NEW ORLEANS — It takes a secure, confident man to wear fuzzy slippers in public. Using that logic, Purdue guard David Teague might be the latter-day John Shaft.
Teague wore a pair of fuzzy, high top-shaped Purdue slippers to Saturday’s press conference, and he only smiled when asked if he worried that his teammates might question his manhood because of his footwear.
“They like them. I thought they were going to give me some flak because they’re so bulky,” Teague said. “But they’re comfortable. They look like basketball shoes, too.”
Teague said that when he saw teammate Chris Lutz sporting a pair of the slippers, he had to have a pair. He eventually tracked them down at an apparel store in West Lafayette, Ind.
“I wear them everywhere,” Teague said.
Standing behind the yellow rope late Friday afternoon talking to the beefy security guard named Cody, we couldn’t help but think of ... hmm, Allen Iverson. Yep, you just never know when good ‘ole A.I. might creep into the cranium, even during Florida State’s first practice of spring football.
With a renewed sense of optimism twisting through Seminole Nation these days because of the offseason hiring of five new coaches—primarily the addition of offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher—spring football has taken on new meaning this year around Tallahassee. Instead of flying under the radar up until the annual Garnet and Gold Game, people have been talking for two months about the Noles reconvening.
“Anytime you have change, there’s an excitement,’’ Fisher said Friday. “And people want to know what to expect. I think that’s where all the buzz comes from.’’
They want to see if Fisher can wave his magical playbook and make Drew Weatherford or Xavier Lee start playing like JaMarcus Russell. They want to see which lineman ex-Marine turned offensive line coach Rick Trickett runs off first. They want to see if Trickett’s Marine mouth rubs off on Coach Bobby Bowden so much that Bowden actually starts cursing.
Still, despite all the sub-plots and extra intrigue, it’s only spring football practice. That’s where Iverson dribbles back into this blog. Remember the infamous press conference a few years ago when Iverson, being grilled about his practice habits, repeatedly said, “We’re talking about practice, man. Practice.’’
The performance still remains one of Iverson’s greatest to this day. Well, that’s kind of the the way we felt out there Friday. Sure, Fisher and Co. are glad to finally get on the field and begin working toward next season. But in reality, this is only a one-month audition. Maybe a few questions will be answered by the time the spring game rolls around next month, but not nearly enough to determine what kind of season the Noles will have next fall.
So, like A.I. said, “We’re talking about practice, man. Practice.’’
TAMPA - A day after bringing in free-agent linebackers Cato June and Chris Draft for visits, the Bucs today announced the signing of June.
Terms were not disclosed.
June, who played under Tony Dungy at Indianapolis, joins the Bucs after spending his first four seasons with the Colts. He played 56 games, starting 45.
The former sixth-round pick started all 20 games for the Super Bowl champion Colts last season, with 162 tackles, one sack, three interceptions, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. He led Indianapolis in tackles in two of the past three seasons, including a career-high 162 tackles in 2006.
Many of us have written about the recovery of New Orleans, the resiliency of its citizens after the destruction of Hurricane Katrina. In the sports world, that was symbolized by the re-opening of the Louisiana Superdome, the great success of the New Orleans Saints, the feel-good television shots of happy fans.
Nineteen months after Katrina, it seems like everything is back to normal.
Only it isn’t normal at all. You have to look for it along the Road to the Final Four, maybe take a detour or two, but it’s there.
No matter how much government officials would like it to all go away, that’s not happening.
Everyone here has a story.
“Are you from New Orleans?” I asked a courtesy-van driver Saturday morning, as he took me from the hotel to the basketball arena for off-day NCAA Tournament interviews with the Florida Gators.
That was the icebreaker, my window into the world of Torrey Allen, 31, who has lived for more than a year in a FEMA trailer, on the University of New Orleans campus, with his wife and infant daughter. Soon, he’s hoping they can return to the home they were renting.
“They keep saying it’s going to be ready in three or four weeks,” Allen said. “But it has been three or four weeks away for about seven months now.”
Once he was a promising football athlete, making the same New Orleans Times-Picayune All-Metro Team as Peyton Manning and Patrick Surtain. Allen, who scored 28 touchdowns and had 11 interceptions as a high-school senior, played at Grambling for the legendary Eddie Robinson.
Nineteen months ago, Allen gathered his wife Renelle, six months pregnant, and the rest of his family. They were bound for Shreveport, La., trying to beat the storm. The trip took 17 hours.
They made it to Houston. By then, after seeing the horrifying video, they knew they had lost everything. Eventually, they went to Pensacola, where their daughter, Dallis Amia, was born.
Allen went four months without knowing the whereabouts of his mother, who was living at a New Orleans nursing home. He found out she was safe.
Now Torrey Allen is back in New Orleans, the only place he has really called home.
“People don’t know unless they come here,” said Allen, his eyes filling with tears. “What you hear, what you see on TV, isn’t reality. There are still people suffering, lots of people. All of our lives have been ripped apart.
“I just got this job [with New Orleans Tours]. I haven’t even gotten paid yet. When I get some money, there are things my wife and [16-month-old] daughter need. Man, there are things I need, too. But I’ve got to be strong for everyone else.”
These two teams are getting awfully familiar with each other...and another game coming up Tuesday. Oddly, the Indians brought over a better lineup than they fielded in Winter Haven the other night. Casey Fossum’s pitch count is about 60, according to Maddon.
Not sure about the Rays’ St. Patty’s Day caps, by the way. The white looks a little strange. But at least there’s no goofy thing over the ears like on the regular spring/BP caps.
Indians
Grady Sizemore CF
Trot Nixon RF
Travis Hafner 1B
Victor Martinez C
Casey Blake 3B
Jhonny Peralta SS
Jason Michaels LF
Andy Marte DH
Josh Barfield 2B
Fausto Carmona P
Rays
Rocco Baldelli CF
Carl Crawford LF
Ty Wigginton DH
Greg Norton 1B
Elijah Dukes RF
Akinori Iwamura 3B
Shawn Riggans C
B.J. Upton 2B
Ben Zobrist SS
Casey Fossum P
Here are the travel rosters for tomorrow’s split-squad day:
Phillies in Clearwater
Kazmir, Ryu, McClung, Orvella, Iwamura, Cantu, Upton, Wigginton, Zobrist, Crawford, Dukes, Mohr, Paul, Haad
Tigers in Lakeland
Jackson, Howell, Stokes, Ridgway, Salas, Norton, Baldelli, Gomes, Young, Riggans, Casanova, Choi, Guzman, Harris, Pena, Velandia
By EDDIE DANIELS
The Tampa Tribune
TAMPA – Long before former Tampa Bay Buccaneer receiver Karl Williams fixed his mind to slip into a Tampa Bay Storm uniform, he was being schooled on the game of arena football.
In 1999, Williams took over the In the Locker Room television show, a year after it debuted with Derrick Brooks. In that time, Williams saw co-hosts come and co-hosts go. As a matter of fact, the joke inside the Bucs locker room was if you co-hosted the TV show with Williams, your time with the team was likely short.
“I couldn’t keep a co-host,” Williams said laughing. “Every year they’d get cut or get released.”
A short time later Tampa Bay Storm coach Tim Marcum was added as a co-host. As tradition had it, someone had to go. And with Marcum being the head coach and general manager of a team in another league, while Williams was still a player, that meant it was Williams’ turn.
“I get Marcum and then I get released,” Williams said, finding the humor in the situation.
Williams spent nine seasons in the NFL – 1996 to 2003 with the Bucs, winning a super Bowl title in 2003 and 2004 with the Cardinals. He also garnered at least three seasons of being tutored in the intricacies of the AFL off camera with Marcum.
Tonight, he’ll put both lessons to use as he prepares to play his first Arena Football League game against the Georgia Force.
“It was great because of course the show was pretty much about the NFL, but off the set, we used to always talk about arena football and things that the Storm were going through,” Williams said . “I asked a lot of questions because I was really interested in knowing more about the game. I knew a lot of the guys who played for him.”
Marcum continued to pitch the AFL to the receiver, to no avail, and in reality, Marcum never expected to have him suited up in the Storm’s midnight blue and metallic gold.
“Probably not. He’s a nine year vet,” Marcum said. “Karl is a class act. He’s a professional and does everything you ask him to do.”
The transition for Williams may not be that difficult, according to Storm quarterback John Kaleo. The two have formed a fast friendship, which began in 2001. Last season, after Williams participated in passing sessions with Kaleo and other AFL receivers, Kaleo tried to convince Williams to join him with the Columbus Destroyers, but it never materialized.
“I think he can be a tremendous receiver in this game. Unfortunately he’s starting too late in his career, but I think what he brings to the table is just his experience from the outdoor game to here,” Kaleo admitted. “He runs great routes, man. He was always that third receiver with the Bucs or with the Cardinals, so he’s used to working in those confinements, working with the nickel back or with the dime back and learning how to work man beaters and getting open right away. That’s all the arena football game is.”
On offense, the AFL rookie will line up as the “wing” receiver. But it’s even more obvious what his other duties will be - as a return man. Here’s why: In 1996 as a Bucs rookie, Williams set records with the longest punt return (88 yards), highest punt return average (21.1) and highest kickoff return average (27.6). The following season he set records for the most punt return yards in a season (597).
He also set Bucs records for punt return yards in a game (120), career punt return yards (2,279) and career punt return touchdowns (5).
After accomplishing such feats, it took Williams, 35, the last 1 ½ years to come to the realization that his NFL career was likely over. He sold his house in Tampa and bought another in Dallas to return to his home state.
Once the finality of it hit him, he began to think about the next phase of his life – coaching, although playing remained in his heart.
“A lot of the things that I miss about playing was the camaraderie with the guys and being on the field and doing battle and being dead tired with those guys and looking into each other’s eyes and trying to get that energy from each other,” he admitted. “A lot of that is what I really missed.”
Had it not been for him making the Storm roster, Williams likely would be honing his coaching skills in NFL Europe.
“It’s hard, its frustrating, but as a player you know that some day you’re going to have to face it. Everybody can’t be like Jerry [Rice] and play 20 years,” Williams said.
Kaleo is convinced there’s something more to Williams than his route running or his ability to catch a pass or whether his transition from the big field will be seamless. Kaleo is convinced, regardless of the records Williams holds with the Bucs or the Super Bowl ring he won with that franchise in 2003, he’s more than a high profile pass catcher.
“Here’s the truth about Karl Williams,” Kaleo said, “Karl Williams is a millionaire, but Karl Williams will take a job at UPS and that sums up Karl Williams right now. Karl Williams is common folk. It doesn’t matter what type of money he makes, he’s very approachable and you can’t say that too much about today’s professional athlete.”
Reporter Eddie Daniels can be reached at (813) 948-4214 or edaniels@tampatrib.com.
It was well after midnight, and Florida coach Billy Donovan was still recovering from an overwhelming second half in the Gators’ 112-69 victory against Jackson State in the NCAA Tournament’s first round.
But no matter what happens next, it has been an unforgettable tournament.
First-year Virginia Commonwealth coach Anthony Grant, Donovan’s protege and former assistant, upset No. 6 Duke 79-77 in the first round on Thursday night, ending the Blue Devils’ streak of nine consecutive Sweet 16 appearances.
“I had Jackson State [film] on one TV, and the VCU-Duke game on the other last night,” Donovan said. “It was great. I’m so happy for Anthony. He has worked so hard.
“We got a chance to talk on the phone and I congratulated him. But you know how this tournament is. He wanted to talk about Pittsburgh [VCU’s second-round opponent]. It was a big moment for him, and everyone on this team was excited for him.”
Here’s how we see this weekend’s NCAA Tournament second-round matchups. Some of the picks might deviate from our original bracket, especially in the case when, um, both of the picks already have been eliminated.
SATURDAY
East
* No. 1 North Carolina (29-6) vs. No. 9 Michigan State (23-11) – North Carolina looked pretty sloppy in its opening-round win against Eastern Kentucky. But Michigan State doesn’t have the depth – or the firepower – to hang with the Tar Heels. THE PICK: North Carolina.
* No. 2 Georgetown (27-6) vs. No. 7 Boston College (21-11) – Boston College lost to Villanova in last season’s region semifinals. BC will go down again to one of its former Big East Conference brethren. THE PICK: Georgetown.
* No. 3 Washington State (26-7) vs. No. 6 Vanderbilt (21-11) – Washington State better guard the Commodores beyond the 3-point arc. THE PICK: Washington State.
South
* No. 1 Ohio State (31-3) vs. No. 9 Xavier (25-8) – One of those made-for-the-NCAA-Tournament moments. Buckeyes coach Thad Matta meets his former team, which he took to the Elite Eight in 2004. THE PICK: Ohio State.
* No. 3 Texas A&M (26-6) vs. No. 6 Louisville (24-9) – Rick Pitino keeps saying his team doesn’t have a home-court advantage at Rupp Arena. We don’t buy it. In the second round, it won’t matter. Texas A&M – and clutch scorer Acie Law IV – is just better. THE PICK: Texas A&M.
Midwest
* No. 4 Maryland (25-8) vs. No. 5 Butler (28-6) – Maryland looked like it was going nowhere when it crashed out of the ACC Tournament with a loss to No. 12 Miami. Are the Terrapins back? We see a Sweet 16 future for Maryland, but it won’t be easy, not against extremely solid Butler. THE PICK: Maryland.
West
* No. 2 UCLA (27-5) vs. No. 7 Indiana (21-10) – Classic-sounding matchup between programs that have met in a region final and a national semifinal. The Bruins appear to have righted the ship after a two-game losing streak to conclude the regular season. THE PICK: UCLA
* No. 3 Pittsburgh (28-7) vs. No. 11 VCU (28-6) – We’re still kicking ourselves over not picking VCU to beat Duke. Time for a make-up call. Let’s anoint VCU as this season’s team of destiny. THE PICK: VCU
SUNDAY
East
* No. 4 Texas (25-9) vs. No. 5 USC (24-11) – Rose Bowl rematch. Vince Young and Matt Leinart will line up for the center jump. THE PICK: Texas
South
* No. 2 Memphis (31-3) vs. No. 7 Nevada (29-4) – We’re not quite sure what to make of this meeting between two programs that have fattened up on wins in not-ready-for-prime-time conferences. Nevada has a great player in Nick Fazekas, but Memphis has more good players. THE PICK: Memphis.
* No. 4 Virginia (21-10) vs. No. 5 Tennessee (23-10) – Possibly the most entertaining second-rounder. Tennessee pulled a Loyola Marymount in scoring 121 points against Long Beach State. Virginia’s backcourt (Sean Singletary, J.R. Reynolds) trumps Tennessee’s super scorer (Chris Lofton) in an ACC-SEC bragging rights game. THE PICK: Virginia
Midwest
* No. 1 Florida (30-5) vs. No. 9 Purdue (22-11) – Boilermakers are plucky, but no match for the Gators. THE PICK: Florida
* No. 2 Wisconsin (30-5) vs. No. 7 UNLV (29-6) – Wisconsin nearly crashed out with a first-round loss to No. 15 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (which might have been the biggest upset since the 64-team field debuted in 1985). Anyway, our trust in the Badgers has severely wavered. Here’s a vote for Lon Kruger’s Runnin’ Rebels. THE PICK: UNLV
* No. 3 Oregon (27-7) vs. No. 11 Winthrop (29-4) – Winthrop has maxed out for a Big South team – a No. 11 seed, 29 victories, a first-round NCAA win against Notre Dame. Oregon, the Pac-10 tournament champion, is showing signs of life after a late-season slump. THE PICK: Oregon
West
* No. 1 Kansas (31-4) vs. No. 8 Kentucky (22-11) – This sounds like it should be a Final Four game, doesn’t it? Might Tubby Smith’s season take on a brighter outlook with an upset here? Not going to happen. THE PICK: Kansas.
* No. 4 Southern Illinois (28-6) vs. No. 5 Virginia Tech (22-11) – Seth Greenberg in the Sweet 16? Believe it. Let the Seth-mania begin. THE PICK: Virginia Tech.
NEW ORLEANS — Florida will face Purdue at 2:15 p.m. Sunday, followed by Nevada-Memphis.
By EDDIE DANIELS
The Tampa Tribune
NEW PORT RICHEY - When River Ridge softball coach Ernie Beck was approached by reporters at the end of the nine-inning match up against Pasco, he jokingly asked at what point was his team counted out.
The laughter that followed was the best evidence that Beck hadn’t lost faith in his team. River Ridge earned a 7-6 victory, overcoming an early 4-0 deficit.
“We made some errors, but overall I think it was a well-played game,” Beck said. “I think it was a well-pitched game. It was just one of those games that you hate to see somebody lose, but I’m sure glad they did and not me.”
Pasco, in similar fashion to the previous night, scored runs in the first inning. With two outs and a runner on first, Brianne Farmer doubled to deep left field. The ensuing batter, Colena Lazar, doubled, driving in both runners for the 2-0 advantage. In the third, Pasco (12-3) tacked on two more runs. This time a triple by Lazar drove in Lucy Schneider and Farmer.
Thursday night, Land O’ Lakes fell behind 4-0 in the first inning and mounted a comeback in the fifth, which included a home run. There was an eerie parallel Friday night. This time River Ridge (11-2) hit the homer.
Michelle McKonly ripped a three-run shot over the right centerfield fence, cutting the Pirates lead to 4-3. Pasco added a run in the sixth inning, extending the advantage to 5-3. The Royal Knights answered right back in the bottom of the inning.
With two outs, freshman Madison Morrison hit her first home run of the season, drawing the Royal Knights closer, 5-4.
The Pirates added another run on a Farmer pop up on the outer edge of the infield. The sure out was dropped and Lacey Cook scored from third, pushing the Pasco lead to 6-4.
At the bottom of the seventh, Brianna Rish’s sacrifice fly scored Kelly Lamb. The next batter, Michelle Miller, hit a sacrifice fly to right field. As McKonly tagged up to come home, the throw met here there, but as the catcher went to make the tag, the ball came out of her glove. McKonly scored, tying the game, 6-6.
In the bottom of the ninth with Rish at second base, Shauna Ward punched a single into to right field, scoring Rish and ending the game.
For Pasco, a win would have been preferable, but it’s likely the squad is looking for a breather. The team took in Zephyrhills Wednesday night, Land O’ Lakes on Thursday and River Ridge Friday night. Over a six game stretch, the Pirates went 5-1.
“We’ve had two tough weeks. Last week and this wee, I really can’t take anything away from these girls,” Pasco coach Shamalene Broner said. “They played real hard the last two weeks. Six tough games in two weeks and actually coming out 5-1, you can’t knock them on that.”
Reporter Eddie Daniels can be reached at (813) 948-4214 or edaniels@tampatrib.com.
The Springfield Republican reported Friday night on its web site that the Springfield Falcons, the Lightning’s minor-league affiliate, will dissolve its relationship with Tampa Bay after a 3 ½ year relationship and add the Edmonton Oilers as its partner. An official announcement is expected to be made at a scheduled press conference in Springfield, Mass., on Monday.
Lightning General manager Jay Feaster had no comment, but Tampa Bay is expected to align with the Norfolk Admirals as early as next week. Norfolk is in the last year of a deal with the Chicago Blackhawks, who are moving their minor league team to Illinois.
The Falcons were in the third year of a five-year deal, but there was an out clause provided both parties had replacements lined up.
This looks like it is all but a done deal folks. No word coming out of anybody in Tampa Bay’s organization, but since there are so many upset fans in Springfield since Tampa Bay took over, no surprise info is leaked to the Springfield paper....
Thoughts? Good, Bad for the organization?
NEW ORLEANS — Six-foot-11, 295-pound Jackson State center Stanley Turner’s nickname, according to the JSU media guide, is “Big Smooth.”
Just in case you were wondering.
NEW ORLEANS — I’ve only heard two songs — including one riffing off the theme to “Inspector Gadget”, but it’s Jackson State, in a rout. The Tigers band plays, sings, chants and even has a ridiculously funky name (the JSU Sonic Boom of the South).
Florida’s band plays a mean version of Paul Simon’s “You Can Call Me Al,” but I’ve never seen courtside photographers get up and dance in the middle of the piccolo solo. The Florida band is trying gamely to counter with Reel Big Fish’s “Sell Out,” but this isn’t going to be close.
I might have just witnessed the worst officiating call I have seen all year, and that’s really saying something.
Dan Boyle got tangled up along with boards with Daniel Briere. Boyle’s stick was under the arm of Briere, who kept the stick pinned under his arm as he skated toward the net. So Boyle tried to yank his stick out from under Briere’s arm, and it was obvious he was trying to free his stick up. But Mick McGeough decided that the penalty was a hook on Boyle.
In a season where there have been plenty of head-scratching calls, this one might rub the old scalp raw if you think about it too much!!!!
If you saw it - live or on television - what did you think?
NEW ORLEANS — Instead of cold logic and rock-solid analysis, I’m toying with different ways of picking winners for the games in Florida’s pod.
Newly minted Palm Beach Post beat writer Lindsay Jones has what she calls her “Fight to the death pool,” in which she pits the mascots of each school against one another in a fictional fight to the death. In such a pool, I’d root for Illinois-Chicago to make the tournament every year. Heck, the only teams that could beat the Flames are Alabama (Crimson Tide), Pepperdine (Waves) and Tulane (Green Wave). If this method actually worked and I were athletic director at Winthrop, I’d just change my school’s mascot to the 500-Megaton Warheads. Using this methodology, Purdue — currently up 51-43 against Arizona — will hang on to win, because a surly Midwesterner with a sledgehammer beats a Wildcat every time. In the late game, Florida’s Gators beat Jackson State’s Tigers only because the game is being played on the bayou.
I’m also considering choosing winners based on the relative coolness of the songs chosen by their pep band.
Using that method, I predict an Arizona comeback because the Wildcats’ pep band played “Ants Marching” by the Dave Matthews Band and somehow managed to translate the Mission: Impossible theme into marching-band music. Purdue came strong with the White Stripes’ “Seven-Nation Army” and Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ on a Prayer,” but that last one just isn’t the same after George Mason rode that tune to the Final Four last year.
In an hour or so, I’ll give you my Florida-Jackson State pick after I hear some Jackson State tuneage.
This probably is a fool’s errand, anyway. Earlier today, I picked Creighton to win the national title because the Blue Jays’ band featured a dedicated cowbell player. Naturally, Creighton lost to Nevada.
Advertisement
