Take [Us] Out To the Ballgame

 

Life Gets 'Crazy' for NBA Draft Choice Adam Haluska. With Kendra At His Side, the Former Hawkeye Player Can't Go Wrong At the Next Level, Can He?

Hey, good for Adam Haluska.

Any guy who had to play collegiate basketball for both Larry Eustachy and Steve Alford deserves to get a chance to play in the NBA.

Haluska was chosen by the New Orleans Hornets as the 43rd pick overall in the NBA draft.

There seems to be some question about how much attention the guy who led the Big Ten in scoring as a senior was paying to the draft, but it's probably easy to lose focus when all that late-night stuff is happening on ESPN.

In a news release issued by the University of Iowa sports information office [no doubt written by basketball specialist Steve Roe] that was e-mailed to me, Haluska said he was watching the draft with his family as his fiancee's home when his name flashed across the TV screen.

"We just went crazy," Haluska was quoted as saying. "My family and her family were there. It was a great feeling. I'm just trying to let everything set in. My phone was ringing so much it stopped working."

My friend Randy Peterson of the Des Moines Register, who is always right, quoted Haluska as saying, "I was sitting outside with my family, enjoying the evening here in Carroll. I hadn't even watched a minute of the draft, but all of a sudden around 10:30 we decided to go inside and start watching.

"Within a few minutes of getting back in the house, I saw my name on TV. I went crazy."

The Iowa City Press-Citizen, in a story bylined "By Iowa City Press-Citizen," used the quotes from Roe's press release, including the one that said, "We went crazy."

The key word, obviously, is crazy. I guess we can all assume that the 6-5 Haluska and his family went crazy.

And I'm guessing one person who went crazy -- although she wasn't named in the draft-night reaction stories -- was Kendra Bengtson, who started getting as much TV air time, if not more, than Haluska late last season.

I'm betting Haluska hasn't traded in Kendra for another model.

Kendra became a darling of ESPN's camera guys and announcers last winter once they found out she had Miss America looks and was Haluska's girlfriend.

Newspaper photographers liked Kendra's body [and maybe personality], too. Her photo with Haluska at Iowa's senior day, courtesy of the Cedar Rapids Gazette, is included in this column.

Roe's release said Haluska is the first Hawkeye player picked in the NBA draft since 1999 [when the New York Knicks chose the long-forgotten J. R. Koch in the second round].

Haluska is Iowa's highest draft choice since the well-traveled and unpopular Ricky Davis was chosen by Charlotte as the 21st pick in the first round in 1998.

Davis is maybe the only former Hawkeye player in the NBA who got booed by Iowa fans when he came back to watch a game at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Nice homecoming.

So now, Eustachy and Alford -- neither of whom is now coaching in this state -- can take credit for making Haluska an NBA draft choice.

It's never been fully explained to my satisfaction why Haluska left Iowa State after his freshman season.

Maybe it was because Eustachy threw out too many "F" bombs in practice and games.

Maybe he thought Alford knew something about coaching [well, some kids are naive, aren't they?].

Heck, maybe he dreamed about playing in the Las Vegas summer league with [ex-]Iowa teammates Jeff Horner and Greg Brunner, plus a number of other NBA hopefuls.

All I know is, Haluska is not bashful. He'll keep shooting -- whether it's in Vegas or New Orleans -- until he gets his 20 points. And being on the receiving end of a hug, and maybe even a kiss or two, from Kendra afterward always makes for a great picture.

*

I hesitate to bring this name up, but I will anyway.

With the NBA draft now history, I'm guessing nobody has heard Pierre Pierce's name.

Let's keep it that way.

The only exception I'd make is if the NBA has a tryout camp in Siberia. Pierce would be my choice as the first to be invited.

*

A total of 5,348 people have now voted in my poll on what should happen to Des Moines Register reporter Stephen P. Dinnen -- better known as S. P. Dinnen to all three of you fans of the business section.

MSNBC said Dinnen donated $250 to John Kerry in June, 2004.

However, the reporter told MSNBC that he wasn't sure if he was actually the person who donated the money.

"It might have been my wife," he said.

I asked readers to tell me what they thought should happen to Dinnen.

Here are the results:

78 percent think he should be fired.

4 percent think he should be sent to Indianapolis for a copy boy to be named later.

3 percent think he should be required to walk the skywalks twice a day for six months.

I should point out that there were a number of write-in votes.

13 percent said they didn't know who Dinnen is.

1 percent said they didn't know what the Des Moines Register is.

1 percent said both Dinnen and Mike Gartner should spend the rest of the summer in Keokuk.

'Jeff, I Didn't Recognize You With Your Clothes On!' She Said Innocently. That and More As Ex-Hawkeye Horner Tries To Land On An NBA Roster

This is something that could be loosely called what the FOX TV network and, once in a while, a newspaper or two refer to as "breaking news."

Oh, all right, it's not something as big as Mike "Why Does Everybody Hate Me?" Gartner taking off his best clip-on bow tie and dropping the atrocious beer and popcorn prices at No-Name Ballfield.

Still, it's breaking news.

It's about Jeff Horner, the all-American Boy-type basketball player from Mason City and the University of Iowa.

Horner, who has been playing in Belgium since using up his eligibility as a Hawkeye, is headed back to this country and soon will be playing on the Houston Rockets' summer league team in Las Vegas.

"Jeff hopes that leads to something good," said longtime friend Tom Sersland, who now lives in Johnston.

Like maybe getting a contract from the Rockets.

"The Rockets are pretty skimpy on point guards," Sersland pointed out. "Jeff needs to get on a team that's thin at that position."

Sersland, who says he talks with Horner every couple of weeks, said the ex-Hawkeye's playing experience in Europe has been good for him.

"He's been adding more dimensions to his game," Sersland explained. "There's been a big influx of European players getting into the NBA in recent years."

Sersland said being in Belgium required an adjustment by Horner, who committed to being a future Hawkeye player when he was a ninth-grader at Mason City High School.

"He enjoyed playing in Belgium, but it was a little tough when when he first got there," Sersland explained. "There was lots of down-time. As a professional athlete, all you do is play basketball.

"In school [at Iowa], he had classes to focus on. In Belgium, they played one game a week. Then there were the practices.

"The things we take for granted here, he had to learn to go without. If he wanted a pizza, the nearest Pizza Hut was 45 minutes away."

Sersland said Horner and his girlfriend recently became engaged, and his fiance joined him in Belgium.

"Jeff needed the companionship over there," Sersland said.

Greg Brunner, another ex-Hawkeye, also played in Belgium.

"Brunner was 40 to 45 miles away, but played in the same league," Sersland said. "They saw each other a lot."

The person who led me to Sersland was Ruth Hiddleson of West Des Moines, who is the wedding coordinator at Windsor Heights Lutheran Church in Windsor Heights.

"Tom Sersland's wedding was two years ago," Ruth explained. "At the rehearsal, the groom's mother said, 'Ruth is a Hawkeye fan.' I wondered what that had to do with the rehearsal.

Ruth and her husband, Marv, are longtime Iowa football and basketball season ticketholders.

"I didn't realize then that Jeff Horner was going to be one of the ushers," Ruth told me. "I didn't recognize him at first. He, of course, was dressed in streetclothes, and he his well-groomed hair was a little longer than I recalled.

"Jeff didn't want any attention centered on him at the wedding, but in front of the ushers I said, "I didn't recognize you with your clothes on."

I laughed when I heard that line, and I'm sure they were laughing a lot a couple of years ago when Ruth said it.

"I meant streetclothes!" said Ruth, who was laughing, too.

Anyway -- laughing aside -- Ruth and Marv Hiddleson, Tom Sersland and countless other Hawkeye fans everywhere are hopeful Horner's experience in the Rockets' summer camp propels him into the NBA.

*

Photo of Jeff Horner [right] courtesy of the University of Iowa. Photo of Ruth Hiddleson [the rose between several thorns at the left] courtesy of Ruth and her husband, Marv [in the white sweater].

New Gig for Overholser

Former Des Moines Register editor Geneva Overholser has been named chair of the board of directors for the Center for Public Integrity, the Washington, D.C.-based investigative reporting group.

The news was reported by Editor & Publisher.

Overholser succeeds co-founding board member and chairman Charles Piller.

Overholser currently holds the Curtis B. Hurley Chair in Public Affairs Reporting for the Missouri School of Journalism in its Washington, D.C., bureau. She was editor of the Des Moines Register from 1988 to 1995.

Overholser left the Register at about the same time as managing editor Dave Westphal. After divorcing their spouses, they married each other.

When she bailed out of the Register, Overholser was critical of the pressures put on her and other editors at the newspaper by the Gannett Co., the owner of a penny-pinching chain of papers.

If people who worked in the Register's newsroom knew what type of run-of-the-mill, bottom-of-the-barrel women and men would succeed Overholser as editor, they no doubt would have done all they could to convince her to stay.

"With commercial pressure fast eroding public-interest journalism, nonprofit independent investigative reporting is essential," Overholser said.

"The center has long led in this field. Today's promising multi-media world gives us a chance to be an even stronger and more effective watchdog. I'm honored and eager to work with Bill Buzenberg and our wonderful staff and board to make that happen."

Overholser is a former chair of the Pulitzer Board, and she served as an editorial board member for the New York Times and an ombudsman at the Washington Post.

*

Photo of Geneva Overholser courtesy of Google.

Pitcher Rod Beck, 38, Dies; He Drank Beer With Fans In His Winnebago When He Pitched for No-Name Ballteam At No-Name Ballfield

Rod Beck, a baseball All-Star relief pitcher who wore a bushy mustache while earning 286 career saves, is dead at 38.

The Associated Press said Beck was found Saturday by police officers responding to a call to his home in suburban Phoenix. Foul play is not suspected, though the cause of death might not be known for several days.

Beck was second on the San Francisco Giants' career saves list.

With unruly hair framing a menacing stare and an aggressive arm swing before delivering a pitch, the outgoing right-hander was a colorful baseball personality and a three-time All-Star. He spent the first seven of his 13 major league seasons with the San Francisco Giants.

Beck was popular with teammates, reporters and fans, but battled personal demons late in his life. He abruptly left the San Diego Padres for a two-month stint in drug rehabilitation during his final major league season in 2004.

"He was having some problems, and I just knew he went into rehab and joined us later that year," said Giants manager Bruce Bochy, the Padres' manager at the time. "It's so sad when you see healthy players go at such a young age. This is a bad day in baseball to lose a guy who did so much for the game."

Nicknamed "Shooter," Beck pitched for the Giants (1991-97), the Chicago Cubs (1998-99) and the Boston Red Sox (1999-2001) before finishing his career with the Padres (2003-04).

While working his way back to the majors in 2003, Beck pitched for the Triple-A No-Name Ballteam in Des Moines, and lived in his Winnebago parked just beyond the outfield fence at No-Name Ballfield.

"He came there and his stuff wasn't what it was, but he had the savvy and the desire, even in Triple-A," said Mike Quade, the Cubs' third-base coach now and the No-Name Ballteam manager back then.

"It wasn't easy for him. He had a trailer and lived outside [No-Name Ballfield]. He was a fun-loving guy, a competitive guy, and he loved life."

Fans would drop by for autographs and stay for a beer, and Beck became a folk hero. Then the Padres called.

"He was a great teammate and a great competitor," said Giants shortstop Rich Aurilia, who played his first three major league seasons with Beck in San Francisco. "He left an impression on everybody he played with. You talk to everybody, they'll have nothing but good things to say. He's somebody that Giants fans will always remember."

Aurilia recalled being wary of Beck's mustache and mullet when he came up as a rookie in 1995 -- but Beck was among the first to congratulate Aurilia on making the team.

Shooter was a hard nosed, blue-collar kind of guy that wore his heart on his sleeve, and that is what made him so endearing to baseball fans everywhere.

Beck saved 51 games for Chicago in 1998, helping the Cubs win the National League wild card. He had a career record of 38-45 in 704 games, with a 3.30 ERA.

"He was helpful to everybody," said Cubs pitcher Kerry Wood, the 1998 National League rookie of the year. "Always in a good mood, great teammate, great person. He had the closer mentality. He had a short memory. Every day he came in, he was obviously excited to be there and you could see it."

After games, Beck and several Cubs teammates would often sit around drinking beer and smoking cigarettes as they talked baseball.

"You don't see that anymore," Wood said. "Really haven't seen a whole lot of it since he left. That's part of the old-school mentality. You hang around and you have a few beers and talk about the game and talk about mistakes you made, talk about good things you did and learn from each other."

Beck was a favorite at Candlestick Park through most of the 1990s, but left to sign with the Cubs as a free agent in 1998. He saved 51 games in his first season in Chicago, but managed just 46 saves in his final five seasons combined.

"Everyone in the Giants organization is deeply saddened by the loss of a dear friend," Giants owner Peter Magowan said. "Rod Beck was a true Giant in every sense of the word, from his dedication on the field to his selflessness away from the park."

Beck was involved in charity work with the Pediatric AIDS Foundation and other worthy causes during his time in San Francisco.

"Shooter was a hard nosed, blue-collar kind of guy that wore his heart on his sleeve, and that is what made him so endearing to baseball fans everywhere," said Rick Thurman, Beck's longtime agent.

"He was the utmost professional whose love for the game was only overshadowed by his passion for his family. Rod was the guy who you wanted in the foxhole with you, a warrior on the field and a teddy bear at home."

At a Giants-Cubs game at Wrigley Field last Sept. 2, Beck threw out the ceremonial first pitch and sang "Take Me Out To The Ballgame" during the seventh-inning stretch.

Beck is survived by his wife, Stacey, and two children.

*

Rod Beck [right] drinks beer with fans of No-Name Ballteam outside his Winnebago at No-Name Ballfield in Des Moines. Photo courtesy of Google.

WHO-TV Tabs New Sports Announcer Chris Hassel, Who Says, 'I Can't Believe They Hired Me. And What's Nice Is That There's No Act To Follow'

WHO-TV has a new sports announcer, whether it bugs Andy Fales or not.

Tim Gardner, director of creative services at the Des Moines station, said Chris Hassel [pictured] has joined the channel 13 team.

Hassel, an Iowa native, has been anchoring and reporting sports in the Davenport market for last two years.

“I can’t believe they hired me,” is the way Gardner quoted Hassel. “And what’s nice is that there’s no act to follow.”

[Editor's Note from Ron Maly: As far as I know, Hassel is replacing Andy Fales at WHO-TV. Fales has been sent to Kansas City, evidently not for a "What's Bugging Andy" segment to be sent to the station via Federal Express later this summer. I've left word at Fales' new station, seeking his reaction to whether it bugs him that Hassel has replaced him].

WHO-TV sports director Keith Murphy -- always good for a laugh or several -- said of the hiring:

"When Chris showed up for his interview dressed in a suit and attempting to impress with his business acumen, we were concerned, partly because we had to look up the definition of acumen.

"But once he got the job, we saw the real Chris. He showed up for his first day of work in cargo shorts, jacked up on Mountain Dew, and doing impressions of Jim Zabel. We knew right then he'd fit in.”

In Davenport, Hassel has been an anchor/reporter for KLJB-Fox 18 TV since 2005. In addition to his television duties, he also served as the morning news anchor for WOC-AM radio and sports director for St. Ambrose University’s TV and radio stations.

Hassel has also been involved in Learfield Sports Iowa Hawkeye football broadcasts as a pre- and post-game host. Hassel earned his bachelor of arts degree in radio and television from St. Ambrose.

Hassel enjoys being frustrated by the Cubs, yelling at his TV when the Bears are playing, and making sure he can have vacation his first year on the job so he can get married.

Though his primary duties will be sports reporting, Hassel will anchor some weekend sportscasts.

*

More from Gardner:

Hassel joins the WHO-TV sports team that has, by far, nabbed the most awards of excellence in 2007, including the prestigious Edward R. Murrow regional award for Sports Reporting.

In addition, the team has earned first-place honors from the Northwest Broadcast News Association for sports reporting and three first-place awards from the Iowa Associated Press for best sportscast, best sports program and best sports special.

Although station management fully realize no one picks a newscasts just because someone brags about awards, it's good for the fragile egos and crippling insecurity in the sports department.

Register Business Reporter Dinnen Says He's Not Sure If He Gave $250 To John Kerry -- 'It Might Have Been My Wife. She's Active In Politics'

Bud Appleby of Des Moines has a question:

"It will be interesting to see what happens to Stephen P. Dinnen, a Des Moines Register business reporter, after the disclosure that he donated to Democratic candidates or causes. I'm sure that is against the paper's ethics policy."

In a later e-mail, Appleby writes:

"From the MSNBC web site:

"(D) The Des Moines Register, Stephen P. Dinnen, business reporter, $250 to John Kerry in June 2004. His byline is S.P. Dinnen.

"Dinnen said he wasn't sure whether he gave to Kerry or not. "It might have been my wife. She's active in politics." He said he wasn't sure how the campaign would have gotten his occupation and employer for the records."

Here's the Editor & Publisher story Appleby is referring to:

MSNBC released today a list of 144 journalists who donated to political campaigns or causes from 2004 to early 2007, according to Federal Election Commission records.

Those who work for newspapers made up the largest number. Some papers have ethics clauses that prohibit or discourage such donations, many do not.

Amazingly, the full account at MSNBC.com includes responses from most of the journalists about the matter.

For example, Dan Neil, the Pulitzer-winning auto critic for the Los Angeles Times (who gave $250 to the Democratic National Committee in 2004) replies: "Yup, that's me, all right." He also explains: "This policy has, at times, worked a hardship on me. I wanted to march with Latinos in Los Angeles in 2006 — justice for Latino immigrants being a human rights issue right on my front door in Los Angeles — but I couldn't because of my understanding of the paper's policy on public advocacy."

Stephen Hunter, film critic at The Washington Post and another Pulitzer winner, also gave $250 to the DNC in 2004. He explains: "That is indeed my donation, probably an unwise idea. A couple of years afterward, I was called aside by someone in management and told not to do it again. And being an obedient boy, I didn't do it again."

Rita Hall, section designer/artist and sometime writer at Newsday, is named for giving $210 to Sen. Hillary Clinton in March 2006. She advises: "Dig deeper. I gave $2,000 to Kerry." She adds: "I'm not allowed to do this. I know it's against the rules. I'll probably get fired. They're looking for any excuse to cut staff here....

"My view is: You're still going to have an opinion whether you admit to it or not. If you don't admit to it, you're being dishonest. Let's be transparent."

Newsday's senior editor, John Mancini, who hadn't known of Hall's contributions, according to MSNBC, said, "It is against our policy for anyone on the editorial staff to make political contributions. Anything that would call into question our objectivity. It stems from the appearance of conflict being a problem."

Joel Thurtell, reporter a the Detroit Free Press, gave $500 to the Michigan Democratic State Central Committee in 2004. He stood by his guns: "Whatever the Free Press policy is, I actually have my own policy about that: I'm a citizen of the United States. I have a right to support whatever candidate I like." He said his political views don't influence his reporting: "I got tons of e-mail from liberal-type people who likened me to Karl Rove. I have tried to be as honest as I possibly can as a reporter."

Here is the MSNBC list for newspapers. "R" stands for Republican causes or candidates, "D" for Democratic causes or candidates. Full details on the actual donations and the replies are at www.msnbc.msn.com:

(D) McClatchy Newspapers, Beryl Adcock, news desk chief, Washington bureau.

(D) The Wall Street Journal, Krishnan Amantharaman, managing editor of the classroom edition.

(D) The Wall Street Journal, Henny Sender, senior special writer.

(D) The Wall Street Journal, Eben Shapiro, editor of the Weekend Journal.

(D) The New York Times, Randy Cohen, ethics columnist.

(D) The New York Times, Christine Muhlke, deputy editor, style magazine.

(D & R) The New York Times, Nancy Tilghman, freelance writer.

(D) Los Angeles Times, Nick Cuccia, design editor.

(D) Los Angeles Times, Manohla Dargis, film critic, now at The New York Times.

(D) Los Angeles Times, Dan Neil, automobile critic.

(R) Los Angeles Times, Charles Perry, food writer.

(D) New York Daily News, Celia McGee, reporter, and freelancer for The New York Times.

(D) New York Daily News, Matthew Roberts, photographer.

(R) The Washington Post, Stephen Hunter, film critic.

(D) The Chicago Tribune, Maureen Ryan, entertainment reporter.

(D) The Chicago Tribune, John von Rhein, classical music critic.

(D) San Francisco Chronicle, William Pates, letters editor for the editorial page.

(D) Newsday, Long Island, Rita Hall, section designer/artist/writer.

(D) The Boston Globe, Rebecca Ostriker, arts editor/writer.

(D) The Boston Globe, Henry Riemer, sports statistician.

(R) The Star-Ledger, Newark, Robin Gaby Fisher, feature writer.

(D) Star Tribune, Minneapolis, Barbara Haugen, copy editor.

(D) Detroit Free Press, Susan Hall-Balduf, copy editor.

(D) Detroit Free Press, Joel Thurtell, reporter.

(D) The Oregonian, Portland, Steve Amick, reporter.

(R) The Miami Herald, Harry Broertjes, copy editor/page designer.

(R) The San Diego Union-Tribune, Joe Cline, graphic artist.

(D) The San Diego Union-Tribune, Penni Crabtree, business reporter.

(D) The San Diego Union-Tribune, Bob Elledge, assistant news editor.

(D) The San Diego Union-Tribune, Shaffer Grubb, graphic artist.

(D) The San Diego Union-Tribune, Arline Smith, news production editor.

(D) The San Diego Union-Tribune, Charlie Smith, copy editor.

(D) The Sun, Baltimore, John Scholz, copy editor.

(D) San Jose Mercury News, Rachel Wilner, sports editor.

(D) Boston Herald, Chris Donnelly, news librarian.

(D) South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Fort Lauderdale, Ethan Skolnick, sports columnist.

(D) Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Randy Galloway, sports columnist.

(D) Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Vincent Langford, sports copy editor.

(D) The Hartford Courant, Nancy Gallinger, copy editor

(D) The Hartford Courant, Bill Lewis, copy editor.

(D) Richmond Times-Dispatch, Michael Hardy, state political reporter.

(D) Richmond Times-Dispatch, Pam Mastropaolo, copy editor.

(D) Contra Costa Times, Calif., Robert Taylor, fine arts reporter.

(D) The Press-Enterprise, Riverside, Calif., Mark Benoit, wire editor.

(D) The Palm Beach Post, Fla., George McEvoy, columnist.

(R) The Commercial Appeal, Memphis, Barbara Bradley, fashion editor.

(D) The Des Moines Register, Stephen P. Dinnen, business reporter.

(D) The Honolulu Advertiser, Chris Neil, wire editor.

(D) The Blade, Toledo, James Bradley, copy editor.

(D) Lexington Herald-Leader, Brian Throckmorton, copy desk chief.

(R) The Morning Call, Allentown, Pa., Beth Hudson, sports reporter.

(D) The Daytona Beach, Fla., News-Journal, Marc Davidson, editor.

(D) Albany, N.Y., Times Union, Greg Montgomery, graphic design editor.

(R) The Washington Times, Gary Arnold, film critic.

(D) San Gabriel Valley Newspapers, Calif., Eric Terrazas, sports editor.

(R) The New York Sun, Liz Peek, financial columnist.

(D) The Lincoln, Neb., Journal Star, Paul Fell, editorial cartoonist.

(D) The Lincoln, Neb., Journal Star, Sylvia Hermanson, copy editor. Click for details.

(R) The Macon, Ga., Telegraph, Stephen "Keich" Whicker, local government reporter.

(D) New Hampshire Union Leader, David Johnson, sports copy editor.

(D) Corpus Christi, Texas, Caller-Times, Elvia Aguilar, business writer.

(D) National Catholic Reporter, Margot Patterson, senior writer and arts/opinion editor.

(D) York, Pa., Daily Record, Teresa Cook, copy editor.

(D) Muskegon, Mich., Chronicle, Terry Judd, reporter and chief of the Grand Haven bureau.

(D) Fort Wayne, Ind., News-Sentinel, Fran Adler, copy editor.

(D) Fort Wayne, Ind., News-Sentinel, Faith Van Gilder, copy editor. Click for details.

(D) Martha's Vineyard, Mass., Times, Whit Griswold, copy editor.

[RON MALY'S COMMENTS: Well, let's have a vote -- just like the newspaper and the TV stations do. Here are the options:

a) Dinnen should be fired

b) Dinnen should keep his job

c) Dinnen should sent to Indianpolis for a copy boy to be named later

d) Dinnen should be required to walk the skywalk system twice a day for six months

e) Dinnen should learn his fate by appearing before Judge John Lloyd in Adel as soon as possible]

*

From the Tampa Tribune by way of the University of Iowa:

Kim Pendery has become the eighth female sports editor in the country after being named the Tampa Tribune's senior editor For multimedia sports.

Pendery replaces Nick Pugliese, who is now the Tribune's deputy sports editor and will supervise Buccaneers coverage, plus oversee reporting of the Lightning and Rays.

Pendery, 51, inherits a staff that recently earned six awards in the Associated Press sports editors annual contest, including an all-time best four writing awards.

"I'm honored. There are a great group of people here. It's a great sports staff. There are a lot of big events coming up in the next few years, which is a huge challenge, and I'm excited and happy to be working with everyone," Pendery said.

Pendery graduated with a psychology degree from Indiana University in 1977 and earned a master's degree in journalism from the University of Iowa in 1980. She worked at the Iowa City Press-Citizen, Pensacola Journal and Kansas City Times. Pendery worked in the sports department of the St. Petersburg Times for 20 years, starting her career as a copy editor and eventually being promoted to executive sports editor.

She was hired May 1, 2006, by the Tampa Tribune as a features team leader and editor of 4You, the paper's successful health and fitness magazine, and is currently expected to guide a department switching its emphasis toward local sports.

"We're always looking for ways to improve our sections and coverage. Kim brings a real dynamic approach to local sports coverage," said Janet E. Coats, the Tribune's executive editor.

[RON MALY'S COMMENTS: Good for Kim. A newspaper sports department is a great place to put a psychology degree from Indiana to work].

*

Illustration of reporter/photographer courtesy of Google.

Life Goes On Swimmingly.....

6-6 Cal-Irvine Player Who Scored 19 Against Drake Last Season Is Now a Bulldog; More Good News: Cubs Trade Our Guy Punchy Barrett To San Diego

Some baseball news right on top of some basketball news.

And all of it's good news.

First, this:

The Chicago Cubs have dumped Michael Barrett, the catcher who wants to fight everybody.

San Diego took Barrett off their hands.

More on that later in this piece.

Here's the other news:

Drake has a new basketball player...

Sean Welsh of the Rapid City Journal reports that Adam Templeton of Rapid City can’t wait to get down to business —- on and off the court.

The former Central High School all-stater has transferred from California-Irvine to Drake for a couple of reasons.

“At Drake, academically, they’ve got a business major that I want to pursue,” Templeton said. “At Irvine, they didn’t have a business school, so I want to major in business at Drake.”

Templeton will also be exposed to a different brand of basketball, as the Bulldogs compete in the Missouri Valley Conference, featuring such mid-major powers as Creighton, Northern Iowa, Southern Illinois and Wichita State.

“Oh yeah, the teams are going to be a little better competition,” Templeton added. “I’m looking forward to that. Hopefully we can get to the tournament sometime.”

Templeton, who played two seasons at Irvine, signed with Drake in early June. He will, however, be forced to sit out a season because of NCAA Division I transfer rules. But, he seemed pretty optimistic about it.

“I think it will be good,” Templeton said. “Another year of school, and I’ll be able to work on my game.”

Templeton plans on hitting the weights and also working on some different aspects of his game.

“I need to work on getting to the free-throw line, ball handling and the one-dribble pull-up jump shot,” he said.

Templeton said Drake's coach, Tom Davis, "was kind of legend there in Iowa. His son, Keno Davis, is taking over. He was the assistant under his dad for three years. It’s a change, but obviously (Keno Davis) has been in the program for a while and knows what’s going on.”

As an Anteater, Templeton averaged 4.5 points and 2.7 rebounds per game his first season and was named to the Big West all-freshman team. As a sophomore, the 6-foot-6, 212-pound swingman averaged eight points and 4.4 rebounds. He played about 26.5 minutes per game and started 22 of UC-Irvine’s 33 games.

Ironically, Templeton scored a career-high 19 points against Drake in a 76-73 loss during his sophomore season Dec. 12, 2006.

*

The Chicago Tribune, ESPN and probably even Stars and Stripes and all the newspapers on cruise ships around the world say Barrett was traded this morning to San Diego for catcher Rob Bowen and class A outfielder Kyler Burke.

Obviously, the Cubs will save some money. Barrett is paid $4.5 million a year, Bowen is paid $382,000.

The Cubs' management -- nice guys that they are -- will pay part of Barrett's salary the rest of the season.

They can't win, but they have money.

Barrett is eligible for free agency after the season, and it's doubtful the Cubs would have signed him again.

Maybe San Diego won't, either.

Barrett hits pretty well [at least on the field, and occasionally off the field], but he's a lousy catcher.

The minute an opposing player gets on first base, he's off to the races--or at least second base.

More often than not, he's successful.

Barrett is hitting .258 with nine home runs and 29 runs batted in this season.

He got into a whopper of a fistfight with Cubs pitcher Carlos Zambrano in the dugout and in the clubhouse recently.

My guess is that Zambrano -- as well as others -- won't mind it that Barrett is gone.

And don't forget that other episode Barrett was involved in last year. He sucker-punched White Sox catcher A. J. Pierzynski during a game at Comiskey Park.

By the way, the Cubs and San Diego don't play again in the regular season.

But there's always the playoffs.

Dream on, Cub fans.

*

The 2007 Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) 10-and-under boys' basketball national championships will be held in Des Moines June 30-July 7.

Games will be held at Hy-Vee Hall on an unprecedented scale, with four courts being utilized for the first time ever. If additional space is needed, local community schools will also host games.

Competing teams are from over 15 different states, including California, New York and central Iowa, with squads from both Des Moines and Ames.

To compete in the tournament, teams must qualify through their district tournament or at a super regional qualifying tournament.

"Our goal is to attract 80 teams, in hopes that we are able to get this tournament on a five-year rotating basis in Des Moines," said Steve Fuller, tournament director.

"We want to show central Iowa hospitality," he said. "We want to showcase Des Moines and everything it has to offer."

An adult weekly pass for spectator admission costs $40 and a youth (ages 14 and under) weekly pass costs $30. The daily rate is $12 for adults and $8 for youth.

"A successful event will serve as a springboard in attracting additional youth basketball events to the Des Moines area," said Al Lorenzen, Director of Sports, Des Moines Area Sports Commission. "We are excited about this event and what it can lead to."

*

Photos of the famous Michael Barrett-Carolos Zambrano fight [right] and Rob Bowen [left] courtesy of Google. Photo of Adam Templeton [center] courtesy of Cal-Irvine.

Death Never Has a Football Off-Season -- Indiana Coach Terry Hoeppner Dies At 59 Of Brain Tumors. Iowa's Ferentz Calls It a 'Terrible Loss'

Sad news in collegiate football today.

Yes, this is called the off-season, but death never takes an off-season.

Indiana coach Terry Hoeppner, 59, died at 6:50 a.m. of complications of brain cancer.

Hoeppner [pictured after his team upset Iowa last season] had two brain surgeries in the past 18 months, and spent the last four months on medical leave. The Associated Press said he died at Bloomington [Ind.] Hospital with his family at his side.

"Terry's fight was courageous and will serve as an inspiration to those who have known him," Indiana athletic director Rick Greenspan said. "This is a truly sad day for our community and all of our thoughts and prayers are with the Hoeppner family and to those whose lives he has touched."

Hoeppner was being treated for the brain tumor over the past 18 months. During Hoeppner's illness the school released few details of the nature of his condition or his treatment.

Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz called Hoeppner's death "a terrible loss."

“The entire Iowa football family wants to extend our deepest sympathies to the family of Terry Hoeppner on their loss," Ferentz said. "He was an outstanding football coach and an even better man."

Hoeppner's Hoosiers surprised everyone last season by upsetting Ferentz's Iowa squad, 31-28, at Bloomington.

Hoeppner, whose record was 9-14 in two seasons, had taken three medical leaves since December, 2005. He hadn't been seen publicly since late February. Late last week, the school said assistant Bill Lynch would replace him as coach for the 2007 season.

In December 2005, doctors removed a tumor from his right temple a year after Greenspan hired Hoeppner.

His wife, Jane, said in a statement announcing Lynch's hiring that her husband was undergoing radiation and chemotherapy treatments. He had been hospitalized last week, but was expected to return home Friday.

In September, a CT scan revealed another growth in the same area of Hoeppner's brain.

Hoeppner was hired in 2004 to rebuild Indiana's football program. He soon nicknamed the Hoosiers' home field "The Rock" and then had the giant limestone boulder added to Memorial Stadium to reinforce the message.

A native of northeastern Indiana, Hoeppner grew up a Hoosiers fan, attended college at Franklin, near Indianapolis, and coached on the prep level in his home state.

In eight seasons as a head coach, six at Miami of Ohio, Hoeppner was 57-39, and he took Miami to consecutive bowl games in 2003 and 2004.

Even after spending 19 seasons as an assistant coach at Miami (Ohio), Hoeppner still had a fondness for the Hoosiers, and it didn't take long for the fans to embrace him.

After the September surgery, the energetic coach returned sooner than expected. Three days after surgery, he sneaked into Indiana's coaching box at Memorial Stadium and watched the Hoosiers lose to Division I-AA Southern Illinois. Two weeks later, he resumed coaching.

Hoeppner later inferred that test results from the second surgery showed what doctors removed was only scar tissue, not cancerous, and university officials never acknowledged Hoeppner had been suffering from a terminal illness.

Hoeppner continued making public appearances until late February. In March, he announced he was skipping spring practice to regain his "energy and strength."

Hoeppner is survived by his wife, three children -- Amy, Allison and Drew -- and four grandchildren.

*

Photo of Terry Hoeppner courtesy of the Cedar Rapids Gazette.

Drake Picks Loney, 55, And Not My Choice Williams, But the Ex-NFL and Cyclone Assistant Coach Is a Good Interim Hire By Clubb, Maxwell

Well, at least both Drake and I were thinking interim.

Interim football coach, I mean.

I suggested the other day that former Dowling High School and Simpson College head coach Jim Williams would be an ideal guy to be Drake's interim coach.

In other words, until athletic director Sandy Hatfield Clubb had time to find somebody on a permanent basis.

This afternoon -- two days later -- Clubb and university president David Maxwell showed up at the same press conference table with Steve Loney [pictured in the center, courtesy of GoDrakeBulldogs.com], an out-of-work National Football League assistant.

Give Clubb credit for lining up Loney to be the interim coach at a time when she had no time to waste. Drake opens its season Aug. 30 at Illinois State of the Gateway Conference.

So it'll be Loney, 55, who makes an interesting coaching switch. Since 2002 he's been an offensive line coach in the NFL -- from 2002 through 2005 with the Minnesota Vikings, in 2006 with the Arizona Cardinals.

Now he'll be calling the shots at non-scholarship Drake.

Loney has been a football coach for 30 years and has never stayed in one place very long. He'd usually have a game-plan in one hand and an airplane ticket in the other.

He built up so much frequent-flier mileage he maybe was on a first-name basis with all the baggage handlers at United.

Loney succeeds Rob Ash as Drake's coach. Ash last week ended 18 seasons at the school by becoming the new coach at Montana State. He was both the winningest and losingest coach at Drake.

Even though I'm sure Williams would have been a solid choice to replace Ash, it'll impress Drake's players that Loney has been in the NFL and made three coaching stops at Iowa State and one at Minnesota before that.

My guess is he'll be able to do pretty well with the Bulldogs.

I hope so. That often-kicked-around program needs all the help it can get.

Loney's hiring is likely for only one season, but some things could happen to make it a longer marriage.

If he wins seven, eight or nine games next season, Drake may want him back for a longer period of time.

And Loney may want to stay if he doesn't land a job with an NFL team or on a major-college staff.

Stranger things have happened.

DRAKE'S SCHEDULE

Thur, Aug 30 Illinois State at Normal, Ill. 7:05 p.m.
Sat, Sep 08 Waldorf Drake Stadium 6 p.m.
Sat, Sep 15 Wisconsin-Platteville at Platteville, Wis. 1 p.m.
Sat, Sep 22 Northern Iowa Drake Stadium TBA
Sat, Sep 29 Valparaiso* Drake Stadium 1 p.m.
Sat, Oct 06 Butler* Drake Stadium 1 p.m.
Sat, Oct 13 San Diego* at San Diego, Calif. 8 p.m.
Sat, Oct 20 Davidson* at Davidson, N.C. Noon
Sat, Oct 27 Jacksonville* Drake Stadium 1 p.m.
Sat, Nov 03 Morehead State* at Morehead, Ky. Noon
Sat, Nov 10 Dayton* Drake Stadium 1 p.m.

*Conference game

*

LONEY'S COACHING HISTORY

[Take a Deep Breath, It's Long -- With Plenty of Frequent Flier Miles]

1974 Iowa State Graduate Assistant
1975-76 Missouri Western Offensive Coordinator/Offensive Line
1977-78 Leavenworth (Kan.) High School Head Coach
1979-80 Morehead State Offensive Coordinator/Offensive Line
1981-83 Morehead State Head Coach
1984-86 Citadel Asst. Head Coach/Offensive Line
1989-92 Colorado State Asst. Head Coach/Offensive Line
1993 Arizona Cardinals Asst. Offensive Line
1994 Connecticut Asst. Head Coach/Wide Receivers
1995-97 Iowa State Offensive Coordinator/Offensive Line
1998-99 Minnesota Offensive Coordinator/Offensive Line
2000-01 Iowa State Offensive Coordinator/Offensive Line
2002-04 Minnesota Vikings Offensive Line
2005 Minnesota Vikings Offensive Coordinator/Offensive Line
2006 Arizona Cardinals Offensive Line

*

Drake women's basketball coach Amy Stephens today announced the hiring of Allison Pohlman as an assistant.

Pohlman [pictured at the lower right, courtesy of GoDrakeBulldogs.com] joins the Bulldog staff after spending the past seven seasons as a coach at Northern Iowa -- including serving as the Panthers' associate head coach in 2006-2007.

"We're excited to have Coach Pohlman join our coaching staff," Stephens commented. "She's relentless in her pursuit of excellence and we like the way she fits the philosophy we strive for at Drake. She has a strong work ethic, an uncanny ability to recruit and an inside edge with the Missouri Valley Conference. She's built a great reputation in the state of Iowa, and we intend to capitalize on her strengths as a coach, a recruiter and a relationship builder."

Her primary responsibilities will be serving as recruiting coordinator, tutoring the Bulldogs' off-guards and assisting with the preparation of scouting reports. She replaces Micah Parker on the staff.

"I am eager to join such a strong team and will strive to meet and surpass the expectations of the Bulldogs' coaching staff, players, and fans," Pohlman said. "This is an extraordinary opportunity, as well as a wonderful new challenge. I look forward to my future as a Drake Bulldog."

By the way, Pohlman is a busy lady.

The Wellsburg, Ia., native and her husband, Kirk, have triplet daughters, Quinn, Rubie and Sidny.

*

From Jane Norman of the Des Moines Register's Washington Bureau:

"Many of you know our former colleague [at the Register], Tom Fogarty, who is now an editor at USA Today in Washington. Tom's sister, Sheila Fogarty McGill, and her husband, Clement McGill, were killed in a head-on collision in Nebraska on Friday.

"If you would like to send a note, Tom and Susie Fogarty's address is 411 Council Drive NE, Vienna, VA 22180."

I've Got the Perfect Solution To Drake's Coaching Predicament: Hire Jim Williams, the Outstanding Ex-Dowling, Simpson Head Coach, Ex-Cyclone Assistant

You know me.

Always full of ideas.

Today's idea is that I think Drake should hire Jim Williams as its interim football coach.

Everybody in Des Moines, West Des Moines and the rest of Iowa knows Jim Williams.

He was the head coach at Dowling High School, Simpson College and probably some other places, and he was on Earle Bruce's staff at Iowa State.

I'm pretty sure Jimbo is in his 70s, but he can still coach.

I also think he's a winner.

I see him every September on the sideline, wearing a headset, whenever Dowling plays Valley.

I always want Valley to win that game because all of my sons graduated from there, but I hope Dowling and Jimbo win every other one of their games.

I'm pretty sure Williams is working on a volunteer basis at Dowling. Hell, if they slip him a buck or two under the table every Friday night after the coaches have their beer and pizza following a game, so be it.

I'm sure that wouldn't interfere with his Social Security checks.

Jimbo deserves it.

To show how active Jimbo is, he's running Jim Williams Offensive Line Camps this summer at places like Dowling, Indianola and Abraham Lincoln of Council Bluffs.

I think Jimbo would love it if Hatfield Clubb would call and ask if he'd be interested in taking the Drake job for a year.

And, if he should happen to win seven, eight or nine games, maybe he'd like to come back for a second year.

I want Drake football to be a success, and giving the coaching job at least temporarily to Williams would be a feel-good story for Drake, Jimbo, Dowling, David Maxwell, Hatfield Clubb, Paul Morrison, Mike Mahon, Spike the Bulldog and all the family and friends who attend the Bulldogs' games.

I think Williams could probably put together a coaching staff in a couple of days. After all, he knows every coach in the state.

I've already told you that Ash has taken three of his assistant coaches -- including both coordinators -- to Montana State, his new gig.

I thought Drake should have considered giving its job to one of the coordinators for the 2007 season so Hatfield Clubb could get some time to find a solid coach.

Who's she going to find now?

All I can think of 10 weeks before Drake's season starts is Jim Williams.


*

Drake logo courtesy of Drake University.

Kansas City Going After Valley Basketball Tournament; And How About This One -- Drake's Defensive Coordinator Joins Ash At Montana State

The Missouri Valley Conference basketball tournament in Kansas City?

It could happen.

In the future anyway.

Hell, playing the Valley postseason event in Kansas City makes about as much sense as playing it in Kansas City, doesn't it?

Neither city has a team in the Valley.

Oh, well.

Anyway, here's a story written by Blair Kerkhoff of the Kansas City Star:

Kansas City is going after the Missouri Valley Conference men’s basketball tournament.

And the league is listening.

“We’ve had discussions with Kansas City and we’re excited about the possibilities,” Valley commissioner Doug Elgin said.

The Valley expects to send requests for proposals to Kansas City, St. Louis and Omaha in July. The tournament will be played in St. Louis for the 18th consecutive season in 2008 and the Valley is looking at sites for the following five years.

The event has been a turnstile success story in St. Louis, attracting more than 22,000 for a session and 85,000 for the tournament — attendance records — at the Scottrade Center in March.

“But we have a responsibility to our 10 schools to see what is out there through the bid process,” Elgin said. “If it’s financially beneficial to relocate we have to look at that.”

Elgin didn’t specify Kansas City’s potential offer, but said “Kansas City has always taken an aggressive stance when it comes to big events.”

The men’s tournament would be played at the Sprint Center, scheduled to open in October and the site for the Big 12 men’s tournament in 2008, 2010 and 2011.

Also on the table: the Valley baseball tournament. League officials were impressed last month when they toured CommunityAmerica Ballpark, home of the T-Bones, in Kansas City, Kan. The tournament, played at campus sites, could move as early as 2009.

“This is a top priority for us,” said Kevin Gray, president of the Kansas City Sports Commission. “Anything related to college basketball and college sports are strong strategic aspects of what we’re trying to build in the marketplace.”

Ideally, Kansas City would have at least one major conference basketball tournament per year. The Missouri Valley could be in Kansas City in years the Big 12 is elsewhere.

“Could it be as successful in Kansas City from an attendance standpoint?” Elgin said. “Yes, because it works well geographically.”

Kansas City is a three-hour drive from four Missouri Valley schools — Wichita State, Missouri State, Creighton and Drake.

“We’re in a zone in terms of our popularity,” Elgin said. “It may not be an automatic sellout like the Big 12, but we are a very big convention for a city. We’re going to put a lot of heads on beds.”

Eventually, Gray said, the city’s relationship with the 10-team Missouri Valley could benefit UMKC’s quest to join the league.

“But first things first, and we couldn’t be more excited about having the opportunity to host an outstanding event like this,” he said.

*

ASH HIRES DRAKE'S DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR

Rob Ash began constructing his first defensive staff at Montana State today.

Bobcat officials said Ash turned his attention to defense, bringing a pair of success stories from his coaching past into the Montana State football future.

Jamie Marshall, Ash’s defensive coordinator at Drake from 2003-06, joins the Bobcat staff in the same position, and takes responsibility for the linebackers. Noah Joseph comes to MSU as secondary coach after helping lead Eastern Illinois to league titles and Division I Playoff appearances in 2005 and ‘06. Marshall and Joseph played together at Drake from 1995-98.

“I’m excited that Jamie and Noah have joined our coaching staff,” Ash said. “A very important part of this is that they will work very well together,” Ash said. “Jamie and Noah were college teammates that stayed in very close contact with other, and I know that they are eager and excited to work together again.”

Marshall’s Bulldog defense has been one of the stingiest in the nation in points allowed, finishing in the top 10 in Division I FCS in scoring defense in two of the last three seasons. His teams have defended the run (12th in 2004) and pass (10th last fall, 23rd in 2004) with equal proficiency. After a one-season stint in the Iowa prep ranks (1999), Marshall served on Ash’s Drake staff ever since. He was an assistant for three years before serving as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach the past four seasons. He was a two-year All-Pioneer League defensive back for the Bulldogs, earning his bachelor’s degree in 1999.

“Jamie has been with us through some tough times,” Ash said. “He’s seen a lot of different things, working his way up through the ranks as a young assistant and coming up through the evolution of our defense. He saw what worked and what didn’t work, and when I promoted him to coordinator I was really impressed with how he pulled from his experiences in different schemes and under different coordinators to build a very, very effective multiple defense.”

Like Marshall, Joseph played for Ash, earning Academic All-Pioneer League honors as a Bulldog team captain in 1998. After a year in the marketing industry, Joseph began his coaching career at Drake in 2000, moving to Eastern Kentucky (2001) and Iowa State (2002) as a graduate assistant. He became Eastern Illinois’ secondary coach in 2003. EIU finished 16th in I-AA in pass efficiency defense in 2005, while Panther defensive backs intercepted 11 passes and forced five fumbles in 2006.

“Noah has gained tremendous experience since his playing career in some successful programs,” Ash said, “and in his four years at Eastern Illinois his secondary has been very successful. He has seen some different things, and he brings experience coaching teams in the Division I Playoffs. That experience will be valuable for this staff.”

Ash said his defensive coordinator and secondary coach embody what he looks for in coaches. “First, they are guys that have high standards and high expectations for their players,” he said. “They have the right values. They believe in their players, and they coach that way every day. Second, they have a tremendous love for the game of football, a thirst to continue to learn the game. I really appreciate the combination of personality and values.”

MSU’s two newest assistants also bring the tempo and pace that Ash looks for to the Bobcat program. “We want to be fundamentally sound, and to play very, very fast, not in an uncontrolled way but by fitting everything right and flying to the ball. That’s how we build our defense.”

*

BIG 12 COMMISSIONER JOINS BIG TEN TV NETWORK

Talk about strange moves:

In his early years as Big 12 Conference commissioner, Kevin Weiberg's job was to mediate the tense marriage of the midwest-based Big Eight and four Southwest Conference schools in Texas.

Weiberg, who caught Big 12 athletic directors by surprise Thursday when he announced he was resigning next month to take a job with the new Big Ten Network, was part-commissioner and part-counselor.

"The conference was new and the working relationships were not well-established," Weiberg said in an Associated Press story. "This was to some extent Conference Building 101."

Weiberg, who started in December, 1998, built the Big 12 into one of college sports' wealthiest and most competitive conferences. He is credited with doubling the annual revenue distributed to member schools from $54 million in his first year to a record $106 million last year. Big 12 teams won 27 NCAA championships and 200 individual national titles during his tenure.

His ability to keep money flowing into the coffers of member schools helped smooth over early distrust in the new conference. Big Eight holdovers looked at the Big 12 as an expansion, whereas the Texas schools looked at it as a new venture.

Texas Tech athletic director Gerald Myers said Weiberg brought unity to the Big 12. Texas director DeLoss Dodds praised the outgoing commissioner's "critical leadership during the growth of the Big 12."

No replacement has been named. A consulting group probably will help identify candidates, and an interim commissioner is likely after Weiberg leaves in mid-July.

Weiberg said he felt the timing was right to make a change. He helped complete TV agreements with ABC and ESPN through the 2015-16 academic year. Championship sites for major sports are in place for the next four years, and established bowl agreements will last through the 2009-10 season.

*

Photo of Kevin Weiberg courtesy of the Associated Press.

I've Got a Great Place for Troublemaker Michael Barrett: No-Name Ballfield, Which Could Use Some Excitement, Is Where He Could Fight With Pitchers

Life would be a lot simpler for the Chicago Cubs and their fans if they could find a place for catcher Michael Barrett.

Like No-Name Ballfield in Des Moines, which once was known as Sec Taylor Stadium -- where nobody would have to watch him play.

That place could use a little excitement. Or a lot.

Or even Tampa Bay, Fla., where I hear there's a professional baseball team.

Barrett, who was mugged by Cubs pitcher Carlos Zambrano a couple of weeks ago, got into what the Associated Press calls "a heated discussion" with another pitcher on his own team last night.

This time he had problems with Rich Hill. The AP story:

Michael Barrett says he has already moved on past his second dugout argument with a Cubs pitcher in two weeks. Whether fans and teammates will let it go remains to be seen.

Barrett, who got into a dugout shoving match and then a clubhouse brawl with Carlos Zambrano during a game earlier this month, had a heated discussion with left-hander Rich Hill in the fourth inning of Chicago's 5-3 loss to the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday night.

Cameras trained on the Cubs dugout caught the two arguing after Hill gave up an RBI single to Seattle pitcher Jarrod Washburn.

"It was the heat of the moment," Barrett said. "Rich did a pretty good job overall, and I think he was pretty disappointed about hanging a slider to Washburn. It wasn't even a big deal. We were just talking about pitch selection, what we were going to do next inning."

Hill denied there was a problem, saying he was angry with himself. "No, no, no," he said. "No disagreement. I just told [Barrett] I was upset about the pitch. I just wish I made a better pitch to Washburn. He said 'Just hang in there and keep us where we're at and we're going to win this game.' "

Barrett, whose RBI single tied the game at 3-3 in the eighth, had bigger problems later. He mishandled a throw from right fielder Jacque Jones in the top of the 13th inning as Jose Vidro scored the winning run on a Willie Bloomquist RBI single.

"I saw him at third base, and I was going to make him run over me to touch home plate," Barrett said. "At the last second, I don't know, it either came out of my glove or I just took my eye off of it. I'll have to look at [the replay]."

On June 1, Barrett and Zambrano had to be separated in the dugout during an argument, and then continued their fight in the clubhouse. Both men apologized and were disciplined by the team for the fracas, and later said they had resolved their differences the next day.

[RON MALY'S COMMENTS: Barrett has to go. I like his competitive attitude, but he's a lousy catcher who has lost the respect of his pitchers. They'd prefer one of the other catchers to be in the lineup when it's their turn to throw. There's bad blood on that overpaid team, first-year manager Lou Piniella hasn't gotten control of his club and things are headed downhill. The team can't win close games, can't put a team away and rarely shows life. The Chicago Tribune owns the team now, but will be selling it soon. I hope sports columnist Jay Mariotti of the Chicago Sun-Times buys it].

*

DRAKE ASSISTANT DALE PLOESSL JOIN ASH'S MONTANA STATE STAFF

The Bozeman [Mont.] Daily Chronicle reported that Dale Ploessl, who played for Rob Ash at Drake and orchestrated the Bulldogs' running game the past three seasons, has joined Montana State's football staff as offensive coordinator.

Ploessl becomes the first assistant coach to join Ash's staff.

“I'm excited that Dale is joining our program,” Ash said. “He's been at my side coaching for most of my career, and I felt he was a great part of our success. His life is football, his passion is football and the players who play it.”

The Bulldogs averaged 27.5 points per game last year, 21st nationally among the 116 Division I FCS squads, and 405.4 total yards a game, fifth nationally. Drake rushed for 231.6 yards a game in 2006, eighth in the nation. Scott Phaydavong's 146.6 yards a game was the third-highest total in FCS.

Ploessl's three Bulldog teams in his most recent tenure finished in the top 20 in rushing yards in FCS, and no lower than 31st in scoring offense.

Ploessl [pronounced PLUSS-uhl] brings a varied offensive background to MSU. Before returning for his second stint on the Drake coaching staff in 2004, he coached quarterbacks and coordinated the California [Pa.] University offense in 2002-03. Before that, he was a graduate assistant at Iowa State in 2001 and Oklahoma State in 2000.

Ploessl finished his career as a Drake defensive lineman in 1992. The next fall he began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at his alma mater. He served in that position in 1993 and '94, and in '95 became the offensive line coach and offensive coordinator at Drake.

He held that position for five years, before his two-year stay in the Big 12.

[RON MALY'S COMMENTS: Well, that's one fewer guy who Drake athletic director Sandy Hatfield Clubb could hire as the Bulldogs' next head coach. Ploessl had gotten strong reviews from Drake people, and it's too bad he's following Ash west. I still think it wouldn't be a bad idea for Clubb to choose one of Ash's assistants and make him at least the interim coach so she'd have all of next season to choose the right coach].

*
IOWA'S SCHNEPF, HALUSKA NAMED MEDAL OF HONOR WINNERS

Winners of the Big Ten’s oldest award, the Medal of Honor, were announced today by the conference office. Iowa’s honorees are all-Americans Heather Schnepf (field hockey) and Adam Haluska (basketball).

First awarded in 1914, the Big Ten endowed a Medal of Honor to be given annually to a student in the graduating class of each university that demonstrated proficiency in scholarship and athletics. In 1982, the Medal of Honor was expanded to include a senior female athlete from each institution.

Haluska earned first team all-Big Ten honors this season. The native of Carroll, Ia., is also a first team academic all-American and was named the Academic all-American of the Year for Division I men’s basketball. Haluska led the Big Ten Conference in scoring, averaging 20.5 points in all games and 21.3 in league games.

In addition to being an all-America pick, Schnepf was the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. She is only the third player in Big Ten history to earn the defensive award in back-to-back years. Schnepf, a native of Medford, N.J., was a unanimous first team all-Big Ten selection and was named to the all-Big Ten tournament team.

The 2007 Big Ten Medal of Honor winners:

Illinois -- Warren Carter, basketball - Yvonne Mensah, track and field

Indiana -- Will Meyers, football - Stacey Clausing, track and field

Iowa -- Adam Haluska, basketball - Heather Schnepf, field hockey

Michigan -- Jeff Porter, track and field - Katie Erdman, track and field

Michigan State -- Drew Stanton, football - Kristen Coleman, gymnastics

Minnesota -- Matt Spaeth, football - Emily Brown, track and field

Northwestern -- Chris Wilson, golf - Alexis Prousis, tennis

Ohio State -- Kellen Harkness, diving - Saskia Mueller, field hockey

Penn State -- Daniel Kaiserian, swimming - Stephanie Sullivan, gymnastics

Purdue -- Mike Otto, football - Katie Gearlds, basketball

Wisconsin -- Joe Thomas, football - Sara Bauer, ice hockey

*

Photo of Michael Barrett [right] courtesy of the Chicago Cubs. Photo of Heather Schnepf [left] courtesy of the University of Iowa. Ron Maly thanks University of Iowa sports information director Phil Haddy for writing the Medal of Honor story.

I'm As Guilty As Anyone--If I'd Gone To Drake Stadium To See Rob Ash's Teams, I'd Be Asking, 'How's Iowa Doing?' Also, Did Ash Take a Pay Cut?

I'm as guilty as anyone.

Rob Ash coached football teams for 18 seasons at Drake, and I didn't go to any of his games.

None. Zero.

Just like a lot of other people, I kept paying attention to what Iowa and Iowa State were doing on Saturdays.

Even when they were bad.

I didn't make the short drive to Drake Stadium to see how Ash was winning eight and nine games a season.

I didn't give Ash and his program much respect, and neither did thousands of other people who stay away from Drake Stadium except when the Drake Relays are held in April.

But good for Ash now. I guess.

Montana State gave him a three-year, $130,000-a-season contract to be its next coach. I hope he didn't have to take a pay cut. Most football coaches get five years, but Ash wasn't in any position to make demands.

He probably would've taken the job on a six-month trial basis.

Now go tee it up against Texas A&M in 10 weeks, Rob.

A few people out there in Bozeman are wondering why the athletic director had to settle for a guy who they think is making a lateral move, but that's what happens when two of the four finalists withdraw right after their interviews.

And one of 'em was from North Dakota -- a place most people are trying to get away from.

Maybe that says something about the job. Or the athletic director.

Yes, sir, good for Ash. He certainly didn't want to be a guy who ended his coaching career waking up at night in the middle of a nightmare, wondering how he could've applied for the Northern Iowa job a few years ago, but couldn't even get an interview.

When we write about Ash, we always call him Drake's winningest coach.

He certainly was. Ash won 125 games -- 59 more than Vee Green, who had a 66-59-8 record from 1933-1946.

"But he was probably Drake's losingest coach, too, wasn't he?" one of my sons pointed out.

He sure was.

Ash lost 83 games in his 18 seasons -- 18 more than Jack Wallace, who was 60-65-3 at Drake from 1965-1976.

Anyway, Ash is gone now, and Drake is looking for its 24th football coach. Trying to find a coach in June who will have a non-scholarship team ready for an Aug. 30 game at Illinois State of the Gateway Conference is a awesome assignment and -- if it were me -- I'd probably pick one of Ash's coordinators to see the program through 2007.

But that's up to Sandy Hatfield Clubb. Sandy is Drake's athletic director, and she's been on the job less than a year.

Still, I have a lot of confidence in her, and I think she'll make the right decision on what to do about a Drake football program that's been caught in the middle, or below the middle, most of the time since the university fielded its first team in 1893.

The year I moved to Des Moines [1959], Tommy O'Connell moved here, too. Tommy didn't make it to 1960. I'm still here. Don't ask me what that says.

Tommy had been a quarterback at Illinois, and Drake thought he might know something about coaching collegiate football.

It turned out he didn't.

Drake was having football identity problems then, too, and started playing some of its games on Friday nights. O'Connell's program was a mess. His team won two games. The Bulldogs were clobbered in their opener to Iowa State, 41-0, and later lost to Northern Iowa, 14-6.

I'll tell you how bad it was. Drake also lost to St. Ambrose [that's right, St. Ambrose], 23-22, and to Wichita State, 20-7.

Wichita State doesn't play football anymore. Neither do Creighton and Bradley, other schools that have basketball teams in the Missouri Valley Conference.

There are plenty of people who think it's silly for Drake to be playing football, and to be struggling for recognition with Iowa State of the Big 12 Conference 25 miles north and Iowa of the Big Ten 115 miles east, but that's what Drake has chosen to do.

The guy who was probably my favorite Drake coach was Chuck Shelton, who had a 40-59 record from 1977-1985.

Shelton was the man who had the football scholarship rug pulled out from under him, and it obviously still bothers him more than a quarter-century later.

When his 1981 team, which had 10-1 record, held its 25th reunion last year, Shelton was a no-show.

Shelton also was the guy who made me laugh when he told me it bothered him that the results of Drake games were "back by the tire ads" in the Sunday paper.

A guy who pissed off Shelton bigtime was George Shirk, a sports columnist for the Des Moines Tribune -- then an afternoon newspaper.

Shirk was like Drake football -- constantly looking for attention.

So he wrote a column saying Drake should drop football.

When Shelton and Shirk showed up in the same corner at a Drake Relays cocktail party, Shelton walked away.

When Shirk came to Drake Stadium to write about a Bulldog game, Shelton pretended he wasn't there and wouldn't answer his questions.

Gone forever, of course, are the days when Drake -- then coached by Ossie Solem in the 1920s and 1930s -- played such teams as Notre Dame, Iowa, Nebraska, Florida and Oklahoma.

I won't say that about Iowa State. Who knows, Jamie Pollard may put the Bulldogs on one of his future schedules if Kent State, Toledo or AIB want off.

But the quickest way to get an Iowa State coach fired is to lose to Drake or Northern Iowa.

Ask coaching giants Jim Criner and Jim Walden about that.

By the way, Northern Iowa is in somewhat the same boat as Drake. That school, which has had a hell of a lot more football success in football than the Bulldogs in recent years, has to schedule its home games at 4 p.m. or later on Saturdays because people in the Waterloo/Cedar Falls area are so consumed by the Hawkeyes.

As much as I'd maybe like to suggest that fielding a football program at Drake isn't worth the time and money and that maybe savvy president David Maxwell should take a long, hard look at the future, I guess I can stand to see some young guy come in there and try to beat Waldorf and UNI before a few thousand friends and relatives.

If the whippersnapper reads the paper at all, he'll have to realize that the accounts of his games will be back by the Firestone ads, and that his TV highlights show will likely be shown at 2 a.m. on Tuesdays if they're shown at all.

Some things, of course, never change.

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Photos of Chuck Shelton [left] and Ossie Solem [right] courtesy of Google.

Ash Will Earn $130,000 Annually, Plus Incentives, At Montana State; Drake's Athletic Director Says, 'We Are Aggressively Pursuing a New Coach'

Rob Ash, who became Drake's winningest football coach in his 18 seasons at the university, promised today to "build a program that [Montana State] and its supporters will be proud of."

Ash [pictured at the right] has a three-year contract and will be paid $130,000 annually, plus incentives, by Montana State.

Meanwhile, Drake athletic director Sandy Hatfield Clubb [pictured at the top] said, "We are aggressively pursuing a new coach. It's not the ideal time to be looking for a head coach with camp opening in less than two months. But we have an attractive position.

"We play and exciting brand of football and we have great team coming back. We're looking for a very high quality coach...someone with character, who puts the student first in student-athlete and who is a proven winner.

"I'm thrilled for Rob (Ash) because he is a man of character who put our brand of football on the map. He laid a solid foundation for us and Drake is a better place as a result."

The Bulldogs have 31 returning letterwinners, including 17 starters back, from last year's team which posted a 9-2 record including a 6-1 second-place finish in the Pioneer Football League.

A 1973 graduate of Cornell College in Mt. Vernon, Ia., with a bachelor of arts degree in history, Ash began his coaching career at his alma mater in 1976. After a four-year stint as an assistant at Cornell, he accepted head coaching duties at Juniata in Huntingdon, Pa., in 1980.

After posting a 4-5 record in his first season there, the Eagles posted winning marks in six of the next eight campaigns, leaving Juniata with a 51-36-3 record, the most wins in school history.

"It is difficult to say goodbye to the people at Drake that I've been associated with for the last 18 years," said Ash. "But I left the program in better shape than when I got there."

After coming to Drake in 1989, Ash led the Bulldogs to 7-3 and 6-4 records in his first two seasons. After posting a 4-6 mark in 1991, Ash's Drake squads stood 30-8-2 over the next four years. His 125 victories are the most in school history.

Ash earned Pioneer Football League Coach of the Year honors in 2004, 1998 and 1995.

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Here's an Associated Press report on Ash's hiring:

Rob Ash, a 27-year coaching veteran who emphasizes academic success while seeking athletic success, became Montana State's 31st head football coach today.

"I am tremendously honored to be chosen as Montana State University's new football coach, and I promise to build a program that the university and its supporters will be proud of," Ash, who is either 55 or 59 years of age, said in a statement released by the school.

"I have enormous respect for the institution, its academic and athletic traditions, and for (athletic director) Peter Fields and president (Geoff) Gamble. I love the support here, I love the academic prestige of the school, and I'm excited for this opportunity."

Ash's teams have posted a 125-63-2 record in 18 seasons at Drake, ending with five consecutive winning seasons and a trip to the quarterfinal round of the 2006 NCAA Football Championship Subdivision playoffs. He earned Pioneer Football League coach of the year honors in 2004, 1998 and 1995.

Including nine seasons at NCAA Division III Juniata, Ash is 176-99-5 in his career.

Ash takes over for Mike Kramer, who was fired on May 18 after the arrest of a fifth current or former player within a year. Four face drug charges and a former redshirt player faces a murder charge.

"The football program here at Montana State is far from broken," Ash said. "We have history, tradition, and broad support which allow us to implement our philosophies and principles for behavior to build a foundation of success for the individuals in this program for years to come."

Fields said Ash's application rose to the top of MSU's list, based not only on his team's success, but its high academic and social standards.

"Rob Ash embodies all the attributes that we were looking for in our new coach. His teams are known to work hard on the field and in the classroom while doing the right things in the community. President Gamble and the members of our search committee all feel that Coach Ash and the staff he assembles will ingrain these qualities in our program as we move into a very bright future."

Ash said his coaching philosophy is built on the concept that wins aren't restricted to the football field.

"We instill a commitment in our players to win every day," Ash said. "We want our players to win in the classroom and win in the community by making quality choices. Winning on the football field follows, as does shaping the lives of these young people in a way that will lead to success throughout their lives."

Fields said Ash has accepted a three-year deal that pays an annual salary of $130,000 with incentives that have yet to be finalized.

Ash graduated from Cornell College in 1973 with a bachelor's degree in history. He began coaching at his alma mater in 1976. After four years as an assistant at Cornell, he accepted head coaching duties at Juniata in Huntingdon, Pa., in 1980. After posting a 4-5 record in his first season there, the Eagles posted winning marks in six of the next eight campaigns.

Returning to his native Iowa to take the reigns at Drake in 1989, Ash led the Bulldogs to 7-3 and 6-4 records in his first two seasons. After posting a 4-6 mark in 1991, Ash's Drake squads stood 30-8-2 over the next four years. His 125 wins stands as the most in school history.

A Little All-America as Cornell's quarterback in 1972, Ash also earned academic all-America honors and earned a postgraduate scholarship from the NCAA. He earned his master's degree in history from the University of Michigan in 1975 and completed his master's in physical education at the University of Iowa in 1980.

Carroll College coach Mike Van Diest, Duke assistant Larry Kerr and North Dakota coach Dale Lennon also interviewed for the job. Van Diest and Lennon withdrew their names from consideration for the job.


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Drake sports information director Mike Mahon contributed to this report. Photo of Sandy Hatfield Clubb courtesy of Google. Photo of Rob Ash courtesy of Montana State University.

Rob Ash Liked Challenges When He Coached At Drake, And He'll Get a Big One In His 2007 Montana State Opener With a Sept. 1 Game At Texas A&M

Evidently, Rob Ash wanted a challenge -- and he'll get it.

In his first game as Montana State's football coach anyway.

Ash will be introduced as Montana State's coach tomorrow morning after becoming Drake's winningest coach during an 18-year stay in Des Moines.

Ash's Montana State team opens its 2007 schedule Sept. 1 in a game at Texas A&M of the Big 12 Conference.

That figures to be even more of a mismatch than what Ash's Drake would've faced in its season opener Aug. 30 at Illinois State of the Gateway Conference.

Somebody else will be coaching the Bulldogs then, and also in a Sept. 22 game against Northern Iowa at Drake Stadium.

When he was at Drake, Ash liked the idea of playing one or two teams from the Gateway to see how his team matched up against that type of scholarship competition.

It didn't make much sense to me, but it was Ash's railroad -- and sometimes it turned into a train-wreck for non-football-scholarship Drake.

Whether that kind of scheduling philosophy continues when a new coach is hired by Drake athletic director Sandy Hatfield Clubb remains to be seen.

Ash's 2006 Bulldogs had a 9-2 record.

He inherits a Montana State team that went 8-5. The Bobcats beat Furman, 31-13, in the Division I-AA championships and lost to eventual champion Appalachian State, 38-17, in the quarterfinals.

Mike Kramer was fired as Montana State's coach May 18 after a string of arrests involving his players and even an assistant coach.

In October, 2004, former assistant head coach Joe O'Brien was sentenced to four years in prison for his role in a meth distribution conspiracy.

Former Montana State wide receiver Rick Gatewood was arrested recently on drug charges and is accused of using his athletic scholarship money to traffic cocaine from California in the Bozeman, Mont., area.

Gatewood was the sixth former Montana State athlete arrested or charged with crimas involving drugs or murder in the last year.

Kramer had a 40-43 record in seven seasons at the university, but led the Bobcats to three Big Sky Conference titles and three NCAA playoff appearances.

Ash has vowed to clean up the mess.

Whether he has time to do that is questionable.

The folks in Bozeman, Mont., list Ash's age as 59. Others -- maybe Ash included -- claim he's not quite that old. That stuff happens when a guy starts putting on years.

Whatever, he's certainly in the twilight of his career.

Montana State's 2006 team also started its schedule against a Big 12 opponent. The Bobcats lost at Oklahoma State, 15-10. They lost their regular-season showdown against Montana, 13-7.

Montana State against Montana might not seem like a big deal around here, but I'll bet it is out there.

Like Iowa-Iowa State maybe? Ash will find out next Nov. 17 at Bozeman.

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Photo of Rob Ash courtesy of Drake University.

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2007 SCHEDULES

Montana State

Sept. 1 -- at Texas A&M
Sept. 15 -- Dixie State
Sept. 22 -- at Weber State
Sep 29 -- Idaho State
Oct. 6 -- Southern Utah
Oct. 13 -- at Eastern Washington
Oct 20 -- Sacramento State
Oct 27 -- at Northern Colorado
Nov. 3 -- Northern Arizona
Nov. 10 -- at Portland State
Nov. 17 -- Montana

Drake

Aug. 30 -- at Illinois State
Sept. 8 -- Waldorf
Sept. 15 -- at Wisconsin-Platteville
Sept. 22 -- Northern Iowa
Sept. 29 -- Valparaiso
Oct. 6 -- Butler
Oct. 13 -- at San Diego
Oct. 20 -- at Davidson
Oct. 27 -- Jacksonville
Nov. 3 -- at Morehead State
Nov. 10 -- Dayton

2 Other Candidates Withdraw, So Rob Ash, 59, Drake's Winningest Football Coach, Tells His Bulldogs He's Leaving To Take the Job At Montana State

Hang around long enough and occasionally something happens.

Like to Rob Ash, who has been the football coach at Drake the past 18 seasons.

After two other guys withdrew as candidates for the Montana State job, Ash accepted it today.

Ash is 59 -- an age when lots of folks are starting to look forward to retirement.

Now, our guy Rob is taking a coaching job that's considered equal to the one he's leaving.

It's just that he'll be calling X's and O's in another time zone.

Here's the story from Jeff Welsch, sports editor at the Bozeman [Mont.] Daily Chronicle:

Drake head coach Rob Ash [pictured at the right, courtesy of the Bozeman Daily Chronicle] met with his players today to tell them he was leaving to take the job at Montana State.

Ash, 59, the head coach at Drake the past 18 years, informed his players in a team meeting that he's leaving. MSU has scheduled a press conference for 11 a.m. Monday to announce the hiring of the winningest coach in Drake history.

Ash did not return phone calls tonight. MSU athletic director Peter Fields could neither confirm nor deny the hire.

"I don't have any comment," Fields said.

Ash was one of four finalists to succeed Mike Kramer, who was fired May 18 after the latest in a string of arrests one current player and several former players. He was chosen over Duke assistant Larry Kerr; Carroll College head coach Mike Van Diest withdrew Thursday and North Dakota head coach Dale Lennon pulled out today.

Ash was 125-63-2 at Drake, like MSU an NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) program. The Bulldogs have won four Pioneer Football League titles under Ash, but never earned a berth in the I-AA playoffs.

"You know what? I'm happy with the choice," MSU senior quarterback Cory Carpenter said tonight. "I would've been happy with any choices right now, just to get a coach and get rolling, but Lennon and Ash were my top two choices."

Senior linebacker and captain Will Claggett echoed Carpenter's sentiments.

"I was highly impressed with his research on the school that he had done, and his ability to know what's going on with the team," Claggett said. "The first thing he said when he came in is he knows the system isn't broken, and we're not trying to start over football-wise. That's good to hear, because we're an 8-5 playoff team coming back; it's not like we're 0-11 starting over with a new coach.

"I had no problem if Ash or Lennon got the job."

Carpenter, Claggett and the team met with all four finalists at 6 a.m. each day. Carpenter said he entered the process "totally open-minded" before deciding on his two favorites.

"When Ash came to see us at 6 a.m. the first time, it was just like he'd gone through the speech a million times," Carpenter said. "He was so clean and crisp. Everything that came out of his mouth was so positive. It just sounded good. I liked him from the get-go."

Carpenter also is aware that Drake has put up some hefty offensive numbers.

Ash's 2006 Bulldogs were 9-2 and ranked fifth nationally in total offense, averaging 405 yards per game. In 2004, Drake was 11-1, averaged 30.7 points per game and scored at least 39 points in six of seven home games.

Claggett also liked what Ash said about MSU's defensive prowess.

"I definitely think he'll make some changes, but it's like he knows he's not coming into something that's severely damaged," he said. "The thing I liked about them (Ash and Lennon) is they had a plan with what they wanted to do. They weren't coming in half-heartedly.

"I think a lot of people enjoy (Ash's) demeanor."

The reaction from Des Moines was mixed. There was disappointment, but happiness for Ash's opportunity at a new challenge.

"I'm just tickled pink about this," said Thomas Schlapkohl, a Des Moines lawyer who is a close friend of Ash's and was a classmate at Cornell College in Mt. Vernon. "Rob's technical knowledge of football and ability to win games is exceeded only by his ability to recruit and graduate scholar-athletes who go on to make valuable contributions to community and society.

"Rob is that rare combination of coach, educator, mentor and role model that comes along so rarely."

Ash kicked off MSU's public forums on Monday and earned quick favor by refusing to mention the name of the city where the University of Montana plays. He was aware of the Bobcats' recent off-field issues.

"The problem can be fixed," Ash told Bobcat boosters. "My intention is to institute a recruiting philosophy to bring the right people to Montana State.

"We'll play exciting football on Saturdays, and go to class on weekdays."

Where Ash fit in MSU's pecking order was uncertain Saturday.

Neither Van Diest nor Lennon would say whether they were offered the job. Nor would Fields.

Lennon told Fields on Saturday that he planned to stay in Grand Forks.

"I'm committed to being the head coach at UND in the fall," Lennon told Grand Forks Herald reporter Wayne Nelson. "I believe I belong at UND. Grand Forks is a great place for my family. I'm excited about the direction of the football program."

Asked if he was serious about the MSU position, Lennon replied, "Yes. But at the same time, it reconfirmed to me that we're doing the right things here at UND."

As for Ash, he was a quarterback at Cornell and was an A-minus shy a 4.0 grade-point average. He majored in history, earned a Masters degree in German history and religion at the University of Michigan, and co-authored a book called "Coaching Football Technical and Tactical Skills."

Ash's wife, Margaret, teaches classical flute.

Uncle Bob Writes About Nephew Scott Chandler [the Ex-Hawkeye Who's Now a San Diego Chargers Tight End]; Micah Parker Leaving As Drake Assistant Coach

Bob Nicholas, who identifies himself as "Proud Uncle Bob" to me, writes that his nephew is getting settled in a place that's pretty easy to settle in -- San Diego.

The nephew Uncle Bob is referring to is Scott Chandler, the former 6-7, 270-pound tight end at Iowa.

Chandler was a fourth-round draft choice of the San Diego Chargers and the 129th pick overall in the 2007 NFL draft.

"He signed a 4-year deal with the Chargers," Nicholas says in an e-mail. "I don't know any details yet, but I should find out more when I have dinner with him Monday night.

"He has leased a condo in the San Diego area, and his new bride will be setting up their first home. Sounds like a nice start.

"Go, Hawks! (and Chargers)."

Chandler became a pretty fair pass catcher at tight end at Iowa after being moved from wide receiver in 2004.

However, his abilities as a receiver will be secondary to his real strength -- run-blocking in the Chargers' system.

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This item was on the website "Girls Basketball Recruit:"

"Micah Parker, according to sources, has left Drake to pursue other opportunities."

Parker was on Amy Stephens' women's basketball coaching staff at Drake for four seasons. Prior to that, he worked with Stephens as director of women's basketball operations at Nebraska.

In addition to his coaching, Parker has been a Christian motivational speaker.

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Photo of Micah Parker [lower left] courtesy of Drake University. Photo of Scott Chandler [top] courtesy of Google.

Drake's Rob Ash Remains One Of 3 Finalists for Montana State Football Coaching Job After Carroll College's Mike Van Diest Withdraws As Candidate

And now there are three.

Carroll College coach Mike Van Diest withdrew today as a candidate for the job at Montana State -- leaving Drake's Rob Ash as one of three finalists remaining.

The Bozeman Daily Chronicle reported that Van Diest, 54, appeared unsure he wanted the Montana State job when he spoke with reporters yesterday.

"It's not a slam-dunk," he said. "I have a football team back in Helena [Mont.] that's watching very closely."

Remaining as Montana State candidates along with Ash are North Dakota coach Dale Lennon and Duke assistant Larry Kerr.

People who understand collegiate football say Ash would be making a lateral move if he was chosen for, and accepted, the Montana State job.

Ash has been at Drake for 18 seasons and is the university's winningest coach. He was the first coach interviewed for the Montana State job.

It could be that Ash needs a change of scenery. And, who knows, maybe there are people in Des Moines and at Drake who think he needs a change of scenery.

The newspaper said Montana State athletic director Peter Fields would like to make a decision on a new coach over the weekend and call a press conference for Monday.

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Photos of Rob Ash [right] and Mike Van Diest [left] courtesy of the Bozeman [Mont.] Daily Chronicle.

On ISU's Football Chaplain Issue: 'There Are Dozens Of Churches In Ames; Wouldn't It Make More Sense To Encourage Players To Attend One Of Them?'

__________________________________________________________________________________

BELOW: 2 HAWKEYES WON'T BE WITH THE TEAM NEXT FALL
__________________________________________________________________________________

A guy e-mailed me the other day with a couple of comments.

He asked me to "do some commentary about Iowa State [1] hiring a chaplain and [2] firing all its track coaches. Is anyone safe in Cyclone Land with Jamie's itchy trigger finger?"

I assume the Jamie my pen pal is referring to is Jamie Pollard, who gets into the news a lot by firing people and thinking up cute ideas to put on billboards.

Right now, Pollard is Iowa State's athletic director. I think he dreams every night about jellybeans, chocolate cupcakes and someday going back to Wisconsin to be the successor to Barry Alvarez.

But that's a column for another day.

Pollard didn't make me real happy when he fired my friend, Dan McCarney, as Iowa State's football coach. I know the battles McCarney had to fight at a place known forever as a football coaching graveyard, and I think he got a bigtime screwing.

It didn't bother me that Pollard canned basketball coach Wayne Morgan and found something else for wrestling coach Bobby Douglas to do. And, heck, it really didn't upset me that he had that billboard put up in Cedar Rapids last year that said this now was a Cyclone state.

That was pretty funny stuff -- especially after Iowa beat the Clones, 27-17, in last September's Big Game at Kinnick Stadium, and when the Hawkeyes stuck it to Iowa State in basketball, 77-59, in Iowa City.

When underachieving Iowa coach Steve Alford won any game, you know the team he beat was a bad one. But, what the heck. At least the billboard, thanks to Iowa State's money, was good for the economy in Cedar Rapids.

To show that nobody at Iowa State is safe from what my correpondent called "Jamie's itchy trigger finger," five track coaches -- men's coach Steve Lynn, women's coach Dick Lee and three assistants -- were canned recently by Pollard.

Coaching-legend-in-the-making [I'm kidding] Corey Ihmels, along with some helpers, will run both programs.

Good luck on having consistent track success in this part of the country. I'd say Lynn and Lee got run off unfairly by an athletic director who has no idea what it takes to build a powerhouse track program in a Big 12 Conference that includes Texas A&M, Texas and Baylor.

Where's Bill Bergan when Iowa State needs him?

All I can figure is that Pollard must be getting his new coaches cheap, and that'll make his budget look better to Iowa State president Gregory Geoffroy.

Speaking of Geoffroy, I see he did what a lot of bosses do when they don't know what to do -- he shifted the responsibility to somebody else the other day when it cane to the football chaplain mess.

Gene Chizik, Iowa State's first-year football coach, wants to hire a chaplain -- who would be paid from private funds. Pollard likes the idea, too, but more than 100 Iowa State faculty members don't.

A petition circulated by Hector Avalos, a professor of religious studies, labels the plan a violation of church and state.

Geoffroy has asked Iowa State's athletic council to review the chaplain issue. The council will make a recommendation to Geoffroy by Aug. 1.

When it comes to something important at Iowa State, Geoffroy makes all the decisions. It might take him a while, but it's always his call. Hey, it's his railroad, isn't it?

But don't bet that whatever Geoffroy decides by Aug. 1 will make much sense or satisfy anyone.

When I need guidance on issues pertaining to religion, I try to find a pastor to help me.

One pastor I know who isn't reluctant to say what he thinks -- and whose opinions I value -- is David P. Mumm, who formerly was the senior pastor at Mt. Olive Lutheran Church in Des Moines and now is the senior pastor at Concordia Lutheran Church in Machesney Park, Ill.

When I contacted Rev. Mumm about Iowa State's plan to have a football chaplain, he said in an e-mail, "As you know, chaplains for sports teams is nothing new. My first reaction....was that there are dozens of churches in Ames with ministries directly focused on meeting the spiritual needs of students.

"Would it not make more sense to to encourage players to attend one of these churches, or to team with one of those churches to provide spiritual counsel? This could be done without bringing a paid chaplain into the mix.

"I also believe, if faith is a central tenet in the life of the head coach, he will, by his nature and personality, share that faith as opportunity presents itself, and will, in effect, become a chaplain to some of the players.

"I find it rather ironic that the person shouting the loudest against having a chaplain is someone out of the division of religious studies at the university. But that should not be surprising, since 'religious studies' has very little to do with faith or salvation, especially at a state-run university."

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University of Iowa football players Shonn Greene and Amari Spievey will not be with the squad next fall, coach Kirk Ferentz said today.

Greene, a 5-11, 225-pound junior running back from Sicklerville, N.J., played in 10 games last year and had 205 rushing yards and one touchdown. He has 378 career rushing yards and two touchdowns. He also has three career receptions for 23 yards.

Spievey redshirted as a freshman defensive back last year. He is a 6-foot, 175-pounder from Middletown, CT.

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Photo of Rev. David P. Mumm [right] courtesy of Mt. Olive Lutheran Church in Des Moines. Photo of Gene Chizik [left] courtesy of Google.

While Trying To Make Lateral Coaching Move, Rob Ash Says League Requirements Make It Very Difficult for Drake To Advance [Or Win] In Football Playoffs

Rob Ash, who has been at Drake so long that he's almost part of the furniture in the athletic department, thinks the football coaching job at Montana State would be a step up for him.

Others may not feel that way, but it's Ash who is one of four finalists for the Montana State job -- and evidently would accept it if it's offered to him.

Here's the story written by Tim Dumas in today's Bozeman [Mont.] Daily Chronicle about Ash:

Rob Ash is well-prepared and passionate.

He knew all the right dates, made sure not to mention the in-state rival by name and was met with a round of applause when he finished a 10-minute prepared speech with, “We'll respect the game and we'll respect the community.”

Ash, 59, was the first of four finalists to spend a long day at the Montana State campus and interview for the vacant head coaching position after Mike Kramer was fired May 18.

He began with an early-morning meeting with the team and was still covering his philosophy nearly 12 hours later when he said: “I started out with the players and that was my favorite part of the day.

“I was there at 6 o'clock in the morning the same reason they were were there at 6 o'clock this morning: we both want to be successful.”

Ash began his speech by recalling a trip he took more than 30 years ago on a 10-speed bike with a college friend that took them from Seattle to Washington, D.C.

Along the way, they pedaled through Montana -- via Missoula, home of rival Montana --en route to Yellowstone National Park.

“We entered Montana through that dreaded city up north whose name I won't mention,” he said to approving laughter from the collection of 50 community members, media, players and parts of the 11-person search committee.

Ash has been a head coach for 32 years, the last 18 at Drake University in Des Moines, where he has won a school-record 125 games. The Bulldogs have won four Pioneer Football League championships in that time and Ash has helped write a book and is the lead instructor for the class “Theory of Coaching.”

Drake, like Montana State, plays at the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly I-AA) level. So why make what appears to be a lateral move?

“With the requirements that we have in our league, it's very difficult for us to put together a reasonable chance, first of all, to advance to the playoffs, and secondly, to win,” said Ash, who has never led Drake into the postseason in Division I-AA. “The level of support that Montana State and the whole Big Sky Conference gives to football is a step up within the division.”

While MSU is coming off its most successful season in a decade, there are issues off the field that need addressing. Over the past year, five former players - and one current player - have arrested on charges ranging from murder to selling drugs.

When asked what he can do to turn things around, Ash replied, “The problem can be fixed. My intention is to institute a recruiting philosophy to bring the right people to Montana State University.”

With three other finalists still to be interviewed, Ash made an instant impression.

Tom White, a member of the search committee, said Ash “comes across as a straight-forward guy. We've had an opportunity to talk to him about all aspects of the job. He has essentially answered every question with a straight and forthright answer and that's very encouraging.

“If the next candidates are impressive as Rob Ash are, we've got a problem. It's very encouraging if we have a problem like this.”

Ash has been a popular member of the Drake community and has only been a part of two losing seasons there. Losing him would not be easy, according to running back Scott Phaydavong, who will be a senior next season.

“He's a great coach for Drake, so it's kind of a shocker that he would want to move somewhere else,” Phaydavong said from Des Moines Monday. “It's hard for me to believe that he would go to another team right before (preseason) camp was about to start, but if it's a situation where he can't pass up then I understand. The fight goes on.”

“Coach Ash is somebody that would be difficult for Drake to replace if we were to lose him,” Drake athletic director Sandy Hatfield Clubb added. “At the same time, I know he's a man that can coach at any level, and he certainly has given his all to Drake.”

Ash made sure to point out Montana State's national championships in 1956, '76 and '84 during his time at the podium. He also said a return to those days is possible.

“I think I can bring a national-level of respect to the institution,” he said. “It's not broken right now; they have a good team coming back. We'll get a great coaching staff put in here and we'll pick up where we left off.”

Today's forum features Duke assistant Larry Kerr. North Dakota head coach Dale Lennon gets his turn Wednesday before Carroll College head coach Mike Van Diest concludes the format Thursday.

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Photo of Rob Ash courtesy of www.msubobcats.com.

I'm Glad This Zambrano-Barrett-Piniella Garbage Won't Go On All Summer -- Football Gets Closer...Iowa's Sept. 1 Opener Is On [Ahem] ESPNU

My e-mail today included this message from Phil Haddy, sports information director at the University of Iowa:

"August 6th –- Mark it on your calendars. That’s the date of Iowa’s 2007 Football Media Day. We’ll get the complete schedule of the day’s events out in about a month."

[RON MALY'S COMMENTS: Great news! No more thoughts of Carlos Zambrano, Michael Barrett, Lou Piniella,Jim Hendry and that circus known as the Chicago Cubs. The Cubs will be history long before Aug. 6 [actually, they're already history]. But it's good to know that college football's two-a-days will soon be here. It can't happen too soon for me. Incidentally, the Big Ten Conference's football media days in Chicago will be July 31-Aug. 1. Reporters can get a head-start there on hearing the coaches tell some tall tales (or actually lie a lot) about their teams].

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Some more Hawkeye football news, courtesy of Phil Haddy:

Iowa's Sept. 1 season opener against Northern Illinois will be televised by ESPNU, starting at 2:30 p.m.

Remember, ESPNU is the national TV network that hardly anyone can get. That's not my comment, or Haddy's. I credit it to former Iowa sports information director George Wine, who told it to me in the press box at Kinnick Stadium a year ago.

Wine now calls the network "ESPN-Unavailable."

I guess I'm one of the few lucky ones. For some reason, I get ESPNU on channel 178.

Iowa and Northern Illinois will play in Chicago’s 61,500-seat Soldier Field. It will be the 65th straight Hawkeye game to be televised. Iowa’s game against Northern Illinois last year [won by the Hawkeyes, 24-14] was also shown on ESPNU.

The Hawkeyes appeared on ESPNU three times last season against Montana, Purdue and Northern Illinois. In an Iowa season that ended with a 6-7 record, it was a good year to have three games on a network no one could see.

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From Ralph in Rolfe:

"I'm glad to see Coach Lick is getting a decent player out of Minnesota. Too bad he can't play this coming season."

[RON MALY'S COMMENTS: Rolfe's Ralph is referring to Anthony Tucker, the high school junior from Minnetonka, Minn., who says he'll be playing his collegiate basketball with the Hawkeyes. Ralph obviously thinks coach Todd Lickliter could use Tucker in the 2007-2008 season].

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Uncle Otto always said, "Give 'em a couple of days. If they don't catch up by then, then send 'em a fax that says, "For Immediate Release."

Thank goodness it didn't come down to that.

Uncle Otto's comment applies to the fact that the paper here finally got the news on its website a few minutes ago that Drake's Rob Ash is being interviewed today for the Montana State football coaching job.

Hey, listen, give 'em a break. Sure, they're a couple of days late on this story, but at least they finally got it.

Those of you who insist on reading the paper and not the website won't see the story until tomorrow. Sorry.

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From Shirley in Searsboro after reading mention in these columns about Joslyn Morse, A-Rod's stripper pal from Cedar Rapids:

"Congrats, Ron -- You just scooped the C.R. Gazette and presumably every other paper in Iowa. I forwarded this to [Gazette columnist]Mike Hlas."

[RON MALY'S COMMENTS: Well, Shirley, I can imagine folks at the Gazette didn't quite know what to do with the Joslyn Morse story, which isn't quite the same wholesome tale as those being weaved across the nation by Kurt Warner and Zach Johnson -- other former Cedar Rapids Regis students. I think the Gazette was hoping Joslyn would just go away, but I'm afraid she plans to stick around a while -- at least as long as A-Rod keeps taking her to expensive restaurants, strip joints and hotels].

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A sporting goods salesman tells me a guy with an advanced case of Little Man's Disease was in his store the other day, looking for a jockstrap, size 's'.

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Photos courtesy of Google.

Anthony Tucker, 6-4 Junior Shooting Guard Who Is One Of the Top High School Basketball Players In Minnesota, Commits to Iowa

Chris Monter of Scout.com reports that Anthony Tucker, a 6-foot-4 junior shooting guard from Minnetonka [MN] High School who had attracted the attention of several top collegiate basketball programs -- including Minnesota -- has committed to Iowa.

Tucker led the Skippers to an 18-10 record this season as they advanced to the finals of Section 2, Class AAAA.

Tucker, who is one of the top players in the state for the class of 2008, was named second-team All-State by the St. Paul Pioneer Press. He is the second commit for Iowa, joining Matt Gatens of Iowa City.

Minnesota offered Tucker a scholarship last year, only to rescind the offer the next day. New Minnesota head coach Tubby Smith and his staff watched Tucker play for 43 Hoops at the recent Kingwood Classic and Tucker visited the campus, but did not receive a offer.

Tucker was the leading scorer for 43 Hoops, which won the 16-and-under title at the Hoosier Shootout in July.

Tucker averaged 17.6 points per game last year and scored in double figures in all but two games. The Skippers knocked off two-time defending champion Hopkins in the section semifinals before losing to Bloomington Jefferson and Kansas signee Cole Aldrich.

Minnetonka figures to be one of the top teams in the state as they will also return fellow three-year players C.J. Erickson and Andy Burns, along with fellow juniors Andrew Latzke and Tyler Schilling and are expected to add DeLaSalle transfer Cedric McBounds.

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Photo of Anthony Tucker courtesy of Scout.com

Here We Go Again -- Rob Ash, the Winningest Football Coach At Drake [125-63-2 Record In 18 Years], Is One Of 4 Finalists for the Job At Montana State

It looks like Rob Ash has been reading the classifieds again.

Specifically, the help-wanted ads.

Whatever, he's on somebody's list again.

You figure it out:

Ash has been in Des Moines a long time and is the winningest coach in Drake football history. But -- somewhat surprisingly to me -- he occasionally winds up on other universities' lists as a possible coach.

That tells me he's either not completely satisfied at Drake and is applying for other jobs, or other athletic directors are at least somewhat interested in his credentials.

Now Ash is a finalist for the job at Montana State. We'll know soon if he winds up bailing out of Drake or if he's a bridesmaid for another job.

At least he might wind up with another pay raise at Drake.

Here's a story written by Scott Mansch, assistant sports editor of the Great Falls (Mont.) Tribune:

Four men whose players have achieved a large measure of success on the football field and in the classroom have been named finalists for the head-coaching vacancy at Montana State.

Bobcat athletic director Peter Fields said three head coaches and one veteran assistant have been selected from a pool of 70 original applicants to visit Bozeman and interview for the job vacated when seven-year head coach Mike Kramer was fired two weeks ago.

Carroll College head coach Mike Van Diest, Drake head coach Rob Ash, North Dakota head coach Dale Lennon and Duke assistant coach Larry Kerr are the four finalists.

"I feel like we're going to have a great football coach," said Fields.

The search committee conducted phone interviews with 11 semifinalists before selecting the four who will travel to the Gallatin Valley next week. Ash is scheduled to be in town Monday, followed on consecutive days by Kerr, Lennon and Van Diest.

Fields said each candidate will meet with the football team prior to its 6 a.m. conditioning workout, then meet with faculty members and athletic department officials throughout the day. Public forums are scheduled on campus each day at 5 p.m., and Fields said it is likely that live webcasts would be available.

"I think we have a great pool of candidates, a wide variety," said Fields. "We cross the spectrum. They all have had different experiences and they all bring something a little different to the table. It's exciting. I think we have a very good pool of candidates."

Van Diest, a native of East Helena, has compiled a record of 89-18 and won four NAIA national championships during his eight years at Carroll College in Helena. Lennon has a record of 80-22 and has won an NCAA Division II national title in eight years at North Dakota in Grand Forks, N.D. Ash is 125-63-2 in 18 seasons at Drake.

Kerr has never been a head coach but has vast experience as an assistant, including 10 seasons at Colorado State when he worked for the highly successful Sonny Lubick, a Butte native and former Montana State head coach.

Kramer was fired a day after one of his former players, Rick Gatewood, was arrested on federal cocaine charges. Several other former or current Bobcat players have also been arrested in the last year. The MSU football program in recent years has also been twice penalized for failing to achieve minimum academic scores as measured by the NCAA's Academic Progress Rate.

Fields said the search committee placed a high priority on academics when considering the candidates.

"It was an important piece of that," he said. "For instance Rob Ash, along with having a winning football program, has a very good graduation rate and an APR of 960. Dale Lennon's graduation rate is very high ... And Mike Van Diest has a very good graduation rate. They have all demonstrated (high achievement in the) academic part of football."

Fields said an APR score of 925 is the threshold that programs must meet in order to avoid penalties. The Bobcat football team in recent years has twice lost three scholarships. Subsequent substandard APR scores will result in more severe penalties, including the possible loss of practice days and a banishment from the national playoffs.

Fields said MSU's APR score last year was 858 and the estimate for the current year is 880. However, he said summer school results could change the score, which doesn't have to be filed with the NCAA until next December, about six weeks into the first semester of the MSU school year.

Van Diest, a former assistant coach at his alma mater Wyoming, Montana, Massachusetts and Northwestern, has won or shared seven Frontier Conference championships in his eight years at Carroll. His program's 17-game playoff winning streak was broken last November in the second round of the NAIA postseason.

Lennon, a 1985 graduate of North Dakota, led the Fighting Sioux to a 14-1 record and the 2001 NCAA II national championship. His North Dakota teams have won 44 of 54 games the last four seasons and have claimed four North Central Conference titles since 1999.

Ash has been at Drake for nearly two decades, during which time the school's [football program] has gone from NCAA Division III to the current status as a Football Championship Series (formerly I-AA). A former quarterback at Cornell College in Iowa, Ash compiled a record of 51-36-3 at NCAA III Juniata (Pa.) College before moving to Drake.

Kerr, a 1975 graduate of San Jose State, served as linebackers coach last fall at Duke. He was Lubick's defensive coordinator at CSU from 1993-2002. He also served as an assistant coach at UCLA, Northern Arizona, UCLA, Stanford, San Jose State and CS Northridge.

Fields was asked what will be the determining factor in his decision.

"Who fits with us," he said.

Fields used similar terminology in recent years when he hired men's basketball coach Brad Huse and women's basketball coach Tricia Binford.

"I know people get tired of me saying that, but Brad Huse fits with us," Fields said. "Trish Binford fits here. After we interview them, we know who will work with us and who understands what we're doing."

The search committee was chaired by Jim Rimpau, MSU's executive director of planning and analysis and chief information officer. Others on the committee were Camie Bechtold, Dan Davies, Mark Fellows, Sue Monohan, J.C. Murray, Scott Myers, Bob Oakberg, Chris Remely, Gene Thayer and Tom White.

Fellows, Murray and White are all former MSU football standouts. Monohan and Myers work in MSU's sociology department and Oakberg is the school's faculty athletics representative. Thayer, a Belt native, is a longtime Great Falls philanthropist who recently donated $1.3 million to the Bobcat athletic department.

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Photos [left to right] of Kerr, Ash, Van Diest and Lennon courtesy of the Great Falls (Mont.) Tribune.

There's a Cedar Rapids Connection To A-Rod --- 'Wild Child' Joslyn Noel Morse Is the Busty Blonde Stripper Yankees' Rodriguez Does Toronto With

Joslyn Noel Morse [pictured at the left] was an unknown stripper from Cedar Rapids, IA, until this morning when the New York Post revealed she is the mysterious busty blonde A-Rod was caught dining with in Toronto.

Alex Rodriguez allegedly met Joslyn Morse at Scores Las Vegas, a night club belonging to the famed strip-club chain. Morse worked at Scores last year.

A-Rod is allegedly a big fan of Scores Las Vegas; Sources told the New York Post that Stray Rod regularly dropped by its 25,000-square foot, 500- dancer space regularly - "off-season and during the season" -- most recently several weeks ago during a Yankee road trip.

Stripping is in Joslyn Morse blood ever since she was a teenager; A Cedar Rapids woman told the Post Morse started stripping in Iowa soon after high school. Joslyn Morse was "sort of a wild child." the woman said.

A source told The Post yesterday that he once spied Rodriguez in the Hustler club on the West Side, where he allegedly spent a couple of hours secluded with a dancer in a private room and left with his pockets an estimated $5,000 lighter.

Another source said the slugger abruptly stopped visiting Manhattan's V.I.P. club, which had been a regular haunt of his, right after The Post's Page Six reported he was spending quite a bit of time there with a beautiful Brazilian-born dancer.

The Dallas Observer newspaper blog yesterday revealed that in 2004, Rodriguez had been spotted by "multiple eyewitnesses" visiting the swingers club Iniquity there on two nights months apart.

The blog said sources indicated Rodriguez - who again was without Cynthia - "was merely a spectator and not a player at Iniquity."

Joslyn Noel Morse appeared topless in an October, 2001, edition of the skin magazine Playboy's Casting Calls.

A-Rod and his wife Cynthia Rodriguez [pictured together at the right] were spotted Thursday night in Boston. Cynthia was unusually silent while Stray Rod kept saying "It's been enough."

Divorce speculations abound; splitting from Alex could mean big bucks for Cynthia Rodriguez given A-Rod's 10-year contract with the New York Yankees worth $252 million.

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[RON MALY'S COMMENTS: The word in the Blogosphere is that Morse is a product (I didn't say graduate) of Regis High School in Cedar Rapids. She thus joins Kurt Warner and Zach Johnson as Regis products who have become....uh....famous]