Almost a month after Pat Summitt filed for a divorce from her husband of 27 years, Bruce Pearl filed for a divorce from his wife of 25 years.  Both cited irreconcilable differences.  Is it something in the water at the University of Tennessee or do these two have more in common than a love for basketball and all things Orange? Is it possible that there is more than meets the eye in the gymnasium in Knoxville?

Just maybe the sight of Pat Summitt in a cheerleading outfit was all it took to shake up Bruce Pearl's world and vice versa for Summitt, as she watched Pearl cheer on her girls in nothing but paint in February.  Certainly the two of them have the right chemistry for a winning program, but is there chemistry between them?

My guess is that the stress of coaching in a Division I program is enough to break up any marriage, but I would not be surprised if there were more to it than what we know.  She is Pearl's senior by eight years, but maybe their passion for the game has turned them towards each other.  Certainly if they are viewed in public together from this day forward it will be with suspicion.

Pat Summitt is revered as few others are in Knoxville.  Her name is on par of other great coaching legends in the men's programs like Knight, Smith, and Coach K.  It is appropriate that the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame is housed in Knoxville.  While Bruce Pearl is certainly a good coach, he has not attained the same status in the coaching ranks as Summitt.  He has revitalized the program at Knoxville that I thought was not possible.  His task is not an easy one considering all the "blue" chippers are recruited two hours north to Kentucky or due east to Chapel Hill.  Even within the state of Tennessee his program is not the number one choice for high school players.  Memphis under Calipari is the school of choice for the top tier in-state recruits, and then you have Louisville, Duke, UNC, KY, and even Indiana ahead of the Volunteers for all others. 

So can Bruce Pearl ever climb the vaunted Summitt at UT and be on top?  Indeed he may in more ways than one.

SoCalSportsFan

Having very little time to write these days, but I still have a little time on Sunday for one of my rants.  Here goes in five minutes or less:

Bill Belichick:  He cheated and who knows how long he has been doing it.  He got off easy if you ask me.  Why not make the Pats forfeit the game against the NY Jets?  Fining is one thing, but money comes easy to big name coaches and players.  One endorsement deal and the fine is paid, but the team that may have lost from said cheating can not ever get that W back.  Now everyone wonders about the legitimacy of every Patriot win including their Super Bowl victory over the Eagles.

NFL Coaches:  Boy they sure are slow to point the finger at Bill for cheating.  Maybe, just maybe, they know that many more do the same thing.  Sort of reminds me of how players in MLB don't point the finger at Barry too much because maybe they know how prevalent steroids are in baseball.  Sure you have your Curt Schillings who will bark up any tree, but for the most part NFL coaches have rallied behind Bill and criticized him very little for his obvious and blatant disregard of the rules.  How come bloggers give Bill a free pass too?

MLS:  With MLB almost to October and NFL and NCAA FB in full swing, MLS doesn't have a chance.

SoCalSportsFan

I know it is way too early to start predicting who will win the Heisman, but after watching college football this weekend I have to say I think I know a couple of guys whose names should be in the ring.  It always amazes me how the boys at ESPN can talk all year long about one or two players and completely ignore the stats of these other players, but this year I think the powers that be will not overlook my choice for Heisman.

QB:  Of course the Rainbow warrior, Colt Brennan, should come to mind because his arm is more powerful than the firearm company he is named after. He has 12 TD passes and 1 INT with a 77% completion rate.  How can that not get you mentioned as a Heisman Hopeful this early on?  The trouble is that Hawaii is never given any respect.  Should they make it to a BCS bowl then maybe Colt has a shot at the Heisman.

RB: After yesterday's blow out of Nebraska, Stafon Johnson should be on everyone's radar.  The problem is that he has to be consistent and replicate that performance on a weekly basis.  In week one against a softer Idaho team Johnson was only able to squeak out a measley 64 yards.  He wasn't even the leading rusher for USC that week.  If the Heisman winner is a running back he will need to be the leading rusher for his team and Johnson will have to step up.

Wide Receiver:  How about a guy named Malcolm Kelly from Oklahoma?  He has 7 TD catches and 301 yards receiving so far with a 21 yard average per catch.  If he keeps this up he could win it hands down.  Of course his own QB might take it instead, but I for one think it's about time a receiver had a shot at the title.

My winner is Tim Tebow for the Florida Gators.  He has a QB rating of 228 with 8 TD vs 1 Int in just three games, but he also has a 74% passing completion rate. Not to mention that Florida is the reigning BCS Champion and he plays in the SEC.  Should the Gators emerge victorious in the SEC Conference then it is evident the Gators will play USC for the BCS Title.  If that happens, I think Tim Tebow is a lock to win the Heisman Trophy.  

SoCalSportsFan

Based upon the first three weeks we can make a few assumptions, but they are just that.  It is a long season and many things can happen.  With that said, here is how I see the top five and the worst team in the NCAA.

5.  Hawaii:  With Colt at the helm this team can stay alive with anyone.  Their defense hasn't really been tested yet, but if they win the coin toss they have a shot at winning every game.

4.  Ohio State:  Still reeling from last year's BCS title loss, they look to win the Big 10 which will have them ina BCS Bowl game, probably the Rose Bowl.  In the right scenario they might even have another title shot.   LSU and Florida will have to face each other once in the regular season and then possibly in the SEC Conference TItle game.  Each could have a loss letting OSU back into the BCS Title game.

3.  USC:  They looked great against Nebraska, but remember that the Cornhuskers hired Bill Callahan.  This guy is possibly the worst coach in the NCAA who was lucky enough to take over a team from Frank Solich with enough talent to win.  Too bad his record is about the same as Frank because in Lincoln that can lead to a one way ticket out of town.  All in all USC dominated on offense and defense.  They are a lock for the BCS title game now that UCLA and Washington lost.   Win out and they are in.  Easier said than done, but they are on cruise control to the BCS Title game.

2.  Florida:  Tim Tebow is my Heisman Trophy leader at this point.  Four touchdowns today and 176 points in three games is just unbelievable.  He is putting up great numbers, but the Gators' defense looks a bit weak.  They allowed Troy to score 31 points and a Tennessee team that can't run its way through the cheerleaders' paper banner, to score 20. If they don't improve on defense then LSU will win the SEC crown and they might even lose to Florida State by the end of the year.

1.  LSU:  As good as Florida and USC has looked, only LSU has dominated its competition three weeks in a row both offensively and defensively.  In three games they have only allowed 7 points while scoring 137 points.  They have only allowed one touchdown.  Compare that to USC which has allowed five touchdowns to be scored on it in only two games.  Until LSU loses, they are number one in my book.

Now the worst team in the NCAA has to be Notre Dame.  How can a coach like Weis, who is supposedly an NFL offensive genius, not have his team score one touchdown in three games?  How can they have negative running yards so far?  This team is bad, really bad.  I am not sure how the heads at Notre Dame are going to spin this one but if you ask me Charlie is just over rated. 

Honorable Mentions:  Oklahoma is right up there for number five along with Wisconsin, West Virginia and Rutgers.

SoCalSportsFan

Troy Glaus finally spoke to reporters today only to say that he had no comment on the current situation.  His name has been linked along with Rick Ankiel's in the HGH buying scandal from an internet pharmacy in Florida.  Glaus says he understands that reporters have a job to do, but hopes they will respect his position at this time.  Maybe Troy is being confused with the ancient Grecian Hero.  Certainly he was trying to look like him.

In other words, what Glaus is really saying is that he took HGH along with other steroids ordered from this pharmacy.  The news report says he appears shaken.  Once again, this can only mean he is upset because he is guilty.  If he were innocent, he would come right out and say it isn't so.  Unlike Barry Bonds, he is not under a sitting grand jury nor is he being prosecuted by a federal investigator.  This whole story is the result of the feds attempting to shut down internet pharmacies which prescribe HGH and other steroids without as much as an office visit.

It is a quandry that all sports are in and as the truth unfolds we are going to see many more names surface.  Roger Clemens, Albert Pujols, Alex Rodriguez, and many more could all find themselves staring at allegations of using performance enhancers.  What will MLB do then?  My solution is to set up stringent testing now, lable this era with an asterisk, and move on.  The players union and MLB will have to agree to blood testing so they can pick up HGH because it is not detectable yet in urine tests which is the only test that is being used in MLB.  Cyclists have to submit to blood tests, so why not baseball players.  Of course I think HGH is an even bigger problem in the NBA, but no one wants to admit it.  How many high school kids are taking HGH right now to grow an extra couple of inches.  It is the perfect time for them because their bone plates are still not fused and they can grow taller without the fear of acromegly, or caveman head syndrome as I like to call it. 

Of MLB is not the only sport with steroid problems.  One look at the NFL and WWE and one can realize that steroids have always been an issue.  From Lyle Alzado to Chris Benoit, steroids will always be used where athletes are looking for an edge.  Bodybuilders have been using them for decades and no one tried to clean up those sports.  It was only a matter of time before they infiltrated every other league.  One has to wonder if Bud Selig has been taking them as well.  After all, it appears he has no balls to do anything about them.  Maybe it's because his have shriveled up from taking all that Rogaine.

Troy Glaus can bemoan his situation all he  wants, but one thing is for sure;  when you come out with no comment you've said a mouthful.

SoCalSportsFan