Know Your Rights: A Sports Fan's Guide to the First Amendment

Realize that the writing done here is not done by someone with a legal degree and that you should consult your states' rights and a legal professional in the event of an actual legal dispute.

There seems to be a severe lack of understanding about our First Amendment rights as fans.  For the majority of us, there is always a level of apprehension about what types of behaviors are legally permissible when we attend games.  What can legally get you kicked out of a stadium and when should you stand your ground?

Our own lack of knowledge is compounded by the fact that per mar and stadium security are almost never trained in First Amendment legal issues and their enforcement of rules tends to actually infringe on fans' First Amendment rights.  Based on legal precedent (stare decisis) most stadium conduct codes are constitutionally vague and overbroad and in some cases infringe on the fans right to freedom of speech.

Post Spring Bowl Picks

Every week I will be putting up an updated bowl prediction out there. It will include all the BCS and Big Ten bowls. Every few weeks I will include all of the bowls. The selection order for the BCS is:

1) National Championship

2) National Championship

3) Bowl that lost a representative to the first NC pick

4) Bowl that lost a representative to the second NC pick

5) Fiesta Bowl

6) Sugar Bowl

7) Orange Bowl

An Early Look at the B1G

With the NFL Draft ending this past weekend we have a full four months without football.  Here are some early observations on the upcoming Big Ten season and a brief look at each team to look over while you wait for August.  Please note that the number of wins represents a reasonable best and worst case scenario, the real number of wins is anywhere between and including those two numbers.  I will do full previews of each team later this summer.
Leaders Division
The Leaders is clearly the weaker of the two Big Ten divisions on paper coming into this fall.  Ohio State, Wisconsin, and Illinois each look like they will be taking a substantial step back from where they were last season, Indiana and Purdue haven't gone to bowl games since 2007, and Penn State remains a huge question mark.  This division could be very messy when all is said and done in 2011.

Embarassing Moments in Athletic Department Promotions Part 1

So I started doing this on facebook but quickly realized there are just too many incidents to handle.  Sometimes athletic departments need to energize the fanbase, and they produce a video they think will get everyone excited to identify themselves with the brand the AD is selling.  And sometimes they fail, and sometimes in stupendous hindenberg fashion.  It is those moments when an athletic department falls on its' face so hard that the concrete breaks that I would like to celebrate today.  So here it is, the first installment of the most embarassing moments in athletic department promotions:


We Are ND: Notre Dame
Notre Dame had a good thing going for it with the "Here Come the Irish" video.  Now they give us this; a confusing, disturbing, and frankly mind boggling video.  Not only does this not showcase the traditions and mystique of Notre Dame well, but it does it to a soundtrack which is probably being playing in hell 24/7.  ridiculous outfits, awkward cameos, this video is a perfect example of how not to promote your athletic department.  This one hit the internet and the reaction was like throwing a house cat into a bath tub.  It was roundly mocked and several Notre Dame fans disowned is as something the athletic department should never have let see the light of day. 

Big Ten Tournament Tips Off

More after the jump

Big Ten Women's Tournament Bracket Set

With the conclusion of this afternoon's games we now know the seeding (unless I yet again failed to understand the tournament seeding process but I think I got it this time). 

Here are your match ups

More Women's Big Ten Tournament Talk

I am editing this since I didn't realize the Big Ten tiebreakers were so convoluded.  Here is what you should root for this Sunday:

Iowa to win
Ohio State to beat Wisconsin (we will not get a first round bye if the Badgers win)
Illinois to beat Michigan (a win by the Illini keeps us in the talk even if we lose and garauntees Michigan is on the other side of the bracket)
The rest of the games cannot affect our tournament seeding unless I have again misunderstood the incredibly idiotic tie breaking procedure.

This is what the bracket will look like if iowa, Ohio State and Michigan win Sunday (Wisconsin will almost certainly lose and if Michigan loses theybecome the six seed and Wisconsin is the fifth)

Seeds
1. Michigan State
2. Penn State
3. Michigan
4. Ohio State
5. Iowa
6. Wisconsin
7. Purdue
8. Northwestern
9. Minnesota
10. Indiana
11. Illinois

This is a worst case scenario (which is also very likely sadly) since Ohio State will be coming in on a six or seven game win streak and even if Iowa beats them there is the matter of facing Michigan State in the second round.  Root for Wisconsin or Illinois Sunday (if both  win we are in pretty much the same boat we are now). We could really use another crazy weekend.