He replaces the recently fired Jim Crews. From the Times Herald-Record-
(Athletic Director) Anderson confirmed that Spiker agreed to a six-year deal. The Academy will introduce its new hire at a news conference at 3 p.m. Tuesday at West Point.
Spiker, who was on campus for an interview this week, expected to leave Cornell on Saturday morning and arrive at his new home on the Hudson Saturday afternoon
Army hasn’t had a winning season in 25 years. In light of the recruiting restrictions placed on service academies, Spiker will have a hard time reversing that trend.
Why did Army fire Crews only days before his basketball team was to begin practicing for the 2009-10 season?
He replaces Jim Crews, who last month was fired after being accused of physically and verbally abusing players.
If Crews abused his players, his firing is justifiable. I think abuse of college athletes is more common than the few and far between reports of it that emerge sometimes.
Some Ivy Leaguers have basketball fever. From AP-
A jubilant throng of Cornell fans surging onto the court led to a scoring mistake when the Big Red clinched the Ivy League title by beating Penn on Friday night.
Cornell won the game 83-58 — or so everyone thought.
A Cornell spokesman said Saturday there were several changes from the final minute that weren’t noted until hours later because the courtside scorekeepers’ computer was demolished by several thousand stampeding fans.
The final score should have been 83-59.
No harm done at least.
The incident happened in a NIT Tip-off game against Cornell. From AP-
BALTIMORE — It’s not often a college basketball coach passes control of his team to an assistant in the middle of a game and then climbs into the stands to watch the action.
Jimmy Patsos did both Tuesday night.
His Loyola (Md.) team lost to Cornell 82-72 in Boston during the NIT Season Tip-off, and the fifth-year coach insists his actions were warranted.
The trouble began when Patsos was slapped with a technical foul midway through the first half. According to Patsos, instead of calling the technical on the bench, referee John Gaffney told those at the scoring table, “That’s a Grade A technical foul on Jimmy Patsos.”
Patsos said Gaffney then warned him that he would be thrown out of the arena if he said another word.
“It was a very strange situation,” Patsos said Wednesday in a telephone interview with The Associated Press. “I really hadn’t done anything in the first place to warrant the technical, and there was no warning. But instead of arguing, I just moved to the other side of the bench and had [assistant] Matt Kovarick call the plays.”
Patsos used the time to talk individually to players on his young team. All went well until late in the second half, when Patsos contends Gaffney initiated a switch with another referee to position himself in front of the Loyola bench.
Gaffney then “yelled at me and my assistants,” Patsos said.
Patsos had no idea how to react.
“I didn’t want to get tossed out. I had my hands up in the surrender position,” he said.
Yelling and screaming at the referees, what does it get accomplished? It won’t change the outcome on the field or court, but will raise your bp through the roof, cause fans and players alike to shake their heads at your conduct, and then have sarcastic bloggers write about you. Learn a lesson coach, or you may end up with one of my Knucklehead awards.
McHale played both on the offensive line and defensive line during the nine years he played in the NFL. He played Defensive End at Cornell where he was an All-American. RIP.
WESLEY CHAPEL, Fla. (AP) — Authorities are investigating the death of former Tampa Bay Buccaneers player Thomas McHale, who was found dead at a friend’s home. He was 45.
The Pasco County Sheriff’s Office said McHale was found by the friend early Sunday in the Tampa-area home. Authorities say foul play is not suspected. An autopsy has been scheduled.
*****
McHale played for the Bucs from 1987-92, then spent two years with the Philadelphia Eagles and a year with Miami Dolphins.
