Sunday, April 1, 2012

The Wacky World of Stanford

There's no doubt Stanford is a highly respected institution of higher learning. While other universities have enjoyed more glory over the years in college athletics, Stanford ranks right up there in the world of academia.  It might be fair to call them the class of the field in that regard, when it comes to the Pac 10, or 12, or whatever they are now -- much like Northwestern in the Big Ten, or 12, and whatever THEY are now. You'd think a math major somewhere would step forward and sort this stuff out, but I digress.

At any rate, sometimes I wonder about Stanford. Like -- what's going on there anyway?

The current issue of Sports Illustrated has their soon-to-be former QB Andrew Luck, the likely #1 pick in the upcoming NFL draft by the Indy Colts, saying it's really not that big a deal on campus to be the star QB. After all, Andy says, royalty has gone there -- like the Clintons.

Tweet. Time out. Sure, while Willy could be pretty slick at times during his two terms as Prez, and Hillary's currently chasing all over the world as the US SecState trying to tell everybody else how to act, but that was/is the White House -- not the House of Tudor. And besides, wasn't the whole point of the Revolutionary War to get rid of  being dominated by royalty?

Ladies' college hoops fans know that Stanford just got knocked off in Denver by Baylor in the national semis. Robert Griffin III, the star QB of Baylor, and likely the #2 NFL draft choice, was shown on camera as being in attendance to cheer on his female student-athlete comrades. Didn't see Andrew Luck. If RG III can get there from Waco, then how come AL couldn't make it from Palo Alto? It's not like these guys are exactly hitchhiking these days.....

Former heavy hitter of the Bush administration Condoleezza Rice was there, but contrary to popular opinion, she was never a student at Stanford. Remember, the game was in Denver. Rice got her Bachelor's degree from the Univ Denver, then a Master's from Notre Dame, then back to Denver for her PhD in 1981. That same year she became a poly-sci professor at Stanford, then later went on to become a provost, whatever that is. Just for grins, let's throw in she was born in Birmingham, Ala.

So let's see. The Crimson Tide won the National Championship in football a few months ago; the Stanford lady hoopsters made it to the semis; and now Notre Dame will be playing Baylor in the Finals. Seems to me, Ms. Rice is having a pretty good run here, in the world of sports, familiar territory, and photo-ops. Funny thing about those politicos and how they always seem to be in the right place at the right time......

But alas, Stanford went down to the Baylor Lady Bears, even though it appeared their superstar Brittney Griner was at less than full capacity. Not knowing the "line", I would guess Baylor would be favored over Notre Dame as well in the championship game.

(Note to Condy. It's sort of like your former boss and those pesky little wars he started. You can't win em all. Actually, it looks like the USA is going to chalk up an 0-2 record in those games, but not to worry. Somebody else is taking the heat for that now.)

And somebody please tell me -- what is it with "The Cardinal", as in singular, anyway? I understand fans, teams, and schools coming together for a common cause -- but it sounds like "The Borg" from Star Trek fame. Are all these people somehow hooked together in some sort of communal mind-meld?

Royalty indeed. Jim Plunkett was pretty good back in the day, and John Elway may be considered the King of Denver Bronco football.

But I'm pretty sure I wouldn't want Chelsea as a point guard, much less a QB, on MY team.

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