CFB Weekend Preview #1 - In which I talk at length about the importance of running backs

#21 Texas A&M @ #9 South Carolina

You're the man now, dawg.

The most interesting thing about this game isn't necessarily who will be on the field but rather who isn't. The two most obvious being now in Cleveland and the other in Houston. Yes, the post Manziel A&M era is upon the Aggies and to start with... It might not be that good. Vegas has Gamecocks has 10 1/2 point favorites in this one and I'm inclined to agree they will win but maybe by not that big a margin. For one SC has a fifth year senior taking over at quarterback while A&M's Kenny Hill is a sophomore albeit one who saw limited playing time in relief of Manziel last season. While A&M would like to enter the season with a win in conference play for the first time since entering the SEC they will find it extraordinarily difficult since SC has gone 18-0 in home games. Interestingly enough though, A&M is very good away, going 10-2 under Kevin Sumlin.

Another reason SC will win this game is due to their running game. Mike Davis put up seven games last season when he ran for at least 100 yards. In the ninth game last year his season came to an end due to injury however he still managed to finish fourth all time for rushing in Gamecock's history. This bodes extremely well for QB Dylan Thompson as a good running game is a inexperienced quarterbacks best friend.

Behind a no doubt raucous home crowd, solid running, and a quarterback who hopefully won't make mistakes SC should be able to put this one away. A&M almost always scores first so it will be important for SC to maintain their composure when that inevitably happens. I expect this to be a relatively low scoring game as the college football season shakes the rust off.

A&M 17 - SC 24

Boise State @ #18 Ole Miss

Having your eyes match the field you play on is a tactical advantage.

Everyone's favorite BCS buster travels to Atlanta to take on the Rebs. I admit I was pretty surprised to see that Vegas only has Ole Miss up by 10 1/2, I was expecting it to be quite a bit higher. Like 20 points even. For starters Boise State has an extremely weak offensive line, none of players were there lat year. Also, their head coach is new as Chris Petersen is now in Washington.

Elsewhere though Boise State is actually solid. They have productive receivers, a veteran quarterback who doesn't turn it over ( five interceptions in 242 attempts) but where they really shine is their running back. Jay Ajayi is definitely the best offensive option the Broncos have. Here I go about the running game again! When you're on the road in such a hostile place as the SEC I'd think being able to rely on your running game could be a huge benefit! Anyway...

That being said, remember what happened the last time the Broncos traveled to Atlanta to play an SEC game? And that team was miles better than this one with a Heisman contending quarterback at the helm. Oh yeah, they won. OK bad example. However, this Ole Miss team is not without their own set of weapons which starts with another seasoned veteran in quarterback Bo Wallace. Ole Miss is a lot people's sleeper for the SEC West and it all starts there. The one weakness for Ole Miss might be their running game however Boise's even more inexperienced defensive line probably outweaknesses it.

I expect Ole Miss to pretty comfortably win this one as I said above. I'm still confused by that line. If Ole Miss is as good as we are lead to believe, even going so far as to win the SEC West surely they are more than 10 points better than an inexperienced Boise team. Maybe Vegas knows something we don't? *queue X-Files music*.

Boise State 21- Ole Miss 35

#16 Clemson @ #12 Georgia

ayy lmao

Clemson and Georgia have certainly had interesting off-seasons but finally on Saturday we'll get to see these teams take out their aggression on each other!

Right now the lines are favoring Georgia by 9 but I expect this to come down before the weekend; Some places already have it at 7 1/2.

Now before I go any further there's one thing I really need to discuss. Running! Specifically the Georgia tandem of Gurley and Marshall, one of which could be a Heisman winner when it's all said and done. Having such decorated and dependable backs should make new Georgia quarterback Huston Mason's job feel much easier. 

I'm really feeling Clemson in this one. For one thing Mark Richt is up there with Bob "Big Game" Stoops as having a reputation for not being able to win the big ones including last year against this very team. If Georgia found it difficult to go up against Clemson last year they should find it even more so this year especially since Clemson returns virtually all of its defensive players. Indeed the key match up will have to be Clemson's front seven against those Georgia backs I already mentioned. Hopefully this game will be another high scoring shootout like last season. (Vegas has the total points at between 54-60)

Clemson 34 - Georgia 31

#14 Wisconsin @ #13 LSU

No kidding this is like the 2nd or 3rd guy who when I searched for their picture the first thing was a mug shot.

The age old battle of SEC vs. Big 10 picks up again this weekend as the Badgers travel down to Baton Rouge to take on the Tigers and Les "Grazing" Miles. If there's one thing we know for sure it's that the Badgers know who their quarterback is. It's complicated with the Tigers. LSU appears to be trying their hand at a dual quarterback system with both Anthony Jennings and Brandon Harris splitting snaps.

Preface: More running back talk a.... Fuck it. You know what this is. Wisconsin will rely heavily on their star running back Melvin Gordon who was the second best in the Big 10 last year. LSU will also rely heavily on their own back, Terrence Magee. Expect to also see a bit of Kenny Hilliard as well as Leonard Fournette who was one of the best backs coming to college.

This game will be very close. Despite the fact that Wisconsin has lost its biggest non conference games each of the last two seasons while LSU has the record for longest non conference winning streak at 45, I really think the Badgers have a good shot at turning the corner. I just feel like like LSU is coming into this game with too many unanswered questions at quarterback as well as running back. In these huge games like this one having an good running game or even knowing for sure who is going to be doing it could be the edge. 

Wisconsin 24 - LSU 21

#5 Ohio State @ Navy

...

Despite all my negativity and pessimism Vegas still has the Buckeyes beating Navy by no less than 15 points. But it should be closer to 20! OK, I'll stop.

Obviously, all eyes on this game are going to be on JT Barett who hasn't played in a football game since high school. That combined with the fact that the Buckeyes have questions at a couple other positions and that said redshirt QB will be playing on the road have turned what was once a glorified warm up into an actual football game. 

In times like this you basically have to rely on your head coach and trust that he has everything under control. Thankfully the Buckeyes have one of the best in the business to do just that. 

The Buckeyes will look to ease Barett into the game through a heavy dose of *running* and overall limiting Barett's playbook. Think quick screens and slants. Navy's triple option attack will provide the highly questioned OSU defense with a good challenge. 

Overall this game will come down to not making mistakes and running the ball. Here's where Ohio State has a huge edge... And it's mathematical! Navy's starting defensive linemen weigh an average of about 250 pounds while OSU's weigh in at 300 pounds. That's a giant advantage for the Buckeyes. With the space that will be created I could run through there! Maybe not. But even an inexperienced back like Ezekiel Elliott should have no problem. 

The Buckeyes will still this one though again not as comfortably as many would like. I think even more than not making mistakes will be how they handles mistakes when they do happen. Starting a redshirt freshmen on the road is a recipe for mistakes and it will be incumbent on Meyer and the leaders on the team to not let Barrett completely lose his head when he throws a pick.

Ohio State 42 - Navy 28

Josh Shaw is Manti Te'o for a new generation

I like how college players making up shit is a thing.

Josh Shaw finally came clean today about his mysterious ankle injury. The story that was concocted was that Shaw broke his ankles leaping out a window to save his nephew who was drowning. The story immediately came under scrutiny as even USC had questions... Of course this didn't stop them from  going to the press with the story to talk their boy up. 

It is still unknown how exactly Shaw did injure his ankles but since the beginning of this story there has been speculation as Shaw was mentioned, though not charged in connection with a break in on Saturday.

For the first time since noted CFL star, Chris Leak, Uran Meyer has a question at quarterback

Miller was one of a long line of solid QB starters for Meyer.

Braxton Miller's injury and subsequent absence from the entire 2014-15 season of college football has created turmoil not only in the Big 10, where OSU was expected to roll to an easy conference title and spot in the playoffs, but also nationally. Questions arise like would a one loss Michigan State team be able to make it into the playoff? Most likely a close loss to Oregon in the second week wouldn't hurt that much, but losing in-conference where the best player in it is on the sideline would probably be too damaging. Indeed, it's not that out of the question that Miller's injury could leave the entire Big 10 out of the playoff. Ohio State's easy walk through the Big 10 is also of course much more interesting. I think their schedule is to a degree already a bit overlooked. Night games at Penn State have always been challenging for the Buckeyes, the MSU game of course, and a scrappy Terrapin team could all be potential landmines. Whereas before you could give close games the benefit of the doubt because of Miller's dyanmic-ness those games will now need to be played much more closer to the vest. (It is a Tressel joke).

This year will be interesting for another reason as well, how will Meyer handle not having an experienced veteran at quarterback? For about as far back as you care to go Meyer has enjoyed this rare luxury. Going back to Meyer's days at Utah where he first became known nationally, Meyer had a young quarterback named Alex Smith, better known as the career and indeed embodiment of the "game manager". 

The Game Manager, managing a game.

I don't use that term negatively, mind you. Alex Smith has shown flashes of greatness. He's sort of gotten a raw deal in my opinion. Before being benched by the 49ers (after an injury) for Colin Kaepernick he had 104 QB rating. Oh, and he also managed the Utes to a 21-1 record, ableit against the power-house Mountain West Conference.

Following his success at Utah, Urban Meyer took his talents to Gainsville where he had another spot of success. When Meyer arrived the quarterback at Florida was one Chris Leak who wasn't exactly a household name. While he had enjoyed some success under Ron Zook, Meyer and new OC Dan Mullen managed to transform Chris Leak into a national title winner. 

41-14, never forget. 

Urban Meyer's offense consists of three receivers and the quarterback in the shotgun. Motion in the backfield creates an option to keep defenses guessing. Seeing that Leak was struggling as he was more of a traditional drop back passer, Meyer changed certain aspects of his offense to suit him. He also inserted one Tim Tebow in certain situations. This if nothing else should give Buckeye fans hope that not all is lost. Meyer has demonstrated ability to make the most of even mediocre quarterbacks as well as a willingness to alter his scheme to suit a particular quarterbacks skill set.

With Leak gone to pursue a fulfilling career in the CFL as well as the Arena Football League, Meyer gave Tim Tebow the starting job. 

Tebow quickly became Meyers' waifu. 

Tebow highlighted how lethal Meyer's offense can be when he has a quarterback seemingly tailor made for the role. Tebow's combination of arm strength and size made even SEC defenses at times seem vulnerable. For the next 2 years Meyer and Tebow dominated the SEC, oh except that one year they lost to Alabama and Tebow cried like a bitch. But other than that, they had a fruitful career together including another national title and a Heisman.

Finally, Meyer followed his destiny and became coach at Ohio State where he was lucky enough to have another player perfectly suited for his offense fall into his lap in Braxton Miller. The duo took Ohio State to nearly two undefeated seasons however Miller has been shown to be injury prone. 

That leads us to today where for the first time since Chris Leak Meyer has an unproven starter at quarterback. This is arguably even more dire of a situation because JT Barett has literally never played a down at the collegiate level. However for all the reasons I've said I think not all is lost. Barrett is a Meyer recruit so obviously he fits into the system Meyer runs. He is a natural leader, according to reports, I don't know what that means exactly but I'm sure it's good. However he also lacks the size of Miller or even the other option at QB, Cardale Jones. It will be important for Meyer to ease Barret into the game, limit his access to the playbook and establish a solid running game which all reports are the Buckeyes should have one. There is speculation that Barrett's ceiling could be higher than Guiton's which is great news, but lower than Miller's. 

The Buckeyes should be able to easily get to a 10 win season. But when national title hopes were a legitimate hope for Buckeye fans that is still sort of a bummer. However, if we get a quarterback who is better than Guiton and just a hint of Miller I know I at least will be content. Even a "game manager" at quarterback under this offense can do great things. Meyer has proven if nothing else he can develop a quarterback as good as anyone else in the game.

Well that was fun.

All across Ohio and beyond this is happening. (And in Michigan for that matter though for different reasons.)

And just like that it was over before it began. If Miller is really going to be out for the entire season you can pretty much kiss it all goodbye. Like I said earlier pretty much everything Ohio State does goes through either Miller's arms or legs. I mean what's going to save us, our defense? Lol. 

On the plus side the rest of the Big 10 is suddenly a lot more competitive so I guess that'll make watching the games more interesting.

This Commercial Basically owns

Browns fan pays tribute to Art Modell, gets arrested

A super intelligent man has been arrested for pissing on Art Modell's grave and then doing really smart thing and posting it on Youtube. In the video the guy is initally wearing a Ravens jersey but takes it off and throws it to the ground revealing a Browns jersey underneath.

This really cool guy has been charged with disorderly conduct in a cemetery, a misdemeanor and could face up to two years in jail and a $500 fine.

Spurs hire first ever full-time female assistant coach

The San Antonio Spurs have hired the first ever full-time female assistant coach. Becky Hammon who has 16 years of experience in the WNBA has been associated with the Spurs and the WNBA team the San Antonio Stars for some time.

I think it'll be interesting to see how this plays out in the locker room. A lot of people are saying that because she has earned her way to this spot that she already has the players' respect. The Spurs and Popovich specifically are extremely progressive so this is not the least bit surprising that they are the first team to take this step.

I wonder what Twitter has to say?

Oh..

:/

Former Ohio State receiver Brian Hartline gives perspective on Paul George injury

Brian Hartline suffered a nearly identical injury to Paul George his senior year in high school shortly after committing to Ohio State.

When I first saw Georges' injury I thought it could very well be career ending based on how gruesome it looked but after hearing this and other experts' opinions I'm starting to feel optimistic.

"I was reading everybody saying, 'Ah, his career might be over.' His career is not anywhere near over,"..."He'll be fine. He's a freak athlete. He'll do awesome, he'll work hard. That's my perspective."

Hartline, who sustained his injury was out for roughly 6 to 8 weeks but was up and running the following Spring, winning two hurdling championships.

I guess the human body is pretty amazing in what kind of punishment it can take. Maybe Hartline is right and the leg heal and be stronger than before.

Cincinnati still content with being good, not great.

Cam Newton loves this mug.

The Bengals awarded Andy Dalton with a six year contract worth $115 million. Why? Who knows. How much is the guaranteed money which is all that really matters with these sorts of deals? That's not yet known. But what it does show is that Cincinnati is committed to Dalton for the immediate future as well as to good regular season play but horrible post season play.

Dalton is the face of "good when he's good, horrible when he's horrible". During the regular season Dalton is 30-18 but 0-3 in the post. Without pressure he completes about 66% of his passes but with pressure this number plummets to 38.8%. Dalton has had a good offensive line and some of the best talent positions in the NFL. Without an elite arm or feet Dalton could already be at his ceiling.

This contract also raises important decisions for other teams around the NFL. Dalton and Caepernick, both from the same draft class have already received extensions while the #1 pick Cam Newton is still playing on his rookie contract as is Andrew Luck and RGIII. If I were these teams I'd be getting ready to break the bank because they are going to demand (rightfully so) huge deals.

Virginia Tech probably needs a new coach

The Gatorade represents mediocrity.

Ohio State's second game of the season is against Virginia Tech which made me realize Frank Beamer has been the coach their for just about as long as I've been alive. Cool.

For about as long as I've been into college football Virginia Tech has seemingly been considered one of the "better" teams out there, which honestly I don't really see why. Frank Beamer has a .672 winning percentage at VT which is obviously good but I'd just leave it there at "good". He has never won a title and has a 9-12 bowl record. I'm not trying to have this be a Frank Beamer bashing post, what I'm really just getting at is I think it's time for VT to get a new one.

Looking into it I almost feel like VT's perception as one of the better teams in college football has more to do with the ACC not really being that good as opposed to their individual performance. I will them give them tons of credit for playing extremely tough out of conference games like OSU this year and Alabama last year and LSU a few years back as well.

I can relate a lot to how many VT fans must feel. "Beamerball" is really similar to "Tresselball" in that it emphasizes strong defense and special teams and like us I feel like when a team has had the same coach for too long that program starts to get stagnant.

What I'm really trying to say is I don't like them and I hope we beat them by twenty points.

Charlie Strong is cleaning up the mean streets of Austin

Sometimes a super hi-res picture explains more than words ever could.

When Charlie Strong took over at Texas he talked a lot about his 'core values' - honesty, treating women with respect, and no drugs stealing or guns. With his dismissal total for the year up to seven now I guess you could say he was serious.

Running backs Joe Bergeron and Jalen Overstreet as well as Chevoski Collins have been kicked off the team, with the ability to transfer, Strong confirmed today. Daje Johnson, Desmond Harrison, and safety Josh Turner have also been suspended for at least two games this season.

It should be noted that these aren't just backups - Johnson is one of the Longhorns' best players. Harrison and Turner were both also likely starters.

In addition to these removals Strong also permanently kicked off  two more players last month because of sexual assault charges.

Oh my God, that Paul George injury.

Oh my God, it happened again. Immediate flashbacks to Kevin Ware of Louisville. There's nothing really I can say except my thoughts go out to Paul George, from what I hear he's a class guy. And to have this happen for USA Basketball just makes it that much worse. It's just horrible. This looks like a career-ender. I'm not going to post the picture because I don't really want to have to keep looking at it but you can easily Google it. I warn you though it's just as bad as the Ware injury.

A lot of players are already weary of doing this like Kevin Love and I can imagine even more are going to opt out now.

It's August. We're in the month that touches college football (Top-10 Coaches Poll fun)

I'm using SI's chart, I hope they don't sue.

I'm not going to lie, it's been getting mighty cold on my soap box these last couple weeks. But fortunately we've made it to the month where college football stuff will really start heating up. At last I can lay down my SJW sword of righteousness and get down to talking what I really love, college football. Ray Rice? Who cares any more. Johnny Manziel? Never heard of him.

1.) The, and I want to make sure I get this right, Amyway Coaches Poll came out which gives us our first real opportunity to argue about how wrong everyone else' opinion is. Although to be fair it actually looks pretty good to me. Florida State definitely deserves the top spot considering their offense returns basically in tact as well as their defense. Not to mention Jameis Winston returns who has as good a shot to win back to back Heismans as anyone. They are definitely the odds on favorite to repeat this year. 

2.) Alabama gets the number two spot although this is probably the most questions Alabama has gone into a year with in a long time. They start the year with an untested quarterback as well as a young defense but then again it seems like we say this every year about Alabama and the result is usually the same. Finishing the year at or near the top of the rankings. 

3.) Oklahoma should start the year with strong confidence considering their demolishing of the above mentioned team at the end of last year. College football is always good when their is a real dislike between coaches and Bob Stoops seems to have it in for just about everyone in the SEC. The Sooners' starting QB, Trevor Knight should pick up right where they left off last year albeit without one weapon in Joe Mixon who got in trouble for assault. OU's defense is the real ticket to their championship hopes with a tremendous front seven who should make life miserable for opposing quarterbacks all year.

4.) For as great as Oregon has been recently this could potentially be a make or break year for the Ducks. Oregon has been on the precipice for so long it must be frustrating for their fans to have never made it over the last hump. Returning veteran QB Marcus Mariotta should provide the stability the Ducks need on offense while defenseman Ekpre-Olomu will dominate on that side of the ball. However, there are questions on either side of the ball particularly if a revamped O-line will be able to protect Mariotta. Mariotta's skill with his feet will make up for a little shakiness though.

5.) Auburn comes into the year with Nick Marshall back at the helm but without Tre Mason and the nation's leading rushing star. Marshall will find some comfort in the fact that most of his receivers are the same. There will be some questions regarding the Tigers' defense 

6.)  Like last year Ohio State's hopes rest firmly on Braxton Miller's arms and feet but that shoulder injury is always in the back of my mind. This should also be the make or break year for Fickell and the Buckeyes' abysmal secondary. If Ohio State gives up yards like they did last year I don't see how Meyer can not make a change at the coaching level. Ohio State's schedule is about has cushiony soft as cotton candy so even one misstep will probably cost them a spot in the new CFB playoff. Ohio State's one challenge will come against MSU who frankly I'm surprised isn't ranked above us. Considering how soft our schedule is I think we need to not only beat every single team but probably also beat them by 10 or more points to impress the playoff selection committee. Thankfully Urban Meyer is known to step on the throats of opponents so I'm sure that's just what will happen. The running back position will be key and will be mighty difficult for whomever does end up replacing Carlos Hyde. Miller will for sure be dependent on it though to take off some of the pressure. 

7.) UCLA has won the most NCAA titles of any school, just never in football. Will this be the year for the Bruins? Probably not, but a Pac-12 title could very well be within reach. UCLA returns most of their offense from last year including veteran QB Brett Hundley. The Bruins' main concerns should be on the defensive side of the ball mostly with a pass rush that leaves a lot to be desired.

8.) Michigan State enters the year with high hopes. I feel like although they have a much tougher schedule than we (OSU) do they also have a little more room for error. The Spartans' week 2 game against Oregon being the key. A win or even close loss will probably be rewarded by the selection committee, at least I hope it will be. Teams should be encouraged for scheduling tough OOC opponents. Sparty returns most of the key offensive positions as well as on the defensive side. Like I said before I'm not sure why we are ranked higher than they are. 

9.) South Carolina sort of reminds me of Oregon in that both are usually pretty good but have not yet won the big one. Spurrier has provided great entertainment all off-season with his fantastic media appearances and the constant Spurrier vs. Saban arguments are also great. The SEC East is about as up for grabs as it has ever been and the Gamecocks should be able to capitalize on that. SC loses some key pieces most notably Connor Shaw at QB and some guy named Jadeveon Clowney but nonetheless they should have the pieces to get through. If SC can get through the front end of their schedule unscathed or at least un-bruised they have an easy route to SEC East champions. 

10.) It's hard to believe not even five years ago the Baylor Bears were the doormats of the Big-12. It just goes to show how one player can make a huge difference even in a team sport like football. Baylor has become synonymous with extremely high scoring high-octane offenses, maybe even more than Oregon. Baylor returns plenty of weapons in the offense and QB Bryce Petty should be able to continue his Winning Ways™. Of course as much as they are known for their high powered offense they are also known for their abysmal defense. It will be incumbent Oakman and Singleton to at least provide some resistance. With Texas and all their questions as well as a now Manziel less A&M, the way to a Big 12 championship Winning Season™ should be relatively easy.

Ray Rice got a standing O at practice

At a practice a few days Ray Rice got a standing ovation. I get the fans "rooting for their guy" and all that but holy shit is it a bad look. Think about it, what are they really applauding for? Is it simply just that their guy is there and he can play? That's only because the NFL came down on him like feather. It reminds me so much of when Joe Paterno was being taken down. I was just as disgusted at the students almost rioting because JoePa let someone rape children.

It's just sort of upsetting I guess.

593 words about how little I care about Johnny Manziel

All the camo hats and lewd bumper stickers you could ask for.

If you've never actually seen or been inside a Flying J, I'll try and describe it for you. It's basically like as if every FW: FW: FW: FW: FW: email your grandma has ever sent somehow came to life and opened a gas station. They're not just gas stations though they're also trucking hubs with showers, food, and all that shit. They feature the finest garments and entertainment a roadside gas station can have. Growing up in central Ohio there was one on the way to basically anywhere so naturally I might have stopped at it once or twice. It wasn't until many years later I realized the error in my ways, that I might now be paying Johnny Manziel's paycheck. I could go for one of those showers now. This has nothing to do with anything really except that I didn't learn until shamefully late in my life that the Browns owner Jimmy Haslam owns these things.

This NFL off-season has been a race to see who can not care about Manziel the most as well as who can be the most tired of all the coverage. Literally every time the guy does anything you can bet the next day will feature podcast after podcast of first, everyone saying how sick they are of him followed by two hours of explaining every detail of what he did wrong and what he should have done differently. We are reaching truly meta-levels of tiredness now, as I'm writing about how I'm sick of hearing everyone else write about how they're tired of Johhny Manziel. Cool.

The latest thing that happened that no one cares about and yet everyone cares about was when owner Jimmy Haslam spoke that the Browns expect more out of Manizel. Paraphrasing it he said he(Manziel) admitted he made mistakes and that the Browns are excited to see what he can do on the field. Pardon, my scoff but isn't Haslam that last person who should be criticizing someone for their actions off the field. Is he not the person whose very company has been under investigation for fraud with several guilty please already entered? I mean I get the two aren't really that comparable but it just doesn't sit well with me.

At any rate Manziel has been consistent in his right to party saying, again I'm paraphrasing: I'm 21 if I want to have a night life I can, if I want to have my picture taken with rolled dolla billz I can, and if I want to party with the Biebs, I can. Sidenote: I still think it's hilarious that the partying with Justin Bieber is the worst thing Manziel has done this off-season. Not even the suspected drug abuse got people this riled up. Do whatever the fuck you want but for God-sakes don't hang out with Bieber.

What every single person in the world is waiting for is for football season to start though I can't help but wonder why people think this will take away the focus on Manziel. If anything it's going to heat up. If Hoyer does bad there will be unbelievable pressure to start Manziel. Then, if Manziel does bad everyone will blame Bieber and his late-night shenanigans. The Browns should have known the circus they were inviting to town when they drafted him which makes their perceived surprise about all of this even more unbelievable. Not even the return of Lebron can take all the focus off of Manziel. I think his return covered him up for about two weeks.

After a rough weekend, I feel 100% better about Ray Rice

NFL senior vice president of labor policy Adolpho Birch alleviated many peoples' thoughts (including my own!) that the NFL had dropped the ball on Ray Rice and the bigger picture of sending a strong message that the NFL will not tolerate domestic violence. 

"But if it is a question about what the principle of the league is and what standards we stand by, that cannot be questioned. I think it is absolutely clear to all involved that the NFL does not condone domestic violence in any way and will not tolerate it in our league. I don't know how you can reach a conclusion other than that although I certainly respect the opinion."

There you have it, folks. The NFL doesn't support or condone domestic violence.  I can't tell you how nice it is knowing this after years of thinking they were pro-beating your wife. 

The alleviation train didn't stop there however:

"On balance, we reviewed all the materials, listened to the persons we listened to, took the input of the Players Association. When we looked on balance at all of that, we believe that discipline we issued is appropriate. It is multiple games and hundreds of thousands of dollars. I think that's fair to say that doesn't reflect that you condone the behavior. I think we can put that to rest."

I cannot stop laughing at that multiple. Just say it with me: "Multiple games"... How this person said that with a straight face is beyond me. They must truly believe that it's a fitting punishment.

When pressed for whether or not the league had seen some tape that no one else has seen yet, Mr. Birch wouldn't say.

I don't really want to write out how ridiculous this whole thing is because I believe that anyone with an ounce of a brain or humanity can see for themselves.

Bob Bowlsby: "I'd rather die than not be able to pad our schedules with FCS fodder".

Yesterday Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby made headlines during the annual Big 12 state-of-the-conference speech when he said cheating pays in NCAA sports. This came as a surprise to literally no one since everyone already knows this. What's unusual is this is coming from a major conference commissioner. Bowlsby went on to say enforcement is broken and anyone wants to cheat can do so easily.

I just can't get over how ridiculous it is. Bowlsby also said that all of these little things like college athletes trying to be treated faitly (get some kind of compensation for the billions of dollars they make for the schools - i.e. the O'Bannon case) are, well, just really putting schools in a tough spot. He said that, you know, they might just not be able to pay for collegiate sports like swimming and others. I don't like to type things in all caps but pretend I typed the following in all caps: This is coming from the guy who one of his own schools just offered to pay Nick Saban 100 million dollars. (I know it's not the same, I just wanted to link that). Bowlsby is a good guy, though. Really, that's what it's about: You can't do anything for any college athelete because you'd have to do it for everyone, female athletes and the less popular sports. I guess that's a good enough reason to do nothing and end the discussion.

Bolwby wasn't done saying stupd things yesterday, however. Today on Mike and Mike Bowlsby clarified his remarks, emphasizing that he really things most schools play by the books. There's just a few bad apples out there (mostly to the south and east of the Big 12). The dumbest part of the interview was how Bowlsby repeatedly asserted the importance of the "most visible 5 conferences", something I don't disagree with... They are driving the bus as far as NCAA athletics goes. However, in the same interview he advocated for the autonomy of the visible 5, he said when asked about whether or not the FCS conferences should be able to play their season in the Spring so as to not compete with the FBS for viewers, he said, and I'm paraphrasing, "I think it'd be best for the conferences to stick together" and "The FBS schools want to be part of us (the big 5). Lots of commas there, btw. I mean obviously not if they're thinking about going to the Spring to get away from you. I wonder why the commisioner of a major conference would think it's best for FCS schools to stay where they are? I'm sure it's because they are thinking of the best interests for the student athletes. I mean what kid wouldn't want to be shown on national television on the losing side of a 70-3 beat down?

It's hypocrisy is what it is.

Wiggins for Love: It's Complicated

If it doesn't work in Cleveland there is a lucrative position as backup Justin Timberlake available.

Since Lebron declared he was returning home to Cleveland there has been a ton of outward and behind the scenes talks between the Cavs and Timberwolves about a trade for all-star forward Kevin Love. However, talks were stalled as the Cavs were refusing to include #1 overall pick Andrew Wiggins in any trade talks. Today, though the Cavs announced they would be willing to part with Wiggins in exchange for Love.

There has been a bunch of talks about whether this would be worth it not. Since this is for the most part shit I don't I know anything about I can only offer essentially an idiot's take on the whole thing.

To me it really comes down to a proven commodity vs. the prospect of future greatness and winning now vs. most likely winning later. With Kevin Love you get a proven all-star talent albeit there are some questions about whether or not he is all that. Some people make the argument that since the Timberwolves have never been to a playoff game with him that he must not be that good. This seems pretty ridiculous to me, since they are well the Timberwolves. Lebron and Love's playstyles would surely meld together quite well. And with the recent addition of Lebron favorite Mike Miller the Cavs would have a potent offense.

Wiggins on the other hand has the most upside of anyone. Some speculated he could be the greatest player, since well Lebron and again Lebron's playstyle would meld perfectly with him. Then again Lebron's playstyle would fit well with anyone.

It's really an interesting discussion. While Lebron is still "young" he is getting up there at least as far as NBA players go. He probably has 5 or so years in his prime. When Lebron went to Cleveland he made sure not to make any promises like he did with Miami and indeed cautioned that the Cavs are and will be a work in progress for some time. Nonetheless we see with the probable trade for Love as well as Miller that the Cavs are serious about winning now. The East is still by far the weakest of the conferences so simply adding these players should guarantee at least a spot in the conference finals. With Lebron essentially acting as a GM he should get ultimate say. Lebron's going to Cleveland was much about him wanting control over the team as it was about going home.

The Cavs should trade for Love. Although Lebron may or may not be chasing Jordan anymore, winning is still important, obviously. Wiggins could very well be the greatest thing since sliced bread but that doesn't change the fact that there are still unknowns regarding him while Love is a proven winner now. Some things may be uncertain like injuries or big trades, that's why it's important to capitalize on known commodities now.

Lebron goes back to Cleveland

Like a lot of people I'm a big softie for sentimentalism and the idea that some day Lebron would go back to Cleveland to right the wrong and bring a city that's been dying for winning in any sport a title or two was an idea I've been in love with for a long time.

From the moment the Spurs destroyed the Heat last month there has been non-stop speculation that Lebron was going to explore his options. Once he opted out of his contract that speculation was turned up to 11 on the dial. Was he opting out to get a better contract that would be more friendly to the Heat so they could get some help like Carmelo? Or was it because he was getting ready to return his talents to Cleveland. 

From a pure basketball angle Cleveland is actually a better choice than Miami right now. The Heat roster is aging and saddled with bad contracts specifically Wades'. Pat Riley is nothing if not loyal to his players, in this case to a fault. Cleveland on the other hand is young and improving. Kyrie Irving is a star set to become a superstar and with the now likely trade of Wiggins for Love that team could be very good. Oh and now they have Lebron. 

For his return to Cleveland, Lebron has decided to post a low key essay on his reasons rather than the brash press conference from 2010. In it he describes how Cleveland will always be his home, how he is at heart simply a guy from Northeast Ohio, and how ultimately he wants to help the kids there; To show them that there is no better place to be from. He wants to raise his kids in his hometown. I think Lebron is a genuinely good guy. The Decision was a mistake but he has owned that. Is he a bit arrogant, sure, but you can be when you're the best in the world at something.  It was never in doubt that Lebron would someday return but so soon I think has caught some people off guard. 

He briefly mentions Dan Gilbert saying that the two have worked out their problems, meeting as men. I'm interested in knowing more about that. What exactly was said between them? How did Gilbert apologize for his infamous letter? I hope these details come out over time. 

Lebron's return will set forth a domino effect and by the end of today we could see Bosh as a Rocket, Pau Gasol as a Spur and Carmelo... Likely still as a Knick. Speaking of which I'm sick of hearing people complain that Lebron waiting so long to do this was because he's selfish, that he owes other basketball players the right to know what he's going to do so they can make their own decisions. I don't know why he waited so long, maybe like Broussard said it's so Gilbert could properly make amends because of the letter. But the notion that Lebron owes others to make this decision quickly is garbage. Lebron is in business for himself and the only factor in what he does should be if it's best for him. The other players should make their decisions based on what's best for them. Bosh should have taken that deal from the Rockets the second they offered it instead of waiting around to see what Lebron will do. He will make way more money than he could with the Heat and plus his skills will be much better utilized there.

 Remember when Summer was the dead time for sports?

I'm happy for Lebron and Cleveland. Cleveland fans have suffered for decades between the Cavs and Browns. But now with Lebron back home and Manziel as quarterback Cleveland may still lose some but it will definitely not be boring.

Top 5 worst fanbases in sports.

Oh my God I cannot shut up about the Heat! Well admittedly I stopped watching Game 6 tonight with about 1 minute and a half left in it, but I figured with the Heat up by about 2 million I was safe. Basically this post is just going to be listing the top 5 worst fanbases in sports in my horribly wrong opinion in not any particular order.

Miami Heat

So, first is the Heat. For one they have to be one of the most bandwagony franchises out there. I've also heard they regularly show up late and leave early as famously shown last year. Also, the way they were booing Paul George tonight was bushleague as shit.

Ohio State

This one hits home, obviously but I will be the first to admit: Ohio State fans are the fucking worst. Whether they are picking a fight with you or pouring a beer on you or fighting a ten year old for wearing maze and blue Ohio State fans have earned a reputation for being among the most obnoxious on the planet. Seriously, just type ohio state fans into google and look at the results.

This is what happens with all sorts of "entitled" fanbases and the fact that they are so huge only adds to the obnoxiousness level. If I was a parent and a any other Big 10 fan I would never bring my kid to an OSU game. Frankly, even as an OSU fan I would never bring my kid to an OSU game.

Tampa Bay Rays

Speaking of band wagon fans... Tampa Bay Rays fans might be the definition of bandwagonners. Being virtually non-existent for the first 10 years of the franchise's history as evidenced in photos such as the one here, suddenly in 2008 when the team won the pennant they had fans materialize out of nowhere!

Baltimore Ravens

Remember how Ray Lewis definitely did NOT murder anyone? Yeah, neither do I or basically every Ravens fan. This is the perfect example of a fanbase excusing virtually anything a star player does because, "Hey, it's our guy"? This is one of the worst aspects of any fanbase. Seriously, ask how many Falcons/Eagles fans don't really mind that whole Michael Vick dog fighting thing or how many Steelers fans... Roethlisberger... Forget it.

Penn State

I'd be remiss not to mention Penn State fans. Obviously this is almost entirely based off the whole Paterno thing. Like these fans were literally rioting because their head coach/child rape enabler was being removed. How fucked up is that?  I can't really add to anything to that.

I've left a ton of worthy fanbases off this list but there were the first ones to come to mind.

I don't... What?

No, really. What?

This Guy

Just wanted to remember an awesome musician and defining part of my music taste, Adam Yauch of the Beastie Boys.

Friday Night Happy Hour

Like last time there's going to be spoilers.

Secret Garden 

This week's drama was 'Secret Garden' which along with last week's 'Miss Korea' I worry that I'm going to use up all the really good dramas by the end of the month.

'Secret Garden' is about a stunt-woman played by Ha Ji Won who ends up falling in love with this rich snobby CEO of a department store played by Hyun Bin. Well, really I guess it's the other way around, he falls in love with her. Anyway as you can probably guess their relationship starts out really rocky but through magic and persistence they are able to end up happily ever after. "Happily ever after" if you consider having three whiny kids a happy ending. Oh and since they're Korean the kids also speak whiny Korean. I guess being a whiny kid doesn't sound good in any language.

The gimmick of the show is that every time it rains they switch bodies. This is all comes about because through some fuckery they both happen to be at Jeju together. During a bike race between Gi Ra Im(Ha Ji Won), Joo Won(Hyun Bin), and Oska(Yoon Sang-Hyeon) Gi Ra Im gets lost in the woods and Joo Won goes out to find her. He finds her and Gi Ra Im says she's hungry so for some reason they decide to at eat this weird restaurant out in the middle of nowhere that was alluded to in a previous scene. That scene reminded me a little of Blair Witch Project I mean why would you go into a creepy ass house in the middle of nowhere even if you are that hungry? So while they're at this restaurant they notice all these bottles of wine and the waitress gives them each one. Through separate scenes we see they each end up drinking it and then it rains and that's when the jokes happen.

The first scene where they switch is probably the funniest in the whole show. In total they only switch three times but I wish they would've done it more. Going in to the show that's really the only thing I knew about it so I was a little disappointed I had to wait until like the 5th or 6th episode for it to happen and then after that it only happened twice more and the third time doesn't really count for reasons I'll get into later.

As the series goes on we learn that Joo Won has a thing where he has really bad claustrophobia caused by a traumatic experience he can't remember. This causes a big thing when during the second time they switch Ra Im, as Joo Won, is on an elevator when it suddenly rains and they switch back to their normal bodies. (Throughout the series, when it's really important what they're saying the series would show them talking as themselves so you're not confused who is saying what to who. Even talking about it now I'm getting confused. I assume if you're reading this though you've already seen the show and know what I'm talking about.) Joo Won flips out and starts having a panic attack and so Ra Im races back to help him. Side note: Ra Im's lifelong dream is to get a major role in an action film and that's what she's doing when Joo Won has his panic attack. In essence she's giving up her life long dream to help him.

Throughout the series Joo Won's mom shows she's the worst fucking person ever. I've never wanted a fictional character to die more than this woman. I thought Se Na from Rooftop Prince was bad but I hate this person even more.

Eventually we find out that Joo Won's traumatic experience was a building fire where he was stuck in an elevator and a fireman came and saved him, killing himself in the process. Oh, did I mention Ra Im's dad died in a mysterious accident a long time ago? You can put together what that means.

In the end Joo Won's mom basically disowns him because he won't give up Ra Im. They get a courthouse marriage thing done and then it flashes forward five years where they all live happily together with big ass portraits of their three annoying kids. I'm not sure why I have this irrational hatred of their kids since they're only screen for maybe 2 minutes but I do. During the epilogue it shows Ra Im and Joo Won taking their kids to see grandmother and while she seemingly likes her grandkids she still won't see Mr. and Mrs. Joo Won. Bitch ass to the end. It was strange because the last time I saw her she played the grandmother's minion in 'Rooftop' where she was unlikable but it was an enjoyable unlikableness. Here I just plain despised her. In 'Rooftop' the grandmother gets pushed down the stairs and dies and I was sincerely hoping something like that would happen to Joo Woo's mom in this show. Or maybe hit by a bus, or eaten by a bear. No such luck.

Unlike in 'Ms. Korea' I didn't really have a clear cut favorite character. I've been a fan of Ha Ji Won since before I really got into kpop and I thought she was pretty good in this. She can play the really cute girlfriend type just as well as the kick-your-ass type of action star. Both give me boners. The movie broke the 4th wall a couple times like when she was given a new script to try out for that was called 'Sector 7'... I guess that's amusing I mean "free" advertising is free advertising. Also this was the first thing I saw Hyun Bin and he's honestly a pretty good actor. That he could go from really stern prick CEO guy to basically gay guy when they switched was pretty cool, same for Ji Won. Oh that reminds me the show also had an openly gay character in it which was really interesting given Korean society.

Well. This is a shit load of words so I'll wrap it up. I liked the show a lot.

Fucking Diablo 3

I had really high hopes Reaper of Souls would fix everything that made Diablo 3 shit. First, Loot 2.0 fixed it so that when a legendary dropped it should actually be useful for you. You wouldn't think "Is this legendary good, but how good is it going to be?" The new act was pretty cool, and the Mystic allowed further customization of gear which even more helped for legendaries to not be shit. Then there was the bounties and rifts which made the game a lot more replayable and gave you something to do other than endlessly running the campaign over and over.

For the first 2 weeks or so all was good, however now that I've sunk 200+ hours into the expansion I realized is the same old shit. The expansion was merely a diversion from the core problems that have been there from the beginning. Perhaps I'm just not cut out for ARPGs.

The main problem in my opinion is that once you get to a certain level of gear, which I have been at for over two weeks now, the game gets cripplingly boring. The legendary problem still remains as well, 95% of everything you get is still shit. There are only a handful of legendaries in the game that are worth anything. That's another thing, Blizzard removed the auction house entirely so now there is no way to trade anything with anyone. So like I said once you get to a certain level in gear you start to specfically look for a specfic legendary or two however those legendaries have such a small chance of dropping you could go months without ever seeing them.

And that's where I am. I've completely lost the will to go on since I've accepted that I will never see the items I want. I realize that is the nature of ARPGs but if there was just someway to know that I could be working for a specific item I would probably play again, and don't know me bloodshards are the answer because those are garbage. So anyway, that extremely flawed game is still flawed.

Crusader Kings 2 - The Book

I just finished this book called 'The Plantagenets' by Dan Jones. If you have any sort of interest in medieval times or British history I would highly recommend it. It covers, obviously, the Plantagenets who reigned from roughly the 12 to 15th centuries. Within that family are some of Britain's greatest monarchs including Richard the Lion Heart, Henry II, and Edward I and III. It also includes some of the most disastrous like Edward II and Richard II. It's so good I'm seriously considering pre-ordering Jones' second book which covers the War of the Roses. Pre-ordering a book? Yes. Crusader Kings 2 is my favorite medieval incest simulator video games ever possibly and this book is basically like the novel of it.

This is possibly the greatest sporting time of the year

There were just three game 7s in hockey and now on Saturday we get three game 7s in the NBA! That's pretty amazing. Too bad I almost don't care about either sport, especially hockey. This is already the best first round ever in the NBA, that's not even debatable. Personally I'm hoping Indiana loses, that'd be funny I guess. Well, if you have any interest I hope you have fun.

Jameis Winston's crab legs really isn't that funny if you think about it for two seconds

Sorry for stealing this whoever made it, please don't sue.

I might just be upset I wasn't one of the those lucky people who, within 1 minute of the news breaking, got to fire off some of those awesome puns on Twitter. I tweeted as much.  I initally thought it was pretty funny, I mean this is a dude making national news for stealing $32 of crab legs, like I said those must've been the most discussed arthropodic appendages ever discussed by man.

Since yesterday there's been several scenarios put forward as to how Winston walked out of a Publix without paying. One is that his girlfriend was in town and like any gentleman he went out to treat her to some awesome crab legs from Publix. I mean that sounds pretty fucking sweet in my opinion. Anyway, he went in ordered the food, left to go to a Hobbit Hoagies for wings (seriously what the fuck is with the names, South?) came back into the store with the car still running in the rain and was mobbed by fans for autographs while on the way to the butter. Again, being the gentlemen he is, he obliged the fans while walking out with the legs and all while not paying. Apparently he was even talking to a police officer while leaving the store, not trying to hide anything. Once Winston got home he realized he forgot the fucking butter and didn't pay for the food but didn't feel like going back out. I mean it was raining, who'd want to go out in that shit? Some claim Winston didn't realize he would be mobbed like that. Seriously? He's the fucking Heisman Trophy winner. Winston would either have to be incredibly stupid or naive to believe that for even a second.

Here's where I think we need to take a step back and realize it's really not that funny... Well as an isolated incident it is a little funny but when taken into context with everything else Jameis Winston has or hasn't done it shows a pattern of fuckery.

Obviously the first thing that comes to mind is last years rape scandal where Winston was eventually free of all charges but then again so was OJ. Since then there have been rampant accusations that the investigation was mishandled in every way. Oh, and let's not forget the time when he stole soda from a god damn Burger King.

The point is this is a guy who clearly doesn't get it and Florida State is enabling him at every step. Because of his most recent theft he was kicked off the baseball team... The baseball team. I'm sure that will really drive the message home. This is the second Heisman Trophy winner in a row who has acted in a completely irresponsible and reckless way, the Trophy which was already sort of becoming a joke is now one hilarious punchline away from becoming a full on joke.

As usual people, particularly FSU fans (just like A&M fans last year) are pulling out the, "But he's only 20 years old") card. I'm sick of that. When you win a Heisman Trophy and are a National Title winner you are going to be held to a different standard than every other 20 year old. That's part of the price you pay. And that's something you've got to be able to deal with. There have been many, many Heisman winners and I don't recall there being nearly as many problems with them as are there have been in the last 5 years or so. This is in large part to social media, but again, that's a reason why hear about it not an excuse for doing it in the first place. It's incumbent for the adults around them to keep them in out of trouble so by that I give them some slack but ultimately these are men we are talking about.

Winston's image looks like shit and I don't blame anyone but him for making it like that.

In a suprising twist of fate Sterling's ban is bad for civil rights, America

Or so I've been lead to believe.

Jason Whitlock a columnist at ESPN has published an article saying among other things that:

"Removing Donald Sterling from the NBA solves nothing. It sets a precedent that will likely boomerang and harm the black players and coaches who are shocked and outraged that an 80-year-old man with a documented history of bigoted actions also has bigoted private thoughts."

 I can agree with parts of what he is saying. I think mob rule is a bad thing. In fact I doubt you'd find anyone out there willing to admit that they like it. I also think it's important to take measured steps when determining how to proceed with cases like this.

However, I think Whitlock's article is at its core flawed. He essentially defends... Well maybe defends is the wrong word. He excuses? Perhaps that is wrong too. He understands that Sterling grew up in a certain "culture" and that that culture sees people of other races as bad.

"I don't want to change the culture because I can't," Sterling says. "It's too big."

Whitlock goes on to talk about his own father's culture and how that shaped his life. I'm not here to cast judgment on Sterling or Whitlock's father or anyone else but I don't think that hiding behind this idea of 'culture' is an excuse.

Many people grow up in cultures that are toxic. But not everyone is a racist, homophobic, misogynistic or anything else.  It is extremely regressive to say that people shouldn't better themselves simply because of how they were raised. Are children born of alcoholic parents more likely to alcoholic themselves? Probably but that definitely doesn't mean shouldn't try to steer their own lives in a different direction. I don't think Whitlock is saying people out there don't come from bad cultures and many of them don't try to better themselves but when are we going to stop letting "old white males" get away with this?

Sterling had to be banned by the NBA. From simply a "the right thing to do" perspective to a financial perspective he had to go. Numerous sponsors had already begun to pull away from the Clippers which in turn meant the NBA as a whole was getting less money. Rather than poo-poo the NBA for acting to quickly I think they and Adam Silver should be applauded for taking such quick action. If Silver only acted because he knew there was about to be a strike that is also good because that means the players have the power. Compare Silver's response to this to Roger Goddell's response to the concussion issue. I know they are entirely separate issues but it is still refreshing to see a commissioner act decisively.

What Whitlock and a lot of people seem to be forgetting is that NBA is not the US government nor is Sterling simply a citizen. This is not comparable to the government coming to your door and confiscating your house. The LA Clippers are in part owned by the City of Los Angeles. That name is on their jerseys, they play in a stadium at least in part owned by the city. For someone who represents such a large part of that community to make such comments cannot be allowed to stand. Especially from an owner who is and should be held to larger standard than a player. The LA Clippers are a franchise of the NBA similar to any other sort of franchise and if it is determined that you are representing that company in a bad light the company has the right as set forth in the constitution of said company to revoke your privilege to own that franchise.

Whitlock raises the point that allowing privately held conversations that are illegally recorded (at least in California) as a reason to take away someone's property is a bad thing. This goes back to my last point. Those conversations would not be allowed in a court of law. But the NBA is not a court of law, it's a privately run business. This is really the low hanging fruit but if you are worried about conversations you say coming back to haunt you, perhaps you shouldn't be fusing racist or derogatory remarks. This is really the chickens coming home to roost. If you have a mistress and then talk to that mistress about how you disapprove of her associating with people of color maybe this what you get? Of course that is an overly simple way of looking at it.

There is a lot of blame to go around for this situation, as Whitlock points out. I agree with his assertion that NBA had ample opportunities to deal with Sterling before. Either during his housing discrimination case of the Elgin Baylor case. According to Silver the NBA acted within the limits of the legal framework but ask anyone in LA and they can tell you Sterling has been a festering scar on the city for decades. The various rewards he has received from the city, including almost receiving a second life time achievement award from the NAACP basically make those organizations out as jokes, giving out awards to the highest bidder. However I really take offence to the way he suggests that all  white people are equally responsible for this.

"White people should be wearing black socks, turning their T-shirts inside out, protesting outside the Staples Center. This is their culture, their Frankenstein. Or maybe they agree with Donald T. Sterling."

Excuse me? So by not dressing a certain way or wearing my clothes a certain way I now agree with what Sterling is saying?  I'm sorry but this is where the article lost all credibility to me. This is a direct insult to the countless number of white people like the Freedom Riders who put their lives on the line for a noble cause. To belittle the sacrifices they made based on what their clothes are like is akin in my opinion to thinking you can know how someone thinks based on their skin color. Whitlock's solution to this problem is that:

"...the NBA power structure cede some of its governing power to men and women who look like the overwhelming majority of the league's players."

Basically affirmative action. Having a more diverse power-structure in the NBA, especially one that reflects the vast majority of the players would be a great thing. However, what would forcing that upon the league do? It would simply be band-aid on a gaping wound.

I have a strong suspicion Whitlock says things simply to say things. The bottom line is the league did what it had to both from a practical and more importantly from a humanitarian perspective. Has has some interesting points but it's a shame it's drowned by sensationalist garbage.

Now if only we could ban Donald Sterling from life for... Life

New NBA commissioner Adam Silver has brought the hammer down pretty hard against infamous scumbag Donald Sterling.

During a press conference today Silver banned Sterling for life from any Clippers games or practices as well as anything else having to do with the NBA. He also fined him 2.5 million dollars that will be donated to charities that promotes anti-discrimination.

I thought it was notable that he went a step further and said he will do everything in his power to force a sale of the team. Sterling is currently the longest tenured owner in the NBA. While Silver cannot outright force a sale of the team I'm sure he can use his considerable influence to pressure the other owners to force a sale. Many owners have expressed concern that although they vehemently condemn Sterling's actions they worry that anything they might say that has been illegally recorded could come back to haunt them and result in their own forced sale of their team. In other words it could be a dangerous slippery slope.

If I was an owner I'd think to myself, "Am I one of the biggest douchebags to other walk to the Earth? Do I regularly say extremely vitriolic and hateful things to my mistress and allow it to be recorded and posted on TMZ? Then what do I have to worry about?"

For now I'm glad that at least some justice is happening. As I said in the last article, Sterling's lawyers are legendarily horrible people so it'll be interesting to see what acts of unmitigated evil they pursue now.

This thing 2

Don't read my first post about this, just watch this instead.