Danny the Sports Guru

Out of the Shadows...

2008-01-30T10:00:00.000-05:00

A League of Their Own... A good movie with a memorable line by Tom Hanks, There's no crying in baseball... I enjoyed this movie, have used that line several times since, but for me the best part of that movie was at the end. Lori Petty comes charging around third with a full head of steam. Gina Davis (playing her older more polished sister) removes her catcher's mask and prepares to catch the incoming ball to nail her at the plate. Little sis vs. big sis. Leader vs. follower. What happens next is similar to what is happening to the first family of pro football, the Mannings.

First there was Archie, the father and patriarch of the family. He had a tremendous collegiate career but was burried on one of the worst teams ever in professional sports history, the New Orleans Saints, or at the time he played, the Aints, because nobody wanted to claim them. Archie was an amazing talent who as fate would have it, never played on a team that had anyone else worth note on them. The same could be said of Earl Campbell, as both great talents were used and abused and quickly faded to oblivian.

Archie and his wife would go on to have three sons, all great athletes. The oldest was Cooper, who was all-world in football before an injury ended his career before it even began. Ask anyone in the know and they will tell you to a man, Cooper was better than both of his brothers.

The middle son is Peyton. Perhaps you may have seen him in a commercial or two. That's what you get when you are the league MVP, as well as the Super Bowl MVP. You become more than the face of your franchise, you become the face of the league. You are recognized when your helmet is off and your jersey sells like hot cakes to a mass audiance. You become "the man." You are the leader of your football team. You get compared to the greatest who ever played the game and you are only in the prime of your career. People suddenly forget that you could not win the big game in college and focus more on what you do now. You have taken a small market team and made them matter. People adore you and wish they could be like you.

The youngest son is Eli. You go to the same college that your dad went to. You enjoy success on an individual level, but your team is stacked with underachievers. You automatically get compared to your older brother, and from this stance, nobody wants to be Bobby Brady. But you are far too talented to ignore. Your stock as the top quarterback in the draft continues to rise. The NFL will look for talent first, potential second and character third. Eli posessed all three qualities. His fear, as well as the fear of his family, was that San Diego who had the number one pick that season would draft Eli. Most players dream of being drafted number one, and Eli was no different. He just didn't want to play for San Diego. The Chargers had been notorious for low balling contracts and being very difficult to negotiate with. Eli, with the support of his entire family, vowed to never play for the Chargers. This caused a potential problem forcing the Chargers to either deal the number one pick, or take their chances that they could make Eli and the rest of the Mannings happy. They drafted him at number one, and then arranged for his rights to be traded to the New York Giants, for Phillip Rivers out of North Carolina State.

This caused many people to dislike Eli before he even threw a pass in the NFL. This rubbed many people the wrong way. Eli was able to force a trade from a team he did not want to play for because, simply, he could. This happened years ago with John Elway, and aside from Cleveland fans, his fan base grew to mamoth proportions. So Eli went to New York. The New York fans and media can be brutal to anyone and everyone. There is no place to hide and simply put, it is not the place for everyone. Eli struggled as a quarterback in New York the first couple of years. He would show signs of greatness at times, but did not have the supporting cast his older brother did in Indianapolis. No matter what, there would always be comparisons. When their respective teams would meet, the media would label it Manning Bowl. Their parents would sit in a luxury box watching their sons play, rooting for both and knowing that every eye in America was looking for a reaction.

This year, the Giants' best player retired, Tiki Barber. Barber took a job in the media, and one of the first things he did was blast both his former coach, Tom Coughlin and quarterback, Eli Manning. He questioned Manning's ability to lead and his overall skill. He did this on a public stage. Questioning an athlete like this, a quarterback no less, certainly ruffled a lot feathers. Manning responded immediately, and to some this came as a surprise. Little brother had some fight in him. Nobody would ever dare do this to Peyton, but Eli, kid brother, ehh... he won't do anything. Kenny Rogers sang of The Coward of the County years ago. Eli was now standing up for himself. And his team responded with him. Often times in football, a team's identity is directly reflective of the quarterback's identity. Think Indianapolis, you think blue collar work ethic. Think Green Bay, you think fun, gun slinger attitude. Think New York Giants, you used to think, ho-hum... we'll get 'em next year.

Not anymore. Eli Manning just rounded third and is heading to home plate with a full head of steam. Peyton Manning just took his catcher's mask off, but even a six-foot four, two hundred thirty pound quarterback can't stop younger brother. Years ago, Three Dog Night wrote a song, Eli's Coming. It had nothing to do with the Super Bowl or football in general. This Eli is already here. Sunday, he may bask in the spotlight on his own, for good.

Super Bowl Sunday...More than just a game...

2008-01-29T03:16:00.000-05:00

Super Bowl Sunday is upon us and for the two weeks leading in, even non-fans can now identify who Tom Brady is and have seen enough of his walking boot to last a lifetime. Fourteen days between games gives the media a lot to conjure up and the average fan to start thinking about spring training. And before that first kick off occurs, Sunday, we will have read about every star player and their story of how they got here.

Overachiever... Perseverance... Michigan alum... Well spoken... Says and does the right things... Wasn't supposed to be here... Surely we are speaking of the beloved and adored reigning MVP, Tom Brady, right? Wrong. Pierre Woods. Pierre Who? Sure everyone knows Brady's story and if you are not a sports fan, read People... he's in there too. Pierre Woods... not many know his story, but it is probably more impressive, with a lot less glamour.

Pierre Woods grew up in one of the toughest parts of Cleveland. His mother raised him alone working two jobs and did her best to make sure her son got home safe from school each and every day. Woods excelled at sports, notably basketball and football. By his junior year of high school at Glenville, Pierre was being recruited by the most elite football programs in the country. While football was his bread and butter, he also had the grades to get into most schools as well carrying a 3.6 GPA. Woods was being coached by a legend in his own right, Ted Ginn Sr., father of former Ohio State star and first round draft pick, Ted Ginn Jr. Ginn Sr. took Woods to many different schools to see which one would be the best fit. Also in that van was Donte Whitner, former Buckeye and first round draft pick as well as future Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith, now with the Baltimore Ravens. Ginn Sr. paid the way for these future NFL players and that core of players helped put his program on the national level. Last year, twenty-one Glenville players signed letters of intent to play college football. This year there may be sixteen more.

But Woods was the original big catch. At six-foot five, 245 pounds, with 4.45 speed, Woods was just what the Wolverines were looking for. He started immediately as a freshman. He tallied eight sacks as a freshman and was literally a man amongst boys. But signing Woods meant more to Michigan than just those eight sacks. It meant a pipeline could formed. For the first time ever, Michigan could steal the top talent from Ohio State from their own backyard. The Glenville connection would come to Michigan and John Cooper/Jim Tressel be damned. Michigan and then Head Coach Lloyd Carr wanted Ted Ginn Jr. So too did every school in the country, but Hail to the Victors was not in his vocabulary. Ginn Jr. decided on Scarlet and Gray over the Maize and Blue...(truth be told, Ginn's first choice was USC, but it would be too far for his dad to see him play, so the Buckeyes lucked out because of geography...) After Ginn signed his letter of intent to play at Ohio State, 13 other Glenville football players have also signed. Not one since Woods has gone up north.

Woods' playing time was suddenly cut drastically. No reason was given, but one could read between the lines. Woods played out his career at Michigan. He made career plans for after college and had a terrific job lined up in broadcasting the Wolverine games. He was raising his son and moved his mother to Michigan so the three of them could be closer. One could say Pierre Woods was living the good life.

When the NFL draft aired its two day extravaganza, Woods did not even watch. Why hope for something that is such a stretch, only heartbreak can bring you back to reality. Woods wound up talking to Ginn Sr. after the draft and he encouraged him to try out for an NFL team. His numbers at the scouting combine in Indianapolis were decent, just not off the charts great.

And then one day, he got the call. The New England Patriots wanted him to come try out for them. Bill Belicheck...Tom Brady... Super Bowl champions...Yes, those New England Patriots. So he did and did well. He survived the first cut at training camp, not an easy task for an undrafted prodigy. The second and third cut he also survived. Then it came down to the final cut...him or Chad Brown, a ten-year vet who had Super Bowl experience and was a former Pro-Bowler. Was it to save money or did Belicheck see something in Woods that could help his team? Probably a little of both. Whatever the case, Brown is retired, so too is Carr and on Sunday, Woods has a shot to win a Super Bowl ring. He will see time on special teams and is part of the linebacker rotation.

And that Brady-guy... he's doing pretty good for himself too. I just wish he wouldn't be so camera-shy and maybe we could see him every once in awhile...

Another Reason to Watch...

2007-12-05T03:19:00.000-05:00

As a child growing up, I loved to watch professional wrestling. Sure it was fake, but boy was it intriguing. The good guys vs. the bad guys. Right vs. wrong. Most of the kids that watched loved the "good guys." Not me... I loved the bad guys. They had so much more charisma and when they talked it had nothing to do with saying your prayers and eating your vitamins. They wanted to destroy you. They wanted to kill you. But most important, they entertained you and always kept you watching.

Bill Belicheck, the head coach of the New England Patriots, is without a doubt, the best bad guy the NFL has ever seen. He's so bad, he's good. He is smug, arrogant, cocky, brash, and oh by the way, the best coach in the NFL. You either love this guy or you despise him. There is no middle ground. Most look at this guy like the milk carton that has expired. You know you should throw it out, but you still have to smell it anyway to know how bad it really is.

Earlier this season, the Patriots were busted for what is now called "spy gate" and have been branded cheaters by the media and opposing teams. The reality is this is a common practice amongst all NFL teams and the Patriots were the ones caught with their pants down. There was talk of forfeiting that victory. There was talk of putting an asterisk by this season's win total. The only thing to come of it was a big fine levied by the NFL.

So what did Belicheck and his Patriots do? They decided to stick it to the NFL and every team that stood in its path. They began to run up the score as if they were out to cover the over/under on their own. They ran some scores up so much you would have thought they were making a move in the college bowl standings and the margin of victory was factored in.

Everyone took note. Vegas started posting numbers as if the Patriots were taking on your high school Alma mater. Teams have turned playing the Patriots into their own Super Bowl week. Baltimore played them to the wire this past week, and had they won, would have vindicated their poor season. Imagine Michigan winning only one game and it being against Ohio State (God Forbid!!!), somehow their season would have been saved. Same scenario.

Belecheck is predictable. His sound bites don't stir up echos of Bill Parcells, Herm Edwards, or Dennis Green. A Coors Light commercial is not on the horizon. He sounds like he mumbles. He looks pissed off that he even has to be at the press conference. He is the bad guy of the NFL coaching fraternity.

Bill Belecheck has become "that guy." He is the guy you root against and get to say I told you so when he fails. He is the guy that would copy the answers off the smart kid in the class and then cover his answers when you tried to peak. He would be the kid that has the coolest toys and doesn't share with anyone.

But here's the thing. For all the fans that watch to see Tom Brady throw and Randy Moss catch, and a group of linebackers that can do it all, there is a healthy portion of us watching to see Belecheck succeed or fail.

If only Vince McMahon could get his hands on this guy. A self-made bad guy on the most watched team in football. Four games remain for the Patriots in their goal for an undefeated season. Only the Miami Dolphins have achieved this feat and that was thirty five years ago. That team went on to win the Super Bowl and hoist their coach Don Shula on their shoulders in celebration. Only time will tell if Belecheck and the Patriots have a similar outcome.

Chances are you know someone like Belecheck. Chances are in some ways you wish you were a little more like that person without giving up too much of yourself. Chances are you will be watching on Sundays to see if Belecheck and his team can or can't do it. Whether they do or don't, chances are you will say, "I told you so..."

Reality tv...

2007-11-24T07:06:00.000-05:00

Over the past few years, society has been enamored with reality television. Whether we were glued to our sets to see who the American Idol was going to be or how the stars were dancing, week after week, we always tuned in. There have been good shows and crappy ones that involved eating insects and the such. But we kept tuning in. As a society we lowered our bar and accepted mediocrity and the networks rewarded us with more and more of it.

But, week after week, there is still amazing reality TV. I'm not talking about singing, dancing or living in the "Real World." I'm talking about the game of college football. If you think about it, its as real as it gets.

Each week there is emotion in every game. Stands are filled with fanatics and games are watched by millions. There is no voting at the end of the show, rather the result will be posted on the scoreboard. Randy Jackson won't have to tell an athlete if "you brought it dog, you brought it..." We will know by the scoreboard.

The tears of a senior playing in his last game, knowing there is no chance of playing football on Sundays is as real as it gets. No need for a dance guru with an accent to give him a 10 for his performance or effort. Leave that to his coaches and teammates.

Fans rushing the field to surround their hero's and be apart of the atmosphere. This makes for great TV because it is real. As a viewer at home, you feel the emotion through your television set. Thankfully no coach has turned around and pulled a Donald Trump after a team's poor performance and said "you're fired..."

Every game has its ups and downs. Every season can feel like a roller coaster. We live vicariously through the efforts of 18-22 year old student-athletes, and its the best show on television. It's passed on from generation to generation. Children dream of playing for their parents Alma Mater. How many times do you think parents have said you can be the next Reuben or Clay?

People will still tune in to see Paula, Randy and Simon have their spats. People will still watch the stars dance and people trying to break into the ultimate fighting arena while living in the same house together.

But, every Saturday in fall, there is real reality TV on. What will you be watching?

Wasted talent...

2007-11-21T03:17:00.000-05:00

I was watching Sports Center this evening when the story about Michael Vick came up. Having seen enough Michael Vick to last a lifetime, I was going to turn the channel. Then they discussed a former quarterback who also fell from grace upon his own doing. In the late seventies and early eighties, there were two quarterbacks that shaped the foundation of college football... Stanford's John Elway and Ohio State's Art Schleister. Both had a cannon for an arm. Both could do things with a football few had ever seen at the collegiate level. Elway went on to a Hall of Fame career, captured a couple of Super Bowl rings, and put a dagger in Cleveland fans along the way. Schleister went to federal prison.

Gone is the signing bonus the Baltimore Colts gave Schleister. Forgotten are the accolades he achieved in college. Dignity, pride and self-worth lost long before that prison door slammed shut that first night. Schleister is a compulsive gambler. He has been in and out of federal prisons for the better part of twenty years. His wife has left him with their child. He was banned for life from the NFL. He had failed attempts in the arena football league. He was once beloved in Columbus, now nothing but a black eye on the program.

Fast forward to 2007. The summer of shame for Michael Vick. Once thought of as the future of the league for his unbelievable skills to run the ball, throw the ball and put a team on his back, Vick entered a prison today, twenty-two days prior to his sentencing. How the mighty have fallen. Vick signed a 137-million dollar contract just two years ago with the Atlanta Falcons. He was on top of the world. He became the face of the NFL. He had more endorsement dollars coming in than any other NFL player. To steal a phrase, everyone wanted to Be Like Mike...

Dog Fighting... Killing defenseless dogs... Gambling on this hanious act... How quick the bottom can fall out. At his own doing. Society can forgive a lot of things. Killing dogs is not one of them. Instead of shaping what could have been a Hall of Fame type career, Vick will be allowed two hours a day to either read, play basketball or lift weights.

The Falcons are trying to recoup 20-million dollars worth of signing bonus. They will most likely get all of it. Vick also has several banks suing him to recoup their money as well. Vick is banned from the league until his full term is complete and even then he is not a sure thing to be reinstated.

He had the game of football in the palm of his hand. Tomorrow for two hours he will either have a book, a basketball or a weight there instead. Canton does not open its doors to those who wasted their talents. Prisons, however, do.

Football is amazing...

2007-11-20T12:50:00.000-05:00

I would consider myself an advid sports fan. Part fanatic, can't miss the game, and part realistic... I sometimes have to catch the highlights on ESPN, yet feel smart enough to know what happened from the highlights. Watching football for many years, you get a sense of knowing your favorite teams as well as the game in general. At times I feel like an offensive/defensive coordinator- calling out the plays my favorite team is going to run or how to defend against the opponents'. Very few times does the game of football offer surprises that will have people talking at the water cooler for days. But it is these times that being a fan is so awesome. To have seen the game and be able to describe it to those who did not is a great feeling. To relive the moment that was. To embelish a little, even. Hey, they weren't there-it's your story.

In 1982, during the Stanford-Cal game, what was thought to be a certain Stanford victory turned out to be one of the oddest finishes to any game ever seen. When Stanford kicked off leading by two with four seconds left, the celebration had already begun. The game was thought to be over to everyone except for Cal. Seven laterals later, Cal entered the end zone, eluding the eleven men on the field as well as the band. Crazy.

In 1974, Tom Dempsey was a place kicker for the New Orleans Saints. He was born with just one arm, and half his one foot was missing. And that was his kicking foot. A special shoe was desinged for him. At the end of the first half in a meaningless game, Dempsey was sent out to kick a 63-yard field goal. Dempsey's kick not only went thruough the up rights, but was the eventual difference in the game.

In 2000, the Tennessee Titans pulled off what is known as the Music City Miracle, a play that put them in the Super Bowl. On the kickoff, Lorenzo Neal, a bruising 250 pound full back caught the ball and then pitched it back to tight end Frank Wycheck. Wycheck then threw the ball across the field to a waiting wide receiver who had a convoy of blockers waiting for him. He went into the end zone untouched and the rest is history.

Last year, Devin Hester playing for the Chicago Bears was sent to stand in the end zone as Arizona set up for a long, improbable field goal attempt. The kick fell short and Hester caught the ball, and went on to return it for a then NFL record 104 yards for a touchdown.

Sunday provided one of these moments. One of those, "I thought I've seen it all" moments... The Browns trailed Baltimore, 30-27 with only four seconds left. The Browns sent Phil Dawson out to kick a 51 yard field goal. As the ball sailed in the air, it began to shift left. When it reached it's destination, it hit the left up-right and bounced toward the center of the goal posts. It hit the extention that supports the cross bar. The ball then bounced up in the air and fell in front of the goal posts. The referees declared the kick no-good. Time had expired and handshakes were being exchanged at mid-field.

Field goal kicks are not reviewable. The Ravens were declared the winner, 30-27. The refs then had a discussion about the kick noting the ball hit behind the cross bar making it a good kick. The refs overturned their own previous decision and now announced the kick to be good. Which meant overtime. The Browns won the coin toss and marched down the field to set up another Dawson field goal attempt. This time the ball sailed through the up-rights, with a lot less drama, and the Browns won 33-30.

When people ask me why I even watch the games if you know what the play is usually going to be... I can point to these moments. The game of football at times can be predictable. Other times, the ball can take a freakish bounce and it is all you can talk about for the next few weeks/months/years. I don't like to be the one at the water cooler listening to these stories. I like to be the one telling them. Wonder what's going to happen this Sunday?

Lloyd-thanks for the memories...

2007-11-19T02:18:00.000-05:00

Monday, November 19, 2007 will mark an end of an era for the Michigan Wolverine football program. Once thought of as the man to restore pride in a program that fell on hard times, Lloyd Carr will anounce his retirement. Having replaced Gary Moeller thirteen years ago, Carr displayed a cockiness and swagger few had seen since the days of Bo Schembechler. Carr will be remembered for both his dominance of former Ohio State Coach, John Cooper, but also for his dismal record against current OSU Coach, Jim Tressel.

Few can argue the success that Carr had both on the field and off the field as well. The Wolverines were co-national champions in 1997. He recruited two Heisman Trophy winners. The Wolverines won four Big Ten Championships under his reign. His graduation rate was second to none nationally and led the Big Ten in every year accept for two.

He was loved by his players and other coaches that competed against him. Three of Michigan's best players turned down millions last year to return for their senior seasons. Mike Hart, Chad Henne, and Jake Long were certain first round picks in last year's NFL draft. Instead they chose to return to school in hopes of defeating Ohio State and have a chance at the National Championship. Instead, in the first game of the season, Appalation State, a Division I-AA school went into the Big House and not only shocked Michigan, but the world as well. Considered by many as the biggest upset of all time, the Michigan season never seemed to get on course. The following week they suffered another defeat, this time to Oregon, also in the Big House. Dating back to the OSU game last season, this would mark the fourth straight defeat for Michigan, including the Bowl Game. This past Saturday, Carr and the Wolverines lost again to the Sweater Vest and the Buckeyes. In reality, the writing has been on the wall for some time. In today's game of college football, if you can not beat your arch rival, you better have your resume ready.

Similar to Cooper, Carr will be remembered for his inability to defeat the rival in the Big Game. Unlike Cooper, however, Michigan fans will remember Carr with love and adoration for the years of smiles he and his teams provided. While Cooper will be thought of as a punch line to many jokes, Carr will be thought of as the second best coach in Michigan history next to Bo. Somewhere, Woody has to be smiling feeling somewhat victorious in the rivalry, once again.