Magnolia Tribune
This article was produced by Magnolia Tribune staff.
The Sabans pledge $1 million for first generation scholarships…
http://blog.al.com/rapsheet/2008/06/the_sabans_pledge_1_million_fo.html
Just received some news from the University of Alabama. But it really has nothing to do with athletes or athletics, except that this guy is involved. Alabama coach Nick Saban and his wife Terry have endowed a scholarship for first-generation students. Both of them fit that category.
The $1 million pledge won't go to athletes, just regular old students. This is the second donation from the Sabans. They previously gave $100,000 in January of 2007.
Check out this release:
UA ANNOUNCES SABAN FIRST GENERATION SCHOLARSHIPS
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- The University of Alabama is pleased to announce that Nick and Terry Saban have pledged $1 million to the University for scholarships.
al.com
6/8/08
Former UK Baseball Coach Cohen is Lauded, Polk Criticized
http://www.aseaofblue.com/2008/6/8/548232/former-uk-baseball-coach-c
It seems that the debacle caused by outgoing coach Ron Polk over Mississippi State's selection of former UK baseball coach John Cohen is not being well received by the MSU faithful nor the local media in Mississippi, and that is good.
Despite the respect and admiration Polk had earned over almost 30 years as the MSU baseball coach, very few people in and around the program seem to be buying into Polk's tirade at incoming MSU Athletics Director Greg Byrne. John Clay has a post detailing a response from Rick Cleveland of the Clarion-Ledger, long-time MSU columnist and self-confessed fan of Polk. Cleveland correctly takes Polk to task for his outrageous comments, calling them " ... wrong, wrong, wrong."
Honestly, I had never heard of Polk before the other day. Baseball might as well be a brand-new sport to the Big Blue Nation, as Wildcat baseball has had so few followers around here that it could have just been invented this decade instead of sometime in he 1800's. But because of Cohen's outstanding work with the absolutely downtrodden baseball program at Kentucky, we now know it is possible to create a winner here in the Bluegrass, and it seems to me that Mitch Barnhart is determined to do just that. The fact that fans are starting to come around is a sign something good is happening to the UK baseball program, something we all hope can be continued.
For Cohen's part, there was simply no amount of money that could have kept him at Kentucky, and when that happens, you just have to stand aside and congratulate the man. Reading this press conference transcript convinced me that nothing Barnhart could have offered him would have enticed him to stay, very much as nothing TAMU could have offered Billy Gillispie would have enticed him to stay when UK came calling. Coaches have dream jobs, and when a dream job is offered, you take it 100% of the time unless your name is Billy Donovan.
SeaofBlue.com
6/8/08
Incoming Rivals Top-150 recruits…
http://sechoopsgoodbaddirty.wordpress.com/2008/06/07/incoming-rivals-top-150-recruits/
To begin to grasp some amount of perspective regarding who is returning for this coming SEC season, I thought now [just before the NBA draft] a good time to review which SEC schools will be bringing in the top talent out of high-school. Here’s a current listing of committed players…
* #5 overall - Scotty Hopson - Tennessee (6?5?, 185lb. - Shooting Guard)
Offers: Tennessee, Texas, Cincinatti, Kentucky, Louisville, Mississippi State
- “Bouncy wing with a ton of upside”
* #21 overall - Jamychal Green - Alabama (6?8?, 225lb. - Power Forward)
Offers: Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, Marquette, Ole Miss, Virginia
- “Athletic forward with developing skills”
* #26 overall - Eloy Vargas - Florida (6?10?, 210lb. - Power Forward)
Offers: Florida, Florida State, Louisville, Miami-FL, Pittsburgh, Clemson
- “A skilled forward”
* #27 overall - Kenny Kadji - Florida (6?10?, 240lb. - Center/Forward)
Offers: Florida, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Kansas State, Memphis, Connecticut
- “Long, athletic forward”
* #28 overall - DeAndre Liggins - Kentucky (6?5?, 190lb. - Point Guard/Forward)
Offers: Kentucky, Memphis, Illinois, Kansas
- “Point forward with strong passing skills”
* #30 overall - Howard Thompkins - Georgia (6?8?, 225lb. - Power Forward)
Offers: Georgia, Georgia Tech, Michigan State, Florida, Florida State
- “A very skilled power forward”
* #38 overall - Tony Mitchell - Alabama (6?6?, 185lb. - Small Forward)
Offers: Alabama, Cincinatti, Clemson, Georgia, South Carolina
- “Athletic forward who puts up numbers”
SEC Hoops: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly
6/7/08
‘Boxed’ in a corner, Tigers fight back
http://www.sunherald.com/246/story/612261.html
Alex Box Stadium seemed ready for its last rites. California Irvine is a fundamentally sound team, and the LSU Tigers were laboring through one meek at bat after another.
The Anteaters had already taken Game 1 of this NCAA super regional, by an impressive 11-5 count, and they held a five-run lead into the top of the eighth inning Sunday afternoon.
With Omaha in their sight
Then again...
"We are never going to quit," LSU's Blake Dean said.
The Tigers started to buckle down. Jared Mitchell unloaded a leadoff home run in the eighth. LSU drew another run closer on Matt Clark's bloop single to right field. But the Anteaters had finally turned to their ace reliever, Eric Pettis.
LSU still trailed by three runs.
Somehow, though, the Tigers found the strength to follow their mantra. They loaded the bases in the ninth. They tied the game on a walk and a sharp ground ball. And then they did something they've never done before.
LSU overcame a ninth-inning deficit to win in NCAA Tournament play at Alex Box, which is in its 70th and final season. The Tigers scored five times in the top of the ninth to edge UC Irvine 9-7, and force a winner-take-all game tonight for a berth in the College World Series.
"I can honestly tell you that everyone in that dugout believed we could do it," LSU coach Paul Mainieri said.
SunHerald.com
6/9/08
Dutrow a no-show day after Belmont disappointment
http://msn.foxsports.com/horseracing/story/8218400/Dutrow-a-no-show-day-after-Belmont-disappointment
NEW YORK (AP) - The morning after the Belmont Stakes, Big Brown stopped to pose for photographers as if he had won the Triple Crown. Everyone except the horse knew otherwise.
Trainer Rick Dutrow Jr. was a no-show, leaving questions and few answers about what happened to Big Brown in Saturday's 1 1/2-mile Belmont. The Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner was eased up by jockey Kent Desormeaux in the stretch, ending up last, beaten by eight other horses.
The bay colt faced the cameras alone Sunday, except for exercise rider Michelle Nevin - and she wasn't talking.
Outwardly, Big Brown appeared no worse for wear. He got his morning bath outside Barn 2, playfully nipping at a leather lead held by Nevin. Then she led him in circles around the inside of the barn, with Big Brown walking perfectly on his patched left front hoof.
Co-owner Michael Iavarone said Big Brown had a thorough examination after the race and again Sunday morning.
"There's nothing physically that's shown up," he said, speaking by cell phone from his daughter's soccer game on Long Island. "I'm as confused as anybody. The only thing we're resorting to right now is the track might have been too deep for him and he didn't like it out there."
Iavarone said Big Brown's problem feet, other than a loose left hind shoe, were not an issue.
"We're perplexed," he said. "Nobody can figure this one out."
Without any obvious answers, it might take blood work and diagnostic testing, including X-rays, to figure out Big Brown's poor performance.
Dutrow was criticized after acknowledging he used an anabolic steroid on Big Brown, then said last week that the horse hadn't had a dose of Winstrol since April. It's known to increase appetite and promote weight gain and healing. The drug is legal in the three states where the Triple Crown races are run.
"I doubt if that comes up to be the answer," Larry Bramlage, the on-call veterinarian, said after the race. "It's not that kind of situation where it's going to be a stimulant for him. The anabolic steroids keeps him eating and keeps him happy and keeps him aggressive, all of which he showed all week long."
Horse racing's national regulatory authority has proposed a steroid ban, and so far 10 states have adopted it. It's under consideration in 11 others.
foxsports.net
6/8/08
