Daily Archives: June 28, 2007

College football must be right around the corner

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franchione%20kneeling.jpgYou know it’s about time for the college football season to begin when the first story appears proclaiming that Texas A&M football coach Dennis Franchione remains on the hot seat (Brett Zwerneman of the San Antonio Express-News):

. . .Anyway, an Aggies neighbor here in town firmly stated Monday that this is Dennis Franchioneís make-or-break season in College Station. I didnít realize she had that much pull with the Aggies brass.
I argued that A&M will have a better team than last season — and a worse record. For starters to a tough last two-thirds of the schedule, the Aggies play a non-conference, Thursday night road game at Miami, a recently-proud program now under first-year coach Randy Shannon. [. . .]
Last year, A&M squeezed out a three-point victory at KU and a one-point victory in overtime at OSU. This year, A&M plays league road games at Texas Tech, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Missouri.
The Aggies havenít won in Lubbock since 1993. They havenít won in Lincoln, Neb., since 1955 (no, I didnít cover that game). They havenít won in Norman, Okla., since 1997. They havenít won in Columbia, Mo., since 1999.
In other words, A&M hasnít won at any of those places this millennium (or century, if that grabs you more). In 2003, Franchioneís first season at A&M and the last time the Aggies played this league slate, A&M lost at the above four hotspots by a combined 167 points.
One-hundred-and-sixty-seven points! (Right, that team didnít have Mike Goodson. You got me.)
Obviously theyíve got a little ground to make up. . . .

The entire column is here.

Another casualty of Oakmont?

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USGA%20logo.JPGMaybe Phil Mickelson wasn’t the only casualty of the recent U.S. Open at Oakmont. Chris Lewis reports the following:

USGA Head Agronomist Ousted: U.S. Open Fallout?
Word on the superintendent grapevine is that Tim Moraghan, the USGAís head agronomist, has been relieved of his post.
USGA spokesperson Marty Parkes, contacted by telephone at the U.S. Womenís Open site at Pine Needles in North Carolina, would not officially confirm or deny the rumors, but did say the grounds were being overseen this week not by Moraghan, but by ìan agronomist from the green section in this part of the country.î
The talk of Moraghanís dismissal, which surfaced on Monday, suggested it had to do with disagreements among USGA personnel about course set-ups and playing conditions at recent U.S. Opens.
Moraghan had been with the USGA for about 20 years.

Given the recent criticism of USGA president Walter Driver here and here, perhaps the USGA is in need of more than a shakeup than merely firing the agronomist?

J. Fred Duckett, R.I.P.

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J.%20Fred%20Duckett.jpegAs noted in the update to this earlier post, longtime Rice athletics, Stros, Oilers, UH Track, Texas Relays, Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, Houston Marathon (and goodness knows what else!) announcer J. Fred Duckett died earlier this week. A visitation for the family will be held from 6-8 p.m. today at George H. Lewis Funeral Home (1010 Bering Drive) and a memorial service will be held at Autry Court on the Rice University Campus at 1:00 on Friday (park in the West Lot #4). The Rice University Athletic Department has also set up this webpage for friends of J. Fred to pass along their remembrances of this fine man, one of the many who make Houston such a special place to live.