My Pulitzer nomination

posted by LW, Friday, October 02, 2009

In case you haven't noticed, I kinda have a thing for the movie "Napoleon Dynamite."

Just a good flick all around. One of those where you pick up on two or three more great one-liners each time you watch it.

Turns out Maryland QB Chris Turner bears a striking resemblance to one Napoleon.


If Turner could just throw on some of those hideous glasses ... bam.

My man Scott Keepfer of The Greenville News also happens to be an avowed Napoleon Dynamite aficionado. Whenever our paths cross at Clemson games, we usually exchange pleasantries by spouting some silly line from the movie.

So I was enormously impressed when Keepfer built his story on Turner around the movie.

Turner's Terrapins teammates had seen it all before, which explains why many of them affectionately refer to their quarterback as “Napoleon,” a nod to Turner's resemblance to the lead character in the popular 2004 independent film “Napoleon Dynamite.”

“I do sort of look like him,” Turner said.

This much is certain -- this Napoleon Dynamite has skills.

When the Ligers, er Tigers, travel to College Park, Md., for a Saturday noon date with Turner and the Terps, they'll be facing a savvy senior who already has made his mark on the Maryland record book.

That's Pulitzer material right there.

Oh, and by the way: That Turner dude? His dad was the original drummer for Ratt.


Here's a story from the Washington Times on just how Maryland's OL ended up in its current predicament. And it's not a particularly encouraging predicament.

And a feel-good piece on 11-year-old Jack Rolle, whose battle with cancer and diabetes has inspired people at Maryland and beyond.

"When you're hit with something like this, the support system is so important," Holliday said. "People come out of the woodwork, people that you'd least expect."

Jack has received signed apparel and letters from coaches at every ACC school, the news of the boy's ailment having spread through a fraternity of play-by-play announcers. And in response to each gesture, Jack has written a thank you note. The one Jack penned to Florida State Coach Bobby Bowden is pinned to a wall in the Seminoles' locker room.

Good story here on North Carolina's Robert Quinn.

Quinn is a beast, and Clemson's coaches knew that when he was in high school. Once they realized they were out of the picture with him, they were praying he'd end up somewhere outside the ACC.

"I think he is a pro right now," ECU coach Skip Holtz said after UNC's 31-17 win on Sept. 19.

Asked ECU quarterback Patrick Pinkney, who spent the better part of the game sharing the backfield with Quinn: "He's only a sophomore?"

UNC coach Butch Davis simply calls Quinn a "beast," and safety Deunta Williams has nicknamed him "Hercules."

"He's amazing," Williams said. "The guy's 270, he runs a 4.5 and he's chiseled up like a Greek god."

Here's a must-read by The Post and Courier's Travis Sawchik, who digs deep into the source of those lasers we've seen Kyle Parker throw this year.

The first time I saw Parker throw was during warmups for last year's game at Boston College. I thought at the time that he had a much stronger arm than anyone on the roster -- or anyone who'd been at Clemson for a while.

The second time was on the first day of spring practice last March. The arm strength, plus the amazingly quick release, left me almost convinced he was going to be the guy.

Sawchik does an excellent job of explaining just how a little guy is able to produce that much power.

Perhaps Cleveland Browns quarterbacks coach Carl Smith can explain it best. Smith, who coached Matt Leinart at Southern Cal, who following a three-year run as the Jacksonville Jaguars' offensive coordinator, coached Parker during his senior year at Bartram Trail in Jacksonville, Fla.

"Have you ever seen him hit the baseball?" Smith said. "Jack that ball out of the park? Seen him hit one of those big bombs? Well there you go.

"In that body, he has core strength. You talk about bat speed -- he has bat speed in his body. ... He's been trained since he was a year old by his dad. He doesn't have any (mechanical) flaws so all the power he has in his body can come out."

Clemson offensive coordinator Billy Napier said the core movements of Parker's baseball swing, notably the hips, are nearly identical to his football throwing motion.

"His lower-body core is all glued together," Napier said. "He's able to generate a lot of power ... He's a lot a like Drew Brees."

Now if he can just start dropping that left shoulder and stop throwing off his back foot.

Interesting column from Bart Wright on the lack of NFL quarterbacks from Clemson or South Carolina. Who knew Steve Fuller was the last QB from either school to start an NFL game?


In The State, Dabo Swinney says he's fine giving C.J. Spiller and Jacoby Ford the brunt of the offensive touches.

In the Independent-Mail, the Terrapins try to stay positive.


LW

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