BCS – Boys Continue Squealing

I firmly believe that everyone who is crying and whining about the BCS, like they do every year, needs to silence themselves. I believe that the BCS is the right system in place because it has both objective calculations and subjective calculations that are factored into the final overall ranking of each team. The objective calculations are based on the numbers and totals that are fact reflecting the team’s performance game in a game out. It measures the quality of their win, their offensive numbers, their defensive numbers, and the quality of their opponent, as well as the difficulty of each side’s schedule. The subjective factors are made up of what people think based on these numbers and performance they see week in and week out. The opinions of coaches and associated press hold the power to help cast the right teams in the national championship at the end of the year.

I firmly believe that everyone who is crying and whining about the BCS, like they do every year, needs to silence themselves. I believe that the BCS is the right system in place because it has both objective calculations and subjective calculations that are factored into the final overall ranking of each team. The objective calculations are based on the numbers and totals that are fact reflecting the team’s performance game in a game out. It measures the quality of their win, their offensive numbers, their defensive numbers, and the quality of their opponent, as well as the difficulty of each side’s schedule. The subjective factors are made up of what people think based on these numbers and performance they see week in and week out. The opinions of coaches and associated press hold the power to help cast the right teams in the national championship at the end of the year.

College football cannot have a playoff system. We must all remember that these athletes are full time college students who are athletes second and academics first. The college schedule is already strenuous enough as it is with some teams playing 13 games in the regular season. Reaching the bowl season is obviously a goal of every team and that’s the way it should remain. There is not enough time or room in the schedule to add a playoff. Even if we did add a playoff, then instead about arguing about who is going to make it to the championship game, we would argue about which teams deserve to make it to the playoffs. It is vital to realize there are many more teams in college football than the NFL so we cannot compare these completely different leagues.

I am sick and tired of hearing sports analysts, writers, coaches, critics and fans complaining about the BCS or having it as the center of discussion. I really just want everyone to stop worrying so much about it and just watch the games. We see the rankings every week and when the end of the season comes there will be one team ranked at #1 and one team ranked at #2 and that will be all. They will match up in the title game and we will crown one of them champion. I know it is going to happen, but I beg all you squealers to shut up and recognize that the BCS is a good system and that it is accurate.

Despite what anyone says, the teams that have made it to the championship game have all had impressive seasons. Sometimes teams struggle in the spotlight that is normal it happens. Sometimes teams live up to the hype and other teams stun and surprise us. Nothing can be predicted or determined. The final match-up will never be exactly perfect. We can only go off the numbers and hope for the best. Besides isn’t the unpredictability the reason why we all love sports and even more so college sports in the first place?

The Ultimate Sportsmanship

In this day and era in the world of sports there is more drama than ever. From week to week you get different athletes using the media to talk trash about one another like the feud between Denver Bronco’s third year wide receiver Brandon Marshall and Miami Dolphins 10 year NFL veteran linebacker Joey Porter the week before and after the Dolphins visited the Broncos. You also get superstars bringing up old drama from years past like 16 season veteran Shaquille O’Neal has currently blamed Los Angeles Lakers head coach Phil Jackson for the break up and turmoil between fellow Laker teammate and last years MVP, Kobe Bryant.

Sports have basically become a small TV soap when the athletes are off the court or field. They behave like immature children kicking and screaming, crying and whining for attention. The athletes are loosing their professionalism on camera and are only given more attention for their antics. What about the small minority of athletes and coaches that display excellent sportsmanship and professionalism, even in their darkest hour and toughest moments. These are the men and women that should be given more media attention so that the youth and sports fans globally have good examples to look up to. Why do we promote negative behavior like the yearly anniversary of Ron Artest’s brawl in the Palace of Auburn Hills?

We should be shining the sports spotlight on coaches like Detroit Lions head coach Rod Marinelli who is under major scrutiny for struggling to get his first win this season in the NFL. At the end of the day Marinelli has still taken full responsibility and remains positive even though the week to week press conferences seem to torch him alive, loss after loss. His job is in question every week due to the lack of success his Detroit Lions are experiencing and yet he never makes excuses or blames his players, when in fact he just has the least amount of talent on any one roster in the NFL. He calmness and poise when being ripped apart by the media should be something other athletes and players should look at and take notes. It's too bad the cameras follow around the ones that curse every third word and not this eception gentleman.

The biggest headline this week that has bumped into the spotlight for sportsmanship recognition is in the golf world. A week ago last Wednesday, 43 year old J.P. Hayes from Appleton, Wisconsin called in to report that he had accidentally played a nonconforming ball on the 12th hole of the first round at the Deerwood Country Club. His phone call has resulted in his disqualification of the PGA Tour this season. Not only does this ruin a season for him to play the game he loves, but it cuts off his source of income for the next year. In the economy’s current downward spiral everyone is wondering what was Hayes thinking? No one noticed. No one caught him. He was not reported. It was just one hole? Does the penalty really fit the crime especially considering he turned himself in?

Everyone is stunned by Hayes’s actions and the media seems to be baffled by his blunt honesty and response. Hayes has responded saying, “I certainly don’t want to be made out as a hero. I’m just a player that did the right thing. If it’s served to remind people what a good game we’ve got, that’s great. But I’ve already moved on”. This is true class and sportsmanship demonstrated by Hayes. It is remarkable that in a sport with no referees or officials, Hayes has called the penalty on himself which now removes him from the game for the season.

I know this is disappointing, but let’s stay positive here. If he can call himself out because he respects the game so much, what is the deal with Baseball’s pride? Baseball is supposed to be our Nation’s past time and a past time is at best what the miserable hobby should be considered. What is the deal with all the other athletes, who try and cut every corner to get an edge in their respected game? Obviously they have no self-respect and are playing for selfish reasons. It is a privilege, not a right to be a professional athlete and I think today’s superstars should be reminded of that fact.

Galaxy's Off-Season Abroad

Two off-seasons ago the Los Angeles Galaxy added one of the biggest names in soccer to their roster, David Beckham. The 33 year old English international has played with two of the most highly decorated and wealthy European soccer clubs in the world in Manchester United for 12 seasons and Real Madrid for 4 seasons. As he has aged, Beckham has begun the downward slope of his career, which in turn has brought him to a smaller less competitive market in the United States. On January 11th, 2008 Beckham signed the largest contract in MLS history with the Los Angeles Galaxy for 250 million dollars.

In his transfer to the US Beckham brought with him fame, an accent, and a gorgeous wife, but to the Galaxy he sat out most of his first season. Beckham was not only brought to improve the quality of talent on the team, but he was bought to bring national attention to the Major League Soccer and help the Galaxy win a Championship. To be honest other than making too much money off of endorsements, Bechham has lived up to his good looks and that’s it. In his first full season playing with the Galaxy he helped lead them to a last place finish in the MLS Western Conference. In 25 games he had 5 goals and led the team with 10 assists.

With the post-season coming to a close the Galaxy has signed Beckham away to Italian Seria A club AC Milan on a four month loan. Everyone is saying that it is going to keep him in shape and ready for next season, which is understandable, but how is that going to help him get better playing the American style of soccer? He is going to play with higher talent and competition, which will benefit his personal game, but may hurt his chemistry when he returns to his American pay check. He will again struggle to mesh in with the Galaxy’s roster and may end up in last place for a second season. I think he should be trying to help make his team better and adapting to the way they play or at least help them rise to his level.

Beckham is not the only one that is off to Europe this off-season. Landon Donovan has been training with the Bundesliga powerhouse Bayern Munich for a little over a week. Now Donovan will go out on loan till at least the middle of March possibly even finishing off the German season with Jurgen Klinsmann’s side. Klinsmann is familiar with Donovan from his past experience as a technical advisor for the Galaxy and as the current manager of the Munich side is please to add him to the roste

For Donovan I feel like his trip abroad can only help him develop into a stronger player. The German game will be much more challenging for the 26 year old American. The time in Germany will help benefit his country in international play as well as the Galaxy. It will still hurt his chemistry if or when he returns to Los Angeles, but he has much more experience in the American MLS style of soccer compared to Beckham so the adjustment will be easier. Either way you look at it the two Galaxy stars are working on their game abroad.

McNabb is Still Learning the Rules?

Donovan McNabb is a 10 year veteran QB in the NFL and has played every season as the face of the Philadelphia Eagles franchise. On Sunday, he faced the Cincinnati Bangles who are having another disappointing season under Marvin Lewis. On paper this game looked like an automatic win with the Bangles offense raking last in total yards per game with a 242.6 average against the Eagles 363.8 average which is 6th overall.

After overtime, the two teams remained tied at 13 points each, which was an extreme disappointment for Eagles fans and a blunt surprise for McNabb who went 28 for 58, with 3 picks and 1 fumble. But even these nightmare stats weren't the big headline after the game. When asked how he felt after a tie McNabb responded, "I've never been apart of a tie. I never knew that was even in the rule book". Don't believe me? Click the link below and see for yourself.





After being in the league this long you would think McNabb would have known there was the possibility of a tie. In 2002, McNabb and the Eagles faced a 9-6-1 Atlanta Falcons team in the playoffs. Did McNabb ignore that stat in the scouting report? I know his job is to focus on the game plan and not worry about the other team, but you should understand the in's and out's of the rule book if your going to be a starting quarterback. It is inconceivable that a QB of McNabb's caliber would be so uninformed. Is this a coaching mistake by Andy Reid or just an overpaid athlete not doing his job? Obviously, McNabb is still learning the rules to the NFL as they come up. Eagles fans should be worried, what rule will be next?

The 31 year old future Hall of Famer has struggled to bring home a National Championship to Philadelphia. McNabb has lead the Eagles to the NFC Championship game four times in a row only winning it once in the 2004-2005 season, which was the fourth attempt at winning the NFC Title. How can someone with so much experience in the league confess to not knowing that there is only one overtime in regular season games? There is no excuse and I am sure I am not the only one in the sports world that is again disappointed with McNabb. With Philadelphia's Baseball team, the Phillies, winning the World Series this year, there is more pressure than ever on McNabb to make it to the Super Bowl. Being a five time Pro Bowler the expectations have always been high and this year is no exception. If himself and Andy Reid don't at least contend for a wild card spot they might not be in Philly come next season.

McNabb now has his work cut out for himself. The Eagles are last in the NFC East at 5-4-1 putting them a half game behind both the Washington Redskins and the Dallas Cowboys who are joint at second with a 6-4 record. The New York Giants lead the division and will likely get a playoff spot considering they are dominating the league and have the best running back combo in the NFL with . In the Eagles remaining six games they face five teams with winning records. The only team with a loosing record is the Cleavland Browns who have the possibility to have a winning record by the time they meet on December 15th, but are more likely to remain under .500. The remaining teams on their schedule combine for a 38-22 record overall and will prove to be a real test for McNabb and the Philadelphia Eagles.