Blount Blows It ...

Oregon running back LeGarrette Blount came into the season with big hopes for both the Oregon Ducks and himself. NFL scouts had him on the radar as a second- or third-round draft pick, and he had boasted coming into the game that the 16th-ranked Ducks were going to give Boise State a whuppin on Thursday night. So, instead of keeping that whupping on the field of play, he allowed his anger to get the best of him and delivered a sucker punch on Bronco's defensive end Byron Hout.

Blount then boiled over when the fans began taunting him for loosing control, and it took two officers and two coaches to hold him back from whuppin some students in the stands. Blount seemed intent on keeping his pre-game promise of exacting revenge for last season's loss to Boise State. The scene was replayed over and over and over on ESPN, as the commentators and I sat at home speechless at such a spectacle of rage.

And in the instant of one clutched fist Oregon dropped from the sky as if it was Duck hunting season in Idaho. The NFL scouts now say Blount is undraftable, and Oregon is left with two redshirt freshmen to carry its running game. The Ducks, who thought this was going to be a breakthrough season, are now wondering how long they can stay in the Top 25.

I highly commend Oregon's first-year head coach Chip Kelly for immediately deciding Blount would be suspended for the remainder of the season after viewing the video. It's nice to see integrity and morales still take a higher priority than winning football games. An even larger testament to sportsmanship than the insincere hand shakes the NCAA is now requesting teams do at the beginning of games. Every action has a consequence--some good and some bad.

The ripple effect of Blount's actions have the capacity of actually having more good than bad consequences. While the senior played his final football game (outside of a backyard pick-up game) on the Boise blue turf, his scholarship is still intact offering him the opportunity to earn a college degree--a gift I hope Blount takes full advantage of. As Blount sobbed at the realization of his actions, Kelly held him accountable. It takes strength for Kelly to stand-up and give a great life lesson, and it's one that should have practical implications for Blount the rest of his life. And Oregon now faces an adversity it didn't expect to face this season. Now more than ever, the Ducks will need to come together as a team and constructively work to have any chance at the Pac-10 title.

But how Kelly ties this team together at this point, is as critical as his decision to remove Blount permanently from the team. Kelly had this team tied by vengeance coming into the game, not the healthiest way to bring people together. Oregon was pumped to exact that revenge on Boise State. Passion is instrumental to a football team's success, but vengeance rarely produces positive effects. And the Ducks played the game listlessly with their emotions built so high that they had difficulty staying focused on the tasks at hand. (It was one of the reasons I picked Boise State to win the game. It was in stark contrast to the Bronco's head coach Chris Petersen, who chose to prepare his team as it was any other game of the season.)

The game was also a good example of why the pre-game handshake only proves an insincere action is not better than no action at all. Going into game day, a player has to have the heart to throw his body into forces of equal or greater momentum, and to do that takes passion that can easily enter the realm of rage. And, honestly does anyone think there was good sportsmanship in the Oregon-Boise State game after Blount's punch and Hout's taunting? But they shook hands before the game . . .

Developing a heart to handle our emotions is one of life's most difficult lessons to learn. But it's also one of the most important life skills one needs to be able to handle the stresses life throws at us--and there's no room for insincerity! Maybe now, instead of encouraging a facade of sportsmanship, the NCAA will focus on what's at the heart of good sportsmanship and encourage teaching the lessons of morality, integrity, and faith that can truly develop that heart. And maybe through seeing that put into action on the field, its fans will follow suit and not taunt someone who is at a breaking point in his life.

The SEC . . . is that even a question?!

On Saturday, I was blessed to have the opportunity to join some fun guys on the radio broadcast, "Longhorn Live." The topic: Big 12 versus SEC, who's better? Of course, "Longhorn" Gene Williams and Johnny Walker double teamed me in towing the Big 12 line. But, it was all good because I had the power of the SEC behind me. One cannot fight the fact that the SEC is the predominant conference in college football--it's still black and white, but I'll concede the Big 12 is brushing some gray in the picture.

The Big 12 is definitely the SEC's biggest rival to claiming best collegiate football conference, and its stellar at the top with Texas, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. And as a fan of just great football, you'll have no problem getting me to a Big 12 game. But as a radio rookie I didn't jump in quick enough to voice all my reasons as to why the SEC is better than the Big 12. So, my blog is the lucky recipient of my SEC rant:

1.) Other conferences scoff at the whole, "top to bottom the SEC is the best." So much so that they've made it into a cliche, but at the heart of every cliche is a truth (that's why it's been repeated so much as to become a cliche). There's no denying that on any given Saturday you're most likely going to have an SEC upset somewhere in the conference. Mississippi's season last year is a perfect example! The Rebels lost early in the season to Vanderbilt at home, and got written off before turning around and handing Florida their only loss on the road to the national championship. To make the point even more dramatic, the Rebels defeated the Gators at The Swamp! Instantly, Ole Miss was a contender again, until a home loss the following weekend to South Carolina. OK, the Rebel's win over Florida was a fluke . . . until they took down Texas Tech (a former national title contender) at the Cotton Bowl!

I love the SEC because there are no gimme weekends, and you can always expect the unexpected. Then, you KNOW the SEC championship is going to be a rockin' game! Last year, No. 1 Bama lost its shot at the national title to No. 2 Florida at the SEC championship -- you just can't give me enough of those games. On the other hand, the Big 12 championship is usually a cake walk for the South over the North -- yawn. I love watching underdogs rise to the occasion, and powerhouses to execute flawlessly under the pressure of big games. You get both in the SEC every season . . . that's exciting football to watch.

2.) It's obvious I'm not the only one who loves to watch SEC football because the conference just signed the biggest television deal in college history. ESPN and CBS are banking more than $3 billion that the entire country wants to watch SEC football. No other conference has ever had the national coverage that the SEC will have starting this season. No matter where you are, you cannot only watch every Florida, LSU and Alabama game, but also every Mississippi State, South Carolina and Kentucky game -- if you're so inclined. In fact, Kentucky is going to make more regular season television dollars than Texas this season. (I'll admit that's absolutely crazy, but that's the power of being in the best conference.)

3.) Preseason polls give the SEC just a slight edge over the Big 12, with Florida sitting atop and Alabama, Mississippi and LSU joining the Gators in the top 10. The Big 12 has Texas and Oklahoma in top 10 of both the AP and USA Today, and Oklahoma State in the AP's top 10. The SEC has a few more teams in the top 20 over the Big 12, but I really think preseason polls are only a great off-season hobby for those dying to talk football. The underlying message of both polls is that if you want great football, you simply only need to follow the SEC and Big 12 and you'll get stuffed like you're on a cruise ship buffet!

4.) Now for the numbers of it all. I'm not a numbers girl, but it's just hard facts that can't be denied. Let's just talk modern-day stats, in the last three years the SEC has won every national title, 73 percent of its bowl games (the Big 12 has only won 52 percent), and in the last decade it maintains a slight lead in head-to-head action against the Big 12 (15-13 SEC, and stats courtesy ESPN).

I love that the Big 12 and SEC are the strongest conferences in the country. The two conferences comprise more than half of the AP's preseason top 10, and I would love to see these two represented in the Rose Bowl. I think whoever is left standing in each of these conferences will be the nation's best! (Please Lord, don't allow Lou Holtz's prediction of Notre Dame in the Rose Bowl to come true . . . although he has a good point. There is not a bigger cupcake season out there, and the only hurdle to an Irish undefeated season is Southern California -- just another case for a playoff system!)

The Big 12 is closing the divide, but the SEC is still standing strong atop college football. Until the Big 12 competes at the SEC's depth and overtakes the SEC in head-to-head standings and, most importantly, the national title game, I'll enjoy living in Big 12 territory but having full access to watch every SEC game!

Rise of the Living Dead QB--Part 2

The other living dead quarterback to recently rise out of the ashes is Michael Vick. I don't know if anyone was happier to see Brett Favre return to the scene than Vick. Favre's return has drawn the NFL fans' focus off the new Eagle and onto a more pressing decision--buy the "yes" or "no" Favre t-shirt. (Personally, I think preseason football has provided the best original television of the summer. It's been so good that playboy-turned-model-husband Tom Brady's comeback from last season's foot injury draws little more than a spot on ESPN's sports ticker, and poor T.O. and Ocho Cinco are relegated to Tweeting to garner the attention they desire.)

So after two years in prison and a house arrest, Michael Vick has rejoined society with the desire to become a productive member and get out of bankruptcy. While I'm also a Hokie, I didn't ride the Vick bandwagon during his Falcon days (although I loved the second-half show he put on during the 2000 national championship). And the abuse he brought upon those poor dogs who were unwillingly members of his dog fighting ring definitely deserved the sentence he received. But I have to say I'm now in Vick's corner, mainly because of  the anti-Vick movement's theatrics.

Athletes who raped women and killed men return to professional sports with less outrage. I barely heard a whimper from anyone when Roger Goodell had to decide Donte Stallworth's fate last week. While driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs, Stallworth killed a man who was crossing the street to catch a bus home from work. Goodell was correct in Stallworth's one-year suspension, but I couldn't help but notice the striking difference in public reaction from only a few weeks earlier when Goodell decided Vick's fate. I love dogs, and have always had them as pets! But are we really saying that a man's life is less important than a dog's?

I believe the people one surrounds themselves with will have a deep impact on their life. Vick rarely made the wisest choices in choosing friends. While in prison, his "friends," fiancee, and even his own mom continued spending his money as if he was still starting for the Falcons. (Check out Rick Reilly's breakdown of how he went bankrupt in prison http://tinyurl.com/kp4u5v.) Those closest to Vick took complete advantage of the situation, and made a tough comeback even more difficult. But during that same time, a strong, Christian man also took an interest in Vick. Former Colts' coach Tony Dungy brought Vick under his wing, and helped orchestrate the quarterback's NFL return. I don't know if Vick has ever had someone like Dungy guiding him, teaching him right from wrong, and truly desiring to see good things in Vick's life rather than seeking to take the goods from Vick's life. But I'm excited to see Dungy in Vick's life, and how God may use Dungy to bring positive change in Vick.

The bottom line is this, either the judicial system is in place to rehabilitate those who have done wrong, or we might as well institute capital punishment for all crimes. When someone has paid their time, they deserve a second chance. What they do with that second chance will determine whether or not they become productive members of society. Vick's second chance and how he conducts himself during this comeback could mean a lot more than a winning season on the field; it could be a life-changing lesson for every little boy from the wrong side of the tracks who's learning how to overcome adversity from Vick's return. Let's pray that neither Vick nor we squash such a golden opportunity!

Rise of the Living Dead QB--Part 1

Brett Favre is once again an active NFL player, and from all of the commotion you would think that either the NFL is about to disintegrate or rise to almighty prominence--neither of which will most likely occur during the course of the season. It's just that it's preseason football, and honestly who cares about the games! So, the only thing we can do while suffering the final days of the yearly football fast is either lament or applaud the return of one of the most prolific quarterbacks.

As the season starts, every flash of brilliance and misstep will lead the SportsCenter highlights. But after watching ESPN fill time with "Week's Top 10" on a Wednesday during the long days of baseball's summer, I'm not going to complain about a dynamic sports figure actually making interesting news. (I think I saw the exact same play, a left-fielder diving across the manicured outfield catching--gasp--a baseball, five of the 10 times.) Yes, I do love baseball and I will be doing backflips about it when playoffs arrive. But the baseball season is way, way too long to capture my attention in August!

So, in a sport where most players are lucky to play past their 27th birthday, Favre still has the capabilities to garner $25 million for two years at age 39. Yes, the whole, "I'm retired. Surprise, I'm not retired" was annoying. But hey, what person--given the opportunity--would walk away from that salary to play football every Sunday?! You're telling me all these 39- and older-men who are ranting and raving, "Favre should've just walked away" would not be on the field opening weekend if an NFL coach called them today--and they'd probably do it for FREE!

Why do we have this preoccupation with the Hollywood ending of going out on top and living the rest of your life in peace? The better question is why don't Hollywood movies start with that scene and show what happens after that? Well, because it's boring! And if Favre is so bored that the only thing he wants to do is spend the summer on a Mississippi high school football field throwing around the pigskin, and the Vikings are bending over backward to get him back in the pros--why not?

I'll admit it was painful watching Michael Jordan suffer through one final season with the Wizards, and I'm praying that's not the season ahead for Favre. But instead of coming down on Favre or--just as bad--declaring this a Super Bowl season for the Vikings, let's look at it from a purely humanistic standpoint. This is a man defying all reason and physiological standards to continue doing what he loves. Instead of telling our society--and especially our kids--that the goal in life is to go out on top, let's applaud a man who's hard work and perseverance is keeping him in the game. Life isn't about going out on top, it's about how you live your life while climbing. And are we so arrogant to think that we even know where the top is? All I know is that like Favre, I don't plan to rest on a job well done until the day I'm six feet under.