Ed's Sports Corner:
Copyright © 2008 Ed Bagley
They do not pay Washington head coach Lorenzo Romar the big bucks because he is stupid. Romar made another in a long line of smart decisions Friday (2-8-08)—he took the blame for his team's 4-game losing streak.
Romar has praised his players all season long because they have been willing to do whatever he asks. He has now shouldered the blame because what he was asking of them did not work.
He was rewarded two days later when his Huskies played their best game of the year, upsetting No. 5 UCLA at home 71-61 before a sellout crowd at Hec Edmundson Pavilion.
Romar, tired of losing, pulled starting guard Venoy Overton just 57 seconds after the opening tipoff. Overton, a true freshman with outstanding potential, opened the game with a turnover, but then did not hustle back on defense. In came junior guard Justin Dentmon and responded with 20 points off the bench on 7-of-12 shooting, and the Huskies were off and running.
Jon Brockman grabbed a game-high 17 rebounds (including his 800th career rebound) and added 12 points for his Pac-10 leading 16th double-double of the season. Ryan "Dead Eye" Appleby added another dozen points and sank his 200th career 3-pointer, 12 short of the U-Dub record.
Washington even played some defense as Artem Wallace held UCLA freshman center Kevin Love to 13 points, and true freshman Justin Holiday put the "D" on UCLA's Josh Shipp when he was mounting a comeback for the Bruins.
Even UCLA coach Ben Howland was impressed. "They were more physical," said Howland. "They outrebounded us by 8. Brockman had 9 offensive rebounds alone."
The Huskies, now 13-11 overall and 4-7 in Pac-10 Conference play, must play 5 of their remaining 7 games on the road. Washington still is probably going to be watching the NCAA and NIT playoffs on television, but they showed Sunday just how great parity is in the Pac-10 and around the country by being ranked No. 82 by Sagarin and upending No. 5-ranked UCLA.
Despite its lackluster record, Washington did jump to No. 74 in Sagarin's Ratings by beating such a high-ranked team. The Sagarin Ratings change daily during the basketball season because, unlike football, games are played during the week as well as the weekend.
As of Sunday (2-10-08), No. 2 Memphis remains the only unbeaten team in the country (23-0) among 341 Division 1 teams. There were only 3 teams left with a single loss—No. 1 Duke (21-1), No. 3 Kansas (22-1) and No. 13 Drake (20-1).
Heck, there are just 3 more teams left with only 2 losses—No. 4 North Carolina (22-2), No. 6 Tennessee (20-2) and No. 25 Butler (21-2).
Here is another interesting fact to note: Three of these top 7 best-record teams have poor strength of schedule standings—Memphis (124th toughest), Drake (105th) and Butler (88th). Unless they start playing tougher teams, they are not going to go deep into the NCAA tournament.
Compare their strength of schedule to Duke (21st toughest), Kansas (60th), North Carolina (18th) and Tennessee (10th).
To highlight the competitiveness of the Pac-10 this year, the Washington Huskies, who are 9th in the Pac-10 standings with a 4-7 mark, are ranked 25th by Sagarin in strength of schedule. And you have to ask how Washington could upset such a good team as UCLA? Be thankful your team is not playing in the Pac-10 Conference this year.
All of this bodes really well for the networks who will televise March Madness, and for any team that makes the cut to play in the NCAA tournament. Because upsets happen even when there is little parity among teams, when there is a lot of parity like this year, we are going to see some shockers.
Editor's Note: Read my other articles on the Washington Huskies, including "Lorenzo Romar's Washington Husky Recruits Are Among Top 15 Classes", "Huskies Earn Spot in NIT Season Tip-Off Semis, Head to the Big Apple", "How Can Losing Still Be a Positive? When You Are Playing Good Teams" and "We Love Our Dawgs with Bite, Not Our Dogs With Bark".
Editor's Note: Explore my main blog at:
http://www.edbagleyblog.com
Discover 145 Movie Reviews, 112 Sports Articles, 61 Articles on Lessons in Life, 18 Jobs and Careers Articles, 26 Internet Marketing Articles, 44 News and Comment Articles (406 total articles) plus 685 Famous Quotes.
My articles can be published with no charge by newsletters, newspapers and magazines through EzineArticles.com, the largest articles directory on the Internet with 80,000+ authors and 972,000+ articles.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Monday, February 11, 2008
College Football: Brian White, former National Assistant Coach of the Year, Joins Husky Staff
Ed's Sports Corner:
Copyright © 2008 Ed Bagley
Slowly, hopefully inexorably, the misguided loyalty on the University of Washington football staff is getting a facelift and some actual competence.
The defensive disaster that has permeated the U-Dub campus could actually improve next season with the recent addition of defensive coordinator Ed Donatell and now former offensive coordinator Brian White.
White was the latest addition to Ty Willingham's Husky staff. The powers to be lit a fire under Willingham's backside after last year's season of promise degenerated into an unacceptable string of losses.
The message was short and to the point: you can stay another season but fix the defense, and for God's sake, win more games than you lose before we all forget the great football tradition you inherited. Willingham, whose 3-year coaching record at Washington is 11-25, somewhat reluctantly got the message.
Being a college football coach today is not much fun when you are not winning. Willingham is one loyal person who sincerely believes in the goodness of everyone he hires. Unfortunately, one can go "blind" in this effort to succeed.
In the real world, the lesson that Willingham has to learn is that there is no reward for good. You can be the best person in the world and the best coach in the world, but being good does not mean that you win football games. Think about how many GREAT pro players have no Super Bowl ring.
The reality of life dictates that there can be only two outcomes as a coach at the end of each game: results or excuses.
Just because the CEO of a Fortune 500 company makes more decisions does not mean that he makes better decisions. Loyalty does not translate to the bottom line. This is a really tough lesson for Ty, but if he wants to achieve his potential as a coach, he will learn or be gone.
That is why Ty's slow, methodical, unemotional move to shore up his defense has resulted in the hiring of Ed Donatell as defensive coordinator and Brian White as an assistant coach, perhaps handling tights ends and special teams, or running backs.
Nowhere in Brian White's coaching resume do I see special teams coaching experience, which suggests that he would be better placed as the running backs coach.
White spent 11 years as the running backs coach and offensive coordinator for Barry Alvarez at the University of Wisconsin. During his tenure, White was selected as the Division 1 Assistant Coach of the Year in 2004 by the American Football Coaches Association.
As Wisconsin's running backs coach and offensive coordinator, he helped coach Wisconsin in 9 bowl appearances, including Rose Bowl selections in 1999 and 2000. He mentored 1999 Heisman Trophy winner Ron Dayne, 2001 NFL first-round draft choice Michael Bennett, and 2001 Big Ten Freshman of the Year Anthony Davis.
White has spent his last 2 years at Syracuse as its offensive coordinator and tight ends coach with little or no success. His lack of accomplishment may have had more to do with Syracuse head coach Greg Robinson, who came to the Orangemen with a terrific record as an NFL defensive coordinator with the New York Jets, Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs.
Since arriving at Syracuse, Robinson has gone 7-28 in 3 years, the worst 3-year record in Syracuse football history. Nonetheless, Syracuse athletic director Daryl Gross is bringing Robinson back for a 4th season.
All you really need to know about Robinson at Syracuse is that he serves as the head coach AND defensive coordinator, a really dumb idea whose time has yet to come. Syracuse is Robinson's first head coaching job and it shows. Big egos like to micromanage everything and everyone; they have not figured out why they have assistant coaches to make them look better.
Gross' judgment may be worse than Robinson's. Some outstanding coordinators are simply not good head coaches; they may lack the talent, temperament, media skills and organizational skills to run an operation without screwing it up.
Brian White did spend 2 years as a graduate assistant for Lou Holtz at Notre Dame, and White was there when the Irish won the 1988 national title with a Fiesta Bowl victory over West Virginia. Two years of experience in ANY capacity with Lou Holtz is worth at least 10 years at Syracuse with the best the current Orangemen have to offer.
While coaching the receivers at Nevada, White helped the Wolf Pack offense lead the nation in total offense (582+ yards per game) and passing offense (401 ypg).
For whatever it is worth, White is also more highly qualified—education-wise—than almost all NCAA football coaches. He has a bachelor's degree from Harvard, a master's degree from Fordham and another master's degree in business administration from Notre Dame.
While there is no direct correlation between education and success as a football coach, White is apparently no stranger to learning and is capable of getting 3 degrees from three academic powerhouses. Let's hope it rubs off on his fellow Husky staff members and players. Until the Huskies can once again win a lot more games than they lose, they (staff and players) need all the help they can get.
Read my other Washington Husky articles, including "Ed Donatell, NFL Veteran, Becomes Defensive Coordinator for Washington", "Famous Quotes by Vince Lombardi, Knute Rockne and Lou Holtz During Football's Annual Bowl Season", "How to Predict When Teams Are Overrated and Due for an Unexpected Loss", and my 14 consecutive weekly wrap-up articles on the 2007 College Football Season as well as wrap-up articles on all 32 College Bowl Games.
My articles can be published with no charge by newsletters, newspapers and magazines through EzineArticles.com, the largest articles directory on the Internet with 80,000+ authors and 972,000+ articles.
Copyright © 2008 Ed Bagley
Slowly, hopefully inexorably, the misguided loyalty on the University of Washington football staff is getting a facelift and some actual competence.
The defensive disaster that has permeated the U-Dub campus could actually improve next season with the recent addition of defensive coordinator Ed Donatell and now former offensive coordinator Brian White.
White was the latest addition to Ty Willingham's Husky staff. The powers to be lit a fire under Willingham's backside after last year's season of promise degenerated into an unacceptable string of losses.
The message was short and to the point: you can stay another season but fix the defense, and for God's sake, win more games than you lose before we all forget the great football tradition you inherited. Willingham, whose 3-year coaching record at Washington is 11-25, somewhat reluctantly got the message.
Being a college football coach today is not much fun when you are not winning. Willingham is one loyal person who sincerely believes in the goodness of everyone he hires. Unfortunately, one can go "blind" in this effort to succeed.
In the real world, the lesson that Willingham has to learn is that there is no reward for good. You can be the best person in the world and the best coach in the world, but being good does not mean that you win football games. Think about how many GREAT pro players have no Super Bowl ring.
The reality of life dictates that there can be only two outcomes as a coach at the end of each game: results or excuses.
Just because the CEO of a Fortune 500 company makes more decisions does not mean that he makes better decisions. Loyalty does not translate to the bottom line. This is a really tough lesson for Ty, but if he wants to achieve his potential as a coach, he will learn or be gone.
That is why Ty's slow, methodical, unemotional move to shore up his defense has resulted in the hiring of Ed Donatell as defensive coordinator and Brian White as an assistant coach, perhaps handling tights ends and special teams, or running backs.
Nowhere in Brian White's coaching resume do I see special teams coaching experience, which suggests that he would be better placed as the running backs coach.
White spent 11 years as the running backs coach and offensive coordinator for Barry Alvarez at the University of Wisconsin. During his tenure, White was selected as the Division 1 Assistant Coach of the Year in 2004 by the American Football Coaches Association.
As Wisconsin's running backs coach and offensive coordinator, he helped coach Wisconsin in 9 bowl appearances, including Rose Bowl selections in 1999 and 2000. He mentored 1999 Heisman Trophy winner Ron Dayne, 2001 NFL first-round draft choice Michael Bennett, and 2001 Big Ten Freshman of the Year Anthony Davis.
White has spent his last 2 years at Syracuse as its offensive coordinator and tight ends coach with little or no success. His lack of accomplishment may have had more to do with Syracuse head coach Greg Robinson, who came to the Orangemen with a terrific record as an NFL defensive coordinator with the New York Jets, Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs.
Since arriving at Syracuse, Robinson has gone 7-28 in 3 years, the worst 3-year record in Syracuse football history. Nonetheless, Syracuse athletic director Daryl Gross is bringing Robinson back for a 4th season.
All you really need to know about Robinson at Syracuse is that he serves as the head coach AND defensive coordinator, a really dumb idea whose time has yet to come. Syracuse is Robinson's first head coaching job and it shows. Big egos like to micromanage everything and everyone; they have not figured out why they have assistant coaches to make them look better.
Gross' judgment may be worse than Robinson's. Some outstanding coordinators are simply not good head coaches; they may lack the talent, temperament, media skills and organizational skills to run an operation without screwing it up.
Brian White did spend 2 years as a graduate assistant for Lou Holtz at Notre Dame, and White was there when the Irish won the 1988 national title with a Fiesta Bowl victory over West Virginia. Two years of experience in ANY capacity with Lou Holtz is worth at least 10 years at Syracuse with the best the current Orangemen have to offer.
While coaching the receivers at Nevada, White helped the Wolf Pack offense lead the nation in total offense (582+ yards per game) and passing offense (401 ypg).
For whatever it is worth, White is also more highly qualified—education-wise—than almost all NCAA football coaches. He has a bachelor's degree from Harvard, a master's degree from Fordham and another master's degree in business administration from Notre Dame.
While there is no direct correlation between education and success as a football coach, White is apparently no stranger to learning and is capable of getting 3 degrees from three academic powerhouses. Let's hope it rubs off on his fellow Husky staff members and players. Until the Huskies can once again win a lot more games than they lose, they (staff and players) need all the help they can get.
Read my other Washington Husky articles, including "Ed Donatell, NFL Veteran, Becomes Defensive Coordinator for Washington", "Famous Quotes by Vince Lombardi, Knute Rockne and Lou Holtz During Football's Annual Bowl Season", "How to Predict When Teams Are Overrated and Due for an Unexpected Loss", and my 14 consecutive weekly wrap-up articles on the 2007 College Football Season as well as wrap-up articles on all 32 College Bowl Games.
My articles can be published with no charge by newsletters, newspapers and magazines through EzineArticles.com, the largest articles directory on the Internet with 80,000+ authors and 972,000+ articles.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
College Football - Ed Donatell, NFL Veteran, Becomes Defensive Coordinator for Washington
Ed's Sports Corner:
Copyright © 2008 Ed Bagley
Washington Husky head coach Ty Willingham has hopefully improved his defense next season by recently hiring Ed Donatell, a veteran NFL defensive coordinator with both the Green Bay Packers and Atlanta Falcons.
Washington's inept, pathetic excuse for a defense last year needed to be cleaned up and clicked up about 20 notches.
The Huskies ranked 94th nationally last year in scoring defense (giving up 31+ points per game), 99th in pass defense (261+ yards per game and 27 touchdowns) and pass efficiency defense, and 102nd in total defense. These rankings were among the NCAA's 119 Division 1A teams.
In other words, the Huskies did not have a defense. They lacked speed, talent and experience. I said last year that the Washington defensive secondary could not cover my grandmother on their best day. I was not kidding.
Donatell should be congratulated for being willing to try and clean up this sorry mess. He just might be able to turn it around based on his experience and performance. To wit:
1) As the defensive backs coach for Denver's Mike Shanahan, he helped the Broncos win back-to-back Super Bowls in 1997 and 1998 by taking over a secondary that ranked last in the NFL and led them to a Top 10 ranking for 5 consecutive years.
2) As the defensive coordinator for Green Bay's Mike Sherman for 4 years, Donatell's leadership helped the Packer defense lead the NFL with 144 takeaways, averaging 36 a season, and lead the league with 2.25 forced turnovers per game.
3) As the defensive coordinator for 3 years for Atlanta's Jim Mora (a University of Washington grad and new designated coach of the Seattle Seahawks when Mike Holmgren retires after the 2008 season), Donatell piled up more success.
His 2004 Falcon unit led the NFL by holding its opponents to a league-low 30% on 3rd-down conversions. His Falcons also led the league in sacks for the first time in team history, and in 2005 his defense ranked 3rd in the NFL with only 28 passes allowed of 20-or-more yards. In addition, Atlanta won the club's 3rd division title and advanced to the NFC championship game.
Donatell also had ties to Washington before arriving. In addition to coaching for Jim Mora, he was a graduate assistant for Don James, the legendary Dawgfather and Washington's greatest coach. Donatell also was the defensive backs coach for 3 years at Idaho under former Washington coach Keith Gilbertson.
Donatell said his style of defense will be "based on speed and explosion, high energy, enthusiasm, (an) attacking style." Heck, I already like the guy. So Donatell can not only talk a good game, he can back it up.
I remember another guy named Jim Lambright whose legendary defenses were fast, furious and swarming; he experienced quite a bit of success as well, like a 1991 national championship as a defensive coordinator. The 1991 Huskies were 2nd in the nation in rushing defense (67.1), total defense (237.1), scoring defense (9.2) and turnover margin (+1.73); they led the Pac-10 in virtually every defensive category.
Let us hope that Ty Willingham and Ed Donatell go on to great success next year and in the following years. What Willingham and Donatell will have to do is start winning, and keep winning. When they do, they will have to get in line behind a couple of other guys with really great success records as Huskies—Don James and Jim Lambright.
For the record, Don James won a national title, went to 6 Rose Bowls (4-2 mark), won an Orange Bowl title and went to 15 bowl games (10-5 record) in 18 years.
Oh yeah, James was 153-57-2 (72%), including a then-record 99 wins in Pac-10 conference play, and Washington won 22 consecutive games from 1990 to 1992.
Read my other articles on football, including "Famous Quotes by Vince Lombardi, Knute Rockne and Lou Holtz During Football's Annual Bowl Season", "How to Predict When Teams Are Overrated and Due for an Unexpected Loss", "The Sagarin Ratings: What They Are, How to Read Them and What to Do With Them" and my 14 consecutive weekly wrap-up articles on the 2007 College Football Season as well as wrap-up articles on all 32 College Bowl Games.'
My articles can be published with no charge by newsletters, newspapers and magazines through EzineArticles.com, the largest articles directory on the Internet with 80,000+ authors and 972,000+ articles.
Editor's Note: Explore my main blog at:
http://www.edbagleyblog.com
Discover 145 Movie Reviews, 112 Sports Articles, 61 Articles on Lessons in Life, 18 Jobs and Careers Articles, 26 Internet Marketing Articles, 44 News and Comment Articles (406 total articles) plus 685 Famous Quotes.
Copyright © 2008 Ed Bagley
Washington Husky head coach Ty Willingham has hopefully improved his defense next season by recently hiring Ed Donatell, a veteran NFL defensive coordinator with both the Green Bay Packers and Atlanta Falcons.
Washington's inept, pathetic excuse for a defense last year needed to be cleaned up and clicked up about 20 notches.
The Huskies ranked 94th nationally last year in scoring defense (giving up 31+ points per game), 99th in pass defense (261+ yards per game and 27 touchdowns) and pass efficiency defense, and 102nd in total defense. These rankings were among the NCAA's 119 Division 1A teams.
In other words, the Huskies did not have a defense. They lacked speed, talent and experience. I said last year that the Washington defensive secondary could not cover my grandmother on their best day. I was not kidding.
Donatell should be congratulated for being willing to try and clean up this sorry mess. He just might be able to turn it around based on his experience and performance. To wit:
1) As the defensive backs coach for Denver's Mike Shanahan, he helped the Broncos win back-to-back Super Bowls in 1997 and 1998 by taking over a secondary that ranked last in the NFL and led them to a Top 10 ranking for 5 consecutive years.
2) As the defensive coordinator for Green Bay's Mike Sherman for 4 years, Donatell's leadership helped the Packer defense lead the NFL with 144 takeaways, averaging 36 a season, and lead the league with 2.25 forced turnovers per game.
3) As the defensive coordinator for 3 years for Atlanta's Jim Mora (a University of Washington grad and new designated coach of the Seattle Seahawks when Mike Holmgren retires after the 2008 season), Donatell piled up more success.
His 2004 Falcon unit led the NFL by holding its opponents to a league-low 30% on 3rd-down conversions. His Falcons also led the league in sacks for the first time in team history, and in 2005 his defense ranked 3rd in the NFL with only 28 passes allowed of 20-or-more yards. In addition, Atlanta won the club's 3rd division title and advanced to the NFC championship game.
Donatell also had ties to Washington before arriving. In addition to coaching for Jim Mora, he was a graduate assistant for Don James, the legendary Dawgfather and Washington's greatest coach. Donatell also was the defensive backs coach for 3 years at Idaho under former Washington coach Keith Gilbertson.
Donatell said his style of defense will be "based on speed and explosion, high energy, enthusiasm, (an) attacking style." Heck, I already like the guy. So Donatell can not only talk a good game, he can back it up.
I remember another guy named Jim Lambright whose legendary defenses were fast, furious and swarming; he experienced quite a bit of success as well, like a 1991 national championship as a defensive coordinator. The 1991 Huskies were 2nd in the nation in rushing defense (67.1), total defense (237.1), scoring defense (9.2) and turnover margin (+1.73); they led the Pac-10 in virtually every defensive category.
Let us hope that Ty Willingham and Ed Donatell go on to great success next year and in the following years. What Willingham and Donatell will have to do is start winning, and keep winning. When they do, they will have to get in line behind a couple of other guys with really great success records as Huskies—Don James and Jim Lambright.
For the record, Don James won a national title, went to 6 Rose Bowls (4-2 mark), won an Orange Bowl title and went to 15 bowl games (10-5 record) in 18 years.
Oh yeah, James was 153-57-2 (72%), including a then-record 99 wins in Pac-10 conference play, and Washington won 22 consecutive games from 1990 to 1992.
Read my other articles on football, including "Famous Quotes by Vince Lombardi, Knute Rockne and Lou Holtz During Football's Annual Bowl Season", "How to Predict When Teams Are Overrated and Due for an Unexpected Loss", "The Sagarin Ratings: What They Are, How to Read Them and What to Do With Them" and my 14 consecutive weekly wrap-up articles on the 2007 College Football Season as well as wrap-up articles on all 32 College Bowl Games.'
My articles can be published with no charge by newsletters, newspapers and magazines through EzineArticles.com, the largest articles directory on the Internet with 80,000+ authors and 972,000+ articles.
Editor's Note: Explore my main blog at:
http://www.edbagleyblog.com
Discover 145 Movie Reviews, 112 Sports Articles, 61 Articles on Lessons in Life, 18 Jobs and Careers Articles, 26 Internet Marketing Articles, 44 News and Comment Articles (406 total articles) plus 685 Famous Quotes.
Friday, February 8, 2008
College Football Recruiting: Look Out SEC - Alabama Rates No. 1 as Nick Saban Prepares to Go to War
Ed's Sports Corner:
Copyright © 2008 Ed Bagley
If you think football in the Southeastern Conference is just a game that generates a ton of money for the schools and the NCAA that regulates it in a highly publicized environment, you do not understand what success is about in the SEC.
SEC games are not battles between teams, they are outright warfare with a fight to the last man standing won by heavy artillery (talent). That is why Wednesday's (2-6-08) first day of signing letters of intent by high school seniors was so significant. According to several analysts, Nick Saban and Alabama ranked No. 1 with the nation's best class of talent.
Among Rivals.com Top 50 prospects, Alabama picked up No. 4 Julio Jones, a 6-foot-4, 215-pound wide receiver from Foley (AL); No. 28 B. J. Scott, a 6-foot, 195-pound wide receiver-super athlete from Vigor (AL); No. 30 Tyler Love, a 6-foot-7, 290-pound offensive lineman from Mountain Brook (AL); No. 34 Jerrell Harris, a 6-foot-3, 215-pound linebacker from Gadsden (AL); and No. 35 Alonzo Lawrence, a 6-foot-1, 190 pound defensive back from George County (MS).
Add to that distinguished list No. 55 Mark Barron, a 6-foot-2, 202-pound athlete from Mobile (AL) and No. 60 Barrett Jones, a 6-foot-5, 271-pound offensive lineman from Memphis (TN), and no school in America had 7 of the Top 60 Rival.com prospects except Alabama.
Southern Cal had 6 in the Top 60, Ohio State had 5 and Notre Dame had 5. Notre Dame's recuiting class was rated No. 2 by Rivals.com, Ohio State's No. 8 and Southern California's No. 10.
Nick Saban, the highest paid college coach at about $4 million a year, earned his pay. Saban was able to sign 7 of the top 11 prospects in Alabama. Auburn did not have a single recruit among Rivals.com Top 100 prospects; the Tigers came up sucking pond water.
Look for Saban and the Crimson Tide to start a concerted march to a higher place as a current Division 1A powerhouse and national title contender. Should the Top 60 picks stay injury free and reach their potential on the college turf, they will most certainly be playing in the NFL on Sundays.
If you are not stoked about Alabama football you need to live in another state.
Three other schools catch my personal attention because I have ties to Washington, Arizona State and Michigan State.
Ty Willingham's Washington Huskies had the highest Rivals.com pick among these 3 teams with No. 57 Kavario Middleton, a 6-foot-6, 250-pound tight end from Lakewood (WA). Middleton was joined by his teammate, Jermaine Kearse, a 6-foot-2, 175 pound wide receiver.
Washington also signed Everrette Thompson, a 6-foot-6, 255-pound defensive end from Burien (WA); Alameda Ta'amu, a 6-foot-4, 330-pound (yes, 330 pounds!) offensive guard from Seattle; Allen Carroll, a 6-foot-3, 290-pound offensive guard from Oakland (CA); Chris Polk, a 5-foot-11, 195-pound running back with 4.5 speed from Redlands (CA); and Jordan Polk, 5-foot-10, 170-pound wide receiver with 4.46 speed from Portland (OR).
Washington's catch is being called the best recruiting class since Reggie Williams and Charles Frederick in 2001.
The Huskies also picked up some speed with linebacker Kurt Mangum (4.59), cornerbacks Adam Long (4.45), Anthony Gobern (4.4) and Justin Glenn (4.5), safety Johri Fogerson (4.55), and running backs Demitrius Bronson (4.5) and David Freeman (4.4). Let me be the first to dub Kurt Magnum as Magnum P.I. (Personal Intimidator) and Demitrius Bronson as Death Wish Bronson.
All of this comes as a surprise as Ty Willingham, unlike Nick Saban, does not have a rep as a recruiter. The fact that redstart freshman quarterback Jake Locker started last year and impressed almost everyone with his agility, speed and savvy probably did not hurt a lick.
Scout.com rated Washington's recruiting class as the 14th best among the NCAA's 119 Division 1A schools. Look for the Huskies to finally win more games than they lose next year. If they do not, Willingham may be looking for another job.
Scout.com rated Dennis Erickson and his Arizona State Sun Devils class as the 17th best nationally. Among Erickson's top prospects was Jack Elway, none other than the son of NFL Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway.
Jack Elway has his father's arm but apparently not his speed. Nonetheless, he comes from an excellent gene pool. In addition to his dad, his mother Janet was an outstanding college athlete as a swimmer for Stanford University.
Here are two facts you may not know about John Elway. 1) He may have played football at Stanford University but he was born and raised in Port Angeles (WA). 2) He had 47 career game-winning or game-tying drives in the 4th quarter, an NFL record.
Mark Dantonio and his Michigan State Spartans (my alma mater, Class of 1966) did not fare as well as Washington or Arizona State. Other than any local coverage in Michigan and a little among Big Ten teams, the Spartans received zero national attention.
That tells me they ended up with the short end of stick, and that is indeed bad news.
Dantonio knows that Jim Tressel and his Ohio State Buckeyes are only going to get better; Dantonio was the defensive coordinator for Ohio State's undefeated (14-0) national championship team in 2002. Tressel also won 4 Division 1AA national championships at Youngstown State, and his won-loss record as head coach at Ohio State is a stunning 83% (73-15).
If Ohio State is not enough competition for Michigan State, Michigan will cause the Spartans headaches as well since Rich Rodriguez left West Virginia to coach the Wolverines next year.
Michigan has won more games than any other team in college football history, and now along comes Rodriguez, who spent 7 seasons at West Virginia compiling a 60-26 record (69%) with 4 Big East titles.
Rodriguez, 1 of only 2 Hispanic head coaches in Division IA football, went 32-5 (86%) his last 3 years at West Virginia. Rodriguez is great for Michigan; for Michigan State he is two legs and bad news. The Spartans may get the snot kicked out of them by Michigan for the next 5 years.
I am praying that Dantonio can find a couple of nuggets among the scrap heap of players that are left over after all of the good programs have used up their scholarship allotments. The Spartans need talent and speed immediately, they do not have nearly enough at the moment.
The justified enthusiasm among Crimson Tide fans at Alabama does need to be tempered by the knowledge that recruiting is not an exact science. While we know that the sun will come up tomorrow, we do not know how these recruits will play out.
What we do know is that coaching can make average players better; Rich Rodriguez is an example. His recent West Virginia recruiting classes were rated mid-30s to mid-50s yet he led the Mountaineers to 2 BCS bowl wins in the last 3 seasons, and he came within 1 win of playing for last year's national title.
We also know that a position player like a quarterback, who touches the ball on every play, can make a team much better. An example this year was Todd Reesing of Kansas who led the Jayhawks to a 12-1 record and an Orange Bowl victory. Reesing was rated a 2-star to 3-star player by the rating services (5 stars is best) yet he became a 5-star player when given the opportunity to do so.
Since many of these kids will become redshirts (meaning they will not play their freshman year) and become redshirt freshman (like Jake Locker of Washington) when they start playing their sophomore year. It may take all of 5 years to determine who among the many players just signed will become tomorrow's stars and NFL draftees.
In the meantime, I will be praying for Mark Dantonio and my Michigan State Spartans. I view myself as an important intercessor as the Spartans have continued to disappoint in recent years. Wherever they have been I do not want to go.
Read my other articles on football, including "Famous Quotes by Vince Lombardi, Knute Rockne and Lou Holtz During Football's Annual Bowl Season", "How to Predict When Teams Are Overrated and Due for an Unexpected Loss", "The Sagarin Ratings: What They Are, How to Read Them and What to Do With Them" and my 14 consecutive weekly wrap-up articles on the 2007 College Football Season as well as wrap-up articles on all 32 College Bowl Games.
My articles can be published with no charge by newsletters, newspapers and magazines through EzineArticles.com, the largest articles directory on the Internet with 80,000+ authors and 900,000+ articles.
Editor's Note: Explore my main blog at:
http://www.edbagleyblog.com
Discover 140 Movie Reviews, 105 Sports Articles, 61 Articles on Lessons in Life, 18 Jobs and Careers Articles, 26 Internet Marketing Articles, 44 News and Comment Articles (394 total articles) plus 656 Famous Quotes.
Copyright © 2008 Ed Bagley
If you think football in the Southeastern Conference is just a game that generates a ton of money for the schools and the NCAA that regulates it in a highly publicized environment, you do not understand what success is about in the SEC.
SEC games are not battles between teams, they are outright warfare with a fight to the last man standing won by heavy artillery (talent). That is why Wednesday's (2-6-08) first day of signing letters of intent by high school seniors was so significant. According to several analysts, Nick Saban and Alabama ranked No. 1 with the nation's best class of talent.
Among Rivals.com Top 50 prospects, Alabama picked up No. 4 Julio Jones, a 6-foot-4, 215-pound wide receiver from Foley (AL); No. 28 B. J. Scott, a 6-foot, 195-pound wide receiver-super athlete from Vigor (AL); No. 30 Tyler Love, a 6-foot-7, 290-pound offensive lineman from Mountain Brook (AL); No. 34 Jerrell Harris, a 6-foot-3, 215-pound linebacker from Gadsden (AL); and No. 35 Alonzo Lawrence, a 6-foot-1, 190 pound defensive back from George County (MS).
Add to that distinguished list No. 55 Mark Barron, a 6-foot-2, 202-pound athlete from Mobile (AL) and No. 60 Barrett Jones, a 6-foot-5, 271-pound offensive lineman from Memphis (TN), and no school in America had 7 of the Top 60 Rival.com prospects except Alabama.
Southern Cal had 6 in the Top 60, Ohio State had 5 and Notre Dame had 5. Notre Dame's recuiting class was rated No. 2 by Rivals.com, Ohio State's No. 8 and Southern California's No. 10.
Nick Saban, the highest paid college coach at about $4 million a year, earned his pay. Saban was able to sign 7 of the top 11 prospects in Alabama. Auburn did not have a single recruit among Rivals.com Top 100 prospects; the Tigers came up sucking pond water.
Look for Saban and the Crimson Tide to start a concerted march to a higher place as a current Division 1A powerhouse and national title contender. Should the Top 60 picks stay injury free and reach their potential on the college turf, they will most certainly be playing in the NFL on Sundays.
If you are not stoked about Alabama football you need to live in another state.
Three other schools catch my personal attention because I have ties to Washington, Arizona State and Michigan State.
Ty Willingham's Washington Huskies had the highest Rivals.com pick among these 3 teams with No. 57 Kavario Middleton, a 6-foot-6, 250-pound tight end from Lakewood (WA). Middleton was joined by his teammate, Jermaine Kearse, a 6-foot-2, 175 pound wide receiver.
Washington also signed Everrette Thompson, a 6-foot-6, 255-pound defensive end from Burien (WA); Alameda Ta'amu, a 6-foot-4, 330-pound (yes, 330 pounds!) offensive guard from Seattle; Allen Carroll, a 6-foot-3, 290-pound offensive guard from Oakland (CA); Chris Polk, a 5-foot-11, 195-pound running back with 4.5 speed from Redlands (CA); and Jordan Polk, 5-foot-10, 170-pound wide receiver with 4.46 speed from Portland (OR).
Washington's catch is being called the best recruiting class since Reggie Williams and Charles Frederick in 2001.
The Huskies also picked up some speed with linebacker Kurt Mangum (4.59), cornerbacks Adam Long (4.45), Anthony Gobern (4.4) and Justin Glenn (4.5), safety Johri Fogerson (4.55), and running backs Demitrius Bronson (4.5) and David Freeman (4.4). Let me be the first to dub Kurt Magnum as Magnum P.I. (Personal Intimidator) and Demitrius Bronson as Death Wish Bronson.
All of this comes as a surprise as Ty Willingham, unlike Nick Saban, does not have a rep as a recruiter. The fact that redstart freshman quarterback Jake Locker started last year and impressed almost everyone with his agility, speed and savvy probably did not hurt a lick.
Scout.com rated Washington's recruiting class as the 14th best among the NCAA's 119 Division 1A schools. Look for the Huskies to finally win more games than they lose next year. If they do not, Willingham may be looking for another job.
Scout.com rated Dennis Erickson and his Arizona State Sun Devils class as the 17th best nationally. Among Erickson's top prospects was Jack Elway, none other than the son of NFL Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway.
Jack Elway has his father's arm but apparently not his speed. Nonetheless, he comes from an excellent gene pool. In addition to his dad, his mother Janet was an outstanding college athlete as a swimmer for Stanford University.
Here are two facts you may not know about John Elway. 1) He may have played football at Stanford University but he was born and raised in Port Angeles (WA). 2) He had 47 career game-winning or game-tying drives in the 4th quarter, an NFL record.
Mark Dantonio and his Michigan State Spartans (my alma mater, Class of 1966) did not fare as well as Washington or Arizona State. Other than any local coverage in Michigan and a little among Big Ten teams, the Spartans received zero national attention.
That tells me they ended up with the short end of stick, and that is indeed bad news.
Dantonio knows that Jim Tressel and his Ohio State Buckeyes are only going to get better; Dantonio was the defensive coordinator for Ohio State's undefeated (14-0) national championship team in 2002. Tressel also won 4 Division 1AA national championships at Youngstown State, and his won-loss record as head coach at Ohio State is a stunning 83% (73-15).
If Ohio State is not enough competition for Michigan State, Michigan will cause the Spartans headaches as well since Rich Rodriguez left West Virginia to coach the Wolverines next year.
Michigan has won more games than any other team in college football history, and now along comes Rodriguez, who spent 7 seasons at West Virginia compiling a 60-26 record (69%) with 4 Big East titles.
Rodriguez, 1 of only 2 Hispanic head coaches in Division IA football, went 32-5 (86%) his last 3 years at West Virginia. Rodriguez is great for Michigan; for Michigan State he is two legs and bad news. The Spartans may get the snot kicked out of them by Michigan for the next 5 years.
I am praying that Dantonio can find a couple of nuggets among the scrap heap of players that are left over after all of the good programs have used up their scholarship allotments. The Spartans need talent and speed immediately, they do not have nearly enough at the moment.
The justified enthusiasm among Crimson Tide fans at Alabama does need to be tempered by the knowledge that recruiting is not an exact science. While we know that the sun will come up tomorrow, we do not know how these recruits will play out.
What we do know is that coaching can make average players better; Rich Rodriguez is an example. His recent West Virginia recruiting classes were rated mid-30s to mid-50s yet he led the Mountaineers to 2 BCS bowl wins in the last 3 seasons, and he came within 1 win of playing for last year's national title.
We also know that a position player like a quarterback, who touches the ball on every play, can make a team much better. An example this year was Todd Reesing of Kansas who led the Jayhawks to a 12-1 record and an Orange Bowl victory. Reesing was rated a 2-star to 3-star player by the rating services (5 stars is best) yet he became a 5-star player when given the opportunity to do so.
Since many of these kids will become redshirts (meaning they will not play their freshman year) and become redshirt freshman (like Jake Locker of Washington) when they start playing their sophomore year. It may take all of 5 years to determine who among the many players just signed will become tomorrow's stars and NFL draftees.
In the meantime, I will be praying for Mark Dantonio and my Michigan State Spartans. I view myself as an important intercessor as the Spartans have continued to disappoint in recent years. Wherever they have been I do not want to go.
Read my other articles on football, including "Famous Quotes by Vince Lombardi, Knute Rockne and Lou Holtz During Football's Annual Bowl Season", "How to Predict When Teams Are Overrated and Due for an Unexpected Loss", "The Sagarin Ratings: What They Are, How to Read Them and What to Do With Them" and my 14 consecutive weekly wrap-up articles on the 2007 College Football Season as well as wrap-up articles on all 32 College Bowl Games.
My articles can be published with no charge by newsletters, newspapers and magazines through EzineArticles.com, the largest articles directory on the Internet with 80,000+ authors and 900,000+ articles.
Editor's Note: Explore my main blog at:
http://www.edbagleyblog.com
Discover 140 Movie Reviews, 105 Sports Articles, 61 Articles on Lessons in Life, 18 Jobs and Careers Articles, 26 Internet Marketing Articles, 44 News and Comment Articles (394 total articles) plus 656 Famous Quotes.
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
College Basketball - Love Him or Hate Him, Bobby Knight Was as Much an Educator as a Coach
Ed's Sports Corner:
Copyright © 2008 Ed Bagley
Count me among those who were saddened by the news that Bobby Knight had stepped down as head coach of the Texas Tech Red Raiders Monday (2-4-08).
It is unusual if not unheard of for a major college basketball coach to quit during the middle of the season, but perhaps such an occurrence was business as usual for Bobby Knight.
It is doubtful that any major college coach in America was as passionate, as demonstrative and as committed as Bobby Knight was to basketball and his players.
Many pundits would not agree with me when I say that Knight was more interested in doing things right than in winning games, but let me make the case for the Bobby Knight haters.
While no coach in his right mind likes to lose a game, I believe that Knight was at least as interested in how his "kids" played as he was in whether they won or not. If his players applied what they learned from him, played their hearts out, left everything on the court and lost, I think Knight would have been better able to tolerate a loss.
Knight was no stranger to winning. When you win 902 games in a 42-year coaching career, you have little competition. Dean Smith of North Carolina has 879 victories to his credit, Adolph Rupp of Kentucky has 876 and Jim Phelan (Jim who?) of Mount St. Mary's in Maryland has 830. Smith is 76 and retired, Phelan is 78 and retired, and Rupp died 20 years ago.
The next most wins—800—belong to the new first active coach on the list, Eddie Sutton, the 71-year-old coach of San Francisco.
Knight had 102 wins in 6 seasons at Army, where he became coach at 24. He had 662 victories and 3 national championships in 29 seasons at Indiana. He had 138 victories in 7 seasons at Texas Tech. He coached the USA to Olympic team to gold in 1984 at Los Angeles.
It is possible that thousands of basketball followers will now seize the opportunity to torch Bobby Knight for his well-known outbursts over the years. There must be enough licensed Bobby Knight haters to fill the largest Super Bowl venue. I am not one of them.
Knight's son Pat, an assistant on his Texas Tech staff, has replaced him. Pat Knight was named the Red Raiders coach-designate in 2005.
Indiana University kicked Bobby Knight out for "a pattern of unacceptable behavior", but only after his Knight-trained players had won 3 national titles for Indiana and the 1975-1976 club went 32-0, the last Division 1 men's team to finish undefeated (something even the New England Patriots could not accomplish this year).
Bobby Knight's "antics" are well documented for those who want to revel in his shortcomings as a public relations agent.
Less well documented is the fact that in 42 years of coaching he never got into trouble by breaking any NCAA rules and regulations, and trust me when I say that the NCAA rule book rivals the Internal Revenue Service code for picky, annoying crap.
Less well documented is the fact that Bobby Knight's players always had a high graduation rate; Knight made them toe the mark. Show-offs and prima donnas had no place on Knight's teams. Knight was all about playing the game right and teamwork.
Less well documented is the fact that Bobby Knight gave his salary back a few years after he arrived at Texas Tech because he did not think he had earned it.
Some pundits and fans have already said that Bobby Knight was a great coach and a poor role model, and offer John Wooden of UCLA as a great example of a great coach and a great role model. Do I think Wooden was a better role model than Knight? Yes I do.
Wooden's success at Pauley Pavilion has made him the gold standard among America's most successful coaches in basketball and really any sport. Wooden's teams won 10 national championships—7 in-a-row from 1967 through 1973—and from 1971 to 1973 won an unprecedented 88 consecutive games, a record many sports pundits consider unbeakable.
John Wooden is the real deal, and he is also a very big deal. So let's weight in on what he had to say when hearing about Bobby Knight's surprise resignation Monday:
"I guess you can never be surprised at some of the things Bob does," said Wooden. "I don't think there's ever been a better teacher of the game of basketball than Bob. I don't always approve of his methods, but his players for the most part are very loyal to him. I would say that no player that ever played for him would not say he did not come out a stronger person."
Another of the nation's most respected coaches, Duke's Mike Krzyzewski, who played for Bobby Knight at Army, said this about Knight's departure:
"Outside of my immediate family, no single person has had a greater impact on my life than Coach Knight. I have the ultimate respect for him as a coach and a mentor, but even more so as a dear friend. For more than 40 years, the life lessons I have learned from Coach are immeasurable. Simply put, I love him."
Bobby Knight not only won more games than any other coach in history, he also made his players better people and better able to cope with the challenges of life when they left the university with their degree in hand.
So why am I saddened? Because Bobby Knight he will be more vilified than honored for what he did accomplish both on and off the court.
I say let him who has won 900+ games and never been in violation of the NCAA rules cast the first stones. The rest might consider the side of Bobby Knight that failed to get really positive coverage because his few failings were so dramatic and so public.
Bobby Knight is the kind of person people either like or dislike. I like Bobby Knight and respect him.
I believe his chief failing in some people's eyes is that he likely would have called a butt end by name, whether it was a critical university president, the meddling parent of a player, a disrespectful student or an unhappy janitor. I would do the same; I just would not do it as publicly, and I have not won a single game as a coach.
Editor's Note: Read my 5-Part series on Running: "Wheat Products and Sugar Can Be the 'Kiss of Death' When Trying to Lose Weight – Part 1", "How Lectins (Proteins in Foods) Are Very Negative in O Positive Blood Types – Part 2", Gluten in Wheat Products Bind to the Small Intestine Lining and Turn to Fat – Part 3", "How Popular Running Magazines Are Constantly Giving Very Poor Diet Advice – Part 4" and "There Is an Inescapable Correlation Between Weight and Cardiovascular Efficiency – Part 5".
My articles can be published with no charge by newsletters, newspapers and magazines through EzineArticles.com, the largest articles directory on the Internet with 80,000+ authors and 900,000+ articles.
Editor's Note: Explore my main blog at:
http://www.edbagleyblog.com
Discover 140 Movie Reviews, 105 Sports Articles, 61 Articles on Lessons in Life, 18 Jobs and Careers Articles, 26 Internet Marketing Articles, 44 News and Comment Articles (394 total articles) plus 656 Famous Quotes.
Copyright © 2008 Ed Bagley
Count me among those who were saddened by the news that Bobby Knight had stepped down as head coach of the Texas Tech Red Raiders Monday (2-4-08).
It is unusual if not unheard of for a major college basketball coach to quit during the middle of the season, but perhaps such an occurrence was business as usual for Bobby Knight.
It is doubtful that any major college coach in America was as passionate, as demonstrative and as committed as Bobby Knight was to basketball and his players.
Many pundits would not agree with me when I say that Knight was more interested in doing things right than in winning games, but let me make the case for the Bobby Knight haters.
While no coach in his right mind likes to lose a game, I believe that Knight was at least as interested in how his "kids" played as he was in whether they won or not. If his players applied what they learned from him, played their hearts out, left everything on the court and lost, I think Knight would have been better able to tolerate a loss.
Knight was no stranger to winning. When you win 902 games in a 42-year coaching career, you have little competition. Dean Smith of North Carolina has 879 victories to his credit, Adolph Rupp of Kentucky has 876 and Jim Phelan (Jim who?) of Mount St. Mary's in Maryland has 830. Smith is 76 and retired, Phelan is 78 and retired, and Rupp died 20 years ago.
The next most wins—800—belong to the new first active coach on the list, Eddie Sutton, the 71-year-old coach of San Francisco.
Knight had 102 wins in 6 seasons at Army, where he became coach at 24. He had 662 victories and 3 national championships in 29 seasons at Indiana. He had 138 victories in 7 seasons at Texas Tech. He coached the USA to Olympic team to gold in 1984 at Los Angeles.
It is possible that thousands of basketball followers will now seize the opportunity to torch Bobby Knight for his well-known outbursts over the years. There must be enough licensed Bobby Knight haters to fill the largest Super Bowl venue. I am not one of them.
Knight's son Pat, an assistant on his Texas Tech staff, has replaced him. Pat Knight was named the Red Raiders coach-designate in 2005.
Indiana University kicked Bobby Knight out for "a pattern of unacceptable behavior", but only after his Knight-trained players had won 3 national titles for Indiana and the 1975-1976 club went 32-0, the last Division 1 men's team to finish undefeated (something even the New England Patriots could not accomplish this year).
Bobby Knight's "antics" are well documented for those who want to revel in his shortcomings as a public relations agent.
Less well documented is the fact that in 42 years of coaching he never got into trouble by breaking any NCAA rules and regulations, and trust me when I say that the NCAA rule book rivals the Internal Revenue Service code for picky, annoying crap.
Less well documented is the fact that Bobby Knight's players always had a high graduation rate; Knight made them toe the mark. Show-offs and prima donnas had no place on Knight's teams. Knight was all about playing the game right and teamwork.
Less well documented is the fact that Bobby Knight gave his salary back a few years after he arrived at Texas Tech because he did not think he had earned it.
Some pundits and fans have already said that Bobby Knight was a great coach and a poor role model, and offer John Wooden of UCLA as a great example of a great coach and a great role model. Do I think Wooden was a better role model than Knight? Yes I do.
Wooden's success at Pauley Pavilion has made him the gold standard among America's most successful coaches in basketball and really any sport. Wooden's teams won 10 national championships—7 in-a-row from 1967 through 1973—and from 1971 to 1973 won an unprecedented 88 consecutive games, a record many sports pundits consider unbeakable.
John Wooden is the real deal, and he is also a very big deal. So let's weight in on what he had to say when hearing about Bobby Knight's surprise resignation Monday:
"I guess you can never be surprised at some of the things Bob does," said Wooden. "I don't think there's ever been a better teacher of the game of basketball than Bob. I don't always approve of his methods, but his players for the most part are very loyal to him. I would say that no player that ever played for him would not say he did not come out a stronger person."
Another of the nation's most respected coaches, Duke's Mike Krzyzewski, who played for Bobby Knight at Army, said this about Knight's departure:
"Outside of my immediate family, no single person has had a greater impact on my life than Coach Knight. I have the ultimate respect for him as a coach and a mentor, but even more so as a dear friend. For more than 40 years, the life lessons I have learned from Coach are immeasurable. Simply put, I love him."
Bobby Knight not only won more games than any other coach in history, he also made his players better people and better able to cope with the challenges of life when they left the university with their degree in hand.
So why am I saddened? Because Bobby Knight he will be more vilified than honored for what he did accomplish both on and off the court.
I say let him who has won 900+ games and never been in violation of the NCAA rules cast the first stones. The rest might consider the side of Bobby Knight that failed to get really positive coverage because his few failings were so dramatic and so public.
Bobby Knight is the kind of person people either like or dislike. I like Bobby Knight and respect him.
I believe his chief failing in some people's eyes is that he likely would have called a butt end by name, whether it was a critical university president, the meddling parent of a player, a disrespectful student or an unhappy janitor. I would do the same; I just would not do it as publicly, and I have not won a single game as a coach.
Editor's Note: Read my 5-Part series on Running: "Wheat Products and Sugar Can Be the 'Kiss of Death' When Trying to Lose Weight – Part 1", "How Lectins (Proteins in Foods) Are Very Negative in O Positive Blood Types – Part 2", Gluten in Wheat Products Bind to the Small Intestine Lining and Turn to Fat – Part 3", "How Popular Running Magazines Are Constantly Giving Very Poor Diet Advice – Part 4" and "There Is an Inescapable Correlation Between Weight and Cardiovascular Efficiency – Part 5".
My articles can be published with no charge by newsletters, newspapers and magazines through EzineArticles.com, the largest articles directory on the Internet with 80,000+ authors and 900,000+ articles.
Editor's Note: Explore my main blog at:
http://www.edbagleyblog.com
Discover 140 Movie Reviews, 105 Sports Articles, 61 Articles on Lessons in Life, 18 Jobs and Careers Articles, 26 Internet Marketing Articles, 44 News and Comment Articles (394 total articles) plus 656 Famous Quotes.
About Super Bowl 42 - Here's a Different Slant on the Giants' Upset Win to Become Wrold Champs
Ed's Sports Corner:
Copyright © 2008 Ed Bagley
There is a reason why the winner of the Super Bowl earns the Vince Lombardi Trophy as a symbol of excellence in the football world. Lombardi encouraged his Green Bay Packer players to pursue perfection so they might catch excellence.
As it turns out, Lombardi and his players caught a lot more than 5 National Football League titles and the first 2 Super Bowl titles. They developed a bond among themselves that lasted a lifetime for those who have passed on, and still survives for those who continue the memory of Lombardi's great leadership and their great work ethic.
Perhaps some years from now the New York Giants will experience that same kind of bond that comes with such a great triumph as their conquest of the New England Patriots and the NFL world this year.
There is no way the Giants could have lived and played through the last 5 weeks of their season without becoming "one" with a purpose bigger than the odds they faced.
New York started by traveling to Tampa Bay and defeating the NFL's second-ranked defense on the Buccaneers home turf. Then the Giants traveled to Dallas to upset the Cowboys on their home field, becoming the first team to defeat a No. 1 seed in the NFL playoffs.
New York then played through a wind chill factor of 23 degrees in Green Bay to turn back the Packers and win the National Football Conference championship, earning the right to play the Patriots in Super Bowl 42. After upsetting New England 17-14 they walked away with the Lombardi Trophy and became the first NFC wild-card team to do so.
Perhaps Vince Lombardi said it best: "If it doesn't matter who wins or loses, then why do they keep score?" Lombardi was a winner and now the Giants are too.
New England, which won Super Bowl 36, Super Bowl 38 and Super Bowl 39, will now be remembered as the team that was the first to go 18-0 and then lose in Super Bowl 42 to the Giants. Coach Bill Belichick's jaws were so wired after the defeat he barely uttered 10 words.
The 1972 Miami Dolphins remain the only undefeated NFL team in its 88-year history with their 17-0 record and Super Bowl 7 victory over the Washington Redskins, 14-7.
Embedded in the hard-drive of my mind 40 years from now (assuming I live to be 103) will be two memories:
1) Eli Manning, seemingly surrounded by Patriot rushers, breaking away like a magician from the grasp of an arm not strong enough to rip off his jersey, coming clear in desperation to heave an arcing pass down the field and a heretofore nobody named David Tyree leaping upward over rivals to catch the ball over his head, falling backward, and hanging on even though he was viciously hit in his arm on the way down by Patriot safety Rodney Harrison in an attempt to knock the ball free.
Tyree's 32-yard catch against all odds on 3rd-and-15 with 1:15 left on New York's game-winning drive has to be one of the greatest catches in the history of championship football at any level. Incredible is a weak description of just how good his catch and hold was. He will likely never have such a great moment if he plays another 15 years in the NFL.
Almost forgotten in all of this is just how close Manning was to being sacked and the Patriots going on to preserve their then 4-point lead and possible victory.
New England's great run to an 18-0 mark now becomes a lot less with their Super Bowl loss to the Giants. It is too bad for the Patriots; the Giants could not be happier.
2) Manning's 13-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Plaxico Burress in the corner of the end zone with 35 seconds left happened because 6-foot-5, 232-pound Plaxico Burress was left isolated one-on-one with 5-foot-9, 195-pound cornerback Ellis Hobbs. Hobbs was at least 2 steps behind Burress and in no position to even contest for the ball, which would probably have been useless anyway with Plaxico's tremendous leaping ability, kind of like 5-foot-9 me going one-on-one against Michael Jordan.
Do not blame Hobbs for the loss. Patriot quarterback Tom Brady, who had the snot beat out of him from taking hits all afternoon by the Giants' much faster defensive rushers, did his usual come-from-behind last minute drive to give New England back the lead, 14-10.
Even linebacker Teddy Bruschi, the heart of the Pats defense, had embraced fellow backer Junior Seau on the sideline after the Pats went ahead and prior to the fateful drive, acknowledging that Seau was about to earn his first, long-awaited Super Bowl ring. Somebody forgot to stop Eli Manning and the Giants during the last 2 minutes of the game.
Burress, who had predicted a Giant victory amid the laughs and derisive remarks of almost everyone, caught the winning TD pass. He is a Michigan State University product just like myself. I could not be happier for Plaxico. It pains me to acknowledge that Plaxico was born 11 years AFTER I graduated from MSU.
Last fall I made up my mind to cover college football in my blog and did not even attempt to cover or comment on the NFL. It has now proved to be an excellent decision. I cannot imagine following the New England Patriots all year, fawning over their perfect record run, and being so let down in the Super Bowl.
All hail to the Giants, well, at least until the first NFL kickoff next season, then it will be go Seattle Seahawks for me. What was the name of that almost perfect team? I seem to have forgotten already.
Read my other articles on football, including "Famous Quotes by Vince Lombardi During Football's Annual Bowl Season", "Famous Quotes by Knute Rockne During Football's Annual Bowl Season", "Famous Quotes by Lou Holtz During Football's Annual Bowl Season", "How to Predict When Teams Are Overrated and Due for an Unexpected Loss", "The Sagarin Ratings: What They Are, How to Read Them and What to Do With Them" and my 14 consecutive weekly wrap-up articles on the 2007 College Football Season as well as wrap-up articles on all 32 College Bowl Games.
My articles can be published with no charge by newsletters, newspapers and magazines through EzineArticles.com, the largest articles directory on the Internet with 80,000+ authors and 900,000+ articles.
Editor's Note: Explore my main blog at:
http://www.edbagleyblog.com
Discover 140 Movie Reviews, 105 Sports Articles, 61 Articles on Lessons in Life, 18 Jobs and Careers Articles, 26 Internet Marketing Articles, 44 News and Comment Articles (394 total articles) plus 656 Famous Quotes.
Copyright © 2008 Ed Bagley
There is a reason why the winner of the Super Bowl earns the Vince Lombardi Trophy as a symbol of excellence in the football world. Lombardi encouraged his Green Bay Packer players to pursue perfection so they might catch excellence.
As it turns out, Lombardi and his players caught a lot more than 5 National Football League titles and the first 2 Super Bowl titles. They developed a bond among themselves that lasted a lifetime for those who have passed on, and still survives for those who continue the memory of Lombardi's great leadership and their great work ethic.
Perhaps some years from now the New York Giants will experience that same kind of bond that comes with such a great triumph as their conquest of the New England Patriots and the NFL world this year.
There is no way the Giants could have lived and played through the last 5 weeks of their season without becoming "one" with a purpose bigger than the odds they faced.
New York started by traveling to Tampa Bay and defeating the NFL's second-ranked defense on the Buccaneers home turf. Then the Giants traveled to Dallas to upset the Cowboys on their home field, becoming the first team to defeat a No. 1 seed in the NFL playoffs.
New York then played through a wind chill factor of 23 degrees in Green Bay to turn back the Packers and win the National Football Conference championship, earning the right to play the Patriots in Super Bowl 42. After upsetting New England 17-14 they walked away with the Lombardi Trophy and became the first NFC wild-card team to do so.
Perhaps Vince Lombardi said it best: "If it doesn't matter who wins or loses, then why do they keep score?" Lombardi was a winner and now the Giants are too.
New England, which won Super Bowl 36, Super Bowl 38 and Super Bowl 39, will now be remembered as the team that was the first to go 18-0 and then lose in Super Bowl 42 to the Giants. Coach Bill Belichick's jaws were so wired after the defeat he barely uttered 10 words.
The 1972 Miami Dolphins remain the only undefeated NFL team in its 88-year history with their 17-0 record and Super Bowl 7 victory over the Washington Redskins, 14-7.
Embedded in the hard-drive of my mind 40 years from now (assuming I live to be 103) will be two memories:
1) Eli Manning, seemingly surrounded by Patriot rushers, breaking away like a magician from the grasp of an arm not strong enough to rip off his jersey, coming clear in desperation to heave an arcing pass down the field and a heretofore nobody named David Tyree leaping upward over rivals to catch the ball over his head, falling backward, and hanging on even though he was viciously hit in his arm on the way down by Patriot safety Rodney Harrison in an attempt to knock the ball free.
Tyree's 32-yard catch against all odds on 3rd-and-15 with 1:15 left on New York's game-winning drive has to be one of the greatest catches in the history of championship football at any level. Incredible is a weak description of just how good his catch and hold was. He will likely never have such a great moment if he plays another 15 years in the NFL.
Almost forgotten in all of this is just how close Manning was to being sacked and the Patriots going on to preserve their then 4-point lead and possible victory.
New England's great run to an 18-0 mark now becomes a lot less with their Super Bowl loss to the Giants. It is too bad for the Patriots; the Giants could not be happier.
2) Manning's 13-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Plaxico Burress in the corner of the end zone with 35 seconds left happened because 6-foot-5, 232-pound Plaxico Burress was left isolated one-on-one with 5-foot-9, 195-pound cornerback Ellis Hobbs. Hobbs was at least 2 steps behind Burress and in no position to even contest for the ball, which would probably have been useless anyway with Plaxico's tremendous leaping ability, kind of like 5-foot-9 me going one-on-one against Michael Jordan.
Do not blame Hobbs for the loss. Patriot quarterback Tom Brady, who had the snot beat out of him from taking hits all afternoon by the Giants' much faster defensive rushers, did his usual come-from-behind last minute drive to give New England back the lead, 14-10.
Even linebacker Teddy Bruschi, the heart of the Pats defense, had embraced fellow backer Junior Seau on the sideline after the Pats went ahead and prior to the fateful drive, acknowledging that Seau was about to earn his first, long-awaited Super Bowl ring. Somebody forgot to stop Eli Manning and the Giants during the last 2 minutes of the game.
Burress, who had predicted a Giant victory amid the laughs and derisive remarks of almost everyone, caught the winning TD pass. He is a Michigan State University product just like myself. I could not be happier for Plaxico. It pains me to acknowledge that Plaxico was born 11 years AFTER I graduated from MSU.
Last fall I made up my mind to cover college football in my blog and did not even attempt to cover or comment on the NFL. It has now proved to be an excellent decision. I cannot imagine following the New England Patriots all year, fawning over their perfect record run, and being so let down in the Super Bowl.
All hail to the Giants, well, at least until the first NFL kickoff next season, then it will be go Seattle Seahawks for me. What was the name of that almost perfect team? I seem to have forgotten already.
Read my other articles on football, including "Famous Quotes by Vince Lombardi During Football's Annual Bowl Season", "Famous Quotes by Knute Rockne During Football's Annual Bowl Season", "Famous Quotes by Lou Holtz During Football's Annual Bowl Season", "How to Predict When Teams Are Overrated and Due for an Unexpected Loss", "The Sagarin Ratings: What They Are, How to Read Them and What to Do With Them" and my 14 consecutive weekly wrap-up articles on the 2007 College Football Season as well as wrap-up articles on all 32 College Bowl Games.
My articles can be published with no charge by newsletters, newspapers and magazines through EzineArticles.com, the largest articles directory on the Internet with 80,000+ authors and 900,000+ articles.
Editor's Note: Explore my main blog at:
http://www.edbagleyblog.com
Discover 140 Movie Reviews, 105 Sports Articles, 61 Articles on Lessons in Life, 18 Jobs and Careers Articles, 26 Internet Marketing Articles, 44 News and Comment Articles (394 total articles) plus 656 Famous Quotes.
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