The best thing to ever crawl out of the swamp

I happened to catch Tim Tebow on ESPN making a pitch for Title Town. Outside of Gainesville, the Heisman Trophy winning QB is hated. But I must admit, he’s very articulate and good in front of a camera. If the NFL isn’t part of his future, broadcasting might be his calling. But then again, maybe it’s surgery or the ministry, seeing that he performed circumcisions and preached the gospel, during a recent trip to the Philippines.

But in keeping all Tebow praise brief, he made a very good pitch for a city that can’t possibly stack up to Los Angeles. And as he made this pitch, I kept wondering why we had Tommy Lasorda as the Los Angeles salesman for our segment. I love Tommy Lasorda, and he’s forever Dodger Blue. But honestly, the man couldn’t sell me a glass of water in the middle of the desert. And he definitely couldn’t sell me a meal, knowing that his restaurant was shutdown for rat infestation. Was Vin Scully not available? There was so much to sell, but Tommy was stuck on Kirk Gibson’s homerun being the greatest achievement in L.A sports history. It was voted as such, by a Los Angeles magazine. But seriously, it wasn't.

Anyway, back to the Gators. Tim Tebow had the honor of sharing his moment in the Title Town spotlight with ESPN’s own Erin Andrews. Now, I know I may catch hell for this, but Andrews is the best thing that ever crawled out of the swamp. Fans of the Dallas Cowboys would curse me, knowing that the Swamp gave them Emmit Smith, who just happens to be the NFL’s all time leading rusher. Bears fans may thank me, wishing they could drag Rex Grossman back to Gainesville. But for me, and maybe all the members of the SEC who piss on Florida, it’s Erin Andrews, without a doubt.

One last thought. Isn’t it amazing how a business suit can hide jugs like that?

Retro: Amputate his fingertip and let him play

There was a time when warriors prowled the gridiron. It was long before the crybabies of today, whining about contracts and forgetting the game. It was a time when one man would leave his mark on the NFL, and be remembered for years to come. It was a time when Ronnie Lott would have his fingertip amputated, so he could fight on and not miss games. That became just one of the many stories throughout his great career. It was a time, back then, and it was his moment to shine.

At the end of the 1985 season in a game against the Cowboys, Ronnie Lott, then in his glory days with the 49ers, mangled his left pinky in a brutal collision with running back Timmy Newsome. Bone fragments and parts of Lott's finger lay somewhere in the turf. Lott came out of the game briefly -- a game his team won to gain a wild-card berth in the NFC playoffs. He bore the agony of his dismembered member in the manner of all Top Guns and Terminators of sports. Enduring the pain was a religion -- or at least a line-item entry in the game's Iliad of make-believe war. The next week, Lott had his fingers taped so he could play -- in a loss to the Giants. Over that winter, he remained in excruciating pain. He faced the next season with an awful choice: a complicated and delicate operation in which bone and skin grafting and the placement of pins in his hand might restore full use of his hand -- or, he could have the top of his finger amputated. Choice No. 1 meant missing playing time and risking reinjury. Choice No. 2 meant missing some finger but being ready -- like Arnold Schwarzenegger -- for more. Most football fans know how this came out. Lott chose to have the top of his finger chopped off and then went on to his third Pro Bowl season with the 49ers, leading the team to yet another playoff appearance.~The Sporting News

Ronnie Lott was one of the most ferocious hitters in the history of the NFL. He’s also the only player to be named all pro at three different positions (FS, SS, CB). He is a 4 time Superbowl champion, powering his 49ers defense to become the team of the decade. He was committed to winning, and made every effort to bring about those results. The NFL still searches for others with the same desire, but the findings are few. Nowadays, the youth looks to be bigger than the game. But in Lott’s time, the game was bigger than the players, and that’s how it was played.

Today, Lott can be seen among the faces on the sidelines of USC football. He now watches Young Taylor Mays patrol the same areas of the coliseum that he once did. He listens to the comparisons, as Mays is mentioned in breaths of his own legendary name. It’s an honor for any player, amateur or pro, because to resemble a great one, great ability must show. Taylor Mays finds himself on a list of Lott Trophy candidates for 2008, an award named after his brethren of cardinal and gold, and given to college football’s defensive impact player of the year.

Ronnie Lott was a member of the 1978 USC National Championship team. He was recruited to Southern California as a two way player, and nearly found himself in a tailback competition with Marcus Allen. Looking back now, if reversed decisions were made by Coach John Robinson, Marcus Allen could have played out his college career as a cornerback, with Ronnie Lott sweeping in the “student body right”. Robinson’s assessment was correct, and while Marcus Allen went on to win the Heisman Trophy, Ronnie Lott received All American honors as the nation’s top defensive back.

Lott was selected as the 8th player in the first round of the 1981 draft, and with each tackle, interception, jarring blow, and pass defended, he created his own NFL legacy. He was inducted into the pro football Hall of Fame in 2000, but had already given everyone a preview, jacking up his first opponents on a coliseum field, as one of the greatest Trojans of all time.

Statistics

*10 time pro bowl selection
* 4 time Superbowl champion
* second in rookie of the year voting (Lawrence Taylor)
* NFL Hall of Fame (Class of 2002)
* College Football Hall of Fame (Class of 2002)
* Jersey #42 retired by San Francisco 49ers

Off Topic: Is Brett destroying his legend?

I told myself that I wasn’t going to write about Brett Favre, but that came about as easy as not hearing about him. I can’t help but think where the saga has gone in the past few months. We’ve gone from teardrops to demands. We’ve gone from the Packers removing and mailing his locker to his home address, to Favre requesting the entire stadium. And in the view of some, four months have transformed Brett Favre from most honorable to most selfish. I would be included in the “some”.

I’m certainly hoping that ESPN and the Green Bay Packers didn’t put too much thought or effort into the planning of the Brett Favre retirement bash, scheduled to open the season on a Monday Night, and highlighted with the retiring of his number four at Lambeau. Hopefully they didn’t spend much time booking guest speakers, performers, and splicing together career highlight reels to be shown on the Jumbotron and aired nationally throughout the game. The planning phase comes to a screeching halt, as Mr. Fav-RAY wants back in.

During a retirement speech in March, a nation and fan base felt for him, and even cried with him. It was the end of a chapter, from a book of legend. Only 4 months have passed, barely giving time for a handkerchief to dry, and now Favre cries for his return. The legend established him as the heart, soul, and face of a Green Bay era, but a return will likely tarnish the past. Brett Favre requests his release, and in doing so, whether people see it or not, he’s asking to play anywhere, and not just in the arena that created him. What becomes of a legend, when playing for anyone is more important than playing in Green Bay? What happens when the hero of the frozen tundra is willing to clad himself in enemy colors? Doesn’t it say he doesn’t play for you or anyone that supported him throughout the years, but selfishly shows that he plays for himself? What happens, when a teary eyed figure of Wisconsin football, returns in the colors of Chicago Bears? Do you think Favre would reject an offer from Chicago, if it meant playing another year? What then becomes of legend?

What about the selfishness, allowing the Packers to go into the 2008 draft with a feeling that legend is gone? If not for Favre’s retirement, does Green Bay use a draft pick on QB Brian Brohm? If Favre doesn’t retire, what direction would the Packers have taken, in terms of drafting for necessity? What is the feeling of Aaron Rogers, who took snaps with the first team in OTA’s?

Now I’m reading about groups in Wisconsin staging protest to bring Favre back. I’m hearing about websites being launched, asking that Favre be released. How many of those same people were running Brett out of town and into retirement in 2005, when he threw 29 interceptions and finished with a passer rating just over 70? How many of those people were telling Brett to hang them up, after the Packers managed to only go 8-8 in 2006, and Favre’s 18 touchdowns matched the number of interceptions?

Michael Jordan once passed a bronze statue in his own liking, entering his workplace each day. He once played on a floor, with his retired jersey hanging from the rafters. That fact never dipped into his legend, but can Favre’s legend survive the same? I guess that is a question still waiting to be answered. But in the case of Michael Jordan, the Bulls were without a single legend before his arrival. In the case of Brett Favre, he played each game shadowed by the ghosts of Bart Starr and Vince Lombardi. Jordan is the greatest player in the History of the Chicago Bulls. Favre is just one of many in a long history of the Green Bay Packers. The current events, and the probability of return, certainly won't gain any support for his name topping the list. And depending on how ugly the situation may become, expect his name to fall.

Finally giving Tedford his due

I recently stumbled upon this entry on Bleacher Report, where the author provided a list of the 7 most overrated coaches in college football. I can’t say I’m in agreement with the full list, but to see Jeff Tedford’s name appear, all I can say is “finally”.

I often wondered if I was the only one in America viewing California’s head coach as a big ball of hype or if it was my own personal bias against his program that kept me from judging accordingly. Well, now I know there's at least two of us, though I don’t know the loyalties of the writer. Perhaps we both hold a strong despise for the Golden Bears.

One thing I know for certain is that Tedford’s hour of glory was a single victory, in triple overtime, against the Trojans in 2003. He rode that victory well into the post season, because it continued to surface, as that single loss kept USC out of the BCS title game, despite being the consensus No. 1 in all major polls. But just as quickly as the hype began, it should have ended. Tedford’s Golden Bears have failed to duplicate the feat, and at most, could only manage a single tie for the Pac 10 championship. Washington State's Bill Doba tied for the Pac 10 lead in 2002, and now he's unemployed.

Tedford isn’t someone short on talent, as can be the claim of Stanford and Jim Harbaugh. Tedford’s program has finally taken advantage of the California recruiting hotbed, producing J.J Arrington, Marshawn Lynch, Aaron Rodgers, and Adimchinobi Echemandu. DeSean Jackson, LaVelle Hawkins, and Justin Forsett are now stepping into the NFL as rookies. They rose to No. 2 in the polls in 2007, only to crash and burn with each week that followed. The Golden Bears, with more talent than many Pac 10 rosters, finished the season, managing to win only 3 games in conference.

His worth is built on a one time occurrence, and to the point where Michigan had him on their coaching search short list. Now it’s just a matter of time, and number of seasons, before he’s referenced among hot seat coaches across the nation. Am I a bit harsh on the man? Maybe. But at least now I know I don’t stand alone. Unless he can prove otherwise, “overrated” and “Jeff Tedford” appear the perfect fit.