THE END OF TULANE FOOTBALL?? Tulane University played their final football game of the year on Saturday. They finished 2-9. 11 games. 11 cities. 11 stadiums. 11 straight weeks. This team endured despite not having a home field....heck, not having a home. The school isn't functional, so the team was pretty much playing on name alone. Students cheering for Tulane were now enrolled at new schools. The football players were enrolled at Louisiana Tech. Honestly, this could be the end of the football program. The school still is in ruins and the players will most likely bolt for other schools [vultures have been circling]. I mean, their scholarships may not be there. Yet, despite a season filled with an unknown future and a destroyed past....the team competed with whatever they had. And no matter what, everyone associated with that team should be commended for the greatest season in college football. God bless.
THE SAINTS AREN'T MUCH BETTER OFF, EITHER. The Saints and Jets meet tonight in what should be a bad football game. The difference is that New York has a shot to get better. New Orleans doesn't have that shot. No pro sports team has been in limbo like this in a long, long time. The team has mailed it in....and no one knows what the future holds. Coach Jim Haslett may be fired and the team may be moving to a new city soon. But what coach in their right mind would take that job?? It has consumed Haslett to the point that I'm surprised he isn't in consuling right now. No free agent worth anything would sign there. And the team may not have the budget to keep the guys it has under contract now.
DON'T BE FOOLED....USC-UCLA ISN'T FOR THE PAC 10 TITLE: Forget the hype. USC is already the Pac-10's representative in the BCS. Even if UCLA beats USC this weekend....UCLA can't win the title. A UCLA win would make USC, UCLA and Oregon all 7-1 in the conference. Since UCLA and Oregon didn't meet....the tie breaker goes to record against like opponents. UCLA would be eliminated from that group first....putting a new tiebreaker in effect between USC and Oregon. The Trojans beat Oregon....so that gives them the tie breaker. So, in effect, USC is already conference champs!
PETE ROSE GETS SCREWED BY THE HALL VOTERS AGAIN. I understand that he's still not able to be voted in. But Rose will never be on the Hall ballot. Why? Even if Rose gets reinstated into the league....his 15 years of being on the ballot have expired. Huh? How can Rose run out of "eligibility" if he has never been "eligible"??? It is a crock!!!
INDEPENDENCE HS WINS 90TH IN A ROW. The nation's longest high school football winning streak resides in Charlotte, NC.....my old high school....Independence HS. The Independence Patriots won their 90th straight football game by murdering Davie County 52-21 in the third round of the 4AA NCHAA football playoffs. Next, the Pats take on Myers Park [who is also based in Charlotte]. The winner of that game will take on the winner of the New Bern vs Raleigh Wakefield game for the NCHAA Championship in Raliegh. Independence beat Myers Park 30-13 last month. If the Pats win two more games...they will win their 6th straigh state title. Again, my alma mater....GO PATS!!
NFL COACHES WHO MAY BE DONE SOON. The season is winding down...so the line of coaches who may be out of their jobs is starting to shape up. A speculative list.
1-Mike Martz, Rams. A shame that his heart issues have forced him on leave. But the attitude of the organization about Martx since he's been gone has spoken volumes to their thinking. He's gone.
2-Dom Capers, Texans. Many people, including me, thought Houston would be a team to wreckon with this year. They've taken a nose dive into the worst record in the NFL. Capers, the only coach in franchise history, may have worn out his welcome in Houston and get his pink slip sometime around January 2.
3-Mike Tice, Vikings. I'm not sure if a recent hot streak can save his job. It did last year. But Tice has helmed a franchise that has seen the Love Boat, a druggie running back, and his own scalping controversy. And this was all AFTER they got rid of Randy Moss. Ownership has changed...and Tice may get the ax.
4-Mike Sherman, Packers. He may keep his job since Favre announced his devotion to Sherman. But the second Favre hints at retiring...Sherman is cut loose.
5-Jim Haslett, Saints. Normally, he'd be atop this list. His team is 2-8 after flirting with the playoffs a year ago....a year which he miraculously held onto his job. But the unprecidented issues in which the Saints have had to deal with may allow for Haslett to get one more season in. I mean, who would want this job?? The record stinks, but Haslett really must be commended for keeping this team going week to week.
6-Brian Billick, Ravens. Again, a case of new ownership and playing well below expectations. And, like Tice, the attitude of the players seems to point to the fact that he's lost them. They are better than how they are playing...and they are being beat mentally. Billick may get the blame for all of this.
7-Steve Mariucci, Lions. I feel he gets one more year in Detroit. Injuries and suspensions have limited his receiving corp plus Jeff Garcia's injury issues has stunted their offensive growth. One more year to get this thing turned around.
8-Norv Turner, Raiders. I think he deserves one more year, but a fickle Al Davis and the prospect of Mike Martz on the market could end the Norv Turner Era in Oakland before it truly got off the ground.
HONORABLE MENTION: Herm Edwards may not get fired...but he may not be the Jets coach next year. If the Chiefs head coach Dick Vermeilretires...then Edwards may jump ship to that job.
TARK THE SHARK IN VEGAS. UNLV has dedicated it's floor to Jerry Tarkanian...the coach for the Rebels during their greatest success period. During his 19 years in Vegas, the Rebels won 509 games, 12 NCAA tournaments, 4 Finals Fours and a national championship. Since he's been gone, UNLV has been to the NCAA tournament just twice. However, Tark's program was marred by NCAA investigations and a penalty given to the program after he stepped down in the early 1990s. But, for one night, Tark and the Rebels were united again.
BCS NOT TOTALLY A MESS. The BCS looks to be in good shape, provided everything goes according to plan in next week's conference title tilts.
ACC: Virginia Tech plays Florida State for the inagurat ACC Championship game. V-Tech should romp [FSU has lost 3 straight games] but the game is in Jacksonville. The Noles would throw a monkey wrench into everything with a win. But, I feel it is Virginia Tech.
BIG EAST: West Virginia gets to go to a BCS bowl since South Florida lost to UConn. WVU will most likely be #8 in the list of 8 BCS teams.
BIG XII: Texas should maul Colorado [they did once already] for the Big XII crown. Again, the Buffalos [like the Noles] could be a spolier and BCS team with a win. Highly unlikely.
BIG TEN: Penn State tied Ohio State for the Big Ten crown. But, the Nittany Lions beat the Buckeves....so they are heading to a BCS bowl.
PAC 10: See above "Don't Be Fooled...".
SEC: That LSU-Georgia game should be a doozy!! The winner gets the BCS bid. The loser doesn't.
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