Take it Easy, NCAA, Take it Easy

Earlier today the NCAA came to a conclusion on its punishment for the University of Southern California’s sport’s violations. The verdict on the university’s lack of institutional control? USC football will lose 10 scholarships for each of the next three seasons, is being forced to vacate any victories that Reggie Bush participated in starting in December 2004 and is banned from 2010 and 2011 season bowl games. Their basketball team also has to give up one scholarship, forfeit any wins from the 2006-7 season and ban itself from the 2010 postseason. On top of no longer being allowed to associate with Reggie Bush and O.J. Mayo (the two players highlighted in the investigation), USC will also be forced to repay the $200,000 it got for participating in the NCAA tournament.

According to the NY Times, these USC penalties are the harshest the NCAA has given to any university since 1986 when they shut down the Southern Methodist football program for two years. Yes, we all knew USC would at least get a slap on the wrist, but I think this was the rough equivalent of a public spanking. It might not be right to break the rules, but I think there are much worse things the university could be doing besides pampering their athletes. Take it easy, NCAA.

When Will Athletes Learn: Drug Tests Show Substance Abuse

I thought it was an easy concept to grasp, but apparently not. When are athletes going to learn? Drug tests show substance abuse. That means it.will.show.if.you.have.taken.drugs. How many athletes will need to get caught before they learn: hence the "test" portion, the idea is to pass by not having toxins in your system. Duh.

Contrary to popular belief, this matter appears to be trickier than it seems. At the scouting combine both Southern California tight end Anthony McCoy and Georgia Tech running back Jonathan Dwyer failed their "exams". McCoy tested positive for marijuana and Dwyer tested positive for amphetamines (apparently because of taking prescription drugs).

Ok, so let me get this straight: you are willing to risk throwing away your careers over a joint and possibly some Adderall? Maybe McCoy fried a few too many brain cells smoking the reefer, but Dwyer? If it was Adderall, usually when students use it illegally it's to help them cram for papers and exams. That being said, shouldn't you at least be a little smarter for it? Apparently not. For his sake, I hope his claim to prescription drugs was a lie and that he at least used some hardcore amphetamine like speed. If you're going to get caught, you might as well have done something a little more fun to land you in trouble.

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Don't hate the player, hate the...

Across all professional sports, contract negotiations, player-coach relationships, retirement, and player-player conflicts result in athletes changing their uniforms. The popularity of the player is positively correlated with the outrage of the old team and the excitement of the new team. Switching teams is not, by any means, a new sensation. Usually, a trade makes a small wave within the organization that ripples out into the public for a week at the most. When great players are traded, however, it is a different story. Over the course of five weeks, we are taking a look at five significant cases. The first was Brett Favre, the second was Wayne Gretzky, the third was Patrick Ewing, and the fourth is Michael Jordan. The fifth, and final, is Junior Seau.

San Diego Chargers: 1990-2002

Miami Dolphins: 2003-2005

New England Patriots: 2006-present

Junior Seau joined the Chargers in 1990 fresh out of USC, and he became an instant fan favorite, earning the nickname “Tasmanian Devil.” Seau played in 12 consecutive Pro Bowls, becoming a star of the franchise. Then Seau requested to be released so that he could sign a deal as a free agent and ultimately increase the size of his paycheck. Seau was traded to the Miami Dolphins for the 2003 season with aspirations of winning a Super Bowl ring. He played well but could not carry the team to a championship. Injuries in 2004 and 2005 caused Seau to end both seasons prematurely. This ultimately resulted in his release from the Dolphins in 2006, after which he retired.

But Seau was not done playing football. Four days after his retirement Seau signed with the New England Patriots, but a broken arm ended his season early. He stayed on for the 2007 season, but retired again at its conclusion. Most thought this was the end of Seau’s spectacular career. Then, during the 2008 season, injuries plagued the Patriots’ linebackers, and coach Bill Belicheck asked Seau to return to the team. He signed on for the last four games of the season, making it clear that he probably would not have done so if he had previously won a Super Bowl, which is the only thing missing from an otherwise impressive career. The undefeated Patriots entered the Super Bowl with over $111 million in free agents, but were unable to beat the New York Giants.

Seau “retired” again after this stint with the Patriots, but then in October he announced that he would be returning to the field for the 2009 season in hope of finally winning a Super Bowl ring. This season, Seau has played in two games (he did not play this Sunday, 11/8), without any particularly memorable occurrences. 2009 marks his 20^th year in the NFL. The Patriots are 6 and 2, and are in first place in the AFC East. It remains to be seen as to whether Seau will finally procure the Super Bowl ring that seems to evade him and that he so desperately desires.

I can't wait...

Last weekend's loss to Washington marked the fourth straight year that USC has lost to an unranked team. Growing up in an ND family, USC has always been associated with the devil. Nowadays, I associate the Gators with the devil, which I am sure Arizona State appreciates but Tim Tebow abhors. In fact, I have even given up Gatorade because I believe it gives me evil thoughts. Ok, that's not true - it doesn't give me evil thoughts, but I still don't drink it.

Regardless, the point is the USC sucks... just a little less than OSU!! And, one day the Florida Gators will suck, and I just can't wait for that day!