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The All-Star: Let’s bear in mind a university soccer participant
Do you know Jackie Robinson was a four-sport standout in school? That’s a number of Travis Hunters directly, I believe. Examine my math.
Even should you knew this, it’s all the time price remembering anew, as a result of each time, it sounds too wonderful to be true. So many primary Robinson info operate as an escalating collection of “not solely did he do X, but in addition he did Y” statements.
Not solely was he the participant who pressured professional baseball to confront the folly of white supremacy, but in addition he was immediately one among MLB’s greatest, main the league in stolen bases as a rookie and profitable MVP in 12 months three.
Not solely does he have a case to rank because the greatest second baseman ever, but in addition he began compiling his MLB numbers at age 28, after serving to to cope with just a little factor known as World Warfare II.
Not solely was he maybe an important baseball participant ever, which may not have been his greatest sport. In 1939, he was key to UCLA’s first undefeated soccer season, and in 1940, he set the varsity report in yards per carry (12.2 lol), led the workforce in passing and led the nation in punt return yardage. Andy Wittry tracked Robinson’s soccer profession through ecstatic newspaper headlines.
Oh proper, UCLA’s Robinson was additionally one of many world’s greatest lengthy jumpers, and his school basketball profession would finally deserve a Slam Journal article.
Oh additionally, his signature soccer spotlight got here whereas taking part in protection. In 1939, he pressured this tie-saving fumble in opposition to archrival USC:
In each athletic benefit and contributions to society, no American sports activities determine will ever surpass Jackie Robinson. If he isn’t worthy of honor, then no one is worthy.
On that word, right here is a few information:
“On Wednesday morning, a (Division of Protection) hyperlink that guided customers to a 2021 article titled, ‘Sports activities Heroes Who Served: Baseball Nice Jackie Robinson Was WWII Soldier,’ confirmed a 404 error web page with ‘dei’ included within the URL.”
After public outrage, that hyperlink has been restored, minus “DEI,” a time period that has been altered into shorthand for complaining about achievements by girls and folks of shade. At the moment, the Protection Division has responded to questions by sounding like “King of the Hill’s” Dale Gribble, however has not defined the method that briefly branded the unbelievably overqualified Robinson as unqualified within the first place.
Fast Snaps
What’s Jayna Bardahl, creator emeritus of this article, as much as as of late? Investigating Travis Hunter‘s love of fishing, after all.
“Stanford head soccer coach Troy Taylor bullied and belittled feminine athletic staffers, sought to have an NCAA compliance officer eliminated after she warned him of guidelines violations and repeatedly made ‘inappropriate’ feedback to a different girl about her look, in line with paperwork from a pair of investigations obtained by ESPN.”
Recruiting powerhouse Mater Dei — a California highschool, to be clear — signed a seven-figure multimedia deal.
Worth certainly going up: EA Sports activities pays $1,500 in NIL for CFB 26 athlete appearances, elevated from $600.
Pending some authorized stuff, “the NCAA will cease imposing guidelines prohibiting NIL from getting used as a recruiting inducement.”
Most years, it looks like West Coast groups usually get a later begin on recruiting, for no matter motive. That makes USC‘s present No. 1 rating additional attention-grabbing.
Chris Vannini ranked historical past’s 10 most-played March Insanity commercials so as of high quality. His selections for greatest and worst are indeniable.
Offseason Champs: 5 methods of portal winners
With a little bit of switch exercise left to go in April, we just about already know which faculties gained essentially the most from it this time round. Manny Navarro lately named LSU, Miami, Oregon, Texas Tech and Southern Miss as this cycle’s greatest winners (in a listing that additionally included the largest losers).
And this week, Manny seemed on the similar query from a extra numerical POV, after 2,328 FBS gamers left their earlier faculties:
“In the event you go by which applications signed essentially the most top-100 gamers (per 247Sports),” then Ole Miss, North Carolina and Texas A&M observe the powers listed above.
“If gaining beginning expertise is extra your factor, these 4 applications led the best way in web profession begins added: Arizona, Missouri, Oregon and Indiana.”
LSU, Auburn, Florida State, Indiana and Washington led in including “gamers who began at the very least six video games final season from Energy 4 applications.”
And naturally, should you’re into pure bulk, you’re crowning Marshall for including a Deion Sanders-esque 47 gamers — by necessity, as a consequence of the December drama that positioned Southern Miss’ identify earlier on this part.
Lots extra to dive into right here, together with particulars on how badly Group of 5 groups bought raided this time and which new coaches introduced alongside essentially the most of their earlier employer’s gamers. Washington State Jackrabbits!
Mandel’s Mailbag
We lastly bought a 16-seed beating a 1-seed in March Insanity. If the Playoff goes to 16, how lengthy will it take to get a 16 over 1? — Reggie C., San Diego
The one method I might see that taking place is an much more excessive instance of 2024 Ohio State. Think about if the Buckeyes had sustained a 3rd loss within the common season, snuck in at 9-3 with the final at-large spot however behind the entire 5 highest-ranked champs, then caught hearth precisely the best way they did final 12 months. In that state of affairs, actually, No. 16 might beat No. 1.
However my guess is that spot would go as a rule to an ACC, Large 12 or Group of 5* champion.
* I’ve seen folks begin to use the phrase “Group of 6,” presumably encompassing the reconstituted Pac-12. Personally, I’m contemplating retiring the phrase altogether. Its supposed that means within the previous system was to consult with the 5 conferences that didn’t have a contracted berth in one of many New 12 months’s Six bowls. Clearly, that’s irrelevant now. Any workforce from any convention can earn an computerized CFP berth, no matter its label. So shouldn’t we simply retire the label?
Extra Stewart Mandel mailbag right here.
Premature thought, spinning off of Stewart’s final level: The Group of No matter is just not really a bunch. These conferences don’t have their very own postseason or share any broadcast offers, they poach every others’ faculties on a regular basis and the one factor they’ve in widespread is that they don’t seem to be within the Energy No matter.
For years, I’ve thought the conferences outdoors the Energy No matter ought to consult with their soccer variations with the identical time period everybody makes use of for these leagues in different sports activities: mid-majors.
Certain, in soccer contexts, that time period has lengthy been a loaded one, partly as a result of the BCS and CFP regimes have commonly handled these conferences as lower-class. Due to that, the Group of 5 identify felt defiant and empowering (apart from when the AAC tried to unilaterally ditch it for “Energy 6”).
However I believe small faculties ought to as an alternative embrace a title that features the phrase “main,” although it additionally features a model of the phrase “center.” It’s good to remind folks you’re main! ULM, identify it and declare it!
The identical goes for FCS. “Soccer Championship Subdivision” was adopted in 2006 (as distinct from “Soccer Bowl Subdivision”) as a result of the previous identify, Division I-AA, arguably made that degree sound insignificant. However in hindsight, I-AA was the extra prestigious identify — as a result of it left little question that these groups are a part of Division I. Now that we name it FCS, informal followers share misstatements like, “Carson Wentz performed for a DII workforce known as North Dakota State,” and, “Did you hear a Large Ten workforce simply misplaced to a non-DI workforce?”
Really, nevermind. I take all this again. Group of No matter, begin calling yourselves The Absolute Highest Of All Doable Majors. What are they gonna do about it, refuse to allow you to play within the Rose Bowl?
That’s it for this week. Thanks for studying. If in case you have ideas on any of this, let me hear them at untilsaturday@theathletic.com.
Final week’s most-clicked: The QB conditions at every Energy 4 college.
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(High picture: Getty Photos)
