Reverbiage: Stories from NPR tagged 'football'

Championship Game Stars 2 Heisman Winners

Thu, 08 Jan 2009 06:00:00 EST

Quarterbacks are normally the center of attention in football. It's even more true this year in Thursday night's college football championship game. It features the last two Heisman Trophy winners, Tim Tebow of Florida and Sam Bradford of Oklahoma.

College Football: Unique And Unrepresentative

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 15:27:00 EST

The Florida Gators and the Oklahoma Sooners meet Thursday in Miami for the national college football championship. But the game won't likely settle the controversy over how college football chooses its national champion. And that's just one of the oddities of the sport.

No Football Timeout For Congress

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 06:21:00 EST

Congressman Cliff Stearns, a Republican from Florida, asked House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to reconsider any votes scheduled for Thursday. The reason: Stearns is hoping to go to college football's championship game. Number-two Florida plays number-one Oklahoma in Miami. Pelosi's office says there won't be a change in the schedule. Among the issues to be considered: certification of the Electoral College vote that gives Barack Obama the presidency.

Penn State, Southern California Meet In Rose Bowl

Thu, 01 Jan 2009 08:05:00 EST

One of college football's most celebrated bowl games gets under way Thursday in Pasadena, Calif., as Penn State and the University of Southern California meet in the Rose Bowl. Christine Brennan, sports columnist with USA Today, tells Steve Inskeep that both teams and their coaches are top notch.

The Cautionary Tale Of John Mackey, NFL Star

Wed, 24 Dec 2008 18:57:00 EST

John Mackey had a distinguished career with the Baltimore Colts. He now has dementia, and his wife, Sylvia, has stood by him and urged the league to help other athletes with dementia. Commentator Frank Deford says football is an intense team game — but it's Sylvia Mackey who is an outstanding teammate.

GPS Units Get A Fix On The Football

Sat, 20 Dec 2008 16:00:00 EST

Priya Narasimhan, a football fan in Pittsburgh, wants to help referees make the right call. Her experiment: embed GPS units and accelerometers into football equipment to keep track of where the ball is and who has possession of it.

Hockey's Sharks On The Cusp Of New Record

Sat, 20 Dec 2008 08:00:00 EST

Do you know the way to San Jose's heart? Achieve the winningest record in hockey — at least that's what their Sharks have done. Though they've lost two in a row they could still pass Detroit's 1995-1996 record of 62 wins. Host Scott Simon talks with NPR's Tom Goldman about the week in sports from hockey to college football to the Atlanta Falcons.

Sports Dilemma: Siding With Politicians On Playoffs

Wed, 17 Dec 2008 12:54:00 EST

Commentator Frank Deford agrees with politicians calling for a college football playoff to determine the national champion. But it means letting go of a long-held belief: that sports and politics shouldn't mix.

How Much Football Can Sports Fans Handle...

Sun, 07 Dec 2008 16:00:00 EST

On Sundays, many sports fans accomplish a multitasking feat: They watch seven or eight games at a time on multiple TV screens. Multitasking expert Greg Trafton and Andrea Seabrook discuss how much fans' minds can handle.

O.J. Sentenced To Minimum 9 Years

Fri, 05 Dec 2008 13:00:00 EST

The former football star has been sentenced to at least nine years in prison. Ted Robbins follows the proceedings from Clark County Courthouse in Las Vegas.

'How Football Explains America'

Sun, 30 Nov 2008 08:00:00 EST

ESPN football reporter Sal Paolantonio has a new book out, purporting to examine "How Football Explains America". As he tells host Liane Hansen, the way the rules are constructed lends the sport a uniquely American mythos.

Frank Gifford's 'Glory Game'

Sat, 29 Nov 2008 08:00:00 EST

Scott Simon talks to former New York Giants running back Frank Gifford about his new book, "The Glory Game: How the 1958 NFL Championship Changed Football Forever." The book is about the December 28, 1958 game between the Giants and the Baltimore Colts that is credited with turning football into America's sport.

Pigskin Shares Holiday With Turkey

Thu, 27 Nov 2008 06:00:00 EST

Football is almost as big a Thanksgiving Day tradition as turkey. Three games are played today: Tennessee at Detroit, Seattle at Dallas and Arizona at Philadelphia. NPR's Mike Pesca and Steve Inskeep preview the games.

In Football, Sometimes It Pays To Know The Rules

Wed, 26 Nov 2008 22:38:00 EST

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb was benched for ineffective play midway through Sunday's game against the Baltimore Ravens. But his real troubles started with a boneheaded comment the week before.

FSU Football Star Wins Rhodes Scholarship

Mon, 24 Nov 2008 16:00:00 EST

Myron Rolle, the starting strong safety for the Florida State Seminoles, has been awarded the Rhodes scholarship to study at Oxford University. The pre-med student had to miss part of Saturday's game against Maryland because he was being interviewed for the scholarship.

Wall Street Too Real... Try Fantasy Investing

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 06:00:00 EST

There are all kinds of fantasy games — fantasy football for example. Now you can try your hand at fantasy investing. Fantasy enthusiasts say there's never been a better time to go virtual.

Documentary Tackles Epic Harvard-Yale Game

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 16:00:00 EST

Harvard Beats Yale 29-29 tells the story of the 1968 football meeting between the Ivy League archrivals. Filmmaker Kevin Rafferty's father was a former Yale football captain, but Rafferty chose to go to Harvard.

College Presidents Run Defense For Bowl System

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 00:02:00 EST

Lots of college football fans, including President-elect Barack Obama, have said they'd like to see the sport's complex bowl championship system replaced with a playoff. That's not likely. The Bowl Championship Series has plenty of influential advocates, including college presidents.

Natty Dressers Disappear From NFL Sidelines

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 00:01:00 EST

These days, football coaches have swapped the snappy attire of their predecessors for Goodwill chic and headsets. Commentator Frank Deford says he never imagined that he would have warm reveries of Weeb Ewbank or Vince Lombardi, strolling the sidelines as they would the boulevard.

Lack Of Players Fails To Slow Football In One Town

Mon, 03 Nov 2008 00:08:00 EST

High school football is a rite of passage for many young athletes. But what does a school do if there aren't enough players to field a team? At Meeteetse High School in rural Wyoming, the answer was to cut by nearly half the traditional 11-member squad.

Good Night Baseball, Hello Basketball

Sat, 01 Nov 2008 08:00:00 EDT

Congratulations Philadelphia Phillies! Did anyone notice basketball started this week? Not to mention that there's not been much mention of football and it's already November. Alison talks live with ESPN's Howard Bryant about this week in sports.

Blaming The Coach: McCain's Misfortunes

Fri, 17 Oct 2008 17:31:00 EDT

Whether you're rooting for a football team or a political party, it seems almost impossible to believe that sometimes, disastrous events — a fumble, a major economic crisis — occur that are completely outside the control of the coach or candidate but end up determining the outcome.

SEC Football: It's The Heart Of Dixie

Wed, 08 Oct 2008 00:01:00 EDT

Choosing the college football champion by having one title game played by teams chosen by computers and polls is unfair, un-American and, well, idiotic, says commentator Frank Deford. Why? Because the system penalizes the teams in the premier league — the Southeastern Conference.

Fallen Soldier Was A Leader

Sun, 05 Oct 2008 16:47:00 EDT

Capt. Michael Joseph Medders of Avon Lake, Ohio, was a standout football player in high school, known for toughness on the field and kindness towards his teammates.

Simpson Faces Life In Jail After Conviction

Sat, 04 Oct 2008 16:00:00 EDT

Former football star and movie actor O.J. Simpson could spend the rest of his life in jail after being convicted in Las Vegas on Friday of 12 charges, including kidnapping and armed robbery. The verdict came 13 years to the day after Simpson was found not guilty of killing his ex-wife and a friend of hers.