Who's next?

This afternoon the BCS decided to strip USC of it's 2004 championship. The BCS also plans to use one of those Men In Black flashy thingies to erase our minds of the beating USC put on Oklahoma that night, otherwise we'll never forget it. I know the 2010 season is going to be "taken away" from Ohio State. And if that's the big punishment they want to inflict, sign me up! I'm of the mindset that removing wins from a program or team is not punishment. So they have to take down banners and can't sell t-shirts anymore... whoopie! It doesn't change what happened on the field. The memory is what matters. USC fans who were in the Orange Bowl that night, or watching in bars or homes across the country, nothing is going to take away the memory they have of whipping Oklahoma and holding up the crystal ball. Good for them.

Oregon

On my twitter page (@ScriptOhio) last week, I let fly something I had been told accidentally in private. I begged the person who slipped to let me tell my followers what I had heard, and provided I don't reveal him, he reluctantly agreed. Here's what I know and ALL I know:

- A friend (maybe acquaintance is a better word) has some friends in some very high places. Some people he has been friends with for over thirty years. When he visits these friends, and they discuss things they are hearing may happen, these things happen 99 out of 100 times. If I told you the source of the Oregon comment, you'd would not question it. If it hadn't came from this person, I would have never said it.

- Some may be asking "But Script, what did you hear or what did they say? I can't tweet all day like you. I have a job that is fulfilling that I enjoy, unlike you." I was told, verbatim, "Oregon is next. It's supposed to come out in the next week or so. Supposedly, what these guys are doing makes us (Ohio State) look like child's play." And that's it. Finito. Because I said "Oregon! Why... Wha... But..." and it was met with "I should have never let that slip! Shut your mouth!" I swear to you all, especially the Oregon fans, that's all I got!

- For whatever it's worth, an Oregon writer told me on twitter that he had heard rumblings of Oregon being next. Enter Justin Hopkins of Oregon.247Sports.com (@JHopkins247) who told an Oregon fan when asked if he had heard about my comments "I have and from my sources i'm hearing it would be an ABSOLUTE shock to Oregon if true. Never know though." He also added this "think about this: Eugene is tiny, public would notice nice cars or big spending by any Oregon athletes way b4 NCAA IMO". I've read some of Hopkins stuff, he does nice work. He also seems like a pretty forward "no nonsense" kind of guy. I base that comment on him saying he hopes Oregon is punished if the allegations he has heard are true.

Let me be 100% clear, Justin Hopkins DID NOT CONFIRM THE RUMOR, just that there IS a rumor being spread. PLEASE make that known, he is not confirming the rumor, just that there is a rumor circulating.

- ::The following is completely rumor!:: Because I haven't heard factual details, doesn't mean that I haven't heard rumors. Today I was told that the word out there is that Oregon boosters and Nike are paying "recruiters" to bring in top talent. Basically, these guys are sent to do the old school "how much ya need to think about coming up to Eugene?" I was also told that the campus is a "pawn shop." All those special Nike uniforms they get? Guess where they are allegedly going? Again, this part is all completely rumor and stuff being passed around by "people in the know." How much is true, time will tell. It could be 100% accurate, it could be 100% garbage.

For clarification, let me say this one last time: I have NOTHING against the University of Oregon, the Duck football program or any of its players. I have only disliked the Oregon football program for all of about 4 hours in my life. (Wanna guess when?) They've always seemed to me to be a program that does it the right way with classy fans. I hope that remains true. I wouldn't wish the scrutiny Ohio State has been under since December of 2010 on anyone... except UM!

Who else?

There's stuff floating out there about everyone. Name your program and there is some dirt being discussed. Auburn is a name that comes up a lot. West Virginia has a story that is on the verge of exploding regarding their coach in waiting and current head coach. Texas seems pretty safe. Good for them.

The same person who told the alleged details of the alleged Oregon story also said this: Due to the holes George Dohrman's Sports Illustrated article, the NCAA is running scared on two fronts. 1. They don't want to wrongfully accuse anyone, or investigate a campus that is (for all intents and purposes) clean. 2. They are afraid that if other schools are looked into as hard and by as many people as Ohio State was, the entire top 25 might be facing punishment. I've said it all along and stand by it to this moment, no program in America could withstand the scrutiny and in-depth investigation that went on at Ohio State. Nobody.

Before some of you start squawking, no that doesn't it make it right. It doesn't in any way exonerate Ohio State from it's crimes against NCAA jurisdiction. It does, however, lead me be to able to draw one big conclusion: Careful what you say and who you bag on, cause if they can get us, they can get you! One minute you're running you trap having a big belly laugh at the Buckeyes and the very next you're in the NCAA's (or whatever media outlet decides it doesn't like you) cross-hairs! What was that you were about to say? I'd think better of it Mr. Glasshouse.

Dohrman and Hooley

It's hard to believe George Dohrman has a Pulitzer. It's not hard to believe that a clown like Bruce Hooley would take his "Martyr 2.0 I Told You I Was Right" tour on every outlet in America that would have him to defend Dohrman's story.

What have we learned about the SI article? Well, according to 97.1 The Fan in Columbus' Scott Torgeson, 9 of the "new" players accused have been found to have no involvement. Three of those players, Storm Klein, John Simon and Nathan Williams, parents are exploring their ability to file lawsuits for slander and defamation of character. The "sources" are one of the tattoo shop owners, someone named "Ellis" and some anonymous drug dealers. Now, we have the tattoo shop owner saying he was misquoted and that he may also be taking legal action. So we are left with anonymous drug dealers and "Ellis" as Dohrman's sources. I'll just say this, if you're doubting me about the validity of the person who told me Oregon is next, then you MUST believe Dohrman's article is a load of waste. But I digress... back to Hooley. Now that we've established these "sources" to be jokes, guess who went on every show in America and said, and I quote "The SI article is well sourced and extremely credible." I'm just going to end this section on that. There's nothing else to say about it.

I've got an entire blog I can write on the bitterness that is Bruce Hooley one of these days. Like how he doesn't understand that he was fired from The Fan 97.1 not because of his anti-Tressel opinion, but because of the way he presented it. Like how he doesn't understand you can't speak to adults like the dog that pooped on the rug, and then try to rub their nose in it. You get fired for that kind of stuff. Anyways, that's another day and another blog... maybe I'll open up my week long email conversation with Bruce where he clearly shows he's lost touch with reality. Maybe...

Metallica track of the week
"The Memory Remains" to all the USC fans who had their 04 BCS title stripped from them today. Soon we'll be singing it about the 2010 season.