LITTLE ROCK — Clearing the desk and cleaning out notebooks before taking a couple of days off:
Last week when the story broke that the University of Memphis would have to vacate 38 basketball victories and its Final Four appearance, the first thing that popped into my mind was that John Calipari had cheated.
He had cheated several players and all those fans who did it the right way.
Those people believed in him and his program, although they found out about his loyalty when he left for Kentucky despite having a financial offer on the table that matched or beat what the Wildcats offered him.
And how about the Kentucky brass admitting they knew the investigation was going on into Derrick Rose and his SAT score, a test he apparently didn't go to Detroit to take although his name was on the test given in that city.
The NCAA might have cleared Calipari of all wrongdoing, but he was still the captain of the ship he deserted when it appeared it might be going down.
Calipari has been to two Final Fours as a head coach and has had to vacate both appearances.
When he gets Kentucky to the Final Four, and he will (maybe this coming season), it wouldn't be a surprise if it happened again.
Whatever Memphis is paying Coach Josh Pastner, it might not be enough. Not only does he have to rebuild a program that was apparently built on stilts, he has to survive the mess Calipari left in his wake.
In response to all the e-mails that point out quarterback Tyler Wilson is generally working with Arkansas' second-team offense against the first-team defense and is having success: Unless Ryan Mallett gets hurt in the next 10 days, Mallett will be the Razorbacks' starting quarterback.
However, keep in mind Wilson is a red-shirt freshman. With the improvement he is making under the tutelage of Bobby Petrino and Garrick McGee, by his senior season, Wilson could be one of the most talked about quarterbacks in the country.
Wilson didn't take a snap under center or run a huddle after the eighth grade until he came to Arkansas. Yet, he's made up a lot of ground, and as of this week, the plan was still to play him in the second quarter of games.
Again, there is no quarterback controversy, just a competition that is making both young men better.
Wilson knows he's the backup and is working his tail off to improve, but one thing he hasn't done is complain.
Along those same lines, don't expect the Razorbacks to be the Air Hogs.
With Michael Smith, Dennis Johnson and Ronnie Wingo - Knile Davis got a little behind when he had to go home for a funeral - the Razorbacks will establish the running game to open the passing lanes.
Bobby Petrino still stresses fundamental football.
This time of year, most fans around the country debate what the record will be for their team.
Most fans, as they should be, are optimistic, but not all fans' teams are in the SEC. There is nothing easy about the SEC.
The Razorbacks have a very difficult schedule this year with road games at Florida, Alabama, Ole Miss and LSU, which are all ranked in the top 10 in the coaches' poll.
The Georgia game in Fayetteville will be a huge test, too.
The punt that the video screen blocked at Cowboys Stadium last weekend isn't something that is going to happen a lot.
The NFL mandates an 85-foot clearance above the playing field, and the huge screen Jerry Jones had installed is 90 feet above the field.
It was a freak punt and not something that will mar the games or the experience of watching a game there.
Incidentally, all the details for parking, etc., for the Texas A&M-Arkansas game should be worked out in a few days.
Cotton Bowl officials are handling all of that, and game operations is something they really know.
Sports, Pages 19 on 08/26/2009