Why the Miami Booster Scandal Comes As No Shock

Earlier today Yahoo! released the findings of an 11-month investigation into a University of Miami booster and his gifting to Miami football and basketball players and coaches.

This report tells the story of Nevin Shapiro and how he did everything from buy Devin Hester his engagement ring to paying for a stripper that a player had impregnated to have an abortion.

Of course this is only one side of the story, but judging by the length of investigation and the amount of sources, including players, who confirmed what Shapiro said, I imagine it is mostly the truth.

To be honest my first reaction was not shock at all. Maybe that was because for the past few days we have heard about how the NCAA is going after Miami next, or maybe it is largely based on the fact that as a college student I see how athletes are often treated as royalty.

Miami has always had that somewhat 'full of itself swagger', and I think that could in large part be why I'm not shocked. A more holy program like Notre Dame would be a shock, but a school located in the extravagant South Beach that is as much known for its party season as it is for its sports teams just doesn't seem that farfetched.

I think another reason I wasn't blindsided by this was the fact that just months ago another very successful program was going through something similar in Ohio State. Even before that there was the whole Cam Newton, which I'm sure was just a very specific example of an overwhelming problem in college football.

With so much money on the line for this big name programs, it is easy to spend a bit more on recruiting and keeping current players, which will then produce much better teams. Some people argue that paying athletes would help curb this underground problem, but I look at that as just another system that a school will find a way to take advantage of.

To be blunt, it seems as though the NCAA is in over their heads in terms of policing college athletics around the nation, and it is not until the schools themselves stop turning a blind eye that this mess will be cleaned up.

Why I Love Mark Sanchez Wanting to Fight Rex Ryan

GQ Cover

For those of you that don't frequent GQ you may have missed out on Mark Sanchez telling their reporter that he wanted to fight Rex Ryan after benching him.

Of course the media has taken off on this story and is painting Sanchez in some sort of negative light for calling out and being angry at his coach. I look at it in quite the opposite light, I think what Sanchez did shows a side of him that most fans have never seen.

Sanchez stepped up and stood up for himself, but didn't do it in a stupid cry to the media way. Instead he waited until the moment passed and didn't go talking to ESPN of Fox Sports, instead he went to the respectable and not exactly sporty GQ.

Before this story came out I thought that although Sanchez was successful on the field, he didn't ever really stand up for himself. Now I look at Sanchez as a player who not only wants the team to do well, but wants himself to be the leader of that.

For those of you who think Sanchez saying this makes his teammates and coach lose respect for him, I think it will actually do quite the opposite. I can't wait to see what Rex Ryan says, I imagine it will be something about walking over tougher guys on his way to a fight, but in a joking way.

With the Jets just minutes from kicking off their 2011 season, it is nice to see that it is not an injury to a star that is making headlines, but a quote that hurts no one.

Universiy of Maryland Athletics Department Puts On Full Court Press for Battle With Miami

For the past few years the general understanding is that the University of Maryland is a basketball school, that also happens to have a football team. Although this label has not been to the extreme as schools similar to Duke, in general the basketball team has outperformed the football team.

Within the past year the tide has shifted in a big way. First the football team had a much better than expected season, improving on a abysmal 2009 season in which they went 2-10 to a 9-4 finish in 2010. Then basketball season rolled around and the Terps failed to not only make the NCAA tournament a year after being seconds from beating a Michigan State team that lost in the Final Four by two, but also to even make the NIT. Then to put a little icing on the cake, Gary Williams retired from coaching, setting off a domino effect that hurt Maryland both in recruiting future players and keeping current players.

It seems as though the University's athletic department has taken notice of this, and is now trying to capitalize on the upswing that is going along with the football team. Before classes ended for the past spring semester, countdown clocks to the September 5 match-up with Miami were placed in the dinning halls and student union.

Now the department has made a pretty cool website promoting the football team, and every time you visit the general athletics page you are greeted by Randy Edsall in the bottom right corner.
This will all culminate on that September 5th match-up, when "Operation 54K" plans on having every seat in Byrd Stadium filled and depending on sections, a very cool red, white, black and yellow color scheme.

The big question is will people come to the game, one in which as of now the Terps stand at around five point underdogs. Either way, it is up to the football team to carry Maryland athletics until the basketball team settles down and gets back on track. 

A Look Ahead to the 2012 NBA Free Agency Class

Last year, at this time, NBA fans were watching one of the more unbelievable /disappointing /embarrassing displays of ego of all-time unfold right before our eyes.  What resulted was the most universally hated team in decades, a surreal fall from grace for the league's superstar and eventually the Eastern Conference champions.

Some people loved the idea of a nationally announced decision (mostly Lebron supporters, who didn't realize what an ego-driven dick Lebron was) but most people hated it, seeing it as all that is wrong with the modern athlete. They thought it should be done the Kevin Durant way: silent and under-the-radar (a Tweet, actually), without any plans to boost your own ego by thrusting a knife into the back of an entire city on national television.

The fact of the matter is, everyone still watched. And all of that was way more interesting than the shit that's going on right now.

Pittsburgh Pirates and Washington Nationals, Americas New Teams

The public in the United States of America is a sucker for the underdog story. We like it at the horse track, we like it in movies, and we especially like it in the sports world.

For most casual fans of a sport, it is hard to not get behind a team and jump on the bandwagon as they rise from the bottom of the standings to the top.

As a New York Yankees fan, I have always had little vested interest in the National League, and as shown by the last eight seasons of inter-league play, have thought it was not up to par with the American League.

Yet, there are now not only one but two NL teams that I can't help but root for, and I actually think I may get more genuinely excited when I hear that they won than when I hear the Yankees do.

The two teams I am referring to, are of course, the Washington Nationals and Pittsburgh Pirates.

To give you a frame of reference for how bad these teams have been in the past, let me throw you some numbers.

The last three years one of these two teams have been the worst team in all of baseball. Also in the last three years both of these teams have finished last in their division. The Pirates have actually finished last in their division the past six years, and the last time they were not on the bottom was when the Nationals were actually the Montreal Expos. In the same time frame the Nats have finished last in the NL East five of six times.

To say these teams have been bad, and bad for a while, would be an understatement.

Yet when you look at their records now, you find that not only are both not in the bottom of their division, they are actually both above .500, and could easily contend for a playoff spot. Pittsburgh is only two games back of St. Louis in the NL Central.

What makes both these teams even more exciting is that the best is still yet to come. The Nationals have future stars in Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper, while the Pirates have Andrew McCutchen.

As someone who lives in the DC metro area for most of the year, and have attended a Nats game more recently than any other MLB game, I can tell you I am very excited to watch the Nationals games down the homestretch. I'll also be following along with the Pirates, who have a much better chance of doing the unthinkable and making the playoffs.

I know both these teams have gained my attention, and the sports media pack is starting to pick up on it too. The big question will be can these teams sustain this effort through the second half of the season. I sure do hope so, both for my personal pleasure but more for the fans that have stuck it out with their team for so many years and it has now been made all worth it.

Tune Into the Yankees' Games, Cause Jeter Is Reaching 3,000 Soon

A brief minor league appearance may have delayed Derek Jeter, but he now sits just four hits away from reaching the magical 3,000 hits.

Jeter's pursuit has become a national story, as he is one of the few players, and one of the very few New York Yankees, to have made it through his entire career without a tarnished reputation due to steroids, women, and the such.

The fact that Jeter has hit a few bumps in his path to 3,000 should make it that much more exciting when he does hit the number. The Yankee captain really struggled through the first part of the season, and suffered a calf injury that slowed him down.

I thought a cool idea would be to have people share their favorite Derek Jeter memory, so spread the word and add it in the comments section.

Why the US Can't Afford To Lose To Sweden

The United States will play their third and final pool play game Wednesday, when they take on the other undefeated team in the group, Sweden.

While both teams have six points with wins over North Korea and Columbia, the US has done so in a much more convincing fashion, with a goal differential of five as opposed to just the two goals Sweden has put up over in their two shutouts.

This means that either the winner of the match will be the winner of Group C, or if there is a tie the US will advance. The reason this is so important is that the loser of the match, and second place finisher in the group, will most likely take on Brazil.

Brazil has been very strong on the international level the past few big tournaments, and also has the best women's player by far in the world in Marta.

Obviously the US was not planning on throwing the match against Sweden, but they need to make sure they keep the foot on the pedal and don't let a run get behind them.

It is not crucial that the US wins this match, as all they will gain is momentum and personal satisfaction, but it is crucial that they do not lose.