"We are with you all the way"

Super Bowl 46 does not have my favorite teams in the big game, or favorite player, but there is no question who I will be pulling for. I'll be rooting on the New York Giants thanks to three players: Lawrence Tynes, Osi Umenyiora, and Jerrel Jernigan. All three played at Troy, and are therefore Trojans for life.

As the Troy fight song says, "We are with you all the way...," so I will be pulling for these guys throughout their careers.

And not just these three.

I keep up with every former Trojan who plays in the NFL. I make it a weekly routine to bring up the box scores from the weekend's games to see how the Troy guys did. Not every former player has had the instant impact of guys like Umenyiora or Demarcus Ware, but you will find Troy players scattered throughout the league making a play on Sundays. Elbert Mack of Tampa Bay is a top backup for the Bucs secondary, Leodis McKelvin had some big returns late in the season for Buffalo, DuJuan Harris became the backup to the league's top rusher in Maurice Jones-Drew (Jags OC Dirk Koetter said late in the season that Harris "might be the most improved player we have on offense"), Mario Addison went from undrafted to the Bears squad to making an impact on the Colts defense late in the year. Sherrod Martin, Steve McLendon, Cameron Sheffield are just some of the others who I will continue to watch over the next several years.

So come Super Bowl Sunday, I won't be pulling for just the Giants, but for the Trojans as well.

So I was wrong.

Looks like I was wrong about the National Championship game. But I could also never pick Alabama, it's just the way I was raised. I know they are from my state and all this and that, but I just can't do it.

But what's next? Well in the college football world we have National Signing Day which will be February 1 this year. It's a day where college football fans turn their attention to fax machines around the country to make sure teenagers stick by their "commitments". There always surprises and these high school athletes have been trying to top each other in the way they make there selection. We'll have to wait and see what the players have in store this year.

But after that, it's the college baseball season I'm looking forward to most. It is probably my favorite. Baseball in general has always been my favorite, but the college game, especially with last year's rule changes has risen to the top. The season starts on February 17 this year, which is also my birthday. I will be ready for the National Anthem and then for the first time bat hits ball.

Rematch Time

Well, the BCS National Championship game is finally here. Tonight, Alabama and LSU will match up for the second time this season. LSU got the better of the first game, winning 9-6 in overtime. What will the second game be like? Who knows. Many think we will see more offense and these teams open things up. I'm thinking these teams are still playing to win and may be conservative to a certain point.

Who I am picking? Well, for anyone who knows me knows it's not Alabama. I was raised with a certain passion to strongly dislike Alabama (Thanks Dad). I still think it will be a close defensive battle, but I have to take the Bayou Bengals winning 20-17.

Christmas Vacation

Christmas time is my favorite time of the year. I know this is a little late, but since I'm still on my Christmas break, it's still pertinent.

I get about two weeks off from work during this break. It is great to get some time away from work, away from all the problems and just catch your breath. I know come January 9, I will be rejuvenated and kind of eager to get back. While it is nice to be off, these times can be kind of dull. Finding something to do is not as easy as I wish it would be, but being lazy and spending time with my wife, is pretty nice.

Another great thing about this time of year is spending time with family. I don't nearly as much time with either of our families as we would like. But getting to enjoy time with family and listen to my Dad and his brothers and sister reminisce on the past is always fun. Getting to see my mom's side is equally as great. Having the whole family over to our house reminded me of my younger days when that's where everyone would be. We haven't had a Christmas like that is probably 10 years.

On the other side, it was so much fun to see our nephews open their presents and see their faces light up. They would scream about how that was exactly what they wanted and then immediately ask to have help to put it together. Those are the moments that make this time so fun, the joy on people's faces and just the time spent being around each other.

I'll have a sports blog up in the next day or so about the sports events and happenings that I'm looking forward to most in 2012.

Most wonderful time of the year!

Let the bowling begin.

The college football bowls begin today with three games to start the schedule.

But for me, the one worth watching the most today is the New Orleans Bowl as San Diego State takes on Louisiana-Lafayette. As a Troy Trojan, the New Orleans Bowl is a place I'm familiar with. I've been to all three of the Trojans trips to the Big Easy. I witnessed two from the sidelines and one from the stands. While it will be tough watching the game this year, I hope the Ragin' Cajuns pull out the W for the Sun Belt. I'm not necessarily one who roots for the Sun Belt teams throughout the year, but during bowl season I make an exception.

I will check in throughout the bowl season with predictions and thoughts on games, but I will be looking forward to next years bowl games already because I know that Troy will be back and make another statement in the bowls.

Doyle Alexander for Who?

You can find this post as well as a bunch of other good ones on http://americaning.tumblr.com/


Bud Selig is having a nice laugh right.

Sure, the NL MVP and star of his hometown team recently tested positive for PEDs, but Selig has been made to look good by one man: David Stern.

This NBA trade fiasco with Chris Paul has been laughable. And the reason Selig can have a good laugh about it is the endless trades baseball teams make throughout the year, in season and out. Selig has even allowed trades of teams MLB has taken ownership of; much like the NBA has with the Hornets.

Just look at what the MLB-owned Montreal Expos gave away to get Bartolo Colon back in 2002: future all-stars in Brandon Phillips and Grady Sizemore and a Cy Young Award winner in Cliff Lee.

Maybe those guys weren’t superstars at the time, but that is one of the great things about baseball trades. Those minor league prospects that few people of have heard of can turn into franchise icons.

John Smoltz and Jeff Bagwell were both prospects in the minors traded at the deadline. Smoltz went from the Tigers organization to Atlanta for Doyle Alexander (sounds like a President from the late 1800’s). Sure, Alexander had an immediate impact for Detroit, going 9-0 with a 1.53 ERA to help the Tigers win the 1987 AL East Pennant, but which name is going to live on longer in that trade?

Bagwell was sent packing to Houston from the Red Sox as double-A third baseman. The player the Red Sox got in return, relief pitcher Larry Andersen. Anderson had limited success in Boston, while Bagwell become one of the best players in the 90’s with a possible induction into Cooperstown on the way.

Mark McGwire’s magical (now tainted) chase of Roger Maris in 1998 would have happened in Oakland instead of St. Louis if not for a trade that sent Big Mac to the Cards for T.J. Mathews, Eric Ludwick and Blake Stein.

But it is not just the deadline deals that are so great, some great and not so great moves have been made in the months leading up to Spring Training.

How did Ozzie Smith end up with the Cardinals? In December of 1981, Smith along with Steve Mura, and Al Olmsted came from San Diego for Garry Templeton, Sixto Lezcano and Luis DeLeon.

Ten years earlier, during the holiday season of 1971, Hall of Famer and strikeout king Nolan Ryan wound up with the Angels in a trade that sent Jim Fregosi to the Mets for Ryan, Frank Estrada, Don Rose, and Leroy Stanton.

Another superstar traded in the offseason: Ken Griffey, Jr. He was sent from Seattle to the Reds for four players in February of 2000. While Junior never had the big impact in Cincinatti that Reds fans hoped for, the move shows that anyone can be moved anytime in baseball.

Theo Epstein made one his better moves in the offseason, when he acquired Josh Beckett from the Marlins in November of 2005. Two years later, Beckett helped lead the Red Sox to the World Series going 4-0 in the playoffs with an era under 2.00.

Trades like these are just one of the things that makes baseball so great. The offseason is never really “off” with the constant watch for players on the move. At anytime Brian Cashman of the Yankees or Jon Daniels of the Rangers could be looking for that next Nolan Ryan or Ozzie Smith.

Sure, your team may lose that great pitching prospect, but in return you get that leadoff hitting centerfielder that you have been wanting for years.

So while the NBA and David Stern figure out how many trades they can veto or how many four-team trades they allow, baseball fans can watch the proverbial hot stove for the player who will help their team to the pennant and anticipate who exactly is going to be the “player to be named later”.

That's What it's Called??

(To start things off, this is not a sports post, just a personal story.)

Do you ever remember being told something when you were young, and continuing to believe that thing for far too long. No, not like the Easter Bunny or Santa, but more like a word that you started saying when you were young, and even though it was wrong you were never corrected.

For me, that word is “beezer”. I started saying it when I was young, still use it to this day, but it wasn’t until late in my high school years I realized it was a made up word.

What does it mean? Well, imagine the sound of a beard trimmer or clippers for shaving heads. They make a “buzzing” sound or to me a “beezing” sound. And ever since one day as a little boy at the barber shop when I heard that sound, those things have been known as “beezers”. It was used a noun as in “go get the beezer” or as a verb “time to beezer your hair”.

So it was a strange and disappointing day in high school when I remarked to my friend that I needed to “beezer up my hair” and he had no idea what I was talking about. I had been led on this whole time to believe that’s what they were called! My parents lied to me!

But now the word has become a joke in our family. It is still used and will continue to be and I am sure when I have kids they will be told it’s a beezer.

So, does anyone else have stories like that or did my parents just want a good laugh later on in life??

Bad for Baseball

PED. Those letters look like they are about to be back in the headlines for Major League Baseball. And once again, it is another star player who is being linked to Performance Enhancing Drugs.

The 2011 NL MVP, Ryan Braun of the Brewers, has tested positive for using PEDs. This is bad news for baseball. Braun has been one of the best players in the game over the past few years and become one of the more marketable players around the league. Now to have this come up after a great postseason and a big start to free agency is not the kind of news that MLB wanted.

The "Steroid Era" looked like it had come and gone. Players are no longer hitting 60 home runs and looking like bodybuilders. But apparently there are problems still around. If Braun is not able to win his appeal, he will serve a 50-game suspension which will be a black eye for Bud Selig and the league that looked like it was becoming clean.

I'm BACK!

After a long hiatus, I'm giving this another go. I've had some recent motivation to put my thoughts back on the web. I last left off (two years ago) at the start of another college football season in which my team, the Troy Trojans, would go on to win a fourth straight Sun Belt championship in 2009 and added another in 2010.

As much as we don't like it, all good things must come to an end. That happened in a big way for the 2011 Troy football team. The team finished 3-9, the worst season under coach Larry Blakeney. Excuses can be made, but they don't help. It was just the second time since I have become a Trojan we have had a losing season. The last time it happened was in 2005. I won't dwell on the season, because it is come and gone. There will be another next year and another chance to start a streak.

There are some things to look forward to for fans of Troy. The basketball team has started the season 4-3. While that shouldn't blow you away, for this team with no expectations that start is impressive. With a new arena coming into play next season, there could be good times ahead for Don Maestri and his teams.

But even looking past Troy sports, the headlines are full of big-time news. From scandals to lockouts, big free agent signings, and the always fun BCS there is plenty of things to talk about and start some good conversations.

I will be back to speak my mind but until enjoy reading.

Super Conferences? No Thanks

Syracuse vs Duke.

Pittsburgh vs. North Carolina

Looks like my bracket for a Final Four, but in this case it is future matchups on the ACC gridiron as the collegiate conference landscape continues to change.

Are these new 16-team super conferences really the way to go? What will it do for not only football, but the other sports played throughout the year. And is all the money worth it?

Back in 2003, Boston College, Miami, and Virginia Tech each accepted invitations to join the ACC. Many expected this move to lead the ACC to becoming the next great conference in college football. The results? A 1-6 record in the BCS during that time.

Not that those games are the ultimate factors in determining conference success, but come on , penning your conference’s best against the best from another, one would hope to at least win half of those.

The ACC is back at it again, but they are not the only ones.

In recent weeks, the Big 12 has lost Texas A&M to the SEC and now could lose others to either the ACC or PAC-12.

For a conference like the SEC, which has won the last five BCS championships, what exactly do the Aggies bring to the table? Sure, there will be more Texas TV sets tuned in on Saturday afternoons but does the quality of play get that much better?

For all these college presidents and conference commissioners saying the top priority is the student-athlete are making fools of themselves. This is all about the almighty dollar. Sure Syracuse and Pittsburgh will help the ACC during basketball season, but are there other major sports worth it? Syracuse last finished in the top 10 in the polls in 1992. For Pittsburgh, you have to go back to 1982! The thing those schools do for the conference is give them more market access which means more money.

Another thing we’ll see out of these new mega-conferences is the possible loss of some of college football’s best rivalries. The Texas-Texas A&M matchup could be done. Instead of the Longhorns, the Aggies could be facing Vanderbilt to wrap up their year. For Pittsburgh, instead of the Backyard Brawl with West Virginia, it could be season-ending game against fellow import Boston College.

For some fans these super conferences are great. The bigger the better. But for traditionalists, let’s keep it the way it is, strap on some leather helmets and play three yards and a cloud of dust kind of game.

As you read this, deals are still being made “in the best interest of the student-athletes” to make form these new conferences. While I’ve complained about these this whole column, when the new conferences are put in place, I know where I’ll still be on those wonderful fall Saturdays. Sitting right on my recliner, watching every single minute of it that I can.

It's been a while. (Understatement of the year)

I haven't written here in over a year now. The reason is I felt like it was a waste of time. If people aren't reading it, why bother writing it. Well, I changed my mind. Writing is something I enjoy doing. It is something I feel I'm good at. So here I am, back at the helm.

What's on my mind? Well, my girlfriend for one, but also college football. I can't wait for the season to start. The fall afternoons of sitting on the couch and watching gridiron action all day long are something I long for. To be at a game and hear the crack of the pads, the band playing, the cheers of the crowd. I get chills just talking about.

My Troy Trojans will take on Bowling Green September 3 in their first game of the year. So the countdown is on, just 92 more days until kickoff!

It's been a while....

I know it's been a while, and I need to get back on this. Not too much going on...college baseball has started which is always one of my favorite times of the year. I am a huge baseball fan. I grew up playing it from little league even into my first two years of college. This is something about the game that is so beautiful to me. To some the game is a slow, boring atmosphere; to me it's a intense chess match. Small moves making a big difference, pitcher against batter, coach against coach. Every pitch matters, every inch on every play is crucial. It's a sport that has given me many great memories, on the field and off and it's something that will always be close to my heart.

Here are some pictures I took so far this year in Troy's season:

This quote kind of sums it up:
You see, you spend a good piece of your life gripping a baseball, and in the end it turns out that it was the other way around all the time. ~Jim Bouton, Ball Four, 1970

Signing off, Jono

PS: if you read this, please leave a comment. Let me know there is someone out there that checks it out.

Sorry...

Sorry for the lack of blogs recently. That will change soon. Christmas is a crazy time and I was away from my home in Troy. I was able to go on a few photo expeditions, which was great. More on those to come...

Here is a photo I'll leave you with. Shot from a low angle with a wide-angle lens at a Troy basketball game. Enjoy:

Top 5 Christmas Movies

This is my list of top 5 Christmas movies. It may not be a very reliable list because frankly, I haven't seen all the Christmas movies I've been told I need to see. And maybe one or two of these you wouldn't necessarily consider Christmas movies...but the drum roll please.

#5: Home Alone and Home Alone 2: Lost In New York

Yea, I know. It's not one movie, it's two. But it's my list so I get to choose! Anyway, I've heard many people say they thought the first one was good but that was all they needed. The 2nd one was two much. Well I think they're wrong. I enjoyed two just as much when I was a kid. Seeing someone your own age alone in New York city in that big hotel with all the ice cream, it's amazing!

And a second round of Joe Pesci and Christopher Lloyd was worth it.

#4: Miracle on 34th Street(The Newer One)

I know the original is the better one according to everyone, but I'm not a fan of older movies, so the more recent one does it for me. A classic tale of a young girl not believing in Santa, then who else comes around to help her believe but the jolly old man him self, Saint Nick.

#3: Rudy

Yes, the football movie. Not a movie about Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer. I chose this one because it always seems to be on during the holiday season. It also helps that it is one of my favorite movies of all-time. And if the final scene in the movie doesn't get you something have to be wrong with you!

#2: The Santa Clause

Tim Allen as Santa Claus, funny stuff. For someone who grew up in the Tim Allen/Home Improvement era, this movie was a classic for me as a 9-year old.

and my #1 Christmas movie is.....

A Christmas Story

First of all, I have to thank TBS. Without them, would we get to enjoy 24 straight hours of A Christmas Story. I have seen the whole movie, but I don't think I've ever seen it all the way through. I'll watch the first 20 minutes, then go do something, then finish the rest of it later. The 24 hours is great! This movie is full of classic scenes as well. The mall scene, the dog-eating turkeys, the new lamp for the family. Those are just a few of the great scenes from this movie. If you haven't seen it, check it out. Chances are if you tune to TBS on Christmas Eve or Christmas, you won't miss it!

Signing off, Jono

Superman wears Tebow pajamas!

So the finalists for the 73rd Annual Heisman Trophy presentation have been name:

Tim Tebow of Florida, Darren McFadden of Arkansas, Colt Brennan of Hawaii, and Chase Daniel of Missouri will all be in New York on Saturday to find out who will win the stiff-armed statue.

To me, there is an obvious choice: Tim Tebow.

The award is given to the "Most Outstanding Player" in college football for that season.

Not the most talented player, not the one with the best career stats, and not the one whose team had a great year.

While all these other players had great season, Tebow had a season that will go down in history.

At the quarterback position, Tebow was the country's second leading passer. He threw for 3,132 yards, completed 68% of his passes, threw 29 TD's and just six picks in his sophomore campaign and his first year as a starter! But that's not all...

Tebow did it on the ground as well....he rushed for 838 yards and 22 touchdowns. YES, 22 TOUCHDOWNS! That's an SEC record for rushing TD's, and he's a QUARTERBACK! He was the first quarterback in the history of I-A football to throw for 20 TD's and run for 20.

While his team may have lost three games this year...Tebow was consistent in every game.

Tebow's worst game of the season was against Georgia: He threw for 236 yards and a score but ran for -15 yards and 2 TD's. The reason: he was playing with a bum shoulder and his coaches told him to take it easy on the ground.

McFadden, last year's Heisman runner-up, struggled in several games this year. Auburn: 17 carries, 43 yards. FIU: 19 carries, 61 yards. Mississippi State: 28 carries, 88 yards.

While McFadden should be a top NFL draft choice, even after this, his junior year, it looks like he will finish second in the Heisman voting once again.

Brennan once again put up big numbers. But he throws the ball 3,000 times a game!! That's what their offense does. Brennan also missed playing time in games this year due to injuries. And while Brennan now owns the record for TD passes in a career, his best shot to win the award was last year when he threw 58 touchdowns and for well over 5,000 yards.

Daniel was a really good quarterback for a really good team. But unlike Tebow, Daniel did not do it all by himself. He played with All-World freshman Jeremy Maclin who could run, receive and return. Daniel also had a proven running back in the backfield in Tony Temple. And while Daniel threw for more yards then Tebow, he was not THE OFFENSE as Tebow was for Florida.

Tebow has also got something going for him: he's a pop culture phenomenon. Check out TimTebowfacts.com and you'll see what I mean.

This year has been a crazy season for college football, an unprecedented one at that. And I expect the Heisman presentation will be the same. An underclassmen has never been awarded the Trophy, but on Saturday expect to see Tebow holding the hardware.

Signing off, Jono

Da-na-na Da-na-na

For all those who checked out my first blog, you know that I'm a fan of Troy. Not only am I a fan, but I'm also an employee of the University. I work at Troy University Television. I am the master control operator which basically means I program what goes on air and make sure it stays on air.

Another perk of my job is Trojan Sports Now. It is a weekly sports show dedicated to telling all the in and outs of Trojan sports of which I am the producer and anchor of the show. During the football season, I concluded each episode with a highlight video of that weeks game.

I love highlight videos. Hard hits, big plays all over some rock or rap song that is big at the time. What else do you need to get pumped up for a game.

Well here are two of the videos:

Signing off, Jono

Photog...Is that a word?

Thanks to a generous donation to the Jonathan Sellers Photography Foundation, I am now a photographer(well at least a beginner). I am now shooting with a Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi that came equipped with Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-22 zoom lens. I am still learning about my camera and what it means to be a photographer. Heck, I got the thing on Saturday! But I plan to update this blog with what I'm learning as well as pictures I have taken.

My goal is to be a sports photog. My passion is sports and I believe I can show that through photography. My first shots with the new camera were at Troy University's (my alma mater) final football game against FAU(more on that to come). I got shots pre-game of the players getting ready for the Senior appreciation as well as their entrance to the field.

After the game, my dad, sister and I(all trying to become photogs) ventured back to the car taking shots along the way. I took a few on the school's quad that I thought turned out okay.

Now about the game...WHAT HAPPENED? The Troy Trojans football team had been stellar at home all year. Troy was 4-0 at home at Movie Gallery Veterans Stadium with the average score being 39-11. Yes, we were dominant at home. The team was 8-3 going into the final game against FAU which would lock up a conference championship and a spot in the New Orleans Bowl. Also of note...Troy was 4-0 all-time against FAU, so this was an easy win, right??

Wrong!

I wish I knew what happened, really I do. It seemed we weren't ready at the beginning. Our defense did not play like they had for the past 10 games. It seemed everyone was waiting for the offense to score all the points like it had all year. And while they did get 32, 20 of those came in the fourth quarter as the team made what seemed like an improbable comeback only to come up short with an incomplete pass on fourth down with :28 seconds left. As the ball fell to the grond, so did my heart sink in my chest. That loss hurt...to have such a great year come up short in the end is not a good feeling. So no outright championship...no New Orleans Bowl...no nothing.

There's always next year.

Signing off, Jono