It was quite a year for Corey Johnson, the high school football captain who came out to his teammates, school and the world. The front page of the New York Times, national TV appearances, featured speaker at the gay rights march in Washington. And this past week Johnson was one of New York Times sports columnist's Robert Lypsyte's people of the year. He received a similar honor from Out magazine and leads a poll of Outsports readers for top of the year. Well done!
BOTTOM OF THE WEEK
BOWL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
We don't mean to take anything away from Oklahoma's National Championship, but the BCS just blows. Now all of its supporters will claim that the system worked - there is only one undefeated team left. It still doesn't account for the fact that Washington, Miami, and Oregon State all finished with one loss and, arguably, deserved to play Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl. Where is an NCAA Tournament? Major college football is the only sport we know of decided by computers and polls and not on the field.
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK
NFL: IT'S PLAYOFF
TIME
Before the NFL season Lamar Smith and Aaron Brooks were as unknown as someone in the federal witness protection program. But both are on their ways to becoming household names after their awesome performances in Saturday’s wild card games.
Smith, a journeyman running back who became Miami’s chief offensive weapon this year, rushed for 209 yards and two touchdowns on an NFL playoff-record 40 carries as the ’Fins beat the Colts, 23-17, in an overtime classic.
Brooks, who only played as New Orleans’ QB after Jeff Blake got hurt in Week 12, threw for four TDs as the ’Aints won their first-ever playoff game, 31-28, over the defending champion Rams.
A New Year's wish is for Fox to finally put NFL announcer Pat Summerall out to pasture. He gets more awful each week. In calling Sunday's Tampa Bay-Philly game, Pathetic Pat started early, mis-identifying the return men on the opening kickoff. Among his other numerous gaffes was saying
``April'' instead of ``apply.'' He also set up one situation by saying that Philadelphia was getting close to the end zone. Pat simply then said ``Brian Mitchell,'' with no explanation as to why. Maybe it's one of the few names he can pronounce.
A BLOND TIGER Did you happen to catch Tiger Woods at halftime of the Orange Bowl sporting a new blond look? We don't think it works. He looks like Eminem's cousin.
PERFECTION ON THE
LANES Imagine throwing six touchdowns in the Super Bowl. Imagine hitting three grand slams in the World
Series Game 7. Imagine bowling a 900. That mimics what Robby Portalatin, an auto parts worker in Jackson, Michigan, did on Friday. That is, he rolled 36 strikes in a row. He is only the fourth
person to ever accomplish the feat, according to the American Bowling Congress.