OK, through two weeks of NFL competition, many people say it's too earlyto really know. But, is it really too early? We all saw the Cowboys look awful in pre-season, and they sit at 0-2. We all saw the Texans get after it in pre-season, and they sit at 2-0. Coincedentally, those two teams meet in Houston this weekend. Can anyone imagine Dallas going 0-3? For a team that was supposed to contend for the Super Bowl, this season has gotten sideways on them in a hurry, and Wade Phillips isn't the type of coach that can turn it around. Minnesota was another team that was supposed to contend, but their QB looks like he really doesn't want to be there, and they also sit at 0-2. The AFC East was supposed to be the Jets division for the taking. But their star CB is now out for a few weeks with a hamstring injury, and their QB is hit or miss. We'll see. Am I a Dolphins fan? Yes. Am I happy they are 2-0? Yes. Do I think it's going to last? Of course not. I do think they'll contend, and you have to tip your hat to their defensive performance so far. Hey, Tom Olivadotti......this is how the Dolphins are SUPPOSED to play defense. Sorry.....I had to get that last shot in there.
To college football, where Reggie Bush will voluntarily surrender his Heisman trophy to save the Heisman trust from taking it by force. Bush says his giving up the trophy is in no way an admission of guilt or wrongdoing. I beg to differ. If he's not guilty, then why wouldn't he fight to keep his reputation? He, like Pete Rose, is falling on the sword in this case because he doesn't want any dirty laundry aired in public. Which brings me to the entire issue of what these NCAA athletes are specifically entitled to. I keep hearing the same thing: These athletes should be paid because they can't buy "their" jersey from the college bookstore" or "These athletes should be paid because the school makes money off of what they do". They are being paid.....it's called a FREE college education. Go out and price a four year education at a college, room, board, books, tuition, the whole nine yards. These athletes sre getting that for free, and yet, they are still unhappy. In fact, most athletes on scholarship are on partial scholarships, so they have to pick up some of the tab. But, the people crying foul the most are those on full scholarship......go figure. I get that college athletics is a big-time business. I get that the universities are making money hand over fist. But, if we start paying these athletes, where does it end? If we start paying the football team, what do we pay the basketball team? If we start paying the basketball team, what do we pa the baseball team? And, if we start paying the male student-athletes, what do we pay the female student-athletes? It is a slippery slope, to be sure. But, just because one is a student-athlete, appears on TV each week, and his picture is on a school's media guide, or is used on promo material for a particular game, it doesn't mean that individual should be paid. He's already being paid with a free education.
Keeping it with my entitlement issue, there is a lawsuit making its way through the courts that some feel is going to tip this whole pay-the-student-athlete apple cart. It is a suit being brought against the NCAA by former athletes, most notably former UCLA basketball player Ed O'Bannon and former Nebraska QB Sam Keller. Their suit contends that EA Sports used their likenesses in their video games, and the athletes aren't being paid for it. Now, these video games have been around for quite a while. And, I'm quite sure, on some level, that an athlete somewhere aloong the line, thought of this very same topic. But, nobody has really taken it this far. My first question in this whole issue is this: How can you really tell that the image that is part of the game is, in fact, your likeness? Keller's argument on that question states that he is the only QB that played with a visor on his helmet AND used eye black. Really? And my second question in this whole issue is this: If these guys had any kind of career in the pros, would this really be an issue with them? It all seems like a money grab by them, as well as those associated with the suit, because they weren't good enough to make it to the professional level. I seriously hope that somewhere, a judge with an ounce of common sense throws this one out on its ear.
District play is getting ready to start for high school football. Conference play is set to begin for college football. And, of course, baseball is getting ready to start their playoff season. What a great time to be a sports fan. That's about all for now. My thanks to everyone for their support. Till next time...........
Patrick
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Monday, September 06, 2010
College football.....through my eyes
With a new season of college football upon us, I thought for a long time on what to write about after the first full weekend of games. Do I rip teams for scheduling easy wins? Do I hand out praise for teams scheduling some tough games right out of the gate? Or...do I simply wax nostalgic about what I've seen from college football for many years. In the end, waxing nostalgic won out. So, with that in mind, here we go.
I have to give thanks to Mrs. Frances Adams, my second grade teacher from Excelsior Elementary in Union, SC. She took me to my first ever Clemson game when I was in the third grade. Of course, it helped that my folks had a motor home, but that was beside the point. They asked to borrow said motor home to go to the game. My folks probably said on one condition: Take Patrick with you!! But, fro that weekend came my love for college football. Clemson played VPI (now known as Virginia Tech). We got up there on a Friday, went to Tigerama, saw all the Homecoming floats on the campus on Saturday, and did all the things you'd expect to do on a college campus on Homecoming weekend. We parked in a lot behind the library that I think now no longer exists (the parking lot, that is), due to the Strom Thrumond Institute. But, it was a time I'll never forget. As far as memories of college sports go, this one will hold a special place no other memory can touch. But the other memories.......well, let's explore what I've seen through the years.
If I make a list, I'd certainly have to include all the Clemson games I've been to as a kid and as a teenager. That first game to Death Valley (the stadium only had one upper deck then) was great, but other games turned out to be just fine in their own right. I got to see Doug Flutie play there. That was my first time experiencing what it was like for a game to end in a tie (22-22). I was there when they opened the second upper deck. I thought it was the greatest thing in the world to have tickets that said "Section GG", otherwise known as Green Grass, or, The Hill. When I finally made it to Clemson as a student and joined the band, I could always tell how big the game was going to be by how many RV's started showing up on a Tuesday afternoon. You have to get the good parking spots, you know. It is from my time as a Tiger Band member that I experienced a lot in the way of college sports. If I have to make a list, it might read like this:
5. Talahassee- Doak Campbell Stadium. I got to attend games there both pre and post rennovation. Pre-Bowden was when the end zone bleachers were the old high school, wooden seats with Boy Scout troops running around under them, in case something dropped. No kidding. That was their community service project. If a fan dropped something back then, they'd grabb it, and hand it back to its owner. After the rennovation, I'm not sure what they did, since it was all closed in with much nicer seating. Watching the FSU Band warm up at Howser Stadium is pretty neat, too. Of course, when you're on the lawn at the Circus College (again....no kidding. There's a big top oon campus at FSU) enjoying an adult beverage, and you hear the band start The Chop.......it's just great.
4. Columbia- Williams Brice Stadium. And, I can't believe I'm putting them ahead of FSU, since I've been to WAY more games in Tallahassee than Columbia. But, when my sisters went to school there, the late Joe Mirrison was coaching there, and there was a saying: If It Ain't Swaying, We Ain't Playing. Never knew what that meant till I got to go to a game there as a junior high kid. Ironically, USC was playing Florida State. It was the year USC started off 9-0, and lost to Navy the week before the Clemson game. Raynard Brown returned a kick for a touchdown, and then I felt it; the sway of the upper deck. And, I'm not kidding.....this damn thing was moving. Of course, as a kid, I thought it was great. When Sterling Sharpe scored his second TD of the night, it started to feel like a carnival ride. Of course, there have been odd moments here, too. Like, the time we were marching in for the annual Clemson-Carolina game for Tiger Band, and a man jumped out of a motor home, ran right up to our double-file formation, and proceeded to drop his pants and wave....well.....you get the idea. Apparently, he was not a Tiger fan, or he had just started drinking WAY too early.
3. College Station, TX- Kyle Field. Again, I can't believe I'm ranking them on my list, but this is a list of college atmospheres that I've experienced, so this one has to be on here. I didn't get to do the whole thing; no Yell Practice at Midnight (I was in Plainview for a high school game the night before). But, game day here is pretty unique. I was with my father-in-law, and my wife's uncle, both of whom graduated from TAMU. When they met, it was first names only, and the year they graduated. Apparently, that's how Aggies greet each other for the first time. But, we started off at the Dixie Chicken, which, if I called it a hole in the wall would be an insult to holes in the wall all over. This place was a dive. But, it was packed with people going to the game (Clemson was playing there that afternoon), and it was about a 10-to-1 ratio of TAMU to Clemson fans. It was in here that I first learned what it was to "Saw Varsity's horns off", a practice I'm not too fond of today. But, once inside the stadium, with the yells, the cadets, the massive student section, it all makes for a nice gameday atmosphere.
2. Any bowl game day- I've been fortunate enough to attend a few bowl games in my lifetime. Cotton, Alamo, Gator, Armed Forces. For my money, I like the Armed Forces Bowl gameday atmosphere the best. Not because I continue to cover that game (this will be my sixth year to that game in December), but nowhere else will you see: A guy who lost his legs to a roadside bomb make a perfect landing at mid-field, carrying the American flag, and not stumble and fall to the ground. Artificial legs or not.....that was impressive. Of course, the year that 2 Navy F-18's buzzed the field before the game. I mean, they had to be only 200 feet or so off the deck. You could feel the heat off the planes as they did their fly-by......sweet!! Of course, the Alamo Bowl holds a special place, not just because we did a show from there (interviewed a drunk fan who proceeded to drop an expletive on live radio), but the fact that we went to a game in San Antonio and came back all in one day (about 25 hours in all) rocked!!!!!
1. Texas-Oklahoma, Fair Park. Not even close. Not by a long shot. Clemson-Carolina can't touch it. I'm not too sure there are many rivalries that can. Don't believe me? Go to it one day. Just go to the Fair on gameday. Just get the experience from that. To borrow an expression from CBS and The Masters, it is truly a tradition unlike any other. The Fair is divided right down the middle, fans for both schools occupy both sides, then the bands come in. Once that happens, you almost can't hear the guy standing next to you. What was truly amazing about this gameday experience was all the fans in the parking lot that had set up some sort of makeshift TV setup, complete with dish. These were some hardcore people out there, too. But, as college football hospitality dictates, they were always quick to offer some of their food they had on hand, which could feed a small army. If you get the chance, if nothing else, just go to the Fair on the day of this game. You won't be sorry.
That's about it......a small sampling of college football traditions through my eyes. Of course, your list will vary. That's what makes it all so unique. Here's to another great college football season. Till next time...............
Patrick
I have to give thanks to Mrs. Frances Adams, my second grade teacher from Excelsior Elementary in Union, SC. She took me to my first ever Clemson game when I was in the third grade. Of course, it helped that my folks had a motor home, but that was beside the point. They asked to borrow said motor home to go to the game. My folks probably said on one condition: Take Patrick with you!! But, fro that weekend came my love for college football. Clemson played VPI (now known as Virginia Tech). We got up there on a Friday, went to Tigerama, saw all the Homecoming floats on the campus on Saturday, and did all the things you'd expect to do on a college campus on Homecoming weekend. We parked in a lot behind the library that I think now no longer exists (the parking lot, that is), due to the Strom Thrumond Institute. But, it was a time I'll never forget. As far as memories of college sports go, this one will hold a special place no other memory can touch. But the other memories.......well, let's explore what I've seen through the years.
If I make a list, I'd certainly have to include all the Clemson games I've been to as a kid and as a teenager. That first game to Death Valley (the stadium only had one upper deck then) was great, but other games turned out to be just fine in their own right. I got to see Doug Flutie play there. That was my first time experiencing what it was like for a game to end in a tie (22-22). I was there when they opened the second upper deck. I thought it was the greatest thing in the world to have tickets that said "Section GG", otherwise known as Green Grass, or, The Hill. When I finally made it to Clemson as a student and joined the band, I could always tell how big the game was going to be by how many RV's started showing up on a Tuesday afternoon. You have to get the good parking spots, you know. It is from my time as a Tiger Band member that I experienced a lot in the way of college sports. If I have to make a list, it might read like this:
5. Talahassee- Doak Campbell Stadium. I got to attend games there both pre and post rennovation. Pre-Bowden was when the end zone bleachers were the old high school, wooden seats with Boy Scout troops running around under them, in case something dropped. No kidding. That was their community service project. If a fan dropped something back then, they'd grabb it, and hand it back to its owner. After the rennovation, I'm not sure what they did, since it was all closed in with much nicer seating. Watching the FSU Band warm up at Howser Stadium is pretty neat, too. Of course, when you're on the lawn at the Circus College (again....no kidding. There's a big top oon campus at FSU) enjoying an adult beverage, and you hear the band start The Chop.......it's just great.
4. Columbia- Williams Brice Stadium. And, I can't believe I'm putting them ahead of FSU, since I've been to WAY more games in Tallahassee than Columbia. But, when my sisters went to school there, the late Joe Mirrison was coaching there, and there was a saying: If It Ain't Swaying, We Ain't Playing. Never knew what that meant till I got to go to a game there as a junior high kid. Ironically, USC was playing Florida State. It was the year USC started off 9-0, and lost to Navy the week before the Clemson game. Raynard Brown returned a kick for a touchdown, and then I felt it; the sway of the upper deck. And, I'm not kidding.....this damn thing was moving. Of course, as a kid, I thought it was great. When Sterling Sharpe scored his second TD of the night, it started to feel like a carnival ride. Of course, there have been odd moments here, too. Like, the time we were marching in for the annual Clemson-Carolina game for Tiger Band, and a man jumped out of a motor home, ran right up to our double-file formation, and proceeded to drop his pants and wave....well.....you get the idea. Apparently, he was not a Tiger fan, or he had just started drinking WAY too early.
3. College Station, TX- Kyle Field. Again, I can't believe I'm ranking them on my list, but this is a list of college atmospheres that I've experienced, so this one has to be on here. I didn't get to do the whole thing; no Yell Practice at Midnight (I was in Plainview for a high school game the night before). But, game day here is pretty unique. I was with my father-in-law, and my wife's uncle, both of whom graduated from TAMU. When they met, it was first names only, and the year they graduated. Apparently, that's how Aggies greet each other for the first time. But, we started off at the Dixie Chicken, which, if I called it a hole in the wall would be an insult to holes in the wall all over. This place was a dive. But, it was packed with people going to the game (Clemson was playing there that afternoon), and it was about a 10-to-1 ratio of TAMU to Clemson fans. It was in here that I first learned what it was to "Saw Varsity's horns off", a practice I'm not too fond of today. But, once inside the stadium, with the yells, the cadets, the massive student section, it all makes for a nice gameday atmosphere.
2. Any bowl game day- I've been fortunate enough to attend a few bowl games in my lifetime. Cotton, Alamo, Gator, Armed Forces. For my money, I like the Armed Forces Bowl gameday atmosphere the best. Not because I continue to cover that game (this will be my sixth year to that game in December), but nowhere else will you see: A guy who lost his legs to a roadside bomb make a perfect landing at mid-field, carrying the American flag, and not stumble and fall to the ground. Artificial legs or not.....that was impressive. Of course, the year that 2 Navy F-18's buzzed the field before the game. I mean, they had to be only 200 feet or so off the deck. You could feel the heat off the planes as they did their fly-by......sweet!! Of course, the Alamo Bowl holds a special place, not just because we did a show from there (interviewed a drunk fan who proceeded to drop an expletive on live radio), but the fact that we went to a game in San Antonio and came back all in one day (about 25 hours in all) rocked!!!!!
1. Texas-Oklahoma, Fair Park. Not even close. Not by a long shot. Clemson-Carolina can't touch it. I'm not too sure there are many rivalries that can. Don't believe me? Go to it one day. Just go to the Fair on gameday. Just get the experience from that. To borrow an expression from CBS and The Masters, it is truly a tradition unlike any other. The Fair is divided right down the middle, fans for both schools occupy both sides, then the bands come in. Once that happens, you almost can't hear the guy standing next to you. What was truly amazing about this gameday experience was all the fans in the parking lot that had set up some sort of makeshift TV setup, complete with dish. These were some hardcore people out there, too. But, as college football hospitality dictates, they were always quick to offer some of their food they had on hand, which could feed a small army. If you get the chance, if nothing else, just go to the Fair on the day of this game. You won't be sorry.
That's about it......a small sampling of college football traditions through my eyes. Of course, your list will vary. That's what makes it all so unique. Here's to another great college football season. Till next time...............
Patrick
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