Runnin' with the Pac
Just flip a coin
By: Lotti Bull, Posted 7 April 2003

Hi Mal,

There are plenty of controversies and squabbles in the Pac-10 to keep all of us reporters busy this spring--like the covering of QB controversies, the quelling of player revolts, and the resolution of  misunderstandings among coaches and players.

Ingenuously, the coaches have discovered a simple-minded way of resolving these problems. Just flip a coin.

• Washington
  
  Talented Corner Back Nate Robinson says he might have been playing football this spring if Neuheisel had only told him that he could play offense. Neuheisel says he told Robinson that he could play offense, but Nate denies it.

  To settle the controversy, Neuheisel decides to flip a coin. "If it comes up 'heads' you play football this spring; otherwise, if it's 'tails' you can concentrate on basketball," Neu tells Nate.

  “Okay, coach,” Robinson says, “But best out of 11.”

  "Right," Neuheisel says. "We'll flip it 12 times."



• Arizona

  John Mackovic is still trying to quell a player revolt. “Okay, kids,” he says. “Let’s flip a coin. If it comes up 'heads,' I’m boss, no questions asked. If it comes up 'tails,' you guys can run the ship."

  As it turns out, there is nobody around to flip a coin. They're too busy flipping out.

   

• Whoregon: The Ladies of the Knight.

  Mike Bellotti has a quarterback controversy to resolve. Who will it be, Kellen Clemens or Jason Fife?

  The results of the coin flipping are incomplete. It seems that all the Ducks still have their heads up their tails.

   

• WSU

  Bill Doba is trying end the controversy involving QB Carl Bonnell, who greyshirted at WSU last fall. WSU officials think some rules might have been broken when Rick Neuheisel contacted Bonnell.

  Not too familiar with the rules of coin flipping, Doba tells Bonnell, "if it comes up 'heads,' you stay at WSU. If it comes up 'tails,' you stay at WSU."

  Doba Couged it. Bonnell is going to Washington to get an education.

   

• UCLA

  Karl Dorrell has a quarterback controversy on his hands. Will it be Drew Olson or Matt Moore?

  However, there were no coins around to flip at the impoverished university. The underpaid Dorrell doesn't have any money in his pocket, and AD Dan Guerrero doesn’t have any money; he’s given it all away to incoming basketball coach, Ben Howland.

   

• U$C

  Pete Carroll has a quarterback controversy on his hands. Who will play quarterback, Matt Leinart or Matt Cassel?

  Unfortunately, there were no coins to flip. Nobody carries any coins with them at U$C, just $100 bills.

• Stanford

  Coach Buddy Teevens has taken the Stanford “S” off the player’s helmets this spring, so they’re practicing in white helmets. To get the “S’s” back, the players will have to earn them, according to Teevens.

  However, the players wanted to flip a coin to get them back.

  “Okay, if it comes up ‘heads,’ we get the ‘S’ back," one of the players says. "It if comes up ‘tails,’ we'll have to earn the 'S' on the practice field.”

  "Nope," the wily Teveens says. "We don't have coins to flip at Stanford.."

  "Why not, coach?"

  Teevens points to the mascot. "Because money doesn't grow on our Tree."  

    And over at Cal, they don't have any coins for flipping because it's a Bear market. Anyway, you get the gist of it all, Mal. As for me, I'm always bullish on your site.

Ciao,

Lotti