Heisman Trophy Quiz: I kind of liked the last one…so you get more. In each of the following, I’ll give you the winner, you give me 2nd and 3rd in the voting. 1) 1972: Johnny Rodgers won. The next two had the initials G.P. and R.G. 2) 1973: John Cappelletti won. The next two had the initials J.H. and R.L. 3) 1974: Archie Griffin won. The next two had the initials A.D. and J.W. 4) 1975: Archie Griffin won again. The next two had the initials C.M. and R.B. Answers below.
New York, New York!…it’s a helluva town…
Especially for a malcontent athlete, and these days we have two of the shiniest examples in Knick Stephon Marbury and Giant Plaxico Burress.
Marbury was suspended without pay for one game and fined another game’s salary after the team said he refused to play. The Knicks have badly mismanaged this jerk’s status since training camp, considering he is being paid a phenomenal $21.9 million to ride the pine, or play when the team asks. And Marbury’s teammates absolutely detest him. Quentin Richardson told reporters after Stephon’s refusal in the Pistons game, “I don’t consider him my teammate.”
For his part, Marbury said of coach Mike D’Antoni, “I wouldn’t trust him to walk my dog across the street.”
It’s expected a resolution will finally be reached this coming week.
“Burress is expected to be arrested on felony weapons charges in the coming days, while (linebacker Antonio) Pierce’s attorney was in frantic discussions with cops (Sat.) night to stave off criminal charges, police sources said.
“Burress’ latest self-inflicted wound came after he was initially turned away from the LQ nightclub in midtown because he was packing heat, police sources said. Burress, 31, who was sporting flashy jewelry and carrying loads of cash, told club management he needed the gun to protect himself, sources said.
“The mercurial Giant was waved inside the crowded Latin-themed club on Lexington Ave. about midnight. He downed several drinks, making already jittery security guards more nervous about his weapon.
“As Burress was being led into a VIP area, with a drink in his hand, the gun slipped down his pants leg. He reached for the weapon, but fumbled it and it went off, sources said. The bullet tore through Burress’ already injured right thigh, police said.
“ ‘[The bullet] went in and out. No bones,’ Chief Michael Collins, a police spokesman said.
“Pierce, 30, rushed to his bleeding teammate and applied pressure to the wound as Burress screamed in pain amid the hip-hop beats piping through the club, sources said. As he worked to slow the bleeding, Pierce berated Burress for bringing a loaded handgun into a club.
“Panicking, Burress told his teammate not to call 911 for an ambulance, sources said.
“Pierce helped the bloodied receiver out of the club before taking off with the gun and stashing it somewhere in New Jersey, sources said.
“Burress was afraid to go to the hospital, but two hours after the shooting, at 2 a.m., his wife, Tiffany, and a friend escorted him to New York-Presbyterian Hospital. He was treated and released at about 12:45 p.m. (Sat.)….
“Cops only learned about the incident after Giants employees quietly reached out to the NYPD to report it.
“When plainclothes officers from the NYPD and local cops arrived at Burress’ mansion in Totowa, N.J., about 5 p.m., they were turned away by his wife – even after ringing the bell five times. ‘We’ve been through a lot today,’ a woman said from inside the home.
“ ‘Ma’am, we’re talking to a box,’ one of the cops said, referring to the intercom system outside the house. After the chaotic night, Pierce headed to Washington Saturday to prepare for the Giants game against the Redskins today.”
Yup, Plax, no stranger to trouble, is in deep this time and is expected to turn himself in to authorities Monday morning. The handgun was unregistered (an expired license for a concealed weapon in Florida would be no use to him in New York and New Jersey, even if it were properly licensed in Florida), plus, he is in violation of the NFL’s Personal Conduct Policy, “which explicitly states any gun-related incident – with or without a conviction – is a policy violation. And that could threaten to shut down his season and Giants career.” [Paul Schwartz / New York Post]
Burress’ 5-year, $35 million contract will go poof! Plax was already a strong candidate for Bar Chat “Idiot of the Year,” and, because a gun was involved in this latest incident, that means he is eligible for the “dirtball” award as well. Plus, he’s a jerk…the trifecta!
“Details of the hectic hours Burress spent trying to conceal his bone-headed blunder emerged as he said he would surrender to the NYPD today. Detectives last night seized the .40-caliber gun from his New Jersey home.
“Taking his gun from the Midtown club Latin Quarter, where workers never called authorities and even cleaned up afterward.
“Spending about 90 minutes making frantic calls to figure out where his wound could be discreetly treated.
“Getting special treatment at New York-Cornell Hospital, where he gave his name as Harris Smith, saying he’d been shot at an Applebee’s restaurant. Nonetheless, hospital workers recognized him as Plaxico Burress, sources said, and the gunshot was not reported, as required by law.
“Police found the gun last night at the Super Bowl hero’s Totowa home, sources said, after they were told it was in his kitchen. He was not home at the time.”
By the way, as to why Burress said he needed a weapon in the first place, he said it was because he was bedecked in jewelry and carrying a wad of cash.
And this from the New York Daily News:
“ ‘He called me laughing and grinning,’ fellow New York Giant Brandon Jacobs told reporters (on Sunday). ‘He is doing fine. He is feeling good. I called him and made a few jokes about the situation and he laughed – which is what I wanted to hear. He shouldn’t be down because it is a mistake that happened,’ said the running back.”
HE BROKE THE FREAKIN’ LAW, YOU IDIOT! [I never thought Jacobs was one of the brighter bulbs on the planet either.]
College Football Review
AP Poll
1. Alabama 12-0
2. Florida 11-1
3. Texas 11-1
4. Oklahoma 11-1
5. USC 10-1
6. Penn State 11-1
7. Utah 12-0
8. Texas Tech 11-1
9. Boise State 12-0
10. Ohio State 10-2
12. Ball State 12-0
1. Alabama .9713
2. Oklahoma .9351
3. Texas .9223
4. Florida .8851
5. USC .8076
6. Utah .7844
7. Texas Tech .7805
8. Penn State .7373
9. Boise State .7034
12. Ball State .5306
Thus, it’s going to be Oklahoma in the BCS title game against the Alabama-Florida winner in the SEC championship next weekend. Oklahoma beat a solid #12 Oklahoma State team 61-41, while Texas defeated Texas A&M 49-9, and Texas Tech just squeaked by Baylor 35-28; all three finishing 7-1 in the Big 12 South and each having beaten each other…Texas defeated Oklahoma early in the year, Texas Tech defeated Texas, and Oklahoma destroyed Texas Tech. Texas Tech doesn’t have a leg to stand on and Texas can bitch all it wants but there can be only one entry from the Big 12.
Then again, Texas says it defeated Oklahoma on a neutral field, while the Longhorns lost at Texas Tech and Tech lost at Oklahoma. OK, point taken. And it is poor that the tiebreaker comes down to a computer, a Commodore at that.
Of course Oklahoma now plays Missouri in the Big 12 title game. They won’t stumble but the final BCS poll may yet still place Texas ahead of OU. Who wants a playoff? This is far better.
And what of Boise State? Undefeated Utah will get a BCS bowl bid, but doesn’t Boise State deserve one as well after finishing 12-0? It’s now a waiting game for them, too.
Meanwhile, USC held Notre Dame to four first downs and 91 total yards in winning 38-3, and now just has to beat a lousy UCLA team to go to the Rose Bowl vs. Penn State in what would be an entertaining match-up. This comes about because Oregon State, which pinned the Trojans with their only loss earlier in the year, was in turn defeated by Oregon 65-38 on Saturday. [Oregon had a school-record 694 yards, plus two TDs on interception returns of 40 and 70 yards.]
Elsewhere, what a great game between Kansas and Missouri, with KU prevailing 40-37. And then you had the much-maligned ACC take three upper-tier contests against SEC foes; Clemson defeated South Carolina, Georgia Tech beat Georgia, and Wake Forest defeated Vanderbilt. I channeled Ronald Reagan, who commented “Not bad…not bad at all.”
Final tidbits. Gotta give North Carolina State credit. They were 2-6 and then ran off wins against Duke, #24 Wake, #22 UNC, and Miami.
Anyone want to go see Boston College vs. Virginia Tech for the ACC championship? I didn’t think so. One thing you have to say about the conference, though; it was competitive and ten ACC teams are bowl eligible.
The first black head football coach in the SEC, Sylvester Croom, resigned from Mississippi State on Saturday. He was 21-38 in his five years and the move came after an embarrassing 45-0 loss to arch-rival Mississippi. But it was just last season that Croom was SEC coach of the year after finishing 8-5. Croom wasn’t known to be in trouble, and I thought it was interesting Lou Holtz said that he feels as if Croom reacted emotionally to the Ole Miss drubbing and should have waited a while. Holtz did not, though, employ my favorite phrase, ‘wait 24 hours.’
I lost 3 of 5 bets this week and finished up the year 22-23, after going 24-13 in 2007. I don’t know what to tell you, folks. I started off 8-1 and then fell apart, which was more or less in step with the fortunes in the global equity markets, come to think of it.
–The New York Times’ Dave Anderson has an annual column in which he gives thanks at this time of year. Following are a few examples.
“Charlie Manuel of the Phillies and Joe Maddon of the Rays, rivals in the World Series, who restored the belief that ‘old-school baseball managers’ could still succeed.”
“Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, whose dazzling five-set Wimbledon final provided tennis with a match for the ages.”
“Dick Ebersol, the NBC television maestro, who persuaded Olympic officials to schedule the Beijing swimming events in the morning there so that Phelps and his teammates would appear live in prime time in the United States.”
“Two Central Washington softball players, first baseman Mallory Holtman and shortstop Liz Wallace, who carried an opponent, Western Oregon’s Sara Tucholsky, so that she could touch second base, third base and home after her knee buckled near first base after she hit a home run.”
“Derek Fisher, the Lakers guard, who persuaded the Utah Jazz to cancel his contract and allow him to return to Los Angeles to be near his 2-year-old daughter, Tatum, during follow-up care after surgery for a rare eye cancer, retinoblastoma.”
“Teddy Atlas, the ESPN boxing analyst and trainer, who last week distributed 800 turkeys to his needy neighbors on Staten Island.”
Actually, I’d like to cite Derek Fisher for a different reason. A special thanks for giving his child a normal name.
–Dan Patrick had a good idea for Thanksgiving. Have Tennessee play against real Lions.
First, the Sydney Morning Herald reports that bunnies are robbing cemeteries across New South Wales, “an uphill battle…endangering graveyard workers and upsetting the bereaved by digging up graves.”
“ ‘They normally don’t dig down to the coffin, although that could happen, but mainly they cause soil subsistence and ultimately, collapse,’ said the National Trust’s cemeteries adviser, George Gibbons….
“Wombats are an even bigger problem because they dig larger holes and tend to be a more determined beast….
“ ‘We have had employees fall down in the process of digging. Typically a grave is six feet deep, but by the time you get to the third foot, bang. You hit the burrow and the ground gives way unexpectedly.’”
Of course it would be freakier if someone then grabbed your leg.
Back to the wombats, “Hundreds of wild ones are being shot across NSW in a cull sanctioned by the State Government.” Wombats “barge through fences and undermine buildings with their tunnels.”
And then you have this awful story that at least 80 pilot whales beached themselves on a remote coastline in southern Australia. Well, perhaps ‘beached’ is too soft a word. The whales were battered to death on rocks before rescuers could reach them.
–Charles Barkley said of LeBron James’ public pronouncements on becoming a free agent in 2010, “If I was LeBron, I would shut the hell up. I’m a big LeBron fan. He’s a stud. You gotta give him his props. I’m getting so annoyed he’s talking about what he’s going to do in two years. I think he’s disrespectful to the game. I think it’s disrespectful to the Cavaliers.”
Previously, James has said “I think July 1, 2010, is a very big day. It’s probably going to be one of the biggest days in free-agent history in the NBA. So a lot of teams are gearing up to try to prepare themselves to be able to put themselves in position to get one of the big free-agent market guys.” [Including Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh.]
Here’s the thing. I can understand where Barkley is coming from, but at the same time LeBron is the biggest thing going in the game today and his pending free agency is a big, big deal, particularly in New York where both the Knicks and Nets are said to have the inside track. As I noted last time, Cleveland came to the Garden to play the Knicks and it was a circus, with LeBron playing his hand perfectly.
On the other hand, LeBron should take a break from such talk the rest of the season. Cleveland is a legitimate title contender. He’ll get the idea soon.
–In college basketball, not a lot of earth-shattering early results this season. Oops, just saw Western Kentucky upset #3 Louisville so scratch that opening line.
NJIT lost its 38th straight, thus extending its NCAA Div. I record for futility.
And Wake Forest acquitted itself well in the 76 Classic out in Anaheim, even as the crowds attending the 8-team event were on the light side, like it appeared there were 500 in the stands for each game.
But I was anxious to see Wake’s highly-regarded recruiting class; Al-Farouq Aminu, Ty Walker and Tony Woods. Aminu in particular appears destined for ACC greatness.
What makes the story better, though, is you’ll recall these three represent the late Skip Prosser’s final legacy, Prosser having died suddenly of a heart attack on the Wake campus on July 26, 2007. Prosser had signed them, as they were about to enter their senior year in high school, and of course you’d think there was no way they would then honor their commitment after the coach responsible for their interest in the school passed away.
“(After) the funeral, the Wake Forest administration did something admirable.
“They made Dino Gaudio, the assistant and the godfather to Prosser’s kids, the coach. There was no national search. There was no new direction. There would be stability.
“The NCAA allowed the coaches to re-visit the homes of the players Prosser had signed as juniors…to explain it all.
“Those three are freshmen at Wake Forest today, a remarkable outburst of loyalty in a day when kids jump high schools every season.
“ ‘This class,’ (said assistant coach Mike) Muse, ‘is Coach Prosser’s real legacy.”
Shu passed along a piece by Dan Wiederer of the Fayetteville Observer concerning Carolina’s Tyler Hansbrough. Former Duke star J.J. Redick, ironically, had some words of advice for the superstar of the top-ranked Tar Heels, who is under immense pressure to deliver a title this year.
“Be selfish,” said Redick. “I’m serious about that. You have to condition yourself to be a little more selfish than you’re used to.
Redick told Wiederer that rest, both physically and mentally, has to become a top priority.
“The biggest stress on me was probably tickets. We’d get four tickets to every home game, sometimes two or three for every road game. Well, I’ve got eight people in my family. I have relatives, I had friends who wanted to come. At some point, I just said, ‘Mom, you choose who comes to the games. I’ll see whoever’s there.’ Simple as that.”
Redick, who had his share of highs, notes that as great as they were, “I remember the lows. I still replay the lows in my mind. Over and over.”
–So I got my copy of Rolling Stone with Britney on the cover and thought, ‘Oh boy, this interview is going to be fun!’ [We all need a few minutes of mindless entertainment now and then.] Alas, as the interviewer wrote midway, Britney’s camp had called all the shots, and the questions, and she didn’t really offer anything up.
Anyway, I couldn’t help but notice the album charts these days. Taylor Swift’s meteoric rise continues as she sold 592,000 copies of her second album, “Fearless,” in its first week. [She’s also got the No. 21 album on the charts.] No. 2 is David Archuleta with his debut album titled… “David Archuleta”! Very original.
Hey, I see that Seal has a new one, “Soul.” Might have to pick it up. It’s an album of soul covers, including Al Green and Sam Cooke.
Top 3 songs for the week 12/5/81: #1 “Physical” (Olivia Newton-John) #2 “Waiting For A Girl Like You” (Foreigner) #3 “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic” (The Police)…and…#4 “Oh No” (Commodores) #5 “Here I Am” (Air Supply) #6 “Private Eyes” (Daryl Hall & John Oates) #7 “Let’s Groove” (Earth, Wind & Fire) #8 “Young Turks” (Rod Stewart) #9 “Why Do Fools Fall In Love” (Diana Ross) #10 “Start Me Up” (The Rolling Stones)
Heisman Trophy Quiz Answers: Runners-up. 1972: Greg Pruitt/Oklahoma and Rich Glover/Nebraska. 1973: John Hicks/Ohio State and Roosevelt Leaks/Texas. 1974: Anthony Davis/USC and Joe Washington/Oklahoma. 1975: Chuck Muncie/Cal and Ricky Bell/USC.
