FB: Liberty League

[TheGrove]

I think I'll stay here and play another year. No action on the Centennial board. *yawn*

[Frank Rossi]

Let's get back to our normal programming here... Anything but D3 football.

As an alum of UMiami (the one-year stint I did from '08 to '09), I get emails from the NYC part of the alumni club.  Obviously, football games (and gatherings associated with them) are central to their efforts.  In fact, Jonathan Vilma is a part owner of Brother Jimmy's BBQ Restaurant, with a couple locations in the City (that's the location of most of the gatherings).  Yesterday, in light of the issues UM is facing, we received this in an email promoting the first game gathering:

"FIRST GAMEWATCH OF 2011!!!

MIAMI HURRICANES v. MARYLAND TERRAPINS

WHEN: 9/5, 8 PM

WHERE: BROTHER JIMMY'S, 31ST AND LEXINGTON AVE

WHY: WE DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH LONGER WE'LL HAVE A FOOTBALL PROGRAM!"

Apparently, some people lacked a sense of humor, as 2 1/2 hours later, we received this email:

"Apologies from the UM Alumni Association

It has been brought to my attention by several of you that an e-mail from UM's Greater NY Alumni Club was sent out tonight with an irresponsible comment related to our football program. On behalf of the UM Alumni Association, please accept our apologies and know that we fully support the University and the UM Athletics program. I do hope that you join the Greater NY Alumni Club at Game Watch parties for the UM vs. Maryland football game and many games to come this season!"

While juvenile, sure, there was no need for an outright repudiation of a joke during a trying time for the program.  And you guys think I take myself too seriously... :-)

[AUKaz00]

While juvenile, sure, there was no need for an outright repudiation of a joke during a trying time for the program.  And you guys think I take myself too seriously... :-)

Yeah, but we don't know that you didn't point out the misrepresentation yourself in a detailed email to the Alumni Association and now try to distance yourself from it on the LLPP.  Don't think we're not onto your little chirade.

[Frank Rossi]

Only a guy who takes himself way too seriously would do such a thing... Oh, wait...

Carry on... There's nothing to see here, folks!

[Frank Rossi]

The more I hear about this UM situation, the more I don't believe.  It's like the booster watched "The U" 30 for 30 documentary about 100 times and is trying to recreate stories directly from it.  For instance, the new "Tim Tebow Bounty" story -- sound familiar?  Didn't Luther Campbell supposedly offer bounties like that in the 80s?  Right now, the country is gripping the words of a Ponzi Scheme artist without really considering just how weird the whole scenario is proving to be.  Any thoughts?

[lewdogg11]

So, I know it's just the preseason....But the Patriots look GOOD!

[lewdogg11]

Anyone looking for an awesome roommate?

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/sha/2549849730.html

[Frank Rossi]

Anyone looking for an awesome roommate?

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/sha/2549849730.html

Good luck to Gro in his trip to SanFran.  How's his carpaccio?

[In The HuddLLe]

Anyone looking for an awesome roommate?

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/sha/2549849730.html

In spite of reasons telling me otherwise, it's gems like these that keep bringing me back / make me unable to quit to the LLPP.

Programming note:

ITH will be back for its 4th season on BTR.  Our preseason kickoff show is tentatively slated for Thursday night, September 1st @ 7:30 PM ET.  You can find us at http://blogtalkradio.com/ith per usual.

We go into 2011 with the LL coming off its toughest (and probably worst) season to date:

- The defending champ split for the Centennial Conference after losing 66-7 in the first round of the NCAA playoffs
- Only 2 of the 7 teams in 2010 had winning records
- The league champion went 5-5, was 0-4 out of conference and was shut out 49-0 in the NCAA playoffs
- The league runner up lost by 43 in the ECACs
- In the offseason one program [Guess who?] cited itself for NCAA infractions, had to vacate their 2006 and 2007 wins and is on a 3 yr probationary period
- One long time head coach resigned

Good times, right?  Can the LL rebound and get it's first playoff victory since 2008?

We'll cover all the above and more, including previews of all LL teams and player interviews, in just 13 days.

[hazzben]

The more I hear about this UM situation, the more I don't believe.  It's like the booster watched "The U" 30 for 30 documentary about 100 times and is trying to recreate stories directly from it.  For instance, the new "Tim Tebow Bounty" story -- sound familiar?  Didn't Luther Campbell supposedly offer bounties like that in the 80s?  Right now, the country is gripping the words of a Ponzi Scheme artist without really considering just how weird the whole scenario is proving to be.  Any thoughts?

Ponzi Pope's allegations alone would probably be tenuous. But after reading the Yahoo article and some of the subsequent stuff, there's just a lot of corroboration. He named over 100 athletes, Yahoo only listed the 72 they could find varying levels of corroboration for.

These would be the most damaging as far as I can see:

1. All the pics of these players and coaches with the booster in so many of the places where the alleged violations occured.

2. Phone records (i.e. Jacory Harris) that show the numerous calls and texts between Shapiro and many of the alleged players.

3. Shannon becomes coach and realizes there's such a stink that he forbids players from associating with the Ponzi Pope. This has been confirmed by other assistants that remember the meetings. People in the athletic department have confirmed that Shapiro went into a rage when Shannon did this. The former head coach obviously realized there was some seriously shady stuff going on around Shapiro and reacted accordingly.

4. Yahoo Sports has a pretty impeccable record when it comes to these sorts of investigations. They nailed USC and Bush a few years back. They took their time with this and went and confirmed as much of the felon's accusations as they could.

5. Where there's smoke there's usually fire. And let's be honest, there's a nuclear mushroom cloud of smoke surrounding 'The U' right now. One SI or ESPN writer wrote that if even only 1/4 of the accusations are accurate, it'd still be the most damning amount of evidence against a school he'd ever seen.

6. The fact that some of the violations sound so familiar to old ones isn't really surprising to me. I don't really expect a guy like Shapiro to reinvent the corruption wheel.

7. As you mentioned with the '30 for 30' reference. This is Miami. The U might as well be called 'Corruption U'. They've got a sordid history of multiple types of rules violations and a history of being a culture of miscreants. It seemed they'd gone straight and changed the culture, but this latest chapter really just makes it seem as though it was still business as usual, except it was under the radar screen until recently.

The NCAA is in a tricky spot. If they drop the hammer on a football blue blood like Miami, do they risk a revolt of the rest of the BCS royalty. Would this be the straw that broke the back and led to the elite breaking away and doing their own thing? What would that mean for the NCAA and DIII?

If they don't drop the hammer (i.e. death penalty) they look incredibly hypocritical. The head of their enforcement department was the AD at Miami during all of this. The same guy who said USC claiming they didn't know about Bush wasn't good enough. They might not have known, he said, but they should have known. OUCH! Pot, meet kettle...

[In The HuddLLe]

If they don't drop the hammer (i.e. death penalty) they look incredibly hypocritical. The head of their enforcement department was the AD at Miami during all of this. The same guy who said USC claiming they didn't know about Bush wasn't good enough. They might not have known, he said, but they should have known. OUCH! Pot, meet kettle...

I think the "NCAA" and "hypocrite" are synonyms in Webster's. 

That said while I am very biased (I'm a grad and attended SC during part of Bush's tenure), I feel anything less than the DP is unacceptable in my opinion based on the example they tried to make out of the Trojans (who's allegations, i.e., one stupid guy, Bush vs. 72-100+, pale in comparison to these).

[Knightstalker]

If even a quarter of what Yahoo reported is true they have committed worse offenses than SMU ever did and should get the death penalty.

[pg04]

I agree, KS.  The NCAA must show they are willing to dish out the harshest penalty in extreme cases like this (if they find that a lot of it is true).  I think if they confirm most of it is true and don't take away the teams from the school, it pretty much shows that schools can get away with anything with just a slap on the wrist.  I would consider USCs punishment a slap on the wrist for miami if this turns out to be true.

[dlippiel]

dlip looking forward to heading down to Frank Bailey this week to catch some Dutchman practices and check out the team. Hoping for a turn-around this season, it will all start week #1 for the U in RI against Salve. To dlip in regards to the U's past and tradition this game is a must win. Aside from that, dlip is just looking for a solid performace that will give some hope to the Dutchmen and get them moving in the right direction here in 2011.

[lewdogg11]

dlip looking forward to heading down to Frank Bailey this week to catch some Dutchman practices and check out the team. Hoping for a turn-around this season, it will all start week #1 for the U in RI against Salve. To dlip in regards to the U's past and tradition this game is a must win. Aside from that, dlip is just looking for a solid performace that will give some hope to the Dutchmen and get them moving in the right direction here in 2011.

Meep Meep...Union Football coming through....