DEVELOPING: Swedish Soccer Player Dies On Pitch

((HT: Expressen.se/Expressen Newspaper, Hogstrom))

The 29-year-old former captain of the Swedish Pitea IF, Victor Brannstrom, collapsed on the pitch after scoring a goal in his League 4 game in Sweden earlier Sunday

(the ambulance is pictured right, thanks Expressen.se/Skaugvold).

Pitea was playing Umedalen when it happened...

From Hogstrom's article:

"Then I turn around and when he is just there. I blew off and ran over there and see that something is serious. It was not hard to see that he was seriously ill," according to referee Roland Adelsson.

Press Service of Piteå hospitals report that Victor Brännströms heart stopped. The cause of death is still unknown.

"There must be an autopsy to find out about it," says Agneta Spaton Norqvist at the hospital's press office.

It was the second player death this season in the Swedish leagues, and it was the second time this season that Brannstrom had collapsed. In a practice match in February, he was unconscious for 30 seconds before he was taken to hospital. There was nothing found wrong in the testing back then.

In an interview with Expressen after the February incident, he admitted he was a little apprehensive about training again.

More when we know more...

TWTW: Saturday's Close Calls- Maryland, Wisconsin, Iowa

((HT: ACC Digital Network))

FOSG Scott Singer almost had one yesterday as William and Mary was close to sending Randy Edsall's new toy into a continued tailspin...

Maryland escaped 7-6...
Here's the lowlights...


Northern Iowa went to Madison and picked up a $450,000 check- and almost got out with a win... 26-21 was the final as Wisconsin survived...
((HT: KCRG-TV Cedar Rapids))
Chris Earl has the highlights of the last close call (naturally, in the Big 10/12) as Northern Illinois lost 18-17... Damon Bullock scored with 2:15 to go for the win... ((HT: KCRG-TV again))

New Allegations At UCLA...??? (UPDATE: Parker Cleared For Now)

((HT: Scout.com via Jeff Goodman/CBSSports))

The UCLA hoops situation reminds the HQ of the end of "Oceans 11" when Terry Benedict reminds Rusty about spending all of the casino's money that they just stole.

Andy Garcia's character warns Brad Pitt not to spend the money on expensive sports cars or he'll find them all...

Kinda like UCLA...

You just start "getting" talented freshmen... Shabazz Muhammad, Kyle Anderson, and Tony Parker (a kid the HQ covered in his time at Miller Grove High School in suburban Atlanta)...

Evidence on Parker's talent below...
((HT: GPB Sports/GHSA)


There's no denying that UCLA head coach Ben Howland needed a turnaround with a newly-renovated Pauley Pavilion coming into this season...

This kind of exposure wasn't something Howland needed...

From CBS Sports Jeff Goodman via his Twitter...

Jeff Goodman‏@GoodmanCBS

The NCAA is investigating Muhammad for his ties to financial advisors. It's looking into Kyle Anderson and Tony Parker's recruitments.

TUESDAY UPDATE: Parker has been cleared by the NCAA according to Peter Yoon at ESPNLA.com which still leaves Muhammad and Anderson in play.

Even as Parker admitted that one of the reasons he went to Westwood in the first place was the hiring of his AAU coach onto Howland's staff...

More when we know more...

New Allegations At USC...???

((HT: MyFoxLA/KTTV))

According to an article in the Los Angeles Times, a former employee in the LA County assesor's office has been linked to possible improper benefits to former USC football player Joe McKnight and basketball player Davon Jefferson.

McKnight could have received close to $30,000 worth of benefits from Scott Schenter and some people linked to Schenter. He has a business associate named Joe Galliani and the tax documents linked to Galliani have line items listed as payments to McKnight.

McKnight was allegedly given two cars- one registered to Schenter.

McKnight was held out of the Trojans' 2009 Emerald Bowl when allegations arose about a Land Rover registered to Schenter that McKnight was driving. He never played for USC ever again...

Here's Pablo Pereira
Los Angeles Local News, Weather, and Traffic

Prosecutors have been investigating whether Schenter, a former appraiser already charged with 60 felonies in the investigation involving LA County Assessor John Noguez, is the centerpiece to the new USC allegations.

Schenter allegedly was illegally lowering property values for tax purposes before Noguez's election in two pricey neighborhoods in order to try and get high-profile donors to hook up Noguez's campaign. Schenter is also linked by others to doing the same thing in the assessor's office for the last decade totalling $170-million in reorganization.

Schenter has pleaded not guilty...
Naturally...

More when we know more...

TWTW: More Upsets In Memphis, Houston, Pittsburgh, and Berkeley

((HT: WREG-TV Memphis)

40,000 fans were in attendance at the Liberty Bowl as Tennessee-Martin visited the Tigers from the Ohio Valley Conference...

And after a 2:40 rain delay, it wasn't good news for the home team- and they were the ones handing out the check... they lost to the Skyhawks 20-17...

Here's a story about the weather since, the game was secondary to the home team. The HQ is sure that Tigers fans would rather see the story below instead of highlights...


Texas State shocked the University of Houston 30-13 for the school's first win in the FBS. Cougs QB David Piland is not Case Keenum as he went 17 of 44 for 211... remember he went 2-6 as the starter when Keenum went down in 2010.

Congrats to Coach Dennis Franchione and everyone in San Marcos...

Youngstown State wasn't given much of a chance against Pitt and their new head coach Paul Chryst, except by Brother Marty The Penguin Grad naturally, but the Pens went into Heinz Field and won 31-17...

The fans, naturally, were out of their tree...
((HT: WKBN-TV Youngstown, MyValleySports.com))


And it was a day for ribbon cutting and celebrating the new stadium on campus, but Nevada had more ideas- including a score with 36 seconds left to beat the Bears in Berkeley...

Here's a look at the new barn...
((HT: KGO-TV))


Stefphon Jefferson ran for 145 yards in the 31-24 win for the Wolf Pack in Cal's first home game in 21 months...

TWTW: The Good And Bad In Savannah... Georgia Southern and Savannah State

((HT: TheCoastalSource))

First, Jacksonville University seems to have fallen off the map in the Pioneer Football League even with Kerwin Bell still around...

His trademark high-powered offense wasn't all that high-powered in a 58-0 loss to Georgia Southern...


And, there really needs to be a mercy rule or some kind of equivalent in college football... the HQ saw that the Vegas number (probably "offshore number" is more accurate) was 67 to 67.5 for Oklahoma State against D2 Savannah State.

The Cowboys cleared that number and the Tigers got a paycheck...
Or, at least, the HQ hopes they did...

Jenni Carlson talks about the new records set for points in a game and largest margin of victory...
((HT: Newsok.com))

TWTW: First-Timers Growing Pains At Misericordia

((HT: WHP-TV))

It's Misericordia's turn...

And go ahead and do all of the "misery" puns...

It was their first game ever against Gettysburg (who, in the HQ's opinion, has the creepiest nickname out there- the "Bullets...") and they lost 70-0 to the College...

Not the whole college, just the football team...