Star Athletes today have it all. Money, women, expensive sports cars, and over-sized mansions to stuff flat screen TV’s, pool tables and stripper poles to flaunt their success. As sports fans, we love when athletes succeed in pressure-packed situations. To me, there is nothing better than watching a buzzer-beating three pointer, a game winning touchdown pass or a sparkling defensive play to end a game. High profile athletes often relish in pressure-cooker moments to help propel their careers and help their respective team win. Crosby, Kobe, Brady, Jeter and athletes of this caliber have been known to come through when it matters most and because of this, they are loved and respected for their ability to make plays when the game is on the line. But winners like these got me thinking, what about athletes that would rather run and hide when their team needs them? I decided to rank the top-five most afraid athletes in sports today. High profile characters that would rather let someone else have the limelight, afraid of failure or negative press.

1) Floyd Mayweather Junior

-Best boxer alive, eh? Please. Mayweather is no doubt extremely talented and uses his mouth to get inside of the head of his opponent – except when it comes to Manny Pacquiao. Mayweather/Pacquiao would have been a fight for the ages and drawn in more hype than Lebron in his rookie season. At times, Floyd seems unstoppable and has proven to be a gifted boxer. But Floyd seems to have misplaced his spine when it comes to Pacquiao. All of a sudden, Mayweather wants blood testing for performance enhancers and will not fight until justice is served. Floyd is all of a sudden ethical now? Riiiight.  Floyd is flat-out afraid to get his ass beaten by an equally talented fighter and has taken the high road in this one. Floyd is scared of Pacquiao, end of story.

2) Nomar Garciaparra

-Nohhhhhmaaaaaaar. Now I know Ramon-spelled-backwards had a fabulous career playing short-stop-up in Beantown and has had plenty of special moments in his solid career as a major leaguer. But the lasting image of Nomar sitting in the dugout of the old Yankee Stadium, giving off the look of an eight-year-old girl who’s hamster died is reason enough for me. The rest of the Sox on the top step of the dugout, taking it on the chin as the Yankees continued their dominance spelled the end of Nomar in Boston. In my opinion, he never fully recovered from this moment. He was shipped off the next season and the Sox began their mini-run of World Series titles. Number Five will never be viewed in Boston as a hero, but more as the end of the Sox’ run of despair and disappointment. I’m pretty sure that your average horror movie gives Nomar nightmares.

3) Patrick Ewing

-As a die-hard Knicks fan (yes, we still do exist) it was never good enough for old number 33. Pat Ewing was as solid as they come in terms of NBA centers. He is an all-time great, racking up high scoring totals and giving off an aura of tough defensive presence in the paint. But Patrick Chewing never seemed to relish in the moment. He evaporated in big moments and never got the ring. He was also a surly gentleman who did all he could to disappoint Knick fans in the post-season. He let Hakeem have his way in the 1994 finals against H-Town and it became the watershed moment of his career. Ewing will always have a special place in my heart, but not the part that pumps adrenaline and pride throughout my disgruntled Knicks veins. This is the same Ewing who will Coach Dwight Howard to be the same type of player: Great Numbers, Zero Rings.

4) Peyton Manning

-How could you!!? Peyton is a sweetheart for most Americans, outside of Boston and Baltimore that is. He is a funny, energetic and spectacular player who has revolutionized the position of Quarterback. I am convinced he may retire the greatest to ever stand under center. But by the standards of winning Lombardi Trophies, Peyton has become a tragic figure. Yes, he does have a title. Yes, he silenced his critics when the Colts beat the awful Bears in the rain in Miami. But in retrospect, Peyton has failed in MANY big spots. The Patriots owned young Peyton until the AFC Championship game in 2006, making him Mister Interception and causing him to point fingers at the offensive line, coaches and play-calling in these games. And who could forget this past Super Bowl, when the Colts who were picked by everyone to win were slapped back down to Earth by the virtue of a pick-six. The normally unflappable Manning looked like a child again against a Swiss-cheese Saints defense. Peyton needs to win another Super Bowl before I take this posting back.  And I bet Peyton would trade ALL of his MVP trophy’s for another ring.

5) Phil Mickelson

-The unlucky lefty. Phil seems like a good enough guy for a pro golfer. He has been through hell with his wife’s condition, keeps a positive attitude when the going gets tough and best of all, tanks when it matters most. Phil has had more than a few chances to kick the stigma of being a loser. Is there anyone better at blowing it in a big moment? How many majors has Phil taken himself out of with poor shots and mental errors? Too many to count.  I almost feel bad calling this guy out for being such a bum in a big spot, but it helps out with this post. Now that Tiger has fallen like a weather balloon, maybe Phil can rise up and prove me wrong. But until then, the unlucky lefty closes out the top five of scared athletes.

Some quick Olympic notes:

--Its always bugged me how they rank the countries by the total number of medals won.  That is why Definitive Dose has devised the AOMR, or Actual Olympic Medal Rankings (patent pending).  Each medal is weighted according to it's worth (3 points for gold, 2 for silver, 1 for bronze) and then a new total is formulated. Using this system, the US led the way in both total medals (37) and AOMR (70).  Although Germany had six more medals than host-nation Canada, the two tied for second place with an AOMR of 61 apiece.  Norway and South Korea round out the top 5 with AOMR's of 49 and 32 respectively. 

--For the first time in its history, Canada won gold at an Olympic Games that they played host-nation to, having failed to do so at both the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal and the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary. Not only that, Canada also became the first host nation since Norway in 1952 to lead the gold medal count.  Their 14 broke the record for the most gold medals won at a single Winter Olympics.  The United States' 37 medals broke the record for the most medals won at a single Winter Olympics.  Boo-yah!

--Blame Canada. Vancouver had what can only be described as a less-than-savory time hosting the game s in 2010.  First Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili is killed during a training run moments before the Opening Ceremony.  Queue Olympic torch statue to raise from ground.  Hello?  Anyone?  Then we have breakdowns of ice resurfacers that delay speedskating events, bad weather that delays a host of others, and thousands of voided tickets and angry would-be spectators.  Then again, Sid Crosby did win Olympic gold for Canadian hockey, so I’m guessing there aren’t too many Vancouverians (?) that are all that concerned. 

--Speaking of hockey, how good was that gold medal hockey game?! Although the US fell short in the end, it was everything you could have asked for and then some.  And how fitting that Sid the Kid got the game-winner in OT; 23-years-old and he's the best hockey player on the planet.  Sorry Ovechkin, but if we learned anything from this Olympics, its that Sidney Crosby is the heir-apparent, hand-down.  And congratulations to hockey itself; you've officially sold me.  And I suspect there are a lot more casual fans out there who feel the same.

      With the trade deadline having come and gone, only one thing is certain: The Cavaliers and Mavericks owe Gilbert Arenas at least one fruit basket. Had he not foolishly followed Plaxico Burress’s example, the Wizards would not have scrapped their whole team and traded Caron Butler and Brendan Haywood to the Mavericks and shipped off Antawn Jamison to the Cavs for a chance to buyout Big Z’s contract. With roughly 20 games left on the schedule it’s time for the elite teams to distance themselves (Orlando, Cleveland, Los Angelos, Denver, and Dallas) while the contenders get themselves ready for a playoff push (Boston, Atlanta, Utah, and Phoenix). In the end, I have Cleveland over Orlando in the east and Dallas over LA in the west with Lebron taking home his first finals MVP to go along with his second regular season MVP.  Here are some other things to think about during the last month of the season:

• Is there a player in the league more under the radar than Brook Lopez? Maybe there is a little bias here because of my Nets fandom (ok, maybe a lot of bias) but this guy is in his second year in the league and has one of the most complete post games in the NBA. Mark my word, this man will be a main-stay in the league for years to come. Brook Lopez on the Nets is like Adam Sandler in Billy Madison. One superstar looking great around a bunch of talent-less kids. It’s only a matter of time before Lopez decides to grow up and move on to high school.
• I think we’ve finally hit the point where Kevin Durant is clearly an elite scorer in the NBA. If I need a basket, he is definitely in the top 5 of players I would want shooting. My list looks like this in no particular order: Kobe, Lebron, Durant, Carmelo, and D-Wade. One more year and the Kobe vs. Lebron debate will shift to a Lebron vs Durant debate.
• While on the issue of Kobe vs. Lebron, the conversation is over. After seeing how the Lakers played with Kobe icing his ankle, it is clear that Kobe’s MVP days are behind him. If you take Lebron off the Cavs, they are a bottom feeder in the East. I guess we can just wait until next year when King James takes his throne in Manhattan to see just how much he meant to that Cavaliers team.
• Watching that Ohio State team from a couple years ago, did anyone think, “Mike Conley will turn into a much better pro than Greg Oden”? Well, it appears that this is the reality we are living in.
• Tracy McGrady on the Knicks is like Mickey Rourke being cast in “The Wrestler”.  T-Mac needed a team where he can showcase his talent to a wide audience. On the Knickerbockers, he can now shoot freely and create offensively while caring less about defense than the ’99 St Louis Rams. Let’s not forget that the Knicks aren’t concerned with winning until next year and bam! Perfect fit for a McGrady comeback.  
• Steve Nash is one of the funniest men in basketball. Need proof? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdNiXidfLcc

For those of you that feel sorry for me for being a Nets fan, don’t. The longer it takes them to get to that magic win number 9, the longer I remain interested in watching the games. I’d rather flirt with loser history than watch another meaningless Knicks or Pacers game.

If you missed it, here is the Tiger Woods press conference in its entirety for your viewing pleasure. No big revelations to speak of, ("I do plan to return to golf one day. I just don't know when that day will be. I don't rule out that it will be this year") but you still probably owe it to yourself to take a look.                                                                            


And now to Bill Simmons of ESPN.com for the insta-nalysis:

"...Trust me, you should have gone with 'I got married too soon, I should have sowed my oats first, I didn't, I'm an ass.' Much better...

...In a few weeks, or a few months, Tiger will start hitting golf balls and everything will be fine again. I just want to get there. For now, we apparently have to put up with a few more weeks (and possibly months) of the Tiger Woods Rehabilitation Tour. There will be more rehab, more staged photos, more secrecy and eventually a carefully planned interview with the right person who won't be a threat to ask him anything interesting. Wake me up when he plays a tournament..."

Read Simmons' full speech here

1) Doritos- Little Black Kid

2) LeBron v Superman

3) E*Trade- Gotta Love the Babies

4) Doritos- Snack Samurai

5) Bud Light- Autotune ft. T-Pain

6) Career Builder- Dudes in Underwear

7) Bud Light- Lost Spoof

8) Teleflora- "Don't Touch Me"

9) Boost Mobile- The Boost Mobile Shuffle

10) Bud Light- Light House

PS: How much are we guessing CBS paid The Who to play 'Who Are You' in their set?  And how sad is that the second that song started, almost everyone in the room immediately thought "Oh, its the CSI song"?

PPS: How 'Favre' is it that that little shit would try to bogart all the attention that should be on Peyton and Brees with yet another "I can't decide whether or not I want to retire, how adorable am I?" commercial?  Ugh!

PPPS: WHO DAT? WHO DAT? WHO DAT SAY DEY GONNA BEAT DEM SAINTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Absolute MUST READ piece on the true story of the life and crimes of Marvin Harrison, former "squeaky-clean" hall-of-fame receiver for the Indianapolis Colts.  This will blow your mind....

The Dirtiest Player
By Jason Fagone
GQ
February 2010 Issue

"...Nixon was across the street and thirty yards away when [Marvin] Harrison started shooting. Pop pop pop pop pop pop—a great staccato gust of bullets. Steadily, Nixon says, Harrison unloaded both guns into the fat man's car, stippling the red Toyota Tundra with bullet holes as the fat man ducked in his seat. Eventually, the fat man sat up and sped off, heading straight toward Nixon's position as Harrison darted into the street and continued to shoot....

"...On September 3, 1991, when Marvin Woods [Harrison's half-brother] was 17, he was playing in the championship game of a schoolyard hoops league when his coach took him out of the game, subbing in another boy. Woods got angry. He left the game. When he rode back on his bike, twenty minutes later, he was carrying a Tec-9. He sprayed his substitute with bullets, killing him, and rode off. Marvin Woods is currently serving a life sentence for first-degree murder at the State Correctional Institution in Dallas, Pennsylvania. ..."

READ FULL ARTICLE HERE

So Big Mac is finally out of the closet.  Shocking, I know.  I'm long over it, but honestly, how much does it suck that EVERY SINGLE PLAYER I grew up idolizing is practically a proven juicer.  All those hundreds of prized rookie cards: Clemens, Bonds, McGwire...all worthless.  And I'm not going to even get into those cherished Red Sox World Series memories.  Ugh....
Well, to make my point, here's a list of the great ballplayers from my generation, and the degree of steroid suspicion associated with each.  Try not to throw up....

*=slight suspicion of steroid use
*****=proof or admittance of steroid use

Jose Canseco*****

Ken Griffey Jr-I swear to God, if he ever ends up positive, I'm quiting baseball for good.

--The BCS National Championship Game rotates among the sites of the BCS bowls.  The title sponsor of the BCS National Championship Game each year will be the same as that of the bowl game in that year's host location.
--The game was first played at the conclusion of the 1998 college football season in accordance with the agreement reached by the Big Ten and Pac-10 conferences and the Rose Bowl Game to join the members of the former "Bowl Alliance" to create the Bowl Championship Series. The Bowl Alliance and its predecessor, the Bowl Coalition, featured championship games from 1992 through 1997. However, these were hindered by the lack of potential participation by the champions of the Big Ten or Pac-10.
--The game was initially rotated among the four participating bowl games, the (Rose Bowl, Orange Bowl, Fiesta Bowl, and Sugar Bowl). However, beginning with the 2006 season, the BCS National Championship Game became a separate event played at the same site as a host bowl a week following New Year's Day.
--Results:
January 4, 1999  Tennessee (SEC) 23 Florida State (ACC) 16
January 4, 2000  Florida State (ACC) 46 Virginia Tech (Big East) 29
January 3, 2001  Oklahoma (Big 12) 13 Florida State (ACC) 2
January 3, 2002  Miami (Big East) 37 Nebraska (Big 12) 14
January 3, 2003  Ohio State (Big Ten) 31 Miami (Big East) 24
January 4, 2004  LSU (SEC) 21  Oklahoma (Big 12) 14
January 4, 2005  USC (Pac-10) 55  Oklahoma (Big 12) 19
January 8, 2007  Florida (SEC) 41  Ohio State (Big Ten) 14
January 7, 2008  LSU (SEC) 38  Ohio State (Big Ten) 24
January 8, 2009  Florida (SEC) 24  Oklahoma (Big 12) 14
January 7, 2010 Alabama (SEC) vs. Texas (Big 12)

--The GMAC Bowl has been played annually at Ladd Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Alabama since 1999.
--From 1999 to 2009, it pitted a Conference USA team against a team from either the Mid-American Conference or the Western Athletic Conference.
--For the game to be played in 2010 the ACC was to participate in the bowl as its ninth bowl tie-in, replacing the Humanitarian Bowl in Boise, Idaho, in the conference's postseason lineup, but the ACC failed to have sufficient bowl-eligible teams to fill the slot. The Mid-American Conference is the other conference tie-in.
--The game was previously known as the Mobile Alabama Bowl from 1999 to 2000 until it received corporate sponsorship from GMAC Financial Services, formerly a unit of General Motors.
--The 2001 game between the Marshall Thundering Herd and East Carolina Pirates set the record as the highest scoring bowl game of all time, and Marshall achieved what was then the greatest scoring comeback in Bowl history. In this contest, Marshall battled back from a 38–8 deficit to win 64–61 in double overtime. Thundering Herd quarterback Byron Leftwich threw for 576 yards in the game.
--Results:
December 22, 1999 TCU 28 East Carolina 14
December 20, 2000 Southern Miss 28 TCU 21
December 19, 2001 Marshall 64 East Carolina 61 (2 OT)
December 18, 2002 Marshall 38 Louisville 15
December 18, 2003 Miami (OH) 49 Louisville 28
December 22, 2004 Bowling Green 52 Memphis 35
December 21, 2005 Toledo 45 UTEP 13
January 7, 2007 Southern Miss 28 Ohio 7
January 6, 2008 Tulsa 63 Bowling Green 7
January 6, 2009 Tulsa 45 Ball State 13
January 6, 2010 Troy vs. Central Michigan

--The Orange Bowl is played at LandShark Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.
--FedEx has been the sponsor since 1989. 
--The Orange Bowl has been played annually since 1935.
--In 1932, George Hussey organized the first Palm Festival Game, predecessor of the Orange Bowl. With Miami suffering from both the Great Depression and the Florida land bust, Hussey and others sought to help its economy by organizing a game similar to Pasadena's Rose Bowl.  Following the success of these games, backers organized another game for New Year's Day 1935 under the Orange Bowl name.
--The Orange Bowl is the fourth-oldest bowl game in the country, behind the Rose Bowl, the Sun Bowl, and the Sugar Bowl.
--The Orange Bowl hosted the BCS National Championship Game in 2001 and 2005.
--Since 2007 the Orange Bowl has been host to the ACC champion unless they are involved in the national championship game.
--Results
January 1, 1935 Bucknell 26 Miami (FL) 0
January 1, 1936 Catholic University 20 Mississippi 19
January 1, 1937 Duquesne 13 Mississippi State 12
January 1, 1938 Auburn 6 Michigan State 0
January 2, 1939 Tennessee 17 Oklahoma 0
January 1, 1940 Georgia Tech 21 Missouri 7
January 1, 1941 Mississippi State 14 Georgetown 7
January 1, 1942 Georgia 40 TCU 26
January 1, 1943 Alabama 37 Boston College 21
January 1, 1944 LSU 19 Texas A&M 14
January 1, 1945 Tulsa 26 Georgia Tech 12
January 1, 1946 Miami (FL) 13 Holy Cross 6
January 1, 1947 Rice 8 Tennessee 0
January 1, 1948 Georgia Tech 20 Kansas 14
January 1, 1949 Texas 41 Georgia 28
January 2, 1950 Santa Clara 21 Kentucky 13
January 1, 1951 Clemson 15 Miami(FL) 14
January 1, 1952 Georgia Tech 17 Baylor 14
January 1, 1953 Alabama 61 Syracuse 6
January 1, 1954 Oklahoma 7 Maryland 0
January 1, 1955 Duke 34 Nebraska 7
January 2, 1956 Oklahoma 20 Maryland 6
January 1, 1957 Colorado 27 Clemson 21
January 1, 1958 Oklahoma 48 Duke 21
January 1, 1959 Oklahoma 21 Syracuse 6

--The Fiesta Bowl is played annually at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
--Between its origination in 1971 and 2006, the game was hosted in Tempe, Arizona at Sun Devil Stadium.
--The Fiesta Bowl was born from the WAC's frustrated attempts to obtain bowl invitations for its champions.
--On January 1, 2007, the undefeated Boise State Broncos won by defeating the Oklahoma Sooners 43–42 in overtime. It has been called one of the greatest college football games ever played, due to the combination of an underdog team, trick plays, comebacks by each team and a thrilling overtime finish.
--In 1998, the Fiesta Bowl became part of the BCS.
--The 2010 Fiesta Bowl matchup of  #4 TCU against #6 Boise State is the first time two undefeated teams will face each other in a BCS game outside of the National Championship.
--Results:
December 27, 1971 Arizona State 45 Florida State 38
December 23, 1972 Arizona State 49 Missouri 35
December 21, 1973 Arizona State 28 Pittsburgh 7
December 28, 1974 Oklahoma State 16 BYU 6
December 26, 1975 Arizona State 17 Nebraska 14
December 25, 1976 Oklahoma 41 Wyoming 7
December 25, 1977 Penn State 42 Arizona State 30
December 25, 1978 Arkansas 10 UCLA 10
December 25, 1979 Pittsburgh 16 Arizona 10
December 26, 1980 Penn State 31 Ohio State 19
January 1, 1982 Penn State 26 Southern California 10
January 1, 1983 Arizona State 32 Oklahoma 21
January 2, 1984 Ohio State 28 Pittsburgh 23
January 1, 1985 UCLA 39 Miami 37
January 1, 1986 Michigan 27 Nebraska 23
January 2, 1987 Penn State 14 Miami 10
January 1, 1988 Florida State 31 Nebraska 28
January 2, 1989 Notre Dame 34 West Virginia 21
January 1, 1990 Florida State 41 Nebraska 17
January 1, 1991 Louisville 34 Alabama 7
January 1, 1992 Penn State 42 Tennessee 17
January 1, 1993 Syracuse 26 Colorado 22
January 1, 1994 Arizona 29 Miami 0
January 2, 1995 Colorado 41 Notre Dame 24
January 2, 1996 Nebraska 62 Florida 24
January 1, 1997 Penn State 38 Texas 15
December 31, 1997 Kansas State 35 Syracuse 18
January 4, 1999 Tennessee 23 Florida State 16 (National Championship)
January 2, 2000 Nebraska 31 Tennessee 21
January 1, 2001 Oregon State 41 Notre Dame 9
January 1, 2002 Oregon 38 Colorado 16
January 3, 2003 Ohio State 31 Miami 24 (2 OT) (National Championship)
January 2, 2004 Ohio State 35 Kansas State 28
January 1, 2005 Utah 35 Pittsburgh 7
January 2, 2006 Ohio State 34 Notre Dame 20
January 1, 2007 Boise State 43 Oklahoma 42 (OT)
January 2, 2008 West Virginia 48 Oklahoma 28
January 5, 2009 Texas 24 Ohio State 21
January 4, 2010 TCU vs. Boise State

--The Rose Bowl Game has been played on January 1 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California for 95 years.
--When New Year's Day falls on a Sunday, the game is then played on the following Monday.
--The Rose Bowl is nicknamed "The Granddaddy of Them All" because it is the oldest bowl game, first played in 1902, and continuously since 1916.
--Originally titled the "Tournament East-West football game," the first Rose Bowl was played on January 1, 1902, starting the tradition of New Year's Day bowl games. The inaugural game featured Fielding Yost's dominating 1901 Michigan team which crushed Stanford University by a score of 49–0 after Stanford quit in the third quarter. The game was so lopsided that for the next 15 years, the Tournament of Roses officials ran chariot races, ostrich races, and other various events instead of football.  However, on New Year's Day 1916, football returned to stay as The State College of Washington defeated Brown University in the first annual Rose Bowl.
--Since 1945, it has been the highest attended college football bowl game.
--It is a part of the Tournament of Roses "America's New Year Celebration".
--USC has won the most Rose Bowls (24), followed by Michigan (8), Washington (7), and Ohio State (6). Michigan has lost the most (12), followed by USC (9), UCLA and Ohio State (7 each).
--The most frequent Rose Bowl matchup is USC-Michigan, occurring for the eighth time in 2007, with USC holding a 6–2 advantage.
--In 2002 and 2006, the Rose Bowl game was also the BCS National Championship Game.
--In the current BCS alignment, the Rose Bowl will host the designated Big Ten and Pac-10 representatives unless they are involved in the national championship game.
--Results:
January 1, 1902 Michigan 49 Stanford 0 notes
January 1, 1916 Washington State 14 Brown 0
January 1, 1917 Oregon 14 Pennsylvania 0
January 1, 1918 Mare Is. - USMC 19 Camp Lewis - US Army 7
January 1, 1919 Great Lakes - US Navy 17 Mare Island 0
January 1, 1920 Harvard 7 Oregon 6
January 1, 1921 California 28 Ohio State 0
January 2, 1922 California 0 Washington & Jefferson 0
January 1, 1923 Southern California 14 Penn State 3
January 1, 1924 Washington 14 Navy 14
January 1, 1925 Notre Dame 27 Stanford 10
January 1, 1926 Alabama 20 Washington 19
January 1, 1927 Alabama 7 Stanford 7
January 2, 1928 Stanford 7 Pittsburgh 6
January 1, 1929 Georgia Tech 8 California 7
January 1, 1930 Southern California 47 Pittsburgh 14
January 1, 1931 Alabama 24 Washington State 0
January 1, 1932 Southern California 21 Tulane 12
January 2, 1933 Southern California 35 Pittsburgh 0
January 1, 1934 Columbia 7 Stanford 0
January 1, 1935 Alabama 29 Stanford 13
January 1, 1936 Stanford 7 SMU 0
January 1, 1937 Pittsburgh 21 Washington 0
January 1, 1938 California 13 Alabama 0
January 2, 1939 Southern California 7 Duke 3
January 1, 1940 Southern California 14 Tennessee 0

Another college football season is in the books, and we're left with a national championship most of us can feel pretty good about (minus the fact that the team they beat lost their star quarterback in the first 5 minutes of the game or that the team that currently sits at #2 team also went undefeated.)  Still, Bama is truly a great team and really can't be blamed for a broken system.  They are also now all tied up with Notre Dame for the most national championships in 1-A history with 12.  So while there may still be some debate about who really should have been the big winner this bowl season, one thing seems for certain: Charlie Weis and his Fightin' Irish were certainly the big losers....

Here's how the top 50 finally stacked up:

1. Alabama (SEC)-SEC Champions, National Championships (beat Texas)
2. Boise St (WAC)-WAC Champions, Beat TCU in Fiesta Bowl
3. Texas (Big 12)-Big 12 Champions, Lost National Championship to Alabama
4. Florida (SEC)-Beat Cincinnati in Sugar Bowl
5. TCU (Mountain West)-Lost Fiesta Bowl to Boise St
6. Cincinnati (Big East)-Big East Champions, Lost Sugar Bowl to Florida
7. Ohio State (Big Ten)- Big Ten Champions, Beat Oregon in Rose Bowl
8. Iowa (Big Ten)-Beat Georgia Tech in Orange Bowl
9. Penn State (Big Ten)-Beat LSU in Capital One Bowl 
10. Oregon (Pac-10)-Pac-10 Champions, Lost Rose Bowl to Ohio St
11. Georgia Tech (ACC)-ACC Champions, Lost Orange Bowl to Iowa
12. LSU (SEC)-Lost Capital One Bowl to Penn St
13. Virginia Tech (ACC)-Beat Tennessee in Chick-fil-A Bowl
14. BYU (Mountain West)- Beat Oregon St in MAACO Las Vegas Bowl
15. Nebraska (Big 12)-Beat Arizona in Holiday Bowl
16. Oklahoma (Big 12)-Beat Stanford in Sun Bowl
17. Pitt (Big East)- Beat UNC in Meineke Car Care Bowl
18. Utah (Mountain West)- Beat Cal in Poinsettia Bowl
19. Mississippi (SEC)- Beat Oklahoma St in Cotton Bowl
20. Oklahoma St (Big 12)-Lost Cotton Bowl to Ole Miss
21. Arizona (Pac-10)-Lost Holiday Bowl to Nebraska
22. West Viginia (Big East)-Lost Gator Bowl to Florida St
23. Stanford (Pac-10)-Lost Sun Bowl to Oklahoma
24. South Carolina (SEC)-Lost Papajohns.com Bowl to UConn
25. USC (Pac-10)-Beat BC in Emerald Bowl
26. Texas Tech (Big 12)-Beat Michigan St in Alamo Bowl
27. Clemson (ACC)-Beat Kentucky in Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl
28. Wisconsin (Big Ten)-Beat Miami in Champs Sports Bowl
29. Miami (FL) (ACC)- Lost Champs Sports Bowl to Wisconsin
30. Oregon St (Pac-10)-Lost MAACO Las Vegas Bowl to BYU
31. UNC (ACC)-Lost Meineke Car Bowl to Pitt
32. Cal (Pac-10)-Lost Poinsettia Bowl to Utah
33. Arkansas (SEC)-Beat East Carolina in Liberty Bowl
34. Auburn (SEC)-Beat Northwestern in Outback Bowl
35. Rutgers (Big East)-Beat UCF in St. Petersburg Bowl
36. Central Michigan (Mid-American)-MAC Champions, GMAC Bowl vs Troy
37. Houston (Conference USA)- Lost Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl to Army
38. Montana- (Big Sky)
39. UConn (Big East)-Beat South Carolina in Papajohns.com Bowl
40. Tennessee (SEC)-Lost Chick-fil-A Bowl to Virginia Tech
41. BC (ACC)-Lost Emerald Bowl to USC
42. Georgia (SEC)-Beat Texas A&M in Independence Bowl
43. Michigan St (Big Ten)
44. Kentucky (SEC)-Lost Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl to Clemson
45. Notre Dame (IA Independents)
46. Washington (Pac-10)
47. Navy (IA Independents)-Beat Missouri in Texas Bowl
48. Kansas (Big 12)
49. Missouri (Big 12)-Lost Texas Bowl to Navy
50. Florida St- Beat West Virginia in Gator Bowl

The Humanitarian Bowl

The Humanitarian Bowl has been played annually at Bronco Stadium on the campus of Boise State University in Boise, Idaho, since 1997. The game currently matches a team from the Mountain West Conference with one from the Western Athletic Conference, typically the conference champion. It is the longest running cold weather bowl game currently in operation. The payout is $750,000, but teams are required to provide a corporate sponsor, purchase a minimum number of tickets, and stay at a selected hotel for a minimum stay.

 Results:

December 17, 1982 Ohio State 47 BYU 17

The EagleBank Bowl

Prior to the game's approval by the NCAA, Navy and the ACC signed agreements to participate in the game if it was approved. Under the agreement, the ACC would provide its ninth-best team for the bowl if the league had nine bowl eligible teams. However, if the primary options do not provide two bowl eligible teams to play or another bowl chooses one of those teams, the committee can select a team from the Mid-American Conference, Conference USA, or the Big Ten as a replacement.

December 29, 2009 Temple vs. UCLA

The Champs Sports Bowl

The Champs Sports Bowl is played in Orlando, Florida.

The game was played at Pro Player Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida from 1990 to 2000 and is now played at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando.

The bowl is operated by Florida Citrus Sports, a non-profit group which also organizes the Capital One Bowl and Florida Classic.

The game was originally organized by Raycom Sports in the summer of 1990. Since 2004, Champs Sports, a division of Foot Locker, has sponsored the event. Under the terms of a television deal signed with ESPN in 2006, the bowl will be held after Christmas Day from 2006–2009, and be shown on ESPN in prime time. As of this year, the game will match the third pick from the ACC against the second selection from the Big East.

Results:

December 28, 1990 Florida State 24 Penn State 17

December 28, 1991 Alabama 30 Colorado 25

January 1, 1993 Stanford 24 Penn State 3

January 1, 1994 Boston College 31 Virginia 13

January 2, 1995 South Carolina 24 West Virginia 21

December 30, 1995 North Carolina 20 Arkansas 10

December 27, 1996 Miami 31 Virginia 21

December 29, 1997 Georgia Tech 35 West Virginia 30

December 29, 1998 Miami 46 North Carolina State 23

December 30, 1999 Illinois 63 Virginia 21

December 28, 2000 NC State 38 Minnesota 30

December 20, 2001 Pittsburgh 34 North Carolina State 19

December 23, 2002 Texas Tech 55 Clemson 15

December 22, 2003 North Carolina State 56 Kansas 26

December 21, 2004 Georgia Tech 51 Syracuse 14

December 27, 2005 Clemson 19 Colorado 10

December 29, 2006 Maryland 24 Purdue 7

December 28, 2007 Boston College 24 Michigan State 21

December 27, 2008 Florida State 42 Wisconsin 13

December 29, 2009 Miami vs. Wisconsin