Podcast: A Recap of a Year of Bob Long’s Sports Blog

Title: A Recap of a Year of Bob Long’s Sports Blog

In this Bob Long’s Sports Podcast, Chris and I go through some of the highlights of Bob Long’s Sports Blog, including some of the most memorable blogs written. A great listen, and it opens up discussion for the listeners to read some of the best blogs over the past year.

Link: http://bobsportsblog.podomatic.com/entry/2010-12-02T19_07_01-08_00

World Cup Sites Announced

BREAKING NEWS: This morning, the sites of the 2018 and the 2022 World Cup were announced, and many countries, including the United States, anxiously waited for their name to be called.  Unfortunately for USA fans, the United States was not selected as a site, as Russia was selected for 2018, and minutes later (sleeper pick) Qatar was selected for the 2022 World Cup.  Qatar was selected over the United States, Australia, Japan, and South Korea.  The United States last hosted a World Cup in 1996.

Happy Birthday to the Blog

On December 1st, 2009, I posted my first blog on Bob Long’s Sports Blog, entitled “The Notre Dame Coaching Job” (http://bobsportsblog.wordpress.com/2009/12/01/the-notre-dame-coaching-job/).  Today, December 1st, 2010, almost 300 posts later, I am still blogging, am now podcasting, and in a matter of days I will have another big announcement about the future of the blog.  So stay tuned for that announcement.

Thanks to all my readers and listeners over the past year, it has been a lot of fun connecting with many of you, and I hope to continue serving your sports needs in the future.

Cam Newton Ruled Eligible

BREAKING NEWS: Auburn quarterback Cam Newton has been ruled eligible after a long investigation pertaining to his amateur status.  The investigation, which lasted several months, was headed by the NCAA to determine whether or not Cam Newton accepted money in exchange for a commitment to Auburn to play football.  The cloud over the Auburn season that was caused by this investigation was finally removed today, as Cam Newton was ruled eligible, and it was ruled that he did not relinquish his amateur status by his actions prior to his enrollment at Auburn.

However, the Newton family was not completely clean in this matter.  As has been reported by multiple sources over the past few months, it was confirmed that Cam’s father, Cecil Newton, approached the Mississippi State football program with a pay-for-play plan for his son.  Although Cecil Newton’s actions were against NCAA regulations, there was not enough evidence to prove that Cam had knowledge of the pay-for-play scheme, and this lack of evidence saved Newton’s eligibility.

The curious aspect of this investigation and its resolution is the fact that no statement was made about whether or not money actually exchanged hands.  The NCAA stated that Cecil Newton broke NCAA rules, but that Cam Newton did not.  The statement contained information about Cecil Newton inquiring about a pay-for-play plan, but there is no mention of actual payment.  The investigation is not closed, and Cam Newton is ruled eligible at this point, but as more information comes forward, the investigation will be subject to re-examination.

Auburn will play South Carolina this weekend in the SEC Championship, and will play for the opportunity to go to the BCS National Championship.

TCU to Join Big East

TCU has accepted an invitation to become the 17th member of the Big East Conference and the 9th football member, beginning in the 2012-2013 season.  The move puts the basketball conference in a very precarious position, as a league with 17 members, with potentially more members to come, makes scheduling, organization, and distribution of revenue very difficult.  By comparison, the 2nd largest basketball conference, the Atlantic 10, has 14 members, and has neither the money nor the national prominence of the Big East.  Such a prominent conference with so many teams will be difficult to manage.  However, like most decisions with regard to conference realignment, it was driven by football and the money that comes with it.

Big East football is struggling, and its position as a major football conference has been in jeopardy.  The BCS evaluation period for the Big East’s automatic bid ends in December 2011, and recent history suggests that the conference is not always worthy of an automatic BCS bid.  An addition of a perennial power like TCU is essential for the Big East to retain its BCS automatic bid and the revenue that comes with it.  The Big East will be able to report TCU’s accomplishments and prominence to the BCS for this evaluation, which will most likely secure the BCS automatic bid until the next evaluation period for the 2016-2017 season.  Also, the addition of the Dallas television market, one of the top 5 markets in the country, is a major benefit for the Big East.

The move to a major conference was important for TCU as well.  By joining the Big East, TCU will have an opportunity to earn a BCS bid every year, without concern about BCS rankings or the image of non-automatic qualifying schools.  In addition, the Horned Frogs’ strength of schedule will improve with the move from the Mountain West to the Big East.  The opportunities that exist for the TCU football program in the Big East were unmatched.  The decision to move to the Big East was a perfect match for both entities, as both were filling a void for the other, and now both are in a much better position athletically and financially moving forward.

Where does the Big East move from here?  With 17 schools for basketball, and 9 schools for football, an addition of at least 1 more school is likely.  The Big East desires at least 10 football schools so that it can lobby to the NCAA, just as the Big XII did, for a conference championship game, even though traditional NCAA regulations require 12 teams for a conference championship game.  Candidates for the 10th football spot include Conference USA teams like UCF, Memphis, and Houston, among others.  Another possible addition for football is Villanova, which is already a basketball school in the Big East with a football program at the FCS level.  The offer was made to Villanova to move the football program to the Big East at the beginning of this season.  The potential move by Villanova is currently being reviewed by the VU Athletic Department, and is being led by Athletic Director Vince Necastro.  The decision will be made by early Spring 2011, according to President Father Donohue.  I have been strongly against the potential move from the FCS to the FBS, for many reasons (See my Letter to the VU Athletic Director and the President, http://bobsportsblog.wordpress.com/2010/09/10/nova-to-the-big-east-in-football/).

How will the Big East change beyond football with the addition of TCU?  First, the scheduling and organization of basketball will change dramatically.  At this point, each conference team plays all other teams at least once, and plays 3 teams twice in the regular season, which fulfills the 18 game conference schedule.  With the addition of TCU, and perhaps more schools, the number of repeat conference games per season will decrease or even disappear, which would lead to more balanced scheduling but greater disparity among the quality of teams in the Big East.  In addition, the format of conference tournaments in all sports will need to be changed significantly.  A 17 team conference will become extremely difficult to schedule efficiently and effectively.

Another concern is the travel for TCU.  The Big East consists of teams primarily on the Atlantic Coast, and primarily  in the North.  Teams like Marquette, Depaul, Notre Dame, and South Florida are the exceptions.  However, none of these teams are nearly as far from “Big East Heartland” as TCU.  TCU joins Depaul as the only other Big East team in the Central Time zone, and joins South Florida as the only other Big East team located below the state of Kentucky.  TCU is the farthest outlier geographically, which will certainly affect sports besides basketball and football in terms of transportation.  It is interesting to note; however, that TCU is actually less of an outlier now than it was during its time in the Mountain West.  While in the Mountain West, TCU was the only team in the Central time zone, and more than half of the teams in the conference were 2 time zones away, in the Pacific time zone.  Therefore, long distance traveling will not be new for TCU athletes, but will certainly affect scheduling for the Big East, which hasn’t had to deal with a school located so far from the rest of the Big East schools.

In terms of competition in athletics, TCU will bring an unique presence to the conference.  In basketball, TCU will struggle in a conference that has been the best in college basketball in recent years.  In baseball, TCU will dominate, and will fight with Louisville for conference supremacy most years.  In football, TCU will finally get a bit of a test in conference play.  It will be very exciting to see how TCU will fare against West Virginia, Pittsburgh, Connecticut, and others in the Big East.  In the same vein, it will be exciting to see the impact TCU will have on the conference on the whole, and if recruiting, quality of play, and general excitement around the conference will change with the addition of the program.

TCU brings a new era and a new opportunity to the Big East with the change in affiliation.  Big East football is thankful for the opportunity given by TCU, and TCU is thankful for the opportunity given by the Big East.

Podcast: NFL Special

Title: NFL Special

An in-depth look at the NFL, including a round up of the past week and a preview of the Thanksgiving Day Games. Eagles vs. Giants, Bills vs. Bengals, and the Jeff Fisher vs. Vince Young issue is covered, among others.

Link: http://bobsportsblog.podomatic.com/entry/2010-11-24T18_54_31-08_00

Mets Hire Terry Collins

The New York Mets entered this offseason without a Manager and a General Manager, and as of Tuesday both positions were filled.  The Mets hired Sandy Alderson as the GM on October 29, and instructed him to conduct the manager search.  Tuesday, Alderson completed his search and hired Terry Collins, a former Major League player who has plenty of coaching experience.  He has had decades of experience in the minors, has had experience as bullpen coach at the Major League level, and has had two stints at manager, with the Houston Astros and Anaheim Angels.  Collins compiled a 444-434 record in 6 years of managing in the Major Leagues.

Terry Collins is known to be a fiery, intense, and stringent manager.  He is as serious as any manager on game day, and does not allow his players to be complacent.  He has been known to snap at times on his team after poor performances and performances that he deems to be lackluster and not up to par.  Collins will be a sudden change from the laid back personalities of Willie Randolph and Jerry Manuel, the previous 2 Mets managers.  However, a fiery manager who stresses accountability and demands the best from players each and every night is what the Mets need right now.  The Mets have always had the talent, but the talent has never been consistent.  Jason Bay had a very average season in his first year with the club, Carlos Beltran has had attitude problems, Jose Reyes has proved to be soft in his reactions to minor injuries, and many other talented players have underperformed in the past few years.  The Mets organization needed to hire a manager like Collins, because the front office should be as upset as the fans are with the fact that this team has failed to live up to the hype since the 2006 season, when it went to the NLCS.  The Mets need a manager that will light a fire under these players, will demand accountability from everyone, and will instill a culture of respect, intensity, and teamwork in the locker room.  Terry Collins is that manager, and Mets fans should be excited about the future.

Some are worried about Collins’ history with regard to being “run out of town.”  Collins was fired in Anaheim after his players approached the GM and demanded that he be fired.  Fans are worried that he will turn the locker room against him, and that the players won’t respond because of his attitude.  While this is a fair concern, the Mets were forced to hire a manager like Collins.  The culture that currently exists in the Mets organization is one of apathy and lack of accountability.   Such traits lead to underperformance and waste of talent, which have defined the Mets in recent years.  Therefore, Mets fans should embrace a manager that will instill a culture of accountability and will eliminate complacence.

Compare the situation to John Gruden in the NFL.  Gruden is a coach that most players do not like, but he is successful because of his forceful style.  In Oakland, he led the Raiders to the AFC Championship Game, and was run out of town mainly because the players and fans grew tired of his style.  Then he went to Tampa, where he won the Super Bowl, but again was run out for similar reasons.  Mets fans should embrace such a coach.  If Collins can instill a culture of respect and accountability in the Mets locker room, and can get this team back to the playoffs, why wouldn’t fans support him?  He could be run out of town in 5 years, but the importance of setting a standard of excellence and a standard of quality that hasn’t been stressed recently in the Mets organization is paramount.  While Collins may be an eccentric manager, may rustle some feathers, and may ultimately be run out of town, he will put these players in their place and will set a standard of discipline that the franchise has been missing.  The talent has been there, but now the Mets have a man that can put it all together.