The Military Bowl: It Is What It Is

With all due respect to the Military Bowl, Maryland’s fan base was dissed and their recruiting hampered when they were invited to a bowl game in a cold weather city just 20 minutes from campus. What, no palm trees?

“It is what it is. We have to make the best of it. The toughest thing is that it's in our own backyard," said Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen on his 8-4 Terps slide from #3 in the conference to last in the bowl pecking order. The Terps were hoping to get an invitation from the Champs Sports Bowl after their win against N.C. State, but…no.

Meanwhile, Kevin Anderson, Maryland's first-year athletic director, said he was "disappointed" with the process and how bowl berths were determined. Anderson said he did not know why Maryland slid to the eighth slot. He added that Maryland officials have spoken to the ACC office and Anderson wants to talk to conference officials further about the process at future league meetings.

The Terps are No. 9 in the nation in pass efficiency defense and will face former Boston College quarterback Dominique Davis, who has thrown for 36 touchdowns and 3,699 yards, the fourth-most in the nation, while completing nearly 65 percent of his passes.

Quote of the Day

Long-time Washington Post writer turned columnist now turned commentator for ESPN, Michael Wilbon wrote his farewell column yesterday for the newspaper that launched his career. It included a shout out to Scott Turow for one of the great sports quotes of all time about the ACC’s greatest star of all time.

Said Wilbon: There is a favorite athlete: Michael Jordan, because he had and continues to have the greatest impact on the culture of sports since Ali and because, as Scott Turow wrote, "Michael Jordan played basketball better than anyone else in the world does anything else."

Wow…why didn’t we think of that?

Clemson's Bowers Wins Nagurski Award

CHARLOTTE, AP – Amid his year of tragedy, Clemson defensive end Da’Quan Bowers slimmed down, got serious about football and had a breakout season.
Bowers was honored for his dominance Monday night with the Bronko Nagurski Trophy as the nation’s top defensive player, an award he wishes he could share with his father and his mentor.

Playing with a heavy heart following the deaths this year of his father, Dennis, and close friend Gaines Adams of the Chicago Bears, Bowers burst onto the scene after two mediocre years. The 6-foot-4, 275-pound junior leads the nation with 15 1/2 sacks and his 25 tackles for a loss rank second in the country.

Bowers, one of the nation’s top recruits coming out of high school, had managed only four sacks in his first two college seasons.

“He’s excelled in every area,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said. “He’s had to overcome some personal tragedy and has still been able to stay focused. He’s become the inspirational leader of our team. To see him being honored is really heartwarming for me.”

Swinney was the keynote speaker at Monday’s banquet as Bowers edged out Auburn defensive tackle Nick Fairley, Boston College linebacker Luke Kuechly, Georgia linebacker Justin Houston and LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson for the award presented by the Charlotte Touchdown Club.

To read more, click here.

Top Enforcement Officer For Suits In Kansas Defends Recent Decisions

T.A.H. learned this morning that the NCAA’s enforcement chief is Julie Roe Lach – Vice President of Enforcement. She took over December 1st from David Price who retired.

Lach was in New York yesterday where she gave an interview where she discussed, among other things, the NCAA’s clearing of Cam Newton despite finding his father violated NCAA rules.

Taking a page from the BCS and Bill Hancock, Lach told The Associated Press that college sports' governing body traditionally has preferred to "fall on the side of the student-athlete."

Tell that to Marvin Austin, Charles Brown, Kendric Burney, Greg Little, Michael McAdoo, Robert Quinn, Shaun Draughn. Ryan Houston, Linwan Euwell, Brian Gupton, Da’Norris Searcy and Jonathan Smith, to name a few (Tar Heels).

Man Wearing Duke Cap Attacks Maryland Woman

Montgomery County Police are investigating an assault and attempted kidnapping near Wheaton Claridge Park over the weekend.

Investigators say on Saturday night just after 7 p.m., a woman boarded a Metrobus at Connecticut Avenue and Viers Mill Road, but she did not realize she was being followed.

She got off the bus at Viers Mill Road and Claridge Road and started walking. So did the suspect. (If you look closely at the police sketch, you can’t help but notice that the alleged assailant is wearing a Duke baseball cap….as Fridge would say: It is what it is.)

"She was walking down Claridge Road near the Wheaton Claridge Park, the suspect approached her from behind, grabbed her and started to drag her into woods there by the park,” said Friz.

But before the suspect could continue with his attack, an innocent bystander walking nearby intervened.

The victim called police. The Good Samaritan (rumored to have been wearing a North Carolina cap) left the scene.

Local Man To Coach Indiana

Doug Jocz, a well-known local entrepreneur, tippy-toed golfer and American Airlines pilot, has mysteriously been tabbed to lead the Indiana Hoosiers football team…And all this time we thought he was a hockey guy.

What? It’s not Jocz…It’s just a guy that looks like Jocz. Oh…this guy’s name is Kevin Wilson.

OK, former UNC player and current Oklahoma offensive coordinator, Kevin Wilson will be the new head coach at Indiana, according to ESPN and various news outlets in Oklahoma and Indiana.

The 49-year-old Maiden, N.C. native (and Doug Jocz look-a-like) was a lineman and linebacker during the early ‘80s under Dick Crum. He began as a walk-on after a standout prep career at Fred T. Foard High.

Previously, Wilson worked on the staffs at Miami of Ohio, Northwestern, N.C. A&T and Winston-Salem State.

The Hoosiers fired former coach Bill Lynch after his team finished 5-7 overall and 1-7 in the Big Ten. Lynch had 19-30 overall, 6-26 Big Ten records in four seasons.

Wilson joined the Oklahoma staff in 2002 as the offensive line coach. He was promoted to offensive coordinator in 2006.

Pictures of the Day

LOOK, MOM, I’M FLYIN’! Kevin Prince Boateng of AC Milan celebrates scoring the first goal during the Serie A match between Milan and Brescia at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on December 4, 2010 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Claudio Villa/Getty Images Europe)

IT MUST BE IN THE WATER. Nothing says ugly unis like the state of Oregon and last Saturday both Oregon and Oregon State stepped up to the ugly uni plate. One word: HOMERUN! OSU went with the throwbacks and who knows what the Ducks were thinking this time. LaMichael James #21 of the Oregon Ducks runs the ball against Suaesi Tuimanei #28 of the Oregon State Beavers during the 114th Civil War on December 4, 2010 at the Reser Stadium in Corvallis, Oregon. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images North America)

SNACK ME, BOWL ME, BCS ME! Puddles the mascot of the Oregon Ducks eats Tostitios corn chips after the 37-20 victory over the Oregon State Beavers clinched a spot in the Tostitos BCS National Championship game during the 114th Civil War on December 4, 2010 at the Reser Stadium in Corvallis, Oregon. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images North America)

MASCOT MADNESS. Why do international competitions always have some ridiculous mascots? Here the latest bunch of wonky mascots wait for the start of the 2nd Asian Beach Games Muscat 2010 Torch Relay between Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex (Bausher) and The Countdown Clock (Ministries District) on December 6, 2010 in Muscat, Oman. (Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty Images AsiaPac)

BREAKING NEWS: R.I.P. DANDY DON

"If 'ifs and buts' were 'candy and nuts,' what a lovely Christmas we'd have."

Don Meredith, one of the most recognizable figures of the early Dallas Cowboys and an original member of ABC’s “Monday Night Football” broadcast team, died yesterday. He was 72.

Meredith’s wife, Susan, told The Associated Press on Monday her husband died in Santa Fe after suffering a brain hemorrhage and lapsing into a coma.

Meredith played for the Cowboys from 1960-1968, becoming the starting quarterback in 1965. While he never led the Cowboys to the Super Bowl, Meredith was one of the franchise’s first stars.

Over his nine-year career, Meredith threw for 17,199 yards and 111 touchdowns. He retired unexpectedly before the 1969 season.

Meredith, Howard Cossell and Frank Gifford

Just two years after retiring from football, Meredith joined Keith Jackson(notes) and Howard Cosell in the broadcast booth as part of the “Monday Night Football” crew.

He quickly became one of the most popular broadcasters in sports because of his folksy sayings and country humor.

Meredith’s signature call was singing the famous Willie Nelson song “Turn Out the Lights” when it appeared a game’s outcome had been determined.

Meredith left ABC after the 1973 season for a three-year stint at NBC. He returned to the “MNF” crew in 1977 before retiring in 1984, one year after Cosell left the team.

Before a generation knew Meredith for his colorful broadcasting career, he was one of the most recognizable figures of the early Dallas Cowboys teams.

“Dandy Don”, as he was affectionately known, shared time under center with Eddie LeBaron before winning the starting job in 1965.

Meredith led the Cowboys to three straight division titles and to consecutive NFL Championship games in 1966 and 1967. Dallas lost both games though to eventual Super Bowl winners Green Bay. In 1966, Meredith guided the Cowboys to their first-ever winning season (10-3-1). He was named NFL Player of the Year after throwing a career-high 24 touchdown passes and 2,805 yards.

Although Roger Staubach and Troy Aikman made the Cowboys’ quarterback job synonymous with greatness, both credit Meredith for launching that tradition.

To read more, click here.

Nine ACC Teams Going Bowling

Led by the 2010 ACC Virginia Tech Hokies, who will represent the league at this year’s Discover Orange Bowl, the league placed nine of its teams in postseason bowl games, it was announced Sunday. Only Maryland, who is headed to the Military Bowl in sunny Washington, DC on December 29th has a legitimate complaint about the draw.  Unless, of course, you are Boston College who got a 12-1 Nevada team which will surely be aggravated over their placement in the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl on January 9th!

Since 2005, the ACC has seen 50 of its teams go to post season bowl games. In that time only the Southeastern Conference (51) has had more. This year’s pairings also extended consecutive bowl streaks for ACC teams who have four of the nation’s seven longest bowl game streaks, led by Florida State which has the nation’s longest current bowl streak. The Seminoles are making their 29th consecutive bowl trip in a streak that began with the 1982 Gator Bowl game.

The Seminoles are joined by Virginia Tech, which will enjoy its 18th consecutive bowl trip--the nation’s third longest skein; Georgia Tech, which is making it 14th straight bowl appearance, tied for the nation’s fifth longest streak and Boston College, which will be making its 12th consecutive bowl excursion, which is tied for the nation’s seventh longest streak.

Dec. 27 Avocare V100 Independence Bowl GEORGIA TECH (6-6) vs. Airforce (8-4) ESPN2

Dec. 28 Champs Sports Bowl N.C. STATE (8-4) vs. #22 West Virginia (9-3) ESPN

Dec. 29 Military Bowl Presented by Northrop Grumman MARYLAND (8-4) vs. East Carolina (6-6) ESPN

Dec. 30 Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl NORTH CAROLINA (7-5) vs. Tennessee (6-6) ESPN

Dec. 31 Meineke Car Care Bowl CLEMSON (6-6) vs. South Florida ( 7-5) ESPN

Dec. 31 Hyundai Sun Bowl MIAMI (7-5) vs. Notre Dame ( 7-5) CBS

Dec. 31 Chick-fil-A Bowl #23 FLORIDA STATE (9-3) vs. #19 South Carolina (9-4) ESPN

Jan. 3 Discover Orange Bowl #12 VIRGINIA TECH ( 11-2) vs. #4 Stanford (11-1) ESPN

Jan. 9 Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl BOSTON COLLEGE (7-5) vs. #13 Nevada (12-1) ESPN

Cavaliers Alone in First Place

ACC Sunday Hoops

Mike Scott

VIRGINIA 57, VIRGINIA TECH 54 –Duke, smook, the Virginia Cavaliers are atop the ACC basketball standings with a perfect 1-0 record after defeating rival Virginia Tech in Blacksburg on Sunday.

Mike Scott scored 21 points and Assane Sene made two big baskets in the final minutes Sunday nigh. The Wahoos (5-3), coming off a victory at No. 15 Minnesota in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge, led throughout in beating Virginia Tech for the second time in seven meetings.

The Hokies (4-4) lost their third straight despite 26 points from Malcolm Delaney.

Sene scored only four points, but scored inside with 3:47 to go, giving Virginia a 51-46 lead, and then again with 1:18 to play, after the Hokies had closed to within 51-49.

Victor Davila's basket made it 53-51 with 19.4 seconds left, but Jeff Allen was called for an intentional foul on a breakaway for Scott, and he made both free throws. Virginia also got the ball, and Mustapha Farrakhan's two free throws with 16 seconds to play made it 57-51.

FORIDA STATE 60, Hartford (Hawks, 4,842 students, West Hartford, CT) 38 – Derwin Kitchen and Bernard James each had double doubles as Florida State overcame a cold-shooting first half to defeat Hartford Sunday night and snap a two-game losing streak.

James had 11 points and 10 rebounds while Kitchen, a 6-3 guard, scored 10 points and grabbed 13 rebounds.

South Carolina (Gamecocks, 25,527 students, Columbia, SC) 64, CLEMSON 60 – Bruce Ellington scored 14 points, including a critical 3-pointer in the final minute as South Carolina broke a six-game losing streak to rival Clemson (5-3) on Sunday.

The Gamecocks (6-1) led 58-55 when Ellington, a freshman, dribbled away much of the 35 second clock before striking for a 3 from the left side of the arc.

Gary Williams and Juan Fernandez

Temple (Owls, 26,618 students, Philadelphia, PA) 64, MARYLAND 60 – Lavoy Allen hit a crucial three-point play and Temple escaped with a victory over Maryland in Sunday's BB&T Classic, despite yielding a 15-point lead.

Allen finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds, Ramone Moore had 16 points and Juan Fernandez had 14 for the Owls (5-2), who won their second straight.

Jordan Williams had 17 points and 11 rebounds for the Terrapins (6-3) for his seventh double-double this season. Terrell Stoglin scored 12 of his 16 points in the second half.

Harrison Barnes Q&A on Yahoo!

A native of Ames, Iowa, Harrison Barnes arrived in Chapel Hill during the summer as the projected No. 1 overall pick in the 2011 NBA draft and, more important, the player who was going to change the fortunes of a North Carolina squad that missed last season’s NCAAA tournament one year after winning the national title.

To say his future role with his team was "overhyped" would be a bit of an understatement.

Things haven’t gone very well for Barnes thus far and when compared to Duke's Diaper Dandy Kyrie Irving, Barnes is simply struggling.

Although the Tar Heels pulled out an important win over No. 10 Kentucky on Saturday, questions about the team still linger following a November in which North Carolina lost to Minnesota, Vanderbilt and Illinois causing early NCAA tourney anxiety. (OK, "really" early)

Barnes scored a combined 25 points in those three games and was just 6-of-33 from the field. At one point the criticism of Barnes became so intense that North Carolina coach Roy Williams felt the need to defend his star freshman. Williams said the offseason hype surrounding an 18-year-old who had never played a college game was unfair and “sick.”

To read the Q&A, click here.

Pictures of the Day

 RETRO. The Hokies broke out the VPI retro unis yesterday in their ACC opener against Virginia. (Photo courtesy of HokieSports.com)

OZ? Nope, Dubai. Maria Verchenova of Russia tees off at the 8th hole during practice for the 2010 Dubai Ladies Masters on the Majilis Course at The Emirates Golf Club on December 6, 2010 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images)

$126 MILLION MAN. Jayson Werth and the Washington Nationals got an early jump on baseball’s winter meetings when they announced a $126 million seven year contract to bring the All-Star right fielder to Washington. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

Congrats Virginia Tech

Hokies Win Dr. Pepper Bowl

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) – It It took just five days for Virginia Tech to go from national title contender to mystifying also-ran. Then the Hokies began to turn their season around. They've been getting better ever since.
Slowly and quietly, they have climbed back with 11 straight victories, culminating in Tyrod Taylor's four-touchdown performance Saturday night as No. 12 Virginia Tech beat No. 20 Florida State 44-33 for its third Atlantic Coast Conference title in four years.

Nearly forgotten after falling to Boise State and FCS school James Madison, a confident and determined Virginia Tech is headed to the Orange Bowl on Jan. 3.

"Those two losses we had at the beginning of the year makes these 11 wins and an ACC Championship seem even greater," said coach Frank Beamer, who won his 240th game.

To read more, click here.

ACC Saturday Hoops

#1 DUKE 82, Butler 70 – In a rematch of last year’s Big Dance finale, Duke posted their 18th straight win. Nolan Smith had 24 points, and Kyrie Irving had 17 of his 21 in the second half — including two big 3-pointers that turned aside the last Bulldogs (4-3) charge. It was Coach K’s 876yh win, pulling him even with Kenucy’s Adolph Rupp.

NORTH CAROLINA 75, #10 Kentucky 73 – Tyler Zeller scored a career-high 27 points and hit the go-ahead free throws with 47 seconds left, helping North Carolina edge No. 10 Kentucky on Saturday in a matchup of two of college basketball's winningest programs.

Zeller scored 12 of the final 16 points for the Tar Heels (5-3) in a game that had five lead changes in the final 3 minutes before Kentucky's Doron Lamb missed a desperation heave for the win from near halfcourt as time expired.

WAKE FOREST 75, Holy Cross 64 – Four Demon Deacons scored in double figures, led by Travis McKie's 18 points, as Wake Forest defeated Holy Cross on Saturday afternoon at the Joel Coliseum. The Deacons have now won three straight games, improving their record to 5-3 on the season, while Holy Cross stands at 0-6.

MIAMI 79, West Virginia 76 – Malcolm Grant scored a career-high 26 points Saturday to spark a comeback by the Miami Hurricanes, who overcame a 13-point deficit with 12 minutes left and beat West Virginia (5-2).

 
The Hurricanes (6-2) scored on 14 of 15 possessions down the stretch, sank eight of their last nine shots and made four consecutive free throws in the final nine seconds to seal the win.

#8 Syracuse 65, N.C. STATE 59 – N.C. State (4-3) seemed poised for an upset after taking a six-point lead midway through the second half, but in the final eight minutes Syracuse forced two shot-clock violations and held the Wolfpack without a basket for the final 7:20.

BOSTON COLLEGE 76, Massachusetts 71 – Reggie Jackson scored 14 of his 17 points in the second half and Boston College held off several rallies down the stretch to beat Massachusetts 76-71 in the Boston Tip-Off Classic on Saturday, ending the Minutemen's unbeaten start.

Joe Trapani also scored 17 and Josh Southern finished with 16 points and seven rebounds for the Eagles (6-2), who won the intrastate rivalry for the 11th time in the last 12 meetings.

Things That Make You Go...

Hmmm...

A fan of the Virginia Tech Hokies cheers on against the Florida State Seminoles during their game at Bank of America Stadium on December 4, 2010 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

Pictures of the Day

TOP DOGS. Head coach Jimbo Fisher of the Florida State Seminoles talks with head coach Frank Beamer of the Virginia Tech Hokies during their game at Bank of America Stadium on December 4, 2010 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

TOUCHDOWN. David Wilson #4 of the Virginia Tech Hokies runs for a touchdown during their game against the Florida State Seminoles. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

BUMMED. Taiwan Easterling #8 of the Florida State Seminoles reacts to a pass being broken up against the Virginia Tech Hokies during their game at Bank of America. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

Saturday ACC Football: Dr. Pepper Bowl Rematch of 2000 Nokia Sugar Bowl With Completely Different Players And A Bunch Of Different Coaches

FLORIDA STATE vs. VIRGINA TECH (-3.75)*, Charlotte, N.C. (Dr Pepper ACC Championship Game), 7:45 PM, TV: ESPN & ESPN 3D

Injury Reports**

FSU: Moses McCray DT Out For Season (knee), Blake Snider OL Out For Season (ankle), Tavares Pressley RB Out For Season (knee), A.J. Land LB Out For Season (knee), Jared Haggins WR Questionable Week 14 (hamstring), Jermaine Thomas RB Questionable Week 14 (knee), Ty Jones RB Questionable Week 14 (leg), Christian Ponder QB Probable Week 14 (leg)

VT: Lorenzo Williams LB Out For Season (foot), Dyrell Roberts WR Out For Season (thigh), Tony Gregory RB Out For Season (knee), Barquell Rivers LB Out Indefinitely (quad), Rashad Carmichael CB Questionable Week 14 (concussion), Cris Hill CB Questionable Week 14 (ankle)

*Point spread for recreational purposes only.

**Injury report for recreational purposes only.
For a complete reveiw of the 2000 Nokia Sugar Bowl FSU v. VT from the Hokie perspective, click here.

Chuckie Not Headed to Miami (At Least Not To Coach The Hurricanes)

According to ACC Now, Jon Gruden apologized Thursday for widespread speculation about his candidacy to be Miami's next football coach and said he's willing to help the Hurricanes find the right person for the job. (Huh?) (Apparently, so is Donald Trump who thought they should hire Mike Leach, but that’s another story. If you care, Google it.)

The former Super Bowl-winning coach and current ESPN analyst reiterated his commitment to "Monday Night Football" for the second time this week, and the network repeated that it expects Gruden to at least complete his contract, which runs through 2011.

Gruden had talks with Miami throughout the week about replacing fired coach Randy Shannon, and a person familiar with the talks told The Associated Press on Sunday that Gruden was presented with "parameters" of a contract within 24 hours of Shannon's dismissal. Gruden met face to face with Hurricanes athletic director Kirby Hocutt on Wednesday.

Things That Make You Go…

Hmmm…

Lebron James returned to Cleveland last night. Evidently, the Cavalier faithful were not amused.

Lebron being Lebron scored 38 points and only stepped on his you-know-what twice. Once when he conducted his ritual talcum powder toss at the scorer’s table pre-game – not appreciated, although it did not start a riot as was predicted throughout cyberspace and on sports talk radio.

The second typical Lebron gaff came in what was otherwise a generous exit interview where James said this:

“Seven great years loved every part, loved every moment, from the growth when I was an 18-year old kid to a 25-year old man. We tried our best as a team to bring a championship to this city and just try to play hard every night. I got the up most respect for this franchise, the up most respect for these fans and you know just continue the greatness for myself here in Miami and try to get better every day."

Jeez! So close, and then there was that “greatness for myself” line…Ouch.

That said, King James later apologized(?) or at least clarified by Tweeting: “Did a post game interview with Craig Sager and I mentioned "Greatness" and I didn't mean myself individually, I meant to say US as a TEAM working towards "Greatness". Anyways Great Team Win for US tonight!”

Next thing you know, he will take a page out of the Vince Young Apology Playbook and text all the Cleveland fans saying: “The last SIX months of my life – my bad.”

(Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

ACC Analysis: Why The S.E.C. Is Better At Football

Maybe it has something to do with crime?
Here’s a peach (pun intended) from the blog “The Belly of the Beast” called “Get To Know Your SEC Football Players.” As all of you loyal readers know, as soon as football ends, crime begins so we just thought we’d get a jump on it…

It's Wednesday, which means it's time to get to know a little bit more (or just anything at all) about one of the Southeastern Conference's football players. Now when this player succeeds, massively fails or is shown milling around in the background of a TV shot, you'll know that his greatest off-the-field accomplishment involves the sale and transportation of hobos. Or something like that.


The team of the player selected is chosen through a super-secret process which I cannot reveal, however, the number of the player is randomly chosen by visiting www.random.org and using whatever number is spat out from its random-creating machine.

Today's number: 55
Today's team: Georgia
Player profiled: Josh Parrish, #55, OL Georgia

Some background information: Yet another walk-on selected in this series, but unlike previously selected below-average collegiate athletes, this one is somewhat interesting. As you can see from the picture above, Josh, just 19 years of age, has already spent some time in the clink. While he has yet to contribute to the Georgia football team, he has contributed to the Athens-Clarke County Police Department's "More Drunk People in Jail" tally, which should get them some extra government money and a framed certificate if they keep up the pace.

(Editor's Note: Seriously, in high school Parrish won the 2008 GHSA A region and state championship. He was named to All-County, All-Region and All-State teams as a senior. He was a member of National Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta Honors Society and the Science Honors Society.)

Greatest on-field accomplishment: Has not occurred.

Greatest off-the-field accomplishment: In the 2009 summer session, Josh made the Athletic Director's honor roll and the dean's list. My only problem with this is that clearly Josh put way too much time into his studies and not being as lazy as humanly possible in the summer. Summer school is not a time to excel academically, it's a time to not get a summer job, lay around the pool, play golf and briefly consider how awful life is going to be when you can no longer do these thing before taking a nap for that evening's activities. Georgia may congratulate you, Josh, but I say time and energy wasted.

Way(s) in which he has embarrassed himself, his family, team and school: Here comes more on the arrest. A young woman, who should have been minding her own business, called police at 1:19 AM on April 11th when she found young Joshua passed out on the second level of the East Village parking deck. Yes, the second level of a parking deck. An excellent choice for a place to pass out. While there was the potential of getting backed over or just run over by a car, he protected himself from the elements.

When the police arrived, Josh was unresponsive and reeked of Mad Dog 20/20 or Steel Reserve (I'm guessing on the booze). Police then looked through his wallet to identify him and found that he had two licenses, one from Georgia and one from Florida. No big deal except that he's not from Florida and it was fake. So Josh earned himself a trip to the hospital, where they tried to make him less drunk, then on to the Clarke County Jail where he was booked for possessing a fake ID and underage possession of alcohol.

I'm a little disappointed there wasn't vomit, cursing and tasers involved, but a parking garage is still a solid backdrop.

Strengths: Resourcefulness.

Weaknesses: Decision-making...and bad friends who didn't bother to keep up with him or at least drag him inside the building or a car.

(Editor's Note 2: This post was from May of 2010. Parrish is still listed as a Redshirt Sophomore on the Georgia roster and we wager he’s a good kid. We just thought the overwhelming pressure that is the build up to the Dr. Pepper Bowl required a little levity at the vaunted S.E.C.’s expense…)

Onion of the Day: Duke Doing Something Indicates College Basketball Season Either Starting, Ending, Or Ongoing

If you aren’t familiar with The Onion, you should be. The Onion is a very funny newspaper/website/sports network that runs nothing but spoofs. Politically correct they are not. To learn more, click here.
Here is a typical (although not as funny as usual) example of their work.

DURHAM, NC—The sudden appearance of photos of Duke basketball players in national newspapers—as well as video of the school's marching band and Dick Vitale talking about the team on television—has led the nation to believe that something is currently happening with Duke basketball, arousing suspicions that the 2010-11 NCAA men's basketball season has either just begun, is about to begin, or has just ended. "I was flipping through USA Today and saw a picture of Coach K in his Duke collared shirt, not his Team USA collared shirt, so I think something is going on college-basketball-wise," Ohio resident Greg Evans told reporters. "In the picture he was yelling at young men who appeared to be Blue Devils players. Maybe it was a season preview. Or maybe it was a midseason report. Maybe it's March Madness." Evans added that similar things were probably happening at the University of North Carolina.

Here is a funnier recent example:

JULIAN ASSANGE FIRED FROM IT JOB AT PENTAGON 

ARLINGTON, VA—With officials describing his publication of sensitive U.S. State Department documents as "the last straw," Wikileaks founder Julian Assange was asked to resign from his position as the Pentagon's IT coordinator Monday. "We gave him his first warning after the whole Iraq and Afghanistan war diaries thing, and strike two was when he forwarded that video montage of Nicolas Cage yelling to the entire staff," Defense Department human resources director Curtis Shannon said. "But we just can't overlook this latest offense. Even if he's the only one who knows where the spare USB cables are." At press time, Assange had already been invited to interview for an IT position at the Central Intelligence Agency.*

(* As we are fond of saying here at T.A.H., items in italics MAY not be true.)

Heels, Hokies, Wolfpack Already On NCAA Bubble

Last year, North Carolina, N.C. State and Virginia Tech missed the field of 64 or 65 or 66 or whatever is is/was this week/last year, and this year they aren’t off to the kind of start that makes their return to the Big Dance all that promising.

Yes, it’s only early December and all three can insure themselves spots in the tournament with a good run through their ACC conference schedule. But to this point, only Duke looks likely to dominate and everybody else is looking like 8-8 or worse.

So when the conference play is over in early March, the bubble bursting needles are those pesky non-conference games. So far, neither the Heels nor Hokies have posted what the hoop gurus call “quality wins.”

North Carolina, which lost much more than it gained in the off-season, has struggled mightily to date posting a 4-3 record with wins over Hofstra, Lispcomb, UNC Asheville, and College of Charleston -- none of which will improve anybody’s power rankings.

The Heels have lost to Minnesota, Vanderbilt and Illinois and face #10 Kentucky on Saturday and #20 Texas on December 18. The remainder of their non-conference schedule is made up of Evansville, Long Beach State, William & Mary, Rutgers and St. Francis.

The Hokies have also been a bit of an early disappointment. Virginia Tech is also 4-3 with wins over Campbell, UNC Greensboro, Cal State Northridge and Oklahoma State. The win over OSU could prove helpful down the road. The Hokies have lost to Kansas State, UNLV and a Purdue team they should have (could have) beaten. The Hokies have remaining non-conference games with Penn State, Mississippi State, St. Bonaventure and USC Upstate. Not much help resume building there.

Which takes us to Raleigh, where the Wolfpack is in a little better shape, but not much. N.C. State is 4-2 with wins over Tennessee Tech, East Carolina, George Mason and Fairleigh Dickinson. They have lost to #16 Georgetown and unranked Wisconsin. The Wolfpack faces a tough test on Saturday playing #8 Syracuse in the Carrier Dome. They finish up non-conference with games against USC Upstate, Youngstown State, Arizona, Delaware State, Alabama A&M and Sand Diego – all at home.

The point of this small tale of woe is that all three need to post rock solid ACC regular season records in order to make the NCAA tournament. None of these teams face many quality non-conference foes, and, so far, they have either lost to (or are predicted to lose to) the few quality non-conference games that will ultimately matter to the Selection Committee.

Not exactly what those three programs were looking to contemplate as we approach the heart of the holiday season.

Pictures of the Day

HOKIE BEATS WAHOO AGAIN. Michael Vick (Virginia Tech) of the Philadelphia Eagles talks with Matt Schaub (Virginia) of the Houston Texans after the Eagles won 34-24 at Lincoln Financial Field on December 2, 2010 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. One fundamental difference between the two is Schaub has a degree in economics from the University of Virginia while Vick has a “degree” in "criminal justice" from the University of Hard Knocks and Federal Prison at Leavenworth, KS. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

NO INK. We don’t typically bore our sophisticated readers with “skin shots” related to sports.  However, this was the lead photo on the Yahoo! Sports NFL photo page we were visiting while in search of the Vick v. Shaub photo above.  What we found interesting was a) there are no apparent gigantic tattoos on any of these women and b) the woman on the far right of the photo could well be Troy Polamalu’s sister… The official caption read thusly: Members of the Los Angeles Temptation Lingerie Football team train during a media day to promote their upcoming game against the Dallas Desire, at the Coliseum in Los Angeles on December 2, 2010. The teams are part of the U.S. Lingerie Football League, which is a women's 7-on-7 full-contact tackle league and the games are broadcast as half-time entertainment during major NFL games such as the Superbowl.  (Yes, they had “Superbowl” as one word…) (Photo by Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Images/Topshots)

ACC-Big Ten Challenge

Kyrie Irving

#1 DUKE , #6 Michigan State (Spartans, 36,849 students, East Lansing, MI) – Evidently, one ACC freshman isn’t having any trouble getting his feet under him and that is Duke’s Kyrie Irving. Last night Dick Vitale was spewing superlatives about the Blue Devils’ “Diaper Dandy,” and you know what? He was right. Irving scored a season-high 31 points and No. 1 Duke beat No. 6 Michigan State in the marquee matchup of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.

Nolan Smith added 17 points and Kyle Singler scored 15 for the Blue Devils (7-0). They shot 47 percent, turned 20 Michigan State turnovers into 28 points, used a 12-2 spurt midway through the second half to take a double-figure lead and held off the Spartans down the stretch by hitting 9 of 12 free throws in the final 1:15. Game over.

Wisconsin (Badgers, 28,960 students, Madison, WI) 87, N.C. STATE 48 – Jon Leuer scored 22 points and had 11 rebounds, Jordan Taylor added 21 points and Wisconsin used a 23-0 run straddling halftime to beat North Carolina State on Wednesday night in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.

Wisconsin (5-2) rebounded from a loss to Notre Dame in the finals of the Old Spice Classic in Orlando, Fla. on Sunday night with a withering defensive performance, holding the Wolfpack (4-2) scoreless more than 10 minutes and limiting them to 31 percent shooting.

BOSTON COLLEGE 88, Indiana (Hoosiers, 32,490 students, Bloomington, IN) 76 – Reggie Jackson scored 27 points, grabbed five rebounds and dished out four assists to lift Boston College to a win over Indiana on Wednesday in an ACC/Big Ten Challenge matchup.

The victory improved the Eagles (5-2) to 5-0 against the Big Ten since joining the ACC. The Eagles are the only unbeaten school in the series of either conference. Indiana (6-1) was off to its best start under coach Tom Crean.

Reggie Jackson

#22 Purdue (Boilermakers, 31,145 students, West Lafayette, IN) 58, VIRGINIA TECH 55 –JuJuan Johnson scored 29 points, including a go-ahead 15-footer with 1:27 left in overtime, and the 22nd-ranked Boilermakers beat Virginia Tech on Wednesday night, clinching the ACC/Big Ten Challenge for the Big Ten for the second straight season.

MARYLAND 62, Penn State (Nittany Lions, 38,630 students, State College, PA) 39 – Jordan Jordan Williams had 15 points and 11 rebounds as Maryland overcame a slow start to defeat Penn State in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.

Dino Gregory, Sean Mosley and Terrell Stoglin had 10 points each for the Terps (6-2), playing their first true road game of the season. They held Penn State to 14 of 68 shooting (21 percent) on the night.

The Big Ten wins the Challenge 6-5.

(Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images and AP Photo/Mary Schwalm)