I've got that 1996 feeling baby.
In the wake of Tuesday's Media Day there are a bevy of "the Big East is kind of awesome" stories floating around the interwebs, but the one that any and all fans of the conference have to read is this piece by Dennis Dodd. Dodd talks about how the most sought after and comfortable coaches in the country are the ones who have spurned seemingly greener pastures to remain in the Big East.
Among the coaches mentioned is Cardinal co-offensive coordinator Jeff Brohm, who turned down the chance to coach at Alabama despite being heavily pursued in January.
"He went down there," Brian said. "They offered him. They didn't want him to leave without signing."
Dodd also talks about South Florida head coach Jim Leavitt (who has the best job in the country) and West Virginia head coach Rich Rodriguez who also said no to the Crimson Tide, and Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano who turned down the head coaching job at Miami in the offseason.
"We're always going to keep it, in case anybody ever wonders," said the South Florida coach. "I was the guy who would have had the job and was going to lead them through the probation years."
Leavitt says that with a sense of pride and dread having seen his own future. Alabama came hard after the now 50-year-old former Missouri defensive back after Dennis Franchione left Tuscaloosa in 2002. Mike Shula (after Mike Price) eventually got the job, lasting four tumultuous seasons.
"I made the right decision," Leavitt said. "Hell, Shula, an Alabama guy who won 10 games, was let go."...
It's not just an Alabama thing. Two years ago in the same room, Schiano was fielding questions about his job security. In 24 months he became the toast of his profession, winning the Eddie Robinson Award as coach of the year. Both he and offensive coordinator John McNulty turned down Miami.
Rodriguez was practically announced as the Alabama coach. A couple of outlets reported in early December that he had "agreed in principle" to a monster deal. Two days later Rodriguez stood before his team and announced he was staying put in a state that he lovingly says has more deer stands than rooftops.
"I have a bunch of friends that go to Alabama, they were all calling and bragging, 'We got your coach,'" Mountaineers quarterback Patrick White said.
When asked if he was surprised his coach turned down Alabama, White smirked.
"But we're West Virginia," he said. "Who is Alabama? I'm not an Alabama fan, never will be."
Have I mentioned that I love Pat White? If only he'd broken into a full-out "who is Karim Garcia" type rant.
Because it's been proven through science that no human being can get enough Dennis Dodd, here's a video of the Doddster wearing a questionable shirt and interviewing Brian Brohm and the always sleek looking ochenta y cinco (I think Harry deserves the correctly interpreted number) in Newport.
Projected starting right guard Marcel Benson has officially been diagnosed with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome which, according to Medline Plus, involves episodes of rapid heart rate (tachycardia) and baseline abnormal ECG caused by abnormal electrical pathways (circuits) in the heart. He hasn't been with the team since his condition first flared up at practice the day before the Spring Game, and as of right now his status for the season is uncertain.
The only faint ray of light in this situation is that Mike Donoghue is easily the most able backup on the O-line. In fact, many believed that the sophomore was going to push Benson this summer and possibly earn the starting right guard spot on his own.
Mike Tranghese confirmed on Tuesday that the league is interested in adding a ninth member, but said that there isn't a viable option at the moment. He confirmed the rumors that there had been talks with both Army and Navy, but said that there wasn't any interest from either of those camps.
I've come to terms with the fact that when a ninth member is named it's going to be Villanova. Army and Navy apparently aren't biting, the Notre Dame thing is never going to happen, East Carolina sucks now and Memphis would want in for basketball.
The Wildcats have fared fairly well recently in the A-10, and when the powers that be in Philly say they're ready the conference will have to hope they can have the same relative success that Connecticut has had since its move in 2000.
I've been somewhat fascinated with North Crowley High (TX) star Willie Warren since the first time I heard him talk and he compared his game to Kobe Bryant, Tracy McGrady AND LeBron James. Now, Warren has not only trimmed his list of suitors down to eight, he's conveniently ranked them in order for all of us.
Warren's leader at the moment is Oklahoma, followed - in order, mind you - by Texas, Kansas, Louisville, Cincinnati, Kentucky, Marquette and Arizona.
By now those who have heard anything about Willie Warren over the last month or so have already figured out the best part of the story. Baylor, the school Warren committed to less than three weeks ago and the school his mother decommitted him from hours later, isn't even on his list anymore.
Willie Warren could commit to High Point tomorrow strictly because he thought the name was funny and I wouldn't be surprised enough to shake my head.
Those of you with disabilities that restrict your ability to read anything in actual print (life sucked for my cousin Kenny before 1995) are in luck because SI has posted the full Athlon previews for every team in the country on its website. You can check out the preview for Louisville, the mag's No. 13 team, right here.
Matt Hayes (boo) says the Big East can't produce a national champion, Tom Dienhart (yay) begs to differ.
Ah finding topics that will generate controversy and conversation in the summer, it's always a challenge. By the way the SEC doesn't play enough tough non-conference games, USC wouldn't have played in two straight title games if it'd been in the SEC, Wisconsin cheats, the MAC doesn't deserve any bowl tie-ins, the Sun Belt champion should get a BCS bid, John Parker Wilson is going to win the Heisman, and Woody Hayes isn't one of the 100 best coaches in the history of college football. Have at it.
Samardo Samuels, Greg Monroe and Tyreke Evans are three of the 5,000 players participating in AAU tournaments at Disney's Wide World of Sports and other area gyms during the next two weeks.
Louisville again finished in the top five in basketball attendance, trailing only Tennessee, North Carolina, Syracuse and Kentucky.
Lastly, the folks over at the AOL Fanhouse held a "Premature Hoops BlogPoll," and Louisville came in at #5. North Carolina was the poll's top team, Georgetown was sixth and Kentucky was 14th.
And Lehman just bogeyed the par-four second. Come on Tom, Carnoustie is your bitch.