Any Donald Sterling punishment isn't really "punishment"

(Photo credit: Forbes.com)

After the extended transcript of Donald Sterling's conversation with ex-girlfriend V. Stiviano was released by Deadspin, the resulting push to force Sterling to sell the Los Angeles Clippers will only grow louder. In taking an awful situation and making it even more repugnant, the potential punishment doesn't seem too bad for Sterling.

For an owner who is more well-known for his housing discrimination and penny pinching that has made his team profitable despite being a 30-year laughing stock, it seems necessary at this point to get Sterling out of his ownership. But would he even care?

Sterling bought the Clippers for $12.5 million in 1981, and the team is now worth $575 million. "Punishing" Sterling by forcing him to sell the Clippers would pocket the 81-year-old over $560 million if the team is sold at face value and even more if a bidding war ensues, which is more than possible considering the team's current success.

It's difficult right now to think of other ways to punish Sterling for his antiquated beliefs beyond forcing him to sell the team, which does nothing but line his pockets further. If the NBA can even find a way to push him out, a $560 million profit seems like an awfully nice consolation prize for an owner who has always lined his own pockets at the expense of his team and doesn't seem to care about his own public perception.

You win again, Donald Sterling. Disgusting.

GoDaddy Bowl Preview: Ball St vs. Arkansas St

One of just three January bowl games without a ranked team, the GoDaddy Bowl between Ball State and Arkansas State still has some intrigue as far as NFL prospects go. While Ball State senior quarterback Keith Wenning is the only player from either team invited to an All-Star game, Arkansas State quarterback Adam Kennedy is ranked higher on our board. Both are unlikely to be drafted but could get a chance in free agency.

A player that does have a chance to be drafted is Arkansas State defensive tackle Ryan Carrethers, who we rank as a 6^th round prospect. Ball State is favored by 9 points in what has the potential to be a shootout thanks to Wenning matching up with a poor Arkansas State pass defense and the Red Wolves’ strong rushing attack going against an equally bad Ball State run defense.

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Wrapping Up the 2013 Rookies: Who Were the Best Value Picks?

The NFL teams that get the most from their drafts are the ones that consistently find impact players after the first two rounds, where players cost far less and aren’t expected to contribute as much initially. Chris Tripodi breaks down his top 10 value picks of the 2013 NFL Draft to close out the regular season, a list that won’t include any of last April’s top 62 picks.

Keenan Allen (WR-SD, Round 3, Pick 76)

Allen fell into the third round thanks to a lingering knee injury and as a result, the Chargers got the steal of the draft and a player that has been crucial to their playoff run. With Danario Alexander and Malcom Floyd injured early in the season to nobody’s surprise, Allen was the lone constant of the San Diego receivers this season. Eddie Royal quickly fizzled after a sizzling start and Vincent Brown proved that he’s not a capable NFL starter. Allen’s reliability played a huge part in a resurgent season from Philip Rivers, making the veteran glad the rookie receiver from Cal decided against quitting football early this season.

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Fiesta Bowl Preview: UCF vs. Baylor

Led by junior quarterback Blake Bortles, AAC champion Central Florida will head to the Fiesta Bowl to take on Bryce Petty and Big 12 champion Baylor. Bortles has been on our radar since early September and after an excellent season, the hype train has caught up to him enough that he is being discussed as a potential top 10 pick if he enters the NFL Draft.

Petty is a good prospect in his own right, but has already announced he will return to school for his senior season after just one year as the starter in Waco. With the exception of Bortles the top NFL prospects in this game belong to the Bears, who can very well place three players in the top 100 in May.  

(JR) Blake Bortles, QB, UCF (#5), 6’4, 230

There seems to be a consensus top 4 among quarterback prospects this year that includes Bortles, Teddy Bridgewater, Derek Carr and Johnny Manziel. I’m on record as saying Bortles should stay in school but with Marcus Mariota and Brett Hundley returning to school among others, he may be wise to strike while the iron is hot if he can be a top 10 pick. Bortles has the arm to make every NFL throw and shows good accuracy on the move, even rolling to his left. His strength against the pass rush inside the pocket is reminiscent of Andrew Luck and Ben Roethlisberger and Bortles certainly fits the physical prototype of an NFL quarterback. His mechanics are questionable at times which affects his accuracy and he needs to make better decisions against the blitz, but Bortles has the physical tools to be a good NFL starter as long as he takes to professional coaching.

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Pinstripe Bowl Preview: Notre Dame vs. Rutgers

After playing for the BCS Championship last season, Notre Dame finds themselves in Yankee Stadium this year for the Pinstripe Bowl against Rutgers. The Fighting Irish started the season 7-2 before dropping two of their final three games at Pittsburgh and Stanford.

The Scarlet Knights come in struggling as well but their problems have persisted over the season’s final two months, losing 5 of their final 7 games after a 4-1 start. Just once during that stretch has the offense scored more than 23 points and considering the talent on Notre Dame’s defense, Rutgers may have trouble moving the football even without Louis Nix III on the other side.

This is one of the more lopsided bowl matchups with the Irish favored by more than two touchdowns and after looking at the NFL talent on the field, it’s easy to see why.

(JR) Louis Nix III, DT, Notre Dame (#1), 6’3, 342

Considered a potential top 10 pick early in the season, Nix lost some momentum throughout the season but is still considered a virtual lock to be taken in the first round. He played in just eight games before undergoing surgery for a torn meniscus and acknowledged battling knee tendinitis since the BCS Championship last season. A powerful tackle with great athleticism for his size, Nix flashes speed in pursuit and explosive power when left one on one. He faced consistent double teams this season when he was on the field but plays with good extension and fights hard with his hands, which should allow Nix to transition to the NFL without being over reliant on his physical skills if he comes back fully healthy.

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Military Bowl Preview: Marshall vs. Maryland

After a three-game losing streak in ACC play that coincided with star receiver Stefon Diggs going down for the season and quarterback C.J. Brown missing two games, Maryland bounced back to win two of their final three games and secure a bowl berth for the first time since 2010, when they also paid the Military Bowl a visit with a 51-20 victory over Conference USA representative East Carolina.

On the other hand, Marshall’s bowl status was never in doubt as the Thundering Herd went 9-4 including seven wins by four scores or more. They were humbled by a Rice team with a good amount of NFL talent in the Conference USA Championship game and come into the Military Bowl looking to avoid a second consecutive loss.

This game lacks star power as far as prospects are concerned and although Diggs isn’t draft eligible as a true sophomore, he certainly would have been the player with the brightest future in this matchup. Both Maryland and Marshall do have a few players who could get a look late in the draft or in free agency.

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Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl Prospect Preview: ECU-Ohio

East Carolina enters the Beef ‘O’ Brady’s Bowl as a 14-point favorite over an Ohio team that has made a bad habit of being on the wrong end of blowout losses this season. The Pirates have blown out their share of opponents with an explosive offense led by quarterback Shane Carden, who ranks in the top 10 nationally in both passing yards and touchdowns.

The Pirates come off a 59-28 loss to a Marshall team that Ohio beat early in the season, while the Bobcats lost three of their last four games by a combined score of 123-16 before beating Massachusetts in their final game. If East Carolina can bounce back after almost four weeks off, they have the better team and the majority of this bowl’s draftable players. 

(JR) Justin Hardy, WR, East Carolina (#2), 6’0, 186

Hardy came to East Carolina as a quarterback but quickly made a smooth transition to wide receiver. His greatest advantage is his quickness in the short field, creating consistent yardage after the catch with sudden plants and cuts. He catches the ball away from his body nicely and looks both comfortable and smooth in the air, snatching balls above his head and securing the ball in traffic. Hardy is a great underneath playmaker for the Pirates and if he finds himself in an NFL offense that can challenge vertically, has the potential to be effective down the field as well. Hardy carries a Day 3 grade at the moment that he can improve if he returns for his senior season.


Read the rest at Optimum Scouting