Last week, Toledo native and Rocket record-setter Eric Page announced his decision to forgo his senior year at the University of Toledo and enter the NFL Draft.
Ahhhmm..what?
Being a Toledo hoodrat myself, I always like to see a fellow hoodrat succeed.
Well, except for Katie Holmes post Tom Cruise era. That was just embarrassing..
Though I can’t blame you, Tom…we are an extraordinary group. In a jump-on-Oprah’s-couch-and-make-an-utter-fool-of-yourself-on-national-TV kind of way. What guy doesn’t act that way when he lands a Toledo girl?
Anyway, I’m not saying Eric Page can’t make it in the NFL. I think the media around here has done an excellent job of crafting this piece into a miracle story where a local high school kid overcame adversities to prove the naysayers wrong and triumph as some hometown hero…
Please…
No one who knows anything is saying Page isn’t a talented athlete. He better be if he’s getting a full ride to school. What I don’t get is, what’s the rush? The NFL isn’t going anywhere. They already tried that, remember?
So his justification for going is that he has nothing left to prove to Toledo. The numbers he’s putting up are good enough, so he’s gonna strike while the irons hot. I guess a small display of loyalty is unwarranted if there is the possibility of millions of dollars waiting in the wing. Who cares about those schmucks who provided you with a free education and a stage to perform on?
I’ll tell you a secret, though. I don’t actually care about that. I merely wanted to demonstrate how ungrateful and arrogant that statement seems. He should avoid repeating it.
Maybe he should consider his promise he made to Rick Upchurch and his grandma about finishing his degree. Does he think he’s really going to complete a criminal justice degree after entering the NFL? It’s highly unlikely. If he does make it, like former Rocket Lance Moore for example, he’s going to have to endure a lot of big hits to that helmet.
Sure, you can have a million dollars! We just need you to forfeit half of your brain cells and 80 IQ points. Deal?
Absolutely.
But let me tell you another secret. I really don’t care about the promises he made to his grandma.
What annoys me the most about the people who are arguing his case (and it’s fine that they are) is the poor excuse that by going back for his final year, he is risking a career-ending injury. So, it’s more probable that he is going to get hurt playing in the MAC than playing in the NFL? Somehow I find that hard to believe.
Page is listed at 5’10, 180 pounds, so he’s probably 5’8, 115 pounds (jealous!), and he’s coming from the Mid-American Conference. It’s not like he’s been playing against teams whose defenses rival the caliber of, say, Alabama or Nebraska. Rarely do you hear any MAC school with a top ten, twenty, fifty?? ranked defense. But if you put this little shrimp in the NFL, he’s going to get rocked. So if you’re really concerned about a career-ending injury in college football, then you must be terrified of a life-ending injury in the NFL. These guys are not joking.
Page isn’t going to get a million-dollar contract next year, so his risk of losing that opportunity doesn’t even exist. Plenty of big conference players return for their senior year without considering that they may get injured and never play again. The money he is going to potentially make just doesn’t seem worth it. And then there’s all the business that entering into the draft is a risk in and of itself. If he gets a late-round draft pick, if he doesn’t get a drafted at all…in either instance, he could be successful. In either instance, his career could be doomed.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have done a nice job of deciding hastily-departed MAC players’ fates in the NFL. On one hand, we have Ben Roethlisberger, a two-time Super Bowl champ and accused rapist (probably not his most prideful accomplishment), and Antonio Brown, who has yet to make any profound career statement and made about 75k this year (…probably before taxes, but who’s counting?!) as our success stories.
And on the other hand, we have the devastating failure of former Bowling Green quarterback Omar Jacobs, who was drafted in the late rounds of 2006 and was discharged shortly after. Jacobs’ career was highlighted by his NCAA-record touchdown-to-interception ratio (41-4) and 4,002 passing yards posted the same season. Remarkable numbers, especially when you compare them to his professional stats. If memory serves me correctly it’s something close to zero straight across the board.
In my unprofessional opinion, I think EP should stay at Toledo for one more year and hit the weight room. However, since he has decided to take his talents to the Big League, his college career stats will only help in addition to a flawless performance at the NFL Combine, which I will (hopefully) be attending to report directly back to you! I might have to pose as a janitor to get inside the stadium. And in the event that it doesn’t work, I’m collecting donations for bail money.
let's hope it doesn't come to this
In my best Don LaFontaine impersonation: The only thing worse than a catfight between rivaling sororities? A fight between rivaling football fans. Both sides mean serious business. It’s a passionate loyalty to a sacred tradition, an unyielding defense against greatness, an endless fight to prove ultimate superiority, a battle ‘til the end for total domination…
….. 
hairs emerging from your pubescent acne-infected skin on your chinny-chin-chin and formulating ways to hide your unprovoked boners during fourth period English class.
Minus a few run ins with the cerebrally deficient, most true fans, regardless of what team, are capable of friendly banter, a knowledgeable discussion, and then move on with their lives without resorting to the classic remark of defeat “I’m not talking about football with a girl.”
But rivalry and ignorance aside, I like to see the B1G do well. I am, first and foremost, a Buckeye fan, but what’s the fun in being a fan of a team in a subpar conference? I’m not saying the B1G is subpar, but we are certainly performing like a bunch of Division II teams. But, we know that when our teams are ranked #1 and #2 in the country, we can at least count on one of the teams scoring a touchdown.
I couldn’t help but be less than impressed with the Ohio State/Michigan game this year because it was like watching a glorified game of powder puff football, and you all know how I feel about watching women’s sports. Even the last few years when OSU beat Michigan was so anticlimactic that the only thrill of it came from reminding the obnoxious Wolverine fans (and other Ohio State haters) this year after our loss that we won the last 7 years.
Last year, Michigan’s bowl game performance was a pitiful disappointment. However, this year, though they haven’t quite convinced me they’re as magnificent as some of you die hard idolizers would believe, they are clearly a different team under Hoke and no doubt their defense has improved tenfold. Starting with their first come-from-behind victory over their oldest opponents, Michigan has had a lot to be excited about this season. Thanks, mostly to Shoestring (what a dumb nickname), their offense has evolved into a system that is quite a unique style in the Big Ten…and when he’s not playing against our beloved Buckeyes (or Notre Dame), Robinson is pretty fun to watch.
the game. Michigan’s front man has created enough distraction through his announcement of NFL Draft considerations. It’s unlikely he’ll enter this year, but how much pressure does all the speculation create? Is he gonna pull off his performance from their last three games and lead them to a Sugar Bowl victory? Is he going to return to claim his spot as a Heisman candidate and help Michigan with another winning season or is he gonna drop it all and head to the draft? Or is Michigan gonna lose and let us all down?
believed they were this season. But after going just 2-2 on the road, they haven’t had much of an opportunity to prove that their rather questionable schedule didn’t play a role in their impressive record. Meanwhile, not only are the Hokies making a return appearance in a big game, but they’ve also become acclimated to playing away from Lane Stadium, posting a 6-1 record.
(but just for today)
I know people are going to start picking out some of their favorite athletes who are like super humans, who happen to be amazing athletes and rocket scientists, but they’re few and far between. Allow me to start: my personal favorite is Craig Krenzel. He majored in molecular genetics and maintained a 3.75 GPA, all while achieving a 24-3 record as starting quarterback and leading the Buckeyes in their first win at 
If we really cared about an athlete’s academic background,we would consider an athlete’s GPA for the Heisman Trophy and the NFL would require a college degree. Did Michael Oher really boost his grades within a week or did the football fairy sprinkle him with money signs, rendering him eligible? Let’s be real, we’re watching guys truck each other for the thrill of a W. Those helmets aren’t sparing any brain cells, and the NCAA is getting filthy rich off of it. We don’t care about your classroom performance, just get on that field and entertain us.
I’ll touch on basketball, because I think men’s basketball and football players are the only athletes that should be paid, and this is why: I’m all about girl power, but who in the hell is really watching women’s sports? Yes, there are fans (my counterpart, Alexis, for example) but not $10.8 million worth, like the new 
Now baseball and hockey are the two sports that got this right. These are two very fine sports, but these athletes can basically skip going to college. If they’re talented enough for the big leagues, they at least have the option to be drafted out of high school. That gives them the opportunity to make money. Even if it’s not much, it’s still theirs to do what they want.
The two sports that don’t allow that opportunity? Why yes, of course, the two cash cows: basketball and football. The NBA has some pretty clear rules about draft eligibility, that one must be at least 19 during the calendar year of the draft and one year removed from high school graduation. Although math has never been my strongest subject, sounds like you’re headed to college, sir! Now rake in the dough, little puppet. And it’s even worse for football players because it’s not unusual to be there for five years.
When Auburn was on their way to the National Championship last year, the ever-so obvious Cam Newton scandal was investigated for what, 72 hours maybe? And then it was brushed under the rug. “Oh it was his FATHER, not Cam. He didn’t know anything about that!” Okay. And does anyone even really hear much about what’s going on with 
I’m not suggesting that OSU’s controversy is less severe, more severe, better or worse. I’m just illustrating the fact that it happens in all programs, in every conference. It’s not a matter of who’s doing it, it’s who’s getting caught with their pants down.
I believe being from Ohio and growing up a Buckeye makes the difference between his Florida “dream job” and his Ohio State “dream job” (one of the most coveted coaching positions in the NCAA). We all have dreams, Martin, and we usually forget them by the time we wake up. Ohio State blows a dream job out of the water. It’s a fantasy-come-true.
