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Mid-July.
At this point, I'm just pulling up random news. There is a fair amount going on, with SEC Media Days and all the blathering that their coaches do, but mostly this time of year there's a whole lot of speculation, and a whole lot of other guys like me, looking for anything they can to write about. There's honestly not a sport on right now that I care about. Maybe that's blasphemy for a guy who runs a sports site, I don't know.
Add to that my laptop has crashed and rebooted about 20 times tonight. Time to get it in, probably an expensive repair or a new one, which would really suck. Better now than during the season, though.
Face McShooty. Just shoot me in the face! That's who I feel like about now. If you know that one, you gotta be as bored as I am right now, still waiting for the fall season to start.
Oh, and over at OTE it's Nebraska week. Links below!
Nebraska
B1G 2014 // Cobby and Corn Nation visit OTE: Fandom Abroad, Delany, and the New Guys - Off Tackle Empire
Corn Nation stops by OTE to keep B1G 2014 going. We touch on everything from how it is to follow Nebraska abroad since the move to the B1G to the craziness of the new eastern outposts. Fun was had by all. Especially when Cobby showed up.
B1G 2014 // The Smartest Guys in the Room: Bo Pelini, Cats, and Moving Forwward - Off Tackle Empire
With another incredibly angst-ridden season in the books, it's time to look at another year of rehabbing Bo Pelini's image. Can he shake the LLLL stigma? Or, is it just another bunch of cat pictures to distract everyone? A look at the big picture.
B1G 2014 // The Nebraska Potluck Part I - Off Tackle Empire
It's Nebraska week, which means we are going to the state where steak is a staple, corn is a vegetable, and various colors of beige reign supreme. If you thought to yourself, "Um, that doesn't sound so bad," then you've come to the right place.
B1G 2014 // The Nebraska Potluck Part II - Off Tackle Empire
In Part I of the Nebraska Potluck, we examined #Brands. Now it's time to jump into the Nebraska staples, non-steak category. Follow along as we look at Bo Pelini, fireable offenses, Bogatory, PositionU, best kicks, cuts-of-meat, and WLAX.
J.W. Ketchum has Texas, Auburn, and Nebraska on top - SBNation.com
Are all of those schools recruiting the Houston (Texas) Lamar prospect as a quarterback?
Go Big or Stay Home? | Hail Varsity
It's time for Nebraska to start opening seasons the Alabama way.
Welcome to the HuskerMax BBS - Paying Players: Why Players Should be Negotiating with Schools
This off-season, the NCAA decided the "Big 5" football conferences would be granted more autonomy in making decisions, a necessary step toward ensuring that the large football-playing schools can better provide for their student athletes. With new TV contracts, conference networks, and online-streaming income, Big 5 schools should be spending more of that money on student athletes.
Husker Roundtable: Former fullbacks discuss the program, concussions, NU's future and more - Omaha.com: Big Red Today - Huskers
Former Husker fullbacks Cory Schlesinger and brothers Jeff and Joel Makovicka joined host Mike'l Severe Wednesday for a special roundtable discussion on "The Bottom Line" covering their time at Nebraska and the future of the program.
The Big Ten/SEC college football challenge - Omaha.com: Blogs
Now that ESPN is fully in bed with the SEC – serving as the TV partner for its network – the sports giants have bought and snuggled under the 300-thread count sheets and the Norweigan duvet for the league's Media Days.
Random News
NCAA: Mark Emmert is wrong witness in wrongful death lawsuit - CBSSports.com
Lawyers for NCAA and family of a deceased Frostburg State football player are fighting over whether Emmert must give a deposition.
University of Michigan gets grant for mental health initiative - ESPN
The University of Michigan has received a grant from the NCAA to develop and evaluate a program for supporting mental health initiatives for student-athletes.
LAWYERIN': IT'S COMPLICATED - Black Heart Gold Pants
You want a union? Here's what you aren't considering.
Northwestern Releases New Welsh-Ryan Court Design - BT Powerhouse
The Wildcats will have a new look for their home court this season.
Quarry Q&A on Kyle Schwarber with Bleed Cubbie Blue - The Crimson Quarry
Asking Josh from the SB Nation Cubs blog a few questions about Kyle Schwarber, the day after his most recent promotion to the high class-A Daytona Cubs.
Mile High Baseball: Consuming legal marijuana, enjoying America's pastime, and searching for Sasquatch - SBNation.com
Consuming legal marijuana, enjoying America's pastime, and searching for Sasquatch.
Mike Florio wrote a sci-fi novel about football in 2001. Here's a review of it. - SBNation.com
NBCSports' Mike Florio wrote a science fiction novel about two time-traveling quarterbacks who go back to play for the 1960 Pittsburgh Steelers.
SEC defines quarterback 'strike zone' for defensive players - ESPN
In a move to further protect players from dangerous hits, the SEC has defined a "strike zone" from below the neck to above the knees in which an unabated defender may attempt to tackle an "offensive player in a passing posture."
I'm sitting with my mother and her three sisters, and we're watching the rockets attacking Israel. One aunt is on Skype with her daughter who just picked a really bad week to move to Tel Aviv.
Read this, please.
How Texas A&M paid nearly $60,000 to get Cedric Ogbuehi back for 2014 | FOX Sports on MSN
Texas A&M, though, had researched a newer NCAA rule that offered them some flexibility, where the school itself could actually pay the difference out of the Student Assistance Fund, which each school has at its disposal to cover things such as the cost of post-eligibility financial aid, or if a student-athlete can't afford to travel home in cases of emergency, or if they need a suit to wear to university functions or events like SEC Media Days.
Read this as well, if only to imagine how creative some schools will get to keep a star athlete on their team. There's nothing under-handed or illegal about it, apparently, but, wow!
Auburn blames MEDIA HACKERS for NCAA violation - SBNation.com
The Auburn athletic department is hoping the NCAA doesn't understand what "hack" means.
Steve Spurrier's best quotes from 2014 SEC Media Days, Davy Crockett and all - SBNation.com
The Aggies-Gamecocks "rivalry" becomes a forced product of realignment. Also, the Gamecocks coach hits on Clemson vs. the SEC, his history at Carolina, and Stephen Garcia's chances of making it as a media member.
The big 2014 UCLA football guide: How high is the ceiling? - SBNation.com
UCLA still might have too little depth and too few big play-makers to be a national title contender. But the Bruins have come too far in two years under Jim Mora to write them off just yet, especially with such a home-friendly schedule.
LSU and Wisconsin running toward the future in Week 1 Texas showdown - SBNation.com
The hardest-hitting and maybe best game of college football's opening weekend has all sorts of implications for 2014 ... and beyond.
Bielema, Pinkel 'fiction' comments fire up new Arkansas-Missouri rivalry - SBNation.com
Arkansas has an underrated rivalry with LSU, but the Razorbacks don't really have a definitive rival. Until now?
Paul Finebaum claims Texas wanted to pay Nick Saban $100 million - SBNation.com
Yes, this story again, somehow.