Thursday, August 20, 2009

View from the Stands: August 20th, 2009

What's the best part about waking up the morning after your weekly sports talk show?

Discovering that everything you would have rather talked about happened while you were asleep.

Nothing like having to wait another week to rant and rave about these topics, but this is what print media is for!!!
  • Coach Cal, the Magician. Once again, a team coached by John Calapari is apparently having to vacate wins. The Memphis Tigers team from 2007-08 is looking to give up their record 38 victories and a Final Four appearance for violation of NCAA rules concerning the SAT score of Derrick Rose. If this is how the axe falls, Coach Cal will be the first coach to have two Final Four appearances scratched from the record books after he took UMass to the 1996 Final Four. Calipari has yet to be mentioned in either instance, but the fact he coached both teams leaves little to be discovered. He may not directly be involved, but let's face it, he was there both times. Meanwhile, the sunshine pump was working overtime in Lexington this morning. Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear called Calipari, "An upstanding guy. I really don't foresee any problems." Sadly, Calipari will escape with no punishment from this incident, but once again leaving his players and school in question in a cloud of dust to worry about their own problems while he moves on to bigger and better things. Just remember this, Eric Bledsoe, the highly touted recruit from Alabama, had trouble with his classroom scores before being cleared by the NCAA to play this year. Not sayin', just sayin'.
  • The streak has come to an end. Alabama linebacker Courtney Upshaw managed to blow Alabama's cover of saying that Nick Saban players don't get arrested by managing to commit misdemeanor domestic violence at 1:25 am. Two things here: First, good run, Alabama. It has been over a year since Jimmy Johns stole the headlines and put the sandwich company in the black. Since then, Florida has had the same guy arrested twice, Tennessee players have smoked dope in the car, and Mark Richt's clean program has lost its shine. Fulmer Cup points for all!!! Second, not only is Upshaw in the tank for 12 hours, meaning the earliest he can pay his $500 bond is 1:25 this afternoon, but he is missing the first day of his Tuesday/Thursday schedule. Now, I'm not up on my university's policy, but I know some places drop you if you miss on the first day. Congrats, Courtney, hope the doghouse is just as nice as the indoor facility.
  • Plaxico ain't signing with anyone!!! Instead, Plaxico Burress will be taking Michael Vick's spot on the Mean Machine roster when he heads to the slammer for two years after pleading guilty this morning to a weapons charge in New York City. The DA of NYC said that Burress was going to jail by any means necessary a couple of weeks ago, and today he got his wish. Plax will now be sentenced on September 22. It is pretty safe to say that his playing days are over. Burress is 32 years old and will surely face a sentence from Roger God-dell once he is released. Plax's best bet: get buddy-buddy with Tony Dungy and the NRA. If only he had been smart and done this in Florida where the penal system is practically as strict as a game of Monopoly.

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