We laugh and we cry. Our brains’ flood with dopamine as we celebrate our greatest achievements, while our hearts plummet as we anguish in our most miserable defeats. Both the best and worst are brought out in us when our body fills with anger, a furious and uncontrollable rage. There is no place where our expansive range of emotions is more evident than the world of athletic competition.

Anyone who has played a game of pick-up basketball at their local gym has seen someone overreact to a seemingly harmless play in a meaningless game of three-on-three. From that point on the game changes, as the subsequent play is determined by each players’ reaction to the influx of hormones now flowing through their veins. Some players use this as a spark to dominate their competition- think Kobe Bryant- while others can let this conflict deteriorate their skills for the duration of the game. While we think of trash talking and getting in an opponent’s head as a tactic reserved for games at the park down the street, the effect of these mental games is not limited to streetball. 

As we saw in the now-infamous confrontation between the Celtics’ Kevin Garnett and Knick’s Carmelo Anthony earlier this year, the NBA is not immune to these emotional conflicts, and they certainly have an impact on the performance of those involved. There are the guys like Garnett and Rasheed Wallace, whose trash-talk is a weapon in their arsenal just as effective as their mid-range J. Then there are the guys who don’t usually partake in the trash-talk, but become even more deadly when they do they- ever wonder why no one talks trash to Kobe anymore? Finally, there are those who lose all effectiveness once they get that rush of testosterone- ‘Melo didn’t go cold after KG’s “honey nut cheerios” comment just by coincidence. 

With emotions playing such an important role, it is incredibly interesting to take a closer look at how last year’s NBA Finals participants, and the favorites to meet in a rematch this year, have channeled their emotions to reach the level they are at.

The Heat, for all their showmanship upon the formation of the ‘Big Three’, took an unexpected and unique approach on their quest for a championship. After riding the proverbial roller coaster of emotions as the villains of the NBA, before being upset in the Finals by the Dallas Mavericks during their first year together, the Heat decided to press mute on their emotions. That meant no more LeBron getting frustrated by all his critics, no more Wade and James mocking Dirk’s illness, and no more Bosh crumpling to the floor in tears. Instead, LeBron refused to retaliate to the Pacers’ attempts to frustrate him both physically and mentally in last year’s playoffs, Wade became stoic, no longer finding the humor in losing, and Bosh began to channel that emotionally intensity to the court. 

Then they won a championship, and they haven’t looked back. Sure, they have plenty of fun off the court, from Bosh’s postgame photo bombing to the team’s very own version of the “Harlem Shake”, but when they’re on the court, all that matters is the score. 

Emotions are inevitable in sports, but the Heat have learned to control theirs. No longer do they let others’ opinions or actions affect their play, rather their emotions go only where they allow them to. The Heat can be beat, although even that proposition is beginning to seem questionable, but the Heat will not beat themselves anymore. 

The Heat’s counterpart, the Oklahoma City Thunder, are often compared to them in almost every way possible- from the way they were formed to the big-market/small-market dichotomy. However the most striking, and perhaps surprising, difference between the teams lies in their emotional output. The Thunder, as polar opposites of the Heat, may be the NBA’s most emotional team. This is obviously apparent in players like Russell Westbrook and Kendrick Perkins, known for their tantrums and technicals as much as their screens and scoring, but is becoming subtly evident in their most even-keeled players as well. The casual fan might be shocked to find out that, like his commercials say, Kevin Durant really isn’t nice (he is currently second in the league in technical fouls, trailing only- who else?- Kobe Bryant). 

Oh, and don’t forget about Serge Ibaka karate-chopping Blake Griffin in the groin region last weekend. Whether ‘Melo was right about there being some things you just don’t say to another man is debatable, what’s not debatable is that there are some places you don’t touch another man- and Ibaka definitely hit that place on Griffin (in fairness to Serge, I don’t think he was attempting to nut-check Blake. I think he meant to hit Blake in the wrist to break his grip on Serge’s shorts but Blake let go just as Serge’s arm was coming down. Either way, it was definitely a vicious blow). 

This doesn’t make the Thunder dirty or mean players, but it is evidence of just how emotional they can be- something that comes with all their collective youth. Westbrook is incredibly explosive and can use his emotions to propel him to new heights- metaphorically and literally- but he is yet to figure out how to harness his emotions and they can negatively affect his performance at times. Ibaka and Perkins are both prone to these detrimental types of outbursts as well. Even Durant has become vulnerable to losing control this year- something most Thunder fans accept since it comes with an added aggression that has allowed him to take the next step as a player. 

The Thunder are an emotional team, and that’s not changing anytime soon. This is part of what makes them so deadly, raising their ceiling when channeled correctly, but also can be their Achilles’ heel, as self-destruction can be the only thing holding them back. 

Two great teams, two completely different approaches to their own emotions. Yet, somehow, they have both been able to find enormous amounts of success. 

Sports are the ultimate competition- a combination of challenges equal parts physical and psychological. Emotions play an enormous role in who is successful and who comes up just short, and there is no clear-cut way one must deal with their emotions in order to win. There is just one thing a champion must do with regards to his emotions: as Laird Hamilton said, “Make sure your worst enemy doesn’t live between your own two ears.”

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I hope you enjoyed reading! If you have any questions, comments, or other suggestions on how to improve the column or any other topic feel free to contact me at my email address [email protected], on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/adam.colman.9 or on Twitter @AdamRColman. 

Thanks for the support! 

“No, we don't got no gay people on the team, they gotta get up out of here if they do… Can't be with that sweet stuff. Nah… can't be… in the locker room man. Nah.”

Those were the highly publicized words of San Francisco 49ers’ cornerback Chris Culliver during media day in the lead-up to this year’s Super Bowl. Now, multiple players are revealing that team representatives are questioning players’ sexual orientation during the interview process at the NFL Scouting Combine. Besides being extremely unethical, this practice is also highly illegal- and it is part of a disturbing trend in our culture. 

In the four major American sports- football, basketball, baseball, and hockey- not a single active player has come out as being anything other than heterosexual. In our society it is difficult for even the average Joe to come out, much less someone in the national spotlight who knows they will face unlimited scrutiny by doing so. Yet this barrier is being broken down in many other areas of entertainment that were formerly thought to exclude homosexuals- Frank Ocean, for instance, coming out as bisexual in the formerly hardcore, masculine world of rap and hip-hop. 

So are we really expected to believe that of the thousands, if not millions, of professional athletes, not a single one has been gay? Considering most studies conservatively estimate that around 3.5 percent of the population (over 11 million Americans) identify as part of the LGBT community, it would be quite remarkable for this percentage to drop to zero for professional athletes. 

Could it be that there is something intrinsically different about homosexuals, which prevents them from making it to the highest level of athletic competition? Could Culliver have been on to something with his reference to “that sweet stuff”? Some may argue that being homosexual makes one too soft to compete in such aggressive activities. An easy cop-out, but fundamentally flawed- as anyone who has ever competed with or against a gay player can attest to. 

In my playing career I have faced off against only one opponent who I would later discover to be gay- and he put on perhaps the most amazing performance I have ever witnessed first-hand. On muddy turf that played more like an ice rink than a football field, this kid not only rushed for over 200 yards, but created a personal highlight film most players couldn’t compile in an entire season- including a Reggie Bush-like cross field cut-back and a play in which he stiff-armed one defender in the backfield before leaping over another, in stride, like an Olympic hurdler. In short, no, one’s sexual orientation does not hinder their athletic performance.

Unfortunately, the LGBT community will never be fully accepted as a part of mainstream culture until they are accepted as part of the sports culture. It is no coincidence that the Civil Rights movement of the mid-1900’s coincided with the integration of African-Americans to the sporting world. Sports both affect and reflect the views of our society, whether we like it or not- lest we forget that many African-Americans were once thought to lack the intellectual capabilities necessary to compete with the “superior” white athletes. These views of intellectual inferiority in the general population began to diminish around the same time they were being exploited as ludicrous in the sphere of sports. Now, thanks to the immaculate contributions of pioneers like Jackie Robinson, it would be ridiculous to question the ability of a player like LeBron James or Adrian Peterson simply because of the color of his skin. 

Hopefully, one day soon, the LGBT community will have their own Jackie Robinson, and no player will ever have their ability questioned or face exclusion from participating due to their sexual orientation again. 

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I hope you enjoyed reading! If you have any questions, comments, or other suggestions on how to improve the column or any other topic feel free to contact me at my email address [email protected], on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/adam.colman.9 or on Twitter @AdamRColman. 

Thanks for the support! 

With the storied fan bases of Alabama and Notre Dame set to square off tonight for the National Championship, what better time than now to sort out all the different types of fans you may encounter?

Check out what type of fan you are!

http://www.ted-payne.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/sports_fans.jpg


The Spoiled Fan

Teams- Yankees, Patriots, Lakers, USC football 

These fans see anything less than a championship as a failure. They are often cocky, but mostly because they simply can’t remember what it is like to miss the playoffs. They rarely, if ever, have down years and their fans love showing off their success- which makes it so easy for everyone else to root against them. While they have some of the most loyal and die-hard fans, they also have a ton of ‘haters’. For many, it is almost as fun and important to root against these teams as it is to root for their own team.

The Heart-broken Fan

Teams- Vikings, Cubs, Bills, Cavs

These fans are like hardened veterans- they’ve been through and seen it all. They’ve come so close and had defeat snatched from the jaws of victory. While these fans are as loyal as they come, they are always prepared for the worst. After all the suffering they’ve been through they have to see it to believe it- because it is probably too good to be true. They’ve learned to enjoy the individual victories and cherish every playoff appearance, as they never know when the next one will come.

The Traditional Fan

Teams- Packers, Celtics, Cardinals, Notre Dame Football, UCLA Basketball

These teams are loaded with history and tradition- and their fans know all about it. These fans take pride in ‘the good ol’ days’ as much as the present- which is often pretty good itself. They are not starved of championships (not by a long stretch), but they have had their ups and downs- enough downs to keep them from expecting championships year in and year out at least. They connect with their fans in a way most large market teams cannot- making their fans feel like a part of the team.

The Delusional Fan

Teams- Raiders, Chiefs, Warriors, Royals

These fans are as emotionally invested as the rest of them, but it seems almost painful at this point. They’ve won championships in the past, but those days seem further and further away. High (often unrealistic) hopes regardless of the roster often make the pleasure of the season’s results minimal, so they have learned to enjoy each win like it is a championship. At this point, a playoff victory would seem almost as sweet as a championship to their starved fans.

The Underdog Fan

Teams- Texans, Rays, Thunder, Boise State Football

These fans love an underdog! These teams were irrelevant (or non-existent) up until the last few years, and have seemingly stolen the hearts of thousands out of nowhere. With elite young talent, these teams have a bright future and a lot to look forward to- so these fans may not stay in this category for long.

The Secure Fan

Teams- Spurs, Colts, SF Giants

These may be the luckiest fans out there, because they never have to worry- their teams aren’t the flashiest, but year after year they find ways to compete for it all, no matter who is on the roster. They’ve built a foundation of success from the top down, ensuring that they will always be relevant- and allowing their fans to be comfortable knowing they can fully trust any moves the front office makes.

The Forgotten Fan

Teams- Sonics, New Jersey Nets, Expos, L.A. Rams

Oh wait, these fans don’t have teams anymore! For whatever reason their town’s franchise was stolen away from them, and each fan deals with it in a different way. Some will continue to root for them, some find a new team, and others stop following the sport all together.  Regardless of the option they choose, they can never fully get over their loss.

Leading up to the presidential election this year, one of the major topics of debate was entitlement programs and the general feeling of entitlement amongst many Americans… I’m not touching that subject with a ten-foot pole. However, I believe there is another issue regarding entitlements which needs to be addressed: the entitlement of professional athletes. Now let me be clear about this before I begin; I do NOT believe all athletes fall into this category! In fact, I feel that many or most professional athletes are hard-working, dedicated individuals who earn everything that they accomplish. I love sports and athletes (heck, I once was one), so I hate the idea of stereotyping all athletes as the same. In my dream future, I would be covering sports as my job- so I obviously have nothing against athletes in general. However, there is a minority that abuses both the power we bestow upon athletes as roll-models and the lifestyle we provide them as being ‘above’ the rest of us. 

If you’ve ever been a part of a sports team or hung around one for long enough, you know that there is one constant on all teams: starting at a very young age (often as young as pee-wee football) we treat the best athletes differently than the rest. Because of one’s ability to run fast, throw far, or hit hard we raise them above their teammates; it is almost natural now for coaches, teachers, and even peers to give these players the benefit of the doubt and make life easier for them. I’m sure every former or current athlete can think of at least one experience like this off the top of their head, and each instance can have a very different effect. Many of these superior athletes end up going on to do great things in other fields besides sports, but, unfortunately, some carry on through their lives riding this wave of entitlement. That is, until they run into others of the same or greater talent than them…

Last summer I was sitting in a warehouse, sweating in the oversized football pads I had been given for the shoot. I was an extra for the show Sports Science, and, like most extras, I was largely ignored when I was not being told where to go and what to do for the shoot. Meanwhile, on the other side of the warehouse, two players were sitting in a cool, air-conditioned movie theater waiting for their time to come out, get the shoot over with, and go home. This was a pre- NFL Draft edition, so both players were rookies getting ready to find out where they would be playing for the next X amount of years. One of the guys was D.J. Williams, a tight end coming out of Arkansas who was extremely productive in college but little-known to the casual fan. The other? Titus Young, a slightly better known wide receiver, likely because he was coming out of America’s darling Boise State. Boise had already been on the map thanks to the likes on Ian Johnson and their Fiesta Bowl win over Oklahoma years ago, but Young was one of the first Boise products to turn into a legitimate NFL prospect. The two could be seen walking in and out of their waiting room laughing and conversing quite casually; they seemed to get along fine and be fairly similar. Then they came out to do the shoot, and they couldn’t have been any different.

(As great of a talent Titus Young was coming out of Boise State, it hasn't been his on-field play that has hurt him with the Lions. Personal issues stemming from a culture of entitlement have hurt Young's career so far.
http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20101223181352/collegefootballmania/images/5/52/Titus_Young.jpg)

 D.J. was the first to do his segment, and he was as nice and down-to-earth as you could imagine. He made it easy to work with him. He was so good in the drills that he rarely missed a pass; and when I made a bad pass he even took the blame for it! I distinctly remember one pass sailing a bit high (a pass that would’ve been tough for Yao Ming to catch) and, as D.J. jumped as high as he could just to get a fingertip on the ball, me immediately feeling bad about it. Instead of getting upset or even not saying anything, D.J. walked over and apologized for dropping the pass. Really? You just made one of the most athletic plays I’ve ever seen just to get close and you’re apologizing to me? This was just one moment, but between takes he would ask me simple things about my life and actually made the effort to connect with me. He could have gone back into the waiting room, but chose to interact with those he was working with. 

As great as it was working with D.J., it was equally terrible having to work with Titus. He never came out of that room except to do the shoot, and even when he did he didn’t interact with anyone. In fact, he actually told his agent (a white haired, elderly white man who I couldn’t help but think Young wouldn’t be caught dead with in the street) messages to relay on to the workers, on multiple occasions. It was as if interacting with ‘commoners’ was beneath him. When it was time to shoot, my job was to lob the pass over Titus’s head so that he could dive onto a bunch of pads and catch the ball- essentially the exact same thing I would do with my Dad on our couches when I was five. However, this proved to be more difficult than one would expect- timing up the pass with his route perfectly so that he could catch it while fully extended was easier said than done. At first, he kept stopping just before the pads, jumping off two feet instead of in full stride. Once he finally got the jump down it took him a couple tries to be able to locate the ball and make the catch in the air. Now, I don’t mean to insult his ability to do the drill- it was tough and he eventually got it beautifully. However, his attitude the entire time could be described as abrasive, at best. He was, in every way, the complete opposite of D.J. Instead of telling me where he wanted the ball thrown, he would simply look at his agent and give him a look of disgust; at which point the agent would proceed to bitch at me about the throw. While a couple of the passes were admittedly bad(we are all human, after all), there were many others that Titus simply dropped. Nevertheless, this old man kept blaming me over and over (to the point that I wanted to tell him to get off his old ass and do it himself if it was that easy). I left that day with a bad taste in my mouth; how could a future NFL player, one about to get paid millions of dollars to play a game and be a roll-model for thousands of young kids everywhere, be so anti-social? In a fateful outcome, D.J. Williams was drafted by my favorite team, the Green Bay Packers, while Titus Young went to their division rivals, the Detroit Lions. 

I quickly moved on from this experience, putting it in the back of my mind but not completely forgetting about it. Then, I ran into an article about the Detroit Lions calendar for next year. While the title was innocent enough, this article provided tons of evidence to support my experience with Young. I found the following passage immensely revealing about the person Young is, regardless of his on-field play:

“Young started his downhill slide when he sucker-punched safety Louis Delmas -- his own teammate -- in a May minicamp practice. In the team's Week 11 loss to the Green Bay Packers, he was actually lining up in the wrong places and running the wrong routes ... on purpose. Last week, center Dominic Raiola summed up his own feelings about Young very succinctly.

‘It's not a distraction, because we have moved on from him,’ Raiola said. ‘If he wants to be an [expletive], let him be an [expletive]. It's not my problem. What we can control is the guys who want to be here. I want people who want to be here and I think everybody else wants the same thing.’

Young was recently placed on season-ending IR with a knee injury, and Schwartz said that he would undergo surgery ‘if he shows up for it.’” (Farrar, "There are a Few...").

Wow… that was my initial thought after reading that. How does someone like that survive in the world? There is only one conclusion I could come to: entitlement. People like Young grow up having everything handed to them and being able to get away with whatever they want because of one redeeming quality (in this case, athletic ability). Coaches, administrators, and teammates do players like Young a disservice by allowing them to skate by because of their selfish reasons: coaches want to win to keep their jobs, players want to win so, they sacrifice to their more talented teammates. But then, one day, Young was no longer looked at and treated the same way- he was just another player on the team. No longer being handed everything that he was used to, Young had no clue what to do- leading to the incidents mentioned above. 

Titus Young isn’t the only NFL player in this situation, either. Let’s look at a much bigger and well-known name: Cam Newton. There is always a bunch of buzz around Newton for a variety of reasons, but no one really knows much besides rumors. Here’s some hard evidence:

“‘[Cam] was a total [expletive],’ one AFC player told Prisco. ‘Who did he think he was? He acted like the big [expletive]. Here he was at his first game and he acted like he was the star. Guys didn't like that.’” (Farrar, "Cam Newton’s…").

Players don’t say these kinds of things about other players without reasons. Multiple players don’t make comments like these unwarranted. But why don’t these players realize what is being said about them? Do they not care? As humans, we are not built to simply ignore the fact that most of the people closest to us hate us; we want and need companionship. So are these players all just sociopaths? That’s one idea, but I have another solution: they have so many fans they choose to look at them as determining their worth rather than what those closest to them think. For the average person, we value what our closest friends and relatives think about us more than what strangers may think. But what if you have millions of strangers that called you their hero? A little easier to forget what your friends think and be happy about the strangers’ opinions, huh? 

By allowing these kids to get away with whatever they want when they are young (however little it may be), we are encouraging a culture of entitlement in which these young men grow up thinking they can get away with anything. It may seem like it’s not a big deal at the time, but it can snowball so much that they take everything for granted- not appreciating anything they have and not wanting to put in the work to achieve anything more.

References:

Farrar, Doug. "Cam Newton’s Attitude Didn’t Win Him Any Friends at the Pro Bowl." Web log post. Shutdown Corner. Yahoo, 5 Dec. 2012. Web. 6 Dec. 2012. <http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutdown-corner/cam-newton-attitude-didn-t-win-him-friends-225644136--nfl.html>.

Farrar, Doug. "There Are a Few Major Problems with the Detroit Lions’ 2013 Calendar." Web log post. Shutdown Corner. Yahoo, 6 Dec. 2012. Web. 6 Dec. 2012. <http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutdown-corner/few-major-problems-detroit-lions-2013-calendar-134608581--nfl.html>.

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I hope you enjoyed reading! If you have any questions, comments, or other suggestions on how to improve the column or any other topic feel free to contact me at my email address [email protected], on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/adam.colman.9 or on Twitter @AdamRColman. 

Thanks for the support! 

As I write this, I am sitting in an airport terminal- not unlike many others have been or will be this Thanksgiving week. Unfortunately, my circumstances are slightly different than most. Has our flight been cancelled? Not exactly, but this fate may be even worse. Our flight, originally scheduled for 5:50pm, has been pushed back more times than Baylor’s pathetic defense- at this point, it would be hard for Kendrick Perkins not to score on us (and for anyone who has seen a Thunder game the last two years, that’s saying something). Making things worse, our connecting flight from San Francisco to Eugene, Oregon has also been fluctuating departure times. Luckily, as of right now, the powers that be are fighting back- our flight has been bumped up to 9:30pm (it was set for 11pm as recently as fifteen minutes ago) and the flight from S.F. to Eugene has been moved back- hopefully allowing us to make the connection. Could this be a San Francisco “Giant”-sized comeback? Only time will tell (but I don’t see any Reds or Cardinals getting in our way either). In the meantime, I needed to find something to help me relax, hope, and pray in quiet. So here I sit, in a deserted airport terminal doing the only thing I could think to do in a situation like this- talk about sports!

(The empty terminal I sat in while writing this column)

This won’t be a column about a specific event or game or even sports- it will simply be a musing of my sports thought from the last exciting week.

WHAT A WEEKEND IN WESTWOOD!

I’ll start with the best weekend UCLA has had this millennium. And yes, it was unquestionably the best weekend for the Bruins since the turn of the century. Upsetting top-ranked USC in ’06? Nope. Three straight Final Fours? Not quite. This past weekend was the best weekend of the 2000s in Westwood for one sole reason- it had an impact today AND for the future. Let’s start Thursday night, with the Beat ‘SC bonfire (which I, admittedly, did not attend). This is an annual tradition before the big rivalry game against USC. However, this year was different. These are many of the same players that got embarrassed last year in the Coliseum to the same USC squad; but they didn’t look like it before this game. They were ranked higher, yes, but most people still questioned their ability to compete with their ‘big brother’ Trojans. At the bonfire and around campus, starting with new coach Jim Mora, the entire team just gave off an aura that made it seem like not only did they think they could win- they thought they SHOULD win. And THAT- for anyone who has played sports- is a huge difference. Yes, the saying goes Any Given Sunday, but it takes a team that believes that this is their Sunday to actually pull it off (especially in a rivalry game). After the bonfire, the players and coaches had the entire city of Westwood giddy to see what would happen Saturday afternoon…

Shortly after the bonfire was lit, across campus in the beautiful brand-new Pauley Pavilion the baby Bruins (and I say baby Bruins because they are so young) were getting set to tip off against the unheard-of group from James Madison. They were supposed to win this game, but coming off of an OT victory over tiny UC-Irvine many people (and even a fair amount of ever-optimistic students) were worried that this UCLA team wasn’t quite ready to be compared to past great team to play on the legendary Wooden Court. However, a dominant display quickly made everyone forget about Tuesday night’s squeaker (highlight-reel dunks from Norman Powell and lights-out shooting from Jordan Adams can help do that). Needless to say, Thursday night ended with a lot of anticipation in Westwood…

Friday was supposed to be a down day before the big showdown at the Rose Bowl- but then something magnificent happened. After much questioning and investigation- as well as calls for his “freeing” from students and celebrities alike- UCLA prized recruit Shabazz Muhammad was cleared by the NCAA to join his fellow baby Bruins on the court- immediately! The consensus top-2 recruit in the nation- and highest ranked recruit UCLA has had in years- would finally be suiting up in Blue & Gold. What a magical way to kick off rivalry weekend! Muhammad wasn’t just a scoring machine in high school (and he was), but he brought everything UCLA seemed to be missing- firepower, hustle, work ethic, and most importantly leadership (from a freshman!). He would allow Kyle Anderson to play the distributing style of game that earned him a top-5 recruit ranking instead of having to carry a scoring load, he’d free up Jordan Adams to get more open looks from deep (as if he needed anymore, after becoming the first freshman in UCLA’s storied history to score 20+ points in his first four games), and he’d space the floor to open it up inside for the Ware twins, big Josh Smith (who actually seemed to be hustling this season for a change), and the last of the prized freshmen recruits Tony Parker. Obviously this team would not fall into place overnight, but that is sure how it felt once the calls to ‘Free Shabazz’ were finally heard…

Waking up the next morning was a little ominous, as the forecast for rain cast some doubt over the UCLA-USC game at noon. Which team would the rain hurt more? Would the Trojan faithful use the weather as an excuse should they lose? Many questions abound before the game even kicked off. But then the game did kick off, and all the questions went out the window. Without a drop of rain falling yet, on the first play from scrimmage Matt Barkley dropped back and looked for his favorite target, sophomore sensation Marquis Lee. Instead of finding him, however, the ball sailed right into the arms of ‘Sticks’- the nickname for UCLA’s lanky DB Sheldon Price. Sticks had a shot to take it to the house, but stumbled for seemingly no reason. Not to worry, however, because Freshman phenom QB Brett Hundley would punch it in from a yard out just a few plays later. 7-0 Bruins, and they never looked back from there. They attacked early, building a 24-0 lead in the first half that they would never lose. USC had to play catch-up the rest of the way, and it took a bizarre defensive touchdown due to the pouring rain at the start of the second half for the Trojans to even get within one possession again. This wasn’t an upset where everything went right for the Bruins (a la 2006). If anything, things seemed to keep giving USC life and Mora’s squad kept overcoming the obstacles. That fluke defensive touchdown could have started a meltdown, instead the Bruins marched right back down the field and extended the lead. Throughout the second half, the rain seemed to pour when the Bruins had the ball and then miraculously come to a halt just long enough for the Trojans’ next possession (I’m not kidding- it was freaky. I know Lane Kiffin likes to cheat, but can he control the weather too?! Deflating balls is one thing, but stopping the rain?!). Still, the Bruins came out victorious (and watching the ‘proud’ Trojan fans- to put it nicely- sulk out of the stadium made up for years of torment). The best thing about the victory- this didn’t feel like an upset. It felt like it was supposed to happen; and with Mora at the helm these kinds of wins may just become the norm in Westwood…

(Jim Mora has led one of the biggest turn-arounds in the country at UCLA, culminating in a 38-28 victory over rival USC
http://www.fancloud.com/rumors/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/uspw_6757390-640x504.jpg)

Nothing that could happen in the following days, weeks, or months could take away these feelings Bruin fans shared- Shabazz was free and Bruin basketball was back, the monopoly of L.A. football was officially over (Neuheisel just got his dates confused when he proclaimed so in ‘08), and things were as good as they’d ever been in Westwood.

CONGRATS TO WHO?/SHAME ON YOU

In a new segment, I’ll be dolling out congratulations to those who deserve it (often the unsung or previously unheard-of heroes of the week) while casting shame on those who disappointed despite their big names and fame.

Congrats to who? UCLA Football Fans- For years, the Bruin faithful have been a laughing stock of-sorts for their inability to fill up the Rose Bowl and quietness during games- making the Bruins lack a true home field advantage. But this weekend was different. From the first pick Barkley threw to the blocked kicked to seal the game, the Rose Bowl was a rockin’. I’ve been to many games in the Rose Bowl, both UCLA home games and actual Rose Bowl games (Oklahoma-Wazzu, Michigan-Texas, Wisconsin-TCU, and Wisconsin-Oregon just last year), and this Saturday against USC was arguably the most packed and loudest I have ever heard the place. The only game that comes close is the Michigan-Texas Rose Bowl game, when Vince Young put on a one-man show; which would set the stage for his encore a year later against USC in the National Championship. That one was deafeningly loud in the fourth quarter, but that was because of how close the game was and the incredible plays being made by Young, Braylon Edwards, and others. For an entire game, last Saturday was at a level Bruin fans should strive to reach every weekend if they want to be on the level of the Alabama’s and Oregon’s of the world. 

(UCLA fans finally showed up and got the Rose Bowl rockin' against USC. Even the rain wasn't going to keep the Bruins from celebrating their first victory over their rivals since 2006.)

Shame on you Alejandro Maldonado, Kicker, Oregon- It’s hard to single out one player as the reason for a team’s loss, but when you miss two crucial field goals two years in a row that cost your team a shot at a National Title you’re going to hear about it. Poor kid must be hearing that ‘clank’ of the ball hitting the goalpost in his nightmares, but I’m sure the rest of his teammates and coaches are too- not to mention the fans.

Congrats to who? Baylor Bears- What a performance! Robert Griffin III resurrected this program with his unforgettable play the last few years, but they’re fairing just fine without him. The offense is a juggernaut, their problem is they haven’t been able to stop a pee-wee team so far this year. That all changed Saturday, as the defensive coordinator deserves a ton of praise for coming up with a game plan to slow down dual-threat QB Colin Klein and the #1 Kansas State Wildcats. They didn’t just upset the ‘Cats, they embarrassed them- blowing them out and spoiling their ‘One Shining Moment’ atop the BCS. 

Shame on you Chip Kelly, Head Coach, Oregon- Was it his fault his Ducks lost in overtime to the Cardinal (by the way, when the hell are they going to fix that mascot? A color as your team name is pretty bad, but having your mascot be a dancing tree is just plain embarrassing)? Of course not, he’s a football genius and has done so much to have Oregon even in the position they were in. However, you’d think with all those great athletes they’ve been able to recruit that they could find a slot on the team for a half-decent kicker. It must be heart-breaking to know a position so often taken for granted has cost you a spot in the National Championship game in back-to-back years. After that, I wouldn’t be surprised if he signs three kickers to his next recruiting class- and frankly, I wouldn’t blame him.

Congrats to who? Colin Kapernick, Quarterback, ‘Niners- Wow! Did you see this kid play Monday night? Oh, and that was the vaunted Bears defense out there, not the University of Hawaii anymore. He’s come a long way since he was tearing WAC opponents up out of the pistol at Nevada. The dirty secret about this kid that no one seemed to know was he can freaking throw the ball! He was dropping deep corner routes on the dime like Justin Verlander pitching against little-leaguers- the defense didn’t even have a chance to stop it. So you’re telling me this whole time the ‘Niners have had a fast, athletic quarterback they’ve been saving for designed run plays who can actually throw it better than their starter, they just haven’t wanted to show everyone how good he is yet? Uh-oh. The rest of the NFL better watch out- if that defense gets a playmaker like that a QB the ‘Niners are going to be terrifying. The rest of the league, you’ve just been put on notice.

Shame on you Matt Ryan, Quarterback, Falcons- Has a player ever went from MVP front-runner to not even in consideration as fast as Ryan just did? After looking mostly amazing through the first eight games of the season, Ryan and his Falcons lost their unbeaten record last week. How’d they bounce back this week? They saw their QB throw five picks against the struggling Cardinals (now there’s an understatement). That wasn’t a typo, by the way- he really threw 5 picks!! To put it in perspective, a quarterback hasn’t thrown 5 interceptions in a game without a touchdown pass and won in over 50 years! Now you could say it shows the character of the team that they still managed to pull out the victory, but that would be like saying the glass is half full and loaded with nutrient when, in fact, it’s just a bottle someone pissed in on the car ride. Getting the victory had nothing to do with the Falcons and everything to do with the incompetence of Cardinal quarterbacks.

Congrats to who? Aqib Talib, Cornerback, Patriots- Well that’s one way to get your new home fans to like you- just pick off rookie sensation Andrew Luck and run it all the way back for a pick-six. If he does nothing more the rest of the year, he still may be the best DB on the Patriots this season. The Pats’ secondary has been atrocious, and adding a player of Talib’s skill and athleticism was a much-needed upgrade (although he comes with a ton of off-the-field questions; but for the Pats this season, he was worth the gamble). 

Shame on you Georgia, Florida, and Alabama- Georgia Southern? Jacksonville State? Really? These are the teams you schedule while Oregon is out battling Stanford and K-State has to face Baylor? I know the others faced their cupcakes too, just earlier in the schedule. But still, it seems unfair that they get the week off essentially while the other top teams face their toughest tests. 

Congrats to who? Jack Taylor, Shooting Guard, Grinnell College- The shooting guard from Grinnell College (Division III) set the NCAA record Tuesday night with 138 points in a win over Faith Baptist Bible. You read that right, he had 138 points!!! What’s even more incredible is that he hadn’t been that high of a scorer coming into the game. Somehow, he amassed an incredible stat-line that included shooting 52 for 108 from the field (yes, he took 108 shots. I don’t understand how this is even possible, but it happened) and draining 27of 71 from long-range. This feat is mind-boggling in and of itself, but add to it the fact that he was just 6 for 34 from deep coming into the game and this seems like a script from a Hollywood movie- and I doubt any producers would find the story believable enough to even make it to the big screen. Oh, and he only made seven free throws on the night! One-hundred and thirty eight points and only seven on freebies? That deserves a huge CONGRATULATIONS!

(Would you believe me if I told you this kid scored the most points in a single game in NCAA history? Well believe it! He dropped 138 (yes, 138 points!) in a game earlier this week for Grinnell College in Iowa. http://www.gannett-cdn.com/media/USATODAY/USATODAY/2012/11/21/11-21-2012-jack-taylor3-3_4_r560.jpg?f061b7ce9937c38b702e6f308816ac2a14e2a4ec)

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I hope you enjoyed reading! If you have any questions, comments, or other suggestions on how to improve the column or any other topic feel free to contact me at my email address [email protected], on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/adam.colman.9 or on Twitter @AdamRColman. 

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