Jack’s Blog

Apologies for not alerting you I was going to be out of town.  My wife and I went to see our younger son, Alex, play for Cal State Monterey Bay.  He’s doing very well, especially for a freshman.  Leads the team with a 17 points per game average.  The team is 3-2 as it heads into conference play.

At my age (let’s call it retired), it’s easy to get caught up in reflecting.  One thing I’ve found has never changed is the attitude fans have toward their coaches.  Since most of my professional life was spent at the college level, my comments are slanted in that direction.  What I discovered regarding the high school level was that the fans’ feelings for the coach had more to do with their kid’s playing time than anything else.

A few years after we moved to Fresno, the Bulldogs had a football coaching change to make when Jim Sweeney retired.  The choice came down to Pat Hill (the eventual winner) and Brian Billick (a winner elsewhere).  The pick was the right one.  Billick won a Super Bowl.  Hill gave Fresno State something much more precious: a pioneer of a program builder.  As opposed to merely a program builder.

I worked at nine different colleges and can tell you early on that Pat Hill would do things not too many other college football coaches would have done.  This blog’s not about all that but, suffice to say. I know of no other head D-I football coach who would run - and I mean, actually run - “car shows” in order to supplement his budget.  Football coaches are known to simply demand what Hill worked for: a practice field, a strength and conditioning center, an academic center and other things that are necessary to win.  He’d been an assistant here and bled for the school, thought it should be on a higher stage.

And he won.  The community was gaga with Hill.  His problem was his confidence (combined with a stubborn streak) - neither a strange trait for a football coach.  He said the goal at Fresno State was not only to win the league championship but to play the big name teams and beat them so the Bulldogs would have a national reputation.  At first, it was fun because they actually won some of those games, nearly every one of them as a visiting team.  People in Fresno were proud to be Bulldogs, walked around with their chests out and heads high.  They loved how he included everybody in the San Joaquin Valley by affixing a green V on the helmets (to this day, each of the FSU sports has a V somewhere on their uniform or equipment).  They also loved his smash mouth style of football.  Who doesn’t want to pound, and hang out with, the Big Boys?  To anyone who understands big-time athletics, however, this philosophy was akin to Russian roulette.  Fresno State began to do what was expected when smaller budget schools play the big cheese spenders (BCS).  Making things worse, Fresno State never won their own little conference, the WAC.

Except once.  The Bulldogs managed a three way tie for the championship.  Fans were worried because there was talk others were interested in their favorite coach.  When he interviewed with the Oakland Raiders, prayers could be heard throughout the Central Valley.  Whew, he stayed.  But then times (and budgets) got leaner.  And, of all things, Boise State wound up doing what Pat told everybody could be done - without playing the big teams, just winning.  But, also, never losing.  So not only was it bad, but it became worse because one of their own conference teams actually did it - and Boisians chests were puffier and heads higher.

Believe it or not, the fans turned on Hill.  Many said (and claimed they always felt that way, even when the Bulldogs would beat a BCS team) the Boise State theory was the way to go about it.  “Just win your conference” (and every other game you play) “and you’ll crack the BCS.”  New coach Tim DeRuyter came in and proved he was a good listener.  Changed offensive and defensive philosophies immediately.  He said the team’s goal was, first and foremost, to win the conference.  “Yeah,” said the faithful (I always thought that was an interesting moniker, considering the definition), “that’s what we’ve been saying all along.  Win the conference.”

In his very first year, the Bulldogs did exactly that.  The offense was wide open which the fans adored (the fact they scored a lot more helped too) and the change from a 4-3 to a 3-4 defense delighted the fans - the majority of whom I doubt could diagram either, especially when they’d have to put the Xs in against Os and include all eleven players.  Coincidentally, the championship was a three-way tie.  They changed conferences (MWC), although the best teams in the new conference were, with the exception of San Diego State, the same as the best teams in the WAC - and, sadly as far as competition goes, the worst teams in the MWC being even worse than the worst in the WAC.

Tim DeRuyter’s name has made the rounds as a hot candidate (his name was mentioned, albeit among many others for the University of Tennessee job.  The football team is preparing for its well-deserved bowl game.  The community is once again praying their beloved coach stays home.  For a while.

Lou Holtz’s famous line regarding fans and coaches:

“A perfect year for the fans is when the football team goes undefeated - and they fire the coach.”

In Thursday’s sports section there was a brief story about two programs with great football tradition.  Boise State and BYU signed an agreement to play each other for 12 consecutive years, starting last night.  For the better part of my 30 years in the collegiate game I was in the business of scheduling, my area being basketball.  Obviously, there are major differences between the two sports.  However, since they are, more or less, the only two revenue producers, there are quite a few similarities.

The best deal in the scheduling of games, as in any other business transaction, is a win-win.  This set up seems to be much more advantageous to the Cougars who have decided, due to their personal television deal, to make a go of it as an independent.  First of all, there are only a handful of independent institutions, most of them waiting for an invitation to join a conference.  BYU just left a conference.  To my knowledge, there is only one independent that is both happy and successful in its one-team league: Notre Dame.  The Fighting Irish also have their own TV deal, as do the Cougars.  Notre Dame currently receives $15 million from NBC.  I’m not privy to the BYU numbers but suffice to say, it’s considerably less than ND’s.

So why would Boise State, who, by virtue of their invitation to join the Big East (finally ensuring it a legit chance at the mega money TV and the BCS have been enjoying), enter into a 12-year deal with a non-BCS member?  Are the remaining Big East teams so bad the Broncos need to get a power non-conference game on their schedule?  And does BYU qualify?  Chris Petersen, Boise’s brilliant head man, doesn’t think so.  Make no mistake about it, brilliant describes his football knowledge and his scheduling acumen.

This deal had to be a power play by upper administration.  BYU wins the “why?” in nearly every category.  Being an independent, they have to schedule every game, every year.  Boise State has most of its schedule mandated by the conference.  Unless more than six of the games are to be played at Boise - or unless fewer than six are to be held in Provo, e.g. neutral site games like Denver, the home-and-home financial deals will be a wash.  “You give us (a lot of) money when we visit your place; we return it when you come here.”

Sure, the Big East could lose its BCS status.  Regarding that idea - don’t ever bet against the good ol’ boy network.  Plus, if the Big East ever did dissolve, having BYU on the schedule isn’t that soothing a thought for BSU.  Possibly BYU will be a bigger draw than some other university, but if Boise is having one of its typical years - except, now, a national championship is a real possibilty - the Idaho School of Art & Dance would fill the joint.  And if they’re not in the hunt, I’m not sure Boise-ans will show up in droves for the Cougars any more than they would for anybody else.

Maybe the powers-that-be were trying to hook up two high-octane schools for a dozen years, each of whom have been known to absolutely light up the scoreboard.  Well, how did Year One turn out?  Boise won without scoring an offensive touchdown.  Even though one offensive possession would have needed only a one-yard drive!  Shortly after the Broncos only score, a 36-yard pick-6 by nose tackle Mike Atkinson - yeah, nose tackle - Boise State downed a punt on the BYU one yard line.  At home, leading 7-0, the Broncs needed ONE STINKIN’ YARD to ice the game (BYU’s offense was nothing if not philanthropic with five turnovers).  In four tries the ball remained stuck one the one.  Why no field goal attempt - which also would have iced it - after three non-scoring plays?  Don’t ask the opposing staff who eschewed place kickers all night - including after the Cougs’ lone score with 3:37 to go to tie the fray.  Coaches know their personnel better than anyone, so on that count, give these guys a pass.  Petersen has earned the respect and how can you not love a guy named Bronco?  A guy’s gotta have some large stones to walk into a powerhouse and have the other team’s mascot for his name.

After watching this 7-6 yawner (if football was going to be the evening’s entertainment, the choices were a local high school game, a NY Giants blowout over Carolina and this epic), the fans could have adopted the chant from political conventions:

“Eleven more years, . . . “

Boise State has been playing football at the same level of the nation’s elite teams for quite a while.  Many people, those both in-and out-of-the-know, have been saying the Broncos deserve to be included in BCS formula.  In turn, they’ve given hope to several other non-AQ (or whatever they’re called) teams.

The naysayers claim Boise’s inferior conference and schedule should preclude them from consideration.  The main reason, however, Boise doesn’t belong happened last week.  Although their football, men’s and women’s tennis, and track and field teams were investigated for NCAA violations (showing an increased commitment to be an upper level athletics program), their administration can’t hang with other football powers.

Why?  They immediately fired their director of athletics, Gene Bleymaier - who’d been on the job for 30 years!  Bleymaier did some great things at BSU in his three decades, the greatest of which was being the leader behind the famous blue turf.  Yet, as soon as news of the NCAA investigation struck, Bleymaier’s career was history.  The Broncos worst offenses supposedly came in women’s tennis; all the other violations were reported to be of the secondary nature.  Looks like they don’t understand how to be big-time in Boise.  Granted, I don’t know all the “facts,” just as I’m not privy to other NCAA violators.

Schools like North Carolina, who took about two years to fire its AD, Dick Baddour after many football transgressions.  Or Tennessee who allowed Mike Hamilton to resign.  He received a nice $1.335 MILLION parting gift.  His last words were, “I need to close this chapter of my life and move on.”  At least we know that wherever he goes, he’ll be able to afford the movers.  No word if Bleymaier even got a few complimentary bags of potatoes.

Since, technically, the investigation of Ohio State isn’t complete (2-3 years from now there probably will new evidence uncovered), The Buckeyes’ Gene Smith still is employed.  The University of Miami is the latest institution to join the NCAA’s most wanted list.  If Boise State’s administration were in charge, the athletics director would be toast.

When it comes to being a BCS member, Gene Bleymaier needs to remember:

“It’s not the company you’re with; it’s the company you keep.”

The University of Connecticut football program should be congratulated for what they’ve accomplished in such a short period of time.  They finished the season 8-4, won their conference and cracked the Top 25.

In order to win the Big East, they had to come out on top in five of their seven league games.  They lost to Rutgers and Louisville, two conference programs that had down years.  Three of their league wins were squeakers against West Virginia (in OT), Pitt (by 2) and South Florida (by 3).  They “blew out” Syracuse (23-6) and Cincinnati(38-17).  Their non-conference schedule?  Victories over Texas Southern, Buffalo, and Vanderbilt.  They lost to Michigan by three and Temple by two - touchdowns.

So how do they get to play in a BCS bowl game?  Because the BCS is comprised of six major conferences with the Big East being one of the six.  People tend to forget that the Big East was formed as power conference - for basketball!  In a reversal of what mainly drives the NCAA, i.e. football, that sport was an afterthought as far as Big East leadership was concerned.

The Big East was the brainchild of four schools - and one man, Dave Gavitt: St. John’s, Georgetown, Providence and Syracuse - three of whom didn’t even field a Division I football team and the other who barely did (although it had a rich tradition, especially when it came to #44’s - Jim Brown, Ernie Davis and Floyd Little).  The Carrier Dome was always sold out - between November and March.  In 1979, the quartet invited Seton Hall, Rutgers, Holy Cross, Boston College and UConn to join them and form a conference.  Rutgers and Holy Cross declined.  The following year, Villanova (another non-D-I football school) became a member.  In 1985, three of the four made up the Final Four, with the Wildcats providing one of sports’ greatest upset by defeating the heavily-favored Hoyas.

How does that history translate into the Big East becoming one of the six conferences that would determine the course of Division I football?  Simple.  The good old boys network was hardly going to leave out Dave Gavitt, one of the most respected - and powerful - men in intercollegiate sports.

Since then, then league has added members so that it’s currently comprised of 16 members, eight of whom play D-I football - most of them not very well this year.  Notre Dame is an independent in football, not that their inclusion this past season would have raised the level of conference play to that of the other five conferences.  Or of Boise State or TCU or, even, Nevada.

Boise State got left out of a BCS bowl because it had one loss - in overtime - to a top 20 team.  Michigan State had one loss, a blowout to Iowa and Nevada, the team that burst Boise’s bubble (and cost themselves over a half million dollars) lost only to Hawaii - on the island.  Any of those would be a better representative than UConn (as would several others who lost more than once).

When the Boises and Nevadas (and TCUs) have great years, the elite (like Ohio State’s president Gordon Gee, who claimed they had such glowing records because they played the Little Sisters of the Poor) always make the claim, “Yeah, but how would they do playing in a BCS conference?”  This year I’m not so sure UConn could have finished any higher than third or fourth in the WAC.  The Huskies were included because, as my man, the late John Savage used to say:

“It’s not the company you’re with, it’s the company you keep.”

There were three collegiate football games with major implications played yesterday.  Oregon, Auburn and Boise State, ranked #1, 2 & 3 in the AP Top 25 poll were all competing, and each had hopes for a national championship.

Both sides - BCS and non-BCS teams and conferences - have debated the fairness of the current system, with no clear cut “winner” in the discussion.  One factor that has not been mentioned has to do with the leaders of the actual schools involved, i.e. the directors of athletics and the presidents, as well as the conference commissioners.

During the Alabama-Auburn game, U of A president Dr. Robert Witt and AD Mal Moore, most certainly were comfortably seated in their sky boxes, cheering on their beloved Crimson Tide.  No doubt, Mike Slive, the SEC commish was there as well.  All were entertained by a terrific game, the Alabama contingent obviously disappointed with the outcome.  Commissioner Slive’s only rooting interest was, most probably, that no further incriminating news regarding Auburn’s Heisman Trophy leading quarterback, Cam Newton, was revealed during the afternoon.

Similarly, in Eugene, Arizona prez Robert Shelton and its director of athletics, Greg Byrne, were intently watching the contest, hoping that somehow their Wildcats could do what no team on the Ducks’ schedule had done - slow down Oregon’s fast-paced offense and derail the nation’s number one team.  I would imagine that Pac-10 commissioner Larry Scott got what he wanted.  Both schools played well and there were no embarrassing incidents.

In the Boise State-Nevada nightcap, however, there had to exist the height of ambivalence on the part of the Wolfpack’s president, Milt Glick and its AD Cary Groth.  If their boys won, it would be an upset for the ages.  The game was billed as “The Biggest Sporting Event in Reno History” since Jack Johnson fought there - 100 years ago!

Yet, because of the current BCS structure, their conference, the WAC, would be denied the mega-check that comes from one of their conference members participating in a BCS bowl - which has now been lost due to the overtime thriller in which Nevada prevailed.  Sure, the ‘Pack won, but what about the million or so dollars they, and the other conference schools, would have received had Boise won?  This isn’t a concern for the schools in the BCS leagues - even those as pitiful as Vanderbilt, Washington State, Wake Forest, Kansas or Minnesota.  Or Indiana - who gave up 83 points in an earlier game to fellow conference member Wisconsin.  Do the Hoosiers really deserve all that revenue?  More than Boise State and Nevada do?

And that’s just for playing in a BCS bowl.  I read somewhere that each BCS school receives in the neighborhood of $7 million - regardless of whether they even won a game during the season.  Nice neighborhood - if they let you in.

So far there’s been no mention of the WAC commissioner, Karl Benson, who must be in mourning.  Not only has Benson lost out on the BCS bowl paycheck, but next year Boise State moves to the Mountain West conference, followed by Nevada the following season.  Fresno State also leaves with Nevada and Hawaii is seriously consider bolting the WAC too.  Anyone who thinks Karl Benson was an impartial observer last night in Reno doesn’t understand the true problem a non-BCS conference commissioner has.

There’s little doubt that Benson and everyone belonging to the NCAA “family,” but outside the all-powerful BCS group, shares Mike Honda’s feeling:

“My own mother always taught me that fairness was a family value - I think equal pay is about fairness for everyone.“ 

Who’s better - Oregon or Auburn?  Boise State or TCU?  Peyton Manning or Tom Brady?  Or Drew Brees?  Tim Lincecum or Roy Halladay?  Or Cliff Lee?  The Lakers or the Celtics?  Or the Heat?  Michael or Kobe?  Or LeBron?  George W. or Barack?  Rush or Michael Moore?  Let’s delete the last pair since each has an agenda to get personally wealthy while dividing the country beyond salvation.

In each instance, there are numerous - and loud - votes cast for each.  Any of the above comparisons will elicit extreme emotion from the debaters.  Yet, everybody can’t be right.  Or wrong.

Every time I hear one of those topics discussed - or when I used to participate in them when I was younger and (thought I was) wiser, one tactic would invariably creep into the discussion.  That tactic was demeaning the opposition.  Hey, maybe we shouldn’t delete Limbaugh vs. Moore after all.  Demeaning the opposition is at the core of each of their messages.

As an example, let’s look at the top two teams in the current college football poll.  Oregon supporters will argue they’ve blown away everybody (except Cal).  Auburn backers will talk of how their team plays in the nation’s toughest league.  Before long, however, UO people will be saying that Auburn is a one-man show and that one man probably is  ineligible.  AU folks will counter with the Pac-10 being nothing but a bunch of soft teams and that if Phil Knight ever pulled his support, the Ducks would shrink to mid-major status.

I was guilty of this type of immaturity - when I was a teenager.  Maybe even a few years (decades?) beyond.  But after reading an article on the Harbaugh brothers in Sports Illustrated, I’ve come to the same conclusion that my friend Jeff Van Gundy stated on an NBA broadcast a couple weeks ago.  After reading the same article, Jeff says he has sworn off comparisons because of something that John Harbaugh said in that interview:

“I’ve got this rule.  We make no comparisons.  Somebody is going to be devalued.”

If people would follow the “somebody is going to be devalued” rule, the world of sports would be less fun for the fanatics and void of talk radio, but a lot more sane for others.

A friend and I were discussing the possible match-ups for football’s national championship game in Division IA ( or whatever they call it now).  One combination that came up was, “If the only two undefeated teams left were TCU and Boise State, would the ‘powers-that-be’ allow them to play for the National Championship?”

My friend summed up the answer to that query with a quote his grandfather used to use in situations like the above:

“Put your hand on your ass.  It will grow there before the BCS powers-that-be allow TCU and Boise State to play for the National Championship.”

Why would the BCS, whose enemy #1 is the Boise State football program - the rallying cry for all those opposed to what the BCS stands for - want to make the Broncos number one in their next poll?  Because if they do, odds are the Broncs would lose!  Three weeks ago, Alabama was #1 and went down at the hands of (Alshon Jeffery and) South Carolina.  The next week, Ohio State fell to Wisconsin and yesterday, the Oklahoma Sooners were defeated by Missouri.

Three schools with rich football tradition, and none could stand the pressure of wearing the crown.  For the BCS to solve much of its problem (face it, this is 21st century America, there will always be someone, more like a group of people, who will be opposed to . . . anything and everything), they need to make BSU the nation’s top team and after TCU and Utah play, put the winner atop the poll.  If this year’s trend continues, both will lose.  Then, all those whiny non-BCSers will go away since they won’t have a patron saint anymore.

This year is certainly the time to do it.  The Big East is so in name only.  ACC stand for “Anyone Can Conquer” (if Virginia Tech wins the league, even the BCS would have a tough time keeping out Boise).  Should SC beat Oregon, ugh, there goes their strongest BCS rep.  Although if Stanford were to play in the national championship, maybe there would be a stampede to the library by high school and JC kids.  Well, maybe high school kids.

For Missouri to represent the Big 12 in a national championship game, uh, there might be a majority of the BCS powers-that-be who’d rather see Boise State in the game than Mizzou.  Same for Michigan State - although instead of a majority, there might only be a few dissenters, but, rest assured, the BCS guys didn’t go into this season hoping the Spartans would be playing for all the marbles.

Which leaves the perennially powerful SEC, but even in this league, there will be agony for those who rule college football, i.e. the BCS.  The champion from the SEC will have to be the winner of the league championship.  And how bad is the SEC East?  Prior to the kickoff for the Vanderbilt-South Carolina contest, an ESPN sportscaster tried, without success, to say without a trace of humor, that if the Commodores won, they would have been atop the standings in the SEC East.

And how bad is that?  When I was at the University of Tennessee in the early to mid-80s (the conference only had ten members then), I remember a columnist answering the question as to whether Vanderbilt had a chance to ever win the SEC in football.  His reply was:

“Sure.  If the other nine schools get put on probation.”

Oklahoma’s tradition dates all the way back to Bud Wilkinson, a winner and a gentleman.  The Sooners are currently the #1 team in the polls but unless you’re an OU supporter, they’re probably not the overwhelming choice of America.

The sentimental pick, maybe not for #1, but at least to go to the national championship game, has got to be Boise State.  Not only are they undefeated - and rolling over everyone they play - but they haven’t lost in two years!

Sleeper picks?  TCU, in case Boise gets knocked off, Missouri for the BCS fans who want to see a team from the Big 12 who’s not Oklahoma, Texas or Nebraska.

Before the season, ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit picked Auburn to win it all and if they beat LSU this weekend (and a couple other formidable opponents down the road), Herbie might actually be the genius many think he already is.

BUT . . . as far as the unbiased fan’s favorite team, Oregon must be the squad people want to see.  Their defense is good but the reason America loves them is the same reason many claim soccer will never catch on here - not enough scoring.

The Ducks are the anti-soccer team.  Not only do they put up mega numbers, they do it fast.  Four and five play drives are the norm.  “Making big plays,” what so many coaches preach as the key to winning, is their mantra.  Strikes of over 25 yards happen on a regular basis.  The offenses job is to march down the field.  Oregon usually does it in under two minutes.

The Ducks’ coach, Chip Kelly, does things his way and, at least so far, he’s maintained a humility about the success his club’s achieved.  Quoting from Confucius:

“A superior man is modest in his speech, but exceeds in his actions.”

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Is this the ultimate down year for college football?  Or has parity, what coaches preach so often, really arrived?

Two weeks in a row, the number one team in the country went down.  Last week, it was defending national champion Alabama getting soundly beaten by South Carolina.  Following the game, Tide coach Nick Saban made a statement that his guys needed to learn a lesson.  He talked about how he believed in his team, that it could still be a great squad.  It sounded like he was drawing a line in the sand.  With all the talent Alabama has, coupled with the fact they were going home, you’d have thought they would have throttled Ole Miss.

After Saban’s comments to the media, QB Greg McElroy let the public know he also addressed the team about losing and that he didn’t plan on doing so again.  It was a Tim Tebow moment.  Then, the game started and the Tide looked fair at best on the offensive side of the ball.  Had the Rebels or Black Bears or whatever they are these days not shot themselves in the foot with uncharacteristic penalties, especially on special teams, the game might have been closer than it was - and it was a great deal closer than most thought after speeches from their two leaders.  Many gamblers must have taken a bath.

Now, the motivational speaking chores go to Jim Tressel and Terrell Pryor who received from Wisconsin what UA got from South Carolina.  The Badgers need to be aware because, just like South Carolina had to do after downing number one, UW has to go on the road next week.  And Iowa City is a far more hostile environment than what the Gamecocks had to face.

Other than Nashville, Lexington is as tame an SEC venue as a team could want.  Their coach had never lost to UK, a win would put the much needed separation they needed in the East division and they were cruising during the contest.  One key Carolina injury and a last minute score, capping a come-from-behind miracle, absolutely ruined the day for the Gamecocks.

It has to be a screwy year when a Texas victory over Nebraska is considered an upset and Florida loses three games in a row.  Add to that a 65-43 game that not only wasn’t in the WAC, or even the Pac-10, but in the mug ‘em defensive oriented SEC.  In that Auburn-Arkansas contest, had someone predicted that final score, they’d have said Cam Newton and Ryan Mallett would have had a shoot-out.  And they’d have been half right as the Arkansas signal caller and Heisman hopeful departed shortly before halftime with a concussion.  As far as Auburn was concerned, it was Mr. Wilson who was the menace.

The Washington Huskies are on top of the world but are living there only because of a final play field goal and a dropped two-point conversion (by their opponent’s leading receiver).  Those two plays have given them W’s in two of the last three weeks.  Had the FG been no good and the OSU TE held on, “U-Dub” would be “U-Lookin’ at a real bad season.”

Speaking of parity, how about that FSU-BC ball game.  If the BCS really wanted to be fair, the ACC winner and the Big East champ would play off for the spot in the BCS bowl game.

Maybe it’s not a question of whether Boise State is the best team in the country but of which team deserves to be their opponent in the national championship game.

There’s little doubt we’ll be hearing from all the rabble-rousers, the definition of one being:

“a person who stirs up the passions or prejudices of the public.”