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 13th 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 39th 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 ...
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