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(12/11/03 6:52am)
As the fall semester comes to a close and semester break nears, the sports world is just priming for a loaded plate of great games and storylines to follow into the new year. Of course, all the college bowl games will have been played out and the BCS controversy could be settled or have been fueled even more by the time we return to Bloomington, but there is much more going on in the sports scene over the next four weeks.\n\nThe new year will bring with it the start of conference games in college basketball as teams will begin to solidify themselves as true contenders for a national title and tough conference contests will lead the way to March Madness. But even before conference play starts in the new year, there are still many battles among top-ranked teams to take place in 2003. Starting with tonight's matchup of Purdue and Oklahoma, there is a plethora of games between teams in the top 25. Missouri and Illinois will battle in the "Border War" and the Tigers will also take on Gonzaga. Kentucky has two top 25 opponents as well in Michigan State and North Carolina before it begins SEC play, not to mention the always tough in-state battle with old coach Rick Pitino and Louisville. \nMLB\nSure, Major League Baseball is in its offseason, but with all the news swirling around about possible trades for superstar Alex Rodriguez as well as possible free agent signings of other stars like Gary Sheffield, Vladimir Guerrero, Ivan Rodriguez, Miguel Tejada and Andy Pettitte, among others, there is much to follow over the winter break from a baseball fan's perspective.\nNBA\nWhile I usually couldn't care less about the NBA during the regular season as do most other sports fans, there usually is one day worth watching, Christmas Day. This year is no exception with all three games being televised on national television. Cleveland and Orlando face off in the opener, and while neither team is going to make the playoffs, the individual matchup of rookie phenom LeBron James against Tracy McGrady is enough to get me to watch.\nDallas and Sacramento matchup in the second game of the day, posing perhaps the two most offensive oriented teams in the league. Both teams have mastered the art of phantom defense in recent years and this run 'n gun affair could end up with both teams scoring in the 120s. In the final game of the day, the NBA's two best-known giants will square off as Yao Ming and Houston travel to face Shaquille O'Neal and the Los Angeles Lakers. Ming and O'Neal have already had a couple of memorable head-to-head matchups and this Christmas Day affair should live up to the hype. With Houston a serious contender in the tough Western Conference, this could be an early pivotal game to prove its ability against the already-established Lakers.\nNFL\nBy the time we all return to the drudge of classes in the cold January weather of Bloomington, there will only be four teams left in the NFL Playoffs. The regular season concludes Dec. 28, and with many wild card and division title races going down to the wire, the postseason battles should be heated. Philadelphia and St. Louis look like the favorites in the NFC, while New England appears dominant in the AFC with Kansas City and Indianapolis challenging as well. The final regular season and, no doubt, the postseason matchups will be fun to watch as teams vie for the opportunity to play in the Super Bowl.\nNCAA Football\nI told myself starting this article I would not mention the college bowls because they were too obvious to even mention in such a story, but I couldn't resist. Of course the Sugar Bowl and Rose Bowl will be the two most important games, considering the national title implications of both, but there are a couple other very intriguing bowl matchups. First off is the Fort Worth Bowl which pits hometown TCU against Boise State. Ranked No. 19 and 18 respectively, these are two very talented yet unheralded teams which should make for an exciting game; the teams have a combined record of 23-2 and will battle for the bragging rights of being the best mid-major team along with Miami (OH). Perhaps the most intriguing bowl matchup is the Houston Bowl, with the high-powered air attack of Texas Tech and quarterback BJ Symons against the hard-nosed running game of Navy. Navy has two 1,000 yard rushers with Eric Roberts' leading the way in receiving with 493 yards on the year. Roberts receiving totals would put him sixth on the Red Raider receiving list, and Symons threw for more yards than Roberts' season total in a single game on four different occasions. In fact, Symons' two biggest games of 661 yards and 558 yards are more yards than Navy quarterbacks had all season. The contrast of styles in this game should be interesting to watch to see if the old style smash-mouth running game can prevail over the new run 'n gun shootout passing attack.\nNo matter what sport you like, there is something for you to watch or follow over the winter break. Enjoy all the festivities, have a safe break and see you in January.
(12/09/03 5:36am)
I have said it before, and I will say it again, this time with even more fuel for the fire. College football needs a playoff system like a crying baby needs a pacifier.\nI am not saying college football needs to keep quiet. I, more than anyone, love the excitement fall Saturdays bring to college campuses all across the country. However, the postseason system that awards college football's national champion should not garner anywhere close to the attention it typically gets, let alone all the controversy and discussion it will create between now and early January.\nAfter last weekend's conference championships and final games of the regular season, there are no undefeated teams in college football. But there are three one-loss teams from major conferences all with viable arguments to play in the Sugar Bowl Jan. 4 for the national title. USC was snubbed out of the chance to battle for the title, despite being ranked No. 1 in both human polls, The Associated Press and the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll.\nThose in opposition of the Bowl Championship Series, myself included, got just what they had been hoping for when USC and LSU both won and Kansas State upset previously unbeaten and unanimous No. 1 Oklahoma in the Big 12 title game. Despite the 35-7 thrashing at the hands of the Wildcats and slipping to No. 3 in both human polls, Oklahoma is still the top ranked team in the BCS.\nWhile the BCS has faced controversy concerning its No. 2 team on several occasions, especially in 2001 when Nebraska went to the national title game after not even advancing to the Big 12 Championship, there has never been a question with the BCS' top ranked team. Once again this year, Oklahoma, a team who did not even win its own conference championship, will somehow be playing for the national title.\nThe winner of the Sugar Bowl, be it LSU or Oklahoma, must be selected the national champion by all voters in the Coaches Poll, but luckily there could be some justice in the screwed-up system. Associated Press poll voters are not tied into the BCS system and could therefore still vote USC No. 1 if they defeat Michigan in the Rose Bowl.\nUSC coach Pete Carroll has an extremely tough task at hand. Not only does Carroll have to convince his team they still have a shot at a share of the national title with a win over the Wolverines, but he must prepare for a balanced Michigan attack that arguably could be the hottest team in the nation. USC players will likely have plenty of motivation, though, to prove they should have been playing in New Orleans for the outright national championship.\nIf Michigan were to beat USC, a possibility which I could easily see, things would seem simpler heading into the Sugar Bowl, but they could just be getting steamed up. While a USC loss would mean only one top team would have one loss, some voters could jump Michigan over everybody depending on how the two games are decided.\nEither way, a split national title might not be the best for college football for the 2003 season, but in the long run, reform is needed. If NCAA Division II and III can have playoffs for their national titles, then why can't Division I? It is as simple as cutting the preseason weeks in half and not taking so much time off before the start of the bowl games. The playoff could still be worked around finals times for students and would not go any farther into the new year than the NCAA has already pushed it, to Jan. 4.\nWhy don't college presidents and the NCAA want to change the current format? One of the biggest reasons is because they now have over 25 bowls, all but 10 or 15 of them fairly worthless and with little history that bring in big bucks for the institutions and conferences involved. A playoff system would possibly shrink the number of teams allowed to participate in a bowl-like setting. Instead, they would rather bring in the dough from all the different bowl games, especially the $13 million to each school in a BCS game, even though much of the $13 million goes to that school's conference.\nUnfortunately, it will likely be at least 2006 before big changes occur in the system, because the BCS contract is not up until the end of the 2005 season. Until then, I will be referring to the BCS as the BSC. I think you can figure it out.
(12/03/03 6:10am)
How young is too young for professional athletics? It is a question that has been pondered by many over recent decades -- particularly, recent years -- with the Maurice Clarett saga in college football. However, Clarett is five years senior to the latest professional American athlete, that being 14-year-old soccer phenom Freddy Adu, who will remain in the United States and play for Major League Soccer.\nAdu was announced as the newest addition to the MLS in an attempt to lure attention to the sport of soccer in America, and it likely will work to some extent and for at least a short time period. Adu is reported to have the soccer equivalent talents of 18-year-old basketball star LeBron James and is already being compared to all-time soccer greats Pele and Diego Maradona.\nHis talents definitely are not in question as Adu has already represented the United States on international spectrums with the Under-17 team at the World Championships. Currently, Adu is even competing with athletes on par with Clarett's age as he was added to the U.S. U-20 team competing at the FIFA World Youth Championships alongside two Hoosier collegiate soccer players.\nAdu will play for the D.C. United franchise of MLS, which allows Adu to stay close to his home of Potomac, Md. Unfortunately for Adu, the United have struggled in recent years and, just Monday, fired their coach, so Adu will immediately be looked upon to turn around a toiled franchise. Terms of Adu's contract were not publically disclosed, but it has been reported that he would already become the highest-paid player in MLS, which is a single-owned operation. Players are signed to the organization, not individual teams.\nWhile Adu's reported contract of $250,000 does seem miniscule in comparison to like contracts of talented rookies in other professional leagues, or even the winnings young stars garner in tennis, it is ridiculous that MLS is paying more to a 14 year old than any other player in its organization. Adu is sadly going to be looked upon to completely revitalize a slumping sports organization and will be heavily promoted as the face and future of all American soccer.\nIronically enough, had it not been for FIFA regulations against players under the age of 18 signing professional contracts with teams in foreign countries, Adu probably would have been long gone for the bigger cash values he could easily have received overseas. FIFA regulations have not stopped such foreign soccer powers as Inter Milan, Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United from offering him more money than MLS to play in one of their youth programs until he turns 18, then risking the chance that he would re-sign to play with their professional team.\nWith all the commotion about Adu signing and staying to play in MLS, it will give American soccer one more boost of life to try to promote the game and make it a premier sport in American culture. As a fan of soccer in America, especially at the college and national level, I would love nothing more than for the Freddy Adu craze to bring new-found interest to soccer across the country. However, I am not holding my breath, and neither should you.
(11/20/03 6:03am)
The Bowl Championship Series is at it again, doing the one thing it seems to know how to do best -- create controversy.\nDespite slaughtering Arizona 45-0, USC dropped from the No. 2 spot in the BCS when the rankings came out Monday. Ohio State jumped past the Trojans and grasped the coveted No. 2 BCS ranking after squeaking by Purdue 16-13.\nOhio State, recently dubbed the "Luckeyes" for their ability to always pull out close games, were helped by two missed Purdue field goals including a chip shot 28-yarder with the game tied at six, and a 36-yard field goal in overtime that would have forced another overtime session. While I respect Ohio State and their ability to seemingly always find a way to win a game, they are not even in the same class as the Trojans.\nOhio State's offense is laughable at best, as they are only able to move the ball on the worst of defenses. The Buckeyes' victory over Purdue marked the third time this season they have won a game without scoring an offensive touchdown. The problem with the BCS once again is the computer average, as Ohio State has an average of 2.0 and USC's is 3.33. Computers cannot see how a team looks on the field. They can't see the inept Buckeyes' offense, nor can they see USC dominate opponent after opponent since its slip-up at California Sept. 27.\nThanks to persistent complaints and challenges of the BCS system by conference officials not part of the BCS, there may be light at the end of the college football postseason tunnel. Unfortunately, there are no timetables for changing the BCS, which means it could be a slow process, especially considering the current BCS contract is not up until after the 2005 college football season. Presidents of the BCS universities and conferences met last week with members of the National Coalition for Athletics Reform, a group formed in opposition of the BCS by Tulane President Scott Cowen. Cowen has had a particular interest in the BCS since the Green Wave were denied part in the BCS after an undefeated and Top 10 season in 1998, but they were not part of a BCS conference and did not finish in the top six in the BCS rankings.\nWhile a 16-team playoff was completely ruled out, both parties agreed changes to the current system need to be made. An eight-team playoff scenario is a possibility, and while most would argue it would create controversy for the teams still barely getting in and those being left out, at least more teams are allowed to vie for the championship on the field.\nThere is still a strong (and likely) possibility that the two best teams in the country will have a chance to vie for the championship on the field this season, and I'm not talking about Ohio State and undefeated and consensus No. 1 Oklahoma. USC and Oklahoma will still face off for the national championship in the Sugar Bowl, and we will be fortunate enough to see the consensus (by all unbiased parties) two best teams in the nation face off it all on the line. \nWhile USC's BCS point total of 7.71 is 0.19 points shy of Ohio State's 7.52, the difference will not matter after this weekend with Ohio State traveling to face rival Michigan at the "Big House" in Ann Arbor. Michigan and Ohio State will be battling not only for their yearly bragging rights, but for a Big Ten title and automatic BCS bid.\nThis time the "Luckeyes" will not be so fortunate as the Wolverines pose a dominant offense, defense and even strong special teams, not to mention a huge home field advantage and motivation to knock the bitter rival Buckeyes out of national title contention. Ohio State will be lucky not to get embarrassed by Michigan as the Wolverines could easily pound Ohio State by 20 points. Once again the BCS will luck out with USC and the Oklahoma Sooners battling for the title, but that does not mean it is not time for a change. Let's just hope the change comes sooner rather than later.
(11/18/03 5:38am)
Champagne corks were popped in south Florida yesterday afternoon as the Cincinnati Bengals upset the previously undefeated Kansas City Chiefs and ensured the 1972 Miami Dolphins would remain the last and only undefeated NFL team. That is right, I said the Cincinnati Bengals upset the Chiefs. The BENGALS.\nAnd don't look now, but the Bengals are in a first place tie in the AFC North division with the rival Baltimore Ravens. Since starting the season 0-3, the Bengals have reeled off five wins in seven games, including wins over Baltimore, the division-leading Seattle Seahawks, and the Chiefs, who still boast the best record in the NFL.\nWhat the Bengals' defeat of the Chiefs displayed once again is the difficulty of going a full season undefeated in any sport and at any level of competition. While the NFL would seem like a realistic possibility since there are only 16 regular season games, it is such a tough physical and mental grind over 17 weeks that no team has done it since the schedule was lengthened to 16 games (the Dolphins were 17-0, but only 13 were in the regular season).\nThe last two teams to really come close to joining the immaculate 1972 Dolphins were the 1998 Denver Broncos and the 1985 Chicago Bears. The Bears were 12-0 before getting beat by none other than the Dolphins, and finished out the season at 15-1 before going on to win the Super Bowl. The Broncos were 13-0 before the New York Giants and Dolphins both beat them, and they completed the regular season at 14-2 before going on to win their second consecutive Super Bowl.\nHistory may point to the Chiefs now continuing through the season and winning the Super Bowl, a likely possibility on all fronts, as they are a well-rounded team in all facets of the game, but they may have to face the Bengals one more time on the road to the Super Bowl in Houston. If the Bengals can continue their impressive play, they have the inside track to the playoffs and a division title in the pathetically poor AFC North division.\nThe Bengals and Ravens are tied at 5-5 right now with the Bengals having already defeated Baltimore. Cincinnati still has to travel to Baltimore for its second meeting Dec. 7, which is the third game of a three-game road trip for the Bengals. The Bengals have four of their last six games on the road, including games at Baltimore, Pittsburgh and St. Louis. Meanwhile, the Ravens have four of their six remaining games at home. The competition each team has remaining is similar, and it should be a tight race to the division title.\nWhoever wins the remaining game between the Bengals and Ravens will have a decided advantage; and with the Ravens in quarterback turmoil after rookie starter Kyle Boller went down a week ago, expect the Bengals to have the upper hand. The Ravens back-ups, consisting of Chris Redman and Anthony Wright, have been less than stellar in their recent performances and have left the Ravens' offense in serious question. With Boller out reportedly at least three more weeks, his return could be too late to lead the Ravens to a playoff run.\nA week before Sunday's game, Bengals wide receiver Chad Johnson proclaimed the Bengals would beat the Chiefs -- and they did, but not behind Johnson's performance. Fellow wide receiver Peter Warrick helped Johnson out by returning a 73-yard punt return for a touchdown and then catching a 77-yard touchdown pass to seal the victory.\nI'll make a prediction now, on the strength of rookie coach Marvin Lewis who has done a wonderful job, strong running by Rudi Johnson and an exceptional defense, the Bengals will make the playoffs for the first time since 1990. Now I just need the Bengals to make me look good like they did for Johnson.
(11/12/03 6:06am)
Respect. If there is one thing Penn State football coach Joe Paterno deserves, it is just that. Sadly enough though, the coach who has given his life to Penn State football (54 seasons to be exact) is now being turned upon by fans and media, primarily local, in an effort to oust the 76-year old.\nMany of his critics argue that the game has passed Paterno; he is too old for today's players and style of college football. That is the biggest bunch of garbage (I would use a stronger phrase, but this is a public forum) I have heard in a long time. Well, at least since critics used it against the last old coach they tried to get rid of. Need I remind you of what Paterno and his Nittany Lions did just one year ago?\nIn 2002, Paterno went 9-4, with all four losses coming to teams ranked in the top 15, two of them in overtime and all by less than a touchdown, not to mention a couple of them were, in part, lost due to shoddy officiating. Bad mouthing officials last season got Paterno no more than a verbal reprimand from the Big Ten front office, but gave critics even more fodder for why the game has passed him by. I would like to note that multiple Big Ten coaches also recommended for the league to look into its officiating problems.\nSure, Paterno is struggling this season as his Nittany Lions are 2-8 heading into two final games against IU and Michigan State, but they have been nagged by injuries to key players and also have a very young starting nucleus. I will already predict that next year Penn State will finish with at least eight or nine wins. Penn State could still finish with four this season with a couple of victories to end the year as they have been improving dramatically since the beginning of the season.\nPaterno turns 77 on Dec. 21 and next season would be his 39th year on the sidelines as Penn State's coach. He has accumulated an all-time record of 338-107-3 and despite struggling in recent years, Penn State is 31-27 since 1999. The last time everyone wrote them off was after two seasons just below .500 at 5-6 and 5-7 in 2001 and 2000, respectively, only to turn it around and go 9-4 in 2002.\nPaterno has five perfect seasons and two national titles at the helm of the Nittany Lions, not to mention having led them to 31 bowl games and accrued a stellar 20-10-1 record including winning six of their last eight postseason affairs. Paterno has earned the right to stay at Penn State and leave on his own terms.\nPaterno runs a clean program, molds high school kids into good human beings and has achieved some degree of success in the long tenure. Unless they get out of control on or off the court or field, coaches with long-standing histories with one school have earned the privilege to go out when they want to, not when some low-life fan thinks they are too old. Other coaches that come to mind include Pat Summit, Mike Krzyzewski and even Gene Keady up at Purdue.\nPaterno should be allowed to fulfill his contract with Penn State which runs through 2006. The Nittany Lions knew at the time they signed Paterno to the contract extension that he would be 80 at the time the contract was up, so don't go saying he is too old now.\nBack off Joe Pa, let him do his job, let him leave the sidelines when he decides he no longer wants to coach, and thank him for all he has given college athletics. In other words, just show the man a little respect.
(11/06/03 6:05am)
When the Atlantic Coast Conference swiped Miami (Fla.) and Virginia Tech from the Big East Conference in June, speculation arose about what trickle-down effects we would see to help maintain the power conference alignment in college athletics. Boston College accepted an invitation to move from the Big East to the ACC in October as the ACC rounded into a 12-team league, allowing for a football playoff game and a nice breakdown into two six-team divisions.\nIt was inevitable that the Big East would have to react to three of its primary football powers heading to the ACC. It did so Tuesday when it announced the addition of Cincinnati, Louisville and South Florida for all sports, as well as Marquette and DePaul for all sports except football. All five of the Big East's additions come from Conference USA, depleting an already weak major conference by taking five of its premier basketball teams.\nMore importantly, these additions allow the Big East to maintain the required eight football teams to be NCAA certified as a conference. It also gives the Big East 16 teams for basketball, which will likely break down into two eight-team divisions and will boast one of the nation's premier basketball conferences. Along with defending national champion Syracuse, six other Big East teams would be ranked in the preseason Top 25 rankings.\nUnfortunately for college athletics and troubled mid-major conferences, the trickle down will continue and may eventually force a small conference to fold. Conference USA responded to the moves by adding Central Florida, Marshall, Rice, Southern Methodist and Tulsa. All of these teams come from some of the larger mid-major conferences who will improbably react by attacking other mid-major conferences, continuing to deplete the conference breakdown in collegiate athletics.\nWhile all followers of college athletics expected the Big East to react to its losses, I do not think most believed it would be this drastic of a move, not to mention stealing five teams all from one conference. Once you look past the six power conferences, it becomes apparent that as teams continue to be wooed by more high-profile conferences and the chance to prove themselves in big-time college sports, it will only create more problems and result in mass parody in college athletics. \nThe current six power conferences have far too much money and influence over college athletics. Look no farther than college football where the six power conferences all have automatic Bowl Championship Series bids, taking up six of the eight spots in the four primary bowl games. College sports are supposed to be about the athletes and showcasing their proficient talents at such a young age and on a high profile level. Regrettably, though, with these conference shifts we have only seen the money-driven pursuits of college administrations in the movement to use athletics to market and sell an entire university.\nAs an avid college sports fan, all of these changes just make me sick. If the ACC and Big East have success with their changes, it may not be long before the Big Ten and Pac-10 try to add teams as well, again depleting the lower level conferences of their best teams. The NCAA needs to stop the domino effect before it gets of out control and put the focus back on helping its players become well-rounded individuals both on and off the field.
(11/04/03 6:19am)
Now that there are nine weeks of the NFL season complete, we are starting to see what some of the teams are made of this season and what superstars have decided to come to work this year. As usual, half of the teams that most analysts predicted to win their divisions and advance in January have struggled, while there have also been multiple squads who have surprised everybody and are even leading their divisions as the home stretch of the regular season nears.\nOn the disappointing side of the coin thus far this season, the Pittsburgh Steelers have failed to top the list. Not only do the Steelers play in perhaps the weakest division in the NFL, but they returned all of their newly found potent offense from last season and a usually stingy defense, not to mention tough and scowling coach Bill Cowher.\nMuch of the trouble this season stems from defensive struggles and injuries as the Steelers have allowed opposing teams to score more than 30 points in four of their six losses this season. The Steelers are just three games back of division-leading Baltimore and play the Ravens the last game of the season, but if they have any hopes of seeing the postseason they need to go on a run starting with spanking the Arizona Cardinals this weekend.\nLast year's Super Bowl competitors, Tampa Bay and Oakland, have both had awful starts to their seasons as Oakland is 2-6 while Tampa Bay is 4-4. The Raiders playoff hopes are done, and they may need a geriatric plan in Oakland at the end of the year for all their elder players. Meanwhile, teams have figured out how to beat Tampa Bay's mighty defense, and ironically, that plan is to run right at them and play them physically. The Bucs still have a shot to win the NFC South, but Carolina has a much easier schedule, not to mention a two-game lead over Tampa Bay heading into its second match-up this weekend.\nSan Francisco and Green Bay have both underachieved to date, but both came up with huge wins this past weekend to remain in playoff contention in their respective divisions. Brett Favre will not let the Packers go down without a fight, and if Minnesota continues to lose, turmoil may result with Vikings owner Red McCombs already chastising the team after its loss a week ago. The 49ers might have a quarterback controversy now after Tim Rattay led them to a victory over division rival St. Louis, and since loud-mouth wide receiver Terrell Owens has publically stated he prefers Rattay over all-pro Jeff Garcia, who is out with an ankle injury.\nAs many disappointments as there have been in the NFL this season, there have probably been even more surprises. Starting with the sole undefeated team in the league,Kansas City and down through Cincinnati at 3-5, there have been many promising stories of improving teams this season.\nSure, we all expected the Chiefs to be this good, but Kansas City might actually have a shot at going undefeated through the regular season. I am sure now that I have said that, they will lose next week, but if they continue to play as they have the first half of the season, they have a legit shot. Their only tough tests come Dec. 7 at Denver and Dec. 20 at Minnesota (if the Vikings have not imploded by then). We knew Kansas City's offense was explosive, and the Chiefs lived up to the hype by leading the league in points scored. But more important to their success so far and as the season wears on is that their defense has held opponents to the fourth fewest points of any NFL team.\nMinnesota and Carolina both lead their divisions at 6-2, but I am still not sold on the quality of their teams. They may hang on to win their divisions, in part to the easier schedules they have in comparison to their division counterparts, but they will not go far in the playoffs. It is nice to see Randy Moss decided to play football this year instead of bicker on the sidelines and in press conferences. But if things turn sour in Vikingland, it will only be a matter of time until Moss opens his loud mouth and starts complaining.\nSeattle and Dallas might actually be legitimate division leaders and playoff contenders as they also lead their divisions with 6-2 records. The difference with the Seahawks and Cowboys are that they are guided by experienced coaches, and they have come back strong from defeats this season, something Minnesota and Carolina have not done.\nLastly, we have the teams showing promise for future seasons but will not pose a threat this year. Leading the way in this category are the Cincinnati Bengals and Houston Texans. Ironically enough, these two squads meet next week for a shot at their fourth win of the season. Houston has two quality wins over Miami and Carolina and is just one win shy of the four wins it posted in its inaugural season of 2002. The Bengals, meanwhile, have been transformed by new head coach Marvin Lewis and already have more wins (three) than they had all of last season (two). Once they get rid of the big ego and distraction known as Corey Dillon, the Bengals will be focused and tough to handle come next year.
(10/29/03 5:36am)
Now that this year's nail-biting baseball playoffs have concluded, I am sure you are all ready for the always riveting 82-game NBA season which is underway as of last night (chuckle). With the season just beginning, it once again is time to make improbable season-long predictions for division winners and an NBA champion. I am sure half the teams will prove me wrong by December, but that is the fun in making predictions, right?
(10/21/03 5:52am)
The college football season is at the halfway point of its season and as November nears, the games will become even more important for those teams still atop the polls. Only three teams from college football's biggest conferences remain undefeated and two of those, Miami and Virginia Tech, still have to play one another Nov. 1.\nOklahoma, Miami and Virginia Tech top both the Associated Press and USA Today/ESPN Coaches Poll with Miami taking just a handful of first place votes from the so far dominant Oklahoma Sooners. The initial Bowl Championship Series standings were revealed last night looking relatively similar to the other weekly polls, but over the years the initial BCS standings have meant little come early December when the final standings decide who will play for the national championship.\nSince the BCS' inception in 1998, only four of the 10 teams released in the top two spots of the BCS in mid-October remained in one of the top two slots at the end of the season. Over the last five years, there have been an average of nearly six undefeated teams per season on the first week the BCS has been released, but we have yet to see more than two undefeateds at the end of the season. This year's number of three undefeateds at the initial release are the fewest in the BCS' six-year history and with the Miami at Virginia Tech game still looming, it assures us of no more than two undefeated teams come December once again.\nI'm predicting Oklahoma to continue to roll onto the Sugar Bowl Jan. 3, and Virginia Tech to upset Miami in Blacksburg, Va. But Tech has to go on the road to rival West Virginia tomorrow and better not be looking ahead to the Hurricanes Nov. 1, or else the Mountaineers could pull the upset. Virginia Tech also still has to visit in-state arch rival Virginia in the final game of their regular season Nov. 29.\nThe lack of unbeaten teams this year can be attributed to the high inconsistency among college football and particularly college athletes we typically see on a game-by-game basis. College athletics often times provide the most intriguing and exciting games we see during the sports year. College athletes have everything to win, including a championship, becoming a legend to all their school's fans, or a future big time contract at the professional level, while they often have nothing to lose when they are on the field. We are usually fortunate enough to avoid the egos of high paid athletes in the college ranks which helps to make the games and players all the more appealing.\nBut as we have seen in college football this season, inconsistency is prevalent week in and week out. Florida and Oregon are two of the best examples of inconsistent play this season. Oregon beat then-No.3 Michigan 31-27 and the following week was crushed by No. 21 Washington State 55-16. While the Cougars are a very solid team, and now up to No. 6 in the country, no team should have beaten Oregon this badly at home. Oregon has gone on to lose to a solid Utah team and then was trampled by Pac-10 rival and 4-3 Arizona State 59-14.\nMeanwhile, Florida led then-No. 3 Miami by 23 points only to blow the lead and lose 38-33. It went on to lose to both Tennessee and Mississippi at home in 'The Swamp,' before beating two top-15 teams in LSU and Arkansas on the road. Next week, Florida hosts No. 4 Georgia and in the last week of the season the team plays No. 6 Florida State, but most importantly for Florida is which Gator squad will show up to play.\nInconsistency is abound in all college athletics and for good reason. College athletes are far less experienced than their professional counterparts and have multiple other concerns in their lives when they are in college. Rigorous practices squeezed in around classes and tests, not to mention it is the first time many of these athletes have been away from home and have to worry about food and laundry, making for unreliable performance on the field.\nIt is this unpredictability which makes college athletics so captivating and will keep fans on the edge of their seats for the rest of the college football season.
(10/16/03 6:43am)
If you have seen any football over the last couple of weekends it is likely you have witnessed the extreme differences between the National Football League and NCAA overtime scenarios. One of the overtime scenarios is thrilling throughout overtime and keeps all fans on the edge of their seats every play. The other scenario is exciting, well, exciting if you consider a coin toss exciting.\nIt is time for the NFL's overtime policy of just playing an additional quarter with a coin flip to see who gets first possession to go. The NCAA does overtime right, allowing both teams possession on the 25-yard line and alternating who is on offense and defense first based on a coin toss. Sure, winning the coin toss first and electing to be on defense first has its advantages, but at least both teams get to see the ball.\nSince 1998, more than 60 percent of the NFL teams winning the coin toss go on to win in overtime, with over half of those teams winning on their first possession in the extra period. Even if team members do not score off of their first possession, they are at a distinct advantage if they can even get a decent kick return and a first down or two. This gives them the opportunity to pin their opponent in their own territory and gain valuable field position.\nFar too often in NFL overtime games we see a team make a valiant comeback at the end of regulation to lose the coin toss and get beaten by a field goal in overtime. Through the first six weeks of the NFL season we have already seen nine games go into overtime. In four of those nine games, the losing team has not even seen the football. Fortunately, we have not had to suffer through an overtime tie yet this season, which is not only boring, but leaves both fans and players unsatisfied with the result of the game.\nSome pro football purists argue that the college format of continuous overtime periods until someone holds an opponent would prolong play and increase the risk of injuries. However, I would argue the current NFL format involves nearly as many plays and thus chances for injuries on average as the college format over two or three overtime sessions.\nSince both teams get the ball on the 25-yard line to start their possessions, it would typically take between six and ten plays for a team to score. Also, if the NFL implemented the college rule of forcing teams to go for a two-point conversion after a touchdown starting in the third overtime session, you would rarely see an overtime extend past four possessions per team.\nWorst of all in the NFL's current overtime setup is that after 75 grueling minutes of play, two teams can end the game in a tie. Not only have players expressed discontent with this scenario, but it is awful for the fans of the game. We do not pay big bucks for a ticket or sit around a television for three or four hours to see a game end without a winner.\nA team should not be punished for losing a miniscule coin toss, nor should teams play hard for five quarters to go home with a tie. It is time for the NFL to give the fans the excitement and intrigue they want and allow both teams a chance with the ball and no ties in overtime.
(10/09/03 5:48am)
The old adage in football and even basketball is that offense wins games, but defense wins championships. Over recent years, this axiom has held fairly true. Sure, you do have to score points to beat your opponent, but most often it is the team which can put the clamps on its opponent that ends up victorious.\nThis year's Major League Baseball playoffs are displaying a very similar relationship with a team's pitching staff. Despite the offensive explosion baseball has witnessed in the last six to eight years, pitchers constantly come up big in the playoffs to shut down some of the most prolific offenses, and this year has been no different. It does not even take a whole pitching staff to stop an opponent; two outstanding pitchers can carry a team far in the playoffs -- just ask Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling of the 2001 World Series Champion Arizona Diamondbacks.\nTake for instance the Braves and Cubs National League Division Series which the Cubs won in five games. Cubs' ace hurlers Mark Prior and Kerry Wood pitched three of the five games. The Cubs won all three of those games as Prior and Wood brought their 'A' games and halted the Braves offensive powerhouse.\nAtlanta had by far the best offense in the National League in the regular season as it led the NL in runs scored, home runs and batting average. But Prior and Wood carried the Cubs on their backs as they gave up just four runs combined in a total of 24 1/3 innings pitched. After a loss in game one of the NL Championship Series, the Cubs will look to Prior to continue his mastership on the mound and shut down the explosive and quick offense of the Florida Marlins.\nThe Cubs pitching staff is not the only staff which has put its team in good position for postseason success. In the 18 games of the four Division Series, nine of those games had the losing team scoring one run or less. Any team's chances of winning are highly increased when its pitching staff can hold the opponent to a run or less.\nDuring the regular season it is not uncommon to see scores of 10-9 or 9-7, where offenses tend to control the game. It is actually fairly rare during the regular season to see a game where a team would score four or five runs and win a game. Once again though, in the 18 games at the Division Series level, only twice did a team actually score five runs and come out on the short end.\nWhile the Cubs and Marlins Game 1 was a 9-8 finish, it will still be the starting pitching which decides this series. The Cubs will be able to pitch Prior and Wood four games if the series goes the maximum seven games. Therefore, the Marlins will have to come up with a big victory over one of the Cubs' aces to even have a chance to win the series.\nMuch of a team's pitching staff success in the postseason relies on being able to set up its pitching rotation as it would like for a series. For the American League Championship Series, the Yankees have been off since clinching the ALDS against Minnesota Saturday, while the Red Sox played on through Monday before downing the A's. Boston also had to pitch ace Pedro Martinez in Game 5 of the ALDS and now Martinez will not be able to pitch against the Yankees until Game 3.\nSome of the other Red Sox pitchers will have to step up for Boston to have a shot at defeating the Yankees and overcoming the curse of The Babe. But in the end, the Yankees pitching staff will prove too much for the Red Sox outstanding offense and the Yankees will be hosting the Cubs in the World Series after Prior and Wood once again carry the Cubs to another postseason series victory.
(10/07/03 5:28am)
As soon as I saw Rush Limbaugh had been hired by ESPN to be on their Sunday NFL Countdown show, I turned to a friend and asked, "Why?" My friend replied with much the same surprise and added how it just gave Limbaugh another chance to assert his opinions on the general public.\nLimbaugh is one of those guys that most people either love or just cannot stand to listen to. I fall into the latter category. It's not because I necessarily have different views than him, more so because I just get so sick and tired of hearing him run his mouth. ESPN's Sunday NFL Countdown had been one of the single best sport-devoted programs on television heading into the year, and I was afraid Limbaugh would find a way to bring it down.\nHe did, and it only took him four weeks on the set to do so. Two weekends ago, as the analysts on the show were discussing Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb and his early season struggles, Limbaugh made the mistaken comment I figured was just a matter of time away. He claimed that McNabb was overrated and only received the publicity he did because the media was overly promoting him in hopes of creating a big-time image for an African-American quarterback.\nFirst of all, McNabb is easily one of the top five quarterbacks in the NFL when he is healthy and on his game. Sure, he struggled in his first two games, but his supporting cast has been depleted this year (it was never very strong to begin with), and he did not receive any help from the defensive side of the ball as the Eagles defense has been tormented by injuries this season. McNabb led the Eagles to back-to-back NFC Championship games, and despite falling short of the Super Bowl, he has more than proved his talent.\nSecond, Limbaugh tried to claim that his statement was in no way meant to be racial and was only a jab at the media for trying to build a reputation for an overrated player. This is also incorrect, as McNabb has proved his ability on the field, and it is not as though the media has built up the reputation of another African-American quarterback. For Limbaugh's claim to even seem to be true, you would think it had happened on multiple occasions, but this is not the case.\nWhile the Sunday NFL Countdown crew members did strongly disagree with Limbaugh on the set, none of them denounced the racial effect of the comment, and some crew members were attacked greatly for not responding. This past weekend, Tom Jackson apologized to the African-American community for not responding immediately. However, in my opinion, I do not think anyone realized the impact of the statement when it was initially made.\nSome people claimed Limbaugh was doing what ESPN had hired him to do -- create controversy. Jackson claimed that Limbaugh said at the time of his hiring he was taking the job as a fan with an analyst perspective. I still say shame on ESPN for hiring such a loudmouth with no football analysis integrity, but the rest of the blame is Limbaugh's. ESPN received numerous complaints and suggestions that they should fire Limbaugh, which eventually led to Limbaugh rightfully stepping down from the position Wednesday night.\nWhile it may seem like a good idea to put a football fan in the studio or broadcast booth, this is the second time it has failed, as ABC let go of Dennis Miller after a season on Monday Night Football. Just let the sports analysts do their job, and sit back and be a fan. That's good enough, isn't it?
(10/01/03 6:01am)
Major League Baseball concluded its regular season last Sunday, and the playoffs began Tuesday. Soon enough the Baseball Writers Association of America will award its annual awards. In light of the upcoming awards, I have decided to take my best shot at giving out the League MVPs, Cy Youngs and Manager of the Year awards.
(09/25/03 5:16am)
For those of you who may not have noticed, there happens to be a huge sporting event with large international implications in our own state's backyard this weekend. No, it's not the Indianapolis Colts seeking to be 4-0. Nor does it relate to basketball, even in a state where basketball controls some lives for months at a time.\nGet your laughs and chuckles out right now for you fans who either do not think racing is a sport or who just choose not to recognize it at all. Yes, I am referring to the third and final big race of the year at the Greatest Spectacle in Racing, the Formula One United States Grand Prix at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. \nThe Grand Prix brings tens, even hundreds of thousands of visitors to Indianapolis from foreign countries to root on their native driver or team with more passion than you see at almost any American sporting event. These fans are some of the most knowledgeable about their sport in the world and take great pride in flaunting their favorite team colors with apparel or flags on race day.\nMy recommendation for you is to take a little bit out of your day on Sunday and just follow a bit of the race to learn a little about the Formula One series and its world class drivers. Formula One has the best all-around drivers in the world hands down; it is the top of the international peak in terms of racing and all of it will be on display Sunday at the Speedway.\nThis year's Grand Prix should be especially exciting as both the Driver and Team Points Championships are still up in the air. Formula One's new scoring pattern as well as inconsistency from the Ferrari team has kept the championship race close throughout the season. Ferrari's five-time World Champion Michael Schumacher leads BMW Williams' Juan Montoya by just three points going into Indy, and McLaren's Kimi Raikkonen is a mere seven points from the top spot.\nSchumacher can clinch the title with two scenarios but must finish at least second to do so and receive some help from Montoya and Raikkonen. Not to mention that Ferrari actually trails BMW Williams by four points in a heated Team Championship race. Either way, this year's Grand Prix is likely set to be the most exciting and competitive in the short four-year history of the race.\nI have a personal affection for racing (just as much as any other sport) as I lived just a mile from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway until I was 6 years old and can recall hearing the cars roar from my baby-sitter's house throughout the month of May. Since the 1989 Indianapolis 500, I have missed just three of the big races (those being the Indy 500, Brickyard 400 and the Grand Prix).\nI have told all my friends at least once before that if you were born in Indiana, you must go to the Indy 500 and the Speedway at least once to live the experience and atmosphere. Some of them scoff at the notion. Most say they will go at least once to see the atmosphere; some have already gone; and all of them have said they would love to go back.\nBeing an Indiana native and not going to an event at the Speedway is like coming to IU and not going to a basketball game, the Little 500, a Broadway musical at the IU Auditorium or a performance at the MAC by our top-notch School of Music. To get the full college experience and to get all out of your time here at IU, you should attend all of these things at least once in your time here, or you are doing yourself a cultural injustice. As for all of you out-of-staters, you are Hoosiers now and should also live up all of the experiences the state of Indiana has to offer, including those at the Speedway.\nEven if you are not a racing fan, you have to live the experience at the Speedway at least once, whether it is the 500, the 400 or the Grand Prix. I still get chills and goose bumps every time I enter the Speedway. The racing capital of the world may not suck you in like it has me, but I am still sure it will leave you yearning to come back and experience it again.
(09/23/03 5:43am)
In recent years, the great influx of international talent into Major League Baseball and the National Basketball Association has created some controversy when it comes to first-year players. The debate often surfaces toward the end of the season when analysts begin to make their predictions for end-of-the-season awards, specifically the Rookie of the Year award.\nThis issue seems to be a much larger deal in MLB than in the NBA, as so-called "purists" of the game have recently begun to argue that overseas players should not be eligible for the Rookie of the Year award. These purists claim that since the international players have played in professional leagues overseas, they are not new to the professional ranks and therefore should not be eligible for a rookie award.\nThe purists' claim is absurd. I am as big a fan as any, but this is just such a stupid assertion. First of all, the award was first given out by the Baseball Writers Association of America in 1947, and the original winner was none other than the great Jackie Robinson. Ironically, Robinson also played in another professional league prior to being named Rookie of the Year for MLB. Robinson broke the color barrier of baseball in 1947 -- after coming over from the Negro League.\nIf it was okay for Robinson to win the award, and it should have been, then there should not be a problem with the Yankees' Hideki Matsui winning the award this season. There have been three recent international stars to claim the Rookie of the Year prize; Hideo Nomo won the National League award in 1995 and Kazuhiro Sasaki and Ichiro Suzuki won the American League award in 2000 and 2001, respectively.\nDebates began to stir with both Sasaki and Suzuki's victories, and with Matsui the likely leader for the AL award again this year, the water-cooler arguments have been resurrected. They should be laid to rest right now. Whether players have played in professional leagues prior to coming to MLB is irrelevant. They are rookies to MLB, and that is all that should matter.\nFor some reason, there is not as much argument over the NBA Rookie of the Year award. Only Pau Gasol has won the award as an international player in recent years, in 2002. Much of it seems to do with the fact that international players in the NBA often struggle for a couple of seasons before adjusting to the American game. Dirk Nowitzki is a prime example of a successful player needing time to adjust, as it was not until his third season in the NBA that Nowitzki broke the 20 points per game plateau.\nBaseball players have not all had the great success of Matsui or Ichiro either: just ask Tsuyoshi Shinjo, who entered the National League for the Mets in 2001 and has had a measly .245 career batting average in three seasons.\nAlso, American players have likely played ball for as much of their lives as their international counterparts, and some would argue their competition has been superior. In this case, why should international players be punished just because they played in a professional league in their home countries?\nGive these players recognition for what they have done in their sports against the best players in the world. MLB and the NBA are played at a different pace, and with a different aura and atmosphere than any other baseball or basketball in the world. Making the adjustments culturally and still performing in such a successful manner should be more than enough for these players to be noted as Rookies of the Year -- if their statistics warrant them so.
(09/17/03 6:23am)
As the Major League Baseball season comes to a close and I take a look at the standings, I cannot help but notice Alex Rodriguez and his $25.2 million contract per year and how the Texas Rangers are once again in the cellar of the American League West. Despite being one of, if not the best all-around player in baseball, A-Rod has failed to lead his Rangers even close to postseason play in his three seasons with the club.\nI am and likely always will be an A-Rod fan, and he is easy to like with a nearly permanent smile and home run hitting power combined with stellar defensive skills. Some would say he makes too much money and that is definitely arguable. But year after year, Rodriguez puts up numbers to back-up his contract. This year, he once again has 40-plus home runs, 100-plus RBI's and is hitting just under .300. A-Rod has also earned his money as he has not yet missed a game since becoming a Ranger.\nThinking about Rodriguez and his not-so-stellar attempts to even make the postseason since heading south from Seattle made me consider some of the "best-ever" players in their respective sports, who never went the distance to win it all.\nIn the all-time-greats list for baseball, you can include nearly all Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, and Boston Red Sox stars you can imagine, since those teams have not won a title since 1908, 1917, and 1818, respectively. Consider names such as Ernie Banks for the Cubs, Nellie Fox and Carlton Fisk for the White Sox, and Fisk, Ted Williams, and Carl Yastrzemski for the Red Sox.\nWilliams is arguably the best pure hitter of all-time and the last to hit over .400 for a season when he hit .406 in 1941. Yastrzemski is the last to hit for the Triple Crown, (leading the league in batting average, home runs, and runs batted-in) which he did in 1967. Other stars who did not play for the Cubs, White Sox, or Red Sox, but still failed to win a championship include Harmon Killebrew, Gaylord Perry and the recently retired Tony Gwynn.\nFootball stars to never hoist a championship trophy after a title game include greats such as Fran Tarkenton, Gale Sayers, Dan Marino, Jim Kelly and Barry Sanders. Sayers and Sanders are two of the greatest running backs in football history, yet never once reached the pinnacle of success in the NFL. Marino, who holds numerous NFL passing records, led the Miami Dolphins to the Super Bowl in his second year and then never returned to the big stage. Meanwhile, Tarkenton and Kelly led their respective teams to multiple Super Bowls, but always came up one win short.\nPro basketball has its fair share of players to never rejoice after an ABA or NBA title as well. Recently retired (and should-be future Hall-of-Famers) John Stockton, Charles Barkley and Patrick Ewing all made it to the NBA Finals, yet were all denied the glorious winners stage. This trio joins good company of basketball greats never to garner a pro championship ring, such as Calvin Murphy, Elgin Baylor and George Gervin. Give anyone those six stars in their prime and I would like their chances at winning a title against any opponent.\nDespite never reaching the top in their respective sports, each of these athletes represents some of the best to ever play the game and should be recognized as such by any knowledgeable fan. These lists of all-time greats show that it often takes more than sheer individual talent and an owner's deep pocket to win a championship; team cohesiveness and a little luck never hurts.
(09/11/03 5:59am)
When I am watching a sporting event on television, one of the things that irks me the most is when the camera will zoom in specifically on a player's family. This especially upsets me during the actual play of the game. I like seeing interviews and spotlights on a player's background and family, but do it during halftime or a prolonged break in the action, not just when the ball goes out of bounds or the clock is stopped for a brief moment.\nOne of the few things worse than showing players' family members though, might just be showing an overbearing owner or team executive who likes to gleam in all the spotlight they can get. You know who I am talking about -- the George Steinbrenners and Mark Cubans of the world.\nThe action is on the field, not up in the owners, suites or entrenched near the sidelines where the Dallas Mavericks' Cuban and Dallas Cowboys' Jerry Jones like to mingle during a game. Keep the cameras on the people who matter during the game (that would be the players on the field). I do not care how much money these owners put forward or what antics they pull to get attention. When the game is being played, they mean about as much to the outcome as me sitting in my chair watching from home.\nThe New York Yankees' Steinbrenner, Oakland Raiders' Al Davis, Jones and Cuban are a few of the more outspoken owners in this crowd, but they are by no means the solo perpetrators in the overbearing owner category. I would likely bet that most sports fans could name the owners of these four franchises faster than they could name their coaches.\nWhile the overbearing factor can create success, it is often the money these owners flaunt that creates the on-the-field success that gets their teams and them as individuals in the spotlight. Take Steinbrenner for instance. Year after year, the Yankees seemingly try to buy another World Series Championship. Yes, they do have quality players they brought up from within their organization (Derek Jeter, Bernie Williams and Andy Pettitte to name a few). But for every homegrown player, they have traded or signed another from free agency to a big-time contract that a smaller market team could not afford.\nYankees Manager Joe Torre has had great success with four World Series rings in the last seven seasons and is the only manager in Yankees history to lead the team to seven consecutive postseason appearances. Despite this history and a current 87-56 record this season, Steinbrenner has been on Torre's case throughout the year. Most recently, Steinbrenner chastised and threatened jobs of his coaching staff and front office (whom I'll remind you he actually hires) for not performing as they should be in his utopian mind. These statements have routinely infuriated the usually calm Torre who may be on his last round of putting up with such antics from Steinbrenner.\nIn contrast to Steinbrenner is Cuban, who presents a more overbearing factor to the National Basketball Association than to his own team. He is constantly in the spotlight, but will fight to the end in support of his players and coaches, even when they may be in the wrong. This support for his franchise is much appreciated by his players and fans, but come game time, Cuban needs to take a back seat to his team on the floor and allow his players to execute as they are paid to do.\nSo the next time you are watching a game and the cameras glean in on one of these or other overbearing owners, just cringe, turn your head and hope the bone-headed media has not missed showing you a home run or touchdown in place of a big-mouthed team owner.
(09/09/03 5:14am)
In the process of viewing another riveting Saturday of college football action, I was fortunate enough to catch one of Fox Sports' always interesting interactive fan polls. Spurned by discussion of the Maurice Clarett case at Ohio State, this one concerned whether or not college football would be better off if players were able to enter the NFL draft at a younger age as the Buckeye star Clarett may attempt to go through a court battle.\nThe pitiful Fox announcers were shocked to see 13 percent of America claimed college football would be better off without the so-called stars that would leave college even earlier to reap the rewards of NFL contracts. The announcers seemed dumbfounded at how these stars of the Saturday gridiron could go pro, and college football could be better off. Well, if I had my druthers, the percentage would have been much higher.\nHas the caliber of college basketball been diminished by early entrants to the NBA? Has the excitement dwindled in Omaha during the month of June for the College World Series because high school prodigies skip college altogether? A resounding "No" can emphatically answer these two questions.\nThe same would happen with college football. Sure you might miss the spectacular plays some of these stars make or the unheard of performances they put up in the spotlight, but their departure just opens the door for someone else to become a star. Trust me, they will and we would be at no lack of stars in the college football ranks.\nIn many cases, one of them being Clarett, these college stars create more controversy and pain than they are worth. Already thinking they should be getting paid and not taking care of their academics, they hang on by threads in school and stroll around in high-profile vehicles often in question of how they received such a ride. Student-athletes are just that: student-athletes. Notice how eloquently the student comes before the athlete.\nDo not get me wrong. I am all about getting these young men and women an education, but in return they have to want an education. By all reports, it seems as though our Buckeye friend to the east wanted no part in school from day one. College athletes are given a great opportunity for a free education while still partaking in a sport they should love to play. Some take advantage of the opportunity, others throw it away while tarnishing their reputation and often times bringing down the institution they represent as well as giving all of college athletics a bad rap in the process.\nGo ahead and tell me they should be paid because they are taken advantage of by their university or conference and I will give you 10 reasons why they should not. Tell me they give their lives to their university and I will give you hundreds, even thousands of other young men and women who would plead for the opportunity these college athletes have been able to obtain.\nNot all the stars are trouble by any means, just as many of the stars would stay in school to obtain an education as would leave early for the big bucks of the NFL. Carson Palmer, Terence Newman, Jimmy Kennedy and Larry Johnson are just a few examples from last year's draft of college studs that played all four years of college ball.\nHere is to hoping Clarett wins his case and is able to enter the NFL draft early. Not only would this provide great opportunities for young men to set themselves for life financially, but it would get those just interested in the athlete part of the college game out of the picture and allow more chances for others to make a name for themselves.\n-- Contact staff writer Colin Nowling at cnowling@indiana.edu.
(09/03/03 6:18am)
As classes start and the whiffs of autumn begin to roll across the country soon, it could only mean one great thing for the sports fan: a long awaited return to the gridiron since last January's playoffs and bowl games.\nCollege football is already underway as the Hoosiers painfully found out last Saturday, but tomorrow dawns a new season in the National Football League and kicks off the beginning of Sunday afternoons spent with friends, a beverage and a bratwurst in hand.\nA new season also means new predictions, which I'm sure will be spoiled by underachieving teams and key injuries. Nonetheless, it is always fun to take a crack at what you think might happen, so here goes:\nAFC East Champ: Miami\nAFC North Champ: Pittsburgh\nAFC South Champ: Indianapolis\nAFC West Champ: Denver\nAFC Wild Cards: Tennessee and New England\nAFC Champion: Pittsburgh\nTampa Bay did beat up on Oakland in the Super Bowl last year, but prior to that the AFC had won four of the last five Super Bowls (despite losing 13 straight before that streak). The AFC's chances for another title could be high this year as the NFC seems very up in the air. Miami should be very strong with the additions of quarterback Brian Griese as a back-up (he'll be starting by the end of the year if they are to have success) and perennial All-Pro linebacker Junior Seau. \nSure, Indianapolis is a sentimental favorite to my hometown heart, but I really believe this will be the year of the Colts. Tony Dungy's implementations on defense will be more visible in their second year and the Big 3 of Peyton Manning, Marvin Harrison and Edgerrin James have to produce sometime, don't they? Quarterback Jake Plummer finally has some help around him with his move from Arizona to Denver, and he will prosper in the Broncos system to lead them to a division title.\nFinally rid of all the questions of Kordell Stewart, Pittsburgh can move on with its stellar defense and the always fun scowls of coach Bill Cowher. Also, even as a fan of Jerome "The Bus" Bettis, I am happy to see "Famous" Amos Zereoue as the starting running back. The Steelers are a bit of a sentimental pick for me as a lifelong fan thanks to my dad, but with their depth and home field advantage in the playoffs, they should go deep into January.\nNFC East Champ: Philadelphia\nNFC North Champ: Green Bay\nNFC South Champ: Tampa Bay\nNFC West Champ: St. Louis\nNFC Wild Cards: New Orleans and San Francisco\nNFC Champion: Philadelphia\nQuarterback Brett Farve will lead the Packers to yet another division title in what could be his last season. The ageless Farve can still throw bullets to his receivers and hopefully will decide to hang around for a few more years on the Frozen Tundra. Defending Super Bowl Champion Tampa Bay is tough to pick against to repeat, but something tells me it just will not happen. They will win their division and cause serious problems for all playoff teams with their devastating defense. St. Louis might finally get it all back together this year and return to a bit of its glory. Quarterback Kurt Warner is healthy and even if he goes down, Marc Bulger is a proven back-up. More importantly, the team shored up its offensive line and defense to be serious contenders. Coach Andy Reid and quarterback Donovan McNabb and a stellar defense will lead Philadelphia through the tough NFC and into a Super Bowl match-up with in-state rival Pittsburgh.\nSuper Bowl Champion: Pittsburgh\nWith former Hoosier Antwaan Randle-El pulling off a few trick plays and quarterback Tommy Maddox finally having the full confidence of his coaching staff, the Steelers will claim their fifth Super Bowl in franchise history. If the Steelers avoid any serious injuries and get linebacker Joey Porter back from his gunshot wound, they will be hoisting the Lombardi Trophy in Houston on Feb. 1, or at least I hope they will.