Sports Sense

Almost every year I get angry the second week of December. That’s when the Heisman Trophy winner – symbolizing the nation’s best college football player – is announced. It’s rarely the right guy. I’d be shocked if the right guy gets handed the trophy on Saturday.

The politics of major college football are often infuriating and insulting. We all know that the BCS, the cartel which controls the alleged national championship game, the bowl system and more importantly the money, should only have two letters – BS.

But the Heisman Trophy selection process makes the BCS look absolutely democratic.

The five finalists for the 2009 Heisman Trophy were announced on Monday. They are:

Toby Gerhart – Stanford running back
Mark Ingram – Alabama running back
Colt McCoy – Texas quarterback and last year’s runner up
Ndamukong Suh – Nebraska defensive tackle
Tim Tebow – Florida quarterback and 2007 winner

To me the Heisman symbolizes everything that is wrong with college football. I’m not a mathematician like my father was, but by my count there are 22 guys on the field, each playing different positions, 11 on offense and 11 on defense, all contributing to this thing called TEAM. But the Heisman Trophy is apparently reserved for players at only 2 or 3 positions. This statistical anomaly is why I consider the Heisman Trophy the biggest joke in football. This is absurd.

Of the 74 times the Heisman has been awarded since 1935, a total of 41 running backs and 26 quarterbacks have won the award. That means 67 of the 74 Heisman recipients have played only one of two positions. That’s bad enough, but worse is the fact that only once has a defensive player ever won the award – defensive back Charles Woodson of the University of Michigan won it in 1997. Are you kidding me?? One defensive player – One. And Woodson was helped in his win because he occasionally played spectacularly at wide receiver and kick returner.

The best college football player hands down this year is the University of Nebraska’s all-world defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh. He is an absolute beast. Suh is the closest player I’ve seen to the late, incomparable, Reggie White.

Suh is so strong, so fast and so dominant, that I can’t imagine another player who is better than he is. Suh tossed around last year’s Heisman runner-up Colt McCoy like a ragdoll in Nebraska’s heartbreaking loss to Texas the other day. The right guy for the Heisman this year is Ndamukong Suh. He is one of the best college football players I’ve ever seen.

But the numbers don’t lie. Suh has as much chance to win the Heisman as I have of becoming the next coach of the Washington Redskins. And that’s a shame. It is an embarrassment to college football.

Wouldn’t it be great if the Heisman voters stop laughing at us and end the biggest joke in football by doing the right thing.

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DavidBurnett BCS biggest joke in football, Heisman Trophy, joke, Ndamukong Suh

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