Searching for Billy Edelin

BYU Just Made the WCC More Interesting

2010-09-02T01:27:53Z

More photos » George Frey - Getty Images

After a few weeks of rumors and assessment by school administrators looking for the best possible move for the athletic department and university as a whole, BYU officially joined the West Coast Conference today. So if you're scoring at home, college basketball fans, you have just incurred at least a few additional groggy winter mornings.

Despite being a non-BCS conference school, BYU is one of the few national brands in college sports. "Opening up the Salt Lake City-Provo market to the WCC is a major coup for the league -- which makes it hard to ignore what a significant blow this is to the MWC," writes ESPN's Andy Katz.

Thirteen million mormons spread out from coast-to-coast will do that, meaning the West Coast Conference can expect a spike in television revenues with their newest member (BYUtv is broadcasted to 40 million homes in 12 states), and opposing conference foes can plan on packing the house when both Gonzaga and the Cougars roll into town. By going independent in football, the school also landed a six-year series with Notre Dame and an eight-year deal with ESPN.

So where does the WCC rank in the hierarchy of college basketball? The 13th toughest conference last season, according to RealTimeRPI.com, they have now far outclassed the Horizon League and CAA, and are now comfortably part of that second/third tier of leagues alongside the Atlantic 10, Missouri Valley, and the identity-seeking Conference USA.

Harvard Sports Analysis: Up Three, Time Running Out, Do We Foul? The First Comprehensive CBB Analysis

2010-08-25T23:20:33Z

Harvard Sports Analysis: Up Three, Time Running Out, Do We Foul? The First Comprehensive CBB Analysis

Excellent stuff from a person that is much smarter than me.

Searching For: Will Blalock

2010-08-21T03:03:07Z

It has been some time since I crafted a "Searching For," and it's funny how a newspaper stand in downtown Boston can compel me to do so.

Will Blalock, product of the Hub and former Iowa State Cyclone, is, like many run-of-the-mill college guards from the good part of last decade, still trying to find his place and realize potential. He's a fringe player. A guy with enough talent to play in the NBA, but lacking consistency, or maybe a mid-range jumper, to secure a one-year contract. The Phoenix's Paul Flannery followed Blalock out to Vegas this summer to assess the former golden boy's game and stature among his peers, getting me up to speed on one of Boston's great prep players.

Playing for East Boston High and then Notre Dame Prep in the winters, and the BABC AAU program in the summers, Blalock was perceived as a living legend during his teenage years. But nationally, he barely cracked the top 100 in Scout.com's 2003 Prospects List. His stardom as a prep player gave way to a mediocre career in Ames, Iowa playing alongside NYC-bred Curtis Stinson.

Since leaving Iowa State as a Junior in 2006, Blalock has logged exactly 166 minutes of play in an NBA jersey. It was his rookie year with the Detroit Pistons, a team who deemed him expendable just 16 games into the season. From there he's played minor league ball in Anaheim to pro ball in Israel, with many other stops in between. Other stops, like a stroke at Logan Airport that prevented him from attending the Seattle Sonics mini-camp, and also from living. Yeah that's right, Blalock had a stroke at the age of 24 due to a blood clot in his neck. He also was born with a hole in his heart yet maintains he is OK to continue pursuing his dream.

A story of perseverance aside, Flannery's story on Blaclock reminded me of the overall lack of talent produced in the seventh largest media market in the country. Sure the amount of prep schools in the area have drawn top-flight talents like Michael Beasley, Francisco Garcia and Jarrett Jack to Massachusetts, but they're not natives; they don't roc Red Sox caps tilted to the site. Right now, there is not one Boston-born active NBA player. Even more grim - former UConn forward Jeff Adrien and Notre Dame center Torin Francis might be the two most successful college players from the area in the last decade. You don't need their career statistics to understand that it's a shallow talent pool up here in the Northeast. The last Boston-born basketball player that really left an imprint on the college game? Try Kentucky's Wayne Turner from the late 90s.

So is Blalock really that special? Frankly, his game is just average when presented on a national stage, and the feature piece, while insightful and providing that tingly feeling of "oh I remember that guy," reminds us that Boston is not fertile grounds for Division I basketball talent. He left the Vegas with a deal to play in Australia. Always upbeat, Blalock explains it's a chance to lead, and secure his place in the basketball landscape.

"I much prefer the baseball model, for example, that allows a young person, if they want to go play...

2010-08-19T01:45:29Z

"I much prefer the baseball model, for example, that allows a young person, if they want to go play professional baseball, they can do it right out of high school. But once they start college they’ve got to play for three years or until they’re 21."

--- Mark Emmert, NCAA President

A freshman approach | Washington Examiner

It's Confirmed: Corey Fisher Did Work in a Bronx Gym

2010-08-14T14:06:09Z

There’s been a lot of ruminating around the Internet this week, question the validity of claims made regarding Corey Fisher’s 105-point outburst in a Bronx, New York summer league game last Saturday.

Nearly one week later, we all know for sure that Fisher did indeed put on a show for privy fans in the gym at the Watson Classic. A PR firm representing Villanova, or the school’s communications department, finally took full advantage of their crafty guard’s accomplishment, offering him up to many of the major sports news sites across the web.

"It's true," Fisher told Yahoo’s "The Dagger" on Friday. "It never entered my mind that I would score 100 points. I was playing the game, and people in the crowd were yelling, 'He has this, he has that.' My teammates were finding me at the right place at the right time."

Playing coy and speaking sheepishly, he continued to ESPN’s Dana O’Neil:

"I had 72 after the third quarter and I just kept scoring and scoring. I didn’t realize I was near 100 and then I go to the free throw line and people started going crazy.’’

Now initially was I was considering a little compare/contrast on Fisher’s Summer 2010 folklorish story with against Xavier guard Jordan Crawford, and his once-mythical dunk over LeBron James from 2009. Both occurred without the bright lights and capacity crowds, and both had the interwebs curious and buzzing with banter. But after mulling it over for a few seconds, I had a moment of clarity. Frankly, there’s no comparison between the two. Fisher’s performance - replete with 23 3-pointers (on a mere 28 attempts) and some colander-like defense from former and current college players - far out-impresses Crawford's.

For the upcoming season, I’ll set the over/under on "References to Fisher’s 105-Point Game Made by TV Crews Announcing Villanova Game" at an arbitrary 17. I’m probably way off, but expect this story to carry itself and remain fascinating to the general public all the way to through the Wildcats' season.

SB Nation Philly: Villanova's Corey Fisher Scores 105 In NYC Summer League Game

2010-08-09T21:39:58Z

SB Nation Philly: Villanova's Corey Fisher Scores 105 In NYC Summer League Game

I love everything about this, especially that it occurred in an obscure summer league game, relatively speaking, and may be one of the few modern day on-court performances that becomes folklore because no photos or video surface.

You can't get that too often in today's world.

SeattleTimes.com: UW vs. Virginia in Maui; Kentucky possible semifinal opponent

2010-08-06T01:06:33Z

SeattleTimes.com: UW vs. Virginia in Maui; Kentucky possible semifinal opponent

Nothing like an early season non-conference game that has a few pints of bad blood to it. Assuming Kentucky and Washington advance to the second round of the 2010 Maui Invitation, the two squads who feuded over prized recruits this spring will square off in a must-see match-up of two top 25 teams.

It must really suck to be Jacob Wise

2010-08-06T00:18:21Z

Above is Jacob Wise, son of the loose and D-loving Karen Sypher. As we all know, Sypher was found guilty on extortion and five other charges today, and is expected to spend 7-8 years behind bars for demanding money from Rick Pitino as a way to keep their brief yet tawdry relationship quiet.

In her wake she leaves behind a university that is in desperate need of a crisis communications firm, and four children who are probably fretting that upcoming first day of school. Not only is it clear to everyone in the Bluegrass State (and the country for that matter) that their mother has relaxed morals, her sexual proclivities were discussed in grave detail in a Louisville court this week; pretty jarring stuff for kids who somehow have to grow up and push this episode of their life into the subconscious.

Chicago Sun-Times commits journalism sin, draws plenty of ire

2010-08-05T23:14:57Z

Rising blue-chip prospect Anthony Davis was at the center of a major journalism gaffe yesterday, one that could lead to legal repercussions and a lot of headaches for the Chicago Sun-Times' editorial board.

Sun-Times sports writer Michael O'Brien, which reported that the hometown Davis would choose to attend Kentucky in the fall of 2011, broke the story based around a single source, then supplementing that claim with sources for the Kentucky fan blog Nation of Blue, which also reported that Davis was headed to Lexington. In addition, it was also reported by O'Brien that (and this is where it gets nutty) Kentucky put up $200,000 for Davis to ensure he would play for them...seven paragraphs past the lede.

In swift fashion, a pair of real basketball journalists (Goodman & DeCourcy) tweeted that the report was an insult to good reporting, and would likely end up being taken down or heavily edited. It was, and their anger is warranted. While Nation of Blue can write and speculate and allege whatever they please, with minimal real consequences, the Sun-Times cannot operate like that. They're the17th largest paper by circulation in the United States, need multiple direct sources to confirm a story like this, and probably shouldn't be piggy backing off of a fan blog that is likely operating with a major case of confirmation bias.

Today, following threats of a lawsuit from the University of Kentucky, the paper modified their original story by cutting out the $200,000 figure to report, "rumors that Davis’ commitment is for sale have surfaced since he cut his list of schools down about a month ago." The pending lawsuit from UK and a local law firm, is built around "constituting defamation." Considering John Calipari seems to be a major purveyor of recruiting drama, seeing the school take legal action and pursue a libel suit means they're damn serious about quelling any thoughts that money is pulling Anthony Davis to wherever he elects to go to college.

A lot of people are writing about this, but I think the best perspective out there is from the Lexington Herald Leader's John Clay. After receiving an email from a reader imploring him to go and actually find out why Darnell Dodson was booted from the team, Clay simply responded that he's heard too many rumors that he can't confirm to publish, meaning he is in no position to report on Davis and the $200, whether it is true or not.

And neither can the Sun-Times. They look extremely stubborn on this, which is what a daily newspaper in the third largest media market can't afford to do.

Does it matter that Kevin Coble isn't returning to Northwestern?

2010-07-29T00:33:56Z

Last season was supposed to be "The Season" for the maligned Northwestern basketball program. NCAA Tournament berth-less since 1940, the Wildcats were led by the trio of Michael Thompson, John Shurna and, most importantly, Kevin Coble.

Then Coble messed up his foot, missed the entire season and Northwestern stumbled towards a 20-14 season - much to the chagrin of Michael Wilbon.

But with all the important pieces expected to come back, "The Season" was pushed back to 2010-2011, until Mr. Coble decided pop the balloon of optimism once again. Yesterday he officially said to hell with basketball, opting to graduate in December of this year and forego the stress of trying to be healthy and ready for the start of the upcoming season. On the surface, it's hurts; a severe blow to a team and a fan base that faces stiff competition in the ultra-competitive Big 10. Since his breakout sophomore season, Coble had been tagged as the savior, despite not being the clear-cut best player on his team.

As John Templon of Chicago College Basketball points out, via Rush the Court, Coble's numbers don't quite fill any gaping holes in the Wildcats' overall team statistics, so the loss shouldn't be perceived as crippling. Northwestern is an efficient offensive team - and can stroke it from deep - even without Coble's 15.5 PPG, but aren't defensive stalwarts. And on that end of the court, scouts have gone so far as to call Coble "a liability." That's a curse phrase in some basketball circles.

So take solace Northwestern fans, you finished seventh in the conference last season, and my knee jerk reaction thinks you'll jump past Minnesota and Wisconsin next season. Hope and pray Tom Crean needs at least one more season to get things in place over in Bloomington, Indiana, and you're looking at a top five Big 10 finish. It's a bit of a long shot, but there's no doubt you're still in position to dance like Franklin Delano Roosevelt just took office as U.S President.

Fanhouse: Two Drexel Basketball Players Surrender in Robbery Scheme Gone Bad

2010-07-26T23:20:16Z

Fanhouse: Two Drexel Basketball Players Surrender in Robbery Scheme Gone Bad

After sullying the name of the school they represent, two idiotic Drexel basketball players surrendered to authorities today, following a botched attempted robbery last Wednesday night, which resulted in nothing more than a stolen iPhone.

Jamie Harris and Kevin Phillip had their armed robbery of a fellow student's apartment caught all on tape, so naturally it was just a matter of time before police IDed the two (ex) players and issued a warrant for their arrest.

Mississippi State's Kodi Augustus part of Real World storyline

2010-07-26T23:07:22Z

I haven't kept tabs on a Real World season since The Miz went toe-to-toe with that uber-abrasive Coral chick back in 2001. The series seems to have lost its punch, and now that I am older than nearly all cast members it's just plain weird to give a damn about these people's lives.

But while doing some channel surfing last week, I caught the tail end of the latest Real World: New Orleans episiode and learned that next week Mississippi State forward Kodi Augustus becomes part of a love triangle with two current cast members. Apparently Augustus has a history with Jemmye, but just four episodes in to the show the Baton Rouge belle has fallen for Knight, a likable dude from Wisconson recovering from an addiction to painkillers following a shoulder injury.

According to her official bio Jemmye, playing the role of person-always-comfortable-in-their-own-skin, "enjoys casual sex with no commitment, and she has a preference for black men."

So who will prevail on Wednesday night? A man full of chocolate lovin' who doubles as Rick Stansbury's starting power forward, or the Cheese/Puck Head roommate who knows how to party and pop pills? Size does matter but I hear it's really the thickness and width that count, so maybe the white dude stands a chance.

It's time to track down Billy Edelin

2010-07-26T00:12:46Z

I've been blogging atomically for 18 months now. After starting it up with a friend on Wordpress for nothing more than shits and giggles, we have been able to build a decent following of readers, hook up with the awesome and ever-growing SB Nation, and interact with like-minded bloggers and writers.

But none of this has yielded even a peep from the man we built this enterprise on...The Billy Edelin.

Billy, as far as I know, works for Onondaga County, and tears up Utica's King of Kings league in the summer. But he's never even sent so much as a smoke signal to indicate he's aware of SearchingForBillyEdelin.com. Perhaps I am not big-time-dynamite enough, but for some summer fun it's time Billy be tracked down, and maybe even give us a few minutes of his time.

On Thursday I emailed the guys at the King of Kings (see blurry email above), but no far have heard nothing from them...so I need your help. Troy Nunes, shuffle through your Rolodex; Jim Weber from LostLettermen.com, start working your network of forgotten college basketball players; anyone else with connections, please start pounding the pavement. All I want is an acknowledgment from Billy and an opportunity to inquire about a Q&A with him.

I have no intention to poke fun or probe into his personal life, or write an investigative piece on what really led to his dismissal from the Syracuse basketball team. I just want to find out what he's up to now, and what his future plans are.

I really hope Shane Clark had nothing to do with Shane Clark's webpage

2010-07-15T00:46:54Z

Former Villanova Wildcat Shane Clark apparently took a computer science class (presumably during his 2005-2006 freshman season), and this was the end result. Total buffoonery, right?

It's easy to poke fun at Clark...err... dissect every clickable link and roll on the floor laughing, but we know stories and rumors that come out of Villanova aren't always entirely correct.

I'll leave it up to you to decide if this is the work of the former Wildcat.

The NCAA announces expansion details we can live with

2010-07-15T00:23:29Z

From now on if you're incessantly talking bubble teams come March, it might be time to find a new hobby.

On Monday, the NCAA announced their plan for the three-team expansion, and it brings together the two schools of thought that came out of the initial expansion announcement back in April:

That four play-in games are the most practical for logistical reasons.
That having four "Bubble Games" would generate a high-level of intrigue, despite forcing fans to hastily submit their finished bracket roughly 36-hours before the traditional tournament Day 1.

We get a bit of both. Now, two #1 seeds will lick their chops for a few days following Selection Sunday as helpless directional schools get a run in Dayton, and the four "last-in" teams will silence those endless debates on the court.

As far as I'm concerned, the talk of bubble teams should really grind to a halt every championship week. With the college game currently suffering from a lack of overall breadth and depth of talent over the past decade, we are starting to hear that many of the so-called "bubble teams" are not always deserving of a tournament bid following an eye-test review. This past season, Virginia Tech, Illinois and...oh what the heck...Seton Hall were on the outside looking in. While many would say they weren't spry enough to dance, the new format implemented by the NCAA now would give these types of teams a chance to prove they are or are not better than the final two at large bids that get inclusion. To hell with letting it be completely decided by NCAA number crunchers tucked away in Indianapolis.

I have absolutely no gripe with the new tournament format. Two games in Dayton as opposed to just one might create a bit more intrigue, and a lot of arguing over who is the best out of a group of 4-6 mediocre teams will now subside a tad. For now, the greatest playoff system in all of sports has not been ruined.

Now, if only I knew where TruTv was on my cable guide.

68-Team Bracket Format FINALLY Revealed - Blogging the Bracket

2010-07-13T21:35:54Z

68-Team Bracket Format FINALLY Revealed - Blogging the Bracket

While I still feel expansion was a completely unnecessary innovation, a three-team jump was certainly the way to go, and this format, even though it smacks of trying to please everyone involved, should work well.

Top 10 Ways To Pass The Offseason Until Tip Off

2010-07-12T02:52:36Z

This post is sponsored by EA Sports NCAA Football 2011.

As I type, Spaniards in Madrid, Barcelona and across the world are going bonkers over the country’s first World Cup title. Just three days ago, the "Summer of LeBron" came to a boisterous crescendo, as one of the most anticipated NBA free agency periods all but ended with a new title favorite.

In short, the dog days of summer are here. Yeah, the MLB All-Star game is just a few days away, and drama is sure to ensue next weekend at the British Open from St. Andrews, but there’s really no excuse between now and Labor Day not to catch up on some summer reading... and of course warm up the thumbs for NCAA Football 2011.

Here are the 10 best ways college basketball fans (who also love and enjoy college football) can pass the time leading up to next season:

10) Buy NCAA Football 2011. College football legend TIM TEBOW!!! graces the cover.
9) Read Rush The Court’s Zach Hayes (@zhayes9) on-going "20 at the Top Series." He loves to make lists (who doesn’t?) and will be coming at you for the next six Fridays with the top 20 players in each of the six major conferences. I'll be doing my best to match wits with him.
8) Avoid that damn Entourage show. Because no self-respecting twentysomething really wants to be Turtle, and the new season of Mad Men kicks off on July 25th.
7) Suck it up and throw down $20 for BasketballState.com. Statistical analysis and historical data aplenty, BasketballState is StatSheet.com on steroids, and it's entirely street legal. The summer is a perfect time to explore all its features and breadth of information for junkies.
6) Stay up to date with the latest 2010-2011 scheduling news and notes over at BloggingtheBracket.com. Chris Dobbertean (@chrisdobbertean) is on top of his stuff when it comes to the who/what/where/when of scheduling, including all those fun early season tournaments. Did you know Cincinnati, South Florida and West Virginia are the three lucky Big East teams slated to play lousy DePaul twice next season?
5) Buy NCAA Football 2011. The all new Locomotion System gives gamers the ability to stop momentum on a dime, rebalance after an over-pursue and truly feel what it’s like to play between the sidelines.
4) Track the ongoing story of the NCAA’s investigation of Eric Bledsoe. At this time it’s been reported that one of Bledsoe’s relatives and a family friend told the Birmingham News that they, and not Bledsoe’s high school coach, helped pay rent for Bledsoe and his mother during the former UK guard’s senior year of high school. There’s certainly more layers yet to be peeled back, but it’s a potential saga in the making.
3) Foolishly spend office hours perusing the NCAA Vault. It was launched in March, giving fans access to highlights and start-to-finish video of every Sweet 16 through National Championship game played since 2000. Did you know that in 2003, #10 seed Auburn played in a regional semi-final game, nearly knocking off eventual national champion Syracuse? It’s this type of relevant information I crave in mid-July.
2) Help me secure an interview with Billy Edeiln. I’m looking at you Onondaga County. Billy is apparently working your in the records department by day, and dominating the King of Kings Summer League by night. This is my second summer writing SFBE, and it’s about time I score some face time with the former Orange guard.
1) Buy, and play, NCAA Football 2011. Because gahd dangit EA Sports is using me as an intermediary to interact with fans, and their investment needs to yield a healthy ROI.

The 2001 Miami Hurricanes, My All-Time Favorite Team

2010-07-08T00:45:59Z

This post is sponsored by EA Sports NCAA Football 2011.

Each season, following the violent unwrapping of the polyethylene and delicate placement of the CD-rom into the gaming system, it’s customary to browse the attributes of all 120+ Division-I football teams included in the NCAA Football series.

Whose offense is top-notch? What defense has received an "A+" grade? Sometimes I even like to know who is repping an iron-leg kicker.

Each year’s game has their top teams, and you learn which ones have the most talented skill-position, but since 2001 I haven’t seen a team as stacked as the 2001 Miami Hurricanes. The 2004 USC Trojans, 2005 Texas Longhorns, and 2009 Alabama Crimson Tide are nice, but nobody had a scary amount of depth and NFL talent (23 players drafted; 16 in the first round) than Larry Coker’s boys.

Consider:

10 defensive regulars were first round draft picks
Of those 10, only Jerome McDougle and Mike Rumph played themselves out of the league
A redshirt freshman, Willis McGahee was handed the ball just 67 times
Kellen Winslow – he’s pretty good – caught only two passes backing up Jeremy Shockey

As high school sophomores, the Hurricanes renaissance put my friends in complete awe. A program that was mediocre by Jimmy Johnson’s standards through the 90s, we were picking noses and hurling plastic Ninja Turtles at one another the last time The U was so powerful. But as unruly teenagers without an ounce of maturity to our names, we sacrificed many a Friday and Saturday nights to socialize with coeds and stay out late just to "be" Ken Dorsey and drop back with umpteen talented players flanking him. Clearly, our priorities were in order.

The real life squad affirmed what many gamers already knew before the season kicked off. After throttling Nebraska in the Rose Bowl for the National Championship, the Hurricanes stood undefeated, with a record-breaking 33-point scoring margin, outscored ranked teams 124-7, and six first-team All-Americans. Absolute immortals to the 18-25 demographic, and best collection of college football players of my generation.

Bobby Gonzalez nabbed stealing satchel, is crazy

2010-07-07T01:20:00Z

Former Seton Hall and Division I (because nobody is hiring this reject again) basketball coach Bobby Gonzalez continues to sully his name, this time for allegedly stealing a satchel from a New Jersey mall.

Hey! There's Skittles in there!

Gonzalez was apparently looking to complete a preppy-themed ensemble for the fall, as he attempted to scoop away a Polo Ralph Lauren man-purse retailing for $1400. Gonzalez's lawyer says this is all a misunderstanding, that his client had no intention of stealing the item, and all of this will soon be straightened out.

But this alleged theft is just the latest in a string of hot messes Gonzalez has found himself in. He frequently clashed with school administrators during his tenure in South Orange, was criticized by Pirate fans for building his teams around risky transfer players, and, more specifically, rained mother-F bombs on the dean of the Seton Hall School of Law before being shown the door in March. Two weeks ago, just for good measure, Gonzalez arrived uninvited at Madison Square Garden for the NBA Draft. There he proceeded to cuss out FoxSports.com's Jeff Goodman for a recently published story on the former coach.

I remember a long, long time ago when Gonzalez was coaching Manhattan, ready to pounce on a big-time coaching gig. Dick Vitale would sing his praises during every broadcast, imploring St. John's to hire him and put Big Apple basketball back on the map. Gonzalez was passed over for that job, and his four seasons at Seton Hall were mediocre at best, compiling a 195-136 record with no NCAA Tournament berths. So while there's not much of a legacy to tarnish, it's a good bet Gonzalez will be remembered for a twisted downfall that culminated in scene from something out of Mallrats meets Paul Blart.

How I became a fan of… the EA Sports NCAA Football series

2010-07-05T22:16:03Z

This post is sponsored by EA Sports NCAA Football 2011.

To celebrate the July 13 release of NCAA Football 2011, EA Sports asked the dozens of SB Nation college bloggers to help promote and preview the latest installment of the highly successful series. Luckily for EA Sports, I along with many of my high school and college friends are some of the more ardent fans of the series, so you don’t need a lot of arm twisting from this guy to gush about a personal favorite past time. As I enter adulthood, I’m still not sure if it’s proper or embarrassing that NCAA Football remains part of my life, but I must admit that it's the true catalyst for what hypes me up and gets me thinking about the upcoming college football season.

My first memory of NCAA Football was back in 2001. Play Station 2 was the console of choice, and it was then when it became customary to pick up the new game just before the start of school. Because who actually comes home from a hard day of high school and golf practice, and decides to study before bed? For those that remember the 2001 college football season, the Miami Hurricanes were king, both in real life and as 64-bit football players on NCAA Football 2002. Still one of the most awesome collections of interscholastic athletes, the "U" had enough NFL talent to fill an entire pro team’s draft board and it was a blast to pit their stout defense against the option-centric Nebraska Cornhuskers, led by the dynamic Eric Crouch.

Two years later, laid up from the removal of his wisdom teeth, I spent hours recovering with NCAA Football 2004 (and pain killers of course). The Auburn Tigers were the trendy team that season, and I took it upon myself to groom Jason Campbell into a #1 NFL pick, uploading his draft class onto the premier EA Sports Madden series. The Tigers went undefeated and played for the national title... if only it were a case of art imitating life.

Recently, my friends and I all agree that EA Sports has done an incredible job keeping NCAA Football series fresh by constantly tweaking the gameplay. Users are challenged to actually know that the heck they’re doing when their team steps to the line of scrimmage. No longer can you just drop back on 4th-and-26 to keep your drive moving, run an HB toss with your big, burly running-back and expect a 20-yard gain, or always feel peachy as you try and punch it in late in the game against a rival opponent. Heck, the game even manages to trick us into thinking Lee Corso is still the spry and witty analyst he once was.

I hail from New England - Maine to be exact - so I don't hold claim to a story that opens with "how I became a fan of [STUPENDOUS COLLEGE FOOTBALL TEAM]." But I am a huge fan of the game and everything that surrounds it, especially the NCAA Football series.