Maryland tragedy
After the death of Jordan McNair and an expose from ESPN writer Heather Dinich on the culture of the Maryland football program, there still are as many questions as there are answers.
The backstory is pretty well known: McNair suffered a heat stroke after a workout in late May. He was running 110-yar sprints in 100-degree heat. He died two weeks later. Dinich digs into the details and uncovers stories of verbal abuse and bullying.
The fallout has started.
Maryland president Wallace Loh and athletic director Damon Evans held a news conference Tuesday. Loh in particular eschewed the CYA mentality that normally becomes the lawyer-speak version of the coach-speak pat answers at events like this.
Loh was forthcoming and direct and said Maryland will accept "legal and moral responsibilities." When asked what he told Jordan's parents, Loh's response was especially chilling for any of us who have kids: "You entrusted Jordan to our care and he is never coming home again."
Maryland has fired strength and conditioning coach Rick Court. Head coach D.J. Darken is among those placed on leave.
That's where we are, so where are we headed?
Durkin has to be done. Period. He's in that place of all head coaches that when tragedy and/or scandal lands, either the head coach knew about it and did nothing or did not know this was going on. In truth, when the result is the death of 19-year-old, neither is excusable and with is a fireable offense for the leader of the program who obviously has a hand in "changing the culture" of a program trying to find a winning direction.
The same conundrum faces Evans, the former Georgia AD, who was the assistant AD in charge of many things, including the football program, at Maryland before being promoted to AD. He said he did not witness anything in the football program that was alleged in Dinich's article.
Here's what Evans told reporters Tuesday: "I want to be clear that I have not witnessed any behavior as what was described by the media, but it is essential that we fully review these allegations. We will not tolerate any behavior within Maryland athletics that is detrimental to the mental or physical well-being of our student-athletes."
Not good enough, Damon. Not diligent enough. Or, maybe more accurately, not brave enough.
And there's the first part of unspoken broken part of this circle. Let's take Evans at his word - something that is becoming more and more difficult with each passing scandal - and he did not know anything about this. (That also means he did not attend a single practice, which good or bad, is a direct dereliction of duties.)
But what if he did know? Have college sports arrived at a place where the head coach of the football program or major basketball program would even listen to an AD telling him to dial it back or tone down the training methods?
Yes, the bullying and the verbal abuse allegations at Maryland would have be addressed, but would a Saban or a Meyer or a Muschamp or a whomever listen an AD's requests about the actual training methods - stuff we know they are doing at places all over the country?
"We have specifically trained how we practice in the heat by increasing breaks and adding cooling stations," Evans said at the news conference, making sure that there was at least some CYA and exec-speak at the event.
Here's the other question we had: Where were the beat writers during this and why did it take a national writer who actually has covered the ACC and now covers the college football playoff - not something Maryland will see anytime soon - to unearth these details?
Were the Maryland beat writers too worried about the ever-shrinking notion of access to report a story like this?
Atlanta Braves' Ronald Acuna Jr. (13) hits a two-run home run during the eleventh inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees Monday, July 2, 2018, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)Dude is a DUDE
Sorry for screaming in the sub-head there, but man, how about this Ronald Acuna Jr.?
Dude is crushing it. KER-rushing it.
Acuna hit two more homers Tuesday. He hit a leadoff homer for the third consecutive game, setting a National League record. It was one of the many marks he continues to set and reset on this torrid hot streak for the Braves' 20-year-old phenom.
Acuna is, according to Stats by Stats, the youngest MLB player to.
Homer twice on back-to-back days;
Homer eight times in an eight-game span;
Homer six times in a five-game span;
Homer in five straight games;
Homer to lead off three straight games;
Hit five career leadoff homers.
Yes, dude is that good and that smoking hot right now.
How hot? In August, Acuna has eight homers. The Tigers - yes all of them - have seven and the Giants - yes all of them - have six. In the last 10 days, his average has jumped from .265 to .288. His slash line in August is .375/.417/.893 and his season OPS is .922
Dear buckets.
A good renewal?
There are a lot of folks celebrating the reunion of the women's basketball rivalry between University of Tennessee and Connecticut.
Yes, it has benefits for the schools, the sport and the Pat Summitt Foundation, which will see a portion of the proceeds.
And that's all fine and well. But excuse me, while everyone is high-fiving and having playful Twitter banter, I'm not going to be all cartwheels and cake slices.
UT and UConn are the power players in women's college hoops all-time. They have 19 titles (UConn 11; UT 8) between them and this game will be a highly watched event in a sport that needs as many highly watched events as it can get.
Still, call me surprised and somewhat disappointed by UT being open to renewing this rivalry.
The wishes of Pat Summitt - who clearly wanted to end that series for reasons that were very important to her - apparently have run their course and no longer matter.
Again, we realize the Pat Summitt Foundation will get some coin from these games and that's great and all.
Put let us put it this way: If Pat were alive today, as mad as she was at Geno and his program - remember she filed a 30-page complaint with the SEC about alleged recruiting tactics she found either offensive, unethical or against the rules - would they be scheduling this game?
And if you think the answer is no, then why would UT do anything to go against the wishes of the most impactful person in the history of the school, be it sports or any other avenue?
This and that
- Interesting tidbit from an ESPN story on Derek Jeter's plan to rebuild the Marlins. Jeter wants every Marlins employee to learn Spanish.
- The Los Angeles Dodgers have lost five straight, and four of those have come on last-at-bat rallies from the opposition. It's not surprising these struggles - which have dropped the Dodgers into third in the NL West - have come after closer Kenley Jansen.
- Speaking of UT, considering the fan base and the political leaning, we're upset we did not come up with this idea. To no one's surprise, the "Make UT Football Great Again" hats sold out in the first day.
- OddsShark has come out with the numbers on Tiger winning a major in 2019. If you bet $100 on yes he will, you win $325. You have to bet $450 to win $100 on no he will not.
- Cleveland and Bud Light have hit marketing golf again. Meet the "Victory Fridges" which are stocked with Bud Light will open and give free beer to fans when the Browns win their first regular-season game. Good move. Now they just have to win.
- Awesome map of best-selling musical acts born in each state. Tina Turner is No. 1 all-time in Tennessee. Kanye West is No. 1 in Georgia.
Today's questions
Lots of stuff folks. Lots of it.
But let's start here on a which way Wednesday: Speaking of the Maryland mess, we thought this question from Clay Travis is worth discussion. Is it fair to connect the off-field scandals in past five years at Ohio State, Penn State, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan State, Illinois, Rutgers, and Minnesota and ask if the Big Ten has a culture problem or is it just a total coincidence?
Well, on this day, August 15, there are some big birthdays and events.
The Mayflower set sail on this day in 1620.
The Wizard of Oz premiered on this day in 1939. We could do the all-time Rushmore of movies, but that seems too difficult.
Jennifer Lawrence is 28. Napoleon was born on this day in 1769. Julia Child was born today in 1912.
Also Ben Affleck is 46 today.
Rushmore of movies written by and starring the same person. (Yes we know Good Will Hunting was written by Affleck and Matt Damon, but you get the idea. And yes, GWH is a strong contender for this one.)
Go, and remember the mailbag.