Dave Sez

The Curse Of The Weinke

Caulton Tudor of the News & Observer wrote an interesting article yesterday about the apparent curse on Florida State quarterbacks.

FSU had a steady stream of great QBs up through Chris Weinke, the balding Heisman trophy winner. But ever since, although FSU still pulls in top high school signal callers every year, the Seminoles haven't had good production at that position. Guys have failed in a number of ways - theft and gambling allegations (Adrian McPherson), baseball (Joe Mauer), home chemistry set explosions (Dan Kendra), Lyme (wink, wink) disease (Wyatt Sexton), parking in handicap spots and all-around stupidity (Chris Rix) and just plain-old underachievement (Fabian Walker and Marcus Outzen).

It's a pretty amazing string. Pretty much any other ACC program outside of Miami would be ecstatic to have landed any of those recruits, yet none panned out for the Noles.

Strangely, I feel no pity.

Name That Site

Just the other day, I finally decided to download and play with Google Earth. Man, what a cool program. I could play with it for hours. Actually, I think I already have. If you haven't tried it yet, go get it. It's free.

So anyway, after playing with it for a while, I had an idea for a new recurring feature for Dave Sez - Name That Site. I'll use Google Earth to find a spot that significant to the ACC. Locations could (and will) include football stadiums and basketball arenas for all twelve schools as well as sites of significant games, like national championships or bowl games.

I'll post the pic on the site and you get to guess what it is. Obviously, some will be much easier than others. Keep in mind that not all locations have been photographed at the same resolution, so some places might be pretty grainy. Also, pictures could be several years old.

So, here is the first one. Who can tell me what stadium is in the picture below? Click for a larger version.

Put your answer in the comments. After a while, I'll give the answer.

Radio Dave

If things go well (meaning if my wife doesn't kill me for skipping out on putting the kids to bed), I'll be appearing on the Sports Bloggers Live Internet radio show tonight.

I'm supposed to come on about about 7:45 Eastern and will be talking about Bruton Smith's crazy $40 million football game.

If this goes as planned, I'll probably be moving on to conquer the TV world next. Dave-TV. All Dave, all night!

Update: My gig is over. That just may have been the finest 30 seconds in Internet radio history. Or something.

Monster In The Gulf

This hurricane terrifies me.

I can't imagine what it would feel like to be hit by a Category 5 storm.

To everyone in her path - good luck and be safe.

Update: Holy crap -

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW ORLEANS LA
413 PM CDT SUN AUG 28 2005

EXTREMELY DANGEROUS HURRICANE KATRINA CONTINUES TO APPROACH THE
MISSISSIPPI RIVER DELTA

DEVASTATING DAMAGE EXPECTED

MOST OF THE AREA WILL BE UNINHABITABLE FOR WEEKS...PERHAPS LONGER. AT
LEAST ONE HALF OF WELL CONSTRUCTED HOMES WILL HAVE ROOF AND WALL
FAILURE. ALL GABLED ROOFS WILL FAIL...LEAVING THOSE HOMES SEVERELY
DAMAGED OR DESTROYED.

THE MAJORITY OF INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGS WILL BECOME NON FUNCTIONAL.
PARTIAL TO COMPLETE WALL AND ROOF FAILURE IS EXPECTED. ALL WOOD
FRAMED LOW RISING APARTMENT BUILDINGS WILL BE DESTROYED. CONCRETE
BLOCK LOW RISE APARTMENTS WILL SUSTAIN MAJOR DAMAGE...INCLUDING SOME
WALL AND ROOF FAILURE.

HIGH RISE OFFICE AND APARTMENT BUILDINGS WILL SWAY DANGEROUSLY...A
FEW TO THE POINT OF TOTAL COLLAPSE. ALL WINDOWS WILL BLOW OUT.

AIRBORNE DEBRIS WILL BE WIDESPREAD...AND MAY INCLUDE HEAVY ITEMS SUCH
AS HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCES AND EVEN LIGHT VEHICLES. SPORT UTILITY
VEHICLES AND LIGHT TRUCKS WILL BE MOVED. THE BLOWN DEBRIS WILL CREATE
ADDITIONAL DESTRUCTION. PERSONS...PETS...AND LIVESTOCK EXPOSED TO THE
WINDS WILL FACE CERTAIN DEATH IF STRUCK.

POWER OUTAGES WILL LAST FOR WEEKS...AS MOST POWER POLES WILL BE DOWN
AND TRANSFORMERS DESTROYED. WATER SHORTAGES WILL MAKE HUMAN SUFFERING
INCREDIBLE BY MODERN STANDARDS.

THE VAST MAJORITY OF NATIVE TREES WILL BE SNAPPED OR UPROOTED. ONLY
THE HEARTIEST WILL REMAIN STANDING...BUT BE TOTALLY DEFOLIATED. FEW
CROPS WILL REMAIN. LIVESTOCK LEFT EXPOSED TO THE WINDS WILL BE
KILLED.

AN INLAND HURRICANE WIND WATCH IS ISSUED WHEN SUSTAINED WINDS NEAR
HURRICANE FORCE...OR FREQUENT GUSTS AT OR ABOVE HURRICANE FORCE...ARE
POSSIBLE WITHIN THE NEXT 24 TO 36 HOURS.

I think it's safe to say that I've never seen a weather bulletin quite like that one. I hope everyone's wrong.

$20 Million College Football Game?

Bruton Smith, the CEO of Speedway Motorsports says he has offered the University of Tennessee and Virginia Tech $20 million each to play a football game at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Incredible. The track holds something like 170,000 people, but I don't know how they would configure it for football. But, does that even matter? $20 million? Twenty million dollars! For just one game?

It's mind-boggling. I don't know how the teams could turn that down.

Who's Next At Cincy?

The Cincinnati Enquirer has an article today listing a number of potential replacements for Bob Huggins at Cincinnati. Among the coaches listed are three from the ACC - Skip Prosser, Herb Sendek and Oliver Purnell.

Let me discuss.

Prosser - No F'n Way. Are they kidding? I thought Pittsburgh was nuts for going after him a couple of years ago, and that wasn't a poisoned situation like Cincy now is.

Sendek - Extremely unlikely. He's finally established a grudging amount of respect from Wolfpack fans. Why would he leave now? Things are going pretty well in Raleigh.

Purnell - Well, this one actually makes a little sense. Purnell came to Clemson from Dayton, so he knows the area. Unlike a move from Wake or State, Clemson to Cincy would be considered a step up in programs. I'm guessing he'd consider it.

This link has popped up all over the place today, but I saw it first at Yoni's site, so he gets the credit. Actually, he does some pretty good anaylsis of his own, so you should check it out.

Loud Lane Lands Lauds

Rivals.com journeyed the whole of the land to find the toughest place to play a college football game (as a visitor of course. It wouldn't make much sense to be tough on the home team. Of course, if they did such a ranking, Wallace Wade would have to be a contender, right?). And what stadium did the deem the tougest? Michigan Stadium? Neyland Stadium? No sir, Virginia Tech's Lane Stadium won top honors. It actually makes sense when you factor in the difficulty of getting there. Well, that and those damn jangling keys.

Florida State's Doak Campbell Stadium came in ninth.

I believe menacing Grove Stadium in Winston-Salem came in one hundred and twenty-seventh, just behind three high school fields in Texas.

Bravo to the boys of FanBlogs for finding the link for me.

'05 The Best Heels Ever?

Like the article points out, this was inevitable.

Someone was bound to do a ranking of the best UNC basketball teams ever. And they did. This time they used a computer to make it seem more legit and the computer says that the 2005 Tar Heels were the best ever.

To that I say "balderdash!" Just because you wrote a program to calculate odds doesn't make the result any more accurate. Who determined the criteria? As they say in my industry, garbage in - garbage out.

Yes, the '05 was very good. I'd definitely rank them above the '91 title team. The program picked them just above the '77 team which I am too young to remember.

I do remember the '82 team though. These guys claim the '05 version was just too fast and to that I say "wha?" Who's faster, Sean May or Sam Perkins? Jawad Williams or James Worthy, who ran on the best fast break squads in NBA history? Rashad McCants or Michael Jordan? I'll give you Felton over Jimmy Black, but that '82 team could play with anyone - then or now.

And what about the '84 team that was upset by Indiana early in the NCAA Tournament (after Kenny Smith broke his wrist)? That team was pretty awesome, with Jordan at his peak (people seem to forget just how dominant he was as a junior, preferring to chortle about how Dean Smith kept him under wraps), plus Kenny Smith (every bit as fast as Felton, but a better shooter), Sam Perkins (also a first-team All-American) and Brad Daugherty (who would eat Sean May up). Hell of a team (I hated 'em).

I don't know. Maybe it's just my age, but I'd take either of those 80's teams over the 2005 team.

An Alternative Look At College Football

NC State, Florida State and Carolina fans should be proud. Players from their teams were the only ACC representatives in the Boi From Troy's Gay Viewers Guide to the 2005 College Football Season.

Marcus Stone of NC State, Matt Baker of UNC and Drew Weatherford were the single-out ACC players. Go get 'em boys!

Huggy Bear Whacked

The timing is odd, if the decision isn't - Bob Huggins is being fired by Cincinnati. Evidently, he was given a choice - accept a buyout of $3 million or be fired and take $2 million.

Not really a tough choice for Huggins, and according to 850 The Buzz, he took the extral mil.

Man, I'm gonna miss him. We need bad guys around. I wonder where he'll turn up next? Who's the coach at Fresno State?

Anything You Can Do ...

So, last Friday news comes out that Virginia football coach Al Groh had signed a new contract. The new deal is huge, paying Groh about $1.7M a year. One point seven million a year! I was pretty stunned by the numbers. It doesn't seem that long ago that Steve Spurrier was the first college coach to make over one million a year (unless my memory is fuzzy) - and that was at Florida.

The Groh story stood on its own.

But then, today word comes out that Virginia Tech is set to give Frank Beamer a new contract that pays him a little over $2 million a year. I guess that Groh contract doesn't seem so outrageous now, huh?

Think it's a coincidence that VT AD Jim Weaver put out info about Beamer's impending deal so soon after Groh's contract made the news? Hmmmm.

Anything you can do, I can better. I can pay my coaches more than you.

Hodge Employs Valvano Strategy

Julius Hodge won an NBA Live 06 video game tournament against other NBA rookies by repeatedly fouling, a la Jim Valvano's Cardiac Pack. Hodge beat former Tar Heel Sean May in the finals because May couldn't figure out how to hit free throws.

Pretty funny, in that Jules' strategy accurately sums up his game. Hodge is competetive and crafty and is always willing to use an unusual tactic to his ends. He especially loves trying to piss off his opponents.

No word on whether Chris Paul found the "hit nuts" button on the controller.

Real Owner on RealGM

You know how you always read those quotes from coaches, GMs, players, etc about how they don't read Internet message boards? Well, one Atlanta Hawks owner certainly does. He not only reads them, but he posts from time to time!

Bruce Levenson of the Atlanta Spirit, the infighting group that owns the Hawks, posted on the Hawks forum at RealGM.com and offered posters there $10 tickets to a game against the Clippers. The seats normally go for $55. Sure, it's Atlanta and those seats would probably have gone empty - especially against the Clips - but that's a damn cool gesture.

I think owners are learning from Mark Cuban how to stay in touch with their fan base.

Hat tip to the Sports Frog.

ACC Football Helmet Schedule

Need a handy schedule for ACC football games? Joe Ovies at 850 The Buzz (a radio station and blog out of Raleigh) put together a very sweet one. He did it up in Excel and used the helmets of each team. It looks very cool.

Does your company have a nice color printer? You might want to covertly print this one out. I know I'm gonna.

Who Has Time For Blocking?

Kevin Donahue of Fanblogs.com is an inveterate Florida State football fan. Kevin, like quite a few Seminoles fans, is fed up with offensive coordinator Jeff Bowden. Apparently, Saint Bobby agrees with the view that Jeff ain't getting it done ... to a point. He hired Marc McHale, the former Marshall OC, but didn't make him FSU's OC. Instead, McHale was put in as the offensive line coach. Then, just the other day, Bobby added Running Backs Coach to McHale's duties.

How does Jeff feel about this loss of responsibility? He doesn't sound too upset about it. He explains by means of an outstanding quote. I don't want to steal Kevin's thunder, so go read his entry at Fanblogs to see what Jeff had to say about it.

It's classic.

Looking Inside The Fridge

Ivan Maisel has an interesting article where he sits down with Ralph Friedgen to review some game film. Maisel is obviously very impressed with the Fridge's ability to break down film, and it sounds like Coach Friedgen shares the feeling.

BTW, the kind of info that this article hints at, technical football coach stuff like how to tell what the cornerbacks are playing by where the safety lines up, is what I think we're gonna get from Bobby P.

Hat tip to Fanblogs.com for the find.

Ljubomir Stamenich Dies

Ljubomir Stamenich, a three-year starter at defensive end for Virginia died this week of leukemia. Stamenich's last season with the Cavaliers was 2001. He was just 26 years old. Evidently, his leukemia was discovered less than a month ago. What a terrible story.

ACC Football Hot Seats

I was thinking that maybe I'd write an article about which ACC football coaches were on the proverbial hot seat, but Fanblogs beat me to it and did a mighty fine job. Check it out.

I do have a couple of extra comments though.

I'm nearly positive that both John Bunting and Chan Gailey are in positions where a losing record in 2005 will earn them pink slips. That's more of a certainty with Bunting, and unfortunately for him, some think that Carolina has the toughest schedule in the country. Sorry Big John. I think you'd probably be better off as an assistant in the NFL anyway. Actually, that's probably true of Gailey as well.

One other guy who's in an interesting spot is Tommy Bowden. He's pulled a Rasputin job several times in recent years, just yanking his head off of the stump as the executioner's IPTAY-logoed axe sliced the air. His 2003 season earned him a big fat contract though, and as Jeff Quinton has reminded me several times, Clemson is currently raising money for facilities improvements and can't really afford a buyout.

That said, the Tiggers went 6-5 last year, and that can't sit well with the disciples of Frank Howard. Add to that the arrival of Steve Spurrier at arch-rival South Carolina, and things get a bit more interesting. One more bad season, coupled with a loss to Visor-boy and/or a strong season by the Gamecocks and I bet that patience runs out and finances-be-damned, Tommy is tied down on that stump for the beheading.

Go Nats!

The US had a critical, if not too difficult, World Cup qualifier last night against Trinidad and Tobago. As expected, the good guys won. Sure, it was only 1-0 when it should have been more like 4- or 5-0, but a win's a win.

With those three points, the US has all but clinched a berth into the 2006 World Cup in Germany. Even if the US were to lose the final four qualifying games (not a chance), they'd come in fourth in the Hex and play a playoff game against either Bahrain or Uzbekistan for a berth.

Even better, with their #6 world ranking the US has a shot at a #1 seed in the World Cup. With one of those seeds, and there are eight, you are guaranteed that no other top team will be in your initial round-robin group. That means no Brazil, Argentina, Germany, France, etc. Which would be nice.

It seems to me that if the US beats Mexico in a couple of weeks in Columbus, Ohio and then runs off a couple more wins in their final three qualifiers, it would be hard to justify not giving them a top seed. But then, I don't think FIFA really likes seeing the US do well in soccer. We'll see.

Eleven

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This is the first in what will hopefully be a weekly feature. I say hopefully as it's highly likely that two of the following will happen in the up-coming football seasons: a) I will forget during the week, leaving it to be done during the weekend, only to get blasted watching games with friends both Saturday and Sunday, thus forgetting yet again, or b) Dave will be barraged with hate mail wondering why he let such irreputable trash sully his fantastic site. Either way, this is my virgin effort, so I humbly beg your patience and ask you to save your salvos for when I really stink things up.
As I'm an engineer by trade, and have little of what could be called 'writing ability' paired with even less creativity, I'm gonna do a little question and answer session to get this thing rolling. If it gets a little vain, I'm sorry, but I promise - It's only X's and O's for the rest of the year:

So what is Eleven? Dave has asked me tend lend some knowledge of the finer aspects of my favorite sport, football. It's called Eleven as it's the greatest number ever worn (by me, of course), and refers to that aspect of the game which I love the most - every single play, offensive and defensive, requires eleven men to do their job if it is to succeed.

What's the format? Uhmmm, evolving? Does that count? That fact is, I'm not sure yet. I might spend one week talking defensive fronts, the next I might cover a single play from both sides of the ball. I might breakdown one of the 'hot topic' schemes that the talking heads are babbling about. I hate to say it, but there's a good chance that there will be one or two bits in which I get a little philosophical about the game and what it means to me. And yes, there will always be talk about my UW Cowboys, the mid-major everyone should love.

Why you? Like many former QB's, I am the son of a high school football coach. From as early as I can remember, my Augusts through Novembers were spent lining practice fields, handing out second-rate gear, and collating playbooks. By the time I was twelve, I knew the ins and outs of my father's offense better than his starting eleven. My weekends were simple - Friday night watch Dad, Saturday go to a college game, Sunday break down film from Friday and then watch NFL. My father was a fantastic QB coach, producing a string of kids who went on to play college and has one protégé in the NFL and another poised to make the leap after this year. My own high school career, while successful on an individual level and full of undeserved accolades, did not suffice to garner any real interest from DI schools. This wasn't all that surprising or disappointing (Few Wyoming kids get any looks at all). I did get asked to walk on UW, but decided I'd rather focus on my education and go the small school route. It's a decision I've never regretted. I got to see the field from the second quarter of my very first college game, all the way through to the tear soaked mud of my last game as a senior. I started my career as a QB, got pt in every game as a freshman, and then was splitting halves with another kid my sophomore year. After our fourth game of that year, our secondary had lost its third starter to a season ending injury. That evening, the HC asked me if I'd be willing to play some FS. As the choice was keep sharing time at QB, or play every snap at FS, I said yes in a heartbeat. I was tired of getting blindsided and wanted to dish out some fury of my own. It was a revelation, and as a college athlete I was reborn. From my QB experience, I could see plays develop at the snap, and was blessed with a massive chip on my shoulder from suffering so many rough tackles. In week eight of that year, the QB I formerly split time with snapped his collarbone midway through the second quarter, which left me playing both QB and FS. Now, that's not a big deal, as a lot of kids play both ways through high school, but take my word on this - you don't want to do it in college. I had to do it for two and a half games, during which I suffered a career's worth of cheap-shots, a rib cage that was black and blue on both sides, and a wonderful episode of hypothermia. Fortunately, that was the last time I had to do that, and stuck on the defensive side of the ball for the rest of my career. My junior and senior years, I was honored by my teammates and selected as a defensive captain, and had the added onus of calling all of our coverages at the LOS. My experience at QB was a tremendous asset, and made me look much better than I really was. As football was fall, and fall was football, once my eligibility was up it was a given that I was going to stay for grad school and help coach for a couple of years. I coached both running backs and wide outs in season, and worked with the DB's in the off season. Unfortunately, I was not a big fan of our offensive system or the madness (there was little to no method) behind it, so spent a good portion of both seasons frustrated. That frustration led to me saying good bye to my coaching career (kinda - I still work a camp or two) and reverting to full-time armchair quarterbacking. For the first time since then, at least outside of arguing at the bar and ruling on playstation, I'm hoping to use some of that knowledge.

One disclaimer I insist of giving, one law that must be laid down - Football terminology is different wherever you go, so don't get your panties in a twist if I call something different than the way they do on TV.

So that's that for this one. If you have comments, suggestions, or better yet, scheme-based questions, please give them.

-- Bob Pentland

Eleven Archives
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Eleven - 1 - Introduction
Eleven - 2 - The Zone Blitz
Eleven - 3 - The Cover Two
Eleven - 4 - Zone Blocking
Eleven - 5 - The Bootleg
Eleven - 6 - Extra Points And Field Goals

Duhon Gets Paid

I didn't think I'd ever be posting about Chris Duhon signing a big NBA contract. But fair is fair. The kid earned it and I'm giving him his props.

Duhon was a very good college player, but never really stepped up to the superstar level that he hinted at as a freshman. He seemed to have superior shooting range that season, but never got better at that. He got worse, in fact. At the same time, he adjusted and learned to be a leader with the ball. He was always a good on- and off-ball defender. The thing is though, those skills rarely matter in the NBA, where athleticism and shooting are usually the most valued traits in a PG.

I don't think he'll ever be a star in the League, but I'm happy he's getting his chance. Who would have thought that he'd be the one signing extensions while Jason Williams was just hoping for a tryout?

The Little Four

Roy Green of the Charlotte Observer takes a pretty sharp knife to the "Big Four" football programs in this article. It's rough, but really, there's nothing in there that you can argue with. The last major bowl for any Big Four team? Duke played in the Cotton Bowl in 1960.

1960

Hat tip to the ACCBasketBlog for the find.

Adrian McPherson Tries Again

Adrian McPherson took a wildly circuitous route to the NFL. He was Florida's high school player of the year in both football and basketball before he chose to play QB at Florida State. His career there was brief and very rocky. Poor play, rumors of thrown games (particularly that fishy loss to NC State), payments from alumni and an arrest for stealing checks. He got things back on track at a 1-AA college and then in Arena Football and is now getting his shot with the New Orleans Saints of the NFL.

So, how's that turning out so far?

Check the pic for your answer.

Kind of sums up his career, huh?

The Worst Ever

For years I've said that Mark Malone of the Pittsburgh Steelers was the worst starting quarterback in NFL history. Great reporter, terrible QB.

Well, now I have concrete. ESPN put together the ten worst statistical seasons ever by NFL quarterbacks. OK, maybe Malone didn't hit #1, but he did make the top ten. Considering how many different quarterback seasons there have been in NFL history, that's pretty close. I figure that if you factor in that he followed Terry Bradshaw as the Steelers' quarterback, you can round his performance up to the worst ever.

Nice find by the boys at SportsFrog.com.

Life Members

Remember that side story to the Roy Williams/Kansas NCAA troubles about how the NCAA apparently considers athletes to be ineligible to receive gifts for their entire life? Well, the News & Observer has followed up on that angle. They interviewed a number of athletes and administrators about the rule and its interpretation. As you can imagine, most were surprised by it, but they also seemed resigned to the fact that it probably wouldn't change anytime soon.

The weird thing is, is that when I read the rule, it doesn't sound like it means for life. Maybe my book lernin' weren't too good. Here's the text in question:

16.1.1.4 Subsequent to Completion of Athletics Eligibility. Awards limitations apply to enrolled student-athletes who have exhausted their collegiate athletics eligibility. An institution shall be held responsible through the Association's enforcement procedures for the provision of improper awards to graduating seniors by the institution or its booster organizations. Awards to graduating seniors may not include cash, gift certificates, a cash-equivalent award (i.e., an item that is negotiable for cash or trade or other services, benefits or merchandise) for athletics participation, or country club or sports club membership.

The part that stands out to me is the sentence "Awards limitations apply to enrolled student-athletes who have exhausted their collegiate athletics eligibility." Enrolled student-athletes. Doesn't that mean students who are still enrolled in school? A strict reading of that clause (well, as strict as I can get) says that student-athletes have award limitations after they have exhausted their eligibility, but while they are still enrolled. Once they leave school and are no longer enrolled, they don't fall under that clause. Am I right?

So, explain this extra article that reiterates that the NCAA interpretation is that "once you're a student-athlete, you can never accept any sort of gift from anyone with a relationship to the university no matter how long it has been since you have completed your college eligibility?" Something's not right.

Is it possible that I'm right and that the reporter has just read it wrong? Maybe one person got it wrong and reported it as such and now everyone thinks that is true. Is that possible? That last N&O article sure sounds like it is quoting the NCAA on its interpretation, but it doesn't list a name for its source. If that is a true NCAA interpretation, how do they explain the word "enrolled?"

Can anyone 'splain to me?

The Hokies Are Mystikal

This is an odd idea. Sexy Results tried to find the corresponding rapper for each college football team. Damn if they didn't pull it off.

It's a funny read even though I honestly had never heard of about half of the rappers. Who knew there were so many out there?

One funny sample:

Northwestern/Public Enemy

Known to stumble into the public's eye every couple of years or so, but only well-educated white people with jobs in the media seem to care.

BTW, the pics of the rappers cracked me up. I can just hear the photographer from ALL of these shoots. Read in a slight British accent. "Beautiful, darlings! Now can I get you to turn the to side a bit? Perfect! OK, tilt that cap a bit to the side or maybe just pull it down over your brow. Make it rakish! Excellent! OK, last thing - tilt your head and look pissed. Or maybe just look cocky. I know, imagine that some sucker just looked at you for a bit too long. Why's he frontin'? Yes, that's what we want! Now, do you have any tattoos that we can show off in some more pics? ..."

Oh, don't miss the Maryland writeup and corresponding link. Good times.

Catching Up

I took a couple of days off last week and have been a bit busier at work. So I've missed posting on a few subjects that I'd rather not miss. To catch up, I'll just put them all in this post.

TA McLendon's NFL career didn't last too long, huh? He was released by the Atlanta Falcons almost as soon as he was signed. Actually, I suppose it doesn't mean his whole career is over, but that's a hell of a way to start. For a guy whose college career fizzled under a damp blanket of trainer's tape and fumbled balls, a good start was critical. As Caulton Tudor wrote, it just seems like TA never really got that he could no longer just rely on his talent to get him by. He ain't in Albemarle, NC anymore. Well, actually he might be now.

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Christian Laettner was undoubtedly one of the greatest ACC players ever. He was also one of the least likable. If you weren't a Duke fan, you surely hated Laettner with his pretty-boy looks, constant sneer and ridiculous ability.

But times have changed. While he may have been an ass in college, he's shaping up to be a hell of a man. He and longtime buddy Brian Davis (a relationship that spawned many rumors) have devoted a lot of their time and money in rebuilding downtown Durham. I don't get over there much, but from all accounts, they've been very successful. Now, they are turning their efforts (and cash) to boosting the Duke basketball program's already impressive coffers.

You have to respect guys who appreciate where they came from and try to give back.

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The ACC Basketblog had too many good off-season hoops links the other day for me to bother breaking them out. Just check out their work and thank them for their finds.

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The Duke Basketball Report (another great source of hoops news links) hooked me up with an interesting article by Thad Mumau about non top-100 recruiting in the ACC. Normally we only hear about the top guys, but often times, real success comes in having depth in recruiting. Unless you are Duke or Carolina, you can't plan on targeting just top-20 guys. And actually, you'll Duke and Carolina listed with many of the guys in this article. In fact, I was surprised by just how many of these guys seemed to be involved with tier-one programs. Just goes to show you that even with the seemingly nonstop recruiting coverage that exists these days, the whole story is often not reported.

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And what about ACC football? Well, this time of year there are just so many damn articles. Surely you don't need me to point them out.

Prime Time Vanity

Peter King's weekly love letter to the New England Patriots, otherwise known as Monday Morning Quarterback, is usually a pretty good read. He has good access to NFL teams and writes in a nice, casual style. Sure, he's wrong a lot and has an unnatural infatuation with Brett Favre to go along with his burning desire for Team Belichek, but it's a good weekly article.

In this week's edition, in one of his throwaway parts towards the end, he has an incredible stat. According to Deion Sanders' personal tailor, Prime Time owns 1,900 suits.

Nineteen hundred!

He squeezes them all into his 2,500 square feet closet.

That stat blows me away. I'm not I've owned 1,900 pieces of clothing combined in my entire life.

He could wear a different suit every day of the year and not repeat a choice for over five years.

If you figure about $1,000 per suit - I'm sure most are custom made - that's about $2 million worth of suits.

No wonder the man unretired. You can't afford that kind of vanity on a broadcaster's salary.