Saturday, February 11, 2012

Headlinin?: DUI leaves Stanford mulling Shayne Skov?s fate

buffett.jpgMaking the morning rounds.

? The Rap Sheet. Stanford linebacker Shayne Skov ?�the unquestioned leader of the Cardinal defense before a season-ending knee injury last September cost him the last 10 games of his junior campaign ?�was arrested and booked for DUI late last month. According to a university police report, Skov was pulled over in the parking lot of his dormitory around 2 a.m. on Jan. 29 after an officer spotted him swerving several times, and was booked in the Santa Clara County jail. The case is being handled by the Palo Alto District Attorney's office.

Skov led the Cardinal in 2010 in tackles (84) and sacks (7.5) en route to a first-team All-Pac-10 nod, for a unit that led the league in scoring defense and ranked among the top 25 nationally in rushing, pass efficiency and total D. If not for the injury, he may have been joining fellow juniors Andrew Luck, David DeCastro, Jonathan Martin and Coby Fleener in the first round of April's NFL Draft; if he returns at full speed this fall, the sky is the limit in 2013 ? that is, if Stanford elects to keep him on the team.

"We have an expected standard of excellence and conduct for our players and Shayne failed to adhere to those standards," coach David Shaw said in a statement. "It's a matter we are taking very seriously. Shayne will be responsible to adhere to any legal responsibilities regarding this event along with ramifications which will be determined by the program." [Stanford Daily, Associated Press]

? Kirkus redeemed. Misdemeanor marijuana charges against former Alabama cornerback Dr� Kirkpatrick have been dropped, according to court records in Manatee County, Fla., where the NFL-bound All-American was arrested along with a former teammate on Jan. 17. Kirkpatrick subsequently entered a not-guilty plea a week later, on Jan. 24, and posted this tweet on Monday: "For those who doubted: NO CHARGES FILED against me for marijuana bust in Florida. #innocent #Bama #NFLDraft."

And just for any general managers tuning in, he had another message a few hours later: "Character issues? NOT ME!! Fla State Atty refused to file charges against me. #NFLhopeful #Bama." [al.com, Manatee County Circuit Court and Comptroller, @Kirkus_Island21]

buffett.jpg? ??????, gentlemen. In your "duh" news of the day, Pac-12 presidents voted unanimously Monday to extend commissioner Larry Scott's contract through 2016 with options to add additional years in the future. In two years on the job, Scott has expanded conference membership, brokered a lucrative new television deal, overseen an aggressive re-branding effort and taken tangible steps toward the creation of a (presumably) lucrative Pac-12 Network. Next stop: China! [Pac-12.org]

? Molecular biology, huh? Let's see how you handle a screen pass. In other Stanford news: Co-defensive coordinator Jason Tarver is leaving after one year on the Farm to take over as the new defensive coordinator for the Oakland Raiders. Tarver, 37, joined David Shaw's staff last year after a decade with the San Francisco 49ers, making him the only coach in the league with ? seriously ?�an advanced degree in biochemistry and molecular biology. [San Francisco Chronicle]

? This is not going to end well. University of Wisconsin police have opened an investigation into new allegations of sexual misconduct by a former athletic department official, John Chadima, who was forced to resign last month after allegedly sticking his hand down the front of a male student's pants at a New Year's Eve party in Los Angeles. According to a statement released Monday, campus police have been investigating new accusations of "sexual impropriety or abuse of power brought to their attention" after Chadima's resignation made headlines, but did not go into specifics. [Associated Press]

Quickly? Bill O'Brien takes over full-time at Penn State. ? Rivals names its 2012 Recruiter of the Year. ? Florida's defensive coordinator turns down the Tampa Bay Bucs. ? Louisville promotes quarterbacks coach Shawn Watson to offensive coordinator, the same job he held at Nebraska for four years. ? At least two pro scouts think Aaron Corp is worth a shot in the draft. ? A Pac-12 scribe takes the SEC to task for passing on a nine-game conference schedule. ? And a San Diego radio host comes under fire for calling a basketball analyst for The Mtn "a sasquatch of a woman," among other things.

- - -
Matt Hinton is on Facebook and Twitter: Follow him @DrSaturday.

Indiana Pacers Cleveland Cavaliers Cincinnati Bengals Oklahoma City Thunder

No comments:

Post a Comment