Author Archives: Mike Gibson

05.24.15
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Kicking Stadium Can Down the Road Not a Good Sign

UAB's proposed stadium, since tabled along with its program, was much farther along than Temple's when this plan was proposed in 2011.

UAB’s proposed stadium, since tabled along with its program, was much farther along than Temple’s when this plan was proposed in 2011.

A couple of years ago, a member of the Temple University Board of Trustees whispered something to an ardent Temple fan at the Temple vs. North Carolina State basketball game.

“The stadium is a done deal,” the BOT member said.

That was in March. Not March, 2015. Not March, 2014. If you guessed March, 2013, you would be right.

If it was a done deal then, it has to be the strangest done deal in the history of done deals. Recently, the TU BOT had a chance to talk about the stadium issue in its May, 12, 2015 meeting. It said the stadium  would not be discussed, if there ever really was  a stadium issue. If that sounds familiar, consider the content of this story:

source

Versus this story:

stadiumdead

The “strike one” part of this story pretty much says the exact same thing in the story above about Temple’s BOT meeting.

There was a rumor that there would be some announcement by March 1 and March 1 came and went and there was no announcement. Then there was a rumor that there would be an announcement by Cherry and White Day, April 25, and there was no announcement.

The latest rumor is the hold up is the university is trying to raise $25 million of what could be anything from a $90 million stadium to a $300 million stadium from “Temple boosters”‘ before making an announcement. If that is true, expect the announcement to come, say, in about May of 2068.

opm

Then there was the rumor that the thing would be discussed May 12 and it wasn’t discussed May 12. The next meeting is scheduled for July 14 and that’s the kind of kicking the can down the road that Temple really doesn’t have time to do. Even then, we do not know if the issue—again, if there is an issue—will be discussed at the July 14 meeting.

The current stadium lease for Lincoln Financial runs out at the end of the 2017 season. For a stadium to be built by the start of the 2018 season, it would appear that something has to be decided by July at the latest.  By something, the university really only has two choices—extend the Lincoln Financial Field lease beyond 2017 or close a deal that was rumored to be done two years ago. Any discussion of Franklin Field or PPL Park even as a temporary home does not border on lunacy, it is lunacy.

Bleep or get off the pot, as it were.

Or what happened at UAB could happen here.

uabstory2

05.17.15
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TU Football Family Heartbroken

Arob with two of the best Temple football video ever, OVO (Scott Hartkorn) and Fran Duffy.

Arob with two of the best Temple football video guys ever, OVO (Scott Hartkorn) and Fran Duffy.

Of all the unbearable things that there are in life, I cannot imagine the pain of a parent having to bury a child but that’s what Adrian Robinson Sr. will have to do for Adrian Robinson Jr. in the next few days.

The Temple football family has lost another icon, a good man and friend in ARob, and it is hard to come to grips with that today for all of us who have had the pleasure of knowing him.

One of the benefits of doing something like this is that people who I otherwise would never meet come up to me out of the blue and say hello.

ARob beating Fiesta Bowl-bound UConn all by himself.

ARob beating Fiesta Bowl-bound UConn all by himself.

The blue happened after Adrian Robinson’s spectacular freshman year at Temple and while I was walking back to the parking lot at halftime of that year’s Cherry and White Game. Back then, Robinson was my favorite Owl on the defensive side of the ball because of the relentless way he played the game. The Franchise (Bernard Pierce) was my favorite offensive Owl. Wearing my game-worn Temple football jersey—this one with Papreps on the back—I heard a booming voice.

“PAPREPS!”

I looked for where the sound was coming from and it was from a very large man, who I later would learn was amicable, jovial and gentle.

“PAPREPS, I’m Adrian Robinson’s dad and I want to thank you for all of the good things you’ve written about Adrian.”

That led to a short walk, a long talk and a game day friendship that has lasted almost eight years now. They were there at every home game and most road games and I was right there with them almost every time.

Adrian Robinson Sr.

Adrian Robinson Sr.

That day Adrian Robinson welcomed me into his family at tailgates and games and we talked about everything from Adrian to Averee to life in general and football in particular.  I told Adrian I thought his son was playing out of position at Temple—I thought he should have been an OLB, not a DE—but I understood why Al Golden had to play him there. Adrian and Averee would stop by the tailgates afterward and it was just a great time.

One story in particular that Adrian told hit home. He said that during his first day as a Denver Bronco the first player to come over to his locker stuck out his hand.

“Hello, I’m Peyton,” Peyton Manning said, “welcome to the team.”

Wow. Adrian was shaking his head in disbelief when he told the story. How many of us will ever have a chance to tell a story like that?

I will never forget the photo of Adrian crying on the field after the UCLA loss, the cry of a man who put everything he had into making a win happen that night. I will never forget him ripping the ball out of Jordan Todman’s hands and scoring a touchdown that was more Temple Made than any touchdown I have ever seen. That determination and sheer will in that play won that game for Temple.

Thank you, Nadia Harvin, for passing along this important information.

Thank you, Nadia Harvin, for passing along this important information.

Adrian was taking classes at Temple and recently signed to play in the CFL, hopefully following in the footsteps of another former Owl, Henry Burris, who became a star there.

Now this, another loss in the Temple family to join too many departures in the last year. Whatever happened isn’t as important as that he will never, ever be forgotten.

Related:

Robinson Stole the Ball:

https://templefootballforever.wordpress.com/2010/09/19/penn-state-week-robinson-stole-the-ball/

Owl Outlook’s Great Interview with Adrian Robinson:

http://templefootballforever.blogspot.com/2010/08/owl-outlooks-great-interview-with.html

Adrian’s Memorial Fund:

http://www.gofundme.com/uskbr6p

Alex Joseph”s tribute to his teammate (extremely well-done and heartfelt, IMHO):

04.20.15
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Cherry and White Week Begins

Great job by Temple on the video. Still irked that the horsecollar against Tyler Matakevich in the Penn State game was never called.

If you cannot get pumped up for C&W by watching the above video, it might be wise to check for a pulse. From a personal standpoint, as a big fan of both the Owls and SEPTA regional rail, it will be great to make the one-mile walk to my regional rail station and get off at 10th and Diamond on Saturday morning.

You can never tell much from these games.

Years ago, a running back named Ventres Stevenson had a career day at C&W day. Years later, another back, Myron Myles, had 187 yards and three touchdowns at C&W day and ended his career at Millersville. Stevenson became a serviceable Owl but there were a lot of guys who had their best days in what is essentially a practice. Wearing the Orange jersey, Vaughn Charlton always looked good. Against a rush, not so much. Adam DiMichele always had a so-so C&W Day; when the lights came on, though, there was no one better in “real games” against a rush. … against a rush, and that includes Maxwell Award-winner quarterback Steve Joachim. Finding those kind of guys is like finding a golden nugget.

Still, the best you can hope for is a glimpse of what the talent can bring to the table when the lights go on. There won’t be 99,000 there, but this is my team (and presumably yours) and that should be all that matters.