SportsLine’s Dodd named FWAA’s 63rd president January 2006 Vol. 44, No. 1 Dennis Dodd of CBS SportsLine be- Big Eight standings during many of those came the FWAA’s 63rd president during years. the association’s annual awards break- After Kansas City, Dennis became Inside this issue: fast on Jan 4, 2006, in Los Angeles. He rather nomadic. He worked for the St. is the first sitting president to work for an Louis Sun, The National (New York), internet outlet, signaling the beginning of Omaha World-Herald and SportsWriters President’s column 2 a new era in the FWAA. Direct before joining CBS Sportsline in Dodd, 49, succeeds Alan Schmadtke 1998. Freshman All-American of the Orlando Sentinel, who served as Dodd also found time to write a book 3 team announced the 2005 FWAA president. Mike Griffith about his alma mater’s basketball pro- of the Knoxville News Sentinel becomes gram, Tiger Handbook. the first vice president, and Ron Higgins Born on Dec. 31, 1956, Dodd just Katie Wieberg named of the Memphis Commercial Appeal be- missed out winning a washing machine Volney Meece Scholar- 3 comes second vice president or refrigerator for his parents as the first ship winner Dodd has won or placed often in the baby born in the New Year of 1957. But FWAA Best Writing Contest in recent he made sure at least he was around for years and has been a member of the the next day’s bowl games. One of his Fiesta Bowl’s John CBS SportsLine staff since 1998. He ancestors, however, kicked around an- Junker honored with 4 has been a fixture in college football other kind of ball. Dennis’ grandfather, Bert McGrane award press boxes from Chestnut Hill to Palo Daniel Barnard, was a legendary ama- Alto during the last seven years and car- teur soccer player in the St. Louis area in Notre Dame’s Charlie ries a passion for the game. the 1920s. Later, Mr. Barnard worked for Weis named FWAA 5 Known as a diehard St. Louis Cardi- the railroad and shuttled fans from St. coach of the year nals and St. Louis Blues hockey fan, Louis to South Bend on Notre Dame Dodd graduated from the University of football Saturdays. Missouri School of Journalism after Dodd flew solo until 1987 when he Texas collects Grant- land Rice Trophy as growing up in the St, Louis, Mo., area. proposed to his wife, Janet, during the 6 His first full-time job was in Sherman, seventh inning stretch of the fifth game of FWAA national cham- Texas, however. the 1987 World Series between the Car- pion After a brief stint there, Dodd then dinals and the Minnesota Twins. graduated to the Kansas City Star, Dennis and his wife Janet live in Tulane football team where from 1981-89 he covered various Overland Park, Kan., with their two chil- wins FWAA Courage 7 sports and developed a love for college dren, Haley, 13, and Jack, 9, just a Award football despite the fact the three local stone’s throw from the fairway of a golf Call for entries: FWAA schools, Kansas, Missouri and Kansas course. So close, in fact, Dodd remains 8 State, were at or near the bottom of the busy fixing broken windows in his house. Best Writing Contest Page 2 THE FIFTH DOWN President Dennis Dodd CBS SportsLine President’s column First Vice President It sure looked like Well, they are handlers of the assets, Mike Griffith the Ohio State beholden to the CEOs in some in- Knoxville News Sentinel locker room. It stances. sure as heck It's still shocking when an SID sits in Second Vice President smelled like an on an interview in a coach's office. The Ron Higgins Ohio State (or any Memphis Commercial Appeal implication being that we can't be trusted other team's) without a his/her presence to verify every Executive Director locker room. word that comes out of the coach's Steve Richardson There were a lot mouth. of sweaty, hairy Are we paying for every random blog, 2006 Directors men running message board or erroneous piece of Eric Bailey around celebrating info that crawls across the bottom of the Tulsa World a Fiesta Bowl win. TV? Or is this the way it is now at Col- Craig Barnes So what was the lege Sports Inc.? South Florida Sun-Sentinel DENNIS big deal the night It would require dozens of such "sit- Chad Cripe DODD of Jan. 2? ins" in an open locker room after a game Idaho Statesman The fact that we so the easy thing to do is to shut the Al Featherston were actually doors. Control the message. Deny the Freelance ALLOWED in the Ohio State locker media — and thus the public — the Scott Ferrrell room. For the first time, BCS fathers, in Shreveport Times very thing the school is trying to promote. Robert Gagliardi their wisdom, mandated open locker To the best of my knowledge, there Wyoming Tribune-Eagle rooms in their four bowl games. are only two major-college teams that Paul Gattis I have to admit, it was a bit of sur- open their locker rooms after games — The Huntsville Times prise but a welcome one. The trend, of Miami and USC. Miami, I think, realizes it Tim Griffin course, has been away from open post- has to compete for coverage in a pro San Antonio Express-News games. Sad to say that I've seen the art market. Plus, in a world where too many Eric Hansen treasures of the Vatican on a special VIP teams don't provide access, Miami South Bend Tribune tour but I haven't seen the inside of the stands out with its colorful players and Mike Huguenin Michigan locker room after a random Big Orlando Sentinel winning ways. Dave Jones Ten game. USC's philosophy is similar but is The Patriot News Welcome to the platform on which I also a reflection of Pete Carroll's laid- Brian Koonz ran for FWAA president in 2006. Access. back approach. In any given postgame, Danbury News-Times More and better access for all of us. OK, you might see a celeb, a rap star, the Ted Lewis I didn't run and there is no such thing as nation's No. 1 quarterback recruit, New Orleans Times- a mandate in the rotating one-year terms friends and parents. There is nothing Picayune for FWAA presidents. negative about it. It is part of the USC Andrew Logue But there is a bully pulpit to be used. vibe. Des Moines Register I intend to make access my focus this Tom Luicci So why don't other schools get it? It's Newark Star-Ledger year — to locker rooms, to players, to my conclusion that, by and large, Jeff Metcalfe coaches. Heck, back to our dear, old, coaches have taken total control over Arizona Republic bigger media guides. their programs. Part of it is flat-out para- Damien Pierce A generation of reporters has been noia. Part of it is a copycat mentality. Fort Worth Star-Telegram raised to accept the Sunday conference As is sometimes usual, things go too George Schroeder call, the Tuesday presser and MAYBE, far. While at LSU, Nick Saban didn't al- Daily Oklahoman MAYBE a few pearls after the Friday low his assistants to talk to the media. Kalani Simpson walk-through. I'm sure some of those assistants were Honolulu Star-Bulletin Part of the blame is on us for allowing Scott Wolf displeased that their names and faces Los Angeles Daily News this erosion of access to sources. We weren't properly attached to a national have not been vigilant enough or alert championship run in 2003. Ex-officio enough to realize what was happening. God forbid, those assistants might Charles Bloom I call it the "incorporation" of college actually be seen and get better jobs. SEC/BCS liaison sports. Coaches are the CEOs. Players It's college, folks. As I've written in Jon Jackson are "assets" to be maintained. SIDs? (Continued on page 7) Duke/CoSIDA Page 3 THE FIFTH DOWN Freshman All-America team Arkansas running back Darren McFadden was the named to the team, and Nebraska had two. only unanimous selection to the fifth annual FWAA/ The team and coach are selected by a group of writ- Scripps Freshman All-American Team announced in Los ers led by FWAA vice president Mike Griffith of the Angeles during the FWAA’s annual awards breakfast. Knoxville News Sentinel, a member of the Scripps chain. The ACC led all conferences with five players, includ- Both true freshmen and redshirt freshmen were consid- ing a pair from Florida State. Arkansas had three players ered for the team and so noted. OFFENSE DEFENSE Pos. Player, School Ht. Wt. Pos. Player, School Ht. Wt. QB Drew Weatherford, Florida State 6-3 210 DL • Steve Davis, Minnesota 6-2 230 RB • Darren McFadden, Arkansas 6-2 210 DL Mitch King, Iowa 6-3 250 RB • Steve Slaton, West Virginia 5-10 185 DL Brian Orakpo, Texas 6-4 238 RB • Tyrell Sutton, Northwestern 5-9 190 DL • Barry Turner, Nebraska 6-3 245 WR • Davone Bess, Hawaii 5-10 187 LB • Michael Brown, Duke 5-11 225 WR Sidney Rice, South Carolina 6-4 191 LB • Daniel Holtzclaw, E. Michigan 6-2 220 OL Andrew Gardner, Georgia Tech 6-6 285 LB • Rey Maualuga, USC 6-5 250 OL Jonathan Luigs, Arkansas 6-4 301 LB Tim McCarthy, Northern Illinois 6-0 235 OL Jeremy Perry, Oregon State 6-2 315 DB • Joe Burnett, Central Florida 5-11 180 OL Cole Popovich, Fresno State 6-2 275 DB Tony Carter, Florida State 5-9 160 OL Max Unger, Oregon 6-5 305 DB • Courtney Greene, Rutgers 6-1 180 C Robby Felix, UTEP 6-3 275 DB • Kenny Phillips, Miami 6-2 200 SPECIALISTS Pos.