[EDITORIAL] Game of the Century, Part Deux: Why The BCS if flawed

The BCS is garbage. I mean, really. College football is the only mainstream sport that does not have a playoff. It’s ludicrous. This year’s victim is the Cowboys of Oklahoma State. Coming into Sunday, everyone knew one thing: LSU would be playing in NOLA against one of two teams – Alabama or OK State. The computers picked Bama to be ahead the Pokes. That being said, the Crimson Tide of Alabama will play against the Bayou Bengals on Louisiana. Computers, you ask? Allow me to break it down for you. The teams that participate in the Bowl Championship Series games are chosen by computers. Those computers use a simple formula of (A+B+C) / 3 to get their “total.” In this case, ‘A’ is the team’s Harris Poll score, which is voted on by 115 members of the media. ‘B’ is the team’s score in the coaches’ poll. The Coaches’ Poll is compromised of 59 coaches that vote on the teams’ rankings. And finally ‘C’ is the computer rankings. The computer rankings are calculated by dropping the highest and the lowest ranking for each team and dividing the remaining total by 100. I’ve already seen this game. And even as an LSU fan, I did not enjoy it the first time – nor do I expect to enjoy it again. Alabama had the chance to beat LSU on their on field. Now, the computers have selected the same team to go down to the Superdome and play against the SEC Champion Tigers. LSU has three top ten BCS wins; the rest of the BCS top ten has just two. LSU...

Court named in honor of legendary coach

Legendary coach Don Meyer now has his name on the court inside Allen Arena. With a coaching record of 655-179 in 24 years of coaching the Bisons, Meyer is undoubtedly the biggest name in Lipscomb sports history. It’s only fitting that his name be on the court in Allen. Though Meyer never coached a game inside the arena, the court will forever carry his name. “For all he has done on the court and all he has done with the records and accomplishments, this is what it is all about,” said Lipscomb Athletic Director Philip Hutcheson. “For the first time, and for everyone here, the court is officially yours.” Meyer, who is hardly ever overwhelmed, was very gracious about the court’s naming in his honor. “I want to thank God for letting me have enough time to see all thee guys for another time,” Meyer said, speaking to the nearly 70 former players that attended the ceremony. “That means a whole lot more than anything else.” Meyer’s family also joined him on the court, which was also fitting because one of Meyer’s biggest points during his career was to love those around you – especially family. “I have been very lucky to have had the family I have had,” Meyer said. “They made a lot of sacrifices to be a coach’s family.” Meyer was humbled by the day, and it self-admittedly made him tired. However, Meyer was still colorful as ever. “McQuiddy was the kind of gym that if you had 11 people in it was loud as the Boston Garden,” Meyer said. “McQuiddy was special.” Meyer has retired...
Wreck victim ‘Pdub’ one of nicest and most genuine people, friend writes

Wreck victim ‘Pdub’ one of nicest and most genuine people, friend writes

I’ve known Pdub now for about nine years. We were pledge brothers and college roommates. We have remained close friends ever since. Paul truly is one of the nicest and most genuine people I have ever known. He may be the only friend that I’ve never had a dispute with. Just always laid back and willing to do whatever to ensure those around him are enjoying themselves. Even on his wedding day seven weeks ago… we finished playing golf at Country Hills in Hendersonville, and his new father-in-law Luther, offered to take the groomsmen out for lunch. When he asked Pdub where he would like to eat, he looked at us and said, “It’s up to these guys.” Always wanting to make those around him happy and keep the spotlight off himself, even on his wedding day. He loved music. And it runs in his blood. Named after his grandfather Paul Warren, the great fiddler, as well as his father Johnny Warren who is another talented fiddle player, Pdub had a gift when it came to music. I have been playing guitar since middle school. Paul picked up the guitar around the time we started college. I showed him a few riffs, and within two years, he had blown past me and continued to improve. In fact, we played “Free Bird” for the 2005 Cowboy Show our senior year. Our preparation in large part consisted of Pdub sitting in our den, listening to the guitar solo and picking out the proper notes. Then he would show me how to play that segment. As he played up the neck, he...

ESPN to join forces with Atlantic Sun, Lipscomb

The Atlantic Sun Conference and ESPN have teamed up to deliver exclusive content on its signature multi-screen sports network ESPN3. A total of 20 live league basketball games will be distributed in 2011-12. The addition of games on ESPN3 extends ESPN’s current five-year deal with the Atlantic Sun, which continues through the 2013-14 season. ESPN3 will exclusively carry three Lipscomb basketball games this season, all originating from Allen Arena. The first broadcast will be the women’s game against cross-town rival Belmont on Feb. 4.  The Bisons’ final two home games against USC Upstate (Feb. 18) and ETSU (Feb. 20) will also be broadcast.  Each game is set to tip at 6:30 p.m. “We are very excited about our expanded agreement with ESPN and the broad media exposure we’ll be providing for our institutions and our outstanding student-athletes,” said Commissioner Ted Gumbart. “This is a very big step for the A-Sun and we look forward to continued growth in our media package with ESPN moving forward.” ESPN3 will be the home of the conference’s women’s basketball package, which highlights each A-Sun institution through five regular season games and all of the 2012 General Shale Brick Atlantic Sun Basketball Championship quarterfinal contests. A seven-game regular season men’s package, in addition to men’s quarterfinal action, will also be part of the exclusive agreement. The men’s basketball tournament championship game will air live on either ESPN or ESPN2 at 4:00 p.m. on March 3. “ESPN3’s exclusive agreement with the Atlantic Sun Conference adds to our growing slate of programming and positions the network as a leading destination and key distribution outlet for college...
[Editorial] The fall of Herman Cain

[Editorial] The fall of Herman Cain

I’m still not sure whether to be relieved or outraged at today’s announcement of Herman Cain’s ended run for the Republican nomination in next year’s Presidential election. At one time, Cain was on top of the world. He literally came out of nowhere during the closing days of summer and began to sweep the hearts of conservative voters. His charisma and bold plans (9-9-9 anyone?) helped boost him above other possible candidates. He was a down-to-earth individual that really struck a chord with Republicans. Cain even just about got to the point of running away with the nomination. But then, out of nowhere, a woman accused Herman Cain of sexual harassment during his days with the National Restaurants Association. If that wasn’t bad enough, three other women came forward, all with the same stories. It’s never a good thing if four women accuse you of sexual harassment. Cain went from being the shining light of the GOP race to being the controversy of the month. Naturally, Cain denied all the allegations. But then, another woman came forward. A woman from Atlanta, Ginger White, came forward, claiming to have had a thirteen year affair with Cain, also alleging the relationship had just ended months ago. Cain claims to have known White, but only on a friendly, charitable basis. White claims otherwise. Cain, already in hot water, couldn’t have had these claims come at a worse time. Cain lost supporters slowly through the month of November, but after this, things were not looking great for the Cain campaign. On Dec. 3, Herman Cain announced the suspension of his GOP campaign, citing...