Random Tidbits Of Varying Importance

Subjects: That weird band of tubes called the Internet, Pitt's new logo, Draymond Green, Ralph Sampson III and asssorted other pleasantries.

** College football coaches apparently don't like the intricate and confusing Internet thing. Some of us read in Patrick Reusse's recent column that Coach Tim Brewster says he doesn't read the Internet. But Coach Brew isn't the only one. Check out The Feed, which has your up-to-date list of coaches who are distancing themselves from the band of tubes. Bobby Bowden and Joe Tiller make appearances. And Bob Stoops has gotten involved in an illegal Internet pyrarmid scheme. Oops! Maybe it is best to stay away. You never know what you might get in the crazy, unpredictable world of the Internet.

** GopherNation has post #2 up of an eight part serieson the new Golden Gopher era. This chapter discusses what to expect from Coach Brewster and how he should be graded. I agree with the blog's assessment that Brewster will be judged on his recruiting first and that any on-field setbacks will be ultimately blamed on 'Mason's players.' Money line:

This is his honeymoon season. If he overachieves to a 9-3 or 8-4 record then they'll start erecting a bronze statue to be ready in 2009 (Brewster Field at TCF Stadium). If he stumbles by losing to one of their less talented non-conference foes or only win 1 or 2 Big Ten games then it is because he has Mason's recruits. I can already see Sid explaining that you can't run the spread offense with Mason's "pound the rock" kids.

I completely agree. Gopher fans have been wowed by Brewster, and may likely give him a pass if he puts out a Mason-like mediocre season, if he delivers in the recruiting wars.

** Minnesota basketball recruit Draymond Green, who verbally committed to Tubby Smith at Kentucky but withdrew when the coach headed north, isn't sure what to make of UK's interest at this point. According to the Lexington Herald-Leader, Green communicates a little with UK but not enough to gauge their interest. The Saginaw, Mich. power forward is making unofficial visits to Indiana, Michigan State, Ohio State and Michigan in the coming weeks/days. Green is one of many potential 2008 recruits who would make turning around Minnesota basketball a reality.

** Another recruit many Gopher fans would like to see suit up at The Barn in 2008 is Ralph Sampson III. Tubby Smith has been in contact with Sampson, who, along with his younger brother Robert, were together at a basketball camp in Charlottesville, Va. this week. A local NBC affiliate has video here of the camp, focusing on the Sampson brothers and their father, the famous UVA alum.

The Charlottesville Daily Progress was also on hand for the camp. It remains to be seen, the paper reports, whether Dave Leitao's Virginia Cavilliers will ask the younger Sampsons to follow in their father's footsteps.

Whether that’s enough to attract an offer from Virginia isn’t clear, but it would be welcome from Ralph III, who said that the notion of following in his father’s rather large footsteps doesn’t bother him one bit.

“I have interest in any school recruiting me at this point,” Ralph III said. “The door’s wide open right now. I’m trying to gather information to see who’s interested in me then make a well-informed decision later on.”

He said he is looking for a good academic school that has a competitive basketball program, that has a family-like atmosphere, so that he can get the full college experience.

With that criteria, the Gophers would seem to have a good shot. Tubby's always been praised for a family-like atmosphere and the U is a good academic school. At this point, Minnesota and Georgia Tech are the highest profile schools who have offered Ralph III.

** The Pitt Panthers have a new logo apparently. The most apt description of the logo comes from Penn State's Black Shoe Diaries: "it kind of looks like a rabid dog crossed with a ticked off cat." The logo is pictued above. Cute little Cujo isn't it?

** I'm trying not to talk politics here even though it's the day job .... but .... this video on Hillary Clinton's Web site is great, if you are a fan of The Sopranos. Just skip past the registration page to get to the video.