North Carolina Tops UWire List

Our friends at UWire, a site that showcases work of aspiring journalists, has announced the UWire 100, a listing of the nation's top collegiate journalists.

The UWire 100 students hail from 66 different schools. Among the schools represented by multiple members of the UWire 100 are North Carolina (five), Penn State (four), Iowa (four), Florida (three), Syracuse (three), Indiana (three) and Texas (three).

Reporters' Notebooks

Bob Condotta, Seattle Times: Washington and Louisiana State have agreed to a home-and-home series, starting with a 2009 game in Seattle. The Huskies and Tigers will meet in 2012 in Baton Rouge. Washington is never shy when it comes to scheduling big-time opponents.

Chris Foster, Los Angeles Times: Rick Neuheisel can receive up to $1.75 million a season in salary and bonuses, plus a $1.5 million home loan and other perks, according to the terms of a five-year contract finalized last week.

Howard Richman, Kansas City Star: Defensive end Jeffrey Fitzgerald, a freshman All-American and two-year starter at Virginia, is transferring to Kansas State.

Mark Brennan, Fight On State: What is Iowa's Kirk Ferentz doing on the Penn State campus, talking with Nittany Lion athletic director Tim Curley? Thanks to Kevin of We Are Penn State.

Ryan Wood, Lawrence Journal-World: A new contract is in the works for Kansas' Mark Manginio.

Dick Harmon, Deseret News: Brigham Young recruit Stephen Wirthlin is on the mend after breaking his neck in an automobile accident.

Scott Dochterman, Cedar Rapids Gazette: Iowa State's Gene Chizik says he won't make a decision on a starting quarterback until late August. Austen Arnaud and Philip Bates are battling for the job.

Ferd Lewis, Honolulu Advertiser: Hawaii is seeking approval to lower some ticket prices for the upcoming season.

Bellotti's Salary Could Top $3 Million

Oregon's Mike Bellotti could earn over $3 million this year if he reaches all the incentives in his reworked contract. Bellotti made $1.9 million in 2007, with $800,000 of that coming from a clause that awards the coach 8% of the gross of Autzen Stadium's total reserved ticket sales.

The reworked deal, sparked by UCLA's interest in Bellotti last December, boosts his base salary from $750,000 to $1,127,500. It also adds incentives tied to on-field success as well as TV exposure and players' academic achievement.

Oregon State's Mike Riley, whose team has won two in a row against the Ducks, is paid slightly more than $1 million.

Thanks to Image of Sport.

Reporters' Notebooks

Tom Kensler, Denver Post: The Big 12 agreed to retain the distribution formula for football revenue that has been in place since the league was formed in 1996. Under that formula, annual revenues derived from televised games involving Big 12 teams are divided in half. One of the pots is distributed evenly among the 12 members. The other pot also gives bonuses for TV appearances: ABC, $260,000 to a Big 12 member for a league game and $520,000 for a nonconference game; ESPN, $300,000; Fox Sports, $150,000; Versus, $50,000.

Berry Tramel, Oklahoman: Jack Mildren, who quarterbacked the Oklahoma Sooners to glory and then became the state’s lieutenant governor, died Thursday night after a bout with cancer. He was 58. Mildren timeline.

Tristan Scott, Missoulian: Montana offensive lineman J.D. Quinn was arrested on charges of drunken driving after being pulled over for a mudflap violation. Quinn transferred from Oklahoma after he took money for work that he didn't perform at a Norman auto dealership.

The Big Lead: Does anyone remember the last time Notre Dame, Nebraska, Miami and Florida State had back-to-back poor seasons? The age of the true dynasty is long gone.

Don McKee, Philadelphia Inquirer: Joe Paterno, who favors a playoff system, doesn't see one coming. "I'm only going to be a head coach another 10 or 15 years, and I don't think it will happen by then."

Roger Clarkson, Athens Banner-Herald: Georgia offensive lineman Clint Boling, who started 11 games as a freshman, was arrested for driving under the influence.

Tony Barnhart, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Five games that will decide the Atlantic Coast Conference championship.

Ryan Wood, Lawrence Journal-World: Kansas' Mark Mangino says his rant after a 27-23 loss to Texas in 2004 was calculated. Mangino was fined $5,000 by the Big 12 after saying officials favored the Longhorns because of Bowl Championship Series implications.

Joe Logan, Philadelphia Inquirer: Adam Taliaferro, the former Penn State defensive back who broke his neck during a game against Ohio State, continued his inspiring story. He graduated from Rutgers School of Law-Camden.

Susan Simpson, Oklahoman: T. Boone Pickens is back. The Texas billionaire gave a $100 million gift to Oklahoma State to endow 150 faculty jobs.

The Original Varsity Club

If you're a fan of The Ohio State University, The Varsity Club in Columbus is The Place to Be.

Founded in 1959, the two-story indoor and outdoor venue is located less than 500 yards from Ohio Stadium. The Varsity has considerable clout in the city. On game days, the bar has a permit to shut down a side street called Tuttle Park. Refrigerated beer trucks are brought in to serve as vendors to customers in the street.

"It's a beehive on game day, stuffed inside and outside. Fatcat alums mixed with poor underclassmen," writes the Midwest Correspondent.
A counter on the Varsity's website ticks down the seconds until the start of the season. Doors swing open for business at 9 a.m. on game days, unless Michigan is in town. Then the place opens at 8.

Not much is known about the Varsity's menu. This, after all, is a place to drink.

Reporters' Notebooks

Michael Rothstein, Fort Wayne Journal Gazette: According to the latest federal tax records, Notre Dame paid Tyrone Willingham more than Crewcut Charlie Weis in base compensation. List of Notre Dame's top salaries.

Ed Miller, Virginian-Pilot: Joining the Atlantic Coast Conference has paid off for Virginia Tech, which reported football income of $40.75 million last season, the most in the league.

Donnie Webb, Syracuse Post-Standard: A reader outlines why it might be wise for the Big East to consider expansion, with Central Florida being a target for football.

Scott Carter, Tampa Tribune: Florida State quarterback Drew Weatherford is almost fully recovered from arthroscopic surgery on his right knee.

Scott Rabalais, Baton Rouge Advocate: Les Miles is trying to assure fans about Louisiana State's quarterbacking situation. "We're going to have one in every formation," he said.

Tom Murphy, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette: Arkansas junior running back Brandon Barnett was arrested and charged with contempt of court for failing to pay a speeding ticket.

Ken Tysiac, Charlotte Observer: Plans for the first phase of renovations at North Carolina's Keenan Stadium have cleared a hurdle.

Jason Kaneshiro, Honolulu Star-Bulletin: Hawaii's athletic department is facing an expected deficit of $1.7 million in 2009. The loss would add to a cumulative deficit estimated at a minimum of $4.5 million.

Don Williams and Jeff Walker, Lubbock Avalanche Journal: Texas Tech starting center Stephen Hamby was arrested for aggravated assault. He allegedly punched a man twice in the face in March. The victim suffered a fractured jaw.

Bash Riprock's

Bash Riprock's opened for business in 1986 and from the looks of it, Lubbock has never been the same.

The establishment, which offers "food, fun and then some" is located across the street from Texas Tech's Jones AT&T Stadium.

It features two bars, six pool tables, 20 televisions and according to reader Greg, "excellent old-fashioned burgers and fries."

While this is a place for burgers, it's also a place for beer. There are 20 beers on tap and 300-plus bottled beers. Nightly specials include $1.50 longnecks, $4.50 pitchers and $2 drafts.
"Live music [hip-hop, R&B and country acts] is also featured on the weekends," Greg writes. "The waitresses wear white tank tops and blue jeans which reflects the relaxed atmosphere of the establishment."

Reviews are few and far between on Bash Riprock's. If you've been there, we'd like to get your impressions.

Reporters' Notebooks

Chip Brown, Dallas Morning News: Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe said he hopes a fifth year of eligibility for football players gets a strong look from the NCAA rules committee.

Tom Kensler, Denver Post: Beebe also expressed his opposition to a "plus one" system to determine a national champion.

Chadd Cripe and Brian Murphy, Idaho Statesman: Boise State is replacing its blue AstroPlay field with a blue FieldTurf surface. The installation is scheduled to be completed by early August.

Tony Barnhart, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: When examining a team's schedule, it's not only where you play an opponent, but when you play them.

Mark Snyder, Detroit Free Press: Rich Rod held a 90-minute roundtable with reporters, discussing everything from Joe Tiller's criticism of his recruiting tactics to his legal troubles with West Virginia.

Dave Dye, Detroit News: Former Oklahoma quarterback Keith Nichol will transfer to Michigan State.

Alexis Huicochea and Ryan Finley, Arizona Daily Star: Johnathan Turner, an expected starter at defensive end for Arizona, has been accused of sexual assault.

Losers With Socks: A downloadable Southeastern Conference helmet schedule.

Brett McMurphy, Tampa Tribune: The inaugural St. Petersburg Bowl, featuring teams from the Big East and Conference USA, will be played Dec. 20.

Stratosphere Hits a New Low

Look on the back of a sports betting ticket from a Las Vegas casino and you'll notice an expiration date, usually 60-120 days after the event. But it's an unwritten rule that a sportsbook will always cash a winning ticket, even after the expiration date. To do otherwise is simply not good for customer relations.

Michael Shackleford, a professional gaming consultant, the author of a book on gambling strategy and an adjunct professor at Nevada Las Vegas, wagered $1,000 on Oklahoma State to beat Texas Tech last Sept. 22. It was a moneyline wager, meaning the Cowboys, who were slight underdogs, had to win the game outright, at odds of plus-190.

Oklahoma State won, 49-45, and the winning ticket paid $2,900 (the original $1,000, plus $1,900 in profit).

Shackleford finally made it to the Stratosphere on Jan. 26 to collect his winnings. That was 126 days after the event, 66 days after expiration date on the back of the ticket. The Stratosphere told him to take a hike, and now Shackleford has taken his fight to the Gaming Control Board.

"I plan to fight this until the day I die,” Shackleford said.

Although the case remains unresolved, it was revealed in an April 2 hearing that the Stratosphere’s redemption period for sports tickets is actually 120 days, not 60 days. The casino continued to issue tickets with the erroneous 60-day deadline printed on them because "the property has several rolls of ticket stock material on hand, [and] it was not cost effective to reprint new wagering tickets," according to the board.

Gamblers in the city have taken note. Jeff Haney of the Las Vegas Sun writes: "But regardless of the outcome, the Stratosphere bosses should be ashamed of their actions. This episode gives another black eye to Nevada’s legal sports betting scene, which in terms of black eyes lately seems to resemble Floyd Patterson at the end of his second fight with Muhammad Ali."

Dirtbag's

Welcome to Dirtbag's, a part of growing up in Tucson. A part you're not likely to remember. It's our second entry in Thirst and 10.

Dirtbag's opened its doors in 1982 and serves a variety of concoctions, from the Sicilian Whore (eight exotic liquors with a pineapple flair) to the Cocaine Shooter (vodka, raspberry liqueur and grapefruit juice). And if you're a risk-taker, try the Surfer on Acid. (Dirtbag's doesn't even list the ingredients in that one.) Fortunately, Arizona Stadium is only a short walk (crawl?) from the front door.

The establishment is separated into three areas, the first being a rectangular room with a large bar and wood interior. Framed newspaper clippings line the walls. The waitresses? Top-notch, according to reader Marc.
Venture deeper and you'll find a room with a mini bar and additional seating. The menu includes the Dirtburger, a half-pound of ground beef, and Dirtfries.

The third area is an outside patio with about a dozen tables. A great place to soak in the warm desert nights.

Not everybody is fond of the place. Check out this review: "Dirtbags is full of the U of A set. Ditsy blondes and steroid abusing jocks. If it was not for the music all you would here is 'Oh, my god', 'My daddy gave me a Bentley' and so on. Give it a miss unless you really want to be subjected to this. The barstaff are rude too."

Let's hear what the readers have to say. Post your review in comments.

Pete Who?

Pete Carroll does his version of Jay Leno's Jaywalking on the USC campus, asking students and visitors if they know who the football coach is at the university.

Conference USA: Is Bigger Better?

More talk of conference expansion, this time coming from Conference USA. East Carolina athletic director Terry Holland has been pushing an expansion concept that would increase the size of the league from 12 to 16 or possibly 18 teams that would be split into two divisions.

Thus far, there has been little support for the idea. Holland, in an email to Jack Bogaczky of the Charleston Daily Mail, said "that if you can't go back to eight or nine teams for the conference, then move ahead to eight- or nine-team divisions. Twelve is simply the wrong number in my opinion."

What teams might be targeted in an expansion? Bogaczky speculates that Western Kentucky, Middle Tennessee State and South Alabama, about to start its program with a major college goal of 2013, could be in the mix.

Reporters' Notebooks

Georgia Sports Blog: Georgia fans are taking advantage of a promotion where fans can purchase season tickets to Arizona State games for only $99. The cost of a ticket to the Bulldog-Sun Devil game in Tempe is $55 and many Georgia fans, fearing they won't be able to get a ticket, have decided to purchase the $99 season ticket.

Brett McMurphy, Tampa Tribune: Something called Big & Rich will tape a concert intro for ESPN's "College GameDay" on Tuesday in Tampa.

John Lantigua, Palm Beach Post: The demolition of the Orange Bowl is nearing completion, memories being hauled away bit by bit, bin by bin, truck by truck.

Dave Reardon, Honolulu Star-Bulletin: There appears to be interest in Hawaii and Alabama scheduling a home-and-home series.

Jon Wilner, San Jose Mercury News: A look at the top 2009 draft prospects in the Pacific 10. USC's defense could produce two top-10 picks and four top-20 selections next April.

Paul Strelow, Columbia State: Clemson junior middle linebacker Cortney Vincent will not be reinstated to the team for the 2008 season. That means the Tigers will have to replace all three of their starting linebackers from a year ago.

Kyle Tucker, Virginian-Pilot: Virginia Tech has rescinded a scholarship offer to quarterback Pete Rose, who was arrested last week on drug charges.

Maurice Patton, Tennessean: Vanderbilt is betting that facility upgrades will boost fan interest.

Paul Finebaum, Mobile Press-Register: Race remains a volatile sports topic.

Steve Ellis, Tallahassee Democrat: Florida State's Preston Parker pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges of carrying a concealed weapon and marijuana possession. The plea deal will allow the Seminoles' best player to return to the team after a two-game suspension. The games he will miss, of course, are against Western Carolina and always tough Chattanooga.

Jerry Hill, Waco Tribune: Former Baylor player Kyle Woods, left paralyzed in a 1979 practice accident, is getting a new disability-friendly home, thanks to fundraising efforts of a committee headed by former Bear coach Grant Teaff.

Scott Dochterman, Cedar Rapids Gazette: There used to be a simple charm to watching sports on TV. The simplicity that accompanied a game now has been replaced with television booths where the analyst and play-by-play person argue more, talk louder and interject less game action than ever before.

To bypass registration, go to Bug Me Not. Here is today's mystery link.

The Esso Club

Our first entry in the Thirst and 10 contest is a strong one. Check out the Esso Club in Clemson, celebrating its 75th year of satisfying thirsty customers. (Click the images for a closer look.)

It started as a gas station in the 1920s and possesses the oldest beer license in town, dating to Dec. 5, 1933. The good times started mere hours after the end of prohibition and the business actually pumped gas until 1985, according to Wikipedia. We can imagine it took some customers several hours to fill their tanks. ...

The main bar is topped with the original wooden seating from Clemson's Memorial Stadium. As legend has it, Brent Musburger stops in for a cold one when he's in town.

Ryan of the site, Gobbler Country, paid a visit to the Esso Club last October for Virginia Tech's game against the Tigers. But despite the tradition and uniqueness of the Esso, he was not all that impressed.
"I would be surprised if the Esso Club loses the vote," he writes. "It has the history and the name recognition. However, I was a little disappointed when I went there last year. I think it's because I had it built up in my mind."

Have something to say about the Esso? Fire away in comments.

Girls, Girls, Girls

Social networking sites have absolutely no redeeming value. You certainly don't want to waste time on the Wiz Facebook page and the new photo album, "Good Cheer." It's Monday and work is already piled up on the corner of your desk. So just move along.

Another Heisman Close Encounter?

Florida's Tim Tebow and Missouri's Chase Daniel shared this — dare we say — touching moment at last year's Heisman Trophy ceremony. Let's hope they had some privacy later to really express their feelings for each other. ...

Now if things go according to plan this fall, Tebow and Daniel will be back on the big stage in New York for the Heisman ceremony. They are among the early favorites to win the award, according to odds posted at Bodog.

Tebow is 7/2 and Daniel is 8/1 (at the time of this post). Ohio State's Chris Wells is a sparkling 5/1, the same odds given to a pick on the field.

The following players are 10/1: Sam Bradford (Oklahoma), Michael Crabtree (Texas Tech), Knowshon Moreno (Georgia) and Pat White (West Virginia).

Others of note: Colt McCoy of Texas and Percy Harvin of Florida are 25/1. Ian Johnson of Boise State is 35/1. Jimmy Clausen of Notre Dame (he of seven touchdown passes and six interceptions in 2007) is 50/1. Armanti Edwards of Appalachian State is 100/1.

Edwards Shows Rich Rod Who Is No. 1

Braylon Edwards has solved his No. 1 problem.

To refresh, the Cleveland Browns receiver endowed a $500,000 scholarship for the Wolverine player who wears No. 1. That jersey number has been given to a receiver since 1979, and Edwards was one of the players to proudly wear No. 1.

Then word leaked that freshman defensive back J.T. Floyd was spotted wearing No. 1 this spring. Edwards expressed his displeasure with Rich Rodriguez in a radio interview.

But on Saturday night, Edwards spoke with Rich Rod at the "Champions for Children's Hearts" dinner gala at Crisler Arena.

Said Edwards: "Everything has been taken care of ... You don't break tradition. I don't care who you are or what school it is, you don't break tradition. You could come in here and completely revamp everything, change the coaching staff, you could change the uniforms, change a lot of stuff, but you don't change tradition. The No. 1 is one of our oldest, most storied traditions here — don't change it."

OK, then. Glad we got that settled.

Rich Rod also addressed Crewcut Charlie Weis' "to hell with Michigan" comment.

"We've taken a lot of shots in the last few months," he said. "If you want to take another one, you're going to have to stand in line. But I don't get caught up in that stuff too much."

Time for Rooney Rule in College Football?

There are 120 head coaching jobs in Division I-A and only six African Americans head coaches.

"In this day and age, it's a shame and an embarrassment," Washington's Tyrone Willingham said. "We've gone too long with the numbers the way they are. We have to change what we're doing. The good ol' boy network is alive and well."

In the NFL, where the Rooney Rule mandates that teams interview minority candidates for head coaching opportunities, five of 32 head coaches are African American.

"We need to find a way to get qualified minority coaches in front of the search committees, the athletic directors, the presidents," Willingham said.

"It's not so much about hiring; it's about creating opportunities. And it's about hiring the right people."

Thanks to Image of Sport.

Reporters' Notebooks

The Big Lead: Despite the recent arrest of standout receiver Preston Parker, Florida State football coach Bobby Bowden doesn't sound ready to institute a gun ban for the players in his program.

Alan Schmadtke, Orlando Sentinel: East Carolina and Memphis are not going anywhere, certainly not to the Big East in the immediate future. And conference realignment is not on the horizon.

Suzanne Halliburton, Austin American-Statesman: Penn State's Joe Paterno was his feisty self Friday night during a fundraiser in Austin. "Yesterday, I didn't think this event was getting enough press," he said. "I decided to go to the hospital and see if I could spruce it up a bit. I feel good."

Ian R. Rapoport, Birmingham News: All is well in the world of Alabama football. Crimson Tide Sports Marketing has reached a 10-year deal with Coca-Cola for it to be the official soft drink of the Crimson Tide.

Dennis Dodd, CBS Sports: Florida State president T.K. Wetherell has it right. College football will have a playoff.

Michael Murphy, Houston Chronicle: UCLA and Houston have agreed to a three-game series beginning in 2010, with two of the games at the Rose Bowl.

Brian Bennett, Louisville Courier-Journal: Senior running back George Stripling was dismissed from the Louisville team because of an undisclosed violation of team rules. He played in 34 career games for the Cardinals, finishing with 1,338 yards and 13 touchdowns.

Kyle Tucker, Virginian-Pilot: Peter Rose, a star quarterback and recent Virginia Tech signee, is facing felony drug charges after being busted in an undercover police investigation.

Ryan Finley, Arizona Daily Star: Arizona's Mike Stoops supports the new sideline rule and vows he will not be penalized for it.

Tony Barnhart, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Is Nick Saban "getting around" the rules? Far from it. And have you had enough of the Rich Rodriguez story yet?

Paul Finebaum, Mobile Press-Register: Jacksonville State coach Jack Crowe has just sold his soul for a quarterback.

Jeff Potrykus, Milwaukee Journal Sentinal: NFL referee Bill Carollo, who has officiated two Super Bowls and was an alternate for a third, is the new Big Ten coordinator of officials.

Detroit Free Press: Michigan State backup quarterback Connor Dixon has been granted a release from his scholarship.

Brian Dohn, L.A. Dialy News: Kai Maiava, who was a fullback at Colorado, is transferring to UCLA, where he will become an offensive lineman.

Craig Smith, Seattle Times: Jailed Washington State safety Xavier Hicks has lost his chance for early release because he violated work-release rules.

A.J. Carr, Raleigh News & Observer: North Carolina linebacker Wesley Flagg has been kicked off the team.

Joseph Duarte, Houston Chronicle: A Q&A with NCAA president Myles Brand.