December 18, 2014
SPORTSCENTRAL
This week’s scheduled guests on SportsCentral include CHS Assistant Football Coach Frank Fresina and senior baseball players Chris Chambliss, Brennan Fontenot and Jordan Wilkins
Next week, the program will have a special Christmas edition on Wednesday, December 24
See programming information just below.
BATON ROUGE AREA BROADCASTING SCHEDULE:
Thursday, December 18 and
Wednesday, December 24: 5pm—6pm: SportsCentral… with Sid Edwards and Steve Johnson
WUBR, 910AM (CBS Sports Radio) Baton Rouge
PelicanSportsTV.com
App: search WUBR… from Coach’s
SportsRadio 1310 Radio, Lake Charles Programming of Interest (also heard on KEZMOnLine.com):
Saturday, December 20: 9AM—10AM: All Things Football with Scott Holtzman
Monday, December 22: 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
As the football season nears its end, so does the senseless worry over things that might happen, but usually don’t.
The panic over the nightmare college scenarios where 8 teams finish with the exact same record from power conferences and the best team from the SEC has two losses did not happen. It was talked about plenty, but did not happen.
Speculation about possible rule changes in the NFL naturally has led to some people getting very upset and predicting the ruin of the league. Last year it was doing away with kickoffs and changing the distance for the extra point. This year the talk is about narrowing the uprights. Of course, nothing will change for next year without a trial period in the preseason.
The fret over the horror of an NFL team making the playoffs with a sub.500 records is still in full effect. I find it amusing that every time this scenario is mentioned, the people discussing the issue are forced to bring up the Seahawks hosting and beating the Saints. The amusing part is those people somehow leave off the fact that this awful scenario hurt the Saints before and could help the Saints this year which would make poetic justice.
For all those really bothered by this scenario, the good news is the league will probably change the qualifications for the playoffs. Just like the league changed the overtime rules that had been in place for years and years after the Saints beat the Vikings to go to the Super Bowl.
The good news for Saints fans is the rules are not going to change this year. As a result, all the Saints have to do are some things they have been completely incapable of doing all year.
For one, they have to play well at home and beat Atlanta. While many have focused on the Saints four game losing streak at home, which is horrible, they have missed the big picture. The Saints have only played well at home in ONE game all year. The Tampa and Minnesota games were lackluster efforts in victory. The Packers win has been the only strong performance at home.
So I guess all the talk the past couple of years about the Saints only being good because of the Dome is finally being disproven. I just wish the Saints could have found another way prove those skeptics wrong besides playing poorly at home.
Second, the Saints will need to play well three weeks in a row. This will be the most difficult feat. One step forward and two steps back have been the theme of this year. The blame for inconsistency may be an inability to handle adversity, a lack of leadership, a combination, or something else all together. No matter, the Falcons and Bucs will not roll over for the Saints as beautifully as the Bears did.
Last, we all have seen how victory for the Saints comes down to turnover margin. Every time the Saints have won the turnover battle in the fashion they did against Chicago, the Saints have opened the next game with multiple turnovers as if to say, “We won’t be winning the turnover margin today!”
Naturally, deep down, I have a tiny ounce of hope the Saints are going to hit their stride and stay hot. Unfortunately, I feel the young, pre-Payton/Loomis era fan in me holding back and preparing for a disappointment.
HEY REF
By Dennis Dearie
Veteran Louisiana High School Referee
Will he or won’t he? That is the big question going around many college campuses as the Michigan Wolverines search for a proven winner to fill their vacant head coaching job. Much of what we know now is nothing but speculation at best so I won’t even begin to put my two cents in. But what I will do is put some facts out there and maybe you can put two and two together.
The one sure name being passed around is none other than LSU’s Les Miles. He’s without a doubt the number one person that Michigan wants but the cost of getting him maybe too steep even for the maze and blue. Miles has a stipulation in his contract with LSU that many say is too steep for any school. But I just say this “I don’t see any price it may take to have Miles packing his bags and headed to the frozen world that is Michigan football too high”.
After all we are talking about one of the very prime places to call home. We all know his story, his refusal to talk about leaving LSU and all that but if I was a betting man than I’d have to put my money on him needing a few moving vans. Leaving Tigertown would in all actuality be the one move he’d be a fool not to make.
Miles has absolutely nothing left to prove at the Baton Rouge school. He’s attained everything expected of him and more. Coaches like a good challenge and this maybe the only challenge big enough for him to take this late in his career. If his LSU Tigers don’t win another championship and win it soon then he’ll surely be run out of town. All of us have heard coaches talk about timing and how necessary it is to winning games.
Michigan has called upon Miles at least twice before as they strive to resurrect its once proud football tradition. If he declines this latest offer he may never get another chance to coach his Alma Mater. Miles may not want to be considered the next savior and all the pressure this job carries with it. We’ll just have to wait and see if Michigan and all its supporters will be willing to fork over the millions it’s going to take to get Miles on campus and employed.
The newest big name being mentioned as a possibility replacement for the fired Brady Hoke is none other than San Francisco 49er coach Jim Harbaugh. Sources have leaked to Fox Sports on Wednesday Dec. 16th that Harbaugh would consider returning to coach if (what else) the money was right. Since he’s on the last year of his contract with the NFL team and the constant rumors of trouble in the clubhouse still haunting him he’s leaning toward bolting from the NFL as long as cash isn’t a stumbling block.
Sources at the school have reported they are willing to offer him a salary “of what TOP NFL coaches make, roughly $7 - $8 million a season”. The source indicated Harbaugh has not interviewed with the school and of course we’ve got to believe that since everything would have to go through his agent before the school would be allowed to talk to him about the job vacancy.
The main sticking point any coach will have to overcome is b eating rival Ohio State. Hoke was a very disappointing 1 -3 against the Buckeyes and some say that was the one of the main reasons he was let go although having an overall record of 31 -20 in all other games.
Coach Miles, the timing is right, you’ve nothing or anyone to apologize to for your record at LSU. You can leave with your head held high. Just remember those famous words Bum Phillips used when asked about the coaching profession “There are only two kinds of coaches; those that are fired and those about to be fired”! I’d love to see Miles ride off into the sunset and coach wherever his son starts his college football playing days. You’ve got class coach Miles, load it up and carry it with you!
Till next week…
ROTARY OF LIVINGSTON:
He just turned 23 years old. He is the owner of one of the fastest growing companies in the country. He is Jack Fridge. He is the guest speaker at Rotary of Livingston this Friday, December 19 (Big Mike’s Sports Bar & Grill, 12Noon). The public is invited.
Jack spent much of his childhood learning this industry from his dad, Mark, who was in the waste business since 1978. While at Denham Springs HS, as a senior in 2008, Jack founded the forerunner of Livingston Waste, Recycle Louisiana. This company offered recycling services to Livingston Parish area residents.
Roughly 3 years ago, Jack decided it was time to expand his company into waste pickup. His first driver at Livingston Waste was his mom, Lisa. After a nice start, Livingston Waste ran into some bureaucratic entanglements, which prevented them from expanding. The company was able to wade through these obstacles and resume building its customer base.
At present, Livingston Waste has over 2,000 customers, a number which grows by over 100 each month. They are serviced by 5 Livingston Waste trucks, with additional trucks to be added in the future.
Fridge is a graduate of Denham Springs HS, where he was a 3 year letterman on the Jackets Basketball team.
For more information on Livingston Waste, please visit www. LivingstonWaste.com
JON IS PROUD TO WORK AS A MARKETING REPRESENTATIVE FOR SPORTSRADIO-1310-KEZM-LAKE CHARLES, IN ESTABLISHING THE “DOLLAR A HOLLER” MARKETING PROGRAM AND HELPING SELL BARBE HS BASEBALL AND SOUTH LAKE CHARLES PLAYOFF BROADCASTS
AND AS A MARKETING REPRESENTATIVE/ CONSULTANT FOR SPORTSCENTRAL ON WUBR,910AM (CBS SPORTS RADIO), BATON ROUGE.