Let's do this return to the "blogosphere" in "Grab Bag" (Thanks to @DownGoesBrown for the format and the whole "Grab Bag" concept.) format. Don't worry. I promise there will still be long-form posts but sometimes it's good to just weigh in with some quick hitters.
So let's go.
1. Les Miles is still IN at LSU
I am absolutely appalled at all the speculation that had been surrounding Les Miles the last two weeks. I understand that sports have become the epitome of a "what have you done for me lately" business but the stats still warrant a look. Miles has won over 75% of his games in 11 seasons (111-32), 2 SEC Titles, 1 National Championship (played for another one), and has had a whopping 64 NFL Draft choices during his tenure in Death Valley. There may not be a coach more synonymous with his school than "The Mad Hatter." It's no secret that I have long been a fan of Miles and I find it ridiculous that a group of rogue boosters could create an uprising to the point where the athletic administration let Miles twist in the wind while every sports news outlets ran video montages recapping his career at LSU. It's even crazier to think that within hours of the initial speculation about his job security becoming public, those rogue boosters said that the $15 million necessary for his buyout was already banked and ready to go. I thought Miles did a pretty good job handling the situation and LSU athletic director Joe Alleva eventually stated, "I want to make it very clear and positive that Les Miles is our football coach and he will continue to be our football coach." Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal went on record (via Twitter) and said, "Les Miles is a great coach and a better man. He is a fantastic ambassador for our state. I hope he remains our coach." You know you have to be doing something right if the governor of the state says something on your behalf.
I'm glad that LSU got this decision right. Patience is a virtue and while there are plenty of things to fix at LSU (particularly on the offensive side of the football), I truly believe that Miles is the guy who is most capable of getting the job done. I understand that he hasn't defeated Nick Saban and Alabama in his last five tries, but who has? Miles is a tremendous football coach and guys like him don't come along often. As ESPN's Mark Schlabach pointed out, Miles turned down the chance to coach his alma mater, Michigan, in 2007 while Saban was quick to bolt for the NFL and the Miami Dolphins. Plus, his players (along with plenty of LSU fans) absolutely love him and make no secret about it, evidenced by them carrying him off the field after Saturday's win over Texas A&M. I'm very happy to see that some sanity has prevailed in the topsy-turvy world of college football.
2. Mark Richt is OUT at Georgia
Just when I was feeling good about things, Georgia went and fired another one of my favorite coaches, Mark Richt. The easy assumption is that UGA fired him because he has not won an SEC Title in 10 years. However, Richt has taken Georgia back to national relevance not seen since the Vince Dooley era over his 15 seasons in Athens. Richt was 145-51 with SEC Titles in 2002 and 2005. He also captured the SEC East on three other occasions and had 79 players drafted by the NFL. A win in their bowl game would make 2015 Richt's tenth 10-win season at UGA. He had success against two of UGA's three big rivals, going 13-2 against Georgia Tech and 10-5 against Auburn. The knock on his resume is his 5-10 record against Florida. It's understood that watching Missouri win two of the last three SEC East crowns while Florida and Tennessee struggled can be conceived as missed opportunities but don't forget that UGA hadn't won an SEC crown in 20 years before Richt arrived on campus in 2002 after serving as Bobby Bowden's offensive coordinator at Florida State. Richt has been noted to be a religious man and a great influence on his players. St. Louis Rams running back Todd Gurley has gone on record with his anger and frustration at Richt's firing. I would add to that but I think Alabama head coach Nick Saban truly said it best. Saban was quoted in an article on AL.com, saying:
"I don't know what the world's coming to in our profession...Mark Richt's been a really good coach and real positive person in our profession for a long, long time. I think when you win nine games, that's a pretty good season, and especially with the body of work that he's been able to put together there for however years he's been there...I hate to see people that have the character and quality and ability to affect young people in a positive way like Mark Richt not be a part of our profession."
Well said, Coach Saban. Well said.
3. Progress in Jersey (Very excited about this!)
If anyone thought that the New Jersey Devils (Jersey's Team...and mine) would be 12-9-2 and playing respectable, hard-nosed hockey just past the quarter post of the NHL season, then he was probably part of the team locker room or staff. The transition out of the Lou Lamoriello/Martin Brodeur era was quite abrupt this summer but is finally starting to smooth out a bit. Cory Schneider has established himself as an All-Star netminder and the team is scoring nearly three goals per game. Guys like Lee Stempniak, Tyler Kennedy, Bobby Farnham, and Jordan Tootoo are playing that gritty style of hockey that used to be synonymous with the Devils. Mike Cammalleri and Adam Henrique are scoring. Kyle Palmeiri has been an excellent addition. Travis Zajac looks like a different player. And of course, Patrik Elias is doing what he always does and scored his first goal of the season Saturday at Montreal in his third game back from a knee injury. When my season tickets arrived this year I was excited (as always) but more curious than anything else. I had no postseason expectations and was just hoping to see some competitive hockey. But I feel the return on this team has been tremendous. I'm genuinely excited to see where this team goes as the season progresses. I'm still realistic as I don't expect playoffs and I hope that the higher-ups don't sacrifice the long-term plan that is clearly in place for a shot at a wild card berth this season. But it's been very gratifying to watch this team work their tails off night in and night out, a stark contrast to the last few seasons in Newark. Rookie head coach John Hynes is definitely in the process of putting his stamp on the team and I think the long-term prospects for Jersey's Team are very bright indeed.
4. Quick Hitters
a. Syracuse hoops is off to a good start, taking the Battle of Atlantis by beating UConn and Texas A&M, and now appearing at #14 in the AP Poll. #GoOrange
b. Johnny Manziel is an embarrassment. Period.
c. I'm still not an NBA guy at all but you have to respect the defending champion Golden State Warriors coming out of the gate with an 18-0 start.
d. I was thrilled to see the Toronto Blue Jays back in the MLB Postseason for the first time since 1993. I hope this isn't a flash in the pan and Canada's lone MLB team can continue to be competitive.
e. Congrats to the Edmonton Eskimos on winning the 2015 Grey Cup. Also props to the Ottawa Redblacks for turning a 2-16 campaign in 2014 into an East title and a near-win in this year's Grey Cup. It was not a banner season for my team as the Saskatchewan Roughriders limped to a 3-15 finish. Here's hoping 2016 is better in Riderville.
f. Very happy with the early returns on Tottenham's 2015-2016 BPL campaign, with 6 wins, 7 draws, and just 1 defeat, Spurs sit two points behind rival Arsenal for fourth in the BPL table. Come On You Spurs!
5. Random Wrestling Note
The insane 6-man Hell in a Cell Match for the WWE (then WWF) Championship at Armageddon featuring Kurt Angle (champion), Undertaker, The Rock, Triple H, Stone Cold, and Rikishi was 15 years ago this December. Yikes.
Until next time.
-Meech
Monday, November 30, 2015
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