ProfessorBriggs.com
THE Sports
Authority in Mercer County!
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Professor's Proverbs -- October 22, 2008
Although it would seem as if this first portion would be better suited for "Fun With Numbers," it ends up here because it's part of a bigger piece. It's also not really truly local in nature, either, but it does have a little bit of tie-in locally.
Recently, while watching a Big XII game between Oklahoma State and Missouri, I noticed Missouri quarterback Chase Daniel wearing jersey No. 25 instead of his traditional No. 10. This year, each of Missouri's seniors is taking a turn wearing No. 25 in honor of fallen teammate Aaron O'Neill, who passed away prior to his freshman season. Without a doubt, a fitting tribute by the Missouri seniors this year.
Seeing Daniel wearing a non-traditional quarterback number (1-19), triggered me to think of some of other quarterbacks who wear/wore numbers above 19. Locally, West Middlesex's Jon Jancso threw nearly 100 passes last year while wearing No. 22 for the Big Reds. Others of recent yore include Kennedy Catholic's Ross Gargano, who wore No. 20 as the Golden Eagles' quarterback in 2006, and Hickory's Dustin Kulka, who sported No. 35 as the Hornets' signal-caller in 2003. (Photos courtesy of The Herald digital archives)
If my memory serves me correct, I believe Louie Falconi wore No. 22 while doing some quarterbacking for Farrell High School in the mid-1990s. Bill Mudrak wore No. 27 while quarterbacking Mercer in 2000. (If you can think of anyone else of local vintage who played quarterback regularly at the high school level while wearing a number 20 or higher, let me know!)
Youngstown State's Tom Zetts sported No. 24 during his four-year career that wrapped up in 2007. Most sports fans are aware of Bernie Kosar wearing No. 20 for the University of Miami in the 1980s. (Interestingly enough, both Zetts and Kosar are from Boardman, Ohio). Doug Flutie made No. 22 famous at Boston College. He also wore No. 22 for the USFL's New Jersey Generals but wore Number 20 with the CFL's Calgary Stampeders.
Locally, current Grove City College wide receiver/punt returner Stephen Mercer wore No. 22 as a freshman quarterback in 2005. Ten years ago, the Wolverines featured three quarterbacks with non-traditional numbers on its roster.
At the professional level forty years ago, John Hadl wore No. 21 for the San Diego Chargers while prior to that, Charley Conerly wore No. 42 for the New York Giants. Sammy Baugh made No. 33 famous in the 30's and 40's in the NFL.
(Again, feel free to send additional submissions for this list)
> For those of you who love sports history and sports equipment, check out the Helmet Project. It's really a neat look at college and professional football helmets through the years. This is a project I've wanted to examine here for a long time and now, I've finally gotten around to it. This will be progressive project as I look at what I think are the best and worst helmets at various levels. Reader feedback is welcomed; in fact, it will be encouraged.
To start off, I'll look at the conferences at each level that are closest to us in Mercer County. At Division I-A, it would be the BIG EAST. In I-AA, the Northeast Conference. In Division II, the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference. In Division III, the Presidents' Athletic Conference.
BIG EAST
Best Current Helmet:
Syracuse
-- The team isn't doing too well, but Professor Briggs likes the contrast of the
block "S" on the orange helmet. Bonus point for the white stripe down the middle
Worst Current Helmet:
Cincinnati
-- Not an awful look. All of the BIG EAST helmets are just OK, nothing great but
nothing awful either. The Bearcat lids are a lot better than they were
20
years ago.
Best Historical Helmet:
Pitt
(1973-96) -- The script "Pitt" on the mustard-color shell has special meaning to
anyone who grew up in Western Pennsylvania. Dorsett, Marino, Green, et al all
wore this look. Yes, the facemasks changed a bit through the years, but the
helmet style is timeless.
Worst Historical Helmet:
Pitt(sburgh) (1997-2004) -- The logo looks far more like a Slobbering Dog
than a Panther.
NORTHEAST
Best Current Helmet:
Sacred
Heart -- Nice, simple, clean look.
Worst Current Helmet:
Wagner --
What is up with that helmet logo? It looks like a Professor Briggs art project
in 7th grade.
Best Historical Helmet:
Duquesne
(Pre-1998) -- I like the Dukes arching on top of the block "D". Back in the
early 80s, when Duquesne played Division III ball, their jerseys had "IRON
DUKES" above the numbers on the front.
Worst Historical Helmet:
Wagner
-- What is that logo? It looks the graphic of an
Intellivision game!
PENNSYLVANIA
STATE ATHLETIC CONFERENCE
Best Current Helmet:
Millersville -- Having a weapon in your helmet logo is manly.
Worst Current Helmet:
Indiana,
Pa. -- It's not a bad look; I just yearn for the old "IUP" logo.
Best Historical Helmet:
Mansfield -- Still hard to believe that Mansfield doesn't have NCAA football
anymore.
Worst Historical Helmet:
Cheyney
-- That shape looks a lot better on Christopher Reeve or Dean Cain's chest as
opposed to a football helmet.
PRESIDENTS' ATHLETIC CONFERENCE
Best Current Helmet:
Grove
City -- Who did you expect? The Wolverine "wings" are a classic, timeless
look in college football.
Worst Current Helmet:
Waynesburg -- It's not a bad design; calling it "worst" is probably too
harsh of a word. But it could use a stripe down the middle or a bigger "W" on
the side. Too much white for the Professor's liking.
Best Historical Helmet:
Waynesburg -- Professor Briggs has always liked that "W".
Worst Historical Helmet:
Grove City -- There's a reason the Grovers only used this dandy for one
year.
> Next time, I'll look at some other conferences. Keep the proverbial cards and letters coming. You can e-mail me at ryanbriggs@zoominternet.net
