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A September to Remember It's September...the month that kicks out NFL pre-season football and welcomes the regular season. The month that signals that we're playing for keeps in college football, too. The month that reminds us that the baseball playoffs will be starting soon (but begrudgingly not with my beloved World Champion SF Giants)....and it's a reminder that the NASCAR season should have ended on Labor Day. Let's get right into it.... The scene at Clemson's Death Valley was truly amazing. It's exactly why the college game is more entertaining and lively than anything the NFL can deliver.....don't get me wrong; we all know the best players in the game play on Sundays in the NFL....but nothing on Sundays matches the pageantry of what was on display in Clemson this past weekend. The Tigers knocked off #5 Georgia, and in the process were immediately added to the growing list of potential BCS contenders. It's still a long season filled with ups and downs, upsets and injuries....but Clemson and Georgia put on an incredible show. Great plays, momentum swings and a crowd that wouldn't shut up....it was spectacular. The win was significant for not only Clemson, but the ACC, too. After UNC and Virginia Tech were mauled by South Carolina and Bama, respectively....Clemson's primetime win was almost a "must win" for a league with a serious image problem. This week, the conference gets another chance to beat its chest when the Florida Gators head to South Florida to play the Miami Hurricanes....we'll see how that one plays out. It's hard to categorize teams and players after just one week....you really need a month of games to get a handle on what might happen....that's why September is such a wonderful month. Ask me on October 1st, and you are bound to get a different answer to the question...but I can tell you now that I am pumped that we have 4 months of college football staring me in the face. I love it. The NFL teams cut their rosters down to the mandated number allowed by Roger Goodell.....and I couldn't help but notice that the Panthers waved "good-bye" to All-Pro Clipboard holder, Jimmy Clausen. Somewhere in Charlotte, Mel Kiper, Jr. is packing up Clausen's crap and shipping it to his next NFL or CFL home. It was Kiper that was blowing Clausen's superior ability over the ESPN airwaves on Draft Day...it was nauseating. And so was Clausen in Carolina. Speaking of ESPN, I thought for sure they would have picked up Tim Tebow after he was released by New England and had him on the set of every show....NFL Live, SportsCenter, Olbermann, you name it... The love affair between the World Wide Leader and Tebow is like your first love in high school....it's awkward and outsiders think you're a moron for liking her. Same goes for the hero-worshiping taking place between these two brands. All I know is that the NFL regular season is here, and that garbage better known as NFL Pre-season football is finished. It's another reason to love the month of September. I think NASCAR needs to tweak their season. The sport gets officially kicked to the back burner, once football starts. It starts in February at Daytona....why does the sport still need another dozen racing weeks to find a champion? Once we kick the pig, nobody cares.....other than the loyal gear-heads who happen to be dwindling year-by-year. Have you seen how empty the stands are at the NASCAR races during this time of year.....it's shocking. The TV numbers are flat and fading.....too many races, too little demand. That is a perfect recipe for apathy. NASCAR really needs to take a look at what they are doing.....Starting in February and ending the year on Labor Day would cut back on expenses and possibly jump-start an interest in the other races, since there will be less of them. Hey, NASCAR....the only Jimmie Johnson that people care about in the Fall is the one on FOX Sports during NFL Sundays. Congrats go out to Coach Lambert and the Charlotte 49ers......their dream of playing college football in their own on-campus stadium became a reality over the weekend, and they did it in style. A 52-7 win in front of a happy, sold-out stadium on a beautiful Saturday afternoon....it was one of the better feel-good stories of the first week of the college football season. Much was said about South Carolina's All-World Jadeveon Clowney after he appeared out of shape and fatigued in the opener against UNC. While it did look like he was doing his best Julius Peppers "take off a series or two" trick, it is distinctly possible that he was feeling the effects of another lovely day in red-hot Columbia. I will bet the ranch that he'll be going full throttle this week against Georgia. I will also tell you, that JC can play on my team anytime he wants....the guy is a beast, and everybody knows it. The reason for the backlash on the Gamecock All-American is due to the endless hype that has come his way, compliments of the hit against Michigan and the non-stop talk of whether or not a defensive player can win the Heisman. He's under the spotlight on every play, whether he likes it or not. I'd be willing to bet that he will look totally different against that Georgia offensive line on Saturday, between the hedges. But something tells me that there are two things that won't stop this year on ESPN's coverage of college football.....reaction to Clowney and Manziel on every snap. One more thing: announcer Brent Musburger made reference during the Clemson-Georgia broadcast of the game being "Southern Fried Football™". Yes, that is a trademark infringement on behalf of Mr. Musburger and the fine folks at ESPN. My trademark attorney will be in touch. Nice doing business with you. |
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