New Coach in Kansas

Jon Kirby of Rivals.com wrote an article about the new coaching hire at Kansas.  Kansas hired Florida’s offensive coordinator yesterday as their new head coach.  Kirby said that he heard mixed emotions from Kansas fans that he knows.  Kirby put to rest the myth of winning with another coach’s players.  He said that many good coaches have been winning with other coach’s players and have received no backlash from it.  Weis is expected to bring in an experienced coaching staff, and Kirby says he will be able to bring into talent to the Jayhawk program.

Some were suprised that Weis’s next job was still in college.  A man who writes for Notre Dame Illustrated believed that he was going to go back to the NFL.  Many expect Weis to drastically change the way they do things at Kansas.  Kirby reports that Weis was the top choice for the AD Zenger.  Zenger made the hire as he saw Weis as the best fit into the Kansas program.  Kirby warns fans to not be too quick to judge the hire.  He says it will take time to develop, and the Kansas faithful need to be patient with Weis at the helm.

This is huge news for the Kansas football program.  It is a big name hire, but Zenger did not just hire him because he was a big name.  Although some fans may not be too excited about the hire intially, they will have to wait to see if any positive results occur because of the hire.  Weis has NFL experience and has always been a great recruiter.  Kansas should have some good talent in the coming years.  The only remaining question is how many wins can this program get in the coming years.

Event 3: Dawg Walk

I went to the Dawg Walk before the UGA-Kentucky football game.  This is a time for fans to get excited and welcome in the UGA football team as they walk into the stadium.  Looking around, it can be observed that most of the people in the crowd are families.  This comes as no surprise as many college students and other fans are busy tailgating.  The Redcoats played songs getting the fans pumped up for the arrival of the team.  A few members of the Redcoats also gave a pep talk and began some chants as a part of the tradition of the Dawg Walk.  Overall, this was a time to get both fans and players excited before the game.  Fans are also able to show their support in this time as it creates somewhat of an interaction between players and fans that is different from when the players are on the field.

Plus-One?

In an article for the Wall Street Journal, Jeremy Gordon speaks about how close college football could be to having a plus-one system.  Gordon mentions that the Big 12 took a straw poll, and they supported the idea of looking at a plus-one format.  The Stanford athletic director said that a plus-one format is bound to happen.  All of this information comes after a wild football season and an even crazier bowl selection process resulting in a rematch in the BCS National Championship game.  Many have voiced their opinions about their stance against the BCS in recent years.  However, this year gives protesters an especially strong argument against the BCS system.

If the plus-one were implemented this season, LSU would play Stanford and Alabama would play Oklahoma State.  Gordon states that the plus-one would take away some of the talk about the bias of some of the coaches that is going on now.  Gordon also says that the plus-one system would not be beneficial to non-major conference teams, but that is no different the current BCS system.  In the article, it is stated that the Big Ten commissioner has still voiced his disapproval of a plus-one system.

The plus-one system would affect all teams and fans of FBS universities.  This season it appears that it would be a fair way to find a true champion.  The problem with the proposal is that some people do not believe that it will always be a better system.  It will be interesting to see if anything happens because of the craziness of this season.

Event 2: UGA Women’s Soccer Game

I went to the UGA-Mercer women’s soccer game at the UGA soccer complex earlier this season.  I was unsure what to expect from a college soccer game.  This particular game was a promotional night that was being called a “Futbol Fiesta.”  Every fan received a free sombrero upon entrance into the game which had free admission anyway.  The promotional staff was active all night as the sombrero giveaway was not the only promotion on that night.  At halftime, there was a Burger King Dress Like a King competition which two fans were able to participate in.  The other halftime festivity was a burrito eating competition sponsored by Willy’s.  I was one of the five lucky fans to be in the competition.  Although I did not win, it was still fun to experience a competition during the game as a fan. 

Through my experience at the game, I noticed how much different college soccer games are as compared to a football game.  Most information given to the fans were about sponsors.  Since they did not take admission, they have to get some money to offset some of the costs of having a soccer program.  The turnout to the game was pretty good with families making up the large majority of the crowd.  The game was a family and fan friendly environment for all to enjoy.

Mora to the Bruins?

Vincent Bonsignore of the Los Angeles Daily News, reported that UCLA is after former NFL coach Jim Mora Jr.  Dan Guerrero, the UCLA AD, has been in New York for the past two days.  Bonsignore said his trip to New York has not stopped him from continuing his search for the next head football coach for the Bruins.  Guerrero’s visit to New York was not specifically to look for a coach; he was actually visiting some forum.

Guerrero will further examine the situation once he gets back to Los Angeles. Many are saying that interest is mutual between both Mora and the university.  Mora has a sub-.500 as a head coach in the NFL with both the Falcons and Seahawks.  He was most recently replaced in Seattle by former USC head coach Pete Carroll who left after scandal hit USC.  Any talks about Jim Tressell being on the UCLA campus have been denied.

UCLA has already been rejected by two hot coaching prospects, and they are eager to find a new coach for next season.  The Mora deal seems like a very real possibility right now.  UCLA players and fans are affected by whatever happens in this attempt to hire a football coach.

Not many details were given in the article because the story is really just breaking out.  More details should be expected in the next few days.  UCLA fans will have to patiently wait to see what both Guerrero and Mora decide.

UGA and Michigan State in the Outback Bowl

Tim Tucker of the AJC reported that UGA will play Michigan State in the Outback Bowl.  It will be the second time since 2008 that the teams have met and only the third time in history.  Georgia won both of the previous meetings by an average of 9.5 points.    Georgia is also undefeated in the Outback Bowl. 

Both teams are coming off tough losses in their respective conference championships and have the same record, 10-3.  The teams look to represent their conferences well and end their seasons on a good note.  Michigan State will have to deal with very warm Florida weather that they are not used to playing in during this time of the year.  In any case, they will try to overcome any heat to beat a hot as of late Bulldogs team.

Tucker mentioned that Georgia was one of three possible SEC teams to get into the Capital One Bowl who has first choice ahead of the Outback and Cotton Bowls.  The Capital One Bowl decided to invite South Carolina instead of Arkansas or Georgia.  It will be a homecoming of sorts for quarterback Aaron Murray.  Murray is from Tampa, the location of the Outback bowl. 

This news affects both the teams and conferences these teams are from.  Not only are they playing for pride, but they also will receive money for playing in the bowl game.  Many recruits will also be tuned into bowl season to see what their possible future teams look like.  A win could be an important sell to any recruit.

The Outback Bowl should be a highly competitive game with two quality teams playing in it.  It will be interesting to see who comes to play after disappointing losses.  I do not see either of these teams laying down, but anything can happen during the bowl season.

Charge or Block?

In his article for the Chattanooga Times Free Press, David Uchiyama takes a look at the new NCAA basketball rule concerning blocks and charges.  The change makes the college rules more like the NBA rules.  College basketball courts have now added a ring below the basket to help referees make the right call.  If a players’ feet are in or on the ring, then the call will be a block unless the offensive player is out of control.

Although referees’ eyes will have to be more active, it will make the calls more clear to them and the teams playing.  Referee John Cahill says that referees used to be able to just look at the torso of the defender to make the call.  Now, they are also going to have to look at the defenders’ feet.  However, Cahill does add that he thinks it will make referees’ calls easier in the long run.

Uchiyama tells about how a charge call affected the outcome of a game between University of Tennessee at Chattanooga  and Marshall University.  Keegan Bell, a player for UTC, attempted to take a charge under the basket as time expired.  The ball went in the basket, but the referee waved off the score saying that Bell had successfully taken a charge.  The result of that call meant that UTC won the game by one point.

The rule change will affect both players and referees.  As Uchiyama states, coaches will not really be affected in the way they coach the game.  Most coaches don’t want their defenders in a position under the basket anyway.  Players will have to be more aware of where they are on the court.  Referees will have to adjust the way they look at the game.

Uchiyama did not really make clear as to whether he thought the referee made the right call.  I would have liked it if Uchiyama went further in depth in examining the call.  Although he got Bell’s biased opinion, I think Uchiyama’s opinion was necessary to enhance the article.

Snyder’s Unwavering Philosophy Proves to be Successful

In an article for ESPN.com, Ivan Maisel looks into how Bill Snyder has been so successful at Kansas State University in both of his tenures.  Snyder came to KSU in 1989 and turned the program around.  According to Maisel, Snyder won the same number of games as the 15 coaches before him in his 17 seasons.  Although he experienced the success, the Wildcats had back-to-back losing seasons under him in 2004 and 2005 causing Snyder to call it quits.  He, at least at the time, thought that he had gotten all he wanted out of coaching at 66 years old.  After an unsuccessful tenure by Coach Ron Prince, Snyder is back coaching and this is his third season for this second go-around.

Some might call Snyder’s ways old school.  He teaches his players the hard work and discipline that goes into the game. Snyder is all about the team working together as a cohesive unit instead of only highlighting star players.  Snyder leads by example in showing the dedication he has to the game.  Someone can find Snyder working on football things at almost any given time during the day.  The coach also expects a lot out of his assistant coaches.  Bret Bielema, former assistant under Snyder and current head coach of Wisconsin, says that Coach Snyder is all about the details.  Coaches were required to be clean shaven, and razors were provided at the facilities if the coaches did not have enough time to shave before they came.  Those are the kinds of details that may seem too picky, but they help build a winning team.

Coach Snyder’s Wildcats have been a perfect 7-0 this season and hope to extend their fortunes against the Oklahoma Sooners who are ranked ninth in the country at the moment.  His current success shows that, even though he is 72 years old, he can get his point across to his players.  When the Sooners come to visit, they will be playing in the stadium which was named after Coach Snyder after his first tenure with the Wildcats.  When they named it, Coach Snyder made sure they named it Bill Snyder Family Stadium.  He recognized that it was not just him who brought success, but all the people along his journey helped him as well.

Coach Snyder is loved by the Kansas State faithful.  How could you not after what he has done for their program?  He not only made the program relevant, but he has stuck to his ways.  In a copycat system that college football has become, Snyder has stayed true to his ways, and he has made them work.  If Coach Snyder can keep the ball rolling this season, many more college football fans may begin to realize who he and his team are.

Maisel gave a great account of what makes Snyder a special and successful coach.  I like how he got perspective from one of Snyder’s former assistant coaches.  Not only was an assistant, but it was Bielema who is doing pretty well for himself at Wisconsin currently.  It helps everyone to realize the impact that Coach Snyder has made on the game of college football and will continue to make in the years to come.

A Modest Proposal (College Football Style)

The mention of having a playoff system is not anything new to college football.  In recent years, it appears that the frustration with the current BCS system has angered people even more in recent years.  After a strong push a couple of years ago, the NCAA obviously did not even want to budge from using the BCS system.  The case even went to Congress, and they were not able to change the system of choosing a college football champion.  In 2009, the Mountain West commissioner, Craig Thompson, devised a plan to have an eight team playoff system.  His idea was not taken very far, but why quit after just one try. You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take, right? In an article for CBSSports.com, Dennis Dodd reports about the latest proposal by Thompson.

This time around, Thompson proposes a 16 team playoff that he says is worth at least $650 million.  In his proposal, Thompson states that a human committee would rank teams from 1 to 30 and the top 16 teams that resulted from those rankings would be in the playoff.  At least six conferences would be represented by their champion, and no conference would be allowed more than three teams in the playoff.  The first round would be hosted by the top eight seeds at their home stadiums.  The quarterfinals would be played at the sights of the BCS bowls.  The semifinals would be played at the highest seeds’ stadiums.  Then, for the championship game, the venue would be decided by the result of different bowls bidding for the game.

Conferences will not only get money based off their performances in the playoff under Thompson’s plan.  Conferences would receive money for how many teams they have in the playoff, remember maximum of three, based on where they are seeded in the playoff.  As teams advance, the conference gets more and more money for how well their teams do.

According to the information that CBSSports.com found, Thompson sent this proposal to 10 FBS commissioners, Notre Dame and BCS executive director Bill Hancock. The FBS commissioners would have talked about this proposal at a scheduled meeting on September 20.  Unfortunately, the meeting had to be cancelled because of conference realignment issues.  If these people found his plan adequate, then it could change the whole scope of college football.  Smaller conference schools that go undefeated would have a fair chance to get to the championship game unlike the system now.

Although a lot of information about the proposal was given by Dodd, it feels like it was missing something.  Some sort of vital information about any other parties that are for this type of proposal.  Does Thompson having any other conference commissioners backing him? Is he going at it alone? Why did he decide to propose this now?  Many questions remain unanswered, but the contract with the BCS ends in 2014.  Details will be clarified by then, and we shall see if any playoff proposal is looked at seriousy.

Keeping the Tradition Alive

In her article for The Reflector, the student newspaper for Mississippi State University, Lauren Clark gives a reminder to students concerning cowbell use at football games.  Since cowbells were banned many years ago by the Southeastern Conference, Mississippi State fans have not been able to legally keep their tradition alive.  The tradition dates back to the late 1930’s with myths and legends surrounding how exactly they came about at the games.  Even though the SEC banned the cowbell use, MSU fans did continue shaking the cowbells at football games.  The SEC let it sort of fly under the radar until they decided to become more strict about the rules.

Last season, MSU was fined $30,000 for the inappropriate use of the cowbell.  However, the SEC made somewhat of a compromise with the university allowing cowbells to be used at games.  Notice how I said at and not during games.  MSU fans are now allowed to ring the cowbells before the game, during timeouts, at halftime and when the team scores.  Any use other than those times will result in some sort of fine or penalty.  Steve Stricklin, the athletic director at MSU, wants to make sure the word gets out and is clear to the students.  He recognizes that the SEC has given the university an opportunity, and he does not want the students to mess up this opportunity.

If MSU students ring their cowbells at appropriate times during the season, then the SEC will probably allow the rule to continue to be put into practice.  Stricklin says that the university and the SEC are still in  a trial run for the rule so the fans still have to be careful.  If they do not follow this rule, then they could have a 70 year tradition stripped away from the school.  The university and its fans definitely do not want that so it is important that they know the consequences to their actions.  The video board at games tells fans when it is appropriate to use them.  It is the fans’  job to follow the rule.

If the SEC feels MSU did not behave properly in accordance to the rule, the university and its fan would be majorly affected by the outcome.  MSU would lose some of its identity if cowbells were no longer allowed at games.  One of the more intimidating factors of playing an away game in Starkville is hearing the ringing of the cowbells throughout the stadium.  An abuse of this compromise could result in the loss of some of the home field advantage factor for the Bulldogs.

Clark made sure that the students knew when they could appropriately ring the cowbells.  She got quotes from various people affiliated with the university and its athletics to provide views on the situation.  This article contained all necessary facts to make sure students were aware of the cowbell situation.

New Stanford Mouthpieces to Aid in Concussion Studies

In an article for HealthCanal.com, Norbert von der Groeben reported about the new technology the Stanford football team uses this season.  The football team wears mouthpieces that contain accelerometers and gyrometers that measure the linear and rotational force of head impacts.  Knowing the specifics about those forces aids Stanford in their research about concussions.  Dan Garza, an assistant professor at Stanford leading the investigation, says that it will allow researchers to better understand how to deal with concussions.  This type of technology could really affect the life of football players after they have stopped playing.  Quality of life would greatly improve if the technology works as intended.

Fear surrounding the consequences of concussions have become very popular lately, especially in the National Football League (NFL).  New rules have been put into place that attempts to protect players from the long term effects of concussions.  Garza studied some former NFL players in 2000 and realized that most players who suffered from concussions also dealt with many more neurological problems than the players who had not had a concussion.  Garza also notes that concussions are much more difficult to diagnose than any type of bone break or tendon tear.  He says that an MRI can show doctors the patient’s precise injury unless it is a concussion.  Concussions are more subjective than other injuries.  Players lie about symptoms so they do not have to sit out for any amount of time leaving concussions undiagnosed sometimes.

Making sure the mouthpiece actually worked was a key factor in having the players wear them.  To test the effectiveness of the mouthpiece, a research assistant continually dropped a crash-test dummy at various angles and examined the data.  The researchers were satisfied with the data collected from the various tests and decided that the mouthpiece was adequate for what they wanted to accomplish.  In the article, von der Groeben states that the researchers hope to have their conclusions published by about the summer of 2012.

The findings of the research will affect both current and future football players.  It may not affect the way the game is played, but it could dramatically help in knowing how to deal with concussions.  Players would not have to worry about as much about the long term effects of concussions as doctors and researchers alike would know what occurs in the process of dealing with concussions.

Although the researchers used the crash-test dummy to try out the mouthpiece, von der Groeben did state if the mouth reacted the same as normal humans do.  Most times, a player might bite down on his mouthpiece when he gets hit really hard.  I wonder if that crash-test dummy’s mouth reacted in the same way to give accurate enough results.  Through the reactions of the researchers, they feel like this technology is as accurate as it gets at the moment, but von der Groeben just failed to mention any facts dealing with the matter. It will be interested to follow the results of this study and hopefully it will truly help reduce the concussions or at least the effect of concussions in the future.

Are Helmet Cams the Way of the Future?

In St.Claire Murraine’s article in the Tallahassee Democrat, Murraine talks about the use of cameras strapped to the helmets of quarterbacks for Florida A&M University football team.  The idea came when their videographer, Will Bennett, saw it at a conference that he attended.  As soon as he saw the camera, he knew that it could be a huge benefit for the team.  The camera gives coaches better insight into what the quarterback actually sees as he makes his reads. 

Bennett works a little bit more now because he has to compile the video onto a disk so that the coaches can see all of the footage from the camera.  Even though the camera requires a little more work, the coaches believe that it all pays off.  When coaches watch the film, they easily spot mistakes as they see where the quarterbacks’ head faces at all times.  Quarterback Damien Fleming recognizes that the quarterbacks are under a microscope even more now because of the helmet cam.  Fleming says that he will get used to it, and he knows that it will make them better in the end.

Coach Joe Taylor takes a look at the numbers, and he appears to be somewhat satisfied in what he sees.  He knows that it is not just about numbers though.  When it comes down to success, he measures it by how many wins they get.  However, improvements in their offensive attack will contribute to more wins for the Rattlers during the season.

The technology used by FAMU could potentially affect the future of college football.  If it proves to be successful for FAMU, other colleges might try the technique.  FAMU appears to be a guinea pig as eyes watch to see if the helmet cam is worth the extra work.  Quarterback performance may significantly improve as mistakes will be made know easily to their coaches.  As coaches see the mistakes, they will specifically know how to coach the quarterbacks to bring out their full potential.

Murraine failed to mention any information about what type of conference Bennett attended.  Murraine should have also given some information about any other teams that were thinking about using the helmet cam.  Knowledge about what teams are experimenting with the helmet cams would help to further analyze the success of the cam on the field.

UGA v. Coastal Carolina

On September 18th, I attended the University of Georgia versus Coastal Carolina football game.  The game occured in Athens, Georgia between the hedges at Sanford Stadium. Although empty spots appeared in the stands, a sizeable crowd still showed up to the game.  Before the game, many people set up their tents, cars, and RVs to tailgate in preparation for the game. As the players battled it out on the field, there was work to be done in the stands and throughout the stadium. Vendors could be easily spotted as they were required to wear neon shirts.  The information on the backs of these men and women’s shirts gave spectators a number to call in case they needed help.  These vendors walked up and down the stairs selling anything from drinks to cotton candy, all over-priced of course.  Other workers had to check the bags of spectators as they walked into the stadium to make sure they were not carrying prohibited items into the stadium.  At each entrance gate, a worker checked students and regular fans alike to make sure they had a ticket into the game.  Security staff and GBI enforcement walked around the stadium and stood at the hedges to make sure the game experience was safe for everyone.

Multiple messages were played during the course of the game promoting the school and safe activity.  Coach Mark Richt came on the video screen encouraging fans not to drink and drive.  Other messages shown on the board promoted upcoming athletic events for non-revenue sports to gain support for those teams.  On the field, the university recognized people for their accomplishments to the whole stadium.  One group was the 40 under 40 who had participated in a luncheon before the game, and the other group was one of former Georgia teams. 

At the end of the day, the Bulldogs came out on top 59-0.  This gave the Dawgs their first win of the season in front of a less than enthusiastic crowd.  However, being that Coastal Carolina is an FCS team, I am sure their fans were impressed with the whole UGA football experience.  The game will no doubt be memorable for the players as they will never face a crowd of that size the rest of the season.  The night before, I was walking on Sanford Drive, and I saw a group of Coastal Carolina fans taking pictures of the stadium as they stood in awe.  If they were in awe of the beautiful empty stadium, then I cannot imagine how they felt on gameday.  I know that I felt pride as I watched the team exit the stadium with the first win of the season under their belts, hopefully one of many to come.

Steve Shaw Clarifies Confusing Rule

In an article seen in the Montgomery Advertiser, Steve Shaw, head of Southeastern Conference (SEC) officials, clarifies the confusing new celebration rule in college football.  Under the new rule, some touchdowns can be taken off the scoreboard because of early celebrations.  Not all celebrations will result in touchdowns being negated.  If a player celebrates before scoring the touchdown, then that touchdown will not count, and the scoring team will suffer a penalty from the spot of the foul. 

Although some people may think this may be a pretty straight forward rule, but it caused controversy in last week’s USC-Utah game.  During the game, a score was taken away from USC because of an alleged early celebration penalty off a blocked kick.  After the game had ended, the points were given back to USC making them win by nine points as opposed to three.  Fortunately, the rule did not affect who would have won the game.  However, there cannot be a constant confusion about when the rule should be enforced.

According to Shaw, the referees on the field actually confirmed that the touchdown should count.  The officials in the press box working the scoreboard misunderstood what the on-field officials were saying causing the points to be taken off the board.  Shaw says that the rule is only in effect when the players on the field are the culprits of the penalty.  Players that come onto the field to celebrate after a touchdown will only cause a 15-yard penalty after the play which has been the rule for quite some time.

Eventually, the rule will truly affect who wins and loses a game, and true controversy will arise on that day.  A negated touchdown could determine the postseason fate of a team.  In a league where each game is important, one loss could make a team go from a BCS bowl to a lower profit bowl affecting the universities profits.

The author of this article fails to mention any post game quotes from either USC or Utah coaches or players.  This would shed some more light on how the coaches and players felt about what occured during the game.  What if it was Utah that had won the game by three? Then, USC would have won by three after the added score.  Utah would have been in outrage over losing a game after it had ended.  The new celebration rule did not hurt someone this time, but it will not be too long before it does.

More Than a Game

In his article for CBSSports.com, Dennis Dodd examines the situation former Army coach Todd Berry had to deal with in his time at Army.  Many people keep up with Army football about one week a year when they play the Naval Academy.  The game is always interesting to watch, and there is some patriotic pride that comes with watching two branches of the armed service battle it out on the gridirion.  However, the unfortunate truth is that not very many people keep up with the Army football team throughout the year because they never seem to be very competitive from season to season.  After being away from Army for eight years, it is time he feels that he can speak out about what exactly being coach of Army was really like.

Berry has now spoken out about the 2001 season.  The impact of the tragedy of 9/11 weighed on all the hearts of Americans, but it was especially tough for the service academies.  Instead of holding practices, Berry had to let his players train for the Army.  Ultimately, Berry was given the decision between letting his players practice or train.  However, Berry was getting strong suggestions from the leaders at Army to let his players train.  Any coach will tell you that losing practice time significantly hurts football teams.  Every practice is necessary to a team’s success.  No coach would like to give up even one practice let alone multiple practices.  The situation at Army forced Berry into giving up practice time, granted for good reason. 

As Berry recalls, he only had two athletes that ran faster than a 4.7 second forty yard dash.  When he left, he claims to have had 37 players who ran faster than a 4.7.  Although he was able to get better athletes in his tenure, success did not come with the multiplicity of athletes.  In his four seasons at Army, Berry could only lead the team to a 5-36 record.  Because troops were sent on dangerous missions over seas after 9/11, it was a lot more difficult for Berry to convince recruits’ parents to let them go to Army.  Berry also recognizes that he could not allow himself to deny the job opportunity at Army because he felt that it would be unpatriotic.  Even though he was unsuccessful on the field, Berry knew that he was building character for men who would be leading the country on the battlefields in war.

Berry speaking out about his time at Army does not bring out too many surprises about the head coaching job at the school.  In short, he is basically stating what many already knew: it’s not about football at Army, it’s much more than that.  Army is a service academy preparing young men to go into battle.  This emphasis on service benefits all Americans who can live in safely in this great country.  Although Army does not win on the football field, all Americans (not to be confused with All-Americans) do win because of the type of leaders the academy builds. 

I believe Dodd includes much of what was needed to be said about the comments made by Berry.  Dodd missed some of the point though.  Dodd focused too much on how negative it is to take the head coaching job at Army.  I feel a sense of patriotism any time that I watch Army get a victory on the field, but I get that same pride just seeing they way they fight out on the field.  Army is not too concerned with football which should not alarm anyone.  They are focused on preparing men for real battle because, in the end, the battle on the gridiron is just a game, but someone’s life is much more than a game.

Eric LeGrand lives out dream, broadcasts first Rutgers game

Author: Kristian Dyer

Outlet: Yahoo.com

In a day in age when the media seems to only report the negatives about college athletics, it may seem difficult to find a positive story.  However, the story of Eric LeGrand and his incredible determination despite troubles is nothing short of inspiring.  Just a year ago, LeGrand lay motionless on the football field during a Rutgers football game.  At that moment, many fans worried not only about having an injured player on the field, but they worried about how bad the injury might be.  LeGrand sustained a neck injury leaving him paralyzed from his shoulders down.  Even though he has suffered, albeit with a smile on his face, through the paralysis, recent reports have said that Legrand has some feeling in his shoulders and hands.  One report even stated that he was able to stand for about 45 minutes at a rehab session.

All throughout the situation LeGrand is having to deal with, he has maintained the positive outlook on life that he has always had.  LeGrand seems to keep with a common theme of “going with the flow” in many of his interviews.  He does not complain about the cards that he has been dealt, but instead he does the best that he can with what he is dealt.  Although he has been told that he will never walk again, he still keeps hope that some day he can prove many doctors wrong.  Even with this hope, LeGrand has focused his career path away from football and toward a career that does not require use of the legs that cannot function for the time being, broadcasting.

Broadcasting seemed like a natural career to focus on as LeGrand has an in depth knowledge of the game of football as a former player.  He will be featured on the Rutgers Radio Network doing commentaries during the show’s pregame, halftime and postgame slots.  LeGrand feels like he will be able to give good insight as he was a player under current head coach Greg Schiano.  According to how the game is going, LeGrand can easily analyze and broadcast to the public what the coach is telling the team and what his approach will be heading into the later parts of the game. 

The dynamic LeGrand will bring to the booth will no doubt enhance the experience for the listeners.  Everyone who hears the broadcast should be delighted to hear LeGrand as he brings his knowledge to the radio show.  LeGrand also benefits from the job as this should jump start him into the next phase in his life as he looks into making a career for himself.  The viewers will be inspired about the fight and perserverance of LeGrand, and the situation with him in the booth is really a win-win for everyone. 

Overall, Kristian’s report on LeGrand did a good job of covering all aspects of the situation with LeGrand.  He went through the progression of LeGrand’s life from injury into what he is doing currently.  Kristian even had quotes from LeGrand which gave first hand insight into what LeGrand thinks about thisnew broadcasting situation.  I believe everyone is anxious to see how this turns out for LeGrand as we all hope it is a positive step in LeGrand’s life journey.

Title IX ties hands of athletic officials

Author: Charles Whisnand
Porterville Recorder

This article observes the modern effects of Title IX which was issued in 1972. Title IX made it a requirement for women to be given the same education opportunity as men have. In this article, the author points out that it forces colleges to give the same chance for women in athletics, but he says that the colleges have struggled to do so. The requirement makes it so that the same percentage of females at a given school should be the same percentage of females that are a part of athletics at that school.

Although at first glance this requirement seems very nice and logical, the author highlights a small community college in California, Porterville College, who is hurting because of these requirements. The author talks about how difficult it is for Porterville to follow the law because it is a smaller school. He goes on to talk about how most female athletes are going to four-year colleges because those colleges also have to meet the requirements, and four-year colleges provide better opportunity for those athletes.

The biggest problem for Porterville is the fact they have a large percentage of female athletes, 61.3 percent the article states. Even though Porterville offers three female sports as opposed to two male sports, only about 47 percent of athletes are females. With the economy down, it would be difficult for Porterville to come up with the funds to support a new female sport.

Since they are so far off from meeting the requirements, Porterville must take some steps to show that they are trying to follow the law. However, they have a very short timeline as they must have those steps completed by November 1, or they willl have to forfeit all athletic events for the year.

The restrictions of Title IX affect all colleges and universities across America in reality. This article really only highlights a small bit of who Title IX is really affecting. Any institution for higher learning must go through this whole process about worrying if they are fulfulling Title IX requirements even if it is not economically feasible for them. Unfortunately the law has a big downfall to it even though the intentions of it are good.

I believe the author left out some important material that could help the reader better understand the situation. While the author mentions that Porterville cannot add football since it would put it further in a hole as far as Title IX goes, he fails to mention any sort of reasoning behind why football should be added. Earlier in the article he argued that Porterville could not add another sport because the economy is down. I believe that he should have given reasoning behind why the addition of football would benefit Porterville. He could have driven the point home by saying that due to the requirements of Title IX, smaller schools miss out on sports that could generate them money which is the big picture in all of it.