UCF Football Player Dies During Workout

Central Florida wide receiver Ereck Plancher died during one of the Knights spring football practices. Plancher was 19 and collapsed during a conditioning drill on March 18.  Half an hour after the workout known as “mat drill,” Plancher was pronounced dead.

UCF coach George O’Leary said, “I did not see him struggle on the field. From my professional opinion, what should have been done for his care was being done.”

Players later reported to media that during the workout it was obvious that something was wrong with Plancher and all the coaches knew it. The players stated that not only was Plancher struggling to finish the workouts, but, in fact, the coaches cursed him because of his “lack of effort.”

Yikes, not a good spot to be in for UCF coaches and officials. The first step that needs to be taken is for Coach O’Leary to personally visit the Plancher family and offer his deepest apologies. I’m not saying that saying sorry is going to make everything better, but, out of respect, it must be done. I mean, this family suffered losing their young son. A son they personally trusted Coach O’Leary to take care of, it’s the least he can do. Next, the truth must come out, all of it. UCF must address the public and inform them of everything that happened and why. It is much better to own up to your mistakes than to try hiding them. Third, UCF should open their practices to the public. By letting the public see, first hand, what practice at UCF is really like, the rumors and negative reputation they’ve attained will eventually fade. Additional coverage of this tragic event can be found at ESPN.

Red Sox’s Give Girl the Bird

This past Thursday 13-year-old Alexa Rodriguez was touring the Boston Redsox’s baseball stadium, Fenway Park, on a school field trip and was attacked by a native red-tailed hawk. The hawk swooped down from its nest high at the top of the stadium, and, with talons extended, scratched the girl’s scalp, drawing blood. Alexa wasn’t seriously injured, and according to the school’s chaperone, Vince Jennetta, Alexa was “a little shaken, but OK.”  

The Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees, bitter rivals, battle every season for bragging rights and the chance to win the World Series. Known for their history of curses and strange omens, this particular incident came as of no surprise to both Red Sox and Yankee fans. Yankees star shortstop’s name is Alex Rodriguez. Coincidence? Mistaken identity? Failed evil plan by the Red Sox to take out the real Alex Rodriguez? Who knows. We won’t know anything until the Red Sox and Yankees battle it out later this year- shortstop Alex Rodriguez might consider wearing a helmet.  

Red Sox officials had the Yankee-hating-bird and its nest removed from the ballpark by state wildlife officials. The nest, which contained one egg, and hawk were relocated and placed in the wild- far away from any small children that the hawk might again confuse as being a Yankee ballplayer. Full coverage of the eerie event can be found at ESPN. 

 

Mississippi State Football Team Loses Key Ammunition

Two Mississippi State football players were kicked off of the team and dismissed from the university Friday March 28.

Michael Brown and Quinton Wesley, two key players for the Bulldogs in 2007, were arrested Thursday for what school officials described as a “campus incident involving two hand guns”. Luckily, no one was injured and according to Dean of Students Mike White “there was no threat to other students.”

Police recovered the handguns and charged Brown with possession of a firearm and Wesley with aggravated assault, both felonies.

After doing a little research on the situation two things came to my mind. First, Brown is 6’ 3” tall and weighs 300 pounds. Wesley is 6’ 5” and weighs 315 pounds. Why in the world did they need guns? They’re huge! If I see an object coming at me that could easily be mistaken for a VW Beetle I’m not going to stick around and pick a fight with it- I’m running, run fast and running far. Apparently these two guys weren’t too confident with their stature and felt a little extra protection was necessary. Second thought that comes to mind, why jeopardize your scholarship and possible future by doing something so foolish? Ridiculous.

 Mississippi State’s coach has refused to comment on the situation until further notice, a smart move in my opinion. The university should wait to take anymore necessary actions until they have all the facts.

 

 

Don-it, Imus!

On April 4, 2007, MSNBC radio host, Don Imus, made a racial slur directed towards the Rutgers University women’s basketball team. He referred to the women on the team as “rough girls” in reference to their tattoos, and also called them “nappy-headed-hos.” Imus, known for his abrasive style and crude comments, is a popular radio host and member of the National Broadcasters Hall of Fame. Even though part of Imus’ popularity is a result of his sarcasm and crudeness, this particular incident was seen by many as crossing the line. Before the day was over several major news organizations had released transcripts of the morning episode. The public response was not a favorable one towards Imus. MSNBC, as well as Imus, were scrambling to save face.

 Throughout the controversy, the mainstream media’s view of Imus’ remarks were generally negative. Most headlines referred to Imus’ comments as racist, as well as sexist. Many in the media felt the radio host should not just be suspended, but fired. Most articles focused on Imus’ history of reoccurring offensive remarks and stated his most recent, distasteful comment came as no surprise. Audio clips of Imus’ early morning talk show comments were released and put on YouTube.

 Most bloggers weren’t too fond of Imus’ remarks either. They were generally all disgusted by the radio host’s comments and also felt his suspension wasn’t harsh enough of a punishment. Al Roker openly stated on his blog that he opposed Imus’ return, and Steve Capus, president of NBC news, said the comments were “deeply hurtful to many people.”  After reading several blogs, it’s easy to conclude that the public thought Imus was a racist with a distasteful sense of humor who got off easy with a two-week suspension.

Personally, I believe Imus dealt with the situation in a professional manner. He made a formal on air apology to his audience as well as the Rutgers University women’s basketball team. Considering the circumstances, I would have handled the situation in the same manner. After making such rude and offensive comments, the best plan of action is to address the situation, admit your mistakes, and accept responsibility for your actions. 

 

 

 

 

 

Once Upon a Time

Singers/songwriters Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova dreams came true this year when they won an Oscar for “Best Original Song” at this year’s 80th Academy Awards. Their song, “Falling Slowly”, from the Independent film “Once” captured the hearts of thousands across the globe. It’s always good to see struggling song writers who have continued to chase their dreams  finally make it big. Glen and Marketa also performed at the Awards. Check out the YouTube clip, it’s pretty awesome. If you just read that last sentence and didn’t click the link then go back and click it! Trust me, these guys are awesome!With this new publicity, Glen and Marketa have a perfect opportunity to really make an impact in the music industry as well as inspire other struggling songwriters. Just this week the “Once” soundtrack reached the No. 1 album on iTunes. I suggest Glen and Marketa use their shy, persevering image that the media have painted for them to continue to touch the hearts of those who respect their hard work and determination. 

 

 

 Video 

^ its good. watch it.

Well, Hoosier Coach?

Kelvin Sampson, Indiana University’s head basketball coach, might have coached his final game for the Hoosiers last week after they beat bitter rival Purdue. Sampson has recently been accused of five major NCAA recruiting violations, and the question of whether he will remain as Indiana’s head coach, or get the boot is still up in the air.  

Investigations by both the NCAA and Indiana University officials found that Sampson not only made over 100 illegal phone calls to high school recruits, but also fed false information to both the NCAA and Indiana University investigators. Pretty gutsy Kelvin, first you cheat, and then try to cover it up by hiding information and lying to investigators. Way to be a role model, coach – tisk, tisk… 

A decision from Indiana’s Athletic Department is scheduled to be announced Friday afternoon on whether or not Sampson will remain as head coach of the Indiana Hoosiers. According to ESPN’s Web site reporter Pat Forde, Indiana will most likely suspend Sampson and fire him at the conclusion of the Hoosiers’ – so far – successful season.

Considering the embarrassment Sampson has already brought to “Hoosier Nation,” I agree with Pat and think this is the best way for The University of Indiana to handle this unfortunate situation. Instead of bringing additional, negative publicity to the quaint Indiana campus, the next best step for Indiana to take is to suspend Sampson, and hire current assistant coach Dan Dakich as the interim coach for the remainder of the season. You have to consider what is best for the players, and in my eyes, bringing negative attention to a basketball program mid-season could be disastrous.

It’s a shame what Sampson has done to this tradition-rich campus. Hopefully, Sampson’s terrible leadership skills won’t be repeated by his son, Kellen, who plays for the team.

  
                 

California Dreamin’

Kevin Hart, a high school senior in Reno, Nevada wanted to play Division I football so bad he made his dream become a reality Monday, February 11 when he faked his own recruitment in front his peers, coaches, family and the media. Hundreds gathered and cameras rolled on National Signing in Fernley High School’s gym, all eagerly waiting to hear Kevin’s decision of where he was to “play” football next fall. The choice was between The University of Oregon or The University of California Berkley. As decision time came and bulbs flashed, Kevin reached for the Cal hat, placed it on his head and signed his fake letter of intent. He later stated that it was the “personal experience” with Cal head coach Jeff Tedford that helped in the decision making process. Kevin said him and Coach Tedford talked many times on the phone and was the main factor for him choosing Cal over Oregon.

Are you kidding me!? Who does that? How desperate for attention can someone be? Not only did this kid have the courage to lie to the nation about his future football career but also had the nerve to make up fake phone calls between him and Coach Tedford. Is our country so obsessed with young athletes that this is what it has come to? These 17 and 18-year-old kids are catapulted to celebrity status before even graduating high school. Unfortunately, the kids who aren’t “lucky” enough to get the cameras, scholarships and interviews thrown in their face can’t help but feel insignificant when compared to their almighty classmates. Kevin is a perfect example of what extremes students are capable of going to get the attention this country tells them they need.

Instead of elaborate signing celebrations and television spotlight time the media should focus on the athletes who have proved themselves “worthy to be praised.” I doubt our buddy Kevin has a publicist, although I wouldn’t be surprised these days, but I think the best step for Kevin to take next would probably be to make a formal apology to the public and lay low for the next couple of years… Then maybe he can try to lie in a different field of entertainment… Maybe the movies is where he belongs. I wish him luck.

Check out Foxsports to get full coverage of Kevin and  his craziness.

Good Knight Bobby

Bobby Knight called it quits Monday, February 8 when he resigned as head basketball coach for Texas Tech University. With only ten games remaining in Texas Tech’s regular season, I can’t help but ask good ole Bobby, why? 

Having a reputation for being intense, stern and overly demanding of his players the first word that pops to mind is hypocrite. For 42 years Bobby coached with a never-say-die mentality. He drilled the importance of hard work, dedication, and loyalty into countless player’s mind that played under his authority. Instead of waiting for the season to end and formally announcing his retirement to the public, Bobby threw in the towel, not chair, without warning. This midseason walk out leads one to question if this disciplinarian is lacking some self-discipline of his own.

Instead of walking out on his team and coaching staff, Bobby should have remained as head coach for the final ten games and publicly announced his retirement in a press conference. The harsh criticism from the public, media and fans would have altogether been avoided. After establishing what most believe to be a successful career, he does, after all, hold the all-time record for most career wins; Bobby has jeopardized his successful status by jumping ship on his team and leaving his son, Pat, as captain. 

ESPN.com’s Pat Forde talks of Bobby Knight as being a self-centered hypocrite his entire career. He claims that Knight used Texas Tech simply to get his 900th win and the all time career win record. He also points out how the seniors must feel after playing for Coach Knight for almost four years and then having him walk out on them. I found the article interesting and thought he raised many good points. You can read more about Bobby Knight and his abrupt exit here at espn.com

 

 “Peace! I’m outa here!”