RI Sports Coverage (NO URI until March)

State of Friars is Dire Right Now

Sat, 06 Feb 2010 19:55:12 -0500

I had said five days ago that I would post on here if the State of Friar basketball had become a dire problem. Well, the Friars downward spiral today has continued this negative trend in which the Friars have struggled down the stretch in the second half, a trend that has existed since Game 1 this season. I’ve just got some quick points, take of it what you want.

1. This is going to be one of the rare occasions where I am going to say some examples of poor officiating may have cost the Friars a chance at winning. Now, the reason I usually dont blame officiating is because teams usually have a chance to overcome the officiating. However, in a close game, there might be a call or two that you look back on and say that might have changed a game. The one call that stuck in my mind is a “inadvertant whistle” that occured in the middle of the first half. The Friars had the ball, Bilal Dixon makes a nice pass to the cutter for a layup, but because of an inadvertent whistle the play gets overturned. The Friars get the ball back, but turn the ball over for two Marquette points. Momentum swing? Not quite, but that poor excuse of officiating truly did cost the Friars two points and gave Marquette two points. Do the quick math … PC 81, Marquette 80. I’m not saying the game turns out that way, but those two points could have been huge throughout the course of the second half.

2. What defense? The Providence defense again proved terrible, as the penetration and kick-out destroyed the Friars in the second half. Defensive rotation was slow, as our man-to-man defense clearly is not our staple defense against an athletic team. However, instead of letting the penetrator into the heart of the defense to go 1 on 1 with a big man which Marquette struggled with, the wing players would always collapse leaving the best 3 point shooting team in the country wide open looks.

3. This team is not clutch. After a truly impressive run to cut the Marquette lead to 1, Marshon Brooks, who does nothing all game, decides to put the team on his shoulders and clank a layup into the rim. However, the Friars make a big stop on defense, only to forget about rebounding. And again out of a timeout with a chance to tie, Keno Davis comes up with a lackluster play and the Friars are forced into a terrible last-second attempt, similar to BC, or even URI to some extent.

4. Bilal Dixon is a 6th man, period. The lack of a dominant offensive post presence is still evident. Dixon had a good game, but he is not a dominant post presence that will single-handedly win you games. The Friars desperately need a 6-11 shot blocker with a sweet baby hook. Bilal Dixon would make a great 6th man to clean the boards, but he is just way to undersized for the Big East, as evidenced by the game against Syracuse.

5. I thought we had depth? 4 Friar players played over 30 minutes. I thought we were supposed to have 11 players who could play and make an impact. The lack of talent on our roster is still evident. We lack a fearless shooter, a shutdown defender, and a team with heart. We really need another shooter. Sharaud Curry only one doing damage from outside. Everyone else inconsistent. You cant win like that.

This was a must-win game for NIT hopes to stay alive. The Friars at 12-11 have 4 out of 5 against ranked teams, although three of those are at the Dunk. However, if you cant beat Marquette or South Florida at the Dunk, how can you expect to beat West Virginia and Syracuse. Anything is possible, but this is just highly unlikely. The disappointment continues to kill me inside.

On Hiatus

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 09:51:13 -0500

Too Busy … Sadly … Check Twitter … Will post if Friar problems become dire …

Bruins Upset San Jose in Shootout

Fri, 15 Jan 2010 01:31:45 -0500

Daniel Paille celebrates a second period goal against San Jose

The Boston Bruins (23-16-7) played the second game of a back-to-back and surprised the San Jose Sharks (30-10-8), winning in a shootout Thursday night, 2-1, on the road at the HP Pavillion Center.

The game played extremely close the entire way. The first period featured a barrage of shots by both teams, as neither was able to draw a power play or score a goal in the first period. However, this was not due to a lack of opportunities, as both teams had chances to score.

With 17:10 left in the second period, Boston got on the board first, scoring on a Daniel Paille wristshot from right in front of the net. However, it was only minutes later when Joe Thorton would tie up the score at 1 on a wristshot of his own. Again, neither team was able to draw a power play, but both had plenty of other opportunities to score in the period.

Boston would get the first power play of the game, but would get no shots off on the power play before Blake Wheeler would be whistled for high sticking with 14 seconds remaining. Goalie Tim Thomas did not have to work too hard on the powerplay, but no sooner would Blake Wheeler return to the ice that he would again be whistled, this time for hooking. The Sharks would get three shots on net but no goals resulted as Boston would kill out the penalty. Both teams would play even strength for the remainder of regulation, with no goals occuring.

Both teams would get two shots off during the overtime period, but neither team could find room to move around in front of the net, resulting in a shootout. Each team would miss their first three shots before Zdeno Chara would score on the fourth Boston shot. Patrick Marleau had a decent look with a backhand, but would not be able to get it by Tim Thomas as he secured the Boston victory. Thomas had 41 saves in the game.

Boston will stay on the road to face the Los Angeles Kings (26-18-3) at 4 P.M. on Saturday.

Might Washington Do The Unthinkable?

Fri, 15 Jan 2010 00:39:17 -0500

Arenas has been suspended indefinitely

An interesting story has developed in Washington D.C. throughout the day, as prosecutors have charged Washington Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas with felony gun possession in connection to a December locker room incident with teammate Javaris Crittenton. The maximum penalty for such a charge is five years in prison.

Arenas has apparently agreed to a plea deal in which he will serve little to no jail time. However, that is not where my interests lie with this particular story. Arenas has been suspended indefinitely by the NBA, a suspension that many project could last at least for the remainder of this season. Even that is not the wrinkle in this case that has me interested. Under a morality clause written into the contract, Washington could potentially have the opportunity to void Arenas’ contract, which was signed two summers ago as a six-year, $111 million dollar deal. Apparently, clauses like this are highly popular among contracts to high-salary players.

The reason that detail interests me is that if Washington were to release Arenas, they would be releasing their superstar. People can say what they want about Arenas, but while he missed almost all of last season due to injury, the team struggled on both ends of the court. Arenas, although injury prone, is a superstar, who would easily be picked up by another team, and probably for a significantly cheap price considering many would probably fear to sign him based on his character. But imagine if I were an agent and I came to you as a GM and told you I could get you a talented NBA all-star who averages over 20 points per game when healthy and you could sign him for under $10 million a year. That is probably what the situation would look like if Arenas were to become a free agent because of this situation.

So the question comes down to Washington and their teams image. Do you make the proper move and void the contract of a felon, of a player who openly admits to having several firearms, or do you leave him on your roster because you fear what he would do against your team as a future opponent. Even if they were to void the contract, it is highly unlikely they would be able to sign a top-tier free agent seeing as how they have over $37 million committed to seven current players for next season, not including Arenas. So in theory, releasing Arenas does not help the team, but it would set a standard. It would set the standard that thugs would not be tolerated. Washington has nothing to gain by releasing Arenas, besides a heavy statement. And one could only hope that other teams around the league would follow suit. The NFL has made their statements surrounding these type of players. Baseball has made a mockery of those who have been caught using steroids, publicly parading them around the media like circus freaks. It is time for a person in the NBA to stand up and make a stand, and that could be Washington’s role for the taking.

Complete Team Effort Leads Friars Second Half Blowout Win

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 23:40:00 -0500

Everyone on the Bench Contributed Tonight for PC

DePaul (7-9, 0-4) suffered a huge blow when the found out Mac Koshwal would be out 2-4 weeks with a foot injury. The bigger blow might have been the disappointing effort the Blue Demons played with in the second half, as the Providence Friars (11-6, 3-2) clicked in every aspect of the game and defeated DePaul, 79-62 in Chicago.

The first half of this game was very sloppy, as both teams looked bad for a majority of the half. The teams played closely for the first fifteen minutes, as the Friars were down one, 19-18, with 5:44 left. However, a 6-0 DePaul run over the next two minutes had the Blue Demons up 26-19 with 3:58 remaining, and it was looking bad for the Friars. But at that point, Marshon Brooks would score 8 of the Friars 14 points to close out the half, and the Friars would find themselves up 33-28 at halftime.

With 19:02, a Mike Stovall layup would close the score to 35-30, but it was downhill for DePaul from there. Over the next 12 minutes, the Friars would outscore DePaul 35-14, exploding on defense, the fast break, and had all their jumpers falling to open up a 70-44 lead. The Friars would struggle from the floor for the remainder of the second half, but it would not matter as they would still win this one easily, 79-62.

Brooks came off the bench for Providence in this one while nursing his ankle injury, and he scored 17 points and grabbed 7 rebounds in 21 minutes of action. Jamine “Greedy” Peterson also scored 16 points and 10 rebounds for the Friars. The Friars were able to explode on offense besides shooting 5-21 from three. Both Sharaud Curry and Vincent Council did a great job of dishing the rock, as they both got their teammates several open looks for easy layups and dunks.

Mike Stovall was the only Blue Demon to show up tonight, as he scored 30 points for DePaul, nearly half of their points.

The Friars will stay on the road and face Marquette (10-6, 1-3) on Sunday at 4:00 P.M. Check for a preview on Saturday.

Celtics Outplayed by Bulls

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 23:11:06 -0500

Brian Scalabrine is still a beast despite the loss

Despite blowing out the New Jersey Nets last night, the Boston Celtics (27-11) strugged all night against the Chicago Bulls (17-20), and were just not able to make enough plays on both sides of the ball as they lost, 96-83, on Thursday night.

The Celtics played extremely well last night, but just were not able to come out with the same sort of intensity. The game was tied 6-6 early on, but a 13-3 Chicago run would basically give them the buffer zone they needed to win this game. The Celtics trailed 29-18 after one quarter, but a 7-0 run late in the second quarter cut the Chicago lead to 41-36. However, Boston would not be able to cut the lead anymore and Chicago would go to halftime up 47-39, as Eddie House hit a long three with three seconds left to keep the game within reach.

The Celtics again cut the Chicago lead to 5 late in the third quarter, but missed several shots late in the quarter and found themselves down 70-63 entering the fourth. Again down 5, the several missed several shots and foul shots, but eventually cut the lead to 75-71 on a Kendrick Perkins layup with 8:06 remaining. However, Chicago would score five quick points to open up a ten point lead, as they never let Boston cut into that lead down the stretch, pulling off the 96-83 win at TD Banknorth.

Luol Deng scored 25 points for Chicago, and was 9-10 from the foul line. Derrick Rose was also huge for the Bulls, scoring 17 points, adding 8 rebounds, and dishing out 4 assists.

Paul Pierce led the Celtics with 20 points, but was only 6-18 from the field, and was clearly struggling out there without Kevin Garnett and Rasheed Wallace. The lack of big men truly hurt the Friars and they could not lock down the paint.

The Celtics will not play again until Monday night when they play the Dallas Mavericks (25-13) at home.

Dean Pees out as Defensive Coordinator of Patriots

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 17:42:00 -0500

Despite going 53-18 as the defensive coordinator for the New England Patriots from 2006 through 2009, Dean Pees has been fired.

Pees went 10-7 this season (including playoffs), but had a defense full of young players, as defensive veterans Rodney Harrison, Mike Vrabel, Tedy Bruschi, Ellis Hobbs, and Richard Seymour were not on this years roster but starters during 2008. However, New England finished 5th in the NFL in points allowed (17.8), but only finished 23rd in sacks (31).

Many people have been critical of the defense as a smoke-show, getting blown away by the better teams in the league, as Indianapolis (35) and New Orleans (38) clearly overmatched the Patriots defense when it mattered the most. Others were critical of the defense because of the lack of pressure, attributing that to the fact that Dean Pees is not known for exotic blitz packages. Because of the lack of pressure, the Patriots young secondary was exposed.

However, many people in the media have defended Pees, attributing the lack of a pass rush and solid defensive play to the fact that the organization has drafted poorly recently, and traded away defensive starters Hobbs and Seymour in order to rebuild towards the feature. They also look back to players like Asante Samuel who the Kraft’s were not willing to pay, despite the fact he was a tremendous defensive player during his time in New England.

It is too early to tell who the Patriots are targeting as their next defensive coordinator, but ESPN has reported that Al Groh may be targeted due to the fact that he and Bill Belicheck have coached together in the past.

Analyzing the Local Airwaves

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 16:14:00 -0500

Toucher and Rich air from 6-10 A.M.

Ever since the destruction of The Score 99.7 in Rhode Island, Rhode Islanders’ have been forced to listen to Boston Sports Talk for the past five years or so. I am not saying that is a bad thing, but it certainly has it’s restrictions. For one, local college sports from Rhode Island are rarely covered, but there are several good interviews that air on these stations due to their Boston location. 103.7 WEEI-FM came to Rhode Island roughly five years ago and made an impact by purchasing the rights to air the Providence Friars a year or so later. More recently (August), 98.5 turned from a trendy pop station into a Sports Hub, so now local sports enthusiasts have two stations to tune to. So which one provides better content?

The best way to analyze these two stations would be to give a minor review of their broadcast lineup and hosts. Lets start with the fans popular choice due to longevity, WEEI.

6-10 A.M. - Dennis and Callahan (My Grade: C)

In my opinion, Dennis and Callahan are not good sports radio hosts. They dwell way to much into the political spectrum, which is not what I want to hear when I put on WEEI in the mornings. It is one thing to cover the news, but it is another to discuss and interview politicians like this is the O’Reilly Factor. Their only good sports analysis seems to come pertaining to the Red Sox, and their political overviews are extremely biased, tending to be more to the conservative viewpoint. Interesting at times, just not what I want during my morning commute.

10 - 2 P.M. - Dale and Holley (A-)

In my opinion, this is the best show on WEEI. Both Dale and Holley are relatively mild-mannered, and discuss a good variety of sports topics, including several interviews I have heard with them and Providence Friars Head Coach Keno Davis. They make sure to explain themselves throughly and always seem to respect callers. The only problem I have with Dale and Holley is that sometimes it is nice to get the audience fired up about something, and sometimes they are not passionate enough for me. However, this is still a great show based on content.

2 - 6 P.M. - The Big Show (B-)

Glenn Ordway can be funny at times, but sometimes he comes off as overly opinionated and abuses his callers, while the co-hosts do the same thing. The lack of a constant co-host can lead to frustration as a listener, because some of them just are not that good. Between that and the fact that Glenn Ordway seems to get half a year worth of vacation, it is hard to get accustomed to the supporting cast they have assembled for this show at WEEI. However, the one thing the wide-variety of co-hosts offers is different opinions, and Steve DeOssie and Lou Merloni give a terrific background into their respective sports.

6 - ? - Planet Mikey Show (B-)

I used to love listening to Mike Adams, but there are two things that bother me about this show. One is the fact that the WEEI night lineup is packed with so many extra-cirriculars that he seems to never be on the air, and two is that he is easily distracted. For example, during Red Sox season he will comment about the girls outside (not a problem), but interrupt callers to do so. However, his opinion is fresh and he balances out the sports with some interesting, although random news coverage, its just tough to get into because it seems as though he is on air for a half-hour at a time on most nights.

Extra-Cirriculars (A+)

WEEI offers a great place to listen to additional sports coverage. With Red Sox, Celtics, and Friars coverage, there is always a good local team to listen to nearly every night while you are on the go. It certainly helps make up for missing the Planet Mikey Show.

Now we can talk about the newcomers, 98.5 The Sports Hub.

6-10 A.M. - Toucher and Rich (A)

In my opinion, this is the best sports show that our airwaves has to offer. Toucher and Rich keep the show balanced perfectly, adding in the perfect amount of humor into sports and news stories. With great celebrity sports interviews and good sports coverage, you have to put on Toucher and Rich if you are looking for a good laugh and good coverage. The one thing they are missing is that sometimes they dive too much into personal stories and not enough into callers, but that is miniscule considering the quality that comes out of that show.

10 - 2 P.M. - Tanguay and Zolak (B+)

Tanguay and Zolak may lose to the local competition here, but not by much. Being a former quarterback, Zolak gives great coverage on the NFL, but seems to struggle at times talking about other sports. Luckily, Tanguay has a diverse background that allows him to pick up the slack when necessary, despite his occasional ramblings about ridiculous occurrences. However, these guys have a lot of fun on the air, and it’s a good listen depending on what they are talking about.

2 - 6 P.M. - Felger and Massarotti (C+)

Tony Massarotti balances out what Felger cannot deliver. Mike Felger is sometimes too belligerent and opinionated to tolerate, but in-between his constant ramblings which seem to be rather similar from day to day, he does make some good points. Sometimes it is funny to hear them argue about things, but other times it gets downright obnoxious. Without a guy like Tony on this show, it would almost be intolerable at times.

6 - 11 P.M. - The D.A. Show (B)

For a one man show, the D.A. show is usually a decent listen. He always seems to provide a decent analysis on the local sports, but sometimes seems to lack the fiery passion that Dale and Holley seem to lack on WEEI. However, he seems to get into a good discussion with his callers, and it is a very informative show.

Extra-Cirriculars (B-)

This is the one area where WEEI trounces The Sports Hub. With only the Patriots and Bruins, the Sports Hub lacks the teams that fans are dying to listen too. Most Bruins fans are at the games, and the Patriots only play 17 or so games a year. Lacking local flavor also plays into this, as Rhode Island teams barely ever get a mention on this station.

So in the end, each station has its pros and cons, so it is up to you as the listener to decide what you would rather listen to. Both stations are comparable, but I give the edge overall to the Sports Hub.

Following the Russ Permenter Drama

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 15:38:32 -0500

Yesterday rumors were flying surrounding the whereabouts of Russ Permenter. It was first reported by John Rooke that Permenter had not borded the team plane headed out to Chicago and later to Marquette for the two game road trip. Speculation was rampant among the whereabouts of our backup center, who has played only 33 minutes in the past ten games.

Last night, Kevin McNamara reported that Permenter ”is not making the trip due to some unfinished academic responsibilities. Asked if Permenter is in academic good standing and still a member of the team, PC sports info director Arthur Parks said tonight “absolutely. He just has some class work he is completing.”

Permenter’s facebook seems to indicate a similar course of events, as it reads “Russell Permenter stuck in providence while my team gets ready to play the first espn game of my career without me… cool keno”

So it appears that Permenter is still a Friar, at least for now, although it appears at though there could be some personal issues occurring between Russ and Coach Keno Davis. Griping is not going to get you any more playing time, so do your work and get your grades up and work a little harder and then maybe you will get on the court a little more Russ.

Bruins Fall Out on West Coast to Anaheim

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 00:45:12 -0500

Dan Sexton (ANA) Scores on Tuukka Rask (BOS) During First Period Power Play

The Boston Bruins (22-16-7) blew a 3-2 leading entering the third period, and fell to the Anaheim Ducks (21-19-7), 4-3 on Wednesday night.

The first period was played very back and forth, with a few intense fights breaking out, but a Vladimir Sobotka tripping penalty set up a Dan Sexton power-play goal with 48 seconds remaining in the first period to give the Ducks a 1-0 entering the first intermission.

Zdeno Chara evened up the score four minutes into the second period, scoring on a long slap shot to even the score at 1. Minutes later, Matt Hunwick would score for Boston giving them a 2-1 lead with 13 minutes left in the second period. However, Matt Beleskey would score on a wristshot with under 9 minutes left to tie it up at 2-2. Two minutes later, Marco Sturm would put the B’s back up on a deflection that just got past Jonas Hiller to put Boston back up 3-2, and that is how the period would end.

Two minutes into the third period after Anaheim got back to even strength, Ryan Getzlaf snapped one in from 17 feet out to tie it back up at 3. With 12 minutes left, Rask would face a barrage of shots, resulting with a tip-in from Steve Eminger to give Anaheim a 4-3 lead. Boston would get a powerplay for the final 1:12, but they would be unable to score on the power play and it would end 4-3.

The Bruins next play Thursday night against San Jose (30-10-7).

Celtics Dismantle Nets in New Jersey

Wed, 13 Jan 2010 22:19:46 -0500

“Big Baby” Glen Davis had a good game of the bench for the C’s

After a tough loss Monday night, the Celtics (27-10) returned to the fashion fans are used to and blasted the New Jersey Nets (3-35), 111-87 at the Izod Center on Wednesday Night.

This game was over quickly, as a Paul Pierce three in the opening seconds was all the Celtics really needed to open seperation in this one. The Celtics were only up 13-9 after a pair of Brook Lopez free throws, but then would go on a 18-4 run to open up a lead they would sustain for the rest of the game. The Celtics led 38-22 after one quarter, and 71-35 at halftime. The Celtics would play ten players over fifteen minutes, in an effort to get the starters some rest in the first night of a back-to-back.

Pierce led the Celtics with 24 points, and Rajon Rondo added 11 points and 14 assists. Ray Allen also had a solid game putting up 15 points.

Yi Jianlian led the Nets with 19 points, and Brook Lopez added18 ponts, 10 rebounds, and 4 blocks.

Even without Kevin Garnett (two more weeks, knee) or Rasheed Wallace (day-to-day, foot), the Celtics have played well and will return back home to face Chicago (16-20) on Thursday night at 8 P.M.

Friars Preview for DePaul

Wed, 13 Jan 2010 20:59:00 -0500

Mac Koshwal blocks Jon Kale in the Big East Tournament Last March

The Providence Friars (10-6, 2-2) return to the Big East road circuit where they stand at a solid 1-1, as they prepare to take on the Jerry Wainwright-less DePaul Blue Demons (7-8, 0-3) in Chicago at 9 P.M. on January 14th.

To say the least, DePaul has had a very interesting season. They started out the season 2-0, and then lost to Tennessee by 4 at the Paradise Jam Tournament, the same Tennessee team that just beat #1 Kansas with only 6 scholarship players. The loss to Tennessee proved to be costly, not only as a blemish to the record but also as DePaul lost star Mac Koshwal for roughly a month due to a foot injury. The Blue Demons then won three in a row, including a victory over St. Joe’s. However, SEC opponents proved to be the death of DePaul, as they lost to Vanderbilt by 13 and then Miss. St. by 31 and have not returned to their early season style where they looked like a rather solid basketball team. The Blue Demons then finished the non-conference portion of their schedule going 2-2, losing to American and Florida Gult Coast (Mac Koshwal’s return, last non-conference game), while defeating UIC and Texas State. In Big East play, DePaul has been dismantled by Pittsburgh, Georgetown, and Villanova.

Even with Mac Koshwal in the lineup, DePaul is not a very deep team. They have two guys who could truly kill you, Koshwal and Will Walker. Many of you may remember Will Walker’s 31 point performance against the Friars in the Big East Tournament last season, where he was 6-13 from three. This season, Koshwal averages 15 points and 11 rebounds, while Walker averages 15.4 points per game to lead the team. Like Providence, DePaul mixes and matches a lot of younger players, as Jeremiah Kelly (Freshman) and Eric Wallace (Sophomore) both play significant secondary roles for DePaul. However, it is undetermined what DePaul’s roster rotation will look like tomorrow night when interim head coach Tracy Webster leads the Blue Demons.

Some stats that could play into the Friars favor is that DePaul does not score very much or rebound very well. DePaul averages only 60.7 points per game, placing them 315th in the country and last in the Big East, while they only average 33.9 rebounds per game, again 253rd nationally and last in the Big East. Providence averages 43.1 rebounds, 5th nationally and 1st in the Big East, so that is definitely an area where the Friars should be able to attack, both on the offensive and defensive ends of the court.

Many questions that some of fans may have had about the Friars seemed to be answered on Saturday night against Rutgers, but it has to be determined whether it was tremendous player efforts or that fact that they were playing an inferior team. One question many Friar fans may have revolve around Russ Permenter and his status with the Friars. According to Kevin McNamara, Permenter has stayed behind to finish up school work. However, seeing as how it is winter break, many should be questioning what school work he would have to do and how it could potentially effect is eligibility, or whether this is just an excuse to hide the fact Permenter is leaving the team. Also in question is the status of Marshon Brooks. He is traveling with the team but has not practiced since injuring his ankle Saturday night against Rutgers. His injury status is listed as day-to-day.

My Prediction:

DePaul is not a very good, but we said the same thing last year and the Blue Demons almost beat a much more experienced Friars team in the Big East Tournament. The game is on the road, where the Friars have played very inconsistent this season. The Friars looked great against George Washington and St. John’s, but not so good in losses to Notre Dame and URI. However, this is just another step in building a young team, and our talent should be able to beat DePaul, even if the game is on the road. But playing with a new coach, no one will know how inspired the Blue Demons might play except those in their locker room. They are tired of losing, so they are certainly hoping to come out and surprise some people on national television.

Providence - 93

DePaul - 76

Blake Griffin Suffering From Greg Oden Curse?

Wed, 13 Jan 2010 18:01:00 -0500

Griffin will not play in any games this season

Blake Griffin was the unanimous number one pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, but since that time, Griffin has found it increasingly hard to get out on the court. It was announced a little while ago that Griffin will undergo season-ending surgery on a broken left knee-cap, ending his rookie campaign with no game time.

The comparison to Greg Oden is that Oden was also a number one pick in the 2007 NBA Draft, but never found his way onto the court for his first season. Since that time, Oden played in only 61 games last season before a season-ending injury, and played in 21 games this season before again suffering a season-ending injury.

It is difficult to see any athlete suffer the way these two have. Any athlete of that caliber wants to be on the court as much as possible. Hopefully Griffin will be able to get back onto the court for Summer League which starts in July.

Is Permenter Done in Providence?

Wed, 13 Jan 2010 17:47:00 -0500

Russ Permenter

Rumor has it that Russ Permenter may be leaving the Providence Friars, but details are still missing. As seen through a conversation between Dave from Friar Blog and John Rooke, Permenter was not present on the team plane heading to Chicago.

In 11 games this year, Permenter has averaged 2.2 points and 2.1 rebounds. However since the start of December, Russ has appeared in games for only thirty-three minutes in five games, and has not played in five others. Being at most of the home games, he was clearly frustrated with his lack of playing time.

Part of the problem I have seen with Permenter is that when most JUCO players come to D-1, their games are very polished and they are ready to make an impact. However, seeing Permenter play was like watching some of our other young freshman. And by the time players like this get up to game speed, it is pretty much time for them to graduate.

If Permenter is indeed leaving, this will open up a scholarship for next season, possibly to get a young big man. This is certainly a need on this team, and having the time to develop this player could make the Friars a serious contender next season and beyond.

Kiffin Owes Tennessee for the Opportunity

Wed, 13 Jan 2010 15:10:34 -0500

Lane Kiffin Leaves Tennessee after coaching just one season

Fourteen months ago, the University of Tennessee took a risk on a coach who had struggled to find success and chemistry in the National Football League (Oakland), and brought him in to replace legendary coach Philip Fulmer whose tenure lasted seventeen rather successful years. Now, Tennessee is again in search for a head coach after Lane Kiffin left the school to return out to the west coast to fill the vacancy at the University of Southern California.

I am struggling to find a reason why Lane Kiffin would leave Tennessee in the first place. Kiffin is a loud-mouth, and even after trash-talking several coaches, including the notable incident with Urban Meyer of Florida, Tennessee never really disciplined him, at least publicly. Kiffin even committed two minor recruiting violations, and the school essentially gave him a slap on the wrist. He spent most of this season trying to discover his team, as they looked great in some games (lost to undefeated National Champion Alabama on a last-second field goal), but awful in others (42-17 loss to Ole Miss), but in the end, much improvement was seen and several great recruits were coming in. Kiffin was on the verge of finding great success in the Southeastern Conference, where several coaches have been eaten alive by the difficulty of the country’s toughest conference. Tennessee risked it all by giving Lane a head-coaching position in which many called a stupid move, but it looked like a stroke of pure genius until Kiffin decided to bolt at the next best offer, just days before National Signing Day.

However, lets look at where Kiffin is going. He is headed to USC, where he coached from 2001-2006, serving as offensive coordinator for two of those seasons. But is USC a good fit for this bad boy coach? I believe the survey should say no on this one. In the midst of investigations about very severe violations, it is unclear why any major college coach would approach this job. If the school faces postseason restrictions, the idea of no major bowl games for two seasons (give or take) would be more than enough to drive away several current players and passionate recruits. And if the punishments are not too harsh, USC is one wrong step away from ending up that way.

It appears as though they endorsed a coach they knew would say yes, and embrace these risks as opposed to dwelling on them. Guys like Jack Del Rio and Jeff Fisher would want instant success, but a guy like Kiffin, a west coast guy living in Tennessee, why would he pass it up? He had a mediocre season at best at Tennessee. Was the program moving in the right direction? Absolutely. But the on-field success was not there, and it seems like an oddity that Kiffin would be the best potential candidate for a program so used to success and big-name coaches.

So in the end, Kiffin owes Tennessee a big thank you. They took a guy who had lost fifteen of his last twenty pro football games and made him their head coach. They gave him a great opportunity to succeed and the resources to do it. And understanding the business side of things, Kiffin gave them the finger and said so long a year later. I guess we will find out soon whether or not USC and Kiffin made the right move in forming this partnership.

Why is America so Fascinated with Mark McGwire?

Wed, 13 Jan 2010 11:14:00 -0500

McGwire Hit 70 Home Runs in 1998

Why has ESPN and other news services been so involved with McGwire and the news breaking that he has officially taken steroids. Does it honestly surprise anyone that one of the greatest hitters in the 90s was on the juice?

This is just further proof that America loves controversy. America loves people who embarrass themselves and their game. Tim Donaghy is another perfect example, as this guy was on ESPN nearly every day for a month a little while back. So yes, McGwire admitted to taking steroids, and yes, maybe that is important news, but why does ESPN need to replay the interview thousands of times. I was at a bar in Boston on Monday night, and for a good thirty minutes the only coverage of sports on ESPN was McGwire. This poor guy is trying to reconcile his life. Is it too late? Absolutely, this should have been done years ago, but by this time, who is truly surprised? The only thing that should be talked about is how he should step up and ask for his sevently home run season to be stricken from the record books, and then Sosa and Bonds should follow suit. We all know Roger Maris is the only one over sixty home runs who has not juiced, and the record should remain that way. I do not care what supplements he used, or who he used them with. All we need to know is that “Big Mac” Mark McGuire used illegal supplements and has tainted his image forever.

I posted this video because even though it was a Celtics game,...

Tue, 12 Jan 2010 16:22:00 -0500

I posted this video because even though it was a Celtics game, it was eerily similar to any Providence Friars game I have been to. First, the ref, which we will call Tim Higgins brother, mis-called a hard foul as a flagrant, as Glen Davis almost got ball. Then they T up Doc Rivers twice, even though the second time he was barely saying anything. Then, they T up Assistant Coach Armond Hill who is just standing there talking to some of the coaches. So at the end of it all, Atlanta gets 5 foul shots and the ball, cutting a 10 point lead to 6 (one missed free throw) with no time coming off the clock. Sure it was in the third quarter, but several Hawks players called it the key to the game for them.

One of the weirdest things in the world might just be hearing...

Tue, 12 Jan 2010 15:44:00 -0500

One of the weirdest things in the world might just be hearing yourself on the radio, and I do not know how people do it. But anyways this is me on 98.5 The Sports Hub yesterday trying to talk about the Patriots. But being on hold for a half hour sort of threw me off on what I was going to say. I said my piece and let Toucher and Rich talk about it, with it basically being about the offensive gameplan and how it directly led to the struggles the offense may have had.

Jerry Wainwright gets Axe Days before Game Against Providence

Tue, 12 Jan 2010 14:35:00 -0500

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNXcHeuY-wU

To anyone familiar with Big East basketball, it is no surprise that Jerry Wainwright has been fired from DePaul as of yesterday afternoon. DePaul was 7-8 this season, and finished 0-18 in the Big East last season, not including a Big East Tournament win over Cincinnati and loss to our Friars.

However, in my opinion losing 22 straight Big East regular season games is unacceptable on any level. I do not necessarily agree with the timing of such a move, coming before a winnable game at home against the Friars, but it most certainly needed to be made at some point. Hell, DePaul fans even made a website entitled http://www.firejerrywainwright.com/ . Friar fans have known what it has been like to watch a team with a bad coach, but even I have never an occurrence where so many people are against a coach.

Wainwright will be replaced by assistant Tracy Webster, who now will have an even taller task in beating Providence on Thursday night.

Is Pete Carroll's Leaving USC a Cowardly Move?

Tue, 12 Jan 2010 14:25:56 -0500

Pete Carroll is probably one of the greatest college football coaches most in my generation have ever seen. In one year he turned around the USC Football program and turned them into a national powerhouse, recruiting several first-round draft picks and even winning two National Championships. But now Carroll is returning to the National Football League with the Seattle Seahawks, a place where his reputation could be considered mediocre at best, and it begs the question, why??

Now there is much speculation about the timing of Carroll’s move. USC had a true-freshman quarterback who is going to be a first-round NFL draft pick in a few years barring a major letdown, and always has had a great defense. The question many people, including myself are asking, is whether or not this has anything to do with the recent allegations handed down by the NCAA.

Three months ago, the NCAA delivered a very detailed list of infractions that they would be investigating, both with the basketball and football programs. USC would have three months to investigate and/or appeal before deliberation would occur at the end of this month. Now, if such penalties were to be assessed against the football team, they would lose wins, more than likely National Championships, and Pete Carrolls tenure would forever be tainted. Depending on the severity of these infractions, it would be difficult for him to ever get another collegiate coaching job, as he more than likely would have been fired.

The irony for those thinking Carroll was jumping ship is that almost every off-season he has been offered jobs and better opportunities than the one he will find in Seattle. A few years ago, Atlanta and Washington both came knocking on his door. Atlanta made the playoffs that season, Washington finishied something like 7-9. Both teams had decent talent in place, money to spend, and high draft picks. Seattle has a broken down qb, a limited running game, one receiver with attitude problems, no other receivers, and a middle of the road defense. And they don’t even have a top five draft pick. So that begs the question, why would Carroll make the move now while he was living out his glory years in Southern California?

A few weeks ago, Seattle coach Jim Mora was approached by the team in a manner suggesting he would be the long-term head coach. They came to him asking if he had any preference on the new general manager, and he said he would endorse Mike Holmgren. Now, if you had any intention of firing your head coach, would you really care for his opinion on such a matter? It is just funny that a few days after Pete Carroll says it would be nice to coach back in the NFL and even in Seattle, Mora Jr. gets the axe. Carroll’s statements truly make it seem like he was desperate to get out of USC, a place he always said he loved and never wanted to leave. So why was it necessary to make that move now?

Personally, time will only tell the story of why Carroll made the move. If in two weeks it comes out that the football program is on probation for two years and will lose wins for five seasons, Carroll will not be affected seeing as how he jumped ship to make millions in the NFL. But the program, his program, will be hurt for the next decade, losing out on all recruits, and maybe never recovering, all because of some stupid decisions that he and his coaching staff may have made. But it does not matter to him, he thinks he is in a better place. Maybe he is, or maybe in two years after going 10-22, he will be out of a job again like his former NFL days.