BigEastSportsBlog.com

Mark Cuban wades into the NBC late night mess… I’m SO sending this to my boyfriend… If you live in Massachusetts, your vote today will absolutely count… A Big East basketball brawl. A Big East women’s basketball brawl…

Six years ago he left Rutgers for UConn. Now he’s leaving UConn for Georgia. (The Day)

One of Skip Holtz’s new staff additions is a UConn great. (Hartford Courant)

The secret to Charlie Strong’s recruiting prowess: bowling. (Louisville Courier-Journal)

Two of the country’s four-biggest winners in draft declaration season are from the Big East. (SI.com)

Kenny Britt was arrested. Pay those parking tickets, kid! (Tennessean)

It’s been exactly a month since the St. Petersburg Bowl, but the Daily Targum’s been on winter break. Here’s their welcome back highlight reel. (Daily Targum)

Great story about a former USF athlete giving back. (Tampa Tribune)

Current USF coach Skip Holtz is filling out his staff. (Rivals.com)

Meanwhile, could Jim Leavitt fill out Bob Stoops’ staff? (St. Petersburg Times)

A couple days after former assistant Doc Holliday stole a couple WVU recruits away to Marshall, Bill Stewart may be losing another to Mississippi State. (Commercial Appeal)

A look back at the decade that was - and a prediction that this next one will be stronger. (ESPN.com)

The tsunami apparently taught aid organizations how to cooperate. Here’s a list of ways YOU can help. That is, of course, if you don’t believe Pat Robertson’s correct in saying this is the consequence of Haiti’s “pact with the devil.” Again, prayers to the people and nation of Haiti… Our government’s leaving no stone unturned when it comes to terrorists; we’ve got an eight-year old on the watchlist… The key to the Obamas’ marriage? Sportscenter…

Cincinnati’s new president talks about his new football coach. (News Record)

Cincinnati owes Brian Kelly thank you. (SI.com)

Charlie Strong keeps bringing familiar faces into his staff. This time it’s the new line coach. (Louisville Courier-Journal)

It just might be fun to be a Cardinals fan again. (Card Game)

Two weeks in, Dave Wannstedt’s calling it a smooth off-season. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

A bunch more notes from that media session with Wannstedt, including Pitt’s scholarship numbers. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Checking in with former RU QB Mike Teel, who now has a new coach up in Seattle. (Home News Tribune)

The attorney for the kid who said Jim Leavitt hit him, then that he didn’t and then again that he did will have a news conference today. (Tampa Tribune)

Here’s another witness to the alleged incident saying Jim Leavitt got railroaded. (St. Petersburg Times)

Skip Holtz interviewed. So did former Grambling coach Doug Williams. Tommy Bowden may and Miami offensive coordinator Mark Whipple might too. This USF job really is hot. (Tampa Tribune)

Holtz may still be the guy in the lead, though. (St. Petersburg Times)

Calm down Cuse fans. Doug Marrone’s not going to Tennessee. (Syracuse Post-Standard)

Oh boy. Syracuse is going back to the West Coast Offense. Maybe it won’t be the same one Greg Robinson thought he was putting in. (Syracuse Post-Standard)

Any chance any other assistant in the league has an action figure on eBay? (Syracuse Post-Standard)

It’s a WVU prof leading the research on football-related brain injuries. (West Virginia Public Broadcasting)

Top 10 moments in the Big East’s 2009 season. (ESPN.com)

Crazy night in Big East hoops. Pitt upsets UConn… St. John’s upends Cincinnati…Rutgers’ Greg Echenique is transferring to Creighton…

Our prayers to the people of Haiti… Wyclef Jean’s already started raising relief money… A junky trunk’s apparently better than love handles… I don’t really get it; has Lane Kiffin won anything yet?…

Summarizing the Cincinnati bloodlines on Brian Kelly’s new staff. (The Observer)

Of course, Kelly’s just one of the new breed of suspect role models masquerading as coaches. (The Stanford Daily)

But that’s the past; Cincinnati has its new offensive coordinator. (GoBearcats.com)

More and more recruits are seeing UConn as the big time. (Hartford Courant)

Charlie Strong will open his first spring at Louisville with four QBs. (Louisville Courier-Journal)

Tracking Rutgers’ commits. (Bleed Scarlet)

Meanwhile, could Rutgers’ hoops program be in any more disarray? (SNY.tv)

There’s a lot of musts for the new USF coach. Could Skip Holtz be the man to meet them? (Tampa Tribune)

Holtz’s buyout at East Carolina won’t hold him back. (Tampa Tribune)

And Holtz definitely wants the job. (St. Petersburg Times)

But wait. Bucs’ assistant head coach Rich Bisaccia may really be the best choice. (St. Petersburg Times)

Meanwhile, why was Coach P let go in Miami? (Syracuse Post-Standard)

Losing his recruiters hasn’t fazed Bill Stewart. (Times West Virginian)

A redshirt nose guard’s leaving WVU for ODU. (Charleston Daily Mail)

The takeaways from the Big East bowl season. (ESPN.com)

The New Jersey State Senate presented a resolution Monday saluting Rutgers coach C. Vivian Stringer’s entrance into the Naismith Hall of Fame. Then it made medical marijuana legal… Looks like the Fed made a boatload of money for the government… Guess it doesn’t matter how strong you are if a minivan comes at you… What the baseball world’s saying about Mark McGwire’s “startling” admission…

The highs and lows of the Big East bowl season. (ESPN.com)

Cincinnati’s Lance Stephenson is coming home. And expecting boos. (Zagsblog)

USC calling Randy Edsall? (Hartford Courant)

A new Louisville QB was at Freedom Hall last night. (Louisville Courier-Journal)

Pitt WR Jonathan Baldwin’s been cleared off all the charges associated with the alleged butt-smacking last April. (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)

Paul Zeise again has a Pitt football roundup chockfull of info: Phil Bennett’s not going to A&M, WR coach Bryan Bossard is moving on, Jonathan Baldwin shouldn’t have been arrested, and more. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Heckuva debut for Titans rookie - and Rutgers product – Kenny Britt. (Bleed Scarlet)

South Florida is not lacking for big names or big interest in its search to replace Jim Leavitt: Skip Holtz, Phil Fulmer, Calvin Magee, Kevin Sumlin, Dan McCarney, Larry Fedora, on it goes. (Tampa Tribune)

Jim Leavitt says the allegations against him are “misreported” and promises he’s going to fight. (St. Petersburg Times)

Not that there’s any chance of him getting his job back now. (St. Petersburg Times)

Could former Syracuse great Rob Moore be Doug Marrone’s new WR coach? (Syracuse Post-Standard)

Former Orange coach Paul Pasqualoni was relieved of his duties as Miami’s defensive coordinator. Could he be interested in South Florida’s job? (Miami Herald)

My alma mater almost pulled it out last night in Lawrence. Bummer…

I don’t remember anyone ever writing “pissed off” in my school paper. But hey, that’s what Brian Kelly makes these kids. (The News Record)

Cincinnati coach Jamelle Elliott’s taking her new team to her old home. Think Geno goes easy on her? (The Day)

Even UConn’s win over SC can mar SEC’s reputation. (Republican-American)

Pitt d-coord Phil Bennett may be leaving, uber-frosh Dion Lewis is already hitting the weights hard and a ton more football news from Pantherland. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Rutgers is continuing to prove it has a very, very impressive group come post-season travel time. (ESPN.com)

Meanwhile at home, Rutgers wants concerts at its new football stadium. (Star-Ledger)

There’s no news yet on the Jim Leavitt-alleged-chokehold incident, but a former USF receiver is saying the alleged victim told him the first story that came out, not the story he’s spouting now. (Tampa Tribune)

Yes, I’m going to see Avatar tonight. But do I want 3D viewing in my living room all the time? … Google’s superphone is out. If anyone buys it, let us know … India isn’t only taking jobs out of America, it’s bringing jobs into America too… NBA Jam is back…

So much for chaos. Cincinnati and TCU blew it for everyone. (Bleacher Report, ESPN.com)

Brian Kelly’s officially hired three assistants at Notre Dame, one from Cincinnati. (Rivals.com)

Three other Bearcats coaches are expected to join his staff too. (ESPN.com)

Guess how the UConn band got to Birmingham. (Hartford Courant)

Charlie Strong’s staff will have a distinctly SEC flavor to it. (Louisville Courier-Journal)

This Pitt hoops team isn’t playing so young anymore. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Rutgers’ plans for a new practice facility and overhauled RAC are only partly about basketball. (SNY.tv)

Bleed Scarlet does an awesome job. If you’re a Rutgers fan, read him. Lots of nuggets and links in this one. (Bleed Scarlet)

Luke Harangody went nuts and South Florida fell by one. (Tampa Tribune, St. Petersburg Times)

Florida’s running backs coach went to Louisville so now Syracuse’s running backs coach is going to Florida. (Syracuse Post-Standard)

The top 10 wins of WVU’s decade. (Times West Virginian)

Heckuva Fiesta Bowl. Still would’ve liked to see both teams pitted against one of the BCS conference schools though. We could’ve had TWO Oklahoma-Boise State Fiesta Bowl reduxes… apparently it’s not enough to just be employed… Sad day for the Jets family… Surprise, surprise, someone hates Avatar. And it’s the Right…

A Big East bowl season review. (ESPN.com)

Pitt pulled out a winner in Cincinnati because the Panthers had moxie. (Cincinnati Enquirer)

Randy Edsall was nervous last week in Birmingham. Really. (Republican-American)

UConn won the national Orange Bowl Courage Award and Edsall got to stand next to a stuffed Orange. (UConnHuskies.com)

Before a busy weekend of recruiting, an update on Louisville’s commitments. (Louisville Courier-Journal)

Two Florida assistants are set to join Charlie Strong’s staff. (Gainesville Sun)

Expansion work on PapaJohn’s Cardinal Stadium is chugging along. (U of L Card Game)

A quick hoops primer for the NY-metro area folks transitioning out of football season. (MSG.com)

The CFL’s scouting South Florida DB Jerome Murphy and QB Matt Grothe… the International Bowl may be kaput. (Tampa Tribune)

Jason Pierre-Paul could make his NFL decision (go now, go next year) Thursday. (St. Petersburg Times)

Syracuse plays at Washington Sept. 11… The Orange have a new defensive line coach. (Syracuse Post-Standard)

So the Orange were again outside-looking-in on the postseason. Not so in the NFL: Syracuse has seven alums in the playoffs. (SUathletics.com)

Grading the WVU-FSU game. (Smoking Musket)

Happy New Year… I’m traveling abroad next month and I am NOT looking forward to this… And this is the airport I’m flying out of… Let’s see: you travel to Uganda to preach that gay men hurt teenage boys, that they are part of an “evil institution” and that they are a threat and when the country responds with a bill making homosexuality punishably by death, you deny any role? …

Here’s a vote for Brian Kelly making absolutely no difference in an ugly Sugar Bowl. (News Record)

UConn beat writer Desmond Conner’s chatting today at 10:30 am. (Hartford Courant)

Re-conceiving Greg Schiano in light of the Mike Leach mess. (Bleed Scarlet)

Consecutive bowl wins don’t do much for Jim Leavitt. The Bulls need a Big East title. (Tampa Tribune)

His team thinks they have the talent to do it. (St. Petersburg Times)

West Virginia’s season may have ended with a thud, but there were bright spots before. (Times West Virginian)

West Virginia’s AD is already on guard about the Big Ten’s expansion plans. (Metro News)

The Big East’s Top Five Teams of the 2000s, Five Greatest Games of the 2000s and Five Most Major Off-Field Moments of the 2000s are all up. What’s left but the players who made the league.

I won’t lie: this one was the hardest: Antonio Bryant or Andre Johnson or Mardy Gilyard? Sean Taylor or Adam “Pacman” Jones? Michael Vick, who had just two years in the decade, or Pat White, the first quarterback ever to win four bowl games? There were very few no-brainers on this one. So please, feel free to argue.

 The Big East’s All-Decade Team of the 2000s

Offense:

QB Pat White, West Virginia

RB Ray Rice, Rutgers

RB Willis McGahee, Miami

WR Larry Fitzgerald, Pittsburgh

WR Andre Johnson, Miami

TE Kellen Winslow, Miami

OL Bryant McKinnie, Miami

OL Dan Mozes, West Virginia

OL Jake Grove, Virginia Tech

OL Rob Petitti, Pittsburgh

OL Jeremy Zuttah, Rutgers Read the rest of this entry »

We’ve done the Big East’s Top Five Teams of the 2000s and Five Greatest Games of the 2000s and we’ve gotten little argument yet. Now what about the moments that shaped and defined the league this past decade? Without further ado…

The Big East’s Five Major Off-Field Moments of the 2000s In chronological order…

June 25, 2003 – The ACC invites Virginia Tech and Miami to join its league, Virginia Tech accepts and five days later, Miami does too. ACC commissioner John Swofford initially wanted Miami, Syracuse and Boston College, and Virginia Tech’s administration was ready to stay in the Big East if BC would sign a paper committing to the league. Father William Leahy, BC’s president, refused. Virginia Gov. Mark Warner, meanwhile, put intense pressure on the University of Virginia to include Virginia Tech. Syracuse was dumped, Virginia Tech saw no choice and N.C. State chancellor Marye Ann Fox needed four months to change her initial “no” vote on BC. In October, BC got its official ACC invite and in July 2005, the Eagles officially left the Big East too.  Read the rest of this entry »