AP Coach of the Year
Mark Mangino is coach of the year again and again and again ... Yesterday it was the AP award. KC Star Link
"The award was Mangino’s fifth national coach of the year honor and he might make it a clean sweep with four more trophies out there to be had."
West Virginia and Mark Mangino
Interesting hoax from KUsports.com on Mark Mangino talking with W. Virginia. The PhogBlog.com boys were all over it. Anyway, Tom Keegan thinks Mangino is in it for the long haul. I agree. Mangino can have everything that was offered to Roy Williams in Lawrence. In short, he can become a KU legend. He's already well on his way.
Kevin Keitzman Brings Out the Best In Gary
The more I listen to Gary Pinkel, the more disappointed I am. Of course, as the coach of the Mizzou football team he is the prince of darkness. That's a given as a rival. However, from a reality perspective, he's a coach that took a struggling program to respectability and a #1 ranking. So, obviously there's some respect for the job he has done. Generally, I'll avoid the KK/Pinkel weekly interview on 810 at all costs, but I just couldn't take any more Chiefs whining on 610 for the ride home last night. So I'm starting to zone out as they drone on, but I think I heard Keitzman suggest that a number one or two ranked Big 12 team ought to be able to pass on the Big 12 championship game in order to preserve their path to the mythical National Championship game. Okay. Then, I don't know if they were horsing around or what, but Pinkel is actually in agreement and seems to perk up about the idea. Seriously, if you heard this yesterday, post in the comments and clarify it for me. Even if they were joking around, he gave the impression that he actually felt like they were screwed by having to play in the Big 12 Championship. I just can't agree with that type of attitude in any way.
First of all, the only system that makes since is the conference system. Win your division, go play the other champion at a neutral site and the winner is the conference champion and gets a legitimate trophy. That whole MNC deal is out of our hands. It's a fool's system, so you don't even worry about it. Take care of what you can and if you get lucky, the good ol' boys club will invite you to play in the big game.
It really makes me uncomfortable to hear to hear a football coach joke about avoiding a game that matters just so they could slip into the top slot in the CFB beauty pageant. KU fans, players and coaches would have given anything to win at Arrowhead and have a shot at a conference title.
Pinkel made strides with his media presence this year, but this attitude about the Big 12 Championship and the approach he took after the Iowa State win/loss in 2006 are not in line with my views about competition and sport.
Speaking of Whining
It goes on and on ... KC Star Front Page of the Sports Section -- http://www.kansascity.com/sports/story/411241.html
Jake Sharp Comment
Jake Sharp mentioned something in the Star today that I really felt during the undefeated run. That target weighs pretty heavy. You don't talk about it, because it's like a no-hitter, but it's definitely there. This quote was just a subtle allusion to that:
"We were able to put on a couple of vanity pounds and get our strength back up, get our endurance back up, everything that deteriorates. Mentally, too, the grind will wear on you. Our morale is back up and we’re ready to go play some football.”
Thanks for the Non-Story
KUsports.com reports that we don't how much money was made from the Arrowhead game yet. Interesting. I did like this quote from the comments section though. I believe it is in reference to the wonderfully engaging Mizzou fans:
"I don't want to throw my boys to those foul-mouthed, drunken wolves."