October 30, 2003

TOP TEN...Careers Cut Short by Injury/Death



These players were all extremely talented athletes, until tragedy struck. For some, injuries took the game away, for others, it took their lives. There are many athletes who had to retire due to injuries, but these athletes were at their prime when they were forced to leave the game. Here are the top ten athletes who could have accomplished so much more, but fate got the best of them.

10) Grant Hill – An All-American at Duke, where he played in three national championship games, winning two, Grant Hill was as book-smart as he was basketball-smart. Hill needed no agents; he negotiated his own contract. After being drafted number three overall by the Detroit Pistons, Hill averaged 19.9ppg, 6.4rpg, and 5.0apg his rookie year and won the co-ROY award with Jason Kidd. Not only that, he was the first rookie to lead all players in the All-Star ballot. For the next five seasons, Hill dominated the NBA averaging at least 20.2ppg, 6.6rpg, and 5.2apg in every season. Hill had 29 career triple-doubles in his first five years, one more than what Michael Jordan had in his entire career at the time.

But on April 28, 2000, Hill’s career took a turn for the worst. Hill underwent surgery on his left ankle to repair his medial malleolus. In the off-season, Hill would test the free agency market and signed a 7 year, $93 million sign-and-trade deal with the Pistons that sent him to the Orlando Magic. However, after once again injuring his left ankle, Hill had further operation on his ankle and sat out all but four of the Magic’s 2000-2001 season. The next season, Hill only played in 16 games as he was once again placed on the IR to remove bone spurs from his aching left ankle. In three seasons with the Magic, Grant Hill played in only 47 out of a possible 246 games due to injury. Once again this season, Hill began the year on the injury reserve list.

Arguably one of the most versatile, most complete, most popular players of the late 1990s, Grant Hill had a sure Hall-of-Fame career. His combination of scoring, passing, and rebounding skills hasn’t been seen in the league since the departure of Magic Johnson. Unfortunately, Hill’s left ankle might never allow him to be the player he once was.

Grant Hill’s career statistics:



YR TM G FG% FT% STL BLK TO REB AST PTS


94-95 Det 70 .477 .732 124 62 202 6.4 5.0 19.9

95-96 Det 80 .462 .751 100 48 263 9.8 6.8 20.2

96-97 Det 80 .496 .711 144 48 259 9.0 7.3 21.4

97-98 Det 81 .452 .740 143 53 285 7.6 6.8 21.1

98-99 Det 50 .479 .752 80 27 184 7.1 6.0 21.1

99-00 Det 74 .489 .795 103 43 240 6.6 5.2 25.8

00-01 Orl 4 .442 .615 5 2 11 6.3 6.3 13.8

01-02 Orl 14 .426 .863 8 4 37 9.0 4.6 16.8

02-03 Orl 29 .492 .819 28 13 84 7.1 4.2 14.5


9) Len Bias – Coming out of Maryland as the next great player to hang his jersey next to the 19 retired jerseys and 16 world championship banners hanging on the Boston Garden ceiling, Len Bias was on his way.

Len Bias is dead. After using cocaine, 22 year old Bias died of cardiorespiratory failure on June 19, 1986. According to friends, Bias was celebrating after being picked 2nd overall in the NBA draft. The death shocked the nation and the Celtics.

I’m only four years old at the time of Bias’ death and was probably still doing algebra in China, but for a better perspective on Len Bias’ death, please read this article written by Bill Simmons of ESPN’s Page 2. Simmons is a Boston Celtic fan who was traumatized by Bias’ death.
Bill Simmons on Len Bias

8) Drazen Petrovic - While Petrovic only played in four NBA seasons, few ever realized his legendary status in European basketball history. Petrovic was just starting to demonstrate his abilities in the NBA when a car crash took his life in Germany. Petrovic once scored 112 points in a game in Europe in 1984 where he won numerous league championships and player of the year honors. Drafted in the third round of the 1986 NBA draft, Petrovic started finding his niche after being traded to the New Jersey Nets. In his final season with the Nets, Petrovic averaged 22.3 ppg and shot .447 from downtown.

Draaen Petrovic’s career statistics:



Year Team G FGP FTP 3PM 3PA 3PP RPG APG STL BLK TO PPG


89-90 POR 77 .485 .844 34 74 .459 1.4 1.5 23 2 96 7.6

90-91 NJN 61 .493 .832 23 65 .354 1.8 1.4 43 1 81 10.2

91-92 NJN 82 .508 .808 123 277 .444 3.1 3.1 105 11 215 20.6

92-93 NJN 70 .518 .870 75 167 .449 2.7 3.5 94 13 204 22.3



7) Terrell Davis – Simply know as TD, Terrell Davis helped John Elway to two Superbowl rings. Coming out of Georgia as a lowly 6th round pick, Davis rushed for over 1000 yards in his rookie season. But what is more impressive is that Davis improved his rushing total by 421 yards, 212 yards, and 258 yards for the next three seasons respectively! In those three years, he had a whopping 369 carries each year, 49 touchdowns, one 2000-yard season, one league MVP, one Superbowl MVP, and most important of all, two Superbowl Championships.

In the fourth game of the 1999 season, Davis would suffer a torn ACL, which would ultimately force his early retirement in 2002. His short but spectacular career is already starting arguments amongst sportswriters on whether he deserves to be in the Hall of Fame despite only four good seasons.

Terrell Davis’ career statistics:



Year G Att Yds Y/A TD


1995 14 237 1117 4.7 7

1996 16 345 1538 4.5 13

1997 15 369 1750 4.7 15

1998 16 392 2008 5.1 21

1999 4 67 211 3.1 2

2000 5 78 282 3.6 2

2001 11 167 701 4.2 0


6) Reggie Lewis – As if the Boston fans could ever heal from Len Bias’ death, the death of Reggie Lewis sent Boston into complete disbelieve as Lewis collapses on the court in 1993 and died three months later. Lewis first encountered his health problem in a playoff game in April of 1993. Later in July, he was alone, shooting basketball in a gym when he fell again and died playing the game he loved so much.

Rumors soon emerged that Lewis’ death was linked to cocaine use, the same thing that killed Len Bias just seven years ago (on a lighter note: Paul Pierce of the Boston Celtics was stabbed in the face seven years later in 2000, but wasn’t seriously injured. It must be a new Celtic curse to go with that Red Sox curse). In the end, it was found that Lewis died of a cardiomyopathic heart attack due to a lack of selenium, a nutrient found in almost all food groups. Lewis’ family has also had a history of heart problems. Lewis’ mother, who was a cocaine addict might have contributed to Lewis’ death.

Reggie Lewis’ career statistics:



YR TM G FG% FT% STL BLK TO REB AST PTS


87-88 Bos 49 .466 .702 16 15 30 1.3 0.5 4.5

88-89 Bos 81 .486 .787 124 72 142 4.7 2.7 18.5

89-90 Bos 79 .496 .808 88 63 120 4.4 2.8 17.0

90-91 Bos 79 .491 .826 98 85 147 5.2 2.5 18.7

91-92 Bos 82 .503 .851 125 105 136 4.8 2.3 20.8

92-93 Bos 80 .470 .867 118 77 133 4.3 3.7 20.8


5) Lou Gehrig – Compared to the other players on this list, you can hardly say that this is a career “shortened”, but nevertheless, in his last season, Gehrig hit .295, 29 hrs, and had 114 RBI at the age of 35. In baseball years for a non-pitcher and non-catcher, that’s like 29 years old. Gehrig’s battle with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), a disease without a cure that weakens the muscles and ultimately resulting in paralysis, was well documented and ultimately had the diseased named Lou Gehrig’s Disease. Although I never saw Gehrig play, I consider the clip where Gehrig addressed the Yankee crowd in his final season as one of the most touching moments in sports. When Gehrig said “…today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth,” you can tell what a humble, genuine guy he is, and that’s what made me feel extremely sad about Gehrig’s bad break. In today’s age of cliché sports speeches, Gehrig’s speech was elegant, personal, meaningful, and most of all touching.

Lou Gehrig died on June 2, 1941.

Lou Gehrig’s Farewell speech on July 4, 1939:
"Fans, for the past two weeks you have been reading about the bad break I got. Yet today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth. I have been in ballparks for 17 years and have never received anything but kindness and encouragement from you fans.

Look at these grand men. Which of you wouldn't consider it the highlight of his career just to associate with them for even one day?

Sure I'm lucky. Who wouldn't consider it an honor to have known Jacob Ruppert? Also, the builder of baseball's greatest empire, Ed Barrow? To have spent six years with that wonderful little fellow, Miller Huggins? Then to have spent the next nine years with the best manager in baseball today, Joe McCarthy? Sure I'm lucky.

When the New York Giants, a team you would give your right arm to beat, and vice versa, sends you a gift - that's something. When everybody down to the groundskeepers and those boys in white coats remember you with trophies - that's something. When you have a wonderful mother-in-law who takes sides with you in squabbles with her own daughter - that's something. When you have a father and a mother who work all their lives so you can have an education and build your body - it's a blessing. When you have a wife who has been a tower of strength and shown more courage than you dreamed existed - that¹s the finest I know.

So I close in saying that I may have had a tough break, but I have an awful lot to live for." -- Lou Gehrig

Lou Gehrig’s career statistics:



YEAR TEAM G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB BA


1923 NYY 13 26 6 11 4 1 1 9 2 5 0 .423

1924 NYY 10 12 2 6 1 0 0 5 1 3 0 .500

1925 NYY 126 437 73 129 23 10 20 68 46 49 6 .295

1926 NYY 155 572 135 179 47 20 16 112 105 73 6 .313

1927 NYY 155 584 149 218 52 18 47 175 109 84 10 .373

1928 NYY 154 562 139 210 47 13 27 142 95 69 4 .374

1929 NYY 154 553 127 166 32 10 35 126 122 68 4 .300

1930 NYY 154 581 143 220 42 17 41 174 101 63 12 .379

1931 NYY 155 619 163 211 31 15 46 184 117 56 17 .341

1932 NYY 156 596 138 208 42 9 34 151 108 38 4 .349

1933 NYY 152 593 138 198 41 12 32 139 92 42 9 .334

1934 NYY 154 579 128 210 40 6 49 165 109 31 9 .363

1935 NYY 149 535 125 176 26 10 30 119 132 38 8 .329

1936 NYY 155 579 167 205 37 7 49 152 130 46 3 .354

1937 NYY 157 569 138 200 37 9 37 159 127 49 4 .351

1938 NYY 157 576 115 170 32 6 29 114 107 75 6 .295

1939 NYY 8 28 2 4 0 0 0 1 5 1 0 .143


4) Ken Griffey Jr. – Nobody was more popular than Griffey in the 90s. Second only to Michael Jordan in the sports world, Griffey’s spectacular play in the field and at the plate inspired millions of fans in America. He achieved icon status in the Northwest playing for the Seattle Mariners, but in 2000, signed with his hometown team, the Cincinnati Reds. Ever since, Griffey Jr.’s professional career has been tormented by a series of leg injuries that would have him play in only 123 out of 324 games in 2002 and 2003. In the past two seasons, Griffey would sustain an injury just when he’s heating up. The frustration has stymied a career that had the potential to break Hank Aaron’s 755 career homeruns. Although I wouldn’t think Griffey’s career is over, I would say his prime was already past him.

Ken Griffey Jr.’s career statistics:



YEAR TEAM G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB BA


1989 SEA 127 455 61 120 23 0 16 61 44 83 16 .264

1990 SEA 155 597 91 179 28 7 22 80 63 81 16 .300

1991 SEA 154 548 76 179 42 1 22 100 71 82 18 .327

1992 SEA 142 565 83 174 39 4 27 103 44 67 10 .308

1993 SEA 156 582 113 180 38 3 45 109 96 91 17 .309

1994 SEA 111 433 94 140 24 4 40 90 56 73 11 .323

1995 SEA 72 260 52 67 7 0 17 42 52 53 4 .258

1996 SEA 140 545 125 165 26 2 49 140 78 104 16 .303

1997 SEA 157 608 125 185 34 3 56 147 76 121 15 .304

1998 SEA 161 633 120 180 33 3 56 146 76 121 20 .284

1999 SEA 160 606 123 173 26 3 48 134 91 108 24 .285

2000 CIN 145 520 100 141 22 3 40 118 94 117 6 .271

2001 CIN 111 364 57 104 20 2 22 65 44 72 2 .286

2002 CIN 70 197 17 52 8 0 8 23 28 39 1 .264

2003 CIN 53 166 34 41 12 1 13 26 27 44 1 .247


3) Gayle Sayers - Drafted out of Kansas in 1965 with the fourth overall pick in the draft by the Chicago Bears (Bears also had the third pick, Dick Butkus, and sixth pick, Steve DeLong), Sayers bursted onto the scene his rookie year by accounting for 24 touchdowns by rushing, receiving, passing, and returning the ball. His amazing rookie season was capped by a six-touchdown performance against the 49ers on a muddy field in December. In the game, Sayers amassed 336 total yards as coach George Halas called it the greatest performance he has seen on the football field.

Sayers’ quick feet has defenses baffled for the first five years of his career; however, a right knee injury in 1968 followed by a left knee injury in 1970 forced his early retirement. Despite only playing for four and a half seasons in the NFL, Sayers was a first-ballot Hall-of-Famer in 1977.

Gale Sayers’ career statistics:



Year TM G Att YDS Y/A TD Rec Yards Y/R TD


1965 CHI 14 166 867 5.2 14 29 507 17.5 6

1966 CHI 14 229 1231 5.4 8 34 447 13.1 2

1967 CHI 13 186 880 4.7 7 16 126 7.9 1

1968 CHI 9 138 856 6.2 2 15 117 7.8 0

1969 CHI 14 236 1032 4.4 8 17 116 6.8 0

1970 CHI 2 23 52 2.3 0 1 -6 -6.0 0

1971 CHI 2 13 38 2.9 0 0 0 0.0 0


2) Sandy Koufax - Koufax was one of the most dominating pitchers and one of my favorite athletes of all time. He was the first pitcher to consistently strikeout 300 per season. However, it’s his powerful strikeouts that ultimately bogged down his left elbow.

For the first seven years of a twelve year career, Koufax struggled to achieve success despite a blistering fastball. Going into his eighth season in 1962, catcher Norm Sherry advised Koufax to take a little off of the fastball to gain more control. Sherry’s words seemed to hit the spot as Koufax enjoyed arguably the best four year stretch for a pitcher from 1963-1966. Despite winning the Cy Young Award and pitching a perfect game in 1966, Sandy Koufax retired at the tender age of 31 due to an arthritic pitching elbow. He later became the youngest player to be ever elected into the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in 1971.

In Koufax’s final season, he had career bests of 27 wins, 27 complete games, and a 1.73 ERA. When he retired, Koufax held the single game strikeout record of 18, single season strikeout record of 382, won three Cy Young Awards, one MVP Award, two World Series MVPs, and pitched three no-hitters and a perfect game.

Sandy Koufax’s career statistics:



YEAR TEAM G GS CG SHO IP H ER BB SO W L SV ERA


1955 BRO 12 5 2 2 41.2 33 14 28 30 2 2 0 3.02

1956 BRO 16 10 0 0 58.2 66 32 29 30 2 4 0 4.91

1957 BRO 34 13 2 0 104.1 83 45 51 122 5 4 0 3.88

1958 LA 40 26 5 0 158.2 132 79 105 131 11 11 1 4.48

1959 LA 35 23 6 1 153.1 136 69 92 173 8 6 2 4.05

1960 LA 37 26 7 2 175.0 133 76 100 197 8 13 1 3.91

1961 LA 42 35 15 2 255.2 212 100 96 269 18 13 1 3.52

1962 LA 28 26 11 2 184.1 134 52 57 216 14 7 1 2.54

1963 LA 40 40 20 11 311.0 214 65 58 306 25 5 0 1.88

1964 LA 29 28 15 7 223.0 154 43 53 223 19 5 1 1.74

1965 LA 43 41 27 8 335.2 216 76 71 382 26 8 2 2.04

1966 LA 41 41 27 5 323.0 241 62 77 317 27 9 0 1.73


1) Bo Jackson - The greatest athlete who ever lived, the most intimidating name to go with the most intimidating game, and a catch phrase “Bo knows where to go”. Bo Jackson had it all in his young career with the Los Angeles Raiders and Kansas City Royals. In football, he is a punishing back with the speed of a European sports car. In baseball, he has the rare combination of power and speed.

In 1989, Jackson clubbed 32 homeruns, 105 RBI, and swiped 26 bases for the Kansas City Royals. On the gridiron, he had 950 yards rushing on 173 rushes and 4 touchdowns. Bo Jackson was elected 1989 All-Star Game MVP in baseball, and he made the Pro-Bowl in 1990, his last season in football.

The devastating moment occurred in the playoff game on January 13, 1991 against the Cincinnati Bengals when Jackson was tackled from the left side on an ordinary play. But the innocent tackle would result in avascular necrosis which led to the deterioration of his left hip joint. Bo Jackson never played another down and was never the same on the baseball diamond.

Bo Jackson’s baseball statistics:



YEAR TEAM G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB BA


1986 KC 25 82 9 17 2 1 2 9 7 34 3 .207

1987 KC 116 396 46 93 17 2 22 53 30 158 10 .235

1988 KC 124 439 63 108 16 4 25 68 25 146 27 .246

1989 KC 135 515 86 132 15 6 32 105 39 172 26 .256

1990 KC 111 405 74 110 16 1 28 78 44 128 15 .272

1991 CHI 23 71 8 16 4 0 3 14 12 25 0 .225

1993 CHI 85 284 32 66 9 0 16 45 23 106 0 .232

1994 CAL 75 201 23 56 7 0 13 43 20 72 1 .279


Bo Jackson’s football statistics:



Year TM G ATT YDS Y/A TD Rec YDS Y/R TD


1987 RAI 7 81 554 6.8 4 16 136 8.5 2

1988 RAI 10 136 580 4.3 3 9 79 8.8 0

1989 RAI 11 173 950 5.5 4 9 69 7.7 0

1990 RAI 10 125 698 5.6 5 6 68 11.3 0


October 22, 2003

Fantasy Basketball Cheat Sheet



Usually, I’m not very pumped about fantasy basketball season, after all, there are less players and sleepers than in football and baseball, but this year is different. With the addition of LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, and some very good European players, this year’s fantasy basketball will produce more than average number of sleepers.

Unlike past years, this year’s fantasy basketball season features a handful of 2nd and 3rd year breakout players. I think this season is one of those seasons where the shift of generation occurs. With the departure of David Robinson, John Stockton, and Arvidas Sabonis, and the migration of Karl Malone and Gary Payton to less-significant roles, young stars like Lebron James, Caron Butler, TJ Ford, Eddy Curry, Kwame Brown, and Tyson Chandler are going to enjoy fine seasons. Enough of that, here’s my list.

Here is the breakdown by position:

Starters


* - Indicates player qualifies for multiple positions.

Point Guard





1. Steve Francis*

2. Jason Kidd

3. Andre Miller

4. Stephon Marbury

5. Steve Nash

6. Baron Davis

7. Gilbert Arenas

8. Jamal Crawford

9. Nick Van Exel

10. Jason Terry*



Shooting Guard





1. Tracy McGrady

2. Paul Pierce

3. Allen Iverson

4. Kobe Bryant

5. Ray Allen

6. Allen Houston

7. Ron Artest*

8. Jalen Rose*

9. Ricky Davis*

10. Bonzi Wells*



Small Forward





1. Kevin Garnett

2. Dirk Nowitzki*

3. Shawn Marion

4. Rashard Lewis

5. Pau Gasol*

6. Jamal Mashburn

7. Predrag Stojakovic

8. Vince Carter*

9. Antoine Walker*

10. Andrei Kirilenko




Power Forward





1. Tim Duncan*

2. Jermaine O'Neal*

3. Elton Brand

4. Chris Webber

5. Shareef Abdur-Rahim

6. Amare Stoudemire

7. Rasheed Wallace

8. Karl Malone

9. Kenyon Martin

10. P.J. Brown




Center





1. Shaquille O'Neal

2. Ben Wallace

3. Yao Ming

4. Zydrunas Ilgauskas

5. Theo Ratliff

6. Eddy Curry

7. Alonzo Mourning

8. Raef LaFrentz

9. Michael Olowokandi

10. Vlade Divac



Sleepers


Point Guard





1. Sam Cassell New nest will prove to be a good thing for Sam

2. Alvin Williams Could profit from a healthy Vince Carter

3. Bobby Jackson In my opinion, he should be starting instead of Mike Bibby

4. T.J. Ford Struggling shooting, but can dish’em out like Papa John

5. Marko Jaric Not a prototype PG, but is very athletic



Shooting Guard





1. Emmanuel Ginobili Slasher who will improve in his 2nd year

2. Joe Johnson Athletic swingman who’ll start ahead of Anfernee Hardaway

3. Darius Miles James-to-Miles will be heard a lot for the next 5 years

4. Derek Anderson Always been one of my favorite Wildcats (Kentucky)

5. DaJuan Wagner If James struggle or Davis gets hurt, Wagner is ready to step up



Small Forward





1. Caron Butler Can he turn it up in just his 2nd year?

2. Tim Thomas No Payton, no Allen, Thomas will be the go-to-guy

3. Tayshaun Prince If he can play like he did in the playoffs and endure an 82-game season, then he’s money in the bank

4. Morris Peterson Pure shooter

5. Grant Hill Hope his ankle heals




Power Forward





1. Zachary Randolph Shoots high in FG and FT, not bad for a big-man

2. Antonio McDyess If he can stay healthy, he’ll tear up the Eastern Conference

3. Nene Hilario The best thing out of Brazil since Pele, hopefully, "The Air Up There" doesn't get to him

4. Stromile Swift Ready to have a breakout year

5. Tyson Chandler Part of “Baby Bulls” whose ready to show his stuff




Center





1. Marcus Camby Coming off of an injury-plagued season

2. Erick Dampier Consistent big-man, but splits PT with Foyle

3. Brendan Haywood No one talks about centers who played with Jordan

4. Radoslav Nesterovic Can he replace a hall of famer and play beside a future hall of famer?

5. Chris Kaman Keep an eye on the rookie


October 11, 2003

Separation Saturday



As they say, “The higher you climb, the harder you fall.” So was the case on Separation Saturday, the most anticipated Saturday in college football that I can remember. After a whole week of build-up, I came away a wounded man, due to these numbers: 65-13 and 41-14.

My beloved teams of Texas and Tennessee were beaten by arch rivals Oklahoma and Georgia by a combined score of 106-28. Separation Saturday became a nightmare of lasting effects. I’ll be remembering this “SS” for the rest of my life, just like the Jews remember theirs.

The two games were eerily similar as horrible officiating and key fumbles inside the 5-yard line led to momentum shifts that were never reversed.

In the Oklahoma vs. Texas game, Vincent Young’s inexperience was clearly seen. I would have gone with Mock for at least one full quarter before putting Young in. After all, Mock didn’t do anything to get himself pulled from the game. Ok, he had an interception, but it was due to a pass interference penalty by Oklahoma defensive back Derrick Strait that went unnoticed by the officials. The Texas offensive and defensive backfields looked like they were still playing in high school.

I don’t even know what happened in the Georgia vs. Tennessee game. The team basically just rolled over after a 95-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown right before half time. The Bulldogs came out after half time and absolutely annihilated the Volunteers as they scored 21 points in the first 10 minutes of the 3rd quarter. For the rest of the game, I turned the TV off.

This Saturday had to be the most heartbreaking day for me in terms of sports. The Longhorns and Vols get blown out, Red Sox lost to the damn Yankees, and the Marlins lose as they give up a grand slam in the 1st inning. I believe Mack Brown should be fired. I believe OU is truly a great team. I believe Phillip Fulmer need to do something about the running game. I believe a lot of things now that I wouldn’t before Saturday.

Feeling absolutely disgusted, disappointed, disheartened, and damaged, I need to take a break. I won’t be writing about college football anymore, at least until I recover from “SS”.

October 09, 2003

College Football Midterm 2003



The first weekend of October usually means one thing: college football midterm. This is a weekend that no college football fans should miss. Who cares if you have five midterms and three projects due the following week? There’s only one midterm that is important to you, and it’s on this Saturday.

I’m going to post my predictions for these big games. It will definitely give my opponents an edge in my Yahoo College Football Pick’em group, but whatever, I have a bigger lead on them than Tracy McGrady on a retarded kid in a game of horse.

Oklahoma vs. Texas



I didn’t go to the Red River Shootout my freshman year in 1999. That was the last time Texas beat Oklahoma in the annually unofficial college football game of the year. I was at the Cotton Bowl the following three years, only to hear the damn Sooners talk their trash after the game. However, nobody could ever come out of the game disappointed. The Texas State Fair, which is held right outside the Cotton Bowl, in itself would put a smile on anyone’s face. That is why I would give up half of my liver just to go to another Texas OU football game, even if it means another loss to the hated Sooners (only half of a liver, since I need the other half while I’m at the Fair, if you know what I mean.) This year, I would have to watch the game on TV in football-Hell, also know as Los Angeles (nobody here is passionate about football! No wonder the Raiders and the Rams moved out.) On the other hand, this could be a good thing as I get to watch all the other great games while drinking beer and eating nachos without breaking the ole piggy bank for them at the stadium.

Unlike years in the past, this match doesn’t feature two undefeated teams, which is a plus for Texas. Without the pressure to stay perfect, I hope Mack Brown and his staff open up the offense in a Spurrier way. The Sooners are very strong in their defensive front four, which features Tommy Harris, Kory Klein, and Dan Cody. It will be tough for Texas to run the ball given that Cedric Benson has yet had a breakout game unless the passing game opens up the line of scrimmage. Although Vincent Young is mobile, he will have a spy on him in Butkus Award hopeful Teddy Lehman. The Sooners lost linebacker Lance Mitchell for the season. Top safety Brandon Everage is talented, but it’s still a question whether if he can even make it to the game without being pulled over with a suspended license and an open-container (a Texas license, that is). With that said, I recommend that Mack Brown and Greg Davis go deep on the Sooners early and often. Just look at what the deep ball did to Oklahoma in its losses last year to Texas A&M and Oklahoma State. Provided Texas has Vincent Young’s gun at quarterback and Roy Williams, BJ Johnson, Sloan Thomas, and Tony Jeffery at wide receiver, going deep should be priority number one in Texas’ plan to dethrone number one.

Vincent Young’s breakout game last week should land him the starting job this weekend in Dallas. Although it would have been ideal to keep a low profile on Vincent Young until the Oklahoma game, his performance against Kansas State gave the Longhorns moral and attitude. The reason why I wanted Young to maintain quiet before the game is in hopes of him repeating what Reggie McNeal of Texas A&M did last year against Oklahoma. McNeal came into the game as a true freshman and bombed the Sooners with long throws and 7-10 yard scrambles. Vincent Young was twice the quarterback as McNeal when they were in high school, so there’s no reason why Young wouldn’t succeed against the Sooners. However, the major difference between Young and McNeal is that Oklahoma will be prepared for Young.

This year’s Oklahoma offense has a new dimension, the passing game. Quarterback Jason White should be called Nut Man, for all the nuts and bolts in his knees, but Nut Man has been performing so far this season. Despite the loss of midget-sized running back Quentin Griffin, Nut Man put up 1472 yards and 16 touchdowns in five games. The two running backs Renaldo Works and KeJuan Jones are basically splitting time in the backfield having combined for 141 carries, 561 yards and 4 touchdowns. It seems like the Sooners only has one running play, the shotgun draw. After that play tore up the Texas defense last year, I will absolutely go out of my apartment and shoot a coke dealer ( I live in South Central LA) if Texas allow the same thing to happen this year. The Sooners wideouts aren’t too shabby either, featuring Mark Clayton, Will Peoples, Brandon Jones, and Jejuan Rankins. They’ll probably have an edge on the Texas defensive backs provided their track records of being poor tacklers, but don’t expect OU to flat out burn the Texas secondary. The main focus on OU offense and UT defense is at the line of scrimmage. If the experienced OU front line can manhandle Kalen Thornton, Marcus Tubbs, Rodrigue Wright, and Larry Dibbles, then half the battle is already won. Such a scenario would hinder the Texas linebackers especially playmaker Derrick Johnson (his name is Derrick Johnson, his name is Derrick Johnson, his name is Derrick Johnson…)

This game is obviously more than just a football game; it’s a battle between the two states. Governors Brad Henry of Oklahoma and Rick Perry of Texas are making a friendly wager on this year’s Red River Shootout. If Texas loses, Perry will give Henry a side of beef. If Oklahoma loses, Henry will give Perry 150 pounds of cornbread. I wish Perry will just shut the fuck up already! I don’t believe him for one second that he’s a Longhorn fan. That SOB is a graduate of Texas A&M and even made fun of The University of Texas as a key note speaker during commencement at Texas A&M in 1999 ( I was their against my will for my sister’s graduation). There won’t be as much publicity in a game between Oklahoma and Texas A&M so he decided to root for an arch rival instead. Another example of how truly deceitful politicians can be. Perry, go suck it!!

Prediction: Oklahoma-3, Texas-257

Georgia vs. Tennessee



Fuck you Jeff, fuck you Dana, and fuck you Jimmy Carter!! The Volunteers are claiming victory in this one.

I was surprised that these two traditional southern football powerhouses only met 32 times with Tennessee leading the series 17-13-2. Tennessee is 3-0 in Neyland Stadium against Georgia when both teams are ranked; however, Georgia managed to win the last three contests. My memories of the Tennessee-Georgia series were the bitterness that Georgia quarterback Eric Zeier developed for my beloved Vols, Uga the Ugly, Jim Donnan’s 1-4 record against Tennessee, and regrettably, Robert Edwards going ape-shit on the Volunteer defense. What most Volunteer fans tend to overlook was Tennessee’s feat of beating the Dawgs nine straight times from 1989-1999. We never fully appreciated that fact until now, when Georgia is a consistent top ten team. Back in those days, Volunteer fans were caught up in a frustrating stretch against Alabama where the Vols are winless in nearly 10 years against the Crimson Tide. That and the fact that a new rivalry was being formed between Tennessee and Steve Spurrier’s feisty Gators made the Tennessee-Georgia game somewhat obsolete. Now that we have dropped three straight, we will no longer overlook those want-to-be scholars of “Athens”, Georgia. This year, the Tennessee Volunteers will show them who the real Olympians of the South are.

The Georgia defense is ranked #5 in the nation in scoring defense, giving up less than 12 points per game. Georgia defensive end David Pollack will have to work especially hard to stop the run to make up for the inexperience at their linebacker positions. Fellow linemen, Ken Veal and Will Thompson (out for the season) has been injury prone which means redshirt freshman Quentin Moses and Ray Jones will have to mature quickly. Sophomore safety Thomas Davis is a gamer who leads the team in tackles, but lacks the experience going into a hostile environment of 104,000 at Neyland Stadium. Despite Davis’ success, the Georgia backfield is vulnerable due to preseason all SEC safety Kentrell Curry being out for the season, and his backup Greg Blue is also unavailable for the game.

On offense, David Greene is as good as it gets for the quarterback position. He will have preseason all SEC wide receiver Fred Gibson back. I’m not sold on Georgia’s running game, since starter Tony Milton won’t be able to play. After Milton, there are four potential replacements in Michael Cooper, Tyson Browning, Ronnie Powell, and Kregg Lumpkin. Lumpkin was an All-American last year at Stephenson High School in Lithonia, GA, but I doubt he’ll be paying any instant dividends.

After a bitter defeat in Auburn, Tennessee is hungry to take out their frustrations on Georgia. Tennessee only rushed for four yards in last week’s defeat. I expect the offensive line and backfield to take it upon themselves to make sure that it never happens again, especially not in their own backyard. If Michael Munoz and the Tennessee offensive line can open up some holes, either Cedric Houston, Jabari Davis, or both, can have monster games against the Bulldogs. The passing game of Tennessee has never looked more dangerous this season than now. Casey Clausen almost single-handedly brought Tennessee back against Auburn. Now that emerging wide receivers James Banks, Jayson Swain, Mark Jones, and Chris Hannon had some games under their belt, don’t expect them to make any crucial drops late in the game as they did against Auburn. Chris Hannon and two-way-man Mark Jones (plays WR and S) looked especially outstanding last week. If the Vols get off to an early lead, look for Phillip Fulmer to run the ball down Georgia’s throat. Maybe there’s even a chance that 3rd string quarterback Jim Bob Cooter will get in the game. Ok, maybe not, but how many times do you get to say Jim Bob Cooter?

Tennessee’s defense was destroyed by the Auburn ground game last week, but even then, they only gave up 28 points. Georgia’s running game can hardly compare to Auburn’s, but their passing offense is leaps and bounds above the Tigers. Tennessee’s secondary will be put to a major test against a savvy David Greene, but they should hold their own after stopping Florida’s air attack. The key to Tennessee’s defense is blitzing, but I never liked the blitzing schemes used by Tennessee defensive coordinator John Chavis. It seems like Chavis’ blitzes always seem predictable and slow developing. Until Chavis and his players start executing the blitzes better, their linemen will just have to put up a better pass rush to make up for them.

This game will be the 2003 SEC East Championship. Expect the Orange Navy and the 104,000 orange blooded Tennesseans to cheer loud for the underdog Volunteers. This year’s Georgia team is almost as injury plagued as last year’s Tennessee team, but that doesn’t mean it’s a sure Tennessee victory. Remember, last year’s game was decided by a mere five points despite the absence of Casey Clausen.

Prediction: Georgia-17, Tennessee-23


The Others:

I simply doesn’t have too much time to go over the other fifteen trillion great games over the weekend, so I’ll make them brief.

Miami vs. Florida State



Another game decided by a “wide right”, “wide left”, or “wide middle” (what ever that last one means)? Not so fast. This year’s top-five matchup will be a one sided Florida State wipe out of Miami. Miami has no running game with Frank Gore out, and Florida State’s defense featuring Kendyll Pope and Michael Boulware will be too much for Brock Berlin and the Canes.

For Florida State's offense, Chris Rix, Craphonso Thorpe, and Greg Jones will be too much for the Canes. After seeing Cane's safety Brandon Meriweather getting ran over last week, and remembering what Greg Jones did to an UNC safety in their opening week, I hope Meriweather is wearing a steel armor under his jersey or he might as well just pick out his tombstone before the game. The Jones-Meriweather encounter will make my day this Saturday.

Prediction: Miami-21, Florida State-48

Ohio State vs. Wisconsin



At the beginning of the season, I thought Wisconsin was for sure going to upset Ohio State, but after seeing their defeat against UNLV and the injury of star running back Anthony Davis, I’m not so sure about Wisconsin. Davis returned last week against Penn State, running the ball 8 times for 35 yards. Davis didn’t look very impressive as the Penn State shut him down as the game went along. I believe SI’s number one college town should bring at least some pressure to Jim Tressel and the Buckeyes. Craig Krenzel is hurt but starting. This game just seems too tough for Ohio State, having to deal with an injured quarterback and playing the first road game of the season.

Prediction: Ohio State-10, Wisconsin-20

Auburn vs. Arkansas



Arkansas better get out of the way of Auburn’s running stampede. After a rejuvenating win last week at home, Auburn looks to take control of the SEC West. However, Arkansas won’t go down without a Hog-fight. Arkansas running back Cedric Cobbs’ put his Heisman dreams on the line against a defense that only allowed four yards rushing against Tennessee. Both defenses will be playing with IV’s attached to their arms in the 4th quarter and multiple-overtimes in this one.

Prediction: Auburn-41, Arkansas-39 (3OT)

Kansas State vs. Oklahoma State



Kansas State should be careful not to get blown out of this one. After a disappointing loss on the road to Texas last week, the Wildcats get back on the road to face a tough Oklahoma State team. The trio of Rashaun Woods, Josh Fields, and Tatum Bell is one of the best triple threats in the nation. The Cowboys defense only gave up a grand total of four field goals in the past three weeks, but those were against Southwest Missouri State, Southern Methodist, and La-Lafayette. I expect their defense to come out sluggish against Ell Roberson, Darren Sproles, and the Wildcats.

Prediction: Kansas State-31, Oklahoma State-34

Michigan vs. Minnesota



It’s hard to imagine at the beginning of the season that Michigan will be playing the role of the spoiler instead of Minnesota. The Gophers are carrying a perfect record into this game against a Michigan team that tends to surrender big leads. I’m shocked to see that Minnesota features four running backs with at least 55 carries, all of whom average at least 4.7 yards per carry. This plus the already iffy defense of Michigan spells disaster for the Wolverines.

Prediction: Michigan-17, Minnesota-34

Florida vs. Louisiana State



LSU is trying to go 6-0. Florida is trying to not get their coach fired. With the noose around Ron Zook’s neck, look for Zook to come out with a no-holds-back game plan. Last time the Gators were in Baton Rouge, they beat the Bayou Bengals 44-15. LSU barely managed past Georgia without Fred Gibson or a running game. Look for them to struggle against Florida, who features Ran Carthon and DeShawn Wynn at running back. True freshman Chris Leak will be making his third start against the Tigers.

Prediction: Florida-28, LSU-27

Nebraska vs. Missouri



Is this “the” season for Frank Solich? Missouri will answer that question for the 6th year coach for Nebraska. Judging on the Cornhuskers’ performance this season, it’s hard to say that this is a dominating team, but like Ohio State last year, a win is a win. Nebraska’s toughest games this season were against Oklahoma State and Penn State, both coming at home and both close victories for the Huskers. This will be their first test on the road. On the other hand, Missouri’s defense is plain pitiful. Although Brad Banks and the offense can put up some scores, the defense will be defenseless against Nebraska.

Prediction: Nebraska-38, Missouri-31

Syracuse vs. Virginia Tech



Syracuse could be up for an upset in Blacksburg this week against Virginia Tech. It all depends on sophomore running back Walter Reyes, who has 92 rushes, 681 yards, and 10 touchdowns in four games. With a defense that gave up 443 yards to Connecticut, Virginia Tech could be in trouble if they fall behind early. But then again, Virginia Tech has a pretty decent running back of their own, Kevin Jones, 102 rushes, 551 yards, and 7 touchdowns.

Prediction: Syracuse-24, Virginia Tech-34

October 08, 2003

College Football Winners and Losers for 10/4/2003



Ain’t school a bitch! I haven’t been able to write the review for last week until now. I want to get this piece in before writing a rare preview for this up coming weekend which I will try to post by 7pm Pacific on Thursday.

WINNERS



1) Texas (def Kansas State 24-20) - Mack Brown silences the critics with a “big” win versus a full-powered Kansas State team. Quarterback Ell Roberson of K-State came back after missing a few games to start against the Longhorns, but his heroics came up short in the end. The catalyst for UT turned out to be redshirt freshman Vincent Young as he dived in for a go-ahead touchdown on 4th and 1. However, Young’s sprained ankle might be catastrophic for the Horns comes next weekend in The Grand Daddy of Them All, The Border War, The Showdown in Big D, The Red River Shootout, The Texas vs. Oklahoma game!!!(Just thinking about it makes the hair rise on my yellow balls!)

Chance Mock did a good job in leading the Longhorns out of the gate, but his effectiveness decayed as a function of time (I’m a fucking engineer, can’t you tell by that last sentence?) The Wildcat defense kept UT in check almost through out the game, registering six sacks, recovering two fumbles, and only giving up 54 yards to Texas’ leading rusher Cedric Benson. The special team gave Kansas State a dose of their own medicine as Texas’ first score came off of a blocked punt.

Every football team goes through a roller coaster ride every season, and it seems like Texas is just coming off of the trough of their ride and making their way up the crest. After losing to Arkansas earlier in the season, critics started to doubt if the Longhorns had heart. Now that the loss to Arkansas, who is presently a top ten team, doesn’t look that bad, and with a win over a top fifteen Big XII team, the Longhorns are feeling pretty good about themselves.

2) Auburn (def Tennessee 28-21) - Did Auburn think that their season begins on September 13? Is that why they lost to USC and Georgia Tech before pulling out the whipping stick against Vanderbilt, Western Kentucky, and lately, Tennessee? Auburn’s vaulted running attack and defense finally showed up as they ran for 264 yards and only allowed four against #8 Tennessee. With that big win against the Volunteers, I think Auburn regained their status as the team to beat in the SEC West. Although they will have to travel to Fayetteville and Baton Rouge, they have the talent and the ability to play ball-control offense. Arkansas also has a good ground game, but their defense isn’t as good, giving up over 200 yards rushing to Tulsa. LSU defeated Georgia, but depends heavily on their passing game, which leads to giving up valuable ball-possession time that would deplete their defense in a close game. That makes Auburn the favorites in the West. You can count on a Tennessee vs. Auburn rematch in Atlanta, which reminds me of the 2001 season when Auburn denied Tennessee of a National Championship game appearance by upsetting them.

3) USC (def Arizona State 37-17) - Both teams are coming off of their first loss of the season. USC rebounded at ASU’s expense as they crushed the Sun Devils in the 2nd half. I actually watched this game while others watched the big games of Texas/Kansas State and Iowa/Michigan, since I live in Los Angeles. I was starting to think that USC is in real trouble in terms of their offense. Starting quarterback Matt Leinart was hurt and their running game sucks. Then, Leinart made a comeback by playing well in the 2nd half, and true freshman LenDale White emerged with 140 yards rushing. I favored fellow-true freshman Reggie Bush to be the starter by season’s end, but it seems like the 225-pound bruiser White has the inside track to the starting job. The USC defense is solid, but the defensive backfield has been a question mark all season long. They will definitely be tested in games against Washington and Washington State.

4) Iowa (def Michigan 30-27) - Michigan continued its trend of blowing leads as they squandered a 14-0 lead in the 1st quarter. In their other defeat, the Wolverines lost despite a momentum-shifting return for a touchdown after a blocked field goal against Oregon.

Iowa was coming off of a loss to Michigan State. They showed tremendous heart, battling back from 0-14 to win 30-27. Most good teams have a defining moment in their season when they really find themselves. This is that game for the Hawkeyes, as I see them going into Columbus, Ohio and upsetting the Buckeyes. It’ll sure be a battle of the “Eyes”. However, I don’t see them going undefeated the rest of the way. The Ohio State game is going to take much out of the team both physically and emotionally. It’ll be hard to maintain focused after that game as they will still need to handle Purdue and Wisconsin on the road and an undefeated Minnesota team at home.

5) Mississippi (def Florida 20-17) - Proving last year’s 17-14 win was no fluke, Eli Manning and the Mississippi Rebels handed Florida its second consecutive loss at The Swamp. Mississippi out rushed and out passed the Gators in the game. Despite going against young-gunner Chris Leak with the nation’s worst passing defense, David Cutcliff’s defense only gave up 234 yards passing and picked off three passes.


LOSERS



1) West Virginia (lost to Miami 22-20) - This was definitely one of the best games of the season. I don’t think West Virginia should be considered a loser, but the coaching staff deserves to be criticized on the drive where Miami scored the winning field goal. Actually, they dropped the ball on just one play in the series, the 4th-and-13 play at Miami’s 25-yard line.

With 1:05 remaining, Miami faces 4th-and-13 at their own 25, trailing 19-20. This is where West Virginia’s coaching staff screwed up. Instead of focusing on their coverage, they elected to rush eight and drop only three, leaving Miami’s best player, Kellen Winslow Jr., in single coverage. Winslow would end up making a spectacular 18 yard catch to keep the drive alive for a game-winning field goal. West Virginia should have at least put two men on the best tight end in college football. The blitz in itself was poorly designed as well. First, the four linemen and four linebackers jumped early which notified the Miami offensive line that a blitz is coming. Second, all eight men blitzed between the tackles and ended up being all clogged up by the offensive line. When two men finally broke through, Miami quarterback Brock Berlin already released the ball. The Mountaineers should have at least blitzed one man from the outside. West Virginia should have taken a timeout to carefully diagram that defensive play. They had three timeouts at the time, all of them ended up being used in a failed attempt to freeze Miami freshman kicker Jon Peattie.

2) Tennessee(lost to Auburn 21-28) - Another perfect season evaporates as Tennessee got manhandled by the Tigers/Eagles (what’s up with Auburn anyways? Their official mascot is the tiger, but you see the bald eagle everywhere! Make up your mind and stick to one!)

Although the final score was separated by one touchdown, the game was completely dominated by Auburn’s defense and the legs of Carnell Williams. The speed of Karlos Dansby was evident as the Tigers held the Volunteers to 9 carries and 14 yards by their running backs. I was surprised how a Phillip Fulmer team can only run the ball 9 times with his running backs! I don’t care how dominating the defense is, you still have to make an effort at running the ball.

The only bright spot for the Vols is that quarterback Casey Clausen finally shredded the injury bug and basically single-handedly kept the Vols in the game. Clausen’s line for the night was: 30-47, 355 yards, 2 tds, and 1 int. Clausen almost tied the game late in the game, but inexperience by the young Volunteer wide receivers had crucial dropped passes on Tennessee’s last drive.

The loss shouldn’t be too devastating for Tennessee considering it was against an SEC West team and it was on the road. I expect them to fully rebound and show up strong against Georgia at home next week.

3) Washington (lost to UCLA ) - Leading 16-7 at halftime, the Huskies looked to their fourth straight win and 2-0 in the PAC 10. Little did they know that they would go on to give up 39 points while scoring 0 themselves in a huge blowout. Despite a good game by wide receiver Reggie Williams, the Huskies pulled a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in an important conference game. UCLA’s defensive tackle Rodney Leisle’s contribution in the second half was like octane in a race car. After being suspended in the first half, Leisle came out on the first play of the second half to recover a fumble for a touchdown. The Huskies never recovered from that as Leisle went on to have an interception which was converted into a field goal.


DID YOU SEE THAT?!



1) Kellen Winslow Jr. - TE, Miami - The best tight end in college football turned in his best game as a Hurricane as he caught 10 passes for 104 yards, but what’s more fascinating is that down 19-20 with 1:00 left to play on 4th and 13, Winslow made a spectacular catch in which he leaped into the air for a ball that’s for sure too high to be caught. Winslow grabbed the ball out of the air and led Miami to a game winning touchdown.

2) Quincy Wilson - RB, West Virginia - The heavy underdogs of West Virginia had a chance to win the game against #2 Miami. They were down by six with 2:15 left to play. Quarterback Rasheed Marshall dropped back to pass, but can’t find anyone open. He dumped the ball off to running back Quincy Wilson. It seemed like a Miami defensive end had Wilson within his grasps, but Wilson eluded him as he turned up the jets. Miami safety Brandon Meriweather was the last line of defense as he look to put a lick on Wilson. Instead it was the other way around as Wilson pounded Meriweather five yards back through the air and went on to score the go-ahead touchdown.

3) Carnell Williams – RB, Auburn - After all that hype in the preseason, Williams finally turned in a Heisman-esque performance against a good defense. Williams tore up the Volunteer defense for 36 carries, 185 yards and a touchdown.

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