Hired!

Funny how things work out in the world of college basketball. Less than a month ago Tom Penders and the University of Houston beat Tony Barbee and the UTEP Miners in the Conference USA Tournament Championship. Since then, Penders was allowed to resign at UH as opposed to being run out the door by AD Mac Rhoades, Barbee left El Paso for a BIG RAISE and a high profile new gig at Auburn, and both schools have new coaches. One alumni base is giddy, the other is downright fuming.

UTEP probably could not have done better than hiring favorite son Tim Floyd. Floyd was the obvious choice when it became apparent that UTEP was not interested in bringing back Billie Gillespie. The 56 year old Floyd was an assistant under UTEP's basketball icon, Don Haskins. He has coached in the NCAA and the NBA, most recently as an assistant with New Orleans. Floyd has the support of the Administration, the Alumni, and even the Bear's widow...Tony Barbee left the proram in great shape and with any luck Floyd will be able to maintain and even improve on what Barbee started. More importantly for UTEP fans, Floyd has a history in El Paso going back to his earliest years, and could be for the Miners a coach that will stick around and leave a legacy rather than use the job for a stepping stone to something bigger.

Houston on the other hand is stunned at the hiring of James Dickey. Cougar fans have been salivating for weeks over the idea of nabbing former UTEP, Texas A&M, and Kentucky coach Billie Gillespie. So for AD Mac Rhoades to haul out James Dickey? A major disappointment. Dickey was a decent coach at Texas Tech, even making the Sweet Sixteen with Darvin Ham, Wil Flemmons, and "Leaping" Lance Hughes...but that was ages ago and Dickey is not thought to have very good connections with the kind of people that can help him bring top-notch talent to Hoffeinz Pavillion.
Dickey could turn out to be a great hire, but on the surface it looks like Houston really messed this up. First they don't seem to be on the same page regarding Gillespie, with Mac Rhoades wanting him but the University President not being so sure. They gave Sam Houston coach Bob Marlin no reason to think he was a serious candidate, prompting him to take the Louisiana-Lafayette job. They never seemed interested in UNT coach Johnny Jones, who not only has done a great job with the Mean Green, but has deep ties to Louisiana and could really do a good job recruiting the Bayou region.

Speaking of Bob Marlin, the Rajun Cajuns make a terrific hire. Marlin has proven his ability to get the most out of his players, and judging from what I saw from the Cajuns this season that is exactly what they need. U-La-La has athletes, they need someone to bring them together and teach them to win games. Marlin knows how to do that.

Coming soon...some thoughts on spring football, the second greatest sport in Texas next to fall football...in the meantime, Go Butler!

Madness Re-cap

From 65 to 16. The first two rounds of the NCAA tournament produced the requisite amount of surprises, shocks and expected routs. The state of Texas did not fare very well with only Baylor surviving to the round of sixteen. Baylor, however, had a pretty tough time just getting past Sam Houston State in the first round. A brilliant defensive strategy from Bearkats coach Bob Marlin which involved installing a triangle and two defense, kept the vaunted Bears backcourt off their game throughout. As a Southland Conference fan, I was extremely proud of the effort put forth by the Bearkats. They showed the country that the SLC is capable of producing a team that can play with the big boys. Now they just need a team to get over the hump and produce an upset in the first round.

Coach Marlin is being mentioned as a candidate for the head coaching job at Houston, another program that went out in the first round. Tom Penders steps down after taking his fourth team to the Dance and with a career 648 wins. The hot name in the Houston coaching search appears to be former Aggie coach Billy Clyde Gillespie but the Cougars could do much worse than to hire Marlin, a class coach who has proven he deserves a shot at the next level.

Another coach to keep a close eye on is Johnny Jones at UNT. Four 20 win seasons and two NCAA tournament appearances in the last four years will get your name out there. Jones has apparently interviewed at Auburn, an SEC school Jones knows well with his roots going back to LSU. Whether Jones jumps ship at UNT remains to be seen but two things are clear as we head into this off-season: 1) Jones would leave the program in far, far better shape than how he found it, actually making it the kind of job that would be attractive to up and coming young coaches across the country. 2) Even if Jones leaves, North Texas cannot go backwards, the next step for this program is to win an NCAA Tournament game and the Mean Green must make that their expectation. If Northern freakin' Iowa can get into the sweet sixteen, so can the Mean Green. The Bearkats and the rest of the Southland Conference should feel the same way after what we witnessed over the weekend.

As for the other Texas teams in the tourney, Texas saw their "Titanic" of a season finally sink mercifully to the bottom of the ocean. How one team goes from the highest of highs, to one and done is a great mystery of our time but it is one that Rick Barnes will have to figure out and quick.

Tony Barbee looks like he is building a solid program at UTEP. Barbee, a John Calipari desciple, is focused and intense, and not afraid to take chances on risky players like Derrick Caracter. It's a mind-set that could pay some big dividends or backfire miserably. If Barbee can run a clean program and continue to recruit well, the Miners could be a yearly participant in the Big Dance, and can generate a lot of excitement around El Paso, just as the programs in Las Cruces and Albuquerque have done.

The Aggies are taking a lot of heat for falling to Purdue, but honestly, the Boilermakers were placed as a fourth seed for a reason. Just because they were banged up and less than stellar down the stretch does not mean they can't play. The Aggies had a good year and are finally creating an identity all their own in College Station.

Baylor...well Go Bears. The last Texas team standing gets my support. Hopefully they will give us some exciting basketball this coming week. Love the backcourt of LaceDarius Dunn and Tweety Carter, but my favorite Bear is Quincy Acy, a player I had the chance to watch in high school. Tremendous hops on that young man and a good kid as well.

Not a Wash-out

To summarize: Ron Washington uses cocaine, just once, gets tested by Major League Baseball in a most unfortunate case of bad timing, tells his bosses Jon Daniels and Nolan Ryan, goes to all the right doctors, says all the right things, and apologizes to the known world when the story breaks nine months later. Got it? Good.

The question I find most intriguing...Who merits a second chance in America? People are coming down on both sides of the fence in the Ron Washington debate. Some say a 57 year old Skipper of a Major League Baseball team must have the common sense to never put himself in such a situation and should have been terminated on the spot. Some say the way he handled the situation shows contrition and maturity and therefore he should not be judged so harshly.

I heard someone say that Wash has done all the right things, and with the exception of snorting the coke in the first place, I would tend to agree. If it is true that this was a one time deal, that he made a stupid mistake that never happened before and will never happen again, I think I would have come to the same conclusion that Daniels and Ryan obviously did, which was to give Washington another chance. The consequences of that decision will be playing out in front of us all over the course of the upcoming season, which promises to be uncomfortable for Washington and his players for at least a few months. Every move Washington makes will be up for scrutiny from the front office, his team, the media and the fans. Hecklers from Anaheim to New York must already be working on their material for when the Rangers visit. These things could prove to be a mighty distraction or could prove to galvanize a manager with a team that knows a thing or two about guys being on the edge of the abyss. Was it a gamble for the Rangers to stick with Wash, absolutely, but betting on a good man is always worth the risk.

I am big on forgiveness, and yes big on second chances. Does that make me a bleeding heart? Maybe. Does it mean I have a heart. God I hope so.

Ah, the Madness

Here we go! Even before my obsession with high school football, I was infatuated with college basketball. Hours upon hours spent in front of the couch on the first two days of the NCAA Tournament watching my bracket go to pieces was a highlight of my year. I don't get to play hookie anymore but I still get very amped about the Tournament. This year it is especially exciting because seven teams from Texas are in the field including two teams that I have a close connection with, UNT (Alma Mater) and Sam Houston State (Southland Rep).

First let me say that all seven teams are deserving of the Dance. I am sure that the three Texas teams who received automatic bids, Houston from C-USA, UNT from the Sun Belt, and Sam Houston from the Southland, would not have made the field if they had not won their conference tournaments. That being said, winning a conference tournament is an accomplishment that is worthy of the automatic bid. As for the at-large bids (Texas, Texas A&M, Baylor and UTEP) I have no problem with any of them reaching the final 64, they all produced a body of work that merits post-season invitation.

I am very interested in two games that take place at the same time on Thursday. North Texas as a 15 seed taking on number 2 seed Kansas State in Oklahoma City, and 3 seed Baylor playing 14 seed Sam Houston State in New Oleans. The Mean Green are red hot and coming off a Sun Belt Conference Championship but is obviously a huge, huge underdog to the Wildcats of the Big 12. They say backcourts win in the tournament and UNT has a good one in Point Guard Josh White and SG Tristan Thompson, plus George Odufuwa can rebound with anybody. I can't sit here and predict a North Texas victory but there is no team I will be pulling for more than the Mean Green.

The Bearkats of Sam Houston State are right behind North Texas in my rooting interests. I really respect Coach Bob Marlin and the staff at SHSU and watching them for the last two years on the Southland Conference Television Network I have been impressed with the Bearkats style of play. They are agressive on defense, pass the ball extremely well and normally shoot well from the outside. They will need to be near perfect in all those areas to have a chance against the Bears. Gilberto Clavell will have to play much bigger than his 6-6 frame, which he usually does. Corey Allmond cannot have an off day. But if the Bearkats can play at their best, they can take down Baylor, giving the Southland Conference it's biggest basketball win ever including Northwestern State's win over Iowa in in 2006.

Had some thoughts up here about Tiger Woods returning for the Masters, but took them down. It has been my opinion from the beginning that what goes down between Tiger and Elin, or between any married couple for that matter, should stay between the couple and not become a media spectacle and fodder for talk shows. I can't stop the runaway train that is "Tiger Talk" but I can choose not to jump on. Jesus told the people about to stone an adulteress "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone". As Bob Dylan said: "It ain't me Babe".

Back to the Blog

Catching up on a few things over the last week.

First the Olympics, some observations from the first week of action:
1) USA, USA, USA!
2) Shaun White is why I love watching the Olympics. I watch snowboarding once every four years but a guy like White makes me and anyone else who watches it every four years an expert because we all knew he was the absolute best guy to hit the halfpipe and there was no maybe about it. I love to watch the person who is the BEST IN THE WORLD at something do that something that he is the BEST IN THE WORLD at doing. In snowboarding, Shaun White is obviously that guy.
3) Best Week Ever...Evan Lysecek, he captures the men's figure skating gold medal and then scores a perfect ten (see photo)! Seriously, Lysecek and Nastia Luikin, imagine what that DNA could do in the hands of cold war era Soviet Scientists.
4) Great win by the United States over Canada in Hockey, but tap the breaks on comparisons to the Miracle On Ice...one is a nice win over a seemingly superior squad in a preliminary round game...the other is perhaps the defining sports moment for any human being's lifetime if said human was born prior to 1975. I have a good, not a great memory but the Miracle on Ice is a "Where were you Moment" for me...9 about to be ten years old, the house on Harrison Street in Amarillo, Texas, sitting in front of the television with my best friend Jason Mask, and yes Al, I believe.

Elsewhere...went to Conway, Arkansas this weekend for Southland Conference Basketball. The conference tournament is just a couple of weeks away and there is still much to be decided. Sam Houston State suffered their first conference loss, falling in OT to UTSA, should those two teams meet again in the tournament it will be a war. Stephen F. Austin lost to Southeastern Louisiana which puts the Lions just one game behind the Lumberjacks in the East division. In Conway, UTA put the clamps on UCA defensively and waltzed away with a 71-47 victory...UTA is lacking in size, but they get after it on defense and they do have the silky smooth Marquez Haynes leading the way...they could be dangerous in Katy. Darkhorses include Northwestern State who has now won three in a row, and how about McNeese, defeating A&M Corpus Christi...just goes to show you that in the Southland, any team can win on any given night.

One last thing, a shout-out to the absolutely great Sports Information Directors that work in the Southland Conference. Broadcasters who work in the SLC could not do what we do without the help of those guys. Thanks.

Just The Facts

Last night I had the honor of speaking at Hank Dickenson's Sports Broadcasting class at the University of North Texas...this is the class I took under Bill Mercer that set me on the path of becoming a play-by-play announcer...it's always great to see those future broadcasters and offer advice and encouragement to the next generation...the following is something that I have developed over the years that has helped my play-by-play and helped me to work with partners who were not experienced broadcasters...I shared this with the class last night.

The “Just the Facts” Approach to Play-by-Play

I keep six honest serving-men
(They taught me all I knew);
Their names are What and Why and When
And How and Where and Who.

-Ruyard Kipling (Just So Stories, 1902)

In journalism and in police reporting there is a maxim known as “The Maxim of the five W’s (and one H)”. Play-by-play is as much about story telling as anything, so by answering these six questions, you should be able to tell a complete story. I have found this maxim useful as a play-by-play announcer and in working with color commentators who were not experienced broadcasters.

Play-by-Play
1) Who? Player identification. Who has the ball? Who made the tackle? Who is open downfield? Who applies to any player that is involved in the action. Also “Who won the game?

2) What? The Action. What is the person who has the ball doing with it? What are those around him doing? What are the circumstances surrounding the game? What does a win mean? A loss? Most important what: What is the Score?

3) When? Time Elements. How much time is left in the quarter, or the game? Time left on the play clock, the shot clock, etc. In baseball, the inning, the count, the outs left.

4) Where? Location. (Painting the Picture) Where applies to the location of the action on the field of play. Yard line, Left or Right sideline, Left or Right hash mark. Basketball: 3 point line, Left or Right wing or elbow. Baseball: shallow center field or deep center field, etc.

“Smith (who) takes the snap (what), looks downfield (where), flings it (what) down the right sideline (where), Johnson (who) makes a diving catch (what) at the 25 yard line (where). First down Mean Green with 2:30 left in the first quarter (when).

Analysis

5) Why? Question of Strategy (Motive). Why applies to the decisions made in the game and also applies to the success or failure of those decisions. What did they go for it on fourth down? Why did it work? Why didn’t it work?

6) How? Execution. How is the x’s and o’s. How did the receiver gain separation from the defensive back? How did the double team force the point guard to turn the ball over?

The New World Order

High School Football districts are now set for the next two years. As usual there were winners and losers in aftermath of the UIL Realignment which took place on Monday. My take on some of the highlights.

1) The Little Southwest Conference is back...I am glad to see this. Abilene, Abilene Cooper, Midland, Midland Lee, Odessa and Odessa Permian back together in a six team district. Cooper moving up to 5A made it possible. This district makes sense from a travel and a rivalry standpoint. Defending State Champ Abilene should have some stronger competition that what they faced the last two years in Tarrant County.

2) 8-5A is a monster...take Allen, Plano, Plano East, Plano West, Hebron, Flower Mound Marcus and Flower Mound and throw them in the same district? Some good teams will be sitting on the sidelines come playoff time in this district.

3) Welcome to 5A Denton Guyer...the 4A power now really has a chance to prove they belong with the big boys as they enter a district with Southlake Carroll and Coppell among others. Coach John Walsh has some solid returning talent but this could be a tall order.

4) No rest for DeSoto...the Eagles were hoping to be put back in a DFW district but that was not the case as they will again have to travel to Tyler and now to Longview as the Lobos jump back into 5A.

5) Gas up the Bus Stephenville...it could have been worse, but the Yellowjackets will have some long road trips as they are in a district with the Waco ISD and San Angelo Lakeview. On the plus side, they don't have Everman or Aledo in their district.

6) 16-3A another monster...now with Carthage, Gilmer and Henderson in the same district, it is possible that 16-3A will be one of those rare districts that produces two state champions in the same year.

7)Things get tougher for defending champ Pilot Point as they move up into class 3A, they are joined by Aubrey at the next level as well.

Now the waiting game begins as we count down to Week Zero...among the first matchups of the year that I will be watching for will be Cedar Hill vs. Allen in the Tom Landry Classic, Denton Guyer vs. Waxahachie and Carroll vs. Copperas Cove. Is it wrong of me to already be counting down the days? Probably. But I am what I am and I LOVE HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL!