John Clay's Sidelines

Mike Slive (AP photo/Dave Martin)

SEC links for Thursday:

• SEC commissioner Mike Slive has too much to do to retire, writes Kevin Scarbinsky of the Birmingham News.
• Joe Medley of the Anniston Star writes that the SEC commissioner started off the proceedings with some big talk about academic reform and NCAA rules.
• Slive shows he wants to be out in front of the debate, says my H-L column.
• Slive wants to alter the landscape, writes Mark Schlabach of espn.com.
• The commish has ideas and they’re not stupid, says Gregg Doyel of CBS Sports.
• Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel argues that Ron Zook left Urban Meyer a better program at Florida than Meyer left Will Muschamp.
• Mark Bradley of the AJC doesn’t think Muschamp is the next Zook.
• South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier has his old swagger back after winning division title, writes Mike Herndon of the Mobile Press-Register.
• Spurrier knows that repeating won’t be easy, reports Jennifer Smith of the H-L.
• With former UK associate AD Scott Stricklin at the helm, Mississippi State pulls in a record $37.6 million in private donations, reports the AP.

Continue reading ‘SEC: Slive’s big ideas, Spurrier’s swagger and Gators’ chip’

Nick Petrino

Nick Petrino, former Louisville Trinity quarterback and son of Arkansas head coach Bobby Petrino, was arrested early this morning in Indiana on drug and DWI charges.

Excerpt:

The Huntingburg Police Department in southern Indiana said 23-year-old Dominic R. Petrino, of Fayetteville, Ark., was arrested at 12:06 a.m. Monday and charged with driving while intoxicated, possession of marijuana, illegal possession of prescription drugs and possession of paraphernalia.An outstanding quarterback on the high school level, Petrino transferred to Arkansas in the spring of 2009.

Nick Petrino had been a back-up quarterback on his father’s team at Fayetteville, but is no longer with the squad. After helping Louisville Trinity to two state titles, he spent a year at Georgetown College, redshirting before transferring to Arkansas Tech. He moved from there to Montana State-Northern in 2008.

Nick Petrino is 23. Here’s an interview he did last year.

Around the SEC on a Friday morning:

Mike Griffith of the Knoxville News-Sentinel reports on Tennessee’s 69-56 win at Auburn. The Vols did not have Scotty Hopson, out with a sprained ankle. But that was no problem. Griffith: “Tennessee showed its resiliency once again. The Auburn men’s basketball team continued to exhibit ineptitude. The Vols, missing their head coach and leading scorer, dominated from start to finish in a 69-56 men’s basketball victory Thursday night before a crowd of 6,274 at Auburn Arena.”

Mike Strange of the News-Sentinel writes that Tennessee threw it weights around on the road. Strange: “For the second consecutive game the Vols steamrolled an SEC West opponent on the road. The margin was 17 points at Ole Miss on Saturday. Both were welcome developments for Tony Jones, whose job filling in for suspended Bruce Pearl has grown progressively less ulcer-inducing.”

The Vols are now 5-2 in the SEC, second behind first-place Florida at 6-2. Kentucky is 4-3.

The AP reports that an SEC school complained to commissioner Mike Slive about Alabama’s signing day webcam. “Web photos on what Alabama calls its “Fax Cam” showed an unidentified female student in a short, slitted skirt standing next to the fax machine and a board where names of each confirmed signee were posted as they arrived. The student is a Crimson Cabaret dancer who works in the football offices and was wearing her uniform. The dance team performed at halftime of the men’s basketball game Wednesday night, which tipped off some seven hours after the signing day Web cam went offline.”

Brad Locke of the NE Mississippi Daily Journal reports on the continuing circus that is Mississippi State basketball. Locke: “Rick Stansbury is muting his players’ voices on the social network. Mississippi State’s basketball coach announced Thursday that all players have been banned from using Twitter, the micro-blogging site that senior Ravern Johnson used to express his frustration after the Bulldogs’ 75-61 loss to Alabama on Wednesday. On his Twitter page, Johnson wrote that he understood why players transfer – a reference to the departures of Elgin Bailey and Twany Beckham – and criticized Stansbury’s coaching.”

The guess here would be that after everything that has happened this year in Starkville, Stansbury is on very thin ice.

Continue reading ‘SEC: Tennessee picks up win; Trouble at Alabama, MSU’

SEC links for Friday:

• Vanderbilt could have a new football coach today, reports Jeff Lockridge of the Tennessean.
• LSU needs overtime to beat McNeese State 78-66, reports Scott Hotard of The Advocate.
• In football, LSU forfeits two scholarships for violations, reports Glenn Guilbeau of the Shreveport Times.
• Two Georgia players aid an accident victim, reports Tim Tucker of the AJC.
• Renardo Sidney needs to be great for Mississippi State, writes Brad Locke of the NE Mississippi Daily Journal.

Continue reading ‘SEC: Vandy may hire coach; LSU forfeits scholarships’

Pittsburgh coach Jamie Dixon. His team meets Tennessee today. (AP photo)

SEC links for Saturday:

• Vols ready for Big East battle, reports Mike Griffith of the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
• Vanderbilt targets Gus Malzahn, reports Jeff Lockridge of the Tennessean.
• Auburn OC has job options, writes Jon Solomon of the Birmingham News.
• Hesiman could be a runaway, says Matt Hinton of Yahoo Sports.
• Media shouldn’t be Heisman story, writes Dan Wolken of the Commercial Appeal.
• Meyer a coaching cop-out, writes Mike Bianchi of Orlando Sentinel.
• It’s a pressure-packed job, writes Gene Wojciechowski of espn.com.
• Florida’s Foley keeps low profile, says Edward Aschoff of Gainesville Sun.
• Dan Mullen in rumor-deflecting mode right now, writes David Brandt of the AP.
• Successor speculation all around UF, writes Jason Lieser of Palm Beach Post.

Continue reading ‘Tennessee ready for Pitt; Vandy targets Gus Malzahn’

At left is Nick and Terry Saban. At right is doctored photo in which Bessemer councilwoman is insterted in place of Terry Saban.

SEC links for Thursday:

• Political candidate uses fake photo to tout backing of Nick Saban, reports AP.
• Even the tradition-rich Crimson Tide will bow down and wear Nike combat unis one game, reports Chase Goodbread of the Tuscaloosa News.
• When you are Vanderbilt, you need your punter to deliver, writes Jeff Lockridge of the Tennessean.
• With Kiffin gone, one Vol thinks he’s starting college all over again, writes John Adams of the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
• Gene Sapakof of the Charleston Post and Courier reports on investigation into South Carolina football and agents.
• Mr. SEC on LSU coach Les Miles’ forked tongue.
• Bobby Petrino says he did not intend for hat incident to escalate, writes Robbie Nieswanger of the Arkansas News.
• Georgia’s turnaround must start with turnovers, writes Tim Tucker of the AJC.
• Auburn basketball picks up a pair of 2011 commitments, reports Evan Woodbery of the Mobile Press-Register.
• Harrison Jones is back in the fold at Alabama, reports Gentry Estes of the Mobile Press-Register.
• Florida wide receiver Carl Moore thinks it’s his turn to shine, writes Anthony Chiang of the Orlando Sentinel.
• Joseph Goodman of the Miami Herald writes that Florida’s defensive line is feeding off that old standby, a lack of respect.

Here’s the video of this ridiculous event in Arkansas. The reporter asking the question, who was wearing a Florida hat, because she is a Florida alum, was fired the next day. We all knew Bobby Petrino could be a jerk, but hopefully he wasn’t a jerk enough to get the reporter fired over wearing a hat.

Click here for the story.

SEC links for Tuesday:

• Austin Ward of the Knoxville News-Sentinel reports on Lane Kiffin kicking Brandon Warren off the Tennessee team.
• John Adams of the Knoxville News-Sentinel writes that Tennessee receivers are dropping like passes.
• Randy Rosetta of The Advocate writes that LSU is preparing for all Florida’s quarterback possibilities.
• ESPN’s Chris Low writes that Tim Tebow faces a daunting task.
• Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel writes that Urban Meyer gave Bobby Bowden the kiss of death.
• Rick Cleveland of the Clarion-Ledger writes that Houston Nutt and Nick Saban share respect.
• The AJC gives a photo replay of the controversial Georgia celebration penalty.
• David Paschall of the Chattanooga Times Free Press writes that Georgia’s last trip to Tennessee was ugly.
• Charles Goldberg of the Birmingham News writes on Bobby Petrino and Gene Chizik, together again.
• In the Mobile Press-Register, Paul Finebaum writes that Auburn is clearly on the right path.
• Jeff Lockridge of the Tennessean reports that Vandy is getting back to basics.
• Kyle Veazey of the Clarion-Ledger reports that Mississippi State is working on ball security.

SEC links for Thursday:

• David Brandt of the Clarion-Ledger reports that Ole Miss has been prepping for spotlight of tonight’s ESPN game with South Carolina.
• Joe Person of The State writes on Ole Miss quarterback Jevan Snead.
• John Davis of the Oxford Eagle writes that Snead is upbeat about the SEC opener.
• Kevin Brockway of the Gainesville Sun writes about SEC’s football tilted balance of power.
• Seth Emerson of The State writes that South Carolina’s basketball class is stacking nicely.
• Kevin Scarbinsky of the Birmingham News writes that the Nick Saban-Bobby Petrino rivarly is more than hot air.

Continue reading ‘SEC links: South Carolina-Ole Miss square off tonight’

(H-L photo/Mark Cornelison)

Big Blue Links for Thursday:

• My column on how UK’s staff has remained constant, while at Louisville it’s ch-ch-changes.
• Chip Cosby of the Herald-Leader reports that Kentucky’s kick coverage is worrisome considering Louisville’s speed.
• Jennifer Smith of the Herald-Leader reports on Louisville volleyball’s win over previously unbeaten UK.
• Jerry Tipton of the H-L blogs that two top 50 hoops prospects will be on campus Saturday.
• Zagsblog reports that West Virginia made a good impression on UK hoops target Tobias Harris.
• CORRECTED: B.W. Jones of the Kentucky Kernel reports that Ridge Wilson plead not guilty to fourth-degree assault.

Continue reading ‘BBL: West Virginia makes push for Tobias Harris’