You will be pleased to know that Miami Beach did not get its share of the 7M gallons of aqua the heavens were to dump on us the past week or so. Nor 7 gallons. Maybe 7 drops. Weather people are such cockroaches.
Monday, October 12, 2026
Florida State has a Rutgers-esque financial problem*
*Penn State Has a Florida State, Rutgers-esque Financial Problem
Both are historic tackle football programs who have won national championships. Both play in Power Four conferences. Both have humongous, passionate fan bases, and deep-pocketed boosters. Both poured money into "state of the art" facilities and upgrades after pressure by former coaches. Both gave huge contracts with guaranteed money unless fired for cause to their professors of pigskin. Both are state universities whose costs are footed by taxpayers in whole or part. Both are now heavily in debt. Both have struggled on the field in recent years, cutting into, or causing fear of cutting into, deep revenue streams. FSU fired its athletic director recently. PSU AD Pat Kraft is on the hot seat.
Kraft encumbered the athletic department and via that the university with $750M, that's three-quarters of a BILLION, in debt to "refurbish" the "Nittany Lions" playground, now known as "West Shore Home Field at Beaver Stadium" which the undersigned cannot resist compacting to "Whore Field". The upgrades are not yet complete.
How that three-quarter billion was an investment that would pay future dividends rather than a vanity project is extremely muddy to see. From Wikipedia:
Beaver Stadium has an official seating capacity of 106,572,[8] making it currently the second-largest stadium in the Western Hemisphere and the fourth-largest in the world.
On Saturday last a new stadium record 114,000+ encircled Whore Field to watch the team lose to Southern California, dropping their record to 3-3, 0-3 against their B1G peers. Tickets are not cheap to Whore Field, parking is not cheap, food and beverage, once the captives are inside, are not cheap and getting to State College is a pain in the ass. Remaining home games against Purdue, Minnesota and Rutgers are not expected to challenge the new attendance mark.
Kraft is responsible for both the three-quarter billion anchor around PSU's neck and the mediocrity on the field. On this date one year ago Kraft fired head coach James Franklin. The firing was deserved and inevitable.
Former Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley had two maxims that he followed in axing coaches. First, when it is necessary to change eventually, it is necessary to change immediately. Change at PSU was necessary and Pat Kraft acted immediately. He followed the first Foley Maxim. Many ADs do. Where they step in a shit puddle is on the second.
Foley kept a list of three to four replacement coaches to whom he would offer the job in his pocket at all times when eventually became immediately. "One of them is going to take it", Foley stated. In other words, Foley did not leap before looking. He had a plan. Kraft did not. Steve Pederson, first at Nebraska, then at Pitt, did not. Pederson violated the eventually-immediately maxim, as well. He is now selling insurance or the like in Ohio.
Kraft's mid-season firing of Franklin was eerily similar to Pederson's firing of Frank Solich at Nebraska. Both the dearly departed were excellent managers at the bluest of blue-chip football factories. Both were fired for not meeting the highest expectations. Crucially, both Pederson and Kraft saw no need to keep a Foley's List handy. This was Nebraska after all, this is Penn State, the best and the brightest will come crawling and groveling. Both completely misjudged the opportunity. Pederson embarked on a 41-day odyssey criss-crossing the country, rumors of Pederson sightings reported as of a fugitive, the university plane provided him tracked by increasingly desperate fanatics. Kraft's journey lasted fifty-four lonngg days. Both thought they could get Knute Rockne were he available. Both got doors slammed in their faces as targets were immediately locked up in new, improved contracts.
Coming back to our first analogy, FSU, current head coach Mike Norvell had ONE great season as chief Seminole. Alabama came knocking. Tribe headquarters in Tallahassee pushed DEFCON 1 and locked up Norvell with a new contract and new, more guaranteed money. The "Seminoles" are in a deep financial hole for the same reasons PSU are, new, improved facilities, new coaches with huge buyouts.
Pat Kraft's odyssey in Happy Valley ended happily, it seemed. A well-regarded, successful-at-his-level coach from the Heartland was lured away to the B1G Time. Matt Campbell had labored long, honorably and successfully in Ames, Iowa at Iowa State in the Big XII conference. He had eastern roots, even attended Pitt on an athletic scholarship for one year, had sort of a Pa. feel to him, modest, rural. He seemed a good fit in arrogant, rural State College. Kraft locked him up to a long-term with lotsa guaranteed money.
PSU was widely expected to seriously contend for the national championship in 2025. They were loaded with talent, had an excellent coach, and shiny new facilities. They faceplanted, James Franklin was fired, and here's where it all blew up in Pat Kraft's face: Franklin was beloved by his players and when he landed at Virginia Tech he took coaches, players and recruits with him. PSU's recruiting class went from top-20 to mid-60's, behind those of Rutgers, Appalachian State, and Temple. The cupboard was bare for Campbell and he had to scramble. He brought Iowa State players with him to Penn State to restock. This has not worked out well for PSU. Virginia State became a reasonable facsimile of Penn State and Penn State bears too strong a resemblance to Iowa State for the taste of "Nittany Lion" faithful.
Bringing all of our analogical threads together, Rutgers football is a basket case financially and athletically; FSU is in a deep semi-hole with no clear way out; Nebraska has not YET recovered from the disastrous firing of Frank Solich in 2003, and PSU's Whore Field is covered in a layer of slippery red ink as it struggles to regain traction from Joe Paterno's firing over fifteen years ago. Welcome to the B1G Time.
Oct. 10, 12:21 am:
The Athletic Department is swimming in $430M in red ink. Mike Norvell's buyout alone is nearly $51M; those of his assistants if terminated with him adds even more, $68M. Those buyouts increase that existing $430M by 28%. There is no way out for Florida State. They are going to suffer through more football ineptitude or risk their ability to compete in major college tackle football in the very near future.
Sunday, October 11, 2026
Some Schadenfreude Sunday
In the National Concussion League' the Miami "Dolphins" now are 0-5. They lost this afternoon at Joe Robbie Stadium to the Cincinnati "Bungals". The score was 31-24 though. Maybe not cause for freude in SoBe but "closer than expected" *eye roll. Their previous four L's were by an average of 13.75. One hand clapping.
But when you think about schadenfreude and you think about Sundays you always think first of...yeah. Sensitive City took a 3-1 record and a Deshaun Watson massage-rejuvenated arm into FetLife Stadium in Nueva Jersey to dump on the 1-3 New York J-E-T-S! JETS JETS JETS!
So you can guess what happened since this is under the heading of schadenfreude. Yes. Sensitive City lost. 17-12 the final. Unbelievably, Fast Planes were a 2.5-point favorite!
"Geno Smith" pilots the Planes. You can look Mr. Smith up in your Webster's, his photo is next to the definition of "journeyman". Mr. Smith has played for five different teams, and to mark him forever, this is his second stint with the afore-mentioned J-E-T-S! JETS JETS JETS! I say Mr. Smith in deference to the elderly for Mr. Smith is 36 years old.
But today Mr. Smith was the better of the two QBs. Perhaps less worse. His QB rating was 85.7. No, I don't know what that means only that it was better than Demassage Watson's 69.6. So Sensitive City falls to 3-2 and the Fast Planes zoom up to 2-3.
Elder Weekend. In a lonely field beyond Fort Pitt the "Stillers" (2-2 entering) behind, pushing his wheelchair peut etre? 54-year old Aantivax Rogers corralled the "Colts", also 22-2, formerly of Balteemore, now of Indeeannoplace 34-22. Pit. did an excellent job on the Young Horses and Aantivax was the reason. Three TDs and a 125.1 QB rtng (see Messers Smith and Watson above) voisus young (29) Daniel Jones' 72.8. Doing our math Pit. is now 3-2, Indy 2-3.
AP Top 25
I have no issue with the top three, Georgia, Notre Dame du Lac, Miami (FL).
I question Ohio (5-1) at four over defending natty and undefeated Indiana.
But I am shocked at Alabama at six, remaining at six. They were sixth last week and they lost at home to Jawja this week. Bama was the betting favorite to win that game, too! They don't drop? Not even one spot? Somebody can make a liar out of me but I sure don't remember that ever, ever happening before.
If voters don't penalize a team for losing at home to a team they're favored to beat, what would they have done if Bama had won?...Won at home as the favorite? Are you kidding me, AP's voters would have zoomed the "Tide" up to at third, jumping Ohio and Miami, maybe second behind only the "Lakers" and, I bet the voters would have made Alabama no. 1 with ND second. It is unthinkable that voters would have kept Alabama at sixth after beating the then-number two team, even at home, even as the favorite. Maybe it's just a statistical quirk this one week but it sure does feel to me like SEC bias.
Penn State People Are Trash
Saturday, October 10, 2026
FTs
KY Jelly 35 Elle Esse Ew 34 (10) (OT). HUGE W for KY
Alabama (6) 17 Jawja (2) 20. "Bulldogs" will be no. 1 tomorrow. Probably will be when all is said and done. I have a suspicion that The University of Notre Dame du Lac (3) will win the natty this year.
Paterno-Sandusky 23 USC (19) 31. Homer was a Trojan, right? The Odyssey? USC has just completed their odyssey east with two dubs.
Nike (13) 15 UCLA (21) 17. That's an upset! In Eugene? That is for sure an upset.
Mizzou (14) Texas DEI 6. Man, Mike Elko is struggling big time in Lubbock.
Alabama (6) 17 Jawja (2) 20. "Bulldogs" will be no. 1 tomorrow. Probably will be when all is said and done. I have a suspicion that The University of Notre Dame du Lac (3) will win the natty this year.
Paterno-Sandusky 23 USC (19) 31. Homer was a Trojan, right? The Odyssey? USC has just completed their odyssey east with two dubs.
Nike (13) 15 UCLA (21) 17. That's an upset! In Eugene? That is for sure an upset.
Mizzou (14) Texas DEI 6. Man, Mike Elko is struggling big time in Lubbock.
Virginny 28 "Orangemen" 25. Syracuse has got three years to turn the football program around (finances) according to the chancellor and athletic director. And if not? Is the implication that they will give up Power Four football? Give up all that ACC money? I don't know what the implication is but that is what the two relevant heads said. They have to go big on a head coach but that, today, costs mucho moolah. And they're a private school. Okay, well so is Miami. You mean to tell me that with such an historic program, as important as football has been as the "front porch" of the university, with the number of football alumni that they have, with the number of alums in broadcast journalism from their renowned school up there, you mean to tell me all those wealthy formers can't pony up $7M-$8M to hire an accomplished coach? Or is the will not there? See, I have some experience with the latter as an alum and life-long fan of Pitt. The Sugar Bowl in 1977 (our last national championship) said they had never seen a school like Pittsburgh, we almost apologetic about premier athletic achievement. "We're more than that", Pitt officials said. So when it came time to pony up to retain Jackie Sherrill when the above Texas DEI was throwing Texas Tea money at him, we cashed out. Too rich for our blood. But 1977 is a long, long time removed from today with super-conferences with multi-billion dollar TV contracts, with players making millions. It's a different world. You might as well compare the late '70's to the leather helmet days. So I get it if that's what it is for Syracuse. Apparently they have three years to figure it out.
Curt Cignetti is one helluva coach
"You've got to have an indomitable will, man. A will that cannot be defeated or subdued. And you've got to be resilient. You have the ability to overcome the unexpected. No matter how bad it gets, you never let anxiety, frustration enter your mindset. You're going to find a way. It's just a matter of time."--Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti
The Cignetti meme is,
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Cignetti's players buy in:
At halftime, Cignetti told his players that good teams find a way to win games such as these. Quarterback Josh Hoover was struck by his calm demeanor and confidence in the locker room amid a start that hadn't gone according to plan.
"He came over to me and said, 'Are you having fun yet?'" Hoover said of Cignetti.
"You want to win these big games. You want to be down. You want to feel what it's like when you touch the stove, feel when the pressure's on. I think that builds character, that builds relentless trust in your team. No matter how it was going to get done, whether it's pretty or not, we were going to walk out of Lincoln, Nebraska, with a win."--Indiana linebacker Isaiah Jones
HT in the SEC! Alabama (6) just scored a TD with twee secs left on the clock. 14-10 Jawja (2)
I think it just means more down South.
HT in Lasch Memorial Stadium Paterno-Sandusky 17-17 Southern Cal (19)
James Franklin used to bitch (about everything) about Left Coast games when he was in Towel Snappy Valley. This is SoCal's second cross-country trip in the first six games. First to Ruptures and SHIA Stadium, now to PSU. Brutal.
Well, it was U-G-L-Y play-calling and play but Cal won. FT 25-20 Va. Tech
Second ball-buster in a row for the "Hickies". Missing the game-winning FG as time expired at Pitt last week and now having another shot at a dub on the final play of the game from the six and losing. Have a good trip back from San Fran, "Hickies"!
WHAT DID CAL JUST DO???
They went for two and failed. Then they kicked off and the ball landed at the Va. Tech 22 and was returned to the 40. Then they got a 15-yard pass int. penalty. Now Va. Tech is down to the Cal 7, 3 secs left! WTF CAL!
Public Occurrences October 10, 2026
SHOOTER KILLS EIGHT IN ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA
Trump strikes deal with Putin to get diesel in sharp reversal of US policy weeks before midterms
AP
AP
Trump says Ukraine should get a new president as he blames Zelenskyy for US diesel prices
“I suggest they get a new leader who can make a deal because he could have made many deals and for some reason he never does.
[Trump] sought to blame record U.S. diesel prices on Ukraine rather than the U.S.-led war in Iran, which has elevated world energy prices.
"He wants to make problems for the world. He wants to make problems for our farmers, our ranchers, with diesel fuel."
[Trump] sought to blame record U.S. diesel prices on Ukraine rather than the U.S.-led war in Iran, which has elevated world energy prices.
"He wants to make problems for the world. He wants to make problems for our farmers, our ranchers, with diesel fuel."
I have so much schaden I can't experience much schadenfreude even at FU's expense :(
MLFootball
@MLFootball
TRENDING: #16 FLORIDA IS GETTING DESTROYED BY SOUTH CAROLINA BY 25+ POINTS…
Florida QB Aaron Philo has been benched… and their defense can’t get off the field.
They now just have a 10% chance to make the SEC Championship on Polymarket… 😬
SELF-SCHADENFREUDE
Oh my goodness. With 6:21 left in the game UNC threw an INT that was returned by Pitt to the UNC 41. With 4:14 to play Pitt went for it on 4th and 2 at UNC 21. Geriner threw incomplete. Of course, I do not second-guess Pat Narduzzi there. In retrospect only that would have made the score 21-20.
And we got the ball back. We forced a 3-and-out and returned the punt to the UNC 39 with 2:33 left.
On 4th and 2 at UNC 31, 1:59, we had to and did go for it again. A run was one-yard short. If, the worst word in sports, if we had taken the three with 4:14 and if we had taken the three with 1:59 left we would have led 23-21.
AND WE GOT THE BALL BACK AGAIN! We forced another three and out and started on our 29 with 1:36 left. Geriner threw four times, the first complete for a LOSS of 4 yards. Of course we went for it on 4th and 14 from our 25. Geriner threw incomplete with :56, his third consecutive incomplete pass on the final Pitt possession.
Man, that is painful. I'm glad I didn't follow. No self-schadenfreude for me here! Only schaden. Oof.
SCHADENFREUDE SATURDAY!
Indiana (7) came back to beat Nebraska 20-17 in Lincoln. Two fourth quarter scores got the win for the "Hoosiers".
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