Let's get one thing clear before I write any further.  I am not, for one minute implying, insinuating, hinting or suggesting that hiring Les Miles would be a mistake for Michigan.  Miles is as close as you can get to a slam dunk, no-brainer hire for an Athletic Director to make.  Especially in Michigan's case since he played ball at U of M and would be a true "Michigan Man" in charge of the program.  But maybe, just maybe, Michigan should look past the usual list of suspects for their next coach.

 

It could be considered a good move for Michigan to take a page out of their bitter rival's notebook and look at an unorthodox source for their next coach.  Seven years ago Ohio State did exactly that to find their coach to replace John Cooper (the best coach the Wolverines ever had in Columbus).  They went to division 1-AA Youngstown State to find Jim Tressel and have never regretted it.  In all fairness, it wasn't a big reach.  Tressel had been very successful a Youngstown and they got in him a man that understands what it means to coach the Buckeyes and, in particular, how important it is to beat Michigan (something Cooper never understood).

 

My gut says, go grab that guy that embarrassed you in your own house, Jerry Moore of Appalachian State.  However, he is actually older than Lloyd Carr and would not be a long term solution.  I do believe that division 1-AA (errr, championship division or something) could be a great place to find a talented and eager coach who has a good proven track record.  The success of Tressel has proven that the right coach can make the transition from 1-AA to a top flight program in 1-A (errr, bowl division blah blah blah) and be very successful.  So, maybe instead of spending millions to get Miles from LSU (including a $1.25 million buyout) Michigan should look one division down and grab some of the great talent coaching in those ranks.

I have been a University of Michigan football fan for well over 30 years now.  My first memories of college football were at the Big House in 1976.  A couple of years later I was fortunate to witness one of the greatest games at Michigan Stadium when John Wangler hit Anthony Carter for the game winning touchdown with no time left on the clock to beat Indiana 27-21.  Those were the Bo Schembechler years.  Proud years for Michigan football and how the program represented the university.  Fast forward to 1989 and to Bo's retirement and the beginning of the short era of Gary Moeller.  Moeller and Carr were both assistants under Bo, but Moeller was chosen to take over for Bo.  Moeller won 3 conference championships in his 5 years at Michigan, but embarrassed the program with a drunken outburst following his arrest for disorderly conduct.  After his resignation, Carr was tapped to take over the program.  From this fan, I want to extend my thanks to Coach Carr for the next 13 years.

 

Lloyd Carr took over a program that had lacked good mature leadership from its coach and Carr prevented it from regressing into a program that the university would be embarrassed by.  The 2007 season is a great microcosm of what Carr has accomplished over his tenure.  The season started with two embarrassing defeats then 8 impressive wins followed by two losses to rival schools within the conference.  The perfect ending would now be to win the bowl game.  But it is not the wins and losses that tell the tale.  It is how the team has handled itself.  The seniors on the team would not let the season fall into the abyss as it so easily could have.  Jake Long, Chad Henne and Mike Hart all rose to the occasion and willed the team to 8 straight wins.  These kids are examples of the type of student athlete that Carr has recruited to Michigan.  Long, a consensus first round draft pick in last year's draft elected to stay for his senior season.  Henne and Hart both fought through injuries all year long and led by example.  They were the heart (pardon the never-ending pun) and soul of this year's team.  As fans, we should appreciate that these are the kinds of young men that Carr attracted to the program and developed within the program over his 13 years.

 

Carr's record stands alone as one of the most impressive for any coach to lead the Maize and Blue.  Highlights would be the 1997 National Championship and his 5 Big Ten Championships and the "Bear" Bryant National Coach of the Year award.  He leaves the profession 3rd on Michigan's all time wins list behind legendary coaches Fielding H. Yost (165) and Bo Schembechler (194).  He also coached a Heisman Trophy winner (Charles Woodson) and several other players that won national awards for their respective positions.  Though he did not post a winning record against Ohio State, finishing 6-7, he did dominate other important rivalries going 10-3 against Michigan State and 9-2 versus Penn State.  His record, with the bowl game left, 121-40.  Carr has taken heat from alumni and fans in recent years, in particular for his inability to beat Jim Tressel's Ohio State teams (and his lack of success vs. mobile quarterbacks).  Some criticism is probably deserved.  However, it has become evident exactly how hard it has become to sustain excellence in NCAA Football.  Schools like Notre Dame, Florida State and Miami have all experienced what it is like to see their programs fall from national prominence.  The same cannot be said for Michigan during Carr's tenure.  It is this fan's belief that former U of M coaches like Yost, 'Bump' Elliott, Bennie Oosterbaan and Schembechler look down on Michigan Stadium and are proud of what they see.

 

Finally, it should be said that, by all reports, Carr is a good man.  That means everything.  It would be easy to point out his many charitable activities and his great support for women's athletics, or that he insisted on new 2 year contracts for all of his assistants when he renegotiated his contract this past year (for 1 year), but one anecdote may sum it up best.  I was talking Michigan football with a new acquaintance of mine recently and he relayed the following story.  He had an opportunity a few years ago to meet Coach Carr.  When they were introduced, Carr asked him if a certain person with the same last name was his father, which he was.  As it turns out my friend's father was heavily involved in high school football in Michigan and would occasionally send Carr scouting reports on some players he thought Michigan should recruit.  Carr turned to my friend and said to please tell his dad to keep sending those scouting reports and that he appreciated them very much.  It is incredible that Carr would remember and identify the name from some random clippings sent by a fan, but to also think to thank him for his help is just amazing.  That is the type of man that will be stepping down at Michigan and, outside of his accomplishments on the field, he will be missed.

 

And I will really miss his halftime interviews with whichever sideline reporter is sent out by the network to get absolutely . . . nothing.

It is November and that can only mean one thing to any serious college football fan.  Rivalries.  Sure there are rivalry games that are played before November, but it is the end of the season rivalries that give schools their last chance to determine the success of their season.  In these games it doesn't matter if your school has lost all of its previous games, beat your rival and you can rest easy in the off season with a pleasant taste in your mouth.  By contrast, if you have won every game going into your rivalry game and lose it, it doesn't matter if you go on to win your bowl game or even the national championship.  You've got nothing on the fans from 'that other school' for the entire off season.  Coaches, otherwise successful, have lost their jobs because they couldn't beat their school's number one rival (just ask John Cooper).  Every school has a rival, but what makes particular rivalries stand out? 

 

First and foremost, a great rivalry has to have a long history.  Five or ten games between two schools does not make a rivalry.  Sorry, but no one is ready to call the "The War on I-4" (U of South Florida vs. U. Central Florida) a great rivalry after 3 meetings.  Schools have been playing each other since the 19th century and have series in which they have played as many as 100 games.  History helps make a rivalry great.  Rivalries also have to carry with them a big significance for their schools, their communities, their fans and for college football as a whole.  You can have a series of games between two schools but no fire between the fans or the communities.  Plus, it helps fuel the rivalry if the teams seem to always be playing for something significant, like a conference championship or a chance at the National Championship.

 

The FANS.  The fans make the rivalry.  What do they do the week leading up to the big game.  What traditions do they have and how does their rivalry carry over into their personal and professional lives (i.e. I know fans of certain schools that absolutely won't date an alum from their rival's school).  Finally, there are the amazing events or plays that can make a rivalry great.  Like an amazing game winning play or an event (stolen mascot, a water jug etc.) that cements it as a great rivalry.  So which are the great rivalries?   Below, I take a stab at my top rivalries of all time-listing them in reverse order (the best for last).

 

Army vs. Navy  

 

Neither of the academies has fielded a team with a legitimate shot at the national title in well over 50 years, but this still remains one of the most significant rivalries in college football.  This is the only rivalry game where the student athletes mean it when they say they are preparing for war.  The greatest military leaders of our nation's history have come from Annapolis and West Point and it is nothing short of an honor for fans to see these young men play each year.  They have been playing since 1890 and Navy holds the slightest of leads (51-49-7) in the series.  It was the first half of the 20th century when both teams held national prominence and it really hasn't been since Roger Staubach (1965) that there has been an all star player for either squad (Phil McConkey and Napoleon McCallum not withstanding).

 

Presidents have become involved in the rivalry (Pres. Grover Cleveland convened his cabinet to discuss brawls associated with that year's game) as well as famous generals, but it is the 1944 game that probably sums up the rivalry the best.  In 1944 Army beat Navy and received a cable from Gen Douglas MacArthur (who was battling the Japanese in the Philippines at the time) congratulating them on a great victory.  Fans attending the game purchased war bonds (raising $58 million for the war effort) in place of tickets.  Army cadets traveled to the game via steamship, guarded by 5 Navy destroyers.  The rivalry is intense but not full of bad blood.  Instead, there is more of a brotherhood between the players knowing that they all are playing not for careers in the NFL but careers to defend their country and the freedom of the fans that are watching them.

 

Florida vs. Georgia

 

Anyone not familiar with the schools might think that their rivals are someone else.  Some may feel that Florida's rival is Florida State or that Georgia's is Georgia Tech.  They definitely get up to play those schools, but it is the game versus each other that marks their respective seasons.  This game is so significant to the two universities that there is a Hall of Fame just for the records and great performances for the series between the two schools.

 

Neither school can even agree on when they first started playing each other with Georgia counting a game on their record books from 1904 (Florida didn't officially field a team until 1906) but the official series record most recognize is 46-37-2 with the advantage going to the Bulldogs.  The greatest part about this rivalry is the party before (during and after) the game.  What has become the "Worlds Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party" kicks off the festivities and they very often last right through the game and into the next night.  The game is played in 'neutral' Jacksonville, FL where it has been played every year except 2 ('94&'95) since 1933 with each team getting an equal number of tickets and alternating the home team designation.

 

The series is full of great plays and great players.  Gator fans have memorialized coach Doug Dickey electing to go for it on 4th and 1 at their own 29 yard line with a 27-20 lead as "Fourth and Dumb."  Bulldog fans remember the famous timeout that negated an Eric Zeier touchdown and helped preserved a Florida 33-26 win in 1993.  For history, significance and especially the fans this rivalry has few peers.

 

Stanford vs. UC Berkley

This rivalry makes the list not because of the great battles for national prominence that these two schools have staged but because of one play.  The play.  Everyone knows "The Play" and has seen it at least a dozen times.  "The Play" sums up the rivalry very eloquently for anyone to see.  It is all there.  Brilliant play by John Elway to put Stanford in a position to win (and a mental goof to leave enough time on the clock).  The last ditch effort by UC Berkley becoming successful as they lateral the football 180 times on the last play of the game.  The desperation of the Stanford band taking the field and then the trombone player getting flattened as Cal scores the final touchdown.  Oh, the humanity. 

 

The reality is that this is an incredibly bitter rivalry that, in many ways, mimics the one that takes place roughly 350 miles to the south each year.  You have two top universities, one public and one private squaring off to decide who has bragging rights over one metropolitan area.  Next to UCLA and USC I don't think there are two schools situated so close together geographically.  The two teams have been playing each other since 1892 and 2007 will mark the 110th time these two teams have squared off in what is known simply as "The Big Game."   

 

This game is steeped in tradition.  The most recognizable tradition is the trophy of the Stanford Axe being awarded to the winner.  A game within the game has existed as each student body attempts to steal the axe (usually guarded the week leading up to the Big Game by 2 students handcuffed to the Axe) from the other.  Allegedly, Stanford leads 4-3 in successful steals.  Maybe because Stanford actually has an Axe committee.  The history of the axe goes back to 1899 and has several traditions surrounding it.  Most important to Stanford fans is the opportunity to change the final score of the 1982 game ("The Play") which Stanford still contends was not a legal touchdown for Cal. 

 

Auburn  vs. Alabama

Auburn and Alabama first met in 1893 in what has become known as the Iron Bowl.  However, the teams have only played 71 times because no agreement could be reached concerning expenses to be paid players and which officials to be used for the game resulting in the teams not meeting starting in 1907 until 1948.  This rivalry spills over into politics (fans running adds asking:  "you couldn't really vote for someone from Auburn?") and personal lives.  Whereas the Georgia and Florida fans can be cordial to each other, not so for the fans of Auburn and Alabama.  Between these two schools, the bad blood is genuine.  The series has been incredibly tight with Alabama holding a 38-32-1 edge. 

 

Like other rivalries mentioned, these two schools have had some great teams and great coaches that have put their game in the national spotlight.  The coaches at the respective schools have been the likes of Paul "Bear" Bryant, Pat Dye, Tommy Tubberville and now (at Alabama) Nick Saban.  Each school has won national championships and have had to beat their rival to do it.  Few rivalries divide a state quite like this one.

 

USC  vs. UCLA 

 

Few fans East of the Mississippi really understand how significant the rivalry is between USC and UCLA.  Most schools reside in the same state or come from bordering states.  These two schools exist in the same city.  The campuses are less than 15 miles apart and many of the players grew up together and played each other in high school.  Also, the fans and alumni share the same town and can be found everywhere. This rivalry extends way beyond the gridiron between the "rich private school kids" and the "public university kids" from Westwood.  They have been playing each other since 1929 and USC holds the series lead 41-28-7.  The series has been marked recently by long winning streaks for each school with UCLA winning 8 straight (1991-98) and USC winning 7 straight from 1999 through 2005.

 

Throughout the 1960s and 1970s the two schools were the top football powers on the west coast.  During the period from 1981 - 1995 they played in a combined 7 Rose Bowls.  Frequently the PAC-10 championship came down to the Battle of Los Angeles and a berth to the Rose (or BCS) Bowl.  The teams play for the Victory Bell which was given to UCLA by its alumni association in 1939.  After USC stole the bell in 1941 it was decided it would be awarded to the annual winner and has been ever since.  28 times the teams have played they were either playing for a Rose Bowl birth or a National Championship opportunity.

 

The week preceding the game is known as "Beat SC Week (or Gold and Blue week)" at UCLA and at USC as "Conquest" or "Troy" week.  Even the school's ROTCs get involved with an annual "Blood Bowl" flag football game.  The respective bands used to play a flag football game as well, but it was cancelled after the two bands got into a brawl.  That's right, the bands brawled.  Bottom line is that there is great history, big games of national importance, a proximity not found anywhere else in college football and heated rivalry that fans take very seriously beyond the gridiron.

 

Oklahoma vs. Texas

 

These two teams have squared off in what is known as The Red River Shootout (also known as the Red Rive Rivalry) 102 (Texas leading 57-40-5) times with the first meeting occurring before Oklahoma had even become a state.  In 60 out of 65 games since 1945 one or both of the teams has been ranked in the top 25.  The game has frequently had national implications.  Over the most recent 8 games, 4 times one of the teams went on to play in the National Championship game with Oklahoma winning the title in 2000 and Texas winning in 2005. 

 

There is no love lost between the fans with the Texas fans considering the Sooners to be country bumpkins while the Oklahoma fans look down on the Longhorns as fake cowboys from the big city.  The significant games played in this rivalry are simply too many to list here but some are worth mentioning.  In 1977 Earl Campbell had to take over a game where two Texas QBs had been knocked out and the Longhorns eeked out a 13-6 victory with their 3rd string quarterback playing most of the game.  The 1984 game ended in a controversial 13-13 tie after OU felt they had won the game on a last minute interception.  The first overtime game in Big 12 conference history resulted in Oklahoma winning 30-27 after an amazing comeback in regulation.  During a 5 year Oklahoma winning streak they twice set records for margin of victory and, in 2001 fans witnessed "the Play" when Roy Williams leapt over a blocker to hit QB Chris Simms forcing an interception leading to an Oklahoma touchdown.

 

The series gets the governors of the respective states involved and created heated feuds between coaches.  The personalities involved in the game are almost bigger than the game itself and some of the greatest players on college football history have competed.  Few college football fans can remember a game when one or both of these teams didn't figure in the Big 12 title race and/or the National Championship race.

 

Michigan vs. Ohio State

No rivalry in College football combines more history, more significance or more drama than the contentious contest every November between Michigan and Ohio State.  This rivalry has incredible personalities involved from the players to the coaches to the fans.  Many consider the football battle between these two schools as a continuation to an actual bloodless border dispute the two states (Michigan was still a territory) fought in 1835-36 where Ohio ended up with Toledo.  Whether that makes Ohio the winner or loser is for another debate.  The two teams met for the first time in 1897 in Ann Arbor with a 34-0 Michigan victory.  This year will be the 104th time the teams have met with Michigan holding a 57-40-6 advantage for the series.  In honor of the 100th meeting in 2003 a resolution was introduced in Congress to recognize it as "the greatest sports rivalry in history."  Also, in 2003, an Ohio inmate agreed to plead guilty if the judge would delay his transfer from the local jail so that he could watch the game.  In 2006 recounting the votes for the disputed race for Ohio's 15th congressional district was delayed until after the conclusion of the game.  This game is taken very seriously!  Of course, the 2006 game was dubbed "The Game of the Century" since, for the first time, both teams came into the game undefeated and ranked #1 (Ohio State) and #2 (Michigan).  The game lived up to its billing, ending in a 42-39 victory for Ohio State.  Since 1935, this game has decided the Big 10 championship 23 times and 2007 will be no different, with the winner taking the conference crown.

 

The most famous era in the rivalry has become known as the 10 year war and featured two iconoclastic coaches:  Woody Hayes and Glen "Bo" Schembechler.  From 1969 - 1978 the two coaches squared off while fielding some of the greatest teams ever at their respective universities.  The series started with Schembechler, in his first year at Michigan, ending OSU's 22 game winning streak and their shot at the national title.  Schembechler finished with a 5-4-1 edge over his former mentor (Bo coached under Woody at OSU) but it would be hard to consider the war anything other than a draw.  Woody Hayes could never bring himself to actually say "Michigan" always referring to his rival as "that school up north."  Legend has it that Hayes, wanting to give nothing to Michigan, once pushed his car across the Michigan-Ohio border rather than purchase gas in the state of Michigan and have the tax revenue from his purchase help support the public university.  The 10 year war ended when Hayes was fired for attacking a Clemson player during the 1978 Gator Bowl.

 

Many Michigan fans consider John Cooper the best coach vs. Ohio State that Michigan has ever had.  The only issue is that John Cooper coached the Buckeyes, not the Wolverines.  In the 13 years that Cooper was in Columbus he consistently fielded teams full of NFL talent.  Three times (1993, '95, '96) he came into the final game vs. Michigan undefeated and all three times the Buckeyes lost.  Though he had the type of success almost any coach would be envious of, Cooper was fired at the end of the 2000 season and many believe it was because of a 2-10-1 record against "that school from the north."

 

Ohio State made a great hire after Cooper getting in-state coach Jim Tressel.  The tide of the series has definitely turned and Tressel holds a 5-1 record vs. Michigan and coach Lloyd Carr.  Despite Carr's national championship in 1997 (something Bo was not able to accomplish in 25 years) Carr is now under fire.  Why?  He cannot beat Ohio State now that Tressel is at the helm and the alumni are sick of it.  In no other series is it more true than this one.  If you coach one of these two schools, and you can beat your rival consistently, all other offenses are forgiven.  Fail to win that last game of the year and all of your other accomplishments are meaningless.

 

Honorable Mentions:

Notre Dame vs. Anyone

Even the biggest Golden Dome haters have to admit that no other team gets its opponents best like Notre Dame does.  Everyone wants to beat Notre Dame (some years it's easier than others) and the school has long standing rivalries with a number of opponents.  Notre Dame is a hated rival of Michigan fans and USC fans alike.  Navy finally broke through and beat the Irish in 2007 after more than 40 years of futility.  Other rivalries with schools like Boston College (battle of the Catholics) and Stanford (battle of the elite private schools) and several Big Ten teams make Notre Dame's schedule one of the toughest year in and year out.  Few teams in college football have a more storied history and also have so many intense rivalries each year as the Fighting Irish.

 

Florida State vs. Miami

Though it lacks some of the long history that other rivalries have, few other rivalries have had such an impact on the National Championship race in recent memory.  Of course, Florida State fans still wake up in the middle of the night screaming "wide right" because of heart breaking losses on the last play of the game.  The dominance that these two programs had over college football in the 1980s and 1990s makes this rivalry one of the most significant.  Unfortunately, neither team has had much success the last few years, reducing this to mostly just an event for the state of Florida.  But, it requires a mention nonetheless.

 

Michigan vs. Minnesota 

 

What makes this rivalry great is the story of the trophy:  The Little Brown Jug.  Fielding H. Yost had ordered the purchase of a water jug before Michigan's game vs. Minnesota in 1903.  Yost's Michigan team was considered the best in the country and had won 28 games in a row coming into their game with the Gophers.  Minnesota managed a 6-6 tie and, in the ensuing pandemonium, the jug was left in Minneapolis.  Yost later asked for it back and received the reply that if he wanted it back, he would have to come and win it.  Michigan did exactly that and leads the all time series 65-22-3 which doesn't make the match-up that big of a rivalry.  However, the history behind the game and, of course, that Little Brown Jug, make it one of the great rivalries in college football.

 

The PAC 10 Conference 

 

The Pac 10 is unique in that its 10 teams each have a rival with which they battle for dominance in their own state.  No, that wasn't a typo.  I realize that Stanford vs. Cal and USC vs. UCLA take place in California.  However, anyone who has lived in the golden state realizes that there are really two Californias: Northern Cal and Southern Cal and the schools battle for each respective state's dominance.  Each school ends its season (usually) by playing their hated in-state rival and measures their season's success on the outcome of the game.  Arizona and Arizona State have been playing the "Duel in the Dessert" since 1899, Oregon and Oregon State's "Civil War" originated in 1894 and the "Apple Cup" between Washington and Washington State dates back to 1900.  I cannot think of any other conference that can claim such an incredible group of rivalries for every team in the conference. 

 

So, what's your best rivalries.  Which ones top the ones above--or just add your story concerning your college rival. . .

 

 

 

 

 

Over the years sports, just like every other profession or pastime, has developed its own expressions and way of talking.  Some expressions are great descriptive sayings that help to make sports colorful and entertaining.  However, others are just plain dumb and should be removed from the vernacular of the sports world.  Below I am listing a few of the expressions that really get on my nerves.  I am sure I am not alone and that these are far from a comprehensive list.  So, what pet peeves do you have?  Here are mine:

 

 

 

"They're giving 110%"  This is impossible.  It is impossible to give 110%.  An athlete can give 100% or less, but he or she cannot give an effort that equals more than 100% of what they are capable of.  Sportscasters, players and coaches like to use this term to make you feel like they are giving some type of special effort.  Really, they just sound stupid.  They reinforce to us fans that they failed math class in high school.  Maybe they believe that they are using 110% the same way some businesses use percentages that exceed 100.  For instance, this factory is operating at 120% of capacity.  However, this isn't a literal term.  What they really mean is that the factory is exceeding a benchmark set for it by 20%.  This is not the same.  A factory cannot exceed 100% of its capacity.  It's capacity is exactly that, its capacity-nothing more.  Just like a player cannot give more than he or she is exactly capable of.  When I go to work or go to play my favorite sport I give 100%, or less, because it is impossible for me to give any more.  Professional athletes are no different.

 

 

 

"He's got a knee" (or "He's got an ankle, a shoulder, a wrist . . .") This expression which is supposed to give me an injury update on a player tells me next to nothing.  It is a shortened version of "He has an injured knee" but that wouldn't help all that much either.  You know what, I have a knee too.  In fact, I have two knees, but I am sure no one in America really cares to hear about the fact that my legs are anatomically correct.  What would be helpful is to tell me what is wrong with a player's knee.  For instance, he has torn cartilage or a sprained ACL and he'll be out for 3-4 weeks.  Now I know if I should drop that guy from my fantasy team or hold on to him until he comes back. 

 

 

 

"Overachiever"  Okay, this goes along with 110%.  It is impossible to be an overachiever.  You can exceed expectations, but you cannot achieve more than exactly what you are capable of.  It is possible to be an underachiever which is a nice way to say someone is lazy or unprepared or out of shape.  You might have been tempted to call me an overachiever when I beat my big brother 1 on 1 in basketball for the first time, but the reality is that he played poorly and I played as well as possible.  But I didn't overachieve.  I just achieved.  And I will never let my big bro forget about it.  So, let's stop calling athletes overachievers because they do better than expected.  They can be a surprise but they haven't achieved anything more than exactly what they are capable of.

 

 

 

"They came to play"  This is just about the dumbest expression to ever leave someone's mouth, along with "we gotta just make plays."  "They came to play" is something that some color commentator said decades ago thinking he made some type of bold statement about the effort or level of play of one team.  Here is a news flash:  Every team comes to play when they show up for their game.  Otherwise, why would they have shown up?  You could say they came well prepared for the game or team X is showing much better effort than team Y.  But, to just say "they came to play" is really just stupid.  Along with this expression is one that has become a favorite of coaches:  "We just have to make plays" or "We gotta go out there and just make plays" "If we make more plays than our opponent, we should win the game" You can make good plays or you can make bad plays, but just making plays means nothing.  I make plays all the time.  I go out and make plays whenever I play a sport.  Is that enough to get me to the NFL or NBA?  I am guessing probably not.  A player or team can perform well on KEY plays, but just making plays is not enough.  Let's start playing well and making good plays or playing poorly and making bad plays.  But athletes should aspire to do more than "just make plays."

 

 

 

"He's a Player" or "He's gonna be a Player"  Guess what?  I'm a player too.  You name the sport, I'm a player.  What kind of player, though?  I am not a very good player.  I am not a professional player, not a stand out player or even a competitive player.  Just a player.  This is another lazy expression used in place of real analysis.  Instead of saying something to the effect of "His size, qickness and ability to drive to the basket should make him an effect player on offense at the NBA level" we get "Oh, he'll be a player at the next level, for sure . . ."  Yeah, that tells me pretty much, . . . nothing.

 

 

 

So, sound off and let us know what expressions you hear on the field or during a broadcast that have been bugging you.  Sports are full of them.  Which ones make your list as the most irritating.

So the assignment this week is to write about Earnest Graham, the 3rd string running back for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers who has recently been thrust into the starting position for the my home town, Bucs.  Honestly, it is Friday night, I have just finished dinner and have had enough tall Sapporos (that's beer for those of you who don't know) and hot Sake to put me in the mood for writing something about the adventures of Mr. Graham.  I am reflecting as to why it is Friday night that I am writing this blog and wonder if it was procrastination that brought me to this strange hour, but no, that is not it.  I knew I would have time to write this tonight.  Why?  Because I am married and really don't have anything interesting to do on a Friday night.  I am actually looking forward to watching "Numbers" on CBS and then getting a good night's sleep . . .  But I digress.

Graham is a quality back.  Not a great back, but a quality back that will fill in admirably in Cadillac Williams' absence.  Williams is really the story here, though.  Cadillac was the first pick for the Bucs 3 years ago and had a very good rookie season and was a lock to be the future of the Tampa Bay franchise.  However, year 2 was not as spectacular as his rookie year and now in year 3 he is going to miss the majority of the season due to injury.  What Cadillac Williams' short career shows is that running backs are just as 'hit or miss' in the draft as Quarterbacks.  When teams rate running backs on their draft chart they must be just as nervous as they are when drafting a QB.  Are we going to get a Ryan Leaf or a Peyton Manning.  Do we try to steal a great QB in the later rounds like Tom Brady or do we grab a veteran in free agency who has a few years left in his arm like the Raiders grabbing Daunte Culpepper.  Is our franchise player going to turn out to be Adrian Peterson or Cedric Benson? Why am I going on and on about high draft picks and their future success or failure of their careers?  Because, it is the failures that allow players like Mr. Graham to have a career in the NFL.  We see it everywhere.  The Journeyman Quarterback usually gets all of the attention, but the more common and more commonly used are the journeyman running backs that occupy the 2nd and 3rd spots in each team's depth chart all over the NFL.  And that is exactly the career that Graham has had.

Since being activated from the Buccaneers' practice squad in 2004, Earnest Graham has been in a reserve position with the team.  This year he has been placed into the starter role because of injuries to Cadillac Williams and Michael Pittman.  Already, Graham has rushed for his career high in one season and has seen more action than the 3 previous seasons combined.  However his 13 rush, 29 yard performance versus the Titans last week did not inspire much confidence.  In response, the Buccaneers took action and gave up 2 draft picks to acquire Michael Bennett, a proven veteran with a 1000 yard season with the Vikings 5 years ago.  This does not show huge confidence in Earnest Graham's ability to take the Buccaneers to the playoffs.  It follows logically that Bennett will be getting the bulk of the carries before too long and Graham will return to his supporting role.  No one should cry for Earnest Graham, though.  He gets his chance to contribute to his team's success and pull down over half a million a year to do it.  2007 will most likely turn out to be his best year in the NFL.  There may be more ahead of him as well.  Cadillac Williams has proven to be quite fragile in his first few seasons and Pittman is in his 10th season in the league.  Graham could hang around and have a very long career with the Bucs.  He may even move up on the depth chart over the next couple of years.  Most likely, though, is that he will complete a respectable career as the 2nd or 3rd man on the depth chart and, if he is smart, a significant amount of change in the bank.  For now, it seems that his chance in the limelight will be nice, but relatively short lived.  The bright side is that Graham won't take the punishment that your average NFL back takes and can retire with his knees (and other joints) in tact.

 

 

 

Now, back to my beer and sake.  What a Friday night.  I realize this is an NFL blog, but maybe I will get the opportunity to research all of the beautiful athletes that are now populating the WTA and LPGA these days.  Anyone care to comment on who is the best looking Russian female tennis player in 2007?