Great job coach

Those timeouts to freeze the kicker may not be such a good idea after all. From the Washington Times-

timeout blunder by Redskins coach Joe Gibbs that gave the Bills a free 15 yards, Rian Lindell's 36-yard field goal with four seconds remaining handed the Redskins a stunning 17-16 defeat in their first game since Taylor died from a gunshot wound early Tuesday morning.

Just before Lindell made a 51-yard field goal, Gibbs called timeout to freeze the kicker.

"I certainly wanted to do it there," he said. "I felt like it was a good idea."

Gibbs felt like calling a second timeout would also be a good idea. But Rule 4, Section 5, Article 2 of the NFL rule book states a team can't call two consecutive timeouts in an attempt to ice the kicker. If they do, the team is penalized 15 yards for unsportsmanlike conduct.

Gibbs claimed he was aware of the rule.

"I did know it, but in the heat of the moment, it was one of those things that certainly didn't register," he said.

Although the officiating crew was unavailable for comment, the official nearest to Gibbs did not throw a flag, instead sprinting to the referee. That suggests the official didn't know the rule, either.

Gibbs asked the official nearest to him if he could call a second timeout.

"I felt like he said, 'Yes,'" Gibbs said. "He said, 'When do you want to call it?' But I'm not laying it on him. I'm the guy, in all likelihood, that made a decision that very, very easily cost us the game. I told the team that. I want to tell everybody that. I should know the rule. I can't blame that on somebody else."

Gibbs blew it and ignorance is really no excuse. The blunder likely resulted in a Bills win because a 36 yard kick is substantially easier than 51 yards. Look at Lindell's stats. He is almost 90% from 30-39 yards but only a little over 60% 50 plus. Way to go Coach Gibbs! Maybe Buffalo should give you a game ball.

Linked to- Bright & Early, Rosemary, The World According to Carl,

Bowl madness

Not enough teams may get the six wins needed for a bowl game berth. From the Orlando Sentinel-

The Conference USA bowl scenario is going to get interesting over the last three weeks of the regular season.

Entering the week, UCF is one of four C-USA teams now eligible for bowl berths.

While Knights Coach George O'Leary was safe not to say his club was definitely going bowling by just reaching the necessary six victories Saturday with its win over Marshall, there doesn't appear to be any scenario in which UCF will be left out of the postseason. Especially with UCF's remaining opponents boasting a combined 7-20 record.

But C-USA is actually in danger of not qualifying enough teams to fill its six tie-ins this season. UCF, East Carolina, Houston and Tulsa all have six wins. But it may come down to the wire to get two more teams there.

The East Division's bubble teams are Southern Miss (5-4) and Memphis (4-5).

The West's only remaining candidate is UTEP, which is 4-5.

The Golden Eagles should be safe to get one more win with remaining games against Memphis on Saturday, followed by a trip to UTEP and a finale against Arkansas State (4-5).

UTEP will be favored Saturday at Tulane (2-7) but will have to upset either Southern Miss or win at UCF to get its sixth win of the year.

Memphis has it a little easier, hosting UAB (2-7) and SMU (1-8) after traveling to Hattiesburg.

I think the moral of the story is- There are too many darn bowl games. Outside of Oklahoma and Oregon, Who would watch a Oregon St-Tulsa game?(I'm making up a bowl match up)Does a 6-6 deserve a trip? I can remember Florida State getting no bowl bid after going 8-3 in 1978.

Linked to- Adam, Rosemary, The World According to Carl,

No souvenirs allowed

The last Hurricane game will be played there on Saturday night. From the Miami Herald-

Yes, Hurricane fans, we know you love the Orange Bowl -- and you will miss it. But you can't take it with you. Not even one fistful of sod.

So said University of Miami football coach Randy Shannon and university President Donna Shalala on Monday in a jointly issued plea for decorum. They asked that fans please not storm the field and grab things -- be they hunks of grass or chunks of goalpost -- after Saturday's 7:15 p.m. game against the Virginia Cavaliers.

The Virginia game will be the last played by the Hurricanes at their home for the past 70 years.

*****

In case some fans disregard their plea, Shalala and Shannon warned that there will be 300 Miami police officers on the field at the end of the game to ensure that no one tries to snatch a memento.

In addition to arrest, students would also face sanctions from the unversity, they said.

While the Hurricanes will be done with the OB, the stadium isn't closing yet. So the seats will be needed for other events, including maybe high school football games. I know as recent as two years ago a State Championship HS game was played at the Bowl.

What a waste of manpower if 300 police have to be on duty at the game. Don't police in Florida have something else to do? Like shooting out innocent people's car tires or sue a family for a slip and fall after responding to call where a child almost drowned? Criminals can pretty much expect a free hand on Saturday to do their mischief.

Linked to- Bright & Early, Bullwinkle, Rosemary,

Florida the rules are different here Chapter CLIII

Call our 153rd chapter Express Justice. A starter on the University of Florida Gator Football team, Tony Joiner was arrested on Tuesday for burglary. Guess what? By Friday the Alachua County State Attorney decided to dismiss the charges. That expedited justice wouldn't have anything to do with the big game Florida is playing today? You got to love the Sunshine State.

Linked to- Bright & Early, Bullwinkle, Outside the Beltway, Perri Nelson, The World According to Carl,

GAINESVILLE - Alachua County prosecutors dropped a felony burglary charge against Florida safety Tony Joiner on Friday morning, just three days after he was arrested on burglary charges for allegedly breaking into a company's impound lot and trying to remove his girlfriend's car.

The decision allowed Joiner to travel with the Gators to Baton Rouge, La., on Friday and made him eligible to play tonight when the No. 9 Gators visit No. 1 LSU. It also comes much earlier than expected, given the history of cases involving UF players and comments earlier this week from the prosecutor's office.

Wednesday, Alachua County State Attorney's Office chief investigator Spencer Mann said his office likely would need weeks to determine whether to pursue charges against Joiner. He guessed his office might not even receive a police report until next week.

Yet by Thursday morning, Mann and the office had begun investigating the incident. And before noon Friday, less than 80 hours after Joiner's arrest, he had been cleared of the charge.

When briefed on the case Friday afternoon, Orange/Osceola County director of investigations Randy Means said the review of Joiner's case and dismissal of charges would not be normal under most circumstances in his county.

"It would be atypical for us to make charging decisions on cold cases in that time frame," Means said by telephone.

Alachua County State Attorney Bill Cervone didn't return a message requesting comment on the case. Mann said in several interviews this week that he took time away from his work on a two-week-old murder case and that he hoped to resolve the matter with Joiner as soon as possible.

"Taking it day-by-day," Mann told the Palm Beach Post this week, "the sooner I can get it done and move to more important things."

Joiner's case moved much faster than those involving some of his teammates during the offseason. Tailback Brandon James was arrested and charged with a felony during a drug sting on June 12; his charges weren't reduced to a misdemeanor until July 9. Former UF lineman Ronnie Wilson's arrest and felony gun charges from April 5 weren't reduced to misdemeanors until mid-June.

Meanwhile, Joiner's exact status in the program isn't certain. Coach Urban Meyer released a statement before the trip but gave no indication as to whether, or how much, Joiner would play.

"Tony being out late is not consistent with the expectations of a leader and a team captain of our program," Meyer said in the statement. "Tony is no longer a captain of the Gator football team, and he will pay a heavy price for his behavior internally for the next four weeks."

After his arrest, Joiner spent better than eight hours in jail Tuesday before returning to the team Wednesday when he apologized to his teammates.

Mann said Friday that the charges were dropped in part because the owners of Watson's Towing Company and the impound yard didn't feel harmed or wish to go forward with the case.

"The victim was adamant he sustained no loss or damage and does not want to pursue charges," Mann said Friday. "Based on this information, we can't sustain a criminal charge."

Countdown to the wrecking ball

From AP-

CORAL GABLES, Fla. - Miami will play home football games at Dolphin Stadium starting in 2008, leaving the historic but decaying Orange Bowl after seven decades.

The university's trustees decided Tuesday to make the much-debated move, which could generate $2 million or more in extra revenue annually for the Hurricanes' athletic department. City officials unsuccessfully tried to keep Miami at the Orange Bowl by promising $206 million in upgrades.

"This is a painful and sad decision," Miami president Donna Shalala said.

The Hurricanes agreed to a 25-year lease with Dolphin Stadium.

Miami first played at the Orange Bowl, about eight miles from its campus, in 1937. The Hurricanes won three national championship games on that field, had a NCAA-record 58-game home winning streak from 1985 through 1994 and have drawn more than 17 million fans there over the years.

But the stadium's facade is rusting, upgrades are needed and the building lacks many amenities that modern stadiums have — such as the luxury suites and video replay screens that helped lure Miami to the home of the Dolphins.

I don't blame the Hurricanes for wanting to leave the Orange Bowl. The stadium has been in sorry shape for years, and like all old ballparks have, it has outlived its day. A part of South Florida history will die the say the OB is demolished, but anything man builds will be torn down some day.

Now the question is- Will the city of Miami build a baseball stadium for the Florida Marlins at the Orange Bowl site? Stay tuned.

Rick at SOTP is also commenting.
Linked to- Bright & Early, Bullwinkle, The World According to Carl,

Florida the rules are different here Chapter CXXXIII

The state of Florida is spending one million dollars to promote Florida produce. Doesn't sound unusual does it? Not till you hear that its being done by using a race car? Watch that car speed around a track at 170 MPH and think of Florida oranges, tomatoes and watermelon. That's what Agriculture Commissioner Charles Bronson thinks will happen. Who's TFM to question Florida's politicians and bureaucrats. (Cue the sarcastic laughter) Don't you just love Florida?

Linked to- Bullwinkle, Committees of Correspondence, Perri Nelson, The World According to Carl,


TALLAHASSEE -- What's green, can hit speeds of 170 mph and is fueled with $1 million in state dollars?

It's the "Fresh from Florida" race car, which, at racetracks from Homestead to Quebec, is being used to promote watermelons, tomatoes, oranges and a multitude of other fruits and vegetables grown in the Sunshine State.

"It's definitely different, but it's so attention-getting, it creates a lot of buzz at the track," said Tom Long, one of the drivers of car No. 99, a BMW M3.

"When you think of racing and peak performance, there's a tie to fresh Florida fruits and vegetables: good things for high performance. That's the message we're delivering," said Martin May, a spokesman for the Department of Agriculture.

It's a message not everybody has received. Dominic Calabro, president of Florida TaxWatch, a Tallahassee-based watchdog of government spending, had no idea the state was sponsoring race cars until he was told by a reporter.

That expenditure might "raise a few eyebrows," Calabro said, especially with Florida facing a $1 billion revenue shortfall because of the sluggish economy.

"[But] this could prove to be a great investment," Calabro added. "Anything that enhances the success of produce would be beneficial. It's a gift that may keep helping farmers and the taxpayers of Florida."

Although considered a rung below NASCAR in the hierarchy of professional racing, the Daytona Beach-based Grand American Road Racing Association has featured big-league drivers like Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson. And while attendance on race day usually numbers in the thousands, promoters claim to have reached 27 million people in 2006, mostly through television exposure. Both Florida cars are racing this year in all events, seven of which are nationally televised.

"It's reaching a crowd we need to reach," said Nelson Mongiovi, director of marketing and development for the agriculture department. "And it's the fastest-growing spectator sport in America."

Last year, the state spent $4 million in tax dollars (combined with equivalent amount paid by growers) on the Fresh from Florida marketing campaign, which includes promotions such as "Northern Exposure," a flooding of Canadian and northern U.S. supermarkets with Florida produce in winter and spring.

Since the campaign started nearly two years ago, sales of Florida produce and profits from all agriculture-related businesses (including tractor sales and trucking companies that ship the produce) have jumped $10 billion to nearly $97 billion, said Agriculture Commissioner Charles Bronson.

"Part of our program is to promote the symbol .ƒ|.ƒ|. and we keep track to see if we're getting our money's worth," Bronson said. Tracking by the University of Florida, he said, "found we were getting almost a 10-to-1 return."

By law, he said, the department is required to promote Florida's agriculture industry however it can. Calabro suggested the state might seek more private donors to help fund the racing enterprise.

"Not that there is anything improper," he said. "But when we're looking at a billion-dollar-plus state budget [shortfall], I'd probably try to raise more money from the private sector."

While federal agencies, including the Army and Navy, sponsor NASCAR teams and Grand-Am underwriters include Playboy, Ruby Tuesday, Sun Trust Bank and Super Cuts, so far the Florida Department of Agriculture has been the sole state agency to get in the game.Mongiovi said the department is trying to maximize the marketing money it gets from the Legislature to promote agriculture, the state's second-largest industry behind tourism.

Florida's cars are handled by the Orlando-based Automatic Racing team, which had eight top-10 finishes in 2006. Long, 25, has been racing for six years. After breaking a two-year track record during qualifying, he finished sixth at the July 7 Watkins Glen race in upstate New York.

Of the eight races so far this season, which runs from January to October, one or both Florida cars have finished in the top seven spots seven times. The best finish so far has been a second place for No. 09. They next compete Aug. 17-19 in Quebec.

"The fans are really involved in it. They come by, look at the cars and get the posters and materials we hand out," Long said.

"It's pretty neat because everyone keeps an extra eye on you as you go around the track."

Goodbye Daunte Culpepper

The former Pro Bowler was let go this afternoon.

MIAMI - The Miami Dolphins released quarterback Daunte Culpepper on Tuesday, ending the former Pro Bowler's short stint in South Florida and wrapping up what became a contentious split between the player and the team.

The Dolphins made the move in a one-sentence release, without further comment.

Miami tried for weeks to trade Culpepper, the former Minnesota star who was acquired by the Dolphins before the 2006 season even though he was coming off major knee surgery. Culpepper never regained his form last year, struggling in four games before the team shut him down so he could continue rehabilitating the knee.

A grievance filed by the NFL Players Association on Culpepper's behalf against the Dolphins was scheduled to be heard Wednesday, after the team told Culpepper he couldn't fully participate in offseason practices. That move came shortly after Miami traded with Kansas City for quarterback Trent Green, who's expected to be the new starter for the Dolphins.

Daunte's future in Miami became doubtful the moment Nick Saban left town. A little over a year ago Miami thought Culpepper was the team's salvation at QB, that he was healthier and cheaper than the injured Drew Brees. Two second round picks(The trade for Culpepper, plus the 2007 selection of Beck) plus a fifth round pick(The Trent Green deal)later and Miami's QB situation is still murky. Will Beck develop as the team hopes? Will Green do a good job in the interim? The team still has questions but few answers. One answer we know for sure. When asked what the Dolphins experience with Daunte Culpepper was, the word fiasco is the only proper reply.

Linked to- Adam, Third World County,

Too Late Nick

From the Sun-Sentinel-

"I have been criticized for that and maybe rightfully so, but it's not really who I am, and I do care about what people think," Saban said. "I am responsible for how I handled [leaving the Dolphins for the Alabama job] and I tried to handle it in a way that was going to be the best for our team.

No Nick, you handled it in a fashion only suited for yourself. That's why you got my much coveted Knucklehead award last January. Yes some people consider it a reward or honor.

Rick at SOTP wrote-

Nah, you think so coach? Let's see, you jumped out of a sinking ship after making some of the biggest holes, captain. Add public flip-flopping, equivocating or outright lies and a big Alabama-rolling-billboard moving truck and I'd say you did as much as you could to ensure an ungraceful exit.

It was both classless and ungraceful. Nick Saban will get his due one day. Coaching the Crimson Tide hasn't been a pleasant experience for most of Bear Bryant's successors. Saban could well find it just as unrewarding and when it does there will be cheering in South Florida.

Linked to- Adam, The World According to Carl, Yankee Sailor,

No more body bags

Certain College Presidents don't like their schools being on the losing end of lopsided games. From the Palm Beach Post-

Sun Belt Conference presidents are tired of their football teams starting the season with lopsided defeats.

They have proposed a policy that would require Sun Belt teams to play more home games and fewer mismatches on the road games that make money but almost assure humiliating losses.

The proposal, which will likely be finalized this summer, calls for the eight Sun Belt football schools to play at least 11 home football games in a two-year period. That would cut down on road games against top Division I-A teams that often pay as much as $600,000 a game.

"I think what the presidents are seeing is there has to be a balance," Sun Belt Commissioner Wright Waters said.

FAU raised $1.8 million in 2006 by playing four consecutive road games against teams from BCS conferences. The Owls (5-7) had seven road games and five home games, but started the season with four consecutive road losses by a combined score of 192-18.

This year's schedule is less brutal, but includes road games at Oklahoma State (Sept. 8 ), Kentucky (Sept. 29) and Florida (Nov. 17).

"We would like to wean ourselves away from the need to rely on the payday games," said FAU President Frank Brogan, who endorses the plan.

College football is like a business, they need a source of revenue(customers) in order to be still be in business. These schools find it profitable to be big school's whipping boy of the week. I'd really be surprised if the Sun Belt Presidents end this practice. It will be an act of masochism if they do.

The University of Miami Football team was often hired for these types of games in the 1970's. When they began beating up on the teams(Like Notre Dame) they were hired to lose to, alot of these schools stopped scheduling the Hurricanes.

Linked to- Adam, Bright & Early, Cao,

The Knucklehead of the Day award

Today's winner is the NCAA(National Collegiate Athletic Association). They get the award for the following.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- A reporter was ejected from an NCAA baseball tournament game for submitting live Internet updates during play.

Brian Bennett, a writer for The (Louisville, Ky.) Courier-Journal, was approached Sunday by an NCAA representative in the bottom of the fifth inning and told that blogging from an NCAA championship event is against NCAA policies.

Bennett had done live blogging during Louisville's super regional games against Oklahoma State in the previous two games of the three-game series. The representative revoked Bennett's credential Sunday and asked him to leave the game.

"It's clearly a First Amendment issue," said Bennie Ivory, the newspaper's executive editor. "This is part of the evolution of how we present the news to our readers. It's what we did during the Orange Bowl. It's what we did during the NCAA basketball tournament. It's what we do."

The newspaper's lawyer, Jon L. Fleischaker, added: "I think there's the potential for some action. We're still talking about it."

NCAA spokesman Bob Williams said Monday that Bennett was asked not to blog about game action before Sunday's game.

"In a nutshell, we asked the blogger repeatedly not to cover it in that manner, because it violates the policy, and he continued, and his credential was revoked," Williams said.

Williams said it didn't matter that the newspaper had blogged at other NCAA events, like the Orange Bowl and NCAA basketball tournament.

"Essentially, we enforce the policy when we learn of violations," Williams said. "So the fact that he may have blogged at a championship before really has no effect on the policy."

The no blogging policy is just dumb. Most People are either going to follow the event live or not at all. Mr. Ivory's coverage could enhance interest. Wouldn't that be beneficial to the sport.

For enforcing dumb and outdated media regulations, The NCAA is today's Knucklehead of the Day.

Hat tip- James Joyner at OTB who says Mr. Ivory's objection isn't about the first ammendement. I agree.

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The Knucklehead of the Day award

This award is overdue.

Today's winner is University of Florida Basketball Orlando Magic University of Florida Basketball Coach Billy Donovan. He gets the award for quitting his job at the UF to leave for the NBA's Orlando Magic. Less than a week later and after signing a contract with the Pro basketball franchise, Donovan backed out of the deal. Donovan is back in Gainesville(where he was welcomed back like the wayward prodigal son.)

No matter what you think ultimately, Donovan used poor judgment. He should have never committed to the Magic if his heart wasn't in it. His flip flop was an act of selfishness that left Florida sports fans blowing in the breeze(After Donovan's signing with the Magic, 200 season tickets were sold), and that's what makes Billy Donovan today's Knucklehead of the Day.

The strange saga surrounding Billy Donovan ended this week, with the coach returning to Florida after a six-day stint with the Orlando Magic.

Many college basketball coaches succumb to the intrigue of coaching at the NBA level, but few have succeeded. Larry Brown is the only coach to win a college and NBA championship, and Brown coached his first game in professional basketball with the Carolina Cougars of the now-defunct ABA.

Donovan announced his heart was at Florida. A reported clause in Donovan's settlement agreement prevents him from coaching an NBA for five years.

That will assure Donovan will stay at the college level for some time. In the past, Donovan also has said he couldn't envision leaving Florida for another college job.

Donovan's flip-flop impacted a major college program and professional franchise in the same state, plus dozens of employees and thousands of fans.

Winners

The University of Florida: Florida returns a coach who has led college basketball at the school to unprecedented heights. Before Donovan arrived, Florida had been to just one Final Four and made five NCAA Tournament appearances. In the 11 years since, Florida has won two national titles, reached three Final Fours and made nine straight NCAA Tournament appearances.

Had Donovan stayed in Orlando, there were no guarantees that Florida's top-ranked recruiting class would have stayed intact. Donovan has agreed to a six-year, $21 million contract extension, assuring the future of the program is stable.

Anthony Grant: Yes, the former Florida assistant would have been the next Florida coach had Donovan not changed his mind. But the fact that Grant was even considered for such a high-profile job after an excellent first season coaching at Virginia Commonwealth should only help his stock down the road.

Grant can stay at VCU for another year or two of seasoning and not face the pressure of following a legend, a legend who just happens to be one of his best friends.

Billy Donovan: Donovan took a public relations hit but ultimately made the choice that made him happy. Donovan talked about the grind of the college level, but it would have been just as demanding in the pros.

Just ask Donovan's mentor, Louisville coach Rick Pitino, who coached in the NBA with the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks.

"College coaches don't realize what it's all about," Pitino said. "I heard Billy go up there and say what a grind college basketball is, you don't get any time off.

"He should understand what a grind is with the pros. Because with the pros now the whole month of July is summer league, everything (before that) is preparing for the draft.

"There's no time off with the pros as well, unless you get knocked out early. If you're a playoff team, it's 100 games. That's the one thing that college coaches just do not understand about the pros. It's a grind, it's a major grind."

Losers

The rest of the Southeastern Conference: Basketball programs in the rest of the league were ready to pounce a Florida team that would have went into league play with a first-year SEC coach. Now, Donovan returns as the unquestioned dean of the league, leading Florida to three league tournament titles and three league regular-season titles in 11 seasons.

A new coach with a team that lost all five starters and the league's sixth man of the year would have faced a difficult climb in the league. But Donovan's coaching savvy should coax a few more wins out of a young team in transition. And Florida gets a bonus with the return of assistant coach Larry Shyatt, who would have left with Donovan for Orlando.


The Orlando Magic: Though we'll never know if Donovan would have followed the rest of his college brethren to the NBA coaching graveyard, we do know he created an initial buzz in an Orlando franchise that needed some life.

The Magic sold close to 200 season-ticket packages when Donovan was hired. No word yet on if there are mass requests for refunds.

Donovan may have had success in the NBA because he's demonstrated an ability to adapt in his coaching career. A few years ago, Donovan hired Shyatt, a defensive specialist, to shore up what he perceived as a team weakness. Donovan also has abandoned pressing as much in recent years in order to put his personnel in better situations to succeed.

Stan Van Gundy is a nice-guy NBA coach who couldn't quite get the Miami Heat over the top. Team president Pat Riley knew that and pulled the plug on Van Gundy in time to lead the Heat to the 2006 NBA title.

Donovan has championship pedigree.


Integrity: The idea that college sports operates on a higher plane than the pros took a hit.

Donovan apologized for lying to reporters when he said he wasn't approached by the Magic two days before he signed a contact with the team. Donovan and Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley also lied in May, when they denied an ESPN report that an agreement for a contract extension was in place. Both later acknowledged they had come to an agreement after Donovan returned from a vacation in the Dominican Republic in April.

Donovan will need to do some damage control on the recruiting trail, explaining to kids and parents that he made a mistake. There will be initial wariness that Donovan could change his mind on their futures the way he did when he flip-flopped from college to the NBA and back.

Linked to- Big Dog, Cao, Committees of Correspondence, Jo, Leaning Straight Up, Morewhat, Perri Nelson, StikNstein, Third World County,

Billy Donovan- staying put

It looks like the UF coach has changed his mind.

The Orlando Magic today will allow Billy Donovan out of his 5-year, $27.5 million contract that he signed on Friday.

"It's over," said a source close to the situation.

Donovan had reservations about leaving the Florida Gators for the NBA on Friday and spent all weekend trying to find a way to get out of his contract. On Saturday, Orlando Magic General Manager Otis Smith went to Gainesville to try to convince Donovan to honor the deal. Smith talked with Donovan again on Sunday, and so did Magic President Bob Vander Weide.

Unless Donovan wakes up today and changes his mind, the Magic will let him go, the source said.

Almost everyone at Florida, from people on his staff to other NBA coaches to even his wife, told Donovan to go to the Magic -- but after Friday's emotional news conference in Gainesville, he started thinking he might have made a mistake. That was the first time he even mentioned there being a problem.

*****

On Monday morning, Joel Glass, vice president for communications for the Magic, released a statement:

"While Central Florida, the Orlando Magic and Billy were energized with the announcement of his contract signing on Friday, we know there was a different feeling in Gainesville and people have been tugging at him since that time. Billy is conflicted with those emotions and the opportunity he has ahead in Orlando and in the NBA. We've had numerous conversations and a personal visit in Gainesville with Billy over the last 48 hours and we have a commitment from him that the dialogue between us will continue."

I thought all along that Donovan was going to stay in Gainesville. Coaching in the NBA is a whole different affair than college ball and the Magic are a mediocre team at best. The money and close proximity to his current job, were inviting, but Donovan has job security where he is. In five years or less, Billy could be looking for work again. Do you trade long term stability for short term gain? I wonder if that's what went through Billy's mind.

This about face may destroy any chance for Donovan to become a NBA coach, but who knows. Some franchises are desperate(like in any team sport). The Gators will be happy to have their coach back, that is for certain.

Linked to- Bullwinkle, The World According to Carl,

The Knucklehead of the Day award

Today's winner is Florida A&M University basketball coach Mike Gillespie Sr. He gets the award for the following.

TALLAHASSEE -- Florida A&M University basketball coach Mike Gillespie Sr. was jailed Friday on a misdemeanor stalking charge, police said.

Police said they were called Friday morning by a woman, who said she was stalked at work Thursday evening and again on Friday morning.

She had told authorities on May 15 of Gillespie's advances, but didn't want to file charges, hoping he'd stop contacting her, a police report said.

The report said police had investigated Gillespie several times since March 2005 on stalking complaints and warned him to stop his behavior. It was not immediately clear who made the complaints.

Gillespie's attorney, Tim Jansen, said he hoped to have the coach released sometime late Friday on $1,000 bond.

*****

Gillespie, 56, just completed his sixth season at Florida A&M by taking the team to its first 20-win season since 1988-89 and its second NCAA tournament appearance under his tutelage. He is married and has two adult children. His son, Mike Gillespie Jr., serves as his top assistant.

The school, which is already struggling with financial issues, released a statement saying it was reviewing the charges against Gillespie.

I blogged today about FAMU's more serious problems at present. Apparently not many people at this university are using their brains at present. What got into Mark Gillespie Sr's mind is beyond me, but one thing is certain, he is today's Knucklehead of the Day.

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Not smart in Athens Georgia

The Georgia Bulldogs women's golf coach resigned last week.

ATHENS, Ga. - Todd McCorkle's sudden decision to resign as the women's golf coach at Georgia last week followed complaints from players about his inappropriate sexual comments and jokes, according to documents obtained Monday by The Associated Press.

McCorkle's resignation was announced May 7 and came three days after a memo in which he was told he would have to go through extensive anti-harassment training and would be suspended without pay for July. McCorkle instead quit, but athletic director Damon Evans said he would remain employed in another undisclosed job with the athletic department.

In the memo, University of Georgia executive director for legal affairs Steve Shewmaker told McCorkle several players had complained about the coach's behavior.

*****

The memo was one of several documents obtained in response to an open records request by the AP. The documents included 48 pages of handwritten notes by school investigators from interviews with current and former players.

McCorkle was said to have shared a sexually explicit Paris Hilton video from the Internet with the team. Players reported McCorkle shared remarks about bras and underwear color. Other comments were more explicit, referring to male anatomy. There was a mention by one player of inappropriate physical contact.

"He is randomly rubbing your back or flipping hair, or pat on butt — and otherwise not think anything about it — but with all the other stuff feels wrong," the unidentified player wrote.

The university's investigation began in April. Art Leon, the father of Georgia's No. 1 player, Taylor Leon, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution his complaints to Evans led to the investigation.

"I'm the person that initiated it," Leon told the paper. "He doesn't need to be a coach of women's golf anywhere. He got what he deserved."

McCorkle said he resigned to remove the cloud over the golf program. My own opinion is he showed poor judgment. Did he deserve to get fired? No and the University of Georgia didn't take that action. It may have for the best that McCorkle left so any controversy would die away. Hopefully the Georgia golf program can move on from this experience and beat the Florida Gators! LOL, I live in Florida but am not a UF fan.

Dumb in Coral Gables

Who says people who run universities are smart. Some news from ESPN.

CORAL GABLES, Fla. -- Miami's baseball team will travel to Virginia Tech this weekend as scheduled, though it'll be with additional security.

Speaking one day after a gunman killed 32 people on the Virginia Tech campus before shooting himself -- the deadliest shooting rampage in modern U.S. history -- Miami coach Jim Morris said Tuesday that he doesn't believe his team will be in an unsafe environment but is adding extra protection to put his players' minds at ease.


"I just want our guys to feel comfortable," Morris said.

Morris called Virginia Tech coach Peter Hughes on Tuesday to offer his condolences.

"They want to try to get everything back to normalcy as soon as possible on campus," Morris said. "There is more security on campus than the rest of state of Virginia right now."

Miami's players aren't certain what to expect on this trip.

"It could be a down game or they could want to lift up the school and want to play hard," said Scott Maine, who's expected to be the Hurricanes' starting pitcher when the series opens Friday. "Who knows? It is so soon from that event."

The shootings were especially horrifying for Miami outfielder Jonathan Weislow, a freshman from Vienna, Va., who knows several Virginia Tech students.

"All of my friends from high school went there so I immediately starting thinking if my friends were OK," Weislow said. "Everyone that I talked to was just panicking and said it was just unreal."

The Hurricanes will be wearing black armbands in memory of the victims.

A nice gesture by the Hurricanes, but the school and its coach are being stupid and paranoid. Higher security of course will cost the school money and for what? The baseball team is more likely to get killed flying up to Virginia than have an incident at the ballgame. Are we supposed to not travel any more? Use your brains people.

What happened in Blacksburg this week was a terrible tragedy. God bless the families of all those who died.

Hat tip- Rick at Stuck on the Palmetto
Linked to- Basil, Bright & Early, Bullwinkle

Former Grambling State Tigers Football Coach Eddie Robinson dead at 88

Robinson was a college football legend. RIP.

Linked to- Basil, Bright & Early,

RUSTON, La. - Eddie Robinson, who sent more than 200 players to the NFL and won 408 games during a 57-year career, has died. He was 88.



Super Bowl MVP quarterback Doug Williams, one of Robinson's former players, said the former Grambling State University coach died shortly before midnight on Tuesday. Robinson had been admitted to Lincoln General Hospital on Tuesday afternoon.

"For the Grambling family this is a very emotional time," Williams said Wednesday. "But I'm thinking about Eddie Robinson the man, not in today-time, but in the day and what he meant to me and to so many people."

Robinson's career spanned 11 presidents, several wars and the civil-rights movement.

His older records were what people remembered: in 57 years, Robinson set the standard for victories, going 408-165-15. John Gagliardi of St. John's, Minn., passed Robinson and has 443 wins.

"The real record I have set for over 50 years is the fact that I have had one job and one wife," Robinson said.

He had been suffering from Alzheimer's, which was diagnosed shortly after he was forced to retire following the 1997 season, in which he won only three games. His health had been declining for years and he had been in and out of a nursing home during the last year.

Robinson said he tried to coach each player as if he wanted him to marry his daughter.

He began coaching at Grambling State in 1941, when it was still the Louisiana Negro Normal and Industrial Institute, and single-handedly brought the school from obscurity to international popularity.

Grambling first gained national attention in 1949 when Paul "Tank" Younger signed with the Los Angeles Rams and became the first player from an all-black college to enter the NFL. Suddenly, professional scouts learned how to find the little school 65 miles east of Shreveport near the Arkansas border.

Robinson sent over 200 players to the NFL, including seven first-round draft choices and Williams, who succeeded Robinson as Grambling's head coach in 1998. Others went to the Canadian Football League and the now-defunct USFL.

Robinson's pro stars included Willie Davis, James Harris, Ernie Ladd, Buck Buchanan, Sammy White, Cliff McNeil, Willie Brown, Roosevelt Taylor, Charlie Joiner and Willie Williams.

Robinson said he was inspired to become a football coach when a high school team visited the elementary school he attended.

"The other kids wanted to be players, but I wanted to be like that coach," Robinson said. "I liked the way he talked to the team, the way he could make us laugh. I liked the way they all respected him."

Robinson was forced to retire after the 1997 season, after the once perennial powerhouse fell on tough times. His final three years on the sidelines brought consecutive losing seasons for the first time, an NCAA investigation of recruiting violations and four players charged with rape.

As pressure mounted for him to step aside, even the governor campaigned to give him one last season so he could try to go out a winner.

But 1997 produced only three wins for the second straight year.

Robinson's teams had only eight losing seasons and won 17 Southwestern Athletic Conference titles and nine national black college championships. His den is packed with trophies, representing virtually every award a coach can win. He was inducted into every hall of fame for which he was eligible, and he received honorary degrees from such prestigious universities as Yale.

Butch Davis

The former University of Miami and Cleveland Brown head coach has cancer.

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. --North Carolina football coach Butch Davis said Tuesday he is undergoing chemotherapy treatments after a dentist removed a cancerous growth from his mouth.

''I know people are going to be concerned and everything, but it's going to be OK,'' Davis said. ``We're going to get through this and we're going to have a great season next fall.''

Davis said he wasn't even aware he had a growth when he saw his dentist late last month in Cleveland for a routine cleaning. After the growth was removed, a biopsy diagnosed it as non-Hodgkins lymphoma.

Subsequent exams have found no evidence that the cancer has spread anywhere else, but Davis said Tuesday is undergoing chemotherapy as a precaution. He had his first two-hour session last week, and will have between three and six more.

Good luck with the chemo Butch and God bless.

Linked to- Amboy Times, Blue Star, Pursuing Holiness,

Dedication

Carol Russell gave birth and helped coach the University of Nebraska at Kearney Women's Basketball team in one day.

GRAND FORKS, N.D. - About five hours after giving birth to her first child, University of Nebraska at Kearney women's basketball coach Carol Russell was out of the hospital and on the bench to help coach her players in the North Central Region basketball tournament.

"I could have watched the Webcast, but I wanted to be there for the girls because they've been working so hard for this all year," Russell said.

The University of North Dakota beat the Nebraska-Kearney Lopers 108-75 for the regional championship Monday night, to advance to the
NCAA Division II tournament in Kearney, Neb.

Russell said her team seemed tired in the second half. And being tired was something she could relate to.

"I usually stand up the whole game, but I didn't have the energy," said Russell, 35, who's in her fifth year as head coach.

Russell had permission from doctors to attend the game. She arrived at the game early in the first half and sat on the team bench. Assistant coach Tim Connealy took over most of the coaching duties while Russell said she provided mostly "input and encouragement."

"I was about three minutes late," Russell said. "I'm always on my kids about being late, but I guess they understood why I was."

Russell said her arrival at the game caused double takes by players, coaches and referees, who knew she had just had a baby.

Newborn Isaac bounced in at 6 pounds, 14 ounces.

"She comes to town, has a baby and goes back to coach the game," said Grand Forks Mayor Mike Brown, an obstetrician who was one of Russell's doctors at Altru Hospital.

"She was due, so she hand-carried her OB records with her to travel," Brown said. "It makes you smile."

Russell said she gave birth at about 1:45 p.m. Monday.

"I wasn't really thinking about the game at that point," she said. "It's the birth of my first child, so obviously that came first."

But shortly before game time, "I started feeling better," she said, and decided to go to the game.

Russell said hospital officials gave Isaac some UND Fighting Sioux outfits.

"We're honored the baby chose our community," said Brown, the city's mayor.

Russell was slated to check out of the Grand Forks hospital on Tuesday afternoon. She planned to fly back to Nebraska with her team, her husband and Isaac. But she said the baby wouldn't be dressed in his new North Dakota baby clothes.

"That might be a little salt in wounds for my players, so I doubt it," Russell said.

Isaac may have a permanent reminder about his time in North Dakota, Russell said.

"My family is kidding me about naming him Dakota," Russell said. "We're still searching for a middle name, and that's an option."

A sweet story. Congratulation Ms. Russell and God bless you and your son.

Linked to- Basil, Bullwinkle, Conservative Thoughts,

Florida the rules are different here Chapter LXXXVIII

A College Football coach announces that guns won't be tolerated. That would seem to be common sense, but of course this is the University of Miami we're talking about. Don't you just love this state?

Linked to- Bright & Early, Bullwinkle, Faultline USA,

CORAL GABLES — Randy Shannon has issued a straightforward warning to his University of Miami football players: Get caught carrying a firearm and your days as a Hurricane are over.

After two shooting incidents involving UM players last year, Shannon plans to enforce a "zero-tolerance" policy regarding weapons.

"You get caught with a firearm, you're dismissed from the football team," UM's coach said Monday.

"They're gone. They know the rules. It's not hard rules. It's to protect them." Asked about his players' constitutional right to own firearms, Shannon said: "I'm thinking about the University of Miami and the kids. When you have a firearm, there's a 50-50 chance that you're going to get hurt. So I said, 'Let's not put ourselves in those situations.' "Make it a 100 percent chance that you're not going to hurt nobody and that nobody is going to get hurt." Last July, UM safety Willie Cooper was shot in the buttocks by an unknown assailant outside his home in South Miami. Teammate Brandon Meriweather, who shared the home with Cooper, pulled a pistol from his pants and fired three times at the gunman, who escaped.

Police determined that Meriweather acted in self defense, and no arrests have been made in the case.

On Nov. 7, UM defensive tackle Bryan Pata was shot and killed at his apartment complex shortly after a Hurricanes practice. Pata, who police say owned several weapons, was shot in the back of the head and the case remains unsolved.

The sport is basketball

Today's example of absentminded journalism comes from Pat Dooley at The Gainesville Sun.

Carolyn Peck, who coached Florida's women to a 69-74 record in five seasons, was relieved of her duties on Monday effective at the end of the year.

Peck will receive a buyout of approximately $300,000 because she had a year remaining on her contract.

“I love the University of Florida,” Peck said at a news conference. “The reason the University of Florida athletics ranks with the best in the nation is that Jeremy Foley has the guts to make the tough decisions.”

You would think that in an article that is only 82 words long Mr. Dooley could find room for the sport Ms. Peck coached. It was basketball and I only discovered it by doing a Google search.

Back to Sports Journalism 101 with you Pat Dooley.

One last note, I fine Ms. Peck's attitude in regards to her firing as admirable. No complaining or whining, just seeing it as a justified decision by the school. TFM wishes Carolyn Peck good luck in her future endeavors.

Linked to- Pirate's Cove, Right Wing Nation, Third World County,