Run Like A Cheetah, Score Like B. Sanders

THE VIEW FROM THE HEDGES

Like millions, I am entranced by the mythos of Muhammad Ali.

An undersized heavyweight, Ali became the greatest boxer of all-time and the godfather of talking smack. Throughout his career, Ali made brash statements about his greatness and his opponents. When he was still young Cassius Clay, he emphatically predicted victory over the impressive champion at the time, Sonny Liston, and Clay backed up his words with two victories over Liston. As an aging, declining boxer Ali said that he could beat the stronger, ferocious George Foreman and he kept that promise too.

Beanie Wells is no Muhammad Ali.

At least, Wells does not compare with Ali in terms of arrogant self-promotion.

On Thursday, Wells told the media that he wants the Heisman. As you can read in the article, Beanie spoke plainly and truthfully. He also did not guarantee winning the Heisman or belittle any of his potential competitors. He simply said that he thinks about winning a little metal man trophy (and presumably, the kind of games that it will take for him to do it).

I am fine with this. In fact, I support it.

While these comments might make "bulletin board" material for OSU's opponents, they also serve a purpose in pumping up his team.

He is saying that he knows he is good and so too is his offensive line. Now its on him and them to make Beanie's wish come true. Sure, these statements put pressure on Beanie and Jim Cordle and co. to perform but an athlete without ambition will be Bode Miller. An athlete should have goals, and Beanie on Thursday just put his out there. Now, I know winning the Heisman is a big goal, but after you've run for a record 222 yards against Michigan (and 957 yards your last six games), how do you top that? Answer: by winning college football's most prestigious award en route to a national championship, of course.

Additionally, I am about as positive as Magic Johnson that some reporter asked Beanie about the Heisman; he did not go off shooting his mouth about it. Not that Beanie shot his mouth about anything, saying that he wanted to win the trophy is much different than saying he would win it. The whole college football considers Beanie a preseason Heisman favorite; Beanie knows this and there is nothing wrong with him admitting that he wants to win it. That's like Bill Murray admitting that he wants to win an Oscar or me saying I want to make out with a hot girl--it might not always happen, but a man can always dream.

Dream big, Beanie, dream big.

Thoughts not worthy of an entire article: Davidson-Kansas and Xavier-West Virginia are the two of the most recent examples of how to blow your last second shot opportunity (although Xavier prevailed in overtime). In both cases, the guards, Stephen Curry and Drew Lavender respectively, waited way too long before doing anything in order to get a good look, which is a perfectly good way to ruin a good game. For more about Davidson, read Big Daddy Drew's take on deadspin . . . Congrats on the Basketball Bucks and their NIT Championship. But the refs really let them bang away on each other--so many blocks, so many rebounds, yet only one player fouled out . . . With only 159 games remaining and the Indians and Reds both at 2-1, there's no way an Interstate 71 World Series doesn't happen this year.

Res ThaSequel lives alone, unless you count posters of Jerry Rudzinski. He is seriously considering buying an NIT championship shirt.