College Football Nation: Free Food and Spray Paint

Jeff Hostetler FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Is it football season yet?  I will have to ask that question every week until kickoff in August.  Right now, all we get to hear about is police reports and coaches kissing pigs.  We at least have the spring games going on, giving us a chance to speculate on how our teams will do come Fall.

Let’s get to the news —

1)  Not just college football players, but all college athletes can be glad UCONN’s Shabazz Napier told everyone he was hungry all the time.  That comment set off a chain reaction that now leads to players getting unlimited meals and snacks from the universities.  It’s a good change in the rules and a step in the right direction.

I’m sure players still want to get “paid,” but free food is nice.  I know some schools were already doing things like this for players and remember a few times when I would wander around my favorite team’s locker room — where there was a snack table always set up or a Gatorade machine with unlimited drinks.

Now, I guess, schools can make it official and feed the players all they want.  Good move on the free food — everyone always likes free food!  Former Kentucky QB, Jared Lorenzen jokes that he wishes that rule was made while he was in college.  He was a BIG quarterback in college and is still playing QB at more than 300 pounds.  Can you guess which one he is?

2)  How do you agitate your school’s rival during the off season?  You spray paint your logo on their field!  The rivalry between Clemson and South Carolina is already intense on the field, but fans like to do things like this, to take it up a notch during the off-season.  I’m sure Spurrier will make a remark like this: “I guess that Clemson logo is the only time Clemson has looked good on our field, especially since we have beaten them the last 5 times.”

You and I both know Spurrier will get the fan base going and get everyone jacked up for the game in the fall!  It’s always interesting to see how schools get back at their rivals in a fun — and funny — way!

3)  Is Nick Saban really that good?  Well, a lot more people will think that since one of the NFL’s best Quarterback, Peyton Manning, visited Alabama to “become a better player,” while there.  If that is not a great recruiting tool, then I don’t know what is.

Imagine walking into a recruit’s house and you say, “Peyton Manning comes to me for advice, that is how good we do things here at Alabama!”  The rich just keep getting richer in college football.  Alabama will have its hands full this year without a proven quarterback to lead them into the fall — and no penalty to slow down the game.

I wonder if Saban had Manning give them a pep talk for the upcoming season.  It never hurts having a student of the game such as Peyton Manning around, giving advice to your team.

With all of that out of the way, we still have Oregon’s spring game to look forward to.  I’m excited to see the offense and see the next group of Ducks ready to run all over the PAC-12.  This is the year for Oregon fans to get really excited about.  It is the playoffs, so even one loss could still get the team in!

On top of that, we have not had much news about paying athletes, unions, or major players being arrested this past week … so overall it was a positive week.  If you want a good laugh then watch this video making fun of the SEC and their “Bag men.”

NATIONAL NEWS:

1. Penn State coach cries

2. Kyle Allen leads Aggie nation

3. SEC game

4. Bama player calls out OU

5. Spring’s breakout players

 

For the Exciting 2024 Football Season….

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