TMZ rant lands Marc Tyler on suspension at USC

Marc Tyler finally forced USC's hand.

The senior running back will miss USC's season opener after making inappropriate comments to TMZ about, well, a variety of things and none of them good or flattering toward USC.

When asked why USC has so many running backs, Tyler responded:

"Cause we're RBU, that's how we get down. We all win our Heismans, we all gonna ball, and we all get in Kim Kardashian."

Tyler, who appeared severely intoxicated and whose friends tried to block him from the cameras by telling him he'd get in trouble for talking to TMZ, didn't stop there. He also said USC pays its players.

The TMZ cameraman asked if USC players were getting paid more at USC or if they were in the pros and Tyler responded: "USC. They breaking bread."

Even TMZ considered Tyler's comments to be a joke -- Tyler's dad came out and said his son is not getting paid by USC -- but for a program that's already on probation for giving improper benefits to one of its star players -- a running back, no less -- coach Lane Kiffin didn't see the humor.

"I was very disappointed when I learned of Marc Tyler's inappropriate comments that were captured by the media last week," Kiffin said in a statement. "That is not the way that we expect our players to represent USC and our team.

"Although Marc may find this punishment severe, it is imperative we continue to have a high standard for player behavior. Marc needs to work hard to show us that he can meet the standards of being a USC football player."

Tyler's punishment came after spending the past few months waiting for the school to hand down disciplinary action stemming from two alcohol-related incidents in April.

Because of this latest incident, Tyler's discipline could go from a couple educational classes to something far more serious, including suspension or expulsion. That discipline will come down form USC's Office of Student Judicial Affairs.

But USC athletic director Pat Haden was pretty clear on where he stands in a statement issued by the school.

"We have very high expectations for all of our student-athletes at USC. While the vast majority of our student-athletes act appropriately, Marc did not and stepped way out of line. He did not represent himself, his university or his team the way we expect. Marc has a lot to do to prove he belongs on our team. We hope Marc learns from this and comes back a changed and better person."

Tyler, who has released more statements this summer than any other college football player, once again apologized for his behavior and how it affected the university.

"I want to apologize for embarrassing USC, my teammates and coaches. I am disappointed that I let down all the people who have supported me as I have been working through some personal issues. After meeting today with Mr. Haden and Coach Kiffin, I realize how my behavior and my statements, even though I was joking, can reflect poorly on so many people. As a veteran player, I should know that my job is to be an example for the younger guys. I accept my punishment, and I regret that I will miss the opening game of my senior year. I am committed to doing everything the right way so that I can be reinstated to the team."

This was definitely an ugly incident for a program that needs to distance itself from any type of controversy. Tyler needs to learn how to control his booze or at the very least, keep out of possible compromising situations when drinking.

Shiri Appleby Kelly Hu Michelle Rodriguez Mena Suvari Georgina Grenville

ABOUT THAT CASEY PACHALL THING

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Heisman on the run: ?05 trophy back with Bush?s parents

In what has been one of the more ridiculous stories covered this summer, Reggie Bush's Heisman has found its way home.

No, not the Heisman Trophy Trust, but rather the home of Bush's parents Lamar and Denise Griffin, who took the trophy back from the San Diego Hall of Champions on Friday. But what they're planning to do with the trophy remains yet another mystery.

According to "The Dan Patrick Show," the family has said nothing publicly about returning the trophy even though the Heisman Trophy Trust put in a request to the San Diego Hall of Champions last week to have the trophy sent back to its offices in New York.

All of this started back in June when it was discovered that Bush had not returned his Heisman to the Heisman Trophy Trust last September, despite issuing a statement saying he would. Bush was stripped of the trophy after it was determined he had taken illegal benefits.

Many assumed the Heisman was missing after a San Diego Hall of Champions denied knowing where the trophy was. A couple days later, the San Diego Hall of Champions amazingly found the trophy and put it back on display.

By July 1, no one wanted the trophy. The Bush family, who had loaned it to the San Diego Hall of Champions, seemingly abandoned it there and the Hall of Champions had been storing it in the basement waiting for someone to pick it up. Bush didn't seem to care about its whereabouts and neither did the Trophy Trust until the media piqued its interest.

Now, for all we know, the Heisman could be wrapped in a blanket in the backseat of a car crossing state lines or buried in the Griffin's backyard.

And still we are left wondering what will become of the hunk of bronze that just can't find a home.

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Graham Watson is on Twitter: Follow her @Yahoo_Graham.

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Yes, the NCAA is still investigating Cam Newton. And no, Gene Chizik isn?t happy about it

With the white-hot focus on Ohio State, Oregon and North Carolina lately, it's easy to think of The Scandal of the 2010 season as ancient history, if you think of it at all. True, the charges that Auburn quarterback/�bermensch Cam Newton was shopped by his father to the highest bidder as the nation's most coveted juco recruit in 2010 came in last November like a tidal wave no college football fan can forget. But they receded again almost as quickly after the NCAA declared Newton eligible to play in the SEC and BCS championship games, leaving no apparent damage. No harm, no foul, right? Auburn passed the test, right?

So thought Tiger fans, and according to the New York Times' Pete Thamel, so thought Tiger coach Gene Chizik. Or at least he did, until an NCAA rep set the record straight during last month's SEC meetings in Destin (emphasis added):

Julie Roe Lach, the N.C.A.A.'s vice president for enforcement, made a presentation to the group, which included every men's basketball coach, football coach and athletic director in the conference. When she opened up the room for discussion, Auburn's football coach, Gene Chizik, raised his hand first.

He peppered Roe Lach with a flurry of questions about the N.C.A.A.'s investigation into Cam Newton and why the N.C.A.A. had not publicly announced that the investigation was over. Chizik complained that the inquiry's open-ended nature had hurt Auburn's recruiting and he followed up at least three times, leading to a testy exchange.

"You'll know when we're finished," Roe Lach told Chizik, according to several coaches who were at the meeting. "And we're not finished."

Three SEC hoops coaches at the meeting confirmed the exchange on the record, including Vanderbilt's Kevin Stallings, who told Thamel that Roe Lach was "serious," and that the NCAA in general is trying to send a message to "bad elements in college athletics" that it's "bigger and more aggressive" about enforcement than it's been in the past.

What no one has suggested, however, is that the NCAA (or anyone else) has actually uncovered new evidence that might lead to a different verdict than the "all clear" it gave Newton in December despite finding Cecil Newton guilty of soliciting a six-figure payment from Mississippi State for his son's services. Then, the decision was based on three improbable conclusions:

a) There was no evidence or direct allegations that Cam Newton knew he was being shopped by his father or anyone else;
b) There was no evidence or direct allegations that Cam or Cecil Newton solicited Auburn for anything;
And, despite the elder Newton's alleged overtures to Mississippi State, c) there was no evidence or direct allegations that Cam or Cecil were actually paid anything by anyone.

To many, many observers, that looked like a copout, or hypocrisy, or ?�at best ?�an outrageous loophole that somehow tolerates asking as long as it doesn't lead to accepting. But all these months later, the bottom line is the same: Unless evidence emerges that Cam Newton knew he was being shopped, that he or his father solicited Auburn or that he actually accepted improper benefits, the "all clear" verdict will stand.

At this point, we still don't have any way of knowing whether the NCAA has made any headway along any of those lines. But even if he picked the wrong setting, it's hard to blame Chizik for wondering how long it plans to keep looking.

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Matt Hinton is on Twitter: Follow him @DrSaturday.

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Headlinin?: LSU, Cal put Oregon?s Willie Lyles fee in perspective

Making the morning rounds.

? Sounds like a bargain. LSU paid $6,000 for 32 DVDs of legitimate recruiting film from Willie Lyles, the Houston-based scout who was paid a whopping $25,000 by Oregon for a shoddy, out-of-date scouting report he claims was meant to cover for the Ducks' efforts to improperly exploit his influence with several key recruits. LSU released copies of the DVDs Thursday to the (Portland) Oregonian, which found that they included exactly what Lyles said they did. Cal also paid Lyles $5,000 for a scouting report, and like LSU, believes it has nothing to worry about from the NCAA. LSU has even passed the materials on to investigators.

Then again, respect the depths: Lyles has also been connected to former LSU star Patrick Peterson, on whose behalf he allegedly requested a five-figure payment from Texas A&M in 2008. [The Oregonian, San Jose Mercury News, Associated Press]

? Yeah, I'd probably fire me, too. Irascible L.A. Times columnist Bill Plaschke lays out the minimum standard for Rick Neuheisel to save his job at UCLA beyond the upcoming season: Finish .500 or better and play in a bowl game. And Rick Neuheisel basically agrees. "I hate talking like that, but, as an alumni, I would say absolutely yes," Neuheisel said Thursday. "Obviously, I've had a number of conversations like, 'Hey, you're on the hot seat, you're the No. 1 guy on the hot seat.' ? A friend of mine said to me, 'You were a great coach, you won a lot of games, what did you do? Do what you do!' " [Los Angeles Times]

? This is not what we mean by "Fighting" Illini. Illinois signee Chris Jones, a 310-pound defensive lineman from Jacksonville, Fla., pleaded not guilty Thursday to felony aggravated battery. Jones was charged in a July 3 attack on two men who claim Jones shouted anti-gay slurs and assaulted them for their sexual orientation, leaving both with facial injuries. [Chicago Tribune]

? What about Dr�? SEC coaches released their preseason all-conference team Thursday with no surprises, except one: Alabama cornerback Dr� Kirkpatrick, a former five-star recruit and possible top-10 draft pick next April, is relegated to third team by the same coaches who voted him second-team All-SEC last December after his first season as a starter in one of the top secondaries in the country. One possible explanation: With 10 other 'Bama players on the first and second teams, they were just trying to spread the wealth. [SECSports.com]

? Hey, I know we said we needed you over here, but... The premature departures of leading rushers Washaun Ealy and Caleb King has forced Georgia to move linebacker Richard Samuel back to running back, where he spent his first two seasons in Athens in 2008-09. The move is strictly for depth ?�incoming freshman Isaiah Crowell is the starter from the moment he sets foot on campus ?�and will probably force Samuel to drop the 15-20 extra pounds he added in the original switch. [Atlanta Journal Constitution]

Quickly? ESPN is moving Mike Bellotti up in its announcer rotation. ? Florida State picks up a commitment from one of the fastest teenagers in America. ? Austin Scott isn't giving up his legal fight against Penn State just yet. ? Chaz Ramsey continues his legal crusade against Auburn. ? Dismissed Tiger running back Eric Smith still hopes to return to the team. ? Nu'Keese Richardson has been arrested again. ? Miami players are getting into police cars voluntarily. ? When is Michigan going to retire Desmond Howard's number already? ? And if these are the best entries to the Detroit Free Press' Wolverine mascot contest, I'd hate to see what was rejected.

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Matt Hinton is on Twitter: Follow him @DrSaturday.

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NFL Lockout: Roger Goodell Looks to Play Hero as Lockout Nears End

A lot of things have been said about Roger Goodell during his run as NFL Commissioner. The 52-year old head of the NFL has instituted some strict policies against players, has been overly-aggressive in punishments and has even involved himself in situations that no other Commissioner would have involved himself in, but he's all we have, for good or bad.

Some would say he's just doing his job, others, like James Harrison of the Pittsburgh Steelers, despise him for his body of work.

Regardless of your opinion of Goodell, he inherited an insanely popular league just in time to stand in the trenches of it's biggest battle since 1987.

Now, in the spotlight of a potential 10-year CBA finally on the horizon, Roger Goodell is putting on his hero cape and opening up to doing "whatever is necessary" to get a deal done in the next week.

According to ESPN:

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell will do "whatever is necessary," including traveling to Washington, where the NFL Players Association's executive committee is scheduled to meet this week, sources said, with the NFL closing in on a new 10-year collective bargaining agreement.

The big pieces of the agreement have already been made and now they are just looking to tie up the ends. If the deal is finally ratified, the league year could be begin as early as July 25th, just in time for teams to make their necessary free agency moves and get into training camp without missing a single pre-season game.

Things still remain unresolved - such as Tom Brady's antitrust lawsuit - but sources remain optimistic about everything getting taken care of sooner than later.

Now, I am not applauding Roger Goodell for doing "whatever is necessary" to get the job done, but I am saying that it is about time somebody is doing it.

Granted, and as I already said, things are mostly agreed upon already, but compliance and unquestionable cooperation from Goodell could be the final piece to this lockout puzzle that has gone on long enough already.

This statement of anticipated cooperation from Goodell may be interpreted as him piling onto the back end of deal that is ready to be made, but in the end it doesn't matter as long as there is football on Sundays.

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Carlos Beltran: New York Mets to San Francisco Giants? It's Time.

I will never forget the first time I saw Carlos Beltran in the flesh.

Just days after signing his seven year $119 million dollar contract with the Mets, I watched him on the jumbotron during a break in the action at Madison Square Garden during a Knicks game desperately trying to crawl and hide in his wife's purse. 

With the Garden faithful cheering him to acknowledge them and share their excitement with him joining the "New Mets", the man literally wilted. After a few more moments when it became clear he wasn't going to respond with any sort of flourish, the crowd found themselves lost in a truly awkward moment. 

"Who comes to New York and doesn't want THIS?" asked a friend rather indignantly. 

A fan in the next section half—joking uttered, "Just wait till they boo him at Shea."

Ultimately you only get one first impression in life and from then on it was hard not to keep a wary eye on the man.  

Fans in Kansas City and Houston may consider Beltran a fine ball player, by playing with grace as five—tool center fielder who made it all look easy.  However for the past seven seasons Carlos Beltran has proven to be a riddle for Mets fans.  Injuries aside, when healthy he has produced several solid seasons in Queens with numerous accolades and yet... 

Sadly for the Mets during the past seven years no one player ever managed to step up as the leader, which one could argue led to the pain and heartache of this stretch.  Beltran said, "Unfortunately, as players, we didn't do it, we didn't come through as a team." While one can sympathize with his lamenting when coupled with this statement of wanting to finish his career as a Met, it all struck me as hollow and awkward.

Did he really want more of an organization that has been in free—fall since he looked at strike three from Adam Wainwright in Game 7 of the 2006 NLCS? 

Looking forward Beltran continued, "We need to improve as a team. We need to get better. We need to win ballgames against teams in our division in order to position ourselves better. But at the same time, David Wright being out, Ike Davis being out - I bet there is going to be a lot of pressure on the younger guys to step in and play better baseball. Only time will let us know what is going to happen."

Whether looking backwards, forwards, or at the present, he never seems to make himself accountable for the situation and even shifts pressure on others to deliver while doling out excuses.  

Fortunately for everyone the time has finally come for him to go.  

With the San Francisco Giants given their recent success Carlos would prove a fine complimentary piece as a power hitting corner outfielder they need in their push to repeat.  Even better for him, since the Giants already have a championship, the pressure shouldn't nearly be as intense as he can take on the role of hired gun before making his next move.  Hopefully he will remember to take his bat and leave the excuses.

For the Mets, one can only hope whatever package of prospects the team receives will pan out down the road whether they deal with the Giants or not as only time will tell. 

Finally for Met fans, tough times lie ahead.  With so much uncertainty it's hard to judge what should be done on several fronts, but this is a move that needs to be made to help turn the page and exorcise the demons of the past. 

Chloë Sevigny Janet Jackson Georgianna Robertson Reese Witherspoon Jordana Brewster

New England Patriots: Fans Should Hope Randy Moss Heads to Jets

The signs throughout the past week have indicated that the NFL is moving toward an end to the lockout, and Joel Segal isn't wasting time taking advantage.

With the 2011 NFL season closer to fruition than at any point before, Randy Moss's agent picked an opportune time to remind anyone who would listen just how good his client is, just how fit he is, and just how hungry he is.

Of slightly less attention than the NFL's collective bargaining agreement (or lack thereof) has been Moss's free agency situation. Segal's words re-awakened those familiar Moss-to-Jets rumors of a couple of months ago, and brought back to the forefront some speculation about Moss's destination.

The Jets are the most popular target. Depending on who you ask, the chances of the single-season touchdown reception record holder's heading to the Meadowlands is a considerable possibility.

If you're a Patriots fan and you hear that, you should at least be unfazed by it. At most, you should be thrilled.

The reason for that is that Moss is a shell of his incredible self. And the Jets, like it or not, have something in the works that's, well, working.

This isn't another Moss bashing. There are plenty of those articles out there, and at one point, I was in on the action as well.

This is about the Jets—specifically the Magnum they have loaded, cocked and pointed at their foot.

The following are facts. The Jets have made two straight AFC championship games. The Jets have more wins than losses against New England since coach Rex Ryan took over. The Jets have four playoff wins in two years under Ryan. In that stretch, New England has played twice in postseason, and lost, at home, both times.

To say the Jets are lagging behind the Patriots would be foolish. As a matter of fact, Patriots fans should be wary of (and absolutely respect) the Jets. When the games have been biggest, the Jets have been the better team.

Now back to Mr. Mercurial.

Moss, for whatever reason, slows in the cold months of the playoffs. Call it lack of toughness, nerves, whatever, Moss has shown that he gets handled routinely in the postseason. And that's the future Hall-of-Famer Moss, not the one that proved he couldn't be relied upon for touchdowns with three different teams.

And the Jets, the big, tough Jets, want this guy?

Ryan has gone on the record to express his admiration for Moss. Even in his book, he remains convinced that the Patriots made themselves weaker by dealing their only downfield receiver in Moss last year.

But does that explain the attention? Does Ryan really prefer Moss, who he's seen falter against his star cornerback, Darrelle Revis, time and time again? Does he really prefer Moss to elite big-game receiver Santonio Holmes, or resurgent wideout Braylon Edwards?

Can Ryan really be that eager to land a finesse player whose style clashes so completely with his physical offense?

For Patriots fans, this should be like a bad parody of the Henny Youngman quip. Take our wideout, please!

Moss is still linked with New England. Always will be. When a new target destination is discussed, the comparison is to New England. Some fans might be anticipating a Moss return to Foxboro. It's like the trade to Minnesota and pickup by Tennessee didn't happen. Moss can join any team this year, but the Patriots are the ones at the back of everyone's mind.

Ryan sees this connection, too, and could be trying to keep Moss out of New England. And if you're a Patriots fan, you want to see Ryan follow through on that effort.

And you want to see it because the Jets are a problem, and Moss is not. The Jets, as currently constructed, can beat you. They already have. Moss, faded as he is now, cannot.

You want to see it because you've seen how Moss these days can be stopped. You want to see it because you know what happens when teams feel forced to involve him in the offense. You want to see it because Moss isn't that good anymore, and the Jets are.

You want to see Ryan fall into the trap. The Jets are as close as their coach says they are. You want that blossoming to hit a snag.

Moss in the Meadowlands would do it.

Katie Cassidy Estella Warren Cinthia Moura Monica Potter Brittany Snow

Tennessee Football 2011: 9 Bold Predictions for 2011

Here again is yet another installment of predictions that border on the insane.

Will this Tennessee starter be an All-American? Will the incoming freshmen get a start? Is there any life left in a struggling coach? Which coaches might end up on Derek Dooley's staff? Is there a recruit out there that can single-handedly save the offense? Will Tennessee's new athletic director cripple the coaches? Or, will a powerful adversary suffer at the Vols' young hands?

Come inside for another look at Madame Volsmoke's predictions.

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Kelly Rowland Danica Patrick Josie Maran Leighton Meester Dominique Swain

Hope Solo: U.S. Goalkeeper's Comeback Comes to an Abrupt End

Everything was in place for U.S. women's goalkeeper Hope Solo.

After an embarrassing 2007 World Cup, Solo had risen to become the world's greatest goalie, and the 2011 World Cup was supposed to be her redemption.

Her redemption from then-coach Greg Ryan pulling her from the semifinals against Brazil for 36-year-old veteran Brianna Scurry.

Her redemption from her ugly tirade after the U.S. women eventually lost, 4-0, and she was kicked off the team.

This was supposed to be Solo's year, and it appeared even more evident with her sprawling save against France during the penalty shootout in the semifinals.

Heck, it even seemed inevitable.

But it was not to be.

The U.S. women took the lead twice in the finals against Japan on Sunday, and both times they gave up the lead.

It wasn't necessarily Solo's fault. In Japan's first goal, which knotted the score at 1-1 in the 80th minute, her defense absolutely broke down, leaving Japan's Aya Miyama with a close look at goal.

In Japan's second goal in extra time, Solo, coming off a leg injury, didn't appear to be able to lift off when a ball went sailing over her head.

Solo even saved a ball when it went to penalty kicks in the shootout.

However, the offense missed several penalty kicks in the shootout, and Saki Kumagai drove it home for Japan and left Solo and the rest of the team in shock.

It was all too sudden, all too heartbreaking.

Above all, the U.S. women's performance in the World Cup final wasn't what they had become known for, miracle comebacks.

It didn't seem right, or even appropriate, that they would give up two leads when they had the game all but won.

But, alas, as Solo's teammates helped her off the field, it was reality, and Solo will deal with it the same way she always has: with undeniable heart.

Katie Cassidy Estella Warren Cinthia Moura Monica Potter Brittany Snow

West Virginia LB, son of ex-WWF heel charged in armed robbery

Branko Busick shows off a new Green Goblin tattoo prior to last December's Champs Sports Bowl in Orlando.

It's been a quiet month or so in West Virginia since the sordid summer soap opera in Morgantown ended with Bill Stewart's resignation as head coach on June 10. A little too quiet, apparently, for linebacker Branko Busick, who broke the lull Monday night by getting himself arrested for armed robbery:

Officers responded to a complaint at about 5:14 p.m. Monday on High Street, according to a press release from the Morgantown Police Department. When the officers arrived on the scene, the male who had made the complaint was outside his apartment building.

The caller claimed that a male subject had pointed a gun at him and two acquaintances demanding money from them while they were inside the apartment. After telling the subject that he had no money, the subject struck him repeatedly with the gun before forcing him out of the apartment and onto the street level.

The caller told police he believed the male subject was still inside the apartment as he had not seen anyone leave and upon searching the building, officers found three males and one female. Busick was identified as one of the males and was taken into custody, charged with armed robbery.

Busick, 20, was released on $25,000 bond this morning. He's set to appear for a preliminary hearing on Aug. 1. His 21st birthday is on Friday.

West Virginia has yet to issue an official response to the arrest, but presumably Busick is no longer set to appear on the Mountaineer depth chart, where he was tentatively listed as a starter at inside linebacker for much of the spring. The emergence of Doug Rigg and Josh Francis on the outside left Busick as a likely backup inside behind returning starter Najee Goode, but his absence ?�still purely speculative ?�would leave the depth to a pair of newcomers, Notre Dame transfer Steve Paskorz and redshirt freshman Jewone Snow, who have yet to see the field as college linebackers.

According to the Associated Press, Busick's bond was reportedly paid by his father, Nick Busick, aka "Big Bully Busick," a short-lived WWF performer who took a brief leave from a career in law enforcement for his shot at big-time wrestling in the early nineties. Big Bully's finishing move was something called "the Stump Puller," but frankly, he didn't get to use it that often.

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Matt Hinton is on Twitter: Follow him @DrSaturday.

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The NCAA makes a wise choice keeping First Four in Dayton

For those hoping the NCAA tournament's First Four will one day rotate among some of college basketball's most historic venues, it appears it may be a while before Dayton cedes control of the event.

The NCAA announced on Monday that Dayton will continue to host the First Four through at least 2013, a fitting reward considering both of last year's double-headers drew more than 10,000 fans apiece. Other potential venues were discussed, but it never became serious enough for the NCAA to entertain other bids.

"The community's enthusiasm and the commitment demonstrated by the University of Dayton staff make Dayton an ideal host for the First Four," said Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith, chair of the Division I Men's Basketball Committee. "We decided Dayton would be best to host the inaugural event and now we believe we should start the championship in Dayton through the championship's 75th anniversary in 2013."

Many have pushed for the First Four to rotate among historic arenas such as the Palestra or Hinkle Fieldhouse, but it's understandable that the NCAA would choose to keep the event in Dayton. Whereas fans in Dayton have proven they'll show up to watch the likes of Clemson and Alabama-Birmingham battle for a spot in the round of 64, there's no guarantee other cities would have the same enthusiasm for the event.

Hotel staffs in Dayton donned the colors of the team they hosted and played the school's fight song as the team arrived during the inaugural First Four last year. City officials also hung NCAA tournament banners on lampposts at the airport to promote a big event atmosphere. And most importantly, the fans showed up in droves, just as they have since Dayton began hosting the original play-in game between potential 16 seeds back in 2001.

"There's no reason we can't be like Omaha taking the College World Series. There's no reason we can't take this niche and make it synonymous with Dayton," Dayton athletic director Tim Wabler told the Dayton Daily News.

"(The NCAA) gave us an overview of the comments they received by each program, and, to a team, we heard the community of Dayton and the University of Dayton really laid it out for them and made them feel they were at a national championship event, which was our objective."

Brittany Snow Lauren German Cindy Crawford Mariah OBrien Uma Thurman

It doesn?t sound like Portland will be drafting Isaiah Thomas

As someone who grew up in a basketball-oriented family and aspires to become an NBA general manager someday, ex-Arizona State guard Jamelle McMillan is a bit more savvy making draft projections than the average recent grad.

That's why the Arizona Republic's Doug Haller reached out to the son of Portland Trailblazers coach Nate McMillan this week to get his take on how some of the Pac-10 prospects he played against project in the NBA.

McMillan offers several astute observations, lauding Derrick Williams' ability to be a matchup problem at both forward positions, Nicola Vucevic's array of post moves and Klay Thompson's oft-overlooked knack for creating his own shot. One player who McMillan doesn't appear to be as high on, however, is former Washington guard Isaiah Thomas.

"People are comparing him to Nate Robinson, but they're not even close to the same player," McMillan said. "Isaiah shoots it OK, not great. Defensively, I'm not sure he can guard anybody in this league. He really struggles on the defensive end, mainly because he's never really had to play defense. At Washington, he gambled. In high school, it was all offense. I�just don't know if he's going to be able to do some of the of things that he did in college."

The curious thing about McMillan's evaluation of Thomas is the 5-foot-9 guard went 5-1 against Arizona State in his career and had one of his best games of the season against the Sun Devils last January. Thomas lit up Arizona State for 19 points, 6 rebounds, 8 assists and 3 steals and helped limit the defensive-minded McMillan to two points on 1-for-6 shooting.

Thomas is projected as a second-round pick in tonight's NBA draft. He'll have to hope current NBA general managers are more optimistic about his professional future than a potential future one is.

Rachel Nichols Dido Joss Stone Majandra Delfino Maria Bello

Cleveland Cavaliers: Possible Destinations for Cavs Players on the Block

The Cleveland Cavaliers are a team in flux, and with the NBA embroiled in a lockout there is very little they can do to go from being a team with an uncertain plan for the coming year to being a team with some sort of idea of what they are going to do.

They are extraordinarily deep at point guard and power forward, and it's likely that they will end up trading multiple people throughout this season.

Of the players that could be on the move, Ramon Sessions is the most likely, followed by Anderson Varejao, Antawn Jamison and possibly Baron Davis and Daniel Gibson.

The Cavaliers are looking to get young players and draft picks in return for the roster that they will easily be willing to tear apart.

But where are they going to end up?  There are many teams out there who are on the lookout for talented players, which many of the Cavaliers are individually.

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Eliza Dushku Bonnie Jill Laflin Joanna Krupa Ashley Olsen Danneel Harris

Mountain West Forecast: Evolving Mtn. welcomes its new Bronco overlords

Eight hyper-specific predictions for the Mountain West Conference. Part of Mid-Major Week.

? Different conference, same old story for Boise State, which will do to the Mountain West what it did to the WAC: Dominate it. Quarterback Kellen Moore is on pace to break the FBS career mark in wins ? he's 38-2 in his three seasons ? and returns the bulk of the offensive line and running game that has made the Broncos such a consistent offensive threat. Look for Boise to take down the MWC's reigning power, TCU, on Nov. 12, with a little nod to the conference bigwigs who moved the game to the blue turf.

? TCU's 25-game regular season winning streak will come to an end before its visit to Boise in November. The defense will be alright despite heavy attrition, but with a new quarterback (sophomore Casey Pachall) and four new starters on the offensive line, the Frogs will go down at some point in the first eight games with less than 17 points on the board.

? After snapping a seven-year drought in 2010, Air Force will take the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy as the top service academy for the second year in a row. Prior to last year, the Falcons last held the trophy for six consecutive seasons from 1997-2002. But since 2003, the honor had belonged exclusively to Navy, which ripped off 15 straight wins over it Commander-in-Chief rivals until Air Force snapped the streak last October.

? Colorado State will improve its rushing output by 50 yards per game on and finish in the top half of the conference on the ground. That's a bold statement, considering the Rams finished near the bottom of the league on the ground in 2010 and don't have any of the MWC's four returning 1,000-yard rushers. But they do return backs Raymond Carter and Chris Nwoke, four of the five starters from last year's young offensive line and a sophomore quarterback, Pete Thomas, who has the arm and now the chops to open up defenses after taking more than his share of lumps as a true freshman.

? San Diego State's scoring average will fall back below 30 points per game despite the return of prolific quarterback Ryan Lindley and running back Ronnie Hillman, the MWC's leading returning rusher. The Aztecs put up 35 points per game in 2010, easily their highest mark since 1996, but will sorely miss Michigan-bound offensive coordinator Al Borges and NFL-bound targets Vincent Brown and DeMarco Sampson, the two most productive receivers in the conference by a very wide margin.

? Wyoming will win more games over the first half of 2011 than it did in all of 2010, when it finished 3-9. True, the Cowboys will be forced to start a true freshman quarterback after watching four veterans ride into the sunset since the end of last season, but they also get Weber State, Texas State, Bowling Green, Utah State and UNLV before a mid-October bye week. The Pokes should be favored to win at least four of those before the going gets much tougher down the stretch.

? UNLV will win exactly as many games this year as it did a year ago ? two. It's not that UNLV didn't get better during the offseason or even as the season progressed a year ago. It's that the Rebels still aren't where a lot of the other Mountain West teams are in terms of confidence, and a non-conference slate that includes games at Wisconsin, at Washington State and against Hawaii probably won't do too much to boost that swagger. (Though that Washington State game just might.) Coach Bobby Hauck knew he'd have a rebuilding project when he took over a year ago, but with just nine returning starters, the turnaround is probably not going to happen this year.

? New Mexico coach Mike Locksley will make it through the season without being accused of punching anyone on his own sideline, but he won't survive into 2012 as the Lobos' head coach. Locksley avoided the ax last year thanks to a $1.5 million obligation to the state to buy out the rest of his contract, and his third team in Albuquerque should be better than his first two. But that's not saying quite enough: As embarrassing as the Lobos were in 2009-10, even dramatic improvement leaves them well behind the pack.

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Some predictions contributed by Graham Watson.
Matt Hinton is on Twitter: Follow him @DrSaturday.

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How Much Should The D Improve? Not Enough

Let's take some small sample sizes and extrapolate wildly. It will be fun. Here's Bill Connolly breaking down expected improvement from teams that return varying numbers of defensive starters:

So Cincinnati returns 11 defensive starters. That's probably a good thing, right? But how good? And how much can a bad defense improve in one offseason just because of experience? Let's take a look, shall we?

Average Change In Def. F/+, Last Three Years
Starters Returning	N	Avg Chg in Def. F/+
1	1	-12.4%
2	4	-10.9%
3	10	-8.4%
4	32	-2.1%
5	53	-1.1%
6	69	-0.5%
7	85	1.1%
8	56	1.5%
9	37	4.2%
10	9	6.0%
11	3	5.4%

So basically, if you return between five and eight starters, you are likely not going to change much, but three or fewer is a problem, and nine or more is a good thing.

F/+ is Connolly's advanced metric; it's play-based instead of drive-based like FEI. Don't be fooled by the % symbol?the metric is percentage based and from context it's clear the difference is meant to be added to the score, not multiplied. Since the best defenses are around +17% and the worst around ?13%, 6% is about a fifth of the entire scale.

Michigan is, unsurprisingly, right at the bottom of that scale at 115th. They were 12% worse than an average defense down-to-down. The good news is they return 9-ish starters, losing Greg Banks, James Rogers and Jonas Mouton while reacquiring Troy Woolfolk. (They also lose Ray Vinopal and Obi Ezeh, but Ezeh had been replaced and Michigan should get JT Floyd back so let's call it a wash.)

The numbers are thin at both ends of the spectrum but, hey, extrapolating wildly from small sample sizes. Doing so says Michigan's defense will storm forward from 115th nationally to?

99th.

I have no source for this, unfortunately.

But wait! Our sample sizes are not small enough and our extrapolation is not making out with other nubile young extrapolations in front of a television camera. Bill added a second factor, the previous year's defense, and finds that a defense with an F/+ under ?10% that returns nine starters should expect (for a given confidence level that is not high at all) to improve by 8.6%, which would see them get to?

82nd.

You might be able to argue that Mike Martin wasn't right and the team was even younger than the average team that returns nine starters and GERG is rubbing stuffed animals on the faces of other stuffed animals at a tearful tea party and for the first time in a long time they'll just run one damn defense per year and that they should expect to improve even more. You're probably setting yourself up for disappointment. Like installing the spread 'n' shred, digging out of a hole this big is a multi-year project.

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Pittsburgh fans get their first look at highly touted Khem Birch

Eager for an early glimpse of the highest-rated hoops recruit ever to sign with Pittsburgh, hundreds of Panthers fans jammed into the Greentree Sportsplex on Monday night to watch forward Khem Birch make his Summer Pro-Am debut.

What they saw was an athletic, high-energy big man more ready to make an impact on defense than offense.

According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Birch blocked eight shots, including two from future teammate Dante Taylor. Birch also scored a modest four points and grabbed just two rebounds, no surprise considering the McDonald's All-American's defense has always been his greatest strength and up-tempo summer-league games are rarely conducive to big men who want the ball in the post.

"I'm a little nervous to be honest," Birch told the Post-Gazette. "I know what the expectations are and I am ready for them, but I just want to relax and play my game. I want to do the things I am good at and just get better."

How much of an impact Birch can make next season will be one of the most intriguing storylines in the Big East. Birch could make an already versatile Pittsburgh frontcourt flat-out scary if he's Big East-ready, but the Panthers have traditionally succeeded by being the rare junior- and senior-driven program.

Maybe Birch breaks that mold, blossoms as a freshman and opens the door for future McDonald's All-Americans to come to Pittsburgh. Or perhaps it takes a couple years for the 6-foot-9 forward's offense to catch up with his defense and he follows in the footsteps of past Panthers stars who didn't truly shine until they were upperclassmen.

It's silly to draw too many conclusions from a summer-league game, but it was several of Birch's future teammates who flashed the most promise on Monday night.

Sophomore forward Talib Zanna erupted for 28 points and 11 rebounds in his opening Pro-Am game of the summer. And incoming freshman John Johnson tallied 26 points and six assists, displaying impressive 3-point range in the process.

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Where the top undrafted college stars will play next year

Since the lockout has wiped out the Las Vegas Summer League and threatens to do the same to training camp, undrafted free agents likely won't have as many opportunities to make an NBA roster this fall.

As a result, many top undrafted collegiate stars have already signed with overseas pro teams rather than even attempt to make an NBA roster. Here's a look at where some of the top undrafted standouts will be playing next season:

Malcolm Thomas, F, San Diego State ? Will make $350,000 next season playing for Mobis Phoebus of South Korea, likely one of highest salaries for a rookie playing overseas.

Jacob Pullen, G, Kansas State ? Kansas State's career scoring leader signed Tuesday with Italy's Angelico Biella.

LaceDarius Dunn, G, Baylor ? Israel's Bnei Hasharon announced Thursday it has signed Dunn for the upcoming season.

Ben Hansbrough G, Notre Dame ?� The Big East player of the year signed with FC Bayern Muenchen, a Bundesliga team in Munich

David Lighty, G, Ohio State ? Signed a two-year, $300,000 contract to play with Cantu in Italy

Demetri McCamey, G, Illinois ? Close to signing with a Turkish team, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Cam Long, G, George Mason ? Tweeted on Thursday that he has signed with a pro team in Lithuania.

Xavier Silas, G, Northern Illinois ? Tweeted that he has an invitation to try out for the 76ers and doesn't intend to sign overseas at this time.

Scotty Hopson, G, Tennesseee ? Reportedly intends to play overseas next year and is in the preliminary stages of finding a team.

Lavoy Allen, C, Temple ? Drafted 50th by Philadelphia, but agreed to a contract with Strasbourg IG in France that includes an opt-out clause if the NBA lockout is resolved.

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Ohio State vacates the premises: Players can keep the rings, but 2010 trophies must go

It's a simple concept, in theory. But as Ohio State fans are beginning to learn, in practice, the business of "vacating" wins and championships is a thorny one.

On the one hand, it's fairly easy to sprinkle a few asterisks in the media guide and declare that a handful of games witnessed by tens of thousands of people and beamed to millions more across the country never happened, as OSU did Friday when it pledged to retroactively strike all 12 victories from last year's Sugar Bowl-winning, Big Ten championship campaign from the books in atonement for knowingly fielding multiple ineligible players throughout the season. But what about, you know, the logistics? With big wins, bowl games and championships comes a small warehouse of hardware, jewelry and keepsakes ?�exactly the kind of things that got the Buckeyes in trouble in the first place. And what about statistics? Individual records by players who were eligible? How do they handle all that?

Fortunately, the local Columbus Dispatch is here today with a few firm answers, including the big one: Do players get to keep their conference championship rings? In this case, the answer is yes:

The process of vacating can be murky. People still remember the games, even though Ohio State won't count them. Individual and team statistics from 2010 will still be counted, but wins, losses and championships won't.

Even though the record book won't show Browning's Big Ten title, his ring will. The Buckeyes already have�received their Big Ten championship rings, and athletic director Gene Smith said they won't be recalled.

"They'll keep those," Smith said. "We didn't feel we needed to take those back."

[Bryant] Browning, a senior lineman, said he appreciated the gesture.

"I guess it does show they care about our senior class, that we did earn those rings," he said.

The rings, yes. The trophies, no: The Big Ten championship and Sugar Bowl trophies will both be taken off display in the Woody Hayes Athletic Center, and possibly returned to senders in Chicago and New Orleans, respectively. (Their ultimate destination remains unclear, but it will not be among OSU's other championships.) Ditto the latest batch of "gold pants," the traditional token commemorating wins over Michigan since 1934, which had already been put on hold with an eye toward the day when last November's 37-7 rout over the Wolverines is no longer on the books. It's still possible but highly unlikely the 2010 batch will ever see the light of day. Don't expect any midfield reunions for the champs in ten or 25 years, either.

After the smoke clears, the only game that is still on the books is the only defeat, a 31-18 loss at Wisconsin in October, dropping the official record from 12-1 to 0-1. With that, the Buckeyes' cumulative record over Jim Tressel's decade-long tenure as head coach falls from 106-22, the best winning percentage of any Division I-A/FBS program in that span except Boise State, to 94-22, which ranks a mere fourth. (In the bigger picture, the sudden absence of a dozen wins also drops OSU from third to fifth in all-time winning percentage, to the benefit of Texas and Oklahoma.) Tressel falls from the ranks of the exclusive 200-win club among D-I head coaches, too, including his days at Youngstown State.

All of which ?�on top of two years' probation, the forced resignation of a wildly successful head coach, the premature departure of a star quarterback and five-game suspensions this fall for the offending players who remain on the roster ? Ohio State is presenting to the NCAA as evidence that it acknowledges its sins and has ensured adequate suffering without the postseason ban and heavy scholarship losses the NCAA dropped on USC last year. But even if Big Brother can still make things more difficult for the Buckeyes going forward, it can never touch the keepsakes.

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Matt Hinton is on Twitter: Follow him @DrSaturday.

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The Many Casualties in Ohio State's Fall from Gridiron Grace

One would like to believe the legendary Ohio State football coach Woody Hayes would have been appalled by the way Jim Tressel ran his old program.

The deceit and hypocrisy Tressel nurtured during his reign apparently went on for years while school officials were either left in the dark or looked the other way. Now the Buckeyes face some of the harshest NCAA sanctions imaginable.

And if all that’s not bad enough, there’s the unfortunate sidebar about Kirk Herbstreit, one of the most identifiable OSU alumni, who had to leave the state after years of harassment by some of the program’s most over-the-top loyalists.

First, Tressel. We learned Friday that in an evaluation of his job performance dating back as far as 2005-06, he was told by then-athletic director Andy Geiger he rated “unacceptable” for how he was self-reporting NCAA violations.

Notice the timeline here. This is five years before a fresh set of scandals caught up with Tressel, causing him to have to hit the road despite a career record at Ohio State of 106-22 and a national championship.

The coach also was warned that he and his staff needed to do a better job of monitoring the cars team members were driving, an issue that would also haunt him this spring amid allegations that players were selling championship rings and other memorabilia—yet more information Tressel didn’t feel compelled to tell school officials or the NCAA.

It turns out Tressel was even reprimanded before he ever coached a game at OSU for illegally giving a team jersey to a recruit.

Ohio State recently vacated the 2010 season, its share of the Big Ten Football Championship Game, and put itself on a two-year probation. But the worst is almost certainly to come when the school goes before the NCAA’s Committee on Infractions on Aug. 12.

A devout Christian, Tressel would lead Bible study with OSU coaches and athletes in which a portion of the discussion would center on accountability. Clearly, the coach didn’t practice what he preached. What a lousy example to set for those who looked up to him as a pious man, especially the kids he was tasked with mentoring.

Then there’s the actions of a small but volatile group of OSU fans who just couldn’t bear to hear their beloved Buckeyes criticized by a national college football commentator—one who just happens to be one of them—and decided they were going to make Kirk Herbstreit pay.

All you need to know about Herbstreit, a one-time standout OSU quarterback and current ESPN/ABC analyst, is contained in his comments from an interview in the book “Those Guys Have All the Fun: Inside the World of ESPN,” by James Andrew Miller and Tom Shales:

“My dad played at Ohio State. He was a captain there. So before I even went to Ohio State, I was probably more of an Ohio State fan than I was while I was at Ohio State, and since leaving.

“Now, I’m not going to hide the fact or pretend when the camera’s off I am not an Ohio State fan and that my four boys aren’t dressed every Saturday in their scarlet-and-gray jerseys and are at home with my wife singing the fight song when they wake up to breakfast. I mean, that’s just the way I am and that’s the way I always will be and that’s the way my kids will be.

“But with that being said, I still feel that I would challenge anybody to look at me in the 15 years that I’ve been on air to ever see if—without somebody on set kind of needling me about Ohio State, you wouldn’t know where I went to school. And that’s my goal: just to tell it like I see it, and if its good, it’s good, and if it’s bad, it’s bad, and nothing personal.”

Herbstreit does indeed tell it like he sees it but as a consequence, in March he and his family were forced to move from their home in Columbus to Nashville, Tenn., because they could no longer be subjected to the fans’ verbal assaults.

“From a sports perspective, this is rough,” Herbstreit told the Columbus Dispatch. “I love Ohio State. … I don’t like moving. I love living here. I don’t want to leave. But I just can’t do this anymore. I really can’t keep going like this.

“Eighty to 90 percent of the Ohio State fans are great. It’s the vocal minority that make it rough. They probably represent only 5 to 10 percent of the fan base, but they are relentless.”

After years of institutional dysfunction, Ohio State has begun to takes it medicine. Tressel’s scofflaw approach to coaching generated plenty of wins on the field but, in the end, has cost the school dearly. In the days surrounding its Aug. 12 hearing before the NCAA committee, Tressel’s actions will continue to be worthy of intense scrutiny by all media, Herbstreit included.

The old quarterback and others with allegiances to Ohio State have had to come to the realization that they all bear the scars of a damaged program the “accountable” ex-head coach allowed to run amok.

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