Boone, NC. Football Capital of the World

On February 16, 2007, the Detroit Free Press reported that Michigan had completed their 2007 football schedule by agreeing to start the year by hosting the 2-time defending 1-AA national champs, the Appalachian St. Mountaineers. Here is some of the reaction on a Free Press message board. It's pretty easy to tell by the comments who likes Michigan and who likes Appalachian St. (or doesn't like Michigan):

• This should be a free game, no charge for tickets.
• I would not overlook this App State team. They are an impressive team. I surely would not be putting a W in the win column yet.They have one of the best QB's in the nationwide with soph. Armanti Edwards.I would prepare extensively for this team.
• I don't think App State is the one to worry about this game....They will get respect at the BIG HOUSE...probably be some people sweating that day.
• Yuck! Why is Michigan playing a division I-AA school. What's next? Concordia College?

I didn't think Michigan would blow App St. out, but I thought they would take control by halftime. Usually in games that feature BCS vs. non-BCS opponents, the difference is depth in the offensive and defensive lines and the BCS conference team wins the line of scrimmage and thereby takes control of the game.

Michigan never did that. In the 4th quarter, the line of scrimmage battle was still very even. And usually when the non-BCS team on the road turns the ball over 3 times in the 2nd half, the home, BCS team takes advantage and puts the game away. Michigan didn't do that either, and instead let App St. stay in the game by making mistakes of their own. Combine that with Michigan's continued inability to stop the spread offense, especially those run by a mobile quarterback and well, you have the makings of an upset.

And when Appalachian St. makes the kind of plays they did with the talent and pedigree they had (2-time defending 1-AA champs, nation's longest winning streak), you have trouble. Then, when all of the above is mixed with what sounds like poor preparation and some looking ahead to next week, uh oh.

Does this upset rank among the biggest ever? Yes. How high does it rank? Personally, I'm not sure. After all, Appalachian St. has won a lot of games and had a lot of experience coming back from last year's national championship team. But, to beat Michigan, an elite Division 1 program, in the Big House when they were expected to compete for the Big 10 and national championship commands a lot of attention, even when the winning team is a highly respected program such as Appalachian St.

To put it in basketball terms, it's not the equivalent of a 16 beating a 1 in the 1st round. A 15 beating a 2, most definitely.

I like the "Michigan Who" t-shirts some of the Appalachian St. students were sporting after the game yesterday, very nice.

Maybe Michigan should've scheduled Notre Dame as their cupcake game to get ready for the rest of the year.

And as much as Michigan has been hurt by mobile quarterbacks, you'd think they would start recruiting them. When's the last time Michigan had a quarterback that could be considered mobile? Chad Henne, John Navarre, Drew Henson, Tom Brady, Scott Driesbach, Brian Griese, Elvis Grbac, Todd Collins, all of the same mold. You have to go back to 1989 and Michael Taylor, who started in Bo Schembechler's last year. And the QB in waiting? Ryan Mallet, 6'5, dropback passer.

Other thoughts from the weekend in college football:

• Ohio St. was never in trouble vs. Youngstown St. but they didn't really dominate them. Chris Wells, 16 carries for 46 yards, disappointing.
• East Carolina really came to play at Virginia Tech. Sean Glennon is the Chad Henne of Virginia Tech. And yes, I cried during the pregame tribute to the shooting victims.
• Michigan St. and Alabama were very impressive. Granted, UAB and Western Carolina aren't exactly the toughest competition, but recently, the Spartans and Tide have not played well against those type of teams. They both made statements Saturday.
• Two things were confirmed yesterday: Cal has great team speed and Tennessee is once again overrated.
• Another unimpressive team: Texas, who only beat Arkansas St. 21-13. Texas/TCU will be interesting next week.
• I took Central Michigan as my preseason pick to win the MAC. After losing to Kansas 52-7, I'm starting to have 2nd thoughts. It should've been a lot closer than that.

Team USA finished off the Tournament of Americas by beating Argentina more impressively than when they met a few days ago. LeBron James's jump shot might have been the most impressive aspect of the tournament. That, and Kobe Bryant's defense.

Happy Labor Day!

The End of an Era

Until this evening, my primary mode of transportation was a '95 Chrysler Concorde (Big Blue) that I bought from my grandparents. I bought it in the winter of 2003, and it had about 50,000 miles on it. Today, it has 106,000 miles on it and a lot of memories. This was the car that took me to Miami and back, to my ex-girlfriend's and back, all over the Midwest in search of a job, then finally to Detroit to begin my career. There has been much singing along with the radio, yelling at other drivers, conversations with myself, thoughts running through my head and even some tears. In the last couple of years, I've had to get quite a bit of work done on it, but it's still a pretty smooth ride for its age and the amount of work that's been done to keep it running. Its 6-cylinder engine can still give a pretty mean acceleration.

But ever since I first saw the Pontiac Solstice on The Apprentice a couple of years ago, I wanted it. Today, I finished the buying process I started about a couple of months ago by signing the paperwork and driving away in my brand new, '07 Solstice (red color of course). It won't be as powerful since it's only a 4-cylinder, but it has a little giddyup. And I think it just looks awesome. It should be a very smooth ride. I did keep the Concorde for occasional use, specifically winter use since it's bigger and would provide a greater deal of balance on the slick roads that a Solstice would struggle with.

But as great as the Solstice will be, there will be only one Big Blue. You're my boy Blue!

The long summer wait ends tomorrow. College football begins tomorrow night. Here are my predictions certain to go wrong:

• In the MAC, Central Michigan will beat Miami for the championship. Central did lose 2 1st-day NFL draft picks, but they return QB Dan LeFevour, RB Onterrio Sneed, and WR Bryan Anderson. New head coach Butch Jones is familiar with the Central players and the system, so there won't be a loss of continuity. Western will challenge in the West and will host Central late in November, but Western always seems to fall 1 game short. Ball St. will be a solid 3rd with their great set of offensive talent, led by their QB Nate Davis. Eastern Michigan will be improved, and Toledo and Northern Illinois will struggle. Toledo is still having to deal with the point-shaving scandal that came about in the spring. Northern Illinois lost a number of starters and will have its youngest team in awhile. In the East, I honestly think Miami will win the division. Miami lost a lot of close games in the 4th quarter due to their lack of depth which was caused by numerous injuries. So far, everybody's healthy, including the offensive line, which should allow Miami to exploit their depth and the young talent they've accumulated in the last couple of recruiting classes. Kent St. will finish a close 2nd, led by QB Julian Edelman. Kent was the best team in the East during the st half of last year. Bowling Green returns 16 starters, 8 on each side of the ball, so they'll be a legitimate threat. OU is the defending champ, but they lost a lot of key pieces from last year's team. Temple, Akron, and Buffalo challenge the top of the league on their respective home fields, but are too young to contend.
• Wisconsin will go undefeated and win the Big 10. They get Michigan at home and even though they have to go to Columbus, they've had OSU's number in recent years. Tyler Donovan looked good at QB at the end of last year, he'll have a good year. I see Michigan losing 2 games. The right side of their offensive line is weak and there are too many question marks in their secondary. If you're curious, I have OSU going 8-4. Tressell-ball will keep them in games, but I don't see them scoring a lot of points offensively. I like Boeckman as a QB, but I don't see any consistent big-play guys on the outside as of yet. They're a year away offensively.
• In the Big 12, I like Texas A&M to beat Colorado in the Championship. I see Texas and Texas A&M being undefeated when they meet in College Station. A&M has a lot of guys back that lost a lot of close games, but beat Texas in a defensive slugfest. I don't see Oklahoma winning the South with a freshman QB and a relatively inexperienced front 7. I know a lot of people are excited in Lincoln, but Sam Keller won't help them on defense where they only return 4 starters and must travel to Missouri, Texas, and Colorado. Colorado was pretty competitive for a 2-10 team and their toughest road game is at Kansas St. Missouri, Oklahoma, and Nebraska all must come to Boulder. I don't know if Colorado is best team in the Big 12 North, but they certainly have the most advantageous schedule.
• In the SEC, I like Alabama to beat Kentucky for the Championship. Yup, you heard me correctly. The Tide basically return their entire offense, and you know their defense will be good under Nick Saban. The SEC West is down as a whole, and they get LSU in Tuscaloosa (Bama might have just a little bit of a home field advantage for that game). I don't think a Les Miles-coached team can win the big, big game. Beating Notre Dame in front of a partisan Superdome crowd doesn't count. In the East, there are a lot of questions. How good will Florida's defense be with only 2 returning starters? Can Georgia play consistent football every week? Will Tennessee beat a name opponent away from Knoxville? Does Steve Spurrier have the talent level to win the East? That brings me to Kentucky, whose program is on a high after winning their first bowl game in forever last year. QB Andre Woodson is one of the top 10 QBs in the nation. They get LSU, Florida, and Tennessee at home. Their losses at South Carolina and Tennessee could've easily been wins last year.
• In the ACC, Boston College will beat Virginia for the Championship. The Atlantic division is the weaker half in my opinion. Even with a new coach, BC has a lot coming back, including QB Matt Ryan. Wake Forest will prove they're new fluke by going 9-3. Florida St. might have a new scheme offensively, but their talent level still isn't what it used to be and the 'Noles will struggle. On the other side, Virginia and Virginia Tech will go into their season ending meeting in Charlottesville undefeated and Virginia will pull the upset. Virginia has a lot coming back from a 7-5 team and the schedule works out for them as their toughest trip is to the Orange Bowl to play a Miami team that they beat last year.
• No surprise in the Pac-10, I like USC. And I think USC will win the National Championship. I think UCLA and Arizona will contend but USC has too much experience and too much talent. In my opinion, Cal is a little overrated, but they will get revenge vs. Tennessee, emotion will carry them to victory in that game.
• One more surprise for you. I think South Florida will win the Big East. Matt Groethe is another QB you probably haven't heard of, he's a dual run/pass threat. And the defense is fast, they were one of the few to contain West Virginia's running attack. They get West Virginia and Louisville at home, where Da Bulls are even tougher to beat. I don't see Louisville and West Virginia stopping many people on defense, and Rutgers won't have the magical season they did last year, but they'll back it up by going 9-3. It might be possible that no one outside of the top 4 in the Big East will be bowl eligible.
• Hawaii will go undefeated but won't be in the running for the BCS because they don't play anybody.
• TCU will not give Texas the challenge most people think. Texas will win by at least 3 TDs.

So there ya go, predictions bound to go wrong.

Football tomorrow, yessss.

Live From the Windy City

I'm in Chicago on business until Tuesday, staying at the Club Quarters in the Loop. I shouldn't complain, but I've stayed in nicer places. I haven't found the Bible yet, but there is a dictionary, encyclopedia, and The Jordan Rules by Sam Smith (which I read when I was like in 5th grade). One cool thing though is they have water stations with bottles so you can have your own bottled water. I ate dinner at a pub down the street, very good cheeseburger. I talked with a Red Sox fan who was in town to watch them play the White Sox. Interesting guy. And, the new Batman movie (I didn't know there was going to be another one) was being shot just around the corner in front of the Board of Trade. I didn't seen anyone or anything happen for that matter, but I thought that was cool. I love this city, and not just because they are home of Da Bears. The only bad thing I'd have to say is the construction on the Dan Ryan. That, combined with the White Sox traffic made it take 45 minutes to go the last 6 miles. There's always something.

The really big news since I spoke with you last is that I have bought a new car! A 2007 red Pontiac Solstice, the car I've wanted since I first saw it a couple of years ago. I had to do a dealer transfer, and unfortunately, it didn't arrive in time for me to drive here (Lakeshore Drive in my new convertible would've been sweet), but I will be able to drive it to Ohio for Labor Day.

I'm watching USA basketball play Brazil in the Tournament of Americas, the qualifying tournament for the Olympics on this side of the world. The US is up 19 at the half, 57-38, thanks to a strong 2nd quarter. The new faces on this US team from last year's 3rd place World Championships team include Jason Kidd, Chauncey Billups, Michael Redd, Mike Miller, Deron Williams, and most notably Kobe Bryant. As expected, the US has rolled through the tournament so far, with Brazil being the toughest team they've faced up to this point (Argentina is the only other team that could potentially keep the game close). I've watched this game and the game vs. Canada and here are my impressions:

• This look more and more like a Coach K led team. Offensively, get the ball up the floor and score in transition with either the layup or the outside shot now that there are some guys on the team who can consistently make shots. If transition isn't there, the offensive sets are quick hitters designed to get shots early in the shot clock before the defense can get set. Defensively, very aggressive man-to-man defense, overplaying the passing lanes.
• Carmelo Anthony is a more skilled basketball player in terms of basketball ability. When it comes to athleticism, Dwayne Wade and LeBron James are the best at exploiting their athletic ability and turning it into good basketball. But when it comes down to just basketball, give me Carmelo. He can shoot from the outside, score on the drive and take you down low.
• I'm still not sure how LeBron's game fits in with the international game. He's not a good shooter or a great help defender. But he can make plays, finish in transition, and can play multiple positions. He's making shots tonight and playing really well. In fact, his jumper looks as good as I've ever seen it.
• Chauncey Billups looks a lot better tonight than he did yesterday. But I think I'd take Chris Paul over Chauncey. Paul is quicker and more of a true point guard who gets the ball up the floor much quicker than Billups does.
• If Kevin Durant has a really good rookie year and is able to keep some weight on, he'll make the Olympic team. Greg Oden, maybe. But how can you not like Durant, especially after he put up 22 in the July scrimmage.
• The team's biggest weakness is still half-court defense. The US plays with great intensity and is doing the right thing by playing airtight man defense. But that kind of defense leaves you susceptible to back door cuts and dribble penetration if you don't have good help defense. And it's not like the US isn't playing help defense, some guys just don't know how to. In the NBA, you can't play help defense basically, thanks to the defensive 3 second rule (one of the dumbest rules in all of sports). And a lot of the NBA guys, especially the ones who didn't go to college, didn't practice or never learned how to play help defense.
• The guys are playing with great intensity and are buying into Coach K's plan, which is nice to see. That means these multi-millionaires are coachable, which is refreshing.
• One other note, are John Saunders and Bill Walton announcing the games or do they think since the games aren't very competitive that they can talk about whatever they want. Yesterday, Walton felt he had to give the viewers a lesson in Canadian history. Tonight, they're talking about everything, but the game it seems like.
• Also, international basketball referees may be the worst officials in all of sports. Even worse than MAC basketball officials.

And some other tidbits:

• Have you seen Ben Roethlisberger's new girlfriend? I didn't think he could do better than Natalie Gulbis but he has. Missy Peregrym, who was on Heroes last year, is her name.
• I'm more interested in what Maria Sharapova's going to wear at the US Open than the PGA Tour FedEx Cup. I mean, Tiger Woods didn't play and he's still in 4th place in the standings.
• The Reds are only 6.5 games behind the Cubs in the NL Central. Yes, those Reds?!?!?!
• I haven't watched one of David Beckham's MLS games. I guess I never got that memo.

I think I'll use tomorrow night to talk a little college football if I have time. Things open up Thursday night with Miami traveling to Ball St.

The Playmaker

My dad coached high school football so I started watching football at an early age. One of the players I can vividly remember watching was Michael Irvin, "The Playmaker". What first stood out to me about Irvin was the jersey number he wore at the University of Miami, 47. 47 isn't a typical number for a wide receiver, which helped Irvin stand out. While at "The U" and then with the Dallas Cowboys, Irvin was a key part of those winning teams and Irvin always made big plays.

But it was tough to appreciate Irvin's on-field performance after you read what he was doing off the field. Pleading no contest to cocaine possession, the Cowboys' "White House", and the '98 horseplay incident couldn't be ignored. After retiring, Irvin seemed to have turned things around and made it all the way to ESPN's pregame show where he didn't much insight honestly, but I loved watching his enthusiasm and passion for the game. But he got into trouble after being pulled over for speeding in 2005 where the police searched his car and found drug paraphernalia that Irvin said wasn't his. Finally, he was let go by ESPN a couple of months after a controversial comment on the Dan Patrick show.

Tonight, Irvin was inducted into the Hall of Fame, despite questions about his character. I usually watch the Pro Football Hall of Fame inductions because it's the unofficial beginning to football season and the speeches by the inductees are usually good. But I wondered what Irvin would say, knowing that his selection was in some ways controversial. He wouldn't be able to give the typical acceptance speech because of the trouble he had gotten into. In some way, there would probably be something wrong with his speech.

It won't go down as one of the greatest speeches ever, but it was one of the most heartfelt, genuine speeches I've seen. Yeah, he was cocky (what did you expect), some of it didn't make any sense and he rambled quite a bit, but when it counted, he was a man. What sold it for me was when Irvin acknowledged that the people his kids should look up to were the members of last year's class, which included Troy Aikman, Reggie White, Warren Moon, and John Madden. Irvin acknowledged the negatives around him, and did it in a very humble way. He spoke like a man grateful to be there who is still haunted by many demons in his head.

Although I will say Jerry Jones was a bit over the top with his introduction. But then again, it was Jerry Jones, what did you expect?

And it's good to hear Tom Jackson's voice. Tom Jackson's voice means football is very close.

I apologize for not having written in a month, I was on the road for 4 of the 5 weekends in July, so this weekend is my first Detroit home game in awhile. Time for some quick-hitters:

• I don't know if there's anything more annoying than having a cold in the summer, especially when it's been as hot as it's been. It's 95 degrees outside and I'm eating chicken noodle soup and drinking hot chocolate. On the days when I've felt well enough to workout, I can't take a cold shower to cool off, I have to take a hot shower to keep the nasty stuff inside loose.
• One of my weekend trips took me to Chicago, and it was spectacular. Late nights, great friends, awesome backdrop, and beautiful women. What more can you ask for?
• Alberto Contador won the Tour de France, surviving the final time trial on what was one of the most exciting days in the Tour I can remember. The top 3 finished within 31 seconds of one another thanks to the best day in Levi Leipheimer's life and Cadel Evans's guts. Too bad it'll be overshadowed by the numerous positive drug tests that marred this year's tour. But I think cycling is on the right track because they have a testing system that is now actually effective and catching people. The Tour will rebound, just like it did on that final Saturday.
• One more thing about the Tour. If you're Cadel Evans and you're just 23 seconds behind, don't you have to attack at least once on the last day?!?!?! Yes, tradition says you don't, but c'mon!!!! 23 seconds?!?!!? You just have to win the stage by 4 seconds, get the 20 second bonus, and you win the race. At the very least he should've tried to attack. It probably wouldn't have worked because Discovery was attentive and breakaways rarely work on the Champs-Elysses, but he at least should've tried.
• I wish I could've seen the last few holes of the British Open live. I left Chicago for Detroit with Padraig Harrington seemingly in control until later I found out the outcome. How do you win the Open after playing the 18th 6-5? When Sergio Garcia is the guy closest to you. Sergio is still probably whining about his bad luck as I write this.
• Tadd Fujikawa, 16, turned professional and played in the PGA Tour's Reno-Tahoe Open, and missed the cut by 5 shots. Fujikawa, a Hawaii native, was having trouble covering playing and coaching costs that resulted in many trips to and from the mainland, so naturally he turned professional. Despite tying for 20th at the PGA Tour Hawaiian Open earlier this year, Fujikawa was ranked as the 687th amateur in the world. 687th!!!!! I wish him all the best, but c'mon.
• Barry Bonds just hit his 755th home run.
• Preseason college football polls's primary purpose is to get fans excited, but Florida 3rd? I haven't read through my magazine yet, but I know the Gators only have 2 starters back on defense. I know the SEC is strong, but 3rd for Florida? Not sure about that.

My prayers and thoughts go out to those affected by the Minneapolis bridge collapse. I just can't imagine driving home from work, zoned out, then falling 60 feet, trying to survive. Those poor people.

Le Tour? Oui.

It's July, which can only mean one thing. It's time for Le Tour De France. But this year is unlike any other since I first recall watching the tour in 1985 (yes, 1985 when I was 4). This is the first year where doping has clearly overshadowed the beginning of the race. Doping has haunted cycling ever since Tom Simpson collapsed on the Mont Ventoux and died with amphetamines in his system. Cyclists are probably the most tested out of any athletes, yet they still take the risk as seen in the Festina affair of 1998, the fallout of Operation Puerto, and most notably the Floyd Landis saga. Just think, no one can say who won the Tour last year because we don't know. We might know this week if Landis's arbitration case is decided.

The questioning of Lance Armstrong's 7 tour wins had become an annual rite. Circumstantial evidence came out against Lance, he sued, he won. But the last year has been different. Landis's positive after his great Stage 17 performance, the forced retirement of Jan Ullrich, Ivan Basso withdrawing from Team Discovery, and Bjarne Rijs giving up his 1996 Tour title because he admitted to using EPO. Rijs ended Miguel Indurain's 5 year reign by winning 2 crucial stages. He took the lead in that tour after winning a weather-shortened stage that ended up being a sprint up to Sestriere. Then, he destroyed the competition by dominating the Hautacam. I liked Rijs. He rode hard and was a great team manager for CSC. That 3rd week of the '96 Tour was as good as anyone has ever ridden. It's too bad he was helped out and now he won't be looked at in the same way anymore.

What do I think about Landis? I'm not really sure to tell you the truth. I go back and forth whether I think he's innocent or guilty. Let me give you a reason that could lead me either way. He could be guilty because that was an extraordinary ride. Just one day after hitting the wall and suffering from dehydration, he came back with arguably the greatest single day performance ever seen in the Tour. When Lance won his 5th tour, he suffered from dehydration during the 1st time trial and didn't fully recover from that until several days later. And Lance at his peak was definitely a better rider than Landis at his peak.

Why could he be innocent? Landis's ride wasn't as mythical as one may think. The other top teams let him go off the front, allowing him to build a big lead. When they decided to chase, it was too late, the mistake had been made. It was a huge tactical mistake. Plus, what Landis used would've shown up in his other drug tests when he won/retained the yellow jersey.

Am I going to watch this year's Tour? Yes. Do I feel the dark cloud hanging over it? Yes. It's tough to see one of my favorite sporting events be viewed so negatively, but it rightly deserves some of that negative attention. Hopefully the Tour can overcome it. It's a beautiful sporting event, from the opening this year right in the Queen's backyard in London to the roads that are home to the Belgian classics before heading south for the mountains and the familiar backdrops of the Alps and Pyrennes.

Who's going to win? Honestly, I haven't followed the spring races as much as I usually do, but I don't think it would've mattered because the race is wide open. Levi Leipheimer is now leading Discovery and is the best American hope. But he's never finished in the top 5 and I think he lacks the explosiveness to put in a great performance in the time trial and/or the mountains. Discovery has another strong team that will help, but you have to be able to finish off stages by yourself and Levi's never been able to do that. I like Alejandro Valverde. If you can outsprint Lance at the top of a mountain, you're pretty good. If he can stay out of the 1st week crashes, I think he'll win. My top 5 would be Valverde, Andreas Kloden, Denis Menchov, Leipheimer, and Cadel Evans.

On a non-Tour related note, I have to give shoutouts to the Williams sisters for competing hard at Wimbledon. What Serena did with her injured leg was incredible. 99 out of 100 players would've packed it in and not risked their career, but Serena fought and earned a well-deserved victory. And Venus now has won 4 Wimbledons, this one despite only being seeded 23rd. When these two come close to a tournament at even 80%, they're favorites to win because no one else can match their competitiveness or power. Now, if they just came to tournaments at 80% or better more often....

I just finished reading a memoir a guy born and raised in Detroit wrote about his city upbringing. It was interesting to get a feel about race relations in the city, but after awhile, the author basically turned racist, which made the last 60% of the book unenjoyable. His racist tones, coupled with his superior translations of some of the great novelists (superior in his own mind) became a little annoying. I can't say I read half of the great books that he read, but I can say he wanted to make sure he came across as an elitist, and I didn't like that. He should've just stuck to his story, without the racism.

Now I'm reading a David Beckham biography my brother bought for me when in London recently. After reading about a third of it, I will be a Posh and Becks expert I think. Interesting stuff so far.

Speaking of soccer, I caught the last 30 minutes of the Under-20 World Cup game between the US and Brazil. I can't remember ever being on the edge of my seat like I was during the end of this game. The US led 1-0 when Brazil tied it with about 25 minutes to go. The action was wide open, up and down the field with the pace of a Stanley Cup playoff hockey game. With about 10 minutes left in regulation, Freddy Adu made a couple of great moves, which ended up in the go-ahead goal for the US. Brazil furiously rushed the US goal, forcing the US keeper to make a couple of brilliant saves to protect the 2-1 lead. I wonder how many times the US has beaten Brazil, at any level of soccer. It can't be too many. I'll tell you one thing, Freddy Adu is worth the price of admission, or at least he was in this game. He was brilliant.

NBC News dropped the ball again. After the Glasgow airport car bomb, Lisa Meyers was asked if she knew whether or not Al-Qaida was involved. She replied something like, "We're not sure if the suspects (at that time) were of Middle Eastern descent, so we can't be sure." Oh, so if they're Middle Eastern, they're automatically Al-Qaida. If they're white, black, American, Asian, or from anywhere else, they can't be Al-Qaida. What a terrible answer.

Remembering Coach Hep

This past week, Miami University lost its 3rd member of the Cradle of Coaches in the last 12 months. Randy Walker, Bo Schembechler, and now Terry Hoeppner, who was the head coach while I was a student at Miami. In terms of football, Coach Hep will probably be most remembered for recruiting Ben Roethlisberger to Miami which led to the 2003 MAC Championship and tons of national recognition.

After leading Miami to the 2004 MAC East Championship, Coach Hep left for the only job he wanted besides the Miami job, Indiana as Coach Hep was a native Hoosier. Coach Hep put everything and more into the IU job, building fan, specifically student support, and improving facilities. Last year, Indiana was 1 win away from going to a bowl game, the closest they've been in awhile. Coming into this year, it seemed like this would be the year. But Coach hadn't been seen in public since February, and everyone feared his health had taken a turn for the worst. Just after it was announced that Coach Hep would remain on a medical leave of absence for this year, he was rushed back to the hospital not even 24 hours after he had been released after fighting pneumonia. Surviving longer that weekend than the doctors thought, he passed early Tuesday.

I never played football, but Coach Hep will always be my football coach. My HawkHead role allowed me to meet Coach Hep on a few occasions, and though he never remembered me specifically each time, I could tell he truly appreciated our efforts in building school spirit at Miami. After a conversation with Coach Hep, if you weren't excited or passionate, you weren't alive. At football games, you fed off of Coach's energy. His intensity and excitement rubbed off on you. IU students, in response to Coach's "wanting you" to come to games, wore shirts that said "Coach Hep Got Me". The perennial basketball school broke ground the day Coach Hep died on a new football facility because that's what Coach would've wanted.

I didn't really know Coach Hep well, but I feel especially bad because he gave me some of my greatest college memories, yet I did basically nothing in return. I got a few students to come to football games; he gave me memories I will absolutely never forget. It doesn't seem fair. But I think Coach Hep enjoyed sharing his passion, excitement, and intensity with others and seeing it rub off on others. I think he felt like if he could get people to be passionate about what they were doing after seeing how Coach Hep was passionate about Miami, Indiana, or football in general, then he accomplished something.

Coach, thank you for the memories. You are in my prayers along with your family and the Miami and IU communities. Go Redhawks and Go Hoosiers.

The Mighty Duck

Only in golf can a duck beat a tiger and a bulldog. After stinking up the joint yesterday with a 76, Angel Cabrera came back with a 69 to beat Tiger Woods and Jim Furyk by one to become the third straight foreign born player to win the US Open.

For an instant, Cabrera led by 3 with 3 holes left in his round before he, then the event got tight. On the long par 3 16th, Cabrera 3-putted after a not so great iron shot, which followed a Furyk birdie on 15. Then on the drivable par 4 17th, Cabrera didn't go for the green in one and laid up in the fairway, but he still drove the ball too far leaving a tough half-wedge pitch shot which is all feel. With the adrenaline obviously running, he hit that shot too hard and through the green. After a chip that barely got on the green, Cabrera missed the 7-foot par putt, leaving him in a tie with Furyk with Tiger 1 back now, still grinding out pars. After a great 2-putt par at 16, Furyk went for the green at 17 even though he probably wouldn't have reached the green. He killed his drive left into 9-inch deep rough, which required 2 shots to get out of, leaving a tricky downhill par putt. His par attempt hit the back edge of the hole and trickled on, leaving Furyk with a bogey and 1 behind. Cabrera hit a huge drive down the middle of the 18th fairway, the toughest hole on the course. He found the green with his 2nd and 2 putted for par posting +5.

Furyk found the 18th fairway, but pulled his approach through the green. His birdie try never threatened the hole, and he finished 1 behind. Tiger came to 16 1 behind. The realistic scenario was: par 16, birdie 17, par 18, go to a Monday playoff. Tiger got a tough 2-putt par at 16, then pulled out 3-wood on the 17th tee because driver would've been too much club (haha). His 3-wood missed the green and ended up in Bigfoot bunker, not great, but certainly than the tall grass Furyk had just been. Tiger hadn't been able to pull off the great shot on the back 9, but you felt like this would be it. He had made a number of clutch par putts, but he hadn't made the big birdie to really announce his presence. This was his chance. Tiger's bunker shot was good, but it never stopped on the green and stopped in the fringe. Tiger actually had to work to get his par, leaving him with a must birdie on the toughest hole on the course where he had only even parred the hole once.

You think, if Tiger can just hit the fairway, he'll make birdie, because that's the toughest part of the hole and the most questionable part of his game, can Tiger find the fairway. He crushes the ball, the crowd goes nuts, Tiger poses with his finish, you figure the drive is going right down Broadway. But what makes Oakmont's last hole so tough is that the fairway slopes left to right and will kick balls toward the rough. Tiger's ball hit in the right center part of the fairway, but kicked right, ending up right against the tall grass leaving him a tricky shot. You still expect Tiger to knock it stiff close to the hole. He crushes his 2nd shot, Tiger likes it, but the ball carries about 2 yards too far and rolls to the back of the green leaving him about a 1 in 5 putt. If Tiger's ball would've stayed in the fairway, his 2nd shot would've had enough spin to stop close to the hole. Now Tiger had to make a miraculous putt to tie Cabrera, it really would've been miraculous. But this is Tiger Woods, if anyone's going to do it, he will. He didn't, and a duck won the US Open.

So for the next couple of days, the media will harp on the fact that Tiger hasn't come from behind to win a major when he's had a chance to do so. It's surprising that he didn't do it this time and hasn't come from behind in a major at all, but this doesn't mean the fall of Tiger Woods. He now has 4 2nd place finishes in majors. Remember Jack Nicklaus finished 2nd 19 times in majors!!!! In his last 4 majors, Tiger's finished 1st, 1st, 2nd, 2nd, still pretty darn good. And I have to think he still wasn't as sharp coming in as he'd like to be because he's getting ready for the baby and taking care of his wife. I'm sure that's distracted him some.

I do think Tiger will never win a major in the way he did the '97 Masters or 2000 US Open. The new swing he's had to go to because of his knee won't allow him to do so. But do I think he'll surpass Nicklaus's total of 18 majors, yes.

Looking at the whole tournament, Cabrera was the best player all week: 69, 71, 76, 69, he was able to survive the bad round that most contenders have in a major. Cabrera survived his bad round; Tiger's good Saturday round needed to be better. And what a great back 9 run by Furyk, who had the Bill Cowher jaw going after his birdie on 15. I was waiting for the Terrible Towels to come out or the chant "Here We Go Steelers".

I hope the US Open comes back to Oakmont sooner than later. This wasn't a course of just 480 yard par 4s, it had some of those. But it had tricky short holes, birdie holes, tall grass, short grass, fast greens, slower greens, it had it all. What a great course. And the scary thing is it could've played a lot tougher if the USGA staff of 2004 (the year Shinnecock Hills almost became unplayable) were in control this year.