Bring up Bobby Petrino's name and you will hear all about his past.
Bill Bender of The Sporting News is more interested in the present.
"People still can't get past the neck brace and strawberry facial bruises," Bender wrote after Petrino's appearance Monday at the Atlantic Coast Conference media day. "It's always about where Bobby Petrino has been since leaving Louisville the first time, which included a stop-and-go with the Atlanta Falcons and an Arkansas stint cut short by that infamous motorcycle crash.
"It should be about where Petrino is going. Back to Louisville, back in a Power 5 conference, back in a better spot than probably he could have imagined in 2012. He didn't have to go through hell. He took advantage of a one-year stint at Western Kentucky instead."
Bender noted that Petrino appears to be at ease in Louisville, where he had a 41-9 record that included an Orange Bowl victory in his first stint at the school. That could be bad news for the rest of the ACC.
"Petrino might just be in a place where success could come much sooner than anticipated," Bender wrote. "The Cardinals were picked to finish third behind Florida State and Clemson in the ACC Atlantic Division. Would it be a surprise if Louisville knocked off at least one?
"Only to those who can't get past the neck brace and strawberry facial bruises."
Hit and run
At least the Tennessee Titans know Zach Mettenberger can take a hit.
The rookie quarterback was sucker punched in the face Saturday night at Losers Most Wanted Bar & Grill in Nashville, Tenn., according to Jim Wyatt of the The Tennessean. Apparently the former LSU quarterback and another bar patron were talking when things went bad.
"The guy said something about 'Roll Tide!' to Zach, and Zach turned around and said 'Good luck with that,' " said Steve Ford, the owner of the bar. "The guy's buddy then sucker-punched Zach."
Ford said Mettenberger didn't do anything to provoke the other patrons.
"The guy sucker-punched him in the eye, that's the bottom line, and the guy that punched him started running out the door," Ford said. "My door guys had to chase him down."
Think what might have happened had LSU defeated Alabama last season.
Tip to Sherman
Seattle Seahawks fans Joe Michaels and Chris Bauer are trying to raise money to build a statue to commemorate "The Tip."
"The Tip" is the name Seattle fans have given Richard Sherman's famous redirection of a pass intended for San Francisco's Michael Crabtree in last season's NFC Championship Game. Sherman tipped the ball to Seahawks linebacker Malcolm Smith to stop the 49ers' final drive in Seattle's 23-17 victory.
Seattle advanced to the Super Bowl, where it defeated the Denver Broncos for its first NFL title.
Michael and Bauer want to commemorate the play with a bronze statue that depicts Sherman knocking away the ball. They will begin their fundraising campaign July 28, and they hope to raise $250,000 for the project.
"That was a moment that was so perfect and so important to this city," Michaels said. "We thought, if that moment meant so much to so many people, it's worth celebrating in a big way like never before."
Here's a friendly tip: If the statue features Sherman, it better be the best in the game.
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Sports quiz
What year did the Seattle Seahawks make their first playoff appearance?
Sports quiz answer
1983.
Sports on 07/23/2014