College Football Week 19 – Tebow signs multi-year contract with ESPN
‘If you’re traveling to the north country fair
Please say hello to the one who lives there’

Swamp Mama and I hit the road for north Florida on December 23 – not quite as far north as Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash were singing about.  But here in Florida, we were definitely traveling to the ‘north country.’

If there is one thing that is certain, it is Swamp Mama and I driving to the panhandle every December 23 to spend Christmas with Princess Gator, Bama Gator, Gator Gabe and Gator Babe.

Normally, we take 192 west to the Turnpike; the Turnpike north to I-75; I-75 north to I-10, and I-10 west through Seminole country.  But sometimes we meander.  We like taking the back roads.  Maybe I should rephrase that statement.  I like taking the back roads.  I’m a back road kind of guy.  I can’t always say that about Swamp Mama.   

Monday, last week, the trip began as usual – 192 west to the Turnpike and the Turnpike north to I-75.  But we no sooner hit I-75 and I exited to take Highway 44 west through Inverness to Crystal River.  I didn’t hear any complaints from the shotgun seat.  I figured I was safe.

At Crystal River, I turned right and took U.S. 19 north to I-10.  Between Crystal River and I-10, we stopped for lunch at the Cypress Inn in Shamrock, Florida.  Shamrock appears to be a suburb of Cross City.  Swamp Mama and I walked in the restaurant just in time.  Shortly after we were seated, the place filled up with patrons – all of whom looked like they were straight out of “Duck Dynasty” – camo, beards (men, not the women), tattoos, you name it. 

Swamp Mama and I just smiled at our fellow eaters, ate our lunch and were on our way.  Actually, the food was pretty good.  Swamp Mama had the buffet and I had a sandwich.

The sky had been gray and cloudy since we left home.  The clouds were full of moisture and you just knew it was going to fall.  As we got onto I-10, the rain came.  It came, and it came and it came – pretty hard at times. 

I was worried about driving through Seminole Country in the heavy rain.  Visibility was low.  The rain created a thick, misty fog.  It would have been easy for the Noles to sneak up on us.  But we managed to dodge the spears and arrows as we drove through Chief Osceola’s village.  In the distance, I could vaguely see many of the Seminole braves practicing their Tiger catching techniques. 

The rain remained with us until we reached the Apalachicola River.  As we crossed the river, the rain stopped.  Once on the other side of the Apalachicola, I figured we were out of Seminole country.  Go Gators!  There was no more rain for the remainder of the drive – just gray, cloudy skies.

We arrived at our destination just in time for me to take the stress off a long-day’s drive, by watching a football game.  East Carolina was playing Ohio in the Beef ‘O’ Brady’s Bowl.  My friend Steve Salaga, an East Carolina graduate, was supposed to be at the game.  Steve should have been happy.  The Pirates beat the Bobcats, 37-20.
 
Swamp Mama and I awoke to a beautiful, but cold, morning on Christmas Eve day.  The sky was clear, blue and sunny – not a cloud in sight.  But it was 35 degrees, warming up to 57 that afternoon.

I saw where Army hired Jeff Monken to replace Rich Ellerson as head coach.  Monken was the coach at Georgia Southern, where he was 38-16 in four seasons.  Previously, he was an assistant coach at Navy and Georgia Tech under Paul Johnson. 

Then I got the news out of Gainesville.  Will Muschamp named Kurt Roper his new offensive coordinator.  Roper was the offensive coordinator at Duke under David Cutcliffe.

That evening, Oregon State beat Boise State, 38-23 in the Hawaii Bowl.  Prior to the game, Bronco quarterback Joe Southwick was sent home for urinating off of a balcony at the team’s hotel.  Southwick was upset, denying he was the culprit.  So much so, that he took a lie detector test when he got home.  He passed the test.  But three of his teammates swore up-and-down that Southwick was guilty.  Either Southwick was lying or his teammates didn’t want him to quarterback the team in the game.  Dissension on the team?  Sounds like Chris Petersen pulled out of Boise State at the right time.  The program appears to be going downhill. 

Christmas Day and it was only appropriate that there were no bowl games.  Watching grandkids open presents is more exciting than listening to Lou Holtz and Rece Davis.  The day was pretty, but cold – 31 degrees in the morning; 59 in the afternoon.

The day after Christmas, known as ‘Boxing Day’ to some, Swamp Mama and I drove to Panama City.  Swamp Mama thinks it’s a day for purchasing more things in boxes.  Somehow, I don’t think that’s what it quite means.  But far be it for me to spoil her fantasy.

We cruised around.  Swamp Mama cruised for shops to spend money in, while I cruised for ‘husband chairs’ in or near the shops.  Before smart phones, I used to take a book with me to read.  Now I spend time on the phone – playing games, checking on sports news, Facebook, whatever.  I think there is a misnomer there somewhere.  Isn’t reading books smarter than playing on phones?

Boxing Day was another pretty day and not as cold – 39 in the morning and 62 in the afternoon.  But the skies did turn cloudy late in the day.  We went to a party that night. 

I read where South Carolina defensive lineman Jeremy Clowney got his second speeding ticket in three weeks.  This time, he was going 84 in a 55mph zone.  The first time – December 7 – he was doing 110 in a 70mph zone.  The cops seemed more interested in getting their picture taken with Clowney than giving him a ticket. 

The day after Christmas, Bowling Green beat Pitt, 30-27, in the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl, and Utah State beat Northern Illinois, 21-14, in the Poinsettia Bowl.

Friday morning, Swamp Mama and I left the ‘north country’ for our drive back to east-central Florida.  We followed the same route that we took up, but we stopped for lunch in Inverness.  Like the drive up, the skies were cloudy during the entire trip, but there was little rain – just some light, drizzling moisture.

Once home, Marshall vs. Maryland in the Military Bowl was my stress reliever.  The Herd beat the Terrapins, 31-20.  Does Maryland really want to keep Randy Edsall?

Recently, I had read where Tim Tebow’s agent was negotiating with ESPN, Fox and CBS to secure a college football analyst/commentator job for Tebow next season.  The reports said that ESPN had the inside track. 

Sure enough, they did.  Tebow signed a multi-year contract with ESPN.  He will be on the sports network next season, primarily as an SEC analyst.  Tebow will have a weekly Saturday show broadcast from a different SEC campus each week.  He also will provide SEC commentary during the week.  His first appearance is January 6, prior to the Florida State-Auburn game.

Let’s hope Tebow does better than Rocket Ismail and Doug Flutie.  Their contracts with ESPN were short-lived due to their functional illiteracy and verbal disabilities.  Former Florida quarterback Jesse Palmer and Georgia linebacker David Pollack have done well on ESPN.      

Still on Friday, that evening and night, Syracuse beat Minnesota, 21-17, in the Texas Bowl, and Washington, under an interim coach, beat BYU, 31-16, in the Fight Hunger Bowl.

Notre Dame got Saturday off to a start with a 29-16 win over Rutgers in the Pinstripe bowl.  Then North Carolina beat Cincinnati, 39-17, in the Belk Bowl.  During those games, I began reading reports that Penn State coach Bill O’Brien was pretty much a sure thing to be the Houston Texans coach next season in the NFL.  But others said don’t count on it.

Then I read if O’Brien does go to the Texans, Penn State most likely will go after Tampa Bay Bucs coach Greg Schiano.  The assumption being that Tampa will fire Schiano on Monday – December 30.      

Saturday night, there were two big-time whippings.  First Louisville took Miami (Florida) out behind the woodshed and beat the Hurricanes, 36-9.  It was an impressive night for Cardinals quarterback Teddy Bridgewater.  He may have played his best game of the season, passing for 447 yards.  Miami president Donna Shalala should have self-imposed a bowl ban on Miami again this year.  Is Al Golden overrated? 

Then, Kansas State took Michigan out behind the woodshed and beat the Wolverines to the tune of 31-14.  Is Michigan any better under Brady Hoke that it was under Rich Rodriguez?

As expected, Greg Schiano was fired yesterday. 

Then I read about an Alabama couple who named their newest son Krimson Tyde – Krimson Tyde Steele.  Krimson Tyde, who was born on December 17, has two older brothers – Trenton and Dawson.  Wonder if Krimson learns to roll before he crawls?  Roll Tyde!

In the first of four games yesterday, Navy beat Middle Tennessee, 24-6, in the Armed Forces Bowl.  Last year, Middle Tennessee was spurned by the bowls – failing to get an invite.  The Blue Raiders shouldn’t have been invited to a bowl this year.  Their defense played like a bunch of cheap thugs.

Next up, Ole Miss downed Georgia Tech, 25-17, in the Music City Bowl.  I should have known better than to pick an ACC team over an SEC team.

As the Alamo Bowl began between Texas and Oregon, new Longhorn athletic director Steve Patterson said he wants to have a new coach named at Texas by January 15 at the latest.  Oregon beat the Longhorns, 30-7.  It was a sad finale to Mack Brown’s career, but the score indicates why Brown was ousted.  The Texas band gave a nice ‘shout out’ to Mack Brown at halftime.  The Longhorn band spelled out “Mack Brown” on the field and the crowd of nearly 66,000 responded with a standing ovation.

In the nightcap last night, Texas Tech, who finished the season losing five-straight games, pulled a big-time surprise on Arizona State, beating the Sun Devils, 37-23, in the Holiday Bowl.  Red Raider quarterback Davis Webb was an accurate passer, throwing for 403 yards.

I have to make an admission.  I couldn’t make it through the Texas Tech-Arizona State game.  I went to bed at the end of the first quarter.  But you know who watched the entire game.  And you know why.  Normally, she is in bed long before I am.  In fact, as I got up to go to bed, she said, “Leave the TV on.  I know how to turn it off.”

I’m sure Swamp Mama had sweet dreams last night.

Well, I’m sitting at a precarious position in my bowl game picks at 10-9.  Four more games today and 12 in the New Year.  Keep on bowling, my friends – 19 down, 16 to go. 

“Many times I’ve often prayed
In the darkness of my night
In the brightness of my day”

Have a Hoppin’ John day!  Happy New Year!

Touchdown Tom
December 31, 2013
www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com


Review of the Bowls (15 of them)

Pirates fillet the Bobcats (in the Beef ‘O’ Brady’s Bowl) – East Carolina 37, Ohio 20 (Touchdown Tom said: East Carolina 34, Ohio 21).  This was a tight game until midway through the fourth quarter, when Ohio ran out of steam and ECU ran away with the game.  The teams combined for 1,003 yards of offense, but the Bobcats had no running game – only 107 yards rushing.  The Pirates’ Vintavious Cooper, alone, had 198 yards rushing.  Three turnovers – all interceptions – didn’t help Ohio any.  Most of those came in the latter half of the fourth quarter.  A crowd of 20,053 attended the game in St. Petersburg. 

Beavs sharpen their teeth (in the Hawaii Bowl) – Oregon State 38, Boise State 23 (Touchdown Tom said: Oregon State 38, Boise State 31).  This game was over in the first half.  Oregon State led 17-3 at the end of the first quarter and 31-6 at halftime.  Boise State rallied late, scoring the last 17 points of the game.  But it was too little too late.  The Beavers Sean Mannion completed 73 percent of his passes.  In a losing effort, the Broncos Grant Hedrick passed for 382 yards.  A crowd of 29,106 attended the game in Honolulu.

The moon hit Pitt in the eye (in the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl) – Pitt 30, Bowling Green 27 (Touchdown Tom said: Bowling Green 28, Pitt 21).  Pitt’s Chris Blewitt kicked a 39-yard field goal with 01:17 remaining in the game and the Panthers held on to win.  A tight contest throughout, the game was tied at three different times and each team held the lead at least once during the game.  The surprise was Pitt’s James Conner who rushed for 229 yards.  Meanwhile, rushing was the Falcons’ weakness.  BG only managed 10 yards rushing.  There were no turnovers in the game.  A crowd of 26,259 attended the game in Detroit.

Lynch gets pinned (in the Poinsettia Bowl) – Utah State 21, Northern Illinois 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Utah State 30, Northern Illinois 29).  The key to Utah State’s win was the Aggies ability to contain the running of NIU’s Jordan Lynch.  Lynch, normally a dangerous runner, only had 39 yards rushing.  As a team, the Huskies only had 99 yards rushing.  A crowd of 23,408 attended the game in San Diego.

Marco pulls rank (in the Military Bowl) – Marshall 31, Maryland 20 (Touchdown Tom said: Maryland 28, Marshall 24).  Marshall led 14-7 at the end of the first quarter and 17-13 at the half.  Neither team scored in the third quarter.  Maryland took a 20-17 lead early in the fourth quarter.  It was all Marshall after that.  Herd quarterback Rakeem Cato was the star of the game, passing for 337 yards and no interceptions.  Maryland was a measly 2-for-14 on third down conversions.  A crowd of 30,163 attended the game in Annapolis.

Gettin’ juicy with it (in the Texas Bowl) – Syracuse 21, Minnesota 17 (Touchdown Tom said: Minnesota 33, Syracuse 27).  Trailing 17-14, Syracuse scored on a 12-yard run by Terrel Hunt with 01:14 remaining in the game and the Orange held on to win.  The touchdown was setup by 70-yard punt return.  A low-scoring game in the first half, Syracuse led 7-3 at the break.  The Orange built the lead to 14-3 in the third quarter.  But Minnesota scored two unanswered touchdowns early in the fourth to grab a 17-14 lead.  A crowd of 32,327 attended the game in Houston. 

Huskies raid the food bank (in the Fight Hunger Bowl) – Washington 31, BYU 16 (Touchdown Tom said: Washington 35, BYU 26).  A tight game in the first half, Washington led 21-16 at the break.  Thirty of the game’s 47 points were scored in the second quarter.  The defenses took control in the second half.  The Huskies shutout the Cougars, while only scoring 10 points themselves.  In a losing effort, BYU quarterback Taysom Hill passed for 293 yards and rushed for 133.  A crowd of 34,136 attended the game in San Francisco.

Irish cover the bases (in the Pinstripe Bowl) – Notre Dame 29, Rutgers 16 (Touchdown Tom said: Notre Dame 26, Rutgers 18).  This was a tight game until late in the fourth quarter when Notre Dame scored 10 points in the final four minutes to put the game out of reach.  The score was tied on three different occasions.  The Irish dominated in the stats – 31 first downs to 16 for Rutgers and 494 yards of offense to 236 for Rutgers.  The Irish held the Knights to only 80 yards rushing.  ND’s Tommy Rees passed for 319 yards.  Four turnovers didn’t help Rutgers any.  A crowd of 47,122 attended the game in New York City.

High Heels spike the Bearcats (in the Belk Bowl) – North Carolina 39, Cincinnati 17 (Touchdown Tom said: Cincinnati 32, North Carolina 24).  North Carolina led Cincinnati 16-0 at the half, 29-3 early in the third quarter and 36-10 late in the third quarter.  In spite of the score, the two teams were evenly matched in the stats – 23-20 UNC in first downs; 349 to 345 Cincinnati in total yards; 181 to 171 Cincinnati in passing yards and 174 to 168 UNC in rushing yards.  A crowd of 45,211 attended the game in Charlotte. 

Like a Bridge over troubled water, Teddy laid the Canes down (in the Russell Athletic Bowl) – Louisville 36, Miami 9 (Touchdown Tom said: Miami 30, Louisville 28).  Miami scored first and Miami scored last.  In between, it was all Louisville.  The Cardinals totally dominated the game in all accounts.  Louisville had 554 yards of offense to Miami’s 174.  The Canes only had 14 yards rushing.  The Cardinals Teddy Bridgewater was the star of the game, passing for 447 yards, completing 78 percent of his passes.  A crowd of 51,098 attended the game in Orlando.

The Wildcats were the Victors Valiant and the Conqu’ring Heroes (in the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl) – Kansas State 31, Michigan 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Kansas State 27, Michigan 26).  Midway through the second quarter, Michigan was still in the game.  Kansas State led 14-6.  Then the Wildcats went to work, scoring 17 unanswered points to build a 31-6 lead by late in the fourth quarter.  Michigan scored a “who cares” touchdown with 01:15 left in the game.  K-State’s defense held the Wolverines to 65 yards rushing.  The Wildcats quarterback Jake Waters passed for 271 yards, completing 78 percent of his passes.  A crowd of 53,284 attended the game in Tempe. 

Middies float, Raiders sink (in the Armed Forces Bowl) – Navy 24, Middle Tennessee 6 (Touchdown Tom said: Navy 35, Middle Tennessee 25).  This was anybody’s ballgame until the fourth quarter when Navy took control and left the Blue Raiders in their wake.  The Middies led 10-6 at the half.  Neither team scored in the third quarter.  In the final period, Navy added 14 points to their score.  The Middies only passed for 19 yards, but that’s all the passing you need to do when you rush for 366 yards.  Middle Tennessee was held to 91 yards rushing.  A crowd of 39,246 attended the game in Fort Worth.

Rebels break out the bug spray (in the Music City Bowl) – Ole Miss 25, Georgia Tech 17 (Touchdown Tom said: Georgia Tech 27, Ole Miss 24).  Ole Miss led 23-7 at the end of the third quarter.  Then Georgia Tech rallied to pull within 23-17 early in the fourth quarter.  After the rally, it was a stalemate for the rest of the game, with the Rebels getting a safety with 04:22 left on the clock.  Ole Miss dominated the Yellow Jackets in the statistics.  A crowd of 52,125 attended the game in Nashville.

The Quack puts Mack in the sack (in the Alamo Bowl) – Oregon 30, Texas 7 (Touchdown Tom said: Oregon 37, Texas 30).  Oregon took control of this game from the get go.  Although the Ducks only led 13-7 late in the second quarter, there was no doubt about who was going to win this game.  Oregon was so much superior to Texas.  The Ducks had 24 first downs to 13 for Texas, and 469 total yards to 236 for Texas.  Oregon had a balanced attack with 253 yards passing and 216 yards rushing.  Texas only had 56 yards passing.  Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota put on a real show, passing for 253 yards and rushing for another 133 yards.  A crowd of 65,918 attended the game in San Antonio.

The Kingsbury doughboy is back on the throne again (in the Holiday Bowl) – Texas Tech 37, Arizona State 23 (Touchdown Tom said: Arizona State 40, Texas Tech 29).  Texas Tech got the jump on Arizona State from the start and held off the Sun Devils rallies to win the game.  The Red Raiders never trailed in the game and led by as much as 27-6 midway through the second quarter.  An ASU rally pulled the Sun Devils to within seven points at 27-20 in the third quarter.  Still in the third, Texas Tech added 10-straight points to rebuild its lead.  With 13:39 to go in the game, Tech led 37-23.  There was still plenty of time for the Sun Devils to tie or go ahead in the game.  But neither team scored in the final 13:39 minutes.  ASU quarterback Taylor Kelly passed for 125 yards and rushed for another 135.  Tech quarterback Davis Webb passed for 403 yards, completing 68 percent of his passes.  A crowd of 52,930 attended the game in San Diego.  

Last Week’s Bowl Picks:        2 Correct, 2 Wrong (50.0 percent)
Running Bowl Game Picks: 10 Correct, 9 Wrong (52.6 percent)


Superlatives

Impressive Passers:  Louisville’s Teddy Bridgewater – 35-45-0 for 447 yards; Texas Tech’s Davis Webb – 28-41-0-403; Boise State’s Grant Hedrick – 32-44-0-382; Marshall’s Rakeem Cato – 28-44-0-337; Notre Dame’s Tommy Rees – 27-47-0-319, and BYU’s Taysom Hill – 25-48-1-293.


Impressive Rushers:  Pitt’s James Conner – 229 yards, and East Carolina’s Vintavious Cooper – 198 yards. 


Quotes of the Week

“Gee, why am I not surprised?,” ESPN analyst Mark May, responding to Lou Holtz, when Holtz said, “None of my teams ever gave me a standing ovation.”

“Never before needed a Heimlich at halftime.  Or any time!  Thanks Jesse Palmer!  He saved me from death by dry chicken sandwich.  Really,” ESPN’s Chris Fowler who was saved from choking by Jesse Palmer at halftime of the Pinstripe Bowl.

“Well, the Ducks look presentable tonight,” Swamp Mama, on Oregon’s uniforms in the Alamo Bowl. 

“That’s for you to decide.  I don’t think in those terms.  I think of how we can prepare and what’s next,” Oregon coach Mark Helfrich, after the Alamo Bowl win, when asked if he thought this season was a success.  (The Ducks finished 11-2.)

“I think it’s best for Texas.  It’s best for me.  It’s best for the players.  We need to win more than eight games.  I really thought we had a chance to win all the games this year.  It didn’t work.  It’s my job to make that work,” Texas coach Mack Brown, after his final game with the Longhorns in the Alamo Bowl.

“I’m very embarrassed for our program,” Arizona State coach Todd Graham, after the loss to Texas Tech in the Holiday bowl.


In the Huddle

Elsewhere around college football . . . Southern Illinois assistant coach Kyle Schweigert was named the new coach at North Dakota…. Auburn’s Gus Malzahn was named the AP coach of the year.

Florida State’s Jameis Winston was named the AP player of the year….  Arizona State and Texas Tech have agreed to a two-game, home-and-home series to be played in 2016 and 2017….  New York Jets assistant coach Brian VanGorder is Bryan Kelly’s new defensive coordinator at Notre Dame.

Touchdown Tom
www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com


P.S.

Not directly college football related, but on New Year’s Eve as the bowl season was peaking and college football fans were ready to celebrate, ringing in the New Year, the number one song in the country…

…70 years ago this week in 1943 was “Paper Doll” by The Mills Brothers

…65 years ago this week in 1948 was “Buttons and Bows” by Dinah Shore

…60 years ago this week in 1953 was “Rags to Riches” by Tony Bennett

…55 years ago this week in 1958 was “The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don’t Be Late)” by David Seville and the Chipmunks

…50 years ago this week in 1963 was “Dominque” by The Singing Nun

…45 years ago this week in 1968 was “I Heard It through the Grapevine” by Marvin Gaye

…40 years ago this week in 1973 was “Time in a Bottle” by Jim Croce

…35 years ago this week in 1978 was “Le Freak” by Chic

…30 years ago this week in 1983 was “Say Say Say” by Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson

…25 years ago this week in 1988 was “Every Rose Has Its Thorn” by Poison

…20 years ago this week in 1993 was “Hero” by Mariah Carey


Not directly college football related, but sadly there were three passings of note last week – Mike Hegan, Paul Blair and Andy Granatelli.

Mike Hegan, the scion of a Cleveland baseball family who played a dozen seasons elsewhere in the big leagues, but returned to his hometown as a long-time broadcaster for the Indians, died last week in Hilton Head, South Carolina.  He was 71.  From 1964 to 1977, Hegan had two stints with the New York Yankees and two with the Milwaukee Brewers.  He also played for the Seattle Pilots and the Oakland A’s.  Hegan, a first baseman and outfielder, played in one All-Star game and two World Series.  James Michael Hegan was born in Cleveland on July 21, 1942, and grew up there, in Lynn, Massachusetts and in Lakewood, Ohio.  He was the son of Jim Hegan, the starting catcher for the Cleveland Indians from 1946 to 1956.  After graduating from high school in Cleveland, Hegan played football and baseball one year for Holy Cross, before signing with the Yankees in 1961.  After retiring from the Brewers in 1977, Hegan became the television color commentator for the team.  He returned to Cleveland in 1989 and broadcast the Indians games on TV and radio for 23 seasons.           

Paul Blair, a center fielder for four World Series champions – the Baltimore Orioles twice and the New York Yankees twice – died last week in Baltimore.  He was 69.  Blair was known for his speed and grace.  Blair won eight Gold Glove awards.  He was the Orioles starting center fielder from 1965 to 1976.  Blair was a reserve outfielder for the Yankees in 1977 and 1978.  He played the 1979 season with the Cincinnati Reds.  Blair returned to the Yankees in 1980, but was released from the team at mid-season.   Paul L. D. Blair was born on February 1, 1944, in Cushing, Oklahoma.  When he was young, his family moved to Los Angeles where Blair played high school basketball, baseball and was a high jumper.  After his baseball playing days were over, Blair had a number of jobs in the sport, including as a college coach at Fordham and Coppin State.

Andy Granatelli, a colorful entrepreneur who turned STP oil treatment into a national institution and built racecars that won the Indianapolis 500 in 1969 and 1973, died last week in Santa Barbara, California.  He was 90.  Granatelli last entered a car in Indianapolis in 1974.  He sponsored Richard Petty in NASCAR races from 1972 to 1981.  Anthony Granatelli was born March 18, 1923, in Dallas and grew up in Chicago.  He dropped out of school at 14.  After working in a grocery store, Granatelli and his two brothers became auto mechanics.