Irrelevant Irrelevance

Just another example of how most MLB players, current and former, are handling the rampant steroids accusations that I'm pretty sure your mother has been accused of in the past year:

Former Mets clubhouse attendant and all-around steroid pit boss Kurt Radomski, in an interview on ESPN's Outside the Lines, alleged that he gave former New York Mets pitcher Dwight Gooden steroids, not really surprising considering Gooden was on everything but skates at some point in his career. When ESPN asked him his response to the allegations, Gooden referred all questions to his inner 13-year-old, responding in a text message reading...."LOL".

Good to see Dwight still hasn't lost his youthful exuberance.

Youth Movement

Yet another sign of the apocalypse, ESPN.com reports that the socialist, agenda-wielding group known as the NCAA deemed that 7th graders--thats right, 7th graders--as college prospects. This coming months after the National Association of Basketball Coaches set restrictions on college coaches and their recruiting habits, no doubt focusing on the craddle-robbers of the hardwood.

The real question here is, why? What does a kid who probably spends more time texting that praticing his jumpshot should be available for scouting by coaches two levels above them? Do they want a visit from Chris Hansen? Does it give a school's boosters an opportunity to try out their latest bribery techinques? "I'll trade you two snack-packs for your verbal."

Maybe it was a scare tactic. Some people in the business I have talked to say this was a way to prevent coaches from calling the players. In the report, it is said to be a way of preventing college coaches from working middle-school-aged camps and gaining a recruiting edge over other programs. Hence the drop in the cut-off age from ninth grade to seventh. In that respect, it is a great idea.

But on the other hand, this only presents just one-more challenge that certain college coaches will have to find a loophole for to gain that edge. In this day of 'microwave' expectations, most programs will stop at nothing to find ways around the NCAA and their rules, and it seems to not stop coaches from doing what they can to win and subsequently keep their jobs.

It will be a matter of time to find out whether this curbs recruiting young, but if young players these days are choosing colleges before high schools (see: Boatwright, Ryan) it may just make players work harder to find a way to get to college coaches.

ACCESPN

Something that has really been eating at me, besides Marley and Me's depressing ending, is the fact that the ACC now not only has a grip on Dick Vitale's nuts, but also has a grip on his colleagues, in the form of their diplomas.

So now, not only do I have to be forcefed crappy-to-mediocre basketball played by overrated teams, but when one of them beats the latest 300-or higher rated RPI team, I have to either hear them talk about it during the game, or embellish it after the game.

A short list of the ESPN on-air employees and where they took their kegstands...

Jay Bilas, Jay Williams-Duke
Scott Van Pelt, Len Elmore-Maryland

Suzy Kolber-Miami

Hubert Davis, Stuart Scott, Brad Daughtery-North Carolina

And this doesn't include Duke's Mike Gminski and recently retired Wake Forest's Billy (Fudge) Packer from CBS. So far, thats all I got, if you think of anymore, feel free to comment and let me know so I can add to this arrogance orgy.

Yes, a majority of these people are relegated to college basketball. But as a person who treats the NCAA men's basketball tournament like the first time I saw boobies, this irks me like no other.

What could be the reason for this? Are graduates of the ACC simply better prepared for today's workforce? Are they that talented? Does Dick Vitale do the interviews? It's a conundrum, really.

I just don't see what the problem with hiring a few prime talents from other conferences, the Missouri Valley and Sun Belt Conferences are ripe with talent...and will be...say around December of 2009.

Irrelevant Irrelevance

Also a new feature here on OTB, "Irrelevant Irrelevance". A segment where daily tidbits from sports outlets in television, print, radio or internet that have little to do with a story, are used for filler, or are just idiotic horseshit. Think of it as an Ombudsman Light.

Today's snippet comes from ESPN and the ongoing saga that is current Boston College head football coach Jeff Jagodzinski and his employer telling him that he'll meet the axe if he even interviews for the New Yorks Jets head coaching job in the "This Just In" segment on Sportscenter, Jay Harris reporting:

"This just in, Boston College head coach Jeff Jagodzinski still plans to meet with the New York Jets, despite the threat of being fired."

BREAKING NEWS! Nothing new. Wow, crack reporting by the staffs at the WWL. Next up, Bret Michaels still loves being mauled by skanks.
Coming tomorrow, the takeover that is the ACC on ESPN.

Tebow-kake Consumes College Football

Ok, I can't take it anymore. I've had my fill of all this. My gripe is simple.

Tim Tebow.

The Florida Wunderkind, Gainesville's Golden Boy. Since his first game as a Florida Gator, this kid has been the university's and media's dreamboat. He's beloved by anyone who loves the Blue and Orange and there is good reason for the Tebow cluster-love.

His play is passionate and tough. He says all the right things, makes all the right moves. He's a model citizen, a catholic missionary with his parents. At times I wonder if the dude has ever sneezed. Jesus sits and the right hand of God, I'm pretty sure Tim Tebow sits on the left...check that, Tebow is God.

All these reasons are why I can't stand the dude. Make a mistake, use a curse word, get a P.I. outside a nightclub while nailing the newest UF freshman hotty in the back alley, hell, just talking trash would suffice. DO something that makes you look human.

What makes it worse, it's not really Tebow's fault. Sure he's a smile-for-the-camera, kids eat your vitamins and say your prayers-sayin', seemingly flawless playin', master of media charm and wit, but as members of the media, we all should be able to see through this. Instead, they label him God's gift to college football. Lather him with praise. Hell, even when he's being told by an opposing defender that he would be the fourth-best quarterback in the Big 12, the media-darling with the dark brown spikes said it was a complement. Can this kid even act mad?

So as we enter the final days leading up to the BCS National Title game, I say this. Don't annoint the guy yet. He has done almost everything he can to earn it, but so had a guy named Manning in '97, and he gypped. Hope he has fun being a tight end in the NFL.

I'm back

It took a while, but guess what folks...

New year, new attitude. More tomorrow, coming on the BCS and Tim Tebow.