Nunnie on the Sideline
By “Nunnie” Robinson, Westside Gazette Sports Editor
I trust that all were blessed during this holiday season, and 2024 is replete with love, peace, joy and happiness.
But don’t be surprised by unexpected occurrences that have already smacked us into reality. I was speaking with fellow Mt. Hermonite, Dr. Sylvia Jones, a FAMU alumnus who mentioned that Willie Simmons, their highly successful, championship head football coach, had been hired by the Duke Blue Devils to be their head football coach. I thought that couldn’t be factual because Duke had recently hired former Canes coach Manny Diaz away from Penn State (defensive coordinator) as their head coach. Sylvia wasn’t far off though. In a 2:00 Press Conference on Saturday, Coach Simmons announced that he would be leaving FAMU to become the running backs coach at Duke. I, for one, was shocked only because I thought he could have equaled or surpassed the legendary Jake Gaither in both longevity and wins. No matter the reason for his departure, and we won’t speculate here, FAMU needs to act quickly and decisively in appointing a new coach. One name that quickly rose to the top: Quinn Gray, former Dillard High and FAMU alum, presently Albany State’s head coach. Assistant Head Coach James Colzie has been named Interim Head Coach and has the support of many current players. The wheels they are a turning!
The disrespect directed at Denver Broncos QB Russell Wilson by head coach Sean Payton is both deliberate and insidious. Bench him for poor play or not meeting performance and team expectations. But not money for crying out loud or because he doesn’t fit your coaching style. I’ve observed Russell being berated like a high school kid in front of the world instead of being treated like the Super Bowl winning quarterback that he is and sans one stupid goal line call could have won two. The best of quarterbacks underperformed on bad teams. See Bryce Young with Carolina or Justin Fields with the Bears. I always believed that good coaches tailor their offensive scheme to the player’s talent, not the opposite so it is clear that Coach Payton’s motives are not honorable.
My reasons for cheering for Michigan over Alabama are purely political. If you want a more detailed explanation, I will certainly oblige.
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