Story by Bruce Hooley
Special to ESPN.com

Will Indiana play 13? Will dropping some weight help
Michigan's Kevin Grady perform better? Will Penn State use
the 3-4 in 2006? Our Big Ten notebook addresses those
questions and much more.

Illinois

It sounds goofy for a team that went 2-9 overall and 0-8 in
the Big Ten, but Illinois' biggest hole to fill this spring
might be at punter. Steve Weatherford's graduation removes
a four-year starter, team MVP and all-Big Ten performer
from the depth chart. The job falls to true freshman Kyle
Yelton, who enrolled early and is going through spring
practice. Yelton averaged 42 yards per-punt as a high
school senior.

Indiana

Coach Terry Hoeppner wore a bracelet last season that read,
"Play 13," a reference to his desire for IU's seniors to
reach a bowl game. That didn't happen, but it hasn't moved
Hoeppner off that goal for 2006. "Our goal is to play 13
[games]," he said. "That means we're in a bowl game."
Indiana hasn't been part of the postseason since 1993.

Iowa

Defensive end Kenny Iwebema is on the Lott Trophy Watch
List for the nation's best defensive player. That's not bad
for a guy who at this time last year had all of three
tackles on his résumé. In his first season as a starter in
2005, Iwebema made first-team All-Big Ten thanks to 10
negative-yardage stops, including seven quarterback sacks,
a forced fumble and two blocked kicks.

Michigan

The Wolverines are hoping a lighter Kevin Grady means a
better Kevin Grady. The sophomore tailback, who played last
season at 227 pounds, is down to 218 during spring drills.
He and a hopefully-healthy Mike Hart could be teamed in the
same backfield this fall as Michigan tries to improve on a
7-5 season that ended with a loss to Nebraska in the Alamo
Bowl. "I don't think there's anybody in this program that
wants to go through that kind of season again," coach Lloyd
Carr said. "I think they'll do everything they're asked to
do to make sure it doesn't happen."

Michigan State

Coach John L. Smith is hoping quarterback Drew Stanton can
reduce his interceptions from the 12 he threw last season.
Smith blames some of those on Stanton's impatience with the
Spartans' kicking game, which converted only 5-of-16 field
goal attempts. "With the kicking woes last season, Drew
forced the ball at times, trying to make things happen, and
that led to some interceptions," Smith said. "He's matured
a lot in the offense over the last two years, and now he
has the patience to let the offense work for him." Neither
Smith nor Stanton will get a look at MSU's field goal
kicker, true freshman Brett Swenson, until the fall. He
went 7-of-11 on field goals in his final season of high
school football in Florida.

Minnesota

Glen Mason's contract extension went to the final hours
before his 10th season with the Gophers was a certainty.
That's the second time Mason has come close to alienating
his fan base, following a public flirtation with his alma
mater, Ohio State, in January of 2001. Even so, Mason is
proudly banging the drum for an on-campus stadium, so
Minnesota can cease playing in the sterile Metrodome. "We
need to get it done," Mason said of the new stadium. "It's
not a want; it's a need. There's a responsibility out there
to recognize the need and then find out what you're going
to do about it."

Northwestern

C.J. Bacher waited two years behind Brett Basanez to become
Northwestern's starting quarterback, and he's still
waiting. Bacher missed the first practice of the spring on
Tuesday with an unspecified illness. He was back for Day 2
on Wednesday, but did not participate. That left the job to
redshirt freshmen Andrew Brewer and Mike Kafka.

The Ohio State

The Buckeyes start spring drills this week with one of
their two returning defensive starters, defensive tackle
Quinn Pitcock, out of the early workouts with an injury The
Ohio State won't disclose...Linebacker Larry Grant is
tOSU's first junior college recruit since Jim Tressel took
over in 2001. Grant was headed to Florida until falling
short of a math requirement needed for admission to all SEC
schools. Grant later passed the class, but by then, Florida
had given his scholarship to someone else.

Penn State

Joe Paterno says the Nittany Lions will experiment with the
3-4 defense to perhaps soothe the graduation losses on the
defensive line. One thing that will help Penn State's depth
up front is the return of defensive lineman Ed Johnson, who
missed 2005 because of a team rules violation...Justin King
played both defense and offense last season, but his time
at wide receiver could be over. The plan for King this
spring is to play cornerback exclusively, with an eye
toward keeping him there in the fall. That should take care
of one spot in a Penn State secondary that lost all four
starters.

Purdue

Spring practice opens April 5 and Joe Tiller might not have
a full coaching staff by then. He's lost five of nine
assistants this offseason and has two spots still open. The
five departures are the most under Tiller since four
assistants had to be replaced between the 2002 and 2003
seasons...How acrimonious was safety Bernard Pollard's
early departure for the NFL? When Purdue held its Pro Day
on March 10, Pollard worked out for scouts at a high school
in West Lafayette because he wasn't allowed to join his
former teammates on campus. Those teammates included
defensive end Ray Edwards, who, like Pollard, left Purdue
with one season of eligibility remaining.

Wisconsin

Bret Bielema might have found an under-the-radar method to
keep his players off the police blotter, where too many
have shown up recently. Bielema has scheduled several of
Wisconsin's 15 spring practices at night, he says, to help
players cope with their classwork. "This is just a way to
have a clean practice during the spring," Bielema said. …
Junior Paul Hubbard is an interesting prospect to fill one
of two vacancies at wide receiver. The 6-foot-4, 218-pound
Hubbard was the Big Ten's long-jump champion last spring.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/print?id=2390113&type=story



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Story by Pete Bosak
Centre Daily Times
April 1, 2006

BELLEFONTE--Centre County's district attorney said one of
his assistants did not show him a statement from the woman
who has accused former Penn State football player Scott
Paxson of sexually assaulting her--a document Paxson's
attorney said could torpedo the prosecution's case.

The three-page statement given last year to Penn State's
Office of Judicial Affairs by the woman is a "fatal" blow
to the prosecution, said Joseph Amendola, Paxson's
attorney.

Accuser's statement: http://tinyurl.com/nylzl

District Attorney Michael Madeira said he did not see the
document, obtained this week by the Centre Daily Times,
before he gave approval to Assistant District Attorney
Lance Marshall to charge Paxson with sexual assault,
aggravated indecent assault, and indecent assault.

"I didn't look at the documents from the judicial review
board because I didn't have them," Madeira said. "It has
nothing to do with Lance. Whether something was
intentionally withheld from me, I'm not going to speculate
on that. I'm not going to open the window into the district
attorney's office."

In her Judicial Affairs statement, the alleged victim
admitted kissing Paxson at his apartment in the
early-morning hours of Dec. 15, 2004.

"He was touching my body around my chest and lap, which I
was OK with," she wrote in the statement. When Paxson put
his hand in her underwear, the victim wrote, she "wasn't
opposed to this necessarily, but I wasn't encouraging it."

She never told Paxson "no" or to stop during sex, according
to her Penn State testimony.

"He kept asking, 'Do you like that?' I was saying 'no' in
my mind, but I couldn't bring myself to say it out loud,"
the woman said in her statement.

She also wrote that she never cried out for help when two
people were in Paxson's campus apartment.

"It's fatal," Amendola said. "The complainant's statement
that she gave to Judicial Affairs is fatal to the
prosecution."

Paxson, meanwhile, is trying to blend in as best he can
during his final semester at Penn State, knowing people are
looking at him and wondering whether he's guilty. He's
afraid to sit beside women in any of his classes.

"I have this horrified feeling they're going to get up and
move," Paxson, 23, said Friday.

Paxson said he expects to be vindicated.

"I'm innocent," he said. "Please, let me go on with my
life."

The alleged victim could not be reached for comment Friday.

Amendola said he hopes that, in light of the district
attorney's lack of knowledge of the statement, Madeira will
"discuss the case with the complainant and choose not to
pursue prosecution."

"That would be in everyone's best interests," Amendola
said. "I have great respect for Michael Madeira, and I
expect he will make the right decision."

Sources who asked to remain anonymous said the statement
was in Marshall's hands prior to Madeira joining the
district attorney's office, but it was not shown to Madeira
when he was approached about the case.

After interviewing the alleged victim, Madeira said, he
gave the go-ahead to prosecute Paxson, a projected
later-round pick in this month's NFL draft.

"I'm reticent to get into too much now," Madeira said. "We
have an open case now. What comes of it will be known if we
change our position or what comes of it in court. But I'm
not saying our position will change."

An internal Penn State police memo obtained by the Centre
Daily Times indicates that acting District Attorney Mark
Smith declined to prosecute Paxson in late 2005, after Penn
State's Judicial Affairs found Paxson innocent. It also
states that the alleged victim reported the incident to
police but initially wanted no charges filed.

"Sometime later, she changed her mind and came back to us
asking that the university do something about the
incident," Steve Shelow, with university police, wrote in a
Feb. 27, 2006, e-mail.

That prompted a Judicial Affairs hearing in 2005, and
Paxson was found guilty of misconduct. He appealed the
decision and was cleared.

All along, Paxson has contended the sex was consensual and
that the two had been having sexually oriented
conversations on online Instant Messenger.

Following the university's Judicial Affairs hearings, the
alleged victim pressed on, according to the university
police e-mail, and contacted the district attorney's
office, which declined to prosecute at that time.

The woman, however, was told she could contact the new
district attorney, Madeira, once he was sworn in in
January, which she did, the e-mail states.

Marshall has told the CDT that he put the case file on
Madeira's desk on his second day in office. In February
2006, Madeira said, he made the decision to prosecute,
based on his face-to-face meeting with he alleged victim.

"I didn't have the Judicial Affairs stuff," Madeira said.
"It doesn't change the decision I've made. The major
deciding factor for me was talking with the victim."

Telephone messages left for Marshall and Smith were not
returned Friday.

Chuck Abel, Paxson's agent, said the former Nittany Lion
has an interview next week with the Philadelphia Eagles.
The New Orleans Saints, the Kansas City Chiefs and the
Jacksonville Jaguars also have expressed interest in the
6-foot-5-inch, 290-pound lineman.

Still, Abel said, Paxson stands to lose a lot money if he
slips in the draft because of the assault allegations.

"There is no evidence to convict Scott to begin with," Abel
said. "I don't see how they can go forward with this case
based on the miscommunication in the district attorney's
office."

Amendola had filed for and has been granted a writ of
habeas corpus, meaning Judge Bradley P. Lunsford will
review the transcripts from Paxson's preliminary hearing
and rule on whether the charges should have been bound for
trial in the first place. That hearing is scheduled for 11
a.m. April 20.

But Amendola wants the charges dropped well before then.

"I want to see this dropped before any further court
proceedings are held and before Scott is further harmed in
the upcoming NFL draft," he said.

http://tinyurl.com/o6vbc



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Story by Joe Schad
ESPN.com
March 31, 2006

Former Penn State defensive end Lavon Chisley, charged with
making "terroristic threats" on Nov. 23, reached a plea
agreement with Centre County, his attorney Karen Muir said
Friday.

Chisley had failed to appear for a non-jury trial in State
College on Thursday. He will be under the supervision of
the courts and likely referred to a probation officer.

Chisley, who missed his senior season in 2005 for academic
reasons, was charged with a misdemeanor. According to a
criminal complaint, Chisley advised a man identified as Mr.
Frask that he was "going to get a gun and kill him."

Muir said Frask was not present and that Chisley did not
make threats.

"This turned out favorably for Lavon," Muir said Friday.

According to the complaint, Chisley owned a gun and that
"it is believed that he had the gun on him when he made
these threats."

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/print?id=2392387&type=story



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my new project--the Entirely Penn State Network.

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Steve Brame:

>> The Spread offense can work marginally in the league we
play in...but it won't win championships. <<

Trader Kevin:

>> Does this mean Purdue and Northwestern have to return
the Big Ten Championship trophies they won with the Spread?
<<

Steve Brame:

>> No, but I'd rather have Michigan and OSU's trophy case
than Purdue or Northwestern's. <<

Are the differences in trophy cases attributable to the
offensive schemes or talent disparity? Both Northwestern
and Purdue have some built-in disadvantages, including not
being the most popular school in their state.

I would note that both Purdue and Northwestern managed to
lose a lot of Big Ten games with various offensive schemes
but have had success with the Spread.

Randy Walker is the first Northwestern coach to beat every
other Big Ten school. He has four seasons of 6+ wins, the
only NU coach to do so in the past century.

Meanwhile, Joe Tiller has guided Purdue to eight of the
school's 13 bowl appearances. He is 67-43 (.609) at Purdue
and in 2000 guided the Boilermakers to their first Big Ten
championship since 1967.

It obviously takes the right players and a stout defense,
but to say a Spread offense can't win championships flies
in the face of reality.

Penn State Proud, Trader Kevin



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Wow...so let me see if I'm reading this right.  The alleged "victim"
cried rape because she was thinking in her head that she didn't want
to keep going?  Hmmmm, so now a man has to be a mind reader or he gets
charged with rape?  Damn, we'd better build more prisons - quick!

The DA looks like an idiot if he moves forward with this prosecution.
I'd say Paxson actually may have cause for a wrongful arrest suit (if
there is such a thing).

Beth

>> "(P)rivate luxury boxes would symbolize a dramatic,
disturbing and damaging departure from the University's
egalitarian values and tradition," according to the letter.
Such seating would also, "physically divide fans who have
always sat and cheered together, elevating a select few
above the rest solely by virtue of their wealth." <<

Wait until they visit the parking lots and find folks with
huge motor homes and Cadillac Escalades tailgating next to
fans whose cars are being held together by Maize & Blue
bumper stickers.

Coming next to UM: All fans will be required to dress in
identical uniforms and address each other as "Comrade."

Penn State Proud, Trader Kevin



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In a message dated 4/1/2006 9:34:42 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,
cbot_kevin@... writes:

It  obviously takes the right players and a stout defense,
but to say a Spread  offense can't win championships flies
in the face of reality.

Penn  State Proud, Trader Kevin




if we had the same results on offense as NW the last six years we would
never have been out of the top 20. and in 2004 we might have been champs.  LOL.

bobby d


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Football players should get signed releases. It should be part of the dating
ritual. Have a checklist of what each party is agreeing to and not agreeing
to. It might even be a good idea to have the lawyer stop by to explain the
legal issues before that first kiss. Having that lawyer in football players'
bedrooms would have prevented a lot of heartache for PSU the last few years.


Seriously, I hope they do good counseling with the players -- having sex
with someone they don't know well is playing with fire -- for the player and
the woman. Paxson might have been 100% defensible but we'll never know,
and he will be living with this for the rest of his life probably.

Tom





On 4/1/06, hobeda <hobeda@...> wrote:
>
> Wow...so let me see if I'm reading this right.  The alleged "victim"
> cried rape because she was thinking in her head that she didn't want
> to keep going?  Hmmmm, so now a man has to be a mind reader or he gets
> charged with rape?  Damn, we'd better build more prisons - quick!
>
> The DA looks like an idiot if he moves forward with this prosecution.
> I'd say Paxson actually may have cause for a wrongful arrest suit (if
> there is such a thing).
>
> Beth
>
>
>
>
>
>
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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Beth:

>> Wow...so let me see if I'm reading this right. The
alleged "victim" cried rape because she was thinking in her
head that she didn't want to keep going? Hmmmm, so now a
man has to be a mind reader or he gets charged with rape?
Damn, we'd better build more prisons--quick! <<

I can see the story now: "Former Penn State football
standout Scott Paxson was indicted Friday for Creating
Buyer's Remorse. District Attorney Michael Madeira said a
conviction on the charge, a felony, carries a sentence of
one to five years."



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Beth,
   Is it premarital sex, if I have no intention of marrying the girl?  ;-)

Story by Pete Bosak
Centre Daily Times
April 2, 2006

UNIVERSITY PARK--Scott Paxson doesn't remember the last
time he was in class. The Penn State senior says he's
essentially given up on his criminal justice degree.

"I don't see it happening," he lamented Saturday in his
campus apartment. It's here that the former Nittany Lions
lineman finds refuge from the stares of fellow students who
whisper about the allegations that he forced himself on a
woman--claims Paxson vehemently denies.

"I always feel like the 'hellos' are different," he said.
"It could just all be in my mind, but this is so hard.

"When I sit down beside a woman, I put myself in her shoes.
What's she going to think? Is she going to think, 'Wow, one
of the football players'? Or is she going to think, 'He's
that guy in the newspaper'?"

Paxson, 23, was arrested a month ago on charges of sexual
assault, aggravated indecent assault and indecent assault
stemming from a December 2004 incident. But those charges
have recently come under renewed scrutiny. Centre County's
district attorney said last week that he had not seen
written statements submitted by the alleged victim to Penn
State's Office of Judicial Affairs and obtained by the
Centre Daily Times.

"I know it's going to be a good outcome," Paxson, a
Philadelphia native, said of his case. But his focus
remains on clearing his name--and getting drafted into the
NFL later this month.

Paxson was taken in handcuffs from his apartment on March
1, accused of sexually assaulting a woman 14 months
earlier. He said he was told that day that there was a
warrant out for his arrest, and, though he was baffled as
to what he had done, he'd intended to turn himself in as
soon as his lawyer arrived. The next thing he knew, though,
Penn State police officers were at his door.

"I was so scared," said the 6-foot-5-inch, 290-pound
lineman. "I didn't even know what the charges were against
me. They put me in handcuffs right out front. And then my
neighbors came out, and they were going to class.

"And those girls used to hang out here. But it's been weird
ever since. It used to be, 'Hi, Scott.' Now it's just,
'Hey.' Now they look at me differently."

Paxson thought the "nightmare" was settled by the
university's Office of Judicial Affairs last year, when a
series of hearings concluded he had done nothing wrong.

The sexual encounter in question, Paxson said, was entirely
consensual.

The woman testified at Paxson's preliminary hearing that
she contacted him after seeing his photo on a Web site.
Paxson said they chatted online, having some sexually
explicit conversations.

When they met in person on Dec. 14, 2004, one thing led to
another and the two had sex, Paxson said.

In her statement to Penn State's Judicial Affairs, the
woman wrote that she kissed Paxson back and did not mind
the intimate touching. She also wrote that she never said
"no" or called out for help from two other people in
Paxson's apartment. Nor did she use her cell phone, which
was on a nearby table, to call 911, she testified.

The Centre Daily Times obtained her statement and others
that show that acting District Attorney Mark Smith declined
to prosecute the case last year.

When the new district attorney, Michael Madeira, was sworn
in to office in January, he said the case was brought to
his attention by Assistant District Attorney Lance
Marshall--but Madeira was not given the woman's Judicial
Affairs statement.

Paxson's attorney, Joseph Amendola, called the Judicial
Affairs statement a "fatal blow" to the prosecution's case
and is calling for the charges against Paxson to be
withdrawn.

"It's like my life is in jeopardy," Paxson said. "But for
Lance Marshall, he sleeps well every night. I don't."

Marshall could not be reached for comment Saturday.
Attempts to reach the alleged victim also were
unsuccessful.

The charges have shaken Paxson, causing a depression that
he says can only be salved with the help of family, friends
and teammates.

"I haven't gone to class since this has been in the paper,"
Paxson said. "It's something you wake up and you think
about every day. Now I might have the courage to go back,
but I know I've probably missed too much by now."

When the allegations were made public, Paxson holed up in
his apartment, not even venturing over to the commons to
eat. A diabetic, his health suffered because of his poor
diet, not to mention his lack of sleep, and a worry about
going to prison.

Paxson's father said he is afraid for his son.

"I'm afraid of depression," Jeffrey Paxson said Saturday
from his Philadelphia home. "All we can do is coach him by
phone and say there are better days ahead. We were worried
to the point we wanted to lodge up there just to be with
him."

But Scott Paxson said he knows he will be vindicated. Until
that happens, he continues to strive for a spot on an NFL
team.

He works out at least twice a day. He said he had a strong
performance at an NFL scouting combine held recently at
Penn State. Originally projected as a mid- to later-round
draft pick, Paxson said he now fears he will have to make a
team as a free agent because of the court case.

"I showed them I can move real well for a big guy," Paxson
said of scouts at the combine. "There were teams there who
wanted to talk to me. Then they would pull me aside and
say, 'Can I ask you about this sexual-assault case?' And I
told them, 'Have a seat. I'll tell you everything.'

"If I was a scout, I wouldn't want something like this,"
Paxson said. "It scares me. I feel like I've played well
enough. I've started here for two years. I got better. I
thought I could get drafted, but now it's looking like free
agency, with what's going on.

"I'll play anywhere," he said, "I want football to be my
job. I love football."

Hitting Paxson hardest, though, is what the allegations
have done to his family, the people who have stood by him.
His father has been trying to get his son to go back to
classes, to hold his head high and to get on with his life.

Paxson grew emotional talking of his 20-year-old sister,
LeAnn, who goes to a junior college by day and works at a
Wendy's restaurant at night.

"She's always been proud of me as a big brother, and as a
Penn Stater," Paxson said. "And now she has to defend me.

"Mom and Dad have been really strong," he said, again
getting emotional. "I know this has added a lot of gray
hairs to my dad. It may have taken a few years off his
life."

Given the chance to lash out at his accuser, the
soft-spoken athlete--his dad calls him "a gentle
giant"--would not.

"I don't know what she's thinking," Paxson said. "I just
don't know how it got this far."

http://tinyurl.com/m8rj8



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Re-watched PSU vs. UM tonight as cable TV was slow. Two thoughts:

1) Nice spots.

2) Lynne Swann? Really?

Brian Boger:

>> Re-watched PSU vs. UM tonight as cable TV was slow. <<

What was the matter, the nice weather made you too happy
and you needed a downer? Joe said sleeps great on Friday
nights but never sleeps after a game, win or lose. I wasn't
up all night, but it took me a long time to calm down
enough to sleep after that one.

>> Nice spots. <<

The spots were awful, to be sure, and I know some folks
(hello Tony D, wherever you are!) are still crying about
Avant's catch. But the real travesty was Mike Hart's
fourth-quarter fumble-that-wasn't.

Why have instant freaking replay if you've not going to
review a play like that? Obvious fumble, obvious PSU
recovery, we likely win the game if the review guy isn't
asleep at the switch or busy adjusting his complimentary "M
Go Blue" baseball hat.

Penn State Proud, Trader Kevin



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Ken Gordon
The Columbus Dispatch
April 3, 2006

The Ohio State offensive tackle Alex Boone faces increased
drug and alcohol testing as well as counseling after the
university reported he was cited for driving under the
influence early yesterday morning.

The incident reportedly involved a two-vehicle crash near
the tOSU campus, but Columbus police last night said the
officer who handled the incident was off duty later
yesterday and that they had no access to the report.

There also were no records on Franklin County court
dockets.

In any case, Boone, 18, now will be entered into tOSU's
substance-abuse program. First-time offenders face testing
and counseling but not a mandatory suspension.

Any other punishment will be at the discretion of coach Jim
Tressel.

The Buckeyes practiced Saturday morning and were off
yesterday.

"I consider any drug or alcohol offense to be a very
serious matter and will treat this incident accordingly,"
Tressel said. "The last thing we told the team after
practice (Saturday) morning was to set their clocks ahead
an hour when they went to bed at 10 o’clock (for
daylight-saving time). I am disappointed that message did
not get through to everyone."

The 6-foot-8, 315-pound Boone played in 11 games last year
as a true freshman, including five starts. The Lakewood
native is projected as the starter at left tackle this
fall.

The tOSU athletics department unveiled a tougher
substance-abuse policy last May. Under it, a second offense
draws a mandatory two-week suspension. A third offense
results in a one-year suspension.

Under Ohio law, those under 21 years of age can be charged
with drunken driving with a blood-alcohol level as low as
.02. They also would be charged with underage alcohol
consumption.

Drunken driving is a first-degree misdemeanor punishable by
up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.

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Story by Jim Carty
The Ann Arbor News
April 2, 2006

For months now a handful of old guard University of
Michigan faculty, alumni and fans, headlined by a guy named
John Pollack and always-disgruntled-about-athletics former
school president James Duderstadt, have tried to generate
public outrage over the plan to renovate Michigan Stadium.

The latest volley was a public letter to the regents signed
by 33 mostly retired faculty members last week.

The petition brought a big front-page headline from the
Michigan student paper, which like all student newspapers
is righteously and indignantly opposed to anything the
administration favors.

But on a campus where you could get a hundred folks to
protest against pie a la mode ("a bourgeois perversion of
perfect pastry!"), 33 profs out of 2,700 grouching about
luxury boxes says more about defacto public approval than
anything else.

Pollack, who founded a Web site called SaveTheBigHouse.com
(despite never having attended Michigan and a current
address in Manhattan) will disagree with that, of course.

The Ann Arbor native spent almost a half hour on the phone
Wednesday portraying luxury boxes as a money-driven outrage
against all things good and holy in the world of maize and
blue.

His bottom-line message--stop the luxury boxes and save the
Big House!--sounds so noble until you stop to ask...save
the Big House from what?

Pollack's main point of outrage, leading the executive
summary of a lengthy briefing binder he presented to the
regents, is that luxury boxes would "physically divide
Michigan fans by income, visibly enshrining wealth and
privilege."

Huh?

To present a football game as some grand coming together of
the proletariat, or even the Michigan "family," is to
ignore the reality that football tickets are a luxury item,
just like a BMW, a ski trip or a $12 Zingerman's pastrami
sandwich for lunch (that's not a complaint, Ari, it's worth
every penny).

And are we talking French revolution here or a football
game? At $1,700 for a pair of season tickets on the 50-yard
line, the stadium is already visibly enshrining wealth and
privilege, no?

Oh, but that's OK, Pollack counters, because everyone is
sharing the same collective experience.

So, basically, this is about making sure the rich guys
suffer the same under the broiling sun of August and
September games and the freezing winds of November?

Wouldn't Mr. Lenin just love that.

Do the potential luxury box buyers also have to share their
tailgate spread? Should they be denied hot dogs unless they
buy one for everyone else?

See, the thing about utopian thinking is that utopia, by
definition, is a fantasy.

Let's talk reality, like the fact luxury boxes are good for
the little guy.

Luxury boxes will pay for a desperately needed stadium
renovation, ensure that everyone gets a wider seat and more
bathrooms, and keep ticket prices from continuing to rise.
(Pollack, incidentally, believes that in lieu of luxury
boxes, a ticket surcharge should help pay for the stadium
renovations, so he is in favor of making the little guy pay
more.)

When all the stadium loans are paid off, the boxes will
also help fund nonrevenue sports such as gymnastics,
wrestling and tennis--programs other schools are dropping
whenever budgets get tight--and for upgrading Michigan's
crumbling athletic facilities.

So, unless you honestly believe the world would be a better
place if we lived in the same-sized houses, drove the
same-sized cars and--for the good of the collective
experience--sat in the same football stadium seats, and you
support higher-priced football tickets in the future,
there's no reasonable philosophical or economic reason to
oppose luxury boxes.

There is, however, an aesthetic one.

Michigan Stadium certainly won't look the same with boxes
rising above both sidelines.

Maybe it looks worse, maybe it looks better, but it will
definitely look different. That's a concern, and to be
fair, part of Pollack's argument. He suggests that the new
project would "degrade the historic architecture of
America's quintessential, classic football stadium."

Perhaps...

But does he mean the structure that started out in 1927
with 84,401 seats? The one with wooden bleachers that
didn't include the current looming press box, not to
mention video scoreboards?

Or the one that, in 1949, was expanded to seat 97,239 on
steel bleachers, with a different press box?

Or the 1998 version that added the video scoreboards and
the halo (hmmm, probably not that one, given the halo and
all)?

The truth is, Michigan Stadium has always been an evolving
structure.

What the tiny anti-expansion movement is really pleading
for is to preserve an idea, that of "their" stadium and
"their" experience, the one they've known for decades now.

It's mostly a fear of change and longing for the good ol'
days, with a dash of anti-rich guy sentiment thrown in for
populist appeal.

They have little to no chance of succeeding.

This project, including luxury boxes, will go forward
because it has to go forward.

Michigan already is running its athletic department under
financial restrictions unheard of at most universities
trying to compete in big-time football and basketball.

While pretty much everyone else in the Big Ten has a
stadium full of advertising and a budget subsidized from
the university's general fund, Michigan goes without both,
all while actually buying every one of its scholarships
from the university.

That financial independence is admirable. Not one dollar
that could go to a professor's salary or classroom
renovation goes toward the football team.

But almost every other school in major college sports is
taking in money from all the sources Michigan uses, plus
stadium advertising, plus luxury boxes, plus subsidies from
the general fund.

It's like asking Lloyd Carr to win a football national
title with 70 scholarships while everyone else gets 85.

Adding luxury boxes goes a long way toward leveling the
financial field and allows Michigan athletic director Bill
Martin to renovate the stadium without a ticket surcharge
and stabilize the budget for the foreseeable future.

As long as the project is done tastefully and in keeping
with current Michigan Stadium architecture, everybody wins.

Well, not everybody.

Thirty two professors, one cranky former president, one guy
in New York who never even attended Michigan, the school
paper, and a small percentage of assorted other complainers
will paint the whole thing as the end of the world.

They'll weep for a utopian Saturday afternoon in an
unchanging stadium that never existed, all the while
ignoring budget realities they never have to be responsible
for.

Save the Big House?

Thanks, but it seems like the folks in charge are doing
just that.

http://www.mlive.com/printer/printer.ssf?/base/sports-1/114397820044130.xml&coll\
=2



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Story by Eric Hansen
South Bend Tribune
April 2, 2006

SOUTH BEND--Jeff Samardzija was back at Notre Dame football
practice Saturday, a day after pitching the Irish baseball
team to a 6-1 victory over Pittsburgh.

The senior-to-be wide receiver flashed his All-America form
during the small segment of practice Saturday that wasn't
dedicated to skipping, stretching, sprinting, position
drills, special teams work, or kneeling and listening to
head coach Charlie Weis pontificate.

The only visible difference from last fall was that his
normally untamed locks were a little less wild--the good
hair day a product of ND baseball coach Paul Mainieri's
edict, not Weis'.

It is Weis' amended time share agreement with Mainieri,
though, that is having the biggest effect on Samardzija
overall this spring. Last spring, the wideout/pitcher did
not miss a spring football practice while doubling up. This
year Weis is allowing the 6-foot-5, 216-pounder to miss
nine of the 15 spring sessions.

And that has made a world of difference in baseball.
Already projected as a first-round selection in the 2007
NFL Draft, Samardzija is moving rapidly in that direction
for June's baseball draft.

"There's no question that having time off from football has
helped him with baseball," said Mainieri, who expects
Samardzija to play minor league baseball this summer before
returning to ND for football in August.

"He's more rested when it comes time for him to take the
ball and start a game. His body is more conditioned to
being ready to pitch. His velocity--he has touched 96 miles
an hour with his fastball every time he has pitched this
spring. Last year, I think he topped out at 91 or 92."

Compare that to Notre Dame's two current major league
pitchers--Brad Lidge (Astros) and Aaron Heilman (Mets).
Mainieri said Lidge topped out at 97 mph his junior year at
Notre Dame, while Heilman was at 93 to 94.

"Now don't confuse that--Jeff doesn't pitch consistently at
96," Mainieri said, "but his velocity is much improved. His
breaking pitch and change-up have gotten a lot better, too.
There's no question not spreading himself so thin has
allowed him to become stronger and better as a pitcher.
He's a legitimate pro prospect, and there's a lot of scouts
watching him this spring."Charting the depth

Saturday's practice in Notre Dame Stadium was the only one
open to the media this spring. Injuries complicate the
depth-chart picture, but only slightly. But here's a look
at how the Irish starters were lining up during the
full-scrimmage portion of the workout.

On offense, which ran two-tight end sets, Brady Quinn was
at quarterback, Darius Walker at running back, Asaph
Schwapp at fullback, Marcus Freeman and John Carlson at
tight ends, Ryan Harris at left tackle, Dan Santucci at
left guard, Bob Morton at center, Brian Mattes at right
guard, and Paul Duncan at right tackle. Michael Turkovich
would rotate in on the right side of the line.

Center John Sullivan is unavailable while recovering from
shoulder surgery. He is projected to be the starting center
in the fall, with Morton moving to right guard. Mattes,
Duncan, and Turkovich could all be in the mix at right
tackle with incoming freshman Sam Young. Rhema McKnight
projects as the other starting wide receiver.

Defensively, the first group lined up as Ronald Talley and
Victor Abiamiri at ends, Derek Landri and Trevor Laws at
defensive tackles, Anthony Vernaglia at Apache linebacker,
Mitchell Thomas at middle linebacker, Steve Quinn at
outside linebacker, Tom Zbikowski and Chinedum Ndukwe at
safeties, Terrail Lambert and Ambrose Wooden at cornerback.

Injured starting cornerback Mike Richardson didn't play,
nor did incumbent starting linebacker Maurice Crum, who is
recovering from back surgery. Crum, the starter at Apache
last year, could start in the middle this fall if Vernaglia
and Quinn solidify the outside spots.

The second-team defense comprised Dwight Stephenson and
Justin Brown at the ends, Derrell Hand and Pat Kuntz at the
tackles, Lambert again at cornerback with Leo Ferrine,
David Bruton and Ray Herring at safety, and Kevin
Washington, Nick Borseti, and Scott Smith at linebacker.

Early enrollee George West and Zbikowski fielded punts.
West, Lambert and Ferrine handled kickoff return duties.
Last year's return tandem of David Grimes and D.J. Hord sat
out that portion of practice with injuries. Another early
enrollee, James Aldridge had been auditioning on kickoff
returns, but his work Saturday was limited to
straight-ahead running in non-contact drills.

Weis admitted he would have liked to give Lambert a chance
last year in the return game.

"We all know Terrail has front-line speed," he said, "but
last year he was playing a good portion of the year with a
cast on. The last thing I want to do is have a guy with the
ball in his hands with a cast on."

Quick kicks

--Five members of Notre Dame's incoming freshman class were
on hand Saturday to watch practice. They were quarterbacks
Zach Frazer and Demetrius Jones, fullback Luke Schmidt,
wide receiver Barry Gallup, and kicker/punter Ryan
Burkhart.

--Ohio State linebacker A.J. Hawk, engaged to Brady Quinn's
sister Laura, wrote in his draft diary on NFL.com that he
plans to attend Notre Dame's Blue-Gold scrimmage on April
22 in ND Stadium.

"Brady Quinn and I are friends now, and I want to go see
the game," he said. "I was at Notre Dame once when my
brother was being recruited there, but I don't remember it
well. I'm looking forward to seeing the campus and the
stadium up close."

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Story by Jeff Potrykus
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
April 3, 2006

Madison--Marcus Randle El, a sophomore wide receiver at the
University of Wisconsin, was placed on probation for 18
months Monday after reaching a plea agreement with the Dane
County District Attorney's office.

Randle El, 19, pleaded no contest to a charge of
misdemeanor battery for his alleged role in a fight in
December with Nick Sutton, a former teammate. A count of
misdemeanor bail-jumping was dismissed, per the plea
agreement.

Judge Steven D. Ebert entered a guilty plea on a charge of
disorderly conduct. That charge stemmed from an incident
last spring involving Randle El and his girlfriend.

Randle El pleaded guilty June 22 to the disorderly conduct
charge and was placed in the First Offender's Program, with
sentencing deferred. That agreement was revoked after
Randle El's December arrest.

According to the conditions of his probation, Randle El
will be required to take either anger-management classes or
undergo domestic violence counseling.

"I think you have a problem controlling your temper," the
judge told Randle El.

In addition, Randle El must not engage in any violent acts
against his girlfriend and he cannot have any contact with
Sutton.

Brian Asmus, an assistant district attorney, had no
objection to Randle El's probation being shortened to 12
months provided Randle El adheres to the provisions of the
plea agreement.

However, the judge ruled that Randle El would remain on
probation for 18 months and stayed a jail sentence of six
months.

Randle El initially denied any involvement in the fight
with Sutton but eventually told police the two argued after
Randle El accused Sutton of stealing $300.

"I don't believe the story about the theft," the judge told
Randle El. "You don't have any credibility with me."

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=413005&format=print



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Track amd Swimming!!!

"Tackle Gerald Cadogan might be the most interesting of the potential starters,
but not because he stands 6-foot-5, 300-pounds and would serve as a nice
book-end to Brown. At Portsmouth (Ohio) High, the redshirt sophomore was a
three-sport star. Those sports were football, track and swimming. Yes, Cadagan
was the MVP of his swimming and diving team, and no, his specialty was not the
cannon ball."

taken from

http://shorterlink.co.uk/5205

DaveK

--- In We_Are_Penn_State@yahoogroups.com, dave@... wrote:
>
>
> Track amd Swimming!!!

Hmmm, that's interesting.  I can't imagine a football player
swimming.  Swimmers are generally discouraged from bulking up because
it messes with their strokes.  The best swimmers tend to be lean and
streamlined.  Displacement of too much water is not desirable!
Beth

Story by Kevin Spain
New Orleans Times-Picayune
April 4, 2006

The NCAA Tournament is one of the most watched sporting
events because in almost any game the underdog can knock
off the favorite.

Mixing the mid-majors with the schools from the power
conferences has made for excitement and surprises, and
gives the tournament high ratings throughout.

Unfortunately, the school presidents haven't seen the light
on football, according to NCAA president Myles Brand. He
told reporters that presidents of the 11 Division I-A
conferences have shown no inclination toward a football
tournament.

"Will we see in the short run a movement toward a
tournament of I-A football? I doubt it very much, although
I don't think it's closed," Brand said. "Would we move, for
example, a four plus one (one game added to the four BCS
bowls)? It's possible. I think some discussions may take
place. I doubt very much we'll move to a large-scale
tournament in any case. Twelve games of regular season make
that a difficult thing to do."

One of the arguments over the years against a football
playoff has been athletes missing class time. Brand
dismisses that argument.

"The sport that misses the least amount of classes is
football," he said. "I mean, you're home half the time.
It's one game a week. The sport that misses the most is
golf or maybe tennis. A lot of traveling goes on there. In
basketball, it's probably on the heavier side, a little
past middle, but not in the extreme."

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Story by Jon Malavolti
Lansing State Journal
April 4, 2006

Quincy Landingham is so excited to play football for
Michigan State, the Bloomfield Hills Lahser junior has
verbally committed nearly a year before the class of 2007
signing day--and he'll be enrolling early as well.

Landingham, who is expected to play either bandit or safety
at MSU, said he is on track to graduate early after his
senior season this fall. He'll start at MSU in January.

"I feel like if I stay there's nothing more for me to
prove," Landingham said. "I want to start working out with
the team and get acclimated with school."

The 6-foot, 205-pounder has run a 4.4 40-yard dash and can
bench press a maximum 315 pounds. He is rated as a one-star
prospect by recruiting Web site Scout.com and is unranked
by Rivals.com.

Landingham is the second 2007 prospect to commit to play
for coach John L. Smith. Highly touted Lowell quarterback
Keith Nichol was the first.

Landingham said he has a 3.5 grade-point average and scored
a 28 on the ACT--making him academically eligible.

Landingham led Lahser to a regional title as a junior
running back and strong safety last season. He earned
second-team All Oakland County honors and was a Detroit
News all-state honorable mention.

Landingham said he had offers from Purdue, Georgia Tech,
Northwestern, Stanford, and Indiana, as well as interest
from The Ohio State, Iowa, and Virginia.

"My family and friends can come see me play," he said of
his decision to come to MSU. "And I love the atmosphere at
MSU."

Lahser coach Dan Loria called Landingham a "very gifted
athlete."

"He's got a second explosive gear," Loria said. "His
lateral movement is unbelievable."

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The swimming was what got me too...

I was on my hs swiming team. I sank like a rock back then. I could match the
longest underwater swim of anyone on the team though. Unfortunately, back then,
the stroke I swam --- the breast stroke --- required the head to alway be out of
the water after the dive and turns.

DaveK

Quoting hobeda <hobeda@...>:

  --- In We_Are_Penn_State@yahoogroups.com, dave@... wrote:


  > Track amd Swimming!!!



  Hmmm, that's interesting.  I can't imagine a football player
   swimming.  Swimmers are generally discouraged from bulking up because
   messes with their strokes.  The best swimmers tend to be lean and
   streamlined.  Displacement of too much water is not desirable!

  Beth

http://www.cstv.com/printable/schools/osu/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/040506aaa.htm\
l



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http://www.bwi.rivals.com/croster.asp?team=PENNST

By Numerical | Alphabetical | by Position | Depth Chart

log in and click... it's FREE

DaveK

In a message dated 4/6/2006 8:36:02 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
cbot_kevin@... writes:

_http://www.cstv.com/printable/schools/osu/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/040506aaa.
html_
(http://www.cstv.com/printable/schools/osu/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/040506aaa.ht\
ml)




no tiny url?

bobby d


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Story by Doug Lesmerises
Cleveland Plain Dealer
April 5, 2006

Columbus--In the immediate aftermath of The Ohio State's
win over Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl three months ago,
Buckeye sophomore receiver Ted Ginn Jr. talked about his
future in Columbus with a singular reference, not a plural
one. Probably just a slip, but it may have been a
subliminal indication the former Glenville star is planning
on heading for the NFL after his junior season.

If so, he wasn't tipping his hand after the fourth practice
of the spring on Tuesday. Last August, Santonio Holmes
declared he was embarking on his "money season," played
well and left early for the NFL.

Is this your money year, Ted?

"I wouldn't say that," he said. "I would say that I've
still got two years left and I'm going to play as hard as I
can for me and for the seniors."

Let's say this then. With Holmes gone, Ginn is looking a
lot more like a player ready to absorb the Heisman hype
that started a season ago, a lot more like a complete
package on and off the field.

"There's a major difference right now in his receiver
play," tOSU receivers coach Darrell Hazell said. "I think
he understands things a whole lot better. He's asking more
questions. I think he was a little bit sitting in the wings
last year. Now he's stepped up and is making a lot of
plays.

"And he's a lot more vocal than you think he is. I think he
was afraid--maybe not afraid--but he did not step into that
role last year because Tone was there. But he's definitely
embraced it this year."

One thing that won't change is Ginn's position in the
offense. He'll remain out wide to the far side of the field
in what the Buckeyes refer to as the "Z" receiver spot,
while St. Ignatius grad Anthony Gonzalez should take over
Holmes' role in the "X" spot, with routes that are a little
more possession oriented.

Hazell said that's to keep Ginn comfortable and to best
take advantage of his skills, especially when defenses in a
zone put only one defender to that far side, figuring it's
a long, tough throw for Troy Smith to make. But when Smith
makes that pass quickly, Ginn can turn a 3-yard out into an
80-yard gain by beating one man.

On the current depth chart, Roy Hall, who will be a
fifth-year senior, is behind Gonzalez at the "X" spot, with
redshirt freshman Brian Hartline third. Backing up Ginn is
Chagrin Falls grad Brian Robiskie, who will be a sophomore,
and sophomore Albert Dukes.

Hall at this point would be on the field in three-receiver
sets, but Robiskie, No. 4 on the overall depth chart, is
still fighting for a bigger role, singled out by Hazell as
the most impressive of the group of young receivers.

"He looks like a veteran guy," Hazell said. "He's still
learning and making some young mistakes, but physically, he
looks like a veteran guy."

Those are the kind of mistakes Ginn has left behind.

"He's definitely more comfortable," Hall said. "He looks
more like a receiver."

After a season that included 51 catches for 803 yards and
four touchdowns, and a Fiesta Bowl of 240 total yards
rushing and receiving and two touchdowns, even Ginn, loathe
to extol his own virtues, acknowledges something big might
be coming.

"I'm not going to set my whole season on the Heisman. I'm
not going to set my whole season on leaving," he said. "I
feel more relaxed. I feel more calm."

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bobby d:

>> no tiny url? <<

No, because I knew it wasn't going to break, but if you
really need one... http://tinyurl.com/oa9cl

Penn State Proud, Trader Kevin



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Thanks, Dave. The only thing that jumps out at me is Justin
King switching from #7 to #1.

Penn State Proud, Trader Kevin



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In a message dated 4/6/2006 2:25:33 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
cbot_kevin@... writes:

No,  because I knew it wasn't going to break, but if you
really need one...  http://tinyurl.com/oa9cl

Penn State Proud, Trader  Kevin




well, i just wanted to be sure that you weren't making any radical changes
in your life ;>)

bobby d


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]