Flemican Sports Fan

Modern Parity in NCAAF - Not A Coincidence

2007-10-19T03:01:00.000-07:00

When the 2007 season started with a Michigan defeat in the Big House to Division 1-AA Appalachian State a lot of long-time college gridiron fans had a momentary case of shock. However, with 7 weeks gone by since that monumental game, this season continues to produce upsets like no season of recent memory.

USC 23 - Stanford 24

Texas 21 - Kansas State 41

Oklahoma 24 - Colorado 27

And now, this week...

California 27 - Oregon State 31

LSU 37 - Kentucky 43

These are just the most noticable, but there are many others including Duke ending their record losing streak (but immediately starting a new one) with a win against Northwestern.
What is happening in college football should be no real surprise in hind-sight, but it is fair to say most of us didn't see it coming. Even though schools not considered among the Blue Blood of the NCAA have always had their moments in the sun, the modern trend has been much more sustainable and the elite institutions would be wise to stand up and take notice...if they haven't already.

You'll hear a lot of theories about when this all started, but I tend to believe it was with Marshall Faulk at San Diego State. In 1993 he finished 4th in the Heisman voting after putting together an impressive resumé and he was subsequently drafted 2nd overall by the Indianapolis Colts. His efforts made good players realize they could make a name for themselves at less-traditional football schools, particularly if they put up big numbers.

Some might travel back a couple more years when André Ware (1989 - Houston) and Ty Detmer (1990 - BYU) actually won the Heisman, but their schools were a bit more historically tied to football than San Diego State.

The NFL has also played an important part in these changes. Players are being drafted more frequently from smaller schools as scouting has gone high-tech and talent is judged on many factors not earlier considered. 25 years ago Troy Smith would have been a first-round draft pick. In today's world, the 2006 Heisman winner was almost bypassed completely.

Coaching has also improved dramatically the last few decades. As football went through its evolution, the geniuses of the game were unique creatures that re-invented it and made their peers follow suit as the game got bigger, faster and more complex. Football has become an intricate chess game, yet the number of chess masters continues to rise and they have text books, game tapes and so many other tools at their disposal to chip away at the other team's advantages.

Due to this, the days that a few extra pounds on your front line meant you automatically pushed the other guy around are gone. Every team has a number of great athletes and you do not need to have a complete physical advantage to exploit your opponent's weaknesses. The victory of Appalachian State was a perfect example of this as they gave away a lot of size on the line, but were able to pick apart the Michigan defense at will while their own defense kept the damange of Henne, Hart and Manningham at a minimum.

There could also be a case made that today's young people have less respect for institutions making them oblivious to another school's perceived superiority. This attitude makes them much more likely to believe the coach when he reminds them that their opponent puts on his pants and shoes the same way they do. There is a certain cockiness in today's college athletes that transcends any history the Blue Bloods want to claim for themselves. Many of these athletes could simply care less and actually believe they are the better team and translate that into a victory on the field.

Yahoo! Sport columnist Terry Bowden, son of Florida State coach Bobby Bowden and brother to Clemson's Tommy Bowden addressed this issue in a recent article:

"Back when I played at West Virginia in the 70's we hated to play Penn State. They were ranked in the top five every year and we had lost to them about 25 straight games. I remember my father telling us players that they put their pants on the same way we did and all I could think of was how they had to slit their britches up the backside to get their legs in. We were usually beat before the ball was even kicked off."

While any one of these factors could lead to a few upsets, it is the combination of all that will allow it to be sustainable and I am certain the next few years will see quite a few more surprises on the field

Whether or not this trend is permanent is another matter. NCAA Football's elite already have so much invested in their football prowess and to have to share space with these "upstarts" will certainly eat into their bottom lines. High school players are already starting to expand their horizons as to the types of schools they want to join and being Michigan, Notre Dame or USC is no longer a guarantee you will end up with the best pickings. Teams like Boise State, Cincinatti, Wake Forest and Boston College have become legitimate options to further one's career and (especially at Boston College with a graduation rate for student athletes of more than 90%) education. The Blue Bloods are going to have to consider another approach if they ever wish to re-establish their dominance

Perhaps this will lead to another change in the traditions of the college game. This new equality could force the powers that be to consider again the need for a season-ending play-off and championship game. Surely, with so many schools and the likelihood that few seasons will end with two (and only two) undefeated teams this needs to be put back on the table.

Team U.S.A. - Choose Your Sport

2007-10-01T12:08:00.000-07:00

In the U.S. where basketball, baseball and American football rule, the performance of our national teams in other competitions is sometimes overlooked. Considering the importance placed on sports in our society and the money and resources available you are left to wonder how we cannot be more competitive in sports outside of our "comfort zone".

The Rugby World Cup ended for Team U.S.A. today following a thrashing at the hands of South Africa. This was hardly a big surprise. The United States is not exactly a rugby nation while South Africa won the World Cup in 1995 and is a contender whenever it steps on the pitch.

Already this week, our women's soccer team was eliminated from the championship in "that other World Cup" by Brazil in a match where they didn't even resemble the team that had gone over 50 matches without a loss. Although they redeamed themselves with a solid performance for third place by beating Norway 4-1, there are many saying their period of dominance has passed and they can expect a harder road to any championships in the future.

Our men's soccer team always claims it is improving and it is true that we are no longer considered a pushover. We had some success in '94 while playing host and in the South Korean/Japanese Cup of 2002, but we still have not won a World Cup match when it is held on European soil.

Certainly, college sports programs in the United States present more visible opportunity to 18-22 year olds than those in most other countries. However, these sports are only open to students at the schools meaning many potential athletes are never exposed to the other sports that could launch them to the international stage. With the exception of church & factory softball leagues or an office bowling team, how many Americans have participated in a competitive sport outside of high school or college?

While European countries and many others have sports leagues with national and provincial levels allowing even a novice the chance to participate in the sport of their choice and to do so through any age, only the best get a chance to play their favorite sport at a competitive level in the U.S.. This is fine for basketball and baseball, but it means many high-quality athletes consider their sporting career is over when they leave school.

For the women's game, it would appear that college sports are still helping us keep our competitive edge. Since universities are required to pump the same amount of cash into women's sports programs as they do for the men, opportunities abound at U.S. colleges and women are encouraged to participate in a sport suitable to them. The success of our women's soccer team could be directly attributed to this. Our women's basketball team has won Gold in 5 of the last 6 Olympics and our softball team is utterly dominant, although softball is not really a world sport. Nonetheless, even in historically strong sports such as volleyball the U.S. is just average as our national team is currently ranked 8th, far behind leaders Russia, China and Brazil and still outclassed by smaller countries such as Italy, Cuba and The Netherlands.

The men, on the other hand, could benefit greatly from a club system that encourages non-students to still pursue sports at a competitive level.

At the end of the day, it is still about the money. To keep a competitive edge, many universities are recruiting student-athletes from other countries and most American athletes remain focussed on the sports that promise the most, long-term financial reward. This, once again, favors the women's programs as female athletes look less realistically at making sports a career and would be more likely to choose a sport ideally suited to them.

What would be great for the U.S. (and frightening for the rest of the world) is a new approach to high school athletes where, even at small schools not offering the fully array of sports, coaches and gym teachers are trained to keep their eye out for certain types of athletes. Running backs and linebackers in American football who might not have NFL credentials should be encouraged to look at rugby as a legitimate option for their future. A basketball player without NBA skills, but a great verticle leap could be guided towards volleyball. (It is notable that most high schools do not even offer men's volleyball outside of intramural competitions.) You have great hands with a stick, but lack the strength or skating talent of an NHL player? Why not try field hockey? An argument could even be made for encouraging pitchers and hitters from baseball to look at cricket.

If that athlete is not college material, there should still be avenues available for that person to pursue their sport of choice. Not only would this benefit the national programs for many of these other sports, but it would be good for the overall health and condition of the nation; something that would take up another article.

The world will always produce its Marta's and Ronaldinho's, its Federer's and even its Tony Parkers; but with the money, know-how and even the racial & cultural diversity in America, Team U.S.A. should always be respected as a potential winner when they take the field - no matter what the sport is.

A Question of Class

2007-09-08T05:31:00.000-07:00

As an American living overseas, I'm exposed to another perspective of my compatriots. Although media is supposed to be objective, we all know the reality of humanity and even the most committed and honest reporter will expose their inner feelings in the process of a broadcast.

This applies to sports reporting as well. Growing up in Northwest Ohio, I could have listened to The Game on two different radio stations and, although the score would be the same, I would likely have a completely different perspective on what was transpiring on the field based on which station I listened to at a particular moment.

Tennis is the sport of fashion here in Belgium. Ever since Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin hit the rankings, there are few sports that everyone in the country can and wants to talk about. Even national pasttimes like football (soccer) and cycling take a backseat to these two women.

I just finished watching the semi-final match between Justine Henin and Venus Williams. Of course, I saw it on local (Belgian) TV and got their perspective of it. Henin has done something special this year on her way to the final by beating Serena in the quarters and now Venus in the semis. The only other time that both sisters were beat in the same grand slam by the same player was in 2001 when Martina Hingis pulled the double only to lose to Jennifer Capriati in the final.

After beating Serena in the quarters a press conference took place. Serena was there physically, but mentally she was somewhere else. She made comments about Henin being lucky and criticized her own play without really giving credit to the world number 1.

History shows that there has been no love lost between Serena and Justine since 2003 when in the French Open semifinals, Henin held up her hand to stop play on a key point. Serena had served what probably would have been a point only to have the chair umpire call for a replay. Serena was livid as she went on to lose the match. The pro-Henin croud took great pleasure in cheering every Williams' mistake and booed her off the court after the match.

Nonetheless, tennis is a "gentleman's sport" and this is supposed to apply to the ladies as well. When Serena refused to give credit to a player who has knocked her out of Roland Garros, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open this year she discredited herself, her family and even her country. Like it or not, what Serena and Venus do reflects on America as far as the world's press is concerned. It's not fair, but it's reality.

The locals have been exceptionally hard on Serena for her comments, but it seems the rest of the world is following suit. She has been criticized heavily by even the American media who are probably tiring of the ongoing, Williams' saga.

They might have been good for the sport when they arrived, but the Williams family is starting to prove themselves borish with Daddy's history of getting thrown out of tournaments, Mama's ill-advised statements and both girls bringing out their trash talk whenever they feel a certain player is threatening their legacy.

What is especially sad is that their own performance on the court over the years is more than enough to secure their place in the archives of the sport and everytime they pull one of these stunts, they merely lower their stock. Since they are the only women's players from the U.S. on the radar, they make America look bad too.

There is an irony as there seems to be a lot more personal attacks in the women's game than on the men's side. Federer isn't human anyways, but even when losing the French Open (again) to Rafael Nadal, he gives his interview fully complimenting Nadal for bringing his "A-game" and talks about having to come back the next year still having the hunger to win the only Grand Slam to elude him. He tears Roddick up on the court, but is a completely respectful to the man and Roddick to him.

The women's game, on the other hand, has had more than its share of controversy. One of the most infamous incidents was when Martina Hingis called Amelie Mauresmo "Half a man already". This statement was directly referenced to Mauresmo's lesbian partnership as well as her physical build. Maria Sharapova's father is as bad if not worse than Papa Williams and who can forget the stabbing of Monica Seles by a Steffi Graf fan back in 1993? The men's game has not seen these kinds of dramas since the 70's when McEnroe and Connors were giving chair umpires headaches.

For the Williams sisters, being top players means press time and these ladies are making millions to play this game. They need to respect that by giving credit to the lady who right now is the best player in the world and just got done beating both of 'em in straight sets.

Criminals on Court

2007-08-20T12:19:00.000-07:00

In the U.S. right now, some major news is running about a guy who has a lot of money and invested it into dog fighting, an illegal activity in America. He had a lot of co-conspirators, but they are all turning on him as he is high-profile and he will likely plead guilty to the charges as the case against him is too good to beat.

This story is running mainly on the sports pages.

Doping scandals, NBA referee fixing games, boxers raping, baseball players involved in money laundering and tax evasion and of course, murder all happen among our highly-paid sports stars and it is dominating our sports news. I remember a day last year that 8 of the top 10 stories on the Yahoo! Sports home page had something to do with athletes in trouble. The Cincinnati Bengals (NFL) had 10 players arrested over a 14 month period of time. This pattern is disturbing.

Let's not forget the ex-athlete who should be in jail...if only those gloves had fit.

What worries me more is that most fans just soak it in. When Michael Vick, a talented quarterback, pleads guilty he will likely get a shorter sentence meaning that he still could get back on the (American) football field before his prime is done. He's 27 right now and it is likely some NFL club will give him a chance to come back and earn his millions. I even read an article of a decent sports writer who started to outline the ways he could salvage his career.

I'm all for forgiveness and Mr. Vick deserves every opportunity to move on with his life after serving his time. However, I'm not sure I'd want my team to pick him up no matter how bad they need a quarterback. That position is more than just playing a game, but involves taking a moral lead as so many young, impressionable men/boys are looking up to the man and if we, as a society, tell them it is ok to mess up 'cause you still can get the big bucks, then what are we really accomplishing?

Mud on my Face

2007-06-12T12:46:00.000-07:00

Just a retraction to my last post as Lebron & Co. are in the finals and the Pistons didn't even force them to Game 7.

However, I still might be right about him having to wait for his 6th year for the actual championship. The Spurs look almost invincible right now, but only time will tell. To my friend, Austin, you can stop rubbing it in now.

History Repeating - From Michael Jordan to LeBron James

2007-05-19T11:21:00.000-07:00

Just in case anyone forgot, it took Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls six seasons to win their first NBA title. In the years prior to that first championship, they inched their ways up in the play-offs, eventually losing to the Detroit Pistons two years in a row in the conference finals. The next year they went through their season on a mission and won their first championship.

This is LeBron James' 4rd season in the NBA. Look who's facing him in his first Eastern Conference championship. Deja Vue.

James is much like Jordan, having to carry a team that has little or no successful history in the NBA. The Cavaliers entered the NBA only a few years later than the Bulls making their draught of futility even longer and the fans in Northeast Ohio more desparate for success. However, just like those Bulls of the 90's, Cleveland will need more than 1 star player. They have a lot of the pieces of the puzzle in place, but I see no Scottie Pippen among them and they need that guy who can step up and be as much of a star as the franchise player.

For those of you who like a story, this is pretty good. However, I predict an unexpected twist before it is done. The Cavaliers will lose to the Pistons this year and next year in the Eastern Conference Finals and make thier NBA Finals and Championship in 2009. However, they will do it by beating the Bulls in the Eastern Conference Finals. If there are any bookies out there, I'm curious what kind of odds I would get on that bet.

Premier for Premier League

2007-04-12T13:49:00.000-07:00

In 1992 when the geniuses at UEFA decided to re-invent the wheel called the Champions League, I cannot believe this is what they intended. Three of the final four teams in this year's Champions League are English clubs (Liverpool, Manchester United & Chelsea) with only one Italian team (AC Milan) breaking up the party.

Somewhere I must have missed something. Do the Major Leagues (baseball) have another champion besides Saint Louis? Does Indianapolis (Colts) have company sitting in their throne of the NFL right now? OK, the NHL does have multiple winners with the (Detroit) Redwings owning the President's Trophy while Carolina (Hurricanes) own the Stanley Cup. But 3, count them, THREE champions?

When I first moved to Belgium in 1990, the system made some sense. Each country has two competitions. A regular league schedule and a cup tournament. The winner of the League was given the chance to vie for a spot in the Champion's League. 1 per country with the exception of the champion from the year before who was allowed the chance to defend their crown. The winner of the Cup got to play in the "Cup-winners' Cup". Once again with 1 possible team per country. Last you had the UEFA Cup. This was a "Best of the Rest" selection where it could be possible to find 4 German, English or Spanish teams with only a couple of Danish, Czech or Austrian teams, but this was normal.

Today, the "Cup-winners' Cup" no longer exists and it is only the two competitions. However, the English, Italians, Spanish and other countries can have multiple teams in the Champion's League (Even Belgium occasionally qualifies two). However, this system makes it hopeless for smaller countries to ever dream of winning the big prize anymore. Granted, there have been few winners from smaller countries in the past with the obvious exception being Ajax Amsterdam of The Netherlands having won 4 times. PSV Eindhoven is another Dutch winner (1988) as is Feyenoord (1970) with Celtic of Scotland (1967), Steaua of Romania (1986) and Crvena Zvezda of the former Yugoslavia (1991) being the only other exceptions of note unless you consider Portugal (Porto '87 & 2004 and Benfica 1961 & '62) a small nation.

In the 51 years of Champion's League play Real Madrid has won 9 times including the first 5 with Barcelona claiming 2 more for the Spanish.

Italian Clubs have won 10 titles including six to the city of Milan.

The English have 10 titles with Liverpool owning 5 and Manchester United and Nottingham Forest each taking 2 and 1 to Aston Villa.

Ironically, the Germans have only as many titles as the Dutch (6) with Bayern Munich having 4 titles and Hamburg ('83) and Dortmund ('97) each getting one.

The biggest loser among "big" nations would be the French with only Marseille (1993) to look up to.

However, since the change in 1992, the chance of a Celtic, Steaua or Crvena Zvezda winning Champion's League went down drastically and all winners since that time come from rich football heritage and deep pockets. Only Dortmund in 1997 could be considered a true outsider from this exclusive club (they currently occupy the 4th place from last in the Bundesliga table).

It is only this writers opinion, but the desire to generate more top matches between top clubs in earlier rounds might have made sense from a revenue point of view, but it cheapened the sport and the meaning of the tourney. As far as I'm concerned, this 3/4 English Final Four is exactly what UEFA deserved.

Dopes on Wheels

2007-01-30T12:01:00.000-08:00

It is amazing how Belgium loves shooting itself in the foot over cycling. While every Frenchman is smiling over the Floyd Landis situation and still wishing they could have nailed Armstrong in time, the sports news in this country is flooded with cyclists who bent or broke the rules late in their careers (Johan Museeuw), team bosses who "forced" their members to shoot-up (Patrick Lefevre) and team doctors who were "there but did not participate" (Yvan Vanmol).

The unfortunate thing about all of this is that there is so much good news for Belgians to be found in cycling today. The World Championship in "Field Cycling" was won by a dark horse Belgian (Erwin Vervecken) who beat the favoured Belgians (Sven Nys & Bart Wellens) and Tom Boonen has continued his winning ways in Qatar having won the last two stages at the writing of this post.

Yet here we are, with Jean-Marie Dedecker throwing all the latest dirt and even top riders such as Boonen finding themselves on the defensiven while a lawsuit brought by Lefevre against Dedecker for defamation enters the courts.

Why has cycling become the poster-child for performance enhancers? What is it about this sport that brings out the worst in our athletes, or is it just a witch-hunt making a lot of innocents look bad?

An article on about.com touches on the reasons cyclers are motivated to use performance enhancing drugs and, particularly, EPO. The distances of major races means any ability to increase the oxygen in the blood gives a certain advantage. This is the primary benefit of EPO.

There might be some out there who say we shouldn't care less who cheats. If they want to open their bodies to the 70 or so possible side-effects of drug use just to have more chance of winning, who are we to stop them? The problem with this attitude is that it unfairly tilts the balance in sports making it increasingly difficult for those who don't cheat to have any chance of winning, motivating them to consider cheating to have a chance and continue and increase a vicious cycle that will result in a lot of top athletes with messed-up futures.

Totalbike.com ran an interesting, albeit encyclopedia-style post about the history of doping in sports. It is hardly a new problem and will not go away quickly, but I'm starting to think the news about it has more place among stories of frauds and thieves than in the sports section.

It was like the week I looked at the college sports page on Yahoo! and there were 6 stories of athletes in trouble with the law or for breaking NCAA rules than there were actual sports stories. It is time to rededicate the sports pages to honest athletes and put the criminals in the columns where they belong.

The Fiasco of the Golden Shoe (Boot)

2007-01-18T11:34:00.001-08:00

For a quick change of direction, I want to comment on something from the Belgian World of Sports. The yearly award of the Golden Shoe ("Boot" if you are English).

The Belgian football league has an award that it presents every year to the best football (soccer) player in the Belgian league. An "MVP" award. On the surface you might say "Big Deal". What sport doesn't have such an award? However, there are some peculiarities to the award here in Belgoland.

First, one team completely dominates the award. This year marks the third time that all winners (They also have an award for best Rookie and best goaltender.) came from R.S.C. Anderlecht. The other two times were in 1965 and 2000. All in all, Anderlecht has had the winners of 18 trophies since it first was awarded in 1954. Only Club Brugge (10) and Standaard de Liege (6) have more than a couple of wins. The joke this year is that the top 4 contenders were all from Anderlecht despite the fact they don't even have the lead in the competition. Racing Genk is 3 points in the lead after the first half of the season.

The other rarity of this award is that it is not based on a player's performance during a season, but during a calendar year. This year's winnar Mbark Boussouffa, a Dutchman with Morokkan roots, earned most of his points for his performance during last January - June while still playing at AA Gent. An irony as the official winners-listing puts him only down for Anderlecht.

I was rather surprized at this year's awards ceremony as it was so "Flemish". French was only spoken when interviewing players who didn't speak Dutch. While it would be fair to say that most of the money in the Belgian First Class and National Team comes from the Flemish side (11 of the 18 teams are clearly Flemish with 2 Brussels teams including Anderlecht), such an oversight seems to ostricate the French-speaking fans. Maybe there is a separate competition in Wallonia, but I'm not aware of it.

In any case, like much of Belgian Football (soccer), the overhaul needed to clean up this mess probably crosses too many cultural boundaries to even be considered and the final loser is the Belgian sports fan who hasn't seen more than 4 different teams vie for the championship in the last decade. In the last 20 years, Anderlecht has won 10 titles, Club Brugge (7), Genk (2) with Lierse (1997) and Mechelen (1989) the only outsiders from this exclusive club. Even Standard de Liege, once a powerhouse, hasn't won a championship since 1983 although they have come close a number of times.

As stated in my last post, European sports leagues including the Jupiler League could learn something from America. Salary caps, shared TV ratings and even things like the draft and farm systems help our leagues remain more competitive with more possibilities for any team to "win it all" than in most European Soccer Leagues and I'd look forward to the day they adopted some of these practices.

The Belgian Options

2007-01-15T10:28:00.000-08:00

The average American moving to Belgium might be very surprized to find out that not only is there a league for American Football and for Baseball in Belgium, but it is possible for them to play the real version of their favourite sport while living here.

In the U.S., especially for American football, High School is the only age you have the chance to play. You have to be pretty good to play at a college level and you have to be real good to play pro. Organized, competitive football is not accessible for everyone.

Here in Europe, due to the league structure in sports, it is possible for anyone to start playing their favourite sport. Somewhere, some team has a place for you.

If Americans want to put the pads on again, move to Belgium. The Belgian League is split into two divisions with 7 Flemish and 7 Wallonian teams. They have a Fall and Spring season with a championship held in May. Many of the Web Sites are in English and teams tend to welcome Americans with open arms.

If Baseball is your thing, then there are more than enough teams on both the Flemish and Wallonian sides of the country. Just as with football, it doesn't matter what level you play, there is likely a place for you.

I've long been of the opinion that Europe could learn something about structuring professional sports from the States. The business module in the U.S. seems to make more sense and leads to more competitive leagues where different teams win championships every year. However, it would be great if Americans could learn from the amateur ranks of Europe. It probably would lead to better health and would certainly let many continue to enjoy the sports they grew up loving to play.

Championship Blown

2007-01-11T11:34:00.000-08:00

Like everyone I expected a blow-out Monday Night. It was...Except it was Florida handing it to OSU.

Let's face it; the Big Ten hates bowl season. 2 - 5 this year. I underestimated Wisconsin and only picked Penn State because they're not really Big Ten. I picked Michigan because I'm obligated to pick my favourite team, but if you had required me to put my life's savings on a team in the Rose Bowl, I would have taken USC.

The Buckeye's were supposed to be the exception. Dominating all year including two wins against number 2 teams (Texas & Michigan) with a Heisman Trophy winner and one of the best scoring defenses in the country, they were supposed to walk in and pick up their trophy and leave the rest of the country to debate who really should have been there for the beating.

Heisman Jinx? Big Ten Woes? Too much Hype and expectations? Take your choice, the OSU team that showed up in Arizona did not at all resemble that other team. They looked clueless, out of sync and were completely outclassed by a Florida team that looked very much like everyone thought the Buckeye's should look.

51 Days. That's the longest lay-off between a last game of the season and a bowl game ever. The problem is, the Big Ten will always have this as long as the system stays like it is. They end their season at the minimum a week before everyone else and they have no play-off or championship game. Some might think a long lay-off is a good chance to get those injured back into service, rest and plan for a tough opponent. Michigan and Ohio State are proof that it is the opposite. It takes you out of your game. Your edge is gone.

A recent article I read pointed out that the Big Ten commissioner, Jim Delany, was against a play-off system because it didn't serve in the best interests of the Big Ten. I wonder how many times the conference has to look like fools on bowl day before he changes that frame of mind? If I am a top player looking for a chance to shine and win Championships, I'm looking at the Southeast Conference and even the Big East right now. Forget the Big Ten. Sure, I can have a fun season, but my Holidays are going to stink.

Being gone from the U.S. for so long, it all is strange anyways. The rivalries and bowl match-ups are different. We might as well change everything and get it close to right. With so many schools and a sport that cannot sustain a 64 team field, it will never be perfect, but so many signs are pointing to the need to sort out these championships on the grass and not through an imaginary and imperfect vote.

My future posts will be more about American sports in the Benelux, although major events like the Superbowl and other championships cannot avoid attention. I hope you'll all check us out every now and then and don't hesitate to post questions if you want to know how you can enjoy your favourite sport while over here in Europe.

Ready for Monday Night Football (College Style) ?

2007-01-05T11:01:00.000-08:00

With only two small games remaining until the "Championship" game between Florida and Ohio State it is time for me to make my final prediction of this year's bowl season. I'm pretty pleased with my totals as I'm 19 - 10 with these 3 games remaining and I'm pretty confident I'll see a 20th win.

Last year, USC lost to Texas in what was probably the best BCS Chapionship Game to date. USC was the defending champ having knocked off Oklahoma to end the 2004-05 season. The year before that, LSU beat Oklahoma to claim the championship (although the coaches gave USC the nod marking the only time the coaches poll differed with the BCS rankings for the number 1 spot). Ohio State was the champion for the 2002-03 season knocking off Miami (FL) much to the enjoyment of most of the country.

Until Ohio State managed the impossible against the Hurricanes, the Number 1 Team had always won the championship. Since then the BCS underdog manages to pull off the upset every other year. If this trend continues, the Buckeye's will get their championship.

We also have to consider the Heisman jinx. Heisman winners have participated in 5 BCS championship games and only Matt Leinart of USC came out on top (2004-05 season). He then lost the following year while sharing the field with that year's winner, Reggie Bush, meaning all Heisman trophy winners that have participated in a BCS championship game have lost. Since Troy Smith is a senior and not coming back, he could be the Ronald Reagan of college football breaking the curse of the Heisman for championship teams.

It is hard to look at this game and think of Florida as a winner, but to overlook their accomplishments this year would not be justified. Their only loss this year was a 27-17 road game at (Nr. 10) Auburn. They beat Tennessee (13), Arkansas (8) & LSU (4). LSU will likely be the number 2 team at the end of the season. Bowl winners Kentucky, South Carolina and Georgia were also among their victoms. To go through this schedule with only 1 loss is certainly impressive. Other than two Nr. 1 -vs- Nr. 2 match-ups against Texas and then Michigan, Ohio State has had a pretty easy road to the championship, at least comparitively speaking.

Nonetheless, I have to give OSU the win and it probably will be by 10 points or more. Florida was good enough to get to this game, but the Buckeyes are not a big-headed team and they won't be looking past the Gators to the trophy. That is bad news for Florida fans and they should just hope they can keep it close like Michigan did. That's the best that can be expected.

13 - 7 After 20

2006-12-30T20:57:00.000-08:00

Hey, but who's keeping score, right?

I almost pulled the sweep on Saturday except for a careless fumble by Navy that allowed BC to win with a last second field goal. I hope when he's an officer, that running back will leave the hand-grenade handling to those under his command.

We still have the Miami game tonight, but I wanted to get this posted today as I expect to be less concentrated on football tomorrow, at least until I head to Brussels to watch the Rose Bowl at an American sports bar. Fat Boy's is the place and it is located on the Luxembourgplein.

Outback Bowl

Penn State -vs- Tennessee

Well, I've made no mistakes rooting against the Big Ten so far, but I gotta believe Paterno still has some magic left. Besides, Penn State will never be a full-fledged Big Ten team to me, which in this case is a good thing. Tennessee is no slouch, but the Nitany Lions will come out on top.

Cotton Bowl

Auburn -vs- Nebraska

Nebraska is coming off an average season. Auburn's was slightly better and probably deserved a better opponent in the Cotton Bowl. As it is, Auburn is not playing for anything special this year while this game could make the Cornhusker's season a bit more of a success or failure. That should be incentive enough for the Big 12 to be guaranteed at least a .500 Bowl record this year.

Gator Bowl

Georgia Tech -vs- West Virginia

A good match-up. West Virginia had a "dissappointing season" at 10-2. Unfortunately for them, the Big East will no longer be WVU's personal stomping ground and they should be happy anytime their wins reach double digits. Georgia Tech is not in the Top 25 only because two of their losses happened at the end of the season. The ACC was not a power conference this year making their second place finish a little less impressive. Mountaineers should reach the peak of this one without two many bee stings.

Capital One Bowl

Arkansas -vs- Wisconsin

The Badgers feel they have something to prove having finished with only one loss, but being kept out of the BCS because the Big Ten is only allowed two teams. They do have something to prove because they padded their non-conference schedule with weak teams from weak conferences and didn't even play Ohio State in conference play. Arkansas, on the other hand, lost two close games at the end of the season to BCS teams LSU and Florida and only has a shellacking at the hands of USC to hang their head for, but that came in their first game of the season before this team meshed. The Razerbacks are going to remind Wisconsin why they don't play better teams in their non-conference schedule.

Rose Bowl

Michigan -vs- USC

USC was not the same, dominating team this year without their two Heisman trophy winners and the loss to UCLA at the end of the season was a shock to the entire country, but for traditionalists, this is a winner for the bowls. The Pac Ten -vs- The Big Ten in the Grandaddy of Them All and, quite probably, the best bowl game after New Year's Eve.

I have to admit, Michigan is not a great bowl team and the Rose Bowl has not always been kind to the Big Ten even when they were playing a weaker team. Nonetheless, I have to support my Maize & Blue and pick them to win this one. They are due.

Fiesta Bowl

Boise State -vs- Oklahoma

I got people coming over to watch this one if only to ask, "Where is Boise State located?". Well, it is in Idaho and the rumours are true, they play home games on a blue field and they finished the season undefeated...again. You might remember, they were one of 5 teams finishing the 2004 season undefeated and still were left out of the BCS. Not this time.

Oklahoma is a dangerous team that got a lot stronger as the season progressed. Their blemishes were earlier in the season and the conference they won is one of the more balanced in the country. Boise State plays in the WAC and their non-conference schedule did not include any superpowers althought they did dominate USC-killers Oregon State. They lost their last big bowl game, but I'm going to give them this one just to annoy the BCS system.

Orange Bowl

Louisville -vs- Wake Forest

Yes, this is a football game. I'm not sure the Orange Bowl would have ever expected this match-up between traditional basketball powers like these two, but both football programs just might be on this stage for awhile now that they've gotten this far.

Louisville quarterback Brian Brohm is on lists for next year's Heismann and he'll want to raise his stock with this national stage. The problem will come if he tries too hard to do so. However, with family living in the area, I have no choice but to pick the Cardinals. With only Rutgers as a blemish on their schedule, they just missed playing for the national championship and Big East pride. Incidently, for those of you keeping track, I realize my predictions for Big East wins contradicts a prior statement I made on the South Florida game, but that's before I took a better look as to who their opponents were.

Sugar Bowl

Notre Dame -vs- LSU

Brady who? Notre Dame is a beneficiary of a traditional schedule that sometimes is among the toughest in the country, but this year turned out to be very weak. They beat bowl teams such as Navy, Georgia Tech & Penn State, but when playing Rose Bowl bound Michigan and USC, they bombed leaving doubts to Quinn's ability to lead his team against top competition.

LSU lost earlier in the season to Florida and Auburn, but waltzed through the rest of the season including a solid win against Arkansas at the end of the season. If they bring their A-game, it will be a tad too much for the Irish and the Tigers might be looking at a number 2 ranking after the dust has settled.

International Bowl

Cincinnati -vs- Western Michigan

Feel sorry for the Canadiens. They could have had British Culture, French Cuisine and American Technology. Instead, they ended up with British Cuisine, French Technology and American Culture. Welcome to the inaugural bowl in "Mounty Land".

They don't get a marquee match-up, but they do get schools close enough to make the trip to Toronto and, as long as they stick with that formule, they should do ok. Cincinnati was Rutger's first loss and, going against my earlier statements about the Big East, they should win this one too. In an interesting storyline, the Cincy coach is taking over right before the bowl game and has already beaten Western once this year while at the helm of Central Michigan.

GMAC Bowl

Ohio -vs- Southern Miss

Nothing against MAC teams, but Southern Miss has not lost to a good team all year. Ohio has (Bowling Green). Strength of schedule and a Southern Belt, home-field advantage give the nod to the Golden Eagles. I actually hope I'm wrong about this one for the sake of MAC pride.

I'm waiting to write on the Fiesta Bowl and the national championship game between Ohio State and Florida as there is more than a week to go and you never know if maybe the entire OSU starting line-up might catch the measles, which is about the only way Florida would have a chance. Hope you'll check it out next weekend.

4 - 3 After the first 7

2006-12-25T11:36:00.000-08:00

I survived the first week with a 4-3 record. Actually, I'm kicking myself for the TCU - Northern Illinois game. First, I'm not sure how Garrett Wolfe could have had a better season as he led the nation in rushing. However, to overlook TCU's defense was a big mistake.

This week's games start to feature a few more top-25 teams, but not often against each other. It seems we have a lot of pretenders right now. Mainly, historically strong programs coming off average or even bad years, but who still manage to get into a bowl game based on reputation and the simple fact there are so many games to be filled. Let's get at em...

Motor City Bowl

Central Michigan -vs- Middle Tennessee

Central Michigan is the MAC Champion, but that doesn't really mean a lot this season as the MAC turned out to be a so-so group this year. However, Middle Tennessee is not exactly from a power conference either and their two outings against ranked teams this year were disasterous. Give this one to Central Michigan for having "Home Field" advantage.

Emerald Bowl

Florida State -vs- UCLA

When San Francisco set this one up, I'm doubting if they expected a Prime Time match-up like this one. However, it is not very often that Florida State finishes 6-6 and UCLA is only 7-5 although their season-ending win against USC was certainly impressive. Nonetheless, I have trouble imagining Florida State with a losing record and think they'll find a way to end this season on a high note.

Independence Bowl

Alabama -vs- Oklahoma State

Sure, they are both storied programs, but not this year. They both finished 6-6. Alabama recently fired Mike Shula and Oklahoma State has a couple of quality wins making them my favourite for this one.

Texas Bowl

Rutgers -vs- Kansas State

Rutgers was THE STORY of 2006 until Cincinatti ruined their bid for a perfect searson. West Virginia finished the job in triple overtime. The truth is, Rutgers is probably happy to have had the stage for these reasons considering they were one of the worst teams of the 1990's. However, Kansas State beat Texas this year and plays in a pretty tough conference making them more battle-ready for this one.

Holiday Bowl

Texas A&M -vs- California

In our first bowl match-up of the season featuring two teams in the Top 25, expect California to remind everyone who "The Other Team" of the PAC Ten is. They weren't consistent enough to win the conference, but many thought they could have been the team to knock USC off the number 1 spot and, in fact, they both finished with identical 7-2 conference records. However, Texas Tech will come out on top at the end. They lost 3 games all season including 1-point losses to Oklahoma and Nebraska and are likely to catch the Golden Bears flat-footed.

Music City Bowl

Clemson -vs- Kentucky

Kentucky making a bowl in football used to be big news in the Bluegrass State until Louisville started making national noise. Now, nobody really pays attention to them even when they have a respectable season. Clemson, on the other hand, got as high as Number 10 in the nation before the rug came out from under them. Despite a missing cornerback (on a drug charge) against a pretty good passing offense at Kentucky, expect the Tigers to win the Cat Fight.

Sun Bowl

Oregon State -vs- Missouri

Oregon State beat USC and won the Civil War in a close, but ugly game. They have a lot of heart and seem to know how to win games, although their losses were pretty lopsided leaving questions about what team shows up on game days. Missouri only has two wins against teams with winning records and one of those is a MAC team leaving a lot a doubt to their ability to win against a quality opponent. Oregon State should prevail.

Liberty Bowl

Houston -vs- South Carolina

Steve Spurrier is the coach of South Carolina and this already gives them some credible chance of winning this one. Houston won't let it be easy having had 10 wins this season, but most of their opponents are a level down from South Carolina's who, incidently, beat both Kentucky and Clemson this year. South Carolina will take this in a close one.

Insight Bowl

Texas Tech -vs- Minnesota

I always root for the Big Ten...I seldom expect them to win. Texas Tech plays in the Big 12 and played good opponents close even in losses. Minnesota plays in the Big 2 and little 9 this year, only finished 6-6 and got man-handled by teams like Michigan and Ohio State. Tech is going to kill them.

Champs Sports Bowl

Purdue -vs- Maryland

Same problem. Maryland plays a tougher conference and still managed alright while Purdue lined their non-conference schedule with weak teams from weak conferences and didn't beat a team all year that had a winning record. Unless Purdue found a secret weapon during the last month, this will be a laugher for Maryland.

Meineke Bowl

Navy -vs- Boston College

I saw the Navy - Notre Dame game and although the longest winning streak against one team in NCAA history stayed intact that day, I felt that Navy should not be taken too lightly. They lack quality wins and will naturally field a smaller team, but the school that produced Doug Flutie should know better than to judge talent by sheer weight and they'd be mistaken to look past our future Navy & Marine officers. I'm going to give this one to our military.

Alamo Bowl

Texas -vs- Iowa

Before the Big Two made their statement, people were talking about Iowa making their mark this year. It never happened and playing Texas in a bowl named after the Alamo is asking for a massacre with the Texans coming out on top this time.

Chick-fil-A Bowl

Georgia -vs- Virginia Tech

Playing in Atlanta certainly plays to Georgia's advantage, but Virginia Tech comes in number 14 in the country with some quality wins under thier belt including Clemson and Wake Forrest. Georgia finished the season knocking off Auburn and Georgia Tech and should finish their season with a home-bowl win.

MPC Computers Bowl

Miami (Fl) -vs- Nevada

What annoys me most about this match-up is that the Hurricanes are backing into a bowl after a stinky season and an on-field brawl that should have put them on probation. Since Nevada is a slightly above-average team from a weak conference where an undefeated team cannot even be considered a national champion contender Miami will probably end the season with a win and continue annoying all of us who hate her so much.

That's all for now. I'll start on the New Years day and beyond match-ups before they start. Hope you'll tune in.

Games for everyone

2006-12-16T14:25:00.000-08:00

With a bowl season approaching 40 games, just about anybody can get into a bowl game making my Wolverines' record streak of 31 bowl appearances looking pretty safe for a long time.

So who are these great teams qualifying for extra curricular assignments in the school of College Football? I'll give you a breakdown of each game and how they got there from a complete idiot's point of view...

In another universe, a Texas Christian University team finishing 10-2 would be in BCS discussions, but that was when they were in the Southwest Conference. This program is a long way from the teams that won national championships back in the 1930's. Their opponent is Northern Illinois who only finished 3rd in their division in that powerhouse conference, the MAC. The only thing right about this game is that the bowl season starts with a representative of the Mid American Conference against someone who used to be in the WAC.

Prediction: Northern Illinois has a back that could have had a better season. He'll want to show the NFL scouts something and will lead his team to a victory.

Las Vegas Bowl

In our second straight match-up of 10-2 -vs- 7-5 records Brigham Young should enjoy home field advantage in Las Vegas. If you're not from the West Coast or not a Mormon, there is absolutely nothing interesting about this match-up. BYU does enter on a hot streak having won their last 9 games while OU is sneaking in the back door losing their last 3 including the Civil War due to a horrible kicking game.

Prediction: BYU owns Vegas. I mean literally. They'll own this game too.

I'm having a lot of trouble accepting a Rice -Troy matchup in post season when they are both only 7-5, but here we are and here they are. In defence of both clubs, their losses were mostly to ranked teams, but that only demonstrates they really are not power programs and are normally cannon fodder for the big boys.

Prediction: I really don't have a clue. Anyone who lives more than 5 miles from one of these schools won't either. I guess Rice.

Papajohns.com Bowl

Papa John's probably started arranging this game thinking they could land the local heroes almost every year. I'm wondering if they anticipated the Cardinals going national so quickly. As it is, South Florida was 8-4 in a conference featuring Louisville, Rutgers and West Virginia losing a close one to Rutgers and beating West Virginia, so their presence seems justified. East Carolina is the unknown here coming from Conference USA and not really playing anyone of note other than West Virginia (losing 27-10) all year.

Prediction: Other than the Big Ten's Michigan - Ohio State drama, no conference got more great press this season than the Big East. Ironically, this will be one of the only wins for the Big East in the Bowls.

New Mexico Bowl

New Mexico -vs- San Jose State

In a perfect example of what has gone wrong with all of these bowl games, a 6-6 New Mexico who has only 1 ranked team on their schedule and only beat one team with a winning record all year gets to host San Jose State at 8-4. The fact that San Jose couldn't get anything better deserves a Congressional Inquiry considering their much tougher schedule and the fact they were the only team all year to give Boise State a scare.

Prediction: Either San Jose is going to be so mad at not being in a better bowl they will kick the tar out of New Mexico or they are going to be caught flat footed and get the tar kicked out of them. No close game and I say New Mexico ends the season with a losing record.

Tulsa and Utah have had average seasons in average leagues and this will be an average match-up. Nothing more, nothing less.

Prediction: Utah is always trying to prove they are not BYU. They're not. BYU will win their bowl game and Utah won't.

Hawaii Bowl

Arizona State -vs- Hawaii

In the first bowl game of the season with an interesting story line, Hawaii features a quarterback (Colt Brennan) who figured in this year's Heisman voting and is mentioned as a dark horse for next year's award. Arizona State is the sneaker here coming in out of the PAC Ten, but not accomplishing anything significant during the season having lost to all the ranked teams and not beating a single PAC Ten opponent with a winning record.

Prediction: Big game for Brennon setting him up as a dark horse for next year's award. Arizona State will just be happy they got to a luau.

Well that covers us until Christmas. Enjoy the post and we'll catch you again before the next set gets started.

Confusion is Status Quo

2006-12-14T12:41:00.000-08:00

When I first moved to Europe in 1990, there were already 19 bowl games, national championships were sometimes imaginary and there was talk of the need for a play-off system to sort everything out.

This year, there are 32 Bowl games I could count, the BCS still is less-than-perfect and there is talk of the need for a play-off system to sort everything out.

At least in the old days, some things could be counted on. The Big Ten had 10 teams and its champion traditionally got a trip to the West Coast so they could be humiliated by a lower-rated team from the Pac Ten in the Rose Bowl. A MAC team would play a WAC team for bragging rights of the mid-level conferences. Alabama -vs- Auburn and Nebraska -vs- Oklahoma were season finales and Michigan -vs- Ohio State would be called "The Game" and would determine the Big Ten title and maybe have implications for the national championship.

Well, at least one thing stayed the same.

Thanks to the Internet and North American Sports Network, I no longer have to count on the Monday edition of USA Today to get my sports news from back home and suddenly I feel like I know things again, although still not with the intimacy of the fan back home.

Nonetheless, I'm going to try and offer my own take of things based on what I do see and hope that other overseas fans like me will enjoy and chip in when they've got something to say. Let's get this show on the road...