How I would hate being one of Michael Jordan's sons

I feel bad for Marcus and Jeffrey Jordan, sons of former basketball great Michael Jordan, who starred for the University of North Carolina before going on to the NBA to win six titles with the Chicago Bulls. Well, let's be honest, I don't feel as bad for Jeffrey as I do for Marcus, whose almost 17 points per game leads the undefeated and 19th ranked University of Central Florida Knights, and has many comparing the younger Jordan's game to his pop. Of course, Jeffrey, a senior at UCF, is also on the squad, but I am assuming that he must not get much playing time(having not seen a UCF game myself yet this season) cause I couldn't find any stats for him.  So maybe he's on the team more because of his last name? If that's the case, then I take back that remark that I don't feel as bad for him as I do his younger brother.  That the Knights are undefeated and ranked 19th has many in the media wanting to compare this team to the great UNC teams that Michael played on.  Marcus, only a sophomore, is only a year older than Michael was when his UNC team won it all.  But even though these two kids have the pedigree, is it fair to compare them to one of the greatest basketball legends there ever was and will ever be? I'd take bets that Marcus can't tie his sneakers around a pick-up court without someone challenging him to a game of one on one, savoring the chance to posterizing the son of "Air Jordan."  The reality of the situation is, unfortunately, that no matter how much we want either Jeffrey or his brother to be the next version of their father, they will ultimately fall short in some compacity.  Which is only natural, because, after all, Marcus and Jeffrey aren't clones or carbon copies of their dad anyway.

Pro football labor Talks: longer season does not always mean better

With the NFL's current labor agreement about to run out, the league is scraping for ideas to help its 32 franchises, many of whom lost money in 2010, pull in more revenue in 2011.  And while adding two more games to the schedule may sound like a no brainer, at least on paper, its probably not going to give teams that much more money.  For starters, many teams are already finding that in today's economy it's hard enough to sell out all 16 games.  Expanding to 18 games means teams like the Bills, Browns, and Panthers will have to find even more creative ways to sell out the last two games(sorry fellow Browns fans, had to take that shot, cause I don't think it was a coincidence that when I went to Cleveland stadium October 10 of this past year that Browns management was trying to entice families to come to the game vs. Carolina by offering family packages consisting of 4 tickets, 4 soft drinks, and 4 hotdogs for under $130).  And then there are the concerns voiced by the players that adding two more games will only add up to more injuries.  This argument is not without merit, as it seems every year the number of players who are put on injured reserve before the final three or four games only increases.  What if the Indianapolis Colts, for example, having clinched a playoff birth, and homefield advantage throughout in week 15 of a 19 week season, decide to rest Peyton Manning for the final four games, rather than risk the chance of having to put him on injured reserve?  The only valid argument for adding two more games as I see it would be that the regular season would start earlier, and, perhaps cut into Major League Baseball's viewership.  Cause I have thought for years that 162 games is way too long a season for any sport, let alone one whose playoffs now extend well into the meat of the NFL schedule.  Yet that is a debate for another time.  So, Roger Goodell, if you want to be known as the man that saved pro football, expanding the schedule from 16 to 18 games might not be the first place to start.

Good Luck!-He's still a Cardinal

As you have probably heard by now, Stanford Cardinal starting quarterback Andrew Luck is foregoing the NFL draft to complete his senior class year and obtain his degree.  You read that right,  Luck is foregoing the NFL draft to return to Stanford.  How often do you ever hear that happening these days, especially from a quarterback who is a lock to make millions as the number one pick in the NFL draft?  I can't say I'm really surprised, as I even speculated to my co-workers he might return to one of the pre-eminent universities in the nation to obtain his diploma. No, really, I did, even though I don't have the conversation recorded as proof.  And while many of my co-workers and friends will say he's an idiot for passing up millions, his chances at a national title are slim with all the departing senior at Stanford this year, etc., I actually applaud Luck for his decision.  Because in this day and age of college athletics, it seems that the student part of student-athlete is almost forgotten when in comes to the football or basketball player.  This is despite the fact that all of these athletes are getting their respective education(s) paid for in its entirety by accepting a scholarship to play ball at their given university.  I actually mentioned to some friends of mine that if Pryor, Posey, and Company wanted to really show their teammates and fans they cared about Ohio State, not only would they return next season to serve their five game suspensions, but they would also work toward getting their degrees at The Ohio State University before leaving for the NFL.  My buddies, of course told me to stop being stupid, that no one before them who entered the NFL draft got their degree beforehand either.  But as I reminded them, the others before Pryor, Posey, etc. didn't sell treasured memorabilia either.  But I digress.  The reason I bring up Pryor is to illustrate just how screwed up society's opinion of college athletics is today.  As far as they're concerned, Luck should have left to go to the NFL,  opting to leave his degree on the table rather than guaranteed millions on the table.  And in the case of Pryor, well, he should go too, not necessarily because he will succeed at the next level, but due to a belief that he wasn't really all that committed to Ohio State in the first place.  But I say good luck, Mr. Luck, I hope you obtain your degree, and to Terrelle Pryor, I say, see you next year, perhaps?  Maybe you can earn one of those diplomas, too, before you leave?

Buckeye fans need to just enjoy Sugar Bowl win

Last night's Sugar Bowl was a great game, even if you were a fan of the Arkansas Razorbacks.  If you were an Ohio State fan, maybe you breathed a sigh of relief after the game.  Or you could have been critical of Tressel's game management down the stretch, or outraged that the five players involved in "Tattoogate" as its being called were on the field last night.  But I would like to give all Ohio State fans out there a simple word of advice regarding last night's game: just enjoy the fact your team won the game.  Your team finally got the proverbial "can't beat the SEC in a bowl game" monkey off its back, what more could you ask for? And we could argue all day whether the five players facing suspension in the fall deserved to be on the field last night, but I say let's let their actions in the coming weeks and months determine their fate.  You want OSU to play a perfect game? There is no such thing as a perfect game, I tell you.  You think the win was tainted by players who don't deserve to be there?  The NCAA says they do, and that's good enough for me, and it should be good enough for you, too.  So be happy, Buckeye fans.  Ohio State finished the season 12-1, defeated a quality opponent, and won their second straight BCS bowl game.  I don't know about you, but aside from winning the National Championship I'll take that any day.

File this under "We didn't know we were live!"

So, as you may or may not have heard, yesterday Eric Mangini was fired as head coach of the Cleveland Browns by team president Mike Holmgren.  And, it appears that ESPN analysts Hannah Storm and Adam Schefter couldn't be happier about.  Or it least appears that way. I'll let you watch the video and decide for yourself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GiGPNs80v88&feature=topvideos .  As you can see from the video, the two share a jovial moment, ending with a high five before quickly reminding viewers "that someone lost his job" and "families are affected."  I am wondering if there wasn't an office pool going on how long it would be before Mangini actually got fired.  I mean, to be honest, I am a Browns fan who was actually calling for Mangini to be fired for weeks.  So I have no problem with him being fired.  And I have read comments from other people who believe that ESPN "is biased against the Browns", and I would respectfully disagree on that point.  But the video does seem to call into question both Storm and Schefter's professionalism, don't you think?  Would they react the same way if the VP of Disney, ESPN's parent company and therefore their boss, was fired? On air?  Now that may be an extreme example, but I thought it was the media's job to report the news without bias or judgment, save opinion pieces.  So  what opinion are Schefter and Storm trying to convey there?  They didn't think Mangini was head coaching material in the first place? I don't think so, but this seems to me one of those "oops, we didn't know we were live" blunders that I thought ESPN was above.

Orange Bowl Postgame Press Conference Reveals Alarming Trend in College Football

There was something about last night's Orange Bowl that really bothered me.  No it wasn't that the Orange Bowl has switched sponsors from FedEx to Discover, although that switch does reveal how shameless the business side of college athletics has become.  Nor was it the performance of Virginia Tech, who, despite being the sentimental favorite of media pundits looked like they belonged in the BCS just as much as the University of Connecticut did in the Fiesta Bowl.  It didn't even bother me that Stanford's 40-12 win might be the last time we see either head coach Jim Harbaugh or starting quarterback Andrew Luck in Cardinal red.  No, what really bothered me was the line of questioning that was aimed at Luck, and then Harbaugh, in the Stanford press conference immediate following the game.  You all know what I am talking about, that the media (and ESPN shares a lot of the blame here) could not help but ask Luck and Harbaugh if this was their last game with the University of Stanford.

Hey I understand that the media gets paid to attract more viewers to its network, and if ESPN can break the story that either Andrew Luck declares for the draft or Jim Harbaugh becomes the next coach of Michigan before anyone else does that means higher ratings for them.  But just like the final year that Lloyd Carr spent in Michigan, speculation has been rampant that Harbaugh wants to return to Michigan, just like Les Miles supposedly did that year.  And heaven forbid Andrew Luck should want to return to one of the preeminent universities in the nation to finish his degree at Stanford when he could make millions in the NFL draft by declaring tomorrow morning.  Nevermind the fact that if there might not even be a season next fall the the players association and the owners can't work out a new labor agreement.  But it almost seems unfathomable to the media that either the coach or the player would want to return to Stanford.

However, can't Jim Harbaugh and Andrew Luck take a moment to bask in the glory of one of the greatest seasons in Stanford football history before they are asked 'what's next, gentleman?'  Kudos to Luck for refusing to answer the question regarding his draft status at all, instead saying he wanted to enjoy the moment. And a double kudos goes to Harbaugh for refusing to answer the one question that has been on the media's(read: ESPN) mind for several weeks now.  Certainly last night will not be the last time these two are asked those questions this year, but at the very least they should not have to answer those types of questions for at least another week.

You know, there used to be a day when news was just that, news.  Nowadays, especially in the information age, hardly anything we read comes as a surprise.  I mean, if and when it is announced that Jim Harbaugh has left Stanford to join another team, will anyone outside of the Cardinal Nation care?  More shocking would be to hear that both Harbaugh and Luck return to Stanford for another season.  Of course ESPN is working on that angle, too.

Why the Big Ten gets the bad rap

It seems all the talk in college football these days surrounds the Big Ten's apparent free fall.  Ohio State appears on the verge of getting its breakthrough win versus a team from the SEC, then a scandal hits the program and appears to threaten the availability of several of its star players, including its starting quarterback (Terrelle Pryor) and leading running back (Daniel Herron).  Due to a loophole in NCAA rules, the pair is allowed to play in tomorrow night's game, along with DeVier Posey, Mike Adams, and Solomon Thomas, also found guilty of selling memorabilia and accepting discounts on tattoos.  While this ensures that the Arkansas Razorbacks will face an Ohio State team at full strength, many contend that both the NCAA and the OSU have placed a higher emphasis on the almighty dollar than the integrity of the Sugar Bowl.

Then, to make matters worse, over the past weekend the Big Ten's shoddy performance in Bowl games has many people revisiting OSU president Gordon Gee's "Little Sister's of the Poor" comment.  For those of you that don't know, more than a month ago Gee basically put his foot in his mouth when he said " teams such as  TCU and Boise State could not hang with the Big Ten,  because it's murderer's row every week in that conference, while teams such as TCU and Boise play 'the little sisters of the poor.'  The past two weeks have not been kind to the Big Ten in bowl games.  Iowa and Illinois are the only teams with victories in bowl games thus far, and the state of Michigan was outscored by almost 100 points.  Add to that losses by Northwestern, Penn State, and Wisconsin, and the Big Ten is now 2-5 in bowl games this season.  Making matters worse is that Wisconsin lost to one of Gee's aforementioned 'Little Sisters of the Poor', TCU, 21-19 in the Rose Bowl.

On the flip side, the SEC has come out smelling like Roses.  Urban Meyer resigns as head coach of the University of Florida Gators, citing declining health, and no one bats an eye.  Nevermind that at 7-5 Meyer had the worst team he's ever coached.  Now his health may be an issue but don't be surprised if you see him coaching somewhere else in the near future.  Just look at Mark Dantonio, head coach of Michigan State.  He had a heart attack during the middle of the season, sat out for a couple of games, and I have yet to hear that he is not coming back for next season.

Then there is the Cam Newton scandal/saga.  It has been widely reported that Newton's father, Cecil, shopped the services of the Auburn starting quarterback to the highest bidder.  The NCAA and Auburn did what they concluded to be a thorough investigation on the matter and concluded that while the elder Newton was in the wrong, Cam Newton was absolved of any wrongdoing.  These findings were independent of an ongoing FBI investigation into claims that the Newton's tried to extort money from any university.  I must admit that I have not read up on all of the NCAA bylaws, but it seems even to me to say that Cam Newton did not know his father was shopping him around to different universities is just plain ludicrous.

By this time you're probably wondering: what's my point? I am glad you asked.  Because it seems that in mainstream media today, the SEC can do no wrong, and the Big Ten can't even tie its collective shoes without doing something wrong.  And this has become a disturbing trend.  And I think I have figured out why.  One reason is the unaminous hatred for anything Ohio State.  Mainstream media cannot stand that Ohio State is consistently in the discussion of the nation's elite teams.  They will try to use every different angle they can to tear down the Buckeye program.  To be fair, Ohio State may not be the number six program in the country, as some would say they lost to their only quality opponent, but if you look at the programs below them you could make an argument that not one of them has a win that puts them decidely(sp) above the Buckeyes.

And the next reason the media has it in for the Big Ten follows from the first, with the recent decline of the University of Michigan football program, there has not been a consistent challenger to Ohio State in the conference.  Many will argue that with the addition of Nebraska University next season that will change.  While that may be true it doesn't change the current reality  Wisconsin knocked Ohio State from its perch this year, yet some people still wonder had Ohio State been able to cover the opening kickoff if the outcome would have been the same.  The media argues that the SEC is the tougher conference because no one really knows from year to year who will take the crown.  Sure Florida has taken two of the last four BCS titles.  But sandwiched in between are also titles by LSU and Alabama, and, potentially, a third title from Auburn.  But in the Big Ten there has only been one team to consistently make it to the BCS: Ohio State.  Ohio State's struggles in recent BCS contest(s) (they have lost three of their last four games, two to teams from the SEC) only further the media's opinion that the Big Ten is watered down.

So maybe Big Ten expansion isn't such a bad thing after all.  Because maybe it will restore some parity to the conference,  and bit by bit repair its image in the eyes of mainstream media.