Katrina's Impact; NCAA pigskin launches

*Talk about bad timing.  On page #151 of the new ESPN Magazine...there is an advertisement for HBO's new show "Rome".  The ad shows a drawing of Rome's Coliseum and says "the original Superdome". 

*The looting in New Orleans has spilled into college hoops.  Apparantly, some schools have been trying to nudge University of New Orleans basketball players to their schools.  UNO has announced that they are planning to play this winter...yet there are vultures hovering around the program.  Outside schools have tried to convince Bo McCallebb to leave UNO and head to their school....basically using the fact that the abnormality of the Privateers season [maybe 28 road games] could harm his development.  Savages.

*Also, cities are lining up to play host to the 2006 Nokia Sugar Bowl...which is housed in New Orleans' Superdome.  By most accounts, the Superdome is a house of horrors right now....and getting it back into playing shape will be quite a job.  Not to mention that it is a job that falls waaaay down on the "to do" list.  San Antonio has already talked to Sugar Bowl officials about hosting the BCS bowl game.

*The New Orleans Hornets will make Colorado their training site....and could make Oklahoma City their home for the upcoming season.  Oklahoma City has an NBA-quality arena and no major tenant to have to push aside...so it would make it a pretty smooth transition.  The NBA schedule could stay in place and Oklahoma City would get a professional franchise, albeit for just a year [but these are the Hornets...anything could happen].

                  

*For some non-Katrina related news....kudos to the ACC!  Georgia Tech goes into Auburn and beats the Tigers.  Didsomeone say "tigers"??  The Clemson Tigers beat Texas A&M on a last second FG.   Boston College went out west and held BYU to 3 points in their win.  Maryland did struggle...but did beat a tough Navy squad.  Tomorrow night...the football world will be centered on Virginia Tech-NC State.  Then Monday night....the football world will be centered on Miami-Florida State.  Okay, sure....Duke and Wake were beaten [surprised?]...but the ACC is off to a nice start.

*The Big XII got off to a tough start.  Oklahoma was beaten, at home, by TCU.  Texas A&M lost to Clemson.  Sure....everyone else did win.  Oklahoma State beat Montana State 15-10.  Ugh.  Kansas and Kansas State struggled with Florida International and Florida Atlantic....pretty much the two worst teams in D-I.  It took Nebraska a while to pull away from Maine [they won 25-7].  Iowa State struggled with Illinois State [how does an 8-8 halftime score sound?].  Texas did put a major beatdown on Louisiana-Lafayette.  Not exactly Ohio State, whom the Horns face next week, or Iowa, whom Iowa State faces. 

*Jerry Rice is a man and can do what he wants.  If he wants to play, can play and a team will pay him to play.....then by all means he should play.  But, Jerry....stick or stay.  The Broncos didn't cut Rice, but made him the last man on the team.  Normally, that would mean that Rice would play on special teams....but is that what Rice wants to do?  Heck, will he do it?  The problem I have is if Denver has Rice just because he is Rice and may say a few things that will help out the other guys.  A reciever named Triandos Luke was one of the 19 final cuts made by the Broncos.  I'd be willing to believe he'd do whatever the team wanted to be that "last guy".  If Rice is taking up space for no real reason other than his name is Jerry Rice...then please, do retire and let someone else's dream come true.  I personally don't mind if your "love of the game" won't let you retire...but right now you are a special teams player...and that is part of the game, too.