david white

7 who can win at The Players Championship

david — Wed, 09 May 2012 16:34:30 +0000

It’s been wide open in the four majors the last couple of years because there is no longer a dominant player, just a lot of outstanding ones who all want this championship, considered by the players as the fifth major.

The famous 17th, the island hole, will play a major role in determining the winner of the Players as will the difficult par-4 dogleg left 18th. The 17th measures 137 yards, but depending on the wind could play closer to 115, or, if it’s in your face, 145. It’s a nerve-wrenching hole. The players are churning inside on Saturday and Sunday when they make it to the 17th. It’s anywhere from a pitching wedge to an 8-iron and club selection is critical. Your swing is critical, too, as you must control your nerves and put a solid swing on it, or you’re wet. The 16th is a 507-yard par five and very birdieable or even lends to a possible eagle. The players come from the 16th with momentum, but then they face the island hole and its consequences for being too long, being too short going left or going right. This hole is what creates champions or buries a potential champion.

The 18th calls for an extremely accurate drive to the right center of the fairway. A shot aimed in the center of the fairway with a slight cut is called for. Anything missed left is in the water that runs parallel all the way down the fairway. The green is guarded well by bunkers and makes the second shot very challenging. This is an awesome tourney, so much fun, and intensely competitive for the players, because they really want this championship. First place is $1.7 m and there are 600 Fed Ex points at stake. The course is a par 72 and plays 7,215 yards.

Golf Channel will cover Thursday’s and Friday’s rounds from 1-7 PM ET, 12-6 PM CT. On Saturday, Golf Channel televises from 12-2 PM ET/11am-1 PM CT. NBC picks it up Saturday from 2-7 ET/1-6 CT. Sunday it’s Golf Channel from 12-2 ET/ 11-1 CT then NBC from 2-7 ET/1-6 CT. Johnny Miller will provide his always entertaining and colorful analysis. The players will get the wrath of Miller for mental miscues. It’s very entertaining.

Here are seven guys who can win this tournament, even though there are quite a few more. I will make an attempt to pick the ultimate winner, though golf is the toughest sport to predict of them all, particularly since Tiger Woods is no longer dominating. There are just so many exceptional players.

1.Jason Dufner: Been playing superior golf in the last year and won at New Orleans two weeks ago. Long with a good putter. Looks like he’s learned a lot from the PGA last year and he just got married. He’s riding on cloud nine.

2.Luuuke Donald: He’s always in it these days. Just a steady player and the best putter in the game along with Brandt Snedeker. Won already this year at the Transitions. Like Luke’s chances.

3. Rory McIlroy: His length is flat out phenomenal. The swing is phenomenal. Got it all. Would be a shame if this young guy can’t win five to 10 majors. That is no easy task, very difficult in fact, but his talent and potential are unlimited. He just turned 23 last Friday. He’ll be ready for this.

4. Rickie Fowler: Got to put him in there after last week’s scintillating victory at Quail Hollow. There have been a lot of expectations over the last three years for him to become an elite player and he may have ascended to that level with his victory last week. Will be hot this week. Long, nice putter. Believes he can win. That’d the key.

5.Keegan Bradley: Has all the shots and a strong mental game. Very good putter with his long stick. Extremely long off the tee. Really like his mentality on the golf course. He can handle the pressure.

6.Hunter Mahan: He’s ready to ascend to greater heights. Having an awesome year leading the Fed Ex Standings with victories at the WGC Match Play in late February and the Shell Houston Open at the end of March/early April. Got it all: driving, iron game, putting. Ready to win a major. This could be the one.

7. Nick Watney: He’s been so close. He’s won on the tour. Pretty strong mentally though he does get frustrated at times. Got the complete arsenal though: long off the tee with a solid iron game and a good putter. Could see him breaking through.

Others who have a shot:

Matt Kuchar: Great player; could make the step up to the next level.

Brandt Snedeker: Hasn’t played in three weeks, but an explosive player when he gets going. Can put a lot of birdies together. Can make a mistake though that can cost him a tournament.

Graeme McDowell: Exceptional player with the 2010 U.S. Open on his resume. Looks pretty good under pressure though kind of folded with Tiger on Sunday at the Arnie Invitational. Very solid though.

Lee Westwood: Why not? He’s always in the hunt in majors it seems like. Can’t seem to get over the top in the elite events. Maybe he’ll break through here.

Adam Scott: Won here in 2004, so certainly in the conversation. Has all the tools and Stevie on his bag, so he’s in there.

The winner of the 2012 Players Championship will be:

Hunter Mahan

Arkansas 2012

david — Wed, 09 May 2012 15:30:57 +0000

Aside from his personal transgressions, Bobby Petrino did build an arsenal at Arkansas and left a full cupboard, particularly offensively, for interim (if that’s what they call him) coach John L. Smith. Tyler Wilson is primed for an All-American, and even possible Heisman Trophy year. Wilson, who threw for 3,638 yards last year with 24 touchdowns and just six interceptions, looks like he’s going to pick up where he left off and then some. In the spring game, Wilson was 31-for-41 for 467 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. Granted, he was playing against his second team defense, and the Hogs are not known for their defense, but he was right on the money with most of his passes.

He lost his two leading receivers from last year, Jarius Wright and Joe Adams, but Cobi Hamilton, who caught 34 passes for 542 yards and four touchdowns last year, is back. Hamilton caught 11 passes for 156 yards in the spring game and looked every bit as good as Wright and Adams. They’ve got other weapons. Tight end Chris Gragg is one of them. He caught nine balls for 130 yards in the spring game with two TDs including a 60-yarder which was a beautiful catch and run by Gragg off a pass from Wilson. Gragg is going to be All-SEC maybe All-American. He’s that good. He’s a converted wide receiver who has nice size (6’3″, 236) and tremendous athletic ability. Marquel Wade is another weapon. He caught six passes for 136 yards and one 48-yard TD. He looks like he can fill Adams’ role at slot receiver. He’s a guy who can go the distance on a short pass. Julian Horton is another talented receiver. He caught four passes for 48 yards in the spring game. He’s another good target. Keante Minor, Javontee Herndon and Maudrecus Humphrey are three others who can get it done on the perimeter.

The running game looks outstanding as well. Knile Davis is back. He only had one carry in the spring game, but he ran a 4.33 40 prior to the spring, so his speed is definitely back. He was a major force in 2010 running for 1,300 yards. He’s coming back from a broken ankle suffered prior to last season. He looks ready to go. Two other backs who will play major roles are Ronnie Wingo, Jr. and Dennis Johnson. Wingo ran for 88 yards in the spring game and Johnson 73. Wingo has that burstability; the ability to break the long one. Johnson is a power back with good speed. The running game is well stocked. The offensive line looked solid. They’ll be opening a lot of holes for Davis and company, and giving Wilson plenty of time to throw. Senior tackle Jason Peacock (6’4″, 305) is the leader of the group.

Another key component to the offense is offensive coordinator Paul Petrino, Bobby’s brother who has that same attacking, quick striking style that his brother had. He can also pound you with his running game and possession passing. The offense is exceptional.

Defense has always been the question mark for the Hogs, and has probably kept them from winning an SEC title under Petrino. But they have been building up the talent and look better on defense. They have a first year defensive coordinator in Paul Haynes, who brings an aggressive, attacking style to the defense. Like some of the linebackers, particularly Tenarius Wright (6’2″,252) and Robert Atiga (6’3″, 240). Safety Ross Rasner (6’0″, 212) can lay the wood. Aggressive player who seems to be always around the ball. They have good players in the secondary in corners Tervin Mitchell (6’0″,192) and Darius Winston (6’0″,191). Don’t know if this kid will be a starter, but Kaelon Kelleybrew, a cornerback, was all over the field in the spring game and had a nice int.

Do the Hogs have enough defense this year? They’re competent enough defensively to win a lot of ball games because that offense is so good. Didn’t know if Arkansas could beat Alabama and LSU this year, even at home. But after watching them in the spring game, they have a very good shot, if Wilson and the offensive skill players stay healthy.

The schedule is very favorable with Alabama at Fayetteville on Sept. 15 and LSU coming to Fayetteville on Nov.23, the Friday after Thanksgiving. The Hogs have to travel to A&M (Sept. 29) and Auburn (Oct.6) in consecutive weeks, and they have to go to South Carolina (Nov.10) and State (Nov. 17). But there is a lot to like about this team. This could be the year of the Hogs. They are explosive and so talented offensively and while not dominant on defense, they have about 10 or 15 good players. If their defense can hold their own and they stay healthy, the Razorbacks have a chance to be very special: play in Atlanta and play for it all.

Georgia should have a good year, barring suspensions

david — Mon, 07 May 2012 16:28:50 +0000

Aaron Murray should be primed for a stellar year as a redshirt junior qb. Murray completed 238-of-403 passes (59%) for 3,149 yards, 35 TDs and 14 ints. Murray is explosive and very good, but he can throw an interception at times, too. Murray needs to be consistent for the Bulldogs to excel this year. Isaiah Crowell is back at tailback after running for 901 yards last year. He’s a bit of a head case, can get in trouble and get suspended like several of Richt’s players do, but he can be a pretty explosive back. Liked what I saw out of Richard Samuel at running back. Ken Malcome looks like a pretty good back. Incoming freshman Keith Marshall was the number one running back in the country by Rivals in the 2012 class, so he should be a factor. Offensive line looks pretty solid. Wide receiver position is led by senior Tavarres King, who caught 47 passes for 705 yards and eight TDs last year. Malcolm Mitchell is also back. He caught 45 passes for 665 yards and four TDs. Don’t think Mitchell is suspended. Believe he was hurt in spring game. Kind of hard to keep up with Georgia’s suspensions.

On defense, really like nose guard Kwame Geathers. Looks like he could be a force. Ramik Wilson, a linebacker, had seven tackles, two for loss, and an interception that he returned 19 yards in the spring game. Bacarri Rambo is an excellent safety, but he’s going to be suspended for the first four games of the season. Linebacker Alex Ogletree is another stellar guy, but he’s suspended for at least two games in 2012 maybe more.

Georgia looks like a very good team; they just need to stay out of trouble. They’re at Missouri, at South Carolina, at Kentucky and at Auburn. They play Vandy, Tennessee, and Ole Miss at home. Florida is in Jacksonville. Ga. Tech game in Athens. Buffalo, Florida Atlantic and Georgia Southern are at home. Georgia Southern is a legitimate team, at least they were last year, ask Alabama. So the ‘Dawgs better be ready to play in that game.

Pretty manageable schedule. Don’t play Alabama, Arkansas or LSU. Things set up pretty nicely. South Carolina game (10/6) is big. There are tough games in there, don’t get me wrong, but if the ‘Dawgs can stay healthy, Murray especially, and get back to full strength from suspensions and stay out of trouble, it could be a pretty special season for them. Don’t think they can beat the West champion, but they can certainly win the East if they can get by South Carolina.

(Aaron Murray primed for big season.)

LSU looks powerful; better passing game, but difficult schedule

david — Mon, 07 May 2012 15:51:23 +0000

The front seven for LSU on defense is very imposing led by defensive end Sam Montgomery. Miles was boasting about his front seven in his post-spring game press conference. Likes his secondary a lot, too. Secondary outstanding with the talented Tyrann Mathieu back at corner and safety Eric Reed also back. Ronald Martin had a pick in the game from the dbackfield. Could be a name to watch this year.

Georgia transfer Zach Mettenberger has taken over at quarterback. He had a solid spring game completing 14-of-25 for 270 yards and two touchdowns. He threw a 49-yard TD pass to wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. He also threw an 18-yard TD pass to senior wideout Russell Shephard. Another weapon on the outside is Jarvis Landry, who caught six passes for 120 yards, including a 54-yarder from Mettenberger, which wasn’t a TD, but led the team to a score.

Running back is loaded with Alfred Blue, who ran for 73 yards on nine carries in the spring game, the powerful Kenny Hilliard, who ran for 40 on eight carries, and the tough Spencer Ware, who ran for 51 yards on eight carries. Steven Rivers will backup Mettenberger. He was six-for-17 for 75 yards and an int.

Drew Alleman is back to place kick. He was two-for-three with makes from 47 and 44 yards. Brad Wing is back to punt. Kicking game looks solid. Mathieu will return punts and we all know how lethal he can be returning punts.

LSU is on a mission this year to redeem themselves from last year’s 21-0 loss to ‘Bama in the BCS National Championship game. They start out with North Texas, Washington and Idaho at home, then go to Auburn, which will be a terrific matchup-AU looks good, then at home vs Towson (didn’t even know they had a football team), then at Florida, at home against South Carolina, at Texas A&M, ‘Bama, State and Ole Miss at home, then at Arkansas to end the season. No wonder they scheduled pretty much a powder puff non-conference schedule; the SEC games are brutal. At AU, Florida, A&M, and Arkansas are major challenges. Home games with ‘Bama and South Carolina very difficult. Think they’ll beat Florida, A&M, and South Carolina and could edge out Auburn. ‘Bama and Arkansas will be difficult, though they could win those game; they have the talent, if they can stay healthy at key positions, though they have more quality depth than most teams in the country. Getting out of that SEC schedule with 11-12 wins would be terrific for the Bengal Tigers. They said last year that this was the year they were really going to shine, even though last year was pretty outstanding until the last game. They should be outstanding this year; it’s just going to be a difficult schedule. They could go 11-2, or, if they get injured at key positions, and finish 9-4. It never is easy for any team in the SEC. The talent is certainly there at LSU to make a run, but the schedule is pretty precarious. Mettenberger is going to have to be good, that’s for sure. He is highly talented, but was a head case at Georgia, and got kicked off the team for an assault charge two years ago. We’ll see how he responds this season.

(The Honey Badger is ready to make another title run.)

AU looks pretty solid, too

david — Fri, 04 May 2012 15:47:40 +0000

Liked what I saw out of running back Mike Blakely. Blakely ran for 65 yards on five carries, including a 25-yard scamper for a score. Blakely has both power and the speed. He’s 190 pounds, and looks very strong. Has tremendous quickness and speed. AU fans are going to like him. Liked what I saw out of Kiehl Frazier also. He looks like the quarterback for the 2012 team. He was seven-of-nine for 92 yards. He had three really nice throws: one, a 19-yarder to Emory Blake, then on one drive, a 20-yarder to Trovon Reed and a 25-yarder to Emory Blake, which set up a Corey Grant four yard TD run.

Grant looks good. Looks more like McCalebb. A little bit smaller than Blakely, but extreme quickness and speed. Was highly rated coming out of Opelika High School. Was a state champion track runner. Can break it if he gets in space. We know Onterio McCalebb can do that, and Tre Mason is excellent. The Auburn backfield is better off than it would be with Michael Dyer. I think a couple of these guys are better than Dyer. And he was a cancer to the team. I’d take Blakely over Dyer for sure. He can break the long one. He’s faster than Dyer. Not sure I wouldn’t take Mason over Dyer either. Grant, and, of course, McCalebb can go the distance. McCalebb still has trouble breaking tackles. He’s just not an in-between the tackles runner.

Think Frazier is the answer at qb. There is no doubt in my mind that he’s the best one out there. Pike just not ready yet, and Moseley is average to me. Frazier’s arm is stronger this spring, he’s throwing it with more zip, and he has that tremendous running ability. Line looks good. Really like Reese Dismukes at center. He’s going to be a hoss. Chris Slade and Kyle Westerman at guards will be a force. Greg Robinson, Thomas O’Reilly and John Sullen are going to be excellent at tackle. The whole line looks good. With 11 guys in the past two years’ recruiting classes, including seven in this year’s class, five four-stars and two high three-stars by Rivals, this is going to be an exceptional line for the next four to five years. Two of those incoming frosh linemen, tackles Jordan Diamond and Avery Young, are five-stars by Scout. They’re high four- stars by Rivals. Think both of them can play this year adding depth and maybe beating somebody out to start.

Wide out looks pretty solid. Lutz is out till August with an injury, but you know he’ll produce at Hback/tight end. Emory Blake is going to be outstanding as he looks to excel this year and really improve his draft stock with an outstanding senior year. It’s pretty impressive he came back and didn’t take a risk in the draft this year. It’s going to pay off for him. Darvin Adams left after his junior year, and it hasn’t seemed to work out for him. Blake made a good decision. His father being a former NFL quarterback must have advised him wisely to stay. Trovon Reed looks like he’s ready to step up and be the electrifying player most thought he would be when he came to The Plains. He looks ready to break out. I like Quan Bray a lot. He just looks like an athlete. He’ll be fantastic on punt return and will help in the passing game. McCalebb can take it the distance on kickoffs as he did against Alabama last year. Both are explosive return men. This is the last chance for Travante Stallworth and DeAngelo Benton to step up. They’re both seniors. Been touted as players in the past, but haven’t produced so far. They’re seniors, so this is their last chance. They need to make the most of it. Jaylen Denson, at 6’3″, 197, is a player. Really like him. Think he’ll help a lot both possession-wise and as a deep threat. Has all the tools to be a stellar player.

Defense is ready to excel this year under coordinator Brian Van Gorder. Offense looked good under oc Scott Loeffler and the defense is going to be more aggressive and hard-hitting this year under Van Gorder. Like the dends, Corey Lemonier, Dee Ford and Nosa Eguae, who was hurt this spring, but should be back in a month and a half and ready for fall camp. There’s more talent there. Jeffrey Whitaker is a tank at defensive tackle. Ken Carter should be good at tackle as well. Linebacker a little thin. Another guy who’s going to stand out this year at dend/olb is LaDarius Owens. Really like him a lot. Big, physical, aggressive, and can lay the wood. Darren Bates is an underrated player. Think he’ll have a very good year at olb. Jonathan Evans didn’t participate in the spring game. He’ll be OK for the fall. Kris Frost didn’t participate either, but he’ll be a factor in the fall. Frost was a five-star by some services in 2011. Heard a lot of good things about Frost. Two four-stars who are coming in this fall, Cassanova McKinzy (6’2″, 224) and Javiere Mitchell (6’2″, 197), probably need to help with depth. Chris Landrum, a 6’3″, 235 redshirt frosh, was a high, three-star, so he should help as well. There are already three linebackers committed for the 2013 class. One four-star, Trey Johnson (6’1″, 220), a high three-star, Cameron Toney (6’3″, 225), and unranked Jarrad Davis (6’2″, 200).

I really like the secondary. Jermaine Whitehead is stellar. I see him becoming an All-American; maybe this year. T’Sharvin Bell was out this spring, and hopefully he’ll be back in the fall. I believe it was a knee injury. But Jonathan Rose and Chris Davis look like excellent cover corners. Look like excellent players overall. Robenson Therezie can play at safety. Demetruce McNeil can play. Ready to see what Enrique Florence can do. High four-star player last year. There are some stellar players in the secondary. Another linebacker I left out was Justin Garrett. He looks like a player. Kicking game should be good with Cody Parkey. Punter Steven Clark needs to be better this year.

Huge game to start off the season Sept. 1 versus Clemson in the Georgia Dome. Going to watch Clemson spring game in the coming days and will have a report on them. Know they have Sammy Watkins, the fantastic sophomore wide out, so Davis, Bell and Rose will have their hands full. Clemson with a lot of talent for sure. Dabo Sweeney has recruited well. Quarterback Taj Bell will be back and he should be ready for a big year. That game will be huge. Would be a huge momentum builder to get that first one under the belt. Then at State in another huge game in week two. After La Monroe at home, LSU and Arkansas come to Jordan-Hare. Then it’s at Ole Miss, at Vandy, vs. Texas A&M, New Mexico State and Georgia at home, Alabama A&M at home and ‘Bama in Tuscaloosa.

There are some huge matchups on the schedule. Could be a 10-win season if everything goes right with the future looking very bright. Get by Clemson, LSU and Arkansas and it could be a huge season. So many big games. Like this team a lot. If Frazier can come through and the team stays relatively healthy 2012 could be a special year.

(Mike Blakely was outstanding in the spring game.)

Tide looks pretty solid in Spring game as it heads towards ’12 season

david — Thu, 03 May 2012 16:45:47 +0000

The first guy who stood out to me physically was Jeoffrey Pagan. The 6’4″, 285 pound sophomore defensive end is the ultimate rig. Wow, what a physique. He’s just powerful. He’s behind Ed Stinson and Damion Square right now, and both are excellent players, but he should have an impact this fall.

The most impressive playmakers on the field to me were in the secondary. Vinnie Sunseri is a winner. He had a fumble recovery for a touchdown and an interception which he returned for significant yards. He also recorded five tackles. He’s always been a hitter, but he’s a big time playmaker at safety as well. Loved how Robert Lester and Hasean (can’t call him Ha Ha) Clinton-Dix looked as well. Both had ints. Deion Belue looks like he’s got some improving to do, but he has potential at corner. Dee Milliner and John Fulton will play a lot at corner also. Milliner excellent. Fulton looks pretty good, too. Linebackers looked very solid. OLB Adrian Hubbard was outstanding with seven tackles, four for losses of 22 yards and three sacks. Now those are productive numbers. Stinson played very well with six stops. C.J. Mosley looks like he’s back to form from some injuries last year. He had 10 tackles, two for loss. And Trey Depriest is a machine out there. Defense doesn’t have as much experience as they had a year ago, but there is certainly tons of talent. They’ll be very good. Wow, what a job S does recruiting. The talent is just phenomenal.

A.J. played pretty well though he did throw three interceptions, but that’s against what’s going to be one of the best, if not the best, secondaries in the country; particularly at safety. He was 29-of-42 for 3o4 yards and two TDs. He’s still a little inconsistent at times, but new offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier can work out some of those kinks in August and have A.J. primed and ready for Michigan, Sept. 1 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Tx. One of A.J.’s TDs was to Kenny Bell for 47 yards. Bell played very well. Looks like he’ll be a force this year out wide. Christion Jones caught the other, a 17-yard toss. Jones is outstanding and looks like he could be an electric punt returner. Chris Black, the early enrollee frosh, is a player. Kevin Norwood will be too. If DeAndrew White and Duron Carter can ever get it together, they’ll be players. Liked what I saw out of Michael Williams. Tremendous athlete at tight end. Drops it every now and then, still needs to hone it up a little, but could be primed for very important role in offense.

Phillip Sims played a fantastic game. It’s too bad he’s leaving, but he wants to start somewhere and he seems to have some family health issues up in Virginia. Looks like he’ll be at UVA in the fall. He may play next year if he gets a waiver from the NCAA or he will have to sit with two years left to play. Phillip Ely has potential, so we’ll see how he develops. He was a four star like McCarron coming out of high school, so he’s good. Incoming 5.6 three-star frosh qb Alex Morris (6’3″, 235) from Texas will have to be ready if there is any problem with injuries at qb.

Liked what I saw out of T.J. Yeldon. He’s an excellent back. He ran for 88 yards and caught five balls for 91 yards and a 50-yard TD on a beautiful catch and run. He’s got tremendous speed and quickness. Still runs too upright, but that’s who he is and S doesn’t seem to have a problem with it. Just think he might get clocked a few times in the fall. S may work with him a little on that. Would like to see Eddie Lacy get back and solidify the backfield. Eddie’s a load at 220 and has a chance to have a terrific year. With Yeldon, Jalston Fowler and the explosive Dee Hart, that makes up an impressive group of backs.

Oline is stellar. Barrett may win another Outland, at center this time. Unquestioned leader. Anthony Steen is outstanding at guard, and Cyrus Kouandijo is back from injury. Cyrus with loads of potential. Would like to see his brother Arie get back, too. That would solidify the line even more. D.J. Fluker will be one of the best in the country at right tackle and so will Chance Warmack at right guard. Need to build a little more depth there, but the starters are superb.

I see another chance at at a national title. Opener with Michigan will be challenging but winnable. At Arkansas third game of the season (9-15-12). S should beat John L. Smith. Arkansas with a lot of talent, but without Petrino, don’t think they’ll be as good as they could have been. Ole Miss at home (9/29, win), open , then at Missouri (10-13), at Tennessee (10-2o), State at home (10-27), then the Tide goes to Baton Rouge on Nov.3. Texas A&M at home on 11/10, Western Carolina (11-17) at home, and finish with AU at home on 11/24. Couple of non-conference games against Western Kentucky and Florida Atlantic are not a problem if Tide just makes it to the stadium. S won’t have a problem with that.

Arkansas a potential problem, and at Mizzou and Tennessee challenging. UT better and Mizzou has an excellent quarterback, James Franklin. Of course, the battle in Baton Rouge will be colossal again. They’re very good and are better at quarterback this year with Zach Mettenberger. They’re pretty loaded everywhere else.

So there’s no guarantee for an SEC title and another national title. That’s hard to do any year, but this should be an excellent football team as long as A.J. stays healthy and consistent. See 12-13 wins, maybe 14. That’s just the way it is in Tuscaloosa.

(Jeoffrey Pagan is a beast.)

Petrino fails as a human being

david — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 14:07:51 +0000

There is a little stone tablet that was created by the Man upstairs called the Ten Commandments that explicitly states in the seventh commandment, “Thou shalt not commit adultery.” That means a lot. It matters to people of faith and there are a lot of them in this country. In that regard, Bobby Petrino not only broke a sacred trust with his wife and children, which is a terrible travesty, but also with the Lord. You may think I sound evangelical about it, and maybe I am, but I believe once you make a commitment to your wife, you’re told by God not to betray that commitment, not under any circumstances. I don’t know the circumstances of Bobby Petrino’s marriage, it hasn’t been detailed anywhere, but there is no excuse for infidelity. He cheated and deceived people in so many ways, but mainly his wife and children, and the sacred trust that is explicitly laid out in the Bible.

His past was questionable enough. The “Jetgate” scandal in which a couple of Auburn trustees flew up to the University of Louisville to try to get him to become the head coach at Auburn while Tommy Tuberville was coaching in 2003. He betrayed the trust of the school where he was coaching, and he betrayed Tuberville, who had employed him as his offensive coordinator before Petrino landed the Louisville head job.

Then it was the Atlanta Falcons, whom he left 13 games into the 2007 season, to become the head coach at Arkansas. I’m not saying the NFL cannot be a total pain in the neck because some of the players are uncontrollable, but to do that to your owner with whom you told earlier in the day that you were staying, is a total betrayal of trust. He has a track record of being amazingly untrustworthy. But this topped it off and was the most egregious error of his unethical track record.

I know Mike Dubose and Rick Pitino had affairs, long term and one night stands, and kept their jobs. They shouldn’t have. They should have been fired immediately afterwards. I’m glad there is someone who was willing to stand up for integrity for once. Society has become too permissive of people’s bad behavior, particularly athletes and coaches. All because they win. Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun somehow got out of his performance enhancing drug charge by Major League baseball and a 50 game suspension this season because two of the arbitrators in the case let him off. His is a recent example that comes to mind. O.J. Simpson is the most abhorrent case of injustice in modern times. “The glove doesn’t fit you must acquit” was an acting job by an unethical lawyer and the guy walked. Fortunately, he’s back in jail where he belongs. I don’t believe Orenthal has a very good shot at making it to Heaven.

I know there are other things Petrino did. He lied about the girl being on the motorcycle with him, hired her in the football office over 150+ other applicants and paid her $20,000 as a “gift.” But the affair to me is the most telling of the guy’s character and his integrity. It should have been punished and punished severely. And fortunately this time it was. He got exactly what he deserved. It’s nice and optimistic that someone or a group of people stood up for the right thing to do. I just feel terrible for his wife and kids who have had to suffer through this public humiliation, and, worse, have lost total trust in their husband and father. In my opinion, the guy does not deserve to be coaching for quite a while, a year, maybe two. I don’t even know if the NFL will take him. Falcons’ owner Arthur Blank has to have spread the word that this guy cannot be trusted and is not an honorable guy. With the latest New Orleans Saints incident against Sean Payton, his coaches and players, may think this guy is not a guy you want on your sideline. He may be hired as an assistant in the future in the NFL, I’m sure he has connections and friends in the league, or he may get a job at a smaller school in college. But he needs to be out of football for at least a year. Let him pay the price for his repeated cheating and lying.

Who will Arkansas hire? Garrick McGee, though I would hate it for UAB, would be a logical choice. He was an excellent offensive coordinator for the Razorbacks for the last two years and knows quarterback Tyler Wilson, running back Knile Davis and wide receiver Cobi Hamilton, very well. They trust him. He’s an excellent offensive football coach and there are coaches in place whom he has worked with for four years. They have the players to have a very good year, though I don’t think they can beat S. But what about McGee’s loyalty to Bobby Petrino? He really showed his admiration for Petrino in his press conference upon being hired as UAB’s head coach. Is he trustworthy in the long run? McGee would probably be a good choice. McGee has a DUI in his past, in 2006 when he was 33 and coaching at Northwestern as an assistant, but he seems to have gotten through that and is a solid guy right now. McGee could be a good choice, but he has no head coaching experience. I think he’ll be a very good head coach. He may need the experience at UAB before he takes on a job the magnitude of Arkansas. Personally, I hope he stays on the Southside. I think he has great potential and would be terrific for the Blazers’ program. Gus Malzahn is another name that’s come up. Possible. No head coaching experience there either though, and his last year at Auburn was not the successful offensively. Somewhat of a disaster really. Butch Davis is another guy, but he has a very questionable reputation from his stint at North Carolina recently. It looked like he was running a rogue program there Jimmy Johnson is a name that’s interesting. I think he would be a pretty good choice, but his character to me is a little questionable, too. Jon Gruden of course come up. When has Jon Gruden not been mentioned in a coaching search? He’s a good commentator on Monday Night football and he had good success in the NFL, but he did get fired by Tampa Bay, so he’s not perfect. Some people in Arkansas will want a slam dunk hire and a couple of these guys could fit that description. But they need a guy who will win and WILL be an honorable guy. As a matter of fact, we need many more honorable guys in the athletic world. There are guys out there like Tim Tebow and others who are, like newly crowned Masters champion Bubba Watson, who says his religious faith and his family are his first priorities. But many, including coaches, are not honorable. That needs to change. Arkansas need to hire a guy who has character and, of course, can win. Can’t ever forget the winning part can we? It seems to trump everything else for sports fans. Personally, I think you can do both. There’s no weakness in being honest. It’s a strength. You can be a strong personality when you have to be and you can also have character. It’s been done by a lot of people and it’s just not that hard.

It took AD Jeff Long some time to make the decision. I’m wondering if he was brokering a deal with another coach. It’ll be interesting to see if Long goes ahead and pulls the trigger, or waits until after spring ball and finds a coach.

Meanwhile, who knows what will happen to Petrino. I don’t know if his wife will have him back. She shouldn’t, though it’s hard for me to say how she feels about her husband. She may love him and want to stay married to him and work things out. He’s got a lot of work ahead of him to repair his relationship with his wife and kids. Then he can start thinking about coaching again. He needs to get out of his selfish fishbowl and step up and be a man and take care of his family. I’m not sure he’s capable.

Bubba takes home the green jacket

david — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 15:23:46 +0000

Wow, that was something else, again. The Masters always delivers and this one was another one for the ages. Thought Bubba, with his immense distance and his ultra creative shot making, had a shot if his short game was on. It was, particularly when he birdied four holes in a row starting with no.13 and topping it off with an eight footer on 16. Louis, Lou-ah, gave it a great go as well. Played solid golf throughout the tourney and his four iron from 253 yards that went down for double eagle was as good as I’ve ever seen. That was one exciting shot. Louie was all class in defeat. Seems like a great guy and he was happy for Bubba.

Bubba’s gap wedge from 155 yards was the clincher after Louis left it short of the green on his second shot. Bubba just shaped that shot with a 40 yard draw from the woods. He said he loves to draw it. Seemed impossible to execute. When Louis chipped up about 15 feet past the cup and just barely missed his par putt on 10, it was all academic. Bubba had a six inch par putt and he put his hand up to the crowd to calm down them down. He was taking nothing for granted. When he sank the putt his emotion was fantastic. Bubba, who played two years at Faulkner State in Bay Minette, Al. before transferring and starring at Georgia, broke down. He was thinking about his dad, Gerry, a former Green Beret, who passed away two years ago in October, a couple of months after Bubba finished second in a playoff in the PGA, losing to Martin Kaymer. He was in the late stages of cancer at the time and Bubba really wanted to win the PGA for him before he lost him. This helped ease that pain. It was also for his wife, Angie, who has struggled with some health issues, and his newly adopted baby boy, Caleb. Bubba, after round three, said he couldn’t wait to get home to “his boy,” and spend more time with him.

It was a dream come true for this patriotic country boy from Bagdad, Florida and in another classic Masters. Bubba won his fourth tournament of his career. He won the Travelers Championship in 2010, the Farmers in 2011, the Zurich Classic in 2011 and now the 76th Masters. He has played in four playoffs now and is 3-1 in those sudden deaths with his only loss coming to Kaymer in the PGA. The 33-year old said he never got this far in his dreams. Well now, he’s reached the ultimate in any golfers dreams. He is the Masters champion and a fine representative of the Green Jacket. He looks like a guy who could do this in majors three or four more times. Augusta suits his game with his ability to pound it (longest driver on tour at 313 average), and work the ball right or left. If his short game is on, I expect Bubba to be donning a few more Green Jackets and maybe securing a couple of U.S. Opens or a PGA. Just proud of him. Proud for him.

Seven who can win the 76th Masters

david — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 14:13:10 +0000

Always phenomenal golf played this weekend at the penultimate tournament in golf. Here are six guys whom I like to win it with the winner at the bottom.

1. Tiger Woods:

He’s not all the way back to 2000 form, but he’s about there. He’s leading the tour in scoring average at 68.27. He’s driving the ball very well and his putter looks like it’s catching on again. The guy on his bag, Joe LaCava, caddied for Fred Couples when he won the ’92 Masters, and has been on Dustin Johnson’s bag the last four years. That’s a good combination there. Like the formula here with one of the top three golfers of all time (along with Jack and Ben Hogan), and a fired up one at that along with an experienced, major winning caddie on his bag. Woods looks primed to win his fifth green jacket ( won in 1997, 2001, 2002 and 2005), and his 15th major in his pursuit of Jack’s record of 18. Like him a lot on a course he loves and plays extremely well on. If he’s in the final group on Sunday, he’ll probably get it done.

2.Hunter Mahan:

Two victories already on tour at the WGC Match Play in late February, where he beat Rory McIlroy 2 and 1, and the Shell Houston Open last week. Phil won at the Bellsouth Classic in Atlanta the week before he won the Masters in 2006, so it can be done. And if you’re hot and playing the way Mahan is, it definitely can be done. He looks like a guy who can stand up to Tiger on the final day if he’s paired with him. Seems to be pretty mentally tough. Great player who’s got it all: Ball striking, iron play and short game. Like Hunter’s chances.

3. Phil Mickelson:

A three-time winner at Augusta (2004, 2006 and 2010), Phil has already won at the AT&T this year at Pebble Beach and is playing very good golf with a top five at the Shell Houston last week. Still a terrific player at 41. If Phil can drive it down the middle–he’s certainly long enough–and his putter is clicking, he could be donning his fourth green jacket in the Butler Cabin come Sunday afternoon.

4. Luke Donald:

Playing really well right now after winning the Transitions Championship three weeks ago. Seems to have attained that clutch gene it takes to win a major at 34 years old. Not real long, but an excellent putter; some say the best on the tour. Saves a lot of strokes on the green. You can win a lot of tournaments if you put like Donald. This could be Luuuke’s year. Good shot.

5. Rory McIlroy:

Got to include Rory. He was number one in the world after winning the Honda Classic March 4, but Donald overtook him a couple of weeks later at the Transitions. No doubt about the arsenal here. Could be a multiple major winner on tour. But I’m not coronating him yet. Still got a lot of proving to do. He needs to win three or four majors to be considered elite. He’s young at 22, so the future is very bright, but can he close at Augusta? That’s a major question. Not sure he’s at that point yet. There’s no guarantee he ever will be. Won the U.S. last year so he knows how to win. But he won by a large margin and there wasn’t a ton of pressure on him on Sunday. If he’s in it come the back nine Sunday there will be. Didn’t handle it well last year when he had the lead heading into the back nine and shot 77. Great kid though. Quite a contrast from Tiger. But does he have the fortitude and toughness to get it done on Sundays and win multiple majors, starting right here? This weekend could give us an indication of where he’s at if he’s in the hunt Sunday. He couldn’t get it done last year, but maybe he can this time. He’s still got a lot of time left to win majors; he’s very young. It would be pretty exciting if he could take this and become the new superstar on the tour.

6. K.J. Choi:

He’s been so close at the Masters. He tied for fourth in 2010 and tied for eighth in 2011. Has been playing Augusta very well. He’s got the game at 41-years old. He’s long, a solid iron player and a very good putter. Won the Players last year, so he’s basically got a major under his belt. Got that Asian calm, cool toughness that is so important in this tournament. He’s another guy who could hold up against Tiger in the final group on Sunday. Give K.J. a chance.

7. Bubba Watson:

Longest hitter on the tour averaging 316.9 yards. Also leads the tour in greens in regulation percentage at 73.61%. Great player who is primed. If his short game is on, he’s got a good shot. Another tough-minded guy who can get it done.

The winner: Tiger Woods:

Just like where he’s at right now. He loves this course and the Hank Haney book, The Big Miss, gives him even more motivation to excel. He’s on a mission right now. Not absolutely sure he can sustain it for the long haul, but right now he’s getting back to where he wants to be. He’s the ultimate closer still. Like him here.

Kentucky 67, Kansas 59

david — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 13:20:35 +0000

Not too much to say. Kentucky was the best team all year though I thought teams like Michigan State, Ohio State or Syracuse could have given them a run in the tournament, but they lost out. Syracuse with Fab Melo was pretty outstanding, but lost out to Ohio State without him. The Buckeyes looked great against the Cuse, but fell apart against Kansas. And Michigan State went cold against Louisville; pretty disappointing tournament for them.

But Kansas played hard all year long and ended up with a very good season. They played hard and played well in the second half last night turning up the defense and penetrating Ky’s defense for scores. But Kentucky did what they had to do down the stretch to get it done. Doron Lamb hit some big shots as did Marquis Teague. Those guys, to me, looked like they were playing for NBA contracts. Davis was his usual dominating self. 15 boards and six blocks, something like that. He’s from another stratosphere. Superior player. Should be an NBA All-Star multiple times and lead a team to championships if he has some help which he should in the NBA. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is a warrior. Terrence Jones is, too, at least he was last night. I expect Davis to be the first pick in the draft, and Davis and Kidd-Gilchrist to be lottery picks. Think Lamb will go first round. Miller could be in the first round, though he didn’t have a real good game last night. Tegue, to me, could use another year to perfect his point guard skills. But he may go too. They have two five-stars and a four star center coming in next year. They’ll be good. I don’t know if they’ll be as good as they were this year because they’ll lose a lot. Davis and Lamb coming back this year was huge for them. Along with Miller, they had experience and Davis is a once every 15 years talent. He’s as special as they come.

Calipari had a lot of pressure on him to win it this year. He’s done a heckuva’ job at Kentucky and deserves a lot of the credit. I’ve never seen a better recruiter outside Nick Saban. A lot of people say he just recruits championships, that he’s really not that great with X’s and O’s. He’s not the best X’s and O’s coach in the game in my opinion, but when you recruit players like that and you motivate them, it’s a pretty good winning formula. He’s elite.

With Alabama winning the football title and Kentucky winning the basketball title looks like the IBM teams are back on top. Alabama’s been for four years now and Kentucky for the last three. Great coaches make all the difference. They recruit great players and they coach them up.

But there are a lot of great teams out there in both sports returning, so next year will be riveting in college football and basketball. USC, Florida State, Texas,Michigan, teams like LSU, Arkansas, Georgia and maybe Florida in the SEC will challenge the Tide. Auburn will be better. Kentucky will have teams like Louisville, the ‘Cuse, Ohio State, Michigan State, UNC and Duke to contend with. So it should be highly entertaining in both sports. Trying to get down to ‘Bama’s football practice tomorrow so will have a full report on that on Thursday weather permitting tomorrow, and, of course, the tradition continues with the playing of the 76th Masters this week beginning Thursday. Should be highly exciting. Can Tiger Woods recapture the glory and get closer and closer to Jack’s 18 majors. Tiger now with 14. Or will Luke Donald, Hunter Mahan or the young phenom Rory McIlory claim greatness as they’ve shown in regular tour events and McIlory in the U.S. Open last year. Should be fun. Will have a full Masters preview tomorrow about 11. Football spring practices going on. Will give rundown of SEC teams after spring games later this month.

Big Blue nation livin’ large right now.