BREAKING: Mike Slive To Retire As SEC Commissioner

Mike Slive

Mike Slive's tenure as SEC commissioner will be coming to an end.

In a statement released by the Southeastern Conference Slive announced he will step down as commissioner on July 15th, 2015.

“I have been blessed in more ways than I can count and I will have as much passion for this job on my last day as I did on my first,” Slive said in a statement released by the SEC.

Health concerns are the reason why Slive has decided to retire.  He will be beginning treatment for a recurrence of prostate cancer.

“I consider my health situation a temporary detour in a remarkable road that has allowed me to meet amazing people, experience incredible events and celebrate historic victories." Slive said.  "I will relish my final year in this position and look forward to being the biggest fan of the SEC for many years to come.”

The recurrence of cancer was discovered
in August subsequent to a surgical procedure on his back.

Slive's prognosis is good.

Slive's 13 years as SEC commissioner has seen unprecedented growth and revenues.  With the billion dollar plus TV contract with ESPN and CBS and the launching of the SEC Network the crowning jewel of the Slive era will be the seven consecutive BCS National Championships in football.

Paul Konerko Says Good Bye

((HT: MLB.com))

This retirement kinda got lost in all the Derek Jeter hullabaloo, but Paul Konerko played his last game in the majors for the Chicago White Sox.

He was pulled in the 6th inning for a defensive replacement


PK actually gave time to talk about what was going down before the game as well...
((HT:CSNChicago))


Konerko will now enter the "Hall of Very Good" and be beloved on the South Side forever...

David Ash Is Done At Texas

((HT: Longhorn Network))

David Ash will no longer play football-period.

Head coach Charlie Strong said that, as a result of multiple concussions, his former starting quarterback is giving up the sport.

His first major concussion was in a game against BYU last season. He came back for the Kansas State game, but still suffered some after-effects and was ruled out of the season.

He came back for the 2014 season opener against North Texas and still had issues after the game against the Mean Green. He has decided it's, simply, time to go. Coach Strong did say that Ash will still be a part of the football program

Here's the story of Ash and what he meant to the Longhorns


The HQ commends Ash for making a smart decision and wanting to have a "rest of his life."

OSG High: Larry Campbell Honored In Lincolnton

((HT: WJBF-TV))

The HQ will admit that it will be a little more than odd not covering Larry Campbell when high school football season comes around in the state of Georgia.

After being a co-head coach for one season, Campbell took over for his mentor, Thomas Bunch, and piloted one of the most successful programs in the country.

He retired after last season was completed, and with a month before the new season begins in Lincolnton, his time was recognized in the town he helped put on the map.
WJBF-TV ABC 6 Augusta-Aiken

We'll catch up with him and "Miss Connie" soon...
If we can catch him in retirement...

McGrady Retires From Baseball After Strike Out

((HT: Sugar Land Skeeters/ESPN))

Tracy McGrady wanted to see if he could be a professional pitcher...

The Atlantic League's Sugar Land Skeeters gave him a shot of figuring out how to do it on the fly. He started four games on pitch counts and even made it to the Atlantic League All-Star Game.

His stats really didn't matter- an ERA of almost 7 in limited innings, but he got his first career strike out...

And promptly retired...


For the record, the trivia question is: Bryan Pounds

Selanne Retires From NHL, Kings Show Class At The End

((HT: NHL))

Teemu Selanne can still play hockey- just not to the ridiculous level that we have seen over the last two decades and to the level he thinks he should be playing at to be a productive member of professional hockey in North America.

So, after 21 seasons and obscene offensive numbers, he's hanging it up in the NHL. Whenever the Ducks lost their last game would be his last. And last night's 6-2 loss to Los Angeles was it...

As is tradition, players congratulate each other for a series well-played at the end and it was absolute class...

Here's Selanne going through the handshake line...


The next question is: Does this mean it's all for Saku Koivu as well...???

Here's the highlights from TSN with Cuthbert and Ferraro...


There is talk that, with his home country squad of Jokerit in the KHL and Jari Kurri as GM, that Selanne will go home to wrap it up. The HQ certainly hopes so...

Voice Of The Flames Retires After 34 Seasons

((HT: Global Calgary))

Most hockey people know Peter Maher...

The voice of the Calgary flames ever since they left Atlanta, he retired yesterday after calling over 3,100 straight games


Before he went to the Flames, he spent three seasons as the play-by-play in Toronto. And the HQ appreciates his Maple Leafs joke...

He was also inducted into the NHL Hockey Hall of Fame as a media honoree in 2006. He also won the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award.

Flames president and CEO Ken King said a tribute to Maher is being planned for next season.

As well there should be...

OSG High DEVELOPING: 3rd Winningest HS FB Coach In US Retires

The HQ has been covering high school sports for the last twenty years now, and today we say good-bye to one of the coolest guys we've ever covered...

Larry Campbell was hired as a baseball coach out of school for the Lincoln County (GA) Red Devils in 1971. He accepted the job on a Delta Air Lines post card on the way to his honeymoon in Florida and has become one of the living legends in high school football in the country.

Today, he hangs up his whistle... for now... because, frankly, the HQ always sees him as a coach- even as we know he wants to spend time with his kids and be a parent and a grandparent...

Here's the top 10 wins list, thanks to FootballFridayNight.com
1 John McKissick 606-150-13
2 John T. Curtis 524-56-6
3 Larry Campbell 477-85-3
4 Mike Smith 440-76-2
5 George Curry 430-95-5
6 Corky Rogers 428-75-1
7 Al Fracassa 424-121-7
8 G. A. Moore 423-97-9
9 Dick Tighe 407-154-8
10 Pete Atkins 405-60-4

Campbell leaves Lincolnton with 11 state titles in his 42 years and also won 44 straight games from 1989 to 1991

Here's a tour Campbell gave of his trophies a year or so ago...
((HT: Augusta Chronicle))


The HQ wishes him and Miss Connie the best as they take the 2014 season off... and thank them for the example they have set over the last four decades...

Here's early returns from Kevin Faigle and WRDW-TV


And work from our friends at WJBF-TV
WJBF-TV ABC 6 Augusta-Aiken News, Weather, Sports

Ryan Smyth: A Classy Ending

((HT: NHL.com))

Let's face it...

The Edmonton Oilers had a bad year on the ice...

But one of the guys on the roster has always been a good one. When Oilers GM Craig MacTavish said that there wouldn't be a contract offer for Smyth after this season was over, he did the only thing he thought was right...

Call it quits as an Oiler...

Remember, Smyth cried at his press conference when he was traded. He was always part of the fabric of the team in recent years- spending 15 of his 19 seasons with a team that struggled on the ice. Smyth was out on the ice for over 23 minutes- including a 5-plus minute stretch on consecutive power plays. Head coach Dallas Eakins even called time out in the middle of that advantage to give him a bit if a blow to recover...

Here's the end... where the Canucks did a very classy thing...

David Stern Gives One Last "Top 10" List

((HT: NBA/Worldwide Pants))

David Stern retires after 30 years as NBA Commissioner Saturday, so as is the want of David Letterman occasionally, Stern is a guest for "Top Ten" segments...

Last night, it was one more for the road...

Calvillo Retires After 20 Years

((HT: Sportsnet))

The most prolific passer in the history of the world retired today...

Montreal Alouettes QB Anthony Calvillo went from Las Vegas to Hamilton to Montreal and passed for almost 80,000 yards before his second concussion in a year led to him sitting out most of the 2013 season and, eventually, this day in Canadian football...

He won three Grey Cup titles with the Als and presents one of the largest questions in the history of the league...

What now for Montreal...???

And THAT is a huge question for them and the league as they move forward...

Bobcat and Brunt discuss his legacy... which is a big one...
He's a couple of credits short for his degree at Utah State, so he's going to pursue that. Afterwards, he'll take an internship with the Alouettes and look into coaching the team in some capacity...

Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine Highlight 2014 Baseball Hall of Fame Class

Yes, I get to write this one because out the entire OSG Sports family, I'm the biggest homer for the Atlanta Braves.

The 2014 Class for the Baseball Hall of Fame was announced Wednesday afternoon and to the surprise of oh, so few, here is your elected class: Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine of the Atlanta Braves and Frank Thomas, formerly of the Chicago White Sox.

Maddux and Glavine join longtime manager Bobby Cox, who was elected on the manager ballot for this upcoming year. Which mean Cooperstown, New York will officially be Atlanta north this July 27th.

Maddux was the top vote getter, garnering 555 of 571 votes. There was some discussion that he'd be a unanimous choice, which he should be. But alas, Baseball writers who cast the votes, being the persnickity, out of touch with reality bunch that they are, denied him that opportunity.

Glavine was on 525 ballots and Thomas 483, the three all-stars being the only ones to garner the needed 75% total required for entrance to baseball's shrine.

Over the years, I got the opportunity to interview all 3 of these guys, covering Glavine and Maddux through most of their run with the Braves and all 3 exuded nothing but class.

Thomas, a former tight end for Auburn University became the ultimate hitting big man. He played first base early in his career with the White Sox before rolling into primarily a designated hitter. And at 6-6, 250-plus pounds, he was a REALLY big hitter, who by the way ended his career with a .301 batting average and 521 homeruns.

Both Glavine and Maddux were amazing people, totally different, yet eerily similar. One very media friendly, a good talker who rolled his career into part-time TV work. The other the ultimate tactician, the master of the art. Not great on camera, but didn't care.

Tom Glavine could easily have grown up to be a hockey player. As a kid in Massachusetts, he grew up loving hockey. And by some reports, he was a pretty good hockey player. He can still be found haunting the junior hockey leagues in the Atlanta area, watching his kids play. Glavine was a true competitor in every sense of the word. He didn't give in, threw his game, his pitches with no freebies. And the bigger the game, the better he pitched. None bigger than his World Series clinching, 8 innings of shutout baseball, leading the Braves to a 1-0 win and their only world title over Cleveland in 1995. Tom never shied away from talking, never shied away from anything. He was great to deal with.

Greg Maddux, he could easily be mistaken for a doctor. Slightly built with wiry glasses, he didn't look like a "Star Athlete." Of course he didn't really act like one either. Though not much of a talker to the media, most of the guys in the Braves clubhouse considered him the teams best prankster. He has a wicked sense of humor and was universally loved both in the clubhouse and in the game.

I will always remember going to see the Braves play the Cardinals one night in Fulton County Stadium with my father in the mid-90's. Maddux was pitching. I got up and went to get beers, food and made bathroom trips when the Braves would be at bat and my dad asked me why. I told him, "I can always see the highlights of them hitting, I want to see Maddux pitch, his art doesn't always translate on TV." And it didn't.

For Atlanta Braves fans, this is a tremendous honor, seeing two of the teams legendary players get inducted into baseball's Hall of Fame along side the guy who ran the team during that period (Cox). And with a guy (Thomas) who they knew and will make for many one of the more memorable classes, the Hall of Fame has had in many, many years.

A friend just linked to this, a reminder of different times in baseball, starring Mr. Glavine and Mr. Maddux--



FOSG Patty Rasmussen caught up with Maddux before his Braves jersey retirement back in 2009...

She asked what he enjoyed the most about the sport, and it goes along with what Brother Phil said a little higher up:

I enjoyed winning the most. I liked the games that ended, 1-0, 2-1, 3-2. I enjoyed pitching two more innings than I thought I could go, getting a hit, sliding, making a good defensive play. Thinking about throwing a pitch against a guy on Monday and making that pitch against him two days later, I really liked that! I'm not really missing it that much, and that's kind of scary! I loved hanging out with the pitchers in the video room a couple of days before a start. I miss tinkering with game plans and executing the game plan a couple days later.

It's easy to miss the card games on the plane. I loved the travel. There was always a poker game on the plane. You'd play golf one day on the East Coast, and the next week, you were playing golf on the West Coast. The longer you play, the more you're able to take advantage of the opportunities you're given. I always enjoyed the cities, but I was always ready to play.

When you're a young player, you're worried about getting better -- How much can I make? How long can I play? Smoltz was really good at making the most of his days. He taught me that you could enjoy more than baseball, but you had to pick your spots.

Cowboys Signing Math Teacher/Football Coach As 3rd QB

((HT: Dallasnews.com/George))

So, the Cowboys tried out David Carr, Tyler Thigpen, Caleb Hanie, and John Skelton on the off-chance that Tony Romo doesn't survive the epidural that he was given earlier Tuesday...

Didn't sign a one of them...

They went after 16-year vet, and two-years removed from the game, Jon Kitna...

Kitna was teaching math and coaching football at his alma mater Tacoma-Lincoln (WA) High School...
See...??? He was back home...
((HT: CBS Sports))


But he had done things for the Cowboys in the past...
((HT: NFL on FOX))


He just hasn't done them since the first term of the current President...

Mack Brown Has Had Retirement Discussions

((HT: KXAN-TV))

According to the Austin Statesman newspaper, Mack Brown has had retirement discussions with the University of Texas.

Brian Davis has talked to those close to Longhorns circles and he wants to have one more discussion with university President Bill Powers to figure out once and for all whether or not he actually will step down...

Here's the early thoughts out of Austin...


Brown is under contract through 2020 and makes an estimated $5.4 million annually. If he is fired, he gets a bout half that...

AD Steve Patterson issued a statement saying: “We continue to discuss the future of Texas football. Mack Brown has not resigned. And, no decisions have been made.”

But everyone knows something is happening- fired or not- soon...

DEVELOPING: Dario Is Done, Doctors Say He Can't Race...

The four-time IZOD IndyCar Series champion and three-time Indianapolis 500 winner has been told by doctors that he has to hang up his steering wheel...

The accident he had in Houston, pretty much wrapped it for him...

Here's part of the statement released from his own website:

One month removed from the crash and based upon the expert advice of the doctors who have treated and assessed my head and spinal injuries post accident, it is their best medical opinion that I must stop racing. They have made it very clear that the risks involved in further racing are too great and could be detrimental to my long term well-being. Based on this medical advice, I have no choice but to stop.

Here's the wreck...
((HT: IndyCar/NBCSN))


Team owner Chip Ganassi followed:

His contributions to the sport of motor racing are too many to list but I can tell you that they go way beyond what he has done on the track. What’s both impressive and unique about Dario is that he has always been a student of racing, someone who not only appreciates the actual science of the sport but also the rich heritage of those racers that have gone before him.

Ganassi anticipates the next chapter of Franchitti's life to be in his shop...

Franchitti is also tied with Sebastien Bourdais and Paul Tracy for seventh on the Indy car career victory list with 31.

Todd Helton's Last Home Game Goes Okay...

((HT: MLB.com))

Ended pretty well, don't you think...???


The man gets a real, live horse in the pre-game...
The other QB on campus when he was at Tennessee (some guy named "Manning") was there and he ties Kiner on the home run list...

Not a bad night for #17...

Cowboys Josh Brent Retiring

((HT: WFAA-TV))

Before the posse comes and a day before training camp, Cowboys defensive end Josh Brent is no longer Cowboys defensive end Josh Brent- he's just Josh Brent...

"This is the right decision for me, and something that I have given a lot of thought to," Brent said in a Cowboys news release. "I am at a point where my main focus is all about getting the priorities in my life in order. Those priorities are more important than football. Doing the right things in life are more important than football. I love the game very much. I love my teammates, but this is the right thing for me to do."

Brent is facing an intoxication manslaughter charge for the December car wreck that killed Cowboys practice squad linebacker Jerry Brown. Brent’s blood alcohol level was more than twice the legal limit when ...

His trial is set for September 23, and he has failed two drug tests since being released on a $100,000 bond- both were positive for marijuana. Brent now must wear a drug-detection patch and is not allowed to drive.

Brent's agent, Peter Schaffer, said Brent was "taking care of his priorities." When he is up for trial, Brent could be sentenced for anything from probation to 20 years behind bars...

According to the NFL's Greg Aiello, if Brent unretires, "Any request for reinstatement by retired player must be reviewed/approved by league"

Here's the story from WFAA when the release restrictions were changed...

DEVELOPING: Gee Stepping Down July 1 ( Or "Retiring")

((HT: Columbus Dispatch/Pyle))

So, as of July 1, we won't have Ohio State President E. Gordon Gee to kick us around anymore...

He's sending out an e-mail that reads in part:

“Without question, the university has achieved remarkable success, and it has been my honor and calling to lead it. Ohio State is well-positioned for the future. I love this university, and my relationship with it will continue.”

OSU’s former Provost Joseph A. Alutto has agreed to serve as interim president until the school's board of trustees can find a replacement.

The last straw seemed to be his remarks at the December Ohio State Athletics Council where he went after everyone from Catholics, to the Ess-E-Cee, and everyone in between...
((HT: SI.com))


Gee released a statement in concert with his announcement that had the normal amount of platitudes and compliments from his school and everyone associated with it.

From Lyle's piece:

“I recently returned from a vacation with my family, during which time I had a chance to consider the university’s phenomenal achievements and the road that lies ahead for it.”

“During my days away, I also spent some time in self-reflection. And after much deliberation, I have decided it is now time for me to turn over the reigns of leadership to allow the seeds that we have planted to grow,” he said. “It is also time for me to reenergize and refocus myself.”

Trustees, naturally, returned the favor knowing Gee was out of their hair once and for all...

More from Lyle:

“By any measure, Gordon has been a transformational leader for Ohio State. His service to Ohio State has been superb. This man has been an inspiration to many people, including me, and we all are forever grateful for his friendship, board chairman Robert H. Schottenstein said.

Schottenstein said he met with Gee about his decision this morning.

“As we go forward, the University Board will work in close partnership with Dr. Gee and Dr. Alutto through this period to continue the tremendous success and growth we have seen under his leadership.”

Interesting point...

Gee has been atop more universities than any other individual- West Virginia, the University of Colorado, Ohio State, Brown and Vanderbilt...

Which could tell us something... or not...

More when we know more...

Beckham Hangs Up The Cleats... We Think...

After getting the Captain's armband for his last home game for Paris St. Germain as they took on already-relegated Brest in Ligue 1, David Beckham was touring the pitch for the last time in any kind of competitive uniform.

There is thought that he won't participate in the season finale next time out with the league title all wrapped up, so his numbers finish up with:

523 top-flight league appearances
115 England caps and
719 appearances overall

The 3-1 final for PSG was mere formality for the "Revons Plus Grand" bunch...
Here was his exit at the Stade de Paris...
((HT: beinSport))


Beckham had an assist for his last game tally in the score sheet, but the game will be remembered for Zlatan Ibrahimovich's fairly self-centered quest for a hat trick after this golasso that made it 3-nil late in the first half...


The next question involves Beckham's future off the pitch: it's no secret that he has a quest to be an MLS owner. It just won't be in New York City since NYC 2 seems to be headed in the hands of Man City owner Sheikh Mansour. Beckham could be given a Miami or Orlando site- unless he has another place in mind.

Just don't think Chivas USA...
That won't happen...

Mount Union's Kehres Steps Down

((HT: STOhio/NewsNet5 Cleveland))

A lot of you know that we spend our time looking after good stories- regardless of the level of popularity and size of the market.

Our next piece of evidence takes you to Alliance, Ohio and with the Mount Union football team. They have ruled Division III under the head coaching of Larry Kehres. Since he took over as head football coach in the mid-1980's, the Purple Raiders have destroyed their competition more often than not...

But Kehres, at the age of 63, is retiring- giving way to his son Vince (the current DC) and only spending time as Athletics Director... no reason given as to why...

"The best part of the job was developing relationships with players and continuing those relationships following their graduations," Kehres said in a prepared statement. "Coaching the Purple Raiders has been a tremendous experience for my family. We have shared many great experiences with our players, fellow coaches, trainers and their families. We plan to continue to enjoy working with Mount Union coaches and athletes."

"I promise this program will continue to uphold the values and ideals that have made Mount Union what it is in the world of college football," Vince Kehres said in the same release. "Our mission remains the same."

Mount Union fans would expect nothing less...

Here's an interview with Kehres after he won the title again in 2012...


And here's the short list of Kehres accomplishments...
Yes, they're ridiculous...

Seasons-Head Coach -- 27 (1986-2012)
Seasons-Assistant Coach -- 12 (1974-85)
Career Record -- 332-24-3
Winning Percentage -- .929
Undefeated Regular Seasons -- 21
Undefeated Overall Seasons -- 10
NCAA Division III Championships -- 11 (1993, 1996-98, 2000-02, 2005-06, 2008, 2012)
Ohio Athletic Conference Championships -- 23 (1986, 1990, 1992-2012)
Longest Winning Streaks -- 55 (2000-03), 54 (1996-99), 37 (2005-07)

Division III National Championship Games (11-5)
1993 -- Mount Union 34, Rowan 24
1996 -- Mount Union 56, Rowan 24
1997 -- Mount Union 61, Lycoming 12
1998 -- Mount Union 44, Rowan 24
2000 -- Mount Union 10, St. John's (Minn.) 7
2001 -- Mount Union 30, Bridgewater (Va.) 27
2002 -- Mount Union 48, Trinity (Texas) 7
2003 -- St. John's (Minn.) 24, Mount Union 6
2005 -- Mount Union 35, Wisconsin-Whitewater 28
2006 -- Mount Union 35, Wisconsin-Whitewater 16
2007 -- Wisconsin-Whitewater 31, Mount Union 21
2008 -- Mount Union 31, Wisconsin-Whitewater 26
2009 -- Wisconsin-Whitewater 38, Mount Union 28
2010 -- Wisconsin-Whitewater 31, Mount Union 21
2011 -- Wisconsin-Whitewater 13, Mount Union 10
2012 -- Mount Union 28, St. Thomas (Minn.) 10