THOUGHTS WHILE THINKING
Big-time college football has become more professional than the
NFL. Think about it: With few
exceptions, ALL players are free
agents … and can go to the highest bidder … with no salary cap
impeding deep-pocket alumni and other … uh, friends of the
university from signing whoever they
want. Louisville of your ACC
landed 25 newcomers via the transfer portal this year. I dare say no
NFL team signed as many free agents … not even close.
….
I know, I know … Deion Sanders brought in what had to be a
record-number of new faces to
Colorado including Shedeur
Sanders, the quarterback, who threw for 510 yards in the father-son
debut, a 45-42 victory over 21-point-favorite TCU. Pretty
impressive, right? Before you get too
carried away … understand the
Horned Frogs had a total of three starters from last year’s national
runnerup team … and Colorado still needed a short-pitch-then-run of
49 yards for a late touchdown
to pull this one out.
Clearly, the
Buffaloes were built for speed and ran by and around TCU all
afternoon.
It says
hereeasily the most impressive thing about the game was
watching the Buffaloes’ No. 12 excel on
both sides of the ball. On
offense, Travis Hunter was among four Colorado receivers with
more than
100 yards. In all, he was on the field for 129 snaps,
catching 11 balls good for 119 yards and
finishing with three tackles
and an interception on defense.
In case you missed it … Hunter was rated the top recruit in the
country three years ago when he first
committed to Florida State
then followed D. Sanders to Jackson State. Hunter was among 10
players
(including Shedeur) who came to Colorado with self-styled
“Coach Prime” this year. “I went out
there [against TCU] and
dominated,” Hunter said. “Maybe people will begin to believe when
I put
myself at the head of the Heisman list.”
Sanders, the coach, noted they twice failed to connect with a wide-
open Hunter deep. If they had …
“he’d have the Heisman on ice in
his crib.”
While he was at it, “Coach Prime [Time]” lashed out at a
reporter: “I read all that bull junk you
wrote … Do you believe
now?”
By the way: The Buffaloes’ roster for the next game lists 113 players
– 37 freshmen plus 61
transfers in addition to 15 holdovers (among
them two long snappers and, at 6-10, 310, an offensive
lineman
listed as the tallest football player in Colorado history).
….. Notre Dame QB Sam Hartman for Heisman … He’s cool, calm
… seldom (if ever) rattled. The
Wake Forest transfer is tough. He’ll take a hit if it means waiting an extra second for potential
receivers
to get open … Hartman anticipates well. His arm is strong (enough).
Also impressive: He acts like he’s done it before and refuses to
indulge himself in the meaningless –
OK, foolish – hey, everyone,
look at me celebrations.
….. Words to live by: “Winners know why they win. Losers don’t
know why they lose.” (From
ACC Network’s “All Access” on North
Carolina football … where coach Mack Brown stays ahead
of the
pack with Propaganda 101.)
Of course, it helps to have a QB like
Drake Maye, a redshirt sophomore who had to wait a year for
NFL Washington starter Sam Howell to complete his eligibility.
….. More Atlantic Coast Conference: Best summation of
subtraction by addition of California,
Stanford and Southern
Methodist which, from every indication, will lead to exodus of
Florida State,
Clemson and UNC:
“Ensuring the inevitable departure of its three most valuable
schools, adding
three athletically irrelevant ones while oozing
across two more time zones like spilled milk, and
getting a
relatively insignificant financial boost for doing it, the
panicking presidents turned the ACC
into the
All Coast Conference.” … Courtesy of Raleigh News &
Observer.
….. Talk about
disrespecting an opponent … and living to rub
it in even more: On its second series – already leading
underdog Virginia 7-0 – 12th-ranked Tennessee went for it on
fourth-and-short from its 30 yard line
and failed. Not to
worry, Volunteer fans. The Cavaliers missed a short field goal
wide right. Final:
UT 49, Hoos 13.
….. Good to see Eli Gold, 69, back calling play by play for
Alabama football after
missing 2022 while overcoming a near-
death experience that, as it turned out, was caused by cancer
of the throat. In the process he lost more than 140 pounds …
down to 180.
Long-time hockey fans
will recall Gold as voice of the
Hampton Aces of the long-since forgotten Southern Hockey
League
that included your Richmond Wildcats. Four-time
Alabama Sportscaster of the Year, he was well-
known in
NASCAR for his work with the Motor Racing Network and
likewise made his mark
calling NFL games as well.
From
Brooklyn, N.Y., the likable Gold has been radio Voice of the
Crimson Tide since 1988 and was
pronounced cancer-free
earlier this year.
….. Finally … best thing about Richmond’s season-opening loss to
visiting Morgan State was … I
thinking, I’m thinking!! OK …
hardly anyone saw it, at least in-person. Attendance couldn’t have
been more than 3,000 at Robins Stadium for the game that kicked off
at 6 p.m. UR coach Russ
Huesman called it “embarrassing.”
He meant the Spiders’ performance … but lack of interest in his
program also applied. For sure, the expanded Colonial Athletic
Association has little to offer the
potential ticket-buying public. Or
MEAC-member Morgan State, for that matter.
.... Until next time … when we recall D. Sanders’ memorable visit to
Parker Field as a member of the
AAA Columbus Clippers.
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