Sports Then and Now

As was the case for most of the 2010 season, the Sports Then and Now College Football Zultan proved that his skill for prognosticating was superior to nearly all who dared challenge his greatness.

Facing a record number of challengers during the Sports Then and Now Bowl Challenge, Zultan overcame a sluggish start to pick winners in 13 of the 20 bowl matchups included in the contest.

Among the legions of entries, only seven participants were able to match the Zultan’s mark and just four contestants proved to be better at predicting the turbulent landscape of the college bowls than the omnipotent one.

Topping the masses was Nathan Meloy from Appleton, Wisconsin with an impressive 16 of 20. Ryan Sparrow from Channahon, Illinois, Dean Studt from Noblesville, Indiana and Jeff Coffey from Columbus, Ohio all finished with records of 14-6.

Not only did Nathan have the best score, but he also won the drawing for the $100 merchandise gift card. To be eligible for the drawing, contestants had to “Beat the Zultan” during the Bowl Challenge.

All participants were eligible to win one of two copies of the CD “Best of College Football Fight Songs.” Winning those CDs were Scott Carpenter of Rogers, Arkansas and Max Woodham from Johns Creek, Georgia.

Special thanks to the Zultan (JA Allen) for providing his expertise throughout the 2009 season. He will be resting up in preparation for an even better performance in 2010. Overall, more than 400 individuals from across the country (as well as a few international participants) participated in the “Top the Zultan” Challenge during the 2009 season.

Be sure to check Sports Then and Now throughout the year for not only great stories about current and past sports history, but also for exciting contests and interactive opportunities.

Currently, anyone who registers for the Sports Then and Now daily updates between now and January 15, 2010 will be eligible to win one of two copies of the book “When the Game Was Ours” featuring legendary NBA stars Larry Bird and Magic Johnson.

Emmitt Smith should earn induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.

Unless the members of the Football Hall of Fame selection committee have a collective meltdown (which isn’t completely out of the realm of possibility given some of their past decisions), the 2010 class for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame will have the distinction of including the top statistical running back and wide receiver in league history.

Many consider former San Francisco 49ers, Oakland Raiders and Seattle Seahawks receiver Jerry Rice to be the best football player in NFL history while former Dallas Cowboys and Arizona Cardinals back Emmitt Smith is certainly on the short list of all-time great running backs.

They highlight the list of 17 finalists for the Hall of Fame announced on Friday.

Former Raiders and Tampa Bay Buccaneers receiver Tim Brown is also a first-time nominee.

The other finalists include Cris Carter (receiver – Eagles, Vikings, Dolphins), Andre Reed (receiver (Bills, Redskins), Shannon Sharpe (tight end – Ravens, Broncos), Roger Craig (running back – 49ers, Vikings, Raiders), Dermontti Dawson (center – Steelers), Russ Grimm (offensive line – Redskins), John Randle (defensive line – Vikings, Seahawks), Cortez Kennedy (defensive line – Seahawks), Richard Dent (defensive line Bears, 49ers, Colts, Eagles), Charles Haley (linebacker/def. line – Cowboys, 49ers), Rickey Jackson (linebacker – Saints, 49ers) and Don Coryell (head coach – Cardinals, Chargers). Previously, senior nominees Floyd Little (Broncos) and Dick LeBeau (Lions) were announced.

Last summer, I spent two months analyzing the best players not in the Hall of Fame at each position. Click here to read my column on the Best Players Not in the Hall of Fame as well as the position by position breakdowns.

Because I looked only at players already eligible, Smith, Rice and Brown were not included on my list. Of the other 14, seven were included among my list of the top 25 players not in the Hall of Fame while many of the others were among the top 10 at their respective positions.

I will break down the finalists and provide my predictions for the Hall of Fame class of 2010 as we get closer to the announcement on February 6th.