- 08:26 PM
- 12/21/24
He was one fun player to watch - you knew he was going to shoot and still other teams couldn't stop him. That's talent. I'm glad I got to see him in his prime.
posted by thescoop at 11:27 AM on May 30, 2003
I tend to agree, rcade, that it would been history by the fall, and perhaps at another school with other priorities it would have dissipated even sooner. But not at Alabama, not with the way that program has been sliding. Under different circumstances - if Price hadn't just started at Bama, perhaps - he might have been given a second chance. When Bear Bryant is the standard, it's hard for fans to settle.
posted by thescoop at 03:31 PM on May 03, 2003
I think Roy stays, too. He was offered the job before Doherty got it, and eventually turned it down, although he apparently came thisclose to accepting it. Once he turned it down, I figured he wouldn't go back on that. But I've heard the same stories about Williams and the Kansas AD not getting along, and he's losing Collison and Hinrich after this year, so maybe it's time.
posted by thescoop at 09:39 AM on April 03, 2003
8ighteenAcres has a point: most big schools use the revenues from football to help cover the other "non-revenue" sports. When I was at U. of Florida, the men's basketball team barely paid for itself, while football pretty much covered every other sport in addition to itself. Every other team ran a deficit. (vito: I lived in two college towns where $600 was enough: Pittsburgh and Gainesville, Fla. In both cases I had roommates)
posted by thescoop at 08:46 AM on February 12, 2003
I mostly agree that they should get some sort of stipend, but I don't know about a $1,000 a month. I managed to live alright as a grad student earning maybe $600 a month from various sources. The trouble is cost-of-living stuff: certainly Lincoln, Neb., is less expensive a place than, say, Miami. So do you have a sliding scale, and, if so, as the original story suggests, would schools use that as an inducement?
posted by thescoop at 03:41 PM on February 11, 2003
It's astonishing to me - if not scorekeepers, then one of the referees. For all the mistakes that football refs make, I've also seen one of them counting players on the field for many of the plays. For three Big East officials (and that's not an easy post to acquire) not to notice such a basic thing is a huge mistake. I agree that you can't hand Georgetown the win in retrospect, but I think those officials -- all of them -- should not get Big East assignments for the immediate future (say, two weeks) and also be ineligible to ref the conference tournament.
posted by thescoop at 02:42 PM on January 31, 2003
I guess I'll turn rcade's posting into this week's college football roundup (less work for me!), since the big topic is the bowl lineup. I've gathered some predictions and other commentary from some of the lesser-known sportswriters around the nation. Enjoy!
Bud Withers, Seattle Times Blair Kerkhoff, Knight Ridder Jim Day, Oregon Statesman Journal Anthony Cotton, Denver Post Grant Parker, Manhattan (Kan.) Mercury
More as I find them...
posted by thescoop at 01:35 PM on December 17, 2002
Speaking of the Mean Green, did you see that Scripps Howard columnist John Lindsay acknowledged the flood of email he got after he referred to the team as North Texas State? "But every game means something to a group of fans. You want proof? Try calling New Orleans Bowl-bound North Texas, North Texas State in print. We made that mistake and got bombed by angry e-mails from UNT alums."
posted by thescoop at 12:13 PM on December 17, 2002
My sentiments exactly, Sean. I mean, who talks about fan mail unless it's really good? He certainly should know better.
posted by thescoop at 01:32 PM on December 11, 2002
Ok, so you'd rather Ohio State play in the Rose Bowl and not settle the national championship question? I mean, this is what the BCS is supposed to do, and the bowls agreed to it. Maybe the Rose Bowl will want to opt out, but considering that it will get to be the national title game at some point, I seriously doubt it.
posted by thescoop at 02:37 PM on December 10, 2002
Looking at the full bowl schedule, fans have to be excited about many of the "lesser" games as well. Ok, maybe not Arkansas vs. Minnesota in the Music City Bowl, but the Gator Bowl matchup of Notre Dame and N.C. State should be a good one, and Kansas State-Arizona State should be a good Holiday Bowl contest. Like passing? Catch the GMAC Bowl pitting Louisville and Marshall, or Florida's first-ever game against Michigan, which may be Rex Grossman's last-ever game as a Gator.
The post-season coaching carousel has begun in earnest, with UCLA's Bob Toledo getting the axe (and no, we won't be needing your help in the Las Vegas Bowl, thanks). Perhaps he'll end up at one of the other coaching vacancies: Utah, East Carolina, Kentucky, Alabama and Michigan State, where it looks like the Redskins' Marvin Lewis will pass on the opportunity to put that program back together. Kentucky? That would be Guy Morriss' former employer - he went off to Baylor, becoming the second SEC coach in a week to slink off to a Big 12 Texas team. Mike Riley, assistant head coach of the New Orleans Saints, has been mentioned for various openings, as has Pitt's Walt Harris.
posted by thescoop at 09:24 AM on December 10, 2002
Looks like A&M had a really good week - firing a well-regarded and successful coach and replacing him with, well, a successful coach who used to be well-regarded. I wonder if A&M recruits will trust Franchione's word, not just about whether he'll stick around, but in terms of playing time, positions, etc. This really stinks.
posted by thescoop at 11:32 AM on December 06, 2002
Nice piece, Patrick. I think that people looking for a comprehensive solution from the BCS are bound to be disappointed. We'd like it to be tidy and result in perfect matchups all the time, but it won't be.
posted by thescoop at 03:17 PM on December 03, 2002
I agree. I know the folks at A&M are disappointed with a 6-6 record, but this is really bewildering. Nebraska went 7-5 and let three assistants go. I wonder if A&M asked Slocum to fire some assistants and he declined, or if it just went nuclear.
posted by thescoop at 12:09 PM on December 03, 2002
Especially Georgia fans, who might see their team finish 12-1 and get to play an 8-5 Florida State squad in the Sugar Bowl. Golly. Iowa fans initially feared a BCS lockout, but it looks like they'll end up in the Rose Bowl should UCLA beat a Washington State team that may be without star QB Jason Gesser, and perhaps the Orange Bowl if WSU wins. Either one is nothing to sneeze at.
West Virginia, which notched its ninth win by beating Pitt, could get passed over for a Gator Bowl bid in favor of Notre Dame, who is, well, Notre Dame, even if USC did blow them out on national television Saturday to all but guarantee a BCS bid. If so, it shouldn't take anything away from the Mountaineers, who were 3-8 a year ago. Other bowl matchups are more fluid; the Alamo Bowl is still considering eight teams and watching this weekend's Big 12 championship (Oklahoma vs. Colorado) and the aforementioned UCLA-WSU game. Georgia plays Arkansas for the SEC title, but will anyone watch?
Wrapping up last week's games, Oklahoma can still beat everyone except Oklahoma State, which like USC learned a very valuable lesson: score early and often against the likes of the Sooners and the Irish. Texas, meanwhile, had to settle for ending R.C. Slocum's career at Texas A&M. Boy, he deserved it, too, being the school's all-time winningest coach and all. The Heisman race continues to be pronounced wide open, while other trophies begin narrowing the field.
posted by thescoop at 09:43 AM on December 03, 2002
First of all, putting Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl can only be defended as a financial choice, not a football choice. I'd like to see Iowa play Georgia in the Orange Bowl - a homecoming of sorts for Brad Banks, who hails from Belle Glade, Fla.
posted by thescoop at 11:10 AM on December 02, 2002
Yes, Miami does have some trouble with the run (and VT's backs are first-rate), but the problem is if Miami's offense or special teams strike quickly and get a lead, forcing Tech to throw more often. That would be bad news for the Hokies. The other factor is that Pitt's secondary played man-to-man against Miami, something Tech is likely to do as well, and Andre Johnson burned them twice for big gains (one a touchdown). The Canes haven't looked spectacular lately, but all they seem to need is 1 or 2 big plays, and they usually get them.
posted by thescoop at 11:12 AM on November 26, 2002
Most of the conference championships have been decided as well, although the Big 12 and the SEC await title games in the coming days. The remaining questions include the Heisman Trophy race, which is still up in the air. There's the "lifetime achievement" crowd that probably will opt for Miami's Ken Dorsey, who has had a solid season and a record-shattering career. But the fact that others prefer his teammate, RB Willis McGahee, is evidence enough that the situation remains fluid. Brad Banks of Iowa has pulled in some more support, while the PAC-10's talented quarterbacks are likely to be shut out.
This week's games offer some choice viewing, if not a big impact on the bowl picture. Colorado plays Nebraska and might be without tailback Chris Brown, who has a bruised sternum. Either way, Buffs probably win, and if Brown has a big performance, put his name up in the Heisman ranks. Other rivalry games: Notre Dame-USC (last chance for Carson Palmer to impress voters), LSU-Arkansas for the right to play Georgia for the SEC title, Florida-Florida State (potential criminality leading to the return of former starting QB Chris Rix), and Texas-Texas A&M (although the Aggies suffered a loss with the death of 18-year-old Brandon Fails).
The end of the regular season means coaching changes, and Utah canned Ron McBride on Monday even though the Utes won their final three games to finish 5-6. Utah might want to look north to Idaho, where Boise State's Dan Hawkins has become a hot commodity. Michigan State and Baylor also are looking (some Baylor alums are pushing former Iowa coach Hayden Fry as a candidate).
And this week's absurdity is from Miami, where offensive lineman Brett Romberg is under investigation after he reportedly made a bet on the Miami-Florida game in September on a radio call-in show. The bet was for dinner for the entire offensive line - and it wasn't collected.
posted by thescoop at 09:45 AM on November 26, 2002
I agree with tieguy's assessment of UNC's frosh; they are impressive, although I worry about Felton trying to do too much with the dribble. Despite having a good deal of athleticism, Carolina still seems to have some problems penetrating defenses (at least they did against Rutgers).
posted by thescoop at 09:44 AM on November 25, 2002
As a Pitt grad, I'm just juiced to see the Panthers among the top five and look forward to watching many a Big East game in which no team scores more than 65 points. It may look ugly, but I love it.
posted by thescoop at 06:46 PM on November 14, 2002
What's worse is that ABC freakin owns ESPN, so they should know not to hire The Brent (thanks tieguy, that's perfect). Is the shortage of capable broadcasters that dire?
posted by thescoop at 01:31 PM on October 31, 2002
Only this: if I have to listen to Brent Musberger call NBA games on ESPN this season, I'm going to go nuts. He's the worst - last night he kept interrupting his analyst on the Wizards-Raptors game and in general produced an un-ending string of nonsense punctuated by shouts of "Guess who? Kwame Brown!" whenever the kid did anything decent. Ugh. Oh, and the Wizards still have no inside game.
posted by thescoop at 10:35 AM on October 31, 2002
jacknose: These days, I suspect, you're good until proven overrated. The exception would be ND simply because the Irish get national exposure every week, while the other teams get intermittent TV time.
posted by thescoop at 11:14 AM on October 29, 2002
The win over FSU won't tell as much for the Irish as a win over Southern Cal at the end of the season; the Trojans are a better team than FSU and can throw the ball effectively, which is about the only thing that has caused ND some trouble this year. ND's run defense is definitely for-real, and Battle has become a much better player than I ever expected. But they haven't faced a talented team with good offensive balance. That's the real test.
posted by thescoop at 10:22 AM on October 28, 2002
I think Oklahoma-Miami would be a great game, much like the Miami-Tech matchup in December. But Notre Dame? Nah, either OU or Miami could roll over the Irish. Miami's passing game would overwhelm ND's defense, which relies on its secondary for run support. Notre Dame might succeed in keeping the game close against either opponent, but the final result wouldn't be that close, I'd say. The most interesting rankings to me are Washington State (7) and LSU (9), both of whom seem to be a little high for me.
posted by thescoop at 09:29 AM on October 22, 2002
Wow, that's a pathetic article. You could replace "college football" with, say, "men's magazines" or anything else in the first graf and be off and running on your own version of Mad Libs. I guess the point is that he hates college football because some teams win and others lose? Or maybe he likes sure things, meaning that Syracuse had no excuse losing to Temple. But, you know, the guys on both sides of the field are usually scholarship athletes. He's like the Simpson character who says "Ha-ha!" when somebody falls down. Whoa, now that's criticism.
posted by thescoop at 01:32 PM on October 17, 2002
I love this site - I once found a posting that pointed to a story by the Arizona Republic that tallied arrests among football players at Northern Arizona and other state schools. Of course that story isn't online any longer, but it was a great read.
posted by thescoop at 06:53 PM on October 16, 2002
I tell you, I am shocked, shocked, to hear that football is more important than academics in Tallahassee. You have to get those students out for the nationally-televised game, right? And since it started after 7:30, they needed Friday off to recover. Poor dears.
posted by thescoop at 10:26 AM on October 04, 2002
I'd be surprised if that sort of thing didn't happen at more schools and in more sports (10'2" basketball hoops, etc.). And I agree with yerfatma's assessment of the Gazette's format.
posted by thescoop at 11:56 AM on October 02, 2002
I suppose there would be some pressure to play talented freshmen at programs like Oklahoma and Miami, just to maintain recruiting successes. I'd be curious if it goes beyond the top 5 or 10 teams, though.
posted by thescoop at 10:47 AM on October 01, 2002
But if the Sox are out of contention, what exactly is the harm of Pedro letting a prospect get a chance to pitch to a major league lineup? A spoiled brat would insist that he be given the chance to get another win rather than offer to give up his spot in the rotation for a rookie.
posted by thescoop at 04:04 PM on September 23, 2002
Take heart, David: Florida can still win the SEC title and find its way into a BCS bowl. It just depends on how they react to this. And I'll say this for Ron Zook, who I covered during his first go-round in Gainesville: he's nothing if not resilient. Most folks demoted by Spurrier would have packed their bags immediately after the season ended.
posted by thescoop at 07:22 PM on September 08, 2002
I think it depends on who is available in the first round. If you have a decent shot at getting a stud skills player (QB, RB, WR) then my advice would be to not trade down. But if the draft isn't deemed to be stocked with such players, then trading down for more picks could really help, especially if you need linemen or tight ends or even linebackers. The Ravens jettisoned a good deal of talent, but they can't replace that with a bunch of fifth-round picks and expect to win immediately.
posted by thescoop at 10:36 AM on March 04, 2002
Of course the Nets would trade Kidd for any of those guys, but that's not the right question. The right question is, would the Nets trade Kidd for any other point guard in the league? I'd bet no, and with good reason.
posted by thescoop at 03:44 PM on February 08, 2002
Apparently my cut and paste skills are rusting away...
posted by thescoop at 03:42 PM on February 08, 2002
QB turns grayshirt into NFL internship
Sorry, that's Kevin Suhey. Paul's the dad (and a former PSU player).