(Photo by Rachel Kilroy/Daily Kent Stater)

By all accounts from the athletic department, the “90Ksu: Everyone Counts” marketing campaign was successful for the 2010 football season.

Without the campaign, the Flashes would have been in violation of the NCAA rules mandating an average of 15,000 in paid (tickets purchased) or actual (people in the stadium) attendance once every two years.

But records and sources confirm Kent State reached a paid attendance of just over 90,000 in the six home games in 2010 by using more than $113,000 of its own money. The funds were used to “buy” nearly 23,000 illusory tickets after the season was over to make up for falling short of the NCAA-mandated minimum.

kentwired.com | 90Ksu reached with help of department money | Latest Updates

nfloffseason:

EXCLUSIVE!!! Since yall my “friends” Lol ill give u a sneak peak http://lockerz.com/s/192463016
@SeanSMITH4

Sean Smith gives us a sampling of the new orange alternate jerseys Miami will have next year. This is part of the unveiling that will happen next week when Nike’s five-year partnership begins with the NFL and Rebook’s current deal ends.

(Photos by Chang W. Lee/The New York Times and Jim Rogash/Getty Images)

Former Kent State quarterback Gene Steratore is now a referee, having simultaneously officiated for 15 seasons in NCAA basketball and six seasons in the NFL.

“I’ve had people say I’m the Deion Sanders of referees, and I always tell them that it’s true, except I’ll never be in a video game.”

Steratore began his officiating career when he was about 11, he said, working YMCA basketball games near Pittsburgh “for a quarter and a chocolate pop.” He played quarterback in high school and at Kent State before beginning his officiating career in earnest in 1983.

For Two-Way Referee, It’s N.F.L. One Day, College Basketball the Next - NYTimes.com

What all 32 NFL team logos would look like if they included Peyton Manning’s face:

http://daveartlocker.blogspot.com/2012/02/manning-face.html

(Photo from theconcussionblog.com)

According to a recent study, Schutt Sports makes very good football helmets. Its marketing is raising a few eyebrows, though.

In an age of heightened awareness about the dangers of football concussions, Schutt last week introduced a new helmet it named Vengeance. “NFL and college-level football players will soon have the opportunity to face their foes head-on with Vengeance,” the press release reads.

Doctors who treat head injuries and a former player expressed surprise at the combative tone of the helmet’s name, saying they believe it sends the wrong message.

Vengeance Helmet, Schutt Sports’ New Model, Raises Eyebrows

The Dallas Cowboys use sweatshop labor to manufacture apparel overseas and are facing criticism for violations of their own employee code of conduct in those factories.

Dallas Cowboys’ dip into sports apparel business comes with allegations of sweatshop labor - ESPN

When LSU and Alabama take the field in their championship game tomorrow night they’ll be wearing classic traditional uniforms. And then there’s Oregon, which has long had a very different notion of what it means to DRESS FOR SUCCESS on the gridiron. Mo Rocca looks at the new look in gridiron gear:

A gridiron fashion statement - CBS News

Wild Card Weekend
(A3) Houston Texans over (A6) Cincinnati Bengals
(A5) Pittsburgh Steelers over (A4) Denver Broncos
(N3) New Orleans Saints over (N6) Detroit Lions
(N5) Atlanta Falcons over (N4) New York Giants

Divisional Round
(A1) New England Patriots over (A5) Pittsburgh Steelers
(A2) Baltimore Ravens over (A3) Houston Texans
(N1) Green Bay Packers over (N5) Atlanta Falcons
(N3) New Orleans Saints over (N2) San Francisco 49ers

Conference Championships
(A1) New England Patriots over (A2) Baltimore Ravens
(N3) New Orleans Saints over (N1) Green Bay Packers

Super Bowl XLVI
(N3) New Orleans Saints over (A1) New England Patriots 

Just another reason I support the Browns.