No one said getting drafted would be easy. I’m sure Brady Quinn never expected the hardest part of Saturday would be to “sit and look pretty.”
Grace under pressure is easily harder than being tackled by a lineman. When the quarterback releases the ball and takes it to the gut with a crushing blow, any player would gladly take the physical hit versus the emotional smack of public embarrassment. While I’ve never been a Brady Quinn fan, I had to feel sorry for the poor kid as he sat there in uncomfortable silence as other names were called before his.
No one likes to be the last one picked in gym class when they were 10 and no one likes to feel overlooked when they are 20. Quinn’s poise during Saturday’s draft makes him a prime player for the NFL: one who is humble, well-composed, and a perfect role-model. (See Tiki Barber, for example.) Perhaps he’s too clean for the NFL, someone who would make a better suit than a uniform. Regardless, he has enough fire in his spirit to start with the Browns and prove his standing. The Browns won a goldmine in their 22nd pick: they got the QB they wanted who is inspired to prove his critics wrong.
Even if Brady hadn’t gotten picked until a later round, or not picked at all, the kid has more potential in his thumb to make something of himself than most college graduates have in their degrees. He’ll succeed regardless of vocation…but will he be the next Tom Brady? Remember, Brady was No. 199 when he was drafted. The truth is in the rings, not in the numbers.
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In other news: I accepted my offer to attend Columbia University’s School of Journalism as a New Media graduate student.
To satiate any curious bloggers, life in Vegas is going a little too well. I’m not complaining, just terrified of when the other shoe might drop.
‘Mamma Mia!’ does have a closing date…for September 2008, so I still have a job for over a year, but I might be leaving early to attend graduate school. We are nearly sold out every night, so that’s 1,750 butts in 1,750 seats, which is better than even the Broadway company! I’m not saving as much money as I’d like because I have learned to be a very savy Blackjack player…but so far I’m about even.
The coolest part about living in Vegas is reading the trashy magazines and realizing that the same night you visited the Playboy Club at the Palms, some B-list celebrity was also there causing trouble. I’m afraid that I did miss the Pacman Jones incident, but with all the #### action that frequented the NBA All-Star weekend and several of the boxing matches, a disgruntled NFL player hardly turns an eyebrow in this town.
Word to the wise: the Playboy Club is cool, but it will send you to the poor house. The Palms is okay, but the Hard Rock Casino is pretty great, especially if you want to hang out with people where the median age is roughly 28. Body English is a crazy club where you’ll find a smorgasbord of drugs in the bathroom…not that I did any, but I saw numerous bouncers flushing them down the toilet after they confiscated them off patrons. My favorite place to play is the Red Rock Casino, a local joint that is near Red Rock National Park. They have great $10 blackjack tables and the smoking isn’t as bad as it is on the strip. The scene is a little more casual and it’s a 10 minute drive from my apartment
Not that I’m a local, but if you have 48 hours in the city of sin, you have to drive through Red Rock Canyon (it is okay to see the light of day in Vegas), watch the Bellagio water show at night, and have drinks at the Wynn at ‘The Country Club Bar’ (because I know the bartender and the view of the golf course is stunning!) I also recommend showing some self-restraint when you are gambling. Finally, from personal experience, the rooms at theHotel at Mandalay Bay are to die for!
Okay, enough of my insiders guide…grad school has turned in to a hot race! I thought USC was my best bet, but Boston surprised me with a big scholarship and then came back and told me they are flying to Vegas to wine and dine me for a fellowship that would bring my total merit award to $26,000 a year to attend BU. That completely changed my opinion of Boston…until I got my acceptance to Columbia University. Um, HELLO!!! We’re talking ivy league! How cool is that?! It would put me back in New York, back with my fiancé, back in my ‘hood, and back in the city where I really want to work. Finally, I could still sing and dance AND go to school. I’m working out the logistics, but I think that’s where I’ll be by next January.
So that’s where I stand…not too bad for a girl who just turned 26! Cheers.
I am currently in a writing class at NYU and I am writing a feature story about what people will do to watch "The Game." If you are planning on being apart of the Ohio State-Michigan(in any way), I'd love to know about it. For example, are you taking extreme measures to get to the game? Did you sell your ticket for loads of cash? Do you have any rituals for game day? If you can't be in Columbus, how are you planning on watching the game? If you don't give a load of #### about college football, your mistake! Thanks for your help, any stories or comments are appreciated!
Note: I must apologize to my loyal readers who think I have fallen off the map. I've been bogged down with work and have had little time to put in my two-cents to FoxSports. I am currently enrolled in a sports writing class, so this posting is my first assignment. I know it's a little outdated, but I hope you enjoy! -Belle
While the final seconds ticked off the clock in Giants Stadium on Sunday, all you could hear was the collective exhale from the crowd. As the 14-10 victory over the Houstan Texans was set in the record books, perhaps it was the team who was most relieved the game was over.
The New York Giants may be 6-2, but the performance against the Houston Texans (2-6) hardly earned style points or affirmations from the crowd. With a massive match-up against the 7-1 Chicago Bears next week, Giants fans were hoping to see a game that would reassure a victory over the Bears, not a game that proved any team can win on any given Sunday.
Nobody understands that sentiment better than Chicago. The previously undefeated Bears lost at home to an underwhelming Miami Dolphins team in a game that many expected to be a Chicago blow-out. Instead it was a Chicago bust, setting up a huge match against the Giants to battle for the number one place in the National Football Conference.
With injuries plaguing the Giants and several key athletes unable to play, the team relied on the veteran performance of the league’s leading rusher, Tiki Barber, who had 15 carries for 115 yards. The Giants took a 7-0 lead in the first quarter, thanks to a 16 yard run in which Barber scampered up the left sideline to the endzone. With Barber, it’s always business as usual. Immediately after his touchdown, he returned to the bench and donned his Giants cap, no smile, no accolades, just a calm look on his face that said “I did my job, now you do yours.”
Giants quarterback Eli Manning did his job, completing 17 of 28 passes for 179 yards. He had several needle-threading passes to tight-end Jeremy Shockey, including a 25 yard pass near the Houston goal line in the second quarter. That play should have resulted in a touchdown, but thanks to a crushing hit by Houston’s Glenn Earl, the tackle forced the ball loose from Shockey’s hand and the play was ruled incomplete.
The Glenn Earl hit was illustrative that when a team is struggling the little dog continues to fight, and that’s what Houston did for four quarters. Earl wasn’t the only Texan to deliver bruising blows. First round draft pick Mario Williams managed a sack on Manning in the second quarter and continued his torment of the quarterback for the remainder of the game. With Houston up 10-7 over the hometown team at the start of the fourth quarter, the sleep-walking game quickly turned in to a dog fight.
The Giants inability to stop third-down conversions helped keep the Texans within striking distance of the upset victory. Thanks to an offensive surge by the Giants that resulted in a 3 yard touchdown pass from Manning to Shockey, the Giants assumed the 14-10 lead with less than eight minutes remaining in regulation. The stagnant Giant defense was jarred awake by the nippy Houston offense, but managed to silence the little dog when Giants linebacker, Gerris Wilkinson, forced a fumble that ended the Texans final march to the endzone.
While the little dog may be laughing back to Texas, it was the bigger dog that won the battle and will continue to Chicago. The Giants might have overlooked the Texans, but there is no looking past the Bears.
10) How did I manage to go 12/13 on my pro football picks this last week and 8/17 on my college picks? I am normally 90% correct on my college games and 90% wrong on my pro picks. My how the tables can turn!
9) Michigan State University is hurting…and they are hurting bad. Nothing is more dangerous than a wounded team. While John L. Smith’s world might be in a freefall, all that could change if he defeated the No. 1 team this weekend with Ohio State coming up to East Lansing. Is that too hard to imagine? It’s been done to Woody’s No. 1 OSU team in 1974 and John Cooper’s No. 1 OSU team in 1998.
8) Joe Torre is out. Joe Torre is in. Joe Torre is in a tough place. The guy has won 4 World Series titles in 11 years but his most recent assignment looked like it might be forced retirement. Is the problem really Joe? I think not…I think the problem is the mentality that just because you can afford the best players in the league doesn’t mean you’re guaranteed or entitled to anything.
7) Choking. The Yankees choked. Auburn choked. I choked on a huge audition this past Monday that was money in the bank. Why is it when we think we have all the ducks in a row, somehow they manage to slip between our fingers?
6) The Maize and Blue should be number two!
5) WARNING: The new film, School for Scoundrels, is horrible! I know it is Billy Bob Thornton and John Heder (that cool dude from Napoleon Dynamite) but the movie is horrible and a waste of 2 hours of your Saturday night. Why the Weinstein brothers decided to produce that movie is beyond me. They should go back to their Miramax roots and bet on the arty projects.
4) How funny would it be if the latest Big 12 tour-de-force, Baylor, beat Texas by 1 point?! Isn’t it ironic, don’t ya think?
3) Graduate school applications are looming over my head. I’m not sure what I feel guiltier about, neglecting my blog or neglecting my essays for school.
2) You heard it here first: in the next three years, Northwestern will be a big dog in the Big Ten. Pat Fitzgerald has the ability to continue the work that Randy Walker left behind. They might not have been able to turn water in to wine this season, but as Tyrell Sutton said, they’ve hit rock bottom and the only way to go is up.
1) It would be awesome on November 18 if Ohio State and Michigan met in the ‘Shoe as No. 1 versus No. 2, but what does it really matter? Whoever looses still looses, regardless of rank and that would screw any hope for the BCS Championship.
I have two tickets to that game, and while I could sell them on eBay for $1000 a ticket, there is no way I’d sell out to a rich yuppie who wouldn’t value the tradition of the greatest college rivalry in football.
Bonus: The Heisman Trophy is awarded to the greatest player in college football for that year. While Troy Smith has been a front-runner all season, Garrett Wolfe is the true candidate who has run all over his competition. Unfortunately, is it possible to give the Heisman Trophy to a player who has no impact on the national title picture? Some would argue that the trophy should go to a player who contributes to his team winning a major title. While I might agree with that opinion, is it appropriate to overlook a true player who has succeeded to the greatest of his ability in his conference that might be of lack-luster value? I mean, he did gain 200+ offensive yards against the number one team in the country…on his first game of the season.
Football is America’s alpha male. All things masculine, testosterone-infused, and worthy of a “guy’s night out” tend to congregate around a pitcher of beer and the nightly game. Monday Night Football even gives the ladies a chance to eat hot wings, sport their favorite NFL jersey, and act like one of the boys. It is a sport that has something for everyone. For the guys, it is a chance to witness modern day gladiators fight to the death in cement coliseums. For the gals, they can shamelessly watch men in spandex and follow their favorite ‘tight end’ to the endzone.
But this is 2006…red and blue states, right and left, #### and straight. While it may be easier to distinguish the sports bars from the #### bars in the Midwest, here in New York it is getting harder and harder to tell the Wall Streeters from the Chelsea Boys. The lines that used to separate heterosexual from homosexual behavior are blurring more and more each day. I used to consider myself a champion of “####dar” but what I’ve come to recognize in New York is that men no longer fall to such extremes and many that I used to suspect as straight are #### and visa versa.
Sports are universal, regardless of sexual preference, and anyone can enjoy them on either side of the ball. While #### ice skaters and swimmers are hardly shocking, what if we had a #### football star? Many #### men are already football fans, but is America ready for #### sports stars in traditional alpha male roles?
Before you stop reading, disturbed by such a proposition, imagine the hypothetical. In Richard Greenberg’s Tony Award winning play, Take Me Out, a fictional baseball star shocks the world when he announces he’s ####. The playwright explores the modern day paradox of a hugely popular ‘alpha male sports figure’ who breaks the mold by shattering sexual conventions. Can the beer and nacho sports fan still love a dynamic player who falls left of center?
In Take Me Out, Greenberg illustrates the hypothetical by creating a fictional team, the New York Empires (dressed in pinstripe uniforms), and focuses his story around the star player, Darren Lemming. (When the play debuted in New York, that star player had a striking resemblance to Derek Jeter.) The play further explores the way Darren’s homosexuality affects the locker room, his teammates, #### supporters, and the traditional American sports fan.
Granted, the play dealt with baseball, but can you imagine what might happen if a major NFL quarterback broke boundaries and headlines if he were to make a similar announcement? If The Sopranos can write a storyline about a #### capo, the idea o####a href="http://community.foxsports.com/CensorSetting.aspx?url=http%3a%2f%2fcommunity.foxsports.com%2fblogs%2ftjw118%2fNFL%2f53849">#### football star isn’t inconceivable. To be honest, I believe that player already exists. I’m not talking about ex-NFL star Esera Tuaolo who recently published a book about living as a closet-#### man in the NFL, I’m talking about a bona fide star player in the prime of his career announcing he is ####.
If there is one thing we all learned in the last presidential election, it’s that America is divided by red and blue states. While the dominance and acceptance of homosexual behavior may favor the blue, the middle grounds of red states have a stronghold over majority opinion. As a straight girl with a #### roommate and numerous #### friends, (and a preference for #### bars because they are wickedly fun and non-threatening to women), I have no problem with a #### football star. In fact, I think it would welcome an entirely new type of football supporter, one that has rarely experienced the sport because many #### men and women feel ostracized by the average football fan.
Football players are seen as strong and dominant. Therefore, how appropriate that a male football star takes the initiative and has the courage to stand up before society and admit his sexuality. Having witnessed too many friends struggle with their homosexuality and resist telling their friends and family, such a star would be an inspiration to people who are ready to come clean about who they are. If a high profile man admitted he was #### perhaps more people would understand that sexuality is a trait that cannot be chosen, changed, or reversed.
On the flip side, I can already see those red states and their inhabitants throwing up their hands in horror that such a lifestyle would ruin the sport, the team, morale, and all things sacred to the American dream. Football players are seen as the ‘ultimate male,’ so how could that man be ####?
Perhaps more perplexing is how this behavior might alter the team morale and locker room conduct. Would straight players feel uncomfortable to shower or walk around nude as they traditionally have in the past? Would they still protect and follow the audibles of their #### quarterback? Would trust between players be abandoned and the team suffer in the long run? While I’d like to think that most players would be supportive of their quarterback and his announcement, I cannot begin to answer these questions because I don’t know how the offensive line might react.
In Esera Tuaolo’s book, Alone in the Trenches: My Life as a #### Man in the NFL, the former Green Bay Packer discusses the stress, torment, and fear that he constantly lived with being #### and playing football. While he may be the third player ever in the NFL to come out, his story only illustrates how difficult it can be living with such a secret. While no one doubt’s Tuaolo’s “manliness” as a defensive powerhouse, many believe that his teammates would have turned on him and eaten him alive if he had come out while still playing.
#### football stars exists, but just like the Army, a ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy applies in the NFL. For a player to make such an assertion would be a gargantuan gamble. Not only is he willing to put his career on the line (and millions of dollars), he is subjecting his character to vast criticism and a national debate. In the end he could come out as a hero, a martyr, and a pariah.
Besides the risk the individual player would face, the NFL would have a publicity nightmare to settle. Right-winged fans many may chose to show their displeasure by boycotting NFL games and merchandise, thus creating financial woe to the organization. While many liberal supporters of the player may creep from the woodwork to cheer him on, would they support the NFL by making up for the loss of conservative fans? The NFL isn’t ready or willing to find out.
Today it is just a hypothetical, tomorrow it could be the next Hollywood movie, but someday it will be a reality. I applaud the man who has the guts to come forward, but I do not envy the hard and controversial decisions he will have to make.
Have you ordered a large platter of hot wings with extra blue cheese dressing to take to the neighbor’s NBA party? Have you gone out and purchased the appropriate jersey and face paint so you can cover your visage in the team colors? Did you place a bet in the office pool on the game?
No?
Can you name the two teams playing in the NBA Finals? Better yet, can you name any of the players for Dallas or Miami? If not, you’re not alone. According to the United States census, roughly 300 million people live in this great country, and last year 21.6 million attended an NBA game.
The NBA edged out the NFL last season in attendance figures, 21.6 million vs. 17.3 million, but there may be a good reason for it. With only 256 NFL games costing an average of $62.29 a ticket, it was easier to attend an NBA event because there were 1,230 games, costing an average of $45.64 a ticket. But when fans watched the NFL or the NBA on television, the margin of viewers was much more lop-sided.
While Super Bowl XL had a Nielson rating of 41.6, the 2005 NBA Finals had an average rating of 8.2. To put it bluntly, over 45 million households watched the Super Bowl versus just 9 million who viewed the NBA Finals.
So how come people aren’t watching?
Maybe it’s in the name. The NFL has “the Super Bowl,” the MLB has “the World Series,” and the NHL has “the Stanley Cup.” What does the NBA have, “the Finals?” Maybe the NBA should think about coming up with a catchy name like “the Golden Bucket.” (No, that sounds like a promotion for fried chicken.) We’ll save the name suggestions for another post.
Perhaps public apathy for the Finals lies with unidentifiable players…yea right. People recognize basketball players, arguably more so than most other professional athletes. The marketing juggernauts that advertisers construct around basketball players have made them recognizable faces to the majority of Americans. NBA stars like Michael Jordan, Shaquille O’Neal and LeBron James have become household names. Compare those faces to major pro-football players like Dan Marino, Joe Montana, and Peyton Manning, and more often than not, people identify the basketball players before the footballers. (I know they wear helmets, but who would your kid recognize first: Peyton Manning on the MasterCard commercial or Michael Jordan on the Hanes commercial?)
Finally, Americans have a short attention span. Perhaps the Finals falter because the series can take up to seven games to determine the winner. More importantly, why does the NBA need seven games? (The NCAA men’s basketball championship doesn’t.) Many people feel that March Madness is more exciting than the NBA Finals because of the Cinderella stories and unexpected upsets that befall the favored teams. In the NFL, each team gets only one shot to advance; they don’t need seven games to take the glory. Sure, it may be a matter of finances and more games equal more money, but only the most dedicated fans last through the long and drawn-out pace of the Finals.
But we used to watch…
There are exceptions to the range of Nielson ratings that have plagued the NBA Finals—the good years the Lakers or the Bulls played. The 1980’s and 90’s saw record television ratings for the Finals. A consistent rating of 15.1* (*16.6 million households) or better followed the LA Lakers’ NBA Final appearances from 1987-1989, which was also the same time Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar were with the team. When the Lakers faced the Bulls in 1991, it was the ending of one dynasty and the commencing of another. As Magic Johnson played his last NBA Final appearance, Michael Jordan was making his debut. The 1991 NBA Finals garnered an average rating of 15.8 and launched the highest rating period for the NBA from 1991-1998. Between those years, the NBA Final ratings ranged from 13.9-18.7.
The highest NBA Finals ever was the 1998 match-up between the Chicago Bulls and the Utah Jazz. Although the average rating for the series was 18.7* (*20.6 million households), the deciding Game 6 registered an NBA record 22.3 rating and was also Michael Jordan’s final game with the Bulls. The Bull’s victorious Game 6 was viewed by nearly 72 million people, but that was still less than the Super Bowl that year.
Clearly people watch the NBA when there is something to watch. Dynasties such as the Lakers and the Bulls attracted numerous viewers for the NBA. The “Laker Effect” brought a ratings windfall for many television networks. Compare that to the “Post-Jordan Decline” currently plaguing the NBA and it proves that people follow the players and hometown loyalties more so than the sport.
Why we will watch…
The NBA has to deal with its youth, and that's not referring to the underclassmen entering the league. When the NBA was founded in 1946, many of its professional counterparts had been up and running for nearly eighty years. Sports fans had been following baseball since its conception in 1865 and football since 1869. At sixty years old, the NBA is relatively young and is still winning fans.
When a group of people were polled about the most watched sporting events, 58% said either the Super Bowl or the BCS Championship was their favorite. The second most watched event was a tie between the World Series and the NCAA men’s basketball championship, each earning 16%. When asked what they thought was the most popular sport in America, an overwhelming 62.5% said football, while baseball was second.
Although this is sheer opinion, it is proof that basketball still has a few mountains to climb before it can be a ratings and athletic tour de force, compared to the Super Bowl. Although the NFL was formed in 1920, it wasn’t until the 1960’s that its popularity started to flourish. Similarly, it took the NBA forty years until the ratings high was found with teams like the Lakers and Bulls.
Today, with current players such as Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and Dwyane Wade all making headlines on the court, the NBA is sitting in a prime position to return to the ratings of the late 1980’s. The league is still working out their growing pains and extinguishing the negative effects from the 1998 lockout. Looking ahead, the popularity of the NBA could skyrocket if Kobe Bryant and LeBron James begin an epic decade battle of competition, which could bring back memories of the Magic Johnson or the Michael Jordan days. Those are the types of characters that drew people to the NBA Finals in the first place, and those are the players who will bring the people back to the game.
Now if we could just come up with a catchier name than The Finals…The Ultimate Hardwood Throw-down? (No, too WWF.)
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 likeSteve 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.
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!
Hmm...I can warm hands too!
