Friday Wrap Up: Albert Pujols, Dale Sr., Stupid Alabama Fan, and NFL Mock Drafts

SI Swimsuit Rookie Kate Upton

Well the weekend is finally upon us, folks.  And yes, I say that every Friday, but it never gets old.  And, for me at least, this weekend is extra kick-ass because it's a three day weekend.  I don't have any special plans or anything, but having the extra day off is good enough for me.

So here's a few stories that are being tossed back and forth in the sports world.

1. Albert Pujols wants to get PAID.

The St. Louis Cardinals and slugger Albert Pujols have been trying to work out a new contract and the world might just come to an end if they can't get a deal done, apparently.  I am a huge baseball fan, and I really don't care at all about this story.  I don't really have an opinion one way or the other on where Pujol's should end up and if wherever he goes, it's going to be the best thing for baseball.

I would actually be pretty pissed off if he ended up on the Yankees, but that's only because I hate the Yankees.  I am at peace with the fact that, in the sports world I currently live in, any player who reaches a certain level of "stardom" is going to play for the Yankees or at least have the Yankees chasing them.  It's just the way it is.

SI's Tom Verducci thinks Pujols is as good as gone.  ESPN's Michael Wilbon wants his Chicago Cubs (of course) to do whatever it takes to get him to Chi-town.  SI's Jon Heyman reports that Pujols apparently is not interested in a 9 year offer for around $200 million from the Cards.  And St. Louis Post-Dispatch columnist Jeff Gordon lays out a plan that makes it possible for the Cardinals to afford Pujols long term.

All I know for sure is that if this situation doesn't get resolved soon, I am going to hate Albert Pujols by the end of baseball season.  This story will make every sports fans' ears bleed plenty before the end of the season.

2. Harvey Almorn Updyke Jr.

Geez, this guy's a real asshole isn't he?  No doubt our favorite Auburn grad Lindsay McCormick thinks so.  Here's the story, if you haven't heard the details.  I mean, this is a real douchebag move Harvey, man.  And how smart do you have to be to actually call a national radio show and tell everyone what you did in detail?  No need to answer that, but you get the point.

Listen, guys like this are the exact reason why we haven't progressed farther as a society.  Seriously.  I hope he gets the whole ten years in the slammer because of how stupid he is.  He deserves it.  Better yet, while he's in prison, he should get to have a TV in his cell, but a TV that only plays Auburn football games.  That'd be a good punishment for this idiot.

And if you or any part of you thought what this clown did was cool or funny or 'not that bad', you are an idiot too.  Plain and simple.  Here's part of what Clay Travis, who is where I go for everything SEC, had to say about what happened:  "Seriously, has a football rivalry truly come to this? That you have to worry about a drive-by on a college campus? That you have to assign additional officers to protect campus relics? Is this Tehran or Tuscaloosa? Auburn or Beirut?......And I don't see it getting better anytime soon. Not until some sense of sanity returns. Not until the fans with the college degrees actually take charge of this rivalry."

SI's Andy Staples and ESPN's Mark Schlabach were both pretty pissed about it too.

More On How And Why Cam Newton's Dad Ended Up At The BCS Title Game

Yesterday, Christine Brennan, who writes for USA Today, was on Paul Finebaum's radio show, which is based out of Montgomery, Alabama.

I didn't hear the actual interview, but Finebaum tweeted a few quotes from what Brennan said on the air.  One of the tweets is pictured, obviously, and makes a great point.  Brennan also writes in her article:

Minutes after the game ended Monday night, Cecil, the man who engineered one of the more sordid episodes in recent NCAA cheating history, was photographed by the Opelika-Auburn News in a bear hug with his son, who had climbed a few rows into the stands to celebrate with his father/agent.

The scene was surprising to many people, not the least of whom must have been Jay Jacobs, Auburn's athletics director, who had said confidently before the game that Cecil Newton was not going to be in attendance. That decision, Jacobs told the Associated Press, "was mutually agreed upon. Out of the highest respect that Cecil has for Cameron, he won't be here today."

At the end of the regular season, the NCAA presented a kind of status report on what it knew about the case at the time, exonerating Cam but coming down hard on Cecil. It announced that Auburn had "limited the access Newton's father has to the athletics program." No one knew what that meant, exactly, although not showing up at games was certainly a logical guess.

Now we know what it means, exactly: No hugging within sight of photographers until at least two minutes after the BCS game has ended.

This whole Newton Family saga still really bugs me.  It just leaves a bad taste in my mouth, as a college football fan.  Cecil Newton was only given a slap on the wrist by the NCAA and the SEC, and he still didn't stay away from the football team, as he was instructed to do. 

These pictures were taken of Cecil Newton before the title game, outside the stadium.  As Brooks, over at SportsByBrooks notes, there is no way Cecil Newton was only the stadium for the post-game celebration, as the Newton's lawyer claims.

"Having attended a BCS Championship Game myself, in 2006 at the Rose Bowl, I can tell you that there was more security before, during and after that game than any event I’ve ever intended - including the Super Bowl and NCAA Final Four. It took over an hour just to get out of the stadium. I can’t fathom being able to go in the stadium at that time.

So how did Cecil Newton get past what was undoubtedly extremely tight security at University of Phoenix Stadium to reach his son after the game?

Hard to believe he could without some manner of formal and/or dubious escort.

And, knowing Auburn’s stance on the matter, why would Cecil do that in the first place - especially if he wasn’t already in the stadium?"

Even though Cam Newton is up and gone to the NFL, this investigation is still ongoing.  I'm telling you, they're going to find out that either Cam knew all along about what his dad was doing, or he ended up getting money from Auburn, or both and it's going to be real bad for the Auburn Tigers.

[ USA Today ]

Cam Newton Declares For The NFL Draft, So That He Can Get Paid Legally

Well, he was a free agent after all, so I don't blame the guy.

[ Yahoo! Sports ]

Cam Newton's Dad Laughs At The NCAA's Fake Rules About His 'Limited Access'

Cam Newton and his dad hugging after the game

So it looks like Cecil Newton has a problem with following rules huh? 

Yes, apparently that is the case.  See, there is a rule in college athletics that says that you can't sell a college athlete's services for cash.  Cecil Newton broke that rule.  Then, Auburn University flexed their institutional muscles with a very hefty slap on the wrist, and told Cecil Newton to just stay away for a little while.  Cecil Newton decided he didn't want to follow that rule either, showing up at the National Championship game last night to partake in the festivities.

What a slimeball, though.  It's not like the NCAA can do anything to him or Cam in terms of discipline.  The NCAA can't really touch either of them now that football season is over.  You can be sure that Cam Newton is leaving town as fast as he can (I'm actually surprised that he hasn't officially declared as of this writing today).  The Newtons have undoubtedly turned their eyes towards the NFL draft and a bigger and better pay scale, than the one he had in place at Auburn (cough*allegedly).

So Cam Newton Earns A Contract Bonus For Winning The National Title, Right?

Doesn't Cam Newton get an incentive-based contract bonus if Auburn won the national title?  Hmmmm...I swear I heard or read that somewhere.  In addition to the $180,000 (or more) that he already got, I think he gets around $50,000 extra for taking the Tigers all the way to the national title.  I think I have my facts straight, no?

Maybe his dad can add a new wing to his church?  Awww, that sure was nice of Cam to do that for his dear ol' pop.

I'm too tired to get all into it now, and it's going to sound like sour grapes, but Cam Newton shouldn't have been eligible for this game, plain and simple.  This national title is going to be wiped out in a few years by the NCAA ala Reggie Bush and USC.  We'll see then.

This paragraph from The Big Lead sums it up pretty well:

"Not quite as high-scoring as most expected.  Auburn kicked a last-second field goal for the 22-19 win.  Enjoy the game now, before the NCAA wipes it from our collective memory."

Yeah, no kidding.

Cam Newton Has His Own Day In Alabama Now

Apparently, they're giving out holidays like pretzels in the state of Alabama.

Governor Bob Riley has officially declared January 8th as "Cam Newton Day" in the State of Alabama.  He handed out the same honor (not sure what date exactly though) to Alabama running back Mark Ingram.

This seems pointless and stupid.  Are they going to still celebrate "Cam Newton Day" next year, when Newton has moved on to the NFL and to making money the legal way?  Are you supposed to give gifts on "Cam Newton Day", like with Christmas?  Are you supposed to have a family dinner on "Cam Newton Day", like Thanksgiving?  What is the proper etiquette for a day that honors a college football player who was good for one season?

I don't know how you're going to celebrate next "Cam Newton Day", but when January 8, 2012 rolls around, I think I might just give the ol' local community college a call and tell them if they want me to join the business school there, it'll cost them from $1,800 to $2,000 bucks.  Or better yet, I'll have my dad make the call for me.

[ ESPN.com ]