To Live and Die.......in the SEC

Phil Fulmer? Sylvester Croom? Tommy Tuberville?

All former coaches in the Southeastern Conference this year.......all of the above.......who will not be back next year.

I'm no math major, but that's 25% of the coaches.......

What a league..........Fulmer, winner of a National Championship.....gone.

Tuberville.......an undefeated season 3 years ago..........gone.

Croom.......SEC coach of the year in 2007........gone.

The SEC...........the "What have you done for me lately league".

One bad season and the big bad boosters and the universities will boot your behind out. When is enough..........enough.

Georgia's Mark Richt is now the dean of coaches with 9 years in Athens.......but.......a mediocre season..........say a loss to Florida and rival Georgia Tech next year? I can see it now, "Richt resigns".......date-line December 10, 2009.

And Nick Saban of Alabama? You know how crazy those Tide fans are......Today, he can do no wrong..........the savior........but let 'Bama have a couple of bad years......."Here's the door Saban, don't let it hit you, where the good Lord split you".

Such is the life in the SEC. Win , win, win..........We pay the big bucks.......lose.......and you're out. Who in God's name would want to live this way? Who would ever want to coach in the SEC?

With that said..........this is "big boy" football..........not for the weak.....In this league....you eat....or be eaten.

Nice guy?..........Go to the Ivy League........Family guy?.......Go home and play with your kids........

This league is for but a few........

For this is the ..........SEC.

From Making History ....to Being History

Five years ago.......

Sylvester Croom was named head football coach at Mississippi State University. It marked the first time in the history of the Southeastern Conference, the football program was run by an African-American...........a black man.

But after a 4-8 record this season including the season ending beat down , 45-0, at the hands of arch rival, Ole Miss, Croom has resigned........effective immediately .


“Five years ago, Mississippi State gave me the unprecedented opportunity to be a head football coach in the Southeastern Conference and to build a program based upon a strong foundation,” Croom said. “I want to thank (then-president) Dr. Charles Lee and (then-athletic director) Larry Templeton for that opportunity. I also want to thank the assistant coaches and all the players who had faith and trust in me. We have tried to build a program the right way that can compete for conference championships. I believe the foundation has been set for those goals to be reached under the leadership of someone else, and it was my decision to resign.”

Mr. Croom is a good and honest man. Very sincere.......very dedicated........well respected.

But..........3-8, 3-8, 3-8, 8-5, and 4-8.......just don't keep the alumni happy. Bottom line? Croom was another nice guy with great morals who was a mediocre coach who happened to be black. One winning season in 5 years will not get you any extended contracts.

It is still sad though.......we are down to just 3 black head football coaches in division 1.......

Randy Shannon of Miami, Turner Gill of Buffalo and Kevin Sumlin of Houston are the only remaining black men in charge among the 119 teams that play at college football's highest level. Washington's Tyrone Willingham and Kansas State's Ron Prince were recently fired, with Willingham finishing up with the Huskies next Saturday.

Croom's coaching record.......courtesy of Wikipedia:

Head coaching record

Year	Team	Overall	Conference	Standing	Bowl	Coaches#	AP°
Mississippi State Bulldogs (SEC) (2004–2008)
2004	Mississippi State	3–8	2-6	6th (West)
2005	Mississippi State	3–8	1-7	T-5th (West)
2006	Mississippi State	3–9	1-7	6th (West)
2007	Mississippi State	8–5	4–4	T-3rd (West)	W Liberty
2008	Mississippi State	4–8	2-6	T-5th (West)
Mississippi State:		21–38	10–30
Total:		21–38
National Championship Conference Title Conference Division Title
†Indicates BCS bowl game. #Rankings from final Coaches Poll of the season.

Friday Picks

Bond........James Bond........

Yes........007 is back! "Quantum of Solace" opens this week-end in theaters all across the world as the British Secret Service agent embarks in yet another epic battle featuring good versus evil.

This is the 22nd Bond film.......Wow! Has it been that many?

Apparently........My favorite Bond was Roger Moore, followed closely by Sean Connery .....

The newest 007 is played by the British actor Daniel Craig......Maybe he'll grow on me...But for now, I'll just rely on the action scenes and special effects to get me through this one...

So........let's get to the picks.....

We had 3 winners last week in Alabama, FSU, and Carolina..... Vandy and Detroit let us down.

Here we go........

Last Week: 3-2-0

Season: 27-22-1


Notre Dame (-3 1/2 ) over Navy.....

It's put up or shut up for Charlie Weis and the Fighting Irish....Where are all those 5 star recruits from the past few years? This game will still be close.....but the Irish will cover.

Mississippi State (+21 1/2 ) over Alabama...

Sylvester Croom is on the hot seat....His team is 3-6 and going nowhere........this is a pride game. State will still lose.......but not by 21 1/2.....Take the points.

Clemson (-10 1/2 ) over Duke........

Yes..........the Tigers are reeling..........No, they don't have a head coach........but........they are at home.....playing Duke........in November. Better athletes....period. Duke has been decent this year, but this late in the season, the Blue Devils just don't have the horses...Lay the points.

Saint Louis Rams (+6 ) over San Francisco........

Mike Singletary may be a hall of famer .....as a player..........but his coaching is unproven.....It will be just his 3rd game and he may eventually be a great coach.......but the game is this Sunday.......Take the points.

Carolina (-14 ) over Detroit.....

The Lions screwed us last week by failing to show up against Jacksonville.....at home no less. Now they go on the road .......in the deep south? Lay the points........this team is flat awful........

See you in a week.

Monday Morning......Mournings.....

Just some weekend musings...........

The game between the New York Giants and the Miami Dolphins was unwatchable......The teams traveled some 4500 miles to play in a rain soaked -- torn up turf -- stadium? Earth to the NFL...........WHY??? You are not the NBA....You're not baseball........You're not soccer. You are the NFL ...... You are ....by far -- the best, most efficiently run sports entity in the entire world. You are not international......You are home grown.....That's why we love this game. Let this be a one time event......London has a lot of things to offer..........the NFL is just not one of them.

Talking about winning ugly...........how bad was Ely Manning and Vince Young? Both the Giants and the Titans won --- but despite the respective quarterbacks. Manning was a mere 8 for 22 with 59 yards. And Young? Well ......he was 6 for 14 and had 42 yards........Yuck!!!

We see that SMU has fired head coach Phil Bennett Sunday --- following a 29-23 loss at Tulsa. The Mustangs are 1-7 with four games remaining. For those of us in the older sect --- we remember the SMU of the 70's......with that "pony express" backfield.....a top ten program......and competing in the now defunct Southwest Conference. With the "Death Penalty" levied on the school.....SMU football has never been the same. They now play in a mid-major conference with just a shell of the following they once had..... So.....the solution.....fire the coach. SMU????? You have bigger issues....

I love it when........Sylvester Croom's Mississippi State squad upsets one of these "good 'ole boy network schools". The Bulldogs took it to Kentucky Saturday , 31-14. Croom is one of only 6............yes......six........black head coaches in the 119 division 1 schools. No SEC schools had the balls to hire a black coach.....except.....of all places....Mississippi!!!

Seems the New England Patriots and Bill Belichick are pissing off a lot of folks with that high powered offense. They are totally dominating opposing teams.....The Patriots are on pace to score over 600 points this season......obliterating the previous record. They just laid 52 on the Washington Redskins.....and were very unapologetic about it. And Belichick said it best --- "My punting team punts......but my offense is in there to make plays". You go boy!!!!!!!!!!!!

And.....on a final note.......Our collective hats are donned for the Boston Redsox! You were the better team......you deserved the win. You swept .............'nough said.

Six............Soon to be .....Five?

Seems the natives are getting restless in UCLA land......fifth year Bruin head coach Karl Dorrell is feeling the heat from fans and boosters....

UCLA's Dorrell gets no slack in cyberspace (LA Times)

Dorrell took over a scandal laced UCLA program in 2003, going 6-7 in his initial year. In 2004, the Bruins went 6-6 , 2005, they were 10-2, and last year they had a 7-6 record. This season the Bruins are 5-2 over all and 4-0 in the Pac-Ten. Dorrell is one of six black head coaches out of the 119 division 1-A schools. Much of the criticism is aimed at the inconsistency of his team. Last Saturday, UCLA upset previously ranked #10 Cal, 30-21.......but has had deflating and embarrassing losses to Utah (44-6) and most recently, Notre Dame (20-6). Of the six black head coaches, Dorrell has the most high profile program -- competing in LA against Pete Carroll and the likes. Here's how the Six compare in 2007 salary and wins &losses:

Ty Willingham (Washington) $1,414,772 (2-5)

Randy Shannon (Miami) 1,000,000 (5-3)

Sylvester Croom(Miss St) 940,000 (4-4)

Karl Dorrell (UCLA) 881,000 (5-2)

Ron Prince (Kansas St) 750,000 (4-3)

Turner Gill (Buffalo) 183,000 (3-5)

See http://coacheshotseat.com/CoachesHotSeatRanking.htm


Randy Shannon of Miami seems to have the most job security.......of course he's in his first year......Sylvester Croom is in a no win situation. We give him a year......no longer. Our sympathies go out to Ty Willingham. Why? Of the 7 teams Washington has played this year, only Syracuse was not ranked...and that was the first game of the season. In consecutive weeks the Huskies faced, Ohio State, UCLA, USC, Arizona State, and Oregon......All ranked in the top 25!!!