* Bucs’ first-year head coach Greg Schiano has done a lot right since taking over for the fired Raheem Morris. He wasn’t brought in to play nice or befriend the brothers. He was hired to earn respect, to motivate and to win games. Arguably, the tenacious Schiano is on his way–last Sunday’s 41-34 loss to the New York Giants notwithstanding. The Giants are defending Super Bowl champs.
The Giants’ game, however, was marred by an incident on the last play. With five seconds remaining and a 7-point lead, the standard procedure for the winning team is to have its quarterback “take a knee” and kill the remaining seconds. The unwritten rule is that nobody touches the guy, whether it’s Eli Manning or not, on such a concession play. The Bucs played it straight, however, and–with only token resistance–planted Manning on his backside. It was tantamount to a sucker punch.
The Giants and their coach, Tom Coughlin, called it “bush league” and a few things that can’t be repeated here. And they’re right. This wasn’t some old-school, never-say-die football ethic on display. This was a blatant cheap shot.
Schiano’s explanation: “What I do with our football team is we fight until they tell us ‘game over.'” Of course, and that would be part of every other football coach’s mantra as well. Only common sense and good sportsmanship would provide a technical exception. This was one.
* Chances are this will never happen because the show-business genie has long since escaped the bottle. But wouldn’t it be preferable if network cameras wouldn’t linger on predictably boorish NFL players and their sophomoric, look-at-me routines after making a play?
* Here’s the lead I had hoped to use: If USF, a solid favorite, can avoid an upset at Ball State this week, look for the biggest crowd–pro or college–in several years next Saturday at Raymond James Stadium when USF hosts 4th ranked Florida State. RayJay will be rocking as only a huge, psyched college crowd can rock. This could be–finally–USF’s year. The Big East, where USF has been a perennial also ran, has never been more winnable. A win over resurgent, national championship-contender FSU would be the Bulls’ biggest win ever. Go, Bulls.
Alas, USF lived down to its reputation for composure-challenged play in Big East games last Thursday night and once again lost to an opponent–in this case, nemesis Rutgers–it should have beaten. The FSU game is still huge for the program, but lots of luster is already gone after three games.
Moreover, it increasingly looks like the Skip Holtz era, now in its third season, is an unwelcome extension of the frustrating Jim Leavitt era. More than enough talent–and plenty of unfulfilled promise.
The Bulls too often look undisciplined and outcoached. Too often big, pressure-cooker games end in a mistake-strewn collapse. An eminently beatable Rutgers team was merely the most recent example.
And such chronic underachievement has been noted outside this market, to be sure. ESPN broadcasters Jesse Palmer and David Pollack made numerous references during the nationally-televised Rutgers game to USF’s well-earned reputation for sloppy play and coming up short in big games. And, yes, this is the network that employs Skip’s dad, Lou Holtz.
Until USF stops reinforcing its unflattering reputation, the image will stick and the Bulls will remain a big-market underachiever in the Big East–no matter what teams comprise it.