Before we discuss one of our most cherished College Football Traditions…
I want to address another recent matter concerning the NCAA
From the “We are Drunk with Power” File…
The dictatorship of the NCAA will not allow an “exception” to one of their many rules to help a little girl fighting cancer.
You read that correctly…
The unprecedented Lauren’s First and Goal Football Camp, which took place this past Sunday at Lafayette College in Easton, Pa. The unprecedented Lauren’s First and Goal Football Camp, which took place this past Sunday at Lafayette College in Easton, Pa., breaks the mold. According to the NCAA, the one-day event is the largest in the country and draws more than 1,700 prospects and close to 300 college coaches from 100-plus schools. From Boston College and Rutgers to Asa Junior College and Moravian, hundreds of coaches voluntarily drive to Easton and give up a day for a little girl named Lauren Loose.
Lauren Loose is the daughter of Lafayette defensive coordinator John Loose and his wife Marianne.
She was diagnosed with Neurofibromatosis, Moyamoya disease and Evan’s Syndrome at nine months old. Lauren has battled brain and spinal cord tumors all her little life.
Her parents felt helpless as people often do in these circumstances….
Marianne said, “We just felt like we needed to do something,” Marianne said. “When someone tells you your child has cancer, you feel like you lose all control. This is our chance to do something cathartic and take back some of the control.” Shortly after attending a motorcycle ride sponsored by the Pediatric Brian Tumor Foundation of the United States, the answer dawned on them.
“I was working a camp at the University of Michigan,” John said. “There were so many coaches and kids there, and I thought maybe I could do a camp like that for one day and raise a bunch of money for charity. I ran it by some guys at the [American Football Coaches Association] and every one of them said immediately that they were in.”
Since its humble beginning, the camp has grown exponentially, raising more than $750,000 for the Lauren’s First and Goal Foundation, a 501c3 charitable organization created in 2004 to support pediatric brain tumor research and provide pediatric cancer services and financial assistance to families living with a pediatric cancer diagnosis.
The camp’s success isn’t lost on the unquestioned star of the show. “It’s very cool that all of these people come and donate the money,” Lauren said. “I really can’t believe it, it is so generous of them and makes me feel special.”
Despite Lauren’s gratitude….”I have to thank my parents for all of the time they put in,” she said. “They work like dogs all day.”….
As well as the success of the camp this year will bring changes
Recent NCAA restrictions limit the amount of time D-I coaches can spend working at summer camps. The new rule, designed to give coaches a reprieve from the abundance of camps nationwide, restricts D-I coaches to only work at camps during two university-designated 15-day periods, one in June and one in July.
The rule benefits coaches who felt compelled to attend every camp for fear of missing out on an elite prospect. In the arms race that is college football recruiting, no coach wants to hurt his chances of landing a star simply for declining a camp invite, but the camp circuit can have a significant impact on a coach’s already full schedule.
But there’s a down side to the new rule, too: It would prevent coaches who hosted their own camps during the permissible timeframe from attending Lauren’s First and Goal, which takes place the first Sunday in June.
Mercifully, the NCAA has granted Lauren’s First and Goal a one-year exemption from the new rule. Many are concerned, however, that absent another adjustment the restrictions will negatively impact the camp moving forward.
“This epitomizes college coaches coming together for something good,” said Pitt assistant coach Brian Angelichio. “Every person here volunteers with no personal agendas whatsoever.”
Another coach from a BCS school, who wished to remain anonymous, echoed that sentiment. “The NCAA would be absolutely crazy not to ‘grandfather’ this camp,” he said. “We have been coming here well before the rule was put into place.”
The NCAA…..
However, remains wary of exemptions and exceptions because of the precedent they create. If it provides an exemption for this charity camp, it’s possible questionably motivated 501c3-designated camps will crop up across the country in an effort to exploit the charity loophole.
EDITORS NOTE: So, rather than help anyone we are going to “exploit” a charity to better our teams.
Who do they think we are Southern California?
Lauren, for her part, remains oblivious to the NCAA situation. After recent surgery to remove a tumor from her spinal cord, Lauren suffered a stroke that required additional surgery to transplant blood vessels from her scalp to her brain. She’s got too much on her plate to worry about the bureaucratic dealings unfolding around her. She’s only worried about one thing.
“Spread the word about the camp so more people come here and donate money,” Lauren said. “Every time they come here, it helps
EDITORS COMMENTARY: My immediate question when this news broke…
How does this event really give one program an “unfair” advantage over another?
It doesn’t that’s the point…
Is the NCAA afraid that “mighty” Lafayette College will challenge the University of Southern California for supremacy?
Or is the NCAA a dictatorship ran by self-serving heartless bastards?
I vote for the latter.
How much more are we going to take?
It is time for the universities and colleges that are forced to be in the NCAA to take their leave and secede from this tyrannical rule.
Now……
COLLEGE FOOTBALL TRADITIONS
MASCOTS…..
Let’s take a moment to lower our blood pressure from the earlier article and discuss college football mascots…
You are probably wondering what constitutes a mascot.
There are only three rules to this….
First…
It has to be Live…
You can have a student in a foam rubber copy of the mascot running around the stadium, but you have to have a live mascot representing your team. Period.
Case in point…..
The Air Force Academy has a Falcon…
Colorado has a Buffalo…
But there is no mascot in college football that is scarier or intimidates opponents quite like Mike the Tiger at LSU.
They place Mike’s cage outside the visitor’s locker room and you have to run by him to get to the field.
Let me tell you this, running by that big cat will make you want to wet your pants.
And..”No” I don’t want to talk about it.
NOTED EXCEPTIONS TO THIS RULE:
MICHIGAN STATE: I know it would be difficult in finding a “Spartan” today, unless you built a time machine, but at least give your mascot a better nickname than “Sparty”.
It sounds like a gay fireman.
SAN DIEGOS STATE: Please see Michigan State above and substitute “Spartan” with “Aztec” and substitute “gay fireman” with “Elton John’s dream date”.
EDITORS NOTE: For those interested in a “Time Machine”…
Please contact Notre Dame; I understand they are working diligently to find a way to bring back Knute Rockne.
Second….
The mascot should represent the culture of your university, team, and state.
Case in Point….
Oklahoma has the Boomer Sooner…
Auburn has the War Eagle….
Florida has a live Alligator…
But No mascot in college football represents the culture and climate of a state and team like BEVO for the University of Texas Longhorns.
I don’t care who you are….
BEVO is just cool
NOTED EXCEPTIONS TO THIS RULE:
CENTRAL MICHIGAN: I am not sure why you wanted to name your team after an infected mole, maybe there is a medical school close by.
But please don’t have a kid run around in a foam rubber “Chippewa’s” costume…
It would be disgusting…
THE NCAA: The mascot for this “volunteer” “non-profit” organization is simply incorrect.
It should reflect its culture, team and state of mind.
My suggestion?
The mascot should have a rat like face, with the eyes and ears of a bat and they should be called “The arrogant power hungry bastards”
I even have the perfect mascot for them…
Third….
It’s none of the NCAA’s damn business what a university names its mascot.
The mascot and nickname of a particular university is the business of the university, state and alumni, not some overzealous pin head’s business in Indianapolis.
Case in point….
WILLIAM and MARY: As we have noted in the past the Nazis at the NCAA forced the administration of William and Mary to change their nickname and mascot because “they” felt the term “Tribe” was raciest and demeaning.
So this week the administration, alumni and students are “voting” on a replacement and it looks like the early favorite is the “Fighting Asparagus.”
One can only hope the university administration isn’t forced to change that mascot as well because that particular vegetable caused a rash on some idiot staffer at the headquarters in Indianapolis.
EDITORS NOTE: I don’t care if you name your team “The Short White Fighting Honky’s with Bad Credit” and have two crossed double-wide trailers on your helmet.
I don’t care.
So I would suggest the rest of you idiots that wake up every morning looking for a reason to be “offended” or have your “little feelings” hurt, just get the hell over it.
LASTLY…..
You may have noticed that I excluded mascots from northern schools in our discussion.
There is a reason for that…
Despite living ten miles from the Arctic Circle Youngstown State doesn’t have a live penguin for a mascot?
Wisconsin doesn’t have a live badger….
Penn State doesn’t have a live Lion….
That is unless you count Jo Pa…
But there is an exception to the rule and it does need to be mentioned here.
Even though the University of Michigan doesn’t have a “live” Wolverine, they do in “fact” have a very scary mascot that frightens little children as well as adults.
Beware…
Looking at Coach Rod’s wife…
Will cause your watch to lose time, your eyes to cross and your pets to stand on their hind legs and howl.
Only 69 days until kickoff…
Have a great weekend…
RTR
MEB