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If I were commissioner
Posted: Tuesday April 18, 2000 05:57 PM
If they made me commissioner of college
football:
I would have Notre Dame go 11-1, just to see how many Domers crush
themselves to death climbing back on the Bob Davie
bandwagon.
I would make every band adhere to one of two styles -- Southern
University's or
Stanford's.
I would make an exception for TBDBITL (the best damn band in the
land) at Ohio State, as long as they promise to keep dotting the
"i".
North Carolina linebacker Brandon Spoon would be an
All-America. Spoon blew out a biceps last fall, then had to watch the Tar Heels
founder without his
leadership.
| React |
| What if you were the commissioner of college football? What would you do or change? If you'd like to respond, feel free to do so below. And please, take Ivan's lead and keep the responses to a sentence or two. |
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Ron Franklin and Mike Gottfried would call my
national championship
game.
I would make every fan attend one Alabama-Auburn game, so they
would know how high the rivalry bar should be set. And how long the bar should
be
open.
I would implement any playoff system you come up with that saves
the bowls and -- here's the important part -- finishes on New Year's Day, as
God and Coach Bryant
intended.
I would make sure that Iowa State senior quarterback Sage
Rosenfels had a good year. Rosenfels is who Chip Hilton wanted to
be when he grew up. Rosenfels made all-state in football, basketball and
baseball at Maquoketa (Iowa) High. He also played No. 1 on the tennis team and
qualified for the state track meet. Now he's married, an honor roll student and
a returning starter. Rosenfels finished last season by throwing for 322 yards
and three touchdowns in a 31-28 loss to Kansas. Iowa State has 18 starters
returning from a team that went 4-7 with four losses by a touchdown or less.
Watch out for the
Cyclones.
I would junk every award but the Heisman and the Outland. The
rest make my head hurt. Does the NFL have a Mosi Tatupu
Award?
I would summon Joe Paterno, Bobby Bowden, LaVell Edwards
and their 872 victories to my office -- for dinner. Close the door, serve
the food and listen to them tell stories for four
hours.
Student body attendance is falling and no one has figured out a
solution. I would make attendance at three football games a year mandatory for
any student interested in graduating. Don't tell me it won't
work.
Army/Navy (pick one) would win at least eight games going into
the final game of the regular season, where it would be upset by Army/Navy (pick
the other one,
genius).
Every team would find a quarterback quick enough to run and
strong enough to throw. Is there any moment more exciting than when Michael
Vick (Virginia Tech) or Marques Tuiasosopo (Washington) or
Quincy Carter (Georgia) sprints sideways out of the
pocket?
I would send a group of Texas Aggies to every school to teach a
seminar on campus
spirit.
I would fine an athletic department $10,000 every time the
locker room remains closed to reporters after games. And I would order Florida
coach Steve Spurrier to give seminars on how to deal with the media. He
tells it straight. But Steve -- open that locker
room.
I would challenge every radio shock jock who knows everything about
college football to spell LaDainian Tomlinson from memory. Those who
can't will have to tackle the TCU tailback before they get their mikes back.
I would cut the scholarship limit to 75. Look out, Sugar Bowl! Here
comes
Vandy!
I would have Miami coach Butch Davis talk to every
school that wants to rebuild the right way. If only he could beat Virginia Tech
... or Florida
State.
College football would have an early signing period similar to
the one basketball has used so successfully. But anyone who talks recruiting
within my earshot before the end of the last bowl game would be banned from any
college football Web site or talk show until signing
day.
In lieu of spring games, during which no one with any talent
plays because the coach is scared of injuries, I would command every school to
have a spring football carnival. Kids could meet the players, fans could pick up
bumper stickers and season tickets, and football would get a jump start toward
the
fall.
I would make July a mandatory vacation month for the players --
the way it is for the
coaches.
I would bottle the electricity you feel on a cool autumn
Saturday morning when you turn the corner and see the stadium looming before
you.
Sports Illustrated senior writer Ivan Maisel covers college football for the
magazine and is a frequent contributor to CNNSI.com.
The opinions expressed here are solely those of the writer.
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