? Unlucky Devils. Arizona State confirmed Tuesday that not one but two senior starters, receiver T.J. Simpson and cornerback Omar Bolden, have both been diagnosed with torn ACLs and are likely to miss at least part of the regular season this fall. Bolden's loss, especially, is a killer for him and the team: He was the Devils' only first-team All-Pac-10 pick in 2010, and passed up a legitimate shot at the NFL for another year as the leader of a veteran lineup that was tentatively favored to win the Pac-12 South. Emphasis on was. [Arizona Republic]
? The squats that would not die. Iowa cornerback Willie Lowe, one of the 13 Hawkeyes hospitalized with a muscle disorder after a particularly hellacious workout in January, told ESPN's Joe Schad that he's still experiencing symptoms from the scare and has requested a release to transfer. "I would like to be able to sit out a year, regain my strength, feel fine and play again," said Lowe, a rising senior with a redshirt year at his disposal. "But I don't know. I am still down 20 pounds and I am having headaches every few days."
Iowa said when the players were released from the hospital that they've been medically cleared, and an internal probe by the university effectively deflected blame from coaches and players last month. But Lowe — along with two "family sources" of other hospitalized players — also told Schad he wasn't the only one still feeling the effects: "Only a few players are back to full speed that I know of. Some said this wasn't a big deal. But this was a big deal to me." [ESPN]
? The Rap Sheet. Marshall linebacker Brian Robinson, who turned down offers from the likes of Miami and Tennessee last year to become the Thundering Herd's first four-star signee since Randy Moss, has been booted from the team after being charged with domestic battery and carrying a concealed weapon late Monday night. Both are misdemeanors; he was being held Tuesday on $10,000 bond. (Mugshot is here.) Hype notwithstanding, Robinson leaves without seeing the field in Huntington: He redshirted following an early injury in 2010 and was out for spring with a shoulder injury. [Charleston Gazette]
Kentucky has also dismissed the highest-rated member of its 2010 recruiting class, tight end Alex Smith, who was booted from the team for the proverbial violation of team rules. Smith redshirted last year and was listed seventh on a crowded depth chart entering the spring. [Lexington Herald Leader]
? Get Money. League insiders are calling the Pac-12's plan for a conference-owned network "a done deal," and are even floating a launch date: August 2012. But that hasn't stopped commissioner Larry Scott from seeking an even more lucrative television contract than the record $205 million deal the SEC signed with CBS and ESPN three years ago. The contract is on the open market after Fox's exclusive negotiating window expired last week (Fox and Comcast/NBC are considered favorites, with ESPN and Turner Sports in the running), and big paydays for ACC and Big 12 have moved the bar into the stratosphere. [San Jose Mercury News]
? All hail. Now basketball is history, America can turn its attention to the real bracket:
The 2011 Name of the Year bracket is live, and college football is well represented as usual by:
? South Carolina signee/human giant Jadeveon Clowney, a 7-seed in the Chrotchtangle region;
? Ole Miss signee Philander Moore, a 3-seed in the Dragonwagon region;
? LSU defensive lineman A'Trey-U Jones, a 14-seed in the Sithole region;
? Arkansas signee Quinta Funderburk, a 5-seed in the Chrotchtangle region;
? Uncommitted prospect Leviticus Payne, a 12-seed in the Bulltron region.
Alas, there is no gridiron moniker in this year's field that seems to have the staying power of the 2009 NOTY champion, LSU defensive lineman Barkevious Mingo. Clowney, while clearly terrifying on the field, has a long uphill climb out of the Chrotchtangle region, which also features the likes of Heidi Hohl, Neptune Pringle III and top seed La'Peaches Pitts. And let's face it, the entire tournament is at the mercy of No. 1 overall seed Stonegarden Grindlife. [Name of the Year]
Quickly… Lane Kiffin identifies seven "NFL-caliber" Trojans, and Matt Kalil isn't one of them. Yet. … TCU ditches the frog from its redesigned helmets. … A website snafu forces Georgia to extend its deadline for ordering season tickets. … Nebraska tells ESPN "thanks but no thanks" on televising the spring game. … Michigan is getting a mondo new scoreboard befitting the Big House. …
And Fox Sports West slaps an expensive camera on Robert Woods' chest for the spring practice equivalent of "The Blair Witch Project," minus all the interesting parts.
- - -
Matt Hinton is on Twitter: Follow him @DrSaturday.
Katie Cassidy Estella Warren Cinthia Moura Monica Potter Brittany Snow
No comments:
Post a Comment