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isportsweb http://isportsweb.com Fri, 12 Mar 2010 05:10:28 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 no isportsweb.com contact@isportsweb.com Al Davis Health And Wealth In Decline. Fountain Of Youth Rejected http://isportsweb.com/2010/01/09/56324/ http://isportsweb.com/2010/01/09/56324/#comments Sat, 09 Jan 2010 16:18:11 +0000 Pat Cowan http://isportsweb.com/?p=56324 http://isportsweb.com/2010/01/09/56324/feed/ 8 Al Davis is facing a crisis that is rapidly reaching an epic level. The aging owner has watched his beloved Raiders be ridiculed and mocked as the downward spiral has now reached seven long seasons. Although much of the blame lies on his own shoulders, it seems that his supporting cast that surrounds him have no interest in bringing the franchise back from the brink to its once dominating in-your-face brand of football. To say Davis still has a hand in day-to-day operations would be a gross exaggeration. One fan described Davis’ fifty foot walk from his limo to the front door as “heartbreaking”. He said that Davis would stop every few feet and lean heavily on his walker to catch his breath while he engaged and talked to fans. His mind is still sharp, but his body has become weak and requires alot of rest. Recently former quarterback Rich Gannon reached out to Davis to offer his help to try to salvage any fragment of hope of Jamarcus Russell living up to the potential he was drafted for.<img class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-56478" src="http://isportsweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/john-herrera-100x100.jpg" alt="" width="100" height="100" /> John Herrera, who has suddenly become Davis’ mouthpiece, suggested that Gannon was the one who needed help. Herrera and Davis’ relationship draws shocking resemblance to The Lord Of The Rings King Theodin and Grima Wormtongue.<img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-56468" src="http://isportsweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/grima-300x130.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="130" /> At one point last season Herrera tried to ban Gannon from a game that he was covering for CBS. Former Raider receiver Tim Brown has also offered his services only to be turned away. In the past Davis has embraced just about all his former players and coaches despite some having harsh criticism toward the owner and orginization. However, since Herrera has been speaking for Davis any and all assistance has been turned away. Raiders CEO Amy Trask has been doing her part too. She seems to be ignoring the fact that Raider games in Oakland Coliseum have been blacked out most of the season. She hasn’t noticed that most Jumbo Trons in todays NFL not only have the capability to show replays, but they have High Def screens. No, she seems to be content with the Jumbo Tron that has the size and technological equivalent of Davis’ overhead projector. Oakland Coliseum is considered the worst stadium in the NFL and at one point NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell couldn’t hide his shock when he attended a game last season. In an odd twist of circumstance, another former Raider reached out, but not to the Raider organization, but to it’s fans.<img class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-56479" src="http://isportsweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/Gruden1-100x100.jpg" alt="" width="100" height="100" /> Former coach Jon Gruden and now ESPN annylist was covering the 49er-Cardinal game in Sanfransisco on December 14, but made a pit stop in Ricky’s Sports bar in Oakland. He signed autographs and mingled with fans much of the night. Gruden purchased a Bo Jackson Jersey for himself and Raider hats for the Monday night football crew. When Gruden was asked if he would coach the Raiders again he was quoted as saying, ”Tomorrow if I could”. “Chucky” must fantasize about coaching this team. It’s tailor made for his type of football. Three gifted running backs and quarterback Bruce Gradkowski, who was drafted by Gruden in his Tampa days, would be running the huddle. Jon Gruden coined the phrase “running back by commitee” in 2000, when he [...] Al Davis is facing a crisis that is rapidly reaching an epic level. The aging owner has watched his beloved Raiders be ridiculed and mocked as the downward spiral has now reached seven long seasons. Although much of the blame lies [...] Raiders Feeling The Heat, Ravens Circling A Chance At The Playoffs http://isportsweb.com/2010/01/02/55307/ http://isportsweb.com/2010/01/02/55307/#comments Sat, 02 Jan 2010 17:36:44 +0000 Pat Cowan http://isportsweb.com/?p=55307 http://isportsweb.com/2010/01/02/55307/feed/ 4 <a href="http://isportsweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/ray-rice-511.jpg"></a> Al Davis, Tom Cable and the 2-7 Raiders finally seen enough of quarterback Jamarcus Russell’s impotent attempts to execute….well…anything. In a season and a half Jamarcus Russell managed to provide the Oakland Coliseum with plenty of elbow room with his poor play behind center. With the season circling the drain, Cable announced that Russell would be benched. <a href="http://isportsweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/Raiders_vs_Eagles_9b1f.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-55344" src="http://isportsweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/Raiders_vs_Eagles_9b1f-250x200.jpg" alt="Raiders_vs_Eagles_9b1f" width="250" height="200" /></a> That decision started, what could only be described as, a roller coaster ride. Bruce Gradkowski provided the quarterback position with the spark it needed, but after two and a half games and two sprained knees, Charlie Frye took over and in a game against the Cleveland Browns last Sunday, threw for 333 yards, but had no touchdowns and three interceptions. The Raiders lost 23-9, but it wasn’t so much a black mark against Frye as it was on Tom Cable’s playcalling ability. Cable’s refusal to allow the running backs any opportunity to score inside the redzone doomed what was a very winnable game. Regardless, the Raiders have a chance to go .500 in the second half of the season when the Baltimore Ravens come to town on Sunday. The Ravens are coming in with a decieving 8-7 record. A victim of a brutal schedule, their losses have come at the hands of the Steelers, Vikings, Colts, Patriots as well as being swept by the Bengals. The Ravens have a balanced attack that keys on running back Ray Rice. <a href="http://isportsweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/ray-rice-512.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-55339" src="http://isportsweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/ray-rice-512-140x200.jpg" alt="ray-rice-51" width="140" height="200" /></a>Behind Rice’s 1,269 the Ravens are 7th in the league in Rushing. Rice is also leading the team in receiving with 74 grabs. If the Raiders want to finish on a good note, Rice will have to be accounted for every second that he is on the field. Some say that the Ravens defense is a shadow of what it has been in the past, but despite the five top ten offenses that they have played this season, they stiill managed to rank 6th in total defense.The Ravens are coming to Oakland needing a win to keep their playoff hopes alive. <a href="http://isportsweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/Ray-Lewis-Biography.jpg"></a> The Raiders have made it a habit of upsetting potential playoff teams, knocking off the Eagles, Bengals, Steelers and Broncos. However despite that fact, they may also be playing for Cables future. After losing a game that they should have and could have won, Davis has to be looking at Cables ability to return the Raiders to their former glory. Whispers out of Oakland say that Davis is looking at head coaching candidates like Jim Fassell and John Harbaugh. A few weeks ago former coach Jon Gruden made an appearance in a local Oakland sports bar, hanging out all night with Raider fans and signing autographs until the wee hours of the morning. <a href="http://isportsweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/Gruden.jpg"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-55343" src="http://isportsweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/Gruden-202x200.jpg" alt="Gruden" width="202" height="200" /></a>The thought of Gruden coaching the Raiders again has caused [...] Al Davis, Tom Cable and the 2-7 Raiders finally seen enough of quarterback Jamarcus Russell’s impotent attempts to execute….well…anything. In a season and a half Jamarcus Russell managed to provide the Oakland Coliseum with plenty [...] Butler’s Defense Smothers Phoenix http://isportsweb.com/2010/01/01/butler%e2%80%99s-defense-smothers-phoenix/ http://isportsweb.com/2010/01/01/butler%e2%80%99s-defense-smothers-phoenix/#comments Fri, 01 Jan 2010 07:38:57 +0000 JJ DeBrosse http://isportsweb.com/?p=55167 http://isportsweb.com/2010/01/01/butler%e2%80%99s-defense-smothers-phoenix/feed/ 0 The Bulldogs said farewell to this decade in the same way they ushered it in: playing hard nose defense, hustling for loose balls and playing the Butler Way. In a game that should be a wake up call to the rest of the Horizon League, the Bulldogs held Green Bay to 35% shooting from the field and gave the Phoenix their first conference loss, 72-49 at Hinkle Fieldhouse Thursday night. Shelvin Mack lead the way for Butler with 14 points and 3 assists. The Phoenix, playing without leading scorer Rahmon Fletcher, got 11 points from Rian Pearson. As most Green Bay-Butler games have been this decade, it wasn’t about scoring, but intense defensive pressure. From the opening tip it was clear that there would be no easy baskets. Green Bay’s game plan was simple; take it to the heart of the Butler defense and see how Matt Howard would be affected. The first four Phoenix baskets were driving layups and they made a conscience effort to get power forward Randy Berry the ball in the post. By the ten minute mark, Howard had two fouls. He would only play five minutes of the first half but unlike earlier games this year, Butler’s other big men rose to the occasion. Green Bay started the game in a 2-3 zone, but quickly came out of it after Butler’s ball movement got Gordon Hayward two three pointers and Shelvin Mack a driving lay-up. It than became the Andrew Smith show. The 6’11 Freshman from Indianapolis, who has been little used to this point in the season, scored four points, grabbed five rebounds and had a block shot in seven first half minutes. Combine this with five points and one rebound that the Bulldogs’ Avery Jukes chipped in and Butler not only didn’t miss Howard, they held an eight point lead at the half. It could have been higher, but the Bulldogs didn’t have an answer for Rian Pearson. The Green Bay Freshman sliced and diced his way to eight first half points and kept the Phoenix within striking distance. The second half started with Matt Howard showing why he was last season’s Player of the Year. Howard had three rebounds, 2 assists, a steal and drew Berry’s third foul in the first two and half minutes of the second half and sparked the Bulldogs to a 9-2 run that helped grow their lead to 18 points. Green Bay answered with two Troy Cotton free throws and a layup by Bryquis Perine, cutting the lead to 14 points. This would be as close as Green Bay would get. Butler ratcheted up the defense and held the Phoenix to 22 second half points on 29% shooting. Cotton was 1-7 from the field, finishing with 4 points, ten below his season average. Randy Berry, two games removed from his fourth double-double of the year, was 1-6 and in foul trouble most of the second half. This is the fifth straight loss for the Phoenix at Hinkle Fieldhouse and their tenth in the last eleven against the Bulldogs overall. For Butler, this may have been one of it’s most complete games of the season. As a team they shot 46% from the field, out rebounded Green Bay 39-22 and forced 15 turnovers. “Our guys believe in what’s important and what’s needed to be a better basketball team, and I think we did it tonight,” said Butler coach Brad Stevens. Gordon Hayward and Willie Veasley both had very balanced games. Hayward had 13 points, 6 rebounds and 2 block shots. Veasley had 10 points, 7 rebounds and 4 steals. Andrew Smith finished the game with career highs of 6 points and 8 rebounds. But it was the Butler defense that should excite Bulldog fans and worry opposing coaches. It is the second time this season that Butler has held an opponent under 50 points and it showed that it can continue to perform at a high level with Howard on the bench. These have been two key elements that have been missing from Butler’s earlier non-conference games. If Butler can come out with this effort [...] The Butler Bulldogs use a smothering defense to rout the Green Bay Phoenix 72-49. Shelvin Mack leads the way for Butler. Just Like Old Times:Raiders and Broncos Re-Kindle Storied Rivalry. http://isportsweb.com/2009/12/22/just-like-old-timesraiders-and-broncos-re-kindle-storied-rivalry/ http://isportsweb.com/2009/12/22/just-like-old-timesraiders-and-broncos-re-kindle-storied-rivalry/#comments Wed, 23 Dec 2009 01:31:49 +0000 Pat Cowan http://isportsweb.com/?p=53884 http://isportsweb.com/2009/12/22/just-like-old-timesraiders-and-broncos-re-kindle-storied-rivalry/feed/ 5 Since the dawn of the NFL, The Raiders- Bronco’s games have been one of the most heated rivalry’s in history. On and off the field they have openly shown their disdain for each other. Through the years they have jumped at the chance to sign each others players and coach’s. Over the years there have been players like Lyle Alzado, Bill Romanowski, Ashlie Lelie and Javon Walker, not to mention former and future Hall Of Fame coach Mike Shannahan. Even now there is, Lamont Jordan, Erik Pears and Gerrard Warren who have all swapped sidelines. The results have taking this rivalry to a new level. Matter of fact if an NFL rivalry is comparible to a candle light vigil, this rivalry brings a flame thrower! Last Sunday the two teams met once again and from a grudge match point of view, it didn’t disappoint. When they met in Oakland earlier in the year, the Broncos won handily outscoring the Raiders anemic offense 23-3. During the game however, there was an incident that involved Raiders defensive end, Richard Seymour pulling Broncos offensive lineman Ryan Clady’s hair at the end of a pla<img class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-53924" src="http://isportsweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/clady_seymour1-100x100.jpg" alt="clady_seymour" width="100" height="100" />y resulting in a unsportsman like penalty. This became the fuel that re-ignited the fire and revenge was on the mind of the Broncos, while the Raiders sought their own revenge for a home loss earlier in the year. The problem is, revenge is a dish best served cold, but when it is served hot, it’s sloppy… The Raiders owned the ground while piling up 241 rushing yards and a touchdown, while the Broncos Kyle Orton attacked through the air with 278 yards and a touchdown of his own. Ahhh, but just like old times, it wasn’t long before the pushing and the shoving began and by the third quarter Brandon Marshall’s go ahead touchdown celebration took a backseat to a Raider-Bronco Melee that filled the endzone. The officials kept their flags in their pockets through it all, earning the praise of all the fans who watched these teams duke it out through the seventies and eighties. Another Bizarre twist came in the fourth quarter as the game had to be stopped due to one or more fans using laser lights to distract the teams and officials. After what seemed like an eternity they got their man, or at least someone close by…. As if this game had a lack of story lines, Raiders defensive tackle Tommy Kelly added his own by losing his pants while tackling Knowshon moreno. The only thing between the veiwers and an R rating was his jock strap,<a href="http://isportsweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/kellypants1.jpeg"><img class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-54054" src="http://isportsweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/kellypants1-100x100.jpg" alt="kellypants1" width="100" height="100" /></a> fortunately the camera angle was from the front. <a href="http://isportsweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/kellypants1.jpeg"></a> <a href="http://isportsweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/kellypants1.jpeg"></a> In the end it was the Raiders calling on three unlike<a href="http://isportsweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/kellypants1.jpeg"></a>ly players, One forgotten son, one prodigal son and one scorned son to eventually prevail. <a href="http://isportsweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/Bush-DMC.JPG"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-53950" [...] Since the dawn of the NFL, The Raiders- Bronco’s games have been one of the most heated rivalry’s in history. On and off the field they have openly shown their disdain for each other. Through the years they have jumped at the chance to [...] Mike Piazza: Champion Of Faith Visit http://isportsweb.com/2009/07/22/mike-piazza-champion-of-faith-visit/ http://isportsweb.com/2009/07/22/mike-piazza-champion-of-faith-visit/#comments Thu, 23 Jul 2009 01:27:07 +0000 EJ Rose http://isportsweb.com/?p=27601 http://isportsweb.com/2009/07/22/mike-piazza-champion-of-faith-visit/feed/ 0 <a href="http://isportsweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/IM000169.MPG">IM000169</a><a href="http://isportsweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/mike1.jpg"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-27906" src="http://isportsweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/mike1-150x200.jpg" alt="mike1" width="150" height="200" /></a>As a Mets fan, my father (‘Pops’ as I called him) & I have been to some games at Shea & it was usually August & it just so happened Bobby Valentine would give Mike some rest. After my father died in 05,I went to Shea alone. Mike was in the line-up. It was his 3rd to last game as a Met by then against the Rockies & each at bat, the video was rolling. He went 0-3 that game. I didn’t get to see my favorite player hit a jack out of the park. I was happy just to scream every time he was up & give a standing ovation with everyone else. Maybe my father up above had something else in store for me? I met Mike Piazza in the town I now live in. A small town Mike couldn’t even pronounce until he was golfing with Minot, ND Josh Duhmel not long ago. (It’s pronounced My-Not). Do I dare believe there was a reason I get to meet Mike? It had to be a lucky coincidence right? By the end of the day, I couldn’t help but wonder. We had a brief press confrence with Mike. We discussed his visit to Minot. He was here to promote a DVD titled “Champions Of Faith”. After Doors opened to the public, we were inroduced to Mike & after a standing ovation, he presented the film. After watching the film, we had a nice Q & A with Mike & film director Tom Allen. After that, Mike did photo’s & autographs for the packed house that attended. “Champions Of Faith” If you enjoy any of the “Outside The Lines” type stories about sports/teams/players. Then you would enjoy this. The DVD features many players & managers that speak about certain situations & then talk about how their beliefs & hope in faith. It didn’t matter what type of faith, this DVD did not really concentrate on any one in particular. It was very entertaining. My favorite stories were from Former Florida Marlins Manager Jack McKeon & a touching story from Mike Sweeny & one that featured the popular Post- 9/11 Mike Piazza home run. It really gave a different outlook on baseball players & I asked Tom Allen if he thought that this could help offset some of the black shadow that has been cast over baseball in recent years & he responded “that is the intent, there are a lot of positive players & stories out their & I hoped to share some of that to the world”. He mentioned that as he is aware that there are “poor role models” out there, but followed that this DVD can show “clean, positive players that don’t as much positive media attention as the bad stuff”. Getting the DVD produced proved to be a bit of a challenge. Tom shared his story about asking for Official MLB licensing. The first thing he agreed to was ensuring that no one particular faith was concentrated on over any other. That was easy. Getting all the MLB footage used was the bigger challenge. He advised us that the initial price tag for rights was outrageous. He figures the MLB execs were ready to brush him aside. When he eventually showed up in the NY office with Mike Sweeny on one side & Mike Piazza on the other. The tone changed. “The footage we will give you will be great for your film” on exec advised them. “The Film will be good for baseball” Piazza replied. And we now have “Champions Of Faith”. This DVD has a 60 Minutes , 20/20 news look to it, with a Sports “Outside The Lines” feeling. I would recommend looking it up. I [...] IM000169As a Mets fan, my father (‘Pops’ as I called him) & I have been to some games at Shea & it was usually August & it just so happened Bobby Valentine would give Mike some rest. After my father died in 05,I went to Shea [...] Q&A with CJ Lee http://isportsweb.com/2009/06/07/qa-with-cj-lee/ http://isportsweb.com/2009/06/07/qa-with-cj-lee/#comments Mon, 08 Jun 2009 02:55:02 +0000 Rob White http://isportsweb.com/?p=20623 http://isportsweb.com/2009/06/07/qa-with-cj-lee/feed/ 1 <div id="attachment_20633" class="wp-caption alignleft" style="width: 276px"><a href="http://isportsweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/cjx2.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-20633" title="cjx2" src="http://isportsweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/cjx2-266x200.jpg" alt="CJ Lee with CJ Kupcek" width="266" height="200" /></a>CJ Lee with CJ Kupcek</div> I was sitting at home on Saturday night when I received a phone call from a dear friend of isportsweb.com, CJ Kupcek. He was calling to tell me he was at the Tigers game in a suite and that CJ Lee was also there in the suite. He asked me if I wanted to see if Lee would answer some questions. I said that would be great. CJ Lee graciously agreed. I fired off some questions for CJ Kupcek to ask and he did. The Q&A is below. <a href="http://isportsweb.com/CJLee.wma">Click here for the audio</a> How did it make you feel to be the team captain last year? It was good because I was nominated by my peers, teammates. So anytime that you are put in a position like that it means a lot to you. When you transferred to Michigan from Manhattan did you ever think you would be a team captain and starting games in the NCAA Tournament? I knew it was possible. I knew that was the dream I had. It definitely shocked me that it happened that way but it’s what I worked hard to do and I’m proud. You guys took a huge step forward last season advancing to the second round of the NCAA Tournament, did that exceed your expectations for the season? It definitely exceeded expectations for the season. I mean us as players were not immune to what the outside world is saying about your team. We knew where we were picked but we knew we were making a conscious effort everyday to get to that tournament no matter what people were saying. It was gratifying to our team and to our to get that far. In a few words how would you summarize the impact Coach Beilein has made at Michigan? Program changes. What player do you think has the best chance to surprise people and have a break out season for Michigan next year? I’ll give you two people I would say Laval Lucas-Perry and Stu Douglass. How good can Manny Harris be? He’s a legitimate pro right now. I think that if he comes back takes required responsibility its only going to raise his stock in the draft. What are your future plans? Would you ever consider coaching? My future plans are I’m interested in politics. I’m pursuing that right now with my summer internship. I definitely see myself coaching somewhere down the road I get asked that a lot. It definitely is something I can do it’s just a matter of if I’m willing to do it and when. Do you want to say [...] Q&A with CJ Lee, former captain of the Michigan basketball team. Here We Go Again With All The Experts http://isportsweb.com/2009/06/04/here-we-go-again-with-all-the-experts/ http://isportsweb.com/2009/06/04/here-we-go-again-with-all-the-experts/#comments Thu, 04 Jun 2009 17:37:10 +0000 Michael Goldfeder http://isportsweb.com/?p=19870 http://isportsweb.com/2009/06/04/here-we-go-again-with-all-the-experts/feed/ 5 It’s that time of year again. That’s right, all of the college football pre-season magazines are out telling us who will win, who will lose, and who will be playing in all of the bowl games at the end of the season. Well before we get all charged up or glum, depending on who says what about your favorite college team, let’s step into the “Way Back Machine” for a moment (It’s from the Rocky and Bullwinkle Show if you must know), and see how it was going to play out for Georgia Tech under Paul Johnson last year: “Oh Georgia Tech will go 3 and 9 this year in the ACC as Paul Johnson tries to implement his triple option based offense in a major BCS Conference. It will take a few years before he has the right personnel to run this offense, so expect Tech to go through some growing pains the first few years of the Paul Johnson era.” Now I can’t recall the names of the critics who made those comments and bold predictions, or the exact publications who printed them, but as it has been said before, “That’s why they play the games.” Why these experts even had the Ramblin Wreck finishing up behind Duke in the Coastal Conference standings. That’s in football NOT basketball. Given that the Blue Devils were shut out 27 to 0, with a true freshman back-up quarterback starting for Tech that game, that prediction was certainly doomed. So much for the prognosticators. So now that the inaugural season has been played with the team performing on the field well beyond the pundits expectations, you would think that the sniping would end. Think again grasshopper. (Kung Fu) Now the mantra being spread like a brush fire in the college football community is, “that the defenses will get better at stopping this offense in the second year after seeing it the for the first time.” Sounds logical. Makes sense. Maybe that is why no one else in the BCS runs this offense. Sure, much like a new AAA pitcher in the major leagues having a good outing the first time around the league. Just a “quirky” offense that only works the first time around on the football field. Well now that we have solved this mystery and explained the lore as to why this triple option based offense is currently on the football equivalent of the scrap heap, we can not only start to feel better about ourselves, but now return to the pristine harmony of predictability that makes college football great. Or have we? Personally, I think that there has been “a disruption in the force.” (Can’t remember if Obie One Kenobi said it or Darth Vadar.) However, just like the words from that famous Temptations hit from the past; “Get ready cause here it comes”, so is Georgia Tech! Looking back on the evolution of Paul Johnson’s triple option based “quirky” offense; let’s start in modern times with the Georgia Southern years. Well the myth that teams will get better at defending this offense after having seen it for the first time not only goes right out the window, it goes straight down the drain. He actually won 5 conference titles during his, now get this, his 5 year reign as the Eagles head coach. Let’s see, that’s 5 for 5. Well how can that happen if the defenses get better at stopping it after seeing it for the first time. Did he run the spread his second year? Wishbone the third? Pro set the fourth? Certainly went to split backs in the fifth year. No. None of the above. How can that be? The law of football physics cannot be defied according to the pundits. This has to be a mistake, or worse yet, certainly a tear in the space time continuum. This can’t happen. Remember, “This offense will never work in a BCS Conference.” Well guess what, year two begins in 93 days, and I can’t wait!  <div [...] Looking Back on the Predictions for the 2008 Paul Johnson Inagural Era