Sports Then and Now

Don’t be sad. It had to happen.

Zultan faces the inevitable end of the season. Soon you will not have the all—seeing one to kick around anymore, to paraphrase the often hilarious Richard Nixon! This is Zultan’s last regular fearless prediction column of 2009. Hibernation mercifully awaits.

Last week the seer went 6 of 10, missing wins by Northwestern at Illinois, Michigan State at Purdue, Ohio State over Iowa (sigh), and Stanford’s annihilation of USC—whoa! Year to date, Zultan clings to 72 percent [73 of 101].

This is your last chance to enter the drawing for a $50 Best Buy Gift card by clicking here to enter your own predictions. If you outguess the mighty Zultan your name will be placed in the draw along with all those who surpassed Zultan on the season. The winner will be announced on November 24 in a special feature on Sports Now and Then.

Zultan may consider forecasting bowl winners if the hue and outcry for his return is great enough. You may let me know in your own inimitable style.

In the meantime…there are upcoming games to predict with much still at stake in the Big 10 and the rest of college football.

Read the rest of this entry →

Zultan in complete disguise is hiding out in a convent in the upper Himalayas.  The Big 10 reduced the mighty seer’s reputation to rubble. The great one’s efforts to enrich the storied conference’s prestige was diminished and degraded last week as Zultan missed 4 of 6 picks in the Big 10.  The disgrace has reduced the great ones caloric intake to 3000 a day…need I say more?

Zultan’s Mom is also in rehab after the Iowa loss.  She is expected to pull through if Iowa defeats Ohio State in the Horseshoe.  Who are we kidding here?  Mom is toast.

Zultan scraped bottom this past week going only 5 for 10 in his assault upon college football oddsmakers.  This represents a season low for the sultry seer who falls to 74 per cent on the year picking 67 of 91 through November 7.

As for the rest of the Big 10, the seasoned seer has given up all scientific forms prognostication and is drawing winners names out of a caldron.

The most compelling contest on Saturday in the Big 10 takes place in Columbus Ohio where the Iowa faithful will pray for a Hawkeye miracle. That is what it will take for Iowa to remove the stake through the heart handed them by the traditional media nay-sayers.

So get in line to test the waters this week as the Big 10 plays for post season glory. The challenge is yours – the question remains – do you feel lucky?  Because keep in mind that Zultan has gone underground where aberrant forces love to wreak havoc with predictable outcomes…
Read the rest of this entry →

Iowa's chances at a national title ended with the injury to quarterback Ricky Stanzi.

It was another interesting week of college football as one national title contender saw its dreams end while a couple others had close calls.

It still seems like the BCS Championship Game seems destined to be Texas against either Florida or Alabama, but all three teams have some work to do before that will be ensured. If they do falter, then others are lining up behind them ready to move into the mix.

Falling Off The Edge

After flirting with defeat seemingly every week, the Iowa Hawkeyes finally were unable to pull out a last minute miracle in dropping their first game of the season. The 17-10 setback to the Northwestern Wildcats not only ended their chances at a national title, but also came with a major cost as starting quarterback Ricky Stanzi missed much of the game after suffering an ankle injury.

I know that everyone in Iowa had hoped they might be catching lightning in a bottle and could keep pulling off miracle wins, but I think everyone else in the country knew it was only a matter of time before the bubble burst for the Hawkeyes.

After all, this is the team that needed to block two field goals in the final seconds of their season opener just to avoid a loss to Division I-AA Northern Iowa. Then, they had to hold on for a 24-21 win over Arkansas State. In recent weeks a last play touchdown against Michigan State and fourth quarter explosion against Indiana kept them undefeated, but also emphasized their vulnerability.

Read the rest of this entry →

The Iowa Hawkeyes were undefeated before playing at Ohio State in 1985.

“Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”

The year was 1985 and the setting was Iowa City where the Iowa Hawkeyes under the leadership of head coach Hayden Fry were enjoying the best season memory could recall.

The Iowa faithful had grown to love almost everyone – even in the media – except Beano Cook – who could possibly love that cranky forecaster who obviously had it in for Iowa!

Three weeks into the season and the Hawkeyes were declared the number one team in the nation.  Chuck Long, Iowa’s vaunted quarterback, was a front-runner for the Heisman Trophy.  Could life get any better?

Read the rest of this entry →

Power and Greed seem to be running rampant in sports.

In a week in which the New York Yankees claimed the World Series title it seems fitting to look at greed and power in the world of sports. Unfortunately, it isn’t very hard to find, even in the case of college athletics.

It’s All In The Shoes

Given that his father is synonymous with the company, it is likely that Marcus Jordan had a Nike swoosh on his pacifier as a baby and certainly grew up wearing shoes and clothes designed by the famous sports apparel company.

Now a freshman basketball player at the University of Central Florida (UCF), the young Jordan has become a central figure in a “shoe war” even before playing his first college game.

Seems that UCF has a long-term relationship with adidas and recently agreed on a new 6-year, $3-million deal that called for all UCF athletic teams to wear adidas apparel and equipment.

Evidently, at the time Jordan was being recruited to UCF, he asked if he would be able to wear a Nike shoe endorsed by his father instead of the adidas shoes provided to the school. According to all accounts from UCF, the regional adidas representative gave approval for Marcus to wear Nike shoes during games. I’m willing to bet it was an important component of why he ultimately chose UCF.

Read the rest of this entry →

The Zultan is ready to banish the entire state of Michigan.

Zultan was betrayed by the entire State of Michigan last Saturday. The mighty seer would have been perfect on the day had it not been for this lowly state. Zultan has requested that Canada annex Michigan as a new province because both Michigan and Michigan State are now banished from Zultan’s kingdom. Maybe the Wolverine State needs a Big Blues Clue! Let them flounder in the Northern Regions.

This week, despite the record number of challengers who sensed the mighty one was vulnerable, only two surpassed the peerless Zultan, going 9 of 10. Zultan, because of Michigan and Michigan State stood at 8 for 10 or 80 percent. On the season, Zultan simmers at 77 percent picking 62 of 81 through October 31st.

The most inscrutable contest on Saturday in the Big 10 takes place in Beaver Stadium where Ohio State comes calling in a place only the locals think of as “happy.” Another impossible call presents itself when LSU arrives in Tuscaloosa to play Alabama. These are just two of the many difficult challenges ahead for the all-seeing seer of seers.

Is this the week when you are finally going to stand up and be counted among Zultan’s peers? The challenge is yours – the question remains – do you feel lucky? Because keep in mind that Zultan has more than luck on his side – a warning for the faint at heart…
Read the rest of this entry →