Second Thoughts: Things are about to get real ugly at Michigan State

Only one more football game this season, the Super Nacho Bowl. I’ll really miss the sport, and I’m not sure the XFL will fill that void when Vince McMahon relaunches his league in 2020. Unless it’s Tim Tebow vs. Johnny Manziel. That would be worth watching.

The Larry Nassar trial captivated the imagination of the country as victim after victim addressed the cowardly doctor in an East Lansing, Michigan courtroom during the sentencing phase of his trial. Nassar, who pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting many young gymnasts, should be required to share a cell with Jerry Sandusky.

Outrage isn’t a strong enough word to describe how people at Michigan State feel about these crimes. The students, I mean. The administrators? They’re too busy playing CYA. When power and money are at stake, those with the power and money tend to circle the wagons. That’s what happened at Michigan State. See no evil, hear no evil. And make sure that golden parachute is intact. Oh, the federal government wants documents? Nah, we’ll pass.

Investigative reporters now smell blood. ESPN’s acclaimed “Outside the Lines” crew uncovered what it called “a pattern of widespread denial, inaction and information suppression of sexual assault and violence allegations” on campus. This is not going to end well for many in power. Hopefully power brokers at other universities are taking notice. More likely, they’re checking on their pensions.

Can't wait to see Natty Light's Super Bowl ad. The maker of cheap beer is giving away $1 million to college students to pay down their debt. Twenty-five students will get $40,000 and their parents will do cartwheels on Super Bowl Sunday. But 20 of them will use the money to buy more Natty Light and keep their debt.

I don’t think the Jaguars’ Barry Church should have been penalized for the hit that knocked Patriots star Rob Gronkowski out of the AFC Championship Game. Church did not launch or lead with his helmet. He went in with his shoulder and the collision forced the helmet-to-helmet contact. Just like touchdowns and receptions, you’re never sure what should be a penalty in the NFL.

So much for the Reds' chances of catching the Brewers this season. Milwaukee, which finished a surprising second in the NL Central in 2017, made some major noise last week by signing former Royals star Lorenzo Cain and trading for disgruntled Marlins star Christian Yelich. Looks like Cincinnati will arm-wrestle the Pirates for last place again.

Great class for the Baseball Hall of Fame. I especially like the Jim Thome pick. He was a great player, but he's also a great guy. Thome quietly hit 612 home runs in his 22-year career. He spent 13 years in Cleveland and hit 52 homers in 2002, his last season with the Tribe.

Trending up: Tony Carr, Aaron Maybin, Shaquem Griffin. Carr hit a desperation 3-pointer to cap an amazing final minute of the Penn State-Ohio State game Thursday night. His bank shot from 35 feet just before the buzzer gave the Nittany Lions an 82-79 win. Carr is putting together an All-Big Ten season, averaging 19.4 points. A great win, but I'm sure Penn State fans would trade it for a football victory over the Buckeyes.

Trending down: Justin Mitchell, Jae Crowder, Jemele Hill. Wright State is doing just fine without Mitchell, who quit the Raiders basketball team after losing playing time with the arrival of transfer Cole Gentry. Maybe Mitchell, who left the Raiders for "personal reasons," doesn't know there's no I in team. Mitchell can play; he was third on the team in scoring and second in rebounding. He also was first in another key stat: turnovers.


Knucklehead of the Week

Lou Anna Simon resigned as president of Michigan State University last week amid the fallout of the Larry Nassar scandal. Either that or pitchforks outside her home. The tone-deaf Simon left without an apology and without demonstrating any accountability, probably to ward off lawsuits. In fact, her parting shot made it sound like she was a victim. She seemed to taunt her critics by saying she would resign “according to the terms of my employment agreement.” In other words, she’ll keep her $750,000 salary and all the perks that go with being academic royalty. Simon should have been fired. Instead, she’ll continue to be a drain on the good taxpayers of Michigan.

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