Linking Up: March 9, 2011
*Two games against Akron and Toledo. A $250,000 fine for a guy who makes somewhere in the neighborhood of $4 million per year.
Ohio State can't be serious with that "punishment" for Jim Tressel, can it? If so, Gordon Gee should send the script to Hee Haw.
I suspect the Buckeyes are making the equivalent of a lowball offer to the NCAA. As Stewart Mandel of SI.com notes, harsher penalties for Ohio State and Tressel almost certainly are on the way. Given the way Tressel strong-armed star quarterback Terrelle Pryor and the Tattoo Five into coming back for another year, Sweater Vest deserves more than a couple games off and some chump change.
(I'm sure those copies of Life Promises for Success are just flying off the shelves now. Worst book title ever.)
*In the curious case of the Villanova Wildcats' freefall, pundits (e.g., Jeff Eisenberg of The Dagger) have arrived at the consensus that VU is suffering from a crisis of confidence and lack of leadership. That may be true, but I think Villanova's implosion illustrates the importance of depth in sports.
The 'Cats have four players averaging at least 30 minutes per game, three of whom are averaging 33 minutes. That's a sure sign to me that coach Jay Wright has no faith in his bench.
Teams that thin struggle with more than just fatigue. They have to avoid fouls, which means slowing down the game. They don't have as many options to jumpstart the offense when shots aren't falling. It's just a losing proposition from the start.
*Speaking of college hoops, it appears as though Jeff Capel is treading on thin ice at Oklahoma. Frankly, I've never thought he had the chops to make the Sooners an elite program – his Xs-and-Os are just so subpar. Really, it's just a matter of time before athletic director Joe Castiglione cuts bait. If not now, Capel won't make it past next season.
*Dr. Saturday previews Nebraska and the Cornhuskers' place within their new Big Ten digs. Definitely going to be interesting to watch.
*Umair Haque of Harvard Business Review explains how Charlie Sheen makes an apt metaphor for the demise of the American economy.