In the wake of
Hurricane Florence, LSU AD Joe Alleva should take a lesson from UCF’s Danny White in how to deal with a football game being cancelled due to a catastrophic storm, writes Mike Bianchi.
Running off at the typewriter …
Memo to LSU athletics director Joe Alleva: Take a lesson in hurricane decency and decorum from UCF’s Danny White on how to deal with a football game being canceled due to a catastrophic storm.
Here’s what White said earlier this week after UCF’s game with North Carolina was called off because of Hurricane Florence: “The priority must be safety for everyone in the path of the hurricane. Having been through similar situations the past two years, we certainly understand this decision. We wish UNC the best of luck through this storm and for the rest of the year.”
Now juxtapose that with what Alleva did two years ago when the Gators canceled their game against LSU with Hurricane Matthew bearing down on the state of Florida.
Alleva actually accused the Gators of ducking LSU and trying to get out of the game to enhance their chances of winning the SEC East. “This is a joke,” Alleva said in an email to one of his LSU underlings.
The fact that Alleva tried to use a hurricane to gain favor with an angry fan base disenchanted with his job performance was pathetic then and seems even more pathetic now.
This is just another example of why White is considered one of the brightest ADs in the business and Alleva is considered a buffoon. MIKEY LIKES: Gators over Colly State by 14, FSU over Syracuse by 10, ’Canes over Toledo by 14, USF over Illinois by 19,
FSU over Syracuse by 10, ’Canes over Toledo by 14, USF over Illinois by 19, Auburn over LSU by 9, Ohio State over TCU by 21 (scrubbed cell phones), Jags over Patriots by 12 in Payback Upset Special, Eagles over Bucs by 7, Dolphins over Jets by 4, Brad Keselowski over the Big Three by 2 (tins of Skoal) in the NASCAR playoffs, Nike’s controversial Colin Kaepernick ad over Kaepernick critics by soaring stock prices and surging sales. … I’m not saying FSU’s new “Turnover Backpack” looks like something you would give to an elementary school kid, but I’m just wondering if it comes with a Turnover Scooby Doo Lunch Box, a Turnover Emoji-Themed Pencil Case and a Turnover Fidget Spinner? … Question: Why is that Serena Williams is the one who acted like a child, threw a temper tantrum, broke the rules and committed three different violations at the U.S. Open, but it’s the umpire who’s being vilified as a sexist while Serena’s being celebrated as “fighting for women’s rights?” Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to an alternative universe where bad behavior is good and enforcing the rules is bad. …
Jimmy Fallon: “After losing all 16 of their games last season, the Cleveland Browns’ first game of the year ended in a tie. Yep, the Cleveland Browns: Even when they don’t lose, they don’t win.” … The Gators have offered free tickets to today’s Colorado State game to families displaced by Hurricane Florence and to every fifth-grader in Alachua County. Give UF credit for doing a good deed to compensate for what may be a bad crowd. … Did you see where UCF school leaders admitted to misusing state funds to pay for the construction of a new $38 million academic building? The official explanation given for the misuse of funds was because the money simply wasn’t available anywhere else. Well, I guess when you put it that way, it makes perfect sense! …
Love that the MLS AllStar Game is being awarded to Orlando next season, but I would much prefer some actual MLS All-Stars be awarded to Orlando City next season! ... … By the way, what happened to the soccer teams in this city? Remember when we used to call ourselves the “Soccer Capital of the Southeast?” After watching our two underachieving soccer teams — Orlando City and the Pride — roll over and die this season, Orlando feels more like the “Soccer Cemetery of the Southeast.” … Archaeologists in Africa have discovered what they believe is the world’s oldest drawing. Scientists think the crude, simple etching on a rock was created more than 70,000 years ago. In related news, Feleipe Franks saw the rudimentary sketch and said, “Hey, wait a minute, that looks like a Jim McElwain play diagram!” … Philosophical NASCAR question: If your playoffs begin and nobody is talking about them, are they really the playoffs? …
UConn coach Randy Edsall — after getting destroyed by UCF 56-17 in the season opener and then getting trounced 62-7 by Boise State in Week 2 — told the Hartford Courant that he believes Boise State is slightly better than UCF. If that’s what he believes, that’s what he believes, but couldn’t Edsall’s opinion sway the College Football Playoff committee down the line? Think about it: If Boise State and UCF both finish unbeaten and Boise State is ranked ahead of UCF, the Broncos would get the Group of 5 bid to an Access Bowl and UCF would be shut out. That would conceivably cost the American Athletic Conference millions of dollars in revenue, exposure and future TV money. Give Edsall an “A” for his honesty, but an “F” in financial planning and conference allegiance.
Last word: Former President George W. Bush speaking at the funeral of Magic owner Rich DeVos: “We had some things in common. We both gave speeches around the world, but I don’t think he mangled the English language as often as I did.”