Sylvester Croom no doubt thought he'd seen enough of Jim Crow.
Growing up a star football player at Alabama, as one of Bear Bryant's favorites, doesn't make you immune from feeling, seeing, and hearing racism. Why, some might think it happened just the other day in an insulting, backhanded, wormy type of way.
Mississippi State's coach won't say it, of course. "Jim Crow" is one of those phrases that strike hot and deep. But you don't have to be racist to do something racially insensitive. That's the result of the recently resolved mini-controversy over a previously little-known spring practice award at Alabama.
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| Tide coach Mike Shula is tired of talking about the controversy.(Getty Images) |
That didn't make up for the figurative slap to Croom's face.
The two coaches talked and let the controversy die Tuesday. A spokesman said Shula did not want to answer any more questions on the subject. Croom had not returned a telephone call placed Tuesday.
However, this issue should have legs, a soul, a nation of millions behind it. As much as "Croomgate" was about offending an all-time Alabama great, it offended more the effort it took to get there. It insulted those who were inspired by Croom's effort, those living through the first black head football coach in SEC history.
It was admittedly a "bad decision" by Shula. One that could haunt him on the field and in recruiting.
What Shula obviously didn't realize is that Croom will be, if he already isn't, an icon to a number of Americans. He could lose all his games from now until Vanderbilt wins the SEC and still be an inspiration. Without having coached a game, Croom shares the same legacy in the South as Rosa Parks, Ruby Bridges and the kids at Little Rock Central High School.
Unintentionally, Shula spat on that legacy with his actions. What were people supposed to think? Five of the 17 Alabama spring awards bear the names of black men. Croom is the first black head football coach in the SEC. Does anyone else besides the rest of the country see that this might be a problem for Shula?
And he did it all at first without even a phone call to Croom to discuss the matter. If Shula can't grasp the gravity of his actions, you have to wonder about him calling the right play on third-and-2.
The Crimson Tide are coming off a 4-9 year in Shula's "honeymoon" season. His quarterback, Brodie Croyle, is recovering from shoulder surgery. The full complement of 85 scholarships won't be available until next season. Shula might understand Alabama, having played there, but it's fair to question whether he understands the big picture.
Woodrow Lowe -- whose name appears on the most improved linebacker award -- had better watch out. He's just down the road as an assistant at Alabama-Birmingham. Let's hope Lowe never gets to the SEC or Shula will have another tough decision to make.
Don't be surprised if the loyalty of Dwight Stephenson -- MVP lineman of the spring game award -- is questioned. After all, his son, Dwight Jr., went to Notre Dame.
The message being sent is: Don't have the temerity to coach at another SEC school and expect to keep your name on an award. Shula picked at old scabs when he picked on the wrong guy. Was Croom somehow disloyal in taking the job of his life? Was becoming an All-American and playing for Bear not enough?
Is Shula that insecure?
Remember that Croom was the more qualified of the two candidates when 'Bama picked Shula to succeed Mike Price. Croom's alma mater wouldn't take him, but Mississippi State did.
If Shula was worried about "appearances" before, he'd better watch his back now. Croom should quietly dedicate his career to beating the snot out of Shula every time they meet.
Certainly Croom is not in a position to beat many teams right now, but the day will come. Maybe then Shula will understand that removing one man's name hurt more than one person.
BCS Gator bait
Rick Catlett has been congratulated before on reaching a bowl game's highest rung. The president of the Gator Bowl remembers back in 1995 when the old Bowl Alliance was being formed. A reporter approached him and told Catlett commissioners had decided that the Gator would join the Fiesta and Sugar bowls in the precursor to what is now the BCS.
"They delayed the decision and, of course, we didn't get in," Catlett said. "Those front-runners and that premature stuff usually gets you caught."
That's why Catlett was more than skeptical when reports surfaced over the weekend that the Gator would become the fifth BCS bowl. One big problem is, the bowls that are interested don't know what they are bidding on. BCS and non-BCS presidents decided in February that a fifth BCS bowl would be added to address equity concerns. That is, if the market supports it.
"A) They don't know when they're going to do it, B) they don't know how they're going to do it and C) nobody has talked to the bowls about it," Catlett said.
The Gator is more than interested, especially if it can partner with the Big East in time for the new BCS contract beginning in 2006. Having an anchor tenant removes the sting in the years when the Gator wouldn't have the national championship game.
The Gator already has a bid in for the ACC championship game and is joined by the Peach, Capital One, Houston and Holiday bowls as BCS candidates. But the devil in the details is sprouting horns.
"I haven't heard a word," Catlett said.
Back in '95, the Gator bid $160 million to get into the Alliance, Catlett said, knowing the importance of being in a national championship game rotation even if it didn't include the Rose Bowl. The bid was right there with the Fiesta and above the bids of the Sugar ($100 million) and Orange bowls ($90 million).
The Orange eventually made the cut ahead of the Gator because of tradition but was forced to move to Pro Player Stadium to make the game more viable. When the Rose agreed to come aboard and make the BCS possible in 1998, the Gator Bowl wasn't included. So Catlett knows that money doesn't buy happiness.
The 59-year0old bowl based in Jacksonville, Fla., has two years left on a deal with the ACC and Big East (or Notre Dame) and has the financial and logistical foundation to support a BCS title game. It has the 2005 Super Bowl and is home to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Alltell Stadium (73,000 capacity) has seen $70 million in upgrades in recent years.
"We would hope that they would only look at those bowl games that have paid their dues," Catlett said. "There's a logical group of cities that could host it."
BCS commissioners haven't come close to answering the key questions of a fifth bowl: Will it be a full and equitable partner? Will it be in a five-year rotation for the national championship game? Will the new bowl have to take a non-BCS team each season or will the "poison pill" rotate?
"That's why I'm shocked at some of the things being written because nobody knows what the concept is yet," he said.
The Football Bowl Association meets later this month in New Orleans hoping to get a better idea of what is going on. BCS commissioners aren't sure if they will decide on the fifth bowl, or on any tweaks in the BCS ratings, by the time they meet April 26-27 in Phoenix.
The Gator pays $1.6 million to each team in the current deal, but would probably have to raise that to at least $13 million per team beginning in 2006.
Karl Dorrell: Year 2
The last we heard from UCLA coach Karl Dorrell he was refusing a one-year contract extension. Not a good move, you'd think, for a first-year coach coming off a 6-7 season in a city where USC owns half a national championship.
The move wasn't, as some suggested, a publicity stunt. Dorrell really didn't think he deserved the extension. He has five years left on his deal and wants to prove himself before being rewarded. UCLA opened spring practice Wednesday with three new coaches, all on offense, hoping to raise the program's profile.
Dorrell met with reporters a couple of weeks ago, attempting to stem the flow of negative publicity. A lot of it was centered around the Bruins just being plain boring to watch. Dorrell is as stoic as his offense, which was 110th overall last year.
Lots of coaches are devoid of emotion on the sidelines (see Tom Osborne) and Dorrell has begun to address the offense. Dino Babers, R.C. Slocum's last offensive coordinator at Texas A&M, was hired as receivers coach. Former Idaho head coach Tom Cable replaced Steve Axman as offensive coordinator. Rising star Jim Svoboda came from Division II power Northwest Missouri State to coach the quarterbacks.
All three have high-octane offenses in their backgrounds. Babers is at his 10th school in a 19-year career. His most successful stop was Arizona from 1995-2000. During those years he produced the Pac-10's top offense as coordinator (1999, 471.9 yards). That same year Cable had the same title at Colorado, where the Buffaloes were No. 14 nationally, averaging 425 yards. It will be his duty to install the West Coast offense that hasn't clicked yet.
Svoboda is the wild card. He had no previous ties to Dorrell but is an up-and-comer. In his early 30s, Svoboda spent 10 years as offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach for the Bearcats. Northwest Missouri had Division II's top offense in 1998 and 2000 and finished in division's top five every year from 1996-2000.
The offensive line has to be patched together, and quarterback Drew Olson needs to improve, but at least Dorrell is trying. Breaking a five-game losing streak against USC might help too.
Quick hits
- There's a possible draft bargain out there tucked away in a hamlet of Cedar Falls, Iowa. Northern Iowa linebacker Jonathan Harrell has caused a minor draft stir after recent workouts. He missed two games last season with a sprained ankle and sore groin. Following surgery on the ankle, Harrell went to the combine but performed only non-running drills. After an on-campus pro day in March, he has shot up the charts. Harrell, 6-feet-2 and 228 pounds, came out of Birmingham, Ala., and got interest from Alabama, Auburn, Southern Miss and Mississippi State. He went the junior college route before playing his last two years at Northern Iowa, where there is bit of linebacker tradition. Northern Iowa is the home of 1995 NFL defensive player of the year Bryce Paup.
- You have to wonder why all those Texas stars stay for their senior seasons. First it was Ricky Williams, then Roy Williams, now running-back Cedric Benson. Benson enters his senior year as Texas' No. 3 rusher (3,706 career yards). Actually, he is probably the least worthy to leave early of the three. Ricky and Roy would have been first-rounders. Benson, not so sure. There is some feeling that he hasn't reached his full potential yet. Ricky was talked out of the NFL by Mack Brown in his first season. Roy was so laid back that he just loved Austin and wanted to return. Benson will have to have a big year both for himself and for the Longhorns to overtake Oklahoma. Meanwhile, Roy has moved up the draft charts and is projected by some to be the No. 2 player taken overall by Oakland.
