WHERE'S 'NARIO?
Like many Missouri fans and area pundits, I have to wonder who picks the candidates for the Biletnikoff Award which goes to the most outstanding receiver in college football. What the hell are they thinking and how could they have ignored Danario Alexander's phenomenal season?
With a lot of help from Mike DeArmond's commentary in today's Kansas City Star, I compiled the chart below to compare Alexander's statistics in relationship to the three finalists (1) and two other semifinalists (2).
Player Team Catches Yards Yds/Catch TDS TTL
Danario Alexander Missouri 107 (2) 1644 (1) 15.3 (3) 13 (3) 9
Freddie Barnes1 Bowling Green 138 (1) 1551 (2) 11.9 (6) 16 (1) 10
Golden Tate1 Notre Dame 93 (4) 1496 (3) 16.1 (2) 15 (2) 11
Dezmon Briscoe2 Kansas 84 (5) 1377 (4) 16.4 (1) 9 (6) 16
Jordan Shipley1 Texas 99 (3) 1292 (5) 13.0 (5) 11 (4.5) 17.5
Mardy Gilyard 2 Cincinnati 80 (6) 1164 (6) 14.3 (4) 11 (4.5) 20.5
Alexander is the only receiver to rank in the top three of all four categories. Using all four criteria his total ranking is best among the bunch. Dropping "yards per catch" puts him in second place with six points behind Bowling Green's Freddie Barnes with four.
One could certainly make a case for Barnes as the top receiver in the nation. I have no quarrel with that. I cannot, though, find any justification for leaving 'Nario off the preseason "watch list", for the committee's failure to add him as a candidate, nor for his absence from the list of 10 semifinalists. Who are those numbskulls and what are they watching… shuffleboard? C'mon, man!
The Tigers' long-striding wideout was named to the 1st Team All Big XII offense. Among receivers, he led the league in catches, yards and touchdowns. Jordan Shipley, riding the coattails of his roommate and Heisman Trophy candidate Colt McCoy, is a finalist as (perhaps) the third-best receiver in the conference.
As a long-suffering Mizzou fan, I suppose I should be accustomed to the slights and oversights Tiger teams and players have endured over the years. From my point of view, Gary Pinkel has turned the football program around and brought to the program a certain amount of national media exposure. Perhaps the MU sports information department needs to pick it up a little. Or did the ill-fated "Chase for Heisman" campaign put a permanent damper on the SID's enthusiasm for our superstars?
Blaine Gabbert appears to be the Tigers' best candidate for our "player of the year" next year. Is it too early to start lobbying for his inclusion in the Heisman watch? Is there another underclassman we are overlooking?
It's time Missouri fans and the SID to start making some national noise in support of our teams and our athletes.
The Real Don Steele
12/5/09
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