This semester has flown by it seems. I was skeptical when I first started this blog back in August, but over the weeks I have learned to appreciate what people have to say in them. Dr. Spencer was right when she said we just don’t have enough time to talk about everything we’d like to in sports, and I feel that these blogs have offered an outlet to learn about topics outside the classroom.
I would like to think that I will keep up with my blog, even after the semester is over. Going into the media world, a blog wouldn’t be a bad place to start working on. I think these blogs let us express our own sport’s interests. It really was fascinating to learn about the history of some of the sports in class, but I feel that more of the modern day issues are what we feel more passionate about. Dr. Spenser, I would encourage you to continue to use the blogs in your classes. With the world slowly but surely revolving around computers, the blog assignment can only improve student’s use of working on the internet.
I really don’t know what else to say about the blogs or my conclusion. I had a blast in class, and this was by far my most favorite class this semester. I just want to wish everyone good luck in the next semester, and good luck in wherever their career will take them.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Who are the top ten greatest athletes of past century?
What defines greatness? Is success measured by the number of trophies? Is it based on the number of touchdowns scored, home runs hit, or MVP titles? To me, greatness cannot be defined by any single statistic. Within my top ten greatest athletes, each one of them exudes each of the following characteristics: Dominance (Statistics), Integrity (well-mannered, good role model), Lasting impression (their achievement are long-lasting), and finally their historical impact they had on their sport. The Athletes are ranked from #10 to #1.
#10: Tiger Woods.
At the ripe age of 33 Tiger Woods is the most dominant golfer on the planet. He boasts 71 career PGA tour wins, 14 major titles, and career earnings of over 1 billion dollars. Since Woods began playing on the PGA Tour in 1996, the game of golf has not been the same. His ability to drive the ball further than most other golfers, and sink clutch putts makes him easily the most feared golfer on the planet. Wood’s role of a role model has come into question in the past few weeks. But I feel that Woods will bounce back from the media attacks, and prevail to be a better person. As much as I don’t like to look at Woods in this light, I feel more pressure is placed on him because he is an African-American playing a predominately white sport. But as of now, his impact on the sport of golf is unmatched, putting him at #10.
#9: Wayne Gretzky
I remember hearing once, that Wayne Gretzky was Canada’s most valuable resource, I couldn't agree more. For a sport that defines a country, the face of a league as well as the sport Gretzky was a no-brainer for the #9 spot. His records as a player in the NHL include most regular season goals, assists, points per game, playoff points, playoff goals, playoff assists to name a few. Gretzky played 20 seasons in the NHL for the Edmonton Oilers, Sacramento Kings, St. Louis Blue, and New York Rangers. In the 1,487 career NHL games, Gretzky scored an impressive 894 goals. After his player career, Gretzky became the coach for the Phoenix Coyotes since the 05 season. He was one of 10 players to skip the three year waiting period to enter the NHL Hall of Fame. His face and name are synonymous with the sport, and he usually works outside his coaching job to help promote the game to the youth, as well as around the world.
#8: Brett Favre
Maybe the most subjective person on this list, Favre entered the NFL in 1991 being drafted by the Atlanta Falcons. In 1992 he signed with the Green Bay Packers, playing for them for 16 seasons. He took the packers to the super Bowl twice, winning Super Bowl XXXI. Favre also started every Green Bay Packers game from September 20, 1992, to January 20, 2008. After some turmoil with the organization, Favre played a season with the Jets, and since 2009 Favre has played with the Minnesota Vikings. I would argue that Brett Favre is the greatest quarterback to ever play professional football. He holds numerous records including Consecutive starts (281), regular-season victories by a starting quarterback (179), Career passing touchdowns (490), passing yards (68,276), AP NFL MVP awards (3) (1995, 1996, 1997) to name a few. Favre is the only quarterback to have led a team to victory over all thirty-two teams in the league, a feat he was able to complete by beating the packers with the Vikings in 2009. His consecutive starts record by far is the most impressive; he hasn’t missed a game since September 27, 1992. Aside from Cal Ripken Jr’s record for career consecutive starts, Favre is second to none. Brett Favre also has his own foundation that donates money to local families in his home-state of Mississippi. Even though he is 40 now, he plays with the attitude of a teenager, which makes him an excellent role model to kids. His ability to still play at the highest level despite his age is an inspiring feat that few athletes can show.
#7: Muhammad Ali (Cassius Clay)
Born Cassius Clay, Ali is widely considered one of the greatest heavyweight championship boxers of all time. Competing in the “Golden age of Boxing” Ali went on to beat every top heavyweight opponent he faced. He ended his career with a record of 56-5 (37 KOs). Ali’s career was highlighted by his most major fights; the Rumble in the Jungle (vs. George Foreman) and the Thriller in Manila (vs. Chuck Wepner). Ali’s career did not go without controversy; Ali converted to Islam in 1964, and protested entering the army to fight in Vietnam because it violated his religious beliefs. He continually refused to not join the army in the draft. His rebellion was a symbol of a generation against war. He briefly lost his boxing license from the incident but regained it in 1970. Ali’s last bout was on December 11, 1981 in the Bahamas against Trevor Berbick. Ali lost in the 10th round by a unanimous decision. Ali is considered the greatest heavy-weight boxer in history. Ali’s struggle with Parkinson’s disease has helped bring the disease into the public light. Ali still makes appearances in many movies and charity events; his legacy is unrivaled in the world of Boxing.
#6: Billie Jean King
Billie Jean King is a former professional women's tennis player most known for her victory over Bobby Riggs in the “Battle of the Sexes” in 1973. At the time of the famous match, King was arguably the best women's tennis player in the world. She won 12 Grand Slam titles, and was ranked #1 in the world at six different times. Even though she earned less than 2 million dollars in career prize money, she has gone on to be synonymous with women's tennis. After she defeated the aged Bobby Riggs, she peaked in stardom, she had done what was thought to be the impossible; a woman beat a man in tennis. For once in sports, it wasn’t a racial line that was crossed but a gender line. Although the match may have seemed like a mismatch from the beginning, what followed in the world of tennis has not been seen in any other sport, a chance of equality. King would go on to have a successful career, even after her retirement, but the three sets she played against Riggs, and Billie Jean-King rewrote history for females in sports forever.
#5: Jim Thorpe
Of all the athletes on this list I think people know the least about Jim Thorpe. Thorpe was born in Oklahoma in 1888; he was of Native American and European descent. Unlike the other athletes on this list, Thorpe was one of those rare multi-sport athletes. Because he embraced the principle of an “athlete” I feel this is why he should be ranked 5th on this list. Thorpe played collegiate and professional football, professional baseball, and basketball. He also was an Olympian winning 2 gold medals in the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm in the Pentathlon and Decathlon. Starting with the Olympics, after he won two gold medals in 1912, he was stripped of his medals because Thorpe played semi-professional baseball prior to the games, making him a non-amateur athlete. The IOC eventually reinstated Thorpe to receive his medals in 1982, nearly 30 years after his death. In football, Thorpe played under Glenn Scobey "Pop" Warner at the Carlisle Indian Industrial School, where Thorpe started his football career. Most notably in 1911, Thorpe single handily defeat the Harvard football team 18-15. Professionally, Thorpe won the 1919 league championship. In baseball Thorpe played outfield for the New York Giants, Cincinnati Reds, and the Boston Braves. His baseball career only lasted 6 years. Thorpe legacy is unmatched by any other athlete, for his skills during the time period he played in, Jim Thorpe is one of the greatest “athletes” of all time.
#4: Babe Ruth (George Herman Ruth, Jr.)
“The Great Bambino”, “The Sultan of Swat,” Babe Ruth is without a doubt one of the greatest baseball players of all time. The pitcher/hitter, played for 21 seasons with the Boston red Sox, New York Yankees before ending his playing career with the Boston Braves. Even though his career ended in 1935, Ruth’s records for all-time slugging percentage and all-time OPS percentage are still number #1. His 714 home runs rank 3rd all time, and RBI’s and on-base percentage rank 2nd. Ruth began his baseball career as a pitcher surprisingly, amassing a 94-46 record over 163 games. He amassed 488 strikeouts and a career ERA of 2.28, 16th all-time. His legacy of being an unstoppable force in the ballpark gave him an unparalleled reputation. He was one of the original five members of the Baseball Hall of Fame, and from playing in the golden age of baseball, Ruth was considered the King, nobody could, or will be considered bigger than Babe.
#3: Michael Jordan
Despite getting cut from his high school basketball team, things turned out pretty good for Michael Jordan. A standout at the University of North Carolina, Jordan was drafted into the NBA by the Chicago Bulls. After that, it was all history. He was voted rookie of the year in 1985, and played for 14 seasons in the NBA with the Bulls and later with the Washington Wizards. Jordan played in the shooting guard position, leading the NBA in scoring for 10 seasons. It truly hard to describe the domination of Michael Jordan in the NBA, but Magic Johnson said it best, “There's Michael Jordan and then there is the rest of us.” Jordan accolades include holding the record for career points per game average (30.12), 2nd in career steals, 2nd all-time with 5 career MVP honors, and 3rd in total career points (32,292). Jordan was also the first player in NBA history to be Most Valuable Player and Defensive Player of the Year in same season. Jordan also won two Olympics Gold medals in Basketball during the 1984 and 1992 Olympics; in 1992 Jordan lead the “Dream Team” to the gold medal. After a few retirements and a brief stint playing minor league baseball, Jordan finally retired in April, 2003. He is currently a part-owner and Managing Member of Basketball Operations of the Charlotte Bobcats. When Jordan got inducted to the NBA Hall of Fame in 2009, Jordan’s career may be over, but his impression on basketball has no end in sight.
#2: Jackie Robinson
Jackie Robinson was most notably known for being the first African-American to play professional baseball. Although there was evidence of other African-Americans playing baseball at the time, Robinson was the most publicly known African-American to play. As a college coach at Sam Houston College in Austin, Texas, Robinson received an offer to play in the Negro leagues for the Kansas City Monarchs. On October 23, 1945 Robinson was assigned to play for the Montreal Royals, a minor-league team for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Despite constant scrutiny from the fans and even some teammates, Robinson won the International League MVP in 1946. The following year, Robinson would go down in baseball history. Robinson is typically credited with being the black baseball player to break the color-barrier in Major League Baseball. On April 15, 1947, Robinson made his major league debut at Ebbets Field before a crowd of 26,623. Some of Robinson’s own teammates hated him for his color, but away fans and teams were much worse. Disgruntled fans would yell racial slurs at Robinson any chance they could get. But Robinson kept his cool under pressure. Robinson finished his rookie season with 12 home runs, a league-leading 29 steals, a .297 batting average, a .427 slugging percentage, and 125 runs scored. His cumulative performance earned him the inaugural Major League Baseball Rookie of the Year Award. It was a rough 10 seasons for Jackie Robinson, but his hard work and perseverance paid off with a 1955 World Series title, and six consecutive all-star games (1949-1954). What Jackie Robinson did not only as an athlete but as a human being, is truly remarkable, and is considered one of the greatest baseball players to ever play the game.
#1: Pelé (Edison Arantes do Nascimento)
Pelé began his professional soccer career at the age of 15 for Santos, a football club in Santos, São Paulo, Brazil. Pelé made his first start in 1956, scoring in his first game. Within 10 months of playing, he was called up to play for the Brazilian National team. He played for 17 seasons with Santos playing in 656 official games for the club scoring 643 goals. The entire country of Brazil considered Pelé to be a national treasure, and it wasn’t until 1975 that Pelé would play outside his home country. Well past his prime, Pelé joined the North American Soccer League (NASL) team, the New York Cosmos in 1975. For three seasons, Pelé played for the Cosmos, scoring 64 goals in 107 games. For his national side, Pelé was a reckoning force since his first start in 1957. Pelé would go on to play in 4 FIFA World Cups for Brazil (1958, 1962, 1966, and 1970). Pelé would lead his team to three World Cup titles (58, 62, and 70). When Pelé and teammate Garrincha played together, they never lost a game for Brazil. Pelé’s retirement from soccer was one of the most extravagant and unique for all sports. He ended his career with an exhibition game between the only two club teams he ever played for, Santos and the Cosmos. On October 1, 1977 Pelé played the first half with the Cosmos and the second half for Santos. In the first half Pelé would score his final career goal on a direct free-kick. During halftime of the game, the Cosmos retired Pelé’s number 10 jersey. The Cosmos would win the game 2-1, and after the game Pelé ran around the field with an American flag in one hand and a Brazilian flag in the other. He was eventually carried off the field by some Cosmos players. After football, Pelé has worked all across the world to promote peace through soccer. In 1992, Pelé was appointed by the United Nations as an ambassador for ecology and the environment. Pelé has helped to reduce corruption in Brazilian soccer, and has even been given an honorary British knighthood. On a side note, in 1967, the two factions involved in the Nigerian Civil War agreed to a 48-hour ceasefire so they could watch Pelé play an exhibition game in Lagos. He has appeared in multiple movies and television shows, and has written several books. His name is synonymous with soccer all over the world. I just believe that because soccer is such a global phenomenon, that Pelé is one of the most recognized athletes in modern sports history. His presence on and off the pitch for decades are what solidified his position as the greatest athlete of the past century.
#10: Tiger Woods.
At the ripe age of 33 Tiger Woods is the most dominant golfer on the planet. He boasts 71 career PGA tour wins, 14 major titles, and career earnings of over 1 billion dollars. Since Woods began playing on the PGA Tour in 1996, the game of golf has not been the same. His ability to drive the ball further than most other golfers, and sink clutch putts makes him easily the most feared golfer on the planet. Wood’s role of a role model has come into question in the past few weeks. But I feel that Woods will bounce back from the media attacks, and prevail to be a better person. As much as I don’t like to look at Woods in this light, I feel more pressure is placed on him because he is an African-American playing a predominately white sport. But as of now, his impact on the sport of golf is unmatched, putting him at #10.
#9: Wayne Gretzky
I remember hearing once, that Wayne Gretzky was Canada’s most valuable resource, I couldn't agree more. For a sport that defines a country, the face of a league as well as the sport Gretzky was a no-brainer for the #9 spot. His records as a player in the NHL include most regular season goals, assists, points per game, playoff points, playoff goals, playoff assists to name a few. Gretzky played 20 seasons in the NHL for the Edmonton Oilers, Sacramento Kings, St. Louis Blue, and New York Rangers. In the 1,487 career NHL games, Gretzky scored an impressive 894 goals. After his player career, Gretzky became the coach for the Phoenix Coyotes since the 05 season. He was one of 10 players to skip the three year waiting period to enter the NHL Hall of Fame. His face and name are synonymous with the sport, and he usually works outside his coaching job to help promote the game to the youth, as well as around the world.
#8: Brett Favre
Maybe the most subjective person on this list, Favre entered the NFL in 1991 being drafted by the Atlanta Falcons. In 1992 he signed with the Green Bay Packers, playing for them for 16 seasons. He took the packers to the super Bowl twice, winning Super Bowl XXXI. Favre also started every Green Bay Packers game from September 20, 1992, to January 20, 2008. After some turmoil with the organization, Favre played a season with the Jets, and since 2009 Favre has played with the Minnesota Vikings. I would argue that Brett Favre is the greatest quarterback to ever play professional football. He holds numerous records including Consecutive starts (281), regular-season victories by a starting quarterback (179), Career passing touchdowns (490), passing yards (68,276), AP NFL MVP awards (3) (1995, 1996, 1997) to name a few. Favre is the only quarterback to have led a team to victory over all thirty-two teams in the league, a feat he was able to complete by beating the packers with the Vikings in 2009. His consecutive starts record by far is the most impressive; he hasn’t missed a game since September 27, 1992. Aside from Cal Ripken Jr’s record for career consecutive starts, Favre is second to none. Brett Favre also has his own foundation that donates money to local families in his home-state of Mississippi. Even though he is 40 now, he plays with the attitude of a teenager, which makes him an excellent role model to kids. His ability to still play at the highest level despite his age is an inspiring feat that few athletes can show.
#7: Muhammad Ali (Cassius Clay)
Born Cassius Clay, Ali is widely considered one of the greatest heavyweight championship boxers of all time. Competing in the “Golden age of Boxing” Ali went on to beat every top heavyweight opponent he faced. He ended his career with a record of 56-5 (37 KOs). Ali’s career was highlighted by his most major fights; the Rumble in the Jungle (vs. George Foreman) and the Thriller in Manila (vs. Chuck Wepner). Ali’s career did not go without controversy; Ali converted to Islam in 1964, and protested entering the army to fight in Vietnam because it violated his religious beliefs. He continually refused to not join the army in the draft. His rebellion was a symbol of a generation against war. He briefly lost his boxing license from the incident but regained it in 1970. Ali’s last bout was on December 11, 1981 in the Bahamas against Trevor Berbick. Ali lost in the 10th round by a unanimous decision. Ali is considered the greatest heavy-weight boxer in history. Ali’s struggle with Parkinson’s disease has helped bring the disease into the public light. Ali still makes appearances in many movies and charity events; his legacy is unrivaled in the world of Boxing.
#6: Billie Jean King
Billie Jean King is a former professional women's tennis player most known for her victory over Bobby Riggs in the “Battle of the Sexes” in 1973. At the time of the famous match, King was arguably the best women's tennis player in the world. She won 12 Grand Slam titles, and was ranked #1 in the world at six different times. Even though she earned less than 2 million dollars in career prize money, she has gone on to be synonymous with women's tennis. After she defeated the aged Bobby Riggs, she peaked in stardom, she had done what was thought to be the impossible; a woman beat a man in tennis. For once in sports, it wasn’t a racial line that was crossed but a gender line. Although the match may have seemed like a mismatch from the beginning, what followed in the world of tennis has not been seen in any other sport, a chance of equality. King would go on to have a successful career, even after her retirement, but the three sets she played against Riggs, and Billie Jean-King rewrote history for females in sports forever.
#5: Jim Thorpe
Of all the athletes on this list I think people know the least about Jim Thorpe. Thorpe was born in Oklahoma in 1888; he was of Native American and European descent. Unlike the other athletes on this list, Thorpe was one of those rare multi-sport athletes. Because he embraced the principle of an “athlete” I feel this is why he should be ranked 5th on this list. Thorpe played collegiate and professional football, professional baseball, and basketball. He also was an Olympian winning 2 gold medals in the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm in the Pentathlon and Decathlon. Starting with the Olympics, after he won two gold medals in 1912, he was stripped of his medals because Thorpe played semi-professional baseball prior to the games, making him a non-amateur athlete. The IOC eventually reinstated Thorpe to receive his medals in 1982, nearly 30 years after his death. In football, Thorpe played under Glenn Scobey "Pop" Warner at the Carlisle Indian Industrial School, where Thorpe started his football career. Most notably in 1911, Thorpe single handily defeat the Harvard football team 18-15. Professionally, Thorpe won the 1919 league championship. In baseball Thorpe played outfield for the New York Giants, Cincinnati Reds, and the Boston Braves. His baseball career only lasted 6 years. Thorpe legacy is unmatched by any other athlete, for his skills during the time period he played in, Jim Thorpe is one of the greatest “athletes” of all time.
#4: Babe Ruth (George Herman Ruth, Jr.)
“The Great Bambino”, “The Sultan of Swat,” Babe Ruth is without a doubt one of the greatest baseball players of all time. The pitcher/hitter, played for 21 seasons with the Boston red Sox, New York Yankees before ending his playing career with the Boston Braves. Even though his career ended in 1935, Ruth’s records for all-time slugging percentage and all-time OPS percentage are still number #1. His 714 home runs rank 3rd all time, and RBI’s and on-base percentage rank 2nd. Ruth began his baseball career as a pitcher surprisingly, amassing a 94-46 record over 163 games. He amassed 488 strikeouts and a career ERA of 2.28, 16th all-time. His legacy of being an unstoppable force in the ballpark gave him an unparalleled reputation. He was one of the original five members of the Baseball Hall of Fame, and from playing in the golden age of baseball, Ruth was considered the King, nobody could, or will be considered bigger than Babe.
#3: Michael Jordan
Despite getting cut from his high school basketball team, things turned out pretty good for Michael Jordan. A standout at the University of North Carolina, Jordan was drafted into the NBA by the Chicago Bulls. After that, it was all history. He was voted rookie of the year in 1985, and played for 14 seasons in the NBA with the Bulls and later with the Washington Wizards. Jordan played in the shooting guard position, leading the NBA in scoring for 10 seasons. It truly hard to describe the domination of Michael Jordan in the NBA, but Magic Johnson said it best, “There's Michael Jordan and then there is the rest of us.” Jordan accolades include holding the record for career points per game average (30.12), 2nd in career steals, 2nd all-time with 5 career MVP honors, and 3rd in total career points (32,292). Jordan was also the first player in NBA history to be Most Valuable Player and Defensive Player of the Year in same season. Jordan also won two Olympics Gold medals in Basketball during the 1984 and 1992 Olympics; in 1992 Jordan lead the “Dream Team” to the gold medal. After a few retirements and a brief stint playing minor league baseball, Jordan finally retired in April, 2003. He is currently a part-owner and Managing Member of Basketball Operations of the Charlotte Bobcats. When Jordan got inducted to the NBA Hall of Fame in 2009, Jordan’s career may be over, but his impression on basketball has no end in sight.
#2: Jackie Robinson
Jackie Robinson was most notably known for being the first African-American to play professional baseball. Although there was evidence of other African-Americans playing baseball at the time, Robinson was the most publicly known African-American to play. As a college coach at Sam Houston College in Austin, Texas, Robinson received an offer to play in the Negro leagues for the Kansas City Monarchs. On October 23, 1945 Robinson was assigned to play for the Montreal Royals, a minor-league team for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Despite constant scrutiny from the fans and even some teammates, Robinson won the International League MVP in 1946. The following year, Robinson would go down in baseball history. Robinson is typically credited with being the black baseball player to break the color-barrier in Major League Baseball. On April 15, 1947, Robinson made his major league debut at Ebbets Field before a crowd of 26,623. Some of Robinson’s own teammates hated him for his color, but away fans and teams were much worse. Disgruntled fans would yell racial slurs at Robinson any chance they could get. But Robinson kept his cool under pressure. Robinson finished his rookie season with 12 home runs, a league-leading 29 steals, a .297 batting average, a .427 slugging percentage, and 125 runs scored. His cumulative performance earned him the inaugural Major League Baseball Rookie of the Year Award. It was a rough 10 seasons for Jackie Robinson, but his hard work and perseverance paid off with a 1955 World Series title, and six consecutive all-star games (1949-1954). What Jackie Robinson did not only as an athlete but as a human being, is truly remarkable, and is considered one of the greatest baseball players to ever play the game.
#1: Pelé (Edison Arantes do Nascimento)
Pelé began his professional soccer career at the age of 15 for Santos, a football club in Santos, São Paulo, Brazil. Pelé made his first start in 1956, scoring in his first game. Within 10 months of playing, he was called up to play for the Brazilian National team. He played for 17 seasons with Santos playing in 656 official games for the club scoring 643 goals. The entire country of Brazil considered Pelé to be a national treasure, and it wasn’t until 1975 that Pelé would play outside his home country. Well past his prime, Pelé joined the North American Soccer League (NASL) team, the New York Cosmos in 1975. For three seasons, Pelé played for the Cosmos, scoring 64 goals in 107 games. For his national side, Pelé was a reckoning force since his first start in 1957. Pelé would go on to play in 4 FIFA World Cups for Brazil (1958, 1962, 1966, and 1970). Pelé would lead his team to three World Cup titles (58, 62, and 70). When Pelé and teammate Garrincha played together, they never lost a game for Brazil. Pelé’s retirement from soccer was one of the most extravagant and unique for all sports. He ended his career with an exhibition game between the only two club teams he ever played for, Santos and the Cosmos. On October 1, 1977 Pelé played the first half with the Cosmos and the second half for Santos. In the first half Pelé would score his final career goal on a direct free-kick. During halftime of the game, the Cosmos retired Pelé’s number 10 jersey. The Cosmos would win the game 2-1, and after the game Pelé ran around the field with an American flag in one hand and a Brazilian flag in the other. He was eventually carried off the field by some Cosmos players. After football, Pelé has worked all across the world to promote peace through soccer. In 1992, Pelé was appointed by the United Nations as an ambassador for ecology and the environment. Pelé has helped to reduce corruption in Brazilian soccer, and has even been given an honorary British knighthood. On a side note, in 1967, the two factions involved in the Nigerian Civil War agreed to a 48-hour ceasefire so they could watch Pelé play an exhibition game in Lagos. He has appeared in multiple movies and television shows, and has written several books. His name is synonymous with soccer all over the world. I just believe that because soccer is such a global phenomenon, that Pelé is one of the most recognized athletes in modern sports history. His presence on and off the pitch for decades are what solidified his position as the greatest athlete of the past century.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Why I’ve lost faith in College Football
By this point in the college football season, all the bowl games are set, Alabama is Ranked #1, and Ingram won the Heisman. Sadly I have problems with all three of these points.
First I have a problem with the BCS. Since 1998, the Bowl Championship Series has been ruining college football. With their highly subjective and heavily computerized ranking system, the NCAA has lost control of possibly their most valuable sport. College Basketball offers at least every conference winner a spot in the NCAA basketball tournament, but in football only six conferences are included in the major BCS bowl Games. That leaves out every mid-major conference, including two of the top six teams in the BCS’s own rankings (Boise State and TCU). If the BCS doesn’t want to seem so biased and inclusive, then they should accept all D-1 conferences including the MAC, WAC, and Sun Belt to name a few. I am one of the many fans out there who would lobby for a playoff system. I mean, high schools play a playoff and professionals play playoffs, why shouldn’t colleges? If most of the players in college have the dream of going professional sooner or later, they should be excited to want to play in a college playoff, it can give them valuable experience in playing games that are winner take all. I do applaud that some conference already have a conference title playoff, but others do not. I really believe that because the Big Ten don’t have a playoff for their conference title, is why they have been hurting in the bowl games recently. And I hate hearing people arguing against a playoff because it means players are more frequent to injury. Well that’s the tough of it, players are going to get hurt and miss big games, it’s how it has been and always will be. I think the NCAA should drop the BCS system and work for a playoff system. Division II football uses a playoff system quite effectively, and with basketball, I believe they both honestly pick the right winner, not some overused computer program.
Next is the awards part. Like I stated in my intro, Mark Ingram won the 2009 Heisman Trophy. Firstly I think that awards are given out too early. I didn’t pay much attention to the awards this year except for the Heisman and the Biletnikoff award. The Heisman in 2008 was given to the wrong player and again this year, the Heisman was given to the wrong player. I just don’t understand how the award can be given to an athlete who had worse statistics than another player. If this award is given to the best individual athlete, then it should have gone to Toby Gerhart, not Mark Ingram. Gerhart carried the ball 62 more times than Ingram, and Gerhart also rushed for 194 more yards as well as 11 more touchdowns. It shouldn’t matter that Ingram’s team is changeling for the national title; I just think Gerhart got robbed. Even worse than the Heisman was the Biletnikoff award, given to the country’s top wide receiver. The three finalists for the award were Jordan Shipley of Texas, Freddie Barnes of BGSU, and Golden Tate of Notre Dame. Tate ended up winning the award even though he finished behind Barnes and or Shipley in the statistical category of receiving yards, touchdowns, and receptions. Although I used this same argument for the Heisman, the team’s overall standing shouldn’t have any effect on the winner’s chance. Notre Dame has declined any bowl invitations with a 6-6 record. BGSU is 7-5 and will play in the Roady’s Humanitarian Bowl in Boise, while Texas is obviously playing against Alabama for a national title. I just don’t understand how these awards cannot be given the player with the best statistics, regardless of where they went to school.
Bowl Games are my final point of argument. For years, bowl games have defined college football. I consider all of them except for the title game to be just consolation prizes for teams. Does it really matter if a team wins the Rose Bowl for the eighth time, or back to back Sugar Bowls? No, they really mean nothing in the long run, just another chance for some schools to earn money for their football programs. I mean there are so many bowls now-a-days that there are 34 bowl games, which means that 68 football teams get to play in the postseason. (A little obsessive if you ask me.) I think that this just gives more backing for a playoff system. Cut the teams down, and create a bracket like system similar to basketball. I have my ideas for a playoff, but I feel the NCAA should work one out for themselves.
So in the end, I think that certain players were given the wrong awards, the National title game might be biased, and the bowl games offer no clear way of what team is better. Unless some stuff changes, I don’t know how long I won’t have faith in college football.
First I have a problem with the BCS. Since 1998, the Bowl Championship Series has been ruining college football. With their highly subjective and heavily computerized ranking system, the NCAA has lost control of possibly their most valuable sport. College Basketball offers at least every conference winner a spot in the NCAA basketball tournament, but in football only six conferences are included in the major BCS bowl Games. That leaves out every mid-major conference, including two of the top six teams in the BCS’s own rankings (Boise State and TCU). If the BCS doesn’t want to seem so biased and inclusive, then they should accept all D-1 conferences including the MAC, WAC, and Sun Belt to name a few. I am one of the many fans out there who would lobby for a playoff system. I mean, high schools play a playoff and professionals play playoffs, why shouldn’t colleges? If most of the players in college have the dream of going professional sooner or later, they should be excited to want to play in a college playoff, it can give them valuable experience in playing games that are winner take all. I do applaud that some conference already have a conference title playoff, but others do not. I really believe that because the Big Ten don’t have a playoff for their conference title, is why they have been hurting in the bowl games recently. And I hate hearing people arguing against a playoff because it means players are more frequent to injury. Well that’s the tough of it, players are going to get hurt and miss big games, it’s how it has been and always will be. I think the NCAA should drop the BCS system and work for a playoff system. Division II football uses a playoff system quite effectively, and with basketball, I believe they both honestly pick the right winner, not some overused computer program.
Next is the awards part. Like I stated in my intro, Mark Ingram won the 2009 Heisman Trophy. Firstly I think that awards are given out too early. I didn’t pay much attention to the awards this year except for the Heisman and the Biletnikoff award. The Heisman in 2008 was given to the wrong player and again this year, the Heisman was given to the wrong player. I just don’t understand how the award can be given to an athlete who had worse statistics than another player. If this award is given to the best individual athlete, then it should have gone to Toby Gerhart, not Mark Ingram. Gerhart carried the ball 62 more times than Ingram, and Gerhart also rushed for 194 more yards as well as 11 more touchdowns. It shouldn’t matter that Ingram’s team is changeling for the national title; I just think Gerhart got robbed. Even worse than the Heisman was the Biletnikoff award, given to the country’s top wide receiver. The three finalists for the award were Jordan Shipley of Texas, Freddie Barnes of BGSU, and Golden Tate of Notre Dame. Tate ended up winning the award even though he finished behind Barnes and or Shipley in the statistical category of receiving yards, touchdowns, and receptions. Although I used this same argument for the Heisman, the team’s overall standing shouldn’t have any effect on the winner’s chance. Notre Dame has declined any bowl invitations with a 6-6 record. BGSU is 7-5 and will play in the Roady’s Humanitarian Bowl in Boise, while Texas is obviously playing against Alabama for a national title. I just don’t understand how these awards cannot be given the player with the best statistics, regardless of where they went to school.
Bowl Games are my final point of argument. For years, bowl games have defined college football. I consider all of them except for the title game to be just consolation prizes for teams. Does it really matter if a team wins the Rose Bowl for the eighth time, or back to back Sugar Bowls? No, they really mean nothing in the long run, just another chance for some schools to earn money for their football programs. I mean there are so many bowls now-a-days that there are 34 bowl games, which means that 68 football teams get to play in the postseason. (A little obsessive if you ask me.) I think that this just gives more backing for a playoff system. Cut the teams down, and create a bracket like system similar to basketball. I have my ideas for a playoff, but I feel the NCAA should work one out for themselves.
So in the end, I think that certain players were given the wrong awards, the National title game might be biased, and the bowl games offer no clear way of what team is better. Unless some stuff changes, I don’t know how long I won’t have faith in college football.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Do Fantasy Sports ruin sports?
This may seem like a silly question to ask, but the world of fantasy sports is growing in popularity each year, and has become a popular pastime on the internet and in people’s basements. Firstly I am a fantasy sports owner. Each season since 2006, I have played fantasy football, baseball, and soccer. People do not understand the amount of time, money, and integrity that surrounds fantasy sports. In this blog, I’d like to explore each of these areas, and see if fantasy sports are good for the sporting world.
First there is time. Sports are a 24-hour 365-days-a-year business. At any given time, something is happening with sports somewhere in the world. The same goes with fantasy sports. People are constantly checking rosters, trading players, picking favorable matchups, and keeping tabs on their fantasy players. On average, I would say people waste close to 2 hours a week on fantasy sports. Now to some, that doesn’t seem like a long time, but that’s just an average. I know when I was in high school, every morning in my first period class; I would check my fantasy sports teams. Even though it was probably unnecessary, I still checked rosters and free agency every day. I don’t do it as often now a day. But I would probably bet there are the hardcore fantasy owners that constantly check stats.
Money is another issue. Wouldn’t it be considered a form of gambling when it comes to fantasy sports? Not necessarily, This follows real life sports too, nearly every major sport game can be betted on, so there is nothing illegal when it comes to gambling though fantasy sports. I personally don’t gamble when I play fantasy sports. I usually play for free on Yahoo.com. Not every fantasy league or owner pays money to play, with a chance of winning it in the end, but a good majority of leagues are ran with a betting system. Venues like Yahoo, CBS Sports, and NFL.com offer a more user-friendly area to play fantasy sports. But there are still a large following of people that play fantasy sports offline and handle money free-hand.
Finally there is integrity. Fantasy sports are all based on numbers. In any of the fantasy sports, a victory could depend on a matter of fractional points. I can vouch that I’ve lost a few fantasy football games by .15 points at least. It’s a rough game. In case you aren’t familiar with fantasy sports, athletes are given points based on the stats that they get in their games. During week 10 of the NFL, Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew knelt down at the one yard line when he had an open opportunity to score a touchdown. To fantasy owners of Jones-Drew, this was huge. Fantasy sports players usually don’t care how the outcome of a game goes for a team, as long as the player on their team does well. I think this hurts fan-hood, because it encourages individual success in a team sport. It would be different for fantasy golf, but this is an issue in most fantasy sports. Fantasy baseball owners hate it when their players are forced to sacrifice bunt, and in fantasy basketball when players foul on purpose.
Despite some of these minor issues in the sports, I think fantasy sports are harmless. Real life teams and players are aware of fantasy sports, but still play the sport in the way they have always played it. Fantasy owners can’t do much more than gripe if their players don’t rack up the big points, but I do agree that fantasy sports offers just another venue of friendly completion between friends, co-workers, or complete strangers.
First there is time. Sports are a 24-hour 365-days-a-year business. At any given time, something is happening with sports somewhere in the world. The same goes with fantasy sports. People are constantly checking rosters, trading players, picking favorable matchups, and keeping tabs on their fantasy players. On average, I would say people waste close to 2 hours a week on fantasy sports. Now to some, that doesn’t seem like a long time, but that’s just an average. I know when I was in high school, every morning in my first period class; I would check my fantasy sports teams. Even though it was probably unnecessary, I still checked rosters and free agency every day. I don’t do it as often now a day. But I would probably bet there are the hardcore fantasy owners that constantly check stats.
Money is another issue. Wouldn’t it be considered a form of gambling when it comes to fantasy sports? Not necessarily, This follows real life sports too, nearly every major sport game can be betted on, so there is nothing illegal when it comes to gambling though fantasy sports. I personally don’t gamble when I play fantasy sports. I usually play for free on Yahoo.com. Not every fantasy league or owner pays money to play, with a chance of winning it in the end, but a good majority of leagues are ran with a betting system. Venues like Yahoo, CBS Sports, and NFL.com offer a more user-friendly area to play fantasy sports. But there are still a large following of people that play fantasy sports offline and handle money free-hand.
Finally there is integrity. Fantasy sports are all based on numbers. In any of the fantasy sports, a victory could depend on a matter of fractional points. I can vouch that I’ve lost a few fantasy football games by .15 points at least. It’s a rough game. In case you aren’t familiar with fantasy sports, athletes are given points based on the stats that they get in their games. During week 10 of the NFL, Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew knelt down at the one yard line when he had an open opportunity to score a touchdown. To fantasy owners of Jones-Drew, this was huge. Fantasy sports players usually don’t care how the outcome of a game goes for a team, as long as the player on their team does well. I think this hurts fan-hood, because it encourages individual success in a team sport. It would be different for fantasy golf, but this is an issue in most fantasy sports. Fantasy baseball owners hate it when their players are forced to sacrifice bunt, and in fantasy basketball when players foul on purpose.
Despite some of these minor issues in the sports, I think fantasy sports are harmless. Real life teams and players are aware of fantasy sports, but still play the sport in the way they have always played it. Fantasy owners can’t do much more than gripe if their players don’t rack up the big points, but I do agree that fantasy sports offers just another venue of friendly completion between friends, co-workers, or complete strangers.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Is Elizabeth Lambert a bad soccer player? Or is she doing her job?
We all saw in class the following video on Elizabeth Lambert, the New Mexico Women’s soccer player whose highlight reel was far from glamorous. No she didn’t score a dozen goals, but she might have accumulated a dozen fouls. So does this make Lambert a bad player? Surprisingly enough I say no.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JC-pF3OHY1c
All teams have these types of players on their teams; enforcers. These are players who go in and make the big hits, they aren’t afraid to get physical. We see this from the footage of Ty Cobb, and even to this day with players like Hines Ward, Ray Lewis, Ron Artest, and Gennaro Gattuso. Most of you probably aren’t familiar with Gattuso, but I’ll explain more about him later.
Soccer doesn’t get a good reputation when it comes to being a physical sport. Players are often considered “Grass fairies” by other sports fans, but soccer can be just as physical as football or hockey. Yes some of the things Lambert did were over the line, but jabbing players in the back, a little push and shove here and there is how the game is played. Lambert was probably doing her role, but just in an extreme case. The New Mexico team was playing BYU in the playoffs, so the two teams were playing with some emotions. Maybe Lambert was getting frustrated that her team was losing, but that does not constitute her actions.
Gennaro Gattuso is a world renowned soccer player from Italy. He plays for the club team, A.C. Milan. He plays in the defensive midfielder position, and has gained a reputation as being one of the most aggressive players in the entire world. Gattuso has gained a reputation for committing some pretty harsh fouls, and I remember hearing during the 2006 World Cup an announcer saying something along the lines as, “Gattuso is almost guaranteed a yellow card every time he goes for a tackle.” This isn’t to make it seem that Gattuso is always a dirty player; he plays with a passion, a passion that every game is just as important as any other, and losing is not an option. Here is a video that shows some of Gattuso’s highlights.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8-G1RVz-cc&feature=fvw
I know it was brought up in class that Lambert is being treated differently because she is a female. I agree she is getting unfair media coverage. I’m not condoning her actions, but I do believe that because she is a girl, she isn’t being treated right. Yes, she should be suspended for her actions, but to be quite honest, she should have gotten a red card, or even two, for her fouls. In my eyes, that is poor refereeing. I know in most soccer games, there are only three referees on a field for a game. And I know that referees can’t see everything on the field, but from watching the highlights, how could the referees not notice her challenges and give her a red card.
To be honest I felt that Lambert was playing her position properly, yes she had some aggressive fouls, and some sloppy play, but aside from the hair pulling incident, I don’t think she should have anything more than a one game suspension. I would also like to see if this is a recurring theme of playing, or if this was a one game situation, regardless, she shouldn’t be suspended for too long.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JC-pF3OHY1c
All teams have these types of players on their teams; enforcers. These are players who go in and make the big hits, they aren’t afraid to get physical. We see this from the footage of Ty Cobb, and even to this day with players like Hines Ward, Ray Lewis, Ron Artest, and Gennaro Gattuso. Most of you probably aren’t familiar with Gattuso, but I’ll explain more about him later.
Soccer doesn’t get a good reputation when it comes to being a physical sport. Players are often considered “Grass fairies” by other sports fans, but soccer can be just as physical as football or hockey. Yes some of the things Lambert did were over the line, but jabbing players in the back, a little push and shove here and there is how the game is played. Lambert was probably doing her role, but just in an extreme case. The New Mexico team was playing BYU in the playoffs, so the two teams were playing with some emotions. Maybe Lambert was getting frustrated that her team was losing, but that does not constitute her actions.
Gennaro Gattuso is a world renowned soccer player from Italy. He plays for the club team, A.C. Milan. He plays in the defensive midfielder position, and has gained a reputation as being one of the most aggressive players in the entire world. Gattuso has gained a reputation for committing some pretty harsh fouls, and I remember hearing during the 2006 World Cup an announcer saying something along the lines as, “Gattuso is almost guaranteed a yellow card every time he goes for a tackle.” This isn’t to make it seem that Gattuso is always a dirty player; he plays with a passion, a passion that every game is just as important as any other, and losing is not an option. Here is a video that shows some of Gattuso’s highlights.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8-G1RVz-cc&feature=fvw
I know it was brought up in class that Lambert is being treated differently because she is a female. I agree she is getting unfair media coverage. I’m not condoning her actions, but I do believe that because she is a girl, she isn’t being treated right. Yes, she should be suspended for her actions, but to be quite honest, she should have gotten a red card, or even two, for her fouls. In my eyes, that is poor refereeing. I know in most soccer games, there are only three referees on a field for a game. And I know that referees can’t see everything on the field, but from watching the highlights, how could the referees not notice her challenges and give her a red card.
To be honest I felt that Lambert was playing her position properly, yes she had some aggressive fouls, and some sloppy play, but aside from the hair pulling incident, I don’t think she should have anything more than a one game suspension. I would also like to see if this is a recurring theme of playing, or if this was a one game situation, regardless, she shouldn’t be suspended for too long.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Fan Behavior at School’s Hockey games, too far?
After attending a couple of BGSU Men’s Hockey games this fall, and watching an ethical presentation by Cody and Marcus got me thinking. Do fans take it too far at sporting events?
Now this topic could go a million different ways, but I’d like to focus on mainly BGSU Men’s Hockey. I was outraged after attending this past weekend’s hockey games versus Alaska. Yes we split the series 1-1, but the real tragedy came with how some of the fans handled themselves during the game.
To start with, why to fans boo the referees as soon as they come out on the ice? Why make them hate the fans even before a foul is called? Wouldn’t it make sense to just leisurely clap for the referees when they came onto the ice? Nope, apparently hockey fans hate all referees, which makes no sense to me, because I would rather welcome the referees to the game hoping to get a better call in our favor for the game. And with our dismal 1 - 8 - 1 record, you would think we would want every call we could get to go in our favor.
Next you have the obnoxious fan that has no regard for what they say. Obviously I was sitting in the student section cheering on the falcons every chance I could, but there was always these two hooligans who were heckling the Alaska goalie throughout the whole game. (Some of the following language may not be suitable for all ages) Every time there was a break in play, these two men would insult Scott Greenham, the goalie, calling him an orphan, a bitch, and a no body. They didn’t stop there. They even went as far as making homosexual remarks about Greenham. As a student of the university, I wanted these two kids thrown out of the arena, but no security action was taken. I felt they were an embarrassment to the school and team.
Now I also think that some of the chants used during the hockey game by the whole student section could also be thrown out. In case you aren’t a hockey fan, whenever a player on the opposing team gets a penalty and goes to the penalty box, all the student section cheers, “See ya, bye bye, jackass!” or something to that nature. It may seem all in good fun, but I really think it is in poor taste. Yelling profanity at the player doesn’t affect them as much as we would think, no one is going to take off their skate and stab somebody with it. And yes, I have heard all this wacky things said.
Hockey already has a poor reputation as being a violent crude sport. I feel that if some of the chants were taken away and the students’ sportsmanship was a little more sincere, the hockey could still be just as exciting. I don’t think that just because we are college students is a good enough excuse anymore. We are young adults, and acting like Imbecile in public doesn’t help our reputation that much. I know it would be a long shot to change the “traditions” of BGSU Hockey, but it’s worth a chance.
Now this topic could go a million different ways, but I’d like to focus on mainly BGSU Men’s Hockey. I was outraged after attending this past weekend’s hockey games versus Alaska. Yes we split the series 1-1, but the real tragedy came with how some of the fans handled themselves during the game.
To start with, why to fans boo the referees as soon as they come out on the ice? Why make them hate the fans even before a foul is called? Wouldn’t it make sense to just leisurely clap for the referees when they came onto the ice? Nope, apparently hockey fans hate all referees, which makes no sense to me, because I would rather welcome the referees to the game hoping to get a better call in our favor for the game. And with our dismal 1 - 8 - 1 record, you would think we would want every call we could get to go in our favor.
Next you have the obnoxious fan that has no regard for what they say. Obviously I was sitting in the student section cheering on the falcons every chance I could, but there was always these two hooligans who were heckling the Alaska goalie throughout the whole game. (Some of the following language may not be suitable for all ages) Every time there was a break in play, these two men would insult Scott Greenham, the goalie, calling him an orphan, a bitch, and a no body. They didn’t stop there. They even went as far as making homosexual remarks about Greenham. As a student of the university, I wanted these two kids thrown out of the arena, but no security action was taken. I felt they were an embarrassment to the school and team.
Now I also think that some of the chants used during the hockey game by the whole student section could also be thrown out. In case you aren’t a hockey fan, whenever a player on the opposing team gets a penalty and goes to the penalty box, all the student section cheers, “See ya, bye bye, jackass!” or something to that nature. It may seem all in good fun, but I really think it is in poor taste. Yelling profanity at the player doesn’t affect them as much as we would think, no one is going to take off their skate and stab somebody with it. And yes, I have heard all this wacky things said.
Hockey already has a poor reputation as being a violent crude sport. I feel that if some of the chants were taken away and the students’ sportsmanship was a little more sincere, the hockey could still be just as exciting. I don’t think that just because we are college students is a good enough excuse anymore. We are young adults, and acting like Imbecile in public doesn’t help our reputation that much. I know it would be a long shot to change the “traditions” of BGSU Hockey, but it’s worth a chance.
NCAA Football eligibility, too lenient?
This blog isn’t an attack on the Ohio State Buckeyes, but something just doesn’t feel right. In the past few years dating back to 2006, the OSU football team has had some pretty unique kickers on their teams. Starting in 2006, Ryan Pretorius began kicking field goals for the buckeyes. During the 2006-07 season, Pretorius was 26 years old. He continued to kick for the buckeyes until 2008, which had him at 30 years of age at the start of the season. The average age of a college football player during the 08-09 season was between 18-23. Pretorius was twelve to seven years older than his opponents; I feel that there is a disadvantage there. To my knowledge, Pretorius played professional rugby before he joined the buckeyes, and this is where I have my problem.
I consider college athletes as amateurs. And even if people don’t consider rugby a major sport in America, it is throughout other parts of the world. If he would have played professionally, he would have had a contract, and gotten paid to play. Even though it was a different sport, I think the NCAA merely looked the other way when it came to Pretorius playing football. It seems like a HUGE disadvantage for teams who have to face a freshman kicker that’s played professional rugby outside the USA.
Next comes another Ohio State kicker, this time Devin Barclay. Barclay, if many of you didn’t know, played professional soccer in the MLS, with the teams: Tampa Bay Mutiny, San Jose Earthquakes, D.C. United, and Columbus Crew. Barclay had been playing professional soccer since he was 18 when he signed a contract with the Tampa Bay Mutiny. Although he didn’t have a successful career in the MLS, he somehow found his way on to the football field and soon became the starting kicker for the Buckeyes.
Although not near as old as Pretorius, I have the same problem with Barclay. He was a professional athlete in a different sport, but still gets to play in the NCAA. I believe that the NCAA needs to change the rules of eligibility so that this kind of thing doesn’t keep happening. There needs to be age limits for college football athletes. It only seems fair to allow players aging from 17-26 to play football. By having players older than that, seems like an unfair recruiting method. Also, I feel the NCAA should uphold its amateur status better, if a player has ever played professionally for any sport, and then they should not be allowed to play an NCAA sport. It may seem harsh, but it’s only fair. In Barclay’s example, he “retired” from soccer, but he still held a professional position on a team. He shouldn’t be allowed to play. These players take away from the integrity of the game. Teams should have to recruit high school or junior college students, not former professional players. I would hope the NCAA does something about this before more players follow this path which I find unethical. And I believe this should go for all NCAA sports, not just football.
I consider college athletes as amateurs. And even if people don’t consider rugby a major sport in America, it is throughout other parts of the world. If he would have played professionally, he would have had a contract, and gotten paid to play. Even though it was a different sport, I think the NCAA merely looked the other way when it came to Pretorius playing football. It seems like a HUGE disadvantage for teams who have to face a freshman kicker that’s played professional rugby outside the USA.
Next comes another Ohio State kicker, this time Devin Barclay. Barclay, if many of you didn’t know, played professional soccer in the MLS, with the teams: Tampa Bay Mutiny, San Jose Earthquakes, D.C. United, and Columbus Crew. Barclay had been playing professional soccer since he was 18 when he signed a contract with the Tampa Bay Mutiny. Although he didn’t have a successful career in the MLS, he somehow found his way on to the football field and soon became the starting kicker for the Buckeyes.
Although not near as old as Pretorius, I have the same problem with Barclay. He was a professional athlete in a different sport, but still gets to play in the NCAA. I believe that the NCAA needs to change the rules of eligibility so that this kind of thing doesn’t keep happening. There needs to be age limits for college football athletes. It only seems fair to allow players aging from 17-26 to play football. By having players older than that, seems like an unfair recruiting method. Also, I feel the NCAA should uphold its amateur status better, if a player has ever played professionally for any sport, and then they should not be allowed to play an NCAA sport. It may seem harsh, but it’s only fair. In Barclay’s example, he “retired” from soccer, but he still held a professional position on a team. He shouldn’t be allowed to play. These players take away from the integrity of the game. Teams should have to recruit high school or junior college students, not former professional players. I would hope the NCAA does something about this before more players follow this path which I find unethical. And I believe this should go for all NCAA sports, not just football.
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