Monday through Friday at 2 p.m., Times Free Press Sports Editor Jay Greeson offers his 2:00 drill – a quick look at what’s happening right now and what’s on tap for tonight in the world of sports. Check back tomorrow morning for five at 10.
Shulman likes his Mocs
The Southern Conference held its preseason men’s basketball teleconference Thursday morning and here are some highlights from what UTC coach John Shulman had to say (huge thanks to UTC hoops ace David Uchiyama for passing this along):
Opening statement: “I like our team. I don’t know if I could have said that last year. We’re working hard; we’ve been very competitive in practice. We’re offensively skilled. I didn’t know if we could rebound, and we had a good performance in our scrimmage. I do like our team. It’s nice to have some experience back from last year.”
What do you want to see tonight (Mocs have exhibition game against Tennessee-Wesleyan at McKenzie Arena): “Can we sustain great effort defensively? Can we guard? Can we be disciplined enough to guard how we guard? Wesleyan does present some challenges. They run a little Princeton (offense) so I’m not thrilled about having to guard that this early. They have good bigs inside. Can we guard and sustain great effort? Can we stay with great habits and stay unslfish even though the lights are on and we’re keeping stats?”
Who are you starting at the 2 (shooting guard): “I would lean toward Troy (Cage) at the 2 because of all the stuff he’s gone through. If he could start the first exhibition, that would be a neat thing.”
Thoughts on Omar Wattad: “You put him on the floor and he makes you a better coach. The best thing about Omar is that he’s a competitive guy. He doesn’t handle losing very well. That’s probably the best part of his game. He’s just a winner in that regard.”
Thoughts on Jeremy Saffore who shaved his dredlocks Tuesday: “He was moving and bouncy, and I think it was more the six days he was out. I don’t know if it’s his hair or his legs, but whatever, it I’ll take it. He looks great.”
BCS busters wasting time
This just in: the states of Utah and Idaho are not going to be happy with the BCS.
Utah and Boise State are ranked in the top 5 of the college football polls. Officials and administrators at each school are already plotting about what they’re going to do when they are left out of the BCS title game.
Here is the AP story that moved earlier this afternoon:
By Frederic J. Frommer
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON – Utah’s attorney general met with Justice Department officials this week to discuss a possible federal investigation into college football’s Bowl Championship Series.
Attorney General Mark Shurtleff is investigating the BCS for possible antitrust violations and is hoping to get the Justice Department to do so as well.
“They are doing their due diligence,” Shurtleff said in a telephone interview Thursday, a day after the meeting. “They had done their homework.”
Shurtleff said department officials did not commit to conducting an investigation. He said among those at the meeting was Gene Kimmelman, chief counsel for competition policy and intergovernmental relations in the department’s antitrust division.
Justice Department officials did not respond to requests for comment Thursday.
In January, in a letter to Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, who had asked for an antitrust review, the department said the Obama administration was considering several steps that would review the legality of the BCS. The department said it was reviewing Hatch’s request and other materials to determine whether to open an investigation into the BCS and possible antitrust violations.
Several lawmakers and many critics want college football to adopt a playoff system to determine the teams that play in the championship game.
Under the BCS, the champions of six conferences have automatic bids to play in top-tier bowl games, while the other conferences don’t. Those six conferences also receive more money than the other conferences.
Last year, the state legislature in Utah adopted a resolution calling for a playoff system to determine college football’s national champion after an undefeated Utah was shut out of the national title game for the second time in four years.
Next season, Utah will be moving into one of the conferences with an automatic bid. But Shurtleff said that isn’t deterring him.
“This has never been for me to get the University of Utah bragging rights,” he said. If anything, Shurtleff argued, Utah’s move gives him more credibility with attorneys general from other states he is seeking to recruit for his anti-BCS crusade.
He said that getting the Justice Department to launch an investigation is critical to the effort.
“You get the DOJ behind one, and the BCS will finally say, ‘OK, we’ll go to a playoff,”‘ Shurtleff predicted.
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OK, it’s me again. Here’s my thought and please listen closely: Hey, politicians and attorney generals – get your flipping nose out of the sports world and go create some jobs and make our society safer. When that happens, then let’s tweak how college football decides a national champion.
Does the BCS need to be fixed? Abso-flippin-lutely. But let’s fix the real problems around the nation before we start working on garnering good will with the electorate, huh?
As a side note, I wonder what this Utah AG’s stance would be if Utah was No. 1 in the BCS? Or what might happen say things fall right, and Utah is ranked No. 1 in the BCS in December heading into the title game, and this guy stirs the pot to the point that the DoJ makes the BCS have a playoff right now. That would rock.
Quick TV plan
After the end of baseball season, there’s a little stretch between now and about Thanksgiving where TV sports is less than good.
Tonight, however, that does not apply.
Here’s hoping Georgia Tech at Virginia Tech (7:30 p.m., ESPN) is a good football game. Yes, it’s the ACC, btu it’s arguably the two of the three best teams in the ACC.
Steelers’ Harrison fined $20,000 for hit on Brees
That didn’t take long.
Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison was fined $20,000 for a late hit on New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees.
Harrison was among the loudest protesters at the NFL’s announcement to enforce a stricter policy in regard to hits to the head and neck. Harrison contemplated retirement last month after the announcement and met with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell earlier this week to discuss the matter.
Harrison has now been fined three times for – hold on to your wallet – $100,000. Buckets that’s a bunch of cabbage.