Man in the Hat media

It was recently announced that the Atlantic Coast Conference has added Pittsburgh and Syracuse . The ACC has also expressed interest in Connecticut and Rutgers. That move would make the ACC the first to go to a 16-team super conference. Personally, I like this move by the ACC. It is no secret money is the big reason behind conference expansion, most notably, acquiring new television markets. This move moves the ACC into Pitt, a good sized market, and into upstate New York, truly making it the Atlantic Coast Conference (Florida to Massachusetts). Now, the ACC cane make its conferences actually make since. Ditch the "Atlantic" and "Coastal" division and make this conference make sense. Instead, make it the ACC-NORTH and ACC-SOUTH. In the South, put Miami, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Clemson, North Carolina, NC State and Duke. For the North, put Wake Forest, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Maryland, Pitt, Syracuse and Boston College. Of course if they end up ad...

The lockout is over, we got the preseason out of the way, and Thursday starts off the much-anticipated NFL season. It is easy to pick the Packers to repeat with Aaron Rodgers, but who is going to win the divisions this year. AFC East 1-New England Patriots 2- New York Jets (wildcard) 3- Buffalo Bills 4-Miami Dolphins North 1- Baltimore Ravens 2- Pittsburgh Steelers (wildcard) 3- Cleveland Browns 4-Cincinatti Bengals South 1- Houston Texans 2- Indianapolis Colts 3- Jacksonville Jaguars 4- Tennessee Titans West 1- San Diego Chargers 2- Kansas City Chiefs 3- Oakland Raiders 4- Denver Broncos NFC East 1- Philadelphia Eagles 2- Dallas Cowboys 3- New York Giants 4- Washington Redskins North 1- Green Bay Packers 2- Detroit Lions 3- Chicago Bears 4- Minnesota Vikings South 1- Atlanta Falcons 2-New Orleans Saints (wildcard) 3- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (wildcard) 4- Carolina Panthers West 1- St. Louis Rams 2- Arizona Cardinals 3- Seattle Seahawks 4-...

No eloquent openings, no whitty quips, I'm just gonna dive right in. Since I'm still working on a method to breakdown big games, I'll just give my picks of the SEC, ACC, Top 25 selections, and D1AA teams in South Carolina Remember to keep your tally and play along. Next week will be much more in-depth. Clemson over Troy South Carolina over E. Carolina Miss. State over Memphis Kentucky over W. Kentucky Auburn over Utah State Alabama over Kent State BYU over Ole Miss. Tenn. over Montana Arkansas over Mizzou. State Florida over FAU Vanderbilt over Elon Oregon over LSU Boise St. over Georgia Georgia Tech over W. Carolina Syracuse over Wake Forest Northwestern over BC Virginia Tech over App. State FSU over UL-Monroe UNC over James Madison Virginia over William and Mary NC St. over Liberty Duke over Richmond Maryland over Miami (FL) Wofford over Presbyterian Coastal Carolina over Furman UCF over Charleston Sou. Citadel over Jacksonville

It has been reported in the last few days by AggieYell.com , along with multiple sites, that the Aggies will leave the Big 12 (10) after the 2011 season and join the SEC in the 2012 season. This deal still has a long way to go , because it has to pass the Texas legislature and the Texas A&M board of regents . The legislature which is a muddled mess where football and politics are blended together (I guess the saying is true...football is a close second to God in Texas). Also, SEC presidents have to agree for this to happen. It is also rumored that A&M would have to pay back 80 percent of the past two years revenue to the Big 12. Safe to say they would make that back pretty quickly with the SEC's revenue-sharing system. All-in-all, a good move for both sides : The Aggies get out of a conference dominated and ran by big brother Texas, and the SEC moves into the Texas TV market. And both sides will get the cash rewards. But if the Aggies move goes through, an...

The ACC just hasn't had it. The after thought of expansion was the ACC was going to match with the SEC. But that hasn't happened. No national titles, only Virginia Tech has been what was expected with Miami falling off, and Boston College also fell down. But this year could mean the rebirth of an old power: Florida State. Atlantic 1-Florida State (10-2, 7-1) 2-NC State (9-2, 6-2) 3-Clemson (8-4, 5-3) 4-Boston College (6-6, 3-5) 5-Maryland (3-9, 1-7) 6-Wake Forest (2-10, 0-8) Coastal 1-Miami (10-2, 6-2) 2-North Carolina (9-3, 4-4) 3-Virginia Tech (8-4, 4-4) 4-Georgia Tech (6-6, 3-5) 5-Duke (4-8, 2-6) 6-Virginia (4-8, 1-7) FIRST TEAM Offense QB-E.J. Manuel (Florida State) RB-Andre Ellington (Clemson) RB-Montel Harris (Boston College) WR-Laron Byrd (Miami) WR-Donovan Varner (Duke) WR-Stephen Hill (Georgia Tech) TE-Dwayne Allen (Clemson) OL-Zebrie Sanders (Florida State) OL-Blake DeChrisopher (Virginia Tech) OL-Antoine McClain (Clemson) OL-Brandon Washington (Miami) OL-Seantrel Hen...

It is the dead period known as July. Right around the corner are Media Days, then we are slap in the middle of fall practice. But the fun things now are making predictions of who will be make 1st Team all conference, and who is going to win conferences. So I won't dilly-dally. Here is the Lake Report's Third Annual ALL-SEC 1st and 2nd Teams and projected divisional outlook. EAST 1-South Carolina (11-1, 7-1) 2-Florida (9-3, 5-3) 3-Georgia (8-4, 5-3) 4-Tennessee (7-5, 3-5) 5-Kentucky (6-6, 2-6) 6-Vanderbilt (3-9, 1-7) WEST 1-Alabama (11-1, 7-1) 2-Arkansas (9-3, 6-2) 3-LSU (9-3, 5-3) 4-Mississippi State (7-5, 3-5) 5-Auburn (4-8, 1-7) 6-Ole Miss (3-9, 0-8) FIRST TEAM Offense QB-Tyler Wilson (Arkansas) RB-Marcus Lattimore (South Carolina) RB-Trent Richardson (Alabama) WR-Alshon Jeffrey (South Carolina) WR-Da'Rick Rodgers (Tennessee) WR-Greg Childs (Arkansas) TE-Orson Charles (Georgia) OL-Barrett Jones (Alabama) OL-Josh Dworaczyk (LSU) OL-Cordy Glenn (Georgia) OL-D.J. Fluker (Ala...

Toronto Blue Jays right fielder Jose Bautista is what we call a power hitter. What else would you call a guy who currently has 72 homeruns over two season up to this point. In 2010 he hit 54 moonshots, and this year currently has 18 homeruns in 38 games. But before the 2010 season, dating back to 2006 when he was in Pittsburgh, Bautista had homerun totals of 0 (2005), 16 (2006), 15 (2007) and 13 (2009). The question is: How does a player who hits homeruns in the mid teens, balloon his total in the 50s. The obvious speculation is performance enhancing drugs. But Bautista has passed all his drug tests up to this point. Maybe he has found a very good masking agent. Could it be though, that Bautista did it the right way: Got in the weight room, worked on his swing technique and mechanics, and has just hit his "prime" at the plate? Looking at pictures, Bautista hasn't bulked up as much as players that have used steroids (Alex Rodgriguez, Barry Bonds). For now, we will have to...

Sports-entertainment mega power ESPN has a lock on the sports market. Deals with the Southeastern Conference, NBA, NFL, MLB have helped make the company billions of dollars. Now, ESPN has added the newly formed PAC-12. ESPN/PAC-12 signed a 12-year contract that begins in 2012-2013. This is all great news for the PAC-12...but for ESPN, this could turn out to be a lemon deal. Besides the money, the PAC-12 will get the chance for more publicity off the deal. And while this pretty much locks down the LA market, and will add viewers in Utah and Colorado, I'm not sure ESPN made the smartest deal. The question is, how are they going to get the east coast ratings. PAC-12 games typically don't air on the East Coast until 10 or 11 at night, if not later. ESPN signing may move up a few game times, but I don't expect people in the South and Northeast to come clamoring to the TV to watch the Arizona/Colorado football game. This will be great for basketball, but football, which is king a...

Mark it down as a date in American history. On May 1, 2011 President Barack Obama announced to the world that a team of Navy Seals went into Pakistan and killed FBI Most Wanted Usama bin Ladin. This was later proven by reported facial recognitions, multiple DNA tests and eye witnesses. Many media outlets, American mostly, declared this a triumphant day for America and its "War on Terror." Indeed, they are right. For 10 years, the American government has been looking for bin Ladin, and when the intelligence came in that he was open for an attack, President Obama took the risk and sent in the Seals. But here is where my patriotism turned to cynicism. "The world is a safer place now that bin Ladin is dead" In the long run, I'm not so sure, but I'm leaning to yes. More people will rise to take his place. They probably won't be as "influential" as bin Ladin. But in the short term, I disagree. Here is my example: When police take in leaders of street...

Signing day, and the long awaited Jadeveon Clowney announcement, has finally arrived and it officially ends this signing period...finally. South Carolina The Gamecocks signed a monster-sized class, with 32 players in all. Clowney is the gem of this class, with some solid players joining him. On offense, the Gamecocks signed New Jersey QB Tanner McEvoy , along with RBs Brandon Wilds of Blythewood and Shon Carson of Lake City. Joining them are a trio of WRs: Jersey speedster Damiere Byrd , possession receiver K.J. Brent, and Shameir Jeffrey, the younger brother of current Gamecock Alshon Jeffrey. Tight end was an area of need, and Carolina signed three: Rory Anderson, Jerrell Adams and Drew Owens. Six players make up the offensive line class. Junior-College transfer Kaleb Broome, who projects as a tackle, is joined by tackles Brandon Shell , Mike Matulis and Will Sport, and guards Kyle Harris and Quincy McKinney. But the defensive side of the ball was a major area for the Gamecocks, and...

The tragedy in Arizona when Jared Laughner gunned down multiple people, including the attempted assassination of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords , left more than just blood stains in the parking lot of a grocery store. He left not just physical scars, but also emotional and psychological ones too. He also opened old wounds in the American political spectrum. Not even a day went by with people attempted to politicize the event. Many blamed former Alaska governor and Tea Party star Sarah Palin for her map using alleged crosshairs over Congressional districts. Others blamed the books Laughner read, or the powerful, violent political rhetoric our politicians have been using lately. I'm no Palin defender, but even I'll come to her defense saying I don't think she would want someone to shoot and kill someone. The map at the time was a powerful message at the time, but in hindsight, it was probably in poor taste to be targets on districts. Others wanted to blame the Tea Party, th...

Whew. I'm back ladies and gents. After a long, hard semester of school and a holiday season, I finally have time and energy to get back. So, with the cordiality out of the way, let's get down to season wrap ups for football. Clemson The Tigers had a rough year, but are you really surprised? A year after making it to the ACC title game, Clemson followed it up with a 6-7 record, and going .500 in conference. The losses of RB C.J. Spiller and WR Jacoby Ford really hurt the offense. RB Andre Ellington looked to be heading to an All ACC selection, until an injury sidelined him for the rest of the season, leaving Jaimie Harper to carry the load. The lack of the big-play WR also hurt. WR DeAndre Hopkins showed potential, but he couldn't carry a passing attack led by the subpar QB Kyle Parker. Defensively, the Tigers were strong. Led by DE DaQuan Bowers and DB DeAndre McDaniel, the defense kept Clemson in every game. Clemson had strong line play on both sides of the ball, but Cle...