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.

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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.

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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."

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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?

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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.

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