Saturday Football

kevinrmcguire:

The state of Pennsylvania will file an anti-trust lawsuit against the NCAA, seeking a dismissal of all Penn State sanctions levied last summer. Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett claimed the NCAA has operated beyond their authority in punishing Penn State following the release of the Freeh Report, an independent investigation paid for by Penn State’s Board of Trustees to detail the responses taken in the Jerry Sandusky scandal.

“I believe that the NCAA has no authority and operated outside of their own bylaws to issue these sanctions,” Corbett said in a stern press conference.

Penn State was punished by the NCAA in the form of significant scholarship reductions, a four-year postseason ban and a $60 million fine. In addition, Penn State was forced to vacate over 100 wins from the NCAA record books, a move regarded by some as a way to punish and tarnish the reputation of former head football coach Joe Paterno, who has been tied to the Sandusky scandal along with former university president, athletic director and official.

“They punished past, present and future students, student athletes, local residents and citizens of Pennsylvania,” Corbett said. “I found myself asking the question: ‘Why would the NCAA involve themselves in something already being handled in the courts?”

Continue reading full story on Examiner.com.

ajbarker82:

A Dime A Dozen

AJ Barker

It’s over.

Thank you for that last bit of motivation I needed to put myself over the top. Thank you for showing me your true colors; that you will stop at nothing to prove you have control over me. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to play on your team. …

Well, that’s quite a way to go out. Good luck with that whole transfer process.

kevinrmcguire:

You would not think that two-time defending Big Ten champions would need to come up with a statement win in mid-November, having already clinched a spot in the Big Ten championship game weeks before the conclusion of the end of the season. Yet, this is exactly what the Wisconsin Badgers will…

Nearly 11 months after Kirk Cousins heaved a miracle touchdown upheld by a video review against Russell Wilson and Wisconsin, it was Wilson who helped crush football fans in Wisconsin Monday night. So this is what it feels like, right Wilson?

By now you know the story. Wilson extended a last second play for the Seattle Seahawks and was able to unload on a deep ball to the end zone to give the Seahawks a controversial win over the visiting Green Bay Packers. The pass appeared to be intercepted by Green Bay’s M.D. Jennings, but replacement referees ruled simultaneous possession between Jennings and Seattle wide receiver Golden Tate, who got away with blatant offensive pass interference on the final play.

“It was a great catch, a great play,” Wilson said after the game. “Obviously it’s a tough call, but at the same time we gave ourselves a chance.”

For Wilson, the roles were reversed last fall when Wisconsin visited Michigan State in late October. Wilson, who had transferred from North Carolina State to play his final year of collegiate eligibility to Wisconsin, had been leading the Badgers to what might have been a run for a BCS Championship Game appearance. But a Hail Mary from Kirk Cousins caught by Keith Nicholoff a tip put an end to those plans. Nichol fought hard to ensure he would break the plane of the end zone, and a comprehensive video review ruled he did in fact score the game-winner as time expired.

To this day you may not have to look too hard to find a Wisconsin fan that believes that game could still be in overtime based on the video review, but the result has long been accepted. Unfortunately for him, Wilson saw his team fall victim to another Hail Mary pass the following week, at Ohio State with Braxton Miller unleashing on the final blow. Of course, the Badgers and Spartans would meet again in the inaugural Big Ten Championship Game, where Wilson and the Badgers picked up their revenge. Wilson also was on the field for another last-second setback in the Rose Bowl when time ran out on the Badgers against the Oregon Ducks.

As fate would have it Monday night in Seattle, Wilson would hand the football fans in Madison and the rest of Wisconsin another painful dose of last-second frustration. Was karma on Wilson’s side Monday night?