When it's too expensive to forget you
You might have heard that events in Nashville and Athens have led to some rather sizable revisions of those schools' media guides, including a $50,000 initiative to de-Damon Evans-ize the Georgia books, as well as an effort to make sure the Vanderbilt guides identify Robbie Caldwell as the man in charge of the football team. Then, there's Knoxville ...
Sophomore safety Darren Myles was dismissed by new coach Derek Dooley after the incident, but Myles will have a profile and his stats from last season in all 15,000 copies.
Tennessee sports information director Bud Ford said editing out Myles was not worth the cost.
Ouch. At least the man with the hardest job in America will be a part of the Vols' book.
By waiting this summer, he was able to include the June 23 hiring of former UT defensive back Andre Lott as the head of the Vol for Life/Character Education program.
Given how much work is ahead of him, it's only fitting he get at least a mention.
Rodney Garner not much on empirical evidence
Listen, if the recruiting coordinator at Georgia wants to argue that his players are "good kids," that's his prerogative. But when you do it, don't say something like this:
"Our kids are high-character kids," Garner said. "I understand we get more arrests than other people for whatever reason. That's debatable in a lot of areas."
Granted, all indications are that the Athens Police Department has more time on its hands than any group of people should have. But "we get more arrests than other people" still doesn't exactly help the argument that everything is okay in your recruiting efforts.
The woman without a name
Courtney Fuhrmann's case was postponed. Or should we say "Damon Evans' companion," as that has apparently become her official name now.
Gamecocks lose OT
No team ever wants to lose an offensive lineman, particularly not one with the line problems South Carolina has had over the years. But Quintin Richardson's injury also isn't the death knell that some people seem to think (hope?) it will be. Fairly bad news, no doubt, but not earth-shattering -- particularly not if the rest of the line can't be fixed to begin with.
There are performance bonuses tied to how many coaches turn down contract offers
Alabama is considering extending the contract of Mal Moore, whom most of you last saw begging anyone who had ever thrown a football to coach the Crimson Tide. (Yes, it turned out well, but still ... )
Roll Bama Roll approves
outsidethesidelines sees Moore as a "figurehead," but a good one.
With the notable exception of Textbookgate, things have generally worked very well in the athletic department and on the football field lately. Facilities are better than ever, revenues and profits are higher than ever, and the athletic product on the gridiron is as competitive as ever. And just as important, we haven't seen the clashes between the head coach, the president, and the AD that we have seen in much of the post-Bryant era.
Besides, you could have an athletics director who blames all NCAA sanctions on envy. Not that I would be talking about any program in California. Or you could have one caught driving under the influence -- oh, c'mon, this is too easy. Moving on ...
Sportsmanship is ...
... fighting with the guy that keyed your car, apparently.
UNC and NCAA
Seems that the fine folks in Chapel Hill, who were too scared to play the Gamecocks this year, are now being investigated by a reanimated NCAA. (They still did investigations, even before the Southern Cal thing? Who knew?)
The source said the NCAA's questions to players were intended to "make sure no Reggie Bush stuff is going on."
This is really a study in contrasts. Southern Cal cheats -- I mean, doesn't keep as vigilant an eye out for cheating as it should -- and wins a BCS national title, two AP crowns and at least one questionable Heisman. North Carolina cheats -- ALLEGEDLY, of course --and is "expected to contend for the ACC's Coastal Division Title." Your return on potentially impermissible investment may vary.