' ' Cinema Romantico: A Digression: Yes, Virginia, There Are College Football Gods

Tuesday, December 08, 2009

A Digression: Yes, Virginia, There Are College Football Gods

This Saturday evening Sienna Miller will merely be the second coolest person in Manhattan, which is to say Nebraska's Ndamukong Suh is going to NYC as a Heisman Trophy Finalist. (Note: He won the Nagurski Trophy last night as the best defensive player in college football. I mean, duh. Of course, he did.) All you non-college football geeks who are tiring of my Cornhusker posts may not know how rare and special this is. Defensive players simply do not get invited for the Heisman Trophy Ceremony. It would be like the Academy Awards letting Sacha Baron Cohen host. Sure, Michigan's Charles Woodson won in 1997 but he returned punts and dabbled at wide receiver and interceptions returned for touchdowns are always more glamorous than tackles for a loss. (For the record, though, if Michigan and Nebraska had played that year I would have loved to see Woodson try and tackle Ahman Green. Ha! I don't even think Woodson have tried. He was too delicate. Ahman would have run over him like he was an ant hill on the interstate.) The last lineman to win was Notre Dame's Leon Hart in '48 but that was back when guys played 2 ways.


I'm not sure he'll actually win and I'm also sure he would be the first to tell you he would take the Big 12 Title over any individual awards in a heartbeat (it is important to note that Suh is a very class gentleman who could have easily gone to the NFL last year but returned to get his degree) but, you know, after the college football gods stiffed us for the 7th insufferable time against Texas it was the least they could do. (Here's hoping they sit Suh directly behind Colt McCoy at the ceremony so the entire time McCoy is sweating through his suit and looking over his shoulder wondering if Suh is about fling him to the ground once more for old time's sake.)

Congratulations, Ndamukong. You deserve every accolade you receive. Thanks for an incredible season. It truly has been an honor watching you play. (Oh, and if possible, please unleash hell just once more against Arizona. Thanks!)

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