Home Sweet Home?

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH


How did we get to the New FAU Football Stadium?

On October 15, 2010, ground was broken and exactly one year later, the $70 Million Facility hosted the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers as the start of a new era began in FAU Sports History.

Construction workers worked seven days a week giving up their Sundays to make the Saturday October 15th opener a reality.

This is the only stadium in the United States where you can see the Atlantic Ocean. The campus is 2.1 miles away from the Atlantic Ocean.

Prior to the game, the Star Spangled Banner was sung with a Full-Sized American Flag covering the entire field.

But the road to this Beautiful Venue saw Coach Howard Schnellenberger, Athletic Director Craig Angelos, former President Frank Brogan and his successor Dr. Mary Jane Saunders witness some lopsided defeats to some of the most heralded football programs in the country.

FAU took the guaranteed large payouts to Auburn, Clemson, Florida, Kansas, Kansas State, Kentucky, Louisville, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Oklahoma State, South Carolina, Texas, and USF.

There were four notable wins as FAU defeated Hawaii, Central Michigan, Memphis and Minnesota. FAU defeated Memphis in the 2007 New Orleans Bowl and followed that triumph in the 2008 Motor City Bowl defeating Central Michigan.

A year ago, the Michigan State Spartans were supposed to open up FAU Stadium but that never materialized. FAU's home game was moved to Ford Field as the Owls shared a home with the Detroit Lions. FAU lost this game 30-17.

So instead of seeing the Spartans, Owls fans saw their team lose 20-0 to the Hilltoppers in front of 29,103. The score could have been worse for FAU if Western Kentucky would have converted three field goals and an extra point.

But these numbers tell the story!

FAU had only six first downs, 25 rushing and 121 total yards. More importantly, Owls fans would have to wait until Saturday October 22nd against the Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders to see the first points in the new stadium at 8:07 PM.

On Saturday October 15th, No. 23 Michigan State defeated state rival No. 11 Michigan 28-14 in East Lansing, a place that wasn't kind to the Owls earlier this year. The Spartans whitewashed FAU 44-0 on September 10 in East Lansing.

When the contest was over, there was a huge sense of happiness and relief that the new on campus stadium dream has become a reality.

By the same token, now that the opener is over, reality has set in that FAU dropped to 0-6 and 0-3  in the Sun Belt Conference. The Owls are in last place and know they have to start winning games.

Quarterback David Kooi said, “Our offense was shaky and we put no points on the board. We didn't execute and just hurt ourselves. This was a great atmosphere and we didn't get the job done. I just want to say I'm sorry to the fans.”

Running back Alfred Morris added, “ I'm very disappointed and wanted it so bad. We just couldn't get it together. This was a very exciting atmosphere, it was crazy. We'll try to get them next time.”

Senior defensive back Marcus Bartels was in a somber mood when he said, “I never expected this. We feel like we let everybody down. I want to apologize to the fans.”

Coach Schnellenberger said, I've never been in a situation like this before. We worked so hard and so long to make this stadium. We played badly on the offensive side of the ball. We expected to win this game but yet played so poorly in front of dedicated fans. That's what happened and I have to deal with that. I'm the coach and I have to do fix this situation.”

Former Owls QB Rusty Smith now of the Tennessee Titans came in town due to his teams bye week. On this day, the Owls could have used him in his old No.11 jersey.

But now, the stadium is open for business. The team has to focus on winning since there will be no more hype.

It's all business as the Owls hope to send Schnellenberger out on a respectable note to end his 52-year coaching career
 
Game 2 at the new stadium would produce another loss and it was ugly.
 
The attendance was listed as 16,344 but in actuality, it looked like the crowd was in the 10,000 range.
 
What they saw was a team that fell behind 21-0 as Western Kentucky and Middle Tennessee scored 41 unanswered points. The Owls broke the scoring drought with 9:57 left in the second quarter. The Historical Touchdown was a Wilbert Graham to Darian Williams five-yard connection that was set-up by a 48-yard run by Morris.
 
In the first half, Middle Tenessee Sophomore QB Logan Kilgore set a school record with 19 straight completions for a school that's been playing football for 100 years. He used 10 different receivers to set the mark.
 
When the game was over, the Blue Raiders offense gained 479 yards to roll to a 38-14 win. FAU had eight fumbles, five were lost to go along with two interceptions and 55 yards in penalties. Morris did gain 153 yards.
 
At his post-game press conference, Schnellenberger looked like he was trying to figure out the Rubik's Cube.
 
"With all the experience I have, I can't figure out all the problems we have," he said. "It will be harder to teach and an involved process."
 
One thing is certain, FAU will have two weeks to digest the fact that its record has dropped to 0-7, 0-4 as it hosts Arkansas State on November 5th. In the meantime, there will be no bowl game in 2011 and the Owls can only hope for "A Win."
 
I do believe that when they field a competitive team, FAU Stadium will be a fun place to watch a game. It's a beautiful stadium.

But for now, the fallout of the first two weeks have given mixed reviews with plenty of more chapters to be written before we can say this indeed is a "Home Sweet Home."
 
Scott Morganroth's blog can be seen at http://www.scottsports33.com/ and he can be reached at scottsports33@aol.com.

Q&A FAU's Michael Smith

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH

A few weeks ago, I had some ideas as to what events should be held at the New FAU Football Stadium.

I spoke to Associate Athletic Director for Corporate Sponsorships Michael Smith. He took this position after serving as Director of Collegiate Sports Properties for the University of Mississippi in the Southeastern Conference.

Smith gave me his reasons as to why he moved to Boca Raton and he talked about what the South Florida Community has to look forward to.

Q: What made you decide to take this position at FAU?

A: To be Associate Athletic Director was an opportunity that I couldn't pass up. I am looking forward to the inner workings of working behind the scenes of what it takes in building a New Stadium for a Division I School. I see the Athletic Program growing into a Conference USA, Big East or ACC member one day. I am thrilled to see the excitement of the Boca Raton Community.

Q: How many events do you foresee and what type of financial benefit will Boca Raton receive?

A: I anticipate that the stadium have a $1.7 Million impact to the Community of Boca Raton. It's the largest facility between Miami and Orlando. It will hold 15 events the first year. Five football games along with 10 other events. I anticipate concerts, college events, international soccer, high school all-star games and eventually landing a college bowl game. We hope to expand to at least 20 events.

Q: Were your familiar with FAU before you took this position?

A: Yes, Football Coach Howard Schnellenberger's reputation speaks for itself. Mike Jarvis won 21 games this year for the basketball team and has an excellent track record for taking his teams to the NCAA Tournament. John McCormack's baseball team are perennial winners.

Q: How will your previous position benefit you here?

A: I worked in the multimedia areas. I worked in marketing, advertising and promotions so we have lots of inventory here. I will be working on selling signs for the Football Stadium, radio spots, coaches call in radio shows for all sports, Internet, and promotions on the field.

According to Smith, there has been an increase in landing new students. Last year, FAU had 9,000 applications from incoming freshman. This year the total is at 22,000.

Oct 15 is right around the corner and by the end of the week, the FAU Football Team will be in training camp preparing for that inaugural season. It will be interesting to see which players go down in history as the one that scores the first touchdown, has the first yard, etc.

If the growth of the football program goes according to planned, the football stadium has the ability to be expanded in two phases, from 30-45,000 and 45-65,000. The addition of more students as aforementioned could be the beginning of what lies ahead.

Scott Morganroth can be reached scottsports33@aol.com and his blog can be seen at www.scottsports33.com.

Dolphins Are At It Again?

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH

Are the Miami Dolphins at it again?

This week, the Miami Dolphins appeared to be ready to acquire QB Kyle Orton from the Denver Broncos, but for some reason the deal fell apart.

Miami signed free agent signal caller Matt Moore of the Carolina Panthers.

In 2006, the Dolphins were unsure if a torn labrum in Drew Brees right throwing shoulder was completely healed after undergoing arthroscopic surgery performed by Dr. James Andrews. Brees sustained the injury as a member of the San Diego Chargers in the Final Game of the 2005 Season against the Denver Broncos.

The Dolphins team doctors suggested that the team didn't sign him. I wonder if they're still employed by Miami now.

The Dolphins ended negotiations and traded for Minnesota Vikings QB Daunte Culpepper. Culpepper played the 2010 Season for the Sacramento Mountain Lions and former Coach Dennis Green in the United Football League.

Brees went on to sign a 6-year $60 million deal with the New Orleans Saints on March 14, 2006 and $10 Million was guaranteed. The second year option was picked up for another $12 Million.

On February 7, 2010, New Orleans defeated the Indianapolis Colts 31-17 in Super Bowl XLIV at Joe Robbie Stadium, the home of the Miami Dolphins. Brees was named Super Bowl MVP and these South Florida fans found out quickly that he was fine.

Since this poor decision by Miami management, the Dolphins have employed Joey Harrington, Cleo Lemon, John Beck, Trent Green, Chad Pennington, Tyler Thigpen and current starter Chad Henne since 2006.

Miami hasn't won a Super Bowl since 1973 and the Dolphins last AFC Championship occurred in 1984 under rookie QB Dan Marino.

In Super Bowl XIX on January 20, 1985, Marino's only Super Bowl appearance, Joe Montana and the San Francisco 49'ers thrashed the Dolphins 38-16 at Stanford Stadium in Palo Alto, CA., in the Bay Area.

During Marino's Hall of Fame Career, he amassed 61,361 yards and is third most in wins by a starting quarterback with 147. No. 4 is Peyton Manning of the Colts with 141 and he figures to pass Marino this season.

The last time Miami won a playoff game was during the 1999 Season when Marino guided the Dolphins to a 20-17 road win against the Seattle Seahawks in the Final Game Ever at the Kingdome in January of 2000.

But Marino's last playoff triumph would turn into embarrassment a week later as the Wild Card Dolphins  were crushed 62-7 by the Jacksonville Jaguars in Northern Florida.

This was the second worst playoff loss in NFL History. During the 1940 NFL Championship Game, the Chicago Bears slammed the Washington Redskins 73-0.

After the 1999 Season, Coach Jimmy Johnson left the team and Marino retired.

Other quarterbacks that have followed Marino before Culpepper arrived include Damon Huard, Jay Fiedler, Ray Lucas, Brian Griese, AJ Feeley, Sage Rosenfels and Gus Frerotte.

Griese's father Bob won the Dolphins a pair of Super Bowls in the 1970's but there would be no miracle in those bloodlines this time around.

As much as people like to joke around with me that the team that I follow, the Detroit Lions haven't been to a Super Bowl, I take that fact in stride. I don't care what organization you're with or follow, unless there is stability at the quarterback position, no team has a chance.

I've never cared for Dan Marino and never will! His statistics mean nothing to me!

Hall of Fame Coach Don Shula surrounded him with great wide receivers that enabled him to compile impressive numbers.  When you have targets like Mark Clayton (79), Mark Duper (55), OJ McDuffie (25), Nat Moore (24) and Jim "Crash"Jensen (19) enabling you to throw 420 touchdown passes, you're doing well.

Marino's statistics put him in the Hall of Fame, but one Super Bowl Appearance defines his playoff legacy or lack there of it. He played in 18 Playoff Games and won only eight. Two of Marino's playoff losses were blowouts. That speaks for itself.

But to these Dolphins, while I don't know if Orton would have led Miami to a Super Bowl win, I do believe that he's an upgrade.

Did Denver keep Orton because they feel second-year Florida Gators QB Tim Tebow isn't ready?

That's possible.

But there was a deal to be made here just like there was with Brees. And it didn't happen for whatever reason.

Miami fans can only hope that this decision indicates that the "Dolphins Are At It Again" isn't going to be a repeat of The Curse of Drew Brees.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at scottsports33@aol.com and his blog can be seen at www.scottsports33.com.

Tigers Ping Pong VS Indians

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH

When one associates the July 31 trading deadline, most baseball people figure that the New York Yankees will try to gain an advantage over the Boston Red Sox.

Which moves will the rest of the teams make?

The Detroit Tigers and the Cleveland Indians are two teams that are playing the role of the Yankees and the Red Sox. Which team will have more horses down the stretch to make the playoffs?

When they get to the playoffs, they're not looking to be an easy out for the Yankees and the Red Sox.

Judging by the moves these two teams have made in the last 11 days, it's not only enjoyable to watch them in the standings but off the field as well.

The Tigers began the trading spree on July 20 as Detroit attempted to solidify their third base dilemma by landing Wilson Betemit from the Kansas City Royals in exchange for Single-A prospects left-handed pitcher Antonio Cruz and catcher Julio Rodriguez.

Cleveland answered with a move of its own on July 28 as the Indians traded for Chicago Cubs outfielder  Kosuke Fukudome. The Indians gave up a pair of prospects in outfielder Abner Abreu and left-handed pitcher Carlton Smith.

Saturday July 30 saw these two franchises continue to play Ping Pong.

The Tigers made the first transaction with the Seattle Mariners. General Manager Dave Dombrowski acquired right-handed starter Doug Fister and righty reliever David Pauley for outfielder Casper Wells, infielder Francisco Martinez, left-hander Charlie Furbush and a player to be named later.

Fister is 3-12 but that's misleading due to the lack of run support. Seattle has scored 1.97 runs per-game and has lost seven decisions spanning 10 starts. But in these 10 starts, Fister has a 3.42 ERA with a pair of complete game losses. He has thrown at least six innings in each start.

Pauley is 5-4 with a 2.15 ERA in 39 appearances.

The Indians pulled the trigger again by acquiring Colorado Rockies right-handed pitching ace Ubaldo Jimenez for three minor leaguers and a player to be named later. Cleveland gave up right-handers Alex White and Joe Gardner along with first baseman--outfielder Matt McBride.

It's hard to believe that Cleveland managed to charge ahead of the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Cincinnati Reds, Toronto Blue Jays and Detroit Tigers, who were aggressively scouting Jimenez, the biggest prize at the July 31 trading deadline.

Indians Hall Of Famer, the late Bob Feller, would be proud.

Cleveland wasn't finished because Saturday Night, it dealt infielder Orlando Cabrera, who lost his starting job to rookie Jason Kipnis last week, to San Francisco for Triple-A outfielder Thomas Neal.

As it stands, the Indians trail the Tigers by 1.5 games in the AL Central Division. That could change today and we have a lot of time by the end of the regular season.

Now the question remains, will the Tigers counter with one more move in this Table Tennis Match with the Indians? We'll find out. But everybody will be monitoring the moves made by these clubs for the next eight weeks.

Will we see playoff action in Cleveland or back at Comerica Park? Stay Tuned.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at scottsports33@aol.com and his blog can be seen at www.scottsports33.com.

History, Pirates VS Orioles

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH

First baseman Derrek Lee, 35, was traded from the Baltimore Orioles to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday Night for minor league first baseman Aaron Baker.

The last time that I remember these two teams mentioned in the same sentence was when the Pirates defeated the Orioles in the 1971 and 1979 World Series.

I can't believe that I'm writing this, but the surprising Pirates are 54-51 and are looking to snap an MLB record of 18 consecutive losing seasons, the longest in all professional sports.

If the Pirates come close or get into the playoffs, The Manager Of The Year Award should be handed to Clint Hurdle! It could be the biggest landslide in the award's history.

In 2007, Hurdle led the Colorado Rockies to the franchise's first World Series appearance against the Boston Red Sox.

Speaking of the Red Sox, on June 26, 2011 during an interleague game at PNC Park (Capacity 38,496), the Pirates set a new attendance mark of 39,511 in their new ballpark that opened in 2001. Boston won the game 4-2.

It's hard to believe that a team which is known for making Fire Sale's at the end of July is trading for a Rental Player since Lee signed a one-year contract. But that's what they're doing and more power to the Pirates. I'm really delighted for the great fans of Pittsburgh. I wish the Pirates well and hope they make a great run.

Once upon a time, they had players like Willie Stargell and Roberto Clemente. Most of, if not all of their current roster, weren't even born when these Hall of Famers starred.

This franchise has won five World Series titles, has nine National League Pennants and made 14 Playoff Appearances. The Pirates All-Time record is 9,864-9,735.

Pittsburgh doesn't lack major championships. The Steelers have won six Super Bowls while the NHL's Penguins have added three Stanley Cup Championships.

While I doubt the Pirates will win their sixth World Series, it will be neat to see how this feel good story unfolds. But for Pirates fans, if they're looking to find some real hope in the post-season, they should go back to 2003.

The Florida Marlins (91-71) with a payroll of $54 Million defeated the New York Yankees, who spent $164 Million to be runner-ups. We're talking about a difference of $110 Million between the two payrolls, but in the end, the Marlins had won their second World Series Championship in franchise history.

Ironically, Lee won a World Series Ring with the 2003 Marlins, who made the playoffs as a Wild Card Team.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at scottsports33@aol.com and his blog can be seen at www.scottsports33.com.

Pro Teams Without "S"

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH

Throughout my lifetime, I was always under the impression that the letter "S" is plural. That's what my English Teachers and Professors in Grade School and College taught me. 

But these people should look in the Sporting World because Marketing & Creativity have taken over. As I researched this, there are some really Neat Nicknames that don't require the letter "S" at the end to make them plural.

These nicknames are becoming more common with the Arena Football League, WNBA, Major League Soccer, and the United States Football League. While it will be impossible to mention every team in all of these auxiliary leagues, I'm going to list the main ones because of their creativity. Some of these nicknames came during the expansion era in the NHL and NBA as well as relocation.

In this list, the NFL is the only league where every team's nickname does end in an "S" and everything is plural as we know it.

I hope you enjoy reading this list as much as I had fun composing it. 

NBA (4)

1. Miami Heat

2. Orlando Magic

3. Oklahoma City Thunder

4. Utah Jazz (formerly New Orleans)

NHL (3)

1. Tampa Bay Lightning

2. Minnesota Wild

3. Colorado Avalanche

NFL (0)

All Plural

MLB (2)

1. Boston Red Sox

2. Chicago White Sox

WNBA (9) in 12 team league

EASTERN CONFERENCE 

1. Atlanta Dream

2. Chicago Sky

3. Connecticut Sun

4. Indiana Fever

5. New York Liberty

WESTERN CONFERENCE

1. Minnesota Lynx

2. Phoenix Mercury

3. Seattle Storm

4. Tulsa (formerly Detroit) Shock

Major League Soccer  (MLS) 12-18 Teams

EASTERN CONFERENCE

1. Philadelphia Union

2. Columbus Crew

3 Sporting Kansas City

4. Houston Dynamo

5. D.C. United

6. New England Revolution

7. Chicago Fire

8. Toronto FC (Football Club)

WESTERN CONFERENCE

1. Los Angeles Galaxy

2. FC Dallas

3. Real Salt Lake

4. Chivas USA

Original North American Soccer League (NASL) 

1. Dallas Tornado

2. Chicago Sting

3 New England/Jacksonville Tea Men

4. Montreal Manic

5. Philadelphia Fury

6. Detroit Express

Original USFL

1. Chicago Blitz

2. Denver Gold

3. Los Angeles Express

Arena Football League (AFL)

1. Detroit Drive

2. Chicago Rush

3. Tampa Bay Storm

4. Philadelphia Soul

5. Grand Rapids Rampage

6. Kansas City Brigade

7. Colorado Crush

8. New Orleans Voo Doo

9. Charlotte Rage

10. Detroit Fury

11. Georgia Force

12. Utah Blaze

13. Spokane Shock

14. Fort Worth Cavalry

15. Las Vegas Sting

16. Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz

17. Texas Terror

18. Pittsburgh Power

19. Kansas City Command

20. St. Louis Stampede

21. Milwaukee Iron

I look forward to your feedback as to which ones you like the most.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at scottsports33@aol.com and his blog can be seen at www.scottsports33.com.

Sports Shorts

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH

Boston Red Sox Pitcher Tim Wakefield, 44, could be a marginal Hall Of Fame candidate at best, but it's hard to not take notice of his accomplishments.

Here is a guy that has been moved in and out of the bullpen and quietly has won two World Series Rings with the Boston Red Sox in 2004 and 2007.

On Sunday July 24, Wakefield became the second Red Sox pitcher behind Roger Clemens to record 2,000 strikeouts for this storied franchise. The Red Sox fans gave him a standing ovation as he improved to 6-3. Boston defeated the Seattle Mariners 12-8.

Wakefield has a total of 2,110 career strikeouts. He amassed 110 with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

When he wins his next game, Wakefield will record his 200 career triumph. He is 199-175, and the knuckleball pitcher has been clocked to throw as slow as 59-62 MPH.

The reason why this story is important to me is it hits closer to home.

When a pro coach moves to college this usually translates to success. I've seen FAU Coach Howard Schnellenberger have great success when he was a successful with the Miami Dolphins and bounce back from a tough situation with the Baltimore Colts.

He turned the Miami Hurricanes into National Champions, had tremendous success at a basketball school Louisville that resulted in a new on campus stadium being constructed. Schnellenberger built the FAU program from scratch and now the Owls will be opening their new stadium in October.

Former NHL Head Coach Andy Murray will be Western Michigan's new boss.

The Kalamazoo Gazette, attributing the information to sources, says Murray will be introduced at a noon press conference today. Murray replaces Jeff Blashill, who left the Broncos to become an assistant coach with the Detroit Red Wings.

Blashill guided the Broncos to their first NCAA Tournament appearance in 15 years in his lone season at Western Michigan University.

Murray, 60, coached in the NHL for 10 seasons starting in 1999-2000, first with the Los Angeles Kings and then with the St. Louis Blues. His career record is 333-278, with 58 ties and 69 overtime losses.

There is no better way to recruit a player than to tell him and his parents that he's been a pro coach, let alone a successful one and has the connections in that league to get their son noticed to chase their dream.

It's safe to say that Western Michigan made a great hire by landing Murray.

Finally, when I heard that 70-year old Larry Brown is the latest candidate for the Minnesota Timberwolves coaching job, I couldn't help but laugh hard.

If he lands in his 10th NBA city, he'll be reunited with Center Darko Milicic, 26, who was selected by the Detroit Pistons as the second player in the 2003 NBA Draft. Milicic (7-0, 275) has been a draft bust and I'm sure that he'd be fuming to be with a coach that failed to develop him properly.

Brown, who is sixth on the all-time NBA wins list with 1,098, was fired from his last two jobs with the New York Knicks and Charlotte Bobcats. He is so restless that he's willing to take an assistant coaches position to join Lawrence Frank's staff when he accepts the Detroit Pistons job.

For some reason, I think Brown is a better fit to join the Pistons because of his past two failures by eating humble pie. I could see New Owner Tom Gores hiring a strong presence on the bench. The Pistons are young and need discipline. Both Frank and Brown will make sure they get it. It doesn't hurt that Brown's only two Pistons teams made it to the NBA Finals winning one championship. Therefore, he won't lack credibility.

Even though Joe Dumars is a very important part of the decision making process, Dave Checketts opinion is starting to carry a great deal of weight to Gores new regime as a consultant. If Dumars had his way, Mike Woodson would be the new coach. But he won't and it looks like the 40-year old Frank will be roaming the sidelines at the Palace of Auburn Hills.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at scottsports33@aol.com and his blog can be seen at www.scottsports33.com.