Distant Replay Ben George

Cecil 'The Diesel' Collins burst onto the college football scene at LSU in the mid-90s and looked like he would become the next great SEC running back alongside Kevin Fault in Baton Rouge. Despite off-field problems, Collins still got a chance in the NFL with the Miami Dolphins thanks to his incredible size and speed. 
Collins' career never materialized due to his issues away from football and he would eventually serve 13 years in jail. 
We'll tell you his story today on this True Crime Sports edition of Distant Replay.
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Today we go back to January 18, 1986 for the first game played inside the newly-constructed Dean Smith Student Activity Center on the campus of the University of North Carolina. Opening a new arena 18 games into the season seems odd but having an undefeated matchup between Duke and UNC made this a game every fan wanted to be in attendance for. 
This might not be a game everyone talks about in this series but it had a lot going for it, including Dean Smith vs Coach K, Johnny Dawkins and Kenny Smith, and another tight rivalry game.
Here's some of what we will get into: 
Early ESPN College Basketball coverage with Alan Massengale anchoring in studio.  College starts Tito Horford and Scott Skiles in the news. Manual scoreboards Johnny Dawkins living up to the hype he still gets to this day from Duke fans.  Jay Bilas as a 6th man for the Blue Devils.  The legend of Steve Hale and an unexpected journey post basketball.  Go back and watch the game for yourself here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AnM9R3DhAWA

On paper, the 8-6 win by #1 LSU at home against unranked Alabama seemed like another Friday night college baseball game in the SEC. But in the following days, sportsbooks around the country stopped taking bets on Alabama baseball and head coach Brad Bohannon would be fired before the team's next series. 
This is the story of the betting scandal that shocked the sport last year. Now that the NCAA has released its finding in the Negotiated Resolution document, we know more about how a man named Bert Neff tried placing a $100,000 bet in Cincinnati with incredible recklessness. 
Get all the details on how this day in April brought down a promising head coach and the darker side of legalized sports betting. 
If you want to read the NCAA's Negotiated Resolution with the details, check it out here: https://ncaaorg.s3.amazonaws.com/infractions/decisions/Feb2024D1INF_AlabamaPublicNR.pdf

Today we have another true crime episode of Distant Replay and we're going to tell you about Javaris Crittenton. A talented one and done basketball player out of Georgia Tech who plead guilty to manslaughter in 2015 and was sentenced for 23 years. It's a story of promise, gangs, locker room drama, and an unexpected early release. 
Here's a good detailed account of Crittenton from FOX Sports: https://www.foxsports.com/stories/other/streets-in-my-veins-how-crittenton-went-from-nba-to-facing-murder-gang-charges

Barret Robbins was the center for the Oakland Raiders in 2002 when Bill Callahan led the team to Super Bowl XXXVII against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In the days leading up to the game, he disappeared to Tijuana before returning to the team right before the game. 
He never played in that Super Bowl as a result and his life eventually spiraled due to mental health issues. He's faced multiple arrests in his post-NFL career, including an attempted murder charge. 
This is the story of Barret Robbins.
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On the eve of the 2023 Ryder Cup, we go back to the final day of the last Ryder Cup played in Europe. The 2018 competition was 10-6 in favor of the Euros heading into Sunday and play began with as good of a singles match as you'll get at the Ryder Cup. Rory McIlroy, ranked 6th in the world, faced Justin Thomas, ranked 4th in the world, in a match both teams hoped would set the tone for the rest of the day.
 
We went back to watch that 2018 singles match and look back on Thomas' 1-up win. Here's some of what we discuss after seeing it again:
Who was on those two teams compared to this year, including world-beater at the time Francisco Molinari. The setup and home course advantage Europeans are so great at. Was that first hole one of Justin Thomas' best-ever? Rory being Rory on the greens at big moments. Rahm vs Tiger in singles was the nail in the coffin for the US. You can watch the 2018 Ryder Cup match for yourself here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcQ87ePjs0U
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