Billboard's Best: Your Turn to Vote

This foolishness started a month ago when we asked readers to make something out of nothing. It was called the great billboard competition and seemed simple enough: Fill a blank billboard with a message of choice. The response was overwhelming, including an 11th-hour entry from Ty of Loser With Socks titled Hawg Wireless. We thank everybody for participating, and now it's your turn. A panel of experts has narrowed the list to 14 billboards, and you get one precious vote to decide billboard's best. To get a detailed look at a billboard, simply click it.

Free polls from Pollhost.com

Billboard of the Year:

Hawg Wireless Cheap Trick Bowden Manure Service Know Your Forks College Statiowned Speak of the Devil Saw 'Em Off Money and Grades Urine for Trouble The Great Sabanini Sooner or Later Good Seats Available Phil Fulmer's Flock Piss-Poor Jokes

Hawg Wireless

Cheap Trick

Bowden Manure Service

Know Your Forks

College StatiownedSpeak of the Devil

Saw 'Em OffMoney and Grades

Urine for TroubleThe Great Sabanini

Sooner or LaterGood Seats AvailablePhil Fulmer's FlockPiss-Poor JokesPrevious Polls:

Best Show on the Road
Classless Acts of the 2006 Season
Cheapest Shots of the Year
Remember to check the rest of the site.
Next: Team poster schedules. Send your team's official poster schedule to dawizofodds (at) aol.com.

You Gamble, You Lose

No one escapes the long arm of the law in this corner of cyberspace. Louisiana State quarterback Ryan Perrilloux, fresh off his arrest last week at a Baton Rouge casino and suspension from the team, is the subject of the last entry in the great billboard competition. Perrilloux, 20, used his legal-aged brother's ID to get onto the Hollywood Casino gambling boat. Hey, if you're not cheating, you're not trying!

Hank from the fine site Winning the Turnover Battle fired this entry our way. In the lower right-hand corner is a tricked up Louisiana driver's license. If you click the billboard and still can't see the license, you can get a full view by clicking here.

Coming Wednesday, we put the top billboards up for a vote.

Previous billboards: Threesome, Wiz Under Attack, The Great Sabanini, Welcome to College Statiowned, Good Seats Available, Urine for Trouble, Fluffer, Accidents Happen, Saw 'Em Off, Gun Laws, Speak of the Devil, Phil Fulmer's Flock, Auburn's Money and Grades, Sooner or Later, Two for Tuesday, Don't Forget Your Laptop, Ed Orgeron Is Shrek, Bowden Manure Service, Roll Over Tide and Beat Michagain.

Facebook: Miles and Saban

Southeastern Conference heavyweights Louisiana State and Alabama don't play until Nov. 3 at Tuscaloosa, but they'll be holding the weigh-in Tuesday in Destin, Fla., site of the SEC meetings.

Tiger coach Les Miles and Crimson Tide counterpart Nick Saban will have their first face-to-face meeting, and although Miles is downplaying the encounter, there is no mistaking the considerable friction between the two since Saban rolled into Tuscaloosa.

The fact that Saban, who led LSU to a share of the national title in 2003, would end up coaching an SEC rival was enough to rile Tiger fans, and Saban couldn't help but take another crack at his former team. During the press conference, the day after LSU's 41-14 victory over Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl, Saban said, "I think the players that you saw play last night for LSU were primarily players that were recruited when I was there." He followed that with his "coonass" comment.

Miles fired back Feb. 7 when listing states his new signees were from, getting a roar from an audience by closing with "and two from Alabama." Recognizing the crowd reaction, he said, "You bet your ass!"

He continued: "I can tell you that there was some negative recruiting going on out there. I can tell you that in this recruiting class and in this recruiting season, I thought that what appeared to be breaking of rules was much more rampant."

That night, Miles dropped an expletive toward Alabama when addressing fans at the Bayou Bash in Baton Rouge. "We're looking forward to playing Florida. We're looking forward to playing Auburn. But we have a new rival in fucking Alabama!" Miles later apologized ... to LSU fans.

Saban, of course, was accused last week of secondary NCAA rules violations concerning illegal contact with prospects. When Saban was coach at LSU, he was reprimanded for similar secondary recruiting violations concerning illegal phone calls.

What can we expect Tuesday? Probably not much. The real fireworks will be Nov. 3. It's a game Miles needs to win if he wants to escape the shadow cast by Saban.

Uniform Change at Michigan State

Michigan State not only has a new coach in Mark Dantonio, but a new uniform design.

The new uniform design is a traditional look, going back to the glory days of the mid-1960s. The most noticeable changes are a single white stripe down the middle of the helmet and the return of last names to the back of jerseys. And Michigan State is now spelled out across the front of the jersey in a simple block font and reduced letter size.

You can see more images at the Michigan State website. Thanks to Kevin of We Are Penn State.

Reporters' Notebooks

Andy Staples, Tampa Tribune: Florida president Bernie Machen will unveil his playoff proposal at the SEC meetings. And what a 16-team playoff might look like.

Glenn Guilbeau, Shreveport Times: The SEC is expected to distribute about $10.2 million to each league member, topping the $9.7 million handed out last season.

Bart Wright, Greenville News: The vibe is good in the SEC, which is more than you can say for the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Chip Brown, Dallas Morning News: The Big 12 will hold its 2009 and 2010 championship games in the Dallas Cowboys' new stadium in Arlington. Also, Baylor and Notre Dame are looking at playing a game in the Dallas-Fort Worth area in 2012.

Dave Matter, Columbia Tribune: Here are 12 newcomers to keep an eye on in the Big 12.

Brent Schrotenboer, San Diego Union-Tribune: An audit of the San Diego State athletic department has cited several areas of concern in management and operations, including “cash control weaknesses” in the ticket office. Audit report in pdf.

Bob Condotta, Seattle Times: Washington players are visiting public schools in Seattle as part of a program started by coach Tyrone Willingham. And the Huskies may have found themselves a running back.

David Ammons, Associated Press: Norm Dicks, a star linebacker for Washington in the early 1960s, is making a name for himself in the political arena. Thanks to College Football Resource.

To bypass registration, go to Bug Me Not. Thanks to Hester Graphics.

How About a Threesome?

It's Week 5 of the great billboard competition and today we present three entries. On Tuesday, we will display the final entry, and on Wednesday we put the best billboards — narrowed to a manageable number by a panel of trusted experts — up for a vote. In other words, no more submissions.

The top entry comes from Ed of the site the National Championship Issue. Ed's site provides different perspectives and discussion on issues and situations within college football, specifically how it crowns its national champion.
James of Pack Pride could not resist yet another shot at rival North Carolina, which was 42nd in attendance. N.C. State was 32nd (pdf attendance figures).
The last entry comes Sierra Spartan. He takes a shot at New Mexico fans, who had difficulty spelling "Lobos" during during last year's New Mexico Bowl.

Other billboards: Gambling Loss, Wiz Under Attack, The Great Sabanini, Welcome to College Statiowned, Good Seats Available, Urine for Trouble, Fluffer, Accidents Happen, Saw 'Em Off, Gun Laws, Speak of the Devil, Phil Fulmer's Flock, Auburn's Money and Grades, Sooner or Later, Two for Tuesday, Don't Forget Your Laptop, Ed Orgeron Is Shrek, Bowden Manure Service, Roll Over Tide and Beat Michagain.

This One Goes to 11

We now take you to uncharted depths with our weekly non-college football post. Spinal Tap, England's loudest band, will reunite to take a stand against global warming. The band will play Live Earth on July 7 at Wembley and debut its new single, "Warmer Than Hell." The full-length video can be viewed by clicking here.

Giving It Our Best Shot

The three-point line in college basketball will be moved back a foot to 20 feet 9 inches beginning in 2008, the first major change to the three-point shot since it was adopted by the NCAA in 1986. The rule change was the focus of discussion Friday night/Saturday morning on "Sports Overnight America" during the Wiz's appearance on the Sports Byline USA Radio Network. Will the change help or hurt the game? You can listen to the discussion by clicking here.

Now the Wiz Is Under Attack

Proving once again that nobody is safe in this corner of cyberspace, the Wiz takes a shot below the belt in the great billboard competition. This fine entry comes from Houston Nutt, and although we suspect it's not the Razorback coach, all bets are off given the crazy events that have happened this offseason at Arkansas. Maybe an enterprising Razorback fan can file a request through the Freedom of Information Act and get to the bottom of this.

Nutt is obviously bored with this billboard nonsense. "Please get something new. These billboards are lame as hell." Not until we check with Donna Bragg. ...

Other billboards: Gambling Loss, Threesome, The Great Sabanini, Welcome to College Statiowned, Good Seats Available, Urine for Trouble, Fluffer, Accidents Happen, Saw 'Em Off, Gun Laws, Speak of the Devil, Phil Fulmer's Flock, Auburn's Money and Grades, Sooner or Later, Two for Tuesday, Don't Forget Your Laptop, Ed Orgeron Is Shrek, Bowden Manure Service, Roll Over Tide and Beat Michagain.

And billboard fever has spread to With Leather. Click here, here and especially here.

Big Ten Network Chief Gets His Rope Pulled

Mark Silverman, president of the Big Ten Network, conducted a chat Thursday to answer questions about the network, which is scheduled to begin telecasting in August. It's part of the network's media blitz that is designed to win over fans, who then pressure local cable companies into carrying the network. The cable company caves and raises rates, thus passing the cost onto fans. Most of the money, of course, ends up in the pocket of the Big Ten.

Fans never get it and fall for it hook, line and sinker. However, one fan who identified himself as Billy from Cicero knows the game, and he somehow had his prank question get posted during the chat. We suspect the Big Ten will eventually realize this was a prank and will edit the transcript, so we saved a copy for the world to see. Judging from his response, we're not sure Silverman knew what was going on.

Thanks to Kevin of We Are Penn State.

Update: As predicted, transcript has been edited and the question and answer removed.

Help Wanted

Wanted: Guest tonight for Sports Overnight America" on the Sports Byline USA Radio Network. Are you a sportswriter or blogger who wants to be heard by countless dozens of people around the world? This is your opportunity, and we're dead serious. We are looking for a guest for tonight's show. Because it has been an extremely busy week, we haven't had an opportunity to line up talent. The hours? Not good. The show starts Friday at 11:30 p.m. and runs until 1 a.m. Saturday (Pacific). The pay? Even worse, but you'll get an opportunity to plug your site, your book, your newspaper, your whatever. If you are interested, send an email to dawizofodds (at) aol.com.

And for those of you in Los Angeles, we'd like throw our weight behind the "Free Reggie" movement, started by the site LosAnjealous. Reggie is a 7-foot alligator that was illegally let loose in a suburban lake in 2005. Many had tried to capture Reggie, but on Thursday, the chase finally ended when the creature was caught while sunning itself on the banks of the lake.

An almost O.J. Simpson-like media spectacle followed, with Reggie being taken away in an animal control truck and surrounded by a phalanx of five other vehicles, including park police. Meanwhile, TV news helicopters stayed in close pursuit, and footage of Reggie's motorcade to the L.A. Zoo was broadcast live. A life behind zoo bars awaits. Needless to say, a sad, sad day.

The Great Sabanini

The greatest magician of the modern era will be touring the Southeast this fall. The Great Sabanini is coming to a venue near you, and you'll gasp as he transforms a poor NFL record (15-17 ... WTF?) into $4 million per year.

And what could be the biggest challenge yet, Sabanini might have to make his recent violation of NCAA rules disappear. Sabanini's handlers are not commenting.

This entry in the great billboard competition is a quality piece of work, perhaps the best yet from the gang at Loser With Socks. You'll want to click in the image for a detailed look.

Other billboards: Gambling Loss, Threesome, Wiz Under Attack, Welcome to College Statiowned, Good Seats Available, Urine for Trouble, Fluffer, Accidents Happen, Saw 'Em Off, Gun Laws, Speak of the Devil, Phil Fulmer's Flock, Auburn's Money and Grades, Sooner or Later, Two for Tuesday, Don't Forget Your Laptop, Ed Orgeron Is Shrek, Bowden Manure Service, Roll Over Tide and Beat Michagain.

Reporters' Notebooks

Jim Armstrong, Denver Post: Louisiana State and Oregon are among teams that have offered Jack Elway, son of former Denver Bronco and Stanford quarterback John Elway, a scholarship.

Ferd Lewis, Honolulu Advertiser: Hawaii's hopes for a 13th game in 2007 continue to fade, but the Warriors are finalizing a four-year home-and-home series with Colorado set to begin in 2010.

Block U: Count New Mexico's Rocky Long and Nevada Las Vegas' Mike Sanford among Mountain West coaches on the hot seat.

Bud Withers, Seattle Times: It's not the ideal time to search for a secondary coach, but Washington State finds itself in that position after firing Ken Greene.

Chip Brown, Dallas Morning News: The Dallas Cowboys' new stadium in Arlington could become site of the 2009 Big 12 championship game.

Suzanne Halliburton, Austin American-Statesman: Texas' offensive line took a hit when two reserves announced they plan to transfer.

Shannon Shelton, Detroit Free Press: Police say Michigan State defensive tackle Bobby Jones damaged a door at the residence of an ex-girlfriend.

Heather A. Dinich, Baltimore Sun: Father of the year? It's none other than Maryland's Ralph Friedgen.

To bypass registration, go to Bug Me Not.

Welcome to College Statiowned, Texas

Payback, as they say, can be a bitch. Check out the latest entry in the great billboard competition, which comes from Kohl's Law, located Deep in the Heart of Texas. Last week, a Texas A&M entry took a shot at rival Texas. The Longhorns' response, which you can view in detail by clicking on the image, refers to College Station as "Home of the Agricultural and Mechanical Branch of The University of Texas at Austin." Ouch!

Like we've said, these teams don't like each other. More evidence below. The bottom photo comes from the Oklahoma-Texas A&M game last Nov. 4, when the Aggies were flagged for having a 12th man on the field on a fourth-and-one play from the Sooner 29 with 1:29 left and Oklahoma leading, 17-16. The penalty cost Texas A&M any chance it had of winning.
Other billboards: Gambling Loss, Threesome, Wiz Under Attack, The Great Sabanini, Good Seats Available, Urine for Trouble, Fluffer, Accidents Happen, Saw 'Em Off, Gun Laws, Speak of the Devil, Phil Fulmer's Flock, Auburn's Money and Grades, Sooner or Later, Two for Tuesday, Don't Forget Your Laptop, Ed Orgeron Is Shrek, Bowden Manure Service, Roll Over Tide and Beat Michagain.

The Real Message Behind Paterno's Message

Joe Paterno has done it again. At an alumni function on Monday, the Penn State coach announced his punishment for those members of the team who were involved, either directly, peripherally, or not at all, in a "little skirmish downtown" that has two players in legal trouble.

The entire team will be required to clean out Beaver Stadium after every game.

Lord, what fools these mortals be!

Ron Bracken of the Centre Daily Times sees right through this one.

"If you peel back the warm and fuzzy blanket, it's as much a preemptive strike at the University's Office of Judicial Affairs as it is corporal punishment for the players.

"Consider the timing of the announcement. It comes before the Judicial Affairs folks begin their hearings into the incident."

Bracken continues: "In the pecking order of justice, the legal system is first, then Judicial Affairs and finally, Paterno's court.

Bracken says Paterno has made "a calculated move to undercut the Judicial Affairs office by taking matters into his own hands and meting out his own punishment. That will make anything Judicial Affairs decides to do look like overkill and further advance the perception that Judicial Affairs has some vendetta against the football team.

Bracken closes by saying, "This appears to be designed to subvert Judicial Affairs and prevent them from performing the function they're charged with in an effort to save his football team and the season. If that's the case, then it's not nearly as noble as it appears on the surface."

Reporters' Notebooks

David I. Andersen, Cleveland Plain Dealer: Raymond Williams, Ohio's Mr. Football in 2003, was sent to prison after violating his probation.

Craig Smith, Seattle Times: Washington State cornerbacks coach Ken Greene has been dismissed, reportedly for incidents of misconduct.

Bart Wright, Greenville News: Clemson coach Tommy Bowden said of his Southern Baptist beliefs, "It makes some people uncomfortable, I guess, but there's really nothing in [the Bible] to be afraid of."

Chip Brown and Barry Horn, Dallas Morning News: A wish list from Big 12 coaches: an early recruiting signing period, a fifth year of eligibility (eliminating redshirting) and a ninth bowl tie-in. Plus, five Big 12 games will be telecast by ESPN this fall.

Kevin Scarbinsky, Birmingham News: Is Alabama coach Nick Saban public enemy No. 1 in South Florida? At some area high schools, he's treated as a hero.

Paul Finebaum, Mobile Press-Register: Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville has come out of hiding after the Elvis-like coverage of the Crimson Tide's hiring of Saban.

Dave Reardon, Honolulu Star-Bulletin and Ferd Lewis, Honolulu Advertiser: Hawaii officials were put on the hotseat by state lawmakers who asked why facilities are in such poor shape, but in the end, what was accomplished?

Barry Jackson, Miami Herald: The parents of slain Miami player Bryan Pata were awarded a $2 million settlement from his apartment complex's insurance company.

Glenn Guibeau, Lafayette Daily Advertiser: Louisiana State officials, despite protests from PETA, plan to put another tiger in captivity on campus after mascot Mike V died Friday following emergency surgery.

James Varney, Times-Picayune: Louisiana State backup quarterback Ryan Perrilloux, 20, was suspended from the team after he attempted to gain entrance to a riverboat casino using his brother's identification.

Bob Condotta, Seattle Times: A new book chronicles Washington football under the Dawgfather, Don James.

Mark Tupper, Decatur Herald & Review: Perhaps the worst has passed for Illinois. The recruiting has been stellar, confidence is building and the stadium is undergoing a massive makeover.

Mark Snyder, Detroit Free Press: Michigan announced it will play Toledo in 2008, days after the Big Ten decided against adding a ninth conference game.

Tony Barnhart, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Former Georgia coach Vince Dooley had surgery to remove a tumor near his vocal cords and all signs point to a complete recovery.

Plenty of Good Seats Still Available

We continue to layeth the smacketh down in the great billboard competition. Mike sent us this entry, taking a shot at the Rice Owls. Some might say the Owls can't draw flies, and that appears to be the case. A check shows that Rice was 112th in attendance last season (pdf file), with Rice Stadium filled to only 21.9% of its capacity.

Other billboards: Gambling Loss, Threesome, Wiz Under Attack, The Great Sabanini, Welcome to College Statiowned, Urine for Trouble, Fluffer, Accidents Happen, Saw 'Em Off, Gun Laws, Speak of the Devil, Phil Fulmer's Flock, Auburn's Money and Grades, Sooner or Later, Two for Tuesday, Don't Forget Your Laptop, Ed Orgeron Is Shrek, Bowden Manure Service, Roll Over Tide and Beat Michagain.

It's That Jerkoff Sanjaya in a UCLA Jersey

Our friends at UCLA have a lot of explaining to do. The picture above shows that jackass from "American Idol" fame, Sanjaya, shooting a spot Friday on Venice Beach. Now why is this assclown disgracing the Wizard of Odds? He is dressed in a Bruin jersey and said to be dancing with UCLA cheerleaders. If you're Jerzy Siewierski and a defensive tackle for UCLA, you have a new nickname: Sanjaya. He's wearing your jersey No. 90.

We're not 100% sure these are Bruin cheerleaders, but the people responsible for this fiasco took time to paint the Bruin bear and "UCLA" on the graffiti wall behind this shot (see video below). That's damning enough. Let's not even mention the Bruin mohawk.

Thanks to trusty reader Louis for this.

Reporters' Notebooks

Jorge Milian, Palm Beach Post: That's what I'm talking about! Count Lamar Thomas among those who oppose Miami leaving the Orange Bowl for Dolphin Stadium. If you don't remember Thomas, click here.

Mark Snyder, Detroit Free Press: Nearly all of of the 80-plus players on Michigan's 1997 national championship team returned last weekend to Ann Arbor for a 10-year reunion.

Steven M. Sipple, Lincoln Journal Star: Nebraska athletic director Steve Pederson is pushing for a rule that would give athletes a fifth year of playing eligibility.

Chip Alexander, Raleigh News & Observer: Tracking where some North Carolina State assistants landed after the firing of Chuck Amato.

Brett McMurphy, Tampa Tribune: South Florida quarterback Matt Grothe is expected to have a charge of serving alcohol to an underage person at a sports bar dropped if he completes 16 hours of community service.

Ed McGranahan, Greenville News: Linebacker Antonio Clay, who started 11 games last fall for Clemson then left the team after the death of his sister, is back and ready to enroll in summer school.

Steroid Nation: Loren Wade, the former Arizona State player accused of murdering teammate Brandon Falkner, tested positive for steroids after the shooting.

John F. Berry, Riverside Press-Enterprise: Opening statements in the trial of former San Bernardino County sheriff's deputy and Iowa receiver Ivory Webb were delayed after the wife of his defense attorney went into labor. Video of shooting.

Dan Gelston, Associated Press: Penn State coach Joe Paterno called the incident that has two players in legal trouble a "little skirmish downtown."

To bypass registration, go to Bug Me Not.

Urine for Trouble, N.C. State Fans

Week 4 of the great billboard competition opens with a retaliatory shot from Brian of the site Tar Heel Fan. For background, North Carolina State officials have a five-hour cap on tailgating to keep things from getting out of hand. Last year, the cap was four hours, so this is what they call progress.

And the billboard would not be complete without mention of fans urinating in the stands at Carter-Finley, which was first reported last fall by the Technician, the North Carolina State student newspaper. "I know people were urinating in their sections," student body president Will Quick said after the Sept. 23 game against Boston College. "I have heard reports of individuals being splashed by urine." Nice ...

Other billboards: Gambling Loss, Threesome, Wiz Under Attack, The Great Sabanini, Welcome to College Statiowned, Good Seats Available, Fluffer, Accidents Happen, Saw 'Em Off, Gun Laws, Speak of the Devil, Phil Fulmer's Flock, Auburn's Money and Grades, Sooner or Later, Two for Tuesday, Don't Forget Your Laptop, Ed Orgeron Is Shrek, Bowden Manure Service, Roll Over Tide and Beat Michagain.

Project 119 in Champaign — and Beyond

Less than a month ago, we received an email from Dave Farris. "Everyone needs goals in life and hobbies. I have decided on a goal that is both unattainable and utterly ridiculous. It is my goal to go and see all 119 NCAA Division I-A football stadiums before I die."

"I know that this has kind of been done before by a couple of guys who have gone to see all of the Major League Baseball stadiums, but those guys are obviously pussies. What are there, like 30 of those?"

The man had a plan and he had a site, Project 119, that had documented his 18 stadium visits.

Since that email, much has changed. During a three-day trip to 17 stadiums that covered nearly 2,100 miles, Dave and his posse of Shawn Wuske and Tony Galietti were interviewed by ABC affiliate WICD in Champaign.

His total now stands at 35, and he's preparing to hit the road again. The trip is called "The Great Nor'Easter" and is detailed in the map below, provided by Map Game Day. There are nine stadiums on this tour, and the trip will put him over a third of the way toward his goal.

Dave says he has already "talked to some people about Army, Boston College and Syracuse. I am curious about getting into Navy, so if you are a cadet and know where to get some help, that'd be great."

If you're at the Naval Academy or any of the other destinations and can help this road warrior, you can reach him at: dave (at) project119 (dot) com.

Reporters' Notebooks

Barry Jackson, Miami Herald: More indications Miami will move to Dolphin Stadium in 2008. Boosters and board of trustee members were given a tour of the facility and received a sales pitch from stadium owner Wayne Huizenga.

Teddy Greenstein, Chicago Tribune: The Big Ten will not be adding a ninth game to the conference schedule.

Joe Walljasper, Columbia Tribune: Big 12 commissioner Kevin Weiberg says that in the short term, it is doubtful the conference will pursue a dedicated network much like the Big Ten.

Sean Keeler, Des Moines Register: Iowa State, at the urging of coach Gene Chizik, plans to hire a full-time chaplain for the team.

Mike Huguenin, Orlando Sentinel: Eight teams in Division I-A have eight home games, and half of those (Arkansas, Auburn, Kentucky and Vanderbilt) are in the Southeastern Conference.

Jon Wilner, San Jose Mercury News: Analyzing California coach Jeff Tedford's "new" contract.

Paul Finebaum, Mobile Press-Register: What if Alabama had hired Bobby Bowden 20 years ago instead of Bill Curry?

Scott Rabalais, Baton Rouge Advocate: A breakdown of Louisiana State's opponents and other SEC teams.

Bryan Mullen, Tennessean: A team-by-team look at the SEC and how the teams might fare this fall.

Matt Markey, Toledo Blade: An update on the installation of FieldTurf at Ohio State and Bowling Green.

Dan Wolken, Commercial Appeal: Conference USA now has six guaranteed bowl slots, up from five last season.

Joedy McCreary, Associated Press: Meet East Carolina, the team playing the role of the bad guys in a season opener at Virginia Tech.

Associated Press: Longtime season-ticket holders at Virginia may have to increase their foundation donation or be assigned to less desirable seats.

Will Leitch, Deadspin: Is that South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier relieving himself at Augusta National?

To bypass registration, go to Bug Me Not. Thanks to Hester Graphics.

Have You Got a Nickel

The Wiz likes to break things up once a week with a non-college football post. So here it is, ladies and gentlemen, from the long, lost Gong Show.

Words of Wisdom From the Guru

With the start of the season about 100 days away, we invited Sam Chi of the site BCS Guru to be our guest on "Sports Overnight America." He broke down each of the BCS conferences and took an overall look at the national title chase. And if you're a fan of the Atlantic Coast or Big East conferences, you don't want to miss co-host John Woolard's extended rant about that. Listen to the show by clicking here.

A Prince of a Nonconference Schedule

Bill Snyder's creampuff nonconference schedules at Kansas State were the stuff of legends. Those days are gone in Manhattan. Coach Ron Prince is eagerly scheduling quality nonconference opponents, including an opener this fall at Auburn and a season-ending game at Fresno State.

"The Auburn game will be covered all over the country and Fresno will be at the top of their game this season," Prince said. "From a recruiting standpoint and getting out message about Kansas State and having our logo behind those talking heads, that's what it's all about."

Many of Prince's Big 12 counterparts have a different idea when it comes to scheduling. Granted, Nebraska and Colorado have challenging nonconference schedules, but teams such as Texas A&M, Iowa State and Kansas are — for the most part — taking the creampuff route.

Arguably the Lowest Shot Yet

Another entry in the great billboard competition from Loser With Socks, this time taking a nasty, nasty shot at Florida and quarterback Tim Tebow. Leave it to the take-no-prisoners site to bring the group NAMBLA and term fluffer into the competition. The site has already run a version of the billboard with a Muslim theme, so you'll have to check it out. You can click on the above billboard for a detailed look.

Other billboards: Gambling Loss, Threesome, Wiz Under Attack, The Great Sabanini, Welcome to College Statiowned, Good Seats Available, Urine for Trouble, Accidents Happen, Saw 'Em Off, Gun Laws, Speak of the Devil, Phil Fulmer's Flock, Auburn's Money and Grades, Sooner or Later, Two for Tuesday, Don't Forget Your Laptop, Ed Orgeron Is Shrek, Bowden Manure Service, Roll Over Tide and Beat Michagain.

Arkansas' Citizen Journalist Exposed to Nutts

Details are starting to emerge about a May 3 meeting between Houston Nutt and citizen journalist Thomas McAfee, whose scrutiny of Nutt's phone and text messaging records through the Freedom of Information Act helped spark speculation and rumors that the Arkansas coach had an inappropriate relationship with Fort Smith news anchor Donna Bragg.

McAfee and his attorney met face to face with Nutt and his wife Diana in the office of Nutt's attorney. McAfee said the meeting produced heated words — a "scolding," according to McAfee — but no revelations or concessions.

"I asked him, 'What do I have to apologize for?' " McAfee told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. "Do I have to apologize for asking questions?"

McAfee also said Nutt demanded to know who put him up to requesting his phone records and if he had any conversations with former Razorback quarterback Mitch Mustain.

"I guess he thought I and Mitch Mustain were in cahoots," McAfee said.

The Natalie Nelson Exit Interview

We're sorry to report that Natalie Nelson, who rocketed to fame as a USC Song Girl after she was photographed cheering at the wrong moment in the 2006 BCS title game at the Rose Bowl, has completed her eligibility. Yes, her Song Girl days are over.

Nelson was immortalized by the photo, which sparked a series of Internet spinoffs, some of which we display below. We Are USC conducted an exit interview with Nelson a few months back, and although the questions are of the softball variety, we get a glimpse into what life as a Song Girl is really like.

You can watch Natalie's last major appearance as a Song Girl in our exclusive You Tube video, which was shot at the 2007 Rose Bowl and has been viewed nearly 50,000 times. Thanks to Displaced Trojan for the tip and M Zone and Trojan Wire for the images below.

A Night of Surprises

We have a mystery guest for this week's edition of "Sports Overnight America" on the Sports Byline USA Radio Network. Join the Wiz from anywhere in the world starting at 11:30 (Pacific) Friday night by going to SportsByline.com and clicking "Listen Live." The broadcast is also available over the American Forces Network — available in 177 countries and U.S. territories and Navy ships at sea — or the Cable Radio Network. Last but not least, check the list of Sports Byline affiliates. Give us a call at 800-878-7529.

Reporters' Notebooks

Bob Condotta, Seattle Times: Breaking down what happened to Washington's recruiting class of 2002, generally regarded as Rick Neuheisel's best. It included basketballer Nate Robinson.

Ferd Lewis, Honolulu Advertiser: The state Legislature will hold an informal hearing Monday to address concerns raised by Warrior quarterback Colt Brennan about the need for upgrading facilities.

John Kaltefleiter, Athens Banner-Herald: Georgia cornerback Paul Oliver was deemed academically ineligible, ending his college career.

Kevin Scarbinsky, Birmingham News: Tommy Tuberville is no match for Steve Spurrier on the golf course.

John Heuser, Ann Arbor News: Michigan coach Lloyd Carr was in Australia to watch a little rugby with actor Russell Crowe.

Mick McGrane, San Diego Union-Tribune: San Diego State offensive lineman Whitley Fehoko, the gem of Chuck Long's first recruiting class, will decide next month if he will transfer.

To bypass registration, go to Bug Me Not.

At North Carolina, 'Accidents' Happen

The latest entry in the great billboard competition comes from North Carolina State fan James, a regular contributor to Pack Pride, and he takes a shot at rival North Carolina. While we are not aware of any issues regarding a lack of diversity in Tar Heel athletic hires, North Carolina officials were surprised to learn that Butch Davis, their new coach, was part American Indian.

Good for Davis and North Carolina. The billboard references a Raleigh News & Observer story, and in it Barry Saunders writes about Davis and Wolfpack basketball coach Sidney Lowe, an African American: "Both of those men would probably be the first to say that nobody should get hired because of race or ethnicity, but neither should anyone be denied a chance because of those factors, either."

Other billboards: Gambling Loss, Threesome, Wiz Under Attack, The Great Sabanini, Welcome to College Statiowned, Good Seats Available, Urine for Trouble, Fluffer, Saw 'Em Off, Gun Laws, Speak of the Devil, Phil Fulmer's Flock, Auburn's Money and Grades, Sooner or Later, Two for Tuesday, Don't Forget Your Laptop, Ed Orgeron Is Shrek, Bowden Manure Service, Roll Over Tide and Beat Michagain.

The Science of Sweat

The 40-year marriage between Gatorade and Florida has been a lucrative one, with the university reportedly making $100 million in royalties. That doesn't count the free advertising from a commercial starring college football broadcasting legend Keith Jackson, above, glorifying the creation of what has become the official sports drink for every major pro sports league, the bowl championship series and 60 Division I-A universities.

The contenders have been many, but Gatorade remains the king of sports drinks. But what is the secret?

The site Basketbawful suggested last year that it was the phallic design of the bottle, and it provided photographic evidence to go with its summary. "The bottle that contains the most popular sports drink on the planet looks like a big, thick, throbbing penis, from the clearly defined and strangely textured head to the perfectly tapered shaft. The only thing missing are a few well-placed veins."

OK, then. ...

It does appear that Gatorade is the stuff of Ron Jeremy-like legends, and it has even drawn the interest of Darren Rovell, who wrote a book and maintains a blog about the stuff. But what if Gatorade had been developed elsewhere. Say at Texas A&M. Would it then be called Aggirade?

Is Football in Future for Konrad?

It could turn out that one of the best football players on the Minnesota campus never went out for the team. Cole Konrad quit playing football after ninth grade to concentrate on wrestling, and he won two NCAA heavyweight titles at Minnesota and completed his eligibility. Then the New York Jets came calling, inviting Konrad to their mini-camp last weekend. Konrad, who ran the fastest 40-yard dash among offensive lineman, impressed the NFL team.

"I told them up front that wrestling comes first through 2008," said Konrad, who hopes to compete in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. "They told me to stay in touch during my wrestling career, and that when it's over they might like to bring me back in."

Thanks to Danielle Hobeika of Amateur Wrestling Photos for the image.

Reporters' Notebooks

Frank Fitzpatrick, Philadelphia Inquirer: Better than 90% of Division I athletic programs spend more than they earn, by an average of $7.1 million annually.

Tony Barnhart, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: A decision on where the Atlantic Coast Conference will hold its 2008 title game won't be made until December.

Brian Davis, Dallas Morning News: Dallas mayor Laura Miller is upset that Cowboy owner Jerry Jones might be trying to lure two Texas Tech-Oklahoma State games planned for the Cotton Bowl to his new stadium in Arlington.

Omar Kelly, Sun-Sentinel: Instead of moving games to Dolphin Stadium, Miami should consider a better investment: buy the Orange Bowl.

Tim Griffin, San Antonio Express-News: Tickets for the Dec. 1 Big 12 championship game in San Antonio are going on sale, with Alamo Bowl officials hopeful that early sales will help persuade conference officials to bring future title games to the city.

Jeffrey Martin, Wichita Eagle: What were Urban Meyer, Pete Carroll and Bob Stoops doing in Wichita? Checking out prep talent.

Dennis Brackin, Minneapolis Star Tribune: Minnesota coach Tim Brewster can earn $700,000 in bonuses and up to $1.7 million annually.

Dave Matter, Columbia Tribune: The nation's top prep quarterback has picked Nebraska over Missouri and Alabama.

Dick Harmon, Deseret Morning News: The Mountain West Conference's network, The mtn., has done a remarkable job in its first year.

John Pruett, Huntsville Times: Auburn offensive coordinator Al Borges is quick to point out that the Tigers have won 33 of 38 games since he arrived in 2004.

Ferd Lewis, Honolulu Advertiser: Here is why Hawaii fans might want to be wishing that Conference USA has a monster season from top to bottom.

Dave Reardon, Honolulu Star-Bulletin: Hawaii coach June Jones is proud that Colt Brennan, the Rainbows' Heisman candidate, sounded off about the need for better facilities.

James Wensits, South Bend Tribune: Notre Dame coach Crewcut Charlie Weis and his wife, Maura, have won approval to build a 30-acre residential center for developmentally disabled adults.

To bypass registration, go to Bug Me Not. Thanks to Hester Graphics.

Texas A&M Saws 'Em Off

The first zinger has been fired toward Austin in the great billboard competition. It comes from Texas A&M fan Michael, who cleverly used the "Saw 'Em Off" logo. Merchandise with the logo has been sold since 1997 and nobody from Austin complained. Then came last November, with Texas A&M stunning Texas, 12-7, in Austin. Days later, the University of Texas filed a lawsuit against Aggieland Outfitters for allegedly manipulating the Texas Longhorn silhouette on its products.

These teams just don't like each other. Texas fans flooded our site in the cheapest shot of the year contest, voting A&M's Kellen Heard the runaway winner. The teams meet again Nov. 23 in College Station and we can't wait.

Click on the billboard for a detailed look.

Other billboards: Gambling Loss, Threesome, Wiz Under Attack, The Great Sabanini, Welcome to College Statiowned, Good Seats Available, Urine for Trouble, Fluffer, Accidents Happen, Gun Laws, Speak of the Devil, Phil Fulmer's Flock, Auburn's Money and Grades, Sooner or Later, Two for Tuesday, Don't Forget Your Laptop, Ed Orgeron Is Shrek, Bowden Manure Service, Roll Over Tide and Beat Michagain.

Updating Project 119's Road Trip

Dave Farris of Project 119, who is attempting to visit all 119 Division I-A stadiums, has been busy chronicling his latest three-day trip to visit 17 stadiums that covered over 2,000 miles. He was kind enough to join us on "Sports Overnight America" hours after getting off the road and you can listen to his appearance by clicking here.

Dave had nothing but good things to say about his visit to Notre Dame, but let's get to the nasty stuff because frankly, that's what sells. Our man was treated like some kind of scoundrel on his visit to Iowa's Kinnick Stadium, and he writes about his confrontation with an official shortly after his entourage entered the stadium:

"When we said, 'Hey, we just want to take a few pictures,' this guy seriously started approaching us with menace in his eyes and mumbling, 'There are thousands on HawkeyeSports.com, you have to leave.' Is there some big secret in your stadium, Iowa? Are you afraid that we're some kind of spies from Ames that are there to steal your secrets?"

Dave is preparing for a trip to the Northeast, and unlike Iowa City, it appears they are ready to roll out the red carpet.

For Aztec Faculty, Dollars Don't Make Sense

One would think with a setting as picturesque as this, San Diego State could attract top talent and crank out winning teams. Think again. The Aztecs continue to fumble their way through the college football landscape, and now some faculty members are beginning to question whether the team will ever win and produce enough revenue to eliminate the athletic department's need for additional university funding.

For more than 10 years, San Diego State's athletic department has needed a bailout from other university sources to meet funding. As the bailouts continue, the resentment from faculty members builds.

"One-time funding is a joke if it's been going on for the last 20 years, every year, no?" asked Leon Rosenstein, an emeritus professor of philosophy. "If forced to think about it, you will find — though they will rarely allow you to quote them by name — that most faculty agree; and, finally, no, no one bails out academics. Football is sacred."

Thanks to Mike.

Reporters' Notebooks

Ken Tysiac, Charlotte Observer: Atlantic Coast Conference officials were on the money when predicting that sharing income in an expanded league would not penalize existing members.

Brian Vernellis, Shreveport Times: Louisiana State fans streamed into the Horseshoe Casino's Riverdome to greet Les Miles and three other coaches.

Ferd Lewis, Honolulu Advertiser: The Hawaii Bowl has proposed making the Pacific 10 a regular participant in the game beginning in 2008.

Jane Norman, Des Moines Register: Iowa State athletic director Jamie Pollard says college athletics has a "huge need" for more financial disclosure to the public as sports come closer to resembling big business.

Idaho Statesman: "Out of the Blue," the documentary about Boise State's rise to a Fiesta Bowl championship, will be broadcast on ESPN2.

Gun Laws Have Been Relaxed in Arkansas

Southeastern Conference fans, consider this your final warning. The latest entry in the great billboard competition is simple and to the point. Arkansas running back Darren McFadden, the Heisman Trophy runner-up, is back and bigger than ever. Thanks to Pig Kahuna for this entry. Click on the image for a detailed look.

Other billboards: Gambling Loss, Threesome, Wiz Under Attack, The Great Sabanini, Welcome to College Statiowned, Good Seats Available, Urine for Trouble, Fluffer, Accidents Happen, Saw 'Em Off, Speak of the Devil, Phil Fulmer's Flock, Auburn's Money and Grades, Sooner or Later, Two for Tuesday, Don't Forget Your Laptop, Ed Orgeron Is Shrek, Bowden Manure Service, Roll Over Tide and Beat Michagain.

Reporters' Notebooks

Peter Hall, Legal Intelligencer: The debate over disclosure of Penn State coach Joe Paterno's salary goes before the state Supreme Court.

Emily Badger and Dave Curtis, Orlando Sentinel: The NCAA ban on text messaging might already be obsolete.

Mike Huguenin, Orlando Sentinel: A look at the coaches who are on the hot seat entering this season.

Guy Cipriano, Centre Daily Times: NCAA president Myles Brand: "Music students practice a lot and take a full load academically and graduate in four, five or six years. Why can't athletes?"

Maureen Groppe, Gannett News Service: Supporters of improving academic performance for college athletes are facing "sort of a wall of fire" as teams face unpopular penalties for not meeting NCAA standards.

Greg Stoda, Palm Beach Post: Florida State coach Bobby Bowden has his critics of late, but he has won over this writer.

Chip Alexander, Raleigh News & Observer: North Carolina State coach Tom O'Brien talks about his first five months on the job.

Barry Jackson, Miami Herald: If Randy Shannon has as much success as a head coach as he has had raising money, Miami football will be in great shape.

Tony Barnhart, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Miami officials are nearing a decision on whether to move home games from the Orange Bowl to Dolphin Stadium.

Paul Finebaum, Mobile Press-Register: The decision to allow teams to play a 12th game looked good on paper, but it ended up cheating fans.

Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times: Incoming USC recruit Marc Tyler, son of former NFL running back Wendell Tyler, ran at full speed for the first time since breaking his left leg last fall.

Baton Rouge Advocate: Make your plans now. The 2007-08 bowl schedule has been released.

To bypass registration, go to Bug Me Not. Thanks to Hester Graphics.

Speak of the Devil

We open week three of the great billboard competition with a shot at Iowa State. This devilish entry comes from Brady of the pro-Iowa Hawkeye site Drinkn From a Fire Hose. Cyclone athletic director Jamie Pollard, who takes center stage in this billboard, has been shaking things up in Ames in an attempt to drive sales of season tickets, including putting up a billboard last year in the Hawkeyes' backyard. It appears the Hawkeye Nation has had enough. Click on the image for a detailed look.

Ladies and gentlemen, it's time for last call. If you have a billboard to enter, please submit it this week. The address: dawizofodds (at) aol.com. Then we turn it over to our readers for a vote to determine the billboard of the year.

Other billboards: Gambling Loss, Threesome, Wiz Under Attack, The Great Sabanini, Welcome to College Statiowned, Good Seats Available, Urine for Trouble, Fluffer, Accidents Happen, Saw 'Em Off, Gun Laws, Phil Fulmer's Flock, Auburn's Money and Grades, Sooner or Later, Two for Tuesday, Don't Forget Your Laptop, Ed Orgeron Is Shrek, Bowden Manure Service, Roll Over Tide and Beat Michagain.

Map Game Day Introduces My Stadiums

Ever count the number of stadiums you have visited? Is it 10, 20 or perhaps 30 or more? Map Game Day, the online mapping site where you can view, create and share interesting college football places, has done it again. Check out My Stadiums, where you can track all your visits.

Here's how it works: All of the stadiums are listed on the left-hand side of the site, with the map centered. Simply go through the list and click on the stadiums that you have visited, then check out the basic distance calculator on the right-hand side. Enter your zip code and it will calculate the number of miles traveled (straight-line distance) and factor the overall cost at an average price of $3 for a gallon of gasoline (left).

For an example, Richard of Map Game Day teamed with Dave of Project 119. Dave, as you might recall, is trying to visit all 119 Division I-A stadiums. The top map tracks Dave's progress, with his total number of I-A stadiums at 37 as he prepares for an Eastern swing in the next couple of weeks.

My Stadiums also offers the ability to embed a map into your site, which we did with the Project 119 map. Other features include the ability to save or email a map. Images of the stadiums are on the way.

Map Game Day has also provided us with several other useful tools, including the incredible 2007 recruiting map, the recruiting summary and the 2007 NFL draft map.

And remember to visit our great billboard competition.

What You Missed

Cathy Parker of Project Alaska Turf and Tim Griffin of the San Antonio Express-News were guests Friday night/Saturday morning on "Sports Overnight America" on the Sports Byline USA Radio Network. If you missed the show, we have links to the interviews.

Cathy, a Jacksonville-area accountant, is trying to raise $500,000 to install a synthetic turf field for the Barrow High football team. The Whalers will depart the Alaskan cold later this week for a training camp tour of the Lower 48, beginning in Florida. You can listen to Cathy's appearance by clicking here.

Tim updated us on Eva Longoria, the NBA Western Conference playoff series between the San Antonio Spurs and Phoenix Suns and developments in the Big 12 Conference. You can listen to Tim's appearance by clicking here.

Stay tuned. An announcement on our podcast is coming shortly.

Phil Fulmer Keeps an Eye on His Flock

The latest entry in the great billboard competition comes to us from Steve of the terrific Loser With Socks, one of the Wiz's favorite destinations in cyberspace. We're not exactly sure what this entry is about, and we even asked Steve, who also wishes to plug the site Vol Quest, what Tennessee coach Phil Fulmer plans to do with all these sheep. We didn't get a clear answer, but what is clear is that the sheep appear nervous with the big guy looking them over. And probably for good reason. ... Click on the image for a detailed look.

Keep the billboards coming! Nothing gets a message across like a billboard. Here is another example of what a billboard can do to destabilize your rival. Who in the hell would want to go to Purdue after seeing this?
Other billboards: Gambling Loss, Threesome, Wiz Under Attack, The Great Sabanini, Welcome to College Statiowned, Good Seats Available, Urine for Trouble, Fluffer, Accidents Happen, Saw 'Em Off, Gun Laws, Speak of the Devil, Auburn's Money and Grades, Sooner or Later, Two for Tuesday, Don't Forget Your Laptop, Ed Orgeron Is Shrek, Bowden Manure Service, Roll Over Tide and Beat Michagain.

Top-Notch Lineup Set for This Week's Show

You don't want to miss this week's edition of "Sports Overnight America" on the Sports Byline USA Radio Network. Cathy Parker of Project Alaska Turf will join us Friday night around 11:30 (Pacific). Cathy, a Jacksonville-area accountant, is trying to raise $500,000 to install a synthetic turf field for the Barrow High team. Yes, that's Barrow as in Alaska. Her appearance comes a week before the Whalers arrive in Florida to begin a training camp tour of the Lower 48, with other scheduled stops in North Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee and Alabama.

After the midnight hour on the Pacific Coast, Tim Griffin of the San Antonio Express-News will be our guest. Tim reported this week that Fox Sport Network was close to selling some of its Big 12 Saturday night night games to rival ESPN in an unprecedented deal that would result in wider national exposure for the conference. He will fill us in on those negotiations, along with tidbits from the NBA Western Conference playoff series between the San Antonio Spurs and Phoenix Suns.

You can hear the show over the Internet at SportsByline.com. Just click on "Listen Live." The broadcast is also available over the American Forces Network — available in 177 countries and U.S. territories and Navy ships at sea — or the Cable Radio Network. Last but not least, check the list of Sports Byline affiliates. Give us a call at 800-878-7529.

If you unable to listen to the live broadcast, we will have an announcement soon regarding podcasts, so stay tuned for that.

Where the Money and Grades Come Easy

The legend of Auburn's Sociology Department lives on in this fine entry in our great billboard competition sent to us by Brandon, who wishes to dedicate "this to T. Kyle King over at Dawg Sports for his never-ending hatred for Auburn." Dawg Sports, of course, still has that Kristin Davis thing going on.

This is an outstanding effort from Brandon, and we urge you to click on the image for a closer inspection. The Wiz especially enjoyed the bottle of Old Crow on the far right of the image.

Now there's still time to submit your entry, and just to show you the power of the billboard, we give you the example below. The billboard, for a Chicago law firm, proclaimed, "Life's short. Get a divorce." It created such an uproar that city workers stripped it from its downtown perch after a week. But the billboard worked. The attorneys said calls to their law firm have gone up dramatically.
Other billboards: Gambling Loss, Threesome, Wiz Under Attack, The Great Sabanini, Welcome to College Statiowned, Good Seats Available, Urine for Trouble, Fluffer, Accidents Happen, Saw 'Em Off, Gun Laws, Speak of the Devil, Phil Fulmer's Flock, Sooner or Later, Two for Tuesday, Don't Forget Your Laptop, Ed Orgeron Is Shrek, Bowden Manure Service, Roll Over Tide and Beat Michagain.

Christine Nubla's Double Penetration

Our non-football post of the week: Fox Sports West reporter Christine Nubla slips up on air while filing her report before the second half of the Los Angeles Clippers' 107-89 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on April 13 at L.A.'s Staples Center. Thanks to With Leather.

Deep South Sports on a Roll

The site Deep South Sports has been smoking in the last week with several great posts, including this farked photo of former Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn and Crewcut Charlie Weis. Erik, who runs the site, also has posted his annual Southeastern Conference All-Name Team. Great stuff!

Grassroots Movement

Work is progressing on the installation of FieldTurf at Ohio Stadium, and our friends at The Palestra have a video report. Workers began removing the sod from the Horseshoe on April 22 and rather than throw out the old grass, it was donated to Columbus and replanted on three of the city's three baseball fields.

Only one game — Michigan at Ohio State — was played on the grass field, so the turf is in excellent condition.

"These will become the most popular sporting fields in the city. Who doesn't want to play where the Buckeyes played?" hizzoner Michael B. Coleman told the Columbus Dispatch.

Reporters' Notebooks

Pete Bosak, Centre Daily Times: The assistant district attorney prosecuting two Penn State players for their alleged roles in an apartment invasion and assault last month said more arrests — including that of additional players — could be coming as the investigation continues.

Fred Seely, Jacksonville Daily Record: Jacksonville, in the last year of a contract to play host to the Atlantic Coast Conference title game, could lose the game to Tampa.

Mick McGrane, San Diego Union-Tribune: Speculation continues to swirl that guard Whitley Fehoko, considered the gem of coach Chuck Long's first recruiting class, is about to transfer.

Dick Harmon, Deseret Morning News: Steve Findry is going from a place where the kegs roll (Colorado) to the most sober campus in America (Brigham Young).

A.J. Carr, Raleigh News & Observer: North Carolina State coach Tom O'Brien and North Carolina counterpart Butch Davis are revamping their teams' strength and conditioning programs.

Jaymes Powell Jr., Raleigh News & Observer: East Carolina assistant head coach Donnie Thompson has been suspended after allegedly falsifying expense reports.

Chris Dufresne, Los Angeles Times: Former UCLA coach Bob Toledo has found a shelter from the storm at Tulane.

Neal McCready, Mobile Press-Register: West Virginia quarterback Pat White returned home to Alabama to pick up some hardware.

John Pruett, Huntsville Times: Alabama coach Nick Saban turned down a request to speak this Tuesday at the Huntsville Quarterback Club's gathering.

Susan Miller Deganan, Miami Herald: Miami athletic director Paul Dee said he will step down after the 2007-08 academic year.

To bypass registration, go to Bug Me Not. Thanks to Hester Graphics.

Sooner or Later, You Get Caught

Oklahoma takes another one on the chin in our latest entry in the great billboard competition. Reader C.J. fired this one at us, and as you can see upon closer inspection (click on the image for a detailed look), the Sooners have certainly, uh, paid for their national titles, with five NCAA probations.

This is two billboard beatings in a row for Oklahoma, which wobbles back to its corner as the ringside physician awaits.

Other billboards: Gambling Loss, Threesome, Wiz Under Attack, The Great Sabanini, Welcome to College Statiowned, Good Seats Available, Urine for Trouble, Fluffer, Accidents Happen, Saw 'Em Off, Gun Laws, Speak of the Devil, Phil Fulmer's Flock, Auburn's Money and Grades, Two for Tuesday, Don't Forget Your Laptop, Ed Orgeron Is Shrek, Bowden Manure Service, Roll Over Tide and Beat Michagain.

Target of Latest Harbaugh Rip: Michigan

Jim Harbaugh is at it again. Harbaugh, the Stanford coach who recently engaged in a pissing match with USC's Pete Carroll, had unkind words for alma mater, Michigan.

Harbaugh was asked by the San Francisco Examiner's Glenn Dickey about Stanford's admission's standards, the nation's highest for a Division I-A team.

"College football needs Stanford," he said. "We're looking not for student-athletes but scholar-athletes. No other school can carry this banner. The Ivy League schools don't have enough weight [because of their low athletic level]. Other schools which have good academic reputations have ways to get borderline athletes in and keep them in."

Then Harbaugh unloaded on Michigan.

"Michigan is a good school and I got a good education there," he said, "but the athletic department has ways to get borderline guys in and, when they're in, they steer them to courses in sports communications. They're adulated when they're playing, but when they get out, the people who adulated them won't hire them."

Iraq Hog?

These are two photos of the Arkansas Razorback logo painted on the top of an aircraft hanger in Tallil, Iraq, which is located 310 kilometers (192.62 miles, according to our calculations) southeast of Baghdad. The 111th Medevac Squadron is based there, and one of its members sent a series of shots to the site Hogville. There are questions regarding the authenticity of the images, but we will let you be the judge. All the images are posted on this lengthy link.

Reporters' Notebooks

Tim Griffin, San Antonio Express-News: Fox Sports Network is close to selling some of its Big 12 Saturday night games to rival ESPN in an unprecedented deal that would result in wider national exposure for the conference.

Bob Condotta, Seattle Times: The Dawgfather, Don James, is one of 12 members of an advisory committee that will develop a plan to renovate Washington's Husky Stadium.

Kalani Simpson, Honolulu Star-Bulletin: Hawaii fans, responding to quarterback Colt Brennan's complaint about no soap in the team's locker room showers, are donating soap to the program.

Toledo Blade: Bowling Green is set to become the latest member of the Mid-American Conference to install a FieldTurf playing surface.

Barry Jackson, Miami Herald: The answer is yes. Larry Coker, fired as Miami's coach, plans to coach again. It just won't happen this season.

Milton Kent, Baltimore Sun: Turns out the NCAA ban on text messaging was pushed by the Ivy League, which, theoretically, doesn't award athletic scholarships.

Marc Weiszer, Athens Banner-Herald: Georgia linebacker Akeem Hebron has been suspended from the university for a year and plans to enroll at Georgia Military College.

Joseph Person, Columbia State: South Carolina lawmakers have voted to override governor Mark Sanford's veto of a bill that will allow South Carolina and Clemson to borrow more money for athletic facilities.

Terry Hutchens, Indianapolis Star: Indiana officials indicate that they expect coach Terry Hoeppner to rejoin the team for summer drills.

Jake Schaller, Colorado Springs Gazette: Air Force is changing its uniforms, including wearing silver pants for home games.

Donnie Webb, Syracuse Post-Standard: Syracuse is close to an agreement for a two-game series against USC.

Mark Blaudschun, Boston Globe: Boston College and USC are close to an agreement for a two-game series beginning in 2011.

To bypass registration, go to Bug Me Not.

Two for Tuesday

It's going to be a rough couple of days for Oklahoma fans in our great billboard competition. Today we present two entries from Boise's best. Drew of Fight, Fight BSU sent us this exceptional billboard, above. No, Drew says he doesn't work for 96.9 The Eagle, but if Boise's Best Classic Rock station ever wants to do a billboard campaign, they should put him to work. A clever idea that is perfectly executed, much like the Broncos' Statue of Liberty play against the Sooners in the Fiesta Bowl.

Boise State fans continue to pile on with the entry below from Matt of Statue Left. No jab at the Sooners would be complete without Boise's celebrity couple, Ian Johnson and Chrissy Popadics, whose wedding is scheduled for July 28, despite attempts by the NCAA to make life difficult for the couple. Click on the images for a detailed look.
Now if you're a fan who believes your team has just been the victim of a cheap shot, well, you're right because that's what this contest is all about. It's a chance to land a haymaker to your opponent, destabilize them and have it posted on the Internet for all to see. Best of all, it's free.

If you don't like it, get in the game. Rub those brain cells together, fark a billboard and send it in.

Other entries: Gambling Loss, Threesome, Wiz Under Attack, The Great Sabanini, Welcome to College Statiowned, Good Seats Available, Urine for Trouble, Fluffer, Accidents Happen, Saw 'Em Off, Gun Laws, Speak of the Devil, Phil Fulmer's Flock, Auburn's Money and Grades, Sooner or Later, Don't Forget Your Laptop, Ed Orgeron Is Shrek, Bowden Manure Service, Roll Over Tide and Beat Michagain.

Barrow's Training Camp Starts in Florida

The remarkable story continues of the Barrow High football team. The Wiz first told you about Barrow's plans to start a team last July. Considering there are no roads into Barrow, located 340 miles north of the Arctic Circle, and the nearest opponent was 577 miles away, this appeared to be an impossible task.

But play they did. Six games, including one at Sitka, which is 1,153 miles away, about the distance between Dallas and San Diego. The Whalers finished 1-5 and their first game was chronicled by ESPN's Wayne Drehs in a two-part multimedia presentation.

Jacksonville-area accountant Cathy Parker saw the ESPN report and was so inspired by it, she started a movement to replace Barrow's gravel field next to the Arctic Ocean with artificial turf. Her website is Project Alaska Turf.

Parker's fundraising effort has been so successful that the Barrow team is about to embark on a training camp tour of the Lower 48, beginning in Florida. There also will be stops in North Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee and Alabama. The cost to the Barrow school district? Nothing. It's all paid for by Project Alaska Turf, which expects to surpass the original $500,000 goal.

Now other Inupiat villages across Alaska's North Slope have football fever. Several eight-man teams are springing up, including one in Atqasuk where players have been going through "spring" drills in snow and 20-below temperatures.

But not everybody is pleased. Many North Slope residents are angry, saying money spent on football should have gone to books, teachers and programs that reached more students. Even in Barrow, a petition has been circulating demanding that football be stopped. According to Alex deMarban of the Anchorage Daily News, 120 residents have signed the petition.

Thanks to reader John for his eagle eyes on Alaska.

And Don't Forget Your Laptop

We start week two of the great billboard competition with this fine entry from Ross, who couldn't resist the opportunity to take a jab at in-state rival Georgia Tech. When ESPN is in a pinch to find a team to play on a Thursday, the Yellow Jackets are always around to answer the call. Georgia Tech seemingly plays at least one Thursday game each season and the Yellow Jackets are doing it again in 2007, with a Thursday home game (Nov. 1) against Virginia Tech. Click on the image for a detailed look.

In exchange for Ross' entry, we are pleased to plug the fine Georgia Sports Blog and Dawg Sports, two of his favorite cyberspace destinations. They definitely have a Kristin Davis thing going at Dawg Sports. ...

There are several outstanding billboards to display this week, but we want to urge everybody to keep them coming. As promised, we are turning this contest over to readers for a vote to determine billboard's best.

Other entries: Gambling Loss, Threesome, Wiz Under Attack, The Great Sabanini, Welcome to College Statiowned, Good Seats Available, Urine for Trouble, Fluffer, Accidents Happen, Saw 'Em Off, Gun Laws, Speak of the Devil, Phil Fulmer's Flock, Auburn's Money and Grades, Sooner or Later, Two for Tuesday, Ed Orgeron Is Shrek, Bowden Manure Service, Roll Over Tide and Beat Michagain.

Reporters' Notebooks

Alex Abrams, Springdale Morning News: The meeting between Arkansas coach Houston Nutt and citizen journalist Thomas McAfee "was heated at times," according to McAfee's attorney. Also, attorneys for the university filed a motion to get the subpoenas for Nutt and several other university employees thrown out.

Tim Griffin, San Antonio Express-News: Conference title games can be risky for host cities. Just look at Jacksonville.

Omar Kelly, South Florida Sun-Sentinel: Miami's Bryan Pata was slain six months ago and the case remains unsolved.

Emily Badger, Orlando Sentinel: Judging by an appearance before boosters, Bobby Bowden can still intimidate an audience.

Stephen Tsai, Honolulu Advertister: Hawaii quarterback Colt Brennan doesn't ask for much. Like how about a bar of soap in the locker room showers?

Carter Strickland, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Photos of Georgia's Matthew Stafford lifting a keg, available at Deep South Sports, have created controversy but no suspension for the quarterback.

Pete Bosak, Centre Daily Times: Charges against four of the six Penn State players involved in an off-campus fracas were dismissed, but the cases involving starting free safety Anthony Scirrotto and defensive lineman Chris Baker could go to trial.

Mark Snyder, Detroit Free Press: Night games at Michigan? Not going to happen, at least this season.

Paul Finebaum, Mobile Press-Register: Nick Saban perfect? Well, there are a few stains on the resume.

Frank Dascenzo, Durham Herald Sun: Every wonder who turned out to be the best pro player from each of the Atlantic Coast Conference's 12 teams? Here's a list.

Mick McGrane, San Diego Union-Tribune: San Diego State coach Chuck Long says senior Kevin O'Connell has earned the right to be the starting quarterback over sophomore Kevin Craft.

San Diego Union-Tribune: Former San Diego State coach Tom Craft, dismissed after the 2005 season, has been hired as the offensive coordinator at Mt. San Antonio College.

Bob Condotta, Seattle Times: It has been five years since the passing of former Washington player Curtis Williams.

To bypass registration, go to Bug Me Not.

The Christine Daniels Interview

Los Angeles Times sportswriter Christine Daniels was our guest Friday night/Saturday morning on "Sports Overnight America" on the Sports Byline USA Radio Network. It was Daniels' first live interview since announcing last week that she was a transitioning transsexual and had changed her name from Mike Penner.

This is unedited audio and contains commercial and news break. We're hopeful of posting a version of higher quality soon. Access the audio by clicking here.

Update: We have an edited version, minus the commercials and news break, that you can access by clicking here.

Ready for Season 3 of Shrek at Mississippi

Here we go with our latest entry in the great billboard competition, submitted by a reader who wishes to remain anonymous. ... Ed Orgeron was regarded as a "savior" when he arrived at Mississippi, replacing David Cutcliffe, who was 44-29 in six seasons as coach. Orgeron, despite a lot of screaming and yelling, has fashioned only a 7-16 record in two seasons. Is this progress, or is it time to acknowledge that somebody goofed? (As always, click on the image for a closer look.)

Keep them coming! We are going to put the billboards up to a vote when the well runs dry, so there is still time to enter!

Other entries: Gambling Loss, Threesome, Wiz Under Attack, The Great Sabanini, Welcome to College Statiowned, Good Seats Available, Urine for Trouble, Fluffer, Accidents Happen, Saw 'Em Off, Gun Laws, Speak of the Devil, Phil Fulmer's Flock, Auburn's Money and Grades, Sooner or Later, Two for Tuesday, Thursday Night Football, Bowden Manure Service, Roll Over Tide and Beat Michagain.

Radio You Don't Want to Miss

Big night for the "Sports Overnight America" on the fine Sports Byline USA radio network. Los Angeles Times sportswriter Christine Daniels will give her first live interview since announcing last week that she was a transitioning transsexual and had changed her name from Mike Penner. The story generated record web traffic for the L.A. Times website and Daniels' Woman in Progress blog has rocketed to the top of the charts. She joins the Wiz and John Woolard at 11:30 p.m. Pacific on Friday. Update: Click here to access the interview.

As we move into Saturday, Dave Farris of Project 119 will join us at 12:10 a.m. Pacific. We told you about Dave's goal of visiting all 119 Division I-A football stadiums on April 25, and a lot has happened since then. He will be fresh off the road after a three-day marathon to visit 17 stadiums. Dave left Cincinnati at 6:30 a.m. Wednesday with two colleagues. They drove to Bowling Green, Toledo, Eastern Michigan, Michigan, Michigan State, Central Michigan, Western Michigan, Notre Dame and then the Chicago suburb of Northbrook.

On Thursday, the journey continued to Northwestern, Northern Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa State. On Friday, stops at Iowa, Illinois, Purdue and Ball State are planned before returning to Cincinnati.

You can hear "Sports Overnight America" over the Internet at SportsByline.com. Just click on "Listen Live." Or catch us over the American Forces Network, heard in 177 countries and U.S. territories and Navy ships at sea, or the Cable Radio Network. And if you're into terrestrial radio, check the list of Sports Byline affiliates. Give us a call at 800-878-7529.

Answering All Your Manure Needs

Our great billboard competition gets cranked up a notch with this spectacular entry that takes a shot at Clemson and coach Tommy Bowden. "Through my patented Rose Coating Process we've developed a Cleaner and more fragrant way to heap Manure on any problem area."

Outstanding!

You guessed it. The entry comes to us from Rick of Cocky Talk, a South Carolina fan site. Click on the image for a detailed look. You won't be disappointed. This is one fine piece of work.

Now some fans have emailed to express their outrage over the Wiz conducting such a dastardly contest. But we'd like to point out that this is an equal opportunity board, so all you have to do is get busy and come up with your own billboard and we will be happy to display it. The template and is available on the first link.

Other entries: Gambling Loss, Threesome, Wiz Under Attack, The Great Sabanini, Welcome to College Statiowned, Good Seats Available, Urine for Trouble, Fluffer, Accidents Happen, Saw 'Em Off, Gun Laws, Speak of the Devil, Phil Fulmer's Flock, Auburn's Money and Grades, Sooner or Later, Two for Tuesday, Thursday Night Football, Ed Orgeron Is Shrek, Roll Over Tide and Beat Michagain.

Reporters' Notebooks

Pete Thamel, New York Times: Arizona was the only BCS team to lose football scholarships in the latest round of the NCAA's academic progress data. The Wildcats lost four. Other losers: Florida International (nine), San Jose State (seven), Buffalo (four), Toledo (four), Middle Tennessee State (four), Nevada Las Vegas (three), Louisiana Lafayette (two), Western Michigan (two), Alabama Birmingham (one) and Hawaii (one).

Andy Staples, Tampa Tribune: Florida's appearance in the BCS title game and its $17 million-a-team payout actually cost the athletic department $155,411 and the figure could go higher.

Brian Davis, Dallas Morning News: The Cotton Bowl is likely to play host to Texas Tech-Oklahoma State games in 2008 and 2009.

Doug Doughty, Roanoke Times: Virginia and USC have agreed to a two-game series beginning in 2008 in Charlottesville. The Trojans will play host to the Cavaliers in 2010.

Joe Ovies, 850 The Blog: Former Boston College safety Ryan Glasper rips on North Carolina State coach Tom O'Brien, his former coach at B.C., for derailing his NFL career. Additional links here, here and here. Thanks to William for the tip!

Jake Schaller, Colorado Springs Gazette: Former Air Force coach Fisher DeBerry is trying to keep his mind off coaching. New Falcon coach Troy Calhoun is moving his team to the west side of Falcon Stadium.

Angelique S. Chengelis, Detroit News: Jason Forcier, Michigan's backup quarterback last season, is transferring to Stanford.

George Hostetter, Fresno Bee: A struggling football team is partially to blame for Fresno State falling further behind in reaching financial goals set by the Western Athletic Conference.

Business of College Football: Duke vs. Northwestern one of the Big Ten games of the year? Here is one man's look at the most interesting games for each week of the Big Ten season.

Rivals Radio: Dave Farris of Project 119, who is trying to visit all 119 Division I-A stadiums, is interviewed by Bill King. Hear it by clicking here.

To bypass registration, go to Bug Me Not.

Roll Over Tide

Now that Alabama fans have forked over all their money to Nick Saban, it didn't take long for a reader to take aim at the Crimson Tide in our great billboard competition. With this culinary approach, it's clear this reader, who wishes to remain anonymous, knows how to dish it out. Click on the image to get a detailed look. ... On a side note, we are eagerly awaiting the entry from South Carolina, taking aim at Clemson. We've seen it and it's outstanding.

Other entries: Gambling Loss, Threesome, Wiz Under Attack, The Great Sabanini, Welcome to College Statiowned, Good Seats Available, Urine for Trouble, Fluffer, Accidents Happen, Saw 'Em Off, Gun Laws, Speak of the Devil, Phil Fulmer's Flock, Auburn's Money and Grades, Sooner or Later, Two for Tuesday, Thursday Night Football, Ed Orgeron Is Shrek, Bowden Manure Service and Beat Michagain.

Reporters' Notebooks

Mark Snyder, Detroit Free Press: Night football was a big success last year for the networks, so it's coming back bigger and better this fall.

Mark Tupper, Decatur Herald & Review: A look at Illinois' offseason, from Ron Zook's busy schedule to rumors of the Fighting Illini planning to break out special uniforms for an Oct. 20 home night game against Michigan.

Bob Holt, Northwest Arkansas Times: The Southeastern Conference had 41 players selected in the NFL draft, tops in the land. Runner-up honors go to the Big Ten with 34.

Bob Condotta, Seattle Times: The Pacific 10 had only 28 players drafted, its fewest since the 2001 draft when only 24 were taken.

Kevin Scarbinsky, Birmingham News: The NFL drafted 11 quarterbacks, including one from Coastal Carolina. The NFL didn't draft Chris Leak, who guided Florida to the national title.

Paul Finebaum, Mobile Press-Register: Louisiana State's Les Miles is living off Nick Saban's recruits and time could be short on the Bayou.

Carter Strickland, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: With one of his players facing university suspension after two arrests, Georgia coach Mark Richt calls a meeting of his team to lay down the law.

Bryan Mullen, Tennessean: Bill Battle won a bunch of games as coach of Tennessee in the 1970s. On Tuesday, he scored a big-time touchdown in the business world.

Steve Ellis, Tallahassee Democrat: A three-person faculty panel upheld coach Bobby Bowden's decision to deny a former Seminole tight end a release from his Florida State scholarship.

Business Wire: Ave Maria Mutual Funds announced that Lou Holtz has replaced the late Bowie Kuhn on its Catholic Advisory Board.

Chip Scoggins, Minneapolis Star Tribune: Former Minnesota quarterback Tony Dungy, now the coach of the Indianapolis Colts, says he regularly talks with new Gopher coach Tim Brewster.

Josh Barr, Washington Post: An offensive lineman who drew the ire of many Maryland fans 15 months ago by accepting a scholarship offer to Penn State is transferring to Division I-AA Towson.

Daniel Lyght, Fresno Bee: Changes aplenty at Fresno State, where offensive coordinator Jim McElwain is working on employing new schemes, including a five-receiver set.

Dave Matter, Columbia Tribune: A position-by-position review of Missouri after spring drills.

Geoff Calkins, Commercial Appeal: What's wrong with newspapers today? Guys like Greg Haney are leaving the business.

To bypass registration, go to Bug Me Not.

A Buckeye Message for Wolverine Fans

Imagine the horror of Michigan fans if they were to come upon this billboard as they traveled I-94 toward Ann Arbor. OK, it's not real, but given Ohio State's recent dominance of "that school up north," it might as well be. Buckeye fans can thank reader Richard, who sent in this entry for our great billboard competition.

Other entries: Gambling Loss, Threesome, Wiz Under Attack, The Great Sabanini, Welcome to College Statiowned, Good Seats Available, Urine for Trouble, Fluffer, Accidents Happen, Saw 'Em Off, Gun Laws, Speak of the Devil, Phil Fulmer's Sheep, Auburn's Money and Grades, Sooner or Later, Two for Tuesday, Thursday Night Football, Ed Orgeron Is Shrek, Bowden Manure Service and Roll Over Tide.

A Story With a Familiar Ring

Another championship ring from Texas' 2005 season has been listed on eBay. The ring, belonging to former Longhorn lineman Terrance Young, had a bid of $9,100 at the time of this posting, with the auction continuing until Saturday.

A Texas title ring was posted last May on eBay. It was never determined who was selling that ring, and the bidding reached $10,000 before the item was pulled.

Young was a backup for the 2002-03 seasons before injuring his knee before his junior season in 2004. He did not play in 2005.

Texas officials declined comment when contacted by the Houston Chronicle. The wholesale price of a title ring is only $350 and there are no NCAA rules prohibiting former players from selling memorabilia.

Another Edition of 'Dining With Dawn'

The Ohio State Palestra reporter visits Jenean's Caribbean Bar & Grille, the Atlanta establishment of Joe Montgomery, a former Buckeye running back. Watch as the chipolte shrimp sends Dawn racing for liquid to douse the fire.

Do you know a restaurant owned by a former college standout? We're interested in putting together a list for publication, so if you know of one, please send it to dawizofodds (at) aol.com. We also hear that Eddie George's new Grille 27 in Columbus, which opened to a bad review, has interesting decor in its men's restroom, similar to what we found at Billy Sims' barbecue joint in Tulsa. If you have an image, send it our way!

Reporters' Notebooks

Pete Thamel, New York Times: NCAA legislation passed last week took aim at prep schools but could be a boom for junior colleges, which "went from eating Caesar salad to prime rib."

Ferd Lewis, Honolulu Advertiser: Maybe this is why nobody wants to play Hawaii. The Warriors had five players drafted, more than Nebraska, Georgia, Oklahoma, Alabama or UCLA.

Joseph Duarte, Houston Chronicle: Houston's Reliant Stadium could become a regular stop for the Big 12 title game beginning in 2008. Other cities expected to bid: San Antonio, Arlington and Kansas City.

Ray Kisonas, Monroe News: Two Michigan players reportedly were in a car that allegedly contained marijuana and Vicodin when it was stopped by police.

Sara Ganim, Centre Daily Times: Thirteen Penn State players are among 37 people who will be subpoenaed to testify Friday at a hearing for six Nittany Lions charged in an apartment invasion and assault.

Mick McGrane, San Diego Union Tribune: San Diego State coach Chuck Long is in no rush to name a starting quarterback.

Mike Huguenin, Orlando Sentinel: Breaking down the nonconference schedules of the six Bowl Championship Series leagues.

Pete Pelegrin, Miami Herald: The NCAA is about to pick on the little guy again. Florida International is expected to lose nine football scholarships when the NCAA's Academic Progress Report is issued Wednesday.

Ron Higgins, Commercial Appeal: Arkansas coach Houston Nutt said he "will not crack" under what he called a "total smear campaign" to get him to quit his job. Thanks to Sunday Morning Quarterback.

Dick Harmon, Deseret Morning News: The Brady Quinn saga was a creation of ESPN and its NFL draft guru, Mel Kiper.

Brett McMurphy, Tampa Tribune: South Florida quarterback Matt Grothe is no longer an employee of Bull Ring Sports Bar and Grill.

Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times: USC coach Pete Carroll says he approves of the NCAA's decision to ban text messaging.

Paul Finebaum, Mobile Press-Register: Hating Alabama coach Nick Saban has become the fashionable thing to do.

Rivals Radio: Hear the Wiz on Rivals Radio by clicking here. Thanks to Bill King and Braden Gall.

To bypass site registration, go to Bug Me Not.

D-Day Nears for Internet Radio

This has nothing to do with college football, so if you aren't one of the 72 million who listen to Internet radio, then move along. But if you are one of the 72 million, the clock is ticking on your cheap entertainment. In less than two weeks, the plug is going to be pulled on many stations that stream music, including the great Pandora. The site Save Net Radio has been tracking developments.

This all deals with a March ruling by the U.S. Copyright Royalty Board, which called for a significant increase in royalties paid for the online streaming of digital music. Satellite and terrestrial radio do not face such steep royalties.

There is an 11th-hour hope. Legislation — the Internet Radio Equality Act, HR 2060 — has been introduced by representatives Jay Inslee (D-WA) and Donald Manzullo (R-IL). You need to contact your representatives and let them know you support this bill.

OK, say you don't know who your assclown is in Washington? A lot of us don't. To find out, go to this link and in the upper left-hand corner, you can enter your zip code and get the corresponding congress person. Click on their name to access the main phone number of their D.C. office.

We now resume normal programming. ...