Category: College Football

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College Football

Oct 20 in Sports History: The first AP Poll


In 1936: The first Associated Press poll ranking the top college football teams in the nation was released. Minnesota was the first no.1 with LSU, Pittsburgh, Alabama, Washington, Santa Clara, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Nebraska and Pennsylvania rounding out the top ten. The AP poll, a collection of sportswriters across the country who vote on the top 25 teams each week of the college football season, determined national champions for years. It is still used today to rank the teams but is no longer considered in the BCS formula to determine who plays in the national championship game.

In 2004: The Boston Red Sox became the first team in baseball history and only the third team in sports history (it happened twice in the NHL) to come back from a three games to none deficit in a seven game series to win. Having been completely dominated by the New York Yankees and down to their final at-bat in the fourth game, the Red Sox began a remarkable comeback by winning the two longest games in postseason history in Games 4 and 5 at Fenway Park, and then going back to Yankee Stadium to take the final two to complete the turnaround. Boston swept St. Louis in the World Series to win their first championship in 86 years.

In 1993: In one of the wildest games ever in the World Series, The Toronto Blue Jays out-slugged the Philadelphia Phillies in the fourth game 15-14 at Veterans Stadium. Already delayed by rain, the game took four hours and fourteen minutes to complete, the longest ever World Series game. The Phillies overcame a three-run first inning deficit with four of their own in the bottom half and eventually carried a 14-9 advantage into the eighth inning, where the Blue Jays scored six times to win. The game featured 32 hits, 14 walks and it set the record for most runs combined in a World Series game and the most runs by a losing team. Oddly, the Blue Jays did not hit a single homerun despite scoring 15 times.

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College Football

Odds and Ends: The OTHER college football brawl


In the all the hullaballoo over the Miami-FIU brawl last week, overlooked was the brawl that broke out after the Holy Cross v. Dartmouth game. After winning the game on an 18 yard field goal, Holy Cross players started dancing on the D at midfield. Understandably, the Dartmouth players were displeased and a melee developed. The two schools proved that they might be Div I-AA in football but they could brawl as well as the D1 schools. While no one brandished a helmet like a battle axe, there were crutches waved about. Police are reviewing the videotape and arrests could be made. Unfortunately we don’t have pics or video of the fight but we do have a photo of Keggy the Keg, greatest unofficial mascot outside of the F&M Fightin’ Amish.

In other news…

[Yahoo]: Fassel fired. Somewhere in New Orleans, Sean Payton is laughing his ass off

[Inside Bay Area]: Macha’s relationship with players and not ALCS loss lead to firing

[Foul Balls]: Mike Tyson Could Be Beating Women in a Town Near You

[MLB.com]: Dominican Republic police issue warrant for Juan Uribe

[Can’t Stop the Bleeding]: Keep your kids away from this mascot

[There’s Your Karma Ripe as Peaches]: Leinart and Urlacher might share the same STD! (How could Tony Kornheiser not mention this?)

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College Football

The 2006 Marcus Williams Award goes to…



Taylor and Houston

Eulas Jerrel Taylor III and Brandon Houston of Ball State football! Both were arrested before the team bus left for the game against Central Michigan for suspicion of burglary and possession of stolen property. Police were responding to a fire alarm when they were told by students that three laptops were stolen from two dorm rooms and that they saw one person throw a bag out the window to another.

The football team has suspended the two players indefinitely until the matter is resolved. Good going guys. Say goodbye to those scholarships.

Links:
[Fort Wayne.com]: Two Ball State football players arrested on theft charges

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College Football

You can take Lamar Thomas out of Thug U…



Get him a body bag!

In addition to the 31 players who were suspended by Miami and FIU, one more piece of crap from the Miami Melee has hit the fan. Former Hurricane Lamar Thomas was broadcasting the game for Comcast Southeast and instead of pulling a Joe Buck, Thomas decided to go the exact opposite route:


You come into our house, you should get your behind kicked. You don’t come into the Orange Bowl playing that stuff. You’re across the ocean over there. You’re across the city over there. You can’t come over to our place talking noise like that. You’ll get your butt kicked. I was about to go down the elevator and get into that thing.

Why don’t they just meet outside in the tunnel after the ball game and get it on some more? You don’t come into the Orange Bowl, baby — we’ve had a down couple of years — but you don’t come in here talking trash… You come in here talking smack, it’s time to get it on.

Well, Lamar Thomas is going to have to get it on somewhere else. Comcast canned him on Monday and will edit out his comments for any replays of the game. Thomas said that he got caught up in the emotion of it and that he was new to this “media thing”. We believe broadcasting 101 specifically says “don’t celebrate a brawl” but Thomas probably had someone take that exam for him.

[Miami.com]: Lamar Thomas fired over Orange Bowl brawl remarks

[All Canes Blong]: Random thoughts on Miami/FIU 2006

[YouTube]: Video of Lamar Thomas’ call

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College Football

Tidbits From The Tailgate: The Standings Are Released

1.  Let The Bickering Begin

In my opinion, the BCS Standings are pretty fair.  Unless Notre Dame can top USC in Los Angeles, I think the Trojans will get to a BCS Title game against the winner of Ohio State-Michigan.  

The team with the biggest complaint has to be West Virginia.  All they have done is follow-up last season’s Sugar Bowl win over SEC Champion Georgia with a perfect start to this year’s campaign.  At the very least the Mountaineers should be ranked fourth.  The conference that should be complaining about a lack of a playoff system is the SEC as you can make a compelling argument that Auburn and Florida are as good as any of the unbeaten teams.

2.  We’re back……….

Just when you count out Auburn, they circle the wagons and beat Florida 27-17.  You have to take your hat off to Tommy Tuberville.  He may well be the most underrated coach in the nation.  If Notre Dame beats USC and Louisville beats West Virginia then the Tigers may well get into the BCS Title game.

3.  Are you sure it’s not basketball season?

Indiana over Iowa 31-28……….Vanderbilt over Georgia 24-22………these are the kinds of losses that send 87,154 people onto a message board to complain.  The Iowa loss truly surprises me as I had thought the Hawkeyes were a national title sleeper at the beginning of the season.

4.  Wins yes……….style points….not so much

USC keeps winning but they aren’t doing it with flair right now.  They should count their lucky stars that Dirk Koetter is an idiot and decided to play for a loss (at least from a time management perspective).  John David Booty is making nobody forget that Matt Leinart is starting tonight for the Arizona Cardinals.

5.  The L Stands for Loser.

John L. Smith is going to be out of a job at Michigan State by the end of this season.  The way the Spartans have quit on their coach is ugly.  At least Michigan State students can take comfort in the fact that basketball season is right around the corner.  

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College Football

31 players suspended in Miami vs FIU brawl

13 Miami players and 18 Florida International players were suspended for their part in a brawl that lasted 5 minutes. On the video, you can clearly see Miami player Anthony Reddick use his helmet as a weapon. What you can’t see if an injured FIU player swinging his crutch at a few Miami players. That’s taking it old school. Some people play through pain, he fights through an injury.

Sun Belt Conference’s commissioner said, “There is no place in higher education for the type of conduct exhibited.” That’s the first and last time anyone calls FIU ‘higher education’.

Links:
[Yahoo]: Miami, FIU have 31 players suspended for role in brawl

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College Football

She’s a screamer


Remember that crazy bitch screaming like a banshee before every free throw during the 2006 NCAA Men’s basketball tourney? We didn’t think anyone could top her but it turns out that there’s a University of Tennessee fan who cheers so loudly that even other UT fans are sick of her.

The Tennessee assistant athletic director for event management had to call Victoria Caldwell to tell her to tone it down because six people complained about her cheering at Vols games. Look, we can appreciate her enthusiam (sort of) but sometimes people need to just STFU. We’ve been at games before where stupid fans just keep yelling over and over. There’s a definite timing to making noise and perhaps when your offense is on the field before the snap isn’t one of them.

Caldwell says that, “God gave me these lungs and voice, and I’m going to use them. I’m a passionate fan.” However, some of the people sitting near her don’t feel the same.


There’s a difference in cheering for your team versus being obnoxious to everyone around you. She just yells the same thing over and over. It was funny at first, but an hour later I looked at her and tried to figure out how she was breathing between cheers.

Caldwell has decided she probably won’t go to any more UT games and will give up her ticket to her daughter who “doesn’t like loud places”. (Story via Sportsfilter)

Links:
[Knoxville News]: Maximum Volume

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College Football

Wisconsin Band on double secret probation



We hope they didn’t violate Bucky

No one knows what exactly the Wisconsin Band did on their road trip to the Michigan game last month but it was enough to get them indefinite probation. Univesity of Wisconsin’s chancellor John Wiley called it behavior “that can be seen as anything from boorish and offensive to patently dangerous and unlawful.” Wiley also threatened to suspend the band’s travel activities and remove the director if he got any more reports of “gratuitous vulgarity, sexualized banter or joking, hazing, or other forms of demeaning conduct.” Sounds like a great time on that road trip.

The “Personal and Confidential” letter was released to the AP (go figure) but even some members of the band don’t know exactly what happened. Chancellor Wiley’s special aide Casey Nagy said the offenses were repeat violations of the code of conduct despite earlier warnings from the adminsitration but would not elaborate. If it’s one thing we’ve learned from “hazing” incidents is that they usually involve foreign objects and a rectum. Remember the good old days at band camp when girls would just stick a flute in their vaginas?

Links:
[Journal Sentinel]: Badger band put on probation

[Badger Herald]: Wiley: Marching Band’s future up in air

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College Football

Tidbits From The Tailgate: Gettin’ Hog Wild


1.  You better hold off on printing up those National Championship T-Shirts.
Some are going to say that the Detroit Tigers beating the New York Yankees was the surprise of the weekend.  I’m going to humbly disagree with that assessment.  The Arkansas Razorbacks dominating Auburn en route to a 27-10 victory was an outright shock.  This was the same Arkansas team that lost at home to USC 50-14 in the season opener.  Houston Nutt (an outstanding porn name if I’ve ever heard one) deserves a ton of credit for rallying the Razorback troops.

2.  Tell Billy Donovan he’s not the only one who will be hoisting a national title trophy.
I’m not sure if there is a better offensive football coach in the country than Urban Meyer.  Meyer is shuffling Chris Leak and Tim Tebow and making what should be a quarterback controversy that would weaken the team, a strength that is helping to win ballgames.  

3.  Living Dangerously………….
To the USC Trojans.  For a second straight week they barely escaped against a Washington school.  I love the Pac 10, but I’m not sure that you can rank this USC team ahead of Florida or Michigan.  They do not look in sync right now.

On a sidenote, let’s tip our cap to Tyrone Willingham who has turned around Washington in two seasons.  Notre Dame running him out of town is still a great injustice.  I guarantee he would have put together the same year Charlie Weis did last fall.  I’m eager to see the UW rise again and lift Willingham back into true national prominence.

4.  That was easy.
The Ohio State University and Michigan remained undefeated and are on a collison course to play what should be a national title eliminator.  The Buckeyes beat up Bowling Green 35-7 and Michigan beat a reeling Michigan State 31-13.

5.  Don’t worry……….I care
Boise State needs more attention.  They whupped Louisiana Tech 55-14 this week and are the most entertaining team in the country to watch.  I’d love to see them paired off with West Virginia in a BCS bowl.

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College Football

Oct 9 in Sports History: The biggest ass whoopin’ of all time



Coach John Heisman

In 1916: There are blowouts, and then there are BLOWOUTS. And then there are B-L-O-W-O-U-T-S. And after that we have what Georgia Tech did to tiny Cumberland University of Lebanon, TN in a college football game. Georgia Tech, coached by the legendary John Heisman (some award’s named after him, I don’t know), led 63-0 after the first quarter, 126-0 at halftime, slowed down in the third quarter at 180-0, and called off the dogs (I’m not being facetious, they cut time off the clock in the second half). When all was said and done, Tech impressed the pollsters with a 222-0 close shave in Atlanta. According to a game account by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, neither team made a first down; because Cumberland did not have a gain longer than 10 yards and Tech scored before they ever needed one. Tech’s Jim Preas kicked 17 out of 18 extra points. In the first half. (Heisman used a different team in the second half ). Cumberland.edu

In 1919: The Cincinnati Reds finished off the Chicago White Sox five games to three in the World Series. The Reds first World Series championship would quickly become tainted as some of the White Sox players admitted to hooking up with gamblers and throwing the series for money. The “Black Sox” Scandal would cast a shadow over baseball for decades. Eight White Sox players would be banned from baseball for life. (baseball-almanac.com)

In 1906: The first-ever World Series played in one city pitted the powerful Chicago Cubs, winners of a record 116 games, against the Chicago White Sox, affectionately known as the “Hitless Wonders.” The first game got underway under snowy skies, with the White Sox winning 2-1. They eventually shocked the Cubs and took the series. The games were so popular in Chicago that the two teams would meet at the end of every season for the next decade or so, even if they were not pennant winners. (baseball-almanac.com)