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.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
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.
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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.
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