Pitchfork potpourri
June 26th, 2007, 7:06 am · Post a Comment · posted by Dan Zeiger
Not to worry; Sun Devil Stadium is still standing.
Arizona State’s football coaches are frustrated at news that at least one rival school is telling recruits that they should not play collegiately in Tempe because “the stadium is falling down.”
Look, I know that this type of recruiting is part of college sports, but to the coaches currently using this tactic: Knock it off. Sun Devil Stadium is not “falling down,” and the story that precipitated the line, Garin Groff’s report in Sunday’s Tribune, says nothing of the sort.
However, ASU had a successful recruiting day on Monday, as Internet services reported that two players, defensive lineman Zeb Togiai of Phoenix Desert Vista High and cornerback Josh Jordan of Bishop Gorman High in Las Vegas, orally committed to the Sun Devils.
That gives ASU three known committments in the 2008 class. Desert Vista tight end Steven Figueroa stated his intentions to play for the Sun Devils earlier this month.
The final Directors Cup standings are expected to be released on Wednesday. ASU was 17th in the previous standings, and a national title in women’s track and College World Series appearances in baseball and softball should push the school close to the top 10.
ASU’s marketing department has been attempting to secure a national-anthem singing appearance by “American Idol” winner Jordin Sparks during the 2007 football season, preferably at the Thanksgiving-night contest against Southern California. Sparks, you might have heard, is the daughter of former Sun Devil and NFL defensive back Phillippi Sparks.
Baseball coach Pat Murphy said on Monday that he is confident he will have a new assistant coach hired by Sunday, the first day that in-home visits with recruits are permitted.
Finally, from time to time, I’ll use this blog to alert fans of good stuff by other writers. The first honoree is Seattle Post-Intelligencer columnist Ted Miller, who makes a case that the Pac-10 is the best conference in the nation.
