Enough Already !
By tophatal ……..
Well it finally came down to this with Floyd Mayweather continuing to be the proverbial ass in spite of a worldwide following of millions . With the Nevada State Court system deciding to stay his criminal hearing for perjury , battery , spousal and child abuse. It seems that the fighter now sees it fit once again go after his self avowed enemy Manny Pacquiao on and off for some reason , having a prospective bout waylaid in what was said to be the biggest money making fight in boxing history. At the same time the state’s Athletic Commission renewed Mayweather’s license allowing him to resume his career. The mega-fight for the welterweight title now seems to be a pipe-dream and little else can be resolved or resurrected if this fight is to ever take place . Pacquiao’s promoter , Bob Arum , the CEO Top Rank Promotions Inc and Mayweather’s lawyer and adviser , Leonar Ellerbe , have all but insinuated that the Filipino fighter is a steroid user, of which no there is no factual evidence to suggest Pacquaio has ever failed a mandated drug test . Much of this idiocy could be abated if we actually had a governing body simply acting with some integrity but there is none to be found , certainly not from the WBC , much less from the fighters or for that matter their legal representatives and the promoters !
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Slide show for your perusal .
With the unbeaten Mayweather unable to land his foe in what was a highly anticipated fight during the summer , the welterweight fighter will now set his sight on a former opponent welterweight champion Miguel Cotto . It’s not that Cotto isn’t a legitimately recognized name but this proposed bout simply is not what the most fervent fight fans want . The site for this match-up is most likely to be staged at the MGM Grand Resort & Casino in Las Vegas , Nevada on the 5th May , 2012 . Arum and Manny Pacquiao may well seek to pursue a fight later on this year with the undefeated fighter at a venue yet to be decided . Las Vegas needs these sort of proposed big mega-fights if the city is to be thought of a relevant Mecca in the world of boxing and the landscape in the world of boxing isn’t helped when beyond Floyd Mayweather and an aging Bernard Hopkins there isn’t a well recognized American fight that the fans can actually feel an affinity for . Andre Dirrell is an up and coming fighter but hardly a household name , and herein lies the crux within the world of with the heavyweight scene now in the doldrums that’s dominated by East Europeans , with both Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko holding all the titles that simply matter but refusing to fight each other professionally in order to unify the division . The brothers state their refusal to meet in the ring is due to the fact of a promise made to their mother . The heavyweight landscape in the world of boxing has become a stagnant pool of diarrhea and unabashed fecal matter ! . What might be even more unpalatable is the very fact that there isn’t a homegrown talent by way of a highly ranked and well respected American fighter seen as a legitimate top contender immediately recognized by the WBA , WBC , IBF and WBO .
My own perspective on any Pacquiao vs Mayweather bout was nothing but a charade to begin with . If a guaranteed $75 – $100 million payday isn’t enough to induce these fighters to actually get into a ring and give us a memorable performance , then why should we now believe that the proposed Cotto, Mayweather bout would elicit the fans’ interest ? As to impending future of Manny Pacquiao , if he and promoter Bob Arum cannot come to a mutual agreement with Leonard Ellerbe then we might as well give up on any proposed fight down the line in the future !
Well , with Nick Saban having won his second national title as when Alabama (Crimson Tide) made a mockery of LSU (Tigers) in what was said to be at the time a highly anticipated rematch between the two SEC teams. In a game that should have prove to be an exciting spectacle turned out to be a lopsided spectacle with the Crimson Tide manhandling Les Miles’ ….. team and completely beating the alleged credibility that LSU Tigers may well have possessed as being the number one team in the nation at the time , according to the BCS poll rankings..
The 1st February is officially National Letter of Intent Day (Signing Day) with keen hungry young high school football players declaring their intent , by formally making it known where they will choose to further their football careers at the collegiate level , in making their choices publicly known . With the throng of reporters and college analyst now trying to assess the landscape of the signings and sifting through the thousands of declarees up and down the nation, a number of national publications will of course now try to rank the schools in terms of the quality and dare one say quantity of assignees to the various programs. Far be it for me to suggest but does anyone really know how good these players will and how much they might be able to contribute to a program ? Not all of the apparent “Blue Chip talent” might even be in with a chance of playing in their sophomore season , if that but somehow we’re being led to believe that many of these players will be on their way to future success at the collegiate level . . What we do know however , is that the major programs of the SEC , PAC12 , Big 12 and Big East and ACC will loaded up with the usual talent we have come to expect seeing from their football programs . In light of that , it will be interesting to see how Lane Kiffin and USC (Trojans) , having forgone postseason play in 2011 due NCAA sanctions will now make their presence felt this upcoming season .
Certainly for Kiffin and his coaching staff the thought of now being able to contend once again on a level playing field with their peers within the conference gives the team a chance to show good they were last season . The return of Matt Barkley for one more year would suggest that they are ready to show why the program was considered one of the mainstays of college football throughout much of the early and latter part of the last decade. However, once the truth and the improprieties rose to a level of continued rumors of Machiavellian intensity as to the misdeeds and surreptitious acts of the players and staff within the school’s athletics’ program the allegations would prove to be the school’s downfall with the punishment meted out by the NCAA and the very fact that Reggie Bush had chosen to return his Heisman Trophy to the Downtown Athletic Club , rather than having to contend with the continued allegations that surrounded him , his family and that most certainly embroiled the school and led to actions taken by the collegiate sports’ governing body .
Kiffin and his coaching staff for their part have landed a cash crop of fine talent that will no doubt bring back some shine to this program and specifically the team . Among the players declaring their intent to play at USC are acquired are Darreus Rogers , Leonard Williams , Nelson Agholor , Gerald Bowman , Devian Shelton and Zach Banner to name but a few .
Way too soon to start off with prognostications as to the 2012 BCS national champion ? Your guess is as good as mine but I do know this, not until the first scrimmages take place will we know how good some of these young athletes are bound to be and certainly not until their baptism of fire in that amped-up environment and amphitheater known as a college football stadium , then we might be able to see what the fuss may or may not be about . As to the aspirations of the powerhouse programs such as USC , Stanford , Oregon , Florida , Florida State (FSU Seminoles ), LSU , Alabama , Michigan , Michigan State and dare I say it Notre Dame ? Well who knows what we are liable to see this upcoming season within the college football landscape at the D1 level ?
With the departure of Jim Tressel and the subsequent hiring of Urban Meyer to replace the now disgraced former Ohio Sate Buckeyes’ former head football coach . It will be interesting the mindset Tressel’s successor will be and that of his newly assembled coaching staff . Urban Meyer inherits a team that certainly will be looking to show that the controversies of last season now in their rear view mirror . Certainly everything that embroiled Tressel and former Buckeye starting quarterback Terrelle Pryor with both and that if the coach’s integrity and honesty coming into question .
And it would appear that the disgraced will find his way back within the collegiate world college sports having accepted a position for which he will be well compensated to the tune of $200,000 a year . A formal announcement has been made that Jim Tressel will accept a position with the University of Akron in the role of VP for Strategic Engagement . As to his overall role and whether or not he will have any dealings with the Akron’s athletics program remains to be seen . Personally , from my perspective the farther away Tressel is kept from the collegiate sports in whatever form the better off that program is likely to be !
This season the Ohio State will face a stern test over the course of its schedule . And while I believe that Meyer will ultimately prove to be a success , as he has been wherever he’s coached at the collegiate level , it may well be a year or more before he garners the type of success that program has been accustomed to seeing . And given that the program is now under probation imposed on it by the NCAA the thinking may well be that the Buckeyes’ will go through the motions while undergoing their punishment .
If the idiocy of what tends to happen within professional sports that is often shrugged as a mere act of madness and in some cases an egregious act . Then what transpired within the athletics program of the Miami Hurricanes has me wondering why the NCAA continues to exist ! As many of you may well be aware the baseball , basketball and football programs have been embroiled in a mess that alleges , that current and former players were paid by a former booster Nevin Shapiro , all under the nose of university president Donna Shalala . Head football coach Al Golden and the school’s athletic director Shawn Eichorst have stated that these oversights on the staff’s part will be clearly addressed at all levels within the athletics department . Donna Shalala for her part , gave the likes of Shapiro and renowned agent Drew Rosenhaus an all campus access to the players which at times had Golden and Shalala were on hand when these visits would take place .
Nevin Shapiro now serving time at a federal facility for defrauding several hundred East Coast clients out of an estimated $750 million , much of which has yet to be recouped on the behalf of the clients embezzled out these funds . The incarcerated felon has now been naming names as to the players current and past whom he is said to have given monies to as well as other gifts that clearly contravene NCAA rules . Amongst those named are several well known current and former NFL players who attended the University of Miami during their collegiate athletic careers. are New England Patriots’ defensive lineman Vince Wilfork , Willis McGahee and Kellen Winslow Jr have all been terse in their response when asked whether or not they were in fact recipients of monies from Nevin Shapiro.
I have always felt that the NCAA and now specifically under Mark Emmert who as president of collegiate athletics’ governing body has yet to drag this archaic establishment out of the dark ages , in many respects. Instead , the NCAA in conjunction the BCS conferences which oversees the College Football Bowl season has merely meandered through their edicts , as if at times they were dealing with spoiled children. At times when there have been egregious and not remorseful actions by a number of schools , it would appear that the NCAA and specifically its Infractions Committee, has crawled at a snail’s pace before making governing body aware as to their findings . And though the dust has yet to settle on the gross negligence shown by members of the faculty at Penn State and amongst the coaching staff under during the tenure of Joe Paterno . It is clear that the indecisiveness shown , the lack of accountability and candor of everyone involved has forever tainted this program. Now while everyone mourns the loss of the beloved Paterno after his untimely demise . My question for those jumping to the coach’s support , is where were their feelings towards the victims of Jerry Sandusky’s cowardly and dastardly attacks ? All of this bullshit about seeking to make sure this simply doesn’t happen again is merely pie in the sky ! . Furthermore , the state Attorney’s Office when presided over by now governor Tom Corbett was culpable in another legal mea-culpa concerning gross sexual misconduct that embroiled the Hershey School when children in their custody were the victims of multiple sexual assaults . Corbett as the state’s attorney general in his handling of the case merely made the actions of Chris Darden and Marcia Clark as they presented the state of California’s case in the OJ Simpson murder trial , as if f it were a comedy of errors . As we know the defendant was acquitted in the homicide of his ex-wife , Nicole Brown-Simpson and her acquaintance Ron Goldman .
Corbett’s haphazard handling of the Hershey School investigation by his office was a case in point of what any first year lawyer should not do in showing their complete ineptitude . It would appear that within the state of Pennsylvania gross stupidity in terms of justice and jurisprudence goes hand in hand with the gross stupidity and negligence shown by the faculty and board members of Penn State . . From the first allegations to their apparent notification of the allegations made concerning Jerry Sandusky and his actions , it is clear that the only thought on the part of the educational establishment was simply to keep its image in tact , while doing absolutely nothing to protect the victims of the alleged perpetrator’s actions. Now while I believe that changes will be made , the question is will they go far enough to protect those most vulnerable ? We can only wait and see as to the steps taken by those with the power to exhibit and elicit change . Obviously that wasn’t the case during the tenure of then university president Graham Spanier .
I’m not saying that the three major college football programs within the state of Florida are under pressure to succed but if Floria (Gators) , Miami and FSU between them fail to muster more than 20 wins between them , then to my mind I would consider it a major failure ! Jimbo Fisher and the Seminoles have to succeed as the expectations have always been high with this program . This season a great deal is expected of the team within the ACC and I might hazard a guess that the coach and his coaching staff feel that there are favorable conditions for them to make a push at an apperance in BCS Bowl game . Is FSU a championship caliber team with the prospects of playing for the national title ? Perhaps they are , perhaps they are not but one thing is sure their fans will be out to prove a point especially during their home games that will be played . Much of that may well be predicated upon the players who have committed to the program this year . If they can complement the existing roster then we may well Jimbo Fisher’s team make their presence felt within the ACC and the games played at home Doak Campbell Stadium , in Tallahassee , Florida .
Will Muschamp , having succeeded Urban Meyer has a year under his belt as the coach of Forida (Gators). Coming off a 7-6 season in 2011 Mucschamp and his coaching staff are undoubtedly expecting a great deal more from his team this season . And with quarterback John Brantley looking to cement himself as the starter amongst the crop of quarterbacks on the roster it will be incumbent upon the player that his coach’s faith in him will no go unanswered .
Will Muschamp’s recruiting class of 2012 sees the coach with a slew of complementary players that should prove fruitful for the team over the course of the season and one would certainly for them to be productive over their entire college careers. Willie Bailey , D J Humphries , Damien Jacobs , Antonio Morrison and Latroy Pittman must feel that they are ready claim a starting role the Gators’ roster . Much of that however will be predicated upon the strides made by the players as they seek to embark upon their collegiate athletic careers. Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville , Florida , will play host a number of intriguing games on the Gators’ schedule in 2012 . Kentucky (Wildcats) , LSU Tigers , South Carolina (Gamecocks) and Georgia (Bulldogs ) are the teams who will be looking to slow down the aspirations of the Gators and their rabid fans . .
Hurricanes’ coach Al Golden in spite of his stupidity with regard to the scandal now engulfing the football program might not have or get the leeway he desires to turn things around for the Miami Hurricanes. Boosters , not-withstanding Golden’s job wasn’t made any easier by the lack of discipline shown last season by his players and what in essence was a poor season ( 6-6 ) for the team .
Anything short of a winning record this season and Golden’s tenure as the head coach will be very much short-lived . His predecessor Randy Shannon was shown the door for apparently being not fitting the Canes’ mold . If that’s the case one wonders what it’ll now take for the same thing to happen concerning Al Golden ? The hype surrounding the coach’s 2012 recruiting class can be best described in one of two ways , it’s good or simply average at best . Local sport’s radio talk show host Dan Sileo , himself a former Canes’ player on two national championship teams will no doubt seek to temper the expectations but at the same continue to regale his listners about what it means to don a Miami Hurricanes’ uniform . If memory serves me correctly the teams in which Sileo happened to be a member , were not exactly built , whereby they played with any awareness as to what sportsmanship meant , much less having any redeeming principles. But those were the days when Jimmy Johnson’s … teams simply ran rough-shod over everyone leaving nothing but a wake and destruction in terms of the debris left behind .
The team’s schedule for 2012 offers them opportunities to perhaps improve upon last season’s record . With that in mind , their opponents within division and outside of it should prove to be a sturdy bunch and provide them with a stern test . From my own perspective quarterback Stephen Morris will have to increase the level of game rather show flashes of brilliance one moment and complete mediocrity the next ! But such have been the vagaries of the Canes and their brand of football played under Al Golden that simply put , it’s best to expect the unexpected and if that’s not good enough then so be it !
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Picture gallery for your perusal .
What thoughts if any do you have concerning the points raised within this piece ? And what if anything are you most looking forward once the college football season unfolds ? Simply leave a comment as you see fit .
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Picture and slide show details below .
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(1) Undefeated Floyd Mayweather seen here announces plans for an upcoming fight against Miguel Cotto. The scheduled bout is due to take place on 5th May 2012 at the MGM Grand Resort & Casino Complex , in Las Vegas , Nevada . Getty Images / Ethan Miller ….
(2) Miguel Cotto , the prospective next opponent for Floyd Mayweather . The bout takes in place in lieu of the fact that neither Mayweather’s legal representative Leonard Ellerbe and Bob Arum , the promoter of Manny Pacquaio could come to an amicable agreement upon a scheduled date , disbursement of the prize money and the residuals for the proposed mega-fight. AP Photo/ Carlos Osorio ………….
(3) Bob Arum , CEO of Top Rank Inc is seen here with his client Manny Pacquaio. It would appear that the bout that every fight fans yearns to see (Mayweather vs Pacquiao) won’t be taking place in the imminent future or perhaps ever , given the less than cordial relationship between both parties . AP Getty Images /Elsa Amendola ….
(4) CEO of Mayweather Promotions Leonard Ellerbe (L) talks with boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. during the final news conference for Mayweather’s bout against Shane Mosley at the MGM Grand Hotel/Casino April 28, 2010 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Mayweather and Mosley will meet in a 12-round welterweight bout on May 1, 2010 in Las Vegas. Ethan Miller / Getty Images …..
(5) Ukraine’s boxing champions Wladimir and his brother Vitali Klitschko, from left, pose with their World Champion trophies in their training camp in Going, Austria, Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2012. The Klitschko brothers are in Going to prepare for their next World Champion fights. AP Photo/dapd, Kerstin Joensson ….
(6) Vigor defensive lineman Darius Philon wears a University of Alabama cap after he announced to the crowd that he had decided to attend the university to play football during the national signing day celebration at Vigor High School in Prichard, Ala., Wednesday Feb. 1, 1012. However, Philon did not sign a letter of intent. AP Photo/Press-Register, Bill Starling …….
(7) JACKSONVILLE, FL – JANUARY 02: Head coach Will Muschamp of the Florida Gators waits on the sidelines during the TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl against the Ohio State Buckeyes at EverBank Field on January 2, 2012 in Jacksonville, Florida. Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images ….
(8) Miami head coach Al Golden speaks speaks during an NCAA college football national signing day news conference, Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2012, in Coral Gables, Fla. AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee ………
(9) (9)ORLANDO, FL – DECEMBER 29: Coach Jimbo Fisher of the Florida State Seminoles celebrates a victory against the Notre Dame Fight Irish in the 2011 Champs Sports Bowl December 29, 2011 at the Florida Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Florida. FSU won 18 15. (Photo by Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images)
(10) Ohio State football coach Urban Meyer exits following an NCAA college football national signing day event on Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2012 in Columbus, Ohio. AP Photo/Jay LaPrete …
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College Bowl —- season results
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Nicola McLean . My oh my !
McLean on the beach in the ‘buff’ . Holla !
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Amber Easton and that hot body for hers !
Gems to suckle on !
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