2009 SEC Football Discussion Thread

[mike_s]

take a look at this shot from ESPN.

For Tennessee, they have the "Lady Vols" playing in the Chick-fil-a Bowl

 

[mike_s]

hmm.... I missed this a few days ago....

2theadvocate.com | Breaking News | Alleva confirms investigation of possible violations involving LSU football team — Baton Rouge, LA

Alleva confirms investigation of possible violations involving LSU football team

LSU is investigating “possible violations” involving the football team, Athletic Director Joe Alleva confirmed Monday.

The investigation primarily involves one assistant football coach and one current student athlete who has not played in a game this season, Alleva said in an e-mail response to The Advocate late Monday.

An LSU official with knowledge of the investigation and who spoke on condition of anonymity said the coach in question is wide receivers coach D.J. McCarthy, who came to Baton Rouge from UCLA in February 2007.

“Compliance issues are routinely monitored by our compliance staff and LSU is currently researching possible violations involving one assistant coach and one student-athlete in the sport of football,” Alleva said in his prepared statement.

“By procedure, the Southeastern Conference Office has been made aware of this circumstance by LSU,” Alleva continued, noting that privacy concerns prevent him from discussing details and specific individuals at this time.

The investigation is ongoing, but should not result in any possible game forfeitures because the player in question has not clocked any game minutes, said Herb Vincent, associate vice chancellor for university relations and senior associate athletic director.

When asked specifically about McCarthy’s involvement, Vincent said, “I can’t confirm that.”

Vincent declined comment on the nature and extent of possible recruiting violations or more.

The National Collegiate Athletic Association, called the NCAA, which is the organizing body for college athletics, has strict rules ranging from when possible recruits can be contacted to how often teams can practice.

Vincent also would not discuss the possible impact the investigation could have on head football coach Les Miles, except that the inquiry is believed to only involve one assistant coach.

Miles’ team finished the regular season Saturday with a 9-3 record and an overtime victory over Arkansas.

Critics noted solid late-game management in LSU’s victory, which was the opposite reaction from the loss to Ole Miss a week prior when Miles was criticized for poor clock management.

Miles could not be reached for comment Monday. Vincent said neither Miles nor Alleva would comment beyond Alleva’s statement.

 

[mike_s]

well looks like Lane Kiffin is in trouble.... again...



Wednesday, December 09, 2009

NCAA investigating Tennessee football recruiting practices

Knoxville, TN (Sports Network) - The University of Tennessee confirmed Wednesday its football program is the subject of an ongoing NCAA review.

The focus of the investigation centers on the school's recruiting practices, more specifically, a group called the "Orange Pride," one of three student admissions groups that serve as ambassadors for the university.

In a story first reported by the New York Times, hostesses of the Orange Pride are alleged to have conducted off-campus visits to potential recruits. As representatives of the university, members of the Orange Pride are barred from recruiting off campus.

In one case cited by the Times, hostesses traveled close to 200 miles to attend a high school game in South Carolina where potential recruits were playing.

Tennessee issued a statement Wednesday saying it was cooperating fully with the investigation.

"We are concerned about the alleged activities of some members of the Orange Pride. Both university and NCAA guidelines are a part of the Orange Pride's orientation and training. If those guidelines were violated, we will take appropriate action. Because of federal student privacy regulations, we can't comment further," the release read.

According to the Times, the NCAA has visited four prospective recruits and plans to visit with two more during the week. The investigation is just the latest in a string of at least six secondary NCAA violations in head coach Lane Kiffin's first year.

It also adds to the list of sordid off-field news that has marked the Volunteers' season -- including an embarrassing flap between Kiffin and Florida head coach Urban Meyer where the former accused the latter of a recruiting violation, later to be proved false.

Just last month, three freshmen members of the football team were arrested on charges of attempted armed robbery after an early-morning incident at a gas station near the edge of campus. Nu'Keese Richardson and Mike Edwards were kicked off the team as a result, while safety Janzen Jackson was cleared of all charges and reinstated to the team.

 

[mike_s]

Recap of last saturday's game, set to music...

[youtubehq]Vg-eXlOCeT4[/youtubehq]

 

[mike_s]

This isn't SEC football... but it's the same state it's in and it qualifies as "pure quality Redneck Entertainment"


New Orleans Saints win spells doom for fan's flat-screen HD television - ESPN

Bet leads to TV target practice


Associated Press

NEW ORLEANS -- A Louisiana man who bet against the New Orleans Saints has lost his 60-inch high-definition, flat-screen TV to a backyard firing squad, but he also became an Internet star.

Wayne A. Spring told his friends that if New Orleans beat the Washington Redskins on Sunday, anyone who wanted could come to his house and shoot his television.

"I was a Saints fan, but used to be they never could win and I admit I was a fair-weather fan," Spring said on Thursday. "And there was all that 'Who-Datting' going on, online, so I just decided to go against the grain."

Things were looking good until the Saints tied the game and sent it into overtime.

Spring, a nurse who owns a medical staffing company, said as soon as the undefeated Saints kicked the winning field goal, his phone started ringing.

About a dozen Saints fans, toting firearms and a case of beer, showed up at his home in Albany, some 50 miles northwest of New Orleans, and shot up his TV in the back yard.

Spring put the video on YouTube and says it has had over 145,000 hits in three days.

"I was amazed," Spring said. "I've put stuff on YouTube before. About three years ago I put one on on a bicycle I put a jet engine on and it took two years to get 80,000 hits on that one."

After the barrage of gunshots, Spring joked, "I ain't checked on my neighbors. I guess they're all right, but I ain't seen them lately either."

Spring said he actually lives in a fairly isolated area.

Authorities said the TV shooting apparently didn't break any laws.

"But I would say mixing booze and firearms is not a good thing," said Lt. Doug Cain of the Louisiana State Police.

Spring said he would not be betting against the Saints again.

"I'll be watching the game this weekend on a 13-inch black and white set," he said. "I've learned my lesson."



[youtubehq]YJzbIt37FVo[/youtubehq]

 

[mike_s]

Kiffin: Not aware of any recruiting violations

KNOXVILLE (AP) — Tennessee football coach Lane Kiffin said Thursday he was not “aware” of any recruiting violations committed by himself, his assistants or support staff regarding the university’s student ambassador program.

“Myself and our staff take the rules and the bylaws of the NCAA and SEC extremely serious,” Kiffin said. “We work extremely hard to follow those. In this situation right here, I don’t know of any wrongdoing of any members of our staff in this, or of the kids that are being questioned in this.”

Tennessee confirmed Wednesday the NCAA is looking into the activities of members of the university’s Orange Pride group in a statement.


Kiffin and Tennessee men’s athletics director Mike Hamilton spoke Thursday at a news conference held at Neyland Stadium originally scheduled in connection with the Vols’ berth in the Chick-fil-A Bowl. Both said they had received no official inquiry from the NCAA and didn’t know whether one would surface.

Several Orange Pride’s “ambassadors” traveled nearly 200 miles to a high school football game where three players are being actively recruited by the Vols. Highly touted defensive lineman Brandon Willis and Corey Miller have committed to Tennessee, and Kiffin’s 2010 class currently is ranked No. 5 nationally by Rivals.com.

Some Tennessee recruits have been questioned about the program’s recruiting practices, and more anticipate being interviewed.

The fathers of Willis and Miller said they hadn’t noticed any irregularities in their sons’ recruitment, or with the Orange Pride members’ visit. They described the female Tennessee students as friends of their sons who promised in the summer they would drive down for a game.

But the visit could be interpreted by the NCAA as an illegal recruiting trip off campus by non-sanctioned Tennessee personnel.

Kiffin said he was not contacted by The New York Times for the Orange Pride story.

A Tennessee spokesperson said Hamilton was approached Tuesday night, hours before the story was published on The Times’ Web site.

Kiffin compared this situation to the whirlwind surrounding the recruitment of Tennessee freshman tailback Bryce Brown.

One of the nation’s top prospects, Brown signed with the Vols but later had the NCAA review his recruitment, particularly regarding his relationship with adviser Brian Butler. Brown missed a few practices but was cleared before the season started.

Kiffin said he was “very aware” that The Times reports made Brown and Orange Pride national stories, but he didn’t elaborate when asked for a reaction. The coach also declined to say whether he knew who contacted the Times about potential violations regarding either story.

“Any time you’re operating at the level we’re operating at in recruiting, people are going to come after us, and so they’re going to question what we’re doing,” Kiffin said.

“It’s my job to make sure we’re doing everything by the rules. And we are. We’re excited about the direction we’re going. People will always try to take shots at us, and they’ll always try to bring us down, but it won’t matter.”

 

[mike_s]

damn... it's bad when a football game turns into a political pot of crap...

some of these talk radio people need to get a life.....





Florida oranges turn into hot potatoes for Riley
By Phillip Rawls
Associated Press Writer

MONTGOMERY — For Alabama’s anti-gambling governor, Florida oranges appear to have become hot potatoes.

Like many other state chief executives, Gov. Bob Riley made a friendly wager with Florida Gov. Charlie Crist over the outcome of the Southeastern Conference college football championship game Dec. 5: Florida oranges versus ribs from Tuscaloosa’s Dreamland Barbecue. The Crimson Tide won.

But the bet by Riley, a gambling foe who has been trying to close down electronic bingo halls around the state, didn’t get an entirely friendly reception.


Riley became the target of criticism on blogs and talk radio — and by Thursday his office was not looking for any oranges.

Riley press secretary Todd Stacy told The Associated Press on Thursday the governor never intended to collect from Crist.

But Crist’s spokesman, Sterling Ivey, told the AP on Thursday morning the wager wasn’t game hype.

“This is the real deal. We’ll be sending the oranges and hope Governor Riley enjoys them,” he said.

The wager, announced by both governors in news releases before the game, was the same as last year. Crist noted in his news release that he collected ribs from Riley after the Gators’ 2008 victory.

In Riley’s news release, the Alabama alumnus predicted a Crimson Tide victory and said, “I’m looking forward to receiving those oranges.”

Stacy, contacted Thursday afternoon, said Riley had told Crist in a phone call “you don’t have to send oranges.”

Stacy also viewed the criticism as “just absolutely ridiculous. This is a fun, lighthearted thing between two governors who are obviously fans of their state universities.”

He cited the criticism as an example of how gambling advocates are trying to fight Riley.

“Right now, Bob Riley is the only one standing in their way,” he said.

 

[mike_s]

For those who didn't see it, Mark Ingram won the Heisman tonight. First Heisman for UA.

 

[Chugwhump]

For those who didn't see it, Mark Ingram won the Heisman tonight. First Heisman for UA.

Good for him and 'Bama.

I pray that this kid who had it so hard coming up can hold it together with all of the pressures that are going to descend on him.

Well deserved.

Colt had it, but lost it in the Nebraska game.

IJS.....

Roll Tide.....(until after the game)

Can you believe all but 2 SEC teams got a bowl game!

Is this a record for a conference??

Chug

GEAUX TIGERS!
GEAUX SAINTS!
(The team formerly known as the "Aint's")
"Who dat? Who dat? Who dat say dey gonna beat dem Saints?"

 

[captain]

I guess the Bama fans figure Texas will be such a pushover they wanted to give the Long Horns a little motivation so it can be a good close game.

I am sure Nick appreciates the fans effort.

Alabama 13 Championships stickers | Bama Fans Jump the Gun > Buster Sports