Throughout August, the Big Ten Network’s lead studio team of host Dave Revsine and analysts Gerry DiNardo and Howard Griffith are taking viewers to a practice at every Big Ten school for a special 90-minute edition of Big Ten Tonight: Football Practice.

Iowa’s practice will air Thursday, August 7 at 8pm in glorious HD.

Rick Brown’s Courtside Seat is an awesome read each week, and this week doesn’t disappoint. Rick recalls a conversation he had with Kelvin Sampson back during the recruitment of Reggie Evans to Iowa. Seems Kelvin was pulling the same telephone games trying to get Reggie to Oklahoma, after he had already committed to Iowa. Brown asked him point blank. Get a copy of the Register and check it out (it isn’t online yet).

I don’t understand why Indiana sticking by this guy. The NCAA doesn’t just toss out allegations right and left. The violations are terrible, lying to the NCAA is inexcusable.

Welcome to Spring Training - You’re going to Japan

What better way to start spring training than to prank a teammate? Leslie Gudel of Comcast SportsNet Philly asked Brett Meyers if he wanted to prank one of the guys. So they concocted the idea to send Kyle Kendrick to a Japanese team for another pitcher. Everyone was in on this, GM Ruben Amaro, manager Charlie Manuel, the travel manager, the PR team, etc.

Enjoy!

After a quick glance to the North, it appears the Gophers are on a bit of a roll right now. The football team just signed a highly touted recruiting class, Tubby Smith is beginning to install his system in the basketball department, and construction has started on the new TCF Stadium for Minnesota football.

The new stadium looks gorgeous. One thing I did notice though, it looks like it will be much easier to carry the goal posts out of this stadium than the Dome.