Modern Parity in NCAAF - Not A Coincidence

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.