Winning with class seems to be a lost art in this day.
Last weekend, the Husker football team was manhandled by Missouri 52-17. The Tigers have their best-ever team assembled and took advantage of each and every miscue the Huskers made Saturday night at Memorial Stadium, showing any remaining doubters that this is a team that can win a national championship.
They also have two of the best offensive talents in the country in receiver Jeremy Maclin and quarterback Chase Daniel, both of whom showed they are worthy of consideration for the Heisman Trophy as the best player in college football for 2008.
Unfortunately, Daniel doesn't seem to be content with showing he is the best football player in the country. He also seems intent on being the biggest jerk in the game as well, and for the second straight year he has decided to spit out some verbal garbage in an effort to add insult to injury.
Last year, Daniel called Nebraska's defensive scheme against the Tigers "high school" ball -- an assessment that, as the year wore on, proved to be an accurate, if not over-the-top, take on Kevin Cosgrove's capabilities as a defensive coordinator.
After Saturday's beating, though, Daniel decided that a 35-point win over a clearly overmatched team wasn't enough for him to leave in Lincoln. He accused Nebraska of being "the dirtiest team ever," claiming that a Husker spit on him and balls were thrown at him during pregame warmups.
Now if a Husker DID spit on him, that's uncalled for and that player should be severely disciplined by coach Bo Pelini. The problem is -- Daniel wasn't man enough to point a direct finger at the alleged assailant (although teammate Sean Weatherspoon claims it was Ndamukong Suh, according to reports).
What's funny about the whole thing is that Nebraska actually got to Daniel more often than any of their previous four opponents. Prior to Saturday's game, Daniel had been sacked just one time. The Huskers got to him twice and pressured him a few more times. Maybe not being used to getting hit as often as he did hurt poor Chase's itty bitty wittle feewings, and he felt the only way he could come back with anything was by pointing a finger at the invisible spitter wearing Husker red.
You really don't hear these things happening with other teams. I'm sure Tim Tebow took more than his share of beatings and spitballs last year at Florida, but did we hear him whine and complain? Nope. In fact, I'd be willing to bet that a significant number of players have had much worse than a face full of loogie done to them, and yet you don't hear word one about those attacks.
That's because football is a mean, vicious, violent game. Bodies are colliding, body parts are being twisted and turned in ways God did not intend for them to go. And it happens to everybody from the guys on the line to the quarterbacks who, on occasion, get hit by opposing football players.
And Daniel thinks getting a little spittle in his face and dodging wayward footballs is dirty? Just wait until you go to the next level, crybaby -- you'll be the target of "dirty" tricks that will make what allegedly happened in Lincoln look like a playground spat. And who will you cry to then, Chase?
There is no doubt that Daniel is one of the college game's best players. Props to him for an outstanding performance between the lines Saturday night. If he can somehow find a way to be a better man and keep his mouth shut the next time somebody gets inside his bubble, he might turn out to be something he isn't right now -- a winner with class.
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