By the time I made it back to my house that late afternoon/early evening, I caught the final minutes of the Vanderbilt-Richmond game only to be disappointed by the fact my Commodores fell short. This was one time I was not for the so-called “underdog.”
Perhaps the most interesting game of the Sweet 16 will be BYU and Florida. BYU has been a great story this season, standing up for what is right over athletic success. It’s been nice to see them continue to have success despite having to do what school officials felt was best.
I’ve always thought Billy Donavan was one of the top coaches in the country and I’m not surprised he’s back among the elite with this year’s Gator team. Look for a high scoring affair in this one.
Regardless of which teams advance to the Elite Eight and eventually the Final Four, we’ve already gotten our money’s worth to this point. Funny, how a playoff system can do that year after year. I just wish big-time college football was watching.
•It will be interesting to watch how the new-look Atlanta Braves turn out this season.
So much about the team has changed in recent years and now even long-time manager Bobby Cox has left the scene. For me, some of the most difficult changes about the Braves have not been in the field but in the broadcast booth.
Skip Caray and Pete Van Wieren are no longer announcing games (Caray has passed on and Van Wieren has retired). There was just something about listening to those two, especially on the radio. I loved listening to them call the action through my radio when the Braves would be on the West Coast and their game descriptions would keep me from falling asleep. It’s nothing against any of the announcers the organization has now, I just miss Pete and Skip.
•In case you missed it, and I’m sure most of you did, former Atlanta Falcon head coach Jerry Glanville is back in the pro game leading the Hartford Colonials of the United Football League.
The Man in Black was certainly the most entertaining coach in Falcon history and believe it or, the team did manage to win some games while he was at the helm. Glanville’s most recent coaching was at the college level but he is made for pro football. He has certainly displayed more enthusiasm about coaching in the UFL than all the other league’s coaches combined. While I admit I have not watched the UFL in its first two seasons, something tells me I will be tuning in the Hartford games this fall.
Of course, it may be our only choice if something doesn’t happen soon with the NFL. And with Glanville on the sidelines I may not miss the NFL much.
Chris Bridges is sports editor of the Barrow Journal. You can reach him at cbridges@barrowjournal.com.
