June 30th Hustle Bag: America’s Birthday Weekend Edition

Each week during the summer, we open up the HustleBag for all your questions and queries regarding sports, life, and general advice. Come for the MAC sports love, but stay for the life guidance. It’s the least we could do.

There’s a good chance that you’ve got quite a weekend planned. Cookouts, fireworks, maybe some frosty cold adult beverages. Who knows what you’re going to get yourself into. But one thing is an almost guaranteed thing for this weekend: you’re going to see some stars and striped decorations and celebrate this big old beautiful country.

Maybe that’s what we need. A little partying never hurt anyone. It seems like every sect of society is royally pissed off. If you’re not still pissed off about the last eight years’ politics you are most assuredly pissed off about the last 6 months or so. _____________ lives matter movements, Kaep’s kneeling, racial slurs on King James’ gate, so and so forth. It’s like that terrible Billy Joel song without the cool synthesizer.

So a party may be just what we need. Grill some hot dogs. Whip up some potato salad. Throw it all on a paper plate. Drink some beers. Play some cornhole (or Baggo if you want to be all uppity about it). Throw on some music and just enjoy life.

Yes, our country is fractured. Yes, you probably think you know how to fix it. Yes, your neighbor for thinking differently than you do is probably just as incorrect as your plan. Have a Coke and a smile and just chill. We’re all different. We all have a perspective that’s unique to us. Eat some grilled food. Light up some fireworks. Scare your pets. Stay off Facebook. And let’s all try to have a good USA birthday weekend.

On to the HustleBag...

From Cory...
With the recent NCAA ruling at Louisville, how much cheating would have to happen for a program to get the death penalty? Hookers in dorms seems up there, no?

I have to self-disclose that I’ve been a Kentucky fan since birth, so obviously when a rival’s fate is on the line, I’m going to be a hard liner. The thing about the Louisville situation is that the hookers in the dorm isn’t even the worst thing. There’s decades of greed, graft, mismanagement, and overall institutional shortcomings. It’s the reason why people that aren’t rabid sports fans think that college athletics are the worst. And really, based on junk like this I can’t disagree.

As for the death penalty, that’s a heavy hand. Even though they are absolute trash at it, SMU set the standard for the death penalty. Repetitive violations that impacted competitive balance and led to better results. That’s the death penalty. And this isn’t that. It’s salacious and flashy and sexy but not those hurdles. Incidentally, Baylor’s murder in the basketball program and Penn State’s thing isn’t NCAA violation worthy either. Complete overreach by the NCAA and inconsistent hypocrisy for those screaming for it.

From Mark....
It seems like most teams in the MAC, are receiving, transfers from other schools.However, it seems like the Ohio Bobcats have members transfer, but not much coming in. Saul Phillips is one of the highest paid coaches in the league.It seems like he is getting left in the dust, as far as both transfers & incoming freshman. He did so well in North Dakota, is he just overmatched in Athens, and the MAC? It sure seems that way.

There’s obviously a learning curve jumping to a major program, but that’s complicated by the MAC basketball profile being so cyclical and right in the middle of a seemingly down cycle. Overmatched is a strong word, and I wouldn’t go that far, but I’d say that the results need to start happening sooner rather than later.

From Kathleen...
Which MAC coach would be the most likely to go on a reality show? How would they do?

Man, this is why PJ Fleck should have never left. Tell me he wouldn’t have been a natural on Survivor or The Amazing Race. He either wins it or get brained by a boat oar in episode one. There is no middle ground for Fleck. Ever.

Current coaches are harder to nail down and see having fun. Mike Neu or Coach Bono have probably the biggest personality potential so that would be entertaining. I could also see Chris Creighton or Frank Solich on Big Brother. Idly buying their time to win immunity or slice your throat metaphorically speaking. Should there be another reality show like America’s Top Jaw Line or So You Think You’re Stoic? then it’s Chuck Martin. Easily.

HustleBag runs Friday afternoons here at Hustle Belt. You can submit questions via Twitter (@HustleBelt) or via email at HustleBeltBlog (at) gmail.com.