A lot of the early press has been favorable. The game outs you in control of Batman, as he fights off famous villains in the quest to take back control of Arkham Asylum, which has been overrun by The Joker.

I’ll be posting some promo videos on my youtube account. I will provide the link later.

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The latest involves the NCAA”s eligibility ruling on Oklahoma linebacker Mike Balogun. The long and short of the story is FSU overheard a story during the BCS talking about how Balogun, who is 25, played semi-pro football. FSU had a similar case that involved Corey Surrency and the school was doing everything it could to get the wide receiver an extra year of eligibility.

The NCAA ultimately denied the extra year, citing rules that prohibit playing for any type of semi-pro team after the age of 21. If you do you lose a year of eligibility in college for every season you played on that level.

FSU’s office of compliance called Oklahoma to discuss the situation. Eventually word trickled to the NCAA and Balogun has been ruled ineligible for this season.

Balogun filed a lawsuit against the NCAA and he said it was FSU’s fault for ratting him out. FSU said it didn’t and released the following statement:

In response to erroneous media reports, Florida State University athletics would like to clarify its conversation with Oklahoma University as it pertains to the eligibility of Sooners linebacker Mike Balogun.

Florida State’s compliance office did contact the Oklahoma University compliance office after learning that Balogun had played in a semi-pro football league while watching the Jan. 9, 2009 television broadcast of the Bowl Championship Series national championship game.

“The purpose of the inquiry to Oklahoma University was to gather information regarding a similar eligibility case involving former Florida State wide receiver Corey Surrency,” said Brian Battle, FSU Associate Athletic Director for Compliance. “Florida State’s compliance office did not contact the Big 12 or the NCAA.”

Surrency, who also played in a semi-pro football league beyond his 21st birthday, was denied a second year of eligibility by the NCAA following the school’s appeal on April 28, 2009.

“There was no ill intention on our part,” Battle said. “It was merely a fact-finding phone call, made only to the Oklahoma University compliance office. This is a very common practice amongst compliance offices with this type of complex situation.”

Oh and these teams play next season in Norman, Okla., and In Tallahassee in 2011. It should be interesting, not only for the fact it will be a god matchup but because of this bit of news. But I think this will blow over.

Post from: Organized Chaos

WrestleMania 25 is fast-approaching

WrestleMania 25 is less than a month away, and while the number of matches is quite low at this point the intrigue of several are worth the money.

I’m probably not the first to say this, but the Shawn Michaels-Undertaker match would be worth the price alone. This is going to be a great match, with both great workers who know how to tell a story in the ring.

Both of them also are healthy, which should lead to an epic encounter. Odds point to Undertaker continuing the streak, but WWE missed out on a perfect opportunity to have that in doubt.

Michaels defeated the previously unbeaten Vladimir Kozlov cleanly, one week after Undertaker lost to the Russian. This should have been the end of it, with Michaels holding his victory over Undertaker, telling the Dead Man that not only has he never beaten the Showstopper, but he didn’t beat Kozlov, either.

WWE ruined this by allowing Undertaker to beat Kozlov on Smackdown. Oh well, the buildup should still be good and it will be interesting to see if Michaels reverts to his heel form like he did for a brief time against Ric Flair last year.

Their promo on Raw this Monday was decent. Undertaker flubbed a line but he was effective. He’s best as an intimidating figure, however, but Michaels is not one to cower.

The Triple H-Randy Orton program is heading down slippery territory. Not only is WWE giving Orton “Intermittent Explosive Disorder,” but now Triple H is not above home invasion.

In a predictable move, Triple H wasn’t at Raw on Monday. Instead, he banged down Orton’s “front door” as Orton’s wife, who looked disinterested the whole night by the way, fakely screamed and watched. Orton being thrown throug a window was nice, but obviously not close to realistic as he probably wouldn’t have been able to get up.

Triple H in a police car at the end of the show was a nice touch. If this is how the program has started, one can only imagine where it’s going.

Final thought before the Wrankings. The word is Chris Jericho will be facing a big-name legend at WrestleMania 25. Flair has said it won’t be him and Hulk Hogan reportedly had recent back surgery. My guess? The Rock.

He looked to be in great shape on Saturday Night Live and this is the 25th Anniversary of the Grand Daddy of Them All. The Rock would dole out justice to Jericho and his name would be a huge draw.

Other rumors have it being Jerry Lawler, but there’s no way you’d have a feasible win by him unless all the legends that Jericho has humiliated getting involved. It needs to be The Rock, though I bet I’m in the minority on that.

Now to the latest Wrankings:

1. Triple H (WWE Champion): He is out of control. He wants revenge for Orton RKO’ing his wife, Stephanie McMahon. But I’m thinking he won’t get it, completely.

2. Randy Orton: He’s clearly the top heel and has proved he is the guy who can carry the torch into the next 10 years.

3. Edge (WWE World Champion): Edge is blurring the lines between heel and semi-face in his Triple Threat title match. His wife, who he wed to gain an advantage, is cheating on him with The Big Show. All this does is clear the way for John Cena to win.

4. John Cena: Speaking of Cena, he had a great promo on Raw. There was no doubt he’d be involved in a main event. The only question remains is will he go back to SmackDown in the 2009 WWE Draft?

5. Shawn Michaels: They scrapped the JBL storyline quickly (JBL is boring anyhow) and now Mr. WrestleMania will try and do what no one has: beat the Undertaker at Mania. It won’t happen, but ….

(tie) Undertaker: …. as I said in the last Wrankings, it would be good if WWE put Undertaker against someone with “a chance” to win. Michaels fits the bill.

7. Jack Swagger (ECW Champion): No one really cares about ECW and it’s just hanging around. But, perhaps this guy could be a start someday.

8. Sting (TNA Champion): Sting’s what? 60 now? Seriously. He should not be a world champion, but you have to give him his due. You know, no one cares about ECW and even less care about TNA, which has turned into a rehash of storylines from 1995.

9. CM Punk: How’s this for crazy booking? He wins the World Championship a few months back and defeats JBL cleanly in his first defense. Then on Raw, JBL beats Punk for the Intercontinental title. That not withstanding, Punk is still a better star than JBL.

10. Chris Jericho: I’m loving his in-your-face attitude with the legends. He’ll get his soon, but who will it be?

Falling out: Jeff Hardy (4 last time), Miz and Morrison (5 last time), JBL (7 last time), Glamorella (8 last time).

Closing in: JBL (WWE Intercontinental Champion), Christian, Miz and Morrison (WWE World Tag Team Champions), Kane, Rey Mysterio, Shelton Benjamin (WWE United States Champion), Vladimir Kozlov, Jeff Hardy, Matt Hardy.

Post from: Organized Chaos

On that occasion, Tebow turned his ire into beating the team. Hayes’ recent run-in with an angry person led to a visit to the hospital.

The Tampa Tribune reported Monday that Hayes was stabbed in the head and neck by his girlfriend. He received a superficial wound from a pair of scissors and when he wrestled them away he was stabbed in the neck with a knife. This occurred early Saturday morning.

In all seriousness, it’s good that Hayes was treated and released. Domestic disputes can get scary. His girlfriend, 19-year-old Shevelle Bagley, was charged with aggravated battery and assault.

Hayes, 21, is now a linebacker for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Post from: Organized Chaos

Similar challenges have been upheld, so FSU stands a good chance. If the appeal is not accepted then this could be good news for those FSU fans who want a fresh start. And believe me, I’ve heard many of them.

If Bowden is indeed up to 15 wins away from Joe Paterno for the all-time major college record then you can expect to see Jimbo Fisher as the head coach as early as 2010. Most believe the record is the only thing keeping Bowden around, though some of the reason is to get back to winning ways and put the program back on the right track.

On the whole, these penalties were a good message sent by the NCAA. Academic cheating should not be tolerated, and while it does go on everywhere, the fact is FSU was caught.

Many thought the NCAA would accept FSU’s recommendations since the school self-reported. The NCAA did not, which will make other institutions less likely to tattle on itself.
In the end this will be good if the problem goes away. If for some reason it doesn’t then there needs to be wholesale changes in the administration.

It’s amazing to me that most of these athletes remained in school despite the cheating. I knew in college that cheating was really bad and if you did it then you got booted. These student-athletes should send thank-you cards to FSU for not doing the same.

Post from: Organized Chaos

The report will be made public. Members of the the Committee on Infractions also will address the media to discuss the findings.

FSU self-reported its violations and gave recommendations for its punishment. The investigation has taken more than five months and the school and the public has been anxiously awaiting the news.

Check back later for more on this story.

Post from: Organized Chaos

Those were Bay’s Khyri Thornton and DeAndre Richardson, Arnold’s Chris Jackson and Marianna’s Bradley Battles. We also had several small-school signings. You can read all about those here.

I’m the first to admit that signings can be tedious work, if you allow them to be. Yes, the brunt of the stories is the same, but it’s always nice when you find a better story than just some kid who’s moving on to the next level.

Thornton provided some of this, as he was open about his lack of study skills. He said he liked to party at Bay and he skipped class a lot. He said getting Ds was good enough.

He soon realized it wasn’t good enough and he went to Hargrave Military Academy in Chatham, Va. This was the same place Mosley’s Enrique Davis went. There’s little doubt they came out changed men.

Thornton said the semester lasts four months and you aren’t allowed contact with your family for three months. It’s like extended boot camp. You are there to study, work out and be disciplined.

Thornton said he’s a better man for it. Now if only he had enough sense to show up with a jacket. It was funny to see a 300-pound man shiver through the first part of his signing.

Now to some thoughts on FSU’s class.

The late addition of Greg Reid, coupled with some additional signings on Wednesday helped make this class pretty good. A lot of these guys will play next season. It will be interesting to see how they pan out.

This is probably one of the most well-rounded classes for FSU that I have seen in my six years with The News Herald. They filled needs, but also provided depth for offensive line, quarterback, running back and linebacker.

The Seminoles’ overall ranking differs depending on where you look. Last I checked FSU was sixth at Rivals.com and tied for 16th at Scout.com. FSU was ahead of Florida on Rivals and one spot behind the Gators on Scout.

Put what you want into that, but it doesn’t mean the talent is that much different. Florida didn’t have as many holes to fill and the Gators don’t need many freshmen to step up early. The Gators are loaded, which isn’t the case with the Seminoles.

Post from: Organized Chaos

This is a great pick up for FSU and it fills an immediate need at corner if Reid can step in and play early. Top corner Tony Carter is gone and the Seminoles had been expected to sign four defensive backs, but all played safety in high school, including Willie Downs who might be able to slide to corner.

Reid was committed to Florida until a month ago. He thought he had rushed his decision and decided to open up his recruiting. Florida coach Urban Meyer wasn’t happy, as Reid told several publications that Meyer spoke to him in a “stern tone” to voice his displeasure.

Reid also considered Auburn and Miami. He took Florida off the table a few days ago.

Post from: Organized Chaos

The latest bad news revolves around the wide receiving corps … the same group that decided to stage an Ultimate Fighting contest in the student union in November. Preston Parker was kicked off the team on Monday after being arrested for driving under the influence on Saturday.

He had the munchies, you know, and was found passed out in a McDonald’s drive-thru lane. He was driving a Dodge Charger, according to reports, and I would be interested to know if it was his. I’d hope not, as the last time I saw a new Charger on a showroom floor it had a list price of around $52,000.

Parker, Bert Reed and Cameron Wade are three players who have been arrested since November. Parker also was arrested in 2008 and 2006. Another wide receiver, Corey Surrency, also had a scrape with the law of the felony variety. Surrency, by the way, is petitioning the NCAA for another year of eligiblity.

I’m sure the NCAA has its hands full with another matter concerning FSU, however. The organization is expected to rule soon on any extra sanctions for the school after the academic cheating scandal broke in 2007.

Dozens of athletes, many football players, were suspended for respective contests. The school also did an internal investigation and deemed that its steps were good enough.

Prior to last football season, FSU was hoping the NCAA would take a nicer look at the situation and agree to the sanctions they proposed. But recent events, including the on-campus brawl that involved several players and Parker’s latest ignorance, is probably not being looked upon too well by the NCAA.

There is likely to be a reduction in scholarships for football over the next two or three seasons. This may affect recruiting in the future but probably not next year’s class, which will be in the fold on Wednesday’s National Signing Day.

Rumors are floating that the entire 2007 season could be forfeited. That would mean little in terms of history or change any championships, as FSU was 7-6. What it would do is put Bowden even further behind Penn State’s Joe Paterno in the quest for the all-time wins mark.

Word from the NCAA is expected soon. Wouldn’t it be grand if it came on Wednesday to upstage FSU’s “happy day?” Heck, it wouldn’t matter anyhow. There’s little good going on in Tallahassee these days.

Your thoughts?

Update, Feb. 3, 4:21 p.m.: There is a common belief that the NCAA has already informed FSU about its decision. The theory is that FSU is figuring out when to release or perhaps they are negotiating with the NCAA as we speak.

NCAA guidelines call for a release of all findings and comments on a particular case to national and state wire services. So, we all will know for sure when that happens. It’s also part of the policy to have a “sinking in” period, where institutions are given a heads-up and time to prepare.

A key thing to see is if FSU does indeed sign its expected 17 other football prospects on Wednesday. If they sign fewer then perhaps the reduction in scholarships was more than anticipated. If it’s at 17, including the one who has already signed and is in school, or more then either there was no further reduction or FSU has not learned of its fate.

I’d lean toward there was no further reduction. Self-reporting is a good thing, and the NCAA seems to look kindly on that. However, the NCAA also has a habit of making an example. We’ll see.

Post from: Organized Chaos

This is bad news for Parker, who was suspended for the first two games of last season due to a gun and drug possession charge. From what I understand, he was undergoing regular drug tests and is apparently still engaging in the ganja.

He was placed on 12 months probation in May. This latest charge could carry as much as six months in jail. I’d also assume he could serve his probation time in jail if so desired by a judge, but I’m not certain.

If I had to guess, he’ll serve about six months. If he gets out of this it will be amazing.

By the way, FSU sports information said they would not be making a comment on Saturday.

Follow the jump to read my updated thoughts. You also can read my story here.

This is just another sad story of a guy who didn’t get it the first time. Perhaps he thinks he’s bullet proof. Or maybe he just made a mistake. I’m thinking he knew what he was doing and just didn’t care.

If it were me, and believe me it never would be as I’ve only drank three times in my life at legal age and have never done drugs. BUT, if it were me and I was drinking and smoking pot, I would have one of my sober buddies go to McDonald’s to get me my egg mcmuffins.

That way you can just lounge and you wouldn’t have to worry about falling asleep in your car. It’s a good thing he didn’t hurt anyone. He had his foot on the brake, but could have easily fallen asleep with it off the brake or worse with it on the accelerator.

Now he has a lot of thinking to do. There’s little doubt the next few days will be life-changing. Again, knowing FSU’s rules about misdemeanors, which DUI is, that there is little that can keep Parker on this team.

It would be a huge shock if he isn’t dismissed. But, FSU has proved to be tricky, especially when it comes to these matters.

The most important thing is for Parker to get clean and sober and figure out a way to make something of his life rather than throwing everything away.

Post from: Organized Chaos

Can Arizona do it again? Or Will Pittsburgh win a record sixth Super Bowl?

Super Bowl XLIII may not feature an unbeaten team, but the intrigue and the build up, with a loveable underdog, is just as interesting.

Granted, the point spread is around seven points in favor of Pittsburgh, but there are still many who are doubting Arizona.  Both teams seek historic endings.

This would be Arizona’s first world championship. The importance of this can’t be underscored. This is the first time this franchise has done something meaningful in more than 40 years.

Then you have the Steelers, who are seeking a record sixth title. They are currently tied with San Francisco and Dallas with five apiece. A sixth title is akin to Yankee dominance in baseball.

You have the journeyman Kurt Warner, who has turned around not one but TWO franchises. He is 1-1 in the Super Bowl.

His counterpart, Ben Roethlisberger, has one title under his belt. But, it was obvious, and by his own admission that he wasn’t the reason the Steelers beat the Seahawks.

The key was Willie Parker, who had a coming out party. He’s healthy again, which could be bad news for the Cardinals.

Arizona has its own star in Larry Fitzgerald, who has supplanted himself in these playoffs as one of the top wide receivers in the game. He will need to come up big for Arizona to stay close.

But me saying that is a lot like what people have said about Arizona all along. They said the Cardinals couldn’t beat Atlanta. Then when they did, no one gave them a chance against Carolina.

After that blowout win, there was no way Philly would lose, especially after beating Arizona on Thanksgiving. But, of course, we know differently.

I’d love Arizona to win. It can win.

But Pittsburgh’s defense will be the key. That, and Parker will be able to have a good game.

It all boils down to a 24-14 Steelers win.

By the way, I would have Musa pick the game but he was way off his game when we stopped during college football. He went as far as to pick a Citadel upset over Florida. I knew then he was grasping at straws. Perhaps time away will help himthink clearly, so I might put his prediction up.

Update, Jan. 31, 8:30 p.m.: Well, Musa wouldn’t come to a decision. I asked several times and he wavered. I’m guessing he picked a tie, but we all know that’s not possible.

What say you?

Post from: Organized Chaos

Through all of her trials she maintained a positive outlook. She battled the disease since 1987. It had spread to her liver and bone and you know it wasn’t pleasant.

It’s times like these that I think about my mother, Carol, who died while I was in college. The belief was she died of diabetic complications, as my mother was never one to want to seek medical care. She was found in the hallway by my sister at our childhood home.

Her apparent distaste for medical care was due to her earlier battle with breast cancer. Not many people know my mother also had this disease, which has a way of touching more people than you know.

She underwent a mastectomy, which is the removal of one of her breasts for those who are unaware of the term. I was younger, but it didn’t matter to me, just so long as she was OK.

My memories are cloudy, but I believe she survived 10 years after her ordeal. She very well could have had another bout of cancer for all we know, as to my knowledge there was no autopsy to show why she died, nor was there a reason to find out.

I recently saw on a television show where someone asked a doctor if a woman without a uterus or breasts was still a woman. The answer was yes.

My mother wasn’t any less a good woman because she had only one breast. In fact, she was a stronger woman for going through what she did.

As was Kay Yow, who was an inspiration to many in the face of a daunting disease. She finally gave in to the disease, but her reach and impact will be felt long after these days.

Just like my mother, who comes back to me at times like these. And thought I didn’t say it enough. I love you, Mom.

And I urge people to not be like my mother in the sense of not seeking care. You should do routine checkups so you can be prepared if this happens to you. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.

Here are a few resources for those wishing to gather information about breast cancer:

breastcancer.org

National Breast Cancer Foundation

American Cancer Society

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