Sunday, August 01, 2004

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^



1 AUG 04: END RESULTS



Somebody has to ask it first, so I will: has John Fourcade coached his last game with the Columbus Wardogs? And if he has, will the team wait until January to hire a replacement - in case Tommy Tuberville becomes available?



Yes, I know the Wardogs won a team record six games this arena football season. But Saturday night's 65-62 loss to Memphis was the fourth in a row down the stretch, after a 6-6 record had them in sight of the playoffs. Hopefully the Northern Little League baseball team hasn't been watching....



The Boomer-95 broadcast team somehow didn't bring it up, but the Wardogs could have tied Saturday night's game and forced overtime with a last-second field goal. Instead, Coach John Fourcade went for the win and failed. And in this case, "extending the game" actually meant extending the season.



(Maybe John Fourcade is a listener to Rush Limbaugh's radio show. Limbaugh has encouraged Republicans in Congress over the years to "go for it all and lose" - but unlike football coaches, politicians can be re-elected.)



Perhaps Coach John Fourcade didn't call for a last-second field goal because he was flabbergasted by the officials. They let the clock run down from 12 seconds to four, apparently without explanation. And you thought eight seconds only mattered at a rodeo....



But what may seal Coach John Fourcade's fate was how he reacted to the last-second loss to Memphis. In an on-field post-game interview with Rachel Baribeau, he used the "H" word three times in one sentence. This isn't New York, coach - and your last name isn't "Rocker."



The outburst of expletives may have stunned some Wardog listeners - since only last weekend, Coach John Fourcade was at Cascade Hills Church talking about the team during worship services. This will teach Pastor Bill Purvis to take month-long summer vacations....



Before you ask: no, I am NOT trying to run Coach John Fourcade out of Columbus. I'm just wondering if the Wardog management is willing to be patient with him -- especially after he clearly didn't show any in front of a live microphone.



There's also the question of whether Coach John Fourcade will want to stay in Columbus. He could shop around for a better coaching deal. After all, Fourcade won an A-F-2 title two years ago in Fort Myers, Florida. As strange as it sounds, maybe he's ready for MAJOR league arena football.



Keep in mind there's a coaching vacancy right up the highway, with arena football's Georgia Force. Perhaps John Fourcade would be a better fit there. I can think of one sports-talk radio station right away, which would love to hear him cursing all the time.



BLOG UPDATE: Speaking of final editions, WRBL finally presented its "Problem Solver" report on those smelly 20th Avenue apartments Friday evening. The story had a hopeful, happy ending - well, except for not mentioning Dave Marshall may have lost his job over the investigation.



WRBL's Blaine Stewart finished the report Dave Marshall began. The managers at Rowe Realty showed him new sewer lines being installed at the apartment complex, so big backups of human waste don't occur anymore. And by extension, big losses of advertising money may not occur either....



The Problem Solvers report admonished you not to "flush large items," to prevent big waste backups at your apartment. For instance, you can donate jeans which don't fit anymore to Goodwill Industries.



THE BIG BLOG QUESTION asked you if Dave Marshall should have been fired by WRBL - and when voting closed Saturday night, you said no by a 10-3 margin. Maybe with Marshall's "in your face" style, WLTZ should hire him. He could REALLY "Wake Up Columbus" at 5:30 a.m.



BURKARD'S BEST BETS: Walgreen's Diet Cola at 79 cents for a 20-ounce bottle.... gasoline for $1.70 a gallon at Phillips on Weems and Coastal on Airport Thruway.... Sunday's FREE International Festival at the Civic Center (too bad the food isn't free anymore....)



COMING MONDAY: How many celebrations can we visit in one day?....



To offer a story tip, make a donation or comment on this blog, write me - but be warned, I may post a reply.



If you quote from this in public somewhere, please be polite enough to let me know.



© 2003-04 Richard Burkard, All Rights Reserved.