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It is claimed he punched a cabbie and used racial slurs against the man. From AP-
Police arrested Mississippi men’s basketball coach Andy Kennedy early Thursday after a cab driver said the coach punched him while calling him “bin Laden” and other racial insults.
A pretrial hearing has been set for Jan. 16. Kennedy was charged with a first-degree misdemeanor count of assault, which would carry a maximum sentence of six months in jail if he is convicted.
Kennedy denied the allegations and his attorney, Mike Allen, entered a written plea of not guilty in Hamilton County Municipal Court on Thursday.
Kennedy, a former assistant and interim head coach at Cincinnati, was set to coach the Rebels against No. 9 Louisville in the SEC/Big East Invitational later Thursday.
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The complaint filed in Municipal Court alleges that Kennedy assaulted Mohamed Moctar Ould Jiddou and “punched victim with a closed fist while shouting racial slurs.”
Truly bizarre. If Kennedy is convicted or cops to a plea deal, Ole Miss would be justified in firing him.
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 Saturday, here are the matchups for all the college football fanatics out there.
Dec 20
Eaglebank Bowl- Wake Forest vs Navy
New Mexico Bowl- Colorado State vs Fresno St
MAGICJACK ST. PETERSBURG BOWL- Memphis vs. South Florida
PIONEER LAS VEGAS BOWL- Brigham Young vs Arizona
Dec 21
R+L CARRIERS NEW ORLEANS BOWL- Southern Miss vs. Troy
Dec 23
SAN DIEGO COUNTY CREDIT UNION POINSETTIA BOWL- Boise St vs TCU
Dec 24
SHERATON HAWAII BOWL- Hawaii vs Notre Dame
Dec 26
MOTOR CITY BOWL- Florida Atlantic vs. Central Michigan
Saturday, December 27
MEINEKE CAR CARE BOWL- West Virginia vs. North Carolina
Champs Sports Bowl- Wisconsin vs. Florida State
Emerald Bowl- Miami (FL) vs. California
December 28
Independence Bowl- Northern Illinois vs. Louisiana Tech
PAPAJOHNS.COM BOWL- North Carolina State vs. Rutgers
Valero Alamo Bowl- Missouri vs. No. 23 Northwestern
Tuesday, December 30
ROADY’S HUMANITARIAN BOWL- Maryland vs. Nevada
PACIFIC LIFE HOLIDAY BOWL- Oklahoma State vs. No. 17 Oregon
Texas Bowl- Western Michigan vs. Rice
Wednesday, December 31
BELL HELICOPTER ARMED FORCES BOWL- Houston vs. Air Force
Sun Bowl- Oregon State vs. Pittsburgh
GAYLORD HOTELS MUSIC CITY BOWL- Boston College vs. Vanderbilt
Insight Bowl- Kansas vs. Minnesota
CHICK-FIL-A BOWL- LSU vs. Georgia Tech
Thursday, January 1
OUTBACK BOWL- South Carolina vs. Iowa
CAPITAL ONE BOWL- Georgia vs. Michigan State
Gator Bowl- Nebraska vs. Clemson
Rose Bowl- Penn State vs. USC
Fedex Orange Bowl- Cincinnati vs. Virginia Tech
Friday, January 2
Cotton Bowl- Mississippi vs. Texas Tech
AUTOZONE LIBERTY BOWL- Kentucky vs. East Carolina
ALLSTATE SUGAR BOWL- Utah vs. Alabama
January 3
INTERNATIONAL BOWL- Buffalo vs. Connecticut
January 5
TOSTITOS FIESTA BOWL- Ohio State vs. Texas
January 6
GMAC Bowl- Ball State vs. Tulsa*
January 8
FEDEX BCS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME- Florida vs. Oklahoma
That’s 34 games, 68 schools spread over a period of 20 days for those of you keeping score at home. An ample supply of college football for any fanatics out there.
A few notes
*- There are a few bowl games remaining without corporate names in their title. Gator, Sun, Texas, Independence. Were these games unable to find sponsors?
*- Will Oklahoma St. and Oregon combine for 70 pts or more in the Holiday Bowl? This annually has been of the most high scoring affairs.
*- Oh how has the Orange Bowl dropped. A game that featured early triumphs of Joe Paterno led Penn State, Nebraska and Oklahoma in their glory days, the first major bowl appearance of Florida State, and the all time classic 84 battle between Nebraska and Miami, has Cincinnati and Virginia Tech playing this year. I’m sure they are talented football teams, but how many people are drooling to see them play in a prime-time network slot?
*- Arizona and BYU meet in a bowl 30 years after the former left the WAC conference for the higher profile Pac Eight(Now Ten, Arizona State joined also)
*- Vanderbilt makes a rare bowl appearance. Congratulations to Commodore fans, but this is a sign of how bowls are grown way out of proportion. 6-6 college teams get bids. When I was growing up I could remember Florida State going without a bowl in 1978 even though they finished the season 8-3.
It is my humble opinion that bowl season has gotten out of hand. Someone may say what’s the big deal? If someone wants to start a bowl game and there are two schools willing to play in it, does their records matter. A good football isn’t only a contest between stars at big name schools.
All true, but how much public money is spent on these affairs? Many of the teams are state universities who get funded by taxpayers. Then there is the game itself where police have to be taken from other tasks to work the day or night of the game or paid over-time.
With the economic downturn right now, you have to wonder if there will be less bowls in the near future. That would depend on how long a deal a corporate sponsor signed on for. I wonder how many fans of some schools plan to make a bowl trip. Are there 1,000 or more FAU Owls willing to journey from Florida to Michigan in December to watch the team play? Even if I were a Owl fan and had money, I’d stay home.
Enjoy the games.
He was an all SEC QB in the mid-fifties. Quarterbacks who also doubled as punters were quite common when I watched football in the 70′s and 80′s. Dallas Cowboy Danny White, Tom Blanchard who kicked for the Giants, Bucs, and Saints. There were others, including Sammy Baugh back in the 40′s who was one of the leading punters in the NFL. Former NFL QB Dan Marino punted for Pitt his freshman year at the school. Once I remember a local television reporter making fun of a youth who made mention of Marino kicking. The boy was wrong, but the reporter was ignorant too. Marino was the Dolphins emergency punter.
Back to Day, he spent 12 years in the CFL and is fondly remembered by Ole Miss Football fans. RIP.
OXFORD, Miss. — Eagle Day, a quarterback at Mississippi in the 1950s whose first college pass went for a 63-yard touchdown, died. He was 75.
Herman Sidney Day died Friday at his daughter’s home in Nashville, Tenn., after a short unspecified illness, the university said.
He played two seasons with the Washington Redskins as a punter. Day spent 12 seasons in the Canadian Football League, where he was All-Pro in 1961 and 1962.
Day was an all-Southeastern Conference quarterback who went 28-5-1 and won two league titles under coach John Vaught from 1954-56.
He was dubbed “The Mississippi Gambler” after setting up Ole Miss’ 14-13 victory over TCU in the 1956 Cotton Bowl with a 25-yard scramble late in the game that helped the Rebels earn their first major bowl victory.
Day also pitched for the Rebels baseball team and took Ole Miss to the College World Series in 1956. He was inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame in 1981, the Ole Miss Hall of Fame in 1988 and the Cotton Bowl Hall of Fame in 2003.
Survivors include wife JoAnne, two sons, a daughter and two grandchildren.
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| Tuesday, November 27, 2007 |
Houston Nutt has been hired by the University of Mississippi, literally hours after quitting at Arkansas.
Houston Nutt wasn’t out of a job for long: He was hired as Southeastern Conference rival Mississippi’s football coach just hours after resigning at Arkansas.
Nutt agreed to a contract late Monday night, and replaces Ed Orgeron, who was fired Saturday after the Rebels lost to rival Mississippi State to finish 3-9 and winless in the SEC.
The school announced the hiring through a three-paragraph e-mail Tuesday sent out by Athletic Director Pete Boone. The school said a news conference will be held at 1 p.m. ET on campus Wednesday in Oxford. No contract details were made available.
Ole Miss was searching for a proven winner after years of mediocrity. Nutt neatly fits the description.
He is 111-70 in 15 years as a head coach at Arkansas, Boise State and Murray State. And he’s been a winner in the SEC. The Little Rock, Ark., native rebuilt the Arkansas program, going 75-48 since his hiring in 1997 to replace Danny Ford. He was 42-38 in conference with one of his biggest wins coming last week when the Razorbacks beat then-No. 1 LSU 50-48 triple-overtime win.
While Arkansas is likely headed to the Cotton Bowl, Nutt will be going to the homes of recruits attempting to hold together the promising class Orgeron was assembling.
Nutt, 50, said Monday he left Arkansas to help mend a split among fans after off-the-field problems were compounded by a difficult season. The Razorbacks started the year ranked and were expected to contend for the SEC West title against the Tigers.
A source told ESPN.com’s Ivan Maisel that Nutt turned down a two-year extension from Arkansas worth $2.4 million annually after the Razorbacks upset No. 1 ranked LSU last week.
Arkansas lost its first three SEC games and dropped out of the poll in September, fueling fan discontent over last year’s transfer of quarterback Mitch Mustain and the loss of offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn, who left for Tulsa.
A call to Nutt’s agent, Jimmy Sexton, was not immediately returned.
Nutt takes over a program that has foundered since a 10-win season in 2003 under David Cutcliffe. The Rebels won a share of the SEC West that season with Eli Manning at quarterback.
Since then Ole Miss has had four or fewer wins in four seasons. Boone fired Cutcliffe in 2004 for a lack of effort in recruiting. He had hoped Orgeron, who helped build two national title teams at USC as Pete Carroll’s recruiting coordinator, would bring the kind of energy needed to compete in the nation’s best football conference.
Orgeron finished 10-25 and was routinely the target of fan discontent.
Boone and Chancellor Robert Khayat endorsed Orgeron midway through the season, but decided to go in a new direction after the Rebels lost five of six to end the year.
The Rebels have been looking for a coach who can produce championships since Johnny Vaught retired in 1970. Vaught won three national titles and six SEC championships between 1947-63.
Nutt’s a solid coach and proven recruiter. The SEC is a mighty tough conference to run through, though, for an aspiring champion.
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| Sunday, April 29, 2007 |
  University of Alabama cornerback Ramzee Robinson has the dubious distinction of being the last player taken in the 2007 NFL Draft, making him the honorary “Mr. Irrelevant.” He was taken with the 45th pick in the 7th round, 255 overall, as a compensatory pick by the Detroit Lions.
That coinage dates from the days when the NFL draft lasted fourteen or more rounds. Ramzee Robinson actually has a decent chance of making an NFL roster if he can contribute at least on special teams. He was a three year starter with the Crimson Tide in the toughest division in college football.
Here’s his Scout’s, Inc. profile:
Ramzee Robinson | CB | (5’9″, 182, 4.52) | ALABAMA
Scouts Grade: 30
Flags: (B: BULK/SIZE) Lacks size/bulk for position
Strengths: Shows the ability to change directions quickly, explodes out of cuts and possesses strong short-area man-to-man cover skills. He’s quicker than fast and displays very good quick-twitch athleticism. Gets good knee bend, shows good closing burst and flashes the ability to jump short-to-intermediate routes. Is well-built and flashes the ability to slow receivers down at the line of scrimmage. Possesses good instincts, shows adequate range and rarely gets caught out of position. Plays with a mean streak, times hits well and flashes the ability to knock the ball loose. Plays with a good motor, is willing in run support and always seems to be around the ball at the end of the play. Generally squares up to ball carrier and is a sound open field tackler. Has limited experience returning kicks and can contribute on special teams. Also showed some upside working as a punt return specialist in the Hula Bowl.
Weaknesses: Lacks ideal top-end speed, doesn’t show a second gear when tracking the ball and isn’t tall enough to consistently compete for jump balls downfield. While he is physical, he doesn’t have a big frame and taller receivers will have some success shielding him from the ball in the red zone. Doesn’t have great ball skills and isn’t a playmaker when the ball is in the air. Footwork is inconsistent and gets turned around at times. Missed most of the 2005 preseason because of a back injury but durability has not been an issue otherwise.
Overall: Robinson was redshirted in 2002. He played in all 13 games (one start; season finale vs. Hawaii) in 2003 and made 23 total tackles, four pass breakups, and forced one fumble. In 2004, Robinson started all 12 games finishing the season with 42 total tackles, one tackle for loss, and four pass breakups. He played in all 12 games (10 starts) in 2005 and recorded 32 total tackles, one tackle for loss, two interceptions, and seven pass breakups. In 2006, Robinson started all 13 games, registering 46 total tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, seven pass breakups, one forced fumble, and two interceptions returning one for a touchdown.
Robinson’s potential is limited by his lack of height and below average ball skills. However, he displays the instincts, short-area burst and athletic ability to develop into an effective sub-package corner in the NFL if his technique and tackling skills continue to improve. Robinson projects as a late round pick or priority free agent from the 2007 class.
His Roll Tide player profile:
Graduate: Robinson earned his undergraduate degree in Management last May. The only returning starter in the Tide secondary, Robinson will again hold down the left cornerback slot. He heads into his senior season with 23 career starts. Following an outstanding spring practice, Robinson earned the “Mal Moore Leadership†Award.
2006 (Senior): Started all 12 games on the season. Robinson tallied 40 tackles with 1.5 tackles for a loss, two interceptions, one caused fumble and five pass breakups. He had at least one tackle in all 12 games with five or more tackles four times. He intercepted a pass and returned it 34 yards for his first career touchdown against Florida International. He recorded his first interception of the season against Duke. He had one of his best games at Tennessee with a career-high nine tackles, a caused fumble and two pass breakups. He tallied six tackles with one pass breakup at Florida. He also made six tackles at LSU and five tackles against Auburn. He had two tackles against Vanderbilt, Arkansas and FIU. He had one tackle and a pass breakup against Louisiana Monroe. He was third on the defense with a total of 698 snaps, playing 50 or more snaps in 10 of the 12 games. He had a season-high 74 snaps at Tennessee. He captained the defense against Hawai’i and LSU.
2005 (Junior): The youngest starter in the Alabama secondary, Robinson tied for the team lead in interceptions (2) and ranked second on the team in pass break-ups with seven. Robinson recorded his first career interception against Florida, returning it 21 yards. He combined that with six tackles in helping Bama upset the fifth-ranked Gators. Robinson collected his second interception in the next game against the Ole Miss Rebels. He returned the ball a career high 39 yards to help set up a Bama field goal. Robinson helped anchor a defense that ranked second in the nation in scoring defense, second in total defense, fifth in pass defense sixth in pass efficiency defense and seventh in rushing defense.
2004 (Sophomore): Winner of the Jerry Duncan “I Like to Practice†Award following spring practice, Ramzee played well enough to take over the starting left cornerback slot prior to the season opener. He was the starter in every game and finished with 615 snaps. He had 42 tackles on the season, including one behind the line for three yards. He did not have an interception, but had four passs break-ups. He had a career-high eight tackles in the Arkansas game and had six against Southern Miss. His play at left corner enabled Charlie Peprah to move to the strong safety slot.
2003 (Freshman): Playing in every game, Ramzee earned a start in the season finale against Hawaii. He had a total of 401 snaps and closed with 23 tackles and four pass breakups. He forced one fumble in the South Florida game. He had a career-high four tackles in the Auburn game.
2002 Redshirted
Prep: As a quarterback at Butler High School, Ramzee completed 72 of 114 passes for 1,338 yards and seven touchdowns his senior season. He also rushed for 466 yards on 85 carries and had six rushing TDs. On defense, he turned in 33 tackles and two interceptions while playing cornerback. As a junior, he passed for 1,112 yards and 12 TDs and added 502 yards and five rushing touchdowns. He was an all-city and all-district pick as a sophomore, junior and senior. He was an honorable mention all-state pick as a senior.
Personal: The son of Fedetrice and Edward Robinson, Ramzee has two brothers (Sabir and Edward) and two sisters (Fedetrice and Ravonne). Born 2-20-84. He is a Management major.
ROBINSON’S STATS
Year G T TFL Sacks Int. FC/FR PBU QBP
2003 13 23 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 4 0
2004 12 42 1-3 0-0 0-0 0-0 4 0
2005 12 32 1-4 0-0 2-60 0-0 7 0
2006 12 40 1.5-4 0-0 2-36 1-0 5 0
Totals 49 140 3.5-11 0-0 4-98 2-0 20 0
CAREER BESTS
Tackles: 9 at Tennessee, 2006
Tackles for Loss: 1 (Three times) Last at LSU, 2006
Yards: 4 at Ole Miss, 2005
Interceptions: 1 (Four times) Last vs. Florida International, 2006
Return Yards: 39 at Ole Miss, 2005
Touchdowns: 1 vs. Florida International, 2006
Pass Break-ups: 2 (Five times) last at Tennessee, 2006
Forced Fumble: 1 (Two times) last at Tennessee, 2006
Kickoff Return: 4 vs. Georgia, 2003
Yards: 83 vs. Georgia, 2003
Long Play: 30 vs. Georgia, 2003
Scott Wright’s Draft Countdown:
Strengths: A smooth athlete…Has fluid hips…More quick than fast…Nice recovery speed…A solid tackler who will support the run…Has a lot of experience…Hard worker with excellent intangibles…He could also contribute as both a kick and punt returner.
Weaknesses: A tad undersized and lacks ideal bulk…Is not very instinctive…Timed speed is only average…Questionable hands and isn’t a playmaker…Has some technique issues that’ll need to be resolved…He’s not very physical in coverage…Limited ball skills.
Notes: Was a three-year starter in the SEC…The type who’ll never be a star at the next level but could make a roster as a nickel or dime guy…Real value might come on special teams…Could be a pleasant late round surprise…Underrated coverman
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| Saturday, April 28, 2007 |
The San Francisco 49ers have gone defense with the 11th pick in the draft, taking Ole Miss linebacker Patrick Willis.
What the Experts Say:
Scout.com Profile:
 An athletic linebacker best defending the run, Willis is a competitive prospect who possesses the skills to start at the next level.
Biography: Two-year starter awarded a variety of All-Conference and All-American honors since his junior campaign. Senior totals were 137/11.5/3 after 128/9.5/3 as a junior. Sophomore numbers were 70/11/5 when he was a reserve.
Pos: Fierce, run-defending linebacker who is best in the box. Fires up the field, plays with great suddenness and flashes on the scene. Plays heads-up football and takes good angles to the play. Possesses a thick, strong build, defeats blocks and easily brings ball carriers down on initial contact. Remains disciplined with assignments.
Neg: Lacks top lateral range, struggles in coverage and does not possess a quick break to the throw.
UPDATE Scouts.inc:
Most draft analysts worried San Francisco wasn’t interested in Willis because the organization didn’t bring him in for a visit but why bring him in when you know you are going to take him? Willis played for Noland and the 49er staff at the Senior Bowl and they named him team captain that week. Chances are that’s when San Francisco started to lean toward taking him and any doubts they had were likely erased during film studies. Willis needs to work on reading routes and possibly add some bulk to his frame but he has few other weaknesses.
A stout run defender, he takes the shortest path to the ball and wraps up upon contact. Willis can also match up with most backs and tight ends when he drops into coverage. Finally, he is a leader on the field and a hard worker off it. In other words, he is the kind of player defenses are built around and he immediately improves San Francisco’s defense.
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