Death of the Heisman

The Heisman is dead.

The once proud pantheon of college football’s greatest honor has degenerated into a two-bit popularity contest and a useless anachronism from a bye-gone era. And it happened right before our eyes.

According to the Heisman trust, the society responsible for maintaining the storied Heisman tradition, the Heisman is awarded to the “most outstanding college football player” each year. In the past, this meant the player who most distinguished themselves as a player, teammate and leader through the course of the college football season.

Take, for example, the statistics from two quarterbacks who featured prominently in the Heisman balloting in 2006.

Total Yards

Total TDs

QB Rating

Record

Conference Standing

Bowl Game

Player A

2746

31

114.7

12-0

1st

National Championship

Player B

5915

63

129.6

10-3

2nd

Hawaii Bowl

Quarterback B had superior numbers in almost every category, shattered numerous NCAA records and led the nations leading offense, but Quarterback A led the number one team in the country to an undefeated season, conference championship and berth in a BCS game. Justifiably, the voters overlooked the statistical differences and awarded the Heisman Trophy to Player B. In fact, I don’t think you’ll find too many people that disagree with the fact that Troy Smith (Player A) deserved the Heisman in 2006 more then up and coming record setter Colt Brennan (Player B). Brennan put up huge numbers, but came up short in the three biggest games of the year (Alabama, Boise State, Oregon State), while Troy Smith efficiently and effectively led the Buckeyes to a spot in the National Championship game.

Now, take a look at the statistics from two quarterbacks who featured prominently in the Heisman balloting in 2007.

Total Yards

Total TDs

QB Rating

Record

Conference Standing

Bowl Game

Player A

4339

46

112.9

12-0

1st

Sugar Bowl

Player B

3970

51

122.9

9-3

4th

Outback Bowl

Look familiar?

Once again, Quarterback B had superior numbers in almost every category, set a number of NCAA records and led the most prolific offense in his conferences history, but Quarterback A lead an undefeated team to the highest national ranking in his schools history and first ever berth in a BCS bowl game.

The Heisman, of course, went to Player A again, right? RIGHT?? RIGHT??!?!?!?!??!??

Sadly, the voters took an about face and awarded the trophy to the flashiest player instead of the most valuable and, dare I say, outstanding player. In so doing, they overlooked the phenomenal impact Colt Brennan (Player A) had on the field, his team and the entire state of Hawaii and awarded football’s highest honor to Tim Tebow (Player B), a player who had a fabulous season and is an excellent leader and role model in his own right, but came up short when his team needed him the most.

In Florida’s nine wins this season, Tebow averaged 4.7 touchdowns and 359 yards of total offense.
In Florida’s three losses this season, Tebow average 2.6 touchdowns and 246 yards of total offense

Contrast that to Colt Brennan, who in the first 10 games of the season (based on the 7 full games in which he participated) completed 69% of his passes for an average of 462 yards, 5 touchdowns and 1.7 interceptions.

In the two biggest games of the year, with a Conference championship and trip to the Sugar Bowl on the line Colt completed an otherworldly 80% of this passes for an average of 468 yards, 5.5 touchdowns and 1 interception.

I do not mean to take anything away from Tim Tebow, who set a new precedent for offensive success in the SEC against much stiffer competition then what Colt and the Warriors faced, but when the spotlight was at it’s brightest and the games mattered the most, Colt was at his best and Tim Tebow was not. I’m not sure I can put it in any simpler terms.

Most years, I would have accepted Colt’s Heisman snub. I would taken solace in the win over Boise State, the first outright WAC championship and the still-not-sure-I-believe-it Sugar Bowl bid. But, as I sat at home watching the Heisman trophy presentation, ESPN commentator Chris Fowler said something that set me off. While introducing Tim Tebow he said he didn’t think that anyone in the country had nearly as profound effect on a football team and an entire state as Tebow did. That made me apoplectic. (Well, more like incredulous, but I REALLY wanted to see if I could sneak ‘apoplectic’ into a posting somehow. Mission Accomplished.)

Where was Chris Fowler when Colt gave his tearful admission that he was returning for his senior season at Hawaii because, according to him, “I like the person I’m becoming here.”?

Where was Chris Fowler when Colt was taking Samoan classes so he could communicate with his linemen, growing dreads to fit it with his wide receivers or dyeing the Hawaiian island chain into his hair to endear himself to an entire state?

Where was Chris Fowler when Colt went down with a concussion against Fresno State, sucking the life out of both the team and the 47,000 fans in attendance?

Where was Chris Fowler when Colt was enthusiastically cheering on the team from the sidelines during the Nevada game even though he couldn’t play?

Where was Chris Fowler when the entire state of Hawaii lost the ability to start a conversation without talking about the Warriors?

I am ready, albeit grudgingly, to concede that a few players had better statistical years then Colt Brennan. But I can not believe that anyone would claim that a college football player had a bigger impact, through a combination of leadership and on-field performance, then Colt Brennan. It’s simply not true.

Maybe I’m old fashioned, or perhaps, just late to the party on the Heisman front. Maybe the transition of the Heisman from a revered symbol of the best college football has to offer to a popularity contest between quarterbacks and running backs from top 10 teams has been underway for a while and I never realized it. But I can’t help shake the feeling that the Heisman lost some of it’s luster this past week.

Perhaps, if they make a remake of Planet of the Apes in 50 years, Charlton Heston’s character will be walking along the beach at the end of the movie and see the Heisman trophy lying in the sand instead of the Statue of Liberty. Only, instead of shouting to the heavens, he’ll just shake his head and say, ”maybe it’s for the best…”

Gimme Some Sugar, Baby!

[Author’s note: I pulled the intro to this article from an email I sent this week to a fellow Warrior fan. Kawehi, if this looks familiar, now you know why!]

What a game.

What an exciting, heart wrenching, stomach turning, mind blowing, yet utterly appropriate way to end the most incredible season in UH Football history. The team demonstrated the composure, execution, talent, heart and teamwork that has characterized their magical run. The coaching staff made all the right adjustments. The fans remained a factor even after the team fell into a 21 point hole and Colt Brennan lifted his game to an otherworldly level, exactly when the team (and the entire State of Hawaii) needed him most.

It was an absolutely, unequivocally unforgettable game. With all due respect to the Boise State game and hyperbole, it was the most important game in the history of the University of Hawaii sports. It did not take any prior history of fandom or Aloha Stadium experience to understand and appreciate the full impact of that victory, not just to the football team or a small group of fans, but to the entire state of Hawaii. You could feel it in the urgency of the crowd willing the team to a comeback, hear it in the voices of the fans sitting around you, and see it on the faces of the players, coaches and students as they celebrated on the field and danced in the parking lot long after the game ended. Whether it was clear from the outset or became clear in the aftermath, the 49,677 people in that stadium witnessed much more then a football game.

They witnessed history.

(Well, all except the guy sitting directly in front of me. I kid you not, he was on his laptop, writing a research paper about Sudoku for the entire game. I have the picture to prove it. Unbelievable!)

Prior to the game, Hawaii residents bemoaned the sky high prices and competitive resale market that developed for the tickets. After the game, you could not find a single fan who regretted paying the $75-600+ for their ticket (Washington fans excluded, of course). And who can blame them? The game unfolded like a MasterCard commercial.

4 Tickets to the game on Craigslist: $500
Aloha Stadium Parking: $5
Beer, sausage, kalbi and poke for tailgating: $50
Green and White body paint: $7.50
Watching your star quarterback, who gave up a multi-million dollar signing bonus and the chance to play in the NFL, lead the team back from a 21 point second quarter deficit with a transcendent quarterbacking performance that he capped off with a game winning touchdown pass in the final seconds: Utterly. Totally. Unquestionably. Priceless.

As my mom so eloquently put it, they could make a movie about this season and no one would believe it.

“No way do they win their second game of the season with a 49 yard field goal to send the game into overtime and a pass deflection on their opponents two point conversion on the final play of the game.”

“No way do they win a nationally televised game on the road, against their former coach, in overtime, after a 14 point comeback, in torrential rain, in the mud.”

“No way do they win a game, on the road, without their starting quarterback with a desperation drive that involved long third and fourth down conversion and ended with back to back 45 yard field goals.”

And, finally…

“Absolutely, no way, no how, do they win their final game after giving up three first quarter fumbles, a penalty on fourth down to extend a drive and surrendering 21 unanswered points by outscoring the other team 35-7 to end the game, capped off by a game winning drive where the star quarterback overruled the coaches call to score a touchdown on the final play of his college career and a game saving stop where the defense intercepted the final pass that bounced off the opposing Tight End’s hands, in end zone, with seven seconds remaining.”

That’s too Hollywood. It is not remotely believable.

But I believe. And so do the other 49,676 people at Aloha Stadium as well as the hundreds of thousands of Hawaii residents and millions of ESPN viewers who saw, no, experienced the game for themselves. Perhaps most importantly, the college football coaches, Harris poll voters and computer ranking systems who determine the BCS ranking believe, because Hawaii ended up with a top 10 BCS ranking, which guaranteed them a spot in the Sugar Bowl as well as the $4,500,000.00 (I like to type it out. It seems bigger that way.) paycheck which coincides.

So whether you’re an old fan, a new fan, going to the Sugar Bowl or watching the game at home, sit back, relax and drink in the victory. Blow hundreds of dollars on University of Hawaii merchandise, tattoo “June Jones 4 Life” on your forearm, name your unborn child “Colt Brennan” (Please, honey. PLEASE!), paint your house green and white, mow a giant “H” into your lawn, learn the ha’a, grow dreads or dye the Hawaiian islands in the side of your head. Just remember, no matter what you do, clear all your plans for January 1st and write your Sudoku paper BEFORE the Sugar Bowl.

Trust me on this one.

Look out BCS! Here comes the Warriors!

I apologize for not submitting my pre-game article on time. I wanted to write about the Pre-Championship Paradox, the recent phenomenon where teams play their most pivotal game of the season before their final game (e.g. Colts-Patriots, Red Sox-Yankees, Suns-Spurs, Hawaii-Boise State). Unfortunately, I had my busiest week at work ever, which, in conjunction with the building excitement from the Washington game left me without enough time to adequately explore the subject. I'll tackle the subject at a later date, without the impending pressure of a hyper-important Warriors game looming.

Anyway, to make up for the lost article I promise to deliver a slew of coverage in the next few weeks. I have much to say about the Warriors, Colt Brennan and the impending Sugar Bowl, so I'll submit quite a bit of content soon.

In the mean time, here's a quote from the Seattle Times, talking about Washington's impression of the Warriors.

"-- UW's Roy Lewis wasn't that impressed by Hawaii. Asked where they would finish in the Pac-10 he said "probably last. To really be honest. They're a good team for the conference that they are in, but the Pac-10, I think there are just too many heavy hitters. Once teams get their number and have the right plays called, that system, like all systems, can be broken. You can find glitches in the system. They run their system very well, don't get me wrong, but there are some glitches that can be put out there.''

So, Roy. Since Hawaii BEAT Washington, where does that leave the Huskies? Is there something worse then last place in the Pac-10?

See ya soon, J