Mining nuggets
from media days

WHOLE lotta shakin' going on:

>> Well, Ricky Williams didn't take me with him, so I'm thinking of retiring to spend more time with Logan Lee's family.

>> OK, here's today's debate: Timmy (this year I swear I will call him Tim) Chang is going to smash Ty Detmer's NCAA record for career passing yardage, thus -- at least in theory -- propelling himself into the Heisman Trophy race. But could you imagine any of Hawaii's other modern run-and-shoot quarterbacks -- Dan Robinson, Nick Rolovich, Jason Whieldon, even Shawn Withy-Allen -- also getting the record if they had played in this offense for four and a half Detmer years?

I think any or all of them would have at least had a shot.

>> Does anyone else get an evil, sick smile on their faces when hearing the words "Detmer" and "Heisman" in the same sentence? (Was that the game with the sacks or the one with the interceptions? I say every time local TV stations mention Chang's assault at the Detmer record this season they should roll a commemorative 56-14 video clip: "Of course, you guys remember Ty Detmer ...")

>> BYU must not be aware of this -- it was kept so quiet, you remember -- but the dreaded AstroTurf at Aloha Stadium has been replaced. (That turf was why BYU got out of a game here and hasn't rescheduled. ... Right? Right?)

>> The Chang Heisman campaign kicked off right this week (it might not have been a landslide on "Super Tuesday" but it was at least a decent showing in Iowa) when he was named Western Athletic Conference preseason offensive player of the year. Big deal, you say. Yes, but it means something when the people who know you best respect you.

Especially since he hadn't yet been named first-team All-WAC in his career.

Step one, down. Now it's up to him.

>> We also find out from the WAC media days that new UTEP coach Mike Price first introduced himself to his team while dressed as a miner, with a pick.

"I did that because miners are tough. We want to emulate a miner and we want to strike gold. We are going to get down and dirty and get grubby and get after it," he said.

I like it when I don't even have to come up with my own punch line.

>> This is late, but a reader put me on to the story that an Air Force male cheerleader has been suspended for steroid violations. ... Which I guess tells you all you need to know about the female cheerleaders at Air Force.

>> More from Reno: The U.S. Justice Department -- the Feds -- has talked to the WAC about an investigation into the "business practices of ESPN."

"It's hard to turn away from ESPN," in making deals, WAC commissioner Karl Benson said in an Associated Press report.

I'm not sure what Benson means, but ESPN president Don Vito Corleone had no comment.

>> I read on ESPN.com that when Shaq found out Phil Jackson was leaving the Lakers, the big man was ... well, let him tell it: "I'm at home eating cereal."

That image has been in my head ever since.

>> Tomorrow I'm coming to work with a pick.