LITTLE ROCK — This is how rumor mill gets rolling
For a few hours Thursday, it looked as though college football was gaining an innovative coach but losing an entertaining broadcaster.
The popular sports blog sportsbybrooks.com reported Thursday afternoon that former Texas Tech Coach Mike Leach would replace New Mexico Coach Mike Locksley after he coached the Lobos against New Mexico State on Oct. 9.
The Website’s source was a post on the Facebook page of a former Albuquerque, N.M., broadcaster, which was then picked up by another radio station that used its Twitter page to relay the breaking news.
“Rumors coming from our sister station 770 KKOB that UNM Lobos football coach Mike Locksley will be fired after the game at NMSU on October 9th, and replaced with ANOTHER controversial coach!” read the tweet.
But less than three hours after the report was posted on sportsbybrooks.com, another website, CollegeFootballTalk.com, debunked the rumor after speaking with Leach’s attorney, Ted Liggett.
“There is zero truth to these reports. None. You can quote me on that,” Liggett told the website.
“There have been no discussions with anyone [regarding potential future openings] as far as I know, and I would know.”
Though this could be an excellent moment to discuss the validity of “news” being delivered via Facebook posts and tweets, that’s not the point here.
The point is college football fans will get at least a few more weeks to listen to Leach’s whimsical observations in the broadcast booth.
More Leach
Former Texas Tech Coach Mike Leach is developing a healthy reputation as a studio analyst and color commentator forCBS College Sports.
While calling North Carolina State’s Sept. 11 victory over Central Florida, Leach delivered his philosophy on timeouts.
“Yeah, the timeouts, it’s a little like money,” he said. “You don’t want to die with them and leave them to your kids, so you might as well use them if you need them.” Time flies
From Reggie Hayes of The News-Sentinel in Fort Wayne, Ind.:
“Big East officials said the reason they didn’t call a penalty for the play clock expiring before Michigan State’s fake field goal to beat Notre Dame was because of ‘lag’ time.
“This is sometimes known as ‘Guess we blew that big time’ time and ‘Let’s make up a lame excuse’ time.
Headlines
From the satirical sports website sportspickle.com:
Reggie Bush: “I’m not returning my crutches.”
Kevin Kolb requests trade to Redskins.
Rex Ryan: “My team’s lawless culture does not promote lawlessness.”
Yankees and Phillies to just play World Series already.
Quote of the day
“I think that’s one of the things that’s so nice about
having a game with this type of magnitude is that it’s great for the students, it’s great for the university,
it’s great for the state of Arkansas.” Arkansas Coach Bobby Petrino on playing topranked Alabama
Sports, Pages 18 on 09/24/2010