Pennsylvania State, easily one of the top two or three openings, stands at the alter like a bride whose cake has been left out in the rain.
Groom didn’t show. She looked over at best man, whom she’d been zoomin’ with, asked “How about you?” at which point he booked for the parking lot, tossing his rented tux bowtie in the bushes, never to be heard from again.*
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*Interesting for Cardinal fans, I read a surprising for me but authoritative report that Louisville coach Jeff Brohm had several conversations with Nittany Lions brass. Article did not say Brohm’s agent, though that might have been the case.
Apparently a guy in Iowa is saying to the bride, I dunno, maybe I’m ready for a new betrothal.
It’s a wackorama out there, pigskin fanatics.
* * * * *
This is going to be a section about a new football hire, but I am, as is my wont, going to start with a basketball memory and wend my way there. Though where I land might vex much of my normal readership.
At the Monday night ’82 NCAA final in the Superdome, I sat next to a couple of 14 year old North Carolina fans. The boys were Tar Heel through and through. They loooooooved the Carolina Blues and lived and died on every play, never having experienced an NC title before.
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They advised how their parents had been taking them to games since they were single digits old.
At which point I realized, they’re me. Same passion. Same devotion. Different school colors.
The remembrance returned when reading a transcript of Will Stein opening statement at his intro presser in Lexington.
He name checked Wildcats from the past, famous and not so, described moments both good and bad when he went to games with his folks at an early age.
That Joker Phillips didn’t allow him to walk on, and that he ended up doing so at UK’s arch rival never affected his ardor and love for the Big Blue.
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His first head coaching job is his dream job.
Damn cool, I’d say. Doesn’t mean I ran over to Sissy Cakes to fill my sweet tooth. Or will feel compelled to frequent there in the future.
Yes, I’m really happy for him. Really hope he wins in Lexington except on Governor’s Cup Saturday, when I hope they get bashed.*
*I’m sure I’ve mentioned before how I personally have never had the same enmity toward UK football as I have in hoops. Despite my rhetoric here playing to my constituency.
Good luck, Will Stein.
* * * * *
Curt Cignetti’s HC record is 142-37.
Not bad for a “cocky nerd” which is what some former player dubbed him.
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What’s interesting to me about the coaching cycle is how and why Cignetti at IU, Clark Lea at Vandy, Brent Key at Georgia Tech, and Rhett Lashlee at SMU didn’t jump to “more attractive” jobs at traditional powers.
Of course, they got extensions, and more moolah. But also realized in the new era, you can win anywhere as long you got former DL Pudge Deeppockets comin’ with the cash.
Though it was a different time, the reality is that Schnellenberger and Petrino could have turned U of L into a power but didn’t realize it. And felt compelled to split, upwards they thought at the time. Charlie Strong too, but his was a somewhat different psychological dynamic.
* * * * *
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Let’s hope that the ACC not only tweaks but totally overhauls its tiebreakers.
Should the Blue Devils with their OK but nothing extraordinary $8 mill QB beat UVa in the title game, the conference will be the kid with not a nickel in his pocket, face against the window, staring longingly into the candy store.
* * * * *
For those anxious to watch next season of the soap opera, there’s this:
LSU opens its SEC slate at Ole Miss.
Gotta love how the Rebels’ team leaders totally debunked their former coach’s claim that they really wanted him to coach in the playoffs.
Being obsessive, I’ve read way too much about the Kiffin thing. It’s a sickness I’ll admit.
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One of my favorite asides of all the articles was a quote or two by a huge Ole Miss fan and former baseball player there. Joe Ignatius. He mentioned how sad he was for his 8 year old son who’d become a huge Rebels fan during the LK regime.
The kid’s name: Bodacious Ignatius.
I mean, c’mon, could there be anything more True South than that?
— c d kaplan
#Pigskin #Palaver #Coaching #Chaos #Continues