Two of the Greatest

All my life I’ve enjoyed watching sports and growing up as a kid, I had many sports heroes. But if I had to choose my all-time favorite, it would be Muhammad Ali.

As a kid I read every book or magazine on Ali that I could get my hands on-- and of course, I watched him on TV.

Back then title matches were broadcast on network television-- there was no pay-per-view or HBO. It was Wide World of Sports and Friday Night Fights.

But back then also, it wasn’t just about watching the fights themselves-— it was the coverage leading up to the fights.

And with Ali, those moments were always very entertaining. He was poetic, and he was witty. He was clever, and he was profound.

But those classic TV moments would not have been the same without Mr. “I just tell it like it is,” Howard Cosell.

Cosell had become famous (or infamous) through his work on Monday Night Football, but it was his role as Muhammad Ali’s side-kick that will forever be ingrained in my childhood sports memories.

The amazing thing looking back at that time is the social impact those two men had on this country during a very turbulent period in our nation’s history.

The civil rights movement was gaining momentum in the early 1960s, but discrimination and racial prejudice was prevalent throughout America.

And both Ali and Cosell knew discrimination very well. Ali is African-American, but at the height of his fame, he was also brash and boisterous and he never shied away from speaking out on issues such as race, social injustices, or the Vietnam War. But doing so was considered very controversial during that time period.

Now Howard Cosell was loved by some, but hated by many. He too also never hesitated to speak out on controversial issues. Cosell was Jewish, and often received anti-Semitic mail, as well as hate mail from racist fans who despised his support of African-American athletes.

In 1967, Ali refused for religious reasons to be drafted to fight in the Vietnam War. He was subsequently arrested for draft evasion, stripped of his heavyweight title, and his boxing license was suspended.

Cosell was outraged by those events. He claimed Ali was being singled out because he was an outspoken African-American who opposed the Vietnam War.

Ali's license to fight would eventually be reinstated and he would go on to regain his heavyweight title in 1974 when he knocked out George Foreman in the 8th round.

Now the 1960s and '70s were a turbulent time in our country's history when issues such as race and equality often caused a divide in this country.

I don't believe there is a better example of any two men, two completely different, yet very similar men, whose relationship and friendship impacted the issues of race and equality greater than Muhammad Ali and Howard Cosell.

Eagles Tame Cats for First SoCon Win

Antonio Hanson redefined the phrase “on-fire!” against Western Carolina on Saturday, hitting six three-pointers in the 1st half in an amazing display of outside shooting. The first three shots he drained were critical as the Eagles fell behind 6-0 early, but were quickly back in it thanks to the red-hot shooting of Hanson.

Rory Spencer played by far his best game of the season, going 7-8 from the floor for 18 points. Spencer has great ability, but has disappeared at times during critical moments in games when his inside presence is much needed. He maintained great intensity throughout the game, scoring 12 points in the 2nd half in addition to his four rebounds and three blocked shots.

The Eagles led by six at the half even though Willie Powers had zero points. That is unbelievable in itself. Powers was clutch in the 2nd half, however, netting 19 points including 10-12 from the free-throw line down the stretch. His dribble penetration created opportunities for him to get to the line and end several WCU runs in the 2nd half.

The “Glue-Man” award (the player who was the glue that tied everything together, “Mr. Intangible” if you will) goes to Johntavious Rucker. It is obvious why Coach Young calls Rucker the heartbeat of the team. His intensity alone on Saturday might have willed the Eagles to victory. His four steals and five rebounds came at critical times on Saturday and his communication on the court with his teammates earn Johntay this week’s Glue-Man award.

Hanner Fieldhouse was alive on Saturday, even though students were still returning to campus from Christmas break. This win should give the Eagles some much-needed confidence as conference play begins to heat up. The Eagles play two games on the road (beginning this Thursday at Wofford) before returning to Hanner Fieldhouse for four straight home games.

The Lady Eagles dropped their 4th straight Southern Conference game on Saturday, falling 53-57 against the College of Charleston. GSU held a 10-point lead mid-way through the 2nd half, but the team played too tentative offensively down the stretch.

I for one would like to see Krista Tate get more aggressive with the ball-- she only took 2 shots in 26 minutes. The team needs 8-10 points per game from her if they’re going to make a run for the conference title.

The Lady Eagles look to bounce back tonight at home versus Furman— I’ll be there, you should be too.

Braves on the Warpath

As I watched the Washington Redskins put up another stinker last night, I couldn't help but think this has to be the lowest point for the team and the organization since I started following them as a youngster almost 40 years ago.

With a 4-11 record and back-to-back losses against NFC East opponents by a combined score of 62-16 (and a season where Washington went 0-6 in the division), the Skins appear to have mailed it in for the season.

Washington has recorded only 2 winning seasons and 1 playoff win since 1999 when they last earned an NFC East title (coincidentally, the 1st season of the Dan Snyder era). Since that time, it has been season after season full of disappointments.

But I never remember the Redskins quitting on a season. I couldn't help but think of the Indianapolis Colts yesterday, who had a great chance to make history by beating the Jets and moving one game closer to a perfect season.

However, their head coach had a different objective, one which he felt could better be achieved by pulling his starters in the 2nd half (a decision I disagree with 100 percent btw). His objective yesterday was not to win their game, but to do what he felt was in the best interest of the team's ultimate goal, to win the super bowl this season.

Wow. At one end of the spectrum you have possibly the best team in the league, making a conscious and sober decision to put winning a game on the back burner. On the other end of the spectrum, you have another team, that couldn't win a game if they tried.

I had a funny conversation with my mother yesterday. She said that my 18 year-old brother (a Skins fan of course) was tired of rooting for a team that never won. He has heard all the stories of the “Glory Days” of the Redskins, but was finding it hard to believe those days ever took place.

It took a 1992 Redskins DVD for Christmas to prove to him that the Redskins actually won a Super Bowl “back in the day.” Now I haven't spoken with him, but I'm sure watching the Joe Gibbs' led '92 Redskins beat up on the Buffalo Bills in Super Bowl XXVI only made him want to see the Skins return to glory even more.

Well Mark, that day may soon be upon us. One more game, and the Jim Zorn era will most likely be over (great guy, not-so-great coach). Vinny Cerrato is gone and Bruce Allen has arrived. And hopefully, after next week's final game, Mike Shanahan will step before a podium as the 28th head coach of the Washington Redskins.

So with a new regime, there is reason for optimism. With the end of one season (and a string of mostly bad seasons), it's time to look ahead to next season. And hopefully we do so, with a proven winner at the helm. A Super Bowl winner.

Sure, we don't have John Elway. But the Redskins have won Super Bowls with three different quarterbacks. Without getting into a “can we win with Jason Campbell at quarterback debate,” let's just say that I don't believe lack of talent is the problem.

I think it's leadership...discipline...and heart. With the right leadership, disciplined players with the heart to win can be led effectively. Those without it, well, it's a big league and there always seems to be room for good talent, even if short on heart and discipline. Just ask the 2009 Washington Redskins.

Call Me Naïve But I Still Believe

When I was asked earlier this year to be a part of the Georgia Southern Radio Network’s broadcast team for the 2009 football season, I was ecstatic. Being a broadcasting student at GSU and a life-long fan of college football, nothing could be better.

Now let me say that no one loves the Eagles more than I do. However, I’m sure there are plenty of fans who know more about the history of Georgia Southern football than I do. I’ve only lived in Georgia for 4 short years and it took more than half that time before I first traveled to Statesboro. But with my new responsibilities as a Studio Host for the GSU Radio Network, I was not going to let my limited number of years following the team deter me.

I immediately purchased a copy of Just One More Time by Jim Halley and Mark McClellan. I quickly read the entire book, and immediately guys like Tracy Ham, Frank Johnson, and Tim Foley became my heroes. If the resurrection of GSU football is not a story made for the big screen, I’m not sure what is.

Of course Erk Russell is well-known even outside of Statesboro and Athens, but Just One More Time provided further insight into this legendary coach and leader. I soon found myself spending countless hours online reading anything and everything I could find on Big Erk.

Fast forward to Fall Camp and my first opportunity to scout this year’s team. I don’t know about anyone else, but I liked what I saw. This year’s team is young, no doubt, but they’re also fiery and full of optimism. And if you can only choose one area where your team has any experience, you would choose the offensive line (GSU has 3 seniors up front). Call me naïve, but magic was in the air at Eagle Creek and I was glad to be a part of it.

So heading into the Week 1 against Albany, needless to say I was all fired up. GSU at home against a tough out of conference opponent--- I’m supporting the broadcast from the studio, then heading over to Buffalo’s Southwest Café for my first post-game show-- life is good, and so are the Eagles!

And if you’re reading this then you probably know the Eagles won that night 29-26 on a last-second field goal by Adrian Mora. A tough, come-from-behind win for the Eagles, but as Coach Hatcher says, we’re just trying to score 1 more point than our opponent.

Fast Forward again 6 weeks into the season. Our boys sit at 3-3 overall and 2-1 in the Southern Conference. Not exactly magical, but still in the mix. Again, maybe I was naïve heading into this season-- did I really think they would win every game? Honestly, I never once prepared for a week thinking we would lose. I just never thought about it.

But after a pretty good beating at South Dakota State and a 28-14 loss at Elon, I’m smart enough to know that our backs are against the wall. Do I still believe in this team? Absolutely! Am I being naïve? Perhaps.

But I truly feel this will still be a magical season. In what form that magic comes in I cannot say. Maybe the magic moment will be a road win over Appalachian State. Maybe it will be a 3-game wining streak heading into the Furman game (which could still have us contending for a conference title). Maybe it will be a five-game winning streak to end the season!

Again, am I being naïve? Maybe I am. But I still believe in this team. And I’ll continue to believe. That’s the great part about being a fan. You never stop believing, no matter what.

Eagles, Terrapins, and the Internet

Let me say that in the past 24 hours I made two great discoveries on the Internet (speaking from the perspective of a Maryland guy now living in Georgia, attending Georgia Southern University). The first is GSUFans.com, a message board for Georgia Southern Sports Talk.

I spent at least 2 hours last night looking through old posts, getting tuned in to how Eagle Nation feels about all things Georgia Southern. This includes commentary on this year’s baseball team, the Eagles potential move to Division 1-A (or FBS if you prefer), and above all else, the injustice pretty much the ENTIRE Southeast feels about Erk Russell not being eligible for the College Football Hall of Fame (some lame rule that says you must have held a head coaching position for a minimum of 10 years)-- ridiculous!

One thing for sure, Georgia Southern fans are passionate about their Eagles. And so am I. Even though this is my first year attending GSU, it didn’t take long to fall in love with Georgia Southern and with Statesboro. I’ve been fortunate enough to do some broadcasting assignments this semester covering the baseball, football, and golf teams and everyone associated with the teams including coaches, players, marketing, etc. are class individuals.

I must share, however, that my first love is the Maryland Terrapins. I was born and raised on Maryland basketball. Guys like Greg Manning, Albert King, Buck Williams followed later by the Great One, Len Bias. And Maryland football, though arguably not as successful over the years as the basketball program, is still an integral part of my lifeline.

And that’s where my 2nd Internet discovery comes in: Southernpigskin.com. A site that covers both Southern Conference and ACC football (along with the SEC). How great is that! Then I log in today and there’s Coach Friedgen on the home page. An outstanding post by Phillip McCollum on talent evaluation and recruiting among college football programs, with some nice tidbits on Maryland‘s latest recruiting class. I’m loving it.

To make it even sweeter, if you click on the SoCon link you’re directed to the Derek Heyden blog. So, not only will the staff writers be posting up to date info on the Southern Conference, Derek will be posting his thoughts and insights behind the scenes of Georgia Southern football. Life really is good.