By MONTE DUTTON (Furman photo) Click here. The last time I cultivated a passion for soccer was in an Ann Arbor bar during the World Cup while I was writing about NASCAR in Michigan. My job was writing about cars going ‘round and ‘round during the time Doug Allison was raising the roof on Furman …
Gardner’s girls keep on rolling
By MONTE DUTTON (Monte Dutton photos) Click here. So far, so good. Girls’ basketball at Clinton High School is first in war, first in peace and first in Class 2A, according to the S.C. Basketball Coaches Association. The Red Devils, led by head coach John Gardner, improved to 9-0 with victories over Belton-Honea Path, 46-34, …
Bill Anderson … in my dreams
By MONTE DUTTON Click here. Bill Anderson is one of the great songwriters in country-music history. I dreamed I had a conversation with “Whispering Bill” last night. Back in the NASCAR days, I bumped into well-known figures – Michael Jordan, John Prine, Dick Riley, Dick Vitale, Jay Bilas, Barney Frank – at airports. This is …
Paladins check all the boxes
By MONTE DUTTON Cooper Bowser (Monte Dutton photo) Click here. On Tuesday night at Timmons Arena, Furman exceeded 100 points for the first time, outscored Bob Jones, 60-12 inside and won for the sixth time in its last seven men’s basketball games. No surprise there. The Bruins didn’t start shooting hoops until 2002. They’ve done …
Proximity but not prestige
By MONTE DUTTON 'New' Timmons Arena (Monte Dutton photos) Click here. Furman University and Bob Jones University have little in common as basketball rivals, other than both being in Greenville. They may be rival institutions but not athletics rivals. Last season, the Paladins played a couple games at BJU’s Davis Fieldhouse while Timmons Arena was …
Blue Hose fly past Eagles, 80-72
By MONTE DUTTON Jonah Pierce keeps Morehead's Josiah LeGree occupied (Monte Dutton photos). Click here. The early part of basketball season is often full of ups and downs. The goal is to round into shape for the conference season. On Saturday afternoon at Templeton Center, Presbyterian College took a step in the right direction with …
The shot heard from the West Coast
By MONTE DUTTON (Furman photo) Click here. Doug Allison is not retiring without a fight. In his 31st and final season as men’s soccer coach at Furman, he has taken the Paladins where they have never been before. And they are taking him. It’s not often that a men’s soccer team gets higher billing than …
Harvard to bring antiquity to Timmons Arena
By MONTE DUTTON Tom House (Furman photo) Click here. For as long as I can remember, fans of private schools have referred, mostly tongue in cheek, as their schools as “the Harvard of the South.” Furman gets to play Harvard “in the South” when the Paladins host the Crimson at Timmons Arena on Saturday at …
Continue reading Harvard to bring antiquity to Timmons Arena
UAB opts to promote interim head coach
PC's Steve Englehart was a finalist in UAB coaching search (Monte Dutton photo). Click here. The University of Alabama Birmingham has chosen interim football coach Alex Mortensen to coach the Blazers going forward. The son of the late ESPN analyst Chris Mortensen took over when ex-NFL quarterback Trent Dilfer was dismissed during the season. The …
Englehart is finalist for UAB vacancy
By MONTE DUTTON Steve Englehart (Monte Dutton photo) Click here. Reports in Alabama indicate that Presbyterian College’s Steve Englehart may be headed to the vacant head football coaching job at the University of Alabama Birmingham. The hire has not yet been confirmed or announced. UAB fired former NFL quarterback Trent Dilfer after two seasons yielded …
Nightrider's Lament 