I think I have a little man love.....

by Chaim Witz on Jan 5, 2006 2:27 AM CST Comment 24 comments

I don't really care about college football, UT, or watching much except to predict the next draft. Tonight, I had the opportunity to watch, so I did. I was pulling for Texas and felt that LenDale White would be the difference in the game.

However, I believe that the performance by Vince Young is one of the most incredible performances by an individual player in a team sport, that I have ever seen. This is one of those that I will always remember, and I'm happy that I saw it live.

Although there are great players on both sides and it is a team effort, this game just seemed to be one man (and his will to win) against a team worth of stars (Leinart, Bush, L. White, Jarret) and beat them....all of them combined. This was just totally unbelievable and whether Texas won or lost, Vince Young just gave me a great memory of perhaps the best performance I've ever seen.

I can think of several times I have thought I've seen incredible performances by an individual in a team sport, yet most of the time, I wasn't as surprised, or was the player up against bigger odds. Michael Jordan's will to win was unlike anything I has ever seen, but tonight, Young surpassed my feelings about him. I don't even like Jordan.

In fact, I'm reflecting on some of the greatest individual performances I have witnessed, and all seem to fail in comparison. Some of the greatest I can think of:

Jordan just seeming to will his team to a win, and he did it so many times.
When I was at Nolan Ryan's 7th no-hitter.
Larry Bird in one greatest efforts I had ever seen in a playoff basketball game. The one when there was almost no time left and in the final seconds Bird steals the inbound pass and in one motion throws up a shot and it goes in. (I didn't like Bird either)
Reggie Miller scoring like 5,000 points in the last 20 seconds of a game. (I didn't like Reggie Miller either)
Emmitt on that Monday night game vs. the Giants, when he had the injured shoulder and just carried Giant defenders on his back as he kept running.
Kirby Puckett just coming up huge everytime the Twins were in the World Series...especially the one against the Braves.
In 1995, Juan Gonzalez vs. the NY Yankees in the playoffs. Even though they lost in 4 games, Juan hit 5 home runs in the series and accounted for almost all the Ranger runs. He WAS the Ranger offense.

you get the picture.....there are so many that we have all witnessed.

This time, Vince Young beat those other guys on pure will and skill. This wasn't just any game, or one game in a series. This was for the National Championship against what was being touted for a month as the greatest team of all time.

I didn't believe......I have learned my lesson.

Listening to them all in interviews (Leinart, Bush, etc), they are relatively gracious, but cannot really figure out how they lost. They believe they are the best and all they have figured out is that Vince Young beat them.

To put it in perspective, if I would have told you yesterday that USC would score 38 points with:

Leinart throwing for 356 yds and a TD

L. White rushing for 124 yds and 3 TD

Bush rushing for 82 yds and a TD

Jarrett with over 100 yds and a TD

USC with a 12 point lead with 5 minutes left in the game

What do you think Texas' chances would have been?

Me too. I just underestimated Vince Young.

I sure wish his heart and will could be implanted into the Ranger dugout. Maybe he can DH??????

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Chaim

Good stuff.

That was the best sports movie I've ever seen.

by Jamey Newberg on Jan 5, 2006 6:48 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

lol

is there anyone you DO like?

by captain midget on Jan 5, 2006 8:12 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

young

he has a knack of turning it up in the big games, especially ones played at night, he performed very similar in last years rosebowl, the guy can just flat out hit another gear when the games on the line.

this game indeed lived up to the hype

by rentz on Jan 5, 2006 9:13 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

VY is...

Hand down the greates athlete to walk through the locker room at UT. I REALLY hope he'll decide to come back for one more year... and that I'll get to see him play in Austin every weekend from where the band sits! And if he does... Well I'll just get Fiesta Bowl tickets for my family right now... lol.

Texas Longhorns: 2006 National Champions! Now it's the Rangers' turn...

by utlonghorn24 on Jan 5, 2006 11:51 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

Next Year

I can't believe the N.C. game will be moved even further back to January 8th next year. Didn't know Fiesta Bowl gets to host two BCS games next year. Maybe when Jerry World is complete Dallas can get in the BCS rotation mix.

by brian mac on Jan 5, 2006 12:20 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

yes

they get the fiesta bowl AND the national championship game, unlike the rosebowl which was both the bowl game and the title game.

by rentz on Jan 5, 2006 12:24 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Well

I'm just glad that there is no playoff system to ruin these guys' education. I mean all they (about 20-30 teams) do now is practice (Vince Young compared it to two-a-days) full time for a month, then take a full week off to live it up at a bowl. Imagine if a couple of those teams actually had to play another game or two during that time.

by Brett Perryman on Jan 5, 2006 2:17 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Who was it that wanted to ..

convert VY to WR??

by Longhorn on Jan 5, 2006 12:25 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

I still do

Soriano trade = Good. Padilla trade = Good. Young trade = Bad.

by Chris Martin on Jan 5, 2006 2:11 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I Did

I was one of the people who thought they should convert Vince to WR.

And though he answered a lot of questions last night, I still have two:

His Delivery: it looked like every one of his passes could have gotten batted down at the line last night, and the DEs and DTs in the NFL are obviously much bigger and better than USC's. Can a QB really thrive in the NFL with such a (for lack of a better word) weird throwing motion?

His Deep Ball: I didn't see Vince complete a pass beyond 15-18 yards last night, nor in the other three games I watched of him (@ Missouri, vs. Oklahoma, vs. Texas Tech). Can he throw the deep ball accurately, something that is very important in the NFL?

Just thinking. I'm not saying he can't survive in the NFL. He certainly proved to me last night that he is a good quarterback, but I just have my doubts.

However, I definitely think he should go to the NFL now. It makes too much sense for Houston to draft him. Trade Carr and draft Young. He's a Houston native. He's exciting. The offensive line, which is sub-par on the Texans, would not be as much a factor with Young in the backfield. That, and the problem for the Texans has never been RBs. Dominick Davis is a solid RB, and Vernand Morency ain't lunch meat.

by ghtd36 on Jan 5, 2006 12:48 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

young

i think he has the capability to throw the ball deep, he just needs some work, maybe sitting for 1-2yrs behind a vet in the nfl, with a good qb coach, he could become phenomenal.
i really think the guy has the tools vick has, with much better size.
however.... i think he would be better served staying in school another year, and trying to showcase his passing, also part of his passing problem was his wr's, they arent exactly great, mostly because they are young.

One more year in college is one more year he can improve himself and raise his stock. I dont believe that game will make him a top 3 pick.

by rentz on Jan 5, 2006 12:55 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

young will not sit

if drafted this year, there will be a ton of pressure on whoever picks him to play him right away, unless he gets drafted behind a very capable qb, and i don't see the chances of that happening.

his deep ball is fine and his throwing motion isn't something that can't be adjusted or overcome (kosar) but, like vick, a team is going to have to be creative wiht the offense they run for him.

there still isn't an offense suited to a running qb in the nfl. the best they've come up with is an offense suited to a scrambling qb, and young isn't as good at that as he is pure running.

by ab03 on Jan 5, 2006 1:10 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah he can throw the deep ball...

He threw a beautiful one to Billy Pittman last night... 2nd quarter I think... Right on the money, but one of USC's DB's made a beautiful play and batted it down, and Limas Sweed almost caught it anyway. Vince threw that ball right where it needed to be though. So yes, he can, and I've seen him do it multiple times this year too...

Texas Longhorns: 2006 National Champions! Now it's the Rangers' turn...

by utlonghorn24 on Jan 5, 2006 2:20 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Good point....

"lol
is there anyone you DO like?"

Good question. In the past, there are quite a few. Currently, there are probably less than in the past. I like people that go about their business with a certain approach, who perform at a level a little higher than they were probably projected to.

I like some because they are from my favorite teams; some because they impact every game they play; some because they raise up those around them, etc. etc.

These days, I can think of a few:

Brett Favre- I've known the guy since 1994 and the things he's been able to do STILL amazes me.

Dirk Nowitzki- When he was drafted, people moaned that the Mavs just drafted another white European stiff. He has improved something in his game each season.

Roy Williams, Greg Ellis, LaRoi Glover- Roy for him impact on a game, Ellis because even I underrate him every season and he keeps performing, Glover because he is SO Good, but you never hear a peep out of him....he just goes about his business kicking arse.

RA Dickey- because he has overcome so many obstacles, yet keeps fighting and coming back and all the guy ever says is that he doesn't want to play for anybody but the Rangers. I like that kind of devotion and fighting spirit.

you get the picture....I just couldn't stand some folks in the past, but respected their abilities. That is the reason I put that I didn't like out to the side.

I miss 1989. I miss 1995. Please make me miss another season in 2006.

by Chaim Witz on Jan 5, 2006 12:53 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

vy

tons of talk on espn now, that if vince comes out and declares, houston might take him, hometown guy, fans are already saying they want young.
and they could trade carr for some help elsewhere

by rentz on Jan 5, 2006 5:22 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

It's a gamble on his part

If Houston doesn't pick him, he's going to the Superdome. Ouch.

by trza on Jan 5, 2006 5:47 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

yup

that alone should be enough to keep him in school another year, the thought of playing for the saints

by rentz on Jan 5, 2006 5:59 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Mortensen

I think Mel Kiper, love or hate him, said it best about Vince Young. His stock is at an all-time high and can only go down. He points to Matt Leinert last year. Leinert would have been the 1st pick of the draft and came back for a run at a third championship. The extra year gave everyone a chance to pick him apart and find flaws. He ends up having better stats his senior year and falls off in the draft projection.

Mel went on to say Vince and only go down. Even if he wins the Heisman, everyone will say he was suppose to. Plus he went on to say that he believes, as do many NFL experts, Brady Quinn would be taken over Vince regardless next year and Adrian Peterson could as well.

by brian mac on Jan 5, 2006 6:18 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Vince just being Vince

As a Longhorn fan I have seen Vince do what he did last night so many times that I fully expected him to win that game and was not surprised when he did. I disagree that he did it all by himself though, the o-line was awesome and gave hime tons of protection and holes to run through and that last defensive stand was huge.

If you had told me that USC was only going to score 38 I would have told they are probably going to lose. The only team to hold Texas under 40 all year long was Ohio State and the USC defense may be good but no OSU. I figured Texas would score 40 and USC would have to do better than 38.

Vince Young has always thrown a good deep ball it is his mid range and on the move throws that he hasn't he wasnt as good at until this year. Watch the clip of the touchdown to Limas Sweed to beat Ohio State, it was perfectly thrown.

But otherwise I agree great game Vince, that was the most exciting game of my life.

by brentash on Jan 5, 2006 8:37 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

I agree...

I know he didn't do it all by himself and that's why I kept saying individual performance in a team sport, as well as mentioned the great players on both teams. The Team won that game, and I am all about a team concept. But last night, one player on that team made the most out of every opportunity provided by his teammates, and that is what I am referring to.

As far as the 38 points go, that really wasn't the point. I was talking about the stats I listed. With those kind of stats, it would seem that it would make it difficult for Texas to even have the ball enough to even make a game of it.

I believe that 38 points alone could have been predicted quite easily by someone like you, with great knowledge of the Texas team. What I was really trying to convey was that if I told you that the opposing 'stars' put up these stats:

Leinart throwing for 365 yds and a TD
L. White rushing for 124 yds and 3 TD
Bush rushing for 82 yds and a TD, receiving more
Jarrett with over 100 yds and a TD
USC with a 12 point lead with 5 minutes left in the game

Would you have thought Texas' chances would have been very good? I wouldn't and that is what made it a great game. Vince Young's performance is what made it amazing.

I miss 1989. I miss 1995. Please make me miss another season in 2006.

by Chaim Witz on Jan 6, 2006 7:48 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

Young

ESPN is reporting (mortonson) that league sources tell him young will be declaring for the draft as early as today.
i was really hoping the guy would come back for a final year, the horns would have been the big favorite for a second title, and him the heisman.
i really hope he either goes #1, or #3 and avoid the whole saints mess.

by rentz on Jan 8, 2006 11:13 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

Damn...

I'm gonna be a freshman at UT next year, and I really wanted to be able to go with the band to the Fiesta Bowl... So much for that... And next year could be bad for UT actually... We may lose anywhere from 1-5 games... Tough schedule next year... Ohio State will kill us in Austin...

Texas Longhorns: 2006 National Champions! Now it's the Rangers' turn...

by utlonghorn24 on Jan 8, 2006 11:36 AM CST reply actions 0 recs