Bleacher Report - Articles by Jon Cavanaugh

Notre Dame vs. Nevada Preview: The Pistol Offense Invades South Bend

Jon Cavanaugh — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 00:56:58 -0400

Much has been made of Notre Dame’s supposedly easier schedule but the Irish won’t get a break in their season opener. Notre Dame’s high expectations will be tested right out of the gates against a tough Nevada squad.

Nevada ranked No. 5 in total offense last year and figures to be just as explosive and dangerous this time around.

Nevada’s fifth-ranked juggernaut utilized the fairly new and innovative pistol formation. The pistol offense is similar to the shotgun spread attack. Instead of dropping all the way back, the quarterback lines up three yards behind center with the running back directly behind him.

The pistol is a zone based power running scheme best utilized with a duel threat quarterback, the running game sets up the passing game. Since the running back is directly behind the QB, it can be confusing to defenses to figure out which way the back is going.

This obviously creates a perfect situation for the play-action pass. Nevada’s rushing attack ranked No. 3 nationally but they were no slouch in tossing the ball around either, ranking No. 47 with 3,000 yards.

Nevada is well versed in the pistol formation as head coach Chris Ault invented it and started using it in 2004.

Ault is also an active member of the College Football Hall of Fame—he was inducted in 2002—and the Nevada players will pay a visit to the Hall on Friday before the game.

The game also features one of the better quarterback duels of the entire season. Even fans with no interest in the game should tune in just to see the offensive fireworks that will be on display in South Bend.

Everyone knows about Jimmy Clausen but a lot of folks will discover another one of college football’s elite QB’s in Nevada’s Colin Kaepernick.

Kaepernick doesn’t come with the hype or pedigree that Clausen does—he had just one division I scholarship offer—but has been more productive than his more hyped counterpart.

Kaepernick stands 6-6 and weighs 215 pounds and was known more for baseball in high school, he throws a 94 mph fastball and was drafted by the Chicago Cubs this year. Lucky for us CFB diehards, Colin chose to play football instead.

Kaepernick models his game on another tantalizing duel threat QB--Vince Young--and the comparison is accurate. Last year he became only the fifth player in FBS history to throw for more than 2,000 yards and rush for more than 1,000 in the same season, putting him in that exclusive club with Vince Young.

His 2,849 yards passing and 1,130 rushing yards with 17 TD’s was better than Tim Tebow last year. Yes that’s right, better than Tim Tebow.

Though Kaepernick was more productive, Jimmy Clausen was no slouch last year either. Clausen, behind a much improved offensive line, threw for 3,172 yards with 25 touchdowns against 17 INT’s.

Notre Dame is loaded with top ranked talent on both sides of the ball but especially on offense. The Irish have the talent to become a top five offense if they can protect Clausen and establish a running game.

The offensive line must improve if ND is to fulfill its potential. The running game does not suffer from a lack of talent, it’s suffers from an under achieving offensive line.

While Notre Dame’s passing attack ranked 34th, the rushing game ranked a despicable 101st.

The Irish will have a experienced line to improve on with all starters returning. Paul Duncan who missed the '08 campaign due to injury will also be available this year.

In 2007, Notre Dame ranked dead last in the FBS with a whopping 4.83 sacks allowed per game. They improved dramatically last season and finished ranked 51st.

They will need to protect Clausen as Nevada features a pair of pass rushing daemons in DE’s Kevin Basped and Dontay mock who combined for 21-and-a-half sacks and 14-and-a-half tackles for a loss last season.

Despite the potent pass rush, Nevada ranked near the bottom of the barrel defensively last year. They ranked an abysmal 91st overall and dead last in passing defense.

Notre Dame finished a respectable No. 39 in total defense last year and figure to be much stronger this time around. No. 39 would be a failure to a lot of college football”s elite teams but they ranked 65th just two years ago.

To thwart a pistol whipping, I expect the Irish to bring the heat with a multitude of different blitz packages. John Tenuta has been brought in as co-defensive coordinator and was known through his career and most recently at Georgia Tech, as a defensive mastermind who blitzed often and unpredictably.

The Irish are glad to have Tenuta on their side this year. In 2007 Tenuta’s Georgia Tech squad sacked ND’s quarterbacks nine times. Heralded freshman Manti Te’o is tailor made for this type of defense.

This game should be a gem and must-see-TV for College Football's opening weekend. Both schools finished 7-6 last year with bowl appearances.

Both schools feature junior quarterbacks on the Maxwell award preseason watch list.

Both programs feature high profile coaches. Charlie Weis earned reputation in pro football and Nevada’s Chris Ault was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2002.

Nevada doesn't get to play on national TV very often and great showing or win will give them the kind of exposure the program needs and deserves. If they are not hyped up enough to be on national TV, they are playing at Notre Dame and everyone gets hyped up to come to South Bend.

Notre Dame has the added burden of high expectations. A struggle or loss to Nevada would be devastating to the Irish and especially coach Charlie Weis. The critics will have a field day and will dig in and stay for a very, very long time.

My prediction: Notre Dame 34, Nevada 31

College Football Preview: 10 Surprise Teams for 2009

Jon Cavanaugh — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 06:45:36 -0400

Every year there are surprises in College Football and that's part of what can make the game so fun. Who will be this year’s Texas Tech and which team crashes the BCS party like Utah did last year? Here are 10 teams flying under the radar that could end up in the National Title game or just become over achievers that surprise and grab a bit of the limelight.

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College Football Preview: Five Ranked Teams Likely To Disappoint In 2009

Jon Cavanaugh — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 05:15:35 -0400

It’s College Football time again and expectations are running rampant. It’s the time of the year where every team is undefeated and it seems as if the sky is the limit for programs with lofty expectations. Every year it seems as if plenty of highly touted teams fall short and become disappointments. The teams on this list each face high expectations, wether it be a National Championship or a vastly improved record and inclusion in the national spotlight. Here are 5 teams in the AP top 25 poll that I feel will fall short of expectations this year.

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A Guide to the Indianapolis Colts' Coaching Changes

Jon Cavanaugh — Thu, 28 May 2009 01:28:58 -0400

The changes in the Colts coaching staff has been the biggest shake-up and attention grabber this off-season. Peyton Manning has already started to grumble and a successful transition could be the key it the Colts are going to win another Super Bowl.

Here is a quick guide to the new coaching changes.

Head Coach

The Departed: Tony Dungy

A sure Hall of Famer, first black head coach to win a Super Bowl and all around good guy. Dungy built the Colts into a consistent winner and eventual Super Bowl champion. You would be hard pressed to find anything wrong with the guy--he was well respected by coaches, player and fans.

The Anointed: Jim Caldwell

Caldwell enters his eight season with the Colts. He was promoted to assistant head coach and hand picked successor to Tony Dungy in 2008. Joined the team as quarterbacks coach after holding the same position in Tampa Bay.

Has prior head coaching experience at the collegiate level with Wake Forest from 1993-2000. Caldwell started four years at defensive back for Iowa during his college career.

Caldwell will have the enormous task of keeping a championship caliber team in top shape. His leadership is critical and has already been tested early. Caldwell filled in at head coach for Tony Dungy in 2005 and is very familiar with the team so there shouldn’t be much difficulty in the transition.

It will be interesting to see how he handles things during now that Peyton Manning has complained in the media.

Offensive Coordinator

The Departed: Tom Moore

Moore spent 32 years in the NFL and 12 with the Colts. Moore owns three Super Bowl rings, one with the Colts and two with the Steelers. He is the only offensive coordinator Peyton Manning has ever known. Moore may stay on team as a consultant.

The Anointed: Clyde Christenson

Christenson enters his eight season with the Colts, he joined the organization from Tampa Bay along with Jim Caldwell. Christenson was offensive coordinator for Tampa Bay in 2001. He has worked with Manning extensively so they should be familiar with each other.

Offensive line coach

The Departed: Howard Mudd

Mudd also has been with the team for 12 seasons and Peyton Manning’s entire career. He is widely considered a genius for his ability to mold raw talent and shuffle players along the line.

Mudd has been described recently in the media as a “cantankerous old codger” and “as friendly as a howitzer.” Mudd also may stay on the team as a consultant.

The Anointed: Pete Metzelaars

Metzelaars started with the Colts as a coaching intern in 2003 and was soon named offensive quality control coach.

In 2008 he was named assistant offensive line coach. He has plenty of experience with the offense and Mudd’s system but Colts fans have to be concerned about his lack of coaching experience. The O-line could be the key to the offense and the entire season.

Defensive coordinator

The Departed: Ron Meeks

Meeks was hand picked by Tony Dungy during his first season in 2002. Meeks was mostly successful but the organization and Jim Caldwell decided to go in a different direction and allowed him to resign. They started by drafting bigger D-linemen, both picks in this years draft are over 300 lbs.

The Anointed: Larry Coyer

Coyer comes to the Colts with 45 years of combined collegiate and NFL coaching experience. He is known most for his stint at Denver as defensive coordinator from 2003-2006.

Coyer had some of the best statistical defensive units in the league during that time frame. The Broncos featured a stellar run defense and ran the “show blitz” style of defense where linebackers and DBs used tons of movement to confuse the passing attack.

Even though Coyer's defensive units ranked in the top statistically, the Broncos were often bounced from the playoffs early. The Colts scored 90 points in two playoff games against Coyer’s unit.

The Colts are gambling that hiring most of the new coaches from inside the organization will not disturb a team that has been assembled to win a second championship. Long term coaching problems could derail the entire season and could be especially harmful to the offense.

Unfortunately there have been signs that all is not right for the Colts. Recent news stories are surfacing that Peyton Manning has already complained and shot his mouth off about the new coaching staff. He was quoted in the Indy Star as saying among other things, “There is not a lot of coaching going on here.”

This is probably nothing to worry about for Colts fans but if it escalates, the offense and the team could be in real trouble. It will interesting to see how new head coach Jim Caldwell handles the situation.

This is the first crisis during the Caldwell era and he will need to take charge and keep everyone happy at the same time if he wants to wear another Super Bowl ring.

Certain facts and tidbits for this article have been gleaned from Colts.com and Indystar.com.

From Colts Suck to Go Colts! My Journey as a Super Fan

Jon Cavanaugh — Thu, 28 May 2009 00:42:28 -0400

I was 10 years old when the Mayflower vans rolled out under the cover of darkness. They were headed to Indianapolis with the remnants of a proud franchise packed tightly inside.

The Baltimore Colts skittled out of town when no one was looking, or at least that’s what they thought. They were in a rush to find their new home in Indianapolis, even taking different routes to confuse the police.

My memories of the event are somewhat hazy but I distinctly remember watching the footage late at night, I wasn’t excited, just curious—why would they be leaving like that, what are they afraid of?

I was too young to understand the controversy and the emotions of betrayal in Baltimore and I didn’t care.

In those early days there were some die hard fans that were genuinely excited about having an NFL franchise, but to most people the Colts were nothing more than a curiosity and it remained that way until the mid 90’s.

Three or so years later, I got to attend a game against the San Diego Chargers in person.

It was pretty neat but nothing spectacular; there was no sense of pride or anything special surrounding the game or the team.

Even though my state had a pro football team I went along rooting for different ones, and so did a lot of people, especially Bears fans who seemed to come out of the woodwork everywhere you turned.

As the years rolled on the Colts went from curious side show to perennial losers. There was a sad atmosphere surrounding the team, “the Colts suck!” could be heard everywhere and often.

Things started to change in the mid 90’s. The Colts assembled some decent teams and people took notice, and so did I. They had a catchy nickname, “the Cardiac Kids”, and an exciting quarterback with equally catchy name, “Captain Comeback.”

These teams gave the diehards something that they had been thirsting for, credibility.

The pinnacle came in the 1995 playoffs when they made an improbable march to the AFC championship game. Jim Harbaugh’s Hail Mary fell out the hands of Aaron Bailey and so did the hopes of the newly Colts crazed.

I distinctly remember that moment where wild exhilaration slipped into to despair. It seemed to be a sign that they were ready to become an elite team but it didn’t last long and they returned to loosing, at least that’s the way I remember it.

The losing culture festered again and perhaps grew stronger. Local radio entertainers even mocked the team by singing weekly songs entitled “Lord help our Colts.”

The radio personalities didn’t realize that the ultimate hope lay right around the corner as the Colts got so bad that Peyton Manning fell into their laps with the No. 1 pick in the 1998 draft.

During Manning’s early years I began to attend games frequently to witness and participate in the growing enthusiasm. Tickets were still easily available, and in 1999, I paid a ticket scalper just $30 to sit in the fifth row to witness an epic game against the Dolphins.

I saw a Colts fan punch out a Dolphins fan and Dan Marino beat us with a fourth quarter touchdown pass.

That game left quite an impression on me. Something radically different had happened in the Dome that day, something I had never seen before at a Colts game. People actually cared. There was a charged atmosphere in the Dome that I had never seen before.

I grew into a fan without even knowing what had happened. It was bigger than me, it wasn’t a choice, there was an energy mass in the Dome that day, an unyielding force of nature that stuck its claws in me and wouldn’t let go for a few hours.

I wanted more.

The team went on to complete the biggest one season turnaround in NFL history. They went from 3-13 in Manning’s first year to 13-3. The turnaround was outstanding but the city still seemed slow to catch up.

When the playoffs came around I paid another scalper $20 to watch their first game against the Titans and he seemed all too eager to give the ticket away for less than face value. The Colts lost and the Titans marched on to the Super Bowl.

The turnaround brought in a lot more fans but something was still wrong. The Colts kept taking steps backward and I started to get discouraged again but help was once again right around the corner.

In 2002 Tony Dungy was hired as head coach and I officially crossed the line into super fan status. I was already a huge Dungy fan, my Grandmother lived near Tampa and I new a lot about him and followed his teams.

The man who spells his name with a capital D was coming to town and I knew that Colts were finally going to be a consistent winner and Super Bowl threat. I couldn’t have been happier with the new coaching choice. Indianapolis would finally have a real football team, one that wins with class and dignity.

The Colts did exactly that, but I was still a little dismayed with a perceived lack of support. At the end of the 2003 season, I scored playoff tickets for divisional game against the Broncos. One of my friends couldn’t go so I had an extra ticket.

I walked around and stood on corners near the Dome and waved it around. There were no takers and it soon dawned on me that I would never sell it. I had to get into the dome before the game started so I tried to give it away but still no takers.

I folded it up and put it my pocket wondering, how could this be? One of the most exciting teams in football and I can’t give away a stinking playoff ticket? This can’t be true, what is happening here?

Luckily this didn’t last long and the team kept getting better. In next couple of years the city of Indianapolis finally became football crazy. I would go to work for blue Fridays when everyone was wearing Colts gear and it seamed like the whole city was blue.

Go Colts! This became the rallying cry for the entire city. You could approach anyone in the city at virtually anytime and place and yell “Go Colts!” and you were almost certain to get the same reply.

This newly rabid enthusiasm peaked in 2005 when the Colts were flirting with a perfect record and tragedy struck. Tony Dungy’s teenage son had committed suicide. The news rocked me to the bone.

My own brother had taken his life years earlier in a similar part of Florida where Dungy’s son did. When the news broke I lived it all over again. I experienced every emotion from confusion to guilt to sorrow as vividly as the day it happened to my family.

I felt an amazing connection to coach Dungy and the team during this period and I lay awake at night and was sure that he was doing the same thing.

In the Colts I saw a team that embodied me, the things I wanted to accomplish, the same fears I faced in real life. I felt the Colts struggles were my own—the struggle to get over the hump, the struggle to move on in life and keep winning, to overcome tragedy and become successful.

If Dungy and the Colts could get over this terrible tragedy so could I. If they conquered their personal demons I could too.

The Colts didn’t go on to win the Super Bowl that year, they lost a controversial game against Pittsburghwhere they were given a second chance but Mike Vanderjagt missed a field goal.

It left a nasty and sour taste in my mouth but soon realized life goes on and I still loved football. I witnessed the professionalism and dedication of the Colts players and coaches during training camp and began to look forward to the season again.

The 2006 season was an emotional roller-coaster and when the Super Bowl run finally came, it crept up on us. The problem with sustained winning is lofty expectations. Hope can quickly turn to despair as the Colts had a lot of bitter playoff disappointments.

The Colts had the worst run defense coming into the playoffs and an increasingly leery fan base sensed another bitter ending and early exit from the playoffs. They surprised us though and made a run through the playoffs to face arch rival New England at home for the AFC championship.

I happened to be in New England for that AFC championship game. I was in Connecticut and felt like I was in the heart of the lions den. I thought about going to a sports bar to watch the game but didn’t want to risk the possibility of being beaten senseless by a gang of overzealous Patriot fans.

I chose instead to sit alone in my hotel room, alone like I had been in years past when tragedy struck.

As the Patriots went ahead 21-3, my heart sank into a black hole. There was such a painful feeling in my stomach, they weren’t going to make it, the Pats had gotten us again, and there would be no Super Bowl parade when I got home.

Maybe people were right, they would never take the next step and neither would I. Maybe the Colts really did suck.

I couldn’t bear to watch anymore and went outside. I could tell things were going badly by the cheers and screams of joy that came from seemingly every hotel room around me.

Eventually I wandered back inside, I sure didn’t want to give up on my team and they never gave up on me. I was treated to the most satisfying and exciting Colts victory I could imagine.

I went to work that next day sporting Colts gear and an all day smile you couldn’t get off with a blow torch or a belt sander.

I returned home for the Super Bowl and was downtown on monument circle blasting my horn and dancing in the streets with fellow fans after the game. People from all walks of life came together in celebration that night.

I saw the full transformation of the city when I went downtown in the frigid cold for the impromptu parade. It was cold enough outside to burn your skin yet the RCA Dome was filled to capacity in a matter of minutes with screaming fans.

We had come a long way from Lord help our Colts to packing the Dome with just 30 minutes notice. It was only years earlier that I stood near the Dome and couldn’t give away a playoff ticket.

Stick your hand out with a ticket during this years playoffs like I did in 2003 and you are likely to be dragged by a frenzied mob from one end of the street to the other trying to hold onto it. They’ll scoop your bloody carcass up with a forklift and some crazed fan will take your seat.

These are the reasons for my now fanatical devotion to the Colts, a team and an organization that set out to build tradition and erase the mindset of an entire population and succeeded.

What they accomplished was simply awe inspiring.

They taught me that you can overcome obstacles and tragedies and succeed. Perseverance and dedication pays off, it won’t come easy and it won’t happen overnight but if you keep working at it, it will happen.

I learned this from men like Tony Dungy, Bill Polian and Peyton Manning. These were men that took unmerciful criticism for years before accomplishing the ultimate goal.

When September rolls around, invite your friends and loved ones, its time to crack open a beer and fire up the grill. It’s time for football, and there is more at stake than just a game.

Can the Colts return to Miami for Super Bowl XLIV?

Jon Cavanaugh — Sun, 24 May 2009 21:46:55 -0400

The NFL offseason is a special time of the year when the teams and their legions of followers are invigorated with renewed optimism. Players and coaches endure mini-camps and toil in the hot summer sun, coming together in pursuit of a championship.

Expectations can run as rampant as the crazed fans that love their teams. Every team is undefeated and working with a clean slate—and so are the fans. We can tout our team and even taunt others with our prognostications.

Unfortunately there will always be those creepy fans who wield their predictions like a baseball bat with the intent of demoralizing and pummeling their opponents' self-esteem. Misunderstood enthusiasts or just bloodthirsty heathens, we’ve all encountered these fans at one time or another and there will be no escape from them this year either.

Since the arrival of Peyton Manning, Indianapolis fans have had realistic expectations to reach the Super Bowl in most years, and this one is no different.

The shake-up in the coaching staff has grabbed most of the headlines this offseason but even with these massive changes, the Colts appear to have gotten stronger on paper.

Hall-of-Fame-caliber coaches Tony Dungy, Tom Moore, and Howard Mudd are gone, replaced by the untested Jim Caldwell, Clyde Christensen, and Pete Metzelaars. Larry Coyer takes over as defensive coordinator and Ray Rychleski on special teams.

Coaching continuity has been disturbed, especially on offense where Peyton Manning has worked with the same offensive coordinator and line coach his entire career. The Colts have anticipated this event and have had their successors in mind for some time now.

If the Colts are still going to be championed as Super Bowl contenders towards the end of the season, they will need vast improvement from the offensive line. Last season was marred by inconsistency and young players forced into starting roles.

The Colts loaded up on offensive linemen in the 2008 draft, but only Jamey Richard really stood out, starting at left guard and center when Jeff Saturday was injured. Saturday has resigned after flirting with several teams in free agency and his importance to the line can’t be understated. He is a veteran and former Pro-Bowler who has the complete trust of Manning.

Right tackle Ryan Diem is the stalwart of the line and has shown remarkably consistency when healthy in his eight NFL seasons. The jury is still out on opposite bookend Tony Ugoh. Ugoh has been inconsistent and somewhat unimpressive for a high draft-pick.

If Ugoh can come into his own as a force at left tackle and the young guys show improvement, the line should be in great shape for Pete Metzelaars.

If the offensive line can improve, the running game should follow. New running back Donald Brown was drafted in the first round to help last year’s pathetic running attack. Joseph Addai faced a lot of criticism last year, but I expect the Brown pick to light a fire under his behind.

The Colts were forced to be one dimensional last season and Donald Brown’s injection into the lineup should make the running game powerful again—a two-headed monster with plenty of kick.

Peyton will need a good running game but the passing attack has proven it can carry the team and win games on its own. Peyton has always been able to choose the right play and scatter his wide receiver around like well placed grenades.

The only question is, who will step up at wide receiver?

Somebody must step up behind studs Reggie Wayne, Anthony Gonzalez, and tight end Dallas Clark. The Colts didn’t go for one of the big-name receivers early in the draft, waiting until the third round to grab last year’s NCAA receiving leader, Austin Collie.

I fully expect Collie to become an invaluable part of the receiving corps, but it might be a little too much to ask for him to be vital in his rookie campaign.

Pierre Garcon and Roy Hall are the most likely candidates and have experience in the system though neither has impressed and Garcon looked downright awful at times last year. If these players don’t come through, the Colts will look to their free agent and undrafted signees, and they have a great track record for finding gems in the rough.

Perhaps the most important piece in the quest for another Super Bowl will be improved run defense. Giving up 122.9 yards a game is abysmal and unacceptable, and the team has taken steps to correct it. Last year, the Colts were just too small up front and the tackles were pushed around like rag dolls.

The team has made a concerted effort to get bigger up front through the draft and free agency. There are now six defensive tackles close to or over 300 lbs on the roster. GM Bill Polian drafted Fili Moala and Terrance Taylor, both over 300 lbs in this years draft.

The bigger defensive tackles should stop teams from running up and down the field at will. The Colts have had a lot of misfortunes with their DTs and even if only a few of the new big men pan out, it should pay dividends.

The Colts also addressed a long time thorn in their side in the much maligned special teams department. Long time special teams coordinator Russ Purnell was dismissed in favor of Ray Rychleski.

Purnell was well-liked but just didn’t get the job done. The Colts were simply dismal and painful to watch on special teams. There were too many times where I hurled both the remote and obscenities at the TV after watching them give up field position after scoring drives.

The AFC south has become one of the leagues most competitive and exciting divisions, and the Colts will need improvements in all of these categories if they expect to reclaim their spot at the top of the division.

I never thought I would say such a thing, much less watch the Tennessee Titans win the division with 90-year-old Kerry Collins at the helm. The division has become a force to be reckoned with.

The Houston Texans have become the trendy pick to claim the division. They have been picking at the top of the draft since they came into the league, especially on defense. They also have a good head coach and a decent quarterback, so most pundits figure it’s only a matter of time before they put it all together.

Jacksonville will be the wildcard in the division. You never know what you will get with the Jaguars. They have always been a worthy adversary and if they can solve the team chemistry problems and get consistent play from their receivers, the Jags will be dangerous.

Expectations will be high for all the AFC South teams. If the Colts can reclaim their spot on top of the division it will go a long way in helping them return to Miami and the Super Bowl.

The Colts remain one of the premiere teams in the league. They might take a back seat to the Steelers, Pats, and Giants in most preseason polls, but with a better running game, run defense, and improved special teams play, a Super Bowl victory is not out of the question.

Legendary Indianapolis Colts Coaches Retire and the NFL Machine Rolls On

Jon Cavanaugh — Sun, 17 May 2009 17:42:26 -0400

Two more coaching legends have officially departed the Indianapolis Colts. Offensive coordinator Tom Moore and offensive line coach Howard Mudd, a pair of the NFL’s finest, have been forced into early retirement.

Both coaches chose early retirement rather than lose valuable pension benefits. The story has been swirling around for weeks before recently becoming official.

I hoped that both men would be on the sidelines this fall but I was officially served the cold dish while tuning in for a nightly dose of SportsCenter.

It seems as if the whole world as we know it has gone mad in the midst of our nation’s economic crisis. Companies are slashing workers, benefits and products like a bad 70’s horror movie, and the knife cuts right through the heart of America, from our cars to our beloved sports figures.

Their jobs were not eliminated like so many other Americans today, both men left on their own free will. They are professional coaches and they will not be receiving foreclosure notices in the mail or sleeping in cardboard boxes under a bridge.

I will also admit that I have not done the proper research to fully understand their reasons for leaving or the NFL’s change in the pension program, but it still seems to be a sign of the times, another job related headline in a world full of depressing news.

The issue is burning in our American minds.

Is my pension safe? Can I afford to retire? Will I ever retire or am I going to work until my bones crack, my brain shrivels up and I drop dead?

It’s a shocking sight to wake up and see that even the mighty NFL is downsizing and the economic crisis has no boundaries. Former coach Tony Dungy's personal secretary was even dismissed from the team recently.

Like everything else, the NFL machine will continue to roll on; even if it’s most unique and invaluable parts are caught in the gears and spit out.

Clyde Christensen will take over as the new offensive coordinator—after already being named assistant head coach—and Pete Metzelaars will be the offensive line coach. Both men have previous coaching experience in the NFL and with the Colts.

Metzelaars was in charge of the O-line at times last year when Mudd was recovering from knee replacement surgery. Christensen has been involved with the Colts offense for eight seasons and was offensive coordinator in Tampa Bay for the 2001 season.

The latter make me cringe just thinking about the anemic Bucs offense of those days.

The new coaches don’t come with the same pedigrees as the men they replaced, but few coaches will ever enjoy such lengthy and stellar careers. Moore spent 32 seasons in the NFL and owns three super bowl rings. Mudd has coached 36 consecutive seasons in the league and has a ring of his own now.

Many will argue that Howard Mudd was more important to the offense. The Colts have consistently been among the league leaders in fewest sacks allowed during Mudd’s 12 seasons with the team.

Tom Moore is no slouch himself, and his influence on the offense extends beyond just sending in three plays and allowing Peyton Manning to decide at the line of scrimmage.

He bought a wealth of experience and ingenuity to Peyton’s career.

Manning has known no other line coach or offensive coordinator during his eleven year playing career, and you would assume that he would eventually have to forgo this luxury at some point.

This also makes the re-signing of center Jeff Saturday more significant. It gives the Colts another coach on the field and continuity along the line.

Perhaps with new personalities to work with, Manning and Christenson can tinker with the offense a little, add some new wrinkles and make it even more prolific. Christenson has been with the team for eight years, so he and Manning should be very familiar with one another. There should be a level of trust between them and there has to be because a rift between player and coach can ruin a great offense. Thankfully there is nothing that suggests such an event will ever occur.

Manning is no loose cannon. In fact, he is the consummate professional and on-the-field coach. If any quarterback is more equipped to deal with the sudden loss of continuity, it’s Manning. The Colts offense normally behaves like a well rehearsed and coordinated fighting machine, the envy of offenses at every level of football from Pop Warner to the NFL.

It takes an amazing amount of time and practice to maintain this level of success and it can bog down with any idiosyncrasy or flaw, making it vulnerable to its enemies. Last year the unthinkable happened when Manning underwent two knee operations, missed pre-season time and inexperienced players were shuffled along the line.

When the Colts do bog down it can be painful and unsettling to watch. It was only a few years ago Manning was criticized for complicating things by taking too long at the line of scrimmage while pointing and flapping his wings like a prized fighting rooster. (Forgive me for the comparison Peyton; I know you played in the SEC.)

The effects of the coaching losses will be clear by the end of the season, but at least the new coaches will have a well-tested battleship to work with. They won’t be going to war with a rusty schooner, and even though the Colts appear to be leaking Hall of Fame caliber coaches, Peyton Manning and crew won’t be acting like a gang of drunken sailors on shore leave.

Big changes for the Indianapolis Colts in 2009?

Jon Cavanaugh — Thu, 14 May 2009 02:10:01 -0400

Are large scale schematic changes coming to the Indianapolis Colts this year? As casual and serious football fans will probably agree, quite frankly, no.

The Colts have won at least twelve games in six consecutive seasons so why ruin a good thing or change a wildly successful franchise?

Even if Tom Moore is not coordinating the offense, things should stay basically the same. I do not expect a switch to the west coast offense or heavy use of the “wildcat” formation.

I do predict, and this is no bold prediction at all, that there will be some defensive scheme changes. The Colts hired Larry Coyer as their new defensive coordinator to replace the mostly successful Ron Meeks and one would think that if the head coach was happy with his defense he wouldn’t change coordinators.

Ron Meeks was hand picked by Tony Dungy and resigned earlier this year; he is now defensive coordinator for the Carolina Panthers. Meeks resigned but most close to the organization feel he was given a chance to resign before being shown the door.

Now it is up to Larry Coyer to put his stamp on this defense and given his history as Broncos D-Coordinator, Tampa Bay assistant head coach and extensive college coaching career including a lengthy stint at Iowa during the time new head coach Jim Caldwell was a player, he’s nobody’s clone.

While the Colts won’t be switching to the 3-4 defense, it is reasonable to expect that a more liberal use of the blitz and man-to-man coverage will be utilized.

Coyer was defensive coordinator for the Denver Broncos from 2003-2006. While at Denver, he was blitz-happy and very fond of the “show blitz” scheme. The show blitz system tries to confuse the offense with pressure and deception.

The linebackers, safeties, and even corners “show blitz” and try to confuse the quarterback. It is typified by lots of movement to keep the offense guessing if the blitz is coming or not.

In the show blitz based defense, the secondary can either drop into man or zone coverage. Coyer more times than not used man coverage in this system during his stay in Denver.

Coyer will also have a new toy to play with in second year linebacker Philip Wheeler. Wheeler, 6-2 240, starred at blitz happy Georgia Tech in college and was a fearsome pass rushing force and bad dream for any quarterback who held the ball for too long. Wheeler made sure quarterbacks enjoyed a taste of the turf nineteen times during his career at Tech.

It is totally unrealistic to believe the Colts will switch to this defensive philosophy exclusively, and Coach Jim Caldwell has already chimed in on this subject on Colts.com. “I don't anticipate a whole lot of difference in terms of what we've been doing,” Caldwell said.

“Our scheme is going to stay the same. You're not going to see a blitz-happy team. We're going to do the things it takes for us to be effective. I'm not saying you're not going to see any more blitzes than normal, and I do think you'll see just a little bit of an adjustment in flavor.”

Even though the Colts are labeled a cover-two zone team, this is somewhat of a myth. The Colts are based out of the cover-two or “Tampa two”, named for Coach Dungy’s tweaking of the system during his days in Tampa, but they also apply liberal use of the cover-three and even man-to-man coverage.

The Colts also blitzed more last season and Bob Sanders could often be found prowling near the line of scrimmage to provide run support.

The running game was a sensitive topic in Indianapolis last season as the team gave up 122.9 yards per game, good for a spot near the bottom of the barrel statistically.

The good news is Larry Coyer’s defense in Denver was among the best at stopping the run, ranking in the top four in yards-per-game in consecutive seasons and the Colts have stocked up on big bodies at the defensive tackle position through free agency and this year’s draft.

The Colts drafted 6-4, 303lb Fili Moala from USC in the second round, and 6-0, 319lb Terrance Taylor in the fourth in an effort to get bigger at the defensive tackle and boost the run defense.

They also feature 300-plus pound Daniel Muir and Antonio Johnson added through free agency last year, undrafted free agent Adrian Grady and recently resigned 296 pound Ed Johnson.

The defensive tackle position, last season an area of weakness, seems to be a team strength on paper at least. The Colts almost appear to be jinxed at the position.

They spent a ton of money on Corey Simon who turned out to be a major disappointment, “Booger" McFarland helped the team win a Super Bowl only to have his knee blown out the following year, Monte Reagor suffered serious injuries in a horrendous crash while driving to practice, Quinn Pittock unexpectedly retired last year, and Ed Johnson was dismissed for disciplinary reasons.

If the DT’s can stay healthy and trouble-free off the field, Colts fans should expect to see marked improvement in the run game and the defense as a whole.

Larry Coyer might turn out to be the perfect fit to coach this defense. His resume certainly is impressive and the Colts could use a little bit of tweaking defensively, but fans will remember that it was Coyer’s defense who faced the Colts twice during the playoffs in 2003 and 2004 and were thoroughly torched by Peyton Manning and crew, giving up a mind numbing and frightening 90 points in those two games.

Coyer received a lot of criticism for a perceived lack of ability to adjust his schemes during games and over the course of a season, possibly a major factor in his dismissal from Denver despite having one of the statically better defenses in the league.

One thing is for sure, the Colts will play the 13th toughest schedule in the NFL and quarterbacks will not be showing any mercy to the new coordinator, especially when Mr. Brady pays a visit on November 15.

Coyer will get a second chance to be an NFL Defensive Coordinator with the Colts but don’t expect to see wholesale changes in the defensive scheme. The fact that Coyer spent the past two seasons in Tampa Bay is huge flashing sign that reads “I am well versed in the cover-two.”

The Colts will again rely on defensive team speed with plenty of zone coverage, but fans can expect Larry Coyer to put his own stamp on this defense, mixing in little flair with blitzes and man-to-man coverage while improving the run defense.

I think most Colts fans can live with these changes while the thirty one other teams in the league will hope they fail or otherwise self destruct, the Colts are plagued by a rash of season changing injuries and an “old school” defensive coach has run out of fresh ideas.

Auburn Spring Football Preview 2009

Jon Cavanaugh — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 00:51:23 -0400

Its football time on the plains again and spring practice in on the horizon. This year’s spring gives fans a mix of excitement and anxiety as a new coaching regime is in place and Auburn looks to put last season’s disappointing campaign behind it.

Its time for fans to look forward to the season ahead and explore the match ups and position battles that will take place on the Plains this spring.

The Offense

Expect the offense to be the focus for the second straight year when Auburn takes to the field for spring practice March 24. Yet another guru has been brought in to over-haul the anemic offense and erase the memories of the debacle that was the Tony Franklin experiment.

Gus Malzahn was hired as offensive coordinator after two wildly successful stints at Tulsa where he coordinated one of the nation’s top-ranked offenses. Auburn will roll the dice again and is betting that Malzahn will succeed where Tony Franklin did not by allowing him to bring in his own assistant coaches.

Quarterbacks:

Malzahn is holding a wide open competition for the starting quarterback position.

Junior Kodi Burns started the final six games last season and should be considered the favorite, but Malzahn is insisting that the job is up for grabs. Burns showed flashes of brilliance last year, especially with his running ability, but often times struggled in the passing game.

Chris Todd was the starter for the first half of 2008, finishing the regular season completing 52.5 percent of his passes with 903 yards and five touchdowns. Todd is expected to return to spring practice after off-season surgery to correct a shoulder problem that severely limited him in the 2008 campaign.

The other two competitors for the starting job have limited or no experience but plenty of raw talent. Neil Caudle threw only two passes last year and Barrett Trotter is a red shirt freshman.

Auburn also has two highly touted incoming freshmen in Tyrik Rollison and Clint Moseley, but neither will be on campus until the summer session.

Chris Todd is the wildcard in the quarterback competition as he has starting experience and is now presumably healthy.

Kodi Burns, despite his erratic passing last year is the best athlete, and I expect him to win the starting job. It will be interesting to see if Caudle or Trotter can do something to impress the new coaching staff and steal the starting position.

Offensive Line:

This could be the most important piece of the puzzle for Auburn’s success. Auburn struggled the entire season in with its offensive line. They must have consistent play along the line if they are going to have any success with the new offense.

Ryan Pugh and Lee Ziemba were both four-star recruits who were full time starters last season and will provide leadership along the line. Ziemba will stay at left guard while Pugh is expected to move back to center.

The rest of the line will be decided during the spring practice and new line coach Jeff Grimes plans on having a line were his players are capable of playing multiple positions.

Mike Berry and Byron Isom both played at right guard last season and could end up at either guard spot this year.

Senior Andrew McCain and sophomore A.J. Greene are expected to be the tackles but Grimes has hinted that a newcomer may prove himself in the spring.

The offensive line will again be asked to play in a fast-tempo, no-huddle offense, something they struggled mightily with last year. The good news is that most of the starters have experience playing in this style, the bad news is it didn't work, creating friction and ultimately ruining the season.

Offensive coordinator Malzahn was quoted as saying, “They have to get used to playing fast, recovering quickly. We try to get our guys into basketball shape. I don’t mean that as a soft word. Our guys are going to recover quickly. They’re going to mentally and physically recover. Our offensive line will run more than any offensive line in the country.”

It is not clear if Auburn’s linemen are capable of playing in such a style. They were recruited by Tommy Tuberville to be bruising lineman in a run oriented attack.

If Auburn can’t make this work, they are in serious trouble, not only this year but for the future as well. Auburn failed to land an offensive lineman recruit 2008 and only has two commits for the 2009 class.

Wide Receivers:

The Tigers are going to need some receivers to step up for the new high octane offense. Returning are Montez Billings and Quindarius Carr. Billings is the most experienced of the group, catching 24 passes for 277 yards, second on the team last year.

Also returning are Tim Hawthorne, Chris Slaughter and Darvin Adams. Adams has the kind of size, 6-foot-3 and 178 pounds that coaches love in the red zone.

The lightning rod of the receiving corps could come in the form of 5’8 155 pound speedster Phillip Pierre-Louis. Pierre-Louis was a camp sensation last year before blowing out his knee during the opening kick off of the first game.

Assuming he fully recovers from knee surgery, Pierre-Louis could be the perfect kind of receiver in Malzahn’s new offense. He has game changing speed and after-the catch running ability in addition to being a scoring threat in the kick and punt return game.

Tommy Trott returns at tight end and could be poised for a breakout season. Trott should be a great security blanket for whoever ends up winning the starting quarterback job.

Running Backs:

The running backs should be the strength of the offense, senior Ben Tate and junior Mario Fannin return to lead the potent ground game. Tate provides the strength and toughness of an every-down back, and Fannin can provide game-breaking runs.

It is not clear if Fannin will play at receiver or running back under the new regime, perhaps both as he did last season.

Freshman Onterio McCalebb enrolled in time for spring practice and could steal some carries from both backs.

The Defense

Regardless if the offense can perform well or not, Auburn is expected to rely heavily upon its defensive unit. The offense will steal the headlines because it is almost taken for granted that the defense is in good hands and will be stellar once again.

Head coach Gene Chizik is known as a defensive mastermind, guiding Auburn’s defense during the undefeated campaign in 2004 and the national champion Texas defense in 2005.

Defensive coordinator Ted Roof also brings a multitude of coaching experience including a stint as head coach with the Duke Blue Devils from 2003-2007.

Defensive Line:

The tackle position is open for competition after the departures of stalwarts Tez Doolittle Sen’Derrick Marks.

Mike Blanc, Zach Clayton and Jake Ricks all have experience at DT but will be pushed by redshirt freshmen Andre Wadley and Derrick Lykes. Ricks is the biggest of the tackles at 302 pounds.

New line coach and former Auburn standout Tracy Rocker plans to rotate the lineman, hoping for an 8-10 man rotation.

Highly touted lineman Nick Fairley was expected to enroll in the spring semester but will not be able to compete. He was missing a required lab course that was not processed in time and will have to wait until summer to enroll.

End Antonio Coleman opted to return for his senior season and has become the leader of the defensive line and the defense as a whole. Micheal Goggans looks to man the other end position.

Linebackers:

Josh Bynes and Craig Stevens return to the linebacker corps that will miss Trey Blackmon, but is still expected to be one of the strengths of the team.

Look out for freshman Eltoro Freeman who will be on campus this spring to possibly take one of the other linebacker spots.

Defensive Backs:

Jerraud Powers left the Tigers for the greener pastures of the NFL, but Auburn is not short on talent in the defensive backfield.

Nieko Thorpe and Walter McFadden have starting experience at corner.

Expected to start at safety are Mike McNeil and Zac Etheridge and both have big game experience. T’Sharvan Bell and D’Antoine Hood are also expected to challenge for playing time in the defensive backfield.

Auburn has its work cut out for it during this spring practice season. If the new coaching staff gels together quickly, the offense is at least somewhat productive, and the defense can continue to be the cornerstone of the team, Auburn could have a surprisingly good season.

It is indeed a very pivotal year for Auburn football, and it all starts with spring practice.

UConn-Pitt: Panthers Claim Rematch with Huskies

Jon Cavanaugh — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 16:53:10 -0500

Sam Young poured in 31 points and 10 rebounds as No. 4 Pittsburgh defeated No. 1 Connecticut for the second time this year, 70-60.

Pittsburgh is now the first team to beat a No. 1-ranked team twice in the same year, since North Carolina beat Duke twice in 1998. Pittsburgh also most likely clinched a share of the Big East title and a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament with the impressive victory.

Before the contest, DeJuan Blair referred to his matchup with Hasheem Thabeet as a “celebrity death match.” Blair out-muscled and out-played UConn’s Hasheem Thabeet the first time around, but only needed to be solid in their rematch to get his team a win.

Thabeet was out to prove that his performance in the first game was a fluke and he did, scoring 14 points with 13 rebounds and five blocks. Thabeet won the statistical battle, but Blair played a solid game and finished with eight points and eight rebounds.

Blair didn’t have to be the hero this time, as Young picked up the scoring slack and proved to be the difference. UConn struggled to defend against him the entire game.

Young scored at will, driving to the basket and going 3-of-5 from three-point land. Pitt shot a collective 44.1 percent from the three-point arc and seemed to grab every key rebound and loose ball.

Pittsburgh (28-3, 15-3 Big East) has proved to be the "kryptonite" of the No. 1 Huskies. UConn (27-3, 15-3 Big East) normally out-muscles and out-rebounds its opponents, but Pittsburgh seems to have even more power and strength than the Huskies. The teams tied with 37 rebounds in this game.

The entirety was a fierce contest and a joy to watch. Pittsburgh opened a 10-point lead midway through the first half and rarely looked back.

It wasn’t until the second half that UConn went on any sort of run. Trailing 52-38 after a timeout with 12:24 left, the Huskies made a game out of it, after Blair received his third foul and was forced to the bench.

UConn's A.J. Price scored on three straight possessions, including two three-pointers, and cut the lead to 52-48 with 9:24 left. Then Thabeet picked up his third foul, but Jim Calhoun would choose not to sit him, resting Price instead.

The move seemed to work, as Thabeet was able to rest during the timeout, after a Stanley Robinson dunk cut the lead to 52-50.

UConn was well within striking distance, but Pitt continued to get the offensive rebounds and make them count. Young scored on a drive to the basket and Brad Wanamaker added a thunderous dunk, after another Pitt board to put the lead back to six, 56-50.

Price would answer again for UConn, hitting a three-pointer to make it 56-53 with 5:52 left. UConn turned the ball over twice in their next possessions, though, and Young stretched the lead back to eight points with a dunk and a free throw as Pitt never looked back and UConn ran out of gas.

In addition to Young’s 31 points, Levance Fields played the entire game and scored 10 points, despite a back injury. Wanamaker added 14 points from the bench.

Connecticut was lead by 19 points from Price, 14 from Thabeet, and 11 from Jeff Adrien. Kemba Walker also provided a nice spark with 10 points off the bench; he often times kept the Huskies in the game.

Pittsburgh made an emphatic statement to the NCAA selection committee with their second win of the season against No. 1-ranked Connecticut. They extended their home winning streak to 21 while outworking and out-muscling the Huskies, and deserve to be a No. 1 seed in the tourney.

The Big East could see two different teams hold No. 1 seeds in the tourney, as Louisville and Connecticut are still in the mix. But Pittsburgh left no doubt that they deserve the No. 1 seed with a dominant performance Saturday afternoon.

UConn-Marquette: Jim Calhoun gets win No. 800 as UConn defeats Marquette, 93-82

Jon Cavanaugh — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 03:46:28 -0500

Jim Calhoun became the seventh member of the 800-win club and guard A.J. Price had a career night as No. 2 UConn outlasted No. 10 Marquette 93-82.

Jerel McNeal turned in a game changing performance with 26 points to lead Marquette, but was out shadowed by UConn’s A.J. Price, who had a career high 36 points in helping his coach get the historic win.

UConn, (26-2, 14-2) came in with a 12-game road winning streak but Marquette,(23-5, 12-3) had won 16 in a row at home, the Huskies came into this game as a surprising one point underdog.

It was a classic backcourt vs. front-court matchup between two up-tempo teams ranked in the top 10, but nobody expected UConn to dominate the guard matchups.

Marquette was dealt an unsettling blow when all-everything guard Dominic James would go down early with a foot injury. James would play less than four minutes and it was revealed at the half that he had suffered a broken bone in his foot. Later it was announced that he would undergo season-ending surgery.

McNeal would have no trouble picking up the slack and providing excitement, he just couldn’t keep up with A.J. Price. The two would give fans a classic back and forth dual that provided plenty of thrills and momentum swinging shots.

Every time McNeal would hit a big shot, Price would hit a bigger one.

Price would both open and close the game for the Huskies. He scored their first basket, and iced the game with a three pointer with 1:13 left and two free throws with less than a minute remaining. He finished with 36 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists.

The game started at a frenzied pace and featured several momentum shifts. UConn would open a seven point lead midway into the first half, but McNeal and the Golden Eagles would reel them back in with three point shots.

At 8:41 left in the half, Marquette would go on a run to lead the game 28-22 and Jim Calhoun would be forced to take a time out to rally his team.

Whatever he told the Huskies during that time-out worked to perfection as Stanley Robinson hit a three, and Price hit another to tie the game in a thirty two second span. Connecticut would turn the swing into a 16-0 run before the Golden Eagles and McNeal would claw their way back to make it a six point game at the end of the half, 43-37.

As the second half began, Connecticut predictably went to their inside game with Hasheem Thabeet and Stanley Robinson. After all, Thabeet had a seven-inch height advantage on the tallest Marquette defender.

What was more surprising was Robinson’s inside presence as Jeff Adrien was having an off-night and only contributed two points and four rebounds. Robinson had his best game of the year picking up the slack and finishing with 19 points and 10 rebounds.

He was having no trouble getting to the rim and would scream at the top of his lungs while finishing his dunks.

Thabeet would pour in nine of his 14 points in the second half; he also finished with 15 rebounds. Price would continue his dominance as well, at one point hitting back to back three pointers and a jump shot in three straight possessions to open an eleven point lead.

Marquette would rally again however, at one point going on an 11-0 run to take the lead behind two three-pointers by James’s replacement, Maurice Acker. It didn’t last long and UConn returned the favor by going on its own 11 point run fueled by two three-point plays by Robinson.

The Golden Eagles had too much fight left in them however, and would make another run behind a thrilling McNeal jumper that sent the crowd into a frenzy and cut the lead to three with 2:58 left.

Marquette couldn’t sustain the momentum as Jeff Adrien added his only two points at the free-throw line after a McNeal foul that put UConn up by five. A.J. Price would seal the deal with a three-pointer, his eighth of the game, and add two closing free throw shots to give Coach Calhoun his 800^th victory.

After the game, Calhoun was asked what it meant to him to reach 800 wins. He responded by referring to the list of coaches with 800 or more wins and recounting something his father had said to him when he was young. “He said ‘you will always be judged by the company you keep.'” “I looked around at that list and I am really happy to be in that company.”

Later in the press conference Jim Calhoun explained that when he got home his wife would have a cake waiting for him to celebrate his special win. With his 800th win and his team playing well going into the tournament, he can have his cake and eat it, too.

UConn-Syracuse: Huskies Lose Dyson But Steamroll Orange

Jon Cavanaugh — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 00:48:33 -0500

Jerome Dyson went down with a knee injury but No. 1 UConn kept rolling, beating Syracuse 63-49 at home.

UConn (23-1, 11-1) has brought stability to the No. 1 ranking after a topsy-turvy month that saw four different teams hold the top spot. The Huskies also featured an 11-game winning streak and had no intentions of ending it.

Syracuse (18-7, 6-6), on the other hand, had dropped five of seven and had seen its ranking plummet to No. 22 in the polls. The Orange hoped to avoid skidding straight out of the polls and if it keeps up, out of the NCAA tournament as well.

As expected, the game started off very competitively. Syracuse had surprising success in the paint even though Hasheem Thabeet was his normal imposing self. Syracuse forward Arinze Onuaku didn’t score a lot of points but was effective rebounding and blocking shots.

During one stretch, Thabeet blocked a Jonny Flynn shot, but on the other end Thabeet’s own dunk attempt was blocked by Kristof Ongenaet. Things were looking up for the Orange and this was typical of the equal play during the half.

Syracuse was the first team to open up a sustained lead, taking advantage of some uncharacteristic Husky turnovers. Since being ranked No. 1, UConn has had some early turnover problems in games against Louisville and Michigan.

Syracuse opened a five-point lead, 16-11, as UConn went on a four-minute drought. In addition to the turnovers, a more ominous sign came for UConn as Dyson suffered an apparent knee injury.

Dyson had been averaging 13.7 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists for the Huskies.

Syracuse kept its lead until the eight-minute mark when A.J. Price cut the lead to 21-18 with a three-point shot. Onauku then took a seat on the Syracuse bench with two fouls.

With just under seven minutes to go, UConn tied the game at 21-21 on a Stanley Robinson free throw.

The action went back and forth until UConn took a 30-27 lead at the end of the half.

Thabeet had an astounding seven rebounds, five blocks and four points. Stanley Robinson and Price each had six points for the Huskies.

Syracuse was led by Flynn’s 11 points but more importantly, they were getting to the rim and playing very tenacious basketball, forcing 14 turnovers. Onuaku had three rebounds and Rick Jackson had four as the Orange front line held its own against UConn’s fearsome duo of Thabeet and Jeff Adrien.

Syracuse kept it close in the first half with scrappy front-line play, capitalizing from UConn turnovers, but its luck ran out in the second half.

Syracuse made it close for the first four minutes of the half before the wheels completely fell off. It was not as if Syracuse quit playing hard-nosed basketball—Eric Devendorf and Ongenaet would provide plenty of hustle and spark—Connecticut was just that much better.

Price picked up the slack for the fallen Dyson, pouring in a team-high 17 points. Adrien and Craig Austrie also scored in double figures for the Huskies.

UConn slowed the tempo and tightened up its defense. Gone were the turnovers that plagued the Huskies in the first half as their guard play picked up tremendously.

Syracuse had gotten to the rim often in the first half but suddenly felt very unwelcome in the paint. Any time the Orange players drove to the basket, they were greeted by a hostile Thabeet.

Thabeet had a great first half, but in the second he was just downright nasty. Each block and rebound became more thunderous and demoralizing, sapping the will of the Orange as the game itself became more hostile.

Jackson and Thabeet even did a little shoving after the whistle. Late in the game, Thabeet inadvertently rifled the ball into the face of Ongenaet, sending him to the floor as Thabeet tried to save the ball from going out of bounds.

That was a microcosm of the entire half as Syracuse was pushed around. The lead got as high as sixteen points during a 10-0 UConn run. The Orange got as close as 11, but any momentum gained was quickly crushed by Thabeet’s fearsome shot-blocking.

Thabeet finished with 16 rebounds, seven blocks, and eight points.

The bright spots for Syracuse were Devendorf’s 12 points and Ongenaet’s eight rebounds and invaluable hustle. These are things that the Orange can build on for the rest of the season but will not stop their impending slide out of the Top 25.

During the last two minutes of the game, Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun called off the dogs and waved his hands wildly for his players to stop the carnage.

It was a sign of mercy.

No. 1 rolls on.

Bob Knight to Prowl the Sidelines at Alabama?

Jon Cavanaugh — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 03:57:41 -0500

We have had time to digest the recent rumors that Bob Knight could return to coaching and he has been linked to the Georgia Bulldogs, but could it be another team that Knight has his eye on?

Could it be that the General is stalking another school? Is it possible that we may see him prowling the sidelines in a red sweater somewhere else?

How about the Alabama Crimson Tide?

Sports columnist Paul Finebaum has published an article on al.com stating that not only are there rumors about Knight coaching at Alabama, but that Knight himself has taken an active interest in the job.

Is there any truth to these rumors? Well, quite frankly, no. The article states that Knight has a lot of friends in high places in Alabama, and it is apparently well known that Bobby likes to hunt in Alabama, but there is no concrete evidence.

The article quotes a source described as a “friend” and someone that “talked directly” to Bob. Jeez, haven’t we all heard that one before?

Rumors are just rumors, but they are plenty of fun and sports fans like to speculate, so why not have some fun with it?

Mr. Knight has said himself, “I have never said that I wouldn't coach again. I've simply said in the past, if the right situation came along, I would be interested."

Knight’s statement has swirled around the sports news and talk scene for the past week. If the Alabama job isn’t the right situation, then I wonder if there will ever be a more suitable situation for him.

Bob would be able to coach in the prestigious SEC Conference for a school that has a decent basketball tradition, access to fertile recruiting ground and he would get to wear the famed red sweater again.

More importantly, he would get the chance to coach alongside another coaching legend and chase the almighty 1,000th win. These reasons could prove irresistible to Mr. Knight.

Knight is 68 years old, but with other coaching legends Joe Paterno and another famous Bobby—Bobby Bowden—marching on well into their 70s, there is no reason not to believe that Knight couldn’t reach this incredible milestone.

Wait up. Hold on just one second. Nick Saban is king of Alabama sports right now. How could these two strong-minded and no-nonsense coaches coexist together?

I think Knight would relish the opportunity. He would face less pressure because everyone knows that basketball will never overtake football in priority at the school. Both men could even gain a recruiting advantage from it and enjoy each other as coaching peers.

Alabama would get one of the greatest coaches in history, the winningest coach, and one who will run a spotless and trouble-free program with no worries of NCAA infractions.

This is a match made in heaven, right?

Think again.

The problem is Knight, the man with 902 wins, is a liability. Any athletic director that dreams of hiring him will have to take this into consideration. Along with his wins and great graduation rates comes his temper and penchant for misbehaving.

Google Bobby Knight’s name and you will find his incredible coaching record and the 902 wins, but right along with that information are the numerous and prominently displayed links to his many outbursts.

His tantrums and public misgivings are admittedly funny and provide great entertainment value, but I doubt it is something that many schools want to subject themselves to.

Any athletic director that thinks the General will be easy to get along with can watch this hunting-related video, featuring Bobby arguing with his neighbor after he had asked him to move away from his property.

These incidents and foul-mouthed tirades will also hurt him in recruiting. Some recruits will relish the chance to play for a coaching legend, but will the blue-chip athletes want to play for Knight? Some recruits may realize that getting chewed out by Knight will be about as fun and as dangerous as getting mauled by a giant grizzly bear.

Bobby’s public transgressions have given us lots of laughs and highlight-reel material, but we cannot forget that he has actually laid his hands on his players on more than one occasion. The well-documented choking incident of Neil Reid in 1997 proves how volatile and violent Bobby Knight can be.

I grew up in Indiana and was a student at Indiana University when the famous choking incident occurred. I lived in a small Indiana town near Bloomington called Ellettsville, when Bobby was accused of punching a local man at a Mexican restaurant.

I was still a student at IU and witnessed the chaos that ensued when he was fired.

I am not a Knight hater. I loved some the things he accomplished and what he stood for, but I know all to well the giant shadow that he casts over a program.

Will Bob Knight ever coach again? Who knows? It’s all just speculation at the moment. Currently, Knight is an ESPN analyst and he is great at doing that as well. He seems to be comfortable and having fun but will the lure of 1,000 wins draw him back to coaching at Alabama or some other school?

Only time will tell. As I watch and listen to the rumors that will continue to swirl around his coaching status, I am reminded of a statement he once made during an infamous interview,

“Just relax and enjoy it.”

Memphis-Gonzaga: Tigers Destroy Bulldogs, 68-50

Jon Cavanaugh — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 07:18:26 -0500

No. 15 Memphis traveled to No. 18 Gonzaga in a rare and tasty Saturday night non-conference treat. The contest was full of intrigue and great match-ups. Both schools come from mid-level conferences and both are the dominant teams in those respective conferences.

Gonzaga had won nine straight games and sits alone atop the West Coast Conference. They boast an impressive non-conference schedule with victories over Oklahoma State, Washington State, Indiana, Maryland and two victories over Tennessee. Gonzaga lost to Arizona and took No. 1 UConn into overtime before succumbing 88-83.

Memphis entered the game on a 13-game winning streak and a mind-boggling 50 straight Conference USA wins. The Tigers have not fared as well as the Bulldogs in non-conference games.

Memphis has lost to Xavier, Syracuse and Georgetown, while getting wins against Cincinnati and Seton Hall. The Tigers, like Gonzaga, scored a victory against Tennessee earlier in the season.

Both teams came in looking for respect and a higher NCAA tourney seed. The game was played in the larger Spokane arena instead of “the Kennel,” Gonzaga’s smaller home court. This was the fifth game in the series with Memphis winning the past three match-ups.

The location did little to dampen the spirits of the students and Gonzaga fans. The arena had an air of electricity surrounding it, ESPN even had its College Gameday crew on hand. Too bad the game didn’t live up to its hype, as Gonzaga fans had little to celebrate.

As expected, the two heavyweights from mid-level conferences began to trade punches before Memphis opened a seven-point lead with 11:37 remaining in the first half, and Gonzaga’s point guard, Jeremy Pargo, sat on the bench with two early fouls.

Memphis began to stifle and confuse Gonzaga with their man-to-man pressure defense. Gonzaga committed seven turnovers in eight possessions as Memphis’s lead grew to 21-12 with 7:25 left in the half.

Memphis star Tyreke Evans was having his way getting to the rim, and Robert Dozier had already hit the double-figure mark with 10 points as the raucous crowd in Spokane grew cautiously quiet.

Gonzaga was slow to get back on transition defense, and Memphis took advantage of it with superior quickness. Austin Daye was even yelled at by Coach Mark Few to quicken his pace.

On the offensive side, Gonzaga was having trouble getting a rhythm and struggled to get an inside game going, forced to be a jump-shooting team by the Memphis pressure defense.

The Memphis lead grew to 17 points to close the half with a 40-23 lead in front of a very shocked and disappointed crowd in Spokane. Tyreke Evans had a great first half with 14 points and five rebounds.

Gonzaga couldn’t get to the rim, and Memphis was dominating on the boards 18-11. The lone bright spot for the Zags was Micah Downs, who had 10 points off the bench.

Gonzaga would have to find a way to get to the rim and break the Tigers' pressure if they stood any chance at a comeback.

They did perk up some to begin the secondhalf but could do nothing to slow Tyreke Evans. Gonzaga did start to get in the lane more, but it didn’t help as Memphis extended its lead to 53-33.

The Memphis lead would grow to 24 before Gonzaga would make a competitive run. After a television timeout with seven minutes left, Zags coach Mark Few would sit three of his best players.

Jeremy Pargo, Austin Daye, and Matt Bouldin would all ride the pine during a 13-0 Bulldog run that cut the lead to 60-47 with just over three minutes to play.

Gonzaga began to play with confidence as Memphis grew cautious and tried to slow down the game.

It was too-little-too late as Gonzaga ran out of time and was forced to foul. Gonzaga had finally gotten tough and assertive and the crowd was back in the game, but it was all for naught as Memphis closed the game out 68-50.

Tyreke Evans showed he may be the best freshman in the country. He finished with 22 points and seven rebounds. Memphis has now gone 14-0 with Evans at point guard.

The Tigers have used four different players at the position this year, going 6-3 in that span before Evans took over.

The Memphis Tigers used their superior quickness and tenacity to dominate Gonzaga. Memphis would do it largely with their starting five with only seven points coming from its bench.

This was a statement game, and Memphis made a strong statement to the NCAA selection committee with a convincing win, while Gonzaga failed to impress and most likely earned itself a lower seed in the tournament.

UConn-Michigan: Huskies Survive Battle with Tenacious Wolverines

Jon Cavanaugh — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 06:24:45 -0500

The UConn Huskies proved they deserved the No. 1 ranking with a dominant performance against No. 7 Louisville on Monday, and they intended to hold on to that ranking at home in a late-season non-conference match up with Big Ten foe Michigan.

The Huskies entered the game on an 11-game win streak vs. non-conference foes and 14 straight against non-conference teams at home. They hoped to avoid a letdown against the Wolverines.

Michigan came into the game struggling as of late, losers of five of their last seven contests after showing promise early in the season.

The Wolverines gave the Big Blue faithful reason to believe the program had restored its glory when they knocked off two different No. 4 ranked teams earlier in the season. They beat both UCLA and Duke, but their recent slide has them on the bubble for an NCAA tourney berth.

UConn was expected to dominate this game but found itself in a dogfight with a group of angry Wolverines. The Huskies jumped out to an 8-1 lead, but Michigan kept clawing back and tied the game at 14 apiece at the 11:40 mark.

Michigan came in focused and disciplined, committing no turnovers while UConn committed five uncharacteristic turnovers early. UConn’s immense size advantage was evident early on, with Hasheem Thabeet getting three blocks during the first eight minutes, but Michigan continued to execute its game plan.

Michigan would use their zone defenses in an attempt to confuse and slow down the No. 1 Huskies. The Wolverines would switch between a 2-3 and 1-3-1 zone frequently while forcing turnovers and using their own inside-outside combination.

UConn would employ a three-guard offense for the entirety of the game.

Late in the first half, Michigan would take the lead after forcing UConn to eight turnovers. The Wolverines went on a 9-0 run and took a 29-21 lead with 3:48 left in the half.

UConn, however, would put together a run of its own to close the first half. The Huskies gained momentum and began to assert themselves in the last two minutes, going on an 8-0 run.

The first half ended with Michigan leading 34-33. The Wolverines were lead by Stu Douglass, who came off the bench with 11 points. Hasheem Thabeet led the way for UConn with 11 points and four blocked shots.

As the second half began, the Michigan Wolverines, having already knocked off two different teams in the top five, had the No. 1 squarely within its sights and aimed to pull the trigger.

The Huskies were the ones that came out firing at the start of the second half, but Michigan held its own ground. With 14 minutes left in the second half, Michigan had an improbable 43-39 lead.

The No. 1 Huskies would not be pushed around on their home floor, however, as Michigan began to struggle with a rapidly constricting UConn defense.

UConn would go on an 8-0 run to re-take the lead, but Michigan would continue to stay in the game, trailing just 55-47 with eight minutes left.

The Wolverines would not go away, despite an increasingly dominant performance by UConn’s Hasheem Thabeet. At 3:48 left in the game, the Wolverines were well within range, only down 57-53.

This was a critical junction for Michigan, as they couldn’t afford to give UConn a bigger lead. They wouldn’t, but UConn would not budge either. With 1:30 left, Connecticut led by five points and began to run out the clock.

Michigan was forced to foul, and the fate of UConn’s newly acquired No. 1 ranking was now left up to its free throw shooting ability. Make the free throws and keep the No. 1 ranking, pure and simple.

UConn did make its free throws, as Michigan continued to try and pull off an improbable upset. The Wolverines gave the Huskies all they could handle, but in the end it wasn’t enough and UConn held its ground, winning by a final score of 69-61.

Give the Wolverines credit, John Beileine’s squad came in with a solid game plan and executed it to perfection. The Huskies were just too tough and too resilient.

Michigan was led by valiant performances by Manny Harris and Stu Douglass. Douglass came off the bench to score 20 points, going 6-of-8 from three point range.

Connecticut would get another stellar performance from 7-foot-3 Hasheem Thabeet, who had a double-double with 17 points, 12 rebounds and six blocks. Jerome Dyson had 19 points for the Huskies.

The Wolverines proved they deserve a berth in the field of 64, while the UConn Huskies proved that they deserve the title of the best team in the nation.

UConn-Louisville: Cardinals Lay an Egg As Huskies Hold on to No. 1 Ranking

Jon Cavanaugh — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 04:46:32 -0500

UConn proved it deserves the No. 1 ranking after dismantling Louisville 68-51. Led by a punishing inside game, the Huskies have bullied their way to the top of a crowded and talent-rich Big East Conference.

Louisville (17-4, 8-1) came into the game having won two of their last five against No. 1 ranked teams, including Pittsburgh this year at home. The Cardinals came in sporting a 12-1 home record, a No. 7 ranking, and a nine-game win streak, sharing the lead in the Big East Conference with Marquette.

Connecticut (21-1, 10-1) came in with a nine-game win streak of its own and the nation’s No. 1 ranking. Duke and Pittsburgh both lost recently, and UConn is the fourth team in as many weeks to hold the No. 1 ranking.

Thirty NBA scouts were on hand for this contest, including Joe Dumars of the Detroit Pistons.

There was a lot on the line in this game, and something had to give. The Cardinals were battered inside and succumbed to the size and strength of the UConn Huskies. Hasheem Thabeet and Jeff Adrien were too much for the Cardinals despite a heroic effort by forward Terrence Williams.

Louisville looked good early, using their trademark pressure defense to harass UConn and getting the crowd into the game. Around the five-minute mark of the first half, the Cardinals led 11-7, with Terrence Williams scoring seven of the 11 points.

UConn began to assert its dominance, however, taking a 17-14 lead at 10:56 and the official TV timeout. Connecticut was keeping Louisville out of the lane and dominating inside the paint.

Louisville would battle back to take a 22-21 lead at the 6:48 mark and would hold it close for the next few minutes before going on a drought and becoming turnover prone.

UConn would close the half on a 16-5 run that would prove insurmountable for the Cardinals. Louisville was plagued by sloppy play and turnovers and could not get a rhythm going, while UConn continued to pound the ball down low.

UConn led 38-26 at the half behind 15 points and five rebounds from Jeff Adrien. Cardinals star Earl Clark went a dismal 2-13 from the floor, and 14 of Louisville’s 25 points were scored by Terrence Williams.

The second half contained more of the same for Louisville as it continued its uncharacteristic sloppiness, and UConn’s monster-like Hasheem Thabeet began to dominate the game with help from mates Jeff Adrien, Jerome Dyson, and A.J. Price. Price chipped in with 14 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 blocks.

The game came down to its star matchups. Jeff Adrien continued to dominate in his match up with Earl Clark. Clark was completely stifled and had a most un-superstar-like game, finishing an amazingly poor 2-13 from the floor with five points while being eclipsed by Adrien, who poured in 18 points with seven rebounds. Perhaps Clark was trying to do too much to impress the NBA scouts on hand.

Louisville’s bright spot was Terrence William’s brilliant performance: 26 points, five rebounds, and three blocks. It was Williams alone who kept Louisville from getting completely blown out and embarrassed. Williams, amazingly enough, was the only Cardinal to score in double digits. Preston Knowles had nine and Clark had just five points.

As good as Williams was, Thabeet was better. The 7'3" center dominated the game in every way, finishing with 14 points, 11 rebounds and 4 blocks. More importantly, he intimidated Louisville and made them appear soft.

It is rare to see one player dominate and intimidate an entire team. That is what makes Thabeet’s performance so memorable. He even showed off a jump shot in this game.

In a crowded Big East Conference, a dominant performance against seventh-ranked Louisville lets UConn holds on to its first No. 1 ranking since March 6, 2006 and establishes them as the big dog in the conference.

Led by Wolf Man Gregg Popovich, the Spurs Are Playing Scary Basketball

Jon Cavanaugh — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 02:50:35 -0500

After a rocky start, the San Antonio Spurs have clawed their way towards the top of the Western Conference, posting a 28-13 record, second in the West to the Los Angeles Lakers, who are 32-8.

Let's face it, the Spurs are playing scary basketball right now, perhaps taking a cue from their coach’s new look. Is it just me or does Gregg Popovich bear an eerie resemblance to the Wolf Man?

Perhaps the Spurs have taken a cue from their leader and used defense to claw and bite their way to the top of the standings, after starting the season missing stars Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili due to injury.

The Spurs stumbled to a horror movie-like start, losing four of their first five games. They are 22-8 since Ginobili and Parker returned to the lineup. The Spurs used a fearsome defense to hold serve without their injured stars, and have kept it up.

As the mid-season mark is approaching, they are sitting pretty. The question remains, however: Do they have what it takes to make another title run?

San Antonio will be a force to be reckoned with and a worthy adversary come playoff time, but have the Spurs taken the necessary steps to take it all the way to an amazing fifth NBA title?

I guess time will tell, but I think they can challenge the Lakers and other young teams in the division, such as the Blazers, Hornets, Rockets, Jazz, and the resurgent Nuggets.

During the off-season, I think the biggest question marks were youth and health. I don’t think anyone would doubt that the Spurs are an elite team with Duncan, Parker, and Ginobili healthy, but what about the supporting cast?

The knock on the Spurs is that they were too old and needed to inject some young talent to go along with the big three. Sure, Tim Duncan is only 32 years old, but hasn’t he lost a step, and don’t the other key role players look like they are headed to a retirement community in the off-season?

Spurs fans hope George Hill and Roger Mason are the answers. Hill has been a pleasant surprise since being picked 26thoverall in the draft from Summit Conference powerhouse IUPUI. Hill is averaging 7.5 points and 18 minutes a game.

Roger Mason has been the most pleasant surprise for fans, averaging just over 30 mpg, 12 ppg, and shooting .464 percent from three-point land. His biggest contribution is his amazing big shot ability.

Not much was expected of this free agent acquisition, who has thrilled the Spurs faithful with his game winning shots. Could it be the Spurs have found a capable replacement to fill Robert Horry’s shoes? “Big shot Roger” perhaps?

Mason drilled a game-winning shot to down the Suns on Christmas Day and another stunning game winner against the mighty Lakers on Jan. 14. It is his big shot ability and ice cold mentality that has Spurs fans salivating and fans of opposing teams scratching their heads and wondering, “Where do they get these guys?"

I believe that the addition of this new blood and a healthy Duncan, Parker, and Ginobili will be enough to propel the Spurs to another conference championship appearance and possibly a berth in the NBA finals.

I doubt the Spurs will be a big player in the free agent market or trade scene; the NBA trade deadline of Feb. 19 is fast approaching. I look for them to make no waves at the deadline, perhaps a small ripple.

They could use another young player capable of slashing and splitting defenses, but I don’t expect them to make such a move. Choosing to go to war with their current roster instead.

The pesky Spurs will be there at the end, much to the chagrin of opposing fans and Spurs' haters. They again will rely on tough defense and become a general nuisance, pest, and thorn in the side of any team that crosses their path.

Their new blood will play well, Duncan will be himself, Parker and Ginobili will impress, Finley will add key minutes and shots, and Bruce Bowen will harass, disturb, and foul other players, making supporters of opposing teams hurl inanimate objects at their new HDTV sets in an uncontrollable rage.

A healthy Spurs team at playoff time will be a scary one indeed, as scary as the Wolf Man himself.

Good-Bye Mr. Dungy, You Will Be Missed

Jon Cavanaugh — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 00:12:11 -0500

When Tony Dungy stepped down as coach of the Indianapolis Colts recently, it was a sad day for many people for many different reasons. I can definitely be counted amongst the many here in Indianapolis and across the country who were sad to see the coaching legend hang it up.

It certainly was a joy to live in the city of Indianapolis and follow the Dungy led Colts. The ascension of the Colts during the Dungy/Manning/Polian era still amazes me. I remember the excitement that some fellow football fans and I had as Dungy was a candidate and subsequently announced as the Head coach of the Indianapolis Colts.

There were plenty of detractors who harped and squawked that Dungy was too soft or made other excuses, but I knew that something special was going to happen in the most unlikely of all places.

Indiana is not exactly a football state. Everyone knows that basketball rules in the Hoosier state. Regarding the Colts in particular, there was a lingering culture of losing surrounding and permeating the team.

Fans generally had a lackadaisical attitude towards the team that was only recently crushed with the Super Bowl victory in the 2006 season. Fans always harped back to the 1995 team that came one play from going to the Super Bowl.

This became a mantra that fans clung to like a favorite childhood blanket, the season that almost was. The first sign that this sentiment would change came when the franchise drafted Peyton Manning, but something was still missing.

The moment Tony Dungy was hired I knew that the improbable was going to happen. I knew that against all odds a real football team was going to be assembled in Indianapolis.

A team that would win consistently year after year, a football team that the city would be proud of, a team that could not only get to the playoffs, but go deep into the playoffs consistently, a football team that gives fans, god forbid, a dream of reaching the Super Bowl and bringing a championship to the city of Indianapolis.

Tony Dungy was the man who brought hope to the city of Tampa. Remember the pre-Dungy Tampa Bay Buccaneers? They were the laughing stock of the NFL with the hideous bright orange jerseys.

Dungy had turned that franchise into a formidable NFL team. What would he do once he had a great quarterback like Peyton Manning in his hands?

Seven years later the dream has become reality, seven straight double digit winning seasons, seven straight playoff appearances and a Super Bowl victory. Consider it mission accomplished. Indianapolis has now become Colts crazed.

Much has been made of Tony Dungy’s career in the wake of his retirement. Tony Dungy’s achievements both professional and civic are too numerous, compelling and monumental to be covered here.

The numerous articles in the past week that have dotted the sports news landscape have covered his amazing achievements for the world to see.

My love of coach Dungy extended beyond his unbelievable resume and achievements to a personal level. I will never forget his kindness and the example he set for the world on overcoming a tragedy.

During his reign as Tampa Bay Buccaneer’s head coach, my grandmother lived in the Tampa FL area. Through phone conversations I got to hear about this new coach they had in Tampa. She told me stories of how professional he was, how kind he was, and how he “finally has these boys playing some real ball down here.”

The latter point was the one that so amazed me, the Tampa Bay Bucs were suddenly for real.

During Tony’s first month as head coach in Indianapolis, I sent him an email about my grandmother and how much she loved him. A week later I got a personally autographed picture in the mail from coach Dungy to her.

Needless to say I was excited and so was my grandmother. It meant a lot to her and she died a couple of years after receiving it.

In late December of 2005 Tony Dungy’s son James died from suicide at the tender age of 18. This tragic event hit me harder than the average fan. My own stepbrother and best friend had taken his life years earlier in a similar part of Florida.

The news of James Dungy’s passing was instantaneously like reliving the event for me. All the emotions and the pain and suffering came to the forefront again. During that time I felt like I was living with the Dungy family and experiencing their pain with them.

What was most important to me during this time was how coach Dungy reacted to this terrible tragedy. His strength and courage helped me to cope with my loss. He taught me how to move on with my life.

I wondered if this man who had experienced the greatest loss of his life could continue on, not just to exist and coach again, but to be successful again and win the ultimate prize, a Super Bowl. I wondered if I could do it also, to put away all the anger and guilt and go on winning in my life.

So I watched and I listened as Tony Dungy had to deal with his loss in the public eye. I watched when he spoke during the funeral and during the days afterwards. I watched as he returned to work.

The Colts finished the regular season 14-2 and were the heavy Super Bowl favorite. I wondered and hoped that they would win the Super Bowl that year, I wanted to see Tony Dungy get his Super Bowl ring after experiencing this tragedy.

It never happened. The Pittsburgh Steelers bounced the Colts from the playoffs immediately in a game that was fraught with tension and heartbreak.

Like all Colts fans I was disappointed and dejected. Most of all I wanted to see them win for coach Dungy and myself. I saw the win as vindication for coach Dungy, myself, and all Colts fans.

I listened to coach Dungy after the loss as he told us that the team would fight on next year and that the loss was nothing compared with losing his son. After several weeks of being disappointed, I, like other Colts fans, began to look forward to next season.

The 2006 season turned out to be the season of vindication. The Colts entered the playoffs as an underdog wild-card team. The feeling around Indianapolis was that of another decent season, another early exit from the playoffs, another Manning/Dungy choke job. The team couldn’t stop the run and certainly couldn’t put together a Super Bowl run.

Luckily the public perception was wrong and the Colts made their much publicized Super Bowl run ending in victory. This proved to be the ultimate victory for all parties involved, especially myself, and proved once and for what you can accomplish when you handle adversity with dignity and class.

I will always remember coach Dungy for his contribution to the city of Indianapolis, for bringing a winning team here, for teaching us the value of courage and leadership, for his civic and charitable contributions, and for teaching me that in my life I could overcome tragedy and sorrow.

After Tony Dungy stepped down, Jim Caldwell was introduced as head football coach for The Indianapolis Colts. During Caldwell’s introductory press conference I felt a little anxiety at first.

Would things be the same? Would the Colts take a step backwards during his tenure? Is he the right coach for the job? Would we ever see another Super Bowl celebration on Monument Circle?

These feelings soon gave way as I realized that Tony Dungy would not leave the Colts and their newly rabid fans if he weren’t certain that the franchise was in good hands. He would not leave us or the team if he didn’t think the franchise couldn’t reach greater heights than it already has and return to the Super Bowl.

You can call it a gift from him to the franchise and the city.

Thank you Mr. Dungy, we will miss you.