Freshman expected to contribute immediately in 2008
Dec. 14, 2007
NORMAN, Okla. — Soonersports.com’s brings fans the 15th installment of the 2008 Baseball Newcomer Video Spotlights, featuring freshman right-handed pitcher Ryan Duke.
In preparation for the 2008 season, SoonerSports.com will feature one of the Sooners’ newcomers each week throughout the rest of the year.
Tennessee OC David Cutcliffe has been offered the head coaching job at Duke and will accept the position today.
Cutcliffe is perhaps best known for his offensive schemes, for developing NFL-ready QBs (Shuler, Manning & Manning), for turning around the Tennessee offense and for being fired as the head coach at Ole Miss for refusing to shake up his coaching staff. Cutcliffe has a 44-29 lifetime record as a head coach – all with the Mississippi Rebels.
Former UCLA coach Karl Dorrell had been a top candidate for the Duke position, but reports say that the Blue Devils were concerned about his ability to assemble a coaching staff on the east coast. There are also questions as to whether Dorrell could be successful at a limited facility program like Duke, when he had struggled at fully-loaded UCLA.
Jelena Jankovic is joining forces with "Hairspray" actress Brittany Snow to collaborate in a new, original Reebok Entertainment-produced TV show called "Framed", which aims to take viewers behind-the-scenes in presenting an unfiltered, real view of the biggest names in sports, who each endorse Reebok.
Jankovic accepted the challenge with pleasure: "Starring in 'Framed' provided me with the opportunity to tell my story to fans. I feel that I am pretty expressive on the tennis court, however fans still don't get to see everything that I am about just by watching me in competitions. Framed provided a window into my life and into who I truly am as a person."
There are 15 undefeated teams, including Duke. Some are legit, others are suspect. Jeffrey Martin says all will lose eventually.
Filed under Arizona
Sophomore forward Lance Thomas is listed as questionable for Monday’s game with Albany after sustaining an injury in practice.
Filed under Duke
The Pennsylvania state Senate has adjourned for the year without approving the funding for a soccer stadium in the Philadelphia area. With a decision on the next MLS expansion team expected no later then the end of January, time is running short for any sort of deal to take place, however the Senate Majority Leader said that an agreement might be reaching over the break or they might be able to find money elsewhere in the budget.
MLS has made it clear that without stadium funding, Philadelphia will not get a team, so the state doesn’t have that much longer to make something happen. That said, panic is not in order as just about every stadium deal so far has looked dead up to the last moment when suddenly everything comes together.
The idea of moving back into Florida might make a few MLS fans a bit squeamish as it didn’t go so well the first time around, but if a few votes workout, it might just happen.
The City of Miami is looking into funding a new soccer and baseball stadium on the current sight of the historic Orange Bowl (which will be torn down) as part of a multibillion-dollar proposal put forth by Mayor Manny Diaz.
I thought it was just the New York Islanders that handed out insane long-term deals. 10 years for Yashin, 15 years for DiPietro, any amount of years for GM Garth Snow … and then the Philadelphia Flyers come along and join the game to see who can make the bat-shit craziest deal of them all.
Mike Richards, a pretty decent young player, is, apparently, so good that the Flyers wanted to own his soul for eternity.
Sage Rosenfels
HOUSTON – Mario Williams had his best game at the perfect time.
Last year’ No. 1 pick had a career-high 3 1/2 sacks to lead the Houston Texans to a 31-13 victory over the Denver Broncos on Thursday night in Houston’s first prime-time game in two years.
"This is our first big-stage game," Williams said. "Everybody was watching. We were the only game on. We kind of showed the world what we can do."
Remember about a month ago I posted about Top Left Golf…the awesome new golf magazine I’ll be writing a regular column for? OK, not only do these guys put out a unique and amazing magazine, they’re now blogging as well …and you can be sure they’ll be finding some cool and unusual golf stories. Beer and style stories too. AND don’t be surprised to find me doing an occasional guest post there. After all, I’m a bit of a beer aficionado myself.
So, check out the new blog…and be sure to look for my Cut Shot Chronicles in Top Left Magazine.