The Pacific Ten Conference's shocking number of setbacks headlined mid-September action with UCLA, conqueror of Tennessee, coming out on the short end of its worst loss ever perhaps at the hands of Brigham Young University.
ArizonaState, Arizona, Washington State, California, Stanford, and the University of Washington also came tumbling down. Southern Cal's imposing win over Ohio State was extraordinary. Pete Carroll's Men of Troy loom large as the best college team in 2008.
I saw Ole Miss' comeback from the heart-breaking last second loss to Wake Forest trimming Pat Sullivan's Stanford University at Vaught Hemingway Stadium. Jevan Snead is the real McCoy. He gives the Rebs a fighting chance against a vastly improved Vanderbilt University football team this weekend.
Auburn did not look like a world beater in its 3-2 win over Mississippi State. Southern Mississippi prevailed on its trip to Jonesboro to face Arkansas State which might be the best team this year in Arkansas.
Harper Davis, the longtime Millsaps coach, who should be elected to the Nationakl Football Foundation's College Football Hall of Fame with his Mississippi State All-America halfback brother Art Davis, thinks this year's Millsaps team might go unbeaten and win a national championship.
Greg Byrne, Mississippi State's new Athletic Director, has enrolled State in the All-American Football Foundation as a collegiate member. Collegiate members of the AAFF vote and help select the Foundation's All-America teams, coaches of the year, national champions and Colonel Red Blaik Leadership Scholarship awardees AFTER the bowl games, after all of the returns are in. The AAFF will select its 15th honorees in January.
Brett Favre's new boss, Woody Johnson, great grandson of Johnson and Johnson Founder, owns the New York Jets, which just moved its headquarters to New Jersey, leaving Hempstead, New York. He is delighted to have Favre, Southern Mississippi's great quarterback, on board. Woody owns a 1000 acre piece of land near the new training site and has told Brett that anytime he wanted to go hunting by all means do so.
Leaving Green Bay at this stage of his career opens the door for Brett to get more endorsements than ever before.Having two great Mississippi collegians, Favre and Eli Manning, in New York is terrific for ole Magnolia.
Brett is renting a house in North Jersey. Cost? $15,000 a month. At that price he could have gotten a mansion in the Princeton area and be next door to those great Italian restaurants in Trenton which I enjoyed for 30 years.
Governor Tom Dewey went to the Men's room at one of the restaurants and was sitting on the throne when an old regular, not knowing the room was occupied, opened the door, recognized the future Presidential candidate, left the door open as he called to his pals, "Look, who is sitting on the can."
The closing of Yankee Stadium brings back many memories of the Fifties and Sixties when I covered the Bronx Bombers as Executive Sports Editor-Columnist of the Trenton Times when Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris composed the best one-two punch in Baseball. I was also covering the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies as well as the New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles and Penn State, Army-Navy, and the Ivy Leaguers, Princeton, Yale, and Harvard.
Every Saturday night Dizzy Dean and Pee Wee Reese were in town for Baseball's game of the week we would go to Toots Shor's great restaurant and talk long into the night 46 years ago.
I had covered the World Series earlier as a Mississippi Sports Editor and has gotten to know the New York writers. When I came East on Opening Day for the Times before the game the great New York Sports Editor Dan Parker came over to say hello and he said: "Jimmie, welcome to New York. "
New York and New Jersey became my home away from home for 30 years. I always look forward to returning to Gotham for the Heisman Trophy and Hall of Fame Dinners in December.
--30---
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Return to Cape Cod
HYANNIS-----An Invitation to attend the 70th anniversary of the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference on Cape Cod arrived and I waited about one minute in responding my acceptance, little knowing that I would be a surprise honoree at the Great Clambake on the beautiful grounds of the Conference headquarters.
I have attended this great gathering for a quarter of a century since the ECAC left 8th Avenue in New York City shortly after the President of Yale was propositioned by a multi-colored hooker. The Yale Prexy said Thanks, but no thanks incidentally.
Bill Flynn, one of the best Athletic Directors who ever lived , came up with a solution to relocate, mentioning that his wife would probably shoot him, but a Boston College alum had allowed the Flynns to vacation in his lovely home during the summer, but was interested in selling the splendid structure.
The ECAC purchased the picturesque house overlooking Craigville Beach in Centerville, a stone's throw from Osterville and Hyannis, where the Kennedy Family has resided for years.
The New England Clambake features Lobster, clams, mussels, chicken, sausage, steak, shrimp, corn on the cob.
Rudy Keeling became Commissioner of the ECAC, which happens to be the largest athletic Conference in these United State, a year ago following the legedary Asa S. Bushnell, George Schiebler, Scotty Whitelaw, Clayton Chapman, Phil Buttafuocco and interim Commissioner
Steve Bamford.
As the evening drew to a close Commissioner Keeling, after introducing the Internes, and other staff members said that another award would be made. The ECAC was awarding Jimmie McDowell the 2008 ECAC Southern Ambassador of the Year Award.
My response: There is no place like Cape Cod.
I could not help but recall that some 16 years ago Bill Pearce, the Chairman of the National Football Foundation , supported by Honors Court President Freed Russell, wanted me to be honored at the New York Hall of Fame Dinner at the Waldorf Astoria with a Contribuition to Football Award after nearly 30 years of dedicated service to the NFFHF. Just as the meeting started Pearce told me later George Weiss, the Foundation lawyer, called him out of the meeting to sign some papers and while he was gone Mikek Cleary, Executive Director of NACDA, and ten years younger, was chosen instead.
Jon Hansen, who later succeeded Pearce as Chairman after Pearce suddenly died, andBob Mulcahy, of the New Jersey Sports Authority, the Awards Committee Chairman, were involved with Weiss in the maneuver. I had recommended Hansen to Draddy as a member of the Board. Weiss, recently named a NFFHF Vice Chairman, is gunning for the top job.
Weiss, like Hansen, is not a Football Man. When the Gold Medal was presented for the first time to President Dwight D. Eisenhower it as stressed that the Medal should go only to football players, coaches, or managers. The Awards Committee, under Mulcahy with Hansen's support changed the criteria, and guess who got the Gold Medal a couple of years ago, good old Jon Hansen.
Six weeks ago, after talking to the University of Texas' Bill Little at a COSIDA meeting in Tampa I found out that Ike Sewell's $50,000 gift, I had requested, had never reached the University of Texas. Ike gave the money and requested that it go to his alma mater for scholarships for deserving Texas youngsters. Chairman Draddy approved this request. Ike sent the money. The University of Texas still has not received it.
I wrote Weiss, the lawyer and secretary-treasurer, six weeks ago, for an answer. As of today, September 7th, I still have not received an answer. Weiss, I later learned, started drawing $25,000 for legal services. Since I was responsible for getting my longtime friend Ike Sewell to make the contribution I want to know Where is the $50,000 given nearly 20 years ago? Make that $50,000 , plus interest.
Draddy told me before he died that the Jersey crowd would spend the $12 million dollars we had raised madly if they got control. Well, they got control, all right with the help of Vin Draddy's lawyer, George Weiss.
----30------
I have attended this great gathering for a quarter of a century since the ECAC left 8th Avenue in New York City shortly after the President of Yale was propositioned by a multi-colored hooker. The Yale Prexy said Thanks, but no thanks incidentally.
Bill Flynn, one of the best Athletic Directors who ever lived , came up with a solution to relocate, mentioning that his wife would probably shoot him, but a Boston College alum had allowed the Flynns to vacation in his lovely home during the summer, but was interested in selling the splendid structure.
The ECAC purchased the picturesque house overlooking Craigville Beach in Centerville, a stone's throw from Osterville and Hyannis, where the Kennedy Family has resided for years.
The New England Clambake features Lobster, clams, mussels, chicken, sausage, steak, shrimp, corn on the cob.
Rudy Keeling became Commissioner of the ECAC, which happens to be the largest athletic Conference in these United State, a year ago following the legedary Asa S. Bushnell, George Schiebler, Scotty Whitelaw, Clayton Chapman, Phil Buttafuocco and interim Commissioner
Steve Bamford.
As the evening drew to a close Commissioner Keeling, after introducing the Internes, and other staff members said that another award would be made. The ECAC was awarding Jimmie McDowell the 2008 ECAC Southern Ambassador of the Year Award.
My response: There is no place like Cape Cod.
I could not help but recall that some 16 years ago Bill Pearce, the Chairman of the National Football Foundation , supported by Honors Court President Freed Russell, wanted me to be honored at the New York Hall of Fame Dinner at the Waldorf Astoria with a Contribuition to Football Award after nearly 30 years of dedicated service to the NFFHF. Just as the meeting started Pearce told me later George Weiss, the Foundation lawyer, called him out of the meeting to sign some papers and while he was gone Mikek Cleary, Executive Director of NACDA, and ten years younger, was chosen instead.
Jon Hansen, who later succeeded Pearce as Chairman after Pearce suddenly died, andBob Mulcahy, of the New Jersey Sports Authority, the Awards Committee Chairman, were involved with Weiss in the maneuver. I had recommended Hansen to Draddy as a member of the Board. Weiss, recently named a NFFHF Vice Chairman, is gunning for the top job.
Weiss, like Hansen, is not a Football Man. When the Gold Medal was presented for the first time to President Dwight D. Eisenhower it as stressed that the Medal should go only to football players, coaches, or managers. The Awards Committee, under Mulcahy with Hansen's support changed the criteria, and guess who got the Gold Medal a couple of years ago, good old Jon Hansen.
Six weeks ago, after talking to the University of Texas' Bill Little at a COSIDA meeting in Tampa I found out that Ike Sewell's $50,000 gift, I had requested, had never reached the University of Texas. Ike gave the money and requested that it go to his alma mater for scholarships for deserving Texas youngsters. Chairman Draddy approved this request. Ike sent the money. The University of Texas still has not received it.
I wrote Weiss, the lawyer and secretary-treasurer, six weeks ago, for an answer. As of today, September 7th, I still have not received an answer. Weiss, I later learned, started drawing $25,000 for legal services. Since I was responsible for getting my longtime friend Ike Sewell to make the contribution I want to know Where is the $50,000 given nearly 20 years ago? Make that $50,000 , plus interest.
Draddy told me before he died that the Jersey crowd would spend the $12 million dollars we had raised madly if they got control. Well, they got control, all right with the help of Vin Draddy's lawyer, George Weiss.
----30------
Sunday, August 31, 2008
2008 Football Season Begins
It was one of the best opening college football weekends ever in Oxford and Hattiesburg as Ole Miss and Southern Mississippi launched their new campaigns under new coaches, Houston Nutt and Larry Fedora. Derek Dooley also had a hot time in Ruston as Louisiana Tech shocked Mississippi State.
The Grove was never fuller as picnickers flooded one of College Football's all-time great pre-game palaces. Chancellor Robert Khayat gathered with ole teammates which included All-Americans Charlie Flowers and Billy Ray Adams, Kent Jr. Lovelace, Bobby Ray Franklin, Warren (Beaux) Ball, Warner Alford, Dr. Shed Hill Robertson, Ray Brown and lovely wives and daughters.
Beaux and Beatrice, who live in New Orleans, were concerned about their home in the threatened storm as were Lovelace and Brown about their Gulf Coast residences. Ed Wilburn Hooker, who majored in poker at Ole Miss, recalled the day he was riding with Beaux in their senior year and Beaux pointed at a stately building and said to Ed Wiburn what was the name of the structure and Ed said "It is the Library.,"
The night before I was in Hattiesburg for the P. W. Underwood Roast. I had been invited to be a Roaster and came well prepared only to be told that only to be told that the only Roasters would be former Underwood coaches. I purchased my ticket earlier and it was for a good cause, a scholarship in honor of Underwood. What is my history with Underwood? All I did was recruit him for Coach Pie Vann when I was the Athletic Publicity Director.
I had told Pie that there was a big lineman who attended Mississippi State who was with the Army at Ft. Jackson and had not gotten along with Coach Slick Morton and might not want to return to State. Pie told me to make the contact which I did. Ordinarily you take a prospect to the Library, which I didn't.
After showing Underwood around the campus I parked the car and we got out of the car and sat on a bench by a tall tree where every coed which had to pass to get to the Grill. I told Underwood that I knew he was a good football player and if he came to Southern he would get the publicity because I handled the publicity. I also told him that all of the coeds were attracted to football players and he asked me where did he sign?
I later nick-named him The Undertaker and added that he had a Coffin just your size on the gridiron. It caught on.
] Back to Ole Miss I encountered Liberty Bowl Executive Director Steve Ehrthart and we talked about the passing of founder Bud Dudley and Percy Jr. Roberts, Captain of the 195l Memphis State Tigers and one of the founders of the Highland Hundred Tiger Booster Club. Both passed away in recent weeks. Percy and Bud were both members of the All-American Football Foundation Board of Directors. Percy was also the Godfather of my daughter Joanna. I miss them both and treasured their friendship.
The Liberty Bowl pits a SEC team against a Conference USA team. Wouldn't it be something if the Liberty Bowl sought to pit Ole Miss against Southern Mississippi?
----30------
The Grove was never fuller as picnickers flooded one of College Football's all-time great pre-game palaces. Chancellor Robert Khayat gathered with ole teammates which included All-Americans Charlie Flowers and Billy Ray Adams, Kent Jr. Lovelace, Bobby Ray Franklin, Warren (Beaux) Ball, Warner Alford, Dr. Shed Hill Robertson, Ray Brown and lovely wives and daughters.
Beaux and Beatrice, who live in New Orleans, were concerned about their home in the threatened storm as were Lovelace and Brown about their Gulf Coast residences. Ed Wilburn Hooker, who majored in poker at Ole Miss, recalled the day he was riding with Beaux in their senior year and Beaux pointed at a stately building and said to Ed Wiburn what was the name of the structure and Ed said "It is the Library.,"
The night before I was in Hattiesburg for the P. W. Underwood Roast. I had been invited to be a Roaster and came well prepared only to be told that only to be told that the only Roasters would be former Underwood coaches. I purchased my ticket earlier and it was for a good cause, a scholarship in honor of Underwood. What is my history with Underwood? All I did was recruit him for Coach Pie Vann when I was the Athletic Publicity Director.
I had told Pie that there was a big lineman who attended Mississippi State who was with the Army at Ft. Jackson and had not gotten along with Coach Slick Morton and might not want to return to State. Pie told me to make the contact which I did. Ordinarily you take a prospect to the Library, which I didn't.
After showing Underwood around the campus I parked the car and we got out of the car and sat on a bench by a tall tree where every coed which had to pass to get to the Grill. I told Underwood that I knew he was a good football player and if he came to Southern he would get the publicity because I handled the publicity. I also told him that all of the coeds were attracted to football players and he asked me where did he sign?
I later nick-named him The Undertaker and added that he had a Coffin just your size on the gridiron. It caught on.
] Back to Ole Miss I encountered Liberty Bowl Executive Director Steve Ehrthart and we talked about the passing of founder Bud Dudley and Percy Jr. Roberts, Captain of the 195l Memphis State Tigers and one of the founders of the Highland Hundred Tiger Booster Club. Both passed away in recent weeks. Percy and Bud were both members of the All-American Football Foundation Board of Directors. Percy was also the Godfather of my daughter Joanna. I miss them both and treasured their friendship.
The Liberty Bowl pits a SEC team against a Conference USA team. Wouldn't it be something if the Liberty Bowl sought to pit Ole Miss against Southern Mississippi?
----30------
Thursday, August 14, 2008
M Club Reunion Enjoyed
The Glory Years Boys gathered for their annul reunion during the University of Mississippi"M" Club weekend in Oxford and it was a pleasure to be included inasmsuch as I covered those great championship teams as Sports Editor-Columnist of the late Jackson State Times which was purchased from the opposition by the competing newspaper combine and closed.
The late Herman Sidney (Eagle) Day preferred to keep the 1954-57 teams separate from the l958-l962 teams so there were two separate parties. Reverend Paige Cothren, All-America kicking star, was the master of ceremonies and paid tribute to Herman Sidney. who died earlier this year along with Bobby Fisher, Lea Pasley, Ed Beatty, Gayle (Tar Baby) Bowman, and coach Ray Poole, Cothren's uncle.
Poole, a field goal star with the New York Giants (Charlie Conerly was his holder) taught his nephew how to kick extra points and field goals, creating another offensive weapon for Johnny Vaught"s Rebels.
Speaking of Vaught, the master innovator, manager Sprout Simpson confessed that the "Go To Hell" Ole Miss sign on the University stadium football carpet was not done by a Mississippi State group of students prior to the traditional Turkey Day weekend but ordered by Vaught himself.
Vaught told his charges that the Rebels should rise to the occasion and gun down their arch rivals by coming in to Hemingway Stadium in the dark of night and leave such a message on the turf.
Prior to an LSU game a plane flew over the Red and Blue field and dropped pink panties on the field, laying the blame on Pepsodent Paul Dietzel and his Bayou Bengal Tigers. Manager Simpson said that John Howard Vaught had a Red and Blue pilot perform this trick.
At this year's M Club reunion another great golf tournament was held with such links warriors as Richard (Possum) Price, Kent Jr. Lovelace, Ralph (Catfish) Smith, Billy Ray Adams, Charlie Flowers, Warner Alford, Art Doty, Dr. Mike Dennis, Dr. Louis Guy, Paul Dongieux, Archie Manning, Jack Cavan, Ed (Sloppy) Horner, Lee Garner, Otho Kortz, and Modest John Dottley among the group.
The Rebs lost another great one in Oscar (Buck) Buchanan when the Memphis Redhead passed away. Buck was a top high school coach before joining the Memphis State staff. He called everyone Coach so he did not have to worry about a fellow's name. His teammate Bobby Wilson died a few weeks earlier as noted in this column.
We missed Chancellor Robert Khayat who always enjoys the M Club Reunion. Billy Kinard, Vaughn (Buddy) Alliston, Eddie Crawford, Cotton Bowl teammates with Eagle Day, were all there and Billy Brewer, a member of the Ole Miss Centennial team as a defensive back, dropped by to say hello. It was good to see Ken Kirk, a star center, whose son passed away duiring the past year and Jimmy Lear and Farley Salmon, star field generals of the 1954 and 1948 Rebs, always enjoy seeing each other. Lear reminds Salmon to take care of himself because he does not want to be Ole Miss' oldest living quarterback.
Ray (Buck) Howell, who caught the first TD pass over Dick Nolan in the Maryland game, was there as were Bobby Franklin, who prolonged his NFL career as the holder for ace kicker Groza in Cleveland, Billy (Momma) Hitt, Tim Ellis, Bobby Crespino, retired banker Chico Taylor, All-American Marvin Terrell and ace chefs, All-American Allen Brown and Red Owens, who prepared the best barbecue I have seen in some time.
All in all, it was a weekend to remember. Let the 2008 College Football Season begin.
----30------
The late Herman Sidney (Eagle) Day preferred to keep the 1954-57 teams separate from the l958-l962 teams so there were two separate parties. Reverend Paige Cothren, All-America kicking star, was the master of ceremonies and paid tribute to Herman Sidney. who died earlier this year along with Bobby Fisher, Lea Pasley, Ed Beatty, Gayle (Tar Baby) Bowman, and coach Ray Poole, Cothren's uncle.
Poole, a field goal star with the New York Giants (Charlie Conerly was his holder) taught his nephew how to kick extra points and field goals, creating another offensive weapon for Johnny Vaught"s Rebels.
Speaking of Vaught, the master innovator, manager Sprout Simpson confessed that the "Go To Hell" Ole Miss sign on the University stadium football carpet was not done by a Mississippi State group of students prior to the traditional Turkey Day weekend but ordered by Vaught himself.
Vaught told his charges that the Rebels should rise to the occasion and gun down their arch rivals by coming in to Hemingway Stadium in the dark of night and leave such a message on the turf.
Prior to an LSU game a plane flew over the Red and Blue field and dropped pink panties on the field, laying the blame on Pepsodent Paul Dietzel and his Bayou Bengal Tigers. Manager Simpson said that John Howard Vaught had a Red and Blue pilot perform this trick.
At this year's M Club reunion another great golf tournament was held with such links warriors as Richard (Possum) Price, Kent Jr. Lovelace, Ralph (Catfish) Smith, Billy Ray Adams, Charlie Flowers, Warner Alford, Art Doty, Dr. Mike Dennis, Dr. Louis Guy, Paul Dongieux, Archie Manning, Jack Cavan, Ed (Sloppy) Horner, Lee Garner, Otho Kortz, and Modest John Dottley among the group.
The Rebs lost another great one in Oscar (Buck) Buchanan when the Memphis Redhead passed away. Buck was a top high school coach before joining the Memphis State staff. He called everyone Coach so he did not have to worry about a fellow's name. His teammate Bobby Wilson died a few weeks earlier as noted in this column.
We missed Chancellor Robert Khayat who always enjoys the M Club Reunion. Billy Kinard, Vaughn (Buddy) Alliston, Eddie Crawford, Cotton Bowl teammates with Eagle Day, were all there and Billy Brewer, a member of the Ole Miss Centennial team as a defensive back, dropped by to say hello. It was good to see Ken Kirk, a star center, whose son passed away duiring the past year and Jimmy Lear and Farley Salmon, star field generals of the 1954 and 1948 Rebs, always enjoy seeing each other. Lear reminds Salmon to take care of himself because he does not want to be Ole Miss' oldest living quarterback.
Ray (Buck) Howell, who caught the first TD pass over Dick Nolan in the Maryland game, was there as were Bobby Franklin, who prolonged his NFL career as the holder for ace kicker Groza in Cleveland, Billy (Momma) Hitt, Tim Ellis, Bobby Crespino, retired banker Chico Taylor, All-American Marvin Terrell and ace chefs, All-American Allen Brown and Red Owens, who prepared the best barbecue I have seen in some time.
All in all, it was a weekend to remember. Let the 2008 College Football Season begin.
----30------
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Big Ten Conference Media Day
CHICAGO------I attended my first meeting of the Football Writers Association of America meeting in the summer of 1951 as the Mississippi Southern's Director of Public Relations and Athletic Publicity. I have been to Chicago for all of the Big Ten Media Day gatherings after the College All-Star game was cancelled by an electrical storm in the fourth quarter, ending this glamorous attraction which ended a fabulous five days in the Windy city.
The 2008 Big Ten Media Day this year marked the introduction of Michigan';s new coach Rich Rodrigues, following the retirement of Lloyd Carr. It was also the final appearance of Purdue's Head Coach Joe Tiller, who will return to his Wyoming fishing grounds after the season and hopefully a bowl appearance. It could be the last year for Penn State's Hall of Fame Coach Joe Paterno, in the final year of his contract.
Joe and I , along with Playboy's Hugh Hefner are included among the Boys of 1926. Marilyn Monroe was also born that year. Too bad we never had a Reunion with Marilyn Monroe.
Commissioner Jim Delany begins his 20th year as the Big Ten Commissioner following Wayne Duke, who launched Big Ten Media Day and is still around to enjoy it.
Between press meetings at the Hyatt Regency, I enjoyed my annual Dinner at Gene and Gorgetti's great restaurant. Over 1700 enthusiasts were on hand for the Media Lunch which featured three players from each of the 11 Big Ten schools and the 11 head coaches.
The coaches paid tribute to the two Joes, Tiller and Paterno. Joe Pa says he is not interested in retiring now and unlike Tiller does not enjoy fishing. Joe said: You catch a Fish and then you catch another one and they all look alike. Joe does not play Golf either. He pointed out a couple of years ago that Paul Bryant died 30 days after he retired so he is not interested in retiring right now. As long as he has good health, like Mississippi Red, he should not retire .
After Vincent de Paul Draddy died as Chairman of the National Football Foundation a new group took over, many who I had recommended to Draddy as Board of Director member I was asked to retire by some of these same gentleman and become a Consultant, which I did.
I asked former Notre Dame Athletic Director Moose Krause how was he doing? He said they made him a Consultant and then never Consulted him about a damn thing. Several of those gentlemen who thought I should retire as Casey Stengel said "Are deceased at the present time."
When I do pass away--about 20 years from now, the National Football Foundation will receive $100,000 which I have asked be applied to scholarship in my name for my 30 years of devoted service. I am still awaiting a reply.
Bill Pearce earlier told me that he and longtime Honors Court Chairman Fred Russell wanted me to be honored at the Waldorf Astoria and would present my name to the Award Committee, chaired by Robert Mulcahy, athletic director at Rutgers and former President of the New Jersey Sports Authority--Jon Hansen was the NJSA Chairman. Pearce was called out of the meeting by Attorney George Weiss to sign some papers. When he came back the Committee, chaired by Mulcahy, had selected someone else. .This was over 15 years ago. I did not hold my breath. Hansen, a non-football man, later received the highest honor, the Gold Medal.
When Bill Pearce died, Jon Hansen became Chairman of the NFFHF. As a Consultant I wrote and told him I was ready to help in any way needed. He wrote back that I would have no role to play in the NFFHF after my contract ended in December. The only reason Hansen was on the Board was that I recommended him. In my planned book one chapter will be devoted to Ingrates I have known.
Bottom line: Hansen and Mulcahy are two Jersey politicians who with the help of attorney George Weiss took control of the NFFHF
So, it was refreshing to be in Chicago with real football people, the Giants of the Big Ten.
The 2008 Big Ten Media Day this year marked the introduction of Michigan';s new coach Rich Rodrigues, following the retirement of Lloyd Carr. It was also the final appearance of Purdue's Head Coach Joe Tiller, who will return to his Wyoming fishing grounds after the season and hopefully a bowl appearance. It could be the last year for Penn State's Hall of Fame Coach Joe Paterno, in the final year of his contract.
Joe and I , along with Playboy's Hugh Hefner are included among the Boys of 1926. Marilyn Monroe was also born that year. Too bad we never had a Reunion with Marilyn Monroe.
Commissioner Jim Delany begins his 20th year as the Big Ten Commissioner following Wayne Duke, who launched Big Ten Media Day and is still around to enjoy it.
Between press meetings at the Hyatt Regency, I enjoyed my annual Dinner at Gene and Gorgetti's great restaurant. Over 1700 enthusiasts were on hand for the Media Lunch which featured three players from each of the 11 Big Ten schools and the 11 head coaches.
The coaches paid tribute to the two Joes, Tiller and Paterno. Joe Pa says he is not interested in retiring now and unlike Tiller does not enjoy fishing. Joe said: You catch a Fish and then you catch another one and they all look alike. Joe does not play Golf either. He pointed out a couple of years ago that Paul Bryant died 30 days after he retired so he is not interested in retiring right now. As long as he has good health, like Mississippi Red, he should not retire .
After Vincent de Paul Draddy died as Chairman of the National Football Foundation a new group took over, many who I had recommended to Draddy as Board of Director member I was asked to retire by some of these same gentleman and become a Consultant, which I did.
I asked former Notre Dame Athletic Director Moose Krause how was he doing? He said they made him a Consultant and then never Consulted him about a damn thing. Several of those gentlemen who thought I should retire as Casey Stengel said "Are deceased at the present time."
When I do pass away--about 20 years from now, the National Football Foundation will receive $100,000 which I have asked be applied to scholarship in my name for my 30 years of devoted service. I am still awaiting a reply.
Bill Pearce earlier told me that he and longtime Honors Court Chairman Fred Russell wanted me to be honored at the Waldorf Astoria and would present my name to the Award Committee, chaired by Robert Mulcahy, athletic director at Rutgers and former President of the New Jersey Sports Authority--Jon Hansen was the NJSA Chairman. Pearce was called out of the meeting by Attorney George Weiss to sign some papers. When he came back the Committee, chaired by Mulcahy, had selected someone else. .This was over 15 years ago. I did not hold my breath. Hansen, a non-football man, later received the highest honor, the Gold Medal.
When Bill Pearce died, Jon Hansen became Chairman of the NFFHF. As a Consultant I wrote and told him I was ready to help in any way needed. He wrote back that I would have no role to play in the NFFHF after my contract ended in December. The only reason Hansen was on the Board was that I recommended him. In my planned book one chapter will be devoted to Ingrates I have known.
Bottom line: Hansen and Mulcahy are two Jersey politicians who with the help of attorney George Weiss took control of the NFFHF
So, it was refreshing to be in Chicago with real football people, the Giants of the Big Ten.
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Football Just Around the Corner
Summer rallies in Jackson in mid-July signalled the soon return of the 2008 College Football season. Ole Miss and Southern Mississippi alums and boosters packed the Trade Mart. State, boasting the largest Alumni Chapter in Central Mississippi, packed the Coliseum.
Everyone is undefeated for now. Everyone is optimistic.
Sly Croom, with a lucrative new contract in hand, sees even better things this fall after leading the Bulldogs to a Liberty Bowl triumph after a season-ending come-from-behind triumph over Ole Miss, resulting in Ed Orgeron's five year plan being terminated after three dismal seasons.
With an impressive group of seniors in attendance Sly thinks the 2008 Maroons will be better than last year. His goal will to again beat Ole Miss, have another winning season, and play in a BCS Bowl. He thinks he can accomplish this mission.
Houston Nutt, succeeding Orgeron, after another winning season at Arkansas, including an impressive triumph over LSU, which went on to win the national title, is changing the attitude of his Red and Blue warriors. He wants them to think positively for four quarters.Last year, as alum Cosmo Lloyd pointed out, the Rebels were out-scored in the fourth period. Nutt reminded the Jackson audience that Ole Miss did not win a SEC game in 2007.
This was the first time I had seen Houston since he took over as head coach after seeing him at the Heisman Trophy dinner in New York. He has surrounded himself with a good staff, as has Croom and Southern's new coach Larry Fedora, who replaced Jeff Bower who led Southern to 10 Bowl trips in the last 11 years.
Fedora promises an attacking crowd-pleasing campaign built around super running back Damion Fletcher, the Mississippi Charlie Conerly trophy winner last year. His star defensive player middle linebacker Gerald McRath and Fletcher were chosen as Conference USA's out-standing offensive and defensive players in the pre-season selections.
Southern will kick off the new season after a Friday night Roast of former coach and player P.W. Underwood, a lad I personally recruited for Pie Vann while working as the Athletic Publicity Director and Director of Public Relations at Southern in the early 1950's . All=-American Ray Guy, back at his alma mater, has invited me to be one of the roasters.
The national champion USM unbeaten 1958 team celebrates its Golden Anniversary Reunion this fall.
At the three rallies in Jackson the Basketball and Basketball coaches for both men and women also gave reports on the upcoming season.
Greg Byrne, State's new Athletic Director, made an impressive appearance as did State's new Baseball coach John Cohen, who had very nice things to say about his college coach Ron Polk who had blasted Byrne for hiring Cohen rather than his recommendation. Cohen received a standing ovation from the State boosters.
Croom could be a strong candidate for national Coach of the Year honors if his team lives up to every expectation. The former Alabama football star and assistant to the legendary Paul Bryant came to State dedicated to getting the Maroon program rolling. He has accomplished part of his mission.
I feel that in Croom, Nutt, and Fedora State, Ole Miss, and Southern will be clicking on all cylinders this fall. All three could wind up in Bowl games. Strike up the band. The new season is practically here.
---30---
Everyone is undefeated for now. Everyone is optimistic.
Sly Croom, with a lucrative new contract in hand, sees even better things this fall after leading the Bulldogs to a Liberty Bowl triumph after a season-ending come-from-behind triumph over Ole Miss, resulting in Ed Orgeron's five year plan being terminated after three dismal seasons.
With an impressive group of seniors in attendance Sly thinks the 2008 Maroons will be better than last year. His goal will to again beat Ole Miss, have another winning season, and play in a BCS Bowl. He thinks he can accomplish this mission.
Houston Nutt, succeeding Orgeron, after another winning season at Arkansas, including an impressive triumph over LSU, which went on to win the national title, is changing the attitude of his Red and Blue warriors. He wants them to think positively for four quarters.Last year, as alum Cosmo Lloyd pointed out, the Rebels were out-scored in the fourth period. Nutt reminded the Jackson audience that Ole Miss did not win a SEC game in 2007.
This was the first time I had seen Houston since he took over as head coach after seeing him at the Heisman Trophy dinner in New York. He has surrounded himself with a good staff, as has Croom and Southern's new coach Larry Fedora, who replaced Jeff Bower who led Southern to 10 Bowl trips in the last 11 years.
Fedora promises an attacking crowd-pleasing campaign built around super running back Damion Fletcher, the Mississippi Charlie Conerly trophy winner last year. His star defensive player middle linebacker Gerald McRath and Fletcher were chosen as Conference USA's out-standing offensive and defensive players in the pre-season selections.
Southern will kick off the new season after a Friday night Roast of former coach and player P.W. Underwood, a lad I personally recruited for Pie Vann while working as the Athletic Publicity Director and Director of Public Relations at Southern in the early 1950's . All=-American Ray Guy, back at his alma mater, has invited me to be one of the roasters.
The national champion USM unbeaten 1958 team celebrates its Golden Anniversary Reunion this fall.
At the three rallies in Jackson the Basketball and Basketball coaches for both men and women also gave reports on the upcoming season.
Greg Byrne, State's new Athletic Director, made an impressive appearance as did State's new Baseball coach John Cohen, who had very nice things to say about his college coach Ron Polk who had blasted Byrne for hiring Cohen rather than his recommendation. Cohen received a standing ovation from the State boosters.
Croom could be a strong candidate for national Coach of the Year honors if his team lives up to every expectation. The former Alabama football star and assistant to the legendary Paul Bryant came to State dedicated to getting the Maroon program rolling. He has accomplished part of his mission.
I feel that in Croom, Nutt, and Fedora State, Ole Miss, and Southern will be clicking on all cylinders this fall. All three could wind up in Bowl games. Strike up the band. The new season is practically here.
---30---
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Losing Good Friends
The passing of Bobby Wilson, a baseball and football star at Ole Miss and the death of Nick (The Cat) Revon of Southern Mississippi was a shocker. Both had been ill for some time. I wish I could have seen them one more time. The All-American Football Foundation wanted to honor Bobby at our Mid-South Banquet of Champions in Tunica in early June with our President Gerald R. Ford All-America High School Coach award for the outstanding job he had done over the years as a coach after his pro baseball days were over.
Bobby's declining health kept him from being with us. We will honor him posthumously in 2009 and will invite his dear wife, Martha, to accept the award.
Nick Revon played at Hinds before he went to Southern. Bucky McElroy, the Black Knight, was there at the same time and we called Bucky to tell him of the sad news. Revon was a star in basketball, baseball and track. He is Southern's all-time basketball scoring leader. He played for the Phillips 66 semi-pro team after leaving Hattiesburg.
Lee Floyd recruited Nick for Southern, where he joined Tom (Whiz) Bishop, Jack Gallagher, Jeep Clark, Mutt Watts, Mickey Harrington, Bobby (Stormy) Weathers and Jersey John O'Keefe in giving Southern some of the all-time great basketball teams.
Floyd had coached at Pensacola Navy before coming to Southern. He brought Gallagher and Bishop with him. Bishop was also a big league prospect as a shortstop before he was beaned and lost the central vision in an eye. That ended his baseball career, but years later he hit the Lottery for five or six million dollars in his native Pennsylvania, where he was an outstanding high school basketball coach.
Revon coached in his native Louisiana and was very successful. We still recall one night a few of us joined Nick in the French Quarter where everyone knew Nick. We caught a few shows including the legendary Lilly (The Cat Girl) Christine. I wrote a column about the Cat Girl and Nick the Cat sharing a stage in ole New Orleans.
Bobby Wilson was an outstanding defensive football player as well as a backup to Charlie Conerly as a single wing tailback along with Will Glover. Wilson could have made it in the NFL or Canadian League, but he was even better prospect in Baseball. Like Hugh Laurin Pepper Bobby did not make it as a major leaguer, but he felt he had to give it his best shot.
Pepper had signed a $40,000 bonus after his junior year at Southern where he was a Little All-America running back with McElroy in a one-two punch which reminded some of Doc Blanchard and Glenn Davis. In those days bonus players had to stay with the big league team for two years, spending most of the time on the bench.
This was a bad rule bonus players should have been playing in the minors,particularly pitchers who could be on the mound every four days competing rather than sitting on a bench in the majors. Pepper thought about playing Pro Football after a few years but Pro Football did not have a retirement program at that time as did Baseball.
Chuck Finley succeeded Lee Floyd when Floyd went back to El Paso to enter business with a boyhood pal. He later returned to Southern but that is another story. One day in the gym club and fraternity players were practicing. I asked Finley did he ever watch youngsters like this practice, suggesting some might be sleepers. Finley looked at me like I was nuts. I told him , for instance, look at that little fellow down at the far end of the court. The little guy was popping the basket relentlessly. Finley looked closer and closer, figuring I might have hit the jackpot. Then I told him that lad was not a Frat player or a club player but the great Nick Revon.
Finley looked at me again. He knew he had been victimized by his own press agent.
--------30--------
Bobby's declining health kept him from being with us. We will honor him posthumously in 2009 and will invite his dear wife, Martha, to accept the award.
Nick Revon played at Hinds before he went to Southern. Bucky McElroy, the Black Knight, was there at the same time and we called Bucky to tell him of the sad news. Revon was a star in basketball, baseball and track. He is Southern's all-time basketball scoring leader. He played for the Phillips 66 semi-pro team after leaving Hattiesburg.
Lee Floyd recruited Nick for Southern, where he joined Tom (Whiz) Bishop, Jack Gallagher, Jeep Clark, Mutt Watts, Mickey Harrington, Bobby (Stormy) Weathers and Jersey John O'Keefe in giving Southern some of the all-time great basketball teams.
Floyd had coached at Pensacola Navy before coming to Southern. He brought Gallagher and Bishop with him. Bishop was also a big league prospect as a shortstop before he was beaned and lost the central vision in an eye. That ended his baseball career, but years later he hit the Lottery for five or six million dollars in his native Pennsylvania, where he was an outstanding high school basketball coach.
Revon coached in his native Louisiana and was very successful. We still recall one night a few of us joined Nick in the French Quarter where everyone knew Nick. We caught a few shows including the legendary Lilly (The Cat Girl) Christine. I wrote a column about the Cat Girl and Nick the Cat sharing a stage in ole New Orleans.
Bobby Wilson was an outstanding defensive football player as well as a backup to Charlie Conerly as a single wing tailback along with Will Glover. Wilson could have made it in the NFL or Canadian League, but he was even better prospect in Baseball. Like Hugh Laurin Pepper Bobby did not make it as a major leaguer, but he felt he had to give it his best shot.
Pepper had signed a $40,000 bonus after his junior year at Southern where he was a Little All-America running back with McElroy in a one-two punch which reminded some of Doc Blanchard and Glenn Davis. In those days bonus players had to stay with the big league team for two years, spending most of the time on the bench.
This was a bad rule bonus players should have been playing in the minors,particularly pitchers who could be on the mound every four days competing rather than sitting on a bench in the majors. Pepper thought about playing Pro Football after a few years but Pro Football did not have a retirement program at that time as did Baseball.
Chuck Finley succeeded Lee Floyd when Floyd went back to El Paso to enter business with a boyhood pal. He later returned to Southern but that is another story. One day in the gym club and fraternity players were practicing. I asked Finley did he ever watch youngsters like this practice, suggesting some might be sleepers. Finley looked at me like I was nuts. I told him , for instance, look at that little fellow down at the far end of the court. The little guy was popping the basket relentlessly. Finley looked closer and closer, figuring I might have hit the jackpot. Then I told him that lad was not a Frat player or a club player but the great Nick Revon.
Finley looked at me again. He knew he had been victimized by his own press agent.
--------30--------
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)