Every Monday during college football's endless offseason, The FanHouse Walk will put last week's stories to bed and deliver the essentials to bridge that agonizing space between now and September.
There's an unnerving, repetitive theme to the first four items in this week's FanHouse Walk -- lawyers. Maybe its just the offseason or an odd week, but they seem to be everywhere related to college football right now. Today's headliner finds Florida's Attorney General Bill McCollum threatening the NCAA and its president Myles Brand with a $1,000 fine or even jail time if it doesn't make public documents related to its confidential investigation into Florida State athletics.
Its a day late but definitely not a dollar short, as the NCAA will reportedly come down on Alabama to the tune of an unknown number of vacated football victories between 2005 and 2007, three additional years of probation and a cash penalty, according to the Birmingham News.
Alabama football players and athletes in several other sports were involved in a prohibited textbook and materials disbursement scheme. It's seemingly benign stuff compared to recent allegations against Memphis and USC, but this is Alabama we're talking about, which seems to have its Brooks Was Here moment every time it finds itself paroled.
Every Monday during college football's endless offseason, The FanHouse Walk will put last week's stories to bed and deliver the essentials to bridge that agonizing space between now and September. Mr. BCS Goes To Washington -- Except I have a feeling Jimmy Stewart would find some way to rail against the BCS, however wrongheadedly. You see, the big word in the halls of Congress on Friday was "fair" but don't let that confuse you. While the Mountain West and certain members of Congress are using the fairness term to stoke public support, their real concern is about money.
After an extensive search the Pac-10 has named WTA CEO Larry Scott its new commissioner. The 44-year-old Scott will take over on July 1 when current commissioner Tom Hansen steps down. He is credited with transforming the WTA thanks to an $88 million contract with Sony Ericsson and several lucrative television agreements. It doesn't hurt there's a Harvard degree to go along with his name and resume.
Florida State held a press conference on Wednesday, making public its appeal against an NCAA penalty demanding the program vacate any football victories achieved with academically ineligible players via its recent academic scandal. Things went well for the first half hour until school President T.K. Wetherell turned into a cartoon character with red eyes and steam coming out of his ears. The public was then witness to an administrator dropping four-letter words and a bizarre, sarcastic sabotage plot against Florida and Tim Tebow.
Unsolicited, Wetherell declared, "Now, we understand all the rest of it. We've heard [Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel writer Mike] Bianchi over there saying, well, hell, 31 wins don't count anyway because they were at some dips**t school."
Wetherell was referring to football coach Bobby Bowden's dubious 1-AA victories at Samford (previously Howard University) before arriving at Florida State. Things only got better from there.
After much drama and delay, running back Bryce Brown has decided to play for Lane Kiffin and the Tennessee Volunteers. Brown, considered the nation's top recruit by Rivals.com, delayed his decision until more than a month after signing day.
He had committed to Miami early in the recruiting process, before opening things up and deciding between Miami and USC (both of whom later stopped recruiting him) as well as LSU, Oregon and Tennessee.
Progress has certainly been slow for the NCAA in developing some kind of punishment for the Trojans. It certainly appears Bush received extensive compensation from several wannabe agents while he was still playing at Troy, conduct against NCAA amateur rules. Folks are frustrated and out for blood, but perhaps they shouldn't be.
March Madness is upon us, that magical time of the year when the lure of upsets and successful bracket picks drives the American public into a frenzy. Its good entertainment, good sport, and fun. Its also just about as horrible of a postseason model as one could possibly develop and call itself a 'championship'.
That statement smacks of heresy but there's much truth behind it. Calling an event exciting and worthwhile doesn't exclude it from an assessment that its also failing to fulfill its actual, you know, purpose. In that regard the NCAA tournament is hardly alone, but it has gained a remarkably ridiculous reputation as a great championship and used to browbeat other sports like college football that actually have superior championships.
Florida State -- hey, remember when they were good? -- is challenging the punishment handed down by the NCAA on Friday in relation to an incident of academic fraud perpetrated by athletes across many of its sports programs. No, not the entire punishment, but simply the NCAA order that Florida State "vacate" all victories achieved with ineligible athletes stemming from that incident. You can call it the tip of the NCAA's spear.
Its safe to say this is being done in the name of Bobby. Simply put, legendary football coach Bobby Bowden's dimming hopes of outlasting Penn State's Joe Paterno for the all-time Division I NCAA victory mark are kaput if the ruling is followed through. The Seminoles are playing the unknowing victim card, but will it work?
Florida State has a right to appeal, but the notable punishments include: public reprimand and censure, scholarship limits imposed for football and several other sports, all records (wins, stats) vacated for all games ineligible athletes participated in and requirement of an annual compliance report.
Every Monday during college football's endless offseason, The FanHouse Walk will put last week's stories to bed and deliver the essentials to bridge that agonizing space between now and September.
Its a day late but definitely not a dollar short, as the 
Every Monday during college football's endless offseason, 
After an extensive search the 
The excellent Dr. Saturday unearthed a nice find last Tuesday, citing a 
March Madness is upon us, that magical time of the year when the lure of upsets and successful bracket picks drives the American public into a frenzy. Its good entertainment, good sport, and fun. Its also just about as horrible of a postseason model as one could possibly develop and call itself a 'championship'.
Florida State -- hey, remember when they were good? -- is challenging the 
