Sports Industry Review

2011-10-11T21:16:00.000-07:00

“I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a desert state, sweltering with the heat of injustice and oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.”
– Martin Luther King Jr., Aug. 28, 1963
Reprint of ESPN Story a great story- written by Pat Forde
JACKSON, Miss. — Scenes from an oasis:
A fence separated the old black woman from the football field, but it didn’t stop her. She wanted to meet the young white quarterback. She asked the coach to bring him over. If you don’t have a place to go for Thanksgiving, the old woman told the quarterback through the fence, we will feed you.

Jackson State Casey Therriault has been embraced by the Jackson State community.

In the stands in Memphis, Tenn., weeks earlier, a black stranger struck up a conversation with the white quarterback’s father. He was easy to pick out, after all, a pale face in a section full of dark faces. By the end of the game, the quarterback’s father had been invited to stay at the stranger’s house for the next home game.
Everyone wanted to reach out to the white quarterback. He had come hundreds of miles from his native Michigan to this strange place — to Jackson State University, a historically black college — because he had nowhere else to go, with a past he was trying to escape. He didn’t know what to expect. He sure didn’t expect all this. All the support and attention and generosity directed his way was startling.
Just a few months before, no college wanted anything to do with him. Now, this novelty act of a quarterback was suddenly a minor celebrity.
In a state that was crippled by racial intolerance, the Jackson State fans didn’t care that he was different from them. They didn’t care about the trouble in his past and the chilling word that was attached to him. Or maybe it was because of the differences, and because of the trouble, that they reached out.
Maybe this was the latter stages of a dream come to fruition.
The guy was intensely drunk, with a blood-alcohol content that later would be measured at .27 — more than three times the legal limit to drive a car. He swung first. He hit Casey Therriault in the face.
The reaction was immediate, instinctual. Therriault retaliated, and Therriault connected. Dropped the man to the cold Michigan sidewalk with what police and media reports say was the one and only punch he threw.

Therriault apologized to Jonathon Krystiniak’s mother in court, and has since received her forgiveness for his role in her son’s death.

Therriault was scared then. He was 18 years old and home from College of the Sequoias, a California junior college, on Christmas break. He’d been in this nightclub, the Margarita Grill in his hometown of Grand Rapids, with some buddies and some friends of those friends whom he didn’t really know. He hadn’t been drinking, he said, but trouble followed them out the door when they left.
The drunk guy was grabbing at them, trying to start something. Someone in the group directed an insult at the drunk, and Therriault laughed.
That’s when the drunk guy hit him. And he hit back. And then he was scared, and he got out of there.
What happened next would change the life of everyone out on the sidewalk that night. Some of the other guys in the group jumped on the drunk guy. Kicking. Stomping.
They beat him into a coma. Two weeks later, when the phone rang back at junior college in California, the prosecutor’s words were incomprehensible: Therriault was wanted back home for questioning in the death of Jonathon Krystiniak.
Charges eventually were filed against five men, Therriault included: manslaughter.
“It was kind of like I had lost everything,” Therriault said. “It was somewhere you never expected to be.”
When a plea deal was offered, Therriault attorney Richard Zambon told him he should take it. The judge believed he was the least culpable of all the defendants and would sentence him accordingly. The other alternative was to risk a trial — and although a self-defense argument was compelling, a conviction could result in 15 years in state prison.
So Therriault took the deal and the six-month county jail sentence that came with it. Three other defendants were given one- to three-year sentences in state prison. A fifth gambled on a trial and lost, and was given a sentence of 27 months to 15 years.

In January 2009, a year after the fatal altercation, Therriault entered the Kent County Correctional Facility in Grand Rapids.

“It’s something that you have to accept, and if you can do it, you can learn a lot about yourself — not that you’d do it to have a learning experience,” he said. “But it’s a place that’s so dark and so low, that’s the only thing you can take from it.”
After several weeks in the county jail, Therriault was moved into the adjacent work-release facility. For the next five months, he made pizzas and washed dishes at Frankie V’s, a sports bar owned by his old position coach at Wyoming Park High School in suburban Grand Rapids. His girlfriend, Sarah Hernandez, would pick him up in the morning for work and drive him back to the jail at night.
That’s when Therriault would take stock of where he’d been and how he ended up there, behind bars.
“I got put up with somebody in a room, one person who turned out to be someone who helped me a lot,” he said. “He was someone who kind of couldn’t get away from [criminal] situations and made me realize that no matter what’s going on in your life, somebody has it much worse. I had people who were there for me, and some people don’t even have that.
“I grew up. I found out that I’ve got to appreciate things a lot more. You kind of go from having a lot, having a future, to nothing.”

Julie Therriault was heartbroken and irate.
Her son had served his time. Why couldn’t he get another chance?

Therriault Family Casey Therriault is very close with his brothers.

Casey had come out of jail and gotten on with life. He enrolled at Grand Rapids Community College and became an immediate star of the football team, passing for more than 2,000 yards and 24 touchdowns while leading GRCC to a 9-2 record. He played well and stayed well clear of any trouble.
Yet all the four-year schools that had shown initial interest in Casey shied away. They loved his game but not the alarming word that surfaced with his name: manslaughter.
“I wanted to scream, ‘Hey, this is a great kid right here,’” Julie said.
She wanted to tell them about how Casey and older brother Chad (now serving an Army tour of duty in Afghanistan) doted on their two handicapped brothers. Kyle, 27, has spinal dysplasia that curbed his height and has led to multiple major surgeries. And Lucas, 18, has both spinal dysplasia and a severe mental handicap that his family said has left him with the brain development of a 2-year-old.
Julie wanted the coaches who bailed on Casey to see him hold Lucas’ hand. To see him change Lucas’ diaper. To see him toss Lucas a football and make him smile.
She wanted to tell them about how Casey stood up in the courtroom and apologized to Krystiniak’s mother, and how she forgave Casey. She wanted them to know about how Julie and Ed Therriault and Krystiniak’s mom were all in tears and leaning on each other at the end of those traumatic court proceedings.
But most colleges didn’t want to go beyond a troubling Google search and a surface explanation of what happened. They knew the impossibility of selling an administration on recruiting a guy who did time for manslaughter.
“He was a good kid and then, bang,” Julie said. “Getting hit with that was hard. It was the most horrible thing I’ve endured as a mother, and I’ve been through numerous life-threatening surgeries with two sons. The thing I went through with Casey I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy.”
So even after a productive season at GRCC, there was nowhere for Casey to go in the spring of 2010. That’s when the most unlikely of schools made a phone call.

Earnest Wilson had been an assistant coach at New Mexico State, and he’d had his eye on Casey Therriault for a while. A disciple of Hal Mumme and his Air Raid offense — which emphasizes quick, precise throws from the shotgun formation, in some ways a precursor of the current spread offenses — Wilson saw a quarterback who fit that offense perfectly.

Paul L. Newby II\Grand Rapids Press\Landov Therriault passed for more than 2,000 yards and 24 touchdowns at Grand Rapids.

But Mumme had gotten fired from New Mexico State in 2008. His successor, DeWayne Walker, had retained Wilson — but after a shaky, 3-10 debut season in ’09, Walker was in no position to bring in a guy with a radioactive résumé like Casey’s. Like every other school, New Mexico State backed off.
Then Wilson relocated to Jackson State as offensive coordinator and installed the pass-happy offense at a quarterback-poor school.
“We were looking for a thrower,” Wilson said.
He told head coach Rick Comegy about Casey and got the go-ahead to recruit him. Comegy is a 35-year veteran of coaching at HBC programs, and among his reclamation projects was former Oklahoma quarterback Charles Thompson. After an infamous cocaine bust at OU, he wound up with Comegy at Central State in Ohio.
“Guys are going to make mistakes when they’re young,” Comegy said. “Not one of the guys on our football team hasn’t had an incident in their life that they regret. I think they understand it better than we do as adults sometime.”
One other thing the kids seem to understand better than adults: race. Casey’s reaction to being recruited by a black school?
“Oh, that’s a little different,” he said. “It didn’t really cross my mind. … I didn’t think of going to a historically black college.”
Fact is, Casey had played on racially diverse teams in high school and junior college. When his father plunked a portable basketball hoop at the end of their street, it attracted kids of all variety. The Therriault house was a melting pot then and now — Chad’s girlfriend is black, and Casey’s is half Hispanic.
“I really don’t think it fazes him that much,” Julie said. “The biggest obstacle was getting over the Southern accent. When he went on his visit, he said, ‘I don’t understand what everybody’s saying.’”
That was in May 2010, and despite the language barrier, Casey decided he would attend. Then he started getting cold feet, thinking about moving that far away from home. The jail experience had left him more attached than ever to his girlfriend and family.
Julie read him the riot act.
“This is your only opportunity,” she told Casey. “You better take it.”
On July 5, Ed and his third son packed up and left Michigan for Mississippi. They were dumbstruck by the heat, and in the dead of summer, there weren’t many players on campus or any formal workouts to dive into. Casey called his mom crying twice, talking about coming home.

Therriault Family Therriault’s parents are happy that their son has been given a second chance at Jackson State.

“You make a decision right now,” she told him. “Get your ass in the car and drive home, or stick with it. But don’t call me again.”
He never called again.
What followed was an unlikely but perfect marriage of player and program. Casey’s 3,600 yards of total offense and 41 total touchdowns (31 passing, 10 running) made him the Southwestern Athletic Conference Newcomer of the Year and the first-team all-SWAC quarterback. He was second nationally in the Football Championship Subdivision in passing yards and total offense, leading Jackson State to an 8-3 record and a share of the SWAC East title.
A proud school with a passionate base and a gilded football heritage, having produced the likes of Walter Payton and Lem Barney, Jackson State had never had a standout white player before. There were a few lesser players who came and went, but nobody with the ability of Casey.
The fans adored him. They nicknamed him “White Tiger.” Teammates called him “Blue-Eyed Soul Brother.”
He was never more popular than in leading Jackson State past rival Southern 49-45. Four touchdowns were scored in the final three minutes — the last of them on a 28-yard pass by Casey to Rico Richardson with two seconds left. Casey had driven the Tigers 60 yards in two plays for the winning touchdown.
Afterward, everyone raved about Casey’s poise. His dad knew where it came from.
“He told me one time, ‘These defensive linemen used to scare the s— out of me,’” Ed said. “‘After I was looking at 15 years in prison, those guys don’t scare me.’ He doesn’t get jitters anymore. After you’ve been scared like that, you don’t get scared.”

Sarah Hernandez and Casey’s parents attended one of Casey’s home games this past season. Her description of the experience:
“It was intimidating, and not because of anything anyone said or did,” she said. “Nobody made us feel unwelcome at all. But it opened up our eyes. I know now what a black person means when they say what it feels like to be the only black in a room.”
If her boyfriend ever had that feeling, it is gone now.
On a bright and breezy October Friday on the Jackson State campus, Casey was moving through a crowded quad at ease. Girls called out his name in flirty tones, but he pretended not to notice. It was homecoming week, and the football team had gathered with the marching band and homecoming court to help boost a United Way fundraising drive.
The white quarterback stood out amid the sea of black faces, yet seemed oblivious to it.
“He described it once as saying that he forgets he’s white,” Hernandez said.
At Jackson State, they don’t care what color Casey Therriault is. Or what happened in his past. They’re happy the White Tiger has made an unlikely home in a Mississippi oasis a great man dreamed of decades ago.
Pat Forde is a senior writer for ESPN.com

Hank Williams Fired From Monday Night Football

2011-10-06T11:25:00.001-07:00

Hank Williams Jr. Was fired from Monday Night Football.

ESPN'S statement:

"We have decided to part ways with Hank Williams, Jr. We appreciate his contributions over the past years. The success of Monday Night Football has always been about the games and that will continue, " ESPN

Kobe May Play For Forty Days in Italy

2011-10-05T13:31:00.000-07:00

If the NBA lockout continues on the current path there is a good possibility that Kobe Bryant will be headed to Italy to play a 40 game schedule.

It will not be foreign soil for Kobe he spent six years there with his father and family and he has nothing but good memories of the experience. His father played profesional basketball there.

Most players including Kobe are playing for the love of the game. Playing professionally in Italy is increasingly a viable option during the lockout.

Hall of Famers- Sanders, Faulk, and Deion Sanders Gave Memorable Speeches

2011-08-06T20:23:00.000-07:00

The Hall of Fame induction ceremony was in a word riveting. The stories that Shannon Sharpe, Marshall Faulk, and Prime Time Deion Sanders shared with us, were memorable and outstanding. Deion talked about why he felt it necessary to create his persona, Prime Time, so that He could take care of his family, so he could more specifically take care of his mother.

Shannon Sharpe story was riveting regarding why he had to make it in order to support his grandmother and everything he did, she did not expect anything from her. Everything we has fans see, we really don’t know why athletes act the way they do. We don’t know what drive them. It turns out that they have a burden, particularly African- Americans to support their families, because most come from single parent homes. Make no mistake; it takes a smart and intelligent person to make the Hall of Fame. Having talent is a given, but intelligence is a characteristic. Hat off to Deion Sanders, Shannon Sharpe, and Marshall Faulk.

Eagles Sign Nnamdi Asomugha

2011-07-31T10:09:00.000-07:00

From AP

In any big free-agent race, there's always one team you never expect. And in a race for former Oakland Raiders cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha(notes) that had the New York Jets as the primary suitors (to the point that the Jets had asked several veterans to re-structure their contracts) and other teams in the hunt, the Philadelphia Eagles jumped in at the last minute, just after the clock started for official free agency at 6:01 p.m. ET. In doing so, the Eagles plucked away the best and most prized free agent player in the game today.

Several sources confirmed the deal, and Jay Glazer of FOX Sports reports that the contract is for five years and $60 million, with $25 million guaranteed. Glazer also told the NFL Network that the reported Dallas Cowboys interest in Asomugha was a "smokescreen," perhaps intended to drive the price up for an NFC East rival.

In the last few years, Asomugha has become the NFL's equivalent of the Old West gunfighter so revered by the competition that he rarely has to draw his weapon. According to any group of stats you'd care to mention, he's been among the lowest-targeted qualifying cornerbacks in the league in each of the last few years. In fact, at Football Outsiders, we've had to lower our baseline for targets just to get Asomugha in our regular starter stats.

When I recently asked Raiders cornerback Stanford Routt (who will replace Asomugha as the Raiders' primary pass defender) what the veteran taught him, Routt responded, "It's more like, what didn't he teach me?

"In the scheme we play, it really is more mental than anything. When you go out there on Sundays … I remember one of my college coaches telling me, 'Get to your technique quicker than your opponent,'" Routt told me. "That's where Nnamdi's success comes from; he's always the most prepared man on the field. He didn't teach me how to run a 40 [laughs], but that's about the only thing he didn't teach me. The main thing I learned from him is that when you step out on that field, everybody has their own ways of doing things, but you have to have confidence. If you don't believe that you can go out there and get it done, you've already lost before you even start."

Just Thursday, the Eagles traded quarterback Kevin Kolb(notes) for, among other assets, cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie(notes). This may put veteran cornerback Asante Samuel(notes) on the market, which could be good news for teams that wind up losing the sweepstakes for Asomugha, Johnathan Joseph(notes) and Antonio Cromartie(notes).

"I think we all know about Nnamdi," Eagles head coach Andy Reid said in a Friday evening press conference announcing the signing. "He's one of the best, if not the best, cornerbacks in the National Football League. He'll be a great addition to our cornerback corps. Right now, we have three good cornerbacks … and we'll see how things go there."

If the Eagles keep Samuel and line him up on the other side of Asomugha, that combo could be nearly as frightening as the projected duo of Asomugha and Darrelle Revis(notes) that would have happened had the Jets won the race. After all, it wasn't Revis who finished first in Football Outsiders' Stop Rate and Yards per Play metrics in 2010 — it was Samuel. The Eagles have gone all in with their pass defense, and this could be the move that puts them over the top in the always-competitive NFC East.

Are You Ready For some Football?

2011-07-25T09:29:00.001-07:00

All we can do right now is speculate about everything football, but one thing is sure. The lockout is over,
Now it will be crazy. Teams will be adding to it's rosters, there will be tough decisions being made.

Most believe that Kevin Kolb will be traded to Arizona. Will Brett Favre be picked up by the Philadelphia Eagles? There will be many questions and right now no answers. But one things for sure it will be fun.

Franklin Starts Vandy Tenure With Great Success Recruiting

2011-07-23T20:18:00.000-07:00

Vanderbilt’s football program is usually pretty quiet during most off seasons, but nobody told that to James Franklin.

The Commodores’ first-year head coach has made waves with his early recruiting efforts, pulling public commitments from prospects in both Tennessee and Georgia.

“I really believe,” Franklin said Friday morning at Southeastern Conference media days, “there’s very few schools that are going to be able to compete with us when it comes to recruiting, because we have an opportunity to offer things that very few schools can.”

Vanderbilt signed just 21 players in February, but Franklin has received 12 commitments for 2012 in the last three months. Those dozen prospects include seven players out of Georgia; 11 three-star players according to Rivals.com; Tennessee’s top-rated prospect, four-star Memphis running back Brian Kimbrow; and Baylor School offensive lineman Barrett Gouger.

“He’s a guy that you never see down, you never see him tired,” senior linebacker Chris Marve said of Franklin. “He is a very, very passionate and enthused and charismatic guy. All the things that you would want a great coach to have, he has it. He’s committed to every small detail. Everything that we needed as a team, Coach Franklin brought it.”

Franklin is the Commodores’ third coach in less than a year following Bobby Johnson’s abrupt retirement last July after more than eight years as coach and Robbie Caldwell’s resignation after last season. The Commodores have won just four games total and one conference game since winning the 2008 Music City Bowl, but that hasn’t stopped Franklin from recruiting aggressively.

He’s used Vanderbilt’s “world-class education,” the strength of the SEC, the city of Nashville and early playing time as his main selling points.

“There’s going to be very few schools that have all three aspects that I think people are looking for: academic experience, athletic experience [and] social experience,” Franklin said. “That plan, that vision, that mentality has really been helping us. We’re selling [the] opportunity to differentiate yourself. You can name school X or school Y that a lot of young men have gone to and won, or you can come with me and my coaches and this program and you have a chance to build something with your own hands and differentiate yourself.”

While that approach seems bold coming from a program that traditionally is the conference’s worst, recruits and Vanderbilt’s current players are buying what Franklin’s selling.

“I’ve never been envious of anyone, [and] I don’t believe what I signed up for was a tough road to hoe, either,” said Marve, the SEC’s active leading tackler who aspires for a career in civil litigation.

“I believe I signed up to be [at] a great place to play football, great conference, great school, great city. You just tell [recruits] the truth. With us, I feel like you’re selling what’s there. What you see is what you get with us. [Losing’s] been aggravating and disappointing and all those things, but we’ve put that in the past and we’re looking forward.”

Pitino Takes Team and New Freshmen To The Bahamas

2011-07-19T21:52:00.000-07:00

From the Louisville Courier Journal

When the University of Louisville men’s basketball team begins practice Saturday for an August trip to the Bahamas, it will be without Wayne Blackshear and Kevin Ware. Coach Rick Pitino said both freshmen are finishing summer school, and he expects them to be enrolled for the fall semester.

“We’ve had many players do the same thing, but just because they’re more high-profile, people notice it more,” Pitino said. “… We don’t have any concerns at all. Obviously, they have to pass these courses, but they’re just like anybody else who has to go to summer school.”

The Cardinals will have 10 days to practice for their Aug. 10-13 trip. Pitino said they will work out today, Sunday and Monday, then have the final seven practices in August. In the Bahamas they will play an intrasquad scrimmage Aug. 10 before facing three Bahamian teams.

The benefit of the tour isn’t the competition, though. It’s the early start to practice — especially for the freshmen.

The rest of U of L’s incoming freshmen — Chane Behanan, Zach Price and Angel Nunez — are already getting acclimated to campus and this weekend will get their first taste of a Pitino practice. Blackshear and Ware will have to wait until the fall for that experience.

“If we weren’t going to the Bahamas, they’d be in the same situation (as the other freshmen),” Pitino said. “What it does is put them behind the other players. The other players are going to have 10 double sessions — that’s 20 practices plus the games.”

Blackshear, who was ranked No. 16 in the 2011 class by Scout.com and is viewed as a potential starter, is recovering from shoulder surgery in April and was unlikely to participate in the Bahamas even if he was already enrolled at U of L. The 6-foot-5 Chicago native injured his left shoulder while practicing for the McDonald’s All American Game.

Ware, a 6-4 guard who was a late addition to the class, figures to be a backup for point guard Peyton Siva.

Pitino said he has no doubt Blackshear and Ware will be physically ready when the season begins.

Kentucky's Calipari Shows Interest In Kansas Power Forward -Perry Ellis

2011-07-19T21:40:00.000-07:00

From the Louisville Courier-Journal

The talk among University of Kentucky basketball fans heading into the summer evaluation periods centered on which high school players would be the focus of coach John Calipari and his staff, who have no commitments for the Class of 2012.

They apparently have designs on a guy with a designer name: Perry Ellis.

The 6-foot-8 power forward from Wichita, Kan., has received more attention from Calipari than any other prospect during the first evaluation period, which ends at midnight tonight.

“They have shown a lot of interest,” Ellis said with a smile.

Calipari saw Ellis three times in the first two days of the adidas Invitational in Indianapolis. Assistant coach Orlando Antigua watched him in every game there, and Calipari flew back to Indianapolis from the LeBron James Camp in Akron, Ohio.

The coach and his staff also saw Ellis play in Milwaukee.

“I knew Cal and Orlando would be watching him, but I didn’t know they would be watching him that many times,” said Fonda Ellis, Perry’s mother. “It was really impressive to see Cal at seven of Perry’s games so far that I am aware of.”

The Wildcats are among the finalists for the three-time Kansas Player of the Year, who also is considering Kansas, Duke, Kansas State, Memphis, Oklahoma and Wichita State. Kansas coach Bill Self and Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski were at multiple games of the adidas Invitational.

“I might narrow it again and go from there,” Ellis said last week in Indianapolis. “I know it’s coming down to the end for me. It’s about to be the start of my senior year, and I need to start thinking about (a college decision).”

Ellis helped his Kansas Pray and Play team reach the semifinals in the 17s bracket with upsets over top-ranked recruit Shabazz Muhammad’s Dream Vision team and the Houston Hoopsters, led by top center Cameron Ridley.

Ellis has been a star for years. In 2009 he became the first freshman ever named Gatorade Player of the Year in Kansas after he averaged 19.2 points and 11.7 rebounds to lead Wichita Heights to the Class 6-A title. He averaged 22.2 points and 10.4 rebounds as a sophomore and 22.1 and 7.9 as a junior, when his team also won state championships.

Historical Perspective: University of Tennessee At Chattanooga wins national Championship 1977

2011-07-19T21:33:00.000-07:00

The 1977 NCAA Men's Division II Basketball Tournament involved 32 schools playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division II college basketball as a culmination of the 1976-7 NCAA Division II men's basketball season. The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga defeated Randolph-Macon and Chattanooga's Wayne Golden was the Most Outstanding Player.

Pitino Is Fishing For A Point Guard- Peyton Siva May Be Leaving Louisville

2011-07-06T08:31:00.001-07:00

Several players at the NBA Players Association Top 100 Camp said Rick Pitino talked to them about Peyton Siva leaving Louisville for the NBA after his Junior season.

Louisville is looking for another point guard. In the mix are Gabe York, J-Michael Reece, Kris Dunn, and Semaj Christon.

High School Recruiting

2011-07-06T08:19:00.001-07:00

College basketball coaches are permitted to recruit at NCAA sanctioned events beginning today. The first evaluation period runs July 6-July 15.

Apparent Deadline for Negotiations to Continue Is July 15th-NFL

2011-07-04T18:10:00.000-07:00

NFL labor negotiation or scheduled to resume Tuesday in New York. Currently they are working out the details and making sure all the details are done and settled. Of course talks can break down, but it appears that an agreement will at least be discussed within the next four days.

The details of the format of the negotiations have been finalized. So there is optimism, at least in the fact that these negotiations will continue. The deadline for a regular pre-season to happen is within the next few weeks. Both side are apparently looking to save the pre-season, to avoid teams losing hundreds of millions of dollars. Some say the collective bargaining agreement must be by July 15th.

Louisville Renews Rivalry With Memphis in Hall of Fame Shootout

2011-06-30T08:17:00.000-07:00

Louisville will host the Basetball Hall of Fame Shootout , facing Memphis at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville on Saturday. Dec. 17 at 4 PM.

Cliff Lee Shutsout BoSox

2011-06-29T08:00:00.001-07:00

Ciff Lee completed his third straight complete game shutout. He also allowed only two hits. Lee is living up to the hype in his return to Philadelphia.

Hugh Durham's Great Coaching Career- 634 wins-437 Losses

2011-06-26T21:23:00.000-07:00

Florida State Seminoles

After Durham received his undergraduate degree from Florida State in 1959, FSU head coach Bud Kennedy hired him as an assistant coach. Durham served as Kennedy's assistant for seven seasons.

Prior to the 1966-67 season, Kennedy was diagnosed with stomach cancer and died shortly thereafter. Durham was elevated to head coach at Florida State at the age of 29. He is one of the youngest head coaches in NCAA Division I basketball history.

Hugh Durham Bio from Wikipedia-

Durham was head coach at his alma mater for 12 seasons, is the school's all-time winningest coach, led the Seminoles to the 1972 NCAA Championship game and three NCAA Tournaments.

In 1966-67 season, Durham recruited and coached the first African-American basketball player in Florida State sports history. As an assistant coach, Durham recruited Lenny Hall. Hall was a native of Camden, NJ, who was playing for St. Petersburg Junior College. Both Bud Kennedy and Durham signed Hall. However, Kennedy died before Hall played his first game at FSU. As a 29 year old first year head coach, Durham was the subject of intense criticism.

In the 1967-68 season, only his second as head coach at FSU, Durham led the Seminoles to only their second NCAA Tournament in school history. FSU received an NCAA Tournament at-large bid as an Independent at a time when only 25 teams were invited to play in the NCAA Tournament. Future NBA Hall of Famer Dave Cowens was a sophomore and the catalyst of the 1968 team.

In 1972, Durham led Florida State to the greatest basketball season in school history. The team went 27-6 and earned another at-large berth to the NCAA Tournament. The Seminoles shocked the basketball world by advancing to the NCAA Championship game.

To reach the 1972 NCAA Championship game, Florida State played in the NCAA Mideast Region in Dayton, OH. Durham's talented, defensive-oriented but underrated squad was led by Ron King, Reggie Royals, Rowland Garrett and diminutive point guard Otto Petty.

In the Mideast Region Semifinals, the Seminoles defeated Big Ten Champion, University of Minnesota, 70-56. In the Mideast Region Finals, Florida State defeated the University of Kentucky, 73-54. Kentucky was the SEC Champion. The game was legendary head coach Adolph Rupp's last game at Kentucky where he won four NCAA titles.

The 1972 NCAA Final Four was held in Los Angeles, CA. In the NCAA Semifinals, FSU upset the heavily favored University of North Carolina Tar Heels, 79-75. The Tar Heels, coached by Dean Smith and led by future NBA stars Bob McAdoo and Bobby Jones were the Atlantic Coast Conference Champions.

In the NCAA Championship game, FSU lost to UCLA, 81-76.[1] The Bruins were led by future NBA stars Bill Walton and Henry Bibby. It was UCLA's closest championship game during UCLA's remarkable stretch of 10 NCAA championships under legendary Head Coach John Wooden.

Florida State was not a member of a conference for the first ten seasons Durham was head coach in Tallahasssee. In 1976-77, Florida State joined the Metro Conference.

In 1977-78, only their second in the Metro, Durham led the Seminoles to the Conference title. As a result, FSU was one of 32 teams to earn a 1978 NCAA Tournament bid. It was Florida State's third trip the NCAA Tournament under Durham. Durham was also named Metro Conference Coach of the Year.

After the 1977-78 season, Durham was lured away from FSU to become the head coach at the University of Georgia. His overall record at FSU was 230-95 (.708). Over thirty years later, his .708 winning percentage is still the highest in Florida State history.

Durham remains the only coach to ever lead Florida State to the NCAA Final Four.

Georgia Bulldogs

Prior to the 1978-79 season, Durham was named head coach at the University of Georgia.

Before Durham arrived in Athens, Georgia had never been to either the NCAA or NIT Tournaments, never won an SEC regular season title and never won an SEC Tournament championship.

Durham immediately embarked on a remarkable transformation project that produced the most prolific era of Georgia basketball still to this date.

Durham's efforts produced virtual overnight success as from 1981 to 1991, he led Georgia to five NCAA Tournaments, four NIT Tournaments, the 1983 NCAA Final Four, the 1982 NIT Final Four, the 1983 SEC Tournament Championship and the 1990 SEC Championship. In that same span, Durham was named SEC Coach of the Year four times.

In 1980-81, only his third season at Georgia, Durham was voted his first of four SEC Coach of the Year awards. That season, Durham led Georgia to the school's first ever post-season tournament as the Bulldogs received an NIT bid. UGA also reached the 1981 SEC Tournament Championship Game behind the electric play of Dominique Wilkins, Terry Fair, Vern Fleming and James Banks.

In 1981-82, the Bulldogs advanced to the NIT Final Four by defeating Temple, Maryland and Virginia Tech. The Bulldogs lost to Purdue, 61-60, in the NIT Semifinals at Madison Square Garden in New York. Again, Wilkins, Fair, Fleming, and Banks led the Bulldogs.

In 1982-83, Durham led the Bulldogs to without question the greatest single season in Georgia basketball history. The Bulldogs won the school's first ever SEC Tournament championship.

As a result of the title, Georgia earned its first NCAA Tournament bid in school history on the way to a 24-10 record.

Durham again shocked the basketball world by leading the Bulldogs to the 1983 NCAA Final Four. Georgia became one of the few teams since the NCAA Tournament began in 1939 to reach the NCAA Final Four in its first ever NCAA Tournament appearance.

To reach the 1983 NCAA Final Four, Georgia played in the NCAA East Region in Syracuse, NY. This Georgia squad was another of Durham's patented formula of talent, intensity and defensive focus. As with his 1972 FSU team, Durham's squad was given little chance in the Tournament. The starters were Vern Fleming, Terry Fair, James Banks, Lamar Heard and Gerald Crosby with Richard Corhen, Donald Hartry, Derrick Floyd and Horace McMillan coming off the bench.

In the East Region Semifinals, Georgia upset the Big East Champion and #3 ranked St. John's University, 70-67. The Redmen were coached by Lou Carnesecca and led by Chris Mullin and Bill Wennington. In the East Region Finals, the Bulldogs upset defending NCAA champion North Carolina, 82-77. UNC, the champion of the ACC, was led by Michael Jordan, Sam Perkins and Brad Daugherty. UNC was coached by Dean Smith.

The 1983 NCAA Final Four was in Albuquerque, NM. The Bulldogs lost in the NCAA Semifinals to eventual champion North Carolina State, 67-60. The Wolfpack was coached by the late Jim Valvano and led by Derrick Wittenberg, Sidney Lowe, Thurl Bailey, and Lorenzo Charles.

In 1984-85, the Bulldogs returned to the NCAA Tournament finishing the season with a 22-9 record. In another milestone for Durham, Georgia defeated Kentucky in Lexington, 79-77. It was the first win for Georgia over Kentucky in Lexington since 1923. The Bulldogs were led by Joe Ward, Cedric Henderson, Gerald Crosby, Donald Hartry, Horace McMillan, and Richard Corhen.

In 1985-86, Durham was again named SEC Coach of the Year. In 1986-87, Durham was voted SEC Coach of the Year for the second consecutive year as Georgia earned its third NCAA Touranment bid in five seasons behind the play of Willie Anderson, Chad Kessler, Derrick Kirce, Eric Burdette, Dennis Williams, and Patrick Hamilton.

In 1989-90, Durham led Georgia to the school's first ever SEC regular season Championship and another trip to the NCAA Tournament. Georgia outlasted LSU and Shaquille O'Neal to clinch the SEC title in a heart pounding game in Athens that was nationally televised. Durham was voted SEC Coach of the Year for the fourth time in ten seasons. The 20-9 Bulldogs were led by the late Alec Kessler, Litterial Green, Marshall Wilson, Antonio Harvey, and Neville Austin.

In 1990-91, Georgia advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the fifth time in nine seasons behind the play of Litterial Green, Rod Cole, Jody Patton, Marshall Wilson, Antonio Harvey, and Neville Austin. In 1994-95, Durham finished his career at Georgia by leading the Bulldogs to their 12th post-season tournament appearance in his 17 seasons as head coach. He is the winningest coach in Georgia history with a record of 297-215.

Durham remains the only coach to ever lead Georgia to the NCAA Final Four.

Jacksonville Dolphins

In 1997 Durham came out of retirement at the age of 60 to try and help rebuild the struggling basketball program at Jacksonville University. JU is a private school in Jacksonville, FL, with an enrollment of less than 3,500 students.

In 1970, the Dolphins led by Artis Gilmore reached the NCAA Championship game before losing to UCLA. JU went to five NCAA Tournaments between 1970 and 1986. However, the program had since fallen on hard times.

Once again, Durham engineered a remarkable turnaround. The Dolphins quickly went from the doormat of the Atlantic Sun Conference to one of the top programs in the league. Durham's signature rugged defense set the tone.

Over his last five seasons, Jacksonville won 78 games, averaged 10 conference wins a season, and held opponents to an average of only 69.5 points per game. In that span, JU was 49-19 at home.

In 2000, Durham was named athletic director in addition to his basketball head coaching duties. He served in the dual roles from 2000 through 2004.

He coached at Jacksonville for eight seasons, retiring in 2005 as the winningest coach in Jacksonville history with 106 victories. His record at JU was 106-119.

Otto Petty Still Holds Assist Record at Florida State

2011-06-26T21:13:00.000-07:00

From ACC Conference Website

At 5-foot-7, Otto Petty didn't really establish a precedent. Smallish basketball players weren't plentiful in the early 1970s, and they'll probably never be. But in most other ways, the point guard from Louisville, Ky. and Florida State University was a trail-blazer - even if he required more steps to make his mark than the taller guys.

Petty helped bring championship-caliber basketball to Tallahassee two decades before the school joined the ACC and four years before Bobby Bowden arrived as head football coach. He racked up impressive assist totals when the NCAA didn't officially chart such things and he was a prominent African-American student on a campus that had a short history of racial diversity.

Retired and living in his hometown these days, Petty is FSU's emissary among the 2010 ACC Legends and undeniably a man ahead of his time.

"My high school coach always told me that I knew the game really well and that I played with a lot of heart," Petty said. "Size is one thing, but I played with my heart."

Petty fielded recruiting interest from the Louisville Cardinals and Western Kentucky, but he did his homework and figured he'd have a hard time cracking either of those lineups. Although an independent, FSU offered a chance to see and achieve something new.

The institution of that era differs considerably from the one known to the ACC. It was only a generation removed from identity as the Florida State College for Women. The football stadium was half as big as it is now. And as for basketball? The Noles played in Tully Gym, a 2,500-seat gymnasium with a ceiling that threatened to stop the path of any full-court pass or shot.

The Seminoles' first African-American football player didn't arrive until 1968, and the campus was one of the region's few cauldrons of political protest. "The Berkeley of the South," some called it.

"You still had racial things going on there, but the fans were good to us," Petty said.

The team was perhaps the first predominantly black squad at an almost entirely white institution in the South. Coach Hugh Durham, a Louisville native like Petty, undertook a borderline radical strategy for the era by pursuing anybody who could play. Swing man Ron King joined Petty in the trek from Kentucky to Florida, and Reggie Royals, Rowland Garrett and Lawrence McCray gave FSU a frontcourt that was as big and strong as any.

Petty was a compelling presence who created passing lanes for himself by outsmarting opponents and communicating well with his teammates. His pass-first mentality maximized the skills of those around him, and it was actually recognized.

We take the assist for granted today. It's a common statistic that can be awarded rather liberally. That wasn't necessarily the deal in Petty's day. The NCAA kept track of it in 1951 and '52, but it halted the practice and didn't resume until 1984. Individual schools were free to record assists, however, and Petty kept the Seminole stat crew busy.

Petty averaged 7.3 feeds a game, a figure eclipsed by only three ACC players before or since. His 227 assists in 1971-72 would have likely placed him in the Top 10 nationally for that season.

Not that he's complaining, mind you. That season turned out to be pretty good for Florida State, which navigated the often unforgiving waters of independence to get into the NCAA tournament.

"We tried to get in a conference, but they never let us in," Petty said. FSU played only 12 of its 29 regular-season games at home. Travels took the Seminoles to Hawaii, Oregon, Alabama, Texas and Ohio as coach Hugh Durham's group fought to impress the people putting together the postseason bracket.

"Final Four? No, but we figured we were good enough to get into the tournament," Petty said. "Everything fell into place for us." That included an upset of behemoth Kentucky in the quarterfinals in Dayton, Ohio, and a trip to the Final Four that marked the university's first major appearance on the national sporting landscape.

To that point, the football team had won only two bowl games, and one of those was a decision over Wofford College in the Cigar Bowl, a nondescript contest in Tampa that lasted only 10 years. In the spring of 1972, Bowden was the 43-year-old head coach at West Virginia and still four years short of beginning the tenure that would make him king of Tallahassee.

In the national semifinals, Petty delivered six assists and 10 points as the Seminoles upended future ACC rival North Carolina 79-75 for the right to play mighty UCLA. The Bruins, who had already won five straight NCAA titles, secured No. 6 in their own backyard, the Los Angeles Sports Arena, when they held off the Seminoles, 81-76.

"It was the first time the team went that far, and it really meant as lot to us that we did it," Petty said.

In all, Petty's FSU teams went 62-23. They didn't get into the ACC just yet, but they did put their school on the map.

Petty talked briefly with the ABA's Kentucky Colonels about playing, but management wanted him to go overseas and hone his skills for a couple of seasons first. He declined and returned to Louisville to become a coach and middle school science teacher. The school district named him Teacher of the Year in 1975-76.

Petty's son Darren will accompany him to the ACC Legends events at the tournament, an event he never had the chance to see as a player.

Nebraska Joins The Big Ten

2011-06-22T22:11:00.000-07:00

Park Ridge, Ill.-- The Big Ten Council of Presidents/Chancellors (COP/C) announced unanimous approval today for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) to join the Big Ten Conference effective July 1, 2011, with competition to begin in all sports for the 2011-12 academic year. UNL will also seek admission into the Committee on Institutional Cooperation (CIC), which can occur on or before July 1, 2011.

The addition of the University of Nebraska marks the Big Ten's first expansion since Penn State University joined the conference in June of 1990 and will increase Big Ten membership to 12 institutions for the first time in conference annals. Big Ten Commissioner James E. Delany will join University of Nebraska Chancellor Harvey Perlman and Director of Athletics Tom Osborne on campus in Lincoln, Neb., for press conference at 5 p.m. CT on Friday, June 11.

"By unanimous vote, the Big Ten Presidents and Chancellors are pleased to welcome the University of Nebraska-Lincoln to the Big Ten Conference," said COP/C Chair and Michigan State President Lou Anna K. Simon. "We believe Nebraska is an extraordinary fit, reflecting the criteria we established at the beginning of the process - high academic quality, competitiveness, cultural compatibility and fiscal responsibility. The extensive and in-depth discussions my colleagues and I have had about Big Ten expansion permitted us to act expeditiously and prudently on the application submitted by Nebraska. We look forward to working with our colleagues at UNL in the years ahead."

Miami Heat Wins Game 3- Miami 96, Chicago 85

2011-05-22T20:36:00.000-07:00

The Miami Heat won tonight, based on an impressive 34 point performance from Chris Bosh. Bosh appeared to be motivated to win by shooting impressively with mid range jumpers, driving to the basket with authority and contributing a number of slam dunks. As good as Chris Bosh was, Lebron James showed that he could run the team at point forward dishing out 10 assist, scoring 22 points and hauling down 6 rebounds. Chris Bosh finished with 5 rebounds, 2 assist and 34 points.

Game three is Tuesday night as the Bulls will attempt to even the series before they head back to Chicago.

The Thunder is Kevin Durant's Team

2011-05-21T20:53:00.000-07:00

It is apparent that Russell Westbrook needs to learn a thing or two about shot selection. When to shoot the three and when not.One thing he has to absolutely learn, The OKC Thunder is Kevin Durant's team. Westbrook reminds me of Orlando's Jameer Nelson, who thinks he is the face of the Magic, when in reality he is just a marginal player at best.

This is what The Thunder is going through with Russell Westbrook. Again It's Kevin Durant's team and the sooner Russell Westbrook learns and understand this news flash, the better. I pick the Mavs to win this series, beacuse of dumb plays and dumb decisions by Russell Westbrook.

Tampa Bay Lightning Takes Eastern Conference Finals Lead

2011-05-14T23:50:00.000-07:00

Associated Press

BOSTON -- The swift-skating Tampa Bay Lightning wasted little time taking control of the Eastern Conference finals.

Sean Bergenheim began a stretch of three Tampa Bay goals in 1:25 in the first period and the Lightning beat the Boston Bruins 5-2 on Saturday night for their eighth straight victory.

"We're not a team that's waiting to win games," Tampa Bay coach Guy Boucher said after the Lightning grabbed home-ice advantage from the Bruins. "We like to push to win games."

Bergenheim, who scored just 14 goals in the regular season, got his NHL-high eighth of the playoffs at 11:15. Brett Clark connected at 11:34 and Teddy Purcell wrapped up the onslaught, both with unassisted goals.

Staying in The NBA Draft

2011-05-09T07:23:00.001-07:00

All SEC guard Scotty Hopson entered the NBA draft, saying the timing is right after Bruce Pearl's firing.

New coach Cuonzo Martin has one starter returning after losing Freshman Tobias Harris, who is also entering the draft.

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

Rondo Proves He Has Heart

2011-05-07T19:53:00.000-07:00

You have to be impressed with the performance of Rajon Rondo in Game 3 of the Heat-Celtics series. Rondo had an absolutely nasty fall where he tried to cushion the fall with his left hand and he dislocated his arm. Rondo was in immense pain, he went to the locker room, where doctor popped his arm back in and Rondo came back near the end of third quarter. What he did after that point showed heart and determination that quite frankly no one knew he had.

Ronda made key plays, breakaway layups, and even a steal with his limp left hand. He lifted the Celtics to win game three and stopped the Heat express, as the Heat shot 31% from the field for the remainder of the game. The Heat still lead the series 2 games to 1 over the Celtics.

The Changing Face of Recruiting At Louisville

2011-05-04T13:22:00.001-07:00

Perhaps learning from the Rodney Purvis fiasco, Rick Pitino hired there new assistant, well two new and one not so new, his son Richard Pitino who returns for his second stint at the University of Louisville.

Pitino hired Wyking Jones, Richard Pitino and Kevin Keets. Giving them one Job discription: Recruit, Recruit and Recruit. Using today's technology cell phone, text messaging among other wireless avenues.

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

Trevor Lacy Alabama Mr. Basketball Visits Kentucky

2011-05-03T11:35:00.001-07:00

Huntsville Basketball standout and Alabama's Mr. Basketball will visit the Universty of Kentucky. John Calipari continues to bring in one and done recruits each year, which raises one main question...How?

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

Rodney Purvis De-Commits From Louisville

2011-05-03T11:17:00.001-07:00

Rodney Purvis de-committed from Louisville after assistant coach Tim Fuller left to take a similar position at the University of Missouri.

This speaks volumes about Pitino's ability to attract and retain recruits.This is a critical attribute and an area where Pitino will need to improve

Yankees Win The World Series

2009-11-05T05:23:00.001-08:00

Yankees win the World Series Title for the first time in nine years. The Yankess won 4 games to 2 over the Philadelphia Phillis. For the fistr time in nie years the world series title returns to New York.

The Yankees transitioned to a solid team and less a team of free agents that characterized them in the past. How long will this new run last? That remains to be seen. The Big Apple for now is celebrating a new World Series victory, which in many years was a long time coming.

Young Wins In His First Start This Season For the Titans

2009-11-03T16:50:00.001-08:00

Vince Young mad his return as starting quarterback for the Tennessee Titans and he delivered, winning the first game for the Titans this year. Rumor has it that Titans owner Bud Adams directly ordered Jeff Fisher to start Vince Young, who has not started since early in the 2008 season. Young finished with 125 yards on 15 of 18 passing. and rush for 30 yards. A respectable showing considering his time away from being a starter. Coach Jeff Fisher said Young’s performance was "efficient."

Brett Favre Leads the Vikings over The Packer For the Second Time This Season

2009-11-03T16:38:00.000-08:00

Responding to a chorus of boos, Brett Favre threw four touch on passes at Lambeau Field last night and did what only Favre can do; the incredible. He led the Vikings to a 38-26 win over the Green Bay Packers. In doing so Favre continued his crusade to torment Packer management regarding their shabby treatment doing his departure in 2007.

Favre was vintage Favre on this night, but appearing in a Viking Purple uniform did not create a warm and fuzzy feeling with the Packer faithful. To do what he did to the Packers for the second time is probably unbelievable to most Packer fans. The only revenge left for the Packers is some miracle meeting with the Vikings in the playoff. It is safe to say that Favre can celebrate sweet revenge and enjoy his victory over the Packers, for the second time this season.

Lebron and Shack Starred Tonight Against the Celtics

2009-10-27T16:49:00.000-07:00

Lebron James and Shaquille O'Neal of the Cavaliers made their debut against the Boston Celtics on Tuesday night. It was a preview of things to come. Shack played well and will be a great compliment for James. James had three block shots in the first quarter, while Shack had 9 points on three for three shooting.

This was a match up between two teams who will be meet come at some point in the playoffs in the spring. It is too early to tell which team will prevail, however if Lebron James' play in the season opener is any indication, he will be more than a lot to deal with during the rest of the season. The addition of Shaquille O'Neal make the Cavs a very formidable opponent.

Allen Iverson Must Win In Memphs

2009-10-02T06:53:00.000-07:00

Allen Iverson On Tenure With The Detroit Pistons....

"They told me, straight up, 'Allen, we would never disrespect you or your career like that,' by making me come off the bench," Iverson said in an interview with ESPN.com Page 2 columnist Scoop Jackson. "That's what they told me to my face. And after that, I never thought about it again. I just went back to playing. Then, they came to me saying that they felt it would be in the 'best interest of the team' if I came off of the bench behind Rip [Richard Hamilton].

Source: ESPN

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Denver Looks To Increase in Sales During Rockie's Playoff Run

2009-10-01T19:51:00.000-07:00

Things are rocking in Denver, with the Rockie's securing a wild card berth one week before the regular season ends, downtown business are gearing up for a boost in sales and for the local Denver economy. The Downtown Denver Partnership estimates the Rockie's wild card berth will bring in an additional increase of three to five million dollars for each post season home game. That is the estimated revenue generated by the Rockies during their 2007 World Series appearance. The longer the Rockie's survive the more money will be pumped into the local economy.

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Vick's Agent Says Deal Reached With Nike

2009-10-01T19:01:00.000-07:00

Source: Associated Press

Mike Principe, a principal at Blue Equity, which represents Mr. Vick, told attendees at the Sports Business Journal/Relay Worldwide Sports Sponsorship Symposium that Mr. Vick had reached a deal to return to Nike, but he did not disclose any further details.

Reached shortly after reports of Mr. Principe's comments started catching fire on Twitter this afternoon, a Nike spokesman said he was "checking," but did not reply by deadline with a confirmation.

Vick's primary agent, Joel Segal, confirmed the deal in a statement to Sports Business Daily: "Mike has had a great relationship with Nike and is excited to be part of the Nike team again. He has always been a fan of the brand and looks forward to the relationship," Mr. Segal said.

Nike -- along with EA Sports and AirTran -- dropped Mr. Vick in 2007 after he plead guilty to running an interstate dogfighting ring. He was cut by his team, the Atlanta Falcons, and later went to prison. In a 2007 statement concerning Mr. Vick, Nike said, "We consider any cruelty to animals inhumane and abhorrent."
But he was released earlier this year and signed a new deal with the Philadelphia Eagles for a modest backup role behind the team's star quarterback, Donovan McNabb.
None of his other former endorsees have taken him back, but Mr. Vick has embarked on an ambitious image-rehabilitation campaign that includes recording public-service announcements for the Humane Society of the U.S. and a series of mea-culpa style interviews.
Mr. Vick played his first regular-season NFL game since his incarceration last weekend and was largely ineffective in limited action on the field.

Source Associated Press

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Terrell Owens Pass Catch Streaks Ends At 185 Games

2009-09-29T12:42:00.001-07:00

As one of the newest addition to the Buffalo Bills.Terrell Owens is trying his best to keep quiet and blend in as a team player. But it is hard work! T.O.'s streak of catching at least one pass over a period of 185 games came to a close on Sunday.

Although he's not saying, most bet that he is not happy. Considering he was thrown to less than five times in Sunday's game. That is the stuff that complaints are made on with T.O.

Its certainly a long season, we'll have to wait and see if Trent Edward can get him the ball and work him within the offense. If not Buffalo, has one way to go and that is down.

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The Titans Are At A Cross Road At Quarterback

2009-09-27T11:24:00.001-07:00

Kerry Collins has made a great transition to starting quarterback for the Titans, given the meltdown of sorts of Vince Young. How much Collins has in the tank is questionable given he is 36 years old and the Titans are off to an 0-2 start this year. While Vince Young waits in the wings. Collins is somewhat interception prone, so the Titans will have to evaluate that. Given the Titans meltdown at the end of last season, they have a problem at the quarterback position. They will need to make a decision on the direction they plan to go in the future. Collins age is a factor and Young's difficulties off the field, which affect his play one the field are in question as well.

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Most Major League Teams Have Converted To Natural Grass Surface

2009-09-26T18:48:00.000-07:00

The days of playing baseball on artificial turf are numbered. Only two non grass fields survive after this season. The Rogers center in Toronto and Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg. The artificial grass surface is out and grass is in. Artificial turf takes it's toll on the players. The wear and tear is a consideration that has many team praying for less injuries and insuring that players receive rest to insure against the great possibility of injury.

The artificial turf was known to produce temperature well over 110 degrees on the field. The days of artificial turf will not be missed. It is an era that has seen its' last and final days.

More from the Toronto Globe and Mail:

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Astros Fire Cecil Cooper; Name Dave Clark Interim Manager For Remainder Of The Season

2009-09-26T18:03:00.000-07:00

Cecil Cooper was relieved of his role as manager of the Houston Astros. Dave Clark was named interim manger of the Astros for the remainder of the season. The Astros plan is to actively search for a permanent replacement. General manager Ed Wade said Cooper was a very solid baseball guy, but the Astros needed to go in a new direction. Wade said that Cooper would be a solid candidate for the permanent managerial slot after the seasons end.

Astro's owner, Drayton Mclane also vowed to take a look at the front office personnel, who has delivered dismal returns on a payroll topping $100 Million. This is the fourth consecutive year that the Astros will not appear in the post season playoffs. Cooper compiled a record of 171-171 during his tenure as Astros manager.

Other potential candidates in the running for the managerial spot are former Phillies, White Sox, Blue Jays and Angels manager Jim Fregosi; former Nationals manager Manny Acta; and former Diamondbacks interim manager Al Pedrique, who was promoted from field coordinator to be Clark's third-base coach. Brad Ausmus, who currently is playing for the Dodgers, Jeff Bagwell and Craig Biggio are former Astro players.

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Paulus Must be Given Credit For Transition Back To Football

2009-09-26T07:08:00.000-07:00

Whatever you think of Greg Paulus, you must give him credit for what he has done in transitioning from a starting point guard for Duke University to starting quarterback for the Syracuse Orange football team. This is truly a unique accomplishment, no matter how you look at it.

We could search back through the annuals of college football and find very few players who could make such a transition under the circumstances presented to Paulus. Paulus was recruited out of high school by many colleges to play football but chose to play basketball at Duke. He was the number one high school prospect in New York State and a High School All American.

The accolades followed him to Duke, where he had a good career playing for Coach K. The astonishing aspect of Paulus decision to play for Syracuse is that he has been away from the game for four years and he has only one year of eligibility to play football as a graduate student. This is a plot made for Hollywood film producers. Paulus had a decent start as Syracuse's starting quarterback. This was somewhat surprising given his time away from the game. The Orange are 1-2 at this point and face Maine today.

Whether Paulus can rally Syracuse to a bowl bid this year remains to be seen. But you have to give Paulus credit for the courage and confidence he has in himself and his ability.

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South Carolina Surprises Ole Miss 16-10

2009-09-25T05:17:00.000-07:00

South Carolina finally won the big one by beating Ole Miss on Thursday night 16-10. It was a huge win for Steve Spurrier's Gamecock. Spurrier needed a win over a ranked opponent to jump start momentum. He got it on Thursday night. This time, it was fourth-ranked Mississippi caught by surprise, beaten 16-10 by South Carolina on Thursday night.

Recap of the game

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Again! Favre is Back! This Time With The Vikings

2009-08-18T13:32:00.000-07:00

Brett Favre is coming out of retirement to play for the Minnesota Vikings after all. The Farve situation coupled with Michael Vick's return to Philadelphia will create some drama for this upcoming football season.

More on the story

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Mike Vick Trys To Repair His Image

2009-08-17T09:39:00.000-07:00

Michael Vick is back in the NFL. To some that in itself is a travesty. No matter where you stand on the issue it is a passionate argument. Do you reward Vick with millions of dollars after committing such a despicable act?

Make no mistake, Vick made a huge mistake and his moral compass was bankrupt. But this man given his crime appears to be remorseful. Can we forgive? We should. No one is perfect, all of us have fallen short of excellence.

The Philadelphia Eagles offered Vick a contract. Plenty of people are questioning why? It is understandable. The Philadelphia Eagles have showed more courage in giving Vick a chance than many NFL teams. He is without question, a tremendous football player and his talent is unquestioned. Many teams probably thought long and hard about signing Vick, but shied away from the backlash the Eagles are sure to receive from animal rights groups,fans,and average people. It is a slippery slope and a road less traveled for all concerned.

So it is up to Vick to prove himself; he has a lot of work to do. I wish Vick well in his quest to rehabilitate himself. It will not be easy.

Pitino's Time Should Be Up In Louisville

2009-08-17T09:33:00.000-07:00

I have been a Louisville Cardinal basketball fan since 1967. The Days of Wes Unseld, Butch Beard, Mike Grosso, and a host of others. I followed the Cards when Denny Crum took them from a good mid major program to a National power, winning National Championships in 1980 and 1986. I was there as a fan when the Cards struggled in the 90’s and saw the Rick Pitino led Kentucky Wildcats make their mark by winning a National Championship.

They were led by the ego driven opportunist Rick Pitino. Pitino hung the moon in Kentucky and shortly afterwards hoodwinked the Boston Celtics who paid him millions of dollars to destroy the team. Perhaps Pitino was a little too fast for the slow lifestyle of Kentucky, but not fast enough for the Celtics who sent him packing.

Fast Forward to 2009, Pitno is in one of the most difficult situations in his most ambitious coaching career. The gist of the story is Pitino had a brief relationship with a woman. Pitino said she was trying to blackmail him. Now the woman is on trial and all sorts of embarrassing information is surfacing. To me it is an embarrassment to the University of Louisville and a tribute to Denny Crum, who was literally forced out as head Coach so King Rick could come back to Kentucky.

It is time for Pitino to leave. It is embarrassing to the University and the basketball program is suffering. But Louisville is being Louisville by standing by anyone who wins. The city is a basketball haven and they love Rick Pitino. It is a shame that this man can continue to con the entire universe and make you think you were wrong. But that’s what got him where he is today. There lies the problem and why Pitino is in the news nearly everywhere. Bring back Denny Crum or anyone at this point, anyone but Rick Pitino!

Nashville Fans Mourn Steve McNair

2009-07-09T09:31:00.000-07:00

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Dozens of Steve McNair fans donned Tennessee Titans gear as they lined up around a funeral home Thursday to honor the slain ex-NFL quarterback's accomplishments and charity work.

More on Steve McNair's Funeral

Deener Named Play by Play Announcer for Louisville Cardinal Games

2009-07-09T09:13:00.000-07:00

WHAS11 today announced Drew Deener is joining the WHAS11 Cardinal Sports Network’s broadcast team. Deener will be the play-by-play announcer and will join Doug James and Bob Valvano for WHAS11’s coverage of the 2009-10 University of Louisville football and basketball seasons.

WHAS Story

Both Knicks and Celtics Pursue Grant Hill

2009-07-08T18:58:00.000-07:00

Grant Hill has a few choices to make. Should he stay in Phoenix, move to Boston, or sign with his old coach and the New York Knicks? With the Celtics acquiring Rasheed Wallace the Celtics already have perhaps the final piece they need to drive to another championship in 2009-2010. If they are successful in signing Hill they will probably win a second championship.

Steve McNair Remembered As Caring and Willing To Give

2009-07-08T18:29:00.000-07:00

If you were to visit Mount Olive Mississippi, you would be hard pressed to find anyone in the town who had ill feelings toward Steve McNair or his family. Everyone felt a bond with McNair and were grateful for all that he did for the town and for the community. McNair put Mount Olive on the map, with his exploits in high School and later at Alcorn State University, were he put up electrifying numbers as the first quarterback from a historically black college to be nominated for the Heisman Trophy and actually come in third in the balloting.

McNair was special at Alcorn State and became even more special to Houston Oilers, later to the Tennessee Titans and for a brief period for the Baltimore Ravens. McNair was a well respected NFL hero, because of the way he played the game. The way he threw himself on the line and the toughness that he display on the field. If that was not enough, McNair gave of himself with charities throughout the Nashville community.

If you were to ask anyone about Steve McNair, they will tell you he was an upstanding citizen, always willing to help others.

Lance Armstrong Near to taking the lead in Tour de France

2009-07-08T16:55:00.000-07:00

Seven-time champion Lance Armstrong missed out on taking the Tour de France leader's yellow jersey by a fraction of a second after his Astana team won the fourth stage time trial on Tuesday.

Story Continues

Long Jump Champion Khotso Mokoena Wins in Lausanne

2009-07-08T16:49:00.000-07:00

Khotso Mokoena, continued his world class form on the tracks of Europe at the 2009 Athletissima Super Grand Prix in Lausanne on Tuesday night when he won the long jump with 8,05 metres.

South Africa- Pele Champion Salary Cap For To Soccer Governing Body

2009-07-08T16:44:00.000-07:00

Pele has urged world soccer's governing body Fifa to introduce a salary cap for players and warned that the vast sums of money changing hands in the game could taint its image for future generations.

Celtics Acquire Rasheed Wallace, and Go After Grant Hill

2009-07-07T06:22:00.000-07:00

The Boston on Celtics signed Rasheed Wallace to a two year deal and or reportedly looking to offered Grant Hill a one year deal. If they pull this off, the Celtics will be in good shape to make another run at the championship.

More on Rasheed Wallace

McNair's Death Ruled An Homicide

2009-07-05T17:07:00.000-07:00

The investigation into the shooting death of former Tennessee Titans and Baltimore Ravens quarterback Steve McNair continued yesterday in Nashville.

More From the Washington Post

McNair Brought Exposure To Alcorn State

2009-07-05T07:05:00.000-07:00

Steve McNair made a tremendous impact on Football at Alcorn State. He brought much publicity to the school and came in third in the Heisman trophy balloting in 1994

More on the story from ESPN

Remembering Steve McNair

2009-07-04T16:22:00.000-07:00

Steve McNair did so much for Nashville. He was a Tennessee Titan. It does not matter that he was traded to the Baltimore Ravens. Those of us from Nashville will always see McNair as a Tennessee Titan. McNair was a tough competitive player, who laid it on the line time and time again and found a way to win.

Plain and simple, when people doubted him early in his career, he proved them wrong. Later, he took the Tennessee Titans to the Super bowl in 2000 and became only the second African American quarterback to do so. Steve McNair will have a legacy. He was tough and an player who played through pain. He will be missed.

Steve McNair Dead From Gunshot to The Head

2009-07-04T16:15:00.000-07:00

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Former Titans quarterback Steve McNair has been killed. Police said McNair suffered a fatal gunshot wound to the head in downtown Nashville.

From News Channel 5- Nashville

George W delivers Greeting for George H.W. to Joe Paterno

2009-06-21T17:03:00.000-07:00

ERIE - Former President George W. Bush last night played messenger for his father, former President George H.W. Bush, delivering a greeting to one of Pennsylvania's most famous faces.

More

One for The Ages Stephen Curry Outscores Chattanooga 27-26 In First Half in 2008 Game

2009-06-21T16:43:00.000-07:00

This has to be a first. It happened in March 2008, but that does not diminish its impact. Steph Curry outscored the entire University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Basketball team in the first half of a game. Here the U-TUbe video.....Insane

B.J. Coleman Transfers to University of Tennessee At Chattanooga

2009-06-20T21:04:00.000-07:00

In a decision that has been widely expected for several days, former McCallie School quarterback B.J. Coleman made it official Wednesday night by confirming to the Times Free Press that he will sign scholarship papers with the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga today.

More

Jason William Ponders Return to NBA

2009-06-20T15:00:00.000-07:00

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - It's been 13 years since Jason Williams last played a competitive basketball game in the Kanawha Valley.

Williams thrilled hoops fans with his on-the-court wizardry as a star point guard at DuPont High and Marshall University, before moving on to the University of Florida and ultimately, a 10-year career in the National Basketball Association.

NASCAR Sponsor Seek Business From Other Sponsors

2009-06-20T08:18:00.000-07:00

AFTER a day of business meetings in Charlotte, N.C., in May that brought together executives from Fortune 500 companies including United Parcel Service, Coca-Cola and Sprint Nextel, it was time to unwind. But the executives were not, as is their wont, transported to a golf course.

more

Phil Jackson Visits The White House

2009-06-19T18:15:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama took time out to chat with title-winning coaches Phil Jackson of the NBA's Los Angeles Lakers and Dan Bylsma of the NHL's Pittsburgh Penguins.

Obama — a huge basketball fan who plays on occasion and is having basketball lines painted on the White House tennis court — picked the Lakers to win in six games over the Orlando Magic. The Lakers needed five to give Jackson a record 10th NBA championship as a coach.

Wall Signs Letter of Intent With Kentucky

2009-06-19T17:43:00.000-07:00

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The University of Kentucky men's basketball program received a National Letter of Intent from John Wall, Coach John Calipari announced on Wednesday, giving the Wildcats what many recruiting experts claim is the number one class in the country.

More

Ralph Willard Named Associate Coach

2009-06-19T17:34:00.000-07:00

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Ralph Willard, whose 38 years of coaching experience include the last 10 as head men's basketball coach at Holy Cross, has joined the University of Louisville men's basketball staff as associate coach to Cardinals' head coach Rick Pitino.

More

Edgar Sosa and Jerry Smith Named Louisville Co-Captains

2009-06-19T17:32:00.000-07:00

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - University of Louisville men's basketball coach Rick Pitino has announced that Jerry Smith and Edgar Sosa, who will both be seniors next year, have been named co-captains for the 2009-10 season.

More

Yao Ming To Cav

2009-06-19T17:23:00.000-07:00

BEIJING -- Rockets center Yao Ming has called a possible move to Cleveland an "unknown" amid rumors that the Cavaliers' new Chinese part owners want to sign him.

More

Nowitzki Attorney Threatened

2009-06-19T17:20:00.000-07:00

FBI agents in Texas have seized recordings of threatening jailhouse phone calls made by Crista Ann Taylor, the ex-girlfriend of Dallas Mavericks All-Star forward Dirk Nowitzki, to the player's attorney, two sources with knowledge of the investigation said.

More from ESPN

Kobe to Stay in Los Angeles

2009-06-19T17:16:00.000-07:00

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- Kobe Bryant said he plans to stay with the NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers even if he opts out of his contract this summer. Phil Jackson said his health will dictate whether he returns as coach.

More

Players Believed To Be Heading For The UFL

2009-06-19T16:51:00.000-07:00

Rumors have heated up regarding player movement to the United Football League in recent days. Sunday former NFL QB Tim Rattay said he would be headed to the league, Ken Dorsey said he’d love the opportunity, and rumors have spread that Michael Vick and his agent have papers in hand that if signed would start the Vick redemption tour in Orlando. All of these whispers, some of which are based in fact, have begun spreading in the wake of two public workouts and ahead of a private, internal UFL draft that is scheduled for later this week.

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2009-06-14T18:00:00.000-07:00

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Calipari May Pose Trouble For Kentucky

2009-06-10T09:50:00.000-07:00

John Calipari faces allegations of individual replacing a player taking an SAT test. among other allegations at Memphis. Where would this play out for Kentucky? It will be an interesting situation. More on Calipari

Brett Favre To Minnesota?

2009-06-10T09:44:00.000-07:00

"Absolutely not," Brad Childress told radio station KFAN in Minneapolis when asked about ESPN's report that the team had given Favre a deadline of this week to decide on his return. "Maybe by Deanna (Favre) or somebody like that, but certainly not from me. Not even — not even close. (I) don't know where that dropped out of the sky from. ...

"I don't know how you guys in that industry go about your sourcing," Childress added. "'A source that a source said.' I don't know. It's questionable. Very questionable." More

Floyd Leaves A Plumb Position Open At USC

2009-06-10T09:38:00.000-07:00

USC will have a good look at candidates who will be more than likely interested in the USC opening, now that Tim Floyd is out of the picture. They will however have to deal with recruiting violations and alleged payoff to agents by Floyd. More

Reggie Theus Interested in Coaching at Arizona

2009-04-04T15:35:00.000-07:00

Reggie Theus has said that he is absolutely interested in the Arizona coaching job. One has to wonder if Arizona is interested. Theus has showed his meddle as a recruiter at Louisville for Rick Pitino and could possibly be an asset to the Wildcats in influencing west coast recruits. It appears that Arizona is not considered a dream job for many of the top name coaches so they need a coach that can influence recruits and get high caliber players into the Wildcat fold. Theus may be the man.

Calipari to Leave Memphis For Kentucky

2009-03-30T23:56:00.000-07:00

Memphis coach, John Calipari, has decided to take the offer to be the new University of Kentucky basketball coach.

Calipari just concluded his ninth season at Memphis and has a 137-14 record over the past four seasons in which the Tigers were the only team to earn either a No. 1 or 2 seed in the NCAA tournament. He guided Memphis to a national runner-up finish last season, and the Tigers (33-4) were ousted in the West Regional semifinal on Thursday night.

He currently has the top-rated recruiting class in the country headed to Memphis, but his latest recruit 6-foot-10 DeMarcus Cousins committed verbally within the past month and could follow Calipari to Kentucky if the coach leaves.

Landing Calipari won't be cheap. He has four years left on his contract paying him $2.35 million annually. He also has an annuity averaging $1 million over the deal through 2013.

When No Does Not Mean No- Dynamics of A Sales Call

2009-03-25T09:33:00.000-07:00

"No" is a simple word, but it it has a powerful impact. It sounds so final. How you move forward after hearing this word can determine whether or not you will secure an important sale. In sales, no never means no. It simply means you have not done an adequate job in identifying an internal objection from the client or the customer. This is critical to your success. Let's face it, all of us are sales executives and we work at our trade many hours each day.

Why is it important to zero in and identify the facts behind a resounding no? Because there is always a reason that a client is not ready to buy from you. It could be they do not have enough money or capital. It could be that you have not developed a feeling of trust or a rapport with the customer. It is up to you to ask the open ended questions that will allow you to get this valuable information. The typical customer will not freely give you this information. In their mind you are simply trying to sell them something and it most likely is not of any value to them.

So your mission, should you decide to accept it, is to do three things very quickly.

1. Establish a Rapport
2. Ask for the order or sales with a trial close/ Identify and deal with the objection
3. Then ask for the sale and close the sale

It is just that simple.

Establishing A Rapport or Connection

You will absolutely be dead in the water if you do not have the ability to quickly establish trust and interest with the customer. Most people are open to your attempts to establish a rapport, so you must be observant, have great listening skills, and have the ability to put together well thought out open ended questions. It is absolutely imperative that you have a great lead in introduction. Your objective here is to make the customer feel good about continuing the sales conversation. Within five minutes the customer must feel that you have something of value for their business in order to continue the sales call. Ask for permission to present your service or product. Then you present your presentation and and ask for feedback. You must use all of these tools within 5 minutes of the start of the call.

Ask For The Order With a Trial Close/ Identify and Deal With The Objection

Chances are, after you have applied all the steps in establishing a rapport and presenting your product, the customer is thinking about putting off buying from you. It is human nature. They do not know you. They may think you're nice enough, you appear to be honest, but it's too risky to make a decision. So you offer a trial close. Your ask for the order. There are a number of way to do this. You can simply ask if they are ready to buy from you. You can ask what they think about your product? Or you can ask if there are any concern that they may have regarding your presentation? This is the most effective question, because it always solicit valuable responses. You never know what their response will be. It could be simply no. Your job is to find out why without seeming pushy.

Ask for the sale and close the sale

By identifying the objection and answering it you have reassured the customer. It could be the real objection is that the customer wants to buy your product, but they do not have enough inventory to meet the demand. Perhaps the customer simply does not have enough cash flow at this time. The customer might be hesitant about going head to head with another business that has the same product. You get the picture, you must be proactive at getting to the heart of the hesitancy to buy. The customer will actually appreciate you for going through these steps, because you helped them through a dilemma that they have thought about more than once. Or perhaps you gave them a solution that they never thought about. You have just made a valuable friend. Now you can ask for the order again.

The customer may tell you to come back in a few weeks or they may buy from you on the spot. The point is; the customer will give you marching orders and next step instructions leading up to the final sale. The key is to ask and listen. Don't do all the talking and remember to ask open ended questions.

Bills To Open On Monday Night Football in September

2009-03-23T15:10:00.000-07:00

The acquisition of Terrell Owens by the Buffalo Bills, has already paid dividends. The team and the League announced on Monday, March 23 that the Bill will Open the 2009 season in a Monday Night Football contest against division rival New England Patriots. There has been no indication of of today as to which team will play host to the Game. For ESPN/ABC the Match opens the 50th anniversary of the National Football League.

Free Copy of Sports Industry Review-June Issue

2009-03-23T08:51:00.000-07:00

Follow This Link For Your Free Digital Copy of the Sports Industry Review Newsletter. Sports Industry Review is dedicated to sports news and information. Subscription information in available below for our monthly newsletter that can be mailed or emailed to you.

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Louisville Turns it On To Beat Morehead State

2009-03-21T07:11:00.000-07:00

Louisville struggled to pull away from Morehead State in the first half. It was a bad showing by the number one seed. Louisville sat on a two point lead at half time 33-31. But the Cards knew the seriousness of the situation and came out in the second half and delivered a knock out punch to Morehead State. Pulling away to win 74-54. Louisville 29-5, will play Siena who upset Ohio State in the game following the Louisville- Morehead matchup.

The Siena Saints, from Albany, New York won their matchup against Ohio State, 74-72. The Cards and the Saints will meet on Sunday.

Western Kentucky Stuns Illinois 76-72 In First Round of NCAA Tournament

2009-03-19T21:34:00.000-07:00

Western Kentucky has a superb team. To me they are the sleeper in this NCAA tournament. Western has an up tempo game with shooters who are solid. They also play in your face defense and they are quick. The have one player Mendez-Valdez who can literally light it up from downtown. They are not shy about putting up the "trey" and they are currently giving Illinois all they can handle in the first round of the South regional.

This is not entirely a surprise as Western took Louisville to the woodshed early in the season and handed the Cardinals an embarassing defeat. From the looks of things with 3:39 left in the first half, Western may give Illinois unexpected defeat. At the half Western led Illinois 37-28.

In the end Western Kentucky won the game 76-72

Memphis Pulls Away For The Win Over Cal State Northridge

2009-03-19T11:04:00.000-07:00

Many have been very critical about Memphis and the level of play that they have faced in Conference USA and it appears to be valid. As Memphis has struggled with Cal State Northridge. At this point in the game with 10:55 left in the second half, Northridge is up by 4 points over Memphis. Could we be end for an upset.

With a little under 4 minutes to play Memphis managed to come back and had a 9-0 run over CS Northridge. Nothridge stop the run with a fast beak and cut the Memphis lead to four. Memphis' superior rebounding prevailed in this matchup, with Memohis finally prevailing 81-70.

Jimmy V Will Always Be Remembered For More Than His 1983 NCAA Tournament Win

2009-03-16T15:16:00.000-07:00

Jim Valvano's North Carolina State team, made history in 1983, to give Valvano the most improvable championship in NCAA tournament history. It would also go down as the final with the most improvable ending, a put back slam by N.C. State's Lorenzo Charles. You had to love Jim Valvano. He was colorful and filled with one liners. A trait that he carried throughout his career until he died from Cancer 10 years later in 1983.

This game, which North Carolina State won 54-52 over Clyde Drexel led Houston, is one a the great games in the annuals of the NCAA tournament. This game defined Valvano, who was so excited after the Lorenzo Charles put back, that he ran around the court uncontrollably, seemingly looking for someone to hug.

Valvano went on a crusade to fight cancer and no one will ever forget the emotional speech that Valvano gave at the 1993 Espy awards, shortly before he died. It was at this speech that he announced the forming of the V Foundation to find a cure for cancer. The Coaches vs Cancer tournament is a pre-season staple at Madison Square Garden each year. To raise money for the V Foundation.

Louisville Gets the Top Number One Seed in NCAA Tournament

2009-03-15T17:25:00.000-07:00

The seeding for the NCAA tournament are in and they are Louisville (Midwest Regional), UConn (West Regional), Pittsburgh (East Regional), and North Carolina ( South Regional). The brackets are filled and March Madness begins. There are a number of teams that could make a run in the tournament. Memphis, UConn, Pitt, and some are high on Wake Forrest, along with Washington. But most expect North Carolina to win it all.

Louisville rose to the top spot in the final ESPN/USA Today Poll, prior to the announcement of the seeds.

Louisville Wins The Big East Tournament

2009-03-15T08:48:00.000-07:00

Rick Pitino's mission was to win the Big East Tournament Championship when the Cardinals joined the Big East in 2004-2005 season. It was a lofty goal for the Cards and Pitino who had just left Conference USA. It was also a step up. The Cards made the lift finally in the fourth year of conference affiliation in the Big East. Not only did they win the regular season championship, but they also won the Big East Championship last night.

Now the cards are on the verge of accomplishing still another milestone; a number on seed in the NCAA Championship. Even though many of the older Big East members do not think they deserve it, but the Cards in fact deserve it and earned it by winning both the regular season championship and the Big East Tournament Championship.

Look for the Cards to make a strong run at the Final Four and if they get there possibly a national championship.

Syracuse wins Marathon Game over UConn 121-117

2009-03-13T06:56:00.000-07:00

Syracuse and Connecticut battled to a six overtime battle. The first in the history of the Big East. Six overtimes. This is why the Big East is arguably the toughest conference in America.It was a classic battle. One that each team had answers throughout the game. Both teams were forced to use their bench because of the many players who fouled out of the game. Syracuse finally prevailed 121-117 in six overtimes

This was the big story in a day of huge upsets. It was an epic battle in the big East Quarter finals. The game was one overtime short of matching the 1981 victory of Cincinnati over Bradley in 1981. The game started at 9:36 PM and ended at 1:22 AM. It was class morning basketball. The teams played 70 minutes of basketball. It was a classic game as both teams fought and clawed at each other for nearly 4 hours. Remember the dates March 12 and March 13th 2009. The game will go down in history.

Syracuse' Jonny Flynn played 67 of the 70 minute games. Eight players fouled out of the game. Only one lead change in the entire game. 244 total points scored in the game. A Big East record. It was a game for the ages.

Start Up United Football League Will Debut In October

2009-03-09T21:45:00.000-07:00

The United Football league, a new venture founded by San Francisco investment banker Bill Hambrecht, guaranteed significant exposure by inking a deal with the Versus Network to televise weekly games. Versus Network will televise all games during the fall season including the championship game which will be held Thanksgiving week. Hambrecht was able to raise over 30 million in capital for his ventures from investors which include the husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Paul Pelosi, and Google Executive, Tim Armstrong.

The league will serve as the owner of all teams, following the NBA Developmental League model. The player inventory will be filled by non drafted players and available free agents. The owners are looking to approach Michael Vick about the possibility of playing in the League. Vick, despite his troubles, could add star power to the league and huge name recognition.

League teams are Los Vegas, New York, Orlando, and San Francisco. The season starts on October 8.

New England Revolution Conducts Stadium Feasibility Study

2009-02-25T23:52:00.000-08:00

New England Revolution part of the Kraft Group plans a $150,000 feasibility study for a new stadium to be located neared to Boston, possibly near an industrial park. The stadium will be soccer specific. The tentative plans are to possibly build a stadium seating between 20,000 to 30,000.

Jenkins Sports Industry Review

2009-02-24T10:59:00.000-08:00

About the Sports Industry Review

Marketing solutions are becoming interchangeable across all business disciplines. That is, the principals of marketing and the underlying procedure of marketing are the same, whether you are a sports business executive or an entrepreneur. My goal as publisher is to help customers to market their products or service. Whether you are selling a sponsor for a key sports event, promoting a new athlete and serve as their agent, or marketing a new product for the customer, or if you are an entrepreneur looking for advice the Sports Industry Review is a publication you should read each month. The keys to marketing are universal and interchangeable. Ideas can be borrowed across business disciplines.

I sold newspaper advertising and online solutions to all disciplines of businesses including sports franchises, athletic marketing directors for colleges and universities, financial institutions, political candidates, state lottery programs, casinos, political advocacy campaigns, political candidates ,and a wealth of other extremely different and diverse business. I never knew what industry I would be consulting with, so I had to be flexible in my approach and quick on my feet to quickly understand the client's business and their short term and long term business goals. You need to have that same flexibility; I can help!

I publish a monthly newsletter the “Jenkins' Sports Industry Review” that includes helpful nuts and bolt information on engaging the customer and helping you become someone the customer can depend on to deliver sound marketing ideas. The articles that I include are from (Check out the March 2009 edition) real world case studies through years of consulting with diverse business disciplines. If you are a marketing director, ticket sales director, or if you're interviewing vendors to begin a new stadium project, my newsletter can help you to do your job more effectively.

Sports Industry Review provides tangible suggestions on how to retrieve marketing information and convince customers to try your product or service. That's is the goal of many of us who are in business. At the end of the day, that is the bottom line. The “Jenkins' Sports Industry Review” is not just a sports publication. It much more than than that. The newsletter includes real world examples, problems, and challenges, that sports marketers face that can be applied across all disciplines. These are all principles that all business professionals can relate to. Check out my website for an example of the type of article I will provide to you each month.

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Sponsor Galore!

2009-02-17T10:19:00.000-08:00

By Trey Jenkins

In this day and age it is nearly impossible to watch a sporting event or attend a sporting event and not be sucked into the overabundance of sponsor integration that is involved in the whole show. All sporting events have a “presented by” or “sponsored by” that tells the consumer buy me because I’m cool. In our 24/7 world this is no surprise especially when companies know the amount of exposure they will be getting in any major event that take a part in. If your name is on a event such as the Super Bowl, Rose Bowl, or NBA All-Star game, there are many avenues of exposure your company will get rather it’s through television, the internet or any other form of communication in this digital age. Speaking of the NBA All-Star game how much exposure for a sponsor is too much and are we reaching a time in this modern age where sponsorship has reached its pinnacle and is bordering overkill?

I raise this question because of what I witnessed this past weekend while watching NBA All-Star Saturday night. Before the real festivities began (the 3 point shootout and slam dunk contest, I refuse to recognize the other events that occurred before these two. Let’s be honest, nobody really cares, the 3 point and slam dunk contest are the meat and potatoes of the weekend), I was treated to a game of Horse that involved two young bucks Kevin Durant and OJ Mayo along with a veteran if you can call him that, Joe Johnson.

Now I was extremely excited about this game of Horse because I think that is what this all-star weekend lacks and is needed to spice things up a bit. Apparently it did exist several years ago during all-star weekend since they showed old footage of Paul Westphal and the legend Pete Maravich participating in a competition.

So I’m getting ready to watch the competition and Ernie Johnson, TNT’s host of Inside The NBA, let’s the audience know this game of Horse is presented by no other then Geico. Who-hoo great, now let’s see some crazy shots and trash talking. Well we saw some good shots, no trash talking and a whole lot of reminders that Geico was the sponsor of this competition. So much that it became increasingly annoying. Every time a player would take a shot that was either a hit or miss there would be a replay and during that replay we were reminded of Geico being the sponsor with a an on-air billboard graphic. This went on for a good 45 minutes.

I’m sure this was promised by TNT in the contract negotiations with Geico that they would get the most exposure possible, but relax. We get it. To say that this overkill took away from my enjoyment of the Horse competition is an understatement, but I suppose it is a sign of the times that we live in. Companies have to do whatever they can to get exposure in this weak economy and if this is their way of doing that then we sports fans must learn to adapt and get use to it even more. Still doesn’t mean I have to like it though.

Trey Jenkins is a Sport Industry Professional. Trey can be reached via email at Jenkinst8019@gmail.com

New York Red Bulls Plan Stadium

2009-02-14T07:35:00.000-08:00

According to the New York Red Bulls construction started on a new $200 million, 25,189-seat facility in January. The stadium located in Harrison, New Jersey is projected to be completed in late 2009. Red Bull Arena is a joint effort between Rossetti Architects and ICON Venue. The two companies are not strangers to stadium construction. They team together to build the Chicago Fires Toyota Park and Real Salt Lake's Rio Tinto Stadium.

DC United May Build New Stadium

2009-02-13T09:05:00.000-08:00

The DC United Major League soccer team, may get a new home. Owner Victor MacFarlance told Maryland Lawmakers that he is committed to moving the team to Prince George's County, as reported by the Washington Post. Currently the United play at RFK stadium.According to the owner, the move is necessary for two reasons. The stadium will be soccer specific and the move will help the team to become profitable. The stadium is proposed to be built on the east bank of the Anacostia River. On the table is a proposal to build a 24,000 seat urban stadium. A planned community is also in the planning stage near the stadium.

Louisville to Expand Football Stadium

2009-01-29T00:09:00.000-08:00

Louisville announced plans to expand its football stadium to seat between 55,000 and 57,000. Louisville is projecting an increase in average attendance at Papa John Stadium to nearly 60,000 fans and that they can comfortably fill the new seating arrangements. Tom Jurich intends to build on the the success of the football program at Louisville with the new stadium, which will be a recruiting attraction as well.

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New Sponsorship Opportunites For Colleges and Universities

2009-01-20T21:34:00.000-08:00

Colleges are increasingly leaning toward seeking more sponsorships in the area of naming rights for arenas and event signage. Generally the work on sponsorships is completed prior to the construction of the arena. The sponsorship serves as a revenue foundation to pay for a significant portion of the project. Corporate sponsorships of sky boxes has long been a lucrative avenue in raising revenue for new athletic facility construction. New Stadium construction is still a relatively untapped revenue stream.

The list of possibilities for corporate sponsorships are numerous in the areas of athletic training facilities, athletic housing, sky boxes for stadiums and arenas, and can be applied to other athletic theme buildings and facilities. This is a revenue source that is trending upward toward growth. It is also an area of tremendous opportunity.

In pursing this relatively new form of sponsorships, athletic administrators should be aware that sponsors are in it for a return on investment. They are also seeking exposure. With the the ability to obtain exposure and a return on investment constantly decreasing through traditional media, this new form of sponsorship opportunity may be a great new revenue source and a winning proposition for both the college and the sponsor.

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Planning Before The Marketing Call

2009-01-20T00:21:00.000-08:00

There many roads to marketing success, but the surest way to prepare yourself for success rest on these tenants.

1.) Organization- knowing where client information, client history, and having sales tools readily available.

2.) Planning, Projecting, Forecasting- The bottom line on how successful you become is based on reaching and achieving revenue goals and objectives. You must become adept at projecting and forecasting revenue budgets. You must anticipate revenue performance and set goals months in advance. You set your goal and set it much higher than management. For instance you should set your goal one year in advance on a monthly basis. You set a much higher standard for yourself and you aggressively work toward achieving that goal. When management finally sets your goals, you have already made their goal, because you have an entire year of pre-set goals. If you have done a good job organizing, planning and projecting, you have all the tools in place to reach your goals. Once you know what your goals are; you have a clear objective as to how you need to perform and what you need to do to get there.

The next step is developing an action plan or game plan. This is a crucial step toward reaching your defined revenue goal. You must determine the following;

Who are your pre-sold accounts?
What accounts have promised to buy from you in the future?

This is your sales foundation. Once you know what pre-existing sales are in place and how much revenue is involved, you are well on your way to reaching your goal. Typically, pre-sold accounts, including current and seasonal accounts, can represent anywhere between 1 to 90% of your customer activity. Your objective here is to grow the number of pre- sold accounts and raise the sold percentage. You do this by establishing yearly budgets for your accounts, anticipate trends and opportunities.

Your action plan should be to set up appointments and put together proposals to help you get there. You always keep an eye out for opportunities, maybe it is a follow-up call that you will need to make in two months. Keep score by adding revenue sold for that month. Anticipate additional sales success.

3.)Engage the customer- You must be engaging toward the customer. The customer must feel comfortable with you. They do not necessarily have to like you, but they do have to have a healthy appreciation for your product and your service, which it is up to you to convey. There are a number of ways to do this. You can be friendly and outgoing, or the prospect just simply likes you. This often wears off if you do not deliver results. YOU MUST BECOME A NECESSITY TO THE ACCOUNT; BECAUSE YOU DELIVER RESULTS. IN ORDER TO DELIVER RESULTS YOU MUST DEMONSTRATE THAT YOU KNOW YOUR PRODUCT or SERVICE. Listen to the customer and confirm that customer’s needs and then prescribe a plan of action for the customer.

4.) Time is money and people do not have a lot of time. You must learn to quickly assess what the customer perceives as a need and suggest the product or service that will help the customer achieve that need. Give them a price that they can agree on, based on their perceived value of your product. This perception is fostered and created entirely by you, so you must be persuasive and you must close, close, close, throughout the sales process. Always ask the customer to buy.

5.) Always leave a reason to follow-up with the customer. This creates an open opportunity for you to show up at their office. The customer has already approved a follow-up call and this gives you an opportunity to win a new customer.

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Advertising Federations Will Monitor Comtemplative Legislative Action Against the Industry

2009-01-17T06:08:00.000-08:00

Advertising industry representatives are looking at ways to survive and flourish in the struggling economy and at how congress will address tax issues; namely how the industry will or will not be taxed. From time to time this has been a pressing issue, but it is one that we must be of cognizant as sports marketing executives.

Given the huge marketing budgets and sponsorships that drive this industry, due diligence must to exercised by all industry executives to stay on top of this issue. Advertising is the lifeblood of business commerce and by imposing even more taxes on companies and agencies who represent them is a detriment to the free flow of consumer information which fuels product purchases.

Allowing unrestricted advertising is good for the economy.

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Copyright @ Jenkins Sports Industry Review 2009

Do Your Homework Before The Call

2009-01-14T13:46:00.001-08:00

Building a rapport quickly with a client is one of the most important goals that must be accomplish in order to have any hope of succeeding in your sales calls. A sales call is any call where you must convince a client, prospect, associate, or vendor, to purchase or try your product.

Establishing a rapport within the first few minutes of the sales call is critical for your success. There are many ways to make the client feel comfortable and therefore receptive to your initial message. Here are a few things that you can do to make sure this happens.

1.) Do your homework- Know the company. Know the companies products, economic condition, philosophies. This is important because these key sales items can guide your sales approach throughout the negotiation process. It is also critical in establishing a rapport with the prospect.

2.) Familiarize yourself with the marketing/advertising approach that the company is currently using. This is also a key component. Possessing this information can also guide you in the direction that your sales call will take.

3.) Be prepared to move in different directions depending on how the client reacts to you. This takes skill and perception. Some clients may be indifferent and appear to be non receptive to you. This could be for a number of reasons. There are many buying personalities. Some prospects like to receive the information and then think about it. Other prospects want the sales pitch and are put off if you engage in too much small talk. In other words they want you to get to the point, they want the bottom line.

You goal is to quickly identify the personality type and react appropriately.

4.) Make sure you are meeting with the decision maker. It is frustrating to make a sales call and you find you are talking to a subordinate, who has no decision making authority. You must determine who the decision maker(s) are prior to making the call. Also determine if this will be a group decision. If so you need to make sure that all the players are at the table during your sales call.

5.) Seating arrangement are important as well- for instance if you are presenting to five or six individuals and you will be alone on the call do not isolate yourself at the head of the table. Make an effort to blend in with the group. Typically this means that you should sit between two client associates. This creates a feeling of comfort for the client/prospect. Be careful not sit in front of an open door. This can be a distraction. Your goal is to minimize any and all distractions. Distractions can cause you to lose the attention of the customer and could cause you to lose the sale.

There are many more things you can do to prepare for your sales call. My newsletter will touch on these and other topics that will help you be successful and bring in revenue for your company. If you would like to subscribe you can subscribe navigate to the top right side bar on this site.

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Copyright @ Jenkins Sports Industry Review 2009

Marketing Strategies Must Be Built For Success

2009-01-13T11:40:00.000-08:00

The advertising landscape is changing with myriad marketing opportunities that are available. The problem of how to navigate through the confusing network of choices remains ever present. It is a situation that offers both challenges and the prospect of revenue gains for sports organization. They seek to grow market share in a challenging business environment. How do you deliver customers through dynamic marketing ideas?

Many mature companies have firmly developed a segment of the market that they feel comfortable talking to. It is a landscape and typography that is familiar and one that many marketers have felt good about. What has changed is the business climate and the business environment. With the added pressure of layoffs and the squeeze on the consumer’s wallet; it is no small wonder that companies are challenged to find creative ways to reach their ever changing marketing segment without breaking the bank.

Safeguards must be in place to insure consumer marketing is cost effective and produce a sustainable return on investment. The final marketing plan must be clearly defined in order to meet today's challenges. Diverse strategies should be developed and implemented in order to effectively go to market at any given time. This will take research and perception in order to gauge the best course of action. Pro-Active measures must be put into effect in order to realize market share gains in a difficult business climate.

Today there is no shortage of companies who are primed to take the lead in obtaining market share. The challenge in the sports marketing industry is how do you tie branding platforms to the marketing goals of individual companies? The second challenge is how do you effectively measure results? There are many companies who are saddled with terrible internal systems. Such as bad customer service, an inadequate product, and a host of remaining issues, that cause these companies to remain stagnant. Marketing and advertising programs, no matter how effective, are only as good as the product and the people behind it. For instance an adverting/marketing program may work to bring customers through the door, but poor quality and bad customer service can drive these customer away.

We must be diligent in reminding companies that they should be diligent in stressing the importance of developing superior products and providing excellent customer service. Marketing programs will fail without this commitment.

Copyright @ Jenkins Sports Industry Review 2009

Dan Meis One of the World's Innovative and Creative Architects

2009-01-06T09:28:00.000-08:00

Dan Meis is one of the world's premier sports architects. According to his website Weis has branded his creative work on ' thinking out side of the box" and delivering a product that is both innovative, creative, structurally unique, and environmentally friendly. His work is so unique that in 2001 he received the prestigious Time magazine award as one of the country's 100 most innovative architects in design of sports and entertainment venues.

Meis was twice recognized as one of the most influential 40 under 40 executives in sports by the Sports Business Journal. Meis is involved in numerous design projects in and outside of sports. Among his top architectural projects are the Coca Cola Pavilion in Atlanta, the Staples Center in Los Angeles (Home of The LA Lakers), a feasibility study of the redesign of Madison Square Garden and currently designing a state of the art football stadium for Los Angeles.

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Copyright @ Jenkins Sports Industry Review 2009

Developing An Effective Advertising Progam

2009-01-04T09:16:00.000-08:00

Generally advertising frequency does make a difference. In most cases it makes a big difference! There are a number of factors that must be considered in putting together your advertising program. What media mix are you considering? Can one media give you more exposure than the other? What are your advertising goals? Finally, who are you trying to reach (what is your target demographic profile)? What is your advertising budget?

In order to answer the first question; Does advertising frequency make a difference? All of the other questions must be addressed? There are a number of factors to consider when you are putting together an advertising plan. Ultimately you must decide where you will place the bulk of your advertising budget? This is a difficult challenge; certainly with no easy answers.

Today the choices are numerous and fragmentation is the norm. A good example is cable television. There are so many specialized cable stations that you can choose a station that will suit your demographic profile. For instance if you are targeting men ESPN's family of networks is an easy choice. So a buy could be placed immediately, after all the stations target a clients entire demographic. Right? Wrong! It targets a good portion of your target audience; but how do you reach the remaining target?

What about radio? WHFA (W-High Frequency Ads) radio, reaches your exact target demographic, is the pitch that you hear. In drive time you can run three thirty second spots during morning and evening drive time. This is a can't miss buy, sure to be heard by nearly everyone in town! On paper these two buys seem logical. Cable. Radio. On paper that is, but in reality it is not.

The reality is, though both mediums reach the desired target audience, and high frequency ads placed on both should insure it, the truth is you are reaching less than 2% of your target audience. No matter how many ads you place on the selected media you will never reach the entire percentage of the demographic that dominates your target market. Why? Because radio and cable combined reach on average of less than 4% of your target audience.

This is the problem; finding just the right media blend to reach your target. Much research must to done and it must be sound and complete. The last thing you want as a marketing or advertising manager is to pour good money at an absolutely bad advertising and marketing program. Don't leave your future entirely to the experts. Yes you need them, however you need to educate yourself on the basic ends and outs of marketing. It is the only way to succeed.

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