TMCnet News
Seen and heard at Pac-12 media days [The Arizona Daily Star, Tucson :: ](Arizona Daily Star (Tucson) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) July 24--Conference's hottest ice Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott lauded his conference's innovation on Day 1 of Pac-12 media days at Los Angeles' Paramount Studios, and it sounded as if he had his lengthy speech down cold. It wasn't the only thing cold on Wednesday on a hot day in Hollywood. The conference offered a team-specific snow-cone station in addition to the regular lunch offerings. In an informal straw poll of one large reporter -- me, after I was challenged by the Orange County Register's UCLA beat reporter, Ryan Kartje, to rank the flavors 1-12 -- the Pac-12 Cone-ference had a surprising winner. Just like the battle over superstar recruit Shaq Thompson, it came down to Washington and Cal. This time, however, the Bears -- who finished 1-11 last football season -- prevailed over the Huskies. Cal's blueberry-pineapple concoction "Golden Bear-y" out-tasted Washington's "Husky Frost" by a 2-spoon-to-1 margin after the duo emerged from a crowded competition with Oregon's lemon-lime "Quack-Attack," UCLA's "Cool Blue Bruin" and Arizona State's "Sun Devil Splash." I may not have been a huge fan of Arizona's "Wildcat Cooler" -- cherry and blueberry haven't been a good match since the movie theatre slushie I had when I saw "Eddie" in 1996 -- but you know who did like it? Rich Rodriguez, that's who. Rodriguez wandered up to the snow-cone station, immediately selected his home ice, took a bite, and said, "Bear down," before adding that he had a snow-cone machine of his own in his office, but didn't know how to use it. "Tucson," he said while chomping down, "hot stuff."Someone help the man, for heaven's sake. The old master Speaking of eccentric childhood oddities seemingly out of place at a college football media conference: RichRod was the star of the day at one of the many stops during the day's events, a cornhole station. The game, otherwise known as bags, pitted players versus coach, and Rodriguez showed a daunting "7-0" on the scoreboard. Bright lights, small city Washington State's effervescent linebacker Darryl Monroe provided plenty of wattage at his podium, as well as an interesting take on the Cougars' rapid ascent under Mike Leach. The Pirate has Wazzu soaring after doubling its win total last season and securing the program's first postseason berth in more than a decade. In addition to the uptick in talent and major, major upgrades to facilities, Monroe credits the Cougars' isolation as a factor in the team's resurgence. Washington State is located in Pullman, Washington, the conference's most far-off destination, and with little by way of big-time sports, the Cougars are easily the biggest show in town. How much so? "You have the chance to be the star of Pullman," Monroe said. "We don't have a Rick Ross or a Kardashian -- you are the celebrity. Connor Halliday threw for six touchdowns, and it's like, 'Ooh! Connor!' He's the Robin Thicke of Pullman." When told of the compliment? ... Insult? Compliment? OK, compliment ... Halliday responded, "Those are big words from the mayor of Pullman."Quotable "I think Mike Leach only laughs at his own jokes," said Monroe, who stole the show. Hair apparent Asked to come up with a list of hacky media day questions, USC's Leonard Williams tossed out some of the usual suspects, and then said the one he hated the most. Who has the best hair on the team? Take one look at Williams, and the answer is clear. He's got curly locks that Shirley Temple would've envied. More Scott Three years into the Pac-12 Network, it appears that DirecTV hasn't budged, and the conference hasn't budged, and once again: "There is no latest, unfortunately. It looks very unlikely under the present ownership of DirecTV that they're going to carry us," Scott said. While the communications giant looks like it will be purchased by AT&T and the impasse might be broken, Scott is still firm in his belief that the conference's path to distribution was the right one. "I really took the long view," he said. "My goal was, 'What's going to make the Pac-12 the best conference in the country 10 years from now, not just three years from now.'" Big number 37 Conference media are resolved that Oregon and UCLA will win the conference's North and South divisions, respectively, and both schools can claim equal respect -- the Ducks and Bruins both got 37 of 39 first-place votes. Jon Gold ___ (c)2014 The Arizona Daily Star (Tucson, Ariz.) Visit The Arizona Daily Star (Tucson, Ariz.) at www.azstarnet.com Distributed by MCT Information Services |