JoePa

This week, college football lost their godfather. Joe Paterno died of lung cancer, likely complicated by the loss of purpose and drive that accompanied the loss of his job as Penn State. Oops, that’s Penn State head football coach.

Lots has been said about Joe Paterno, good, bad and otherwise, since he set the Division I win record back in late October, followed by the breaking of the sordid Sandusky scandal. I have nothing new to add.

My heart broke a bit when Joe was fired, simply because of the respect I’ve had for he and his program. But I was also incredibly suspicious of the timing of the breaking of the scandal. Conveniently right after he got win #409 (against my faltering Illini).

And the media has forced themselves into appearing schizo, lauding the winningest coach, decrying the scandal and all attached, and then trying to figure out how to honor this guy. That’s been fascinating to watch.

But let’s look at Penn State. Joe made the university relevant as a football program and a land grant institution. He ran the football program, and, to some degree, the whole school. He was a mob boss/players coach, always trying to do what was best for his football program, with the unquestioned assumption that the best included him in charge.

He was old school. Iconic. Crusty. Driven. Loyal. Accessible. Untouchable. Not a great sideline interview. But amazing in a sit-down setting if he decided he was ready to talk.

He was human. I’m sure he made countless mistakes besides those that lost games and didn’t make sure the Sandusky allegations were properly addressed. Any father of 5 would make plenty. But for a larger-than-life figure like Joe, it’s hard for us to accept that he made mistakes.

He was from an older generation, one that is incredibly uncomfortable talking about sex, let alone child abuse. That doesn’t excuse him, but it’s important for those of us who are (rightfully) outraged that something wasn’t done sooner to realize that what is obvious to us wasn’t so obvious to him.

Paterno was into protecting his program as a whole and getting the most out of his players. That meant that he promoted solidarity and preferred handling discpline himself. He liked to be in control and avoid locker room disputes. He wasn’t into doing everything by the book.

His results speak for themselves. Wins. Losses. NFL players. College graduates. And those who didn’t make wise choices. The outcry over not doing enough. And the outpouring of support that accompanied his death.

He was larger than life. And as fallible as anyone. And definitely one-of-a-kind. Rest in peace, JoePa.

Color Commentary

Color commentary can make or break a sports broadcast.  It must be good to really draw fans in.  It should entertain, teach and help us appreciate the game more.  It shouldn’t distract, annoy and induce headaches.

Case in point: Dick Vitale vs. Bobby Knight.  I can’t believe I’m about to write this, but I like Bobby Knight.  At least in this context.

Dickie V loves the game, but much of his commentary detracts from the current game while he spouts as many names of players and coaches as possible that might someone be remotely connected to someone in the building for the current game.  He adds volumen.

Coach Knight, on the other hand, coaches from his color commentary seat, explaining why he likes or doesn’t like each play.  He calls to attention to the little things that cause a play to work or fail.  He adds perspective.

I’ll take perspective over volume almost any day.

Withdrawl and wondering

College football is one of my favorite things about fall Saturdays.  Sometimes my schedule doesn’t allow me to catch many games, and I go through withdrawl.  That’s when I ask strangers to tell me the scores.  I’ll eavesdrop on conversations and interrupt when any college football game is mentioned.

I’ve suffered through a couple such weekends.  And I’ve gotten confused looks when I’ve asked for scores and inserted myself into conversations.  But I survived to enjoy a relaxing college football Saturday, complete with an Illini victory, overtimes and great plays.  The fake field goal for at TD that gave the Spartans a victory over Notre Dame in overtime may be the highlight of the day.

However, I’ve also seen an abundance of penalties.  It’s early in the season, but sloppy play seems to be the norm so far.

I’ve also seen several injuries that could potentially be serious.  I love watching football.  And I cheer for hard hits.  But I hate to see these guys get hurt — even if they play for a hated team.

One story I saw during College Gameday made the injuries even harder to watch.  A Penn senior and team captain committed suicide last spring, devastating his teammates.  But the autopsy showed evidence of brain trauma due to repeated impacts.  The kid had never been diagnosed with a concussion, but as a linebacker, he administered plenty of hits during his football career.  Could that have contributed to the mental instability that prompted his suicide?  Possibly.  And that’s disturbing.

I love college football.  But it’s a game.  The thought that dedication to the game could cause more than just bumps, bruises and early arthritis is scary.  And that thought affected my enjoyment of today’s games.  Though fans (myself included) applaud hard hits, playing through pain and fighting through tackles, I think we need to be aware of the long-term risks.

I wonder…should I really cheer the violence of the game?  Should these boys establish clear limits for that the should endure?  Or is the risk understood when you play at this level and beyond?

I doubt that much will change very quickly in the game.  And I’m sure I will still enjoy games and Saturdays filled with college football.  But I wonder if I should treat my withdrawl with other sports, like soccer or tennis or golf or something…

Good Games

Here’s hoping the entire college football season lives up to the excitement of the first week-plus.  Plenty of down-to-the-wire games.  That’s fun to watch.

Early this season, we’ve seen more than our fair share of really good games.  And I’d like a couple more months of those kinds of games.  That’s the passion that makes Saturday football special.

(One of) The Most Wonderful Time(s) of the Year

I live in the Midwest.  With every change of season, I think, “Yes, this is the most wonderful time of the year.”  And I’ll believe it until the next change comes.

Last weekend, I woke up last Saturday morning to a bit of a chill in the air.  And when I turned on the TV, I was greeted with pre-game football fun.  Yes, this is definitely one of the best times of the years.  A new season stretches out before us with both NCAA and NFL football.  Bring it on!

The college boys are my favorite, and last weekend was a treat.  Actual competitive games that mattered.  And were close.  And fun to watch.  TCU and Oregon State.  LSU and UNC (less a few players).  Boise State and Virginia Tech.  Even Mizzou and Illinois was more competitive than I expected.

This coming weekend holds promise for a great Saturday of college football, as well.  Penn State at Alabama.  Miami at Ohio State.  Michigan and Notre Dame — a game that I’m bummed someone has to win.  Yes, it should be fun.

And in between, we have the kickoff of the NFL season with what has been (so far) a pretty entertaining game between the Saints and the Vikings.  Minnesota, congrats on supporting the only team that can legitimately call their QB “Gramps.”  And the best part in my world is being able to flip between this opener and a great Auburn at Mississippi State game.

Fall.  Football. Definitely a wonderful time of the year.

Conspiracy Theory

Every August, caught between a baseball season that’s a touch too long and a football season that hasn’t started yet, ESPN (apparently) has learned that news gets slow.

With baseball, the season is starting to wear, with the All-Star Break nearly a month ago, but still a few weeks to go before the divisional races really matter.

With football, it’s hard to get excited while everyone is at training camp.  It’s still a bit early to really care.

The Worldwide Leader is truly fantastic at marketing (they almost convinced me that I cared about World Cup Soccer, even though I don’t).  Take what I suspect is their solution to boost ratings and fill air time in early August:  A deal with a very high-profile QB to leak potential retirement information.  It’s perfect.  Any guy who gets shafted by and then turns his back on a team that defined him really doesn’t need to worry about his rep.  Give him some crazy sum to leak info and skip training camp, his least favorite time of year, and just like that, you have a topic that can keep your talking heads busy for hours.  Brilliant.

Yes, I’ve become convinced that the Farve-retirement news cycle is a conspiracy between ESPN and Farve to create “meaningful” sports news.  And by now, I have to say, I really don’t care anymore.

Chicago on Ice

The Stanley Cup will live in Chicago this year.  And the town is a bit excited about our latest championship.  After all, they are few and far between.  (Yes, I realize that the Bulls had a couple strong runs, but overall, that’s still true.)

There’s no question that much of the city jumped on the Blackhawks bandwagon.  And as a sports fan in the Chicagoland area, it’s the place to be.  (Baseball has been painful so far this year.)

But I’ve learned something in the past month and a half…I could get addicted to hockey.  The speed of the game.  The skill of the athletes.  The concentration required by the goalie.  I really could get sucked in. 

The problem is that I don’t need another sports addiction.  I have too many as it is.  The real test will come in a few months when the quest to defend the cup begins…

But for now, congratulations Blackhawks!

Madness

Day 1 of the NCAA tournament was fantastic.  Lots of close games.  Plenty of surprises.  Plenty of moments worthy of the tried-and-true March Madness cliches.  But for my own entertainment, I’m going to try to write about the day without using those cliches.

So the first game of the day, Florida v. BYU, went into double overtime.  What a great indication of the games to come.  Shots — and misses — in the final seconds to determine the game were standard today.

Old Dominion over Notre Dame, Murray St. over Vanderbilt, and even 2 seed Villanova over Robert Morris were all close at the end.  And the excitement of games like this are what makes the NCAA Tournament so much fun.

And for those who are disappointed because their teams aren’t playing today or tomorrow, all I can say is you are missing out.  Good stuff!

Bracket Time!

The snow is melting, the clock had us “spring forward” and
the Brackets are out. Bring on March Madness! So pick your favorite
winner selection method and join the fun that is the real
first sign of spring!

Take a few minutes to ponder who will win the best “academic
matchup” between the Temple Owls and the Cornell Big Red.
Enjoy the fact that UC-Santa Barbara is the Gauchos. Wonder
why anyone would name themselves the Spiders. Make your
picks based on RPI, stats, the “eye test”, mascot name, team
colors, loyalty, celebrity fans, whatever you like. Have
fun!

(Even though I’m mourning the absence of my team. NIT
pool, anyone?)

Vancouver 2010

I’m addicted.  I love the Olympics.  I have recorded most of the competitions and watched faithfully since Opening Ceremonies.   Perfect timing in my sports schedule, as the Illini had the week off during the first week of the Games.

From Bode Miller and Lindsey Vonn to Shaun White and Kelly Clark.  Evan Lysacek and Shani Davis and Katherine Ruetter and Apollo Anton Ohno.  Emily Cook and Peter Fuentes and Tim Burke and Darron Rhalves.  I could keep going, but you get the point.  I’m addicted.  And I didn’t even start listing the international athletes.

This is so much fun.

USA!