Florida Times-Union sports columnist Gene Frenette offers his weekly perspective on various sports topics for jacksonville.com This is his entry for Thursday February 28.
The NFL free-agency market opens up at midnight and my message for the Jaguars this year is to tread carefully. Just because the team has $32-35 million in salary cap space doesn't mean they should go out on a lavish shopping spree.
Among the fans' favorite things to do is spend a team's money because they often think a championship is just a purchase or two away. The mindset usually goes something like this: "If we could just get that big-time receiver or a guy that can get after the quarterback, we'll be in the Super Bowl next year." Oh, really. Here's my response: "When's the last time a Jaguars' free agent signing had that kind of impact?"
The Jaguars have signed 51 unrestricted free agents in their 13-year history and I can count on one hand the guys that were real difference-makers. Here they are in order of the value they brought to the club: (1) receiver Keenan McCardell; (2) linebacker Mike Peterson; (3) offensive tackle Leon Searcy; (4) guard Chris Naeole; (5) defensive tackle Gary Walker.
That's not a long and distinguished list. But when it comes to spending money on free agents that never lived up to their value, just as many flops come to mind. Starting with Hugh Douglas, Bryce Paup, Carnell Lake, Shawn Bouwens, Kelvin Pritchett and Patrick Johnson. Shawn who? Patrick who? Yeah, that's what I mean. They were so irrelevant, you don't even remember them.
The point is that free agent shopping is really more about getting value for each signee than throwing a bunch of money at one or two players. It's no secret that a pass-rusher and a wide receiver are the Jaguars' two greatest needs this offseason, but when you look at what's reasonably attainable on the market, it's pretty slim pickings. Randy Moss is a great receiver, but it's highly doubtful that Jacksonville would be his first choice unless they threw so much money at him that he couldn't turn it down. If you're going to severely dent your salary cap for one player, better make it a quarterback or someone entrusted with sacking the quarterback.
After Moss, there's Chicago Bear Bernard Berrian, who is somewhat of an intriguing prospect, but at what price? He may command bigger money than the production on his resume suggests, so be careful about overspending because you have a need at a position that can easily be filled with as low as a second-day draft pick. I like Berrian, but I'd have to like his price tag as well.
On the pass-rushing front, the cupboard is pretty thin with the franchise tags placed on Terrell Suggs (Baltimore Ravens) and Jared Allen (Kansas City Chiefs). There's the Cincinnati Bengals' Justin Smith, but he's more of a run-stuffing defensive end than a sack artist. There's been some talk about pursuing the Tennessee Titans' Travis LaBoy, but he's not Kyle Vanden Bosch.
Good free agent acquisition is all about matching your need without killing your future budget. That's not to say some guys are not worth paying top dollar, but you have to keep those kind of purchases to a minimum. The good NFL teams win consistently by investing money in their own proven players, not throwing money at other players whose teams let them walk into free agency.
There are exceptions, but on the whole, teams tend to get under the market value for unrestricted free agents than equal or above the value they paid for them.
So the message to the Jaguars this year, as in most years, is buyer beware.
The Jaguars granting permission to three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Marcus Stroud to seek a trade, which became public knowledge when agent Drew Rosenhaus mentioned it on ESPN Thursday morning, is a stunning development, but it may not be the total downer that it appears on paper.
No doubt, Stroud has been one of the Jaguars' premium defensive players in franchise history. Along with twin tower sidekick John Henderson, that twosome represents one of the most fierce tackle tandems in the entire NFL in recent memory. On the surface, the former University of Georgia standout wanting out of Jacksonville is a surprise because he's a small-town Georgia guy that enjoyed playing not so far from his home in Barney, which is only 20 miles from Valdosta.
Obviously, Stroud is unhappy or he wouldn't be making this request. He still has three years remaining on the lucrative contract extension he signed in April, 2005, which will pay him $5 million this season, followed by $5.5 million in 2009 and $6 million in 2010.
Losing Stroud would be a blow to the Jaguars' defense, but it's not as devastating a loss as it would have been two years ago when he was at the top of his game. Stroud, who turns 30 in June, had microfracture surgery on his right ankle last offseason and was still a good player in 2007, but not at the level he was from 2003-05 when he was a Pro Bowler. Plus, he missed four games due to suspension for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy, which he blamed on a tainted supplement provided by a doctor.
While Stroud was out, backup Rob Meier, one of the most underrated players in Jaguars' history, filled in admirably and his presence would help soften the blow of possibly losing Stroud. However, no team can ever have enough quality defensive linemen, so the Jaguars and Jack Del Rio would have to address the critical loss of depth in that area with Stroud out of the picture.
If Stroud is traded, look for the Jaguars to make up for his loss immediately, either through free agency, the draft or in what they might fetch in return for Stroud. The Detroit Lions' Shaun Rogers, who ironically signed what was then the biggest NFL contract for a defensive tackle just three months before Stroud's extension, is being shopped around by the Lions. He's one year younger than Stroud and also a massive load at 6-foot-4, 345 pounds.
A solid 77-64 win for the Florida Gators' basketball team Wednesday night at Georgia because it kept Billy Donovan's team from losing valuable leverage in their quest for a 10th consecutive NCAA tournament bid.
With home games coming up against Mississippi State and Tennessee next Wednesday, followed by the last regular season game at Kentucky, two more wins would almost certainly lock up a spot for UF (21-7, 8-5 in the SEC) in the Big Dance no matter what happens in the SEC tournament.
Florida might be able to squeeze in with just one more victory, but that'd be awfully risky because three or four at-large bids could vanish in conference tournaments. Upsets in several league tourneys that would normally get just one or two bids, like a Conference USA, WAC or Horizon, could eliminate some teams that are now being pencilled in as No. 10, 11 or 12 seeds.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Monday, February 25, 2008
Former IU president breaks silence on Sampson
Former Indiana University president Adam Herbert, who served in the same position from 1989-98 at the University of North Florida, gave Times-Union sports columnist Gene Frenette an exclusive interview Monday about the fallout from the resignation of basketball coach Kelvin Sampson in the wake of five major NCAA allegations levied against his program.
Herbert, now a professor at the IU School of Public and Environmental Affairs, had not commented publicly on the coach he approved to be hired in March, 2006. The hire happened despite Sampson being put on NCAA probation for being found guilty of his Oklahoma staff making 577 improper phone calls to recruits. Sampson agreed to resign from his IU post on Friday, accepting a $750,000 buyout in exchange for not filing a lawsuit against the school.
In May, 2006, the NCAA banned Sampson from calling recruits or making recruiting trips for one year for what it called "deliberate noncompliance” when he was at Oklahoma. Last October, following Indiana's investigation, it documented over 100 phone calls that were in violation of NCAA restrictions placed on Sampson and his Indiana staff. Sampson had to forfeit a scheduled $500,000 raise.
After an NCAA follow-up investigation, IU was charged with five possible "major" violations as a result of alleged phone calls made by Sampson's staff at Indiana.
Herbert was president at IU until July, 2007. He signed off on Sampson's hire two years ago after athletic director Rick Greenspan recommended him following a six-hour interview with the AD, two school trustees and Herbert.
The following are some excerpts from Herbert's extensive interview with the Times-Union. Look for Gene Frenette's column on the subject in Tuesday's Times-Union.
Adam Herbert: "I am very disappointed regarding the recent situation in the Indiana men's basketball program. It's particularly unfortunate that responses from Coach Sampson and also the university to the NCAA allegations can't be discussed publicly at this time until they get in front of the Infractions Committee [scheduled for June 14]. There are multiple sides to every story. I believe everyone is innocent until proven guilty.”
On what led to Sampson's hiring: "Historically, I have felt very strongly about rules compliance. I have insisted that coaches be fired for violating rules. Some people have asked about the selection process [of hiring Sampson]. What role did I play in the selection process? Did I tell the athletic director [Rick Greenspan] to hire this guy? The process does speak to the level of attention we addressed to it. The university has always used essentially the same decision-making process. The AD has responsibility for the selection and evaluation of coaches, along with raises and firing.
"In this case, the AD developed the list of candidates to be considered. He initiated the appropriate background checks [of the candidates]. He hired a consultant to help us. No one knew who was on our final list of candidates. The AD went through the process of narrowing the list to three or four people, with the help of a consultant. Because of the significance of basketball in this state and the issue raised about NCAA sanctions [in Sampson's case], I asked two members of the Board of Trustees to review the process.
"Once it became clear Coach Sampson was one we'd look at in greater deth, I knew it was an issue that would raise eyebrows. The AD held briefings for me and the two trustees, reporting back to us on everything he was able to find out. He talked with Sampson, the Oklahoma athletic director and the attorneys [for Oklahoma], so when we got down to the final discussions of what we might do, I thought we had a pretty good sense of what the issues were. We invited Coach Sampson to meet with Rick [Greenspan], me and the two trustees. We met for six hours. We had detailed questions about the phone calls [at Oklahoma].
"We came away from that feeling like [Sampson] was someone who understood what he went through and wasn't likely to make that same mistake again. He cared about the young men that played for him. All his players loved him. The parents were appreciative of what he did for their children. All of us wanted to feel comfortable that [NCAA charges against him] was an aberration.
"What I asked the [IU] general counsel to do was develop clear wording [in the contract] with our expectations. It says that violations of NCAA rules can be a basis for termination. There's very little wiggle room. It was to assure our expectations [of compliance with NCAA rules] were very clear.
"[Greenspan] recommended [Sampson] to the president, and I concurred with that, and the belief that we had every confidence that the letter and spirit of this agreement would be met. We had to have a pretty high comfort level [to hire him].”
On how bad the charges look for Sampson and the potential consequences for the rest of his career: "We don't know his side of the story. There may be some extenuating circumstances. He has to be given the opportunity to state his case. It's important to have the opportunity to speak to all of the allegations.”
On the possibility that Sampson may have betrayed the faith that Indiana University placed in him: "The reality is no president or athletic director wants to be put in this position. When you make decisions like these [to hire a coach], you take them very seriously. You certainly don't want to make a decision that creates problems in the future."
On what he expects the outcome will be of Sampson's appearance before the NCAA Infractions Committee on June 14: "All of us who were involved in the [hiring] process felt what happened previously was an aberration. I hope that turns out to be the case. I've talked with [Sampson] about it. I won't characterize [the conversation]. My hope is when he makes his presentation to the Infractions Committee, he'll be able to demonstrate the confidence in him was well-founded. I'm disappointed with the whole situation. We're all innocent until proven guilty. I know there are more facts to come out than have come out.
"He has a chance to prove that all of this is not true, and I hope he can.”
On the blow to Indiana University's solid track record of following NCAA regulations: "This is not an institution that sanctions violation of rules. That's not what we've been about. Every university will have secondary [NCAA] violations. It's virtually impossible to comply with all of them. The interesting question in this case is if the original violations [at Oklahoma] had not been there, would be these be major [allegations]? Probably not, but we are where we are.”
On Sampson electing to resign instead of trying to fight to stay on in the face of NCAA charges: "He didn't have to submit his resignation, but he chose to do so and encouraged his players to continue to compete, even though he feels his side of the story hasn't been told."
On why Indiana decided to hire Sampson despite the previous violations at Oklahoma: "He's been so well-respected over time. The only violations we were able to get were about telephone calls. It wasn't about providing financial assistance to players or getting jobs in which they were paid for not working. Nothing like that. The due diligence we did was about phone calls [to recruits]. There are a whole host of cases involving a lot worse allegations than phone calls.
"When you're looking at someone who is one of the best coaches in America and had 20-win seasons for a decade, this became a value hire for us. My view at the time, and still is, was that when you have a chance to hire someone with his track record and whose only offense was telephone calls, and we took a look at all of them. . . . When you look in the broader scheme of things, it was worth giving him a second chance."
Read Gene's column in Tuesday's Times-Union or on Jacksonville.com.
Herbert, now a professor at the IU School of Public and Environmental Affairs, had not commented publicly on the coach he approved to be hired in March, 2006. The hire happened despite Sampson being put on NCAA probation for being found guilty of his Oklahoma staff making 577 improper phone calls to recruits. Sampson agreed to resign from his IU post on Friday, accepting a $750,000 buyout in exchange for not filing a lawsuit against the school.
In May, 2006, the NCAA banned Sampson from calling recruits or making recruiting trips for one year for what it called "deliberate noncompliance” when he was at Oklahoma. Last October, following Indiana's investigation, it documented over 100 phone calls that were in violation of NCAA restrictions placed on Sampson and his Indiana staff. Sampson had to forfeit a scheduled $500,000 raise.
After an NCAA follow-up investigation, IU was charged with five possible "major" violations as a result of alleged phone calls made by Sampson's staff at Indiana.
Herbert was president at IU until July, 2007. He signed off on Sampson's hire two years ago after athletic director Rick Greenspan recommended him following a six-hour interview with the AD, two school trustees and Herbert.
The following are some excerpts from Herbert's extensive interview with the Times-Union. Look for Gene Frenette's column on the subject in Tuesday's Times-Union.
Adam Herbert: "I am very disappointed regarding the recent situation in the Indiana men's basketball program. It's particularly unfortunate that responses from Coach Sampson and also the university to the NCAA allegations can't be discussed publicly at this time until they get in front of the Infractions Committee [scheduled for June 14]. There are multiple sides to every story. I believe everyone is innocent until proven guilty.”
On what led to Sampson's hiring: "Historically, I have felt very strongly about rules compliance. I have insisted that coaches be fired for violating rules. Some people have asked about the selection process [of hiring Sampson]. What role did I play in the selection process? Did I tell the athletic director [Rick Greenspan] to hire this guy? The process does speak to the level of attention we addressed to it. The university has always used essentially the same decision-making process. The AD has responsibility for the selection and evaluation of coaches, along with raises and firing.
"In this case, the AD developed the list of candidates to be considered. He initiated the appropriate background checks [of the candidates]. He hired a consultant to help us. No one knew who was on our final list of candidates. The AD went through the process of narrowing the list to three or four people, with the help of a consultant. Because of the significance of basketball in this state and the issue raised about NCAA sanctions [in Sampson's case], I asked two members of the Board of Trustees to review the process.
"Once it became clear Coach Sampson was one we'd look at in greater deth, I knew it was an issue that would raise eyebrows. The AD held briefings for me and the two trustees, reporting back to us on everything he was able to find out. He talked with Sampson, the Oklahoma athletic director and the attorneys [for Oklahoma], so when we got down to the final discussions of what we might do, I thought we had a pretty good sense of what the issues were. We invited Coach Sampson to meet with Rick [Greenspan], me and the two trustees. We met for six hours. We had detailed questions about the phone calls [at Oklahoma].
"We came away from that feeling like [Sampson] was someone who understood what he went through and wasn't likely to make that same mistake again. He cared about the young men that played for him. All his players loved him. The parents were appreciative of what he did for their children. All of us wanted to feel comfortable that [NCAA charges against him] was an aberration.
"What I asked the [IU] general counsel to do was develop clear wording [in the contract] with our expectations. It says that violations of NCAA rules can be a basis for termination. There's very little wiggle room. It was to assure our expectations [of compliance with NCAA rules] were very clear.
"[Greenspan] recommended [Sampson] to the president, and I concurred with that, and the belief that we had every confidence that the letter and spirit of this agreement would be met. We had to have a pretty high comfort level [to hire him].”
On how bad the charges look for Sampson and the potential consequences for the rest of his career: "We don't know his side of the story. There may be some extenuating circumstances. He has to be given the opportunity to state his case. It's important to have the opportunity to speak to all of the allegations.”
On the possibility that Sampson may have betrayed the faith that Indiana University placed in him: "The reality is no president or athletic director wants to be put in this position. When you make decisions like these [to hire a coach], you take them very seriously. You certainly don't want to make a decision that creates problems in the future."
On what he expects the outcome will be of Sampson's appearance before the NCAA Infractions Committee on June 14: "All of us who were involved in the [hiring] process felt what happened previously was an aberration. I hope that turns out to be the case. I've talked with [Sampson] about it. I won't characterize [the conversation]. My hope is when he makes his presentation to the Infractions Committee, he'll be able to demonstrate the confidence in him was well-founded. I'm disappointed with the whole situation. We're all innocent until proven guilty. I know there are more facts to come out than have come out.
"He has a chance to prove that all of this is not true, and I hope he can.”
On the blow to Indiana University's solid track record of following NCAA regulations: "This is not an institution that sanctions violation of rules. That's not what we've been about. Every university will have secondary [NCAA] violations. It's virtually impossible to comply with all of them. The interesting question in this case is if the original violations [at Oklahoma] had not been there, would be these be major [allegations]? Probably not, but we are where we are.”
On Sampson electing to resign instead of trying to fight to stay on in the face of NCAA charges: "He didn't have to submit his resignation, but he chose to do so and encouraged his players to continue to compete, even though he feels his side of the story hasn't been told."
On why Indiana decided to hire Sampson despite the previous violations at Oklahoma: "He's been so well-respected over time. The only violations we were able to get were about telephone calls. It wasn't about providing financial assistance to players or getting jobs in which they were paid for not working. Nothing like that. The due diligence we did was about phone calls [to recruits]. There are a whole host of cases involving a lot worse allegations than phone calls.
"When you're looking at someone who is one of the best coaches in America and had 20-win seasons for a decade, this became a value hire for us. My view at the time, and still is, was that when you have a chance to hire someone with his track record and whose only offense was telephone calls, and we took a look at all of them. . . . When you look in the broader scheme of things, it was worth giving him a second chance."
Read Gene's column in Tuesday's Times-Union or on Jacksonville.com.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Gator hoops walking fine line
Florida Times-Union sports columnist Gene Frenette posts weekly commentary on various aspects of the sports world for jacksonville.com This is the entry for Thursday February 21.
A lot of speculation about whether Florida's two-time defending national championship basketball team will reach the NCAA tournament, so here's the lowdown on what I believe must happen for Billy Donovan's Gators (20-7) to reach the Big Dance -- win three more games between the four remaining regular-season contests and the SEC tournament.
If Florida can get to 23 wins, which would mean either a 9-7 SEC record and a tournanment win or a 10-6 SEC record and an opening-round loss, that should be just enough for the NCAA selection committee to give the Gators a 10th consecutive tourney berth.
Wednesday's 85-82 home win over South Carolina was critical. Not because it raised UF's profile in any way, but because they avoided the massive damage of losing to a team outside the RPI Top 100. Last week's home loss to LSU is what put the Gators in their current predicament. They could ill afford another bad loss.
It's possible that 22 victories could get UF a bid, but that's only if the Gators upset Tennessee at home on March 5. Otherwise, they better reach 23 because UF's horrible non-conference schedule has dragged their RPI (No. 57) down into bubble territory. And with only one quality win, against Vanderbilt at home, Florida could use a home win over Tennessee or SEC Western division leader Mississippi State (March 1) to spruce up its so-so resume.
Contrary to what some people think, being a two-time NCAA champion will carry minimal weight with the selection committee. The selectors are entrusted with picking the 34 most qualified at-large teams based on their overall body of work, and it's presumptous to assume that Florida will get the benefit of a close call just because it hoisted the trophy the past two years.
If it's an absolutely dead-even call between the Gators and say, Miami (Fla.), for the last at-large spot, then it's possible that some commmittee members will subconsciously favor UF, but there's too many other ways for the committee to settle close calls than simply to look at a school's recent basketball tradition.
One big negative for the Gators, especially if they split their last four games and get bounced out of the SEC tournament in the first round, is their overall strength of schedule. It's ranked dead last among all the teams in the six major conferences. That's a huge point against them. Also, under that same 2-2 closing scenario, it also means Florida would have lost six of its last 10 regular-season games, which might be a death knell for the Gators if there's not a win over Tennessee to offset the damage.
The last at-large teams taken for the NCAAs usually are a No. 11 or 12 seed. Right now, looking at the Gators' resume and comparing it with the rest of the country, Florida is right in that 11-12-13 range. UF is riding the bubble big-time, and let's not forget that some of these at-large bids could be lost if teams like Drake, Butler, Memphis or St. Mary's/Gonzaga fail to win their conference tournaments. That could end up costing UF a bid as well if they don't take care of business down the stretch.
Florida has had a very respectable season, considering their roster is almost exclusively made up of freshmen and sophomores. The long-term future looks incredibly bright, but keeping UF's March Madness streak alive will require the Gators to play significantly better than they have in the past three weeks.
It looks like UF's magic number is 23 wins. Anything less, the Gators will run the risk of settling for a consolation prize that none of them want -- hosting a National Invitation Tournament game.
Nobody knows more than Byron Leftwich what a difference a year makes. Last February, he was being named the Jaguars' starting quarterback over David Garrard because head coach Jack Del Rio didn't want any lingering controversy about the position to drag through the offseason. Six months later, Del Rio cut Leftwich and elevated Garrard to No. 1.
Now fast forward another six months and Leftwich has been cut again, this time by the Atlanta Falcons, now coached by former Jaguars' defensive coordinator Mike Smith. So in one year, Leftwich has gone from being the Jaguars' franchise quarterback to being released twice, each time by a coach with Jaguar connections.
Just another reason why the NFL is an acronymn for Not For Long.
With the NFL Combine underway in Indianapolis, that commences two months of speculation about what the Jaguars will do with the 26th overall pick in the April draft. Much of the focus will be on acquiring a pass-rusher, but the Jaguars have to be careful not to reach too much there out of need. You want value for the spot you're picking as well.
Barring a trade up, which the Jaguars have done only once in their first-round history (1995, moving from early second round to No. 19 overall to take running back James Stewart), the Jags are picking at a time when the best pass-rushers are likely to be off the board. It's hard to believe Chris Long (Virginia), Vernon Gholston (Ohio State) and Derrick Harvey (Florida) will be available, and there's a decent dropoff at defensive end after that Big Three.
So if those three are gone, do the Jaguars then just take the next best available DE in Clemson's Phillip Merling or Miami's Calais Campbell (who had a subpar season in 2007)? That's where reaching for need can get NFL teams in trouble.
The Jaguars have a playoff-caliber roster and they're seeking to get to that championship level. It might best serve them in the first round to just take the best available player — providing he's not a running back or quarterback — who will be of immediate help somewhere.
As the Jaguars discovered through an injury-riddled 2007 season, you can never have enough reinforcements.
After watching the Los Angeles Lakers' entertaining 130-124 victory over the Phoenix Suns Wednesday night, it's clear that there ought to be as much buzz over the Lakers acquiring Pau Gasol in a trade with the Memphis Grizzlies as for the Suns landing Shaquille O'Neal from the Miami Heat.
O'Neal fared better than I expected with 15 points and 9 rebounds in 29 minutes, considering that he hadn't played in a month because of inflammation in his left hip and thigh. And as he gets adjusted to his new surroundings and plays more with All-Stars Steve Nash and Amare Stoudemire, it's possible the 36-year-old center might be able to acquire a fifth NBA championship ring.
But looking at the way Gasol scored 29 points in so many different ways, I'm not so sure that he won't be the difference-maker when the playoffs come around in what should be a wild Western Conference shootout. With Gasol on board, the NBA's best player in Kobe Bryant now has his Robin sidekick that was much needed for the Lakers to become a championship contender.
If Shaq was two or three years younger, I'd lean toward him bringing Phoenix a title. But seeing Gasol's versatile game, it's looking good for the Lakers to be king of the mountain again.
A lot of speculation about whether Florida's two-time defending national championship basketball team will reach the NCAA tournament, so here's the lowdown on what I believe must happen for Billy Donovan's Gators (20-7) to reach the Big Dance -- win three more games between the four remaining regular-season contests and the SEC tournament.
If Florida can get to 23 wins, which would mean either a 9-7 SEC record and a tournanment win or a 10-6 SEC record and an opening-round loss, that should be just enough for the NCAA selection committee to give the Gators a 10th consecutive tourney berth.
Wednesday's 85-82 home win over South Carolina was critical. Not because it raised UF's profile in any way, but because they avoided the massive damage of losing to a team outside the RPI Top 100. Last week's home loss to LSU is what put the Gators in their current predicament. They could ill afford another bad loss.
It's possible that 22 victories could get UF a bid, but that's only if the Gators upset Tennessee at home on March 5. Otherwise, they better reach 23 because UF's horrible non-conference schedule has dragged their RPI (No. 57) down into bubble territory. And with only one quality win, against Vanderbilt at home, Florida could use a home win over Tennessee or SEC Western division leader Mississippi State (March 1) to spruce up its so-so resume.
Contrary to what some people think, being a two-time NCAA champion will carry minimal weight with the selection committee. The selectors are entrusted with picking the 34 most qualified at-large teams based on their overall body of work, and it's presumptous to assume that Florida will get the benefit of a close call just because it hoisted the trophy the past two years.
If it's an absolutely dead-even call between the Gators and say, Miami (Fla.), for the last at-large spot, then it's possible that some commmittee members will subconsciously favor UF, but there's too many other ways for the committee to settle close calls than simply to look at a school's recent basketball tradition.
One big negative for the Gators, especially if they split their last four games and get bounced out of the SEC tournament in the first round, is their overall strength of schedule. It's ranked dead last among all the teams in the six major conferences. That's a huge point against them. Also, under that same 2-2 closing scenario, it also means Florida would have lost six of its last 10 regular-season games, which might be a death knell for the Gators if there's not a win over Tennessee to offset the damage.
The last at-large teams taken for the NCAAs usually are a No. 11 or 12 seed. Right now, looking at the Gators' resume and comparing it with the rest of the country, Florida is right in that 11-12-13 range. UF is riding the bubble big-time, and let's not forget that some of these at-large bids could be lost if teams like Drake, Butler, Memphis or St. Mary's/Gonzaga fail to win their conference tournaments. That could end up costing UF a bid as well if they don't take care of business down the stretch.
Florida has had a very respectable season, considering their roster is almost exclusively made up of freshmen and sophomores. The long-term future looks incredibly bright, but keeping UF's March Madness streak alive will require the Gators to play significantly better than they have in the past three weeks.
It looks like UF's magic number is 23 wins. Anything less, the Gators will run the risk of settling for a consolation prize that none of them want -- hosting a National Invitation Tournament game.
Nobody knows more than Byron Leftwich what a difference a year makes. Last February, he was being named the Jaguars' starting quarterback over David Garrard because head coach Jack Del Rio didn't want any lingering controversy about the position to drag through the offseason. Six months later, Del Rio cut Leftwich and elevated Garrard to No. 1.
Now fast forward another six months and Leftwich has been cut again, this time by the Atlanta Falcons, now coached by former Jaguars' defensive coordinator Mike Smith. So in one year, Leftwich has gone from being the Jaguars' franchise quarterback to being released twice, each time by a coach with Jaguar connections.
Just another reason why the NFL is an acronymn for Not For Long.
With the NFL Combine underway in Indianapolis, that commences two months of speculation about what the Jaguars will do with the 26th overall pick in the April draft. Much of the focus will be on acquiring a pass-rusher, but the Jaguars have to be careful not to reach too much there out of need. You want value for the spot you're picking as well.
Barring a trade up, which the Jaguars have done only once in their first-round history (1995, moving from early second round to No. 19 overall to take running back James Stewart), the Jags are picking at a time when the best pass-rushers are likely to be off the board. It's hard to believe Chris Long (Virginia), Vernon Gholston (Ohio State) and Derrick Harvey (Florida) will be available, and there's a decent dropoff at defensive end after that Big Three.
So if those three are gone, do the Jaguars then just take the next best available DE in Clemson's Phillip Merling or Miami's Calais Campbell (who had a subpar season in 2007)? That's where reaching for need can get NFL teams in trouble.
The Jaguars have a playoff-caliber roster and they're seeking to get to that championship level. It might best serve them in the first round to just take the best available player — providing he's not a running back or quarterback — who will be of immediate help somewhere.
As the Jaguars discovered through an injury-riddled 2007 season, you can never have enough reinforcements.
After watching the Los Angeles Lakers' entertaining 130-124 victory over the Phoenix Suns Wednesday night, it's clear that there ought to be as much buzz over the Lakers acquiring Pau Gasol in a trade with the Memphis Grizzlies as for the Suns landing Shaquille O'Neal from the Miami Heat.
O'Neal fared better than I expected with 15 points and 9 rebounds in 29 minutes, considering that he hadn't played in a month because of inflammation in his left hip and thigh. And as he gets adjusted to his new surroundings and plays more with All-Stars Steve Nash and Amare Stoudemire, it's possible the 36-year-old center might be able to acquire a fifth NBA championship ring.
But looking at the way Gasol scored 29 points in so many different ways, I'm not so sure that he won't be the difference-maker when the playoffs come around in what should be a wild Western Conference shootout. With Gasol on board, the NBA's best player in Kobe Bryant now has his Robin sidekick that was much needed for the Lakers to become a championship contender.
If Shaq was two or three years younger, I'd lean toward him bringing Phoenix a title. But seeing Gasol's versatile game, it's looking good for the Lakers to be king of the mountain again.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
FSU hopes medicine now is sufficient
On jacksonville.com, Florida Times-Union sports columnist Gene Frenette discusses various topics in the sports world. The following is a blog on Feb. 14th.
Florida State University's decision to self-impose two years of probation and a loss of scholarships due to an academic cheating scandal is essentially a plea to the NCAA that says: We've punished ourselves enough, please don't add to our misery.
The fact that FSU has already fired a tutor, two staffers and a learning specialist in this scandal -- which involved cheating on a fall, 2006 online test and again in 2007 spring and summer semesters -- is a good start. No official word yet from FSU on how this probation would impact any of the sports teams involved. Nearly two dozen football players were suspended for the Dec. 31 Music City Bowl and many will continue to be suspended for the first three games next season.
It remains to be seen whether the NCAA will conduct its own separate investigation after assisting on FSU's investigation. If that happens, there remains a strong possibility that the NCAA could impose additional penalties to the ones already put forth by the school.
The biggest problem facing the Seminoles and new athletic director Randy Spetman is the NCAA frowns heavily on academic fraud. If you're going to draw the attention of the NCAA, it's better for it to be for a secondary recruiting violation or breaking some minor rules. The NCAA is less likely to be as understanding of this kind of wrongdoing.
It's always dicey to try and predict what the NCAA is going to do at any given time. Put it this way: 78-year-old football coach Bobby Bowden won't age well while waiting for the NCAA's possible response.
Speaking of NCAA rules violations, it doesn't look good for Indiana basketball coach Kelvin Sampson. The man allegedly can't seem to stop making illegal phone calls to recruits, which could put his career in jeopardy now that the NCAA is accusing him of further violations after he was already on probation for similar offenses when he coached at Oklahoma.
The problem here is Indiana, 20-3, has one of its best basketball teams since Bob Knight left the building and the school may have to strongly consider banning itself from the postseason in exchange for NCAA leniency. It's hard to imagine Sampson, who says he never knowingly violated the terms of his NCAA probation, won't either be suspended or fired before this season is over.
If Indiana decides to fight the charges and loses, the penalties down the line could be a lot worse.
It was amusing to hear on Jacksonville sports radio the issue raised whether Jaguars' fullback Greg Jones is "that good of a blocker." If the Jaguars were willing to give him around $17 million, a record contract for an NFL fullback, it stands to reason that he's got the blocking part of his game in top form. Teams don't give that kind of money to fullbacks who have problems picking up their blocks.
Florida's 85-73 home loss to LSU Wednesday night could be a killer come NCAA tournament selection day. Billy Donovan's Gators have reached nine consecutive NCAA tourneys, but that streak is in a little jeopardy because the Gators dropped to 60th in the Ratings Percentage Index (RPI), which is a partial barometer for the NCAA selection committee. It's rare for teams ranked 50th or below on the RPI to receive an at-large bid.
The Gators played a terrible non-conference schedule and their only win over an RPI Top 50 team came at home against Vanderbilt two weeks ago. Florida (19-6) will likely need four more wins to assure itself of an NCAA berth. A win at Vanderbilt on Saturday or an upset of Tennessee on March 5 would have coach BIlly Dononvan breathing a little easier about another NCAA trip.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. winning the first Duel 150 Thursday afternoon is a great story, but another was missed in the second Duel 150 when Hollywood stunt man Stanton Barrett was involved in a wreck after running superbly in the first 15 laps. Barrett has done many of the stunts in the Spiderman movies and has a long list of other credits on the silver screen.
Barrett had a decent shot at qualifying for his first Daytona 500 until his Chevy Impala was taken out on Turn 4 after former Formula One champion Jacques Villeneuve spun out.
A follow-up to my Tuesday column on former Camden County High linebacker Tyrone Jones, 46, who has been suffering from an inoperable brain tumor for the last three years and is in a nursing home in Folkston, Ga. under the care of Hospice. Jones was a four-time All-Star in the Canadian Football League and still holds the Grey Cup record with four quarterback sacks in one game. He was also the last CFL player to intercept Hall of Fame quarterback Warren Moon when Jones' team, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, defeated Moon's Edmonton Eskimos in the 1983 CFL playoffs.
Happy Valentine's Day. Good luck to all who are right now contemplating going into a two-minute offense to secure a gift for their significant others.
Read about the report in Bob Thomas' Whataboutit Bob blog.
Florida State University's decision to self-impose two years of probation and a loss of scholarships due to an academic cheating scandal is essentially a plea to the NCAA that says: We've punished ourselves enough, please don't add to our misery.
The fact that FSU has already fired a tutor, two staffers and a learning specialist in this scandal -- which involved cheating on a fall, 2006 online test and again in 2007 spring and summer semesters -- is a good start. No official word yet from FSU on how this probation would impact any of the sports teams involved. Nearly two dozen football players were suspended for the Dec. 31 Music City Bowl and many will continue to be suspended for the first three games next season.
It remains to be seen whether the NCAA will conduct its own separate investigation after assisting on FSU's investigation. If that happens, there remains a strong possibility that the NCAA could impose additional penalties to the ones already put forth by the school.
The biggest problem facing the Seminoles and new athletic director Randy Spetman is the NCAA frowns heavily on academic fraud. If you're going to draw the attention of the NCAA, it's better for it to be for a secondary recruiting violation or breaking some minor rules. The NCAA is less likely to be as understanding of this kind of wrongdoing.
It's always dicey to try and predict what the NCAA is going to do at any given time. Put it this way: 78-year-old football coach Bobby Bowden won't age well while waiting for the NCAA's possible response.
Speaking of NCAA rules violations, it doesn't look good for Indiana basketball coach Kelvin Sampson. The man allegedly can't seem to stop making illegal phone calls to recruits, which could put his career in jeopardy now that the NCAA is accusing him of further violations after he was already on probation for similar offenses when he coached at Oklahoma.
The problem here is Indiana, 20-3, has one of its best basketball teams since Bob Knight left the building and the school may have to strongly consider banning itself from the postseason in exchange for NCAA leniency. It's hard to imagine Sampson, who says he never knowingly violated the terms of his NCAA probation, won't either be suspended or fired before this season is over.
If Indiana decides to fight the charges and loses, the penalties down the line could be a lot worse.
It was amusing to hear on Jacksonville sports radio the issue raised whether Jaguars' fullback Greg Jones is "that good of a blocker." If the Jaguars were willing to give him around $17 million, a record contract for an NFL fullback, it stands to reason that he's got the blocking part of his game in top form. Teams don't give that kind of money to fullbacks who have problems picking up their blocks.
Florida's 85-73 home loss to LSU Wednesday night could be a killer come NCAA tournament selection day. Billy Donovan's Gators have reached nine consecutive NCAA tourneys, but that streak is in a little jeopardy because the Gators dropped to 60th in the Ratings Percentage Index (RPI), which is a partial barometer for the NCAA selection committee. It's rare for teams ranked 50th or below on the RPI to receive an at-large bid.
The Gators played a terrible non-conference schedule and their only win over an RPI Top 50 team came at home against Vanderbilt two weeks ago. Florida (19-6) will likely need four more wins to assure itself of an NCAA berth. A win at Vanderbilt on Saturday or an upset of Tennessee on March 5 would have coach BIlly Dononvan breathing a little easier about another NCAA trip.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. winning the first Duel 150 Thursday afternoon is a great story, but another was missed in the second Duel 150 when Hollywood stunt man Stanton Barrett was involved in a wreck after running superbly in the first 15 laps. Barrett has done many of the stunts in the Spiderman movies and has a long list of other credits on the silver screen.
Barrett had a decent shot at qualifying for his first Daytona 500 until his Chevy Impala was taken out on Turn 4 after former Formula One champion Jacques Villeneuve spun out.
A follow-up to my Tuesday column on former Camden County High linebacker Tyrone Jones, 46, who has been suffering from an inoperable brain tumor for the last three years and is in a nursing home in Folkston, Ga. under the care of Hospice. Jones was a four-time All-Star in the Canadian Football League and still holds the Grey Cup record with four quarterback sacks in one game. He was also the last CFL player to intercept Hall of Fame quarterback Warren Moon when Jones' team, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, defeated Moon's Edmonton Eskimos in the 1983 CFL playoffs.
Happy Valentine's Day. Good luck to all who are right now contemplating going into a two-minute offense to secure a gift for their significant others.
Read about the report in Bob Thomas' Whataboutit Bob blog.
Thursday, February 7, 2008
No Contradiction on Williams
Florida Times-Union sports columnist Gene Frenette discusses his views on jacksonville.com on all topics in the sports world. The following is posted for Thursday Feb. 7.
After my column today on the Jaguars' hiring of Gregg Williams as their defensive coordinator, a reader wanted to know why I gave the move such a high approval rating after last Sunday's column in which I doubted that the hire would take place. There's no contradiction in the two columns. In the first column, yes, I did doubt whether Williams and head coach Jack Del Rio could reach an agreement because Williams had complete authority over the defense when he was with the Washington Redskins. Joe Gibbs gave him complete autonomy. It's hard to imagine Del Rio turning over the keys on defense like he does, to a greater extent anyway, with Dirk Koetter and the offense. That's why I questioned whether Williams would come to Jacksonville. But since he and Del Rio have obviously talked through that issue and resolved it, then it's a great hire, at least on paper.
Who has better credentials as a defensive coach, among those pursuing NFL positions or wanting to be coordinators, than Williams? The guy has put together top-five defenses with the Tennessee Titans as a defensive coordinator, with the Buffalo Bills as the head coach, and with the Redskins as assistant head coach-defense. What Jaguars' fan doesn't remember their all-time best team being beaten three times in 1999 by Tennessee and scoring a combined 47 points in the process?
This may be just a one-year gig for Williams. If he has any success with the Jags' defense in 2008, you can bet he will get a head coaching job offer and probably be gone if he likes the organization. So Del Rio may be looking for another coordinator next season, but that's OK. If teams are coming after your coaches, that's a good thing because it means you're winning.
The Jaguars must improve from their No. 12 NFL ranking in total defense to be a Super Bowl contender, and Williams more than has a proven resume in that regard. As a head coach, Del Rio's job is to get the best possible support system in place to win. The only thing that matters now is what happens in 2008. If Williams leaves after one season for a better job, then you deal with that dilemma when it comes up.
For now, you take the gift of Williams' expertise, which only became available because Redskins' owner Dan Snyder is too fickle when it comes to hiring people. He's always looking for the flavor of the month instead of staying the course. Williams was suppose to be the successor to Hall of Fame coach Joe Gibbs, but Snyder, as his track record suggests, can't seem to zero in on a solution and stick with it.
Who knows how things will turn out for the Jags' defense in 2008? Injuries will impact that, as they always do. But at this moment, it's impossible to give the hiring of Williams anything but a positive review.
Here's my only problem with the NCAA and the University of Florida clearing Gators' football coach Urban Meyer of any wrongdoing in the recruiting of wide receiver Carl Moore, based on allegations that Meyer made improper phone calls to Moore's girlfriend, UF gymnast Maranda Smith. If Meyer is innocent, why not say why there was no rule broken? Is it because Smith made false statements about being contacted by Meyer? Is it because the NCAA rule about permissable callers in the recruiting section of the NCAA bylaws was not broken? What exactly is the reason why Meyer was cleared?
Florida fans, opposing fans and the media had a lot of interest in the story when it first came out. But when it's resolved and the coach has been cleared, I think everyone has the right to know why.
Bob Knight's midseason resignation this week as the Texas Tech basketball coach was a stunner. The man who asks players to give him their maximum effort just quits with a month left in the regular season. Unless there's an unknown medical issue that he wants to keep to himself, this decision looks a bit suspicious. It sure looks like he just wanted to get to 900 wins and then leave at a time when the Red Raiders are encountering the most difficult stretch in their schedule. Knight is a fabulous coach with a long history of bully-type behavior. Unless his health is involved, this exit raises a lot of eyebrows and strikes me as more self-serving than having the team's best interest in mind.
What a terrific Super Bowl game. As I watched it while out in Colorado for my brother Eric's memorial service (he lost a five-month battle with cancer), I couldn't help but wonder if the New York Giants would pull it out because the New England Patriots missed chance after chance to seal the outcome. They could never stretch out that 7-3 lead. Why Bill Belichick passed up a 48-yard field goal in ideal conditions with a four-point lead is a real head-scratcher. If New England misses the kick, it only gives up seven yards of field position. The risk-reward factor was definitely in the Patriots' favor, especially since it was 4th-and-13 and not 4th-and-3. Bad call.
And on the Giants' game-winning drive, the Patriots, including Pro Bowl cornerback Asante Samuel, had opportunities to end the game or essentially kill the drive with either an interception or a quarterback sack. That didn't happen. They kept leaving the door open for Eli Manning, and he eventually walked in and ruined a perfect season.
That 32-yard pass to David Tyree, after Manning wiggled out of the grasp of lineman Jarvis Green, was easily the greatest play in Super Bowl history. Maybe even in the history of professional sports, given the stakes and pressure of the situation.
It was great drama and a deserving reward for Giants coach Tom Coughlin, who finally climbed the NFL summit in his 12th season as an NFL head coach. One of the benefits of being a Super Bowl champion that is most important to Coughlin will be in raising money for his Jacksonville-based charity, the Jay Fund, which helps children who are cancer victims.
Coughlin and his charity are trying to raise a $5 million endowment and have already collected over $2 million in pledges. Now that he's a Super Bowl champion, it'll be a little easier to reach that all-important goal. His annual big fund-raiser, which includes a memorabilia auction and golf tournament, will be in May.
After my column today on the Jaguars' hiring of Gregg Williams as their defensive coordinator, a reader wanted to know why I gave the move such a high approval rating after last Sunday's column in which I doubted that the hire would take place. There's no contradiction in the two columns. In the first column, yes, I did doubt whether Williams and head coach Jack Del Rio could reach an agreement because Williams had complete authority over the defense when he was with the Washington Redskins. Joe Gibbs gave him complete autonomy. It's hard to imagine Del Rio turning over the keys on defense like he does, to a greater extent anyway, with Dirk Koetter and the offense. That's why I questioned whether Williams would come to Jacksonville. But since he and Del Rio have obviously talked through that issue and resolved it, then it's a great hire, at least on paper.
Who has better credentials as a defensive coach, among those pursuing NFL positions or wanting to be coordinators, than Williams? The guy has put together top-five defenses with the Tennessee Titans as a defensive coordinator, with the Buffalo Bills as the head coach, and with the Redskins as assistant head coach-defense. What Jaguars' fan doesn't remember their all-time best team being beaten three times in 1999 by Tennessee and scoring a combined 47 points in the process?
This may be just a one-year gig for Williams. If he has any success with the Jags' defense in 2008, you can bet he will get a head coaching job offer and probably be gone if he likes the organization. So Del Rio may be looking for another coordinator next season, but that's OK. If teams are coming after your coaches, that's a good thing because it means you're winning.
The Jaguars must improve from their No. 12 NFL ranking in total defense to be a Super Bowl contender, and Williams more than has a proven resume in that regard. As a head coach, Del Rio's job is to get the best possible support system in place to win. The only thing that matters now is what happens in 2008. If Williams leaves after one season for a better job, then you deal with that dilemma when it comes up.
For now, you take the gift of Williams' expertise, which only became available because Redskins' owner Dan Snyder is too fickle when it comes to hiring people. He's always looking for the flavor of the month instead of staying the course. Williams was suppose to be the successor to Hall of Fame coach Joe Gibbs, but Snyder, as his track record suggests, can't seem to zero in on a solution and stick with it.
Who knows how things will turn out for the Jags' defense in 2008? Injuries will impact that, as they always do. But at this moment, it's impossible to give the hiring of Williams anything but a positive review.
Here's my only problem with the NCAA and the University of Florida clearing Gators' football coach Urban Meyer of any wrongdoing in the recruiting of wide receiver Carl Moore, based on allegations that Meyer made improper phone calls to Moore's girlfriend, UF gymnast Maranda Smith. If Meyer is innocent, why not say why there was no rule broken? Is it because Smith made false statements about being contacted by Meyer? Is it because the NCAA rule about permissable callers in the recruiting section of the NCAA bylaws was not broken? What exactly is the reason why Meyer was cleared?
Florida fans, opposing fans and the media had a lot of interest in the story when it first came out. But when it's resolved and the coach has been cleared, I think everyone has the right to know why.
Bob Knight's midseason resignation this week as the Texas Tech basketball coach was a stunner. The man who asks players to give him their maximum effort just quits with a month left in the regular season. Unless there's an unknown medical issue that he wants to keep to himself, this decision looks a bit suspicious. It sure looks like he just wanted to get to 900 wins and then leave at a time when the Red Raiders are encountering the most difficult stretch in their schedule. Knight is a fabulous coach with a long history of bully-type behavior. Unless his health is involved, this exit raises a lot of eyebrows and strikes me as more self-serving than having the team's best interest in mind.
What a terrific Super Bowl game. As I watched it while out in Colorado for my brother Eric's memorial service (he lost a five-month battle with cancer), I couldn't help but wonder if the New York Giants would pull it out because the New England Patriots missed chance after chance to seal the outcome. They could never stretch out that 7-3 lead. Why Bill Belichick passed up a 48-yard field goal in ideal conditions with a four-point lead is a real head-scratcher. If New England misses the kick, it only gives up seven yards of field position. The risk-reward factor was definitely in the Patriots' favor, especially since it was 4th-and-13 and not 4th-and-3. Bad call.
And on the Giants' game-winning drive, the Patriots, including Pro Bowl cornerback Asante Samuel, had opportunities to end the game or essentially kill the drive with either an interception or a quarterback sack. That didn't happen. They kept leaving the door open for Eli Manning, and he eventually walked in and ruined a perfect season.
That 32-yard pass to David Tyree, after Manning wiggled out of the grasp of lineman Jarvis Green, was easily the greatest play in Super Bowl history. Maybe even in the history of professional sports, given the stakes and pressure of the situation.
It was great drama and a deserving reward for Giants coach Tom Coughlin, who finally climbed the NFL summit in his 12th season as an NFL head coach. One of the benefits of being a Super Bowl champion that is most important to Coughlin will be in raising money for his Jacksonville-based charity, the Jay Fund, which helps children who are cancer victims.
Coughlin and his charity are trying to raise a $5 million endowment and have already collected over $2 million in pledges. Now that he's a Super Bowl champion, it'll be a little easier to reach that all-important goal. His annual big fund-raiser, which includes a memorabilia auction and golf tournament, will be in May.
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