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The incident occurred a little over 24 hours before his team was supposed to play in the Hawaii Bowl. From AP-
A Nevada linebacker who did not play in the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl after he was dismissed by the team had been arrested days earlier on suspicion of shoplifting.
Honolulu police say Andre Davis was detained this week by security at a Waikiki store before he was turned over to authorities.
Nevada coach Chris Ault said Wednesday that Davis had been dismissed from the program for violating team and athletic department policy although he did not disclose the exact violation.
Davis apologized to his team and family in an interview with Hawaii’s KGMB-KHNL news station Wednesday after posting bail.
Whomever the AP hack writer who did this article, gives the distinct impression that the reason for Davis arrest wasn’t known at least to the wire service till Christmas day. That is when this article was originated.
Unless AP’s Honolulu office had no one working since December 23rd, I’m not buying they didn’t know of the arrest of Andre Davis. As the article above states, the player appeared on television on December 24th. During ESPN’s broadcast of the Hawaii Bowl, announcers made at least one mention of Davis’ arrest. That’s how I knew about it. Also the Honolulu Advertiser, one of Oahu’s two major newspapers, had the news no later than Wednesday afternoon.
I’ll also point out that AP regularly copies(or someone less critical would rewrites) the work of local reporters and then puts it out as the work of the wire service. Here’s just one example of AP doing just that, and getting the facts wrong in the process. Based on that Associated Press had to know the real reason for Davis’ dismissal by Nevada.
If I were a college football player, if I couldn’t play in the BCS Championship game, I’d be happy with a bowl game in Hawaii. From the Honolulu Advertiser-
Twenty-five years after its last bowl appearance, Southern Methodist made sure that it would be ready for the Sheraton Hawai’i Bowl.
Led by an 18-year-old quarterback and a stout defense, the Mustangs cruised to a 45-10 trouncing of Nevada before a crowd of 20,217 at Aloha Stadium yesterday, leaving little doubt that SMU has returned from the dead.
“****
After receiving the “death penalty” from the NCAA in 1986, SMU football — a program that had produced the likes of Doak Walker, Don Meredith and Eric Dickerson — disappeared for the next two seasons. The Mustangs’ fall from grace continued with one losing season after another, until this year.
SMU (8-5), which saw the best turnaround in the NCAA this year from a 1-11 2008, put the cap on a record season with a decisive victory over the Wolf Pack (8-5). The Mustangs’ last bowl prior to last night was the 1984 Aloha Bowl, when they beat Notre Dame, 27-20.
This game was but over very early on. My wife, mother-in-law, and I left for midnight mass(10 p.m. at our parish) at 8:30. As we left the house, SMU was up 14-0 already and they were lining up for a field goal.
Part of the reason for Nevada’s poor performance may be attributable to their defense being without two starters. One player had been arrested in the days leading up to the game.
The comeback of SMU is one of the least noticed college football stories of 2009. We’ll have to see if June Jones can sustain this success.
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OTB Sports linked with Not paying attention- Nevada Wolfpack LB Andre Davis arrested for shoplifting...
Hauck, who coached the University of Montana Grizzlies from 2003-2009, replaces Mike Sanford who was fired last November 16th.
Incoming UNLV coach Bobby Hauck says he’s excited about generating enthusiasm for football and building a winning program, but he doesn’t know how long it will take for his team to reach his goals.
Hauck said Wednesday as he was introduced by the university that enthusiasm for his team will come if it’s worth watching.
The Board of Regents was set to approve Hauck’s contract in an afternoon meeting.
UNLV President Neal Smatresk says the three-year contract will pay Hauck $350,000 annually, with some pay deferred and incentives for winning, bowl games and helping student-athletes graduate.
Anyone familar with the history of football at UNLV knows Hauck faces a difficult task in making the Rebels competitive. No UNLV football coach has ended his tenure at the school with a winning record in over 30 years.
He was also an assistant college football coach after his playing days were over. RIP.
John “Jack” Zilly, who played on two national championship football teams for Notre Dame in the 1940s, has died. He was 88.
The school said Saturday that Zilly died Friday in Narragansett, R.I.
Zilly was a right end on Notre Dame’s 1943 championship team. He then joined the Navy and served two years in the Pacific during World War II. He returned to school and celebrated another national title in 1946.
Zilly was a sixth-round draft pick by San Francisco of the All-American Football Conference. He wound up playing for the Los Angeles Rams from 1947 to 1951 and the Philadelphia Eagles in 1952.
No I’m not talking about some middle aged man propelling a ball at some objects at the end of a lane, but the games that climax every college football season. Bowl season officially starts this afternoon, here are the matchups for all the college football fanatics out there.
Note- I gave the shortened name version of all the upcoming games. Also I listed what broadcast network would be televising the game and what time they would be coming on the air. All times are Eastern Standard.
Dec 19
New Mexico- Fresno State vs. Wyoming 4:30 p.m. ESPN
St. Petersburg- Central Florida vs. Rutgers 8 p.m. ESPN
Dec 20
R+L Carriers New Orleans- Southern Miss vs. Middle Tennessee 8:30 p.m. ESPN
Dec 22
MAACO Las Vegas- Oregon State vs. BYU 8 p.m. ESPN
Dec 23
Poinsettia- Utah vs. Cal 8 p.m. ESPN
Dec 24
Sheraton Hawaii- Nevada vs. SMU 8 p.m. ESPN
Dec 26
Little Caesars- Marshall vs. Ohio 1 p.m. ESPN
Meineke- Pitt vs. North Carolina 4:30 p.m. ESPN
Emerald- Boston College vs. USC 8 p.m. ESPN
Dec 27
Music City- Kentucky vs. Clemson 8:30 p.m. ESPN
Dec 28
Independence- Texas A&M vs. Georgia 5 p.m. ESPN2
Dec 29
EagleBank- UCLA vs. Temple 4:30 p.m. ESPN
Champs Sports- Miami vs. Wisconsin 8 p.m. ESPN
Dec 30
Humanitarian- Bowling Green vs. Idaho 4:30 p.m. ESPN
Holiday- Arizona vs. Nebraska 8 p.m. ESPN
Dec 31
Armed Forces- Houston vs. Air Force Noon ESPN
Sun- Oklahoma vs. Stanford 2 p.m. CBS
Texas- Navy vs. Missouri 3:30 p.m. ESPN
Minnesota vs. Iowa State 6 p.m. NFL Network
Chick-fil-A- Virginia Tech vs. Tennessee 7:30 p.m. ESPN
Jan 1
Outback- Northwestern vs. Auburn 11 a.m. ESPN
Capital One- Penn State vs. LSU 1 p.m. ABC
Gator- West Virginia vs. Florida State 1 p.m. CBS
Rose Bowl- Ohio State vs. Oregon 4:30 p.m. ABC
Sugar- Cincinnati vs. Florida 8:30 p.m. FOX
Jan 2
International- South Florida vs. Northern Illinois Noon ESPN2
Papajohns.com- South Carolina vs. UConn 2 p.m. ESPN
Cotton- Oklahoma State vs. Ole Miss 2 p.m. FOX
Liberty- Arkansas vs. East Carolina 5:30 p.m. ESPN
Valero Alamo- Michigan State vs. Texas Tech 9 p.m. ESPN
Jan 4
Fiesta- Boise State vs. TCU 8 p.m. FOX
Jan 5
FedEx Orange- Iowa vs. Georgia Tech 8 p.m. FOX
Jan 6th
GMAC- Central Michigan vs. Troy 7 p.m. ESPN
Jan 7th
BCS National Championship Game- Texas vs. Alabama Jan. 7 8 p.m.
Some random notes on the above 34 games
*- 19 of the 34 games are not scheduled till Dec. 31st or later. I guess college football fanatics are expected to flip channels very quickly on those 3 days(Dec 31-Jan 2) when 15 games are being aired.
*- What a downer must it be for Oregon State players and fans. A few weeks ago they were one win from a Rose Bowl trip. Instead they lost to Oregon and are playing in a minor bowl before Christmas.
*- The NFL network televises a college football game. I guess that’s the cable sports equivalent of the Sci-Fi channel showing wrestling….
*- The bowls are now set where now certain conference finishers are locked into the same bowl games every year. I understand why the current system is done, but I prefer the day when bowl games would have greater variance from year to year. The Peach bowl would usually invite a ACC or SEC school but they could be creative, like when they invited Army and Illinois. Wouldn’t a SEC team against BYU or Wyoming be nice for a change?
*- Bobby Bowden’s farewell game is against the same school(West Virginia) that he left before coming to Florida State. I do know FSU and WV have played at least twice previously in bowls during the Bowden-Florida State era.
Does Univesity President Stuart Rabinowitz have any school pride? From ESPN-
Hofstra University is dropping its football team, citing high costs and low interest from the college community.
The university, which has fielded a football team for the last 69 years, told its coaching staff Thursday morning that it is dropping the sport, sources told ESPN.com.
The Pride, which has competed in the NCAA’s Football Championship Subdivision (formerly known as Division I-AA) since 1991, is the second member of the Colonial Athletic Association to drop its football program in the last 10 days. Northeastern University in Boston announced it was dropping its football program after 74 seasons on Nov. 23.
In a statement obtained by The Associated Press on Thursday, university president Stuart Rabinowitz says “the choice was painful but clear.”
He says factors include the cost of running the football program and the team’s inability to generate significant interest, financial support or attendance.
To the casual college football program, the loss of Hofstra football may seem inconsequential. But for a small school, Hofstra has produced quite a bit of NFL talent. Five Hofstra graduates have been selected in the NFL draft since 1991. BTW, Football is the only sport Hofstra is cutting.
I find this news sad. For I grew up in Suffolk County New York and while playing football there, I once dreamed of going to Hofstra.
He was also a long-time NFL assistant with five different teams. Most recently he was a Pitt radio analyst. RIP.
Foge Fazio, who succeeded Jackie Sherrill as the football coach at alma mater Pittsburgh and later was a defensive coordinator for the NFL’s Vikings and Browns, died Wednesday night following a lengthy battle with leukemia. He was 71.
Pitt athletic director Steve Pederson confirmed Fazio’s death while attending the Pitt-Duquesne basketball game on Wednesday night.
Fazio, who grew up in Coraopolis, Pa., in suburban Pittsburgh, was a former Pitt linebacker and center and was chosen as the team MVP in 1959. He was drafted by the AFL’s Boston Patriots in 1960 but soon after moved into coaching. He spent nine seasons as a Pitt assistant, the final three as defensive coordinator, before being promoted to head coach in 1982, following three successive 11-1 seasons under Sherrill.
Fazio’s first Pitt team, quarterbacked by Dan Marino, began the season ranked No. 1 and started 7-0, but lost three of its final five as the Panthers’ offense struggled. His 1983 team went 8-3-1, but he was fired with two years left on his contract following a 31-0 loss to Penn State in 1985.
Fazio was 25-18-3 at Pitt, including a 3-7-1 record in 1984.
“I don’t know that anyone embodied the Pitt spirit better than Foge Fazio,” Pederson said. “It was obvious from the first time that I met him how passionate he was about this university and its football program. Foge had the unique ability to make everyone he came in contact with feel special. In so many ways he represented all the great things associated with the University of Pittsburgh.”
After leaving Pitt, Fazio was hired as coach Lou Holtz’s defensive coordinator at Notre Dame. He also was an assistant coach with the Falcons, Jets and Redskins and was the defensive coordinator of the Vikings (1996-98) and Browns (2001-02). He retired with Cleveland in 2003 but returned two years later as a Vikings defensive consultant under coach Mike Tice.
Fazio spent the last two seasons as a radio analyst on Pitt football broadcasts, but hadn’t worked this season since the South Florida game on Oct. 24. He recently told broadcast partner Bill Hillgrove he hoped to return for the No. 14 Panthers game Saturday against No. 5 Cincinnati.
“Foge was a true ‘Pitt Man,’ ” Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt said. “He loved this university and everyone at Pitt loved Foge.
This may not go over well with other ACC schools. From ESPN-
Although ACC officials have conceded that it is possible for Florida State to be chosen for the more prestigious Gator Bowl despite its 4-4 record in conference play, it’s not a done deal yet, as Saturday’s ACC championship game could throw a wrinkle into the Gator Bowl’s plans to matchup Florida State with West Virginia in Bobby Bowden’s final game.
4ACC and Gator Bowl officials are involved in discussions about how to interpret the ACC’s one-loss rule, and should Clemson lose the ACC championship game to Georgia Tech on Saturday, it could turn into a heated debate.
“If Georgia Tech wins this game,” ACC associate commissioner Michael Kelly said, “we don’t necessarily think they can take Florida State.”
One sure way that Florida State could sneak into the Gator Bowl ahead of teams with better records is if Clemson wins the ACC championship game and Virginia Tech is chosen by the Chick-fil-A Bowl. In that particular scenario, the Gator Bowl would be under no contractual obligation to select Georgia Tech, the ACC’s runner-up, and the remaining teams in the conference with the best records — Clemson and Virginia Tech at 6-2 — would both already have been chosen.
The Gator Bowl is required to select the runner-up at least once during the four-year contract cycle, and it fulfilled that obligation in 2006, when it chose Georgia Tech. The one-loss rule would mean that the Gator Bowl could select from the remaining 5-3 and 4-4 teams, therefore making Florida State a viable option.
Notwithstanding that this will be Bowden’s last game, FSU has no business being either in top or mid level bowl. The Seminoles went 6-6 this year. Of their wins, 4 were only by a field goal. Jacksonville State gave the Seminoles a fight more the final score of 19-9 indicates.
To the same state, but different bowl game, than the Mustangs last appearance. From ESPN-
SMU celebrated its first bowl bid in 25 years in style Monday, accepting an invitation to play in the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl on Dec. 24.
President Gerald Turner, athletic director Steve Orsini and coach June Jones, wearing leis, officially accepted an invitation at a festive, Hawaiian-themed event inside the student center. The announcement caused the crowd of a few hundred — fans, boosters, administrators, players, cheerleaders and band members — to break into wild applause.
“We’ve proven there’s life after death,” Orsini said.
It is SMU’s first bowl invitation since beating Notre Dame in the 1984 Aloha Bowl. In 1985, the program was placed on three years’ probation. In 1987, the SMU football program was given the Death Penalty by the NCAA and was shut down for two seasons — the harshest penalty ever given to any major collegiate program.
If Hawaii beats Wisconsin, the Golden Warriors will be SMU’s opponent. If not, then another WAC school.
I find it interesting that ESPN’s Richard Durrett makes no mention of the fact that June Jones left Hawaii for SMU two years ago and the acrimony that resulted because of it. The crowd’s reaction to Jones return could be very interesting.
The Tallahassee Democrat has the scoop-
Bobby Bowden’s legendary coaching career at Florida State University is expected to end Tuesday, the Tallahassee Democrat has learned.
Bowden is expected to announce his resignation by way of a statement to be released Tuesday, sources told the Democrat.
As part of his retirement, Bowden is expected to be offered a non-coaching position at FSU for an unspecified amount of time. In addition to any settlement compensation that may be negotiated as part of his retirement, Bowden is also entitled to $1 million upon his retirement as part of a clause in his coaching contract that was agreed upon at least 10 years ago.
It is unclear if Bowden will coach the bowl game or not, but sources have said if he does coach one last game then the Gator Bowl may try to select FSU for its Jan. 1 game.
I’d be surprised if Bowden isn’t allowed to coach the Seminoles one last time. He has been the only football head coach the school has known for 34 years. When Bowden took over FSU was a wreck. A independent that schools big and small were beating up on. It was either 1972 or 1973 that the Seminoles went without a win for the year(The Florida Gators had a similar year in 1979 but had one tie). Bowden quickly reversed the school’s football fortunes. In his second year FSU went 10-2, in his 4th year the Seminoles went 11-0 and received an invitation to the Orange Bowl to play Oklahoma. Florida State got its ass kicked 24-7 on Jan. 1st 1980, but the next year pulled stunning road upsets at Nebraska and Ohio on the way to a second straight OB engagement with Oklahoma. The second time around was a great battle that only saw the Sooners win 18-17. Bowden had established the Seminoles as a Division One football in five years.
FSU football fans won’t soon forget Bowden and his legacy. Assistant Coach Jimbo Fisher is expected to be named Bowden’s replacement.
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