Bleacher Report - Articles by Joseph Gelis

Superbowl Quarterbacks: Is There Something In The Water?

Joseph Gelis — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 13:45:59 -0400

In watching Steve McNair being laid to rest in Southern Mississippi, I observed another Superbowl quarterback in attendance from this same neck of the woods; Brett Favre.

It dawned on me that two members of a very exclusive fraternity emerged from this humble, unassuming part of the south and it prompted me to do a little research.

There are only 52 people (alive and deceased), that have ever walked the face of this earth, who can claim membership in this club; quarterbacks who have led their respective teams to the Superbowl. I decided to focus my research on the demographics surrounding these 52 men, and came up with some interesting facts.

My initial impression in looking over this list is that it doesn't necessarily represent the 52 best who ever played the game, from top to bottom. Yeah, there are quite a few great ones in this group, but there are also a few who were in the right place at the right time, who were surrounded by a stellar supporting cast, and who had Lady Luck hanging out on their sideline. Regardless, they had to be at least good enough to navigate their team through the regular season and brutal playoffs to get there.

In looking at birthplace and location where these signal callers cut their gridiron teeth and matured, I noticed that several geographical pockets began to form that were Superbowl quarterback (SB-QB) dense. There were also areas, some surprising, that were very SB-QB scarce.

The largest pocket was found centered over Pennsylvania (8) with a dwindling tail extending across the Midwest through Michigan (2), Ohio (3), Indiana (2), Illinois (2), and Iowa (1). Five more were located to the East in New York (2) and New Jersey (3).

Another large pocket was contained within California (7) itself, and further up the coast in the Great Northwest, a small pocket was located in Washington (3).

What I found to be the most impressive pocket, by far, encompassed Louisiana (7), plus Favre and McNair by reaching a short distance across the boarder into south Mississippi (2). This relatively small pocket of nine SB-QBs is so impressive, because unlike the population dense regions of the Midwest, East and California, this area is relatively population scarce.

Actually, you could go about a stone's throw further east on the map and grab Stabler from Foley, Alabama and have a very impressive South Central Gulf Coast Pocket of Ten (10) SB-QB's, centered over Louisiana and tailing down to the southeast.

To add credence to this argument, Louisiana and south Mississippi, together comprise about 6 million people or roughly 2% of the US population. Yet this region has produced over 17% of the SB-QBs to date. This is nearly a 1:9 differential (% US Pop:% SB-QB).

In contrast, Pennsylvania inhabits 4% of the US population and has produced just over 15% of the SB-QBs (1:4). California commands 12% of US citizens and has only produced 13.4% SB-QBs (1:1).

What really surprised me is that Florida and Texas, both incredibly talent-rich states with regard to football, have produced none, zero, nada SB-QBs. At least Florida has three universities that have each turned out one out-of-state SB-QB each (Florida, Florida State and Miami). Texas is noticeably absent in this category also.

Some additional interesting facts:

- Pittsburgh (Kelly, Marino, Unitas) and Shreveport (Bradshaw, Humphries, Woodley) are the only two US cities to produce three SB-QBs each. (I imagine Bradshaw loves this two city connection).
- Louisiana is the only state to have two cities that have produced two or more SB-QBs, Shreveport and New Orleans (Manning and Manning)
- Only one non-US native has guided a Superbowl team; Canadian Mark Rypien from Alberta. He, however, attended Washington State.
- Two universities can claim 3 SB-QBs each. Alabama (Starr, Namath, Stabler), and Notre Dame (Lamonica, Theismann, Montana). Although Montana is my all-time favorite, I have to give the nod to the Crimson Tide. How do you not put that trio anywhere but on the top!!!
- The Pac 10 can claim 9 members, the SEC (8), Big 10 (6), Big East (5), ACC (4) and Big 12 (1-Ouch!!!). Note: These schools didn't necessarily belong to these conferences at the time these QBs attended.
- Smaller, non-BCS schools are well represented with 13.
- “Joe's” leads the pack with 4, followed by “Jim's” (3), “Ken's” (2) and “Steve's” (2).
- The only surname repeated, of course belong to Eli and Payton.

Naturally, all of this analysis is non-scientific, and may be written off by some as being purely coincidental, or a result of random happenstance. Having myself been born and raised smack dab in the middle of this South Central Gulf Coast Pocket, I like to think it is all due to some special mineral flowing through the underground aquifers and surface tributaries of this region. Regardless of the cause, you can't argue with the results.

Five of Many Potential Individual SEC Battles for 2009

Joseph Gelis — Tue, 26 May 2009 17:57:02 -0400

The SEC not only provides the South, but in fact the whole nation, with some great football in the fall. Often within these tilts, played out in the gridiron cathedrals of the southland, there are many individual battles that collectively contribute to the overall success or failure of the entire team.

Some of these mano a mano clashes are obvious to the average football fan, but some are often overlooked. I will address a few of these that I feel should be intriguing and some that could become quite interesting.

These battles don't just involve brute force against brute force, but also include the use of speed, quickness, deception and just plain smarts.

I am listing five potential matchups that may provide fans with some quality entertainment, or may just wind up as one-sided mismatches. Of course, each game has many of these individual battles, but these are a few that come to mind.

1. One of the more intriguing battles may come early in the season, when the Florida Gators play host to the Tennessee Volunteers, on Sept. 19. This annual love fest has previously seen more competitive days; however, Florida has dominated as of late.

But this is one of those rivalries where anything can happen from year to year. This year we should see a matchup of wits between the Gators' mighty Tim Tebow and the Vol's All-World Eric Berry.

Tebow will try to avoid Berry, who will be lurking across the middle of the Vols' secondary. We all know of Tebow's set of skills and his tenacity; however, Berry will try his best to outsmart Tebow and get a pick or two. Berry has quickly become the premier SEC safety, in fact, the best since LaRon Landry at LSU.

2. Not too many years ago, a Cajun Canon by the name of Bobby Hebert was launching footballs for the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons. In 2009, his son T-Bob has a very good chance of starting at center for the LSU Tigers. If this is the case, an interesting matchup will be played out between this young pup and massive veteran nose guard, Terrence Cody, when the Bayou Bengals visit the Crimson Tide in Alabama.

Cody normally commands two offensive lineman, but Hebert will be right there in the middle of this conflagration. How quickly he develops by this Nov. 7 game will go a long way in determining what kind of success the Tigers will have in running up the gut on the Tide.

3. The Georgia Bulldogs lost some key skill players to the NFL Draft; however, one that is still with them is wide receiver A. J. Green. Based on last year's performance and his obvious talent, he very well may be the premier wide-out in the league.

When you talk Kentucky football, defense isn't one of the first things that come to mind; however, they have quite a gem in their secondary in cornerback Trevard Lindley. When these two teams meet on Nov. 21 in Athens, it is very likely that these two players will spend a fair amount of time getting to know each other.

It should be an interesting battle within the battle.

4. Brandon Spikes was a major factor in the Florida Gators' eventual dismantling of the LSU Tigers last year. In 2009, this linebacker should once again be a prime player in the Gators' overall success.

LSU's Charles Scott demonstrated some serious power at running back, busting through the line and breaking numerous tackles, as he racked up well over 1,000 yards last year. He should be even better this year, as he has received some Heisman Trophy mention.

I see a potential battle brewing between these two stellar players. As Scott slips through creases in the line, he will either beat Spikes to the point of intersection, giving him the advantage in breaking an arm tackle, or Spikes will be there waiting for him to deliver a solid blow.

This could be a win-some, lose-some battle, in an overall tight contest when they tee it up in Baton Rouge on Oct. 10.

5. Jevan Snead snuck up on a number of teams last year, but there is no denying he had an outstanding season with the Rebels. He engineered one of the most impressive touchdown drives, through the air against LSU last year, that I think I have ever seen.

This kid has talent and poise. Last year, Ole Miss played Alabama in Tuscaloosa, losing a tight game. This year, they play in Oxford and it should be interesting to see if the Tide's Javier Arenas can be a disruption on the corner for Snead.

Granted, Arenas makes his living as a return specialist, but he can be dangerous at cornerback and may have Snead looking elsewhere to complete his passes.

No matter what individual battles may materialize or which may turn into duds, this should be, as always, another exciting and competitive SEC football season. I can't wait!

SEC(ulture) and What Fuels the South

Joseph Gelis — Thu, 14 May 2009 22:42:26 -0400

The Southeastern Conference means so many things to so many people across that region of the United States. It is home to 12 proud universities, hosting 12 athletic departments that have produced some of the greatest collegiate programs in the history of sports.

The Alabama Crimson Tide produced a football dynasty under Coach Bear Bryant in the 1960s, 1970s and into the 1980s that set the bar for greatness.

Kentucky means basketball in SEC land, and their Wildcats, under Coach Adolph Rupp, set the gold standard in the 1940s and 1950s that has carried over to today.

And, in baseball, how can you beat five World Series Championships in a decade, engineered by Skip Bertman and his LSU Tigers in the 1990s.

These are a sample of the programs that have emerged over the years as examples of consistent excellence. However, these noted programs can attribute much of their success to an ultra-competitive conference, with other very talented teams, constantly nipping at their heels, pushing them to achieve their absolute collective most.

This persistent competitiveness, nearly from top to bottom in almost every sport, has been the fuel that has ignited a fire of fanaticism unmatched in the land. Simply put, the SEC has the most rabid and vocal fans that, if not literally, spiritually bleed the colors of their respective teams.

I think, being situated in the South, already lends to a territorial mindset, that has been passed down through history. People in the South are very proud of who they are and where they are from. Mix this self-identity with inter-regional competition and it begins to look like a replay of the Hatfields and McCoys, being played out on the gridiron, hardwood, and diamond.

Let there be no mistake though—the south is football country first and foremost, with all other sports trailing behind. Yes, March Madness gets the basketball juices flowing, and baseball is starting attract more and more of a loyal following, but there is just something about football and the South that goes together.

There is something about football, in its territorial protection of real estate through brute force and tactical design, that gets deep into the blood of a Southerner. It is in our DNA, passed down from ancestors who defended real estate in a more literal sense.

Alabama versus Auburn—need I say more?

These are two uber-proud football programs staking claim to the same territory every November. If this isn't the Hatfields running up the gut on the McCoys or the McCoys going deep on the Hatfields, I don't know what is. One stands tall with bragging rights in hand and the other, after some wound licking, begins planning a strategy for revenge in 12 months. The seething hate for one another never ends.

This brings me to my last issue. What does the proud fan of a SEC school do when one of the other 11 are playing an out-of-conference game? Does the pent-up dislike (or hatred) for any of the other conference members override the overall pride to be realized in being a member of the SEC, to the point of actually rooting for that other SEC team? Does conference loyalty trump team pride?

It has been my experience, personally, and in talking with other SEC fans, that it depends. I have found that there is a shifting continuum of sentiment toward any of the other eleven members of the SEC. This continuum ranges from dislike and pity to bitter hatred and a desire for some unforeseen accident to come their way.

Teams that your team has beat up on recently usually fall on the mild dislike end of the spectrum, whereas teams that regularly do the beating up on your team, always are relegated to that “I hope you fall off a cliff” end.

It usually depends on where a particular team happens to be currently residing on my personal spectrum, as to whether SEC pride has enough "umph" to overcome the level of ill feelings I have for that team, for me to root for them.

Lets just say I have an easier time pulling for Vanderbilt in an intersectional football game than, say, Florida. Of course it is all very subjective, with everyone having their own personal spectrum, and as I said, positioning on that spectrum is subject to change over time. It is all part of the SEC culture where feelings run deep and if your blood is of a different color than mine, then you are to be greeted with a pistol or a shotgun or whatever backfield formation coaches are using this year.

My LSU Football Top Ten Maximum Achievers List

Joseph Gelis — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 16:22:40 -0400

When challenged with the task of coming up with my Top Ten All-Time LSU Football Greats, I thought about it and decided to modify it a bit. I felt more compelled to list the players I thought did the most with their opportunity while wearing a LSU helmet.

My picks may not necessarily be the best or most gifted athletes to wear the Purple & Gold, but those whom I felt maximized their chance on the field.

The good thing about creating these lists is that they are subjective, sometimes questionable, and always stir debate. I am sure I will be excluding some great players, that have graced the LSU gridiron over the years, however, there are only 10 slots so many potential candidates have to be left out.

Besides, this is my list, and I get to pick and choose.

That being said, here is my list starting with No. 10:

No. 10 Herb Tyler, QB—Tyler played for LSU in the latter half of the 1990s as a dual threat quarterback, and a dual threat he was. If he wasn't doing his best imitation of a waterbug—scrambling for positive yards—he was accurately connecting with his receivers. He was immensely productive on the field, finishing with a greater than 60% pass completion percentage and running for 23 touchdowns. His highlight game came in 1997 as he lead LSU over No. 1 Florida.

No. 9 Matt Flynn, QB—Matt is a perfect example of a talented player waiting in the wings, biding his time, learning the system, and then being prepared to go when the time comes. All he did was do what his predecessor, JaMarcus Russell, couldn't do, and that was lead the Tigers to their second BCS title. Matt was a very smart quarterback at LSU, who played within the system, connected well with his receivers, wasn't afraid to put his head down and run, and managed the offense admirably.

No. 8 Kevin Faulk, RB—Kevin was a teammate of Herb Tyler in the mid-to-late 1990s and complemented his QB very well. He was a slashing style runner who could run inside and had the speed to get outside. He was tough, persistent, and very adept at getting extra yards. This All-American set numerous records while at LSU: for rushing, all-purpose yards, and scoring. In fact, in the SEC, only Georgia's Herschel Walker had more rushing yards than Faulk.

No. 7 Matt Mauck, QB—Matt came to LSU with Nick Saban in 2000. He was a good game manager, accurate passer, and a deceptively good scrambler. Initially brought on to add depth behind Rohan Davey, Matt had his true coming out party in the 2001 SEC Championship game. In that game, he replaced an injured Davey, and surprised a talented Tennessee team by ending their NC dreams. His own NC dream became true two years later, as he led the Tigers to their first BCS title in 2003.

No. 6 Charles Alexander, RB—Charles played in the late 1970's under Coach Charlie McClendon. This two-time All-American may be one of, if not the best, pure running back LSU has ever had. He oozed talent and made the most of it. Charles played on some fair to fairly good LSU teams that saw moderate success, but his personal success was quite evident. He is the one LSU running back that has come the closest to winning the Heisman Trophy, other than Billy Cannon who actually did win it.

No. 5 Josh Reed, WR—Has there ever been a more productive receiver at LSU? Born with “receiver” hands, he arrived at LSU as a running back. It didn't take long for the coaching staff to recognize his catching abilities and converted him to receiver to start his sophomore year. The all-career game he had at Alabama in 2001 was quite memorable. Winning the Fred Biletnikoff Award that year confirmed he was one of LSU's all-time greats.

No. 4 Tommy Hodson, QB—Tommy was a prolific passer at LSU, who bucked the conventional wisdom of starting freshman quarterbacks in the SEC. Unlike past starting QBs, Tommy came on like gangbusters in his freshman year, shocking a highly ranked Texas A&M team in his 1986 debut, leading the Tigers to a SEC Championship (again in 1988). It was Hodson who was on the delivering end of the pass to Eddie Fuller in the game that shook LSU in 1988.

No. 3 LaRon Landry, S—LaRon upped the bar for safeties at LSU. Yes, he was talented, and did he ever make use of that talent. He started as a true freshman in 2003 and was named a freshman All-American. He would go on to be named first-team All-American his senior year. I will never forget seeing that wide-eyed look of an excited kid emanating from behind his facemask moments after a super quick, hard charging safety blitz that leveled Eli Manning in Oxford. A sign of things to come.

No. 2 Glenn Dorsey, DT—This guy, plain and simply, oozed LSU Football. What more could a coach ask for than what Glenn Dorsey delivered at LSU? You could see this guy coming on in his junior year, and by the time he was a senior, he was All-Everything. The most decorated player in LSU history, he owned his side of the defensive line, often soaking up two or three offensive linemen to free up his teammates. He was flat out dominant, and a true pleasure to watch.

No. 1 Jacob Hester, RB—Has there ever, in the entire history of LSU Football, been a less heralded player to come into LSU and do more to contribute to their success than Hester? If so, name him. Jacob came in as a two-star (Rivals) running back, out of Shreveport, with all of the fanfare that a two-star player attracts. All he did was become an ultra-dependable, tough-nosed, up-the-gut running back who Miles hung his career on for those tough 4^th down yards, on the march to the 2007 NC.

Jacob won my Purple and Gold heart, and for that he is my No. 1 Maximum Achieving LSU Football Player.

I invite one and all Tigers fans to reply and submit their own Top 10 Maximum Achievers list.

Les Miles: Target For Alabama Anxiety

Joseph Gelis — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 20:16:43 -0500

Les Miles has been garnering quite a bit of attention lately, out of the state of Alabama. Needless to say, this attention has not been of the favorable variety. It seems there are some blog writers, sympathetic to the Crimson Tide, who have demonstrated a preoccupation with Coach Miles as of late. The obvious question is why?

After some friendly cyberspace banter with one or two of these writers I begin to get the sense that some are a bit anxious around Tuscaloosa.

And of course, one would logically ask, why the anxiety? They have their “savior” coach locked up (well, about as locked up as you can get the wandering Nick Saban), they are coming off of a year where most of it was spent at or near the top of the rankings, and they have just secured a second straight “Rivals” National Recruiting Championship. All the pieces are in place for championships galore. And there lies the problem.

It has been over a decade since the Tide has tasted real success and now have no excuse not to taste it again; we’re talking NC success. This puts added pressure on those that blow the Alabama horn to put up or shut up. One of their ways of dealing with this neurosis is to externalize it by focusing on something or someone external to their core.

This is where Les Miles comes into the picture.

They see Coach Miles as an added threat to their comfort level, because he represents success at one of Bama’s most hated divisional rivals, LSU. Coach Miles had the nerve to follow up Saban’s only national championship, when at LSU in 2003, with one of his own in 2007. They are willing to forgive Saban’s LSU run to glory, because he is now one of them, however, Miles repeating the feat is unforgivable.

And now the pressure becomes even more intense because their hearts will not rest until Saban one-ups Miles and does at Alabama what he did at LSU. Attacking Miles deflects their inner anxiety to an external source, although there is no basis for their claims. This is a common neurotic defense mechanism.

Some of the hateful remarks directed at Coach Miles, by one Bama backer in particular, include: “terrible coach”, “shortcomings as a head coach”, “talks first and thinks later”, and “coaches from the hip” just to name a few (Franklin Crittenden). He talks as though he has been standing next to Miles on the sideline at every game.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but if you are going to put this garbage out for public consumption, at least have your diatribe match the target’s resume. These critical attributes are not exactly one's normally associated with a successful head coach at a major university in the toughest conference in the land.

Les Miles has amassed, in four years at LSU, a 42/11 (.792) W/L record, two SEC West Crowns, one SEC Championship, four out of four bowl wins (all blow-outs), three out of four Top five Finishes and one National Championship to boot. Exactly what you would expect from a “terrible coach” in his first four years at a new school.

And don’t give me this trash that he did it with Saban’s players. The one and only complement Mr. Crittenden paid Coach Miles was that he is a “great recruiter”. This is already quite evident by the classes he has brought into LSU, especially this year’s that can stand toe to toe with Alabama’s top-ranked class (Rivals).

Now granted, Coach Miles can be a little unorthodox in his coaching and play calling, but there is a method to his so called madness and you can’t argue with success. When he goes against the odds on a particular play or drive (four fourth-down runs up the gut with the game on the line), he is simply demonstrating that he has the playmakers to get it done and he is exhibiting his confidence in them. Not all coaches can claim certain brass appendages.

One last point to make regarding Alabama and their anxiety laden neurosis being directed at LSU and Les Miles. Watching their beloved Tide get manhandled in a convincing beat-down by underdog Utah, just days after witnessing LSU being masterfully coached to a “walk in the park” against favored Georgia Tech is not the way you want to enter the off-season, if you roll with the Tide.

Maybe there are doubts in the back of some minds as to whether Saban is truly the “savior”. Whatever the reason, bashing Les Miles may help take their minds off of their own insecurities, but it will not help them one bit when they witness St Nick get out-coached by him on November 7th.