Just some Miner details
WHEN THE TEXAS-EL PASO Miners met their new football coach nearly seven months ago, they were greeted by a 57-year-old man dressed as a miner.
You guessed it, former Washington State coach Mike Price.
“He walks into his first team meeting with a hard hat and a pick and ax,” explained UTEP captain Robert Rodriguez. “He marches in with a strut and tells us we’re going to be more enthusiastic. We all started going crazy, yelling and screaming like we were at a concert.”
“Miners are tough people,” Price said. “We want to be tough just like that. We want to emulate a miner and strike gold, use a pick and shovel and get dirty and get grubby like miners. That’s how we’re going to develop – through hard work and toughness and striking it rich with gold.”
This act played big at Weber State and Washington State, too. Unfortunately, at Alabama, they didn’t get the “Find your Destiny” symbolism.
Good place to practice
Maria Sharapova has appeared relaxed and confident in her many television appearances since winning Wimbledon. Agent Max Eisenbud told Sports Illustrated: “We’ve been preparing for this for years. We did Craig Kilborn’s show last year, and the thinking was that if you mess up on that, who knows about it?”
Dave Dubya stays the course
Do you think they take their football seriously in Miami? After Ricky Williams announced he was done with football, pundits wondered what direction the Dolphins offense would head. Head coach Dave Wannstedt answered the question. The Dolphins’ offensive philosophy would remain the same.
Miami Herald columnist Dan Le Batard had this reaction:
“Dave Wannstedt sounds a little more like George W. Bush every day.
“You don’t know whether to be awed by what looks like stubborn determination and unwavering conviction or be disappointed that a leader of men could appear so oblivious.
“I know. I know.
“Unfair comparison.
“One of these is about life and death.
“And the other is about George W. Bush.”
Hitting above the belt
NASCAR’s Tony Stewart of Rushville, Ind., appears to have an expanding waistline these days. Said TNT pit reporter Matt Yocum: “That’s why his nickname has gone from ‘Rushville Rocket’ to ‘Krispy Kreme Comet.’ “
Career change?
Newsday sportswriter Bob Glauber had to check with his boss after the following exchange with New York Jets coach Herman Edwards concerning quarterback Chad Pennington:
“He’s going to be the quarterback a long time,” Edwards said.
“How long?” asked Glauber.
“He’ll be the quarterback here longer than you’ll be the writer,” Edwards said. “How about that? Put that down.”
Wrote Glauber: “Does he know something I don’t know?”