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    Graham Watson

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    Graham Watson is the editor of Dr. Saturday. Graham had a brief collegiate soccer career, but traded that in for the life of a journalist and hasn't looked back. Graham has worked for the Dallas Morning News and St. Louis Post-Dispatch, as well as ESPN.com and AOL. She is forever striving to be the cool mom to two boys.

    • How to keep a coaching search secret, with Rich Rodriguez and Greg Byrne

      In the age of the 24-hour news cycle, athletic directors are going to great lengths to keep coaching searches quiet. Arizona athletic director Greg Byrne is no exception: From commercial travel to private phones, Byrne did everything short of donning a trench coat and a Groucho Marx disguise to cover his tracks in pursuit of Rich Rodriguez.

      It paid off when Byrne got his man on Nov. 21. This weekend, Byrne revealed his 41-day process with the Arizona Republic for snagging the coach at the top of his wish list.

      Stay off home turf. Byrne flew to Detroit a week after firing Mike Stoops to meet with Rodriguez, whom he had met a couple times last year. Rodriguez picked Byrne up from the airport and took him to his home to meet his family. Rodriguez and Byrne went to an Italian restaurant where everyone knew Rich Rod from his three-year stint at Michigan, but had no idea who Byrne was.

      Fly commercial. I know, who flies commercial with a private jet at his disposal? No way. These days,

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    • Video: Wyoming kicker defies the laws of PAT physics

      Extra points aren't meant to be exciting, but a second quarter effort by Wyoming kicker Daniel Sullivan following the Cowboys' first touchdown in the New Mexico Bowl was worth the price of admission.

      Sullivan — who had already missed one field goal attempt — shanked the kick off the right upright, sending the ball caroming off the left upright and through to complete the impossible "Double Upright" extra point. It was like watching Larry Bird and Michael Jordan play "H-O-R-S-E" in those old McDonald's commercials, except there's no way Sullivan could have ever called this shot. For their next challenge, America's kickers are now dared a kick through off both upright and the crossbar. You have your mission.

      Along with the touchdown catch that preceded it, Sullivan's fluky boot was the only luck that went the Cowboys' way all afternoon in a a href="http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/boxscore?gid=201112170096" target="_blank">37-15 rout by Temple, the second bowl win in school

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    • Video: Following the Heisman to its new home in Waco, Texas

      Robert Griffin III has had a heck of a week. He won the Davey O'Brien award (nation's best quarterback) last Thursday, the Heisman Trophy on Saturday and has since and been named to a host of All-America teams and has appeared on a multitude of television shows.

      He has to be exhausted — and he still has to get his Heisman back to Waco.

      Ever wonder how they do that? Does the Heisman Trophy Trust ship it? Does the winner carry it on the plane? Just throw it in a suitcase and hope for the best from the airline?

      Luckily for us, Baylor filmed the bronze statue's entire trip from New York back to Waco complete with cameos by Griffin's father, Griffin's teammates and Baylor basketball coach Scott Drew, who just had to get his photo with the infamous trophy.

      Baylor is really having fun with this moment and who can blame the university? It hasn't known a lot of success in its history and short of a national championship, this is the best thing that could happen to the Bears' football program.

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    • Bitter Panthers advise Todd Graham not to show his face at Pitt again

      Pitt receiver Cam Saddler (AP/Keith Srakocic)To say Pittsburgh players were bitter when they received coach Todd Graham's passed along text message that he had skipped town to become the new head coach at Arizona State would be an understatement.

      Most of them took to their Twitter accounts, calling Graham a litany of things — some not suitable for print — and issuing words of caution to his new Sun Devil players.

      Todd Graham PittBut Cam Saddler took his anger to the airwaves. He joined 93.7 The Fan in Pittsburgh on The Morning Show and lashed out at Graham, who said he wants to come back and talk to the Pitt players who never took time to say goodbye to in the first place.

      "He better not dare try to come over here," Saddler said. "He better not dare. I mean that with a passion. When the situation first happened, I didn't know what was going to happen, but I sat down with a couple guys and told them if the plan was for Coach Graham to coach us in the bowl game, we are not going to play."

      Saddler said the entire ordeal had been surreal. Graham hadn't even been with the Panthers for a year and he was the third coach in just over a month. this year, the Panthers will be playing in their second consecutive BBVA Compass Bowl with an interim coach.

      "The last 24 hours, man. This has been rough, man. This is happening again? The first time it happened last year, we were all in shock, like no way this is going down. … Then, it's happening now. … We're kind of just like, again? How's this happening again? We know what to expect, what we're getting ourselves into, and it's like, 'Why us?'"

      Saddler noted that Graham often would talk about how much money Pitt was paying him and that even if the Panthers lost and he was fired he'd be fine.

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    • Feds dub Notre Dame folk hero Rudy Ruettiger a stock scammer

      Rudy Ruettiger probably gave this same look as he pitched his phony stock (US Presswire/Kyle Terada)Daniel "Rudy" Ruettiger might have become part of Notre Dame folklore as the walk-on who inspired a team — and a memorable movie — but the legacy he ultimately leaves might be that of a scammer.

      Rudy Ruettiger making his infamous sackAccording to the Securities and Exchange Commission, Ruettiger ran a "pump-and-dump" scheme that enticed investors to bid up the stock of his sports drink company, Rudy Nutrition. Although Ruettiger did not admit or deny guilt, he did pay $382,866 in fines to resolve the SEC's allegations. From Forbes:

      According to the SEC complaint filed in federal court in Las Vegas, Reuttiger's company sold only a small amount of a sports drink called "Rudy" and instead the company served as a vehicle for a 2008 pump-and-dump scheme that generated $11 million in illicit profits. The SEC revoked registration of the stock of Rudy Nutrition in 2008.

      "Investors were lured into the scheme by Mr. Ruettiger's well-known, feel-good story but found themselves in a situation that did not have a happy ending," said

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    • Gus Malzahn defends his wife, who may or may not have cost him a better job

      Gus Malzahn was in line for a plum head coaching job. After his offense helped Auburn to a national title last season, he became one of the hottest commodities in college football.

      So when Arkansas State announced Malzahn as its next head coach, questions started flying: Why he didn't end up at a one of the many vacancies at BCS "Big Six" schools? The most common answer: Malzahn's wife, Kristi.

      Two days before Auburn's game against Arkansas in October, Kristi Malzahn was the featured speaker at The Summit, a weekly luncheon hosted by Senior Pastor Ronnie Floyd of Cross Church in Springdale, Ark. During that interview, Kristi Malzahn made some controversial comments about some of Auburn's players — nothing too nefarious, but a little too much inside information from the wife of a potential head coach.

      On now-suspended running back Michael Dyer, she said: "He has a little bit of an attitude. He carries himself with a little confidence we have to kick around every now and then. But he's a great kid." She also said former quarterback Cam Newton was cute. Of course the entire session was filmed, and a not-so-flattering edited version ended up on YouTube. It didn't take long to go viral.

      The video has since disappeared under copyright claims by Cross Church.

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    • Video: Inevitable LSU rap teaches America how to ‘Brad Wing’

      Pretty sure an SEC team can't be involved in some sort of championship game without its fanbase making a rap video. Looking at you Georgia and you Florida for the misguided anticipation of a championship.

      So, we at the Doc would like to thank Lil Final Boyz keeping the tradition and giving us the LSU Championship Bounce. Now don't get us wrong, this video is not good, but it does have some pretty good lines.

      And it makes fun of some of LSU's quirkiness, including coach Les Miles' taste for turf, his awkward clapping style and punter Brad Wing's costly celebration penalty against Florida.

      If LSU beats Alabama in the national championship I'm sure all the LSU fans will be doing the "Les Clap" and the "Brad Wing" in da club that night.

      - - -
      Graham Watson is on Facebook and Twitter: Follow her @Yahoo_Graham

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    • Todd Graham (ASU Athletics)

      Todd Graham has a lot of dreams.

      In 2006, Graham told Rice players, administrators and fans that he'd wanted the Rice job since he was a young man.

      "I've dreamed of this day since I was in the seventh grade," Coach Graham told his audience, flush with emotion. The Mesquite native said he grew up weaned on Southwest Conference football. "And I get those memories of turning on the TV and watching Rice play Texas, and being so tied up in all the SWC games.

      "There are faces of people in the crowd where you can see the doubt. That's fine. But two, three years from now, we'll have all those things changed, and we'll have restored the great tradition."

      Todd Graham as the coach of Pitt (Charles LeClaire/US Presswire)After leading Rice to an 8-5 season, Graham bolted to Tulsa where he had been the defensive coordinator for three seasons prior to taking the Rice job. As one might expect, there was a lot of bitterness among the Rice faithful, who trusted Graham, believed his promises and saw a glimpse of how good it's football program could be. But apparently Graham misspoke when he said his dream was to coach at Rice. He actually meant Tulsa. Or at least that's what he told the Tulsa faithful.

      "That was my dream, I wanted to be head coach at Tulsa," said Graham, speaking on a conference call from Kansas City, where his plane was diverted from Houston due to Friday's ice storm. "We have a heart for Tulsa."

      And Graham did have a heart for Tulsa for four years in which he was 36-17 and led the Golden Hurricane to three bowls games. So there weren't too many hurt feelings when Graham, who was considered a hot coach, left Tulsa for Pitt after the Panthers first choice, former Miami (Ohio) coach Mike Haywood, didn't work out.

      However, Graham didn't have the same passion for the Pitt job as he did his previous two. He never said anything about a dream and job and while he did make the grandiose promise to "… restore the Beast from the East" and bring a 10th national championship to Pitt, it wasn't the same Graham from his previous two stops.

      Perhaps that's why Graham was looking for an exit. Pitt released a statement Wednesday saying it had denied Graham's request to talk to Arizona State, a job he sought, and that it asked to sit down with Graham to talk to him about his commitment to Pitt. Obviously, only one party made it to that meeting:

      Read More »from Arizona State makes Todd Graham’s latest dream come true (for real this time)
    • Empty Dowdy-Ficklen stadium at ECU (Jeremy Brevard/US Presswire)

      East Carolina isn't going to a bowl game this year, but that hasn't stopped the university's Pirate Club from selling tickets to one. According to an email sent out by the club to donors, the club is offering $50 tickets to East Carolina's "2011 Virtual Bowl."

      That's right, $50 for a fake ticket to a fake game in a fake stadium at a fake date and time.

      ECU Pirate (Jeremy Brevard/US Presswire)Seems thrifty.

      Here's the text of the email thanks to WRAL Sports:

      Our East Carolina University Pirate football team had an exciting season but fell one game short of qualifying for the program's sixth straight bowl game. The Pirate football team is in goods hands with Coach Ruffin McNeill and his staff. There is a tremendous amount of young talent and our program has a bright future.

      East Carolina University Athletics wants to show the college football world the passion of the Pirate Nation, even in a "bowless" year for the university. The Pirate Club is excited to announce the 2011 Virtual Bowl. Our challenge will be to sell more

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    • Big East newbies see their names in lights in Times Square

      The Big East is taking Manhattan — at least for a day — and the conference's new teams were able to see their names in lights in New York City.

      Boise-State-Times-SquareThe Big East used the Times Square marquee from sponsor American Eagle Outfitters to announce new members — Boise State, SMU, Houston, Central Florida and San Diego State. Each team had its own welcome and then the conference had a group welcome marquee as well. Each image is shown for about 30 seconds and is displayed eight times per hour.

      It was definitely a bold statement by the Big East. It's probably similar to the one Boise State got at the Colorado Springs American Eagle when it joined the Mountain West.

      Unfortunately, the fancy welcome was only displayed Tuesday, but it was a fine gesture to usher in a new ear of that conference. Just hope the current members didn't feel too left out.

      - - -
      Graham Watson is on Facebook and Twitter: Follow her @Yahoo_Graham

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