Culture

http://www.fannation.com/blogs/post/206899 NBC and Notre Dame football have extended their exclusive TV contract through 2015, even though the 3-9 Fighting Irish drew their lowest ratings last season since the network started airing their games in 1991. Though the terms were not disclosed, the current contract (which runs through 2010) is reportedly worth $9 million a year. So we're talking a fair chunk of change for the last-place network to be tossing around. As always, the 10 Spot is eager to dispense unsolicited advice. Here are some things NBC and Notre Dame might tweak to juice the ratings: 10. Replace the leprechaun mascot with Regis Philbin 9. Schedule games against Coast Guard, Merchant Marine and the cast of Stripes 8. Network cross-promotion -- hand defensive coordinator job to The Office's Michael Scott and let the laughs begin! Fannation.com 6/21/08

http://www.shreveporttimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080623/SPORTS0201/806230316/1028/RSS05 When Mississippi State bumped Sylvester Croom's salary package to $1.7 million for next season it meant every head football coach at a public institution in the SEC will be making more than $1.5 million next season. But with great financial reward comes great expectations. Those expectations may be greater in the SEC West — where two coaches will be making more than $3 million this year and two more will be making more than $2 million — than anywhere. "You can't pay that much money to six different coaches and expect them to all win the SEC West," former Auburn coach Terry Bowden wrote for Yahoo.com earlier this month. "Can you imagine paying between $2 million and $4 million each to (LSU coach Les) Miles, (Alabama coach Nick) Saban, (Auburn coach Tommy) Tuberville, (Arkansas coach Bobby) Petrino and (Ole Miss coach Houston) Nutt knowing that every year one of those guys is going to come in fifth in their division?" To at least one of those coaches, this is nothing new. LSU's Miles hasn't coached as a $3 million man, but he doesn't forsee any greater expectations now that he joined Saban in the $3 million club. "Pressure has never been an issue," Miles said last week during a visit to Shreveport. "It's all self-derived ... Nobody puts pressure on me greater than what is my pressure to do a great job." Shreveporttimes.com 6/23/08

http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080621/SPORTS/806210312 The case involving the arrest of Southern Miss running back Tory Harrison will go before a grand jury in August, District Attorney Jon Mark Weathers said today. Harrison was arrested on March 11 and charged with possession of marijuana over 1 ounce with intent to distribute. The Hattiesburg Police Department said Harrison was in possession of five pounds of marijuana at the time of his arrest. Harrison was arrested at an apartment complex on Beverly Hills Drive in Hattiesburg when a detective was following up on complaints of drug activity in that area. HattiesburgAmerican.com 6/21/08