This and That
Each week I'll give my thoughts on the world of sports:
• Down at the new Cowboys Stadium, it was shock city as Oklahoma fell to BYU. The Sooners suffered a big blow when Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford went to the sidelines with a shoulder injury. The Oklahoma offensive line was struggling even with Bradford in the contest. Give a ton of credit to Cougars coach Bronco Mendenhall for preparing his team for this pressure situation. You have to salute the Mountain West; last year, Utah stunned Alabama in a bowl, and now BYU takes down the number three team in America. Is it time for the BCS to re-evaluate its position on that conference.
• At South Bend, Jimmy Clausen and Michael Floyd showed they are going to be a dynamite combination, one of the best in America. They sparkled against a Nevada team that came to Notre Dame with a lot of hype over its offense. The Irish defense shut them down, and this could be a big year for Charlie Weis and company.
• It will be interesting to see how Brett Favre fits in with the Vikings during the regular season. Will there be chemistry in the locker room? Will he be accepted by the entire club? It all comes down to whether he performs; if he does, he will be loved by the entire team.
• The Jets have a young diaper dandy at quarterback in Mark Sanchez. Will he be able to handle the pressure in the Big Apple? Something tells me he will handle all of the notoriety. Sanchez is multi-skilled, and while he will make some mistakes, he will get the job done. It will also be interesting to see how Matthew Stafford does in Detroit.
• USC also went with a diaper dandy at quarterback in Matt Barkley. This kid has been labeled big-time from day one, and he has been handled the controls at one of the most prestigious schools in America. In his debut against San Jose State, he threw for over 200 yards in a win. This week should be more of a challenge, going to Columbus to take on the Buckeyes.
• There were a number of meaningless, joke games played in college football during the first weekend. I understand that it is a big payday for the little guy, but it doesn't prove much for the FBS schools that are scoring easy wins. Come on, play some better competition & you know who you are, baby! There are too many pre-conference games where schools buy easy wins, then blitz their opponent big time. It is really embarrassing. You can see outmanned and outclassed teams getting players hurt.
• What a performance by 17-year old Melanie Oudin at the U. S. Open. Wins over highly-ranked players like Elena Dementieva and Maria Sharapova show that the young lady from Georgia has a great future. Oudin showed something earlier this year in the Fed Cup, and she has been so impressive in Flushing. By the way, with 21 double faults, I have to wonder if Sharapova still has some shoulder problems.
• Once again, Andy Roddick, with all of that talent, ability and potential, fell short in a major. Give a lot of credit to 6-9 John Isner for scoring the big upset Saturday, but it is disappointing to see Roddick come up on the wrong end of the scoreboard. Roddick played a great final match against Roger Federer at Wimbledon, but his year has to be termed disappointing.
• If the Tampa Bay Rays had a closer like Mariano Rivera or Jonathan Papelbon, they would be lock city for the World Series. It has been a nightmare for manager Joe Maddon, trying to get late-inning relief to hold on to precious games. It has been loss after loss despite early leads.
• Great to see Lee Corso back on College Gameday. He suffered a stroke during the off-season, but he looked great this past weekend. His spirit and enthusiasm are so special and mean a lot to college football fans. I wish him health and happiness.
• This week, the basketball Hall of Fame honors its newest class and what a group it is: Michael Jordan, David Robinson, John Stockton, Jerry Sloan and C. Vivian Stringer. Congrats to five genuine superstars enjoying enshrinement in Springfield, Mass.
