How McCoy, Fanning did at track trialsPosted Jul04, 2008 at 11:34 PMFriday night at the U.S. Olympic track and field trials in Eugene, Ore., William Fleming and George Mason graduate Ryan McCoy was 22nd out of 24 entrants in the men's triple jump prelims with a jump of 50 feet 9 1/2 inches.He did not advance to the finals. In the women's 5,000 meters final, Virginia Tech's Tasmin Fanning was ninth out of the 16 runners with a time of 15 minutes, 41.05 seconds. Making the Olympic team in that event were winner Kara Goucher at 15:01.02, second-place Jennifer Rhines at 15:02.02 and third-place Shalane Flanagan at 15:02.81. The men's hammer throw final was won by A.G. Kruger at 248-09. The women's high jump was won by Chaunte Howard at 6-05 1/2. Saturday, it wil be Tech hurdler Kristi Castlin's turn in the spotlight. The first two rounds of the 100-meter hurdles will be held. Can Castiln advance to Sunday's semis, or will the strained leg muscle that caused her to withdraw from the NCAA championships hinder her? -- Mark Berman Voting for ACC athletes of the yearPosted Jul02, 2008 at 12:13 AMIt’s time for the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association to vote for the ACC male and female athletes of the year. The male nominees include Tyler Hansbrough, Matt Ryan, Virginia Tech soccer star Patrick Nyarko, national baseball player of the year Buster Posey of FSU and two-time NCAA singles champ Somdev Devvarman of UVa. The female nominees include Angela Tincher, Khadijah Whittington, UVa soccer star Becky Sauerbrunn, national golfer of the year Amanda Blumenhurst of Duke, national soccer player of the year Mami Yamaguchi of FSU and national field hockey player of the year Rachel Dawson of UNC. I’m voting for Tincher, and I just might vote for Devvarman instead of likely winner Hansbrough. — Mark Berman NBA draft has name recognitionPosted Jun27, 2008 at 03:28 PMThe NBA draft certainly holds more interest for the average fan now that college players are the top picks. For the past two years, the early picks are mostly players we've gotten to know, even if it was only for one season. David Stern wants to raise the minimum drafting age by another year, and I hope he gets his way. It's better for college basketball, which makes it better for basketball as a whole. Who would know who Derrick Rose is if he hadn't led Memphis to the national title game? Not many outside of the Chicago Bulls. -- Jeff Gilbert Hippensteel to play in WimbledonPosted Jun22, 2008 at 08:55 PMWimbledon begins Monday, and former North Cross and Stanford standout K.J. Hippensteel will be playing doubles. Hippensteel and Newport News native Tripp Phillips will face Stephen Huss and Ross Hutchins. Hippensteel and Phillips earned their berth in the main draw through a Wimbledon qualifier. Hippensteel lost his first-round match in the singles qualifier. Hippensteel, 28, is 0-3 in Grand Slam men’s matches, having played U.S. Open doubles in 1998 and 1999 and U.S. Open singles in 2004. But he does own an NCAA doubles title and a U.S. Open boys’ doubles crown, and he once made the Wimbledon boys’ doubles semifinals. But he underwent surgeries in 2005 and 2006. — Mark Berman Celtics a pleasure to watchPosted Jun18, 2008 at 09:49 AMThe story of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen sacrificing for the good of the team has been talked about and written about throughout this season. When Danny Ainge put this Boston Celtics team together, I didn't believe it would end with an NBA championship. Too many egos, too much of a chance of injury and too many unknowns among the role players. A team coming together like this proves again that money doesn't have to be the ultimate pursuit of a millionaire athlete. You need defense to win a championship, but more than that you need players sold out to the team. -- Jeff Gilbert Jay Bruce on a roll for RedsPosted Jun03, 2008 at 09:46 AMIn his first six games, Jay Bruce has been like a reincarnation of the Big Red Machine all by himself. All of the numbers are impressive, starting with 21 years old. He was batting .591 entering Monday night’s game. He’s hit two important home runs, driven in six and stolen two bases. He’s big and strong, he’s left-handed and maybe he’s the next big thing in baseball. He certainly has been the big thing this past week. — Jeff Gilbert Franklin County alum pitching for national titlePosted May30, 2008 at 05:51 PMAnother pitcher from Timesland will be pitching on a national stage Saturday. Casey Hodges, a senior from Franklin County High School, will start for Mount Olive College of North Carolina in the NCAA Division II national championship game against the winner of Friday's game between Ouachita Baptist and Sonoma State. And Hodges will be pitching on TV as well. The game will be telecast on CBS College Sports and MASN. Hodges is 9-1 this season with a 2.67 ERA. He has three complete games and 81 strikeouts in 81 innings. Mount Olive is 55-6. -- Jeff Gilbert Interesting words from Phil JacksonPosted May07, 2008 at 08:55 PMAs I drove to work Wednesday morning, I heard Phil Jackson speaking on the radio about Kobe Bryant's NBA MVP award. He said nobody ever deserved and MVP award more or ever worked harder to get one. Jackson is Bryant's coach with the Los Angeles Lakers and once wrote some not very complimentary things about Kobe in a book. But far more strange is that Jackson was Michael Jordan's coach while Michael was winning MVPs and leading the Chicago Bulls to six NBA championships. Michael gets credit for playing harder than anyone else and wanting to win more than anyone else. Then Jackson rates Kobe as Michael's equal in working hard and in being deserving of praise. Not sure I would agree, but then who knows Michael and Kobe better than Phil? -- Jeff Gilbert Larry Brown a good hire for BobcatsPosted Apr29, 2008 at 03:48 PMLarry Brown is back in North Carolina, this time to coach the Charlotte Bobcats. Will the NBA experience of Brown and his new boss, Michael Jordan, do anything for the Bobcats next season? Most likely it will. It is good to see Brown coming back to the league and doing what he loves to do and does better than most. We know he probably won't stay beyond his four-year contract (he'll be 71 when it expires) or he might not even last that long. But he will leave the team in better shape than it is now. What will really matter for the franchise is who they replace him with. Brown will raise the level of their play, but not many will be capable of following him and at least maintaining what he's grown. -- Jeff Gilbert Blue Jays won't be hurt by lossPosted Apr24, 2008 at 10:27 AMKudos to the Toronto Blue Jays for taking a strong stand — and a big financial hit — on Frank Thomas. The club released its slumping slugger Sunday, one day after Thomas sulked for being benched. The Big Hurt refused to shake hands with teammates after Saturday’s 3-2 victory over the Tigers, and that should tell you all you need to know about his priorities. Perhaps if he had more than four hits in his previous 35 at-bats and a batting average higher than .167, Thomas would have actually had a case. He’ll still get the big bucks left on his two-year, $18 million deal he signed in November 2006. But it’s good to see the money didn’t cramp the Jays’ brains and convince them to give in to a petulant malcontent. — Aaron McFarling Stay tuned to NBA playoffsPosted Apr24, 2008 at 10:26 AMWant to know just how good the NBA playoffs are? If you missed Saturday’s first two games — too bad. You missed plenty. LeBron James took over in the second half to lead Cleveland Cavaliers past Washington Wizards. Then the defending champion San Antonio Spurs came from behind to beat Phoenix in double overtime — all because Tim Duncan hit his first 3-pointer of the season to force that second OT. There were enough big shots in that game, that if it had been an NCAA final it would go down as a classic. But it’s just another NBA playoff game. That’s what makes this league’s playoffs season so much fun to watch. There will be lots of clutch performances between now and June. — Jeff Gilbert Western depth doesn't mean it has the best teamPosted Apr24, 2008 at 10:25 AMI made the statement today that the NBA Western Conference is down this year. After being roundly ridiculed and mocked of by my co-workers, I tried to make more point more clearly. So let me explain. No, let me sum up — that’s all the space I have. The Western team which makes the Finals will not be as formidable as the Spurs were last year. The West is deep, but it’s not as tough at the top. Not saying the Celtics or the Pistons will win the title, but don’t hand the trophy to the Lakers, etc., just yet. — Jeff Gilbert Give up trying to find fault with TigerPosted Apr24, 2008 at 10:24 AMWhen the only criticizing to be done is nit-picking, that has become the sign of true greatness in sports. Tiger Woods is the greatest golfer we’ve ever seen, but he’s never come from behind on Sunday to win a major. If that’s all you’ve got, then find something else to say or write about. When Tiger wins, he is dominant. When he loses, the putts don’t fall. It’s as simple as that. The Sunday will come when Tiger fills this so-called gap on his resume. What will be next? He’s never won in anything but red on Sunday? — Jeff Gilbert Challenge issued to see Stinespring, Doughty race in the poolPosted Apr11, 2008 at 03:40 PMIf you haven't watched Doug Doughty and Randy King's lively discussions on the Sports TimesCast, you should. Now we've got a challenge brewing that Randy (the Virginia Tech football writer) has called for: Doug in the pool in a 50-meter freestyle race against Virginia Tech offensive coordinator Bryan Stinespring, who once filled in for Randy as a guest host on the show. There's a poll on the site now asking who you think will win. You have to vote to see how it's going. I voted for Coach Stinespring on Friday afternoon and he had a 7-1 lead at the time. So go vote, and I'll make sure this challenge race happens. -- Jeff Gilbert Low? Low?!!!! What you talkin' about, low?Posted Apr07, 2008 at 09:42 PMTheir magic number is 156. And you'd better believe every Orioles fan knows it. After 10 years of purgatory, the baseball gods gave the Birds a week to remember to open 2008, as they completed a four-game sweep of Seattle on Monday to improve to 5-1 and remain in SOLE possession of first place in the AL East. Someone posting under the handle "Aubrey Huff" chimed in on the blog at roanoke.com under my quick thought from last Monday, an Opening Day loss-inspired rant headlined "Optimism low for Orioles." Huffs post? "Dont look now...but the Os are 3-1!!" Know what? Huffs right. Scrap that previous post. Optimism is HIGH for the Orioles. Crazy, irrational, loony-bin, never-gonna-last high. And I love it. -- Aaron McFarling Put some Tiger in your tankPosted Apr03, 2008 at 01:07 PMHave you seen the cool commercial where Tiger Woods hits a drive off the moon? Nothing wrong with the commercial, but do we really need Gatorade Tiger? A press release came today saying that he selected the flavors. Was this a blindfolded taste test? It goes on to report that Gatorade Tiger contains 25 percent more electrolytes than your average non-Tiger Gatorade to advance fluid and electrolyte replacement. I assume this is being marketed to golfers. But do golfers really need a higher octane Gatorade than other athletes? Yeah, 18 holes can be grind, but come on. I'm wondering if I should try Red Drive (cherry blend), Quiet Storm (grape blend) or Cool Fusion (citrus blend) first? -- Jeff Gilbert Optimism low for OriolesPosted Apr03, 2008 at 01:05 PMOn this Web site, you’ll see a fine column by Doug Doughty about attending the Nationals’ opener. I also attended an opener this week — Monday’s Orioles-Rays game in Baltimore, a family tradition dating back to the early 1980s. Let’s just say optimism was in lesser supply just 30 minutes up I-95 than it was in Washington. And it was in lesser supply than I’ve ever seen in all my years of traveling to Memorial Stadium and Camden Yards for the season lid-lifters. Large sections of empty seats, merciless booing of Aubrey Huff, shoddy defense and a punchless performance from the offense confirmed something we already knew: It’s going to be another very, very long season for the once-proud Birds. — Aaron McFarling Stephen Curry as court savvy as they comePosted Mar29, 2008 at 02:00 PMStephen Curry continued to make fools of talent evaluators with another 30-plus point performance in the NCAA tournament. His scoring output is impressive enough, but he's averaging over 20 points in the second halves of Davidson's three wins. Crazy. I've got Kansas going to the title game in my bracket, but I will gladly sacrifice that pick to see Stephen play again next Saturday. The focus is on his shooting, but to watch him play without the ball in his hands is remarkable. His basketball IQ is even better than his jumper. -- Jeff Gilbert Knicks revival not out of the questionPosted Mar25, 2008 at 06:22 PMForget about Shaq going from the Heat to the Suns, the biggest change of address in the NBA is ready to happen when Donnie Walsh turns his departure from Indiana into an arrival in New York. The Knicks have been an embarrassment to the league in recent years, but Walsh is an executive who can turn this thing around. Nothing is official yet, but this move will get Isiah Thomas out of the front office. When Walsh improves the roster, we'll find out if Isiah can coach (that is if Walsh keeps him around). No one could win with the team Isiah has assembled. The NBA needs the Knicks to be good. It's good for marketing. And I'm tired of following a losing team. -- Jeff Gilbert Stephen Curry a great story for the nationPosted Mar25, 2008 at 10:35 AMStephen Curry and Davidson are the darlings of the NCAA tournament. Google Curry today and the rest of the nation is catching up to the story of how Virginia Tech wouldn’t offer the son of Dell Curry a basketball scholarship. Curry was too small, Tech and other big schools said at the time. Another perimeter shooter to go with A.D. Vassallo this year certainly would have been enough to make Tech an NCAA team. That’s a one-that-got-away story Tech fans will never forget. But for the rest of us, it sure gives this tournament a storyline we will long remember. — Jeff Gilbert Joe Lunardi talks HokiesPosted Feb28, 2008 at 05:01 PMI asked ESPN “bracketologist” Joe Lunardi on Thursday about Virginia Tech’s NCAA chances. If the Hokies beat Wake Forest and Clemson to finish 10-6 in the ACC, would they lock up a bid? That would be “premature” thinking, he said. But if they also get a win in the ACC Tournament, he said they’ll be in fine shape. He said that while they would have a similar “profile” as 2007 wallflower Syracuse — which was left out despite 22 wins, 10 Big East wins and a win in the Big East tournament — they would benefit by being in a weaker mix of bubble teams than last year’s bunch. — Mark Berman Pettitte rings truePosted Feb15, 2008 at 09:37 AMI believe Andy Pettitte. Which means I don’t believe Roger Clemens. And, somewhat comfortingly, it means I don’t necessarily have to believe everything that came out of Brian McNamee’s mouth during Wednesday’s Congressional hearings on steroid usage in baseball. Pettitte’s sworn statements that Clemens told him he used human growth hormone are enough for me. Pettitte is (or perhaps was) a Clemens ally. He has no reason to lie. He has no reason to “misremember,” as Clemens claimed. McNamee might be a dirtbag, but Pettitte was a friend. And unlike Clemens, Pettitte seems to understand what being under oath means. And that’s bad news for the Rocket. — Aaron McFarling Pack your kerchief-on-a-stick, TomPosted Feb04, 2008 at 01:53 PMTom Brady ought to keep his chin up. I don't know if he knows this -- chances are he didn't make a halftime Cheetos run Sunday night and hear this on the radio -- but he won the CBS/Westwood One Radio Amtrak Player of the Year award. Yes! And it gets better! The spoils of this victory include a first-class ticket to any Amtrak destination. See, Tom, who needs perfection? Grab Gisele today and get on the fast track to adventure! I hear Texarkana, Ark., is beautiful this time of year. -- Aaron McFarling RPI likes the winless teamsPosted Jan29, 2008 at 12:07 PMIt’s not too early to start thinking about who will make the field of 64 this year, so I took a look Monday at the RPI. Tennessee is No. 1, but the most interesting tidbit was found all the way at the end of the list. Eastern Illinois is last at No. 341 with a 2-17 record and Jacksonville State is 2-16 and No. 339. Both teams play in the Ohio Valley Conference. Both of them trail a winless team, which doesn’t say much for the OVC. North Florida is No. 338 and 0-18. New Jersey Institute of Technology is No. 340 and 0-21. Higher strength of schedule ratings saved these winless teams from being at the bottom. It sure seems like winning two games ought to count for something. When the NCAA dissects these numbers for tournament-worthy teams in March, it will be good to know that they rely on more than the RPI when you see things like this. — Jeff Gilbert In search of Tyrod's backup in 2009Posted Jan29, 2008 at 12:06 PMTyrod Taylor’s presence in Blacksburg sure is making it hard for Virginia Tech to recruit quarterbacks. The Hokies got a commitment from Ju-Ju Clayton on Wednesday, a quarterback from Richmond. The other schools at the top of his list were Army, William and Mary, Norfolk State and Youngstown State. Maybe the Tech staff knows something nobody else does, but after this year Clayton is the only backup to Taylor and he might not join the team until 2009 spring practice. A top quarterback for the class of 2009 is certainly a must in case Taylor is injured and Clayton is overmatched. — Jeff Gilbert Those tricky driving testsPosted Jan29, 2008 at 12:04 PMStarting this summer, a law goes into effect that will require most boaters in Virginia to eventually take and pass a boating education course. Tuesday the board of directors of the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries was listening to a presentation about proposed testing requirements when one of the directors spoke up. “Is this going to be like the driver’s test?” he wondered. “Because I remember on that test they try to trick you. I had to take it twice to pass.” Everyone in the room burst into laughter. The concerned board member was professional stock car driver Ward Burton. — Mark Taylor Odd losing streak for OSUPosted Jan05, 2008 at 09:43 PMOhio State is on the verge of extending an unusual losing streak. The Ohio State football team lost to Florida in the BCS national championship game last season. The OSU men’s basketball team fell to Florida in the NCAA tournament title game last spring. The OSU men’s soccer team lost to Wake Forest in the NCAA men’s soccer title game last month (hey, at least the ACC is good in one fall sport). On Monday, the OSU football team could lose in the BCS title game yet again, this time to LSU. The streak is unfortunate, although it's a skid many schools wouldn't mind having. — Mark Berman Odd losing streak for OSUPosted Jan05, 2008 at 09:43 PMOhio State is on the verge of extending an unusual losing streak. The Ohio State football team lost to Florida in the BCS national championship game last season. The OSU men’s basketball team fell to Florida in the NCAA tournament title game last spring. The OSU men’s soccer team lost to Wake Forest in the NCAA men’s soccer title game last month (hey, at least the ACC is good in one fall sport). On Monday, the OSU football team could lose in the BCS title game yet again, this time to LSU. The streak is unfortunate, although it's a skid many schools wouldn't mind having. — Mark Berman ACC not looking goodPosted Jan03, 2008 at 12:12 PMA Virginia Tech win over Kansas tonight would certainly improve the ACC’s sagging football reputation. The league is just 2-5 in bowls this year heading into the Orange Bowl. Sure, Virginia lost on a last-second field goal. And Clemson lost in overtime. And yes, Georgia Tech lost with an interim coach. And Florida State was undermanned because of suspensions, although FSU’s cheating scandal is another cause for ACC embarrassment. But 2-5 is 2-5. You are what you are, as Bill Parcells likes to say. The ACC doesn’t have much to brag about this bowl season, just like it didn’t have much to boast about during the regular season. If the ACC champ loses tonight, the conference will be even more red-faced. — Mark Berman The best way to spend New Year's DayPosted Jan01, 2008 at 11:06 PMDid you go to the gym today? Not me. No point starting something I've never finished. I ate pancakes and sausage for breakfast, then spent the rest of New Year's Day imitating a potato, first in the rocker then on the couch. You can learn a lot on the couch. Like how the SEC really isn't that much faster than everybody else and how conventional offenses are still relevant if you have talent. I'll get up to speed on the tread mill tomorrow. -- Jeff Gilbert No point breaking a resolutionPosted Jan01, 2008 at 06:23 PMWhat do Rutgers, Ball State, Tulsa and Bowling Green have in common? They all play bowl games after today. What's with that? Can't ESPN find time slots for the International and GMAC bowls before New Year's Day? Call me a traditionalist, but the fact that the BCS championship game (and can't we find a bowl name to call that) isn't until Jan. 7 is too long to wait as well. It would be nice to make a New Year's resolution to not complain about the way college football operates, but I hate to break a resolution before the Rose Bowl kicks off. -- Jeff Gilbert WVU loses coachPosted Dec16, 2007 at 08:16 PMWhen is a "dream job" really a dream job? West Virginia fans are asking themselves that question today after Mountaineer coach Rich Rodriguez bolted Morgantown for Ann Arbor on Sunday after a 10-minute meeting with his former players. The 44-year-old Rodriguez spent seven seasons guiding the Mountaineers to national prominence. Now, he's leaving his alma mater and his home state, and taking his unconventional schemes to help a different team win a national title. It's a bitter pill to swallow for WVU fans used to hearing Rodriguez publicly profess on numerous occasions that coaching the Mountaineers was his "dream job." Seems that Rodriguez has redefined the palette of his vivid dream to include a more prominent color. Yes, the palette still contains a vivid base of blue and gold, but now there's an accent: a seductive shade of green. -- Mark Shaver Miles makes right move againPosted Dec12, 2007 at 02:38 PMIt was good for LSU that coach Les Miles responded to the reports Tuesday that he spoke with Michigan after he signed his contract extension. He remained steadfast in his commitment to LSU, which should stop this talk from being a distraction in the national title game against Ohio State. Michigan wants a proven head coach. What about Appalachian State’s Jerry Moore? He’s won national championships and he’s unbeaten in the Big House. — Jeff Gilbert Title game variety is nicePosted Dec12, 2007 at 02:36 PMMaybe big-time college football does have it right with its see-which-way-the-wind-is-blowing method of determining a national champion. At least the BCS gives us some variety in the championship game. Appalachian State will play for a third straight I-AA title. Mount Union will play in its umpteenth Stagg Bowl and go against Wisconsin Whitewater for the third straight year. What kind of system is this? Determining a true national champion is becoming highly overrated in my book. Give me polls and computers and controversy ... and some other teams to watch. — Jeff Gilbert Give Parcells credit for RomoPosted Dec12, 2007 at 02:34 PMTony Romo, the quarterback from nowhere, did it again Sunday in leading the Dallas Cowboys from behind against the Detroit Lions. Romo has the physical skills and the mental agility it takes to be a great pro quarterback. Don’t forget that it took a great pro coach to recognize those abilities. Romo didn’t play big-time college football, so college coaches and recruiting services didn’t see it. I don’t know who first told the Cowboys to take a look at Romo, but it’s obvious that Bill Parcells saw something in Romo no one else did. So when we remember Parcells as a great coach, remember him also as the man who was smart enough to put Romo on the field. — Jeff Gilbert Who got the better of the deal? Time will tellPosted Dec06, 2007 at 01:31 PMThe question of the best way to build a winner is before us again. Through trades and free agency, or through drafts and player development? The Detroit Tigers have chosen the get-rich-quick plan by trading six prospects to the Florida Marlins for Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis. This route might be the Tigers’ only chance at winning a World Series in the next two or three years. The Marlins own the patent on starting from scratch and building a World Series winner. Who will get there first? Maybe Andrew Miller or Cameron Maybin will be a World Series MVP long before any of the current Tigers. — Jeff Gilbert 'Skins on NFL Network? Who caresPosted Dec06, 2007 at 01:29 PMThe NFL sycophants will tell you to go to your cable company immediately and plead for the NFL Network in time for Thursday’s Redskins-Bears game. I will advise you to go to a sports bar. The NFL is going the way of NASCAR, getting drunk on power and neglecting the needs of its core fans. To ladel up a winless Miami team on Monday Night Football two weeks ago and then put the NFC game of the year on the NFL Network was a joke, and now many ‘Skins fans in the area are out of luck. Don’t get mad, though; get apathetic. That’s the only way to move them. — Aaron McFarling Even newer bowl informationPosted Dec01, 2007 at 12:21 PMMark Berman here from Jacksonville, where Virginia Tech has earned an Orange Bowl berth with a win over Boston College. The best bet is the Hokies will face Georgia in that Orange Bowl game. You might not be able to watch Packers-CowboysPosted Nov27, 2007 at 11:26 PMOne of the biggest games of the NFL regular season will take place Thursday night when Green Bay visits Dallas, but most folks here won’t be able to watch it. The game will air on the NFL Network, which is only available in this area to satellite customers and to those who get digital cable from Cox or Comcast. If you only have expanded basic from those cable companies, or if you get cable from JetBroadband, Citizens Cablevision, Rapid Cable or Media One, you’re out of luck. You will also be out of luck next Thursday when the channel airs the Redskins’ game against Chicago. Another highlight of the NFL Network’s schedule is New England’s final regular-season game against the Giants. — Mark Berman A "classic" case of pufferyPosted Nov17, 2007 at 02:40 PMIf you drive a 2005 Hummer SUV, feel free to call it a “classic” car. By the standards of college basketball tournament organizers, it qualifies. Among the tournaments being staged this month: the Old Spice Classic (est. 2006), the CBE Classic (2001), and my personal favorite, the Anaheim Classic (2007). At least the new postseason tournament, unnecessary though it may be, has the decency to call itself the College Basketball Invitational. Modesty – now that’s a classic character trait. –Aaron McFarling Want to know why Tech-UVa won't be at night?Posted Nov15, 2007 at 10:35 AMWere you hoping the Virginia Tech-Virginia duel on Nov. 24 would be a night game, so you’d have plenty of time for tailgating? Wondering why it will instead air at noon, on either ESPN or ESPN2? Well, ESPN is airing Alabama-Auburn that night, while ESPN2 will be showing Clemson-South Carolina. Under ESPN’s contract with the SEC, those channels can air SEC games only at night. And ABC would rather show a Big 12 game that night; it will pick between Missouri-Kansas or Oklahoma State-Oklahoma. ABC’s regional 3:30 game, by the way, will be Georgia-Georgia Tech. — Mark Berman |