Lost Lineman Surfaces

Remember reading here about Andy Altman, that lineman from La Jolla who was reported to be coming to Dartmouth this fall but didn't show up on the final recruit list? The San Diego Union-Tribune had it right - he was coming to Hanover until another school came into the picture.

A web search turns up this Stanford bio of the 6-foot-3, 290-pound defensive tackle. Turns out he is walking on for the Cardinal, but is well-regarded enough to end up on their web site.

By the way, clicking on Altman's bio resulted in a noise coming out of my laptop speakers that sounded for all the world like the cell block being closed down at San Quentin. After poking around a little bit, I realized the sound went with an ad at the top of the Stanford page under the heading:

Gridiron Guarantee:
We Guarantee You'll Like It Or Your Money Back!

From the promotion:

Purchase your NEW FULL SEASON TICKET (Offer applies to New Full Season Tickets and New Family Plan Season tickets) for the 2008 Stanford Football season. If at the end of the season you do not feel that you received your entertainment value for the ticket, Stanford Athletics will refund the price paid for the season ticket.

What I'd really like to find out is how many people take the school up on its offer ;-) If you would like to learn more about the Gridiron Guarantee, click here.

Harvard coach Tim Murphy to Penn State to succeed Joe Paterno? Sporting News columnist Matt Hayes has Murph at No. 4 on his list of the top five candidates. In order, he suggests:

1. Greg Schiano, Rutgers
2. Jim Grobe, Wake Forest
3. Bret Bielema, Wisconsin
4. Tim Murphy, Harvard
5. Tom Coughlin, New York Giants

Of Murphy, he writes this:

Highly respected in the coaching community, he was Notre Dame's fallback candidate in 2002 if the Irish didn't land Ty Willingham. A terrific offensive mind, and more than anything, a charismatic coach who commands fear and respect from players. You want coaching chops? In 14 seasons, he has 88 wins and is 9-5 against bitter rival Yale.

For what it's worth, it's not the first time Murphy's name has popped up with regard to Penn State.

Here's the name I'd like to see on that list: Bill Cowher. He's a Western P-A guy, which helps. You just know he could recruit the heck out of Pittsburgh, the entire state and the Midwest. Name recognition certainly wouldn't be a problem. Neither, I'd guess, would be the police report. Cowher has a reputation for stern discipline. And finally (warning: Ivy League connection coming) he sent a couple of daughters on to Princeton, so you know he values education.

Enough for now. Those two certain Hanover schoolkids will be coming home from camp in another couple of hours so I better get rolling.