Chip Shots: Quick Shots: Bye Bye Bobby Bowden

A Sports Blog

Quick Shots: Bye Bye Bobby Bowden

Just a few things rattling my cage this morning:

This whole Bobby Bowden thing seems more like it was handled by Dollar Bill Wirtz and Bob Pulford than it does Florida State. Remember when the Blackhawks fired Billy Rhea by sliding a note under the door of his apartment? After all the money the man has raised, after building the program into a national power, the leaders of the university cower under their desks while they send two players out to announce that Bowden's 34 year run will come to an end after FSU's bowl game. Somewhere there is a knife with Jimbo Fisher's prints all over it. Oh wait. It's in Bobby Bowden's back!
I feel really bad for Tiger Woods in this sense: I really don't care how many women he sleeps with, he is still entitled to his privacy. He wasn't drunk, no one was injured in his car crash and it was really no big deal. Why exactly are we supposed to care? Oh, to bring him down a few notches. If that's the price for fame, I'll continue to be mediocre.
If you were a successful football coach at a major university, would you really want to put your butt on the line to coach at Notre Dame? Sure the payday is great, but how long will they last? Urban Meyer is better off at Florida where he not only has the same world class facilities, but wins national championships. Gary Patterson is better off at TCU where he thrives in a laid back atmosphere. Bob Stoops could be coach for life at Oklahoma. The only coach that Notre Dame would be a good idea for would be Brain Kelly, who is in a marginal conference at a school that can't afford to be a major player. But, again, will Kelly turn out to be Lou Holtz or Jerry Faust? Besides, until they play in a conference,things will continue to be tough.
I'm not concerned that the White Sox didn't offer salary arbitration to Jermaine Dye, Scott Podsednik or Octavio Dotel. Dye will probably have a renaissance year where ever he winds up, but throughout his career he's always come back when you counted him out. Pods is a weak armed marginal fielder who has never put successful back to back years together and Dotel is a disaster waiting to happen every time he takes the mound. What I am concerned about is the gaping hole the Sox still need to fill in left field.
Speaking of the White Sox, by virtue of the fact that the Angels have offered Chone Figgins arbitration, this should end the annual Chone to the Sox rumors. I never wanted him anyway. I just hope the Sox avoid Coco Crisp. And now, as a surprise to no one, I will once again ask Santa Claus to bring me the only thing I really want this year: CARL CRAWFORD.
Speaking of Crawford, the Sox are report to be interested in his teammate B.J. Upton. Upton is a slacker, prone to make bonehead plays and not hustle. He's been berated and benched by ~~Devil~~ Rays manager Joe Maddon on several occasions. Do not buy low on attitude. You can't fix stupid.
Do you get concerned when the Blackhawks lose to the Kings and have to go to a shootout to beat Columbus? They are still the best Chicago sports team going.
The thought of Bill Cowher coaching the Bears makes me smile. The thought of the McCaskey family reacting to how much Cowher would want to do it makes me frown.
If you really want to get an idea of Lovie Smith's style as head coach of the Chicago bears, go out and rent "The Caine Mutiny." Too bad no one wants to be Steve Merrick.
Vince Lloyd is up for the hall of fame this year, an honor he richly deserves. He was awesome back in the day but was always overshadowed by Jack Brickhouse. I think both Brick and Lloyd are forgotten because of the huge footprint of Harry Caray.
Speaking of Harry, I'm glad to see Chip Caray getting booted by TBS. Early in his career, he was pretty good (when he worked in Seattle) but then getting to the head of the class too quickly because of his name didn't help him. I think he could surface somewhere in 2010. He certainly isn't as good as either his grandpa and his dad simply because he forgets about the fans. Baseball is an intimate sport and Chip is anything but that.
I find it hilarious that the Texas/Texas A&M game outgunned the mighty NFL on Thursday night. Maybe the NFL will finally get its' head out of its ass and offer cable outlets a reasonable deal to air the NFL Network. Until they do, those Thursday night games will be continued to be watched by six people.
Finally, a Bears joke: Bears football practice was delayed nearly two hours today after a player reported finding an unknown white powdery substance on the practice field.Head coach Lovie Smith immediately suspended practice and called the police and federal investigators After a complete analysis, FBI forensic experts determined that the white substance unknown to players was the GOAL LINE.