The New York Giants began defense of their Super Bowl championship with a dominant 16-7 victory over the Washington Redskins last night. The G-Men scored on their first four possessions, while the defense limited the 'Skins to 11 first downs and 209 total yards. And better yet, Plaxico Burress is a happy, well-paid man after signing a two-year contract extension just hours before kickoff.
We'll get our first chance to see the stronger, more mature Jimmy Clausen on Saturday as Notre Dame opens its season against lowly San Diego State. I was a big fan of the Chuck Long hiring at State, but the lowly Aztecs' loss to Cal Poly on Saturday doesn't bode well for his future. With a depleted defensive line potentially featuring fill-in linebackers, look for the Irish to hand the ball off regularly to Robert Hughes, Armando Allen and James Aldridge. Or look for them to throw the ball because it's Charlie Weis.
Miami (FLA) visits Florida on Saturday night, and while it's not expected to be the bitter war we have seen in years past (and expect it to be again in a few years), it will be intriguing to see all the young kids Randy Shannon will be rolling out there. Eleven Hurricanes caught passes last week, six of them being true freshmen. The defensive line is also loaded with young talent as the Canes strive to compete with the Gators off the field for the best athletes in the state and return the program to the glory days of Howard Schnellenberger, Jimmy Johnson, Dennis Erickson and even Larry Coker.
Am I the only one who feels bad for Steve Spurrier? I bet I am. The Gamecocks fell to Vanderbilt last night, and it's becoming increasingly clear that South Carolina--even with the 'Ol Ball Coach--won't be able to win any SEC titles in the future. It's just too tough to out-recruit fellow SEC members that have firmly established themselves into the recruiting grounds. Eight wins a year would be outstanding for any South Carolina football team. The question now remains whether Tommy Beecher can be Coach Spurrier's guy to run the offense as was thought when he was recruited.
Carlos Zambrano's MRI confirmed that the pitcher has tendinitis and inflammation in his right rotator cuff, easing the fear of Cubs brass who may have been bracing for the worst. But while no major damage was found, Cubs officials certainly will remain uneasy until Zambrano is on the mound again and throwing like he has throughout his career. The Cubs are holding out hope that he can return sometime during the team's series against Houston Sept. 12-14.
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