SECRET AGENT MEN
Only one player at Georgia in NCAA investigation
The actual name is redacted in the e-mail, so it's not clear if that means it's A.J. Green or not. And it's not at all clear that the player is being interviewed because he's a target of the NCAA investigation.
"As we discussed, please instruct (name redacted) simply that the purpose of the interview is to determine the knowledge or involvement in, directly or indirectly, any violations of NCAA legislation; furthermore that he may have personal legal counsel present during the interview," according to the e-mail from the NCAA's Marcus M. Wilson sent at 4:11 p.m. on Wednesday.
But -- his Memorial Day activities might not matter.
It appears that the party in question wasn't Memorial Day Weekend
Most of the stories seem to have overlooked this angle, and Tar Heel Fan does a good job of leveling the idea here. That doesn't mean that A.J. Green was there -- he's also said he's never been to Miami -- but he's going to need another alibi.
Beyond parties, we're talking about gym time
And here we get into a lot of Western schools and at least one Midwestern institution that I'm sure you're familiar with. As we've been saying: Stay tuned to what could become a huge investigation.
OTHER NEWS
Ole Miss chancellor doesn't sound sold on Masoli
In fairness, he's probably just busy thinking about the Rebels' new mascot. But Dan Jones will have to be involved in any decision about Jeremiah Masoli moving to Oxford.
When reached this afternoon, Jones wouldn’t comment on specifics, but said "that’s a very complex issue."
That would be one way of putting things.
Brandt: Looking more likely
Masoli isn't talking, and Houston Nutt is typing away but not saying anything definitive.
From everyone I’ve talked to this evening, there’s a good chance this happens. But as Nutt recently informed me via text, it’s not done yet.
And if Nutt hasn't texted it, it hasn't happened.
Lane Kiffin + Lawsuit = Fun for SEC
The Tennessee Titans have sued Lane Kiffin for ... well, if you want to get to the heart of it, being Lane Kiffin. The specific charge is that he and a Titans assistant broke the assistant's contract when Kiffin hired the coach to be Southern Cal's offensive coordinator.
The lawsuit doesn't hold back in criticizing Kiffin for ''furtherance of a culture of violation and avoidance of respect for the sanctity of contract, which Kiffin similarly practices ...'' in inducing Pola to breach his contract.
To which Kiffin reportedly responded, "And your point is?"
As long as it's not Wyoming
The Vols will play Montana instead of fellow FCS school -- I mean, Sun Belt team North Texas to open the 2011 season.
The Bryce Brown drama continues
Just in case you were wondering for some reason.
If you've got a few minutes ...
Jerry has an interesting piece on Chizik, what kind of a coach he is and whether there might come a time to think that he won't instantly turn around the defense. (Yes, but not yet.)
No, both Auburn and Alabama can't be successful at the same time
And this is why I say that: Find me the first Auburn or Alabama fan who says the season can be successful without a win against the other team. I rest my case.
Correction: Rahim Cassell still not an official commitment
Remember that whole thing about how Florida coaches "just wanted to see" Rahim Cassell before accepting his commitment? Yeah, forget all that.
However, multiple sources close to UF confirmed to The Sun this weekend that Cassell should not be considered a verbal commitment for UF and is currently not a part of UF ’s 2010 recruiting class.
Cassell's response?
"It doesn’t matter what people are saying and I’m not paying attention to that right now."
Which is admirable enough, I guess, but it matters very much what Florida coaches are saying. You see, they do give out the scholarships and all.
Maybe it will increase the size of the deficit
I can't say too much about this without getting overly political about some of the individuals in Congress right now. Simply put: It's sad and stupid that this is an argument at all. Yes, the resolutions aren't the most important things in the world, but there are many pieces of "substantive" legislation that come out of Congress in any given year that aren't the most important things in the world. And you spend a lot more time arguing about whether they're important than passing them on a two-second voice vote.
YOU ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO EXERCISE INDEPENDENT THOUGHT JUST VOTE AS EVERYONE ELSE DOES
This is getting ridiculous. As much as I like Nevada, I don't think they're going to defeat Boise State. (I'm still going to have them ranked this year. They are my Duke.) But the thought process that everything has to be unanimous and that everyone has to agree with the consensus is part of what is wrong with the sports media today. Tony Romo is the next great NFL quarterback because he plays a good game and everyone in the media starts talking about how he is the next great NFL quarterback. Notions like that become conventional wisdom because they are not challenged and anyone who dares to think otherwise is shouted down by the groupthink crowd.
And no, this is nothing like Steve Spurrier not voting Tim Tebow the best quarterback in the SEC last season. For one thing, that was a mistake. For another thing, the comparison between Tebow and Snead was perhaps even more clear-cut than this (particularly after the season).
Nevada is a good football team, and while it would be an upset if they defeated Boise and got the conference championship in 2010, it would not exactly be Appalachian State defeating Michigan. Learn to live with the possibility that not everyone shares your view of the world. /rant