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Sports Outside the Beltway

Former NY Knick coach Isiah Thomas headed to FIU?

Putting aside the recent success of the Gators, The Sunshine State has hardly been a college basketball mecca. From ESPN-

Florida International is trying to hire former New York Knicks coach Isiah Thomas as its next basketball coach, sources have told ESPN.com’s Andy Katz.

Florida International coach Sergio Rouco was fired Monday, and sources confirm that FIU athletic director Pete Garcia made calls within the conference recently to check on the viability of hiring Thomas.

A source close to the situation said that if Garcia is unable to reach a deal with Thomas this week, he would likely pursue another coaching candidate to replace Rouco.

The Sun Belt has recently become a second-chance destination. Florida Atlantic hired former St. John’s coach Mike Jarvis and Arkansas State hired former LSU coach John Brady.

I might also add George O’Leary, once destined to be head football coach at Notre Dame, took a job at Central Florida after his career derailed because of resume padding. So there is some precedent for Thomas coming to South Florida. If he does, I don’t expect his stay to be long.

 

FIU snaps nation’s longest losing streak, defeats North Texas 38-19

Their streak ends at 23 games. From the Miami Herald-

FIU ends 23-game losing streak

Now that is how you close out college football at the Orange Bowl.

Playing in the historic stadium’s final college football game, Florida International used a precise passing game, a stifling defense and a surge of emotion to beat North Texas 38-19 and end the nation’s longest losing streak at 23 games.

Congratulations to the Golden Panthers. I’m sure everyone is relieved the streak is over.

There will be a few more football games played at the Orange Bowl. Including a state high school football playoff game next Friday involving my alma mata, Deerfield Beach. Do I want to see my first HS game in almost 25 years?(I graduated HS in 79, but attended a few games up till 1983)

Note- I just found out one of Deerfield’s most noted alumni is a pornographic actress. No mention of a blogger who gives out Knucklehead awards? Darn!

Now who has the longest losing streak in Division one football?

Southern Methodist, Idaho and Minnesota now share the nation’s longest losing streak at 10 games.

Get it into gear guys. Who wants to be known as the worst of the worst.

 

Sun Belt Conference Presidents- No more body bag games

They don’t like their schools being on the losing end of lopsided games. From the Palm Beach Post-

Sun Belt Conference presidents are tired of their football teams starting the season with lopsided defeats.

They have proposed a policy that would require Sun Belt teams to play more home games and fewer mismatches on the road games that make money but almost assure humiliating losses.

The proposal, which will likely be finalized this summer, calls for the eight Sun Belt football schools to play at least 11 home football games in a two-year period. That would cut down on road games against top Division I-A teams that often pay as much as $600,000 a game.

“I think what the presidents are seeing is there has to be a balance,” Sun Belt Commissioner Wright Waters said.

FAU raised $1.8 million in 2006 by playing four consecutive road games against teams from BCS conferences. The Owls (5-7) had seven road games and five home games, but started the season with four consecutive road losses by a combined score of 192-18.

This year’s schedule is less brutal, but includes road games at Oklahoma State (Sept. 8 ), Kentucky (Sept. 29) and Florida (Nov. 17).

“We would like to wean ourselves away from the need to rely on the payday games,” said FAU President Frank Brogan, who endorses the plan.

College football is like a business, they need a source of revenue(customers) in order to be still be in business. These schools find it profitable to be big school’s whipping boy of the week. I’d really be surprised if the Sun Belt Presidents end this practice. It will be an act of masochism if they do.

The University of Miami Football team was often hired for these types of games in the 1970′s. When they began beating up on the teams(Like Notre Dame) they were hired to lose to, alot of these schools stopped scheduling the Hurricanes.

 
 


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