I don't know about you, but I am definitely psyched for the beginning of the college football season which is a little less than a week away. Next to college basketball it is today's most exciting college sport, so I felt that a few predictions and insights were in order. This would also serve to get my legion of loyal readers whipped up again.
Once again, it is time for a college football playoff and the abolishment of bowl games. The playoff system, which would culminate in the College Super Bowl, would involve the nation's top 20 teams as determined by the nation's sportswriters. A college playoff will allow teams to play for ranking during the season instead of irrelevant tangibles such as pride.
This means the time has also come for a joint college sports poll. The discrepancies I find in the polls are really disturbing. For example, Penn State will begin the season ranked No. 20 by the Associated Press and No. 15 by the United Press International. The obvious question is what is its true ranking?
I only watched two bowl games last year -- the Florida Citrus Bowl because Penn State was in it and the Orange Bowl because the National Championship was at stake. The public says the bowl games shouldn't be abolished because it would hurt the players. All I have to say to that is don't believe the hype. The only people who would be hurt are the corporations that now underwrite and co-sponsor these bowl games.
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Speaking of not believing the hype, I think world heavyweight champ Mike Tyson's mental faculties definitely have to be questioned. I always suspected he was an idiot but now I have the proof. What was Tyson doing at 4:30 in the morning at a clothing store picking up a jacket? A jacket which reportedly cost $800 and had 'Don't believe the hype' on the back.
The ramifications of Tyson's actions are tremendous. First, the September fight against Frank Bruno which reportedly paid him five million dollars is shot to hell. In addition, Tyson could be sued by Mitch Green or he could face criminal charges.
It is a shame that Cus D'Amato, Tyson's mentor, is dead. When D'Amato was around Tyson was on the verge of becoming a gentleman. Tyson was polite and respectable and conducted himself with dignity. He won his matches in the ring and refrained from making cocky, thoughtless statements like "I'm the greatest fighter in world and I can't be beaten." Now that D'Amato is gone Tyson seems to be reverting back to an undisciplined, belligerent style that typifies people with a street mentality.
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I am relieved that Bruce Kimball did not make the U.S. Olympic Diving Team. For him to represent our country after what he did would have been a travesty. The biggest hypocrisy is what the powers that be had to say about this. They said there was no way Kimball could have been prevented from representing the U.S. if he had made the team. Oh no?
Something about this really stinks. These people ban an athlete because he tests positive for cocaine but their hands are tied when some guy drinks alcohol then drives a car down a dead end street and kills two people. The prevalent message is simple -- alcohol is fine but controlled substances must not be tolerated in any form.
There is no excuse for what he did and I feel a long prison sentence is definitely in order for Kimball. It is time for people who choose to drink to take responsibility for their actions in this intoxicated state. This is just another example of how alcohol is a more dangerous and addictive drug than cocaine.
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A new low has been reached in the war on drugs thanks to NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle. Washington Redskins All-Pro defensive end Dexter Manley tested positive for one controlled substance or another. I don't know which because the NFL isn't saying.
Anyway, Manley was suspended for the entire preseason as a result. The entire preseason? If this is Rozelle's idea of a sick joke, I'm not laughing. Manley should have been suspended for half the season without pay, and that's that.
It is now time for mandatory random drug testing. This policy would be most effective if the testing is done at random because it would prevent athletes from paying someone $20 for a urine sample which is supposedly drug free.
Athletes would be required to remain drug free while their sport is in season. That would mean no cigarettes, cigars, marijuana, heroin, cocaine, crack or alcohol. In other words, if it wasn't prescribed by the doctor, it's illegal.
The penalties would be equally severe. First offenders would be suspended for five games regardless of length of season. Second-time offenders would be suspended half the season. Third-time offenders would be banned for two years, while four-time offenders would be banned for life.
Athletes are the most recognizable role models today. Everyone I know that plays basketball says he wants to be like Michael Jordan. It is time that athletes recognize and acknowledge these expectations and to conduct themselves accordingly.
