Let's look back at the biggest stories from the first weekend of 2010.
1. Texas Tech Wins Alamo Bowl Without Mike Leach. Congratulations to interim head coach Ruffin McNeill and the Red Raiders in their 41 to 31 triumph over Michigan State in the Alamo Bowl on Saturday. It was their first game without former head coach Mike Leach, who was fired earlier this week amid controversy involving Leach and Texas Tech's Adam James, son of ESPN College Football analyst Craig James. The victory showed that Texas Tech did an outstanding job blocking out the distractions of the past week.
The only thing I have to say about Mike Leach is good riddance and don't let the door hit you on the way out. I'm sure some other school will come along that is desperate enough to take a chance and hire you, but I would definitely not take that chance after what has happened this week. We live in a world today where it is unacceptable to mistreat athletes from all fields of sports whether at the college or pro level. News reporting has also become more advanced at everything in the world is being viewed with more intensity and scrutiny. Mike Leach is just the latest college coach to be somewhat exposed recently, after Mark Mangino of Kansas and former College Basketball coach and current ESPN analyst Bob Knight. Their hardnose coaching styles are no longer the acceptable norm in today's society.
2. Ohio State Finally Wins Rose Bowl. My biggest congratulations also to Jim Tressel and the Buckeyes for finally winning a bowl game. They started off 2010 with a bang thanks to a 26 to 17 win against the Oregon Ducks in Pasadena last Friday. The victory continued what has been a surprising successful bowl season for the Big Ten Conference. I guess this is a good time to be a fan of the Big Ten after some lackluster showings the last few years and good for them. It gives their fans hope for the future, but who knows how long it will last. On the flipside, it was a down year for the Pac 10 Conference this year in bowl season. The Ducks were beaten by Ohio State in the Rose Bowl. Stanford lost to Oklahoma in the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas. The Golden Bears of California fell to the Utes of Utah in the Poinsettia Bowl. The Beavers of Oregon State were blown out by BYU in the Las Vegas Bowl. The only Pac 10 team that had a good showing was USC against Boston College in the Emerald Bowl. Hopefully next season the Pac 10 will have better luck during the bowl campaign.
3. End of an Era in Gainesville and Tallahassee. That is the Tim Tebow and Bobby Bowden era. Tim Tebow capped off an amazing college career with a 51 to 24 romp over the Cincinnati Bearcats in the Sugar Bowl on Friday night. He would be someone I would definitely want on my team. The former Heisman Trophy winner had great leadership skills at the college level. He also seemed to be a great teammate in college. It remains to be seen where Tebow will be taken in this year's draft in April. There is also the question of whether he has what it takes to be a star quarterback at the pro level. The one thing I do know is however Tebow is used, he is sure to have a solid career in the NFL for years to come. The Sugar Bowl win was also the last game for head coach Urban Meyer for the forseeable future as he will now take an indefinite leave of absence to deal with various health issues. Here's to hoping he comes back fully healthy and ready to continue his legacy with the Florida Gators sometime soon.
It was also the end of the Bobby Bowden era at Florida State in the Gator Bowl on New Year's Day. Bowden's storied 34 seasons with the Seminoles came to an end with at 33 to 21 triumph over West Virginia, who is retiring after a remarkable, long career. On a personal note, each time I see interview footage of Bowden, I can't help but like the guy even more, as I'm sure other fans do as well. He has that Southern drawl and charm down to a tee. I wish you luck Coach Bowden in whatever comes your way in retirement.
4. Gilbert Arenas Under Investigation Following Alleged Gun Dispute With Teammate. Every now and then we see these kinds of stories. What's amazing to me is that we continue to see them and it seems like some athletes never really grow up and learn. I can understand why an athlete would feel the need to own a gun for protection because they are often seen in the public spotlight, but why do they feel the need to get involved in any dispute with their teammates? It is even more astonishing when the alleged dispute is over a gambling debt that one person refuses to pay. Now I know some teammates don't like each other, but can't they put their differences aside and get along for the sake of the team? Gilbert Arenas, to his credit, has acknowleged that it was bad judgement on his part to bring a gun to his locker. Let's hope nothing more happens between Arenas and Javaris Crittendon as events unfold, but I'm not counting on it. I wouldn't be surprised if Arenas and Crittendon were suspended sometime in the future by NBA commissioner David Stern, depending on what happens with the investigation.
Photos coutesy:
Wikimedia Commons and Wordbuilder under CC-SA 3.0 License
Wikimedia Commons and Erik Thureson under CC-SA 2.0 License
Wikimedia Commons and Jameskpoole under CC-SA 3.0 License
Wikimedia Commons and cholder68 under CC-SA 2.0 License
Wikimedia Commons and Keith Allison under CC-SA 2.0 License
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