Mariota Christmas to All

Before I look back at this year's Heisman trophy winner, it is only right that I take a moment to talk about the first and only other Heisman winner from the state of Oregon, OSU's Terry Baker.

Why? Because Oregon State did something really classy. They took out this half page ad in the Oregonian to reach across the valley and pay classy respect to their chief rival.

So in kind, I will take this time to honor their winner, Terry Baker.

Terry Baker won the Heisman Trophy in 1962 after an incredible year of not only throwing 2,476 yards and 23 touchdowns, but rushing for an additional 1503 yards and 15 TD's.

The first player to win the award west of Texas, Baker is also still the only player to win the Heisman in football AND play in the Final Four in basketball.

One of his more memorable--

OK that's enough.

DOES CHARACTER COUNT? (Mariota's, not mine.)
This time it most certainly does. In fact all three Heisman candidates were considered people of outstanding character.

ESPN opened this story with the following line:
 You can exhale now, America. This Heisman Trophy winner you can bring home to Mom.

Humble. Selfless. Genuine. Incredible.
Fans from Hawaii to Oregon can feel
nothing but pride for identifying with
Marcus Mariota.

Through the middle of the season, Mariota was given the stupid label of being "Too nice." Reporters and bloggers across the country repeated the simplistic phrase with no substance. I don't know what they were looking for.

But I do know that when Mariota lost his only game this year at home to the Wildcats, he didn't throw his towel over his head and run to the locker room. He certainly did not flip off the opposing bench.

He walked halfway across the field, found some kids, kneeled down and started signing autographs.

Then he came out next week and every week after that and absolutely annihilated every foe that stood in his way, including those same Wildcats.

Too nice? Whatever.

It's just refreshing to see when honor, respect and decency come with winning AND losing. It's nice to see when athletic dominance doesn't have to go hand-in-hand with a-holeness.

I don't know exactly when the Heisman became just a trophy for the best stats and most wins. The selection process became boring when you could just add up the number of ESPN highlights for each candidate and pick the winner. Perhaps it was always that way.


Badger and Tide fans, you too should feel nothing but
envy that you didn't have Marcus Mariota.

Make no mistake, Mariota had all of those skill and highlight boxes checked for his own self. But unlike three of the last four . . . uh, "winners" in Cam Newton, Johnny Manziel and Jameis Winston, nobody felt like they needed to take a hot soapy shower after voting for him.

WE THE STATE OF FLORIDA,
FIND JAMEIS WINSTON "AWESOME"!
The Florida State Judge (which, to me, still suggests a judge that went to Florida State) determined that he could not find Jameis Winston in violation of the FSU Conduct Code that strongly discourages the raping of women because he felt the accuser's testimony was no more convincing than the accused.

Could that be because the victim's burden to prove that she was raped was made more difficult because Winston did not have to answer any questions? And further, Winston's two buddies who were also in the apartment, including the one that allegedly filmed this mutually consented tender moment of love making, did not have to testify. They didn't even have to show up.

The accuser and her attorneys were permitted to ask Winston questions in written format. And he was permitted to not answer a single one.

Here are two excerpts from this ESPN article:
Under FSU's student conduct rules, Winston wasn't required to answer any or all questions during the Dec. 2-3 hearing. Instead, Winston read from a prepared five-page statement as his opening statement, and then referred to it again when questioned by Harding on the second day. Winston then cited the rule that permitted him not to answer questions: "From the Rule 6C2R-3.004(6)(d) of the Florida State Student Code of Conduct I'm not going to answer."
Harding then asked him: "And so you're not going to answer any additional questions?"
"Yes, Your Honor," Winston responded

Sunday, after Harding cleared Winston, the accuser's attorneys, Kerr and John Clune, issued a statement, saying: "Of the four people in that apartment only one, our client, testified, and she answered any and all questions about what happened. The three football players, Jameis Winston, Chris Casher, and Ronald Darby, all refused to testify and answer questions and somehow Jameis Winston still wins."

Well of course he wins. The woman failed to prove that Winston was lying when he didn't say anything. Oh sure, he had a 5-page prepared written statement; but it was certainly washed, spun, and rinsed by his lawyers.

But still, the people of the State of Florida are satisfied that justice was served. Jameis Winston gets to play football.

Stay classy, FSU.



Yes Virginia, there IS an
Oregon Heisman Trophy winner.

Wishing all of you the happiest of holidays, the Merriest Christmas, Happy Hanukah, Happy Kwanza; and for those who celebrate Festavus, you were always a disappointment to our family.

--KB