The Demise of the Honey Badger & the Future of LSU Football (8/14/12)

On Friday, August 10, the LSU football program announced the not-so-surprising news that Tyrann “The Honey Badger” Mathieu had been dismissed from the program for violating team rules.

“We have a simple policy here of behavior, and consequences are pretty spelled out and defined,” LSU Coach Les Miles said Friday at a press conference. “We did what we could do, but Tyrann Mathieu is no longer on our team. He violated team policies.”

There’s no denying that Tyrann Mathieu was one of the most exciting football players to ever don the purple and gold. Game after game, Mathieu wowed college football fans across the nation with spectacular plays, accumulating six forced fumbles, five fumbles recovered and four touchdowns scored — two on fumble recoveries, two on punt returns. The only thing more dynamic than Mathieu’s on-field play was his larger than life off-field persona. His signature blonde faux hawk and Honey Badger nickname made him an instant superstar in college football. Unfortunately, his star faded much too fast.

Now he’s gone, dismissed from the LSU football program in the blink of an eye. So where does that leave the LSU football team?

As the old adage goes, “the darkest hour is just before the dawn.” Tiger fans never fear, because the dawn is almost upon you. In just 19 days, the LSU Tigers will open the season against North Texas. The game will be competitive until the coin toss, which the Tigers will most likely win. Coach Les Miles’ toughest decision will be which side of the ball he wants to showcase first: his new high powered offense led by cannon-armed quarterback Zach Mettenberger and an arsenal of skill players or his defensive juggernaut, which fields a murderer’s row of defenders in Eric Reid, Barkevious Mingo, Sam Montgomery, Tharold Simon, and Anthony “Freak” Johnson coming off the bench.

The LSU football program has been through this before – last season. Jordan Jefferson was arrested outside of a Baton Rouge bar last summer and suspended from the team for four games. How did the Tigers respond? They went 13-0 against a gauntlet SEC schedule that included wins against a Top 5 Oregon team in Dallas and at West Virginia, winning the SEC Championship, and making the BCS National Title Game. The Tigers face a much easier schedule this year, filled with plenty of cupcakes (North Texas, Idaho, & Towson) and facing their arguably stiffest opponents at home (South Carolina & Alabama).

For the Tigers, a trip to Miami is not enough. Anything but a crystal ball is unacceptable. It’s imperative that Tharold Simon step up and, with safety Eric Reid, lead the rest of the young secondary. For young guns Jalen Collins, Dwayne Thomas and Jalen Mills, it’s time to shine. The Tigers are good enough to overshadow the growing pains of this suddenly very young secondary, but for how long? Time will tell how fast these cubs mature into Fighting Tigers, but LSU fans are keeping their fingers crossed that the maturation process finishes by November 3, when rival Alabama comes to town for the BCS title game rematch.

Alabama’s thrashing of LSU 21-0 in the Superdome is a memory most LSU fans would like to forget. Maybe they will rejoice November 3 if the Tigers win. Maybe the Tigers will take their talents to South Beach this January. And maybe, just maybe, someone will be able to replace the swagger and tenacity of the Honey Badger.

Sad Times in Happy Valley (8/9/12)

As the dust begins to settle around the Penn State football program, it’s time to face the harsh reality that the Nittany Lions simply will not be competitive this year. Many experts initially predicted a slow decline, but the Penn State football team has lost some key players, especially on offense.

Don’t look now, but the Big Ten conference has improved. Wisconsin returns Heisman finalist Montee Ball to pair with transfer quarterback Danny O’Brien in hopes of returning to Pasadena. Brady Hoke’s high flying Michigan Wolverines are once again led by the ever elusive and electrifying Denard Robinson. Meanwhile, Ohio State, despite facing a post-season ban, went out and acquired a national championship winning SEC coach in Urban Meyer. Fans would be foolish to sleep on Pelini’s Nebraska Cornhuskers or the Michigan State Spartans. The Spartans return a formidable defense that would even make waves in the SEC.

Penn State’s biggest problem will be its offense, which looks to be even more anemic than last year’s version. It’s no secret Penn State was carried by their defense last year, which ranked 20th in the nation in overall defense and 5th in points allowed. The offense by comparison ranked 110th in points scored and had the 96th ranked passing offense. Last season Penn State beat Temple, Northwestern and Indiana by a combined 20 points. Despite being the road team in all three games, those outcomes are down right pitiful and a testament to the barren cupboard of offensive weapons. The lone bright spot was all-Big Ten running back Silas Redd, who has since transferred to USC.

Even before Penn State players began transferring, things look so bleak.  That’s before the Nittany Lions lost projected starters at the tight end, kicker, offensive line, and wide receiver positions, and before dual threat backup quarterback Rob Bolden bolted for LSU just last week. For those of you who don’t remember, Bolden was the first quarterback in 100 years to start at Penn State as a freshman. Combine that with the loss of Redd, and you can’t buy a sliver of hope in Beaver Stadium right now.

The common thread in the player’s departures is the chance to play for a title, either conference or BCS. USC, LSU, Florida State, Texas, and Oklahoma are among the schools that have welcomed these former Penn State football players into their ranks. The allure of bowls and championships is hard to compete with, and something Coach Bill O’Brien will have to get used to.

Let’s take a look at Penn State’s upcoming schedule

Sept. 1st – Ohio – The raucous Beaver Stadium crowd will will the Nittany Lions to a win in the first victory of the post-Paterno era. WIN  

Sept. 8th – @ Virginia – Coming off an 8-4 season, the Cavaliers are looking to make waves. This marks Penn State’s first test of the year and the beginning of a long season. LOSS

Sept. 15th – Navy – In a chippy, hard fought win, Penn State outmans the Midshipmen. WIN

Sept. 22nd – Temple – Penn State is down but not out. The Nittany Lions narrowly avoid losing to a Rent-A-Win opponent. WIN

Sept. 29th – @Illinois – The Ron Zook era is finally over. Despite losing the national sacks leader Whitney Mercilus to the NFL, the Fighting Illini return a stout defense and enact some revenge for last year’s narrow loss. LOSS

Oct. 6th – Northwestern – Last season the Wildcats finally made a bowl game. Unfortunately, Northwestern is still a very average team at best. Penn State salvages a Homecoming victory. WIN

Oct. 20 – @Iowa – Led by senior quarterback James Vanderberg, the Hawkeyes look poised to improve after a mediocre 7-6 2011 campaign. The Nittany Lions lose a close one. LOSS

Oct. 27th – Ohio State – Not even the famous Beaver Stadium “White Out” will be an advantage to Penn State. The Buckeyes win big in Urban Meyers’ inaugural campaign. LOSS

Nov. 3rd – @Purdue – Behind their best defense in recent years, led by DT Kawann Short, the Boilmakers smother the erratic Penn State offense. LOSS

Nov. 10th – @Nebraska – The Nittany Lions will be powerless against the tandem of first-team all-Big Ten running back Rex Burkhead and quarterback Taylor Martinez. The Cornhuskers roll to an easy win.LOSS

Nov. 17th – Indiana – Despite only having five seniors on scholarship, the Hoosiers are a team on the rise, returning 15 starters. In my most questionable pick, the Hoosiers prevail. LOSS

Nov. 24th – Wisconsin – The Badgers show no mercy as they spoil Penn State’s Senior Day and finally end the Nittany Lions’ nightmare season.LOSS

Dec. 1st – Big Ten Championship Game – Just kidding.

Penn State 2012 record – 4-8

Penn State faces a long road back to prominence. For the time being, the Nittany Lions can expect to become the Big Ten punching bag, which is good news for perennial cellar-dwellers Indiana and Northwestern. Penn State fans should remember all the good times and the non-vacated big wins because it will be a long time before they can take pride in their football team again.

Top 10 Sports Movies of All-Time (7/27/12)

This being my first Athletic Auteur post, I’ve decided an appropriate launching point would be to discuss some of the top sports movies of all time. Sports movie rankings are always a subject of debate among sports and cinema buffs and a perfect example of the realms of sports and cinema colliding.

Honorable mentions: Friday Night Lights, Eight Men Out, Mighty Ducks Trilogy, Cinderella Man, White Man Can’t Jump & Jerry Maguire.

10. Hoop Dreams – A basketball documentary in its own right, this film follows two black prep basketball stars who aspire to play in the NBA. William Gates and Arthur Agee navigate through the trials of everyday life in the bleak inner city of Chicago. In my opinion, Hoop Dreams is one of the best documentaries ever made.

9. Brian’s Song – The story of Chicago Bears superstar running back Gale Sayers and his unlikely bromance with teammate Brian Piccolo. Make sure you have the tissues ready. This 1971 made for TV film wins the award for evoking the most tears in every male viewer.

8. Caddyshack – The quintessential golf movie. It’s a classic snobs vs. slobs tale that became a cult classic and is one of the funniest movies of all time. Caddyshack is filled with an all-star cast including Rodney Dangerfield, Bill Murray, and Chevy Chase. So it’s got that goin’ for it, which is nice.

7. Bull Durham – This movie tells the story of veteran minor-league catcher Crash Davis, played by Kevin Costner, who is brought in to mentor rookie pitcher Nuke LaLoose, played by Tim Robbins. Bull Durham is a great romantic comedy sports film with smart dialogue and chocked full of the wacky and ridiculous antics that sometimes occur in the minor leagues.

6. Miracle – Chronicling the greatest upset in sports history, this film tells the story of the United States amazing 4-3 victory over the Soviet Union in the 1980 Winter Olympics. Kurt Russell is money as legendary coach Herb Brooks, and the scene where Team USA finally realizes who they play for makes me swell with patriotism every time.

5. Rocky – Yo Adrian! Inspired by a true story, unknown fighter Rocky Balboa takes on the world heavyweight champion, Apollo Creed, through 15 hard rounds. This film boasts a pre-steroid injected Sylvester Stallone and one of the best training montages in movie history. Mickey Goldmill stands above the rest as one of the best trainers to ever grace the silver screen.

4. Remember the Titans – Left Side! Strong Side! Starring Denzel Washington as head coach Herman Boone for the newly integrated T.C. Williams High School, this movie explores the racial tensions of a Virginia town in the early 1970s and the football team who united its people. It’s filled with a notable cast of characters ranging from the heartthrob quarterback, Ronnie “Sunshine” Bass, to the cocky running back turned defensive back Petey Jones, to the classic interracial bromance of Gerry Bertier and Julius Campbell. TheFake 23 Blast with a Backside George Reverse never looked so good.

3. Rudy - Sean Astin stars as ‘Rudy’ Ruettiger, the runt of his family, who never gives up on his dream to play for the Notre Dame football team. Rudy is the ultimate underdog, the kid who was too small and too slow to make the team but always had the biggest heart on the field. When Rudy finally gets in game, you can’t help but join the chanting crowd. Rudy! Rudy!

2. Field of Dreams – “If you build it, he will come.” Kevin Costner plays Ray Kinsella, a farmer who desperately seeks to reconnect with his deceased father. Inspired by a mysterious voice, Kinsella plows his crops in order to build a field for Shoeless Joe Jackson and the ghosts of the disgraced Chicago ‘Black Sox’ to play on. This American baseball classic reminds us all of the time when we just wanted to play catch with our dad.

1. Hoosiers - This underdog story is loosely based on a true story about the 1954 Milan (Ind.) basketball team. Gene Hackman stars as Norman Dale, the new coach in town who walks to the beat of his own drum and rubs the entire town the wrong way. Whether it’s the alcoholic Shooter, played by Dennis Hopper, instructing the team to run the “Picket Fence” or Jimmy Chitwood’s famous line, “I’ll make it,” this inspirational film has the heart of champion.

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-AA