Posted: November 18, 2008 – 5:45 pm
A “reliable source close to the program” up in Spartan Land sadly whispered this little rumor in my ear. The He Say She Say has Ohio State’s Jim Tressel jumping to coach the Cleveland Browns who will can Romeo Crennel after the season. Tressel’s replacement: Mark Dantonio, now at Michigan State, formerly of Cincinnati.
My source, who bleeds green, is smilin’ about the situation in Ann Arbor. He advises that the Blue faithful are more than distraught with Rich Rodriguez. Which is no surprise. But they’ve viewed the former West Virginian with jaundiced eye since he suggested that the Wolverines get rid of their winged helmets, which are only the most traditional image in all of college sports.
– Seedy K
Posted: November 18, 2008 – 12:42 pm
It is the most stunning of statistics. Pete Newell’s California squads beat the mighty John Wooden’s UCLA Bruins the last eight times they played with Newell on the bench. Wow.
Newell just passed away, and he is receiving the due he should for being one of the game’s great gurus.
What I remember is this. It was 1959. Louisville was the mecca of college hoops. The Final Four was at Freedom Hall as it had been the year before when Rupp’s Runts slipped away with the title without ever leaving the commonwealth, and as it would be for several years in the future, including Loyola’s stunning OT upset of Cincy in ‘63.
The ‘59 Final Four field was intriguing, with major local flavor. U of L had upset Kentucky and Michigan State the weekend before in Evanston to make to make it to the national semis on its home floor. Two of college hoops all-time greatest made it to the show. Oscar Robertson led the Bearcats, and Jerry West (66 points and 26 boards in the semis and final) did the same for West Virginia.
Then there was the school whose all Cali all the time blonde cheerleaders got more attention than the team, Newell’s Golden Bears. California, led by Darrell Imhoff whom you’ve probably never heard of and a bunch of no names you couldn’t name, stole the title. The next year they made it back to the championship game but fell to Ohio State.
Newell, a coach’s coach, retired at age 44, which is why few really know of him. The guy knew the game and knew how to teach the game.
Pete Newell, RIP.
Posted: November 18, 2008 – 10:14 am
Mark Cuban took a break from insider trading of internet stocks to imply that he’d really like to have Knick-in-exile Stephon Marbury on his floundering Dallas Mavs.
Yawn!
One guy’s opinion is that if he wants a real maverick, who might actually help his team, recruit that governor from up in Alaska. A hoopster at heart, she’d be a bigger plus than Marbury.
– Seedy K
Posted: November 18, 2008 – 9:56 am
It’s that time of the year when pigskin pundits prognosticate which teams will participate in which bowl games. Thus can be deduced which four or five major conference schools will be left at home, without even a trip to Shreveport or Toronto to satisfy the fan base.
Most scribes are predicting a return trip to Music City by the Cats. Hey, there are worse places to party down.
As expected, Notre Dame will steal the Big East’s prime spot (other than the BCS) in the Gator Bowl. One more time: WAKE UP BIG EAST!!! Make the Fighting Irish become a full member or kick their Golden Dome out of the league.
The Cardinals? Well, it’s obvious that nobody expects the team to become either bowl eligible or bowl worthy. Which situation, it seems patently obvious, is the fault of Bobby Petrino and all the outlaws he recruited, the vast majority of whom never got arrested;, Bob Weber, may he rest in peace; Frank Camp, Vince Gibson, Stu Stram, Scott Marcus and Patrick Henry Hughes.
– Seedy K
Posted: November 18, 2008 – 9:29 am
Parked in front of me at a meter downtown this a.m. was a car owned by a true believer. The license plate holder heralded allegiance to Da Bears. The Kentucky vanity plate read: DITKA.
– Seedy K
Posted: November 17, 2008 – 9:36 am
Anomaly, an ad agency hired by ESPN to develop a college hoops promo campaign, was, according to its memo, looking for this U of L fan archetype: “He’s short. He’s HISPANIC. And one day he hopes to carry on in proud Louisville tradition and race thoroughbreds.”
This wasn’t the agency’s only dunderheaded perspective.
Here’s how they wanted to represent Notre Dame: “He’s an ASIAN kid who is in to all things Notre Dame, ridiculously so. Oh, and he’s always fighting. Every time we encounter him he always has some words or another, be it the faint traces of a black eye, or a scab or whatever. He epitomizes the fightin’ Irish.”
To represent Syracuse, the agency was looking for a “Jewish kid from Long Island” who loves “all you can eat buffets in the cafeteria.”
Anyway, as soon as the Anomaly Agency’s memo got out, ESPN dropped these particular plans for the campaign.
As a U of L fan, I guess I better start eating lunch more at Burritos As Big As Your Head.
P.S. In the interest of full disclosure, not to mention to ratchet up your ridicule for these Mad Ave idiots, check out the entire memo as reproduced at usatoday.com.
– Seedy K
Posted: November 17, 2008 – 9:21 am
I’m advised that this might be Steve Spurrier’s last season as a head coach. The inveterate golfer had, I’m told, been second guessing his decision to take the South Carolina job from the get go. The thrashing his Gamecocks suffered at the hands of his former school Florida was, according to my source, probably the final straw.
Hey, if and when SS steps down, maybe the school will tap assistant Ron Cooper for the position. Just kidding. Besides, if they did so, favorite son John Calhoun would turn over in his grave at the thought.
– Seedy K
Posted: November 17, 2008 – 9:10 am
Okay, everybody who intends to stay up past the witching hour tonight tonight to observe the Memphis State Tigers open their season, raise your hands?
Uh, that’s what I thought. For the few of you that might be so silly, don’t call, I’ll read the score online in the a.m..
– Seedy K
Posted: November 17, 2008 – 9:05 am
Before I get to the matter of grave importance to the republic about which I intend to comment — the BCS situation — let me comment on the commentator.
How nifty is it to have an incoming president who is intelligent, thoughtful, inquisitive, calm, reflective and articulate? Correct answer: Way cool. I don’t know how Barack Obama is going to fare in these strange, strange times, but I’m sure glad he’s the guy with the first shot at righting the ship.
Okay then, what about his straightforward insinuation that he might try get an actual national football playoff instituted? For all the good intention behind Obama’s comments, it ain’t gonna happen. He has a better chance of having tea with Osama bin Laden than changing the lay of the land in post-season college pigskin. (Which of course makes me go Letterman: Obama meet Osama/ Osama, Obama.)
Besides, he has a few other matters of some importance to deal with. And, frankly, hasn’t any power in this particular matter. Plus, his eight team suggestion isn’t enough to totally quiet the brayers. It will take a 16 team playoff to ensure that the truly best team is national champ.
But it was nice to hear him address the issue, as impotent as he is to do anything about it.
– Seedy K
Posted: November 16, 2008 – 2:33 pm
Before Howard Schnellenberger’s Florida Atlantic Fighting Owls battled Louisiana-Lafayette on Saturday, the coach donned his Lou Holtz mask, effusively praising the Ragin’ Cajuns: “They are truly a magnificent football team. They’ve improved a great deal since last year. This football team has certainly matured. They play the way champions should play.”
Final Score: FAU 40 - Lou/La 29.
The Schnell played subs during late goin with a big lead, then morphed into the New Math Schnell when postulating on the games score: “We won the game 40-7 and that’s what’s going to be in the memories and the history of our football team.”
FAU is 5-5 overall, 3-2 in the conference, with a very slim but mathematically conceivable way to make it to a bowl game. But only if the stars are perfectly aligned in terms of conference wins and losses by several teams as the season plays out. Which in no way deters Schnell the Optimist. When concluding his post-game lecture to his squad, he led them in this final cheer: “One, two, three, bowl game.”
– Seedy K
