John Cocktosten

fixed

I re-read my post and I don't see where I insulted or belittled you at all. So sorry if you feell that way.

Here is what I would propose: -Scholarship reductions -Punishing USC, not the kids -Heavily fine the school and make them repay revenue earned from the NC game. -Punishing USC, not the kids -Take back all wins from '04, including the NC. - Punishing USC, not the kids. -Fine Mike Garrett - If you've ever read anything about him, you'd know that he was well aware of Bush and Mayo. -Take back Bush's Heisman and taking his name off of every record from '05. - Punishing Bush and not the kids. -Ban Carroll, Garrett, Bush and McNair (bush's RB coach) for at least 5 years from anything regarding college athetics. - Punishing the culprits, not the kids who were freshman in high school when this was taking place. I really don't see how any of these things are far fetched or beyond the reach of the NCAA. Yet, the only people truly punished in this whole mess are the players on the current (6 years later) USC football team. Lastly, outside of the BCS, the bowl games are a gift to the players for their hard work throughout the season. They are treated like kings and are given unbelievable gifts, attend parties and baquets in their honor. The game itself is also a showcase for NFL scouts which could cost Jr's and Sr's major visibility which means draft slotting and ultimately dollars for the players. Don't be so short-sighted, not every football player is an a**hole or a spoiled idiot. For a lot of them this is their job and a few greedy bastards took that from them while they were at their high school freshman mixer.

I think it's less "spoiled athlete" and more "Buffalo Bills apathy" with Schobel.

He's never been a great athlete but his motor never stopped running. He never gave up on a play and when the Bills has Winfield and Clements covering WRs downfield that's where most of Schobel's sacks came from, never giving up on a play. Not once do I remember him beating anyone on a straight speed rush or with a nice move inside, it was all second effort. He was a very good player, not even close to elite status though. Bills fans have been tricked into who is elite because we've been watching this pitiful team for the last 10 years and the moment we see someone play half way decent we want to annoint him "elite". The Bills were better for having him. What's sad is that this organization ground him to the bone with their ineptiude and sucked the life out of his football career.

Maybe you should familiarize yourself with college recruiting becuase every coach tells the prospects that every coach/team is under investigation. Have you ever seen anything but fluff on Carroll? Last year ESPN ran a segment on Carroll giving a kid who just lost his eyesight amazing access to the program and even having the team show up before and after his eye surgery to support him. It was one of the more touching things that I've ever seen on TV and it left me in freeking tears! On 60 minutes last year they featured Carroll going into Compton at night AFTER A GAME talking to gangs and encouraging them to teach the young kids right from wrong. Another very touching segment. Now if you think the recruits are reading the Op Eds in the LA Times instead of watching ESPN you're crazy. Every article that I've read and every talking head on TV were shocked at how severe the punishment was but a kid in Minnesota is supposed to be able to differentiate truth from rumor? That's realistic. Your attitude towards these prospects is incredibly callus considering how amazing it is for these kids to be consdered by USC let alone be offered 1 of 25 scholarships for that year. Most of them have worked so hard to get this point and you say "it sucks"? Sounds like you have a little bit of bitterness going on there. Maybe a case of the Uncle Rico's..

The NCAA is a walking/talking contradiction who are more concerned about inforcing archaic rules than enriching college athletics. But a 60 team CFA is almost just as bad. There will never be a team outside of those conferences to win a NC and the BYU's, Utah's, TCU's and Boise's of the world get screwed because they can't capture a big TV audience. Also, say bye bye to great out of conference games because there will be to much to lose. And while I like the competition that this create amongst those 60 teams, the life will be sucked out of those schools who are on the outside looking in. Without the NCAA rules these new conferences will surely increase scholarships limits and all of those "fringe" prospects who wind up at Boise St will now be the 5th guy on Florida's bench. I don't have a solution and I certainly love the idea of the NCAA becoming irrelevant but I'm not so sure that this is the way to go.

In typical backwards NCAA logic, only Juniors and Seniors will be allowed to transfer without penalty. Here's the kicker though, if they transfer within the Pac 10/16, they will have to sit out a year! The formation of these power-conferences will not only make a billion dollars but it will render the NCAA powerless! How great will that be?!?!?

Probably one of the more ridiculous statements I've heard on this board. VY was one of the greatest college players ever and should've won the Heisman. David Thomas, Sweed, Crosby and Jamaal Charles were all on that offense. Not to mention they had an Oline of All Americans. On defense they had Crowder, Robinson, R. Wright, Ced Griffen, Aaron Ross and Michael Huff. 13 of their starters were drafted! They beat a very good 4th ranked Ohio State team at the Horseshoe, they destroyed OU and they beat Colorado 70-3 in the Big 12 championship game! How the hell is that a choke? UT was great that year.

Well you just proved my point then didn't you?

It has nothing to do with the money but it was like he was rewarded for cheating without repercussions. Not sure what pumping gas has to do with anything. Carroll WAS the USC football program. How can you even argue that fact? There is zero correlation between what is going on at USC and your examples. If a kids not good enough to play, then he's not good enough play regardless of what he's told. If a guy gets fired or quits, does that make the team ineligible for bowl games (which are a reward to the athlete for working hard)? I like what RaiderEast said, strip the school of the money and let the kids play. As far as the NCAA is concerned, this team didn't do anything wrong yet they are paying for the 2004 teams transgressions. There is not one player on the current roster who played on that team BTW. Lastly, why couldn't the NCAA speed things up and get this done years ago? This happened in '04! They should have at least had it done before Feb 1st on signing day.

Bills fans can't come to grips with the fact that teams are supposed to win. Hate em or not, they were and will remain a great team.

I am not a USC fan at all. Actually, I can't stand them! But how could you possibly call them overhyped? Since '02, they have 2 National Championships and played in another NC game (VY's performance was the greatest in NC history and they lost on what was basically the last play). Since '02 USC finished no worse than #4 in the final poll (besides last year when they had a TF QB). From 02-08 they played in 7 straight BCS games (3 of them NC games) and went 6-1 destroying every team that they played. 3 Heisman trophy winners and a ton of All Americans. USC of the 2000's were one of the greatest teams in the history of college football and there is really no argument. And if you think they were the only team commiting recruiting violations you're crazy. So I guess my question is, how were they overhyped?

Not really, The guy was a God in LA. 60 minutes and ESPN have done fluff peices on him about how he helps out the community and is involved heavily in charities. Are an athlete's parents supposed to hire a PI anytime a kid is offered a scholarship? Isn't that the AD's and university presidents's job? Plus, I think you're missing our point. It's incredibly unfair to punish the players while the coach is able to walk away unscathed. Why shouldn't Carroll be held accountable? How about the kids on USC who grew up fans and have been committed since 10th grade? I know the NCAA is in a tough spot as far as punishing USC, but they need to do something about holding the Coaches /staff responsible. They also could have wrapped up this investigation before recruiting season so the incoming players had a chance to switch commitments.

Mattingly was there before the Yanks started buying championships.

How is that terrible logic KD? Did Barkley have anyting to do with Bush excepting money? Pete Carroll is the the leader of the football team and it's Mike Garrett's job to keep the atheltic program clean and both of them failed miserably. Look at what happened to the BBall program, obviously Garrett has turned a blind eye to all of this stuff. So again I ask you, how is this any players fault on the current team? How are Carroll and Garrett not penalized? Aren't you a ND fan? I get it now! All my buddies who are ND fans flooded my phone with texts this morning rejoicing over USC's problems. It's sad that the only thing ND fans can be happy about is USC's sanctions. 16-21 in the last 3 years will do that to ya! PS- ND still has to play USC this year and sanctions or not, they will lose by 50.

The sad thing is that there is no protection for the kids. If they want to transfer, they have to sit out a year and Carroll gets off unscathed sitting on a 25 million dollar contract with the S'hawks. The whole thing sucks but it makes no sense to punish the kids that had nothing to do with the sanctions. IMO, this is just another reason that kids should be able to come out of college after a year.

It makes no sense that a team that he doesn't coach anymore has to pay for his sins. The NCAA is so ass backwards it makes me sick. It's unreal that Matt Barkley will probably never play in a bowl game again.

Was it just the offense last year or when he played under the other 4 OC's? Did you ever think that the 5 OC's he's played with realize that he's not a guy that can run those routes? Maybe he cant play in the slot becuase he's not good weaving through traffic? Maybe they don't get him the ball quickly because he's not very effective after the catch and that he's a better deep route runner? Look, I think Trent sucks too but Lee has never shown any versitility regardless of who his OC is. It is undeniable that he's always had inconsistent QB's and that has effected his production but I just don't see him doing the things that others have done with crappy QB's (S. Moss, Marshall, S. Smith, Bowe, Berrian).

Hey man, if Gailey is the offensive genius that so many say he is, then he WILL work Lee from the slot and put him in motion. Maybe a hitch or two to see what he's got. If Lee thrives than I will gladly eat my words. Again, I like Lee as a person and a player so I hope he turns into the best! Cheers!

Agreed about the offense last year but he's played for 4 or 5 OC's and never looked like a #1 other than '06. He's only caught 70 balls once, he's never caught 10 td's and has only broken 1K twice in 6 seasons. He's a great deep threat for sure but he's not great underneath or after the catch regardless of who's offense he's in. We've always thought of him as a #1 because the Bills made him a #1. When have the Bill got anything right in the last 10 years? It's not a knock against him that he's a #2, hell Welker/Boldin/Wayne/Holmes/TJ Housh are/were #2's.

Can I buy some weed?

It's CLEAR that Lee Evans can't get open underneath or on crossing routes or play from the slot. It's CLEAR that unless Lee Evans is catching the ball 4 yards behind the defense his run-after-catch skills are lacking. It's CLEAR that his best asset is a shot or two downfield per game. It's also CLEAR that elite #1's like Johnson, Fitzgerald, Moss, Marshall, Wayne, S.Smith are guys who pose a threat everywhere on the field , not just deep......are we CLEAR now? I do think Lee is a very good #2 and would be a great compliment to any of those #1's, but he's a one trick pony and CLEARLY NOT a #1.

Mock drafts are retarded in general but when they're a year ahead it's like saying Avatar 3 is going to be great.

Lee is clearly a #2 at this point. TO came in here last year and completely outplayed him. That being said LE is a very good #2 option, unfortunately the Bills have a bunch of #5's on the roster to "compliment" him.