While the match-up for the national title is now set with the University of Oklahoma facing off against Florida State University (FSU) in January at the Orange Bowl, a smaller battle will take place between the two teams this weekend when the Heisman Trophy is announced.
The two leading contenders for the Heisman this year are the quarterbacks of both teams-Josh Heupel of Oklahoma and Chris Weinke of FSU. The decision will be very close, but unfortunately the factor that may decide the race is one that has very little to do with performance-age.
Weinke played six years in the minor leagues for the Toronto Blue Jays, and is 28 years old. This has caused many to question if he actually deserves the Heisman, as they argue that he has an unfair advantage over the rest of the players.
Weinke may have some advantages over other players, but nowhere does it say that there are age restrictions regarding the Heisman. When statistics alone are considered, it is clear that Weinke has had a much better season than any of the other Heisman contenders-other than possibly LaDanian Tomlinson of Texas Christian University. Weinke has thrown for 4,167 yards, with 33 touchdowns and only 11 interceptions, and has the second-highest quarterback rating in the country.
Heupel has had an outstanding season as well, but his numbers pale in comparison to Weinke's. Heupel finished the regular season with 3,238 yards with 20 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Beyond his statistics, Heupel has also led the Sooners to a perfect 12-0 record, including wins over then top-10 teams Kansas State (twice), Nebraska and Texas.
The other players invited to the Heisman ceremony, to be held at the Downtown Athletic Club in New York City this Saturday-Drew Brees of Purdue and Tomlinson-have outside shots at best of winning the trophy. Brees is the career leader in many passing categories for the Big Ten Conference, and Tomlinson rushed for over 2,000 yards this season.
Any of these players can argue their merits on the field, but I hope that it doesn't come down to factors off the field . Weinke shouldn't be penalized for his age-it may be a hindrance rather than a benefit-and his statistics should win him the Heisman Trophy.
Mile High Stupidity
Why would Denny Neagle sign with the Colorado Rockies?
As any pitcher in the National League can attest, playing in Coors Field is no treat. Coors is about a mile above sea level and is the best hitters' park in the history of the game. Balls jump out of the park in the thin air and hitters feast on even the best pitchers.
Obviously money had something to do with the deal-Neagle will make $51 million over the next five years-but he was entertaining similar offers from other teams. If the Rockies were a perennial contender for the World Series this deal could be understood, but they aren't.
Mike Hampton-one of the big four free agents this year-is reportedly interested in the Rockies as well and it baffles me that any pitcher would commit professional suicide and join the Rockies.
Rushing Barriers Broken
What happened in the NFL this weekend? At no time in league history have three runners eclipsed the 200-yard barrier on the same weekend of play, but this Sunday four runners-Mike Anderson, Corey Dillon, Warrick Dunn and Curtis Martin-went over the mark.
The most impressive of the four was Mike Anderson of the Denver Broncos. Anderson rushed for a rookie record of 251 yards-breaking the old mark held by Dillon-and added four touchdowns as well.
Anderson's story is an amazing one. He was a sixth-round pick out of the University of Utah and the Marine Corp and he started the year as the Broncos third-string running back, and with injuries to Terell Davis and Olandis Gary he has taken advantage of his opportunities, but much of the credit should be given to the offensive line.
Davis, Gary and Anderson have all run for over 1000 yards in the last three seasons, which makes one question how good the Davis, Gary and Anderson are. This type of offensive production indicates that it may be the hogs up front that drive the Denver offense, not the runners themselves.
Uncertainty Abounds For Redskins
The circus sideshow that is the Washington Redskins becomes more and more interesting to watch every week.
After Internet billionaire Daniel Snyder bought the 'Skins last year, he opened up his checkbook and splurged on free agents in the off-season. With the expensive additions to the team Snyder wanted success right away. But so far he isn't getting what he paid for.
I have a special dislike for teams that try to buy their titles-the Florida Marlins are the most blatant example of this in recent years-and I am amused by what is happening in Washington.
Coach Norv Turner has been on the hot seat all season long, and he was finally fired by Snyder this week. The Redskins' 9-7 loss to the New York Giants precipitated the firing.
If the Redskins don't turn their season around right now-they are 7-6 and on the fringe of the playoff picture-the players and coaches can expect major changes in the off season.
Huskies Lead the Pack
The University of Connecticut women's basketball team continues to amaze me.
Year in and year out they are the dominant team in women's college basketball. There are other standout programs-University of Tennessee and Duke University come to mind-but they can't match the consistent dominance of the UConn women. The team has depth unmatched by any other team in the country-their second team could compete for the national title-and they also have two returning All-Americans in their starting lineup.
So far this year the team has blown out all of their opponents on their way to a 4-0 start. The Huskies are a unanimous number one in the Associated Press polls, and have held the top spot for a record 24 straight weeks.
As the season continues UConn may be challenged by one or two teams, but another undefeated season is not out of the question.
A-Rod's Ridiculous Demands
As the free agent season is kicking into high-gear, some of the requests and decisions made by certain players are bordering on the ludicrous.
Manny Ramirez-formerly of the Cleveland Indians-flat out rejected a contract offer of $119 million over seven years. $119 million! Now Cleveland has pulled that offer off the table and waved goodbye to Ramirez.
As strange as that decision seems, the demands that Alex Rodriquez (A-Rod) has privately made border on the insane. A-Rod and his agent Scott Boras-one of the most successful (read: greedy) agents in the business-have made many demands of the team that signs him. Not the least of these demands is a contract that averages over $20 million dollars a year over the next 10 years, but it goes much further than this.
Reportedly A-Rod has asked for a charter plane for personal use, an office at the ballpark for his staff and kiosks at the ballpark that will sell only his merchandise. But A-Rod has made even more ridiculous demands.
A-Rod also told the Seattle Mariners-the team that he has played on for the last six seasons-that he will not return unless the fences are moved in at Safeco Field.
This demand goes far beyond the concessions that any team should make to a star player. Changing the nature of the playing field-Safeco is one of the only true pitchers' parks left in the major leagues–just to pad players' statistics has been done before (Yankee Stadium's short right-field fence was designed for Babe Ruth), but it is dishonorable.
Seattle has denied his request to change the field, and it now appears that they will lose their star player. The Mariners organization will feel the loss of A-Rod, but it should be applauded for the stand that they have taken.
Joe Katuska '03 is Managing Sports Editor for The Student.