Craig Nall rejoining the Green Bay Packers this week is excellent timing for the all-time Demons football great.
Everybody who follows football knows Green Bay quarterback Brett Favre, one of the most durable players in NFL history, is fighting injuries sustained in last Thursday night's game at Dallas. Favre is expected to start and play Sunday when the Packers play Sunday against Oakland.
But backup Aaron Rogers, who replaced Favre in the Dallas game, has injured a hamstring and the Packers believe he could be sidelined for a couple of weeks.
That jumps Nall from free agent signee to No. 2 QB for Green Bay, one play away from getting his first regular-season NFL action in three years, since he was Favre's backup with the Pack in 2004.
It's a different offensive system now, and Nall is cramming to get enough of an understanding to execute things correctly if called upon.
For the complete story, visit www.thetowntalk.com today.
Doug Ireland, SID
Thursday, December 06, 2007
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
Happy anniversaries
Today is the second anniversary of one of NSU's greatest basketball wins -- the 68-64 triumph over Oklahoma State at storied Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater.
NSU alumnus John Mallory, who lives in Oklahoma City, brought his son and a buddy to the game and sat right behind the Demon bench. Other than our bus driver and his wife, and former NSU basketball assistant coach Jack Hearron, there may not have been anybody cheering for the Demons that night at GIA.
That is as intense a setting as there is in college basketball. When the Oklahoma State students get going, the floor actually vibrates. The players can feel it.
It had been eight years since a non-conference visitor won there. The legendary coach Eddie Sutton was on the OSU bench. The team was loaded with talent, not far removed from a Final Four trip, and was on the brink of breaking into the Top 25 rankings.
Then Mike McConathy's Demons of Destiny came calling. The way they took command of the game, and made the plays to withstand a great rally by the Cowboys, will always resonate in NSU history.
Two days from now, Dec. 7, is the 18th anniversary of the 85-82 win in Rupp Arena over Kentucky. That, truly, was an upset. NSU over Oklahoma State two years ago? As Eddie Sutton said himself, "this was no fluke."
That was proven out at season's end, when the Demons were among the nation's top 32 teams.
Doug Ireland, SID
NSU alumnus John Mallory, who lives in Oklahoma City, brought his son and a buddy to the game and sat right behind the Demon bench. Other than our bus driver and his wife, and former NSU basketball assistant coach Jack Hearron, there may not have been anybody cheering for the Demons that night at GIA.
That is as intense a setting as there is in college basketball. When the Oklahoma State students get going, the floor actually vibrates. The players can feel it.
It had been eight years since a non-conference visitor won there. The legendary coach Eddie Sutton was on the OSU bench. The team was loaded with talent, not far removed from a Final Four trip, and was on the brink of breaking into the Top 25 rankings.
Then Mike McConathy's Demons of Destiny came calling. The way they took command of the game, and made the plays to withstand a great rally by the Cowboys, will always resonate in NSU history.
Two days from now, Dec. 7, is the 18th anniversary of the 85-82 win in Rupp Arena over Kentucky. That, truly, was an upset. NSU over Oklahoma State two years ago? As Eddie Sutton said himself, "this was no fluke."
That was proven out at season's end, when the Demons were among the nation's top 32 teams.
Doug Ireland, SID
Monday, December 03, 2007
Nall back with the Pack
Brett Favre's bad fortune leads to some good fortune for former Demon Craig Nall.
Friday, Nall rejoined the team he spent four years with, signed as an insurance policy in case Favre's injuries from the 37-27 loss to Dallas keep the future Pro Football Hall of Fame QB from extending his consecutive games streak next weekend.
It may be another short-term paycheck, but the fact that he keeps getting callbacks has to be encouraging. Watching some other bullpen QBs shine when finally given their chances to take snaps in the NFL is encouraging to those of us who know that given the chance to play, Nall would answer the bell in style.
After all, we saw it here in 2001, and he did it on the pro level in NFL Europe. His limited game experience, both in exhibitions and regular season play, has been sparkling. Looking around the NFL, there are several situations which are crying out for a change in QBs. Hopefully Craig gets some playing time with the Pack and a better chance in 2008.
Doug Ireland, SID
Friday, Nall rejoined the team he spent four years with, signed as an insurance policy in case Favre's injuries from the 37-27 loss to Dallas keep the future Pro Football Hall of Fame QB from extending his consecutive games streak next weekend.
It may be another short-term paycheck, but the fact that he keeps getting callbacks has to be encouraging. Watching some other bullpen QBs shine when finally given their chances to take snaps in the NFL is encouraging to those of us who know that given the chance to play, Nall would answer the bell in style.
After all, we saw it here in 2001, and he did it on the pro level in NFL Europe. His limited game experience, both in exhibitions and regular season play, has been sparkling. Looking around the NFL, there are several situations which are crying out for a change in QBs. Hopefully Craig gets some playing time with the Pack and a better chance in 2008.
Doug Ireland, SID
McConathy family gets prime national pub
It can't have happened too many times ever that two sons played college basketball at the same time for their dad.
It's also unusual for a retired jersey to come out of mothballs.
We're witnessing both cases this season at NSU. And the national media is taking notice.
Michael and Logan McConathy are guards playing for their dad, Demon basketball head coach Mike McConathy.
Over the weekend, the McConathy's remarkable family ties to NSU basketball were featured in a college basketball notebook column distributed by the Associated Press.
A quick "google" search online will net you some links to the story, which ran, among other places, in the New York Times and on SI.com on the web.
The item is the third one in a notebook headed by a quick recap of pre-conference tournament action and a note about the Big Ten/ACC Challenge.
It's headlined "A Family Tradition" and it has comments from the boys and "Coach Dad" and includes the background on Mike's dad, Johnny, the 1951 first-round NBA Draft pick who remains one of the all-time great Demons.
Michael talks about wearing the retired No. 14 jersey that his "Grampa Johnny" wore. It was retired in 2002 but is back in circulation for a little longer.
David West of the NSU News Bureau was among the first to find the item over the weekend.
Doug Ireland, SID
It's also unusual for a retired jersey to come out of mothballs.
We're witnessing both cases this season at NSU. And the national media is taking notice.
Michael and Logan McConathy are guards playing for their dad, Demon basketball head coach Mike McConathy.
Over the weekend, the McConathy's remarkable family ties to NSU basketball were featured in a college basketball notebook column distributed by the Associated Press.
A quick "google" search online will net you some links to the story, which ran, among other places, in the New York Times and on SI.com on the web.
The item is the third one in a notebook headed by a quick recap of pre-conference tournament action and a note about the Big Ten/ACC Challenge.
It's headlined "A Family Tradition" and it has comments from the boys and "Coach Dad" and includes the background on Mike's dad, Johnny, the 1951 first-round NBA Draft pick who remains one of the all-time great Demons.
Michael talks about wearing the retired No. 14 jersey that his "Grampa Johnny" wore. It was retired in 2002 but is back in circulation for a little longer.
David West of the NSU News Bureau was among the first to find the item over the weekend.
Doug Ireland, SID
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