A Wonderful Time of Year

On Saturday, there was plenty of college football.

On Sunday, the Patriots and the Colts managed to make their game really interesting in the final minutes.

On Monday, more football, even though it wasn’t that interesting.

On Tuesday, ESPN did their 24 hours of college basketball.  I forgot how much fun college basketball is.  And both #1 and #2 in the nation found themselves in tight games as the clock wound down. 

On Wednesday, I took a break — I’m not that in to the NBA.

On Thursday (tonight) I was able to switch between college basketball and college football.  After watching Colorado return a kickoff for a TD, I saw Ohio State cut a 19-point deficit to 2 points in the final seconds against North Carolina.

Gotta love the variety.  And that’s why, despite the colder temperatures, earlier sunsets and biting wind, this is a wonderful time of year. 

Thursday Night Football

I don’t know why, but Thursday seems like an odd night for a regular-season NFL game.  With options like The Office, why do you need a football game?  Especially when it’s available on a station that requires a bit of effort to get. 

But no one asked me, so I guess my thoughts really don’t matter.

What is a bit more interesting is the matchup for this Thursday’s game.  The Chicago Bears vs. Coach Mike Singletary.  Based on the previews, you’d think that Singletary will be on the field.  But “they” do have a point — many dedicated Bears fan would like to see the 49ers coach do well.  After all, he did the Super Bowl Shuffle despite his complete lack of dancing ability.  You have to appreciate that kind of a player.

Compare the wonderful memories of Singletary on the field with the reality that Jay Cutler isn’t Superman, and the past seems to be rosier than the present.  The thing is, Cutler has dealt with borderline unrealistic expectations since the 2009 Bears season started.  Add in the injuries throughout the roster, and you’ve got a disappointing season. 

It will be interesting to see how the Bears recover from the loss at home to Arizona…but I also look forward to seeing the guy on the other sideline…

What’s Bill Lynch Done to Deserve This?

(Disclaimer: I am not, nor will I ever be, a Hoosier.  I can, however, appreciate it when guys get shafted.)

Bill Lynch is a nice guy.  He’s a quality college head coach.  He’s committed to his team, his staff, his program, his state. 

And he doesn’t deserve all that he’s had to deal with this season.

But let’s back up.  Bill Lynch took over as head coach for the Indiana Hoosiers football team after the death of head coach Terry Hoeppner from complications related to a brain tumor.  Coach Hoeppner passed away in June, and just a few months later, Lynch coached the Hoosiers to one of the best seasons they had experienced in more than 20 years.  Not an easy thing to do given all the circumstances.

Lynch has Indiana improving.  And this year they’ve really shown that improvement.  Or they would if the officials would get over whatever it is they have against Lynch.

Indiana opened their 2009 Big Ten season at the Big House.  And they led Michigan as the game was winding down.  But a poor call led to a Michigan score.  The Hoosiers saw a slim lead disappear.  A theme for the season. 

Leading Northwestern in Evanston, the Hoosiers saw a 20+ point lead slip away in the second half.  Then this week, the Hoosiers took an improbably 21-7 lead over the #4 Hawkeyes into the pink locker room in Iowa City.  And came out to allow Iowa QB Ricky Stanzi rack up the stats — by throwing them 4 interceptions in just 1 quarter.  But a few questionable calls overturned by the review booth and a freak pinball interception for a TD pushed all momentum to the Hawkeyes, who went on to win by 18 points, a deceptively wide margin.

So, what’s Bill done to the refs or the system to deserve such treatment?  Nothing, as far as I can see.  Granted, I’m not following the Hoosiers closely.  But really.  Give the guy a break.

Great Minds Think Alike?

That’s what “they” often say, and I hope it’s true.

This morning I was enjoying a fall Saturday morning of College GameDay.  I saw a promo for a segment and said (outloud to myself), “That’s ____ team.” 

And when I watched the segment a few minutes later, I was right. 

Not sure how I feel about being on the same wavelength with the producers at the world-wide leader…

That’s What Friends Are For

The last couple Saturdays, I’ve had the opportunity to celebrate the marriages of good friends.  The parties have been fun.  I love quality time with friends.

But it’s fall.  And Saturday is college football day.  So while I’ve appreciated the invitations (and the nice meals), I’ve been a bit torn.  It’s a bit of a challenge getting ready for a wedding and leaving on time when distracted by a game or two.  Take the Michigan State overtime win over Michigan — I’m glad I got to watch it, but it didn’t help get left in good time.  And yes, my Illini haven’t looked good all season, but I still want to watch the game.

That’s where good friends come in.  I haven’t invested in a data package for my cell phone.  But I know who has.  And I am thankful for friends who know what I’m looking for when I say “Can I get an update?” while waiting for the bride and groom to appear for their sendoff.  A couple weeks ago, one friend graciously served as my personal scoreboard updater, and the Pennsylvania native didn’t even rub in the lopsided Illini-Penn State score too badly.  That’s a good friend.

This past weekend was a bit more of a challenge.  My first option for scoreboard updater was also serving as the wedding photographer, so availability was a bit of an issue.  But I had the opportunity to make new friends (and enemies — I am a product of a heated Illini-Hawkeye rivalry).  One friend’s date graciously took on the scoreboard updater role.

Ongoing score updates at wedding receptions.  Isn’t that what friends are for?

Farve Fever

I don’t know if it’s as contagious as H1N1, but the sports media have a serious case of Farve Fever.  They were nearly beside themselves with excitement with the just-days-away-from-40 QB took on his former team on Monday Night Football. 

In some ways, it’s understandable.  Brett is good, and he’s been showing just how good the last couple weeks.  He still looks weird in purple, but he’s playing his heart out and having a blast.  And that’s fun to watch.  But I’m not sure it’s worth the high temperatures he’s inspiring in the talking heads.  After all, his replacement in Green Bay is pretty darn talented, too.

But media aside, I’m still torn on Brett.  I’m irritated by the need he seems to have to prove himself, but I appreciate his talent and ability, even though he’s ancient in football years.  I have issues with abandoning the team that made him who he is, but I can’t help but laugh at the Sears commercial.  And I appreciate his willingness to make fun of himself.  That alone makes it easier for me to still cheer for him.

I will say that last Monday night I watched to see if the game would live up to the hype.  It pretty much did.  I couldn’t really cheer for the Vikings, but I did manage to cheer against the Packers and appreciate the skill of both QBs.  If these two teams just spend some quality time beating up on each other, Jay Cutler’s Bears might just take the division…

MNF

I would pick college football over pro football most any day.

But I like having a good football game to watch on Monday night.  And 2 weeks into the NFL season, that’s what we’re getting.  Good games, plenty of hype and a nice distraction after a long day.

I also like the MNF commercials on ESPN.  The WorldWide Leader does a great job of self-promotion. 

But TheWittyOne was telling me about some random live promotion for MNF in downtown Chicago.  Is that really necessary?  As she pointed out, the Monday night game is in it’s 40th season.  I think most people know there’s a football game on Monday nights during football season.

I figure people fall into one of the following categories: 1) Love football and will be watching the game, whoever is playing, no matter what; 2) Football? What’s that?  Should I care? and 3) I have a life, so I’m busy Monday night and won’t be able to catch the game.  If my team is playing, I’ll catch the highlights on the DVR.

And I don’t think people move easily between those categories.  Just my opinion.

A few random comments…I’m impressed with how quickly Peyton put his team back up in the 4th quarter.  I’m not impressed with the Colts defense.  And I wish I would have been counting the number of times the commentators said “wildcat.”  But I like that Pat White is getting so much attention.  I liked him before his 1st coach ditched WVU for Big Blue.  (Yes, it all comes back to the college game for me.)  I find the 2-minute drill in close games fascinating to watch.

Good stuff.

Opening Night

The 2009 college football season is underway.  And I am thankful.  (The inability to score at home against the Chi Sox…no comment.)

South Carolina at NC State.  Oregon at Boise State.  Cheesy college commercials and College Gameday clips.  Passionate players and fans.  And a whole season of rivalries, big plays, big hits and big games to look forward to.  What more could I ask for, other than an obscure reference to my favorite college team?

Wait — I did hear the commentators compliment the work of Gamecocks new offensive line coach Eric Wolford.  Wolford’s last two O-lines were part of a conference-leading offense.  Yes, he was with the Illini. 

(Sports) Life is good. 

Heartland Heartache

High school.  Stirs many memories, both wonderful and painful.

Small towns.  Where everyone knows everyone, for better or worse, usually both.

Football.  An American classic from pee-wee through pros and backyards to domes.

Combine those factors, and you get something magical.  High school football has been accused of being a religion in some small towns, but it’s really about community and growth.  It’s the place to catch up with friends, neighbors and those people you have to put up with because they live in town.  It’s the place to watch boys grow up, challenge themselves, prove themselves.  Learn to win.  Learn to lose.  It’s the place to be on Friday night.  Partly because there’s nothing else to do and partly  because it’s fun to be a part of what happens there.

Countless stories – from the inspiring to the heartbreaking — come out of these small towns.  Local stories.  But one small Iowa town has received national headlines for the inspiration and heartbreak they’ve endured in just a few short years.

Parkersburg, Iowa, was devestated by a nasty tornado in late May, 2008.  The town was decimated, the high school in shambles, and the football field unrecognizable.  Help came to the town from miles around.  And so very slowly, the town tried to put themselves back together again.

As so often happens in small towns, high school football brings everyone together, and long-time head coach Ed Thomas committed to getting the football field in shape for the 2008 season.  Rival teams came to help pick up debris on the field, while team members helped their families, teammates and coach. 

And Coach T kept his promise.  The Falcons had a field.

Inspiring.

Although it takes years to recover from the kind of devestation Parkersburg saw, a football season brought a measure of healing to the town.

And summer 2009 rolled around with life feeling normal again.

But then, one summer morning, a former football player, the son of a former player, walked into the high school’s weight room in the midst of summer workouts.  And fatally shot Coach Ed Thomas.

In small towns, guys like Coach T are the pillars a community stands on.  As a coach for over a generation, he was the kind of tie that bonds fathers and sons and brothers as they grow from pee-wee to NFL pros (yes, Coach T had a couple of those).  And after helping the town recover from the twister, his loss was the kind of sucker punch that can knock you out.

The team and community was devestated once again.  To watch your town blow away.  To watch your coach die.  What do you do with that?  Especially as a high school student?

Heartache.

Sports Illustrated covered this story.  And last night, the first-ever Iowa high school football game was nationally televised.  The Aplington-Parkersburg Falcons defeated Dike-New Hartford in their season opener.  The second season on their revived field.  The first season without their coach.  

The Falcons have traditionally been an Iowa powerhouse in their division, thanks primarily to Coach T.  They have a shot at state again this year.  And winning does help healing. 

The alleged shooter’s younger brother is a senior lineman, a member of one of the most tightly knit groups to play on what is now Ed Thomas Field.  His parents were in the stands.  The family is grieving with the rest of the community, even as the community is reaching out to them.

And all this goes beyond both inspiring and heartbreaking.  The best and the worst of life, all played out on a football field in a small town in the middle of nowhere, Heartland, U.S.A.

Above #1

Is it possible to start the season ranked higher than #1?  It seems that this year’s pre-season #1 team, Florida, certainly is. 

Something like 98.2934897% of voters put the Gators in the top spot for 2009.  And it was a national news story when an SEC coach failed to rate senior-Heisman-trophy-winner-national-champion Tim Tebow the best QB in the conference. 

Might as well make your plans to travel to Pasadena, Gator fans.  Why even bother to play this season?  Surely the Gators will glide through the SCE undefeated… 

No doubt the Gators are talented, and they’ve earned the acclaim, but they are also being set up for a fall.  The SEC isn’t exactly an easy conference, especially on the road.  Oh, and I think Tebow sat out a practice or two to make sure he stays healthy. 

Now, as much as I hate to admit it, I do appreciate Tim Tebow.  The kid has a good head on his shoulders, a compassionate heart, a warrior spirit, a tireless work ethic and the ability to laugh at himself.  He could very well lead his team to another national championship.  But he’s not the second coming.  He actually has lost a game before.  Really.  And it could happen again.  That’s not to say the Gators won’t lose and still make the BCS Championship Bowl.  But given the headlines, the casual observer might think Florida has it all tied up. 

What about Texas and Oklahoma?  Ranked 2 and 3, they also play in a competitive conference (at least offensively) and have plenty of returning experience.

Or maybe this will finally be the year for USC to make it all the way to…Pasadena.  After all, they know the way.  But I’m sure they would be happy to play on January 7 instead of January 1.

The Crimson Tide rounds out the top 5 in the preseason polls, and they could roll through the season, as well…

And while pre-season rankings give die-hards (myself included) something to talk about before the season, recent NCAA D1 football history has constantly suprised us with the unexpected.  Exciting upsets.  Close games.  Great entertainment on beautiful fall Saturdays.  And I expect no less in 2009.

Let the season begin!