Football
However, what’s to follow in this Manning saga is more likely going to resemble the third Godfather than the first. Peyton wasn’t just a great player, he was an Indianapolis institution. Seeing him in a different uniform, like with Montana, Favre, and Rice before him, seems almost unthinkable. Call it the Godfather III effect. Same guy we've known all along, but it just feels wrong. It’s that final chapter most fans wish they could pretend never happened.
In today's cutthroat NFL, the franchise lifer is becoming more and more of an endangered species. All along, it seemed like Peyton could be that guy, a throwback to the age before athletes were little more than mercenaries. Sadly, even he couldn't overcome business as usual. Here are the few remaining relics for whom it always felt exactly as it should.
The 25 Greatest NFL Players to Spend Entire Career With One Team Since The Dawn of Free Agency (Roughly 1990-Present)
- Tom Brady* (New England Patriots)
- Barry Sanders (Detroit Tigers)
- John Elway** (Denver Broncos)
- Dan Marino** (Miami Dolphins)
- Bruce Matthews (Oilers/Titans)
- Ray Lewis* (Baltimore Ravens)
- Troy Aikman (Dallas Cowboys)
- Michael Irvin (Dallas Cowboys)
- Jonathan Ogden (Baltimore Ravens)
- Ed Reed* (Baltimore Ravens)
- Jim Kelly** (Buffalo Bills)
- Marvin Harrison (Indianapolis Colts)
- Michael Strahan (New York Giants)
- Troy Polamalu* (Pittsburgh Steelers)
- Brian Urlacher* (Chicago Bears)
- Derrick Thomas (Kansas City Chiefs)
- Steve Atwater (Denver Broncos)
- Darrell Green (Washington Redskins)
- Derrick Brooks (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
- Eli Manning* (New York Giants)
- Walter Jones (Seattle Seahawks)
- Ben Roethlisberger* (Pittsburgh Steelers)
- Reggie Wayne* (Indianapolis Colts)
- Terrell Davis (Denver Broncos)
- Hines Ward* (Pittsburgh Steelers)
They say that those who can't do, teach. When it comes to coaching football, however, a little on-field experience never hurt anyone. Though the sidelines will never boast the skills of say the pregame roundtables, every once in awhile an athlete comes along who finds a way to transmit his own talents to the next generation. Here are the former playing careers of today's NFL coaches. 
Mike Singletary (Vikings assistant)- Samurai Mike was a two-time All-American at Baylor University before being drafted by the Chicago Bears in 1981. He went on to start 172 games for the Bears during his 12-year career (second most in club history), amassing an impressive 1,488 career tackles. One of the most frightening "Monsters of the Midway," Singletary was a seven time first team All-Pro and two time Defensive Player of the Year. Elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1998, Singletary fared considerably less well on the sidelines, lasting a rough three years at the helm for the Niners from 2008-10. He is currently an assistant for the Minnesota Vikings.
Jack Del Rio (Jaguars, recently let go)- The longtime Jags coach began his career as an All-American linebacker at USC, during which he would take MVP honors in the 1985 Rose Bowl. Del Rio concurrently excelled on the diamond, batting .340 and catching for a USC squad that included both a young Mark McGwire and Randy Johnson. Del Rio would be selected by the Saints in the 1985 NFL Draft, going on to play 11 years for four teams and earning All-Pro distinction in 1994.
Mike Munchak (Titans)- Munchak was a nine time Pro-Bowl offensive guard for the Oilers, later elected to the 1980's All-Decade team. He entered the Hall of Fame in 2001.
Ken Whisenhunt (Cardinals)- Whiz played for Georgia Tech in the early eighties, where he achieved first team All-ACC honors during his junior and senior seasons. Drafted in the 12th round by the Atlanta Falcons, he would last four years as their tight end before stints with the Redskins and Jets. In all, he spent 9 years playing in the NFL and almost a decade more coaching before taking the head reigns for the Cards in 2007.
Gary Kubiak (Texans)- A member of the Texas High School Football Hall of Fame, Kubiak started behind center for Texas A&M before going on to have the unfortunate position of playing behind John Elway in his nine seasons with the Broncos.
Ron Rivera (Panthers)- The Panthers head man compiled the then record for sacks and career tackles at UCLA before submitting nine years at linebacker for the one of the all time defenses in the Chicago Bears of the mid-eighties..
Jim Zorn (Chiefs Assistant)- After going undrafted from Cal Poly Pomona, Zorn became the starting QB for the Seahawks from '76-'83, becoming the second player ever inducted into the Seahawks Ring of Honor. He spent the next three years serving as backup for the Packers, Buccaneers, and Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
Lovie Smith (Bears)- A three-time high school state champion, Smith played college football at Tulsa, where he would garner two All-American nods at linebacker and safety.
Tom Coughlin (Giants)- Coughlin attended Syracuse University where he played running back. In 1967, he set the school's single-season receiving record.
Sean Payton (Saints)- A journeyman in the truest sense, Payton holds the distinction of being the only athlete to ever start in five different football leagues over the course of just two years. A successful quarterback out of Eastern Illinois, Payton would go on to play in the inaugural season of the Arena Football League in 1987. He was subsequently sold for $1,000 to the CFL's Ottawa Rough Riders before landing in the NFL as a Chicago "Spare Bear" scab during the '87 player's strike. Once n
ormal play resumed, Payton fell to the UK Budweiser National League, where he led the Leicester Panthers to the quarterfinals in his first and only year. However, his journey had just begun. Payton would ultimately coach at four different colleges and three different NFL teams before finally finding a home with the New Orleans Saints in 2006.
John Fox (Broncos)- Fox was a defensive back at San Diego State under future NFL head coach Herman Edwards.
Norv Turner (Chargers)- Backed up future Hall-of-Famer Dan Fouts for the Oregon Ducks of the early seventies.
Jim Harbaugh (49ers)- An all time Michigan great, Harbaugh excelled under center for the Bears and Colts, the latter electing him to their Ring of Honor for his winning leadership of their mid-nineties clubs. Despite his success, he is perhaps best remembered around Indianapolis as the guy Peyton Manning replaced.
John Harbaugh (Ravens)- Older brother John was a defensive back at Miami.
Chan Gailey (Bills)- Quarterback at Florida.
Pat Shurmur (Browns)- Co-captained the Rose Bowl Champion 1988 Michigan St. Spartans.
Jason Garrett (Cowboys)- Long time backup to Troy Aikmen during the mid-nineties.
Jim Caldwell (Colts)- Defensive back at Iowa.
Leslie Frazier (Vikings)- Member of the "G Crew" who spent the early '80s as a defensive back with the Bears. Coaches Frazier, Mike Singletary, Jeff Fisher, and Ron Rivera all received rings as players from the 1985 Super Bowl Champion Bears.
Jim Schwartz (Lions)- Schwartz played four years of linebacker for the Hoyas.
Andy Reid (Eagles)- Offensive guard for BYU.
Mike Shanahan (Redskins)- Quarterbacked at Eastern Illinois until a crushing hit on the practice field ruptured one of his kidney's, causing his heart to stop for over 30 seconds. Shanahan was so close to death that a Catholic priest was actually summoned to read him his last rites. Needless to say, that would mark the end of his playing days.
Mike Smith (Falcons)- An All-State linebacker in high school, Smith went on to grab defensive MVP honors twice for East Tennessee State before landing in the CFL for a short stint in 1982.
Rex Ryan (Jets)- Sexy Rexy served as a loyal foot soldier for Southwestern Oklahoma St Bulldogs, playing defensive end opposite his twin brother Rob in 1986.
Alabama Crimson Tide- 14 claimed national championships (9 national polls) and 34 bowl victories.First season: 1892
Current conference: SEC
Defining Coach: Bear Bryant
Top 15 NFL Alumni: Bart Starr, Joe Namath, John Hannah, Don Hutson, Ozzie Newsome, Derrick Thomas, Dwight Stevenson, Ken Stabler, Chris Samuels, Bob Baumhower, Cornelius Bennett, Lee Roy Jordan, Shaun Alexander, E.J. Junior, Le'Ron McClain.
2)
Notre Dame Fighting Irish- 11 claimed national championships (8 national polls) and 15 bowl victories.First season: 1887
Current conference: Independent
Defining Coaches: Knute Rockne, Frank Leahy, Lou Holtz
Top 20 NFL Alumni: Joe Montana, Alan Page, Tim Brown, Paul Hornung, Curly Lambeau, Nick Buoniconti, Dave Casper, Joe Theismann, George Trafton, Wayne Millner, George Conner, Jerome Bettis, George Kunz, Ricky Watters, Bryant Young, Bob Kuechenberg, Daryle Lamonica, Justin Tuck, Mark Bavaro, Bob Toneff.
3)
USC Trojans- 11 claimed national championships (7 national polls including vacated 2004 season) and 31 bowl victories.First season: 1888
Current conference: Pac-12
Defining Coaches: Howard Jones, John McKay, Pete Carroll
Top 30 NFL Alumni: Ronnie Lott, O.J. Simpson, Bruce Matthews, Junior Seau, Troy Polamalu, Marcus Allen, Anthony Muñoz, Ron Yary, Lynn Swann, Clay Matthews, Red Badgro, Frank Gifford, Ron Mix, Keyshawn Johnson, Marvin Powell, Willie Wood, Willie McGinest, Joey Browner, Tony Boselli, Dennis Smith, Tim McDonald, Jon Arnett, Rod Martin, Mark Sanchez, Carson Palmer, Chip Banks, Sam Cunningham, Mosi Tatupu, Lofa Tatupu, Matt Cassel.
4)
Oklahoma Sooners- 7 national championships (7 national polls) and 27 bowl victories.First season: 1895
Current conference: Big 12
Defining Coaches: Bennie Owen, Barry Switzer
Top 10 NFL Alumni: Lee Roy Selmon, Adrian Peterson, Ralph Neely, Bobby Boyd, Tommy McDonald, Greg Pruit, Billy Simms, Roy Williams, Keith Jackson, Tommie Harris.
5)
Michigan Wolverines- 11 claimed national championships (2 national polls) and 20 bowl victories.First season: 1879
Current conference: Big Ten
Defining Coaches: H. Fielding Yost, Bo Schembechler
Top 25 NFL Alumni: Tom Brady, Charles Woodson, Len Ford, Dan Dierdorff, Tom Mack, Bill Hewitt, Mike Ken, Elroy Hirsch, Steve Hutchinson, Al Wistert, Ty Law, Anthony Carter, Trevor Price, Rick Volk, Joe Runyan, Randy Logan, Reggie McKenzie, Amani Toomer, Jake Long, Desmond Howard, Dave Brown, Jim Harbaugh, Ron Kramer, Jumbo Eliot, John Morrow.
6)
Ohio St Buckeyes- 7 national championships (5 national polls) and 19 bowl victories.First season: 1890
Current conference: Big Ten
Defining Coach: Woody Hayes
Top 25 NFL Alumni: Lou Groza, Orlando Pace, Jim Parker, Chris Carter, Paul Warfield, Bill Willis, Dante Lavelli, Jim Tyrer, Dick Schafrath, Eddie George, Jim Lachey, Jim Marshall, Mike Vrabel, Santonio Holmes, Nick Mangold, Randy Gradishar, Bob Vogel, Chris Spielman, Jack Tatum, Joey Gallaway, Terry Glenn, Dick LeBeau, A.J. Hawk, Pepper Johnson, Jim Houston.
7)
Nebraska Cornhuskers- 5 national championships (5 national polls) and 24 bowl victories.First season: 1890
Current conference: Big Ten
Defining Coach: Tom Osbourne
Top 10 NFL Alumni: Bob Brown, Will Shields Mike Tingelhoff, Irving Fryar, Ron McDole, Ndamukong Suh, Neil Smith, Ahman Green, Roger Craig, Pat Fischer.
8)
Miami Hurricanes- 5 national championships (5 national polls) and 18 bowl victories.First season: 1926
Current conference: ACC
Defining Coaches: Jimmy Johnson, Dennis Erickson
Top 30 NFL Alumni: Ray Lewis, Jim Otto, Michael Irvin, Warren Sapp, Jim Kelly, Ted Hendricks, Ed Reed, Reggie Wayne, Edgerrin James, Andre Johnson, Devin Hester, Clinton Portis, Cortez Kennedy, Frank Gore, Jeremy Shockey, Vince Wilfork, Vinny Testaverde, Santana Moss, Chuck Foreman, Ottis Anderson, Jon Beason, Willis McGahee, Dennis Harrah, Jessie Armstead, Jonathan Vilma, Antrel Rolle, Bryant McKinnie, Jerome Brown, Kellen Winslow II, Brandon Meriweather.
Texas Longhorns- 4 claimed national championships (4 national polls) and 26 bowl victories.First season: 1893
Current conference: Big 12
Defining Coach: Darrell Royal
Top 15 NFL Alumni: Earl Campbell, Bobby Layne, Steve McMichael, Bobby Dillon,Tommy Nobis, Priest Holmes, Ox Emerson, Bud McFadin, Ricky Williams, Raymond Clayborn, Diron Talbert, Eric Metcalf, Doug English, Vince Young, Jamaal Charles.
10)
Penn St Nittany Lions- 7 claimed national championships (2 national polls) and 27 bowl victories.First season: 1887
Current Conference: Big Ten
Defining Coach: Joe Paterno
Top 15 NFL Alumni: Jack Hamm, Franco Harris, Mike Muncheck, Lenny Moore, Mike Michalske, Steve Wisniewski, Kerry Collins, Lydell Mitchell, Rosey Grier, LaVar Arington, Stew Barber, Dave Robinson, Ted Kwalick, John Capiletti, Larry Johnson.
11)
Tennessee Volunteers- 6 claimed national championships (2 national polls) and 26 bowl victories.First season: 1891
Defining Coach: Robert Neyland
Top 25 NFL Alumni: Peyton Manning, Reggie White, Doug Atkins, Al Wilson, Jamal Lewis, Jason Witten, Albert Haynesworth, Stanley Morgan, Mike Stratton, Anthony Miller, Jack Reynolds, Arian Foster, Dick Huffman, Terry McDaniel, Leonard Little, Carl Pickens, Dale Carter, Bill Bates, John Henderson, Travis Henry, Jerod Mayo, Chad Clifton, Shaun Ellis, Charlie Garner, Donte Stallworth.
12)
LSU Tigers- 4 claimed national championships (3 national polls) and 23 bowl victories.First season: 1893
Current conference: SEC
Defining Coach: Charles McClendon
Top 15 NFL Alumni: Y.A. Tittle, Jim Taylor, Alan Faneca, Johnny Robinson, Kevin Mawae, Bert Jones, Charley Hennigan, Billy Cannon, Dwayne Bowe, Henry Thomas, Roy Winston, Tommy Casanova, Fred Miller, Kevin Faulk, Joseph Addai.
13)
Pittsburgh Panthers- 9 claimed national championships (2 national polls) and 12 bowl victories.First season: 1890
Current conference: Big East
Defining Coach: Glen "Pop" Warner, John "Jock" Sutherland
Top 20 NFL Alumni: Dan Marino, Mike Ditka, Russ Grimm, Joe Schmidt, Tony Dorsett, Curtis Martin, Larry Fitzgerald, Darrell Revis, Ricky Jackson, Chris Doleman, Joe Stydahar, Ruben Brown, Mark Stepnoski, Bill Fralic, John Reger, Joe Flacco, Keith Hamilton, Andy Lee, Craig Heyward, LeSean McCoy.
14)
Florida Gators- 3 claimed national championships (3 national polls) and 20 bowl victories.First season: 1906
Current conference: SEC
Defining Coach: Steve Spurrier, Urban Meyer
Top 15 NFL Alumni: Emmitt Smith, Jack Youngblood, Lomas Brown, Wilbur Marshall, Wes Chandler, Fred Taylor, Kevin Carter, Jevon Kearse, Lito Sheppard, Chris Collinsworth, Rick Casares, John L. Williams, Nat Moore, Percy Harvin, Neal Anderson.
15)
Minnesota Golden Gophers- 6 claimed national championships (4 national polls) and 5 bowl victories.First season: 1882
Current conference: Big Ten
Defining Coach: Bernie Bierman
Top 10 NFL Alumni: Carl Eller, Bobby Bell, Bronko Nagurski, Leo Nomellini, Karl Mecklenburg, Charlie Sanders, Gino Cappelletti, Keith Fahnhorst, Marion Barb er III, Rick Upchurch.
_Note: Princeton and Yale actually lead all schools in national championships with 26 and 18 respectively. However, given the state of their current programs and the fact that most of these wins occured at the turn of the century when far less teams were participating, they are not up for top 15 consideration. The same applies to Harvard (10 championships) and Penn (4 championships).
Other elite NFL talent producers:
---Syracuse: Jim Brown, Art Monk, Jim Ringo, Larry Csonka, John Mackey, Marvin Harrison, Walt Sweeney, Donavan McNabb, Dwight Freeney, Floyd Little, Jim Nance, Gary Anderson, Rob Burnett, Keith Bullock, Mike Williams.
---Florida St: Deion Sanders, Derrick Brooks, Walter Jones, Fred Biletnikoff, Warrick Dunn, Leroy Butler, Antonio Cromartie, Anquan Boldin, Brad Johnson, Samari Rolle, Darnell Dockett, Sebastian Janikowski, Javon Walker, Chris Hope, Laveranues Coles, Leon Washington, Peter Boulware, Rohn Stark, Tra Thomas.
---Purdue: Ron Woodson, Drew Brees, Bob Griese, Len Dawson, Erich Barnes, Jim Everett, Mike Alstott, Matt Light, Kyle Orton, Dick Barwegan, Erich Barnes, Dave Butz, Cris Dishman, Ed Flanagan, Abe Gibron.
---Georgia: Fran Tarkenton, Champ Bailey, Herschel Walker, Richard Seymour, Hines Ward, Terrell Davis, Jake Scott, Ray Donaldson, Bill Sanfill, Len Hauss, Mo Lewis, Guy McIntyre, Marcus Stroud, Jimmy Orr, Knowshawn Moreno.
---UCLA: Troy Aikmen, Jonathan Ogden, Jimmy Johnson, Carnell Lake, Bob Waterfield, Maurice Jones-Drew, Ken Norton, Freeman McNeil, Kenny Easley, Randy Cross, Max Montoya, Donnie Edwards, Luis Sharpe, Jerry Robinson, Mercedes Lewis.
---Cal: Tony Gonzalez, Aaron Rodgers, Nnamdi Asomugha, Hardy Nickerson, Les Richter, DeSean Jackson, Ed White, Perry Schwartz, Tarik Glenn, Marshawn Lynch.
---UNC: Lawrence Taylor, Julius Peppers, Chris Hanburger, Jeff Saturday, Harris Barton, William Fuller, Alge Crumpler, Ken Willard, Willie Parker, Dre Bly, Greg Ellis, Hakeem Nicks, Vonnie Holliday, Jeff Reed, Sam Aiken.
1) 
Packers- Founded in 1919.
9 league championships, 4 Super Bowls and 9 conference titles. There is perhaps no city as intimately intertwined with its sports team as Green Bay is with the Packers. The Packers in large part built professional football to what it is today, and the ultimate hardware still bears their patron saint's name.
The immortals: Bart Starr, Don Hutson, Reggie White, Brett Favre, Ray Nitschke, Paul Hornung, Forrest Gregg
2) 
Steelers- Founded in 1933 as the Pittsburgh Pirates before switching to the Steelers in 1940.
6 Super Bowls and 8 conference titles. The Steelers were relative late bloomers compared to their contemporaries, but once the Super Bowl era kicked off, the Steel Curtain soon descended upon the NFL. Owned by the Rooney family since their inception, they ruled the seventies and are now sneaking up on the Patriots for the team of the 21st Century.
The immortals: Joe Greene, Terry Bradshaw, Jack Lambert, Franco Harris, Rod Woodson, Lynn Swann, Jack Ham.
3) 
Cowboys- Founded in 1960.
5 Super Bowls and 10 conference titles. Few outside of Dallas would agree that the Cowboys still deserve to be called "America's team." But in truth, what could be more American than amassing wealth, and on that front, no one holds a candle to the Boys. Jim Jones has built the Cowboys into the most valuable franchise in America, and are second only to Manchester United worldwide. Though playoff wins are few and far between nowadays (and that's an understatement), their ownership of the nineties alone puts them at a solid third place.
The immortals: Bob Lilly, Emmitt Smith, Roger Staubach, Randy White, Troy Aikman, Michael Irvin, Tony Dorsett, Deion Sanders
4) 
Bears- Founded in 1919 as the Decatur Staleys.
8 league championships, 1 Super Bowl, and 4 conference titles. Bests all other teams with both 712 total wins and a .578 win percentage.
The immortals: Walter Payton, Dick Butkus, Mike Ditka, Bronko Nagurski, Gale Sayers, Sid Luckman, Red Grange, Mike Singletary, Bill George.
5) 
49ers- Founded in 1946.
5 Super Bowls and 5 conference titles.
The immortals: Jerry Rice, Joe Montana, Ronnie Lott, Steve Young.
6) 
Giants- Founded in 1925.
4 league championships, 4 Super Bowls and 11 conference titles. Hold the record for playoff appearances with 31.
The immortals: Lawrence Taylor, Michael Strahan, Emlen Tunnell, Phil Simms, Sam Huff.
7) 
Browns- Founded in 1946.
8 league championships and 11 conference titles. Though today's Browns are more synonymous with torture and misery, it might be hard to imagine that at one time the North Coast ruled the football universe. Unfortunately, the Super Bowl era has not been kind to Cleveland.
The immortals: Jim Brown, Otto Graham, Paul Warfield, Lou Groza, Ozzie Newsome.
8) 
Redskins- Founded in 1932 as the Boston Braves. However, because some perhaps saw the name Braves as being a bit disrespectful towards Native Americans, they changed their moniker to the Redskins a year later. They moved to Washington in 1937, where they've won 2 league championships, 3 Super Bowls and 12 conference titles.
The immortals: Sammy Baugh, Joe Theismann, Darrell Green, Sonny Jurgensen.
9) 
Raiders- Founded in 1960 as the Oakland Senores.
3 league championships, 1 Super Bowl and 4 conference titles.
The immortals: Gene Upshaw, Jim Otto, Art Shell, Marcus Allen, Willie Brown, Ted Hendricks.
10 
Patriots-Founded in 1959 as the Boston Patriots before expanding their base to all of New England in 1971.
3 Super Bowls and 7 conference titles. A relative newcomer to the football landscape, the Brady/Belichick era has catapulted a once floundering franchise into perennial Super Bowl contenders and good for the tenth greatest pro football franchises of all time.
The immortals: Tom Brady, John Hannah, Mike Haynes, Andre Tippet, Adam Vinatieri.
--The Cardinals currently possess the longest championship drought in pro football, dating back to 1947. They also have an appalling 699 losses to their credit, a staggering 100 more than the next most losing team: the Detroit Lions.
--The Vikings, Bengals, and Falcons are the only teams that have existed 40+ years and are still without a championship. In addition, the Eagles, Lions, Titans/Oilers, Chargers, Browns, Bills, Jets, and Chiefs have waited over 40 years since their last championship.
--The Buccaneers are the only team with sub-.400 all time win percentage.
- LSU (SEC) SEC Champions, will play Alabama in BCS National Championship
- Oklahoma St (Big 12) Big 12 Champions, beat Stanford in Fiesta Bowl
- Alabama (SEC) Will play LSU in BCS National Championship
- Stanford (Pac-12) Lost to Oklahoma St in Fiesta Bowl
- Oregon (Pac-12) Pac-12 Champions, beat Wisconsin in Rose Bowl
- Boise St (MWC) Beat Arizona St in MAACO Las Vegas Bowl
- Arkansas (SEC) Will play Kansas St in Cotton Bowl
- Wisconsin (Big Ten) Big Ten Champions, lost to Oregon in Rose Bowl
- South Carolina (SEC) Beat Nebraska in Capital One Bowl
- Kansas St (Big 12) Will play Arkansas in Cotton Bowl
- Michigan St (Big Ten) Beat Georgia in Outback Bowl
- Clemson (ACC) ACC Champions, Will play West Virginia Tech in Orange Bowl
- USC (Pac-12) Banned from post-season play
- Michigan (Big Ten) Will play Virginia Tech in Sugar Bowl
- Baylor (Big 12) Beat Washington in Alamo Bowl
- Virginia Tech (ACC) Will play Michigan in Sugar Bowl
- TCU (MWC) MWC Champions, Beat Louisiana Tech in Poinsettia Bowl
- Oklahoma (Big 12) Beat Iowa in Insight Bowl
- Georgia (SEC) Lost to Michigan St in Outback Bowl
- Houston (Conference USA) Beat Penn St in TicketCity Bowl
- Southern Miss (Conference USA) C-USA Champions, Beat Nevada in Hawaii Bowl
- Nebraska (Big Ten) Lost to South Carolina in Capital One Bowl
- Florida St (ACC) Beat Notre Dame in Champs Sports Bowl
- Penn St (Big Ten) Lost to Houston in TicketCity Bowl
- West Virginia (Big East) Co-Big East Champions, will play Clemson in Orange Bowl
- Cincinnati (Big East) Co-Big East Champions, Beat Vanderbilt in Liberty Bowl
- Missouri (Big 12) Beat UNC in Independence Bowl
- Notre Dame (Independent) Lost to Florida St in Champs Sports Bowl
- BYU (Independent) Beat Tulsa in Armed Forces Bowl
- Northern Illinois (MAC) MAC Champions, will play Arkansas St in GoDaddy.com Bowl
- Texas (Big 12) Beat Cal in Holiday Bowl
- Auburn (SEC) Beat Virginia in Chick-fil-A Bowl
- Georgia Tech (ACC) Lost to Utah in Sun Bowl
- Virginia (ACC) Lost to Auburn in Chick-fil-A Bowl
- Washington (Pac-12) Lost to Baylor in Alamo Bowl
- Texas A&M (Big 12) Beat Northwestern in Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas
- SMU (Conference USA) Will play Pitt in BBVA Compass Bowl
- Iowa (Big Ten) Lost to Oklahoma in Insight Bowl
- NC State (ACC) Beat Louisville in Belk Bowl
- Utah (Pac-12) Beat Georgia Tech in Sun Bowl
- Rutgers (Big East) Beat Iowa St in New Line Pinestripe Bowl
- Louisville (Big East) Lost to NC State in Belk Bowl
- UNC (ACC) Lost to Missouri in Independence Bowl
- Cal (Pac-12) Lost to Texas in Holiday Bowl
- Louisiana Tech (WAC) WAC Champions, Lost to TCU in Poinsettia Bowl
- Tulsa (Conference USA) Lost to BYU in Armed Forces Bowl
- Arkansas St (Sun Belt) Sun Belt Champions, will play Northern Illinois in GoDaddy.com Bowl
- Florida (SEC) Beat Ohio St in Gator Bowl
- Illinois (Big Ten) Beat UCLA in Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl
- Arizona St (Pac-12) Lost to Boise St in MAACO Las Vegas Bowl
Another regular season of college football has drawn to a close, and the annual BCS bickering has begun. For yet another year, a team perfectly deserving of a title shot has been denied, it's fate ultimately decided not on the field but by computers in a back room. And so, like every year before it, the pleas for a playoffs ring out, only to be swept under the rug and ignored. Here’s why the BCS is really just Bull Shit with a C.
Myth #1: The BCS makes the regular season unparalleled in its intensity.
The argument goes that because a single loss will likely kick you out of national championship contention, every regular season game is essentially a must-win. And indeed, the college football regular season is perhaps the most consequential in all of sports. But creating an
8-team playoff system would not make the regular season games any less dire. Essentially any team that does not play in the SEC or Big 10 would likely be eliminated from the top 8 with a single loss anyway, so for the vast majority of teams, every game is still a “must-win.” For the big schools, a single loss is not a death sentence, but it makes every remaining game a must-win.
No one is saying that all controversy is going to be eliminated by instituting a playoff system, after all, there will still be plenty of discussion over who gets that 8th spot and who gets shafted. But for heaven’s sake, better that than a team that is arguably the best in the nation being shut out of the national championship (see 2003, USC). As it currently stands, a team that did absolutely everything that could possibly have been asked of them by winning all of their regular season games will be punished not getting a shot at the national championship (TCU). How can anyone look at this situation and see it as anything other than what it is, an out and out travesty.
Myth #2: There’s too much money wrapped up in the Bowl system.
An 8-team playoff system would create 7 must-watch playoff games (4 in the first round, 2 in the second, and 1 national championship game). I don’t know about you, but I barely can bring myself to care about 7 bowl games anymore. There are about 4 really good bowl games a year, and the rest are arbitrary, all-but-meaningless exercises in futility. But fine, I realize that all those sponsorships deals and awards add up to a whole lot a cha-ching, so here’s a compromise: Why not do both? The top 8 teams have their playoff system and the rest of the bowl-eligible teams play their bowls. What is the problem? We can even give each of these playoff games some crappy sponsor name, like the Mylanta Semifinal Game. The NCAA still gets it mammoth television contracts, with guaranteed monster ratings for the playoffs.
Myth #3: There’s not enough time in the schedule for a playoffs.
I’m going to have to call shenanigans on this one as well. As the system currently stands, almost all teams finish their regular seasons by the first week in December. The ones fortunate enough to make it to a major bowl must then wait up to four weeks to play again. Firstly, it is beyond idiotic to make a title contender sit out a month before playing in their championship and think that this is a proper estimation of their ability. They’re a month removed from their last match! No matter how much they practice, there is no substitute for the real thing.
The people in charge will tell you that the NCAA is an academic institution first and foremost, and that because the month of December is technically school vacation, these “students” should be home with their families. Please. Do you really believe for one second that these athletes aren’t busting their asses the entire month in preparation for their big game? How about we cut the bullhicky and throw the playoffs into December. There’s exactly three open weeks, one for each round of the playoffs, which means there’s no need to lengthen the season.
I realize I’m not the first person to raise this concern and that the majority of college football fans actually support implementing a playoff. Even our president is down with getting rid of the BCS. Unfortunately, if Obama actually ever did make good on his word of implementing a playoff system, he’d be ripped to shreds by opponents for not concentrating on the supposedly important stuff, like the economy and the two wars we’re currently fighting. (As if anything could really be more important than football.) The entrenched interests like things the way they are, and unfortunately for the rest of us you don’t need reason when you’ve got power.
With every NFL draft comes an inevitable dose of uncertainty. However, as Roger Goodell strode across the stage of Radio City Music Hall amid a cascade of boos and "we want football!" chants, it became abundantly clear that this year would be different. (Actually, unless you'd been living under a rock the past six months, you probably had an inkling even before then.) Every draft selection elicits that gnawing uncertainty of never truly knowing whether that potential is genuine or merely a mirage. This year, it was the very sport itself which seethed with uncertainty. Were we watching the first signs of getting back to business as usual, or a cruel tease leading up to the season that never was?
How fitting then that it would be Cameron Trophy leading off the night, a figure inextricably tied to controversy, and, well, uncertainty. How much did he know about his father’s shady dealings? Was that championship and Heisman Trophy deserved? And of course, what kind of player would he really turn out to be among the game’s best? Cam is far from a sure thing, especially playing for a miserable Panthers team for which he will have to come in and essentially play leader from day one.
The Top Ten #1 Picks in NFL History (post-merger)
- 1998 The Indianapolis Colts select Peyton Manning, quarterback out of Tennessee
- 1983 The Baltimore Colts select John Elway, quarterback out of Stanford (subsequently traded to Denver)
- 1970 The Pittsburgh Steelers select Terry Bradshaw, quarterback out of Louisiana Tech
- 1989 The Dallas Cowboys select Troy Aikman, quarterback out of UCLA
- 1985 The Buffalo Bills select Bruce Smith, defensive end out of Virginia Tech
- 1978 The Houston Oilers select Earl Campbell, running back out of Texas
- 1997 The St. Louis Rams select Orlando Pace, offensive tackle out of Ohio State
- 1976 The Tampa Bay Buccaneers select Lee Roy Selmon, defensive end out of Oklahoma
- 1993 The New England Patriots select Drew Bledsoe, quarterback out of Washington State
- 1984 The New England Patriots select Irving Fryar, wide receiver out of Nebraska
Honorable Mentions: Keyshawn Johnson (1996), Michael Vick (2001), Jake Long (2008), Billy Sims (1980), Ed "Too Tall" Jones (1981)
Bust of the Year:
Randy Moss: Has there ever been a more precipitous, non-injury related decline than that of Randy Moss in 2010? Heck, after week seven the guy didn't record a single week of more than three points. Three points! Only three years removed from the greatest receiving season in history, fantasy or otherwise, Moss was just about as big of a fantasy bust as one could ever aspire towards. Hope you got enough of that "straight cash" saved up, because your football playing days might very well be finished.
Honorable Mentions:
Ryan Matthews: Plagued with injuries, the emergence of human bowling ball Mike Tolbert, and just all around craptitude (If Sarah Palin gets refudiate, it's only fair that I should get craptitude) the promising rookie proved to be more of a fantasy headache in 2010. It's anyone’s guess where his career will go from here.
Shonn Greene: When your white, Jewish namesake is a proven better athlete than you (I'm looking at you Bat Mitzvah), it's time to seriously reevaluate your direction in life.
Panthers Offense: (D’Angelo Williams, Jonathan Stewart, Steve Smith): One can have all the skill in the world, but if your quarterback is painfully, horrifically inept, it is nearly impossible to succeed in the National Football League.
Beanie Wells: Exactly two double digit fantasy weeks. Ouch.
Brandon Marshall: See Panthers offense.
Brett Favre: I won’t even dignify this guy with as much as a blurb. God knows we've all heard (and for the truly unfortunate, seen) just about enough from Mr. Fav-ray this year.
Steal of the Year
Michael Vick: Long story short: in all three of my leagues, the team that was lucky enough to scoop up this freak of nature made it to the finals. Despite missing nearly four weeks with injuries, Michael defined impact player, winning several fantasy
weeks on his arm and legs alone (the Monday night game was simply a masterpiece). What a difference a couple of years in the joint makes.
Honorable Mentions:
Arian Foster: Few had heard of the name Arian Foster before Benjamin Tate broke his ankle in the opening preseason game of year. What began as a mid-round curiosity quickly materialized into a bona fide fantasy stud, and the top scoring fantasy player of 2010.
Dwayne Bowe: Bowe knows football. After being arguable droppable through the first five weeks of the season, Dwayne somehow remade himself into unquestionably the best fantasy receiver in the league. Though clearly not the hallmark of consistency (He caught exactly one pass in weeks 13 and 14 combined), his league-leading 15 receiving touchdowns cemented him as a fantasy superstar.
Peyton Hillis: The great white hope! Just imagine what this guy might have done had he played for an actual NFL team.
Tom Brady: All homerisms aside, Tom Terrific put together just about the most flawless stretch of games for any quarterback in the modern era. After the departure of his supposed top weapon in Randy Moss, Brady ascended to an entirely new level of otherworldlyness. Truth be told, his numbers didn’t completely translate to fantasy prowess (unless your league penalized interceptions particularly harshly), but to leave him off this list after a season of that caliber would just be wrong.
Brandon Lloyd: Few had much of a handle on what the Broncos receiving situation would be heading into 2010. But anyone who tells you they had Brandon Lloyd anywhere close to their radar is just plain lying. The formerly virtual unknown exploded with five 20+ point fantasy weeks and proved one of the hottest adds of the year.
BenJarvis Green-Ellis: The Law Firm proved to be the first reliable Patriots running back in nearly a decade, amassing 13 touchdowns after the departure of Laurence Maroney. And if you happened to be in a league with a high penalty for fumbles, you were in luck, cause the guy has coughed it up all of zero times in his entire career. With a name like that, he's gotta be good.
Heart-Breaking Injury of the Year
Ryan Grant: It took less than a half-hour into the season before Grant was done with a season-ending high ankle sprain. Just brutal.
Honorable Mentions:
Pierre Thomas: The highly-touted Saints back was amassing quite the heady fantasy season through the first three weeks of the season. Sadly, an ankle injury in week four resulted in him missing the next nine weeks.
Tony Romo: The soon-to-be husband of former Miss Missouri sustained a season ending shoulder injury in week seven, effectively providing the nail in the coffin to what would be a positively miserable Cowboys campaign.
Joseph Addai: Guess none of us should have been all that surprised here. This time it was his neck that had him out from week six on.
Dallas Clark: A wrist injury in week six spelled doom for Dallas, adding yet another blow to Indy’s depleted squad.
Jermichael Finley: Another Packer, another season ender, this time a week four knee injury for one of the sexier picks of the draft in TE Jermichael.
Frank Gore: Owners got twelve very solid weeks out of Gore before a right hip injury shattered their hopes and dreams against the lowly Cardinals on Monday Night.
Steve Smith (NYG): Though he didn’t get officially placed in IR till mid-December, last year’s “Real” Steve Smith had a single catch post week nine with a bum knee.
--The Green Bay Packers have taken the NFL postseason by storm, playing essentially five playoff games if you count the dismantling of the New York Giants in Week 16 and the play-in game in Week 17 against the Chicago Bears. The Packers are one of those teams who peaked at just the right moment, combining phenomenal quarterback play from media-darling Aaron Rodgers, a solid running attack in newly-found stud James Starks, and a defense which can blitz and force turnovers at will. The Pack have been road warriors, traveling to some of the toughest venues in football in Philadelphia, Atlanta and Chicago and winning games in every way possible. Yes, they seem unstoppable at this juncture, but in their way stands a more-than-formidable opponent in perennial Super Bowl contenders the Pittsburgh Steelers.
--It has been a controversial season for the Black & Gold. Though the well-documented troubles of Ben Roethlisberger seemed as if they would doom the Steelers early on, Pittsburgh rallied around their quarterback to an outstanding season. They did it with some big plays from their receiving corps, their ground attack, and their defense, the heart and soul of the team. The Steelers have won two Super Bowls in the past five seasons, and look for number three this weekend in North Texas. The stage has been set for a dandy in Big D.
--This game has, and will continue to be dissected right up until kick-off, so I won’t bore you to death with stats and numbers and silly rumors about the Packers team photo. But as my colleague alluded to in his previous column, these two franchises have the history and class to attract all fans. They are both classic franchises, which have built their success through the draft, great leadership and and outstanding quarterback play. I believe this game will come down to who can limit mistakes and control the clock via the running game. Look for a defensive battle in this game, with Rodgers coming back down to earth a bit.
-As if there was ever any doubt about the New Jersey Jets being for real, all of that was erased with a convincing win over New England last weekend in Foxborough. I, like most other “experts”, picked the Pats to cruise to the AFC title game behind the Brady/Belichick factor, but I should’ve seen an upset coming. The Jets walked the walk, frustrating Tom Brady and the young Patriots defense behind an outstanding game from Mark Sanchez and company. Love ‘em or hate ‘em, it appears the Jets have a little magic brewing, similar to their stadium buddies in the 2007 New York Giants, who did the unthinkable beating the then undefeated Patriots in Super Bowl 42. Side note: Since Tyree’s magical grab, the Patriots are 0-3 in the playoffs. Go figure.
The Pick: Jets 24, Steelers 21
-Go Pack Go. Aaron Rodgers has become a stud before our very eyes, taking his Packers into one of the toughest venues in football and blowing out the Falcons' lazy weekend in Atlanta. Rodgers was incredible, using his precision and mobility to keep the defense on their heels from the opening whistle. There is a reason the Bears played all of their starters in Week 17, to avoid seeing Green Bay again in a situation like this. Lovie Smith is no dummy. He knew that this Packers team was special, and they appear to be super at this juncture. The Bears had a relatively easy test knocking off the Cinderella Seahawks in convincing fashion in the divisional round last weekend. This is a rivalry that is as old as Noah’s Ark, and another chapter will be written this Sunday at 3PM. Be there or be square.
The Pick: Packers 27, Bears 16
Well, that was exciting! The first round had everything from Super Bowl-sized upsets by the Seahawks to watching Mike Vick hang his head in shame in Philly. Never gets old. Trust me, I love watching Philadelphia lose. It’s so satisfying. Also, your boy went 3-1 on Wild Card Weekend, and I cannot be held accountable for the Seahawks beating the Saints. Further reason why you should read on. It’s round 2 of the NFL playoffs; let’s get it on.
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