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Friday, March 21, 2008
In D.C. they love Paul Johnson
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Washington, D.C.—It’s “Free-wheeling Friday” again, which means we just might veer off the topic of college football. But you’re free to do the same. If you’re got something you need to get off your chest today, then let ‘er rip. Here are just a few things that are on my mind this morning.
I’m up in Washington, D.C. after watching Georgia play in the NCAA Tournament on Thursday. I’ve run into several Navy people who want to know how Paul Johnson is doing at Georgia Tech. All I can tell you is that the Navy people love this guy. They are grateful for what he did for the program and have no doubt that he is going to be successful at Georgia Tech. They find it funny when people say that Johnson’s option offense can’t succeed at this level of football. Bottom line, they said: People should quit trying to pigeon hole Paul Johnson. He is a ball coach and knows how to win. He always has.
I’m headed back to Atlanta today after watching Georgia lose to Xavier. There is no doubt in my mind that for 30 minutes Georgia was the better team. But Xavier finally wore Georgia down in the last 10 minutes. The only thing that struck me as strange is the fact that Sundiata Gaines, one of the best penetrating guards in college basketball, played 38 minutes and NEVER got to the free throw line. I don’t’ know. I’m just asking.
I hung around Thursday night at the Verizon Center and watched as Belmont, a No. 15 seed, almost beat second-seeded Duke before losing 71-70. I thought the Blue Devils might lose to the Bruins in this NCAA Tournament, but not the Bruins from Belmont. Belmont’s kids played toe-to-toe with Duke and never backed down. Rick Byrd, the Belmont coach, is the son of veteran sportswriter Ben Byrd of the Knoxville Journal. He really had his team prepared. How big an upset would it have been if Belmont had won? Since the tournament went to 64 teams in 1985, the No. 15 seed is 4-88 against the No. 2 seed. It would have been one of the biggest upsets in the history of the tournament. But if you were watching the game, it didn’t look like an upset. Belmont was not playing like a 15 seed. And Duke sure wasn’t playing like a 2.
I heard that Coach Bob Knight wants to expand the men’s basketball tournament field from 65 to 128 teams. It would add only one round to the tournament. But it would also greatlyexpand the number of bad games in the first round. We got a bunch of stinkers yesterday. Kent State had only 10 points at halftime and lost 71-58. Baylor couldn’t guard my mother. The Bears didn’t even pretend to play defense as Purdue ripped through them 90-79. UCLA beat Mississippi Valley 70-29. There were 16 games yesterday and only three were decided by less than double digits. If you expanded the tournament to 128, that means all of the 32 teams that are now in the NIT plus all of the 16 teams in the new College Basketball Invitational (whose idea was that?) would be in the Big Dance and the bracket still would not be filled. Why mess with one of the most successful sports properties in the world?
The endless litany of football players getting in trouble this time of year pretty much has me numb. But this is a big one. Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer has dismissed running back Brandon Ore from the team. Ore was a rising senior and, I believed, was going to have a huge year for the Hokies if he stayed healthy. But there was always an undercurrent about this kid when you talked to the coaches. They didn’t want to throw him under the bus in a public way but it was clear that Ore was a problem child. When a guy gets to be a redshirt senior and he’s still not committed to being a good player, you have to let him go for the good of the team.
One last thought:
Please say a prayer for the family of Central Florida football player Ereck Plancher. The 19-year-old receiver from Naples collapsed and later died after a series of conditioning drills earlier this week. The cause of his death is not yet known. It will take weeks to determine. I know that George O’Leary, the head coach at UCF, is having a very tough time with this one. He comes across as gruff sometimes, but he has always cared a lot about his players. Our condolences go to the family and the UCF community.
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