In SEC, They Put More Than Their Cards on Table

If President Bush and Al Gore have let bygones be bygones over that messy presidential swamp-wrestling for votes in Florida, then why can’t Southeastern Conference basketball coaches solemnly swear to get along?

Florida’s Eddie Donovan and South Carolina’s Eddie Fogler have done enough mudslinging to fill a Jerry Springer segment.

Louisiana State’s John Brady and Alabama’s Mike Gottfried have fired salvos at each other as if they were on one of those political cross-fire shows.

If this keeps up, SEC coaches might have to settle their differences in an anything-goes, steel-cage wrestling match.

For now, it’s only a three-ring circus.

It all started at the SEC media days in November. Fogler accused Florida of “unethical” recruiting practices. Donovan called Fogler gutless. SEC Commissioner Roy Kramer cleared Florida of any wrongdoing and reprimanded both coaches, basically telling both to behave.

The Brady-Gottfried spat started after Alabama beat Louisiana State at Baton Rouge on Jan. 6. Crimson Tide players Ron Grizzard and Doc Martin jumped on the scorer’s table to taunt LSU fans who had been heckling them. This nearly started a fight and the coaching staffs of both teams had to restore order. Brady then exchanged words with Gottfried and one of his assistants, Tom Kelsey, who had to be restrained by security.

Later, when talking to reporters, Brady said Grizzard and Martin “acted like a couple of jerks,” adding that “the players are a reflection of their coach.” That didn’t go over well with Kramer, who sent Brady a letter of reprimand. “I’m certainly not apologizing,” said Brady, who claimed to wad up the letter and throw it in the trash.

Well, that’s no way to treat the Godfather of the Bowl Championship Series (well, maybe Brady was crumpling up Kramer’s much-maligned BCS formula that determines the teams that play for the national championship.) So, Kramer fired back that Brady would be suspended at least three games if he publicly criticized another team, coach or player. Brady has been a Paper Lion since.

In fact, it was relatively tame for Brady and the Tigers in the rematch Saturday with the Crimson Tide at Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Grizzard again had a hand in the outcome, scoring 18 of his 25 points in the second half of Alabama’s 76-66 victory. But there was no table hopping this time.

Said Brady: “All he did tonight was beat us off the dribble.

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Will o’ the wrist: Point guard Tony Harris had to leave in the first half of No. 8 Tennessee’s 72-50 victory over Vanderbilt at Knoxville, Tenn., when he suffered a sprained right wrist giving a high five to center Charles Hathaway.

“He gave me a little high five,” Hathaway explained. “It was me. I am the guilty party.”

Harris’ status for Wednesday’s game at Arkansas has not been determined. Tennessee Coach Jerry Green might consider a handshake agreement with players to take it easy on the celebrating.

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Ball of confusion: No. 14 Georgetown has had nine players lead or tie for the scoring lead in 21 games, and two players--Demetrius Hunter and Mike Sweetney--had career-high point totals in a 94-77 victory over West Virginia at Washington.

“That’s why we have 18 victories right now,” Coach Craig Esherick said. “We’ve been able to depend on people coming off the bench. If you have a balanced team, the other team cannot key on any one person.”

There is a drawback, evident in each of Georgetown’s three close losses.

“The only problem,” Esherick said, “is that at the end of ballgame --sometimes--everybody on the team doesn’t know who you want the ball to go to.”

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Don’t cry Wolfpack: North Carolina State has lost its last three games--all to nationally ranked teams--by an average of four points, including 54-53 to No. 12 Syracuse on Saturday at Raleigh, N.C. Coach Herb Sendek, on the hot seat with a 10-10 record in his fifth season at the school, isn’t accepting moral victories, however.

“People handle adversities and hardships differently,” Sendek said. “Some people go jump off a bridge, other people keep getting back up and fighting.

“If you dismiss everything and say we’re just snakebitten, then you can’t correct the things that are under your control.”

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Not so fabulous: Michigan continues to slip further from the Fab Five legacy of Chris Webber and Juwan Howard under Coach Brian Ellerbe, going from 25-9 after he took over for Steve Fisher in 1997 to 9-11 this season.

Interest in the program is definitely waning.

Thousands of seats were empty in Crisler Arena in Ann Arbor on Saturday, which made it easier for hecklers--who were shouting “Fire Ellerbe,” among other things--to be heard during a 60-41 loss to Wisconsin.

Ellerbe’s wife and two young children were in attendance and heard it all.

“I worry more about how it hurts our children than I worry about me or my husband,” said Ellerbe’s wife, Ingrid. “They’re old enough to read what’s going on in the papers and they can definitely hear what’s being said in here.”

Two Detroit newspaper columnists called for Ellerbe to be fired after Michigan’s 91-64 loss to Michigan State at Crisler on Tuesday..

Athletic Director Bill Martin said he will evaluate Ellerbe’s status after the season, but did mention the Wolverines looked “disorganized” against Michigan State.

Sounds as if the dreaded vote of confidence is forthcoming.