what a joke).Georgia’s young freshman RB Isaiah Crowell has picked it up of late rushing for 100 yards in both of the last two SEC games for the Bulldogs. The team that is able to stop the other’s offense should win this game. That easier said than done as both have potent attacks as I mentioned above. WR Da’Rick Rogers, who now is Bray’s new favorite target with the ACL tear to the dynamic Justin Hunter, will have to step up big time in this one. Tennessee will need to get him the ball early and also try to establish its run game. The Bulldogs have one of the better defenses in the SEC so that will be hard to do. If Andy Murray can control himself and RB Crowell gets going, I think it will be too much for the Vols even though the are playing in Knoxville. The Pick: Georgia

Auburn (4-1) vs. Arkansas (4-1): Another good SEC game on the docket and I just couldn’t help )myself from previewing this one. This one intrigues me because you have two teams with spread offenses capable of putting a lot of points of the board in a hurry. Arkansas proved that last week as they came back from 18 down to beat Texas A&M. Tyler Wilson was a MAN as he passed for 510 yards despite taking multiple hits from the Aggies. Auburn defeated South Carolina and now has the ol ball coach Steve Spurrier switching out his QBs after Stephen Garcia (9/23 with two picks) could only muster up 13 points for the Gamecocks. Auburn’s defense surprisingly held stud RB Marcus Lattimore to just 68 yards as well but they won’t have to worry about that much against the Razorbacks who’s running game has been absent every since RB Knile Davis went down. Michael Dyer will lead the Tigers on offense as they try to control the clock. Arkansas and Bobby Petrino likes to get up and down the field and especially with those receivers they have. Jarius Wright is just a beast and creates match up nightmares all over the field with his blend of size and speed. That not even mentioning Joe Adams, Greg Childs and Cobi Hamilton. Wilson just has too many targets and I think last weeks performance from the Auburn defense was more of the product of poor play from Stephen Garcia. Wilson will have no such let down so I will roll with the Razorbacks on this one. The Pick: Arkansas

Game of the Week: Texas vs. Oklahoma: Anytime the Red River Shootout is on the schedule its makes for an easy pick. This game will be closer than most expect as I stated earlier. Who knows maybe Texas can even spring the upset but even if they don’t it makes for an interesting game seeing Longhorn and Sooner fans interact. You can see the disdain for each other as they are entering the stadium and when the drinks get flowing the crowd will be rocking.

Most Intriguing Game: Nebraska vs. Ohio State: This sounds like it should a candidate for game of week or even of the year in most seasons. Unfortunately this isn’t your granddads Buckeye teams as they have just been horrific on offense this year. To add to there misery, they got word from the NCAA that RB Dan Herren and WR Devier Posey would has additional game added to there suspensions. Nebraska can’t be that happy either after getting it handed to them last week by Wisconsin. I think its intriguing because it’s the second game in the Big 10 for the Huskers after their baptism by fire last week. They should come out much more relaxed and run away in this one but Ohio State still has playmakers on defense so we will see what happens here.

Under the radar game: Arizona State (4-1) vs. Utah (2-2). Lets take a trip out west for a showdown in the Pac-12. If the Sun Devils can get by Utah then the schedule opens up nicely for them to make a run at the Pac-12 title. If they lose this will, it would make things much harder than it has to be.

Wake me when it over game: Lousiana Tech (1-4) vs. Idaho (1-4) – Both have lost three in a row and rank in the bottom tier of offense and defense. So no good offense to watch against bad defenses, sounds like a classic snoozer to me.

Coach better get it right game; Boston College (1-4) vs. Clemson (5-0) – Tom O’Brien is a good coach who has fallen on hard times with BC. He has a chance to show that his team is still somewhat relevant against the Tigers. He has to be on the hot seat after a miserable season last year and an even worse one this year. Good luck to him but I don’t see how he lasts past this year as their head coach but it he was to start a run to keep his job this would be the perfect game to start.

I also will be covering the Tennessee State vs. Southeast Missouri State game this weekend, so if your going to game make sure to holler at me.

The Sportaholic Radio Show 09/10/2011: NFL 1st week edition

Join me and the Sportaholic crew as me discuss the weeks hottest sports topics including:

Peyton Manning out for the foreseeable future:

Manning underwent cervical fusion surgery on Thursday morning, a procedure that will put him out of the game for at least 2-3 months. This follows a May 23 surgery to repair a bulging disc in his neck

Packers and Saints play one of the all-time classics opening games:

The Packers' 42 points were the most Green Bay has scored in an opener since 1919, the first game in this storied franchise's history.

Kobe Bryant joins Twitter, than promptly quits

NFL players may be fined for wearing unauthorized 9/11 tribute gear

According to the tweets of Chicago Bears linebacker Lance Briggs, the penalties for players wearing specific 9/11 tribute gear could be fairly steep

Diss of the week: Nyger Morgan for inciting the Brewers and Cardinals fight:

College Football Setup:

Tennessee vs. Cincinnati:

Alabama vs. Penn State

Notre Dame vs. Michigan

South Carolina vs. Georgia

NFL 1st week predictions



Titans Talk:

Jacksonville vs. Tennessee: Breakdown and key match-ups

This and much more on the Sportaholic radio show. Show time begins at 10 am this Saturday morning. Make sure you tune in and call in to share your opinion. I know and love sports and I don’t hold my tongue on the show so I expect that from my audience as well. Sportaholic: sports is what we do.

.

Sportaholic College Football Preview: Tennessee Volunteers

College Football is just around the corner with the first games scheduled on September 1. So with that in mind, we here at the Sportaholic.com figured it was about time to rev up the college football machine and review some local team in our area. With our expanded roster, we now can cover teams from all over the nation but we will start with our home teams. Each week leading up to the season we will have capsules on the University of Tennessee, Vanderbilt University, and Tennessee State University. We will follow those teams with some of the national powers as well, just to make sure we cover all of our bases.

To start things off, we will ask just a few basic questions on each team as: Offense, Defense, What are their strengths, What are their weaknesses, Who will be their impact player and What do you project as their season outlook just to name a few. We love college athletics here at the Sportaholic and this just one of many college football posts we have awaiting our viewers this season. So sit back and relax as we here at the Sportaholic preview some of your favorite teams from all over the nation.

University of Tennessee

By Carlos Paige

1. Offense - Tennessee’s offense will revolve around sophomore stud Tyler Bray as he looks to build off an impressive freshman campaign. Bray was 125 of 224 while throwing for 1,849 yards and 18 touchdowns last year. He won SEC freshmen of the week honors three of the four weeks he started last season as well, throwing for more than 300 yards in four games. So you can see why UT fans are antsy to see what Bray can do in a full season of work. Coach Derek Dooley just wants to see more consistency from his QB. The Vols also return 1,000 yard rusher Taurean Poole, who gained those yards running under a inexperienced offensive line. The line should be much improved after a year of experience under their belt, especially young players like Ju'Wuan James, Zach Fulton and James Stone, who all started as true freshman at one point or another last season. Look for sophomore Raijon Neal to take the load off Poole as he did last year and is a good second option for the Vols. 4-star incoming Freshman Marlin Lane has also received a lot praise this spring, as some have even compared him to former UT great Jamal Lewis, so expect for him to steal a few carries from Poole and Neal as well. The receiving core took a couple of big losses in Gerald Jones and Denairus Moore but it opens the door for two talented sophomores in Justin Hunter and Da’Rick Rogers. Both showed flashes of becoming the next great at the school formally known as Wide Receiver U. Hunter is a just a freakish athlete who made multiple spectacular catches and averaged an unheard of 25.9 his freshman year. Rogers, who was more heralded than Hunter coming out of high school, has NFL size and measurables already and made his mark on the offense last year with his versatility. When you add incoming 4-star recruit DeAnthony Arnett in the mix and possibly at the slot receiver, than you have the makings of an explosive effense.

2. Defense – It was tough to watch sometimes for the Vols defense last year, as they lacked the physical bruisers on the interior of the defensive line that you need when you play in the ultra physical SEC. As a result, they allowed 25.1 ppg and 382.2 total ypg in 2010, in other words this was a bad defense. They still face that problem this year as DT Malik Jackson is the only proven big man for the Vols, but they did snag the 2nd rated JUCO defensive tackle in the nation with Maurice Couch. A lot will be riding of the contributions of Couch and converted offensive linemen Daniel Thomas as Tennessee’s much maligned defensive front tries to raise its level of play from last year. The ends will be anchored by Jacques Smith, Willie Bohannon and Marlon Walls who all have experience but will receive expansive time at the position. The linebacker core took a big loss as Junior Herman Lathers suffered an ankle injury that will sideline for a few weeks. He was the teams most experienced player at that position, recording 75 tackles last year. In Lathers absence, seniors Daryl Vereen and Austin Johnson will finally get their shots at starting. They will most likely be joined by one of the two impressive freshman coming into the fray, A.J Johnson and Curt Magiit. The coaches have raved about Magiit as he has wowed everyone in spring practice. He has been exceptional in playing either from the 2.0 stance or the 3.0 and could serve as the all important edge rusher for the Vols. He could also provide depth for the defensive line. The most impressive unit for the Vols has to be the secondary. After a tumultuous off-season, Janzen Jackson returned to bolster an already strong unit. When you couple Jackson with, sophomore Brent Brewer and Prentiss Wagoner at the safety positions then you can see why it should be one the better secondary’s in all of the country. Dooley also recruited well in that department as he landed speedster Justin Coleman and former USC player and transfer Byron Moore. Both of them should push incumbents Marsalis Teague and Eric Gordon for playing time. If the defensive front can at least hold their own, then this could be a surprisingly good defensive unit.

3. What are the team’s strengths? It has to be their athleticism at wideout with Justin Hunter and Da’Rick Rogers. These two will be beasts as they have the size and speed to create problems all over the field. Tyler Bray has a gunslinger mentality so they will have plenty of opportunities. You also can’t forget incoming freshman DeAnthony Arnett at the slot position as his speed will offer a counter to the size of the outside receivers. The Vols will be able to create multiple mismatches with these guys and if they face an inferior secondary then you can forget about it, as Big Orange should put up huge numbers on them.

4. Who are the team impact players? Tyler Bray and Malik Jackson. Both players are the leaders on their respective sides of the ball for the Vols. A lot is expected from Bray after his sensational freshman campaign. And to be realistic he has to be even better than he was last year when there wasn’t any film on him besides his high school days to study. Bray has the chance to follow in the footsteps of the great Peyton Manning as he has all the tools to become that good. His learning curve and ability to lead this team could be the difference in a 6-6 year or a 8-4 year. Malik Jackson is the lone starter on a defensive line that was mediocre at best. The USC transfer produced the most for the Vols recording 5 sacks and 19 tackles as he was named to the AP All-SEC Second Team. He has to be the leader for that unit as they hope to improve to at least average this year in the SEC.

5. What is the team weakness? It has to be the defensive line. The Vols ranked ninth out of twelve teams in the SEC in total defense last year, they were 60th in the nation with 26.0 sacks, and 60th again in the nation in rushing defense. Those numbers will not cut it for a winning club. The Vols as we all know have their problems up front and its difficult to fathom a team that has had greats like Reggie White and Albert Haynesworth (At least while he was in college) now having trouble landing the big time recruits for big men. Hopefully junior college transfer Maurice Couch can provide any type of contribution to Malik Jackson and that would help improve this unit's performance from last year.

6. Season projection and predicted record: I have seen some projections that the Vols will finish second to last in the SEC East and some actually have them winning the East. I say it’s somewhere in-between with this current version of the Vols. I believe this team is good enough to win 8 games this year. It will all depend on how they play early and especially what they do in their first real test of the season versus Florida. If they go out and defeat the Gators, then the season could gain momentum and be a good one. The Vols could be 4-0 entering October, but thats when the real meat and potatoes of the schedule hits Rocky Top. The Vols have one of the toughest stretches for any team in college football as they face Georgia, LSU, Alabama, and South Carolina in consecutive weeks in the month of October. That tough spell will truly test the Vols will. If they could win at least 1 or 2 of those games and finish strong in November as they always do, then they could be on their way to a New Year’s Day bowl game. Realistically, I see the Vols winning 7 games, which will be just the next stepping stone in the rebuilding of the program under Derek Dooley.

Can James Franklin change Vanderbilt from lovable losers to contenders?

Franklin's relentless energy has been contagious for the Commodores

When someone mentions the Vanderbilt football program, It’s difficult for me not to go into a chuckle. I honestly have to stop myself from bursting into full blown hardy laughter because the Vandy program has always been a joke here in Nashville. There are various reasons behind Vandy football being comical as this is a team that perennially in the cellar of the mighty SEC conference. They are synonymous with losing just as the Chicago Cubs, the L.A. Clippers and the Cincinnati Bengals (insert jokes here) all are in there respective sport leagues. Speaking of the Chicago Cubs, the Vanderbilt football program are the lovable losers of the SEC. Teams usually facing the Commodores routinely mark that game as a win when they look at their schedule because lets face it, the Commodores usually are a bad team. They are a premier academic school (Ranked # 17th by US News and World Report) smack dab in the middle of the behemoth football conference in all of college. So it’s understandable that they will have a hard time getting W’s with so many players not solely focused on athletics as they would be at powerhouses like Florida, Alabama and LSU just to name a few. The ineptitude of Vandy is remarkable when you take a look at the numbers. Check a few quick facts below for better illustration of my point:




• Vanderbilt football has not won a conference championship since 1923




• Vanderbilt has competed in only four bowl games total in its history dating back to 1894.



• By comparison, all of the other SEC's charter members (Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, LSU, Auburn, Mississippi State, Florida, Georgia, and Ole Miss) have no fewer than 14 bowl appearances.



• Vanderbilt has posted only four winning seasons—in 1974, 1975, 1982 and 2008.



• They have beaten rival (If you can even call this a rivalry), Tennessee only once (2005) in the past 28 years.

Brian Kimbrow

However, that lovable loser mentality may be changing when the Commodores added new coach James Franklin to their payroll. The former hotshot offensive coordinator of Maryland has brought a fresh approach and new spunk to a program that needed a nice kick in the rear. This was never more evident then when Franklin recruited and landed the top three prospects in the state of Tennessee this year, out-dueling Derek Dooley and hated rival University of Tennessee for their services. Tennessee has always dominated the in-state battles for talent around these parts, so this was monumental for the Commodores. In landing Caleb Azubike, Brian Kimbrow (Rated best player in the state of Tennessee by Rivals.com) and Corey Batey, Franklin served notice that HIS Vandy team will be no push-overs. Franklin has identified what is what most fans and pundits think as a weakness and turned it into a powerful recruiting tool. The weakness that I am speaking of is their prominent academics reputation. Just like Jim Harbaugh did at Stanford, Gary Barnett at Northwestern and Tyrone Willingham at Notre Dame were able to utilize scholastic value in recruitment, so has Franklin. This is important because as most recently proved by Harbaugh at Stanford, if you can turn that perceived chink in the armor into an actual positive, then you have set yourself up in an enviable position.

Also, Franklin’s persona and charisma has seemed to resonate with the younger generation of players. “I've had a chance to think about this for two years now," Kimbrow said. "I've been being recruited since 10th grade. ... This is where I feel comfortable. This is where I want to go." Franklin is young, hip, and understands players more than older coaches ever will. He has embraced technology in a way former Vandy coach Bobby Johnson never did. Franklin is on twitter, facebook and all the various social networks used today by young players. He also hasn’t brought into the notion that Vanderbilt can’t be a successful football school. And his confidence is a breath of fresh air for a school use to playing but not competing with the big boys of the SEC. He has been relentless and it seems to rubbing off on his players as they see a man they can put their trust in.

In closing, James Franklin has come to a down and out program and already put his stamp on it. This is a team that is coming off two consecutive 2-10 seasons and is not far removed from having its most successful coach retire (Bobby Johnson) right before the start of the season (2009). The program was in shambles even for Vandy, but it appears all this has changed since the slam dunk hiring of Franklin. A lot credit has to given to David Williams of Vandy for choosing to bring in the young and brash Franklin. The results on the field may not show this year as Vandy still has holes all over its roster. They still need to find a consistent QB who can lead the offense and they also need former 1,000 yard back Warren Norman to return to pre-injury form. It’s a lot to ask for but considering the miracles Franklin has already accomplished it shouldn’t be that hard for him. Vandy has a bright future which is something you almost never heard before he arrived. “This is an opportunity to be a part of something special ... turning a program around ... building something with your own hands so that when you look back, three, four, five years from now, you can be very, very proud of what you've accomplished," said Franklin regarding the future of the program.



Only time will tell if Franklin pans out here in Nashville. One thing I gather from researching and writing column is that it won’t be for lack of trying and that is just what the doctor ordered for the lovable losers of the SEC, better known as the Vanderbilt Commodores.

Is the Ohio State Scandal Really Terrelle Pryor’s Entire Fault?

The Ohio State University is up to its teeth in scandal, as news of the ill fated football program has rocked one of the nation’s most prestigious college’s in the country. The coach Jim Tressel has been fired and starting QB Terrelle Pryor now has former attached to his title as he has announced that he will be leaving the program as well. Now the scandal itself has been well documented by numerous outlets you would have to be basically dead not to know what been going on in Columbus. Just in case you don’t know Pryor, along with several other OSU players have been trading memorabilia for tattoos, cash and everything else. This story was first uncovered by Yahoo and then blew completely open by Sports Illustrated. Pryor was the most celebrated Pryor since a funny guy name Richard but has now been disgraced as he has quit the team in hopes to somehow get in the NFL supplemental draft or play in Canada until next year.

Pryor was seen as the most audacious of all the players who got caught, so of course he becomes the whipping boy in all of this. But I pose the question to whoever is reading this, is Pryor the man that should be blamed for all of this? Granted he seemed to have taken the most and flaunted it more than any of the other players but just think about if you were in his position. He was the starting QB for the powerhouse Buckeyes. When Pryor looked in the stands of the Horseshoe, all he could see was his number two jerseys on fans backs. He receives no compensation for any of those jersey sells. He looks on the internet and notices that Ohio State’s football program made an estimated $63.8 million dollars last year and again he didn’t receive a nickel of that.

I know the cynics reading this are screaming at the top of their lungs that he received a scholarship with room and board and blah blah blah but that’s nothing compared to what his likeness is making for his school. It’s not even close. The modern day five-star recruited athlete sees a scholarship as nothing more than a given commodity. Not to devalue a free ride but top notch athletes field hundreds of offers from every school looking for the next great player. The school that is lucky enough to land a top recruit will make oodles of cash off his back so its no wonder recruiting is such a corrupt operation to begin with.

The culture of money and athletics go hand and hand. From the highest level athletic director to the lowest level street agent thug knows this. I’ve read over countless stories of older coaches giving players special “handshakes” and mowing lawns for exceptional amounts of money. Another aspect that goes unnoticed is the hip hop influence that infiltrates most every young athlete in America. It teaches that receiving money should be over anything and everybody. Pick a song from rap icons and you are sure to hear about money such as Lil Wayne’s “Got Money”, Kanye West “Can’t Tell Me Nothing” or 50 cents “I Get Money”. The major artists of hip-hop all showcase their jewelry and expensive cars because its just part of the culture. Does this sound like anybody we know here? The perception of hip-hip is to show off and show out whenever you get a chance and Pryor definitely seemed to live up that aspect of the music.

We can’t forget Jim Tressel as well in this situation as he cultivated this kind of pay for play atmosphere. As indicated in the Sports Illustrated story, this is not Tressel’s first rodeo. He was investigated at Youngstown State after another alleged scandal involving his star QB at the time by the name of Ray Isaac. Tressel projects himself as a high value devoted Christian man but if you read a few stories about him you will come to the conclusion that he most definitely has an alter ego. To win in big time college athletics it takes a certain type of demeanor. You rarely see choir boys leading teams out the tunnel, its usually fiery guys with intense personalities a la Urban Meyer. Tressel’s outside demeanor may not have fit that scene but he has a deep down fortitude of competition in him. It’s that very reason that Tressel may have let the type things that went on at OSU to continue. There is no way he couldn’t have known 28 or more players as named by Sports Illustrated were receiving benefits especially the tattoos. He saw his player everyday you mean to tell me he didn’t notice all of great new body art they were flashing? Give me a break.

Furthermore, if you take a look at college athletics around the nation, you would think you were reading a national enquirer. Scandals have broken out like chicken pox in a kindergarten class. Tennessee, North Carolina, USC, Uconn, Auburn, and even Boise State have all received that dreaded letter from the NCAA. No one wants to say it but college athletics are totally screwed up at this point. The little things you could get away with yesteryear will be on someone’s twitter, facebook, skype, or some forum on the internet nowadays. Hell look at what has just happened to Texas as former star QB Colt McCoy’s girlfriend decided to do a little radio interview and she eluded to some things that I’m pretty sure Mack Brown and co would have liked to keep quiet. The NCAA has stated that they would like to get tougher in light of all allegations that are coming at them left at right but from what I understand they are terribly understaffed. Its like fighting a fight with one hand tied behind your back.

In conclusion, like I stated earlier in the article it was 28 players in all indicated in the report. Terelle Pryor is only one man, by reading a few articles on the internet you would think he accounted for every one of the 28 in question. I’m not an apologist on Pryor behalf I’ve just read so many negative columns about him and it somewhat angered me, on how quickly those praising you can stick a dagger in you all in the same breath. Pryor was absolutely wrong in which the manner he conducted himself. He took outlandish gifts, he drove cars that weren’t his, and he put OSU on a downward spiral that has no ending in site. He has to take most of the blame because he was the highest profiled of all the players indicated in the report. Sorry to say it, but that just how it goes when you’re the best player. But don’t give me that it’s HIS ENTIRE fault. He is a teenager in the precarious position of being the most popular athlete in town. He wasn’t doing all these things by himself. He had manipulative grown men doing these things for him. So again I ask the question was it really all Terrelle Pryor’s fault? I think not

Who Didn't See This Coming?: Mike Hamilton Steps Down As University of Tennessee’s AD:



The news of Mike Hamilton stepping down as UT’s AD should really not come as a surprise to those who closely monitored the situation. His tenure as AD was the most tumultuous in Tennessee’s long and storied athletic department history. He oversaw three coaching changes in Tennessee’s usually stable football program including the firing of UT legend Phil Fulmer and the hiring of Lane Kiffin (Kiffin is a curse word around these parts). Kiffin replaced Fulmer and everyone knows how that one ended. Derek Dooley is still working to get the Kiffin’s stench out of Knoxville. Hamilton also hired and fired former men’s beloved basketball coach Bruce Pearl. Pearl was Hamilton’s best hire until Pearl’s scandal and allegations led to his eventual firing amid a media firestorm. Tennessee has been charged with 12 major violations since Hamilton has taken over in 2003. There were multiple player suspensions from the likes of fighting, robbery, drug charges, gun charges and many more. Now all of this wasn’t his fault, as it was the coaches’ job to control their players. But Hamilton DID hire those coaches who were take care of that side for him. He has always been accustomed to change as AD of Tennessee, because it was the one constant he has dealt with while serving.

Furthermore, Hamilton hasn’t had the support base of the Tennessee family for some time now. His handling of the Fulmer and Pearl situation left many doubters. He always seemed a step behind when it came to having the right amount of fortitude and leniency on his coaches. Kiffin was able to get away with many violations right under Hamilton’s nose and the same can be said about Pearl. Those two were direct hires of Hamilton’s. Just listen in to one the sports shows in town and when someone mentions Hamilton the conversation immediately takes a downward spiral. There are websites dedicated to Hamilton titled “FireHamilton.com” and some other ones I can’t even mention due to vulgar language. He will join the long list of coaches who were bought out by UT including Fulmer, Pearl, former baseball coach Todd Raleigh. The sum of those parts are costing the University $3.1 million dollars annually and when you throw in Hamilton’s projected buy out at $1.3 million, your looking at a staggering amount of money for guys who are not on the sidelines.

It will be interesting to see what Hamilton’s legacy is remembered for at UT. He did hire the most successful men’s basketball coach in the school’s history in Pearl. He did fire one of the most loved coaches in UT history as well in Phil Fulmer. The school was always in the media rather it is for the right or wrong things. He wasn’t the most well like man but he had the have support of the right people at UT and that has to be one of the reasons he kept his job as long as he did. Chancellor Jimmy Cheek had to know inevitably this day was coming soon. From what he said in the press conference lets you know as much as he stated he did not force Hamilton out BUT DID NOT TRY TO CONVINCE HIM TO STAY EITHER. Wow, that about sums it up best. No one in Tennessee wanted to force him out but now that he is gone most of the Tennessee faithful are breathing a sigh of relief.

The Sportaholic Show Online Radio by Sportaholic

The Sportaholic show Online Radio by Sportaholic Blog Talk Radio

The Sportaholic show Online Radio by Sportaholic Blog Talk Radio
Updated May 13, 2011: Tomorrow is the first show, make sure you tune in. This weeks's show includes NBA playoff matchups Chicago vs. Miami and new Tennessee QB Jake Locker is he the anti-Vince Young?

I would like to invite all my viewers to join me in the conversation as I launch the Sportaholic Radio Show. Sports is one thing in life that can be fun for all. Each day we go through the motions of life and try to keep sane while facing our everyday challanges.Sports is the one constant many of us have in our lives. In the inaugural Sportaholic radio show, I would like to address the effect sports has one's life. Most people who played team sports at one time or another in their life, know the benefits they've received of being part of a team with one united goal. This along with the NBA Playoffs, NFL Lockout and local sports topics will all be chronicled on the debut show of Sportaholic radio. Be sure also check me out at http://www.sportaholic2112.blogspot.com and http://www.noomizo.com/sports. The initial show date will be held on Saturday, May 14th at 11:30 A.M. All opioions are welcomed, so get ready for a good laugh or two and an even better time. If you would like to call in and let your voice be heard on the weeks hottest sports topics, the number is 714-464-5225. Thanks Nashville for all your continued support.

The Sportaholic show Online Radio by Sportaholic | Blog Talk Radio

                     

The Sportaholic show Online Radio by Sportaholic Blog Talk Radio

Upadated May 13, 2011

I would like to invite all my viewers to join me in the conversation as I launch the Sportaholic Radio Show. Sports is one thing in life that can be fun for all. Each day we go through the motions of life and try to keep sane while facing our everyday challanges.Sports is the one constant many of us have in our lives. In the inaugural Sportaholic radio show, I would like to address the effect sports has one's life. Most people who played team sports at one time or another in their life, know the benefits they've received of being part of a team with one united goal. This along with the NBA Playoffs, NFL Lockout and local sports topics will all be chronicled on the debut show of Sportaholic radio. Be sure also check me out at http://www.sportaholic2112.blogspot.com and http://www.noomizo.com/sports. The initial show date will be held on Saturday, May 14th at 11:30 A.M. All opioions are welcomed, so get ready for a good laugh or two and an even better time. If you would like to call in and let your voice be heard on the weeks hottest sports topics, the number is 714-464-5225. Thanks Nashville for all your continued support.