The NCAA: Making Even Worse Decisions in 2010!

// February 15th, 2010 // 1 Comment » // Uncategorized

Speaking of bad decisions....

You can check out all my posts for NESN.com here.

According to the NCAA, this rule change has received unanimous support.  If you’re like me, someone who for 5 seasons was held under the oppressive thumb of the NCAA, you’ve come to the realization that the NCAA is run by four men in a sitting room, smoking comically large cigars, sipping bourbon, and cackling about their recently hatched diabolical plan.
In this case, a rule that takes away touchdowns for trash talk, and “other individual acts”.
But why, NCAA?  What’s the logic?

”Taunting and prolonged individual acts have no place in our game, and our officials have generally handled these rules well,” said former Oregon coach Mike Bellotti, the committee chair. ”This is just another step in maintaining our game’s image and reflecting the ideals of the NCAA overall.”

Bellotti hits the nail on the head.  Taunting and Individual acts have no place in “our game.“  Unfortunately the NCAA is the only group still playing that game.  Which, by my estimate is happening solely in their heads.  They surely can’t be speaking about the game that I played, or that counltess athletes across the country will be playing come September.  Because in that game trash talk, emotion, and jaw rattling hits exist and are what makes the game fun and intense.  But the NCAA does not want individualism.  Nope, never.  They want to “maintain our game’s image.”

Ohh, that makes perfect sense.  Except for, the act of scoring a touchdown is an inherently individual act. Then there is the Heisman, the most important and celebrated trophy in college football which is given to ONE individual.  And, how could we forget about the NCAA endorsed video games which use players individual likeness to sell the college football experience.

Trash talking is one of the residual benefits of playing the game and one of my fondest memories of playing.  Ray Rice, former Rutgers running back, and current OCNN news correspondent/Baltimore Raven once told me to “Get your F—ing hands off me, I’m a F—ing millionaire.”  Hilarious.  And True.  He’s playing on Sundays and I’m writing blogs.

Speaking of Rutgers, in 2007, their entire offensive line approached me, then a starting defensive tackle, and told me “You couldn’t walk on at Rutgers” and as their right guard eyed me up and down he said “Looks like we got us a little b—h here.”  While Ray Rice was right, his offensive line was wrong, UConn 38 Rutgers 19: Rob Lunn Defensive Player Of The Game.

But then there was my personal favorite, against South Florida in 2008:  “Hey 65!  I love your f—ing blog!”  It was true, I was/am a better writer than ball player.  But the idea is this, that without the trash talk, without the exchange I wouldn’t have those memories to look back on and smile about.  Sure the “talk” doesn’t do much for the “walk.” Winning and losing will still be decided by points and not clever uses of four letter verbs, but as someone with experience on the front lines of trash talking, the game won’t be the same without it.

You can check out all my posts for NESN.com here.

The Lowest Of Lows: Injured While Celebrating

// September 14th, 2009 // 2 Comments » // Minnesota, Uncategorized

The NCAA has always had a stranglehold on fun.

I’ll save the “Amateurism is a joke” post for another day; what I’m talking about is the celebration factor. NCAA — No Celebrating At Anytime.

In my time at UConn, unfortunately I did not have the opportunity to do many touchdown dances. After the one touchdown I did have (ah, I recall it fondly), I was too surprised by my

own good luck to even consider anything flashy. Who really wants to see a fat white guy dance anyway? But, I digress.

Until this weekend, I thought it was foolish. If someone earns a touchdown,

let ‘em dance, spike, and sache themselves into the SportsCenter Top 10, or at least YouTube lore.

But then, after watching the UConn-UNC game this weekend, I thought to myself, “Hmmm, maybe the NCAA is right,” after a UNC player went down in his post-touchdown jubilation. It wasn’t until I got online and read this, that I was inspired to write this post:

“UNC’s Zack Pianalto dislocated his fibula after catching the tying touchdown. He caught his cleats wrong on the turf as he celebrated.”

Celebrations do seem to be incredibly detrimental to a football playe’rs health,

so I decided to do a little research on football players that have been injured celebrating.

Bill Gramatica

Probably the go-to example of how not to celebrate your accomplishments, the kicker tore his ACL after a meaningless field goal. Kicking a field goal: good. Six months of rehab: bad.

Ted Ginn Jr.

In the 2007 BCS title game, Ginn returns the opening kickoff 93 yards for a touchdown. He would miss the rest of the game after he injured himself celebrating in the end zone with his teammates.

Ohio State went on to lose the game, and Jim Tressel sobbed himself to sleep clutching his sweater vest.

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Rich Rodriguez Is Guilty Of Doing What Ever Team In Division I Football Does….

// September 1st, 2009 // 1 Comment » // Uncategorized

“Workouts aren’t mandatory, but neither is playing time.”

At least that’s how University of Michigan head coach Rich Rodriguez claims to see it.  Why then has the Detroit Free Press reported that Rodriguez and his staff are violating NCAA rules on time restrictions? Well, probably because it’s true.

Anonymous players have been quoted as saying that their offseason workouts are “hellish” and, as a result, players are “falling asleep in class,” sparking major debate amongst players, coaches and media alike.

I share the distinct privilege of being a former player, and I’m now a member of the media. I’d like to feel bad for the Michigan players. I want to sympathize with their concerned parents. I’d also like to scold Rodriguez, but I can’t. I just can’t.

Anyone who thinks that major college football programs strictly adhere to the NCAA rules — at least the ones Rodriguez and Co. are accused of breaking — is living in a fantasy land. These are probably the same people who believe that eight hours a week in the offseason — which is all the NCAA permits — is enough to perform at a championship level.

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Defending the tie

// June 18th, 2009 // No Comments » // Uncategorized

They say a tie is like kissing your sister. Perhaps the axiom originated in West Virginia {Coach Stew apparently forgot to mention incest in the laundry list of natural resources abundant in the Mountain State.}, but I don’t mind kissing my sister, provided it’s a peck on the cheek. It could be because I haven’t seen her in about four months and even if I could she’s a teen - so she’d probably just punch me. Whatever, it’s not the best possible situation, but it’s not bad.

I know that endorsing the tie seems like an un-American thing viewpoint, but ties were a part of the college football landscape until just over a decade ago. The purpose of games are to accurately gauge the relative skill over roughly a three hour period on one day. As with anything, answers are not always black and white but shades of gray. Adding the tie as an option to win or loss makes a team record more accurate, no matter how unsatisfying a tie would be to fans, the media, coaches or players. Naturally there would be someone who would ‘win’ the tie and someone who would ‘lose’ it, but there’s sixty minutes of play and if there is nothing between the teams during the time, why should we artificially introduce a difference?

Without a doubt college overtime is incredibly exciting and entertaining. But introducing giving the ball to the offense at the +25 during the extra period is akin to starting extra inning baseball games with a man on second, or every possession of a basketball overtime with a three on two fast break. It completely disregards two phases of special teams {Kickoffs and punts}, which are integral facets of the game. We could go on about changes to make the overtime more palatable. A fifth quarter broken into seven and a half minute sections, with the teams switching ends between them. Three overtimes max, then end the game due to player safety {I saw this mentioned by another writer, but cannot remember where. Apologies to whomever came up with the idea.}. A team pushing the game to overtime awarded a half-win, while the team ultimately prevailing gets a full win, similar to the NHL’s current regular season overtime scenario. The list could go on and on, but the reality is all of them, like the structure of college football is flawed.

As frustrating as it is leaving a game at a tie {I’ve been to several soccer games that ended in scoreless draws. There is nothing more frustrating than feeling like two hours was completely wasted. And the two hours of build-up with no release may be one of the biggest reasons for hooligans. That and they’re freaking jacked in the head.} at the end of the year it may make the picture more clear. {Warning: extreme hypothetical forthcoming. And admittedly not the best of examples, but the best I can come up with.} If Texas and Texas Tech had finished their epic game in Lubbock last year in a tie, why should we arbitrarily determine a winner? If a tie is scored and kept, that breaks the three-way morass between Oklahoma, Texas and Texas Tech.

Play on the field under the regulation rules should be the measuring stick between two teams. If they stack up the same, what is the harm in calling a spade a spade and saying they were equal on one day instead of implementing new rules to declare a winner? Re-introducing ties could also jumble up the standings and national title picture further, but with a truer representation in the comparison category.

Now go and kiss your sister, the Mountaineers beg you {Post-smooch couch burning optional.}. See, it’s not so bad.