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Burn Baby, Burn The Olympic flame is burning brightly in London, and the Games are underway. Maybe a couple of weeks of competitive international sports will take us away from the mess surrounding Penn State. I'm telling you, the college football season (and the NFL, too) can't get here soon enough. The NCAA's announcement last week pounding the Penn State athletic department made for a lively debate on my SiriusXM show. There was no question that the school was going to get punished, but did the NCAA do the right thing? Regardless of your position, it really doesn't matter....the school agreed to the sanctions and the rest is history. Penn State will still have to deal with the criminal investigations and lawsuits...but their future as a competitive football member of the Big Ten is in doubt. By agreeing to the NCAA's harsh sanctions, it appears to me that it won't help the school in their position when the civil cases begin. For whatever it matters, I thought the NCAA was out of their jurisdiction on this one. I wasn't aware that child abuse was covered in the NCAA rulebook.....I know they used the infamous "lack of institutional control" card, but Penn State didn't have a lack of control....they had a handful of guys with too much control. Since the NCAA and Penn State discussed the sanctions coming their way.....you can take Scenario A, or we can slap a 4-year "Death Penalty" on you.....you pick, Penn State. I thought the NCAA would have been wise to allow the school to announce the sanctions which included a 60 million dollar penalty. By doing it that way, the school comes across remorseful with self-imposed penalties....and it takes the NCAA's neck out of any morality issues that could haunt them in the future. I still think it is ridiculous that the current football staff and players receive the 4-year bowl ban and scholarship reductions....not a single person had anything to do with the issues at Penn State. This past week in Chicago at the Big Ten Media Days, I had the chance to interview head coach Bill O'Brien and outstanding linebacker Michael Mauti. I can't tell you how impressed I was with both guys.....no-nonsense, responsible and eager to put this setback behind them. It was emotional and fascinating. The past two weeks I have covered the SEC, ACC and Big 10 Media Days....and it has been amazing how the Penn State story has dominated the conversation. You simply can't get away from it....maybe that's why the Olympic Games come at a good time. We could really use sports as a distraction again these days. NFL Training Camps are opened up this weekend....and that included the Super Bowl Champion Carolina Panthers. I'm not sure why the Steelers, Patriots, Packers, Cowboys, Niners or any other NFL team might be in such a hurry to get in shape because in Carolina, it has been announced to the world that the Panthers are winning this year's Super Bowl. Panther All-Pro center, Ryan Kalil, took out a full-page ad in the lame Charlotte Observer to make the official proclamation. Needless to say, it received a lot of play nationally....and I'm afraid in the Panthers' case, it was usually in a mocking fashion. I know Cam Newton was spectacular as a rookie....but when you enter the season with 8 wins in your last 32 regular season games, you have to expect the laughter that comes your way when you make a claim like the one Kalil did in the local rag. For the record: Kalil is a great guy and obviously a terrific player. I don't have a problem with him being upbeat and positive....I would hope that every Panther player thinks they can win the Super Bowl. The biggest mistake Kalil made was using the Observer as his platform. Why spend money on a dying medium? He could have gotten his point across for free by doing radio & TV interviews with the same impact. I'm looking forward to seeing how Carolina improves defensively in 2012.....getting healthy LBs back like Beason and Davis will help. I think the team will be better, but until I see major defensive improvement, it's hard to comprehend Carolina in the Super Bowl. If the Panthers win it all, then it goes down as one of the greatest predictions ever.....if the team falls short....well, no big deal....the only other person who made a claim like that was team owner Jerry Richardson. I have been traveling like crazy recently...Birmingham, Dallas and Chicago for SiriusXM. This week I get a chance to get out of the Southern heat by going to my favorite city in the United States: San Francisco. I've already checked....highs in the low 60's....not bad for August. The only bummer is that my Giants are closing up a 10-game home stand and will be on the road. I'll be spending some downtime there before heading to Eugene, Oregon. SiriusXM is doing a cool Pre-season College Football Tour this year, and the channel is visiting the Top 15 schools in America for a show at each locale. I've never been to Oregon, and now I get a chance to see Chip Kelly's wide-open attack in person. The shows on each campus should be fun, and I'm really looking forward to seeing the campus and surroundings. ESPN's Kirk Herbstreit told me the facilities are off the charts, and I can't wait to get to Oregon.....but first, I'm going to enjoy the city by the Bay. I'll let you know the other schools that I'll be attending around the country next week....I think it's a cool idea by SiriusXM to put the different shows at the top football locales in the country. Stay tuned for details. I turned on the Brickyard race from Indy and it looked like Kenan Stadium. The sun ricocheting off all that aluminum had to cause a few blind spots on the track. One thing that was crystal clear was the dominating performance of Jimmie Johnson. The driver of the 48-car picked up his 4th win at the famed track. He also sent a strong message that he will be a tough out during the upcoming Cup championship. While Jimmie and his Hendrick crew were kissing the bricks in celebration, his teammate was taking over the lead in the standings. Believe it or not, Dale, Jr. is now your points leader. That's the first time for Junior to be on top since 2004....but there is no denying that his consistency on the track is paying dividends. Whether or not he can keep the lead and win the title remain to be seen. But either way, the NASCAR suits have to be loving it.....the most popular driver in the sport is out front. You couldn't script it any better. The other good news for Junior is that he's racing up some serious coin with all these Top 5 finishes. He'll need the cash, to pay for all the damage that Danica Patrick is doing to his Nationwide series car. Damn, she sucks. |
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