Mel's Texas Sports Blog

RANGERS LOSE TO TORONTO 7-4

2010-04-07T19:21:00.003-05:00

*New Ranger pitcher Richard Hardin looks good so far after a rocky start as he struck out the heart of the lineup and has 8 Ks in 4 innings...not a bad start until the 4th inning, when a hit batter and a few walks ends his day. A bit disappointing after all the strikes, but it is early so I give him a pass...

*it is really strange to see Vlad Gurerrro in a Ranger uniform. I mean, I am so used to seeing him as a Ranger-killer that I feel like I am watching an alternate reality...welcome to the dark side, Mel.

*WOO HOO!!! - back to back solo home runs in the 4th by Vlad and Cruz to tie the game in the bottom of the 4th. Vlad powered the high pitch into left field while Cruz hit a bullet to center. Impressive! Okay, I think I can get over my Vlad reservations if he keeps this hitting up...

*Well, the tie didn't last long as Vernon Wells hit a 2 run homer in the next inning...a couple more runs trickled in for both teams as the Rangers lose to the Blue Jays 7-4. Tomorrow CJ Wilson is our starter so we will see how he handles that change. Man, I know there are like 160 more games, but I really hate losing!

WELCOME BACK!!!

2010-04-06T19:16:00.001-05:00

Hello,

Well, April is upon us and that means that baseball season is FINALLY here...Unfortunately, I had to miss Opening Day because of work and since our IT department is crazy about internet retstrictions, I could not watch or listen to the game. I can tell you that it was an exciting game based on the final score, as the Rangers win 5-4 with a Salty walk-off single for the win...Yea, a win streak to start the year, right :)

Will start blogging the new season on Wednesday, so stay tuned....Thanks, and welcome back!!!

PS - Random shout-out to my co-worker Bill that was smart enough to take off work to attend Rangers Opening Day...Lucky Guy!

ON HIATUS FOR NOW....

2010-02-15T14:00:00.002-06:00

Hello All, and welcome to my sports blog. Unfortunately with the Superbowl over and my lack of basketball interest, I am putting this blog on hold until baseball season starts in April.

Thanks for reading, and come back soon to help me cheer on the Rangers to victory!!!

Mel

TECH COACHES: OUT WITH THE OLD, IN WITH THE NEW

2010-01-13T22:56:00.002-06:00

Five of Mike Leach’s nine on-field assistant coaches, including defensive coordinator Ruffin McNeill, were released on Wednesday as new Texas Tech coach Tommy Tuberville continued the work of putting a staff together.

Riley
Meanwhile, Tech appeared closer to hiring James Willis, an assistant from national champion Alabama as defensive coordinator. Citing unnamed sources, the Tuscaloosa News reported Wednesday that Willis, 37, had agreed in principle to take the job.

Only offensive line coach Matt Moore and defensive line coach Charlie Sadler are set to return in their current roles. Dennis Simmons, who has been wide receivers coach the last two years, will remain with the athletic department for the time being, but not in the same capacity, Tech officials said.

Let go in addition to McNeill were inside receivers coach Lincoln Riley, running backs coach Clay McGuire, cornerbacks coach Brian Mitchell and special teams coach Eric Russell. Also out are Dave Emerick, the chief of staff/assistant athletic director who coordinated recruiting, and director of player personnel Antonio Huffman.

Tommy McVay, the director of football operations, has been retained, the Avalanche-Journal learned. McVay also survived the transition from Spike Dykes’ staff to Leach’s 10 years ago.

The released coaches will be paid until June 1, unless they get another job before then, athletic director Gerald Myers said.

Safeties coach Carlos Mainord, 65, said he had made up his mind to retire beforehand.

“It was just time to do it,” Mainord said. “My wife and I had talked about it, whoever came in and whoever got the job, we were ready to retire. I respect Tommy, and know he’ll do a good job. It had nothing to do with the new coach or anybody. It was just time to retire.”

Mainord, who had four stints on the Tech staff starting in 1968, said he and his wife, Judy, have no immediate plans to leave Lubbock. Mainord spent one of his 44 years in coaching on the same University of Miami (Fla.) staff with Tuberville.

There’s a chance the next staff could still have a Mainord family member. Carlos Mainord confirmed that his son, Tommy, has had discussions about joining the Red Raiders’ staff. Tommy Mainord is offensive coordinator at Lamar. He was co-offensive coordinator at Sam Houston State in 2008, the last of his three years there.

Both the Red Raiders’ graduate assistant coaches, Sonny Cumbie on offense and Duane Price on defense, will be back.

Earlier this week, strength and conditioning coach Bennie Wylie was retained on a six-month trial basis.

Tuberville was hired as head coach on Saturday and made his first major addition on Tuesday, when he chose Neal Brown from Troy to be his offensive coordinator.

“Neal is an excellent young coach, and his offensive philosophy fits perfectly here at Texas Tech,” Tuberville said in a statement released through Tech media relations. “We are going to keep the Air Raid offense alive and well, and Neal’s credentials certainly back that up. He understands this system in and out and has had great success with it at Troy and is excited about coming to Texas Tech and the Big 12 Conference.”

Tech officials said the first media availability for Tuberville and Brown since Tuberville’s introductory news conference will be Thursday.

Brown will have one familiar face on his staff: Moore, the Red Raiders’ offensive line coach the last three years, worked with Brown for one season at Troy.

Meanwhile, on the defensive coordinator front, Willis completed a campus tour of a little less than 24 hours and left Wednesday with no announcement. Willis is associate head coach and linebackers coach at national champion Alabama, where he was in his first year this season. He spent six of the previous eight years on Tuberville’s staff at Auburn.

Story courtesy at www.redraiders.com

JAMES WILLIS TO BE NEXT TECH DC

2010-01-13T22:02:00.001-06:00

James Willis will be the next assistant coach hired by Texas Tech coach Tommy Tuberville.

A source said Willis and his family were in Lubbock on Tuesday and that he will become the Red Raiders' new defensive coordinator.

On Tuesday, Tuberville hired Neal Brown as the Red Raiders' offensive coordinator. Brown, 29, was Troy's offensive coordinator the past two seasons.

Willis, 37, comes to Tech after spending the past season as the associate head coach and linebacker coach for Alabama, which just defeated Texas last Thursday for the national championship.

When Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban hired Willis last January, he said:

"I'm extremely pleased and happy to have James join our staff. We tried to go out and hire the best possible coaches when this process started and I'm confident we've done that.

"James has everything you would want in terms of finding an outstanding coach and an outstanding recruiter with a lot of enthusiasm and intensity. He's played in the SEC and the NFL, and grew up and coached in the state of Alabama so he will be able to contribute in many areas and make a positive impact as we continue to build a championship program here at Alabama.''

Alabama finished this past season ranked among the nation's leaders in several defensive categories, including allowing just 244.1 total yards, 166 passing yards, 78.1 rushing yards and just 11.7 points per game.

Born in Huntsville, Ala., Willis was the linebacker coach at Auburn under Tuberville from 2006-'08. He also was the linebacker coach at Temple (2005) and Rhode Island (2004), was a defensive graduate assistant at Auburn under Tuberville (2003), and a student assistant at Auburn in 2001 and '02 under Tuberville.

Willis also played seven seasons in the NFL with Green Bay, Philadelphia and Seattle, and was a three-year starter for the Eagles.

Story courtesy of www.star-telegram.com

TECH FINALIZING TUBERVILLE CONTRACT

2010-01-13T22:00:00.000-06:00

Tommy Tuberville’s contract with Texas Tech is expected to be finalized tonight.

But Tuberville made his final decision about his coaching staff earlier in the day, and he didn’t keep many assistants from former coach Mike Leach’s staff.

Tech athletic director Gerald Myers said the assistants from Leach’s staff who Tuberville plans to keep are offensive line coach Matt Moore, defensive ends coach Charlie Sadler and graduate assistant Sonny Cumbie, and wide receivers coach Dennis Simmons will be retained in some capacity.

The assistant coaches who were released include Lincoln Riley (inside receivers), Clay McGuire (running backs), Brian Mitchell (cornerbacks), Carlos Mainord (safeties) and Eric Russell (special teams coordinator).

As for the status of defensive coordinator Ruffin McNeill, Myers said: “I don’t think Ruffin’s coming back. I haven’t talked to Ruffin, but I’m pretty sure he’s not going to be on the staff.”

McNeill was a finalist for the head-coaching job.

Myers also said the Red Raiders haven’t finalized anything yet on Alabama associate head coach/linebackers coach James Willis, who is expected to be Tech’s new defensive coordinator.

Myers said Tuberville’s five-year contract is worth $8.6 million, plus incentives. Tuberville will receive $1.5 million this year, $1.6 million in 2011, $1.7 million in 2012, $1.8 million in 2013 and $2 million in the final year of his contract in 2014.

“We’re working on finalizing his contract today,” Myers said. “We’re still talking about [Tuberville’s] buyout.”

Story courtesy of www.star-telgram.com

TUBERVILLES FIRST HIRE - NEW OC

2010-01-12T11:18:00.001-06:00

New Texas Tech coach Tommy Tuberville has made his first major hire, the Avalanche-Journal confirmed early Tuesday.

Troy University Offensive Coordinator Neal Brown has been hired to run the offense for the Red Raiders. Brown, 29, has been the youngest coordinator in the Football Bowl Subdivision the last two years with the Trojans.

Brown has been a Kentucky native who played wide receiver in college, for three years at Kentucky and for two years at Massachusetts.

Troy ranked third in the nation in total offense, averaging 485.7 yards per game. The Trojans also were fourth in passing offense (336.5), 16th in scoring average (33.7 points per game) and 60th in rushing offense (149.2 ypg). Troy finished 9-4, losing a 44-41 overtime game to Central Michigan in the GMAC Bowl.

In 2008, the Trojans averaged 32.8 points and 414.2 yards per game, ranking 26th in total offense and 27th in scoring offense.

Story courtesy of www.redraiders.com

FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS FOR TUBERVILLE

2010-01-11T11:00:00.001-06:00

Texas Tech rebounded nicely. No, make that threw down a slam dunk with the hiring of Tommy Tuberville.

The decision put a Wild, Wild, West, yahoo (not the website) program back on the tracks. Apparently, there is someone out there in West Texas with a level head. Tuberville was, as they say, was the best athlete left on the draft board. National championship caliber, great recruiter, great coach.

Good to see it looks like he will keep some elements of Mike Leach’s offense. This is a coach who could recruit well enough to challenge Texas and Oklahoma now and then.

I’ve got his first order of business, though: Do not renew Adam James’ scholarship. It’s clean, it’s legal and there are no messy entanglements with Craig “The Helicopter” James. It’s clear the kid can’t play. Do what is usually done when players don’t progress or measure up.

Adam James is a redshirt sophomore who has caught 32 career passes. But it’s not even about the production. It’s about Texas Tech cleansing its soul and moving on. Leach was fired for his alleged mistreatment of James. That trumps everything else. I’m not going minimize the issue.

But Tuberville doesn’t need a cancer on the team.

Second thing I’d do: tear down that “shed”, “garage” or whatever you want to call it where Adam James was reportedly placed. If it stands, it will become a landmark where mom, dad and the kids will come to see on vacation. Not good.

Tubs can do without a whiny, daddy’s boy receiver who is lucky to have a scholarship in the first place. But Tuberville doesn’t have to say, or even think, any of that.

Just serve the kid notice, Tubs. No one can complain. You’re trying to build a program. Adam James doesn’t fit in.

Story courtesy of http://dennis-dodd.blogs.cbssports.com

13 YEAR DROUGHT OVER FOR DALLAS

2010-01-10T11:54:00.001-06:00

The Dallas Cowboys' return to postseason respectability was decisive and at times electrifying Saturday night. They overwhelmed a lackluster Philadelphia Eagles team, 34-14, before a sellout crowd of 92,951 in the inaugural playoff game at Cowboys Stadium.

It had been 13 years since the Cowboys last basked in playoff victory, a 1996 wild-card game against the Minnesota Vikings. They lost the following week to the Carolina Panthers and had tried in vain to recapture postseason glory that had become a staple in the early 1990s. Five playoff defeats followed in the ensuing dozen seasons.

"Can we say it together?" Cowboys owner Jerry Jones crowed with a preacher's fervor as he stood center stage in the winning locker room. "The demons are gone."

The exorcized Cowboys now travel to Minnesota for a divisional-round playoff game next Sunday afternoon against the Vikings. The NFC North champions enjoyed a bye the first weekend of the playoffs.

"We know the challenge," Jones said. "We have a chance to beat Minnesota and we can have something special."

It was a jubilant postgame Cowboys locker room, where coach Wade Phillips and quarterback Tony Romo celebrated their first playoff victories and Jones basked in his franchise's return to Super Bowl contention.

Early-December losses to the New York Giants and San Diego Chargers – the low point of the season, Jones said – seemed like ancient history.

"It seems like a different team ago," said Jones, who called his last several years of Cowboys stewardship "empty."

Jones then was full of praise for Romo and Phillips.

"When you have a quarterback who plays like Tony did tonight, you'll find yourself making a successful uphill climb to the playoffs," he said

And Phillips, about to enter the option year in his contract, "deserves to be here," the owner volunteered.

Phillips had been 0-4 in playoff games during coaching stops in Denver and Buffalo and his rookie season with the Cowboys. In his third season in Dallas, Phillips accomplished what Chan Gailey, Dave Campo and Bill Parcells could not as Cowboys head coaches.

Romo had been 0-2 in the postseason. Remember that bobbled snap on a potential game-winning field goal that might have allowed the Cowboys to eke out a 2006 playoff victory in Seattle? Ancient history. Troy Aikman is no longer the last Cowboys quarterback to win in the postseason.

There was no need to eke out anything against the Eagles. Romo flourished, completing 23 of 35 passes for 244 yards and two touchdowns. He threw no interceptions.

Romo was aided by Felix Jones, the Cowboys' rushing leader whose 73-yard touchdown run in the third quarter reminded of Emmitt Smith. Coincidentally, Smith served as a smiling, fist-pumping cheerleader for his former team from the comfort of a luxury box. Jones finished with 148 rushing yards on 16 carries.

Smith and former President George W. Bush drew loud cheers when they appeared on the giant video board from the largest crowd to ever witness a non-Super Bowl NFL playoff game.

There had been worrywarts who questioned if the Cowboys could win three games in one season against the same opponent, something they needed to do for the first time to advance. Never have so many worried about what proved to be a cheesesteak-sized speed bump. The Eagles proved barely more competent than they were last week when they lost 24-0 to the Cowboys.

The Cowboys blew open a scoreless game in the second quarter with 27 points thanks to two short touchdown passes by Romo, a short touchdown run by Tashard Choice and two field goals by Shaun Suisham, a free-agent pickup who now has three games on his Cowboys résumé.

The game was never in doubt in the second half.

The only blemish of the second quarter was an Eagles touchdown on a 76-yard pass from reserve quarterback Michael Vick to Jeremy Maclin that tied the game at 7. It was the first touchdown against the Cowboys after consecutive shutouts of the Washington Redskins and the Eagles six days earlier. It was the longest touchdown pass of the season against the Cowboys.

Romo was especially complimentary of the Cowboys defense, which he knows will have to be stalwart against Vikings quarterback Brett Favre and Adrian Peterson, the Vikings' dangerous running back.

"If you have a defense like we do, you have a chance to win no matter how the offense plays," he said

www.dallasnews.com

COWBOYS WIN 1ST PLAYOFF GAME IN 13 YEARS...

2010-01-10T00:37:00.001-06:00

Can you guys say 'SUPERBOWL'.....

TECH RECRUITS WORRIED ABOUT NEW OFFENSE UNDER TUBERVILLE

2010-01-09T17:39:00.001-06:00

Much of Texas Tech’s incoming recruiting class, which is ranked among the top 25 in the nation by the recruiting Web site Rivals.com, is tailored toward Mike Leach’s high-powered passing attack.

The group of 22 oral commitments includes a handful of receivers whose sizes and skill sets translate well to the spread offense, and some of them were concerned Saturday afternoon whether the Red Raiders would continue to employ a similar scheme.

Leach was fired on Dec. 30, and Tommy Tuberville was hired as his replacement on Saturday. During his 14 years as a head coach in the Southeastern Conference, Tuberville built a reputation as a defensive-minded coach whose teams had strong running games.

“Right now, from what I hear, Tommy Tuberville is going to keep most of the offensive staff and hopefully keep all the plays and basically not change that much,” said Tech pledge Shawn Corker, a 6-foot-1, 189-pound wide receiver from Fort Lauderdale, Fla. “… (The spread offense) was probably one of the biggest reasons I committed.”

Corker, who had spoken with Tech inside receivers coach Lincoln Riley earlier Saturday, said Tuberville was scheduled to meet with Tech’s assistant coaches at 7:30 p.m. Saturday.

Corker, who hoping Tech would hire interim head coach and defensive coordinator Ruffin McNeill, said he’s “still going to be with Tech no matter what.” But when asked if he might reconsider his non-binding commitment if Tuberville brings in an entirely new coaching staff, Corker said, “Possibly, yes.

“For the fact that I’ve been talking to them and getting to know all these coaches for the last few months or whatever, for him to bring in a new staff, it would just be awkward,” Corker said. “It just wouldn’t feel right.”

Since Leach was fired, Corker said he’s been contacted by coaches from Boston College, Clemson, LSU, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Wake Forest and West Virginia.

The guardian of Lakeland, Fla., receivers Ben and Javares McRoy, who are part of Tech’s 2010 and 2011 recruiting classes, respectively, said they’ve been in a “holding pattern.” Bruce Mandish said the small, speedy McRoys are set on playing in a passing offense such as Leach’s, and they also have developed a strong relationship with Riley, who served as Tech’s acting offensive coordinator in last week’s Alamo Bowl.

“We’re just waiting to hear what they’re going to do with the offense, and who the offensive coordinator is going to be,” Mandish said on Saturday afternoon. “… We have contacted other schools, and we have another new offer from Louisville, but as far as de-committing, we haven’t done that. In their hearts they really want to go to Texas Tech and really want to play for coach Riley.

“If nothing changes with the offense at Texas Tech,” Mandish added, “we aren’t going anywhere.”

Corker said another of Tech’s prized receiving recruits, Kadron Boone of Ocala, Fla., feels much the same way as he and the McRoy brothers do.

“I talked to Kadron Boone today,” Corker said. “Right now he’s still shocked about the whole thing. We’ll see where he’s at in the next few days.”

Corker said another Tech pledge he’s been in contact with, defensive back Urell Johnson of New Orleans, is “going to be at Tech no matter what.”

Tech commitment Fred Harvey, a linebacker from Memphis, Tenn., said he wanted McNeill to be named as Leach’s successor. But he also said he’s heard Tuberville is a “real good coach,” and he doesn’t plan to look elsewhere even if McNeill is not part of the Red Raiders’ new coaching staff.

“Either way, I’m going to still come to Texas Tech,” Harvey said. “That’s who I committed to, and that’s the school I want to go to.”

Commitments are non-binding until the national signing period begins Feb. 3

Story courtesy of www.redraiders.com

TUBERVILLE NEXT TEXAS TECH COACH

2010-01-09T16:32:00.002-06:00

Former Mississippi and Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville has been hired as the next head football coach at Texas Tech, the university announced Saturday.

A news conference to introduce Tuberville will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday in the United Spirit Arena. It is closed to the public, Tech officials said. Tuberville was getting ready to fly to Lubbock Saturday afternoon and said university officials had instructed him not to discuss his hiring until Sunday.

Tuberville will have a five-year contract, a source told the A-J.

The future of Tech’s assistant coaches is up in the air. They are scheduled to meet with Tuberville on Saturday night.

Former Texas A&M coach R.C. Slocum said he thinks Tuberville is an ideal choice for a program that has won 29 games in the last three years.

“I think that’s a good fit,” said Slocum, who once had Tuberville on his staff. “He’s not one of those guys that feels like he has to come in and tear everything down and put his stamp on it. I don’t see him being that kind of ego guy.

“He’s smart enough to know … They’ve been pretty dang impressive to me, and I think he’d have the same opinion. He can probably lend a little help to the defensive side and shore that up and then kind of keep the scheme offensively, so I think it’s a really good fit.”

Tuberville told the A-J last Sunday that he wouldn’t radically alter what the Red Raiders have been doing on offense under Mike Leach.

“It’d be crazy to change it,” he said. “That’s a trademark of Texas Tech now. It’s helped put them on the map. It’s helped in recruiting, I’ve noticed.”

Slocum hired Tuberville to be Texas A&M’s defensive coordinator in 1994 after Bob Davie left to become defensive coordinator at Notre Dame. At the time, Slocum said he wanted someone to just keep the defense then known as the “Wrecking Crew” pointed in the same direction.

“We had good (assistants) there. I just needed a coordinator, someone to head up the defense and lead it,” Slocum said. “That sounds like a simple thing, but it doesn’t always work out that way. You get someone who wants to change everything, do this and do that, and you end up taking a step backward. The kids played for him and liked him. The other coaches liked him. He came right in and we didn’t miss a beat.”

A&M went 10-0-1 that season, which led to Tuberville getting his first head-coaching job the next year at Ole Miss.

Tuberville interviewed with Tech officials on Tuesday, spending about seven hours on campus. He told the A-J he “aggressively went after the job” for several reasons, among them he thought West Texas fit his personality and he thought his experience recruiting in Texas would make for a smoother transition. In addition to his season at A&M, he said he recruited Dallas and Houston while he was a Miami (Fla.) assistant from 1986 through 1993.

Tuberville used an old Bum Phillips line to describe what he thinks of the Red Raiders’ potential: “Tech has got their foot in the door. I think Tech needs somebody to kick that door in.”

Tuberville, 55, is 110-60 in 14 seasons as a college head coach. His 2004 Auburn team finished 13-0 and was ranked second in the final Associated Press Top 25 poll.

During his 10-season tenure at Auburn, Tuberville went 85-40. The man he’ll replace, fired Tech coach Mike Leach, went 84-43 in 10 seasons with the Red Raiders. Tuberville led the Tigers to eight winning seasons in a row from 2000 through 2007, but he stepped down in December 2008 after going 5-7.

In addition to plunging into the Big 12 Conference, Tuberville will have to sell himself to his new players, most of whom had their heart set on interim head coach Ruffin McNeill getting the job.

“He’s a great coach, a great guy, a great motivator,” Tech middle linebacker Brian Duncan said after the hiring was announced. “It’s pretty disappointing, but that’s the job. We’re just going to have to move on.”

McNeill coached Tech to a 41-31 victory against Michigan State last Saturday in the Alamo Bowl, then became first to interview for the job two days later. Tech quarterback Steven Sheffield said Friday that at least 90 percent of the team wanted McNeill to be hired.

With a different decision being made, Duncan said, “We can’t let it affect us.”

“It’s time to get to work now,” he said. “We’ve got a head coach, and we have to get work and be able to adapt to whatever he brings in and play our game, play Red Raider football.”

Tuberville is a native of Camden, Ark., who was a college defensive back at Southern Arkansas.

Story courtesy of www.redraiders.com

BREAKING NEWS: TUBERVILLE TO BE NAMED NEXT COACH AT TECH

2010-01-09T13:37:00.003-06:00

LUBBOCK, TX (KCBD) - NewsChannell 11 has learned that Tommy Tuberville will be the next football coach for Texas Tech. An official announcement is expected Monday.

Update courtesy of www.kcbd.com

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WOW....finally a decision...
What are your thoughts on this move? Please share below...

RANGERS OFFER CONTRACT TO VLAD

2010-01-07T18:18:00.001-06:00

The Rangers have offered free agent slugging outfielder Vladimir Guerrero a one year, $7 million contract, ESPNDeportes reported.

Guerrero, who spent six years in the heart of the Angels' order, has been hobbled by injuries and will turn 35 in February.

The Angels signed Hideki Matsui to a $6 million, 1-year contract recently to replace Guerrero as Los Angeles' primary designated hitter. The Angels didn't offer Guerrero salary arbitration and he became a free agent

The Rangers have reportedly been interested in other free agent outfielders, including Jermaine Dye, Gary Sheffield and Xavier Nady.

The Rangers want to add a bat because they recently lost OF Marlon Byrd to the Cubs in free agency.

UPDATE 6:00 pm THURS:
According to a club source, the Rangers have not offered Vladimir Guerrero $7 million and there has been no real movement on Guerrero in several weeks.
The Rangers had between $3 and $5 million to offer Guerrero before and that has not changed. Guerrero had been searching for a multi-year deal, but there have been none tendered. That may force his agents to reconsider the market and start looking more seriously at one year deals. It's also why reports of a $7 million offer may have surfaced; floating such a rumor could set an artificial market for Guerrero.

Story courtesy of www.dallasnews.com

TECH WILL WIDEN SCOPE SEARCHING FOR NEXT HEAD COACH

2010-01-06T22:10:00.001-06:00

Baylor coach Art Briles is no longer a candidate to become Texas Tech’s next head coach. But the search might be getting ready to widen rather than narrow in scope.

Texas Tech interim head coach Ruffin McNeill and former Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville have interviewed for the job, but Tech athletic director Gerald Myers said Wednesday night he is likely to contact one or more additional coaches.

“We’ve got a couple of more candidates that we have some interest in,’’ he said.

Myers declined to identify them, but a source familiar with the search said former Tulane and Clemson coach Tommy Bowden is the next candidate in whom there is interest and, after Bowden, Houston coach Kevin Sumlin. The source said Bowden had conveyed his interest “through third parties.’’

Asked if Tech could name a head coach by Thursday, Myers said, “I would say probably not.’’

Briles has been on Tech’s list since Mike Leach was fired last week, but the prospect of his returning to the school where he was an assistant for three years is dead, mostly because of the buyout in Briles’ contract at Baylor.

“It was a big factor,’’ a source said. “It’s $4 million. It was just way too high.’’

The source said Briles was “talked to,’’ but a arranging a formal interview became a moot point because of the money needed to buy out Briles’ contract.

“If there hadn’t been a buyout, he would have been a very serious candidate,’’ the source said. “But he was not as serious as the media was making him out to be, because the $4 million was the stumbling block. So I don’t think anyone in the administration considered him that seriously because of the buyout.’’

Tech Chancellor Kent Hance said he still sees a new Red Raiders coach being named by Sunday or early next week.

“Things are going well, and we plan to have a recommendation from Gerald and Dr. (Guy) Bailey in the next few days,’’ Hance said. “I think the Texas Tech supporters will be enthused when we come up with a new coach.’’

McNeill interviewed for the job Monday, and Tuberville followed him on Tuesday. Neither has been offered the job, but the source familiar with the search said that should not be taken as a lack of confidence in either.

“Absolutely not,’’ the source said. “They both have pluses and minuses. Tuberville’s been a head coach and is a proven commodity. I think a lot of people wonder if he’d stay. On the other hand, Ruffin is very loyal, very dedicated and a very popular person and has a great advantage there. Plus, he’s very familiar with the recruiting class.’’

Myers said there’s not a leader at the moment.

“I think the two we’ve talked to are both still very much in the picture,’’ he said. “They both did a good job.’’

As Tech continues to work through its original list of targets, Bowden could be next to get closer scrutiny, though there’s not been a decision made to bring in either him or Sumlin for an interview.

Bowden, 55, a son of former Florida State coach Bobby Bowden, is 90-49 in 11-plus seasons as a college head coach at Tulane and Clemson.
He was forced to step down at Clemson six games into the 2008 season. However, he was 18-4 at Tulane (1997 through 1998) and 72-45 at Clemson (1999 to 2008).

“He had a winning record at Tulane and also at Clemson, and that would be looked at,’’ the source said.

Story courtesy of www.redraider.com

BRILES TURNS DOWN HEAD COACHING JOB AT TECH

2010-01-06T21:20:00.002-06:00

It’s official. Art Briles is staying at Baylor.

Bears athletic director Ian McCaw said Briles has declined to talk to Texas Tech about its vacant head coaching position, and instead wants to finish his job at Baylor.

“We’re proud to have Art Briles as our head football coach,” McCaw said Wednesday, “and we’re looking forward to great success under his leadership.

“Basically he decided he’s going to stay at Baylor and he declined the opportunity for an interview [at Tech].’’

Meanwhile, it’s back to the drawing board for Tech, which was hoping to have a coach in place by the end of this week.

“We’ve got more work to do,’’ Tech athletic director Gerald Myers said. “It would be nice to be able to finish it up.’’

It appeared as though Briles was all set to fly to Lubbock today and possibly become the successor to coach Mike Leach, who was fired Dec. 30. But after Baylor granted Tech permission to talk with Briles, it was Briles who decided he wanted to stay at Baylor.

“I wasn’t surprised,’’ Myers said. “Baylor extended his contract, so he decided he was going to stay there.’’

Raiders interim coach/defensive coordinator Ruffin McNeill and ex-Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville interviewed this week to become Leach’s successor, and now it appears as though the job will go to one of them.

Former Clemson coach Tommy Bowden and Arizona offensive coordinator Sonny Dykes could still be in the running. Meanwhile, Houston coach Kevin Sumlin is close to signing an extension with the Cougars.

Briles signed a seven-year, $12.6 million contract with Baylor on Nov. 28, 2007. In his two seasons at Baylor, he has lit a fire under the Bears.

Baylor finished with back-to-back 4-8 seasons the past two years, but enthusiasm was sky-high because of the inspiration Briles brought to the table.

Briles also coached Houston to a 34-28 record and four bowl appearances from 2003-’07, and won four state high school titles at Stephenville.

As far as Tech goes, Myers said the Raiders could still have a coach in place by this weekend.

Story courtesy of www.star-telegram.com

HARD TO FIND THE TRUTH IN THE TECH ORDEAL

2010-01-06T21:15:00.001-06:00

This much we know about what led to Texas Tech firing Mike Leach — it started with wide receiver Adam James being held out of practice because of a concussion.

This much we know about the aftermath of this mess — no one comes out a winner.

Beyond that, it gets murky.

Did Leach confine James to a small, dark electrical closet? Lock him in the room? Have someone guard the door?

Or was it not nearly so sinister?

Depends on who you talk to, and even that’s not always so simple. Assistant Lincoln Riley was among a group of coaches and former players who sent letters of support for Leach to school administrators. He even contended in his letter that what James was doing was "his way of trying to ‘get back’ at us coaches,” but then late last week, Riley said James had his support.

It’s difficult to find the truth in this whole mess, and the only way we’re ever going to know exactly what happened is if it ends up in court with players and coaches and administrators having to raise their right hands and tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

But that isn’t going to happen. Neither side wants their own dirty laundry aired in court, so any lawsuits that arise will likely be settled before anyone ever steps foot in a courtroom.

So, while all of us outsiders are left to gossip and speculate and wonder what really happened, the two sides involved are trying to move forward. Tech is working to hire its next football coach while Leach is trying to find his next coaching job.

My guess — Leach will have an easier time moving on than Texas Tech will.

His career has been dealt a setback. There’s no doubt about that. He is no longer the rising star that he was even a year ago. Back then, his team had just derailed Texas’ national championship hopes and finished the regular season with a school-record 11 wins. He was a national coach of the year, a candidate to surely move on to another high-profile school at some point, a quirky and whacky personality who even lured the pressed-and-buttoned "60 Minutes” to lovely Lubbock to do a profile.

The TV news show might want to come back and do another story, but it won’t be the off-the-cuff, what-a-nutty-guy feature that it did a year ago.

Still, Leach will be quicker to recover than Tech.

There are enough questions about what really happened that another school will hire Leach. Heck, one might do it before the end of the week. New Mexico has a coach it would like to show the door after he attacked and punched an assistant earlier this year. A coach who sends an injured player to the corner — or whatever Leach did — doesn’t seem so bad in Albuquerque.

Leach would win at New Mexico a lot more than he would lose, and in a few years, another BCS school would hire him.

The recovery at Texas Tech won’t be quite so easy. The Red Raiders need a coach who can soothe the feelings of recent weeks, who can unite a team that sounds divided, who can win back boosters who feel betrayed.

Oh, and he needs to be able to win games, too.

Tech needs to keep using Leach’s offensive system, or one similar to it. It isn’t going to be able to win football games by lining up and running over opponents. It needs a system that maximizes the talent of the players, and Leach’s high-flying, pass-happy offense did just that.

Baylor coach and former Leach assistant Art Briles has a similar offensive philosophy. Ditto for Houston coach Kevin Sumlin and Southern Miss coach Larry Fedora.

No wonder all of those men have been mentioned as candidates at Texas Tech.

Ruffin McNeill has said that he wants to continue using Leach’s system. The Red Raider defensive coordinator has served as the interim head coach since Leach’s firing, and he is lobbying to become the head coach permanently.

Leading Tech to an Alamo Bowl victory against Michigan State was an impressive audition, but McNeill has other impressive lines on his resume. He’s seen within the program as a father figure. He’s known to promote a family-type atmosphere. He’s beloved by players.

If having someone who can unify the program and help the healing, McNeill should be the guy.

"I don’t know how it’s going to go because that’s not my business,” Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio said of the Texas Tech coaching search, "but I think relationships, relationships players have with coaches, are key to winning.”

They are even more important now at Texas Tech. This job is now about more than X’s and O’s. The new coach will have to deal with many issues that have nothing to do with football because this saga is going to affect the Red Raiders for months to come. The effects will linger, and the program will suffer.

This much we know about the future for Texas Tech and its former coach — there are many difficult days ahead for both.

Story courtesy of http://www.newsok.com/its-difficult-to-find-truth/article/3429680?custom_click=columnist#ixzz0btPXZnXa

ALAMO BOWL DRAWS LARGEST RATINGS IN ESPN BOWL HISTORY

2010-01-06T21:08:00.002-06:00

The saga of Mike Leach proved to be irresistible to football fans -- both devoted to Texas Tech and those who with more casual viewership.

Saturday's broadcast of Texas Tech's 41-31 victory over Michigan State earned the highest rating in ESPN bowl history. The game earned a 5.6 rating, translating to about 5,553,630 households that watched the game.

Valero Alamo Bowl officials announced that the game will finish as the No. 7 highest-rated game among all bowls shown so far this season, trailing only the five BCS bowl games and the Capital One Bowl.

“Our hats go off to the leadership and strength of character of the coaches and players from Texas Tech and Michigan State,” said Derrick Fox, the president and CEO of the Valero Alamo Bowl. "It’s gratifying that fans across the nation again tuned into the Valero Alamo Bowl and delivered tremendous exposure for the City of San Antonio and our game sponsors.”

The San Antonio-based bowl has now produced three of the top six most-watched bowl games in ESPN history. The 2010 game holds the top spot with the 2006 Alamo Bowl (Texas vs. Iowa) as second all-time and the 2005 MasterCard Alamo Bowl (Nebraska vs. Michigan) as sixth.

Those numbers show that Leach's contentious breakup with Texas Tech was widely watched and interesting to the nation.

Now, the next question will be whether his replacement proves to be as interesting to the nation.

Story courtesy of www.espn.go.com/big12

FSSW - FINAL THOUGHTS ON LEACH FIRING...

2010-01-05T16:47:00.000-06:00

As I watched the events out of Lubbock unfold last week, it made me sad…sad that Texas Tech showed the winningest football coach in its history the door and sad about how it all went down. There are a few things you should know about me (if you don’t already)…I am a proud graduate of Texas Tech and friend of Mike Leach. Neither of those means I agree with anything either of those parties do or say, but it’s important to note I have loyalties to both.

When I first heard the news that Leach would be suspended for the Alamo Bowl and the reason for it, I knew Tech would be in for a fight…that’s the stubborn lawyer in Leach…and once it had gotten that far, I figured there was no turning back, and unfortunately I was right. Do I think sticking Adam James in a storage shed or electrical closet or any other dark, empty room was the best course of action for treating a mild concussion, if that’s in fact what happened? No. Do I think for one second the safety or well-being of Adam James was ever compromised? No. Do I think there was a beef between Leach and the James camp (Adam and Craig) that played a large role in how each party handled the situation? Yes.

Leach is known as a mad scientist, both for his off-the-charts passing attack and his off-the-wall antics. This is a guy who sent one of his players to study in the snow on the 50-yard-line of Jones AT&T Stadium because he missed study hall, who went through the drive-thru and placed a lunch order while on his weekly conference call with the media, who donned an eye patch on the cover of Texas Monthly for goodness sake. This is also a guy who took the Red Raiders to new heights, winning more games and graduating more players than any coach before him. Leach also increased attendance dramatically and made Texas Tech part of the national conversation…not in spite of his unconventional ways but because of his unconventional ways.

One of Leach’s greatest qualities is his refusal to conform. He says what’s on his mind, and he doesn’t back down…ever. As a member of the media, that is refreshing because you never know what you’re going to get, unlike a lot of interviews we do where we get canned answers and coach-speak. He makes no apologies for the things he says or the decisions he makes. But that refusal to conform is also what cost him his job. I believe that if Leach would’ve apologized and acknowledged (even if he didn’t believe it) that his handling of the James situation could have been handled better, he would’ve kept his job. That’s not Leach though. He was not about to admit wrong-doing when he felt he did nothing wrong.

But it may have only prolonged the inevitable. The emails that have been released during those tense contract negotiations last spring show that any excuse to get rid of Leach was a good one, especially if it meant doing so “with cause” a.k.a “without pay”. It’s good to know that Tech’s decades-old good ol’ boy system is alive, well and out in the open in 2010 (cue the sarcasm). The athletic department is in desperate need of some new blood if the Red Raiders want to remain relevant, but that’s a different story for a different day.

At the end of the day, Mike Leach refused to “play the game”…the politically correct game…the half-hearted apology game…the conventional coach game. I admire that about him, but we all have to “play the game” from time to time…in our jobs, in our relationships…it’s just part of life. I don’t know if Leach will ever accept that, and I don’t know where else that will fly on the college football landscape. It worked in Lubbock for 10 years, and as a Red Raider, I am thankful for that. Mike Leach made Texas Tech a better, more interesting place...he could really coach the game, he just couldn’t play it.

Story courtesy of Emily Jones, FOX Sports Southwest

COWBOYS BEAT EAGLES 24-0 AND TAKE NFC EAST

2010-01-04T14:24:00.001-06:00

The Cowboys have proven during the regular season that they are a better team than Philadelphia.

Now we'll see if they can do it again.

For the second time in three seasons under head coach Wade Phillips, the Cowboys are the NFC East champion. Sunday's 24-0 victory at Cowboys Stadium served notice that these Cowboys, unlike previous versions, have saved the best for last.

Their reward: a return engagement with the Eagles here Saturday night.

Before you fret too much over how difficult it is to beat a team three times in a season, before you have flashbacks to what happened with the New York Giants two years ago, wrap your mind around this: The Cowboys carry a three-game winning streak into the playoffs, making them the hottest team in the NFC. One of those victories came against a New Orleans team that finished 13-3. This one came against a Philadelphia team that rode a six-game winning streak into the regular season finale.

"I think this is the way you need to go into the playoffs," Phillips said. "We certainly couldn't go in on a higher note than we are.

"We know we play Philadelphia again next week, but we have to savor this one right now."

There is so much to savor.

Perhaps you remember how last season ended in 44-6 shambles to the Eagles. It's been mentioned a time or two – or 200 – over the last 12 months. Sunday's result provides a measure of redemption for a team that lost not only that game, but its previous nine regular season finales by an average of 14.3 points.

For the first time in 13 years, the Cowboys finish the regular season with a winning record (3-2) after the Thanksgiving Day game.

"I've said all along I believe in this team, I believe it's a different year," Phillips said. "I think it's played out that way."

This defense is certainly different. A group that allowed 77 points in the final two games of 2008 allowed zero over the final two games of this season.

The Cowboys neutered the Eagles running game, blanketed receiver DeSean Jackson and limited the team's big-strike capability. Philadelphia was 3-of-12 on third down. The one time they did get into the red zone, the Cowboys recovered a fumble to turn them away.

Shutting out Washington, which the Cowboys did one week earlier, is one thing. What the Cowboys did Sunday was blank an Eagles team that had averaged 31.2 points during a six-game winning streak and was playing for the No. 2 seed.

What the Cowboys did was record back-to-back shutouts for the first time in their rich history.

The offense wasn't bad either. Tony Romo wasn't flawless. He forced a pass to Patrick Crayton in the first quarter that was intercepted.

But he finished with 311 yards and two touchdowns while completing passes to seven different receivers. Marion Barber and Felix Jones each rushed for 91 yards. Jones picked up more yards on his 49-yard touchdown run in the third quarter than the Eagles gained on the ground (37 yards) all afternoon.

"Felix Jones is our home run threat," Phillips said.

The Cowboys had plenty of threats this day.

"All of us have a sense of accomplishment," said tight end Jason Witten, who scored a touchdown on the team's opening possession to help put the Eagles on their heels. "We earned this.

"But we're just getting started, and we made that clear together."

Philadelphia coach Andy Reid vowed his team will be ready to play in its return to Cowboys Stadium for the first round. Running back Brian Westbrook said the Eagles, who also lost to the Cowboys 20-16 earlier in the season, "are going to have to wake up and sacrifice."

The Cowboys, meanwhile, allowed themselves a few moments to reflect on this division title compared to the one in '07 and what is left to accomplish.

"This is way more satisfying because in '07, we were just winning," linebacker Bradie James said of that 13-3 season. "It was like a wave. It was so fast, so new.

"This one right here, we earned it. There were times in the year when people counted us out, but all of us stayed together as players and we overcame some things.

"They both are great. The only way it can be more gratifying is to continue to win, to leave no stone unturned."

Story courtesy of www.dallasnews.com

FINDING LEACH'S REPLACEMENT: THE SOONER THE BETTER

2010-01-04T13:11:00.001-06:00

Texas Tech athletic director Gerald Myers said he believes the process to hire a new head football coach will be a "fairly fast process."

Myers said Saturday night after Tech's 41-31 victory over Michigan State in the Alamo Bowl, that he and the Tech administration will begin meeting Sunday to narrow a list of candidates. Myers said defensive coordinator Ruffin McNeill, who took over as interim head coach after the university fired Mike Leach on Wednesday, would be given a fair shot at the job.

"Ruff has done a good job. He mentioned earlier in the week that he would be auditioning for the job tonight and I think he had a pretty good performance. He did a great job," Myers said. "These players love Ruffin, our fans love Ruffin. He certainly will get a lot of strong consideration. We’re not opposed to hiring coordinators. We’re going to take a look at it. We've got to meet with our administration and go from there. The sooner the better is all I can say."

McNeill, whose defense came up with key fourth-quarter stops to ensure the win, said he'd be honored to assume control of the program. Players doused McNeill with a bucket of Gatorade and then he individually embracd players, clearly showing the exhaustion and mental toll the past few days had taken.

"This was the most challenging week I've had in my 29 years of coaching," Ruffin said. "It was a fun challenge though and this is the most rewarding night I've had in my coaching career. I love those players and this is the most rewarding night of my life."

Former Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville has publicly stated his interest in the position. Baylor coach Art Briles, who served under Leach at Tech from 2000-02, said in a statement that he is committed to the Bears. Other candidates could include Houston coach Kevin Sumlin, who runs a spread offense and whose offensive coordinator is former longtime Leach assistant Dana Holgerson. Southern Mississippi coach Larry Fedora could also be in the mix.

Tech Players voiced strong support for Ruffin after Saturday's game.

"To the world outside of Tech football it was chaotic, but inside Tech football, everybody knew Ruff had this team," running back Baron Batch said. "Ruff's a great coach and we have full confidence in him. We love to play for Ruff, we love to play for our coaches and I would love nothing more for him to be the coach next year. He handled this week just awesome, better than awesome. There's not a word to describe how well he handled this week."

Story courtesy of www.espn.go.com/dallas

TECH WINS ALAMO BOWL 41-31

2010-01-03T14:22:00.000-06:00

The focus never completely returned to football even with Saturday night's entertaining Valero Alamo Bowl after a brutally long week in Red Raider nation.

Texas Tech fans made known their displeasure about coach Mike Leach's firing vocally and with T-shirts and signs. And the back-and-forth between Leach and Tech continued through game day and was reflected in ESPN's telecast.

But all that ugliness contributed to making Tech's rather dramatic 41-31 victory over Michigan State a cathartic experience worthy of crazy celebration. Despite the drama, the Red Raiders outlasted the Spartans in front of a crowd of 64,757 after coming from behind twice in the second half.

They took the lead on backup quarterback Steven Sheffield's 11-yard TD pass to Detron Lewis with 5:03 to play. Sheffield was inserted to lead the go-ahead drive after starter Taylor Potts apparently suffered an injury after throwing for 384 yards and two TDs.

Sheffield led the eight-play, 77-yard drive that included a 43-yard pass to Lyle Leong on third-and-12.

Defensive coordinator Ruffin McNeill – who has openly campaigned for the Tech job – got a win in his first try as a head coach. Though McNeill's defense allowed MSU big plays all night, safety Franklin Mitchem intercepted MSU late.

Then Tech helped run out the clock by going for it twice on fourth down – a trademark of Leach's – and converting both times. Running back Baron Batch added a 13-yard TD with 2:08 left to leave no doubt.

Leach was fired after 10 seasons on Wednesday, for alleged mistreatment of receiver Adam James and for insubordination.

James, who did not play in the game because of injury, was mildly booed leaving and returning to the field before and after the half.

In the crowd: A sign with Tech chancellor Kent Hance's last name with a slash through it. One man wore a hat decorated with pacifiers, labeled "Adam James Commemorative Pacifiers." Several "Team Leach" shirts were also spotted – as were fans wearing pirate hats, a tribute to their former coach.

Tech's offense, which was always called by Leach, was turned over to his protégé, Lincoln Riley. It started hot, with Tech taking a 20-14 lead into half. Tech's second touchdown was set up by a 50-yard flea-flicker from quarterback Potts to Austin Zouzalik.

But MSU stayed close with big plays – a 46-yard TD run by Edwin Baker and a 48-yard TD pass by Kirk Cousins to Keshawn Martin.

Then Keith Nichol scored on a 7-yard run to give MSU its first lead of the game, 21-20, just after Tech lost a fumble on the second half's opening kick return.

But Potts connected with Jacoby Franks for a 14-yard touchdown to retake the lead, 27-21, in the third.

Still, Cousins connected on a 49-yard gain to Blair White. A pass completion out of a fake field goal attempt kept the drive alive, and MSU retook the lead, 28-27 late in the third.

Story courtesy of www.dallasnews.com

CBSSPORTS.COM REACTS TO LEACH'S SIDE OF THE STORY

2010-01-01T22:43:00.001-06:00

Shame on Craig James.

Shame on ESPN.

Shame on Texas Tech.

If what Mike Leach said was true in the New York Times on Friday, then what we all thought two days ago is a mirage. Leach and other sources claim that the coach did not, in fact, mistreat Adam James. Leach said only that he did not know where the player was taken and that he ordered only that James be taken "out of the light." Leach is supported by head trainer Steve Pincock and a team doctor.

Leach hasn’t spoken this candidly because he was busy suing the school. But now that it has fired him, the gloves are off. Most telling is the accusation by Leach that James leveraged his position as an ESPN analyst to get more playing time for his son. Through a spokesman, James said the accusations were "absurd."

I received two calls this week from people I trust saying James had bothered coaches and that he had tried to leverage his influence at the network to get his son playing time. Big Daddy James had become a royal pain in the you-know-what. None of that should dismiss the assertion that Leach allegedly mistreated James' son. But if a court ultimately rules in favor of Leach in what is sure to be an unlawful termination suit brought by Leach, James' job could be in danger.

I thought from the beginning it was borderline unethical that friends and co-workers of James were reporting this story. It had that "railroad" smell to it from the beginning with James being portrayed as the protective parent.

There is definitely another side to this, a side that ESPN hasn’t reported until after the Times ran its story. An ESPN employee said that it did report the e-mails written by assistant coach Lincoln Riley as well as a memo written by Texas Tech doctor Michael Phy before the Times story. Just throwing this out there but where was the Worldwide Leader’s info coming from – James, his son, maybe both? That’s OK if Craig James worked for Fox. It’s not OK if he drives a story in his favor with his employer.

With Leach firing back, Texas Tech better check its bank account and ESPN should consider firing their guy. First, he is now as radioactive as Leach in his own profession. The rumor that James is considering a Senate run might have to be addressed. Free publicity, it would seem, for a future politician?

Also, what coach will want to talk to James in the future? Even if his son was mistreated by Leach, the allegation that has been badgering the Texas Tech staff will not go over well in the coaching profession.

As is usually the case, the truth probably lies somewhere in the middle but let's look at this a different way. The fact that Leach would not "apologize" to the James family didn’t make sense from the beginning. If Adam’s treatment was so heinous, why would a simple apology make Big Daddy go away?

There are three sides of this story: Texas Tech's, Leach's and James'. I don’t know quite who to believe but I do know who has lost. The Phony Express, Big Daddy James.

Story courtesy of http://www.cbssports.com

EXPERTS LIKE LEACH'S ODDS IN LEGAL BATTLE

2010-01-01T22:22:00.001-06:00

Former Texas Tech head football coach Mike Leach has a fighting chance in an expected legal battle with the university that fired him after 10 seasons, say lawyers who specialize in contract and employment law.

Texas Tech dismissed Leach on Wednesday, two days after suspending him contending he had mistreated a student-athlete and refused to cooperate with the administration.

University President Guy Bailey fired him “with cause,” meaning Leach received no compensation or severance pay.

But Leach, who made a name for himself and the university with a pass-happy gridiron strategy, vowed to take the offensive again — this time in the courtroom.

Leach’s attorney promised to use the legal system to seek justice for Leach.

The Texas Attorney General’s Office will most likely represent the university in the event of a lawsuit.

“I think the reality is that this is about creating a nice severance package so he can go on and do something else,” said employment lawyer Stephen Fox of Dallas law firm Fish & Richardson.

Leach could sue the university for defamation of character as a result of things the school said about him in the media, but those types of cases are hard to win and Leach will most likely file a breach of contract suit against Tech, Fox said.

In that case, Leach would have to prove his conduct did not rise to the level of “cause” under his employment contract.

Fox said the wording in contracts is generally broad, leaving room for strong arguments from both sides.

Bailey referred to a section of Leach’s contract requiring Leach to “assure the fair and responsible treatment of student-athletes in relation to their health, welfare and discipline.”

“That would be very broad,” Fox said.

But high-profile cases, like Leach’s and the legal battle between the University of Kentucky and its former men’s basketball coach, Billy Gillispie, are most often settled out of court, Fox said.

“I doubt that this kind of case will see the light of a courtroom,” Fox said. “They just don’t.”

Still, if Leach doesn’t settle out of court and is granted a jury trial, the court of public opinion and the court of law are on his side, Dallas attorney Jim Stanton said.

“I think the strongest point Leach has at this time is the overwhelming support the people of West Texas have for his cause, right or wrong,” Stanton said. “That’s a problem for the administration.”

Tech exposed itself legally, Stanton said, by not properly addressing what caused Leach’s termination.

That in addition to never completing the investigation into Leach’s conduct regarding wide receiver Adam James — whose parents, including his famous football father and ESPN analyst Craig, complained to the university about the way Leach treated their son — puts Tech on a weak footing in court, Stanton said.

“I think the administration is hoping Mike Leach just goes away and moves on with his life rather than litigate this matter,” Stanton said.

The administration knows that to say less at this point is much better for its legal situation, Stanton said.

The more the university says, the more damaging it would be during the discovery process when Leach’s legal team is vetting all documents and communication, Stanton said.

Perhaps most detrimental to the university’s hopes of fighting a Leach lawsuit are e-mail communications between boosters and Tech Chancellor Kent Hance during last year’s contract negotiations, Fox said.

Leach can use the e-mails that discuss the cost of firing him to try to prove to a jury the school had it out for him from the beginning.

“To me, that’s very damning of Texas Tech’s position,” Fox said. “Coach Leach can characterize this whole process as kind of a staged, stooged process — basically a fabricated process where this claim came in from Adam’s family, but it wasn’t truly meritorious and they used it as a way to get to a result they were always knowing they were going to get to.”

Story courtesy of www.redraiders.com

COACHING SEARCH BEGINS - ART BRILES IS OUT

2010-01-01T21:09:00.001-06:00

If the Texas Tech Red Raiders thought they were going to be able to lure Art Briles away from Baylor, think again.

Briles just announced within the last 30 minutes that he's not leaving Baylor for Tech.

"I am proud to be a Baylor Bear and remain committed to making this program a source of pride for the Baylor family," Briles said in a statement released by Baylor. "I feel good about the direction of our program and the foundation that has been built for future success.

"Our coaching staff is excited to finish this recruiting class strong and start preparations for the 2010 season. Happy New Year and Sic 'em Bears, Baylor fans.''

The Tech job became available Wednesday when the schools surprisingly fired popular coach Mike Leach.

Briles signed a seven-year contract with the Bears two years ago, and so far has produced an 8-16 record

Other candidates for the Tech job include TCU coach Gary Patterson, Houston coach Kevin Sumlin, Tech defensive coordinator and interim coach Ruffin McNeill, Arizona offensive coordinator Sonny Dykes and former Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville

Story courtesy of www.star-telegram.com

PSST TECH....THERE'S STILL A BOWL GAME TOMORROW

2010-01-01T21:06:00.001-06:00

t will be the “Dysfunction Bowl” Saturday night at the Valero Alamo Bowl when Texas Tech (8-4) minus former head coach Mike Leach faces Michigan State (6-6), which will be missing 14 suspended players. Here’s a look at the game, which has been overshadowed by all of the off-the-field controversy for both teams.

WHO TO WATCH: Ruffin McNeill, Texas Tech’s interim head coach

The most scrutiny at the Alamodome will be reserved for McNeill, who will be replacing Leach in his first opportunity as a head college football coach. McNeill has been responsible for a dramatic improvement in the Red Raiders’ defense since taking over as coordinator during the 2007 season. He’s helped orchestrate a fearsome pass rush that ranks second nationally with 39 sacks. And he’s a popular figure among the players who is the ideal choice to settle the discord of earlier this week. A big performance by his team could gain him traction in his bid to become the permanent head coach. If the Red Raiders play well Saturday night it will serve as his best selling point.

WHAT TO WATCH: How much will the Red Raiders be different without Leach on the sidelines?

No program gained more of an identity from its head coach than Tech. Leach helped transform the Red Raiders into a consistent Big 12 power with a high-powered passing attack and unconventional coaching ploys like forgoing punts in unconventional situations and calling timeouts like a basketball coach to alter game momentum. It will be interesting to see if that changes with McNeill in charge. He’s more of a traditional, old-school leader who has helped the team’s development with a strong defensive attitude. And he’s also a former special-teams coach who has an appreciation for that phase of the game -- perhaps more so than Leach. Without their former head coach, look for the Red Raiders to lean toward a more typical game strategy. It might be a little unsettling for Tech and probably more boring, but should help their chances to win.

WHY WATCH: Texas Tech’s reaction once it hits the field

The Mike Leach era is over after his messy divorce earlier this week. But his former team still has to pick up the pieces and play in a bowl game that could be a motivational challenge. Will Tech fans have any signs of support for Leach inside the stadium? And how much focus will the team bring to a game against a Michigan State team that has been overshadowed by all of the drama that has enveloped the game?

PREDICTION: Texas Tech will have to regroup quickly after Leach’s firing. But the Red Raiders come into this game with a big advantage. Their high-powered offensive attack would appear to be ideally suited to take advantage of a leaky Michigan State defense that surrendered at least 500 yards of total offense in three of its last four games, ranked 103rd nationally in pass defense and had the nation’s worst touchdown pass-to-interception ratio (29 touchdown passes allowed/five interceptions). And that was before the Spartans lost 14 players to suspension before arriving in San Antonio. All of that means that Taylor Potts and Tech’s high-powered passing attack should be able to feast on the Spartans’ sputtering pass defense, no matter who is calling the plays. Prediction: Texas Tech 31, Michigan State 17.

Story courtesy of www.espn.go.com

TRAINER SAYS JAMES WAS MONITORED

2010-01-01T20:49:00.001-06:00

Texas Tech head football athletic trainer Steve Pincock said Red Raiders receiver Adam James was placed in a "sports medicine garage" and media room as "big as a two-car garage" while recovering from a concussion, and was monitored by two trainers at all times.

Pincock's account of the incident, given in a statement to representatives of former Texas Tech coach Mike Leach, contradicts James' version of events that led to Leach being fired Wednesday.

James, who is the son of ESPN college football analyst Craig James, sustained a concussion on Dec. 16. He was examined the following day and told not to practice because of the injury and an elevated heart rate.

Pincock's statement was obtained by ESPN.com on Thursday night from Leach's representatives. Pincock refused further comment when reached on his cell phone in San Antonio, Texas, where the Red Raiders are preparing to play Michigan State in Saturday's Alamo Bowl.

A source told ESPN's Joe Schad that Leach called a trainer and directed him to move James "to the darkest place, to clean out the equipment and to make sure that he could not sit or lean. He was confined for three hours."

According to the source, Leach told the trainer, two days later, to "put [James] in the darkest, tightest spot. It was in an electrical closet, again, with a guard posted outside."

However, Pincock said James was initially placed in a "sports medicine garage, there is no lock on this building." Pincock said injured players are typically asked to perform exercises during practice, but "James could not participate in these drills, and was originally asked to walk around the field."

"Adam showed up to practice in street clothes, no team gear, and dark sunglasses," Pincock said, according to the statement. "Adam walked about 40 to 50 yards, very slowly and with a non-caring attitude."

Pincock said Leach then asked that James be moved to a location "where sunlight could not bother him as he was wearing sunglasses."

"I instructed Adam to stay in the garage and out of the sun, so the light would not worsen his condition," Pincock said in the statement. "While in the garage, Adam was walking around, eating ice, sitting on the ground, and, at one point, sleeping; at no point was there any enforcement to make Adam stand up."

Leach, during an on-air interview Thursday night with ESPN, said he had not suggested any place specific for James. "I said, find someplace dark and one place was as good as the next, and that was close to the field, and plus they had the ice machine," Leach said.

Two days later, while the Red Raiders practiced at Jones AT&T Stadium, James was placed in a room that is used for postgame interviews involving opposing coaches and players. James told school officials he was placed in an electrical closet inside the room.

"I walked Adam to the room, which was at least as big as a two-car garage," Pincock wrote. "Inside the room there is an electrical closet. I looked in the closet and stated that there was 'no way that Adam would be placed in there.' I shut the door to the electrical closet, and it was never opened again. At no time during this practice was Adam ever placed in the electrical closet."

During Thursday's ESPN interview, Leach said he believed money was a motivating factor in his dismissal.

"Last year, they didn't want to pay the money [in contract negotiations]. Based on popular opinion and public pressure and things like that, they got in a position where, to save face, they had to give me a competitive contract, which they did," he said. "Then I think, whether it's for financial reasons or what, they decided not to follow through. Now essentially they're trying to steal the money."

In a phone interview with The New York Times, Leach described a divisive and tense relationship with Craig James, whom he said he had to deal with more than every other parent on the team combined. He said James frequently attended practices and called assistant coaches.

"I think he used his position at ESPN to try to coerce me into allowing Adam to play more," Leach told the Times. "But the thing about it is as the coach, I watch every inch of film. I'm deferring to the judgment of 12 people as we look at the film on who should play and who should play when and then we make our decision based on that. I don't feel like it's fair to the other players and I don't think it's the right way to do business to allow influence and position to dictate when you play a young man."

When Craig James was asked about those claims, he called them "absurd," ESPN spokesman Josh Krulewitz said.

James later released a statement.

"Coach Leach has made damaging and untrue comments, about my actions, about my son, and about a business relationship -- which does not exist -- between me and the leadership of the University," James said.

"He's simply trying to shift attention from his own actions and from the findings of a University investigation which we believe was fair and thorough. As we have said over and over, our concern was about the safety and well being of our son and of all the other fine young men on the team. Any parent who found their son in this situation would step forward."

Leach also told the Times that the release of a series of e-mail messages obtained by The Dallas Morning News proved that the university did not want him around. In one, a booster recommended to Tech administrators, "You should sign a contract that would not cost us too much to fire him."

"It's shocking to me that there's people working together that were trying to get me fired last year after an 11-1 regular season," Leach told the newspaper.

Mark Schlabach is a college football writer for ESPN.com. Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

BOB STOOPS COMMENTS ON LEACH FIRING

2010-01-01T20:42:00.001-06:00

Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops offered some words of encouragement for Mike Leach after he learned the Texas Tech coach had gotten fired on Wednesday.

"Just disappointed for Mike,'' Stoops said. "Just feel for him. Again, I don't know all the details of the situation and I feel it's unfortunate that it has to be this way.''

Leach was the offensive coordinator on Stoops' staff in 1999 _ a year before he took over the job at Tech. In his 10 years with the Red Raiders, Leach became the school's all-time winningest coach with an 84-43 record.

"Mike has a long track record there and a long track record of success and doing things well,'' Stoops said. "And this is the first I've ever heard of any allegations against him.''

Leach was fired after the Tech administration said he mistreated redshirt sophomore Adam James, who is a backup receiver from Celina. It's the second time in less than a month that a former member of Stoops' staff has lost his job at a Big 12 school.

On Dec. 3, Kansas and coach Mark Mangino reached a $3 million settlement on a buyout after some players accused him of being insensitive to them and making humiliating remarks to them during games or practice, and often in front of others. Mangino was an assistant under Stoops at OU from 1999-2001.

Stoops believes it's just a mere coincidence that two of his former assistants, Leach and Mangino, were caught in the crosshairs at their respective universities.

"Mike was here for one year,'' Stoops said. "He spent a heckuva lot more time with Hal Mumme and himself (at Kentucky) than he did with me.

"I love Mike. Every time I've been around him he's always been very appropriate with his players. He's a bright guy who I would think would always do the right thing."

One thing that is evident to Stoops after what transpired between Leach and Mangino. Today's players have thin skin, they complain more when things don't go their way, they are more spoiled than players of the good old days, and they are changing the way coaches go about their business.

"It's much different,'' Stoops said, referring to how coaches must delicately treat today's players. "We were coached much harder overall.''

Story courtesy of www.star-telegram.com

JAMES FUTURE AT TEXAS TECH UP IN THE AIR

2010-01-01T20:36:00.001-06:00

Fair or unfair, there are some people out there who are blaming Adam James for the firing of Texas Tech coach Mike Leach.

The backup redshirt sophomore inside receiver is the player who told his parents Leach mistreated him after he suffered a mild concussion on Dec. 16. Tech administrators received a complaint about it from James' parents, did some investigation, talked to some folks, and then suspended and subsequently fired Leach.

As Tech prepares to play Michigan State at 8 Saturday night in the Alamo Bowl, can Adam James realistically expect to be a member of the Red Raiders after this season?

"We’ll revisit that,'' inside receivers coach Lincoln Riley said. "He’s not going to play this week because of the injury.''

But will James be back with the Raiders next season?

"I don’t know,'' Riley said. "That’ll be up to him and his family (if he returns next year).

"If it’s best for us and best for Tech for him to be back, then he will be, and if it's not, then he won’t be. I can’t be thinking about that right now. I’ve got to be thinking about Michigan State and the guys that are playing right now. He’s not playing right now, so he’s not in my thoughts right now.''

James was certainly in Riley's thoughts a few days ago when the assistant coach sent an e-mail to Tech officials. The e-mail, obtained by the Star-Telegram, is as follow:

"During the last two years of being the inside receivers coach, I have had the chance to learn alot about Adam James. He came to Tech because of one person: Coach Leach. Although we adamently doubted
his talent, we as coaches came to see that Adam actually had enough talent to help us out. The problem, though, is that Adam is unusually lazy and entitled. Many other players on this team, specifically receivers, have a much larger role on this team with less talent. I have always been worried about Adam's effect on my other players because of his weak and conceited attitude. I recently found out that Adam deliberately undermined my authority on many occasions. This is particularly disturbing because Coach Leach hired me to make our receivers the best group in the country, and Adam has damaged this
group far more than I even realized. He should be grateful for the opportunity that was given to him here that was not offered at any other Division 1 football program. He has an unbelievable sense of
entitlement because of who his father is; one that hurts himself and people around him. Adam is the kind of person that makes excuses or blames people for things that go wrong in his life. Furthermore, I don't have children yet, but when I do I hope they are coached by someone like Coach Leach. I have learned so many great things from him and am incredibly lucky to have him in my life.''

Asked on Thursday about those rather scathing comments about Adam James, Riley said: "I’m not going to comment about that. I sent my feelings in on December 26 when they were having the meeting with Mike. I’ve got to worry about Michigan State now.''

Riley, though, did have a sort of clear-the-air talk this week with James, whose parents have had some threathening statements directed at them over the Internet that have required police protection around their home in Celina.

"I told him I know we're on different sides of the fence on this deal, but he’s still my player,'' Riley said. "All the threats on him and his family are completely ridiculous, and I told him if he needs help as far as feeling in danger I’ll help him out any way I can.''

Asked if he thought James had some character issues, Riley said: "We've all got character issues. There's always some things we can work on. I address every part of it with every player, not just him.''

Riley believes he can let by-gones be by-gones and help James become a productive player. And what will Riley work with James on in the future?

"Just things that I’d share with him about how he can become a better player, and I usually try to keep that between me and the player,'' he said. "Just things on the field that he can work on to get better.''

Part of that work may be to help James get rid of that sense of entitlement, if indeed James does feel he's entitled to a few special things just because his dad is a former SMU and NFL player who works for ESPN.

''People make mistakes on both sides,'' Riley said. "Throughout this whole thing, things probably weren’t handled right by all people.

"People make mistakes. That’s part of it. You’ve got to learn from it and move on.''

The question now is, will Adam James be moving on from Texas Tech?

Story courtesy of www.star-telegram.com

BYRD SIGNS WITH CUBS

2010-01-01T13:09:00.000-06:00

My first thought when I saw that Marlon Byrd got $15 million for three seasons from the Cubs? It's an affordable contract that the Rangers could have matched if it wasn't 2009 and they were in the middle of changing owners.

For a guy that did what Byrd did on the field and off, $5 million a season is reasonable. I would have figured at least $6 million or more. He also got the three years, something the Rangers just weren't in position to do.

This gives Byrd a chance to keep working with Rudy Jaramillo, the former Rangers hitting coach that is now in Chicago. Byrd was an important presence in the Rangers' clubhouse and one that will be missed. He's become a consistent hitter and I'm sure his production will stay at a high level with the Cubs.

The Rangers still have to replace his bat. Jermaine Dye and Vladimir Guerrero are still on the market. We'll see if they can grab one of them.

Story courtesy of www.espn.go.com/dallas

JAMES GANG HELPS TECH GET REVENGE ON LEACH

2009-12-30T23:43:00.001-06:00

That'll teach Mike Leach to embarrass Texas Tech University during contract negotiations.

This is the definition of payback, everyone. Nearly a year after the fact.

The record will show that Leach, Tech's unorthodox yet highly successful coach, was fired Wednesday for mistreatment of a player with a "mild" concussion. The reality is Leach was fired because he took Texas Tech for everything it had last February during contract negotiations -- and made the university brass look like bumbling fools in the process.

Not that this latest human resources/relations disaster didn't just one-up everything.

This isn't about a whiny, entitled player kicking and screaming to get his way, or a whiny entitled Little League dad kicking and screaming to protect his little boopie from the mean man. The James Gang -- Adam (see: "mild" concussion) and Craig (see: Little League dad) -- have done more damage to themselves than anything Leach could have possibly done by sending Adam to timeout.

That's another story for another day -- something that will play out over and over in the legal discovery process of lengthy depositions spearheaded by two lovely attorneys making big bucks to make the wheels of justice turn. Enjoy that unlawful termination lawsuit, Tech.

Oh no, this is about jettisoning a rebel coach whose power had clearly eclipsed that of nearly everyone in the university -- especially athletic director Gerald Myers -- after last year's game of chicken during contract negotiations. A quick recap:

Adam James' complaint helped seal Mike Leach's fate.Leach wanted specific provisions in his restructured deal, and the university said no for nearly a year. Tech had a huge season in 2008, Leach seized public momentum and opinion, and Tech (see: Myers) still said no all the way to the 11th hour before capitulating and -- get this -- giving Leach everything he wanted and more.

This firing now is Tech's way of stating -- truth be damned -- that no one person is bigger than the university. Unless you're a backup wide receiver whose dad just happens to be a former college star and an analyst for the biggest sports conglomerate on the planet.

Look, if ESPN can't help Tech fire Leach, who can? Imagine the giddy feeling Myers must have felt when he realized, for the first time, that ESPN actually was on his side this time.

First, there were "sources" who told ESPN about Adam James' "mistreatment." Once it became known that Adam James was the player in question, those "sources" became Craig James being interviewed on SportsCenter by an anchor who threw fatter softballs than my daughter's baseball coach.

Related Links
Leach says school dealing in lies
The news: Leach fired by Texas Tech
Then the story advanced over the next couple of days and took on a bigger life, despite conflicting evidence to the original stories of mistreatment and numerous emails from former players and current coaches at Tech not only backing Leach, but clearly explaining the entitled behavior of Adam James.

Instead of using due diligence by investigating all facets of the incident, Tech fired Leach a day before he was due an $800,000 retention bonus. Let's call it what it is: Texas Tech wanted to fire Leach from the moment his bosses became subservient to him when he signed his contract extension in February.

Tech simply found a way this time.

Truth be damned.

Story courtesy of www.sportingnews.com

WASHINGTON POST: LEACH DESERVES ANOTHER CHANCE

2009-12-30T20:35:00.000-06:00

Texas Tech Coach Mike Leach has lost his job and his reputation because he didn't treat the subject of concussions with the appropriate cringing political correctness, or the son of an influential TV star with enough soft deference. You can hear the sound of a railroading in Lubbock, and it's not coming from the train station.

At first it was easy to view Leach as just another backward brute of a football coach, based on the superficial news reports. Wide receiver Adam James, son of ESPN analyst Craig James, accused Leach of mistreating him after he suffered a mild concussion earlier this month, alleging Leach twice had him locked up in dark sheds when he couldn't practice with his head injury. His parents complained to school authorities that he "had been subjected to actions and treatment not consistent with common sense rules for safety and health," according to a statement. It's a devastating charge, given the growing public alarm over brain injuries, and it frightened Texas Tech into first suspending Leach without a complete investigation, and then firing him Wednesday when Leach went to court to fight the suspension.

Actually, nothing in this case is simple. Leach is not some head-banging throwback. He's idiosyncratic, and incurably outspoken, but nothing suggests he's a sadist or an idiot who would endanger a player. In fact, he is one of the more well-read and thoughtful men in the game, with a large curiosity and a law degree from Pepperdine. More importantly, he's a serious, demanding educator whose team has a graduation rate of 79 percent, eighth best in the country and first in the Big 12 Conference. He trails only Notre Dame (94 percent), Stanford (93), Boston College (92), Duke (92), Northwestern (92), Vanderbilt (91) and Wake Forest (83) in turning out grads, while he also has made nine bowl appearances in nine years.

Leach is more complicated than he seems, and so are the events that led to his firing. His relationship with university officials has been contentious. While they may well have had just cause to fire him, there is also some compelling evidence that they may have judged him unfairly.

Several current and former players have come forward to attest that he's a humane teacher. "Leach has unusual methods for doing things a lot of times, but he's never cruel and never out of line in doing them," former offensive lineman Cody Campbell told the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. It turns out the alleged torture chambers were an equipment garage and an auxiliary room, where injured players are often sent to rest or do calisthenics, and where James had access to trainers and ice. "It's not like its some dungeon," former lineman Glenn January said.

It turns out Leach has a policy that requires injured players to remain close by at practice "to let everybody know they're not going to stand around and do nothing," January added. And it turns out that James was examined by a school physician named Michael Phy who, according to ESPN.com, wrote a memo stating "no additional risks or harm were imposed on Adam [James] by what he was asked to do." Which amounted to standing alone in a room for a couple of hours. Standing in a low-light environment hardly seems like a menace to his health.

Two days before the concussion, Leach and his staff apparently disciplined James for poor effort during drills. Leach contends that this, and a lack of playing time, led the James family to resent his handling of the player. James's habits and attitude have also been questioned by his teammates. CBSSports.com acquired an e-mail to Tech authorities from former wide receiver Eric Morris, who said that James "was never known as a hard worker" and "seemed to have a negative attitude toward the football program the majority of the time." Receivers coach Lincoln Riley also wrote a memo in support of Leach to the administration, obtained by ESPN.com, in which he referred to the player as "unusually lazy and entitled."

It also turns out university administrators have quarreled repeatedly with Leach over his contract demands, and may have been looking for a reason to get out of paying him a $800,000 bonus he was due on Dec. 31 if he were still the head coach at Texas Tech.

It's impossible to say exactly what happened between Leach and James, but we can be reasonably sure that there are two sides of the story, and that Texas Tech acted too quickly in firing him just two days after suspending him. Was it the right thing to do to send an injured player into the shed with the appearance of disciplining him? Probably not. Was it a firing offense? Certainly not.

It's the contention of Leach's attorney, Ted Liggett, that Craig James brought the complaint "to retaliate for his displeasure with the extent of his son's role on Texas Tech University's football team." While that doesn't sound like the whole truth either -- James has never seemed the vindictive sort -- the possibility that this stems from a parent-coach conflict seems worth considering.

It's also perhaps a conflict of two competing principles. The public is becoming acutely aware that invisible football injuries can be far more dangerous than visible ones. Concussions are the hot button topic of the moment, because they were taken too lightly, for too long, and research now shows that medical personnel need to be more cautious and conservative in the treatment of them. This awareness is a good thing, and no one could blame a parent for being concerned or a player for objecting to Leach's method. "I have no complaints about this decision. [Leach] put Adam in a shed like an animal," said defensive lineman Chris Perry.

But at the same time, football is an essentially violent game; it can't be played without pain and collision. Coaches are in the business of developing the physical and mental toughness required to stand it.

At a time that concussion awareness is growing, coaches have a growing awareness of entitlement and hypersensitivity in the athletes they are welcoming to campus. Every coach I know has remarked with disappointment on the trend: Too many of today's college athletes expect more while sacrificing less, and regard tough coaching as unfair criticism. They suspect that young athletes are over-congratulated for merely participating in high school, and that they aren't learning great habits. They fear that kids are losing a sense of what real excellence is, and requires.

Put a prideful, protective parent in the same room with a driven coach who thinks his players have been babied, and throw in the hot button concussion topic, and you get a recipe for a lawsuit.

Leach is not one who tolerates pampered or pouty players, judging by his public statements over the years. He is a blunt critic, which probably hasn't helped him in this case. Earlier this season he tongue-lashed his team for being too complacent by saying "their fat little girlfriends are telling them what they want to hear, which is how great you are and how easy it's going to be." A couple of years ago he railed about a poor performance by saying, "We got hit in the mouth and acted like someone took our lunch money, and all we wanted to do is have pouty expressions on our face until somebody dobbed our little tears off and made us [expletive] feel better. Then we go out there and try harder once our mommies told us we were okay. Neither one of those things is acceptable."

Leach also has a penchant for creative forms of discipline, which has obviously led to his current trouble. Last spring he was unhappy with split end Edward Britton for not hitting the books. Leach demoted him during spring practice, and, to further make his point, had a desk placed on the 50-yard line. After practice he ordered Britton to sit at the desk and study, even though Lubbock was experiencing a cold snap. There Britton sat, in an overcoat and hood, reading at a desk in the middle of the football field. "If he does good studying out there, we'll decide if we're going to actually let him practice," Leach said.

Some parents might object to that sort of treatment. Others might thank him.

One thing's for sure: Another school should hire him

Story courtesy of www.washingtonpost.com

TECH WENT TOO FAR IN FIRING LEACH

2009-12-30T20:23:00.001-06:00

For the record: Craig James didn’t get Mike Leach fired. Neither did his son or ESPN or anyone else on the periphery of Texas Tech’s football program.

A long, simmering history of events led to Leach’s dismissal, much of it the eccentric coach’s fault.

And Tech officials were still wrong to dismiss him Wednesday.

They were right to suspend him from the Alamo Bowl, as I wrote yesterday. He brazenly mishandled a situation with an injured player, Adam James, which no coach should do.

But his actions weren’t serious enough to result in his dismissal, at least on their own merits.

Unless they have information we’re not privy to, Tech officials instead used the embarrassing incident as a catalyst to fire a coach they barely tolerated in the best of times, as a string of internal e-mails indicate.

Not that we needed any inside evidence. The animosity between Leach and the administration has long been obvious.

Eccentric behavior, trolling for jobs and bucking the chain of command may be charming in newsprint, but it doesn’t play well with your bosses.

Still, Tech officials knew what they were getting into. From what I can tell, Leach hasn’t changed much in a decade as the most successful football coach in school history.

He won, graduated his players, didn’t attract the attention of the NCAA and still managed to generate controversy. In short, he was a lot like a basketball coach Tech once employed.

The difference between Leach’s situation and Bob Knight’s was that Gerald Myers liked Knight.

Leach was easy to like if you were a Raider fan or a sportswriter. He was funny, innovative and good copy. One of his faults is that, because he did a lot of good, he thought he could do or say whatever he wanted. He chose news conferences to criticize officials, his players and “their fat little girlfriends,” a remark that didn’t cost him as much grief as it should have, probably.

But, love him or hate him, that was the Pirate. At times he needed to be reined in. Tech did that with a suspension. In firing him, they went too far, but it wasn’t a knee jerk reaction. This was a long time coming, which still doesn’t make it right.

Story courtesy of www.dallasnews.com

5 COACHING REPLACEMENTS FOR LEACH?

2009-12-30T20:20:00.001-06:00

A look at possible replacements for Mike Leach at Texas Tech:

Art Briles: The Baylor coach’s name surfaced in February, when Leach was in a contract standoff. Briles gained wide respected for the job he did at Stephenville High School and at the University of Houston. He has strong ties to the school as a Tech alum and former running backs coach under Leach. After a 4-8 season in Waco where he lost quarterback Robert Griffin early, Briles may be willing to listen. Odds: 3-1

Sonny Dykes:The Arizona offensive coordinator would be another way to unite Red Raider fan base as the son of legendary former Tech coach Spike Dykes. Sonny Dykes has helped Arizona to consecutive bowl games and played a key role in the development of quarterback Nick Foles. He also served on Leach’s staff before leaving for Arizona, and would cost less than Briles. Odds: 2-1

Ruffin McNeill: The Tech defensive coordinator will be getting his audition for the job Saturday as the interim head coach at the Valero Alamo Bowl against Michigan State. McNeill has improved the defense since taking his current position in 2007. He’s also a solid, no-nonsense guy, and has become sort of a father figure to a lot of the Tech players. McNeill would probably have to import an offensive guru, like Houston assistant Dana Holgorsen or former Leach mentor Hal Mumme. Odds: 3-1

Kevin Sumlin: He replaced Briles at Houston and led the Cougars into the Top 25 this season. He’s young, smart and actually beat Tech this season. Sumlin installed Leach’s system, one that complimented the strengths of quarterback Case Keenum. Sumlin has Big 12 South ties as a former assistant at Oklahoma and Texas A&M. Odds: 5-1

Tommy Tuberville: This would be a major move. Tuberville has been on the sidelines, doing TV work, since being forced out at Auburn after a 5-7 season in 2008. But he posted 110 career wins at Ole Miss and Auburn, and went 13-0 in 2004. Tuberville knows the Big 12 from his time as R.C. Slocum’s defensive coordinator at Texas A&M. His name was mentioned briefly for the Kansas job. But would Tech and the spread offense personnel be the right fit with Tuberville? Odds: 10-1

Story courtesy of www.dallasnews.com

TTU STATEMENT REGARDING LEACH FIRING

2009-12-30T20:14:00.000-06:00

Here's the release:

After reviewing all the information available, Texas Tech University has decided that the best course of action for the university and its football program is to terminate its relationship with Head Football Coach Mike Leach for cause.

Texas Tech was prepared to participate in the legal proceeding today on coach Leach's motion for a temporary restraining order. His attorney, however, chose to not participate when he was informed that the termination of coach Leach was inevitable.

The coach's termination was precipitated by his treatment of a player after the player was diagnosed with a concussion. The player was put at risk for additional injury. After the university was apprised of the treatment, Coach Leach was contacted by the administration of the university in an attempt to resolve the problem. In a defiant act of insubordination, Coach Leach continually refused to cooperate in a meaningful way to help resolve the complaint. He also refused to obey a suspension order and instead sued Texas Tech University. Further, his contemporaneous statements make it clear that the coach's actions against the player were meant to demean, humiliate and punish the player rather than to serve the team's best interest. This action, along with his continuous acts of insubordination, resulted in irreconcilable differences that make it impossible for coach Leach to remain at Texas Tech.

"It is our number one priority to protect the welfare of our students and the reputation of the Texas Tech University. Parents have entrusted us with their children and we take this responsibility very seriously. We very much appreciate the leadership shown by the university's athletic director, Gerald Myers, and president, Guy Bailey, in dealing with this unfortunate situation. The board supports their decision," said Larry Anders, chairman and Jerry Turner, vice chairman of the Texas Tech University System Board of Regents.

In the near future, Texas Tech will undertake a search for a new coach. In the meantime, the focus of the athletic department is on the preparation for the Valero Alamo Bowl.

Story courtesy of www.dallasnews.com

LEACH'S STATEMENT REGARDING FIRING...

2009-12-30T19:43:00.002-06:00

The following statement was released from Mike Leach regarding his recent termination from Texas Tech University as Head Football Coach.

"I want everyone to know what a privilege and pleasure it has been to teach and coach more than 400 student-athletes at Texas Tech University over the past 10 years.

When I arrived at Texas Tech, the football program was on NCAA probation and the graduation rate was far below the national average. However, in the past 10 years, Tech has been to 10 straight bowl games, has the third best record in the Big 12 Conference, and has the highest graduation rate for football players of any public institution in the country.

Over the past several months, there have been individuals in the Texas Tech administration, Board of Regents and booster groups who have dealt in lies, and continue to do so. These lies have led to my firing this morning. I steadfastly refuse to deal in any lies, and am disappointed that I have not been afforded the opportunity for the truth to be known.

Texas Tech's decision to deal in lies and fabricate a story which led to my firing, includes, but is not limited by, the animosity remaining from last year's contract negotiations. I will not tolerate such retaliatory action; additionally, we will pursue all available legal remedies.

These actions taken by Texas Tech have severely damaged my reputation and public image. In addition, Texas Tech has caused harm to not only my family, but to the entire Red Raider nation and the sport of college football.

As you know, I prefer to engage in question and answer sessions; however, in this instance my counsel has advised me to simply make a statement. There will be time to answer questions about this issue in the future, but the serious legal nature of this situation prevents me from going into further detail at this time."

Story courtesy of www.kcbd.com

SI TAKE: WHAT'S NEXT FOR LEACH AND FOR TECH?

2009-12-30T15:26:00.002-06:00

It's hard to imagine Mike Leach's 10-year tenure at Texas Tech ending in a more fittingly bizarre fashion. The law school grad sent his lawyer to a courthouse in hopes of getting his suspension lifted, only to come back with a termination letter.

Leach's one-of-a-kind persona was defined by defiance. Ultimately, it brought about his demise.

Leach, who went 84-43 and took his team to 10 straight bowl games, was ostensibly fired for his mistreatment of a player with a mild concussion, but don't be fooled. The allegations by Adam James' family were a convenient excuse for school president Guy Bailey and athletic director Gerald Myers to rid themselves of a coach who, despite bringing the school considerable prestige, never fully earned their respect and butted heads with the administration for years (most notably in last winter's contentious contract negotiations). When the school rushed to suspend him Monday, we all knew where this was headed.

By firing Leach "with cause" (we'll have to wait and see whether that part holds up in the inevitable lawsuit to come), the school will get out paying him a potentially expensive buyout ($400,000 a year for the next four years). It may be about to lose far more than that, however, in canceled season tickets, diminished respect, and, quite possibly, many lost football games.

Not since Indiana fired controversial coach Bob Knight in 2000 has a major program abruptly cut ties with such a locally revered figure. (Ironic, considering Myers is the same guy who gave Knight his second chance.) The difference: Knight, by the end, had his share of detractors in Bloomington. He also had a long and well-documented history of degrading players and officials alike.

While Leach engendered minor controversies here and there throughout his tenure, there had been not a peep about any misconduct. But then came the allegations from prominent ex-football star and ESPN analyst Craig James claiming Leach had subjected his son to humiliating isolation on two occasions because of his injury. Disputes then ensued over the details and the motivation behind said allegations -- ex-players rushed to the coach's defense; James and his father were apparently bitter over his lack of playing time; the purported "electrical closet" turned out to be the size of a garage; a doctor swore Leach inflicted no harm -- but it was apparent from the beginning that Tech either wasn't buying it or wanted Leach gone regardless.

Reportedly, Leach could have avoided the whole fiasco simply by writing an apology to James. He refused. Leach was never a conformist. This time it cost him his job.

Craig James said the family went public with the allegations to "protect all the fine young men involved in Tech football." Whether that meant getting Leach fired, we'll never know, but now that it's happened, the aftermath figures to be ugly.

Bailey and Myers now face the unenviable task of finding a new coach willing to follow in the footsteps of Tech's own Urban Meyer. While Leach had only one truly transcendent season in Lubbock (2008, when the Red Raiders started 10-0 and beat No. 1 Texas), the fact that his program remained as consistent as it did was remarkable considering the gap it faced in almost every department compared with divisional rivals Texas and Oklahoma. He did it with his uniquely innovative offense and ability to turn hidden gems like Wes Welker, Kliff Kingsbury and Graham Harrell into record-setting stars.

Texas Tech never reached a BCS game under Leach, but it gained an unmistakable identity and untold national notoriety (even 60 Minutes came calling) thanks to Leach's offensive schemes and unusual personality. (Is there any football fan in America who doesn't know about Leach's affinity for pirates or improbable relationship with Donald Trump?)

His successor will step into an environment where the fan base is now angry and divided and presumably skeptical of anyone short of a home-run hire. Arizona offensive coordinator Sonny Dykes is a former Leach assistant who's also a legacy of Leach's similarly beloved predecessor, Spike Dykes. So, too, is Baylor coach Art Briles. Houston coach Kevin Sumlin didn't work for Leach, but runs his offense thanks to coordinator Dana Holgerson, a Leach descendent.

But all of them may be reticent to take the job out of either loyalty to Leach or alarm over the way he was treated. Myers, a basketball guy, doesn't exactly paint the picture of a man willing to go to bat for his football coach, and all sorts of dirty details about the school figure to come out in Leach's forthcoming lawsuit. Big-name coaches will likely think twice before signing on there. Just as Tech got Bob Knight, it may get a football Mike Davis.

The more intriguing question is, what becomes of Leach? Over the past few years, as his reputation finally morphed from that of a gimmick artist to a legitimately respected football coach, he sought desperately to get out of Lubbock, interviewing with Miami and Washington and entertaining other suitors. But no opportunity came to pass. To say he's an "oddball" is putting it mildly, which likely made for some "unique" interviews.

Now, with the stigma of a job-ending scandal -- one involving the particularly sensitive subject of concussions -- he's going to find it infinitely more difficult to land a cushy gig. Leach's ego would likely welcome the opportunity to take his system to the pros as a coordinator, but the button-down NFL would seem even less welcoming. More realistically, some college mid-major is going to luck out and get an accomplished coach on the cheap, but only if it's capable of viewing the James incident as an aberration and/or exaggeration.

As for Craig James, it's hard to imagine his own career will remain unscathed. While it's hard to criticize a father for looking out for his son, he's put himself in a very uncomfortable situation. An ESPN analyst -- a purportedly objective college football commentator -- just got a prominent college football coach fired. Will viewers take him seriously now when he critiques a coach's judgment? Will coaches of the games he's covering even speak with him? ESPN won't fire James for being a concerned parent, but it could certainly relegate him to Tuesday night MAC games for the foreseeable future.

He (and his poor son) would be wise to stay away from Lubbock. In the battle of Leach vs. James, there was little doubt as to which side Red Raiders fans fell. You'll be able to tell from all the empty seats in AT&T Jones Stadium next fall.

Story couretsy of www.sportsillustrated.cnn.com

LEACH FIRED!!!

2009-12-30T12:16:00.002-06:00

BREAKING NEWS: 11:55a.m. - Sources tell FOX 34 Texas Tech has fired Mike Leach as head football coach.

Before the hearing this morning, Mike Leach's personal attorney, Ted Liggett, received a letter from Texas Tech signed by President Guy Bailey terminating Leach's employment effective immediately.

According to the letter, Leach is in violation of Article Four of his contract. That's the performance clause, which deals with the health and welfare of players.

Liggett tells FOX 34 Leach will be filing a lawsuit against the University "soon."

Mel's take: I cannot tell you how appalled I am by this decision. Since this is my blog I feel the only thing I can say right now is that this is such Bullshit! and I hope Leach does retaliate, even if it is at the expense of my school.

TEXAS MONTHLY: PIRATE UNDER ATTACK!

2009-12-29T17:53:00.002-06:00

As anyone who knows anything about Texas Tech football can tell you, there is something odd about yesterday’s suspension of football coach Mike Leach because of a complaint that he mistreated a third-string receiver named Adam James, who happens to be the son of football commentator and former SMU star Craig James. For one thing, Leach has never been known to violate any NCAA rules on player treatment, as a wave of former players who went public this week have attested. He can certainly be tough. When I was in Lubbock in March, reporting on a TEXAS MONTHLY cover story (“Mike Leach Is Thinking...”, September 2009), he made receiver Ed Britton sit at a desk outdoors in a blizzard for two hours for missing study hall. Leach has a special, 40-yard long sand pit next to the Tech practice field where delinquent players—especially academically delinquent players—are put through all sorts of boot camp-like exercises meant to get their minds right. The sand pit (aka “Muscle Beach”) is also where injured players are put to work during practice dragging truck tires or pounding stakes and generally working whatever parts of their bodies are not injured.

But a pattern of abuse like what Kansas head football coach Mark Mangino is alleged to be guilty of? There is no evidence at all for it. Not only have many of Leach’s former players already come forward to defend him, but testimonials popping up on the Internet are running roughly 100 to 1 in favor of Leach and against his bosses, Texas Tech’s athletic director Gerald Myers and Tech Chancellor Kent Hance. (This estimate is, of course, highly unscientific.)

As far as anyone can tell, here is what happened. On December 16, Adam James suffered a mild concussion. Since he could therefore not participate in contact drills, the coaches had him walking the track. The next day he showed up wearing sunglasses, explaining that the doctor said this would help him recover. Leach, apparently thinking that James was exaggerating his injury—though this is not entirely clear—sent him to the team's equipment room to stand in the darkness. (In some accounts this has been described as a “shed” or a “closet.” I have been there and seen it, and it is a normal equipment room.) According to the James family’s allegations, Adam was forced to do this for the next two days.

This is where things get a bit fuzzy. Leach later told Tech officials that he thought James was a slacker. I can confirm that Leach and his coaches thought this about James as far back as March. In one of the coaches meetings that I attended, James and one other player were specifically discussed. Without saying why, Leach told his coaches they needed to get tougher on those players since they obviously felt they were not giving 100 percent. There seemed to be general agreement on this. According to the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, Leach also told officials that Craig James had behaved like a Little League dad, constantly calling and complaining. At issue apparently was Adam’s playing time. He was not getting a lot of it, was unhappy about that, and according to several reports is already planning to transfer to SMU.

What happened next was that Craig James took his complaints to Tech officials, saying that his son was being mistreated. Tech then asked Leach to apologize formally to Adam by Monday. Leach outright refused to do that, insisting that he had done nothing wrong, and Tech suspended him, which meant that Leach could not coach in this Saturday’s Alamo Bowl against Michigan State.

The suspension reminded me of the bitter feud that erupted between Leach and athletic director Myers this spring. After a season when Leach’s football team went 11-2, after which he won several major coach-of-the-year awards, the Tech community was stunned to see headlines suggesting not only that Leach would not receive a raise but that he might be fired. Things got so bad that Chancellor Hance had to intervene personally. He and Leach worked out a salary package that made him the third highest paid coach in the Big 12. The feud with Myers was no longer in the headlines, but it simmered on.

It has, in fact, been a strange year for Leach. After last year’s run at a national championship, the team struggled this year to an 8-4 season punctuated by a Leach outburst against his team following a loss to A&M which he blamed on the players’ “fat little girlfriends." After one player tweeted angrily that Leach was late for a meeting, Leach forbid his team from using Twitter.

None of which adds up, however, to player abuse. I do not claim to know exactly what happened, but one scenario that must be considered is that we are witnessing a power play against Leach by the James family, who were unhappy because Adam wasn’t getting enough playing time. The Jameses are being greatly aided by their complaint’s proximity to both the Mark Mangino firing with its attendant allegations of player abuse and to the current NFL controversy over its sensitivity to player concussions. They are further aided by the fact that Leach and Myers hate each other.

Leach’s lawyer Ted Liggett, meanwhile, is vowing to take Tech to court this week to force it to let Leach coach the bowl game. Stay tuned. If Tech fires Leach over this, there will be a mushroom cloud over Lubbock that will be visible for thousands of miles and a likely revolt of Tech fans, alums, and former players.

Story courtesy of www.texasmonthly.com

LEACH FILES INJUNCTION TO COACH ALAMO BOWL

2009-12-29T17:21:00.002-06:00

Click below for a copy of the Injunction filed by Mike Leach vs. Texas Tech to coach in the Alamo Bowl:

INJUNCTION

2 SIDES PREPARING FOR A FIGHT....

2009-12-29T11:38:00.002-06:00

This is going to get ugly.

In the hours after the news broke late Monday afternoon that Texas Tech had suspended coach Mike Leach for Saturday's Alamo Bowl against Michigan State, as details of the allegations against him came to light, followed by the identity of Leach's celebrity accuser, it became apparent that we're headed for an all-out Lone Star showdown.

In one corner, we have the revered and ever-controversial coach of a Big 12 program. In the other, a perturbed father who happens to be one of the most celebrated college players in the state's history and a highly visible television personality. It's Mike Leach's word vs. Craig James' word, with both men's considerable reputations on the line.

Let the lawyers' fees fly.

Leach's suspension and ongoing investigation are the result of allegations made by the family of sophomore receiver Adam James -- whose father, Craig, is the former star SMU running back and current ESPN analyst -- claiming Leach mistreated the player for missing practice with a mild concussion.

According to the Lubbock Avalanche Journal, on Dec. 17, Leach "ordered James to stand in a dark shed at the Tech football practice facility because he thought James was faking a concussion he'd suffered during practice the previous day. Leach had him watched, and when James sat down, Leach had things removed from the shed so he could not sit. Two days later, Leach forced James to stand in a dark room for three hours."

The description sounds horrific.

However, according to the paper, Leach "did not dispute the facts, but did not believe he had done anything wrong." According to Leach's attorney, Ted Liggett, who plans to take legal steps to get the coach reinstated, the building James was sent to was not a shed, and it was cooler than on the practice field. (According to a source with knowledge of Tech's facilities, the room in question is the size of a garage.)

"Because of the fact that he had a concussion and he was extremely limited in the physical activity he could undergo, Mike felt like that was the best place for him and still be close to and part of the team,'' Liggett told the paper. "There's much, much more than meets the eye. The diagnosing doctor has signed a note stating that Adam James was in no way injured by the actions coach Leach took. In fact, he was better off in the building than he would have been outside."

As for the player, Liggett told the AP: "I believe that [Adam James] was a disgruntled student athlete that like many were not happy with their playing time." (James finished the regular season 10th on the team in receptions, with 17.) The Avalanche Journal reported that "Leach also told officials James was a slacker, and his father was always calling and acting like a Little League dad."

Regardless of whose side you take, this does not look good for Leach. If his intent was to punish and/or humiliate a concussed player, he sure picked the wrong year to do it. Thanks to Tim Tebow, Malcolm Gladwell and Roger Goodell, among others, the treatment of concussions has become a hot-button issue in 2009.

"Over the past year, there has been a greatly enhanced recognition of the dangers of concussions and the potential for long-term physical damage to players," said a statement released by James' family in supporting why they chose to report Leach to the university.

But one should always approach with caution the allegations of a disgruntled parent, whose perspective is often understandably skewed. In this particular case, the disgruntled parent happens to be one of the most visible personalities in the sport -- which is probably why this issue accelerated as quickly as it did.

You may recall the recent story of South Florida coach Jim Leavitt, who, according to a stunning FanHouse story, "grabbed a player by the throat then struck him twice in the face" during halftime of a game. Despite corroborating accounts from five witnesses, despite the player's father telling the reporter "You do something like that [on the street], you put them in jail," and despite the school's pledge to "review the matter promptly," Leavitt has yet to be reprimanded in any way, and the player in question, walk-on Joel Miller, claims his story was "misrepresented."

The battle between the architect of USF's program -- who, according to FanHouse, made a point of reminding Miller: "Before you say anything, just know I am the most powerful man in this building" -- and a walk-on's father was a mismatch of epic proportions.

Texas Tech could have done the same thing. It's a common PR tactic: launch an open-ended investigation, wait for the storm to pass and, most importantly, stand behind your $2.5 million coach.

The fact that the school suspended Leach before completing an investigation seems the product of a perfect storm: The presence of a particularly notable accuser; the sensitive nature of anything concussion-related; and, most likely, Leach's strained relationship with his employer. (Leach and AD Gerald Myers waged a very public standoff last summer over his contract renegotiations.)

Leach's blunt personality and unconventional methods have long made ripe fodder for fans and media conditioned to strait-laced, cookie-cutter coaches. Last year, as the Red Raiders streaked to a 10-0 start and knocked off top-ranked Texas, Leach's Churchill quotes and affinity for pirates made for great copy. This year, as Tech endured a more modest 8-4 finish, his players' brief Twitter mutiny and his bizarre "fat little girlfiend comments" didn't seem quite so cute.

Now, facing undeniably disturbing accusations, many will jump to the conclusion that Leach's days in Lubbock are numbered. It won't be that simple. If anything, we may be at the very beginning of a long, protracted fight.

Leach's reputation is on the line. So is his coaching future. His lawyer sounds ready to battle his accuser and the school on the coach's behalf.

Just as notably, Craig James' reputation is on the line. ESPN has dealt with no shortage of controversies over the years involving its on-air personalities, and with the exception of those who were egregiously wronged (like Erin Andrews), the network usually attempts to distance itself from potentially negative PR. It's already had to pull James from his Alamo Bowl assignment. Whether or not James' son was wronged, ESPN can't be thrilled to have one of its most visible college football faces directly involved in a college football scandal.

This is going to get ugly. Somebody's career could soon be jeopardized.

But which one will it be?

Story courtesy of http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com

IS THE JAMES FAMILY FOR REAL?

2009-12-29T11:07:00.000-06:00

Why is this story out of Lubbock, Texas bothering me so much? Why is the image of a spoiled brat whining to his famous daddy the only image springing to my mind?

Let’s start with what we know: Adam James, son of ESPN commentator and former star SMU running back Craig James, is a seldomly used receiver on a Texas Tech football team that underachieved this season.

We also know that the Red Raiders’ coach, Mike Leach, is an enigmatic personality, a weird dude with sometimes bizarre methods. But never before have those methods been documented as dangerous.

James apparently suffered a mild concussion in mid-December, was sent to a building at the end of the practice field to rest. (James describes the building as a “shed,” but I have a very hard time imagining any football-related building on Texas Tech’s campus is “shed”-like.)

I have spent more than a fair amount of time watching trainers and team doctors work. I have never seen a trainer cower down to a coach, and I have actually seen team doctors sharply talk to head coaches. That is why I’m having a hard time swallowing this whole thing. If Leach was in any way, shape or form causing harm or unnecessary discomfort to any of his players, at least one of — if not all of the following three things would have happened, or would be happening:

1.) The trainers — even the student trainers — might have followed Leach’s order at first, but they would have immediately run to a superior, to a certified atheltic trainer on the field or in the training room, orto a team doctor. If they felt Leach was giving odd or improper orders regarding a players’ health — especially about a concussion — they wouldn’t have stood for it.

2.) We’d be reading quotations from someone on the medical and/or athletic training staff. We would already have heard from whoever was in charge of the training room that day — he has to be dying to clear his name, right? Or, wouldn’t we have read a quote from a student trainer waiting to publicly right a wrong? I can’t imagine we will see this student trainer, or a certified athletic trainer but this is where we need an unnamed source to be unearthed by the fine journalists in Lubbock.

3.) Other players would be going crazy. If a coach put a player in harm’s way, that players’ teammates — his friends — would be rushing to his defense. And they would have done it that day. Someone would have leaked it to the press, posted the info in a forum on RedRaiders.com, told a friend who told a friend… When coaches do something harmful, or even just terribly uncool, reporters find out and investigate.

So far, all we have heard from is lawyers and the university’s brass.

I want to know more about James. Is he a troublemaker, or a hard-working player? Is he there on his father’s laurels, or by his own merit? Is he frustrated over playing time? Has he had other issues with Leach? Has Leach had other issues with him? Do his teammates have his back? If not, why not? Has Leach sent other players to the “shed,” or just James? I want t. o see photos of the alleged shed. I want to know what the trainers thought.

Here is something else we know: In February, after 10 months of tenuous negotiations, Leach and the school agreed to a contraction extension: through the 2013 season for $12.7 million. If Tech terminates the contract, the school must pay Leach $400,000 for each year remaining on the agreement.

Here are some stories for more reading, but I’m anxious to read what the Texas reporters dig up on this story, and I hope ESPN can do a solid job despite its affiliation with the James family.

Story courtesy of http://mollyyanity.wordpress.com

LEACH'S FAILURE TO APOLOGIZE LED TO HIS SUSPENSION

2009-12-29T10:58:00.001-06:00

Mike Leach's reluctance to apologize to Adam James and his family led to his school-mandated suspension for the Valero Alamo Bowl.

The Lubbock Avalanche-Journal reported Tuesday that the Tech coach did not dispute the facts after ESPN analyst Craig James had complained to school officials about Leach's treatment of his son, Adam, after he suffered a mild concussion last month.

The Avalanche-Journal reported that the school completed an initial investigation before suspending Leach. Leach did not dispute the facts, but also did not believe he had done anything wrong. The Tech coach also told officials that Adam James was "a slacker" and that Craig James was too involved in his son's football career.

Leach had until Monday to write a letter of apology to James and his family. When he didn't, Tech officials took action.

It led to Leach's suspension, with pay, from his job as head coach.

Leach's attorney, Ted Liggett, told the Avalanche-Journal that he hasn't given up hope that Leach will coach the Red Raiders in Saturday night's Valero Alamo Bowl against Michigan State in San Antonio. Liggett said he could consider legal action to get him back on the sidelines.

"We're going to do everything we can to see that our client is duly served justice and that he's reunited with his boys as soon as possible,'' Liggett said.

When asked how he planned to go about it, Liggett said, "Through the court system, don't ya?''

If Leach can't coach, it will lead to a unique coaching situation for the Red Raiders in the bowl game. Defensive coordinator Ruffin McNeill will serve as Tech's interim coach.

McNeill told reporters Monday in San Antonio it will be the first time he has served as a head coach since he coached a high-school team in Lumberton, N.C., in the mid-1980s.

Wide receivers coach Lincoln Riley will take over Leach's play-calling duties for Saturday's game, with staff assistant Sonny Cumbie signaling plays from the sidelines.

The Alamo Bowl already had been marked by who wasn't going to be at the Alamodome. Michigan State suspended 11 players and dismissed two others in connection with a Nov. 22 dorm fight. Among the players who will be missing are wide receivers B.J. Cunningham and Mark Dell and starting cornerback Chris L. Rucker, who have all been charged with misdemeanors in connection with the incident

Story courtesy of www.espn.go.com/blog/big12

BARBER'S SLUMP BECOMES A CONCERN

2009-12-29T10:26:00.000-06:00

Marion Barber is a prototypical power back except for one detail – he's struggling in short-yardage situations.

In the last three games, Barber is 2-for-7 on third and fourth downs with 1 or 2 yards to go. He was 10 of 11 in those situations in the previous 12 games. In Sunday's win over Washington, Barber failed to convert four of those short-yardage situations. He was stopped at the 1 three straight times against San Diego.

"We're addressing that," Cowboys coach Wade Phillips said Monday. "We had been doing well on third-and-1s. We had about 75 percent going into this last game. We had some trouble on the goal line against San Diego, but that was goal-line offense and goal-line defense for them. They slanted everybody inside, and the plays that we'd run previously that were successful weren't successful."

Phillips said the coaches are looking at the short-yardage package to correct what has gone wrong, but he doesn't think doubt will creep in.

Barber appeared to hesitate after two of those handoffs. Phillips said Washington's Albert Haynesworth had much to do with the stops. He disagreed with a notion that the Cowboys ran finesse plays.

"We've been successful," Phillips said. "We were one of the most successful and Marion was one of the most successful guys and has been through his career, so I think we can get back to that. ... We're addressing that to make sure it doesn't happen again, or the chance of it happening will be less. We need to make those kinds of plays."

Putting future aside: Owner/GM Jerry Jones said after Sunday's game that he does not want to make a coaching change. He praised the togetherness that Phillips has developed with the players and coaching staff, and said he believes Phillips is the right man to run the defense.

That's as close as Jones has come to saying Phillips will be back in 2010. The Cowboys hold an option year on Phillips' contract, but so far there have not been discussions with the team and the coach's agent.

"We've talked about that before, all that," Phillips said. "All I'm thinking about is Philadelphia and trying to do a good job coaching this team, getting ready for that game and getting ready for the playoffs. It's not really a factor to me."

Staying grounded:The Cowboys have bought into the "seven-days-to-humility" philosophy, hoping to avoid big ups and downs over the long season. Former Cowboys fullback Daryl Johnston told the players last week how important that attitude was for the dominant Cowboys of the 1990s.

"This is kind of a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately league," linebacker Keith Brooking said. "You have a big win, obviously you enjoy it for 24 hours or so, and then you put it behind you and you've got another team staring you in the face. It's kind of the motto we've had all year. I think we've done a good job of kind of staying humble when we've had success, and then there was one situation where we lost two games in a row, but we've bounced back from losses in a very positive way for the majority of the year."

Briefly: NT Jay Ratliff got high praise from Phillips for his two-sack performance against the Redskins. "Jay Ratliff had a monster game," Phillips said. ... RT Marc Colombo probably won't be ready for Sunday's game. Colombo, out for six games because of ligament damage in his ankle and a fractured fibula, has been doing individual drills. ... S Pat Watkins, who has missed two games with a sprained PCL in his knee, said he might need another week of recovery

Story courtesy of www.dallasnews.com

FORMER TECH PLAYERS SUPPORT LEACH

2009-12-29T09:22:00.001-06:00

Mike Leach’s outspokenness, unconventional coaching methods and quirky behavior on and off the football field have been well-documented. He’s also been known to verbally criticize his players, sometimes publicly.

According to several of his former players, though, Texas Tech’s head coach is not in the least bit a bully or a bad guy.

Several former Red Raiders vehemently defended Leach on Monday after he was indefinitely suspended by the university for his alleged mistreatment of an injured player. Leach’s punishment came in response to a complaint made by sophomore receiver Adam James and his family, along with the results of an internal investigation that Tech administrators said is ongoing.

“I’m privy to a lot of stuff going on down there, and I think the whole thing has been blown way out of proportion. I’m totally in support of coach Leach,” said former offensive lineman Cody Campbell, who was part of Leach’s first recruiting class at Tech. “I’ve heard Adam James was involved with it, he supposedly had a concussion and that Leach basically made him adhere to team rules and guidelines when it comes to injuries. And (James) was upset by that.

“Leach has unusual methods for doing things a lot of times, but he’s never cruel and never out of line in doing them.”

Former Tech offensive lineman Daniel Loper, who now plays for the NFL’s Detroit Lions, also was stunned and surprised by the allegations against Leach. Loper said the incident in question is nothing like the one earlier this year at Kansas, where head coach Mark Mangino resigned amid allegations that he abused his players verbally and physically.

“The whole time I was there, and as well as I know coach Leach, he would never do anything to publicly humiliate or endanger someone’s wellbeing, and he would never do anything unprofessional,” Loper said. “… I never saw him show any kind of favoritism or any kind of hate toward any singular person.”

Former players Graham Harrell and Eric Morris, who finished their Tech careers last season, said Leach handles injured players appropriately and equally. They said Leach and his coaching staff do not pressure players to return to the field before they’re healthy enough to do so, and Morris also said injured players are required to participate in practices just like every other Red Raider.

For example, a player with an injured leg would be required to do pushups during a workout so he could maintain his conditioning and continue to build strength. Former Tech offensive lineman Glenn January referred to the common practice as “Muscle Beach” and also said Leach “doesn’t deviate from the (NCAA) rule book at all and wouldn’t do anything to put a player in harm at all.”

“If you’re injured, you’re required to still participate in some form or fashion. You still have to be outside and doing something,” Morris said. “At times people have tried to get away with faking a little nag here and there, and to get away from people doing that, you always need to let everybody know they’re not going to stand around and do nothing. It’s a great thing to have in place. Some people want to get complacent and do different things because things aren’t going their way.”

Harrell, who finished the 2008 regular-season finale against Baylor despite breaking several bones in his hand during the first half, said Leach left the decision up to him and did not pressure the quarterback to play through the injury. Harrell also said he had the blessing of Tech’s trainers and doctors.

“He was hard on us,” Harrell said, “but it wasn’t like he ever threatened us or put us in a situation that was dangerous to us.”

Some former Tech players, who said they have been in contact with current Red Raiders and the coaching staff, questioned the validity of James’ complaint as well as his motives and intentions. They also said James has a reputation for being soft and somewhat of a prima donna.

“I think some people honestly are not tough enough to play college football, and (James) might be one of them, especially if he’s worried about being called out or humiliated,” Loper said. “… Sometimes that happens, especially at the collegiate level. It’s not like high school and Pop Warner, where everyone gets to play and gets a pat on the back. Sometimes coaches can be mean and yell.”

January said the shed in which James spent practice on Dec. 17 might have been the most appropriate place to deal with his concussion, because it kept him out of the sunlight. January said he and his teammates on the offensive line often retreated to the same shed during practices to rest and escape the heat.

“It’s not like it’s some dungeon,” he said.

January and some other former Tech players also suggested the incident wouldn’t have been scrutinized if James wasn’t the son of Craig James, a former SMU and NFL standout who now works as a television analyst for ESPN.

“It’s basically a non-issue,” January said. “The only reason it’s getting any attention is because of who his dad is.”

Neither Adam James nor any other Tech player was made available for comment Monday after Leach’s suspension was announced, and Craig James did not return multiple calls from The A-J seeking comment.

Regardless of what happened, many former Tech players said the timing of the Jameses’ complaint and Leach’s subsequent suspension is unfortunate. The Red Raiders face Michigan State in the Alamo Bowl on Saturday, and it’s also prime recruiting season.

Former players such as Harrell, Loper and Ryan Aycock said Tech administrators, recruits and even fans should not rush to judgement.

“Anybody that looks into this story should not be shied away,” Loper said. “I don’t know the whole situation with Adam’s father and his influence, and I don’t know if they’re thinking they’re being mistreated like the deal at Kansas. I don’t think this is a situation where (Leach) should be fired or even suspended. From what I’ve heard, I think it’s a little over the line.”

Story courtesy of www.redraiders.com

TECH COACHES DRAW UP PLANS TO DIVVY UP LEACH'S DUTIES

2009-12-29T09:21:00.001-06:00

Texas Tech already has put in place a plan for replacing suspended head coach Mike Leach on the sideline for the Alamo Bowl on Saturday night.
Since Leach has served as his own offensive coordinator throughout his 10-year tenure as head coach, someone new will call the plays and signal them in. Interim head coach Ruffin McNeill said inside receivers coach Lincoln Riley will be the primary man responsible for play-calling and offensive staff assistant Sonny Cumbie will do the signaling.
“Lincoln will be calling from the box,’’ McNeill said after the team’s practice Monday evening at Benson Stadium. “He has worked with Mike full-time. And Sonny Cumbie, who works hand in hand with Mike, who understands the offense probably as good as anybody, will be signaling in the plays.’’
McNeill, a charter member of Leach’s staff from 2000, was promoted to defensive coordinator five games into the 2007 season. If that was a whirlwind development, it was topped by the events of Monday, when Leach was suspended amid an allegation of player mistreatment and McNeill was told shortly after 3 p.m. that he would be interim head coach. Leach, McNeill and a few players traveled on the same commercial flights from Lubbock to Dallas and San Antonio on Monday, before Tech announced the suspension.

McNeill said he briefly touched base with Leach afterward.

“He said, ‘Just keep it going — keep practice going and get ready for a great week of practice,’ ” McNeill said.

The first practice cast McNeill into at least one unfamiliar role.
“Today, I was making sure the offense had some tempo going, too,’’ he said. “So they heard my voice down at that end a little bit. That was sort of fun, getting the chance to yell at those guys a little bit.’’
A handful of Red Raiders players were scheduled to be available to the media after the practice. But after the mid-afternoon announcement of Leach’s suspension, Tech media relations staff allowed only McNeill to do interviews.
Though the 51-year-old McNeill has been a defensive coordinator at Appalachian State, Nevada-Las Vegas and Tech, he said Saturday would be his first time to enter a game as head coach since a high-school job back in the mid-1980s.
“It’s been a while,’’ he said, “but I’ve been coordinating defenses for a long time as well as special teams. I feel very confident that I’ll be able to do a great job. I feel very confident in the people around me. The coaches that I work with are very professional. I’ve worked with those guys, some of them for 10, seven, eight years. We know each other from A to Z and Z to A, so I feel very confident in that aspect.’’
McNeill said after fighting through some ups and downs in an 8-4 regular season, he thinks the players will respond, too.
They worked out Monday for only a little more than an hour, a typical early game week workout, so there wasn’t much to go on. But McNeill said the signs were positive.
“This team has faced adversity, really all year,’’ McNeill said, “so they were probably a little shocked. But at the same time they did a good job of coming on the field and doing what I asked them to do. So I was proud of that.’’

Story courtesy of www.redraiders.com

BREAKING NEWS: LEACH SUSPENDED PENDING INVESTIGATION

2009-12-28T16:42:00.003-06:00

Texas Tech suspended Mike Leach from all duties as head football coach Monday and named defensive coordinator Ruffin McNeill as interim head coach for Saturday’s Alamo Bowl against Michigan State.

A statement Tech issued Monday afternoon said the university recently received a complaint from a player and his parents about the player’s treatment after an injury.

ESPN’s Joe Schad reported on his Twitter account that Leach has been accused of isolating a player in a closet after that player did not practice because he had a concussion. That report has not been confirmed by the A-J.

“At Texas Tech, all such complaints are considered as serious matters, and as a result an investigation of the incident is underway,’’ the statement said. “Until the investigation is complete, Texas Tech University is suspending coach Leach from all duties as Head Football Coach effective immediately. The investigation into this matter will continue in a thorough and fair manner.’’

The statement said the decision to suspend Leach was made in consultation with Tech President Guy Bailey, Chancellor Kent Hance, Board of Regents Chairman Larry Anders and Vice Chairman Jerry Turner.

The statement said Tech will not comment further because the suspension is a personnel matter.

Leach, in his 10th season, recently broke Spike Dykes’ Tech record for career coaching victories. Leach and his family flew from Lubbock to San Antonio on Monday as the team reported to begin on-site preparations for Saturday’s game.

Tech players were off from Wednesday through Sunday. Their first practice was scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Monday at the University of the Incarnate Word.

Tech spokesman Blayne Beal said McNeill will address the media after practice, but no players will be available.

Tech (8-4) and Michigan State (6-6) square off at 8 p.m. Saturday in the Alamodome, and it will be the college head-coaching debut for McNeill, 51, a charter member of Leach’s staff. McNeill took over as defensive coordinator five games into the 2007 season.

Michigan State media realations contact John Lewandowski refused the A-J’s request for comment from the Spartans, saying “It would be inapproriate for anyone from Michigan State to comment on this situation.”

Story courtesy of www.redraiders.com. This story will be updated as more information is available. We will also post updates at twitter.com/AJSports.

TECH BACK TO WORK AFTER HOLIDAY BREAK

2009-12-27T16:52:00.000-06:00

Texas Tech players spent most of December studying, staying sharp and working on fundamentals, aware that their Alamo Bowl tussle against Michigan State was still some time away.

“We’ll really dive into Michigan State when we get down there,’’ Tech assistant coach Lincoln Riley said last week.

Finally, four weeks after its regular-season finale against Baylor, Tech goes back into game-week mode starting today. The Red Raiders report to San Antonio and have their first on-site workout at 5 p.m. today in preparation for Saturday’s Alamo Bowl.

Tech hasn’t played in San Antonio since the 2001 Alamo Bowl against Iowa. The Red Raiders lost that one, but Tech coach Mike Leach doesn’t mind going back.

“San Antonio’s a great city,’’ he said. “You can make the argument it’s easily one of the best cities in Texas. Great place. Great food. What really makes it good, it’s a walk-around setting, so it’s not like you’re on a bus and transit and taking cars to get somewhere. It’s a walk-around deal. The way the Alamo Bowl people put it together, I think, is excellent.’’

Michigan State (6-6) arrived in San Antonio on Sunday. The Spartans’ first workout is scheduled for 2:15 p.m. today at Alamo Heights High School. The Raiders’ practice site is at the University of the Incarnate Word, which had a first-year program in NCAA Division II this season.

Tech players were given Wednesday through Sunday off for a Christmas break. Before that, Leach said he was pleased with the preparation in Lubbock. Most of the game-plan installation, though, will take place this week.

“During the season, it’s just one week (preparation): You’ve got this (opponent), and you get used to playing them,’’ Riley said. “You don’t ever have two weeks, really and we don’t use (bowl preparation) that way.’’

Tech is favored by a little more than a touchdown against a team that’s had to deal with player suspensions and dismissals stemming from a Nov. 22 dormitory fight for which nine players have been charged.

Michigan State got the invitation based to a large extent on the productivity of its offense. The Spartans led the Big Ten Conference in passing and finished third in scoring offense, averaging right at 30 points per game.

“I think it’s a good offense,’’ Leach said. “They run a lot of stuff. I think their quarterbacks are pretty good. They get the ball to a number of people. They’re big on formations. They’ll mess with formations and things. I think they’re good.’’

Sophomore Kirk Cousins led the Big Ten in passing efficiency while throwing for 2.460 yards and 18 touchdowns. The Spartans also use Keith Nichol, a transfer from Oklahoma who appeared in nine games and threw for 764 yards and seven touchdowns.

“To me, they look very similar,’’ Leach said. “They move around decent. They throw decent. I think they’re good overall players.’’

Story courtesy of www.redraiders.com

FINAL THOUGHTS ON COWBOYS VICTORY OVER THE SAINTS

2009-12-21T11:16:00.003-06:00

Just when you thought Wade Phillips and the Cowboys were pretty much done, they go out and hand the Saints their first loss of the season. And as much as we've bragged about Drew Brees this season, Tony Romo was the best quarterback on the field in the Cowboys' 24-17 win. Romo was 22-of-34 for 312 yards and a touchdown. And he used his legs to extend important drives. He has been heavily criticized for his record in December, but this was the signature win that a lot of folks have been waiting on. Here are a few quick-hitting observations on the Cowboys' win in the Big Easy:

- Having DeMarcus Ware on the field gave the Cowboys a huge lift. Phillips wisely limited him to passing downs and he had a ton of energy. That made a big difference on the final drive. It was Ware who caused the Brees fumble that clinched the win for the Cowboys. And right up until that moment, I thought Brees might have a legitimate shot of leading the Saints back. Here's what Ware told the NFL Network moments after the game: "When I told the team I was playing tonight, everybody's eyes lit up. And as you can see, the scoreboard lit up too." Most people didn't believe Phillips on Monday when he said that Ware could possibly play against the Saints. But the All-Pro outside linebacker made steady progress with the team's medical staff and was finally cleared after going through a series of tests a couple hours before the game.

- Miles Austin is obviously the Cowboys' No. 1 wide receiver at this point. He had the big touchdown early in the game, but it was his catch and run on a third-and-long with 6:28 left in the game that held the Saints' comeback at bay. You can tell Romo has so much faith in Austin. Conversely, why would anyone have faith in Roy Williams at this point? His drop on a quick slant in the fourth quarter allowed the Saints to continue their comeback. I'd bench the guy. He really has no business being on the field -- especially with players such as Kevin Ogletree and Patrick Crayton making clutch catches.

- Surely the Cowboys will go ahead and cut kicker Nick Folk now. The NFL Network showed footage of him shanking field goals before the game and sure enough he hit the right upright on a short attempt with 2:14 left in the game. I can't imagine him being on the roster when the Cowboys make the trip to Washington next Sunday night. Winning has a way of covering up warts, but Folk can't hide after that miss.

- Mike Jenkins is about to become a perennial Pro Bowl player if he keeps this up. The Cowboys' second-year cornerback went toe-to-toe with perhaps the deepest group of receivers in the league. His interception in the second quarter ended a Saints scoring threat and he made plays throughout the game. He's playing with a swagger right now that's pretty impressive. And he's getting good jams at the line of scrimmage. Jenkins told me Wednesday he's a huge fan of Charles Woodson's game. And on Saturday night, he sort of reminded me of Woodson. He's by far the best cornerback the Cowboys have right now and he'll be in the Pro Bowl mix next season.

- It's a joke that Jay Ratliff isn't in the top five in the Pro Bowl fan voting. Ratliff can take over a game from his defensive tackle spot. He controlled Saints center Jonathan Goodwin and caused a lot of trouble in the middle. Ratliff didn't really show up on the stat sheet other than his fumble recovery, but he caused a lot of trouble for the Saints.

- This had to be outside linebacker Anthony Spencer's best game as a Cowboy. With Ware resting quite a bit on first and second down, Spencer turned up the pressure. For some reason, the Saints kept forgetting to block him and Spencer took advantage. Spencer and Ware combined for four sacks, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. This is what the Cowboys had in mind when they drafted Spencer in the first round.

- Let's revisit the Austin note: Austin completely embarrassed Saints first-rounder Malcolm Jenkins on a double move on the touchdown. Jenkins just bit all the way, allowing Austin to get over him for the easy touchdown. Perfect throw by Romo. And then the heralded Darren Sharper had trouble keeping track of Austin. Austin ran through Sharper's arm tackle on one long play in the first half. On that huge play with 6:28 left in the game, tight end Jason Witten did a nice job of clearing things out for Austin.

- Tony Romo said on TV after the game that the Cowboys used a Tony Dungy video clip as a source of motivation. Romo revealed special teams coach Joe DeCamillis showed a video of Dungy saying on NBC last Sunday night the Cowboys had "no chance" against the Saints.

The Cowboys' reward: One whole week with no one talking about how awful they've been in December. Impressive win. If they follow it up with a win in Washington, we're looking at a huge showdown between the Cowboys and Eagles to end the regular season.

Story courtesy of Matt Mosley at www.espn.com [NFC East Blog]

2 RED RAIDERS ON AP ALL-AMERICA TEAM

2009-12-16T11:21:00.001-06:00

Texas Tech seniors Brandon Carter and Brandon Sharpe were named to The Associated Press All-America third team on Tuesday.

Carter, 6-foot-7, 344-pound offensive guard from Longview, allowed only one sack this season and helped anchor a Red Raiders’ attack that ranked among the top 10 nationally in both total offense and scoring offense. Carter was a second-team AP All-American last year after allowing no sacks.

Sharpe, a 6-3, 254-pound defensive end from Georgia, had 15 sacks during the regular season to break the Tech single-season school record previously held by Adell Duckett. Sharpe, who registered 13 sacks in seven Big 12 Conference games, also was a third-team all-America selection by the Sporting News.

Linebacker Greg Jones of Michigan State, which will face Tech in the Alamo Bowl on Jan. 2 in San Antonio, was a first-team All-America pick by the AP.

Story courtesy of www.redraiders.com

WHO CAN REPLACE TECH'S MARLON WILLIAMS NEXT YEAR?

2009-12-11T11:27:00.002-06:00

Going into his last college game, Marlon Williams has made 37 starts in a row dating to week two of his sophomore season. One game remains this season, so Texas Tech defensive coordinator Ruffin McNeill isn’t preoccupied with questions such as who will succeed Williams as the Red Raiders’ weak-side linebacker.

He does have a few early preferences, though.

Not Sam Fehoko. McNeill said he liked the rotation the Raiders had this season at middle linebacker with starter Brian Duncan and wants to keep it that way.

Not Julius Howard. Although Howard, a junior, played outside linebacker most of his career, McNeill prefers to keep him at safety, to which he made a smooth transition this year. Howard had a productive second half of the season as a sub-package safety.

Not Tyrone Sonier. McNeill has invested three years developing Sonier on the strong side, where he backs up Bront Bird.

McNeill would like a young player to come along in the off-season and spring practice and make a claim on the job. He started one experiment in pre-Alamo Bowl practices, moving true freshman Daniel Cobb from safety to weak-side linebacker.

“I think he can handle it,’’ McNeill said this week. “He’s been doing a pretty good job for us. When you move a DB down, it’s the run game he has to get used to. But he’s got athleticism and a really good mentality about him. The pass-coverage part, he’s been a safety and that helps him in pass coverage quite a bit. The run game is the phase he’ll have to learn.’’

McNeill said nothing is set in stone regarding the Cobb experiment, but the 6-foot-1, 206-pound freshman does offer some of the skills for which McNeill is looking.

With the prevalence of spread-passing offenses in the Big 12 Conference, McNeill said the ability to cover receivers is paramount for whoever wins the position.

“There’s a certain type of guy that I want at (weak-side linebacker),’’ McNeill said. “I’m looking for that guy that can cover down more on wide receivers. He has to cover down on wide receivers more than a (strong-side linebacker) normally. People are spreading us out.’’

That’s part of the reason McNeill says he’ll keep the middle linebacker pairing of Duncan and Fehoko intact, even though those two and Bront Bird will go into next season as the team’s most experienced linebackers.

McNeill said Fehoko doesn’t need to be covering receivers, but he does like what the Hawaiian did this season in the middle.

“I tried to develop more into a player, a Big 12 caliber kind of guy,’’ said Fehoko, who is a sophomore this season. “I’m learning more every day. Especially getting game reps this season, I’ve learned a lot more than I used to. I’ve seen a lot more stuff.’’

Duncan has a team-high 80 tackles, plus five pass breakups. Fehoko had 18 tackles but McNeill said he developed a “Big 12 mentality,’’ so his playing time increased.

“That’s due to Sam’s practice habits, production in practice and understanding the tempo that we need to be successful,’’ McNeill said. “He’s earned that. Sam needs to be in the middle. He’s not a guy that needs to cover down on the outside (receivers).’’

Junior Blake Collier was in position to succeed Williams before he decided early this season to give up football. Other possibilities are sophomore Riley Harvey, who played in eight games, primarily on special teams, this season, and true freshmen.

Tech’s February signing class yielded Dallas Bishop Lynch’s Dion Chidozie, who is training on the weak side, and Keller Fossil Ridge’s Brandon Mahoney, who missed virtually the entire season’s worth of practices with a shoulder injury. McNeill said he hasn’t made up his mind where Mahoney fits best, but thinks he has strong-side linebacker potential.

“He’s got a lot of explosiveness about him in drills, maybe because his legs are pretty fresh, too,’’ McNeill said. “He’s shown quickness and change of direction and speed that I like. I’m anxious to see him put the pads back on.’’

McNeill said Chidozie seemed to lack confidence early on, but looks more comfortable lately.

Story courtesy of www.redraiders.com

TECH SELLS OUT INITIAL BOWL ALLOTMENT

2009-12-09T11:24:00.002-06:00

Texas Tech announced Tuesday that it had sold its initial allotment of 11,016 tickets to the Alamo Bowl, prompting Alamo Bowl officials to allocate more tickets to be sold through Tech.

Upper-level sideline tickets in the Alamodome, all priced at $55, are what’s currently for sale for Tech’s Jan. 2 game against Michigan State.
Dave Welsh, Tech assistant athletic director for ticket operations, said there wasn’t a specific number newly allocated.

“We can keep selling and selling and selling, and whatever we need we can get from the bowl,’’ Welsh said. “They’re all upper level, and we’re going to try to help them sell as many of those tickets as we can.’’

Welsh said the Tech ticket office at the moment is filling orders and not yet assigning seats, but he said all upper-level seats being reserved are sideline/yard-line seats.

Tech said it sold more than 25,000 seats through the athletic department the last time the Red Raiders played in the Alamo Bowl in 2001.

RRC adds hotel rooms

Texas Tech announced Tuesday that the Red Raider Club has added blocks of rooms at three more hotels on the San Antonio Riverwalk after its block at the Grand Hyatt sold out.

It now has blocked off rooms at Westin Riverwalk, Marriott Riverwalk and Hilton Placio Del Rio, all within walking distance of the Alamodome, where Tech plays Michigan State on Jan. 2.

According to Tech officials, more than 1,000 rooms were reserved by Tech fans after the pairing was announced Sunday.

Reservations are being accepted through National Travel Systems by calling 1 (888) 603-8747 or (806) 794-3135 or by e-mailing at sportsinfo@nationaltravelsystems.com.

Leach: Potts to start

Tech coach Mike Leach told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram he’ll stick with quarterback Taylor Potts, who started the last three regular-season games, in the Alamo Bowl.

Late in the season, Leach faulted himself for going back and forth between Potts and Steven Sheffield.

“I’m going to start Potts,’’ Leach told the newspaper. “He’s steady, and I need to settle on one and quit pulling them in and out, and then in the spring they’ll battle it out.’’

Davis honored

Tech safety Cody Davis has been named to the first team of Phil Steele Publications’ freshman all-America team. The 6-foot-2, 200-pound redshirt freshman from Stephenville is second on the team with 72 tackles and has six pass breakups.

Several Tech players also were named to Steele’s all-Big Conference team. Guard Brandon Carter was on the first unit, and the second team included defensive end Brandon Sharpe, offensive tackle Marlon Winn and cornerback Jamar Wall.

Making the third team were running back Baron Batch, wide receiver Alex Torres and defensive end Daniel Howard, and the fourth team included quarterback Taylor Potts and running back Eric Stephens.

Story courtesy of www.redraiders.com

LEACH TO APPEAR ON TV SHOW "FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS"

2009-11-10T16:10:00.001-06:00

Texas Tech football players get a bellyful of channeling their inner pirate and learning how to swing their swords. Mike Leach saw to that over the last decade and still does.

Now the fictional East Dillon High Lions might be exposed to the same techniques. In his cameo appearance on the hit show “Friday Night Lights,’’ Leach admonishes East Dillon coach Eric Taylor (actor Kyle Chandler) for “losing his inner pirate’’ and not “swinging his sword’’ with conviction.

Credit the dialogue partly to Leach and a little to the show’s writers.

“It was kind of scripted and then it was kind of, ‘Well, here’s the scenario; do what you want,’ ’’ Leach said. “’Include this, this, this and this.’ Actually, in the original (filming), there’s stuff about Napoleon, Daniel Boone, grizzly bears, raccoons, a bunch of stuff. We covered a lot of bases, and they picked from what they wanted.’’

The new season of “Friday Night Lights’’ is available only to DirecTV subscribers, and the reruns will appear on NBC sometime next year. Or it can be viewed on YouTube (hint: Type in “Mike Leach inner pirate.’’)

Leach taped the scene at a filling station outside Austin the night before Tech played Texas in September. In it, he pulls up to a gas pump and asks the customer at the next bay directions to Lubbock. Then there’s a glimmer of recognition as Leach realizes he’s pulled alongside the despondent coach of downtrodden East Dillon.

And he launches into a lecture.

“You’ve lost your inner pirate,’’ Leach tells the high school coach. “Have you ever heard, ‘Swing your sword?’ ’’

Leach demonstrates what a good sword swinging should look like, then scolds the coach for swinging his weakly. Taylor had been down in the dumps over being reassigned from powerful Dillon High to recently reopened East Dillon with no resources and no talent base.

“A lot of things happen for a reason,’’ Leach goes on in the scene. “We don’t know why God wants it that way, but you can’t make the best out of it ’til you get back your inner pirate. You might be the luckiest man alive and not even know it.’’

Message — and gasoline — dispensed, he climbs into his SUV and drives off.

The whole encounter takes less than 60 seconds.

If only Tech players got the microwaved version.

“We’ve definitely had that,’’ senior cornerback Jamar Wall said. “One meeting (this year), that’s all we did was talk about waving the sword one way or another. They just got a small taste of it. We got hours of it.’’

One visual left on the cutting-room floor: Leach said he grabbed a burrito out of Taylor’s hand and tossed it away to get the coach’s attention. Actually, Leach said in the filming they “loaded him up with burritos,’’ and Leach pulled one away from the coach during several takes. But that didn’t wind up in the episode.

Leach had no trouble speaking from the heart, because he said his and his team’s inner pirate had been tested this season.

“I think it’s always tested,’’ he said. “I think it’s tested in practice. I think it’s tested individually and team-wise. I think you’ve got to keep battling away. You don’t ever want there to be a level of resignation where (players think), ‘Oh well, that’s it.’

“If you don’t enjoy the battle, and if you don’t enjoy going from one point to the next, you’re kind of in the wrong business. Football’s just designed to have one obstacle after the next. That’s why it exists to begin with. There’s going to be ups and downs, but you’ve got to enjoy battling it every day, I think.’’

Story courtesy of www.redraiders.com

IT'S USUALLY A WILD ONE WHEN TECH VISITS OSU...

2009-11-10T16:07:00.002-06:00

The last time Texas Tech traveled to Stillwater, Okla., sparks flew both on and off the football field.

Tech and Oklahoma State combined for 1,328 yards and 94 points in the Cowboys’ 49-45 victory, which featured six ties, eight lead changes and plenty of fourth-quarter drama. OSU went ahead for good on a 54-yard touchdown reception by Brandon Pettigrew with 1:37 remaining, and then Mike Crabtree dropped what would have been a winning TD catch for Tech in the game’s waning seconds.

The postgame news conferences were just as wild as the finish. While OSU coach Mike Gundy was becoming a YouTube sensation with his “I’m a man. I’m 40!” tirade, in which he blasted a newspaper column about then-quarterback Bobby Reid, Tech coach Mike Leach went ballistic about a Red Raider defense that allowed 366 rushing yards.

It was just a Big 12 Conference opener, and each team finished league play at 4-4 that season, but the game could be considered a turning point for both programs. The Cowboys are a combined 16-6 in the last two seasons and have spent parts of both ranked among the national top 10, while the Red Raiders are 17-5 during that span and enjoyed arguably the most successful season in program history last fall.

It also was Lyle Setencich’s last game as Tech’s defensive coordinator, and under replacement Ruffin McNeill the unit has gradually gone from poor to respectable to pretty darn good. The Red Raiders are tied for fourth in the nation with 30 sacks this season.

“We became better the day that (McNeill) took over the defense,” Leach said on Monday, “(because of) the enthusiasm he brought and the ability of our players to tackle, and just the inspiration to play.”

Tech (6-3, 3-2 Big 12) and OSU (7-2, 4-1) will reunite at Boone Pickens Stadium on Saturday, and the game once again figures to be a turning point for both teams, at least in terms of how this season will play out. The Cowboys are second in the Big 12 South Division, one game behind undefeated Texas, while the Red Raiders are tied for third place with Oklahoma.

No. 17 OSU likely needs a win to remain in the top 25, while a win for the Raiders would almost certainly put them back in the rankings for the second time this year. And because each squad has the Sooners left on its schedule, this game is an opportunity neither wants to miss.

If the last few encounters in Stillwater are any indication, Saturday’s game – which is a prime-time matchup on ABC – should be another thriller. The last three Tech-OSU games there were decided by seven points or fewer, and the winning team scored at least 49 points in three of the last four.

“The games up there almost always take on a personality of their own, so it’s hard to say what will happen,” said Leach, who hasn’t won in Stillwater since his first trip in 2001. “We haven’t had any of them up there that weren’t pretty wild.”

The Raiders and Cowboys both average more than 34 points and 400 total yards per game, so look for more offensive fireworks. This time, though, let’s hope there aren’t any more explosions after the game

Story courtesy of www.redraiders.com

DALLAS COWBOYS EDGE EAGLES 20-16

2009-11-09T16:14:00.000-06:00

PHILADELPHIA – Linebacker Bradie James said it best.

The Cowboys weren't out for revenge. They were out to right a wrong.

They were out to show they aren't the same dysfunctional, self-absorbed team that collapsed on this field to end its season 11 months ago.

Sunday night showed this season is far from over for the Cowboys. A 20-16 victory over Philadelphia at Lincoln Financial Field gave the Cowboys sole possession of first place in the NFC East at the midway point of the season.

"It's huge," said receiver Patrick Crayton, who had a huge, 64-yard reception that set up a field goal to end the first half. "Not because of last year, but because of where this puts us right now.

"It was a good test for our team."

These Cowboys are healthier and in a better place mentally than the team that was exposed, 44-6. Their competitive fire burns much brighter than it did that December afternoon.

The City of Brotherly Love has never shown much kindness to the Cowboys. Put 44-6 aside for a moment. The Cowboys had lost eight of their previous 10 games played in Philadelphia by an average of 17.7 points.

But here is a football fundamental: It's impossible to lose by that margin when the defense only allows 16 points and one touchdown.

Ten of the Cowboys' 20 points came off interceptions – one by safety Gerald Sensabaugh and another by cornerback Michael Jenkins, who continues to flourish as a starter.

Nose tackle Jay Ratliff led a defensive surge that allowed the Cowboys to keep an extra defender in their secondary.

Ratliff had two of the team's four sacks and tormented Donovan McNabb and the Eagles' offensive line all evening.

Philadelphia's offense thrives on big plays. Receiver DeSean Jackson, who had scored six touchdowns of 50 or more yards entering the game, has more to do with that identity than anyone.

Well, Philadelphia scraped together only two plays for more than 20 yards all night. Jackson was held to two catches for 29 yards and wasn't a factor.

Philadelphia did a good job of harassing Tony Romo and forced him to throw an interception, something he hadn't done in the previous three games. But he kept his cool and called on his magical connection with Miles Austin at a crucial moment.

Austin, who burst onto the NFL scene beginning with a record performance in an overtime win over Kansas City last month, was quiet most of this evening. He was without a catch entering the fourth quarter as Roy Williams – yes, Roy Williams – and Patrick Crayton hurt the Eagles secondary.

But with the score tied at 13-13, Austin asserted himself.

The Cowboys faced a third-and-14 with just more than eight minutes left when offensive coordinator Jason Garrett called for a slant-and-go. One of Romo's jobs was to sell the fake.

"They bit," Romo said.

Sheldon Brown bit the hardest. The Eagles cornerback turned inside and Austin blew by him on the outside. Romo hit Austin in stride and the receiver outraced the rest of the Philadelphia secondary to the end zone for a 49-yard touchdown and the winning points.

It was Austin's only catch of the game.

"Sometimes, you've just got to wait and let the game come to you," Austin said. "Take what they're giving you."

What has come the Cowboys' way is a string of four consecutive wins – their longest streak in two years – and a spot among the NFC's best teams. Dallas next travels to Green Bay to face the Packers, who lost to Tampa Bay on Sunday.

Several Cowboys said before the game they were curious to see where they stand in the NFC. Sunday's victory allows them to stand tall.

"We had a lot of confidence going in," coach Wade Phillips said. "We barely lost two games. I don't think we ever lost confidence, but I think we're getting better."

Story courtesy of www.dallasnews.com

LAST 3 TECH GAMES WILL BE TELEVISED

2009-11-09T16:05:00.000-06:00

Texas Tech announced Monday that its Big 12 Conference football game against Oklahoma State on Nov. 14 will start at 7 p.m. and be broadcast regionally on ABC (channel 28, Suddenlink Cable channel 8).

The game, which will be played at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Okla., will be Tech’s seventh television appearance of the season and its fourth on ABC. The Red Raiders are 2-1 in games on ABC and 4-2 overall in televised games.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Texas Tech’s Nov. 21 home game against Oklahoma and Nov. 28 neutral-site game against Baylor both will be televised by FSN, the Big 12 Conference’s television partners announced Monday.

The Tech-OU game will go in FSN’s 11:30 a.m. or 2 p.m. time slot. The determination will be made this weekend on six-day advance notice.

The Tech-Baylor game will kick off at 5 p.m. on Nov. 28 on FSN. The game is being played at the new Cowboys Stadium in Arlington.

Story courtesy of www.redraiders.com

WEAKLY RETORT: WEEK 9

2009-11-06T14:51:00.003-06:00

PsychoAg joins us again for another edition of the Weakly Retort. A fan favorite since 2005, the Retort takes a light-hearted look at the college football landscape, with a specific emphasis on the Big 12.

Introduction:

This is seriously driving me crazy because I am sick once again. I don’t know if it is giraffe flu, OU812 virus or just an old-fashioned cold, but my head is a fountain of crud (and I am not referring to this column), I feel like I have been hit by a truck (small truck, like a Chevy S-10) and I am coughing up more worthless gunk than an episode of Two and a Half Men. So, given that I am apparently a human Petri dish, I am taking suggestions on how to boost my immune system. And no, I am not going to take the Chase Daniel route, regardless of what Dr. Friedrich Bischinger says. So, with that said, it’s time to run the pick and roll and go around the Big XII.

20/20 Hindsight:

Nebraska 20 - Baylor 10
The Cornhuskers scored all that the needed in the first half and then withstood the Baylor onslaught in the second half (if you consider 10 points to be an onslaught.) They did this on the arm of freshman Cody Green who was brought in to replace junior Zac Lee after the Nebraska offense hasn’t been able to do jack squat for two weeks. And it still wasn’t pretty as Green goes 12 of 21 for 128 yards and a pick, but it was enough to be the folks in green as the Bears just can’t seem to get anything going now that their star quarterback is out of the season and they are using the third stringer, or as they call them in Waco, “the chaperone” That doesn’t really make sense, but I am leaving it in.

Missouri 36 - Colorado 17
This one was over at halftime as the Tigers jumped out to a 33 – 3 lead and coasted to the finish giving up a pair of touchdowns to the Buffalos in the second half. In the first half, the Missouri defense was all over Colorado like mosquitoes on a me, sacking the non-nepotistic quarterback Tyler Hansen four times and holding the buffs to a mere 55 yards of offense. This had to leave a bad taste in the mouth of Dan Hawkins, kind of like one of those cheap fish oil Omega 3 capsules that doesn’t have the coating on it, as the Colorado fans began to chant for his firing. Then halftime came, and some stuff happened in the parking lot, and then by the second half, things were a lot more melllllloooowww.

Texas A&M 35 - Iowa State 10
Jerrod Johnson showed that he can continue to put up great numbers against teams that don’t have “Kansas” as part of their name, going a remarkable 23 of 28 for 234 yards and 3 touchdowns by air, and adding another touchdown with his legs. The Aggies balanced this with 267 yards on the ground, and converted a ridiculous 10 of 13 third downs, which led to the punter spending the entire game on the bench at a school known primarily for producing NFL-caliber punters. Hooray. The Aggies could have made this one look even worse, but decided to take four consecutive knees starting on the ISU 2 yard line. The men in maroon also extended their “not on TV” record to 5 -0, while hoping to get off of their 0 – 3 “on TV” schnide next week.

Texas Tech 42 - Kansas 21
This one certainly didn’t start off like a matchup of highly touted offenses, with both sides showing less ball control than Ruffin McNeil’s boxers on Steven Sheffield, and each side punting five times in the first half. This was highly unusual for Mike Leach who once went an entire season of NCAA 2009 on PS3 without ever punting. Doege had some trouble holding on to the ball and getting his rhythm, which can largely be attributed to the left tackle position, which, regardless of who is playing there, seems to take the role of “Matador” literally as he deftly eludes the oncoming pass-rusher, which is the exact opposite of you want happening from the guy protecting the quarterback’s blindside. I did have one reader email me during the game asking if it was normal that he really wanted to see Ruffin McNeil and Mark Mangino mud wrestle. Given that Mark Mangino is the reason that October was left blank in the “Coaches of the Big XII Swimsuit Calendar”, I assured him that he should seek therapy. But Tech showed why I was nervous during the A&M game the week before as they showed the ability to fire off 28 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to salt the game away.

Oklahoma 42 - Kansas State 30
Like a newborn lovechild of Steve Buscemi and Sandra Bernhardt,

this one was really ugly really early and so I turned it off. However, unlike the certain worst odds holder for being dubbed America’s Top Model, this one got substantially better as it went along. The Sooners jumped out to a 21 – 0 first quarter lead, on the way to a 28 – 9 lead at half time. But the Wildcats made the game interesting in the third, scoring two touchdowns to pull within five. The two teams traded scores early in the fourth quarter as the Sooners found the endzone (which was right where it always was) only to have KSU return the kickoff 98 yards to close the gap back to five. I think one of the saddest aspects of this game was that Kansas State had two PATs blocked. Those are supposed to be automatic.

Texas 41 - Oklahoma State 14
Many (myself included) thought this could be a trap game for the frequently slow starting Longhorns and that they would be lucky to tiptoe into Stillwater and sneak away with a win. But the burnt oranges made their presence known, and not just in a mint-on-the-pillow and pointy-arrow-on-the-toilet-paper kind of way, but a full on kick-in-the-door and party like Kid Rock on Skittles hotel-room-destroying kind of way. It looks like you can forget all of the nasty things I have said about the Longhorns and Colt McCoy (except the thing about him looking like a Furby), because they are finally starting to look like a team that has it all together.

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Story courtesy of psychoag at www.raiderpower.com

WILLIAMS SAYS HE IS STILL #1 WR

2009-11-05T14:00:00.001-06:00

IRVING, Texas -- As I've always said, there's no one in the league who can do more with 19 yards receiving than Roy Williams. The Cowboys' "No. 1" wide receiver is in an awkward spot right now because the Cowboys are winning games while receiving little to no production from him.

Roy Williams still doesn't seem to be on the same page with quarterback Tony Romo.
Miles Austin has emerged as the Cowboys' most dangerous offensive weapon -- and he's understandably quarterback Tony Romo's favorite target right now. On Wednesday at Valley Ranch, Williams fielded question after question regarding why he and Romo don't appear to be on the same page.

"It's just not even close," Williams said of his on-field rapport with the quarterback. "It's not even funny. Not even close."

When I jokingly suggested a scenario in which his former Lions quarterback Jon Kitna was allowed to take the field on pass plays called for Williams, the wide receiver bit his lip and smiled. But the suggestion that perhaps Austin had become the team's No. 1 wide receiver drew a quick response from Williams.

"I'm the No. 1 receiver," Williams said. "But things are just going No. 2's way."

In 16 games with the Cowboys, Williams has 33 catches for 447 yards and three touchdowns -- or roughly a decent couple of games for Austin. To Williams' credit, he's never run from the questions. He knows better than anyone that last season's trade looks like a bust at this point and I think he'll do everything in his power to change that perception. But right now, he doesn't think he's getting the same types of opportunities as Austin.

"He gets the ball thrown correctly his way," Williams said of Austin. "I'm stretching and falling and doing everything. Everybody [else] who's been here's balls are there. Our footballs [from Romo to Williams] are everywhere right now."

But before we draw comparisons to a former complainer/wide receiver at Valley Ranch, I honestly think Williams is happy to be part of a winning team. He just feels like he could be doing more to help -- and it's easy to see why that's frustrating. Personally, I think that Romo's improvement in protecting the football may actually be hurting Williams' cause. Unlike a smaller, quicker receiver, Williams isn't going to get a lot of separation from cornerbacks. At times, you need to throw it to a spot and let him make a play on the ball.

Romo's not taking as many chances right now. In the big picture, that's helping the Cowboys. But it doesn't appear to be helping Roy Williams at all. If anyone disagrees with this amazing theory, please let me hear from you in the comments section. Your undying support in that section hasn't gone unnoticed.

Story courtesy of Matt Mosley with www.espn.com

ROY WILLIAMS DOESN'T KNOW WHAT IS WRONG

2009-11-05T13:46:00.001-06:00

The Tony Romo-to-Roy Williams connection has been more miss than hit this season - and last - and each Wednesday Williams stands by his locker answering the same questions.

Again. And again. And again.

And Williams keeps saying the same thing: he doesn't know why they're not connecting. He didn't and hasn't taken shots at Tony Romo or Jason Garrett like you know who would have done. He hasn't sulked that much but every receiver wants the ball at least some so there is some frustration.

"I'm the No. 1 receiver, but things are just going No. 2s way," Williams said.

Try as some might, Williams hasn't jumped offside, so to speak.

"If you continue to work out every day, it'll pay off," Williams said. "It'll pay off one of these 16 games."

Story courtesy of www.dallasnews.com

TEXAS RANGERS SETTLE ON CLINT HURDLE FOR NEW HITTING COACH

2009-11-04T16:42:00.001-06:00

Former Colorado Rockies manager Clint Hurdle is expected to be named the Rangers hitting coach, three sources said Tuesday.

Hurdle emerged from a group of four finalists that also included Thad Bosley, Gerald Perry and Rusty Greer, the sources said. Each interviewed Monday at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.

Hurdle declined comment Tuesday night, and general manager Jon Daniels said the Rangers haven't settled on who will replace Rudy Jaramillo.

The Rangers have not told any of the candidates that they have been eliminated from consideration.

"We have not yet offered the job to anyone," Daniels said. "We're finishing up our due diligence. When we've made a final decision, we'll communicate first to the four candidates and then make an annoucement."

That annoucement probably is on hold until after the World Series. The Rangers are content to obey the wishes of Major League Baseball, which requests that teams avoid making news on World Series game days.

Hurdle could be introduced Thursday if New York beats Philadelphia tonight and clinches the world title. But if the Phillies force a seventh game, the Rangers' announcement would be on hold until Friday.

Story courtesy of www.dallasnews.com

RANGERS FORMER PICHER PADILLA SHOT SELF IN FOOT

2009-11-03T16:45:00.000-06:00

MANAGUA, Nicaragua– Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Vicente Padilla accidentally shot himself in the leg in Nicaragua.

Dr. Eduardo Reguera said Padilla didn't need surgery after spending time at Managua's Metropolitan Hospital.

Police spokesman Vilma Reyes said Wednesday that Padilla's pistol apparently jammed during a target shooting session late Tuesday. Padilla was trying to clear a round from the chamber when the pistol went off.

His agent, Adam Katz, told The Los Angeles Times that it was a "hunting accident."

Padilla went 4-0 with a 3.20 ERA for the Dodgers the final two months of the regular season after pitching the start of the season with the Texas Rangers. He allowed one run in 7 1/3 innings in Game 2 of the NL Championship Series, but was battered for six runs in three innings in a season-ending loss to the Phillies.

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COWBOYS FILLING ROLES WELL

2009-11-03T16:34:00.000-06:00

Tony Romo was undrafted. So were Miles Austin, Sam Hurd and Stephen Bowen. Marc Colombo was out of work when he signed with the Cowboys in 2004. Junior Siavii hadn't played in a regular-season game since 2005.

Patrick Crayton was a seventh-round pick. Jay Ratliff was a seventh rounder. Deon Anderson was a sixth rounder. So was Nick Folk. Alan Ball was a seventh round pick. Orlando Scandrick was a fifth rounder. Tashard Choice was taken in the fourth round.

They have all had some versions of NFL success, changing their circumstances in a lot of ways, but Patrick Crayton believes those backgrounds help the team now.

"You've got a bunch of guys that come from I'd say very, very humble beginnings and have actually been a little successful and I think we've gelled pretty good," Crayton said. "The core of this team is pretty good and that's what we're trying to achieve. You play this game for one reason and one reason only and that's to win rings. You want to enjoy the ride all the way and enjoy the camaraderie and the guys you come into contact with but the ultimate goal is to lift the Lombardi Trophy and put a ring on your finger."

I'm not a "team chemistry" guy. I think chemistry is borne out of winning, not the other way around. Wade Phillips was asked if the chemistry is better this year and he didn't say so, but he had a good answer.

"They are hard workers and we have a lot of guys that play a role, whatever that is," Phillips said. "They accept it and they try to do really well at their role. so I think that's a good sign from our team."

Story courtesy of www.dallasnews.com

DALLAS COWBOYS SUCCESS SEEMS TO BE CATCHING

2009-11-03T16:28:00.000-06:00

ARLINGTON We spent all off-season trying to figure out what the heck Jerry Jones meant by "Romo Friendly."

Now, we know.

Every question you've had about the phrase Jerry coined while explaining the reasons for T.O.'s release should've been answered Sunday in the Cowboys' 38-17 blowout win over Seattle.

This is all you need to know: One minute into the second quarter, Romo had completed passes to Jason Witten, Miles Austin, Patrick Crayton, Sam Hurd and Roy Williams.

Uh-huh. That's right. Much-maligned Roy Williams caught a pass in the first quarter. Heck, he even caught a touchdown pass in the third quarter.

Forgive me, I digress.

The point is that wherever the coverage took away receivers, Romo successfully went the other way with the ball.

Hence, "Romo Friendly."

Romo took that approach the entire day, finishing the game 21-of-36 for 256 yards with three touchdowns, no interceptions and his third consecutive passer rating of more than 100.

Ten players caught passes, and Romo can drop back and throw the ball wherever he wants without worrying about appeasing T.O.'s ego. This is the Romo we saw in 2007, when he strung together seven consecutive games with a passer rating of at least 100.

Actually, the Romo we've seen the last three games is better because he's not making dumb decisions. This Romo has not thrown an interception in 120 pass attempts, spanning 13 quarters.

This is the first time Romo has gone three games without an interception.

Wow.

"He's playing great," Crayton said. "He's in control. He's making plays and not making mistakes."

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Story couretsy of www.dallasnews.com

SHEFFIELD OUT LONGER THAN INITIALLY REPORTED

2009-11-03T15:59:00.001-06:00

The Texas Tech football team will have to do without quarterback Steven Sheffield for a while longer.

A source who initially confirmed Sheffield would be out at least two to three weeks said that time frame “was probably unrealistic.’’

Another said, “The four weeks will probably be pushing it, but hopefully he can get there.’’

Tech has an open date this weekend. The Red Raiders’ next game is Nov. 14 at Oklahoma State, four weeks after Sheffield’s injury. He probably would need at least a week of practice with the offense before getting back into a game.

Sheffield, who gave the team a lift during a three-game winning streak at the beginning of October, remained on crutches on the sideline Saturday during Tech’s 42-21 victory against Kansas. Seth Doege made his first career start in that game, but he was replaced by Taylor Potts for the entire second half.

“The quarterback, whoever is in there, doesn’t really dictate what we do as far as receivers, (offensive) linemen, running backs,’’ running back Baron Batch said after the game. “We’ve just got to do what we do, whoever’s in there. Once we do that consistently, play in and play out, we’re going to make plays.’’

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Story courtesy of www.redraiders.com

DALLAS WIN VS. SEATTLE HELPS WITH PHILLY TRIP LOOMING

2009-11-02T16:24:00.000-06:00

ARLINGTON – With each Cowboys victory, the stakes increase and the stages grow larger. It just can't get much bigger than a battle for first place with the Eagles in Philadelphia next Sunday.

Unless maybe it was last year's battle there for second.

The Cowboys mostly like to forget about the season-ending 44-6 defeat that allowed the Eagles to reach the playoffs as the NFC's last wild-card team rather than Dallas. As coach Wade Phillips said about last season in training camp, "It is what it was."

But with a three-game winning streak after Sunday's 38-17 victory over Seattle, and with young playmakers enjoying new levels of success, the Cowboys may actually use the frustration of last year's elimination game as a springboard for success.

"Trust me, that 44-6 game is going to be in our heads," Patrick Crayton said after becoming the first Cowboy to return punts for touchdowns in back-to-back games.

In a league in which teams use free agency to fill gaps and collect draft picks to cut costs, rosters get overhauled quickly. Longstanding grudges don't hold.

But it's not necessarily the history of the Cowboys-Eagles rivalry that Sunday night's game at Lincoln Financial Field is all about.

"You couldn't talk about something that happened in a game two years ago or three years ago," Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said. "There are not enough people in this room that were around. But a ton of players and coaches here remember last year.

"And I think we'll benefit from that."

The Cowboys will need any form of motivation they can find. The Eagles may be just two weeks removed from an inexplicable loss to Oakland. But after coasting through a Monday night win in Washington, the Eagles hit full speed with a 30-point first half in their 40-17 destruction of the New York Giants on Sunday.

If Marion Barber and Felix Jones were good in the Cowboys' backfield Sunday, first-round pick LeSean McCoy and unknown Leonard Weaver were even better in gaining more than 150 yards rushing against New York.

If Tony Romo was very solid in collecting his 256 passing yards and three touchdowns Sunday, Donovan McNabb was just as productive, reaching 240 and three TDs, but with 13 fewer attempts.

But if the Eagles' 23-point victory over the Giants was slightly more impressive than the Cowboys' 21-point win over Seattle, it makes no real difference. Both are 5-2, one-half game ahead of the Giants, and the team that plays better Sunday night hits the halfway point of the season in first place.

"Philly's gonna be a challenge because the last couple of weeks we haven't faced a defense like Philly's," tight end Martellus Bennett said. "But you've got to win three in a row to call it a streak, so we're hot right now."

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Story courtesy of www.dallasnews.com

BATCH BIG 12 CO-OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK

2009-11-02T16:03:00.001-06:00

The Big 12 Conference on Monday named Baron Batch as its co-Offensive Player of the Week.

Batch, a junior running back from Midland, rushed for 123 yards and a career-high four touchdowns on only 17 carries in Saturday’s 42-21 win over Kansas at Jones AT&T Stadium. He had 106 yards and three TDs in the fourth quarter, when the Red Raiders stormed back from a seven-point deficit.

Batch, who shared the honor with Oklahoma quarterback Landry Jones of Artesia, N.M., is the fourth Tech player to receive one of the Big 12’s weekly awards this season. Quarterbacks Taylor Potts and Steven Sheffield have been offensive players of the week, and defensive end Brandon Sharpe was co-defensive player of the week after the Nebraska game.

Story courtesy of www.redraiders.com

TEXAS TECH VS. OSU GAME SELECTED FOR ABC PRIME-TIME

2009-11-02T16:02:00.000-06:00

Texas Tech announced Monday that its Big 12 Conference football game against Oklahoma State on Nov. 14 will start at 7 p.m. and be broadcast regionally on ABC (channel 28, Suddenlink Cable channel 8).

The game, which will be played at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Okla., will be Tech’s seventh television appearance of the season and its fourth on ABC. The Red Raiders are 2-1 in games on ABC and 4-2 overall in televised games.

The Red Raiders (6-3, 3-2 Big 12) have won nine of their last 12 meetings with the Cowboys (6-2, 3-1), but have not won in Stillwater since 2001. Tech won last year’s game, which also was a prime-time meeting on ABC, 56-20 in Lubbock.

Story courtesy of www.redraiders.com

COWBOYS SLAY SEATTLE 38-17

2009-11-01T16:37:00.000-06:00

ARLINGTON – When the offense clicks, when the Cowboys impose their will on a game the way the scheme is designed, it's more Las Vegas than NFL.

Quarterback Tony Romo likens it to a game of roulette. Spin the wheel and get the ball to whomever's number comes up.

So many numbers came up Sunday, it was hard to keep count.

The Cowboys built toward next week's showdown in Philadelphia with another strong performance. A 38-17 victory over Seattle gave the Cowboys a three-game winning streak for the first time in nearly a year and thrust them into a tie atop the NFC East with the Eagles.

"I think we're ready for a game like that," owner Jerry Jones said.

The offense appears ready. The Cowboys scored more than 30 points for the fourth time this season and have amassed 2,878 yards in their 5-2 start. That's the most yards the team has gained through seven games in 33 years and the third most in their rich history.

"I like that this team is explosive in that we're going along, kind of rocking along, then all of a sudden we're way ahead," head coach Wade Phillips said. "The ability to do that can make you a good football team."

The ability to spread the ball around can do that as well.

Ten different players caught passes for the Cowboys. Six different players ran the ball. The team managed 362 yards on offense with no individual above 61 yards.

Seattle's defense put more pressure on Romo than any game he seen this season. The safeties played back to take away Miles Austin and the deep pass.

The Cowboys responded by working underneath all afternoon.

"If they take away something, we've got to be good enough to do something else," Romo said. "The system is in place to have those options.

"You are seeing that we have different people who do different things well, and we're giving them the ball in those situations."

Another key is protecting the ball. Romo has gone three consecutive games without an interception for the first time in his NFL career. He has completed 62.6 percent of his passes for 918 yards with eight touchdowns in this stretch.

"It's the old saying, either you can do it or you can't," Romo said. "Either you're good enough to do it and see it and not throw the ball to the other team, or you're not.

"I'm just seeing things. Simple as that."

Something else that is simple: the Cowboys have won their last two games by a total of 37 points because the defense and special teams have stepped up.

The Seahawks managed just 79 yards on the ground and had only one receiver crack 40 yards through the air. The Cowboys sacked quarterback Matt Hasselbeck three times and forced two fumbles, one of which set up a short touchdown drive for the offense.

Patrick Crayton returned a punt for a touchdown for the second consecutive game and the kicking game kept Seattle pinned deep in its own territory for most of the afternoon.

"Everyone's going to be drinking the Cowboys Kool-Aid here and telling us how great we are and how good we're doing," linebacker Keith Brooking said. "As long as we prepare the way we've been preparing and come out on the field with confidence on Sunday, we're going to be right where we want to be.

"We are just now starting to see all of the hard work and sacrifices we've made come to fruition. It's a good feeling."

Now, the Cowboys return to the scene of one of their worst feelings.

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Story courtesy of www.dallasnews.com

MORE TREATS THAN TRICKS IN TECH WIN VS. KANSAS

2009-11-01T16:07:00.000-06:00

That was one crazy Halloween afternoon at Jones AT&T Stadium.

I saw Kansas quarterback Todd Reesing, a savvy senior with 25 wins as a starter including one in the Orange Bowl, benched in the fourth quarter before the door was completely closed on the Jayhawks. I saw Texas Tech coach Mike Leach change quarterbacks at halftime, just because the starter wasn’t in a groove, a personnel move that never used to happen around here.

I saw Mike get choked up talking about Spike. And nothing wrong with that, but I think it caught some people in the interview room off-guard.
Oh, and in a game that matched the fourth- and fifth-ranked offenses in the country, defense ruled.

When I came to the stadium on Saturday, I didn’t expect to see any of that, much less all of it. At least the Red Raiders were the team celebrating after a 42-21 win. With this team getting stripped of parts from one week to the next, this year looks less and less like last year’s storybook season all the time, so the Red Raiders deserved to party on Halloween night. Not just because they shut down a team with good offensive skill people, but because Tech’s flaws, not all of which are under their control, are hard to ignore.

Win despite those flaws, overcome them, and it’s all the more rewarding.

For the rest of the season, they might just have to live with a patchwork offensive line. Saturday’s development: Playing out of his natural position at left tackle, Marlon Winn struggled mightily enough to force an in-game move back to right tackle. That bumped LaAdrian Waddle, the freshman whose redshirt Leach burned only last week, out of the game. Brandon Carter got hurt on the second play, returned for most of the second half, then limped off again with three minutes left in the game.

Not exactly a lovely Saturday for your two most experienced offensive linemen.

Just ask quarterback Seth Doege. Leach called a halt to Doege’s first career start at halftime with him struggling behind inadequate pass protection.

To the linemen’s credit, they showed something, rallying from a lousy first half to a superior second half when their run blocking for Baron Batch made all the difference.

And the whose-the-guy-this-week at quarterback’s not over either.
Don’t look for Steven Sheffield, who gave the team such a spark at midseason, to be back from the broken foot, even after an off week, for Oklahoma State on Nov. 14. The Cowboys are likely to get Taylor Potts or Doege, just like Kansas’ did.

Leach even put a funny spin on his weekly and tiresome “game-time decision” quote.

“Really, we took this one all the way to halftime in a way,’’ he said. “We don’t want anyone leaving early.’’

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Story courtesy of www.redraiders.com

TECH AND KANSAS CAN COMPARE RECENT SLUMPS

2009-10-30T16:12:00.000-05:00

The second half of October has been none too kind to Kansas and Texas Tech.

The Jayhawks have gone from a 5-0 start to a two-game losing streak. The Red Raiders’ loss last week — to a slumping rival, amid much hoopla — might have caused enough disgust for two defeats.

“We know we need to get this thing back on the right track, and we need to do it in a hurry,” said Kansas quarterback Todd Reesing, who had an atypically lousy game for him in a 35-13 loss to Oklahoma.

“As hungry as they are, we’re going to be just as hungry,” said Tech flanker Alex Torres, who was one of the few bright spots in a 52-30 loss to Texas A&M. “We know we didn’t come ready to play, and we’re looking to change that.”

KU (5-2, 1-2 in the Big 12 Conference) and Tech (5-3, 2-2) hook up at 2:30 p.m. Saturday in Jones AT&T Stadium in what could be yet another indication of where the season is headed for each.

In a short time, the outlook for both has gone from rosy to quick recovery required.

How well has Tech recovered from last week’s pounding?

“I guess we’ll find out Saturday, you know?” Tech coach Mike Leach said.

The Red Raiders will spin their wheel of fortune this week with their third starting quarterback this month. Seth Doege did what he could to clean up the mess against the Aggies and did it well enough to be tapped for his first college start today.

“I think he plays well,” Leach said. “I think he’s got a really good arm. I mean, he throws the ball really well. One of these quarterbacks is going to realize how simple this is and take control of the position.”

Doege will try to pick up where he left off when he replaced Taylor Potts last week. With Tech trailing 38-14, he led two scoring drives in five series.

“He got the offense rolling, got a little bit of tempo going,” Torres said. “It was awesome seeing him go out there and perform the way he did.”

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DEFENSIVE EFFORT FRUSTRATES TECH COACH

2009-10-27T15:17:00.000-05:00

Ruffin McNeill wasn’t in the kind of reflective mood necessary on Tuesday to catalog his worst days as a football coach. Running herd over the losing defense in Saturday’s 52-30 Texas Tech loss to Texas A&M is surely up there, but the Red Raiders’ defensive coordinator didn’t feel like putting it into context.

Instead, he said:

“I tell you what’s frustrating is when I feel like I let coach (Mike) Leach down. That’s frustrating to me. That’s the first person I don’t want to let down is coach Leach. I take full responsibility for one-third of this whole deal, and I didn’t uphold my one-third. The biggest thing is I let coach Leach down and the staff and the kids.’’

Saturday was McNeill’s 30th game as Tech defensive coordinator. A&M’s 321 rushing yards was the most the Red Raiders have allowed since they gave up 366 to Oklahoma State in 2007. The day after that OSU game, Lyle Setencich was let go as defensive coordinator and McNeill promoted.

The Aggies’ 559 yards total offense was the third-highest allowance under his watch, behind the 625-yard onslaught Oklahoma unleashed last November and the 579-yard night Houston launched in September.

What the Aggies did might have been more stunning than the others, because they had been slumping and the Raiders had been riding high on defense, ranking 24th in the nation against the run and eighth in sacks.

“We just have to learn from this game as a player and as a coach,’’ McNeill said. “Learn from history. We can’t do it over, but we can learn from it. I tell you what, today was one of the best Tuesday practices we’ve had, to be honest. We haven’t had any bad practices. We didn’t have bad practices last week, really. We had good practices every day, but it was a good practice today. So the kids have bounced back and so have we.’’

Linebacker Bront Bird said he and his defensive mates got away from everything that had made them successful this season, including a variety of fundamental breakdowns.

“We did everything you’re not supposed to do,’’ Bird said. “We didn’t have low pads. We didn’t use our hands well. We didn’t get off blocks. That hurt us. A&M played a wonderful game, and we didn’t rise to the challenge.’’

A&M running backs Cyrus Gray and Christine Michael ran 25 times for 131 yards and 22 times for 121 yards, respectively, and racked up six touchdowns rushing and receiving.

Since the beginning of last season, Tech had mostly shut off the tap on quarterbacks trying to run. Nevada’s Colin Kaepernick and Baylor’s Robert Griffin were the only ones in the previous 20 games to run for more than 30 yards on Tech, and they’re in offenses in which designed quarterback runs are a focal point.

But on Saturday, A&M quarterback Jerrod Johnson got in on the act, too, rushing 10 times for 71 yards.

“They were scrambles,’’ McNeill said. “He’s a (throw to the) first-read guy. If the read wasn’t there, he tucked it and (ran). By the time we came off to converge on him, he had gotten yardage. He had a couple of designed runs, but a lot of them were just scrambles.’’

Story courtesy of www.redraiders.com

TEXAS TECH VS. TEXAS A&M - WHAT HAPPENED?

2009-10-25T15:13:00.000-05:00

I am too disgusted by this game to talk about it...poor offense, poor defense, poor coaching...as much as we looked like a complete team last week, this game was the opposite as we were the team in complete disarray.

WEAKLY RETORT: WEEK 7

2009-10-24T00:00:00.002-05:00

It is a good thing I don’t gamble on sports, because otherwise I would be hanging upside-down from a balcony by a stereotype named “Guido”. My picks were particularly horrendous last week as I only got 2 of 6 right, and that wasn’t even picking against the spread.
Okay, I am going to take a detour here. Last night (Thursday), which is normally the night when I finish up The Retort, I spent most of it throwing up in my first ever non-Goldschlager induced vomiting. Never had a stomach bug before, so this was a new experience. Also a new experience was the feeling of Rosa’s fajitas (which I had covered in jalapenos) being ejected through my nasal cavity. Highly unpleasant, I can assure you, sort of like what I imagine tear gas feels like. At first, I thought God may have been playing a practical joke on me due to a joke a used in the Texas – OU write up. Then, I thought it was something I ate, but my four-year-old daughter had the same thing, and in the Venn diagram of things we both eat, there is only a faint sliver that overlaps, and it contains bananas, pizza and cookies, none of which was likely to be the cause of our distress. So, I can only conclude that it was a short acting stomach bug because I feel much better this morning. Assuming that neither of us is running a fever, we will be headed out to Lubbock this afternoon so that I can witness another event tomorrow evening that very well may induce the same response as the stomach bug. Just for fun, I am putting everything I wrote post-vomit in blue text, just to see if my writing style has differed. You will also get a chance to see just how much I jump around while I am writing this. So let’s grab our air sickness bags and get ready to barrel roll.

20/20 Hindsight:

Texas 16 - Oklahoma 13
We’ve come to expect classic matchups whenever the Horns and Sooners square off in Laura Miller’s Toilet. However, this was not one of them. Sam Bradford had his college career ended almost as soon as the game started due to his offensive line’s penchant for playing the role of a cape-waving matador, only without the part where they stab the defensive end with a sword. Or maybe it was the fact that the Longhorns could only ring up 269 total yards and the Sooners posted a jaw-dropping -16 yards rushing which means they would have been better off just spiking the ball. Perhaps it was the combined 21 penalties for 228 yards that gave this game the face only a mother could love. Still, my vote is the fact that between the two teams they coughed up more balls than a bulimic at a calf fry with Texas giving it away three times and the Sooners returning the favor five times of their own. There really isn’t much to say about this game other than the fact that Texas doesn’t yet appear to be a national championship contender, and could be the worst 6 – 0 team in history.

Oklahoma State 33 - Missouri 17
The OSU Cowboys continue to climb back up in the rankings, even with out Dez “You Lie!” Bryant hauling in passes for them. Missouri came out rolling, but couldn’t get anything going in the second half and failed to put up any more points. The Tigers piled up yards, but their 3 – 15 on third downs combined with four turnovers sealed their fate.

Texas Tech 31 - Nebraska 10
This game featured the two most confused looking coaches in the NCAA in Mike Leach and Bo Pelini. I can’t help but think that if you were telling a joke to the two of them that you would be compelled to back track and repeat the punchline about three times. You know, kind of like how Jay Leno tells EVERY joke. The Red Raiders didn’t stun everyone with their offense, the week after Sheffield throws for 490 yards and 7 TDs, but instead got it done by Ruffin the Quarterback (rock me) as McNeil’s defense totaled 5 sacks and held Air Husker to a single touchdown. If this Raider team can put the offense and defense together, not only will they create a word that will piss off my spell checker, but they can beat any team in the Big XII. I’m just praying that odfefense holds off for another week. Unfortunately for the Raiders it appears that Sheffield will be out with a broken foot, meaning the are going to be stuck playing their starter.

Colorado 34 - Kansas 30
Well this one was certainly an upset. Dan Hawkins did what my pony-league baseball coach never could, which was to pull his son for someone that could actually be effective. Tyler Hansen, not to be confused with Taylor Hanson the effeminate child MMMBop singer, took off his redshirt, put on a jersey and came out to lead the Buffaloes to a win over 17th ranked Kansas. The Buffalae scored 24 points in the second quarter and held on to win 34 – 30. I can only wonder how many Dorito’s were consumed in Boulder that night, both on the part of the celebrating Buffalo fans and Coach Mangino, who no doubt locked himself in his hotel room for an orange dust tinged pity party.

Iowa State 24 - Baylor 10
The Bears continue to suffer through their backup quarterback woes, this time allowing Iowa State up off the mat with their first Big XII win since 2007. The one time starter Blake Szymanski, whose name would totally tear up a game of Scrabble, passed for 223 yards, but with 3 INTs and no touchdowns. According to the ESPN writeup, before the second half kickoff a rabbit ran onto the field, blew through the Iowa State kickoff coverage and into the endzone, prompting Baylor coach Art Briles to tender him a scholarship offer. Okay, I added that last part.

Kansas State 62 - Texas A&M 14
Good freaking grief. The only thing I can think of is that Will Smith pulled out that little flashy thing from Men In Black and completely erased the minds of the A&M football team, wiping out basic motor skills in the process. After an Aggie fumble on the second play of the game, the Wildcats quickly jumped out to a 17 – 0 first quarter lead, and went to the locker room up 38 – 0 at the half. Now, if you are a coach, what kind of motivational speech do you give when you are getting completely donkeypunched on the road? Apparently it went something like this, “Okay, we’re going to go out there and kick the ball deep. I want everyone to get out of their lanes, and show me a whole bunch of shoulder tackles, and let’s see if we can’t let them take one to the house.” For once, the Aggie team followed the game plan, leading to Brandon Banks’ 97 yard kick return to open the second half. Even the seemingly secure Jerrod Johnson who had gone 242 pass attempts without throwing an interception decided he would be extra generous, throwing three picks and getting sacked six times. But the good news, according to the announcers, is that this is a young team, which means they will be around for three more years…

Click here to continue reading...

Story courtesy of psychoag at www.raiderpower.com

COWBOYS READY FOR ATLANTA'S HURRY-UP DRILL

2009-10-22T23:49:00.001-05:00

There was in interesting stat on NBC Sunday that that Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan went 8-for-8 and two touchdowns against Chicago in the hurry-up offense.

So guess what the Cowboys are preparing for this week? Atlanta's hurry up. There are even signs up outside the locker room pertaining to the Falcons' quick tempo offense.

Coach Wade Phillips claimed to be unaware of the signs.

"I don't know if it was me or not," Phillips siad. "You mean about being unstoppable? I don't know who put thyat up there. I kind of know the reason."

Anything to motivate the team. But coming off the bye week, Phillips has some worry about the timing being off on both sides of the ball. To help them, Phillips had the defense work against the hurry up and they worked in two-minute drills on both sides of the ball.

"If they substitute you can substitute, so usually you have the right personnel you want against whatever theyre running," Phillips said. "But it's the communication of what you want to call so you don't get in a situation where you can only call one thing or maybe two things. You have to be able to communicate basically your whole defense in those situations. But we work on that all the time."

Story courtesy of www.dallasnews.com

TOP 5 TECH VICTORIES OVER THE AGGIES

2009-10-22T23:35:00.004-05:00

Below is the Dallas Morning News' Top 5 Texas Tech victories over Texas A&M. I see that my personal favorite, a 56-17 schelacking of the Aggies back in 2005, did not make the list, but I do agree that most of the games listed below were the 5 most exciting in recent memory:

Oct. 7, 1995, Red Raiders 14, Aggies 7, in Lubbock:
Texas A&M entered the game as the No. 8 team in the country and enjoyed a 29-game conference winning streak. But with the score tied 7-7 with 30 seconds left and the Aggies driving, Texas Tech linebacker Zach Thomas picked off a Corey Pullig pass and returned it 23 yards for the winning touchdown for the unranked Red Raiders.

Oct. 5, 2002, Red Raiders 48, Aggies 47 (OT), in College Station:
Unranked Texas Tech rallied from 18 points down in the fourth quarter to push No. 23 Texas A&M into overtime. Dustin Long had seven touchdown passes for A&M and Kliff Kingsbury had five for Tech, but two kicks determined the difference. John Pierson missed his OT extra-point try, and Robert Treece made his.

Oct. 2, 1999, Red Raiders 21, Aggies 19, in Lubbock:
With tailback Ricky Williamsunable to go, Texas Tech coach Spike Dykes moved fullback Sammy Morris to his spot. Morris gained 170 yards rushing against No. 5 Texas A&M and its top-ranked run defense, and the Red Raiders rallied from 10 points down to score all 21 of their points in the second quarter for the upset.

Sept. 30, 2006, Red Raiders 31, Aggies 27, in College Station:
Trailing with 2:12 left and 80 yards ahead of him, Texas Tech sophomore quarterback Graham Harrell went to work. A drive that included an interception overturned by replay and an 11-yard catch by Jarrett Hicks on fourth-and-5 ended with Robert Johnson's 37-yard touchdown catch with 26 seconds left for the win.

Oct. 25, 1997, Red Raiders 16, Aggies 13, in Lubbock:
With 19 seconds left, unranked Texas Tech had a chance to break a tie with No. 20 Texas A&M with a successful field-goal attempt. But Texas Tech senior kicker Tony Rogers, a backup until Jaret Greaser was injured the week before, had to try a 47-yarder with a tricky 24 mph wind. His kick glanced off the left upright and went through.

Click here if you care about the Top 5 Aggie wins [since I don't]...

Story courtesy of www.dallasnews.com

SHEFFIELD OUT 2-3 WEEKS WITH FOOT INJURY

2009-10-19T16:53:00.001-05:00

Going into this season, Texas Tech coach Mike Leach had gone at least 12 years without having a quarterback on one of his teams miss a start because of injury.

Now it’s about to happen twice in less than a month.

The Avalanche-Journal has learned Tech quarterback Steven Sheffield will be out at least two to three weeks with a foot injury he suffered in Saturday’s 31-10 victory at Nebraska. Sheffield had a medical procedure performed Sunday on the injured foot.

He’s expected to miss home games the next two Saturdays, against Texas A&M and Kansas before Tech has an open date.

The earliest he’s likely to return is for a Nov. 14 road game at Oklahoma State.

Tech spokesman Chris Cook declined comment.

“Tech has no comment,” he said.

Earlier Monday, Leach said Tech’s starting quarterback for Saturday would be a game-time decision.

The injury to Sheffield means Taylor Potts, who got hurt in a 48-28 victory Oct. 3 against New Mexico, could return to the starting lineup. It might depend on how well medical staff believe Potts has recovered from the concussion he suffered. Potts practiced throughout last week and was in uniform at Nebraska, though he didn’t play.

Sheffield played the entire game at Nebraska, finishing 23 of 32 for 234 yards. He threw for one touchdown and scored two others via quarterback sneaks, one on Tech’s last offensive play.

The junior from Pflugerville Connally has completed 76 of 102 — 74.5 percent — for 1,014 yards, 12 touchdowns and two interceptions. Nearly all of that came in the last 2 1/2 weeks, which included his first career starts, against Kansas State and Nebraska.

Potts started the first five games and has 1,817 yards on 159-for-235 passing. He has thrown 13 touchdowns and six interceptions.

Story courtesy of www.redraiders.com

TECH QB OUT WITH INJURY

2009-10-19T16:44:00.000-05:00

LUBBOCK, TX (KCBD) - Official word from Pete Christy in Pete's Tweets: Balloon Boy is a hoax. Unfortunately Steven Sheffield being injured is not.

He is out with a foot injury. Potts will Quarterback against A&M.

Pete Christy will have more details coming up in NewsChannel 11 Sports tonight at 6 and 10.

Story courtesy of www.kcbd.com

COWBOYS' OUTLOOK BOOSTED BY BYE WEEK

2009-10-19T16:42:00.000-05:00

Those ugly wins are starting to look a lot better to the Dallas Cowboys.

After seeing all three of their NFC East foes lose while they were enjoying their bye weekend, the Cowboys returned to work a little more proud of their 3-2 record.

Dallas squeaked past then-winless Kansas City in overtime in its last game. Those Chiefs beat Washington on Sunday. Also, Philadelphia was stunned by Oakland and New York was crushed by New Orleans in a battle of unbeatens.

Coach Wade Phillips said the results were a reminder of how hard it is to win in the NFL.

The Cowboys play Sunday at home against Atlanta. The Falcons are 4-1 and coming off a win over Chicago.

Story courtesy of www.doublet1043.com

LEACH SET TO TIE SPIKE DYKES RECORD AT TECH

2009-10-19T12:35:00.001-05:00

People laugh at his jokes, laugh behind his back and laugh at his antics.

But Texas Tech coach Mike Leach is the one getting the last laugh.

With a win this Saturday at home at 6 p.m. against Texas A&M, Leach will tie Spike Dykes for the most wins at Tech by a coach. That's a phenomenal feat for a guy who has a law degree and had no formal coaching training before he became the offensive line coach at Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo in 1987.

Since becoming Tech's coach in 2000, Leach has led the Red Raiders to an 81-41 record and nine consecutive bowl game appearances. From 1986-'99, Dykes guided Tech to an 82-67-1 record and seven bowl berths.

"I've always respected Spike tremendously,'' Leach said during the Monday morning Big 12 Conference teleconference. "I don't know that I would have the job here without Spike.

"He's a great coach, he has a great background and did great things everywhere he was. So that's a real honor to be reaching anything (Dykes achieved).''

Depending on who you talk to, Leach is either one of the greatest coaching minds of our time or a guy who has a few loose screws because of his fascination with pirates. But there's no denying the fact that he has an eye for talent, his spread offense is consistently one of the best in the nation, the talent level has improved tremendously since he arrived at Tech, and the school had two Heisman Trophy candidates last year in Graham Harrell and Michael Crabtree while reaching as high as No. 2 in the nation.

"I remember when I was a young coach coming up and you'd go to these clinics and things, and Spike Dykes was a great speaker and a great story teller,'' Leach said. "And then I get to Lubbock and sometimes it was kind of ho-hum at Spike, and I'm thinking you guys don't realize what a legend this guy is out there among the community.''

Last year Tech won 11 games, tying the school record for the most wins in a season. Currently, the Raiders are ranked No. 21 in the country and have posted a 5-2 overall record and 2-1 conference worksheet.

Story courtesy of www.star-telegram.com

SHARPE WINS SHARE OF BIG 12 DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK

2009-10-19T12:28:00.001-05:00

After collecting four sacks during Saturday's 31-10 win over Nebraska, Texas Tech defensive end Brandon Sharpe said he was simply trying to divert some attention his way.

Mission accomplished.

On Monday, Sharpe was named the Big 12 Conference co-Defensive Player of the Week, along with Texas safety Earl Thomas.

In addition to the four sacks, Sharpe added seven tackles and really gave the Cornhuskers fits all day long. He also has seven of his eight sacks this season in the past two games.

"It's kind of like somebody has to have lights going on, and I think that's what went on,'' coach Mike Leach said about Sharpe during the Monday morning Big 12 Conference teleconference. "I think he's always had that talent and always that ability, and then he just kind of put it together.''

On the offensive side, two players also shared the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week awards, including Oklahoma State wide receiver Hubert Anyiam and Colorado running back Rodney Steward. Kansas State's Brandon Banks was named the conference Special Teams Player of the Week.

Story courtesy of www.star-telegram.com

COWBOYS' BROOKING HAS A DIRECT APPROACH

2009-10-19T11:11:00.000-05:00

Keith Brooking, consummate combatant on the field and refreshingly frank orator off it, has quickly provided stability at a position that lacked it and accountability in a locker room that needed it.

The Dallas Cowboys inside linebacker spent the first 11 seasons of his career playing for the Atlanta Falcons. Those in the media who covered him most described the five-time Pro Bowler as the conscience of the defense, switching positions for the good of the team, consistently leading the unit in tackles and speaking up when others walked away in tough times.

"He just came in and his only thing he wanted was to win and just be a team," Cowboys nose tackle Jay Ratliff said. "And who can’t respect that?"

Coming out of the bye week, the Cowboys face another earlier-than-expected must-win scenario Sunday against Brooking’s old team, the Falcons, a rising NFC contender.

"I’d be lying if I told you I didn’t have it circled on my calendar since I signed here," Brooking said. "I’m an emotional guy so I have to tame my emotions. This game is not about me, it’s about us winning. Do I want to win this game really bad? Yes. But, it’s about winning and going to 4-2."

Playing at home for the first time since Sept. 28, the Cowboys can’t afford to drop to 3-3 with a loss — and 1-2 at their supposedly inspirational palatial new home. Defeat would ignite new rounds of criticism and derision, and questions of impending divisiveness.

Yes, Brooking came to Dallas well aware of last season’s fallout. It’s a big reason why the Cowboys wanted him. Brooking played nine seasons under special teams coach Joe DeCamillis and spent time under Wade Phillips when he was defensive coordinator and then head coach of the Falcons.

Brooking, without hesitation, proclaimed locker-room issues won’t split these Cowboys.

"I’ll be dead honest with you, I didn’t know what to expect when I signed here, you hear so many things," Brooking said. "It’s 100 times better than I thought it was going to be. This locker room is tight. We’re together. There’s absolutely no distractions."

Brooking’s free-agent deal with the Dallas Cowboys came with little fanfare amid the still-burning wreckage of 2008; just another aging veteran — Brooking turns 34 in 11 days — to fill the revolving spot next to Bradie James.

In Atlanta, management made the difficult decision to part ways with the Atlanta lifer — born in nearby Senoia, Ga., and a star at Georgia Tech — believing Brooking’s most productive days are behind him.

Maybe so, but through five games with the Cowboys, he’s played exceptionally well, leading the Cowboys in tackles, with 37, as well as in spirited, arm-waving charges to the sideline after a big play like his fourth-down stop in Denver.

More surprising is how quickly the newcomer has emerged as a prominent voice of reason and cohesion in a locker room full of Cowboys veterans.

"If it takes me being more vocal, whatever it takes, I’m going to try to do my part for us to win ballgames," Brooking said. "If I see something that needs to be addressed, for sure, I feel comfortable in doing that. I think these guys know me well enough to know the kind of person I am and that I have great intentions in doing it. I’m here for these guys in whatever way. If it takes that to win ballgames, heck, yeah, I’ll do whatever."

Story courtesy of www.star-telegram.com

TECH RANKED FOR 1ST TIME IN 2009

2009-10-19T10:48:00.000-05:00

A day after notching its first road win and in convincing fashion, Texas Tech cracked both top 25 polls released Sunday. It’s the first time the Red Raiders have been ranked since the end of last season.

Tech (5-2, 2-1 Big 12 Conference), which won 31-10 at then-No. 15 Nebraska on Saturday for its third straight win, is ranked 21st in The Associated Press Top 25 and 24th in the USA Today coaches poll. The Cornhuskers (4-2, 1-1) dropped out of both rankings.

Tech wasn’t in the first BCS standings released Sunday night.

The Red Raiders host rival Texas A&M (3-3, 0-2) at 6 p.m. Saturday at Jones AT&T Stadium. The Aggies are coming off a 62-14 loss to Kansas State, a team Tech beat 66-14 a week earlier.

Story courtesy of www.redraiders.com

SHEFFIELD, TECH UPSET NEBRASKA 31-10

2009-10-17T18:56:00.002-05:00

LINCOLN, Neb. — Steven Sheffield passed for a touchdown and ran for two in his first road start, and Texas Tech jumped out fast to upset No. 15 Nebraska 31-10 Saturday.

Sheffield, who passed for 490 yards passing and seven touchdowns in his debut as the starter against Kansas State last week, was nearly perfect early, completing 14 of his first 16 passes against the Cornhuskers. Playing for the injured Taylor Potts, Sheffield went 9-for-16 in the second half and finished with 234 yards.

Texas Tech (5-2, 2-1) won for the first time in four road games since last October. Nebraska (4-2, 1-1) held the Raiders to 259 yards — 263 under their average.

But Nebraska's offense for the second straight week did next to nothing until the fourth quarter. By then it was too late.

Tech's often-overshadowed defense, led by end Brandon Sharpe, allowed just one field goal until the middle of the fourth quarter.

Sharpe had four sacks and batted down a pass, and strong safety Franklin Mitchem had seven tackles and an interception.

Sheffield picked up where he left off last week against K-State. He completed all six of his passes while leading the Red Raiders on an 80-yard touchdown drive to start the game, finishing with a 16-yarder to Baron Batch.

Sheffield couldn't get anything going on his next series, but Tech's defense provided a big lift. Nebraska's Niles Paul fumbled after taking a lateral from Zac Lee, and Daniel Howard picked up the ball and ran it back 82 yards for a 14-0 lead.

Rajon Henley and Sharpe sacked Lee on back-to-back plays before Sheffield ran in from a yard to wrap up a 12-play, 65-yard drive that put Tech up by three TDs.

Tech led 24-3 at half after the teams traded field goals.

The Raiders generated 47 yards in the second half, but their defense never let the Huskers get closer than two touchdowns.

Nebraska backup Cody Green, who played one series in the third quarter, replaced Lee in the middle of the fourth and found Khiry Cooper for a 13-yard pass that was Nebraska's only touchdown.

Green drove the Huskers inside the Tech 15 late in the fourth quarter before getting intercepted by Mitchem.

Lee had the Huskers inside the Tech 10 early in the fourth before they self-destructed. Offensive lineman Ricky Henry got a personal foul for pushing the pile after the whistle, and center Jacob Hickman was called for a false start. The series ended with Lee throwing out the back of the end zone, prompting boos from frustrated fans.

In 12 quarters against BCS opponents, Nebraska has failed to score a touchdown in 10 of them.

Lee was 16 of 22 for 128 yards and Green 7 of 16 for 87.

Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

TEXAS TECH VS. NEBRASKA GAME RECAP

2009-10-17T14:08:00.003-05:00

THE GOOD:
- Tech defense looks awesome. Tonight's effort was the main reason that Tech came away with a victory. The big story coming into the game was Nebraska's Suh, but I have to believe that by the end of the game all anybody should be talking about is Tech's Brandon Sharpe, who had a career 4 sacks in this game! The Defense even got a fumble recovery that we hustled back for a TD - just a great effort!

- For the first time I can remember in the Leach era, the game ended with only 4 Tech penalties for 40 yards. This group is really playing well together as a team and showing the discipline it takes to hang around in close games for the win.

THE BAD:
- Offense took foot off the petal in the 2nd half with multiple 3 and outs. This was especially disappointing after watching the ease that the offense moved the chains in the 1st half. I can't figure out if Nebraska made some great halftime adjustments that our offense couldn't process, or if we became complacent with a nice lead and didn't give as much effort until they closed the gap.

THE UGLY:
Although I didn't realize it at the time, it appears that Sticks has some type of foot or ankle injury that occurred late in the game. The word on the street is that he had a procedure on it Sunday and will be out for the next 2-3 weeks. Let's hope that Potts has completely recovered from his concussion so he can lead us to victory against the hated Aggies next week!

TEXAS TECH VS. NEBRASKA PREVIEW

2009-10-17T13:44:00.002-05:00

Line: Nebraska by 10 1/2.

Series record: Nebraska leads 7-3.

Last meeting: 2008, Texas Tech 37-31, OT.

What's at Stake
Nebraska has struggled against the Big 12 South and needs a win here to stay on top in the North. With three straight games against nationally ranked foes Kansas, Oklahoma State and Oklahoma coming up, Tech can't afford a loss if it hopes to stay relevant in the South.

Key Matchup
Nebraska RB Roy Helu Jr. vs. Texas Tech front seven. Time of possession will be huge. The Huskers must commit to their ground game if they want to keep Tech's high-scoring offense off the field. Helu will get lots of work with top backup Rex Burkhead out with an injury.

Players to Watch
Texas Tech: QB Steven Sheffield. The junior ripped Kansas State for 490 yards passing and 7 TDs in his first start. Coach Mike Leach isn't saying whether Sheffield will get the call for what would be Sheffield's first time in a hostile environment. He would face a defense that's allowing just about 8 points a game and is among the best in the nation against the pass.

Nebraska: NT Ndamukong Suh. If the 6-foot-4, 300-pound senior takes control like he did against Missouri, the volume could be turned up on whispers about his being a Heisman contender. Don't think the presence of Suh won't be a factor in which Tech QB starts. Sheffield can move around while Tech QB Taylor Potts is much less mobile.

Facts & Figures
Texas Tech has won three straight against Nebraska but is 1-3 in Lincoln. ... The Raiders' 739 total yards against Kansas State last week is the highest total in the Big 12 this season and is second nationally to the 775 put up by Nevada against UNLV. ... Suh's seven pass break-ups in five games already is a season school record for defensive linemen.

WHATEVER HIS ROLE, CHOICE A GREAT OPTION FOR DALLAS COWBOYS

2009-10-17T13:34:00.002-05:00

Idle teams give idle minds the chance to concoct all sorts of scenarios.

A popular one this bye week is that the Cowboys need to get Tashard Choice more touches. Public opinion builds that even if Choice doesn't start, he deserves a more prominent role in the Cowboys' running game.

If you are part of this grassroots movement, one piece of information should be passed along. You're a little late to the party.

Don't let the depth chart, where Choice is listed behind Marion Barber and Felix Jones, fool you. This is no third-string back. And don't restrict your sample to the start of this season.

Choice has amassed 402 more yards than Barber since Thanksgiving of last season and has 56 more touches in those 10 games. Jones is so far back he's not part of the discussion.

Barber is the starter. Jones is the most dangerous offensive weapon the Cowboys possess. But their inability to stay healthy has thrust Choice into the primary role.

It's simply not acknowledged because of that irritating No. 3 next to his name.

"We've got to give him some touches," coach Wade Phillips said. "We can't eliminate him. He makes plays."

How does Choice define his role?

"I don't know," he said. "The X factor?

"It's different with me every week. One week I can be in only on third down and special teams, another week I can be carrying the load.

"It just depends on the week, I guess."

It depends on the workload Barber's strained quadriceps allows him to carry. He's clearly not as explosive as he was before the injury. It could take him weeks to regain the strength he lost.

It depends on when Jones returns from his sprained knee. He's optimistic that will happen for next week's game against Atlanta.

"It's hard when you know you can do it every down, but you've got to play here and there, so you've got to make the most of it," Choice said.

What Choice does know is that he's the Cowboys' third-down back. His ability to recognize defenses and explain protection schemes like a coach earned him the position.

Continue reading story here...

Story courtesy of www.dallasnews.com

RAIDERS READY TO TEST NEBRASKA'S NASTY "D"

2009-10-17T12:54:00.002-05:00

Two Saturdays in a row, Texas Tech quarterback Steven Sheffield was more than ready when his first real chance came to be a difference maker.

He was better than anyone could have imagined, whipping up on double-digit underdogs at home. The next great unknown is how he’ll fare facing a ranked opponent somewhere other than Jones AT&T Stadium.

After Sheffield led rousing victories against New Mexico and Kansas State, he leads Tech against No. 15 Nebraska today at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln.

“I think he’s ready to go on the road,” Tech tackle Marlon Winn said this week. “I think he’s ready to go anywhere we take him. (Against New Mexico), he stepped in like he was supposed to be there the whole time, and he kind of took the (job) over like it was his deal anyway. He did the same thing against Kansas State, and I don’t expect any different of him in Nebraska.”

How he starts could make all the difference. Sheffield led the team to touchdowns on his first four series in a 48-28 win over UNM and directed the Red Raiders to five touchdowns and a field goal on their first six possessions in last week’s 66-14 mutilation of Kansas State.
So some trend’s about to change.

Nebraska has allowed only seven points in the first quarter this season.
Not only that, the Cornhuskers have yet to allow a point in sudden-change situations — nothing after six turnovers — and have allowed only four touchdowns all season.

“I just think we have to do the best we can,” Tech coach Mike Leach said. “We had a similar situation with Kansas State. They played real well defensively, too, and we didn’t spend a lot of time worrying about that. We just need to focus on us and see what we can do.”
The game looks pivotal since both teams have favorable schedules upcoming. After today, Tech has two home games followed by an open date.

If Nebraska can take care of Tech today, the Cornhuskers could be 7-1 for a Nov. 7 home game against No. 20 Oklahoma. The Huskers figure to be favored against Iowa State and Baylor the next two weeks.
Before they can do all that looking ahead, the Huskers need to iron out some kinks offensively. Nebraska I-back Roy Helu Jr. is the Big 12 Conference’s leading rusher, averaging 110 yards a game, but the Huskers were shut out for three quarters last Thursday before rallying to beat Missouri 27-12.

“I think we’ll play well Saturday,” said Bo Pelini, Nebraska’s second-year head coach. “I like our plan, and I think we are going to play really well.”

Tech beat Nebraska 37-31 in overtime last year in Lubbock. The Cornhuskers looked mediocre before that game and had a 3-3 record afterward. But they are 10-2 since with both losses on the road to top-15 opponents — Oklahoma last year and Virginia Tech this year.

The Huskers have made their biggest leap on defense: They’ve gone from No. 80 in scoring defense and No. 55 in total defense last season to No. 2 and No. 13 through five games this season.

“They’re big, physical people — that’s their biggest strength,” Leach said. “I think they look similar. I thought they were good last year. I guess a lot of them are a year older.”

Tech players are eager to see if they can follow up on last week’s dominating performance. Their 66 points was the highest total since a 70-10 victory against Nebraska in 2004, and the defense gave up only one touchdown.

“Now that we’ve seen how we can play,” linebacker Bront Bird said, “we need to play every single game like that.”

Story courtesy of www.redraiders.com

WEAKLY RETORT: WEEK 6

2009-10-17T12:32:00.003-05:00

Introduction:
Things are slowly start to take shape in the Big XII, and that shape is a giant compass that points south. The conference has 3 ranked teams in what appears to be a down year, and they are all in the Southern Division, Texas, Oklahoma State, and Oklahoma. It doesn’t look like anyone in the Big XII will be competing for the MNC this year so it will probably just come down to a slugfest for bowl pecking order, making each week even more interesting. Crap. I just wrote all that and then glanced down to see that Kansas was ranked at number 17. As usual, I maintain my commitment to not go back and fact check so I will leave the above text as a testament to just how little meaningful research I actually do. Only this time I lucked out and happened to catch myself before a flood of emails alerted me to the fact. So let’s get out our reading glasses, sharpen our pencils, and think of a five letter word for perineum to complete 35-across. _ _ I N T

20/20 Hindsight:
Nebraska 27 - Missouri 12
The scoring in this one led off with one of my favorite football plays, the safety. Not just because it is rare and usually an exciting play (unless it is just the kicker running out of the back of the end zone), but I like seeing players and fans erupting into “The Safety Dance."

And although Missouri scored again to lead 9 – 0 at the half, you know what they say, “In a monsoon, it’s anybody’s ballgame.” The Children of the Corn suddenly came to life in the 4th quarter, scoring 27 points, 20 of which in a span of just over 3 minutes early in the quarter. It certainly didn’t help the Missouri cause, that quarterback Blaine Gabbert was strug-uh-ling to the tune of 17 for 43 for 134 yards and two picks. I admit it, I still giggle whenever I refer to a Missouri QB and picks.

Oklahoma State 36 - Texas A&M 31
Okay, I’m not trying to sound like sour grapes, but after the nonstop talk about how Oklahoma State was missing their top receiver, I wondered why it was never mentioned that A&M was also missing their top receiver. Sure, Jeff Fuller isn’t as crucial to the Aggie offense as Dez Bryant is to the Cowboys, but he was out with a broken leg while Dez was MIA for lying to an investigatory panel. All things aside, the NCAA penalization of Oklahoma State on Saturday was nothing compared to the whistle-thumping laid on them by the zebras. The Cowboys were hit 11 times for 118 yards, many times 15-yarders in key situations. I haven’t seen that much flying yellow laundry since Greg Wiggle’s dressing room got broken into by the Tasmanian Devil.
However, it was Robinson through the air and Toston on the ground that eventually put the Aggies away in the second half.

Kansas 41 - Iowa State 36
The Kansas offense seems to be in good hands as Todd Reesing has another outstanding showing, going 37 of 49 for 442 yards and four TDs. And on the other end, receivers Kerry Meier and Dezmon Briscoe continue to play one up as they go back and forth breaking each other’s records for career receptions. Apparently they play other things as well, as big teddy bear coach Mark Mangino said of the duo, “It’s hard to believe there’s a better pitch-and-catch group in the country than those guys.” The defense, however, lives far more to be passionately desired, as they allow the lowly Cyclones to rack up over 500 yards of offense and 36 points. The kicking game wasn’t much better for either team, as the first 3 PATs of the game were missed. Iowa State held firm until the end, but couldn’t complete a 4th and 9 pass in the end zone with just under a minute left. I’m sure Coach Mangino was really sweating this one out. I mean, I’m sure he was sweating anyway, but this time he was REALLY sweating.

Oklahoma 33 - Baylor 7
Art Briles and the Bears who have never gotten the better of Oklahoma faced off against Bob Stoops, who has never gotten the better of sensible headwear. And nothing changed on Saturday, as the visored one welcomed back his starting QB Sam Bradford, who showed up along with 389 passing yards and a touchdown. His numbers would have been even better if his receiving core wouldn’t have eaten three tubs of movie popcorn before the game, leading to almost a dozen dropped passes. I can’t help but think that the Sooners were hoping for a better showing against the Bears and their 3rd string quarterback as they get ready to face off next weekend against the Longhorns in the only football game in Texas not played at Jerryworld.

Texas 38 - Colorado 14
Once again, the Longhorns started off slowly, trailing 14 – 3 amidst a chorus of boos, before all of the burnt orange t-shirt owners from community colleges in the greater Austin area became jubilant when Mack Brown’s crew was able to pull away in the second half. This is not the game that Austin was hoping for as the Longhorns managed a paltry 313 yards and only 46 yards on the ground. That was still far superior to the Buffali, who only put together 127 total yards of offense, barely enough to make it down the field once. Both teams also spent the game mired in penalties as, forget what I said about the OSU game, the Horns racked up 8 for 93 yards, and Colorado was whistled for 20 penalties for 140 yards, more than they had in total offense. Fortunately for the Horns, Jordan Shipley is bills-in-the-mail fast. He had 147 yards receiving as well as a punt return for a touchdown. Yet despite all of this, the Longhorns just aren’t playing like the number 3 team. In fact, at this point I will go on record as saying they are more overrated than that crushed ice feature on your refrigerator. You know, how you see it in the store and you are like, “sweet, this thing makes crushed ice, I’ll take it” but you get it home and when you actually crush the ice it is more like randomly shaped pebbles mixed in with snowconesque ice shavings and it kind of just piles up on your face when you try and drink your beverage and you swear you will never use it again. Texas is kind of like that.

Texas Tech 66 - Kansas State 14
The Red Raiders show that just about anybody can put up big numbers in this offense as backup quarterback Steven Sheffield plugs in for 490 passing yards and seven touchdowns in his first career start. The LOLcats were outgained 739 yards to 284 and looked completely overmatched in every phased of the game, including rushing where the Raider Air Assault piled up 185 yards on the ground, en route to scoring at least two touchdowns in each period.. It kind of had that odd look to it, like when you see a bird running down the street, and you kind of wonder why it doesn’t just fly. I mean it is a bird, and that’s what birds do. Maybe it is just sandbagging because it is being chased by a wildcat that only has one leg. Sadly, the only way that these Wildcats stood a chance would be if Coach Bill Snyder hopped aboard a broom and somehow grabbed the golden snitch.

Click here to continue story...

Story courtesy of psychoag at www.raiderpower.com

RANGERS AND HITTING COACH JARAMILLO PART WAYS

2009-10-14T16:17:00.001-05:00

The rest of the coaching staff will return, the Rangers have announced.

Dallas-raised Rudy Jaramillo, the Rangers hitting instructor for the last 15 seasons, has turned down the club's one-year contract offer and is preparing to explore the free agent market after his contract expires October 31.

Jaramillo, who turned 59 on September 20, has been a player, coach or manager in the Rangers' organization for 26 of his 31 years in baseball.

Rangers officials met with Jaramillo shortly after the season to extend the one-year offer but to also stipulate that the offense needed to improve. The Rangers ranked seventh in runs scored in the AL in 2009, but ranked 11th of 14 teams in batting average (.260) and 12th in on-base percentage (.320). There were concerns about the team's approach, particularly how often the Rangers swung at first pitches and put themselves in unfavorable hitting counts. Though the Rangers ranked in the middle of the pack in pitches per plate appearance (7th at 3.86), they had the highest percentage of first-pitch swings in the AL (31.1) last season.

During his tenure, Jaramillo has produced four MVPs (Juan Gonzalez twice, Ivan Rodriguez and Alex Rodriguez), a batting champ (Michael Young) and three home run champions (Alex Rodriguez 2001-03).

Story courtesy of www.dallasnews.com

SHEFFIELD NAMED BIG 12 OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK

2009-10-14T16:15:00.002-05:00

Texas Tech quarterback Steven Sheffield was named Big 12 offensive player of the week for his performance against Kansas State. Sheffield, filling in for starter Taylor Potts, threw for 490 yards on 33-of-41 passing and had seven touchdowns. The touchdown mark ties the second-best single game performance in Tech history. Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh was named defensive player of the week. Suh had six tackles, three hurries, a forced fumble and an interception in Nebraska's win over Missouri last Thursday. Texas' Jordan Shipley earned special teams player of the week honors. He had a 74-yard punt return for a touchdown to go along with 147 yards receiving.

Story courtesy of www.espndallas.com

LEACH STILL HASN'T NAMED STARTER FOR NEBRASKA GAME

2009-10-14T16:13:00.001-05:00

Mike Leach was asked at his Monday news conference if the answer to who starts at quarterback -- Taylor Potts (reported as a concussion, though no official word from Tech) or Steven Sheffield -- will be a game-time decision.

"Not to do anything to diminish the excitement and anticipation of a gametime decision because I think that would screw up the whole thing and then we'd be less 'big-time' around here and that would certainly be disturbing to everybody," Leach said, "I think that the biggest thing is we're going to look at practice and see how people do in practice and see how they play in practice and perform in practice."

Leach had this to say about whether Potts was cleared to play:

"Well, unless you know that he's ever not been cleared to play because we've been 100 percent healthy and the rest," Leach said. "I'll tell you another interesting thing on that injury thing while we're on the subject. The thing that goes over everybody's head is, did you know that it was illegal to discuss those things in the first place? Doctors aren't all owed to so why would they turn me loose with it? I realize that there are those that fold to the pressure and there are those that potentially put themselves in a bad legal situation as far as yammering on about their team's situation but I think that in the interest of not exposing myself to any legal ramifications, I think it'd be best to follow the law like the doctors do and not talk about the injuries."

Got it?

Story courtesy of www.espndallas.com

AUSTIN NFC OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK

2009-10-14T16:08:00.002-05:00

Cowboys wide receiver Miles Austin was named NFC offensive player of the week Tuesday.

Austin earned the award by setting a franchise record with 250 receiving yards in the Cowboys' overtime victory over Kansas City. Austin, who finished with 10 catches and two touchdowns, broke the club mark set by Bob Hayes in 1966. Hayes, who was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this summer, had 246 receiving yards against the Redskins on Nov. 13, 1966.

Austin's 250 yards were the most by a wide receiver in his first NFL start. He became the 15th wideout to reach at least 250 yards in a single game since the AFL-NFL merger.

Story courtesy of www.espndallas.com

IS THERE A QB CONTROVERSY AT TECH?

2009-10-11T22:13:00.002-05:00

Now he’s done it, the thing Mike Leach hates most.

Steven Sheffield, darn him, has gone and created a distraction.

Leach’s first nine years coaching Texas Tech were free of quarterback controversy, largely because Leach made it so. Years past, when the waters roiled around a Kliff Kingsbury, a Sonny Cumbie or a Graham Harrell, Leach calmed the situation like a first-grade teacher shushing class. Always, he sticks to his starter.

How about now?

Not to say that Taylor Potts deserves to sit, thanks to circumstances beyond Potts’ control. Hey, he’s the nation’s second-leading passer, and he needed all of about three games to earn huddle cred with his toughness.

But can you bench Sticks now? After his rescue effort one Saturday and a rout the next? With him moving the team, making sound decisions and firing up the fans? Heck, Tech higher-ups have to be thinking, too, about ticket sales since Jones Stadium is growing — and because it was much emptier than usual for a 66-14 blowout of Kansas State on a chilly
Saturday night.

Frankly, I don’t know that the quarterback call is one Leach will have to make right away. Potts couldn’t recover in a week’s time from a concussion, and I’d be surprised if he’s cleared to go next weekend at Nebraska.

But after Sheffield’s 490-yard, seven-touchdown gem, it’s clear the Red Raiders have two viable options. At some point, Leach will have to make a choice, be it next week or next month or, looking ahead, next year.

As smoothly as he handled his first significant game action the week before, Sheffield raised his bid for the job in his first career start. The game was over when Tech led 38-0 at halftime as the Red Raiders scored every time they touched the ball against a team that had yet to give up more than 23 points in a game this season.

Sheffield wasn’t just along for the ride. He threw touch passes, put zing we didn’t know he had on balls that called for it and, to the astonishment of quite a few, unleashed a couple of bombs just perfectly.

Jacoby Franks latched on to one and turned it into a 72-yard touchdown. Lyle Leong dropped another, and Sheffield ran 50 yards downfield to tell Leong, shake it off, I’ll get back to ya. He did, in the fourth quarter, for his seventh touchdown pass.

Like last week, Sheffield played with boyish enthusiasm, judiciously left the pocket to buy time when necessary and mixed in one of his own runs for a first down.

Maybe most impressive, he chose the right option nearly all the time, seldom forcing anything.

Behind closed doors, I can tell you what Leach is thinking: A starter doesn’t lose his job because he got hurt.

Knowing Mike, that philosophy might go double for his quarterbacks, a position at which he makes evaluations based on what he’s seen for years in meeting rooms and monotonous practices. The lawyer coach reviews all the evidence.

And, to be sure, there are reasons not to hand it over to Sticks too quickly.

New Mexico’s New Mexico, and Kansas State’s not the middle-aged Bill Snyder’s Kansas State. Sheffield looked dandy against two outclassed teams. A crowd that wanted to see him do well was ready with the support whenever he did.

And if Sheffield could move ahead of Potts in the last two Saturdays alone, what was he doing the last three years? After all, both Tech quarterbacks entered the program at the same time, sat through all the same meetings, went to all the same practices and, going into August, no one thought for a second that Potts shouldn’t be starting quarterback.

Now there’s a lot more to think about.

Story courtesy of Don Williams at www.redraiders.com

COWBOYS VS. CHIEFS WRAP-UP

2009-10-11T19:35:00.002-05:00

The Kansas City Chiefs pushed the Cowboys to the brink, but they lost the game because they couldn't contain wide receiver Miles Austin of Monmouth University fame. Making his first NFL start, Austin showed everyone why owner Jerry Jones spent the past offseason praising him at every turn.

Without running back Felix Jones (knee) in the lineup, the Cowboys have been in desperate need of a playmaker. On Sunday, Austin responded with 10 catches for 250 yards, eclipsing the single-game record that Bob Hayes had held since 1966. The win puts the Cowboys at 3-2 heading into the bye week.

But for the better part of the game, the Chiefs played the role of the hungry team. We'll never know what may have happened had the Cowboys lost at Arrowhead on Sunday. Jones had said last week that coach Wade Phillips' job was safe, but you never know what can happen in the aftermath of a crippling loss.

Instead, the Cowboys celebrated a win -- and it's one they won't apologize for. You can no longer style-point Cowboys victories. They'll take them any way they can get them. Running back Tashard Choice came up big on a drive that allowed the Cowboys to close the gap to 13-10. It was his 36-yard touchdown run that seemed to finally bring the Cowboys' offense to life.

From that point on, it was the Tony Romo-to-Austin show. It was only a week ago that Romo was intercepted when he tried to throw a pass to Austin in Broncos territory. It's been widely debated in Dallas whose fault it was, but it didn't matter Sunday. Austin used his speed and power to overwhelm the Chiefs defense.

And the Chiefs fell to 0-5. It was a bitter defeat for first-year coach Todd Haley, who has an intimate knowledge of the Cowboys' personnel from his time in Dallas. He's not the type of coach who will take pride in coming close.

Cowboys outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware collected his first two sacks of the season and finished with six tackles. Inside linebacker Keith Brooking had 11 tackles, including a sack. The Cowboys are still a team in search of an identity, but on Sunday afternoon they found a hero.

His name is Miles Austin -- and they're going to have a tough time keeping him off the field. Here's a postgame story from ESPNDallas.com's Tim MacMahon.

Story courtesy of www.ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

TEXAS TECH VS. K- STATE RECAP

2009-10-11T19:15:00.005-05:00

THE GOOD:

"Sticks" Sticking around at QB?: Steven Sheffield put on another outstanding show Saturday night with 490 passing yards and 7 TDs. Not bad for a guy getting his first start of his collegiate career.

Tech Running Game on Track: The few times that Sheffield wasn't throwing TDs, the running back trio of Batch, Jeffers, and Stephens ate up yards in the ground game as they combined to rush for over 175 and 1 TD [Batch]. Add to that an additional 75+ receiving yards for one very productive unit.

Defense Steps Up: Even the offensive fireworks couldn't overshadow a defensive unit that only gave up 284 total yards and 1 TD [the other score was a return on a Sheffield interception]. They also forced 2 fumbles that our offense capitalized on. Great Effort, Guys!

THE BAD:

Honestly, was there any bad spot last night? It's a thing of beauty when all 3 facets of the game come together, and with the exception of a few miscues, last night was the best game of the season for Texas Tech.

THE UGLY:

Where's the Students? We dominated most phases of the game, so the ugliest thing I could think of was the lack of students represented at the game. Apparently they were on a fall break Monday and Tuesday so many students opted to ditch the game to go home to visit mommy and daddy. I don't know what's worse, having a half-filled student section on TV, or scheduling a homecoming when half the students aren't even there...

TEXAS TECH KILLS K-STATE 66-14

2009-10-11T19:13:00.002-05:00

The Red Raiders came out flying and never took their foot off the gas pedal as they trounced Kansas State 66-14. Steven Sheffield lit up the West Texas sky with 490 yards 7 touchdowns during his first start career start.

With starting quarterback Taylor Potts out with a concussion, backup Steven Sheffield got his first career start on Saturday night against Kansas State.
Sheffield did not disappoint.

In the first half, Sheffield completed 22 of 29 passes for 370 yards and 5 touchdowns. The 370 passing yards sets a new school record for most yards in a half, surpassing the previous record of 367 yards set by B.J. Symons against Ole Miss in 2003.

Sheffield finished the game with 490 yards and 7 touchdowns.

Sheffield was very liberal with the ball distribution, as he found 11 different receivers for catches and 4 for scores in the first half alone.

The Red Raider D was equally impressive, pitching a shutout until 7:33 left in the second half. They finished the game with 4 sacks and only allowed 284 total yards.

3rd string Texas Tech quarterback Seth Doege saw his first live action of football since his sophomore year at 2A Crane High School after the Red Raiders built a 59-7 lead in the 4th quarter.

Detron Lewis led the receiving corps with 8 catches for 100 yards and 2 touchdowns. Jacoby Franks scored the first touchdown of his career on a 72 yard strike in the second quarter.

Next week the Red Raiders head to Lincoln to face off against the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

Story courtesy of www.raiderpower.com

WEAKLY RETORT: WEEK 5

2009-10-11T19:07:00.005-05:00

PsychoAg joins us again for another edition of the Weakly Retort. A fan favorite since 2005, the Retort takes a light-hearted look at the college football landscape, with a specific emphasis on the Big 12.

Introduction:

This week was definitely sucky, if I may use a word that Microsoft Word keeps wanting to replace with sulky, which I suppose is also correct. First, the Aggies rolled into their first of ten matchups with Arkansas and got their hindquarters served up on a rotisserie, more on that later. I will admit that Jerryworld is a strange venue for a college football game. I don’t know if it was the eerie artificial lighting that I swear is because they must be using those squiggly light bulbs that Al Gore keeps telling everyone to use or else the polar bears are going to get hemorrhoids or something like that. Maybe it was the overcast rainy day that completely ruined any semblance of tailgating. Or maybe it was just the fact that my team jumped out to a lead and then doodied their sheets that put me in a foul mood.

Of course, the Cowboys didn’t help things. Normally, I can count on them to bail out the sports-weekend by winning when the Aggies lose. Instead they went up to Denver and got Mile High clubbed over the head in a game that almost made me wish we had Jessica Simpson back. Almost. At least the mention of her should help this pop up in some Google searches, much to the chagrin of the US Magazine aficionado that has no interest in what I have to say about sports. So, with all of that said, let’s grab our turkey basters and get ready to Octomom.

20/20 Hindsight:

West Virginia 35 - Colorado 24
The Buffali resume their trend of heading in the wrong direction as they seek the 10-win treasure that Coach Dan Hawkins promised the Colorado faithful. At least when Christopher Columbus went to the wrong place, he discovered a new world. The best that Colorado can hope to find is a bowl season sitting at home eating cranberry sauce that is still in the shape of a can because their grandmother was too lazy to even cut it into slices. The fact that Dan Hawkins’ son is the starting quarterback won’t make the meal even slightly uncomfortable now will it? As for the game itself, West Virginia found success on the legs of Devine. No, not the drag queen.

Noel Devine, the running back who torched the Colorado line for 220 yards, including runs of 77 yards and 56 yards. Meanwhile, Cody Hawkins, despite throwing two touchdowns, also tossed three interceptions, no doubt relegating him to the kids table eating macaroni and cheese and jello instead of turkey and dressing, a detail I included only to see how many commas I could fit in one sentence.

Kansas State 24 - Iowa State 23
Never has there been so much drama with so little interest, unless you count the whole Jon minus Kate divided by eight saga. The two Big XII North powerhouses squared off at Arrowhead stadium in front of a paltry crowd of 40,000 causing the two athletic directors to rethink the two-year deal, or at least consider promising a guest appearance by William Hung and a free flu shots next year. But for those that showed up, they actually got to see a pretty exciting game. No team led by more than a touchdown at any point, and the play of the game was after Iowa State scored with 32 seconds remaining to seemingly tie the game, only to have the extra point blocked. FAIL.

Texas Tech 48 - New Mexico 28
The Red Raiders struggled early in this game, going into the half with only a 14 – 7 lead. Starting quarterback Taylor Potts threw two interceptions, one returned for New Mexico’s only score of the half. But after two hard sacks, Taylor Potts seemed to be a bit seasick aboard the pirate ship and so he was lifted for Steven Sheffield who was handed the giant wheel with all of the handles on it. You know what I mean. Sheffield came in and took care of business, throwing for 238 yards and three touchdowns. And despite the obvious pain in Potts’ eyes and the field sobriety test they were giving him on the sideline, Mike Leach still took a cue from the Iraqi Information Minister, claiming that there were no injuries.

Baylor 31 - Kent State 15
To show you just how bad Kent State is, they get more than doubled up by Baylor, who was playing with their 3rd string quarterback. The Bears got outgained on the ground and in the air, but won the turnover battle and ultimately the game, which is really the only statistic that matters unless you are playing fantasy football. Speaking of, I have finally given up fantasy football. I got so tired of watching games, not caring so much who won, but hoping that this player would score three touchdowns, and that player would throw two interceptions, and this other player would stop eating his boogers. And for the record, you there in the office, NOBODY cares how your fantasy team did. Especially the people that aren’t in your league. Please don’t come by my desk and tell me how you picked up Orville Pigstumper off of the waiver wire and he scored 3 TDs and you beat “The Nas-T- Boyz” 127 – 123. Nobody scores that many points in a game, not even Tech. You want to know my fantasy football? It’s called a playoff.

Arkansas 47 - Texas A&M 19
The Aggies came out of the gate with guns blazing, which is a metaphor that makes absolutely no sense. But after a couple of early missed opportunities, Johnson and the Aggies went completely flaccid as the Razorbacks began to pile on the points heading into half time. Jerrod certainly looks like he will be a solid quarterback, but he is going to have to get some protection from his offensive line. The poor left tackle struggled all night long and I’m sure there is nothing for the psyche like replays of you getting abused on a screen the size of Noah’s Ark.

Miami 21 - Oklahoma 20
In what was probably the best game of the weekend, the Sooners travel to Miami where they fall to the Hurricanes. Miami did everything wrong in the first half, including throwing picks on the first two drives, which apparently was quite amusing as Hurricane quarterback Jacory Harris was seen laughing on the sideline. Perhaps he was just giggling that the game was being played in a stadium named after a bad Saturday Night Live sketch.

The Hurricanes also downed a punt inside the one, and then gave up a 48 yard run on the next play. But the tide quickly turned in the second half as the wheels started to come off of the Sooner Schooner. Some other stuff happened that I didn’t see because I was at the A&M game, but the importance of the win certainly wasn’t overstated by Miami coach Randy Shannon, who said, “Big, huge win for us. It’s huge.” The Sooners hope to have Sam Bradford back before the start of Big XII play, and I do too because he lends himself to some really good jokes.

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Story courtesy of psychoag at www.raiderpower.com

CRABTREE FINALLY SIGNS DEAL WITH 49ERS

2009-10-07T10:12:00.001-05:00

After months of holding out, wide receiver Michael Crabtree has agreed to a contract with the San Francisco 49ers.

The deal, first reported by ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter, was confirmed by 49ers spokesman Bob Lange in a text message to The Associated Press early Wednesday.

Crabtree will get a six-year deal that he can void to five years if he meets undefined performance clauses, a league source told ESPN's Michael Smith.

The 22-year-old Crabtree is expected to report to the team's training facility Wednesday.

Crabtree and agent Eugene Parker met into the early-morning hours Wednesday with 49ers owner Jed York, general manager Scot McCloughan and Paraag Marathe, vice president of football operations. The two sides had gone almost three weeks without talking.

San Francisco selected Crabtree with the 10th pick in this year's draft and could use the wideout's game-breaking ability in the passing game. That said, he has a lot of catching up to do to learn the offense after missing all of training camp.

He also sat out the 49ers' offseason minicamps and organized team activities while recovering from a foot injury, but was a regular presence for rehabilitation and strengthening workouts at the team's training facility.

Coach Mike Singletary, whose 49ers lead the NFC West and at 3-1 are off to their best start since 2002, said Monday he would welcome Crabtree whenever he joins the team.

Crabtree caught 97 passes for 1,165 yards and 19 touchdowns last year during his sophomore season at Texas Tech. He finished his college career with 231 receptions for 3,127 yards and 41 TDs.

Story courtesy of www.espn.com

CRABTREE TALKING WITH 49ER'S...AND SO IS MC HAMMER?

2009-10-07T10:10:00.002-05:00

Ring the bell, school's back in!

And so are negotiations between first-round draft pick Michael Crabtree(notes) and the San Francisco 49ers. Oddly, they seem to include early '90s rapper M.C. Hammer, too.

What qualifies Hammer to be there -- other than a mind to rhyme and two hype feet, of course -- I couldn't tell you. But he's there, according to excellent 49ers beat reporter Matt Maiocco, who includes several updates about Crabtree, his agent Eugene Parker and Hammer on his Twitter page.

He also posted a recap of his day attempting to cover the negotiations, including Hammer seemingly being offended when Maiocco asked him who he was. Hammer, don't hurt 'em!

Yes, folks, I later found out there was a very good reason this man looked like Hammer. It was Hammer. And although one hotel employee told me Crabtree said to Hammer, "Get it done," as he entered the SUV, it's safe to say that Hammer has no role in the negotiations. Hammer is long time friends with Deion Sanders and Crabtree's agent, Eugene Parker. Sanders is a mentor for Crabtree.

It is my understanding that progress is being made in the negotiations. Heck, the fact that they've finally had a face-to-face meeting is tremendous progress. It shows Crabtree has a willingness to play for the 49ers.

I'm happy about the progress, too. Hammer hasn't gotten this much attention since those Nationwide (is on yo side!) commercials stopped running. Oh, and I'm happy for Crabtree, too. It's about damn time he reopened talks with the 49ers.

As for Hammer, the younger readers might not be familiar with him, so I think the best way to describe him is this: People my age think of Hammer now the way you're going to think of Soulja Boy in 20 years. It was amusing and enjoyable at the time, but eventually you'll be confused as to how the whole thing ever happened. And then he'll turn up and negotiate a contract for Matthew Stafford(notes) Jr.

Story courtesy of www.sports.yahoo.com

EXPECT RANGERS' BUDGET TO REMAIN THE SAME IN 2010

2009-10-06T16:38:00.002-05:00

Whatever the Texas Rangers look like in 2010, they will probably be doing it for around the same amount of money as they did it this season.

“It (our budget) will be close, if not the same, than what it was this year,” team president Nolan Ryan said this morning as he, general manager Jon Daniels and manager Ron Washington wrapped up the 2009 season.

The Rangers opened this season with a payroll of just over $68 million, but still managed to post the fourth-best record in the American League and their 87 victories matched the sixth-highest total in franchise history.

Now the team must decide what direction it will take next year in its bid to make the playoffs for the first time since 1999.

There are questions about ownership, free agents and coaches heading into the off-season. It will also be an off-season in which the Rangers will be faced with something they haven’t had in years - lofty expectations entering next year.

“In Ron’s end of season meeting with the players, he said it perfectly,” Daniels said. “He said there were a lot of positives. There were a lot of strides, but individually, as an organization and as a team. But the biggest step forward is yet to come. The most challenging is yet to come.”

What form the Rangers will take in their bid to make the playoffs team remains to be seen. There are organizational meetings to come in which potential free agents will be discussed as well as the coaching situation.

Only Washington and Mike Maddux are under contract for 2010. The Rangers would like to see the entire staff come back next year, including hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo, but nothing has been decided.

Daniels also said the Rangers have sincere interest in bringing back Marlon Byrd. But Byrd is a 32-year-old outfielder who is coming off a career year and the team already has a crowded outfield with Josh Hamilton, David Murphy, Nelson Cruz and Julio Borbon.

The Rangers were pleased with the pitching and defense this season, but the offense has room for improvement. Both Ryan and Washington said the team must improve in situational hitting, an area the team struggled in 2009.

“The situation is primary and everything else is secondary,” said Washington, who will return to his home in New Orleans later this week before heading back to Arlington for meetings next week. “That’s something we’ve certainly got to work on and make sure these guys understand. Sometimes you don’t need base hits to put runs on the board.”

Story courtesy of www.star-telegram.com