If It’s Early September, It’s Time for Heismania

If Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa had played against each other the first or second weekend of the baseball season, it’s obvious there wouldn’t have been near the excitement surrounding their game within the game as there is this week in St. Louis.

That’s what’s great about college football. It’s never too early for Heisman hype.

UCLA opens its season Saturday at the Rose Bowl against Texas, a game that might or might not impact the national rankings at the end of the season. But, for Heisman voters, it definitely is one to watch because of the game within the game between Bruin quarterback Cade McNown and Longhorn tailback Ricky Williams.

Now, if asked about that, the proper cliche response from McNown and Williams would be that they shouldn’t be measured against each other because they’re never on the field at the same time. That is reasonable, too reasonable. It’s like saying the home run derby between McGwire and Sosa is irrelevant because they don’t pitch to each other.

True, but . . .

UCLA Coach Bob Toledo understands.

One of the most intriguing aspects of watching the first full day of college football on television Saturday, Toledo said Monday, was comparing the players considered Heisman favorites--Tim Couch’s seven touchdown passes for Kentucky, Daunte Culpepper’s four for Central Florida, Donovan McNabb’s two touchdown passes and one touchdown run for Syracuse, Williams’ six touchdown runs for Texas.

“As a fan, I love it,” Toledo said of Heismania, as it has been identified on UCLA’s McNown billboards. “I think it’s fun.”

As a coach, though, Toledo said he will check his enthusiasm when he reaches the sideline.

Asked if he would coach McNown the Heisman candidate any differently than he did McNown the sophomore or junior, Toledo said: “No, not really. I would love for Cade to win the Heisman Trophy, but he’s not going to throw seven touchdown passes. He knows that.”

One reason is that UCLA remains a running team first.

The other reason is that McNown probably won’t still be playing in a game in which he has been able to shred a defense for six touchdown passes.

Toledo said his philosophy hasn’t changed since the 66-3 victory over Texas last September, when McNown threw only five passes in the second half and didn’t play the final 13 minutes.

“I won’t run up the score,” Toledo said. “I didn’t run up the score against Texas last year.”

Also, he said, he doesn’t want to risk an injury to McNown.

Another factor is that Toledo needs to give as much playing time as possible to Drew Bennett, the sophomore second-team quarterback expected to replace McNown next season.

Toledo, however, added that the fan in him might emerge late in the season if McNown is still a candidate.

“It depends on the situation,” Toledo said. “If we’ve got a lead in the ninth or 10th game and he needs one or two more touchdowns, I might consider leaving him in the game. I’m not going to paint myself into a corner.”

It’s not something they teach in coaching schools, how to coach Heisman candidates, but, for Toledo, it’s a challenge he wouldn’t mind confronting every season.

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Roger Maris is more popular today than he was in 1961. . . .

Baseball fans didn’t root against him only because it was Babe Ruth’s record he threatened. . . .

They didn’t mind so much that Ruth’s record was about to be broken--as long as it was broken by Mickey Mantle. . . .

Mantle was a mythic character, a direct descendant of Ruth and Joe DiMaggio, and destiny was supposed to smile on him, not a common man such as Maris. . . .

It wasn’t until later that we understood how Mantle had wasted much of his talent and Maris had made the most of his. . . .

It’s sad Maris couldn’t have see his name associated more with the word “hero” when he was alive, like Mark McGwire has. . . .

I was never more impressed with McGwire than when he signed his contract late last season with the Cardinals, then broke down at the press conference when he also announced the formation of his foundation for abused children. . . .

The next-best-thing about these two games between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Chicago Cubs is that they are significant in the standings. . . .

Those like Bob Costas who thought the wild-card was bad for baseball should think again. . . .

Without it, National League fans in New York, Chicago and San Francisco would have nothing to keep them interested other than the home run derby. . . .

Sam Gordon, the former Sacramento restaurateur who paid $5,000 for Maris’ 61st home run ball and then gave it to him so he could present it to the Hall of Fame, didn’t get to see Maris’ record equaled. . . .

Gordon died in his sleep Friday night at his Palm Springs home. He was 91. . . .

Tracy Stallard, the pitcher who gave up Maris’ 61st home run, also gave up the last of Ted Williams’ 521. . . .

Stat of the day: McGwire has 61 home runs, 53 singles. . . .

Stat of the day for Sept. 13, 1997: Texas had 24 first downs, UCLA 20. . . .

Here’s another for all those analysts who rely so heavily on time of possession: UCLA had the ball 28 minutes, Texas 32.

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While wondering what McGwire would have done if his father had turned 62 Monday, I was thinking: The name here should be changed to “Monday Afternoon Football,” Randy Moss looks like trouble for everybody except the Minnesota Vikings, David Stern and the union should have worked on Labor Day.