That Just Happened! September 2, 2010

Posted on September 3, 2010 by Justin Karp

Utah WR Jereme Brooks scored twice in the Utes upset win over Pittsburgh. (Courtesy: AP)

OK, so maybe this feature isn’t as innovative as Teams in a Tweet or the Master Maps, but hell, you still need to know what’s going on and what you may have missed, right?

With that, welcome to “That Just Happened!”

Here’s the plan: the day after every slate of football, college and pro, we’ll go through some of the major developments from the day and night before.

Pretty simple, right? I thought so.

The Big Ones

Utah 27, #15 Pittsburgh 24 (OT): You just knew that nothing involving Dave Wannstedt could A) be easy, and B) end well for the Panthers. Pittsburgh fought back from down 17-7 and 24-14 to tie the game with no time left, but not without drama. Panthers kicker Dan Hutchins was iced twice by Utes coach Kyle Whittingham – even on the second attempt, when he shanked the 30-yard field goal to the left. He nailed the 3rd try, but sophomore QB Tino Sunseri, making his first start for Pitt, threw a pick on the first play of overtime. Utah’s Matt Asiata bled the Pitt defense and allowed Utah kicker Joe Phillips to nail the winner from 21 yards out.

#2 Ohio State 45, Marshall 7: As if you expected anything else. Last year, Ohio State struggled in their season opener, needing a safety on a potentially game-tying 2-point conversion by Navy to seal a victory. This time, it wasn’t even close as Terrelle Pryor ran roughshod over the Thundering Herd defense. Consider it a good warm-up; the Buckeyes host Miami next week.

#14 USC 49, Hawai’i 36: Lane Kiffin is never satisfied. He got a career game out of Matt Barkley and a decisive season-opening win in Honolulu, but the Trojans uncharacteristically committed 11 penalties for 100 yards and the defense struggled to contain Warriors QB Bryant Moniz, a walk-on. In another Kiffin-esque move, the Trojans went for two on each of their first three touchdowns of the game, converting one.

…these too…

#13 Miami 45, Florida A&M 0 (Just a hunch, but you should probably cover Leonard Hankerson)
Minnesota 24, Middle Tennessee 17
South Carolina 41, Southern Mississippi 13
Iowa State 27, Northern Illinois 10

I omitted most of the other games from last night because the majority were games between FBS and FCS opponents. I understand the need to fill a 12-game schedule, but 37 cross-division matchups during the season’s first weekend is excessive and disheartening.

Utah/Pittsburgh was a tremendous game to kick the season off. Indiana/Towson isn’t. This is a matter for an entire other article, but I never see how a paycheck game for a team like Indiana, who should be playing better talent in an effort to actually season their team and get more big game experience, is beneficial.

But, I guess, 3-9 looks better than 2-10 come December.

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Teams in a Tweet Pt. 3: Big “Twen”

Posted on September 2, 2010 by Justin Karp

Big TenListen. We at Beyond The Scoreboard know you’ve got a lot going on. You’re busy men and women.

But you’re also rabid college football fans like we are. That made this past Saturday that much better, since it’s the last one we’ll be sans marching bands, coeds and upset specials until January.

Ahh. Nirvana.

Outside of your favorite team, though, which you follow obsessively, you might have lacked the time to pick up a preview guide (or 3, like I did) and really bone up on what to expect in 2010.

That’s where we come in. Introducing our latest way of doing things differently here on BTS: Teams in a Tweet.

Surely you’ve got the ability to consume 140-character bursts about all 120 teams in America before Saturday, right? Right!

We’ll take a look at each of the six BCS conferences first, then wind you through the other five later on in the week. Our third go-around profiles what I’m now calling the Big Twen; basically, the Big Ten in its last year as an 11-team conference. Math is fun-damental!

Illinois Fighting Illini: Definitely the last season for the Zooker if he can’t guide his team to a bowl. Most of the talent from a 3-win team is gone. Spells doom.

Indiana Hoosiers: Pick your Hoosiers – the one that barely lost to Michigan and Wisconsin or the one that gave up buckets of passing yards? Go with the latter.

Iowa Hawkeyes: I can’t get those near misses last year out of my skull. I’m sure “throwing picks” is one of Stanzi’s interests on Facebook. Great front 4.

Michigan Wolverines: Put up or shut up time for RichRod. It all rests on Tate Forcier; if he performs, they’ll be bowl eligible. If not, more discontent.

Michigan State Spartans: Off-field drama will have an impact on a young team. They return B10 DPOY Greg Jones, a behemoth in the front 7. Kirk Cousins better shine.

Minnesota Golden Gophers: No Eric Decker, no thank you. Only two starters return on defense. Lack of talent across the board keeps Gophers from respectability.

Northwestern Wildcats: If Dan Persa can replace Mike Kafka at QB, Wildcats will be middle-of-the-pack solid. He’ll have plenty of great front-five protection.

Ohio State Buckeyes: Runaway conference champ, you know, unless they stumble to Indiana or something. This is the year Pryor shines. Pass rush is unreal.

Penn State Nittany Lions: Evan Royster is a wrecking ball. Rest of the team isn’t. Kevin Newsome can’t replace Daryl Clark. JoePa’s glasses are bulletproof-thick.

Purdue Boilermakers: Big step forward at QB with Robert Marve. All four veteran DBs are gone, leaving a huge void on defense. Seven wins not out of the question.

Wisconsin Badgers: You can’t tackle John Clay, you can only hope he falls down. Must replace five solid starters on D. Tolzien is league’s most efficient QB.

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Teams in a Tweet Pt. 2: Big East

Posted on September 2, 2010 by Justin Karp

Big EastListen. We at Beyond The Scoreboard know you’ve got a lot going on. You’re busy men and women.

But you’re also rabid college football fans like we are. That made this past Saturday that much better, since it’s the last one we’ll be sans marching bands, coeds and upset specials until January.

Ahh. Nirvana.

Outside of your favorite team, though, which you follow obsessively, you might have lacked the time to pick up a preview guide (or 3, like I did) and really bone up on what to expect in 2010.

That’s where we come in. Introducing our latest way of doing things differently here on BTS: Teams in a Tweet.

Surely you’ve got the ability to consume 140-character bursts about all 120 teams in America before Saturday, right? Right!

We’ll take a look at each of the six BCS conferences first, then wind you through the other five later on in the week. Next up, the fun-sized eight team league which four years ago we thought should have their BCS autobid snatched away: the Big East.

Cincinnati Bearcats: Many weapons, including Pead and Binns, back on offense, but can Collaros lead them like Pike did? Questions abound, but still a contender.

Connecticut Huskies: The trendy pick. QB Frazer is ready to take the Huskies to the next level as a senior. Trouble defending the pass may spell doom, though.

Louisville Cardinals: Charlie Strong has his work cut out for him; Kragthorpe didn’t leave him much. Offensive line a strength. Not much else going for them.

Pittsburgh Panthers: Dion Lewis is a Heisman hopeful, but can Tino Sunseri be a leader as a sophomore? Secondary is a beast for conference title contender.

Rutgers Scarlet Knights: Savage to Sanu is this league’s most deadly QB/WR combo. Nation’s 4th best defense in ’09 is mostly back to wreak havoc again.

South Florida Bulls: First season without Jim Leavitt as HC will be a struggle. Five-year bowl streak may end in ’10. They just have to replace too much talent.

Syracuse Orange: Optimism doesn’t win games for Doug Marrone. Delone Carter sure can run, but…at least Greg Paulus isn’t their QB anymore? 8th place.

West Virginia Mountaineers: If this is Noel Devine’s coming-out season, look out. If either Smith or White can get the ball to Jock Sanders, look out. Conference champ.

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Really?!: A Look at The Big Ten’s New Football Alignment

Posted on September 1, 2010 by Brandon Velaski

You'll still see this every year, but it will have less meaning. (Courtesy: rootzoo.com)

I have stayed fairly quiet on what our fearless leader dubbed “Expansionpalooza 2010″ because it was improving the two conferences I actually cared about.

Those leagues, the Big Ten and Pac-10, will soon have title games and the Big Ten season wont be over in mid-November every year.

Then the divisional alignment for the new Big Ten was reported today and all I can say is….

Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa???????????

The two divisions will look like this:

• Michigan, Nebraska, Iowa, Michigan State, Northwestern and Minnesota.

• Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin, Purdue, Indiana and Illinois.

According to the report, the Big Ten wanted to preserve a number of traditional rivalries such as Michigan-Michigan State, Iowa-Minnesota, Purdue-Indiana and Indiana-Illinois.

Understandable, but the rivalry simply known as “The Game” is not important enough to keep alive within a division?

Sure, Ohio State and Michigan will still play every year as one of their “crossover rivalries”. It’s just like Minnesota-Wisconsin will probably play each other every year as well because, well, who else wants to play for Paul Bunyan’s Axe other than former Gopher Rhys Lloyd?

What made Michigan vs Ohio State such a great rivalry (at least before Jim Tressel arrived) was the fact that every year that game had Rose Bowl or National Championship implications.

Now, one of those teams can theoretically lose in the rivalry game, then exact revenge two weeks later in a rematch in the Big Ten title game and still go to the Rose Bowl.

It’s absurd!

But that’s what they want. This move is much like when the new ACC was formed and they put Florida State and Miami in opposite divisions, hoping they would play every year in the championship. It hasn’t happened yet (but we got that thriller of a Wake Forest/Georgia Tech title game!).

Texas and Oklahoma are both in the Big 12 South and that game means everything because the winner usually plays in the conference title game.

Michigan and Ohio State playing twice a year will start to tarnish the rivalry, especially since they will probably end up playing each other in back-to-back games.

The solution: just switch Wisconsin and Michigan. It’s that simple. You wont have to have any mandatory “crossover” games. You’re big-trophy rivalries will still be intact and you will make sure “The Game” still will be the game to watch every November even if you hate both teams.

Which I don’t. O-H….I-O!!!!!!!

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Antonio Cromartie: The Newest Face of African American Pathology?

Posted on August 30, 2010 by Zettler Clay

In a column for the Detroit Free Press, best-selling author and sportswriter Mitch Albom takes New York Jets cornerback Antonio Cromartie to task for his irresponsible philandering.

But he didn’t just do that. He called out the African American culture, citing a National Center for Health Statistics study that said that 72 percent of new babies in the African American community have babies born out of wedlock, compared to 28 percent among Whites and 17 percent among Asians.

Cromartie’s credentials: 26 years old. Eight children. Six different women. On its face, Mitch Albom has a point. He does. But in his quest to take us to the party, he didn’t even drop us off at the door; he left us a block up the street. To make matters worse, he took shortcuts to get us there.

Cromartie’s tale is as new as a George Clinton sample. Albom had to have a fresh peg to hang this old narrative on. So taking a cue from Glenn Beck, he uses race to buttress the story. Albom states:

Fathering kids as if you’re watering plants is a growing problem in the sports world, particularly in African-American circles. And if we are going to talk about this issue, we need to drop our sensitivities toward this fact.

No, African Americans aren’t the only ones having kids out of wedlock. But, yes, the news is worst in that community…This is not in the skin. It is not about color. It’s about culture. And if the culture doesn’t change, neither will the pattern.

Albom is right to take Cromartie to task. Cromartie’s – or any athlete’s – misdeeds are fair game to any sports journalist. Yours truly won’t use this space to take up for a guy who struggled to remember the names and ages of his offspring. Even if he was a little nervous about being in front of HBO cameras, this is inexcusable.

But there is something dangerous about calling out a culture without putting it into context of how it intersects with other cultures. The professional sports world is an incubator for rampant sex, favors and “look the other way” crimes. Obviously, this is an issue because of the lack of accountability associated.

People who make the news from this world are overwhelmingly African American, which makes it easy to label them as ruffians and uncivilized. But my man Albom neglected to mention the white athletes who make a living running through women as well.

Maybe by mentioning sexual misdeeds by “other” cultures, it would ruin his neat narrative about the pathology of the African American community. Using a Bill Cosby quote to further his point was a nice touch, if not cliche.

I won’t enumerate promiscuous athletes of this ilk, there are other websites for that. Under the subhead “A Problem For Our Society,” Albom mentions Travis Henry and Evander Holyfield (with the not-so-subtle “who claims to be a man of God” jab).

Nothing about Scott Skiles. Entertainers. The general decline of marriage in America. Or any attempt to tie in this epidemic with a larger picture.

Dan Le Batard penned a thoughtful column on this same topic. While I don’t agree with everything, this is a reversal from Albom’s piece. It didn’t paint an easy picture…and Le Batard was less concerned with finding a villain than examining the issue.

I don’t have a problem with calling athletes out. I do have a problem with moralistic, pompous prose that has a clear scapegoat. Whether Albom is sincere in his desire to fix a problem in society is irrelevant.

He has been writing long enough to know that context is everything. Calling out the “African American culture” and not acknowledging the macro culture from which it spawns is the worst of journalism: It’s sensationalism.

Glenn Beck would be proud.

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How Young Is Too Young?

Posted on August 30, 2010 by Rich Gray

13-year-old Peter Lenz was hit and killed by another motorcyclist last Sunday. (Courtesy: AP)

The pursuit to become a professional athlete, and the millions of dollars that come with, has created a disturbing trend.

Children and teenagers are focusing their future solely on making the professional ranks, no matter the cost.

The latest example occurred Sunday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway during the U.S. Grand Prix Riders Union race, which featured riders ages 12 to 18.

13-year-old Peter Lenz lost his life in an accident there after falling and being struck by another rider during warm-ups.

Lenz received his first motorcycle at the age of 5 and had been competing in races since he was 8-years-old. He joined the USGPRU in hopes to eventually join the MotoGP.

While his death is tragic, Lenz was like many other young athletes ignoring the risks while attempting to reach the professional level.

17-year-old Jeremy Tyler did the same when he announced he was going to skip his senior year of high school, obtain a GED and play basketball professionally abroad in April 2009. Tyler signed with Israeli team Maccabi Haifa that August but quit after only playing in 10 games with the club.

In June 2010, Tyler signed with Tokyo Apache to keep his NBA dreams alive. Before he became the first American-born high school player to leave school early to play overseas, Tyler was projected as a potential No. 1 overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft. Scouts now project him as a mid to late 2nd round pick.

This phenomenon is not limited to team sports.

On January 23, 2010, Abby Sunderland set out to become the youngest person to sail solo non-stop around the world at the age of 16.

Eight days in, Sunderland stopped in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico for repairs, but kept going. Nearly five months later, two emergency beacons were activated on her sailboat in the Indian Ocean, prompting a massive rescue attempt to find her.

Sunderland's parents endured harsh criticism for letting their daughter try and sail around the world alone. (Courtesy: AP)

Sunderland lashed out at criticism towards her parents for allowing her to sail solo at such a young age. Now, just over two months after Sunderland’s rescue, 14-year-old Laura Dekker of the Netherlands set out on her own solo circumnavigation.

But do not think teenagers are alone in this crazy chase for fame and fortune. The current issue of Sports Illustrated has a feature story on YouTube sensation Ariel Antigua.

For those who do not know, Ariel is a 5-year-old boy who can hit a 75-mph fastball with consistency and fields his position better than kids over twice his age.

He was invited to Citi Field and Dodger Stadium, appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live and, according to SI, his father, Luis Antigua, has spoken with a scout from the New York Yankees. The Yankees will not confirm but have yet to refute that report.

Luis told SI he created the video to “show his friends he was not a liar” and never expected such a clamor over his son.

Forgive me if I am little skeptical.

At what age are we going to take a step back and say, you know what, that kid is too young? When did sacrificing a child’s future for sports become OK? Who is to blame for that?

It’s easy to place the blame on the parents, but what about the universities and professional teams? They continue to be enablers by offering scholarships and contracts to young teens.

We know about the LeBron James and Bryce Harpers of the world. But what about the kids that do not make it? The ones where sports took priority over education during their childhood. What are they left with when they don’t go pro? Nothing.

Yet I seem to be the only one who thinks this is a major problem. I just wish I could suggest a solution before the next headline about a kid getting injured or killed chasing the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

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Teams In A Tweet Pt. 1: The ACC

Posted on August 30, 2010 by Justin Karp

UPDATE (8:49 a.m. EST): To celebrate the opening week of football season, we’ve installed the NCAA Football Master Map. Enjoy.

Listen. We at Beyond The Scoreboard know you’ve got a lot going on. You’re busy men and women.

But you’re also rabid college football fans like we are. That made this past Saturday that much better, since it’s the last one we’ll be sans marching bands, coeds and upset specials until January.

Ahh. Nirvana.

Outside of your favorite team, though, which you follow obsessively, you might have lacked the time to pick up a preview guide (or 3, like I did) and really bone up on what to expect in 2010.

That’s where we come in. Introducing our latest way of doing things differently here on BTS: Teams in a Tweet.

Surely you’ve got the ability to consume 140-character bursts about all 120 teams in America before Saturday, right? Right!

We’ll take a look at each of the six BCS conferences first, then wind you through the other five later on in the week. First up, the Atlantic Coast Conference, which might be better than you’ve perceived.

Atlantic Division

Boston College Eagles: Mark Herzlich: most inspirational story of the year. But BC will need strong play from David Shinskie to compete for an upper-tier bowl.

Clemson Tigers: Departure of CJ Spiller leaves a huge void. Weak in the secondary. Return of Kyle Parker is key and will keep the Tigers competitive.

Florida State Seminoles: Strong O-Line will give Christian Ponder plenty of time to throw. Transition from Bowden to Jimbo Fisher should be seamless. Division champ.

Maryland Terrapins: Another weak season could spell doom for Friedgen. Strong WR corps returns with unproven QB. Linebackers will need to carry the defense.

N.C. State Wolfpack: Russell Wilson, now more mature, returns to anchor strong backfield. Defense is young, raw but shouldn’t give up more yards than last year.

Wake Forest Demon Deacons: Win total has dropped every year since ’06 ACC title. QB Skinner, All-American Curry, CB Smith all gone. Translation: struggles in 2010.

Coastal Division

Duke Blue Devils: Steady improvement under Cutcliffe has been great for long-dormant program. Bad year to be still just improving, though, in this division.

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets: Hope you don’t like passing! Josh Nesbitt is back to lead the nation’s most prolific run attack even without Dwyer. Two early tough roadies.

Miami Hurricanes: Circle 11/20. Hosting VA Tech for division title. Best team at The U since Coker left. QB Jacory Harris is a darkhorse Heisman candidate.

North Carolina Tar Heels: Status in doubt because of NCAA investigation. If cleared, Heels boast the best defense in America. But can they score enough to compete?

Virginia Cavaliers: Long road back starts with new coach Mike London but he doesn’t have a lot to build with yet. Undersized defense will get burned…a lot.

Virginia Tech Hokies: Division champ. Win over Boise on 9/6 instantly makes them a national title contender. Tyrod Taylor, Ryan Williams will pace strong offense.

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Couture/Toney Doesn’t Solve Any Arguments

Posted on August 29, 2010 by Brett Harmon

Randy Couture only took 3:19 to force James Toney to tap out. (Courtesy: Tapout)

At UFC 118 Saturday night, former UFC light heavyweight and heavyweight champion Randy Couture met the current IBA heavyweight champion James Toney in a fight that some people hoped would end the argument of which sport is better: boxing or mixed martial arts.

As many predicted, the veteran Couture made Toney submit in the first round after taking him down to the ground 30 seconds into the match.

From that point forward, Couture completely controlled the match – choking out Toney at 3:19 in the first round.

Some will look at this match and say that the argument between MMA and boxing is over, and that MMA reigns supreme as the superior sport.

Many of sports greatest arguments don’t have a definitive answer. From which NFL team had the greatest dynasty between the Steelers, 49ers, or Cowboys, Ford or Chevy, blondes or brunettes and Kirk or Picard, this argument will never have a true answer.

It’s mainly because the two sports, although similar, are completely different.
Boxing is much more of a mental sport requiring a great deal of tactics, such as knowing when to strike and when to back off. You’re fighting mentally as well as physically.

MMA is different. Although there is a strategy for every fight, more often than not fighters attack on instincts. Their goal is to inflict as much pain and trauma as possible in a five-minute round.

The problem with the Couture/Toney fight is that both fighters are closer to 50 than 30 and are no longer at the top of their respective sports. Despite Toney being a current champion, there are very few heavyweight title contenders in boxing anymore.

According to a list of the current top 50 heavyweight boxers in the world complied by Andrew Eisele, who is on the Yahoo! Sports blue ribbon panel of boxing experts, Wladimir Klitschko is the top heavyweight in the world followed by Vitali Klitschko and David Haye.

It is less than likely that any of these fighters will be giving up their lucrative paydays to step into the octagon to face top MMA heavyweights Brock Lesnar, Shane Carwin or Cain Velasquez.

You can also say the same more than likely for those MMA fighters as well; why should they put their careers and reputations on the line in a boxing match?

Unless two of the top fighters in their respective sports agree to fight, we more than likely will not have an answer to which of these combat sports is better.

But really in the end do we need to pick one? Why can’t we just love both of these sports for what they are?

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Stephen Strasburg To Have Tommy John Surgery

Posted on August 27, 2010 by Justin Karp

Stephen Strasburg's future will be addressed this morning. (Courtesy: AP)

UPDATE (10:39 a.m. EST): Among multiple reports, including from Adam Kilgore, Nationals GM Mike Rizzo just announced that Stephen Strasburg has a “significant tear in the ulnar collateral ligament” in his pitching elbow.

That means he’ll most likely need ligament replacement surgery – better known as Tommy John Surgery.

—Original Post—

If you are in the Washington D.C. area on Friday morning, I implore you to be very, very quiet around 10:30 a.m..

If you do, you’ll probably hear, from every corner of the District, the impassioned cries of pain from every Washington Nationals fan.

Adam Kilgore, the Nats beat reporter for the Washington Post, reported this morning on Twitter that the franchise will talk to the media in about 45 minutes to address Stephen Strasburg’s injury situation and what the plans are for him for the rest of 2010.

I can only assume that Stan Kasten and Mike Rizzo will be available if the prognosis is less than stellar.

Earlier this week, we suggested five reasons for the Nationals to shut Strasburg down for the rest of the season. I’m hoping they listened.

We’ll keep you updated, but if you’re a Nationals fan, I wouldn’t suggest holding your breath. And if you’re a D.C. sports fan that will need a good laugh after the impending news on the Wunderkind, here’s the George Mason basketball team in an Italian dance-off.

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Why Do We Need More Games? NFL Mulls 18-Game Regular Season

Posted on August 25, 2010 by Brandon Velaski

I know Pats fans don't want any more games. (Courtesy: Associated Press)

Over the past few years, there has been a lot of talk about the NFL wanting to expand the regular season from 16 games to 18 games.

Seems like a good idea for the most profitable league in all of professional sports, right?

This topic has been the focal point of the recent owners’ meetings in our own Zettler Clay’s hometown of Atlanta (Or the A-T-L if your hip…which I’m not, he had to tell me).

With the league’s Collective Bargaining Agreement set to end after this season and a lockout in 2011 seeming more and more like a possibility, the NFL owners are eager to expand the regular season.

Why they think this will help is beyond me, especially since the players are not as interested in doing this as the owners.

And who could blame them? The owners are not the ones out there being drilled by Ray Lewis, run over by Adrian Peterson, or made to look a fool by Larry Fitzgerald.

The owners have had the power to do this under the current agreement with the players, but have chosen not to pull the trigger because most of the owners have not been on board. Now they want it, through the elimination of 2 preseason games.

I know why owners want it: money.

They would rather have an extra regular season home game that would put more butts in the seats than a preseason one. I think we can all understand that.

I know why the fans would like it: a shorter preseason.

Not only would fans have two more regular season games to get up for, but it takes away at least one home game that season ticket holders have to pay for in which the regulars only would play a series or two.

Not that the preseason doesn’t have it’s benefits though. I hate preseason football just as much as the next guy, but we need it.

The young players need opportunities in live game action to show the coaches what they have. The veterans need live reps to gel with new players – unless you are Brett Favre. The fans need that month to get excited for the regular season.

There’s a reason the NFL is #1 – it’s the anticipation of a new season. My sister texted me this morning saying the very same thing despite all the problems our Vikings have had due to injuries. You just don’t get that with other sports.

Fans and owners will say that 2 less preseason games will lead to a smaller chance of our star players get hurt. But it won’t. It’s just 2 fewer games that wont count where said players cannot get injured.

You will still have 20 games. The extra two would move to be regular season. Would you rather your best player get hurt Week 1 of the preseason and be out two months or Week 18 of the regular season and be out 2 months? The fact is, players will get hurt whenever, so spare me that excuse.

The real issue I have is that adding two more games takes some of the luster off the regular season. Apparently, Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer agrees with me:

“With 16 games, every game is important and therefore the fans are very into it, the stadiums are packed because they know if their team loses, it pushes them further and further away from making the playoffs. I think if you go to 18, each game kind of loses a little bit of its significance.”

And that man won a Heisman Trophy, so score another point for the 16-game regular season.

Not only does it take away the significance of every game, but there’s precedent. In 1978, the NFL season extended from 14 to 16 games.

Eric Dickerson's rushing record would be in serious danger in an 18-game season. (Courtesy: AP)

The single-season record books will almost assuredly be shattered in the first season. Eric Dickerson’s and Dan Marino’s 1984 marks will be even more reachable. We wont ever have to worry about any team getting close to what the 1972 Miami Dolphins did.

Why fix what’s not broken? Why do these money hungry owners and ADD-laden fans want more goals, more runs, more records broken?

It’s bad enough that free agency ruined the games we supposedly love. Things don’t have to change every five years just to “spice things up.”

Sports are not some L.A. bimbo who needs breast enhancement every other month so she can feel 25 forever.

Stop messing with the game. It’s great the way it is.

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