Article of the day: Pryor and Bracken, the douche bag duo

I generally try to feature an article each day from another site. Usually they're from Penn State or Big Ten blogs, sometimes from other sites. Please check out the author's Web site. I always supply the link in the introduction.

This one's from The Nittany Line. I could have chosen other articles for today, but I just really hate Ron Bracken--the CDT's version of Jay Mariotti--so much, it almost makes me smile. So, without further adou, here's a beaut'.

Terrelle Pryor’s not coming to Happy Valley; Ron Bracken is giddy

While there are still some Penn State fans holding out hope that Terrelle Pryor will spurn OSU and Michigan to come and be coached by Jay Paterno that's probably not going to be the case. I'm not someone that follows recruiting closely, heck I've even stopped keeping track here at TNL, because there are others who do a far superior job and I've learned a couple things about recruiting: A) it's a sleazy business populated by a bunch of grown men fawning after 18 year old boys and B) it's totally impossible to predict what is going through the minds of said 18 year old boys. Also, it's impossible to predict how good a top recruit is going to be, did anyone really think Derrick Williams would have the kind of career he has had to this point when he committed to Penn State as the top recruit in his class? No, I think most thought he would do great things during his time at Happy Valley, not that his career has been a bust or anything.

That brings me back to Terrelle Pryor and his yet to be decided school of choice. It's most likely going to be Michigan or Ohio State and there are allegations swarming around of foul play on OSU's part but that's to be expected in a high stakes race for a top recruit. Fans start turning any little hint of impropriety into full blown we-never-landed-on-the-moon-it-was-all-taped-in-a-movie-studio level conspiracy theory. That's fans from all schools on Pryor's list not named Ohio State and of course the mudslinging comes from some Penn State message boards but if you listen to Ron Bracken it's exclusively limited to the evil Penn State loonies and no one else.

Oh, there are some diehards out there who still cling to the hope that Pryor, this year's super recruit, will relent and sign a letter-of- intent with the Nittany Lions. Be kind to them.

...And finally, there is that faction that, since Pryor seems destined to wind up in either Columbus or Ann Arbor, has to rationalize away his decision by suggesting that the universities in those places just have to be doing something blatantly illegal to tempt him away from Happy Valley.

The chat rooms and message boards are full of innuendos and ridiculous charges that Pryor is being given this, promised that by representatives of the pursuing schools.

It makes interesting reading but know this: It's based in jealousy and pettiness.

Ahhh... I love Ron Bracken, he's a poor man's Dave Jones, both despise Penn State with the glowing hot passion of the sun and both try to get readers by constantly taking pot shots at anything remotely connected to the Nittany Lions but they differ in one way: intelligent writing. Jones can sometimes put out an article with a shred of thought behind it (sometimes), Bracken - not so much. What was the point of this entire article? Message boards are the meeting place of some of the most eccentric fans? We already know there are going to be the kool-aid drinking types all over the message boards and chat rooms. No, this article, like most of Bracken's garbage, was a chance for him to stick his thumb in the eyes of Penn State fans. He knows Pryor isn't coming to PSU so he takes the opportunity to gloat behind the facade of real journalism. The real person that is petty in this case is Bracken, not some Penn State extremists who believe Terrelle Pryor might have been given improper benefits by a school with a sketchy track record in that department, but I guess it was getting close to Bracken's deadline so he grabbed some low hanging fruit. Typical.

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For the right Price, I'll throw in some Farrell, no charge

First off, I'm not going to make some cheesy joke about how Mike Farrell has the same name as the M*A*S*H* star. I love that show, but I won't even go this far. Everyone else has already posted the photos, so it's very old by now. OK, so now to where Penn State stands.

I was pleasantly surprised to hear that AJ Price committed to Penn State last weekend. I know, he's no Vidal Hazleton or Deion Walker, but he's tall and fast. What more does Penn State want right now? And who cares that he is only rated two stars; Deon Butler wasn't even rated coming out of high school. He was a defensive back who got a "preferred walk-on" invitation. So, don't take too much stock in those rankings. Price should add some depth for the next few years at that postition. On the super-plus side of this, Price said he's totally cool with redshirting this season. Great! I love a guy that cares more about the team than himself. I think that's a smart move on his part. Unless Penn State wide receivers start dropping like Rich Rodriguez's credibility, Price won't play in 2008.

Yes, I absolutely had to throw that Rich Rod quip in there. It was too easy to pass up.

On the Farrell side of it all, it's another case of fans giving the old, "well, he's not a gread commit, but I guess he'll be an OK backup." What's Penn State's fan base complained about more than anything for the last eight seasons? The offensive line; more specifically, the lack of size on the offensive front five. We all know Joe Paterno likes to use quick, smart linemen, and if they're big, even better. But now, Penn State could have the largest front five in a long time. That's not just the starters, but from top to bottom, it could be a very formitable group. Farrell has an excellent chance to someday crack the two-deep. How soon is up to him. He's off to a good start already, as he's coming to University Park at a Paterno-friendly 6'5" 285 lbs.

Don't expect much from me on the Tyrelle Pryor front. That's a rediculous situation, and I can only see trouble for the schools in the mix. At least, it's good for entertainment.

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Article of the day

I generally try to feature an article each day from another site. Usually they're from Penn State or Big Ten blogs, sometimes from other sites. Please check out the author's Web site. I always supply the link in the introduction.

This article was posted in a comment on a LaschOut.com post yesterday.

According to a recent article by Scout network's Adam Jardy, a Jeanette businessman named Ted Sarniak was reportedly spotted having dinner with Ohio State coaches in Jeanette.

Although the article isn't new, it has everything to do with what's going on recently in the recruitment of Tyrelle "The Messiah" Pryor. Apparently this Sarniak guy is a real scumbag, and none of us should be surprised that he has dipped his nose into this one. He really fits in with the school he's working with. You'll know what I mean in a second.

DA clears businessman, police
By Richard Gazarik
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Wednesday, December 12, 2007

The Westmoreland County District Attorney's Office has cleared a Jeannette businessman and a police officer of a bribery allegation after the officer failed to charge the man with drunken driving and refusing a blood test following an accident.
Ted Sarniak, who owns Jeannette Specialty Glass/Oceana, crashed his car into a utility pole in Jeannette on Oct. 28, 2006. Police did not arrest Sarniak, even though he smelled of alcohol and was uncooperative with police, according to District Attorney John Peck.

Peck said there is no evidence that Sarniak's subsequent donation of $4,000 to the Jeannette Police Department to purchase Taser guns was a reward for escaping arrest on a drunken-driving charge.

"You have to be lawfully arrested at the time you are asked to take a Breathalyzer or blood-alcohol draw," Peck said. "We typically don't review a decision to charge or not to charge."

The investigation began in April when Peck received a complaint that Sarniak bribed police to avoid arrest. Sarniak crashed his car into the utility pole at the corner of Lowry Avenue and Division Street following the Jeannette-Central Catholic football game.

When patrolman Justin Scalzo arrived, he "found Sarniak uncooperative, smelling of alcohol, glass in his hair and a damaged windshield," according to Peck.

Sarniak was taken to Mercy Jeannette Hospital for treatment of a head injury but refused to allow medical personnel to draw his blood to determine his alcohol level. In Pennsylvania, a reading of .08 meets the legal presumption of intoxication. Refusal to submit to a blood test or Breathalyzer carries an automatic one-year license suspension, Peck said.

After the incident, Peck said Sarniak contacted another Jeannette patrolman, Keith Rosky, and told Rosky he had only two drinks that night and was not drunk. Peck said Sarniak did not ask Rosky for any favors, but Rosky mentioned the conversation to Scalzo and asked him not to charge Sarniak with drunken driving.

Scalzo notified police Chief Jeff Stahl about the conversation. According to Peck, Stahl left the decision to Scalzo.

This year, Sarniak gave the police department $4,000 to buy the Taser guns but said that it was not a bribe.

"The investigation did not disclose any evidence that the donations were requested by the city of Jeannette Police Department or made in return for what Sarniak might perceive as favorable treatment arising from the October traffic investigation," Peck said.

To charge someone with bribery in official or political matters, Peck said, there must be a demand for money and money has to change hands.

Sarniak provided medical records that revealed he suffered a concussion when his head struck the windshield. He also suffered from post-concussion amnesia, which accounted for his behavior following the crash, Peck added.

Sarniak regularly has given gifts to city police officers, Peck said. Rosky and other officers have received Steeler football tickets from Sarniak.

"Although there was no direct link between the gift of the tickets and the intervention of Officer Rosky in the incident, one would be naive to believe that such gifts were not helpful in Mr. Sarniak receiving a willing ear from Officer Rosky," Peck said.

Sarniak did not respond to a request for comment.

This already interesting recruiting battle over Pryor could get a real kick in the ass if this thing about Sarniak blows up. Of course, it could be nothing, but we like to think there's something foul afoot.

More below the fold...

'State' of the 2008 recruiting class

We'll take a quick look at where Penn State is right now for the recruiting class of 2008. I left out all recruits that are 'committed' to other schools already, or prospects that have not been offered by Penn State. Basically, anyone still in contention for Penn State is on the list.

Most fans are very disappointed by the class of 2008. I'm not. After three straight very good classes, Penn State could officially be considered "loaded." I think the bigger class will be in 2009, when most of the core players from the last three years are graduated. The loss of guys like Deion Walker and the virtual loss of Terrelle Pryor has left a sour taste in the Penn State mouth. My real worry is that Pryor will end up with a team that plays Penn State, like Michigan. Here it goes.

(National Position Rank) Name, star rating (High School/Town/Commit Date or Not Committed) Height/Weight/40 time:

Quarterbacks: 0 Committed – Not as big of a deal as people are making it out to be.

(1) Terrelle Pryor ***** (Jeannette/Jeannette, PA/NC) 6-6/225/4.4:
With the likes of Michigan, Florida and Ohio State pushing for Pryor’s services, Penn State has to step up with a big pitch if the top recruit follows through with his probable visit this weekend. I don’t believe it’s that important to land a guy like Pryor now, other than to keep him from signing with one of Penn State’s opponents. 2009 will be the season in which Penn State has to land a top quarterback.

Running Backs: 2 Committed – Penn State is comfortable in their future at this position. With guys like Royster and Green coming up, and now Shaw and Beachum providing depth, Penn State won’t have to worry about this position until 2010.

(29) Michael Shaw **** (Trotwood-Madison/Trotwood, OH/081107) 6-0/187/4.45:
Will probably redshirt.

(32) Brandon Beachum **** (Cardinal Mooney/Youngstown, OH/072907) 5-11/220/4.65:
Will probably redshirt.

Wide Receivers: 1 Committed – If there’s one position that doesn’t need more depth, it’s at wide receiver. In the 2005 class, Penn State landed five great receivers. Two of them, Cousins and McDonald, haven’t really seen the field yet. They have two more years of eligibility. Combine them with Bell and others, and signing a top wide receiver becomes a perk with the class of 2008.

(13 TE) Mark Wedderburn **** (Cardinal O’Hara/Springfield, PA/112707) 6-5/235/4.6:
The tight end spot is becoming backlogged at Penn State. Wedderburn is a good prospect with great size and speed. He should take the redshirt and wait it out. He’ll see the field.

(67) DJ Woods *** (Strongsville/Strongsville, OH/NC) 6-0/166/4.36:
More of a burner than anything. Penn State hasn’t had a big go-to receiver in a while, so they’ve adapted to feature smaller, faster guys. Woods would fit in well in that sort of system.

(113) Marcus Davis *** (Ocean Lakes/Virginia Beach, VA/NC) 6-4/225/4.5:
If his 40 time is anything close to what’s reported, this kid’s a sleeper and a half. With that kind of size, Davis could do wonders in the red zone. However, will Penn State actually figure out how to use their big boys near the goal line?

(151) Rotell Jenkins ** (Huguenot/Richmond, VA/NC) 6-2/180/4.4:
This potential pickup will be more for depth than anything else.

(NR) AJ Price * (South Lakes/Reston, VA/NC) 6-4/175/4.5:
I’ve seen Price play in person. He’s good. Not great, but good enough for the interest Penn State has sent his way recently. Another great depth pickup.

Offensive Linemen: 2 Committed – This baffles me. The only great seasons Penn State has had were when the offensive line is humming like a 350 small block. With most of the 2008 starters graduating, Penn State will probably have a down year on the line in 2009. This part of the class should have been larger.

(8 G) Matt Stankiewitch **** (Blue Mountain/Schuylkill Haven, PA/041407) 6-4/290/0.0:
You can never overvalue a good guard. With very good size, and at a great starting weight, he has potential bursting from every seam.

(1 G) Josh Jenkins ***** (Parkersburg/Parkersburg, WV/NC) 6-3.5/303/0.0:
This would be a steal rivaling Derrick Williams in 2005. Chances are slim, though, that Penn State can reel in this fish.

(24 T) Deon’tae Pannell **** (Wylie E. Groves/Beverly Hills, MI/081007) 6-5/305/0.0:
Pannell is a very nice pickup from a key rival’s state. He has size similar to former All-American Levi Brown, but I’m not too sure about his 40 time.

(150 T) Mike Farrell ** (Shady Side Academy/Pittsburgh, PA/NC) 6-6/272/5.45:
Other than his size, there’s not much to go by with Farrell. Like the wide receiver situation, he could add some valuable depth to the unit.

Defensive Backs: 1 Committed – For a while, I was worried about the defensive backfield. But now I’ve calmed down a bit. Not because of this recruiting class, though. Now that King is off to the NFL, some questions were brought up about how things will shift around. I’m not concerned with 2008 as much as 2009 and beyond.

(15 S) D’Anton Lynn **** (Celina/Celina, TX/111007) 6-1/177/4.5:
Lynn’s speed will give Penn State the option to move him around once he gets on campus. Don’t be surprised to see him working out in several spots.

(24 CB) Jarred Holley (Easton Area/Easton, PA/NC) 5-9/170/4.5:
You can never have too many corners to choose from.

(47 CB) Kevin Whaley (Salem/Virginia Beach, VA/NC) 5-9/170/4.45:
See above.

Linebackers: 3 Committed – I don’t get this. For about three seasons now, Penn State has constantly said how strong and deep they are at linebacker. So, why then are they picking up guys like this? I will certainly not argue against having this kind of trio on the roster, but after last season’s great class of ‘backers, why was this strongest yet again?

(4) Mike Yancich **** (Trinity/Washington, PA/062607) 6-2/219/4.5:
Yancich and Penn State hope the leadership he displayed at the All-American Bowl will translate well into the next level. Usually Penn State linebackers meet their expectations coming out of high school.

(5) Michael Zordich **** (Cardinal Mooney/Youngstown, OH/060107) 6-2/210/0.0:
One thing Penn State linebackers could improve is coverage. Zordich gives that area a boost.

(9) Michael Mauti **** (Mandeville/Mandeville, LA/062307) 6-2/220/4.6:
Mauti is quickly rising up the charts in the eyes of Penn Staters. All three of these guys will probably red shirt.

Defensive Linemen: 3 Committed – Just like the offensive line, you can always have more defensive linemen. Although the Penn State front four is young, graduation comes quicker than we think, and some of those guys could be off to the NFL early, if they keep it up. Look for the 2009 class to be a huge year in this unit as well.

(15 E) Jack Crawford **** (St. Augustine Prep/Richland, NJ/082607) 6-6/250/4.55:
His mammoth size offers great possibilities in passing situations. Crawford’s arms reach higher than most offensive linemen can. But it’s his reported speed that has heads turning. If he can get the technique down, he’ll be on the field in 2009. Will most likely red shirt.

(NR E) Joe Jones * (Green Run/Virginia Beach, VA/NC) 6-3/245/4.8:
Depth pickup.


(46 T) Pete Massaro *** (Marple Newtown/Newtown Square, PA/082007) 6-4/245/0.0:
Depth pickup.

(NR T) James Terry ** (Brandywine/Wilmington, DE/072807) 6-2/294/0.0:
Depth pickup.

When I say “depth pickup” I don’t mean that the guy is worthless outside of filling space. Depth is one of the most important parts of winning championships. We’ll take another look at Penn State’s recruiting class after signing day.

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