For those of you who don't know, my name's Nate and I am a rabid sports fan living in Columbia, South Carolina. I wish I could say my passion for sports stems from parental influences, but oddly enough I am probably the only one in my family who can tell you what a safety is in football...or how many halves there are in a college basketball game. (Actually, that's probably unfair. I'm sure my family members would have passed Jim Harrick's Basketball 101 final exam ). But nevertheless, my family has never been one for sports like I have always been. I developed my craziness all on my own.
So what's the purpose of this blog? To give insights and opnions on all things sports, and to get some really cool feedback. I can safely say that Bill Simmons is a source of inspiration...minus all the New England Patriot stuff. Other people can write on here and sound off, agree or disagree with me, and start some awesome discussion. Sports talk will not always be local. It can be pretty much about anything at all. There will be no talk about work, school, politics (other than the BC$) or other non-sports related issues. Just crazy, off-the-wall, opinionated sports stuff.
A little about me before we begin: I'm 33, born and raised in South Carolina, and have been a lifelong Gamecock fan. I work at USC by day, and host trivia at night. Sort of like David Hasselhoff's Baywatch life (lifeguard by day, FBI agent by night on Baywatch Nights).
Sportswise, I have an opinion on pretty much anything and everything. Here are my sports tastes:
All things college: USC Gamecocks (I really hope some Clemson fans contribute some opinion to this blog in time!)
NFL: Carolina Panthers
NBA: Charlotte Bobcats (yes, I know. It was once the Hornets until Shinn made a mockery of them)
MLB: Los Angeles Dodgers (though, there is also a special place in my heart for the Boston Red Sox since I lived in southern Maine the summer they won the Series in 2004)
NASCAR: Tony Stewart
IRL: Danica Patrick
NHL: Carolina Hurricanes/Edmonton Oilers (I like the home team, but love historical roots of a sport)
Serie A (Italian soccer): Atalanta (they're sort of like the Cubs of Italian soccer)
English Premiere League: Chelsea
Now that the pleasentries are out of the way, let's get into some sports discussion!!
First topic: The Heisman Trophy
This weekend, sports writers across America will vote for the winner of the Heisman Trophy. This award goes to "the most outstanding college football player." Note that last word: player. It doesn't say "quarterback," it doesn't say "running back," and it doesn't say "player who did well in the past or got snubbed last year." It doesn't say "best player on the best team." It is the best "player." Period.
So why are names like Tebow and McCoy being considered as finalists? Has anyone seen Tebow's numbers this year? Often maligned Jonathan Crompton of Tennessee had more TDs, passing yards and a higher QB rating than Tebow...and played in one less game. Stats aren't the only thing, however. If that were true, QBs and WRs from Houston and Texas Tech would win the Heisman every year. Winning certainly plays some role, but to me, the most important qualities have to be consistency, all-around talent, and performance in big games. Tebow, McCoy and even Ingram didn't have all of those qualities. True, Ingram may have solidified his status with a big performance and outshining of Tebow in the SEC title game, but people seem to forget his paultry stats in the game before with rival Alabama...or against conference rival Arkansas. That's sort of like a boxer KO'ing Muhammed Ali in his prime, but having to go 10 full rounds against Andy Dick in the match before.
For me, give me the guy who's consistent week in and week out. Give me the guy who will KO Ali, Frazier, Foreman, Lewis, Tyson and Dick. Regardless of his position.
Without further ado, if I were voting for the Heisman this year, these guys would be the top 5 on my ballot:
1. Ndamukong Suh, DL Nebraska: To me, there is really no other player that has played with such tenacity in every game as Suh. In the biggest game of his career, not only did he remain consistent, but he surpassed his averages. He was the main reason why Heisman hopeful Colt McCoy had such a poor game.
2. CJ Spiller, RB Clemson: It hurts to write a Clemson player here, but there is no denying his talent. He was the ONLY player in the country to score a touchdown in every single game he played this year. Even while hurt.
3. Toby Gerhart, RB Stanford: Insane numbers, and also one to step up in big games. Anyone else see that thumping Stanford gave USC?
4. Mark Ingram, RB Alabama: Had a couple of weak games, but still showed up when it mattered most.
5. Jimmy Clausen, QB Notre Dame: His numbers were mind-boggling and had a great overall game. Take him out of the lineup and Notre Dame's looking at an 0-12 season.
I'm interested to see what others say. It is exciting to see one of the closest races for the Heisman in history. This is the kind of controversy NCAA football needs...not the kind with the BCS bowl system. (Side note, I hope Santa takes a shovel to the reindeer stalls and dumps a 55-gallon drum of Red-nosed reindeer poop on the head of BCS Executive Director Bill Hancock.)
