The Sun Devils Suddenly Have Morals?

I find it extremely funny that Arizona State is threatening to ban their cheer squad from the sidelines. I use the word “threatening’, because I won’t believe it until I see it. It’s ludicrous to believe they’ve suddenly developed morals. And it’s even more ridiculous to believe this upcoming ban stems from the internet photo (posted above) displaying cheerleaders in their bras and panties.

Joe Francis, and his film crew (Girls Gone Wild), spend so much time in Tempe Arizona that they might as well enroll and register for classes. Thanks to this entrepreneur turned millionaire, ASU is more known for T & A than anything they could possibly achieve in academics or athletics. You can search the entire internet for collegiate rankings in all categories, but you won’t find the Sun Devils in the top 10, until the list reflects “hottest co-eds”.

And then there’s the issue of the picture, itself. I fail to see what’s so terribly wrong, where it would warrant a complete ban. If it were bathing suits, instead of undergarments, would the photo be more tasteful? Both garments cover the same areas, and show just as much skin, so honestly, what’s the difference? Maybe it’s the “hands on hips” that brought forth the ban. You think? Former Louisville cheerleader, Becca Manns, was kicked off her squad for masturbation photos displayed on the internet. This is hardly on that level.

A former Trojan Volleyball player, Lisa Love, is the Vice President of ASU athletics, and the one making this call. She spent her career around song girls in sweaters, so maybe showing any skin above the wrist is over the top. In my opinion, It’s petty, and a rush to judgment. If I were on the ASU staff, I doubt I would vote for a ban, and would probably follow the procedure of viewing said photo, enlarging said photo, printing said photo, and displaying said photo on my bedroom wall. And finally, concluding with a big “thumbs up” to the girls, and issuing a warning to be careful where they post their pictures, along with the whole “you represent Arizona State University” spiel.

Besides, just because we won’t see them on the ASU sideline, doesn’t mean we’ll never see them again:

DOH-Mer Of The Week- Finger Pointing

The BCS is here to stay. Well, at least until 2014. That announcement came last week, and created quite a buzz in the media. And along with all the talk, quite a few DOH-mers began their finger pointing, directing it towards the Big 10 and Pac 10. As someone out here in Pac 10 country, I point a finger back, and respond with a “F*&k You”. It’s easy to place blame and play follow the leader with the media, but a majority of those finger pointers didn’t even take a look at the pile of $h!t being disguised as a “playoff format”.

We have 119 teams in division I-A football, and the proposal calls for just 4 to be in a playoff. Unlike other sports, these 4 teams are still a production of the media vote, which isn’t any different than what we have now, except it limits the number of participants in any championship conversations. Your final BCS standings in 2007 were as follows:

1. Ohio State 11-1
2. LSU 10-2
3. Virginia Tech 10-2
4. Oklahoma 10-2

How do you tell two BCS conference winners (USC and West Virginia) that their achievement is insignificant, though they have the identical records of OU, Virginia Tech, and LSU? How do you tell a one loss Kansas team that they can’t be in this playoff?

That is how they finished the regular season, with no playoff in place. But if this proposed format was accepted last season, Virginia Tech would not be in, despite being No. 1 in the computers. If the media is in full control of which teams will participate, I could almost guarantee that Tech would have received fewer votes in the final polls, with Georgia and OU receiving more. Georgia and LSU didn’t play during the season, but media voting could have, and probably would have, forced the match up. We saw this happen in 2006, when the media votes allowed Florida to jump over Michigan to obtain a spot in the championship game, and for no other reason than the voters not wanting a Michigan/Ohio State rematch.

For it to even begin to be sensible, the field would have to be stretched to at least 8, and still wouldn’t be a full representation of college football. With their proposal, and teams qualifying with human votes, you’re still getting a media champion. If you can call that a playoff, then I’d say you’ve been bamboozled. What we have now is closer to a playoff, with teams practically playing in a double elimination tournament that begins in August and ends in January. To complete it, you would just take the BCS bowl teams, with the wildcards, and play it to an end. If anything, that would have been the proper proposal, instead of the smoke and mirrors campaign that was launched. I'm not saying it would have been accepted, but it would have been a hell of a lot better than the bull$h!t they served on the plate, and expected everyone to eat. Has the desperation reached the point where people are willing to accept any format, regardless of how asinine it may be? Sorry, but I'm not that desperate.

And Jim Rome, shut the f*&k up, because I’m burning now. Who is he to call out conferences? Who is he to talk about the shame of not having a playoff in college football? College football does have a playoff, on two different levels, but no one watches that $h!t. In December, I see Jim Rome booking guests that are about to play in the BCS championship game. How about having Armanti Edwards as a studio guest, Jim? All he’s done is lead his Appalachian State team to back to back Division I-AA championships, in a “playoff”! Don’t cry about the lack of a playoff, and blame anyone for it, when you’re sitting their promoting the BCS on your damn show! ESPN can shut the f*&k up with their blame game. College football live, college gameday, Sportscenter, Thursday night football, and airing games from sun up to sun down on Saturdays is all focused attention on Division I football. Eventually, at some point near the end of the show, hidden beneath all of that, an anchor may give his "by the way, Appy State won a title today". Pfft!

The SEC fought for a plan so transparent that it wouldn't take 20/20 vision to see through it. They looked to be the college football saviors, and quickly turned their water into whine. College football may need a true playoff, but judging by the viewers and monies exchanged, it surely doesn't need saving.

The DOH-mers are anyone crying about not having a Division I playoff, and pointing their fingers at the Pac 10 and Big 10. That includes anyone watching, promoting, airing, reporting and SPENDING on these events. It’s not the Pac 10 and Big 10 that are the culprits. It’s you, me, and everyone else that continues to increase the sports ratings and fatten their pockets. Stop crying, and deliver your message, by tuning out college football under the current format. Can you? I bet you can't. So yeah, I'm giving you the finger, and DOH-mer. Congratulations.

Live For The Game Or Die For Your Country

Another weekend has passed since NFL franchises made their 2008 draft selections. Those rookies have now joined their new teams and will work vigorously to obtain a roster spot. It was a draft filled with big name talent, but there’s a much smaller name that seems to have embedded itself in my thoughts. That name is Caleb Campbell, an Army cadet chosen in the seventh round by the Detroit Lions.

Everyone is aware of the personal sacrifice made by Pat Tillman, who willingly gave up a career in the NFL to fight for his country. Not since World War II had we seen professional athletes display that type of dedication to a cause bigger than the games they played, until Tillman shocked friends, family, and a majority of America with his announcement. Tillman eventually lost his life in Afghanistan, and a nation grieved for him.

In the case of Campbell, we get a complete reversal. Here is a young man who signed on to make the defense of America’s freedoms his priority, with anything else being secondary. Government money prepared him to be an officer on the battlefield, and nothing more than a hobbyist on the football field. But as Campbell's college football career came to an end, the U.S Army altered those priorities.

Before Roger Staubach could sling a single pass downfield for the Dallas Cowboys, he had to first fulfill his commitment to the United States Navy, including a tour in Vietnam. Before David Robinson could wear a San Antonio jersey, this Navy Midshipman had to serve two years of service, after being drafted by the Spurs, before he was permitted to appear on the hardwood. Times have changed, with rules changing with it, and it all leads to a question of fairness.

Under the new Military policy, any athlete drafted by a professional team can report immediately, and their service is pushed back. If that individual makes the roster, and remains in the league for two years, their service is waived completely. In theory, Campbell won’t only represent the Detroit Lions, he also becomes the Army Public Relations man and recruiting officer. The Army feels he’s more beneficial in a recruiting role than in a leadership role on foreign soil. The end result is that many of his graduating class, and former teammates will find themselves in active duty. Some will participate in the hostilities of Iraq and Afghanistan, and some will make the ultimate sacrifice with their lives. Is Caleb Campbell being rewarded for being great on the football field? Are his teammates being punished, because they were not?

And how much more pressure does it place on a coaching staff, when they are already faced with the big decisions of who should make a roster? There’s a big difference between cutting a player and sending him off to a smaller league or the American workforce. But that decision looms even greater, when a roster cut possibly condemns a young man to the atrocities of war. And what of the grieving parents, who hear time after time that their children assumed the risk, when they signed on the bottom line? The message seems to be that if their children were better athletes, they’d still be alive today. And in the midst of the controversy, itself, there is Caleb Campbell, victimized by the pressures of both sides of the argument.

I personally oppose the war in Iraq, while giving full support to the troops. I can only wish they were all better athletes. Do I think the new Military ruling is fair? I’m not sure. It bothers me that sport marks the separation between a soldier and his classmates. But at the same time, we get these great stories of our military saving Iraqi lives, so why is it a bad thing when we save one of our own?

But in all, Caleb Campbell has a military education, and an NFL contract. Everytime his name is mentioned or images are shown, the controversy will swirl. As a military man, he was given the choice to live for a game or possibly die for his country. Tillman chose his country. Campbell chose the game. I can't tell you which is right or question any loyalties, but I can tell you that for the first time ever, the popular phrase, "being thrown to the lions", has new meaning.

Eyes On A Foe: Taking It In The Wazzu

The Washington State Cougars will be short 6 scholarships for the upcoming season. With a poor Academic Performance Rating (APR), the NCAA will impose sanctions against the program, which will lessen the amount of scholarships by 6. Fewer scholarships puts a serious hurt on a programs recruiting, and we all know Wazzu can use all the help they can get.

The APR was set in place in 2005, and is a compilation of statistics and graduation rates for each Division I program. Schools graduating less than 50% of their players are sanctioned. I'm not sure where the less than 50% of Washington State's players that didn't graduate went, but it surely wasn't into the NFL.