Altered states -- The Ron McBride/Hawaiian Tropics Watch continues. Which raises the question: Why, after all the feelers that have come his way over the years, would Mac consider Hawaii? Beaches are part of it. But more likely he's feeling slightly insecure and underappreciated. He didn't get his quota of warm hugs this season. Hugs don't usually come on years you lose to BYU -- or Boise State.
Still, it would be too weird if he ended up in the Islands. He'd have to start complaining about long road trips, bad-mouthing the "breakaway eight" and threatening to leave the Utes off his schedule forever.If you build it . . . -- Another factor, McBride admits, is the chance to resurrect a nearly dead program. "It needs to be built," he says, "and I like to build things."
In that case, he should consider sticking around and building a kicking game.
Do the right thing -- Seen the great lockout ads on TV? You know, the ones where Spike Lee is trash-talking on the sidelines, then turns to the camera and says, "St. Ignatius eighth-grade girls' basketball. It's faaaaantastic!"
I say give us eight months of ESPN commercials. Skip the NBA.
Full circle -- There is a certain irony in the way BYU lost on Saturday to Air Force. First, the Cougars missed a field goal that bounced off the upright. (It's been a big year for uprights). Then they dominated the whole game -- just like they did against Utah -- but this time failed to escape with the victory.
It's an old adage but never more true: What goes around comes around.
Sometimes it just comes around sooner than expected.
Quick studies -- Utah Grizzlies' president Tim Mouser isn't shy about proclaiming his intentions during the NBA lockout. He wants fans to get familiar with hockey.
The sport, it seems, is rapidly becoming popular with women. "We have found that we attract women to our game because they come in on the same learning curve as men do," he says.
Which means, I guess, they discover how to drink beer and yell obscenities just as quickly as the guys.
Northern exposure -- Attracting hockey fans takes work, though. "I don't kid myself into thinking I'm going to wave a watch in front of their faces and tell 'em, Yoooooou liiiiiike hockey! We're not putting anything in their beverages to make them come. The ward houses aren't putting in hockey rinks. So we just chip away and hope they give us a chance" Mouser says.
Now that's an idea -- hockey in LDS meetinghouses.
Sounds good to me. More entertaining than church ball.
And a whole lot safer.
Slam dance -- Is your eligibility gone but you still miss the jolt of a head-on tackle? You might want to consider ballroom dancing.
Recently, a woman sustained a concussion and dislocated jaw while participating with her husband at the British national championship of pro dancing. Seems she collided with another couple that was executing a high-speed spin.
Warning to moms: Get your kids out of dance and into football -- before it's too late.