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Hey, I get it – it’s been a rough year in South Bend. The team was yet again a disappointment, expectations weren’t met and the head coach was fired after months/years of speculation that he would eventually be kicked to the curb.
But if you’re Notre Dame, why not accept a bid to go to a bowl game this year?
On Friday, ND athletic director Jack Swarbrick said that the school has decided against going to a bowl game with a 6-6 record, citing that without a head coach and offensive coordinator, the school wouldn’t have an experienced play caller for the game. Swarbrick also pointed out that the school would likely have lost money because their only option would have been a minor bowl.
The offensive coordinator excuse is logical, but the bit about losing money holds little water given how much loot Notre Dame just threw at Charlie Weis to get the hell out of town.
That said, one would think that the Irish seniors would want to strap it up for one last game together and try to go out as winners. If it were up to the players, I would have to assume that they would want to play – especially players like Jimmy Clausen and Golden Tate, both of whom might be heading for the NFL draft in April.
In a word, YES. One third of the way through the season, the New York Rangers find themselves 10th in the Eastern Conference, with a record of 13-13-1. They’re scoring a respectable 2.89 goals/game (tied with Edmonton for 13th in the NHL), but giving up a disturbing 3.11 goals/game (24th). The Blueshirts’ bloated GAA can be traced in part to backup goalie Stephen Valiquette, who has a save pct. of .852 and a GAA of 3.74 in six appearances this season. Valiquette was waived Wednesday, and will try to rediscover his game in Hartford if he clears waivers. New York’s biggest problem, however, lies at the other end of the ice.
Off-season acquisition Marian Gaborik has been both outstanding and (mostly) healthy so far this season, and he’s the reason the Rangers are at .500 today. Gaby has 21-16-37 in 25 games. How huge is that? Without Gaborik’s 21 goals, the Rangers would be averaging a pitiful 2.19 G/gm – good for 29th in the league (and just .01 ahead of Carolina). Gaborik is not the problem: Almost every other Ranger forward is.
Read the rest of this post at On Goal Analysis…
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Central Michigan won its third MAC Championship in four years on Friday after beating Ohio 20-10 at Ford Field in Detroit. In the victory, Dan LeFevour set college football’s record for combined touchdowns passing, rushing and receiving with his 147th and 148th career scores.
LeFevour’s touchdown mark is just one of many college football records that he now holds. He has the MAC record for total offense, passing yards and completions, and he’s also the only quarterback to pass for more than 12,000 yards and rush for more than 2,500. To put things into perspective, he has more rushing yards than Tim Tebow and Colt McCoy, as well as more passing yards than Tebow.
LeFevour might not be first round material, but much like Tebow he does have a place in the NFL. He’s a natural athlete, has good size and can run. Given that he played in the spread while at CMU, he may struggle learning the nuances of the pro game. But again, he holds plenty of value for a team that runs the Wildcat formation and considering that he’s a smart kid and a hard worker, over time he could develop into a solid pro.
As for CMU, coach Butch Jones has done a wonderful job taking over the team after Brian Kelly left the program in the lurch to coach at Cincinnati. It’ll be interesting to see if Davis stays in Mt. Pleasant after this season, because other schools (Marshall) will no doubt be in hot pursuit of his services.
Photo from fOTOGLIF
In any NBA Draft, after the top few picks are gone, things start to get dicey. Things get even sketchier once the draft hits the late-first round, and teams are lucky if they can find a starter-quality player, much less an All-Star. As part of our ongoing Decade Debate series, here are the NBA’s top 10 picks from the late-first round (pick #16 or later) in the last ten years. Players are ranked in order of talent and accomplishment, and the later the pick, the better.
10. Kevin Martin (drafted #26 by the Kings in ’04)
Martin is one of the best scorers in the league. Before a broken hand derailed his 2009-10 campaign, he was averaging 31-5-3 and was nailing 45% of his 3PT attempts. The Kings got him late in the first because he played at Western Carolina and has busted form on his jumper. Hey, it goes in, and that’s all that matters.
9. David Lee (drafted #30 by the Knicks in ’05)
Say what you will about Isiah Thomas the GM. Zeke the scout had an eye for talent. Lee averaged a double-double in his second season, and as Mike D’Antoni implemented his up-tempo attack, Lee’s numbers grew to 16-12 (on 55% shooting) last season. He’s bound to get a fat contract next summer, but how much are his numbers inflated playing for D’Antoni?
8. Josh Smith (drafted #17 by the Hawks in ’04)
Let’s see — “J-Smoove” has posted four straight years of 15+ points and 7+ rebounds, plus at least 2.8 blocks in three of his last four seasons, and he’s just 23 since he entered the league straight out of high school. If he is able to fulfill his potential, he’ll surely move up this list. Versatile enough to play either forward position, Smith is coming into his own this season, averaging 16-9-4 with 2.8 blocks through 18 games. It helps that he’s not jacking the outside shot like he used to.
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