Sports Sense

The last couple of weeks I have been watching number 7 from Stanford run the football. He can really play. I’ve got to tell you I’m surprised he’s this good. I just assumed …

Anyway, the kid’s name is Toby Gerhart. Not usually the kind of name we hear being called a potential star NFL running back.

As of his last game – a loss to Cal, Gerhart had rushed for 1531 yards and 23 touchdowns. He scored four touchdowns against Cal.

Toby Gerhart is busting stereotypes. He is big and fast and can run you over. Plus as a bonus – he can make you miss. The last part – can make you miss – is why running back is the blackest position in football. But the very white Gerhart might just be the next great white runner.

It has been a long time since a white guy was taken seriously – by anybody – running the ball.

John Riggins comes to mind. He retired 25 years ago. These days most of the time the white guy gets to play fullback with a big white collar around his neck. He’s the stubby blocker who never gets to run with the ball. This is apparently how it should be according to football’s decision makers. Well at least that’s what their actions seem to be saying.

And most of us tend to agree with their stereotypes.

There is not a league in sports that stereotypes more than the NFL. White guys get to play the “smart” positions – quarterback, center, head coach.

Black guys get the speedy, athletic positions – running back, cornerback, wide receiver.

Position by position the numbers don’t lie. And it seems most of us are just fine with these statistical stereotypes.

But Toby Gerhart might actually defy our assumptions. He is a legitimate Heisman Trophy candidate. And he might actually get to run the ball next year in the NFL.

If he does get to play and run as a pro, I will cheer him on. Because for every successful Toby Gerhart, there will hopefully be another minority coach or quarterback.

Stereotypes have held us all back for too long.

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DavidBurnett College Football, Underdog, football College Football, Heisman Trophy, NFL, running back, Stanford, stereotypes, Toby Gerhart

It had to be the most improbable conclusion to a game in Bowl history. Its hard to imagine any higher drama than what played out in the closing minutes of the Fiesta Bowl last night. The Boise State Broncos – undefeated, but utterly disrespected – against one of college football’s most storied programs, the University of Oklahoma Sooners, winners of the Big 12 title game with its best player, Adrian Peterson finally back from injury. On paper it played out as David versus Goliath. To most of the commentators leading up to the game it was a decided mismatch. But on the field it was a completely different story.

Let’s start from the beginning. From the first few minutes of the game it was clear that “tiny” Boise State a former junior college, was the equal of seven-time national champion Oklahoma if not more so. A 14 – 0 Boise State lead eventually grew to 28 to 10 by midway into the third quarter. The Broncos were led by their tough under-rated defense, a poised senior quarterback, Jared Zabransky and a slick hardnosed running back named Ian Johnson.

Soon though Oklahoma with its historic pedigree and host of talented players elbowed its way back into the game, led by redeemed senior quarterback Paul Thompson. The Sooners staged a remarkable comeback and looked to just about everyone that although it took four hard quarters, that they were finally asserting dominance over a plucky but overmatched team. With just over a minute to play Oklahoma took what looked to be a game deciding lead when cornerback Marcus Walker intercepted Zabransky’s errant pass and ran 33 yards for a Sooner touchdown. But no the game wasn’t over.

Even as the clocked ticked down, Boise State collected itself to gain a couple of key first downs in a march to tie the score. With less than 20 seconds left – 4th down and 18 – the Broncos went into the trick bag. A pass from Zabransky to Drisan James and a shockingly beautiful hook and lateral sprint by Jerard Rabb to the endzone took our breath away. The extra point kick tied it up. Now it was time for college football’s version of overtime.

Oklahoma got the ball first. In college overtimes each team gets the ball 25 yards from the goal line. On the first play Oklahoma’s Peterson scoots through Boise State’s defense almost untouched for a touchdown. Now it was Boise State’s turn. And Oklahoma made them work for it. With fourth down and two from the five yard line another trick play; with quarterback Zabransky going one way and receiver Vinny Parretta getting the ball – lofting it into the endzone to Derek Schouman for the touchdown. The question for Boise State was do they go for a tie and kick it which would lead to another overtime exchange or do they go for two and win the game outright? Well, they did what Hollywood would script and went for two. Not just going for two but doing it in the trickiest, most old-school way possible – a statue of liberty play – with Jared Zabransky faking a pass to his right and handing off behind his back for Ian Johnson to sprint in to the left for the two points and a win for the ages.

The wacky, historically dramatic and unbelievable finish to the game nearly obscures the fact that this was a real, hard fought game, between two very good teams. This was absolutely not a mismatch. It was never a mismatch. Not at all. Thanks to the conclusion it was simply one of the most satisfyingly delicious college football games ever played. Period.

It should be a lesson to us all that we should shut up and just let the kids play the game. Then watch and enjoy it. Damn our prognostications. Damn our ridiculous assumptions. Both teams on this night could have played with any college team in America. And for certain Boise State was an underdog in name only.

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David Burnett BCS, Bowl Games, College Football, Underdog Boise State, David versus Goliath, Fiesta Bowl, mismatch, Oklahoma, unbelievable finish, Underdog