tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51964759963496245042024-03-05T20:55:51.610-05:00Kelly is the ONLY Shade of GreenThe winningest college football blog of the 90'sUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196475996349624504.post-91751219210812877442008-01-23T14:35:00.000-05:002008-01-23T15:22:51.515-05:00Know Your Super Bowl XLII Thundering Herd Alumni: Chris Hanson<span style="font-family:verdana;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5158758600745064690" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTR1x9soxzwUvWfl7Lbkr3l_vsoDwz7JeJMR58LbqiOJZ6uxQ4-HrzIlBq8gnpi8Pi4DybZcTXbU1D7q4gayHi_FXpN9r5OpfPCdXbbsfS9SjZQgYRDi4x2AvSqPVPcMUEa2vEjIYfpHAM/s320/untitled.bmp" border="0" /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">No, not Chris Hansen- Chris <em>Hanson</em>, the one-time Pro Bowl punter who is in his first year of ball-booting duty for the Patriots. While Hansen strikes fear into the heart of child molestors everywhere, Hanson strikes fear into the heart of...uh...opposing special teams coaches? </span><div><br /><div><span style="font-family:verdana;">OK, so punting isn't the manliest or most glamorous position in football. So maybe Hanson did injure himself in two of the most hilarious off-the-field incidents while in Jacksonville- spilling scalding fondue on himself in 2002 and sticking an axe in his foot in 2003. The latter incident was a result of Jack Del Rio's team-building practice of chopping away at a stump in the locker room.<br /><br /></span><div></div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;">But Chris has found a way to get through life making high six-figures annually for punting a football. And that probably landed him more tail than you'll ever see.</span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:verdana;">So, in the third of a very special five-part series, here is a look back at Hanson's college career.</span></div><br /><br /><div><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></div><div><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;">Chris Hanson</span></strong></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz2U2QmT-rH7sJp9T-idjn3I5drxlPanymidPLpsiVW2_JTbjrfuKnllp72WvDQdvD5Nm4_ieg0Qpnd1N188ndR52Zy81Sb9D2S1nIfAHQNB5DjmMFyMjiFxV4zNLnTEAcWcyz3WdAFNTL/s1600-h/nfl_chrishanson.jpg"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5158763157705365762" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz2U2QmT-rH7sJp9T-idjn3I5drxlPanymidPLpsiVW2_JTbjrfuKnllp72WvDQdvD5Nm4_ieg0Qpnd1N188ndR52Zy81Sb9D2S1nIfAHQNB5DjmMFyMjiFxV4zNLnTEAcWcyz3WdAFNTL/s320/nfl_chrishanson.jpg" border="0" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family:verdana;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5158763277964450066" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Ew2V-BCI0kh8fXFwH5DRygk3etegnIgumAOSkmC-hNk3ft47Zi9Pka32rKGbClGU1sMc8pp1d_MJR7Xx0JPJy5AccQtcfwvBkpkp2YQnolfCorTQLVU3btjJOdbH95wiSH9QeIF10Yer/s320/hanson_Chris3.jpg" border="0" /><br /></span><div></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz2U2QmT-rH7sJp9T-idjn3I5drxlPanymidPLpsiVW2_JTbjrfuKnllp72WvDQdvD5Nm4_ieg0Qpnd1N188ndR52Zy81Sb9D2S1nIfAHQNB5DjmMFyMjiFxV4zNLnTEAcWcyz3WdAFNTL/s1600-h/nfl_chrishanson.jpg"><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></a></div><br /><br /><div><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#33ff33;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#33ff33;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#33ff33;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#33ff33;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#33ff33;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#33ff33;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#33ff33;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#33ff33;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#33ff33;">Position: Punter<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#33ff33;">Hometown: Riverdale, GA<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#33ff33;">Years at Marshall: 1995-1998<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#33ff33;">Career Stats: 39.9 yards per punt<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#33ff33;">Draft: Undrafted (first appeared for Green Bay in 1999)<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#33ff33;">Years in NFL: 9<br /><br /><br /><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;">There's really not much to mention about Chris's Thundering Herd career. The poor guy probably wasn't drafted because most of his college punting career was defined by, well, not punting.<br /><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;">Even before Hansen was sitting on the sideline in 2007 watching Randy Moss score touchdowns for the Patriots, he was sitting on the sideline watching Randy Moss score touchdowns for Marshall. Chris was the punter for both of Moss's seasons in the green and white.<br /><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;">He would have led I-AA in punting average in 1996, but he DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH ATTEMPTS. And he wasn't hurt or anything that year. The Thundering Herd's offense in its final I-AA season was that good.<br /><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;">Oh yeah, he spent his season (not) punting for Chad Pennington's 12-1 1998 squad.<br /><br /><br /><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></div><div><u><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#33ff33;"></span></u></div><div><u><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#33ff33;">Best YouTube Clip<br /><br /><br /></span></u></div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;">Uhh...we don't actually have any of Chris punting so here he is holding for Billy Malasevich as the kicker shuts up some 80,000 Gamecock fans.<br /><br /></span></div><div><a href="http://youtube.com/watch?v=y_1K2Bua1Xs"><span style="font-family:verdana;">http://youtube.com/watch?v=y_1K2Bua1Xs</span></a></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196475996349624504.post-79744479978101525322008-01-23T02:04:00.000-05:002008-01-23T02:55:46.746-05:00Know Your Super Bowl XLII Thundering Herd Alumni: Troy Brown<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibaM2c69Z4EF2_p6IMkX_HNmI2pp1O7E9qWwQr-HXp0q5UUVShV5VQ1Cn2EhXA4pyh-IgsxmcUpB62ojHty5RlPuiWlfnfUOdPViNQd6VCUO2TQovpCf2fXDxT7WrE1SCwh2yOJTt_oQll/s1600-h/SUPERBOWL-42-LOGO.gif"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5158564803230734530" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibaM2c69Z4EF2_p6IMkX_HNmI2pp1O7E9qWwQr-HXp0q5UUVShV5VQ1Cn2EhXA4pyh-IgsxmcUpB62ojHty5RlPuiWlfnfUOdPViNQd6VCUO2TQovpCf2fXDxT7WrE1SCwh2yOJTt_oQll/s320/SUPERBOWL-42-LOGO.gif" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div>Ok, so Troy Brown has been on the physically unable to perform list pretty much all season. Yes, his only stat on the season is a muffed punt. But he's still on the roster, and he's still Troy <em>fucking</em> Brown, my first childhood Herd hero.</div><br /><br /><div>He's made clutch catches in Super Bowls, earned three Super Bowl rings, returned punts for touchdowns in AFC title games, played in the secondary in playoff games, and even caused a fumble after a Tom Brady interception to help knock the Chargers out of the playofffs. </div><br /><br /><div>Here's a look back at the college career of the best teammate and most humble NFL star you could ever meet.</div><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong>Troy Brown</strong></div><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ofzyxc3FfdQ3cq0fJAWGWaCbFDDIafr2rcxVKMS3urof0xhWtCnOrndq-2cwWGv5VqxyeIOwdctmRmTbeMtXf4gRQmBW3zT2h0GUQHoP60kqWCB6e3hOkbx5zja_P-UYC-3FPbYqbxst/s1600-h/6do3h075.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5158570365213382866" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ofzyxc3FfdQ3cq0fJAWGWaCbFDDIafr2rcxVKMS3urof0xhWtCnOrndq-2cwWGv5VqxyeIOwdctmRmTbeMtXf4gRQmBW3zT2h0GUQHoP60kqWCB6e3hOkbx5zja_P-UYC-3FPbYqbxst/s320/6do3h075.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEBKKF3xR2M0DQ361d83GkkPwlW3LpRFi443NkFYrOoh3LyF6y1f5kq4D1Nb7MNL1Ma0jJehA84I8-MuPthsNOEA6z-XsOgeqP993gu-aHpxVoiCNi0Flt6iMwUaxf-oUnVCQyyXzqeT1C/s1600-h/2007_07_troybrown.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5158570562781878498" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEBKKF3xR2M0DQ361d83GkkPwlW3LpRFi443NkFYrOoh3LyF6y1f5kq4D1Nb7MNL1Ma0jJehA84I8-MuPthsNOEA6z-XsOgeqP993gu-aHpxVoiCNi0Flt6iMwUaxf-oUnVCQyyXzqeT1C/s320/2007_07_troybrown.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ofzyxc3FfdQ3cq0fJAWGWaCbFDDIafr2rcxVKMS3urof0xhWtCnOrndq-2cwWGv5VqxyeIOwdctmRmTbeMtXf4gRQmBW3zT2h0GUQHoP60kqWCB6e3hOkbx5zja_P-UYC-3FPbYqbxst/s1600-h/6do3h075.jpg"></a></div><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ofzyxc3FfdQ3cq0fJAWGWaCbFDDIafr2rcxVKMS3urof0xhWtCnOrndq-2cwWGv5VqxyeIOwdctmRmTbeMtXf4gRQmBW3zT2h0GUQHoP60kqWCB6e3hOkbx5zja_P-UYC-3FPbYqbxst/s1600-h/6do3h075.jpg"></a></div><br /><br /><br /><div><br /></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ofzyxc3FfdQ3cq0fJAWGWaCbFDDIafr2rcxVKMS3urof0xhWtCnOrndq-2cwWGv5VqxyeIOwdctmRmTbeMtXf4gRQmBW3zT2h0GUQHoP60kqWCB6e3hOkbx5zja_P-UYC-3FPbYqbxst/s1600-h/6do3h075.jpg"></a></div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><div><span style="color:#33ff33;">Position: Wide Receiver<br /><br /></span></div><div><span style="color:#33ff33;">Hometown: Barnwell, SC<br /><br /></span></div><div><span style="color:#33ff33;">Years at Marshall: 1991-1992<br /><br /></span></div><div><span style="color:#33ff33;">Draft: 198th pick (8th round) of 1993 draft by New England Patriots<br /><br /></span></div><div><span style="color:#33ff33;">Years in NFL: 15<br /><br /><br /><br /></span><br /><br />Brown was a completely unknown JUCO prospect at one of the best junior colleges in Elk River, North Carolina, Lees-McRae. Luckily, the Herd found him, and he immediately became the star receiver on the team in 1991. I couldn't find any stats from that season so I'm going to say he had 4,500 yards receiving and 77 touchdowns. Give or take a few. In all seriousness, Troy did have a 99-yard TD catch against VMI during the season and helped lead the team to the I-AA national championship game, which they lost 25-17 to sweatervest's Youngstown State team. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Troy had 1,654 yards and 16 TD's in his 1992 senior season. More importantly, he was one of the leaders of the team that won Marshall's first national championship. In the 31-28 rematch against YSU in the title game, Brown caught a crucial 3rd down pass to keep the winning drive alive. In what would be a glimpse into his defensive future with the Patriots, Brown then intercepted Youngstown's hail mary to seal the title.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>It's worth mentioning Troy still lives in Huntington during the off-season and does charitable work for the community.<br /><br /></div><div><u><span style="color:#33ff33;"></span></u> </div><div><u><span style="color:#33ff33;">Best YouTube Clip:<br /><br /></div></span></u><div>The interception. Bonus points for Jim Donnan's awkward reaction to the kiss given to him from a random fan.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><a href="http://youtube.com/watch?v=6foOgkcysXk">http://youtube.com/watch?v=6foOgkcysXk</a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196475996349624504.post-77044217945558678002008-01-22T23:32:00.001-05:002008-01-23T01:22:18.177-05:00Know Your Super Bowl XLII Thundering Herd Alumni: Ahmad Bradshaw<div align="left"></div><div align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuUjHGfYwjbnbNWmoI_eYl8hF4eteEpoAjGKjBya-8a2Ba7LhHMAFif-KpmD1Jhyphenhyphen6xsRMujHnHPfzY6OwRxtW9VrnlxP9Fv4xt5awlaq9EwUeEA73iTgAqm6yYjdhqNgqNU0LDUOPW3Xdk/s1600-h/SUPERBOWL-42-LOGO.gif"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5158526483532519570" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 225px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 165px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" height="190" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuUjHGfYwjbnbNWmoI_eYl8hF4eteEpoAjGKjBya-8a2Ba7LhHMAFif-KpmD1Jhyphenhyphen6xsRMujHnHPfzY6OwRxtW9VrnlxP9Fv4xt5awlaq9EwUeEA73iTgAqm6yYjdhqNgqNU0LDUOPW3Xdk/s320/SUPERBOWL-42-LOGO.gif" width="252" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div align="left">While those not too familiar with the Thundering Herd might be shocked to discover that Marshall even has five players in the NFL, we in Huntington know that not only does the Herd have far more than that, they have five good enough to play in the Super Bowl. OK, so it might help that four happen to play for Bill Belichick. Regardless, as a public service to you, the reader, here is the first of five looks back at the college careers of Herd alumni gunning for a ring:</div><br /><div align="left"><br /><strong>Ahmad Bradshaw</strong><br /></div><br /><p align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Dofpv9ZF2M9mRAnq4fg25Vy5Ea4GQELPSub9eojXZctEzgBRSDn2TpilIqPhPSgkQcWEYmGs4JniFh5wBsDX6zSsqdo_pwY8lABzZ1VJk6Ztmu0XBa3CAsdvbKvNXPPiODd_unoTIAmP/s1600-h/m0h115oq.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5158532148594383010" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" height="232" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Dofpv9ZF2M9mRAnq4fg25Vy5Ea4GQELPSub9eojXZctEzgBRSDn2TpilIqPhPSgkQcWEYmGs4JniFh5wBsDX6zSsqdo_pwY8lABzZ1VJk6Ztmu0XBa3CAsdvbKvNXPPiODd_unoTIAmP/s320/m0h115oq.jpg" width="178" border="0" /></a></p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5158532350457845938" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdt1q0CI2Cucle-Qx0tc44Qeva8Qw-jMNRhBiXDA78EUzZDCjG-K8nVm_xoFEv-0UM5cd-NRIANo7iNacFmiJyRm-i2U8be1J2-qz01q5QMulqWX5N7a3f-hUcw187RQDcVhxfF6Mctcns/s320/alg_giants-bradshaw.jpg" border="0" /><br /><p></p><br /><p><span style="color:#33ff33;">Position: Running Back </span></p><p><span style="color:#33ff33;">Hometown: Bluefield, VA</span></p><p><span style="color:#33ff33;">Years at Marshall: 2004-2006</span></p><p><span style="color:#33ff33;">Career Stats: 2982 rushing yards, 31 TD's 697 receiving yards, 5 TD's</span></p><p><span style="color:#33ff33;">Awards: 2005 C-USA 2nd team, 2006 C-USA 1st team</span></p><p><span style="color:#33ff33;">Draft: 250th pick (Round 7) in 2007 by New York Giants</span></p><p><span style="color:#33ff33;">Years in NFL: 1<br /><br /><br /><br /></span></p><p></p><p></p><p>The word "best" is a little iffy, but the phrase "most talented" is something most Herd fans probably can agree on when comparing the Giants' rookie to other Marshall running backs. </p><p>AB fell into Marshall's lap when college football mastermind Al Groh booted him from UVA for an underage drinking/running from the cops incident. He spent most of his freshman season of 2004 backing up senior Earl Charles. Not unlike his rookie season with the Giants, Bradshaw was at his best late in the season as he showed off his raw talent with big plays against Akron and Western Michigan.</p><p>Amhad immediately became the focal point for the offense in 2005 as the Herd found itself in a new conference with a new quarterback and head coach. He finished with 997 rushing yards during Marshall's rough 4-7 campaign.</p><p>Bradshaw broke out in his junior year with 1523 yards rushing and 19 touchdowns on the season, both in the top 10 nationally. In what would be the final home game of his college career, AB ran all over UTEP to the tune of 262 yards and 5 TD's, earning a helmet sticker from College Gamenight in the process.</p><p>Many Herd fans were pissed that AB skipped his senior season to head for the NFL. His presence alone probably would have added at least one or two more wins to the 3-9 disaster that was 2007. The most dissapointing thing though is that Marshall's most talented running back never got to play with a good Herd team. The thought of AB next to Leftwich in the shotgun with Watts, Davis, and Marriott out wide would still give Tom Amstutz chills. Or maybe it's the food he'd undoubtedly be thinking about. Who knows?</p><p><u><span style="color:#33ff33;">Best YouTube clip:</span></u></p><p>Here's Ahmad running all over UCF in 2006. The last one is just silly. Drink every time the announcer (Rece Davis?) says "Bradshaw!"</p><p><a href="http://youtube.com/watch?v=JxsvvXfSTNY">http://youtube.com/watch?v=JxsvvXfSTNY</a></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><br /><p></p><br /><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196475996349624504.post-58881593545655087212007-01-26T01:31:00.000-05:002007-01-26T04:46:09.539-05:00Running Out of Excuses...The Ron Jirsa era may have been significantly shortened after Wednesday's loss to the Mountaineers. Many in Herd town think that the head coach's wins over WVU the past two seasons are the only reason he hasn't been canned despite having a 37-67 record since arriving in Huntington four years ago. A 7-12 record to start this season isn't helping matters. Nor is declining attendance and inconsistent play against inferior competition. It seems about 90 percent of Herd fans think a change needs to be made. Most feel that Ron has had plenty of time to build a team and results should be showing now that all of the players currently on his team are his recruits, not Greg White's.<br /><br />Despite all this, Marcum appears to be standing by his coach. He offered him a one-year contract extension after last season, but Ron turned it down by basically saying he didn't deserve it until the team improved. Certainly a classy move there. Nonetheless, things definitely have not improved this season. The Herd's propensity to gain huge leads and blow them multiple times this year seems to further indicate that the problem may be the coaching staff's inability to adjust in games rather than overall talent.<br /><br />I was looking up Jirsa's record since he'd been at Marshall, and I ran across this interesting quote from Georgia athletic director Vince Dooley:<br /><br />"There was no real hope or encouragement as we looked to next year or looked to the future. I didn't see any light at the end of the tunnel."<br /><br />That was right after Dooley fired Jirsa as head coach of the Bulldogs in 1999 after two mediocre seasons. When one of the greatest athletic directors in college sports history says something that strongly, I tend to agree with him.<br /><br />Ron is a likable guy and a players' coach who can recruit well, but so was Ron Zook, and look what happened to Florida's football team two seasons after they fired him. Sometimes the tough decision has to be made. Unless things drastically turn around the rest of this season, I think Marcum will be forced to make that decision.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196475996349624504.post-28018374954506432202007-01-16T23:21:00.000-05:002007-01-23T01:27:49.400-05:00Capital Classic: Marshall VS. WVULet's start this discussion of the 2007 Capital Classic with a photo montage of former<br />Herd star Mark Patton.<br /><br />Here's Mark celebrating the 2005 Capital Classic victory...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOJNGQrr1zOpsDXjQPwEQX0Oaf1JkGyxqbHaseK6Qac63kJAxqffcp7iMdWAB5VpDlqCezvtXH24p_MlSVITvW8FGHtsa82thKtWFr1kgtCavoVJ59fhsWPQ98lyZcCMwHuw5xa-271pJB/s1600-h/patton05.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOJNGQrr1zOpsDXjQPwEQX0Oaf1JkGyxqbHaseK6Qac63kJAxqffcp7iMdWAB5VpDlqCezvtXH24p_MlSVITvW8FGHtsa82thKtWFr1kgtCavoVJ59fhsWPQ98lyZcCMwHuw5xa-271pJB/s400/patton05.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5020850798004016626" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />And here's Mark celebrating the 2006 Capital Classic victory over #9 West Virginia...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiul6LKjIT7ukyCancAWzdZ-wMYCcP6T873VDtd0-vdO2k1p9zn-V-nCxL070askDz65PWL9-osdNEbuc-6V6A6ReqfwdCcfZYb8Zhv0XgkWjisBo4kQ0b9nF4UrFNmcWrKd3OePKwgpn3/s1600-h/patton06.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiul6LKjIT7ukyCancAWzdZ-wMYCcP6T873VDtd0-vdO2k1p9zn-V-nCxL070askDz65PWL9-osdNEbuc-6V6A6ReqfwdCcfZYb8Zhv0XgkWjisBo4kQ0b9nF4UrFNmcWrKd3OePKwgpn3/s400/patton06.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5020851425069241874" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />And just for shits and giggles...here's Mark as tight end Bill James in "We Are Marshall"<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig0W1PFRPlj4UfXdT0hKEnRyHKNSeeN7NCg0Vd0UG_j9_2ExiIExXAHtK511VfJKqRYS0GG_-X8sZkwsXSQ4RQoAljOsV4d3RhTWNMbbRFv5FzbkRFdTudL6ECg_8lzr4_gOYdzYKMQNVX/s1600-h/pattonwam.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig0W1PFRPlj4UfXdT0hKEnRyHKNSeeN7NCg0Vd0UG_j9_2ExiIExXAHtK511VfJKqRYS0GG_-X8sZkwsXSQ4RQoAljOsV4d3RhTWNMbbRFv5FzbkRFdTudL6ECg_8lzr4_gOYdzYKMQNVX/s400/pattonwam.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5020851532443424290" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Unfortunately, Mark was only allowed to play for four years at Marshall, leaving the 06-07 Thundering Herd squad devoid of a dominating offensive center and major motion picture stars. That means Marshall will have to get some help from somebody else if they want to knock off the Mountaineers in Charleston for a third straight year.<br /><br />"You can throw the records out the window when these two teams play" is one of the worst cliches in all of sport, but it applies greatly to this series. Marshall teams that have finished with losing records the past two seasons found a way to knock off Mountaineer teams that went to the Elite 8 in 2005 and the Sweet 16 in 2006.<br /><br />Will it happen again in 2007? It's certainly possible. Despite getting off to a really good start, I think it's safe to say that this year's WVU squad isn't as talented as the ones that lost to the Herd over the last two years. They were picked to finish in the bottom of the Big East after losing the entire starting lineup to graduation but got out of the gate with a 13-1 record that allowed them to enjoy a short stint in the Top 25. Things came back down to Earth a bit after two road losses to Notre Dame and Marquette, but this is still a team that is almost a lock to make it to the NCAA Tournament and will probably finish in the top quarter of the Big East (a feat a lot more impressive than it sounds.)<br /><br />Marshall is...well...still Marshall. They have some of the worst shooting, coaching, and fundamentals in Division I college basketball, which are all things the Mountaineers excel at. However, the Herd has the edge in athleticism. That is why Marshall was able to win the last two years - they played good defense and shut down a team that relied on outside shooting while also out-rebounding them in two ugly defensive slugfests. It doesn't appear things have changed much for either team since last year so it's hard to predict a Mountaineer blowout. Marshall plays to the level of its competition and has already proven it can stay with some of the best teams in the nation - the Herd has already defeated Virginia Tech and put big scares into George Washington and Cal. They are obviously a streaky team and definitely capable of pulling off a third straight upset if they get some shots to fall.<br /><br />However, the problem is the shots usually don't fall for the Herd. Marshall will play a good game defensively and keep it close, but the loss of Patton means not enough points will come from the paint in this year's Capital Classic. It will be another ugly low-scoring game, but the Mountaineers will escape with a W.<br /><br />Prediction: West Virginia 67 Marshall 59Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196475996349624504.post-25293911102626482942007-01-16T13:11:00.000-05:002007-01-16T14:35:22.825-05:00I'm Marshall head coach Mark Snyder and today is going to be the longest day of my life...<span style="font-family:arial;">No, Jack Bauer isn't crying because he had to kill one of his best friends or because terrorists set off a nuke in LA. He's distraught that the most talented running back in Marshall history (with all respects to Doug, Chris, and Ron) is forgoing his senior season to enter the NFL Draft. To my knowledge, he is the only other Herd player besides Randy Moss to ever do so. The rumors have been around for a couple weeks now, but to actually see the news on ESPN's bottom line while at the bar was the biggest buzzkill imaginable. I wish the best to Ahmad. He gave us three great seasons and was probably the most underrated running back in the country last year. He would have been a legitimate Heisman Trophy</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://fdg/"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaikyQcAh55i-Fp-GwWysAwV6hLhkgHZ00l3ReCCiQ_U8yqAfMqZCIWVHtPzJPQLNgUJEnbr1IRYRGMjuMCl2-gxKTkCL5lRfruvKujPbhis4Y1nAVtbtrYqLg0lzJ2CizK6aUmFcTtpfj/s320/jackbauerahmad.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5020692747502491090" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;"> candidate at a bigger school. Ahmad will probably continue to be underrated in the NFL Draft. I can promise you he'll make the team that takes some overrated back like Antonio Pittman or Kenny Irons ahead of him really sorry. Just like when the Titans took Kevin Dyson over Moss in the '98 draft. Again, good luck to Ahmad...my biggest regret is that I won't be able to wear my green #44 jersey anymore.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196475996349624504.post-81435332406978230582007-01-14T13:48:00.000-05:002007-01-14T13:58:15.449-05:00If Only the Transitive Property Applied to College Basketball...Losing to Marshall a couple weeks ago must have really made Virginia Tech do some soul searching. They've responded by beating #5 Duke in Durham last week along with #1 North Carolina yesterday. The Hokies only beat the Tar Heels by 6, but they were taking them behind the woodshed at one point, leading by over 20. <br /><br />It continues to amaze me how Marshall regularly beats or stays with these very talented teams (also see WVU, Memphis, and George Washington last year) but can't consistently beat even the worst teams in college basketball. Go figure.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196475996349624504.post-65158037868701222992007-01-14T12:59:00.000-05:002007-01-14T13:29:28.399-05:00UCF 78 Marshall 71The dreaded Marshall scoring drought strikes again. The Herd played a relatively good game for 30 minutes, but 10 minutes in the middle killed them. UCF went on a 32-9 run starting with about two minutes left in the first half to turn a 4-point Marshall lead into a 67-48 Golden Knight lead with 13 mintues to play. The Herd scored a whopping 3 points in 7 minutes of that stretch. A spirited run down the stretch made things a little interesting, but the lead couldn't get cut past 5. Markel Humphrey had a huge game throwing in 25 on a 10-14 shooting preformance. <br /><br />All in all, a typical Herd loss. Solid basketball for most of the game, one stretch of abyssmal shooting that dooms them, a great performance from one player, horrible free throw shooting (60% as a team last night), and a run that proves to be too little too late.<br /><br />On the upside, Humphrey appears to be getting better every game, and he's only a sophomore. <br /><br />I'm not knocking Bro-Grebe because I think he's one of the brightest spots on this team, but how the hell do you foul out in 9 minutes of action?<br /><br />Attendance was 3,537. Once again, not even half of what Huntington High and DeMatha drew last Saturday in the Cam.<br /><br />Things have the potential to get really ugly for the Herd. The next three games are home against Tulsa on Wednesday, at Tulane, and versus WVU in Charleston. Tulsa and WVU are very solid teams, and while Tulane isn't exactly a powerhouse, it's a road game, and the Herd's only road victory this season was by 1 at mighty Morehead State. An 0-5 C-USA start and a 6 game losing streak aren't out of the question unfortunately. Hopefully they can turn things around.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196475996349624504.post-19601994444831983842007-01-13T16:35:00.000-05:002007-01-13T13:36:09.640-05:00UCF (11-4, 0-1) VS. Marshall (5-10, 0-2)The Herd plays its first Conference USA home game of the 2006-07 season tonight at the Cam against the Golden Knights of Central Florida. Which team will show up? The one that beat 9-3 Virginia Tech and 9-3 Ohio in back-to-back games or the one that lost to Missouri-Kansas City and Robert Morris? It's always impossible to tell with this Herd team that often shows flashes of potential but also has episodes that make you wonder if you're watching D-I basketball. They followed up those two nice home wins with two losses to George Washington and UTEP. The loss at GW was the typical get up by 20 and blow it Marshall special while the loss in El Paso was an old-fashioned ass beating. UCF comes into Huntington after a heartbreaking loss at UAB. The Knights led by 2 until the Blazers hit a game-tying shot at the buzzer and then proceeded to win by 10 in overtime.<br /><br />It's hard to tell who will win this game, but it's a pretty good bet that it will be close. Marshall's six home games have been decided by a total 25 points with the largest margin a 10 point win over Ohio, and even that game was a lot closer than the score indicates. UCF has a pretty good record, but most of their wins came against cupcakes - their only respectable victory was a six-point home defeat of Utah.<br /><br />I think Marshall will be a little hungrier for this win. UCF is going to come out still bummed about the UAB loss and will underestimate the Herd. Marshall will take advantage and get out to a 15-20 point lead by early in the 2nd half. The Knights will wake up, decide to play, and rally to make it close (helped by poor Thundering Herd free throw shooting of course), but it will be too late. Marshall gets on the W column in the C-USA standings.<br /><br />Prediction: Marshall 74 UCF 69Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196475996349624504.post-69070575839427885402007-01-13T12:59:00.000-05:002007-01-13T13:30:14.861-05:00Marco's Final Top 25The Gators' victory propelled them to #1 for the first time this season in the poll that has more prestige than the BCS, AP, ESPN, and Harris polls combined...mine. If I actually did have a vote one of the writers' polls, this is how I would rank the Top 25.<br /><br />1. Florida (13-1)<br />2. Boise State (13-0)<br />3. Louisville (12-1)<br />4. USC (11-2)<br />5. Ohio State (12-1)<br />6. LSU (11-2)<br />7. Michigan (11-2)<br />8. Wisconsin (12-1)<br />9. West Virginia (11-2)<br />10. Rutgers (11-2)<br />11. Oklahoma (11-3)<br />12. BYU (11-2)<br />13. Auburn (11-2)<br />14. Arkansas (10-4)<br />15. Texas (10-3)<br />16. Wake Forest (11-3)<br />17. Hawaii (12-2)<br />18. California (10-3)<br />19. Oregon State (10-4)<br />20. TCU (11-2)<br />21. Notre Dame (10-3)<br />22. Virginia Tech (10-3)<br />23. Boston College (10-3)<br />24. Penn State (9-4)<br />25. Tennessee (9-4)<br /><br />Yes, I did rank Boise State #2. They deserve it. And a shot at Florida. Ohio State at #2 in the AP poll is a joke. How can that many people believe the Buckeyes are the 2nd best team in the country after that game Monday night?<br /><br />Louisville at #3 might be a little surprising too, but they were a field goal from playing for the national championship instead of the Gators. This has been one of the most consistent teams in the country. Their only loss was kind of a fluke on the road against a very, very underrated Rutgers team. They deserve better than 6th.<br /><br />6th goes to LSU. I'm a strong supporter of the notion that the SEC is the strongest conference, but people are going overboard on this team and JaMarcus Russell just because they made Notre Dame look silly. The Irish haven't been that good all year long. He's obviously a good QB, but whichever NFL team takes him too high is going to be sorry.<br /><br />7th-10th is a crapshoot. Michigan should be ahead of Wisconsin and WVU ahead of Rutgers because of head-to-head wins, but where you place them in relation to each other can be changed without much of an argument.<br /><br />Hawaii at 17th. Where is the love for these guys? They're not even ranked in the final AP poll. Their only two losses were by a touchdown or less on the road at Alabama and yes, Boise State.<br />They have a legitimate Heisman candidate if he returns next year, and they proved that offense can work against pretty good teams.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196475996349624504.post-56343097512585452122007-01-13T11:24:00.000-05:002007-01-13T12:30:24.902-05:00Aww Crikey, Look at the Size of That GatorWell, that was quite the ass stomping. I'd like to provide some sort of analysis as to why and how the Gators destroyed the Buckeyes, but all I can say is I told you so. That's because, to be honest, I don't remember very much of the title game after Ted Ginn's opening kickoff return. You see, at one point in the night I was standing on my chair at the bar (which was offering $5 all you can drink) yelling "SUCK IT BUCKEYES" at the top of my lungs. At least that's how my friend remembers it. Anyway, congrats to my former school for winning it all. Just don't forget to send some thank you cards to UCLA. I'm not gonna delve into the whole playoff argument right now, but just think...the best team (heck, we can't even be sure about that) in the country would not be the national champion if not for a monumental upset in December they had no control over.<br /><br />Finally, OSU and Michigan were proven to be overrated all year long. It wasn't their fault they had weak schedules - they both scheduled out of conference road games against preseason Top 5 teams - and won convincingly - but Texas and Notre Dame turned out to be quite mediocre teams. The Big 10 was even worse. Penn State, Iowa, Michigan State, Minnesota, and Purdue- the teams that can usually challenge the Bucks and Wolverines - all had down years while Northwestern, Illinois, and Indiana stunk as usual. Only Wisconsin was good enough to beat UM or OSU, and OSU didn't even have to play them. Michigan took care of Wisconsin quite easily, but again, the Badgers also looked better than they really were because of the underachieving Big 10. (Tip of the hat to the Badgers for winning the Capital One Bowl, but they still are probably the worst 12-1 team in history.)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196475996349624504.post-40030716042750463952007-01-13T10:45:00.000-05:002007-01-13T11:07:01.998-05:002006: A Look Back...two weeks too late<p class="MsoNormal">Did anybody else watch ESPN’s “Top 10 Games of 2006” on Christmas Eve and get pissed off?<span style=""> </span>Women’s basketball and auto racing shouldn’t have been included when there were so many other worthy games this past year.<span style=""> </span>And Jesus Christ, sure Kobe Bryant scored 81 points in a game, but who cares?<span style=""> </span>It was a meaningless regular season blowout between a mediocre team and a pathetic team.<span style=""> </span>I didn’t even watch the last half of it (I hope to god they got #1 right).<span style=""> </span>So after watching that monstrosity, I, of course, decided to make my own list.<span style=""> </span>Sure, many of the games on my list also were included in theirs, especially the no-brainers near the top, but I think this list is much better from top-to-bottom.<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p>There isn’t one sole factor I used to rank these games; they’re based on which had the best combination of the following:<span style=""> </span>exciting finishes, unbelieveable indivdual performances, huge comebacks, upsets, players playing through physical pain or exhaustion, and the overall importance of the game.<span style=""> </span>However, having an exciting finish is probably the most important factor there.<span style=""> </span>Going back to the <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Kobe</st1:place></st1:city> game…sure that pretty much defines unbeleiveable indivdual performance, but that game had absolutely none of the other factors.<span style=""> </span>Importance was probably the second biggest factor.<span style=""> </span>#9 and #7 on the list definitely would not have made it had they been regular season games.<span style=""> </span>#8 would be a LOT higher if it would have been a playoff game.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p>So without further ado, here are my Top 10 games of 2006.<span style=""> </span>And damn, I hope we’re lucky enough to see anything in the last 364 days of 2007 to top what went down in the Fiesta Bowl on New Year’s night.<br /><o:p style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></o:p><span style="font-weight: bold;">10.</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Andre Agassi VS. Marcos Baghdatis</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">US Open 2</span><sup style="font-weight: bold;">nd</sup><span style="font-weight: bold;"> Round</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">August 31</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> <br /></span><st1:place style="font-weight: bold;" st="on"> Flushing</st1:place><span style="font-weight: bold;"> Meadows, NY</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p>Tennis wouldn’t usually make the list, but this was a special match.<span style=""> </span>It would end up being the last victory for one of the greatest tennis players in history.<span style=""> </span>The <st1:state st="on"><st1:place st="on">New York</st1:place></st1:state> crowd willed Agassi to victory in the 2<sup>nd</sup> Round of the US Open against one of the best up and coming players in tennis.<span style=""> </span>Both men battled injuries in the match; Agassi’s aging back had been a problem all year while Baghdatis suffered cramps throughout the 5<sup>th</sup> set.<span style=""> </span>Agassi looked to have it wrapped up after winning the first two sets, and he even led the 4<sup>th</sup> set 4-0, but Baghdatis wouldn’t quit.<span style=""> </span>Agassi trailed early in the 5<sup>th</sup> but came back to take the lead and finally win 7-5 after a couple of marathon games late in the set.<span style=""> </span>His career would end three days later after a loss to Benjamin Becker.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">9.</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">UCLA 73</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Gonzaga 71</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">NCAA Sweet 16</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">March 24</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> <br /></span><st1:place style="font-weight: bold;" st="on"><st1:city st="on"> Oakland</st1:city>, <st1:state st="on">CA</st1:state></st1:place></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p>The perennial underdog Gonzaga Bulldogs were cruising their way to the Elite 8 for the second time in school history with what looked to be a mild upset of the second-seeded Bruins.<span style=""> </span>The Zags led by 13 at halftime and even by 9 with three minutes left, but UCLA would score the final 11 points of the game.<span style=""> </span>Luc Richard Mbah a Moute gave the Bruins their first lead of the game on a layup with 10 seconds left and then stole the ball from Gonzaga’s Derek Raivio to seal the win.<span style=""> </span>UCLA would beat <st1:city st="on">Memphis</st1:city> and LSU before losing to <st1:state st="on"><st1:place st="on">Florida</st1:place></st1:state> in the National Championship while Gonzaga had to wonder what could have been.<span style=""> </span>In one of the defining scenes of the 2006 tournament, Bulldogs star Adam Morrison sat crying on the floor after the game, his last before leaving for the NBA.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal">8.<span style=""> </span><st1:city st="on">Chicago</st1:city> 24<span style=""> </span><st1:place st="on"><st1:state st="on">Arizona</st1:state></st1:place> 23<br /><span style=""> </span>NFL Week 6<br /><span style=""> </span>October 16<span style=""> <br /></span><st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on"> Glendale</st1:city>, <st1:state st="on">AZ</st1:state></st1:place></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p>The 1-4 Arizona Cardinals were blowing out the undefeated and seemingly invincible Chicago Bears in a stunner on Monday Night Football.<span style=""> </span>The Bears offensive weaknesses began to show as Rex Grossman turned the ball over six times on four interceptions and two lost fumbles.<span style=""> </span>The mishaps turned what was expected to be a Bears blowout into a 20-0 Cardinals lead at halfime and a 23-3 lead with under a minute left in the 3<sup>rd</sup> quarter.<span style=""> </span>But then Mike Brown returned a Matt Leinart funble for a touchdown.<span style=""> </span>Then Charles Tillman returned an Edgerrin James fumble for a touchdown.<span style=""> </span>All of a sudden, the Bears were down 23-17 with five minutes left.<span style=""> </span>They got another stop and forced the Cardinals to punt it to Devin Hester, who ran it back 83 yards for the go-ahead score.<span style=""> </span>Leinart got the Cardinals into field goal range, but Neil Rackers missed a 41-yarder with under a minute left to give the game to the Bears, who came back from down 20 without an offensive touchdown.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">7.</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><st1:city style="font-weight: bold;" st="on">Dallas</st1:city><span style="font-weight: bold;"> 119</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><st1:place style="font-weight: bold;" st="on"><st1:city st="on">San Antonio</st1:city></st1:place><span style="font-weight: bold;"> 111 (OT)</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">NBA Western Conference Semifinals, Game 7</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">May 22</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><st1:place style="font-weight: bold;" st="on"><st1:city st="on">San Antonio</st1:city>, <st1:state st="on">TX</st1:state></st1:place></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p>The two best teams in the Western Conference finally settled their in-state rivalry with a thrilling Game 7.<span style=""> </span>The Spurs had come back from a 3-1 series deficit and a 20-point first half hole of this game.<span style=""> </span><st1:city st="on">San Antonio</st1:city>’s Manu Ginobli hit a three-pointer with 32 seconds left to give the Spurs a 104-101 lead, but <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Dallas</st1:place></st1:city>’s Dirk Nowitzki answered back with a three-point play on the following possession.<span style=""> </span>Ginobli and Tim Duncan both missed shots to win the game in regulation, and then the Mavericks finally slowed down <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Duncan</st1:place></st1:city> to pull away in Overtime.<span style=""> </span><st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Dallas</st1:place></st1:city> would go on to beat the Suns in the Western Conference Finals to go to the franchise’s first NBA Finals, which they lost in six games to the Miami Heat.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">6.</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Rutgers 28</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><st1:place style="font-weight: bold;" st="on"><st1:city st="on">Louisville</st1:city></st1:place><span style="font-weight: bold;"> 25</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">November 9</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><st1:place style="font-weight: bold;" st="on"><st1:city st="on">Piscataway</st1:city>, <st1:state st="on">NJ</st1:state></st1:place></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><st1:city st="on">Louisville</st1:city> was coming into <st1:place st="on">Piscataway</st1:place> with an 8-0 record to play another 8-0 team on a nationally televised Thursday night game, and the biggest game in Cardinal history was the week before that?<span style=""> </span>Sure, the offensive shootout against previously unbeaten <st1:state st="on">West Virginia</st1:state> seven days before this was memorable, but this one would become even more memorable…at least for everyone outside <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Louisville</st1:place></st1:city>.<span style=""> </span>The Cardinals jumped out to a<span style=""> </span>25-7 lead in the first half thanks in part to a TD on a kickoff return.<span style=""> </span>But <st1:place st="on">Rutgers</st1:place> made it’s run thanks to a great defensive effort that shut the Cardinals out in the 2<sup>nd</sup> half and two touchdown runs from Heisman candidate Ray Rice.<span style=""> </span>A Jeremy Ito field goal in the 4<sup>th</sup> quarter tied the game at 25, and then <st1:place st="on">Rutgers</st1:place> ran most of the last 5:30 off the clock on one final drive.<span style=""> </span>The Scarlet Knights drove far enough to get in range for a short game-winning field goal, but Ito missed the 33-yarder.<span style=""> </span>However, a <st1:city st="on">Louisville</st1:city> offsides penalty gave him another chance, and this time, he nailed it from 28 to give <st1:place st="on">Rutgers</st1:place> their own most memorable victory of all-time.<span style=""> </span>The Scarlet Knight fans then recreated the scene in <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Louisville</st1:place></st1:city> seven nights earlier by storming the field and getting the goalposts.<span style=""> </span>This one hiccup proved to be costly for the Cardinals as they almost certainly would have played <st1:placename st="on">Ohio</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">State</st1:placetype> for the national title although they would wind up winning the Big East and playing <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Wake</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Forest</st1:placetype></st1:place> in the Orange Bowl.<span style=""> </span>Rutgers ended the regular season dissapointingly by getting blown out at <st1:city st="on">Cincinnati</st1:city> a week later and missing its shot at the conference championship in a heartbreaking loss at <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Morgantown</st1:place></st1:city> on the last day of the season.<span style=""> </span>The Scarlet Knights would get some consolation in a blowout Texas Bowl victory over <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Kansas</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">State</st1:placetype></st1:place>.<br /><o:p><br /><br /></o:p><span style="font-weight: bold;">5.</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Italy 1</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">France 1 (</span><st1:place style="font-weight: bold;" st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">Italy</st1:country-region></st1:place><span style="font-weight: bold;"> 5-3 on penalty kicks)</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">World Cup Final</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> <br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> July 9</span><br /><st1:place style="font-weight: bold;" st="on"><st1:city st="on"> Berlin</st1:city>, <st1:country-region st="on">Germany</st1:country-region></st1:place></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p>OK, soccer gets a pass once every four years if there’s a really great World Cup game.<span style=""> </span>Well, the final this year was good enough to merit making this list.<span style=""> </span>The only two goals in the first 120 minutes of the game came very early in the match.<span style=""> </span>French legend Zinedine Zidane put France up 1-0 on a penalty kick in the 7<sup>th</sup> minute but was answered right back with a header by Italy’s Marco Materazzi in the 19<sup>th</sup> minute.<span style=""> </span>The last 101 minutes of the match would be scoreless as <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">France</st1:place></st1:country-region> missed several chances to retake the lead.<span style=""> </span>What is probably the most defining moment of soccer in this decade came in extra time when Zidane headbutted Materazzi to the ground after the Italian allegedly made ethnic slurs about his mother.<span style=""> </span>The headbutt, which sent Zidane out of the game with a red card, was shocking because it was in extra time of soccer’s biggest game, and it was the last game of the French legend’s international career.<span style=""> </span>When it came down to penalty kicks, <st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">France</st1:country-region></st1:place>’s David Trezeguet was the only player on either side to miss.<span style=""> </span>Fabio Grosso then gave his country the World Cup with <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Italy</st1:place></st1:country-region>’s 5<sup>th</sup> and final penalty kick.</p> <p style="font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p>4.<span style=""> </span>Dodgers 11<span style=""> </span>Padres 10<span style=""> </span>(10 Innings)<br /><span style=""> </span>September 18<br /> <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on"> Los Angeles</st1:city>, <st1:state st="on">CA</st1:state></st1:place></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p>The Padres and Dodgers were in a dogfight for the National League West division title coming into the final week of the regular season, and their last meeting of the series and the season would be one for the ages.<span style=""> </span><st1:city st="on">Los Angeles</st1:city> trailed <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">San Diego</st1:place></st1:city> by a half game in the division coming into the game and trailed 9-5 in the bottom of the 9<sup>th</sup> inning.<span style=""> </span>But then the Dodgers pulled off a feat only accomplished three other times in Major League history.<span style=""> </span>Jeff Kent, J.D. Drew, Russell Martin, and Marlon Anderson hit back-to-back-to-back-to-back home runs to tie the game at 9.<span style=""> </span>The Padres bounced back in the top of the 10<sup>th</sup> inning with a Josh Bard RBI to go up 10-9, but the Dodgers’ Nomar Garciaparra ended the game with a two-run home run following a Kenny Lofton walk to give Los Angeles a half-game lead in the division with less than a week to play.<span style=""> </span><st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">San Diego</st1:place></st1:city> would wind up winning the division, but this victory helped the Dodgers win the NL wild card.<span style=""> </span>Both teams would lose in the division series.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">3.</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><st1:placename style="font-weight: bold;" st="on">Ohio</st1:placename><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><st1:placetype style="font-weight: bold;" st="on">State</st1:placetype><span style="font-weight: bold;"> 42</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><st1:place style="font-weight: bold;" st="on"><st1:state st="on">Michigan</st1:state></st1:place><span style="font-weight: bold;"> 39</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">November 18</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><st1:place style="font-weight: bold;" st="on"><st1:city st="on">Columbus</st1:city>, <st1:state st="on">OH</st1:state></st1:place></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p>This game would be huge if both teams came in 0-11.<span style=""> </span>In 2006, both came in 11-0, and for the first time in the history of the rivalry, the teams were ranked 1 and 2 meaning the winner of the season finale for both teams was guaranteed a spot in the national championship game in Glendale.<span style=""> </span>The Wolverines jumped out right away with a touchdown on their first drive, but the #1 Buckeyes answered right back on the next drive and then added two more touchdowns to take a 21-7 lead in the 2<sup>nd</sup> Quarter.<span style=""> </span>The teams traded touchdowns to give OSU a 28-14 halftime lead, but <st1:state st="on"><st1:place st="on">Michigan</st1:place></st1:state> came out with the first 10 points of the 3<sup>rd</sup> quarter to cut the Buckeye lead to 4.<span style=""> </span><st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Ohio</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">State</st1:placetype></st1:place>’s Antonio Pittman answered back with a 56-yard touchdown run up the gut on arguably the game’s biggest play.<span style=""> </span>Wolverine running back Mike Hart scored his third and final touchdown of the game to put his team back within 4 early in the 4<sup>th</sup> quarter.<span style=""> </span>On the next drive, <st1:state st="on"><st1:place st="on">Michigan</st1:place></st1:state> appeared to get a much needed stop, but roughing the passer was called on a 3<sup>rd</sup> down incompletion, and the Buckeyes took advantage as Troy Smith’s 13 yard pass touchdown to Brian Robiskie gave OSU all the points they would need.<span style=""> </span>A late Wolverine touchdown and two-point conversion made the score 42-39, but their onside kick was recovered by Buckeye superstar receiver Ted Ginn Jr.<span style=""> </span><st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Ohio</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">State</st1:placetype></st1:place> was able to run out the clock and punch their second ticket to the national championship game in five years.<span style=""> </span><st1:state st="on">Michigan</st1:state> would almost get a rematch with the Buckeyes, but <st1:state st="on"><st1:place st="on">Florida</st1:place></st1:state> edged them for the #2 spot in the BCS.<o:p><br /><br /></o:p></p><p style="font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal">2.<span style=""> </span>George Mason 86<span style=""> </span><st1:place st="on"><st1:state st="on">Connecticut</st1:state></st1:place> 84 (OT)<br /><span style=""> </span>NCAA Elite 8<span style=""><br /></span> March 27<br /> <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on"> Washington</st1:city> <st1:state st="on">D.C.</st1:state></st1:place></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>George Mason cemented its place as the biggest Cinderella of the NCAA Tournament since 1985 Villanova with an overtime victory in the most memorable game of the 2006 season.<span style=""> </span>The Patriots, out of the Colonial Athletic Conference, barely made the tournament at all as an at-large 11<sup>th</sup> seed.<span style=""> </span>The mid-major school from the Washington D.C area showed it belonged by beating 6<sup>th</sup> seeded Michigan State and 3<sup>rd</sup> seeded and defending national champion North Carolina in the opening weekend of the tournament.<span style=""> </span>A win over equally surprising <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Wichita</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">State</st1:placetype></st1:place> in the Sweet 16 set up the showdown against 1<sup>st</sup> seeded UConn with a Final Four berth on the line.<span style=""> </span>The powerful Huskies were expected to waltz through the region, but they had fought through three tough games, including a 10-point second half comeback over 16<sup>th</sup> seeded <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Albany</st1:place></st1:city>.<span style=""> </span>UConn appeared to be on their way to the Final Four with their easiest win of the tournament as they led GMU 43-34 at the half.<span style=""> </span>But the Patriots fought back with uncanny three-point shooting in the second half as they made six straight from behind the arc.<span style=""> </span>They would only need nine minutes after the break to take a one-point lead, and then the two teams went back and forth down the stretch.<span style=""> </span>George Mason led 71-67 with a minute to go, but a huge steal and three-point play by the Huskies’ Marcus Williams cut the lead to 1.<span style=""> </span>The Patriots had a 74-72 lead with under 10 seconds to play, but a missed foul shot gave UConn’s Denham Brown a chance to drive the court and make a reverse layup, which hung for what seemed like forever on the rim, to send the game to overtime.<span style=""> </span>GMU dominated overtime until the final minute when poor foul shooting almost did them in again.<span style=""> </span>They led 86-84 when big man Jai Lewis missed two foul shots with 6 seconds left.<span style=""> </span>Brown again drove the length of the court but this time missed a three-pointer that would have the won the game as time expired.<span style=""> </span>George Mason would get blown out by eventual national champion <st1:state st="on"><st1:place st="on">Florida</st1:place></st1:state> in the Final Four but will always be remembered as the top story of the 2006 tournament.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p><br /></p><p style="font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal">1.<span style=""> </span><st1:place st="on"><st1:state st="on">Texas</st1:state></st1:place> 41<span style=""> </span>USC 38<br /><span style=""> </span>Rose Bowl and BCS National Championship<br /><span style=""> </span>January 4<br /><st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on"> Pasadena</st1:city>, <st1:state st="on">CA</st1:state></st1:place></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>What else can you say about this one?<span style=""> </span>I don’t think it’s hyperbole to say this might have been the best college football game ever.<span style=""> </span>It certainly was the best in my lifetime.<span style=""> </span>A matchup so perfect not even the BCS could screw it up.<span style=""> </span>A team with two Heisman trophy winners, two straight national titles, and a 34 game winning streak versus <span style=""> </span>probably the best dual-threat quarterback in college football history playing for the national championship on the most hallowed grounds in college football.<span style=""> </span>The Longhorns put any doubts that they couldn’t hang with the Trojans by scoring 16 straight 2<sup>nd</sup> quarter points to take a 16-10 lead into the half.<span style=""> </span>The two juggernauts went back and forth in the 3<sup>rd</sup> quarter – Vince Young’s 19 yard touchdown run was sandwiched between two Lendale White touchdown runs, and USC took the 24-23 lead into the 4<sup>th</sup> quarter.<span style=""> </span>Heisman winner Reggie Bush got on the board early in the final period with a 26 yard dash to give his team an 8 point lead.<span style=""> </span>A <st1:state st="on"><st1:place st="on">Texas</st1:place></st1:state> field goal cut the lead back to 5, but Dwayne Jarrett’s 22 yard touchdown catch with under 7 minutes to go appeared to ice the championship as USC took the biggest lead of the night for either team at 38-26.<span style=""> </span>Vince Young had other ideas.<span style=""> </span>He calmly lead his team down the field, and his 17 yard run capped off a quick strike that took only 3 minutes off the clock.<span style=""> </span>With only 4 minutes to play, the <st1:state st="on"><st1:place st="on">Texas</st1:place></st1:state> defense had to stuff the most powerful offense in the country and get the ball back to their leader.<span style=""> </span>They were able to force a Trojan 4<sup>th</sup> and 2 at their own 45 with just over two minutes to go, and Pete Carroll decided to try to win the national championship right there by picking up the first down that would have enabled his team to run out the clock.<span style=""> </span>It wouldn’t happen.<span style=""> </span>White was stopped shy of the first down, and Young had one final chance to win it all.<span style=""> </span>He quickly led his team deep into Trojan territory, but the drive stalled inside the 10 as the Longhorns faced 4<sup>th</sup> and Goal from the 8 yard line.<span style=""> </span>Even though all of <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">America</st1:place></st1:country-region> and USC’s defense knew Young would try to run the ball in, he was able to scamper to the right untouched for the winning score.<span style=""> </span>A two-point conversion made the score 41-38, and Matt Leinart ran out of time as he tried to get USC in field goal range.<span style=""> </span>Young finished the night with 267 yards passing, 200 yards rushing, and a shiny crystal football that made the two Heisman winners on the other sideline jealous.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Honorable Mention:<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p>- <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Michigan</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">State</st1:placetype></st1:place>’s 35 point comeback to beat Northwestern.<span style=""> </span>This would have made the list if it weren’t between two awful teams that didn’t go to a bowl game.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>- <st1:state st="on"><st1:place st="on">Maryland</st1:place></st1:state>’s national championship victory over Duke in women’s basketball.<span style=""> </span>I know I ragged on women’s basketball, but it’s still pretty cool when two conference rivals go to overtime in the national title game.<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>- The Titans’ 21 point comeback against the Giants in the 4<sup>th</sup> quarter.<span style=""> </span>Vince Young led another great comeback, but this game didn’t end up meaning much for either team, and the first 3 quarters were awful.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>- 14<sup>th</sup> seeded <st1:placename st="on">Northwestern</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">State</st1:placetype>’s 1<sup>st</sup> Round upset over <st1:state st="on"><st1:place st="on">Iowa</st1:place></st1:state> in the NCAA Tournament.<span style=""> </span>Sure, upsets are cool, especially since NW State came back from down at least 15 in the final 10 minutes, but I couldn’t put every tournament game on the list.<span style=""> </span>Plus, NW State got annihilated in the second round.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>- Texas Tech’s 31 point come from behind win over <st1:state st="on"><st1:place st="on">Minnesota</st1:place></st1:state> in the Insight Bowl.<span style=""> </span>Again, this didn’t make it because it was a meaningless bowl game between two very mediocre teams.<span style=""> </span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0