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College Football 2008
Get Excited: It's Only 11 Weeks Until Kickoff of the 2008 NCAA College Football Season
It is only 11 weeks until the kickoff of the 2008 NCAA College Football Season. The best part of this week is that it is only 11 Saturdays until the Washington Huskies travel south to face the Oregon Ducks in their opener. Husky Coach Ty Willingham had better have his players ready to win, or his days as coach at Washington will come to an abrupt end.
College Football 2007 Weekly Wrap-Up and All 32 Bowl Games:
Biggest Wins in 1st Four Bowl Games Belong to Utah and Florida Atlantic - Part 1
Coming into the 2007 college football 32-bowl game extravaganza that men love and women generally hate, here are the answers to some interesting questions to impress your friends: Which team playing this year has made the most bowl game appearances? Has the most bowl game victories? Has the best bowl game won-loss percentage?
Biggest Wins in Next Four 2007 Bowl Games Belong to East Carolina and Texas - Part 2
Coming into the 2007 college football 32-bowl game extravaganza that men love and women generally hate, the two teams that benefited most in the next 4 bowl games were East Carolina and Texas. Find out why in this article.
Biggest Wins in Next Six 2007 Bowl Games: Boston College and Wake Forest - Part 3
Coming into the 2007 college football 32-bowl game extravaganza that men love and women generally hate, the two teams that benefited most in the next 6 bowl games were Boston College and Wake Forest. Find out why in this article.
Biggest Wins in Next Six 2007 Bowl Games Belong to Alabama and Oregon - Part 4
Coming into the 2007 college football 32-bowl game extravaganza that men love and women generally hate, the two teams that benefited most in the next 6 bowl games were the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Oregon Ducks. Find out why in this article.
Biggest Winners in Next Four 2007 Bowl Games Were Kodi Burns and Tony Temple - Part 5
Coming into the 2007 college football 32-bowl game extravaganza that men love and women generally hate, the two teams and players that benefited most in the next 4 bowl games were Auburn's Kodi Burns and Missouri's Tony Temple. Find out why in this article.
Biggest Wins in Next Three 2007 Bowl Games: Michigan, Southern Cal and Georgia - Part 6
Coming into the 2007 college football 32-bowl game extravaganza that men love and women generally hate, the three teams that benefited most in the next 3 bowl games were Michigan and Lloyd Carr, Southern Cal and Georgia. Find out why in this article.
Biggest Wins in Next Four 2007 Bowl Games: West Virginia and Kansas Jayhawks - Part 7
Coming into the 2007 college football 32-bowl game extravaganza that men love and women generally hate, the teams that benefited most in the next 4 bowl games were the West Virginia Mountaineers and Kansas Jayhawks. Find out why in this article.
LSU Rips Ohio State 38-24 to Become First Two-Time BCS Champion - Part 8
The 2007 college football 32-bowl game extravaganza came to an end in New Orleans when the Louisiana State University Tigers ripped apart the Ohio State Buckeyes in what many expected to be a closer, better game. Ohio State did not play well and lost 38-24 as LSU became the first two-time BCS national champion with a final 12-2 record. Learn what might have undone the Buckeyes once again.
College Football 2007 - Week 1: Who Was Up and Down During College Football's First Weekend
The first week of college football was full of surprises and disappointments. There was some really bad news for the Michigan Wolverines, Notre Dame Fighting Irish and Florida State Seminoles, and some really good news for the California Golden Bears, Alabama Crimson Tide, Michigan State Spartans and Washington Huskies. Find out who is on the rise and who is folding faster than a cheap K-Mart deck chair.
After Michigan managed to get beaten by Division 1-AA Appalachian State 34-32 last week, the Oregon Ducks traveled to Ann Arbor and handed the once mighty Wolverines their worst loss since 1968, a 39-7 drubbing. Perhaps petitioning to play on another planet would help. The Wolverines could scrimmage against their 3rd string lineup and maybe notch their first victory of the season.
As predicted, no less than 6 AP Top 25 teams lost in college football's third week, two of them—Louisville and Nebraska—dropped in the rankings and four others—UCLA, Georgia Tech, Arkansas and Tennessee—dropped right out of the poll. Life in big time college football can be a little unsettling. Four more—Alabama, Kentucky, South Florida and Missouri—moved into the Top 25 for the first time.
An examination of this week's college football scores revealed that no less than 20 games had combined scores of 70 or more. Twenty games resulted in 1,560 points scored, an average of 78 per game. Good grief, whatever happened to defense? Find out who was overrated and got discovered this week.
In the world of college football there are pretenders and contenders. Nine of AP's Top 25 teams and 3 of the top 5 were given a reality check over the weekend. Was I surprised at this annual occurrence? Hardly. When you start analyzing how some of the teams started the week at 4-0 and ended it at 4-1, it is as easy to see as your face in a mirror. Reality has a way of revealing all of the wrinkles and weaknesses.
Ah, the adulation and attention are so exciting. You are unbeatable, unstoppable and perhaps the greatest team ever assembled. You are Southern California, the team that has enjoyed 5 straight seasons of national top-4 finishes, BCS bowl appearances and Pac 10 Conference titles. You are playing a 6-touchdown underdog, a team that lost 41-3 last week, a team that you beat 42-0 last year, a team that finished with a lousy 1-11 record. So No. 2-ranked Southern California loses Saturday (10-6-07) to Stanford 24-23.
Top dogs LSU and California were upset over the weekend so now there are only 6 undefeated teams left: Ohio State, South Florida, Boston College, Arizona State, Kansas and Hawaii. Three weeks ago there were 23 undefeated teams, now 17 of them have come up sucking pond water on their way to a national championship. Trust me when I say that 5 of the 6 teams left undefeated are in rarified air, only Ohio State is used to being in the hunt for the national championship.
Seven AP Top 25 teams were upset over the weekend, none more stunningly than No. 2-ranked and previously unbeaten South Florida. The Bulls looked awesome this season until losing to Rutgers 30-27 on the road. South Florida, who many thought was THAT good, is now at best 6-1 and at worst a paper tiger. See how the nation's other 5 unbeaten teams did.
College Footall 2007 - Week 9: Two Game Scores With Some Hidden Meanings Are 57-43 & 6-0
As if the 2007 college football season has not been confusing enough, along comes week 9 with some hidden game scores that reveal much: 57-43 and 6-0. Both of the scores involve the AP Top 25 Poll teams. Discover what it all means by reading my college football 2007 week 9 wrap-up.
Slowly, methodically, inexorably—like a superior military force launching an all out attack on a weaker opponent—the unbeaten teams continue to be picked off by better competition later in the season. The latest victims are previously unbeaten and high flying Boston College and Arizona State. Exactly 3 teams are left unbeaten: Ohio State, Kansas and Hawaii.
Illinois upset No. 1-ranked and unbeaten Ohio State Saturday (11-10-07), 28-21, ruining Ohio State's dream of a national championship, and leaving the Buckeyes tied with Michigan for the top spot in the Big 10 as Wisconsin upset Michigan 37-21 the same day. The victory marked the first time Illinois (8-3) had beaten a No. 1-ranked team since 1956, and the first time it had done it away from home.
The BCS title hunt continues. The latest casualties in a season of upsets and attrition were the No. 2-ranked Oregon Ducks and No. 3-ranked Oklahoma Sooners. Eight teams now become harder to ignore. They are Louisiana State, Kansas, West Virginia, Missouri, Ohio State, Arizona State, Hawaii and Boise State. All have only 1 loss except Kansas and Hawaii which remain unbeaten.
Rivalry week in college football had a profound effect on the BCS National Championship Game contenders. For openers, three teams—Missouri, West Virginia and Hawaii—did it right by winning super important games. By Sunday night (11-25-07) the new BCS Standings had Missouri 1st, West Virginia 2nd, Ohio State 3rd, Georgia 4th, Kansas 5th and Virginia Tech 6th. Nothing else much matters.
Both No. 1-ranked Missouri and No. 2-ranked West Virginia had to go and lose in the final weekend of this year's regular college football season, throwing the Allstate BCS National Championship Game into a crapshoot in which No. 3-ranked Ohio State and No. 5-ranked LSU won. The Buckeyes(11-1) and the Tigers (11-2) will play for the national title. Learn how and why it happened in this article.
College Football Enjoys Parity: Only 10 of AP Top 25 Poll Teams Have Remained Alive All 9 Weeks
Is their parity in the 2007 college football season? My analysis shows only 10 of the initial AP Top 25 Poll teams have remained in the Top 25 during the first 9 weeks of the season. Overall, no less than 44 teams have been represented in the AP Top 25 Poll in the first 9 weeks of the season, that is 37% of the 119 Division 1-A teams eligible for the AP Poll voting by the nation's elite sports writers and broadcasters.
The Sagarin College Football Ratings: What They Are, How to Read Them and What to Do With Them
While betting on sports is only legal in a few places in the United States, such as Las Vegas, millions of office workers are involved in sports pools every week now that the football season has arrived. For those who wager, it may be helpful to put some science on your side when you wager, and one of the best places to do that is with the Sagarin College Football Ratings. Here is what you need to know.
College Football: How to Ferret Out Which Teams Are Rising and Falling in the Polls
Many sports fans who anxiously await the release of the weekly football polls really miss one of the best parts of the poll when searching only to see where their favorite is ranked. Many newspapers and online services list only the Top 25 picks. You have to dig a little deeper to discover which teams received votes but not enough votes to make it into the Top 25. Where to find the rest of the poll.
How to Predict When College Football Teams Are Overrated and Due for an Unexpected Loss
When you understand how to measure the substance of a college football team, you can often predict an unexpected loss. It is more difficult to predict exactly when it will happen. When Stanford upset Southern California 24-23 last Saturday (10-6-07) many people were surprised. I was not. Learn how to predict when an overrated team is due for an unexpected loss.
The Case for the Washington Huskies to Be Ranked in a Top 25 Football Poll
Finally, some element of common sense is beginning to show among the American sportswriters who vote every week in the AP Top 25 Poll. Last week I urged the America's finest pundits and worst pigheads to give the old heave-ho to No. 18 Louisville, No. 19 Hawaii, No. 20 Texas A&M and No. 24 Nebraska. They pundits concurred by ousting Louisville and Texas A&M, but kept Hawaii and Nebraska in the poll. Washington was not ranked but should have been.
A Reader Responds: She Takes Umbrage at My Dogging the Hawaii Warriors' Football Schedule
A Hawaiian Warrior football fan and alumnus emailed me about my article questioning why Hawaii would be ranked No. 19 in the AP Top 25 Poll and No. 17 in the Top 25 Coaches Poll given the weak competition the Warriors have played so far this season. I mention only her first name in my reply.
Another Hawaiian Warrior football fan emailed me about my article questioning why Hawaii would be ranked No. 19 in the AP Top 25 Poll and No. 17 in the Top 25 Coaches Poll given the weak competition the Warriors have played so far this season. This email is from Erik in Hawaii which is followed by my reply.
A Look at the Stats: So Who Is Really Overrated? Hawaii (8-0) or Washington (2-6)
I just love to pick on Hawaii, I guess because the Warriors are such an easy mark to spot as a grossly overrated team. All season I have been saying that Washington (Hawaii's last opponent this season) has none of the stats but is a better team and will beat Hawaii on its home turf December 1. The statistics, however, favor Hawaii hands down.
College Football Enjoys Parity: Only 10 of AP Top 25 Poll Teams Have Remained Alive All 9 Weeks
Is there parity in the 2007 college football season? My analysis shows only 10 of the initial AP Top 25 Poll teams have remained in the Top 25 during the first 9 weeks of the season. Overall, no less than 44 teams have been represented in the AP Top 25 Poll in the first 9 weeks of the season, that is 37% of the 119 Division 1-A teams eligible for the AP Poll voting by the nation's elite sports writers and broadcasters.
College football's current 4 biggest surprises are Oregon, Kansas, Boston College and Arizona State. I say current because we have had more upsets this year than Carter has liver pills. Three teams now in the distant past that breathed some rarefied air earlier in the year are Wisconsin, South Florida and Kentucky. Find out what causes most team's downfall.
Monday's (11-19-07) new BCS Standings showed LSU 1st, Kansas 2nd, West Virginia 3rd, Missouri 4th, Ohio State 5th, Arizona State 6th, Hawaii 15th and Boise State 19th. Given the 8 teams left in the hunt for a berth in the BCS National Championship Game, Hawaii and Boise State are bit players with no real chance at all. Kansas looks strong, but looks can be deceiving. Learn why in this article.
There is so much buzz and hype about the Southeast Conference—better known as the SEC—you would think there are no other NCAA football conferences that can compare. Knowing that the SEC is legion for scheduling Division 1AA teams in its non-conference schedule, I suspect that the SEC's strength of schedule (the quality of its opponents) may not be as strong. I was right. Turns out that the toughest conference is not the SEC, it is the Pac 10. Find out why.
While the BCS Standings may have had a mess in determining which teams should play for college football's national championship, it turns out that Ohio State and Louisiana State may have been the best possible choice after all. A new system of evaluating the 10 BCS bowl-bound teams tells why.
AP Top 25 Poll Offers Clear Evidence of College Football's Current Parity - Call It Musical Chairs
If you wanted clear evidence that college football's current parity is real, you have only to study the AP Top 25 Poll during the 2007 regular season. I charted the AP Poll of sports writers and broadcasters for 14 consecutive weeks and discovered some amazing facts. Here are some eye-openers on what I found.
A Football Junkies Paradise: The Final Sagarin NCAA Football Ratings
There are some huge differences between the final AP Top 25 College Football Poll, and the Final Sagarin College Football Ratings. Which service is more accurate? You decide, based on some information. By studying the Sagarin ratings, here are some facts I have uncovered that could impress your friends, and win you some bets (or drinks) at your favorite pub.
College Football Recruiting: Look Out SEC - Alabama Rates No. 1 as Nick Saban Prepares to Go to War
If you think football in the Southeastern Conference is just a game that generates a ton of money for the schools and the NCAA that regulates it in a highly publicized environment, you do not understand what success is about in the SEC. SEC games are not battles between teams, they are outright warfare with a fight to the last man standing won by heavy artillery (talent). Learn why fans of Alabama are smiling today.
Famous Quotes by Vince Lombardi During Football's Annual Bowl Season
College football's annual bowl season is full of surprises and spectacular moments. Famous coaches have had some memorable remarks about American's most popular sport, and here are some of them by legendary Green Bay Packer coach Vince Lombardi, who many consider to be the best of the best.
Famous Quotes by Knute Rockne During Football's Annual Bowl Season
College football's annual bowl season is full of surprises and spectacular moments. Famous coaches have had some memorable remarks about American's most popular sport, and here are some of them by legendary Notre Dame coach Knute Rockne, who many consider to be the best of the best.
Famous Quotes by Lou Holtz During Football's Bowl Season
College football's annual bowl season is full of surprises and spectacular moments. Famous coaches have had some memorable remarks about American's most popular sport, and here are some of them by Lou Holtz, who some consider to be the best of the best college coaches and for good reason. Find out why.
Early in the 2007 college football season I identified three capable, experienced new first-year coaches brought in to rescue troubled programs—Nick Saban at Alabama, Dennis Erickson at Arizona State and Mark Dantonio at Michigan State. Since the regular season has ended, it is time to evaluate their performance. This is Part 1 of a 3-Part Series.
Early in the 2007 college football season I identified three capable, experienced new first-year coaches brought in to rescue troubled programs—Nick Saban at Alabama, Dennis Erickson at Arizona State and Mark Dantonio at Michigan State. Since the regular season has ended, it is time to evaluate their performance. This is Part 2 of a 3-Part Series.
Early in the 2007 college football season I identified three capable, experienced new first-year coaches brought in to rescue troubled programs—Nick Saban at Alabama, Dennis Erickson at Arizona State and Mark Dantonio at Michigan State. Since the regular season has ended, it is time to evaluate their performance. This is the last of a 3-Part Series.
Nick Saban: A Great College Football Coach Who Might Bring Alabama Back to Greatness
Nick Saban recently became the University of Alabama football coach by signing the richest contract ever awarded to a college football coach: 8 years for $32 million. Ah, it is good to be Nick Saban in Alabama today. Now he must win and win big, something he has been able to do at other college coaching positions at Toledo, Michigan State and LSU (Louisiana State).
Boise State Looked Oklahoma in the Eye and Showed How Belief Makes a Winner
In one of the most exciting bowl games in college football history, underdog Boise State from the Western Athletic Conference upset mighty Oklahoma from the Big 12, 43-42. With only 7 seconds left Boise State pulled off a razzle-dazzle catch and lateral play to tie the game up and force an overtime. After Oklahoma scored first in overtime, Boise State scored and elected to try for a two-point conversion and the victory. They used the old Statue of Liberty play to make it happen.
A Great High School Football Rivalry: Central vs. Northern in Flint, Michigan
Rare films of the classic Thanksgiving Day football games in Flint, Michigan, between Flint Northern and Flint Central High Schools are now being made available to the public on DVD to help raise funds for the restoration of Flint's Atwood Stadium. Get the full story.
Thanksgiving in the Midwest Meant Rivalry Game
Looking back on the annual high school football rivalry in Flint, Michigan between Flint Central and Flint Northern.
A Sports Fan's Dream: Jake Locker Makes Good in His Debut, Leads Washington Past Syracuse - Part 2
Jake Locker, the University of Washington's 19-year-old redshirt freshman quarterback and the most hyped player in school history, led the Huskies to a triumphant thrashing of the Syracuse Orange 42-14 in an away game. Locker's debut was spectacular as he went 14 for 19 and 142 yards passing and gained another 83 yards on the ground in 10 carries while scoring two touchdowns.
Washington's Defense Makes Road Kill of Boise State with a Stunning 24-10 Upset
The University of Washington football team recorded its biggest victory in recent memory Saturday (9-8-07) by upsetting No. 22-ranked Boise State 24-10, snapping the Broncos' 14-game winning streak, the longest in major college football. The Huskies held the Broncos scoreless in the second half after staking out a 24-10 lead in the first half. Washington Husky football is back again and on the rise.
Anatomy of a Team on the Rise: Washington Will Get Over Freshmanitis and Really Thrive
Ohio State blew into Husky Stadium last Saturday (9-15-07) as the No. 10-ranked team in the AP Top 25 Poll, and after beating Washington 33-14 became the No. 8-ranked team. In other words, the Buckeyes' victory over Huskies was so impressive they moved up two spots in the AP poll. Whether you like it or not, University of Washington football is once again a big deal.
How Washington's Huskies Can Go 7-6 this Season and Earn a Bowl Bid
The University of Washington's Husky football team can go 7-6 this season and earn a bowl bid. I understand that the Huskies are now 2-2 on the year. With 5 more wins in the remaining 9 games, Washington would finish the year at 7-6. Where will those 5 victories come from? Perhaps Arizona and Washington State at home and Stanford, Oregon State and Hawaii on the road.
The Case for the Washington Huskies to Be Ranked in a Top 25 Football Poll
Finally, some element of common sense is beginning to show among the American sportswriters who vote every week in the AP Top 25 Poll. Last week I urged the America's finest pundits and worst pigheads to give the old heave-ho to No. 18 Louisville, No. 19 Hawaii, No. 20 Texas A&M and No. 24 Nebraska. They pundits concurred by ousting Louisville and Texas A&M, but kept Hawaii and Nebraska in the poll. Washington was not ranked but should have been.
The Good News: Washington Lost to USC 27-24 But the Huskies Could Have Easily Won
The USC Trojans blew into Husky Stadium Saturday (9-29-07) looking to put another notch on their armor as the AP's No. 1-ranked team in the nation. They left with a 27-24 victory. It is amazing that Washington allowed two Trojans to rush for more than 100 yards, gave up 224 yards rushing and 236 yards passing which allowed USC 9 minutes more of possession on offense, and Washington still only lost by a field goal.
Meet the Nation's Most Statistically Incredible Team: The University of Washington Huskies
University of Washington football fans came up on the short end of the stick Saturday (10-13-07) when the Arizona State Sun Devils blew into Seattle and extended their winning streak to 7 with a 44-20 second half victory. Washington's record is now 2-4, nevertheless, the Huskies are the nation's most statistically incredible team. Learn why in this article.
The Question Is Simple: Who Would You Rather Be Now: Arizona State or Washington?
Loyal University of Washington fans should be heartened by the fact that the Huskies played No. 7-ranked Oregon to a 31-31 tie through three quarters Saturday (10-20-07) before being outscored 24-3 in the fourth quarter and losing 55-34. If you think things cannot get worse, check out Minnesota. The Gophers are 1-7 in the Big 10 and still have to play Michigan, Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin.
Welcome Back, Husky Football: Washington Takes Off the Training Wheels and Thumps Stanford 27-9
Well, Dawg fans, are you fired up now? You should be. Washington traveled to Palo Alto (CA) and put a 27-9 whipping on Stanford Saturday (11-3-07) to end Washington's 6-game losing streak. The Huskies finally took the training wheels off of their bicycle and showed us how to ride The Cardinal into the turf. In short, the Washington Husky team came together offensively and defensively against Stanford.
College Football Mayhem: Flagrant Helmet-to-Helmet Shots Need to Stop Before Someone Gets Killed
After seeing Washington's quarterback Jake Locker take a helmet-to-helmet shot against the Oregon State Beavers Saturday, my emotions ran the gamut from concern to anger to outrage to action. This kind of illegal hit is not tolerated in professional football because the player is defenseless when hit. Why it is even tolerated and celebrated in college football is beyond me. Where are the NCAA officials when you need them?
Erik's Reader Feedback: "I Hope Hawaii Demolishes Washington on Saturday"
I don't know about you, but I enjoy feedback from my Blog readers. Erik from Hawaii emailed me again about his Hawaiian Warrior football team that has extended its winning streak to 11 straight, the longest win streak among all NCAA Division 1A schools. Hawaii hosts Washington Saturday and, by winning, could be on their way to a BCS Bowl Game. One team will win and one team will lose. We will see what we will see.
Washington Huskies Led Nation in One Critical Category: Strength of Schedule
The two best words to describe Washington's recently completed 2007 football season are "Locker" and "schedule." Coach Ty Willingham's 4-9 Huskies have more talented recruits coming in next year as Willingham tries to improve on his 3-year record of 11-25 with a breakthrough winning season and bowl bid. For Willingham the task is simply produce a winning team with a bowl bid or be gone.
Ed Donatell, NFL Veteran, Becomes Defensive Coordinator for Washington
Washington Husky head coach Ty Willingham has hopefully improved his defense next season by recently hiring Ed Donatell, a veteran NFL defensive coordinator with both the Green Bay Packers and Atlanta Falcons. Washington's inept, pathetic excuse for a defense last year needed to be cleaned up and clicked up about 20 notches. Maybe Ed Donatell is just the guy to do it.
Brian White, former National Assistant Coach of the Year, Joins Husky Staff
The defensive disaster that has permeated the University of Washington football campus could actually improve next season with the recent addition of defensive coordinator Ed Donatell and now Brian White. White was selected as the Division 1 Assistant Coach of the Year in 2004 by the American Football Coaches Association. His expertise is on the offensive side of the ball, but just being around successful people can improve head coach Ty Willingham's program.
Time has a way of evaporating history. I am told that much of history would never have been recorded in the Dark Ages had it not been for the painstaking effort of Catholic monks who recorded what others would not. Thankfully, Michigan State University has done a remarkable job of recording its storied football history since 1896, more than a 110 seasons with some stellar performances among its many coaches and players. I take a look at the best. Part 1 of a 2-Part Series.
Time has a way of evaporating history. I am told that much of history would never have been recorded in the Dark Ages had it not been for the painstaking effort of Catholic monks who recorded what others would not. Thankfully, Michigan State University has done a remarkable job of recording its storied football history since 1896, more than a 110 seasons with some stellar performances among its many coaches and players. I take a look at the best. Part 2 of a 2-Part Series.
Dantonio Finally Arrives on the Big 10 Stage as Head Coach at Michigan State
Michigan State University has a football history of folding when it counts. By unloading John L. Smith and hiring Mark Dantonio as their new head football coach, the Spartans have put themselves in a position to perform better than any time since the legendary Duffy Daugherty coached Michigan State to a combined 19-1-1 record in 1965 and 1966, winning back-to-back Big Ten and National Championships. In business and in football there are really only two possible outcomes: results or excuses. Dantonio has made a career out of producing results.
A Sports Fan's Dream: Michigan State Slams UAB 55-18 in Mark Dantonio's Coaching Debut - Part 3
The battle between first-year coaches Mark Dantonio of Michigan State University and Neil Callaway of the University of Alabama at Birmingham proved to be no contest with Dantonio's Spartans winning 55-18. Dantonio's Spartans sprinted to a 42-0 lead midway through the second quarter, scoring touchdowns on their first 6 possessions and rolling up 252 rushing yards in the first half on 34 carries (a 7.4 average per carry).
The Silliness of Major League Baseball's Stupidity with Payroll
Richie Sexson of the woeful Seattle Mariners is simply the latest example of the silliness of Major League Baseball's love affair with high-priced superstars whose production is pathetic. Sexson's lousy 30 RBIs this season have cost the Mariners $290,226 for each and every paltry one. Will Major League Baseball, team owners and general managers ever learn how stupid this policy is that gives free agents horrendous salaries on the dare that they will produce rather than occupy space and demonstrate a bad attitude?
Baseball: Tom Glavine, Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez and Craig Biggio All Reach Milestones - Part 1
It has been a year of milestones for Major League Baseball. From Tom Glavine to Barry Bonds to Alex Rodriguez to Craig Biggio the records have been piling up like poker chips in a major tournament. Glavine won his 300th game, Bonds captured the career major league home run record, A-Rod (Rodriguez) hit his 500th career homer, and Biggio picked up his 3,000th hit. Check their stats. All are headed to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Baseball: Barry Bonds Is a Whole Lot More Than Just a Home Run Hitter and Record-Setter - Part 2
When Barry Bonds broke Hank Aaron's major league career home run record with his 756th dinger, he had hit homers off of 447 different pitchers. Bonds also holds the major league career records for walks with 2,540 and intentional walks with 679. He holds the all-time single season major league records for most home runs (73), on base percentage (.609), slugging percentage (.863), and walks (232). Could he be the best ever?
Baseball: Craig Biggio Punches His Ticket to the Hall of Fame with His 3,000th Hit - Part 3
Earlier this year Craig Biggio of Houston Astros became the 27th player in major league history to get 3,000 career hits. If it were easy to get 3,000 hits, many players would have done it, however, three factors stand in the way: 1) Injuries. 2) Longevity. 3) Consistency. Craig Biggio has it all and proved it by punching his ticket to the Baseball Hall of Fame when he retires.
Could You Be a Fan for a Team That Loses 10,000 Baseball Games?
Philadelphia Phillies' fans are arguably the least patient and most volatile in baseball, and I know why. A report in USA Today (7-3-07) notes that the Phillies are on the verge of becoming the first pro sports franchise to record 10,000 losses. They had 9,996 losses as of July 3, 2007. The next nearest teams in losses are the Atlanta Braves (9,675) and Chicago Cubs (9,421). I would have guessed the Cubs but not the Braves.
Sometimes as parents we forget how simple and subtle the lessons in life can be. With all of the violence we are now seeing with youngsters who solve their supposed "problems" by shooting their perceived "enemies" (many times friends and family), I am reminded that some of our children today seem less able to cope with adversity, and even less so with patience. How is it that they clearly lack coping skills and patience, two necessary traits for survival as an adult?
On Cars, Baseball and the Halcyon Days of Summer
A 10-year-old boy reminisces about the summer of 1954, remembering the cars (Nash, Hudson, Studebaker and Packard) 10 year olds today never knew, and remembering how, with his best friend, they played baseball on the scorching blacktop for hours before stopping at the drugstore fountain for cherry Cokes, baseball cards and bubble gum. Those were the days.
Editor's Note: A reader recently wrote to share this message with me. Someone reading my Blog may be interested in his information, so I published it for your information.
Seattle Baseball Fans May Have Seen a Record as the Mariners Get 5 Consecutive Two-Out Hits
There is new hope in Seattle. The Mariners were behind 4-3 with two out in the 8th inning. It was looking a lot like Mudville with Casey coming to bat. Then, it was as if the skies parted in a night game and some mighty power from above said, "Swing the bat and I will give the ball eyes to see a friendly spot to land." In short order, five consecutive two-out hits had the Mariners beginning the 9th inning with a 7-4 lead. Seattle is now 29-25, 4 games above .500 for the first time in 4 years.
Seattle Mariners Notch Second Straight Late Inning Comeback, Nip Orioles 5-4
Seattle's superstar center fielder Ichiro drove in the winning run for the second consecutive night Tuesday (6-5-07) as the Mariners once again staged a late-inning rally to nip Baltimore 5-4. Ichiro is hitting .423 with runners in scoring position (RISP) this season. There was talk earlier this season of trading Ichiro when the Mariners were stuck in first gear. It just goes to show you that most fans are as stupid as they are admiring when things are going well. Trade Ichiro and you would be replacing him with the grounds crew. Nobody is going to do what he has already done and will continue to do this year.
The Apparent Murder-Suicide of Chris Benoit Really Creates More Questions Than Answers
News of the apparent murder-suicide of well-known and well-liked WWE wrestler Chris Benoit left me with mixed emotions: sadness and dismay. I do not believe that Vince McMahon, the World Wrestling Entertainment owner and arguably the most gifted of sports entertainment promoters ever, could really tolerate a person so quiet and respected as Christ Benoit. There are no words to describe my anguish over Chris Benoit. Perhaps Benoit's father Michael said it best: "It's impossible to come up with a rational explanation for a very irrational act."
Article Updates on Wrestling's Chris Benoit and College Basketball's Spencer Hawes
The toxicology report is in and WWE wrestler Chris Benoit's body contained 10 times the normal level of testosterone, according to authorities in an Associated Press story. Also present were the anti-anxiety drug Xanax and the painkiller hydrocodone. Spencer Hawes, the 7-foot freshman center for the University of Washington, decided to go pro recently rather than return to the Huskies. This did not surprise a lot of Dawg fans. Get the full story on both athletes.
The Boston Celtics recent NBA title effort not only set a record for the largest margin of victory in a championship game—39 points—but also became the greatest one-season improvement in history. A year ago the Celtics finished at 24-58 and dead last in the NBA Eastern Conference. This year they went 66-16, won the Atlantic Division title and the Eastern Conference title before disposing of the Los Angeles Lakers, 131-92, to win their 17th NBA title.
First 2 Rounds in 2008 NCAA Tournament Produce 1 Major Upset in Every 6 Games
The first two rounds of the 2008 NCAA College Basketball Tournament underscored just how far parity has come in the men's competition as at least 1 major upset occurred every 6 games (8 major upsets and 3 minor upsets in 48 games). Who was smoking hot? North Carolina and Davidson. Who was not? Duke, Georgetown, Drake, Clemson, Vanderbilt, Connecticut, Pittsburgh and Southern Cal. Get results and highlights during the first two rounds here.
The Final 4 for the 2008 NCAA Tournament: North Carolina, Memphis, UCLA and Kansas
For the first time in the history of the NCAA National Basketball Tournament, all four No. 1 seeded teams made it safely through the Sweet 16 and Elite 8 brackets to the Final 4—UCLA, Memphis, North Carolina and Kansas. Three #1 seeds have advanced to the Final 4 only three times in NCAA history, most recently in 1999. Get the full story.
The only guarantee going into the 2008 NCAA National Championship Game was that one of two very good coaches—Bill Self of Kansas or John Calipari of Memphis—would win his first national title. In the end, Bill Self, who had more NCAA tournament wins—18—without reaching the Final Four than any other active coach, would lead his Jayhawks past Memphis 75-68 in overtime to win the national championship.
Washington State Learns a Valuable Lesson: When Talent Shows Up and Plays, It's Over
Washington State's three senior leaders—shooter Derrick Low, defender Kyle Weaver and rebounder Robbie Cowgill—ended their Cougar careers on a disappointing note as North Carolina, the No. 1 East Regional seed, eliminated them 68-47 Thursday (3-27-08) in NCAA Sweet 16 Tournament play. Despite not making it to the Elite 8, the Washington State had another great season.
College Basketball 2008 - Get Ready for a Phenomenal March Madness Run This Year
Washington (13-11 on the season and 4-7 in the Pac-10 Conference) upset visiting UCLA 71-61 (20-2 and 9-2) over the weekend to highlight just how competitive the Pac-10 is this year. Going into the game, the Huskies were rated 82nd by Sagarin and UCLA 5th. Just like football this past season, parity is permeating the NCAA and bodes well for an exciting March Madness when the playoffs arrive.
College Basketball - Love Him or Hate Him, Bobby Knight Was as Much an Educator as a Coach
Count me among those who were saddened by the news that Bobby Knight had stepped down as head coach of the Texas Tech Red Raiders. It is doubtful that any major college coach in America was as passionate, as demonstrative and as committed as Bobby Knight was to basketball and his players. Many pundits would not agree with me when I say that Knight was more interested in doing things right than in winning games, but let me make the case for the Bobby Knight haters.
College Basketball 2008 - Sagarin Ratings Provide Statistics to Indentify Overrated Top 25 Teams
The most recent weekly college basketball AP Top 25 Poll (1-18-08) and the most recent Sagarin Ratings (1-17-08) provide some clues about which teams are likely overrated. Here are 4 teams in the AP Top 25 Poll that are probably overrated and will prove it in the near future: No. 25 Villanova, No. 16 Vanderbilt, No. 10 Texas A&M and No. 21 Miami (FL). Learn why in this article.
The 2007 NCAA Basketball Tournament Has 30 Million Americans Involved in Office Pools
March Madness is here. The 2007 NCAA Basketball Tournament will have its day, or shall we say several days starting today (March 15) and continuing to the national championship game on April 2. Experts estimate that more than $2.5 billion (yes, billion) will be wagered this year. For those of you who are counting, that is more than was bet on the last Super Bowl, and only 4% of the $2.5 billion will be wagered "legally" in Nevada. The odds of picking a perfect bracket? It is 9,223,372,036,854,775,808 to 1.
First 2 Rounds in 2007 NCAA Tournament Produces Just 4 Real Upsets in 48 Games
The first two rounds of the 2007 NCAA Basketball Tournament produced just 4 real upsets in 48 games. Do not tell Duke, Notre Dame, Wisconsin or Washington State that it was a good tournament. They were all eliminated and humbled by lesser lights with Hollywood's biggest klieg lights focused on them. Duke lost a first-round game for the first time since 1996, ending the Blue Devils string of Sweet 16 appearances at 9. Only North Carolina's streak of 13 straight appearances is better.
The Final 4 for the 2007 NCAA Tourney: Florida, Ohio State, UCLA & Georgetown
Now there are only four teams left, exactly as the statistics predicted. No more than two No. 1 seeds advanced to the Final 4 in 18 of the last 22 years and now it will be 19 of the last 23 years. And no team seeded below No. 4 has won the championship for 18 consecutive years and this year will make it 19 consecutive years. North Carolina and Kansas, both No. 1 seeds, lost to No. 2 Seed opponents. The Final 4 will be No. 1 Florida against No. 2 UCLA, and No. 1 Ohio State against No. 2 Georgetown.
Florida Becomes the First Team to Repeat as NCAA Champions Since Duke in 1992
The Florida Gators became only the seventh team in NCAA Basketball Tournament history to repeat as national champions Monday night, pushing aside Ohio State 84-75 in a game with all of the excitement of looking at an ashtray. The others were Oklahoma State (1945-46), Kentucky (1948-49), San Francisco (1955-56), Cincinnati (1961-62), UCLA (1964-65 and 1967-73) and Duke (1991-92). For the record, this was the first Final 4 in which all four finalists had 30 or more wins. It was the second Final 4 in which every team was a No. 2 seed or better. And the championship game was only the 5th pairing of No. 1 seeds.
Famous Quotes by John Wooden, the NCAA's Winningest Basketball Coach
Great coaches win games when it counts. Some coaches also make great interviews for the media writers by never shying away in victory or defeat, and giving great quotes. Even fewer have great personalities to go with their victories, and quotes that are insightful, memorable and sometimes so funny we cannot help but smile. John Wooden is one of those coaches. Here are some of his best quotes.
Coach Was Color-Blind, He Only Wanted to Know If You Could Play Basketball
Basketball Coach Don Haskins does not have to wait for his legend to happen. He was the coach at Texas Western in 1966 when his 27-1 team played Adolph Rupp's 27-1 University of Kentucky Wildcats for the NCAA title. Haskins would become the first coach in NCAA history to start an all-African American lineup when the Miners squared off against Rupp's all-white Kentucky team. Texas Western, known as UTEP today, beat Kentucky 72-65 to become the NCAA champion. February is Black History Month.
"Coach Carter" Sends an Outstanding Message About a Coach with Integrity, Honor and Goodness
Samuel L. Jackson plays Coach Ken Carter in a good sports drama with an
outstanding message for today's high school basketball players who see playing
with the pros as their only objective in life. Carter believes that scholarship
and ethics should go hand in hand with outstanding basketball play. This is an
incredible story of a coach who will not compromise his values by not
compromising his integrity. Coach Carter has the guts and audacity to stand fast
and right wills out in the end.
Washington
Basketball:
The Spencer Hawes Saga: Ride the NBA Bench, or Help the Huskies by Becoming a Better Player?
Ah, to be fawned over as a potential 7-foot NBA center. Recently Spencer Hawes, a freshman last year at the University of Washington, was one of 10 players exclusively invited to meet with the media in Orlando (FL), signaling that the NBA considers him a likely top-10 pick in the NBA draft on June 28. Hawes has until June 18 to remove his name from the list of draft-eligible players, and if he can overcome his self-inflated opinion, he will. If he does not return, he will be riding the pine in the NBA, a lot richer but no better as a basketball player.
Article Updates on Wrestling's Chris Benoit and College Basketball's Spencer Hawes
The toxicology report is in and WWE wrestler Chris Benoit's body contained 10 times the normal level of testosterone, according to authorities in an Associated Press story. Also present were the anti-anxiety drug Xanax and the painkiller hydrocodone. Spencer Hawes, the 7-foot freshman center for the University of Washington, decided to go pro recently rather than return to the Huskies. This did not surprise a lot of Dawg fans. Get the full story on both athletes.
Huskies Earn Spot in 2007 NIT Season Tip-Off Semis, Head to Madison Square Garden in the Big Apple
Lorenzo Romar's Washington Huskies will take a walk on the wild side Thanksgiving weekend after knocking off New Jersey Institute of Technology and Utah to qualify for a spot in the NIT Season Tip-Off Semis at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Washington will meet Texas A&M and Ohio State will face Syracuse with the winners playing in the championship game.
College Basketball: Lorenzo Romar's Washington Husky Recruits Are Among Top 15 Classes
Quietly and without a lot of fanfare, Washington Husky Coach Lorenzo Romar has put together 1 of the Top 15 recruiting classes among Division 1A basketball programs according to Scout.com. The names of the young recruits—Isaiah Thomas, Scott Suggs, Elston Turner Jr. and Tyreese Breshers—will become more familiar in the next two years, but for now pundits have noticed the windfall of talent.
College Basketball: How Can Losing Still Be a Positive? When You Are Playing Good Teams
Washington's Huskies qualified for the NIT Season Tip-Off Semis at Madison Square Garden over Thanksgiving weekend and ended up losing to Texas A&M 77-63 and then to Syracuse 91-85 to finish 4th. The bad news is that the Huskies lost both of their NIT games. The good news is that they played some really good teams so the experience was a total positive compared to last year when Washington got off to a 10-1 start beating a bunch of nobodies.
2008 College Basketball - We Love Our Washington Dawgs With Bite, Not Our Dogs With Bark
The University of Washington basketball season is well underway as Pac-10 league play has started and it appears that the Huskies are in for a very long season. Washington is fortunate to have a workhorse in the paint like Jon Brockman and a pure shooter like Ryan Appleby, but that is not nearly enough to win at the level that will lead the Huskies into postseason play. Find out who needs to step up and why.
College Basketball: Get Ready for a Phenomenal March Madness Run This Year
Washington (13-11 on the season and 4-7 in the Pac-10 Conference) upset visiting UCLA 71-61 (20-2 and 9-2) over the weekend to highlight just how competitive the Pac-10 is this year. Going into the game, the Huskies were rated 82nd by Sagarin and UCLA 5th. Just like football this past season, parity is permeating the NCAA and bodes well for an exciting March Madness when the playoffs arrive.
Say It Isn't So Brett, That You Will Shed Your Green Bay Packer Uniform
So say it isn't so Brett, that you will shed your Green Bay Packer uniform. To see Brett Favre in another uniform will not help his legacy one iota. It is doubtful that it will help Green Bay's legacy either. As much as the Green Bay faithful want to see Favre back on the field, it may well be better for him to have stayed retired. Find out why.
Can the Seahawks Find the Grit to Deliver Holmgren a 2nd Super Bowl Winning Team?
Mike Holmgren is part of a select group of only 5 NFL coaches who have taken 2 teams to the Super Bowl and won once but not twice. The others are Bill Parcels, Dan Reeves, Don Shula and Dick Vermeil. As Holmgren enters his last season as the Seattle Seahawks' head coach, does his team have the grit to deliver him another Super Bowl victory with a second team?
About Super Bowl 42 - Here's a Different Slant on the Giants' Upset Win to Become World Champs
There is a reason why the winner of the Super Bowl earns the Vince Lombardi Trophy as a symbol of excellence in the football world. The New England Patriots understand that better than ever after going 18-0 only to lose to the New York Giants 17-14 in Super Bowl 42. Perhaps Vince Lombardi said it best: "If it doesn't matter who wins or loses, then why do they keep score?" Lombardi was a winner and now the Giants are too.
2007 NFL Playoffs: Seattle Seahawks Croak as Packers Kick Them Silly in the Snowflakes, 42-20
Mike Holmgren's Seattle Seahawks did absolutely nothing to disturb the greatness of the NFL's most historic venue at Lambeau Field Saturday (1-12-08) in Green Bay, Wisconsin, home of the advancing Green Bay Packers. The Seahawks also did absolutely nothing Saturday to advance their chances of getting into their second Super Bowl appearance in 3 years. In short, the Seahawks defense did nothing but lose, 42-20.
A Sports Fan's Dream: All 3 of Your Favorite Teams Win Their Game in the Same Weekend - Part 1
It was a magic weekend for this sports fan in Western Washington. All three of the teams I care about won—the Seattle Seahawks, the University of Washington Huskies and the Michigan State Spartans. The Seahawks won their exhibition game against Oakland 19-14 but lost their mega-sized defensive tackle Marcus Tubbs for the season with an ACL injury.
Dear Dallas: Thank You for Bringing Your "Rookie" Quarterback to Seattle
A botched 19-yard-field-goal attempt on fourth down with only 79 seconds left caused the Dallas Cowboys to be one point short and one yard short of a first down as the Seattle Seahawks hung on to advance in the 2006 NFC playoffs, beating the Cowboys 21-20 at home in Seattle. Untested quarterbacks who become starters historically screw up in big games, and Tony Romo of the Dallas Cowboys did not disappoint. Romo, the holder, blew the game-winning attempt when it counted.
Jerramy Stevens: A Troubled Tight End, a Great Talent, a Greater Disappointment
Welcome to Seattle. I would like you to meet our poster child for success. Shake hands with Jerramy Stevens, our troubled tight end who used to play for the Seattle Seahawks and never will again. He has worn out his welcome with the sorry excuses of a loser. He could have been one of the greatest tight ends in the history of the National Football League, and even have ended up in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. At the rate he is disintegrating, it is more likely he will end up in jail or dead.
Kathryn Martin Dominates on the Track at the 2008 USATF National Masters Meet
The shining star in the prime running events at the 2008 USATF National Masters Meet in Spokane (WA) was Kathryn (Kathy) Martin, who won 5 national titles in the 800, 1500, 5000 and 10,000-meter races, and set an American record in the 2000-meter steeplechase. The 56-year-old from Northport (NY) was virtually unstoppable in the 55-59 age group competition. Get the full story.
Updated USA Prep Track & Field Records and the New Best 2008 Top Performances
Fourteen high school athletes set 8 new records during the 2008 track and field season. The shinning star of the boys had to be German Fernandez of Riverbank (CA) High School, who set 2 new records and led all boys by taking the top spot in 5 of 6 middle distance races—the 1,500, 1,600, 3,000 and 3,200-meter runs and the 2 mile. The shinning star of the girls had to be Jordan Hasay of Mission Prep High School in San Luis Obispo, who set a new record and led all girls by taking the top spot in 4 of 6 middle distance races. Read the complete article and get all of the latest facts and times.
Lagat, Goucher and Flanagan Are Big Time in '08 Olympic Track & Field Trials
One of America's newest citizens, Kenyan-born Bernard Lagat, ran with a renewed passion at the recent 2008 Olympic Trials at the University of Oregon. Lagat, who captured an historic double victory in the 5000 and 1500-meter events at last year's World Championships, repeated the feat before the nation's greatest track fans at Oregon's newly-remodeled Hayward Field. Read all of the details.
Two separate events recently showed once again how incredibly impressive our young women in American can be—one an instance of pure sportsmanship at its best, and the other an instance of pure desire, determination and substance. Find out how Nicole Cochran and Bonnie Richardson become the centerpieces for these extraordinary events.
USA High School Track & Field Records and the Best 2008 Prep Performances
Eight high school athletes set 6 new records during the 2008 track and field season. The shinning star of the boys had to be German Fernandez of Riverbank (CA) High School, who set 2 new records and led all boys by taking the top spot in 5 of 6 middle distance races—the 1,500, 1,600, 3,000 and 3,200-meter runs and the 2 mile. Read the complete article and get all of the facts and times.
USA Middle Distance Outdoor Records for Male Super Master Runners Ages 50-74
There has been a standing joke forever about "fast" women, but few people outside of the track community realize that among our senior runners are some very "fast" men who grab our attention in another way. They run themselves to American records at meets on colleges and universities from Maine to California. Here are the male American super master (ages 50+) middle distance outdoor records as of June 1, 2008.
There were a lot of winners and losers during the 2008 Nike Prefontaine Classic, but none were more historic than Maria Mutola's 800 meter victory in 1:59.24. Mutola won her 16th career victory at the Nike Prefontaine Classic. Imagine for a moment running 16 highly competitive races over the years and NEVER losing. Find out the whole story behind the world's greatest 800-meter female runner.
USA High School Track & Field Records and the Current Best 2008 Performances
Track and field competitors around the world are interested in comparing their performances with the performances of athletes in other countries. Here are the current United States high school track and field records through 2007 followed by the best current performances by high school competitors in 2008.
A St. Patrick's Day Toast to Irish Runners Marcus O'Sullivan and Eamonn Coghlan
A week before St. Patrick's Day I bought a pair of Saucony Kilkinney cross-country racing flats. They are a screaming Irish green and stick out like neon lights. It reminded me of the Sports Illustrated magazine cover I have on my office wall recording the moment from 1994 when Eamonn Coghlan broke the tape at the finish line to become the first man over the age of 40 to run an indoor sub-four-minute mile at Madison Square Garden in the Big Apple. Any day is a good day to raise a glass of Jameson Irish whiskey to the likes of Marcus O'Sullivan and Eamonn Coghlan, but an even better day when it is St. Patrick's Day.
Millrose Games Celebrates 100th Birthday as Track's Most Prestigious Indoor Event
I guess you would have to be a runner to appreciate the Millrose Games, which celebrated its 100th running during the weekend at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Track and field has fallen on hard times in the United States lately and that is why the 100th running of the Millrose is so significant. Only the 2007 Millrose Games, as Dick Patrick wrote in USA Today on Thursday (2-1-07), "has survived the demise of a once vibrant indoor circuit that the USA monopolized." Patrick has it right.
Current 1500 and 5000 world champion Bernard Lagat won the Wannamaker Mile at
the 101st Millrose Games, and is now tied with the great Glenn Cunningham
with 6 Wannamaker Mile victories. Only the great Eamonn Coghlan has more
Wannamaker Mile wins with 7. Coghlan's record is now in Lagat's sight. Read the
full article on Lagat's quest to replace the "Chairman of the Boards" at indoor
track's greatest event.
Cross-Country:
Legendary High School Coach Pat Tyson Becomes New Coach at Gonzaga University
Gonzaga University Athletic Director Mike Roth made the most astute move since the hiring of Mark Few as his basketball coach by recently hiring legendary high school coach Pat Tyson as his first full-time running coach. Pat Tyson does not only eat, sleep and live running 24 hours a day, he is not only a high school coach with no peer, he is a coaching legend before he starts. Gonzaga is about to make an impact in running like it did in basketball.
Senior Nicole Bush put the finishing touch on an outstanding cross-country season by finishing 5th in the NCAA National Championship meet, leading the Michigan State women to a 5th place team finish, the second best showing ever for the Spartans, topped only by the 4th place finish in 1981 at the first-ever NCAA women's championships. Learn why Michigan State's women middle distance runners are among the rising stars nationally. This is Part 1 of a 2-Part Article.
Senior Nicole Bush put the finishing touch on an outstanding cross-country season by finishing 5th in the NCAA National Championship meet, leading the Michigan State women to a 5th place team finish, the second best showing ever for the Spartans, topped only by the 4th place finish in 1981 at the first-ever NCAA women's championships. Learn why Michigan State's women middle distance runners are among the rising stars nationally. This is Part 2 of a 2-Part Article.
During the changing of the guard for Michigan State University's cross-country and track & field programs, Rita Arndt-Molis was named Associate Head Coach following Walt Drenth's appointment as director of the programs. Arndt-Molis will coach both men and women middle-distance and distance runners in both cross-country and track. Her impact was immediate. Learn why the Spartans will benefit every day she is coaching.
Michigan State University's Cross-County and Track & Field programs have taken a really positive step forward with the appointment of Walt Drenth as the director. Just as Tom Izzo has led the Spartan basketball program back to national prominence, and new first-year coach Mark Dantonio has already dramatically improved Michigan State's football fortunes with a bowl appearance, Walt Drenth will create a winning tradition among Spartan runners.
Two girls teams from Western Washington—Gig Harbor and Northwest Christian—won consecutive titles at the 2007 Washington State Cross-Country Championships. The Gig Harbor Tides picked up their 3rd consecutive title and the Northwest Christian Navigators won their 2nd title. Northwest Christian's Joscelyn Minton also won the state individual championship. Get full results in this article.
Mead Mania: The Golden Era of Prep Distance Running in Washington - Part 1
When you live through a time in history when an athletic event arguably becomes one of the greatest in history, it is easy to remember. So it was with the Golden Era of prep distance running in Washington State. Mead High School in Eastern Washington won 9 straight state cross-country titles and 12 in a 15-year run from 1988 to 2002. Learn the legacy of Mead.
Mead Mania: Pat Tyson's Arrival Starts a Run of 9 Consecutive State Titles - Part 2
Things began to really heat up with the arrival of Pat Tyson as Mead's distance running coach. He provided the leadership that led to Mead's first of 9 straight titles in 1988. Tyson may be best known nationally as a University of Oregon runner under coach Bill Bowerman and the one-time roommate of Steve "Pre" Prefontaine. What Tyson learned living and running with Steve Prefontaine and from coach Bowerman was brought to Mead and superbly implemented.
Key to Pat Tyson's practice routine as well as Steve Prefontaine's and the University of Oregon's was to train twice a day, a steady run the morning and a specific training workout in the afternoon. The spillover effect of Tyson's personality, accessibility and passion for running positively influenced Mead runners and brought students into the program that may otherwise have never been involved in athletics.
Mead Mania: 2 Mead Runners Crack 9 Minutes at the State 3200 Meter Championship - Part 4
Another example of Mead's dominance came the following year in the 1994 state track championship meet, when it won the title with 73 points to runner-up Clover Park's 36. Four outstanding runners from the 1993 team returned to accomplish these results: In the 1600 meter Greg James won in 4:10.06, Rob Aubrey was runner-up in 4:11.19 and Micah Davis was 4th in 4:14.81. In the 3200 meter, Aubrey won in 9:07.85, Davis was runner-up in 9:07.90 and Skiy De Tray was 3rd in 9:11.56.
Meet "Pre" - America's Greatest Running Legend and Greatest Middle Distance Hero
It has now been 33 years since the untimely, tragic death of America's greatest running legend and its greatest middle distance runner, Steve Prefontaine, and his legacy continues to grow as the void he filled remains open. It is rare but true to say that his legacy may never be matched again. Find out why.
Is There a More Winning NCAA Coach Than UCLA's John Wooden? Well, Yes
Any discussion
of the NCAA's winningest coach naturally begins with UCLA's legendary basketball
guru John Wooden, who won 10 NCAA championships in 12 years and 7 straight
titles from 1967 to 1973. No other basketball coach is even close to Wooden.
However, Arkansas's John McDonnell, who coaches the Razorbacks' cross-country,
indoor track and outdoor track teams, has won 42 NCAA championships and 12
consecutive indoor track titles from 1984 to 1995. Learn more in the full
article.
Ryan Hall, America's Great Young Runner, Is Our Fastest U. S.-Born Marathoner Ever
After posting a story titled "America's Marketing Nightmare – The Foreign Runners Who Dominate the Boston Marathon", wherein I complained about the lack of U. S. marathoners challenging foreign runners, Patrice Carlisle in Sugarloaf, CA took some time and effort to email me her reaction. Get the full story.
They ran the 112th Boston Marathon Monday (4-21-08). The triumph was that Robert Cheruiyot (try to say something close to Cherry-ott) of Kenya won his 4th Boston Marathon. The tragedy was that America hardly noticed. It is flat out difficult, nay impossible, to market world-class foreign athletes on American soil, no matter how much they win or how many records they set. Nobody in America seems to care.
Running: How Wheat Products and Sugar Can Be the "Kiss of Death" When Trying to Lose Weight - Part 1
As a high school, college, master’s and senior competitive runner, I used to often wonder why it was so difficult to lose extra pounds as I grew older. Now I know why. That is why I feel so blessed to have read Dr. Peter J. D’Adamo’s book Eat Right for Your Type which chronicles the four basic blood types, and why each thrives on a different diet, stress/exercise profile and personality type.
Running: How Lectins (Proteins in Food) Are Very Negative in O Positive Blood Types - Part 2
Dr. Peter D’Adamo’s findings are critical to understanding why Americans have become some of the most unhealthy and overweight people in the world. An inordinate amount of our children are walking about today as examples of obesity before they are even teenagers. When you know that there are more O blood types than any other type, you can then better appreciate the extent of our problem.
Gluten, the most common lectin found in wheat and other grains, binds to the lining of the small intestine, causing substantial inflammation and painful irritation in some blood types—especially Type O. This is serious business for all O positive blood types and especially runners because what is binding to the small intestines eventually turns to fat.
Running: How Popular Running Magazines Are Constantly Giving Very Poor Diet Advice - Part 4
Running magazines are great for recommending one-type-fits-all diets for runners, but they are dead wrong and their O blood type readers who follow their advice will not benefit from their recommendations. I used to swear by the advice of running magazines, and now I at swear at their diet advice, especially regarding diets for runners. Learn why in this article.
Lifelong runners like myself who have been training and competing forever (47 years plus) know that there is an inescapable correlation between your weight and your cardiovascular efficiency. Essentially, when you lose 10% of your body weight, you increase your cardiovascular efficiency 10%. Learn why in this article.
Arthur Lydiard, the World's Greatest Middle Distance Coach, on How to Train Effectively
As a lifelong runner, master's and senior competitor in track, I have read hundreds of stories on techniques addressing specific aspects of training. It was not until I bought and read Running, The Lydiard Way that training philosophy became more important than individual workouts to achieve specific results. Lydiard's work is a textbook not only on his philosophy of running but also on the physiology of exercise.
Running gives you peace of mind that settles your soul. I have my high school cross-country coach to thank for introducing me to the pure joy of running. Like many of us who have become successful in life, we owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to a certain teacher or coach who influenced us in a way that we will never forget. This is my story about such a man, a tremendous influence for good in my life.
Why American Designers Simply Cannot Get It Right When Creating Running Suits
Imagine a man who wants to buy a running suit with zippers on the pockets and can find none. He soon discovers that people who design running suits today could not possibly be athletes or people who are interested in safeguarding their valuables. Pockets without zippers allow wallets, money and keys to fly out when running or even sitting in a chair. Even Nike does not put zippers on running suit pockets anymore. The designers apparently went out to lunch and never returned.
College Football 2008
June 18, 2008
In Trouble
Already: Ty Willingham
Get Excited: It's Only 11
Weeks Until Kickoff
of the 2008 NCAA College Football Season
Copyright © 2008 Ed
Bagley
It is only 11 weeks until the kickoff of the 2008 NCAA College Football Season.
The best part of this week is that it is only 11 Saturdays until the Washington
Huskies travel south to face the Oregon Ducks in their opener. Husky Coach Ty
Willingham had better have his players ready to win.
It is a foregone conclusion that Willingham MUST lead Washington to a winning
season and bowl appearance or his time as the Husky coach will be over.
Since Willingham started his
first season in Seattle, Husky fans and boosters have been underwhelmed by his
poor record. In 2005 Washington was 2-9 and last in the Pac 10 Conference. In
2006 Washington was 5-7 and next to last in the Pac 10. In 2007 Washington was
4-9 and last in the Pac 10. You get the picture.
An 11-25 record and zero bowl appearances have left Husky followers bewitched,
bothered and bewildered. Stacked against Don James 18-year career record of
153-57-2 (72%), a 10-4 bowl game record, and winning 22 consecutive games from
1990 to 1992, Willingham's mark looks really lame.
The Washington Huskies have a proud football tradition that has fallen on hard
times with Willingham at the helm. Prior to Willingham, the Huskies have won 15
Pac-10 Conference championships, 7 Rose Bowl titles and 2 NCAA national
championships. No wonder Husky fans were slamming their helmets and pulling
memorabilia off the rec room walls.
Washington has not had a
winning season since 2002 (the last season under Rick Neuheisel), and has had 4
consecutive losing seasons for the first time in the history of Husky football.
Yikes! Time to stop screwing around and get with it.
Willingham was given marching orders to get better coaches around him, and
responded by hiring Ed Donatell as the new defensive coordinator and Brian White
as the new tight ends/special teams coach.
Donatell is a veteran NFL defensive coordinator with both the Green Bay Packers
and Atlanta Falcons. Donatell seems like a no-nonsense kind of guy who could
drop a player on his backside if needed.
White really made his mark at Wisconsin as the Running Backs Coach and Offensive
Coordinator, helping the Badgers to 9 bowl appearances, including Rose Bowl
selections in 1999 and 2000. He mentored 1999 Heisman Trophy winner Ron Dayne,
2001 NFL first-round draft choice Michael Bennett, and 2001 Big 10 Freshman of
the Year Anthony Davis.
There may be nicer, more
patient, more loyal to loser coaches in America than Ty Willingham, but only God
knows where he could be.
Willingham's main claim to fame at Washington has been to keep the program clean
(no NCAA recruiting violations or other indiscretions), recruit some promising
players to join freshman sensation Jake Locker, exude integrity, academic
standards for players and good sportsmanship, and become President of the
American Football Coaches Association Board of Trustees.
Winning football games (ultimately, the only reason he will remain head coach of
the Huskies), on the other hand, has been very elusive for Willingham.
Up until now, Willingham and
his Huskies have reminded me of what Lou Holtz had to say one fine
Saturday—"When all is said and done, more is said than done." Lou Holtz had a
way of cutting to the chase.
For Willingham, the future is clear: have a winning season in 2008 and go to a
bowl game, or get gone.
Read my other detailed, knowledgeable, outrageous articles on football,
including:
"Famous Quotes by Vince
Lombardi, Knute Rockne and Lou Holtz During Football's Annual Bowl Season"
"How to Predict When Teams Are Overrated and Due for an Unexpected Loss"
"The Sagarin Ratings: What They Are, How to Read Them and What to Do With Them"
and my 14 consecutive weekly
wrap-up articles on the 2007 College Football Season
as well as wrap-up articles on
all 32 College Bowl Games. Be
bold and audacious, read my stuff, exercise your eyeballs as well as your brain.
And, yeah, don't forget the brewsky, tacos, sauce and chips. Find them all in my
Sports link.
College Football 2007 Weekly Wrap-Up:
January 4, 2008
College
Football Wrap-Up
Biggest Wins in 1st Four
2007 Bowl Games
Belong to Utah and Florida Atlantic – Part 1
Ed
Bagley's Blog:
Copyright © 2008 Ed Bagley
Coming into the 2007 college football 32-bowl game extravaganza that men love
and women generally hate, here are some interesting facts to impress your
friends:
Which team playing this year
has made the most bowl game appearances?
Here are the Top 10: 1) Alabama with 54, 2) Texas and Tennessee, both 46, 4)
Southern California 45, 5) Georgia 42, 6) Oklahoma 40, 7) Penn State 39, and 8)
Louisiana State, Michigan and Ohio State, all three at 38.
Which team
playing this year has the most bowl game victories?
Here are the Top 8: 1) Alabama with 30, 2) Southern California 29, 3) Penn State
25, 4) Oklahoma and Tennessee, both 24, 6) Georgia and Texas, both 23, and 8)
Georgia Tech, 22.
Which team playing this year
has the best bowl game won-loss percentage?
Here are the Top 7: 1) Utah 9-3 at 75%, 2) Boise State and Hawaii, both 5-2 at
71%, 4) Penn State 25-12-2 at 67%, 5) Boston College 12-6 at 66%, and 6)
Oklahoma State 11-6 and Southern California 29-16, both at 64%.
Here are the first 4 winners
of this year's 2007 college football bowl game results:
Poinsettia Bowl – Utah Beats
Navy by a Field Goal, 35-32
Navy led Utah 10-7 at the half, fell behind 35-24 in the 4th quarter, and then
roared back to score on a 58-yard touchdown pass and 2-point conversion, making
it 35-32. Navy even recovered the expected onside kick, but Utah's Joe Dale
intercepted a pass on the ensuing drive to seal the victory.
Utah's win should have come as no surprise because among the 64 teams that
competed in 32 bowl games, Utah came into the game with the best bowl game
winning percentage—75—with a 9-3 record that is now 10-3 (77% rounded). Utah
finishes its season at 9-4; Navy drops to 8-5.
New Orleans Bowl — Florida
Atlantic Beats Memphis Easily, 44-27
Florida Atlantic University, its 73-year-old coach Howard Schnellenberger, and
the Owls' players have officially and emphatically answered the question,
"F-A-who?" by whipping Memphis 44-27. The New Orleans Bowl victory was the first
bowl game for Florida Atlantic, which has only had a football team for 7 years
and did not become a Division 1A team until 2005.
None of this was new to Howard
Schnellenberger, who build the Florida Atlantic program from scratch.
Schnellenberger's New Orleans Bowl victory was his 5th straight. He remains a
perfect 100% (5-0) in bowl games during his 23 years as a head coach. It would
be difficult to fault Schnellenberger on this bowl game preparation.
Schnellenberger led Miami (FL) to the 1983 national championship with an Orange
Bowl triumph over Nebraska. He also won the 1980 Peach Bowl with Miami, and
another two bowl games with Louisville, the 1990 Fiesta Bowl and the 1993
Liberty Bowl. Schnellenberger may be the only college coach in history with a
5-0 record when playing in only 5 bowl games.
Rusty Smith threw for 336 yards and a New Orleans Bowl-record 5 touchdowns to
lead the Owls to victory. That was excellent news for the Owls, but even better
news for Florida Atlantic was this: Smith finished the season with 3,688 yards
passing and 32 touchdowns, and he is a sophomore. Florida Atlantic finished the
year at 8-5 while Memphis dropped to 7-6.
Papajohns.com Bowl –
Cincinnati Beats Southern Mississippi 31-21
Shifty Ben Mauk passed for 334 yards and 4 touchdowns, and DeAngelo Smith
intercepted 3 passes to lead the Bearcats to a 31-21 win against Southern
Mississippi. The victory gave Cincinnati its second 10-win season at 10-3, its
first 10-win season since 1951, and virtually assured the Bearcats of a spot in
the final rankings for the first time.
Outgoing Golden Eagles coach
Jeff Bower, who has coached Southern Mississippi for 17 seasons, had to endure a
last-game loss after being pushed out the door after a disappointing season. The
Golden Eagles were 7-6, hardly golden but all eagles.
"We played extremely hard," said Bower after the loss, "but obviously we didn't
make enough plays to win the game." Bower and his Golden Eagles were done in by
first-year coach Brian Kelly and his spread offense.
It has been all offense this year with a lot of teams. Some college football
fans mistakenly thought that defense had been cut out of the game by the NCAA.
Actually, defense was allowed this year, but most teams did not play defense all
season. That includes Southern Mississippi that was 1 of 93 among 119 Division
1A teams (78%) which gave up at least 3 touchdowns a game (21 points).
Cincinnati gave up an average of 18 a game to rank 11th nationally in scoring
defense.
New Mexico Bowl – New Mexico
Shuts Out Nevada 23-0
Paul Baker ran for 167 yards in his first start, Donovan Porterie threw for a
career-high 354 yards, and the New Mexico Lobos defeated Nevada 23-0 for their
first postseason victory since 1961.
After a long 46-year wait, Lobo fans saw their team win another bowl game and
hold the vaunted Wolf Pack—which averaged nearly 500 yards a game and 36+
points—to zero, zip, nada. New Mexico sprinted to a 20-0 halftime lead and never
looked back. New Mexico finished the year at 9-4 while Nevada dropped to 6-7, a
losing season.
(Editor's Note: This is the
1st article of a series on the 2007 bowl game results.)
Read my other articles on
football, including "Famous Quotes by Vince Lombardi During Football's Annual
Bowl Season", "Famous Quotes
by Knute Rockne During Football's Annual Bowl Season", "Famous Quotes by Lou
Holtz During Football's Bowl Season", "How to Predict When Teams Are Overrated
and Due for an Unexpected Loss", "The Sagarin Ratings: What They Are, How to
Read Them and What to Do With Them" and my 14 consecutive weekly wrap-up
articles on the 2007 College Football Season.
January 5, 2008
College
Football Wrap-Up
Biggest Wins in Next Four
2007 Bowl Games
Belong to East Carolina and Texas – Part 2
Ed
Bagley's Blog:
Copyright © 2008 Ed Bagley
Here are the next 4 winners of
this year's 2007 college football bowl game results:
Las Vegas Bowl – Brigham Young
Nips UCLA 17-16 on a Blocked Field Goal
Brigham Young, which led UCLA 17-13 at the half and went scoreless in the second
half, barely managed to hang on to win 17-16 against UCLA in a game the Cougars
should have lost.
After allowing the Bruins a 4th quarter field goal to make it 17-16, BYU's
defense went into the dumper behind K-Mart by allowing UCLA to drive 87 yards in
the last 2 minutes to give the Bruins a chip-shot field goal on the final play
of the game.
Unfortunately for UCLA and fortunately for Brigham Young, a 280-pound Cougar
lineman—Eathyn Manumaleuna (I think his last name is Hawaiian and 6
syllables)—who could not jump out of paper sack, got his right mitt up and
became an instant hero. He will go into the BYU folklore history if he is not
already there.
The win was the 10th straight
for the Cougars who finished the season at 11-2, not too shabby by any standard.
BYU dodged a bullet earlier
this season against Utah, converting on a 4th-and-18 play in their winning drive
to seal a 17-10 victory.
The Bruins only lost 2 games in their first 7, one to Utah 44-6 on the road
(gag, gag and gag) and the other to Notre Dame 20-6 at home in the Rose Bowl
(good grief). UCLA then lost 4 of its last 5 games plus the Las Vegas Bowl to
end at 6-7, a losing season. No wonder UCLA coach Karl Dorrell was pushed out
the door before the Las Vegas Bowl even started.
Hawaii Bowl – East Carolina
Beats Boise State by a Field Goal, 41-38
Speed killed Boise State's magic this year as East Carolina, which motored to a
38-14 lead early in the 3rd quarter, darn near sent the game into overtime when
their star and the game's Most Valuable Player—Chris Johnson—fumbled while the
Pirates were ready to ice the contest.
Johnson's fumble was picked up and returned for a 47-yard touchdown to tie the
game at 38 with 1:25 left to play. East Carolina managed to drive to the
Broncos' 17 yard line and a last play field goal by Ben Hartman sealed the deal.
All Chris Johnson had done up to his inadvertent fumble was set a NCAA bowl
record with 408 all-purpose yards for the Pirates. He rushed for 223 yards,
caught 3 passes for 32 yards and returned 6 kickoffs for 153 yards. Boise State,
a 10.5-point favorite, managed just 3 yards in the 1st quarter while East
Carolina racked up 181 yards behind Johnson's 106 rushing yards.
If you saw this match-up,
Chris Johnson ran by Boise State Broncos as if they were standing still. The
Broncos looked like they had lost a saddle and were watching their horse run
away. It was Don James, the Dawgfather, who said "speed kills" while he built
the University of Washington into a powerhouse in the 1980s and early 1990s as
the Huskies' most successful coach.
Boise State had cruised to a 13-0 mark last year and stunned Oklahoma with a
miracle 43-42 overtime victory in the Fiesta Bowl. This year was the 6th
straight bowl appearance for the Broncos, who dropped to 10-3 while East
Carolina rose to 8-5. If Hawaii wins its bowl game against the SEC's Georgia
Bulldogs, Bronco mania could be in trouble. I hear it is cold in the winter in
Idaho.
Did I mention that Boise State was ranked 24th in the final AP Top 25 Poll, 24th
in the final BCS Standings, and rated 28th by Sagarin? Sagarin rated East
Carolina 75th in its final poll; this is why Boise State was a 10.5-point
favorite.
Motor City Bowl – Purdue Beats
Central Michigan by a Field Goal, 51-48
Purdue was lucky to get out of Dodge a winner when the Boilermakers traveled to
Detroit to face the Mid-American Conference champion Central Michigan Chippewas
in the Motor City Bowl. Thankfully, the Boilermakers' Chris Summers put his foot
to the pedal to kick a 40-yard, last play field goal as Purdue drove out of town
on top, 51-48.
This was an exciting game for
fans to watch unless you care about defense.
The combined 99 points tied the second-highest total ever for a bowl game in
regulation play, topped only by California's 52-49 victory over Virginia Tech in
the 2003 Insight Bowl.
The game showcased the quarterbacks. Purdue's Curtis Painter set a school-record
546 yards passing on a 35-for-54 effort (65%) with 3 touchdowns and 2
interceptions, both of which went off of receiver Dorien Bryant's hands. Central
Michigan's Dan LeFevour completed 17 of 34 (50%) for 292 yards and 4 touchdowns,
and picked up another 114 yards on 33 carries.
LeFevour's 19-yard scoring pass to Bryan Anderson with 1:09 remaining tied the
game at 48. LeFevour, a sophomore, finished the year with 27 passing touchdowns
and 19 rushing touchdowns, almost matching Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow of
Florida as the only major college player to have 20 each in a season.
Purdue, which has risen
folding in important games to an art form, blew no less than three 21-point
leads before Summers decided to win one for a change.
The Boilermakers were favored to win by 9 points. Purdue finishes the year at
8-5 and Central Michigan dropped to 8-6.
Holiday Bowl – Texas Beats
Arizona State 53-34 for 4th Straight Bowl Victory
Texas quarterback Colt McCoy fumbled 4 times but it was still not enough to slow
down his Longhorn teammates as they outlasted Arizona State 53-34 to win the
Holiday Bowl. McCoy was helped by the Sun Devils committing 5 turnovers.
Arizona State quarterback Rudy Carpenter had a horrible night, going 18-of-32
for 187 yards and being sacked 4 times. McCoy threw for one score, ran for
another and fumbled into the end zone and his teammate Jermichal Finley
recovered for another score. McCoy was 21-of-31 (67%) for 174 yards and ran for
84 yards on 16 carries.
A stupid mistake by Texas
coach Mark Brown's stepson, Chris Jessie, marred the game but did not affect the
outcome. Jessie touched an
errant fumble by Arizona State that was a live ball and the Sun Devils
capitalized on the error to score a touchdown. "That's the most unusual play
I've ever seen in college football," ASU coach Dennis Erickson said.
Texas led 28-10 at the half and was not about to be denied a victory. The win by
Texas was its 4th straight in bowl competition and lifted its final record to
10-3 as Arizona State dropped to 10-3.
(Editor's Note: This is the
2nd article of a series on the 2007 bowl game results.)
Read my other articles on
football, including "Famous Quotes by Vince Lombardi During Football's Annual
Bowl Season", "Famous Quotes
by Knute Rockne During Football's Annual Bowl Season", "Famous Quotes by Lou
Holtz During Football's Bowl Season", "How to Predict When Teams Are Overrated
and Due for an Unexpected Loss", "The Sagarin Ratings: What They Are, How to
Read Them and What to Do With Them" and my 14 consecutive weekly wrap-up
articles on the 2007 College Football Season.
My articles can be published
with no charge by
newsletters, newspapers and magazines through EzineArticles.com, the largest
articles directory on the Internet with 73,000+ authors and 900,000+ articles.
January 6, 2008
College
Football Wrap-Up