LITTLE ROCK — Coach pays for team's poor play
Plenty of disgruntled fans have said they wanted their money back after an underwhelming performance.
But how many have made that complaint - and then received a check in the mail, signed by the coach?
After the Oregon Ducks suffered a 19-8 loss at Boise State on Sept. 3, Ducks fan Tony Seminary sent an e-mail to Oregon Coach Chip Kelly asking for his money back. The e-mail included an attached invoice for $439 in travel expenses.
"The product on the field ... is not something I was at all proud of, and I feel as though I'm entitled to my money back for the trip," Seminary wrote.
Several days later, a check for $439, apparently signed by Kelly, arrived in Seminary's mailbox.
Seminary was so impressed by the gesture, he returned the check to Kelly with a thank-you note.
"As a sales guy, it's really hard to shut me up," Seminary said.
"When I received the check, I was literally speechless.
"I think of Coach Kelly as a totally different person now. ... Let's just say he lost every gameas an Oregon coach. You would never hear me calling for his head. It just wouldn't happen. The guy showed an incredible amount of class." Headlines
From STLtoday.com, after the Chicago Cubs suspended their volatile right fielder for the rest of the season: "Cubs quit playing Milton Bradley's games."
At satirical sports Web site SportsPickle.com, after the Florida Gators' 23-13 victory over Tennessee: "Lane Kiffin accuses Florida of recruiting better players." No fun
CBS analyst Boomer Esiason, on the Cleveland Browns' secretive coach: "Eric Mangini can take the fun out of a 10-yearold's birthday party with Big Bird there. That's how miserable thisguy is becoming." 'Til Death
Pittsburgh Steelers fan Shawn Kelley and Chicago Bears fan Lindsay Huetson got married in Chicago's ESPN Zone sports bar Sunday morning, just hours before their favorite teams playedat Soldier Field.
"In the NFL game later that day," pointed out Gary Loewen of the Toronto Sun, "the bride's team won, the groom's team lost. Let that be an early marriage lesson to him." Pajama party
A year ago, former Nebraska coach and current athletic director Tom Osborne wrote Virginia Tech Coach Frank Beamer to congratulate him for the Hokies' 35-30 road victory over the Cornhuskers and apologize that he never got a chance to say hello.
Beamer wanted to be sure he and Osborne connected when the Cornhuskers played at Lane Stadium last weekend, and it almost happened in the middle of the night in pajamas.
Osborne was staying at the same hotel as the Hokies that Friday night when a 1:30 a.m.
fire alarm sent all the guests to the parking lot. Beamer said he spotted Osborne outside, but waited on his delayed hello until Saturday.
"I said, 'You know, I can find a better time to go say hello to Coach Osborne than right now,' " Beamer said.
Quote of the day "We weren't good at
some of our passes and
two-deep things that we could have played better.
Maybe I should have
shown that right one or
two more times to make sure they had it." Arkansas defensive coordinator Willy Robinson on the Razorbacks defense last week against Georgia
Sports, Pages 20 on 09/24/2009