Top

Norm Chow

January 13, 2010 by · Comments Off on Norm Chow 

Norm Chow:Despite reports across the Internet, a deal to bring Norm Chow, currently UCLA’s offensive coordinator, back to USC as offensive coordinator for new Coach Lane Kiffin is not done yet. A source close to Chow says while the two sides are talking, no deal has been reached.

Chow said recently that it “would take NFL-type money” to get him back to USC.

He was due to make $690,000 at UCLA next season, including a $250,000 bonus if he was still offensive coordinator on April 1.

— Houston Mitchell

Lane Kiffin Leaving Tennessee

January 13, 2010 by · Comments Off on Lane Kiffin Leaving Tennessee 

Lane-Kiffin-GettyLane Kiffin Leaving Tennessee:USC has replaced departed football coach Pete Carroll with Tennessee’s Lane Kiffin, USC announced late Tuesday.

Kiffin, who served as an assistant under Carroll from 2001-06 before leaving to become the Oakland Raiders head coach, is leaving after one tumultuous season at Tennessee that saw him enrage his fellow SEC coaches, draw the ire of the NCAA and upgrade Tennessee’s talent base. Kiffin will bring his father, Volunteers defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin, and defensive line coach/recruiting coordinator Ed Orgeron with him. Orgeron served in those roles at USC under Carroll. He left USC after the 2004 season to become the head coach at Ole Miss.

Kiffin was scheduled to meet with Tennessee players at about 9:15 p.m. Tuesday to break the news.

Gary Willis, the father of Tennessee recruit Brandon Willis, had planned to drive his son from Duncan, S.C., to Knoxville, Tenn., on Tuesday night so Brandon could begin classes on Wednesday. “We won’t be going to Tennessee now,” the elder Willis said.

Willis had narrowed his choices to UCLA, North Carolina and Tennessee. He announced his commitment to Tennessee during Saturday’s U.S. Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio, Texas. The elder Willis said the family had spoken to UCLA and North Carolina coaches on Tuesday night after Kiffin news broke. Had Willis set foot in a class at Tennessee, he would have had to obtain a waiver from the NCAA to transfer without sitting out a year. “I’m glad it happened when it happened,” Gary Willis said. “It could have been a real mess.”

Brandon Willis was one of the Byrnes High football players at the center of the NCAAs investigation into Tennessees use of its recruiting hostess program. Two hostesses were photographed by SI.com with Willis and teammate Corey Miller, another Tennessee recruit after Byrnes beat Gaffney High on Sept. 25. The NCAA is trying to determine whether the hostesses acted on their own or if they were directed to attend the game by a member of Tennessees coaching staff.

USC has NCAA issues of its own. The NCAA has completed its investigation into allegations of improper benefits received by former Trojan Reggie Bush from a marketing company hoping to sign him as a client and allegations that former basketball coach Tim Floyd paid an agent runner to secure the services of guard O.J. Mayo.

Monday, Yahoo! Sports reported that the NCAA’s Committee on Infractions will meet Feb. 19-21 to determine what, if any, punishment USC would receive.

Clippers Grizzlies,Memphis Grizzlies

January 13, 2010 by · Comments Off on Clippers Grizzlies,Memphis Grizzlies 

Clippers Grizzlies,Memphis Grizzlies:The Los Angeles Clippers have played well at home. It’s on the road, however, where they need to show improvement.

Looking for a fifth consecutive victory overall, the Clippers could be in for a challenge while trying to snap a four-game road losing streak Tuesday night against the Memphis Grizzlies, winners of five straight at home.

Chris Kaman had 22 points with 14 rebounds and Baron Davis added 14 assists as Los Angeles (17-18) beat Miami 94-84 on Sunday to conclude a 4-0 homestand.

The Clippers are 12-8 at home where they’ve won six in a row, but 5-10 away from Staples Center. Los Angeles opens a three-game trip and plays 11 of the next 14 games away from home.

“We need to take this show on the road,” coach Mike Dunleavy said. “We’ve been playing the best we have this year, but there is better play to come.”

That could be a tall order against Memphis (18-18), which is trying to win six straight at home for the first time since March 14-26, 2006. Los Angeles is 2-1 against the Grizzlies this season, losing 106-91 at the FedEx Forum on Nov. 18. The Clippers are 5-11 all-time at Memphis, where they’ve lost three of four.

The Clippers are averaging more points (98.7) on the road than at home (94.4), but are giving up 101.7 points per game away from home – 6.5 more than they’re allowing at Staples.

Defense, however, has been a key to the Clippers winning five of their last six. Los Angeles is allowing 91.8 points in its last six contests – five of which were played at home.

“We’ve really got better defensively,” said guard Eric Gordon, who had 17 points Sunday. “We’re doing a lot of things right. We can still get better, but we’re putting it together.”

Gordon had 29 points in Los Angeles’ 89-88 home win over Memphis in the teams’ last meeting Nov. 29. The second-year guard is averaging 18.5 points in four career games versus the Grizzlies.

Kaman, meanwhile, is averaging 23.2 points and 10.8 rebounds in his last 13 games. The 7-footer’s health has been a key reason for his and the team’s success. He’s played all 35 games – four more than his total from an injury-plagued 2008-09 season.

Davis, meanwhile, has missed one game after playing 65 during a disappointing first season with the Clippers. The veteran guard had a team-high 23 points in the Clippers‘ loss at Memphis in November.

The Grizzlies hope to stall the Clippers‘ momentum by continuing their own strong play at home while trying to bounce back from an 89-87 loss at Charlotte on Saturday.

O.J. Mayo scored 25 points and Zach Randolph added 17 with 12 rebounds, but Gerald Wallace leaped over Randolph and dropped in a missed shot for the winner at the buzzer to send the Grizzlies to their second loss in three contests.

Returning to the FedEx Forum could help the Grizzlies forget about that defeat. Memphis is averaging 107.4 points and shooting 48.0 percent during its five-game home winning streak.

Randolph is averaging 25.3 points with 14.8 rebounds in his last 11 games. He averaged 20.9 and 9.4 rebounds in 39 games for the Clippers in 2008-09, and 15.0 points and 8.7 boards in the first three against his former team this season.

Lane Kiffin Press Conference

January 13, 2010 by · Comments Off on Lane Kiffin Press Conference 

Lane Kiffin Press Conference:On June 8, 2009 the Raiders organization issued a statement about Lane Kiffin in Tennessee:

Lane Kiffin is a flat-out liar. He lied to the team, he lied to the fans, and he lied to the media. He will try to destroy that university like he tried to destroy the Raiders…”

Sounds like Herrera, but also sounds like Al Davis.

Before that, Al Davis had his famous press conference denouncing Kiffin as well.

This is breaking news; I cannot furnish the reader with Vol’s contractual details just yet. ESPN just interrupted some basketball game every five minutes for the last 20 minutes to broadcast this.

Kiffin’s OC: Norm Chow.

Kiffin’s DC: His legendary father, Monte, of the greatest Buccaneers eras.

USC picked up what appeared to be a large package.

Al Davis was right. Upon multiple accusations he made at his “crazy” press conference, one was that Lane was getting Al to tamper with Tampa Bay in recruiting Monte Kiffin. That is something Al Davis wouldn’t do, he snarled.

The other accusation was Lane Kiffin feeding lies to ESPN and Chris Mortenson, which I believe to be true, since Al Davis cryptically alluded to monitoring Kiffin’s company cell phone.

But, for you Al Davis haters, would also seem to tarnish Davis in this sordid affair as well and confirm his control freak tendencies.

You’ll get better and more informed stories than this, believe me. This is breaking and confirmed my suspicion that the old man was completely in his right mind—albeit more feeble and physically appearing as an 80-year-old—during that historical, one of a kind press conference.

The only thing Kiffin said (it was actually Al Davis who said Kiffin said it) that may have merit is, “I can’t win with Jamarcus Russell.”

Kiffin also talked generously to the press (google it, it’s recent) with a whole-hearted endorsement of Tom Cable as head coach, especially towards Cable’s character in the midst of all the ESPN smear job concerning his past.

All the dust is settling right now and there are too many mixed messages from every party involved. I never felt Al was crazy in that press conference, and a lot of what he had to say about Lane Kiffin is evidently true.

Bottom