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If you go searching for the above branch of college sports you will find this header on a general listing for the NCAA, the partner to CBS College Sports Network.  NCAA.com - The Official Website of NCAA Championships The Official Website of the NCAA, partner of CBS College Sports Networks, Inc.  The most comprehensive coverage of NCAA Athletics on the web.  www.ncaa.com

Now I know many of you are going to quickly respond to the thought of, “Mark have you not watched March Madness or any other NCAA Championships?” YES I HAVE. But there is a word that bothers me here:  PARTNER: a person associated with another in some common activity, one of two or more persons who together own a business, a person playing on the same team as another, an ally, associate, colleague, or confederate.

People, I have worked in an industry for years who has cried about the type of association above, be it SAG, AFTRA, WGA or the DGA. For years, in the film industry, you have had producers who have also been writers, directors, actors or all of the above. When the time came to renegotiate labor agreements between management (producers) and the worker (actors, writers, directors) people have screamed conflict of interest. How can you have the board of any major union negotiate with the producers who work hand in hand with that union when you, the actor, are sitting across from the very production companies you own, Tom Hanks, Clint Eastwood, Pierce Bronson?

So, someone explain to me how the two-faced NCAA is partnered up with a major network and looks out for the best interest of ALL the colleges, not just the major ones it supposedly represents. There is no way when you are sitting across from your BUSINESS PARTNER that you play hard ball and properly represent the third party, the colleges. Maybe that is the point, maybe they help produce revenue for the colleges in general, but do they truly represent the colleges?

If they represent the colleges, then why do they not try to better protect the colleges? When the Reggie Bush incident surfaced at USC and we the public were informed about it, I cannot believe that the NCAA did not hear about it before us. If we suppose they did, then why would they not step in and TELL the UNIVERSITY, the COACHES, the PUBLIC, the PARENTS and the PLAYERS that as of this day you are on NOTICE and THIS PLAYER shall stop X, Y and Z as of today if not…then words would spell it out. The NCAA is like the doctor who makes a public statement about drinking, smoking, sugar, and fats, but when you are present ignores the fact that you may be abusing all of them, and when you DIE says “Well, we suspected this all along and now we can prove it.” How idiotic is that?

The NCAA is an entity of big business sports television and there are those who find much more glamour, attention and overall recognition in pulling down top programs rather than trying to prevent top programs from tumbling. Plus, is there not that attitude in big business to pick and choose who can win and who can lose. We have seen that in the Bowl Championship Series, the picking of the regional’s in the NCAA baseball and softball tournaments. Yes, the NCAA is nothing more than an extension of getting into bed with outside of college big businesses. Sort of like the student athlete accepting an apartment from a local businessman not really associated with the college. I guess that is why the NCAA stands for No Crud Accepted Anytime!!!

YEAH RIGHT.

Just in case you missed it, the women are having their Final Four this weekend as well.  The women are not close enough to the men to say they live in their shadow.  When basketball fans say their bracket or March Madness they are not referring to the women.  I will admit that most of the time I prefer to watch the men play as well.  Having said that, I do not prefer men’s basketball over women’s basketball all of the time.  I want to encourage you all and especially you men that never watch the women play, watch them this Sunday.  Put away just a little of your machismo and save some time to watch some of a women’s game.  You will be entertained and maybe even surprised just how talented some of them are as basketball players.  I did not say as women basketball players, just as basketball players.  No, they do not run as fast nor jump as high.  They do pass the ball and they do shoot free throws better than some of the men’s teams.  That last  one was for you superstars at Kentucky.  It is not even an argument that the women do not get the coverage they deserve because they don’t.  Let’s do a run down of the remaining teams.

Let’s begin with Oklahoma, probably the least publicized team left. This is life after Courtney Paris who graduated as the only four time All American in Women’s College Basketball.  The Sooners are in the final four for the ninth time.  There is a California connection as #34 Abi Olajuwon is from Marlborough High School in LA.  She is the daughter of Hakeem Olajuwon.  The Sooners take on Stanford.

Stanford is the last team to beat UConn and gave the Huskies a fairly close game in December.  They lost that game 80-68 and I believe that is the closest game the Huskies have had all season.  Tara VanDerveer is an all time great coach.  Her teams are disciplined, smart and more athletic than they are given credit for.  They beat Xavier in their last game by two when guard Jeanette Pohlen went the entire length of the court and put the ball up just before the buzzer went off.  Pohlen was a former Gatorade High School Player of the year from Brea Olinda.  One of the greatest ever from Orange County.  She is a junior and will be joined next season by Sara James from Oak Ridge High School from El Dorado Hills up here in Northern California.  I saw her in person and in the State Championship against Long Beach Poly on TV.  Long Beach heavily favored and going for five titles in a row were torched for twenty points in the first half by James.  She is one of the most complete all around players you will see at the high school level and I expect she will have much success at Stanford.  Yes, I am hoping the Cardinal can get by Oklahoma and upset UConn.

The Baylor women will be riding the talents of freshman Brittney Griner.  I saw her for the first time a few weeks before the season ended.  She is 6′8″  and fast and athletic.  She does things in a manner that you have not seen before.  I think she will be over matched against the Huskies but she will be something these next couple of years.  You need to check her game out.

We could spend forever talking about the Huskies and their dominance.  They have won 76 games in a row and are looking to go undefeated for the second year in a row.  They have won six National Championships under coach Geno Auriemma.  They beat their last tournament opponent Florida State by the score of 90-50!  Auriemma took over a team that had one winning season in its 11 year history.  He went 12-15 his first year in 1985-86.  That was his first and only losing season.  His teams have gone undefeated three times and they have won 30 games or more 15 seasons!  His coaching record at Connecticut is 730-122.  Diana Taurasi went from Don Lugo High School in Chino all the way across the country to win three National Championships with the Huskies.  Current player, Maya Moore is a three time All American and can join Courtney Paris as the only other four time All American.  What I have shared here does not even begin to tell of their true domination.  Their next two opponents may be looking for divine intervention or maybe just a slight case of food poisoning.  Regardless you need to watch them even if only for the first ten minutes or so.  You can watch one of the greatest teams of all time and Brittney Griner at the same time. 

So there it is guys.  Do yourself a favor and check at least part of these games out.  Who knows you might be inclined to let the lawn go for one more week.

I know all of the talk the past weeks has been about the brackets for the men’s tournament.  Only one number 1 seed made it to the final four and all of the lower seeds busting the brackets.  I did fill out a bracket and it got busted but for me it always gets back to the game and the human stories connected with the games.  This year there are tons of stories of interest.

First some thoughts as I watched the games last weekend.  Watching John Wall I could see what all of the fuss was about.  I wondered how does one move that fast and especially move that fast dribbling a basketball.  I also thought that obviously he was another one and done player.  I personally think that NBA rule is stupid.  It is not John Wall’s fault that he wanted to go to the NBA but did not have the option.  Some free and unsolicited advice for Kentucky coach John Calipari.  Whatever free throw shooting drills you have your team doing; stop them now!  Don’t do anything.  If your team is shooting free throws at the end of practice just end practice and send them to the showers.  Your drills did not work at Memphis  and did not work at Kentucky.

I was also wondering how those BCS computers would do in picking the winners.  Would some of you out there admit how nice it is to have teams decide the winner on the court instead of on paper.  Would Butler have made it in the final four?  Would St. Mary’s have made the sweet 16?  I know that Cinderella does not win it all, so what.  The kids at Northern Iowa and St. Mary’s want to win but more than that they want the opportunity to compete and win.  Here is the insanity.  College football has the opportunity to improve their sport and won’t.  College basketball has a great thing going and now may expand the field to 96 teams.  Forget student athlete, forget tradition it all comes down to money and who is controlling that money.

Let’s take a look at only some of the story lines, big and small.  Duke the only team seeded number one to make it to the final four.  Mike Krzyzewski has quietly led his team.  One would think coach K would not have to defend himself but he is another coach that gets penalized for being such a great coach.  In other words he is judged against his own tremendous previous success.  Nolan Smith is the story here.  He is a guard and the son of former Louisville great Derek Smith.  Derek was a star on the 1980 Louisville National Championship team in Indianapolis.  He died of a heart attack at age 35.

West Virginia is back in the Final Four for the first time in 51 years.  That squad was led by the great Jerry West.  Jerry’s youngest son, Jonnie is on the roster and averaged 1.5 points per game.  Bob Huggins who has had many personal problems is back at his Alma Mater seeking atonement and rewarding the WV administration for his hiring.

Michigan State loses Kalin Lucas and still gets to the final four.  I will not even go into if Tom Izzo is one of the greatest coaches or not.  He is period.  I love to watch his teams play, you can see how well coached they are, even when they lose.  In Izzo’s 14 years as head coach 86% of his kids that complete their eligibility get their degrees.

My personal favorite, the Butler Bulldogs.  I hate to admit it but I did not even know that Butler was in Indiana!  They are the home team their campus just around six miles from Lucas Arena.  They have an enrollment of around 4,000 compared to Michigan State’s 47,000.  They play in the powerful Horizon League, that is right The Horizon League.  Their coach Brad Stevens looks young enough to be a player on the team.  This young man is quite impressive.  They make it to their first Final Four ever and it is in Indianapolis.  Now throw in the fact that Bobby Plump played at Butler after playing on the State Championship Milan team in 1954. Yes it is Hoosiers all over again.  Bobby Plump was the actual real life model for Jimmy Chitwood the fictional character based on the real life Plump.  Are you following me?  Let us add also Gene Hackman played the coach in Hoosiers was born in San Bernardino.  So there is a California connection.  This  story is  my personal favorite, go Bulldogs.  Enjoy the final four.

SportsNetUSA.net may have a new “King of the Prognosticators.”  It seems this person had predicted the NAIA Player of the Year (after only six games into the season), also with a little help from his son, which GSAC team would be in the NAIA final game on the women’s side, and was one game away from getting his sleeper pick into the last four teams remaining in the NCAA field.  You all know and love him but we won’t say his name because we don’t want to stroke his ego too much. Speaking of those final four teams that survived and advanced, the unknown “mid-major” finally has a legitimate chance to cut down the nets when it is all said and done. Kudos to the Butler Bulldogs for being what Gonzaga was supposed to be for the last ten years.

We have heard recent grumblings about reseeding the NCAA Tournament field as each round is completed to make it fair for the top seeds. This suggestion comes off the heels of possible filed expansion to 96 teams. There is no need to reseed the brackets. The tournament is fair as is. Upsets are part of the reason this event is so exciting, anticipated and the best three weeks in sports. As far as expansion, if teams don’t qualify as one of 65 teams, do we really want to see them? If teams win the games they are supposed to win, then a chance at being one of the 65 should not be a problem.  Every year teams and coaches and fans whose teams are left out complain that if their team got a chance to dance then their team would win it all; maybe, maybe not; but every tournament is filled with drama and the best team may not always win but like Kurtis Blow said, “these are the breaks.”

Finally, in honor of the bracket, here are my matchups in the best afros in sports tournament:

1.  Oscar Gamble (baseball)  vs.    8.   Robin Lopez (basketball)

2.  Julius Erving (basketball)     vs.    7.  Bake McBride (baseball)

3.  Darnell Hillman (basketball)  vs.  6.  Carlos Valderama (soccer)

4.  Ben Wallace (basketball)        vs.    5.  Flo Hyman (volleyball)

I know there are many more players that I may have missed but these are the eight that I am going with. For pure iconic glory, Julius Erving would get the vote. Oscar Gamble would get the “pick” for sheer mass and the afro puffs. Darnell Hillman would be my choice for the cleanest. It is a difficult decision because there could be an upset along the way like a 5 or 6 seed. That is why I will leave it up to you and pick your favorite afro.

I just had the pleasure of hanging out with some friends from my days of past. Yes, those people who grew up in a political atmosphere of lies and deception. And for some reason, every time we get together, the word honesty jumps into our conversations.

Can someone tell me why in the world of sports, Coaches have to play the game of rhetoric instead of just laying the facts out in front of us? Please, this is not the world of politics or a world economic council deciding the fate of the world. This is the world of sports, a world that some people still naïvely think of as pure. No matter how you look at the world of sports, would it not be refreshing if there was a feeling of straightforwardness when someone steps in front of a microphone.

I guess I would think that most spokespeople for a team, usually the coach, would want that respectability for the general audience, especially for the fans of the team he or she represents. It must be that most of the coaches do not think we have the moral strength to hear the truth about the teams we love. That if they give us the plain, naked truth, that we will flinch or runaway.

Ah, how refreshing would it be to watch a game, ask the coach a question and just get the true to life picture of the game everyone was watching. Now, before any of you start writing responses and point out one or another isolated instance from this or that coach, please stop. Send me examples of colorful press conferences where coaches laid it out for us about their teams. I am talking about coaches that, game after game, lay out factual, unimpeachable statements about their teams. When coaches do that, they bring respectability to the team and to the players on that team.

Are you not tired of hearing from a coach, when their team cannot score in traditional high scoring sporting event:  “We just played against the most incredible defense today. No matter what we did, we couldn’t score.” Coach, we saw the game, and we as fans saw numerous opportunities for your team to score.  “We just didn’t execute well today.” In other words coach, your team stunk, and you got out-coached by the coaches across the field. “We just didn’t play well enough to win.” Well coach, there are people out there that do not make enough money to pay all their bills each month, but they find a way. They do not give cliché answers.

See coach, you really know why your team didn’t win. So show me a little moral strength, have a little good faith in us the fan, and show us that we are worth the truth. Please, after you are genuinely candid with us on what did or did not happen in the game, do not worry if we question what you did on the court, field, and diamond that night.

Have I encountered a few coaches that are exact, legitimate, unquestionable, true to life, honest as the day is long?  Yes I have, and I respect every win they cherish and I feel bad for every lose they suffer with after a game. They are the coaches that get to stand up there in front of me and talk about the dynasties they have created, and tout all the championships they have won. But they are few, and for most of us, they are the coaches that we remember thru out the years. But again, they are the few.

So, come on coach, the next time you are asked a question with a microphone in front of you, if you are on a national program, local show, college station or even in the parking lot with an overzealous fan who loves the team as much as you, do us all a favor when you answer the question, have faith, show us your virtue, be true-to-life, be unimpeachable, legitimate and unquestionable… just tell the truth.

You often will hear on SPORTSNETUSA.NET the bantering of Title IX, Pedal to the Metal, Big E, Stick boy, and The Franchise about sports; where they were, how far they have come and where they might be going as a viable, competitive, watchable product to the public. Some of our honored group would go so far as to tell you that Hockey and Pro Basketball are on the rise.  But let us be realistic, the more butts you can plunk into seats the more whatever product you are watching will look more popular.

Take for example this past Sunday (3/7/2010), just in the LA/O.C. market alone on cable television, you were offered 20 college basketball games. Throw in four high school games and three pro games and you would say the sport is popular. But how true is that statement and how true are those numbers? If a marketer were to call the average sport’s viewer and ask if they watched a basketball game there is a very good chance that they watched a few moments of one of twenty games. If you do that in enough markets it makes the game seem as if it is growing in popularity. This kind of chicanery is played by many major sports throughout the country and we, the viewers, are supposed to buy into popularity over boredom.

STATEMENT FROM NEILSEN RATINGS: 
The National Basketball Association has achieved a rapid rise and fall in television ratings since the 1997-1998 NBA season, when ratings for the NBA Finals achieved a record high, to the 2002-2003 NBA season, when ratings for the same event hit an all-time record low.

Blame for this rise and fall has been pinned on the destructive NBA lockout which occurred right after the 1998 season. The lockout wiped out thirty-two games of the 1998-1999 season and caused fan apathy. As well as heavy competition from prime time programming such as American Idol, the CSI franchise, and Dancing With The Stars.

Despite the fall in ratings, the NBA’s regular season ratings average is only slightly lower than Major League Baseball’s, and ratings for the finals continue to outdraw competing events that occur during the same month, golf’s U.S. Open and the Stanley Cup Finals.  So why do my compatriots continue to try and tell me how popular a sport is that seems to have no popularity at all?

It is this, my partner TITLE IX is the voice for one of the more successful woman’s program in college basketball, Vanguard University. He has the luxury to watch a product that is superior on a daily basis and that influences his perception of the game. On the other side of the table is The Franchise who works with a major professional organization in basketball and also has the
pleasure of touting some of the best young talent on the high school level. Ah, to wear rose colored glasses. The trifecta of this group, is the wishful announcer of Cal State University Fullerton Basketball, the Big E. Okay, I know that is a giant leap from the other two; at least they have something to root for on a high school, pro or college level. Let me give credit where credit is due. CSUF has made it to the tournament before and Big E is a “half full glass” type of person.

But gentleman, the door is starting to close and it will continue to close on your sport and others when the foundation of your sport and its fans forget what made yours and other sports famous … history.  History is a lost story in basketball, we only hear of number 23. History is a lost sport in hockey, we barely ever hear of number 99. And in baseball, the history stopped.  So guys, your sport is not as popular as you’d like to think, because no one cares about who did what whenever. Well I guess I should not say that. I, at least, know three who care.  It’s just that they need to yell a little louder.

By the way Mr. Neyland my all-GSAC team is the following:
Teresa Kamp: Fresno Pacific
Becki Huddle: Vanguard University
Kelly Boeke: Vanguard University
Lisa Faulkner: Vanguard University
Kelly Schmidt: Vanguard University
Erin Kella Point Loma
Colleen Planeta: Point Loma
Lindsey West: Azusa Paciific
Stephen Patten: Azusa Pacific
Sonia Ackerman; Cal Baptist
Gittie Mejer: Concordia
(Whomever I missed I know TITLE IX covered)

I keep hearing LeBron James wants to change his jersey number from 23 to 6. James says “[Jordan] can’t get the logo, and if he can’t, something has to be done. I feel like no NBA player should wear 23. I’m starting a petition, and I’ve got to get everyone in the NBA to sign it. Now, if I’m not going to wear No. 23, then nobody else should be able to wear it.” Michael Jordan is arguably (if you’ve listened to Friday Nite Mics then you’ve heard the arguments) the greatest basketball player of all time. He has won six championships, six Finals MVPs, and five regular season MVPs but he is not Jackie Robinson. He doesn’t hold a candle to Robinson’s cultural impact. Jordan is a basketball and marketing icon, but he didn’t change the landscape of professional sports. For James to change his number from what he feels is respect for Jordan to number 6 shows his lack of basketball history. Lebron also said “I just think what Michael Jordan has done for the game has to be recognized some way soon,” James said.  There would be no LeBron James, no Kobe Bryant, no Dwyane Wade if there wasn’t Michael Jordan first. Without Julius Erving, who wore number 6, there would be no Michael Jordan. But didn’t someone else wear #6 that won 11 championships, was a pretty decent player in his own, arguably the greatest basketball player ever and most likely the greatest defender and played during an era that changed America? For LeBron to change his number out of respect to Michael Jordan, he should think about changing it to a number not #6 out of respect for Bill Russell and the history of the game.

Speaking of Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant should be mentioned in the same breath. I know everyone at www.sportsnetusa.net will disagree.

Here is my top 5 MVP candidates:
1. LeBron James
2. Carmelo Anthony
3. Kevin Durant
4. Kobe Bryant
5. Dirk Nowitzki

I was thinking recently of a game the Buddha of Babble and I played during our 3am journey from Jackson to the Nashville airport a couple of years ago; the Hall of Fame game. This is a list of nine that should be in the basketball Hall of Fame.
*Artis Gilmore: dominating in the ABA and didn’t drop off when he came to the NBA. Top ten in rebounds, blocks, games and   number one in field goal percentage.
*Dennis Johnson: nine straight All-NBA Defensive teams, three time NBA champ, one Finals MVP
*Gus Johnson: besides being my Uncle Popsie’s favorite player, prototype power forward, think Gayle Sayers impact on the hardwood
*Jerry Tarkanian: Long Beach St. is still living off the recognition he brought to the program, more coaching victories than Ralph Miller, John Chaney, Norm Stewart, Ray Meyer and more championships
*Oscar Schmidt: five-time Olympian for Brazil, one of the best players never to play in the NBA
*Rebecca Lobo: catalyst for UCONN dominance, National Champion
*Frank Selvy: 100 points in a college game, three time all-American
*Hank Gathers: 2nd player in NCAA history to lead in points and rebounds in the same season, average for NCAA career 33 points, 14 rebounds

The most impressive sports team during the last few years has been the UCONN Huskies Women’s basketball team. At this moment, they are at 70 consecutive wins and counting and a national championship during the run. If Maya Moore stays for her senior season, she will be considered one of the all-time greats.

Speaking of all-time greats here is my All-time Golden State Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball Team:
*Kelly Schmidt, Vanguard University: four all conference selections, two-time GSAC Player of the Year, four-time all-American (three 1st team and one 2nd), NAIA Player of the Year
*Jessica Richter, Vanguard University: three all conference selections, two-time GSAC Player of the Year, three-time all-American
1st team, NAIA Player of the Year
*Lisa Faulkner, Vanguard University: two all conference selections, GSAC Player of the Year, NAIA Player of the Year, two-time all-American 1st team, NAIA single season assist leader (385)
*Gitte Mejer, Concordia University, all-American 1st team, three-time GSAC Player of the Year
*Sonia Akkerman, Cal Baptist University: all-American, three-time GSAC Player of the Year
Honorable mentions: Lindsey West and Cindy DeYoung (APU), Jamie Gast (CUI), Lesley DuBois (TMC), Colleen Planeta (PLNU), Katie Hardeman and Becky Gibb (WC)

If the NCAA really cared about “student-athletes” missing class time, the NCAA would not consider expanding the Field of 64 to 96 teams. The tournament field is fine the way it is structured now. Proponents say expanding will lessen the cries of those that missed the cut. Even if the field grows, there will always be one or two teams that feel left out. I thought the NCAA wanted full-time “student -athletes” not athletes that only go to class when the time is convenient to the NCAA; which is October to the first week of April.

I am feeling somewhat blue now that the college football season is over.  No I do not count the various All Star games.  What a let down that Colt McCoy got hurt and missed most of the game.  He deserved better, we all deserved better.  I do not know if Texas would have won the game or not but it would have been fun to see.  Mark Ingram definitely impressed and proved he was a deserving winner of the Heisman Trophy.  It was good to see this Alabama team was motivated to play this year.  Since the BCS likes to play the game on paper I have decided to crown on paper Boise State as Co-National-Champions.  I guess that is what I will have to do for the next four years at least.

Three teams have ever finished the season 14-0.  Two of them were crowned BCS National Champions.  That would be Ohio State when they beat Miami and now this years Alabama team.  One team finished 14-0 and never even had a chance to play for the championship.  Boise State beat the Pac-10 Champs Oregon and then beat TCU.  TCU was favored and ranked higher in the BCS than the Broncos.  Most of the experts thought TCU would win and most thought they could play with the Tide and the Longhorns.  Somehow Boise overcame all of that and finished 14-0.  There was not much outcry because the system wins and most of the public accepts that you can not fight city hall.  So I will have my own individual protest and congradulate the Boise State team on being Co-Champs.  I counted 35 players on their roster from California so that is great representation for the National Champions.

I am not sure if you saw it or not but there is a new BCS executive director named Bill Hancock.  Bill has worked with the BCS for some time and no surprise here, he sees no reason to change.  They have a new four year contract with ESPN and so the playoffs will have to wait.  Bill says they will not go to a playoff system for some of the same great reasons you have heard before.  Come to think of it they are some of the same reasons I have heard from ESPN guys.  Playoffs lead to more injuries; conflicts with final exams; they would kill the bowl system; and it would diminish the importance of the regular season.  I am not sure but I heard that Mark McGwire had a hand in these reasons.  He and Bill both seem to have trouble with coming clean.

Some more quick notes on the season:  How bout my old guys Bobby and Joe coming through in the bowl games.  Guess the head coaches on the other side must have had the game pass them by.  Bowden finishes 7-6 and they run him out of town.  Lane Kiffin goes 7-6 and gets to be the head coach at USC.  Go figure, I guess Lane must be a bright new mind in the game.  Good choice bringing along his old man, Monte.

Back up quarterback Aaron Corp from USC is transferring to Richmond University.  Good luck to the former Orange Lutheran High School standout.

The Pac 10 went 2-5 in bowl games and the mighty SEC went 6-4.  By the way did you know that the mighty SEC Champs, Alabama played powerhouse teams like Florida International, North Texas and Tennessee-Chattanooga?  Here is another fact you won’t care about.  There have been twelve BCS Championship games and eight were decided by 10 or more points.  What incredible drama that is right?  In my opinion there are only two that really are memorable.  Ohio State over Miami and Texas over USC.  I did enjoy the tradition of having the game played on Thursday night.  Why I remember when I was a boy and all of my relatives would come over to celebrate New Year’s day on Thursday January 7th.  I have a tear in my eye right now thinking about how important tradition is in college football.  Thank you BCS supporters.

Let’s end on a positive note.  I suggest that every high school coach record the interview with Colt after the Championship game was over.  That should be shown to every high school and college team across America.  That was as classy as you can get.  The guy was so disappointed and yet he gave credit to his opponent, his team, his backup and said he had given his all.  I do not know if he and Tim Tebow will be great pros or not.  I want to thank them both for being great athletes and for being two great things about college football.

All right, I have had it. I am sick and tired listening to talk radio sports hosts trying to tell me that “musical coaches” is the way of new business. Please, we all understand that the business world is ugly, underhanded, seedy, and treacherous, 50 percent truthful and 50 percent untruthful. We also understand that business deals are broken all the time, but in back rooms where the lights are dim, the smell is musty and the atmosphere is dank. Okay they are boardrooms, but still the proceedings are usually kept very quiet until they hit the courtroom.

But for some reason coaches, especially football coaches (college and yes pro), do not understand that their contractual agreements are not just a business agreement. They are emotional agreements with a fan base, a university or college, a town, city, community and recruits, their families, and current and future players, co-workers, other coaches on their staff and everyone else committed to that sports program they are leaving. New business?

When a CEO bankrupts a company we get angry, cry, pout and go out kicking and screaming until everyone realizes him or her was a scoundrel. When a company closes down a plant in our region, state, county or city and tens of thousands lose their jobs for the sake of company profits, we have a fit.  When we are fired, let go, relieved, laid off, terminated, shown the door, betrayed, thrown out in the cold, shut down or retructured, we panic, we cry foul, we stare into the distance as if we can go back in time.  But when a coach does any of the above to the community he cherished and loved being a part of when they handed him the multi-layered contract that helped him have financial security for his family, his families’ family and other so called relatives, I am told by sports writers, broadcasters and hosts of talk shows to grow up because it is part of the new business era.

New business?  Let me explain NEW BUSINESS TO YOU, YOU OVERRATED BIG MOUTH (NATIONALLY KNOWN SPORTS COMMENTATOR) KNOW IT ALL WHO COULD NOT HOLD A CANDLE TO ANY OF THE PANELIST, GROUPS, CO-HOSTS, FRIENDS, PARTNERS, AND FOUNDERS on Friday Night Mics; New Business- “Here is my offer, oh you accept the terms, as you can see there is no buyout clause, no early release for the job of your dreams and yes if some reason we do let you go YOU ARE PAID IN FULL until your contract expires. OH yes let me explain a contract to you in a  way you might understand it”  CONTRACT: agreement, compact, stipulation, contractual statement, contractual obligation, understanding, promise, pledge, covenant, obligation, guarantee, gentlemen’s agreement, commitment, bargain, pact, arrangement, deal, accord, common view, concurrence, pact, alliance, affiliation, unity. This is business, new/old, upside down, right side up, backwards and forwards.

But somewhere along the way, you coach, you Mister Sports know it all (as his yes man), you decided to change the rules in favor of only one player in the entire game, you. I have to tell you coach, coaches, general managers, athletic directors, Presidents of all the colleges and universities, NCAA (ESPECIALLY the NCAA), I as a fan am sick and tired of you thinking that the SPORT is all about YOU. And please, if you, or your mouth, piece are going to try and tell me how much money you create for your college or university, the surrounding community, then coach, you better have your schools and organizations print out the numbers and SHOW US.

Don’t just talk about the nebulous good that your program does. Because you need to satisfy your greatness to the community, you need to satisfy your above the norm attitude, you need to give ME a REASON to say GOOD-BYE to you with open arms and a thank you in my heart. But if you can’t, then shut up, sit down and let the bus pull away from the spot you thought you wanted to get off at, because WE (the schools, the fans, the students, the professors, the staff, the co-workers, the players, the families, the friends., the local businesses, the city) we live up to our contractual obligations. So coach, welcome to my campus, it is called the campus of business and if you do not like it here, do not sign on the dotted line ………

cheer for old Notre Dame and their new coach Brian Kelly.  I may be accused of over reacting but I am disgusted.  I am not disgusted towards Notre Dame nor Brian Kelly but towards the system.  This system of allowing coaches to go to new schools before the season is over stinks.  I cannot be alone in being disgusted by a coach lying on a TV interview.  No sir, I love my current university, my wife and kids love it here, our dog loves it here.  We have the best administration, fans and players in the country.  I have no interest in being the head football coach at another school.  I wish you nasty old media people would just take me at my word and quit asking.  Come on, we have all seen this type of game! 

Then after much media speculation and denial for a few days it goes something like this.  I am happy to be the new coach at my new school.  This is a dream job and to come to a school with all of this tradition and support well it is beyond my wildest dreams.  I will be happy here as will my wife, family and our dog.  I hope there are no hard feelings fellas but I cannot finish the season because I am at my dream job now.  I appreciate everyone at my old school for letting me use them as a stepping stone.  I hope everyone understands that I will not be there at the biggest bowl game in school history.  I would like to finish the season but I now have to go recruit new players and tell them to forget about my old school and come to my new and better school.

Brian Kelly is not alone.  There have been many before him, with Rich Rodriguez coming to mind.  Let’s call it enough okay.  I suggest the NCAA make a rule that prohibits schools from signing new coaches until after all bowl games have been played.  I know there will be those that say the system cannot be changed because of recruiting and whatever.  All systems can be changed and yes there will always be challenges with a new system.  The challenges can be met.

Years back Iowa State violated an NCAA rule when a coach gave a recruit a ride for a few blocks in the wintertime.  You know the NCAA they are all about the kids.  I have heard and read complaints about spoiled college athletes and their lack of respect.  What about spoiled coaches and their lack of respect?  I hear coaches talk about demanding commitment, effort and work from their teams.  They will use strong emotional words like challenges, loyalty, commitment, honor and integrity.  Then when a sweeter offer comes along these same coaches demand understanding.  I do not blame Brian Kelly but the system can be made better.  I can hear some of you saying well Randy that is just life.  Those words are always said by those that would rather keep status quo and expect more from the kids than the adults.

Imagine the uproar if players did this same trick?  Let’s say quarterback Tony Pike decided that he could not risk playing in the Sugar Bowl.  I have decided that I am choosing not to play in the Sugar Bowl because I am very close to my dream of playing in the NFL.  It has always been my dream to play for the Denver Broncos and so I am not going to play in the biggest game in our school history.  I hope you all understand this is the system and I have to go for my dream job.  I can hear all of the calls about no respect and what is wrong with spoiled athletes.  Where do athletes get the idea of using the system?  They see how those above them use the system and get ahead.  Brian Kelly lies and says he has no interest in the Notre Dame job and he is rewarded with a five year multi-million dollar payday.  That is the system.  Oklahoma State wide out Dez Bryant lies about being at Deion Sanders home.  For his lie he is suspended for the rest of the season.  That is the system.  This part of the system is broke so the NCAA needs to fix it.  Then we can all do some cheering as coaches are forced to finish what they started.  What is expected of the players should be expected of the coaches that lead them.