Hats off to the San Benito volleyball team. They had an
incredible season, making history, winning CCS and advancing to
NorCals.
n The Green Phone was created so the fans could voice their opinions. Give us a call and let us know what’s on your mind.
CALLER 1: Hats off to the San Benito volleyball team. They had an incredible season, making history, winning CCS and advancing to NorCals. Their final match to Foothill was a heartbreak. San Benito definitely had more talent but when Bri Romero got hurt, it was tough on the team. The team rallied on their own and played their hearts out. San Benito High School and the entire community couldn’t be prouder. As I quote the coach from the Wednesday, November 29 Free Lance, “It’ll take about a year, until we get back again (to get over the loss).” I can only hope that in this year of mourning, he reflects on playing more than just his chosen few, the bench, and coaching his team both technically and mentally.
GREEN PHONE: The Green Phone couldn’t agree with you more about sending out congratulations to the girls volleyball team. It was a tremendous run and there was little doubt in anyone’s mind – including reporters who had covered Foothill all season – that if Romero hadn’t been injured, the match was San Benito’s. The Green Phone was certainly proud to watch them play and sad to see the season end in large part due to an unfortunate injury.
As far as the thoughts about coach Dean Askanas go, it seems awful hard to fault a guy who put a group of girls in position where they were an injury away from going to the state championship game. While the Green Phone can see the argument that the team might’ve been more prepared to replace Romero when she went down if some other players had seen more court time, it is still hard to argue with the success the team had.
Here’s hoping for a second CCS title next and a return trip to the NorCal finals and possibly a berth in the state title game. Everyone involved with San Benito girls volleyball deserves it.
CALLER 2: Everyone loves a good story, especially when it’s one of our own out there in the spotlight.
As I was driving back home last night from Gilroy to Elk Grove I had the company of Monday Night Football on the radio. Boomer Esiason ripped Jeff, especially early on.
The crowd was apathetic and it seemed everyone was waiting for the inevitable fall of a “has been” quarterback. But I knew, we Gilroyans knew, give him the chance and he’ll take the fight to the limit. That second half in Philly’s win over Carolina was pure Jeff. Scrambling, antzy feet, turf in the face mask and WHAM! Touchdown. Comeback. Game over!
He earned the respect of millions of people in that one game in the national spotlight. By halftime, my guess is that many Philly reporters already had their cover stories written about how Andy Reid should have gone with A.J Feeley and how Garcia was washed up. Thank you, Jeff, for another feel-good story and thanks for giving us sports fans out west a new team to root for down the stretch. Come what may, Jeff Garcia will always be our Rocky Balboa.
GREEN PHONE: Couldn’t agree with you more. And what a stage to show the world that he still has enough left to be a starting quarterback somewhere. Because Garcia never looked physically like a quarterback (whatever one looks like), there were always the naysayers.
Rather than tooting his horn, all Garcia has asked for is an opportunity. With the Eagles, he knew that would only come if Donovan McNabb was injured. He also knew that he would need to be prepared if/when that injury came. And he was, much to the delight of his legion of Gilroy fans.
CALLER 3: I read the recent BCS column with interest, and I have several comments: 1) you thought the Gators were “winning ugly” by a “less than impressive” win AT Tennessee – just how “impressive” was Michigan’s narrow win over Ball State AT HOME? 2) Florida beat ten bowl eligible teams, Michigan beat seven; 3) Florida had the most difficult schedule in the nation, according to the NCAA, and won their conference championship.
In summary, I guess there’s no sure way to tell WHICH team would be able to beat Ohio State – oops, yes there is… if both teams PLAYED the Buckeyes. Oops No. 2 … Michigan already played them, and lost!! Maybe Florida, who beat Tennessee AND LSU, should play Ohio State too!! Even if there WAS a playoff in D-1 football, surely no team would be afforded the luxury of getting a rematch with a team that had just beaten them!! I enjoy your work, but in this case, I think you are WAY, WAY off base!
GREEN PHONE: Your points are valid and well thought out. But you missed the gist of the column. It wasn’t to suggest that Michigan was more deserving of facing Ohio State in the national championship game. It was to state how wrong all the politicking is. It happened two years ago when Mack Brown “begged” the pollsters to get Texas into the Rose Bowl and California lost out.
It’s hard for anyone to argue that the current system is not “broken.” Every other NCAA sport at all levels have a playoff system. And for the college presidents to say that this will only keep student-athletes out of class more is ludicrous since they voted to let their institutions play a 12th game this season.
