Better Reception

Nico Gutierrez got back on the field for the 1st time since 2007 (CREDIT: Columbia Athletics)


You've have to be really blind or just too negative not to notice the bumper crop of quality wide receivers Columbia is enjoying these days. It seems like whoever we put on the field, we get good results. With Austin Knowlin, Mike Stephens, Taylor Joseph, and now with the return of Nico Gutierrez, we seem to be unusually wealthy in this area.

A lot of credit goes to the recruiting efforts of all the coaches, but let's not forget wide receivers coach Aaron Smith, who seems to be getting the most out of his charges week after week. They all seem to give 100% all the time and that's usually a direct result of coaching.

When I met Coach Smith at the preseason dinner at Chrystie Field House, (an event that was open to all season ticket holders), I was taken aback by his excellent manners and warmth. He is a very young man, but I suspect his closeness in age to the actual players helps him relate to them to some degree. He really comes off as a prince of a guy.

While not technically a wide receiver, fans have to be happy with the play of tight end Andrew Kennedy so far as a pass catcher and a blocker. Kennedy is also young as he is just a sophomore, and one can only expect him to get more into the game plans as time goes on.

The last time Columbia had this many tantalizing targets through the air was the era of QB John Witkowski. In those days, Witkowski shredded the Columbia and Ivy record books with passes to wide receivers Don Lewis and Bill Reggio along with a lot of help from outstanding tight end Dan Upperco. At any time in any game, each of those targets was liable to kill an opposing defense and they often did just that.

Of course all those receivers need a good QB to find them, and Shane Kelly is starting to look better and better every week. He certainly is not shy about spreading the ball around and also seems to be hitting his receivers in stride just about every time.


The Price is Right

I know I go on about this a lot, but can you believe the professional sports ticket price-hikes/personal seat licenses nonsense going on just as we hit a major economic downturn?

Memo to the Jets/Giants/Yankees/Mets: NO ONE will be able to afford these massive price hikes you've got in line for 2009. The Wall Street firms you were counting on to buy the luxury boxes and blocks of seats are disappearing. And the privately wealthy are well, probably a little nervous about conspicuous consumption right now. I suggest you scrap the PSL's forthwith, and lower prices. Remember how sports played such a big role in comforting/distracting the nation during the Great Depression? Well, even adjusted for inflation, ticket prices were a lot lower back then.

Luckily, you can see exciting football at Wien Stadium this fall for $10 a ticket or really splurge and go for $20 seats. Seriously, it's a deal and basketball is even better price-wise.

This is not meant to be a "homer" or "rah rah" point; it's just logic. Come to Columbia and other Ivy school games and you'll get a lot for your money.


... but on the down side

Some of the folks in the national media are picking up on our 11-game losing streak and linking it to the 44-game record-breaking losing skid from 1983-88.

While this is the longest losing streak since THE STREAK, we are hardly in that territory here. The overwhelming majority of the 44 games lost were not even remotely close. Most of these 11 straight losses, including each of the games this season, has either been tied or a game with Columbia in the lead at some point in the 4th quarter.

We are close to a breakthrough here. The talent level is extremely high and we are going to win some big games this year, and in the future.

I'd like all of us to show up this weekend to Wien and cheer this team on.

And let's see if the national press acknowledges the end of this streak.