Only a matter of time before big problems come down the road.
But here's a look at the new day in college sports.
First, a Florida State booster group is significantly bumping up salaries for assistants, which is a major advantage in building a staff. All this, according to a CBSSportsline.com story.
Try this on for size -- new offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher gets a base salary of $ 210,000 but his booster-generated payout is $ 215,000.
Please pick up your jaw.
The boosters also raised $ 537,000 for a severance package for former offensive coordinator, Jeff Bowden.
Then you have Oklahoma State. It's not enough they have some billionaire oilman dropping the GNP of a small country on the football program, those crazy Okies are now using life insurance polices from some of its' best boosters to fund athletics, from scholarships and facilities to operations.
BGT: Have to love a school's desire to think outside the box. What's next, though? Will college sports become like politics where you can campaign for money? I guess schools can take the whole Mark McGwire/Barry Bonds' supplements' argument that says "it wasn't against the rules then" no matter how gray an area. So, how about CU incorporating such an approach to raise money to lure Roy Williams or Coach K to Boulder. A lot of smart business people from CU, how about the Buffs come up with their own unique way to fund a mini-pro team like FSU is and OSU is trying to become.
Lose a starting job, end up in a better place, still rich
Former Buff standout safety Michael Lewis, a one-time Pro Bowler for Philadelphia has signed a contract to play cross country in San Francisco.
Get this -- Lewis gets to team up with cornerbacks Nate Clements (two Pro Bowls), who was just signed away from Buffalo and Pro Bowler Walt Harris.
If the 49ers stick Lewis at strong safety, that has the makings of one tough secondary. If they are clueless and choose to let Lewis wok at free safety, well, a lot of big gainers for the opposing team.
Great fit for Lewis.
Price just went upSome CU fans are hot for Southern Illinois coach Chris Lowery and hey, what's not to like about the man who has gone 74-24 (through March 1) in three years?
Perfect timing for him as his price for interested schools just went up after being named the Missouri Valley Coach of the Year for the second time.
The Salukis are ranked a school-best 11th in the country.
And he's still only 34-years old.
His predecessors at SIU?
Bruce Weber, now at Illinois and Matt Painter, leading the way at Purdue.
Carbondale has become a coaching hot spot.
BGT Big-12 rankings
1. Kansas
2. Texas
3. Texas A & M
4. Texas Tech
5. Kansas State
6. Missouri
7. Oklahoma
8. Oklahoma State
9. Iowa State
10. Nebraska
11. Baylor
12. Colorado
BGT best coaching jobs this season
1. Billy Gillispie, Texas A & M -- since when did the Aggies do much in the Big 12?
2. Rick Barnes, Texas -- talented but young team is a force in conference play
3. Bob Huggins, Kansas State -- have talent but coaching is the reason for wins
& Bobby Knight, Texas Tech -- not dominant but rattlesnake tough on top teams
BGT Big-12 MVP
1. Kevin Durant, Texas
2. Acie Law, Texas A & M
3. Brandon Rush, Kansas
BGT Top 4 in the land
What's going on this season -- a lot of outstanding records, not one great team.
Not one.
1. Ohio State -- not anchored here but great center, very good point guard
2. Kansas -- talented, finding chemistry and really coming on; living up to the hype
3. Florida -- not as bad as they've looked lately; too big, too good to keep slumping
4. Texas A & M -- they are showing chinks in the armor but are built for success
Opponent that causes nightmares -- Texas
BGT Hottest coaching prospects for CU
1. Mike Dunlap, Nuggets -- he has national championships and now, an NBA resume
2. Chris Lowery, Southern Illinois -- one of best, youngest coaches in the land
3. Jeff Bzdelik, Air Force -- would bring tough-minded defense to defenseless CU
4. Tubby Smith, Kentucky -- likely moving on, expensive and there are questions about his less-than-stellar recruiting but he won big at Tulsa and Georgia and owns a national title, right?
5. Todd Lickliter, Butler -- what business does Butler have in the top 20?
6. Mark Fox, Nevada -- ditto for Nevada?
Honorable mention: Tony Bennett, Washington State; Mark Turgeon, Wichita State; Mark Few, Gonzaga; Gregg Marshall, Winthrop.
Marshall was one name given to the BGT as an strong option. Check him out here.
Ode to Patton
Have to be fair and say that Ricardo Patton now has 184 wins as CU coach which is 184 more than I played in, coached or won, so really, when you think about, he's got that goin' for him.
He, of course, has a chance to "face" CU by firing a final salvo, and there would be no better place to do that than the Big-12 tournament.
Letters
Mark writes in regarding the story of the NFL doctor who is the head of the NFL's concussion committee who has stepped down after his shortcomings regarding his views and actions.
"I like your comments about Elliot Pellman, specifically, the liability factor. Are they off the hook for the past 10 years of deception. The players and owners financed a $ 14-million dollar study to develop a helmet for Riddell. The studies show, among other things, that claims to prevent concussions by 30% are now found to be fraudulent. Riddell is selling helmets ten-fold because of this falsified data.
"Another injustice is the suppression of information about a medical device used by the New England Patriots that has proven to aide in the prevention of concussion from blows to the jaw in a peer-reviewed study. This was done to forward the focus on the string of redundant helmet studies.
"Pellman continued on even though league statistics indicated otherwise and an investigation was warranted. He ignored the recommendation of a Harvard researchers peer study. His focus was tunnel vision on the helmet when he should have been focusing on the chin strap.
"Go to http://www.mahercor.com/ for more info. Thanks."
BGT: Mark, thanks for sharing. This really is something big and there will be more exposes on this subject, you can bet your house on that claim. I promise the NFL is nervous right about now, too, knowing this could really blow up in their face. For as well run as the league is, this is a real stain. If anything comes from it, you know more former and current players are going to step forward. Yes, everyone knows the risks of playing but if team-employed or league-employed doctors are not doing everything they can do to protect players, if they are not erring on the side of caution, then they are criminally negligent, at best and at worst, immoral to the worst degree.
Interesting that the link Mark provides is a product developed by a former Patriots' dentist, Johnson's former team.
Self indulgence
Those Denver Broncos, what are they doing?
Trading quarterback Jake Plummer for less than a third-round pick, which was once rumored and reasonably fair, was foolish. Hold on to him if necessary. Someone will be desperate come draft time.
A fourth rounder, as the deal originally called for, is unacceptable for a starting-quality QB. End of discussion. A conditional pick is only going to be given a thumbs up if Plummer shows up, wins the job and it turns out to be a high selection.
Doubting that is the way the deal was written.
Will say this -- I'm not Plummer. If going to Tampa Bay is not in his heart, I respect that but his hollow "I'm retiring bit" made him look a little like, well, "a punk" didn't it?
The word here is he's shortsighted.
Remember Rich Gannon, who just went from relative obscurity to MVP with the Raiders, who were coached by, um, what's his name -- Jon Gruden, now, um, coach of the Buccaneers?
Most scouts still question Plummer's decision-making skills. Maybe not just on the field.
Now, back to the home team -- trading a sixth-round pick for Dan "Big Fraud" Wilkinson, who hasn't done anything of note for seven seasons is also a highly-questionable move. Dude's old, too.
What, Mean Joe Greene wasn't available?
And think about this for a moment -- you say, hey, jack it down Truth, it's only a sixth-round pick.
Who is the starting center for Denver (Nalen, Tom)? What round did he come to town in (7th)?
That old guy who once played in the Broncos' backfield, that Terrell Davis, what round did he get selected (6th)?
Give up a shot at a potential Pro-Bowl player for Wilkinson?
And how 'bout one more, more recent. Just last year, New Orleans found a seventh-round receiver from Hofstra (Marques Colston) who caught 70 balls for 1,038 yards and eight touchdowns in his rookie season.
No, you and I could never work in a pro sports front office. We don't know spit about nothin'.
With their first-round pick, Denver selects...Ted Gregory.
Or Mike Croel.
Or Tommy Maddox.
Or Marcus Nash.
Where are my meds?
Have owner Pat Bowlen wise up, hire a true pro as general manager, let coach Mike Shanahan pout and start winning playoff games again.
Shanahan is a brilliant sideline general, a Hall-of-Famer, but as a player personnel guy, he is hit and miss, a B-actor.
Need another moment
We saw Colorado dish pitcher Jason Jennings, the team's mule of a worker and in return the Rockies get a can't-hit centerfielder (a relative of Cory Sullivan's?), a hard-throwing, sore-armed, underachieving reliever (Taylor Buchholz) and a prospect that looked great in the minors on the mound but is not as dominating as he looks (Jason Hirsh).
Wonderful.
"Acquired from the Astros as part of the Willy Taveras-Jason Jennings swap, Hirsh, at 6-8, 250 pounds, cuts an imposing figure on the mound. Despite the intimidation factor, Hirsh lacks a true out pitch, and his fly-ball tendencies will almost certainly undermine him now that he's calling Coors Field home. It may take yet another trade for him to realize his potential," writes Dayn Perry of Foxsports.com.
Love how the Rockies spin, spin, spin and how some in the media buy that and regurgitate the same nonsense. This trade might work out wonderful in the end for Colorado but honestly, it would be a surprise, even to the Rockies' front office.
Yes, still talking...actually, spittin' now
The Denver Nuggets just are going through the motions like this all some rehearsal.
Since the pre-season, they have stunk it up defensively, obviously serving as a poor role model for little brother CU, not counting Saturday, when the Buffs jocked-up against Nebraska.
But allowing 41-year old Dikembe Mutombo to chase down 22 rebounds on their clankers on Friday?
Someone's got it set on cruise control, don't you think?
Here's the skinny and have written it elsewhere -- allowing Mutombo to walk out of town years ago not only was one of the dumbest moves this city has ever seen -- worse than the drug-induced (had to be) signing of Kenyon Martin or anything the Rockies and Broncos have done, and that's saying something -- but it also crushed that franchise for some time. Getting nothing for a rebounding, shot-blocking madman like Mutombo was something that was disgraceful.
Still one of my favorite players because he is one of my favorite sports' people.
And that just jogged a memory -- a couple of times walking by him and my head coming up to his elbow. Do you really know how tall 7-foot-2 is, brothers and sisters?
Big 12 Preview
The McDonalds' All-Americans have been named and there will be travelers checking into KU (center Cole Aldrich), KSU (forward Michael Beasley), OU (forward Blake Griffin) and OSU (forward James Anderson).
More might be making reservations.
Last season, some cat named Kevin Durant led all scorers with 25 points.
Final comment: So is Durant's daddy still saying his son is coming back to Texas next season? Los Angeles Clippers' guard Sean Livingston blows out a knee and is gone for over a year and Durant goes down temporarily with some kind of ankle injury soon thereafter. Hmmm...sure Durant will be back.? Yeah, o.k., whatever. Get that weak junk outtahere!
Coming attractions: Talked late last week with Buffs' wide receiver Dusty Sprague and also with one outstanding football player that used to wear the black and gold. Look for those interviews Monday and Tuesday.
Best your way,
Truth
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