Jay Reeves, Associated Press: The FBI, apparently with the approval of then-director J. Edgar Hoover, tracked a civil rights lawsuit filed 40 years ago by African Americans against Alabama coach Bear Bryant. Filed in 1969, the suit was dismissed in 1971 after the university gave a handful of scholarships to African American athletes. The monitoring ended then, too, when Bryant's FBI file was 27 pages thick.
Kyle Veazey, Clarion-Ledger: Southeastern Conference athletic directors have once again decided to crack down on the use of cowbells at Mississippi State home games. The first offense will cost the school $5,000, the second offense is a $25,000 penalty, and the third offense is $50,000. The fines will be per game in which a violation or violations were deemed to occur, not per violation.
Rachel Cohen, Associated Press: Now that ESPN has the Bowl Championship Series, could the network manipulate matchups?
Ralph N. Paulk, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: Many Penn State and Youngstown State followers in Greater Pittsburgh and surrounding areas aren't likely to see the opener between the schools because the Big Ten Network and Armstrong Cable are seemingly at an impasse.
Associated Press: The Marshall marching band has dropped "Country Roads" from its lineup after complaints from fans. "Country Roads" is rival West Virginia's theme song.
Dennis Dodd, CBS Sports: Eight Big 12 athletic directors met with Learfield Sports Friday morning to discuss forming their own cable network.
Sports By Brooks: LeGarrette Blount once punched former Oregon coach Mike Bellotti in the face during a practice scuffle.
Josh Moon, Montgomery Advertiser: ESPN was allowed seemingly unlimited — and certainly unprecedented — access to Nick Saban's team as Alabama began fall camp a month ago. The only revelation of the hourlong show is that the Crimson Tide's paranoid approach to media relations is just that — paranoid. And it probably does a disservice to the players.
Donald H. Yee, Washington Post: Yee, whose firm represents Tom Brady and Sean Payton, makes a case for privatizing college football and paying the players. Thanks to Ben Maller.
Steve Yanda, Washington Post: Athletic trainers at Maryland and Ohio State are using the Wii Fit video game as an objective and practical — if unproven — method of assessing athletes' balance, an important yardstick for determining recovery from concussion.
Greg Wallace, Anderson Independent Mail: Clemson quarterback Kyle Parker, who recently signed a contract with the Colorado Rockies, is 99% sure 2010 is his last year of football at the school.
Billy Rabinowitz, Columbus Dispatch: Since 1935, Ohio State and Michigan have ended their regular seasons with arguably the biggest rivalry game in college football, but with the BIg Ten splitting into divisions for 2011, there is a possibility the game will no longer be the season finale.
Mark Snyder, Detroit Free Press: Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon would not put the Wolverines in the same Big Ten division as Ohio State. "Because we're in a situation where one of the best things that could happen in a given season, in my opinion, is the opportunity to play Ohio State twice. Once in the regular season and once for the championship of the Big Ten."
Greg Dooley, M Victors: Cool vintage photos of Michigan Stadium under construction in 1927.
Adam Nettina, Go Mids: Navy players are preparing for the football field and the battlefield.
Don Williams, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Texas Tech has sold over 47,000 season tickets, a record. Plus, former Red Raider quarterback Billy Joe Tolliver has an addiction —golf.
Wes Rucker, Chattanooga Times Free Press: Steve Spurrier: "Golly, times have changed when Tennessee doesn't want to play North Carolina in football because they're too good for them. That's kind of amazing right there."
WLTV: Former Tennessee coach Phil Fulmer continues to speak out against the negative effect the hiring of Lane Kiffin had on the program. "It doesn't make any sense, the cultural change that was tried. We have a lot of great things at Tennessee. You don't have to go and flip it. It didn't work."
Birmingham Business Journal: Alabama Birmingham is considering the building of an on-campus stadium.
Darren Everson, Wall Street Journal: Sales of Florida Gators vanity license plates in the state are nearly double of any other team — college or pro.
Joseph Person, Columbia State: South Carolina offensive tackle Quintin Richardson has been suspended indefinitely while university officials look into a claim the offensive tackle assaulted his girlfriend last week in the parking lot of Williams-Brice Stadium.
Scoreboard, Baby: Ken Armstrong and Nick Perry, the Seattle Times reporters who did the award-winning "Victory and Ruins" series chronicling the run of the 2000 Washington team to the Rose Bowl, have a book coming out. "Scoreboard, Baby" shows how a community's blind embrace of a football team compromised judges, prosecutors, police agencies, a university and the media. Google Books has the first three chapters available at this link.
Joe Favorito, Sports Marking Blog: Like other mediums before them, sports bloggers are becoming more informed and professional. Thanks to the National Sports Journalism Center.
Paul Myerberg, Pre-Snap Read: A look at No. 15 USC and No. 14 Wisconsin.
So true about the bloggers...I try to be professional in everything we do.
Posted by: Brian Foley | August 20, 2010 at 06:22 PM