Former Jesuit baseball coach John Crumbley will be inducted in the Florida Athletic Coaches Association Hall of Fame during a ceremony Jan. 6 in Daytona Beach.
Crumbley, who spent 22 years as the Tigers head coach before resigning his position shortly after last season to take over as the school’s athletic director, compiled a 575-154 record during his tenure. He advanced Jesuit to the playoffs in each of his final 16 seasons, reached the state final four 11 times in his career and won three state titles.
“It’s a great feeling to know that you’ve done something that you love long enough to end up being inducted into the Hall of Fame,” Crumbley said.
One of the criteria for induction is length of coaching, which Crumbley, who served five years as the FACA baseball chairman, said was 20 years. When he surpassed that mark, an application was sent - and subsequently forgotten about.
“I had it sent to me, and I forgot to fill it out by the deadline. So I set it in a folder and kind of forgot about it. When I was cleaning [about a year later] I came across it and decided to fill it out,” Crumbley said. “It was something that I thought about, but it just wasn’t on the forefront of my mind. Now I’m just riding the wave.”
The Outback Bowl certainly did not reach the zenith it now shares with only two or three others of the overflowing bowl market without its share of downs and almost outs.
Just check its background out with three Tampa Sports Authority executive directors who have been part of the long, hard, climb—Joe Zalupski, Rick Nafe and Barbara Casey.
Or, if you could check in with Ron Gorton, you’d get the best and worst of them.
It was promoter Ron Gorton’s early vision and schemes and charades, don’t quit or give up or give in, optimism, and contacts that kept this event we are celebrating in such style and with such success in the fray. This event almost went away many times. Was down many times, but never really out. Almost, but never completely.
It was Ron Gorton who years ago convinced a large eastern grocery store to buy out a stadium, then give away the tickets for a college football game. It worked and set Gorton on his way.
The original Tampa Stadium (The Big Sombrero to sportsman Chris Berman) which seated right at 46,000 on the sides only when it all started, had about 17,800 in it for what was the originator of the American Bowl back with the start of the Seventies. Florida and Air Force had christened it with the start of 1969 with bleachers in the end zones and 50,000 packed in. But, perhaps the most memorable event of the day grand day in sports here, was when the Air Force Academy released its Falcon mascot atop the press box, but, instead flying downward to an outstretched landing stick, the falcon turned south and actually flew to the team plane at MacDill AFB to await the rest of its crowd later. Nobody told us of the return. Tampa searched for the lost/not lost falcon for days until the Force let us know the truth.
The Tampa bowl game was an all-star game for years, named the American Bowl, the All-American Bowl, the Can-American, Hall of Fame Bowl, and finally the Outback Bowl with Boston College and Georgia in 1986 under the sponsorship of the celebrated restaurant chain. It was a keeper for Outback, and Outback certainly has been a keeper for the bowl Jim McVay now runs.
This Outback Bowl that is flat sold out (many aren’t), flat big time, I think in the Top Three in the country, gets the best (Tennessee vs. Penn State ) to play, and all the sponsors it needs, is a model of success. And, it is because it was not always one. It had so many builders, though, quickly know it would be the flop of others if it were not in this fine part of the world, in this finest stadium in the NFL, on the finest turf in the NFL, where leadership jumps out to support, where successful people provide guidance and support, like in money, like the Ed DeBartolos, the George Steinbrenners, the Pepins, the TECOs, our Tourist Bureaus—no, can’t get into that, leave people out.
But, it would not be the big dog it is in bowls now were it not for the Gortons of the start, who was imaginative and fun and wild.
He wanted a gimmick for the American Bowl. Let’s pick an American of the Year and name him at half, he said, on Chesley’s Mizlou Network, the one Vic Piano now heads from headquarters in Odessa. So he named Ray Kroc, a close friend of the late Fritz Casper (Joe’s dad), the first winner, as I remember. I know the big man came and got his cup. He named a movie star who came, got his cup and in his cups before the TV show and we all knew it.
Then Gorton at a game, somebody didn’t show, so Ron took me and we walked around stadium looking for someone to be declared the American of the year. He opened the Mizlous broadcast truck and tried to get C.D. Chesley, in charge there, to be the American of the Year. C.D., a candid man who used a voice-box, slammed the idea and Gorton with a profane refusal and slammed the door on us, too.
Gorton, unflinching, said he had an idea. It had rained for days, and Gorton and Zalupski had put men on the metal covers on the ground around the field hoping to stop the flooding expected. One little man in the northwest end zone was named Bobby Dews. He was hired to do that—stand on a manhole cover and he was doing it well.
Gorton knew Dews as a war hero. I did not know that. He grabbed him, rushed him to the stand at half and declared Bobby Dews the American of the Year. We checked. He’d indeed had some heroic times. Later, Dews from Atlanta wrote a book about his war times. It sold.
Gorton’s teams were fine. Then came the all-stars. He had the best lineup in the nation that one year—I remember Steve Kiner was one. He gave them good watches and a trip to the Bahamas.
The bowl people went back to the team vs. team concept and as our place grew in reputation and amenities, and our stadium was changed for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Super Bowls, and soccer and all that, well, the bowl became an ideal vehicle for the Outback, just as Outback became just what Nafe and Zalupski and Casey and McVay and his associates needed. Growth and success does not happen without guidance, McVay and his staff (PR Mike Schultze) and the great financial boosters have provided. Andy, by the way, success, quality and achievement are not hard sells to the teams, sponsors, the people and even the media, too.
But, as with all things, you got to have the visionaries and the ones who will give it a go—like old Gorton, and old Chesley and the Tampa area people do not like to say no—or don’t know how to do that, if the deal sounds as good as the Outback Bowl has become.
In Tampa Catholic’s first round loss to Blake in the City of Tampa Championships last week, seniors EJ Ciaccio and Joey Lauteria both hit 1,000 points. Senior guard Matt Dziagwa is 30 points away and may hit reach 1,000 when the teams travels to Washington, D.C. this weekend for a boys basketball tournament.
University of Tennessee players and their coach visited St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital. - Bruce Hosking/The Tampa Tribune
By Julie Pace
The Tampa Tribune
Complete Outback Bowl Coverage
Before Penn State and Tennessee meet in the Outback Bowl Jan. 1, players are spending time with sick children at local hospitals.
Six Tennessee players greeted children at St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital in Tampa this morning.
“It’s fun to come and give to the kids and see the smiles on their faces,” linebacker Marvin Mitchell said.
Players handed out hats and visors and autographed trading cards.
Penn State players will visit the hospital this afternoon.
The two teams will play New Year’s Day at 11 a.m. at Raymond James Stadium.
Did you have a Merry Christmas? The Preacher did! The Bucs gave us a bit of a Christmas present. They showed up in all three phases of the game. Imagine what might have been if Tim Rattay had been the guy we looked to back in week 4. Maybe not a playoff year, but I’d bet we might have eeked out a few more victories. Then news of another present the Bucs are prepared to deliver – a new deal with Chris Simms. I tell you - even those of you who strongly doubt it - there is not a better free-agency option.
So what’s next? Let’s finish the year off by helping the Seahawks to complete the year riding a four game losing streak into the playoffs! Talk about momentum.
I need to eat my hat. I was so sure that Jeff Fisher was done in Tennessee before this season began. Then, when they coasted out to an 0-5 start, I was smelling blood. Here’s the reality: the Titans have won six straight and find themselves alive, albeit barely, in the playoff race going into the final weekend. The Titans need a win Sunday and a half dozen other things to happen, but I stand amazed. It may even be enough to see Fisher stay on one more year.
Well, if the first coach to be canned isn’t Fisher, then who? A strong candidate is Raiders Coach Art Shell. He said Sunday, “I’m not worried that I’ll be fired.” He is consistent. He hasn’t been worried about coaching, so why should he be worried about NOT coaching? I cannot believe that Al Davis will let this circus continue.
In Atlanta, Arthur Blank seems poised to shake up his bag of jacks, too. In November Blank was quoted saying that an 8-8 season “wouldn’t cut it”. Well, with a win Sunday his Falcons will finish 8-8. I said with a win, but against the Eagles, who will have their Division Title for the taking at stake, figure the Falcons lose and finish 7-9. Uh huh.
Rumors out of Detroit are that Lions’ Owner William Clay Ford has been seen chumming around with Matt Millen in a way that suggests Millen is not on the way out. Could the Lions actually go another year without really addressing THE problem that plagues them?
Hey, and break up the Texans! They finally beat the Colts! After 9 straight losses, the Texans finally beat their achilles. This is the reason they drafted Mario Williams with the number one pick. A successful season for the Texans… who will finish with 5 wins… again. How many wins might they have had if they’d have drafted Reggie Bush? Ah, but they beat the Colts.
The Giants and the Jets still have a chance, it appears, to make a Subway Series of it. The Jets (by the way, if it weren’t for Sean Payton, Eric Mangini is Coach of the Year) are practically in a ‘win and you’re in’ scenario. They play the Raiders at home. Art Shell isn’t worried. In other words, Jets are in. The Giants are on an amazing skid, having lost 6 of their last 7. Yet, they seem to be in the driver’s seat for the last wildcard slot in the sloppy NFC. They’ve got the Redskins to close the season. Tom Coughlin handed playcalling duties from John Hufnagel to Kevin Gilbride. That should be enough to do it.
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: (Good) Terrell Owens at whining. He’s the best at it. This week it’s because the Cowboys don’t get him into the game early enough. (Bad) Television reports about Dolphins Coach Nick Saban and rumors about the Alabama Coaching vacancy. I say there’s something to it. (Ugly) Analyst Steve Young during the MNF broadcast commenting that Daunte Culpepper routinely missed team meetings and lacked discipline… only to be confronted by Culpepper moments later outside the booth. Culpepper has not missed a team meeting. Doh! So, Young ‘did the right thing’. He got fellow analyst Joe Theismann to correct the error. Reminds me of comments he once made about Chris Simms.
Hero of the Week: Bucs LB Derrick Brooks. He hasn’t had a Pro-Bowl Season, but he gave a Pro-Bowl worthy performance Sunday. Thanks 55.
Goats of the Week: Browns TE Kellen Winslow and WR Braylon Edwards. They are two of the most talented ‘up and comers’ in the NFL. But these guys need to grow up and quit allowing their immaturity to hurt their team. Have you noticed how after every series the cameras follow them on the sideline?
Back tomorrow to tell you who wins this weekend, and to talk playoff implications.
If you sat through the entire Browns game on Sunday, congratulations. You watched the only game this week that didn’t have any playoff implications whatsoever. Even though the Browns are an inferior team, it would have been easy for the Bucs to play down to the level of their competition and find a way to lose the game. Instead, the team took advantage of Cleveland’s incompetence and dominated them in just about every facet of the game. Since it’s Christmas and I’m on vacation (or whatever you call it when the kids are still here,) I’ll cop out and give a few quick bullet points about the Browns game.
- I’ve been riding Derrick Brooks an Jermaine Phillips all season, but both of them turned in excellent performances on Sunday. Phillips has been getting better each of the last few weeks and then against the Browns he finally found his pass coverage skills again. And after getting torched by the Bears last week, Brooks had one of his best games of the season. Both these positions still need to be addressed in the offseason, but neither one of these guys is going to make it easy.
- And, no, Derrick Brooks should not have made the Pro Bowl. He was not one of the top three outside linebackers in the NFC this year. The voters picked the right guys.
- And while Phillips is improving his play, Will Allen is just getting worse and worse. How do you let Kellen Winslow get by you like that? Look for serious competition for both safety positions next year.
- Tim Rattay is obviously a better quarterback at this stage of his career than Bruce Gradkowski is, but he is not the future of the team. The interception thrown in the endzone was a rookie mistake. Be glad the deal with Chris Simms is almost done.
- Offensive line play got much better in the second half. That touchdown run by Michael Pittman was mostly done by Davin Joseph and Jeremy Trueblood. The only sticking point is Anthony Davis, who seems to get his quarterback killed at least once per game, his most recent leading to a Tim Rattay fumble.
- Maurice Stovall is going to give Michael Clayton a run for his starting spot next season. Depending on how well Clayton does in camp, the Bucs may want to put some feelers out to gauge his trade value before he works his way onto injured reserve again.
Thanks to Indianapolis’s annual chokage coming early this year, the Bucs are still in line for the #3 draft slot and can’t drop below #6, so don’t feel conflicted about rooting for the Bucs this Sunday against the Seahawks and ending this catastrophe of a season on a high note.
What began as a pain-in-the-neck, half-baked event important only in the eyes of few — like the guy who would not let go of the idea — the postseason college game played in Tampa has become among the best of a few college bowl games.
It is in the Top Three. It is a major event for New Year’s Day. It’s fun to all. It’s big time. Those involved, those supportive have to be proud — got to be proud.
I think it was the late Marcelino Huerta, the former University of Tampa (and Wichita) head football coach who hung in there during the formative years, during the it-might-not-make-it years. Chelo Huerta, a bomber pilot in World War II, hung in there as if he were on a mission over Europe. Of course he was shot down. Made it out, of course.
Once it was called the Cigar Bowl — not bad, really, then.The history is long, including the stepping stone time as the Hall of Fame Bowl with Jimmy McDowell as a friend and spokesman, and it has been full of uncertainties, but it has made it as the classy, significant Outback Bowl that it is now. It is coming up folks, On New Year’s Day like the Rose and the other bigs. It’s right here in River (the Hillsborough) City, in grand Raymond James Stadium, matching two great and traditional powers, Tennessee and Penn State, on ESPN starting at 11 a.m. before a sold-out crowd of almost 70,000 live and who knows now many including the television eyes. The big bands will be there to play and march and the kids to hoot and holler, the players to play and the coaches to coach, you and me to honor them all by being there because we think it is worth our $60 for a ticket. Don’t know what they used to cost, but remember years ago they were $4 at Florida.
No, this is not for the college championship, that game is out in Arizona, but there is plenty of interest in it — the Florida Gators, Tennessee’s Southeastern Conference cousins – are there to play Penn State’s league pals, Ohio State. The Gators were here a year ago and beat Iowa 31-24. Ohio State was here in the Outback Bowl in 2002, and was beaten by South Carolina.
Penn State, prepared by legendary coach Joe Paterno, aching from old bones broken on the sidelines recently, and Tennessee by old Tampa friend, Coach Phillip Fullmer, who loves the Gator-Vol rivalry. It’s a pip.
Now the winner of this game will advance in the final national standings a bit, and receive all of whatever they prefer to eat and drink in Outback Town. It will get the rides at Busch Gardens, find out what Ybor City is and how to pronounce it, swim in the Gulf and be made to feel as important as champion athletes can, then watch as the Bowl’s Jim McVay, a might builder of this event, will hand them $3 million promised for spending a week in paradise and displaying their talents Sunday before the sellout crowd and on the magic tube. It probably was more like $3 before the modern marketers got hold of it. Ah, hah, they will, unlike the other bowl teams, get to play in the stadium (Raymond James) voted by the NFL players (who play there against the Buccaneers) the best in their conference and on the best turf in the NFL, another elected distinction. It is truly a fine facility with fine parking, for such a fine game.
The game really stepped into the bigtime with the arrival of the new stadium, the McVay generated deal that worked the bowl as the place to host the third finishing teams in the SEC and the Big Ten conferences. It wasn’t easy and it didn’t happen overnight. The arrival of the Outback Restaurant group as title sponsors was an incomparable boost. The Outback franchise in Jacksonville did agree to work with the Gator Bowl and did for awhile. But, you and I know that the three founders of Outback — Chris Sullivan, Bob Basham and Tim Gannon - live here in Tampa, know that they conceived their restaurant theme here, built their first Outback Steak House here on Henderson Boulevard, and have been, after they made their first cash money, lead supporters of the Tampa Bay area — big, generous, faithful supporters in money, kind, promotion, indeed by all means. Got a bigtime golf tournament they sponsor, coming up, too.
But, this is about the Outback Bowl and boy, did the deal with the SEC and the Big Ten tied to the restaurant contract make the future unlimited. It has.
Go see for yourselves. Make someone with tickets, or a lounge box take you. It is one of our premier events in Tampa now, indeed, in college football. Ever here of a college football player who didn’t want to have unlimited steaks to eat? That happens, too, to those lucky galoots, while they are here — several different times.
Outback hereabouts has come to be synonymous with steak, and the full game is Outback Steak House Bowl.
I mean if you can call a bowl the Weedeater Bowl, why not the Outback Steak Bowl?
By the way, this game starts at 11 a.m., so if you are a guest of the sponsors, forgive yourself and eat steak for breakfast.
Everyone seems to be talking about a possible early jump to the NFL for Tennessee junior WR Robert Meacham. That is, of course, except Meachem.
The third-team All-American receiver, who led the Volunteers with 67 receptions for 1,265 yards and 11 touchdowns this season, insisted before Tuesday’s practice at the University of South Florida that he hasn’t thought about leaving school early for the NFL, and that his focus is squarely on Monday’s matchup against Penn State in the Outback Bowl.
‘‘I’m not thinking about that,’’ Meacham said. ‘‘All I want to do is go out with a bang.’‘
Meacham said he hasn’t contacted anyone seeking advice on the possibility of an early exit and that ‘‘if I had a nickel for every time somebody has asked me that, I might be rich.’’ But, he added that hasn’t stopped others from offering their two cents.
‘‘A lot of people say, ‘You’re a dummy if you come back and you’re a dummy if you go,’ ‘’ Meachem said. ‘‘So everybody has their own opinion, but I’m going to be the one who makes the last one.
‘‘Honestly, I haven’t thought about it at all. It may be crazy, but I haven’t thought about it.’’
Tennessee true freshman OG Jacques McClendon will make his first career start against the Nittany Lions, stepping in for sophomore OG Anthony Parker, who is out with a knee injury.
‘‘Jacques earned the right to start,’’ Tennessee coach Phillip Fulmer said. ‘‘Physically he’s there. I do know and understand there will be some freshman mental mistakes ... so that’s a challenge against a team that is as multiple as Penn State is. But I’m expecting him to play his rear off in this football game. If he does anything less than that I’ll be disappointed, and I’m sure he will be, too.’’
McClendon will be the first freshman starter on the offensive line since current senior OT Arron Sears in 2003 against Mississippi State.
Sophomore LB Jerod Mayo, who suffered a knee injury against Vanderbilt and missed the regular-season finale against Kentucky, returned to practice Tuesday and will play Monday against Penn State.
Mayo will compete with freshman LB Rico McCoy during practice this week for the starting nod against the Nittany Lions, but Fulmer said ‘‘in all likelihood Rico will start.’‘
Redshirt freshman TB LaMarcus Coker, the Vols’ leading rusher this season with 660 yards, also returned after missing some practice time in Knoxville because of a coach’s decision. Coker will play Monday, Fulmer said, but won’t start.
Penn State senior LB Paul Posluszny, a two-time All-American and a National Football Foundation Scholar Athlete, was recently honored as one of six finalists for the 2006 Draddy Trophy (Academic Heisman).
Rutgers senior FB Brian Leonard won the award.
There were some delays with Volunteer players arriving in Tampa during the holiday weekend, however, all but one arrived in time for the start of the practice schedule.
Senior WR Bret Smith was the only Tennessee player not present by the start of Tuesday’s afternoon practice, though he was expected to arrive sometime late Tuesday.
‘‘We tell the guys to try and give themselves plenty of lee way, but sometimes you just can’t help it. In this day and age, travel isn’t that easy,’’ Tennessee coach Phillip Fulmer said.
‘‘I’ve been to Central Florida enough. You know, wait for 15 minutes and it will change.’’ – Tennessee coach Phillip Fulmer on the colder-than-anticipated Florida weather Tuesday.
Media access to Penn State is limited during the week, with Thursday being the first time players and coaches are available. All Penn State practices at the University of Tampa are closed. ... Players from both Tennessee and Penn State are scheduled to visit St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital today. ... Tennessee will have a light scrimmage Wednesday consisting of about 20 plays, Tennessee coach Phillip Fulmer said.
SAN FRANCISCO—After 35-plus years of living, I’ve collected a few life experiences by now. I’ve eaten sushi, been bitten by a dog, been to Europe, and stood at the top of the Empire State Building and looked down at the rest of the world. But until today, I’d never been away from home and family on Christmas day. So, needless to say, when I woke up at 6:30 this morning West Coast time, the feeling was a bit strange.
I had no Christmas gifts to open and nobody to say Merry Christmas to in person. Of course, shortly after waking up my phone started ringing and in a span of an hour, I had talked to my wife, my mom, my dad, my grandmother and my Shih Tzu, Sadie. While being away from home on Christmas might seem lonely, I’m not alone covering the Emerald Bowl during the holidays. Three other beat writers from Florida newspapers are out here and more are on the way to cover Florida State’s game against UCLA on Wednesday at AT&T Park, noted more for Barry Bonds’ home runs than football.
All things considered, it could be a lot worse. When I’m on the road working, one of the first things I like to do in the morning is get up and walk to the nearest newstand and coffee shop to grab the local newspapers. Today, as I scampered down Powell Street toward a newstand that sells about every newspaper in California, I passed more than one guy sleeping on the sidewalk in the cold morning air. That’s certainly no way to spend Christmas morning. Anyway, I finally found my way to the newstand and got my coffee and newspapers and headed back to my nice and warm hotel room.
Soon after getting back to my room, I ordered room service breakfast and started reading the newspapers. Soon, I realized my first Christmas away from home wasn’t so bad after all. They don’t offer room service when you’re sleeping on a sidewalk.
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