The King is dead.  And so is the supposed heir. 

In a fascinating turn of NFL events, the two-time, do-no-wrong, Patriots and the league's best regular season team, the Indianapolis Colts, were bounced from the NFL playoffs this weekend.  On the other side of the isle, the top seeded Seahawks escaped disaster and the loss of the league MVP to move on to host the road tested Carolina Panthers in the NFC Championship. 

Dreadful offense, a cross-country flight, a team worn down by too many must win games.  All of these things pointed to an easy Seahawks victory.  I even went so far as to predict in below.  34-10, said I.  But the Seattle team that took the field was not the one I expected.  The one that took the field did their best to give this game to the Washington Redskins. 

Three Seahawk turnovers and an injury to the league's MVP and leading rusher, Shaun Alexander, led to the Redskins having a very real shot at winning the game.  They looked like the classic example of a team who is just finding success.  But it was Seattle Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck who stepped up and would simply not let his team lose.  It was a defining moment for Hasselbeck and will propel him to the upper-echelon of NFL Quarterbacks.  It was also a nice monkey off of coach Mike Holmgren's back.  Having not won a playoff game without the handiwork of Brett Favre, Holmgren was beginning to feel the heat of failed expectations.  But he came up with a solid gameplan after losing his best offensive weapon and now the Seahawks have their first playoff win in 22 years.  However the coach better have his team more prepared Sunday or Carolina will be headed to Detroit.

Speaking of the Carolina Panthers, I would be feeling pretty good about myself if I was Coach John Fox.  After having been pummeled by the Bears back in November, the Panthers came out and methodically marched down the field on what was the league's stingiest defense in the category of points allowed.  And the reason they were successful is very simple.  Steve Smith. 

The 5'9 wideout was uncoverable, catching 12 balls for over 200 yards and two scores.  For whatever reason the Bears decided to put their second-best cornerback on the league's leading receiver and they paid the price.  The Panthers lost running back DeShaun Foster to a broken ankle but Smith and QB Jake Delhomme were able to pick up the slack against a defense who earlier in the week said that Smith's previous performance (14 catches, 160 yards) was "inflated" and that Carolina was not as good as everyone was saying.  Well boys, sometimes the truth hurts.  All summer long.  But Bears fans can at least find a silver lining in that they seem to finally have a Quarterback.  Rex Grossman's 17 of 41 for 175 were certainly not statistically great, but he made some clutch throws down the stretch and led a dismal offense to three scores.  Had the real Bears defense shown up, they may be making travel plans to Seattle. 

I could feel it as soon as CBS' coverage began; there was magic in the air in Denver on Saturday night.  Considering I was sitting in Burlington I don't know this for sure, but I'm about 99% sure.  Maybe the crowd sensed something historic was going to happen because the energy at the beginning of the Patriots/Broncos game was coming out of the television.  It was incredible. 

And in the end the New England Patriots run of three Super Bowl championships in four years came to an end.  Sorry Pats fans but I have to mention the ear-to-ear grin I have on my face as I wrote that.  It just sounds so delicious.  For four years (wait, if they only have 3 rings, what happened that second year?) we watched as the Patriots forced turnovers and then capitalized on those turnovers, while at the same time making no mistakes of their own.  But that was all different Saturday night. 

This time it was the Patriots laying the ball on the ground.  This time it was Tom Brady throwing the game-changing interception.  This time Bill Belichick and his scheme just weren't enough.  The Broncos scored 24 points off 5 Patriots turnovers and made critical plays on both sides of the ball.  QB Jake Plummer did what he's done all year- he played smart football and gave his team an opportunity to win.  Its the formula that was so successful for New England during this run.  Finally someone else figured it out.

Many Patriots fans will site the turnovers and say they lost the game rather than Denver won it.  Or they will look to a poor call and say the officials turned the momentum to the Broncos.  But the simple truth is that they did not play a championship caliber game and the mistakes they avoided in ten previous playoff games finally caught up with them.  They were outplayed.  Hey, eventually it happens. 

Congrats to the Patriots on a remarkable run.  Only one other team (anyone care to guess who?  It begins with Dallas) has ever won three Super Bowls in four years so its truly a historic accomplishment. 

Because the afore-mentioned Cowboys left me with no dog in the playoff fight, I was forced to root against instead of rooting for.  While I have no shortage of hatred for some of this year's playoff teams I had to root for someone.  And with the tragic death of James Dungy my loyalty fell unconsciously to the Indianapolis Colts as I desperately wanted to see Tony Dungy hoist the Lombardi Trophy.  But to my dismay I watched it all slip away in a flurry of Steelers blitzes and Peyton Manning incompletions.

I thought Coach Dungy had finally figured it out.  Even with a future Hall of Fame Quarterback at the helm, the key to success in the NFL playoffs is the ability to run the football.  Throughout their 13-0 start it looked like he agreed.  In their arguably two biggest regular season wins of the season, against New England and Pittsburgh, Edgerrin James rushed 34 and 29 times respectively.  In their first loss of the season to San Diego James only carried 13 times.  In yesterday's loss he only carried 13 times.  The numbers do not lie.  You simply must establish a running game to throw it effectively.  The Steelers never respected the Colts commitment to the run and it showed with continuous blitzes and pressure that completely took Peyton Manning out of his game. 

Not even one of the craziest finishes in recent memory could save the Colts.  After turning the ball over on downs at their own 1 yard line, the Steelers' Jerome Bettis fumbled on first down and Colts cornerback Nick Harper, playing with a stab wound on his knee, picked up the ball and started towards history.  As I leapt up and screamed "Oh my God" three times, I thought to myself we are witnessing history.  But then Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger stuck out and hand, tripped up Harper around midfield, and saved Pittsburgh's season.  Indianapolis moved the ball to the Steelers 28 and that set the stage for the tying field goal attempt by Colts kicker Mike Vanderjagt.  Wide right doesn't do this kick justice.  Wide right means the miss is measured in feet, not miles.  Replays would show Tony Dungy softly speak the words "he missed it" as the Colts's supposed dream season came to an end.

Tony Dungy did not deserve to have this season end this way.  But as was made excruciatingly evident to him on December 22, life is just not fair.  My heart goes out to the coach and I wish him the best as he decides if he will return to the Colts next season.  I sure hope he continues- I cannot wait for the Sunday night when Paul Tagliabue hands him that golden football.  But if he does decide to hang it up, the NFL will immediately be a lesser league.  And not because of anything to do with football.

The pretenders have gone home and now its time for the real contenders to make their run for Detriot.  The NFL Divisional playoff round, football's version of the Elite Eight, begins today in Seattle.  Each of the four games are rematches of games from earlier this season, though some the rosters will look different than the first time around.  Whether or not that will result in different outcomes remains to be seen.

Last week I proclaimed my futility in picking NFL winners.  Though I was not using the spread, my record for the weekend was a respectable 2-2 (I contend it would've been 3-1 had Carson Palmer not gone down on the Bengals' second play with a horrific knee injury.  That may be the most upsetting injury I've ever witnessed; for both Bengals players and fans).  Now that I'm brimming with confidence I can say for sure that mark will at least be equaled this week.

Redskins at Seahawks: The Skins have had a miraculous run, winning six consecutive games to get to this point.  But sooner or later that pressure works against, not with you.  Add that to a dreadful Washington offense (including a banged-up Clinton Portis), their opponent having had a week off, a 3000 mile flight, and the possibility of rain throughout the game and we have our first blowout of the 2006 playoffs.  Shaun Alexander rushed for over 1000 yards at Quest Field this year and Matt Hasselbeck is ready to bring this team its first playoff win since 1984.  Prediction: Seahawks 34  Redskins 10.

Patriots at Broncos:  The Broncos have already rolled over the Patriots this season, with a 28-20 win in week six.  The score of that game is very deceiving; the Broncos were up 28-3 and dominated all facets of the game.  But these are not the same Patriots.  Last time they were without Corey Dillion, Kevin Faulk, Tedi Brucshi, and Richard Seymour, among others.  The Patiots are also 15-1 since 2001 when playing against a QB for the second time in a season.  Jake Plummer had a great year but until he proves he can do it in January, this is not the night I go against the champs.  Predictions: Patriots 31  Broncos 24.

Steelers at Colts: While I certainly do not expect the Colts to roll over the Steelers the way they did in week 10, I just cannot see this Colts team losing this game at home.  The Steelers are on a nice run but this Colts team is clearly superior and I believe the death of Coach Dungy's son will inspire them even more.  Pittsburgh will keep it closer than last time but the Colts juggernaut will be too much in the end.  Prediction: Colts 34  Steelers 20.

Panthers at Bears: I am not even going to pretend I have some insight into who will win this game.  Its one of the most evenly-matched games I can remember.  The Bears smothered the Panthers back in November and though I think Carolina will make the necessary adjustments, I just feel this Bears defense is special enough to let it ride on them.  They will defend their home field and Rex Grossman will provide enough offense for the Bears to make flight plans to the Pacific Northwest.  Prediction: Bears 17  Panthers 10.

Every year it happens.  Every year well deserving men watch as their chance to enter the Baseball Hall of Fame dwindles because of the joke that is the voting process.  The only joke bigger than the process is the group of clowns who actually vote.  But the men on the wrong end of these decisions are certainly not laughing. 

Voting for the Hall has long been a politicized affair.  Many of the self-described "guardians of baseball," (have you ever heard a more pompous label?) are small, spiteful, self-righteous men who have no business determining who should go into the Hall.  They are the kid who was not good enough to make varsity so he wrote for the school paper instead (no offense to those of you who wrote for your school paper).  And because they have spent a career around, not in, the game, they believe it is acceptable to apply their own standards to the voting process. 

In addition to some of the writers who were somehow given the privilege of determining which players enter into baseball's most hallowed ground, the process is also much to blame.  There is no standard for each writer to follow and because of that we have a sort of zero-sum game in which a player's worth is measured against those also on that year's ballot.  What does one player's eligibility or worthiness have to do with another?  This year is a perfect example.  One of baseball's original closers, Bruce Sutter, was (finally) inducted largely because there were no others clearly more deserving.  But if Sutter was worthy of induction this year how can anyone say he was not five or ten years ago?  His numbers did not change; he is either worthy or not. 

We are already hearing that next year will be even harder for the perennially snubbed to gain admission to the Hall because of Cal Ripken and Tony Gwynn's first year of eligibility.  There is obviously no question these two are automatic; but again, why does that matter for, say, Jim Rice?  Or Albert Belle?  Or Don Mattingly?  Or Dale Murphy?  Each writer is allowed ten choices.  Yet most do not use anywhere close to that many; instead they use their vote relatively.  I will give you that both Ripken and Gwynn are more deserving than the men I just mentioned but that does not mean those men are not themselves worthy of a vote? 

Tuesday, EPSN Radio host Dan Patrick had a Hall voter on his show along with Goose Gossage.  Gossage, who as I will later point out had better career numbers than fellow closer Sutter, and the writer sparred over his worthiness compared to that of Sutter.  For his justification in choosing Sutter and not Gossage the writer pointed to Sutter having won a Cy Young; an honor Gossage never received.  Patrick then asked the writer if he had used the same criteria to vote for two-time National League MVP Dale Murphy, to which he replied that he did not because "that's different."  So one Cy Young is enough for entrance to Cooperstown, but not two MVPs.  That seems to make sense...in bizarro world.  This was also the same writer who told Patrick that he only uses one voter per year because "he feels" that only one player should be inducted at a time.  Glad to see they're all on the same page.

And then there are the voters who choose not to vote for certain players because they simply did not like them when they played.  No one is suffering more from this than Jim Rice.  Rice was always considered a surly, unfriendly player who rarely gave writers a good quote.  So how do writers get their "revenge?" By keeping a clearly deserving player out of Cooperstown.  The Hall of Fame is too important an issue to be left in the hands of men who show the maturity of second graders. 

These are also some of the same men who never shut up the entire 2005 season about how steroids tainted the game and the statistics of those who played during it.  They call for asterisks, they say the numbers are not legitimate.  Yet when it comes time to choose whether Rice or Murphy or any of the pre-steroid stars who have lesser numbers than McGuire, Sosa, & Co. are worthy of induction, they seem to forget all of that. 

If the voting process was equally unfair across the board then people of my ilk would really have nothing to complain about.  But its not.  In fact its not even close.  Here are two examples (* Hall of Famer): 

Bruce Sutter*: 12 yrs/ 1042 IP/ 861 K/ 2.83 ERA/ 300 Saves                           Goose Gossage: 22 yrs/ 1809 IP/ 1502 K/ 3.01 ERA/ 310 Saves

Kirby Puckett*: 12 yrs/ 2304 H/ 207 HR/ 1085 RBI/ .318 BA/ .477 Slugging         Don Mattingly: 14 yrs/ 2153 H/ 222 HR/ 1099 RBI/ .307/ .471 Slugging/ 1 MVP (1985)

Yes, Puckett was a two-time World Champion.  But Mattingly was hands-down one of the best defensive players off all-time.  And if a guy like Ozzie Smith gets in because of his defense, then Mattingly, who has both defensive and offensive credentials, needs to be in there too.

Here are some other perennially snubbed:

Jim Rice: 16 yrs/ 2452 H/ 382 HR/ 1451 RBI/.298 BA/.502 Slugging/1 MVP (1978)

Andre Dawson: 21 yrs/ 2774 H/ 438 HR/ 1591 RBI/ .279 BA/ .482 Slugging

Albert Belle: 12 yrs/ 1726 H/ 381 HR/ 1239 RBI/ .295 BA/ .564 Slugging

Dale Murphy: 18 yrs/ 2111/.398 BA/ 1266 RBI/.265 BA/.469 Slugging/2 MVPs (82,83)

Bert Blyleven: 22 yrs/ 287-250/ 3.31 ERA/ 3701 SO/ 1.19 WHIP

Jack Morris: 18 yrs/ 254-186/ 3.90 ERA/ 2478 SO/ 1.29 WHIP

That is by no means the entire list, but it at least paints a picture of some of the injustice.  And there is no reason to think anything will change in 2007; baseball writers have been getting this wrong for a long time.  We can only sympathize with those on the wrong end of this raw deal.   

For the past four years Joe Paterno heard the whispers of the alumni and assorted school officials.  For the past four years he was told that the game had passed him by and that he and whatever legacy still remained should move on.  Sure he had been great for the game, and even more for Penn State (see the Paterno Library), but the time comes for all coaches to call it a career.  His 21-26 record from 2001-2004 sure wasn't helping to quiet the critics.  Through it all, however, Joe Pa made it clear that only one person would decide when his 50 year reign at Penn State would end- him.

Then came 2005, and with it the arrival of two electric freshman wide receivers.  Two receivers that would help transform the Penn State offense from drab to unpredictable.  The new-look offense seemed to energize the coach and together with a stout defense led the Nittany Lions to an 11-1 record, a Big Ten championship, and a victory in the Orange Bowl.  So much for all those know-it-alls in the papers.  Joe Pa clearly has life left in that 79 year-old frame.  Surely no one would be talking about retirement now.  Not after this year.  Not after 11-1.

So why then is the Pennsylvania chapter of the National Organization for Women calling for Joe Pa's resignation?  Because he stupidly answered a stupid question.  Paterno was asked how he felt about Florida State linebacker A.J. Nicholson being dismissed from the team prior to the Orange Bowl for an alleged sexual assault.  Here is how he responded:

"There's some tough - there's so many people gravitating to these kids. He may not have even known what he was getting into, Nicholson. They knock on the door; somebody may knock on the door; a cute girl knocks on the door. What do you do?"
"Geez. I hope - thank God they don't knock on my door because I'd refer them to a couple of other rooms," Paterno continued. "But that's too bad. You hate to see that. I really do. You like to see a kid end up his football career. He's a heck of a football player, by the way; he's a really good football player. And it's just too bad."

There are a couple different ways to interpret that response...and that's the problem.  Joe Paterno is one of the true gentlemen in sports and I do not believe for one second that he has a derogatory attitude toward women.  But a response like this leaves the door open to criticism because if you want to spin this quote in that direction the opportunity is there.  Some, as the NOW Director is claiming, can say Paterno does not take sexual assault on college campuses seriously.  Or they could say that he just does not care so long as the accused is a starting linebacker.

What Joe Pa should have done was simply avoided the question.  Why is this reporter asking the other team's coach this question anyway?   Who cares how he feels about the manner in which Bobby Bowden is disciplining his players?  The reporter knew that he could get a great soundbite from a 79 year-old coach who tends to ramble and sometimes may even get a small taste of this foot.  But Paterno has to know better.  There were multiple ways to answer this question without really answering it.  He could have said he was not fully aware of the situation and didn't feel comfortable commenting.  He could have said that the reporter should ask the Florida State coach, considering it was a Florida State matter.  Or he could have told the reporter to get lost in the classic snippiness we've all come to love from Joe.

Instead he gave an answer that has drawn the ire of a relatively influential political group.  NOW would have been well-advised to not challenge Paterno only five days after his most successful season in over a decade (he stared down boosters and the administration, not so sure he's afraid of a political group), but that's what they do and in this case I cannot blame them for intervening.  As I said, the quote can be spun to make it look like Paterno is just another jock-forgiving, meat-headed football coach.  We in the sports world all know that could not be further from the truth.  But not everybody else does.

Let this be a lesson to all coaches who are asked sensitive questions about off-the-field issues: stop and think before you speak.  The cameras and microphones will be waiting for you when you're ready.

It has to be one of the best weekends of the year- NFL wild card weekend.  I know most people think its stupid to have a tournament to decide a champion and would prefer that newspaper writers and computers would just pick the two best teams for the Super Bowl, but I love the playoffs. 

I've decided to show the world just how horrible I am at picking games by posting my predictions online.  For the record I think I've lost every bet I ever made and have never come anywhere near winning an office pool.  But nonetheless, I will boldly tell you which teams are (probably not) going to win.

Redskins at Bucs: Chris Simms has really impressed me over the past month and a half, but I cannot see a Joe Gibbs team losing to a QB playing in his first playoff game.  Prediction: Redskins 21  Bucs 10

Jaguars at Patriots: Despite what perpetually whiny QB Tom Brady says, I think this Jags team is the most overlooked in these playoffs.  They play great defense and were, hello, 12-4.  I think coach Jack Del Rio will have them ready to go and they will give the Pats a real test.  That being said, this is still the Patriots playing a home, night game in January.  Prediction: Patriots 30  Jaguars 17

Steelers at Bengals: Maybe I'll take back what I said about the Jags being the most overlooked team in the playoffs.  The Bengals, 11-5, are 6 point underdogs...at home!  This is unheard of and has to be a product of the Bengals 15 year absence from the playoffs.  But their offense won't care about any of that and Carson Palmer will take the next step toward greatness.  Prediction: Bengals 31  Steelers 27

Panthers at Giants: I'm physically sick from what I'm about to say, I really am.  If this game was in Charlotte it'd be a no-brainer.  But the Giants were tough at home this year (I suppose any team would be with that many home games) and I think Tiki Barber will have a huge game despite playing against the 4th ranked rushing defense in the NFL.  Eli Manning will get through his first playoff game by deferring to the run.  Prediction: Giants 27  Panthers 21

After losing Wednesday night's Rose Bowl to the Texas Longhorns, the only question that remains for the USC Trojans is what exactly is their legacy?  Over the last season we heard many writers and pundits proclaim them the best team in history.  And had they made that first down on 4^th and 2 in the 4^th quarter of the Rose Bowl, they'd probably be right in that assessment.  Had the Trojans made those two yards they would have been the first team ever to win three straight national championships.  But they came up six inches short.  They came up six inches short of history.

USC's three year run (2003-2005) is without question one of the best ever; that is plain to see.  But its not so easy to say that it's the most dominating span over the past fifty years.  In fact, the Trojans have plenty of company in the category of three-year dominance.  The team I consider to be equal to, if not better than, this Trojan squad is the 2000-2002 Miami Hurricanes.  The Houston Chronicle's Richard Justice told ESPNs Pardon the Interruption on Wednesday that he has talked to some NFL people who said it is a legitimate possibility that every starter on USC could play in the league.  Impressive as that may be, I think the amount of proven NFL stars from those Miami years gives them the nod. 

Twenty Hurricanes from those teams are now major participants in the NFL.  The laundry list includes: Bubba Franks, Reggie Wayne, Santana Moss, Dan Morgan, Ed Reed, Philip Buchanan, Joaquin Gonzalez, Jeremy Shockey, Jerome McDougal, Clinton Portis, Najeh Davenport, Bryant McKinnie, Mike Rumph, Willis McGahee, Andre Johnson, William Joseph, Vince Wilfork, Jon Vilma, DJ Williams, and Sean Taylor. 

Despite my Cane-biased opinion in this matter, the Trojans of '03 to '05 are eerily similar to the Hurricanes of '00 to '02.  Each was screwed out of the BCS title game in the first year of their respective runs (USC was still given the AP title as they were #1 in that poll going into the Rose Bowl; Miami was #2 in each poll yet was passed over in the BCS for a Florida State team they had beaten earlier in the season).  Each had dominating 12-0 seasons in the second year in which they crushed their Bowl opponent (Miami beat Nebraska 37-14 in the 2002 Rose Bowl; USC clobbered Oklahoma 55-19 in last year's Orange Bowl).  Each lost to a 12-0 underdog as heavy favorites in the third year (Ohio State beat Miami 31-24 in the 2003 Fiesta Bowl).  Each had a clutch Quarterback with only one loss going into their final game (Miami's Ken Dorsey was 35-1, Leinart was 37-1).  Each had a dominating junior RB (McGahee, Bush).  And each had won 34 consecutive games before losing in the championship.

On the statistical side, in Miami's 35 wins spanning those three years they outscored opponents 1545-555; a +990 margin of victory.  USC outscored their opponents 1668-705; a +963 margin.  The similarities are striking and the differences are negligible.  To say one team is better than the other would have to come down to allegiances, hence my claim that The U had the better run.  But one thing is for sure; these were two of the most dominating and fun to watch teams that college football will ever see.

The Best of the Rest

So who are the other teams that dominated college football over a multi-year span?  I took a look at the past fifty years and here are the top 10 (* years indicate a shared national title):

10.  Notre Dame, 1988-1989.  The Irish, 24-1 in these two seasons, were undefeated champions (12-0) in 1988.  They were on their way to another championship in 1989 until they had to go into the Orange Bowl to play Miami in the famed "Catholics vs. Convicts" game.  When Notre Dame left South Beach, both their 23-game winning streak and championship hopes were over.

9.  Florida State, 1998-2000.  The Seminoles were 34-4 over that span, including a 12-0 championship season in 1999.  They lost in the BCS championship game in both '98 and '00, and finished with rankings of 3 and 5 in those respective years.

8.  Texas, 1968-1970.   Over those three years the Longhorns were 30-2-1 and were the school's last national champions ('69, '70*) before Mack Brown's crew did it again on Wednesday night.  Texas finished with a ranking of 3 in their one non-title year of '68.

7.  Alabama, 1964-1966.  The Crimson Tide won two championships in this span, sharing the crown with Arkansas & Notre Dame in '64 and with Michigan State in '65.   Led by future Hall of Fame QBs Joe Namath ('62-64) and Ken Stabler (‘64-‘68), their 30-1-1 record over this span saw their only undefeated season (11-0 in '66; #3 final rank) come in a year in which they did not win the title. 

6.  Oklahoma, 1973-1975.  The Sooners lost only one game during this three year run (32-1-1) and were national champions in both '74* and '75.  They had undefeated seasons in both '73 (10-0-1), where they finished ranked third, and in their championship season of 1974, when they finished 11-0.

5.  Nebraska, 1970-1972.  Over this three year span the Cornhuskers were 32-2-2, including undefeated, championship seasons in ‘70 (11-0-1)* and '71 (13-0).  They were not able to harness that success again in 1972, though they did finish a very respectable 4^th with a 9-2-1 mark.

4.  Alabama, 1977-1979.  These are arguably the Tide's best teams ever.  Alabama was 34-2 during this period, winning the championship in both '78* and in 1979 with their historic team that went 12-0.  Alabama finished the 1977 season with an 11-1 mark and were second in the final poll.

3.  Nebraska, 1993-1995.  These Cornhusker teams were renowned for their combination of speed and power on both sides of the ball.  Their vaunted option offense led to a 36-1 record over these three years and national championships in both '94 (13-0) and '95 (12-0).  The 1995 team, led by Tommy Frazier and Lawrence Phillips, rushed for an astounding 400 yards per game.  And had the 1993 team not gotten hosed on one of the worst calls in Bowl history, this team very well could have been the first ever to win three straight championships.

2.  Oklahoma, 1953-1957.  This Oklahoma team had a historic run of dominance over five consecutive years.  While only winning two championships ('55, '56), these Oklahoma teams amassed a record of 50-2-1 over this span and had one of the greatest winning streaks of all-time at 47 games.  After losing the season opener in 1953, Oklahoma did not lose again until their 8^th game of the 1957 season.

1.  Miami, 1986-1992.  This remarkable run by the Hurricanes is the closest thing college football has had to a legitimate "Dynasty" since the afore-mentioned Oklahoma team.  Over this seven-year span Miami was 78-6 and won championships in '87, '89, and ‘91*.  Almost equally as impressive is that they were only one win away from two more championships; the 'Canes lost the 1987 Fiesta Bowl to Penn State, 14-10, and the 1993 Sugar Bowl to Alabama, 34-13.  In the non-title years Miami never finished the season ranked lower than third.  That is sustained dominance like none other in history.

I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge and thank the website: shrpsports.com.  Without it I would never have been able to put this analysis together.  This website is the ultimate online sports encyclopedia with results from every game in every sport.  Need to know the Celtics' record in 1972?  Its there.  Need to know who won the 1949 World Series?  Its there (but you could just assume it was the Yankees and you'd be right).  Need to know who the 49ers played in week 4 of the 1989 season?  Its there.   Its an amazing collection of information and is an invaluable reference for any (obsessive) sports fan.

If I have ever seen a more exciting college football game than last night's Rose Bowl I certainly can't remember it.  The underdog Texas Longhorns (12-0), led by Quarterback Vince Young's historic greatness, dethroned the two-time defending champion USC Trojans (12-0) in an epic 41-38 battle in Pasadena.  It was without question the most exciting championship game in the seven year history of the BCS and possibly of all-time.

Few games have ever been hyped up as much as this year's Rose Bowl.  But as we have seen time and time again, a game this hyped often comes up short of expectations.  Not this game.  Not with these players on this stage.  No, this game actually exceeded the hype.  It was better than ESPN and ABC and every newspaper in the country said it was going to be.  It was captivating from the opening series and continued that way for four and a half hours until we were treated to rare level of greatness.

I felt all through December that the Longhorns stood a much better chance than most were giving them.  Of course having felt the sting of losing a title game in a remarkably similar situation three years ago in the Fiesta Bowl (for those of you who don't know, I'm a proud fan of "The U"), I learned the hard way that despite a 34-game winning streak and a favorite status there are no guarantees in the title game.  There is also something to be said for a 12-0 team having to listen to the media proclaim for a full month that their opponent is one of the greatest teams in history.  By the way do you think the Texas players enjoyed ESPN's "History in the Making" series where Kirk Herbstreit and Mark May compared USC to the supposed eleven best teams of all time?  Think Mack Brown mentioned that one or two times at practice? 

Anyway, there is an element to sports that always surprises us just when we think we have a no-brainer on our hands.  Its what draws us to the games- it essentially is sport.  Its the thrill of the underdog shocking the great champion.  That is all part of why I thought the Longhorns had a real shot last night.  At this point I should probably remind everyone that I did pick USC to win 31-28. 

But again, I felt Texas stood a chance not only because of that but also because of the realization that USC was not quite as good as last year and Texas was so much better than that sham of an Oklahoma that was handed Auburn's rightful spot in the 2005 Orange Bowl.  Texas' defense was for real and more importantly they were fast.  The main advantage USC had over their opponents this year was that they were so much quicker at the skill positions.  They did not have that advantage last night.  Its not exactly like UT shut down the Trojan offense; USC did score 38 points and had 574 total yards.  But they did not let themselves get blown out and by staying in the game they gave their team the confidence they needed to win.

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All right, enough of pre-game analysis.  This game was filled with major developments and we need to talk about them.  I'll try to do this in chronological order but excuse me if I misplace a play or two.  Also, with the amount of scoring in the game I cannot recap every drive, but here are the most crucial. 

• USC goes for it on 4^th and 1:  This was just a bad call by whoever made it; whether it was Leinart or Pete Carroll.  Up 7-0 in the first quarter with the ball on your opponents 17 yard line in the national championship you have to take three points.  I understand 14-0 is better than 10-0.  But how does 10-0 look compared to 7-0?  Its not necessarily about the amount of points at that time; its about the fact that you've scored twice and your opponent hasn't scored at all.  And its about not giving the Texas defense an opportunity to turn the momentum with a stop.
• Reggie Bush's lateral: Sometimes when a young man is blessed with so much talent he can abuse it.  I'm not saying that the lateral is a physically demanding play, just that Reggie Bush was maybe just a bit too Hollywood here.  Well, not maybe.  Definitely.  Bush knows better than that.  He knows better than to lateral to a kid who has not touched the ball all year.  This was the real chance to be up 14-0 but instead Texas had new life, still only trailing by one score.
• Michael Griffin's end zone interception: This was more a great play by Griffin than a poor pass by Leinart, though he should have been able to read the safety help coming.  But one thing is for sure: without it USC wins the game.  The score would have been 14-0 and I really do not see Texas coming back from that deficit.
• Vince Young's lateral:  Maybe we should put that in quotes or call it the phantom lateral, I don't know.  The bottom line is even a blind man could have seen that Vince Young's knee was down before he pitched the ball.  But alas, we learned today that the equipment in the replay booth was not working at the time and that is why there was no replay.  Yes, this is the very equipment intended to help us determine game-changing plays just like this.  Boy do computers always fail at the worst time or what!  The officials in the booth should have known enough to call down to the field and have the on-field officials stop the game so they could find another feed.  Did USC get hosed on this play?  Without question.  Of course Pete Carroll or any one of the eleven Trojans on the field could have called time-out to facilitate a review.  But they didn't and Texas had their first (and most critical) touchdown of the game. 
• Vince Young's second TD run: This is the one where he started to his left, lost his footing, regrouped, reversed his field and took it 17 yards into the endzone.  It capped off a 69-yard drive and really had to make Texas believe that with a defensive stop they were going to win the game.  I cannot remember being more in awe of a college football player than I was of Vince Young on that drive.  Every play I felt he was going to make something happen.  And he did with 5 of 6 passing for 44 yards and 2 rushes for 25 yards and a touchdown. 
• USC goes for it on 4^th and 2: I'm going to stand firmly behind Pete Carroll's decision to try and win the game on this play.  LenDale White had for the most part been unstoppable the entire game and with him carrying the ball behind the USC offensive line I don't see how anyone could doubt Carroll.  Two yards and you're champions!  Everyone (including the USC coaching staff) knew that if Vince Young got the ball back Texas was going to win.  So why not try and nip that in the bud?  I'm of the old school mindset that says if the defense stops a 4^th and 2 then they deserve it more.  You go for it and try to put the game away.  That is Pete Carroll's way and no Trojan player or fan was surprised.  I heard a few pundits say that with the way Young and the UT offense were rolling you have to stretch the field and make him go 75-80 yards to beat you.  Well if you're so sure he will score from 55 yards away, I would guess there is a pretty good chance he will from 75-80.  It was the right call and had White not left his blockers and cutback too soon, we would be gushing over the only team to ever win three championships in a row.
• USC facemask penalty on the final Texas drive:  There is not much you can say here; the defender clearly grabbed the facemask.  A facemask is a facemask and you have to call it.  I believe this was actually worthy of a 15 yard penalty (in the regular season) and kudos to the officiating crew for making the decision to only penalize the Trojans five.  They knew the end result of either call would be a Texas first down and since the USC defender did not yank the mask (the result of which is an undisputable 15 yard personal foul), they chose to minimize their own impact by calling it accidental.  Tom Osborne and the 1993-94 Nebraska team only wish they could have gotten that kind of judicial restraint in their Orange Bowl loss to Florida State.
• Vince Young's 4^th and 5 TD run:  What can you even say about this?  Every person in the country knew Young was keeping the ball but USC still couldn't stop it.  That is the ultimate achievement- when a master like Pete Carroll (who, by the way, I said would have a gameplan in place to "contain" Young.  Nice call, Whojhouse.) knows what's coming and still can't stop it with those athletes at this disposal.  That is what greatness is all about.  Vince Young's legacy as one of the greatest college football players to ever play the game was cemented during this drive.
• USC's wasting a timeout before UTs conversion try:  Rarely does Pete Carroll make big mistakes in a game like this.  But calling a timeout to set up for Texas' two-point conversion was clearly a mistake.  Whether or not Texas got the points USC still needed a field goal.  What does it matter whether its to win or tie at that point?  You need the three points either way and saving the timeout maybe could have given USC a chance to attempt the kick once they had the ball back.  But they wasted the time out and the game ended on a rather anti-climactic Matt Leinart incompletion.

--

During the post game interview Matt Leinart said he thought that Texas had not won the game and that USC had instead lost it.  I understand the frustration of one of the leaders of the losing team immediately after the game.  That excuse is a defense mechanism.  But maybe he had a point; USC was up by twelve with just under seven minutes to go.  The win was in their grasp.  Nevertheless, you cannot ignore the fact that their defense simply could not stop Vince Young and the Texas offense.  That was not because of poor USC play; its because Young was superhuman.  Whatever way you slice it Texas won this game.

As I mentioned before, this game surely did not disappoint.  It was the most exciting championship game I have ever seen.  It may have been the most exciting game ever.  A lot of that had to do with the stars on each side.  Matt Leinart had a slow first half but was brilliant in the second half (29/40, 365 yards on the night).  LenDale White stole Reggie Bush's spotlight and solidified his NFL-caliber status with 20-124-3.  And even on a relative off night Reggie Bush was good for 82 yards rushing, 95 yards receiving, 102 return yards, and an electrifying touchdown. 

On the Texas side there actually were not many shining stars other than Vince Young.  But his performance was so good that there was not a need for anyone else.  Young accounted for 467 total yards (276 passing, 200 rushing) and three scores.  And it was clearly his confidence that kept the Longhorns believing that they would come back and win the game.  This was maybe the single best performance in championship game history.  Period.  And what was Young's reward for such a stellar performance?  He is only the fourth player ever to win multiple Rose Bowl MVP honors.  That and he watched the sunrise from fellow Longhorn Matthew McConaughey's Hollywood vista.  Not a bad way to end a day. 

Now for my unsolicited advice to Vince:  GO TO THE NFL.  You will never be as highly rated as you are right now.  And if the Houston Texans (who own the first pick in the 2006 NFL Draft) are smart, they will get in touch with Mack Brown and let him know in no uncertain terms that Vince Young will be the first pick in the draft if he chooses to leave Texas early.  I know, I know; Reggie Bush!!  Believe me I think Bush will be in Canton someday.  But there are few opportunities in sports like the one the Texans have to draft a hometown kid who just conquered the college football world.  He will sell the most tickets and he has just as good a chance at being the rebuilding cornerstone that Houston needs.  To me the choice is simple: trade David Carr for the offensive line help you need and draft Vince Young.  He's going to make people forget about Michael Vick.

Aside from the excitement and quality of play in last night's game, if there is one other thing college football can be excited about it's the class and character that was on display at the Rose Bowl.  As always Mack Brown was his humble, down-home self accepting the championship trophy with grace and professionalism.  But even more telling was that Pete Carroll gave one of the classiest on-field, post-game interviews I have ever seen.  He freely admitted that the Trojans just did not have what it took to stop Young and that the Longhorns deserved the win.  His respect for Mack Brown was evident in his interviews and the fact that he waited for Brown to finish his initial celebration so he could personally congratulate him at midfield shows why kids want to give 110% for him on every down.

It was also fitting that Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush went to the Texas locker room to offer their personal congratulations to the Longhorns.  They were met by Vince Young and they shared a well deserved embrace.  Three college legends who helped to give us the greatest game ever, each acknowledging the other's contribution.  It makes you proud to be a fan of the sport when young men show such character.

So the 2005-06 college football season is complete and the University of Texas has their first championship in 35 years.  Congratulations to the team, to coach Mack Brown, and to Vince Young on a historic win. 

Hook ‘Em ‘Horns, indeed!

In a rare stroke of BCS luck, there will be no controversy after this game is over.  These are the only two unbeaten teams in Division 1 and they are clearly the class of college football.  Even the dreadful BCS system couldn't muck this one up.  For those of us in the East ready and willing to stay up until sunrise to watch the game, all signs point toward a classic.  I know what you're saying: "come on Whojhouse, enough will the small talk- who's gonna win?"  Well, let me tell you. 

But first we have to see how we'll get there.  There are really no surprises with USC.  They have the best player in the world in Reggie Bush and one of the top three or five QBs in college football history in Matt Leinart (37-1 as starter).  They have a change-of-pace RB in LenDale White who would be getting 25 carries a game on about 100 other teams.  Their offensive line is big and physical and their WRs, Steve Smith and Dwayne Jarret, would be national stars had they not played in the shadow of Leinart and Bush.  And most people will realize tonight that the often maligned defense, the Trojans supposed Achilles' heel, is far from it.  Oh and they have a pretty good coach too.

And then there are the Texas Longhorns.  I cannot name five guys on this team and I pretty much spend all of my free time either reading about or watching sports.  Obviously QB Vince Young (28-2 as a starter) is one of the most dazzling players you'll ever see on a football field, but the rest of the team has gone largely unnoticed by the national media.  Hey, Austin is nice and all but its not L.A. 

What many may not know is that Texas, like their opponent, has also scored 50 points per game.  But Texas has the better defense.  I know, I know, Texas hasn't played an offense like USC's.  Well for one thing, who has?  For another, this Texas defense is built on speed and they easily have the best chance at containing Bush.  Texas Defensive Coordinator Gene Chizik is as much a defensive master as Pete Carroll and has a pretty decent winning streak of his own.  Chiznik came to Texas this year from Auburn, where he had been a part of a fifteen game winning streak.  Couple that with twelve more from the ‘Horns this year and he's only seven behind the Trojans mark.  That kind of success isn't an accident.

Now that we've touched upon the casts lets get down to the meat.  The Longhorns will, relatively speaking, shut down the USC passing game with their amazing athletes in the defensive backfield (by far the best USC has faced).  Leinart will have at least one touchdown but Bush will be the factor once again, though not in the dramatic fashion he was against Notre Dame or Fresno State.  He'll get his 100 yards on the ground and will see the endzone twice. 

The Trojans will have a gameplan focused on stopping Young.  Yes, I know.  With that kind of analysis its hard to understand why I'm not in Pasadena with the College Gameday crew.  But seriously, Pete Carroll has had a month to come up with a scheme to stop Young and I believe he'll do as good a job at that as Mack Brown will in stopping Bush.  Young is too good to be shut down completely but he'll be contained and will find it hard to get the ball down the field in the second half.

I want to make it known where my allegiance stands in this game.  I am a fan of neither team and have tremendous respect for both programs and coaches.  In fact after reading an article on Mack Brown in the 12/5 issue of Sports Illustrated I developed a slight case of the non-sexual man crush.  He just seems like one of the classiest, nicest guys in all of sports.  Its attractive, what can I say?  And because of that I'm in the Texas camp for this game.  I have other reasons why I'll be wearing Burnt Orange tonight; reasons that I will disclose tomorrow, regardless of who wins.  But for now its "Hook ‘Em Horns!"

This game won't be as high scoring as some of the predictions I've heard this evening on ESPN.  I don't believe that Texas will be the least big intimidated by the aura of USC.  The Longhorns will come out like gangbusters and will grab an early lead that they'll hold at halftime, 14-10.  But it will be Pete Carroll's halftime adjustments and the big-game experience of the Trojans that will make the ultimate difference.  USC will get the defensive stops they need late in the game and will be able to muster just enough offense to pull it out.

Final score: USC 31  Texas 28

• Valerie Plame - I refuse to resort to groupthink and dub this PlameGate (or any other scandal a BlahblahGate).  While 2005 saw Cheney's top aide indicted for the disclosure and coverup of CIA operative Valerie Plame's identity, Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald has plenty more up his sleeve.  His office is on a hometown break, handing down indictments on the notoriously corrupt Chicago/Daly political machine, but look for more indictments (possibly as high as Karl Rove) in the New Year.
• Jack Abramoff - former high-powered DC lobbyist and associate of just about every architect of the modern conservative movement (Grover Norquist, Ralph Reed, Tom Delay) agreed today to plea guilty and cooperate with the Feds.  This is HUGE--Native American Gambling interests, several members of Congress, more Tom DeLay nuttery--and has all the ingredients for a good ole fashioned DC circus.  Note: Couldn't help but taste the irony in the revelation that one of the names circling around this scandal in the halls of Congress is Bob Ney, the very same Congressman who made a last ditch effort to derail the landmark McCain-Feingold Campaign Finance Reform package with a watered-down version of CFR that would've allowed him to keep-a-lining his pockets.
• The President - He authorized our government to eavesdrop on us--illegally (that is, without a warrant).  Even John Ashcroft wouldn't sign off on this move when it first came down.  He allowed the NSA (National Security Agency) to conduct surveillance on the communications of U.S. Citizens, within the United States!  Even if you accept the argument that it was an urgent need, he has the power to use the emergency provision and wiretap for 72 hours before he must get permission from a special court--which nearly ALWAYS approves these types of requests.  Point is, we can't go around mitigating the principles of the Constitution each time a crisis comes up.  Yes, we want the Prez to protect us, but not to sacrifice our liberties in the process.  That's the point of a written Constitution--to safeguard those rights.  But I digress.
• Tom DeLay - I wouldn't be surprised if his name pops up in every other scandal investigation.  His own indictment in Texas on money laundering scumbaggery might end up being the least of his troubles in '06.  He'll get what's comin'.
• Misc. White House Scandalers - Administration Procurement chief David H. Safavian resigned and was arrested in September surrounding his involvement in the Abramoff melee, but good money is on more Bushies following his esteemed path to irrelevance in the months to come.
• Known Unknowns - the most damning scandal out there is probably one we haven't heard of yet.  Indictments coming down the pipeline from a mile away are boring anyway.  There has to be some whopper out there that's on no one's radar screen and will rock our collective world.  Abu Ghrab II?  The Outing of a High-Ranking Conservative?  Impeachment?  Who Knows?!?!?!

Have you ever seen a more non-news worthy story receive so much media attention than the "relationship" between Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant? A year and a half ago when Shaq was traded to the Miami Heat it was a story. Shaq gave an in-depth interview to ESPN in which he ripped Bryant on numerous levels. I won't lie- I ate that interview up. I loved it. It was high comedy. Nineteen months later it is just not news. But don't tell that to the glorified tabloid that is Sports Center who ran it as last night's top story, and to the countless newspapers around the country (not counting, of course, the Los Angeles Times and the Miami Herald) that featured it as a headline.

On a day where the two best teams in the NBA, the defending champion San Antonio Spurs and the Detroit Pistons, faced off in the early game, it was the Lakers and Heat who got the headlines. This is despite the fact that their combined records are 34-21, compared to the Spurs/Pistons combined mark of 43-10.

Why is it such a big deal that two former teammates don't like each other? Yes, they won three titles together. So what. They are two of the biggest egos in sports and they could no longer coexist on the same team. So what. Its not the first time its happened and it won't be the last. But its still made out to be the sports equivalent of the Berlin Wall every time they play each other. I know you will hear newspaper editors and television producers say that they need to give the people what they want, and this so-called feud is just that. But I know a lot of people who love sports and I don't know one who cares in the least that these two don't get along.

Enough is enough. Shaq hates Kobe, Kobe doesn't care. They play 3000 miles away from each other and are in different conferences. One's team is a legitimate contender, the other's will be bounced in the first round of the playoffs. Can we please just leave it at that?

Something tells me the answer will be an imphatic no.

When I woke up today I was extrememly excited to write about the Yankees acqisition of Johnny Damon. I was so excited to speculate on what it would do for the Bomber's lineup and how it is such a crushing blow to Red Sox Nation. But after learning of the death of Tony Dungy's 18 year-old son, there is no such excitement anymore. For the MLB hot stove couldn't seem more irrelevant.

For that matter, neither does the Colts run for the Super Bowl. In what is possibly the most memorable professional season for Dungy, it is now so for a much different reason. This is no longer the season the Colts have the best record in the NFL; it is the season Tony and Lauren Dungy bury their eldest son.

No one would wish this kind of event on anyone, certainly not on a man like Tony Dungy. He is renowned for his class, character, and for being the type of role model every parent wishes for their child. It is truly heartbreaking to see such a good Christian man and his family suffer such a monumental loss.

My thoughts and prayers are with Tony, Lauren, and the rest of their family on this tragic day. I can only hope that their faith can carry them through.

Wal-Mart is a worldwide organization and must remain conscious of this. The majority of the world still has different practices other than "christmas" which is an ancient tradition that has its roots in Siberian shamanism. The colors associated with "christmas" red and white, are actually a representation of the amanita mascara mushroom. Santa is also borrowed from the Caucuses, mistletoe from the Celts, yule log from the Goths, the time from the Visigoth and the tree from the worship of Baal. It is a wide, wide world.

December 18, 2005, Washington, DC

Humiliating.  Inexcusable.  Abominable.  These are all words that can accurately describe the performance of the Dallas Cowboys in yesterday's "showdown" with the Washington Redskins.  The Cowboys were steamrolled from the opening kickoff; looking confused, over matched, and wholly unprepared in a historic 35-7 loss to their arch rivals.

With their season essentially on the line, the Cowboys played the flattest, most uninspired football game I have ever seen from a team with a shot at the playoffs.  They had no answer for Gregg Williams' defense which blitzed over and over, bringing out the Drew Bledsoe Cowboys fans feared would show up at the worst time.  Well, that fear was recognized yesterday.

The offense is not only to blame, however.  Not by a long shot.  One of the league's supposed better defenses looked like a rag tag group that wouldn't even compete at the Florida high school level.  The defensive line couldn't get any pass rush, the linebackers couldn't get off their blocks, and the defensive backs looked like they had Mark Brunell and Chris Cooley on their fantasy teams. 

In 26 years of rooting for the Cowboys I cannot remember a day I was more embarrassed to do so.  Yes, I do remember the 1-15 season in 1989.  And believe me I was suffering mightily from 2000-2002 when the combined record was 15-33 under the Don of Coaches, Dave Campo.  But in those instances the talent was simply not there.  This team fooled all of us; they showed the signs of a team that could go deep into the playoffs in the evenly-matched NFC. 

They had some good wins early and even in the games the lost to Washington in week 2 and Seattle in week 7 they should've won the game.  But yesterday the horrible truth was revealed; the lie that the Cowboys were living all season finally caught up with them.  And those of us who pledge our allegiance to the Silver and Blue are left to ask "wha happen?"

There are countless questions to be asked when a team plays as poorly as the Cowboys did yesterday.  And those questions need to be answered by the head coach, Bill Parcells.  We always hear about how great Parcells is; how he's a mortal lock for Canton.  And I guess with two Super Bowl titles that's true.  Well Hall of Fame coaches have their teams more prepared than the Cowboys were yesterday.  Hall of Fame coaches can get their teams up for intra-divisional games with playoffs on the line. 

If that were Mike Tice or Herman Edwards or Marty Schottenheimer or just about any other coach not named Belichick on the Cowboys sideline yesterday, we would be hearing pundits all over the map going on and on about how poor the coaching job was too.  But Parcells gets a free ride when he should be sharing equally in the blame of another unfulfilled season. 

Bill Parcells is better than that performance yesterday.  The Cowboys are better than that performance yesterday.  Its just a shame we'll have to wait another year for them to prove it.

NOTES:

Isn't it funny how we ignore double standards when analyzing sports?  All of a sudden the Colts are vulnerable and the rest of the league is just dying to play them.  I'm sorry but I can't listen to someone tell me that because they just lost their first game, a week before Christmas, that they are now not as good as they were Saturday.  Doesn't anyone notice that every other team in the league has still lost more games?  

As much as I hate to admit it the Patriots are once again looking like a championship team.  Sure, prior to Saturday's win against Tampa Bay the two previous weeks were victories against the hapless Jets and Bills, but this defense is starting to play really well and no one should think it will be easy to dethrone the two time defending champs.

If there is one team I hate more than the Patriots, its the Giants.  (Let me just say that if these two teams happen to win their respective conferences and end up playing in the Super Bowl, there will not be a building in Vermont tall enough for me to jump off.)  But I have to give credit to RB Tiki Barber who is having an MVP caliber season.  Barber had an NFL season-high 220 yards rushing Saturday and single-handedly ran the Giants to a big home win (what's that now, their 12^th home game?) against Kansas City.  While Carson Palmer gets my imaginary MVP vote, Barber has earned at least a top three showing.

And last but not least, I'd like to congratulate President Bush on a well written, well delivered speech last night.  All the new material just blew me away.  I had no idea that there are terrorists out there who want to kill me!  But at least we're fighting them over there so we don't have to fight them here.  Well, we still have to illegally spy on people here, but we don't have to actually fight them here.  Anyway, now that the President has given me his word that we're winning the war in Iraq, I feel a whole lot better.  

And with that, it is over.  Quentin Jammer's interception of Peyton Manning with 1:30 remaining in the game sealed the San Diego Chargers 27-17 victory over the previously undefeated Indianapolis Colts. 

We can now look forward to at least one more year of watching the insufferable members of the 1972 Miami Dolphins toast after the last NFL team has lost.  I'll tell you what- that coupled with the prospect of more Mercury Morris interviews has me downright giddy. 

Merry Christmas, indeed!

If anyone hasn't noticed, this space has been rather dormant lately.  I have my excuses; one of which being that our cable went down from Thursday afternoon until yesterday.  I had planned on sitting down today after my weekly trip to the supermarket to share my thoughts on the sports week that was, but then I found myself spending the 2:00 hour on the phone with Sears, fighting over late card payments for services I didn't even know I had.  Ah...the magic of credit cards. 

With the Colts and Chargers in the midst of a possible classic and the Cowboys coming on in a half hour, I am sad to report that you will have to wait another day for the wit and wisdom of Whojhouse.  However, a few items worth note:

• St Louis Rams head coach, Mike Martz, was given medical clearance to return to coaching on January 1.  Martz left the Rams in October to receive treatment for a bacterial infection of a heart valve.  Martz's relationship with the Rams front office was about as smooth as Colin Powell's relationship with Cheney and Rumsfeld.  This was most apparent when Martz, in his first week away from the team, tried to call in a play from his hospital bed and front office officials would not even take the call!  Yeah, this guy has about as much chance of coming back as Matt Millen does as the GM of the Detroit Lions.  Speaking of Matt Millen...
• Today was the "Millen Man March" in Detroit, where scores of Lions fans marched to the stadium to show their displeasure with the direction of the team under Millen.  Fans were encouraged to bring "Fire Millen" signs, chant the same, and wear colors of the opposing Cincinnati Bengals to show how frustrated they are with the Lions performance this year.  Well Matt, look on the bright side.  If you are fired from the Lions there is a good chance you can get a job in the Bush Administration.  You'd fit right in with all of the other people who have their heads up their asses.
• On a sad note, actor John Spencer died Friday morning as a result of a heart attack suffered Thursday.  Spencer's most famous role was that of President Josiah Bartlet's White House Chief-of-Staff, Leo McGarry, on NBCs The West Wing.  McGarry was the architect of the Bartlet campaign and a father figure to all those who served under him.  For many fans of the show, it will be a melancholy return to air in January knowing that Spencer has passed away.  My thoughts are with Spencer's family, friends, and the cast members.  So long, Leo.

USC junior running back Reggie Bush was awarded college football's most coveted individual award, the Heisman Trophy, in New York City last night, easily defeating runners-up Vince Young of Texas and last year's winner and Bush's backfield mate, USC QB Matt Leinart.  Bush became the seventh Trojan to win the award, the fifth RB, and third Trojan in four years.

In receiving 784 first place votes of a possible 892, Bush's margin of victory was the second largest of all time, second only to fellow Trojan and famed double-murderer, OJ Simpson.   This is surprising considering that Bush's teammate was also a finalist and that Texas QB Vince Young is the only recognizable star (outside of Texas) on a team that rolled to a 12-0 record and will battle USC for the national championship January 4 in the Rose Bowl.

There is no doubt Reggie Bush deserved this award and my vote went to him.  (Okay, I don't really have a vote, though I'm confident I'll be getting that phone call from the Heisman committee any day).  But the second largest margin ever?  Come on folks, it should have been a lot closer than that.  Yes, Reggie Bush is utterly amazing and maybe one of the best college running backs we'll ever see.  But Young was no slouch, thowing for 2769 yds and 26 TDs, while coming out of many games early due to Texas' margin of victory.

You will hear some argue that Reggie had his biggest games in USCs biggest games and that is what put him over the top.  Or that he did it with such flair that he had to win.  And you will hear some say that Texas had no big games because they played in the weak Big 12 conference.  But it is unfair to punish a player because his team was world's better than their competition.  As the Houston Chronicle's Richard Justice said in his column today, "USC might have made the national championship game without Bush. Texas may not have won the Big 12 without Young."

Regardless of whatever controversy there may be in the end, (don't expect there to be much at all) there was one thing that all who care about this sport can be proud of- these three young men are the pinnacle of class.  Bush cried as he thanked both his mother and stepfather, who took Reggie into his home when he was just two years old.  It was one of the more touching Heisman moments I can remember.  "You took me in at the age of 2," Bush said, then pausing to collect himself. "It takes a man to do something like that."

Young's story is also inspirational and had a family element as well.  As a teenager in urban Houston, Young began to run with gangs and after one particular incident in which he was arrested, found himself at a crossroad.  His mother told him that if he continued on this path he would wind up "either in jail or dead."  Thankfully, Young agreed with his mother and dedicated himself to school and football.  The rest is history.  Now with his relatively new-found fame, Young is very active in the Houston community and specializes in talking to children about the importance of staying in school and having positive activities to keep them away from trouble.

And then there is Leinart; the incumbent Heisman winner and leader of USCs 33 game win streak.  A fifth year senior who shocked the sports world by returning for his senior season despite being a lock as the top NFL draft pick, Leinart handled the attention and pressure of being the biggest star in Los Angeles like no one could ever expect from a 22 year-old.  But most of all Leinart has been an incredible teammate, which was evidenced by his genuine excitement as Bush's name was called. 

It could have been a major distraction; two stars this big in the same backfield for the University of Southern California in the midst of a three year unbeaten streak.  They could have been adversaries, both coveting the Hollywood spotlight.  They could have torn the team chemistry apart with selfish, me-first attitudes.  But they didn't.  They pushed each other, supported each other when one wasn't having an All American type day, and most of all, were true friends to one another.  I think USC coach Pete Carroll can take as much pride in that as he can in sitting on the brink of a third straight championship. 

The truth is that all of these guys are winners and will continue to be on the next level (though I hope that for Vince Young it will be as the top pick of the 2007 draft) because for all of the talent they possess, they have just as much character.  Their strong family backgrounds will help them as they encounter, and overcome, the hardships of the NFL.

But before they go we will all be given the belated Christmas present of seeing them play off against each other for the national championship.  The two best teams, the three best players.  Happy New Year, indeed.

NOTES:

I'd like to take this opportunity to pay my respects to two very different but equally great Americans who died over the weekend.  Richard Pryor, a true comic genius, passed away on Friday at the age of 65.  Pryor was a major influence for black comedians and had as big a cultural impact as any entertainer in the last fifty years.  And former Senator Eugene McCarthy passed away Saturday at a Georgetown retirement home at the age of 89.  McCarthy's anti-war candidacy for President in 1968 pushed the movement to the national forefront and gave it the momentum to continue long after his candidacy ended.

And on a much happier note, I would like to congratulate my brother Michael and my future sister-in-law Mary on their engagement, which occurred Friday night.  We could not be happier with the new addition to our family. 

Twenty-five years ago this night, Beatles founder John Lennon was murdered outside his apartment building in Manhattan.  Ten years removed from The Beatles, Lennon had come from a recording session where he was continuing the work of his highly successful solo career when a deranged gunman stepped out and cowardly shot him in the back.  Lennon was pronounced dead on arrival to the hospital.

I was only nineteen months old when John Lennon was killed so obviously I cannot share my immediate thoughts.  However ESPNs Sports Center just ran a piece about the night Lennon died.  It was a Monday night in December and that meant one thing in 1980- Monday Night Football.  Calling the game at that time it was the original crew; former NFL stars Don Meredith and Frank Gifford, and broadcasting legend Howard Cosell.

Upone learning of the shooting, ABC News phoned the production team of MNF and told them what had happened.  At that point Lennon was still alive but there was not much hope of survival.  Twenty minutes later they called back with the news that he was dead.  Cosell, who had struck up an unlikely friendship with Lennon after his MNF visit in 1974, broke the news to America.  He did it in classic Cosell form; eloquent, dramatic, and respectful.

Being aware of the events of December 8, 1980 did not stop me from getting goose bumps as I heard Cosell deliver the news on via Sports Center replay.  Twenty five years later and without the immeasurable shock value that Cosell's message had I still shook when Cosell said the words "dead on arrival."  It is a testament to the magnitude of the Lennon; man and his legend.

Despite my relative youth I still consider myself a dedicated fan of the Beatles and my Ipod can attest to that.  Admittedly, I am not the biggest fan of John Lennon; I've always been a "Paul Guy."  Sure I was never there to see what happened first hand, but deep down I guess I blame John and Yoko for the band's breakup.  I suppose that may not be fair considering I wasn't even born at the time, and I guess I wouldn't be surprised to learn that Paul was just as stubborn as John and as much to blame for their inability to continue on together.  And there's part of me that also feels in the later years it may have been more about John than it was the causes he supported.

But despite my mixed emotions on the man this much is clear- John Lennon was a giant not only in England or the United States, but all over the world.  And that had even less to do with the music he wrote while a Beatle then the causes he backed.  Whether his motivation may have been selfish or not, the fact is that he spent his last years on Earth trumpeting peace, understanding, equality, and love for his fellow man.  He put himself out front for all to see and hear.  He put himself out front to be criticized and mocked by those who didn't share his views.  He put himself out front because his belief in what is ultimately good in mankind outweighed what he knew to be bad. 

John Lennon's place in music history is, of course, unquestionable.  He was a founding member of arguably the most important rock band of all time.  But it may be his place in political history that is more influential.  At a time of major political and social unrest in America, Lennon threw himself into the fire with vigor and unrelenting conviction; refusing to back down from delivering the message he felt the world needed to hear. 

And in this volatile time that we live, where there is so much hate and violence, it sometimes seems that no one remembers the kinds of values John Lennon personified.  But on this silver anniversary of his death, let none of us forget. 

...there is a quality boxing match tomorrow night on pay-per-view.  I understand most people would rather just pay more taxes than spend $49.95 of their dollars on a match between two guys they've never heard of.  But I promise you that it will be entertaining. 

Its a rematch of the July fight between 40 year-old former champion Bernard Hopkins and current title holder, 27 year-old Jermain Taylor.  Taylor won the first match on a very controversial split decision.  And these guys absolutely despise each other; this week's pre-fight festivities have been a circus.

Look folks, these are Middleweights.  These guys are the best boxers in the world in my very humble opinion.  This is not some chump-filled, hyped-up Heavyweight garbage.  Before losing to Taylor, Hopkins had defended his title twenty times over a decade span.  And Taylor is a highly regarded fighter with a good career ahead of him.

If there is anyone out there who used to love boxing; anyone who is willing to give this sport another chance, buy this fight.  There may be no knockout and there certainly will not be any ears bitten off.  But there will be a quality fight between two high quality fighters.

I know that even if no one decides to show up to my house to watch it, it'll be $49.95 well spent.