Photo by: UCR Athletics Media Relations
Coach Wooldridge & Margaritis Repeat As Kitchen Nightmare Award Winners
10/13/2010 4:21:37 PM | Men's Basketball, Women's Basketball
Anaheim, CA—With Midnight Madness fast approaching, it was time for the Big West Conference’s Southern California coaches to gather once again at the ESPNZone in Anaheim for the 2nd annual ESPNZone Big West Cooking Challenge. (View the photo gallery). (Watch the video).
Fans of the Highlanders will recall that last year, UC Riverside’s coaching tandem of Jim Wooldridge and John Margaritis were unceremoniously presented with the Kitchen Disaster Award as their efforts failed to impress the judges.
Coach Wooldridge called for an immediate investigation into what he referred to as a tragic miscarriage of culinary justice.
As part of their 2009 award, Wooldridge and Margaritis received two cook books, an Easy Bake Oven, and two fire extinguishers. It was expected that the pair would utilize these gifts in preparation for this year’s Media Day so as to avoid a repeat performance.
Rick Mielke served as the master of ceremonies for the event, assisted by the ESPNZone’s Erik Pessolano, and the cookoff began with Chef Tom Keaveny explaining the ground rules.
Last year, Big West coaches were tasked with creating two dishes, one mimicking the specific dish outlined by the ESPNZone’s Chef Tom, and another “free style” pasta dish of their choosing. This year, with over 100 ingredients at their disposal, there was just one rule: the teams must use shrimp as part of their dish. The rest of the recipe was up to the discretion of the coaches.
Judging the dishes this year were Fox Sports color commentator Michael Cage, Orange County Register Columnist Marcia Smith, Judge William Bedsworth of the California State Court of Appeals, and Brett Barnes, General Manager of Duke’s Huntington Beach
Coach Margaritis and Wooldridge drew the fifth and final time slot for the competition giving them the advantage of watching their counterparts navigate the make-shift kitchen and allowing the Highlanders to learn from the opposition’s mistakes.
Last year’s champions, Cal State Fullerton, went first followed by Long Beach State, Cal State Northridge and UC Irvine. Prior to stepping to the plate, the Highlanders decided to prepare jambalaya, a Louisiana dish with both Spanish and French influences.
As Coach Wooldridge and Margaritis began to craft their masterpiece, their fellow coaches lobbed a variety of taunts and jeers their way in an effort to knock UCR off of its collective game.
UC Riverside’s coaches finished creating their masterpiece, and presented it to the powers that be. As the judges huddled, the coaching staffs sat nervously in anticipation, but the Highlanders coaches looked confident.
After 10 nerve-wracking minutes, the announcements of the five awards were finally made, and UC Riverside's name wasn't called.
Although the Highlanders didn’t take home the gold medals, surely the hard work that Coach Margaritis and Wooldridge put in over the past year would help them avoid a second consecutive Kitchen Nightmare Award.
Unfortunately, it was not to be as UCR did indeed repeat as Kitchen Nightmare recipients.
Despite another controversial loss, the Highlanders have no plans to protest this year’s decision. And they once again walked away with a number of nice parting gifts including two bottles of Pepto Bismol, a fire extinguisher and recipes for how to boil water.
Will the Highlanders return next year to defend their dubious title and go for a three-peat? Tune in next October to find out.
UC Riverside's Midnight Madness is slated for this Friday. October 15 at the Student Recreation Center. Doors open at 9 pm and the basketball party of the year begins at 10.
Log on to gohighlanders.com today for complete schedules for the men’s and women’s basketball team, and contact the athletics ticket office at (951) 827-4653 to purchase tickets to the upcoming season.
Fans of the Highlanders will recall that last year, UC Riverside’s coaching tandem of Jim Wooldridge and John Margaritis were unceremoniously presented with the Kitchen Disaster Award as their efforts failed to impress the judges.
Coach Wooldridge called for an immediate investigation into what he referred to as a tragic miscarriage of culinary justice.
As part of their 2009 award, Wooldridge and Margaritis received two cook books, an Easy Bake Oven, and two fire extinguishers. It was expected that the pair would utilize these gifts in preparation for this year’s Media Day so as to avoid a repeat performance.
Rick Mielke served as the master of ceremonies for the event, assisted by the ESPNZone’s Erik Pessolano, and the cookoff began with Chef Tom Keaveny explaining the ground rules.
Last year, Big West coaches were tasked with creating two dishes, one mimicking the specific dish outlined by the ESPNZone’s Chef Tom, and another “free style” pasta dish of their choosing. This year, with over 100 ingredients at their disposal, there was just one rule: the teams must use shrimp as part of their dish. The rest of the recipe was up to the discretion of the coaches.
Judging the dishes this year were Fox Sports color commentator Michael Cage, Orange County Register Columnist Marcia Smith, Judge William Bedsworth of the California State Court of Appeals, and Brett Barnes, General Manager of Duke’s Huntington Beach
Coach Margaritis and Wooldridge drew the fifth and final time slot for the competition giving them the advantage of watching their counterparts navigate the make-shift kitchen and allowing the Highlanders to learn from the opposition’s mistakes.
Last year’s champions, Cal State Fullerton, went first followed by Long Beach State, Cal State Northridge and UC Irvine. Prior to stepping to the plate, the Highlanders decided to prepare jambalaya, a Louisiana dish with both Spanish and French influences.
As Coach Wooldridge and Margaritis began to craft their masterpiece, their fellow coaches lobbed a variety of taunts and jeers their way in an effort to knock UCR off of its collective game.
UC Riverside’s coaches finished creating their masterpiece, and presented it to the powers that be. As the judges huddled, the coaching staffs sat nervously in anticipation, but the Highlanders coaches looked confident.
After 10 nerve-wracking minutes, the announcements of the five awards were finally made, and UC Riverside's name wasn't called.
Although the Highlanders didn’t take home the gold medals, surely the hard work that Coach Margaritis and Wooldridge put in over the past year would help them avoid a second consecutive Kitchen Nightmare Award.
Unfortunately, it was not to be as UCR did indeed repeat as Kitchen Nightmare recipients.
Despite another controversial loss, the Highlanders have no plans to protest this year’s decision. And they once again walked away with a number of nice parting gifts including two bottles of Pepto Bismol, a fire extinguisher and recipes for how to boil water.
Will the Highlanders return next year to defend their dubious title and go for a three-peat? Tune in next October to find out.
UC Riverside's Midnight Madness is slated for this Friday. October 15 at the Student Recreation Center. Doors open at 9 pm and the basketball party of the year begins at 10.
Log on to gohighlanders.com today for complete schedules for the men’s and women’s basketball team, and contact the athletics ticket office at (951) 827-4653 to purchase tickets to the upcoming season.
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