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Saturday, November 26, 2005
Braine’s record speaks for itself
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Terence Moore
Some of these Georgia Tech folks need to get a life. Come to think about it, they aren’t alone regarding Dave Braine.
About the only person within close proximity of the Yellow Jacket Nation more perplexed than I by those who suggest that Buzz, the school’s mascot, knows more about sports than Braine, the school’s athletics director, is Paul Hewitt, the school’s basketball coach.
He’s still fuming over the Braine bashers, and not just because he was brought to Tech five years ago by the supposedly overmatched Braine, whose credentials say otherwise.
Hewitt told me this week that three years after he was hired at Tech, he wasn’t fired by Braine, who had many urging him to do so. In case you’re wondering, none of this has been mentioned before. “That’s because Dave doesn’t operate that way, and he’s not the kind of person who is going to stay in your face and say, ‘I told you so,’ ” said Hewitt, recalling the secret furor Braine created after the 2002-03 season, when he awarded Hewitt with a raise and a contract extension despite an underwhelming performance by Hewitt’s team.
A group of Tech supporters were so peeved back then with Braine for the Hewitt move that they complained all the way to the office of Tech President Wayne Clough. What Clough and Braine did in response was nothing. What Hewitt did the next season was take the Jackets to the NCAA championship game.
See a pattern here? Thirteen years ago, when Braine was in charge at Virginia Tech, the school’s president asked Braine if it was time to oust the Hokies’ football coach who just finished 2-8-1. Uh-uh, said Braine, who eventually watched Frank Beamer become the Big East’s coach of the decade for the 1990s. This is the same Beamer who ranks only behind Bobby Bowden and Joe Paterno in overall victories among active coaches and who continues to have Virginia Tech among the nation’s elite.
Memo to the Braine bashers: Given the Hewitt thing and the Beamer thing, you should take a deep breath and count to 10 on the Chan Gailey thing.
As for the latter, Braine ignored the howling over Gailey’s seven victories in each of his first three seasons at Tech and gave his football coach a new five-year contract last week after a 6-3 start. It was a start that was typical of Gailey’s Jackets, with some good (upset at Auburn), some bad (choke at home to N.C. State) and some ugly (collapse at Virginia Tech). Then three days after Gailey’s new contract, the Jackets provided some great. They shocked mighty Miami in the Orange Bowl. Just like that, Braine wasn’t considered The Scarecrow anymore by his critics, who grudgingly had to concede that Braine does have a brain.
Well, theoretically. Even Braine told me over the weekend that his thought process could have been smoother when he delivered the truth last week that Tech never will have nine- and 10-win football seasons on a regular basis. It’s the truth, because Tech never has done it. Neither have most teams, but you can’t say that, unless you don’t care to be politically correct.
“There are two ways that you can do things,” Hewitt said. “You can be popular, or you can follow your convictions. Nobody ever is going to accuse Dave of not having the courage of his convictions. The guy knows sports. Now, knowing sports and being a fan are two different things. The fans get emotional. Dave is calculating, and that’s why he’s been successful.”
Very successful. There was Braine’s stint at Marshall 20 years ago, when the Thundering Herd galloped out of nowhere into football prominence. There were his prolific days at Virginia Tech. Then there was his arrival at Georgia Tech in 1997, when he replaced the highly underrated Homer Rice and kept the Jackets prominent as players and as students.
No question, Tech’s first trip ever to the NCAA slammer for using 17 academically ineligible players in four sports doesn’t help Braine’s legacy with the Jackets. Still, he has done much more than that to help that legacy, including using his wisdom to keep Hewitt around for a long time.
“Really, no amount of emotion is going to sway [Braine’s] loyalty to his coaches, especially if he thinks they are right for the job, and that doesn’t make him popular at times,” Hewitt said. “He doesn’t always say the right things — just because he’s trying to protect his coaches — but history will show that he’s one of the best athletics director ever to come around.”
History already has.
Permalink | Comments (18) | Categories: Tech / ACC, Terence Moore
Weekend Predictions: Colts will lose, but, like, not yet
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Jeff Schultz
I know the Indianapolis Colts are not going undefeated.
I know this because an online betting service says the odds are against it, and more important, Brooke Burke gazed into my eyes like no one-dimensional women ever had in my history of full screen, one-dimensional relationships and promised me I could trust her. Brooke would not lie to me.
“Hi [Jeff]. I’m Brooke Burke and I’m as wild on sports as I am on exotic travel.”
Ohhh, yeah.
Brooke tells me this with a twinkle in her eyes on Sportsbook.com, which also has links to her instructional videos, as well as past speeches on global economics. OK, maybe not the speeches.
“They’ve got ALL the action,” Brooke says. “It’s quick. It’s easy. And it’s totally confidential.”
Um. Are we still talking about sports?
There are five videos, two in which Brooke wears the tight black top and three in which she wears the lacy blue top.
In one, she says, “Do you know, there’s, like, a billion online casinos?”
Like, no, I didn’t.
I was so thrown by that statistic, I almost forgot what Brooke was wearing.
Almost.
So. Speaking of statistics: Brooke is …
Check that. The Colts are 10-0. According to my soothsayer, the pressure will get to them. The odds are 3-1 against running the table and 12-1 against Brooke putting together another complete sentence.
This week, Indy plays host to the ‘Burgh. The Steelers haven’t lost to the Colts since 1984. They also get back quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who is 18-1 as a starter.
Miss Hottie’s probably right. The Colts will go down.
But not this week.
Sorry, babe. I’m just not feeling it. Work with me a little. Got any other shirts?
Colts cover 8.
FOUR BAGS
• Giants at Seahawks: Some think Seattle is the class of the NFC. But I still see Matt Hasselbeck and eventual doom. Then again, this could be an NFC title game preview, the resuscitation of the Falcons notwithstanding. Take the Giants and 41/2 — and in a straight upset.
THREE BAGS
•Bears at Bucs: Chicago is allowing 11 points per game. In the just-along-for-the-ride category, Kyle Orton makes Trent Dilfer look like Otto Graham. Make that seven straight for the Bears — and take the gift 3.
• Patriots at Chiefs: Kansas City lineman Lional Dalton was arrested Friday for allegedly grabbing his wife by the hair and pulling her down. But coach Dick Vermeil did not immediately rule him out for the game. Talk about a man desperate for a tackle. Take New England and 3 — and in a straight upset.
TWO BAGS
• Panthers at Bills: J.P. Losman replaces Kelly Holcomb, who replaced J.P. Losman, who has been given no assurances of starting after today. All of which leads to: Duh, Carolina covers 4.
• Chargers at Redskins: It’s Dan Snyder Nightmare Month. He lost last week to one former coach (Norv Turner) and today loses to another (Marty Schottenheimer). As long as he stays out of the SEC East, it won’t get any worse. Take San Diego, punt the 3.
• Dolphins at Raiders: Nick Saban must have realized this season would be a headache. But could he have expected that Ricky Williams would be the bright spot last week? Where do you go after a 22-0 loss to Cleveland? Here: Oakland covers 7.
• Packers at Eagles: The good news, Philly fans: The Eagles plan to divvy up all of the salary they’re recouping from Terrell Owens and will distribute it equally to all attending today’s game. Kidding. Discounted tickets? Free beer? No. No. But you do get Mike McMahon to L.J. Smith. Standard armor recommended in the 700 level. Eagles win, but take the Pack and 41/2.
• Ravens at Bengals: Chester Taylor has taken over as the primary ball carrier in Baltimore. Jamal Lewis seems resigned to the fact he’s a goner. The good news is, he and Reuben Houston can take business courses together in Bolivia. Cincy covers 9.
• Browns at Vikings: So maybe sailing on the Boom Boom Boat wasn’t such a bad idea, after all. Minnesota has won four of the past five and can at least dream about an improbable playoff run. A trip to Amsterdam ought to put them over the top. Vikes win but won’t cover the 4.
• Jaguars at Cardinals: Byron Leftwich has 10 touchdowns and two interceptions in the past six games. Arizona has 12 passing TDs and 13 interceptions all season. Jax covers 3 on the road.
WHO’S UP FOR BOWLING?
• Rams at Texans: Combined, these two teams have allowed 592 points. They could make the Swiss Army look like a threat, with that advancing front of toothpicks and mini-corkscrews. Take Houston and 3 1/2 — and in a straight upset.
• 2-8 at 2-8: The 49ers’ website is building up this week’s grudge match between kicker Joe Nedney and his former team, Tennessee. That should drive ticket sales. Titans cover 8 1/2.
• 2-8 at 2-8 (II): The Jets don’t have a quarterback. The Saints have Aaron Brooks. Advantage: Jets. Take New York to cover 1 at home.
PROGRESS REPORT (Still profitable. Still waiting for commissions. I have friends.) • Last week: 8-8 straight up, 9-7 against the line. • Fiscal season: 97-47 straight up, 77-63-4 against the line.
Permalink | Comments (1) | Categories: Falcons / NFL, Jeff Schultz
