David Morrison
High School Sports Reporter
Posted 07/29 at 12:58 PM
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...it’s interesting nonetheless.
The Birmingham News is reporting that a Birmingham-area promoter may have fleeced the Venezuelan national men’s basketball team of $18,000 by holding a fake international tournament. Well, if not fake than at least far less substantial than he made it out to sound.
Francisco Diez, the team’s technical director told the News that event promoter Anthony Toney told the Venezuelan team they would be playing against a mixture of international squads and Birmingham teams in a two-week tournament called the Freewill Games.
They ended up playing one game, an 86-84 loss to the Birmingham Gladiators, and leaving 10 days early because Diez said Toney didn’t cover transportation or meal costs, which made them have to rely on Birmingham’s Hispanic community. He did pick up the hotel room, however.
Toney said he did provide for all of this, and that the Venezuelan team left early because they didn’t want to deal with the embarrassment of losing to the Gladiators again.
There’s a recap from the “Freewill Games” at this site.
And there’s a whole bunch of fun being had at the expense of Birmingham - and Alabama at large - on the News’ comment section and in other places on the Interwebs.
Truly a bizarre story.
Andrew Gribble
Auburn University Beat Reporter
Posted 07/29 at 12:43 PM
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Our good friends at the New York Times (OK, we’re not friends. At best, we’re colleagues, but even that’s a stretch) have been plowing away all summer in their attempt to rank all 120 FBS programs heading into the 2009 season. You can read it all here.
We’re not that good, nor do we claim to be. So we’re going to stick to the SEC and not be nearly as thorough.
With that ringing endorsement out of the way, let’s get to cracking with our first team in the single digits, Tennessee. This series will run daily for the next nine days. Expect updates sometime around the lunch hour.
Also, while you’re here, check out our OTHER 12-to-1 feature, which is running in the fishwrap. We’re answering 12 questions about Auburn football heading into the season.
THE COACH
Lane Kiffin (0-0 at the college level, 5-15 NFL)—first year at Tennessee
LAST YEAR’S FINISH
5-7 overall, 3-5 SEC—missed the postseason bowl scene for just the third time since 1980
SEC’S 2009 PROJECTION
Fourth place in the East
THE SCHEDULE
Sept. 5 - WESTERN KENTUCKY
Sept. 12 - U.C.L.A.
Sept. 19 - Florida
Sept. 26 - OHIO
Oct. 3 - AUBURN
Oct. 10 - GEORGIA
Oct. 24 - Alabama
Oct. 31 - SOUTH CAROLINA
Nov. 7 - MEMPHIS
Nov. 14 - Ole Miss
Nov. 21 - VANDERBILT
Nov. 28 - Kentucky
(Home games in CAPS)
RETURNING STARTERS
12 (seven offense, five defense)
WHAT THE QUAD SAYS
Tennessee is going to be better than it was a season ago. Not that it would take much to do so, but the offense will be improved – it can’t be worse – and the defense should not suffer anything more than a slight drop-off in production from its last season under John Chavis ... All told, this is a building season for the Vols: I predict a 7-5 finish, 4-4 in the SEC. But all eyes will be on Kiffin and the program. Isn’t that what the university wanted?
WHAT THEY SAY
“We’re excited. We think we have a very unique first unit defense. We think they’re going to be very special. I think we have a great defensive staff coaching them up. They have a special look about them in the huddle. Barring injuries, I think it will be a special group. I think we have a lot of work to do on offense. I think guys that cover us know that. We’re excited about that. We’re excited about taking that head on.“—Kiffin
“We were 5-7 last year. We just thought we were in this thing by ourselves last year, not having anybody on our side. We were 5-7. So when he comes in and says that he has confidence in us, basically, and saying that he has faith in us, I mean, the team went crazy.
“Man, he really does believe in us. Just seeing somebody having that type of faith in us after a 5-7 season, who wouldn’t want to play for him? Who wouldn’t want to put theirself on the line for him?“—safety Eric Berry on Kiffin
“The new coaching staff has brought a lot of excitement to our program. The fans are very exciting about the upcoming season. It’s been very easy to buy into the new program. It’s good for our program to be on TV. as much as we have. Lane Kiffin had a plan for our program from the moment he came in. I think being on TV. can’t hurt us. It just brings more excitement for the upcoming year. The coaching staff stands up for us and we’re behind them 100 percent.“—running back Montario Hardesty
WHAT WE SAY
Kiffin was right when he said there’s no program that’s received more attention than Tennessee this offseason. But the focus really hasn’t swayed toward the actual team he has. If it did, maybe we’d be hearing more about just how woeful Tennessee was last year on offense. The Vols and Auburn were carbon copies of each other last season: bad offense with a good defense that wasn’t strong enough to overcome the bad offense. And, really, they are the same teams this year: same good defense, same holes on offense. Kiffin’s first season might be more of a challenge than he or Vol nation expects. This added attention he’s received, though, will just make it more of a disappointment if the Vols stammer to another poor finish.
WHO’S ON THE MEDIA GUIDE?
To the surprise of no one, you’ve got Kiffin and Heisman candidate Berry PhotoShopped in front of a jam-packed Neyland Stadium. On the back, you have a real picture of Tennessee’s spring game with Kiffin’s back in the foreground. Tennessee is the only SEC school to have a media guide that is longer length-wise than in height.
STUMBLING BLOCKS
Remember when Kiffin talked about singing “Rocky Top” all night long after the Vols beat Florida this year? Or how about when he accused Florida coach Urban Meyer of committing recruiting violations? You can bet both moments, along with a slew of other tongue-and-cheek jabs, haven’t gone unnoticed by the defending National Champions. Somehow, the Gators are better this year and they’ve proven that they play better angry. (Last year’s 49-10 beatdown over Georgia comes to mind) The teams’ Sept. 19 matchup promises to mimic that and, frankly, Tennessee and Kiffin might take a couple of weeks to recover.
KEY GAME
Again, Auburn finds itself in another opponent’s key game. The Tigers’ and Vols’ early October matchup will serve as a lithmus test of sorts to gauge where the two new coaches’ respective programs are in the grand scheme of things. In all likelihood, Tennessee will be a strong favorite because of the homefield advantage, which puts even more pressure on Kiffin to deliver. And considering that Tennessee will undoubtedly be 0-1 in the SEC after its game with Florida, this is a must-win heading into tough games with Georgia, at Alabama and home with a scrappy South Carolina team.
UPSET ALERT
We have no problem admitting that we are biased here. So that’s why we’re saying Ohio University, the blog’s alma mater, has a viable chance of knocking off the Vols in Neyland Stadium on Sept. 26. Consider this: Tennessee will be reeling from what is certain to be a whoopin’ of epic proportions at the hands of Florida. This will be the first of three home games for the Vols, the final two being big conference matchups with Auburn and Georgia. As we’ve experienced first-hand, Frank Solich’s Bobcats seem to play better when they’re collecting a massive paycheck. Heck, this team nearly stole a victory from Ohio State last season, which would have likely infuriated the 90 percent of Ohio University students who prefer scarlet and gray to green and white on football Saturdays. So watch out, Lane. Don’t sleep on the Bobcats.
THE NUMBER
6—known recruiting secondary violations Kiffin’s staff committed this offseason
FUN FACT FROM WIKIPEDIA
Tennessee has won 422 all-time games at Neyland Stadium. That is the second highest win total for any school in the nation at its current home venue. Only Georgia Tech’s Bobby Dodd Stadium (428 wins) has hosted more victories for its team-and Bobby Dodd Stadium (1913) opened eight years before Neyland Stadium (1921).
FUN NON-FOOTBALL FACT FROM WIKIPEDIA
UT is classified as “more selective” by U.S. News, with a Fall 2007 acceptance rate of 71.2 percent. The average high school GPA was 3.6 for incoming freshmen.
THE OFFENSE
The Volunteers’ offense was as tough to watch as any last season. Tennessee averaged just 17.3 points per game in 2008 and that can largely be attributed to its inconsistency at quarterback, where Jonathan Crompton and Nick Stephens equally floundered. Crompton will likely be the guy when UT opens with Western Kentucky. How he has developed from a woeful 2008—86-of-167 for 889 yards, four touchdowns and five interceptions—will dictate whether or not Tennessee returns to the bowl scene. His wide receivers leave a lot to be desired. Two of Tennessee’s top returning starters, Austin Rogers and Denarius Moore, could both be out for the season after suffering injuries this spring. The Volunteers lost their top rusher in Arian Foster but gained two big names from Kiffin’s first recruiting class. Freshmen Bryce Brown and David Oku could see immediate playing time, but will start the season behind Hardesty on the depth chart.
THE DEFENSE
There’s only one player that matters on this unit and that’s Berry. Some say he’s the best player in college football. We’ve never seen him play, so we won’t go that far, but the fact that’s garnering Heisman recognition says something. This year’s odds-on favorite for SEC Defensive Player of the Year reeled in countless awards last season, as he picked off an NCAA-best seven passes and set an SEC record with 265 interception return yards. He needs just 15 more to claim the NCAA record for the largest career total. The Vols have four upperclassman manning the front four but have just one returning senior, Rico McCoy, at linebacker. Again, this will be the strength of the Vols, so how it deals with constant three-and-outs from the other side of the ball will dictate just how good Tennessee will be this season.
OUR FAVORITE SOURCE FOR UT INFORMATION
The Knoxville News-Sentinel covers the Vols so hard that they’ve devoted an entirely different Web site to it. Check out GoVolsXtra.com.
AN IDEAL 2009
The Vols coast to two big victories to start the Kiffin Era and then shock the world by beating the Gators in their own house. So the Vols do, in fact, sing “Rocky Top” all night long. Aside from a couple of expected hiccups, Kiffin shocks the SEC world and all his adversaries by going 9-3 (5-3 SEC) to land the Vols in the Capital One Bowl.
A DISASTROUS 2009
UCLA pulls a mini upset in Neyland Stadium to kick off Tennessee’s tailspin. Florida hangs 90 on the Vols, kicking a 54-yard field goal at the horn to do so. The Vols lose every game they’re supposed to from there, rendering their season finale with Kentucky, which also ends in a loss, meaningless.
OUR FINAL PREDICTION
The road has been bumpy thus far in Knoxville and it won’t be any more smooth during the season. Tennessee has issues and those will be exposed on a weekly basis. That said, the Vols simply have more talent than most of their opponents. That will translate into a team that wins and loses when it shouldn’t—a Vegas nightmare. Tennessee goes 7-5 (3-5 SEC).
Tim Cottrell
Sports Writer/Designer
Posted 07/29 at 06:56 AM
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A day after previewing Auburn, we go to the Chizik Orphans for Preview No. 44. Previews of all 65 BCS conference schools, plus Notre Dame and state schools, in no particular order, will run daily through Aug. 22.
Much has been said about how bad Iowa State was under Gene Chizik, and with good reason.
The Cyclones were 5-19 and lost to an FCS school in his two years though.
But, from the looks of things, ISU had really gone south in Dan McCarney’s final couple years, because the Chizik Orphans actually have a shot at a decent season in the first year of the Paul Rhoads era. Maybe Chizik was really building something.
ISU has a pretty good quarterback in Austen Arnaud (but who doesn’t have a good quarterback in the Big XII?). He also has a solid tailback in Alexander Robinson, who rushed for a little over 700 yards last year, a pretty good group of wideouts and has three starters back on the offensive line.
There’s no reason to think what was a fairly competent offense (44th nationally) won’t be a little bit better in 2009.
The big question will be if Rhoads can do what Chizik couldn’t: Take his defensive prowess and translate it as a head coach.
The Cyclones were awful defensively, ranking 95th or worse in all major categories (112th total). They gave up 35.8 points per game, which, in fairness, is easy to do when you’re playing in the Big XII.
But Rhoads is going to have his hands full. Five starters are back from last year’s group, led by former walk-on and current captain middle linebacker Jesse Smith. The front seven has four starters back, so they’re going to have to carry a lot of the load, because only free safety James Smith is back from an awful secondary (116th against the pass). Getting a pass rush will be key, and I have a feeling Rhoads can figure out how to do it.
Iowa State made five bowl games in the first six years of this decade, and a return is a slight, slight possibility. But a fourth straight losing season is more likely.
Here’s the schedule:
Sept. 5: North Dakota State
The Bison have beaten FBS schools before, so the Chizik Orphans had better be careful.
Sept. 12: Iowa
The Cyclones have had a strange trend of beating the Hawkeyes no matter how bad they’ve been over the last few years, and with the game at home it’s a possibility (Chizik beat Iowa in Ames two years ago). But don’t bank on it.
Sept. 19: at Kent State
If you’re going to pick a MAC school to throw a bone to and take a trip there, Kent might be the one.
Sept. 26: Army
They’ll have a good shot to finish non-conference play at 3-1 (heck, maybe even 4-0 if they work magic against Iowa), which would be huge.
Oct. 3: vs. Kansas State (at Kansas City, Mo.)
This is probably their conference game of the year. Getting a win here is possible, and if they can they might sneak into a bowl.
Oct. 10: at Kansas
No chance here.
Oct. 17: Baylor
The Bears are on the way up, so this one will be tough. But having the game at home is big.
Oct. 24: at Nebraska
The Huskers will roll here.
Oct. 31: at Texas A&M
Second-biggest conference game. The Aggies are awful, so they could steal a road win. And I think they will.
Nov. 7: Oklahoma State
The Cowboys are really good. Probably the only home game ISU won’t be competitive in.
Nov. 14: Colorado
Another game where stealing a win is possible, but I don’t see it happening.
Nov. 21: at Missouri
The Tigers are rebuilding, and if everything is breaking right they might have a chance to pull off the upset and get to a bowl game.
This team isn’t particularly good, but the schedule is favorable (no Texas or Oklahoma) and I have a feeling the Chizik Orphans will play with a bit of a chip on their shoulders. Getting to 6-6 isn’t out of the realm of possibility, but a 4-8 or 5-7 season is far more likely.
Andrew Gribble
Auburn University Beat Reporter
Posted 07/28 at 05:47 PM
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Former Auburn defensive tackle Sen’Derrick Marks has agreed to terms with the Tennessee Titans, according to The Tennesseean.
Marks was selected in the second round, 62nd overall, after opting out of his final season with the Tigers. He finished his Auburn career with 114 tackles and 7.5 sacks.
Defensive end Antonio Coleman said Friday that he’s been in constant contact with Marks. He said Marks showed a little bit of regret about going pro, especially when Tracy Rocker was named defensive line coach, but has been happy overall about his decision.
“I think he’s just living life and he’s just ready to get out there and play for the Titans,“ Coleman said.
(Photo credit: Todd Van Emst)
