Plucked from the roster: Les Miles today confirmed reports that punter Brad Wing is suspended for the Dec. 31 Chick-fil-A Bowl against Clemson, saying the suspension stemmed from a violation of team rules. Wing, a sophomore from Melbourne, Australia, will be replaced in the lineup by freshman Jamie Keehn. Tiger Rag is reporting that a source in the athletic department says the suspension is related to a failed drug test—adding that a failed drug test was also the reason for Wing’s sitting out this season’s home opener against North Texas.
In the mix: Citing an attorney who typically handles NBA brand names, Milwaukee Bucks team blogger KL Chouinard reports the New Orleans Hornets and NBA have registered trademarks for as many as five potential new names for the team. Along with the Pelicans, which has previously been rumored to be team owner Tom Benson’s top choice, the other names trademarked are: the Rougarou, the Mosquitos, the Swamp Dogs and the Bullsharks. Yahoo! Sports blogger Eric Freeman has a rundown of the names here.
Bigger, faster, stronger: With steroids easy to buy, testing weak, and punishments inconsistent, college football players are packing on significant weight—30 pounds or more in a single year in some cases—without drawing much attention from their schools or the NCAA in a sport that earns tens of billions of dollars for teams. The Associated Press reports an investigation into steroid use it conducted—based on dozens of interviews with players, testers, dealers and experts as well as an analysis of weight records for more than 61,000 players—reveals that while those running the multibillion-dollar sport believe the problem is under control, that is hardly the case. Check out the complete story here.
