Nov 15, 2014 5 min read

Florida State University has another chance to make its alumni proud.

The College Football Playoff Rankings had the Seminoles third in the country going into this weekend. That means, if the season ended today, FSU would be in position to defend its mythical national championship as one of the final four teams in college football’s new format for determining the national champion.

If the overall integrity and reputation of Florida State figures into the average alum’s sense of pride, he or she should stay away from the New York Times.

It was the Times’ investigation into the sexual assault allegations against FSU quarterback Jameis Winston last year that exposed a slimy association between the football team’s athletic department, booster club and local law enforcement.

The Times concluded that the Tallahassee Police Department hampered the investigation and only got serious about it when the media started asking questions.

Winston was never charged with sexual assault but, under federal government rules covered by Title IX, FSU was required to do its own investigation.

A hearing had been scheduled for Nov. 17 but was delayed until Dec. 1, two days after Florida State’s last regular-season football game.

The Times’ report uncovered multiple examples of FSU players getting a pass from the local cops. The most recent example was the case of cornerback P.J. Williams, the Most Valuable Defensive Player in last season’s mythical national championship game.

According to the report, Williams “drove his car into the path of a teenager returning home from a job at the Olive Garden.”

Both cars were totaled and Williams and his two passengers ran from the scene. Hit-and-run, right?

Maybe. Apparently, not if you are an important FSU football player.

The Times’ investigation found that Williams was driving with a suspended license and was given a break by the local cops, who reduced what should have been a criminal act to two traffic tickets.

The cops said they didn’t charge Williams with hit-and-run because he returned to the scene 20 minutes after the accident. The Times found that others who returned to the scene of less serious accidents had been charged with hit-and-run violations.

Of course, they didn’t play football for Florida State.

The local cops make lots of extra money working overtime during Florida State football games and they’re paid directly by the boosters.

Good FSU football teams are good business for just about everybody in Tallahassee.

Last January, the cops answered a 911 call about a man beating a woman who was holding a baby. When they arrived on the scene, the man and the woman were inside and the woman said everything was fine. Instead of getting written statements from witnesses and the possible victim, which they are legally bound to do, the cops told their sergeant that it was an FSU football player and the sergeant who, according to the Times is a Florida State University sports fan, signed off on it and the complaint was filed away as unfounded.

Tallahassee is a long way from New York City but the New York Times has shown an interest in the corruption at Florida State that doesn’t seem to have been matched by any other major media outlets, including Florida media.

For the Times, it’s been like shooting fish in a barrel.

There’s the story of 13 players, including Winston, who were involved in multiple BB/pellet-gun shootouts that resulted in thousands of dollars in damages the last two years.

Three FSU players have been accused of domestic violence in the last two years.

In June, wide receiver Jesus Wilson plead guilty to stealing a scooter and crashing it. He was originally charged with grand theft of a motor vehicle but was able to plead down to a misdemeanor. The owner of the scooter told the Times that the arresting officer said that he didn’t want to ruin Wilson’s career by arresting him.

And who cares, anyway?

We’re talking possible back-to-back national championships here.

Go Noles.

• There was a lot of discussion last week about how and why the Steelers continue to lose to terrible teams. It’s not really that complicated. It’s what mediocre teams do. They win most of the games they’re supposed to win, beat a few teams they’re not supposed to beat and lose to a few teams they’re supposed to beat.

That adds up to a record somewhere around .500.

The Steelers are two games over .500 since their loss to Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos in the 2011 playoffs.

• After what the Pirates got out of Francisco Liriano and Ednison Volquez, I’ll never question their judgment on pitching acquisitions again, but A.J. Burnett led Major League Baseball in losses, walks and earned runs last season.

• Seven of the top 11 wide receivers in the NFL are under six feet tall. Watch how many wide receivers are passed over in the draft next May for being too small.

• I’m a little confused. Should I be blaming Todd Haley for fumbles, missed field goals and 67-yard touchdown passes completed against the Steelers’ defense?

• Santonio Holmes had Hall-of-Fame ability but, after being released by the pathetic Chicago Bears last week, his career looks to be over at 30. Couldn’t happen to a more deserving punk.

John Steigerwald writes a Sunday column for the Observer-Reporter.