Author: cdm016

Categories
Featured Lacrosse Men Sports

Bison extend win streak to seven, defeat Albany and Penn State

By Reed Dempsey

Writer

The men’s lacrosse team collected a pair of wins against Albany and No. 18 Penn State this past week to extend its winning streak to seven straight games.

Coming off five straight victories, the Orange and Blue entered the week looking like a different team and continued to play at a high level.

“The team has great morale right now. Following the three straight losses to start the season, we’ve played incredible,” goalie Kyle Feeney ’13 said.

In their game against Albany, the defense held the Great Danes to just seven goals in a convincing 15-7 win. 

Nick Gantsoudes ’12 led the Bison offense with six points (five goals, one assist), while Todd Heritage ’14 and Chase Bailey ’13 upped their season goal tallies with three apiece. David Dickson ’15 registered five assists, and Feeney increased his save percentage with a solid 12-save performance.

On March 27, the Bison faced a tougher test with a game against Penn State on the road. Over the first 14 minutes of play, the Orange and Blue held the Nittany Lions scoreless as goals by Billy Eisenreich ’12 and Heritage gave the Bison a two-goal advantage.

Less than a minute after Penn State cut the Bison lead in half, Peter Burke ’14 found the back of the net with four seconds remaining in the first quarter. The Nittany Lions battled back in the second quarter with three goals compared to just one from Bison.

Coming out of halftime tied at four, the Orange and Blue dominated the third quarter with two goals from Bailey and a single from Heritage, his second of the day. Bailey attributes the offensive success to efficiency and teamwork.

“The offensive play as of late has been awesome,” Bailey said. “The middies and the attack are working well together; we’re averaging more than 10 goals per game and we’re ranked by Inside Lacrosse as the most efficient offense in the country.”

To complement the scoring attack, the Bison defense stifled Penn State throughout the third, holding them scoreless on just two shots.

The speed of the defense coupled with better decision-making has been the difference as the Bison have turned their season around.

“[The defense] is flying around and making smart decisions, and it’s paying off,” Feeney said.

The Bison opened the fourth quarter with Burke’s second goal of the game and held the Nittany Lions of the board until the 10-minute mark. 

Over the final 10 minutes, the Orange and Blue were held to just one shot, but Eisenreich made the most of it, scoring his 23rd of the year.

An increase in turnovers and failed clears plagued the Bison in the fourth quarter, but solid defensive play during man-down and six-on-six situations held Penn State in check. Feeney tied his season high with 13 saves in the 9-6 win.

The Bison look to extend their 10-game in-league winning streak tomorrow at Holy Cross.

Categories
Basketball Men Sports

Basketball season filled with memories

Eric Brod

Senior Writer

When people think back on the 2011-2012 Bison men’s basketball season, many memories and performances will come to mind of a gritty, talented team that finished 25-10 overall and 12-2 in regular season league play. The team’s rivalry with Lehigh will certainly be one, with the heartbreaking 82-77 loss in the Patriot League Championship game perhaps most prominent. Many will remember the inspiring effort of Mike Muscala ’13, who produced 30 points and 14 rebounds only to be matched by a 29-point effort by Lehigh’s C.J. McCollum. Others will remember the heroics of Bryson Johnson ’13, who drained two clutch three-pointers to pull the Bison from seven points down to one down in a matter of seconds. Most will remember a second year of league domination that led to another regular season championship.

On top of all this, the most memorable moment of the season will definitely be the Orange and Blue’s awe-inspiring win against the Arizona Wildcats in the first round of the NIT.

“The win against Arizona was the best win throughout my college career,” Byran Cohen ’12 said. “We have had a couple opportunities to knock off a high-major school over the past four years but were unable to close the game out. Arizona was one that we were able to hold onto our lead till the end of the game and it was even sweeter beating them on their home court in front of a hostile crowd.”

Part of the last tournament of Cohen’s collegiate career, the win was a sweet sendoff for a player who will be remembered as one of the Bison’s all-time greats. For the rest of the team, the Arizona win represented a huge accomplishment in the context of the entire season.

“This season was a little up and down for us and I think the high point of the season for the team and I individually was our win against Arizona,” Johnson said. “Winning against a great team is always a high point and it always good to celebrate a win like that with your teammates.”

Faithful fans witnessed a team that came together and saw tremendous improvement among many players. Muscala continued his ascent as one of the top big men in the nation, saving his best performances for the league championship and NIT. Joe Willman ’13 established himself as a reliable and consistent forward to complement Muscala in the frontcourt, while noticeable improvements from Steven Kaspar ’15 and Ryan Hill ’14 over the course of the season helped ease the loss of guard Darryl Shazier ’11.

Cameron Ayers ’14 continued his development as one of the top shooting guards in the league, and Johnson continued to be one of the best sharp shooters in the league. Cohen completed a stellar collegiate career that saw him win three straight Defensive Player of the Year awards, while registering over 1000 career points. Cohen will certainly go down as one of the greatest defenders and all-around players in Patriot League history.

“[The award] is a great individual honor; however I would not have been able to receive this award if it weren’t for my teammates,” Cohen said. “Defense is a team effort and collectively as a team we were a very sound defensively game in and game out throughout my career.”

While the team ultimately fell short of its goal of winning the Patriot League Tournament and returning to the NCAA tournament, the Orange and Blue finished the season with one of the most exciting and impressive victories in program history.

“They way we stuck together when things got tough during certain parts of the season was something I’ll never forget.  I was lucky to be on a team with such great people,” Muscala said.

The team looks primed for another run at the league championship in 2013, bringing back all but three players and all but one starter next season. 

“Next season should be fun too but we have to get better individually this off season and hopefully that will translate into more success next season. But I’m excited to spend another year with my teammates and have some fun,” Johnson said.

Categories
Basketball Men Sports

Basketball season recap

Chris McCree
Sports Editor

 

After falling just short of a second consecutive NCAA tournament bid and Patriot League title in a devastating loss to Lehigh on March 7, the men’s basketball team emphatically responded by recording one of the biggest upsets in school history, knocking off top-seeded Arizona 65-54 during the first round of the National Invitation Tournament on March 14.

The Bison followed up their first-round victory with a 75-67 loss to fifth-seeded Nevada in the second round.

“Our guys did a tremendous job bouncing back after a heartbreaking loss in the Patriot League Championship game,” head coach Dave Paulsen said. “It was hard the first few days, but it’s a testament to the great character and leadership within our team. It was great to get a win on the road against a team from the Pac-12 and I think it validated for our guys how good we were and opened some eyes on a national level.”

Over the course of the two games, All-Patriot League center Mike Muscala ’13 created massive matchup problems for both Arizona and Nevada and proved time and time again why he is one of the most talented big men in the country. After leading all scorers with 20 points and nine rebounds against Arizona, the 6’11” big-man put together a 25-point, 15-rebound performance against Nevada.

Appearing in front a of packed crowd at the McKale Center in Tucson, Ariz., the Orange and Blue got off to a fast start against Arizona, leading by as much as 13 points in the first half. Led by three-time defensive player of the year Bryan Cohen ’12, the Bison defense stifled the Wildcats’ offense, limiting them to just 16 points in the first 15 minutes of play. Playing in the final tournament of his career, Cohen anchored the Bison defense, limiting Arizona’s most talented offensive player Kyle Fogg to just five points in the contest, well below his season average of 13.7.

“We played exceptionally well against Arizona. Our team defense was excellent and we got solid contributions throughout the team,” Paulsen said. “We will miss our seniors. Bryan Cohen had an amazing career and will be remembered as one of the outstanding players in Bucknell history.”

During the final minutes of the half, the Bison offense stalled considerably, allowing the Wildcats to cut into the lead and go into the half down just six. Arizona carried their momentum into the second half and quickly claimed their first lead of the game behind the hot hands of Solomon Hill and Jesse Perry, who led the Wildcats with 17 and 14 points respectively.

But the Orange and Blue quickly regained the lead with a three by Cameron Ayers ’14 which kickstarted a 16-6 Bison run over the next eight minutes of play. Ayers finished the contest with 12 points and 10 rebounds.

Despite their strong offensive play, the Bison got into foul trouble early in the half, allowing the Wildcats to get to the line often and climb back to within three with 4:27 left to play. Then, after a controversial blocking call, Muscala fouled out of the game with 2:59 left on the clock, leaving the Bison to finish out the game without their leading scorer and biggest shot-blocking presence.

The Bison pressed on and completely shut down the Wildcats offense for the remainder of the contest. Bryson Johnson ’13 hit a clutch fade-away three-pointer with 52 seconds left on the clock, giving the Bison a seven-point lead and erasing any real chance of a Wildcats comeback run.

“It was fun to hit a shot like that against a great team like Arizona,” Johnson said. “But at the same time it was just a shot and everyone on the team made great contributions throughout the game that were just as important.”

Against Nevada, the Orange and Blue fell behind to a hot Wolf Pack offense that shot 60 percent from the field in the first half. Despite Muscala’s 16th double-double of the season and a 21-point performance by Ayers, the Bison found themselves battling from behind for the entire contest.

After trailing at the half 42-29, the Orange and Blue managed to tighten the game considerably and trailed by just three points with under a minute left. Yet, unlike their first round game, the Bison struggled to convert from behind the arc and could not complete the late comeback.

“Nevada was a very talented team and, while we kept it close for most of the game, we were never able to play with a lead and were fighting from behind the whole game,” Muscala said.

The loss to Nevada marks the end to a season in which the Bison finished with 25 wins for just the third time in program history. The Bison will lose three seniors in Enoch Andoh ’12, Probese Leo ’12 and Cohen, but will return four of five starters next year.

“We had a great season and playing in the NIT and winning a game is a great feeling,” Joe Willman ’13 said. “Beating Arizona showed us that we can compete with anyone, so this tournament really gave us a lot of confidence and we are going to keep working hard to get to our ultimate goal next year of the NCAA tournament.”

Categories
Lacrosse Men Sports

Men’s lax wins four straight

By Reed Dempsey

Contributing Writer

Heading into spring break, the Bison stood at 1-3 and were in desperate need of a string of wins that would help turn the season around. Playing Hobart, Drexel, Lafayette and Robert Morris over the past two weeks, the Orange and Blue were able to accomplish just this, reeling off four victories to place them back into the top 20 nationally.

Coming off their first win at Navy on March 3, the Bison looked to extend their streak as they faced Hobart at home on March 10. After a close quarter and half of play, the Orange and Blue exploded for four straight goals to take a 9-5 lead before halftime. The Bison were led by attackman Todd Heritage ’14, who tallied eight goals to tie a school record. Strong offensive performances by Chase Bailey ’13 (two goals, two assists), Billy Eisenreich ’12 (one goal, three assists) and Nick Gantsoudes ’12 (three goals) in addition to a 13-save effort by goalie Kyle Feeney ’13 propelled the Bison to a 14-10 win.

Just three days later, the Orange and Blue traveled to Philadelphia to face the Drexel Dragons. Four straight goals to open the game propelled the Bison to a 5-2 first quarter lead, but a strong second quarter effort by the Dragons in combination with a tough outing for Feeney brought the game to 7-7 with three minutes left in the first half.

After the game-tying goal, Feeney was pulled and replaced by keeper Sam Grinberg ’15. Facing an onslaught of shots from the Dragons, Grinberg was able to keep the Bison in the game with 11 saves over the final 33 minutes. After a 12-11 win, Feeney was glad to have a backup like Grinberg on a day when he was not performing at his optimal level.

“Having someone who can step in and win us a game like that as a freshman is unbelievable,” Feeney said.

With their record back at .500, the Bison looked to extend their three-game winning streak at home against Patriot League rival Lafayette on March 17. The game was never in doubt as the Bison defense held the Leopards to just six goals while the Bison offense unloaded in a 17-goal effort. The Bison were led by a seven–point game for Heritage (four goals, three assists), in addition to solid performances by Eisenreich (four goals, one assist) and Ronjohn Dadd ’13 (three goals) in his first performance of the season. Feeney rebounded from the game against Drexel with 9 saves.

Capping off the four-game stretch, the Bison welcomed Robert Morris to Lewisburg, one of only three teams to beat the Orange and Blue in 2011. The Colonials proved to be no match for the high-powered Bison offense that entered the game as the nation’s most accurate shooting team and sixth highest in scoring offense, averaging 12.6 goals per game.

With goals from seven different players, the Bison once again featured a balanced scoring attack that any team would have difficulty preparing for.

“[It] makes us very tough to scout and very tough to stop,” said Eisenreich, whose 11-point effort tied a school record.

The Orange and Blue could have increased their 17-10 lead in the closing minutes of the game as the Colonials racked up penalty minutes, but elected to run out the clock instead.

With the team at 5-3 and back in the national top-20 rankings, Heritage feels the Bison have finally hit their stride and are now feeling more confident with their play.

“We have been able to get to where we felt our team should of been from the beginning of the season. We are starting to understand exactly what we need to do to win and with five straight our confidence keeps building and we know we must stay mentally focused,” Heritage said.

The Orange and Blue look to continue their winning streak against Albany at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium tomorrow at 12 p.m.

Categories
Basketball Headline Men Sports

Men’s basketball upsets No. 1 Arizona in NIT

Chris McCree

Sports Editor

 

Falling just short of a second consecutive NCAA tournament bid and Patriot League title in a devastating loss to Lehigh last week, the men’s basketball team emphatically responded by recording one of the biggest upsets in school history, knocking off top-seeded Arizona 65-54 during the first round of the NIT on Wednesday night. Leading by just four points with under a minute to play, Bryson Johnson ’13 hit a clutch fade-away three-pointer with 52 seconds left on the clock, erasing any real chance of a Wildcats comeback run and putting the junior at the 1000 career point mark.

All-Patriot League center Mike Muscala ’13 made his presence felt early and often for the Orange and Blue, leading all scorers with 20 points and amassing nine rebounds and four blocked shots throughout the contest. Looming at 6’11”, Muscala proved to be a major matchup challenge for a Wildcats defense that could not find a way to contain the big man.

On the defensive side, the Orange and Blue produced one of their best performances of the year. Tasked with guarding Arizona’s most talented offensive player Kyle Fogg, three-time Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year Bryan Cohen ’12 anchored the defense and limited Fogg to just five points in the contest, nine fewer than his season average.

Appearing in front a of packed crowd at the McKale Center in Tuscon, Ariz., the Orange and Blue got off to a fast start, leading by as much as 13 points and limiting the Wildcats to 16 points in the first 15 minutes of play. Yet, during the final minutes of the half, the Bison offense stalled considerably, allowing the Wildcats to cut into their lead and go into the half down just six.

Arizona carried their momentum into the second half and quickly claimed their first lead of the game behind the hot hands of Solomon Hill and Jesse Perry, who led the Wildcats with 17 and 12 points respectively. Appearing to be slowly losing pace, the Orange and Blue quickly regained the lead with five straight points by Cameron Ayers ’14, which kick-started a 13-4 Bison run over the next eight minutes of play. Ayers finished the contest with 12 points and 10 rebounds.

Despite their strong offensive play, the Bison got into foul trouble early in the half, allowing the Wildcats to get to the line often and climb back to within three with 4:27 left to play. Then, after a controversial blocking call, Muscala fouled out of the game with 2:59 left on the clock, leaving the Bison to finish out the game without their leading scorer and biggest shot-blocking presence.

The Bison pressed on and completely shut down the Wildcats offense for the duration of the contest. Leading by four and in desperate need of a big basket, Johnson stepped up with a huge three-pointer with 52 seconds left to extend the lead to seven and take much of the pressure off the team. From that point on, the Bison added to their lead with foul shots.

With the victory, the Orange and Blue move to 1-0 all-time at the NIT and continue on to the second round, where they will meet fifth-seeded Nevada on Sunday at 3 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPNU.

 

Categories
Club/Intramural Ski Team Sports

Ski team sends two to nationals

Alex Wagner

Assistant Sports Editor

Although they maintain a fairly low profile on campus, the members of the club ski team are a successful group of athletes, including snowboarders Josh Leighton ’14 and Sam Wilkins ’12, who qualified for the United States Collegiate Ski and Snowboard Association (USCSA) National Championships.

In the regional competition in Snowshoe, W. Va., Wilkins finished first for male boarders and Leighton in third, qualifying both of them for the National Championships, which began on Monday and end tomorrow in Sunday River, Maine.

“Josh and I qualified for the national snowboarding slopestyle competition by shredding the gnar harder than the other grommets while maintaining an unlimited amount of steez,” Wilkins said.

Many other Bison skiers and snowboarders have seen success on the slopes this year as well, giving the Orange and Blue their most successful season in four years. The women’s alpine team placed third in the conference while the men’s alpine team placed fourth, qualifying them both for the regional competition. Alex Cooperstone ’15 came in eighth place for male skiers and Caroline Price ’15 came in fourth for female boarders.

Despite their success, the skiers tend not to receive as much attention as other sports.

“We tend to go under the radar as we are always travelling,” said Dale Bishop ’12, president of the ski team.  “We travel every weekend to mountains in Maryland, New York, the Poconos, Southwest Pennsylvania and West Virginia.”

The Bison compete in the Allegheny Conference against schools such as Villanova, West Virginia, Navy, West Chester, Davis and Elkins and Penn State. The men’s and women’s alpine teams compete in giant slalom and slalom while the snowboard team competes in giant slalom, slopestyle and boarderX.

In addition to performing well on the slopes, the ski team prides itself on having a good time together and building strong bonds.

“Our team is extremely close and has a deep passion for what we are able to do. Our ability to spend a couple weekends away from campus and from the social norms of Bucknell has fostered a unique bond within our team,” Bishop said.

Even though this season is over for much of the team, Wilkins and Leighton look to bring a great end to their successful season by performing well in the USCSA National Championships.

Categories
Lacrosse Men Sports

Men’s lax opens league play with win over Navy

Reed Dempsey
Contributing Writer

Propelled by a seven-point performance by Billy Eisenreich ’12, the men’s lacrosse team recorded its first win of the season this past Saturday, beating Navy 14-9 in Annapolis, Md.

After struggling greatly with non-League teams during the first three games of the season, head coach Frank Fedorjaka stressed the importance of keeping his men on the field and limiting the Midshipmen’s transitional opportunities. 

“We wanted to keep it a six versus six kind of game with minimal transition,” Fedorjaka said. “We were able to do so and it resulted in a terrific team win.”

The Orange and Blue opened the day’s scoring when Peter Burke ’14 found Chase Bailey ’13 for his fourth goal of the season. After the Midshipmen tied the game at one, the Bison responded with an unassisted goal by Tom Black ’14. The teams traded two goals apiece over the remainder of the first quarter, with tallies by Nick Gantsoudes ’12 and Billy Mattimore ’13 for the Bison.

Clearing, which had been a weak point for the Bison in their first three games, vastly improved against Navy. The Orange and Blue went 19-22 in clear attempts, taking pressure of the defense and giving the offense more possessions.

At the end of the first quarter, the Orange and Blue jumped out to a one goal lead, but it took the Midshipmen just 14 seconds into the second quarter to retie the game. Then, over the next 15 minutes of play, the Orange and Blue held the Mids scoreless while Eisenreich, Bailey, Burke and David Dickson ’15 all found the back of the net, giving the Bison an 8-4 lead heading into the half.

After a long scoring drought, the Midshipmen came out flying in the third quarter, scoring three goals in 45 seconds to bring the game back within one. Throughout the game, Navy dominated the face-off, giving them the ability to repossess the ball after each goal and build up momentum.

“It puts a lot of pressure on our team because it is hard to stop their momentum if they are playing ‘make-it take-it’ lacrosse,” Eisenreich said. “Our team defense was good, which made it difficult for Navy to get into a flow.”

Four minutes into the second half, the Bison took advantage of a man-up opportunity when Eisenreich found Burke for his second of the day. The Orange and Blue then followed with three more goals over the next five minutes of play by Joe Kearney ’15, Bailey and Todd Heritage ’14, extending their lead to 12-7.

Over the next 14 minutes of play, the score remained stagnant. A non-releasable unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on Dickson opened the door for two Navy goals, but two minutes later, Eisenreich found a cutting Gantsoudes to go up 13-9. Over the final five minutes, the Bison defense stifled the Midshipmen, who tried desperately to maintain possession and get back on the board. Seven Navy penalties kept the Bison in control and gave Eisenreich the opportunity to extend his points total to seven on the day, the highest of his career against the Midshipmen.

The 14-9 win was the first step in turning the season around for the Bison. With nine different players scoring in the game, the Bison showed that they have a variety of players who can make an impact.

“Anytime you have every offensive player that stepped on the field score for you, you have to be excited. I don’t think I’ve ever had that but I hope it continues,” Fedorjaka said.

The Bison will look to win again when they face Hobart at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium this Saturday at 1 p.m. 

Categories
Basketball Sports Women

Women’s basketball loses in first round of tournament

Ajan Caneda

Staff Writer

A second-half shooting surge led Lehigh to a 63-47 win over the women’s basketball team on March 1, eliminating the Bison from the Patriot League Tournament. Shelby Romine ’14 was the leading scorer with 16 points.

Neither team gained a comfortable lead in the first 10 minutes of the game, as stingy defense by the Bison kept the game close. Lindsay Horbatuck ’13 started with two steals that led to four early points, while Christina Chukwuedo ’12 had a steal followed by a Romine three-pointer that gave the Orange and Blue an early lead. Despite the strong defense, the Bison couldn’t get going offensively as they went scoreless for the final 7:13 of the half. This shooting drought allowed Lehigh to build a 26-18 lead going into the second half.

“I think the toughest obstacle we faced in this game was having to match-up with a veteran team with four seniors that included two of the top post players in the league,” interim head coach Bill Broderick said. “We were able to catch them off guard in the previous game and really surprise them with some different things that they had not seen from us yet. Also, we were able to stay out of foul trouble in that game which really hurt us last Thursday when we had our two leading scorers on the bench for most of the first half.”

The Mountain Hawks scored the first basket of the second half to take the first double-digit lead of the game. The Bison fought back behind a 8-0 run that cut the lead to 12 with 11:32 left, but a Lehigh three-pointer stopped the momentum. The Mountain Hawks outscored the Orange and Blue 42-22 in points and shot 56.7 percent in the second half. 

Forwards Felicia Mgbada ’13 and Rachel Voss ’13 were the next leading scorers, combining for 15 points, while Horbatuck had six points and seven rebounds.

“We knew after beating them on their home court, just two weeks ago, that they were going to be ready this time and have some extra motivation,” Broderick said. “They made a change at the point guard position, which I think really made a difference and helped them to handle our defensive pressure better.”

The Orange and Blue finished the regular season with a 5-25 record overall, going 3-11 in conference play with wins over Lehigh, Colgate and Lafayette.

 

Categories
Basketball Headline Men Sports

Heartbreak: Men’s basketball falls to Lehigh in Patriot League Championship

Bryan Cohen ’12 and the Bison fell just short of completeing a last-second comeback, falling to C.J. McCollum and the Lehigh Mountain Hawks in the Patriot League Championship.

Chris McCree

Sports Editor

Despite a 30-point, 14-rebound effort by Mike Muscala ’13, the men’s basketball team could not hold off a surging Lehigh squad in the Patriot League Championship Wednesday night, falling in heartbreaking fashion 82-77.

Entering the game riding a four-game winning streak, the Orange and Blue were met by a Mountain Hawks team who had issued the Bison their first Patriot League loss of the year back on Feb. 16 after C.J. McCollum hit a game-winning three-pointer with one second remaining on the clock.

McCollum proved to be the hero once again for Lehigh in the Championship contest, recording a team-leading 29 points, including two game-clinching free throws with 4.1 seconds remaining.

In front of a sold-out crowd at Sojka Pavilion, the Bison struggled early on in the contest, recording just 15 points through the first 10 minutes of play and allowing the Mountain Hawks to enter the half with a seven-point lead.

After four minutes of back-and-forth play to open the second half, the Bison strung together a series of consecutive scoring possessions over the next three minutes of play. During the stretch, forward Joe Willman ’13 hit a clutch fade away jumper to bring the score to within one, and then Brian Fitzpatrick ’13 hit one of two free throws, tying the score at 50. Willman recorded 10 points and six rebounds during the game and was named to the All-Tournament squad after recording 18 points in each of the first two tournament games.

Behind the stellar offensive play of McCollum and Gabe Knutson, the Mountain Hawks gradually extended their lead for much of the remainder of the game. With just under a minute left on the clock, the Bison trailed 78-71 and looked all but done. Yet over the 30 seconds, Bryson Johnson ’13 netted a pair of three-pointers to bring the Bison within one.

After fouling and repossessing the ball with 26 seconds left, the Orange and Blue could not capitalize on a tough lay-up try by Cameron Ayers ’14 and lost possession. From then on, Lehigh hit four free throws to extend its lead to five and claim the program’s second Patriot League title in three years.

With the loss, the Orange and Blue are eliminated from NCAA contention. By virtue of their regular season championship, the Bison did clinch their first-ever birth in the National Invitation Tournament.

Categories
Beyond the Bison Sports

Beyond the Bison: Encore?

Julian Dorey

Columnist

Debating who is “the greatest ever” can get about as heated as anything there is. Sports fans of different generations will never bridge the gap between Jordan and Chamberlain—and many don’t seem prepared to accept that Hank Aaron was a just a little better than Joe D.

Unlike baseball or basketball, in football, there are so many different positions requiring unique skill sets that it’s nearly impossible to choose a clear-cut “best player.” Instead, purists generally judge position by position.

The wide receiver slot is the one that always gets me arguing.

Most fans can accept that the greatest wide receivers from the game have played in the last 20 years or so. The NFL was a run-first game for a long time, but it has slowly morphed into a weekly, gun-slinging shoot-out. This is why receivers like Terrell Owens, Marvin Harrison and Randy Moss are all considered top five receivers of all-time, even though they all come from the same era.

For many, though, the greatest is Jerry Rice. He had it all. He could learn a playbook better than anyone else, he had a second gear that defied his physical skill set, and he had hands that were regularly checked for glue (none was ever found). But he also had Joe Montana and Steve Young, two Hall of Fame quarterbacks. Even in his twilight years in Oakland, he put up decent numbers with late-career bloomer Rich Gannon. I don’t mean to take anything from Rice—he was legitimately great—but he did have some tools other guys did not.

These are among the reasons I cannot agree with the popular sentiment. To me, Randy Moss is the greatest receiver to ever play.

Moss had it all. He could break a 4.3 40, he had the critical 6 foot 5 inch height, an IQ that was off-the-charts (despite his questionable on-field and off-field antics), a vertical leap that would make Vince Carter smile, the wingspan of a 6 foot 10 inch monster and hands that rivaled Rice’s super glue.

Oh—he also had “straight cash, homie.”

OK, I had to throw that in there. Moss was the greatest combination of size and speed you will ever see. He had to catch the ball from the likes of Daunte Culpepper (who faded away completely after Moss left Minnesota), Andrew Walter (who?) and Aaron Brooks. Finally, later in his career, after already putting up astounding numbers, he got the chance to play with the infamous Tom Brady. Simply put, though, Moss played with food fit for the garbage disposal throughout most of his career while Rice played with filet mignon.

So, call me stupid but there isn’t a receiver in the world I’d take over Moss. That’s why I was about as ecstatic as I could be when Randy recently announced he is returning to the NFL.

On his 35th birthday, the wide receiver officially announced that he is ending his one-year retirement. Despite a rocky 2010 campaign that included playing for three teams (NE, Minn., Tenn.), I felt Moss walked away with so much left in the tank. He avoided injuries for most of his career, and still showed the 4.3 40 speed in 2010.

The reason he walked away wasn’t because he was “losing it.” It was because of his all-famous, lifelong caveat: he doesn’t care.

He has never worried about what others think, and when he talks, he certainly does come off as a wild child (see: “Straight cash, homie”). When Randy does things the way Randy wants—you could describe him as “Randy being Randy.”

But none of that has anything to do with his play. Moss has been the best since he came into the league in 1998. He has made countless plays that seem to defy earth’s basic principles. He has posted stats that seem like results from a lopsided Madden game.

He’s number one in my book. And he’s coming back for his last round in the ring.

Can’t wait.