Check out the new feature on the website today, as we have the inaugural edition of "Catching Up With...", as I got the chance to chat with former Bengal Alvin Brooks III (Alvin got back to me quicker than Nate Rede, who will be profiled soon). ABIII, who has his own very entertaining website, picked up a pair of degrees, and those look very nice with his pair of NJCAA national titles (Joe O'Brien has been a head coach for three on his own, and Alvin is the first person to win back-to-back titles with two different teams). ABIII is now at Bradley, and hopefully we can keep these "Catching Up With..." things going. If you have any thoughts or ideas on potential former athletes, just leave a comment, or you can hit me up G.
Scheduling the Big Boys....
We get some play in the San Jose Mercury News about our Arizona State game, with nary a snide comment, but I can't say the same for the Oklahoma match-up (we are number 3, and while it is a funny list, I don't condone or agree with it).
...and also, Bobby Hauck, he sometimes runs practice too long, and that's not fair either.
Perhaps that quote came out of Delaware? In case you have missed this, there is a move afoot in the NCAA to deny Delaware the chance to host FCS playoff games in the future because of legalized sports gambling in that state. Well, University of Delaware officials pointed out that Montana hosts playoff games, and you can gamble on sports in that state too, so now the NCAA is looking into that. Of course, in Montana, the only legal sports gambling is on FANTASY leagues, as Bill Schwanke deftly points out in the ever interesting Griz Paw Blog.
For the Love of the Game...
Several former Bengals, including Atari Callen and Travis Hobson are playing with the Pocatello Predators, and the Idaho State Journal had a good take on these guys playing just to play (are they ever going to cover my hockey league?)
Coach Lewis!
Not Larry, Marvin....always good to read up on Marvin Lewis of the Cincinnati Bengals.
He Still Should Have Been Coach of the Year
Seton Sobolewski sat down with Tim Flagstad of the Journal for a Q&A, and while the paper only held so much, the full text was available on the Journal blog.
For a Uniform Geek Like Me....Yes, I'm Worried.
I understand the whole "it's only the WNBA" argument, but the Phoenix Mercury, er, Lifelock Lifelocks, is disturbing. Seriously, should a professional team in the United States be doing this? The Memphis men's basketball team last year took a whole lot of heat for even thinking about this, which considering how important FedEx is to Memphis (ever see Castaway?), that would at least have been understandable. But Lifelock? How long until the WNBA turns into this, this, or even this?
Now, the NFL is talking about some teams selling a small ad patch on their practice jerseys? Listen, the economy is bad, and I get that, but one of the charms of sports is the fact that, except in that rare pro occasion when a taem moves or changes nicknames, ala the Washington Wizards (nee Bullets), you know going to an Idaho State game that our jerseys will say Idaho State, or Bengals, or something like that. If you see a picture of a player from this school, well, you know...it says it. I mean, what team is this? Or this? But I know who this is, and this, and obviously this. Way too slippery a slope for me....OK, off the soapbox.
ISU Athletic Media Relations = National Trendsetters
Back on Earth Day (which doubles as my birthday doncha know), we released this little nugget of information. At the time, only Fresno State, many of the Metro-Atlantic Athletic Conference, and ISU had basically eliminated printing media guides. Well, this got a little more play in the media, followed by this, this, and now this, and now here is the list (compiled as of May 29 by Paul Smith of Arkansas-Monticello
SCHOOLS COMPLETELY ELIMINATING PRINTED MEDIA GUIDES
Austin Peay
Canisius
Eastern Washington
Fairfield
Fresno State
Idaho State
Iona
Loyola (Md.)
Manhattan
Marist
Michigan
Niagara
Ohio State
Rider
Saint Peter’s
Siena
Tennessee-Martin
Wisconsin
SCHOOLS ELIMINATING PRINT MEDIA GUIDES FOR CERTAIN NON-MEDIA SPORTS
California
Centenary (all but MBB/WBB as of five yrs ago, swimming/softball fund own guides, soccer parents buy 11x17 card)
Eastern Illinois (all but Football, MBB/WBB, volleyball)
Eastern Kentucky (will likely print football, MBB/WBB)
Georgetown (printing MBB, WBB, FB, Lax, Soccer)
IUPUI (all but basketball as of three yrs ago)
UMKC (all but MBB/WBB)
Murray State (plan to print football, MBB/WBB – up in air for other sports)
Oral Roberts (dropped soccer, track, cross country, golf several years ago – no further plans to drop guides)
SIU Edwardsville (will likely print for WBB/MBB, all others up in the air)
Tennessee Tech (all but Football, MBB/WBB, volleyball)
Western Illinois (tennis, track, swimming, golf)
SCHOOLS DISCUSSING ELIMINATING MEDIA GUIDES FOR CERTAIN NON-MEDIA SPORTS
South Dakota State (most likely affecting non-revenue sports, possibly including baseball, soccer, softball, volleyball – they will attempt to reduce number printed first without eliminating)
LEAGUES ELIMINATING PRINTED MEDIA GUIDES
ACC
Big Sky Conference
Big South Conference
Big Ten Conference
Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Missouri Valley Conference (printing only MBB/WBB, eliminating football, baseball, softball)
Ohio Valley Conference
Pac-10 (printing only football, volleyball, MBB/WBB)
....and we were at the forefront. Excuse me while I wipe a tear from my eye, especially for Dennis Dodd, who is taking it all rather hard.
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