So here's what I hope to do from now on: I want to pick out five topics (insert catchy, clever name including "five" that I haven't though of yet) in the sports world each week and then make a post each Saturday, just putting down my thoughts on this page.
As I've said before on this page, I love getting feedback, either about which topics I should discuss, the presentation/layout of this blog, or my writing style.
Anyway, to get things rolling, this week I'm talking about everything Penn State, Queen Howard, the unnecessary and overblown Dream Team debate, Drew Breeeeeeess, and a former Baylor player jumping into the NFL.
Penn State Investigation
The Freeh Report was released Thursday, and while I don't have the complete details of the dozens and dozens of pages within the report, I think we all caught the gist of it. Penn State did far more than just ignore the crimes of former defensive coordinator turned convicted pedophile Jerry Sandusky; it appears they actually went to great lengths to cover it up. The late Joe Paterno, legendary head coach of Penn State, as well as the former president, vice president and athletic director were all involved in the coverup since 1998. They knew what Sandusky had done, and instead of doing the obvious and humane thing of turning the man in, they let him have access to the Penn State locker rooms and the youth charity where he found several of his victims.
Despite what the remaining JoePa apologists are saying (really, there are still some of you out there?), this is no longer speculation. This report was conducted by a former FBI director, and it involved more than 400 interviews and 3.5 million emails and documents.
The fallout of this report is tremendous and now leaves so many things up for discussion. The first thing is reaction. My personal reaction is that of complete disgust. It amazes me that people would think it more important to protect the image of a university and football team than the innocent children Sandusky was assaulting. Well, how did that work out for you, Nittany Lions? The image of the school now looks far, far worse now than it would had he been stopped 14 years ago.
Here's your lesson kids: better to be caught in one lie and save face than have that lie build up until it completely blows up in your face. Especially when that lie harms others.
When this scandal first broke months ago, I was ... I don't want to say defending Paterno, because I'm never been a JoePa fan (he should have left that job a long time ago due to old age), but I thought some people were putting too much blame on him. Now it appears those people were spot on.
It amazes that anyone besides his family is still trying to defend what he did. If you want to defend his legacy, go for it, but there is apparent proof that he covered up Sandusky's actions, so don't treat him like you once did (which for many at Penn State may have been close to god-like). The lesson other universities can take away from this incident is no head coach can become this powerful, especially not in a small town like this where things can be swept under the rug very easily.
For all those students who chose to protest Paterno's firing months ago, rather than hold some kind of public display for the victims, I hope this report finds it way into your email and you understand how wrong you were (they did eventually hold a candlelight vigil, but only after being called by the rest of the nation for caring more about a head coach than kids) .
Now that all this is out in the open, the big questions are "What should happen to Paterno's statue?" and "Should the football team be sanctioned or possibly even shut down for a couple of years?" As for the first question, I think it's too early and we're all too close to decide the fate of the statue. For now, I think Penn State should just move it, and then in a couple months they can make their final decision about the statue.
I know some people say this whole incident shows a "lack of institutional control" by Penn State, which is criteria for major NCAA sanctions, but I just think this goes way beyond the NCAA and college athletics in general. Maybe the Department of Education should handle the punishment of the school as a whole, not just the football team.
Final thoughts: a situation that was already terrible has now gotten so much worse. I know the town of State College is not guilty as a whole, but hopefully everyone there and everyone involved with Penn State now has their priorities straight.
The Dwight Howard Saga: Now coming to a theater near me
Sorry I got a bit long-winded with that last segment. Hopefully I figured out a way to make a jump down to here; if not, I hope you either enjoyed the last topic or made good use of your mouse scroll.
I also really hope Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey knows what the f*** he is doing. He is making a heck of a push for Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard. If the latest ESPN reporters are true, most of the current roster, including the three draft picks, plus future draft picks could be on the table for the Magic, as well as the Rockets taking on expiring contracts for the Magic. In short, the Rockets and Magic might just freaking switch rosters, which sounds like something a kid would do in NBA 2K12 when he got bored. All of this is being done in the hope that the Rockets can convince Howard to re-sign here after the upcoming season.
Before diving into that slim hope (for that is what it is), I have to talk about the nuisance Howard has been throughout this whole ordeal of him wanting to leave the Magic. He caused riffs among the team and with his coach. When he made it publicly known he wanted a trade, the Magic attempted to oblige, and then he turned down some of the offers they made.
The latest thing he has done to annoy ... nay, infuriate me, is whining and complaining like Veruca Salt in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.
Howard: "Daddy, I want to play in Brooklyn."And Morey believes he can persuade this kind of person to sign with Houston long term? Either Morey knows something the rest of us don't, or he is FAR too optimistic.
Magic general manager Rob Hennigan: "Alright, Dwight, as soon as the draft ends."
Howard: "But I want to play for Jay-Z now!"
Hennigan: "... well I'm sorry Dwight, but it appears they cannot afford you. However, the Lakers and Rockets are very interested, and they are just as good if not better. In fact, both franchises have a good history with centers, including, Kareem, Hakeem, Moses Ma --"
Howard: "NOOOO!! I WANT TO PLAY WITH DERON!!! If I don't get traded there, I'm going to ... well I'm already throwing a tantrum, BUT I WILL CONTINUE SCREAMING!"
Which brings me back to the Rockets' ability to re-sign Dwight. I do not think they will be able to convince him to stay after one year here. Many players would love the chance to be the superstar on a team in the fourth largest city in the United States -- with a fanbase that would love a star like this to back -- and a team that already has won championships. But as I have previously shown, I don't believe Howard will be won over with reason.
While I love that Morey is trying to shake things up and make a move that could help Houston in the long term -- and I love that he is not settling for being a mediocre team for multiple consecutive years like a certain nearby baseball team -- I don't think this is the solution he's looking for. If the details of the proposed trade structure is true, and the Rockets cannot hold onto Howard, we will be starting over from square 1.
By the way, if you cannot tell, I am in fact a Rockets fan. I've lived in Houston most of my life. And no, the Rockets will not have Jeremy Lin on their roster, as the Knicks are more than 90 percent likely to match the offer.
1992 v. 2012: The USA Olympic Team Debate
This is easily the dumbest thing ESPN wasted a whole lot of time on ... at least this week. But I guess I can add my two cents to this.
First of all, the context of this debate needs to be clarified. Kobe Bryant did not just come out and say, "Yeah, this team could kick the Dream Team's tail! Suck it, Jordan!" Speaking as someone who has done practice interviews and post-game interviews, I can tell you someone asked him this question because it's an interesting question to ask, especially to someone like Kobe who enjoys the history of the game.
What kind of answer did you expect Kobe to give? "Nah, this team is not that great. We couldn't compete with a REAL Olympic team." He said he thought they COULD (I inferred this as "has a chance to") beat the '92 team. And, honestly, I think they could. I wouldn't put money on it, but I could see it happening. According to simulations, the odds aren't that bad (~45 percent of the time). The main problem is the low post game, because Anthony Davis and Tyson Chandler would not stand much of a chance against David Robinson and Patrick Ewing.
I also get the reactions of Barkley, Jordan, Magic and other members saying they would crush them. Of course, that's part of their legacy so they are going to back themselves. Barkley countered with the argument that only three members of this year's team would make the roster: LeBron, Durant and Kobe. I think Chris Paul should be added to that list, as I would take him over John Stockton.
If you would like to see a more in-depth analysis, people much smarter, more knowledgeable about basketball and with better stat resources than myself, take a look at the argument here.
Breesy gets paid
Super Bowl-winning quarterback Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints finally agreed on a new contract deal after two years spent asking and working on a deal, and it's safe to say Brees can pick up the checks from now on.
The contract is a 5-year deal worth $100 million (GEE-ZUS!), and Brees will pocket $40 million in the first year alone thanks to a $37 million signing bonus. The guaranteed amount is $60 million, and Brees is now the highest-paid player in NFL history.
To me, this deal getting done has always been inevitable. This team helped the city of New Orleans get back on its feet after Hurricane Katrina, and a few years later when the team won the Super Bowl, Brees was MVP, and the city loved him. There was no chance Brees was ever not going to be a Saint (yay for double negatives).
It also helped Brees that the team was in disarray following "Bountygate." With head coach Sean Payton out for the year and multiple other suspensions, a resolution with Brees was needed to ensure the Saints even had a future.
I did hear an interesting conspiracy theory recently. Because Brees had been franchised but not signed to a contract yet, he was technically a free agent. Well, Payton is not allowed to talk to any members of the team due to his suspension, but while Brees was a free agent, Payton could theoretically talk to him. The theory is that the Saints purposefully prolonged the contract talks so that Payton and Brees could work things out for this season. Like I said, though, this is just a conspiracy theory, so take it how you will.
Sic 'Em, Bears ... and former Bears
For the rest of the nation, Robert Griffin III was not really a big deal until this past season, but having gone to Baylor, my classmates and I saw Griffin on the rise in the 2010 season. One big reason was a sophomore receiver he had named Josh Gordon, who served as one of Griffin's deep threat alongside Kendall Wright. Gordon caught 42 passes for 714 yards and seven touchdowns in 2010, including the longest catch in Baylor history -- a 94-yard touchdown against Kansas.
Unfortunately Gordon was arrested in the middle of the season on a misdemeanor marijuana charge after falling asleep in a Taco Bell drive-thru (can't make this stuff up). Upon his return for his junior year, he against tested positive for marijuana and was kicked off the team.
His redemption can now begin. Gordon was taken by the Cleveland Browns in the supplemental draft for the price of a second-round pick in the 2013 draft. He has vowed to stay clean.
"Despite everything I've been through, despite being a kid with a spotty background, the Cleveland Browns stuck their neck out and risked taking me and put their faith and belief in me, and I won't let them down," Gordon said in a phone interview. "I'm grateful, and I know I can't go back to being the person I used to be."
Gordon played before I came on staff at the Lariat, so I never covered him and all I can see now is highlights. He definitely has potential though, and I hope he can stay clean and impact the league. I love to see Baylor people doing well in the NFL. And good job Cleveland; you finally got your Baylor Bear. Granted you were aiming for Griffin III, but ... close enough, right?
One last thing, and this is a question I have for Electronic Arts with their release of NCAA Football 13. I understand there is a feature in this game where you can put a former Heisman winner on any school's roster you choose. Does that mean I can play as Baylor and have Robert Griffin III return as the quarterback?
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