A Hometown Headlines newsletter                 

 


If you don't believe Alabama will rule the SEC, answer this: Who's going to beat the Tide?

(4/30) Sporting News Today college football writers Dave Curtis and Matt Hayes were asked which team enjoys the greatest home field advantage. Curtis chose Oklahoma, Colorado and Texas Tech. Hayes says Virginia Tech, Oregon and Florida.

And speaking of Oregon, the Ducks’athletics director Pat Kilkenny says his school could have made a much bigger splash than it did by hiring Creighton University’s Dana Altman. Kilkenny said they had five national championship coaches show interest in the job and at least three would have taken it. I’m not saying he’s fabricating but. . . And speaking of coaching hired, The Citadel has hired Chuck Driesell, son of Lefty Driesell, as its head basketball coach.

Talk about buzzard luck: the National League’s Colorado Rockies have not one, not two, but three starting pitchers on the 15-day disabled list.

Alabama basketball coach Anthony Grant has signed Kendall Durant to play round ball for the Crimson Tide. Kendall is the first cousin of former Texas All-American and NBA scoring champion Kevin Durant.

As far as Crimson Tide football goes, you SEC-watchers aren’t going to like this but I see Alabama basically making its way through its league schedule with little opposition. Seriously, who’s going to beat them? Florida is the lone possibility. The SEC is going to be down again this year despite the emergence of the Western Division.

Here’s what new NCAA president Mark Emmert will be faced with as he takes over the governing body of college sports. Basically, college sports is held-bent to destroy itself with escalating costs that they can’t possibly sustain. On top of that, his top teams are looking at forming four super conferences which would strip away most of the NCAA’s glamor boys and render the governing body powerless. In fact, the 64-team super conferences might just put the NCAA out of business. Why would a man of Emmert’s intelligence take the job?

I’m not saying anything untoward will happen but it’s worth watching over the weekend as Tiger Woods plays in his first regular PGA event since he appeared in the Masters earlier in the month. He’s playing in Charlotte and it’s not a controlled atmosphere as was Augusta.

This is Norman Arey and I say nobody’s going to beat Alabama this fall in league play.

And you think that college football recruiting is a science?

(4/29) Just food for thought but could it be that there’s a shifting of power in the SEC as the West looks stronger than ever and the East may be in a down cycle? Auburn, LSU, Arkansas and, of course, Alabama should be elite teams. Florida, Georgia and Tennessee may have some work to do.

And before the NFL draft gets too far away in the rear view mirror, Florida led the SEC in the number of players selected with nine while Alabama had seven. In fact, every team in the conference had at least one player taken. The SEC led all leagues with 49 players chosen in the draft while the Big 10 was second with 34.

And speaking of the draft, when’s the last time a quarterback from The Philippines was drafted in the first round? Tim Tebow was born in Manila while his parents were doing missionary work.

Good news or bad news according to your point of view but University of Georgia president Michael Adams did not get the job as the new head of the NCAA. That went to University of Washington president Mark Emmert.

Almost a consensus pick. Atlanta Hawks’ Jamal Crawford got 580 of a possible 610 points to win the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year Award.

And for what it’s worth, you may not have the Pac-10 to kick around this year in football. The conference has seven starting quarterbacks returning for a league race that truly up in the air. Also look for the ACC to be better from top to bottom, for sure the Big XII and, believe it or not, the MAC.

Washington Senator draftee Stephen Strasburg, who is pitching for the Senator’s AA club, Harrisburg, is 2-0 with a 0.73 ERA in three starts. The hurler is reputed to be the best amateur pitcher ever. He’ll be in the nation’s capital before May 15.

For all of those who follow college football recruiting as it were a science, chew on this. Only 39 percent of the players chosen in the first or second round of the NFL draft were listed in the top 100 in their high school senior year.

And finally junior college transfer Cam Newton has emerged as the No. 1 quarterback on the Auburn depth chart after spring practice. Newton came from Blinn Junior College in Texas.

This is Norman Arey and I think college football recruiting is a bunch of hooey.

You might have to stand in line for your Time Tebow Denver Broncos' jersey

(4/28) No surprise that Denver Broncos’ draftee Tim Tebow’s jersey leads all NFL rookies in sales. Tebow, the former Florida quarterback, is ahead of Ndamukong Suh, Sam Bradford, Eric Berry and Dez Bryant.

Sorry but I couldn’t resist this list. There are four major league baseball teams with more than 10,000 wins. They are, in order, Giants, Cubs, Dodgers and Cardinals. The Phillies are the only club with more than 10,000 losses. And for you Yankees fans, the Bombers have 9,587 wins.

A funny thing has happened to the Atlanta Hawks on their way to breezing past an undermanned Milwaukee team. The Bucks have tied the series at two games each. Explain to me how Marvin Williams, a No. 1 round draft choice several years ago out of North Carolina, can score only four points in the playoffs? Overrated!

Wow! Matt Hayes of Sporting News Today projects four North Carolina players in line to be drafted in the first round of the 2011 NFL draft. He says defensive tackle Marvin Austin, defensive end Robert Quinn, linebacker Bruce Carter and safety Deunta Williams all stand to go in the first 25 or so picks.

I’m just not sure what to make of Logan Gray, Georgia’s No. 2 quarterback, considering leaving the Bulldogs to play at possibly Valdosta State. That would leave Georgia with one quarterback, Aaron Murray, until the summer when Marietta freshman Hutson Mason reports... Zach Mettenberger, the other QB, was dismissed from the team earlier this month. The word is the Bulldogs have already offered scholarships to five quarterbacks for the 2011 class.

And speaking of quarterbacks, in retrospect, Ole Miss’ Jevan Snead seems to be the best player not taken in the NFL draft.

If you think college football expansion isn’t real, here’s one to put in the back of your mind. None other than the conservative Tom Osborne, Nebraska’s athletics director, says if anybody calls him, he’s willing to listen.

Rivals.com has come up with their All-Decade college basketball team of players who stayed four seasons. They were Tyler Hansbrough of North Carolina, Duke’s Shelden Williams and J.J. Redick, Maryland’s Juan Dixon and St. Joseph’s Jameer Nelson.

This is Norman Arey and I’ve already ordered by Tim Tebow Denver Broncos jersey.

Why haven't we heard Georgia Tech mentioned in the college football expansion talks?

(4/27) According to Sporting News Today, Pete Carroll is already showing he may be ready for the NFL this time around. The former Southern Cal coach rated an "A+" from the on-line sports site on his drafting for the Seattle franchise. Atlanta was given a "B-" for its efforts in the draft.

The most popular position to be drafted at the NFL big show was defensive back as an even 50 were chosen. There were also 13 quarterbacks taken. I didn’t know there were 13 quarterbacks worthy of being taken.

Conor Hanratty, remember that last name? He’s a 6-foot-4, 290-pound offensive lineman who has committed to Notre Dame. His father, Terry Hanratty, played quarterback for the Irish back in the day.

Oregon finally, finally filled its head basketball coaching job by hiring Dana Altman from Creighton University. And this is supposed to be the big splash that everyone anticipated? The Ducks tried but basically settled for their fourth or fifth choice and they’re still paying him $2 million per year. Altman isn’t a bad coach; in fact he’s a good one but not what you would have expected.

When the NCAA approved an all-time high of 35 bowl games next season, the question arose if the bowls could find 70 teams that would be bowl eligible. Remember, this past season, teams had to have at least a 6-6 record. In the past three years, 71 teams have been eligible each year. That’s cutting it close.

Name of the Week: Kale Pick, while not a defensive back, is the quarterback at Kansas.. Maybe that’s not such a great name for someone who throws the ball.

When the Oakland Raiders traded for former Auburn star Jason Campbell, you have to believe that ex-LSU quarterback JaMarcus Russell is on the way out. The Raiders have five quarterbacks on their roster, and if they cut Russell this week, it’ll save them $6.5 million in bonus money. Plus, reportedly Russell weighed in during March at 290 pounds.

In all the talks concerning college football conference expansion, which is sure to touch every existing league in one way or another, one of the few teams which I haven’t seen mentioned is Georgia Tech. If you remember, the Jackets were a member of the SEC for decades until it quit the league in the early ‘60s. Maybe it burned too many bridges but Atlanta is a desirable TV market and basically the hub of southern college football.

This is Norman Arey and I’d love to see Tech back in the SEC.


If you're got short arms, don't even think about the National  Football League

(4/26) While I’m still imbued by the holy spirit of the National Football League draft, after three nights and days of hearing, reading and watching the NFL pick player after player, after hearing each pick exhaustively diagnosed, picked apart and then re-fitted, I want to say that we have all witnessed the greatest marketing ploy in the history of this planet.

The first round of the draft was the eighth highest-rank show ever on cable television. The event was so big, two networks had to combine talents to carry it.

Here’s how it went, in case you missed even a sacred second.

The new law-and-order commissioner Roger Goodell started the stampede by announcing "The 2010 NFL Draft has now begun. St. Louis is on the clock."

Now here’s the real genius of the entire three days. There was a 10-minute break after each team was announced to be on the clock. There was a panel of five, which included the ubiquitous Chris Berman; the overly coiffed Mel Kiper Jr.; the somber Steve Young; the actually entertaining Joe Gruden; and others who seemed to appear or disappear.

The language spoken by this panel to eat up 10 minutes on the air was a hybrid of English, coach-speak, footballese and not much real info. We did learn that it’s not a good thing to have short arms. Some guys shy away from contact more than others. Some can run through a wall. Some can run around a wall. The vertical leap and how many reps a player can do are very important. And don’t forget that ever-important 40-yard time. You’d think football players only have to run 40 yards.

The one thing I simply didn’t get was a odd little pre-filmed dance that each player did when his name was called. I’ve never seen anything quite like it and I still don’t understand it. I hope the league drops that before next time around.

We learned that Tim Tebow could never be drafted in the first round and he was. And tell me one thing -- if this draft is as secret as the NFL makes it out to be, how come Tebow had Denver Bronco hats available for family and friends? Where did he get them? How did he know?

Jimmy Claussen is a can’t-miss player who was draft-ready and he was picked 48th. Colt McCoy of Texas evidently wasn’t the real McCoy because he dropped to the 85th pick.

Overall, it was a simply amazing three days where the NFL has figured out how to take a not-for-prime-time event and make it spell-binding. Ten minutes passes, a man gets up with an index card and reads out a name, and Radio City Music Hall, the scene of this extravaganza, rocks with approval or disapproval. Seems the New York Jets fans didn’t like anything.

I mean landing a man on the moon wasn’t as impressive as this.

So it’s over for another year. But with what happened in the past three days, we can only wonder what the encore will be like next April.

Watch out for the clowns and the miniature Clydesdales.

This is Norman Arey and I admit to having short arms.

No Bible verses or anything else in college football eye black next year

(4/23) Big 10 commissioner Jim Delaney said this week that his league’s plans for expansion aren’t quite as far along as media reports indicate but he did admit that it’s something that’s going to happen. That serves official notice, especially to the Big East and the ACC, that they need to do due diligence in (1) checking out the landscape for new members and (2) formulating a plan to replace any teams that may leave to join either the SEC or Big 10. SEC commissioner Mike Slive has said that he won’t wait around to see what other conferences are doing. The SEC wants to be ahead of the curve. I think they will be.

So the law-and-order NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has spoken on the Pittsburgh Steelers’ quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. The bad boy has been suspended for six games and ordered to undergo a comprehensive behavior evaluation, whatever that means. His six game sentence could be reduced to four if the player is successful in completing the evaluation. And by the way, it’ll cost Ben $2.85 million in lost salary. Is this enough punishment? Roethlisberger hasn’t been convicted of any wrong doing in a court of law but he’s guilty in the morality department.

Here’s a new take on college football conference expansion. Matt Hayes of Sporting News Today writes that he believes the Big 10 will be unable to persuade Notre Dame to come aboard and he believes the league won’t invite anyone else. Instead, it will petition the NCAA to allow it to hold a championship game at season’s end with an 11-team league.

A new coaching lineage has appeared in basketball. Jason Capel, a former North Carolina player, has been named head coach at Appalachian State, replacing Buzz Peterson, who left for UNC-Wilmington. Capel is the brother of Jeff Capel III, head coach at Oklahoma and son of Jeff Jr. who is an assistant with the Charlotte Bobcats in the NBA.

The old ball coach, Steve Spurrier, may be getting old literally as he celebrates his 65th birthday next week. Spurrier says he plans on retiring with the distinction of never having been fired. He said if things start going bad at a job, you should step aside and walk away. His 35-28 record at South Carolina isn’t awful but it’s not what he or the Gamecock fans expected.

The NCAA brain trust has come up with another brilliant idea. The college football governing body has banned eye black messages beginning immediately. You know - like Tim Tebow had a Bible verse written in his eye black. Really, is that the most important thing going right now?

This is Norman Arey and I take the pledge that I’ll have no messages in my eye black.

Why quit at the top of your game? Here's a list of early sports' retirees

(4/22) The headline on the internet read "Duke Basketball team to be recognized by Governor Perdue." Why would the Georgia governor be handing out honors to the Blue Devils? The governor of North Carolina is Beverly Perdue.

And speaking of North Carolina, sports cynic Jamie May suggests holding a contest to re-name the Big East should the Big 10 rob them of three or four teams. His suggestions include The Eastern Conference and the Large East.

It was kind of inevitable but a story appeared in the Pittsburg Post-Gazette this week that the Steelers aren’t actively seeking a trade for troubled quarterback Ben Roethlisberger but they wouldn’t turn down any team that wants to talk. In a related move, Pittsburgh re-signed former quarterback Byron Leftwich as insurance, obviously anticipating the suspension handed down Wednesday.

With the NFL draft starting today, USA Today wonders if Jimmy Clausen can break the Notre Dame quarterback jinx? The Irish haven’t had a successful NFL quarterback in more than a generation. In fact, 20 teams, including Fresno State and Houston, have had more quarterbacks drafted than the Fighting Irish in that time span.

And speaking of USA Today, their 2010 All-USA Boys basketball team was led by 6-foot-8 North Carolina signee Harrison Barnes. Others on the No. 1 team include 6-9 Jared Sullinger, who’s headed to Ohio State; Duke signee 6-3 Kyrie Irving; 6-4 Brandon Knight, who is the newest Kentucky Wildcat; and 6-8 Tobias Harris, who’s going to Tennessee.

A couple of short shots: Fred Hill has resigned as head basketball coach at Rutgers . . . The latest word is that the Big 10 may announce its expansion plans as early as July 1 of this year. . . Fair warning, don’t draft a quarterback in the NFL draft. Of the last 22 quarterbacks to have played in the past 11 Super Bowls, only 12 teams drafted and developed their quarterback.

What going on with the LPGA tour? No. 1 ranked Lorena Ochoa, 28, announced her retirement from the pro game this week. This follows the retirement of No. 1 Annika Sorenstam two years ago at the age of 38.

In fact, this gives me a good excuse to run a list of other early retirees from their sport. Bjorn Borg left tennis at age 26; Rocky Marciano quit boxing at 32; Bobby Fischer walked away from chess at 32; Sandy Koufax quit baseball at 30; Jim Brown left football at 29; Barry Sanders left the Detroit Lions at age 30 and Bobby Jones retired from golf at 28.

This is Norman Arey and I’m not even thinking about retiring.

It may be that the Big East conference is facing extinction

(4/22) OK, here's one major problem, and I mean major, that the National Football League faces. In 2009, the Atlanta Falcons paid rookie quarterback Matt Ryan $34 million in guaranteed money and an average salary of $11 million annually.

In 2010, Matthew Stafford received $42 million guaranteed and averages $12 million per year from Detroit.

This year, Sam Bradford is reportedly ready to sign a deal worth $50 million guaranteed and a $13 million annual salary. No player should ever be paid more money for stepping on the field for the first time than the players who have proved themselves. It’s not good business and the NFL will be forced to address it.

The Scores Report asked this college basketball question, ‘Why do you hate Duke?" Thirty-seven percent of the respondents admitted they didn’t hate the Blue Devils. The top reason for those who did was "they get all the calls" which drew 20 percent of the responses and "private school, elitist student body" was next with 14 percent. Surprisingly coach Mike Krzyzewski drew only 3 percent.

Ordinarily I don’t comment on college football recruiting and commitments but I couldn’t get past this one. Pro style quarterback Jeff Driskel from Oviedo, Fla., said he’s going to Florida. He described himself thusly: "I’m a big, tall quarterback who can make plays in the pocket. I can run, too and I feel like I can make any throw. I can do pro-style or the spread and I’m really versatile." Yeah, but what do you really think of yourself, Jeff?

Former Syracuse athletics director Jake Crouthamel told the New York Times that he fears for the Big East Conference’s survival if the Big 10 goes through with its expansion plans. The former Orange AD, who helped create the Big East, says utter chaos is just around the corner in college football.

And what, you may ask, is the big draw to go to the Big 10 for Big East schools? The Big 10 has an annual payout to its member institutions of $20 million. The Big East offers $7 million.

Those watching spring practice in Tallahassee say that new football coach Jimbo Fisher couldn’t have a more different approach than former FSU coach Bobby Bowden. Fisher is hands-on, in-your face with immediate feedback to the players. Bowden watched practice from a three-story tower in the middle of the field.

Now here’s a salary that’s well deserved. Boise State is waiting on approval from its state Board of Education to give football coach Chris Petersen a five-year contract extension with a salary of $1.2 million per year. Petersen’s four-year record with the Broncos is 49-4.

This is Norman Arey and I wouldn’t care if the Big East went away.

What's with Mark Richt? How smart, really, is the National  Football League?

(4/20) The case of Georgia quarterback Zach Mettenberger is puzzling, at least to me. Mettenberger, who was arrested on an alcohol-related incident during spring break, was allowed to complete spring practice. Then he was dismissed, although the Bulldog brass admitted there was no new incident. So why wasn’t he expelled when he came back from spring break? The quarterback battle is now between Logan Gray and Aaron Murray.

FoxSports reported that Georgia Tech running back Jonathan Dwyer tested positive for amphetamines at the NFL combine but say the positive was caused by prescription drugs the former Yellow Jacket was taking.

The best football state in the nation? The Birmingham News claims its Alabama. The University of Alabama drew 91,312 for its annual A-Day game; Auburn University drew 63,217 to its game and UAB added another 2,500. The newspaper pointed out that the ability to draw 157,029 to anything that’s not NASCAR this time of year is amazing.

After the Big 10 meetings in Washington, D.C., over the weekend, one source said the league is on the path to accelerated expansion. The word is that the Big 10 will add at least three teams, and possibly five, if it can find the right fit. So a 14-team league seems for sure and possibly one with 16 members.

Remember the pro-life commercial during the Super Bowl featuring former Florida quarterback Tim Tebow and his mother? During a speech at Lipscomb University over the weekend, the devout Christian said that ad had cost him several sponsors. Tebow said multiple sponsors told him they could not allow him to represent their products if he went ahead with his pro-life commercial. Tebow said the loss of sponsorship was a small enough price to pay to spread his message about family and faith.

Pete Fiutek of College Football News picked a handful of teams who he believes will be flying under the radar this season and surprise some folks. He thinks Boston College has a chance in the ACC, Kentucky in the SEC, Southern Cal in the Pac-10, Cincinnati in the Big East, Purdue in the Big 10 and Texas Tech in the Big 12.

Former Florida State safety Myron Rolle has returned from a year of study at Oxford University, courtesy of his winning a Rhodes Scholarship, to make himself available for the draft. Rolle has run into a problem he hadn’t anticipated. NFL teams, is seems, question his dedication to football since he took a year off from the sport to study. Also, his desire to become a neurosurgeon isn’t popular within the NFL. Once thought to be a first- or second-round pick, Rolle is now projected to go in the fifth or sixth round. Somebody’s missing the boat, here.

This is Norman Arey and I think Myron Rolle is too smart for the NFL.

If Alabama doesn't have a QB controversy, it will have at least a heated battle

(4/19) The Big 10 is meeting in Washington, D.C., this week specifically to discuss expansion, so it’s really going to take place. With a mandate to expand, that will allow Big 10 commissioner Jim Delaney to notify other conference commissioners of the schools he’ll contact to gauge their interest in joining his league.

Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, who should be chosen in the top three in this week’s NFL draft, announced he will donate $2 million to the Cornhusker strength and conditioning program and an addition $600,000 to endow a scholarship in the school of engineering. Suh graduated with a degree in construction management.

In a related matter, there are a record number of underclassmen coming out early for the NFL draft -- a total of 53. That, coupled with the 60-plus underclassmen coming out for the NBA draft,certainly points to watered down college play in those two sports.

Redshirt freshman quarterback Zach Mettenberger has been dismissed from the University of Georgia football team. The reason given head coach Mark Richt is that he violated team rules. The Watkinsville native already had been issued a one-game suspension for an alcohol-related incident in March.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have feelers out to see if anyone if willing to take their 10th overall pick and allow them to trade down in hopes of snaring former Florida quarterback Tim Tebow. The Jags reportedly want a lower first round pick plus a second-rounder.

If not a quarterback controversy, Alabama will at least have a heated quarterback competition next fall as backup QB A.J. McCarron had an excellent day during the Crimson Tide’s spring game. As 91,000-plus looked on, McCarron completed 12 of 28 for 196 yards and two touchdowns while incumbent Greg McElroy hit on 12 of 22 for 141 yards, one TD and one interception.

There will be great argument over the NCAA’s latest brain-child. The college football governing body had instigated a new excessive celebration rule that basically takes points off the scoreboard if excessive celebration is called on a touchdown run or catch. If a guy looks back at the 10-year line and holds the ball out for the defender to see, it’s no touchdown.

Of all the local players, Georgia Tech’s defensive end Derrick Morgan should be the first taken in the pro football draft. Morgan is expected to be picked in the top 10, possibly ninth and headed for Buffalo.

And finally, Jason King of Yahoo!Sports predicts that top five risers and top five losers for next year’s NCAA basketball season. King says Memphis, North Carolina, Florida, Illinois and UNLV will come back strong while Louisville, Syracuse, Wake Forest, West Virginia and California will fade dramatically.

This is Norman Arey and I like Memphis’ basketball recruiting class above all others.

Kentucky is at it again. How does John Calipari do it year after year?

(4/16) The Kentucky Caliparites have done it again - signed the top undecided player in the country. Point guard Brandon Knight will play for coach John Calipari, replacing John Wall who left for the NBA. Knight is also expected to be a one-and-done player. Syracuse, UConn, Kansas and Florida were also on his list. The Wildcats also announced that 6-foot-10 power forward Enes Kanter had signed a letter-of-intent.

In more college basketball house cleaning, Gordon Hayward, the leading scorer of national runner-up Butler, has declared for the NBA draft. The 6-foot-10 sophomore left the door open to return to the Indiana school, saying he would not hire an agent. . . Yet another player has left the Oklahoma team as center Orlando Allen quit, bringing the Sooners’ loss since the season ended to four. Willie Warren and Tommy Mason-Griffin left for the NBA and Ray Willis is transferring. All three are guards. In addition, assistant coach Orande Taliaferro resigned. . . Meanwhile Missouri coach Mike Anderson reportedly turned down $3 million a year to go to Oregon.

And in a related note, of the 49 players who have declared early for the NBA draft, I would think only four will be for sure rewarded for their gamble. I think Kentucky’s John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins, Ohio State’s Evan Turner and Georgia Tech’s Derrick Favors will do well. The rest - it’s a crap shoot.

The Birmingham News writes that this could be the best offense Alabama has put on the football field in several decades. It might top the 1973 wishbone with Wilbur Jackson or the 1979 fireworks led by quarterback Steadman Shealy.

Worthy of note that the Oklahoma City Thunder’s Kevin Durant became the youngest scoring champion in NBA history. The 21-year-old beat out LeBron James for the points title as he finished the regular season with a 30.1 average, scoring more than 30 points in 47 games. Amazing.

And just so you’ll know, yesterday was the second annual Jackie Robinson Day in Major League Baseball, commemorating 63 years since the player broke the color barrier in the sport. The percentage of African-American players in baseball this year is 9.5 percent, down from 10.2 percent last year. How that translates is that there were 17 teams that had two or fewer black players this season on opening day.

This is Norman Arey and I wonder what John Calipari tells ‘em to get them to come.

If a beef jerky company jerks you around, it means you're a jerk

(4/15) The speculation is that Pittsburgh Steeler quarterback Ben Roethlisberger will have to sit out some games this season after meeting with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell following his latest legal transgression.. Many close to the Steelers' program feel it may be too late to salvage the Super Bowl quarterback. Said Marvel Smith, a former offensive lineman: "I’m not going to say Ben gets away with a lot but he’s held to a different standard. He gets away with more than any other guy on the team would."

Here’s the sobering part of the problem. Can the quarterback win the Steeler fan base back? Of course he can, Smith told the New York Times. "Steelers nation is everywhere. They don’t care about anything but football."

And in a related matter, a food product company which sold "Big Ben’s Beef Jerky" has ended its relationship with the player. Folks, when a beef jerky company drops you, you’re in deep trouble.

This from North Carolina sports cynic Jamie May on Tiger Woods’ behavior during the Masters. May says all Woods had to do, when it was over, was to congratulate Phil Mickelson and compliment his four-day partner K.J. Choi on his splendid play and demeanor. Instead we heard a bunch of whining.

I’m not pushing any panic buttons after seven games in a 162-game season but the Atlanta Braves surely managed to undo a lot of early excitement with their streak of losing four of five and being hammered by the bottom-feeding Padres, 17-2.

Former Oklahoma State wide receiver Dez Bryant has hired a "life coach" to help make him more appealing to NFL teams who worry about his ability to make practices and his diva attitude. The life coach is supposed to help him with a regimen and make sure he gets to where he needs to be on time. In short, to develop habits that will allow him to be a responsible person. Isn’t that person usually called a parent?

Reason No. 86 why major league baseball is in trouble. The Baltimore Orioles drew a crowd of only 9,129 this week to Camden Yards, once the Babylon Gardens of baseball parks. Never in its history had the club drawn only a four-figure audience.

The fact that as many as five Kentucky underclassmen may enter the NBA draft should sound warning bells across the land but I wonder. The one-and-done is a joke. It’s more of a one-half and done. Most college freshmen who are leaving early go to class for five months and then skip class during their second semester. This isn’t the NCAA’s fault. This lies at the feet of the NBA.

This is Norman Arey and one solution to the above problem is to declare freshmen ineligible.

A sports axiom: They're all sorry but only after they get caught

(4/14) Turns out that former Pittsburgh All-Pro quarterback Terry Bradshaw and current Steeler signal-caller Ben Roethlisberger don’t care for each other even a little bit. Said Bradshaw: "He doesn’t like me and I’m learning not to like him." I’ll bet it’s a short learning curve.

Think how Clemson must feel. When basketball coach Oliver Pernell left to take the head job at DePaul, Georgia’s Mr. Basketball Marcus Thornton asked for and was granted a release from his letter-of-intent with the Tigers. Since then, Thornton has had heavy interest or offers from no less than 10 schools including Georgia, Kentucky, Georgia Tech, Alabama, Texas and Florida. . . Meanwhile, Clemson hired Wright State coach Brad Brownell as its new coach. Brownell has won 20 games in each of his last six seasons.

In an article on SI.Com, a story suggested that a lot of schools were going to be sorry they passed on former Florida defensive coordinator Charlie Strong as head coach material before he was hired by Louisville.Cal, East Carolina, Kansas, Vandy and Minnesota are among the schools passing on Strong. He may or may not succeed but isn’t it a little early to be scolding other schools?

The two Mississippi schools in the SEC signed their basketball coaches to extended contracts this week. Rick Stanbury got a four-year extension at Mississippi State after turning down overtures from Clemson and Andy Kennedy’s deal was renegotiated to go through 2014 at Ole Miss.

Former Florida quarterback Tim Tebow has turned down an invitation to come to Radio City for the first night of the NFL draft. In fact, the league has had a lot of turndowns. A total of 16 players will be on hand, which is considerably below the number of first-round draft choices. Two Georgia Tech players, however, have accepted invitations - Damaryius Thomas and Derrick Morgan. Former Oklahoma star Sam Bradford is the lone quarterback planning to attend.

A surprising name mentioned in the hunt by Oregon for a basketball coach is Georgia’s Mark Fox. The job formerly held by Ernie Kent has been open for 27 days. Fox is desirable because he’s a good coach and because he has great west coach ties.

And finally, one more note about Ben Roethlisberger after the district attorney in Milledgeville announced no charges would be filed after a 20-year-old college student accused the player of sexual assault. Big Ben said he was sorry. Do you think the charges would have been dropped if the quarterback had not been a famous pro player? I think not.

This is Norman Arey saying they’re all sorry but only after they get caught.


The PGA TOUR now has two distinct divisions: the good and the evil

(4/13) From a Fan Cost Index (FCI) standpoint, the Atlanta Braves are one of the biggest bargains in all of Major League Baseball. The FCI takes into account everything from the price of a ticket, parking, beer, soft drinks, hot dogs and everything else you might imagine. A family of four attending a Braves’ game can expect to spend $157.69. There are only six teams in the majors with a lower cost. The lowest is the Arizona Diamondbacks at $115.24. The highest is the Boston Red Sox, with an average cost of $334.74.

According to reports coming out of Tuscaloosa, Alabama may have a quarterback battle on its hands going into the fall. Backup QB A.J. McCarron outplayed returning starter Greg McElroy during a recent scrimmage. McCarron hit 17 of 30 passes for 215 yards and three scores with no interceptions. McElroy completed 17 of 27 for 156 yards, one score and two interceptions.

Looking ahead of the 2010 college football season, there are only three teams in Division I that have eight home games - Auburn, Minnesota and Ohio State. . . And don’t look for the PAC-10 to step out and take on all-comers. As far as the Big Six conferences go, the ACC has played 48 Big Six out-of-league games, which leads all conferences. By contrast, the SEC has played a total of 40 while the Pac-10 is last with only 15 non-league games against the big boys.

What we saw at the end of this year’s Master’s golf tournament was an interesting psychological phenomenon. We saw good (Phil Mickelson) and evil (Tiger Woods), and I’m not talking about on-course performances. Mickelson, with the stroke of his putter, became the anti-Tiger in our lives. And that’s not a bad thing to be. I guess the word is "class."

New Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly is having to readjust the Irish’s football mind set as well as install new plays and new terminology. Kelly says he think the words "selfishness" and "entitlement" describe how the players were when he arrived.

I don’t know the solution but I can point to the problem. As of this moment, 39 college underclassmen have made themselves available for the NBA draft. It’s difficult to see how the sport can sustain itself with that kind of annual defection.

And finally, there was an announcement coming out of Chapel Hill that you don’t ordinarily see. Tar Heel point guard Larry Drew announced that he will return next year. No, Drew wasn’t considering leaving for the NBA - word is he was just considering leaving, period. Drew received the lion’s share of the blame for UNC’s horrible year. I think he just wanted to get away from his many critics. Sorry, there’s no where to hide when you’re playing point for one of the biggest names in college basketball.

This is Norman Arey and I became a huge fan of Phil Mickelson over the weekend.

Are we going to see college football expansion take place before our very eyes?

(4/12)  With a big hole in the college sports schedule until next August, the talk now concerns league expansion. The Miami Herald raised the question if the Big 10 expands to 16 teams as many feel it may, the SEC would be right behind. And two of the teams the SEC may look at are Florida State and Miami. Folks, I think we’re headed to four 16-team super conferences and I think it’s going to happen sooner rather than later.

Clemson has reportedly interviewed six coaches for its head basketball job and most of them are of the mid-major variety. The Tiger brass has talked to fired Boston College coach Al Skinner along with head coaches at Wofford, Jacksonville, Old Dominion and Wright State as well as interim head coach Ron Bradley.

Just when you thought that Florida might be losing a little traction in football, the Gators’ spring game was highlighted by backup freshman quarterback Trey Burton. Burton ran the ball 10 times for 128 yards including a 76-yard scamper and completed 12 of 18 passes and one touchdown.

The Philadelphia Eagles will draft a quarterback in the NFL draft in less than two weeks. Since the Eagles traded Donovan McNabb to the Redskins, they have only two quarterbacks on their roster in Kevin Kolb and Michael Vick. They hope to trade Vick in the fall, thus they’ll try and pick up at least one QB in the draft.

I was sorry to see that former heavyweight champ Evander Holyfield knocked out Frans Botha in Las Vegas over the weekend. The 47-year-old doesn’t need any encouragement to continue fighting when he has so obviously lost his skills set. Retire, Evander. Save what’s left of your battered brain.

Not so fast. When Kentucky announced that five players were entering the NBA draft last week, nobody checked with junior Patrick Patterson, who was reported as leaving along with John Wall, Eric Bledson, Daniel Orton and DeMarcus Cousins. Patterson says he "half in and half out."

And speaking of the Wildcats, head coach John Calipari was on the recruiting trail over the weekend, splitting his time between Virginia and North Carolina. He said he plans on a trip to California and then New York City after that. The Kentucky boss plans on bringing in as many as eight freshmen next season.

This is Norman Arey and I think Clemson should hire a Duke assistant.

Does the Masters really belong in this century? Spurrier means business

(4/9) Former UGA footballer, Olympics President and now head man at The Masters, Billy Payne, has managed to do something no one else has even come close to pulling off. He made us feel sorry for Tiger Woods. In an ill-advised speech which chastised Woods unnecessarily, Payne showed the Masters true colors - a bunch of rich white guys who would be better served to take their club back into the 20th century and get out of the public eye.

In an even weirder development, Nike ran an ad featuring a solemn, unblinking Tiger starring into the camera as his dead father’s voice comes up, I guess, from the grave. His father asks "I want to find out what your thinking was. I want to find out what your feelings are and did you learn anything?" I learned that that’s just plain weird.

The decision by Wake Forest to fire basketball coach Dino Gaudio was surprising in that the three-year coach had a 61-31 overall record and an ACC mark of 27-21. The Deacons finished this season 20-11, but lost in the first round of the league tournament and the first round of the NCAAs. Athletics Director Ron Wellman said it wasn’t the overall record, but Gaudio’s performance late in the season all three years.

And speaking of basketball opening, there have been a total of 26 changes since the beginning of last season. . . And the answer to my question of yesterday as to who would be the first to show interest in Butler coach Brad Stevens. The answer is Oregon, although Stevens reportedly said no thanks. But I think if Duck alum and Nike President Phil Knight really wants him, he’ll come, even if Knight has to buy Butler University.

I don’t mind admitting mistakes and I made one earlier this week when I suggested that Kentucky might have as many as four players come out early for the NBA draft. Five have now declared. Freshmen John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, Eric Bledsoe and Daniel Orton (the one I missed) declared along with junior Patrick Patterson. What now John Calipari?

The surprise leader out of the gate to be the quarterback at Tennessee is Matt Simms, son of former NFL star Phil Simms and a transfer from Louisville. Simms edged ahead of Nick Stephens and Tyler Bray.

SI.Com is out with its early, early 2010-11 pre-season college basketball rankings and guess what - Duke is No. 1. Michigan State is right behind followed by Butler, Kansas State and Purdue. North Carolina was listed at No. 13, but Kentucky was no where to be found.

And finally, Steve Spurrier means business this year. The former Gator coach announced that he’ll go back to calling all the offensive plays for South Carolina this season. Look out in the SEC East.

This is Norman Arey not planning to watch a round of The Masters.

 

Right turns for NASCAR; Grandfather Favre coming back? Duke, Butler both celebrate

(4/8) To add to his legendary status, if Brett Favre does decide to return to play quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings, he’ll return as a 40-year-old grandfather. His 21-year old daughter Brittany has given birth to 7-pound 7-ounce Parker Brett Favre.

Boston College reached into the Ivy League to replace fired Al Skinner as it hired Cornell’s Steve Donahue. The Big Red finished 29-5 and won two games in the NCAA tourney. The thing is, many of those 29 wins came against the likes of Brown, Dartmouth and Penn. It’s a different ball game to look across the court and see Mike Krzyzewski, Roy Williams or Gary Williams coaching the other team.

And speaking of coaching changes, Westlake High’s Marcus Thornton, this year’s Mr. Georgia Basketball, is thinking of requesting a release from Clemson after coach Oliver Purnell took the DePaul job. Thornton turned down Wake Forest and Maryland to go to Tigerland. Now he may look at Georgia and Georgia Tech.

No left turns on this NASCAR track. A study released by National Media, Inc. showed that the round-de-round sport is the third most popular among Republicans, trailing golf and college football. Conversely, the study showed that auto race fans were less likely to vote than their Republican comrades in golf and college football. What does it all mean?

YaHoo!Sports.com points out that college assistant coaches are now being paid NFL wages. And it’s interesting that of the 10 highest paid assistants, seven are in the SEC. Of course Will Muschamp at Texas tops the list at $900,000, but Georgia’s Todd Grantham and Alabama’s Kirby Smart are tied for second with a $750,000 salary. Clemson assistant Kevin Steele is the lone ACC coach to make the list at $525,000.

Duke basketball may not miss a beat at the point guard position next year with John Scheyer graduating. Freshman Kyrie Irving is already being compared to Kentucky’s John Wall as far as what kind of impact he can make next season for the Blue Devils.

Meanwhile, Duke fans jammed Cameron Indoor Stadium to welcome their national championship team home earlier this week as 9,000 cheered and partied. Butler did the same thing. I guess you could call it a National Runner-up Party. That’s what makes college basketball so much fun.

This is Norman Arey wondering if North Carolina held a runner-up party for it’s No. 2 NIT team (low blow)

Want to get in on the sweepstakes as to who will try to hire Butler's Brad Stevens first?

(4/7) May I be afforded just one observation about Duke’s 61-59 win over Butler for the NCAA men’s basketball title? Don’t tell me how great the game was. It wasn’t great, but boy was it entertaining. Butler shot 34 percent from the field, following a 33 percent effort against Michigan State. That’s not "great." But it was off the charts for fun to watch. And the better team did win.

One more reason that Major League Baseball may be in trouble. The UConn-Baylor women’s semifinal basketball game of the Final Four Sunday night returned a higher television rating than did the Red Sox-Yankees season-opening baseball game.

No surprise that former Florida quarterback Tim Tebow has signed a contract with Nike to wear their shoes and apparel. The annual payoff to the former Gator starts at $300,000 and is loaded with incentives.

And speaking of the Gators, Florida coach Urban Meyer says he plans on using two quarterbacks this fall. John Brantley will be the starter, but he plans on inserting freshman quarterback Trey Burton on short yardage situations.

The ACC is down in basketball? Just a minute. Over the past 10 years, the national championship has gone to the ACC five times. The Big East and the SEC have two and the Big 12 one.

What more could you ask for? The Atlanta Braves rookie phenom Jason Hayward hit a three-run homer during his first major league at-bat Monday as the Braves overpowered the Chicago Cubs, then had a run-scoring single in the eighth.

Football writer Matt Hayes of SportingNews Today.com says the top five stars in college football next season should be Blaine Gabbert, quarterback, Missouri; Vontaze Burfict, linebacker, Arizona State; Jared Crick, defensive tackle, Nebraska; Allen Bradford, tailback, Southern Cal, and Michael Floyd, wide receiver, Notre Dame.

I was absolutely bamboozled by the news that Oliver Purnell quit Clemson to take the head basketball job at DePaul. Purnell had taken the Tigers to three straight NCAA tourneys and had them competitive in the ACC. Purnell is the latest in a line of pretty fair coaches who have left - for whatever reasons - Bill Foster, Cliff Ellis and Rick Barnes.

This is Norman Arey wondering who’ll be the first to try to hire Butler’s Brad Stevens.

Is Duke's Mike Krzyzewski coaching his last game as Head Coach in Durham?

(4/6) After months and months of speculation, the Philadelphia Eagles finally traded quarterback Donovan McNabb to the Washington Redskins. I’ll bet new Redskins’ coach Mike Shanahan is thinking Christmas arrived early.

In conjunction with the trade, SI.Com ran a piece on other elite quarterbacks who have been traded in mid-career. I’m won’t mention all 10, but some of the best known include Fran Tarkenton from the New York Giants to the Minnesota Vikings, Sonny Jurgensen from the Eagles to the Redskins, Archie Manning from the Saints to the Oilers and Norm Van Brocklin from the L.A. Rams to the Eagles.

And of all the things I’ve come across to accentuate the huge descrespency between the Butler University basketball program and that of Duke, think about this: This year, the Blue Devils spent $13,873,000 million on their program. The Bulldogs from Indianapolis splurged with a total expenditure of $1, 729,000.

Here’s the latest word and I tend to believe it’s true. The New Jersey Nets are rumored to be ready to make an offer to Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski to become head coach and possibly General Manager. The annual compensation would be $12-$15 million PER YEAR. Krzyzewski turned down an NBA offer in 2004, but not for that kind of money. Still, leaving one of the best college jobs for one of the worst NBA jobs is quite a leap of faith.

For those who felt television ratings might suffer with only one No. 1 seed making the Final Four, have no fear. The ratings were the highest since 2005.

Football writer Tom Dienhart of Rivals.Com rates two of Georgia’s assistant coach hires in his top six in the SEC. Dienhart liked defensive coordinator Todd Grantham and secondary coach Scott Lakatos. He calls Georgia Tech’s hiring of former Virginia head coach Al Groh to lead their defense a "grand slam."

And for those who watched West Virginia star De’Sean Butler writhing in pain in the second half of the Duke game, an MRI revealed that the Mountaineer’s third leading all-time scorer tore an ACL and sprained his MCL.

And finally, for those Tar Heel fans, never has there been a turnaround in the best rivalry in all of college sports than this year - and yes, I’m talking about Duke vs. North Carolina. Last year, Roy Williams was cutting down the nets as the coach of the national champs. This year, the ‘Heels finished 20-17. Duke played for the title last night as Mike Krzyzewski contemplated becoming a very wealthy man.

This is Norman Arey and I’d take the money and run.

Everyone Waiting to find out how many starters Kentucky will lose to the NBA

(4/5) Over the past 20 years, only four teams from outside the Big Six conferences have made it to the national basketball title game. UNLV won it in 1990 by beating Duke, Utah lost to Kentucky in 1998, Memphis lost to Kansas in 2008 and now Butler gets to take on the Blue Devils.

And by the way, Butler didn’t just fall off the turnip truck as far as the NCAA championships are concerned. The Bulldogs are 13-9 since 1962,

The NCAA powers seem intent on expanding the Big Dance, March Madness, National Basketball Championships, whatever you call it, from its present size of 65 teams to an amazing 96. And they’re going to do it come hell or high water, whether you like it or not. Not one person I’ve spoken with or one article I’m seen is in favor of the expansion. So why do it? Money, money, money and the fact that the NCAA doesn’t care what its patrons think or want.

Of the 12 early entrants into the NBA draft, three are from the ACC - Sylven Landesberg, Virginia, Gani Lawal, Georgia Tech and Malcolm Delaney, Virginia Tech. No SEC player has declared yet, but we’re all waiting for the three shoes to fall in Kentucky, and maybe more.

Jeff Demps ran the fastest 100 meters in the world this year in the Florida Relays over the weekend, logging in with a 10.11. Demps, a running back on the University of Florida football team, broke the record set by Nesta Carter of Jamaica in January of 10.15.

And just so you’ll know, the two supposed leading candidates for the Boston College basketball coaching job say they’re not interested. Bruce Pearl of Tennessee and Tommy Amaker of Harvard say they’re staying put.

Just a note but Johnny Dawkins, the rumored heir apparent to Mike Krzyzewski’s throne at Duke, has compiled a 34-32 record as the head coach at Stanford.

Looking a little bit ahead, Georgia Tech’s football schedule is no walk in the park this year. The Yellow Jackets play three of their first five games on the road (at Kansas, North Carolina and Wake Forest) and then have away games later in the year at Clemson, Virginia Tech and Georgia.

This is Norman Arey and I think Kentucky is going to lose four starters to the NBA.

No reason to hate this Duke team. You might even find evidence to pull for the Blue Devils

(4/2) The highest paid driver in NASCAR? No surprise, here. Dale Earnhardt Jr., according to Forbes Magazine, makes $30 million annually. Jeff Gordon is right behind at $27 million and Jimmie Johnson third at $23 million.

Did you realize that this Final Four fails to have a single consensus first team All-American on the court? In fact, not one player averages 20 points per game. Duke’s Jon Scheyer has the highest scoring average at 18.2 points per game.

After four practices, here’s what new Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly thinks of his Irish team. "We stink right now," he said. "You’re 18-,19-, 20-year old kids and its 70 degrees outside and you’re playing at Notre Dame and I’ve got to motivate you? That’s why we aren’t on the same page right now."

The late college super coach Al McGuire once said , "Super intelligent people can’t be great athletes. They’re too aware." Think about how this might apply to Tiger Woods. Sports Illustrated writer Frank DeFord points out that Tiger may one of the most unaware folks on the planet.

I’m always amazed at how much hatred there is out there for the Duke basketball team. Folks call them privileged, arrogant, over-ranked, punks, elitists, and every other imaginable negative word. But that’s simply not true of this Blue Devil team. If anything, this team has hugely overachieved. And Mike Krzyzewski, the hated skipper of the Durham boys, has done perhaps his best coaching job in history. No reason to hate this bunch. I’ll take Kyle Singler, John Scheyer and Krzyzewski over any other combination in the Final Four.

What a kidder that Paul Johnson is. During Tech football practice this week, the Yellow Jacket offense spent an inordinate amount of time running out of a shotgun offense. "That’s just for you guys," the Tech coach told the assembled media. "You don’t think we’re going to actually use that in a game, do you? That’s just to break the monotony of practice."

Remember when Virginia Tech defensive coordinator Bud Foster interviewed with Georgia to assume that position with the Bulldogs? Foster may be re-thinking his choice to stay in Blacksburg when next season begins. The Hokies lost more than one-half of their defensive starters and have another one iffy with an injury.

This is Norman Arey and my money’s on Foster to once again have a top 25 defense.

What a week for college coaches.  Would Bruce Pearl really go to Boston College?

(4/1) When St. John’s hired former UCLA coach Steve Lavin this week, it was a bit of a surprise. Lavin has been out of coaching for seven years and had turned down other opportunities to come back during that time. His mark of 145-78 wasn’t bad when in Westwood but it still got him fired in 2003. Is he an upgrade of Georgia Tech’s Paul Hewitt, who withdrew his name from consideration? We’ll find out.

Meanwhile, former Southern Cal coach Tim Floyd was hired at UTEP, the place he began his coaching career 22 seasons ago.

It’s not enough to just win anymore, as Boston College proved when it fired 13-year head basketball coach Al Skinner. Skinner compiled a 247-165 record in Boston, but declining attendance did him in. That and a story that appeared in the Boston Globe which referred to Skinner as the laziest college basketball coach in America.

And the latest rumor is that Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl is Boston College’s first choice to replace Skinner. Is that possible? Naw. Well, wait a minute. . .

And while I’m on college basketball, is anybody but me embarrassed that the mighty Tar Heels of North Carolina needed an overtime and a bad non-call to dispatch Rhode Island in the semifinals of the NIT? The defending national champs reduced to this? Sure it’s embarrassing.

I don’t take this as gospel but it was reported on at least one internet site that NASCAR driver Ryan Newman, a Purdue University graduate, says he believes the moon landing by the U.S. never happened - it was staged. Maybe it’s an April Fool’s joke.

In an interview with Dan Patrick, Michigan State basketball coach Tom Izzo was asked if he had a blank checkbook and starting a college team, who would he hired. His list was Mike Krzyzewski at the top followed by Kansas’ Bill Self, Florida’s Billy Donovan and Texas’ Rick Barnes.

A story which states that Georgia head football coach Mark Richt is going to spend more time going to quarterback meetings this season and be more involved in quarterback decisions doesn’t impress me. The time to get more involved with the quarterback situation in Athens was last fall. Instead of riding Joe Cox through the whole season, Richt should have given one of his three quarterbacks-in-waiting some meaningful time on the field.

This is Norman Arey and I’ll bet Ryan Newman believes that the Milky Way is only a candy bar.