Cleaning out the inbox- Sports version

It's been a busy time here at TRS when I'm able to post that is and the result is an inbox that's straining to keep itself in order with items from sports, non-sports, and passings.

We'll start with a Terry Pluto note on an upcoming appearance in Cleveland for Rocky Colavito.
The 85-year-old "Rock" will appear Thursday with a few former teammates at an All-Star fan week event as well as promote an upcoming book about the former Indian slugger.
Colavito, who I place firmly in the "Hall of Very Good" hit 374 homers in his fourteen-year career with 190 of them in his eight years and two stints with the Indians has been struggling with health issues in recent years that cost him his right leg (below the knee) from circulatory issues and diabetes in 2015.

The Athletics Tom Reed writes a tremendous article on former Browns tight end Gary Barnidge and Barnidge's life after football, which is a template for players today on how to prepare for their post-career.
Barnidge, who put up the best two seasons of his NFL career with the Browns, was then released in 2016 and would never play again in the league, will turn 34 before this season and could very easily still be playing football.
The article looks at Barnidge's various interests including studying the Bible and Koran as an agnostic, living in a home twenty minutes from almost anything in any direction and his friendship with wrestling legend Jerry "the King" Lawler among several interesting items on the former Cleveland tight end.

ESPN is working on a recurring series during the college basketball season titled "Chasing Ghosts" that looks at programs that possess plenty of tradition, yet for various reasons have struggled and slid from once-exalted status.
The edition that caught my eye was the N.C. State version ( I also had interest in the UNLV article as a fan of the Runnin' Rebels of the Jerry Tarkanian years) that looks at the peak of the program, coaches that contributed to the decline and the chances of the program returning to prominence.
I have written before of my fondness for the Wolfpack, who ranked behind only Maryland in my college basketball fandom under the late Jim Valvano and even today (since the sad defection of the Terrapins to the Big 10) battles with Wake Forest as my favorite school in the ACC and I do not completely agree with the article where they don't believe the Pack can ever return to past status.
Where there is a commitment to winning, there are possibilities of glory, it simply comes down to making the correct hire for your program and as the article notes, N.C.State hasn't been able to land that coach since Valvano's departure.

The Athletic makes the inbox again with an article on just what the San Francisco Giants would be losing when the likely trade of Madison Bumgarner at the trade deadline goes through.
Bumgarner's the type of old school pitcher that guys like me love and would have fit right in with the past eras of baseball.
He's grouchy, cantankerous and everything that modern baseball is not, which is exactly why the Giants and their fans will miss him so much.

Deadspin discusses a new pro wrestling promotion that has jumped the first hurdle that infant wrestling promotions have placed in the path to success- gaining a major television outlet.
The new All-Elite promotion that is funded by Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shahid Khan has agreed to a deal that begins in the fall with TNT.
Wrestling was a major portion of the success of the "Turner" networks from the early days with Georgia Championship Wrestling to their time with Jim Crockett Promotions and then World Championship Wrestling after the network bought the promotion from the Crockett family before selling the library and assets to the WWE and folding everything else.
This is an excellent article that covers the history of Ted Turner and his network's involvement with pro wrestling and even offers a piece of information that I never knew.
In 1970, Turner's then WTCG did not televise the local Georgia promotion which was on another network but wanted to televise wrestling.
What program did WTCG broadcast for a year before GCW moved over to them?
Capitol Wrestling- the WWF show promoted by Vincent McMahon Sr.
The WWF didn't run shows there, but this shows how long the Turner networks and their current descendants not owner by Turner have owned a relationship with wrestling.

We wrap up with the oldest item in the inbox from May as SI.com takes a deep look over two articles (found here and here) at the short life of the Alliance of American Football.
As some of you remember we covered the leagues and (mainly) the Arizona Hotshots and the league not surviving was a disappointment to me.
However, when you read these articles (and two podcasts that I'll mention soon in a podcast post), it is easy to see how the mistakes of the league sealed its doom.

I'll be around later with another inbox version with either recent passings of note or cleaning the non-sports version of the inbox.

Raider Red, Ryan,Emily Jones and Me

I'm pretty excited about tonight's Texas Tech attempt to win the national championship.

I've written many times on my Tech football fandom here, and as Ryan can tell you, he grew up with a tapestry of Raider Red on a wall in our apartment proclaiming this as "Raider Country:
BTW-I would have loved an OSU version, but never saw one.

However, I'm not sure if I have ever mentioned my basketball fandom, which peaked in the SWC, pre-Bob Knight days when Tech dominated the waning days of the SWC with a wide-open running style of play with four players that would play in the NBA, although not star in Jason Sasser, Cory Carr, dunk master Darwin Ham and lottery selection Tony Battie.

Those Red Raiders would go 30-2, make the Sweet Sixteen with a beating of North Carolina, and produce one tremendous Sports Illustrated cover of Darwin Ham crushing a backboard, as a young Ryan and I watched a ton of those games through cable television and the tape trading hobby through a trader in Texas.

Fox Sports Texas used an announcer named Bill Land on most of these games and his catchphrase on a big play or dunk of "HO Mama" is one I still think of a lot when watching basketball games!
Between those tapes and a newsletter that was written by a fellow named Bill Peters, named the Double T Times, I was more than an insider on Tech sports, as Peters used to tell me in conversations that I was his only subscriber in the state of Maryland!

Tech was coached then by James Dickey, who was an Eddie Sutton disciple and, other than Tom Penders at Texas, dominated the SWC.
The Tech-UT games always determined the boss in the league and featured teams that would run up and down the floor.
Ryan's always been a Badger fan, but I bet if you asked him about a few of those above names, he could give you some memories and maybe even a smile if he was in the right mood.

Another player on those teams was a guy named Lance Hughes, who looked like the kid bagging your groceries, but was a hustling type who was also quite a leaper.
I often joke about certain players back then seeming like they played for nine years at their school-Lance Hughes was one of those guys, just seemed like he had been playing there forever.

Tech's run would end in the Sweet Sixteen with another up-and-down game against Georgetown, with a 98-90 loss, but looked to be set for a while entering the new Big 12.
The Red Raiders won 19 games and appeared to be headed to the big dance again, but during the Big 12 tournament, a scandal emerged over several sports, including basketball.

Tech removed itself from the postseason after discovering two players had played despite academic ineligibility and the resulting scholarship removals meant the destruction of the program with three losing seasons in a row and the firing of Dickey, who wouldn't be a head coach for ten years before a four year run at Houston, where it was Dickey that set the table for the current success of the Cougars under his replacement Kelvin Sampson.

I always respected Bob Knight, and he had success at Tech, replacing Dickey with NCAA appearances and a Sweet Sixteen, but Knight's team played a slower game, and they just weren't as fun to watch.
When Tech made the tournament, I still rooted for them, but the same connections weren't there from those '90s times.

Lubbock and, therefore, Tech have always been a tough place to recruit from for players and coaches, which is why Tech is going to have a huge problem keeping Chris Beard over the long term, no matter his protests about Tech (where he was a long-time assistant to Knight) being his dream job.
Unless Beard is completely honest about that (and if he is, he could make Tech the type of job that 20 years from now that a state school like Kansas is looked at today), some traditional filled school will likely land him eventually.

During those videotape trading days, where I would get tapes of games, coach's shows, and season previews from around the country in those pre-internet days saw lots of videos from Texas (for Tech), Ohio (OSU, and various small teams), and with those shows, you would see different hosts and during those shows, you would see lots of hosts.
When you deal with college teams, you would see lots of younger talent, with most either just out of college or even doing such work as part of their field of study and still enrolled.

One of these was a young lady named Emily Jones, who would host these previews for the various teams in Texas and the Big 12.
I instantly became a fan of her work, and you could see she was going to be really good in the industry, no matter the capacity.
I always had a feeling that, despite being the host for these teams, she was a Tech fan/supporter/student, etc.
I had no concrete reason for thinking that, just a feeling, and years later, with the internet and the MLB package, I discovered that not only had Emily made it big as the reporter during Texas Rangers games, but she was, in fact, a Tech grad- a rare occasion where my feelings were correct!

Looking back on sports, it's odd to have feelings more about the past than the present.
That's the opposite of what so many say on how to live your life- Look forward, not back, etc.
However, in sports, it's the other way around. It is looking over your shoulder rather than down the road that makes the present mean a little more.
The memories are what make these little games important, and the people you share them with, whether you know them personally or not.

So, I'll be cheering hard for the Red Raiders tonight and win or lose, I'll be thinking and raising a glass of lemonade to James Dickey, those 95-96 Red Raiders, Emily Jones (now Jones-McCoy), Bill Land, those tape traders in Texas that made a guy in Maryland able to watch those games and of course Ryan, wherever they are tonight and making a usually dreary game for me involving the same college heavyweights exciting.
If not, for all of you, it would be just another game- Guns Up and Ho Mama- Indeed.

Chris Mack leaves Xavier

The Xavier Musketeers lost their all-time leading coach and the leader of their program as head coach Chris Mack accepted the same position at Louisville.

Mack received a seven-year contract that was valued at roughly 28 million at Louisville, a price that Xavier was never going to be able to match.
Mack won 215 games at Xavier and brought the Musketeers to the NCAA's in eight of his nine years, one Elite Eight and a number one seed in this year's tournament before being upset by Florida State in the field of 32.

Mack is a loss, especially because of Xavier's often being a waystation for coaches on their way to another stop,but between Mack's nine years and being an alum made me think that tide had finally turned, especially with Xavier joining the Big East, their success there and finally pushing their way past the Cincinnati Bearcats to be the premier hoops team in the city.
However, for all that Xavier has become, they still have some issues to bull their way past in order to be one of those programs that coaches leave for rather than leaving for elsewhere.
Mack might have been a special case as despite his being a Xavier alum, his wife is from Louisville and that likely had a lot to do with the Cardinals landing Mack, despite his not knowing what awaits their program after the latest mess that Rick Pitino left a program in.

However, despite moving into the power conference level with the Big East, Xavier still has to prove itself on the biggest stage and no, a final four spot will not be enough- just ask Butler, who remain in much of the same position as Xavier, despite two championship game appearances.
Xavier will also have to prove long-term contention in the Big East, which since they haven't been there that long isn't their fault and despite leaps in coaching compensation and improvement to the Cintas Center, both aren't among the elite that will enable the Musketeers to retain or attract coaches to Cincinnati.

Mack might be taking all three assistants (although top assistant Travis Steele has a real shot at landing the head job) and Mario Mercurio as the head of basketball operations is likely Louisville bound as well so Xavier will be more than likely to take a look around nationally.
Hiring Steele will have the look of stability and might keep a recruit or two that might change their commitment, but it appears that keeping Steele will not mean that anyone else from the staff stays as noted above, so stability might just be a perception, not reality...

So, if it's not Steele ( If Steele wants to be a head coach, there are few jobs that will give a first-time head coach a better starting position, ask Mack, who was promoted when Sean Miller left for Arizona), then who?
Pat Kelsey was a Xavier player and assistant that has built a winner at Winthrop in the Big South, but Kelsey comes with some baggage from accepting the UMass job after the 2016-17 season and then reneging to Winthrop.
One name that I keep hearing is Northern Kentucky's John Brannen, who has won 46 games in the last two years.
Ryan Odom (UMBC) and Nate Oats (Buffalo) are currently of note after their teams scored big upsets in the NCAA's, but both signed new contracts after their wins and those more than likely with come with buyout clauses.
There are always rumors about Thad Matta wanting to return to coaching, but I'm not sure Matta is a great candidate for a Xavier return.
Matta didn't leave under the greatest terms and his drop in recruiting talent was a major factor in his departure from Ohio State.
Three candidates that I'd kick the tires on from smaller schools are John Becker, who has built Vermont into the bully of the America East (Has won 20 or more games of his seven year run and 31-1 in conference over the last two seasons), Steve Forbes of East Tennessee State (76-29 in his three years and has major recruiting experience with Gregg Marshall at Wichits State as an assistant) and Matt McMahon (26-6 last season),of Murray State, a school with a history of moving coaches up the ladder with success (Mark Gottfried, Mick Cronin ,Billy Kennedy and Steve Prohm).

It'll be interesting to see how Xavier handles their search with a quick hire or longer more national search.
If the hire happens quickly then I would think that is good news for Travis Steele, if they bring in lots of candidates then it is more likely that they are looking for experienced head coaches...

Back later with most likely a cleaning of the inbox...

Cleaning out the inbox-Sports Version

The inbox is just overflowing with items and it's funny how that works out sometimes.
Sometimes it takes me a few weeks to build an inbox and others a few days is enough to build up a sports and a non-sports version as it is currently.

We'll start today with the sports version and two articles on our favorite college football player that didn't play for Ohio State in years-Houston defensive tackle Ed Oliver, who is as dominant a defensive lineman as I've seen in years.
I've written before about Oliver and the amazing things that he does on the field and you'll only hear his name more and more in the future.
Oliver is almost sure to be (barring injury) a top-five selection in the 2019 NFL Draft and I have to admit I'm already dreaming of a Browns defensive line with Myles Garrett on the outside and Ed Oliver up the middle.
Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports writes of the working background of Oliver and it seems like his family sure isn't going to allow fame and prosperity to go to the head of the Houston Cougar star.
ESPN writes of the legend of Ed Oliver and asks can Oliver win the Heisman?
I don't think he has a chance even though he'll be the best player in the game as the bias against defenders for the award and playing for a Group of Five team should take care of that-deserving or not.
Don't believe the hype (Think about how many times you have read me overhype someone and get back to me)?
Watch this video with some of the plays that I've raved about in the past...


ESPN is back with an article on Kinston, North Carolina and the large amount of NBA stars that Kinston has put into the league.
It seems like every few years, another Kinston product makes it big in the NBA and the article looks at the city of Kinston and all of the problems that the city has dealt and continues to deal with.
It's quite interesting and makes you realize what it takes to make the big time and the issues that players have to overcome, even in a small city the size of Kinston.

Eleven Warriors writes of an idea, which is unlikely to happen, but would be terrific if it did- in creating the Ohio Classic, an event that would include all thirteen of the Division I basketball teams in Ohio.
I'd love to see something like that as I've been a proponent of Ohio State playing Cincinnati and Xavier for years, but I can't see a tournament that large happening.
I'd be pleased with an annual four-team tournament with Ohio State, Cincinnati and Xavier joining a fourth team that would either rotate or have the team with the highest power ranking from the year before earn the fourth slot, but the Ohio Classic would be even better.

The Hardball Times writes of the 50th anniversary of the 1968 season in baseball, known as the "Year of the Pitcher".
The article is about baseball, but it discusses most the ineffectual commissioner of the time, General William Eckert and how baseball handled the in-season assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr and Robert Kennedy,
It's interesting to see how it was handled then and wonder how it would be handled today in the 24/7 news cycle climate...

Hardball Times finishes the inbox with Bruce Markusen's look back at the late Oscar Gamble, who passed away in late January.
Gamble was best used as a platoon outfielder against righthanded pitchers in his best years with the Indians and Yankees, especially in Yankee Stadium where Gamble could take advantage of the short right field dimensions.
Gamble's career year though came in 1977 with the White Sox with 31 homers for a team filled with one-year contracts that surprisingly contended for the American West title and won 90 games.
However, what most fans of the time (especially younger ones like me) remember was the massive Afro from his days in Cleveland that appeared on Topps cards in 1974,75,76 before being forced to cut the Afro upon his arrival in New York.
The 1976 Topps Traded card is a longtime favorite of collectors of the age with the Afro shown with an airbrushed Yankee hat on the card.

Ohio State fires Thad Matta

I was prepping a post series that would look at Tebow Mania in Hagerstown and my four game,four cities,two day trip to North Carolina before the news broke that Ohio State had relieved head basketball coach Thad Matta of his job and the Buckeyes would be looking for a replacement for the 2017-18 season.

Matta leaves Columbus at the age of 50, having both rebuilt the ailing Ohio State basketball program upon his arrival along presiding over its demise with two less than strong seasons,a poor 17-15 record last year that wasn't enough to even get into the NIT and recruiting became worse and worse as Matta's health became a recruiting liability.
Matta entered Columbus with a roar as he won 20 with a probationary team with lesser talents,but followed up with teams that made the national title game,a final four,another elite eight and in the only season before the last two seasons that saw Ohio State not make the tournament-won the NIT,along with becoming the all time wins leader in program history.
However,Ohio State fell to 21-14 in 2015-16 with a second round exit from the NIT,followed it up with the aforementioned 17-15 that was followed up by lost recruiting commitments and the eventual release of Matta.

The bigger question is why now?
I would have likely understood this move at the end of the last season,but now?
It's going to be tough (unless Gene Smith has an NBA guy in mind) to bring a top notch,name coach in at this time and Ohio State would have been a tough place to turn down for most coaches in March,but in June?
What was the major change between March and June that Gene Smith felt that this change needed to be done now rather than the end of the 17-18 season?
Was this about Matta's recruiting falling down?
Did Matta stretch this out in order to have an assistant get this job for a year?
Was this about finances and those issues needed to be ironed out first and might that decision bite the Buckeyes in bringing in a big name coach?

I wish I had the real answers to any of those questions,but the issue now is who is brought in?
The list I keep hearing seems like a pipedream with names like Billy Donovan,Brad Stevens and Sean Miller being mentioned,but I wonder about a few of these guys that might be a good fit.
Chris Mack of Xavier makes lots of sense having grew up in Cleveland and coached in Cincinnati,but Xavier should be strong next year and Mack might be considered too close to Matta.
Mick Cronin of Cincinnati could be a candidate,but he's only been as far as the sweet 16 once.
Gregg Marshall of Wichita State would be my top choice,but Marshall makes as much at Wichita State as Matta made,Marshall would likely take even more with a top ten returning in the Shockers.
Chris Holtmann of Butler is a name mentioned as a hot young coach,but wouldn't be the splashy hire that Ohio State is supposedly looking for and the same goes for the oft-mentioned Buzz Williams of Virginia Tech,who wins but lacks the same zip as bigger names and reputations.

I never was much of a Thad Matta fan,even though he coached for two of my favorite schools,but he still caught a bad break here.
Matta was led to believe he was going to get another year or two to revamp the program and that turned into less than three months,so it is tough not to feel a little bad for Matta.
However,it's tough to argue against the move-the program has clearly fallen backwards,the recruiting battles were being lost and it was pretty tough to see Matta being able to stem the tide,so it's not the move itself,it is the timing that makes little sense.
I'm willing to wait until the new hire though before final judgement...

Back later with some thoughts on Tebow Mania...