2009 February | Midwest Sports Fans

Terry Glenn Busted – What Is It With Ex-Ohio State WRs?

February 5, 2009 By Jerod Morris 9 Comments

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According to Richie Whitt of the Sportatorium (via PFT), former Dallas Cowboy and Ohio State alum Terry Glenn was busted last week at a hotel for public intox and marijuana possession. Reportedly, Glenn was also seen roaming the halls of the hotel naked.

This marks the third arrest of the wide receiver that Bill Parcells famously referred to as “she”. Glenn was also arrested for public intox in 2005 — an arrest that occurred after officers spotted him taking a leak behind a fast food restuarant. In 2001, Terry Glenn was arrested for assault the mother of this son.

The continued legal troubles of Terry Glenn begs the question: What is it with ex-Ohio State WRs?

Let’s rundown the litany of issues faced by pass catchers who went to THE Ohio State University:

Terry Glenn

See above

Ray Small

Suspended during 2008 season;
His father claimed that OSU and Jim Tressel were out to “end his career”.

Santonio Holmes

Busted earlier this year with pot in his car;
Nude photos surface on the Internet;
Admits being a rabbit terrorist growing up;
Admit to dealing drugs while growing up.

Brian Hartline

Suspected of DFDUI (Declaring for Draft Under the Influence…of something) for going pro despite having a terrible junior season and being a white WR.

David Boston

Arrested for assaulting a ticket agent at Burlington International Airport;
Arrested for DUI before being released by Bucs;
Was suspended 4 games for violating NFL steroid policy;

Cris Carter

Suspended for senior season at Ohio State after signing with sports agent Norby Walters;
Flunked three drugs tests in Philadelphia while battling addictions to alcohol and cocaine (but to his credit, overcame the problems, became an ordained minister, and has helped countless others fight their own problems).

Ken-Yon Rambo

Arrested while a freshman at OSU and charged with disorderly conduct and marijuana possession.

That is a lot of trouble for players from one position of one school. So I guess, when we look at the history of Ohio State WRs, or really just Ohio State football players in general (considering Maurice Clarret and Alex Boone as additional examples), Terry Glenn’s recent arrest isn’t really all that surprising.

The moral of the story: Ohio State WRs appear to be as bad at running away from the cops and trouble as they are at getting separation from SEC DBs.

Filed Under: Featured Column, NFL Tagged With: NFL, ohio state buckeyes

LeBron James Delivers Madison Square Garden Encore With Triple Double

February 5, 2009 By Brendan Bowers 1 Comment

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Jay-Z was amongst those in attendance at Madison Square Garden Wednesday looking for an encore to the 61 Kobe hung on the Knicks Monday, and LeBron James did not disappoint. To the tune of a triple double, LeBron answered the bell going for 52-11-10, leading the Cavaliers to a 107-102 win over the Knicks, extending their record to 40-9 overall.

There were a couple interesting things about the game too, besides the fact that Mike D’Antoni sill obviously hates defense.

The first was in comparison to Kobe’s game Monday. Kobe went for 3 assists and 0 rebounds to go along with his record setting 61. I am not sure how you could play a whole NBA game and not accidently get a rebound, but that was Kobe’s line. LeBron, on the other hand, dishes out 11 dimes and grabs 10 boards, all the while scoring 50+.

To me, I would rather take the latter if I’m building a franchise. Do you think LeBron couldn’t have gotten 10 more points if he looked to pass a few less times, and didn’t waste all that energy rebounding?

Additionally, what is with Knicks fans these days? I know their team stinks, but chanting M-V-P for Kobe on Monday, and cheering as LeBron grabs his 10th rebound of the game should be embarrassing if you’re a New York sports fan, no?

Spike Lee and Reggie Miller used to think so.

——————–

JD Shaver is a featured columnist at Midwest Sports Fans who also runs Shaver Sports, where they discuss everything you ever wanted to know about Cleveland sports.

Filed Under: Featured Column, NBA Tagged With: Cleveland Cavaliers, lebron james, NBA

Indiana Wins! Devan Dumes Leads Tom Crean and Hoosiers to First Big Ten Win Over Iowa

February 5, 2009 By Jerod Morris 1 Comment

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I have been following Indiana basketball since the mid-80s, and rarely have I been as geeked up over a regular season win as I was last night when Indiana broke its 11-game losing streak by beating Iowa 68-60 at home. I was jumping up and down like a madman when Devan Dumes hit the three from the top of the key that sealed the Hoosiers’ first conference win of the year, and the first Big Ten victory for Tom Crean.

A little background: back in the day, my dad had two season tickets and went to the games with my mom, until one fateful night when Bob Knight grabbed the jersey of then-IU freshman Delray Brooks and she vowed never to go to an IU game again. (Brooks, of course, later transferred to Providence and played on their Final Four team under Rick Pitino.) Her loss, however, was my gain. I slid into her seat and never missed a game until the year after my family moved from Bloomington in 1994. And I guess the timing of this move was fitting, considering the 1993 IU basketball team is my favorite sports team of all time, and IU basketball has never been as good since.

Well, in the more than 20 years that I have been following Indiana basketball, from both up close and afar, I would rank last night’s home victory over Iowa in my all-time Top 10 most rewarding and appreciated wins. Sure, scores of wins have meant more in the conference standings or for tournament seeding purposes. And it isn’t like IU knocked off a conference giant — quite the contrary, as Iowa is in 10th place and was playing without their best player. And the game was at home, in Assembly Hall, where victories used to be a given and not a cause for jubilant celebration.

But this is not a normal season, nor a normal team. And I do not feel one iota of shame or embarrasment or foolishness for feeling, at least for a split second, like IU had won some kind of championship. When you have 5 national championships, a history of consistent success, and are one of the winningest programs in the history of college basketball, you aren’t supposed to be excited about being 1-8 in the conference. Well, screw that. I am excited, and I am really proud of Tom Crean and the Hoosiers.

I would also be remiss if I did not dole out some well-deserved kudos to Devan Dumes. He has taken all kinds of flack — and deservedly so — for lacking poise late in games and making silly turnovers or taking unnecessary shots. Think back to the Michigan game. But last night, Devan Dumes literally put on a shooting performance that is among the best ever witnessed in Assembly Hall. For one night, Devan Dumes allowed IU fans to harken back to the days of Steve Alford, Greg Graham, Calbert Cheaney, Damon Bailey, AJ Guyton, and Tom Coverdale, among others. Look at his statline:

Devan Dumes versus Iowa:

27 points
8-9 FG
5-5 3 FG
6-8 FT
4 Reb
2 Assts
2 Stl
2 TO
35 minutes played

If you substituted Calbert’s name atop that statline and told me it was a game against Michigan and the Fab Five or Jim Jackson and Ohio State, I’d believe it. That’s how good Devan Dumes was last night. And he was certainly not the only one who brought it.

The entire team only committed 11 turnovers, which is how many the Hoosiers have by halftime a lot of games. Kyle Taber played very solidly inside, grabbing 8 boards and scoring 7 points. Nick Williams was his usual scrappy and AJ Moye-esque self, grabbing 9 rebounds (6 offensive) and scoring 14 points. And Malik Story came off the bench to score 9 points in 15 minutes, while being the confident and assertive player that we have seen emerge over the last few weeks.

And as Dumes said after the game, according to the Big Ten Network, the team is looking forward to more such victories over the next month:

“I’m just focused on the second half of the season, and coach told us we can make some magic things happen,” Dumes said. “It’s just really exciting to finally get that first win. There was a lot of smiles in the locker room and a lot of relief.”

Ah yes, the coach: Tom Crean. He is off to one of the worst starts, record-wise, in the long and storied history of IU basketball. Yet, I feel more confident about the direction of our program right now than I did at any time under Mike Davis or the jackass who shall not be referred to by name. Crean’s attitude and positivity and optimism just speak to what I have always wanted IU basketball to be about. And I have been so impressed by how hard we have played all season long despite the consistent losing.

IU fans remember the NCAA tourney flameouts during the final years of Knight’s tenure in Bloomington, and the often disinterested look that Mike Davis’ team gave, and the complete lack of discipline displayed under the lying snake of a man who shall not be referred to by name. Sure, Tom Crean is only in his first season and all of the players are fresh and new — but for a team that has been so consistently beaten down this year to just keep getting up and fighting, and to never give up, well it’s all I want to see out of my basketball team. Wins, no doubt, will follow.

After the game, Tom Crean and the Hoosiers stayed on the court for a little while and soaked in their first victory. The Hoosiers high-fived the fans and Tom Crean even took the microphone to personally thank the fans and tell us that this win was ours. Watch the highlight video from the Big Ten Network if you didn’t see it last night. For any IU fan who has suffered through the last 11 games, and who will probably suffer through more losses this season, last night was a great reprieve from a very frustrating season.

And Coach, while all IU fans appreciate your dedication of the victory to us, last night’s win was yours and the teams’. You guys have battled, and fought, and clawed your way to so many close losses against teams with a lot more talent. Last night, you earned a well deserved victory. We’ll take the next one, but last night was yours.

And the first of many, many, many memorable wins that will happen under Tom Crean at Assembly Hall.

Filed Under: Big Ten Basketball, CBB, Featured Column Tagged With: assembly hall, Big Ten Basketball, devan dumes, indiana hoosiers, iowa hawkeyes, nick williams, tom crean

Has the Next Pat White Come to Michigan? Florida QB Denard Robinson Signs with Wolverines

February 4, 2009 By fraschetti 1 Comment

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Rich Rodriguez’s newest version of Pat White may have just landed. The buzz came this morning from Deerfield Beach High School in Florida when their senior Quarterback Denard Robinson announced his intentions to play college football for the University of Michigan.

Deerfield Beach Head Coach Art Taylor stated that Robinson picked Michigan over the University of Florida, and other schools as well. Robinson was described by Taylor as a 6-foot, 179-pound quarterback with a 40-yard dash time of 4.3 seconds. Taylor stated that playing in a spread offense was something that Robinson really wanted, adding that the chance to compete for time as a freshman was appealing to Robinson as well.

Taylor was also quoted as saying, “Oh my god, Michigan is going to get an explosive, explosive quarterback.Â He is a leader, he pushes his will to win on others. I’ve never seen a kid so competitive.”

Robinson will face competition from Tate Forcier from California, who is currently enrolled in classes at Michigan. Both of these guys should be a huge upgrade at the quarterback position for the Wolverines from last year.

This news should be pleasing to every Wolverine fan who had to endure the mess we called an offense last year. Last year’s offense looked like they were in a constant race to punt the ball as fast as possible. I have never seen a team go 3-and-out with the speed that the Wolverines pulled it off in last year. My heart went out to the Wolverines defense that played its ass off, only to have to go back onto the field 45 seconds after forcing a punt.

I have faith in Rich Rodriguez and his system. This was a talented football team last year that was missing, in my opinion, only one key element: a quarterback. Yes, Steven Threet grew on me over the year, but was way too inconsistent. Nick Sheridan just grew on my patience. His uncanny ability to complete passes to the other team with great regularity thatÂ made me want to gouge my eyeballs out every time I saw #8 take the field. The only time #8 did not offend me was when Michael Phelps wore a #8 jersey and walked onto the field.

At any rate, I am looking forward to the Wolverines returning to the top of the Big 10 in the near future so I can walk the streets of Ohio again with my head up high. God I miss John Cooper in Scarlet and Gray.

Go Blue!

Kurt Fraschetti, fraschetti@midwestsportsfans.com

Robinson signing information courtesy of John Heuser at annarbornews.com.

Filed Under: Big Ten Football, CFB, Featured Column Tagged With: Big Ten football, CFB, Denard Robinson, Michigan Wolverines, Rich Rodriguez

Right Now, Who Is the Best Coach in Sports?

February 4, 2009 By Jerod Morris 5 Comments

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I have spent an inordinate amount of time daydreaming over the past few weeks about how awesome it would be to have Mike Tomlin as a the coach of the Cleveland Browns. This is not meant as a knock on Eric Mangini — this was, however — but moreso as an absolute testament to what Mike Tomlin has displayed during his short but wildly successful tenure as head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

And go ahead Steelers fans, get your shots in. Call me a jealous Browns fan who is pining over another one of your coaches after a season spent wishing we could get Bill Cowher. My response is: you’re damn right. The Steelers have six Super Bowl titles and two this decade. The Browns won a grand total of four games the entire 2008 season. Why the hell wouldn’t any Browns fan be jealous of that? We can hate your guts all we want — but it does not mean that we wouldn’t love to have your leadership in Berea in a heartbeat.

With that said, I am willing to be open-minded about the Kokinis-Magini era. And I am very hopeful that these two intelligent, no-nonsense football guys can bring respect back to Cleveland and make us competitive again. But neither has proven he can be consistently successful in his current position, so the jury is still way, way out. We will have to wait and see; and in the meantime, I will continue daydreaming about Mike Tomlin on the sidelines of Cleveland Stadium.

Which brings me to the purpose of this post: who is the best coach in sports right now?

The first task that must be completed before answering this question is to devise the set of criteria by which judgments and rankings can be made. You could look at historical accomplishments, pedigree, statistics, etc, etc. I figured I’d keep it simple and make my judgments based on one simple question: If a new sport were created today, call it footsketball (because, as you may have realized, I only really care about and follow football, basketball, and baseball), and I was the owner of a franchise preparing for an initial head coach draft, what would my draft board look like? And for the purposes of this list, I am only considering coaches who are currently employed by a team as a head coach or manager.

This is how mine would look:

1 — Bill Belichick

No one has been more successful as a coach this decade than Bill Belichick. And while the Patriots did not make the playoffs last season, many have said that it was one of Belichick’s best coaching jobs ever. He lost the NFL’s reigning MVP and record-setter Tom Brady, yet still captained the Patriots ship to 11 wins. The Patriots were one of the six best teams in the AFC, but the playoffs just didn’t shake out in a way that allowed them to keep playing. He has 3 Super Bowl titles in 4 appearances, an undefeated regular season, and the reputation for being a cerebral, game-planning genius with a keen eye for talent and an ability to maintain complete control over his locker room. If I’m starting a team, I want Bill Belichick to be the architect of the organization. I may not like his personality, but my dislike for losing would be far stronger. No one in sports has lost less recently than Bill Belichick, and one 11-win, no-playoff season has done nothing to diminish my respect for his ability.

2 — Mike Tomlin

Yes, he is young. Yes, he stepped into a great organization that was already set up to be successful with or without him. And yes, the recency of the Steelers’ Super Bowl win may be leading to hyperbole about his abilities as a coach. But is there anyone out there who is not legitimately impressed and enamored with this guy right now? His legendary interview with the Rooney family, in which he apparently went from longshot to head coach by “blowing them away”, seemed overblown initially. But 25 wins, 11 losses, 2 AFC North crowns, a Super Bowl later, and we can see exactly what the Rooneys saw in Mike Tomlin.

And it is no coincidence that two football coaches are #s 1 and 2 on this list. If I am starting a team, I want toughness and togetherness to be the two most defining qualities of my team. I think that successful football coaches are better at instilling these two traits in a team than coaches in other sports — by necessity; and I cannot think of another coach that exudes these two traits more than Mike Tomlin. Plus, his youth is a huge plus. He was hired at the age of 34 and look at what he has already accomplished. The only factor giving Belichick an edge in my mind is that he is better at Xs and Os. Tomlin probably needs to be surrounded by solid coordinators to manage the intricate game-planning aspects of competition. But a head coach’s most important job is to set the tone and lead men. Mike Tomlin does this as well as anyone in sports right now. And I’d be confident that for the first 15-20 years of my team’s existence we would always have an advantage because of the leadership ability of Mike Tomlin.

3 — Jeff Fisher

Yes, another football coach. And a guy who I have always thought is severely underrated. Jeff Fisher’s teams are built around the fundamentals of the game, and win with toughness and defense. I don’t care what sport you are playing, toughness and defense win. Fisher may not always have teams that are competing for championships, like Belichick seems to; but he leads an organization that is consistent and seems to maximize the potential of its players. Combine Jeff Fisher with an excellent personnel guy and Fisher can effectively lead the troops.

4 — Tony LaRussa

Tony LaRussa’s name always seem to be controversial on lists like these. Some people swear by him and think he’s the greatest thing since sliced bread. Others think he is overrated and too much of an egomaniac. I don’t get it. The guy has the history of results and championships to back up his abilities, and always seems to maximize the potential of his team. He led an 83-win team to a World Series and also led dominant, star-laden teams in Oakland to titles. He is an innovator and, like Belichick, supremely intelligent while being miles ahead of most of his peers from a strategy standpoint.

5 — Phil Jackson

I love Phil Jackson. As a die-hard Bulls fan growing up, it was impossible not to love and have great respect for Phil Jackson’s coaching ability. And when he went to LA and repeated his Bulls success, that respect level grew even more. But there is a caveat with Phil Jackson: he needs to have great players. And I guess that’s a caveat that could be made with any coach, because no one can succeed without talent. But for the purposes of this list, based on starting a team from scratch in a new sport, Jackson is a wild card. If my team was star-laden and championship-ready, then Phil Jackson would be #1. And I realize that Jackson has shown patience and aptitude in rebuilding the Lakers from their fall in the aftermath of Shaq leaving, but he has still had the best player in the sport over this decade. No one is better at leading stars than Phil Jackson. But without knowing the make-up of my team, I can’t say I would rather have Jackson than the four guys listed above.

6 — Greg Popovich

Another guy who seems relatively underrated considering his consistent success. Popovich is a master of understanding his players and of having them ready to play in the biggest moments. He also has an uncanny ability to lead stars while also developing role players and making sure everyone understands the part they will play in the team’s success. The Spurs have had great success over the last decade or so while Pop has been at the helm, and he always seems to be at his best come playoff time.

7 — Brad Childress

Just kidding.

7 — Wade Phillips.

No really, I’m kidding.

7 — Tom Coughlin

I said before that I want toughness and defense to be the staples of my team, and Tom Coughlin has proven the ability to do this. He also proven that he has the ability to shape his roster in his own image in a market that encourages players to be self-promotional and self-centered. Sure, the Giants fell apart somewhat this year, but that is balanced by the extraordinary way in which they came together last year after being left for dead early in the season. And Coughlin proved that he can make subtle adjustments to his style while not compromising his intense attention to detail. Plus, remember what he did at his first NFL stop with the expansion Jaguars? Coughlin would clearly be a good choice for a brand new team.

8 — Ozzie Guillen

I know that people are going to take exception to this one. And I will state right now, for the record, that I fully appreciate the fact that my love for the Chicago White Sox could be influencing my vote here. But Ozzie did a great job last year of leading a White Sox team that no one thought would do anything into the playoffs. And, of course, he brought a World Series title home to Chicago for the first time in a century. And you have to understand, I grew up a Bob Knight guy — so Ozzie’s outburts and inappropriateness do not bother me as much as it bothers other people. (I also happen to think he there is a very real method to his madness a lot of times, but that’s a debate for another day.)

I was worried coming into last season that Ozzie may have lost the clubhouse after 2007, but the team proved last year that they still respect their manager and play hard for him. Toughness, fight, and will are never going to be a problem for an Ozzie Guillen-led team. I can understand arguments to the contrary, but this is my list for my team, and I’ll take Ozzie any day of the week. Plus, with Ozzie around I would never have to worry about Jay Mariotti coming into the locker room. That’s a huge plus right there.

9 — Bobby Cox

Consistency. Consistency. Consistency. I know the Braves have been down recently, but that does not erase the incredible consistency that Bobby Cox has shown as a manager. His greatest strength is being the leader of a very professional, winning organization that can weather storms and still win games and compete. I don’t doubt that he will have the Braves competing in the NL East again soon, and he is the type of leader that you can build a consistent winner around. Sure, his age is a problem if you’re looking long-term. But to get a franchise off the ground and on the right track, Bobby Cox is a great choice.

10 — Mike Singletary

I am going out on a limb with this one. But if my top criteria is toughness and defense, how can I leave Mike Singletary off? And I don’t know if most people realize this, but the 49ers finished the 2008 season winning 4 out of 5 games. This, of course, came in the aftermath of Singletary’s infamous pants-dropping incident and his sideline rebuke of Vernon Davis. Singletary is another guy, like Tomlin, who I think needs to be surrounded by solid Xs and Os assistants to be successful; but as a leader of men and as an organizational tone-setter, Mike Singletary is going to be very successful. I am actually thinking I should have moved him up on this list, but his limited experience is somewhat concerning. Still, if I was starting a new team in a new sport with Mike Singletary, I would feel very confident in my team’s direction.

Honorable mention: Jerry Sloan, Mike Scioscia, Ron Gardenhire, Andy Reid, Joe Torre, Terry Francona

For the record, when I started this list I was fully anticipating including college coaches. But each time I considered adding one, I came up against the caveat of whether or not recruiting is involved. There is no great way to compare college and pro coaches because such a huge part of college coaching is the ability to recruit. I would have loved to include guys like Pete Carroll, Urban Meyer, Nick Saban, and Roy Williams, but so much of their success hinges on bringing in the best recruiting classes each and every year. And my original thought was the my new footsketball franchise would be a pro team. And we all know how college coaches moving to the pros works out…

Obviously this list is just my opinion, and I open up the comments section for anyone and everyone to provide their our own. If you were starting a team in a new sport and you had the first pick in a head coach draft, who would you take?

Who would be your #1 choice to lead a brand new team in a brand new sport?

Bill Belichick

Mike Tomlin

Jeff Fisher

Tony LaRussa

Phil Jackson

Greg Popovich

Tom Coughlin

Ozzie Guillen

Bobby Cox

Mike Singletary

Other

View Results

Loading ...

Okay, I need to go hit “Publish” right now, otherwise I may go up and switch Mike Tomlin to #1…

Filed Under: Featured Column, MLB, NBA, NFL Tagged With: bill belichick, coaches, jeff fisher, mike singletary, mike tomlin, ozzie guillen, phil jackson, tony larussa

The Anchor’s Desk with Scott Reister: Super Bowl not Super Enough to Change College Football Format

February 3, 2009 By Scott-Reister 3 Comments

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by Scott Reister

Just watched the best Super Bowl I can remember. So did 98.7 million other viewers across the country, making it the highest-viewed Super Bowl ever. XLIIIâ€™s ratings haul was second to only (you guessed it) that unbeatable 1983 MASH finale I always hear about and have never seen.

Pittsburghâ€™s amazing win was the culmination of a thrilling 12-team playoff, with surprises and high-ratings at every turn.
Donâ€™t you think the college football power brokers would see the eye-popping profitability of that format and at least consider switching to a playoff system?

Not a chance.

College bowl game ratings for a single game will never approach that of a Super Sunday, but when there are 34 bowl games, including five Bowl Championship Series games, itâ€™s okay if none of them are â€œsuper.â€

Collectively, everyone in the system is getting their piece of the pie, and that pie is getting larger and larger. As ridiculous as the current system is, it has made the decision-makers and participating schools stinking rich.

As much as it pains me to do it, Iâ€™ll play devilâ€™s advocate and tell you why the common arguments are not enough to change college football for the better. The response to each argument for a playoff? Money. (For more detailed ratings and revenue info click here.)

POINT: Without a playoff, thereâ€™s not a true national champion.

COUNTERPOINT: Most fans donâ€™t believe that. More and more are watching, validating the systemâ€™s authority and perverse logic. The five BCS bowl games averaged 17.6 million viewers each, up 14 percent from last year. Thatâ€™s a total of 88 million viewers, more than a lot of Super Bowl games. And thatâ€™s just the BCS games. If the TV says a team won the national title game, we believe it. Who do you remember more from 2004? LSU or USC? LSU, because they won the BCS title game. USC won the AP vote.

POINT: Itâ€™s not fair to the smaller schools. Boise State went undefeated and played in the Poinsettia Bowl!

COUNTERPOINT: The smaller schools are the ones that profit the MOST from this wacky system. For every small school that gets denied a BCS title shot, there are 30 more getting a big payoff and a national TV audience. 34 bowl games. 68 teams. Itâ€™s a very profitable pity party and everyone over six wins is invited. Bowl payouts ran an estimated $240 million last season and have totaled 1.84 billion over the last 10 seasons. Over the next 10 years, bowls are projected to pay $2.5 billion to the teams and conferences in the Football Bowl Subdivision who participate. Any change in postseason format would jeopardize the appeal of the lesser bowls. School presidents wonâ€™t rock that boat, especially when itâ€™s a boatload of money.

POINT: Even President Obama wants to change the system!

COUNTERPOINT: In this case, itâ€™s change we canâ€™t believe in.

College football, which makes its partners tons of money, has broadcast commitments from every major media sports outlet: ESPN on ABC, CBS Sports, Fox Sports, NBC Sports, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN Classic, ESPN360.com, the Big Ten Network, CBS College Sports Network, NFL Network, Fox Sports Net. Foxâ€™s current BCS TV contract runs through 2010. ESPN has acquired rights from 2011-2014.

Thatâ€™s a lot of standing contracts with a lot of people. Try changing that.

Furthermore, each bowl game has dozens, if not hundreds, of employees working year-round to maximize attendance and profits. An entire industry has been born from the lack of a college football playoff. A system that frustrates Joe Q. Fan has the decision-makers laughing all the way to the bank. Bowl game attendance was an all-time high last year at 85 percent combined stadium capacity.

College football fans would love to see a playoff, but we donâ€™t matter. Money matters. So enjoy the bowl games next year, it is football after all. But the most competitive, meaningful bowl on my viewing list will always be the Super Bowl.

Scott Reister is a featured contributor to Midwest Sports Fans, as well as Dallas Sports Fans.

He is a Sports Anchor for the NBC affiliate in the Tri-Cities and Spokane, WA. To learn more about Scott, visit the Scott Reister bio page on Midwest Sports Fans or check out the Scott Reister bio page on Midwest Sports Fans or check out the Local Sports page on KNDU.com.

To contact Scott: sreister@hotmail.com

Filed Under: Anchor's Desk, CFB, Featured Column Tagged With: barack obama, BCS, scott reister, super bowl

Rumors Swirl That Twins Could Trade Delmon Young for Jarrod Washburn

February 3, 2009 By Tyler George 1 Comment

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A lot of news is coming out of the AL Central this week. Yesterday, the Seattle Post-Intellegencer reported that the Twins were included in a deal involving Jarrod Washburn and Jeff Clement in exchange for outfielder Delmon Young.

I doubt Carl Pohlad would approve. Washburnâ€™s $10.35MM dollar contract is roughly 5x the payroll of our current starting staff, and heâ€™d be no more than our 4th or 5th starter. The other part of the story that seems fishy is that we would be getting Jeff Clement in return. Clement was the 3rd overall pick in the 2005 draft and certainly has a lot of upside, but are we seriously going to acquire another young catcher? It smells like a Boston fan played a hand in this rumor as the assumption in acquiring Clement would be that Mauer is out the door after his contract expires in two years (most notably to Boston).

Would it be nice to have Jarrod Washburn in the rotation? Yes.

Would it be nice to have a top prospect in the wings? Yes.

Should we really be giving up Delmon Young in a deal that doesnâ€™t fill either of our primary needs? No.

If we are dead-set on dealing Delmon Young, we should focus on the left side of the infield while grabbing a worthwhile setup man. Liriano, Slowey, Blackburn, and Baker will be excellent for years to come and with Humber, Mulvey, Swarzak, and Perkins among others for us to pick from, the Twins will Jeff Clement to Twins? definitely be able to fill out that 5th spot in the rotation by season start. By the way, Joe Mauer will be a life-long Twin. This may be the only time I ever say this, but the Twins will pay the big bucks to keep him around. Jeff Clement would be great, but the only time weâ€™d ever use him would be to deal him down the road.

Iâ€™m not crazy about this deal. I donâ€™t see the Twins picking up Washburnâ€™s salary and I donâ€™t see the Twins taking a high prospect in Jeff Clement when we have Joe Mauer. It just doesnâ€™t make sense even though both would be nice to have around. Iâ€™m also not ready to give up on Delmon Young. Anybody else somewhat surprised that Beltreâ€™s name wasnâ€™t thrown into the mix when that story broke?

In other news, the Twins can officially cross Ty Wiggintonâ€™s name off their wishlist as the Baltimore Orioles signed him to a 2 year $6MM dollar deal today. Apparently, other offers were on the table (possibly the Twins?), but that second guaranteed year by Baltimore was enough to ink the deal.

Bobby Abreu to White Sox? The Chicago White Sox are reportedly going after Bobby Abreu. This comes as a shock to some as the White Sox claimed to be finished making moves this offseason, but the rumor is that theyâ€™ve already put a one year, $8MM deal on the table. Could they possibly fill their outfield with Dye, Quentin, and Abreu? It would be a defensive nightmare for Chicago, but their lineup would have as much pop as anybodyâ€™s. However, it’s practically a foregone conclusion that Jermaine Dye will be dealt if Abreu is a member of the White Sox next season. Regardless, it has to be exciting to have Ken Williams calling the shots, but I have to say, Twins fans have to like seeing Bobby Abreu’s name in that lineup rather than Jermaine Dye’s.

Scott Baker is thinking long term with the Twins. This is great news as Baker has many good years of baseball left. Hereâ€™s to hoping we can lock him up long term.

Former Twins pitcher Eddie Guardado just signed with the Texas Rangers today. Guardado was a key component of the Twinsâ€™ AL Central titles in the early part of the decade and its good seeing him get more work.

Filed Under: Featured Column, MLB Tagged With: Chicago White Sox, Delmon Young, hot stove, jermaine dye, minnesota twins, MLB

Prospect Corner- Cliff Andersen

February 3, 2009 By Illinoisbaseball 2 Comments

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Chicago Cubs Prospect Cliff Andersen

6â€™2â€
190LB
OF
Bats: L
Throws:L
Drafted by the Cubs out of Cottonwood HS (Salt Lake City, UT) in the 9^th round of the 2006 draft.

Physical Description: Good athletic body, well proportioned, rangy and strong.

Strengths: Extremely athletic, plus runner (6.6 60), average arm strength for a RFâ€™er. Quick hands at the plate, and should generate power in the future.

Weaknesses: Very raw, has not developed accordingly to plan, applauded for his approach at the plate in pre-draft workouts & has struck-out 238 times in 704 ABs. Despite the 238 strikeouts, indicative of a struggling power hitter, he has only 4 HRs in those 704 ABs as he has not been able to translate impressive rounds in the cages into game action. This is caused by a poor approach with two strikes. He pulls off the ball and seldom goes gap to gap, and struggles with the breaking ball.

Likely Destination: Should repeat at Peoria to improve on his .221/.306/.298 numbers last year. Most optimistic scenario is that he does well t Peoria and shows enough progression with his approach at the plate to possibly end up at Daytona. Most pessimistic scenario is that he struggles early at Peoria, ends up at Instructional ball until Boise begins, and finishes the year at Boise.

Major League comparison: N/A

Likely career path: Itâ€™s hard to say at this point given how far he needs to go just to project as a starting RFâ€™er, but he has the tools to do so. The Cubs certainly wonâ€™t give up on him as they highly value his tools and spent $155,000 to sign him (well above the norm for a 9^th rd. pick). There isnâ€™t a log-jam of OFâ€™ers coming up the pipeline, so the Cubs can and will be extremely patient with Andersen waiting for him to become the prospect that they believe he can be,

Filed Under: Featured Column, MLB Tagged With: chicago cubs, mlb prospects

LOTD: Video of Near-Drowning During Oklahoma City Thunder Halftime Show

February 3, 2009 By Jerod Morris 1 Comment

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Today’s Link of the Day comes to us from Dashiell Bennett at Deadspin, who has been instrumental in the growth of MSF with his many blogdome links to our posts. About an hour ago, Dash posted a pretty fascinating video and description of a legitimate near-drowning at a recent Oklahoma City Thunder halftime show.

The incident in question featured Kristen Johnson, a professional escape artist, attempting to perform a pretty intense underwater escape. Click on over to Deadspin to read more and get the background on the incident. The video is embedded below:

LOTD: On-Court Drowning Nearly The Most Exciting Highlight Of OKC Thunder Season — (Deadspin)

And now some more great links from around the sports blogosphere:

A Must Read Statistical Analysis: Do Recruting Rankings Mean Anything? — (Mr. SEC)

Detroit Lions love showing their continued hatred for Matt Millen, even during the Super Bowl pregame — (Sports by Brooks)

Brenda Warner 2.0 — (Sparty and Friends)

Kobelieve! — (Josh Q. Public)

Michael Phelps to join cast in Pineapple Express 2 — (Cuzoogle)

All 61 of Kobe’s points at Madison Square Garden — (Ball Don’t Lie)

Alex Boone: Tasered and Arrested, Definitely Not a Ninja. — (Waiting For Next Year)

Would Knight Make a Good Fit at Georgia? — (Rush the Court)

Remember when Jason White won the Heisman over Larry Fitzgerald? — (Rumors and Rants)

Filed Under: Featured Column Tagged With: links, Oklahoma City Thunder

The Latest on Bob Knight Coaching Again, plus a Funny and Angry Trip Down Memory Lane

February 3, 2009 By Jerod Morris Leave a Comment

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This weekend, I posted a link from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that received wide play throughout the sports world regarding Bob Knight’s potential interest in the now vacant head coaching position at the University of Georgia. This story was part of a whirlwind weekend of anger and intrigue for the Knight family, which also featured the first national headline grabbing outburst from Pat Knight in his role as head coach at Texas Tech. A chip off the old block indeed. As of yesterday, Pat Knight had not been suspended but was publicly reprimanded by the Big 12 conference.

With regards to the story about Bob Knight possibly coaching again, it appears that there are more legs to this story than just unnamed sources saying Knight would be interested. Bob Knight himself has now come out an said exactly that:

Okay, so that had nothing to do with Georgia job — obviously. But a pretty hilarious commercial nonetheless. Here is the actual recent quote from Bob Knight, per ESPN.com:

“It has to be a situation that I think is right for me and one where I would be right for the university,” Knight said. “I have never said that I wouldn’t coach again. I’ve simply said in the past, if the right situation came along, I would be interested.”

This quote isn’t exactly breaking news in and of itself, but it does jive with the source quoted in the AJC article who said that Knight is intrigued by the idea of coaching in the SEC but does not want it to look like he is out pursuing a job.

Interestingly, a Georgia player, Albert Jackson, is quoted in the same ESPN.com article cited above as saying that he would love to have Bob Knight take over the Bulldogs.

“I would love to have a coach of that caliber, that stature,” Jackson told the Journal-Constitution. “You have a Hall of Fame coach, you have somebody like that, all you can do is be happy. If Bobby Knight wants to come in here, I’d be more than happy.”

Hey, I wholeheartedly agree with Jackson, and have never made a secret of my affinity for Bob Knight. He can be a jerk, a bully, and a raging egomaniac, but he balances his demons by being an outstanding teacher, a great coach, and someone who helps to bring enormous resources (i.e. money, money, money) to whatever school he is with. I think going from Dennis Felton to Bob Knight would be like the equivalent of driving a Chevy Corsica and then walking out to your garage and finding a brand new Mercedes.

However, with that in mind, I do think that we should remind Albert Jackson and the rest of the Georgia faithful exactly what they would be getting if Bob Knight donned the red sweater again. A quick trip down memory lane of some of the more…entertaining…clips of Bob Knight throughout the years.

Let’s start out with Old Faithful, the one action that has become as synonymous with Bob Knight’s coaching career as his 3 National Titles: the chair toss.

Next, we move onto a YouTube “video” that isn’t really a video. Rather, it is audio of one of the more…intense…locker room speeches I have ever heard. (FYI: if you are at work, you might want to save this one for home. Bad language would be an understatement.) There are a variety of theories as to who recorded and leaked this interview. I have never been able to get confirmation, and I’m not sure more than a handful of people really know. Please feel free to update the conspiracy theories in the comments as I may not be up on the latest.

Here is one that I actually hadn’t seen before: Bob Knight going berserk on his own TV show. Old ladies in Indiana love Bob Knight — but not for moments like this, because old ladies in Indiana also love Chuck Marlowe (who, to his credit, put up pretty well with a lot of Knight’s BS over the years).

Here is another classic. Bobby Knight golf outtakes. He oscillates between being ridiculously impressed with himself and hilariously frustrated. The one constant: the F-word.

And speaking of the F-word, let’s hear Coach Knight explain why it is his favorite word. And, I think it should go without saying that language could be an issue with this one if you are at work:

A Top 10 compilation from ESPN of the best Bob Knight sound bytes. This video features my favorites, which include his memorable quotes from Senior Days past in Bloomington:

In another memorable video from Coach Knight’s weekly show with Chuck Marlowe, Knight hilariously brings in the Purdue mascot to the set:

The previous video was Bob Knight the laid back comedian, and the next video is Bob Knight the bully as he displays some of his more negative personality traits:

And back to funny Bobby, with the Minute Maid commercial he did showing the cuddly side that always endeared him to grandmas across Indiana:

And last but not least, since someone will scream and cry if I don’t include it, Bob Knight slapping one of his Texas Tech players in the face. (For the record, I looked for the Neil Reed video, but couldn’t find it. Feel free to embed in comments if you have it.) Albert Jackson and the Bulldogs should at least prepare themselves for a little physical contact if Coach Knight takes over. My advice: look him in the eye when he’s talking to you.

So there you have it, a trip down memory lane with Coach Knight. He is one of the five greatest coaches in basketball history, and certainly the funniest, but also one of the most notoriously angry and loose-tempered icons in the history of sports. Warts and all, I still think Bob Knight would be a great hire for Georgia, and I love to see him back on the sidelines. Say what you will, but college basketball is infintely more entertaining when Bob Knight is coaching.

Filed Under: CBB, Featured Column Tagged With: bob knight, CBB, indiana hoosiers

Cubs Trade Michael Wuertz to Oakland for Minor Leaguers OF Richie Robnett and SS Justin Sellers

February 2, 2009 By Illinoisbaseball Leave a Comment

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As the Cubs continue to be the most active team this off-season, they have traded one of Louâ€™s perpetual doghouse tenants in Michael Wuertz to Oakland for minor leaguers Richie Robnett and Justin Sellers. GM Billy Beane is hoping Wuertz can use his plus slider to battle pitchers like Santiago Casilla, and the likely favorite Russ Springer, for the 7th inning reliever in a very strong Oakland pen despite losing Huston Street this off-season.

Wuertz, with his suspect control, never seemed to capture the confidence of Piniella — especially in critical situations. Probably the most important trait to have in a Piniella bullpen is to throw strikes. The writing was on the wall last year when Wuertz was in Iowa and Pineilla was still trotting Howry out there in the 7th inning despite the fact Howry had lost most of his velocity on an already straight fastball and a flat slider.

Wuertz has a fastball that sits 90-93 and a really good slider that sits around 84-86 MPH. While I donâ€™t ever see Wuertz having plus control/command, I think he fell in love with his slider last year and used it is a pitch to get ahead in the count because he wasnâ€™t throwing his fastball for strikes and was having to use his slider for strikes. Obviously a slider isnâ€™t designed to be in the strike zone and having his out pitch double as his get -me-over pitch will take away the guesswork of a hitter (for Wuertz, between his FB and slider) and basically give the meaning of a hanging slider. I believe that change in pitching style changed Wuertz from a strikeout pitcher to a contact pitcher and his strikeouts declined dramatically because of the change in approach. Wuertz also throws a show me change-up to lefthanders, but it is neither effective nor worth thinking about if youâ€™re a left-handed hitter.

If Wuertz can go back to FB/slider pitcher rather than a slider/slider/fastball pitcher of last year, he should be able to project a productive member of the outstanding Oakland pen. His control and lack of a plus pitch against LHâ€™ers will likely prevent him from projecting as a set-up reliever, but heâ€™ll eat innings in the pen and always toy with those right-handed hitters that either pull off the ball or lack the strike zone knowledge on the bottom left quadrant outside of the strike zone.

Richie Robnett:

Drafted by Oakland in the 1st round of the 2004 draft, the 25-year old has had an up and down minor league career.Â He is a plus athlete and despite going to an outstanding baseball program at Fresno St., as well as 4+ full year in the Oakland system, has not been able to have the approach that allows the production to equals the tools.

Last year at AAA, he struggled mightily as the advanced pitchers were able to take advantage of his lack of strike zone knowledge and patience; his approach caused his stock to fall. As I originally mentioned, he is an outstanding athlete who has plus bat speed, plus raw power, slightly above average runner, and a plus arm. Although he does have speed, (like most of his game) his instincts prevent him from fully taking advantage of running the bases, as well as playing the outfield where he will take odd routes and misplay singles into doubles.

I am glad that heâ€™ll hopefully be at Iowa next year as this is a perfect project for Von Joshua, who is probably the best hitting instructor in the Cubsâ€™ organization. This is probably one of Robnettâ€™s final shots. If he bombs and the Cubs release him, heâ€™ll get another shot — but instead of a 1st round talent that needs a new setting, heâ€™ll be a 1st round bust trying to hang on.

Justin Sellers:

Drafted in the 6th rd. by Oakland in the 2005 draft, Sellers has not been able to follow in his fatherâ€™s footsteps by spending part of his 4th year of pro ball was in the majors, as his struggles continued at the plate in Texas League. Unlike his father, who was a pitcher for the Red Sox in the 80s, Sellers is an outstanding defensive SS with great hands and solid range.Â He probably projects as the Cubs’ best defensive infielder at this stage depending on if Andres Blanco sticks around after Spring Training. He also seems to have inherited his fatherâ€™s genetics as far as instinctive side of the game.

While Sellers has an advanced approach for the game whether it be in the field or judging strikes and balls, his approach to hitting is that of a glory hound high school kid used to facing 82MPH fastball with aluminum, as he often tries to muscles up pitches that end up being lazy fly-balls.

Like Robnett, Sellers will likely end up at AAA and would benefit from molding his hitting style to someone like Theriot and close up his stance and focus on hitting gap to gap as that likely be his best and only chance to get to the majors.

Filed Under: Featured Column, MLB Tagged With: chicago cubs, hot stove

LOTD: Video – James Harrison Breaks Super Bowl Record For Longest Play

February 2, 2009 By Jerod Morris 1 Comment

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I figured I’d whip up a quick Super Bowl 43 edition of the Link of the Day in the aftermath of one of the most entertaining Super Bowls in my lifetime.

This one easily ranks right up there with all of the Patriots’ recent Super Bowl appearances and the Rams-Titans game. Just a great game between two teams that gave everything, and it came down to the last minute of play.

Unbelievable.

Super Bowl 43 also featured the longest play in the history of the Super Bowl, and ultimately proved to be one of the most pivotal plays of the game. On the last play of the first half, James Harrison picked off a Kurt Warner pass intended for Anquan Boldin and rumbled 100 yards for a touchdown. At a minimum, it was a 10-point play — if you assume a field goal for the Cardinals. It was a 14-point play if it kept the Cardinals from a TD. In the end, Harrison covering those last few inches to paydirt proved to be the difference in a closely contested 4-point game.

LOTD: Courtesy of Robert Littal over at Black Sports Online, here is the video:

James Harrison’s 100-yard interception return for a touchdown broke the previous record-long play in a Super Bowl, which was held by Jake Delhomme and Muhsin Muhammad who connected on an 85-yard TD. The previous record long for an INT return for a touchdown was held by Kelly Herndon of Seattle, who returned an INT 76 yards for a touchdown in Super Bowl 40 against the Steelers.

And now, some other early links in the aftermath of Super Bowl 43:

I GOT A FEELIN!!! The Pittsburgh Steelers win their 6th Super Bowl!!!! — (Steel Tradition)

Super Bowl 43 Images — (NFL Fanhouse)

Brenda Warner got hot — (Sharapova’s Thigh)

Yep, Santonio Holmes’ feet were both definitely down — (The Big Lead)

The Buzzsaw loses, and Will Leitch is sad — (Deadspin)

Commercial Critic: Super Bowl Special — (Hugging Harold Reynolds)

Lots of records set in Super Bowl 43 — (Pro Football Talk)

Filed Under: Featured Column, NFL Tagged With: arizona cardinals, james harrison, links, pittsburgh steelers, super bowl

Santonio Holmes Gets High…light of Super Bowl 43 With Game-Winning Catch, MVP Award

February 1, 2009 By Jerod Morris 4 Comments

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I guess it is fitting that on the same day the sports world was rocked by the emergence of the Michael Phelps bong pictures that Santonio Holmes was the biggest star on the biggest stage in Super Bowl 43.

You may remember that earlier this season Santonio Holmes was busted for marijuana possession. To his credit, Santonio took full responsibility and came forward during Super Bowl week with a very candid account about his childhood in Florida and the year he spent dealing drugs. He said that he wanted to use his story as an example of what kids who look up to him should not do.

Well, Santonio Holmes will have an even grander stage to be a role model and a positive influence now, as he has forever etched his name among Super Bowl immortals with an amazing 9 rec, 131 yard, 1 TD performance on the way to the MVP award of Super Bowl 43.

And no catch was bigger than the one you can watch below, which effectively clinched the sixth Super Bowl title for the Pittsburgh Steelers and the MVP award for Holmes. (Special thanks to the great Robert Littal over at Black Sports Online for the video.)

Congratulations to Santonio Holmes, who became the sixth WR ever to be named Super Bowl MVP, joining teammate Hines Ward. Holmes certainly proved his resiliency by making the superb catch above one play after letting another game-clincher slip through his outstretched fingers.

As a Browns fan, it’s never pleasant watching the Steelers win the Super Bowl. But I have to tip my hat to Santonio Holmes, Mike Tomlin, Ben Roethlisberger, James Harrison, and the entire Steelers team. They had the toughest schedule in the NFL and fought off a very determined Arizona Cardinals team tonight. The Steelers earned it, and and can now lay claim to six Super Bowl titles, more than any other franchise in NFL history.

Filed Under: Featured Column, NFL Tagged With: NFL, pittsburgh steelers, santonio holmes, super bowl

UFC 94 Recap: The Aftermath

February 1, 2009 By Plough Leave a Comment

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It’s in the books, UFC94 is done and over. BJ Penn, Nate Diaz, Stephen Bonnar, and Thiago Silva are all scratching their heads trying to figure out what happened. I went 1-2 on my picks and finally hit an upset special. Here’s my quick review.

Starting at the top:

GSP defeated BJ Penn Via Stoppage.

GSP dominated this fight. After watching these two mix it up, it almost seems silly that anyone ever doubted GSP. The only thing Penn showed us in this fight is that he can take a beating, then have his brother throw in the towel. This was 1 round of feeling out and then 3 rounds of dominance. Two questions now remain: 1) How does BJ Penn respond to this beating and 2) Do we now get to see GSP fight Anderson Silva?

The answer to the first question has already started to be answered as BJ’s camp has filed a formal complaint with the Nevada State Athletic Comission over GSP’s corner adding Vaseline to his back in between rounds 1 and 2. As Dana White put it “some Vaseline on a guy’s back didn’t change the outcome of that fight, but you don’t do it.”

Lets hope that UFC continues its tradition of giving us fans what we want and talks Anderson Silva into going down in weight, or GSP into going up in weight so we can finally see who the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world really is (no offense meant toward Fedor).

Next we will look at Jon “Bones” Jones defeating “The American Psycho” Stephen Bonnar Via Decision

I used their ring names because I love them both for different reasons. Bonnar has the best in MMA, and Jones may have the worst. Therefore I am quite fond of them both. UFC94 Review

Jones dominated the first and second round of this fight. He showed aggressiveness and the ability to throw a sick spinning elbow (pictured). “Bones” gassed out in the third, but by that point all he had to do was keep from getting knocked out or submitted.

Bonnar is still good, but he needs to really work to catch up to his TUF 1 opponent Forrest Griffin. Joe Rogan mentioned he is now training at Extreme Couture and that will help him in the future, but if he wants to keep in the mix at 205 he really needs a convincing victory soon.

Now onto the fights I missed:

Lyoto Machida defeated Thiago Silva via KO

UFC 94 Recap Yes you read that right. Lyoto KO’ed my pick Silva. This fight went the way I thought it would with Silva trying to be aggressive against Lyoto’s bait and counter style. That being said, I never thought that Lyoto would be so efficient. He knocked Silva silly two times before finishing him off. All it took was a picture perfect foot sweep followed by a fist to the face on his way to the mat with one second left in the first round. When the bell sounded Lyoto got up to walk to his corner and Silva laid motionless. It was an awkward KO and a surprising one given Lyotos penchant for winning by decision. I could be wrong about Lyoto… maybe he is good.

Clay Guida defeated Nate Diaz Via Split Decision

So, due to me working late last night, and not being able to find this fight online, I haven’t seen it yet. I can only assume that Nate Diaz made some profaine gestures then cussed at Clay a bunch. Guida was forced to start swinging his arms like the Tasmanian Devil until one shot hit Nate in the face and they then went to the mat. Now I’ll say Nate again flipped the bird at Guida while Guida was in Nate’s guard. Guida then began to smother Diaz with his curly locks of hair. This went on for 3 rounds. One judge was impressed at Diaz’s ability to keep his brother from jumping into the ring and starting a scuffle, so he gave the fight to Nate. The other two judges were enamored with Guida’s ability to use his hair as a weapon, so they gave it to him. I’ll also assume that after the fight Stocton’s favorite sons, The Diaz Brothers, gave big props to their home town then went on call out fighters who are still under contract to Elite XC.

As mentioned above, I missed the rest of the show, so here is a list of the rest of the fights:

Matt Arroyo defeated Dan Cramer Via Split Decision

Jake Oâ€™Brien defeated Christian Wellisch Via Split Decision

John Howard defeated Chris Wilson Via Split Decision

Thiago Tavares defeated Manny Gamburyan Via Decision

Jon Fitch defeated Akihiro Gono Via Decision

Karo Parisyan defeated Dong Hyun Kim Via Split Decision

Filed Under: Featured Column, MMA Tagged With: BJ Penn, Clay Guida, Georges St-Pierre, Jon Jones, Lyoto Machida, MMA, Nate Diaz, Stephen Bonnar, Thiago Silva, ufc, UFC 94

Report: Bob Knight May Be Interested in Coaching Job at Georgia

February 1, 2009 By Jerod Morris Leave a Comment

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Quick post as I am getting ready to go out and help the old man out with some yard work, but I just came across an interesting little tidbit from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (via College Hoops Journal via The Big Lead).

Per a report by Furman Bisher at the AJC, Bob Knight may have some interest in coming out of retirement to fill the now vacant head coaching slot at the University of Georgia, bringing his 902 career wins with him. Dennis Felton was recently fired by the Bulldogs.

A couple of interesting quotes from the Bisher article:

â€œHe doesnâ€™t want it to look as if heâ€™s pursuing the job. Heâ€™d like to be offered it, and if offered, heâ€™d take it,â€ said a mutual friend, who did not want to be named but was willing for this columnist to report Knightâ€™s interest.

â€œHe doesnâ€™t want it to look as if heâ€™s looking for work, but I can assure you that heâ€™d like to have the job. Itâ€™s the idea of coaching a team in the Southeastern Conference that appeals to him. There are just so many things he could do for Georgia basketball. This would be his last stop, and he likes that.â€

Wow. Interesting news on a pretty busy weekend for the Knight family, who added another infamous public blow-up to the family litany last night when Pat Knight went ballistic on the officials in the Texas Tech-Nebraska game.

I have a couple of thoughts about these latest rumors regarding Coach Knight:

I’d love to see him coaching again. For me, a born and raised Hoosier and longtime supporter of Coach Knight’s through all of his controversies, I think that college basketball is infinitely more exciting when Coach Knight is on the floor.
There is a part of me that would be disappointed to see Coach Knight leave TV. He is absolutely outstanding as a color commentator and I’ve really started to think that it could be a great way to him to ride off into the sunset of his basketball career, while staying relevant and regaling college basketball fans everywhere with his ridiculously awesome insight and knowledge. Assuming he keeps his on-air emotions in check, a few good years on TV could really help to rebuild his reputation, especially with a new generation of basketball fans.
If he does take the job at Georgia, I’ll be one of the first IU fans to get some Georgia gear and find out their TV schedule. Assuming no games conflict with IU games (always the first love), I’ll be the newest fervent Bulldog supporter.

Sounds like there is some substance to this story. I’ll stay tuned and post any updates when I hear them. The thought of Coach Knight back on the sidelines is definitely excited for this Hoosier.

Filed Under: CBB, Featured Column Tagged With: bob knight, CBB