AJC > Sports > Columnists > Archives > 2008 > January > 06 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USLSU’s Miles has a nose for spotlight
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Mark Bradley
New Orleans — Six weeks ago, Les Miles was just another college coach who’d never won a conference championship. Now he’s ubiquitous. He’s the man in the hat, the gambler with the golden gut, the loyal Wolverine who spurned Michigan. He’s the guy who ended the irregular 45-second pregame briefing in the Georgia Dome with the famously insincere, “Have a great day.”
On Sunday Miles met again with his good buddies in the press, and this time he offered what seemed a sincere thank you. He said he appreciated “the number of stories to come out” about his LSU Tigers in the run-up to tonight’s BCS title game, and he even lauded the media’s “effort to get different and quality stories.”
Then this: “Whatever you do in covering me, I’d appreciate if you minimize it.”
And that last bit, it must be said, rang hollow. To see Les Miles now is to observe a man living high, wide and handsome. Jim Tressel is a great coach, but his interviews have all the brio of calculus class. When Miles gets going, and lately he has been operating at full vocal throttle, one response can consume five minutes. Indeed, he went on at such length after one question Sunday that he had to stop himself by saying, “I could go on.”
As football men go, Miles is fairly intriguing. With the big hat — when he deigns to doff his white LSU cap, you’ll note the thinning brown hair toward the back — and the square jaw, he looks like most every other coach to come from Ohio (where he grew up) and Michigan (where he played and apprenticed). But he has a lively mind and a deft, if slightly odd, way with words.
An example: “I hope we back off on emotion [for tonight’s game], to be honest with you. I hope we reach the field with a nice clean framework.”
And another, this in reference to the possibility that Ohio State might deploy Antonio Henton as a change-of-pace quarterback: “We’ve seen the tape on him. We’ll have a feel for his tendencies once he steps on the field at the opponent’s request.”
A minute later, a reporter began a question thusly: “Les, you’re known as being old-school …”
Miles, interjecting: “How do I still get the old-school moniker? I still have humor.”
That’s true. He does. The “have a great day” signoff was the funniest moment of a funny ol’ football season. (Mike Gundy’s much-viewed rant was amusing only in the sense that he made himself seem a braying donkey.) And Miles’ less famous press session of the day his Tigers won the SEC championship — the postgame one, in which he pledged himself to LSU despite his obvious love for Michigan — was darn near poignant.
The Michigan stuff keeps coming up. At Saturday’s media day, Miles admitted his lingering love for the Great Midwest but noted, “What I don’t miss is having to scrape my windshield.” On Sunday he admitted tearing up when he saw his mentor, the late Bo Schembechler, on an HBO special about the Ohio State-Michigan series.
Whether Miles was ever as close to coaching Michigan as Kirk Herbstreit would have us believe might never be known, but it’s clear Miles hasn’t exactly recoiled from the crush of publicity. “I’m a guy who likes to support his team and coach his team but who stays on the perimeter,” he said, protesting. “I’ve always enjoyed the position of being a coach and not being an issue.”
These past six weeks — heck, the whole wild LSU season — he has been both. He’s the wild man who kept going for it on fourth down against Florida and who ordered up the long pass that decided the epic Auburn game at 0:01 of the fourth quarter. He’s the coach of a “damn strong football team” (another Les-ism) who’s on a giddy run of great days.
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By Skydawg
January 6, 2008 9:08 PM | Link to this
Miles is a clown. He makes some of the dumbest game decisions in recent memory. He’s been riding the back of Saban’s recruits/players for 2 years now. I know several LSU fans and they agree with me. There are many LSU fans who hoped he would take the Michigan job. What a ridiculous and uninformed piece Bradley. But I’ve come to expect that from the AJC.
By S
January 6, 2008 9:29 PM | Link to this
Speak for yourself dawg fan, don’t speak for LSU fans. He is goofy at times, but so is the President of U.S. It is actually quite refreshing to have a coach who acts like a normal person, i.e. has flaws and doesn’t try to hide them. I am thankful he is our coach and hope he is for a long time.
By Tdog
January 6, 2008 10:11 PM | Link to this
If Miles is smart he will keep reminding us all that he is a michigan man, keeps him in the good graces of the all powerful and influential ESPN talking heads, who are mostly from that region of this great country. It’s so apparent that he knows it and will remind us and ESPN every chance he gets. If it works for OSU why not.
By hotrod
January 6, 2008 10:37 PM | Link to this
miles is nothing more than a carny,we will show him what southern football is all about on october 25 when DAWG NATION comes to call.
By Dr Morpheus
January 7, 2008 12:03 AM | Link to this
Plenty of mediocre coaches lose with good players (Ron Zook comes to mind). When one of us delivers an over-simplified, hostile take on a guy who’s team won his division, won the SEC Championship, and is playing for the NC, it sounds a lot like sour grapes. I live in BR where I have the opportunity to see the Bengal Tigers up close. It’s a very tough place to coach because the Cajun fans are absolute maniacs and they were spoiled by Saban’s NC; so, my vote is to respect the man’s accomplishments and hold off on the trash talk until we deliver the goods. I recall feeling confident while attending a game at Tiger Stadium where David Green had us up and the TIgers came back and put us down. Even if his ability to win fades when the Saban recruits graduate, Miles is a colorful character with plenty of personal integrity. Currently, I would rate him as one of the top 3 all around SEC coachs (with CMR and Sylvester Croom).
By Leonitis
January 7, 2008 1:11 AM | Link to this
OSU’s running backs MAY be brought in to do their best Darren McFadden impersonations. If LSU can’t stop it they are in big trouble.
OSU WILL bring in their backup quarterback and run a form of the spread offense (you can bet the farm on it!). If LSU can’t stop it they are in big trouble.
LSU will win and Les Miles will look like a God though it obvious that any coach with an ounce of sense could win with the talent LSU has.
By CharlieAlphaBravo
January 7, 2008 5:52 AM | Link to this
This isn’t getting much press on the Big Ten Netw… Uh, I mean, ESPN… And I think it deserves a little spotlight.
Did anyone see the “open letter to fans” that Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany recently released?? It appears the Big Tenistas are at it again. He was apparently responding to an article suggesting the SEC had signed better and faster recruits than the Big Ten in February. I would try to give a quick summary, but I’m not sure my words would do justice. Better you hear it from the (literal) horse’s mouth. Here are some excerpts:
“I love speed and the SEC has great speed, especially on the defensive line, but there are appropriate balances when mixing academics and athletics…”
Okay… So, speed=stupid… No, please… Proceed…
“Each school, as well as each conference, simply must do what fits their mission regardless of what a recruiting service recommends… winning our [Big Ten’s] way requires some discipline and restraint with the recruitment process.”
Alright… So you’re saying that the Big Ten’s mission is to maintain a stellar 53% graduation rate like Ohio State (as opposed to LSU’s 51%)?? I’m having a little trouble following, sir…
“Not every athlete fits athletically, academically or socially at every university. Fortunately, we have been able to balance our athletic and academic mission so that we can compete successfully and keep faith with our academic standards.”
Eureka! So, if I’m reading this correctly:
Fast players = Recruits that are academically and socially unacceptable.
Hmmmm… Hmmmmmmmm…. Which “fast” SEC athletes are you referring to, Mr. Delaney??? I suppose the SEC’s majority of Public Universities should probably only offer academic opportunity to the brighter, surlier athletes. Or maybe you’re suggesting that “fast” players just aren’t socially acceptable at THE Big Ten University.
I’ve thought about it a lot, Commisioner Delaney, and I wish to respectfully disagree… Just because you look at a primarily “fast” football team and assume they do not perform well academically, doesn’t mean you’re evident ignorance and arrogance make it so. You, sir, are a racist a*****.
Someone needs to get over Ohio State’s dismal 0-8 record against the SEC in bowl games.
Anyway kids, Dan Wetzel responded to this bafoon’s ramblings much more eloquently than I could have. Here’s a link:
Dan Wetzel at Rivals.com
Still, congrats to Michigan for chomping the Gators. Even if your commissioner is a blowhard bigot.
By Big Ed
January 7, 2008 6:55 AM | Link to this
Hey Dawg fans. Being whiney and jealous at the same time is not pretty. If this much attention were given to any coach including MR it would be the same way. ESPN has become the National Enquirer of Sports reporting. The scores and sometimes meaningless stats they give us are secondary to what they can dig up about anything negative. Les Miles is a good family man and a good coach. Why are reporters on the week of prepartion for the NC still asking him about Michigan. Because they know they will get a reaction and something to write about. No Mark Bradley, Les Miles does not have a nose for the spotlight, you bring the spotlight to him.
By Top Dawg
January 7, 2008 7:15 AM | Link to this
Miles needs to wash his mouth with soap, at least before he steps in front of the microphone.
By yellowblood
January 7, 2008 8:15 AM | Link to this
Why does Atlanta care about Les Miles? Yesterday, at Tech, we had a stupendous Tickle Pile while celebrating our Victory over Presbyterian.
By Tdog
January 7, 2008 8:15 AM | Link to this
Hey big ed We DAWG fans will speak up about BIAS when we see it. We saw this comming when AUB undefeated SEC champions were passed over for teams west and north. If you want to go to the mythical NCG it helps to have a yankee coach.[ Watch how blissful those ESPN talking heads will be about their yankee coaching matchup] BIAS is BIAS facts are facts period.
By Brezina
January 7, 2008 8:18 AM | Link to this
Les Miles is the greatest LSU coach ever. Yes, even better than the great Cholly Mac.
By Buddy Curry
January 7, 2008 9:20 AM | Link to this
Bradley’s Les Miles is a character column comes a week after a far superior one by a SI writer. I’m not saying, but I’m just saying …
By DirtyDawg
January 7, 2008 9:25 AM | Link to this
Let me get this straight…you think comparing Les Miles to George Bush is a complement? I don’t know what that says about this particular LSU fan, or LSU fans in general, but if you haven’t checked lately your man Bush has fouled things up good-fashioned, and Les is about to.
The only positive thing I can think of with Miles is that when prematurely confronted with the ‘truth’ about his plan to take the Michigan job, he did the ‘right thing’ and stood by his players and current employer. My guess is that if Tennessee had beaten LSU in that game, knocking them out of the BCS Championship, Miles would have done a 160 (probably the way he would say it) and already been in Ann Arbor scraping his windshield.
By the way, we’uns - Dawgs that is - ain’t whinin’ about nuthin’. We had a great season that could have been even better but we’ll deal with LSU next season in Athens. Come to think of it if we win out with next season’s schedule they ought to not even have a BCS Championship game and just give the trophy to us in a quiet ceremony at the Athens Country Club…heh, heh, heh.
By Big Al
January 7, 2008 9:32 AM | Link to this
Hey Hotrod, you DA. Real southern football is played at Neyland Stadium. How did your Dawgs do????
By TN Jeff
January 7, 2008 9:38 AM | Link to this
Tonight when LSU loses to Ohio State - ALL 3 TEAMS that jumped ahead of UGA in the last pre-bowl rankings will have lost their bowl games and 2 will have lost by 2 touchdowns or more (predict LSU will lose by plus 14).
All the IDIOT pundits that push for a plus 1 system should recognize that it WOULD NOT have worked this year because 3 inferior teams would have been vying for a chance to play Ohio State.
In the words of Mora - PLAYOFFS
By Bo
January 7, 2008 9:57 AM | Link to this
Who Cares?????????
By Dawg-rite
January 7, 2008 10:05 AM | Link to this
Miles is a clown and a mediocre coach with superior talent. LSU should win this watered down BCS NC with ease but, most likely will end up struggling against a much better coach.
If was evident to me and anyone else that paid attention to the Michigan situation that if Miles opportunity had presented itself to leave with a shred of dignity he would have run to Ann Arbor like his a$$ was on fire. For the fact that he didn’t leave and run out on his players showed me that he does perhaps have some character and I respect him for that. Although that doesn’t improve his coaching ability or his foot-in-mouth disease.
LSU should win this game comfortably but won’t. The sad part is these aren’t even the two best teams in the country.
LSU wins in 27-21
By Bow Wow
January 7, 2008 10:08 AM | Link to this
Miles must be doing something right since his team is playing for the national championship while Richt and the whining doggies are working on their dance steps.
By Charles C. Cox
January 7, 2008 10:37 AM | Link to this
Right Bow Wow - he played in the SEC west rather than the East - he played Arkansas without the pressure of having to win - and guess what - he didn’t!!!
By Football Fan
January 7, 2008 11:58 AM | Link to this
For whatever it is worth from an LSU fan, I have always enjoyed reading the AJC & accepted it as the voice of the SEC. As an aside, I remember posting support for CMR after the SC & TENN games. He is a good coach, a good man & a class act. Of course now he is in line for President with the fair weather Dawg fans on this site!
ONCE AGAIN DUMMIES, TRY TO UNDERSTAND (this will require most of you to spit out your gum, because it is obvious you can’t do two things at one time!): THE WORLD IS FULL OF TEAMS WITH TALENT (SEE USC, MICH, ND, CAL, ETC). THE TRICK IS TO GET THAT TALENT TO PLAY AS A TEAM. THIS COACH YOU DISH HAS BEATEN 4 COACHES THIS YEAR THAT HAS PREVIOUSLY WON NATIONAL CHAMP (5 IF YOU WANT TO INCLUDE TONIGHT). THAT IS FOUR MORE THEN YOUR COACH DID THIS YEAR! I will no longer post on this site, because I have to assume the class people I met from Georgia in New Orleans last week were right - if you have an IQ above 6 & most of your teeth, you don’t post on this board! One last thing, I was planning to be in Europe new year when the Dawgs come to Baton Rouge, but now, I will be tail gating……I will be the guy with the cheese for you whinners.
By What a Joke
January 7, 2008 12:05 PM | Link to this
Miles shines in the spotlight? Too bad his team doesn’t. Twice the LSU Tigers were ranked #1 in the land this year and twice they choked it away (against teams with a combined record of 16-10). Why should tonight be any different? This is the most bogus mythical national title game of all time and I can guarantee you that the ratings will reflect that. Champion? Don’t make me laugh. LSU didn’t play Georgia. OSU didn’t play…well, anybody. The winner of tonight’s game will be the winner of tonight’s game and no more. They are no more a champion of D-1 college football than my dog is. Get real.
We need a playoff.
By 2009
January 7, 2008 12:09 PM | Link to this
Well said football fan. Now, if you win “your” bowl game- you should be in the NC. When did this trend start? To quote Bad Santa, “They can’t all be winners kid!!”.
This year is over ……as usual, wait til next year. See you in Baton Rouge!
By ARdawg
January 7, 2008 1:02 PM | Link to this
Football Fan is obviously missing a few teeth and doesn’t fare very well on the IQ test by his own admission. Fan your math is horrendous, your typing and your grammar needs much work, your spelling sucks and so does your coach.
Nobody on this blog made that up, it just happens to be fact and you nor we can do anything about that. Maybe you should forego that european trip and the game in Baton Rouge next year and take a some extra classes. Apparently your IQ could rise 60 points and you still could make the required 6 to post here. Your post not only is childish, it shows what an intellectual midget you are and made me dumber just from reading it
By Bill
January 7, 2008 1:55 PM | Link to this
Be careful what you wish for hotrod.The LSU team the dogs(correct spelling) will see next year loses a bunch of talent.Don’t get the idea that the cupboard is bare for one minute.
As for you Leon let Tressel bring in the backup to run the spread.LSU has seen a number of spread offenses that are better that what OSU will bring.
By Dr Morpheus
January 7, 2008 2:17 PM | Link to this
Dirty Dog- Didn’t Rufus and Carla Thomas invent the Dirty Dog to accompany their performance of “Walking the Dog?” Anyway, as several people noted, we play LSU next year in Baton Rouge. There’s a good chance we’ll play them again in Atlanta and that’s a good thing. If we shoild lose there and win here and end up 11-1, all is well.
By Dr Morpheus
January 7, 2008 2:18 PM | Link to this
Dirty Dog- Didn’t Rufus and Carla Thomas invent the Dirty Dog to accompany their performance of “Walking the Dog?” Anyway, as several people noted, we play LSU next year in Baton Rouge. There’s a good chance we’ll play them again in Atlanta and that’s a good thing. If we should lose there and win here and end up 11-1, all is well.
By Brent
January 7, 2008 2:19 PM | Link to this
Les Miles would’ve been a lot of fun to have around at Ann Arbor during OSU week, but this is one Michigan fan who’s glad he stayed in Baton Rouge. LSU is winning in spite of him this year and only have their place in tonight’s game because NO TEAM really deserves to be the national champion in 2007.
Except Appalachian State, of course.
By randy
January 7, 2008 3:00 PM | Link to this
les miles has a s** eating grin!
By randy
January 7, 2008 3:01 PM | Link to this
les miles has a s** eating grin!
By Lesthlie Milesth
January 7, 2008 3:03 PM | Link to this
You anti-L eSth U folksth justh better leave me alone or I’ll sthlap you really hard! We Tigersth are going to put a beat-down on O-eSth-U tonight and I cannot wait to talk to my handsthome Tigersth in the locker room before the game. I love to justh watch my men get dressthed up for the game (and undressthed after it!). I am stho going home with one of my handsthome sthudsth tonight!
By BuckEye4Life
January 7, 2008 3:22 PM | Link to this
Les Miles is a blow-hard punk. I hope Tressel pimp-smacks him right before lifting the crystal football later tonight. The SEC can never, ever compete with the dominating Big Ten! OSU rules!!!!
By ARdawg
January 7, 2008 3:35 PM | Link to this
Brent
I can disagree with a word of that
By ARdawg
January 7, 2008 3:39 PM | Link to this
BuckEye4Life
you will be welcome back on the blog tomorrow. Just incase you feel the need to get your comeuppence for that statement you just made. That is, if your man enough
By scooter11
January 7, 2008 3:46 PM | Link to this
BuckEye: You’re kidding, right? Dominating big ten? OSU 0-8 against SEC in bowls, smacked down by the underdog SEC gators last year. Why will it be any different this year? You’re only media darlings.
By BuckEye4Life
January 7, 2008 4:20 PM | Link to this
ARdawg, Please take some spelling and grammar night classes (budget allowing, of course) before posting again. Your ignorance is exceeded only by your misguided perception of the SEC’s speed in the NCAA. Did you not watch the thumping that Michigan handed your [pretend] NC Florida boys last week? Perhaps your “young ‘un” failed to hold the foil-wrapped rabbit ears on your TV just right to eliminate the snowy reception. Perhaps you passed out in your mobile home after consuming too many Pabst Blue Ribbon beers. Perhaps the Athens Police Department arrested you after you beat your wife. I do not know which; what I do know is that LSU will get throttled tonight on national TV. Now you’d be well advised to leave your computer and go door-to-door in your trailer park to find someone who has a satellite dish that has not been disconnected for lack of payment. That is about the only way that you will get to watch the BuckEye domination tonight. I think Dan Wetzel has it right about the SEC athletes. Finally, thanks for the welcoming invitation to come back into this blog tomorrow and you may rest assured that I will be here. I am man enough, trailer boy!
By BuckEye4Life
January 7, 2008 4:34 PM | Link to this
Scooter, I hope that you visit yout local Wal-Mart to stock up on Kleenex before kick-off tonight as you will need plenty of them during the 3rd quarter. Media darlings? Did the media somehow help propel Michigan past the mighty Florida reptiles last week? The SEC is way overrated. We are #1 up here in Ohio. That’s the way it is and that’s the way it will end this year.
By ARdawg
January 7, 2008 4:46 PM | Link to this
HA HA HA Football Fan or BuckEye4Life or what ever you’ll be on your next post. I’m relatively sure you’ll be back tomorrow. But who knows what moniker you’ll be using then? Rest assured after the 2nd rate SEC team LSU stomps a mud hole in that OSU butt of yours, your Buckeyes will be a solid 0-9 versus the SEC. Please come do back tomorrow we’ll have fun with you. HA HA HA
By BuckEye4Life
January 7, 2008 5:16 PM | Link to this
ARdawg, I am NOT Football Fan. If you want to believe otherwise then I will not try to sway you. By the way, what’s with the AR - Athens Redneck?? LS-Who will not stomp anything except maybe their slow way back to the bayou after OSU beats the snot out of them tonight. My advice to you and Scooter Boy: practice sobbing inconsolably in the fetal position just as soon as you return to your mobile homes from your $8/hour jobs. If you do that then you should be in tip-top shape for the 3rd quarter of the game tonight. It’s all about turnovers, clowns. Prediction: OSU 33, LS-Who 16
By FLA DAWG
January 7, 2008 6:51 PM | Link to this
Maybe he’s a clown, maybe he’s full of himself and maybe he has the benefit of Saban’s recruits - but he can damn well win football games in the toughest conference in the country!
LSU by 2 TD’s
SEC 6 & 2 in postseason play and soon to be 7 & 2!
By ARdawg
January 7, 2008 11:48 PM | Link to this
By BuckEye4Life January 7, 2008 5:16 PM | Link to this ARdawg, I am NOT Football Fan. If you want to believe otherwise then I will not try to sway you. By the way, what’s with the AR - Athens Redneck?? LS-Who will not stomp anything except maybe their slow way back to the bayou after OSU beats the snot out of them tonight. My advice to you and Scooter Boy: practice sobbing inconsolably in the fetal position just as soon as you return to your mobile homes from your $8/hour jobs. If you do that then you should be in tip-top shape for the 3rd quarter of the game tonight. It’s all about turnovers, clowns. Prediction: OSU 33, LS-Who 16
HA HA HA BuckEye4Life come out come out, where ever you are! You know as much about my $8 an hour job as you know about football. Now get yourself and your choking lame team back to Ohio. That bowl record for USO against the “overrated” SEC teams now stands at 0-9 Idiot
By jeezopeez
January 8, 2008 12:10 AM | Link to this
The Big 10 is superior to the overrated SEC. Florida finished 5th in the SEC and Michigan was still able to beat them by 3 points. That is all the proof you need that that the Big 10 rules. Also, OSU only lost by 14 when LSU got to play in their backyard. Finally, OSU was looking ahead to that Youngstown State game on 8/30 again. I think I covered it all for you rednecks. Hopefully, next year Herbstreit will be able to line up a UM/OSU matchup for the BCS title. We’ll win it then.