General

Todd Graham Needs To Watch More ‘My Name Is Earl’

Nov 12, 2009, 10:00 PM UTC

â†µThe Wizard of Odds, with typical bombast, calls Tulsa headâ†µcoach Todd Graham “theâ†µmost hated man in Houston” after Houston’s dramatic 46-45 win overâ†µTulsa (via 51-yard field goal as time expired) this weekend. â†µ

â†µâ†µSince probably 90% of the Houston metro area not directlyâ†µconnected with Rice is unaware who Todd Graham is, this is not true. Butâ†µhe is the most hated man in the Houston radio booth: â†µ

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â†µâ†µWhy the personal animosity? It’s not because Graham bolted for theâ†µGolden Hurricanes after one year at Rice. It’s because he was cheatingâ†µhis butt off. â†µ

â†µâ†µAsk this local columnist who’s just stumbled across the concept ofâ†µsarcasm and is takingâ†µit out for a joyride:â†µ

â†µâ†µâ‡¥If Conference USA had a heart, it would institute a Comeback Player of theâ†µâ‡¥Year award and give it to Tulsa defensive ends Cory Dorris and Georgeâ†µâ‡¥Clinkscale.â†µâ‡¥
â†µâ‡¥
â†µâ‡¥During the Cougars’ 46-45 victory at Tulsa on Saturday, Dorris and Clinkscaleâ†µâ‡¥went down with injuries that required the referees to stop play. Againâ†µâ‡¥and again, Dorris and Clinkscale mustered the strength and courage toâ†µâ‡¥come back from their afflictions - sometimes returning to the game onâ†µâ‡¥the next play.â†µâ‡¥With no regard to their personal safety, Dorris and Clinkscale returned to theâ†µâ‡¥field and reinjured themselves.â†µâ†µ

â†µGraham was blatantlyâ†µgaming the system late in order to get his defense a breather. Houstonâ†µcoaches are blunt in their assessment of the tactics: â†µ

â†µâ†µâ‡¥UH offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen has a more blunt way of describingâ†µâ‡¥the practice of faking injuries: “We view it as cheating.”â†µâ†µâ†µUnfortunately, there’sâ†µno video on the tubes of the hypothetically unsportsmanlike act -- maybeâ†µthe SEC ate it up -- but a statement as direct as that from a Houston coachâ†µcertainly implies that the gamesmanship here was blatant. Very rarely doâ†µcoaches pierce the usual veil of bland coachspeak. (Unless they are so,â†µso fired.)â†µ

â†µâ†µEven assuming theâ†µworst here -- it’s the internet, that’s what we do -- Graham got instantâ†µcomeuppance when his that field goal went through. Less than a minuteâ†µbefore, Tulsa had a nine-point lead. Houston scored, got the onside kick,â†µand scored again. The football gods took a breather from injuring everyâ†µIowa skill position player to set the world right, and lo, all is good.â†µCUSA might and should pile on with a censure or a fine, but the realâ†µpunishment has already been delivered.â†µ

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This post originally appeared on the Sporting Blog. For more, see The Sporting Blog Archives.

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