FANTASTIC FRIDAY

If you live in the State of Michigan or happen to be a fan of the major sports teams in the State, it’s a big weekend for you.

No. 13 Michigan State kicks off their season tonight against No. 24 Boise State in Spartan Stadium. Yesterday, the blimp could be spotted up in the air riding around the Mid-Michigan area. ESPN is in town so you know it’s a big game. Jemele Hill, former MSU student will be the sideline reporter for ESPN.

The No.8 Michigan Wolverines, led by their outstanding quarterback Denard Robinson travels down to Arlington, Texas to take on the No. 2 Crimson Tide of Alabama. Michigan has it rolling under second year head coach Brady Hoke. Alabama has the best football coach in college; Nick Saban. The guy has turned four programs around during his collegiate career and has won two National titles in two different places.  That game will be Saturday night on ABC

For baseball fans, the Tigers find themselves three games out of first place behind the Chicago White Sox…and guess who is in town this weekend at Comerica for a three game series? The Tigers have lost three straight games while the Chisox lost three of four against the Baltimore Orioles. Something has to give this weekend.

Should be a great Labor Day weekend for sports fans in the State of Michigan!

The New York Daily News on Notre Dame football announcer Allen Pinkett who will not televise the Irish first football game of the season in Dublin, Ireland. Seems like ND is not too happy with Pinkett’s comments about having a certain type of player on your team.

During an interview on 670 AM in Chicago Wednesday, Pinkett said that a team needs some bad apples in order to achieve its goals.

“That’s how Ohio State used to win all the time. They would have two or three guys that were criminals,” Pinkett said. “That just adds to the chemistry of the team. I think Notre Dame is growing because maybe they have some guys that are doing something worthy of a suspension, which creates edge on the football team. You can’t have a football team full of choir boys. You get your butt kicked if you have a team full of choir boys. You gotta have a little bit of edge, but the coach has to be the dictator and ultimate ruler.”

Pinkett did not pump his brakes after being given a chance to backtrack.

“I absolutely meant that,” Pinkett said. “The chemistry is so important on a football team. You have to have a couple of bad guys that sort of teeter on that edge to add to the flavor of the guys that are going to always do right because that just adds to the chemistry of the football team. You have to have … you look at the teams that have won in the past they have always had a couple of criminals.”

Thanks Allen, here we are at the high school level trying to teach our kids to do the right thing.

HOOPS135@HOTMAIL.COM

TWITTER: @CoachFinamore

CLASS IS IN SESSION

Came across this outstanding quote in the Detroit Free Press from Denard Robinson, starting QB for the Michigan Wolverines.

“I think I’m a regular person. I’m not the man. I’m no different than the guy next to me. He could probably teach me something else. I’m going to always be humble about things because people can always teach me things.”

HOOPS135@HOTMAIL.COM

TWITTER: @CoachFinamore

WONDERFUL WEDNESDAY

It’s August 29, and it’s a great time of year in the world of sports.

Why is that you ask? What makes this time of year so special?

In baseball they’re coming down to the wire with pennant races in every division. College football starts this weekend and of course the NFL starts up in a couple of weeks.

Herb Welling posted a question on Facebook “Who is the Best Coach as far as winning with less talent in HS and College?” (Herb of course is a basketball coach so he’s talking hoops.)

Everyone will have a different opinion on the answer. My nomination would go to Greg Kampe, head coach at Oakland University. Kampe has been at OU 28 years (they started as a D-2 school) Kampe recruits well, gets his players better and adjusts his coaching style to fit his players. Make no mistake though, even though he gives his players freedom on offense, he demands much from them on the defensive end.  Long as Kampe is at OU, the Grizzlies will always be at the top of their conference.

How about the job Robin Ventura has done on the South Side of Chicago? A few months back I heard many people rip the White Sox for hiring him saying other guys deserved the chance.  Ventura has proved many people wrong.

Twitter has become very popular. I will admit, I enjoy it. Matter of fact, I tweet often. One thing I do, or at least I think I do, I keep it fun, enjoyable and productive. Like many things, people abuse it by posting stupid and irrelevant stuff. A sportswriter, Jason Lloyd from the Akron Beacon newspaper has an opinion on Ohio State who banned tweeting at pressers but has recently lifted the ban.

HOOPS135@HOTMAIL.COM

TWITTER: @CoachFinamore

TUESDAY’S TIP-INS

I read another disturbing story about a coach/teacher that has been arrested for inappropriate behavior with an underage female. I don’t have to post any links for your to click, just google the subject.  What is wrong with these morons? Why does a grown man find the need to form a relationship with a minor? They have a good job, a family and kids at home.  Do these schmucks realize they are throwing their lives away?

My friend Clarence Gaines penned a blog entry recently on this awful behavior, it’s worth the time.

NBC 17 on a former Duke basketball player who has passed away at the age of 71.

Jonathan Tjarks of Real GM on ‘The Last Shot’ by Darcy Frey…it’s been 18 years; what’s changed in grassroots basketball?

Andy Katz of ESPN on Rick Majerus.

SteveFinamore@Yahoo.com

TWITTER: @CoachFinamore

MOTIVATIONAL MONDAY

John Clay of Kentucky.com on the anonymous poll conducted recently by CBS Sportsline.com

Not sure if you saw the series that their writers posted on their website about coaching, coaches, recruiting, cheating, etc. but many people who I have talked to about it were either turned off by it or they laughed at it.

Here’s a quote from Clay:

At the same time, CBS Sports has turned college basketball coaches into those anonymous commenters at the end of Internet stories or posts, the ones who can say practically anything about anybody without having to (a) produce one shred of proof or (b) stand behind their accusations with a real name.

Sure, the results are entertaining to read, but any significance is completely undercut by cowardice.

I took a look at one of their polls (can’t recall which one) and laughed. But it did jog my memory about a quote by Napoleon Hill:

“The individual who has time only for gossip and slander is too busy for success.”

Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press on Pistons Assistant GM George David who has made his way up the ladder with hard work.

The video guy is low man on the totem pole, but just like he did at Indiana, David figured out a way to stand out. At the time, it was rare for teams to have video available on the road, so David took the initiative of traveling with the team to give Collins access to video and scouting information.

“The way he did things I will never forget,” said Collins, who now coaches the 76ers. “One of the first times I met him I asked him to do something for me and he reached down and he pulls out these index cards out of his pockets and he had a pen and started writing them down.

“I asked him where he got that from, and he said that’s what Coach Knight had taught him — to write it down and get it done.”

HOOPS135@HOTMAIL.COM

TWITTER: @CoachFinamore