Leach And Shannon Mentioned As Possible Replacements At Florida Atlantic

With Howard Schellenberger getting out of college coaching, Florida Atlantic has been looking for a replacement to take over the football program. A few names that have been thrown into the mix are Randy Shannon, Mike Leach, and former South Florida coach Jim Leavitt.

Athletic Director Craig Angelos told the Miami Herald he would consider Shannon or Leach as candidates for the job.


"Randy is a man of integrity, a first-class guy and first-class coach,” said FAU athletic director Craig Angelos, who worked at UM when Shannon was an assistant there. “I want to see if he’s interested.”

Angelos also has a good relationship with Leach: “I would consider Mike,” he said

He also said he would give a call to Jim Leavitt, who put South Florida football on the map and is now the linebackers coach for the San Francisco 49ers.

Leach does plan to coach again and has been mentioned with a few jobs since being fired by Texas Tech. That's if a school can get past the "issues" he had with Texas Tech. Apparently Maryland couldn't and that's why he's not coaching there now.

Shannon is rumored to be seeking a high profile west coast job and might be interested in the Arizona opening.   

The best bet for the job would be Leach, who has been linked to the job at New Mexico and recently UCLA if they happen to get rid of Rick Neuheisel. But I think they will land neither since I think Shannon prefers a bigger job and Leach might find a landing spot at Arizona. Just my opinion.

 

Ex- Bear Waddle Lashes Out At Meriweather For Dirty Play

I remember when Tom Waddle played in the NFL. He was like the annoying kid you couldn't catch in a game of tag, only because it seems like he caught everything thrown his way and took some big hits for it. Yet he still held on to the ball. The guy was like a human pinata.

During an interview on ESPN 1000 on the Waddle & Silvy show which he co-hosts, Waddle took the time to lash out at Chicago Bears safety Brandon Meriweather for being a dirty player.

"I don't approve of the way he plays the game," Waddle said. "And you can call me a sissy all you want. OK? I was on the receiving end of a lot of head-to-head hits. And maybe it's the reason I act the way I do. But in football there are going to be moments when a guy is trying to make a tackle and his helmet hits yours. It's going to happen, and in today's game you're going to get flagged for it. And that's the way it is.

"Intent, to me, means a lot. If you make helmet-to-helmet contact and you're just trying to play good, solid NFL football and you get flagged I'll give you a pass. You have to be aware of it, maybe you need to work on your tackling technique, get the head to the side and wrap your arms, but I can give you a pass. When I interpret the way you go about your job that you have the intent to hurt somebody, I've got no time for you. I've got no place for you. The game's got no place for you."

"He's going to hurt himself, and he's going to hurt someone else because of the intent," said Waddle, who played for the Bears from 1989-94. "And maybe that intent is not in his heart. I don't know Brandon. I haven't had a discussion with him. But it sure looks by the way he plays the game that the intent isn't to put a big hit on someone and legally knock them out, it's to hurt someone."

"I didn't watch Brandon Meriweather on a week-to-week basis in New England," said Waddle, who also is an analyst for the NFL Network. "I thought the signing of Brandon Meriweather was a good idea. You were weak at safety, had some issues, you had some injuries. [Bears general manager Jerry Angelo] gave him over $3 million to come in.



"I did not realize how undisciplined a player Brandon Meriweather was. He comes with two Pro Bowls. And he came with a lot of interceptions. But ... red flag goes up when a guy like Bill Belichick decides to let you go."

"I'm giving [Meriweather] a shorter leash because I don't approve of the way he plays the game," Waddle said. "The game is vicious enough. If you're a player whose intent is to hurt another member of your football fraternity ... the Brian Urlacher hit on Tony Scheffler yesterday was clean. It was a clean hit, he led with his shoulder. I've got no problem with Brian Urlacher. I thought that hit was legit. Brian Urlacher -- if his intent was to hurt or maim -- he would have dropped his head and led with his head.



"What Brandon does is he leads with his helmet all the time. There's no place in the game, brother, at this particular time for that. It's vicious enough. And when your intent, in my humble opinion, is to hurt or maim, I've got no time for you, and I don't think the game's got any place for you."

I guess Meriweather gives him flashbacks of Andre Waters trying to take out someone's knees.

Seriously, Waddle took his share of hits so I would think he'd be somewhat of an authority on what is a clean shot and a dirty play. He definitely said a mouthful and shouldn't have flamed Meriweather this bad, but if the shoe fits, you know the rest. Maybe that was something Bill Belichick knew already and quickly jettisoned Meriweather much to everyone's surprise.

If you ask Patriots fans they would tell you that they're glad he's gone and would agree with Waddle's assessment of Meriweather. They would also say that he's a detriment to his own teammates when going for the big hit.

Memphis' AD Is Ambitious

University of Memphis Athletic Director, R.C. Johnson is awfully ambitious. There's nothing wrong with that, you want to do what's best for you and yours when you're in the the position to do so. Thing is, Memphis' athletic program isn't in the best position, save for the basketball program.

In an interview with WMC-TV, Johnson sent signals that he wants in on the realignment train, namely trying to hitch on with the mighty SEC.

"We want to try to get ourselves in the best possible place," Johnson said. "Ultimately we would like to be in the SEC. That's where we think we belong geographically. We think we deserve to be."

Not so fast R.C. From a basketball standpoint the program can compete on an SEC level. But conference realignment is driven by football and money. Something Memphis isn't very good in and doesn't have a lot of support. Why would Johnson want to send his football team there. They're not even a good mid-major. The only significant thing that came from the football program was DeAngelo Williams. So while it may be a geographical fit, it's not a fit for their football program.

"We're turning over every stone possible because we want to make this a bright future for Tiger Athletics, and conference realignment I think is part of that," Johnson said.


I can understand trying to do what's best, but set your sights a little lower, like the unstable Big East. Right now that may not even be a lock. Memphis Commercial Appeal columnist Geoff Calkins thought of the notion as borderline hilarious.

"He can't be serious, in the sense of, they deserve to be in the SEC, like I deserve to be Mr. Universe. It's just so beyond the realm of reality in terms of where they are that you almost have to assume that he hadn't had his morning coffee or something," Caulkins said. "Why get up at five in the morning to go on a TV program to say you should be in SEC, when there is as much chance that you will be transported to Mars today as there is be in the SEC."



While Johnson has done great things for the Memphis basketball program, Caulkins said, he has failed to put Memphis in an advantageous position to get into the Big East, much less the SEC.


"Very recently the Big East has said they are going to expand by as many as six football teams," he said. "Shockingly, Memphis may not even be one of those six."

There's also the matter of a "gentleman's agreement" that says SEC schools will not admit members located in existing SEC states. Unless Clemson, Florida State, or Miami wants to leave the ACC. Johnson has to remember they're Memphis and they're not on an SEC level. If they were they would've been there a long time ago.
  

Chicago's DJ Moore Has A Plan To Slow Down Calvin Johnson

The Chicago Bears have opted not to go the Rob Ryan route and will admit that Calvin Johnson is a damn good receiver.  Earlier this week Bears corneback Charles Tillman called Johnson the best receiver in the NFL.

That doesn't mean that the Bears defense will concede anything to Johnson. They figure Johnson will get his catches, but he will pay the price. Nickelback DJ Moore has a plan to slow down Megatron. Just hit him.

As far as the key to defending a huge, talented wideout like Johnson, “Make sure you hit him,” nickel back D.J. Moore told CSNChicago.com. “Hit him.”

“I don’t think people should be thinking somebody is too good, have somebody come in and you give them too much credit, over-think about what you’re doing,” Moore said. “I think we’ll be fine.”

“When you’re big and fast like that, you’re going to catch balls,” Moore said. “Jump balls, he’s probably going to win those. But timing routes, you can still break on the ball like you would any other ball.”


It's easier said than done since the Dallas Cowboys' Terrence Newman tried to take Johnson's head off on his two touchdown catches. Johnson better be prepared to pay the price when the ball comes his way.     

Delmon Young Out For The ALCS

The Detroit Tigers will be missing one of their major factors when they start the ALCS tonight against the Texas Rangers.

Delmon Young has been taken off the roster for the ALCS due to an oblique injury he suufered late in Game 5 against the New York Yankees. Young will be replaced on the roster by Danny Worth and the Tigers will likely with a platoon of Don Kelly and Ryan Raburn in leftfield.

I'm kind of surprised that they didn't replace him with Andy Dirks, but I figure they will need Worth to play a little second base and pinch run. The loss of Young is a major blow to the Tigers as he has thrived hitting third in front of Miguel Cabrera. Also the way the offense performed against the Yankees in the ALDS, they were going to have to step it to beat the Rangers.

I know pitching wins championships but having an offense to compliment the pitching makes a team a complete threat. 

OU's Lewis Knocks Nebraska

When Nebraska joined the Big Ten, there were some that figured they would be the new bully on the block. Wisconsin took care of that notion with a 48-17 beatdown Saturday night.

Nebraska helped start the exodus of schools in the Big 12 along with Colorado and there is no love lost between some of their old rivals.

Oklahoma linebacker Travis Lewis had some not so kind words directed at the Cornhuskers after the Wisconsin meltdown.

The strange part about it is that you couldn't find Lewis' Twitter account. I wonder if any Huskers will have any words for the Sooners if they drop a game.  

   

Rob Ryan Disses Calvin Johnson

One of the marquee NFL games this Sunday will be the Detroit Lions taking on the Dallas Cowboys. The Lions are off to a 3-0 start and the talk of the NFL. This will be a big road test for the Lions as they try to extend their winning streak to eight after winning their last four last season.

The main weapon on the Lions offense is receiver Calvin Johnson. Johnson has caught two touchdown passes in each of the Lions three games, yet he isn't mentioned as one of the elite receivers in the NFL. ESPN analyst Cris Carter left him out of his top six and Cowboys defensive coordinator Rob Ryan isn't thinking too highly of Johnson either.

“We work against better receivers with Miles Austin and Dez Bryant,” Ryan told the Dallas Morning News. They are probably two of the premier receivers in football, but this guy is right there," Ryan said. "He's almost that good. He's excellent.




"We're going to get after him. I know he's on some touchdown thing like that, whatever. [Lions offensive coordinator] Scott Linehan has done this before with great receivers with Randy Moss. If the guy is as good as Randy Moss I'm going to go in there and hide. Thank God he's not, but he's a pretty [expletive] good player."

Well Rob I will agree with Cris Carter, but i can't agree with you. Although Miles Austin has proven himself to be one of the better receivers in the league I would think most GMs would jettison him in favor of Johnson. For all of Bryant's talent, he's still immature and hasn't proven anything in the league. Johnson still isn't there with the likes of Andre Johnson but he's been hampered playing for what was once a horrible football team. And Ryan is saying he's no better than number three on Dallas' roster. Yeah right.

Not to slight Austin or Bryant, but name me one person that would give up Johnson for Austin or Bryant. Not many and I'd question them about it. Ryan you're gonna have your hands full tomorrow. I'm sure Johnson and the Lions will use that as some extra motivation.