How Big Is The Bowl?

Some college football teams were trying to get their 6th win yesterday to qualify for a bowl game. Boston College did it with their win over North Carolina State. They are now 6-4 overall.

BC will not be dictating its post-season schedule, but at least they will go to a game. Some alumnae will complain about the quality of the opponent, but with over 30 bowl games, almost anyone gets in.

Every year at this time, we hear there are too many games. As long as the television networks continue to pay broadcasting rights, there will be games. Fans still watch them regardless of the level of competition.

Akron @ UMass

I went to Gillette Stadium today to watch UMass play Akron. It was a close, but sloppy game on a 55 degree day.

Akron turned the ball over three times in the first half, but was able to prevail 17-13. UMass killed themselves with their inability to move the ball and convert on third down.

In spite of it all, UMass had a chance to go ahead late in the fourth quarter, but they turned the ball over on downs. Akron put on a great drive to burn the clock and get a late field goal to seal the win.

UMass falls to 1-9, while Akron improves to 4-8. The move to Division 1A has not been smooth for UMass during its first two years. Poor attendance at Gillette Stadium doesn't help. There is virtually no student support at the games because of the 80 mile ride from Amherst.

Things will be different next year as UMass plans to play three home games in Amherst. The team needs more support from students and alumnae.

Todd Christensen

The death of former Oakland Raider TE Todd Christensen was a footnote in the local paper's sports column. He joins the long list of former NFL players who died too young. His death at 57 came during surgery for a liver transplant.

He was a 2nd round pick by the Dallas Cowboys in 1978 after playing running back at BYU. He broke his foot in Cowboy training camp and was placed on IR. He signed the following season with the Giants, but played in only one game.

Raiders owner Al Davis saw something different. He was converted to tight end and spent the next ten seasons in Oakland where he won Super Bowls in 1981 and 1984. He finished his career with 467 catches for 5,872 yards and 41 TD's. He also played in five Pro Bowls.

After his playing days, he became a color analyst for NFL and college games. He had been experiencing liver problems for the last two years which was traced to complications from gall bladder surgery 25 years ago.

Reed Flying With Jets

It was always a long shot to have Ed Reed sign with the Pats. After he was released by Houston, he had to clear waivers. Teams with a worse record than the Pats could put in a claim for him.

He ended up with the New York Jets where he will be reunited with Rex Ryan, his former defensive coordinator with the Baltimore Ravens.

I think it's a great move for the Jets and Reed. We will see whether Reed has anything left in the tank. It would have been nice to see him in Foxborough. He will be a free agent at the end of the season, but also a year older and closer to retirement. We will probably never see the magic that could have been with Reed and Coach Belichick.

Saved By His Stroke

Reports indicate that Texan coach Gary Kubiak will be back on the sidelines after suffering a slight stroke during a game two weeks ago.

Kubiak's situation illustrates the health challenges faced by coaches in a job surrounded by stress. His name has been prominently mentioned for coaches who might get fired before the end of the season. I'm sure that contributed to his stress level.

It would be a public relations disaster for the team to fire Kubiak now. They must let him finish the season no matter what happens. I don't think he will be coaching there next season. The team will make a deal with him at the end of the season to ease him away.

Is It The End For Reed?

The end came for Ed Reed today when the Houston Texans released him after a disappointing season. Reed signed a 3 year/$15 million contract as a free agent after coming off hip surgery.

Reed has always been one of Coach Belichick's favorite defensive players, but is it too late at this stage for Reed to make an appearance in Foxborough? He has lost a step and was relegated to backup duty in Houston. His frustration finally erupted after their most recent loss which resulted in the team releasing him.

If the Pats have a chance, why not sign him? Whoever gets Reed him will owe him $412,000, as well as $62,500 for each game he is on the active roster.

Reed probably should have retired last season. You can't blame him for signing a $15 million contract. He must have known he wasn't going to see most of that money.

It's hard to walk away from the game when someone throws money at you.

Bowl Talk

It's hard to generate a lot of excitement about local college football around here. Boston College and UMass are the only ones that seem to get any type of coverage. There are many good programs in Division 2 & 3, but we don't hear much about them.

BC beat New Mexico State last weekend, improving to 6-4. They only need to win one of their last three games to have seven wins and qualify for one of the many bowls available.

They can even get a game at 7-6. They have three chances to get a bowl bid.

Time To Stuff The Ballot Boxes

Fans can vote for the Pro Bowl, but I don't think it's a good idea to have them involved. The NFL wants it that way because they favor anything that makes the game more popular.

There is no fair way to select the Pro Bowl. In the past, it was done by the players and coaches. They often voted for people they were familiar with or had faced in a game.

Fans can now stuff the ballot box if they want to. Players end up getting selected because of their popularity. The game is still important to many because some get bonuses for being selected.

By the time the game is played, many will miss it because of the Super Bowl or injury. The AFC and NFC teams end up going way down on the depth charts to finalize their rosters.

Leonard Leads

Former New York Giants great Leonard Marshall has been diagnosed with CTE. It seems so cruel that the former three time Pro Bowler would be afflicted with his current condition. He played 13 seasons in in the NFL Now, he has a very real brain trauma condition.

Where does he go from here? He is in the uncharted waters of brain concussions in post playing days. There will be many more after him.

TD Joins The List

Hall of Fame RB Tony Dorsett announced that he suffers from CTE, the chronic brain debilitating disease linked to so many former NFL players. He is now predisposed to early-stage Alzheimer's.

Dorsett joins growing list of players with a potentially bleak future. His announcement puts a high profile player into the news cycle of the CTE story.

As long as the game I played, CTE will be a problem when players retire and get older. The game is so fast and violent. The human body was not made to absorb so many train-like collisions.

The real tragedy is that players will die, or in some instances, take their own life. We don't need any more Dave Duerson or Junior Seau stories.

Dolphins Swimming In Controversy

The bullying controversy in Miami involving teammates Richie Incognito and Jonathan Martin has ignited a huge discussion. The NFL will be conducting its own investigation. There are rumors that the Miami coaching staff encouraged Incognito to "toughen" Martin up.

Bullying and taunting are wrong in any workplace, but I don't think the NFL is a "normal" work environment. It's been interesting to hear comments from current and former players about this.

Incognito has been suspended by the Dolphins, but Martin has not been heard from. Where will this all end up? It has become a huge story in the media. Everyone has their own take on it.

Who Do You Know?

Many fans know the roster of their favorite home team. They recognize everyone on the 53 man roster, Practice Squad and IR.

With the way players move around so much from team to team, do they really know their teammates? We saw that over the weekend when Jets safety Willie Colon admitted that he didn't know WR Greg Salas in spite of him being on the roster for a few weeks. Salas had a huge game in the Jets win over the Saints.

I can see how it happens. Some players move around a lot. There are only so many people they can know on their team before they head to another one. They are fighting just to stay in the league.