Bleacher Report - Articles by Smith J. Howard

Fight On: The Story of USC's Ricky Rosas

Smith J. Howard — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 18:02:37 -0500

Ricky Rosas (center) at the University of Oregon's Autzen Stadium before USC's October 27th game. (photo courtesy of PeteCarroll.com)

"Sir, I don't know how to tell this story." -Joe Galloway, We Were Soldiers

It's hard to do it justice—telling the story of Ricky Rosas, that is. It isn't the easiest thing in the world to do.

I interviewed him over the phone a few weeks ago and have since played back our recorded conversation several times—I just can't get comfortable with a perfect way to convey his story.

See, Ricky's a guy that makes an impact on you, even if just speaking with him over the phone.

No, he doesn't have the perfect voice found in radio deejays and public speakers. He doesn't blow you away with incomprehensible nine-syllable words. And no, he doesn't tell his stories with the eloquence of flowing poetry.

He's just a normal guy who seems to have that special characteristic that doesn't allow you forget about him.

Being a normal guy means following sports, and Ricky is no different—his favorite team is the USC Trojan Football team.

Ricky's a diehard Trojan fan. His heart broke when USC shockingly lost to Stanford, he rejoiced when the Trojans claimed a Rose Bowl victory over Illinois, and he held his breath when the NFL's Falcons were courting USC's head coach, Pete Carroll.

He even admits that his favorite NFL team is the Arizona Cardinals because they have former USC star quarterback Matt Leinart on their roster.

"I actually became a Cardinals fan because they got Leinart," he says, "...just because they got Leinart."

"He's just a normal guy that seems to have that special characteristic that doesn't allow you to forget about him."

I know what you might be thinking—you might be thinking that Ricky is a USC bandwagon fan. We've all come across them—they guy who started claiming the Trojans as their favorite team right about the same time they started becoming virtually unbeatable.

But Ricky's not a bandwagon fan. He's anything but.

While he is still ecstatic about the Trojan's 49-17 blowout Rose Bowl win over Illinois, you get the feeling that Ricky would give it all up for a chance to see USC actually get tested in their bowl game instead.

He reminds you of a competitive driver who pushes his car to the limits—willing to risk an overheated engine—just to see how powerful that engine truly is, saying "I wanted to see USC and Georgia in the Rose Bowl...that would've been one good game."

Not convinced?

Ask Ricky about backup quarterback Mitch Mustain—who transferred to USC from Arkansas—and he can talk for hours as he breaks down every little detail of Mustain's game, even going as far as speaking of Mustain's composure in tough environments. "He played in the SEC, so he knows how to handle the crowds...there are so many tough stadiums."

Point is, Ricky's no bandwagon USC fan—he knows the ins and outs of his Trojan team.

Ricky knows everything there is to know about USC Football. And that's because he is the Special Assistant to Pete Carroll.

When asked what his job entails, he'll give you the rundown:

"I hand out water, I go get food for the coaches, I shred old papers that they have...pretty much, I'm their go-to-guy."

Ricky realizes that there are several perks to his job too. He realizes that very few people have access like he has, "I get to run out into The Coliseum and hear all the speeches from the coaches and players. I get to talk to the players on a one-on-one basis every day."

I admitted to Ricky that his job made me quite jealous, despite not even being a USC fan at all, which prompted him to tell me a story of one of his former high school teachers repeatedly begging to trade jobs with him.

"I think it's amazing that people would want to do what I do," Ricky explained.

All perks aside, what makes Ricky's story so great is that he's virtually a walk-on to the USC staff. He visited practice one day and fell in love with the atmosphere.

"...Ricky is a perfect example of USC's 'Fight On' spirit—a constant reminder to the Trojan players to never give up."

And Coach Carroll fell in love with Ricky, too.

Maybe it was because despite Ricky's 4'9" stature, he somehow fit in perfectly with players who towered over him at 6'4" and taller.

Maybe it was because Ricky formed instant bonds with some of college football's biggest stars.

Or maybe it was because Coach Carroll found that characteristic in Ricky that I did—the one that makes him impossible to forget.

Regardless, Ricky is a perfect example of USC's "Fight On" spirit—a constant reminder to the Trojan players to never give up.

Ricky battled and beat cancer at the age of one. And although he admits that he doesn't remember much, Ricky will be the first to tell you that the experience made him a stronger person.

Even now, Ricky's road isn't always easy—literally.

Just getting to the USC practice field takes him an hour and a half by bus. Regardless, Ricky shows up every day, does his job, and travels the long road back home.

It's kind of ironic how USC's season seemed to be at such a low point following the shocking loss to Stanford. Yet, they continued to fight on and battled their way to the Rose Bowl. One could even argue that the Trojans looked to be one of the strongest—if not the strongest—team in the country at the end of the season.

It's hard to imagine that Coach Carroll and the USC team didn't take some inspiration from Ricky once their season looked as if it would disappoint.

Everyday, regardless of the situation, Ricky is there. He fought back and continues to fight on now. His outlook fits perfectly with the "Fight On" mantra that USC proudly displays, and his story just seems too perfect of a fit for USC's 2007 season.

But, Coach Carroll and the Trojan players aren't the only ones who have taken notice to Ricky's glass-half-full attitude. This past Christmas, USC fans held a Ricky Rosas Family Holiday Drive and donated clothing, televisions, furniture, and more to Ricky's family.

One might even dare to say Ricky is somewhat of a USC celebrity—a modern-day Rudy if you will.

When I asked Ricky if he'd take a million dollars in exchange for his job at USC, he replied, "I wouldn't take the money because I have people that I can always go to. USC is a big part of my family...they're like brothers."

Tennessee Football: 2008 Season Brings Key Changes for Vols

Smith J. Howard — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 16:13:17 -0500

Phillip Fulmer led Tennessee to a 10-win season in 2007, but will face a host of changes in 2008.

"Change"—it's a word that football fans on Rocky Top will be hearing a lot in the coming months regarding their Tennessee Vols.

After stumbling out of the gates to a 1-2 start in 2007, Tennessee found a way to pull out a 10-4 finish, complete with an SEC East crown and a 21-17 Outback Bowl victory over Wisconsin.

But everything is now back at square one for 2008.

Many key players from the successful 2007 campaign will not be back. Seniors Erik Ainge (QB), Jonathan Hefney (S), Antonio Reynolds (DE), Xavier Mitchell (DE), and Chris Brown (TE) will leave big voids at their positions.

Also, junior linebacker Jerod Mayo will be forgoing his senior season to enter the NFL Draft.

Key returners for Tennessee will be Eric Berry, Ramon Foster, Anthony Parker, Rico McCoy, and running back Arian Foster.

Foster's decision to come back to Rocky Top for his final season has made Vol fans quite happy. Foster has the opportunity to break the all-time Tennessee rushing record, as he sits just 685 yards shy.

Fans wearing Orange and White may be pleased by Foster's decision, but they've come back to earth when looking at the recruiting news thus far. Normally, Phillip Fulmer has the Vols landing securely in the Top 25 recruiting classes, but this year is different.

Tennessee currently owns the No. 40 recruiting class by Rivals.com's measurements.

While reevaluating player talent is an annual process, most programs don't usually find themselves looking at empty coaching depth charts. Unfortunately for Tennessee, that is the case on the offensive side of the ball.

Only offensive line coach Greg Adkins returns for the 2008 season.

Offensive coordinator and quarterback guru David Cutcliffe has moved from Knoxville to Durham, NC to take on Duke's head coaching duties. Vol assistant coaches Kurt Roper and Matt Luke will also find their new homes in Durham.

"...most programs don't usually find themselves looking at empty coaching depth charts."

Trooper Taylor, Tennessee's energetic wide receivers coach has moved on to Oklahoma State as their co-offensive coordinator.

Needless to say, the departure of these coaches will pave the way for several fresh faces on the Tennessee sidelines, most notably new offensive coordinator Dave Clawson.

Clawson joins Tennessee's staff from Richmond, where he was previously the Spiders' head coach.

Joining Clawson on the offensive staff will be Jason Michael, Stan Drayton, and Latrell Scott.

With all of the new players and coaches, the Vols will look forward to dealing with a somewhat manageable schedule by SEC standards. Tennessee will open with UAB, but their first test will be in Pasadena, CA against UCLA.

The Vols must also travel to Auburn, Georgia, South Carolina, and Vanderbilt.

Position battles and offensive schemes for the 2008 season will be under way when spring drills begin on March 11th.

Robert H. Spain is an Alabama-based columnist for BleacherReport.com. His entire archive can be found here.

Tennessee Basketball: Tyler Smith at Home on Rocky Top

Smith J. Howard — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 19:27:09 -0500

Tennessee's Tyler Smith drives past Mississippi's Kenny Williams to score the game-winning bucket with just 4.2 seconds remaining. AP Photo/Wade Payne

Tyler Smith's journey to Knoxville should have been as simple as jumping on Interstate 40 from his hometown of Pulaski, TN.

It was supposed to be an easy three-hour trip down the road—but has since turned into a odyssey lasting nearly three years, complete with two different stops along the way.

As a sought-after recruit in high school, Smith chose to sign with Tennessee, eagerly anticipating the chance to play for head coach Buzz Peterson.

But soon after Smith's signature was on the letter-of-intent, Coach Peterson was fired.

Smith still wanted to play for Tennessee, but he wasn't sure about committing four years to new head coach Bruce Pearl—not yet anyways.

Pearl and the Vols wouldn't release Smith from his letter-of-intent, and Smith wasn't ready to commit to Pearl.

So off to Virginia Smith went—to the Hargrave Military Academy.

After his year at Hargrave, Smith failed to be accepted by Tennessee's admissions office, so he headed to Iowa to play for Steve Alford and the Hawkeyes.

There he proved ready for Division I basketball, averaging nearly 15 points per game as a freshman. But, wouldn't you know it—after just one year, Steve Alford was out as Iowa's head coach.

By then, though, Smith's basketball dilemma had taken a backseat to more important issues. His father was battling lung cancer back in Tennessee, and Smith's young son was also living in the Volunteer State.

So Smith decided to transfer to his original first choice—the University of Tennessee.

Smith, center, celebrates with teammates after Tennessee's win over Gonzaga earlier this season. AP Photo/Elaine Thompson

The Vols had just made a run to the Sweet 16, and looked primed to improve upon that success in '07-'08.

Only Dane Bradshaw would be missing from the puzzle, and Smith hoped to fill part of that void.

And thanks to an NCAA hardship ruling, Smith would be automatically eligible to play—there'd be no sitting out a year once he arrived in Knoxville.

After three years, Smith finally landed at UT—where he originally hoped to play.

He's now close to his father and son, and playing for the No. 8 team in the country. Smith and Pearl have since made nice, and Smith's father—who openly questioned Pearl's decision to prevent his son from being released—has apologized as well.

In 2005, one could've never guessed all that Tyler Smith would have to go through just to end up at Tennessee. It seemed like a sure thing. Anticipating all the obstacles would have taken psychic powers.

It's funny how things work out sometimes. For Tyler Smith, life has literally come full circle.

Tennessee recently beat undefeated No. 16 Ole Miss—as Smith made the game-winning shot with just 4.2 seconds on the clock.

As Thompson-Boling Arena's sea of orange erupted in excitement, one couldn't help but wonder if Tyler Smith finally felt at home.

Robert H. Spain is an Alabama-based columnist for BleacherReport.com. His entire archive can be found here.

Ty Willingham Bounty: How Far Is Too Far for Disgruntled Fans?

Smith J. Howard — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 11:38:59 -0500

A Dolphins fan shows his disapointment. (photo:The Beacon Newspaper)

Many disgruntled fans have threatened to boycott certain teams in the past, and to an extent, it's understandable.

Your favorite team isn't performing as you'd like, so you decide to go on your own personal strike by not attending the games or not following the team—that's fine.

But what if you blame only the coach for your team's failures?

You still want to support the team with your attendance, but you have a problem with the man in charge. So, what do you do then?

Make a sign which voices your discontent?

Start your own Fire [insert coach's name].com website?

Wear a paper bag over your head?

Call in a talk radio show to rant for five-plus minutes?

All four of these options are logical for any hardcore fan, and no one can blame any fan who would go to such lengths.

But how far is too far?

Recently, a University of Washington alum put out a bounty, pledging to donate $100,000 if head coach Tyrone Willingham was fired. He even went further, offering another $100,000 should the UW athletic director be fired as well.

The offer was meant to be kept secret, but it somehow leaked to the press.

So, the question is: Is this going too far?

Thankfully, the University of Washington declined the alum's offer, but who's to say that the pledge won't open the floodgates for angry fans and alums who happen to have deep pockets?

Should Bill Gates be a fan of say, the Seattle Mariners, would it be going too far for him to offer $10 million dollars to replace manager John McLaren? After all, it could be a "charitable donation."

Forget the future of disgruntled fans—who's to say that fat-walleted loyalists haven't already successfully fired a coach? If the Washington fan's offer leaked out, could it be possible that other offers were kept secret?

Remember when Marty Schottenheimer was fired after a 14-2 season with the Chargers? They had the best record in the NFL, so could there have been some funny business going on?

Let's not get too carried away here. We know GM A.J. Smith had his reasons, so someone's having a bounty out for Schottenheimer's firing is quite a long shot.

It is fun to wonder though.

Let's just hope that the recent Washington situation doesn't give any deep-pocketed fans any ideas, because that's the last thing we need in sports—more secret agendas.

Information from the Associated Press and ESPN was used in this report.

Robert H. Spain is an Alabama-based columnist for BleacherReport.com. View his entire archive here.

College FB: What the BCS and Online Poker Have in Common

Smith J. Howard — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 20:18:16 -0500

LSU and Jacob Hester will face Ohio State in Monday's BCS National Championship Game. (Photo courtesy lsusports.net)

"It's unique."

Those are the words that FOX hopes will coax disgruntled fans into tuning in for the BCS Championship Game this Monday night.

They are Chicago Tribune writer Teddy Greenstein's words, and they can be found on the official Bowl Championship Series website.

"It's unique."

The BCS system is nothing like the World Cup or the NCAA Basketball Tournament, so in that regard, it is unique...I'll give them that.

But is that really the goal, to be unique? Is that really what we were looking for back in 1997...uniqueness?

I'd like to introduce the BCS computer nerds to a fad that has blown up recently—online poker. It's a phenomenon that actually resembles the BCS system quite closely.

It's very simple—you just download the software, make a screen name, enter free tournaments, and compete for cash.

Within minutes, you're playing real poker...just like the pros on TV, right?

Wrong.

The computer version isn't much of a substitute for the pure version of the game—kind of like the BCS.

I signed up thinking the style of play would be like real-life poker, but boy, was I wrong.

The online version isn't even close.

"Who's to say that the regular season can't be an unpredictable two-hour thrill ride with the good guy getting the girl at the very end, too?"

Some games are literally like a lottery—everyone immediately pushes all of their chips in the pot and prays for the best hand to come their way, which means skill is completely abandoned. And if your prayers aren't answered, no big deal...just enter the next tournament.

Recently, I won a whopping $20 bucks playing online poker. But, you know what? I Kansas-ed and Hawaii-ed my way to the money: I hesitated to play good cards in fear of losing my chips too early.

Don't be so quick to blame me, though—I had to adjust my style of play in order to survive. If I wanted to land the big payday, I had to change it up a bit. I was just doing what I had to do to secure my spot at the final table.

The game is different, so I had to change my strategy.

And that's exactly what the BCS is doing to college football—by rewarding schools with huge paychecks for merely surviving a season.

What kind of competition is that?

We've learned from the BCS that a weak schedule can land your school a big payday.

Don't get me wrong, I don't want to take anything away from Hawaii or Kansas—they both accomplished great things.

Kansas players celebrate their 24-21 Orange Bowl victory over Virginia Tech by eating oranges. (Marc Serota/Getty Images)

In fact, with Kansas' victory over No. 3 Virginia Tech, I'm sure they now want a shot at the national title. What true competitor wouldn't?

As an online poker winner, I know how it is—I wish I had the opportunity to play the best of the best. I want to know if I'm actually good, or if I was just more prudent in hesitating to play certain cards.

So why no change?

That's right—I forgot that the ratings are up, and that the BCS somehow brought out all of the parity this year.

But just because people keep signing up for online poker doesn't make the game pure. Similarly, just because the BCS is on everyone's mind doesn't make it a sound system.

I'll tell you what—if nothing else, playing online poker really is unique. One could call it wildly entertaining, even—watching all of those chips fly around left and right.

And as we all know from BCS lovers, entertainment trumps competition any day.

Along with calling the BCS unique, Greenstein also says college football under the BCS has "never been wilder," and "never been more popular." He then compares the 2007 regular season to an entertaining movie, saying it was "an unpredictable two-hour thrill ride."

I have to say, Greenstein is correct again—the '07 regular season was pretty entertaining. But who's to say that the regular season can't be an unpredictable two-hour thrill ride with the good guy getting the girl at the very end, too?

Why do we have to settle for just entertainment? Can't we incorporate passion and competition along with it?

A change needs to be made, because "unique" isn't getting it done—not for me anyways.

Robert H. Spain is an Alabama-based columnist for BleacherReport.com. His entire archive can be found here.

Tennessee-Alabama: What To Look For

Smith J. Howard — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 05:29:41 -0400

"The Third Saturday in October"—what a creative nickname for the annual rivalry game between Tennessee and Alabama.

The handle may not be a fancy one, but then again neither are many of the games.

The annual UT-Bama meeting tends to be a hard-nosed affair, a matchup won in the trenches by tough defensive stands and gutsy two-yard runs.

You know—typical old-school SEC football.

Other rivalries can have their Golden Egg (MSU vs. Ole Miss), Bronze Boot (Colorado State vs. Wyoming), and Jeweled Shillelagh (Notre Dame vs. USC).

Anything "Gold", "Bronze", or "Jeweled" would be too elegant for this one.

Take 2005, for example, when 17th-ranked Tennessee visited Tuscaloosa to play fifth-ranked Alabama.

Alabama won 6-3, on a Jamie Christensen field goal with only 19 seconds remaining in the game.

The biggest play, though, came with five minutes left and the score 3-3.

Tennessee had the ball in the red zone and was looking for the go-ahead score. On third down, Rick Clausen threw a swing pass to Cory Anderson.

Anderson had open field ahead of him, but as he was nearing the goal line Alabama's Roman Harper knocked the ball loose—sending it through the back of the end zone for a touchback.

On Alabama's next possession, Christensen nailed the game-winning field goal.

Alabama would finish the 2005 season with a 10-2 record and a Cotton Bowl victory. The Vols finished 5-6 and were sitting at home by mid-December.

That game was the last time these rivals faced off at Bryant-Denney Stadium in Tuscaloosa—the site of this Saturday's contest.

Alabama (5-2) hopes for a repeat performance, minus the drama, while 21st-ranked Tennessee (4-2) simply hopes for a road victory.

Other than the 2005 game, Tennessee has held a significant edge over their counterparts recently, winning eight out of the last 10 matchups. On the other hand, Alabama holds the all-time edge with a six-game advantage.

Both Alabama and Tennessee control their own destiny in their respective SEC races—Alabama in the West, Tennessee in the East.

A loss on Saturday would change that for either program.

Tennessee center Josh McNeil put it best.

"This is the Third Saturday in October, and this is Alabama. This rivalry goes way back. We know how big this rivalry is. It's huge. Everybody knows that we don't like Alabama and they don't like us either, so it is going to be fun."

Here's some info on this year's game; have fun impressing your fellow tailgaters come Saturday:

-Tennessee head coach Phillip Fulmer is 11-3 against Alabama all-time, while Alabama head coach Nick Saban sports a 2-1 all-time record against Tennessee.

-Alabama is 5-0 this season when scoring first. Tennessee is 4-0 when doing the same.

-Alabama has lost to Georgia and Florida State this season, by a combined 10 points. In each loss, the Crimson Tide fell behind by two scores at the outset (10 to UGA, 14 to FSU).

-Tennessee, on the other hand, has lost to Cal and Florida by a combined 53 points.

-UA and UT have only one common opponent: Georgia. Each played the 'Dawgs at their respective home stadiums. Alabama lost by three in overtime; Tennessee won by 21.

-Tennessee WR Lucas Taylor leads the SEC with 103 receiving yards per game.

-Alabama's RB tandem of Glen Coffee and Terry Grant have already combined to rush for over 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns on the season.

As for predictions—obviously, the numbers can argue either way here. Regardless of individual stats and common opponents, though, someone has to score first.

And based on the results to date, that someone will have a good chance of winning the game.

The Third Saturday in October will be played for the 90th time in history this Saturday, October 20th, at 12:30 PM EST. The game will be televised by ESPN Gameplan as well as Lincoln Financial Sports.

Cory Anderson painting by Steve R. Skipper, entitled "The Hit". Click here to view or purchase more of his work.