Story Links
June 21, 2003
News from a broadcaster’s notebook….
The ACC-Big East soap opera continued last week, and now everyone has an opinion. Last Sunday, July 15th, former Virginia women’s basketball assistant, now UCONN head coach Geno Auriemma played the Title IX card. Auriemma, who just won another national title with his Huskies this past spring, said ACC expansion with Big East teams would hurt women’s college athletics.
“As the schools leave the conference and ruin the Big East, there will be less opportunity for women. All the gains we have made…if this were to unfold, would be disasterous.”
See, if the Big East fails to remain intact, the Bowl Championship Series would pull it’s automatic berth and $13 million in guaranteed revenue. Auriemma doesn’t have to worry too much about his program no matter what happens…the Huskies reap nearly $3 million in ticket sales every year.
The next chapter? A face to face meeting between Big East and ACC presidents. Virginia governor Mark Warner has also asked the NCAA to mediate the situation. Stay tuned.
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When Dennis Womack stepped down from his Virginia baseball head coaching post a week and a half ago, a chapter in the school’s history was closed. Womack had been with UVA as head coach since 1981 and a fixture among college baseball coaches. A 1969 graduate of Auburn, Womack’s easy going style and demeanor was very well respected and people loved him. Womack, who will move into an assistant athletic director’s position within the department said it was a difficult decision, but one that came at the right time. Now the search….a lot of names are starting to surface including former Virginia two sport star Mike Cubbage. The big question….can UVA afford a guy who is one of the top baseball minds in the majors and who is knocking down close to $300K with the Boston Red Sox? Another name that has surfaced is Bobby Miranda, an assistant with the baseball program at Georgia Tech. Bobby was an assistant with Womack and spent time with George Greer at Wake Forest. Miranda is young, hungry, and wants the Virginia job badly. He would certainly bring a lot to the table.
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Congratulations to former Cavalier All American swimmer Ed Moses. The Olympic gold medalist who is in graduate school at UVA, just won an ESPN Met-Rx Superstar’s competition in Jamaica. Moses whipped the Steeler’s wide receiver Hines Ward, Viking’s defensive tackle Chris Hovan. Indy 500 driver Tomas Scheckter, and the Packer’s running back Ahman Green in events like the hula hoop, bubble gum blowing, Sea Doo driving, and paper airplane flying. Moses totalled 51 points, 23 more than his nearest competitor.
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Will someone explain to me why a fan can not yell at a PGA golfer during competition? I understand being quiet during a guy’s swing, or if he is putting….I know all of that…but if a player is walking up to the green, and a fan wants to needle him a bit, what’s the harm? During the US Open at Olympia Fields, a fan was escorted out of the stands for yelling at Vijay Singh regarding the Annika Sorenstam incident. See, Vijay was very outspoken regading Sorenstam’s appearance in the Colonial PGA event last month. As Vijay approached the green, a man in the stands shouted, “Hey Vijay, Annika would have made that one.” The fan was escorted out for unruly behavior. I beleive in the PGA, the USGA, and the game itself…but I think if fans pay money for a ticket, they can yell what they want as long as they are not disrupting play. The players ought to be able to take it.
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Speaking of golf….it happened again. Since I love the game, and try to play as much as I can during the off season working to improve is a constant chore. This past Father’s Day I received another gift from the golf gods….a 152 yard eagle. I knocked in a 6-iron from 152 yards at Birdwood in Charlottesville while competing in the member guest with my good friend and football spotter, Jimmy Casella. It was the third eagle in two seasons of golf…and two of them have been at Birdwood, UVA’s course at Boar’s Head.