Alonzo Mourning looking forward to working with Greg Oden

When the Miami Heat signed Greg Oden many were thinking that he would solve the team's interior woes. But Heat fans might want to be patient as Oden works his way back into shape since he hasn't played in a game since December 9, 2009.

The Heat have reached back to the past to help Oden work his way back from knee troubles. Alonzo Mourning will be working with Oden to get him back in the game. Mourning sounded excited about the prospect of working with Oden.

“Extremely excited, extremely excited,” he said by phone, “because I understand the potential that he has….

“I think we all, as an organization, are looking forward to working with him, developing him, so that he can be a part of this organization for years to come….

“I know that if healthy, the impact that he can have on this franchise,” Mourning said. “Just him being 25 years old, I feel that the longevity of the possibility of him playing, that longevity will continue to stimulate a winning opportunity with the organization.”

Mourning should curb his enthusiasm regarding Oden. If you can remember the guy has been a one man M.A.S.H unit since his days at Ohio State.

If Oden can be a marginal contributor to a championship team then this will be a success, provided he can stay healthy.
 

Greg Mattison believes the Big Ten can be king again

In the world of college football it's the SEC and everyone else. The conference has laid claim to the last seven BCS championships and boasts heavyweights like Alabama, Florida, and LSU among others. With the Crimson Tide being the unanimous preseason number one team, it looks like no one will wrest the BCS/national championship crown from the SEC anytime soon.

Michigan's defensive coordinator Greg Mattison believes that it's time for a change at the top of the college football food chain.

Mattison believes that the Big Ten will start taking over again, gaining back the respect lost in BCS title game blowout losses.

"What happens with conferences, throughout history, is that they're going to go up and down," Mattison said. "I really look for the Big Ten to really start taking back over again. My respect, I can tell you this from all the places I've been, my respect for the Big Ten is greater now than maybe it was when I was here 10 years ago.

"I see how hard and how physical and how tough this league is. You'd better not, in the Big Ten Conference, go out there and think that you can just walk out there. Because you're going to get hit."  
Offensive coordinator Al Borges echoed Mattison's sentiments.

"The perception right now is that the SEC is the best conference, and they’ve got something to go on,” he said. "(But) we recruit against all those schools. We get our share of players. As long as you’re getting as good a player as they’re getting, why shouldn’t you win?

"So recruiting is what it’s all about. Focusing on that, then getting them in and developing them.”

The perception of the Big Ten it's that they're too slow for teams in the SEC. Teams in the Big Ten (Michigan,Ohio State) can recruit with the heavyweights in the SEC it's just that SEC teams get a different caliber athlete than teams on the Big Ten.

I do think it's cyclical so there will be a point and time when the SEC won't be as dominant as everyone else.



  

New Mexico State to sport new helmets

The New Mexico State football team is currently a ward of the NCAA. They have no conference affiliation and no one will be picking them up in the foreseeable future. That doesn't mean the Aggies can't jazz up their uniforms a little bit.

The team showed off their new helmets complete with crossed guns on the stripe in the middle. While that might not win too many fans among those who oppose guns they've done a good job considering the bland look they had before.

 It probably won't help with their on field performance but at least they'll look better taking their Saturday afternoon beatings.

 

Dwayne Wade pays homage to Trayvon Martin on the cover of Ebony Magazine

Miami Heat guard Dwayne Wade has been outspoken throughout the George Zimmerman/Trayvon Martin ordeal. He's now using the platform that sports has given him to make another statement. 

On the cover of the Sept. 2013 issue of Ebony, Wade and his two sons, Zaire and Zion, are seen wearing gray hoodies. Underneath them is text that reads "We are Trayvon."

Wade and his sons were wearing the hoodies in support of the South Florida teenager who was shot and killed by George Zimmerman.

It's not as political as what Muhammad Ali, John Carlos or Tommie Smith did back in the day, but Wade is bringing an awareness to the fact that there are too many young black kids dying over to what amounts to nothing.  

Doug Gilmour trades his son to another OHL team

Doug Gilmour played 20 years in the NHL and earned his way into the Hockey Hall of fame.

After retirement he took his knowledge of the game and turned it into a front office job as general manager of the OHL's Kingston Frontenacs.

Young Jake Gilmour is a prospect for his father's team. At least he was until the old man traded him away to the Niagara Ice Dogs for a 12th round draft pick.    

I guess there goes the father/son quality time. It had to be tough for Doug to trade his son, but he might get questioned at the next family dinner as to why he traded his son.

Doug Gilmour played 20 seasons in the NHL, scoring 450 goals and adding 964 assists with St. Louis, Calgary, Toronto, New Jersey, Chicago, Buffalo and Montreal before joining the Frontenacs.

"It Girl" of the week: Stephanie Santiago

This week's "It Girl" of the week is Stephanie Santiago.

Angels sign Dontrelle Willis

All aboard! The D-Train is pulling into Los Angeles.

The pitching thin Los Angeles Angels have signed Dontrelle Willis from the independent Atlantic League Long Island Ducks.

“Dontrelle has been outstanding on the mound this season,” said Ducks president and GM Michael Pfaff in a statement. "We wish him the best of luck with the Angels organization.”

Willis last pitched in the majors with the Cincinnati Reds in 2011. He attempted a comeback with the Cubs in spring training before winding up in indy ball.

In 12 starts with the Ducks, Willis went 5-4 with a 2.57 ERA and 1.38 WHIP in 87 2/3 innings. He struck out 52 batters while walking 43. Not bad, but he'll have to improve his walk to strikeout ratio if he wants to stick around. Then again he's always had problems with walks back when he had his better years with Miami (Florida) Marlins. That was the last time he was effective.

This is only a minor league deal and he could possibly get called up by season's end.