TGIF Linkage 07/31

A buddy and I were in attendance Monday night when the Twins rallied to beat the White Sox 4-3 at the Metrodome. Our seats were right behind the bullpen, so we were able to clearly see the Twins relievers — specifically Joe Nathan. It was a good time. Our last chance to catch a game in the Dome.

** While we’re on the topic of fans at baseball games, check out this grab by a dad at a Phillies vs. Diamondbacks game this week.

** Here’s a question: Is the news that David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez were among roughly 100 MLB players to test positive for performance-enhancing drugs in 2003 really news? I mean, was anybody really surprised by this?

** A Texas radio DJ recently made a bet with tennis star Andy Roddick. All the DJ had to do was return just one of 10 Roddick serves. Check out what happened.

** In other betting news, Shaq bet one of his handlers that he could get into the White House unannounced. Turns out, even the Diesel needs clearance.

** St. Louis Cardinals prospect Casey Mulligan kills time during a rain delay by rocking out to “Thriller.” This is hilarious.

** Saved By The Bell fans will love this video. Mr. Belding would like to know what’s going on here.

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TGIF Recommended Tune

On the way back from the Twin Cities, I heard this song on the radio. And it’s very catchy. Here’s “Beggin” by Madcon. Enjoy.

Inside Look at USD Hoops Skeds

While sitting in a hotel room in downtown Minneapolis on Monday afternoon, I got word that the University of South Dakota had released its men’s and women’s 2009-10 basketball schedules. And it only made sense that the news came out on the day I take off! Speaking of which, my thanks to Justin Rust for taking the story in my absence.

OK, with that disclaimer, here’s an inside look at the schedules for the men and women.

MEN

• 3 games against top 50 RPI teams (Marquette, Kansas State and Wyoming)
• 4 opponents on the schedule won 20+ games last season
• The Coyotes host two NCAA Tournament qualifiers (Cornell and Morehead State)
• 15 Division I road games
• 9 Division I home games
• 3 games against NAIA or NCAA D-2 teams
• 12 Great West Conference games

WOMEN

• 3 games against top 50 RPI teams (Iowa State, SDSU and Wisconsin-Green Bay)
• 7 opponents on the schedule won 20+ games (6 were either in NCAA or NAIA national tourneys)
• USD will have 2 home games in December
• 19 Division I road games
• 9 Division I home games
• 4 games against NAIA teams (with an average of 23 wins among them)
• 12 Great West Conference games
• Will begin home-and-home arrangements with Wichita State, Santa Clara and Cal State-Northridge (all on the road in 2009-10)
• Will face Mount Marty College on Sunday, Dec. 20

TGIF Linkage 07/24

** Phil Steele’s College Football Preview picks UC Davis to win the Great West Conference football title in 2009. Cal Poly was second, followed by USD, Southern Utah and North Dakota. I’ll post my predictions on this blog closer to the start of the season.

** Speaking of USD, senior Noah Shepard is the 20th rated quarterback of the 2010 class, according to CBS Sports.com’s NFL Draft Prospects list. Impressive considering the senior class includes names like Colt McCoy, Tim Tebow, Zac Robinson and Todd Reesing.

** So, out of the blue on Thursday afternoon comes news that Chicago White Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle threw a perfect game. Now, I’m not at all a fan of that team, but congrats to Buehrle. Dude can pitch.

** UPDATE: Jim Rice may have just been elected to the MLB Hall of Fame, but he’s always been a hero: He saved the life of a 4-year-old boy during a game in 1982. Great story. ESPN.com has a video.

** ESPN bans New York Post staffers from its programming because the “paper” ran photos from the Erin Andrews/hotel video.

** The long-anticipated video of LeBron James getting dunked on has surfaced. And I’ll say is: What was all the fuss about?

** Here’s a pretty cool video of all the football stadiums in the Big 12.

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TGIF Recommended Tune

I admit, I’m a big fan of The Fray. Here’s their latest song, “Never Say Never.” Enjoy.

Nielsen On USD-UWGB Matchup

As has been mentioned here and other places this week, the University of South Dakota women’s basketball team will open the 2009-10 season at the Sioux Falls Arena against Wisconsin-Green Bay.

When this announcement was made on Monday, I tried to put together a story for Tuesday’s P&D. But I wasn’t able to get in touch with USD women’s coach Ryun Williams or athletic director Joel Nielsen, so we just ran the press release for Tuesday.

But Nielsen was gracious enough to return my call on Wednesday from his family vacation in South Carolina. For that, I thanked him. (Quick note: He’s one of the most accessible university officials I’ve ever come across).

Anyway, he and I talked for a little bit about the USD-Green Bay matchup — set for Sunday, Nov. 15 — but it looks like I won’t be able to use his quotes for a story any time soon. But I at least wanted to share what he said. Here you go:

• First, he said the South Dakota state high school football playoffs caused a scheduling issue for the DakotaDome. The final day of the state playoffs is Saturday, Nov. 14, the night before the basketball game. And Nielsen said the Dome wouldn’t have been ready for hoops by then. So apparently UW-Green Bay was willing to move the game to Sioux Falls. Plus, Green Bay has a game against the University of North Dakota scheduled for Friday, Nov. 13, meaning the team would be in the area anywa
• Nielsen on USD playing in Sioux Falls: “Everyone saw the excitement surrounding the Summit League (women’s) tournament in Sioux Falls. And in the past, we’ve gotten great support from Sioux Falls, so this should be a good experience for everyone involved.”
• Nielsen on USD facing UW-Green Bay: “The quality of competition was definitely intriguing. Facing a program like Wisconsin-Green Bay will be a great measuring stick for Coach Williams and his team.”

Some quick notes about the Wisconsin-Green Bay Phoenix:

** Under head coach Matt Bollant, the team went 29-4 last year, won the Horizon League championship and earned a NCAA Tournament berth. Green Bay finished the season with a RPI (Ratings Percentage Index) of 46, meaning that USD has already scheduled two opponents with a better then 50 RPI. South Dakota State was 26.

Opener In Sioux Falls

Interesting news out of Vermillion today: The University of South Dakota women’s basketball team will open its 2009-10 season against the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay at the Sioux Falls Arena on Sunday, Nov. 15.

OK, a couple things here. First, this is a big-time opponent for the Coyotes. UW-Green Bay, a member of the Horizon League, had an awesome 2008-09 season. The Phoenix had a 29-4 record and earned a NCAA Tournament berth, but lost to LSU in the opening round. Still, Green Bay — which had an RPI (Ratings Percentage Index) of 46 — at one point last season won 21 straight games.

Secondly, this game will played at 2 p.m. on a Sunday afternoon. By having this game moved up to Sioux Falls, USD is simply trying to tap the Sioux Falls market, which has done a great job supporting SDSU and The Summit League. As you can imagine, there is a large number of USD graduates in Sioux Falls, and this is a way for them to see the Coyotes up close and personal.

“USD has a strong alumni base in Sioux Falls, and we’re excited to be able to have a game for fans to attend in that growing market,” USD athletic director Joel Nielsen said in the release. “We expect our Coyote fans to support the game with their attendance.”

I’ve said it before, and I’ll be saying it a lot in the coming months, but the USD women will have a scary team in 2009-10. The Coyotes not only return three starters (Jasmine Mosley, Kara Iverson, Annie Roche), but will add redshirts Amber Hegge, Teresa Case and Jackie Hiebert to the lineup. Plus, a good portion of last season’s reserves will be back.