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Thu Jun 25, 2009 9:51 am EDT

Headlinin': Wait, was Bob Stoops going somewhere?

By Matt Hinton

• Of course you know, this makes you ours forever. Proportionally, Bob Stoops' raise was nothing was nowhere in the vicinity of Oklahoma basketball coach Jeff Caples', who'll make 43 percent more next year than he did this year. But "Big Game Bob" -- who, certain commenters (45-35!!!) will note with relish, is still riding a five-game losing streak in BCS bowls, including three mythical championship games -- is making out just fine: Stoops' new salary will make him the third-highest-paid coach nationally this year, behind Nick Saban and Les Miles. (It's unclear whether the Dallas Morning News' tally includes Pete Carroll's hefty check, since it comes from a private school.)

Stoops obviously deserves the company, and market value, and all that. But it still surprises me that, after 10 years and a flood of early rumors, Oklahoma's main motivation seems to be paranoia that someone will snatch their Stoops away:

Stoops' new package would pay him more than $30 million through the end of 2015. He would earn a total of $3.675 million next season, including an annual "stay" bonus of $700,000. He will get the bonus in October this season, but in July in subsequent years.
[...]
"We're just annualizing what coach Stoops received in the stay bonus by waiting multiple years. ... We annualized that amount so it triggers at a certain time of year following what we would call the hiring periods -- not just collegiate hiring, but the NFL hiring periods," Castiglione said.

Thirty million over six years to stay put: That's a lot of money to coach football, especially for a career college coach whose name -- unlike perpetual rumor-bait like Carroll, Saban and Kirk Ferentz, with their NFL backgrounds -- seems to have largely faded from the annual gossip mill; Stoops seems like a guy who's entrenched for the long haul. If for some reason he did decide to leave Oklahoma at this point, having already amassed millions, is more money going to stop him? I guess it's worth a shot.

• More sickening schedules. Last September, California flew cross-country as a double-digit favorite for a noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific showdown at flailing Maryland, where the Bears sleepwalked into a 28-6 hole before eventually losing 35-27. This September, Cal flies to Minnesota as a likely double-digit favorite for the second game at the Gophers' new stadium -- a noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific kickoff.

How do you feel about those hours, Jahvid Best?

Thank you, Jahvid. In other somewhat unsettling September scheduling news, there are so few decent opening day options that MAC also-ran Western Michigan's trip to rebuilding Michigan on Sept. 5 will be a high profile ABC/ESPN2 regional pick. I know we should respect the MAC and all, but I hope that clunker doesn't preempt anyone from watching Baylor at Wake Forest.

• Wait, are they still talking about this? When it first made the rounds last month, I assumed the notion that the Georgia-Florida game might leave Jacksonville in 2010 seemed like one of those wax-on, wax-off spring memes that fills a little space and dies a quiet death. Mark Richt's protestations aside, this November will mark the 75th UF-UGA showdown Jax has hosted in 77 years since the Cocktail Party went neutral in 1933, and with both programs peaking under Richt and Urban Meyer, it's as big a hit as ever. They wouldn't really consider changing the signature locale of one of the SEC's signature rivalries, would they?

Obviously Florida didn't think so, with president Bernie Machen looking forward to a "meeting of the minds" on the matter.

Not so fast, [Georgia athletic director Damon] Evans basically replied.

"We haven’t even sat down to have our internal meetings about that yet," Evans said. "We will do that in the month of July.
[...]
"We have not made any decision. ... It’s not a big surprise that they [Florida officials] want to keep the game there. I guess they were able to come to their decision a lot faster.
[...]
At Georgia’s athletics board meetings last month, UGA President Michael Adams said he had "no predisposition" about what to do with the game. But Adams also said: "The thing that has consistently driven me in that equation is all the folks in South Georgia who say this is their best chance to see a live game. ... There are things we want yet out of the city of Jacksonville that can even the playing field a bit." Then he said again: "There is no predisposition to doing anything."

The first thing Jacksonville can do to even the playing field? Commenters at the AJC have an idea:

I was thinking more along the lines of more money, since Georgia's stance is in all likelihood just a bluff to get the city to throw in for travel costs or otherwise sweeten the deal to keep one of its major annual cash cows from Atlanta's waiting clutches. But, yes, given the way things have gone in this series over the last 20 years, resurrecting Steve Spurrier's predecessor (2-4 against UGA from 1984-89) would probably "even the playing field" to Georgia's liking.

• Whatever happens, we deny responsibility. What sophisticated models and methods did the experts BetUS.com use to come up with that list of odds on the next team to get hit with recruiting violations? Why, they consulted only the most reliable sources, of course:

"We looked at the history of the organization, at who are some of the personalities, some of the hotheads. And we read the blogs," he said. "You don't want to overthink this. It's a first foray for us in doing this. For us, it's checking a Google sweep and getting the pulse of the blogs ... and next year we'll evaluate and see how we did."

Since when does an operation that relies on information from blogs "evaluate"? Don't overthink it, dude.

Quickly ... As expected, university presidents shot down the Mountain West's proposed BCS changes Wednesday, with haste. ... After bunking together in one of Saddam's old palaces, Rick Neuheisel calls Mack Brown a snorer, Mack denies all charges. ... Notre Dame's precarious tight end depth takes another hit with Joseph Fauria's decision to leave the team for "personal reasons," though he expects to be back. ... Inside Pete Carroll's elite two-day camp. ... Terry Bowden attempts the impossible: Defending Jeff Bowden. ... Jim Brown calls out Tiger Woods. ... Questioning BYU's no-pads practices. ... Team Speed Kills looks at motivational tactics of the SEC East. ... At least Tennessee's grades are up so far under Lane Kiffin. ... Memphis quarterback Will Hudgens will be back for a sixth season. ... Oregon's new jerseys are testing very well among the faithful. ... And remember kids: Quality always trumps quantity.

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26 Comments

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  1. zibby
    1. Posted by zibby Thu Jun 25, 2009 1:59 pm EDT

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    Western Michigan is one of the top teams in the MAC. The game against Michigan should be prime viewing for Michigan schadenfreude.fans.
  2. sodahq
    2. Posted by sodahq Thu Jun 25, 2009 2:58 pm EDT

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    ewwwwwww
  3. herbert e
    3. Posted by herbert e Thu Jun 25, 2009 4:49 pm EDT

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    oklahoma deserves big time choker bob stoopid!!!!!!!!!!!
  4. thomasonhs
    4. Posted by thomasonhs Thu Jun 25, 2009 4:57 pm EDT

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    UGA has lost something like 16 out of the last 19 vs Florida (including losing both the home and away when the Jacksonville stadium was being re-built in the mid '90's). Obviously, the problem is the fact that they play in Jacksonville and so they need to "level the field".
    This issue doesn't have anything to do with money. UGA is much like 1930's Germany complaining about the "stab in the back", and this is just a phony excuse they use to make themselves feel better about their annual humiliation. That's why they made that pathetic dig about UF not having as hard of a decision about renewing the Jacksonville contract. Strangely enough, Georgia never had a problem playing in Jacksonville when the situation was reversed.
  5. Melissa T
    5. Posted by Melissa T Thu Jun 25, 2009 5:04 pm EDT

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    Another thing, Galen Hall would wipe the field with UGA too. He was suffering under major scholarship restrictions from the Charlie Pell era, but he set the stage for Spurrier's success. If the NCAA hadn't screwed him (and UF), in the late 80's, maybe no one would have heard of the 'Ol Ball Coach.
    From PSU's site:
    "The Lions led the Big Ten in scoring (38.9 ppg) and total offense (448.9 ypg) in 2008, and were second in rushing. The Lions broke school records for total offense and passing yards last year. Hall directed an offense that led the Big Ten in scoring and was second in rushing in 2005. He returned to his alma mater in 2004 having achieved numerous successes in the collegiate and professional ranks. A native of Williamsburg, Pa., he served as running backs coach with the Dallas Cowboys, where he coached Emmitt Smith in 2002 as he broke the NFL's all-time rushing record. Hall was head coach of the Rhein Fire in NFL Europe from 1995-2000, leading the team to three World Bowl berths, including NFL Europe championships in 1998 and 2000. He was selected NFL Europe Coach of the Year three times. Hall earned a 40-18-1 record as head coach at the University of Florida from 1984-89, winning Associated Press Coach of the Year honors in 1984 after leading the Gators to a 9-1-1 mark."
  6. MarkSouthFL
    6. Posted by MarkSouthFL Thu Jun 25, 2009 5:56 pm EDT

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    Regarding the annual cocktail party, here's a possibilty: Maybe Florida has just been better than Georgia for most of the past 20 years. Surely that was the case during the Spurrier era, when the Dawgs were in a down cycle -- just look at how the two teams performed when not playing each other.
    Melissa, I'm sure folks would have heard of the Ol' Ball Coach even if he had never coached at Florida. You don't take Duke to conference title in football and not get noticed. Some big-time program would have hired him. You're right about Hall having to work under sanctions, though. If they want to level the playing field by bringing back a former Gator coach, maybe we could go with Ray Wolf.
  7. jack c
    7. Posted by jack c Fri Jun 26, 2009 10:40 am EDT

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    JAX is just as nuetral as Dallas, like the OU/UT game. A larger percentage of public seats are in the hands of natives, which could be called home(land) advantage. But the teams don't look at it as a home game. It's actually a great equalizer. The outcome of the games, especially for the RRRivalry, is based on which team can finish in the fourth quarter. I do think games this big should have refs from outside the conference. UF has just been better than UGA in the Tebow era. GA should concentrate more on rattling Tebow; stop the gains up the middle. OU came close in the Nat'l title game. GA better watch out for OSU in their first game. If they make it to JAX with one or no loses, Florida will have its first tough game of the season.
  8. RICHARD G
    8. Posted by RICHARD G Fri Jun 26, 2009 2:53 pm EDT

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    Aw come on!!!!!!!!!! Is any coach worth that kind of money? I am laid off, drawing $415 a week in unemployment benefits. Are these guys a better man than I am? Where have the Values of America gone. Down to the UAW Hall I guess. How does it feel guys? I understand KY has some flavored products. Who goes first?
  9. Joshgator
    9. Posted by Joshgator Fri Jun 26, 2009 3:58 pm EDT

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    Jack C
    Overall, I agree with you except for one thing. You stated that UF "has just been better in the Tebow era". Do the numbers 3-16 mean anything to you? That is the number of wins and losses, respectively that UGA ha. With UF in the last NINETEEN years. So therefore, it is not the "Tebow era." It is just that UF has been better than UGA for the last 2 decades.
  10. Joshgator
    10. Posted by Joshgator Fri Jun 26, 2009 4:04 pm EDT

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    Damn iPhone. It changed what I wrote. It should say "that UGA has with UF".
    Also, I don't think Tebow is the only reason UF has been dominating UGA unless he's had 19 years of NCAA eligibility.
  11. beginner_saxplayer
    11. Posted by beginner_saxplayer Fri Jun 26, 2009 7:34 pm EDT

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    Tebow=Steve Garvey
  12. Joshgator
    12. Posted by Joshgator Sat Jun 27, 2009 2:18 am EDT

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    And beginner_saxplayer= brain dead jealous retard!
  13. Dave
    13. Posted by Dave Sat Jun 27, 2009 12:22 pm EDT

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    Richard G - If you listen to your own complaint, you'd understand as quickly as I did that your problem is that you are a member of the UAW. Think Stoops is stuck in a union job???? Quit relying on other people to do your bidding (UAW, Unemployment) and go make a life for yourself.
  14. jack c
    14. Posted by jack c Sat Jun 27, 2009 2:11 pm EDT

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    joshgator, that record only supports UGA's desire to have the games played at home sites. Stoops has lost 3 of 4 to Brown, but OU's record overall is better. I'd take Stoops over Brown, and likewise, Spurrier and Meyer over Dooley and Richt. Geographically, the parallel is similar for the two rivalrys. Kids want to stay in FL and play, rather than bubba boy land Georgia. Texas is on every stars wish list if you play in Texas, but Okie land looks alot more like Texas than GA does FL. And Texas has so many good players coming out of high school, that even OU can cherry pick. Plus the rivalry is more intense. OU's 7 Nat'l championships and 5 Hiesmans trumps Texas by far. I live in FL and can't find many UGA fans living here (although in N.FL I do see UGA logos on pickups). Whereas, small towns in Texas have many OU fans. When I visit there, wearing an OU hat, lots of people talk of the rivalry. We despise the longhorns, naturally, but no more than they hate the sooners. But we also respect the fact that most years UT and OU are the best teams in the midwest. This year's game has already been tapped the game of the year. I've watched every UF/GA game for the last ten years and just don't see the same insanity and and intensity on the field, although I know you and every other UF/UGA fan will vehemently say I'm wrong. The game should be earlier and not after league games have most likely decided who will win the SEC east. That would give the game more significance, early. That's what I think is behind the complaints. The game is set up to be a deciding factor on who wins the division. If both teams are undefeated, it works, but by playing early you gurantee the game will be a decider.
  15. Joshgator
    15. Posted by Joshgator Sat Jun 27, 2009 8:10 pm EDT

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    Aarghh.. First you made the excuse that it's Tebow that is the reason UF beat Georgia. Second, I'm tired of people making lame excuses such as "we lost because it was in Jacksonville". What happened the 2 years that there was a home-and-home when the Jacksonville stadium was being renovated? The Gators won again. Saying that it is in Jacksonville is just an EXCUSE. The fact remains that the Gators have been BETTER than Georgia for the last 20 years. It doesn't matter whether Tebow is there or not, whether it is played in Jacksonville or not, or whether there is a full moon or not....the FACT remains that the Gators are BETTER than Georgia. Stop making lame excuses.
  16. Robert B
    16. Posted by Robert B Sat Jun 27, 2009 11:21 pm EDT

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    Looks like the Texas Baseball coach took a course at the Bob Stoops "choke at the big one" school for up and coming coaches. Taught by prof. Mack Brown.
  17. Andy
    17. Posted by Andy Sun Jun 28, 2009 6:05 am EDT

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    "Jack c" I live in Dallas through my job and I am a Tennessee fan. I went to the Red River Rivalry last year (very costly to the wallet) and it was an outstanding atmosphere with the State Fair background and a 92,000 seat stadium split with crazy screaming fans. I will say this I had a very good time BUT what you dont understand is that is an every Sat night thing in the south. I have been to see Alabama and Tennessee in Birmingham, AL and it was just as crazy. I have heard of the Tennessee and Florida games through friends and they said it was amazing at both venues. Think about being in Death Valley and Florida coming to town or even the Alabama game last year. Think about Alabama and Auburn or Auburn and LSU. What seperates the SEC from other conferences is the fans and the stadiums because it isnt 1 or 2 games a year it is every single week. Oklahoma doesnt even seem to be able to compete outside the conference, they have lost 5 straight BCS games and 2 of them were to SEC teams. Arkansas has upset Texas twice (once in the Cotton Bowl and the other in Austin) so they arent worried about the Big 12 and I wouldnt consider them a top tier SEC team. Just last year Ole Miss took apart Texas Tech in the Cotton Bowl. The atmosphere in the SEC is electric every week and it shows in big games.
  18. jack c
    18. Posted by jack c Sun Jun 28, 2009 12:11 pm EDT

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    Andy...electric every SEC conf game? To generalize the atmosphere for all games is a little dubious. If you have two teams 'in the hunt' you're right, but that's no different anywhere around the country when the conference is on the line. By the way, I had a friend that played at Auburn. He's in his sixties now, but doesn't miss the AL/AU game. He says the hatred is in the air and fights are common. The subject here is nuetral sites, specifically the game in JAX. Does the UF/UGA game represent the best rivalry in the SEC? Probably not. Has UF been better than UGA over the last ten years? Yes. Does UGA have a case to want the game played at home sites because its in Florida? I don't know. I've tried to get tickets ahead of time since moving to FL 5 years ago, but decided not to pay 200+ (for nose bleed)when the conference wasn't on the line. So what do you think , joshgator, about making the game earlier, when it will be a decider, like the game in Dallas does for UT and OU? And Andy, you will see and feel an electric atmosphere at this years' RRRivalry.
  19. Andy
    19. Posted by Andy Sun Jun 28, 2009 1:17 pm EDT

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    actually I was complimenting the Red River Rivalry because being on the Texas side with a friend was an awesome experience especially with them beating the number 1 team in the country. It was a very good game and I agree that it will be even better this year. My point was being in the stadium and taking it in I saw the difference between the SEC and the Big 12. The Red River Rivalry is the big game of the year and then there is a huge dropoff from there. In the SEC there is a game every week that is that big to teams. I guess I made my point by saying that the Georgia and Florida game might be the 5th best SEC game this year. The post itself was about numerous things but I just took my experience in the Cotton Bowl and saw that in the Big 12 that is the best that it gets all year compared to the SEC where it is pretty much every week.
  20. Caleb S
    20. Posted by Caleb S Sun Jun 28, 2009 1:51 pm EDT

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    Stoops has taken OU to 4 BCS Title games in 10 years. Yes He only won once in those four trips, but name another coach that has been to the BCS championship 40 percent of his career. It is easy to talk about the BCS losses, but the fact that He gets his team there so many times is a feat that other schools can only dream about. There are 117 D1 football programs and every year 115 wish they were there(win or lose)
  21. Caleb S
    21. Posted by Caleb S Sun Jun 28, 2009 1:57 pm EDT

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    19. Posted by Andy Sun Jun 28, 2009 1:17 pm EDT Report Abuse
    actually I was complimenting the Red River Rivalry because being on the Texas side with a friend was an awesome experience especially with them beating the number 1 team in the country. It was a very good game and I agree that it will be even better this year. My point was being in the stadium and taking it in I saw the difference between the SEC and the Big 12. The Red River Rivalry is the big game of the year and then there is a huge dropoff from there. In the SEC there is a game every week that is that big to teams. I guess I made my point by saying that the Georgia and Florida game might be the 5th best SEC game this year. The post itself was about numerous things but I just took my experience in the Cotton Bowl and saw that in the Big 12 that is the best that it gets all year compared to the SEC where it is pretty much every week.
    Did You watch any football last season? The Big 12 had more top matchups than any other conference. Tx vs OU - TX vs OSU - TX vs TX Tech - TX Tech vs OSU - OSU vs OU - Texas Tech vs OU - Missouri vs Tx - Missourri vs OSU. Game day came tom the Big 12 more times last year because of all the top ten match ups.....please think before posting that SEC garbage.
  22. brainrainpain
    22. Posted by brainrainpain Mon Jun 29, 2009 12:46 am EDT

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    lol i remember that one year.. greatest coach and team ever.. theyre gonna win it all.. then bob stoops and co gets destroyed by usc... hahaha
  23. Norman
    23. Posted by Norman Mon Jun 29, 2009 2:37 pm EDT

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    The article did not mention that OU is one of only a small number of football programs that actually PAYS the university rather than requiring state funds. Bob Stoops will go down in history as one the sport's alltime greats in addition to being a man of great character.
  24. HERETIC
    24. Posted by HERETIC Mon Jun 29, 2009 8:11 pm EDT

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    I don't want to see stoops tie or beat the bowl record held by nutter dumb. maybe he could play a team like the dumbs did last year that assured that their record number of losses would end. good luck with that one stoops!
  25. GEOFF S
    25. Posted by GEOFF S Mon Jun 29, 2009 8:42 pm EDT

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    Andy, You are a typical SEC fan. At least Caleb had the nads to claim a specific team. You SEC fans all cling to the conference. Last season 8 of your 12 teams were a joke to watch, but every fan of those bad teams wont shut up cause there conference won the title. OU fans don't brag the Big 12 up if Texas wins the title. Oregon fans don't get cocky about the pac 10 if USC wins the title. So why do you sec boys get so bragish if your in conference rival does good? If your team is florida good job...if your team is Ark, Tenn, Vandy, or one of the other so so sec teams you should shut up. The SEC has some Historic programs, but lately and more specificaly last year(which was supposedly the topic) They only had a few really good teams. Florida(was a nice program. They won the title and I have to give it up. Alabama was Your # 2 team and they were spanked (like OU-or as you called them Chokalahoma) by a Non BCS program.(Well at least OU Made it a great game....Bama got beat down)
    You really think comparing Bowls is a good way to decide which conference is better? All Caleb was saying to you was there were better matchups in conference with the Big 12 than the sec. Sorry dude it's true. Wow, your great SEC actually had a game end with 6- 3 final....that some great game there sport. Overall I would say the sec year after year is the best....but not last year. yes Florida won the championship......But was the Pac 10 # 1 win USC was winning the tiltle? LSU sucked, Georgia was down, Tenn was a joke, Auburn was a joke....so besides Fl and Bama who was worth watching? Ole Miss did decent I guess. You ripped Caleb , but the topic You started was great Matchups last season and He was reight...the Big 12 had much better games last season.

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