"Clip of the Day" series begins

Today marks, hopefully, the beginning of several new features on the blog. I plan and pray for these features to be consistent, foreseeable posts.

Don't get too excited - they're not too revolutionary yet. The first of the bunch is a "Clip of the Day," that will highlight an entertaining video in the realm of sports, entertainment or comedy. YouTube is my major asset in making this possible, obviously, but hope to pull from other sources as well.

Here's the first. PLEASE COMMENT. The more hits, the more people see the blog.

SVP Shows the World His Personal Side

Courtesy of the world's greatest sports blog, Deadspin, here is a little tip into the world of Scott Van Pelt. A little sad, I must say. But, at least we know his humor isn't part of the act and is really SVP.


Scott Van Pelt Addresses America's Future

So, you might be wondering: Who was the commencement speaker at the University of Wisconsin-Madison? (Trust us, you were wondering this.) Well, it was, of all people, our old pal Scott Van Pelt ... and we're not ashamed to say it was a pretty amusing speech.


Not only did he praise Madison -- which, we agree, is a wonderful city -- but he even referenced that famous voice mail message.

This hourglass will serve several purposes here. First of all, it's my reminder to be brief. I might have left a voice mail message for a young lady that made it's way on to the Internet. If you're familiar, you know it's proof that I do get a little long-winded. And as a side note to the fellas, when in doubt, maybe a text message is nice...I'm just saying.

The more important purpose of this is that it is symbolic. When I was where you now are, I gave no thought to the passage of time, no thought to the sand in my hourglass, so to speak. But as I stand here today, I am painfully aware of how much sand is in the bottom and how quickly it piles up there. And if you believe nothing else that I tell you today, believe me that a year will become five, will become 10 and you wake up one morning and you don't recognize the bald-headed guy looking back at you in the mirror. For the ladies that analogy doesn't work quite so well, unless you marry a bald-headed guy, and you'll probably find him quite charming, because really we have no other option.

Van Pelt continues to be our favorite "SportsCenter" anchor, and not just because he constantly references "Flight Of The Conchords." (Though that helps.) We might find it strange that a major American university would ask a "SportsCenter" anchor to address their graduates, but if they had to pick one, they picked the right one

Could this Slow FSU's Revival? Well... It Should

Florida State's football program is dying to reenergize and reclaim some notariety on the college footbal scene.

While the football hasn't gotten much better in the last year or two, there are some signs. Bobby Bowden has assembled Rivals.com's No. 4 recruiting class for 2008 graduates. Two five-star recruits and an absurd 13 four-star recruits highlight Bowden's 23-player class so far.

FSU cleared the air about who would succeed Bowden when they annointed the currently disputed, but overall impresive offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher to assume the job when Bowden moves on. Recruits probably feel more comfortable accepting an FSU offer if they know who will coach if the senior citizen passes away in office.





Having said those favorable things about FSU's future, consider this substantial blow not only to the team, but also the credibility of its academic advisors to athletes.

Report: 20 Seminoles may be bowl ineligible

Posted: December 18, 2007
Sporting News staff reports

Up to 20 Florida State players could be suspended from the Dec. 31 Music City Bowl against Kentucky and the first three games of 2008 because of their involvement in a cheating scandal, an unidentified source has told ESPN.com. Athletes in several other sports also were implicated in a cheating scandal that involved an Internet-based course, and the university is expected to make public the findings of an investigation this week. A tutor is said to have told investigators that he had been providing students with answers to test questions as well as typing papers for the students.