Like I Was Saying

You can call Sally Mason lots of things, but you certainly can't call her a dummy. In the latest development in the ugly sexual assault mess at the University of Iowa, the school president showed that she's on top of things by quickly firing Philip Jones and Marcus Mills. Mason dumped Jones, the vice-president for student services, and Mills, the vice-president for legal affairs and general counsel, before somebody could fire her. Obviously, Mason is in over her head and is the one who should get the ax. But, like Yogi or Alive In Clive always says, it ain't over yet.

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Now that the Iowa Supreme Court says former Hawkeye Pierre Pierce can go to France so he can play professional basketball, I'm saying it's a decision closely resembling one that would give the fox a free six-month pass to the hen house.


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You've got to hand it to the University of Iowa. Folks there have shown they mean business by hiring Chigozi Ejiasi as director of player development for the Hawkeye football team at a salary of $44,000 a year. That's a pretty cheap way to make sure there won't be any more arrests of football players.

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There's some thought that this will be Lou Piniella's last season as the Chicago Cubs' manager if his team wins the World Series. Even though Piniella is tired of dealing with second-guessing from reporters and fans, he'll evidently be back as the skipper in 2009 if the Cubs don't win the Series. My prediction: Piniella will manage the Cubs in '09. Which means the California Angels will win the World Series.

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Face it already. Tempers flare and there are disagreements galore on the field and on the sidelines during collegiate football games. Some of you may remember when Hayden Fry got himself in hot water with fans by grabbing then-Iowa quarterback Matt Rodgers by his facemask during a game at Ohio State that was televised nationally. Miraculously, everyone survived another week.

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I sure can't imagine any quarterback having a problem with Hawkeye offensive coordinator Ken O'Keefe during a game. I don't know why anyone else would. As far as I'm concerned, O'Keefe is a cordial, up-front, always-available coach who gets along with the players as well as any assistant in America.

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I can't help but recall what some football sage said many years ago: Whenever a coach can't decide between two quarterbacks, it usually means the coach doesn't have any quarterbacks. Not that I'm referring to Iowa or Iowa State, of course.

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I don't think the White Sox are going to make it to the American League playoffs.

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Nice e-mail from Don Clasen, a retired newspaperman who once worked at the Des Moines Register & Tribune:

"Ron, I received your book in the mail yesterday, started reading it and couldn't put it down. As usual, a great job. It brought back memories. After 4 years in the Navy I returned to go to Iowa, but didn't graduate after being offered a job at the former Davenport Democrat. I vividly recall the huge 6-0 victory over the Buckeyes. Page 1 of the Democrat the Sunday after the victory included an 8-column picture of Jim Gibbons hauling in the touchdown pass. The shot was snapped by Harry Boll from across the field. It was grainy--I believe he took it using a Speed Graphic. I have gotten to know some of those you quoted through the I-Club. Brooksie and Dolph have become friends. I'll never forget Bob telling of a remark made by Bobby Knight when they met after 'The General' left Indiana. 'Aren't you dead yet?' Brooksie asked. Great book, Ron. It brought made a lot of names and memlories. Thanks for writing the book."

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Photos of Cedar Rapids radio broadcaster Bob Brooks, aka Brooksie [right] and former Indiana and Texas Tech basketball coach Bobby Knight [left] courtesy of the Internet.