The Second Gunman

Perhaps you saw this picture in the Sunday Quad-City Times. It's a picture of a jubilant Ricky Stanzi, celebrating on the Kinnick Stadium turf after beating the once-undefeated Penn State Nittany Lions.
Or, at least that is what you were told.
The truth is out there. It explains how a quarterback that has spent the year throwing inexplicable interceptions suddenly mutated into Super Terrific Happy Fun Quarterback in the fourth quarter. It explains how a sophomore quarterback performed like he'd been playing Big Ten football for the past four years. It explains why J Leman was unavailable for postgame analysis.
The truth is out there, my friend, and I will bring it to you. That is, if you are ready. Take the red pill and stay on the front page, in the fake world. Take the blue pill, and learn the truth after the jump.
On its face, that picture is clearly Rick Stanzi. The long hair, the #12 jersey, the apparent lack of vertical leaping ability; it's all Stanzi.
Or so you thought.
Look at the picture again:

Look at these other pictures of Rick Stanzi:
I saw that picture Sunday and, after cursing my hangover for the 17th time, I thought something wasn't quite right. Maybe it was the Anton Chigurgh haircut, or the half-sleeves under the jersey, or the hangover, but something didn't add up. I looked at the picture, and I thought, and I looked at that picture again. That picture couldn't be Ricky Stanzi. It wouldn't even get past a Vito's bouncer as a fake Ricky Stanzi ID.
Yet on Monday night I still didn't have an answer. If it wasn't Ricky, then who was in the picture? Who was wearing the STANZIJERSEY? The whole conspiracy came into focus when Cornshoe Hammaker posted this picture:

Look at Leman. Now scroll up and look at "Stanzi". Go ahead. I'll wait.
Do you see it? I'll make it easier:

That's right, folks: At the end of the third quarter, with his team reeling from the latest baffling STANZIBALL into quadruple coverage, Ferentz knew he had to take drastic action to win this game and save his job. He quietly sent Stanzi to the locker room, where Ricky was clearly drugged, stripped, and replaced with Captain America. Fifteen minutes and ten points later, Iowa had its biggest victory in at least 18 years. That wasn't Ricky Stanzi winning that game; that was J Leman.
Don't believe me? Don't think the two-time National Coach of the Year slipped roofies to his quarterback and replaced him with a former Illinois linebacker and current Big Ten Network analyst/maverick renegade? Well, look at this picture, taken with 7:00 to play:

The prosecution rests.
3 recs |
12 comments
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Comments
CONSPIRACY!!
Fantastic detective work HS. This explains so much….
by Argulor on Nov 12, 2008 11:24 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
Your case is airtight
The only problem now is that we’ve got a real quarterback controversey on our hands.
Hell, I can get you a toe by 3 o'clock this afternoon....
by Hayden Fry's Moustache Ride on Nov 13, 2008 12:13 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
As a Penn State fan...
Everything makes so much more sense now. I thought we sucked in that game, but in reality we were just patriotism-deficient. When the media wrote afterwards that, “Penn State might have lost the a chance at the BCS championship, but America won.” I didn’t quite know what they meant. Now I know.
I think I get it now: JayPa formed a deal with the devil to go undefeated with a dynamic offense against all common-sense and logic. Thank heavens for J Leman, otherwise I never would have figured it out.
by Cairo on Nov 13, 2008 7:19 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
Wow, the powers of J Leman are not to be messed with
I thought I recognized that face from up in row 78 (or 79…or whatever row # it was). Since I recognized it, I suspected it couldn’t have been Stanzi. This explains everything
And Cairo, against J Leman everyone is patriotism-deficient. America has truly won.
by The JuggerNitt on Nov 13, 2008 8:02 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
Oh My God....
(looks at pic of Stanzi and Leman)…It’s beautiful. I can see forever.
"Sweet lady fate, why dost thou piss on me so?"
by bluearmadillo on Nov 13, 2008 9:40 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
Quick question
When Iowa wins the National Championship (this is America, afterall, how could such a patriotism rich team not win it?), will they actually award it to the Hawkeyes, or just to J Leman? Will there be a Leman Party afterwards (yes, I know I stole this joke)?
by The JuggerNitt on Nov 13, 2008 11:35 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
Fantastic work detective
BHGP sets the gold standard for blogging and investigating identity theft.
The Penn State loss is a little easier to accept knowing that it was Captain America himself who beat my lions.
God Bless America!
by NJ lion on Nov 13, 2008 1:16 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
We're through the looking glass here gentlemen.
Clearly, this conspiracy reaches to the highest levels of American media. Who else would be able to doctor the photo of Stan-, er Leman and crop out Captain America’s distinctive red-white-and blue tie? The conspiracy runs wide and deep, ladies (like there are any of those around here) and gentlemen, nothing can be taken for granted.
I ate the blue ones ... they taste like burning.
by HoyaGoon on Nov 13, 2008 1:56 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
Damn....
Now I know how Abraham Zapruder felt……
Cornshoe Hammaker
by Cornshoe Hammaker on Nov 13, 2008 6:48 PM CST reply actions 0 recs



























