Golden Football Rankings

Welcome to the Home of the Golden Football Rankings
WEDNESDAY, July 8, 2009
July 7 Baseball Magazine
July 5 Football Magazine
July 4 Basketball Magazine
Football Comments/Tidbits [7/7] – Sen. Hatch's SI article
Baseball Comments/Tidbits [7/6] – no losing seasons in 61 years
Basketball Comments [7/6] – "We already know we're whores."

Back from my trip to Washington DC area. Saw a number of sights I have long wanted to see.

Monticello (Thomas Jefferson's home for those who don't know)

University of Virginia (designed by Jefferson)

United States Naval Academy at Annapolis

Oriole Park at Camden Yards

Battlefield for First and Second Manasses

I saw the Red Sox beat the Orioles 4-0 last Monday night at Camden Yards. Unfortunately, that was the boring game of the three-game series. The next night the Orioles trailed 10-1 in the seventh before rallying with five in the seventh and five in the eighth to win 11-10, the largest comeback in franchise history. Then Wednesday afternoon the Red Sox returned the favor, scoring four in the ninth to tie and win in extra innings.

There were a huge number of Red Sox fans at the game I saw. From the cheers for base hits, you'd have thought it was a Sox home game.

My view of Red Sox-Orioles @ Camden Yards 6/29/09

Football Comments/Tidbits

College [7/7]

Senator Orrin Hatch wrote a piece in the recent SI explaining why Congress should investigate the BCS. Here are some of his major points.

"There are serious questions regarding the legality of the BCS. The Sherman Antitrust Act prohibits contracts, combinations or conspiracies designed to reduce competition. I don't think a more accurate description of what the BCS does exists."

Of course, he sites his home state undefeated 2008 Utah Utes as prime victims of the system. "Although the Utes had plenty of big wins, the BCS system denied them the chance to play for the national championship. So while every conference is technically part of the BCS agreement, the existing arrangement intentionally and explicitly favors certain participants."

Hatch also points to the disparity in disbursement of BCS revenue. "This disbursement scheme places teams from these smaller conferences at a disadvantage when it comes to hiring staff and improving facilities. Because of their increased visibility and status BCS schools [i.e., schools in the six BCS conferences] also receive unfair advantages in recruiting top players and coaches. These inequities also extend far beyond the football field, as many schools in the country depend on the revenue generated by their football teams to fund other athletic programs and academic initiatives."

"If the government were to ignore a similar business arrangement of this magnitude in any other industry, it would be condemned for shirking its responsibility."

"These justifications aside, government intervention into the BCS would be regrettable. There are many issues and challenges competing for Congress's attention. Those with the power to reform the system should do so voluntarily. If not, legislation may be required to ensure that all colleges and universities receive an equal opportunity. ... Frankly, almost anything would be better than what we have now. One thing is clear: No changes will take place if Congress does nothing."

Wouldn't the BCS fend off investigations like this by adopting the Plus One model? This plan would provide for an additional championship game after the bowl games. Utah, since it won the Sugar Bowl and remained undefeated, would have had a chance at playing for the championship. The BCS would also have to share even more revenue with the other conferences.

But speaking of reforming the system voluntarily, as Hatch suggests, why haven't the schools themselves taken charge of football? The NCAA runs the post-season competition in every other sport it sponsors except Division IA football – including all other football divisions. Don't the non-BCS Division IA schools outnumber the BCS conference schools? Why don't they propose an alternate plan at the NCAA Convention and vote it in?

"Five teams that could crash the BCS party this season" according to Sporting News

Team Non-conference Hurdles

Boise State Oregon (Sep.3), @Tulsa (Oct.14)

TCU @Virginia (Sep.12), @Clemson (Sep.26)

Utah @Oregon (Sep.19), Louisville (Sep.26)

BYU Oklahoma @Arlington (Sep.5), FSU (Sep. 19)

East Carolina @West Virginia (Sep.12), @UNC (Sep.19), Va. Tech (Nov.5)

Sporting News' Preseason Ranking of All 120 Div I-A – teams of interest

1. Florida – greatest Gator team in history?
5. Mississippi – SN really likes QB Jevan Snead
8. LSU – too high in my opinion; won't have a Top Ten QB this season
13. Alabama
15. Georgia - much talent despite losing Stafford and Moreno
17. Florida State
18. Notre Dame
36. Auburn - surprisingly high
38. Michigan
40. South Carolina - 10 returning starters on D
45. Arkansas
61. Kentucky
62. Tennessee - not buying Kiffin's hype
72. Vanderbilt
79. Mississippi State
117. Tulane

NFL [7/8]

ESPN the Magazine ranks all the pro franchises on how much bang they deliver for the buck for the fans. The Saints are ranked #52, right behind the Lakers. New Orleans is also listed as #3 in best cost of beer per ounce ($6 for a 24-ounce beer or $.25 per ounce). (See below for Hornets rating.)

Apparently, many players around the league think Brett Favre is selfish for bringing so much attention to himself with his retire/unretire routine. Rodney Harrison (who just retired): "If you've been in the league 13, 14, 15 years, you know if you want to play. The circus shouldn't have to go on for three or four years."

Sporting News lists "leap year players" on each team; that is, players who will leap to a higher level of play. Here's two of local interest.

Saints: RB Pierre Thomas – "has been bulking up to become a more effective inside runner and prepare for the pounding of a full schedule;" wants to pair with Reggie the way Deuce did in '06.

Redskins: FS LaRon Landry (LSU) – "In his third year as a starter, he has the experience, size and speed to develop into the big-play S the Redskins expected ..."

Baseball Comments/Tidbits

"JUST THE BEGINNING: LSU has the talent in place to win it all again next season"

Numbers [7/8]

$289,000 – average MLB salary when Don Fehr took over as head of Players Association in 1986.

$3,240,206 – average MLB salary today as Fehr retires.

61 – years Florida State has fielded a baseball team

0 – losing seasons FSU has had in baseball

19 – College World Series appearances by FSU

0 – World Series championships for FSU

26 – major league players and managers with college degrees (out of 1,042), according to a survey by The Wall Street Journal

Mike and Mike on ESPN Radio hope that the new MLB Players Association head will establish a less adversarial, more business partnership relationship with the owners.

Golic: "You can't use pound-your-fist-on-the-table tactics anymore."
Greeny: "Different times call for different measures. Fehr inherited a situation where that was necessary. He was fighting battles like collusion, which did pit the players against the owners. These days there's less of that and more room for a partnership."
Golic: "Hopefully, we're past the point of doing things that benefit the players but hurt the sport."

Since baseball instituted steroid testing with penalties in 2004:

No player has hit 60 HRs. (It happened six times in the six years before that.)

No P has won more than 22 games or struck out 300 batters.

No world championship team has won 100 games.

No batter has carried a .400 average into July.
COINCIDENCES?

Speaking of baseball's "rigorous" testing program, Cubs C Geovanny Soto was banned from international baseball for two years after testing positive for marijuana at the World Baseball Classic. Also Royals' P Sidney Ponson, who played for the Netherlands, was also suspended for two years after testing positive for a banned stimulant. However, neither will be suspended by MLB because MLB does not test for marijuana or for the substance Ponson took!

Did You Notice? 16-year-old Bryce Harper is leaving high school early so he'll be eligible for the 2010 MLB draft. The 6'3" 205 lb C hit .626 with 14 HR and 55 RBI in his sophomore season at Las Vegas High. Harper plans to earn his high school equivalency and has registered at Southern Nevada JC where he will matriculate in August and play. Start of a trend? Or continuation of a multi-sport trend since a high school basketball player just played one year in Europe before being drafted by the NBA last month.

Quote [7/6]

Joe Torre: "I look back at the steroid era. To me, it's about competition. And it became this snowball going down the hill. It's not very big, and then all of a sudden you find yourself on the other side of it trying to keep it from running you over. If these players felt that other people were having an edge on them by doing something, then the thought process is, I needtokeep up. And that's sad because we let it get out of hand, and we all have to take responsibility.