RG3 wins Heisman!

I cannot tell you how excited I am that RG3 won the Heisman!  I mean, don't get me wrong, the other players were all great, but they definitely should not have beaten him.  If the Heisman is based on the best individual performance in college football, then it had to go to RG3.

The other players are all on great teams, but let's be honest - no player has had more of in impact on his team than RG3.  The other players are all on great teams - take Andrew Luck away from Stanford and that line, and he is suddenly a great thrower who cannot run fast enough.  As for Alabama's guy, my thought is that if you aren't playing in your conference championship, then you have no right to allow a player's team to elevate him up there.  As for the honey badger, I feel like that a few great moments on the field do not make a season, and although he had some great one-off plays, there was nothing that he did that made me think he should be the Heisman winner.  As for the Wisconsin guy - well breaking Barry Sanders record is good, but that team has plenty of other weapons and athletes that allow him to be that successful.

RG3 though is different - before him, Baylor had won around a single conference game in a year.  This year they beat Oklahoma, Texas, and other teams that they wouldn't have dreamed of beating years ago. His passing ability and his ability to run provided Baylor with options that they have never dreamed of in the past, and his legacy will go on long after he has gone.  For example, recruiting in Texas for that team is going through the roof, because RG3 is a player that high school kids can relate to - his passion for action figures and funny socks brings him back into the realm of "normal guy" instead of superstar.  He also exudes sportsmanship, following the coach that recruited him, and never ever forgets to mention his teammates when it comes to public speaking.  No matter what accolades he receives, the first words out of his mouth are always about his team and the Baylor nation.

Kudos to you RG3!  You deserve it!

Alabama - Seriously?

Today is the day that many conference championships will be played all across the land of college football, and yet I find myself unable to focus on them at the moment as I think ahead to the BCS National Championship Game.

If you listen to all of the "experts" it appears that it will be current #1 LSU versus current #2 Alabama, no matter what happens in Saturday's games.  This really doesn't make any sense to me at all, and I'll tell you why.

For starters, although LSU is certainly the number one team in the nation at this moment in time, they have yet to actually go undefeated and win the SEC Championship.  They still have one more game to play today, taking on the Georgia Bulldogs who are playing quite well.  If LSU were to lose big, or even lose at all, it seems that their one loss at the end of the season should matter.  After all, other teams have only lost one game, and some did so very early in the season and are now playing quite well.  If everyone is saying that it doesn't matter whether LSU wins or loses, why should they even bother to show up and play in the SEC Championship?  Stay home, rest your players, avoid injuries, and get ready for the BCS National Championship Game.

Moving on to Alabama, all I can say is, really?  Are you telling me that the SEC West is so good that a team that didn't win its own division in conference play or make its conference championship game deserves to be the title game over all of the other teams that have to put it on the line in a conference championship game?  That makes no sense, and basically parallels what I was saying above about LSU staying home - if Alabama is also already in the title game by virtue of not playing, then what is the point of playing so many of these "important games" on Saturday.

Although critics don't seem to agree, I have to say that I think Virginia Tech  deserves a shot. If Virginia Tech beats Clemson on Saturday, it will have avenged its only loss of the season, and may well deserve a shot.  Stanford ended on a high note, but the same argument that applies to Alabama applies here - if they aren't risking anything on Saturday then they should not be rewarded.

Last, but not least, is it me or is Houston the only other undefeated team in the nation?  Where are they in the national title talks?  After all, they have a zero in the loss column also.

Thanksgiving Weekend: Football Heaven

Thanksgiving is traditionally a time to give thanks, and if you love college or professional football, Thanksgiving truly is a time where you are extremely appreciative.  There are so many games to watch, and especially in college football, these games have a huge impact on potential national title match-ups.

Since we are halfway through the four day Thanksgiving holiday, let's start with a review of the NFL on Thursday.  Two of the National Football League games were a bit less than exciting, and one had fans holding their breath in anticipation of a great victory or an agonizing defeat.

The Green Bay Packers, unsurprisingly, beat the Detroit Lions by a score of 27-15.  The Detroit Lions, as they are oft to do this season, let their opponent get out to a huge lead, and then tried to make a dramatic comeback in the fourth quarter.  However the Packers, reigning Super Bowl Champions, aren't like other teams, and Detroit only managed to squeak out fifteen points in the fourth.  Rodgers had another outstanding game, throwing for two touchdowns and over 300 yards.  The score was closer than the game really was, as Detroit continually sabotaged any chances they had of winning.

In the late game, the Baltimore Ravens beat the San Francisco 49'ers 16-6, in what was a relative sleeper.  The outcome of the game was in doubt until the fourth quarter, where the Ravens rattled off ten points, but in general the game was lacking in excitement and quality action.

I would say the game of the day was the Dallas Cowboys versus the Miami Dolphins.  Dallas has really been playing well lately, and the once hapless Dolphins had actually won three in a row going into the game.  The game was tight throughout, and came down to a field goal at the end of the game to help Dallas take win 20-19.  It was an anxiety filled moment for several reasons, with a rookie kicker, Romo holding, and the Cowboys desperate for a win to maintain pace in the NFC East.  The victory was the second in a row via game-winning field goal for the Cowboys, and with the Giants playing the Saints on Monday night football seems likely to leave them alone in first place in the division.

Next post, we'll recap the crazy weekend of college football, including LSU's walloping of Arkansas, and the all-important Saturday games that will decide who plays who for conference championships.

Crazy Weekend in College Football

WOW!  If you are a fan of college football, or just college sports in general, then you had an absolutely incredible weekend that can be summed up in two words - upsets galore!  Four of the top seven teams in the nation lost, and with only one week left to go in the regular season, the predictions for who will play in the national championship are entirely up in the air.

This week at least, it appears that the top three teams will all be from the same division of the same conference, something that to my knowledge as never happened before (and won't last beyond next weekend as two of them play each other).  Expect LSU to be #1, Alabama to be #2, and for Arkansas to be #3, all representing the SEC Western Division.  It is likely that at least one of these teams will play in the national championship (possibly two), but there are some obstacles in the way.  LSU and Arkansas have to play each other, and then the winner of that game has to take on a surging University of Georgia Bulldog team that has been playing very well as of late.  I think it will also be hard for voters to keep Alabama in that #2 slot (or #1 if LSU loses) since the Tide aren't even on track to play in their own conference championship game.  It seems likely that Virginia Tech will be #4 after this weekend, so if the Hokies can win out, they will have a shot to surprise the nation and make the BCS Championship game.

So you may be asking yourself how all of this came about.  It started with #7 Clemson losing to N.C. State, then USC beat #4 Oregon, followed by #5 Oklahoma losing to #22 Baylor.  Of course, all of these games came after Friday night's loss by Oklahoma State.

It looks like the end of the college football season is going to be very exciting, as the next two weeks will tell the tale of who will make it to the game where the national championship trophy awaits

Oklahoma State's Terrible Friday and BCS Rankings

This week has been a bad one for Oklahoma State sports fans.  It started with a tragedy for the women's basketball program and the school at large.  Kurt Budke, the head coach for the Oklahoma State women's basketball team, and Miranda Serna, his assistant, were killed on Thursday when a single-engine plane that was transporting them on a recruiting trip crashed in Arkansas.  This comes ten years after the tragic death of ten people associated with the men's basketball program, and left the university reeling.


Despite the tragedy, the school still had a football game to play on Friday night.  Oklahoma State was in the driver's seat to play in the Bowl Championship National Championship Game, and Friday's game versus Iowa State was supposed to be an easy stepping stone on the journey to that game.  The only problem was that no one let Iowa State know they were supposed rollover and Oklahoma State got the surprise of their season as they were likely knocked out of all possible contention for the championship, losing to ISU in double overtime.  As fans rushed the field, the OSU players seemed stunned and hurried to get off the field as the celebration began.


In terms of the college football championship overall, it will be very interesting to see how the BCS rankings look on Sunday as there are a lot of potential one-loss teams that could be playing.  Most people seem to feel that it will be either Oregon or Alabama stepping into the number two spot, but I suggest that people not overlook the ACC teams.  Assuming that both division leaders win the rest of their games, the ACC will have a pretty good championship game lined up - if no one else loses it will be the one-loss Clemson Tigers versus the one-loss Virginia Tech Hokies (Virginia Tech's only loss coming at the hands of Clemson).  If either one of those teams handles the other one soundly, it could leapfrog them into the national title game.


The only other thing I want to point to in this post is that the NFL got see another fun game this week as that former University of Florida QB Tim Tebow, now of Denver Broncos fame, won yet again - this time crushing the Jets with a touchdown run on Thursday night.  You have to love his performance in the face of the all the critics.  I don't know his future, but the guy makes you want to root for him to keep winning!

Why Do We Hear About NFL Players When Violence Erupts?

A tragedy occurred in New York City early in the AM hours as three people were shot, one fatally, at a New York City nightclub.  Did I hear about this because of the death, or the scary nature of what happened in a crowded club?  No.  Did I hear about it because police were concerned about what happened and wanted to assure the community that things were going to be okay?  No.

You know how I heard about this?  On ESPN Sportscenter, where the main story was not that people had gotten shot, but rather that NFL players were on the scene.  Cry me a river that some Giants players were out celebrating a birthday - Victor Cruz might be a great receiver, but I could really care less about the identity of who was there or how many touchdown catches they have.  What I care about is the safety of myself and my fellow New York residents when we go out to enjoy a night on the town.

Why is the lead story on all of this the fact that the Giants players were there, whether the league will take action, or how this might impact their ability to play this weekend?  I mean seriously, who cares about football when people are dying?  It just makes no sense to me on how people were shot and yet the news leads with the fact that the Giants might have issues on Sunday.

I love football, and sports in general, but let's not iconify them to the point where we stop paying attention to people dying so that we can worry about the results of our fantasy leagues or football games. Instead, let's focus on the problem of violence and start paying attention to bigger issues.

Football Players and Opposing Cheerleaders

I'm reduced to talking about anything besides the NBA lockout.

First, quick kudos to the Green Bay Packers, who absolutely handled the Minnesota Vikings yesterday on Monday Night Football.  The game was never in doubt, and Aaron Rodgers looked as good as he ever has.

Heading back to the Sunday games though, I continuously keep hearing stories about the Buffalo Bills game - not that Buffalo showed up and played against Dallas, or that the game was close in any way, shape, or form.  No, the story is all about a football player-cheerleader romance.  Since apparently the high school obsession with this combination is alive and well, I decided to weigh in.

The cynic in me wants to roll my eyes and do what most people on television and the media seem to be doing, and berate David Wilson for traipsing across the field to give his touchdown catch football to his girlfriend, Dallas Cowboys cheerleader Kellsi Reich.  I could talk about the 44-7 pounding that Dallas gave them, and how this lowly touchdown and subsequent behavior was disrespectful to the Buffalo team, Dallas fans, and showed a lack of respect to the game.  The bandwagon is rolling along nicely, and it would be a great time to hop on.

Surprisingly though, despite my brief eye roll, I find the whole thing pretty cool.  Maybe it is the secret romantic in me, but I have to say that a gesture like that where a guy basically ignores the rest of the world to concentrate on the women that he cares about - awesome.  I bet in that moment that no matter what was going on around them, no matter the score of the game, that both of those people had eyes only for each other, and that it is something that both will remember for the rest of their lives.

All of that said, it still doesn't match up the Boise State victory a few years back where the player proposed to the cheerleader.  A ring is way better than a football!

Bye-bye Basketball?

You know, when I was growing up, basketball was absolutely my favorite sport.  I played for hours everyday, watched every game that I could catch, collected posters, trading cards, and dreamed of playing in the NBA.  I was the world's biggest basketball fan, down to being able to tell you who the water boy was for each team (ok, so maybe I am exaggerating a bit here).  Today, however, I had a disheartening realization:  I no longer care about the NBA.

The players may not realize it, but this long drawn out lockout in combination with whining over how much a salary is going to be (minimum six digits) as just gotten on my nerves, and caused me to lose complete interest in the sport.  Truth be told, I am not sure why the players are even arguing at this point.  The NBA guys have one of the best deals in professional sports.  Not only are their number of games limited (roughly 82 in a normal season), their amount of practices limited, and their minimum salaries nice, they also have something that all NFL players would absolutely love - guaranteed contracts.

So, pardon me if I find it difficult to find sympathy for anyone who is playing basketball for a living in the NBA.  I suppose it is difficult for me to understand how 49-50% of the entire revenue generated from basketball operations just is not enough for you to exist on, especially when I compare it those working for minimum wage (or even below) in American society.  If I were to go outside the bounds of the United States, I suppose I would have even less sympathy.

I have a feeling that the lockout is a bit out of the players hands, and that they are being led around by the noses a bit by those who think they know better.  However, I suspect that many of these players have not done a very good job of saving, controlling living expenses, and certainly never expected that they wouldn't be playing basketball by now.

Better check those cupboards NBA players, because while some people are talking about adding an extra can of beans to your stock, I suspect that most of you are going to be sitting around with a can opener and a hungry belly wishing you had taken the deal.

Tim Tebow: Two Completions and a Win

I will be the first to admit that I was not a big fan of Tim Tebow in college.  He played for the hated Gators, his on the field antics, mission trips, and general image of being a do-gooder made it easier for fans of other teams to dislike him.  However, I have found that my perception of Tim Tebow has changed a bit since his college days.

I believe that my shift in perception started before the NFL draft.  No matter what he had done in college, every single person you heard talk about the draft had a long list of reasons of why Tim Tebow should not be drafted in the first round, why he could not play quarterback in the NFL, and why he would not succeed in the league.  It seemed that the only people not listening to the critics were Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos, and when he was drafted in the first round the critics had new fire.  The attacks on the choice were round-the-clock, and it sounded like Tim Tebow's career was over before it started.  However, instead of answering the critics with words, Tebow just maintained a positive outlook and worked hard to prepare for the potential of playing in the NFL.

His second season in the league was supposed to be the time that he became a starter, but a change in coaching personnel relegated him back to either the third string quarterback or practice squad, depending on the rumor of the day.  The media was alive with talk of the failure of the Tebow experiment in Denver, yet Tebow just kept working and saying the right things.

Now, Tebow finally has a chance, and honestly he has not done anything in almost every statistical category to impress.  He is one of the worst rated quarterbacks in the league, and his completion percentage, yards, attempts, and basically every other stat lead you to think that he will be benched the very next week.

All of that is true until you look at the most important stat - Tim Tebow is a winner, and his record as a starter this year is 3-1.  As long as Denver keeps winning, Tebow will be the starter, and he is willing to do whatever it takes to lead the team to victory.

I may not like Tim Tebow still, but I definitely respect him.

Wilson Found, Penn State Loses, Georgia Rolls, Boise State Stunned

Well it has been another great day for those who love sports, especially if you are a fan of college football.  But, before I go off on a long verbose ramble on the games of the day, let me first mention the kidnapped baseball catcher.  If you haven't heard, the Washington National's rookie Venezuelan catcher, Wilson, was kidnapped while visiting his home.  He had been missing for days, and the family had not heard anything yet from those who took him, and tensions were beginning to mount a good bit.

However, all of that changed last night, as it was reported that Venezuelan national security forces had rescued Wilson!  Thank goodness for him and his family, and hopefully he was found completely unharmed and will recover from the psychological trauma very soon.

Now, moving on to college sports.  Penn State, despite all of the drama and disappointment surrounding the program, still managed to come out and play some good football today.  Despite their passion and inspired play, sadly they were no match for Nebraska.  Paterno's absence may or may not have contributed, but regardless, it was nice to the game go off without a hitch (ignoring the bomb threat that was made prior to the game).

The University of Georgia looked very good today, putting a smackdown on the Auburn Tigers.  UGA after a very slow 0-2 start, has been playing some inspired football as of late, and assuming they beat Kentucky in their next game, will be headed to the SEC championship to play the SEC West champion (still undetermined between Alabama, LSU, and Arkansas).  UGA's two losses this season, to Boise State and South Carolina, may actually end up helping the team to congeal and become stronger, especially if they win out and go to a BCS game.

Speaking of Boise State, the fly in the ointment is gone from the BCS picture, has they missed a field goal with time expiring and are no longer the unbeaten team that was causing all the fuzz.  I expect Boise State to drop out of the top 10 entirely this week.

In other notable games of the afternoon, South Carolina held on to beat Florida, which is looking dismal right now.  They may not even make a bowl game at all if they don't pull it together, a possibility which quite assuredly has the Gator nation very concerned.

Carrier Classic

At the moment, I am watching the Carrier Classic on ESPN, and I have to say this is one of the cooler basketball games that I have watched in a long time.  Not only are two great teams playing (North Carolina and Michigan State), and not only is the President of the United States in attendance, but the freaking game is being played on the deck of an aircraft carrier under the night sky!  Amazing!

I think this is a pretty cool idea for this game to be played like this on an aircraft carrier, especially on Veteran's Day.  Some of the coverage up to it has also been pretty exciting, as it has allowed the general public to get a glimpse of the daily routine on the aircraft carrier, which a lot of people have no idea about.  Of particular interest to me was watching the basketball players attempt to navigate the ship, and seeing how they struggled with stepping over and ducking under a wide assortment of things.  It was hilarious to watch some of the players try to fit into the beds as well - clearly a navy aircraft carrier was not made for seven foot tall personnel.

Another thing about the coverage of the game has been the opportunity to learn about how this aircraft carrier is in essence a floating city, with a wide variety of people, opportunity, and services.  Excellent idea.

Back to random thoughts on sports - at first I actually questioned the choice of teams for this event.  North Carolina made perfect sense, but I wasn't sure if Michigan State would be a worthy opponent.  However, somewhat surprisingly, after going down by 20 points Michigan State has closed the gap yet again and is keeping the game very interesting.

My pet peeve for this game, which continues to be my pet peeve for the majority of college sports lately, is the sponsorship visibility.  I am happy that Quicken Loans decided to sponsor this event, but the sticker at mid-court is a bit much.  Besides the audacious look, it is also quite dangerous for the players, and I do not understand why the NCAA still allows for this kind of advertising.  Everyone knows that it is dangerous, gets slippery, and could potentially result in a career-ending injury to a player, and yet we still see them all the time.  Let's get with the program NCAA - protect the players.

Speaking of sponsorships, apparently Cars.com decided that the fiasco at Penn State was a bit much.  So much so that they have pulled out of their sponsorship of football the next two weekends, at least as far as showing Penn State games is concerned.  I get where they are coming from, but once again you are punishing the athletes, alumni, and fans for something they had nothing to do with.  This is a poor move on Cars.com part, and they should have really given it some better thought.  After all, if the point of their sponsorship is visibility and brand awareness, I guarantee that very few games will have more eyes on them then Penn State versus Nebraska this weekend.

Last but not least, Wilson is still missing in Venezuela.  Poor guy.  I hope he is returned safely to his family, very, very soon.

Penn State's Board Has a Backbone After All

Yesterday, I blogged about Joe Paterno announcing his retirement at the end of the season and my thoughts on the whole thing, including how I thought the early announcement was an attempt to save his job for the rest of the season.  My fear was that the Board of Trustees would take the easy route, and allow him to finish out the season.

Well, it looks like I was wrong.  Shortly after I posted, the Penn State Board of Trustees made the announcement that Joe Paterno was done coaching.  This was a surprise to me only in that the move was likely to be unpopular with the community, but apparently the best interests of the school and its alumni, students, employees, and future attendees weighed more heavily on the hearts and minds of the board than the legacy of a great coach.

The aftermath of the announcement was predictable and a bit sad.  Students who should have better sense storming around on the streets, breaking windows, and overturning a television news van while.  Joe Paterno speaking to the students and media next to his distraught wife.  The media going crazy talking about the story non-stop and printing as many copies as they can to try and sell a lot of papers the next day.  The biggest tragedy of it all was that the children who were the victims were almost an afterthought.

Let us never overlook the fact that Joe Paterno was a leader and philanthropist in the Penn State community, and although this one blemish on his legacy his huge, it takes nothing away from all of the wonderful and great things that he has accomplished.  

Let us also never overlook the fact that an entire administration failed in their moral duties to protect children, and that football does not trump life.  When it is all said and done, a football coach may have been fired, but children lost their innocence and sense of safety.  It should come as no surprise that there would be consequences for failing to protect them.

Mayhem at Penn State - Paterno to Retire

If you were watching ESPN this morning, you were quickly made aware of a more fuel being added to the fire burning at Penn State - Joe Paterno announced that he will retire at the end of the season.  This comes in the midst of what is apparently the uncovering of a huge scandal that has rocked the university community and will likely result in a number of high level administrators losing their jobs, as it has been revealed that there was a failure to report sexual abuse that occurred on campus.

Beyond the bigger story that is in the headlines, the announcement by Joe Paterno has some very questionable timing that really makes me question his announcement.  For starters, I think Paterno was aware of the abuse, or at least attempted to be willfully blind to the report given to him, and I think that he is likely just as guilty as any other party involved.  If you are not part of the solution, then you are part of the problem.  Once an individual is made aware of abuse like this, that individual has a moral duty to act - his failure to do is troubling.

However, moving on to the timing of his announcement, it seems like a desperate attempt to save face and maintain some semblance of control.  I am aware that Paterno has a lot of student support, but I think it likely that when everything comes to light it will erode a good bit.  You can be a great man and make a terrible mistake, which I think is exactly what happened here.  So the question is, why announce that he is retiring at the end of the season?

It seems that Paterno is trying to balance the Board of Trustees potentially kicking him out, avoiding pressure to resign, trying not to let his players down, retire with dignity, and protect Penn State - however, I think his grasp for control that he will be retiring at the end of the season was nothing more than a desperate attempt from losing his job now.  It will be easier for the Board to say, "Fine, let the guy finish out the season - we can buy that much time," instead of justifying canning him immediately now, which would no doubt have a lot of flare-ups in the community.

Nice work Paterno.  You likely played a card that will save you from being fired - whether you deserve to or not.

Joe Frazier's Passing

Sadly, Joe Frazier, the heavyweight boxing legend died Monday evening at the age of 67.  Frazier death comes quickly on the heels of the announcement that he was afflicted with liver cancer, and that doctors were not optimistic about his future.  This Philadelphia icon and boxing Hall of Fame legend will be remembered most for his epic defeat of Ali, but there was a lot more to Joe Frazier.  He gave a lot to his community, and one of Philadelphia's favorite sons will definitely be missed.

For me, I will remember growing up and viewing Joe Frazier as a great boxer, one of the legends of the sport, and it was him and Ali who first got me interested in boxing.  I remember seeing some footage of their old fights and just being so impressed by how much passion and drive both men brought to the sport.  I remember being inspired by their tenacity, exuberance, and flamboyance.

Rest in peace Joe Frazier.  Your legend will live on well beyond you, and you will be remembered.

Magic Johnson: Beacon of Hope?

It was 20 years ago that Magic Johnson announced to the world that he had contracted the HIV virus, and I remember the stunned reaction of people all around the world.  Not only was this basketball legend retiring, but he was going to be dead soon, and the impact on everyone was pretty intense.

Fast-forward 20 years to today, and you can see Magic Johnson discussing HIV and AIDS on ESPN.  He looks extremely healthy, like nothing ever was wrong, and it easy to see him and forget the devastating effect that AIDS has on the entire world.    I mean, the guy looks almost exactly like he looked, appears to be in complete remission, and has probably accomplished more in the past 20 years that most people do in their entire lives.  He did not let his diagnosis of HIV positive slow him down, and most people seem him as a beacon of hope to the world.

As happy as I am to Magic Johnson alive and doing well, however, I think that his health and appearance might be misleading to a lot of young people and cause them to doubt the true danger of the HIV virus.  In fact, I have heard tales of children (and adults) saying the AIDS is no big deal, because Magic Johnson got it and he is just fine.

I think it is important for people to realize that Magic was a prime athlete, had the money for top care, and is a very unique story in the land of those who test positive for HIV.  Be happy that he is well, but do not forget that HIV is still a death sentence - some may just have longer than others.

Green Bay Who?

If you have been watching, reading, or listening to any coverage regarding the current National Football League season, you have likely heard about a wide variety of things, ranging from the Detroit Lions great start to the abysmal beginning for the Philadelphia Eagles, from the Tebow saga in Denver to the McNabb drama in Minnesota.  However, one team that seems to be overlooked and not mentioned very much this year is the Green Bay Packers.

This is surprising, as Green Bay entered the year absolutely stacked and full of talent.  Also, and people seem to forget this - they won the Super Bowl last year.  If you have been watching them, you know that they should be on the tip of everyone's tongue - Aaron Rodgers is on fire (27 TD's and 3 interceptions at this point), the running game is there, and the defense has looked very well.  If they aren't the pick to repeat as Super Bowl Champions, then I do not know what games people have been watching.

I have often wondered about why Green Bay gets overlooked so often.  They have been playing fantastic football, won a Super Bowl, yet their press coverage was way higher back when Brett Favre was trying to figure out whether he wanted to retire or not.

Ah well, if people are not talking about the Green Bay Packers now, I suspect that it is only a matter of time until they are lauded for being repeat Super Bowl Champions.

Angela Rypien: More Popular Than Her Dad?

In the football world, typically it is a quarterback's arm strength, accuracy, passing yards, and touchdown throws that garner the attention of the world.  However, for Mark Rypien's (former Redskins SuperBowl Quarterback), his daughter is getting attention for a few different reasons.  Her play in the apt named Lingerie Football League has led to more attention on her body than her arm, but that doesn't seem to be affecting her play.

In her first game, the six foot tall athlete threw for three touchdowns, punched a tackler in the face, and got berated by her father who practically came out of the stands in a tizzy.  Angela plays for the Seattle Mist, and her father actually seems quite supportive of the whole endeavor, after getting past the scanty "uniforms."  Angela takes it all in stride with her long legs, saying that she probably wears more to the games than she wears to the beach (if so, please let us know what beach).

Unfortunately, after the huge victory over Green Bay in Angela's first start, the next game resulted in a close loss to the (also aptly named) Las Vegas Sin, 28-24.  It will be curious to follow the career of this young lady in the LFL, which is in its second season of action.

Mark apparently supports his daughter, and has been overheard saying that she probably moves better than he ever did.  I say, good for him for supporting her, as this will only serve to open doors for the young lady in my opinion, and will likely provide athletic opportunities in football that have not previously been available to women.  If you can get past the "uniforms" and watch a game, you will likely be impressed by some of the hitting that goes on.  Good luck the rest of the season to Angela Rypien and her Seattle Mist.

Pat Summitt

This morning while watching ESPN I learned of something very sad that I had apparently missed when it was announced originally - Pat Summitt, the beloved University of Tennessee women's basketball coach, has been diagnosed with early-onset dementia.

This hit especially close to home for me due to my dad being diagnosed with the same thing several years ago, but I found the interviews and story on the coach to be quite inspiration.  There can be no doubt that such a diagnosis is absolutely terrifying, but the coach with her customary good grace has put on a brave face and is being very open and upfront about her condition.

In the ESPN segment, Pat talked about the diagnosis, her plans for continuing to coach, and the impact it has had on both her players and family.  Apparently the coach still continues to work, and says that she wants to continue at her job for approximately three more years, aiming to put at least one more championship trophy in the already impressive case.

I found the whole thing very inspirational.  Pat is going to continue her life, doing what she does, and she isn't going to let this surprising and unfortunate news knock her off her path.  She had a great quote today which I thought summed up her thoughts pretty nicely.  Pat said, "I told my players that I will still remember their names, and I will still yell at them."  What more could you ask for from this history-making stalwart.

Pat Summitt, we wish you all the best.

LSU vs Alabama Showdown

There is a lot of hype this weekend as the number one team in college football takes on the second ranked team, in what is sure to be a huge game for the SEC and the national picture of rankings.  I have seen a lot of things this week in the news about the various teams, their players, their facilities, and all of that, but today on ESPN I saw something that really was a wake-up call.

Even though it was a very short time go, most people's minds (mine included) seem to have moved beyond the fact that Tuscaloosa, Alabama was ravaged by a tornado a very short term go.  It affected everyone in the community, and its effects are still felt today.

The story on ESPN was a tragic one, and involved the long snapper of the Alabama football team who was forced to huddle in a closet with his girlfriend when the tornado hit.  The tornado tore up his residence, and as he held his girlfriend in his arms, the place literally came apart around them.  He was picked up and thrown by the tornado over 100 yards, landing in a field nearby with a variety of injuries.  Sadly, his girlfriend was not so lucky, and she died during the disaster.

Even though time has moved on and this is a football game in the national spotlight, we should not forget the tragedy that befell so many and impacted so many lives just a short time ago.  Although this is a college football game, it should also serve as both a celebration of life and a day to remember those who could not be there to root on their Crimson Tide.

Monday Night Football - the Chiefs - and Kevin Durant

You know, I watched the Kansas City Chiefs at the beginning of the year, and I have to say that I was not very impressed.  Every aspect of their team seemed to be struggling, and I thought that it was a bit disappointing given the level of talent on their roster.

However, after watching their game last night, I feel that they have a great shot at making the play-offs.  Despite losing their first three games, they are now tied for their division lead and have a pretty favorable schedule moving forward in terms of their opponents current win percentage.  Oakland has a slightly better deal in terms of opponent win percentage, but I have to say with the loss of Jason Cambell they may struggle for a bit - no matter what quarterback they have brought in.  In addition, the Raiders are bringing a new receiver in, so there will be more problems where as well.  In terms of the Chargers, whom the Chiefs beat last night, the truth of the matter is that they look like a train wreck.  It almost seems as if they are going out of their way to lose games, and Phillip Rivers as not looked like the Phillip Rivers of prior years.

In other news, the NBA season was supposed to start today, but alas it did not.  This worked out okay for Kevin Durant, as it allowed for him to go play some random game of flag football last night some college kids (four touchdowns and three interceptions).  The story of how Durant ended up playing was actually pretty good, and involved some random tweet that apparently got answered.  Good for him for staying busy.

Peyton Manning: The True Franchise Quarterback

Peyton Manning is likely out for entire year and will miss the entire NFL football season.  The Indianapolis Colts are apparently missing their franchise quarterback, as today saw them drop to a disappointing 0-8.

This got me to thinking about the definition of a franchise quarterback.  I think that the nomenclature is used quite often, but the truth of the matter is that every quarterback in the NFL is great - some are just better than others.

The true franchise quarterback has the impact that Peyton has on his team when he is in the line-up - they win, they go to the playoffs, and they are considered a contender to beat anyone on any given day.  The true franchise quarterback also has the impact that Peyton has on his team when he not in the line-up - they lose, struggle to even get close to winning a game, and are considered the doormat of the league.

Peyton Manning is the heart and soul of his team, and his absence affects both the defense and the offense. Without him, the Colts are lost, making him truly a franchise quarterback.  Indianapolis has two options moving forward - they either get back a healthy and well-rested Peyton Manning and return to their winning ways, or they continue losing without Peyton and hope that is works out so they can draft Andrew Luck in the draft.  After all, the Colts are nothing without their franchise quarterback.