New story

Or at least, it is a new story to the Clarion Content, we covered last year's Indiana Hoosiers college basketball season, trainwreck that it was, fairly closely. However, we did not realize just how badly coach Kelvin Sampson had let things get off the rails. (Pun intended.) Yesterday in an exclusive interview with Indianapolis Star former IU guard and last year's leading scorer Eric Gordon said that there was a major problem with drug use on the team, and that Coach Sampson knew about it. According to Gordon, Sampson, who has since, ironically, landed an assistant coaching job in the NBA on Scott "Busted for nose candy in college" Skiles staff, was too focused on winning to solve the problem. Oh really? We thought he was too focused on cheating to even notice.

Way to go Coach, we thought you had already brought as much dishonor to the Indiana program as you possible could, but there are new depths. The Clarion Content would like to add a special heartfelt, "Fuck you!!!" to all the trustees, alumni and faculty members who thought firing Coach Knight was a good idea. Yeah, yelling at the players sure was mean, good thing you ran Bobby out of there. Much better to have a coach that cheats and ignores the players' drug problems so long as the team is winning. Thank goodness the university cleaned house by firing athletic director Rick Greenspan.

Coach Sampson, there are reservations waiting in hell for you pal.

One more

We were noting for you earlier in the week here the dramatic decline in sports' corporate sponsorships and advertising dollars. We saw one more the other day. General Motors is canceling its contract to be the Yankees automotive sponsor next year. The Yankees, however, are not the Pirates and New York isn't Pittsburgh. They have replaced G.M. already, according to Yankees chief operating officer Lonn Trost in ESPN.com, "Toyota and Audi will take over as the club's auto sponsors." Interesting that they found two non-American car companies to work with.

Sports sponsorship

Some of the most visible signs of the economic downturn are occurring in sports sponsorships. Advertising is on the decline everywhere, as a non-essential cost that can be trimmed. If you know the Clarion Content's opinions about advertising, you will know we are not crushed.

It is the plethora of places we see it happening that keeps smacking us in the face. A few weeks back it was General Motors saying they couldn't keep sponsoring Tiger's bag. We heard from them again earlier this week when they cut ties with the Pittsburgh Pirates. (It took a cratering economy for them to make that move?) We have read of races losing sponsors from biking to NASCAR. A television industry ad sales exec told us this weekend, off the record, Washington better save the car companies, this is killing us. You know it is bad when they are having trouble selling the commercial time for the Super Bowl.

Ahhh, comeuppance.

Fortunately, there some sports where the money hardly matters, nature provides the playing field and the beat goes on.

NBA notes

A couple of quick NBA notes from the early season for your reading pleasure. The Clarion Content's staff, exclusively Knicks fans until our next hire, roots against the Nets, like all real Knicks fans. However, you have to respect Nets General Manager Rod Thorn and the work he has done. The Jason Kidd trade looks better and better ever game, as in "Here Dallas, take this always slow, and getting slower, aging veteran who has never won a thing off of our hands. Ok, I guess we can take that young, quick, scoring point guard Devin Harris in return. And two first round picks? If we must." (Thorn hangs up phone and cackles audibly.)

Is it too soon to call Greg Oden a bust? Despite what the Disney honchos think it is surely too soon for him to be doing commercials. For now, there is no doubt that Trail Blazers back-up center, eight year vet, the big polish-American kid from Minnesota, Joel Przybilla is totally outplaying him. What is Oden's ceiling as a player?

Can the Knicks please just cut Stephon Marbury already? They couldn't have handled this any worse. Their methodology is approaching their course in dealing with Anucha Browne Sanders in the levels of inaneness. Jimmy Dolan, you have got the money. You are going to have to pay Starbury, anyway. No come off of it, dumbass.

Finally, one note of warning from ESPN's Daily Dime to all the fans drinking the Lakers Kool-Aid. Phil Jackson, Kobe and the rest of the Lake Show have lost seven of their last eight games decided by a single point, including last night to the 12th place in the Eastern Conference, 7 up and 10 down, Indiana Pacers.

NFL tidbits, goodies and predictions

At the three quarter pole of the NFL regular season and the beginning of many folks fantasy playoffs the Clarion Content has a few NFL tidbits, goodies and predictions for you.

How cooked is Romeo Crennel's goose in Cleveland? Well it was surely done before last week's pathetic six point showing against the banged up Colts defense. But how about now that both of the Browns top two quarterbacks are out for the year? Brady Quinn had finger surgery and Derek Anderson tore up his knee, that means the Browns are heading into this week's match-up with 11 and 1 Tennessee starting Ken Dorsey from the U. Despite the fact that the last good quarterback to come out of the U, Bernie Kosar, enjoyed great success in Cleveland, Ken Dorsey has to make Browns fans a little anxious. The more interesting question is who will the Browns pull off the street as the back-up QB for the game. Doug Flutie? Jared Lorenzen? Tim Couch?

While hope has faded to black in Cleveland, this note from ESPN's NFL Power Rankings correspondent Kevin Seifert, may offer a glimmer to the winless Lions, "An 0-12 Lions team beat the Vikings at home in 2001. Guess who this week's opponent is?"

And how did we originally miss this? Raiders interim coach, Tom Cable, of University of Idaho fame, ran an option pitch play to 275 lb kicker Sebastian Janikowski as a running back on a fake field goal? So for the record, that's one running play for Janikowski this season and one missed 76 yard field goal attempt. And you wonder why the Clarion Content divorced the Raiders and Al Davis in approximately 1990.

Now for a few quick playoff predictions. The Dallas Cowboys will steal the last NFC Wild Card spot away from the amazingly resurgent Atlanta Falcons and rookie of the year to be Matt Ryan. (The Clarion Content completely underestimated Ryan. We never thought he would do what he has done.) Brett Farve and the New York Jets will not win the AFC East. Less heralded rookie QB, Joe Flacco, will lead the Baltimore Ravens to the playoffs. The eventual AFC West winner will be no more than 8-8, sorry Oakland you can't even get to 8 and 8. Check back in the coming weeks to see just how wrong we were.