SO? ..... GLAD YOU ASKED

 SO … Sam Hartman left Wake Forest for Notre Dame and a projected $1.1 million pay day from Under Armor, Bojangles and three other NIL sponsors … and Wake coach Dave Clawson said he understood why the QB he developed for five years – and threw for 12,967 yards and 110 touchdowns -- did what he did despite having another year of eligibility.

Then, after the Fighting Irish dismantled the Deacons 45-7 as Hartman 

passed for four touchdowns and 277 yards in South Bend (Nov. 18), 

the 6-1, 210-pound student/athlete majoring in communications was 

serenaded by Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You” as he left 

the field after what was his final home game. And that set Clawson 

off.

“We love him. They rented him for a lot of money,” the former 

University of Richmond coach said. “But, that’s what college football 

has come to.”

SO … Hartman comes out of spring practice No. 1 … and No. 2 Tyler 

Buchner then transfers to Alabama where he starts Game 2 and is 

replaced at halftime, leading ESPN’s Booger McFarland to say: 

“Alabama doesn’t have a quarterback.” 

SO … what’s the deal in South Florida where a columnist was moved 

to ask why University of Miami basketball remains “under-

appreciated?” In his 13^th season as men’s coach, Jim Laranaga has 

been wildly – if not surprisingly – successful and, a year ago, took his 

unseeded team to the school’s first Final Four. In case you forgot, he 

was on the late Terry Holland’s U.Va., staff that included Dave 

Odom and Jeff Jones.

Speaking of an impressive coaching tree … Major League Soccer 

coach of the year is Pat Noonan, whose FC Cincinnati finished with 

the best regular-season record. Boy, it must have hurt MLS 

Commissioner Don Garber to hand the award to a disciple of Bruce 

Arena, who was suspended for reasons never explained and finally 

resigned as coach of the New England Revolution. Noonan was on 

Arena’s staff with the Los Angeles Galaxy (2013-16) as well as the 

U.S. Men’s National Team (2017).

In two years under Noonan, 43, FC Cincinnati went from last place to 

qualifying for the playoffs before running away with MLS Eastern 

Conference. One of his assistants is Arena’s son Kenny, whose 

collegiate career at Virginia (1999-2002) paralleled Noonan’s at 

Indiana where he was two-time All-America.

SO … how come nobody’s asked (at least not out loud) whether 

USMNT’sSergino Dest was on drugs when he went off the rails 

during last week’s match at Trinidad & Tobago? Something turned his 

brain sideways in the 39^th minute when first he grabbed the ball and 

kicked it out of the playing surface. Then he continued to show 

uncommonly casual but still obvious dissent, and the referee had no 

choice but to reach for a red card and send him off.

All the while his teammates tried to control Dest … and clearly 

showed their disgust when he kept acting like a fool. The Americans 

led 1-0 when Dest went into his act and wound up losing 2-1. 

Fortunately, they had won 3-0 in the first of two legs in the best-of-3 

CONCACAF qualifying round, and – no thanks to Dest – moved 

along.

For the record, USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter was mild in his 

concern over what Dest did … but that didn’t keep Eric Wynalda 

from calling for Dest to be permanently removed from the team. While 

he was at it, the former USMNT forward criticized Berhalter not only 

for not being harder on Dest but also for making some strange 

substitutions as a result of having to play a man down for more than a 

half.

Old school, Wynalda, who admittedly was … shall we say, 

temperamental as a player, decried some of today’s (over-priced) 

players as being soft … during his daily radio show heard here on 

SiriusXM Channel 157. Why, he said incredulously, several bring 

personal hair stylists to camp … like Sergino Dest.

SO … the only question about Ron Rivera is … not whether he will 

be fired as coach of your Washington Football Team, but when? That 

is according to Commanders’ media … so it must be so.

SO … NBC canned Paul Azinger because he wanted too much 

money to remain as lead golf analyst. Stop the presses! And, raise your 

hand if you will miss him … Former player on the women’s tour 

turned influencer (whatever that means) Paige Spiranac would like to 

replace Azinger. All in favor say … AYE!!

I’m a Swiftie … you’re a Swiftie … everyone’s a Swiftie. OK?

Until next time ...