Dennis Dodd

It was in the Big 12 Thursday afternoon ... unless you're a fan of women's basketball, csurams.cstv.com/sports/w-baskbl/re
caps/031208aae.htmland let's face it, who isn't?

(Now, back to reality)

Colorado beating Baylor 91-84 in the first-round here in Kansas City could have reverberations around the NCAA bracket. Baylor, which thought it was safely in, is now sweating a bit after a No. 12 seed won a first-round game for the first time in Big 12 history. CU, 12-19, isn't going anywhere but it could have possibly opened up a spot for someone else.

Baylor is 21-10 and finished strong winning four of its last five going into Thursday. This was easily the Bears worst loss of the season so perhaps the committee will have mercy.

The juicy sub-plot for Friday: Colorado will have plenty of incentive against fourth-seeded Oklahoma. Cast your eyes back to Feb. 9 when the Buffs picked up one of their three conference wins, 72-58 over Oklahoma in Boulder. OU coach Jeff Capel said afterward, "This is the most embarrassing thing I've been a part of."

We know this bothered CU coach Jeff Bzdelik because 11 days later the Buffs lost to Texas Tech 87-69.

"Am I embarrassed? Yes," Bzdelik said after the game. "But give credit to Texas Tech. I'm not going to be one of those coaches that says this is the most embarrassing moment of my life. I'll show class and give Texas Tech credit."

Not exactly sleep-inducing stuff for a No. 4 vs. No. 12 game. Stay tuned.

 

 

 

 

I don't have much of a problem with Clemson getting out from underneath Ray Ray McElrathbey's scholarship. I do have a problem with the way they announced it.

The school has done everything possible to avoid saying they are trying to free up a scholarship by offering the backup tailback a graduate assistant's job. It's obvious that McElrathbey is not longer needed now that Clemson has one of the deepest tailback stables in the country. McElrathbey is not going to get on the field. His brother Fahmarr has $100,000 in a trust fund that the NCAA graciously allowed to be formed when their parents' negligence forced Ray Ray to take in his brother.

McElrathbey's situation is not so much a gesture of largesse on the part of Clemson, but as a way to make the school and athletic department look good. And it hides a little-known way of doing business.

For example, it is up to the school's discretion whether a scholarship player transitioning to grad assistant is able to eat at the training table. Kids sign an athletic scholarship expecting all the accompanying perks. McElrathbey seemingly will be well taken care ofl. He would receive a stipend for his meals if he chooses to become a GA, the school said. AD Terry Don Phillips has said McElrathbey will receive financial aid if he becomes a grad assistant..

Clemson isn't being as heartless as it might seem.  It will help Ray Ray find another school if he chooses to transfer in order to play out his final two years of eligibility. This is a lot more than they could have done for a kid who has been in academic hot water in the past.

Somewhere in there, though, I'd like to see the school admit it needed the scholarship rather than covering itself with glory.

• There are a lot of things messed up about the college football hall of fame process. Some no-brainer candidates have been left out for years. One player who should already be in is Arizona State's Pat Tillman who appeared on this year's 75-player ballot this week.

Tillman is a national hero, plus an athletic (and academic) inspiration who should have been inducted posthumously the moment he died four years ago in Afghanistan. This is his first year on the ballot. Please, please, please voters. Do the right thing. The voters, by the way, are 12,000 National Football Foundation members and current hall of famers.

Here's the link so you can determine who you would pick to put in this year. Here's my list alphabetically:

Troy Aikman, UCLA (1984-88) He made two schools better. When Aikman determined that he wasn't going to work in a pro style offense at Oklahoma, he transferred to UCLA. When he left OU in 1985, it won a national championship with the triple option. Then there are all those Super Bowl rings.

Tim Brown, Notre Dame (1984-87)  The 1987 Heisman winner was one of the most durable and reliable receivers in NFL history.

Dave Casper, Notre Dame (1971-73) Before there was Kellen Winslow, there was Dave Casper.

Eric Dickerson, SMU (1979-82) He took the money and ran, or so they say. It's weird how many modern-day backs are compared Dickerson. He must have done something right.

Major Harris, West Virginia (1987-89) The precursor to the modern dual-threat quarterbacks. He was Vince Young before Vince Young.

Deion Sanders, Florida State (1985-88) How is this guy not in? Possibly the best college or pro corner ever. I hope the voters aren't turned off by his fashion sense.

Chris Spielman, Ohio State (1984-87) I hope my son grows up to be like Chris Spielman. A man's man, a great football player and a gentleman who gave up his career to be with his cancer-stricken wife. Hello, voters?

Lawrence Taylor, North Carolina (1977-80) Remember what I told you about no-brainers? The voters are obviously turned off by Taylor's brash style and NFL drug use but get over it. This guy changed the game and unlike a certain Heisman Trophy winner didn't beat a double murder rap.

• From the Too Much Information Dept.: Former Oklahoma linebacker Curtis Lofton recently explained why he ran slow 40s at the NFL combine. "I ate so much food, and I didn't use the bathroom the whole time I was down there."

 

If this story is true regarding Clemson backup tailback Ray Ray McElrathbey, then Tommy Bowden has some serious questions to answer. The story alleges that McElrathbey's scholarship was taken away to free up space on the roster. Clemson has an abundance of tailbacks and signed the NCAA maximum (25) in recruiting. Ray Ray made national headlines two years ago when he took in his brother Fahmarr because of family problems. Mom had a drug habit and dad had a gambling problem.

Little Fahmarr wowed the crowd at the college football awards in Orlando in 2006 after his brother accepted the Football Writers Association of America's Courage Award. Ray Ray has had injury and academic problems so the alleged decision to yank his scholarship might be at least partially his fault. However, Ray Ray reportedly made the honor roll last semester.

Clemson announced last week, somewhat cryptically, that McElrathbey would not play next season It lauded his academic exploits but did not really explain where -- or from whom -- the decision came from.

This could be a nice way of Clemson letting McElrathbey go after he had become too much of an academic and/or personal burden. But if it in any way was athletically related, I've got a problem. I always thought that it sucked that a kid pledged himself to a university for four (or five years) but had to prove himself every year to keep the scholarship. Unless Ray Ray was tanking in the classroom, he deserved to keep the scholarship if only because of the positive publicity he brought to Clemson.

• As predicted in this space, Cincinnati Ben Mauk is taking another shot at a sixth year of eligibility.  Good luck, Ben. There is nothing underhanded about this attempt. Plus, we'd like to see a Mauk-led Cincinnati coming 10 wins. The Bearcats would definitely be a factor in the Big East.

• A big bad of White Castles goes to the Missouri Valley for once again staging a first-class tournament. The nation's best mid-major conference is still undervalued even though CBS is now televising the championship game. Look for regular-season and tournament winner Drake to make a serious run in the NCAA Tournament.

 

 

There is a lot more to Rick Neuheisel. You read about only a fraction of the man in my Thursday piece.

Here’s more:

Did you miss the college game?

Neuheisel: "I was always hopeful that I'd be able to get back in. I always had to deal with the fact that it may not happen. Saturday's were hard for me the last five years. I did a little stint in high school football which was a blast. But that was Fridays, then I'd watch college football all day (on Saturday). I'd have my kid's Pop Warner game … but I couldn't keep turning on the radio. Then I'd come home and watch, all day. It was very hard."

Do you think you were being blackballed?

"I don't know if blackball was the right term. I certainly knew  there was an image of who I was, that was (possibly) going to keep me from having this opportunity.

"The other thing that was going on was the search (firm) stuff. That's kind of a new industry the last five, six or seven years to college athletic directors. It used to be an athletic director had a list and called you in. The first two jobs I had with Colorado and Washington I never talked to anyone with a search firm. Now search firms are the way.

Did you call Chuck Neinas?

(Note: Former Big Eight commissioner and NCAA executive Chuck Neinas is arguably the most well known and powerful coaching head-hunter in the nation. He works out of his office in Colorado.)

"I called Chuck. He just said, 'You have to understand here's what our business is. You have to ask yourself, what is the president of the University of Washington going to say about you?

"I said, 'I understand that but you're not going to get both sides of the story that way.' He was very friendly and he's a very important person in that industry.

"With respect to the NCAA, at first I thought they were just out to get me. When you start to learn who the people are, they're not just behind this badge, a lot of them were just trying to do their job.

"There's this image of they and we, and who are those guys. In particular (enforcement director) Dave Didion and (vice president of enforcement services) David Price, I got to know. They were not bad guys, they were good guys.

"I remember sitting down one time with David Price during the litigation. You have breaks. He walks by and we kind of have eye contract and I patted the seat next to me. I said, 'I hope some day we can be pals, that this isn't forever.' I'll never forget it. He said, 'I hope, Rick, that's the case.'"

(Note: When I checked with the NCAA about this anecdote they sent back a note that it is not uncommon for opposing sides in enforcement cases to form a relationship after the case is concluded.)

Would things have gone quicker for you had you not sued (the NCAA and Washington)?

"I don't know. It was a very, very difficult time. What was being said about me and what was being labeled as the reasons for my firing I couldn't live with, they weren't right. Their side of the story was not correct.

"The University of Washington settlement offer to me was not close to being fair from my standpoint. Obviously, there's a lot of pride that goes into these things. My family weighed in heavily. My dad weighed in heavily saying, 'You can't let them do this to you.' As I look back, I felt like I was pushed into a corner where I didn't have a choice."

How does it feel to be back?

"Unbelievable ... It's a magic carpet ride. There are stacks of stuff, notes to return. You can never catch up. I've said this before, I've got this sense of calm about this deal. Having done it twice at CU and Washington, I know there is time. You don't have to hurry up. I think you make mistakes when you hurry.

"You've got the guru of all coaches, the Yoda of all coaches here, John Wooden. One of his mantras is be quick, don't hurry. Nothing could be truer about taking over a program."

How about the NFL vs. college?

"It might have been Dick Vermeil who said being in the NFL is like going to graduate school. I think that's right. The scheming of the game is great for you because it's a 24-7 football job. This job, you wear so many different hats. It's a great experience for those of us who love football. That being said, it's a really, a within-the-box league. I think people are afraid to venture out and try anything for fear of scorn or somebody will tell their owner why would you do something stupid like that?

"I like (wearing) the alumni hats, I like the recruiting. I like the interaction. I swear to you there's more to that in pro football than meets the eye. Bill Belichick gives the impression that it's all business, but I think he's one of the great communicators. He just doesn't want to show it.

"It's a three-headed monster no matter where you are. It's the owner, the head coach and it's the general manager. If those three guys don't have a bond ... you don't have a chance. I would say that two-thirds of the teams have that issue at the beginning of the year. Two-thirds of the teams have a trust issue in that triumvirate. That just filters.

Are you happier in college?

"I'm happier in college because I'm around the kids. I like recruiting. I like going out to different homes and meeting the families. It was like riding a bike. You take off your coat, whip it down and let's get down to business.

"There was a time when a (recruit) was giving me a hard time, I just kicked off my shoes like it was my house and I laid down on the couch. (At that point Neuheisel grabbed the remote) I said, 'Unless you like country western music you're going to make your decision fast. I'm going to turn it up every 30 seconds.'"

Did you get him?

"He came."

What was Karl Dorrell’s downfall?

"I have a theory on coaches. Sometimes they fit programs and sometimes they don't. You have to be your own personality. To Karl's credit, he didn't change his personality, he was who he was.

"I called him right after the game. They just beat USC (in 2006). There was a point when they stopped them on fourth-and-1. You saw the fire in his face. I said, 'Watch the TV and look at yourself. You've got to do that more.'"

"He agreed but he is who he is."

Have you run into Pete Carroll?

"I called him early on when I got the job. I wanted permission to talk to Ken Norton Jr. Pete's great. Pete is that guy who will compete at everything. When you do something well, he's going to look at you and say, nice job. But the very next thing out of his mouth is going to be chin up, 'I'll see you next time.' There's going to be no concession. That's the way it's going to be.

"We'll respect each other. We'll fight tooth and nail. Maybe when we're eating on the rubber chicken circuit how many years down the road we can act like we're buddies, but right now it's going to be grind it out."

The power has shifted to USC, how do you get it back?

"One day at a time. Keep doing the right things, keep stacking one good decision on top of another good decision. Eventually we will get to that day where there is balance again."

But they've got a stranglehold on recruiting.

"What they've been able to do is get their recruiting classes done so that when we're out there in the contact period they're really in junior recruiting. When you're out there in December and January, they're going a lot of junior recruiting so they're ahead. And they've got this image of glamor that they're parlaying into great recruting."

In Seattle you took a lot of heat for not recruiting great defensive players. Did you miss on some defensive players?

"Everybody evaluates players to the best of their ability ... I know we had a list of guys who were great players. Whether or not we actually ended up with those great players I'd have to go back and look at the list ...

"I think they (critics) spent too much time talking about me and it hurt the performance of the players rather than championing the players. They were too busy wanting to blame me for lack of performance. My point was, to the people who were asking, if you just sit there and start talking about players being good you're going to get better performance. The more you chastise, the more it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy."

How did you get (offensive coordinator) Norm Chow?

(Note: Chow was fired recently from the Tennessee Titans. The former USC offensive coordinator then became available to coach against the program where he tutored two Heisman Trophy winners)

"The stars aligned. I had wanted to talk to Norm before. We got word from Tennessee's attorney that he was under contract and I couldn't talk about him anymore. Fortunately for us, he became available.

Who's going to be your quarterback?

"It's an open competition ... I told our guys the most important thing is that there be no more exciting place in Los Angeles than our practice field. If you want entertainment you come watch UCLA practice ... That's exactly how Pete runs his. I give credit where credit is due. That's what has to happen."

-30-

• Mr. Clemens, your protologist will see you now.

Seriously, Clemens and his shot-and-a-beer lawyer Rusty Hardin deciding to go to Washington has to be the worst decision since Chris Webber called a timeout he didn't have. Now you've done it Roger and Rusty. When the feds get done with you, Rog, you'll wish you told the truth right off the bat -- and hired a better lawyer.

• Tyler Hansbrough player of the year (SI)? You've got to be kidding me. Hansbrough has made his season by appearing on endless replays with blood on his face. Sure, he's tough but maybe he's not that tough. Maybe he's just a bleeder.

Michael Beasley is not only a better and more complete player, he is the heart and soul of Kansas State. With him, Kansas State is on track for its first NCAA Tournament since 1996. Without him, K-State would be looking over its shoulder at Manhattan (Kan.) High.

OK, that's not fair. Manhattan High just got upset in the state tournament.

• There's a few people freaking out over the foul on Stanford's Lawrence Hill at the end of regulation Thursday night at UCLA. I only saw it once but I didn't have a problem with it. When two guys go up chest to chest and a ball is blocked it's likely something is going to be called.

To recap, Collison rushed the ball upcourt, made a spin move, rose up for a jumper against Stanford's Lawrence Hill. Hill blocked Collison's shot but was called for a foul by an official trailing the play. 

Collison went to the line and hit both free throws with 2.5 seconds left to send the game into overtime. UCLA then won by 10 to wrap up its third consecutive Pac-10 title. 

To summarize:

1) It's an either/or call in that situation. Something is going to be called.

2) There was by some accouts "forearm-to-forearm" contact. All righty, then.

3) You're not going to get a call in Pauley Pavilion, Allen Fieldhouse, The Dean Dome, etc.

Not fair, maybe, but that's ball. 

•  I've got a lot of juicy leftover stuff from the Rick Neuheisel interview. Watch for it this weekend.

 

Whoever wrote this press release gets the positive spin award. It's obvious the All American Football League is dead before it ever gets started.

You'll remember the AAFL was going to debut in April at various stadiums, mostly in the Southeast. It had the unique (I guess) twist of employing only college grads. Hey, who didn't want to see Shane Matthews again at The Swamp? Apparently, a lot of people.

Don't believe the second paragraph of the release that blames the downturn in the "subprime mortgage crisis." Well, it could be that or it could be that the Florida franchise had sold less than 3,000 season tickets.

I've got a better chance of starting at shortstop for the Yankees than the AAFL has of landing a TV contract.

The joke of this league was that it was being run in their retirement afterlives by former august educators like Cedric Dempsey (NCAA executive director) and Charles Young (UCLA president). Hey, anything for a buck right?

Anyway, save all those AAFL souvenirs. They'll be worth something someday.

The press release that moved on Thursday ...

ALL AMERICAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE® LOOKING FOR NEW MAJORITY OWNER 

In an attempt to secure kickoff of its inaugural season as well as its long-term future and success, the All American Football League has begun discussions to explore multiple financing options.

Since inception, the League's finances have been indirectly tied to the $300 billion federally guaranteed student loan asset backed securities market.  In August, the subprime mortgage crisis began spreading into other sectors such as municipal bonds and federally guaranteed student loans.  The situation, which was considered to be temporary at the time, has continued to worsen.  

Despite the fact that the Federal Reserve has repeatedly lowered interest rates during this financial crisis, their efforts have not yet restored liquidity in many asset backed markets, including municipal bonds and student loans.   

The League held its inaugural draft in January, and the team rosters and staffs are all in place.  All teams are scheduled to open training camp Wednesday if liquidity can be immediately restored.

Every effort is being made to insure that the '08 season will be played as planned, but  this  depends upon a locating new majority owner with the needed liquidity, which in turn depends upon the League being able to finalize a TV deal.  Otherwise, the inaugural season will be postponed to '09.

Will the Arizona Cardinals make the same mistake with Matt Leinart that the Falcons did with Brett Favre. There are increasing rumblings that the Cardinals aren't exactly enamored with Matt Leinart. I got this from someone with an NFL background who had dealt with Cardinals officials in the past.

"He doesn’t like (what they do) and they don’t like him. I understand they would rather go with Kurt Warner. I don’t know what there’s not to like (about Leinart)."

If this is true, I wouldn't be surprised. These ARE the Cardinals.

Leftovers from the Ron Prince story. The Kansas State coach signed what is believed to be a BCS-conference record-tying 19 junior college players.

"Very few programs have said, 'We on an ongoing basis, are going to evaluate the players that come out of the community colleges who fill our needs.' It's very telling that the highest ranking that a Kansas State team had was that following year (when K-State signed 12 juco transfers in 1997)."

(Kansas State was ranked No. 1 for three weeks in 1998 and fell a game short of playing in the first BCS title game.)

 

"At Virginia, we had a different way of putting the team together, no mid-year transfers, no community college players.

 

"We had 20 million players within six-hour driving radius at Virginia. Here the population is much more decentralized. Texas.

--Look at the recruiting list in the story. Eleven of the 19 juco players are from California. Offensive coordinator Dave Brock has experience in that region. He was on the Temple staff in 2003 when then-coach Bobby Wallace signed at least 19 jucos.

--It's clear from the depth of Ron Prince's research that he was ready for the job.

"I looked at all 12 (Big 12) teams, for the last six years, their signing classes and their rosters. The reality for our situation was, after the '03 season we were consistently one of the younger teams. We had too many young players.

"I told coaches, we're going to start facing teams in the Big 12 South that were much more veteran than us. Colorado, ourselves and Iowa State were likely going to be very young. In preparing for this year … (the question was) how are we going to have enough high school kids in their third, fourth and fifth year playing for us?

"That's why Virginia Tech is so good. You don't see them put a freshman or sophomore out there unless their name is (star linebacker) Xavier Adibi."

--Kansas State is not the only school to oversign. Alabama did it too this year. But Prince signed seven more than the limit (25). Some of those will grayshirt (enroll, but not on scholarship). Others will not qualify academically. I asked Prince if that is an accepted practice.

"For us grayshirting is a huge part of it, taking a high school kid who might not get recruited by anybody else. I can see down the road how this kid is going to have tremendous value.

"There are players who know they're going to grayshirt. There are players who know they're going to go to a community college. If you sign a player, at least everybody knows where he's going to go.

"What we've done is establish our relationship with them and know they'll be here some day. We do enough business in that world that the player feels good about us.

"Our conference signed the most (junior college players) in the nation. That may send up red flags to some people but this is who we are. There were 20 mid-year signees in this conference."

"Coach (Bob) Knight didn't take a lot of pro prospects out of high school. He took guys who were going to be there four years. That's what we're doing with our high school players. Our expectation is they're going to be here 3, 4, 5 years."