Ritualised Warfare... the sports thread!

[sin]

Good lord that was an amazing game.  I admit to blasphemy: I wrote Iowa off when they were trailing by a butt-load in the 2nd half.  Vandenberg's 4th quarter performance was shades of Stanzi 2 years ago.  Amazing.

Holy shit: James Vandenberg: 31/48, 399 yards, 3TD, no interceptions.  Brilliant.

[rokken like dokken]

How about those Lions? 

If Stafford can get a few more passing yards this game, he's one game away from a Kurt Warner start. 

(3 straight games of 300+ yards and 3+ TD passes per game, to start the season)

[rokken like dokken]

Also, I know David Garrard was inconsistent for Jacksonville, but I'm pretty sure he never went 6/18 for 59 yards and 4 INT against a team in a long, long time - even one as good as the Jets.  I think someone wants to sell the team to LA but if they're this bad nobody will watch them there either. 

[sin]

So this is apparently "The Year Of No Defense," at least through 2 games.  ESPN's website had a headline that 5 quarterbacks are currently on pace to break Marino's yardage record right now.  I don't know if it has anything to do with the short offseason, but it doesn't look like anyone is interested in stopping ANYBODY right now.

[rokken like dokken]

It's like everyone's like Hawaii or Texas Tech. 

[sin]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWxOPSGE8mI&feature=fvst

Anyone who thinks Tim Tebow is the greatest college football player of all time needs to watch this video.

edit:  The phrase "Man Among Boys" comes to mind...

[r00]

If Tebow was the best college football player of all time, he wouldn't be 3rd string for the fucking broncos.  ;-)

[sin]

Well, you never know.  Once upon a time, there was a legitimate debate about whether Ryan Leaf was better than Peyton Manning.  Joey Harrington was once the new John Elway.  Sometimes college accolades don't translate into NFL success.  What did Archie Griffin do in the NFL after winning 2 Heisman trophies?  Not much (he rushed for 2808 yards and 7 touchdowns in 7 seasons).

edit:  Don't get me wrong, I despise Tebow, but I have to acknowledge that he's in the discussion of best NCAA players of all time; 2 NCAA titles with a Heisman trophy and 2x All-SEC quarterback selection.  Dude was brilliant in college.  I just don't think he's better than Sanders or Griffin, or even Herschel Walker.

2nd edit:  Barry averaged 237.5 rushing yards per game in 1988.  Averaged.  AVERAGED.  This is on top of piling up 37 rushing touchdowns and 3,248 total yards.  In ONE FUCKING SEASON.

[r00]

I think Barry could bend space or something.

[sin]

I know that the term "Poetry in Motion" was coined to describe Muhammad Ali, but it applies equally to Barry when he was at OK State.

[Goose]

Watching that Barry Sanders footage reminded me a hell of a lot of watching Gizmo Williams and Pinball Clemens from a few years back.  I know you guys have no fucking idea who those people are, but they were a really big deal in the CFL.

[rokken like dokken]

What was amazing about OK State in the Sanders days was that he was not even the starter on that team for his first two years.  That was a man named Thurman Thomas, who should still be a household name in Buffalo. 

As far as great college players go, Jerry Rice's quarterback is in the College Football Hall of Fame because of him.  Rice set reception TD records that stood from the early 80s until 2006. 

[rokken like dokken]

sin, you forgot to mention that Sanders's 1988 season had a 7.6 YPC average.  That's comparable to Tecmo Super Bowl. 

[rokken like dokken]

Well, you never know.  Once upon a time, there was a legitimate debate about whether Ryan Leaf was better than Peyton Manning.  Joey Harrington was once the new John Elway.  Sometimes college accolades don't translate into NFL success.  What did Archie Griffin do in the NFL after winning 2 Heisman trophies?  Not much (he rushed for 2808 yards and 7 touchdowns in 7 seasons).

This is going back several years, but Bill Walsh said that Rick Mirer reminded him of Joe Montana more than anyone he'd ever seen. 

[rokken like dokken]

I think Calvin Johnson is a robot.