Links at Lunch: Alabama Tornado, Mendenhall on Coaches, BC QBs
By Kyle Kensing
A redundant narrative transfixed into most stories of the New Orleans Saints’ Super Bowl XXIV win was it somehow rectified the disaster of Hurricane Katrina. By that point, we were 41/2 years removed from the tragedy, a veritable lifetime in public consciousness. Such claims were even more voluminous in 2006, one year removed from the storm, amid the Saints’ surprising run to the NFC Championship game. This hyperbole was misguided. Football can’t undo the devastation still seen in many parts of New Orleans, nor does it make amends for gross government inaction.
It was, however, a much needed distraction.
The tornadoes that rocked Tuscaloosa, Ala. this spring have become a distant memory just three months later. At least, for those outside its path. TeamSpeedKills has an outstanding piece on the imprint the storms left on the football-mad region. As it was for Saints fan, football isn’t any remedy for Tuscaloosa residents’ myriad troubles. But it does bring welcomed joy.
- Academic issues reportedly kept Tate Forcier out of Michigan’s Gator Bowl appearance, the prelude to his leaving the program. They will seemingly also keep him from becoming a Hawai’i Warrior. Forcier would have been a natural fit into UH’s pass-happy spread offense, and some island seclusion may have been the solution to his woes. Should San Jose State be the next courter though, he’ll still have isolation — just of a different variety (via MWCconnection.com)
- Chase Rettig assumed quarterbacking duties at Boston College last October, and suffered inevitable freshman growing pains. His spring season was outstanding though, and the San Clemente, Calif. resident could elevate the Eagles to new heights in his sophomore campaign (via SoaringToGlory.com)
- A team of Wyoming bloggers got together to discuss the Cowboys’ upcoming season. The fantastically named “Panel of Pokes” broke down topics surrounding Cowboy football (via Cowboy Altitude)
- Two outstanding college football presences get together to talk about Notre Dame football, as Aaron Torres interviews the Solid Verbal’s Ty Hildenbrant (via AaronTorres-Sports.com)
- Who doesn’t love uni talk? All the duds of the college football programs throughout the West are broken down, today moving focus to the Big Sky (via TheUpsetBlog.com)
- BYU head coach Bronco Mendenhall points the finger at fellow coaches and their lofty paychecks as the source of college football’s corruption (via Brett McMurphy, CBSsports)