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In the long and storied history of college football feuds, this one has got to be a first: That of a national television commentator and a freshman quarterback.
On the eve of Terrelle Pryor's first road start Saturday night at Wisconsin, it's become increasingly apparent that Pryor holds some sort of obsession with ESPN personality Mark May -- and that the animosity may be mutual.
According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Pryor was none too pleased with some skeptical comments May made about the freshman's early performances.
"People like Mark May, he said 'let's see how he plays on the big stage,' " said Pryor (who the paper described as being "clearly unhappy with any suggestion of doubt about his big-stage ability.") "And we're going to see next week."
On the surface, May's commentary is perfectly legitimate, and Pryor's response is fairly innocuous. However, this was not the first such exchange between the two.
Back in February, May was extremely critical of the quarterback's decision to delay his college commitment beyond Signing Day, questioning the player's motives and maturity. While it was certainly an unusual situation (Pryor ended up signing with Ohio State more than a month later), I remember watching May's rant and finding it unusually harsh on a high school kid who seemed genuinely conflicted. (If you recall, Pryor wanted to sign with the Buckeyes but was being pushed by his father to reconsider Penn State.)
Pryor himself apparently agreed, saying at the time: "Mark May from ESPN is criticizing me on national television and he doesn't even know me. That kind of stuff really bothers me, when people who know nothing about me are talking about me like they know anything."
So this much we know: May, for reasons unknown, has been skeptical of Pryor since at least February, and Pryor, for reasons unknown, is taking it very personally.
My advice to Terrelle: Pay no mind to that blowhard's opinions.
Television commentators are paid to offer their opinions. We know that. We also know that the more loud and controversial they are in those opinions, the more entertaining the television. Unfortunately, because of that, TV talking heads aren't held to the same standards of objectivity as print journalists. Many of them don't even bother to hide their allegiances, and May has long been one of the worst offenders.
We've all watched him spend the past four years railing on Charlie Weis, even when the Irish were doing well. I'm sure much of it was for theater's sake, but his grudge was still nauseatingly transparent. Meanwhile, May is an unabashed backer of his former team, the Pitt Panthers. I've always contended that Larry Fitzgerald, as great a player as he was, never would have become a Heisman runner-up without May beating the drum for his cause throughout the 2003 season. His effusive praise of Dave Wannstedt can be found right in the front of the school's media guide.
With all that in mind, all you have to do to figure out the May-Pryor paradigm is connect the dots.
Pryor is from Jeanette, Pa., less than an hour's drive from Pittsburgh. Yet he pretty much blew off Wannstedt and the Panthers as a recruit. Skepticism -- or source of a mini-vendetta?
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so, who has the mini-vendetta against UF that put Tennessee as a "dynasty" of the 90's over Florida? UF had a better record, whipped them mercilessly head to head, and had more SEC crowns.
Small Town Gator
Chicago , IL
Total Comments (40)
Forgot to mention that it was in SI's College Football Book.
Small Town Gator
Chicago , IL
Total Comments (40)
Where do you get off calling Mark May a blowhard? Saying that we don't know much about Pryor until he shows what he can do on the big stage is entire acceptable not to mention totally true. May is a class guy who's opinions are always well thought out and accurately stated. Pryor needs to shut up and play football - he's only a freshmen for crying out loud. He sounds like another Vince Young in the making.
drshabizzo
Winchester , CA
Total Comments (3)
Where do you get off calling Mark May a blowhard? Saying that we don't know much about Pryor until he shows what he can do on the big stage is entire acceptable not to mention totally true. May is a class guy who's opinions are always well thought out and accurately stated. Pryor needs to shut up and play football - he's only a freshmen for crying out loud. He sounds like another Vince Young in the making.
drshabizzo
Winchester , CA
Total Comments (3)
Terrelle Pryor was not "conflicted" when he delayed his signing... he wanted all of the pomp and circumstance to himself. Nobody else would be announcing their signing on the day Terrelle decided to choose Ohio State, and he got and additional month of adoration from two fan bases. Terrelle Pryor is all about one thing.. Terrelle Pryor. If Ohio State had a QB that was worth starting besides him, I'm sure Terrelle would be all over the press whining about how he should be playing because he's better. Hopefully, for the Buckeye fan base... this kid has one to two decent years after his freshman year and leaves early to the NFL, where he will fade into obscurity like EVERY OTHER OHIO STATE QB AHEAD OF HIM HAS!!
Grunt2007
Charlotte, NC
Total Comments (169)
Pryor hasn't been Tressel-ized yet, meaning he hasn't fully learned the art of taking the punches the media throws and giving boring, Leave It To Beaver-type responses in return. Having said that, I wouldn't be surprised if there's a vendetta stemming from blowing off Pitt. On the surface it seems far-fetched, but not after you consider the person involved (Mark May).
leetz
Dayton , OH
Total Comments (2)
May is by NO means a class act. He's a T.V. clown at best. Who really cares if there's a fued or not. Pryor can prove himself on the field. May no longer has that luxury.
shasta
Chicago , IL
Total Comments (8)
Mark May is an idiot
Buckkelly23
Total Comments (1)
I hope Pryer's emotional and personal character reaches the developement of his natural ability.
train64
Total Comments (90)
And all of you know exactly why Terelle Pryor did what he did? You all were in his house talking with him? though so.
I dont know how the kid will turn out, but coming down on an 18 year old kid it worthless.
Mark May is neither classy or thought out, he makes comments to get responses, he is hands down the worst part of ESPN's coverage.
84
Total Comments (7097)
Very true about the Tressel-ized idea, he's bought into the program, but hasn't got the answer the question from the script part down yet. He'll get there, if Troy Smith got there, he will too
84
Total Comments (7097)
God bless you Stewart for saying what millions of College Football fans have known all along. May is a hack, and it's beyond me why he is still on TV. If you are USC or Pitt, you like May; otherwise, he's a vicious petty punk.
BuckeyePride
New York , NY
Total Comments (138)
Bitter he didn't go to your school?
84
Total Comments (7097)
Mark May is the most annoying person on television. ESPN should send him away with Trev Alberts.
mimason11
Redondo Beach, CA
Total Comments (1)
Mark May is an idiot but Terrelle Pryor is a class guy? Are you kidding? May is a great asset to the ESPN set and wanting him gone only shows that you guys only want to hear "nice words about your teams." He says what needs to be said and if a player or team doesnt like it thats tough. SO many of the other announcers sugarcoat everything and kiss these players **** and thats why they pull these antics like Pryor did by not signing when everyone else did. He felt he was super special and wanted the limelight when he announced like it was something the world was gonna stop work for to find out.
No English?
Total Comments (703)
Go smoke another bowl while listening to Jack Johnson down by the beach Cali boy!!! Passing judgement on an 18 year old kid makes you just as bad as Mark May.
MandingoBuck
Columbus , OH
Total Comments (14)
Hey Stewart its pretty funny how you criticize may for his comments and allegience. So then, why dont criticize Lou Holt for talking up Notre Dame every week. Oh yeah.....and the fact that they have sucked for like the last 8 years but still get all of the glory from stupid writers like yourself. Oh and I forgot, they basically own NBC which a joke as well to be able to get on TV everyweek when they're not even IN A CONFERENCE!!!!!Anyway, Prior is the punk. Who makes all kinds of journalist, reporters, and TV programs come to see you sing and then you say, "Oh, I have not made up my mind." It seems to me that you need to check how big his head is, not May's.
TheBurg
Perryopolis , PA
Total Comments (1)
Nice commentary. Mark May has always seemed overtly critical of some and unrestrictingly supportive of others, not necessarily in a logical way. But I've always felt that some of the dots connect around the mid-west teams. He's not just exceptionally harsh on Pryor. He seems to genuinely dislike all things related to the Big10 (and Notre Dame gets lumped into that). And he is ridiculous in his support of the SEC. Some of the SEC teams are strong right now, but you'd think they were all a level above all other leagues if you listened only to him (and ignored their out-of-conference games).
It's funny though - only after reading this editorial did I realize that I almost always change the channel when he starts talking.
Runboyrun
Total Comments (41)
Easy burg...seems like a lot of pent up emotion there...The reason no one criticizes Lou Holtz is that he is an obvious joke. It's kind of like picking on the slow kid in class. May is an idiot, it is hard to deny that, and Prior is only 18 or 19!!! He shouldn't open his mouth either, but come on. You sound like a bitter PSU or Pitt fan yourself.
Spenny
Flushing, MI
Total Comments (381)
As an objective observer, Mark May has not had a good thing to say about Ohio State football in years. Its almost as if he is jealous of the program. He reminds me of Rush Limbaugh and I am surprised he still has a job.
Newsworthy
Total Comments (1)
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