The top coaches ever in all of sports -- and the 10 most-hated individuals in sports today

(7/31) The question Sporting News Today asked was, ‘Who was the greatest coach, ever." Not any particular sport, just the greatest coach.

For once, the panel of 118 sports experts got it right. Former UCLA coach John Wooden won easily. He was followed in the top five by Green Bay’s Vince Lombardi, Alabama’s Bear Bryant, The Lakers’ Phil Jackson and Baltimore/Miami coach Don Shula. Tennessee women’s basketball coach Pat Summitt was No. 11, the only woman in the top 50.

Interesting to note that Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski was voted No. 19 and North Carolina’s Roy Williams didn’t make the Top 50. No doubt it was some consolation to the Tar Heel nation that retired coach Dean Smith was No. 8 on the list.

Forbes Magazine commissioned its own poll. It’s question was who is the most disliked individual in sports. Former Atlanta Falcon quarterback Michael Vick topped the list, followed by the Dodgers' Manny Ramirez, the Yankees’ Alex Rodriguez, Buffalo’s Terrell Owens, the Lakers’ Kobe Bryant, NBA free agent Allen Iverson, Florida International basketball coach Isiah Thomas, NBA free agent Stephon Marbury, Alabama coach Nick Saban and tennis great John McEnroe.

Anybody out there besides me find it amazing that Southern Cal isn’t on some sort of NCAA probation? Seems like there’s something every month or so. The latest is that the Trojans may have violated some rules by using a coaching consultant as more than just a consultant.

Appearing at a bankruptcy hearing, former Atlanta Falcon quarterback Michael Vick told reporters afterward that he’s getting close to signing with a football team but didn’t clarify his remarks.

Kind of interesting but with few exceptions, the top college football programs in the country are located in small towns: Gainesville, Fla., Madison, Wisc., Norman, Okla., Lincoln, Neb., College Station, Penn., Ann Arbor, Mich., Athens, Ga., and Blacksburg, Va.

And finally, how about this? With the acquisition of pitcher Cliff Lee this week, the Philadelphia Phillies’ five-man starting pitching rotation include four lefties.

This is Norman Arey and I used to be a lefty but my father changed me when I was an infant.

Does anyone in college sports possess an imagination or backbone to go out on a limb?

(7/30) Ever notice the lack of imagination of sportswriters/casters and others involved in the daily coverage of college sports? I mean, can anyone go out on a limb? Look at who was picked to win each of the BCS conferences:

- Southern Cal in the Pac-10

- Oklahoma in the Big XII

- Ohio State in the Big 10

- Cincinnati and/or West Virginia in the Big East

-Virginia Tech in the ACC

-and Florida in the SEC.

Duh! Really? What a surprise.

I’m not sure that one thing necessarily leads to another but when Brett Favre notified the Minnesota Vikings that he was going to stay retired (at least this week), did the Viking brass get on the phone to Michael Vick’s agent?

Factoid of the Day: Dabo Swinney is the fifth University of Alabama graduate to be named head coach at Clemson. Of course, the first was Frank Howard, then Hootie Ingram, Charley Pell and Danny Ford.

After all, Fan is shorthand for Fanatic. A young couple in Norman, Okla., approached a table in a restaurant where Sooner Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Sam Bradford was dining and placed their two-month-old infant on the table and asked the star to autograph the baby.

Not that anyone who reads this needs a primer for SEC football but USA Today suggests these five SEC players must have big years for their teams to succeed and they aren’t your every-day-run-of-the mill-players. Those listed include Arkansas tight end D.J. Williams, Georgia quarterback Joe Cox, LSU linebacker Jacob Cutrera, Tennessee running back Montario Hardesty and Florida linebacker Ryan Stamper.

If you care, Texas leads all schools in football players who graduated early and have already entered school. The Longhorns’ eight early arrivals were followed by a tie between Michigan and Ohio State with seven each.

And finally, I have my own Most Important Player to recommend in the Atlantic Coast Conference. If Virginia Tech is to make a statement and give the league a legitimate national title contender, quarterback Tyrod Taylor must bring the offense up to speed with the Hokie smothering defense.

This is Norman Arey always trying to stay up to speed.

Michael Vick fans truly have lost their minds. He ain't the Second Coming

(7/29) I was listening to a sports talk station in Atlanta when the subject of former Atlanta Falcon quarterback Michael Vick’s reinstatement to the NFL came up. That’s not surprising but the response was.

Almost without exception, the call-in folks were foaming at the mouth for Vick to play again. One stated that Vick was the best quarterback, right now, in the NFL. Another suggested that Vick was in the top five, behind only Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Eli Manning and Ben Roethlisberger. That’s just plain crazy. Vick wasn’t in the top five even before he sat out two years. Folks need to get a grip here. This is not the Second Coming. It’s also interesting to note that commissioner Roger Goodell could move up Vick’s reinstatement, if he so chooses, so that Vick would be eligible for the first game of the season.

Here’s an interesting list. Since 1970, the three most-winning quarterbacks in the NFL without a Super Bowl ring include Dan Marino with 147 wins, Warren Moon with 102 and Jim Kelly with 101.

Don’t be surprised to see MLB commissioner Bud Selig lift the lifetime ban keeping Pete Rose out of the Hall of Fame. With former players like Hank Aaron and Frank Robinson suggesting leniency, the opening is there for Selig to do what should have been done years ago.

Remember last year when the SEC barely got three teams in the NCAA basketball tournament and commissioner Mike Slive suggested his league teams play tougher out-of-conference schedules? Obviously Florida’s Billy Donovan took him at his word. The Gators will meet Michigan State, Xavier, American, Syracuse, Florida State and N.C. State this season.

The hits just won’t quit coming. Tennessee football coach Lane Kiffin says that a billboard advertising Vol football will be going up in Florida soon.

The Incredible Shrinking Man, that’s Maryland head coach Ralph Friedgen. The Terp mentor went on a diet last year when his weight reached 401 pounds. He now weighs 306 and vows he isn’t finished yet.

And finally leave it to the venerable Florida State coach Bobby Bowden to put the ACC in perspective. Said Bowden "If you talk about the ACC over the past few years, you talk about balance. You ain’t gonna win a national championship with balance."

This is Norman Arey and I strive to maintain balance every day.

The ACC is having to ask itself this question: Where have all the big programs gone?

(7/28) Oh, this is a ringing endorsement. Terrell Owens says he thinks NFL commissioner Roger Goodell should reinstate Michael Vick immediately. He says he doesn’t think Goodell respects the jail time Vick has put in and suggests the commish should sit in jail for 23 months. How could the commish not pay attention to such a civic leader as T.O.? T.O. may have more influence than we imagined as Goodell reinstated Vick late Monday, allowing him to play by the fifth game of the season.

How’s this as a statistic? New England quarterback Tom Brady enters this season with a 101-27 record as a starter, which is the best in the league in the Super Bowl era.

The ACC is holding its annual football media days this week after the SEC held its last week. Here’s the problem for the ACC. The SEC has Florida, Alabama, LSU, Tim Tebow, Eric Berry and Jevan Snead. Who leads the ACC marquee? Nobody. With Florida State’s program in decline along with Miami, the league really has no front porch, so to speak. Virginia Tech? I doubt if most folks can tell you where the Hokies are located. The ACC needs someone to, as they say, step up big time.

Factoid of the Day: A total of 10 ACC quarterbacks who took the snaps in the final game of last year return to start for their teams this season.

The Big 10 held its football media days last week and Ohio State was picked to win the league. If so, it would be the Buckeyes fifth consecutive Big 10 title. Penn State finished second in the voting while Michigan State was third. OSU quarterback Terrelle Pryor was picked league offensive player of the year.

Just so you’ll know, former Auburn football coach Tommy Tuberville is alive and well, and waiting for his next opportunity to be a head college coach. And what a resume he has. The low-key coach won 85 games at Auburn, beat Alabama seven of 10 years and led the Tigers to a 13-0 mark in 2004. You may wonder why he’s no longer the head Tiger coach. Good question.

The Chick-Fil-A college football kickoff game this year features Alabama-Virginia Tech but the word is that North Carolina has agreed to play LSU to start the season in 2010 and Tennessee will meet N.C. State in 2011.

This is Norman Arey and I think T.O. should try out a jail cell for a few months.

Is the South Carolina challenge about to get the best of Steve Spurrier?

(7/27) Several stories came out of the annual SEC football media days just completed in Hoover, Ala., questioning whether the South Carolina job has finally gotten the best of Steve Spurrier. With 100 years of frustration in Columbia, the job already proved to be too much for one Hall of Fame coach (Lou Holtz) and Spurrier seemed more frustrated and fidgety than usual. He even referred to himself as a 7-and-6 kind of coach. Now that’s frustration.

Georgia placed only one player on the first team All-SEC squad chosen by the assembled media with wide receiver A.J. Green making the elite squad. Florida led the way with six players chosen in the top 22.

Here’s the deal on Florida State coach Bobby Bowden. The FSU brass agreed to pay coach-in-waiting Jimbo Fisher $5 million if he is not the head coach by Jan. 10, 2011. The Seminole boosters have made it quite clear they have no intention of paying up, so Bowden will retire either at the end of this season or next. Period.

Just so you’ll know, Michigan will be the least experienced major college football team this season. Who’s the most experienced? Navy.

Rumor is that after Florida quarterback Tim Tebow admitted he was a virgin during the SEC meetings, his picture went up in every sorority house on the University of Florida campus.

Over the weekend, Gator linebacker Dustin Doe became the 25th Florida football player arrested in Urban Meyer’s four years in Gainesville. . . And by the way, Tebow says he has a $2 million insurance policy against injury.

The real home run king, Hank Aaron, says players who have used performance enhancing drugs should be allowed into the Hall of Fame but their plaques should have an asterisk on them.

Just for the sake of argument, the AJC’s Mark Bradley predicts Georgia Tech will go 10-2 this season, losing at Florida State and at Vanderbilt, but then beat FSU in the ACC title game. . . He says that Georgia will finish 8-4, losing to Oklahoma State and Georgia Tech on the road, dropping the annual game to Florida in Jacksonville and losing to LSU at home.

This is Norman Arey and I wish my picture was up at Florida sorority houses.

Vick likely didn't impress the Goodell by spending first free night at a strip club

(7/24) Try to wrap your mind around this statistic. The SEC’s new deal with CBS and ESPN will pay every conference school roughly $17 million per year. Vanderbilt, usually the low man on the totem poll, will make more in the first five years of the deal than the entire ACC made in its last deal with ABC and ESPN. And get this. Over those 15 years, the networks will show 5,500 SEC events - an average of 365 per year.

Sporting News Today points out that three big-time college football programs will be entering their second year under a new coach after a disastrous start last year. West Virginia under Bill Stewart lost four times, Rich Rodriguez at Michigan managed only three wins, Rick Neiheisel at UCLA had eight losses and Arkansas with the much-traveled Bobby Petrino was, well, confused... All had better pick it up more than a few notches this time around.

The early odds for Florida to win the mythical national championship are 2-1 while Oklahoma is at 9-2. Georgia is listed at 40-1 and Georgia Tech 50-1.

There are discussions, on going, about establishing a new post-season college football game beginning in 2011 at Yankee Stadium.

Here’s one I wouldn’t have guessed. The Chicago Bears’ new quarterback Jay Cutler leads all NFL players in jersey sales.

The whole idea of allowing felon Michael Vick back into the NFL is for the former Atlanta Falcon quarterback to show remorse and convince commission Roger Goodell that he is a reformed man capable of making good judgements. So what does Vick do on his first night as a free man? He shows up at a strip club in Virginia Beach with NBA bad boy Allen Iverson. Michael, they won’t impress the commish.

With Atlanta being strong in the bidding to host a future soccer World Cup, it didn’t hurt that more than 50,000 fans turned out to see what was basically an exhibition match between a team from Mexico and AC Milan.

And finally, according to FoxSports, Georgia Tech star guard Iman Shumpert had issues last season with Yellow Jacket coach Paul Hewitt.

This is Norman Arey and even I wouldn’t go to a strip club with Allen Iverson.

Sorry, Mike, but there's no way Tar Heel fans are gonna love you , no matter what

(7/23) Don, who runs the popular lunchtime hangout Sutton’s Drug Store on the main street of Chapel Hill, says the only reason Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski is coaching the Olympic team again is that it’s easier for him to beat Spain than North Carolina. Plus, Don says, Krzyzewski is so unattractive (according to Tar Heel fans), the only way he can appear attractive is to wrap himself in the U.S. flag.

For some reason, there is a strong contingent out there that feels the road to the SEC football championship goes through Oxford, Miss. I disagree. Although the integrationally challenged state does have a fine team in Ole Miss and the Rebs do play their tough games at home, they’re not ready for prime time. Ask Alabama, Florida and LSU.

Victoria’s Secret fine lingerie store has dipped into the world of sports. The nationwide retailer is featuring Major League Baseball apparel from the Cubs, White Sox, Yankees, Phillies, Red Sox and Mets.

It Wasn’t I. When Florida quarterback Tim Tebow failed to be a unanimous pick on the pre-season SEC first team by one vote, all eyes looked to Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin in Knoxville. Kiffin says it wasn’t he.

An honest man. Kansas City Royals’ outfielder Jose Guillen told reporters that he wasn’t worth his $12 million salary.

Georgia Tech’s opening fall camp date of Aug. 3 is tied with N.C. State and Mississippi State as the earliest opening dates in Division I college football. Georgia opens a day later.

Former Georgia Tech basketball coach and now College of Charleston coach Bobby Cremins has signed Willis Hall to a scholarship. Hall’s signing is significant because he broke Davidson College star Stephen Curry’s scoring record at Charlotte Christian High School.

And finally Florida State may have a tough road in its comeback attempt. This year’s schedule, which features Miami, South Florida and BYU as non-league games, is much tougher than last year’s and the Seminoles could be better but their record may not reflect it.

This is Norman Arey and I’ve told reporters I’m worth more than I’m being paid.

Chaos in college football? The spread offense has been around for 51 years

(7/22) There’s a story by Sporting News Today’s Dave Curtis predicting absolute chaos this year in the BCS. His reasoning is that we could easily have six undefeated teams when the smoke clears in late fall. This list will create more than a few arguments, especially in places like Athens, Blacksburg and Columbus, Ohio. Curtis’ six are Florida, Georgia Tech, Penn State, Oklahoma, Boise State and Notre Dame.

A high school coach named Tiger Ellison at Middleburg High in Ohio was the first to run the spread offense which has become so popular in college football today. The year was 1958.

Walter Cronkite, who died last week after a lengthy career as one of the world’s finest broadcasters, spent the 1937 season broadcasting Oklahoma Sooner football games.

Here’s something unusual. Georgia Tech has eight verbal commitments for its 2010 football class and all of them are from the state of Georgia.

Just a suggestion but after reading about various colleges offering scholarships to ninth-, tenth-, and eleventh-graders in high school, I think it should cost them two scholarships instead of just the one they’re offering.

Hmm. Sir Elton John and pro football wouldn’t seem to be a match but the knighted British entertainer will be the honorary captain for the New England Patriots when they meet the Tampa Bay Bucs in Wembley Stadium on Oct. 25.

Factoid of the Day. On this date in 1968, Arnold Palmer finished second in the PGA Championships and became the first golfer to win $1 million in a career. Stewart Cink’s paycheck this past Sunday at the British Open was $1.2 million.

Did you realize that since Urban Meyer arrived at Florida, he holds a 4-0 advantage over Bobby Bowden at Florida State in head-to-head match ups?

And finally, talk about a stupid story. The Mobile Press-Register ran a story with a headline asking "Georgia’s Mark Richt On Hot Seat?" Richt has won 79 percent of his games with a record of 82-22. Seems some fans don’t think the Bulldog coach can get them into the national title game. Must be a slow news day in Mobile.

This is Norman Arey and I’ve volunteered to be a consultant for Elton in London.

Can Tech deal with scrutiny in football? Recruiting is bigger business than you think

(7/21) Matt Hayes of Sporting News Today picks Ole Miss, Oklahoma State and Georgia Tech as three teams that have found the spotlight in college football this year who aren’t used to dealing with it. He contends how they deal with high expectations will spell success or failure for their seasons.

Yeah, recruiting is big business. Tennessee spent more than $1.2 million last year in searching for football talent to lead the SEC in that expenditure. Auburn came in a distant second at $700,000 followed by LSU ($663,000), Florida ($600,000) and Georgia ($521,000).

The New York Post reports that the legal team for the New York Yankees is trying to get the phrase "The House That Juice Built," banned from use. Long Island resident Steve Lore came up with the phrase to express his disgust over the use of steroids in baseball. Lore also is selling T-shirts with the Yankees top hat emblem where the bat is replaced by a syringe.

The Odd and Weird: Proving once again that we leave no stone unturned in bringing you all the info available, yo-yo sales are up 23 percent in the U.S. ... A study at Wayne State U. showed that major league baseball players who had nicknames lived two years longer than those who had no nickname . . . Researchers at Cal and Yale, using 90 years worth of plate appearances in the majors, say players with a "K" in their initials strike out more often than those without.

Former Georgia Tech offensive coordinator Patrick Nix, who was dumped by Miami, has had only three job interviews and is still unemployed a year later.

There are only 14 college football teams who haven’t had a losing record this decade. The list is led by Boise State’s amazing 98-17 record. Deep South teams on that list include Georgia, LSU, Florida, Florida State, Virginia Tech, Clemson and, yes, Georgia Tech. The Bulldogs are second behind only Texas in road records this decade.

And finally, a note on Tom Watson’s runner-up finish in the British Open. Watson, who entered the tournament ranked 1,374th, moved up to No. 105th on the official pro golf ranking list -- a record jump. And those who say that Watson’s winning would have diminished golf, I say poppycock.

This is Norman Arey and I’ve jumped more spots than Watson in radio rankings.

Should Michael Vick be allowed back in the NFL? Sure, if he buys a ticket and pays full price

(7/20) The day has finally arrived as Michael Vick is a totally free man, having served his time in a federal pen for helping run a dog-fighting ring. The one-time Atlanta Falcon millionaire quarterback has lost everything for what he did. His fortune is gone. He’s deeply in debt. He has no endorsements nor is he likely to get any. It isn’t even for sure that the former Virginia Tech player will be admitted back into the NFL.

There are two schools of thought concerning Vick’s future. There is a strong constituency that believes Vick should never be allowed back into pro football. He did the deed. Now let him pay the full price.

The other side says he’s done his time, paid for his deeds dearly, and should be allowed to make a living and pay off his debts.

There currently are six teams listed by Sporting News Today that might employ the disgraced player: San Francisco, Oakland, Seattle, Miami, Jacksonville and Washington. Seattle is on the list, the thinking being that Vick might be reunited with his former coach, Jim Mora.

But first things first. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is expected to meet with Vick sooner than later to give him an idea of where he stands with the league and to give any interested parties a head-up as to the player’s eligibility.

The teams that may be interested must also think through the repercussions of signing the felon. Can they stand the public relations hit? Can they handle the protestations from PETA and other animal lovers? Would having Vick on the payroll hurt the locker room chemistry that is so important?

So line up in whichever camp you happen to favor. This is all we’ll hear about for the next week or so.

I shall not shy away from offering my opinion. I agree Vick has paid dearly for his crimes but no penalty is enough for a person who body-slammed, hanged, electrocuted, strangled and killed helpless animals. Think of the chaos and killing frenzy that was going on in his small mind during the murders, and then tell me that rehabilitation and remorse is possible.

To hell with Vick. I hope he never sees the inside of a stadium again without buying a ticket and paying full price.

This is Norman Arey and I wouldn’t hire him to cut my lawn.

Big XII talks a good game but doesn't play one on the defensive side of the ball

(7/17) It’s noteworthy that Tom Droney, a 6-foot-6, 200-pounder out of Pennsylvania, has committed to play basketball for Davidson College. The Wildcats beat out Notre Dame and Pitt for the services of the off-guard. Davidson can thank Stephen Curry for that.

Florida State fullback Marcus Sims has become the third Seminole player to transfer to North Alabama, which happens to be coached by Terry Bowden, the son of FSU coach Bobby Bowden. Jeff Bowden, Terry’s younger brother, is a volunteer assistant coach at the Division II school.

The gossip out of Buffalo is that the Bills’ newly signed receiver Terrell Owens is dating a model. I honestly didn’t think Buffalo had a model in residence.

Here’s a stat I’m sure the Atlanta Braves aren’t particularly interested in spreading around.

-The Bravos have just 68 homers in 88 games. Chipper Jones leads the team with nine home runs and the club is the only one in the majors without a player in double digits. Where are you, Hank Aaron? I’m sure Atlanta is aware that Barry Bonds is still unsigned.

If the grand marshal of the Brickyard 400 in Indianapolis this weekend looks familiar, he should. It’s former North Carolina MVP Tyler Hansbrough, who was the top pick by the Indianapolis Pacers in the NBA draft.

The Big XII got a lot of publicity last season because its football teams scored so many points led by prolific quarterbacks. But may I point out that not one of the league’s teams was ranked in the Top 50 in defense. And take a look at the conference’s performance in bowl games last year. Texas struggled to beat Ohio State, Missouri needed overtime to get by Northwestern, Texas Tech lost to Ole Miss, Oklahoma State lost to Oregon and, in the big one, Oklahoma was handled by Florida.

And finally, say what you will about Florida head coach Urban Meyer, but also realize that he is one of only four current coaches who have won multiple national titles - Joe Paterno, Dennis Erickson and Bobby Bowden being the other three.

This is Norman Arey and I could handle those Big XII teams, too.

Quick! Name more than two quarterbacks in the Southeastern Conference

(7/15) Let’s talk about dreams coming true. Matt Cassell never started a game in college (USC), never started a game in the NFL where he was a backup to the New England Patriots’ Tom Brady, until Brady was injured in the first game of the season last year. Today, Cassell signed a $63 million contract with the Kansas City Chiefs with $28 million guaranteed. Dreams do come true.

Oh Please! A group of Tennessee Titans’ fans have started a web site to get other fans to pressure the NFL club to retire Steve McNair’s jersey number.

According to PhilSteele.com, a college football website, the five college coaches who sit on the hottest seats as this season approaches are, in order, Mike Sanford, UNLV, Dan Hawkins, Colorado, Al Groh, Virginia, Bill Lynch, Indiana, and Steve Kragthorpe, Louisville. And by the way, Hawkins has predicted that the Buffaloes will win 10 games this season.

Auburn isn’t going quietly into the night, giving up the state to Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide. The Tigers are erecting billboards all over the state with the words "Fearless and True," straight out of their fight song. It also says "Choose Auburn."

Just a thought, but if you believe, as many do, that the Southeastern Conference is the top college football league in the country, consider this. The top quarterbacks in the SEC are Florida’s Tim Tebow and Ole Miss’ Jevan Snead. Period. There’s not another signal-caller in the premiere league anyone can name without consulting a chart of rosters. Interesting.

Rivals.Com lists Oklahoma State (Georgia’s opening opponent), LSU and Ole Miss among its top five overrated teams entering the season. The underrated teams include Georgia, N.C. State and East Carolina. Just a word about the Cowboys. Besides Georgia, the Okies play Missouri, Texas and Oklahoma but all of their big games are at home with the exception of the Longhorns.

It’s about time. Georgia Tech will induct Joe Hamilton into its Hall of Fame this year. Hamilton was the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy in 1999 and is statistically the Jackets’ best QB ever.

This is Norman Arey and word is WRGA and Hometown Headlines are thinking about a Hall of Fame spot for me.

Be sure to clip this story to use later: Urban Meyer isn't going to Notre Dame -- ever

(7/15) Just for fun, of course, the early line on the Georgia-Oklahoma State game has the Cowboys a three point favorite. Other early odds have Virginia Tech a three-point underdog to Alabama, and FSU a 3-point favorite over Miami. But here’s the shocker: Tennessee is a 27-point underdog to Florida when they go to Gainesville on Sept. 19.

I’ve figured out why I’m not paying much attention to the Atlanta Braves this season. There’s absolutely nothing compelling about these Braves. Can you name a single reason to go see them?

High praise indeed. Says 10-time pro bowl tight end Tony Gonzalez, now an Atlanta Falcon, on quarterback Matt Ryan: "I’ve never seen a guy so young possess so much leadership. . You should see him getting people in their right positions, not afraid to speak up to players older than him. With him driving the car, he is going to take us where we need to go."

Bobby Bowden is getting support from Joe Paterno on whether the NCAA should strip the FSU coach of up to 14 wins. Says Paterno: "The NCAA is going to do what it is going to do, but I would hope they won’t take away 10 or 12 wins from him. I don’t think that’s fair. He coached the team he had. They played against people and won." The Penn State coach leads in total wins, 383-382.

Laughable quote from Florida coach Urban Meyer on a story saying he’s going to Notre Dame. "I am not going to Notre Dame, " Meyer said for the 1000th time, "ever."

Bud Selig, MLB’s commissioner, makes more than $18 million a year while NFL czar Roger Goddell takes home $10.9 million. NBA boss David Stern is believed to make more than $10 million, but his salary isn’t public fodder.

And speaking of Selig, is he the easiest person in sports to critize? It seems that Selig gets more than his share of criticism while you don’t hear much about the other two. Others easy to criticize include Alex Rodriguez, Sarah Palin (my favorite), and Shaq O’Neal. Yet Manny Ramirez, a substance abuser, has been given a free pass. And God help us all if the Cardinals’ Albert Pujols should be discovered not to be able to walk on water.

This is Norman Arey and I’m not going to Notre Dame - ever.

Money is what's wrong with college football; do you agree with PETA on Michael Vick?

(7/14) Last year, each SEC school received $5.3 million from television revenue. This next season, each school should receive $15 million from the new TV contracts the conference signed. That’s what’s wrong with college sports.

Think about the huge gap between the SEC TV money and everyone else. You may start seeing the ACC, for example, fall further behind the SEC in facilities, recruiting budgets and general exposure. Is it fair? I'm not sure but there’s nothing to be done.

Nike has paid Tiger Woods more than a quarter-billion dollars since signing him in 1996. Thus, the company dresses Woods for all his appearances. For the British Open, Tiger will wear a navy shirt and light gray pants on Thursday; a coral shirt and black slacks Friday; a white shirt with gray stripes and dark gray pants Saturday; and a red shirt with dark trousers Sunday.

With the All-Star break here in Major League Baseball, the question is, are those our Atlanta Braves out there? Answer: No. John Smoltz, Tom Glavine and Jeff Francouer are gone. The Bravos are below .500 and in third place (barely) in a weak division. And there’s someone named Ryan Church patrolling the outfield. Who are those guys?

And speaking of the Francouer-Church trade, it made headlines locally but I was surprised to see how little of a ripple it had across the country and in MLB circles. No big deal, literally.

PETA has asked NFL commish Roger Goodell to require ex-Falcon quarterback Michael Vick to take a battery of psychological tests before allowing him back in the league. Says PETA’s Dan Shannon: "The dogs Vick electrocuted, slammed to the ground, drowned and hanged didn’t get a second chance and neither should Vick until he has proved he truly understands his crime and is remorseful about having tortured and killed dogs." Anybody disagree?

With the SEC West wide open, I realized that I had no idea who would be the quarterback for Alabama. The answer is Greg McElroy. Not sure what to expect. Glenn Coffey left early for the NFL so the Tide’s running game is also in question. Sophomore Mark Ingram had a good 2008 as a true freshman and incoming freshman Trent Richardson will have to be productive.

This is Norman Arey and I need someone to lay out my wardrobe each day, too.

Who's on your list of the most thrilling college football players? And where's Bo?

(7/13) Here’s the best reason yet to believe that this is Florida State coach Bobby Bowden’s last year. The Seminoles season ticket sales are down 13 percent from last year’s 38,000. Also consider Florida has sold all of its season tickets -- more than 76,000. In fact, the Gators reached their 30th consecutive year of selling out.

The University of Kentucky has erected singing billboards that play the Wildcats’ fight song 24 hours per day. It can be heard from a mile away.

Sports Illustrated’s Austin Murphy offers this list of the 10 most-thrilling players to have ever played college football -- not necessarily the best but the most thrilling. According to Murphy, they were, in order: Vince Young, Texas; Earl Campbell, Texas; Dick Butkus, Illinois; Herschel Walker, Georgia; Tim Tebow, Florida; Doug Flutie, Boston College; Red Grange, Illinois; Reggie Bush, USC; Doc Blanchard/Glenn Davis, Army; Lawrence Taylor, North Carolina. One question. Where’s Bo Jackson?

And speaking of Doug Flutie, he’s been dumped by ABC and ESPN from the television booth for next season.

Obscure athletic hire of the day: Hofstra named Zach Tanelli assistant wrestling coach.

Both Georgia Tech and North Carolina play back-to-back Thursday night games this season. The Yellow Jackets

host Clemson on Sept. 10 and then travel to Miami the following Thursday. The Tar Heels host Florida State on Oct. 22 and then travel to Virginia Tech the next Thursday.

The NASCAR Hall of Fame folks are taking some heat after releasing their list of 25 names to be considered for its first induction. Wendell Scott, who broke the race barrier for NASCAR and was the first black man to win a race on the circuit, did not make the list.

Former NFL quarterback Bernie Kosar has filed for bankruptcy protection in Florida. He owes $50 million with assets of $10 million. That’s not good math.

And finally, the average career of an NFL player lasts less than four years with an average salary of $1.1 million. Unlike the other pro sports, pro football contracts usually aren’t guaranteed.

This is Norman Arey wishing for a guaranteed contract. Or any contract.

Free liposuction; UT loves Bruce Pearl but does LSU love Les Miles?

(7/10) It’s big news in the state of Louisiana that the Louisiana State University football team has added "LSU" to the front of the Tigers’ uniforms this season. It’s the first time in history that the school’s name will appear on their jerseys. Hey, folks, this will have to pass for news in these dog days of summer.

While we’re talking about LSU, why is it that coach Les Miles isn’t all that popular with the Bengals’ fans? He’s compiled a 42-11 record and won an SEC title and a national championship in his four years there.

And speaking of clothing, open wheel racer Danica Patrick says she aspires to having her own line of clothing. What? Fire suits for women?

Tennessee basketball coach Bruce Pearl is good but I didn’t realize he was that good. Pearl was just given a $200,000 raise and a contract extension with the salary going up to $2.4 from the current $1.9 million in five years. In addition, Pearl received a half-million dollar retention bonus for staying five years and gets another if he stays another five.

The Indianapolis Colts have sold out their season tickets for 2009 and have a waiting list of more than 15,000. Eat your heart out, Falcons.

SI.Com’s college football writer, Stewart Mandel, picks these five as the all-time greatest college football coaching legends: Bear Bryant, Knute Rockne, Joe Paterno, Woody Hayes and Bud Wilkinson.

The Mahoning Valley Scrappers, the single-A minor league affiliate of the Cleveland Indians, gave away a free liposuction treatment to a lucky lady fan this week.

Word out of Nashville is that murdered ex-NFL quarterback Steve McNair had cut a public service ad only weeks ago about the prevention of suicide.

And finally, these little guys ain’t scared. The toughest schedules played by subdivision teams this year includes Charleston Southern (Florida, South Florida); Jacksonville State (Georgia Tech, Florida State); Idaho State (Arizona State, Oklahoma); and Tennessee Tech (Kansas State and Georgia).

This is Norman Arey and I know how Les Miles feels - I’m not all that popular with my fans, either.

Sacre bleu! The big orange in black? Not a chance, not even on Halloween

(7/9) Trying to stay in front of a fan riot, Tennessee athletics director Mike Hamilton said he doesn’t expect to see the Vols in black jerseys anytime soon. The Internet rumor mill had new coach Lane Kiffin planning to surprise everyone this year with an occasional appearance in black jerseys. Sacre Bleu! Not The Big Orange, surely.

Murdered former NFL quarterback Steve McNair’s son, Steve Jr., a wide receiver at a Hattiesburg High School, has been offered football scholarships at both Tulsa and West Virginia. . . And by the way, an informal poll of those who vote on the pro football Hall of Fame suggests that McNair is not a candidate to be elected there.

I’m not a reality TV fan, so the announcement by a cable television company that it is planning a documentary on the 2009 Ole Miss football training camp does nothing for me. The program, entitled "Gridiron U" will follow the players and coaches, on the field and behind the scenes, until it opens against Memphis Sept. 5. Is this within the NCAA guidelines?

Utah Senator Orrin Hatch says the BCS is fundamentally unfair. In his diatribe against the BCS, Hatch said this about the undefeated Utah team that played the Crimson Tide in the Sugar Bowl. "They were maligned by the coach down there in Alabama until he got his clock cleaned." Easy, Orrin.

More signs of the times. Officials at football-crazed Clemson say they are anticipating a 12 percent decline in football season ticket sales which translates into an overall loss of between $1 million to $2 million.

Florida International basketball coach Isiah Thomas wants to hire ex-NBA star Tim Hardaway as an assistant coach but Hardaway has to finish his work toward a degree as a condition for employment.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. has eight races to move up from 21st place in the NASCAR standings into the top 12 that will be included in the circuit’s end-of-the-year Chase. Who would you say has the better chance to succeed -- Earnhardt or the Atlanta Braves making the playoffs?

This is Norman Arey and I prefer the black jerseys to the UT Orange.

Is Francoeur gone? Is anything more meaningless than All-Star games?

(7/8) A sad note to open things up today. Phil Mickelson must be wondering what’s going to happen next in his life. Six weeks ago, his wife, Amy, was diagnosed with breast cancer. This week, his mother Mary, was diagnosed with the same disease.

Interesting note: The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga has sold out all 32 of its sky boxes for the upcoming football season. I didn’t know they had sky boxes.

Here’s a great one for all you recruitniks out there. Get this. Wake Forest beat out Miami, Georgia and Florida State for Zachary Allen, one of the better linebackers in the Sunshine State. Then, Duke came out on top of UCLA for linebacker Kelby Brown of Charlotte.

The state of South Carolina’s refusal to remove the confederate flag from its state capitol has cost the state the ACC baseball tournament for the next three years. Originally the tourney was to be in Myrtle Beach but the league has moved it to Greensboro and Durham instead.

The Mobile Press-Register renewed the story that just won’t go away this week. The newspaper says Urban Meyer is leaving Florida after this season to take over at Notre Dame. This is only about the 50th report of this, each one having been denied by the Gator coach.

While its old news that Florida has had 24 arrests during Urban Meyer’s four-plus-year stay, Florida State has had 13 during that same time period. Others mentioned in the Savannah Morning News article were Tennessee with 21 and Georgia with 30!

Listen to sports talk radio and you’ll hear Jeff Francoeur’s name mentioned often. After the outfielder sat out his third straight game with the Braves, it would seem the handwriting is on the wall for the Atlanta native to be traded soon.

Here’s a guy who’s been underneath the radar but you need to keep an eye on him. N.C. State quarterback Russell Wilson is so good, Rivals.Com says he’s the most important player to his team than any player in the country.

If there’s a more meaningless event in all of sports than the annual MLB All-Star game, it could only be the NBA’s All-Star gathering and that of the NHL. Yeah, OK, throw in the NFL’s Pro Bowl. Worthless.

This is Norman Arey and I’d pick either Duke or Wake Forest, too.

What's the problem with Charlie Strong? Braves' rumors are all over the place

(7/7)Folks, this qualifies as a news flash. Jay Cutler, the Chicago Bears’ new quarterback, has refused to do any endorsements or commercials so he can concentrate on his new team and teammates. Amazing. A pro athlete passing up easy bucks is news.

Two great Atlanta Braves’ rumors. One is that Bobby Cox is so put out by Yunel Escobar’s lack of effort, that he’s looking to trade him. Second is that Kansas City may be interested in trading Jose Guillen for Jeff Francoeur.

Florida defensive coordinator Charlie Strong, mentioned in print as the next great head college coach, says of the 22 hires made this year in college’s highest level, the number of interviews he received were zero. That’s pretty amazing.

The Cotton Bowl will make its pitch this year to become one of the BCS bowls along with the Orange, Rose, Fiesta and Sugar bowls. The Dallas game moves to the sparkling new Cowboys Stadium this year.

Great question in USA Today - what was the greater showdown? Tiger Woods vs. Rocco Mediate at last year’s U.S. Open or this weekend’s Wimbledon finals between Roger Federer and Andy Roddick? And speaking of Roddick, the American star pulled out of playing Davis Cup for the U.S., citing a hip injury as the reason.

One team that hasn’t been mentioned in the tough schedule department is Brigham Young. The Cougars play Oklahoma in Dallas, Tulane in New Orleans, Florida State in Provo and Utah State in Provo.

Great stuff that almost-43-year-old Boston Red Six pitcher Tim Wakefield, a 17-year veteran pitcher in the major leagues, was awarded with his first all-star game appearance this week.

Just think about this. There are at least five major college football programs having a quarterback dilemma with the season only 60 days away. Those with question marks include Southern Cal, UCLA, Tennessee, Boston College and Michigan. I’d also throw Arkansas into the mix unless Ryan Mallett is everything he’s supposed to be for the Razorbacks. This is the first time that Carroll has had to replace a quarterback in consecutive seasons since he took over the Trojan program.

And finally, would you include Georgia with the above teams? What if Joe Cox really isn’t the answer? Would Andy Murray be the next guy up?

This is Norman Arey and I’ve never passed up a chance to make a buck.

Landscape for the hottest college football rivalries has changed dramatically

(7/6) What’s the hottest college football rivalry today? Right now? No, not Miami-Florida State, not Notre Dame-Southern Cal. The hottest rivalry right now, says ESPN.com, is Texas-Oklahoma. Southern teams in the top 10 include Florida-Tennessee, Florida-Georgia, LSU-Alabama, Ole Miss-Arkansas and Boston College-Virginia Tech.

Sporting News Today says the Pac-10 plays the toughest non-conference schedule while The Big 10 plays the softest. The ACC was second and the SEC third. Of course, the Pac-10 plays the hardest non-con matchups to make up for its lack of talent within the league.

Here’s a sports factoid that I love. When Ken Griffey Jr. and Alex Rodriguez homered in the same game last week when the Yankees hosted the Mariners, it marked the first time two players with at least 550 homers each hit one in the same game since Willie Mays and Hank Aaron did it in 1971.

So much has been written about Tennessee’s new football coach Lane Kiffin, let’s take a look at the prognosis for this season. After going 5-7 last year, the Vols play eight home games -- five out of six to start the season. Lack of depth will hurt Kiffin’s squad and the fact that quarterback is not one of its strong suits. Look for a 7-5 finish, which will get them to a bowl game.

How’s this for something to keep an eye on? Georgia Tech running back Jonathan Dwyer, who was chosen ACC Player of the Year last season, said despite his record-breaking year, he still didn’t fully comprehend coach Paul Johnson’s offense.

And speaking of running backs, Georgia won’t have one this year -- more likely the Bulldogs will have three sharing the load. It looks like Caleb King, Richard Samuel and Carlton Thomas will carry the ball by committee.

And finally, speaking of Bulldog football, Bernie Machen, the president of the University of Florida, has contacted the mayor of Jacksonville about selling less booze for the annual Georgia-Florida game in the Gator Bowl. Good luck, Bernie.

This is Norman Arey and I’ll buy you a cocktail if you see me at the game.

No rich Atlanta athletes? Just how popular is the NFL? Problems with BC?

(7/3) On Sports Illustrated’s top 50 money earning American athletes, to no one’s surprise, Tiger Woods was No. 1 with fellow PGA member Phil Mickelson second. Nary an Atlanta pro athlete made the list until Mike Bibby of the Atlanta Hawks was No. 46, making $14 million per year.

Maybe the over and under on this would be 1,000 or so but how many college bands will play Michael Jackson music this season during halftime?

If the year’s first AP football poll holds true to most of the pre-season college football publications, Georgia’s opening opponent, Oklahoma State, will be ranked in the top 10. If that happens, it will be the Cowboys’ highest ranking ever. Their previous high spot was No. 16 in 1985.

Easier said than done. Yes, Al Groh needs to have a huge season at Virginia after finishing below .500 two of the past three years and having only a 1-7 record against arch-rival Virginia Tech. Only problem is the Cavaliers’ schedule includes nine bowl teams from last season.

Dale Earnhardt Jr., barely in the top 20 NASCAR rankings, says even if he should be able to rally and win three or four races this season, he would still consider the year a big failure.

America’s favorite sport is pro football - head and shoulders over whatever might be second. Just to add to their legend, the NFL points out that more than 40 million people watched their NFL draft. That’s more than watched the NHL or NBA playoffs.

Don’t look for Boston College to play for the third consecutive year in the ACC Championship game. Why? Well, let’s see, their successful coach Jeff Jagodzinski was fired, its top player, Mark Herzlich was diagnosed with cancer, and their projected starting quarterback, Dominique Davis was suspended and then transferred.

ESPN The Magazine has issued its ranking of the professional teams in America from No. 1 through No. 122. This ranking is based on which team earns your hard-earned dollar? Tops on the chart was the L.A. Angeles franchise and dead last were the L.A. Clippers. As for Atlanta, the Braves were No. 27, the Falcons No. 43, Atlanta Hawks No. 80 and the Thrashers No. 108.

This is Norman Arey and I am no threat to play any Michael Jackson music

It's official: The Bulldogs play the toughest non-league schedule this fall

(7/2) As if common sense weren’t enough, Sporting News Today made it official. Georgia has the toughest non-conference schedule in the country this year with games against Oklahoma State, Arizona State, Tennessee Tech and Georgia Tech. Rounding out the top five were Virginia Tech, Southern Cal, Florida State and Washington.

The internet newsletter says the best two non-conference games will be Alabama vs. Virginia Tech in the Georgia Dome and Georgia’s trip to Oklahoma State. The Georgia Tech-Georgia game was judged the seventh best of the non-league encounters.

If not now, when? Ohio State hosts Southern Cal on Sept. 12. This will be the fourth big game that the Buckeyes have had to prove themselves, and so far they’re 0-3. The Trojans are in a rebuilding year, kind of, and would seem to be more vulnerable than usual.

Anybody got tickets? Nebraska plans on wearing uniforms that match those of the 1962 team when it hosts Louisiana-LaFayette Sept. 26 to celebrate Memorial Stadium’s 300th consecutive sellout. The streak started in 1962.

Obscure Athletic Personnel News of the Day: Arkansas State announced the resignation of women’s bowling coach Chris James.

Who’s the only college football team in the country to recruit an eighth-grader? Tennessee is the answer and Evan Berry is the player’s name. He’s the younger brother of Vol All-America safety Eric Berry. He has yet to even enter high school.

And here’s the final word from Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski. On rumors that the Blue Devil mentor would replace Phil Jackson of the Los Angeles Lakers, Krzyzewski said, "I would never leave Duke until I leave coaching."

The Michigan Daily is reporting that Michigan and Georgia are discussing a home-and-home football series. The Bulldogs would visit Ann Arbor in 2010 and then Big Blue would come to Athens in 2011.

Not a good sign for Louisville football. The Cardinals lag by more than 6,000 season tickets of selling what they managed last season. That’s bad but consider Louisville is in the midst of expanding its Papa John’s Stadium by 13,000 seats.

This is Norman Arey saying you just can't trust those eighth-graders.

Absolutely no comment on anyone's underwear; Vick to be suspended indefinitely?

(7/1) Congratulations to the NCAA for doing something right for a change. The college sports governing body rejected Kelvin Sampson’s plea to be allowed back into coaching college basketball. He’s been barred until 2013 for messes he made at both Oklahoma and Indiana.

There’s at least one rumor a day about when and if former Falcon quarterback Michael Vick will be allowed to play in the NFL. But Sporting News Today has a article suggesting that Vick will be suspended indefinitely by commissioner Roger Goodell.

Here’s a stat that surprised me a little. Since 1989 when the NBA draft went to only two rounds, Arizona leads the country in players selected with 31. Duke has 29, UCLA 28, North Carolina 25 and UConn 23.

Here’s another stat, if you think it’s meaningful. With the interleague play over in Major League Baseball, the American League won the head-to-head battle for the sixth consecutive season.

And just for the record, there will be no comment whatsoever on the reports that Atlanta Braves’ right field Jeff Francoeur is wearing his lucky Thanksgiving-themed turkey underwear to the ball park.

Nick Saban has the equivalent of absolute power as the head football coach at Alabama. Saban has no buy-out clause in his contract that pays him in excess of $4 million per season.

Former Tennessee coach Phil Fulmer says he’s received some inquiries about coaching but that he’s decided to just take a wait-and-see approach. I’ve got a feeling that Fulmer will still be waiting and seeing for a big job in 2015.

Here’s a strange one. The best team in the state of Maryland may not be the University of Maryland. Most pre-season prognosticators are predicting that Navy will have a better year than the Terps.

A story in the Raleigh News & Observer best shows why colleges should recruit more players than they can actually sign. The University of North Carolina had 29 players committed after recruiting day in February, four over the limit. Now because of a transfer and four players going to a prep school, the Tar Heels have scholarships to give.

This is Norman Arey and I have no comment whatsoever on my underwear either.