To me it is another lifetime. January 3rd, 2003. I was a senior at the University of Miami. Myself and two friends drove from Coral Gables to Tempe Arizona for the BCS national championship game. We drove there in a Honda Civic. As I stood on the bench seats for the fateful 4th down play, dehydrated from the salt on the Tostitos chips they were handing out, I watched as the ball went incomplete and as I was being dragged to the ground by my friends and fellow fans my peripheral vision caught a yellow dot come from out the opposing endzone...
Days later, munching a soggy Whopper in Burger King with my then girlfriend and her father I vowed that I would never recover from this loss. It is the kind of silly promise you make to yourself when you are young and full of misguided purpose. How could we turn it over 5 times? Why did Taylor (RIP much love) take that pick out of the endzone and let Clarett strip him? How did Roscoe fumble that long pass? What happened to Willis' knee (answer: it exploded)? Why did the refs wrong us?
It is only years later I have come to grips with reality, the sports world at large, and this game. A 60-ton hammer called life is mostly responsible. You see, when I was at the U I lived a charmed life. Not to get bragadocious but I got poon on the reg, was in phenomenal shape, hung out with a group of teammates that were just as crazy and didn't give a shit just like me, did a bunch of stupid acts that should have resulted in myself getting arrested or seriously injured, gave no thought to the future only the present. In short, I had swagger. The type of U swagger that the school is loved or hated for now. I was in a sports utopia as well; not only were the Canes dominating in football, but out of nowhere the Patriots won the 2001 Super Bowl. I was feeling invicible.
As I look back now, the moments since I graduated to now have made me much more of a regular, thoughtful person. I still cheer for Miami with every molecule I have, but I don't have any illusions. I still apreciate the "old days" and have respect for what Miami did to college football in the 80s, and like to make swagger jokes and throw up the U. It is all in jest at myself and support the guys on the field though, I don't live by that credo and how could I? I didn't create it. The program went into a free-fall after that night in Tempe. I had my own issues to sort out as well and now as I stand here over 7 years out of college I like to think I can look at the world lucidly. Miami lost the national title game to Ohio State, plain and simple. I still steadfastly maintain the call by back judge Terry Porter was horrible and incorrect but I'm over the game. People who have heard me argue about why the call was so erroneous might raise an eyebrow about me not being bothered by the result of the game anymore but it is true. Only the call and people defending the call upset me. Just like if the pass interference was never called Ohio State fans would be upset over the call of Gamble's catch going out of bounds late in the 4th quarter. In summation game:lost, call:shitty and wrong.
This brings us to tomorrow. A game I have been waiting years for. When I say years, I don't mean the seven since the Fiesta Bowl. I mean the 2 or 3 since this game was announced. I don't think revenge can be exacted if the Canes pull off the upset. A lot of former players have been preaching that to the current players and some of the current players have said that in one form or another. Who am I to tell them different? The game means different things to different people. I just want Miami to win to have a landmark victory against one of the programs I dislike the most and to see if they can move forward into national contention again.
I will not get into chalk talk about this game. Both teams have been preparing for a long time for it and knows what the other one will try to do to win. The game will come down to who can impose their will in the trenches and who takes care of the ball better. I think at home, in possibly wet conditions (60% chance of rain last I heard) Ohio State gets it done. I want to see the Canes fight though, unlike their effort last year in Blacksburg, and prove they can compete on the same field as the Buckeyes. Next year, when Jacory Harris and the rest of the baby Canes are seniors I expect them to be in the title hunt, but that won't happen unless they step up this year.
Chasing revenge can be more damaging to you than your target. They say the best revenge is living well. Miami got screwed more in 2000 than 2002. They cannot go around college football skulking as Edmund Dantes anymore. It's time to leave the Canes of the mid-2000s behind and begin the new chapter, one that hopefully includes winning. Tomorrow as I watch the game with some fellow U-grads, I will drink I will curse, I will bitch about calls, I will get as worked up as I ever have about a sporting contest but after it is over I will not feel that revenge was either enacted or missed out on.
Type rest of the post here
Friday, September 10
It's the Friday of Fridays
Tuesday, September 7
If Ya Smellalalalalalalallowwwwww....
Pretty much have one focus this week. Some quick NFL predictions but other than that it is all about the Miami-Ohio State game. I would ask what the hell Dwayne "The Rock as I will always know him" Johnson is doing filming Fast and the Furious part 5 but who cares. The man could do The Tooth Fairy and 50 sequels and he would still be the man.
Friday, May 1
The NBA Draft Aint Nothing to F With...
Shame on Mark Titus for trying to run game on the NBA. The L apparently approached Ohio State's Director of Basketball Operations and informed him that the NBA felt Titus's decision to enter the draft despite playing in only two games for the Buckeyes risked making a mockery of the draft. More so than AL Davis and the NFL Draft? Well, not that much, but still a slight mockery. Here's the account from Titus himself at Club Trillion.
Continue reading...Thursday, January 8
For Texas, Winning Should Be Enough
Florida and Oklahoma will play for the college football national championship a crystal football tonight, but I have one more bone to pick with the system we call the BCS. Before I begin I must state that in this post I will do the unthinkable, yes I will actually defend Ohio State. It makes me feel unclean and I far from enjoy it but objectively I must call it how I see it. Monday night Texas defeated Ohio State 24-21 in the Fiesta Bowl. That fact is immutable and indisputable. Texas won, it is a victory nothing more nothing less. Somehow between the time Quan Cosby lunged into the endzone and today the Longhorns have been almost completely washed out of the national title picture. Like everything involving this vomitous creation we call the BCS, it should not be that simple.
I'm going to get my Buckeye defending out of the way first. Yes it was another loss in the BCS for OSU and their three year run of losses creates embarassment and a bad reputation, which actually gives me a lot of satisfaction. It is a no brainer I was rooting for Texas in the game simpy because of my aversion for Ohio State, there was no other motive so please do not take this post as me having a secret love for Texas. See how I'm stalling on the Buckeye praise? OK let's get down to it. First off, Ohio State is not an elite team in college football, but they gave the best effort they could give in Glendale. It had been 44 days since Ohio State had seen the football field in real time, almost a week longer that Texas, and that is a long layoff for anyone and I believe that has hurt OSU in their previous BCS bowls. It truly is a whole new season when these teams take the field now. In the dry air of Arizona, a lot of Ohio State players were suffering from cramps. Moving from the cold midwest to the arid desert and then playing at game speed takes a large toll on the body in terms of dehydration and muscle fatigue. The falling out of so many players to the sidelines told me that the players were giving it everything they had, the Buckeyes wanted this win, badly. The group of 28 seniors they had wanted to end their college careers with a statement win over a big time program on a national stage, where they had practically been made fools of the previous years. This meant Texas was in for a fight, it was not going to be a walk-through even if they were the superior team.
The defense of Ohio State was led by Linebacker James Laurinaitis who is a stud and will be playing on Sundays and another future pro Malcom Jenkins. Ohio State's defensive strategy was simple; we are not the fastest team out there so keep the Longhorns in front of us and do not get burned by the big play. It worked the entire first half. Keith Wells and the defensive line neutralized any run game the Longhorns tried to get going and Colt McCoy was pressured and forced to get rid of the ball quickly. The Longhorns resorted to a quick strike passing game which the Buckeyes were able to prevent from getting in the endzone in the first half. It is a strategy I have seen in the NFL many times, particularly since I watch so many New England Patriot games; bend but don't break if you can't break the other team with your defense. The second half is when Texas proved how good of a team it was by making the adjustments they needed to win the game against a ough opponent. The biggest thing Texas did to get in the endzone was to speed up their offense and continue to go no-huddle which wore down OSU. By the end of the drives, the OSU defense was so tired they were unable to keep up and Texas took the lead. Credit should go to McCoy and the Texas offense for finding a way to get it done, including the final drive of the game.
On the offensive side of the ball Ohio State knew they had to move the ball in the air to keep the ground game viable. This meant Todd Boeckman was getting in there and making the throws they did not want Terrelle Pryor making. Pryor has great potential but he will need to work on his throwing. His athleticism however is magnificent. He was eluding tackles and making first downs(except when he went out of bounds before the marker) with his legs and adding a dimension that was needed against the Texas defense. Beanie Wells ran undaunted through the tough Texas run defense and unfortunately got injured in the second half which limited his time on the field. Daniel Herron scored the go-ahead TD with over two minutes left, which was more than enough time for Texas.
Overall it was a gutsy performance for Ohio State and one that I think proved that they are not completely incapable of playing with an upper eschelon team and that if they improve in some areas they could once again get into the national title picture. Of course, I would prefer that not to happen. The stigma against the level of OSU's team quality had taken its biggest hit back in September when USC beat them 35-3. However, the Buckeyes were without Beanie Wells that day and Pryor had yet to be fully integrated into the offense. I am not saying Ohio State would have won that game in Los Angeles but if they were at the point in their team identity that they were against Texas I do not think the score would have been as lopsided.
With all this being said, Texas should not be punished for their victory Monday night. We have already discussed the disturbing trend of style points in college football but the eyeball test fails in so many ways because there are too many variables to take into account when disecting performances. The win-loss comparison is finite and crystal clear. If people do want to roll out that argument than Texas's résumé still holds up against any of the other contenders. Texas's lone loss was at Texas Tech on a last second play, Oklahoma's blowout came at home off a bye week. Texas ran the gauntlet of Oklahoma, Missouri, Oklahoma State, and Texas Tech four weeks in a row. And of course let's not forget the victory in Dallas over Oklahoma. The Longhorns won that game by 10, and won every other ame by double digits except for their game against Oklahoma State and the Fiesta Bowl. They beat Arkansas 52-10, while in the SEC the Razorbacks had a loss of 31 to Florida in what was actually a competitive game until the last quarter, lost by two to Ole Miss and beat LSU. Texas finished its season by beating a rival of theirs Texas A&M 49-9 and that is with Mack Brown calling off the dogs at the end.
The case for Texas is a strong one, as strong as any of the other worthy candidates for a title. People are trying to find a solution for this mess of college football and while it is important to establish an effective system for future seasons, this season is already about over. I think to tackle a solution to this imperfect system should be an imperfect resolution. Therefore, I propose a quad-split championship. The winner of tonight's Florida-Oklahoma game wins the BCS title and receives the number 1 ranking in the coaches' poll, while the AP vote for number 1 is split three ways between Utah, Texas, and USC. It would be fitting for a season and a sport that is constantly giving so much argument to multiple teams and multiple dimensions every year, multiple champions. So each school can craft a gaudy trophy, stick it in a glass case, and print this year as a national championship in their media guides. Congratulations to all the winners, you guys earned it!
Wednesday, December 3
The Referees Just Cannot Help Themselves When Ohio State and Miami Get Together
I guess it should come as a surprise to no one, but yet again the refs got involved in a game between the Buckeyes and the Hurricanes. This time there was no national title on the line and the whole country was not watching. The impact of the call however was significant. With over ten minutes remaining in the first half, Jack McClinton held the ball on the wing in front of the Ohio State bench. OSU guard Anthony Crater swiped at the ball and hit McClinton in the face. In the heat of the moment Jack gave the ball back up top and returned the favor by tapping Crater in the face. The refs did not see it and play resumed until Crater went down to the floor. That's when the Ohio State bench starting lobbying for the refs to do something about their player getting hit. The refs went to the replay monitor and saw what happened and promptly ejected McClinton. You can see the video replay here. Just like that Miami's leading scorer and best player was tossed out of the game. Ohio State went on to win the game 73-68 in the contest that was part of the ACC/Big Ten challenge. More on the call after the break.
First off, if you need to revisit the infamous call that field judge Terry Porter made in the 2003 Fiesta Bowl, here it is:
That of course has nothing to do with how the call was made last night but it is relevant to the background of the match-up between these two schools. There should be no mystery of why the McClinton call is drawing ire from the Miami faithful.
Back to the McClinton play . I don't believe Ohio State was calling for a ejection, they just wanted McClinton penalized for hitting Crater. It was a dumb decision by Jack, who has to control his emotions in games. This is not characteristic of McClinton though, a first team All-ACC selection last year, he usually is pretty level headed and was clutch for Miami last season. In a case of referees always seeing the second hit, McClinton never should have retaliated. Was this mistake worthy of ejection though? As announcers Dave O'Brien and Steve Lavin of ESPN tried to make sense of it all, O'Obrien stated that McClinton was being ejected because he drew blood but then received word from the OSU training staff that no blood was drawn.
It was not like this was a haymaker or that McClinton was going after Crater with a closed fist. It was just a swipe at his face in the heat of the moment. I can't understand how the refs can go back to the video and see something they missed and then immediately eject the player. A call needed to be made on McClinton because he was definitely in the wrong, but it should have been a technical foul, (which also counts as a personal) two shots and Ohio State's ball. This would clearly send the message that that kind of play would not be tolerated and if McClinton did anything else the rest of the game it would be a second technical and ejection.
The play robbed the game of its validity. Ohio State won the game, they had more points in the end and came back in the second half from a double digit deficit, but both teams deserved to face each other at full strength especially if a fight did not break out.
Let's take a look at an example. Tyler Hansbrough, last season's player of the year in college basketball. In a game a few seasons ago during an ACC contest against North Carolina State, Hansbrough took a slap at Brandon Costner. He was assessed a technical foul, no blood was drawn. The video quality is shoddy, but here is the play:
Another play involving Hansbrough occured when Gerald Henderson of Duke performed a open-handed slap on Tyler in the final 15 seconds of a game in February of 2007. On this play, Henderson came in with viscious intent and slapped Hansbrough hard in the face. This flagrant foul drew blood and Henderson was ejected. The video is below:
Is there any doubt what McClinton did was more on par with what Hansbrough did against NC State and not what Henderson did to Hansbrough? Would this kind of play drawn an ejection if it was Hansbrough or one of Coach K's players? This to me is indicative of ACC officiating through the past years and what to expect this year. Either missed calls or horrible interpretations of existing calls. I hope this game only ends up mattering in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge and not in whether Miami gets in the tournament or not come March.
