Jackets let the Penguins off the hook last night, but it sure was nice of them to give the Penguins a gentleman's spot — makes it fairer going forward. Also, the rumors are true: Playoff hockey is pretty fun.
- Former four-star recruit Jayme Thompson is transferring from Ohio State.
- Ramzy's open letter to Ohio State about $20 spring game tickets is glorious.
- Here's a highlight reel of Slam Thompson repeatedly slamming a basketball through basketball hoops.
DUNN FIGHTING FOR HIS SPOT. Ezekiel Elliot is the presumed starting running back for the 2014 footballing Buckeyes, but that doesn't mean Bri'onte Dunn is ready to go quietly into the night.
From Ari Wasserman of Cleveland.com:
Now a redshirt sophomore, Dunn likely won't unseat Elliott as Ohio State's starter – Elliott was personally recruited by Urban Meyer, who fell in love with his versatility dating back to when he was a five-star prospect two years ago – but he could find a spot in the running back rotation.
Because Dunn is the closest thing remaining on Ohio State's roster to Carlos Hyde, a big-bodied, powerful running back who could be taken in the first round of May's NFL Draft. Dunn, a 6-foot, 216-pound back, hopes that helps him get on the field.
"Carlos, last year, he taught me a lot," Dunn said. "He was like a brother to me. All that backs know we have a big gap to fill. Carlos was really good last year, and everybody is working hard to get to that point.
As Wasserman notes, Dunn will also have to hold off freshman Curtis Samuel, whom Meyer has raved about after spring practice. The winner will obviously be *drum roll please* THE OHIO STATE FOOTBALL TEAM.
It's crazy to me how brutal the running back position is these days. Not only at Ohio State, where some monsters will end up riding pine, but football in general. Why would anybody want to play in that grindhouse?
DEATH TO FSU. Here's one of the hottest #takes in my repertoire: Rape is bad. It's a take I developed early in life, when I was told by village elders, "DJ, consensual sex is good, but rape is bad." It's something that's stuck with me.
Apparently though, the village elders of Tallahassee, Florida never received that memo.
Three weeks after Mr. [Jameis] Winston was publicly identified as the suspect, the storm had passed. The local prosecutor announced that he lacked the evidence to charge Mr. Winston with rape. The quarterback would go on to win the Heisman Trophy and lead Florida State to the national championship.
In his announcement, the prosecutor, William N. Meggs, acknowledged a number of shortcomings in the police investigation. In fact, an examination by The New York Times has found that there was virtually no investigation at all, either by the police or the university.
The police did not follow the obvious leads that would have quickly identified the suspect as well as witnesses, one of whom videotaped part of the sexual encounter. After the accuser identified Mr. Winston as her assailant, the police did not even attempt to interview him for nearly two weeks and never obtained his DNA.
The article — which is dynamite reporting I recommend in full — doesn't surprise me. The multimillion dollar brand must be protected at all costs, after all.
So what did Florida State do in face of a report they sat on a rape accusation against their star quarterback-in-waiting? They doubled down on the stupidity, of course.
The university expresses its deep disappointment in today's New York Times story alleging FSU officials did not properly investigate a rape allegation against Jameis Winston "in apparent violation of federal law."
As @suckatsports so eloquently stated: "Their disappointment is misplaced."
And since we're on the topic of disappointment:
They can't kill Jameis like they did Emmett, but they'll do their best to slander him. Stay strong, J5.
— Myron Rolle (@MyronRolle) April 16, 2014
("Emmett" of course being Emmett Till.)
For those scoring at home: Sports can even turn a Rhodes Scholar like Myron Rolle into a fool. That tweet is so stupid, and that analogy is so flawed, I can't believe Rolle hasn't yet deleted it.
When Florida State rose to power last year, I had no problem with it. As a kid raised in the greatest decade of human civilization — the 1990s — Florida State has always had a bit of mysticism to me.
Needless to say, that mystique is gone. Now, Florida State seems little more to me than a backwoods cartel willing to sweep the rape of a 19 year-old woman under the rug in the name of the brand. That's disgusting.
Jimbo Fisher, Jameis Winston, the Florida State administration and especially Tallahasse detective Scott Angulo: I am surprised any of you can sleep without guzzling a gallon of Nyquil. I hope the pound of humanity you all paid for your puerile sports trophy was worth it.
Why am I ranting, though? A picture is worth a thousand words. (Take a bow, Andy Marlette of the Pensacola News Journal):
BRADY HOKE HAS A GOOD IDEA. Speaking of awful decisions, rape and football... let's turn our attention to Michigan:
Hoke repeats he's in favor of a spring scrimmage against another school. Big ten coaches discussed... "I think it helps your football team"
— Mark Snyder (@Mark__Snyder) April 16, 2014
I don't know why it's 2014 and spring games consist of fragmented, intra-squad rosters.
Why don't conference foes schedule spring scrimmages? Just do a home-and-home or rotate the teams evenly every year. I think people would much rather watch a scrimmage between Penn State and Ohio State than another yearly degradation of Ohio State football between two teams without functional offensive lines. It'd probably make talent evaluation a lot easier for the coaches as well.
This needs to happen six years ago.
WEED IS BACK ON THE MENU, BOYS. If you like the image of Dennis Dodd discussing the Devil's Lettuce, well, do I have a story for you:
The association will never say that. But its language in de-mystifying pot -- not decriminalizing it -- was significant on Tuesday.
The penalty for a positive marijuana test was reduced from a full season to half a season. The Legislative Council forwarded the measure. It is expected to breeze through approval, meaning each positive after August 1 will, in the words, of the University of Texas make it more likely violators will be subject to "campus intervention."
Probably a good thing for us that the NCAA sucks at nailing kids for smoking reefer, because if they didn't... I doubt many colleges could field a team.
OREOS DONT FIT YOUR MACROS, JAMARCO. LeCharles Bentley, still a boss:
Go tell Mickey that.... @jjones_73: I could probably live off Oreos
— LeCharles Bentley (@LeCharlesBent65) April 17, 2014
THOSE WMDs. Basketbuck target Myles Turner will announce decision on April 30th... Teen tries to take selfie beside moving train, gets kicked in the head... Gareth Bale has that SEC speed... If the Browns draft Derek Carr at No. 4, I am already dead... Listen to Vin Scully tell a legendary story about Jackie Robinson... On addiction and addiction narratives... An oral history of 8 Mile's rap battles... Roberto Carlos could hack physics... How the 1974 draft altered NFL history...
