Random Thursday Links

I've decided that since I spend an excessive amount of time finding random things on the Internet, it would only be right to share them on here. No blog post would be complete without an injection of opinion and observation, so there's that too.


Former Pitt Coach Todd Graham Is A Jerk

For the second time in his career, Todd Graham is leaving a school after one mediocre season for pastures perceived to be greener. After alienating his players to the tune of a 6-6 mark this season, Graham is the new head man at Arizona State. The linked ESPN blogger paints a pretty bleak picture of Graham.

Somewhat related, fellow mothership employee Ivan Maisel had a funny Frank Beamer anecdote contrasting one of the classiest coaches with the slime that is Graham:

"Graham presented the me-first side of college coaching. They don’t all act that way. Gary Cavalli, who runs the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl, told me this story about Frank and Cheryl Beamer. A few days after Virginia Tech played in Cavalli’s San Francisco bowl, Cavalli got a letter from Cheryl. The Beamers hadn’t had time to fill their courtesy car with gas before dropping it off at the airport. The letter included $20 for the gas. After Cavalli closed his dropped jaw, he returned the money."

Jerk Store Called...


Former QB Todd Marinovich Can Really Paint

ESPN's latest 30 for 30 documentary, "The Marinovich Project" is absolutely outstanding. It details the life of a young man trained by his father from a young age to be the perfect quarterback. He had all the skills and that led him to USC, but drugs were his undoing and he was never able to fulfill his potential (He actually once cut his hand on a crack pipe at half time of a CFL game).

Marinovich has been sober for three years now and has a family with two young kids. He was an art student at USC, and he now uses those skills to produce some really cool art with lots of sports themes. Always great to see someone come back from the brink.

Todd's Online Gallery


The Hobbit Is Being Filmed

Man I really miss that Rudy movie set

I'm not a big Lord of The Rings fan, though I did read some of the books and thought they were almost palatable. I liked The Hobbit the best and thought J. R. R. Tolkein could have saved everyone a lot of time had he just stopped after that first book.

But he didn't and we're left with tomes of epic journey's, elves, dwarves, Elijah Wood, that guy who played Rudy and too much Orlando Bloom.

The Hobbit looks like another major production and this behind the scenes look shows just how bearded and giddy director Peter Jackson is.

Of Hobbits and Craft Services