Heisman Trophy committee dropped the ball

2009-09-08T11:21:03-04:00

2008-12-11T23:33:24-05:00

2008-12-13T02:19:41-05:00

Redraider11

Abilene 633479

81 As a student at tech,, I must warn the country of where the Texas Tech athletic program is heading. I believe you will see Tech be a consistent championship contender within the next ten years. we are expanding at an incredible rate (recruiting, student body, fan base, facilities, and overall talent), and this season is just a glimpse of whats to come. Leach is the offspring of Stoops and TTU is going to be OU times two within 5 years. do you know where Stoops got the offensive plan from???? Leach. 3644933

2008-12-12T15:26:49-05:00

rstmc

Pittsburgh 577302

QUOTE(#53):Originally posted 11:51 AM ET 12.12 by Blarc If the front if his jersey had a "University of.." on it, he would have already received his trophy by Federal Express. Face it folks, there are only 6-10 schools even "eligilbe" to win the Heisman, that's all. The base of the trophy needs these words engraved. "Others, need not apply." Signed,Ty Detmer

76 ROLF I think he is just glad that the award was decided BEFORE that Hawaii game... 3639247

2008-12-12T21:29:43-05:00

http://img.fannation.com/upload/user_profile/image/107/450/thumb/oulogo.bmp 3178 OK

SoonerGirl

Norman 107749

ROLF

80 Thanks. I'm always relieved to find someone who appreciates my odd sense of humor. 3643563

2008-12-12T04:32:24-05:00

385

yngwiescruggs

Tempe 493642

20 Every team in the country lost a game this year, except Utah and Boise, and Utah and Boise would probably lose 9 out of 10 against OK or Florida or Texas or Texas Tech or Bama or USC. Deciding it by a playoff doesn't guarantee the best team wins any more than a mythical NC or having a BCS NC game does. 3631022

2008-12-12T20:09:49-05:00

http://img.fannation.com/upload/user_profile/image/189/970/thumb/mccoy.jpg 23 TX

casasims

Cypress 190270

Every team in the country lost a game this year, except Utah and Boise, and Utah and Boise would probably lose 9 out of 10 against OK or Florida or Texas or Texas Tech or Bama or USC. Deciding it by a playoff doesn't guarantee the best team wins any more than a mythical NC or having a BCS NC game does.

79 You are missing the point. The point is not to guarantee the best team wins. The point is to give a fair chance to a broader field of potential winners instead of arbitrarily trying to choose the best two teams as your starting point. Does that mean that in an 8 teams field that a ninth or tenth place team could not have won if they were given the chance? Of course not. No one clains that a playoff would be perfect. But I think most agree that the larger the initial pool the better the chance for a deserving team to prove thier case on the field. This year is a classic example. There are two quality teams that are undefeated and might just deserve to be national champs. Few believe they would do very well against the likes of Florida or Oklahoma but they only way to know for sure is to but them on the field. Who's to say a team like USC couldn't beat both Florida and Oklahoma if given teh chance. They major flaw of the BCS system is the assumption that the season will end with two and only two clear cut top teams. Statistically this happens only once every 8 years based on the API and Coaches polls going back 35 years. With a playoff you will still have controversy and you will have arguments that some team won but it was a fluke and they really weren't the best team but they still would have won on the field of play and they would have had some degree of control as would the teams they beat. A playoff may not be free from flaws and controversy but it is waaaay better than the BCS will ever be no matter how many tweaks that add. 3643063

2008-12-12T15:20:23-05:00

rstmc

Pittsburgh 577302

75 *Alert! Serious sarcasm below* You're exactly right! That is why I have been against the NCAA basketball tournament for years. I mean, come on! It is absoulutely rediculous that a team like Ball St, Weber St, or any other cinderella team even gets an invitation to the big dance, let alone a shot at being national champions. I move that the BCS be instituted in NCAA basketball immediately. Seriously, this would prevent those phony cinderella teams from ruining the tournament by winning a game or two. Now seriously, if you are really afraid of your BCS team losing to a Utah or Boise St, then by all means hide behind this lame excuse. If they are really as good as they say they are, then they would have no problem taking care of a "weak" team like Utah or Boise St. 3639147

2008-12-12T16:51:38-05:00

http://img.fannation.com/upload/user_profile/image/934/3/thumb/seantay2.jpg 1346 AZ

DbackSkin

Tucson 9363

*Alert! Serious sarcasm below* You're exactly right! That is why I have been against the NCAA basketball tournament for years. I mean, come on! It is absoulutely rediculous that a team like Ball St, Weber St, or any other cinderella team even gets an invitation to the big dance, let alone a shot at being national champions. I move that the BCS be instituted in NCAA basketball immediately. Seriously, this would prevent those phony cinderella teams from ruining the tournament by winning a game or two.Now seriously, if you are really afraid of your BCS team losing to a Utah or Boise St, then by all means hide behind this lame excuse. If they are really as good as they say they are, then they would have no problem taking care of a "weak" team like Utah or Boise St.

78 Stupid George Mason.... 3640769

2008-12-12T15:53:47-05:00

238

200mphrocker

Harlingen 622271

77 Where to start? Let's see: David Klingler, Akili Smith, Andre Ware, Colt Brennan. Harrell is in the same mold. 3639717

2008-12-12T12:08:15-05:00

http://img.fannation.com/upload/user_profile/image/107/450/thumb/oulogo.bmp 3178 OK

SoonerGirl

Norman 107749

If the front if his jersey had a "University of.." on it, he would have already received his trophy by Federal Express. Face it folks, there are only 6-10 schools even "eligilbe" to win the Heisman, that's all. The base of the trophy needs these words engraved. "Others, need not apply."

57 Signed, Ty Detmer 3635696

2008-12-12T15:26:49-05:00

rstmc

Pittsburgh 577302

76 ROLF I think he is just glad that the award was decided BEFORE that Hawaii game... 3639247

2008-12-12T04:32:24-05:00

385

yngwiescruggs

Tempe 493642

2008-12-12T15:20:23-05:00

rstmc

Pittsburgh 577302

2008-12-12T13:47:51-05:00

http://img.fannation.com/upload/user_profile/image/426/23/thumb/p1_jackson_bo.jpg 10 XX

boknows34

No City 42843

73 If the committee REALLy did not want to invite anyone if they didn't have a chance of winning, then there would be only 1 candidate invited in some years. Barry Sanders, Desmond Howard and Ricky Williams for example. 3637447

2008-12-12T14:06:35-05:00

http://img.fannation.com/upload/user_profile/image/934/3/thumb/seantay2.jpg 1346 AZ

DbackSkin

Tucson 9363

If the committee REALLy did not want to invite anyone if they didn't have a chance of winning, then there would be only 1 candidate invited in some years. Barry Sanders, Desmond Howard and Ricky Williams for example.

74 They always invite the top 3, and more some years. 3637810

2008-12-12T13:47:51-05:00

http://img.fannation.com/upload/user_profile/image/426/23/thumb/p1_jackson_bo.jpg 10 XX

boknows34

No City 42843

2008-12-12T13:28:10-05:00

urbanlegend022

Gainesville 620575

72 actually the committee doesnt decide who gets invitations...theres an accounting firm that tallies all the votes and they give the committee a list of the top vote-getters (until there is a large gap)...so perhaps we should move the blame on to them now? fact of the matter is, harrell didnt get enough votes to earn an invite. also....of course the 3 invitees will say harrell got boned!! obviously theyll say the nice, respectful thing to the public. thats not even worth bringing up 3637139

<div class="photo_container image_right"> <div class="photo"><img src="http://img.fannation.com/upload/si_blog_post_images/graham-harrell.ftr.jpg" alt="Graham-harrell" width="298" height="380" /></div> <div class="photo_attributes" style="text-align:right;">Graham Harrell leads the nation with 4,747 passing yards<br />AP</div> </div> <p>Why does everything in college football need to be drenched in controversy like a bad soap opera with no ending in sight? We can't even get through hearing the nominees (the nominees!) for the Heisman Trophy without a slew of debates and arguments breaking out.</p> <p>The solution seems as clear-cut as a college football playoff, but as usual, what might make the most sense doesn't always seem be as obvious to the suits pulling the strings.</p> <p>Texas Tech quarterback <strong>Graham Harrell</strong> was snubbed when it came to the nominations for this year's Heisman Trophy and there was no reason for it.</p> <p>Harrell has thrown for 4,747 yards this season, more than Oklahoma's <strong>Sam Bradford</strong>, Texas' <strong>Colt McCoy</strong> and defending Heisman winner <strong>Tim Tebow</strong> of Florida. He also led his team to the same 11-1 regular-season record as those three quarterbacks, but unlike them, he will not be in New York for the Heisman Trophy presentation.</p> <p>Despite being the Heisman frontrunner and in the driver's seat to play in the BCS national championship game for a month prior to a late-season loss to Oklahoma, Harrell was punished as harshly as the Red Raiders in the Heisman ballots for that one loss and finished a distant fourth. That still deserves a trip to New York and an opportunity to be recognized for the season he had.</p> <p>"It's not fair to that player who has no opportunity to win," said <strong>Robert Whalen</strong>, Executive Director of The Heisman Trophy Trust, who explained that there was "a natural breaking point in the voting" and a large gap between the third place finalist and Harrell, the fourth place finalist, this year.</p> <p>No, what isn't fair is snubbing a senior quarterback like Harrell while three underclassmen, who will no doubt be returning to New York next year, are recognized instead. Harrell probably knew he wasn't going to win the Heisman after the loss to Oklahoma, but to not be invited and share the moment with the three players he has been compared to all season isn't right. How hard would it have been to invite one more player and avoid the controversy you knew was coming by slighting a deserving candidate?</p> <p>Who cares about "a natural breaking point in the voting"? Whalen and everyone else at The Heisman Trophy Trust are smart enough to know that the Heisman ceremony has become an event far more important than the announcement of the winner. It's an hour-long show honoring the candidates as the nominees, their parents and their coaches are interviewed. It's a time when they can hobnob with past Heisman winners before the ceremony and tour New York with their peers as they go on various national talk shows. It's like an actor in an independent film being nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor. Sure, you know you're probably going to lose to <strong>Tom Hanks</strong>, <strong>Daniel Day-Lewis</strong> or <strong>Jack Nicholson</strong>, but wouldn't it be nice be sitting among those guys in Hollywood and be recognized for the work you've done?</p> <p>Not only would it have been fair to invite Harrell to the ceremony, it would have been the right thing to do.</p> http://img.fannation.com/upload/user_profile/image/396/7/thumb/markazi_arash.jpg 118 CA

Arash Markazi

Los Angeles 3987 31681 <div class="photo_container image_right"> <div class="photo"><img src="http://img.fannation.com/upload/si_blog_post_images/graham-harrell.ftr.jpg" alt="Graham-harrell" width="298" height="380" /></div> <div class="photo_attributes" style="text-align:right;">Graham Harrell leads the nation with 4,747 passing yards<br />AP</div> </div> <p>Why does everything in college football need to be drenched in controversy like a bad soap opera with no ending in sight? We can't even get through hearing the nominees (the nominees!) for the Heisman Trophy without a slew of debates and arguments breaking out.</p> <p>The solution seems as clear-cut as a college football playoff, but as usual, what might make the most sense doesn't always seem be as obvious to the suits pulling the strings.</p> <p>Texas Tech quarterback <strong>Graham Harrell</strong> was snubbed when it came to the nominations for this year's Heisman Trophy and there was no reason for it.</p> <p>Harrell has thrown for 4,747 yards this season, more than Oklahoma's <strong>Sam Bradford</strong>, Texas' <strong>Colt McCoy</strong> and defending Heisman winner <strong>Tim Tebow</strong> of Florida. He also led his team to the same 11-1 regular-season record as those three quarterbacks, but unlike them, he will not be in New York for the Heisman Trophy presentation.</p> <p>Despite being the Heisman frontrunner and in the driver's seat to play in the BCS national championship game for a month prior to a late-season loss to Oklahoma, Harrell was punished as harshly as the Red Raiders in the Heisman ballots for that one loss and finished a distant fourth. That still deserves a trip to New York and an opportunity to be recognized for the season he had.</p>