Author Archives: Mike Gibson

07.13.11
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Steve Addazio needs $2 million in two weeks

Addazio poses with the greatest helmet
in the history of college football.

One of the disappointing things about not being in a position to be a big-dollar donor to the Temple University football program is that I don’t get a lot of the correspondence asking for money.
That might seem odd t to you but, as I’ve said before many times, if I had disposable income (like millions), I’d spend a good portion of it on the Temple football Owls.
Sadly, I don’t so I didn’t get the latest letter Steve Addazio penned a variety of big-ticket donors.

In it, he reportedly said that the uni was in the process of raising $8.5 million for expansion to the E-O and needed “$2 million in contributions by Aug. 1 to greenlight the project.”
Knowing Temple fans like I do, that deadline, to be kind, seems a tad ambitious.
You don’t go through 30 years of losing and post two winning seasons and expect $2 million in contributions in a month of the offseason.
Just doesn’t happen. The belief system is just not in place.
Yet.
I do my part in small ways, like this blog.
I had a haircut in Center City Philadelphia last Wednesday and proudly wore my “Temple Owls Football” T-Shirt and had a few thousand people take notice of it as I walked 20 blocks from the Inquirer building to the Barber Shop.


Temple vs. PSU single-game tickets
on sale now:



Hopefully, the advertising was subliminal.

Today, I stopped at the Lehighton Walmart wearing the same shirt (washed, of course) and a guy came up to me and said, “Temple. Go Owls.”
He was wearing full Phillies gear.
Lehighton is in the middle of Penn State territory (actually, anyplace north of Allentown is).
“This is the year we finally beat Penn State,” I said.
“God, I hope so,” the man said.
That’s what it will take to raise $2 million in less than one month, not a letter from a popular new head coach.
I hope I’m wrong, but 30 years of observing this fan base tells me otherwise.
If you have an extra $2 million or even $2,000 to contribute, please contact bill.bradshaw@temple.edu and I’m sure he will be able to give you further info on this project or direct you to someone who will.
If you do have $2 million, please make the payment contingent upon Addazio keeping the TEMPLE helmet.

06.28.11
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Recruits: TU heading to the Big East

Over the last month or so, the biggest news surrounding Temple football has not been the verbal of three-star recruit Ben Onett or 11 other prospects, it’s the things the prospects and their families have been saying about Temple.
More specifically, one thing.
One of the recruits flat-out said that the Temple coaches have told him that the school is going to be playing in the Big East soon and another recruit’s father, Tavon Young, offered this interesting nugget yesterday:

“Tavon has committed to Temple,” said Mr. Young. “First and foremost is the academics and they pass with flying colors. He has always loved the staff that came up from Florida. He likes the defensive scheme. It is close to home and he will be a part of the Big East in 2012.”
Tanner Kearns, a tight end targeted early by Addazio, said this two weeks ago:
“I got to meet their coach and like him. I know they play in Eagle Stadium (Lincoln Financial Field) and plan on moving to the Big East soon.”

Huh?
That’s news to me, but not news to at least two recruits.
There are only a couple of conclusions to make from this:
1) Our coaching staff is blowing smoke up recruits’ butts in order to get the verbal;
2) Where there is smoke there is fire.

“Tavon has committed to Temple …it is close to home and he will be a part of the Big East in 2012.”
_ Tavon Young, Sr.


I’m hopefully going with No. 2 here because, while head coach Steve Addazio has a fabulous reputation as a recruiter, I don’t see him making stuff up to get a commitment.  His reputation for integrity, minus a possible UConn dalliance, is impeccable.

And I don’t see two recruits independently making up this Big East angle.
Maybe Addazio has had private conversations with athletic director Bill Bradshaw that indicated this move is imminent. Maybe not. Now that Villanova’s bid to get a spot has fallen through, TV sees Temple as the only real shot to get the largest available ratings’ market and has told the Big East to pursue Temple or no new TV contract.
Maybe not.
When recruits and their fathers routinely throw in the Big East angle as a reason for commiting, something has got to be up.
Where there is smoke, fire follows.
The question now is when does this become a fully-involved four-alarmer?

06.23.11
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Their perception versus our reality


Steve Addazio talks Temple football on ESPN Wednesday.

Perception versus reality.
You hear the concept all the time.
I like to read what other people think about Temple football, both the experts in the field and those with lesser knowledge in the stands.
If one theme has carried the day for the past six months or so, it’s this:
“Temple has lost Al Golden. The Owls will take a step back.”
That’s THEIR perception and the perception of most of the country.
Whoa, Nellie, as that great college football philosopher Keith Jackson used to say.
OUR reality, at least those enough close to the program with knowledge to comment is this:
“Temple has 19 starters back from teams that went 9-3 and 8-4. The Owls have potential legendary caliber coordinators in Chuck Heater and Scot Loeffler. They have a motivator in CEO Steve Addazio who would put even Al Golden’s considerable ability in that area to shame. The Owls are not taking a step back.”
I’m a lot more comfortable in the second statement than the first.
Father forgive that first group because they do not know of what they speak.
They will find out soon enough.
Addazio went on ESPN today and tried to break down the perception and I think he did a pretty good job of that.

“We really feel that Temple can be the Boise of the East…”
_Steve Addazio

People will believe what they want to believe but facts are facts.
The Temple media guide will list 13 returning starters but when you break down the game sheet, ESPN got it right. Nineteen (that’s right, 19) guys who started at least six games return.


Going to http://www.owlstix.com/ is the only
way to guarantee seats for the PSU game.


Add in the fact that guys like Bernard Pierce will play more (please, God) then they did last year and this is a formidable group that Addazio and a battle-tested SEC and national championship staff go to war with on Sept. 1.
As one father of an offensive lineman told me on Cherry and White Day:
“Mike, these guys are from the SEC. My kid told me, ‘Dad, these guys really know what they are doing.’ When these MAC coaches try to go up against them, their heads will be spinning. They won’t be able to deal with it.”
I have a lot of respect for Villanova coach Andy Talley, but I feel sorry for him (just him, not Villanova) on Sept. 1.
It should be fun to watch beginning in just 72 nights. Hopefully, that night will be the beginning of a dozen dates that change the perception of Temple football everywhere.

06.08.11
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TU recruiting: Nothing to get excited about (yet)

Ben Onett’s recruiting video is impressive.

I usually don’t write about Temple football recruiting for a couple of reasons:
1) The NCAA rules involved in what is considered a college “booster” or “supporter” are pretty vague and it’s just good judgment for me not to be involved in the process.
2) The NCAA rules about “verbals” and “soft verbals” are screwed up. Al Golden had a great idea about an “early signing period” meaning that the kids who commit within a certain time frame (say, the ones who already committed) cannot be contacted by other schools without a major penalty involved. That would reward hard-working staffs, like Golden’s and presumably Addazio’s, for making solid early calls and protect them against a BCS team swooping in and taking their recruits.
So I wait until the signatures are signed on the dotted line to talk about the kids.
Generally speaking, I think Temple University (or really any other) football recruiting is really nothing to get excited about until the first Wednesday of every February.
It’s good to see that new head coach Steve Addazio is targeting what he feels is a quarterback with the “it” factor in Benjamin Onett of St. John’s (D.C). He recently added a couple of defensive backs, Archbishop Wood running back Brandon Peoples, a punter and a backup placekicker.
All good, solid kids.
I’m playing the waiting game with Addazio, though, because, quite frankly, I was underwhelmed with his first class. Compared to the hastily recruited first class of Bruce Arians (Heisman Trophy runner up Paul Palmer, NFL pro bowler Tre Johnson, among others) it falls even short for a guy who had a month to put together a group.
I’ll give Steve the benefit of the doubt, but I don’t think we’ll get a Heisman Trophy runner up or an NFL pro bowler from this past February’s group. Just a hunch.
We had a three-time first-time all-state running back (Owen J. Roberts’ Ryan Brumfield) who WANTED to come to Temple passed over and a RB schollie given to a guy who is about the same size and a full tenth of a second slower in the 40 (Spencer Reid) who was an unimpressive honorable mention third-team All Central League player.
That was a WTF moment for me.
Everything I’ve heard, though, is that this guy is a great recruiter.
I hope the best is yet to come and, on signing day, we’re talking about a guy who is down to Alabama or Temple. Or Penn State or Temple.
Then he pulls out the Penn State hat, replaces it with a TU hat and says: “I’ve decided to take my talents to Temple University.”
I fully expect given everything I’ve heard, such a moment will happen soon with Steve Addazio.
At least that’s a fervent hope.
Congrats to all of the kids who have so far had the wisdom to pick the Owls, but I’m not excited about TU recruiting.
Yet.

05.31.11
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Happy Birthday, Steve Addazio

Upgrades at DC with Chuck Heater and OC with Scot Loeffler
mean Addazio could be in a better position to succeed than AG was.

Tomorrow is Steve Addazio’s 52d birthday.
June 1, 1959 was the day he came into this world.

You might think the first gift he received was last week’s commitment of promising Washington, D.C. quarterback Benjamin Onett.
I don’t think so.
To me, the gift came a few days earlier and was this terrific statistical analysis of Al Golden’s work at Temple.

Make no mistake, Golden set the bar high for Addazio.
To me, with this kind of talent Golden has left here, Addazio will have to go at least 10-2.
That would represent both an improvement of each of the last two seasons and a MAC championship.
But it would not mean wins over Penn State and Maryland (although those would be nice). He can do it by running the MAC table.
The statistical analysis seems to indicate that the bar is not all that high for Addazio, although the Owls can’t afford to stub their toe like they did in losses at the end of the season to Ohio and Miami.
What it doesn’t address is the lack of imagination in Golden’s offensive schemes and his failure to stop the read option of Frank Solich’s Ohio teams in each of the last two seasons.
Does Scot Loeffler inject that imagination in the offense?
Does Chuck Heater, who comes with a far more impressive resume as a DC than Mark D’Onofrio ever had, have a handle on the read option?
Is Addazio a better overall motivator and CEO than Golden was?

We’ll have a good idea about five minutes after the Villanova game.
If it is a gut-wrencher, like the last two were, it’s going to be a long season.
My money is on the Owls to cover that night and a short and brilliant season to follow.
Happy birthday, Steve.

05.24.11
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Al Golden talks Temple football

Al Golden may be gone, but he has not forgotten Temple.

Read that headline and you might just shrug your shoulders.
Al Golden has spent much of the last five years talking Temple football, so that might not be news.

‘Obviously I think Temple’s a better fit. …I think clearly we began the process of establishing you can recruit, and there’s so many great things that have occurred at Temple University. I think they’re worthy of taking that next step’
Al Golden
on Temple
and the Big East

There was never a more tireless promoter of the program than AG and that was one of his many, many good qualities.
If some kid who had an internet radio podcast wanted to talk Temple football with him, Golden would give the kid five minutes of his valuable time.
Rivals.com radio, scout.com recruiters, Golden would talk to them all.
The reason that headline, though, is news today is that Al Golden is talking Temple football for the first time in five months, basically.
In a 40-minute opening introductory press conference as the head coach at the University of Miami, Al Golden did not mention Temple once.
Not a big deal to some, but a big deal to me.
That’s why I was heartened to read this Golden nugget, courtesy of Octoberproject, a neighbor of our good friend Dave “Fizzy” Weinraub, a former Temple football great.
In it, Golden is asked what he thinks the addition of Villanova would mean to the Big East.
He basically said to forget Villanova, that Temple would add a lot more value to that conference.
From TV ratings to increased attendance to the overall perception of the program, Golden certainly added to that value.
By making comments like those AG made recently, old habits like talking up Temple football seem to be hard for Al Golden to break and that’s a good thing.

05.18.11
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Temple football has a horse in the Preakness


Congie DeVito video tribute.
You hear it all the time when someone is claiming to be neutral while making a point:
“I don’t have a dog in this fight” or “I don’t have a horse in this race.”
Well, the Preakness is Saturday and I have a horse in this race.
So do you.
His name is King Congie.
Mike Jensen wrote a terrific story on this subject earlier this week in The Philadelphia Inquirer and it is linked in the paragraph below.
Congie DeVito was just a nameless poster on Owlscoop.com who I got to meet at a couple of tailgates over the years. He passed away, like many Temple fans seem to do (Dan Glammer, Steve Bumm and Shane Artim come to mind but the list is too long to mention here), at way too young ages.
He, like I, shared a common love: Temple football. We both liked Bruce Arians and thought he got a raw deal at Temple.



King Congie: Temple football’s horse

 His extended to Temple basketball.
I like Temple basketball. I love Temple football.
(In fact, I think he was a Temple basketball fan first.)
I’m scheduled to get a haircut on Saturday in Center City.
I usually don’t bet on horseracing because I know nothing about it but, on this day, I will make an exception.
Afterward, I will walk to the OTB near City Hall on the way to work and place a couple of sheckles on King Congie, a 30 to 1 shot.
If King Congie wins, we all do.

05.14.11
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Winning TV sets and Temple

Steve Addazio was a big hit at the Pennsylvania High School Football Coaches
Association Convention on Friday, in State College. “There’s a buzz about Temple now,” Addazio said.

Right now, the company line at Temple is that it is “perfectly happy” in the MAC.
Don’t let the company line fool you.
At Temple, just as anywhere else, money talks and bullbleep walks.
Al Golden has handed the keys over to a nice Cherry and White brick house to Steve Addazio and it is now time for Addazio to show that house on the market by continuing to win. Golden has given Addazio players, plenty of good ones, and now it’s up to Addazio to coach these guys to a title.

Every bar in town was tuned into Temple-UCLA football

Nothing less, and maybe even a little bit more. A win at Maryland would be nice. A win over Penn State before 70,000 in the hometown would be even nicer.
Do that, and TV ratings in the hometown go through the roof and ticket sales to the remaining games soar.
Think ESPN might notice?
That’s what is at stake for the school over the next few months.
Addazio has been telling everyone for the last few months that “there is a great buzz about Temple” now and a “great vibe about that place.”
He said so again on Friday at the Pennsylvania High School Coaches Association.
That might be true now, but imagine what it would be like if the Owls had that breakthrough season many believe they can have this year?
The Owls will play a great schedule and can make a great case for advancing in the college football world and for the school’s brand as a whole.
Television networks are coming at the Big East with wads of dollars in their hands for the next national TV contract.
The Big East is holding palms extended.
TV networks are saying, “Wait a minute, here. Where is my Philadelphia market?”
While Philadelphia is the nation’s fifth-largest city, it is the nation’s fourth-largest TV market.
TV sets mean money.
The Big East merely shrugs its shoulders and says, “We’re waiting on Villanova to come up with a suitable stadium plan.”
Clearly, Villanova has no such plan.
Temple not only has a stadium plan, has got a stadium, a good one, and has that stadium locked up for the next seven years.
Temple-UCLA Eagle Bank Bowl ratings were extraordinarily high, the second-highest bowl numbers on ESPN in the 30 years of bowl games in the Philly market. People in the fourth-largest market did not tune in on a Tuesday afternoon to watch UCLA.
Temple proved it can deliver the numbers.

“The relationship has worked out really well for all parties. Expansion into the Philadelphia media market has already shown benefits with strong ratings for the MAC’s football television package.”
_ Rick Cryst,
former MAC commissioner


Temple can give the Big East those numbers and the Big East can give Temple what it wants: A home for all sports.
Temple belongs with schools like Rutgers, Pitt, Syracuse and West Virginia and not with schools like the directional Michigans and the Kents and the Akrons.
With a stadium and a quality Division I program already in place, the Big East would be foolish not to look at Temple football as really the only viable answer to lock up the largest available market.
The top five AVAILABLE markets to the BCS are:
1) Philadelphia (fourth overall)
2) Houston (10th overall)
3) Cleveland (17th overall)
4) Orlando (19th overall)
5) Baltimore (24th overall)

It’s pretty clear from that list and from Temple’s most recent bowl ratings that school has positioned itself well. Whether the TV people can convince the Big East the same now that this Villanova mess is over is another matter entirely.
To that end, winning would not hurt.
It never does.

04.30.11
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(Fellow) Eagles’ fans are in for a treat

Jarrett’s hit at 0:23 of this video is the greatest I’ve ever seen, high school, college or pro.

My weekends are pretty much set around a Temple game in person on Saturday and an Eagles’ game by the TV on Sunday.
Those two days seem to go by in like five minutes.
That’s why I could not be happier for my main man Jaiquawn Jarrett today after the Eagles selected him in the second round.
Or myself.
As a Temple fan, I am going to miss him leaving the family.
As an Eagles’ fan, I’m going to adopt him as my favorite player.
The Eagles have missed that hard-hitting safety since Brian Dawkins left. They haven’t had anybody who could bring the wood since.

I really believe UConn lost its will to win after that hit. The Huskies did not want to get hit from that spot in the game forward.


Jarrett, to me, is a younger, faster, version of Brian Dawkins.

I said that all season. It wasn’t surprising that Andy Reid said that at the press conference. Reid said a lot of other nice things about Temple, calling the school “an educational Mecca” and saying “that program is really rolling now.”
I think the way it will eventually shake down is that Nate Allen will be a starting free safety (he’s more of a floater-type cover guy anyway) and Jarrett will be moved to strong safety, where his primary cover responsibility will be tight ends.
He will do more than fine there.

“Temple is an educational Mecca”
_Andy Reid


His hit of Jordan Todman, a great back from UConn, in the above video is the single greatest hit I’ve ever seen. You get a flavor for it from the video, but you really had to be there to hear and see it in person and experience the crowd’s awe-struck reaction afterward.
I really believe UConn lost its will to win after that hit. The Huskies did not want to get hit from that spot in the game forward.
That’s what Jarrett brings to the game.
It is somewhat consoling to know that I will still see it on my weekends, albeit the second half this year.

04.29.11
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Muhammad Wilkerson: Temple Royalty

Big Mo makes that Temple helmet look real good.

“I’ll represent Temple strong. I’m always going to represent the Temple team and show that Temple can continue to produce elite athletes for the next level.”
_ Mo Wilkerson

The only place you’ll find me at 4 a.m. on any morning is deep in dreamland.
I won’t be getting up to watch the Royal Wedding tomorrow.
However, if the NFL draft was being held at 4 a.m. and a Temple player was certain to be picked in the first round, I would be up for that.
Muhammad Wilkerson proves that if you sign a scholarship at Temple and are good enough, you will be fast-tracked to “the league.” You will be playing in an NFL stadium in front of an NFL coach and general manager whose kid plays on the same team you do.


Mike Pouncey gets some love from Steve Addazio. Would
have been nice to see Al Golden or Mark D’Onofrio return
the favor for Muhammad Wilkerson.


To me, Muhammad Wilkerson is Temple Royalty. He is the only non-BCS player who will be picked in the first round. Let that thought swirl around in your head just a little bit.
Like a Solar Eclipse, those kind of things don’t come around often.
(Although I expect that they will happen moreso if Steve Addazio lives up to his reputation as a recruiter.)

Fortunately, neither you nor I will have to lose any sleep over this first-round pick. He made “the league” after only two years at Temple.
It’s hard to hide playing from the NFL when you are playing in one of their stadiums.
Having had the pleasure of watching Big Mo for the last two years, I know he will make an impact right away at either the defensive end or defensive tackle position.
There are plenty of DE/DT types who excel at one thing and not at another. Corey Simon was a great run-stopper, not so great at rushing the passer. Trent Cole is great at rushing the passer, not so good at stopping the run.
Wilkerson is great at both things. Plus, with basketball leaping ability at 6-foot-5, he’ll knock down more passes than just about anyone else. He’s got interchangable skills at both DE and DT and that’s got to make him valauble in a sport that has so many injuries.
Plus, he’s a terrific human being.
We at Temple know that.
On Sundays, due to the lockout maybe not this fall but certainly not too far into the future, all the football fans in America will soon find that out.