Not Rolling Along

Josh Blanchard had a stroke of tough luck when he
slipped during a nationally televised bowling
competition. We've all had tough days at the office but
Blanchard fall takes the cake.

We've all had bad days at the office. But it's hard to imagine anyone having a tougher day than bowler Josh Blanchard.

Bowlers generally aren't known for their athletic ability as it is. Like most others, I believe if you can drink beer while doing the activity, it shouldn't be considered a sport.

Blanchard showed his lack of athleticism on national television, sliding down the lane before landing on his  rear end. It's hard to tell which was hurt more in this video — his butt or his pride.

I will say that I'm not the world's greatest bowler. Apart from rolling the ball harder than most people, I feel lucky if I can get three or four pins to fall in a frame. But I take pride in the fact that I've never tumbled down the lane — even after a few beers.

Perhaps Blanchard could take a few lessons from Josh Scanlan. At least Scanlan recorded a strike, albeit in the wrong lane.

The Stresses of Signing Day

Springfield (Mo.) Hillcrest's Dorial Green-Beckham announced he would
be staying in Missouri to play for the Tigers, making this sportswriter very
happy. But signing day can be unnecessarily stressful for coaches and
players, even though there's no telling what will happen in four years.

How much faith would you put in a 17-year-old? If you're a major college football coach, the next four years of your program could depend on whether or not a fresh-faced teenager picks your school over Rival U.

For some, signing day can lead to the highest of highs for a program. My alma mater experienced this when Dorial Green-Beckham decided to stay in Missouri. The same could be said for people like Stillwater High's Jesse Vester, who received an unexpected offer and signed with Oklahoma State on the same day.

But there's also a flip side. Arkansas was crushed when Green-Beckham — who had previously posed for a photo in an Arkansas jersey — spurned the Razorbacks for a chance to play in Columbia.

Across the country, Cassanova McKinzy made his college decision not on academics or a program's prestige. Instead, he chose Auburn over Clemson because when he visited Clemson there wasn't a Chick-fil-A near campus.

Leave it to a guy named Cassanova — a man who obviously got his name from his love of food — to make a decision on something as frivolous as decent grub. I, too, often get bit by the Chick-fil-A bug, but I would not make a decision based on a fast food restaurant.

My guess is that four years down the road, the linebacker will switch to defensive line after snacking on chicken sandwiches. And if I were a wagering man, I'd say that Clemson is about to get a Chick-fil-A within the next month, as per direct orders from Clemson coach Dabo Swinney.

It isn't just teams and coaches that feel the stress on signing day. The look on Prichard (Ala.) Vigor High's Darius Philon said it all.

Philon looked exhausted as he told his high school he was undecided before putting on an Alabama hat. As it turns out, the prized defensive lineman didn't sign with the Crimson Tide, instead sending a letter of intent to Arkansas. According to the Mobile Press-Register, Philon's decision came after a late request by Alabama to have Philon greyshirt.

All in all, there's a lot of pressure on teams and coaches to make an immediate decision. It doesn't help that ESPNU broadcasts signings throughout the day.

As members of the media and fans, we all need to take a step back  from high school recruiting. This is supposed to be a joyous and special occasion for the young athletes and the teams they sign with. Let's let them enjoy the moment.

All Good (or Bad) Things Come To An End

Towson coach Pat Skerry has had a lot of frustrating moments during the
Tigers' 41-game losing streak. That streak ended with a win over North
Carolina-Wilmington on Saturday.

Comedian Bill Murray's son is an assistant for the Towson men's basketball team. And for the last 395 days, the Tigers have probably felt like they were in Murray's movie "Groundhog Day."

On Saturday, something changed.

That's right, folks. The nation's longest losing streak ended at 41 games when Towson beat North Carolina-Wilmington 66-61. The last win before that came at LaSalle on Dec. 29, 2010.

I've been fortunate in my life when it comes to my allegiances. As a long-suffering Cubs and Royals fan, I still knew they would get at least one win each season.

Teams tend to go through slumps in the season, but based on statistics it is nearly impossible to go winless for an entire year. It can be extremely frustrating on coaches and players alike. But in the back of your mind you know you're bound to have a good night eventually.

A year may not be that long in a lifetime — in basketball it's an eternity. That's two games per week for the better part of six months. Included in that was an offseason where everybody keeps asking whether or not you're going to break the streak.

In the postgame interview, it wasn't a look of joy on coach Pat Skerry's face and the faces of his two players — it was relief. Relief that all eyes won't be on them cheering for the streak to continue. Relief that all their work in practice has finally paid off.

Odds are Skerry probably won't be around at the end of the season. The Tigers might not even win another game, but now that the monkey is off their back Towson can go about building a successful program with a winning tradition.

Remembering A Legend

Former Penn State coach Joe Paterno died on Sunday
after losing a battle with lung cancer. Paterno may be
gone, but the legacy he left at Penn State will live on
for years to come.

What keeps you going in life? For some, it's the desire to be successful. For others, it's the love of family that gets us through each day.

For Joe Paterno, it was his love of college football and Penn State.

Paterno died Sunday morning after a battle with lung cancer. He was 85.

When it comes to coaches, few have had a bigger impact than Paterno. From the 409 wins, 37 bowl games and two national championships in 46 seasons as coach of the Nittany Lions to the thousands of young men he influenced, it's safe to say that there will never be another coach like Joe Paterno.

The past two months have been trying on Paterno — especially for a man who built the Penn State program in the right way. But even in the midst of the scandal involving former assistant Jerry Sandusky, Paterno held his head high.

It wasn't just football. Paterno loved everything about Penn State. He was a crucial part of getting a library at Penn State. Which is why is firing in November came as such a crushing blow to the legendary coach.

While the Sandusky scandal was a stain on the coach's career, most people will remember Paterno for the good things he did at Penn State. He falls in the same category as Paul "Bear" Bryant, Eddie Robinson and Bobby Bowden — both in terms of wins and the things he did for his university.

Ohio State coach Urban Meyer said Paterno will go down as the greatest coach in the history of them game, and I can't agree more.

No disrespect to Meyer, Alabama's Nick Saban or any of the other coaches in college football, but they just don't have what JoePa had. His ability to win in a classy style was as strong as his Brooklyn accent.

When the season kicks off, it will be odd not seeing Paterno stalking the sidelines in his traditional garb of a windbreaker and a tie. But I think I can speak for all college football fans when I say, thank you for showing us how to live life the right way, Coach.

Numbers Can Be Deceiving

Former Western Kentucky coach Ken McDonald urges all
players to stop the game so he can make sure there are 10
players on the court. McDonald got burned against
Louisiana-Lafayette, when the Ragin' Cajuns finished with
six players in the game.

When it comes to college basketball, most people don't really start to pay attention until the first part of February.

Apparently the same can be said for officials in the Sun Belt Conference.

With the game tied at 70 in overtime with 21 seconds remaining, Louisiana-Lafayette and Western Kentucky broke their respective huddles. Through confusion — or perhaps as part of a diabolical plan by Ragin' Cajuns coach Bob Marlin — Louisiana-Lafayette ended the game with six players on the floor.

Normally the extra player would result in a technical foul, but because Western Kentucky was playing zone nobody realized there was an extra player on the court — not even Elfrid Payton, who dribbled out the remaining seconds before scoring the game-winning layup.

In fact, it wasn't until after the game that officials were alerted of the mistake. And with the game already finalized and the teams headed to the locker room, there was no way to enforce the technical.

One day day later, Western Kentucky coach Ken McDonald was fired by the school. It's safe to say that McDonald's least favorite number is five. Not because that's how many players are supposed to be on a basketball court, but because that's how many wins the Hilltoppers had following McDonald's mid-season firing.

McDonald has a daughter who is just about to turn four. My guess is that without a job, the former Hilltoppers coach will be spending a lot of time teaching his daughter how to count up to six until it's time to get his résumé ready for the myriad of coaching openings that show up in mid-March.

Are You Not Entertained?!

Oklahoma State players Jamie Blatnick (50) and Justin
Gilbert (4) celebrate after Stanford's Jordan Williamson (36)
misses a field goal during the Fiesta Bowl. The Stanford-
Oklahoma State game proved the need for at least a plus-1
game, if not an eight-team playoff.

It's been said for years, but the time has come for the NCAA to own up to its biggest mistake — the B(C)S.

While named the Bowl Championship Series, the only series of events that takes place is the Big East team taking on an at-large team in the Nobody Cares Bowl. Sadly, the Orange Bowl, Fiesta Bowl and Rose Bowl used to be games that everybody watched – until the NCAA decided to step in.

But now the NCAA has the chance to rectify the situation — or at least add some excitement.

This bowl season has been incredible. From Ohio edging Utah State in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl to Michigan State's win in triple overtime over Georgia, it has been fun to watch. Even the Stanford-Oklahoma State Fiesta Bowl had me on the edge of my seat the entire game.

And as a fan I want more.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not advocating a complete playoff system. I like the bowls. I know the athletes like going to Arizona, Texas, Florida and California for a week of fun in the sun. But wouldn't it be great if we could have a real Bowl Championship Series (or Bowl Championship Playoffs)?

Take the top eight teams — no matter what conference — and have them square off. If you're in a lousy conference like the Big East or Mountain West, get rid of the cupcakes and schedule some real teams if you want to a spot in the BCP. If you can survive the SEC or Big 12 and remain in the top eight, then you deserve your shot at the nation's best teams.

We saw what happened when Oregon's speed met Wisconsin's strength. We'll see some more of that in the next few days. Why not try to produce even more of that with a mini playoff?

True, the playoff would add three more games and possibly two more weeks to the schedule, but in his last press conference in Stillwater, Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy said there was already too much of a lag between the regular season and those late postseason bowls. Why not take a couple weeks out and give the fans what they want, a playoff?

The NCAA is a business, no matter how they try to spin it. And like most good businesses, the goal is to make money. Hosting three extra games would cost a little more, but with television rights and fans packing the stadiums, it seems like a money tree that's ripe for the picking.

If nothing else, even adding a plus-1 playoff game would be enough to quench the thirst of those fans who crave more football before delving into their brackets for March Madness. Plus it would also force Nike co-founder Phil Knight to come up with something even more ridiculous than the "Darth Vader" helmets used in this year's Rose Bowl.

Bah Humbug To The NBA

Chris Paul recently joined the Clippers in a trade that basically sucked the
life out of the New Orleans Hornets. The Paul trade is just one of many
reasons I am locking out the NBA from my TV set this Christmas.

The NBA season begins on Christmas, and to be honest, I could not care less.

It isn't that I don't like the NBA — or basketball for that matter. I used to be a huge fan, but this past offseason as been more of a put-off than a turn-on.

Don't take it personal, NBA fans. It's nothing you did. If you had to blame someone, blame the greedy players and owners who couldn't settle things like civilized human beings. Instead, they both wanted everything without giving up anything — proving that there was no bargaining in the bargaining agreement.

The previous lockout left fans with a sour taste in their mouth, but this lockout seemed slightly worse. Perhaps it was the NBA trying to rush through a half-hearted attempt at a preseason to make sure that they don't lose the TV revenue on Christmas. Or maybe it was the league's rejection of a trade that would have sent Chris Paul to the Lakers after allowing LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh to all sign with the Heat a year ago.

Paul eventually found his way to Los Angeles, by way of joining the Clippers. Understandably, the Clippers have need help for years — looking more like an NBA D-League team than an actual competitor. But was allowing Paul to join forces with Blake Griffin really the answer?

The trade has turned one mediocre team into a contender, but it sucked the life out of another city with a history of heartbreak. New Orleans has already lost one team, and I wouldn't be surprised if the Hornets don't find a new home in the coming years.

So while many fans will watch the full slate of games to begin on Christmas, I will spend my day with the family waiting for the NFL game to start. And as for the NBA's owners and players, they can expect a lump of coal in their stockings.