John Clay's Sidelines

Big Blue Links for Tuesday:

• Desmond Allison murder came as result of a fight at apartment complex, reports WBNS-TV in Columbus.
• Allison had lived in Columbus and Akron, reports the Columbus Dispatch.
• J.P. Blevins reflects on the death of his former teammate, reports WKYT.
• Derrick Locke could end up signing with St. Louis Rams, reports RamsHerd blog.
• Alex Poythress excited by Kentucky’s scholarship offer, reports George Robinson of the Leaf-Chronicle. (h/t Aaron’s UK Basketball Blog)
• Poythress will be on ESPNU tonight, reports Walter’s Wildcat World.
• Shabazz Muhammad’s mom would like for Long Beach State to get in the mix, reports Yahoo Sports.
• Now that NFL lockout is over, life about to get busy for undrafted Wildcats, reports Jennifer Smith of the Herald-Leader.

Continue reading ‘BBL: More details on Allison murder; Locke to Rams?’

SEC links for Tuesday:

• Alabama has its own version of oversigning, writes Kevin Scarbinsky of the Birmingham News.
• Joe Medley of the Anniston Star on OVC coaches telling Mike Slive and reformers that it’s not that easy.
• Bruce Pearl’s attorney says Tennessee delayed information on photo in NCAA investigation, reports Mike Strange of the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
• Lane Kiffin was charged with failure to monitor by Tennessee, reports Patrick Brown of the Chattanooga Times Free Press.
• Mark Richt plans on having “a helluva year,” reports Mark Bradley of the AJC.
• It’s the last shot for a pair of Florida’s fifth-year seniors, writes Pat Dooley of the Gainesville Sun.
• Houston Nutt is breaking in more transfer quarterbacks at Ole Miss, reports Ivan Maisel of espn.com.

Continue reading ‘SEC: Bama’s oversigning; OVC differs with SEC on reform’

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’

Ex-Georgia AD Damon Evans (Macon Telegraph photo)

SEC links for Sunday:

• A year later, former Georgia AD Damon Evans is still trying to move on
• Alabama lists 44 secondary violations in report to NCAA (but who’s counting)
• Click here to see a pdf of all 44 Alabama violations
• SEC commissioner Mike Slive says it’s time to spread the wealth
• Can the SEC on CBS top ABC for a third straight year?
• Vanderbilt’s James Franklin using academics as a recruiting tool
• John Adams: For Tennessee football, a thin line between six and eight wins
• Even without A.J. Green, Georgia has options at wide receiver
• Ex-LSU football star Chad Jones fighting to keep his dream alive
• Alabama radio network reaching more Crimson Tide fans than ever
• Jordan McRae is ready to give Tennessee basketball fans some hope
• Ron Morris: Ray Tanner represents the best of South Carolina
• Batboy who beat the odds was an inspiration to the Gamecocks
• Mainieri is determined to get LSU baseball back in the hunt

Mike Slive

Seth Emerson of the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer did an interview with Mike Slive, in which the SEC Comissioner says he has prepared legislation for the league’s spring meeting dealing with the practice of over-signing. Slive did not say what the legislation entailed, but also said he was working on “roster management” issues.

Over-signing is the hot-button issue in which coaches sign more than the allotted number of scholarships, to guard against falling short of scholarship numbers when signees are not academically eligible, etc. The issue received much publicity last year when LSU’s Les Miles cut signee Elliott Porter loose and the the defensive lineman ended up at UK. As it turned out, Porter left Kentucky after the season was over, has enrolled at LSU and will walk-on next season.

(AP photo)

SEC links for Wednesday:

• SEC commissioner Mike Slive sounds off on various topics to the Mobile Press-Register.
• Report says Ryan Mallett admitted drug use to NFL teams, writes Robbie Neiswanger of Arkansas News.
• State of SEC quarterbacks looks grim, says Mike Herndon of the Mobile Press-Register.
• Ex-Georgia quarterback and coach Ray Goff stays connected through FCA, reports John Kosater of the Macon Telegraph.
• Bottom line only part of the equation for LSU women’s basketball, writes Scott Rabalais of The Advocate.
• Nick Saban gives credit to Crimson Tide fans, writes Cecil Hurt of the Tuscaloosa News.

Continue reading ‘SEC: Mike Slive sounds off; Mallett admits drug use’

SEC links for Thursday:

• Bruce Pearl aware he’s the “elephant in the room,” reports Mike Strange of the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
• Urban Meyer defends bringing Chris Rainey back to Florida, reports Chris Low of espn.com.
• In a Q & A with Mike Herndon of the Huntsville Times, SEC commissioner Mike Slive says the NCAA needs a national strategy on dealing with agents.
• College football games taking too long, argues Rick Cleveland of the Clarion-Ledger.
• High drama in the SEC West, writes John Zenor of the AP.
• LSU has gone from the ridiculed to the recognized, writes Scott Rabalais of The Advocate.
• Despite broken hand, Alabama’s Julio Jones could still play against Ole Miss, reports Chase Goodbread of the Tuscaloosa News.
• Close wins building confidence at Auburn, writes Jay G. Tate of the Montgomery Advertiser.
• Vanderbilt basketball will have two scoring threats, reports Jeff Lockridge of the Tennessean.
• At Florida, Steve Addazio says he tunes out the boos, reports Robbie Andreu of the Gainesville Sun.
• Caleb King suspension causes tailback problems at Georgia, reports Tim Tucker of the AJC.

SEC links for Wednesday:

• Ole Miss trying to regroup for SEC Baseball Tournament, reports David Brandt of the Clarion-Ledger.

• Edward Aschoff of the Gainesville Sun previews Florida for the SEC Baseball tourney.

• David Jones of Florida Today profiles Gators pitcher Brian Johnson.

• LSU looking for a fresh start in Hoover, writes Randy Rosetta in The Advocate.

• Evan Woodbery of the Mobile Press-Register writes on Auburn pitcher Cory Luckie.

Continue reading ‘SEC links: League baseball tournament starts today’

Mike Slive

SEC links for Monday:

• Former Tennessee star Tyler Smith said threat to son caused him to buy gun, reports Bryan Mullen of the Tennessean.

• SEC Tournament baseball teams will be on the clock, reports Kyle Veazey of the Clarion-Ledger.

• Veazey also reports that TV deal helped commissioner Mike Slive earn $1 million bonus.

• Kevin Scarbinsky of the Birmingham News writes that if elected Auburn should serve as 2004 football champs.

• Mike Strange of the Knoxville News-Sentinel reports on Tennessee men’s tennis team reaching NCAA semifinals.

Continue reading ‘SEC links: Tyler Smith says he had reason for buying gun’

SEC links for Tuesday:

• Florida basketball signee Patric Young looks to start with a bang, reports Kevin Brockway of the Gainesville Sun.

• Kevin Scarbinsky of the Birmingham News thinks Alabama basketball coach Anthony Grant needs to get a better grasp on the state’s pipeline.

• It’s getting harder for John Cohen to find bright spots at Mississippi State, reports Brad Locke of the NE Mississippi Daily News.

• Tony Barnhart of the AJC asks whether Georgia Tech would say yes to an invitation from the SEC?

• Paul Finebaum of the Mobile Press-Register on Jim Delaney and Mike Slive.

• John Pennington of Mr. SEC says if SEC is going to act in expansion, it should act boldly.

Continue reading ‘SEC links: Florida’s Patric Young ready to make impact’