I just watched Breaking Bad's "Granite State," and I'm shaking like an imprisoned heroin addict in the throes of withdrawal. I apologize in advance for butchered syntax, bad grammar, typos and other desecrations of the English language.
As a matter of house-keeping: between next weekend's 11W tailgate, the Browns winning two in a row for the first time since the days of Agamemnon and Mr. Lambert coming off that New Hampshire mountain like Moses and wading back into the Albuquerque metro area, there is only about a 35% chance I write next Monday's Skull Session as I will be dead from heart failure. (As has always been in my will, I prefer to be buried in the traditional Marionaire fashion: in a dumpster behind Kohl's.)
BUT YOU DIDN'T MENTION THE GOLD PANTS SOCIAL. Yes, the Gold Pants Social is on Friday (your chance to mingle with some Ohio State legends while drinking beer and eating delicious food in the Players' lounge of the Woody Hayes Athletic Center) and if you don't have your literal golden ticket, you're about to be on the outside looking in.
Only FOUR, yes FOUR, tickets remain to the event. Full details can be found HERE. *tickticktick* Time is running out! [*said in my Billy Mays — Peace be upon him — voice.*]
THOUGHTS TO CINCINNATI. Cincinnati football program suffered a horrific loss this weekend, when three of their football players were involved in a car accident. Ben Flick of Hamilton, Ohio, was killed at the scene. Mark Barr and Javon Harrison, two Bearcat receivers, were life-flighted to the Cincinnati Medical Center. Barr is listed in critical condition. Harrison and the driver of the vehicle — whose identity wasn't released — are listed in stable condition.
Awful news all around. As someone who's lost a couple of friends (and a family member) to auto accidents (which, somewhat unsurprisingly, are the leading cause of death in college athletics), it's a terrible reminder of just how cold this world can be at times.
MASTER CLASS KINGPIN W/ A DECK UP HIS SLEEVECFB PLAYERS OF THE WORLD, UNITE! Here's something that probably made the insides of Mark Emmert curl up like a sleepy cat by a fireside: this weekend, Georgia, Georgia Tech and Northwestern players marked their gear in protest of the NCAA:
In a gesture that organizers hope turns into an athlete-driven national movement, players from Georgia Tech, Georgia and Northwestern took the field Saturday with gear they had marked up to protest the NCAA's treatment of athletes on issues ranging from concussions to compensation.
ESPN cameras showed that players, including Georgia Tech quarterback Vad Lee, wrote on their wrist tape "APU" -- All Players United -- in a game against North Carolina.
[...] Northwestern quarterback Kain Colter made the most visible and obvious display, writing "APU" in large white letters on black wrist tape.
Oh, is this something to keep an eye on going forward. I know, I know: most people are too busy living to have any empathy for college athletes, but I have a feeling they'd feel different if tens of thousands of people came to watch them perform a week and they were paid with gift cards (to the company they worked for). Props to these players for having the courage to stand up for something they believe in.
SO, OSU KINDA WHOOPED ON OL' FAMU. While some media of the members fretted, clutched their pearls and concern-trolled about Ohio State's match-up with FAMU, I pretty much yawned. Inferior opponents making up the bulk of elite programs' out-of-conference schedule is a staple of college football. I'm not losing sleep over FAMU getting drilled. TO THE GRAPHICS MACHINE:
SILKY SPECIAL TEAMS. I love me a good onside kick. Given this, it appears Rice(!?) has a kicker after my own heart:
Also, apparently this is something that's awesome AND legal in football?
CHARTING BADGER PAIN. The weekly call for the Buckeye Charting Project is out, so if you like numbers, watching football and cool things, consider volunteering.
THOSE WMDs. Kevin Gates: one of the best rappers out... Mike Leach F-Bombed Paul Petrino... Brian Phillips on Arsenal's Özil-movement... NickSaban2014.com... Possible meth lab explosion at assisted-living center... Minneapolis wants 2017 title game... Crimson White could win a Pulitzer... FAA nears new rules on devices... A puppy leading a pony cart carrying three kittens... The Federal Bureau of Narcotics, China and Cold War Propaganda... One graphic that shows the worst about your state (Ohio is the nerdiest?)... Meyer, Golden and Strong explain how they handled victory margins of 70+... Cocaine "stash" worth $270 million found in France airport... The Chargers attempted the worst hook-and-lateral ever... John Heyman is a bell-end... Vin Scully was a boss in 1933... Auburn got the business at LSU... It's time the NCAA ended restrictions on transfers... The coolest image from the Stanford-Army game...
