The game of football is one of the most popular in all sports. Whether it be NFL or college, it always brings top ratings to any network that covers it. I guess you could say that's where all the money is in terms of sports. Good excuse for beer companies to promote their product, right?
In any event, going an entire season undefeated (from the first regular game to post-season championship) is just as challenging as a horse trying to win a Triple Crown. Those teams in college football (at least in Division I Bowl Subdivision, or simply Division I-A) have it easy, right? Well, let's just say it is less of a challenge than the NFL. After all, it is a common rule these days that you can't afford to lose even one game in the regular season. One loss, and you can count yourself out of the National Championship picture.
So far this season, we are finding out the hard way. Last week alone, two top ranked teams, LSU and California, got tanked. And the week before that...OK, I guess you guys who follow college football will understand why 2007 will probably go down in the books as an "upset season". We're already over halfway through the college football regular season, and the first Bowl Championship Series rankings are out.
Still, plenty of undefeated teams remain, namely Ohio State (this week's BCS No. 1), South Florida (BCS No. 2), Boston College, Arizona State, Kansas, and Hawaii. If things swing "the other way" with the upsets, then pretty soon we'll end up with no undefeated teams and BCS will probably stand for...no, let's not pass judgement on this yet. Let's see how interesting the rest of the college football regular season gets.
On the other side of the coin, there's the NFL. Now here's a level that's tougher than the college one. How tough, you may ask? Well, let's see...let's go back to those 1972 Miami Dolphins, who made it all the way from game one to the Super Bowl. There's your definition of pride, integrity and pure guts. As they say, others have tried. Every team that has tried to duplicate the Dolphins' amazing feat ought to learn from them. I can name one team that didn't, yet became the greatest powerhouse of the 1980s, the San Francisco 49ers. Joe Montana and the guys...now that's a Super Bowl team for all time (taking home five trophies, in 1981, 1986,
1988, 1989, and 1994). At least they had as much pride, integrity and guts as the '72 Dolphins.
Going into Week 7 of the NFL season, two undefeated teams remain, the Indianapolis Colts (the defending World Champions) and the New England Patriots. Assuming they are still undefeated prior to November 4, we could have the makings of the game of the year when these two teams meet. But just in case, the Dolphins should have their wine bottles and corks ready...hail, hail??? Back to you upstairs, Al...
NEXT TIME: Stairway To Digital (or ...And It Makes Me Wonder...)
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