Bleacher Report - Articles by Denny Armstrong

Coach To Cure MD: Help Raise Money for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

Denny Armstrong — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 08:09:12 -0400

This Saturday is going to be a one day event called Coach to Cure MD in order to raise money for Duchenne Muscle Dystrophy. Parent Project Muscle Dystrophy is teaming up with the American Football Coach’s Association to help raise awareness and funds to help the cause. Currently there are 2,675 coaches from 204 colleges in the United States and an estimated 10,000 coaches worldwide that will be participating.

Arizona is one of the schools that will be doing their part, however, the organization is looking to raise $10,000 per school and sadly Arizona has raised only $35.00.

Donating is simple. Probably the easiest way to donate is by texting “CURE” to 90999. The text will cost you $5 which will go directly the to the campaign. You can also donate online directly, or even sponsor a tailgate this Saturday.

The total goal of the campaign is $500,000 and three days before the event only $111,605 has been raised. I encourage everyone to make a donation and be a part of a good cause. All schools are represented, and you can visit the website for your school’s information as well as more resources regarding the campaign.

http://www.coachtocuremd.org

Arizona Wildcats Injury Update: Week Eight

Denny Armstrong — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 07:37:13 -0400

The Wildcats quietly had three players injured during Saturday’s game against Cal, but no word yet on the severity or their playing status.

Without a doubt the biggest concern is Mike Thomas, Arizona’s top wide receiver. Thomas left the locker room following the game with a walking boot over on his right foot.

Finley of azstar.net reported that the team told him that he had some tissue swelling around his foot and ankle, and that it was a precaution. The injury appeared to occur before the end of the first half when Thomas was hit coming back for a pass and had to be helped off the field.

He returned to play in the second half, and when asked about his probability for Saturday’s matchup against USC Thomas said:

"Ain't nothing going to stop me, I'm there."

Sound promising, but it's still something that will still be in the back of the Cats' minds.

Thomas’s Season Stats: 42 Rec 569 YDS 4 TD

Against Cal: 6 Rec 104 YDS 1 TD

Also leaving the locker room in a boot was defensive tackle Kaniela Tuipulotu (Ka-nee-ah-lah Too-ee-poo-lo-too in case you were wondering), who had apparently injured his left ankle in the game.

The third Cat to suffer an injury against the Bears was wide receiver Delashaun Dean, who showed signs of a shoulder injury throughout the day Saturday.

Dean’s Season Stats: 30 Rec 310 YDS 2 TD

Against Cal: 2 Rec 21 YDS

There has been no official word on whether or not these injuries are going to keep them out of Saturday’s game, but here is hoping that over the week they are back to 100 percent.

Arizona-USC: Things to Keep in Mind

Denny Armstrong — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 09:19:10 -0400

The Wildcats are coming off a big win against previously ranked No. 25 Cal, which has put them in a four-way tie for first place in the Pac-10. Oregon, Oregon State, Arizona, and USC are all currently sitting at 3-1, but from where I’m sitting, Arizona and USC are sitting on top.

Everyone knows about USC’s prowess, influence in the polls, and overall program prestige. What you aren’t hearing is that Arizona is so confident in their squad that our Wildcats know that they are playing for the Pac-10 Championship this weekend.

What should you know about this weekend’s matchup between USC and Arizona?

First of all, the Cats match up very well against the Trojans and as of late have played them tough.

Hard to believe?

2007: Arizona travels to LA to take on No. 10 USC.

Tuitama, in his first year in Dykes' system, completed 30-43 passes for 233 yards and no interceptions or touchdowns. Sanchez completed 19-31 for 130 yards, one TD, and two INTs.

Neither running game was spectacular for either squad, and both have improved immensely from last year. As is the case with most Arizona losses, it simply came down to mental errors.

It is tough to win a game against a team like the Trojans of '07 when you lose three fumbles and only rush for 22 total yards. That’s what the Cats did, and that is why they narrowly missed pulling the upset.

Total yards for Arizona were 255 and 276 for USC.

The Trojans won 20-13.

Second of all, the Trojans have to come into to Tucson on Homecoming. Arizona has a history of upsetting in big games, especially when they have sellout crowds like this weekend will be.

In case you already forgot:

2005: Arizona 52, No. 7 UCLA 14
2006: Arizona 24, No. 8 Cal 20
2007: Arizona 34, No. 2 Oregon 24

Keep it in mind as this week goes on. I don’t think that this game is as unevenly matched as most people think. USC, you are officially on upset watch.

More as the week goes on...

Arizona-Cal Preview: Defense, Concentration Key to Wildcat Win

Denny Armstrong — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 09:29:31 -0400

Arizona will go up against the Cal Golden Bears this Saturday in what we had all thought was going to be a huge game as far as Pac-10 standings were concerned.

It wasn’t but a week ago that we were already looking ahead to being 5-1 and facing a team that might be our only obstacle in the Pac-10 other than USC. Unfortunately, we are now sitting at 4-2 and seemingly have more on the line than we had thought.

Here is a quick paper matchup of the game.

Team Scoring

Arizona: No. 9 with 40.2 ppg
California: No. 12 with 39.4 ppg

Total Yards per Game

Arizona: No. 32 with 425.5
California: No. 33 with 418.4

Team Rushing

Arizona: No. 55 with 154.8 ypg
California: No. 35 with 180 ypg

Team Passing

Arizona: No. 23 with 258.3 ypg
California: No. 47 with 231.6 ypg

Team Defense

Arizona: 16.7 ppg, 261.5 ypg
California: 18 ppg, 290.6 ypg

What did we learn from the Stanford game? We are not immune to the running game. Our Cats gave up over a hundred yards each to Gerhart and Kimble last week when they had previously not given up a lot more than a hundred total rushing yards in a game.

The biggest reason why this has to be priority one for the Wildcats is that Cal will most likely be returning Jahvid Best to their backfield.

While Best has missed a couple of weeks with a dislocated shoulder, you still cannot overlook his big play ability. It is still unclear how much he will play or whether or not he will be returning kicks, but it would be a huge mistake to not plan on him being at full strength.

There are a couple keys to this game. First of all, I was really impressed with the play of Nate Ness last week and think that he will have as big a game this weekend.

Cal is still suffering from QB woes, and at the time of this writing they have not announced who will be starting. Our secondary is good enough to slow the pace of this game down, and that will definitely be an obstacle for the Bears.

On offense, I have full faith in Dykes' system and feel as though Tuitama gets a lot of bad press for the decisions that he makes. We are only a few plays away from being 6-0, but it has always come down to mistakes at the wire. The Cats can’t afford the same mental errors late against Cal.

If Tuitama is able to spread the ball around efficiently like he had been doing the majority of the season and utilize, rather than rely, on Gronkowski, there is no doubt in my mind that we are putting the superior offensive squad on the field.

It comes down to defense, but I think our Wildcats take this game 27-17. That will put us in a position to go into homecoming at 5-2 against USC in a game that will decide the Pac-10.

Pac-10 Power Rankings: Week Six

Denny Armstrong — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 14:24:31 -0400

1. USC: 3-1 (1-1)

The Trojans stumbled over a minor speed bump in a loss to Oregon State that not only hurt their chances for a National Championship, but also Mark Sanchez’s chance at being the next in a long line of Heisman QBs coming out of Southern California.

This weekend they posted an impressive win over Oregon, who most thought would be the only team giving them a run for the conference title.

We know USC is good, and better than their loss to Oregon State looked, but we also know they have weaknesses. I’d put my money on the Trojans losing at least one more game before this season is over.

Next Game: vs. Arizona State

2. Cal: 4-1 (2-0)

It is still unknown how good Cal really is. They have one loss against a surprising Maryland team who has beaten two ranked teams but has also lost to Middle Tennessee State. Not only that, the Terps were shut out this weekend by Virginia.

The quarterback controversy has done nothing to help this squad, who luckily has a bye before having to travel to Tucson to take on the Cats. That will be the game that separates the conference.

Next Game: Oct. 18 @ Arizona

3. Arizona: 4-1 (2-0)

Arizona is tied with Cal for the conference lead thus far, and the next two games will speak volumes. There is plenty of information on the site and a Stanford preview coming up. More then. http://www.thebeardown.com

Next Game: @ Stanford

4. Oregon: 4-2 (2-1)

Oregon is not doing anything to help the frustration that is the Pac-10. No team is giving us clear-cut signs of where they stand or what their real strengths are.

So far the Ducks won convincingly against Washington (really in just one half of play), beat up on a bad Utah State team, took home the W in OT against a good Purdue squad, lost to a young but talented Boise State, beat WSU by 49, and then took a 34-point loss to USC—all of this while rotating QBs from injured to back on the field and back again.

Their next stretch against UCLA, at Arizona State, and at California should speak volumes. Well, at least I hope it does. In reality they will probably beat UCLA in a close game, win convincingly against Arizona State, and go into overtime against Cal, leaving us just as confused as when we started.

Next Game: vs. UCLA

5. Oregon State: 2-3 (1-1)

The Beavers may be better than everyone thinks. They may be 2-3, but they have had a pretty tough schedule so far. They have played three Top 15 teams in Penn State, now No. 6, Utah, now No. 14 (three-point loss), and No. 8 USC (six-point win).

If Oregon State can learn from these games and continue to fine-tune against their next two opponents, which luckily for them are Washington and Washington State, they could be headed to a bowl game this year.

Next Game: vs. Washington

6. Arizona State: 2-3 (1-1)

The Sun Devils have only looked good in one game this season, when they beat Stanford 41-17. Since that victory they have lost three straight to UNLV, Georgia, and Cal. Rudy Carpenter may be one of the best QBs in the conference, but his supporting cast is not getting it done.

I think it is safe to say that they have three more losses on their schedule.

Next Game: @ USC

7. UCLA: 2-3 (1-1)

I really don’t know what to say about the Bruins. I was never on this bandwagon, even after a win over the highly overrated Volunteers. I think they are a year or two away from having a good team, and it is tough to say how many losses they will end up with this year.

Next Game: @ Oregon

8. Stanford: 3-3 (2-1)

Stanford's only notable win this year was against Oregon State, which the Beavers should have won if weren’t for a fumble at the last second. They lost to Notre Dame, who still has not earned my respect. The Cardinal is in the same boat as UCLA.

10. Washington State: 1-5 (0-3); Washington: 0-5 (0-3)

The State of Washington is ranked 10th. The Huskies lost Jake Locker, and it appears that they will also be losing Ty Willingham. I think this is only going to set them back even more than they are now, but I do understand that changes need to be made.

As for WSU, their only win came over Portland State. I think a lot of teams, especially in the Pac, are looking forward to playing teams from the Evergreen State.

College Football Heisman Busters from Week Six

Denny Armstrong — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 16:42:43 -0400

Well I am back for another round of giving mention to those who have yet to be recognized by the big boys of sports coverage. Remember, I am using ESPN’s Heisman Watch list as the basis for those who aren’t in talks of being immortalized in Bronze.

Quick Recap of Heisman Buster Alum (Those who broke on to the list following my endorsement):

QB Mark Sanchez USC
QB Max Hall BYU
RB Jahvid Best Cal
RB Javon Ringer MSU
RB Donald Brown UConn

Past Weeks: Week 1, Week 2, Week 4

Who else is out there? There will be a point where there are no high-caliber players that could possibly bust up the Heisman Race left, but until then I will continue to throw names out there.

MiQuale Lewis, RB, Ball State

Week Six vs. Toledo: 31 CAR, 157 YDS, 2 TD
Season: 143 CAR, 802 YDS, 12 TD

Why and Why Not?: Ball State appears to be the hot new team trying to break onto the scene, and they took a big step when they broke into the Top 25 as of this morning. Unfortunately they play in the MAC, and all though they are ranked I would still ask Eugene Jarvis if he thinks a MAC running back can put up good enough numbers to get some recognition.

Zac Robinson, QB, Oklahoma State

Week Six vs. Texas A&M: 10-of-13, 76.9%, 186 YDS, 3 TD, 15 CAR, 66 YDS, 2 TD
Season: 62-of-86, 72.1%, 1035 YDS, 10 TD, 3 INT, 47 CAR, 158 YDS, 4 TD

Why and Why Not?: His QB Rating is 204.58, which is the third-highest in the nation. Unfortunately, the rest of his numbers are not as overwhelming as some of the other quarterbacks in contention. It is not likely that he will be able to compete against the big names from the big programs, but he deserves some recognition for taking the Cowyboys into the Top 25 nonetheless.

Daryll Clark, QB, Penn State

Week Six at Purdue: 18-of-26, 220 YDS
Season: 80-of-124, 1116 YDS, 9 TD, 1 INT

Why and Why Not?: I had Penn State running back Evan Royster on the last couple installments of this article, but his time-splitting has really hurt him, numbers-wise. One of the biggest reasons he made it was because of his squad. It is now becoming more apparent that Clark is a bigger reason why Penn State may be the best team in the Big Ten. Eventually, someone will start talking about Clark.

We’ll see how the week unfolds, and hopefully I can continue to dig up players for the following weeks. Until then...

Arizona Answers Some Questions With Win Over Washington

Denny Armstrong — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 16:37:56 -0400

This weekend our Arizona Wildcats played host to the Jake Locker-less Washington Huskies. To be honest, I had mixed feelings going into this game because of the performances of both squads so far this season.

First off, I didn’t want to get too excited about our Cats yet, but coming off a 31-10 win over UCLA didn’t humble my spirits any. This season Arizona is averaging 43.6 points per game while only allowing 13.6 a game. Statistics should always be taken at face value, but after a 48-14 win over the Huskies, it looks like they are pretty spot-on.

As far as preparing for the Huskies, I had a couple of lingering questions that I knew I would have to wait for game time to have answered. The first was if Washington was as bad as they seemed or if it was their schedule that is just that ridiculous.

Washington opened with No. 21 Oregon, followed by No. 15 BYU, No. 3 Oklahoma, Stanford, and finally our Cats. They came out of that stretch 0-5, and maybe they deserve to be at the bottom of the Pac.

Now that they have lost their leading passer, rusher, and really the face of their squad in Locker, I don’t think that we will ever find out if they are better than they look on paper.

The second question in all our minds was, how good is Arizona this year? We know now that we are one stumble (loss to New Mexico) from being close to a Top 25 ranking and that we are in fact a really good squad. Good is relative though, and no, we are not of the same caliber as a lot of nationally ranked programs.

That being said, the way the Pac looks this year, I don’t think it is unrealistic to think that we might actually have a legitimate shot at the Rose Bowl.

Quick stats from this weekend:

QB: Tuitama: 17/21 81 percent 193 Yds 3 TD 0 INT

RB: Grigsby 14 Car 113 Yds 1 TD

TE: Gronkowski 5 Rec 109 Yds 3 TD

Next week the Cats will be heading west to take on Stanford followed by a home game against Cal. As far as I am concerned, we have two more weeks before we can get ahead of ourselves and start planning our Bowl Game road trip possibilities.

I’ll have a preview for the Stanford game up soon.

College Football: Are Heisman and Other Awards Worth the Hype?

Denny Armstrong — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 17:42:38 -0400

College Football: Heisman Worth The Hype?

Last year, Tim Tebow became the first sophomore ever to have his name etched on the bronze stiff arm, but does the mythical image the media has created for Tebow live up to what the trophy has historically represented?

The issue becomes whether or not the media has influenced the award to the point where it no longer holds the same prestige. The media has undoubtedly placed the Heisman in a league of its own in terms of prestige, but how do the other top honors predict its winner?

Breakdown of Top Honors in College Football:

Tier 1:
The Heisman Memorial Trophy: Awarded to Nation’s Most Outstanding Player (Dates back to 1935)
Voting: United States is split into six regions, each of which contain 145 media votes. Each previous winner also has votes, as well as one going to the public. Every ballot works on a point system, assigning 3 points for first, 2 for second, 1 for third.

Tier 2:
Maxwell Award: Awarded to College Football’s Player of the Year (Dates back to 1937)
Voting; All members of the Maxwell Football Club have the right to place their vote for this and many other awards. What does that mean? For $35 a year or $750 for life you too can vote.

Walter Camp Award: Awarded to College Football’s Player of the Year (Dates back to 1967)
Voting: Done by what appears to be an exclusive group of 20 members that oversee the foundation and thus become eligible to vote. A small $25,000 annual fee is all you’ll need for this privilege.

Tier 3:
Doak Walker Award: Awarded to Nation’s Top Running Back (Dates back to 1990)
Voting: Run by SMU. Ten semifinalists are voted on by the SMU Athletic Forum Board of Directors who send that list to a National Selection Committee for the Award the cast votes for three finalists and then again for a winner. This panel is made up of media and former All-American and All-Pro players. You can see the list here.

Davey O’Brien Award: Awarded to Nation’s Best Quarterback (Dates back to 1981)
Voting: A selection of media personalities and past winners. Last season saw the addition of the fan vote, which takes the public’s top three picks into the semi finals and adds 5 percent to their total votes during the voting for finalists and the winner. Here is the Selection Committee list.

Now that we’ve run down the awards, let's look at some history of the winners and how the other four awards influence who wins the Heisman.

Three Resumes to Keep in Mind:
Tebow is the first underclassman ever to win the Heisman. He played on a team that went 9-4 and landed 16th in the USA Today Poll, 13th in the AP poll, and 12th in the BCS standings.

He currently has one more year of eligibility left and has made numerous comments about graduating being the most important thing to him and his family. The media took this as inferring he won’t leave early.

Tebow also won the Maxwell and O’Brien Awards.

Archie Griffin is the only player ever to win the Heisman twice (1974-75). The 1974 season saw Ohio State as co-champions of the Big Ten, while in 1975 they won the conference outright. Both years they lost in the Rose Bowl, ending with records of 10-2 and 11-1, respectively.

Griffin won the Walter Camp both years and the Maxwell in 1975.

Darren McFadden became only the second player in Heisman history to be named runner-up twice without winning the award. Glenn Davis took second honors in 1944-45 before winning it in 1946.

However, with McFadden declaring for the draft, that stat is solidified. He also becomes the second player ever to win the Doak Walker Award twice (2006 and 2007). When Ricky Williams did it in 1997 and 1998, he added a Heisman as well.

McFadden’s total: Walter Camp in 2007, Doak Walker in 2006 and 2007, but no Heisman.

What does this mean?
Starting in 1990 from the inception of the Doak Walker Award, the breakdown looks like this:

1990-2007 (18 Seasons)
During those seasons 13 players who won the Walter Camp Award won the Heisman.

During the same period, seven players had won the Doak and the Walter Camp in the same year. Five of those players went on to win the Heisman.

McFadden becomes the second player not to, joining Larry Johnson, even though he brought home not only the Walter Camp and Doak Walker but the Maxwell too.

We would also see nine Players winning both the Maxwell and the O’Brien. Of those, five went on to win the Heisman. Jason White won both in 2004, but he won his Heisman in 2003 with just an O’Brien.

The Heisman is inconsistent. At one point or another the talent portrayed by these athletes was rewarded. Slighting McFadden in last year’s Heisman race was worse than what Larry Johnson endured in 2002, when he didn’t even finish second in the Heisman race.

This is during the same year that he took home the other three most prestigious awards (Brad Banks takes the O’Brien and runner up position to Carson Palmer for the Heisman).

It comes down to the issue that first the media won’t let him win it because he is a sophomore, then next because his team wasn’t good enough.

Arkansas finished with an 8-5 record, third in the SEC West with a conference record of 4-4. The Razorbacks lost in the Cotton Bowl to Missouri, who finished fourth in the AP Poll.

Instead, they gave it to a sophomore whose team went 9-4 and sat third in SEC East with a 5-3 record. To top it off, Florida with Tebow at the helm lost in the Capital One Bowl to a Michigan team who was 18th in the final AP vote.

McFadden deserved the Heisman. Take nothing away from a stellar individual effort from Tebow, but were we ready to put him in a place to join Griffin as the only two-time winner, or God forbid, let him stand on top as a three-time winner solidifying the mythical stature the media has created for him.

I am really interested to see how this year's race plays out, and how the media handles themselves, with so many great players from historically less dominant programs starting to make it into the spotlight.

Lance Armstrong's Comeback: Says You Can Test Him For "Everything"

Denny Armstrong — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 06:39:49 -0400

In case you haven't heard, Lance Armstrong is returning to the world of professional cycling.

The coverage hasn't been as big as I would have thought, and the reaction is pretty much just the opposite of what I would have hoped. I know that the only sport more tarnished by performance enhancing practices than baseball is cycling and that Flyod Landis didn't really do anything to help America's image.

I understand the doubt, but I think we still refuse to believe, like the rest of the cycling world, who actually care about the sport outside the Tour de France, that arguably the greatest cyclist of all time is American.

Armstrong retired from cycling in 2005 after his 7th Tour de France victory, a feat that is even more amazing due to the fact that he had fought cancer and returned to the world stage.

He raised countless of millions through the Lance Armstrong Foundation, or better recognized as the Live Strong campaign. Armstrong was also a key player in passing Proposition 15 in Texas which would allow for $3 billion to be allocated for Cancer Research.

Do you think he is doping, that he really isn't strong enough to come back and win again?

Did you not think he was the first time?

Well he is about to try and prove a lot of people wrong, and we will be joining the 2009 Astana Cycling team. At this point he is planning to race in the Tour Down Under and the Tour de France, but is discussing other possibilities as well.

While others aren’t, I am excited. There is a lot of skepticism from the cycling community and the public. Armstrong just wants to race and just wants to show strength for other Cancer survivors. I think it is admirable, but the media and public opinion has a huge impact, not only on this quest but on his career and marketing as a whole.

Luckily, Lance was ready for that. He had made comments that he would be "completely transparent" with the media or in otherwords would not hold anything back. To further feed the media's appetite and to show just how confident, he is was reported saying that they could test him for "everything".

Astana will be paying for the now famous anti-doping scientist Don Catlin to test Armstrong's blood and urine. Not only that, but Catlin will be allowed to freeze some of the samples for testing in the future.

If that isn't one of the most confident things I have ever heard, than I don't know what is. For everyone's sake, including the cycling world, his foundation, and everyone who has supported or benefited from him over the years I hope he is clean. We will find out when the test results come back which both parties said they would post online.

Arizona Football Injury Report: Blake Kerley Out for Season

Denny Armstrong — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 09:02:16 -0400

Offensive lineman Blake Kerley is out for the season. This is a huge loss for Arizona, as the junior has done a tremendous job at center all year.

The Tucson Citizen quoted Stoops as saying, "We are 99 percent sure it (involves the) ACL. That will take the rest of the year away from him."

Stoops talked with an air of confidence about the depth of their squad and has rotated the line a bit to compensate. Colin Baxter (6’4”, 295-lb. SO) will move from left guard to center, while Mike Diaz (6’5”, 340-lb. SR) will move into the left guard position.

The silver lining on this one is that we are coming up on a bye week and then face a subpar Washington Huskies squad on Oct. 4.

Abdul Gaddy Commits to Arizona—Again

Denny Armstrong — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 15:09:03 -0400

Well, it is official—again.

Abdul Gaddy, the 6'3", 170-pound point guard out of Bellarmine Prep in Tacoma, Washington has committed to the University of Arizona for next season.

Scout.com has him ranked as a five-star player and the second-ranked point guard in the recruiting class. It came down to point guard U and UCLA, and Lute won out.

Gaddy, who had decommitted from Arizona in May because of the coaching changes, has apparently been shown that Lute is here to stay and that Arizona is the place for him.

There is no doubt that he will make an immediate impact on our 'Cats, and we're glad to have him back on board (again).

Searching for Roses: Pac-10 Woes Muddle Bowl Picture

Denny Armstrong — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 08:54:35 -0400

The weekend was bad: the kind of bad where six of the loudest, most obnoxious guys I know are watching in silence. The kind of weekend that makes you remember the reason why being a fan is so hard, where your perfect season is taken away from you and replaced by the backhand of reality.

It can’t really be that bad, though, can it?

The Pac-10 went 0-4 against the Mountain West this weekend, while USC put on a clinic against two-time defending runner-up Ohio State.

To recap:

UCLA’s ego takes a huge hit when they fall 59-0 to BYU in their worse loss since 1929.

Arizona State proves talent isn’t everything when they lose in OT to UNLV at home, 23-20.

Cal, one team I have been talking up as a rising stock in the Pac-10, got manhandled by Maryland in a score that was way closer than the actual game looked live: 35-27

Baylor 45, Washington State 17: There is really nothing to say here. WSU, who may be one of the most underrated teams in the last 10 years, doesn’t look like it now.

Washington, not to be outdone by its State School counterparts, takes a 55-14 beating from Oklahoma.

Stanford traveled to TCU to come home with a 31-14 loss.

Finally, our own University of Arizona went into Albuquerque and left with a 36-28 loss, their second consecutive loss to the Lobos.

How do you pick contenders for the Rose Bowl? Oregon looks like a legit contender for the honors, but a close game against Purdue doesn’t exactly bode well for their longevity.

The main cause for concern for the Ducks is the fact that Justin Roper left the game with an injury—again. Jeremiah Masoli has looked solid, and I’m not sure that he isn’t the better option regardless of Roper’s health.

If Oregon is at the top, then the entire state of Washington is at the bottom. The Huskies and the Cougars have no chance at contention at this point.

Then we have the middle of the pack: Cal, Arizona, and Arizona State.

How the schedules look:

Cal only has three road games remaining, having to travel to USC and Arizona.

Arizona State has to go on the road to face Cal, Arizona, and USC.

Arizona has four road Pac-10 games this season: UCLA, Stanford, Oregon, and WASU.

At this point it is almost impossible to differentiate, but it looks like Arizona State has the toughest road ahead of them, especially after how they looked this weekend. Cal has a lot of home matches this year, but their two road games will be no easy task. Arizona has a difficult road ahead of them as well, but I think those games are more manageable than the other two programs.

Pac-10 play really kicks in this weekend, and it will be interesting to see what kind of damage the programs can do to each other’s records. This season is looking rough.

NCAA Football: Heisman Busters Week 2

Denny Armstrong — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 11:28:59 -0400

Last week, I started a new weekly segment about those who will be breaking into the Heisman Race with big performances.

After this week’s action, let's take a look at the performances that made Week One’s list and see if their stock continues to rise:

QB Mark Sanchez: USC
Week 2: Idle
Stock: Even
Next Game: The Ohio State University Sept. 13

QB Max Hall: BYU
Week 2: 30/41 338 YDs 73.9% Completion 3 TDs 1 INT 111.6 Rating
Stock: Even: Posted good numbers once again in a win against Pac-10 opponent Washington. The numbers are there, but BYU will have to win against UCLA in order to solidify BYU’s presence and subsequently Hall’s Heisman legitimacy. Here is hoping for no more controversial endings.

Next Game: UCLA Sept. 13

RB Jahvid Best: CAL
Week 2: 14 Car 200 YDs 3 TD
Stock: Rising: Another huge game for Cal’s running back and another convincing win. The Golden Bears go on the road and beat up on Pac-10 opponent Washington State for a 66-3 romping. Jahvid’s squad finds themselves in the Top 25 for the first time this season while making a statement about the strength of the conference. Jahvid needs to keep up his game and the media attention will surely follow.

Next Game: @ Maryland Sept. 13

Week 2 Performances:

RB Evan Royster: Penn State
Week 2: 17 Car 141 YDs 3 TD
Why?: Penn State appears to be a power in the Big Ten this year. They have won convincingly in their last two games; 66-10 over Coastal Carolina and 45-14 over Oregon State. If Penn State stays hot and Royster is still in the mix, then there could be some shake ups in the Big Ten and the Heisman.

Next Game: @ Syracuse Sept. 13

QB Rudy Carpenter: Arizona State
Week 2: 27/36 75% 345 YDs 3 TD 1 INT 120.7 Rating
Why?: Carpenter has been able to put up huge numbers. I wasn’t big on him after a 30-13 win over Northern Arizona, but putting up big numbers against Stanford is a different story. The problem for Carpenter remains his protection. If he gets the time, he has an outstanding WR corps that can get the job done. I’ll be looking ahead to Georgia, but for now his squad’s national ranking, as well as his numbers, put him on the Heisman bubble.

Next Game: UNLV Sept. 13

QB Juice Williams: Illinois
Week 2: 16/25 124 YDs 64% 1 TD 2 INT 16 Car 174 YDs 2 TD
Why?: Despite playing down to Eastern Illinois’ level this Saturday, Juice still got the job done. With Pat White falling and Tebow not grabbing a lot of attention, it is quickly becoming evident that Juice is the most electrifying dual threat in the nation. Stay tuned to see if last week was a fluke and that he will put up numbers like he did against Missouri all season.

Next Game: Louisiana-Lafayette Sept. 13

These two are admittedly homer picks, but stick with me. What these two are doing maybe doesn’t deserve Heisman attention, but at least warrants some national attention.

QB Willie Tuitama: Arizona:
Week 2: 25/32 75.8% 292 Yds 2 TD

RB Nic Grigsby: Arizona:
Week 2: 20 Car 135 YDs 3 TD

Why?: Tuitama is probably one of the most underrated QBs not only in Pac-10 but the nation. In Dykes' offense, he is going to shatter Arizona as well Pac-10 passing records. Arizona beat Idaho 70-0 and then followed it up with a 41-16 thrashing of Toledo. One of these guys needs to get attention, and admittedly it probably won’t be for the Heisman, but if they keep winning and climbing the ladder once conference play starts, they deserve national exposure.

Next Game: @ New Mexico Sept. 13

Those the media might try to get on my list:

QB Patrick Pinkney: East Carolina:
Why?: Put East Carolina on the map with a win over VTech, then launched the Pirates to No. 14 in the nation by embarrassing an eighth-ranked West Virginia squad.
Why Not?: The numbers are not overwhelmingly impressive, not as far as a Non-BCS quarterback making a run for the Heisman are concerned. With the rest of the Pirates' schedule looking manageable, he will need to put up some huge numbers to get any kind of attention.

Next Game: @ Tulane Sept. 13

NCAA Football: Heisman Busters Week 1

Denny Armstrong — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 09:56:25 -0400

After week one there are a lot of names that people don't recognized atop the statistical leader boards. A fellow writer at my site (The BearDown), Dom, is doing a great job of updating his picks for Heisman as the season progresses, but there are a few players that may break onto the Heisman scene. Everyone knows a BCS buster, but here comes some Heisman busters:

My original Heisman hopefuls breakdown can be found: Here

Here is a look at three performances from week one that may find themselves on the radar:

QB: Mark Sanchez: USC: 26/35 74.3% 338 YDS 3 TD 1 INT 178.0 Rating

Why?: If it wasn’t already obvious and I know this isn’t much of a stretch but USC jumps two spots to #1 after going on the road to play a BCS school. More than that though, they won convincingly and have quickly jumped to the national championship favorite again this season. Secondly, think about USC’s last four quarterbacks. In the last eight years they have had four starters, all were drafted and two were adorned in bronze.

Next Game: The Ohio State University Sept 13th

QB: Max Hall: BYU: 34/41 486 YDs 2 TDs 198.6 rating.

Why?: If BYU beats a couple of Pac-10 teams in a row with games against Washington and UCLA coming up, Hall has a chance to be this year's Colt Brennan. That is the way that a Non-BCS QB could break into the hunt if they can finish out their season undefeated.

Next Game: @ Washington Sept 6th

RB: Jahvid Best: CAL: 24 Car 111 YDS 1 TD 5 Rec 63 YDs 4 KR 103 YDS

Why? Beanie’s injury is like a soap opera and OSU has no idea if he will be able to live up to his hype. Noel Devine had only 9 attempts for 47 yards against Villanova. Knowshon Moreno had only 8 attempts for 59 yards although he did have 3 TDs against Georgia Southern. LeSean McCoy rushed 23 times for 71 and one score in a loss to Bowling Green. Jahvid put up his numbers against a good Michigan State team, in a win, and is looking to get Cal into the Top 25.

Next Game: @ Washington State Sept 6th

Pac-10 Power Rankings: Week One

Denny Armstrong — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 09:30:16 -0400

Week one is in the books, and it didn’t disappoint. Taking off from where “The Year of the Upset” left off, we saw one top 10 team fall to a ranked opponent, and three other top 25 squads get upset to unranked foes.

The Pac-10 is especially interesting, and after this weekends games a lot of questions that were up in the air were finally answered.

That is why I give you the Pac-10 Power Rankings:

1. USC

After what was a relatively close first half against Virginia (24-7), the Trojans pulled away for a big 52-7 win.

Mark Sanchez looked great, and didn’t appear to have any problems with the leg. He ended the game completing 26 of 35 passes for 338 yards, 3 TDs and 1 INT. We also got to see the depth of the backfield, with six different backs getting touches.

The Trojans look really tough, they are not only the front runner in the Pac but a legitimate national contender as well.

Next Game: The Ohio State University, Sept. 13

2. Oregon

There was a lot of concern surrounding the Ducks QB situation with Costa out another season and Roper taking over a spread-style offense. After handling Washington 44-10, Oregon’s defense might have put some of those concerns to rest.

Roper, who was named the starter, ended up suffering a concussion early in the game, leaving Jeremiah Masoli at the helm. Masoli took over in the second quarter to complete 7 of 11 attempts for 126 yards and 2 TD.

The Ducks' D helped the cause tremendously by pitching a second half shutout. It will have to continue to play tough to stay on pace with the best in the Pac-10. For now, they are No. 2, but I don’t see that lasting very long.

Next Game: Utah State, Sept. 6

3. Cal

The Golden Bears debut at No. 3 because they played a tougher opponent than most everyone else in the conference. Cal took on Michigan State and took home the win 38-31.

The game was close, and it took an 81-yard run with a little over four minutes left in the game by Shane Vereen to secure the victory.

Cal still hasn’t broken into the Top 25 yet, but the Bears are on the bubble. A couple more W’s and I think we can pencil them in for the time being.

Next Game: @ Washington State, Sept. 6

4. Arizona

Granted, the Wildcats were going up against a bad Idaho team, but they did what any good team should do against a much more inferior squad. Tuitama’s Cats pitched a shutout en route to a 70-point romping of the Vandals.

Willie completed 17 of his 21 passes for 179 yards and 3 touchdowns. Willie now has 47 career touchdowns which sets a school record previously held by Tom Tunnicliffe. Big congratulations to our star.

In the backfield, Nic Grigsby also had a big game rushing for 169 yards on 19 carries and put the ball in the end zone twice.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Wildcats looked solid all the way around, allowing only 112 yards. It is hard to argue with a near perfect performance by our Cats, and so for now they sit at No. 4.

Next Game: Toledo, Sept. 6

5. Arizona State

Despite their position at No. 15 in the AP Top 25, the Sun Devils didn’t exactly look like a top-tier team. A warmup game against 1-AA Northern Arizona should have been a walk in the park.

The real score of the game was closer to 30-0, but the B squad allowed the Lumberjacks to put up 13 points late. Carpenter looked impressive, completing 22 of 28 passes for 388 yards and one TD.

The biggest problem is with the running game. Dimitri Nance had only 11 attempts for 30 yards, despite his two TDs.

If the Sun Devils hope to crack the top 10, or even compete in the Pac-10, they are going to need a substantial running game. Right now, it doesn’t appear to be very effective.

6. UCLA

The Bruins took down 18th-ranked Tennessee in their opener. First, I understand the following: It was an emotional win for Rick Neuheisel. The Volunteers were ranked 18th. An ugly win is still a win.

With that said, I may be alone in thinking this was a completely unimpressive win and that Bruins fans have a lot to be worried about. For starters, Craft looked terrible in the first half. You can probably count on one hand how many times your starting QB threw four picks in the first half and you were still only down by seven points.

It is a big win for a Bruins team that is rebuilding, but I think the real story here is how bad Tennessee’s offense was. Can’t capitalize, can’t win. Don’t get ahead of yourself and think that UCLA is about to start a Cinderella run. The Bruins won’t get off so easy next weekend.

Next Game: @ BYU, Sept. 13

7. Stanford

The Cardinal got away with one and stole a W from Oregon State, 36-28. A win is a win, and that is the only reason they are ahead of the Beavers at this point.

Stanford somehow found a way to win a game in which they had 18 first downs to O-States 29, and 301 yards to the Beavers' 491.

Their passing game is going to need a tune up in order to make that running game all the more effective. It will be interesting to see how their season progresses, especially with a big match up next week.

Next Game: @ Arizona State, Sept. 6

8. Oregon State

The Fumble. It was almost a miracle of a comeback for the Bbeavers, but it ended just a couple yards shy. The story of this game for Oregon State was turnovers.

Moevao might have thrown the ball 54 times for 404 yards, but he also threw two key interceptions. The Beavers were on the flip side of Stanford’s offensive problems; they need a more effective running game. Next week doesn’t get any easier.

Next Game: @ Penn State, Sept. 6

9. Washington

I had high hopes for the Huskies this year, and debated taking them in an upset over Oregon. Luckily, I had a moment of clarity.

Oregon’s defense completely shut them down, holding Locker to only 103 yards passing and 57 yards rushing. If this was any indication of what is to come, then it will be a long season for the Washington faithful.

Next Game: BYU, Sept. 6

10. Washington State

The Cougars looked terrible against Oklahoma State in their 39-12 loss. Their 196 total yards (82 passing, 114 rushing) is cause for concern. They will need to find a rhythm on offense in order compete the rest of the season.

I worry for WASU. If they work out some kinks against Cal next week, which should be an easy win for the Bears, they may have a chance at evening up at 2-2 after they play Baylor and host Portland State.

Next Game: Cal, Sept. 6.

USA Today Coach's Poll/BCS Observations: Notre Dame

Denny Armstrong — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 08:36:32 -0400

After looking over the coaches that are participating in the USA Today Poll, there were two things that immediately came to my mind; First, Why don’t all of the coaches in the BCS conferences vote? Second, Why is Notre Dame eligible to vote? Why should Charlie Weis, whose team is not in a conference, have a vote and Mike Stoops, whose Arizona Wildcats are in the Pac-10, does not?

Take a look at this: This is the front page of BCSfootball.org, can you see anything wrong with the page?

During my first glance at the page I noticed that it had the logos for every BCS conference across the header… ending with Notre Dame. I must have missed the memo when the BCS declared Notre Dame its own conference. Last time I checked there were still three independent teams: Army, Navy, and Notre Dame.

First, I think that being independent is a joke and should not be allowed. I understand that Notre Dame is able to pull enough money, enough fans, and thus enough bias to survive without being in a conference. I get it. The question I have is what is going on behind the scenes that is making the rest of college football continue to let this happen? Make Notre Dame join a conference. Make them play a regular schedule. Make them actually earn a bowl bid on the field.

In 2008 they play teams from the Big Ten, the Pac-10, The Big East, ACC, and Mountain West. This may seem impressive, but the only notable game they will be playing is against USC. They play the middle to the bottom of the pack squads from every conference.

I cannot accurately describe the degree of my frustration over this, but here are some facts about Notre Dame that should make you think:

2007 Final Record 3-9.
o Most Losses in Notre Dame History in a Season
o Longest Home Losing Streak (6)
o 2 of the Programs Top 10 Worst Losses (38-0 to Michigan and USC)
o Lost to Two Military Academy's in 1 season for first time since 1944
o 0 Wins against Mid-Majors
• Despite their record breaking 07’ season Notre Dame in 2008 will have eight confirmed Nationally Televised Games (07’s National Championship Contenders: Ohio State: #3 has 1, LSU: #6 has 1). Keep in mind that these are the one that have already been announced, and will without a doubt change.
• Notre Dame is 13-15 lifetime in Bowl Games
• Notre Dame has lost their last 9 Bowl Appearances
• Over their last 9 Bowl losses they have averaged a deficit of 17 points

At what point do you say enough is enough. Tradition is great, but how many years does it take until you actually have to show up and play because you can’t get by on reputation anymore? It was 2002 when Sports Illustrated printed this cover:

They had lost 5 straight bowl games and were in some serious trouble. They lost two more ('03 and '04). Then Sports Illustrated printed this cover :

Notre Dame subsequently dropped the '06 Fiesta Bowl to Ohio State 34-20 and the '07 Sugar Bowl to LSU 41-14. Someone please use some common sense and for the good of college football stop putting these money backed Notre Dame teams in BCS Bowls. I understand that Notre Dame and BCS Bowls both equal money, and that it is a business match made in heaven. However, as far as competition is concerned it is getting embarrassing for Notre Dame fans/teams, and frustrating for everyone else who is watching them instead of a team who got overlooked.

http://www.thebeardown.com

Top 10 Reasons We All Hate Notre Dame

Denny Armstrong — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 08:21:13 -0400

10. The demands of being Irish-Catholic: Yes, we know that you are a Catholic Institution. Yes, we know that you have a derogatory Irish Mascot. Yes, I happen to be both. No, I don’t feel obligated to support you.

Facts show that nearly 14 percent of the United States thinks they are Irish, and over 26 percent claim to be Catholic (80 Christian). From my own research, 95 percent of the U.S. thinks they are Irish and 99 percent of those people claim to be Catholic-ish (Those numbers increase depending on how far you are into the tailgate).

Furthermore, you can make anything green, slap a shamrock on it and it will sell. Notre Dame has been abusing that fact for over a century. Seeing Notre Dame apparel is the only time when I wish I wasn’t Irish.

9. Lou Holtz’s Lisp: Listening to this man makes me long for Lee Corso. When did having a speech impediment move you to the top of the list for anything, especially TV analysis? Someone has a pact with a higher power…

8. WWTDJD: How do you like to picture Jesus? Notre Dame likes the Touchdown version the best. Sorry Boston College. Sorry TCU. Sorry SMU. Sorry Villanova. Touchdown Jesus supposedly lives in South Bend.

Unfortunately, over the last 10 years it appears as though the big guy spent more time watching Boston College games: Since the '97 season Boston College is 87-48, Notre Dame is 78-56. Plus the way things are going lately looks like he has been in Ohio anyways.

7. Notre Dame is in South Bend which is in Indiana. Anyone that knows me knows that I have an eternal beef with the state of Indiana. South Bend, not impressed. I spent time in Elkhart, even worse. My permanent vote for worst city in the United States; Gary, Indiana. The whole state smells like homemade playdoh. That is why people from Indiana have more narrow faces, it’s just evolution.

6. Heisman Voting: Notre Dame boasts about having the most Heisman winners in its history with seven (tied with USC and Ohio State who actually has six winners and seven trophies). I have a problem with two of their last three winners.

Let's start with Paul Horning, who took the Bronze Stiff Arm in '56. Horning was the running back for a Notre Dame team that finished 2-8 when he took home the prestigious honor. Who should have won? How about Jim Brown? His Syracuse Orangemen went 7-2 that season and were ranked eighth in the country. Or how about Johnny Majors from the 10-1 first ranked Tennessee?

The next and latest Irish player to win the Heisman was Tim Brown in '87. It made him the first wide receiver to win the award.

Brown’s '87 Stats: 34 Rec, 846 YDS, 34 PR, 401 YDS, 144 YDS, Rusing 23, KR 456 YDS, eight TDs.

Who should’ve won? How about Don McPherson of Syracuse who led the Orangemen to an 11-0 regular season before tying Auburn in the Sugar Bowl and finishing fourth in the country? Notre Dame went 8-4 in '87 and ranked 17th in the AP and UR in the Coaches' poll.

5. Do you like your shillelagh with jewels or without? They play five rivalry games a year. That’s right, FIVE. Notre Dame, you are an independent team, you play teams from four or five conferences a year. Did each conference make a case for who hated you more, and thus won the right to be your rival? The state of Michigan has some major problems with you; maybe both state teams will do us all a favor and wipe each other out.

Rivalry Games include:
Boston College: The Ireland Trophy
Purdue: The Shillelagh Trophy
USC: The Jeweled Shillelagh
Michigan State: The Megaphone
Michigan

4. Rudy. Pre-Reality TV no one got so far with such little talent. If I remember correctly, Rudy wasn’t good enough to make the team. He stuck around for four years trying, but never made it past the practice squad.

Then, after long await he got the epitome of pity minutes, earning 15 seconds at the end of the final game of his four year career (remember, on the practice squad) when the game was over and no one was playing. BUT WAIT he shared a sack. If that doesn’t touch you then you are a rational human being.

Sorry Rudy, you were never good, and plus the movie definitely isn’t in the top five sports movies' discussion. Hell, it isn’t even in Sean Astin’s top five best works (it's behind the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, Encino Man, and the Goonies).

3. They were ranked and your team deserved it. I refer you to my previous article about the BCS bias. I also refer you to this database that has ranked the most overrated and underrated teams 1989.

2. They were in a bowl game and your team wasn’t. We make a huge deal out of Hawaii going undefeated, winning a BCS Conference, and getting to play in a bowl. Notre Dame, on the other hand, has gone to BCS bowl games with multiple loses, aren’t in a conference, and have proceeded to lose their last nine appearances. How can this happen?

1. Money. As if the very fact that Notre Dame has an NBC contract to televise every single home game through 2010 isn’t enough to make you want to convert, it gets worse. In 2004, NBC extended the contract through '10 after losing the Insight.com Bowl to Oregon State by 17 points.

It wouldn’t be so bad if it wasn’t their seventh straight bowl appearance loss. Don’t worry they will lose their next two as well. That is enough to make any college football fan mad. To add insult to injury they receive so much money that they repaint their helmets with real gold before every game. I think there was something in the Bible about worshipping things made of gold but my memory is a little fuzzy.

http://www.thebeardown.com

2008 Olympics: A Closer Look at the Events

Denny Armstrong — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 18:16:06 -0400

Everyone knows there has been a lot of controversy surrounding the Beijing Olympics, but no one is focused on the real problem with the International games. If you are like most Americans, you probably don’t follow te Games that closely, but still get disappointed when you find out we didn’t win gold in every event.

That being said, besides the main events that get a lot of airtime i.e. swimming, track (particularly the 100m), and popular American sports like basketball, do you really know why our medal count is so high? Does anyone really know all the sports included in the games or for that matter which ones are not included?

Since the Olympics began in 1896 the United States has won Summer Gold 895 times and 78 in the Winter. That is a total of 973 total gold medals, the next closest country is the Soviet Union with 473 (and no I don’t mean Russia they sit at 14th with 119).

Take a step further and combine three-medal totals and we sit at 2405 lifetime, with the Soviets in a distant second at 1204. I bring this up because, once again, the world, specifically the International Olympic Committee, has begun to turn on the United States.

The 2008 Beijing Games will be the last time that baseball and softball will be included. The IOC has voted to eliminate the sports starting in the 2012 London Olympics because it was deemed "too American for the International Stage." It becomes the first sport eliminated since polo was ousted in 1936. There were three sports on the table for elimination, and Modern Pentathlon was the only sport that maintained its place in the Games.

There are 28 Sports at Beijing, and there will be 26 in London as I stated above. Try to think of 26 sports, some of you will have trouble, some of you will begin to name absolutely obscure competitions. Now, if you made it to 26, in how many of those would you like to see people competing for a Gold medal? There are many competitions and athletic activities that are completely valid on their own, but do not have that Olympic feel or international prestige that the IOC so desperately wants.

Baseball has been recognized since the 1992 Barcelona Games. In the four Olympics, it was recognized the U.S has one Gold and one Bronze. I wouldn’t exactly call that American domination. Ask Cuba, though—they have three Golds and one Silver.

Let's take a look at where we can make some cuts to make room for Baseball/Softball, or at least be American and take away sports other countries enjoy because they took away something for us.

Starting with swimming and diving competitions (Aquatics), I completely endorse all team and individual events. On the other hand, water polo and synchronized swimming are included, and of the two, I have to cut synchronized swimming. It comes down to the fact that there have been 18 countries to medal in water polo while synchronized swimming has only had five countries on the podium (U.S., Canada, Russia, Japan, and France).

Next, we move on to Cycling. Keep road and track competitions, but mountain should be looked at closely. However, if we make a cut from this section of the Games, it should be BMX. They scored some points with me by not including freestyle events like snowboarding in the Winter Games, but traditional BMX racing? Over Baseball? Note—Beijing is the first time it will be recognized, good trade IOC.

Other Sports that should be up for vote before baseball and softball:

Gymnastics:
Rhythmic Gymnastics: CUT immediately. If you want to see this, go to 4th Ave. here in Tucson or a Rave. You know what is the same as this "sport?" Fire Twirling, only it adds an element of danger.

Trampoline: Is it just me or isn’t this what Gymnasts do to train for the floor event? If you allow this and not baseball maybe you will consider adding Batting Cages to the lineup.

Martial Arts: Judo, Taekwondo. I have respect for these athletes, but my issue is why these two disciplines? How can you add certain disciplines without giving credit to others? Do the jujitsu people get pissed watching them win medals?

Next Up: Table Tennis! Yes, it is fun and yes these guys are incredible. I mean you don’t see many guys in the garage playing like this. If this is in then why isn’t billiards, darts or any other bar/basement game? I know that we are trying to make it more international and less "American," but China is only place on the planet where they play this game.

Sports that should be in:

Cricket: Arguably the second most popular sport in the World. Cricket was an official sport only for the 1900 Games.

Rugby: They have tried it multiple times over the years. It has been cancelled numerous times, and even brought back in 7s form. I understand not playing football, it is unrealistic and definitely an American sport, but rugby’s exclusion is unwarranted.

Golf: Recognized for the 1900 and 1904 Games. I think it is about time we brought it back on the international stage, don’t you think?

I know this has been long winded, but I have never really seen anyone look at what events people are actually competing in. In conjunction with that is the idea that there is no real explanation for why these decisions are made and why they are hardly publicized.

I think it is a shame they are taking away baseball and blaming it on being too American. I think the IOC needs to be looked at more carefully, and further explanation needs to be given regarding their decisions.

Also note that this is the same committee that recognizes powerboating, orienteering and chess as official sports, but do not include them in the Olympic Games. Somewhere, Bobby Fisher is rolling over in his grave.

http://www.thebeardown.com