Analysis. History. Perspective.

Sports Then and Now




College Football Preview: Not So Fast Alabama Comments

Posted on September 03, 2010 by Dean Hybl

Nick Saban has Alabama poised for another run, but can they repeat as champions?

After romping through an undefeated 2009 season, many experts have ordained Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide as the team to beat again in 2010. While Alabama will again be formidable, it will be hard for them to overcome the loss of most of the defensive stars that carried them past Florida and Texas and to an undefeated record a year ago.

While last season there was little question that Alabama, Texas and Florida were the undisputed best teams in college football (unless of course you are a fan of TCU and Boise State), in 2010 it may be a little harder to gauge which college teams are the cream of the crop.

Across the board, college football teams lost a plethora of talented players that must be replaced in 2010. The teams that are able to rise from the pack in 2010 will be those that have new players and former backups ready to play at the highest level.

Below is a look at the major conferences in Division I-A (Bowl Championship Subdivision): Read the rest of this entry →

Which Top 20 Roger Federer Records May Never Be Broken? Comments

Posted on September 02, 2010 by JA Allen

Roger Federer is used to winning at the U.S. Open

Do you remember what it felt like when Emmitt Smith hung up his cleats,  no longer hustling in the Dallas Cowboy backfield?

Or how the “Windy City” sighed when the Chicago Bears could no longer rely on “Sweetness” to gain  impossible yardage to convert on a third down?

When was it that Edwin Moses no longer dominated the 400 meter hurdles at the summer Olympics or when Michael Jordan no longer jammed the ball home for the Chicago Bulls?

You see, great athletes not only impact themselves and their teams––they have a profound influence on the game itself, and its fans.

They push the limits and stretch former boundaries as peers and competitors learn that something new is possible and follow their lead.

The longer they play, the greater their record.

Their  time to excel on the playing field––whatever its boundaries––is limited by time because no player’s athletic life goes on forever, despite rumors to the contrary brought on by Brett Favre aficionados.

Sooner or later, the athlete cannot continue to improve and if you cannot continue to add to your game, the process of subtraction begins––you began to move toward “less.”  You settle for “good” rather than maintaining “great.”

For Roger Federer, proving he is moving forward, adding to his game, means increasing the distance between himself and everyone else on tour.  He must add to his already staggering records to bounce back to glory again.

How many of these records are reachable by anyone currently playing tennis today, including Federer himself?

Can Federer himself improve on perfection??

Read the rest of this entry →

Americans Love a Prizefight, Even When the Sport Isn’t Boxing Comments

Posted on September 02, 2010 by Rob York

At the 2002 U.S. Open Pete Sampras showed Andy Roddick that he still had some game.

Tennis is one of those rare experiences that can offer that one-on-one contest of physicality, skill, strategy and endurance, and all without the combatants having to get punched in the face. Watch closely enough during this year’s US Open and eventually a match, probably in the men’s draw, will eventually be described using a boxing analogy.

But not all bouts live up to expectations, in the sense that they are not closely fought affairs that teach us about human will. Sometimes one player unexpectedly reaches a plateau where he can’t be touched, and the contest’s outcome is not in doubt.

It’s not dramatic, but it’s still breathtaking.

Drama was what tennis fans wanted to see in the quarterfinal match between Pete Sampras and Andy Roddick in the quarters of the 2002 Open. Residual memory from the previous year’s event, particularly its quarterfinal rounds, was still strong: Sampras and Andre Agassi had played the most commemorated match of their career, a four-set clash of styles that ended in four tiebreaks, neither player having his serve broken. Roddick had taken on fellow young gun Lleyton Hewitt, the eventual champion, on the next night and fallen in a tight five-setter. Read the rest of this entry →

Iowa Hawkeyes Football: Top 10 Keys to Defeating Eastern Illinois Comments

Posted on September 01, 2010 by JA Allen

Iowa opens the season at home against Eastern Illinois.

As you watch the University of Iowa’s football team take the field Saturday at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City against the Eastern Illinois Panthers, you need to gauge the Hawkeye’s success by looking at the following factors:

(1) The State of Mind of Quarterback Ricky Stanzi

Last year in their opener against Northern Iowa, the Hawkeyes trailed 10-3 at halftime.  The coaching staff sweated bullets.  These Northern Iowa Panthers were not patsies.

In the third quarter Northern Iowa extended their lead 13-3.  Stanzi’s back was against the proverbial wall when he marched the offense 70 yards in six plays to score, reducing Northern Iowa’s lead to three.

The reinvigorated offense under Stanzi’s leadership took charge in the fourth quarter.  Tony Moeaki caught a six yard pass to change the score in favor of Iowa for the first time 17-13.  With 13 minutes left on the clock, all Iowa had to do was hang on for a win.

But Iowa never did things the easy way––at least not in 2009.

Read the rest of this entry →

Recent Stories Putting Black Eye on the Face of MLB Comments

Posted on August 30, 2010 by Don Spieles

For as much as Bud Selig tries to make sure that Major League Baseball always puts its best foot forward, sometimes people just can’t seem keep from tripping him up. Here are four recent stories that make baseball look less then wonderful, one that centers on Selig, himself!

Nationals Handling of Steven Strasburg

Washington Nationals starting pitcher Stephen Strasburg throws against the Florida Marlins during the fourth inning of MLB National League baseball action in Washington in this August 10, 2010 file photo. According to the team's website, Strasburg has a significant tear in his ulnar collateral ligament will likely require Tommy John surgery, the team announced in a conference call on August 27, 2010. Picture taken August 10, 2010.  REUTERS/Larry Downing (UNITED STATES - Tags: SPORT BASEBALL)As a friend said to me recently, “Well, that was short-lived.” He was, of course, speaking about Strasburg’s time on the MLB stage. Many (including your truly) predicted that Strasburg would not see the big show this year at all. Now that the young ace is scheduled for Tommy John surgery and will be missing possibly until the 2012 season, perhaps the Nationals brass is wishing that those predictions had proven accurate.

You certainly don’t have to look far to find success stories related to what is perhaps the most well known surgical procedure after a tonsillectomy. Some notable names who have made the papers after the procedures include Kenny Rogers, Tim Hudson, Chris Carpenter, John Smoltz, and Mariano Rivera. There is no reason to be overly pessimistic about Strasburg’s furture.

The bottom line is that his career need not have started with this setback. They monitored his pitches, innings, and all of that. But what was not taken into account (or so it would seem) is that there is a huge difference in throwing in front of 5,000 fans in a minor league game, and then throwing in front of 50,000 fans on a national stage. Especially when the pitcher in question throws as hard as Starsburg does. Read the rest of this entry →

“The Boys of Fall” Brings Back Football Memories Comments

Posted on August 29, 2010 by Dean Hybl

Country singer Kenny Chesney's new song harkens back to his days playing high school football.

It isn’t often that we use this site to promote or rave about a current movie, book or song, but my wife recently shared with me a great song and video that I think will bring back some fond memories for anyone who ever played little league or high school football or who has followed college or professional football.

Country singer Kenny Chesney was a high school football player and his new song “The Boys of Fall” recaptures the memories and feel of putting on shoulder pads and a helmet and squaring off against a rival school on a Friday night.

While the song itself is nice, it is the accompanying video that really brings things home and will jar your memories.

It starts with current New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton back at his old high school talking about how he remembers the smells and emotions of playing under the lights. Read the rest of this entry →

  • Vintage Athlete of the Month

    • Pat Summerall: A Broadcasting Legend
      September 2, 2010 | 6:15 am

      Pat Summerall

      Our Sports Then and Now Vintage Athlete of the month for September had very long associations with two of the sports that make headlines each September. Pat Summerall played in the NFL for 10 years before becoming one of the most recognized announcers in the sport. He also served as the voice of the U.S. Open tennis championships for CBS for more than two decades.

      After playing college football at Arkansas, Summerall was drafted by the Detroit Lions, but a broken arm ended his first season in the league. He was traded to the Chicago Cardinals and spent five seasons with them primarily as a placekicker.

      Read more »

    • RSSArchive for Vintage Athlete of the Month »
  • Enter The “Top The Zultan” College Football Contest

    The Sports Then and Now College Football Zultan is back and ready to again prove his prognosticating power in 2010.

    Each week during the 2010 season you can show your football knowledge by competing against the Zultan. Anyone who beats the Zultan will earn a chance to win a $100 Amazon.com gift card or one of two $50 Wal-Mart gift cards, all of which will be awarded at the end of the season.

    Click Here to Enter Your Picks and Try to Top The Zultan.

  • Sign up for Email Updates

    Sign-up to get daily updates of all the great articles and information on Sports Then and Now.

    Enter your email address:

    Delivered by FeedBurner

  • Follow Us Online

  • SportsNation Pick!


    Sports Then and Now was very proud to be selected as ESPN's SportsNation Site of the Day on January 28, 2010! Click here to check out the video!
  • MyTicketIn.com is your Houston Tickets Brocker offering Boston Red Sox Tickets, New York Yankees Tickets, Chicago Cubs Tickets & Los Angeles Dodgers Tickets at discounted prices.

    Affordable Satellite TV Great prices on Dish network packages.

  • Support our Advertisers

  • Sports Blogs
  • Post Categories



  • ↑ Top