8:00 PM CSN Baltimore has video of Marcus Smith, a U.S. soldier who dressed as a minor league umpire to surprise his children at a Bowie Baysox game with a home visit from Afghanistan.
7:45 PM A Japanese Harley-Davidson motorcycle that was swept out to sea during last year's tsunami washed up on a shore in British Columbia last month. The bike's owner asked that the motorcycle be displayed at the Harley-Davidson Museum in Milwaukee as a memorial to the tsunami victims.
7:30 PM Buffalo Bills receiver David Clowneytweeted the results of his HIV test which came back negative. And to the critics of his decision to share his results, Clowney added: "Some people are Ridiculously stupid ... And can't see the bigger picture about things that are important in this world."
It’s no secret that, outside of a certain sweater-vested gent in central Ohio, the highest profile college football coach in danger of immediately losing his job is Georgia’s Mark Richt.
Normally I don’t subscribe to a coach putting a home up for sale as a sign of anything, but in this case, it might be applicable.
On May 17 Richt put his lake house up for sale. Though this is no ordinary second home.
Richt is asking $1,990,000 for a Lake Hartwell compound which features eight bedrooms and was reportedly purchased by the Bulldogs coach only two years ago.
The practice includes head coaches signing more players than there are scholarships available, then using various, stealth tactics to essentially cut current players deemed as non-productive.
Or, in some cases, a player who was promised a spot as a recruit, and who turned down other schools, ends up without a scholarship.
The most infamous purveyor of such techniques is Alabama’s Nick Saban. Why?
1) He regularly oversigns
2) He hides player scholarship information from the media under false pretense (federal privacy laws do not govern such information)
3) He makes a lot of money
4) Alabama makes a lot of money from its football program
Though thanks to the media, and coaches like Richt, the Tide may be finally turning against Saban and his compatriots in the practice.
During his talk to Georgia fans last week, Richt said of oversigning:
“If you bring them (recruits) in in the summer, and you work them and you let your strength staff work with them, and you kind of decide which ones you like the best, and you tell five of them, ‘Hey we know we signed you, and we expected you to be able to come in, we don’t have space for you, we’re really sorry about that but we don’t have space for you – you’re gonna have to leave and come back in January.’
“These other coaches have been over-signing, trying to grayshirt, trying to make sure they never come up short of that 85 (scholarship limit) number. But in doing so have they done it in an ethical way, which is what you’re asking. And I’d say not. That’s why the NCAA is trying to change its rules. ..
“.. There’s been a bit too much of the winning at all costs in college football. And I hope the tide turns in the other direction.”
On Feb. 2, 2011, college football recruiting signing day, Saban went out of his way to defend his oversigning to the media, reading off prepared notes as he defended himself:
Here’s part of Saban’s statement:
When you look at the numbers without knowing all the facts and internal information, I think that is a little premature and unfair.
So how does one procure such facts?
Good question, as Saban blocks, some say unlawfully, such “internal information” to the media that is otherwise volunteered to the public by virtually every other similarly situated school in the country.
Or you can ask former BIRMINGHAM NEWS reporter Ian Rapoport, who had this infamous exchange with Saban on April 14, 2008, about Alabama player scholarship information:
Rapoport: “The numbers is issue. First, do you know, is Colin Peek on scholarship?”
Saban: “I don’t know. You ask me, do I know…”
Rapoport: “I think you do know.”
Saban: “You’ll have to ask somebody else. … You’re asking the wrong guy.”
Saban later admitted to the reporter that the player was indeed on scholarship.
More from the conversation:
Rapoport: “How are you going to handle the numbers and when do you start to worry about it?”
Saban: “I’m not worried about them. It’ll all work out. I mean, the whole thing has a solution to every issue. You don’t put yourself in a position where you don’t know what’s coming, then have to take it in the chops. Aiight? We know how it has to be managed, and it will be managed.”
Saban: “And you don’t need to call me and ask me to write a column for you, and I won’t call you and ask you how to manage our numbers. How’s that?”
Rapoport: “So you’re not going to tell us?”
Saban: “I’m not going to tell you what? It’s none of your business. Aiight? And don’t give me this stuff about the fans need to know, because they don’t need to know.”
Rapoport: “I would never say that.”
Saban: “Don’t even ask. Aiight?”
As an Alabama football beat writer who had to face Saban ever day that season, Rapoport played off the exchange as playful in his report of the conversation. But the video may suggest otherwise. At the very least, Saban got his point across.
On 2/2/2011, Saban said of the criticism of his oversigning: “When you look at the numbers without knowing all the facts and internal information, I think that is a little premature and unfair.”
When Saban was asked point blank about “all the facts and internal information” on 4/14/08, the coach replied: “It’s none of your business.”
Zach Dillard of the RED & BLACK University of Georgia newspaper reported today that starting Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray “broke (his) ankle participating in an activity with teammates and friends on Saturday afternoon. Murray was rushed to team doctors after suffering the injury.”
A Univ. of Georgia athletic department source has subsequently told me that Murray suffered some manner of “leg injury” while playing soccer. The severity of the injury was described to me as a “bad sprain.” Read more…
CBS-TV affiliate WGCL-TV in Atlanta first reported today that Damon Evans quietly pleaded guilty last Wednesday to a well-publicized, DUI charge in Atlanta on July 1.
As part of his quilty plea, WGCL reported Evans was ordered to pay a $1,191.50 fine, complete 40 hours of community service “and must serve 12 months confinement“.
The ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION though had a different accounting of the penalties Evans will face from the Atlanta court - at least according to Evans’ attorney.
Alexis Stevens of the AJC reported today after the WGCL story: Read more…
(While onFinebaum, Brandowas a touch dumbstruck over Dooley remark)
With the Georgia football program currently a shambles, a somehow cheery Dooley ended the interview with a comment to Brando that, as an alumnus of the Univ. of Georgia, I can assure you ruined many a Georgia Bulldog’s day: Read more…
Mark Schlabach, Chris Low and Pat Forde of ESPN.com report today that former Mississippi State football player and current MSU booster Bill Bell, “shared a series of voice mail messages from Rogers with the NCAA last week. Bell said Cecil Newton never specifically asked him for money, but that Newton was present during three-way calls in which Rogers discussed a pay-for-play scheme.”
More:
Bell said he told the NCAA that Rogers sent him a text message outlining a payment schedule. Bell said the text included a request for $80,000 the day after Cam Newton signed his letter-of-intent with Mississippi State, $50,000 after 30 days after that and another $50,000 30 days later.
Extraordinary detail from Bell on the record, but it will likely not change Cam Newton’s status for the Iron Bowl. Read more…
If you visit this space regularly, you’ve seen a lot of cheap shots in college and pro football this season. But Auburn defensive lineman Nick Fairley’s spear of Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray is clearly the worst caught on video in a high profile game this year - if not in recent memory.
(Ignoring this play may come at a price for Auburn, SEC)
After the Bulldogs QB released a pass during the Auburn-Georgia game Saturday the Tigers defensive lineman lowered his helmet into the back of the unsuspecting Murray - after a five yard, unimpeded run-up.
Fairly was called for a personal foul on the play but remained in the game and later delivered another hit on Murray that knocked the quarterback out of the game. Read more…
Before Florida’s Chas Henry made the game-winning field goal in overtime against Georgia to give the Gators a 34-31 win in Jacksonville Saturday, Bulldogs head coach Mark Richt called timeout in an attempt to pile the pressure on Henry.
Also apparently part of Georgia’s psychologically-based strategy to distract the kicker at that time was Bulldogs defensive coordinator Todd Grantham repeatedly displaying the choke sign - with his hands around his own neck - in Henry’s direction.
From video of Grantham, he clearly gave the choke sign four different times - while throwing in what appeared to be some rather creative language for Henry’s benefit. Read more…
Longtime DAILY OKLAHOMAN columnist Berry Tramel sources a speculative piece on Texas defensive coordinator Will Muschamp soon replacing Mack Brown as the team’s head coach - but later dismisses his own source.
A Texas source said over the weekend that UT might encourage Mack Brown to retire, that the ‘Horns might be ready to commence with the Muschamp era. Not because of any dissatisfaction of Brown, but because of a belief in Muschamp. That’s the extent of Texas’ devotion to Muschamp, who is in his third year as the UT defensive coordinator and has been designated Brown’s successor.
The apparent impetus behind such talk is the shaky status of Georgia coach Mark Richt. The thinking is, if the Dogs come calling for Muschamp, Texas might try to throw in with its defensive coordinator instead of its current head coach.
Tramel makes the case that Muschamp-to-Georgia is a logical summation:
But it would make perfect sense for Muschamp to go to Georgia job, which is a great job and a great fit for Muschamp. Muschamp, 39, grew up in Rome, Ga., and was a walkon safety at Georgia before entering coaching. Muschamp was a successful defensive coordinator at LSU and Auburn, so his SEC roots run deep.
So Georgia seems the likely school to come calling for Muschamp in 2010. Georgia fell to 1-4 with a loss at Colorado, and suddenly Richt’s hold on the job seems perilous.
But after raising the possibility of Brown’s ouster via a “source“, Tramel takes a reverse personal course in his blog post. Read more…
For those wondering what is wrong with Georgia football, I’m not sure Mark Richt is the problem.
(What It’s Come To: SEC Champs or 1st Down @ Mississippi St?)
When Richt was coaching the Bulldogs without Urban Meyer at Florida, Nick Saban at Alabama and Les Miles at LSU, Georgia was stellar in the Southeastern Conference from 2001-04. In those four seasons, Richt won two SEC Championships while losing in the SEC title game another year.
He was an impressive 42-10 over and 22-8 in the league and it looked like UGA was finally on the brink of breaking through the glass ceiling that’s forever plagued the Bulldog program.
Then Florida hired Meyer.
Since Meyer took over the Gators, Richt is 26-17 in the SEC and 49-20 overall. Above average numbers until you find out the Dogs have gone 2-7 in their last nine conference games and 0-3 in the SEC to start the 2010 season. (Longest losing streak since 1990 - my senior year at UGA. Yay.)
Richt is 1-4 against Meyer with Georgia now 3-17(!) in the past two decades against the Gators. But wait, there’s always the most recent two meetings between Georgia and Florida, in which the Dogs were outscored 90-27 in two losses.
Despite that appallingly lopsided 20-game segment, Georgia still holds a 46-39-2 edge in the series. In other words, Florida has no absolute right to football dominance over its biggest rival. Georgia has had equally impressive runs over the Gators the past century, but thanks to Steve Spurrier and Meyer, the balance of power has shifted dramatically - for now.
Last Saturday, which Richt called, “obviously” the lowest point in his decade-long tenure at Georgia, the Bulldogs were embarrassed 24-12 by an also-ran Mississippi State team led by Meyer protege Dan Mullen.
Worst than the result though, at least to me, was Richt’s hollow comments about Georgia’s offensive strategy against the MSU defense after the game. Read more…
