ESPN...FSU.....AND WRESTLING

[billybud]

ESPN is not dumb...they treat college football like wrestling...build a villain...build ratings.

Sporting News:

"Face it, America. Jameis Winston-led Florida State is the nation’s favorite television show right now.

The ratings alone prove that. Regular-season games with Winston the past two seasons averaged a 3.8 Nielsen rating and 6.2 million viewers heading into Saturday. That included the Clemson game this season in which some tuned in simply to watch a suspended-Winston on the sideline . Heading into Saturday, only six other games this season had at least 6.2 million watching, and half of those games involved Alabama."

[billybud]

And...FSU-Miami had 7.55 million viewers Saturday night.

#1 Mississippi State vs #5 Alabama drew a 6.6 overnight Nielsen household rating while FSU-Miami drew a 6.1....

[donovan]

I think the "villain" was self made...if in fact he is. ESPN capitalizes, for sure, because that is what we want to watch. There was a reason when he was suspended we saw more of him on the sideline than the QB on the field.

As a young kid, I saw Gorgeous George wrestle, in person. Doesn't get much better.












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[Spence]

Ohio State has been college football's main villain for the last 12 years. Doesn't matter if they are good, bad, or mediocre.

Winston has done lots of stuff to cast himself as a villain. Not that he is an isolated case. There are lots of cfb players doing the same things, he is just the guy they are focusing on. Reminds me of Terrelle Pryor. He made himself a story off the field starting with his recruitment and the press decided to shine a big light on him. Lots of people got hurt in the cross fire. I don't know how the police are in Tallahassee but in Columbus they consider getting a Buckeye player doing something wrong a badge of honor. The campus police don't do players any favors either. Not that Pryor didn't do everything they said. Probably lots more, but he was the only player doing things then and Winston isn't now. They really need to focus on the culture that the schools have created, instead of ruining the players. The players can't do what the schools don't let them do - well they can- but the schools can end it. They choose not to.

[billybud]

The kid has been a kid...

He has been accused of rape...but the many inconsistencies and ever changing accuser's story and other eye witnesses make it just as likely (or more) that it was consensual sex...

He hollered out a current internet meme that has been sweeping the college and young folks circuit...like 100's of others. big deal...he was suspended a game.

He shoplifted some crab legs....

And...he is the most hated college player in America because of a two year media onslaught.

Have we heard of the Alabama player (Tight End) who was caught with 5 pounds of marijuana and $5000 cash? An obvious dealer.

http://www.al.com/news/tuscaloosa/index ... aught.html

Or have we heard a squeak about Ole Miss's Robert Nkemdiche and his picture of him smoking a bong on the web?

His coach refused comment other to say that he would talk to him. Asked about drug testing, the coach said..."that is confidential"

Hear about it? I'll bet the answer is "NO".

But Winston's stolen crab legs was front page for a week on ESPN and picked up nationally.

It has been a purposeful media campaign and the public will not be satisfied until there is a kill.

[Spence]

Yeah, he is getting the Terrelle Pryor treatment. Pryor traded his signature for some tattoos. Sold some of his memorabilia and was kicked out of college football. Winston signed stuff too. Some, no doubt for money, because he is a kid and everyone is making money on his name except him. I'm not throwing him under the bus. I don't think they should break the rules, but I don't think that the penalty should be death. I also believe that the NCAA and the schools who are making a ton of money on these kids are hypocrites for penalizing a kid for doing what they are doing. As for the legal stuff with Winston - if they had something on him they should charge him or not keep bringing it up. The talking heads love to bring up stuff that is alleged to happen and act like it is fact. As for the signing stuff - well they all do it. None of them are clean.

Of course, I do not believe that being a kid gives you an excuse to shop lift. He was punished though, so end of story as far as I am concerned.

Before Pryor we had Clarett. The difference was Clarett thought that being a great player was enough. He broke the law, sold memorabilia, and then tried to throw everyone under the bus. These kids are products of a dirty system. Some go through learning how to play the game. Some feel more entitled and end up in trouble. I don't excuse their behavior, but I have a big problem with the schools acting like they are above it all when they are the ones who are abusing the system.

[billybud]

Huh?

No one has said that Winston has received any money for signing anything. Unlike Gurley, who the dealers confirmed he paid for signatures.

[Spence]

Huh?

No one has said that Winston has received any money for signing anything. Unlike Gurley, who the dealers confirmed he paid for signatures.

Doesn't matter, they all get money for signing. A kid that would shoplift crab legs wouldn't have a problem selling his signature. I hope they never find proof he did it. I wish they hadn't caught Gurley. But they did do it. You are not so naive to believe that these guys don't capitalize on things like this.

[billybud]

Oh Gawd Spence..

You should have been a Southern Baptist preacher.

"A man that will tell a lie, will steal from you. A man that will steal will kill."

I don't buy it.

[Spence]

Oh Gawd Spence..

You should have been a Southern Baptist preacher.

"A man that will tell a lie, will steal from you. A man that will steal will kill."

I don't buy it.

No, but if you character allows you to break the rules then that is established. Causing physical harm is very different. If this were a kid from any other team you would have already made the connection. Winston is an entitled athlete not unlike Pryor and many others. He has been coddled by everyone because of his abilities like Pryor and many others. I'm not blaming him. He is what people have made him. He lives in a world where people look the other way if he does something wrong.
I like to watch him play. I hope his personal life starts to mirror his football life and he gets it all together because he has a huge upside. Pryor went on to become productive. Clarett imploded and is still trying to fix his life. Hopefully he will make it as well, but looking the other way isn't doing g him any favors.

[donovan]

I want to be in charge of passing the plate.

[billybud]

Ah Spence...come on out with it!

I did not realize that it was James Spence Authenticating that came out with the spurious autographs...

ESPN has now followed up...sounds like Burkhalter forged a bunch of autographs...

https://espn.go.com/espn/otl/story/_/id ... y-concerns

[donovan]

I think that was General Burkhalter of Hogan Heroes fame.

[Spence]

I think that was General Burkhalter of Hogan Heroes fame.

And Billybud is playing the part of Sgt. Schultz.

I'm sure there are counterfeit items floating around. As with anyone who has a valuable signature. I'm also sure all items floating around aren't counterfeit. I am not James Spence by the way. Don't know him and doubt he is a Buckeye fan.

Here is a better article. I agree completely with the last paragraph in this article. But no where does this say that it isn't Winston's autograph. It just says they can't produce a witness. I would think if he was paid and they did produce a witness that no college athlete would sign for them again. Not throwing him under the bus like they did.

http://collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/11/18/questions-arise-over-jameis-winston-autograph-authentication/

[donovan]

I want to know what kind of crab it was. If it wasn't Dungeness, then why would it be worth stealing?