I've been reading that EA Sports popular College Football game was going to be back on the video game market. No date set for it's release. It's no doubt got issues with the Name, Image and Likeness for the players. The last edition had Denard "Shoelaces" Robinson on the cover but never made it. Irish AD said ND would not be in the game till they resolve the NIL issues. I'm sure that across the NCAA that many Ath Directors are likely to do the same thing until the NCAA, Congress and the courts come up with a national solution for the NIL. “Notre Dame Athletics welcomes the return of EA Sports College Football, a video game series that has historically helped promote interest in college football,” noted Swarbrick in the release from the University of Notre Dame. “Notre Dame will not, however, participate in the game until such time as rules have been finalized governing the participation of our student-athletes. As those rules are developed, it is our strong desire that student-athletes be allowed to benefit directly from allowing their name, image and performance history to be used in the game.”
Bill hasn't mentioned it, but the Gators picked up 2 big time transfers on offense. The biggest was Arik Gilbert the top TE and a 5 star recruit in 2020 class. He just didn't like it at LSU and opted out before the season was over and Eddie O tried to keep him interested in LSU but he left and is now at Fla. Also they picked up a RB, Demarkus Bowman, who was the #4 RB in the 2020 class and a top 100 player. Didn't get to play much at Clemson and decided going home was a better choice.
I guess by now everybody has seen that video of the OU football player getting his ass kicked in a clubs bathroom. He misread the guys who he thought he could bully and didn't realize they were not some bumpkns, that they seriously knew how to fight and wrestle. He's had to have facial surgery and came close to losing an eye.
Guess nobody told him the old rule: There's always a dog badder than you somewhere. He learned the hard way.
I wonder what the crowds will look like in 2021? By September there should be a significant number of Americans who are fully vaccinated. Much of the control of the crowd size is local, that will probably continue to be the case. I'm sure vax numbers will be a big factor, number of new cases, and hospitalizations will probably be factored in as well. Will all controls be lifted and schools be able to sell all the tickets they can and will Americans be ready to pack into stadiums like they did in 2019. One thing to think about, is social distancing, it would seem to me that once you get to 50% or maybe even 40% that social distancing is out the door, and while they can still mandate masks with larger crowds enforcing it once in the stadium will be tough. if they go to 75% it would seem that any public health things would be out the door, attend at your own risk would be the mantra.
Big 10 known for it's trophy games, little brown jug, Paul Bunyan's Axe, Olde Oaken Bucket, and one I don't really understand...the Illibuck (see photo). But they have a new one in the George Jewett Trophy for the Northwestern/Michigan rivalry.
Sorry about that. Yes it seems to be about the only way we get a five star, by transfer. Bowman didn't play enough last season for it to count so he's a redshirt freshman. Doesn't matter though if he lives up to his hype he won't be around that long. Gilbert has not enrolled yet but is expected this summer. If he doesn't change his mind that is.
Well Arik Gilbert the 5 star TE who transferred to Fla after a short stay at LSU, had an even shorter stay in Gainesville. He is back in the portal looking for another school to play football.
Dabo is against the portal, says he doesn't want to use it wants to focus on development of the guys he recruits. Of course he's had several really good players enter the portal this time around. But it is disrupting for the team, esp if they leave after Spring Drills. And as Scott says there is clear evidence that many of those entering the portal never get another scholarship.
From the Chicago Bears via Twitter: We have hired former Texas head coach Tom Herman as an offensive analyst/special projects coach and Anthony Hibbert as assistant strength coach.
I see that Alabama is planning on 100% capacity for football games this fall. I'm guessing that unless local authorities decide that is not possible that we'll see a lot of programs try to get to 100% capacity. If we have by fall almost everybody vaccinated, including the players, then that could signal at least an attempt to return to normal for sports and other activities.
Damn Eyes of Texas controversy won't go away, recent reports of emails from donors that were pretty blatant in saying that if it offends black players then they should move from Texas. I get it that the song was first sung at a black minstrel show in 1903, and probably the guys who wrote it were racists, esp by todays standards. But the song is still a cool song and personally I never actually looked into the history of the song, it was just what we sung at football games and it fired us up as fans. The words themselves aren't racist, at least not in my opinion. So I don't see the point. The Eyes of Texas are upon you, All the livelong day. The Eyes of Texas are upon you, You cannot get away. Do not think you can escape them At night or early in the morn -- The Eyes of Texas are upon you Til Gabriel blows his horn. Statement by the President of the University. Hartzell said last fall that the song will remain. "'The Eyes of Texas,' in its current form, will continue to be our alma mater," Hartzell said. "Aspects of its origin, whether previously widely known or unknown, have created a rift in how the song is understood and celebrated, and that must be fixed." Part of that plan to "fix" the understanding was the creation of a committee to study the song's history. Hartzell said Tuesday that the report would be released next week. "The fact that we don't all agree on our school song doesn't mean that we don't all belong," he said. "Next week, the Eyes of Texas History Committee will release its report. Equipped with a common set of facts, we will then continue the conversation about our song." At his introductory news conference Jan. 12, new football coach Steve Sarkisian addressed his stance on the issue. "I know this much," Sarkisian said, "'The Eyes of Texas' is our school song. We're going to sing that song. We're going to sing that proudly." As song debate rages, Texas responds to critics
As a nation in its current form, we are the weakest people in the history of humans. We are now steeped in victimology; we stew in personal insult and we are offended by everything.
Gilberts stay as a Gator was indeed short. He never made it to Gainesville. I think the kid has some off field and personal issues. I wish him the best and hope he does what he needs to do wherever he ends up.
Phil Steele has his 2021 Preseason top 10. 1. Alabama ...recruiting and coaching, Tide are built to win every year. 2. Clemson ..same 3. Georgia ...talent and an elite QB in JT Daniels. Could be the best UGA team for Smart. I saw where Daniels had more 300yd passing games last year than Jake Fromm did in his career. 4. Oklahoma ...Spencer Rattler has arrived. Elite QB play and Offensive Guru in Lincoln Riley. 5. Ohio State ...Must replace QB but tons of talent due to elite recruiting 6. Texas A&M ...Defense is elite and thinks new QB will be better than Mond. 7. ND ...Irish have reached the point where they should be reloading and if Jack Coan can do the job the Irish should be a factor. 8. North Carolina ...returning QB and an excellent defense for Mack Brown puts them in the mix 9. Iowa State ....almost the entire starting lineup returns, plus qB Brock Purdy is thought to be one of the best in the country and everybody thinks Matt Campbell is a great coach. 10. Cincy ...Luke Fickell has this program in a really good spot and he has a returning starter at QB.
The Hat aka Les Miles, is in trouble. By now everybody has read about his situation at LSU back in 2013 when allegations of sexual misconduct. From an article on The Athletic. The article speculates that this could cost him his job at KU and the even Jeff Long the KU AD is at risk for hiring him. Well, Miles is back in the spotlight. But not for his football acumen. On Wednesday, The Athletic obtained a copy of a 2013 investigation, first unearthed by USA Today, into the conduct of Miles — then in his late 50s — toward two female student employees who, at the time, worked in LSU’s recruiting department. The behavior described in the report by law firm Taylor Porter is indisputably gross and inappropriate; Miles suggested to one woman they meet up at a hotel or his condo to “talk about her career.” He insisted the program’s student employees be “attractive, blonde and fit.” One of the students said he kissed her twice while in Miles’ car, but Miles denied it, and the firm said it was “unable to determine what occurred.” Ultimately, the report concluded: “We do not believe … there is cause to discipline and/or terminate (Miles’) contract,” and LSU did not. Athletic director Joe Alleva told Miles he could no longer contact student employees or be alone with them. And then LSU filed the report away in a vault, never to be seen again until a separate, recent Title IX investigation into the athletic department unearthed its existence.