The guy in the middle of the above picture, as you probably know, is Aaron Rodgers.
The guy on the left, as you probably don't know, is Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports.
Dodd is a national college writer who has done a lot of good things. But all those good things are tarnished when he tries to pull off the spoiled media brat routine he did the other day in the aftermath of Wisconsin's emotional win over Arizona.
Rodgers is a big Wisconsin fan. Rodgers is a celebrity. Rodgers is a bit different from your average fan because he knows the coaches and players. Rodgers was given special access to the court for the postgame celebration.
There is nothing at all wrong with that. Wisconsin was probably given a limited number of passes for the celebration, and Rodgers was granted one. That's the way it usually works.
Evidently Dodd felt Rodgers owed it to the media to grant them an interview during the celebration. Rodgers said no-thanks, and there's nothing wrong with that.
Dodd had a problem with it. And there is definitely something wrong with that.
Miffed that he was stiffed by Rodgers, Dodd took to Twitter to cry about it. He wailed and moaned that Rodgers didn't belong there, and said it was an issue that will be taken up by the relevant parties during the offseason. You can read the play-by-play here in The Big Lead, but overall this is not a good look for our industry when someone is so transparently disingenuous and personal.
Rodgers responded to Dodd with this Tweet, and good for him for doing so:
Here's the fundamental -- and fundamentally embarrassing -- problem with Dodd's position:
Had Rodgers consented to the interview and given Dodd a few quotes, you wouldn't have heard a peep from Dodd moaning about Rodgers' presence on the court.
And we wonder why a growing number of athletes we cover view us with such cynicism? We act surprised, shocked and awed when Marshawn Lynch elects to clam up?
Embarrassing.
A few Monday links:
-- Rick Barnes wanted to stay at Texas. But he wasn't going to fire members of his staff.
But Barnes also revealed that he had been told by athletic director Steve Patterson that he would be back for another season after Texas lost to Butler in the round of 64 of the NCAA tournament.
"Some things changed," Barnes said.
Barnes confirmed Patterson told him a few days ago he had to fire members of his coaching staff or be fired himself. That ultimatum was leaked to the media Thursday, publicly turning up the pressure on Barnes and his assistants. Barnes blamed the leaks on the athletic department but didn't name any individuals behind them.
"I was shocked," by the leaks, Barnes said. "I couldn't do that. That would be me saying this is about me. I've been carried by a lot of people here. We're in this together."
Barnes said his staff offered to quit but he refused to let them.
Patterson did not attend the news conference.
The university released a statement announcing a mutual agreement to part ways that included a comment from Patterson thanking Barnes for his service. But Barnes left no doubt that he was fired.
"I don't want anyone to think I'm bitter," Barnes said. "Do those emotions rage up inside you? Yeah, they do. I told Steve I wanted a chance to finish the job."
-- What an embarrassment for Nick Saban, who for some reason thought it was a good idea to welcome Jonathan Taylor despite some seriously red flags.
Alabama defensive lineman Jonathan Taylor, who was dismissed from the Georgia football team last year after being arrested on a charge of felony aggravated assault and family violence, has been arrested again on domestic violence charges in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
The 6-foot-4, 335-pound Taylor was arrested Saturday night and charged with domestic violence third-degree assault and domestic violence third-degree criminal mischief, according to the Tuscaloosa Police Department.
According to an incident report, police officers responded to a call near Alabama's campus to speak with a victim who told police she was assaulted by her boyfriend at approximately 6 p.m. on Saturday.
After speaking to the victim about an altercation that took place at her residence, officers located the suspect at the victim's residence and spoke to him about the incident. Officers found probable cause to arrest the suspect.
The 24-year-old victim had minor injuries to her neck from the assault, according to the police report. The officer also noted in the report damage to a bedroom closet door with a hole punched in it.
Taylor was held on $1,000 bond and placed on a mandatory 12-hour domestic violence hold.
-- Still trying to figure out how Kentucky won, and why Notre Dame went away from its offensive bread and butter in the final minutes. Mark Bradley of the AJC was there.
"My mind is never on, 'We may lose,' " Kentucky coach John Caliparis said. "We're not playing not to lose. I was trying every combination I had just to stay in the game."
Then this: "I know that (his players will) make plays. It's a matter of keeping us close enough for it to matter."
When Steve Vasturia's transition 3-pointer gave Notre Dame a 59-53 lead, the Wildcats looked almost done. Calipari called timeout and shrugged. Then tiny reserve Tyler Ulis nailed a life-giving trey from the corner, and the comeback was afoot. The Irish didn't go away quickly, holding the lead for another three minutes, and with 2:35 left a Grant 3-pointer at the shot-clock horn put them back ahead.
But here's the thing: Notre Dame, the best offensive team in the land, could manage only seven points over the final six minutes; Kentucky scored 15. In the same sort of frenzied game in the 1991 Final Four, unbeaten Vegas wilted against Duke. Kentucky steeled itself and won.
"We're not perfect," Calipari said, "but we're undefeated."
-- Looks like Georgia is finally getting on the support-staff bandwagon.
-- Duke and the ACC are finally back in the Final Four.
This wasn't just any other game, as the Duke coaches, whose default setting is intense, found another level on that scale, pounding on the floor, cursing fate and fist-pumping through the air with the force of a knockout punch.
It was the Bulldogs who came out with a verve in the second half, scoring five quick points to even the score at 31 and force a Krzyzewski timeout.
The pressure picked up after Jahlil Okafor airballed a free throw with 17:17 left on the clock. About a minute later, it was a Quinn Cook bank shot that stopped the bleeding for Duke, cutting Gonzaga's lead to 38-36.
In addition to Cook, it was an unlikely hero for the Blue Devils - Matt Jones - who made three momentum-grabbing 3-pointers in the second half. Gonzaga knew that Kyle Wiltjer, who played tremendously on offense, wouldn't be able to guard Winslow. So the Bulldogs tried to hide him on Jones - and Jones made them pay.
-- Here's how Gonzaga fell short.
It wasn't a buzzer-beater. Given the final score - Duke 66, Gonzaga 52 - maybe it wouldn't have mattered. But on the one play that might have changed everything, there wasn't much to explain. Kyle Wiltjer was wide open for the layup, which would have tied the score with fewer than five minutes left.
"I just missed it," said Wiltjer, the junior forward. "I slipped a little going up, and I missed it."
There were any number of other reasons that Gonzaga's run - the best season in school history - ended Sunday in the Elite Eight, shy of the Zags' very realistic goal.
Gonzaga's veteran guard combination struggled against Duke's perimeter defenders; seniors Kevin Pangos (four points) and Gary Bell Jr. (five points) were a combined 4-for-14. Big man Przemek Karnowski got into quick foul trouble, which altered the first-half strategy. Wiltjer, hot in the first half, didn't get nearly as many touches in the second after Duke aggressively denied him the ball. And so on.
"They were the real deal," Zags coach Mark Few said of Duke. "It was hard to score on them - and they were hard to guard. It's the mark of a real good team."
-- And hate to see this news on Craig Sager.
LW
This post was edited on 3/30 9:10 AM by Larry_Williams
