Some Big Names Tied to BurnLounge

Marc Isenberg of the terrific site Money Players finds a gem of a story. Several former South Carolina and Clemson standouts are investors in BurnLounge, an online music retailer that is being sued by the Federal Trade Commission.

The FTC alleges BurnLounge is a pyramid scheme. Currently only former South Carolina running back Rob DeBoer, who claims to have made $300,000 with the website since leaving his former job with the South Carolina sports marketing department, is facing legal action. But the list of BurnLounge investors and associates is staggering.

The Columbia State reports that Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops is an investor and former Clemson and Arkansas coach Danny Ford and former South Carolina running back and Heisman Trophy winner George Rogers lent their names in exchange for franchises that ended making little or no money.

Former South Carolina quarterback and Gamecock announcer Todd Ellis is also named by the paper, as is South Carolina receivers coach Steve Spurrier Jr., who said he invested in BurnLounge a year ago after Stoops introduced him to the concept. Spurrier already seems to be backpedaling.

"When Bob Stoops got me, he said, 'I've spoken to a lawyer about this. I've spoken to my agent. I've spoken to some people to find out if this is a legitimate thing. And everything they told me, this is a legitimate [business]. Put your name on it and go do it,' " said Spurrier Jr., a member of Stoops' Sooners staff from 1999 to 2001.

The State reported that Stoops was not available for comment. South Carolina athletic director Eric Hyman said the university is reviewing actions of those involved to see if any disciplinary action is warranted.

Big Ten Network: Not Everybody Wants It

Doors to cable viewers are not swinging open like the Big Ten planned. The conference's Big Ten Network is scheduled to go on air in August, but the league is finding it difficult to swing a deal with cable heavyweight Comcast, with Time Warner Cable is also hesitant to add the network.

According to the New York Times, Comcast is developing a campaign that will attempt to prove that the network is too expensive and too provincial to be broadly distributed.

"I have no doubt that the Big Ten will try to rile up their fans and alumni to say that big bad Comcast is denying their content to Big Ten fans and alumni," David Cohen, an executive vice president of Comcast, told the Times' Richard Sandomir.

The root of this dispute could be traced to early discussions about the network, when Comcast was approached about becoming the Big Ten's partner. The cable operator's view of the network was limited in scope, and the Big Ten found a more willing partner in Fox, which will run and own 49% of the operation.

The Big Ten's problems don't end with Comcast, which is the leading provider in the conference's eight states. Time Warner Cable, with the second-most subscribers in the Big Ten markets, is taking a similar position to Comcast's.

"I'm not confident of anything right now," Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany said. "All I'll say is I have a hard time seeing many more offerings with more appeal than ours."

The Big Ten's marketing reach is extending online. It has been adding videos like the one above to YouTube. Thus far, eight videos have been posted, six of them recapping spring practice and previewing the season for six teams. Here are links to the six teams previewed thus far: Minnesota, Michigan State, Michigan, Iowa, Indiana and Illinois.

Reporters' Notebooks

Scott Wright, Oklahoman: The latest misdeeds at Oklahoma are essentially the fairly typical slip-ups that come with navigating the vast landscape that is the NCAA rulebook and its guidelines.

Paul Finebaum, Mobile Press-Register: Is Alabama athletic director Mal Moore wearing out his welcome?

Ray Melick, Birmingham News: A man of the people. Florida State's Bobby Bowden just finished 25 speeches to 25 different Seminole booster clubs in 35 days.

Carter Strickland, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Georgia coach and devout Baptist Mark Richt and his family are spending a week in Honduras on a mission.

Des Moines Register: A national advocacy group has sent Iowa State president Gregory Geoffroy a letter, urging him to reject a proposal that would make a chaplain available to Cyclone players.

And here is today's mystery link.

Send mystery link submissions to dawizofodds (at) aol.com.

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Reporters' Notebooks

Marcus Nelson, Palm Beach Post: Sun Belt Conference presidents want league teams to limit the number of "body-bag games" against top Division I-A teams on the road. A proposal, which will likely be finalized this summer, calls for the eight Sun Belt teams to play at least 11 home games in a two-year period.

Jonathan Okanes, Contra Costa Times: A trial date of Sept. 19 has been set to stop California's plans to build a $120 million athletic facility.

Pete Bosak, Centre Daily Times: At least 12 Penn State players began receiving their punishments from the Office of Judicial Affairs for their roles in a downtown melee in April, but none are expected to face permanent expulsion or miss classes during the season.

Michael Rothstein, Fort Wayne Journal Gazette: Could it be that Notre Dame's Crewcut Charlie Weis was paid only $565,566 for his first season as coach?

John Kaltefleiter, Athens Banner-Herald: Georgia coach Mark Richt won't have a say in the suspensions of tight end Tripp Chandler and quarterback Blake Barnes because of the university's ludicrous policy on alcohol-related arrests.

Tony Phifer, Coloradoan: Colorado State will wear throwback jerseys and helmets in its home opener against California to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the school's transition from Colorado A&M to Colorado State.

And here is today's mystery link.

Indiana's Difficult but Necessary Decision

If Indiana finally gets that 13th date on its schedule, it will have to do it without Terry Hoeppner. Three months of uncertainty ended Friday when the school announced that Hoeppner, above, had been hospitalized for reasons related to cancer and would not coach the team this fall. Assistant Bill Lynch, below left, was named interim coach, and athletic director Rick Greenspan said he would re-evaluate the coaching situation at the end of the season.

Although the move was not unexpected, it was not easy. Hoeppner, in two seasons as coach, is only 9-14, but the Hoosiers have shown marked improvement and were on the verge of making a postseason appearance last year.

Hoeppner's wife, Jane, addressed the team Friday morning. "She was strong, she really was," Lynch told the Indianapolis Star. "She gave a really appropriate message about life, and the challenges that go with it every day, and don't take anything for granted and give it your all every day. She's a lot like Terry. There was a little Terry in [the speech]."

Lynch, who has been Indiana's offensive coordinator the past two seasons, was interim coach for two games last season when Hoeppner was recovering from brain surgery. The Hoosiers lost both games.

Lynch previously was head coach at Ball State from 1995-2002 and won a Mid-American Conference title. Indiana recruits say they are united behind Lynch and pulling for Hoeppner's complete recovery.

Correcting an Earlier Error

On Wednesday, we linked to an article by Dave Curtis of the Orlando Sentinel that detailed legal problems involving several members of the defending national champion Florida Gators. Unfortunately, that article contained an error, and Curtis has written about the correction on his blog. Here is the text of Curtis' blog entry:

"In case you missed it, I made an error in Wednesday's story about discipline and the UF football team. The correction, which dealt with Gator rising junior Jonathan Phillips, ran in Thursday's editions of the Orlando Sentinel and Friday's editions of the Sun-Sentinel in Fort Lauderdale. Here's the correction that ran in the paper:

"The continuation of an article on Page D5 of Wednesday's Sports section about legal problems that University of Florida football players have faced this year incorrectly included a player who did not face such problems. Gators kicker Jonathan Phillips has not faced any legal issues."

The Saban Deal Is Official

When Nick Saban wants to go on vacation, the University of Alabama is obligated to provide a private plane. That is one of the perks of the coach's contract, which was approved in a unanimous vote Thursday by the University of Alabama System Board of Trustees. Let us remind you that a recent Education Week magazine study ranked Alabama 45th nationally in giving public schoolchildren a chance for success and 47th on an achievement index that includes performance on tests in reading and math, graduation rates and other student performance indicators. Thus the unanimous vote should come as no surprise.
Saban's deal is for eight years and $32 million, making him the highest-paid college football coach in history — at least among public schools. The Birmingham News reports that Notre Dame's Crewcut Charlie Weis is believed to have a 10-year contract that will pay him in the neighborhood of $40 million. Fat city!
In addition, Alabama spent an estimated $37,667 on its 38-day search, with $35,000 of that going to consultant Chuck Neinas. For our earlier report on Neinas' racket, click here. Can't say we didn't warn you, Alabama.