SportsJustice

February 22, 2010

I'm happy about the Astros even if I'm the only one

''I think people feed of positive energy. I don't think players are any different from anybody else. If they see that the guy in the first chair is genuine and enthusiastic and believes you can win and believes in setting a tone, then I think it behooves them to follow. And I think they understand that.''—Astros GM Ed Wade on what new manager Brad Mills brings to the club.

You know the best part of writing a nice positive blog like this one is all the hateful comments that come pouring in? In the few hours since this one went up, I've had people calling me names, calling Drayton names, people telling me this was some sorry excuse for a baseball team. Some of the comments got, well, personal.

I deleted 'em all. Read about three words and bam, gonzo! I'm feeling pretty sporty today. I watched Manzella and Johnson and Norris and Bogusevic work out today. Made me feel good. I talked to the new manager. Made me feel good. I checked in with some of the people I trust. And you know what they all said? They're pretty optimistic.

They have no idea if the Astros are going to finish first or last, but there's a sense that the Astros have turned a corner. They've got a competent manager, a competent scouting director and a rotation with a chance to be pretty solid. The Astros have a chance, and considering all that has happened in the draft and free agency the last few years, that's an amazing thing to be able to say.

Am I picking them to win? Of course not. I'm not that dumb. I'm not even that optimistic. I guess I just like watching baseball games and am excited a new season is just starting. Some of you aren't excited. You act as if watching a baseball game is punishment.

Friends, I worked in one of the world's great cities for 14 years. Washington, D.C., is a wonderful place to live and work, has almost everything. Except it didn't have major league baseball.

There's no reason it didn't except that a bunch of baseball owners believed Washington was the same city it had been in 1960 and 1970. They couldn't comprehend how much Washington had changed and refused to take the time to come investigate.

Washington got baseball back a few years ago, and even though the team has been lousy and attendance has declined, trust me when I tell you that Washington is going to be a great baseball city when the Nats start to win. They're almost there, too. Stan Kasten and Mike Rizzo are going to get it right.

My point is that for a long time, Washington didn't have baseball. Washington would get the Cardinals coming through playing an exhibition game.

''We're not Chatanooga,'' Shirley Povich would say, offended.

We'd pretend the Orioles were our team, but it wasn't the same. We're lucky in Houston. We've got baseball. We've had some great baseball over the years, and we've had some lousy baseball. Both beat no baseball.

I also chatted up Oswalt, Moehler, Norris, Berry, Bourn, Wade, etc. I'm looking forward to Tal and Drayton rolling in Wednesday. Let's just say the appeteezers will be on them.

Roy O. was optimistic, too, and that hasn't been the case for awhile. I'll bet Puma shows up with a big smile. I don't know why so many of you are so angry. I would blame it on Obama, but it started way before him. People are just mad.

And well, I'm down here watching a little baseball, and I don't feel like having my happy days interrupted. There's a Five Guys and an Ale House just down the street from my hotel, and I've got Pop Tarts in the room and a dozen Diet Cokes icy cold. I've got a new pair of Ray-Bans, and, well, no one can touch me.

About all I don't have is a good running trail. There are a few here, but they're a long way from my hotel near the airport. I'd like to have something just like Katy Trail right outside my hotel. If anyone can help, send bubber an email.

I know the Astros might stink. I know lots has to go right. But the thing that makes me wonder is how so many of you can be so sure. And beyond that, you get down and dirty with all this name-calling, insults, etc.

It's not over yet. Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?

(I haven't used this reference in a few weeks, and I'm doing it now because of the emails and comments I'll get. They're not all from UH grads, either. I think there are some Texas grads out there that don't understand the historical significance of the Germans and Pearl Harbor.)

Let's just say that Roy Oswalt has a great season and that Wandy Rodriguez has another good one. Let's just Brett Myers makes 35 starts and Bud Norris is solid. Let's say Tommy Manzella is great at short, and that Michael Bourn, Lance Berkman, Carlos Lee and Hunter Pence all have good offensive years.

I can give you a dozen reasons the Astros are going to finish closer to last than first, but let's just say all those things happen, where are we then? Terrible? No. Out of contention by Father's Day? I don't think so.

It's like with Tiger Woods' apology last week. I've never heard so much belly-aching in my life. Not just fans and talk-show gas bags. Plenty of sporting columnists unloaded on Tiger.

I honestly don't know what else he could have said. I was absolutely stunned that some thought he didn't say enough or that he said it the wrong way. I'm pretty sure people were ticked off before his little speech and were going to be ticked off no matter what he said.

Otherwise, have a nice day. I intend to.

OK, back to the regular program...

In the end, it's going to come down to making pitches and plays, to driving in runners and to playing smart. So the Astros still might not be good enough to make the playoffs this season. That said, this spring training is different from the past couple of years.

Brad Mills has brought energy and enthusiasm to these early workouts. He reached out to every player during the off-season. Roy Oswalt, for one, has noticed that the atmosphere is better.

Little things mean a lot. The Astros need a dozen things to break right to be in contention. They need Oswalt and Wandy Rodriguez to have good years. They need Bud Norris to have another good year. They need Brett Myers to make his 35 starts. They need the back of the bullpen to get solidified, and for Lance Berkman to have a big season.

But a good manager can make a difference as well. He can give the players some degree of confidence that the people in charge know what they're doing, that the club finally is headed in the right direction.

If you want to be optimistic about the 2010 Astros, you would begin with adding Myers to the rotation, with having a great defensive player (Tommy Manzella) at shortstop and with having depth in the bullpen.

But to me, it feels the organization finally has turned a corner. They've got the right people in place up and down the masthead. They've got the reconstruction of the minor leagues underway. They've still got some core guys who know how to win. Nothing is more important than the leadership, and that begins with the new manager.

Follow me on Twitter.

Posted by Richard at 01:16 PM in Astros | Comments (35)
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February 20, 2010

Pitchers and catchers report, and all is right with the world

Baseball, it is said, is only a game. True. And the Grand Canyon is only a hole in Arizona. Not all holes, or games, are created equal."—George Will.

The Astros may just win the whole thing this season. Or they may finish dead last. The former is lots better than the latter, but in the end, today is still the beginning of the best time of the year.

Baseball is so much better than any other sport on earth that it's really not worth discussing. As George Will once wrote, there's so much going on in a baseball game at one time that's it impossible to follow it all. I can't always follow it all, but I do know there's no better way to spend a few hours than watching a baseball game from start to finish.

We're lucky to have great television coverage of the Astros, but there's nothing better than actually being there taking it all in. There are days you want the radio play-by-play in your ear, but there are other days when you just want to sit there alone in your thoughts and watch it unfold.

Positioning of outfields. Infielders shaded this way or that. Umpire won't give the pitcher a close one, so now does he give in or more onto the next hitter. It's fabulous stuff.

Sure it's about winning and losing, but if you're lucky enough to see a game in person, you're pretty darn lucky. How about San Francisco? Ever been to AT&T Park for a game? It's about as close to heaven as some of us may ever get. Dodger Stadium? Same thing.

I love Royals Stadium, too, and Miller Park and Turner Field and... Well, you get the picture.

I hope the Astros are fun to watch and interesting. I hope they won 110 games, too. I think they've got the right guys in charge in the front office and on the field. I don't know if they'll get it right on the field this season, but I do believe they're headed in the right direction. And if they're not, it's still baseball. A bad baseball game is better than a great NFL or NBA game. Nothing against those sports. They're just not as beautiful as baseball. Few things on earth are.

I've got hopes for these Astros, but not hopes in the way they measure hope in New York and Boston and Philadelphia. I've got hopes that things will happen this season that may 2011 really interesting. For instance:

• That the starting rotation of Roy Oswalt, Wandy Rodriguez, Brett Myers, Bud Norris and Felipe Paulino will enjoy a healthy and productive season.

• That rookie SS Tommy Manzella makes defensive plays that take our breath away, that he reminds us again of the important of defense.

• That rookies Chris Johnson and Jason Castro are everyday big league players in August, and that they both stay there for years to come.

• That Lance Berkman and Roy Oswalt have great seasons, that they both rediscover their love for the game and both gear up for several more productive seasons and put themselves in the Hall of Fame conversation. Someday we'll look back and be honored that both of them spent their entire careers with the Astros.

• That the 2008 draft class will arrive in Corpus Christi in large numbers, that they'll succeed there and that by this time next season they'll be knocking on the door to the big leagues. The Astros aren't going to be consistently good again until there are young players competing for big league jobs. Let's hope by this time next season we're at that point.

• That Brian Moehler, Chris Sampson and Wesley Wright have terrific seasons, that Geoff Blum keeps on keeping on, that J.R. Towles finally settles in and proves himself a big leaguer.

• That Brad Mills finds out managing in the big leagues is every bit as challenging and as fun as he hoped it would be, and that the Astros finally remove the revolving door from the manager's office.

• That each of you enjoys it as much as I'm going to. Let's play two.

Follow me on Twitter. I won't leave you alone until you do.

Posted by Richard at 07:12 AM in Astros | Comments (27)
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February 19, 2010

Tiger: ''It's up to me to start living a life of integrity.''

''I brought this shame on myself.''

''Character and decency are what really count.''

''I recognize I have brought this on myself, and I know above all, I am the one who needs to change.''

''I need to regain my balance, so I can save the things that are most important to me—my marriage and my children.''

''I ask you to find it in your heart to believe in me again.''

I don't know what more he could have said. Tiger Woods seemed to be speaking from the heart, from deep within his heart, from a place some of us doubted he was capable of going. He should have done it weeks ago, but that's beside the point.

He offered a stark self-portrait. He made no excuses for his behavior. Zero. He apologized profusely to his wife, said he was working to save the marriage.

If this was a first step, it was a good one. He accepted all the blame for his behavior, admitted there's still work to do and simply didn't know when he would play golf again.

''I convinced myself normal rules didn't apply. I thought only about myself.''

He spoke of the trust that had been broken with his fans, with the parents who believed he was a role model. He seemed to understand he'd done damage that could never be repaired.

''I felt I was entitled.''

He mentioned his fellow tour players and sponsors, too. He pointed the finger at himself again and again. There's really no blueprint for something like this. Did he speak because he was trapped? Sure he did.

Somewhere along the way, he may also have gotten closer to reality than he has been in a long, long time. He spoke of being raised a Buddhist and how his life had gotten so far away from its teaching.

''Parents used to point to me as a role model for their kids. I owe all those people a special apology.''

Other public people have offered apologies for their actions, but this one was different. He's the most famous athlete on earth, and his downfall was chronicled in a way no other downfall ever has been.

There was none of the usual Tiger arrogance. If you want dates, times and places, you're not going to get them. That's where he drew a line.

For all those people ranting that Tiger owed the PGA an apology, or that he owed something to the other players on the tour, he offered several.

Did Tiger owe his fans something? Sure he did. He tried to offer it. He said it over and over.

He's a good reminder to be careful about building up people to be more than they are. His skill was hitting a golf ball. If we made him out to be more than that, some of that blame is on us.

Watching him on Sunday afternoon at Augusta National has been a great thrill. Remember those cheers from somewhere behind the leaders? We'd look at one another and say, ''Those are Tiger cheers. Here he comes.''

If you gave Tiger credit for being anything more than a gifted athlete and a great golfer and a man with laser-like dedication to golf greatness, you might be the one that needs help.

He played golf. He didn't provide health care or clean up the planet or slow global warming. If you want a role model, check out Bill Bradley.

Cops and teachers ought to be our role models, not some genetic freak with a golf club in his hand. For God's sake, raise your standards.

Tiger's mistake was freakishly controlling his image and allowing people to believe he was something he never was. People bought it, but how is that different than the spin masters selling empty suits as statesmen? We bought into Tiger because we liked what we saw.

I've never found the guy warm or likeable, but I did find him amazing in his commitment to being great. He entered a group of mostly white, mostly wealthy, mostly boring people and suddenly made it interesting. He came to define his sport as no one ever.

Don't say Ali. Ali was no saint, either, but Ali was also defined, in part, by his opponents. Ali needed Frazier to complete the picture.

Tiger always seemed apart from those he competed against. He was easy to root for, too, when his closest competitor is the insufferably arrogant Phil Mickelson.

Tiger did nothing to answer the real questions on Friday. Those are between him and his family. In the end, those are the only people he owes anything to, and if there's any real healing done there, we won't be allowed to watch.

''It's up to me to start living a life of integrity.''

Do me a solid and follow me on Twitter. Together, we'll win the battle one tweet at a time.

Posted by Richard at 09:33 AM in General Sports | Comments (35)
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The Sports Update: On the Astros and arbitration

Posted by Richard at 08:15 AM in Sports Update | Comments (5)
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February 18, 2010

McGrady's legacy: one amazing moment, many disappointments

Can you do me a solid? Can you follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/richardjustice You won't? Now stop kidding me, you crazy kids. I need 5,000 of you to sign up by Tuesday. There's a free Justice Burger in it for the lucky 10,000th follower.

It was Dec. 9, 2004. Tracy McGrady's 18th game with the Rockets. That was the night he did something absolutely amazing, the night we thought would be the beginning of a beautiful marriage.

He played 35 of the greatest seconds any NBA player has ever played. If you were there that night, you were absolutely convinced he was going to lead the Rockets to a championship and that all the things people in Orlando said about his lack of drive and heart couldn't have been more wrong.

There were other special times. Remember the 22-game winning streak? McGrady was huge. He had some special moments in the postseason, too.

His larger legacy may be that he never won a playoff series and never came close to delivering the championship he talked about. But there were moments when his dazzling talents flashed before our eyes. That part of the story shouldn't be forgotten.

In the end, he had neither the drive nor the heart to win a championship. He wanted to be like Jordan and Kobe, but he didn't have their work ethic, their burning desire to win.

He was a nice man. He was great with kids. He appeared to be devoted to his family. But there's an inner-something the great ones have, and McGrady never had it.

Jordan could be a raging SOB. Bryant's life seems defined by the basketball court. McGrady just was never that consumed with basketball. God gave him a gift, and he used it to make a nice life for himself.

He said the things those other guys said about winning and dedication, but he never really had that dedication. By the time he seemed willing to put in the work required to be a champion, his left knee failed him.

But back to that night in 2004. The Rockets trailed the Spurs by eight points with 40 seconds remaining. Game over, right?

McGrady then put in a 3-pointer. And then another. And then another and another. He scored 13 points in the final 35 seconds that night and forced a turnover as the Rockets rallied to win.

You can go to hundreds of NBA games and not see the kind of show McGrady put on that night. At his best, he wasn't just a great scorer. He was a great passer, a great playmaker, a guy that attracted defensive attention and could put his teammates in position to make plays.

He lost his teammates last season when he basically quit during a game in Toronto, and then he lost the coaches and front office by telling them one thing in private and then telling reporters another thing.

He essentially wanted the Rockets to put their team goals aside and allow him to use the season as his personal training camp. He'd been allowed to do that last year, and it was a disaster.

All Rick Adelman asked was that when he returned, he was back for good and that there'd be no more pulling himself out of the lineup and practices. Maybe McGrady just couldn't get his mind around the fact that his body had begun to fail him and that he might never be the player he once was.

And then again, he might. The Rockets know this. They believe if he dedicates himself, he might come back next season and prove he's still capable of playing at a high level.

But it was time for both sides to move on. Each was sick of the other. I'm not sure there's any bad guy in all of this. On one side is an organization trying to build a champion. On the other is a once-great player trying to figure out what he's capable of.

If you're bitter at him, don't be. I've been around plenty of bad guys, and I can tell you McGrady is a good guy. He may have a big ego, may see himself as the equal of Kobe and Michael, but there's no sin in that.

It'll be interesting to see how these two unhappy dance partners get along without one another. Both have plenty to prove.

Have I mentioned anything about following me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/richardjustice It's where people come for all the best Earl Weaver stories.

Posted by Richard at 02:18 PM in Rockets | Comments (28)
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The Sports Update: Step in right direction for Rockets

Posted by Richard at 01:21 PM in Sports Update | Comments (8)
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Morey lands a scorer in Kevin Martin and is working toward adding Jordan Hill

Daryl Morey might have just rebuilt this entire franchise in one swoop this afternoon.

Kevin Martin is a pure scorer. Daryl Morey believes he can be a special player. Here's a statistical nugget I heard from David Thorpe on 1560 this morning: Martin is the first player in NBA history to average 9 free throws a game while shooting 40 percent from 3-point land. Translation: impact.

He has been hurt some and his numbers have been down, but he's a guy Daryl Morey has had targeted for awhile. If Morey is right, the Rockets got better.

Morey isn't done. He's still working on landing Jordan Hill from the Knicks, and then the Rockets will have a dramatically different look.

Because it's Daryl Morey, we trust. We believe. He has earned that trust and belief. Look at his body of work with this franchise. He didn't get dumb last night. If Daryl Morey thinks this is a good deal, I think it's a good deal. Sign me up for this deal even though it comes with sirens and alarms.

Kevin Martin's production has declined the last two years. He has been hurt some, but some of those injuries have odd circumstances relating to diagnosis and freak collisions. Yet he's a pure scorer, and that's what the Rockets need. I have no idea how Rick Adelman is going to sort out the minutes, and that's a challenge. Does Trevor Ariza now come off the bench?

On the other hand, if Kevin Martin is healthy, he's 17 points a game. From the beginning, Morey's first priority was to get an impact player who could help the Rockets this season and in the future. This trade does that.

Give Morey credit for not losing sight of the larger goal. Kevin Martin was on his radar screen from the start. Morey believed he'd make a difference this season, and in the future.

The Rockets need interior defense, and they need scoring. Martin fills one of those needs. Look ahead to next season with Yao Ming back in the middle and with Martin on the perimeter. The Rockets aren't perfect, but they've taken a huge step in the right direction.

Martin will also make those around him better. Morey paid a high price in giving up Carl Landry, but this trade appears to inch the Rockets along toward being a serious contender next season.

There are risks in the deal. Martin has missed too many games with injury and his defense is nothing special. But he's a scorer, a special scorer, and there aren't many of those players around.

Posted by Richard at 07:12 AM in Rockets | Comments (68)
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February 17, 2010

Weighing the offers for McGrady and preparing for change

Take a good look at these Rockets tonight because they probably won't look the same the next time you see them. GM Daryl Morey is unlikely to touch his core of Carl Landry, Chase Budinger and Aaron Brooks, but he seems on the verge of adding an interesting young guy and possibly someone to help out in the middle.

When he's done, he will have taken a step toward getting the Rockets back in contention next season, but it'll be nothing more than a step and not a large one. Unless something dramatic happens in the next 24 hours, Morey's real work will begin this summer.

For now, he has taken the Tracy McGrady card game about as far as he can. I prefer the Chicago deal because it includes a bona fide NBA center. There's delayed gratification in the form of 2012 draft pick from the Knicks, but 2012 is too far off. I want happiness now.

Weighing the two offers:

BULLS	KNICKS
Tyrus Thomas, 6-10, 225, 23 yrs old	Jordan Hill, 6-10, 235, 22 yrs old
8.9 ppg, 6.3 rbg, $6.3 million in 2010-2011	4.1 ppg, 2.5 rbg, $6.3M in 2010-11
Brad Miller, 7-0, 261, 33 yrs old	Jared Jeffries, 6-11, 240, 28 yrs old
7.5 ppg, 4.2 rbg, expiring contract	5.5 ppg, 4.3 rbg, $6.9M in 2010-11
John Salmons, 6-6, 207, 30 yrs old	Larry Hughes, 6-5, 185, 31 yrs old
12.7 ppg, 2.5 apg, $5.8M in 2010-11	9.6 ppg, 3.5 rbg, expiring contract
or Kirk Hinrich, 6-3, 190, 29 yrs old	2012 first-round draft pick
10.3 ppg, 4.5 apg, $9M in 2010-11, $8M in 2011-12

Sports Illustrated is indicating the 2012 draft pick could be holding up the deal. If the Knicks include it, the Rockets will trade with the Knicks. Otherwise, it's back to the Bulls.

Will either offer get the Rockets to the playoffs? Yes. Now the unspoken uncomfortable part is that some would argue it's better if the franchise misses the playoffs to get a better pick this summer.

That's bull. Morey will do fine in the draft whether he has the first pick of the 32nd. He'll do better with No. 1, but making the playoffs would be a tremendous shot in the arm in a season when almost no one thought the Rockets were good enough.

What Morey apparently won't be getting in either of these trades is that wing player and 3-point shooter the Rockets need. He tried. Boy did he ever. Now he appears to be weighing two offers for Tracy McGrady, and as Jonathan Feigen blogged, they're eerily similar. At least, he'll have some real important for his summer to-do list.

From the desk of Daryl Morey....

To: self. 1. Check on Yao's foot. Hope for the best. 2. Acquire a shooter. Hope for the best.

Now a word about Tuesday's loss to the Jazz. Ugly. Ugly. Ugly. After David Andersen's 3-pointer gave the Rockets a 93-90 lead with 4:41 remaining, the Rockets fell apart, going 0-9 from the field and turning it over three times in a 4-minute, 26-second stretch.

After getting that lead, their next five possessions included three missed jumpers and two turnovers. Until the Rockets get some kind of post presence, that's how a lot of games are going to go.

They've fallen to 10th in the Western Conference, having lost 12 of 19 and 6 of 9. At the moment, they're failing on both ends of the floor, and even with Rick Adelman tweaking his rotation to get Budinger, Landry and Andersen on the floor in crunch time, the outcome was still the same.

Now about those trades. The Bulls appear to be offering 6-10 Tyrus Thomas, 7-0 Brad Miller and either point guard Kirk Hinrich or John Salmons. The Knicks apparently are offering 6-10 Jordan Hill, 6-5 Larry Hughes, 6-11 Jared Jeffries and a 2012 first-round pick.

The Rockets will be taking on some money in both deals, but it's not enough to handicap a signing this summer. Jeffries will make $6.9 million next season. Hinrich will make $9 million next season and $8 million in 2011-2012.

Thomas will make $6.3 million next season, Hill $2.7 million. Those contracts are insignificant because the Rockets believe both players could be contributors.

Miller provides immediate help in the middle, but that 2012 draft pick from the Knicks is appealing, too. Thomas vs. Hill? Thomas has shown flashes of being pretty good, but some scouts loved Hill last summer when he was the eighth pick of the draft.

Both offers get the Rockets some help immediately, some future help and allow them to retain the flexibility to make a move this summer. By the start of camp, they still hope to have added a healthy Yao Ming, an impact player from the draft and a free agent.

Regardless, the Rockets are on the verge of being changed. This current group was so much fun to watch for a couple of months, but then they lost their mojo, the league did a better job of scouting them and this season became the difficult slog it was supposed to be all along.

Posted by Richard at 07:33 AM in Rockets | Comments (47)
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The Sports Update: Rockets show savvy in McGrady trade talks

Posted by Richard at 07:22 AM in Sports Update | Comments (5)
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February 16, 2010

Mike Leach is gone, and things have changed at Texas Tech

Assigned seats. Dress codes. Meetings starting when they were scheduled to start. Church attendance encouraged. And team meetings that might have lasted two hours under Mike Leach are over in 20 minutes under Tommy Tuberville.

Yes, friends, there's a new sheriff in Lubbock. Texas Tech football players are going to learn a lot less about pirates and all those other little life lessons Leach bestowed on them.

Then again, practices might be a lot less interesting. Texas Tech players showed up for Leach practices not knowing what might set him off or have him interested.

Tuberville has a different view of the world. He believes in tight schedules, discipline, faith, appearance, on and on. Leach believed in weight training more than some coaches, but Tuberville has toughened up even that part of the program. Instead of the lift-and-run program Leach preferred, it's now run-and-lift at Texas Tech.

Tuberville appears to have pulled together a solid recruiting class despite only three weeks on the job. He focused on the defensive side of the ball, with 18 of his 25 signees on that side of the ball, where Texas Tech has more needs.

For all the great things Leach did at Texas Tech, he never got the Red Raiders into a Big 12 Championship Game and finished higher than third only twice. Still, he averaged 8.5 victories in 10 seasons.

Tuberville had six nine-victory seasons in the SEC, but he typically has done it a different way.

"I want to continue to throw it 45-50 times, maybe run it 20-25. We'll be a little bit more balanced," Tuberville told Dennis Dodd of cbssports.com. "Mike got a little bit overboard sometimes. Sometimes he'd throw it 75-80 times. He'd like working on those stats. I'm not a stat guy."

Now to the man himself. Don Williams of the Avalanche-Journal did a terrific and revealing interview with Tuberville. Here are some highlights:

A-J: You were big on community relations at Auburn, where you did a Thursday night dinner with fans and the Tiger Walk on Saturdays. Why is that important to you, and how will you reach out to the community and the fans here?

Tuberville: Of course, Spike Dykes did a great job and of course, Mike was here and won games, and I think the national spotlight's been on this university and football program. It hasn't won a championship. I've been around a few championships before. To win championships, everybody's got to be a part of it. Miami people were really behind their football team and their program. At Auburn, to get to that 13-0 season (in 2004), everybody's pretty much got to be a part of it, and it's the same way here. We can't do it by ourself. This athletic department and the university can't do it (alone). It's got to be totally supported from the community, and even the alumni and the fans who don't live in Lubbock. It's got to be something we've all got to strive for. It's got to be something that I'll include everybody. When I get my feet on the ground, I'll start going around Lubbock, going around to meetings, club meetings, telling people, giving them my plan, letting them know what I'm about and what we want to try to do here. I like to win games, but I also like to win championships, and I know Texas Tech would love to do that. I'm going to put my plan out, not just to the football players, but also to the city of Lubbock and what we need to do and the support and show the players here that they're behind them. All the little things that really mount up to help get these guys motivated to the point where we can get it all done.

A-J: Can you discuss your religious affiliation and what role that plays in your life?

Tuberville: Yeah, I grew up in the Church of Christ. That's big in my life, my family's life. My mother will move here. She's 80 years old and big in the church. There's something other than football, I believe, and so we'll be active in the church here. Actually, I want to bring in a full-time team chaplain here in our football program. We've done that every place I've been. We don't push any religion. I don't believe in that. I just believe, give players the opportunity to be involved. So we'll have somebody that will be in this office as much as I am in the training room, in the weight room, on the practice field, at games. It's going to be kind of a player development person that will sit down and visit with them. I'm talking about home life, family, somebody they can relate to.

I had a young man by the name of Wes Yeary at Ole Miss. He came with me to Auburn. We started a chaplain program. It got so big, I got more people calling me — my fellow coaches — not about Xs and Os, but about, 'Hey, tell me about your chaplain program. It sounds great.' So what we ended up doing is we started training chaplains in Auburn with the help of the FCA. We started placing them at Southern Miss, Georgia Tech. We had them going everywhere.

In the last couple of years, we've moved it to Baylor, and Wes Yeary's running that program there now, so I'll lean on him and possibly somebody he might train for us.

A-J: We've heard about your humble roots — grew up in a small town, walked on at a small university ...

Tuberville: Yeah, I graduated from high school there, Camden (Ark.) Harmony Grove. I wasn't the biggest guy or fastest guy in the world, but I wanted to play college football, because I told my dad, 'I'm going to be a college head coach someday.' I said, 'To do that, I've got to play football,' and so I looked around at schools. We had one about 60 miles from us that was a Division II school. It was Southern Arkansas University, and we were the Muleriders. Most of the guys I played with were from Lufkin or (Longview) Pine Tree or Longview. Some of them are principals now over in those areas. But we had a good time. I played free safety — played quarterback and safety in high school, and then I played free safety there. Walked on, had a chance to play some. Had real good college coaches and had a good time, but I truly believe that had I not done that, I wouldn't have ... It's hard to really understand college football unless you've played it. I know there's some guys that have coached college football that didn't play college football. But you really have to understand what you go through as a college football player — the time, the academics, the study halls. It really helped me. Then I got out and coached four years of high school and then decided to get into college football and went from there.

Posted by Richard at 07:24 AM in General Sports | Comments (37)
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The Sports Update: Drafting a plan for the Astros

Posted by Richard at 07:10 AM in Sports Update | Comments (2)
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