I normally don't mention Stewart Mandel here, mostly because he doesn't need any more attention than he already gets. I don't mind most of his stuff, except for the 'crush' thing he does, which I find really creepy. It makes me wonder if he's ever kissed a girl, something I normally equate to the real Trekkies in my life.
Anyway, then today comes this bit of drivel when he decides to make a list of the top five coaches of all time. You can find the whole list on his article, but what strikes me is this pair of entries:
4. Woody Hayes: He was the Bryant of the Midwest, a coach whose program's consistent dominance ceased only when Bo Schemebechler, a worthy rival, emerged during Hayes' latter years. Obviously, his legacy was to a degree forever tainted by that ghastly, final image.
Woody Hayes - I'm not sure I'd put him in the top five, and I sure as hell wouldn't put him ahead of Tom Osborne. He was a great coach, but he deserves to be dropped for how it ended, not elevated.
Mandel elevates him above Osborne, though, for reasons that are beyond reason:
A few notable exclusions:
• Tom Osborne: On paper, one could argue he was every bit as accomplished (.836 winning percentage, three national titles, 24 top 15 finishes) as the five names above, but unfortunately, his more bland personality made it harder to leave a lasting impression on most non-Nebraskans.
So, basically what Mandel is saying that if Tom Osborne wanted to get ranked in his top five, he should have punched an opposing player. By this way of thinking, Osborne should have sworn more in public, been caught cheating on his wife, accused other coaches of cheating, or got drunk and shot up a hotel room. All of those would have made Osborne less bland, and therefore more acceptable, more memorable?
You'd think that going for two in 1984 when he could have tied the Orange Bowl against Miami and won a national title was memorable enough, but maybe Mandel forgot about this as he was thinking more about what model or actress he's going to be stalking this season.
In the end, such trash deserves to be ignored. So if you're feeling a need to send Mandel an email telling him about his errant ways, remember that you're only playing into his dirty little hands.