Tag: college football

Pigskin Punditry

From my couch seat, I must admit that I find college football to be more entertaining and interesting than watching professional football.

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I read and enjoyed Why We Love Football: A History in 100 Moments by Joe Posnanski. Here is my quick review of the book:

Brief capsules (1-4 pages) of 100 pro, college and high school football moments that makes the sport special. Five of the 100 moments were about the Philadelphia Eagles: 1. Chuck Bednarik’s hit on NY Giants Frank Gifford; 2. Fans throwing snowballs at Santa; 3. Miracle at the Meadowlands (Herman Edwards returning late game fumble vs Giants); 4. DeSean Jackson returning late game punt vs. Giants; and 5. Philly Special from the Super Bowl game vs. the Patriots.

There are a lot of great stories, some deserving of additional length and elaboration. For this football fan of many decades, it was a quick nostalgic trip through my memories of memorable football experiences.

I would be interested in reading his similar themed book on baseball based on how I enjoyed this work.

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If Deshaun Watson of the Cleveland Browns tried out as QB for the University of Texas, he might make fourth string.
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Cleveland could be a three point underdog if they played Texas.

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Nick Sirianni has not made many friends among the local and national media or the football fans of the Philadelphia Eagles. There are calls to fire Sirianni now and not let him finish the season. But who would replace him? Is there a “coach in waiting” on the Eagles staff? Some experts are touting Bill Bellichek but I think he is an awful fit for the football culture in Philadelphia. I expect with the talent and relatively easy schedule the Eagles have, they should make the playoffs. If they don’t, then let’s revisit Siranni’s tenure in Philly.

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I read an article by a Temple alumnus who feels that the university should terminate its college football program because of the very poor on-field results and the lack of support and attendance from students, alumni and football fans. I concur. I also think that Rutgers University football should take a step or two back. I am not at the point where they should stop playing football, but they should consider competing at a lower level. I am not sure what football conference is appropriate for the school, but the Big 10 was and still remains a gigantic leap of faith. Possibly the greatest challenge for Rutgers football is finding a quarterback that you can build an offense around. In the 30–40 years that I have been watching Rutgers football, I can only recall maybe two, maybe three quarterbacks, who were good. The rest have been largely mediocre or awful. I recall many years ago being at a high school football game where a Rutgers coach was scouting for a quarterback. I did not think that any of the quarterbacks playing on the two teams were good enough to be recruited for a major college football program and expressed that to him. I made a suggestion to the coach about another local player who did wind up playing at a Division I school at quarterback. I hope that the Rutgers scouting program has improved greatly since that time.

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The Hot Seat: A Year of Outrage, Pride, and Occasional Games of College Football by Ben Mathis-Lilley



My rating: 4 of 5 stars


If this book had just been about Jim Harbaugh and the Michigan football program, I would have enjoyed it. However the author also extended this book to commentary about politics, religion and our national culture. Unlike some others, I enjoyed and appreciated the author’s forays into those topics. I have to admit a certain sympathy for Jim Harbaugh. Despite all the money that he is being paid, he can never satisfy the rabid desires of a typical Michigan football fan. And by the critiques and scorn that I read and see on various sports venues, Harbaugh cannot satisfy many critical commentators as to his worth.

Lord knows that many football coaches at major universities are way over paid. And one bad season can have them looking for new work quickly. Just note the unrealistic expectations at Nebraska from the Athletic Director and its football fans.

This is an excellent read if you are a college football fan or even if you are not. You don’t have to be a football fan to see how crazy college football is. For the past few years, Michigan has been Ground Zero for much of this craziness. I highly recommend this book… Excellent narrative… Cogent commentary on college sports in general.



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“Old” Lang Syne

I have celebrated 70 New Years Days. I have outgrown resolutions as most of them were simply wishful thinking on my part. It’s a bit of a somber day as I reflect upon family members, friends, acquaintances and places that no longer exist. I wonder how many “Time Square Ball Drops” are left in my life?

This was a somber New Year’s Day for most of the people in the United States. Omicron limited travel, family reunions, parties, hugs and handshakes. The celebrations and crowds at Times Square last night were very subdued. Hopefully next year life will return to a more routine existence. Maybe this can be a resolution for the CDC and other government agencies?

I remember looking forward to the football bowl games on New Year’s Day. The Orange, Rose and Sugar Bowls had the best games with the best competition. Bowl competition today has been severely diluted. Even a Rutgers team with a 5-7 record managed to play in a bowl game, though they were a substitute for a more qualified team that was going through Covid.

It’s time to get rid of the ice or Gatorade baths that winning coaches suffer at the end of games.

No one seems to get excited about the Mummers parade in Philadelphia or the Tournament of Roses Parade any more. When I was a young kid, I remember fighting with my mom at not being able to watch football as she chose to watch the parades. Of course this was a time (1960s) when most families only had one television.

Betty White passed away yesterday at age 99. She was a very skillful comedienne who was also very attractive. Comediennes currently who combine talent for humor and great looks include Aisley Bea, Tina Fey, Cecily Strong, Amy Poehler, Kristen Wiig, Katherine Ryan and Kate McKinnon.

A lot of prognosticators and people with crystal balls thought the 2021 was going to be a much better year than 2020. They were disappointed. Covid did not go away. People continued to die and be hospitalized with the pandemic. Despite a new president, the political divide got worse. While the stock market did very well, most of the country suffered from inflated prices from houses, cars, gasoline, clothes and in particular, food. I think it’s more prudent to hope than predict future events for 2022.

“No” to Fall College and High School Sports

I miss watching sports. I miss watching the competition between teams and among individuals. I miss players displaying their talents, drive and athleticism. I miss the energy of a rabid crowd cheering for their team. With all that said, I don’t want to watch sports played under the current pandemic circumstances, especially high school and college sports. I think that athletic directors and university presidents are delusional to think that games could be played given the spread of infections, particularly in the southern and southwestern sections of this country where college football is fanatical.

I understand that the cancellation of fall sports at many colleges and universities could mean the termination of all sports at those schools. Again I appreciate the economic and psychological fallout of canceled sports. But subjecting the possible infection of the coronavirus to a college athlete is not unlike sending Christians to face lions and tigers in an ancient Roman arena. The outcomes are not likely to be favorable.

In this country, we are anxious for a return to normalcy—-a return to the routines and lifestyles we enjoyed before the spread of the pandemic. Some people practice this by refusing to wear masks thus prolonging the consequences of the pandemic. As a country, we are also experiencing political, economic and social agendas that may not reflect good judgment, good science and common sense. I err to the side of caution.

As an aside, I am not sure that re-opening the NBA, NHL and Major League Baseball is a good idea either but those players are pros and are getting paid and have the ability to opt out.