Here are four mock drafts
1. Houston: Bortles Clowney Clowney Clowney
2. St. Louis: Robinson Robinson Watkins Robinson
3. Jacksonville: Watkins Mack Manziel Mack
4. Cleveland: Bridgewater Matthews Carr Watkins
5. Oakland: Evans Watkins Robinson Evans
So the only two players projected to go in the top five by all four mock drafts are Greg Robinson and Sammy Watkins. Shaun King has Clowney going sixth and doesn't have Manziel in his top five quarterbacks.
*** 5/8/14
The draft is under way.
1. Houston takes Jadeveon Clowney, DE, South Carolina
2. St. Louis picks Greg Robinson, OT, Auburn
3. Jacksonville selects Blake Bortles, QB, Central Florida
Cleveland trades first round pick to Buffalo Bills for Bills first round pick (9th) and 2015 first and fourth round picks.
4. Buffalo selects Sammy Watkins, WR, Clemson
5. Oakland drafts Khalil Mac, LB, Buffalo
6. Atlanta selects Jake Matthews, OT, Texas A&M
7. Tampa Bay select Mike Evans, WR, Texas A&M
Cleveland trades 9th pick and fifth round pick to Minnesota for 8th pick
8. Cleveland takes Justin Gilbert, CB, Oklahoma State (and not Manziel as expected by the ESPN panel). Crowd chanting Cleveland sucks.
9. Minnesota select Anthony Barr, OLB, UCLA
10. Barry Sanders announces Detroit selects Eric Ebron, TE, North Carolina
11. Tennessee selects Taylor Lewan, OT, Michigan
12. New York Giants take Odell Beckham Jr., WR, LSU
13. St. Louis selects Aaron Donald, DT, Pittsburgh
14. Chicago selects Kyle Fuller, CB, Virginia Tech
15. Pittsburgh takes Ryan Shazier, OLB, Ohio State
16. Dallas, here it is, selects ... not Johnny Manziel, but Zack Martin, OT, Notre Dame
17. Baltimore selects C.J. Mosley, ILB, Alabama
18. New York Jets take Calvin Pryor, S, Louisville
19. Miami takes Ja'Wuan James. OT, Tennessee
New Orleans trades first round (20) to Arizona first round (27) and third round pick.
20. Arizona selects Brandin Cooks, WR, Oregon State
21. Green Bay selects Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, FS, Alabama
Cleveland trades first round pick (26) and third round pick for Philadelphia first round pick (22)
22. Cleveland selects ... Johnny Manziel, QB, Texas A&M (at last) [the same spot where they had previously selected Brady Quinn and Brandon Weeden]
23. Kansas City selects Dee Ford, DE, Auburn
24. Cincinnati selects Darqueze Dennard, CB, Michigan State
25. San Diego selects Jason Verrett, CB, TCU
26. Philadelphia selects (not Marquise Lee but) Marcus Smith, OLB, Louisville
27. Arizona takes Deone Bucannon, S, Washington State
28. Carolina takes Kelvin Benjamin, WR, Florida State
29. New England takes Dominique Easley, DT, Florida
30. San Francisco selects Jimmie Ward, S, Northern Illinois (not Marquise Lee)
31. Denver takes Bradley Roby, CB, Ohio State
Seattle trades first round pick to Minnesota for second round pick (40) and fourth round pick (108)
32. Minnesota selects (talking Bridgewater...) Teddy Bridgewater, QB, Louisville
which means Derek Carr to Houston tomorrow?
*** 5/4/14
Nope, Derek Carr is taken by Oakland with the 36th pick.
Marqise Lee is taken by Jacksonville with the 39th pick.
After having drafted Sammy Watkins in the first round, the Bills trade Stevie Johnson to San Francisco for a conditional fourth round pick.
*** 5/14/14
NFL Draft Grades
Tuesday, April 29, 2014
Monday, April 28, 2014
Dr. Jack Ramsay
MIAMI (AP) — Jack Ramsay, a Hall of Fame coach who led the Portland
Trail Blazers to the 1977 NBA championship before he became one of the
NBA's most respected broadcasters, has died following a long battle with
cancer. He was 89.
Ramsay's death was announced by ESPN, for whom he worked as a broadcaster for many years.
"Dr. Jack Ramsay has passed," ESPN spokesman Chris LaPlaca wrote on Twitter early Monday. "A rare man. Loved and respected by all. Fascinating life well lived. An inspiration to so many."
Ramsay coached in the NBA for parts of 21 seasons before embarking on a second career as an NBA analyst. He was diagnosed with melanoma in 2004 and later battled growths and tumors that spread to his legs, lungs and brain, then later fought prostate cancer and most recently a marrow syndrome.
His affinity for fitness never wavered, though. Ramsay, who competed in at least 20 triathlons during his life, worked out regularly into his 80s, even as he battled the various forms of cancer that he was stricken with. He often spoke of his love of swimming in the Gulf of Mexico near his home in Naples, Fla., or jogging in a pool or from wall to wall in his hotel room when he was traveling on NBA assignments.
"He's probably forgotten more about the game than I know," Miami Heat coach and president Pat Riley once said of Ramsay, whom he counted as a close friend.
Ramsay also spent several years late in life caring for his wife, Jean, who was diagnosed in 2001 with Alzheimer's disease. She died in January 2010.
Ramsay had enormous popularity within the league, even until the final stages of his life. To commemorate Ramsay's 89th birthday earlier this year, Portland coach Terry Stotts wore a loud checkered jacket and open-collared shirt for a Blazers' game — a nod to how Ramsay dressed when he coached the club.
"Jack's life is a beacon which guides us all," Bill Walton, who was on Ramsay's 1977 title team in Portland, told USA Today in 2007. "He is our moral compass, our spiritual inspiration. He represents the conquest of substance over hype. He is a true saint of circumstance."
John T. Ramsay was born Feb. 21, 1925, in Philadelphia and enrolled at Saint Joseph's in 1942, eventually becoming captain of the basketball team there for his senior season. He earned a doctorate in education from the University of Pennsylvania in 1949, explaining the "Dr. Jack" moniker that most players and fans simply knew him by.
Ramsay took over as coach of the Philadelphia 76ers in 1968, moved on
to the Buffalo Braves in 1972 and took his craft to Portland in 1976 —
where he took a team with stars like Walton and Maurice Lucas and
delivered an NBA championship in his first season, beating the 76ers in
six games in the final series.
"For me, it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience and one that I will cherish forever," Ramsay in an 1997 interview.
Ramsay's death was announced by ESPN, for whom he worked as a broadcaster for many years.
"Dr. Jack Ramsay has passed," ESPN spokesman Chris LaPlaca wrote on Twitter early Monday. "A rare man. Loved and respected by all. Fascinating life well lived. An inspiration to so many."
Ramsay coached in the NBA for parts of 21 seasons before embarking on a second career as an NBA analyst. He was diagnosed with melanoma in 2004 and later battled growths and tumors that spread to his legs, lungs and brain, then later fought prostate cancer and most recently a marrow syndrome.
His affinity for fitness never wavered, though. Ramsay, who competed in at least 20 triathlons during his life, worked out regularly into his 80s, even as he battled the various forms of cancer that he was stricken with. He often spoke of his love of swimming in the Gulf of Mexico near his home in Naples, Fla., or jogging in a pool or from wall to wall in his hotel room when he was traveling on NBA assignments.
"He's probably forgotten more about the game than I know," Miami Heat coach and president Pat Riley once said of Ramsay, whom he counted as a close friend.
Ramsay also spent several years late in life caring for his wife, Jean, who was diagnosed in 2001 with Alzheimer's disease. She died in January 2010.
Ramsay had enormous popularity within the league, even until the final stages of his life. To commemorate Ramsay's 89th birthday earlier this year, Portland coach Terry Stotts wore a loud checkered jacket and open-collared shirt for a Blazers' game — a nod to how Ramsay dressed when he coached the club.
"Jack's life is a beacon which guides us all," Bill Walton, who was on Ramsay's 1977 title team in Portland, told USA Today in 2007. "He is our moral compass, our spiritual inspiration. He represents the conquest of substance over hype. He is a true saint of circumstance."
John T. Ramsay was born Feb. 21, 1925, in Philadelphia and enrolled at Saint Joseph's in 1942, eventually becoming captain of the basketball team there for his senior season. He earned a doctorate in education from the University of Pennsylvania in 1949, explaining the "Dr. Jack" moniker that most players and fans simply knew him by.
After
Navy service in World War II, Ramsay graduated from St. Joseph’s in
1949. He played semipro basketball, coached in high school, then became
head coach at St. Joseph’s in 1955. He coached the Hawks to 10
postseason appearances in 11 seasons, including a berth in the N.C.A.A.
tournament’s Final Four in 1961, and had an overall record of 234-72.
He
became the 76ers’ general manager in the 1966-67 season, when the
Sixers, led by Wilt Chamberlain, won their first N.B.A. championship.
Ramsay
took on the coaching as well in July 1968 when Chamberlain was traded
to the Los Angeles Lakers. A year later, he became the first N.B.A.
general manager to use computerized analysis in scouting college players
for the draft.
"For me, it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience and one that I will cherish forever," Ramsay in an 1997 interview.
Sunday, April 27, 2014
Donald Sterling caught on tape
Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling was allegedly caught on tape
making racist comments to girlfriend V. Stiviano, some of which were
about NBA Hall of Famer Magic Johnson.
TMZ reports it obtained audio from a conversation between Sterling and Stiviano in which he confronts her about associating with black people in public. He was particularity outspoken about her posting Instagram photos with black friends.
Reactions from Magic Johnson, President Obama, Michael Jordan, Doc Rivers, Kevin Johnson, LeBron James.
***
Is it really a coincident that at the time a lawsuit has been filed against V. Stiviano, an audio tape appears that recorded a private argument between Sterling and his young girlfriend? The recording was released by TMZ Sports on April 25 and contains quite a few racial comments about minorities, in particular, African-Americans.
At the heart of the argument between the old man and his young girlfriend is a picture that V. Sterling posted on her Instagram page. The photo, which by now has been taken down, shows the young girl in the company of Magic Johnson. In response to the photo, Sterling can be heard saying that he does not want his girlfriend to appear with other men in pictures and he does not want her to bring them to his games. Are the words that can be heard in the above audio video the words of a racist man or a jealous old man?
As previously reported, the taped conversation between the two is interesting to listen to because to some listeners, it seems that the focus on minorities was “prompted” by the girl while the man on the tape seems to be more upset about his girlfriend being with other men. Since the Instagram photo had shown Magic Johnson, of course Sterling talked about an “African -American.” But was Sterling upset about another man or about a “Black Man?” Listeners might want to decide for themselves by listening to the tape rather than reading only the headlines of the main media.
***
Sterling has been giving for years, and not just to the NAACP. He's
donated millions to other groups advocating for African Americans like
the United Negro College Fund and the Black Business Association.
Some see a calculated strategy to bolster his image and deflect criticism over previous episodes of alleged racism. Nicole Neily, a crisis communications consultant, said donors can have ulterior motives.
"There is strategy that goes into: Who do we need to defuse? Are you buying friends? Are you not buying friends? And for big groups, I think it's maybe you're trying to get on their radar, get some access," Neily said.
Just last month Washington Redskins owner Dan Snyder, under pressure to change his team's name, established a foundation to improve the condition of Native Americans.
Image consultants also point to NFL quarterback Michael Vick who spent nearly two years in jail for running a dog fighting ring. After being released and looking to revive his career, he partnered with The Humane Society.
For Sterling there has been a pay off. He has received numerous honors and also relentlessly promoted his giving, taking out full page ads in local newspapers.
Huffman said her organization will never take his money again.
*** 4/29/14
Donald Sterling banned permanently from the NBA by Adam Silver.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver said Tuesday that he will try to force the controversial owner to sell his franchise. Sterling has also been fined $2.5 million, and Silver made no effort to hide his outrage over the comments.
Sterling is immediately barred from attending any NBA games or practices, be present at any Clippers office or facility, or participate in any business or player personnel decisions involving the team. He also cannot participate in any league business going forward.
"This league is far bigger than any one owner, any one coach and any one player," Silver said.
*** 5/2/14
TMZ reports it obtained audio from a conversation between Sterling and Stiviano in which he confronts her about associating with black people in public. He was particularity outspoken about her posting Instagram photos with black friends.
Reactions from Magic Johnson, President Obama, Michael Jordan, Doc Rivers, Kevin Johnson, LeBron James.
***
Is it really a coincident that at the time a lawsuit has been filed against V. Stiviano, an audio tape appears that recorded a private argument between Sterling and his young girlfriend? The recording was released by TMZ Sports on April 25 and contains quite a few racial comments about minorities, in particular, African-Americans.
At the heart of the argument between the old man and his young girlfriend is a picture that V. Sterling posted on her Instagram page. The photo, which by now has been taken down, shows the young girl in the company of Magic Johnson. In response to the photo, Sterling can be heard saying that he does not want his girlfriend to appear with other men in pictures and he does not want her to bring them to his games. Are the words that can be heard in the above audio video the words of a racist man or a jealous old man?
As previously reported, the taped conversation between the two is interesting to listen to because to some listeners, it seems that the focus on minorities was “prompted” by the girl while the man on the tape seems to be more upset about his girlfriend being with other men. Since the Instagram photo had shown Magic Johnson, of course Sterling talked about an “African -American.” But was Sterling upset about another man or about a “Black Man?” Listeners might want to decide for themselves by listening to the tape rather than reading only the headlines of the main media.
***
The NAACP said today they are still willing to work with Los Angeles
Clippers' owner Donald Sterling despite yanking an offer of a lifetime
achievement award over an audio tape containing racist comments that
Sterling allegedly made.
At a news conference today, NAACP Los Angeles president Leon Jenkins said that an audio recording that surfaced this weekend on TMZ, which purportedly had Sterling's voice recorded making racist comments, was "devastating."
"God teaches us to forgive, and the way I look at it, after a sustained
period of proof to the African American community that those words don't
reflect his heart, I think there's room for forgiveness. I wouldn't be a
Christian if I said there wasn't," Jenkins said.
"We are negotiating with him about giving more moneys to African
American students at UCLA, and so we are in preliminary discussions,"
Jenkins said. He also noted, however, they had not spoken since the
scandal broke.
The news conference was held to discuss the organization's decision to
cancel plans to honor to Sterling with a lifetime achievement in the
wake of the tape, which allegedly contained an argument between
Sterling, 80, and his girlfriend, Vanessa Stiviano, 31, in which the
male voice on the recording makes many racist comments.
But the organization would be open to talking to Sterling, with whom they've worked for nearly 20 years.
Jenkins said that the NAACP had been working closely with Sterling on
contributions to the black community in southern California, including
creating an endowment at a predominantly black college in the LA area
and a scholarship program for black students at UCLA.
"The mission of the NAACP is to eradicate discrimination and racial
hatred in all its forms, and each year our executive board votes on who
we decide that we are going to honor," Jenkins said. "Mr. Sterling has
given out a tremendous amount of scholarships, he has invited numerous
African American kids to summer camps, and his donations are bigger than
other sports franchises."
The Los Angeles chapter of the NAACP posted on its website over the weekend that it would not give Sterling the Lifetime Achievement award after all.
***
Some see a calculated strategy to bolster his image and deflect criticism over previous episodes of alleged racism. Nicole Neily, a crisis communications consultant, said donors can have ulterior motives.
"There is strategy that goes into: Who do we need to defuse? Are you buying friends? Are you not buying friends? And for big groups, I think it's maybe you're trying to get on their radar, get some access," Neily said.
Just last month Washington Redskins owner Dan Snyder, under pressure to change his team's name, established a foundation to improve the condition of Native Americans.
Image consultants also point to NFL quarterback Michael Vick who spent nearly two years in jail for running a dog fighting ring. After being released and looking to revive his career, he partnered with The Humane Society.
For Sterling there has been a pay off. He has received numerous honors and also relentlessly promoted his giving, taking out full page ads in local newspapers.
Donald Sterling banned permanently from the NBA by Adam Silver.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver said Tuesday that he will try to force the controversial owner to sell his franchise. Sterling has also been fined $2.5 million, and Silver made no effort to hide his outrage over the comments.
Sterling is immediately barred from attending any NBA games or practices, be present at any Clippers office or facility, or participate in any business or player personnel decisions involving the team. He also cannot participate in any league business going forward.
"This league is far bigger than any one owner, any one coach and any one player," Silver said.
*** 5/2/14
Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling’s confidante V. Stiviano
today told ABC’s Barbara Walters that she thinks the embattled NBA
basketball owner should apologize for his racist remarks.
"Yes. Absolutely,” Stiviano, 31, said when Walters asked her during an exclusive television interview in Los Angeles.
"I think he’s highly more traumatized and hurt by the things that he
said himself,” she added. “I think he can’t even believe or understand
sometimes the thing he says, and I think he’s hurt by it. He’s hurting
right now."
Despite the controversy around his comments, she said he is not a racist.
“I think Mr. Sterling is from a different generation than I am. I think he was brought up to believe these things … segregation, whites and blacks,” Stiviano said. “But through his actions he’s shown that he’s not a racist. He’s shown to be a very generous and kind man.”
*** 5/4/14
Donald Sterling doesn’t just save his rants for The Clippers — he allegedly exploded on his oddball gal pal V. Stiviano just minutes before she sat down with Barbara Walters on Friday and called herself Sterling’s “silly rabbit.”
Although Sterling did not appear on “20/20” with Walters — as a last minute decision — he was with Stiviano at the Four Seasons in Los Angeles, where the interview was filmed.
One shocked guest at the hotel tells us they hopped onto an elevator with Sterling, 81, and Stiviano, 31, only to be caught in the middle of a one-sided scream-fest.
“He’s screaming at her in the elevator, ‘You’re a media whore!’ She sat there quiet and didn’t say a word,” our tipster says. “Then he looks at her and says, ‘Get off this f---ing elevator! Get off this elevator and shut the f--- up!’”
Our elevator-riding spy says Stiviano, who had been trying to persuade Sterling to sit down with Walters, then pressed a “random button” and got off the elevator on the 15th floor of the hotel, disappearing as the doors closed.
Sterling, meanwhile, continued his rant to a male friend, who appeared to be on his legal team.
“He was yelling, ‘She’s f---king crazy! I can’t deal with her! She’s nuts!” says our source.
The disgraced Clippers owner then rode the elevator to the lobby and stormed out of the hotel.
Our witness says they had no idea that just 20 minutes later, Stiviano was sitting down with Walters to talk about her racist “father figure” in a positive light.
“You would have no idea anything was wrong the way she looked on TV,” says our source.
[5/12/14] Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling apologized Sunday for racist comments captured on tape, saying they were a "terrible mistake."
"I'm not a racist," Sterling told CNN's Anderson Cooper in excerpts posted from an interview taped Sunday and set to air Monday. "I made a terrible mistake. I'm here to apologize."
In his first public comments since being banned for life from the NBA, Sterling said years of good behavior as an owner should count toward his future.
"I'm a good member who made a mistake," Sterling said. "Am I entitled to one mistake, am I after 35 years? I mean, I love my league, I love my partners. Am I entitled to one mistake? It's a terrible mistake, and I'll never do it again."
[5/13/14] An interview that was supposed to be an attempt at rehabilitation instead had Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling facing fresh rebukes as he went from apologizing for recent racist remarks to slamming Magic Johnson, repeatedly bringing up the ex-NBA star's HIV status and calling him an unfit role model for children.
[5/12/14] Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling apologized Sunday for racist comments captured on tape, saying they were a "terrible mistake."
"I'm not a racist," Sterling told CNN's Anderson Cooper in excerpts posted from an interview taped Sunday and set to air Monday. "I made a terrible mistake. I'm here to apologize."
In his first public comments since being banned for life from the NBA, Sterling said years of good behavior as an owner should count toward his future.
"I'm a good member who made a mistake," Sterling said. "Am I entitled to one mistake, am I after 35 years? I mean, I love my league, I love my partners. Am I entitled to one mistake? It's a terrible mistake, and I'll never do it again."
[5/13/14] An interview that was supposed to be an attempt at rehabilitation instead had Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling facing fresh rebukes as he went from apologizing for recent racist remarks to slamming Magic Johnson, repeatedly bringing up the ex-NBA star's HIV status and calling him an unfit role model for children.
"He's got AIDS!" Sterling said
loudly at one point in the interview, cutting off CNN's Anderson Cooper
as the interviewer attempted to cite Johnson's accomplishments after
Sterling asked, "What has he done, big Magic Johnson, what has he done?"
The comments earned Sterling quick condemnation from the league that was already trying to rid itself of the owner.
Sterling's estranged wife,
Shelley Sterling, watched her husband's interview and told NBC's "Today"
show that he may be losing his mental faculties.
"He's not the man I know, or I knew," she said. "There's something wrong. I really think, personally, he has dementia.
[5/14//14] Jon Stewart is mean (bonus commentary on Karl Rove)
[5/14/14] Magic Johnson has some advice for Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling: Sell the team, take the money and enjoy the rest of your life.
[5/14//14] Jon Stewart is mean (bonus commentary on Karl Rove)
[5/14/14] Magic Johnson has some advice for Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling: Sell the team, take the money and enjoy the rest of your life.
A day after Sterling
appeared on CNN slamming the NBA legend's character, his battle with HIV
and his community outreach efforts, Johnson said Tuesday that he feels
sorry for the 80-year-old billionaire.
"It's sad. It really is. I'm going to pray for this ... man," Johnson told CNN's Anderson Cooper in an exclusive interview.
Johnson and the woman at the center of the scandal -- Stiviano -- have met briefly only once, the NBA legend said, taking a picture at a Los Angeles Dodgers game. Johnson is a part-owner of the baseball team.
"I don't know the young lady. I barely know Donald, so now I am caught in the middle of this love affair or whatever they had," Johnson said.
Johnson said he doesn't think Sterling understands what a big mistake the Clippers owner's racist comments were or the number of people who were offended by the remarks -- and by Sterling's statements to Cooper that aired Monday night, slamming Johnson again.
"What kind of a guy goes to every city, has sex with every girl, then he catches HIV? Is that someone we want to respect and tell our kids about?" Sterling asked Cooper in Monday's interview. "I think he should be ashamed of himself. I think he should go into the background. But what does he do for the black people? He doesn't do anything."
In response, Johnson defended his charitable work and business investments, saying Sterling should have done his homework before making the comments.
"My whole life is devoted to urban America. So, you know I just wish he knew the facts when he's talking," Johnson told Cooper. "But he's a man who's upset and he's reaching. He's reaching. He's trying to find something that he can grab on to help him save his team. And it's not going to happen."
He also responded to Sterling's HIV remarks, saying he never hid from the diagnosis when he retired from the NBA in 1991.
"I came out like a man, you know, I told the world. I didn't blame nobody else. I understood that what I did was wrong," Johnson said. "OK, so I announced that to the world, and I hoped that I was able to help people in doing that, and I think I did."
Johnson said Sterling should go into retirement.
"You're 80 years old. You've had a tremendous life. And you're going to benefit, whatever the price tag is, from this team selling. Just go ahead and enjoy the rest of your life," Johnson said. "You're fighting a battle that you can't win."
[5/29/14] The former Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer has agreed to pay $2 billion for the Los Angeles Clippers, according to a person briefed on the negotiations. If approved by the National Basketball Association, the sale would end a troubling situation for the league and rank as one of the largest deals in sports history.
Rochelle Sterling, Mr. Sterling’s wife and a co-owner of the Clippers, signed the deal with Mr. Ballmer, and their contract will be sent to the N.B.A. for final approval, the person briefed on the negotiations said. Mr. Ballmer, 58, was already vetted by the league in 2013 when he was part of an investor group seeking to buy the Sacramento Kings, which means the process could be expedited.
[5/29/14] The former Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer has agreed to pay $2 billion for the Los Angeles Clippers, according to a person briefed on the negotiations. If approved by the National Basketball Association, the sale would end a troubling situation for the league and rank as one of the largest deals in sports history.
Rochelle Sterling, Mr. Sterling’s wife and a co-owner of the Clippers, signed the deal with Mr. Ballmer, and their contract will be sent to the N.B.A. for final approval, the person briefed on the negotiations said. Mr. Ballmer, 58, was already vetted by the league in 2013 when he was part of an investor group seeking to buy the Sacramento Kings, which means the process could be expedited.
Mr. Sterling’s position remains uncertain. He was said to have authorized his wife to negotiate with potential buyers,
but she needed his power of attorney to sign off on an agreement. Mr.
Sterling’s lawyer, Maxwell Blecher, said Wednesday that Ms. Sterling did not have it.
Mr. Blecher also said that, as incentive to agree to sell the team, Mr.
Sterling wanted the N.B.A. to drop its charges that he had violated the
league’s constitution.
The Los Angeles Times was the first to report that Mr. Ballmer had reached an agreement with Ms. Sterling.
If
the Clippers sell for $2 billion, the price would be the highest paid
for an N.B.A. team, far exceeding the $550 million that the Milwaukee
Bucks recently sold for. Major League Baseball’s Dodgers, the Clippers’ Los Angeles neighbors, sold for $2.15 billion two years ago.
The $1.1 billion paid for the Miami Dolphins in 2009 is the peak price
for a N.F.L. team, with the Cleveland Browns, who were sold two years
ago, a little behind. N.F.L. franchises share in the most lucrative
national television deals of all the major leagues.
[6/16/14] More offensive than Donald Sterling?
[8/12/14] Steve Ballmer officially becomes Clippers owner
[8/14/14] Shelly Sterling, Number One Fan
[8/23/14] Donald Sterling’s ex-assistant V. Stiviano claims the former L.A. Clippers owner is gay and that she spent three years acting as his beard so no one would suspect his true sexuality. [it gets better and better]
[9/26/14] No more iPads for Clippers
[6/16/14] More offensive than Donald Sterling?
[8/12/14] Steve Ballmer officially becomes Clippers owner
[8/14/14] Shelly Sterling, Number One Fan
[8/23/14] Donald Sterling’s ex-assistant V. Stiviano claims the former L.A. Clippers owner is gay and that she spent three years acting as his beard so no one would suspect his true sexuality. [it gets better and better]
[9/26/14] No more iPads for Clippers
Earl Morrall
MIAMI (AP) -- Earl Morrall stepped in when the 1972 Miami Dolphins needed him most. And then he willingly stepped aside, earning enduring admiration from his teammates and coach Don Shula.
Morrall, who started 11 games during the Dolphins' perfect season and spent 21 years as an NFL quarterback, died Friday at age 79. He had been in failing health for some time.
''There would be no perfect season, and probably no Super Bowl win in 1972, without Earl Morrall,'' Bob Griese said Friday.
When Griese broke his ankle in 1972, Morrall came off the bench and started the final nine games of the regular season. Morrall won praise from Shula for returning to the sideline without complaint when Griese came back to play in the final two postseason games, including the Super Bowl to cap the only perfect season in NFL history.
Morrall also played for the 49ers, Steelers, Lions, Giants and Colts, winning three Super Bowl rings. He came off the bench to replace an injured Johnny Unitas and help the Colts win the Super Bowl to cap the 1970 season, and he was the backup to Griese on the Dolphins' 1973 championship team.
Morrall also was the starting quarterback opposite Joe Namath in the 1969 Super Bowl after guiding the Colts to the conference title and winning the league's MVP award. He struggled in that famous 16-7 loss to the Jets, throwing key interceptions, and was benched during the second half for Unitas.
The '72 Dolphins were led by such future Pro Football Hall of Famers as Shula, Griese, Larry Csonka and Paul Warfield, but their season might be long forgotten if not for Morrall, then regarded as a journeyman who looked the part with his old-school flattop haircut.
That's why Shula - who also coached Unitas and Dan Marino - held Morrall in special regard as a quarterback.
''When Bob went down, Earl stepped in like nothing happened, and we just won all the games,'' Shula said in a 2007 interview. ''Then Griese was healthy for the AFC championship game against Pittsburgh, and I put Bob in the second half and he helped us come from behind and win the game.
''Then I had a decision to make, which to me has always been the toughest decision I've ever had to make - who to start in the Super Bowl. Earl had done such a great job to get me there, but Bob was my quarterback going into the season, and he was my quarterback of the future. So I figured as long as Bob was healthy and ready to go, I was going back to Bob.
''So I've always said Unitas, Griese and Dan Marino are in the Hall of Fame, and Earl is in my own personal Hall of Fame.''
Morrall, who started 11 games during the Dolphins' perfect season and spent 21 years as an NFL quarterback, died Friday at age 79. He had been in failing health for some time.
''There would be no perfect season, and probably no Super Bowl win in 1972, without Earl Morrall,'' Bob Griese said Friday.
When Griese broke his ankle in 1972, Morrall came off the bench and started the final nine games of the regular season. Morrall won praise from Shula for returning to the sideline without complaint when Griese came back to play in the final two postseason games, including the Super Bowl to cap the only perfect season in NFL history.
Morrall also played for the 49ers, Steelers, Lions, Giants and Colts, winning three Super Bowl rings. He came off the bench to replace an injured Johnny Unitas and help the Colts win the Super Bowl to cap the 1970 season, and he was the backup to Griese on the Dolphins' 1973 championship team.
Morrall also was the starting quarterback opposite Joe Namath in the 1969 Super Bowl after guiding the Colts to the conference title and winning the league's MVP award. He struggled in that famous 16-7 loss to the Jets, throwing key interceptions, and was benched during the second half for Unitas.
The '72 Dolphins were led by such future Pro Football Hall of Famers as Shula, Griese, Larry Csonka and Paul Warfield, but their season might be long forgotten if not for Morrall, then regarded as a journeyman who looked the part with his old-school flattop haircut.
That's why Shula - who also coached Unitas and Dan Marino - held Morrall in special regard as a quarterback.
''When Bob went down, Earl stepped in like nothing happened, and we just won all the games,'' Shula said in a 2007 interview. ''Then Griese was healthy for the AFC championship game against Pittsburgh, and I put Bob in the second half and he helped us come from behind and win the game.
''Then I had a decision to make, which to me has always been the toughest decision I've ever had to make - who to start in the Super Bowl. Earl had done such a great job to get me there, but Bob was my quarterback going into the season, and he was my quarterback of the future. So I figured as long as Bob was healthy and ready to go, I was going back to Bob.
''So I've always said Unitas, Griese and Dan Marino are in the Hall of Fame, and Earl is in my own personal Hall of Fame.''
Friday, April 25, 2014
Hunter Hughes is here to help
With NCAA roster limits, it appears about seven University of Hawaii football players participating in spring ball might not be invited to training camp in August.
What are the odds a sub-6-foot walk-on who is fourth in a three-quarterback competition will survive the cut? The chances probably are as good as a player who was raised in an Illinois village spending four years working around the world on a Christian mission and ending up as a Rainbow Warrior.
"I'm here to help," said Hunter Hughes, a 22-year-old freshman from Lake Zurich, Ill. "They've given me a wonderful opportunity by giving me a jersey. Until they tell me my day is done, I'm going to give 100 percent."
In addition to being a scout quarterback, Hughes throws warm-up passes to receivers, serves as a scout defender on kickoffs, fills in as a safety during offensive drills and even entertains with an Elaine Benes dance before the stretching session.
"He's fun and cool," quarterback Ikaika Woolsey said. "He knows he won't get much (quarterback) reps, but he comes out here with a great attitude. He's always smiling. He's happy to be here. It's good to have guys like that on the team. He's upbeat. He's a good guy."
Hughes said his two months as a Warrior have been "an absolute dream come true. My role out here is not to be the starting quarterback. We have a three-man race for that, and those guys are very capable of that job right now. I'm just here to give the guys a look and help them get better. I'm the Rudy of the team, and I'm happy to be here."
Before Hughes was "here," he was everywhere.
When he was 16, he set a goal of working with Youth With a Mission, a non-denominational Christian organization. To raise money for his missions, he umpired 70 baseball games each summer, worked as a caricature artist at Six Flags and mowed neighbors' lawns.
Those earnings, coupled with help from his family and friends, enabled him to build a school in Nepal, work on water and farming projects in Kenya, and teach English in Sudan and Taiwan.
"The people were amazing," Hughes said. "That's what I want to try to do the rest of my life."
He eventually was assigned to YWAM's branch in Manoa, which enabled him to enroll at UH at the in-state tuition rate this past August.
He then learned the Warriors were conducting walk-on tryouts in February. Only current full-time UH-Manoa students were eligible to audition.
As the only quarterback at the tryouts, Hughes threw about 70 passes at the afternoon workout. Hughes told quarterbacks coach Jordan Wynn: "I'd really like to help any way I can. I've got some leadership and morale experience. Just use me."
Two weeks later, head coach Norm Chow invited Hughes to spring training.
"When I got the call, I was at breakfast at Gateway (Cafeteria)," Hughes said. "He called me at 8:30 a.m. I just sat there, and then I called my dad. He went, ‘No, way.' It was just incredible, man. My whole community back home is really excited."
Hughes knows Saturday's scrimmage could be his final time in a UH uniform.
"To play Division I football — at whatever cost I need to do to play for Coach Chow — is quite an honor," Hughes said. "I just consider it a blessing every day, man, to be out here."
Saturday, April 19, 2014
Michelle Wie wins at home
With six birdies in a final-round 67, Michelle Wie charged to the top
of the leaderboard Saturday at the LPGA Lotte Championship and claimed
her third win on the tour.
Wie -- just two weeks removed from her runner-up finish in the season's first major, the Kraft Nabisco Championship -- birdied Nos. 1, 5 and 6 to quickly move to 12 under. Two holes later, third-round leader Angela Stanford bogeyed to create a tie atop the leaderboard. Wie took the lead with a birdie at the 13th and needed another at the 14th to stay ahead of Stanford, who closed with 73, then pulled away down the stretch for a two-shot win at 14 under par.
"I think being back home, I think just not putting pressure on myself, just feeling all the support from the people this week, and you know just being patient -- I just had a blast this week," Wie told Golf Channel.
Wie -- just two weeks removed from her runner-up finish in the season's first major, the Kraft Nabisco Championship -- birdied Nos. 1, 5 and 6 to quickly move to 12 under. Two holes later, third-round leader Angela Stanford bogeyed to create a tie atop the leaderboard. Wie took the lead with a birdie at the 13th and needed another at the 14th to stay ahead of Stanford, who closed with 73, then pulled away down the stretch for a two-shot win at 14 under par.
"I think being back home, I think just not putting pressure on myself, just feeling all the support from the people this week, and you know just being patient -- I just had a blast this week," Wie told Golf Channel.
Saturday, April 12, 2014
Pacquiao vs. Bradley II
Writer's predictions
Looking at the Yahoo live chat from Kevin Iole and Martin Rogers.
Iole has it 117-111 for Pacquiao.
The L.A. Times (Lance Pugmire) has it 117-111 for Pacquiao.
USA Today (Bob Velin) has it 117-111 for Pacquiao.
What about the judges? Unlike last time, they agree with the writers (and the rest of civilization).
Judge Glenn Trowbridge has it 118-110, Pacquiao.
Judge Craig Metcalfe has it 116-112, Pacquiao.
Judge Michael Pernick has it 116-112, Pacquiao.
Still waiting for some video on ESPN SportsCenter.
Google.
Here's the ESPN story (soon to be updated and expanded, I presume)
Bing.
Here's the Bleacher Report/LA Times story
Yahoo story (AP)
OK, finally at 7:28 PM, some video of the fight on SportsCenter.
Sports Illustrated story
Reuters
another Bleacher Report
Looking at the Yahoo live chat from Kevin Iole and Martin Rogers.
Iole has it 117-111 for Pacquiao.
The L.A. Times (Lance Pugmire) has it 117-111 for Pacquiao.
USA Today (Bob Velin) has it 117-111 for Pacquiao.
What about the judges? Unlike last time, they agree with the writers (and the rest of civilization).
Judge Glenn Trowbridge has it 118-110, Pacquiao.
Judge Craig Metcalfe has it 116-112, Pacquiao.
Judge Michael Pernick has it 116-112, Pacquiao.
Still waiting for some video on ESPN SportsCenter.
Google.
Here's the ESPN story (soon to be updated and expanded, I presume)
Bing.
Here's the Bleacher Report/LA Times story
Yahoo story (AP)
OK, finally at 7:28 PM, some video of the fight on SportsCenter.
Sports Illustrated story
Reuters
another Bleacher Report
Good Ol' JR (and more)
Before the start of the King of the Ring pay-per-view broadcast on June 28, 1998, Ross was unaware that The Undertaker would launch Mick Foley off the top of the Hell in a Cell (an enclosed 16-foot tall steel cage covering the ring). He was also unaware that he would deliver his most iconic call, pro wrestling's equivalent to Al Michaels' screaming out, "Do you believe in miracles?" during the 1980 U.S. Hockey team's upset of the Soviet Union, or Russ Hodges' call after the Giants beat the Dodgers in their 1951 playoff, "The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant!"
The match began with Foley, one of wrestling's most unlikely success stories — a chubby Long Island masochist missing half his ear who went from journeyman to main event player — and the 7-foot tall Undertaker (a real-life redheaded Texan named Mark Calaway, but according to the storyline, an undead soul impervious to pain) atop the roof of the Cell pummeling one another with fists and a steel folding chair. Foley soon made his way near the edge, teetering like a wino. From his ringside seat, Ross assumed Foley was simply teasing the unthinkable. Of course, he's not going to come tumbling off the cell, he thought. My God, he can't survive that. But suddenly Foley was in flight, plummeting approximately 22 feet before crashing through the Spanish announcer's table. The crowd gasped. Jim Ross opened his mouth.
"GOOD GOD ALMIGHTY! GOOD GOD ALMIGHTY! THEY'VE KILLED HIM," he howled. Ross then paused as the camera lingered over the carnage. "AS GOD AS MY WITNESS, HE IS BROKEN IN HALF!" With one sound bite, Ross, pro wrestling's Vin Scully, its John Madden in a cowboy hat, turned a spectacle into an event.
Monday, April 07, 2014
UConn defeats Kentucky for National Championship
No conference wanted them. Several teammates and their coach left them. The NCAA kept them out for a year.
UConn won it all anyway.
Shabazz Napier turned in another all-court masterpiece Monday night to lift the Huskies to a 60-54 win over Kentucky's freshmen and a national title hardly anyone saw coming.
Napier had 22 points, six rebounds and three assists, and his partner in defensive lock-down, Ryan Boatright, finished with 14 points.
Napier kneeled down and put his forehead to the court for a long while after the buzzer sounded. He was wiping back tears when he cut down the net.
"Honestly, I want to get everybody's attention right quick," Napier
said. "You're looking at the hungry Huskies. Ladies and gentlemen, this
is what happens when you banned us."
Yes, it is only a short year since the Huskies were barred from March Madness because of grades problems. That stoked a fire no one could put out in 2014.
UConn (32-8) never trailed in the final. The Huskies led by as many as 15 in the first half and watched the Wildcats (29-11) trim the deficit to one with 8:13 left. But Aaron Harrison, Kentucky's big-moment shooter in the last three games, missed a 3-pointer from the left corner that would've given the `Cats the lead. Kentucky never got closer.
One key difference in a six-point loss: Kentucky's 11 missed free throws - a flashback of sorts for coach John Calipari, whose Memphis team blew a late lead against Kansas after missing multiple free throws in the 2008 final. The Wildcats went 13 for 24. UConn went 10 for 10, including Lasan Kromah's two to seal the game with 25.1 seconds left.
"We had our chances to win," Calipari said. "We're missing shots, we're missing free throws. We just didn't have enough."
In all, Calipari's One and Doners got outdone by a more fundamentally sound, more-seasoned group that came into this tournament a seventh-seeded afterthought but walked away with the program's fourth national title since 1999. They were the highest seed to win it all since Rollie Massimino's eighth-seeded Villanova squad in 1985.
Napier and Boatright now go down with Kemba Walker, Emeka Okafor and all those other UConn champs of years past. This adds to the school's titles in 1999, 2004 and 2011.
This one was, by far, the most unexpected.
UConn won it all anyway.
Shabazz Napier turned in another all-court masterpiece Monday night to lift the Huskies to a 60-54 win over Kentucky's freshmen and a national title hardly anyone saw coming.
Napier had 22 points, six rebounds and three assists, and his partner in defensive lock-down, Ryan Boatright, finished with 14 points.
Napier kneeled down and put his forehead to the court for a long while after the buzzer sounded. He was wiping back tears when he cut down the net.
Yes, it is only a short year since the Huskies were barred from March Madness because of grades problems. That stoked a fire no one could put out in 2014.
UConn (32-8) never trailed in the final. The Huskies led by as many as 15 in the first half and watched the Wildcats (29-11) trim the deficit to one with 8:13 left. But Aaron Harrison, Kentucky's big-moment shooter in the last three games, missed a 3-pointer from the left corner that would've given the `Cats the lead. Kentucky never got closer.
One key difference in a six-point loss: Kentucky's 11 missed free throws - a flashback of sorts for coach John Calipari, whose Memphis team blew a late lead against Kansas after missing multiple free throws in the 2008 final. The Wildcats went 13 for 24. UConn went 10 for 10, including Lasan Kromah's two to seal the game with 25.1 seconds left.
"We had our chances to win," Calipari said. "We're missing shots, we're missing free throws. We just didn't have enough."
In all, Calipari's One and Doners got outdone by a more fundamentally sound, more-seasoned group that came into this tournament a seventh-seeded afterthought but walked away with the program's fourth national title since 1999. They were the highest seed to win it all since Rollie Massimino's eighth-seeded Villanova squad in 1985.
Napier and Boatright now go down with Kemba Walker, Emeka Okafor and all those other UConn champs of years past. This adds to the school's titles in 1999, 2004 and 2011.
This one was, by far, the most unexpected.
Undertaker defeated at Wrestlemania XXX
The Undertaker’s legendary WrestleMania streak came to an end Sunday
night at the hands of Brock Lesnar. The Undertaker, at the age of 49,
had won 21 consecutive matches
on the sport’s biggest stage, and his win streak seemed to be
untouchable. He kicked out of a number of finishing moves from Lesnar,
and as the match dragged on, it seemed inevitable that The Undertaker
would hit one of his signature tombstone piledrivers, and the Superdome
crowd — which had been booing Lesnar the entire match — would erupt to
celebrate 22-0.
Instead, Lesnar hit one last F5, and the streak was gone in three seconds. Fans were shocked.
***
WrestleManiaXXX host Hulk Hogan transported thousands of fans to their childhood, kicking off the festivities. Then Stone Cold Steve Austin appeared, followed by Miami’s own The Rock. They blew people’s minds by standing in the same ring together. It was the biggest star of the 1980s with the most popular performers of the 1990s and into the new millennium. The cross-generational moment set the tone for the evening’s proceedings with the coolest beer bash in history.
***
Hall of Fame Class of 2014 (and what they said).
***
Days after his Hall of Fame induction, Ultimate Warrior dead at 54
[7/25/14] Ted DiBiase believes Undertaker was not supposed to lose
[7/2714] One-third of the Wrestlemania VI (1990) competitors now dead
Instead, Lesnar hit one last F5, and the streak was gone in three seconds. Fans were shocked.
***
WrestleManiaXXX host Hulk Hogan transported thousands of fans to their childhood, kicking off the festivities. Then Stone Cold Steve Austin appeared, followed by Miami’s own The Rock. They blew people’s minds by standing in the same ring together. It was the biggest star of the 1980s with the most popular performers of the 1990s and into the new millennium. The cross-generational moment set the tone for the evening’s proceedings with the coolest beer bash in history.
***
Hall of Fame Class of 2014 (and what they said).
***
Days after his Hall of Fame induction, Ultimate Warrior dead at 54
[7/25/14] Ted DiBiase believes Undertaker was not supposed to lose
[7/2714] One-third of the Wrestlemania VI (1990) competitors now dead
Thursday, April 03, 2014
Rich Miano steps down as Kaiser coach
After two seasons, and lifting his alma mater to a state title, the Rich Miano era at Kaiser is done.
Sources
confirmed Wednesday night that Miano has resigned as football coach,
just months after guiding the Cougars to the Division II state
championship.
Miano
sent an email to his coaching staff, parents and players. He pointed to
his new job (as a stevedore) and a desire to simplify his life as two
reasons for stepping down.
Miano's team went 19-4 in two seasons, including 12-1 last fall. Kaiser defeated Kauai 17-7 in the D-II final.
His short
stint produced an immense display of talent, some of it homegrown and
some of it coming from transfers. That led to some controversy,
particularly from programs that lost football players to Kaiser.
Miano
played 11 seasons in the NFL after an unusual, but successful ascension
as a younger player. He was a standout defensive back at Kaiser, helping
the team win the Prep Bowl in 1979. He walked on at the University of
Hawaii and became a starter and All-WAC selection in 1983 and '84.
*** 5/1/14
*** 5/1/14
Cameron Higgins is the new head football coach at Kaiser High School.
Sources confirmed that Higgins has been selected to succeed Rich Miano, who stepped down after two seasons.
Miano's
teams went 20-4 in those two years, winning the Division II state title
in 2013. Higgins, the former Weber State and Saint Louis quarterback,
was Miano's offensive coordinator.
*** [9/3/14]
No matter the official title, Rich Miano sees himself as a coach, a builder of teams, a consolidator of support. This is as true today for the safety manager for Horizon Lines as it was when he was an assistant under June Jones and Greg McMackin. He also hopes to bring these elements to television, as he teams up with Robert Kekaula to broadcast UH football games on OC-16.
For a passionate supporter and occasional critic of the program, providing color commentary for his alma mater is a challenge that is both welcome and difficult.
“I knew this job was dangerous, so to speak,” Miano says. “But as I told Dan Schmidt (OC Sports’ general manager and executive producer), I only know how to be professional.”
That professionalism will be watched carefully.
UH has the right of refusal, allowing the school to choose who will broadcast its games. Miano got the OK from athletic director Ben Jay and head football coach Norm Chow, but that doesn’t make the job easier for the 11-year NFL veteran.
The decision to take the job was an easy one. Miano has known Kekaula for years and was eager to work with the affable broadcaster. The only issue was the status of his friend and mentor Dick Tomey, whose position he is filling. But that wasn’t actually an issue because the former UH and Arizona head coach is retired, traveling and enjoying time with the grandkids. Tomey will likely continue working with OC-16 in a lesser role.
*** 10/29/14
After months of discussion, the OIA has decided to institute a rule forcing many transfers to sit out from their sport for a year.
League principals approved the rule, which kicks in for the 2015-16 academic year, by an 18-0 vote.
OIA executive director Raymond Fujino said the new rule comes with an appeals process. In a case where a family moves to a new district out of necessity, an appeal could be heard.
The new rule will require a student-athlete to sit out one calendar year in any sport he or she previously played at the varsity level. For the most part, though, the new rule is in effect because of transfers in football.
Transfering has become a growing concern in high school football in recent years, most prominently at Kaiser and Mililani. The hiring of former University of Hawaii assistant coach Rich Miano spurred an influx of football transfers during his two seasons at Kaiser. Miano said openly that he and his staff would do their best to "recruit" football players to the program, which had been struggling in Division II.
Mililani was also drawing a large number of transfers during that time, though coach Rod York never uttered the "R" word. York, another former UH player, insisted that he never reached out to players or parents to lure them to Mililani.
With those two programs rolling up victories and collecting more talent, administrators began to ratchet up discussions about changing the transfer rule.
Miano left the job after last season, and the chatter around a rule change seemed to simmer down. However, things heated up again when a Kauai student-athlete left that campus during the preseason to transfer to Kaiser, where Cameron Higgins is now the head coach.
*** [9/3/14]
No matter the official title, Rich Miano sees himself as a coach, a builder of teams, a consolidator of support. This is as true today for the safety manager for Horizon Lines as it was when he was an assistant under June Jones and Greg McMackin. He also hopes to bring these elements to television, as he teams up with Robert Kekaula to broadcast UH football games on OC-16.
For a passionate supporter and occasional critic of the program, providing color commentary for his alma mater is a challenge that is both welcome and difficult.
“I knew this job was dangerous, so to speak,” Miano says. “But as I told Dan Schmidt (OC Sports’ general manager and executive producer), I only know how to be professional.”
That professionalism will be watched carefully.
UH has the right of refusal, allowing the school to choose who will broadcast its games. Miano got the OK from athletic director Ben Jay and head football coach Norm Chow, but that doesn’t make the job easier for the 11-year NFL veteran.
The decision to take the job was an easy one. Miano has known Kekaula for years and was eager to work with the affable broadcaster. The only issue was the status of his friend and mentor Dick Tomey, whose position he is filling. But that wasn’t actually an issue because the former UH and Arizona head coach is retired, traveling and enjoying time with the grandkids. Tomey will likely continue working with OC-16 in a lesser role.
*** 10/29/14
After months of discussion, the OIA has decided to institute a rule forcing many transfers to sit out from their sport for a year.
League principals approved the rule, which kicks in for the 2015-16 academic year, by an 18-0 vote.
OIA executive director Raymond Fujino said the new rule comes with an appeals process. In a case where a family moves to a new district out of necessity, an appeal could be heard.
The new rule will require a student-athlete to sit out one calendar year in any sport he or she previously played at the varsity level. For the most part, though, the new rule is in effect because of transfers in football.
Transfering has become a growing concern in high school football in recent years, most prominently at Kaiser and Mililani. The hiring of former University of Hawaii assistant coach Rich Miano spurred an influx of football transfers during his two seasons at Kaiser. Miano said openly that he and his staff would do their best to "recruit" football players to the program, which had been struggling in Division II.
Mililani was also drawing a large number of transfers during that time, though coach Rod York never uttered the "R" word. York, another former UH player, insisted that he never reached out to players or parents to lure them to Mililani.
With those two programs rolling up victories and collecting more talent, administrators began to ratchet up discussions about changing the transfer rule.
Miano left the job after last season, and the chatter around a rule change seemed to simmer down. However, things heated up again when a Kauai student-athlete left that campus during the preseason to transfer to Kaiser, where Cameron Higgins is now the head coach.
Wednesday, April 02, 2014
Chow vs. Reardon
It rained throughout the University of Hawaii football team's first practice of spring training on Tuesday. The storm hit afterward.
In a thunderous outburst, head coach Norm Chow abruptly canceled post-practice interview sessions in response to Honolulu Star-Advertiser columnist Dave Reardon's presence.
Television reporters were interviewing quarterback Taylor Graham when Chow yelled that Reardon was not welcomed at the practice. Tuesday's morning's practice, unlike practices during the regular season, was open to the public.
Through UH media relations director Derek Inouchi, Reardon was told Chow would not participate in post-practice interviews in the columnist's presence. Post-practice interviews are conducted on the practice field.
Reardon said he was prepared to leave the grass practice field when Chow began yelling, "You're not welcome here, sir." Chow then ordered a halt to the media's interviews with players and assistant coaches. Graham, who was about to answer a question from television reporters, apologized and then joined teammates in sprinting off the field.
Later, Chow told the Star-Advertiser he was angry over a January column questioning Kevin Clune's hiring as defensive coordinator. Chow said the column was "disrespectful" to Clune and jeopardized his relationship with players.
Reardon, whose duties for the newspaper are to provide opinion pieces, had attended Clune's introductory news conference a week after the column was published without incident. Tuesday morning was the first face-to-face encounter between Chow and Reardon this year.
Out of respect for media cohorts, Reardon said he was willing to leave the field when the outburst occurred. Reardon said he did not want to be the reason other reporters could not do their stories.
This is the second time Chow has feuded with a media entity. In July 2012, Chow was angered when Hawaii News Now reported quarterback Sean Schroeder was transferring from Duke to UH.
Chow did not participate in one-on-one interviews with Hawaii News Now for most of the 2012 season, his first as UH head coach. Chow spoke at group interviews, and allowed his coaches and players to speak with the news station.
***
Tuesday afternoon, Chow apologized for causing a distraction.
"I'm extremely sorry that my actions this morning deflected attention away from a very good beginning to spring practice," Chow said in statement released through the school. "Going forward, the focus will continue to be on our football team and the hard work they are putting in to prepare for the 2014 season."
Chow and Reardon have agreed to meet Wednesday.
*** [Reardon responds]
See you at practice, Coach Chow.
You don’t have to talk to me, that’s your choice.
But you can’t bar me from watching your University of Hawaii football team practice and from writing about the Rainbow Warriors — the good things and the bad.
You can try, but then you’d have to kick all of us reporters out.
That kind of thing doesn’t work well for you, as evidenced by what happened Tuesday. You were so mad at me in April for something I wrote in January that you ended up costing your program a day of positive coverage on the first day of spring practice.
You sent a staffer over twice to tell me you “didn’t want me here.” My response each time was words to the effect that I’m not going anywhere and had a right to be at an open practice at a state facility. That is also what I tried to tell you when you were yelling at me. I also suggested to your staffer that you should focus on coaching your team that won one game last year instead of worrying about me.
I was willing to leave after practice without interviews so that other reporters could do their work. But you were so blind in your fury you sent all your players to the locker room and left many in the media with next to nothing to work with.
Is that really the message you’re trying to convey to your team? A spiteful attitude that results in a negative? Fortunately, I think your players are smart enough not to buy into that.
The first day of spring football practice is like signing day, Midnight Madness for basketball or the start of spring training for baseball.
The perception for this one day at least is that everybody’s great. So-and-so added 15 pounds of muscle. … That other guy over there, he’s way faster than he was at the end of last season. … The new additions are exciting future superstars, and the returnees are all a year wiser and better.
The team is undefeated, and will be for five months.
It’s a day for optimism, even for a team that won just one game last year.
Media coverage on the first day of spring is usually going to be mostly positive.
Even this critical columnist went into the day with the idea of writing about what I considered a bright spot: how Taylor Graham and Ikaika Woolsey will make each other better in a competition to be the starting quarterback in the fall, and how that will be the most intriguing battle in spring camp.
But because of your lack of professionalism and composure and sense of an appropriate time and place to vent your displeasure, that did not happen.
And other interviews with your players — most of whom are intelligent and articulate and great with the media — did not happen either.
You could’ve sold tickets but you helped us sell newspapers. After you tried to kick me out of practice Tuesday morning, I got a lot of emails from people saying, “I can’t wait to read the next column.”
So thank you for that.
“It’s like he went to his own birthday party, flipped over the cake and told everybody to get out,” said someone who saw it all unfold.
UH sent a statement out Tuesday afternoon with your name on it.
“I’m extremely sorry that my actions this morning deflected attention away from a very good beginning to spring practice. Going forward, the focus will continue to be on our football team and the hard work they are putting in to prepare for the 2014 season.”
Those are good words and a good start to getting this bizarre launch of spring practice behind us.
Unfortunately, your mistake on the first day gave the people who want you out of your job as soon as possible more ammunition to add to your 4-20 record.
The only advice I can give you if you want me to write fewer things that will make you unhappy is simple: Win more football games.
***
After the incident at University of Hawaii football practice Tuesday morning, I was asked by UH sports media relations director Derek Inouchi if I'd be willing to meet with coach Norm Chow to "clear the air."
I agreed, and we met this morning for about 40-45 minutes in Inouchi's office. We shook hands, we talked story and we shook hands again and went on with our days.
It was an amicable meeting. Most of what we discussed will remain among the three of us, at least for now, but the most important thing is that we all agreed to communicate better and to move forward.
I will be welcome at open practices, and I will be allowed to interview coach Chow and players, as other media members will, of course.
I submit this at around 1:30 p.m. About an hour ago, I learned that Chow has agreed to be a radio guest on the Sports Animal Show this afternoon, a show which I happen to be guest co-hosting, with Chris Hart, on KKEA 1420-AM. Chow is scheduled to join us at 3:35 p.m.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)