Jackson State Suing Over Grambling Flap, Probably...

((HT: ESPN/WAPT-TV))

As if Grambling didn't have enough problems this season- most of them seemingly created by their own hand...

But, now, it appears that Jackson State University is suing Grambling over the no-show for their homecoming game...

The JSU family was damaged. Our Homecoming game draws tens of thousands of fans. The university intends to use litigation to be made whole for our direct and indirect financial losses,” Eric Stringfellow, Jackson State's director of university communications, wrote in a message on the JSU website.

“We have a fiduciary responsibility to Mississippi taxpayers and the JSU community to mitigate our ongoing and substantial losses. Jackson State plans to pursue litigation against Grambling State and others.”

Stringfellow also maintained that Grambling told them, as late as Friday afternoon, that they were still coming.

Here's Andrew Kinsey discussing with Toni Collins...


Stringfellow maintains that the financial losses for the university and the city could be in the millions of dollars, but Grambling spokesperson Will Sutton told Ros Dumlao Gannett of the Shreveport Times that he hoped any kind of legal stuff could be avoided:

“It’s one thing to say litigation, it’s another thing to file. So if there is further action, we’ll look for the filing of the suit. And we’ll proceed from there,” Sutton said. “But we certainly meant no harm to our neighbor to the east, and we did everything we could to get everybody there (Jackson) and be an important part of their weekend celebration.”

This will be interesting to see of this makes it to the courts, and if it does, what kind of financial recourse Jackson State (and, maybe, even the city of Jackson) has in this case. It could set up some kind of precedent for bailouts like this in the future. But the Grambling case is so extreme, that it may have to be held on its own pedestal...

OSG Prem: Holloway Gone From Crystal Palace

We have the second casualty of the Premier League season...

Crystal Palace co-chairman Steve Parish has a press conference set for later this afternoon and it is looks like Ian Holloway is out at Palace...

You could see the writing on the wall after the 4-1 blowout by Fulham Monday night...

Holloway had a meeting with Parish and more talks were held yesterday. The only team keeping them from being at the bottom of the table is Sunderland after Palace have only won once in nine matches.

Parish, when announcing the Holloway presser already seems resigned to a return to the Championship:

"We've tried to get a squad that can keep us in this division, but also be a very strong squad in the Championship should the worst happen.

"When you go down it's about what state you're in. You have to plan for both eventualities and we'll do our best to stay up. It might be about whether there are three worse teams."

Here's the highlights from the Fulham loss...
((HT: NBC Sports/BPL))


Neil Warnock, Tony Pulis, and Roberto di Matteo are the front three with the bookmakers to succeed Holloway...

Here's the last presser Holloway had with the club...
((HT: SkySports))

Orlando Approves New Soccer Stadium, MLS Around The Corner...

((HT: Orlando Sentinel))

It's almost official...

With the city approval of constructing a new soccer-only facility last night, the Orlando Lions will become a part of the new wave of expansion into Major League Soccer...

Here's the announcement after the 5-2 vote...


But Mike Bianchi's column caught up with an economist (and county commissioner) in Fred Brummer that calls the numbers for economic impact and bunch of bunk...

"The technical term for their (Orlando City's) economic study is 'twaddle.'" said Brummer on our Open Mike radio show Wednesday morning. "It reminds me of the old joke about CPAs and it goes like this: A client calls a CPA and says, 'You're a math expert, how much is 2 plus 2?' And the CPA says to the client, 'What did you have in mind?'

"The fact is when someone is paying for the economic study, you get the economic study numbers that you want," added Brummer one of the two dissenting votes in the County Commission's 5-2 tally Tuesday to approve the soccer stadium. "... If you hire me, I assure you I can come up with the numbers you want for your economic report, but in unfunded academic (studies), the results are that these stadiums do not increase economic development or per capita income."

MLS has all but guaranteed that Orlando would be a part of the league's growth if the stadium was built. They would be a part of the new Miami, Orlando, (insert third team here) gambit for the new round of expansion dollars to infuse the league with more capital and average play...

The HQ is looking forward to seeing another boondoggle in action...
Here's the report from MyFoxOrlando on $84-million to the building...
FOX 35 News Orlando

"Chicago" Says He And Hernandez Are "Clean..."

((HT: MyFoxBoston))

John Alcorn is known as "Chicago" in Bristol, Connecticut circles...

He is also known for being in Aaron Hernandez's circle and has been linked to activities in and around the murder of Odin Lloyd and the late night drive-by shooting in June of 2012 that killed two others...

He was called in front of the grand jury trying to determine his possible ties to a .38 caliber handgun found in the back of a car that belonged to Jailene Diaz-Ramos. Diaz-Ramos was involved in a traffic accident and police found a gun and three loose rounds. A .38 has been tied to the double murder and Diaz-Ramos tied the gun to "Chicago."

After ballistics tests, the .38 was tied to the murders of Safiro Furtado and Daniel Abreu...
Here's the interview and what Alcorn was allowed to say...
Boston News, Weather, Sports | FOX 25 | MyFoxBoston

Take the above for what you want in the current context of the investigation...

Champions League: A Few Surprises...

Chelsea had no problems getting to the top of their group with a 3-0 win over Schalke this afternoon...

Fernando Torres put two in the net to back up Mourinho's choice to have him up front...

Celtic held off Ajax at home. Messi came up with the equalizer in the 1-1 draw with AC Milan while Zenit, Atletico, and Napoli had no issues...

But the biggest surprise spoiled the birthday surprise of Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger. Robert Lewandowski put home the game-winner for Borussia Dortmund in their 2-1 win. Wenger admitted postgame that his team may have been too aggressive in their approach and it didn't pay off...

Here's your look at what happened...
((HT: Sportsnet))

OSG High: Bullying Charge After Blowout Win

((HT: NBCDFW))

A football team wins 91-0 and a parent files a bullying charge from the losing squad...

Make sense to you...???
Thought so...

Here's what's going on in the Metroplex...


The Texas Education Agency defines bullying as:

"Bullying occurs when a person is exposed, repeatedly and over time, to negative actions on the part of one or more other persons, and he or she has difficulty defending himself or herself. Bullying is aggressive behavior that involves unwanted, negative actions. Bullying involves a pattern of behavior repeated over time. Bullying involves an imbalance of power or strength."

So, faithful reader, is this bullying or is this a soft parent...???

What say you...???

U of Miami: No Major Penalties for NCAA Violations

Further proof that either the NCAA has no teeth, is hypocritical or clueless depending on your interpretation.

The University of Miami, long rumored to be in serious trouble due to former booster Nevin Shapiro, found out Tuesday morning what their penalty would be.

And thanks to some self-imposed restrictions, it wasn't too serious. No bowl ban for the football team, 3-years probation and 3 scholarship losses over each of the next 3-years. Several football assistants will serve "Show-Cause" penalties.

In addition; the basketball team will lose 3 scholarships and former head coach and current Missouri Coach Frank Haith will be suspended for 5 games.

The Hurricanes have imposed a bowl ban on their own the past 2 seasons and fully cooperated with the NCAA during the investigation. That according to reports, was a big factor in the relatively light sentence.

You can read more specifics from ESPN.com RIGHT HERE

The Hurricanes problems came to light in 2011 when Yahoo Sports did a detailed investigation and interview with Shapiro, convicted in his past of running a Ponzi scheme, and Shapiro spoke about lavish parties with players, handing money to them, wining and dining them over an 8-year period of time.

For their part, the school will pay a minor price and all parties will finally after 3-years of investigating, move on.

Reaction from WPLG-TV in Miami: