Jumbo Package: The Texas A&M Toddlers need a juice box and a nap

I’m officially tired of this story — but it won’t die, because seemingly every day, the Aggies up the ante in their theatre of the absurd. From unhinged press conferences to their reflexive thin-skinned responses, A&M have been big ole’ titty babies for a solid month now when confronted with the fact that they bought their class.

The funniest part about it, of course, is that Aggie has not even rebutted the meaningful substance of the allegation. In fact, if you want to know how patently corrupt it is, CB documented almost a dozen instances where Jimbo kites in after another team’s in-home visit, and sight-unseen, flips a long-time prospect with one quick chat — many of whom have never even stepped foot on Campus.

Does that sound familiar as hell? It should, because this is the same pattern that played out with Hugh Freeze at Ole Miss, and his clearly purchased classes.

It will not surprise you to learn, then, that Texas A&M’s athletic director is none other than Ross Bjork — the former Ole Miss athletic director who oversaw not only Hugh Freeze’s corrupt Rebels’ program, but several other sports that were eventually dropkicked by the NCAA. And completely by coincidence, the Aggies have seen their recruiting classes jump from to 8-15 range, all the way to No. 4, No. 6, and No. 1 during Bjork’s tenure.

Shocker.

However, after seeing another one of his programs called out for being on the take, Bjork didn’t invite trouble as was famously done with Freeze. No, instead A&M decided to take this matter to the teacher, whining to the SEC that it was awful Nick Saban’s fault. No one should say those meanie words about Aggie, and please do something about the terrible bully.

I exaggerate, but barely; it really is that childish.

From an On3 FOIA request and report:

Through an open records request, On3 obtained an email from Texas A&M school president Katherine Banks and director of athletics Ross Bjork that was sent to SEC commissioner Greg Sankey on May 19. That email suggested that Saban should be suspended or fined for his accusations.

“We write to express Texas A&M University’s disappointment and outrage at the recent statements made by Alabama University Head Football Coach Nick Saban that ‘A&M bought every player on their team-made a deal for Name, Image, Likeness,’” the email stated.

“Coach Saban’s statement is false, beneath the dignity of the SEC, and corrosive to the fabric of sportsmanship in college football as a whole and especially within the SEC. We expect the league to take strong, public action against Coach Saban and the University of Alabama to demonstrate that such unprofessionalism and disrespect for Texas A&M’s student-athletes, coaches, and the university as a whole, will not be tolerated.

“A public apology from Coach Saban to Coach Fisher, Aggie Football, and Texas A&M is a good starting point, but the league should also consider monetary and participation penalties against Coach Saban,” the email continued.

This story will not end, and will not because every week Jimbo Fisher seems to be inserting his deranged or passive-aggressive foot into that hillbilly mushmouth of his...or, as today, we find the depths to which a check-writing petty mediocrity will plumb so as to deflect from his own bad acts and once again helming a dirty program. Ross writes checks, that’s all he does — be it with boosters’ cash or his mouth. And it’s tiring.

If the NCAA isn’t going to fix the corruption, at least get Ross and Jimbo a juice box and a nappy....Toddlers old enough to vie for AARP membership is a bad look for everyone.

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Man, the Vegas PD may have really screwed this up.

They plainly have Ruggs dead to rights, or so it seemed. But LVPD did not establish in-the-field grounds that would give rise to the probable cause for a blood withdrawal. It was the blood test that showed Henry had a Tammy Wynette-level BAC. And that forensic evidence, of course, is what all DUIs turn on. Just as damning, the police reports (rank hearsay though they may be), plainly indicate that the cops did not perform a field sobriety test either and noted the deficiency of their warrant for the blood draw.

If that evidence gets tossed — and it very easily may — then the prosecutors’ case all-but evaporates. Ruggs’ preliminary hearing has been delayed once again as the judge weighs the Ruggs’ motion to exclude the evidence.

In this case would justice have been done? Probably not. But the law will have, and LVPD will have no one to blame but themselves.

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Tyreek Hill is catching some grief for saying that Tua Tagovailoa has a more accurate arm than Patrick Mahomes. But, as always, it’s bit more nuanced than that:

He spoke more on Tagovailoa after saying, “I’ve had a chance to see Tua throw the ball to myself… like he’s that dude bro,” said Hill.” I’m not just saying that because he’s my quarterback. He has a heck of an arm, he’s accurate, he can throw the deep ball and he actually goes through his reads.”

When asked who had the better arm between Mahomes and Tagovailoa, Hill said “Obviously I’m gonna go with 15 but as far as accuracy wise, I’m going with Tua all day. I want it to hit me right in the bread basket just like I did in the Buffalo Bills game and take it 70.”

That is both fair and an accurate reflection of reality. Mahomes is barely in middle of the pack in accuracy, with Tua being in the top-third (Jones and Tua are both ahead of Mahomes in that respect). Mahomes gets the nod for the cannon attached to his right shoulder, of course. But Tua has always been accurate. He’s the NCAA’s all-time career leader in passing efficiency, and finished up his ‘Bama career connecting on almost 70% of his tosses (69.3%). So, Tagovailoa completing 68.3% of his NFL passes in Year Two isn’t (or ought not be) a new revelation to anyone — although, being hamstrung by the idiotic archconservative Todd Bowles may have had something to do with that perception.

Still, from Hill’s perspective, when you’re a player that relies on putting on the jets after the catch, then getting the ball exactly where it needs to be, in-stride, is far more important to your game that raw ability to uncork 72-yard-bombs. And, if Tua doesn’t get it done this year with an improved offensive line, an aggressive offensive coaching staff, a competent ground attack, and the fastest receiving corps in the NFL, then he may not be capable of it. He’s been given every tool in the world to work with now. It’s time for Year 3 Tua to truly begin his career.

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In its rush to deregulate the sport and fend off antitrust action from Congress, the NCAA has painted itself into a corner on many fronts — everything from the guaranteed 2020 one-year waiver that in retrospect now seems ill-considered, to outrageous NIL rules, to the one-time transfers that (alongside NIL) have created free agency. This would be daunting enough if the NCAA had competent leadership; however, it does not. In fact, it has an administration that not only created this chaos, but that has exacerbated it and then dumped the problems into the laps of the conferences.

Attempts to unwind this knotted skein do not look like they’re moving anywhere fast either. Even taking a nominal step — like establishing a transfer portal window — isn’t gaining traction, and action is unlikely on it for now.

“Other than bringing it up in concept form, I doubt that the [NCAA] Council takes any action,” said West Virginia athletic director Shane Lyons, current chairman of the council, which holds primary legislative authority for Division I athletics.

More likely is an adoption of transfer windows later this summer as the powerful Transformation Committee considers deregulation of the NCAA as a whole.

“The deregulation of transfers compounded with what [name, image and likeness] evolved into is creating a lot of stress in the system,” said a source close to the committee. “On top of that, the NCAA not enforcing inducements and tampering [is an issue]. That has been an ongoing discussion.”

What an absolute mess. The system isn’t stressed; it’s teetering like Baba Yaga’s hut with one leg amputated.

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ARCH REPORT! Manning made yet another OV to campus this weekend and had yet another “really good” trip. Here’s the wrap up from AL.com

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Josh Pate is all-in on Dallas Turner — as well he should be. Turner would be the team’s undisputed superstar defender at 129 other programs. It’s just his misfortune to play alongside the pass rusher of his generation...for one more year at least.

And Pate, at least, thinks the Turner / Will tandem is the best in the country.

“The linebacker room at Alabama is about as disgusting as it gets,” said Pate. “I think they have the two best linebackers in college football, they got Will Anderson and they got Dallas Turner. I know everyone agrees on Anderson, I think by seasons end you’re going to look at 15 and think he’s right there with Will Anderson. They are two phenomenal players.”

Anderson is rated as the No. 1 overall player on virtually every big board for the 2023 NFL Draft. As a freshman in 2020, he finished with 52 tackles, including 8.5 for loss, seven sacks and a team-high eight quarterback pressures. He was selected as the Shaun Alexander-FWAA Freshman of the Year and picked up Freshman All-American and second team All-SEC honors.

Imagine voting Will for second-team all-SEC. LOL.