Ladies and Gentlemen -

It’s time for our next to last installment of our College Football Spring Game Tour.
We have quite a few college football teams to examine along with the latest news from the practice fields, so let’s not waste any more time here.

Only 121 Days until Kick-off…..
Enjoy

LSU: The Reining National Champion Bayou Bengals may have lost some key players due to graduation and the NFL draft, but make no mistake. If Coach Miles can keep his star Quarterback in school and out of jail they will be contending once again for the Southeastern Conference title. Believe it.

TEXAS: New coordinators abound in Austin and quarterback Colt McCoy is healthy, need I say more?
The Longhorns are poised to take the Big 12 for the first time since Saint Vince brought home the National Championship.

OREGON: I don’t care and neither should you.

BEST PLAYER QUOTE OF THE WEEK: Florida State wide receiver Preston Parker and last years MVP for the Seminoles on his recent arrest on weapon and drug charges.
“At least like, I wasn’t tasered, like you know some players.”
EDITORS NOTE: At least you have that going for you.

VIRGINIA TECH: Enter the Sandman….The Hokies are loaded and if they can squeak by Clemson, they will have a shot at the Atlantic Coast Conference Championship.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA: Coach Carroll decided to make the Trojan spring game “Fun and Interactive” for the players and fans this year by having the players “Bring Your Sports Agent to the Game” which was sponsored by the Lexis Dealers of Southern California and the Reggie Bush Foundation.
SHHHHhhhhhhhhhh don’t tell the NCAA.

PENN STATE: After Jo Pa earned some “street credit” with his young players after a traffic altercation last year, he has dedicated himself to forming a tougher defense than previous seasons.
No word yet on when Jo Pa will release his Rap album.

UCLA: (See Oregon)

OHIO STATE: The Buckeyes were not suppose to even contend for the Big Ten, I mean Eleven title last year much less make a run at the National Championship. This year all the pieces of the elusive puzzle are in place with key players returning at almost every position and remember you heard it hear first……The Buckeyes will make a run at the title. Believe it.

GEORGIA: The Showdown with the Mighty Gators at the “Worlds Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party” may very well decide who will contend for the Southeastern Conference Championship…and beyond.
EDITORS NOTE: You didn’t really think I was going to leave UGA without a…..
HOW BOUT THEM DAWGS!

NEBRASKA: 80,000 Husker Fans “paid” to see the spring game in Lincoln.
The Black Shirts may not be all the way back…but they are getting there in a hurry.

LOUISVILLE: Coach Steve Kragthorpe (Whose last name will be pronounced “Fired” if he doesn’t do a better job coaching than he did last season) spent the majority of the spring football practice teaching the Cardinals how to spell “D-E-F-E-N-S-E”.

COACH’S QUOTE OF THE WEEK: Coach Paul Johnson, Georgia Tech
“What the Hell? I thought I was coaching THE University of Georgia……..O’ God is this ever going to suck.”
EDITORS NOTE: Yes it will coach, it most certainly will.

WEST VIRGINIA: The Mountaineer fans are stocking up on furniture and lighter fluid this off-season in anticipation of another run at the Big East title under a real West Virginia coach.
EDITORS NOTE: I still don’t understand the concept of burning your own furniture after your team wins a game. I support it, but I don’t understand it.

LASALLE & MARIST: I understand both ladies had their hair done and hope to lose some weight this spring and summer and have a better outlook on life for the 2008 season.
Which is nice.

IVY LEAGUE: (Please see UCLA and Oregon)

Later this week Hootie Snitch will return to answer your email questions before we wrap up the College Football Spring Game Tour.

RTR
MEB

Since it appears the “investigators” for the NCAA and the PAC 10 couldn’t find an elephant if they were tied to its tail, I am here to offer my help with the investigation of Reggie Bush and Southern California.
Submitted for your approval; “Some” of the evidence for the Reggie Bush investigation.
No need to thank me, I’m just glad to do my part.
Enjoy.

RTR
MEB

Ladies and Gentlemen -

Before I depart for a brief hiatus I wanted to leave you all with another story from the
“Here we go again Department” and this is no April Fools.

On the evening of Friday April the 11th, the University of Alabama had planned to have a pep rally before the spring football game in Bryant Denny Stadium involving the football coaches, players and the Million Dollar Marching Band.
This pep rally was to be followed by a live performance (concert) by country music star Alan Jackson.

As you might imagine, this event had been planned for months.
Eighteen months to be precise.

STOP!!!
The NCAA stepped in on Friday 28 March 2008 with “concerns that student-athletes (namely football players) could be potentially used to promote the Alan Jackson Concert.”

The President of MSL Entertainment, Mr. Shawn Garrity, who sponsored the event at the University of Alabama and 16 other university spring football games had this to say concerning the situation.
“The issue over player participation has caused confusion among the schools during this critical window of time in which they had left to properly promote the event. With valuable time being lost awaiting NCAA clarification, we felt it was in the best interest of all parties involved to allow our participating universities and their marketing partners more time to adequately prepare for this event, the largest college football celebration in history.”

The NCAA “spokesperson” responded with the following statement:
“NCAA rules do not allow student-athletes to participate in any promotional activities or appearances for a commercial venture. NCAA rules also do not allow student-athletes to receive free or reduced benefits, such as free concert tickets, that are generally available to the student body. These rules are in place to maintain amateur status of student-athletes.
According to our discussions with MSL Sports Entertainment, the company wanted to use the appearance of football student-athletes as part of the event. In addition, the organizers did not want to require the student-athletes to pay admission to the event.
While it has been stated that the organizers have been planning this event for a year and a half, they did not contact the NCAA to ensure compliance until last week. ”

So football players being introduced on the stage of a concert (without buying a ticket) is a NCAA violation? Even if the event is to promote an event FOR the University?
O.K., so let me understand this…….”NCAA rules also do not allow student-athletes to receive free or reduced benefits, such as free concert tickets, that are generally available to the student body. These rules are in place to maintain amateur status of student-athletes.”

That is kind of funny because I remember Dwayne Jarrett from U$C who lived in a $4500.00 a month apartment in southern California for a year and a half for “free” and the NCAA determined that “Dwayne didn’t know that he had to pay rent” and allowed him to continue his career at U$C.
And who can forget (Other than the PAC 10 and the NCAA) Reggie Bush’s momma and step-fathers rent free mansion and the free plane trips, cars, the clothes, the cars and the clothes. You get the picture.

This is a good time to remind you all that NCAA stands for……..
National Coalition Against Alabama.

“Hootie” Snitch will take over the column until I return.
Stay tuned I understand he has something “for the ladies” later on this week.
Be afraid - be very afraid.

RTR
MEB

As I set here…. I can’t help but wonder whatever happened to the NCAA and PAC 10 investigation into Reggie Bush and Southern California?

Where do they get their investigators? Aruba?

RTR

MEB