Random Sport Titbits

[Gazz]

On 21/03/2023 at 19:24, Justin Buschlander said:

Not sure if it's this way for other states but in Connecticut, the coaches at all of our state colleges are considered teaching faculty, and therefore they are in the same union as all the professors and have all of the same very safe job protections accordingly.

I'm very much pro-union but in the specific case of coaches it strikes me as really odd.  For starters, nothing in their contracts requires them to win, no metrics, anything like that.  Much like how teachers aren't required to produce certain GPAs or anything.  They merely need to show up and do their job.  You basically can only be fired for cause (scandals, etc)

And that's why most of these coaches keep their jobs forever, either leaving voluntarily or, in the case of a poor performance, "retiring" but almost certainly getting a handshake package deal behind the scenes.  And this is also why when Kevin Ollie got outright fired, he sued and ended up getting a massive settlement all at the expense of taxpayers.

Meanwhile I look at my alma mater.  Their baseball coach is currently in his 24th season at the helm.  The team website proudly labels him the winningest coach in program history.  Which is true.  But what isn't said is he's only had a winning record in 2 of 23 seasons.  Career record is like 315-470, his team is off to a 3-13 start this year and just lost a game 31-3 that had to be mercy ruled after 7 innings.

Yeah it's a D-3 school and at D-3 it's not like you can do much advanced recruiting.  It's always students first, athletes second.  But my god.  My cousin was on the team the last 4 seasons and he said the coach is a nice guy but genuinely a terrible coach, doesn't connect with his players, doesn't strategize, nothing.  He loved playing and loved his teammates but even for D-3 he said it just felt demoralizing to get clowned game after game, year after year.  And yet this guy's job is pretty much iron clad just like any other professor.  It's just a bit wild.

My team's record this season was 2-1-15, our only two wins this season were against the worst team in the league when they had only nine players and a cupset where we beat a team three divisions above us 2-1. That's why I 'retired' in February.

[Naitch]

23 hours ago, Lineker said:

 

Never watched it. Was it actually any good?

[Colly]

It was an easy going Saturday morning ease into the weekend, some funny bits and standard magazine features and interviews like any other Saturday Kitchen type show. Some of the 90s bits have aged terribly (it's the 90s), and many will swear "it was brilliant when Lovejoy was on" (completely forgetting what Tim Lovejoy was and still is, a dull narcissist: https://www.wsc.co.uk/the-archive/no-love-no-joy/), but it was watchable as a pre football warmup. Did a better job than many shows of showcasing new bands too weirdly. I've not watched a whole episode in years, but it always did it's job.

[Gazz]

It's been replaced by a show where a bunch of Youtubers engage in HEATED DEBATE about pub-bore footballing topics.

[Hobo]

2 hours ago, Colly said:

"it was brilliant when Lovejoy was on"

This is pretty much how I feel about the BBC.

Hasnt been the same since 1994

 

[Lineker]

Rushden was always much better than Lovejoy.

[Colly]

Rushden always seemed likeable, which I really struggle to square with "works for Talksport".

[Adam]

23 minutes ago, Lineker said:

Rushden was always much better than Lovejoy.

On which note, in the Guardian today:

Soccer AM was not just laddish banter – it changed my life and gave soul to Saturdays | Max Rushden

[Hobo]

I just saw a Facebook post featuring former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher at last nights Ireland match.

I always forget that he is, in fact, from Dublin.

[Lineker]

1 hour ago, Colly said:

Rushden always seemed likeable, which I really struggle to square with "works for Talksport".

 

1 hour ago, Adam said:

On which note, in the Guardian today:

Soccer AM was not just laddish banter – it changed my life and gave soul to Saturdays | Max Rushden

Yeah I was going to say, he's a Guardian contributor too so it evens out. 

[METALMAN]

I like Max Rushden. The guardian football podcast got better when he replaced James Richardson. I had no idea who he was before I saw that.

[Gazz]

Av it!

[Lineker]

myke would be proud.

[Gazz]

15 hours ago, Lineker said:

myke would be proud.

My first thought when I saw it was 'That's the most Myke goal I've ever seen'.

[Lineker]

Under-20 World Cup: a guide to players and coaches to look out for

[FLiam]

No idea where this belongs but I really miss me some Santi. 

[Colly]

 

 

[Lineker]

 

[Colly]

He might as well take his boots.

[Lineker]

Quote

Gary Neville is to join Dragons' Den as a guest Dragon for the 2024 series.

The ex-Manchester United and England right-back has a business portfolio that spans property, hospitality, education, media and sport.

Neville, 48, will join regular Dragons Peter Jones, Deborah Meaden, Touker Suleyman, Sara Davies and Steven Bartlett for episodes of series 21.

"I am excited to join the Dragons, and to meet the entrepreneurs brave enough to face us in the Den," said Neville.

"I hope my personal journey shows that you can take the experiences you've had in one part of your career and use them to do something entirely different and make it a success.

"Business is all about managing people and managing yourself and I'm looking forward to sharing my experience to help the entrepreneurs we'll meet in the Den reach their potential."

US-based fashion mogul Emma Grede will also enter the Den as a guest judge, with filming currently taking place in Manchester.

Also a football pundit and commentator, Neville is a co-owner of Salford City, two Manchester hotels and a production company, and along with other members of United's Class of '92, co-founded University Academy 92 (UA92).

He has also been a property developer since he was 21, and his latest projects include the £200m St Michael's development in Manchester.