College Football 2011 - Week 5.....

OK, Notre Dame fans, I am not the bad luck charm you claimed me to be as the Irish held off Pittsburgh to even their record at 2-2. Another four matchups of ranked teams meeting up this weekend, including a "Welcome to the Big 10" for Nebraska as they go to Camp Randall in Wisconsin.

Week 5 games (Home team in CAPS)

Notre Dame over PERDUE - The Irish looking to get on the winning side of the season ledger, but will need to stay focused as they travel to West Lafayette to face Perdue or they will get a surprise.
SOUTH CAROLINA (#10) over Auburn - These Auburn team is terrible on defense and will not give the Gamecocks much of a fight as long as the South Carolina offense takes care of the ball. A big "if" sometimes for QB, Stephen Garcia.
ARKANSAS (#18) over Texas A&M (#14) - An early "hello" for the Aggies from a future conference opponent. Both teams coming off losses to ranked opponents and both want to get back on track. Hogs at home should come out on top.
VIRGINIA TECH (#11) over Clemson (#13) - Second ranked game for Clemson against an ACC opponent. The Tigers are coming off a big win against Florida State, but will stumble against the tough Hokie team on the road.
Alabama (#3) over FLORIDA (#12) - The Gators have done a solid job so far this year, but will be moving up in class when facing SEC rival Alabama. The Swamp will be rocking, but it will be the Tide rolling over Florida to sent the home folks home a little sad.
WISCONSIN (#7) over Nebraska (#8) - A "Welcome to the BIG 10" to Nebraska as their first conference opponent are the Badgers and they get to travel to Madison. Russell Wilson has been stellar so far for Wisconsin and will be the difference, along with the Camp Randall atmosphere.


Week 4: 5-1
2011 season: 15-9

College Football 2011 - Week 4.....

Notre Dame fans rejoiced as I went with Michigan State last week, which of course meant an Irish win. Well, sorry ND fans, but I am back on the wagon, although I am only holding on by a couple of fingers. Four match-ups this week are involving ranked teams, with three of them being conference games.

Week 4 games (Home team in CAPS)

Notre Dame over PITTSBURGH - Notre Dame still turned the ball over last week, but they overcame those problems and look to be back on track. Stop groaning Irish fans.
Oregon (#10) over ARIZONA - The Wildcats had Stanford with Andrew Luck come to town last week and now they get the high octane Oregon offense. No rest for the weary and the Ducks roll.
ALABAMA (#3) over Arkansas (#14) - Do we have a ranked SEC matchup every weekend? Arkansas has pulled off this upset before, but not this year as they travel to Alabama and don't have the comforts of home.
Oklahoma State (#7) over TEXAS A&M (#8) - It is so strange to talk about the demise of the Big 12, but then see five ranked teams within the top 25. Everything tells me to take A&M, but I think the Cowboys win a high scoring road show.
Florida State (#11) over CLEMSON (#21) - Tough loss for Florida State last week against top ranked Oklahoma, but now it is time to concentrate on the ACC Title and that means taking care of business on the road against the Tigers. Death Valley is a tough place, but the Seminoles have too much talent for Clemson.
Louisiana State (#2) over WEST VIRGINIA (#16) - Another road game for LSU against a ranked opponent and this time they visit a Big East opponent in the Mountianeers. Mountaineer Field is a tough place to play, but Les Miles' Tigers will show the SEC mettle and get another victory.


Week 3: 3-3
2011 season: 10-8

College Football 2011 - Week 2.....

It was an interesting first week of the college football season as LSU showed that the distraction around losing their starting QB was not going to be a distraction at all. In Texas, TCU gave up 50 points to Baylor, which is more than they gave upon the road all last season. While in Atlanta, Boise State again showed they are serious about making the BCS boys sweat.

Week 2 games (Home team in CAPS):

USC over Utah - Trojan receivers dropped 8 passes last week against Minnesota. That doesn't happen again.
TEXAS (#24) over Brigham Young - Texas kicks off their season with positive highlights for their Longhorn Network.
South Carolina (#12) over GEORGIA - The two top teams in the SEC East meet early in the schedule. I'm a South Carolina believer and think they take control of the division with a tough road victory.
Alabama (#3) over PENN ST. (#23) - A tough way for Joe Paterno and the Nittany Lions to start the year by hosting Alabama. Penn St. may be a Top 25 team at year's end, but will look weak on Saturday.
Notre Dame over MICHIGAN - Notre Dame changed QBs after only one week. That is not a good sign, but just for Brian Kelly's blood pressure the Irish need to get the win. Michigan won easily last week, but gave up lots of yards.
Mississippi State (#16) over AUBURN - Another early SEC match-up, but I think we saw last week that Auburn will not put up much fight in defending last year's National Championship.

Week 1: 3-3
2011 Season: 3-3

College Football 2011 - Week 1.....

The college football season starts tonight and for college sport fans and the NCAA it could not come soon enough after this "summer of scandal". Add the conference movement going on and it is just too much noise for college sport fans. Unfortunately, they will be the stories throughout the year, especially with many of the top teams being a part of this stories.

As for on the field, the consensus seems to put Alabama and Oklahoma in the BCS Title Game. Can Alabama keep the Championship in Charles Barkley's home state for a third straight year? Will Oklahoma give one last boost to the Big 12, before it possibly goes away? What about the BCS Buster in Boise State? I don't know the answers and look forward to seeing it played out each Saturday.

Now onto the field for the week one match-ups.

Week 1 games (Home team in CAPS):

NOTRE DAME (#16) over South Florida - I'm buying into the ND hype and expect to see them in a BCS game in January. Skip Holtz leads USF into the place where his dad coached, but will come up short in his upset bid.
South Carolina (#12) over East Carolina University (Charlotte) - The Ol' Ball Coach has a team which is getting some buzz to get out of the SEC and possibly be a championship contender. Stephen Garcia is back at QB, while Marcus Lattimore stars at running back to lead this offense for the Gamecocks. Game is in Charlotte, but could feel like a SC home game.
TCU (#14) over BAYLOR - Texas Christain may not be as good as they were the last two seasons, but they will still be a force and could work their way into the BCS mix. Gary Patterson is considered one of the best coaches in college football and after last year's graduating losses, he will show his mettle and get the Horned Frogs back to a big bowl game.
MARYLAND over Miami - Too many distractions down in Miami and the Terps will take advantage of those problems in their ACC home opener. Randy Edsall gets his first ACC coaching win on Labor Day night.
Oregon (#3) over Louisiana State (#4) (in Dallas) - The marquee match-up of the opening weekend has a bit of tarnish on it due to the investigation at Oregon, but more so because of the legal troubles of some of LSU's best players, including starting quarterback, Jordan Jefferson. The Ducks will be lead by sensational running back LaMichael James and the rest of their high powered offense.
Boise State (#5) over Georgia (#19) (in Atlanta) - Boise State is back for another shot at the crown jewel and their first, and possibly biggest test, will be against the big, bad SEC representative in the Georgia Bulldogs. The Bulldogs are ranked, but that may be a bit of a "SEC boost" helping them into the early Top 20. The game is in Atlanta, but the Broncos showed last year that they don't shy away from a hostile "neutral" crowd when they faced Virginia Tech in Washington, DC. Kellen Moore is back at QB for Boise and will lead the Broncos to the victory.

College Football 2010 (Week 13).....

Last full weekend of games before we get to the conference championship weekend and there is a nice full slate of games (five overall) involving ranked teams. Plus there are quite a few rivalry games as the regular season winds down these next couple of weeks. With the holiday, quite a few of these games take place on Friday, so instead of fighting those shopping crowds, grab some leftovers and find the couch and your clicker.

Week 13 games:

ALABAMA (#9) over Auburn (#2)
OREGON (#1) over Arizona (#20)
Boise State (#3) over NEVADA (#19)
ARKANSAS (#12) over LSU (#6)
Oklahoma State (#10) over OKLAHOMA (#14)
North Carolina State (#21) over MARYLAND

Week 12: 5-1
2010 season: 47-25

College Football 2010 (Week 11).....

Well, things are starting to get clearer with regards to the possible BCS champion at the end of this season. It looks like it is down to seven possible teams with Auburn and Oregon controlling their own paths to the championship game, while TCU and Boise St. wait and hope for one of the top two to fall and let them in. Then sitting further on the outside, LSU, Ohio St., and Wisconsin's only hope it a complete collapse from those top four teams.

Very slow week as there are only two match-ups this week that involve Top 25 teams and all those teams are outside the Top 10.

Week 11 games:

ALABAMA (#11) over Mississippi State (#17) - Alabama gets knocked out of the National Championship debate in losing to LSU. Have to wonder if they will be up for MSU, but I think that Nick Saben gets them ready and back on the winning path.
FLORIDA (#24) over South Carolina (#22) - The battle for the SEC East crown. Coach Spurrier would love to get the victory over his old team in The Swamp, but coming off the bye will be a plus for the Gators and they take down the Gamecocks and get their season back on a positive note.
Oregon (#1) over CALIFORNIA - Now it is just up to Oregon to keep rolling and while early in the season this looked like it could be trouble, this now looks like it could get ugly.
AUBURN (#2) over Georgia - Auburn must make sure they don't look ahead to their Black Friday meeting against Alabama and if this game was on the road, I might be worried, but because it is a home game, Cam Newton and the Tigers roll over a disappointing Georgia team.
Iowa (#13) over NORTHWESTERN - Iowa can look back at two tough losses on the road to a "what could have been", but they need to take this Northwestern team seriously as they play tough Big Ten football. The Hawkeye defense is just too tough and they get the road victory.
Virginia Tech (#16) over NORTH CAROLINA - This is not the same Virginia Tech team that came out of the gate 0-2 and while North Carolina has played respectfully despite all their problems, they are missing too much talent to keep up with the Hokies.

Week 10: 2-4
2010 season: 38-22

College Football 2010 (Week 10).....

This is really turning out to be a very fun college football season and the Oregon Ducks are leading the way with how they attack opposing defenses with all their offensive weapons. Then we have Cam Newton leading the Heisman race while leading the Auburn Tigers towards the top of the rankings. The Tigers match-up with Alabama later this month looms large and will greatly influence the final BCS standings.

Who were those impostors in the Spartan green jerseys? Michigan State gets knocked out of the conversation by getting smacked down by a good Iowa team. I thought they had some magic on their side this season, but that was quickly smothered by that Hawkeye defense.

Another great slate of games this week as we will have five match-ups of top 25 teams, including two non-BCS teams facing off when TCU travels to Utah.

Week 10 games:

North Carolina State (#23) over CLEMSON - Living here in Raleigh for most of the last 18 years, I have followed the Wolfpack pretty closely and this sets up as a "break your heart" game for Packer Backers, but I'll put my faith in them to keep this good season rolling.
Baylor (#22) over OKLAHOMA STATE (#19) - Big win for Baylor over Texas in Austin and this is another big test on the road. I like their quarterback Robert Griffin to have another big game.
SOUTH CAROLINA (#18) over Arkansas (#17) - Steve Spurrier knows something about quarterbacks and keeps the Razorback offense in check to get another tough SEC victory.
ALABAMA (#5) over LSU (#12) - I still think Alabama is the best all-around team in the country and they put LSU to the side as they march their way towards that showdown with Auburn alter in the month.
STANFORD (#10) over Arizona (#13) - Arizona has been quietly winning games and now has this showdown with the Stanford Cardinal. This would be one of the biggest wins in recent Wildcat history, but I think the Stanford offense is better with Andrew Luck and will get the PAC 10 victory.
TCU (#4) over UTAH (#6) - A knockout game for one of these two "BCS-buster" teams. Even though they are traveling, TCU is used to this "big game" atmosphere with their recent history and keeps the Utes offense under control to squeak out a close victory.

Week 9: 3-3
2010 season: 36-18

College Football 2010 (Week 7).....

A rough week for some college football favorites last week, including South Carolina knocking off the top team in the nation, Alabama. Major kudos to Steve Spurrier for getting his Gamecock team back to the ready after their heartbreaking loss to Auburn. Plus for the second week in a row both Florida and USC lost on the same weekend. Yikes.

Week 7 games:

Ohio St. (#1) over Wisconsin (#20) - I thought Alabama was going to run the table, but after their loss, I started to wonder if we might see even more shuffling at the top of the rankings. Don't think it happens this week and the Buckeyes protect their #1 ranking. Key for the Buckeyes is to keep the Badger running game contained and I think their defense is good enough to do it.
Nebraska (#5) over Texas - Nebraska's revenge game, but they won't even breathe a word of it. Texas is on a down year and will get run over by this tough Husker team.
Auburn (#8) over Arkansas (#12) - I am leary making this choice, but the Tigers look strong and seem to be getting better each week. Ryan Mallett needs to step up for the Razorbacks to get the victory and I'm not sure he has it in him on the road in a tough envirnment.
Iowa (#15) over Michigan (#18) - The Wolverine offense was shut down by the Michigan ST. defense last week and Iowa has a better defense than the Spartans.
North Carolina State at East Carolina - NC State looking to get back into the Top 25 and a non-conference win against an in-state rival will boost them back into that position. Tom O'Brein has a healthy Wolfpack team and is showing what the fan base expected when he first arrived in Raleigh.
USC over California - Just because I can't see Lane Kiffin suffering a three game losing streak. The offense is good and I think dad tweaks the defense enough to get the win.


Week 6: 2-4
2010 season: 24-12

Down goes Alabama - The SFB Podcast (10/11/2010).....

So there is some life with the "Ol' Ball Coach", as Steve Spurrier coached his South Carolina Gamecocks to an upset victory over #1 Alabama. Ohio St. now takes the top spot, but will they be on top of next week's first BCS ranking? Anyone have Florida and USC losing again on consecutive Saturdays? I'll take a look at the college games from this weekend.

Plus, the Yankees and Phillies have advanced after each swept their Divisional Sereis, but for me the Yankees advancing was a "yawn". Will anyone but Yankee fans care if they keep moving forward? Also, besides ratings for Fox, are the Yankees winning good for baseball? We'll explore. Enjoy.

The SportsFan Buzz: October 11, 2010 (right click to "save as target)

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Voice over talent provided by Morgan Thomas.

College Football 2010 (Week 6).....

Alabama sure looks like the best team in college football as they crush their rival Florida Gators, while my favorite team to watch are the very exciting Oregon Ducks. Meanwhile Denard Robinson is turning into a player I want to watch and normally I don't look at individual players in the college game. Four match-ups of ranked teams this week, including a couple of in-state rivalries and two SEC match-ups.

Week 6 games:

Alabama (#1) over South Carolina (#19) - Maybe the "Old Ball Coach" can have his Gamecocks pull the upset over Alabama, but after seeing the Tide dismantle Florida last week, I think it will take a perfect effort and I just don't see it happening.
Michigan (#18) over Michigan State (#17) - What a game for the state of Michigan as both teams come in ranked and undefeated, which not many predicted at the start of the season. This will be another video game shootout with both offenses going up and down against these defenses. Denard Robinson makes the plays to lead the Wolverines over Sparty.
Miami (#13) over Florida State (#23) - Another in-state rivalry game, but Miami has too much speed on both sides of the ball and handles the Seminoles.
Notre Dame over Pittsburgh - Notre Dame has been looking good on offense and gets a win in a game that should be close and entertaining.
Florida (#14) over LSU (#12) - Both teams have been shaky all year, but more so for LSU and I think this is the game they finally get their first loss of the year. Florida bounces back from getting whipped last week against Alabama.
Stanford (#16) over USC - The USC defense is young and a little slow. Not a good match-up against a Stanford team that is hurting after blowing a 21-3 lead and getting outscored 49-10 the rest of the game against Oregon.


Week 5: 4-2
2010 season: 22-8

College Football 2010 (Week 5).....

Alabama showed that they are not giving up their position as the #1 team in college football without a big fight in their comeback (thrown to them by Ryan Mallett) win over Arkansas. It doesn't get any easier as they get Florida coming down for a visit. A good week of ranked match-ups between conference opponents.

Week 5 games:

Oklahoma (#8) over Texas (#21) - The Longhorns were embarrassed at home by UCLA and would love to spoil Oklahoma's year in their annual "Red River Rivalry" game. Unless Texas all of a sudden finds a running game, this should be the Sooners' year to win this attraction at the Texas State Fair.
Wisconsin (#11) over Michigan State (#24) - One of two Big Ten conference games between two ranked teams. Wisconsin has struggled as of late and this game is in Lansing, but the Badgers are a better team than the Spartans and will get a tough Big Ten win.
North Carolina State (#23) over Virginia Tech - Nice road win for NC State last week against Georgia Tech. When the Wolfpack show up among the ranked teams and that usually that means a letdown for my local team. This year just feels a little different and they play well at home against Virginia Tech and keep the nice start rolling along.
Alabama (#1) over Florida (#9) - Yes, I picked against the Tide last week, but I will not do that two weeks in a row, especially with this game at home. Florida has not looked great in their games and will struggle this week against Nick Saban's Alabama defense, in what could be a preview of the SEC Championship.
Oregon (#4) over Stanford (#9) - A showcase of the Pac 10's best two teams and it does not include USC. Andrew Luck and Stanford will try to keep up with the high flying Ducks' offense, but Oregon being at home will be the difference in this matchup that has the possibility of looking like a video game with all the scoring these two teams can generate.
Iowa (#17) over Penn St. (#22) - Both teams need the victory after some lackluster performances. The Hawkeyes have the Nittany Lions at home and that is the reason I favor Iowa in this matchup.


Week 4: 4-2
2010 season: 18-6

How was your weekend? - The SFB Podcast (9/27/2010).....

Another highly touted college quarterback shrunk when put in the spotlight, as Ryan Mallatt throws three intereceptions allowing Alabama to comeback and beat Arkansas. Where are the "big time / put the team on my back" college quarterbacks? I'll look for those quarterbacks, plus other news from Saturday. Plus, Jim Furyk can now buy an alarm clock, but destroyed the playoff system the PGA is trying to tout as "must see". Also, video of Game 7 from the 1960 World Series was found in an unusual place. Enjoy.

The SportsFan Buzz: September 27, 2010 (right click to "save as target)

You can find and subscribe to the podcast on iTunes.
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Voice over talent provided by Morgan Thomas.

College Football 2010 (Week 4).....

Conference play is starting up and this week there are four matchups of Top 25 teams. It is highlighted by #1 Alabama traveling to #10 Arkansas. Plus Boise St. gets its second "test" of the season when the Oregon St. Beavers coming calling up to the blue turf.

Week 4 games:

Arkansas (#10) over Alabama (#1) - Alabama's secondary is young and Fayetteville is going to be a tough SEC road trip. We haven't had a good upset at the top of the SEC for a couple of years, so why not have one here in this spot? A good game here, plus the upset, give a huge push for Ryan Mallett and the Heisman.
Boise St. (#3) over Oregon St. (#24) - I so want to pick the Beavers to go up to the blue turf and pull the upset, but I just can't pull the trigger. Boise St. at home are very difficult to beat and they win again to keep their BCS championship game hope alive.
South Carolina (#12) over Auburn (#17) - The "ol' boy coach" has the Gamecocks playing good football, but they will need a great effort to get the road victory. I am believing in this SC team and think they keep the roll alive and the possible showdown with Florida later in the year.
LSU (#15) over West Virginia (#22) - It is very hard to travel and play LSU, and even more so for a non-conference team. A WV victory would be a big boost to the Big East, but I don't see it happening this Saturday.
Stanford (#16) over Notre Dame - The MSU loss was as tough of a loss as Notre Dame will have all year. Stanford is a very good team and with quarterback Andrew Luck will light up the average Irish defense.
USC (#20) over Washington St. - USC has not looked great these last few weeks and has to travel to Pullman, but I don't think the Cougars have enough talent to pull the upset over the Trojans.



Week 3: 4-2
2010 season: 14-4

College Football 2010 (Week 1).....

While I love watching college football, predicting the end of year Bowl match-ups in August is not on the top of my list of favorite things to do, as depending on 18 and 19 year olds to do what you think they will for a whole season is virtually impossible. That said, here are some of the teams I am keeping my eye on as the season gets started.

Alabama - Can they repeat or will Mark Ingram's knee injury be enough to hurt the Tide in the tough SEC ?
Florida - How will life be PT (Post Tebow)?
Auburn - Will they be the team to sneak up on league and make the Iron Bowl interesting again.
LSU - Again, they need to find offense to go with the defense. Les Miles on "hot seat"?
Ohio St. - Can Terrelle Pryor step up and show everyone what we saw at season's end?
Wisconsin and Iowa - Two teams who are going to be very good again this year.
Penn St. - Joe Pa without glasses?
Texas and Oklahoma - The "Big 2" will again battle it out for supremacy of the Big 12 South.
Nebraska - Will the Cornhuskers represent the Big 12 as its BCS champion in their swan song season?
Florida St. - The Jimbo Fisher era starts. Will the ghost of Bobby Bowden hover over it?
Miami - Is this the year they put together a whole season?
Virginia Tech - Will the Boise St. game define their season?
North Carolina - How will the off-field questions effect a team that was poised for good things before the NCAA came calling?
Oregon - Seemed to clean out the "problems" on the roster and look like the head of the Pac 10 class. December 4th OSU match-up could be for the state and Pac 10 titles.
Oregon St. - See December 4th match-up above. Who scheduled TCU & Boise St. in first 3 weeks? Will they bust the "BCS Busters"?
USC - Did Pete Carrol leave at the right time? Will Lane Kiffin get his players to forget the bad taste of NCAA sanctions?
Boise St. - If they can't beat Virginia Tech in Washington, DC Labor Day weekend (a virtual VT home game), will the "I told you so" chant be deafening?
TCU - Open with Oregon St, then it is "who are they" for the remainder of the schedule.
Notre Dame - Will it be different with Brian Kelly at the helm? The schedule is again a brutal and may lead to a record not reflective of their improvement.

Week 1 games:

NOTRE DAME over Perdue - The Kelly era starts well.
USC (#16) over HAWAII - USC's Bowl game as they get a trip to the Islands.
TCU (#6) over Oregon St. (#24) - TCU takes advantage of being at home.
LSU (#21) over North Carolina (#18) (in Atlanta) - The off field distractions hurt the Tar Heels.
Virginia Tech (#10) over Boise St. (#3) (in Landover, MD) - Best game of the opening weekend. "Home" game for VT gives them slight edge.
MICHIGAN over Connecticut - Just a hunch that Michigan gets back on the winning track.

The SportsFan Buzz Podcast (12/16/2009).....

Mike Tricarico is back for our weekend review of the NFL's week 14 action and we also take a sneak peek at the games for week 15. Before we dive into the NFL, we cover the Heisman Trophy Award winner, as well as the show itself, and also talk about the blockbuster baseball trades of Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee. Enjoy.

The SportsFan Buzz: December 16, 2009

You can find and subscribe to the podcast on iTunes.

Tebow Tears.....

Did you see where during the last remaining seconds of the SEC Championship Game, presented by Dr. Pepper (I think everybody is legally obligated to say it this way), the camera caught Florida Gator quarterback Tim Tebow crying on the sidelines? Not sure if those tears were due to Tebow realizing his dreams of another National Championship were gone with the loss to Alabama, or because he was upset he didn’t play well enough to carry his teammates to the victory, but it was a scene showing a young man’s emotions and was captured for all to witness.

The scene was replayed on all the highlight shows, was the top Twitter trend, and seemed to be a topic on many of my friends’ Facebook pages. It was the topic of a “First & 10” segment on ESPN’s First Take, with Detroit writer Rob Parker pulling out tissues and faking tears in mocking Tebow. I think the only place it wasn’t shown or spoken about was on Saturday Night Live. (Thank you, White House Crashers and Tiger Woods.)

Oh, how sweet you say. Ah, no, it had nothing to do with sweet. Most of the chatter concerning those tears were cheap shots and rips into the young Tebow. There were a few “Tebow is my hero”, and “Look how much he cares” posts, but for the most part it was mostly pokes, prods and jabs at the quarterback’s expense.

If you are thinking there sure are many sport fans that must dislike the Florida Gators and were happy to see the Alabama Crimson Tide get the victory, you would again be off the mark. These remarks against Tebow have nothing to do with who he plays for or who Tebow was playing against, as this is completely personal against the college senior. Check the Nebraska sidelines Saturday night after the Texas placekicker, Hunter Lawrence’s kick sailed through the uprights and there were tears, but none got an ESPN highlight, tweets or Facebook time.

I like human emotion, and I like to see athletes show that emotion. When I see an eighteen year old freshman who just dropped the pass in the end zone to cost his team the game, or the bench warmer who never stepped foot on the field have tears, I feel for them. I also feel for those kids if they have tears of joy after a victory. Same goes for the professionals who show emotions and caring after their long season has ended, whether it be holding the trophy or saying “We’ll do it next year”. Why? Because it makes me care more about what I just witnessed knowing they put everything into what they were trying to accomplish. When it is the professionals showing that caring, it helps me forget about salaries and millions of dollars, and gets back to the heart of what I tuned in to see, playing to win and leaving it all out there on the field/court/rink with no regrets about effort.

Personally, any athlete, professional or college, who after a victory has a sour face, or after a loss has a smile and laughter, shows me they didn’t care enough for it to hurt. (It also means they probably play for themselves, and not the team, but that’s another column) Now don’t think I mean they can never smile or be upset, but immediately after the game has ended emotions should still be carrying them.

So, what are Tim Tebow’s crimes to illicit these different reactions? Well, Tebow is described by most as a good person, a great teammate and a winner. He is a good student, loves his parents, and doesn’t get into any trouble. I know what you are thinking, "Why are you telling me about such a terrible being?" Also, he is also a Christian who wears his faith on his sleeve for all to see. Because Tebow’s Gator teams have been a college football powerhouse for his four years in Gainesville, and because Tebow is the quarterback, he has been in the spotlight for all to view. With those views, we have seen Tebow’s eye-black tape with Bible verses written on them, have heard his “God Bless” after all interviews and have been told all the stories about his missionary work in the Philippines and how he ministers prisoners in his spare time.

Problem? Well for some it seems the above characteristics are the problem, especially the last part of the above paragraph describing his Christian faith, and how he lives his life. It is one of those “too good to be true” stories, that some feel has been exaggerated by those who cover and report on the quarterback. I don’t feel exaggeration was the problem as much as the number of Tebow stories that surfaced on the air last year.

Those feeling went over the top for many Tebow detractors when Thom Brennaman told the audience tuning into last year’s BCS title game against Oklahoma that “If you are fortunate enough to spend five minutes or twenty minutes around Tim Tebow, your life is better for it.” Over the top? Sure. Give you a “roll of the eyes” moment. Check to that also. What it also did was unleash a backlash against the kid that I have never seen in my time watching and loving sports. He was no longer the good guy Florida quarterback, who was also a Christian. Instead, for many, he turned into the Jesus freak, no way it’s too good to be true, hope he falls on his face, quarterback of the Gators.

Tebow didn’t ask Brennaman to say that about him, and I am sure he was embarrassed when told of the remarks, but it was too late as the floodgates were opened.

The 2009 college season started with Florida ranked at the top of the polls, poised for a repeat, and Tim Tebow the favorite to win the Heisman trophy for the second time of his college career, and right from the start there was an anti-Tebow mood with college football fans. Not just “against Florida, SEC fans”, but what seemed like all fans other then Gator fans. While I agree Tebow and Florida did seem to be crowned in the preseason, it was by no fault or ways of Tebow. He was responding to what was being presented, not initiating the crowning.

As the season progressed, Tebow did not have the kind of year that was expected of him, but the Gators kept winning, and that winning kept Florida on top of the poles, and kept Tebow in the spotlight, which seemed to make the divide wider. It all cumulated with the scene on Saturday night after Alabama crushed Florida in the SEC Championship game, and the cameras capturing Tebow crying as the clock wound down.

As I mentioned, I love true human emotion, and so does the nation of Tebow non-fans when it comes in the form of #15 tears because of a loss. As of this writing if you Google “Tim Tebow cries” it brings up 153,000 hits, and not all of them are glowing accounts of the moment.

For more fun, put in “Tim Tebow sucks” and get another 94,000 links presented for your viewing pleasure.

Is a good guy really that much of a problem for us? Do we really need to tear down and mock a 22 year old kid because he is nice, and does the right things? While other sport stars have fallen off the cliff of their own doing either though cheating, drugs, performance enhancing substances, domestic abuse, murder, robbery, or just plain being a terrible person, here we have a kid who is on the opposite side of that fence, and yet we are ready to push him off with the others. How about we see if he brings himself to the cliff’s edge before we toss him off it? You can even make the argument that some of those others receive forgiveness and a second chance (Michael Vick, anyone?) while this kid is being buried for just being “too good to be true” and too overexposed for some?

For full disclosure I am a Christian (baptized in the Pacific Ocean along with my wife in August 2008), but the religious angle of this is not a part of my thoughts. I don’t care that he is a Christian, or if he was Jewish, Muslim, or believed in little green aliens. Strip away all religious aspects, and this is still a good kid and someone that could and should be looked upon in a positive light. That is what I care about, him being a good person and someone I can tell my daughter she can look up to. Not how or who he says his prayers to at night.

In a time when we have the most famous current athlete paying off affairs and his wife to keep a false image clean, why must we dismiss someone who for now seems to be the opposite of what is wrong in sports and society. Are we afraid of getting hurt by him if he does falter like other have before him? Or is it that we like a little dirt in our lives, and that makes it easier for us when that fall from grace does arrive. That way we can say “I told you so”, and just move on.

To those of us that are parents, isn’t this “height” what we hope for our children to emulate and inspire to be like, or do we want them teasing the straight A student who doesn’t get in trouble at school. That way the student may come down a level and make it easier for our child to reach those lowered heights. Is that what we truly want?

Yes, he may be pushed by some others to be more then what he really is, but even when you take off the extra coats of sugar put on Tebow by some, what you get at the core is someone we should wish was more the norm, then pointed at and ridiculed like a freak show.

This & That (Black Friday Edition 11/27/09).....

Hope all of you had a great Thanksgiving with family and/or friends. If you decided to go out and do physical shopping on "Black Friday", hopefully you were able to purchase the items you targeted and didn't see too much bodily harm from shoppers in the stores.

--- The NFL version of Thanksgiving Football was a three course meal of complete turkeys. The heavily favored Packers and Cowboys won their games in easy fashion during the afternoon action. While in the NFL night cap, the Giants went to Denver to face the Broncos, and looked like they wanted to be anyplace but playing football on their holiday.

Green Bay's offense was moving right along in their 34-12 victory over the Detroit Lions. Donald Driver was the offensive star with his 142 receiving yards and one TD catch. The Packer did was solid all day, and seemed to show no ill effects from the injuries they have suffered on that side of the ball.

In an off the field story, Packer defensive back Charles Woodson donated $2 million to the new University of Michigan hospital. Bravo to Woodson for his giving back to his alma mater.

While in Dallas, the Cowboys' offense seemed to wake from their two week nap by gained 195 yards on the ground and Tony Romo playing mistake free football in rolling over the Raiders 24-7. The "bad" Oakland team showed up for this game, but they did manage to gain 124 yards on the ground against the Cowboy defense.

The Giants traveled to Denver to face the Broncos, but looked like they never really got off the plane. Denver looked like the team who started the season 6-0, in whipping New York 26-6. The Broncos dominated every facet of the game and look to be back on track, while the Giants look like they are in serious trouble with only 5 games remaining.

---The best game of the day was the college rivalry match-up between the Texas Longhorns and Texas A&M Aggies. In a game that brings Texas a step closer to the BCS Championship game, the Longhorns beat the Aggies 49-39 in a good old fashioned shootout. The performance by Colt McCoy firmly moved him up the Heisman discussion, and to me I think he is the leader of the race with Florida's Tim Tebow and Alabama's Mark Ingram just behind the Texas QB.

The concern coming out of the game if you are a Longhorn fan, is giving up 39 points and 542 yards to the Aggies' offense. While Nebraska's offense isn't as explosive, I'm sure Coach Mack Brown will look for the defense to tighten up and play better before facing Huskers in the Big 12 title game.

Alabama faces Auburn in the Iron Bowl on Friday, while Florida hosts Florida State on Saturday, and if both clear those hurdles, it will set up the December 5th SEC Championship game as a "semi-final" to see who will be one half of the championship game participants.

Wonder what the rest of the holiday weekend sports has in store for us? Hopefully, I will be better then my zero for three turkey in picks on Thanksgiving Day.