December 09, 2015

SportsFilter: The Wednesday Huddle:

A place to discuss the sports stories that aren't making news, share links that aren't quite front-page material, and diagram plays on your hand. Remember to count to five Mississippi before commenting in anger.

posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 10 comments

Will Muschamp getting hired as the South Carolina head coach so soon after getting dismissed by Florida feels like a lo-salt version of what it would be like if Lane Kiffin got another major conference HC gig.

Coach Muschamp likely wouldn't have been a candidate at any place that wasn't already used to having a coach totally lose his composure on the sidelines during games. Didn't he recently get back to back 15 yard walkoffs for going King Kong on the refs? That may have been during the Iron Bowl. If I was an Auburn fan, I'd go down to the courthouse and have his middle name changed from Larry to Curly.

When he went to Auburn, the prevailing wisdom was that the DC position was his proper place and a reasonable ceiling. At Florida, there was such a sense of disarray and questionable game management on his sideline. Plus, he hasn't been away from head coaching long enough to fully absorb what lessons he might have learned from his time at UF. Not sure he's quite ready to be a better coach the second time around.

Also not sure what it is about this guy that makes him a perennial hot property whether as HC or DC. Too many people get swayed by intensity and bulging veins and not enough people are willing to roll the dice on a Bruce Arians.

posted by beaverboard at 08:42 AM on December 09, 2015

Can't let it escape notice that BYU and Utah of all teams, are facing off in a bowl game in Las Vegas, the ancestral home of bad habits. If there's a parade, will Dennis Rodman be the Honorary Grand Marshal?

posted by beaverboard at 08:56 AM on December 09, 2015

Can't let it escape notice that BYU and Utah of all teams, are facing off in a bowl game in Las Vegas, the ancestral home of bad habits.

The LDS Church is the second-biggest by population and by far the largest by congregations in Las Vegas.

posted by Etrigan at 09:40 AM on December 09, 2015

And the oldest town in Nevada, Genoa, was founded by Mormon settlers. Who apparently named the town in honor of a lovely northern Italian city to make it clear that the Sicilians and other southerners were NOT welcome to found the economic engine of the state, predicated on all things vice. Hint Hint.

posted by tahoemoj at 10:48 AM on December 09, 2015

That's remarkable data. Might help explain why Rodman ran off to North Korea.

Wonder if someone has considered hosting a bowl game in Salt Lake City and inviting Washington State and Texas A&M?

posted by beaverboard at 10:49 AM on December 09, 2015

And the oldest town in Nevada, Genoa, was founded by Mormon settlers.

Between Juh-NOE-uh and VUR-dye, living in northern Nevada really screwed up my visit to Italy many years later.

posted by Etrigan at 12:46 PM on December 09, 2015

Where in northern Ne-VA-da were you etrigan? I was there (north Tahoe/Reno) for 20 years before heading to the California coast.

posted by tahoemoj at 12:58 PM on December 09, 2015

Reno, '80s. Basically the whole time the Silver Sox were called the Padres.

posted by Etrigan at 01:39 PM on December 09, 2015

Apropos of nothing, just me venting: remember how awful Brian Scalabrine was playing basketball? He's far worse talking about basketball.

"Tommy can't work road games anymore boss."
"Ok, how about we get that screamer with the speech impediment that kept the bench from floating away for a few years, he was white, right?"

posted by yerfatma at 03:51 PM on December 09, 2015

I think Scalabrine has cooked up this zany career concept that might just turn into a meal ticket.

Here's the basic idea: Carrot Top plays out the film career of Will Ferrell.

"Let's see...there was a hoops movie, and a broadcast movie..."

posted by beaverboard at 09:44 AM on December 10, 2015

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