Posts Tagged ‘national championship’

Trojan coach Lane Kiffin and quarterback Matt Barkley punctuate a new era of amateur football at USC

December 23, 2011

 

So who says big time college football is all about winning and money, and not about heart and sportsmanship? Check out the USC Trojans.

Yesterday Trojan junior quarterback Matt Barkley chose to play another year for the Trojans rather than grabbing a $20+ million payoff for entering the NFL draft, where he was a sure bet to be a top ten, or even a top five pick.

Explained Barkley,

“It is my dream to play quarterback in the NFL, and I intend to make that dream a reality. But I know in my heart that I have not finished my journey as a Trojan football player. The 2012 USC football team has some serious unfinished business to attend to, and I intend on being a part of that.”

Trojan coach Lane Kiffin was overjoyed at Barkley’s decision. And why not? It could well lead to a national championship for the loaded Trojans, and coach-of-the-year honors for Kiffin. But lest you think that Kiffin has only a selfish interest, look at what he said last week when Barkley’s blind-side protector, All American tackle Matt Kalil, announced his decision to forego his senior year for the NFL:

“We fully support his decision and we told him so. He is ready for the NFL. He will be a very high draft pick and will have a long, successful career. We will miss him next year, but will cheer him on (more…)

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Brigham Young University gets a mythical Chip Kelly award* for dismissing a star basketball player on the verge of a top seed in the NCAA tournament

March 2, 2011

 

Brigham Young is a regional basketball power, having gotten to the NCAA tournament 25 times, even though they never got past the round of eight. But this was to be their year: the Cougars are 27-2, rated third in the nation and in line for a top seed in March madness.

Their star is all-American guard Jimmer Fredette, who is supported by a solid group led by 6-foot-9 forward Brandon Davies, who averages 11 points and 6 rebounds a game. But Davies was dismissed from the Cougars team yesterday for an honor code violation. To the university the honor code is more important than a national championship.

Davies transgression, according to the Salt Lake Tribune, was having premarital sex with his girlfriend. That wouldn’t be a violation in most places, but BYU has its code and it takes its code seriously. BYU gets a Chip Kelly award for putting its code above winning.

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*Chip Kelly, Oregon Ducks football coach, suspended his star running back for poor sportsmanship right after Kelly’s first game as Ducks coach

 

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Boise State fans show what sportsmanship means, love Kyle Brotzman, who cost the Broncos a chance to play for the national championship

November 29, 2010

Real fans take football seriously. Some fans used to wait outside their team’s dressing room and beat up their field goal kicker after he missed an important kick. Fans of the coulda-woulda-shoulda Boise State Broncos are different. They know that football is a game and college players are college kids.


Saturday Boise was nine yards away from its first major bowl game—a certain Rose Bowl bid, and possibly a chance to play instead for the national championship. It was Boise 31-Nevada 31 with one second left, and reliable kicker Kyle Brotzman trotted on to kick a game winner. An easy “chip shot” like a thousand he had made. But he missed. Overtime.


The Broncos’ first possession fizzled at the Nevada 12 yard line. Another chip shot. Kyle missed again. Nevada promptly moved into position and their kicker kicked the winning field goal. Boise’s dreams were dead.

But Bronco fans didn’t beat up Brotzman: they came together with a display of love for their hero-turned-goat. As of this minute, less than 36 hours after the fiasco, a Facebook page called The Bronco Nation Loves Kyle Brotzman has over 18,000 fans.


Boise fans have earned a mythical Marv Levy award, named for the Hall of Famer and former coach of the Buffalo Bills (more…)

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