There is a little known codicil in the college football constitution that requires a coach in a new job to play his former school, square off against an old compadre, rekindle some old hostilities or just turn back the clock in a season’s infant stages. Think Washington State’s Bill Doba returning home to South Bend in 2003. Think Washington’s Tyrone Willingham affirming Notre Dame’s decision to fire him in 2005. Think Idaho’s Robb Akey gritting his teeth to play Doba and the Cougars in 2007.
There is a little known codicil in the college football constitution that requires a coach in a new job to play his former school, square off against an old compadre, rekindle some old hostilities or just turn back the clock in a season’s infant stages.
The players do get paid so it is professional football, but frankly speaking when it comes to the Arena Football League and the Spokane Shock there’s still a lot of, “Hey, kids, let’s put on a show!” Don’t think so?
Consider that not even five months ago, the man announced Monday as the Shock’s newest field boss had never coached before and was paying the rent pouring concrete.
Just what about that suggests real-deal football?
Anyone skeptical that hockey is the sport in which fortunes can change the quickest might want to consider the recent career arc of Michael Grabner: From waived to rescued to NHL Rookie of the Year finalist to recipient of a five-year, $15 million contract – all within the space of seven months.
Here’s a sports marketing tip for one of the local clubs: It is not a good thing when the palace intrigue permeating your operation becomes a more compelling amusement than the product you put on the field.
Here’s a sports marketing tip for one of the local clubs: It is not a good thing when the palace intrigue permeating your operation becomes a more compelling amusement than the product you put on the field.
Now it’s Ron Artest who says he’s going to play in Europe during the National Basketball Association lockout, not for the money but to promote his music, be on a soap opera and “enjoy myself.” And back in the States, Bakari Hendrix shakes his head.
Age is the great MacGuffin of minor league baseball, driving the plot of each prospect until the necessary payoff at the upper end: Can he play or not? The younger the player, the more uncertainty in how his current tools project at a big-league level and, so, the greater the intrigue – and, if there’s a price tag attached, the risk.
Age is the great MacGuffin of minor league baseball, driving the plot of each prospect until the necessary payoff at the upper end: Can he play or not?
The younger the player, the more uncertainty in how his current tools project at a big-league level and, so, the greater the intrigue – and, if there’s a price tag attached, the risk.
In announcing the creation of Pac-12 Networks for launch next year, commissioner Larry Scott was asked if he thought enough programming could be generated to keep all his new channels sated. “I’m confident,” he gushed, “we’ll have a terrific 24/7 offering.”
In announcing the creation of Pac-12 Networks for launch next year, commissioner Larry Scott was asked if he thought enough programming could be generated to keep all his new channels sated.
There’s a year until liftoff, but Wednesday’s introduction of Pac-12 Networks – trumpeting one national and six regional channels to serve college sports fans with some 850 live televised events annually – included one murmured caveat: You’d better have a cable package.
There’s a year until liftoff, but Wednesday’s introduction of Pac-12 Networks – trumpeting one national and six regional channels to serve college sports fans with some 850 live televised events annually – included one murmured caveat:
You’d better have a cable package.
Having bounced among five organizations in his 11-year major league career – a couple of them twice – Scott Servais never forgot who issued his paychecks. So he found it a little irritating his first spring as Director of Player Development of the Texas Rangers when a couple of recently signed draft picks strolled into the minor league clubhouse at Surprise, Ariz. … wearing Yankees caps.
Having bounced among five organizations in his 11-year major league career – a couple of them twice – Scott Servais never forgot who issued his paychecks.
Know when you’ve become a baseball town – or, for our purposes, region?
When you’ve learned how to hate.
Anyone can profess love for a team. You can proudly wear your Ken Griffey Jr. replica jersey, line up your arguments for Edgar Martinez’s Hall of Fame candidacy and search Amazon.com for your copy of Ichiro Suzuki’s “Zen and the Art of Slapping Another Sorry-Weak Grounder That I Don’t Beat Out Much Anymore.” These are but the first steps to devotion.
The calendar says July, but the game had pennant race tension all over it.
Of course, in the Northwest League, pennant races come in fractions.
And with the first half-season racing to a coda, the Spokane Indians snatched a tiny advantage Thursday night as Trever Adams’ ninth-inning RBI single beat the Tri-City Dust Devils 5-4 in a sensational opener of their three-game series at Avista Stadium.
Five straight walks to start the game, five straight strikeouts to end it – more or less. In between came the weird, the reckless, the sloppy and the clutch – in other words, normalcy in the Northwest League, or at least nothing new to Spokane Indians manager Tim Hulett.
Five straight walks to start the game, five straight strikeouts to end it – more or less.
In between came the weird, the reckless, the sloppy and the clutch – in other words, normalcy in the Northwest League, or at least nothing new to Spokane Indians manager Tim Hulett.
