TigerNet -- Blogs -- Under the Hood

It seems like everybody is blogging these days. I come from a newspaper background, and blogging has been foreign to the way I was trained, but there is no doubt that it provides a forum to discuss thoughts and issues that don't always fit within the framework of regular news stories. I have thought about blogging for a while now, and the C.J. Spiller/Heisman controversy provided the perfect vehicle to get started.

Is O.J. Simpson’s Heisman Trophy still floating around out there somewhere? Has anybody looked on Ebay to see if there are any Heisman’s for sale?

If there are, I want to head up the drive to purchase that trophy and give it to Clemson running C.J. Spiller. Monday evening’s announcement that Spiller would not be invited to New York for the Heisman Trophy presentation left me disappointed, but to be honest, I fully expected it.

This is the internet media and ESPN age, and if you don’t play for one of the big-time, big-name programs, getting a Heisman Trophy invitation is harder than getting Ron Cherry to take an eye test. You have representatives from Nebraska, Texas, Florida and Alabama as four of the top five. The only one that doesn’t come from a big-name program is Toby Gerhart of Stanford, but I have to believe he garnered a lot of the western vote.

In other words, voters would fill out their ballot and if they already had say, McCoy and Ingram, they would add Gerhart as a guy from the west. And all of the writers from out west would have surely added him as a matter of regional pride.. I am not saying he is not deserving of attending, because he is, but I believe that playing out west actually helped his Heisman cause.

Put that with all of the love that voters have for the SEC, the fact that many felt like Colt McCoy could have won it last year (when he had a better season), and the fact that Suh had a breakout game defensively in the Big 12 Championship, and you have Spiller, who plays on a 5-loss Clemson team, out in the cold.

I know, I get the fact that Spiller also had a fantastic game against Georgia Tech, but I am guessing that a lot of voters had already cast their ballots before the championship games, and Spiller’s numbers were not very Heisman-like against Virginia and South Carolina. Then the ones that still had to vote went with the defensive guy in Suh over a guy like Spiller.

Is part of the reason that Spiller was snubbed because his position cannot be defined? Gerhart and Ingram are running backs, McCoy and Tebow are quarterbacks, and Suh is a defensive tackle. Spiller does it all. I have read in more than one article that some see him as not a true running back, that they see him as some multi-purpose whirlwind, and for whatever reason, they hold his accomplishments in less regard because of that.

Spiller played on an injured toe in all but one game, rushed for 1,132 yards and accumulated 2,508 all-purpose yards in rushing, receiving and returns. He scored 20 touchdowns, at least one in each of 13 games, and passed for a touchdown. In the ACC Championship Game, he rushed for 233 yards and four touchdowns.

His 7,416 career all-purpose yards entering the Music City Bowl on Dec. 27 in Nashville, Tenn., are third in NCAA history.

Still, no invite for Dos Ocho. Now please excuse me while I try and find that trophy somewhere so we can give it to one of the classiest players I have ever met, and the most exciting player I have ever covered.

And for those that seem to think that Spiller’s position on the field can’t be defined, I have one for you, and it fits Spiller perfectly. It’s called Football Player.

Posted by David Hood @ 03:42 PM EST [ Comments [15] ]

Comments:

Thank you,David ,for a very good blog,but I think we both know that it's not about the trophy ,but the invitation.How many people really felt CJ was going to win the trophy?Not many,but after the season he had,not to be recognized[by the voters] as one of the best players in the country ,and extended an invitation is just plain wrong.

Posted by leftie on December 08, 2009 at 09:54 PM EST #

Thank You for your comments on CJ. I agree 100%

Posted by JDubya on December 08, 2009 at 10:06 PM EST #

Thanks for the blog. You hit it head on. That last comment was exactly what a Heisman Trophy Winner is supposed to be. The all around player.
Now go find that trophy & let's get it for him!!!

Posted by lightningkidd1 on December 08, 2009 at 10:35 PM EST #

And David, that one word is the word that none of the entire football world could'nt come up with to explain what CJ Spiller was. He was'nt just a RB,WR,QB, KOR,PR.He is the only true total package FOOTBALL player. And to me personally, the Heisman is'nt a high enough award for a CJ Spiller. If James Davis had'nt went to Clemson. CJ would have "more" than likly. Shatterd football records that would have most likly, never have been touched ever again. They would have had to invent another trophy. And it would have been named "CJ SPILLER THE MAN OF FOOTBALL" trophy award. What else could they have called it !!!

Posted by tigercrazynut on December 08, 2009 at 10:46 PM EST #

Who is ahead of him on the APY list and how many yards does he need in the bowl to get the record? Also, were the people ahead of him invited to NY?

Posted by WakeBdr on December 08, 2009 at 10:55 PM EST #

How can we see who George Rogers voted for? I doubt he's classy enough to give CJ a nod even though he watched him all year. Also, can we organize a statewide blackout where no one watches the ceremony? Not that anyone will...

Posted by coastalorange on December 08, 2009 at 11:24 PM EST #

I think it is outrageous that CJ was not invited to NY! To me the Heisman Trophy is now tainted because it appears it is not given to players who really deserve it. As Coach Sweeney said, "It is a BEAUTY CONTEST". CJ is too good for the trophy and as stated in another comment - he should have a trophy named after him.

Posted by adoption on December 09, 2009 at 07:49 AM EST #

Well said, Mr. Hood! You hit the nail on the head!

The Heisman trophy hasn't been about the best FOOTBALL PLAYER in college in years and this year's farce is the biggest sham to date.

Most Clemson fans knew CJ would not earn the award, but to not even get an invite? Ridiculous.

Posted by cutgrfan on December 09, 2009 at 09:23 AM EST #

Thanks for your blog. I agree with you 100% and you can count me as being ALL IN.

Posted by Travis Galloway on December 09, 2009 at 10:40 AM EST #

Spiller shouldn’t even be mentioned in Heisman.1)Never won a conference championship 2)6 loses this season 3)Not in top 25 in country in rushing(his position is RB) 4)Does not lead the ACC in rushing yards(Jonathan Dwyer) 5.)Does not lead the ACC in receiving (Demarius Thomas) 6)Not in top 50 in yards per attempt in NCAA and only 4th in ACC(Damien Barry is 2nd) 7)Does not have the most rushing TDs in ACC(Ryan Williams –Vatech) 8)Yes he has over 7000 all purpose yards, but heck if Josh Nesbitt has the same year as this year for next year he is poised to end up with almost 8000 all purpose yards and others have done this before so it is not immensely special. 9)Spiller did not even make the ACC first team in his position so how can he be the best player in the country. 10)Spiller has NEVER won a bowl game and will lose this year to Kentucky. 11)Spiller has not broken even Clemson school rushing record held by Raymond Priester 12)He has never played on a 10 win team; 9-4 was best in 2007

Posted by Ackermann on December 09, 2009 at 01:09 PM EST #

I'm just sick over how CJ has been treated. My heart breaks when I think about how it must feel to be him.

Posted by tallulahtiger on December 09, 2009 at 03:50 PM EST #

Oh Brother...Don't feel bad for Spiller at all. If anything, he was overhyped throughout his career. He was never the best at his position on the national scene, yet was talked about all the time. His was treated like royalty on Clemson campus, probably had a great time in college, will get drafted in the first round of the NFL and make millions of dollars by age 22. I think he will be fine....GET A GRIP TALLULAHTIGER.

Posted by Ackermann on December 10, 2009 at 10:46 AM EST #

To answer your question in the Headline of your article, "Can I Buy CJ a Heisman Trophy?" Apparently you CAN

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