OK, you've been heading over to nba.com to vote for your favorite Grizzlies -- and others -- for the All-Star game.
But before you put your laptop away, you've got one more vote to cast. Head over to hoopshype.com and vote for the "tweeter of the year" in the NBA.
Sixteen players adorn the ballot. Resting (well, "resting" is never a good description for him) in second place is the Grizzlies' Tony Allen. As I type this, he is just behind Steve Nash and has been named first choice on 503 of 1,357 ballots so far.
Blogger extraordinaire Kerry Crawford at the I Love Memphis blog noticed Allen's tweets and devoted a post to it that included people around town reading his words aloud. And now you can vote for him at hoopshype. They ask you to rank all 16 players, names ranging from Steve Nash, Kevin Durant, Kevin Love, Dwight Howrd and Shane Battier to Spencer Hawes and Roger Mason.
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Need a Z-Bo fix? Find yourself missing lovable Grizzlies' power forward Zach Randolph, who is out for at least a few more weeks with a knee injury?
A website has popped up to celebrate the Z-Bo defensive stance: knees flexed, bent at the waist, headband on, mouthpiece on display.
Z-boing.com joyfully posts reader-submitted photos of various Griz fans in the Z-Bo defensive stance. The photos range from young to old, from real to manufactured (there's a Justin Bieber Z-boing shot).
Check it out.
A website has popped up to celebrate the Z-Bo defensive stance: knees flexed, bent at the waist, headband on, mouthpiece on display.
Z-boing.com joyfully posts reader-submitted photos of various Griz fans in the Z-Bo defensive stance. The photos range from young to old, from real to manufactured (there's a Justin Bieber Z-boing shot).
Check it out.
Not every interaction between a coach and a referee looks like this:
Especially not with University of Memphis coach Josh Pastner.
His interactions with the men who wear zebra stripes during games -- and the interactions of coaches everywhere with them -- are the focus of my feature in today's Commercial Appeal. Among those I talked to for this story: John Calipari, Andy Kennedy, ESPN analyst Jimmy Dykes and national coordinator of officials John Adams.
Now, for the rest of today's CA Sports menu:
+ Blame it on the jerseys? The Grizzlies lost their second straight game, this time to the Clippers. Our Ron Tillery was in the Staples Center for it.
+ Confirmed: No further punishment for the Tigers who left the bench in the difference of philosophy that took place Wednesday night at FedExForum.
+ Memphis released its football schedule Thursday. In Justin Fuente's first year, he won't face a Southeastern Conference team.
+ The Memphis women's team improved to 5-1 in Conference USA.
+ It's Friday, so it's time for a notebook wrapping up what's going on across all sports at the U of M.
+ Our Ron Higgins was in Oxford Thursday night, where Ole Miss started strong -- but Florida finished strong.
+ Collierville TE Hunter Bradley has made his college choice.
+ In the prep bowling state championships, White Station is making its mark.
One more link from commercialappeal.com:
+ Our City Hall reporter, Amos Maki, keeps coming up with good stuff. Check out today's story on the Memphis PD's secret helper.
If you follow one new person today on Twitter, it should be...
Josh Selby (@joshselby2) of the Memphis Grizzlies.
This weekend's planner:
Marshall at Tigers, Saturday, 8 p.m.
Grizzlies at Suns, Saturday, 8 p.m.
Connect:
Follow CA Sports on Twitter. Follow me on Twitter. Like us on Facebook.
And be nice to somebody today.
Especially not with University of Memphis coach Josh Pastner.
His interactions with the men who wear zebra stripes during games -- and the interactions of coaches everywhere with them -- are the focus of my feature in today's Commercial Appeal. Among those I talked to for this story: John Calipari, Andy Kennedy, ESPN analyst Jimmy Dykes and national coordinator of officials John Adams.
Now, for the rest of today's CA Sports menu:
+ Blame it on the jerseys? The Grizzlies lost their second straight game, this time to the Clippers. Our Ron Tillery was in the Staples Center for it.
+ Confirmed: No further punishment for the Tigers who left the bench in the difference of philosophy that took place Wednesday night at FedExForum.
+ Memphis released its football schedule Thursday. In Justin Fuente's first year, he won't face a Southeastern Conference team.
+ The Memphis women's team improved to 5-1 in Conference USA.
+ It's Friday, so it's time for a notebook wrapping up what's going on across all sports at the U of M.
+ Our Ron Higgins was in Oxford Thursday night, where Ole Miss started strong -- but Florida finished strong.
+ Collierville TE Hunter Bradley has made his college choice.
+ In the prep bowling state championships, White Station is making its mark.
One more link from commercialappeal.com:
+ Our City Hall reporter, Amos Maki, keeps coming up with good stuff. Check out today's story on the Memphis PD's secret helper.
If you follow one new person today on Twitter, it should be...
Josh Selby (@joshselby2) of the Memphis Grizzlies.
This weekend's planner:
Marshall at Tigers, Saturday, 8 p.m.
Grizzlies at Suns, Saturday, 8 p.m.
Connect:
Follow CA Sports on Twitter. Follow me on Twitter. Like us on Facebook.
And be nice to somebody today.
Wednesday night's result had already been decided, so the most critical part of what happened late in the University of Memphis' win over Rice had much more to do with Saturday night's Conference USA showdown against Marshall.
Will Barton and Tarik Black left the bench during an altercation of sorts with seven minutes or so to play. Among the reporters tweeting on press row, there was some question about whether the two would, as a result, be suspended for the next game. Same with the coaches, who reached out almost immediately to get an answer.
The verdict: They're good to go.
Our Jason Smith recapped the crazy night in his story in today's Commercial Appeal. The Barton/Black thing is an important point, you know. The two players account for 27.7 points and 13.6 rebounds per game.
Now, for the rest of today's CA Sports menu:
+ Jason's Replay feature runs down Wednesday night's game.
+ The Grizzlies continue their West Coast swing with a TNT game tonight at the Clippers. Ron Tillery tells us how these two teams' prominence signals quite the change from years past.
+ Previewing the Griz-Clippers.
+ Ron Higgins was in Starkville last night, where Mississippi State outlasted LSU.
+ Previewing Ole Miss-Florida tonight in Oxford.
+ World Series champion Jason Motte becoming friends with the University of Memphis baseball team? Phil Stukenborg explains.
+ Nicole Dickson leads the Memphis women's team into tonight's home game against Marshall.
One more link from commercialappeal.com:
+ Our City Hall reporter, Amos Maki, is digging into some interesting stuff with Memphis police. Here's today's story.
If you follow one new person today on Twitter, it should be...
Ron Higgins (@RonHigg), our SEC reporter.
Today's planner:
Grizzlies at Clippers, 9:30 p.m.
Connect:
Follow CA Sports on Twitter. Follow me on Twitter. Like us on Facebook.
And be nice to somebody today.
Will Barton and Tarik Black left the bench during an altercation of sorts with seven minutes or so to play. Among the reporters tweeting on press row, there was some question about whether the two would, as a result, be suspended for the next game. Same with the coaches, who reached out almost immediately to get an answer.
The verdict: They're good to go.
Our Jason Smith recapped the crazy night in his story in today's Commercial Appeal. The Barton/Black thing is an important point, you know. The two players account for 27.7 points and 13.6 rebounds per game.
Now, for the rest of today's CA Sports menu:
+ Jason's Replay feature runs down Wednesday night's game.
+ The Grizzlies continue their West Coast swing with a TNT game tonight at the Clippers. Ron Tillery tells us how these two teams' prominence signals quite the change from years past.
+ Previewing the Griz-Clippers.
+ Ron Higgins was in Starkville last night, where Mississippi State outlasted LSU.
+ Previewing Ole Miss-Florida tonight in Oxford.
+ World Series champion Jason Motte becoming friends with the University of Memphis baseball team? Phil Stukenborg explains.
+ Nicole Dickson leads the Memphis women's team into tonight's home game against Marshall.
One more link from commercialappeal.com:
+ Our City Hall reporter, Amos Maki, is digging into some interesting stuff with Memphis police. Here's today's story.
If you follow one new person today on Twitter, it should be...
Ron Higgins (@RonHigg), our SEC reporter.
Today's planner:
Grizzlies at Clippers, 9:30 p.m.
Connect:
Follow CA Sports on Twitter. Follow me on Twitter. Like us on Facebook.
And be nice to somebody today.
We're far enough into the college basketball season now that real meaning can be drawn from statistics. So on the verge of tonight's University of Memphis game against Rice, let's take a brief look at the Tigers in the national rankings.
Memphis' best category is blocked shots per game. The Tigers are fifth in the nation, averaging 6.7 swats per contest. In that category individually, Tarik Black is 47th with two per game.
The Tigers rank among the top 10 percent of all teams in the nation in two other categories: 11th in field goal percentage defense, 37.8 percent; and 21st in field goal percentage, 48.4 percent.
In the 18 statistical categories ranked by the NCAA, the Tigers actually only rank in the bottom half of the country in three areas: 208th in fouls per game, 18.8; 216th in turnover margin, -0.5; 233rd in 3-pointers per game, 5.5.
And one other thing: Will Barton is prominent on Memphis' statistical profile page, too. Barton is 27th in the nation in points per game, 18.8; 66th in field goal percentage, 51.2 percent; 56th in rebounds per game, 8.7; 20th in double doubles, nine.
Find me: Twitter | Facebook | Email
Memphis' best category is blocked shots per game. The Tigers are fifth in the nation, averaging 6.7 swats per contest. In that category individually, Tarik Black is 47th with two per game.
The Tigers rank among the top 10 percent of all teams in the nation in two other categories: 11th in field goal percentage defense, 37.8 percent; and 21st in field goal percentage, 48.4 percent.
In the 18 statistical categories ranked by the NCAA, the Tigers actually only rank in the bottom half of the country in three areas: 208th in fouls per game, 18.8; 216th in turnover margin, -0.5; 233rd in 3-pointers per game, 5.5.
And one other thing: Will Barton is prominent on Memphis' statistical profile page, too. Barton is 27th in the nation in points per game, 18.8; 66th in field goal percentage, 51.2 percent; 56th in rebounds per game, 8.7; 20th in double doubles, nine.
Find me: Twitter | Facebook | Email
Well, it had to end sometime, didn't it?
I'm talkin' about the Grizzlies' winning streak, which was halted at seven games Tuesday night by a 97-84 loss to the Blazers in Portland. Our Ron Tillery was there and described the Grizzlies as "tired and unable to find another gear in the second half."
So the Grizzlies will now get an opportunity to start another winning streak. (Their next game is Thursday at the Clippers.) In case you were wondering, the franchise record winning streak is eight games. That streak covered a span from Jan. 11 to Jan. 25 of 2004 -- a range of dates that almost exactly mirrored the Grizzlies' just-completed seven-game streak.
Now, for the rest of today's CA Sports menu:
+ The Tigers play tonight. They host Rice at FedExForum. Our Jason Smith says last year's edition of the Owls -- a team that beat Memphis in Houston -- is the attention-grabber the Tigers need.
+ Jason previews tonight's game.
+ Back to the Grizzlies one more time: Q-Pon received a contract guarantee through next season.
+ Football recruiting! The Tigers received a commitment from East High lineman Latarius Brady and will be visited this week by a linebacker from Texas.
+ More football recruiting! Our John Varlas reports on two local commitments with one common thread: They wonder why the U of M didn't recruit them.
+ Southeastern Conference basketball appears to be on the upswing, Ron Higgins reports.
+ Ole Miss is looking into the potential of a minor NCAA rules violation concerning a birthday party. (My blog on the topic from Tuesday has more depth.)
+ Raleigh-Egypt and Douglass tangled in prep hoops last night.
One more link from commercialappeal.com:
+ The documentary film on the Manassas High football team is nominated for an Oscar.
If you follow one new person today on Twitter, it should be...
@NBAHistory, which describes itself as "the history and tradition of the NBA."
Today's planner:
Rice at Tigers, 7 p.m.
Connect:
Follow CA Sports on Twitter. Follow me on Twitter. Like us on Facebook.
And be nice to somebody today.
I'm talkin' about the Grizzlies' winning streak, which was halted at seven games Tuesday night by a 97-84 loss to the Blazers in Portland. Our Ron Tillery was there and described the Grizzlies as "tired and unable to find another gear in the second half."
So the Grizzlies will now get an opportunity to start another winning streak. (Their next game is Thursday at the Clippers.) In case you were wondering, the franchise record winning streak is eight games. That streak covered a span from Jan. 11 to Jan. 25 of 2004 -- a range of dates that almost exactly mirrored the Grizzlies' just-completed seven-game streak.
Now, for the rest of today's CA Sports menu:
+ The Tigers play tonight. They host Rice at FedExForum. Our Jason Smith says last year's edition of the Owls -- a team that beat Memphis in Houston -- is the attention-grabber the Tigers need.
+ Jason previews tonight's game.
+ Back to the Grizzlies one more time: Q-Pon received a contract guarantee through next season.
+ Football recruiting! The Tigers received a commitment from East High lineman Latarius Brady and will be visited this week by a linebacker from Texas.
+ More football recruiting! Our John Varlas reports on two local commitments with one common thread: They wonder why the U of M didn't recruit them.
+ Southeastern Conference basketball appears to be on the upswing, Ron Higgins reports.
+ Ole Miss is looking into the potential of a minor NCAA rules violation concerning a birthday party. (My blog on the topic from Tuesday has more depth.)
+ Raleigh-Egypt and Douglass tangled in prep hoops last night.
One more link from commercialappeal.com:
+ The documentary film on the Manassas High football team is nominated for an Oscar.
If you follow one new person today on Twitter, it should be...
@NBAHistory, which describes itself as "the history and tradition of the NBA."
Today's planner:
Rice at Tigers, 7 p.m.
Connect:
Follow CA Sports on Twitter. Follow me on Twitter. Like us on Facebook.
And be nice to somebody today.
Top teams roll on: Ridgeway enjoyed its last game--at least for now--as the top team in The Commercial Appeal's Dandy Dozen, beating Germantown, 87-51. Kordario Fleming scored 16 for the Roadrunenrs and Craig Hill added 15. Ridgeway is 20-1, but that one loss came last week to No. 2 Southwind, who will likely climb into the top spot when the new poll is released on Thursday. The Jaguars, bounced back from last Saturday's loss to Chicago Simeon in the Penny Hardaway Hoopfest by thumping Collierville, 95-37. Johnathan Williams III and Deckie Johnson each had 21 for the Jaguars (21-2). There won't be any changes in the girls poll though as Central improved to 15-4 with a 70-47 victory over White Station. Nina Davis led the Lady Warriors with 28 and Tia Wooten pitched in with 18.
Stuffing the stat sheet: Cornelia Fondren only played about 2 1/2 quarters in Overton's 84-15 victory over District 15-AAA rival Kirby, but the Syracuse-bound senior produced the state line of the night. Fondren nearly produced a rare quadruple-double, tallying 13 points, seven rebounds, nine assists and 12 steals to lead the Lady Wolverines. Philecia Atkins had 17 points for the Wolverines, who are ranked second in The Commercial Appeal's Dandy Dozen and improved to 14-2 on the year. Honorable mention goes to White Station super sophomore Leron Black had 29 points and 11 rebounds but the Spartans fell to Central, 62-57. Andre Applewhite II had 21 to lead the Warriors and Joshua Jones added 17.
One man wrecking crew: Northside's strategy Tuesday was apparently to slow the game down and try to pin the first loss of the season on high-flying Booker T. Washington. It didn't work though; Ole Miss signee Martavious Newby outscored the Cougars single-handedly, pouring in 25 points in a 61-24 victory. The Warriors are now 18-0 and are the lone undefeated team in the city. BTW's girls continued to roll too, beating 49-37 to improve to 15-1. Terrica Robinson had 16 to lead the Lady Warriors.
Buzzer beater: Isaac James picked the right time to score his only points of the game, hitting a 10-foot floater in the lane as Evangelical Christian School edged St. George's, 46-44, to earn a big win in Division 2-A. Skal Labissiere and Kip Owens each had 18 for the defending state champions, while Alex Bran had 16 and Alec Mulvihill 14 for the Gryphons.
Countdown to 1,000: Dyer County got a 33-point effort from John Hudson as the Choctaws defeated Memphis University School, 70-60. Danny Galvin had 26 for the Owls, who will try to give coach Jerry Peters career victory No. 999 Friday at Briarcrest.
Milestone win: Southwind hasn't had varsity sports for all that long, but Tuesday's 52-33 victory over Collierville was special nonetheless as the Lady Jaguars reached 20 wins for the first time in school history. Bianca Cage and Jasmine McAllister each had 14 for Southwind.
Old rivals: St. Mary's and Hutchison renewed the oldest girls rivalry in the area with the Sting winning, 41-39. Sandy Smith had 12 points to lead Hutchison, while star freshman Kaylan Pugh led the Turkeys with 21. It's not clear how long the two schools have been playing one another but it's been a while; both schools are over 100 years old.
Stuffing the stat sheet: Cornelia Fondren only played about 2 1/2 quarters in Overton's 84-15 victory over District 15-AAA rival Kirby, but the Syracuse-bound senior produced the state line of the night. Fondren nearly produced a rare quadruple-double, tallying 13 points, seven rebounds, nine assists and 12 steals to lead the Lady Wolverines. Philecia Atkins had 17 points for the Wolverines, who are ranked second in The Commercial Appeal's Dandy Dozen and improved to 14-2 on the year. Honorable mention goes to White Station super sophomore Leron Black had 29 points and 11 rebounds but the Spartans fell to Central, 62-57. Andre Applewhite II had 21 to lead the Warriors and Joshua Jones added 17.
One man wrecking crew: Northside's strategy Tuesday was apparently to slow the game down and try to pin the first loss of the season on high-flying Booker T. Washington. It didn't work though; Ole Miss signee Martavious Newby outscored the Cougars single-handedly, pouring in 25 points in a 61-24 victory. The Warriors are now 18-0 and are the lone undefeated team in the city. BTW's girls continued to roll too, beating 49-37 to improve to 15-1. Terrica Robinson had 16 to lead the Lady Warriors.
Buzzer beater: Isaac James picked the right time to score his only points of the game, hitting a 10-foot floater in the lane as Evangelical Christian School edged St. George's, 46-44, to earn a big win in Division 2-A. Skal Labissiere and Kip Owens each had 18 for the defending state champions, while Alex Bran had 16 and Alec Mulvihill 14 for the Gryphons.
Countdown to 1,000: Dyer County got a 33-point effort from John Hudson as the Choctaws defeated Memphis University School, 70-60. Danny Galvin had 26 for the Owls, who will try to give coach Jerry Peters career victory No. 999 Friday at Briarcrest.
Milestone win: Southwind hasn't had varsity sports for all that long, but Tuesday's 52-33 victory over Collierville was special nonetheless as the Lady Jaguars reached 20 wins for the first time in school history. Bianca Cage and Jasmine McAllister each had 14 for Southwind.
Old rivals: St. Mary's and Hutchison renewed the oldest girls rivalry in the area with the Sting winning, 41-39. Sandy Smith had 12 points to lead Hutchison, while star freshman Kaylan Pugh led the Turkeys with 21. It's not clear how long the two schools have been playing one another but it's been a while; both schools are over 100 years old.
Let's get this out of the way first--the University of Memphis football team and new coach Justin Fuente have the right to recruit anyone they want to. The Tigers struggled through a 2-10 season last year and have been down for quite a while now, so getting talent on board--fast--should be Fuente's top priority. And it doesn't matter where that talent comes from--if Fuente discovers some big lineman and speedy, sure-handed receivers in Timbuktu, that's where he should be headed.
And let's also say this--just because there's a family connection doesn't obligate the the Tigers to look at a certain player. Just because a player's dad used to wear the blue and gray doesn't automatically mean Fuente should be arriving with scholarship papers in hand. College football is a business, coaches are paid based on results and the best way to get good results is to sign good football players.
But the cases of Marcus Holliday II and Cedric Miller Jr. are strange. Not just because both running backs have fathers who were former Tiger players--in fact, Holliday and Miller were teammates for two years in the mid-1990s. No, what's strange is that both players are "legacies"--and both players are darn good.
"A lot of times, the son of a former player is just average," said Miller Sr., the head coach at Southwind High. "And if that was the case here--if my son was just average--then I'd shut my mouth and go back to coaching football. But we've sent 13 players to college and we've only had a full varsity at Southwind for three years. I think I know something about athletes and about getting players in college.
"And I when I watch tape and see my son run 80, 90 yards and not get caught from behind while other running backs are running 25, 30 yards and getting caught from behind ... My son runs a 4.3 40. He runs the 200 in 21.78. He's 6-0, 205 pounds. And Memphis sends the defensive coordinator and the secondary coach over here to try and convince my son to play defensive back when we've already told everyone he wants to play running back?"
The desire to play running back is one of the reasons the younger Miller plans to sign with Missouri State on national signing day on Feb. 1. The younger Holliday--who hasn't gotten so much as a sniff from the new Tiger staff--is heading to Murray State. The talents of both backs are undeniable. Miller gained almost 2,000 yards this past season and scored 33 touchdowns. Fairley High's Holliday, a 5-10, 190-pounder, picked up 1,350 yards and scored 19 touchdowns while averaging almost 10 yards per carry (he missed essentially three full games because of injury). It would seem both players would be good fits in Conference USA and would benefit a Tiger backfield that while being long on numbers, has been short on production.
"It's hard because I'm a father but I'm also a football player too," said Holliday Sr. "It's amazing that a school I played for, gave blood, sweat and tears for ... would show no interest. Coming out of high school, I could have gone to Ole Miss, Arkansas State, but I chose to stay home. We had some success--we didn't have tremendous success--but we had success. I'll be a Tiger till I die; I'll always bleed blue and gray. But take me out of the equation. If you watch football, you have to know that my son is one the top five running backs in the city."
Holliday considered former Tiger coach Larry Porter a friend--but that friendship now seems strained.
"He put out information that my son's grades weren't up to par," said Holliday. "My son's core is perfect and he has a 3.4 GPA. Anyone that knows me knows how I raised my son and that I don't play when it comes to grades. He wouldn't have even been allowed to play if his grades were messed up. We had minimal interest from Porter and we never heard anything from Fuente. And I personally took my son's highlight DVD over there the day he was hired and gave it to him."
Holliday and Miller are in tough spots; they are understandably proud of their sons and want what's best for them. In Holliday's case, his dad said it was his son's lifelong dream to be a Tiger. But both men know how the system works sometimes--and both are now happy and fully supportive of the choices their sons have made. Still though, it does make you wonder.
"I talked to (Tiger broadcaster) Dave Woloshin at the AutoZone (Liberty Bowl High School All-Star) Game and he asked me if the Tigers were recruiting my son," said Miller. "When I told him they weren't, his mouth just fell open. I have four former players over there now and when one of them heard Memphis wasn't recruiting my son he just said 'coach, wherever you send him make sure you send him somewhere where we don't have to play him."
And let's also say this--just because there's a family connection doesn't obligate the the Tigers to look at a certain player. Just because a player's dad used to wear the blue and gray doesn't automatically mean Fuente should be arriving with scholarship papers in hand. College football is a business, coaches are paid based on results and the best way to get good results is to sign good football players.
But the cases of Marcus Holliday II and Cedric Miller Jr. are strange. Not just because both running backs have fathers who were former Tiger players--in fact, Holliday and Miller were teammates for two years in the mid-1990s. No, what's strange is that both players are "legacies"--and both players are darn good.
"A lot of times, the son of a former player is just average," said Miller Sr., the head coach at Southwind High. "And if that was the case here--if my son was just average--then I'd shut my mouth and go back to coaching football. But we've sent 13 players to college and we've only had a full varsity at Southwind for three years. I think I know something about athletes and about getting players in college.
"And I when I watch tape and see my son run 80, 90 yards and not get caught from behind while other running backs are running 25, 30 yards and getting caught from behind ... My son runs a 4.3 40. He runs the 200 in 21.78. He's 6-0, 205 pounds. And Memphis sends the defensive coordinator and the secondary coach over here to try and convince my son to play defensive back when we've already told everyone he wants to play running back?"
The desire to play running back is one of the reasons the younger Miller plans to sign with Missouri State on national signing day on Feb. 1. The younger Holliday--who hasn't gotten so much as a sniff from the new Tiger staff--is heading to Murray State. The talents of both backs are undeniable. Miller gained almost 2,000 yards this past season and scored 33 touchdowns. Fairley High's Holliday, a 5-10, 190-pounder, picked up 1,350 yards and scored 19 touchdowns while averaging almost 10 yards per carry (he missed essentially three full games because of injury). It would seem both players would be good fits in Conference USA and would benefit a Tiger backfield that while being long on numbers, has been short on production.
"It's hard because I'm a father but I'm also a football player too," said Holliday Sr. "It's amazing that a school I played for, gave blood, sweat and tears for ... would show no interest. Coming out of high school, I could have gone to Ole Miss, Arkansas State, but I chose to stay home. We had some success--we didn't have tremendous success--but we had success. I'll be a Tiger till I die; I'll always bleed blue and gray. But take me out of the equation. If you watch football, you have to know that my son is one the top five running backs in the city."
Holliday considered former Tiger coach Larry Porter a friend--but that friendship now seems strained.
"He put out information that my son's grades weren't up to par," said Holliday. "My son's core is perfect and he has a 3.4 GPA. Anyone that knows me knows how I raised my son and that I don't play when it comes to grades. He wouldn't have even been allowed to play if his grades were messed up. We had minimal interest from Porter and we never heard anything from Fuente. And I personally took my son's highlight DVD over there the day he was hired and gave it to him."
Holliday and Miller are in tough spots; they are understandably proud of their sons and want what's best for them. In Holliday's case, his dad said it was his son's lifelong dream to be a Tiger. But both men know how the system works sometimes--and both are now happy and fully supportive of the choices their sons have made. Still though, it does make you wonder.
"I talked to (Tiger broadcaster) Dave Woloshin at the AutoZone (Liberty Bowl High School All-Star) Game and he asked me if the Tigers were recruiting my son," said Miller. "When I told him they weren't, his mouth just fell open. I have four former players over there now and when one of them heard Memphis wasn't recruiting my son he just said 'coach, wherever you send him make sure you send him somewhere where we don't have to play him."
Ole Miss' compliance staff is looking into whether it believes NCAA rules were violated earlier this month with the promotion of a $10-per-person birthday party for football player Nick Brassell at an Oxford sports bar.
NCAA rules prohibit student-athletes being used to promote commercial activity. Ole Miss spokesman Kyle Campbell wrote in an email Monday that the school was gathering facts "on what occurred and if there are any compliance concerns."
A manager at the bar, Oxford's Locker Room, wouldn't comment when reached Monday afternoon. A message for the owner wasn't returned.
Any violations would likely be reported to the NCAA as secondary in nature.
The promotion of the party began to surface on Jan. 2, when a graphic touting it surfaced on the Internet. Ole Miss' compliance office appeared to take note, tweeting this that same day:
(The link is to a Dec. 21, 2011 story in the Winston-Salem Journal that reported North Carolina was seeking reinstatement of receiver Dwight Jones after it deemed that his name and photo was used to promote an event. An AP story the same day said Jones had been reinstated for UNC's bowl after canceling the party.)
Four days later, at 7:31 p.m., the bar posted this on Facebook: "BIG BIRTHDAY BASH TONIGHT FOR OLE MISS FOOTBALL PLAYER NICK BRASSELL..DOORS OPEN AT 9PM..ADMISSION $10" It made a similar post two minutes later; someone in the Ole Miss network responded with "Possible ncaa violation. Fantastic".
But the graphic that had contained Brassell's photo and nickname a few days earlier had been changed to one promoting a party for someone named 'Lil'E.'
Brassell was one of former coach Houston Nutt's top recruits in the class of 2011, arriving from nearby South Panola High in Batesville, Miss. As a receiver, he caught 24 passes for 336 yards and two touchdowns; as a defensive back, he logged 14 tackles and five pass breakups.
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NCAA rules prohibit student-athletes being used to promote commercial activity. Ole Miss spokesman Kyle Campbell wrote in an email Monday that the school was gathering facts "on what occurred and if there are any compliance concerns."
A manager at the bar, Oxford's Locker Room, wouldn't comment when reached Monday afternoon. A message for the owner wasn't returned.
Any violations would likely be reported to the NCAA as secondary in nature.
The promotion of the party began to surface on Jan. 2, when a graphic touting it surfaced on the Internet. Ole Miss' compliance office appeared to take note, tweeting this that same day:
(The link is to a Dec. 21, 2011 story in the Winston-Salem Journal that reported North Carolina was seeking reinstatement of receiver Dwight Jones after it deemed that his name and photo was used to promote an event. An AP story the same day said Jones had been reinstated for UNC's bowl after canceling the party.)Four days later, at 7:31 p.m., the bar posted this on Facebook: "BIG BIRTHDAY BASH TONIGHT FOR OLE MISS FOOTBALL PLAYER NICK BRASSELL..DOORS OPEN AT 9PM..ADMISSION $10" It made a similar post two minutes later; someone in the Ole Miss network responded with "Possible ncaa violation. Fantastic".
But the graphic that had contained Brassell's photo and nickname a few days earlier had been changed to one promoting a party for someone named 'Lil'E.'
Brassell was one of former coach Houston Nutt's top recruits in the class of 2011, arriving from nearby South Panola High in Batesville, Miss. As a receiver, he caught 24 passes for 336 yards and two touchdowns; as a defensive back, he logged 14 tackles and five pass breakups.
Find me: Twitter | Facebook | Email
