ChantRant.com

inFamous Jameis

Commentary by Todd Gilbert.  Follow him on Twitter.

The Heisman winning quarterback for Florida State has done something very few athletes for FSU have done once again - had his fourth run-in with the Law in two years.  Yes, albeit once again over a “small” issue - stealing $32 worth of seafood.  What we are seeing is a picture being drawn - more of a silhouette of who Jameis might be. 

What we know of the dynamic quarterback and reliever is this:  his personality is off the charts; his athleticism is once in a generation; his judgment is pretty poor.  Whether it is stealing soda, shooting BB’s on campus, stealing seafood, or being questioned for rape, we know this - this behavior is NOT normal or acceptable.

Let’s put the rape allegation to the side quickly.  Do I believe he raped her?  No.  Could I be wrong?  Yes.  Regardless of the allegation, he put himself in a situation where this could be accused of him.  Winston’s own comments from today are, “…my conduct needs to be above reproach.”  At the least, his conduct was not above reproach here.  

Rape aside, let’s deal with the theft issues:  stealing soda using ketchup packets and stealing $32 worth of seafood.  This seems harmless, especially when viewing them as isolated instances.  That is exactly what we should not do though.  What we are seeing is a pattern, an ugly pattern.  One that stinks of self-entitlement.  

I do not know Winston.  I will probably never know Winston.  My opinion on him is absolutely fallible.  That being said, I have common sense.  I have never walked into any restaurant or any place for that matter with the intention of stealing something.  Nothing says you’re self entitled more than theft.  It is screaming to the world, “This is not mine, but it should be, and I should not have to do anything for it.”  Just a little over a month ago, my truck was broken into.  Unfortunately, my wallet was in the glove compartment and it was taken.  

In the wallet, I had cash, debit cards, credit cards, business cards, and of course my license.  Thankfully, the thieves only got away with my cash and $26 off my debit card from stopping at a gas station before I cancelled the cards.  What did they do to deserve this?  Was it their $26?  Did they earn it?  No.

Was I outraged? No.  I did feel violated though.  Someone came on my property, broke into my property, and stole what belonged to me.  This is what Jameis Winston did.  He walked on someone else’s property - twice. Stole someone else’s property - twice.  I don’t care if it is soda or crab legs - that is  not his unless he pays.  Stealing is the hallmark of self-entitlement.

Winston once asked reporters to beat him over the head with their microphones if he got “Manziel” disease.  Sadly, Winston got the superbug.  Manziel made mistakes which got the NCAA involved.  Winston is making mistakes that is getting the law involved.  

What needs to happen is this:  Winston needs help.  The guy must get people around him who are of high character - People who have experienced great success at an early age and pushed through the media circus and lived a good life.  I do not want to see this kid two years into an NFL contract and face a major lawsuit.  Sadly, he’s involved with one now.  Assuming the civil lawsuit, which is bound to happen, fails, small situations like the ones Winston is involved with now are only negative and have been known to escalate.  Why put yourself in something like this?

And to the FSU fans who continually make excuses for him - stop!  You are not supporting him, you are not sticking up for him, you are enabling him.  Since when did standing up for truth and what is right mean you are against another person?  I am not anti Winston.  As a matter of fact, I own one jersey (jersey shirt actually) - and that is a #5 FSU shirt purchased at the GarnetGold store in the Tally mall last November.  I enjoy watching Winston play - I enjoy watching him help my ‘Noles win.

I am so much a fan of his that I want him to better himself as a person.  Sadly, most FSU fans are only wanting him on the field.  Who cares what he does off as long has he wins us games right?  Pathetic.  

It really boils down to this:  the entire thing is just silly.  Me writing on this is silly.  Jameis Winston is months away from being a multi-millionaire - and he continues to steal from companies which he could own if he’d just make better choices.

We must expect more from people - not athletes; not celebrities - people.  No one is entitled to anything.  Work for something.  Earn something. Be upright and have morals - a standard to live by.  

I hope Winston has dealt with the law for the last time.  Time will tell.  

Our favorite Jameis Tweets

Everyone had a bit of fun today at Jameis Winston's expense.  We continue to pile on by reviewing our favorite Tweets of the day.

EJ Manuel or Christian Ponder; who's the better fantasy QB?

Commentary by Daniel Drury

As we get ready for the 2014 fantasy football season, people will be comparing quarterbacks all around the NFL. It is not set in stone that EJ Manuel and Christian Ponder will be starting for their respective teams just yet, and that is why they are not considered top fantasy football options. The two Florida State products could still have productive seasons if a few things go their way.

Manuel is preparing for his 2nd season at the NFL level, and he showed some signs of success in fantasy football last year for the Buffalo Bills. If Buffalo is completely dedicated to spending another year rebuilding a little bit, they will give Manuel a chance to grow as a quarterback. Many people have him rated somewhere in the 25-30 range as far as quarterback prospects are concerned.

As for the man he once backed up, Christian Ponder has a little bit of a different situation ahead of him. He is still on the Minnesota Vikings, and there is a decent chance that he is the best quarterback on the roster right now. He would need to find a way to be out Matt Cassel, but he would probably be able to pull it off. However, there is a very good chance that Minnesota goes after a quarterback in the NFL draft next week. That rookie they draft could very well have the inside track to start on day one. Considering that Ponder could find himself as the 3rd string quarterback by the 1st week of the regular season, he is a fantasy football risk at this point in time.

Both quarterbacks had quite a bit of success at Florida State, and they helped lay the foundation for one of the best programs in the country right now. At the NFL level, neither is an elite quarterback at this time. Manuel not only has the better potential, but he also should be the best in 2014 since he has more opportunities.

Take a knee, Jameis, this is an intervention

Commentary by Renegade Rick

Okay, Charlie Ward, time to dial up the young Seminole you've been mentoring.

Hey, EJ, take a break from cramming for your second season with the Bills and apply some all-out pressure TO a QB for a change.

Christian, Chris, Drew, Danny—wouldn't hurt for you guys to get in on this, too.

A member of your FSU family, and QB brethren, needs your help. He's at a critical crossroads between redemption and falling off a lofty pedestal. A fall that could cost him everything: fame, fortune, respect and even his freedom.

Was the Publix crab legs incident just youthful high jinks by an entitled jock? Did he take advantage of a s***faced bar patron, or does she have an agenda?

Whatever. Fame is a double-edged sword. The celebrity spin cycle of building someone up to tear them down is in overdrive. And it's time somebody made young Mr. Winston realize what he apparently hasn't grasped yet.

Perception IS Reality.

And here's another truth. One that major media pundits will find hard to believe about hardcore fans of an elite college football program. FSU faithful (at least the ones we know) want to feel as good about their heroes off the field as on it.

Even if that means Sean Maguire, John Franklin or even J.J. Cosentino has to learn on the job this fall.

The enigma of Jameis Winston

A few days ago we posted an article about life without Jameis Winston.  It wasn't that the article wasn't well received, but that the majority of the FSU fan base seems to blindly support their star quarterback.  It's, of course, very easy to support a quarterback that resurrected their beloved football program from the ashes.

But what's happening with Jameis Winston is not acceptable.

Last night he was allegedly cited by the Tallahassee Police Department or the Leon County Sheriff's Office for stealing crab legs. At this point, who issued the citation does not matter.

Just go ahead and let that sentence sink in for a few minutes; the one about Winston being implicated for shoplifting.  We're talking about crab legs.  He could have asked nearly anyone in that Publix to purchase the food for him, but he chose, instead, to shoplift them.  

While there are many conflicting reports, it appears that Winston was neither arrested nor cited for shoplifting. The issues remain, however, given Jameis Winston's proximity to too many troubling incidents. Maybe he took the crab legs as a mistake but we will never know. What we are left with are a string of run-ins and disputed incidents. Most likely, Winston suffers from a lack of maturity. But the issues with Winston are ongoing and long-running.  Fans will be conflicted with Winston as long as he continues to (1) get into trouble and (2) be successful on the football field.  I will continue to have my own reservations, not only about Winston, but about supporting a team led by Winston and that's an unfortunate reality given our recent success. I love my team but this isn't a smear campaign. This is a pattern of issues.

Fresh in every Florida State fan’s memory is the sight of Jimbo Fisher hoisting his first of hopefully several national championship trophies.  Almost on the verge of tears and most certainly experiencing unbounded joy, Jimbo Fisher lifted the trophy for everyone to see.  In that short moment, we all saw the fruits of his labor, enduring the “coach-in-waiting” phase and persevering through a top-to-bottom overhaul of the program.  This championship will always have his fingerprints all over it. 

But how will this championship be remembered?  I’m going to argue that it will almost certainly be tarnished, whether we like or not, because of Jameis Winston and the investigation surrounding his actions on a December night in 2012.  They are further tarnished by his continued brush-ups with the law because each continued issue diminishes any credibility he once possessed.

Let’s be clear about one thing: whether we want to acknowledge it or not, articles like the one recently printed in the New York Times represent the national perception of what happened.  Those of us that received an education in Tallahassee profess our loyalty for our school—sometimes blindly—but to the rest of the world, Florida State is seen as a football school willing to step over anything in its path to gridiron glory.

I’ll be the first to admit this: I lost interest in the games as soon as word broke, even if it was broken by TMZ, that Jameis Winston was being investigated for a heinous crime.  I found it hard to support Winston, regardless of his innocence, because of his proximity to this entire incident.  Truth be told, none of us besides those there that night will ever know what actually happened.  It isn’t fair, therefore, to judge one way or the other because we don’t have many facts.  Even if we did, we’d just tie the facts together to tell the story that we want to be told.  But what remains within the margin—between what we know and don’t know—is a cloud of doubt.  And that doubt will be cast over this past season for all of eternity.  Anyone searching to learn more about the winner of the 2013 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) National Championship will find more articles about Winston and criticisms of the investigation surrounding his actions than about the other players on that team.  We’ll also find piles of complaints that the university did not do enough to protect and maintain its integrity. 

Like an infant with reflux, the New York Times just wouldn't let the world put this story down.  There's a valid reason for that. They actually managed to up the ante in many respects and dusted off a story most thought was final as of the infamous press conference held by State Attorney Willie Meggs.  So how did they up the ante?  The New York Times not only aimed at poking holes at the investigation, but also at Winston, and casting further doubt:

A month before the rape accusation became public, the university’s victim advocate learned that a second woman had sought counseling after a sexual encounter with Mr. Winston, according to the prosecutor’s office. The woman did not call it rape — she did not say “no.” But the encounter, not previously reported, “was of such a nature that she felt violated or felt that she needed to seek some type of counseling for her emotions about the experience,” according to Georgia Cappleman, the chief assistant state attorney, who said she had spoken with the advocate but not with the woman.

This is yet another data point we could use to design a story to our liking but doing so is irresponsible.  So you must make a judgment call. 

Some take solace in that he’s a fairly jocular young man; you ask “how could someone so nice do something so wrong?”  Others take solace in the fact that Jimbo Fisher never thought about benching him.  For a second.  And it’s with his decision, Jimbo’s decision, that the FSU-faithful’s ___ rests.  Because, even though he’s fully committed to winning, Jimbo consistently preaches the value of character and integrity.  Jimbo also pays an inordinate amount of time to little details.  Now, did Jimbo conduct the investigation himself?  Unlikely.  But I am sure he was reticent to rest an entire season—a season that many knew from the start would be special—on not only someone with questionable character.

The problem is that stealing, from anyone, for any amount, for any reason, is wrong.  It reflects poorly on his character.  It creates doubt.  It causes conflict.  

Winston made a very bad decision.  Can he own up to it is the question.  Until he does, I'm going to continue holding my reservations about our star quarterback.

 

 

You may not like the logo, but the players love the uniforms!

As we have covered, almost ad neaseum, the unveiling of the new logo didn't quite go as well as FSU would have hoped.  

But as it turns out, the players (and recruits) are completely enamored with the new uniforms.  No doubt, the new swag has a fresh, striking look to it.  But what we didn't know, besides just the way the uniforms look, is that the uniforms feel different, too.

At the spring game, we caught up with the former players modeling the uniforms (C. Jones, T. Brooks, and D. Freeman), all of whom wanted another year of eligibility just to wear the new uniforms.  Apparently, the uniforms now weigh 5 pounds, including helmet, versus 12 pounds.  The uniforms "breathe" better as well and have a better fit.  

What does this mean?  The players feel better in them.

Notably, and on a somber note, the uniforms you came to know and love--the very ones worn during the spring game--were retired following the game.  

ESPN's ACC writers are usually masters of the obvious

It's probably the worst kept secret; FSU fans really aren't big fans of ESPN's ACC writers.  You could probably argue that the writers aren't particularly fond of FSU fans, either.

Recently, our favorite writers posted a piece about FSU's defense and how it won't have any seniors starting on defense this upcoming year.

A peek at the new locker room

OK, maybe the title is a tad facetious. 

Renovations are in big effect for the new football locker room. pic.twitter.com/CWvGLGhs7Y

— FSU Gameday (@FlaStateGameday) April 28, 2014

All we really have is a glimpse of an empty locker room.  What we will get in a few weeks is a major recruiting tool.  

My only fear with all of this change is that it is very distracting to the current football players.  I'm confident in Jimbo's ability to reign in their egos, but how can all of this not get to their collective heads?  

What can the ACC do with its scheduling?

This week, we heard that the SEC is sticking to the 8-game conference schedule (as opposed to the 9 game schedule).

This stokes the fire that has been burning for a long time: what to do about the ACC, it's schedule, and it's "divisions" that seemingly have little to no purpose by now.

By now, all of us are resigned to the fact that the ACC will be our home for the long haul.  The ACC may one day prove the place to be (seeing as the population of the ACC states only continues to grow), but for now, there are too many things about the ACC that bother us.  One of the most immediate issues is scheduling.  And of course, the scheduling is based on the divisional alignment which, according to everyone living outside of North Carolina, is awful.  It's plain and simple calculus and yet, the ACC refuses to implement it: realign the divisions geographically.  It really is that simple.  

If you can't get more TV money, then why don't we save money by realigning the divisions geographically?  The ACC is asking a lot of its fans to travel long distances.  It's not a reasonable proposition.  Keep the games closer to home and people will attend away games.

 But of course, that didn't happen and here we are.  FSU doesn't have Georgia Tech on its schedule each season (why?).

Why are you going to ask Florida State to travel to places like Pittsburgh and Syracuse, which are over 1,000 miles away, when you could realign the divisions and allow FSU and GT to play on an annual basis.  Obviously, there are reasons for this, but realigning the divisions on a geographic basis would save everyone a lot of money.  Plus, it is geographic rivalries that make college football great.  Tallahassee and Gainesville.  Athens and Atlanta.  You get it.  So, why not Tallahassee and Atlanta?

Based on full membership, I thought the following split would be do-able.  Why is realigning a good idea?  How does this help every team in the ACC?   Travel budgets and game day revenue.  FSU is more likely to sell out a game versus Georgia Tech than it would with Wake Forest.

North
Boston College Eagles
North Carolina Tar Heels
Pittsburgh Panthers
Syracuse Orange
Virginia Cavaliers
Virginia Tech Hokies
Wake Forest Demon Deacons

South
Clemson Tigers
Duke Blue Devils
Florida State Seminoles
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Louisville Cardinals
Miami Hurricanes
NC State Wolf Pack

A few notes.  It's hard to split up the North Carolina teams, which may make realigning the divisions fairly difficult.  The issue here, however, is Notre Dame and the fact that they aren't a full member.  

So what's the solution?  Blow up the divisions.  Scrap 'em.  Use a rotating schedule and then send the best two teams to the conference championship.  How could this work?  Well, more controversy considering the fact that rotating inevitably creates psuedo-divisions where you, in all likelihood, play the same 3 teams each year, and then a rotation of 5 teams every other few years.  The fact is that there are many ways to do it and they all create winners and losers.  But given the hesitancy to realign the existing divisions, doing away with them altogether makes the most sense.  It gives the ACC a chance to start fresh and, in the end, exploit the success of its two best teams no matter where they are from.

What we know about conference realignment is that it was driven by TV money.  What we know about scheduling in football in general is that it is driven by TV money.  I won't be surprised to see the ACC move to a 9 game schedule eventually; it makes for better games, which puts more fans in the stands, and more eyes glued to television sets.  It won't take long, but the question will remain: how do we do it equitably? 

[Editor's Note: as we get more feedback, we will be continuing to revisit this issue over the coming week.]

Well, we lost to UVA in baseball, but...

We still own them in football.

Go Noles.