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.