Johnny Manziel taking only online classes at Texas A&M
Tivy Fight Never Dies
Johnny Manziel has become the big man off campus. The Texas A&M quarterback and Heisman winner said Monday night at the Davey O’Brien Award reception that all of his classes for this semester are online.
Manziel also told reporters at the reception that he’s only on campus once every month.
Manziel is well within his rights to tackle his course load online. He even tried to take an English course on campus this semester but had to drop it when his peers requests for photos and autographs became too much.
“I didn’t think anything of it, and it kind of turned into a little more of a big deal than I thought,” Manziel said, according to the Associated Press.
Manziel’s various outings since winning the Heisman sitting courtside at NBA games, attending the Super Bowl, being in Austin for Wale concert and being photographed at Mardi Gras have been well documented, and being under a microscope has taken a toll on him.
“I know plenty of friends who went down to Mardi Gras to New Orleans and other guys who went to the Super Bowl too,” Manziel said. “I was down there with other college football guys too, so I don’t know, people like to give me a hard time more than others. There’s college kids doing what I’m doing all around the country. People just think I’m going wild with it, when it’s not like that.”
Mike Stoops thinks Johnny Manziel should keep out of jail & off Twitter if he wants to win another Heisman
Tivy Fight Never Dies
A week after Johnny Manziel and Texas A&M embarrassed Oklahoma in the Cotton Bowl, Sooners defensive coordinator had some backhanded compliments for the Heisman Trophy winning quarterback. Mike Stoops said to the Tulsa World that
“If they can keep (Manziel) out of jail or keep him eligible, he’s gonna be pretty good. If they can keep him off the Twitter, he might have 3-4 Heismans. He’ll have that type of ability.”
Stoops might have thought he was being funny, but Manziel just got done lighting up his defense for 516 total yards and four touchdowns.
Tim Tebow’s High School Jersey Retired
Tebowing
Tim Tebow’s No. 5 jersey he wore at Nease High School was officially retired during a pregame ceremony, Friday. Tebow played for three years at Nease, before going on to win the Heisman Trophy and two national championships at the University of Florida. Tebow was not in attendance, but was represented by his parents before Nease’s home game against Menedez.
Tebow won a Class 4A state championship at Nease in 2005 — the first in the school’s history. He led the team with 237 passing yards and four touchdowns and ran for 153 yads and another two touchdowns to defeat the two-time defending state champs Seffner Armwood 44-37.
Tebow sent a short video message to the fans that was played before Nease’s game saying, ”I will never forget my time at Nease, especially our state championship,” according to the Augustine Report.
Nease went on to win the game 43-13, thanks to senior running back Ulysses Bryant’s 267-yard, three touchdown performance.
Radio Host Punished Over Offensive Tweet To Desmond Howard
Strike A Pose
Scott Torgerson, a sports radio host in Columbus, Ohio, was suspended for an offensive tweet about ESPN personality and former Heisman Trophy winner Desmond Howard.
The co-host of “The Common Man & The Torg” on 97.1 The Fan (an ESPN affiliate) took to Twitter to unleash his negative feelings toward the former Michigan star.
“I wish Desmond Howard would get fired or die so I can watch Gameday again,” he wrote.
Torgerson has since been suspended.
Police Arrest 3 In Assault On Montee Ball
Knock Down But Still Standing
Three suspects accused of assaulting Wisconsin running back Montee Ball were arrested Tuesday, nearly a month after the Heisman Trophy finalist suffered a concussion during an early-morning attack near campus.
Three 21-year-old men from Madison are facing battery charges but haven’t been formally charged, according to a police report. Authorities have said Ball sustained a concussion when he was attacked by several men in Madison on Aug. 1.
Police have said the attack may have been related to an altercation at a house party that Ball attended a few days earlier, though detectives say they have no evidence suggesting Ball was involved in that fight. The altercation is still being investigated, according to the police report.
Ball, a Heisman finalist last season as a junior, has denied any involvement in the fight and says he hopes to be ready for the season opener.
According to police, Ball was walking down a street around 2:15 a.m. on Aug. 1 when two friends walking ahead of him turned around and saw him on the ground, surrounded by several men who were kicking him in the head and chest. The attackers fled when one of his friends and a man across the street moved to help him.
Reggie Bush Says He’s Returned Heisman
Coming Home
Nearly two years after the award was vacated, former Southern California running back Reggie Bush acknowledged that he has returned his trophy to the Heisman Trust.
Bush, now with the Miami Dolphins, made the statement in an appearance on The Dan Patrick Show. Despite numerous previous questions on the subject, this was the first time Bush provided a definitive answer.
The Heisman Trust had vacated Bush’s award in September 2010, a few months after the NCAA had taken action against USC for rules violations that included impermissible benefits given to Bush.
The NCAA sanctions included having USC disassociate itself from Bush. The school said it had returned its copy of the trophy in August 2010 and back on July 19 2011, we posted the report that the Bush family had taken it back from a San Diego museum.
LSU Confirms Tyrann Mathieu Permanently Ineligible & Will Never Return To Team
Jacksonville State Is Waiting
Tyrann Mathieu cannot return to the LSU football team at any time, LSU senior associate athletics director for NCAA compliance Bo Bahnsen reiterated. He’s permanently ineligible to play football at LSU,” Bahnsen said. “That’s definite. That’s what was said Friday.”LSU football coach Les Miles said that Friday when he announced the dismissal of Mathieu, a junior from New Orleans who was a Heisman Trophy finalist last season.
A source with knowledge about the situation has said the dismissal was for repeated positive drug tests revealing marijuana over the last year. Miles and other LSU officials cannot say the exact reason Mathieu was kicked off the team because of student-athlete privacy laws.
Asked Friday if the expulsion from the team was permanent, Miles said, “Yeah, he will not be back. Things are spelled out that we can do. I can only tell you that we extended ourselves personally and professionally. We’ve extended this to the full length of the policy.”
LSU’s substance abuse policy contains the words Bahnsen used, “permanently ineligible,” on page nine under “third violation” of a drug test. It says, “If institutional drug testing reveals the existence of drugs at any time, permanent ineligibility to participate at LSU will result.”
Bahnsen also said that Mathieu was not kicked out of school and he could still attend class there and graduate but he would have to pay his own way and that’s all.
Former Baylor Basketball Player Arrested For Extorting Robert Griffin III
No Relation To Sam
Richard Khamir Hurd, a former Baylor basketball player is facing federal extortion charges for allegedly threatening to release “derogatory information” about Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III. Hurd’s bond was set at $25,000 after his first appearance Monday in federal court in Waco, Texas.
A person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press that Griffin was the target of the alleged extortion attempt. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because authorities had not disclosed the detail.
Court documents say Hurd contacted a representative from a St. Louis agency, threatening to publicize derogatory information about one of his clients unless he was paid a “substantial sum” of money. The representative is identified by the initials B.D.
Robert Griffin III Is Trademarking RG3
Go Catch Your Dream
Washington Redskins new quarterback and number two overall draft pick Robert Griffin III has decided to protect his name and is taking legal measures to ensure no one improperly benefits from his fame or success.
With the help of an attorney, Griffin created his own company, Thr3escompany, LLC and submitted the paperwork to trademark four of his aliases RGIII, RG3, Robert Griffin III, and Unbelievable Believable.
This is so his name or nickname cannot be printed on “shirts, sweatshirts, jackets, pants, shorts, footwear, hats, caps, athletic uniforms” without his consent.
The phrase, “Unbelievably Believable,” is a reference to his Heisman Trophy acceptance speech, where he said the following:
“This is unbelievably believable. It’s unbelievable because in the moment we’re all amazed when great things happen. But it’s believable because great things don’t happen without hard work.”
Griffin’s people were well aware of what was happening in Washington, re: RGIII merchandise and specials. And Twitter confirms.
“All of my RGIII shirts were pulled by Skreened a few weeks ago. They said someone made a copywrite claim, but wouldn’t say who,” one person wrote.
“Ours got pulled the day he trademarked them his agents sent a nice letter lol,” someone else wrote.
WTF: Washington Redskins Fan
Touchdown
The Washington Redskins appear to have a new team logo. Gone is the Native American logo and replaced is number two overall NFL Draft pick and Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III.
Girl Uses Tim Tebow Cut Out As Prom Date
BALLS
A high school senior in Sioux City, Iowa had yet to secure a prom date. So of course, she tweeted Tim Tebow to see if he was available to accompany her. When Tebow never responded, she was left with only two options. Go alone or create a cardboard cut-out of Tim Tebow and use that as her date.
She chose the latter and the photo to the left is the result of her choice.
Rachel Bird, a senior at Kingsley-Pierson High School, did not. Rather than panic, Bird tweeted a request to her hero, Tim Tebow, the Heisman Trophy winner who plays quarterback for the New York Jets.
“I asked if he had plans on April 28 because I didn’t have a date to prom,” said Bird, daughter of Bob and Carol Bird of Kingsley.
Weeks passed. This Bird’s tweet got no response from Tebow, his agent or the Jets.
Undaunted — or maybe a little daunted — Bird found a picture of Tebow showing him in a sharp vest and tie. She took the photo to Staples in Sioux City and asked the pros there if they could make a life-sized vinyl reproduction of the photo.
“I knew you could get industrial prints pretty cheaply at Staples, but a color picture like this was going to cost $80,” Bird said. “I couldn’t spend $80 for a joke.”
As Bird departed, a Staples employee mentioned a sale on such reproductions would take place the last week of April. Bird could get her Tebow color print for $19.95 at that time.
She got the discounted picture at Staples. She and her mother then found a giant piece of cardboard in the trash bin behind Clarks Hardware in Kingsley. Rachel glued the picture to the cardboard as Bob fashioned back supports of wood and a wooden handle.
Everyone laughed when Rachel Bird showed up at friend DeAndra Mahrt’s home for pre-prom pictures. Her classmates had to include Tebow in group photos.
Classmates convinced Bird to enter the gym as a “couple” at the grand march. She decided to do it. Announcer Scott Bahrke introduced her last. “Rachel Bird,” Bahrke said. “Escorted by Tim Tebow.”
Bo Jackson Bikes To Raise Money For Alabama Tornado Relief
Bo Knows
Pedaling past tornado-tossed homes and broken trees, Heisman Trophy winner Bo Jackson and about 100 bicyclists started a five-day, 300-mile bike trek across north Alabama on Tuesday to raise money for storm relief in the state.
The ride – dubbed “Bo Bikes Bama” – will pass through some of the communities hit hardest by more than 60 twisters that destroyed thousands of homes and businesses and killed about 250 people last April 27. It coincides with a week of observances of the anniversary of the devastating onslaught.
The ride will include several celebrities, including former Major League Baseball player Ken Griffey Jr, seven-time Tour De France winner Lance Armstrong, and downhill skier Picabo Street.
“They say there’s a couple of areas we’re gonna pass through that look somebody took a weed whacker and just took out a hundred yards or so,” said Griffey, who has never seen tornado destruction up close.
A crowd of about 200 people cheered “Go Bo, Go,” as the ride began in tiny Henagar, located in northeast Alabama’s DeKalb County, where more than 30 people were killed. Before going to the starting line, Jackson met privately with 11-year-old Bryce Ferguson, whose parents and little sister Emma were among the dead.
“Everybody asks me why I decided to do this ride. It’s because of people like Bryce,” Jackson said. “He lost everything, but he is standing tall. He is going on with his life, and he’s got people in his life that care about him and are loving him.”
Jackson rode a specially made bike painted orange and blue, the colors of his alma mater, Auburn University. It also bears the name of every person who died in the twisters.
The storms left a path of destruction that, all put together, stretched 1,000 miles long and 20 miles wide. The ride ends Saturday in Tuscaloosa, where more than 50 deaths were blamed on a tornado.
Riders got a glimpse of the way twisters hop-scotched across the state a year ago, passing from unaffected neighborhoods into zones that looked like logging crews had cut down every tree and left bare, scarred dirt.
Jackson, who grew up near Birmingham in Bessemer but now lives in Illinois, said he hopes to raise $1 million for the governor’s relief fund and increase awareness about the continuing problems caused by the twisters. Gov. Robert Bentley said the state still has some $140 million in unmet needs.
Organizers will auction off five different bicycles Jackson plans to ride during the event, and individuals can ride along for a donation of $200.
Robert Griffin III Sculpture Made Out Of Subway Sandwiches
Aint Lenny's Sub It Aint Being Eaten
What we have here is Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III made up of 30 pounds of Subway’s new smokehouse barbeque chicken.
This is in honor of RG3’s endorsement with Subway.
Tim Couch Gets Special Edition Makers Mark
I Want One
The Kentucky Bourbon company Maker’s Mark will produce 20,000 numbered, limited edition bottles with former quarterback Tim Couch on the front, who was an All-American, Heisman Trophy finalist and the No. 1 draft pick of the Cleveland Browns after he left Kentucky in 1999.
Couch received the greatest honor anyone in Kentucky could receive his likeness on a bottle of Maker’s Mark. The bottle is a commemorative limited release that will feature Couch, a native of Hyden, Ky., who was a highly-touted recruit coming out of high school but decided to stay home and play for the Wildcats, in his Kentucky playing days. The proceeds from sales of the 20,000 limited edition bottles will go to the Gill Heart Institute at University of Kentucky HealthCare.
“The most important thing about this bottle is that the proceeds from it will go to help my fellow Kentuckians fight and win the battle of heart disease especially in Eastern Kentucky,” Couch said in a statement. “Winning this is very near and dear to my heart and more important than any football game. My father passed away from heart disease, and everyone has a family member that this terrible disease has affected.”
The bottles will hit shelves in Kentucky on April 6 and will cost about $49.
Create-a-Caption: Robert Griffin III Elmo Socks
C-a-C
It’s a new year and we are going to try a few new things going forward like the Create-a-Caption post. Depending on the response in the future we may have give aways for the best captions. So for our first edition of c-a-c we present Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Robert Griffin III in Elmo socks.
Hit us with your best shot
Robert Griffin III Presents Top 10 List On Letterman
Robert Griffin III stopped by David Letterman after winning the 2011 Heisman Trophy this weekend where he presented a Heisman-related Top 10 list.
Denard Robinson’s Twitter Account Hacked By Ex-Girlfriend
Being The Man Has Downfalls
The Twitter account of Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson was hacked Thursday by an ex-girlfriend. @DenardX was created September 12 and had more than 27,000 followers. Even though the account was not verified, current Michigan players and reporters covering the team followed the account. The account was suspended after noon on Thursday. Among the postings that pointed toward the quarterback’s account being hacked:
“Hi. Yes, I hacked you lol. You are the most disgraceful person I have ever met in my entire life! You cheated on me our entire relationship!”
“Tell me, Denard’s followers, how do you hurt someone who wanted nothing but the best for you and sacrificed pretty much everything?”
Robinson, a Heisman Trophy candidate, is fourth in the nation in rushing with 139.3 yards per game.
Joey Harrington Hit By Car
Bust
Former Oregon Ducks and NFL quarterback Joey Harrington was injured when he was hit by a SUV while he was riding his bike in Portland. Harrington is hospitalized with a broken collar bone, a punctured lung and a cut on his head. He is expected to remain in the hospital until today. Portland police say the 33-year-old Harrington was hit from behind by a passing SUV driven by a 26-year-old man who remained at the scene and cooperated with investigators. The man was cited for following too close.
“The impact put him up on the top of the car,” John Harrington said. “Joey ended up upside down and came down on his head and shoulder and then skidded off to the side.”
Harrington led the Ducks to victory in the Fiesta Bowl his senior season and was a Heisman Trophy finalist. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions and played for three other teams over eight seasons in the NFL.
Rashaan Salaam Selling His Heisman Ring
Addicted To Weed
Former Colorado Buffaloes running back and Heisman Trophy winner Rashaan Salaam is giving you the opportunity to own a one of kind item. Salaam has decided to auction off his 1994 Heisman Ring, a ring in which only 75 prestigious college football rings exist.
Salaam’s size 11.5 ring is gold with more than 20 diamonds totaling 1.5 carats and has a missing diamond on the upper left corner of the ring face. It’s estimated to see somewhere between $15,000 and $25,000 but as of yesterday only has a bid of just $1,000.
As a junior, Salaam led the nation in rushing at a 186.8 yards per game and joined previous Heisman Trophy winners Marcus Allen, Mike Rozier and Barry Sanders as the only Division I players to gain more than 2,000 rushing yards in a season.
Salaam capped off an 11-1 season for the Buffaloes by scoring three touchdowns in a 41-24 win over Notre Dame at the 1995 Fiesta Bowl to finish their season number three in the country. The unanimous All-America pick was was selected by the Chicago Bears 21st overall of the 1995 NFL Draft.
Reggie Bush’s Family Takes Back Heisman Trophy
You Can't Handle It
Reggie Bush’s family has taken back a copy of his 2005 Heisman Trophy from a San Diego sports museum. The San Diego Hall of Champions said it returned the trophy to the family on Friday. The museum received the trophy from the family in March but never displayed it.
Bush relinquished his title as Heisman winner last year after an NCAA probe concluded that he and his family accepted improper benefits from would-be sports agents while Bush was still playing for USC. The Heisman Trust, which was considering stripping Bush of the award, decided to vacate the title for that season.
Tennis Player Wins SEC Athlete Of The Year
Congratulations
Auburn University quarterback Cam Newton was the runaway winner for the Heisman Trophy after winning both the SEC and BCS championships and was even selected first overall in the NFL Draft. However when it came to the SEC male athlete of the year Newton was trumped by University of Tennessee Volunteers tennis player John-Patrick Smith.
The conference’s athletic directors made Smith, a four-time tennis All-American at Tennessee, their choice for the award. Smith is the first University of Tennessee winner since Peyton Manning in 1998. Alabama gymnast Kayla Hoffman was the SEC female athlete of the year.
Smith finished his season ranked 10th in the country. He was only the second player to be named All-American in singles and doubles every year of his career. Southern Cal’s Rick Leach did it from 1984-1987.
Could this be an obvious message from SEC voters that they know that Auburn cheated their way to success or could it just be a special occiasion where they are recognizing a career long achievement rather than just one year?
Adrian Peterson Skips His Own Youth Camp
All Day?
This is the part of the off season where many prominent NFL players get involved with their own youth camps. Unfortunately, for those boys and girls ages 7-14 that had spent $199 hoping to spend “All Day” with Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson are out of luck.
The Old Spice Adrian Peterson Football camp, to be held on the University of Oklahoma intramural fields today and Friday, will be without Peterson. He instead will be filming a feature for NFL Network for a series titled Top 100 players which will cause him to be unable to attend.
The youngsters will instead get instruction from some of Oklahoma’s Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Jason White, St. Louis Rams free agent wide receiver Mark Clayton and Dallas Cowboys rookie running back DeMarco Murray.
Tim Tebow At The Golf Driving Range
Popeye Arms
Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow was getting ready to participate in the St. Jude Classic golf tournament in Memphis, Tennessee but decided to take in a few practice swings at the driving range before hitting the the links. That’s where Tebow’s business partner snapped this photo of the former Heisman Trophy winners arms morphing in the Incredible Hulk.
Angel Gonzalez of XV Enterprises, his business partner, said the picture is “100% real, no photoshop,” when he put it out on Twitter. Now was there really any doubt as to if Tebow was in the gym working out during the NFL lockout?
Desmond Howard Says Don’t Let The Door Hit You On The Way Out Denard Robinson
Strike A Pose
Former Michigan Heisman Trophy winner and current college football analyst Desmond Howard was the keynote speaker at this week’s Black Coaches and Administrators convention. Howard spoke about a troubling sense of entitlement in today’s athletes that wasn’t as prominent when he was in college.
“I was told by a giant, Bo Schembechler, that no one man is bigger than the program. Not even (Schembechler). He was larger than life. For me to sit there and this guy tells me nobody’s bigger than Michigan, that’s all he had to say.”
He said if Bobby Bowden can be forced out as coach at Florida State, why should any player feel irreplaceable?
“I’ll give you a perfect example: Michigan fires coach Rich Rodriguez,” said Howard, who starred at Michigan from 1989-91. “All the noise in Ann Arbor is, ‘Is Denard Robinson going to stay or leave?’ I’m like, ‘Hey, if the kid wants to go, don’t let the door hit you on the way out. You looked fantastic for five games against nobody. That’s what you did.’ I’m not going to deny his talents, but, ‘You ain’t won nothing in Ann Arbor, son! Not so much we need to worry about if you’re going to be here next year or not. ”
