December 11, 2014
SPORTSCENTRAL
This week’s scheduled guests on SportsCentral include CHS Lacrosse Coach Jeff Jones, Wrestling Coach Justin Stafford and wrestlers Russell Ball and Austin Gouedy.
See programming information just below.
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Thursday, December 11: 5pm—6pm: SportsCentral… with Sid Edwards and Steve Johnson
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Saturday, December 13: 9AM—10AM: All Things Football with Scott Holtzman
Monday, December 15: 8AM—10AM: The Locker Room with John Goodman and Jim Gazzolo
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THE WIZARDRY OF OS
Assistant Basketball Coach and Head Swimming Coach at Central High
Where are the positives in the Saints’ embarrassment Sunday?
1. It is actually easier to digest than the earlier losses that were by a field goal or less. The game was also easier to turn off and do other productive things so I didn’t feel like I wasted my time on the game watching it live (DVR later is much faster and easier).
2. I am ready for the season to be over. So when it does end, before we all expected when the season started, I won’t be too sad.
My experience also tells me that deep down there has to be players that feel the same way or we would not see the things we have this year. The coaches and players are too professional to air the dirty laundry, but my goodness this team has to have serious locker room issues. There are talent issues as well, but teamwork and pride should prevent what Saints fans have witnessed. College and certainly the high school level are very different than the NFL that has professionals and parity. The Panthers are not a dominant team and the game was in the Dome. There no excuse for that, just reality.
Meanwhile, the college playoff has accomplished its first goal which is to increase the attention and talk surrounding college football. I disagree with the committee’s choice of Ohio State. The Big 12 was better than the Big 10, so I don’t see where Ohio State’s accomplishment was greater in winning their conference.
For all those talking about how great Ohio State played at the end of the year, I guess you can’t remember them struggling with Michigan the week before. Ohio State’s performance against Wisconsin was impressive (more on that in a minute), but so was Baylor’s win over Kansas State.
Baylor’s loss at West Virginia is a higher quality loss than Ohio State’s loss at home to Virginia Tech. Both losses were early on in the year. I don’t think Ohio State on their third quarterback is better than Baylor with their first. Nevertheless, I understand we are splitting hairs.
Meanwhile, let’s go back to Ohio State and their success with their third quarterback. I know many will read what I am about to write and think I am taking shots at LSU’s quarterbacks and coach, but I am not. Seriously, that is not my intention.
I want to give credit where credit is due. Urban Meyer should be mentioned in the same breath as Nick Saban as the best coach in college football. His resume is unbelievable in regards to winning and developing quarterbacks.
At Bowling Green, Meyer went 8-3 and 9-3 (bowl win over Northwestern) and developed Josh Harris into quarterback that was drafted in the NFL.
At Utah, Meyer went 10-2 and 12-0 while turning Alex Smith into a first round draft pick.
At Florida he went 9-3, 13-1, 9-3, 13-1 and 13-1 with 2 National Championships. His last year, he took a leave of absence in the spring and then came back to coach a team that finished 8-5. At quarterback, he developed Chris Leak and Tim Tebow who we all know were limited in ability as quarterbacks yet were extremely successful.
Just when you thought it couldn’t get more impressive, check this out. At Ohio State, he has gone 12-0, 12-2, and 12-1. He has yet to lose a regular season game in the Big 10 (24-0). I don’t care how weak the Big 10 has become, that is impressive! He has also developed Braxton Miller and true freshman JT Barrett into Heisman Trophy candidates.
Overall Meyer is 140-26 which means he has won 84.3% of the games he has coached. Saban is 177-58-1 which is 75.3%. In the last 7 years (Saban’s most successful anywhere and excluding his first at Alabama), the Tide are 84-10 for a winning percentage of 89.3%. That is incredible!
Now check this out. Exclude Meyer’s first year at Florida, like I did for Saban and the year Meyer took a leave of absence (kind of like Saban did when he went to the NFL). That leaves 7 seasons (4 at Florida and 3 at Ohio State). Meyer’s teams in those 7 seasons are 84-10 just like Saban’s 7 year run.
For icing on the cake, Meyer is now taking Ohio State to the first college playoff with his THIRD string quarterback after crushing Wisconsin despite not having two quarterbacks who have been considered for the Heisman Trophy.
In case you are wondering, Ohio State is not senior laden with 3 on offense and 4 on defense. The Tide has 8 on offense (and should lose their 2 juniors) and 4 on defense.
As a result, I have some advice.
For Big 10 fans, good used to it. Ohio State will win the conference every other year, just like Alabama in the SEC. The good news is Meyer is forcing the rest of the conference to step up and get better just like he did in the SEC.
For college coaches, don’t waste your time recruiting a quarterback that Ohio State really wants. You do not have a better argument than the Buckeyes in why that player should go to your school.
For media who vote for Coach of the Year, if you vote for anyone other than Urban Meyer this year you are a joke and should have your vote revoked.
For college football, the Big 10 is weak, but Ohio State, under Urban Meyer is for real… even though I still think Baylor should be in the playoff ahead of the Buckeyes.
HEY REF
By Dennis Dearie
Veteran Louisiana High School Referee
In case you haven’t heard or like me; just don’t care, the NFL owners have made and approved changes to the personal conduct code. They’ve unanimously approved the changes (what a shocker that bit of news is) today, Wednesday Dec. 10, 2014. They’re well aware though that Commissioner Roger Goodell has the say as to exactly what changes will go in to effect.
Initially a “special” counsel will review conduct and oversee initial discipline before passing any recommendations onto the Commissioner. Owners have gone on record by saying that this person will be a highly qualified individual with a criminal justice background. Goodell is quoted by Fox Sports saying “The person will oversee our investigations and decide the discipline for violations of the policy”.
I’m not sold on this idea because I don’t know this will benefit the league as I’m sure the person hired to do the job will make much more than minimum wage. More likely this individual will make a base salary in the seven figure range with more perks than members of Congress. It just seems like the league is doing its best to keep Goodell on the job and from being the target of anymore suits from players.
Another “bullet” of the plan is that Goodell “MAY” appoint a panel of, and get this; “INDEPENDENT” experts to participate in appeals. Come on, now, INDEPENDENT experts, ha-ha-ha? That’s like having Exxon hear an appeal by Mobil against the state for not paying its taxes. So, let me get this straight, the league will select independent experts to handle claims against them by the players? It appears to me that this is nothing more than another layer (insulation) between the man who’s supposed to have the final word and the players he’s charged with disciplining.
In this day and time of big business demanding its workers to “MULTI-TASK” and cutting job after job then outsourcing those jobs overseas to countries where foreign workers get a penny on a dollar their counterparts in America make all this seems like a major train wreck. It seems crazy that these ivory tower members demand Joe and Jane Doe in this country to do the jobs of five or six people yet are making duplicate and triplicate jobs for their own incompetence.
Now the player’s union claims to want negotiations with the NFL on any revamping of the policy in effect when today’s players originally signed their individual contracts. In a very strong reply to this announced change to the league’s personal conduct code the union sent word, “the players reserve the right to take any and all actions” should the owners act unilaterally and may consider the owner’s actions as a violation of the CBA signed in 2011.
The union has the option of filling unfair labor practices with the National Labor Relations Board against the league for expecting the players to act in a professional manner. That sounds stupid to me but again we aren’t working geniuses here. Many of the players in the NFL today can’t read or write and are on very thin ice when asking if they know right from wrong. Today’s players feel like they are above the law and act that way. Sorry if you are upset at me for writing that but here at “Hey Ref” we call ‘em like we see ‘em.
So with that said let me finish by saying Mr. Owner, time to grow a pair and demand the so called professional player walk the tight line or cut ‘em loose. I don’t see that happening anytime soon. Owners are spoiled by the billions of dollars the NFL generates and they are convinced that as long as they pretend to show some form of morality things will work out.
Money owns this country and no one wants to cause the money train to skip a beat. Even if it means having multiple felons on every roster because wining is the only thing that matters in sports. Nice guys finish last and heaven forbid our beloved team not be champions.
Here’s a perfect example, at the beginning of each season we (the officials) are told that our appearance is just part of the “professional” look we have to project. Shoes shined, shirts clean and pressed, hair cut short, no beards and very limited facial hair. I asked why do the officials have this requirement yet players can look like spider necks and girls with hair all the way down to their waist? Simple answer: “We look professional when we look clean and have a neat appearance”.
If that is true then why is it that only the officials look professional? The owners have to hurry and get some type of authority before it’s too late. This change in the personal conduct code is a start. But it’s still a sad day in the league when its players continue to run amuck and owners must substitute for mom and dad to so called adults that can’t act like an adult or how a professional should act!
Till next week… …
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