Why is this news?: Roby AND Shazier to the Browns?!, how Ohio shapes NCAA reform

"Assuming he has refocused, thus putting a shaky start to 2013 behind him, Roby might be in the discussion of this draft’s top cornerback before long."

-Sports Illustrated's Chris Burke

In the most pandering-to-Cleveland Browns story of the 2014 NFL Draft, SI's Chris Burke pontificates a world in which the Browns land not just Johnny Manziel, but also Bradley Roby and Ryan Shazier in a single draft. Burke's scenario isn't impossible, but Roby and Shazier were just both invited to attend the 2014 NFL Draft, which means there's a better chance than not they'll both be selected in the first round. Hopefully Shazier shaves before the festivities.

Assuming one falls, you'd have to almost think the even money would be on Roby, no? (UPDATE: Especially in light of Roby's recent reported arrest for OVI) As Burke himself mentions, the cornerback had a down year (though some of that was schematic challenges and how his skill set was leveraged by the defensive brain trust). I suspect Browns fans will be on cloud nine if even a third of that scenario comes to fruition, but if the Browns really do land a duo of Buckeyes and potential franchise savior Johnny Football, expect a trail of blood, bourbon, and hoodies from every major highway in Ohio to FirstEnergy Stadium by the end of draft weekend in some kind of perfectly Cleveland impromptu pilgrimage scenario.

"It’s critically important that we preserve the model of collegiate athletics"

-Michael Drake, inbound Ohio State president

A day prior to Northwestern making college sports history and voting whether or not to pursue unionization (a quest the school may be playing a bit of dirty pool in an attempt to prevent), the NCAA's board of directors held a vote of their own in which they endorsed moving towards increased autonomy for the "Power 5" conferences (ACC, Big 12, Big Ten, Pac-12, and SEC) and many of the things CAPA, the group petitioning the national labor board for student-athletes to be recognized as employees, have been campaigning for.

Amongst the issues the five power broker conferences could elect to vote on themselves (assuming the proposal passes in August) includes the much ballyhooed full cost of attendance, expanded insurance, increased academic support, and improved travel support for families of the student-athletes. Also noteworthy, as previously expected, the board of directors approved ending the transfer hardship waiver. Players transferring under those circumstances would get an added year of eligibility but will lose the ability to play immediately.

Drake, along with Wright State president David Hopkins and Ohio's Roderick McDavis were advocates of the changes pushed today and also represent the largest number of representatives from a single state on the NCAA's board. Whether today's moves will expedite a series of events capable of countering the momentum of the sea change at hand remains to be seen, but if they do, the state of Ohio will be leading the way.

By the way – tomorrow's landmark vote? Really, more the undercard than anything.

"The Blue Jackets are a stellar underdog choice right now. A first-round series win would mean so much to their fan base, which has waited years to see their team advance in the postseason"

-Grantland's Sarah Larimer

Admit it. You're hooked.

If you're inexplicably not, the above explainer can help lay the groundwork and help you better understand why so many Central Ohioans, and hell, Ohioans in general, are all in on a team that in one postseason has bested the total number of home playoff wins by the Browns, Bengals, and Reds combined in the last decade. And if you've been totally in the dark as to what's gone down the last two home games at Nationwide Arena, this should held shed some light on that. If you're still somehow not sold, this ought to take care of the rest. /Chills

And for good measure, this, and this, too.

"By the end of spring semester, every player is burnt out on school and football. If a player tells you otherwise, then he is a big, fat liar."

-Phil Lutzenkirchen, former Auburn TE/H-back

It's all fun and games until someone gets arrested for urinating outside The Dub Pub.

The former master class troll (at least, if you were, yanno, rooting against Auburn) and Cam Newton's onetime favorite target does a great job filling in the gaps as to what the post-spring semester life of a major college football player looks like. The idea of anyone getting just 7-10 days off for the entire year is sort of mind-boggling.

Perhaps the previously mentioned NCAA reform will lead to some additional sanity check time for these guys. At the very least, maybe a few less hours of practice or film study so they can begin laying the groundworks for their own post-career one-man hip-hop shows. Or their career in something other than sports.

STICK TO SPORTS

• Taco Bell is going upscale and launching a new fast-casual concept this summer called U.S. Taco Co. and Urban Tap Room. Here's a Taco Shaq.
• The internet is f***ed.
• Sufjan Stevens has a bizarre (duh) hip-hop intertwined side project for some reason (via).
• ABC may reboot LOST without any of the original people behind it. Because of course they might.
• IMPORTANT: White Castle has released a Chicken & Waffle breakfast sandwich.