I love the way marketing think-tanks comes up with catchy titles like “Separation Saturday.” Ironically, while the alliteration gives such a title its cohesiveness, the idea of one whole violently tearing in to two separate parts is really what characterized Saturday’s college football action. It wasn’t two teams breaking up; it was one team being severed from the dream of the BCS championship.

Perhaps a new title should be added to the roster of football Saturdays, that being “Out With the Old, In With the New.” The dominate teams of yesterday (Florida State, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and, Miami) have their swan song on repeat. Even teams like Tennessee, who look poised to have a comeback season, misfired in a deadly way yesterday. A few of those classics like USC and Ohio State still remain dominate in their quest for the national championship, but a few newbies have emerged on the radar to really shake up the national picture.

 

 To further prove how misguided the entire BCS championship is, teams like TCU, Louisville, and even Rutgers are starting to show that the little man can triumph among the larger programs that barely keep their heads above water. Louisville manhandled Miami (see, I can make up catchy alliterations too, ESPN) and with Rutgers, Louisville and West Virginia rolling to 3-0 starts in the Big East, that comedic conference isn’t looking like such a joke.

 

To be fair, I visited the land of the Scarlet Knights in New Brunswick, New Jersey on Saturday to see if Rutgers was the real deal. While they do have one great running back in Ray Rice, it was only thanks to the drunken mistakes of Frank Solich’s Ohio University football team that made the 24-7 score possible. The entire second half of the football game was scoreless, and if it wasn’t for the four forced turnovers and blocked punt, this game would have been a sleeper.

Honestly, on Thursday night I turned off the West Virginia game after the first quarter and went to see Invincible. Steve Slaton’s 195 yards was enough for me to know I didn’t need to worry about Maryland staging a comeback. (Besides, it was a little more entertaining watching Mark Walberg run up and down the field on the big screen.) Is anyone else as terrified as me that Slaton is only a sophomore? Hopefully he won’t fall victim to the Adrian Peterson disease and be a minor blip on the radar screen for the rest of his career.

 

I felt like a proud mother watching her kid’s first piano recital when I caught the Louisville-Miami score, 31-7. (Thank god I listened to my gut when I picked Louisville to win that game!) But then that gushing parent glow quickly drained from my face when news that QB Brian Brohm dislocated his right thumb and will be out for the next four to six weeks. I suppose the good news is that Louisville still managed to maintain Miami for the last quarter, but what does this mean for the big picture? It means Hunter Cantwell, backup QB, will have to continue playing like a beast and prove that Louisville has the depth in their roster to play for the big game. Next week the Cardinals will be flying in to Kansas State, who is also 3-0 and Manhattan, Kansas is no prairie town. If the Cards can get the “W” on the road…be prepared to TiVo the Big East season for October and November.

 

I like seeing the little guy win, but I was more than happy to see fellow Big East member Cincinnati stumble against Ohio State. Yea, OSU is my team, and I’m biased, but I would have been one cranky mother-mucker if OSU fell against a mediocre team one week after defeating Texas and one week before taking on Penn State.

 

Speaking of Penn State, after getting spanked by Notre Dame one week and then watching the Irish get punched in the stomach by Michigan, what does it all mean? Is Michigan finally back from their 7-5 2005 season or is Penn State really not good? The Big Ten is finicky like that, and when they open up their season next week with Penn State at Ohio State, Notre Dame at Michigan State, and Wisconsin at Michigan, I guess we’ll all see what the Big Ten is made of.

 

 Big Ten? Big East? It’s all a bunch of BIG QUESTION MARKS!

 

The time ticks down and the competitors are within an eyelash of each other. You watch, pacing the room and wringing your hands. Anxiety creeps into your veins and blood courses through your body like a freight train out of control. Your heart beats violently against your aching chest as you mouth the words, “Come on. Come on!” Then…

FLASH!

It’s all over; a photo finish burned in your memory that will either haunt you forever, or one you’ll clip out of the morning paper and cherish for a lifetime. Those nail-biting finishes are what we talk about over cups of coffee the next morning, or blog about for the following week and keep us glued to the television, begging for more.

October 15, 2005/ USC vs. Notre Dame-“The Bush Push”

The last three meetings of USC and Notre Dame were 31 point victories by the Trojans and Southern Cal was on a 27 game winning streak, yet all Charlie Weis wanted to do was reclaim Irish pride by flashing green jerseys and declaring a victory. As Irish quarterback Brady Quinn ran in a five-yard touchdown to take the lead, 31-28 in the last two minutes of the game, little did Touchdown Jesus know the world was about to witness a historic college football moment.

Continuing the fabled battle, USC faced fourth-and-nine in the final minute of the game, but a 67 yard reception pulled the team within the 10 yard line. After several failed attempts to break the goal line, USC QB Matt Leinart tried to dive for the end zone. He collided with a Notre Dame linebacker who jarred the ball loose. Thinking the game was over, Notre Dame rejoiced, only to have that folly spoiled when game officials said Leinart fumbled the ball out of bounds and USC had seven seconds left to make one final play.

Seven seconds is a long time…in this case, a historic amount of time. At fourth and goal, USC went for the jugular by opting for a touchdown instead of tying the game with a field goal. Going with the quarterback sneak, Leinart was denied the goal line by the Notre Dame defense, so he rolled left and with a friendly “push” by his man Bush, Leinart scored the game winning goal. Final: USC 34 ND 31

November 27, 2005/ Japan Cup – by a nose

The Preakness, the Bellmont, the Kentucky Derby…the Japan Cup? Each year two teams from the US, England, Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, New Zealand and Japan are invited to race in the second richest horse race in the world. (The first is the Dubai World Cup.)  

Considering that first place takes home a purse of $2.38 million, it’s surprising the name “Alkaased” doesn’t sound as familiar as “Barbaro.” During the final stretch of the 2400 meter race, Alkaased (USA), Heart’s Cry (Japan) and Zenno Rob Roy (Japan) were all in a dead heat. Crossing the finish line at 2:22.1, 2:22.1 and 2:22.4, it literally was a “nose” that won the race for Alkaased, determined only by the photo at the finish line. 

November 28, 2005/ NYC Marathon – by a foot

Five boroughs, 26.2 miles, and 35,000 people comprise the annual running of the New York City Marathon. Only 172 people ran the first marathon in 1970, but its popularity burgeoned to a point where a lottery system had to be installed to choose who could run the race. Perhaps Paul Tergat of Kenya was wishing his competition, Hendrick Ramaala, had lost the lottery when the two of them came running across the finish line in Central Park last autumn. Hendrick, of South Africa, was the defending champion and Paul was making his rookie debut in the race. With a time of 2:09:30, Paul’s single step in front of Hendrick garnered him the win and made it the closest finish in the marathon’s history.

December 28, 2005/ Alamo Bowl: Michigan vs. Nebraska- the play that got away

The Michigan Wolverines are one of the most successful football programs in the country. They hold the record for the most undefeated seasons in D-I football at 25 with 11 national titles. They have one of the highest winning percentages (.74421) and hold the record for the most total wins in college football history (849), but none of those numbers could help their final play in the 2006 Alamo bowl against Nebraska.

Figuring the Maize and Blue would ravage Big Red, Michigan was stunned when Nebraska overcame a nine-point deficit and claimed the lead, 32-28, in the final four minutes of the game. Literally scrambling to make something happen, the final play of the game had all of the antics to overtake the infamous “1982 Stanford/Cal game” as one of the most unbelievable plays in college football…the only problem was Michigan failed to score.

As the clock ticked down the final seconds, Michigan QB Chad Henne threw the ball to a teammate who then tossed it to another player, who frantically threw it to another Wolverine, who pitched it to someone else, who fumbled the ball, picked it up, and chucked it to another player. Eight lateral passes later, Tyler Ecker caught the ball and sprinted down to the goal line only to get bumped out of bounds to end the game. You have to see it to believe it! 

January 4, 2006/ Rose Bowl: Texas vs. USC – who needs a Heisman?

Texas quarterback, Vince Young, had barely dried his eyes from his Heisman loss when he orchestrated one of the biggest coming out parties of the 2005-2006 college football season. Overshadowed by Trojan boy Reggie Bush, Young’s heroics on the field in Pasadena garnered his team a national title, and him a MVP trophy and a one-way ticket to the NFL.

Hailed as the most impressive single-game performance by one player in the 137 year history of college football, Vince Young tallied 467 yards of total offense. Although he ran for over 200 yards, perhaps it was the final nine yards of his collegiate career Vince will cherish the most. After the Texas defense stuffed USC on fourth and short with 2:09 remaining, the Longhorns took over the line of scrimmage and set up the final drive of the game. Everyone knew Vince would run, but the USC defense wasn’t sharp enough to derail the train Vince was riding. With 19 seconds remaining in regulation, fourth down, and his team one touchdown shy of winning, Vince Young trotted nine yards to the end zone, ending USC’s 35 game winning streak and bringing Texas its first national championship since 1969. FINAL: Texas 41 USC 38

February 21, 2006/ Olympic Winter Games- The bitter 1500m

God bless the pomp and circumstance of the Olympics, but what would the winter games mean if there wasn’t a controversy involved? In 1994 it was Tonya and Nancy, followed by the French judging scandal in 2002, and in 2006, it was men’s speed skating stars Shani Davis and Chad Hedrick.

Davis had faced his own setbacks in the 2002 games and came to Torino focused solely on his three events, thus refusing to join his colleagues in the men’s team pursuit. His reclusive nature sparked a maelstrom with fellow teammate, Chad Hedrick, who needed Davis’s participation in the team event to help win. Without Davis, Hedrick knew the men stood a small chance at medaling. The rift between Davis and Hedrick quickly caught the eye of the media, who elevated the bitter battle to new levels by building up Davis and Hedrick’s hot rivalry in the 1500m. Both skaters had already won medals in separate events, with Davis making history by becoming the first African American to earn a medal in an individual event at the Winter Games.  Now facing each other for the same gold, the 1500m claimed the limelight as one of the most talked about races of the 2006 games. After an extremely tight race, neither American claimed first; it was an Italian who took the gold with a time of 1:45.96 while Davis came in second at 1:46.13 and Hedrick in third at 1:46.22.

April 28, 2006/ Lakers vs. Suns- Who’s Your MVP?

If there was a moment when Kobe Bryant wanted to prove that he should be the NBA MVP, it was when two-time MVP Steve Nash turned the ball over in the final seconds of the fourth game between the Lakers and Suns in the NBA Playoffs. With eight seconds remaining in regulation, Nash lost control of the ball and the Lakers recovered, giving the ball to Kobe who tied the game with seven-tenths of a second remaining. Again, in overtime, a costly mistake by Nash turned the ball over to the Lakers, providing the pivotal moment for Kobe to hit a buzzer-beating shot to win the game, 99-98. Not only did Kobe’s gorgeous jumper provide a victory, it was the knell Phoenix was dreading. With the Lakers storybook triumph, they took a 3-1 lead over the Suns in the playoff picture.

May 27, 2006/ Indy 500-Two Andrettis with a dash by Hornish

Last weekend, the largest single-day sporting event worldwide was held for the 90th time. With roughly 320 million spectators tuning in, the Indianapolis 500 witnessed its second closest victory in the history of the race. The scene was set for the royal family of formula driving, the Andrettis, to win the race. Mario Andretti’s son, Michael, emerged from retirement to make one final attempt at the race, while his son, Marco, made his Indy debut. Michael led the race during laps 194-197, but on lap 198, Marco overtook his dad and grabbed the lead. As the final lap approached, the 300,000+ spectators were poised to see the Andretti family claim first and second place, but blazing from the pack was Penske driver, Sam Hornish, Jr.. Hornish came charging up the lane and passed Marco to steal the lead by less then the length of his car. With a winning margin of 0.0635-seconds, Hornish barely managed to defeat the 19 year old rookie and his father.   

10) Is it ever possible to get excited, jump up and down, scream and shout while watching the PGA play on TV?

9) What's up with the 1980’s like suit that Vince Young wore on draft day…reminiscent of a horrible wedding day get-up.

8) To add on to no. 9, that damn “The Eyes of Texas Are Upon You” song and all the frickin’ cowbells the silly band carries with them…just make them stop ringing!

7) If I were born in a city that embraced baseball then maybe I’d actually like following the sport. Instead, I was born in a city with a baseball identity crisis; living in Columbus, who was I supposed to support, the Indians or the Reds?

6) Why did Miami sign Marcus Vick up for training? Have you ever known a guy to be so vindictive and still score a NFL deal? (Oh right, that would be Maurice Clarett.)

5) I think Chipotle should be open for breakfast. Can you imagine how good a breakfast egg burrito would be from that place? Yum!

4) The Hallmark-card commercial for GlaxoSmithKline with Jerome Bettis and the kid with asthma…seriously, when in your life did you bemoan asthma and Jerome Bettis shows up? Secondly, why does the kid throw Bettis his Pittsburgh jersey? Don’t you think Bettis has plenty of his own?

3) How come the days when I’m late for work, the subway takes a ridiculously long time to get me to my destination and the man next to me smells like he’s never used deodorant?

2) Why is it the day I left Chicago, the Cubs finally made it to the playoffs? Yet, the day I moved to New York, the Knicks turned in to the bottom-feeders of the NBA.

1) Where do all the NY Jets hang out in New York? I’d give most anything to bump in to Mike Nugent one night…anyone got any leads?

 Hmm...I can warm hands too!

Bonus) Was it just me, or did it feel like you read The DaVinci Code faster than it took to watch the dang movie?

That's all for today, folks! Happy Memorial Day...go out and wear some white! (Oh, and if anyone can tell me the little trick to getting your text to wrap around the photo, I'd love to learn the secret.)

     At age six it was Kim Zmeskel. That adoration and desire to be the next Bela Karolyi darling earned me a broken arm. By 12 it was Kirk Herbstreit. Besides being my first crush, he was the single reason I begged my dad to take me to football games. This past January it was Matt Leinart, but thanks to Paris Hilton, he’s been tarnished in my mind forever. (Okay, maybe I’m just jealous.) Clearly I’ve had a life long adoration of athletes, but with a question so nebulous and so many athletes to choose from, how am I to pick just one?

     The word “athlete” comes from the Greek word, “athlos” which means “contestant.” In ancient Greece, athletes were held in the highest esteem and worshiped, even treated as gods. It seems little has changed through the years in that respect. On the other hand, when a victor was announced in the Greek games, they were expected to be perfect examples of men who would be imitated and live a life that youth could follow and emulate. Hence, athletes were role models, pillars of both bodily strength and societal supremacy.

     When I thought about the word “athlete” and looked at the history behind these modern day “gods”, I wanted to come up with someone who not only embodies strength and agility, but like the ancient Greeks is someone who is a role model for the sport, the players, and the fans. Going back to my roots, I chose an Ohio State player. No, it’s not Archie Griffin, or Eddie George, or classics like Jack Tatum or Hopalong Cassidy. I chose number 36, Chris Spielman.

     Born in Canton, Ohio, home to the Football Hall of Fame, Chris Spielman was destined to play. Although he was an all-American coming out of high school and graced the front of a Wheaties box by age 18, at 6’, 247 lbs., Chris was small for a linebacker. Maybe it was his size or perhaps his personality that fueled his competitive focus and drive. While under the tutelage of Earle Bruce at Ohio State from 1984-1987, Spielman set records and standards that raised the bar for linebackers. His sixth sense in reading plays made him one of the top collegiate players of his generation. His impressive numbers have rarely been rivaled, and several records remain unbroken:

-Most total tackles in a single game, 29 (OSU-Michigan, 1986)

-Most solo tackles in a single season, 105 (1986)

-Most solo tackles in a collegiate career, 283 (1984-1987)

-3 time all-Big Ten at OSU/ 2 time All-American at OSU

-Lombardi Award Winner, 1987

-Total Career Tackles at OSU: 546

     Clearly Spielman was a prize worthy player, and the Detroit Lions were quick to #### him as the 29th pick in the 1988 NFL Draft. Over his eight years in Detroit, he led the Lions in tackles for seven consecutive seasons (the only player to ever do so) and earned Pro-Bowl honors four times. Although these were all worthy accomplishments, the one that stood out the most was that in eight years with Detroit, he played all but four games, ending his 114 consecutive games streak in 1997. Chris’s devotion to his craft and the game were so devout, had he not been under anesthesia for an A-C joint injury, he never would have conceded to be placed on the injured reserve list.

     Chris was a prototype for linebackers to come; tough as nails and focused like a hawk. In the eight years he was with Detroit, the A-C joint injury was the only time he missed games. Even when he tore his right pectoral from his rib cage in a season opener, it wasn’t enough to put him down. He used to joke with the media saying “If I ever lay down on the football field, one of you guys get your hunting rifle out and put me out of my misery.” He was the guy who’d be studying film at 6:30 a.m., the last guy out of the weight room, and the player who practiced as if he were facing elimination. He was your overachiever; the one players tend to resent because his work ethic made the rest of the team look lazy.

     For a guy who excelled in a league where pain and sacrifice were second nature, it must have come as quite a shock when Chris abruptly left the NFL in 1998. Upon discovering that his wife, Stefanie, had breast cancer, Chris suspended all play and spent the year to be with his family. To show support and solidarity for Stefanie, Chris shaved his head while she underwent chemotherapy. A year after her diagnosis, the Spielmans helped establish the Stefanie Spielman Fund for Breast Cancer Research at The James Cancer Institute. Since the fund’s conception in 1999, the Spielmans have helped to raise over $3 million for breast cancer research.

     Not only does Chris Spielman embody all the traits of an accomplished athlete, he also lives up to the quote by George Will: Sports serve society by providing vivid examples of excellence. While Chris dominated his sport, ultimately he managed to use his talents to champion the game of life. That is a display of excellence. When the time came for Chris to make a decision to play ball or be a husband and father, there was no hesitation in his mind. He knew when it was time to set the cleats aside and focus on the bigger picture. The strides he made as a football player are considerable, but the leaps and bounds he and his wife have made in cancer research and funding are limitless.

     The hardest thing for any professional athlete to face is knowing when to leave the field and move on. Chris was a player who refused to quit, to let up, or disappoint his fans and teammates. He had his priorities in check and walked a fine line between football player and family man. He did return to the NFL after his wife had recovered, but only managed one more year before he was forced in to early retirement in 1999, due to a career ending spinal injury.

     The legacy Chris left behind at Ohio State and the NFL has gone on to inspire some of the top linebackers in the game. At Ohio State alone, the legacy of linebackers started with Tom Cousineau (who made his name prior to Spielman’s freshman season), and continued on with players like Steve Tovar, Andy Katzenmoyer, and A.J. Hawk. Hawk was taken as the fifth pick in the 2006 NFL draft and many have drawn comparisons about A.J’s style of play to that of Spielman’s.

     Being an athlete is not only about conditioning, performing, and winning; it’s what you chose to do when you leave the field. The Greeks had it right, athletes are role models—models we respect and our children aspire to be. Chris Spielman fits that mold to a tee. He’s earned his laurel wreath. Perhaps we don’t have a marble statue erected in his honor, but visit any establishment in Columbus, Ohio and it is a safe bet that children and adults speak of Chris Spielman and his family with the reverence and adoration of a modern day Greek victor.  

*Note: This is not Assignment 1 for NGSII, this is simply me getting "it" off my chest.

As I am in the middle of editing my first assignment for NGSII, I noticed the curious headline:

“Memphis’ Williams to leave for NBA”

Sure, the kid is huge at 6’9” and 235 pounds. He was one of the top freshman in the country last season. He finished last season at 13.2 points a game and averaged 6.2 rebounds a game, in addition to helping his team land a number one seed in the NCAA tournament. That’s all fine and dandy, but how does any of that make him ready to enter a professional league?

Before you start “commenting” below, I know I was the one who praised the talents of 21 year old LeBron, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t have my doubts back in the day. In fact, I had real big issues with Kobe when he skipped school to enter the NBA  in the late 90’s.

Perhaps it’s a personal issue I have. You see, when I was 16, I had several friends who left school early to move to Los Angeles and New York to “make it” in entertainment. They all got their snazzy agents and took their college funds to pay rent instead of paying tuition. Yes, I was jealous because my parents wouldn’t allow such a thing. Instead, I finished high school, went to college, and in my senior year I was wined and dined by several New York agents to sign, and I did. I’m proud to say that of all the people I knew who left school early to sign with an agent, all but ONE have left the business…but I’m still here! I just think that there is something to be said for taking the time to GROW UP and act like a kid before you find yourself in the middle of a very intense and complicated adult world.

I know that my experience is by no means on par with a collegiate athlete, but in many ways it is. I was lured by the idea of money and fame, and so were many of my colleagues. Yet, what I gained in life experience between age 18-22 prepared me to handle the pressures I currently face.

Perhaps a better example of this “scenario gone wrong” is that of Mr. Maurice Clarett. Here was a kid who broke down doors his freshman season as a running back for Ohio State. His accolades included 1,237 rushing yards (a freshman record), 18 touchdowns, and he helped take his team to 14-0 and a National title. (Not too shabby, eh?) Well he thought he was so beyond college after one season, that he’d go ahead and challenge the NFL’s rule that a player must be three years removed from high school before entering the draft. To make a long story short, he lost, and thankfully the Supreme Court denied his request to have to case reviewed because even the judge knew it was a waste of time. To make a long story short, Clarett was indicted in NCAA violations and criminal acts prior to the 2005 draft. At the NFL combine in 2005, he was given the name “Slow Mo” because his times were so terrible, he didn’t even complete the workout because he quit. For some unknown reason the Denver Broncos drafted him no. 101 that year, but Clarett never even made it to the field or play a single game before he was fired. Today he currently stands to face charges on aggravated robbery and is said to be in debt nearly $1 million dollars for legal fees.

Kids…just stay in school…if you’re great at 19, you’ll be just as amazing at 21 or 22 if you stay in school and you’ll have the life experience to back it up.

  To return to the world of sports, and in honor of tomorrow’s elimination, I thought it would be fun to fantasize about the potential of being on the Fox Sports team. Although I would just love to write and talk sports, if I could get ONE assignment and ONE only, this is what it would have to be:

  I want to go to Austin, Texas this September and cover the Texas-Ohio State game for my blog.

  I had the opportunity to witness the match up of these two teams in the ‘Shoe last year, and it was prophetic. I feel just as confident this year that the game in Austin on September 9^th will separate the men from the boys instantaneously. So much is riding on this game and it falls on the second weekend of the college football schedule. I can’t wait to see what Troy Smith will do with his team, and how Texas will overcome the loss of Mr. Young.

  Aside from the game itself, I know of a few Austin residents who are already planning their revenge on Ohio State fans for the lewd and crude behavior they were subjected to on the Columbus campus last fall. It was one of the few times I was ashamed to be an Ohio State fan because the hostility spewing from a few inebriated Buckeyes was de####able. I’d like to think that if I went to the game, I wouldn’t be tarred and feathered, but I also wouldn’t be surprised if I found a beer dumped on my head at some point in the evening.

  No, if I could win this contest, I would heavily petition and campaign to be granted a press pass to the game and carefully portray the scene for all my fellow bloggers. I imagine sitting up in the stadium, looking over the field of burnt orange and seeing the Buckeyes and Longhorns in an ultimate fight on the field under the lights. I’d give just about anything to be a witness.

  On a more personal note, my ex happens to be a UT-Law student, and we broke up just before the game last year. Not only would seeing the game down there be awesome, it would be icing on the cake to have press access and cover the game in luxury while he suffers with the masses, or can’t go because he couldn’t get a ticket. (Revenge can be pretty sweet!)

  So, I do have an ulterior motive, but I really want to see that game live! What would your ultimate assignment be?

  So I have a slight confession to make. I will be unable to post anything of substance this upcoming week because I will be unavailable and incapacitated. I suppose that's why I tried to post some good reading material last week so it might hold you over until I can return. It seems silly, but I felt that I needed to give everyone some formal notice because I wouldn't want you to think that I'm a slacker and just ignored the blogging universe for an entire week.

  Where my confession lies is the reason I won't be able to blog. I am about to join the ranks of "reality television." For one week I will be filming this little show called "#### Eye for the Straight Guy." If any of you watch Bravo, I'm sure you've heard or seen the show. Granted, I'm not a guy (and I am straight) but I was selected for this special episode and starting Monday I will be at the mercy of five fabulous and flamboyant #### men. Honestly, it won't be any different than any other day...since I work mostly in theater. This show will be transforming my tiny New York apartment in to a swanky-shin dig! Between you and me, if I get a wall-mounted flat screen TV out of this deal, I'll consider myself a winner!

  Thus, this is where I leave you. Wish me luck, and pray for my flat screen TV because momma really needs something to replace her ancient Emerson television (I don’t think they even make those anymore) so she can properly watch the "Vince Young Reality Show" on BET when it airs next fall. Ciao!

-Belle

 

     As I settled in for a nice long afternoon of college football last September, I clicked on my archaic Zenith, grabbed a 2-liter of Diet Coke, and tuned in to the earliest game I could find. Browsing through the TV Guide, I noticed that Wisconsin was playing and I thought Barry Alvarez and his Badgers would be a nice start to my football marathon…Wait a minute! What’s this I see? Where are the classic “W” helmets? Where are the glossy cherry apple jerseys? Did Bucky approve this uniform change? I grabbed my cell phone and nearly called 9-1-1, but quickly phoned my sports colleague, Mr. Hill, and screamed in the phone “TURN ON THE WISCONSIN GAME….WHAT ARE THEY WEARING?”

     As many of you know by now, it seems “throwback” uniforms are quickly becoming the new retro fashion statement on the field. Oklahoma and Tennessee did it; Penn State has never veered away from it, and now Ohio State has chosen to join ranks. This past spring, Coach Jim Tressel unveiled the new OSU jersey to the public and you would have thought he announced the second coming of Christ. Some rejoiced, but others shuttered. Nearly six weeks after this announcement, the Columbus Dispatch’s sports editors are still receiving e-mails and letters from disgruntled fans about the new jersey.

     To breakdown the fashion-fiasco for you, the major changes are the stripes on the sleeves, which are thinner and are black, white and scarlet. Secondly, the player’s number has moved to the sleeves, versus on top of the shoulder pads. Finally, the fit is much tighter and the fabric is some swanky material that “whisks moisture away from the body.” These alterations don’t seem like major changes, do they? The public outcry of horror is the color “white.” You see, the official colors of Ohio State are scarlet and gray. The old jersey had huge 1980’s like gray stripes on the sleeves. Chants like “Woody is rolling over in his grave” are the most popular from Buckeye fans. Personally, I think the new jerseys are hot…except that they bare an undeniable resemblance to the Badgers.

     To be frank, it’s not the jersey that terrifies people…it’s the disruption and deviation from the norm. You and I both know the second one thing goes wrong with that team, the public will scream, “IT’S THE JERSEY!!!” Take Notre Dame, for example. When Tyrone Willingham made his début, to mark a new era in Irish history, he insisted on the Irish green jerseys. Most recently, the October 15th thriller against USC, the Irish wore green. Many of the Irish elite think of the green jerseys as cursed, since more often the result o####reen-jersey game was a loss. (Ironically, one of the wins to come at the hand of the inferior garment was the "Green Jersey Game" in 1977 against USC.) Of course, not only did they get rid of the green jersey, they also got rid of Ty, and after October, I doubt Charlie will bring them back!

     Personally, I think the Irish are fashion #### because they change and alter their jerseys more times than P. Diddy changes his name. Notre Dame can credit their obsession with the jersey back to Knute Rockne. Knute was one of the first coaches to use the jersey as a psychological tool. In 1927, Knute had his second-stringers in to start a game against Navy. After witnessing the Midshipmen score a TD in the first five minutes, it was reported by George Trevor in the New York Sun, that Rockne made his move:

‘‘Instantaneously the Notre Dame regulars yanked off their blue outer sweaters and like a horde of green Gila monsters darted onto the field. From that moment on Notre Dame held the initiative, imposed its collective will upon the Navy.’’

Notre Dame came back from behind to win that game 19-6. From then on, the green remained prominent for some time before the traditional navy blue and gold returned. Ironically, navy blue and gold aren’t even Notre Dame’s official colors. After much research, it was determined that “Madonna” blue and yellow are the school’s real colors. (In case you’re wondering, “Madonna” blue is a light shade of blue…basically think UCLA’s colors.)

     I digress…what Knute Rockne did for jerseys could be considered a blessing and a curse. More often than not, when faced with a string of losses or poor seasons, one of the most popular moves is to recall the days of old when wins were strong and resort to the throwbacks or alter the uniform. Schools, teams, players, coaches, and fans are superstitious people and if “never changing your socks” or wearing a particular color or jersey aides in the mental preparation of the game, then why tempt fate?

     Perhaps the best and most recent example of this behavior comes by way of the 2006 Superbowl Champions, the Pittsburgh Steelers. Not only did Big Ben refuse to shave once the Steelers hit their winning streak, Bill Cower decided the team would wear their white “away” jerseys for the game. Although designated as the “home” team, Cowher went with white because the game wasn’t played at Heinz Stadium, plus the Steelers had a hot streak of away wins. Antwaan Randal El took the rituals one step further by having his prayer cloth anointed by his pastor with holy water and took that with him to Detroit. If you want to dig even deeper, take #36, Jerome Bettis. Not only did the team motor coach travel to the big game via route 36, the temperature that day read “36” and the game was played on the 36th day of the year.

     It’s no surprise that superstitions and rituals develop in sports. Psychologists credit the voodoo antics as a mechanism to cope with stress and the pressure to succeed. We know that it comes down to practice, performance, and confidence to win the game, but even the most common of man has been known to succumb to superstitions. My own personal superstition is that I’m an unlucky fan in the stands at Ohio State games. In the last two years I have been back to the ‘Shoe to see OSU play Wisconsin and Texas…need I say more? Although I’d like to think if I hadn’t been there, the Buckeyes would have won, but just because I might be unlucky doesn’t mean I’ll never watch a game in the Horseshoe again!

     (As a side note...I had all kinds of visual stimulation to enhance my article, but thanks to my poor skills as a blogger, I am still trying to work out how to insert them! Fun with photos to follow!)

Who is setting fire at USC? In the last week, more scandals and firestorms have been fought by the University’s public relations team than the whole of the southern California fire department during peek season.

The first flare up came with the arrest of quarterback Mark Sanchez on April 26th for allegedly sexually assaulting a female student. Way to celebrate your spring game debut, Mark. The evidence and allegations must have been convincing considering he posted the $200,000 bail. That’s a pretty expensive quarter of college, if you ask me! Granted, Sanchez has not been formerly charged with the crime, and he should be thanking his lucky stars that Duke Lacrosse players, the NFL Draft, and fellow teammate Reggie Bush have created a welcomed diversion to pull the unflattering spotlight off of his allegations. Speaking of Bush…

Just days before the Draft, potential NCAA and NFL violations have been raised to the appropriate parties concerning a smarmy deal between a start-up marketing agency and the Bush family. According to the LA Times, a lawyer for New Era Sports & Entertainment was planning on filing a $3.2 million law suit against the Trojan and his family for various grievances, including a supposed $100,000 “loan” the agency gave to the Bush family with the assumption that all would be repaid when Bush signed with the agency as their first client. The loan included cash payments and rent on a house that the agency owned by an investor who wanted to represent Mr. Bush.

For the record, the name of the wannabe Bush agent is Michael Michaels. Um…call me crazy but the guy’s name alone would be the deal breaker for me. I mean, the minute I’d meet the guy I’d be sitting there trying to conceal my giggles. How smart or savvy could this agent be with a name like Michael Michaels? Maybe he figured with all the previous superstar agents named Michael, such as Michael Ovitz, Michael Rosenfield, and the marketing #### who DID sign Bush named Michael Ornstein, Mr. Michaels thought he’d keep it consistent by duplicating his own name. Could his parents not come up with anything more original? If it were me, I would have changed that name faster than Lindsay Lohan changes the color of her hair. Secondly, I would join the bandwagon and take up Kabala and choose a last name with a Yiddish appeal since most superstar agents and a majority of Hollywood elite flock to that calling. Seriously, did this guy think that he would really score Reggie Bush as his first and only client? Would you, a Heisman winning NFL prospect worth millions sign with Adam Adams of the ‘Let Me Be The First To Profit Off You’ Agency? Case closed.

Generally, when one suit is brewing, you can bet a counter suit is in the works. A lawyer for the Bush family claims that Michaels and the agency were attempting to extort money from Reggie. You can’t blame Mr. Michaels for getting angry when his dirty deal backfired in his face. Sure, he gave the Bush family a generous loan, a $750K rental house to live in, and promised to keep the details hush-hush, but when his future client turned the table on him, Mr. Michaels went public with the details.

The Bush family isn’t completely innocent in all this either. They had initially promised to repay the loans and back-rent once their son cashed in on his million-dollar NFL pay day. Talk about dangling a carrot before the horse. I guess they didn’t see the potential NCAA or NFL violations in the matter. I’m sure at the time poor Reggie just wanted to see his family taken care of and didn’t mind playing the role of a puppet. It was his parents who really took advantage of the situation and used their son as a bargaining tool. There’s the crime. But the truth is, because the deal was so sketchy, it’s easy to cry “extortion!”

To top off the week, in other potential NCAA violations news, Matt Leinart is now in the hot seat. It seems that once he became the big man on campus, his off-campus residency became a flocking ground for groupies and fans. Concerned for their son’s safety, Pop Leinart moved his son to a “modest” downtown apartment with fellow teammate Dwayne Jarrett. For a mere $3,866 a month, the two split a portion of the rent while Pop Leinart picked up the rest. Where the violation comes to play is that Mr. Jarrett was paying $650 a month for his half the rent while Matt paid $500 and Pop paid the remaining. Now it would be okay for Matt to have that sweet rental deal, having his dad foot the bill is legit; but it’s not okay for Dwayne since he was paying for less than half of the rental and therefore relying on Pop Leinart (a non-relation) to pay the rest.

This violation seems pretty innocent. I don’t think the Leinarts had any intention of breaking rules; they were just generous parents taking care of their son and a friend. I know that my parents would have done the same thing for me…but I doubt they would have sprung for such a swanky bachelor pad. It is viewed as a potential violation because if the NCAA investigates, they could say that this apartment arrangement for a fellow team member gave him an unfair advantage. Now honestly, if living in a $3,866/month apartment gave Dwayne Jarrett a huge boost to his playing ability, how does one prove that? I won’t even go there.

What should really keep USC fans awake at night is the potential fallout these allegations could bring if proven correct. Since all infractions occurred during the 2004 and 2005 seasons, if Bush is found guilty, he would be deemed retroactively ineligible for last season, games would be forfeited and title could be revoked. (Irish eyes must be smiling!) Wow. Not that you can rewrite history, but what would that have meant for last season’s football? Can you imagine? That’s an entirely different blog posting.

There is no denying that Bush is an outstanding player and regardless of allegations, his performance against Fresno State is one for the godfather of sports highlights. As a fan of a team who witnessed the fallout of NCAA violations (OSU Men’s Basketball) and seen championships ripped away from walls, I hope that it doesn’t come down to that for USC. Although Pete Carroll may be running a loose ship, his players as a team made significant strides in college football and a team should not have to suffer the penalties at the hands of misguided adults and greedy entrepreneurs.

Although I would have loved to see a rematch between OSU and Texas in last January’s Rose Bowl, I don’t want to see USC striped of their glory. I’m not condoning the actions of individual players, but when taken to the field, these kids made history and deserve for that history to remain in the books.

‘Twas the morning of draft day and all through the house, one rookie was cursing ‘That terrible louse!’

For while he was settled all snug in his bed, visions of signing day danced in his head.

For Reggie, he thought, ‘I’ll go number one! On Carroll, on Heisman, on Houston I come!”

The press had declared he’d be the best choice, now Mr. Bush just needed a voice.

Someone to get him the biggest deal ever with Nike and Wheaties, this voice must be clever!

Thinking that Texas would be his next stop…now Reggie Bush must rethink his plot.

For what should take place on the eve of his day but one Mario Williams to step in his way.

The Texans choose Williams to be “Number One!” Not Reggie, not Leinart, not even Vince Young.

The press was befuddled, his agent a mess, for what should he say once he is addressed:

             “Dear Mr. Bush, we thought you’d go first, how does it feel to be slapped with this curse?

To have to go second, or wait ‘til the fifth, since Texas chose Williams over you as a pick."

 

Although broken hearted and a little dismayed, sweet Reggie Bush will still have his day.

For Reggie, he’ll sign an exorbitant deal; he still has that Heisman with plenty of zeal.

It’s not in the number or time that you’re called; it’s what you produce in the following fall.

No agent, no bonus, no signing day perk can ever determine your fate as a first: how will you handle the pressure of Sunday, will you make it to playoffs or vanish on cut day?

Tonight Mr. Bush can finally exhale, his fate all decided, his check in the mail.

Today he was made a very rich man, but tomorrow he’ll have to start forming a plan.

Come Sunday this fall, the test will be set; who will prevail and settle the bet?

Will Bush take the field and prove himself better? Or will Mario steal the front page header?

These questions have answers I cannot predict, but I relish the drama of signing day shtick!

Thus, I proclaim as I drop out of sight: Happy Draft Day to all and to all a good night!

I am currently in the LONG process of filling out an arduous application for an internship opportunity (and reality TV show) for Rolling Stone Magazine. I think it’s like an “Apprentice” type affair where Rolling Stone would choose x-number of finalist and film the internship competition to air on MTV. I think the chance to intern and hone my writing skills at a place like Rolling Stone, pre-grad school, would rock – pardon the pun. I know reality TV is passé, but I’d be lying if I said the exposure on national TV was completely uninteresting to me too.

So far the application has asked tons of journalistic questions, but my favorite one to date is “what story would you propose to one of our editors?” Since Rolling Stone is as much of a pop-culture magazine as it is about music, I proposed a piece on Matt Leinart. I came up with the title “What it means to be Matt Leinart: From college golden boy to the toast of Gotham.” I find everything about him to be utterly fascinating. Yea, yea, yea, he’s not so bad to gaze at, but look at the life he has already lead and imagine the life he is about to lead…is it possible that he has the potential to be a modern day Sinatra?

Think back to the coolest cats you know. Names that come to mind might be Steve McQueen, John F. Kennedy, James Dean, and the Rat Pack. Modern day equivalents might be people like John F. Kennedy, Jr., Sean Combs and Ashton Kutchner, but there is something about the makings of Matt Leinart that could skyrocket him above these boys. (Ok, it’s hard to surpass John Jr., especially since he died young and will forever live in immortality as an A+.) This kid already has a resume filled with accolades and awards that would make any American male drool. To top it off, he has movie star looks and a female following that would rival a young Tom Cruise, pre-Scientology. Matt Leinart is the man to be, he’s the man of the moment.

Sure, it’s one thing to be a division-I college quarterback, but to have been a three-year starter off the heels of another suave USC Trojan, Heisman Trophy winner Carson Palmer, that’s a lot of pressure. Let’s also point out that he was attending a very prestigious University with high academic standards. You can’t be dumb and play for USC. In addition to the brains, it’s Southern California, so it is synonymous with being beautiful. Think about it…have you ever seen or met anyone from USC who was hard on the eyes? This guy was living with pressure 24-7, navigating his team to what should have been three consecutive national championships. (Vince Young cheated with the help of his knee, thank you very much! ) To top it off, he won the Heisman Trophy his junior year and had the guts to come back to school and make history! (No, he didn’t win the Heisman again, thank God, but he can credit numerous school and nation records, and the Notre Dame game to his resume.) This guy was a walking Greek God at USC, and to be honest, he could have been the ugliest SOB on earth and it wouldn’t have mattered because this guy was the Big Man on Campus. He was an A-list celebrity and he hadn’t filmed one single movie, TV show, music video, or received a signing bonus. He was an A-list celebrity because of his natural ability and charm. It’s been rumored that he’s been with movie stars, supermodels, and that chick from Laguna Beach. He’s partied with Adam Sandler, Lindsay Lohan, and everyone at the Playboy mansion. Not only can this guy produce results for any team, he is a PR machine, creating spin and publicity anywhere he moves. Heck, he should be the number one draft pick simply because the tourism industry in his pick city would skyrocket. Not only would people pay to watch him play, they’d pay to eat in the same restaurant. I can’t say that every man, woman, and child would do the same thing for Vince Young. Matt Leinart is the golden boy with the golden touch…everywhere he goes and everything he touches is automatically deemed “cool.” Girls want to be with him and guys want to be him, his closest equivalent to date would be Justin Timberlake, who has a similar effect, but not the extent that Leinart holds. Men envy Justin because he dates Cameron Diaz, not because they love his music. Men envy Matt Leinart because he could date Cameron Diaz and he can launch a cannon with his arm.

So maybe I’m a little biased. Maybe what this article is really saying is how obsessed I am with this Trojan. I don’t know if he’d make the ideal boyfriend because I think he has too many distractions and his stock would plummet if he was attached. (Besides, I have a feeling he could be a Magic Johnson and have a propensity to sleep with anything that moves.) And let’s be honest, he’s way out of my league and if I ever had the chance to meet him in person I might freak out and grow so overly-self conscious that I wouldn’t be able to utter a single word. (Wait, that’s any drop-dead gorgeous guy I meet.) Regardless, I would love to know what a day in his life is like. Who calls his cell-phone? Which e-mails does he actually read? What kind of cereal does he eat? How often does he talk to his mom? What kinds of clothes hang in his closet? These are the kinds of questions I’d ask…and I’m planning to, once I win this contest!