Hondo's daily blog. Info from MSU basketball, NFL, MLB and the NBA. As well as the latest on Rodriguez and the Alabama job.

Lansing, Michigan

Hondo S. Carpenter, Sr.

5 December 2006

Hello folks!

Thanks again for taking the time to read Spartan Nation.Â

·       Don’t forget to join me each weeknight for Mid-Michigan’s most sports at 6:15 p.m. Monday thru Friday on ABC 53.

·       Rich Rodriguez has agreed in principle on a deal with Alabama according to a source close to Rich and another with Alabama. The Crimson Tide realizes that they have to hit a homerun and the deal is “extremely significant” as in bigger then several NFL deals. One source very close to UA told me this morning it is in the 7 year $21 million dollar range. The Tide needed some time (Coach gave them 48 hours) to talk to the powers that be to make sure that the enormous deal will get approval. As this gets out, Coach Rodriguez could also back out, and he is not enjoying the heat he is getting both from the WVU community and his wife Rita. This will be very interesting.

·       One name not getting a lot of play for the Miami job is Texas Tech’s Mike Leach. According to a BCS head coach, with Coach C at USC all but agreed to go to the Arizona Cardinals, they will try (and this source believes unsuccessfully) to get Stoops from OU. When that fails he says that Leach will move to the top of a much-trimmed list. Also Bernie Kosar is in the mix but according to a Miami source "not at the top of the list at this time."

·       The Orioles according to a source at the MLB winter meetings want Craig Monroe very bad. Dombrowski does not want to get rid of him, but no one is untouchable.

·       Don’t forget that the Tigers have Mike Maroth back and are loaded still with starters. They are not done but Dombrowski feels no pressure to do anything at the meetings.

·       Here is another interesting note from the winter meetings. The Yankees are willing to go to $16 million for pitcher Andy Pettitte, but are trying to lure him to Gotham by getting the Rocket (his best friend) to come back also. Here is the interesting news. The Rangers have asked Pettitte’s agent to make no deal that they can’t try to beat and that includes trying to get Texan Roger Clemens to join him.

·       Dan Snyder owner of the Redskins made certain promises about the head-coaching job to his offensive coordinator when Joe Gibbs is done. Even though Gibbs yesterday seemed to make it clear he is coming back (a fact that sources with the Skins still think is not solid) when he does go, look for Snyder to look elsewhere for a coach. My source said, “Dan loves coach Chin from Pittsburgh but who knows if he will be gone.

·       Raymar Morgan’s play combined with the injury that kept Oden out at OSU should clearly make him the front runner for the Big Ten freshman of the year if he can avoid missing significant time.

·       Morgan is out for tonight’s game and maybe Saturday but it is not a certain yet that it will be longer. Matt Larson, MSU’s very good men’s basketball SID told me that they caught it early and may be able to avoid a prolonged absence.

·       NBA commish David Stern who does not handle bad PR well, is setting himself up to get rid of the new ball even though it will be a major defeat for his pride. One current NBA player told me that the NBAPA believes that with the constant pressure it will happen. Now it is simply waiting for Stern to position himself politically to make him look the best.

·       One current Viking told me this morning that the players want the rookie QB Jackson out of Alabama State to start. “We just need to go young and this guy can do it.” He also said that it is now an issue of will Childress follow the team or simply play Johnson to have a “power trip.”

·       Is Vick going to be a Falcon next year? One Falcon told me that he thinks, “If Mora is back, Vick won’t be.”

·       More then one NFL source has told me that the Lions troubles are directly tied to the worst scouting department in the NFL. “They are beyond atrocious,” said one current front office man who currently works for an NFL team. “Matt is the nicest guy in the world, but he has to be bold and axe those guys ASAP. He has been nothing but let down by there horrible performance. Look at those drafts? He has made some good picks but the bad ones were really bad. It was no secret Mike Williams had terrible work ethic and for those scouts not to have made that clear to Millen (and they didn’t) is ground for immediate termination.”Â

·       One MLB source just told me “I can’t see anyway that ManRam (Manny Ramirez) gets traded. They (Boston) want too much for guy who is such a head case.

·       It is only 10 months and 28 days until the MSU vs. UM football game!

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Thanks everyone, hug your loved ones and remind them that you love them! Peace! -H