Does football even really matter?
With the pall of possible felony charges hanging over this weekend's matchup against Syracuse, it's pretty tough to get excited about the FSU game. Instead of Florida State fans being able to revel in their #2 BCS ranking and a likely impending Jan. 6 date with Alabama or quarterback Jameis Winston's Heisman candidacy, Nole Nation is instead wondering if their adoration for their redshirt-freshman wunderkind is misplaced or if he is just another victim of an overzealous national media.
Given the dearth of facts, I'll not comment on the alleged sexual assault that occurred on Dec. 7 of last year. The Tallahassee Police Department has turned the case over to State Attorney Willie Meggs who will evaluate the facts and make a decision on whether or not to move forward with a prosecution.
I must say that I am disgusted by the coverage this story has been getting. Absent facts in the case, hacks all over the nation are passing off opinions and conjecture as the story. There has been nothing which specifically names Winston as a suspect in the case, nor has there been anything (other than statements made by his attorney, Tim Jansen) to definitively indicate that he was not involved.
The story is that something might have happened but rather than wait for that story to unfold, it is front-page news and the lead story on ESPN.
Of course this machine exists to get eyeballs on the target. If the unwashed masses weren't reading and watching, the media wouldn't keep pumping it out.
Karl Marx once famously said that religion is the opium of the people. I have come to believe that this is no longer true.
I believe that sports is the opium of the people. None more than football, and college football in particular. But that is a different subject for a different time.
Given the quality of "journalism" seen over the past week, It's no wonder that the print press is on life support and electronic media is dominated by reality television.
I weep for the consumers of this drek, both because it's being fed to them and because they continue to eat it.
OK, on to the game. From a purely football standpoint, it's good news for the Noles is that the game in at Doak. Were it on the road, Winston would likely be bombarded by insensitive and likely humorous attempts to distract him.
As it is, the Noles and Nole fans will rally around Winston who has shown a preternatural ability to elevate his game under the greatest pressure (just ask Clemson).
This, of course, is a whole 'nother level. This isn't football pressure; it's a potentially life-altering situation.
Bottom line is this: Syracuse is bad and Florida State is mad. The spread is between 37.5 and 38.5. It might as well be 48.5. Syracuse is only allowing 22.9 ppg but the Noles are second in the nation at 52 ppg.
The over/under, as usual, is a little tricker. The sharps know what they're doing and are rarely more than a point or two off.
Winston will likely be on the bench by the end of the third, with another redshirt-freshman, Sean Maguire on to steer the FSU offense since Jacob Coker appears to be out for the season following knee surgery.
But the Noles #4 ranked scoring defense (12.0 ppg) will still keep the door slammed on the 87th-ranked Syracuse offense.
Noles will win easily, somewhere in the neighborhood of 49-6. So lay the points and take the under. Better yet, lay the points and stay away from the over/under. Your wallet will thank me tomorrow.
And keep your eyes on Tallahassee over the next few weeks to see which is back: Florida State Seminole football or this FSU program:
Given the dearth of facts, I'll not comment on the alleged sexual assault that occurred on Dec. 7 of last year. The Tallahassee Police Department has turned the case over to State Attorney Willie Meggs who will evaluate the facts and make a decision on whether or not to move forward with a prosecution.
I must say that I am disgusted by the coverage this story has been getting. Absent facts in the case, hacks all over the nation are passing off opinions and conjecture as the story. There has been nothing which specifically names Winston as a suspect in the case, nor has there been anything (other than statements made by his attorney, Tim Jansen) to definitively indicate that he was not involved.
The story is that something might have happened but rather than wait for that story to unfold, it is front-page news and the lead story on ESPN.
Of course this machine exists to get eyeballs on the target. If the unwashed masses weren't reading and watching, the media wouldn't keep pumping it out.
Karl Marx once famously said that religion is the opium of the people. I have come to believe that this is no longer true.
I believe that sports is the opium of the people. None more than football, and college football in particular. But that is a different subject for a different time.
Given the quality of "journalism" seen over the past week, It's no wonder that the print press is on life support and electronic media is dominated by reality television.
I weep for the consumers of this drek, both because it's being fed to them and because they continue to eat it.
Yes, those are my shoes. Don't judge me.
OK, on to the game. From a purely football standpoint, it's good news for the Noles is that the game in at Doak. Were it on the road, Winston would likely be bombarded by insensitive and likely humorous attempts to distract him.
As it is, the Noles and Nole fans will rally around Winston who has shown a preternatural ability to elevate his game under the greatest pressure (just ask Clemson).
This, of course, is a whole 'nother level. This isn't football pressure; it's a potentially life-altering situation.
Bottom line is this: Syracuse is bad and Florida State is mad. The spread is between 37.5 and 38.5. It might as well be 48.5. Syracuse is only allowing 22.9 ppg but the Noles are second in the nation at 52 ppg.
The over/under, as usual, is a little tricker. The sharps know what they're doing and are rarely more than a point or two off.
Winston will likely be on the bench by the end of the third, with another redshirt-freshman, Sean Maguire on to steer the FSU offense since Jacob Coker appears to be out for the season following knee surgery.
But the Noles #4 ranked scoring defense (12.0 ppg) will still keep the door slammed on the 87th-ranked Syracuse offense.
Noles will win easily, somewhere in the neighborhood of 49-6. So lay the points and take the under. Better yet, lay the points and stay away from the over/under. Your wallet will thank me tomorrow.
And keep your eyes on Tallahassee over the next few weeks to see which is back: Florida State Seminole football or this FSU program:
Image stolen…er, borrowed from
http://irishcreed.blogspot.com
Comments
Post a Comment