
Time to get the PSU atrocity, Petrino’s motorcycle mistress, suspensions galore (including TCU’s QB and Clemson All America WR for getting stopped with Ganja in the car, while 5 players at Air Force, 4 players at Oklahoma, 3 players at Indiana, 2 players at Pitt, 2 at Notre Dame and many more for the standard “violating team rules”) plus running backs getting hospitalized in a brawl or arrested for carrying around loaded Lugars - put it all in the rear view mirror. Makes last year’s angst over schools changing conferences seem like a cake walk. Let’s get the season started already!!
But first – the NCAA handed down it penalties to PSU. Thankfully, it didn’t take them long. PSU was able to negotiate its way out of a 4 year death penalty We'll take door number 2 opting instead for:
• Vacating of wins from 1998-2011 (112 wins) – lame lame lame. Only in politics and higher education can you so blatantly rewrite history. I watched PSU’s Larry Johnson go off for 279 yards against MSU in 2002. Guess that was just a bad dream. With the wins vacated JoePa drops to fifth in all time Div 1A wins. Bobby Bowden now gets the title with a big asterisk next to it. Dadgum!
• Four-year postseason ban – OK could have been longer
• Four-year scholarship reduction (10 initial; 20 total) – This is where they really start getting to penalizing the program
• Players may transfer and play immediately at other schools – A real killer. The team is getting hurt now with starting star RB Silas Redd transferring to Southern Cal, QB Robert Bolden transferring to LSU and at least three other players transferring so far– PSU talent level takes an immediate hit. Add in the scholarship reductions and their ability to replenish also takes a nosedive. PSU is going to go downhill for several years.
• Athletic department on probation for five years – yawn
The Big Ten piled on the fines by eliminating PSU from any bowl sharing revenues this year - estimated at $13 million. Haven't heard where that money will go but the Big 10 is also a political organization.....
PSU also took down JoePa’s statue. But rather than melt it down it is securely stashed away in the stadium. Instead, they unintentionally left behind a ghostly memorial to the victoms of the cover up. Somewhere, some idiots are surely contemplating white washing his legacy and having a triumphal reemergence. Hopefully not in my lifetime.
OK I’m done with all that crap. Time to start playing some football. The LVH just sent out their opening lines for the week one games Game 1 Lines. Got my eye on several lines - more in the coming weeks. I can just feel some MegaBets coming my way.
And some good news – Caesar’s Palace is opening the Strip’s biggest buffet (after dropping a cool $17 million) called Bacchanal on September 10th. Pat will be wanting to stop on by after making short work of the LVH buffet last year.
GO JUMBO – Oct 20th at the Las Vegas Hotel. They are still having specials through the next 30-45 days. Hopefully the will extend the great rates