In the tradition of Faldon's Five Things: 1) The lower divisions have come up with this bizarre concept called "playoffs" where more than two teams are allowed to play for the championship. If the top division did this, we might be looking at Ohio State traveling to the blue field of Boise State and Penn State going to Amon G. Carter Stadium at TCU in the first round, according to Project Playoffs. 2) Robert Shields has been complaining for years about the Army-Navy game not making the pool, and he has been complaining for days about not getting his five points for picking Nebraska. Now that the military's top brass have moved the game just for the pool, BR not only gets the game but also another chance for a five-point bonus. 3) I can't remember a year where the Heisman race was so wide open that it included some guy from Stanford and a defensive tackle promoted through Internet propaganda by Ryan Harris and his fellow Nebraska fans. 4) Oregon has been named the Poolsville team of the year for making the most appearances in the pool this season and finishing with a 6-2 pool record. The skunk of the year awards go to Notre Dame (0-4) and Clemson (0-3). For a full list of the pool records, check Poolsville on Facebook. 5) Who wanna give Ryan Mallett a Scantron?
For $800 and the Ramon Escobar Trophy, which Chris O'Brien plans to bring home for the pride of the ODAC, select your winners on this final weekly five of the season and e-mail them back to me by 5 p.m. Friday.
Note: All of the bowl games will be due next Friday (Dec. 18), so it might be a good idea to start taking a look at the match-ups.
Division I FCS Semifinals
William & Mary - Villanova
7 p.m., Friday, ESPN2
Power ratings: Villanova by 5
* Underdog worth three points
Division II Championship
Grand Valley State - NW Missouri State
Noon, Saturday, ESPN2
No line
Commander-in-Chief Trophy Series
Army - Navy
1:30 p.m., Saturday, CBS
Line: Navy by 14
* Underdog worth five points
Division I FCS Semifinals
Appalachian State - Montana
3 p.m., Saturday, ESPN
Power ratings: Montana by 4
The Heisman Trophy
Gerhart, Ingram, McCoy, Suh, Tebow
7 p.m., Saturday, ESPN
Good luck.
****#****
Wednesday, December 09, 2009
Monday, December 07, 2009
Project Playoffs:
Week 14 standings and seedings
Standings in realigned conferences with seedings for a 16-team playoff. Seedings are derived from the Massey Comparison Rankings, which take every poll and computer rating into account. There is no reason to consider the BCS rankings as the ultimate authority for determining the top 16.
First-round match-ups:
16 Arizona at 1 Alabama
15 Pittsburgh at 2 Texas
14 Iowa at 3 Florida
13 Penn State at 4 TCU
12 Miami at 5 Cincinnati
11 LSU at 6 Oregon
10 Ohio State at 7 Boise State
9 Georgia Tech at 8 Virginia Tech
Click here for a full explanation of Project Playoffs.
First-round match-ups:
16 Arizona at 1 Alabama
15 Pittsburgh at 2 Texas
14 Iowa at 3 Florida
13 Penn State at 4 TCU
12 Miami at 5 Cincinnati
11 LSU at 6 Oregon
10 Ohio State at 7 Boise State
9 Georgia Tech at 8 Virginia Tech
Click here for a full explanation of Project Playoffs.
Southern
1 Alabama (13-0)
11 LSU (9-3)
Ole Miss (8-4)
Auburn (7-5)
Tennessee (7-5)
Mississippi State (5-7)
Southern Miss (7-5)
Vanderbilt (2-10)
Memphis (2-10)
Mid-South
2 Texas (13-0)
4 TCU (12-0)
Oklahoma State (9-3)
Arkansas (7-5)
Oklahoma (7-5)
Texas Tech (8-4)
Texas A&M (6-6)
Baylor (4-8)
UTEP (4-8)
Southeast
3 Florida (12-1)
9 Georgia Tech (11-2)
12 Miami (9-3)
Clemson (8-5)
Georgia (7-5)
South Carolina (7-5)
Florida State (6-6)
Central Florida (8-4)
South Florida (7-5)
North Central
5 Cincinnati (12-0)
10 Ohio State (10-2)
Notre Dame (6-6)
Michigan State (6-6)
Purdue (5-7)
Michigan (5-7)
Louisville (4-8)
Illinois (3-9)
Indiana (4-8)
Northwest
6 Oregon (10-2)
7 Boise State (13-0)
Oregon State (8-4)
BYU (10-2)
Utah (9-3)
Washington (5-7)
Air Force (7-5)
Colorado (3-9)
Washington State (1-11)
Atlantic
8 Virginia Tech (9-3)
North Carolina (8-4)
East Carolina (9-4)
Kentucky (7-5)
Wake Forest (5-7)
North Carolina State (5-7)
Duke (5-7)
Virginia (3-9)
Maryland (2-10)
Northeast
13 Penn State (10-2)
15 Pittsburgh (9-3)
West Virginia (9-3)
Boston College (8-4)
Connecticut (7-5)
Rutgers (8-4)
Navy (9-4)
Syracuse (4-8)
Army (5-6)
Midwest
14 Iowa (10-2)
Nebraska (9-4)
Wisconsin (9-3)
Missouri (8-4)
Northwestern (8-4)
Minnesota (6-6)
Kansas State (6-6)
Kansas (5-7)
Iowa State (6-6)
Southwest
16 Arizona (8-4)
USC (8-4)
Stanford (8-4)
California (8-4)
UCLA (6-6)
Fresno State (8-4)
Arizona State (4-8)
Hawaii (6-7)
New Mexico (1-11)
Con men gotta keep moving
Once the locals catch on to your scam, you have to high-tail it out of town.
http://www.kansascity.com/news/breaking_news/story/1616064.html
http://www.kansascity.com/news/breaking_news/story/1616064.html
Thursday, December 03, 2009
A reason to support Duke football
The phone rang. I didn't recognize the number.
"This is Jeremy."
Jeremy, David Cutcliffe.
"Hey coach."
I hear you are working on something about Patrick.
(Patrick being Patrick Willis, the now 49ers linebacker, who played for Cutcliffe when he was the head coach at Ole Miss before the fools who support the Rebs ran him off for the disaster that was Orgeron. Cutcliffe is now at Duke and I was indeed working on an article about Willis.)
"Yes sir."
Well, I had heard that you were and I just wanted to make sure you had what you needed.
"Yes, sir. Mike MacIntyre was very helpful."
(MacIntyre is Cutcliffe's defensive coordinator at Duke and was an assistant with him at Ole Miss. He was also the guy who found Willis in tiny Bruceton, Tenn. and got him to Oxford.)
That's great. Coach Mac had said he spoke to a reporter about Patrick but I was just wanting to make sure.
"Yeah, he was great, we spoke for at least 30 minutes on the phone. He really helped me out. I appreciate it."
Good. Very good. me and Coach Mac are about to go out recruiting and I wish we could find some more like Patrick. I wish we could find a team of Patrick's. He could have played tailback, fullback, linebacker, safety, receiver. Just about anything and he would have been great.
"Yes, sir. I'm probably just one of a couple reporters in the country who saw Patrick play in high school and I knew that he, well, I still say he's the best high school player I have ever seen play."
So you know then.
"Oh, yes sir."
Must have been a wild ride for you to get from there to San Fransisco.
(I'm writing the article for McSweeney's and they are based there. Many people just assume that's where I live now. Even though I call Little Rock home. I haven't been correcting people.)
I'd think that Jackson, Tennessee to San Fransisco is about as far apart as you can get.
"Yes sir, I think that some would argue they aren't even in the same country."
Laughs ... I'd agree.
I'm sure you are done with it if you talked to Coach Mac, but I just wanted to tell you that Patrick is one of the best I've coached, but what really sets him apart from the others is that he was so coachable. First time, we met, he had a notebook in his hand and was taking notes and asking questions. He was a real student of the game. And that's what made him different. Physically, he was able to do anything he wanted. But he had a real drive to be better. Better every practice. Better every day. He was like any other in that regard. He was really driven.
"I've heard that from others."
Oh absolutely. He's still one of my favorites.
"I've heard that from others as well."
They'd be right. Time to get on my plane. Time to find another Patrick.
"Okay, and good luck. Thanks for calling."
No, thank you.
•••
What does it say about a Division I football coach. A guy making millions, to find a reporter. Get his number and call him, just to make sure the writer had what he needed? Not to get all sappy, but I think that Duke is pretty lucky to get Cutcliffe.
The quarterly issue of McSweeney's comes out Dec. 8.
Read more about it here.
http://www.mcsweeneys.net/SFPanoramaPR.html
I'm told my article will cover two pages, with photos. They are also running a full page cartoon poster.
Wednesday, December 02, 2009
Haiku for the coaches
There have been some notable dismissals in the college coaching ranks this week, here is a
haiku on the subject:
Job security
Not found in college football
Bowden and Weis, gone.
haiku on the subject:
Job security
Not found in college football
Bowden and Weis, gone.
Letters to Ramon: Week 14
"0-5 one more time. Why not?" -- My D.
"Oregon — Though I hate that rap video and how Nike is Duck-erizing college uniforms across the nation. Did you see those Pro Combat outfits? Egads! LSU looked like Tulsa. Mizzou looked like a UFL team. The best football uniforms are the timeless ones. Respect tradition. Pitt — Seriously, some football team in the City of Champions needs to win this week. Florida — Going against the M8B here, but St. Timothy of Gainesville shall doth be trimpuhantth in his finalth SEC championshipth. (Hey, I just realized the translators of the King James Bible wrote the way Lou Holtz talks! Fitting, since he was alive when they were working on the translation.)" -- Hog Tattoo
"Not even playing for pride anymore, just seeking the elusive 0-5 to drop me into last place..." -- Aggie Mark
"O State Beavs... wasn't that a boy band?" -- Lee D.
"No way the refs let Saint Tebow lose his final SEC game." -- Brian R.
"I’ve been making my move. You knew I wouldn’t let Mr. Wells win without a fight. Have you ever seen Ramon and Alex Tejada in the same room? It’s either him or just a younger, sexier version of Ramon." -- Hinch
"The game of the ugliest unis goes to the Ducks, even though the Beavers unis are worse (but cooler name). Do you think the two schools got together and said, “Hey, no one east of the Rockies knows where Oregon is on a map, so maybe we need to take a page from Boise’s book and find a way to stand out by forcing people watch our game with sunglasses.”? Florida–Alabama: Can the game hold up to the season-long anticipation? I won’t know because I’ll be at my wife’s grandmother’s 90th birthday party. I’m serious." -- Jeff G.
"Oops, missed the time date on tonight's game, but here are my picks anyway: 1) Had I been timely, I would have picked Oregon, so go Oregon State; 2) Pittsburgh (but if Cincy wins I will look forward to them whipping Bama's rear in the Sugar Bowl - see third pick); 3) Gators (Tebow will 'will' it, if necessary - $aban may think he's the Messiah, but Tim seems to be the real thing, footballwise any way); 4) Georgia Tech (because the other other Tigers can't be trusted on any given Saturday); and 5) Texas (because TV networks demand it for revenue reasons). Doubt if I'll make it to Tampa, but love the gnashing of teeth over our getting picked!" -- Big O
"Why pay face value for a ticket and bad seats when I can go game day and get 30 yard line tickets for 1/2 off? I have only seen Arkansas win one bowl game in my lifetime. We will win the Liberty Bowl. Nothing like finishing the year off with a win. Remember that there won't be any football until September 2010." -- Joe C.
"Oregon State's coach is a douche bag. Going for it on 4th and 15 when you're in field goal range with 6 minutes left? 4th and 15! I turned the game off at that point. Idiot. So if the Cougars don't win tomorrow, I've got 4 tickets to the Liberty Bowl for sale. If they do win, it will be the highest scoring bowl game this year." -- Danny K.
Postscript:
"My season may be complete. I finally reach the exclusive 5-0 frame with 22 of my closest friends. Bring on the bowls. I’m only 42 pts out of first place." -- Jersey Boy
"I would say the same for Arkansas coaches if they lose to East Carolina." -- Seve Chang
"The referee had every right to angrily wave everyone off the field. He could have (if he wanted to) thrown a flag for delay of game – sideline infraction and given Texas an extra five yards. But I still want my 5 points for picking Nebraska." -- Ryan H.
"Dang it, I dropped out of the top 10. Damn you Oregon State!" -- Danny K.
"My first 5-0 ever!! I was celebrating Saturday night like I won the whole thing." -- Cory I.
"I disagree, the clock said '0.00', so you can't penalize the team for going onto the field. The fact that the time was put back on the clock was absolutely the right call. Was there a Husker or Aggie working the game clock? The time (about a second and a half from when the ball hit the ground way out of bounds) should have never ticked off. This is one great example where replay review worked well. That said, how in the world could UT be so careless with the clock? A huge travesty that would have cost them a spot in the title game. Much, much worse than the Chris Webber timeout in the NCAA tourney. Oh yeah, and hats off to the Husker kicker for kicking it out of bounds to start the Longhorn drive. Terrible. I watched the game after the family was in bed, so I saw the end around 1:00 a.m. Terrific game, very exciting if you were rooting for the underdog. Texas fans probably thought it was an awful game. Suh is the man!" -- Shaft Jr.
"Looks like Florida's officiating crew decided to take in a Texas game on a weekend when the Gators need them! Saw 'em off!" -- Alex T.
"A good question arose on the Dan Patrick show about whether they would have reviewed the clock in a regular season game. Most likely not. Apparently during the ND / Michigan game there was a chance for them to do so for ND but they didn't. The other question is, if NEB had been in Texas's place, would they have reviewed it?" -- Seve Chang
"Oregon — Though I hate that rap video and how Nike is Duck-erizing college uniforms across the nation. Did you see those Pro Combat outfits? Egads! LSU looked like Tulsa. Mizzou looked like a UFL team. The best football uniforms are the timeless ones. Respect tradition. Pitt — Seriously, some football team in the City of Champions needs to win this week. Florida — Going against the M8B here, but St. Timothy of Gainesville shall doth be trimpuhantth in his finalth SEC championshipth. (Hey, I just realized the translators of the King James Bible wrote the way Lou Holtz talks! Fitting, since he was alive when they were working on the translation.)" -- Hog Tattoo
"Not even playing for pride anymore, just seeking the elusive 0-5 to drop me into last place..." -- Aggie Mark
"O State Beavs... wasn't that a boy band?" -- Lee D.
"No way the refs let Saint Tebow lose his final SEC game." -- Brian R.
"I’ve been making my move. You knew I wouldn’t let Mr. Wells win without a fight. Have you ever seen Ramon and Alex Tejada in the same room? It’s either him or just a younger, sexier version of Ramon." -- Hinch
"The game of the ugliest unis goes to the Ducks, even though the Beavers unis are worse (but cooler name). Do you think the two schools got together and said, “Hey, no one east of the Rockies knows where Oregon is on a map, so maybe we need to take a page from Boise’s book and find a way to stand out by forcing people watch our game with sunglasses.”? Florida–Alabama: Can the game hold up to the season-long anticipation? I won’t know because I’ll be at my wife’s grandmother’s 90th birthday party. I’m serious." -- Jeff G.
"Oops, missed the time date on tonight's game, but here are my picks anyway: 1) Had I been timely, I would have picked Oregon, so go Oregon State; 2) Pittsburgh (but if Cincy wins I will look forward to them whipping Bama's rear in the Sugar Bowl - see third pick); 3) Gators (Tebow will 'will' it, if necessary - $aban may think he's the Messiah, but Tim seems to be the real thing, footballwise any way); 4) Georgia Tech (because the other other Tigers can't be trusted on any given Saturday); and 5) Texas (because TV networks demand it for revenue reasons). Doubt if I'll make it to Tampa, but love the gnashing of teeth over our getting picked!" -- Big O
"Why pay face value for a ticket and bad seats when I can go game day and get 30 yard line tickets for 1/2 off? I have only seen Arkansas win one bowl game in my lifetime. We will win the Liberty Bowl. Nothing like finishing the year off with a win. Remember that there won't be any football until September 2010." -- Joe C.
"Oregon State's coach is a douche bag. Going for it on 4th and 15 when you're in field goal range with 6 minutes left? 4th and 15! I turned the game off at that point. Idiot. So if the Cougars don't win tomorrow, I've got 4 tickets to the Liberty Bowl for sale. If they do win, it will be the highest scoring bowl game this year." -- Danny K.
Postscript:
"My season may be complete. I finally reach the exclusive 5-0 frame with 22 of my closest friends. Bring on the bowls. I’m only 42 pts out of first place." -- Jersey Boy
"I would say the same for Arkansas coaches if they lose to East Carolina." -- Seve Chang
"The referee had every right to angrily wave everyone off the field. He could have (if he wanted to) thrown a flag for delay of game – sideline infraction and given Texas an extra five yards. But I still want my 5 points for picking Nebraska." -- Ryan H.
"Dang it, I dropped out of the top 10. Damn you Oregon State!" -- Danny K.
"My first 5-0 ever!! I was celebrating Saturday night like I won the whole thing." -- Cory I.
"I disagree, the clock said '0.00', so you can't penalize the team for going onto the field. The fact that the time was put back on the clock was absolutely the right call. Was there a Husker or Aggie working the game clock? The time (about a second and a half from when the ball hit the ground way out of bounds) should have never ticked off. This is one great example where replay review worked well. That said, how in the world could UT be so careless with the clock? A huge travesty that would have cost them a spot in the title game. Much, much worse than the Chris Webber timeout in the NCAA tourney. Oh yeah, and hats off to the Husker kicker for kicking it out of bounds to start the Longhorn drive. Terrible. I watched the game after the family was in bed, so I saw the end around 1:00 a.m. Terrific game, very exciting if you were rooting for the underdog. Texas fans probably thought it was an awful game. Suh is the man!" -- Shaft Jr.
"Looks like Florida's officiating crew decided to take in a Texas game on a weekend when the Gators need them! Saw 'em off!" -- Alex T.
"A good question arose on the Dan Patrick show about whether they would have reviewed the clock in a regular season game. Most likely not. Apparently during the ND / Michigan game there was a chance for them to do so for ND but they didn't. The other question is, if NEB had been in Texas's place, would they have reviewed it?" -- Seve Chang
A tribute to Bobby Bowden
By John Kriz
Florida State Seminoles, '77-'79
This afternoon my heart was saddened at the announcement that legendary Florida State football coach Bobby Bowden was going to retire effective at the end of the Seminoles' bowl game. I experienced a myriad of emotions at that moment, for you see, Coach Bowden is a hero to me.
I had the privilege of playing under Coach Bowden at Florida State. The year was 1977 and Coach Bowden had already achieved legendary status at FSU by guiding a team that recently had the distinction of boasting the nation’s longest losing streak. In 1976, this new coach from West Virginia guided the Seminoles to a five-win season. My goodness, could it get any better than this? Little did the Seminole nation know what lay ahead. Little did I know what was in store for me.
In the spring of 1977, I wrote Coach Bowden about the possibility of being a walk-on at Florida State. I soon received a letter inviting me to try out. In August, I stepped on to the campus, received my equipment, and headed out to my very first practice. As I jogged onto the practice field, the thought raced through my mind, "What in the world am I doing here?" That question would soon be answered in a way I would never have anticipated.
That practice started out with a traditional stretching and warming-up routine known to all football players. What set that practice apart from anything I had ever experienced was what occurred after that warm-up.
Coach Bowden blew his whistle and the entire team sprinted to him in the middle of that practice field. In what would become a normal routine each practice session, Coach would lay out what his expectations were for that particular practice... nothing new there. What he did next impacted me for life. He prayed.
What?
I was used to saying a rote prayer before a game or occasionally after a game but before a routine practice? This prayer also seemed different –- it seemed to come from his heart. Coach Bowden was a man of God, and Coach Bowden cared deeply for his players.
That moment started me down a life-long path of desiring to follow God. The rest of the practice was a blur but that prayer and what it meant was not. Even today, I can close my eyes, and in my mind's eye, I can see that moment as clearly as if it occurred this afternoon.
The word "hero" in my humble opinion is one of the most overused and missused words in the English language. As a culture, we assign hero status to rock stars, actors, and athletes simply by a talent with which they were blessed. A hero is so much more. A hero is a hero by who he is. The Bible puts it succinctly: "as a man thinks in heart so he is." A hero becomes a hero because of what is in his heart.
Several stories come to mind thinking about Coach Bowden's heart. First and foremost, he didn't just talk about being a Christian; he lived out in his day-to-day life what it means to be a Christian. I was never a star athlete and quite honestly was shocked every day I was able to walk on that practice field as a member of the team. Coach not only knew me by name but was a constant source of encouragement to me. He always treated me as if I were an All-American. He was that way with everybody.
I never once heard him cuss or belittle a player. I never saw him drink an alcoholic beverage. He would, however, magically make an unlit cigar disappear from the start of practice to the end of practice without ever lighting it, but, hey, he was a coach in the South! Anything he asked of his players, you could guarantee he would be doing himself. He is a man of character.
He truly was concerned for each person on his team –- not as a player but as a man. To him, character conditioning was just as important as strength conditioning. He was always available to talk to any of his players. His door was always opened to each one of us at any time.
I recently heard a radio interview of Georgia head coach Mark Richt on locally based FamilyLife Today. During that interview, Coach Richt was asked to give a tribute to Coach Bowden. From the depth of his heart, Coach Richt said the following:
I can guarantee you that a tribute such as that can be repeated by just about every player who has ever had the privilege of being coached by this remarkable man. It was not so much what he said but how he lived in the day to day.
As a graduation gift to my son, I was collecting letters of congratulation from friends and family to celebrate this major achievement. I had asked Coach if he would mind writing a letter, offering a word of advice to celebrate another step toward manhood for my son. Within a week, I received his reply.
One paragraph stood out as I read these words of wisdom to my son:
Coach, your legacy lives through me in many different ways. I find myself saying "Dadgummit" in moments of frustration. I see a bottle of Pepsi and I think of pouring a bag of peanuts into it before drinking it. But Coach, I also see those around me and try to think of ways I can help to make their day better. I try to be an encouragement to all I come in contact with in the course of the day, and most importantly, I try to keep God as my top priority in life.
Coach, your days on the FSU football field may be coming to a close, but your influence in the lives of your players will live on. They live on not only in our lives, but in the lives of our families and in the lives of all we come in contact with each day. To me, that is the legacy you leave. To me, you are always in my Hall of Fame. You are a hero to me.
Florida State Seminoles, '77-'79
This afternoon my heart was saddened at the announcement that legendary Florida State football coach Bobby Bowden was going to retire effective at the end of the Seminoles' bowl game. I experienced a myriad of emotions at that moment, for you see, Coach Bowden is a hero to me.
I had the privilege of playing under Coach Bowden at Florida State. The year was 1977 and Coach Bowden had already achieved legendary status at FSU by guiding a team that recently had the distinction of boasting the nation’s longest losing streak. In 1976, this new coach from West Virginia guided the Seminoles to a five-win season. My goodness, could it get any better than this? Little did the Seminole nation know what lay ahead. Little did I know what was in store for me.
In the spring of 1977, I wrote Coach Bowden about the possibility of being a walk-on at Florida State. I soon received a letter inviting me to try out. In August, I stepped on to the campus, received my equipment, and headed out to my very first practice. As I jogged onto the practice field, the thought raced through my mind, "What in the world am I doing here?" That question would soon be answered in a way I would never have anticipated.
That practice started out with a traditional stretching and warming-up routine known to all football players. What set that practice apart from anything I had ever experienced was what occurred after that warm-up.
Coach Bowden blew his whistle and the entire team sprinted to him in the middle of that practice field. In what would become a normal routine each practice session, Coach would lay out what his expectations were for that particular practice... nothing new there. What he did next impacted me for life. He prayed.
What?
I was used to saying a rote prayer before a game or occasionally after a game but before a routine practice? This prayer also seemed different –- it seemed to come from his heart. Coach Bowden was a man of God, and Coach Bowden cared deeply for his players.
That moment started me down a life-long path of desiring to follow God. The rest of the practice was a blur but that prayer and what it meant was not. Even today, I can close my eyes, and in my mind's eye, I can see that moment as clearly as if it occurred this afternoon.
The word "hero" in my humble opinion is one of the most overused and missused words in the English language. As a culture, we assign hero status to rock stars, actors, and athletes simply by a talent with which they were blessed. A hero is so much more. A hero is a hero by who he is. The Bible puts it succinctly: "as a man thinks in heart so he is." A hero becomes a hero because of what is in his heart.
Several stories come to mind thinking about Coach Bowden's heart. First and foremost, he didn't just talk about being a Christian; he lived out in his day-to-day life what it means to be a Christian. I was never a star athlete and quite honestly was shocked every day I was able to walk on that practice field as a member of the team. Coach not only knew me by name but was a constant source of encouragement to me. He always treated me as if I were an All-American. He was that way with everybody.
I never once heard him cuss or belittle a player. I never saw him drink an alcoholic beverage. He would, however, magically make an unlit cigar disappear from the start of practice to the end of practice without ever lighting it, but, hey, he was a coach in the South! Anything he asked of his players, you could guarantee he would be doing himself. He is a man of character.
He truly was concerned for each person on his team –- not as a player but as a man. To him, character conditioning was just as important as strength conditioning. He was always available to talk to any of his players. His door was always opened to each one of us at any time.
I recently heard a radio interview of Georgia head coach Mark Richt on locally based FamilyLife Today. During that interview, Coach Richt was asked to give a tribute to Coach Bowden. From the depth of his heart, Coach Richt said the following:
I want to thank you for blessing my life. You gave me the first opportunity to coach at the college level. You allowed me to coach the quarterbacks when everyone else said you were crazy to allow a graduate assistant coach do that.
Most importantly, you led me to the Lord. My life truly changed from that point. But it is your example, the environment you provided for me and my family that really attracted me to that end. You were bold enough to preach Christ that day after Pablo died. Pablo didn’t die in vain in that regard.
Also, I want to thank you for all the years I got to spend at Florida State in a very stable environment in a very unstable profession. You believed in me and my family and now even as I move forward to be the head coach at Georgia, you are still with me.
I don’t always call you as often as I should but I can reflect daily on the way you handled situations, and quite frankly there were a couple of times I thought you handled things improperly, and after being a head coach and sitting in the seat and living through some of the experiences I’ve lived through, I can understand completely why you did some things you did and I can respect you more now than the day I left.
I can guarantee you that a tribute such as that can be repeated by just about every player who has ever had the privilege of being coached by this remarkable man. It was not so much what he said but how he lived in the day to day.
As a graduation gift to my son, I was collecting letters of congratulation from friends and family to celebrate this major achievement. I had asked Coach if he would mind writing a letter, offering a word of advice to celebrate another step toward manhood for my son. Within a week, I received his reply.
One paragraph stood out as I read these words of wisdom to my son:
The ultimate success in life is not how much money you made or how many children you had or how big a house you got. That is not the measure of success. The measure of success is whether you made Jesus Christ your Lord and Savior and are living trying to serve His purpose for your life. I think the best way to do this is to get your priorities in order. Make God your number one priority, which knowing your dad, I imagine that is the way you were raised. Second, keep your family as your next priority, and then third, your education. Remember they can take your athletic playing days away but they can’t take your education away. Then, of course, after that go after your profession with the same vigor that you have gone through life.
Coach, your legacy lives through me in many different ways. I find myself saying "Dadgummit" in moments of frustration. I see a bottle of Pepsi and I think of pouring a bag of peanuts into it before drinking it. But Coach, I also see those around me and try to think of ways I can help to make their day better. I try to be an encouragement to all I come in contact with in the course of the day, and most importantly, I try to keep God as my top priority in life.
Coach, your days on the FSU football field may be coming to a close, but your influence in the lives of your players will live on. They live on not only in our lives, but in the lives of our families and in the lives of all we come in contact with each day. To me, that is the legacy you leave. To me, you are always in my Hall of Fame. You are a hero to me.
Tuesday, December 01, 2009
This week's games
It's championship week with a conference title and BCS fortunes riding on all five games in the pool. Also riding on all five games is the possession of a solid-goldette statue called the Ramon Escobar Trophy and an accompanying check for $800. For some reason, championship week has always played a pivotal role in determining the eventual winner of the pool. Last year, I threw out the theory -- based on how much of a factor the wild ACC had played during the season -- that you had to win the ACC championship game to win the pool. Sure enough, the winner, Swim Summerlin, had unranked Virginia Tech in a pick 'em over Boston College, while most of the closest runners-up did not. This season, I think it's the SEC championship game that is going to play the role of kingmaker. That or it's going to be pool favorite Clemson in the familiar role of spoiler. Regardless, choose wisely this week.
For the aforementioned large sum of money and one of college football's top trophies, which Mike P. had planned to have the Yam Queen carry during next year's Yamfest parade before he dropped the 0-5 last week, select your winners and e-mail them back to me by 6 p.m. Thursday. Don't miss that train on the Thursday night game.
The Civil War for the Roses
Oregon State - Oregon
8 p.m., Thursday, ESPN
Line: Oregon by 10
* Underdog worth four points
Big East Championship
Cincinnati - Pittsburgh
11 a.m., Saturday, ABC
Line: Cincinnati by 1
SEC Championship Game
Florida - Alabama
3 p.m., Saturday, CBS
Line: Florida by 5
* Underdog worth three points
ACC Championship Game
Georgia Tech - Clemson
7 p.m., Saturday, ESPN
Line: Georgia Tech by 1
Big 12 Championship Game
Texas - Nebraska
7 p.m., Saturday, ABC
Line: Texas by 14
* Underdog worth five points
Good luck.
****#****
For the aforementioned large sum of money and one of college football's top trophies, which Mike P. had planned to have the Yam Queen carry during next year's Yamfest parade before he dropped the 0-5 last week, select your winners and e-mail them back to me by 6 p.m. Thursday. Don't miss that train on the Thursday night game.
The Civil War for the Roses
Oregon State - Oregon
8 p.m., Thursday, ESPN
Line: Oregon by 10
* Underdog worth four points
Big East Championship
Cincinnati - Pittsburgh
11 a.m., Saturday, ABC
Line: Cincinnati by 1
SEC Championship Game
Florida - Alabama
3 p.m., Saturday, CBS
Line: Florida by 5
* Underdog worth three points
ACC Championship Game
Georgia Tech - Clemson
7 p.m., Saturday, ESPN
Line: Georgia Tech by 1
Big 12 Championship Game
Texas - Nebraska
7 p.m., Saturday, ABC
Line: Texas by 14
* Underdog worth five points
Good luck.
****#****
Five Things
1. And so Arkansas, it seems, will be at the Liberty Bowl on Jan. 2.
This is undoubtedly causing great wailing and gnashing of teeth among Razorback fans. Arkies think the Hogs have a birthright to appear in the Cotton Bowl every season the team is bowl eligible. Thanks to the lingering SWC fixation (and sheer laziness), I'm pretty sure there are a lot of Arkansas fans who'd prefer the Cotton to the Orange, Sugar or Fiesta Bowls.
Part of this year's hoopla about the Cotton Bowl is not being played at the Cotton Bowl, but at Jerray! Jones' boondoggle of a stadium in Arlington. But I wonder if the Arkansas-A&M series, which will be played at Cowboys Stadium for 10 seasons, will damper the interest in going to the Cotton. Not this year, obviously, but after playing in the $1 billion stadium five consecutive seasons, the new should wear off for Arkansas fans.
While Dallas trumps Memphis in most things (Blues and BBQ being Memphis' strong points), there is a major drawback to the Cotton - it is broadcast on FOX.
While FOX does a good job with the NFL, it has done a horrible job with the Cotton. As the only college football game the network does all year, it's an afterthought. That's proven by FOX using Pat Summerall as the play-by-play man. At 79, he's just a shell of his former great self in the TV booth.
2. LSU Rocks
Last Saturday was my first game at Death Valley. The place should be renamed The Rock House, because the stadium felt like a rock concert.
At Razorback home games, during a time out you are bombarded with commercials on the jumbotron and over the PA system. At Tiger Stadium, they let the bands play and then crank up some music on the PA system right as the teams return to the field to fire up the crowd.
During the game, I heard Garth Brooks (Baton Rouge, which fired up the crowd), House of Pain (Jump Around, which oddly didn't cause a jumping frenzy in the student section), U2 (Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, during a video review on a challenge), Springsteen (Born To Run, during the time out following the punt return TD) and Michael Jackson (which, oddly, got the crowd more fired up than Jump Around). In the OT between possessions, they played some rap song that got the crowd dancing. DANCING!
When the game is at Arkansas, we're subjected to the (insert sponsor here) "Tailgater of the Day" and (insert Sponsor Here) "Can you name the Hog?" and (insert sponsor here) "Women's Sports Update." At LSU, that was done at halftime, not during crucial stretches where you needed the fans to be into the game.
Also, the LSU's Golden Band from Tigerland kicked the collective tails of the Marching Razorbacks. The LSU band played some Dave Matthews Band, Nirvana and Neil Diamond's Sweet Caroline. When's the last time the Arkansas band broke out anything other than something from the 1970s?
Here is what happened during OT in the game in 2007. The LSU band played "Talkin' Out Da Side Of Ya Neck" by Dem Franchise Boyz. (Full discolsure: Being a 41-year-old white male, I had to Google that information.)
Arkansas AD Jeff Long was, naturally, at the game. I doubt he took notice, other than to think "Man, LSU should really be monetizing their time outs."
3. Joe Adams
I was standing on the 10-yard-line on the Arkansas bench when this happened. I can't describe the sound this collision made. Todd Curtis of ARSN or ISP or whatever was standing next to me. He thought Adams was dead.
Who doesn't like Pete Carroll?
4. Recurring Items
The SJ Top 25 is here.
Announcing teams are ready yet. Sorry. But with only a handful of games, it's probably not that important.
5. M8B Prediction
Will Florida beat Alabama in the SEC title game?
(Views expressed by the Magic 8 Ball do not necessarily reflect the views of this blog, the blog owner nor this post's author. Advice from the M8B is for entertainment purposes only and not for actual wagering ... especially since the Magic 8 Ball is 9-6 this season.)
This is undoubtedly causing great wailing and gnashing of teeth among Razorback fans. Arkies think the Hogs have a birthright to appear in the Cotton Bowl every season the team is bowl eligible. Thanks to the lingering SWC fixation (and sheer laziness), I'm pretty sure there are a lot of Arkansas fans who'd prefer the Cotton to the Orange, Sugar or Fiesta Bowls.
Part of this year's hoopla about the Cotton Bowl is not being played at the Cotton Bowl, but at Jerray! Jones' boondoggle of a stadium in Arlington. But I wonder if the Arkansas-A&M series, which will be played at Cowboys Stadium for 10 seasons, will damper the interest in going to the Cotton. Not this year, obviously, but after playing in the $1 billion stadium five consecutive seasons, the new should wear off for Arkansas fans.
While Dallas trumps Memphis in most things (Blues and BBQ being Memphis' strong points), there is a major drawback to the Cotton - it is broadcast on FOX.
While FOX does a good job with the NFL, it has done a horrible job with the Cotton. As the only college football game the network does all year, it's an afterthought. That's proven by FOX using Pat Summerall as the play-by-play man. At 79, he's just a shell of his former great self in the TV booth.
2. LSU Rocks
Last Saturday was my first game at Death Valley. The place should be renamed The Rock House, because the stadium felt like a rock concert.
At Razorback home games, during a time out you are bombarded with commercials on the jumbotron and over the PA system. At Tiger Stadium, they let the bands play and then crank up some music on the PA system right as the teams return to the field to fire up the crowd.
During the game, I heard Garth Brooks (Baton Rouge, which fired up the crowd), House of Pain (Jump Around, which oddly didn't cause a jumping frenzy in the student section), U2 (Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, during a video review on a challenge), Springsteen (Born To Run, during the time out following the punt return TD) and Michael Jackson (which, oddly, got the crowd more fired up than Jump Around). In the OT between possessions, they played some rap song that got the crowd dancing. DANCING!
When the game is at Arkansas, we're subjected to the (insert sponsor here) "Tailgater of the Day" and (insert Sponsor Here) "Can you name the Hog?" and (insert sponsor here) "Women's Sports Update." At LSU, that was done at halftime, not during crucial stretches where you needed the fans to be into the game.
Also, the LSU's Golden Band from Tigerland kicked the collective tails of the Marching Razorbacks. The LSU band played some Dave Matthews Band, Nirvana and Neil Diamond's Sweet Caroline. When's the last time the Arkansas band broke out anything other than something from the 1970s?
Here is what happened during OT in the game in 2007. The LSU band played "Talkin' Out Da Side Of Ya Neck" by Dem Franchise Boyz. (Full discolsure: Being a 41-year-old white male, I had to Google that information.)
Arkansas AD Jeff Long was, naturally, at the game. I doubt he took notice, other than to think "Man, LSU should really be monetizing their time outs."
3. Joe Adams
I was standing on the 10-yard-line on the Arkansas bench when this happened. I can't describe the sound this collision made. Todd Curtis of ARSN or ISP or whatever was standing next to me. He thought Adams was dead.
Who doesn't like Pete Carroll?
4. Recurring Items
The SJ Top 25 is here.
Announcing teams are ready yet. Sorry. But with only a handful of games, it's probably not that important.
5. M8B Prediction
Will Florida beat Alabama in the SEC title game?
(Views expressed by the Magic 8 Ball do not necessarily reflect the views of this blog, the blog owner nor this post's author. Advice from the M8B is for entertainment purposes only and not for actual wagering ... especially since the Magic 8 Ball is 9-6 this season.)
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