Yardbarker: John Mackey

Super Bowl V: One to Forget in Dallas

Sun, 19 Apr 2009 00:19:04 -0500

This post is part of the 50 Seasons in 50 Weeks Series.

The Cowboys overcame all sorts of adversity just to reach Super Bowl V, which was played in Miami on January 17, 1971. The loss was still one of the most painful in team history.

[Note: I won't say I'm speaking from experience in terms of the pain. I was born 19 days later.]

Dallas took an early 6-0 lead on two Mike Clark field goals. A fluke touchdown play in the second quarter allowed Baltimore to tie the game. A pass from Johnny Unitas tipped off both a Dallas player and a Baltimore player (who tipped it last has been the subject of a 38-year debate) and landed in the hands of tight end John Mackey. Mackey's 75-yard touchdown was the longest in Super Bowl history for quite some time.

The Cowboys later took a 13-6 lead when Craig Morton hit Duane Thomas on a screen pass. Thomas scored from seven yards out.

Dallas held the lead until the fourth quarter, which was one of the most miserable in team history. With just over eight minutes remaining, Morton tried to hit Garrison, but the ball was tipped into the air. Safety Rick Volk intercepted the ball and returned it to the Dallas 3. Two plays later, the game was tied.

Neither team could move the ball until late in the game. Another Morton pass was tipped and intercepted, this time by linebacker Mike Curtis. The pick set up the game-winning field goal by rookie Jim O'Brien.

Here is a video clip of the field goal:

Bob Lilly famously threw his helmet across half the field after the Cowboys lost the game, 16-13. Most remember the Dallas turnovers (especially Morton's interceptions), but the real killer for Dallas was the team's inability to take advantage of Baltimore mistakes. The Colts turned the ball over seven times, including four fumbles.

Another big loss; another very long off-season.

More resources:

Box Score (Pro Football Reference)

Play by Play (USA Today)

Box Score (NFL.com)

DMN: Super Day Dribbles Away

YouTube: Super Bowl V Highlights

Complete History of the Super Bowl on NBC

Fri, 30 Jan 2009 19:49:23 -0500

Super Bowl XLIII in Tampa will mark the 16th broadcast by NBC, equaling CBS for the most Super Bowls broadcast by any network. The following is a history of Super Bowls on NBC Super Bowl I 1/15/67 Green Bay (NFL) 35 Kansas City (AFL) 10 Memorial Coliseum Los Angeles, CA Curt Gowdy, Paul Christman, Charlie Jones NBC and CBS both broadcast the first Super Bowl ever played as the NFL's Packers defeated the AFL champion Chiefs behind the passing of Bart Starr, the receiving of Max McGee, and a key interception by all-pro safety Willie Wood. Green Bay broke open the game with three second-half touchdowns, the first of which was set up by Wood's 50-yard return of an interception. McGee, filling in for ailing Boyd Dowler after having caught only four passes all season, caught seven from Starr for 138 yards and two touchdowns. Elijah Pitts ran for two other scores. NBC producer Ted Nathanson arranged to have as big a TV set as could be found mounted in the mobile production truck. He trained a camera on the screen, occasionally zooming in and beaming that tighter shot over the air. The confused CBS crew apparently couldn't figure out how NBC managed to get its "exclusives." Super Bowl III 1/12/69 NY Jets (AFL) 16 Baltimore (NFL) 7 Orange Bowl Miami, FL Curt Gowdy, Al DeRogatis, Kyle Rote Jets quarterback Joe Namath "guaranteed" victory before the game, then went out and led the AFL to its first Super Bowl victory over a Baltimore team that had lost only once in 16 games all season. Namath, chosen the outstanding player, completed 17 of 28 passes for 206 yards and directed a steady attack that dominated the NFL champions after the Jets' defense had intercepted Colts quarterback Earl Morrall three times in the first half. Johnny Unitas, who had missed most of the season with a sore elbow, came off the bench and led Baltimore to its only touchdown late in the fourth quarter after New York led 16-0. Gowdy on Super Bowl III: "That game will always stand out as the most memorable event in my broadcast career." Super Bowl V 1/17/71 Baltimore (AFC) 16 Dallas (NFC) 13 Orange Bowl Miami, FL Curt Gowdy, Kyle Rote A 32-yard field goal by rookie kicker Jim O'Brien brought the Baltimore Colts a victory over the Dallas Cowboys in the final five seconds of Super Bowl V. The game between the champions of the AFC and NFC was played on artificial turf for the first time. Dallas led 13-6 at the half but interceptions by Rick Volk and Mike Curtis set up a Baltimore touchdown and O'Brien's decisive kick in the fourth period. Earl Morrall relieved an injured Johnny Unitas late in the first half, although Unitas completed the Colts' only scoring pass. It caromed off receiver Eddie Hinton's fingertips, off Dallas defensive back Mel Renfro, and finally settled into the grasp of John Mackey, who went 45 yards to score on a 75-yard play. Dallas' Chuck Howley, who picked off two passes, became the first defensive player and the first player from a losing team to be named MVP. Super Bowl VII 1/14/73 Miami (AFC) 14 Washington (NFC) 7 Memorial Coliseum Los Angeles, CA Curt Gowdy, Al DeRogatis The Dolphins completed a perfect 17-0 season. Their defense permitted the Redskins to cross midfield only once and their offense turned good field position into two touchdowns. On its third possession, Miami opened its first scoring drive from the Dolphins' 37 yard line. A Bob Griese to 28-yard touchdown pass to Howard Twilley gave Miami a lead it would never relinquish. Washington's only touchdown came with 2:07 left in the game and resulted from a misplayed field-goal attempt and fumble by Garo Yepremian, with the Redskins' Mike Bass picking the ball out of the air and running 49 yards for the score. Dolphins safety Jake Scott, who had two interceptions, including one in the end zone to kill a Redskins' drive, was voted the game's most valuable player. Super Bowl IX 1/12/75 Pittsburgh (AFC) 16 Minnesota (NFC) 6 Tulane Stadium New Orleans, LA Curt Gowdy, Al DeRogatis AFC champion Pittsburgh, in its initial Super Bowl appearance, and NFC champion Minnesota, making a third bid for its first Super Bowl title, struggled through a first half in which the only score was produced by the Steelers' defense when Dwight White downed Vikings' quarterback Fran Tarkenton in the end zone for a safety. The Steelers forced another break and took advantage on the second-half kickoff when Minnesota's Bill Brown fumbled and Marv Kellum recovered for Pittsburgh on the Vikings' 30. Franco Harris' 9-yard touchdown run gave Pittsburgh a 9-0 lead. Pittsburgh's defense permitted Minnesota only 119 yards total offense, including a Super Bowl low of 17 rushing yards. The Steelers, meanwhile, gained 333 yards, including Harris's record 158 yards on 34 carries. Super Bowl XI 1/9/77 Oakland (AFC) 32 Minnesota (NFC) 14 Rose Bowl Pasadena, CA Curt Gowdy, Don Meredith The Raiders won their first NFL championship before a record Super Bowl crowd, plus the largest television audience ever to watch a sporting event ? 81 million. The Raiders gained a record-breaking 429 yards, including running back Clarence Davis' 137 rushing yards. Wide receiver Fred Biletnikoff made four key receptions, which earned him the game's most valuable player trophy. Oakland scored on three successive possessions in the second quarter to build a 16-0 halftime lead. Two fourth-quarter interceptions clinched the title for the Raiders. One set up Pete Banaszak's second touchdown run, the other resulted in cornerback Willie Brown's Super Bowl-record 75-yard interception return. John Madden, at age 40, became the youngest head coach ot win a Super Bowl ring. Super Bowl XIII 1/21/79 Pittsburgh (AFC) 35 Dallas (NFC) 31 Orange Bowl Miami, FL Curt Gowdy, John Brodie,Merlin Olsen Terry Bradshaw passed for a record four touchdowns to lead the Steelers to victory. The Steelers became the first team to win three Super Bowls. Bradshaw, voted the game's most valuable player, completed 17 of 30 passes for 318 yards, a personal high. Four of those passes went for touchdowns ? two to John Stallworth and the third, with 26 seconds remaining in the second period, to Rocky Bleier for a 21-14 halftime lead. In the second half, Bradshaw fired his fourth touchdown pass, an 18-yard pass to Lynn Swann to boost the Steelers' lead to 35-17 with 6:51 to play. The Cowboys refused to let the Steelers run away with the contest. Staubach connected with Billy Joe DuPree on a 7-yard scoring pass with 2:23 left. Then the Cowboys recovered an onside kick and Staubach took them in for another score, passing four yards to Butch Johnson with 22 seconds remaining. Bleier recovered another onside kick to seal the victory for the Steelers. Super Bowl XV 1/25/81 Oakland (AFC) 27 Philadelphia (NFC) 10 Louisiana Superdome New Orleans, LA Dick Enberg, Merlin Olsen Jim Plunkett passed for three touchdowns, including an 80-yard strike to Kenny King, as the Raiders became the first Wild Card team to win the Super Bowl. Plunkett's touchdown bomb to King ? the longest play in Super Bowl history ? gave Oakland a decisive 14-0 lead with nine seconds left in the first period. Linebacker Rod Martin had set up Oakland's first touchdown, a 2-yard reception by Cliff Branch, with a 17-yard interception return to the Eagles' 30-yard line. The Eagles never recovered from that early deficit, managing only Tony Franklin's field goal (30 yards) and an 8-yard touchdown pass from Ron Jaworski to Keith Krepfle. Plunkett, who became a starter in the sixth game of the season, completed 13 of 21 for 261 yards and was named the game's most valuable player. Martin finished the game with 3 interceptions, a Super Bowl record. Super Bowl XVII 1/30/83 Washington (NFC) 27 Miami (AFC) 10 Rose Bowl Pasadena, CA Dick Enberg, Merlin Olsen Fullback John Riggins ran for a Super Bowl-record 166 yards on 38 carries to spark Washington to a 27-17 victory over AFC champion Miami. The win marked Washington's first NFL title since 1942, and was only the second time in Super Bowl history NFL/NFC teams scored consecutive victories (Green Bay did it in Super Bowls I and II and San Francisco won Super Bowl XVI). The Redskins, under second-year head coach Joe Gibbs, used a balanced offense that accounted for 400 total yards (a Super Bowl-record 276 yards rushing and 124 passing), second in Super Bowl history to 429 yards by Oakland in Super Bowl XI. Riggins, who was voted the game's most valuable player, gave Washington its first lead of the game with 10:01 left when he ran 43 yards off left tackle for a touchdown in a fourth-and-1 situation. Wide receiver Charlie Brown caught a 6-yard scoring pass from Joe Theismann with 1:55 left to complete the scoring. Super Bowl XX 1/26/86 Chicago (NFC) 46 New England (AFC) 10 Louisiana Superdome New Orleans, LA Dick Enberg, Merlin Olsen, Bob Griese The NFC champion Chicago Bears, seeking their first NFL title since 1963, scored a Super Bowl-record 46 points in downing AFC champion New England. The previous record for most points in a Super Bowl was 38, shared by San Francisco in XIX and the Los Angeles Raiders in XVIII. The Bears' league-leading defense tied the Super Bowl record for sacks (7) and limited the Patriots to a record-low seven rushing yards. New England took the quickest lead in Super Bowl history when Tony Franklin kicked a 36-yard field goal with 1:19 elapsed in the first period. However, the Bears rebounded for a 23-3 first-half lead, while building a yardage advantage of 236 total yards to New England's minus 19. The Bears completed their scoring via a 28-yard interception return by reserve cornerback Reggie Phillips, a 1-yard run by defensive tackle/fullback William Perry, and a safety. Bears defensive end Richard Dent became the fourth defender to be named the game's most valuable player after contributing 1? sacks. The Bears' victory margin of 36 points was the largest in Super Bowl history. Chicago coach Mike Ditka became the second man (Tom Flores of Raiders was the other) to win a Super Bowl ring as a player and as a coach. Super Bowl XXIII 1/22/89 San Francisco (NFC) 20 Cincinnati (AFC) 16 Joe Robbie Stadium Miami, FL Dick Enberg, Merlin Olsen NFC champion San Francisco captured its third Super Bowl of the 1980s and became the first NFC team to win three Super Bowls. Even though San Francisco held an advantage in total net yards (453 to 229), the 49ers found themselves trailing the Bengals late in the game. With the score 13-13, Cincinnati took a 16-13 lead on Jim Breech's 40-yard field goal with 3:20 remaining. The 49ers started their winning drive at their 8-yard line. Over the next 11 plays, San Francisco covered 92 yards with the decisive score coming on a 10-yard pass from quarterback Joe Montana to wide receiver John Taylor with 34 seconds remaining. Jerry Rice was named the game's most valuable player after compiling 11 catches for a Super Bowl-record 215 yards. Montana completed 23 of 36 passes for a Super Bowl-record 357 yards and two touchdowns. NBC's Cris Collinsworth three receptions for 40 yards. Super Bowl XXVII 1/21/93 Dallas (NFC) 52 Buffalo (AFC) 17 Rose Bowl Pasadena, CA Dick Enberg, Bob Trumpy Troy Aikman passed for four touchdowns, Emmitt Smith rushed for 108 yards, and the Cowboys converted nine turnovers into 35 points while coasting to the victory. Dallas's win was its third in its record sixth Super Bowl appearance; the Bills became the first team to drop three in succession. Buffalo led 7-0 until the first two of its record number of turnovers helped the Cowboys take the lead for good late in the opening quarter.Aikman, the game's most valuable player, completed 22 of 30 passes for 273 yards. The victory was the ninth in succession for the NFC over the AFC. Super Bowl XXVIII 1/30/94 Dallas (NFC) 30 Buffalo (AFC) 13 Georgia Dome Atlanta, GA Dick Enberg, Bob Trumpy Emmitt Smith rushed for 132 yards and two second-half touchdowns to power the Cowboys to their second consecutive NFL title. By winning, Dallas joined San Francisco and Pittsburgh as the only franchises with four Super Bowl victories. The Bills, meanwhile, extended a dubious string by losing in the Super Bowl for the fourth consecutive year. To win, the Cowboys had to rally from a 13-6 halftime deficit. Buffalo had forged its lead on Thurman Thomas's 4-yard touchdown run and a pair of field goals by Steve Christie, including a 54-yard kick, the longest in Super Bowl history. But just 55 seconds into the second half, Thomas was stripped of the ball by Dallas defensive tackle Leon Lett and safety James Washington recovered and weaved his way 46 yards for a touchdown to tie the game at 13-13. Then Smith, the game's MVP, took over. He had 30 carries in all, with 19 of his attempts and 92 yards coming after intermission. Dallas, the first team in NFL history to begin the regular season 0-2 and go on to win the Super Bowl, also became the fifth to win back-to-back titles, following Green Bay, Miami, Pittsburgh (the Steelers did it twice), and San Francisco. Buffalo became the third team, along with Minnesota and Denver, to lose four Super Bowls. The Cowboys' victory was the 10th in succession for the NFC over the AFC. Super Bowl XXIX 1/28/96 Dallas (NFC) 27 Pittsburgh (AFC) 17 Sun Devil Stadium Tempe, AZ Dick Enberg, Paul Maguire,Phil Simms Cornerback Larry Brown's two interceptions led to 14 second-half points and helped lift the Cowboys to their third Super Bowl victory in the last four seasons and their record-tying fifth title overall. Brown's interceptions foiled the comeback efforts of the Steelers, and earned him the game's MVP. Dallas scored on each of its first three possessions, taking a 13-0 lead. Pittsburgh ralled and trailed only 20-17 with 4:15 remaining. But on second down, Brown struck again, intercepting O'Donnell's pass at the 39 and returning it 33 yards to the six leading to an Emmitt Smith game-clinching touchdown. Pittsburgh limited the Cowboys' powerful running game to only 56 yards and enjoyed a whopping 201-61 advantage in total yards in the second half, but could not overcome the three interceptions.The Cowboys' victory was the 12th in a row for NFC teams over AFC teams in the Super Bowl. Super Bowl XXXII 1/25/98 Denver (AFC) 31 Green Bay (NFC) 24 Qualcomm Stadium San Diego, CA Dick Enberg, Paul Maguire, Phil Simms In the last NFL broadcast on NBC prior to its return to the NFL in 2006, Terrell Davis rushed for 157 yards and a Super Bowl-record three touchdowns to lead the Broncos to their first NFL championship and break the NFC's streak of Super Bowl victories at 13. With 3:27 left and the score tied 24-24, Davis rushed for two yards, but Darrius Holland's 15-yard facemask penalty moved the ball to the Packers' 32. John Elway threw a 23-yard pass to Howard Griffith two plays later, and after a holding penalty, Davis rushed 17 yards to the Packers' 1 with 1:47 left. After a timeout, Davis waltzed into the end zone to give Denver a 31-24 lead with 1:45 remaining. The Packers advanced to the Broncos' 35 with 1:04 left but turned the ball over on downs. Elway was 12 of 22 for 123 yards, with an interception. Brett Favre was 25 of 42 for 256 yards and a touchdown, with one interception. Davis was named the game's MVP.Source: NBC Sports ? OTHER NEWS ACROSS THE BUSINESS OF SPORTS NETWORK Breaking Down How Salary Arbitration Functions in MLB - The Biz of Baseball Several Rule Changes Adopted for Upcoming World Baseball Classic - The Biz of BaseballMLB Network to Broadcast Caribbean World Series Beginning Feb. 2 - The Biz of BaseballAngels and SS Izturi Reach 1-year, $1.6M Deal. Avoid Arbitration - The Biz of Baseball New York Times Officially Puts Red Sox Stake Up For Sale - The Biz of Baseball Portland Beavers to Become First Pro Baseball Team to Have Nike as Official Uni Provider - The Biz of Baseball New Marlins Stadium Images Released. 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NBC Universal to Broadcast - The Biz of Hockey Is the NBA Getting Too Political? - The Biz of Basketball New Partnership Enables You to Call the Action - The Biz of Basketball LeBron To Grace the Cover of GQ - The Biz of Basketball Will the Nets Ever Move To Brooklyn? - The Biz of Basketball Will the Nets Ever Move To Brooklyn? - The Biz of Basketball 25.2 sec. of D-League Game to Be Replayed Over Bad Foul Call - The Biz of Basketball Why Many Teams (and Fans) Are Looking to the 2010 NBA Free Agent Class Maury Brown is the Founder and President of the Business of Sports Network, which includes The Biz of Baseball, The Biz of Football, The Biz of Basketball and The Biz of Hockey. He is contributor to Baseball Prospectus, and is available as a freelance writer.Brown's full bio is here. 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Dynasty 2009 NFL Prospect: Kevin Grant

Tue, 27 Jan 2009 14:02:43 -0500

Kevin Grant

Kevin Grant #30 Akron University

Dynasty Football 2009 NFL Draft Prospect

Kevin Grant is a 6?2 250-pound senior inside linebacker for the Akron Zips. He led the Zips' in tackles this past season and possesses an uncanny ability to find the football. Kevin's extreme dedication and leadership allowed him to play and start in ALL forty-nine Akron football games over the past four years. Kevin truly is half man, half machine.

Growing up in Herndon, Virginia, Kevin attended Herndon High School, where he was a two-sport athlete playing football and basketball. As a senior, Grant Earned first-team all-district, all-region and All-?State. He was also named to the 2003 George Michael "Golden 11? and ?honored as the Defensive Player of the Year for his district and region. Upon leaving high school, Grant ?broke the Herndon single-season tackle record with 139 stops in ?2003.

He decided to take his studies and athletics to the University of Akron Zips. While Virginia Tech and many other great institutions were looking at Kevin's talents, he ultimately chose Akron.

He took a redshirt the 2004 season, until his redshirt freshman season in 2005, when he started in all 13 games at the bandit ?position in the Zips tough defense. By the end of the season Kevin was fourth on the team in tackles with 73 and ranked third in ?sacks with 4.5. He recorded a season-high seven solo tackles at Middle ?Tennessee State, and finished with eight total stops on the night. He was honored as a third team CollegeFootballNews.com Freshman All-?American and The Sporting News Honorable Mention Freshman All-?American team and ended the season earning the Harry "Doc" Smith Award as the top freshman on the ?Zips squad.

After an impressive redshirt freshman season, Kevin The Machine Grant did only better in his 2006 sophomore campaign. He started all 12 games at middle linebacker and ranked second ?on the team with 87 tackles overall, one shy of team leader John Mackey's ?88. He was tied for second on the team with eight tackles ?for losses. The Machine continued his consistency in tackling and ranked 22nd in the MAC with an average of 7.2 ?tackles per game. He had an impressive day at Kent State, earning a career high 15 tackles, including career-high eight solo stops. KG ended the season as the defense's Most Valuable Back ?(Linebackers and Secondary) by the Akron coaching staff for the 2006 ?season.

The following season Kevin showed his toughness and dedication all year long, leading the team on defense starting and playing in all 12 games. He ranked third on the team with 74 stops. The machine recorded 11 tackles at Indiana, and had double digit stops with 10 at Bowling Green, leading all Zips. Kevin anchored the defense and had at least six tackles in a game ?eight times and at least one tackle for loss in four of Akron's last ?six games, including two each at Buffalo, at Bowling Green and at ?Miami. After the end of the 2007 season he was rewarded for his hard work and leadership by earning third team All-MAC from the league's ?coaches.

Prior to the Zips 2008 season Kevin was tabbed preseason second team All-Mid-American Conference ?by Athlon and was nominated as a captain on defense. When the season got underway the true terminator came out in Kevin as he continued to lead the team playing and starting in every game and recorded a team leading 85 tackles including 50 solo stops. Kevin additionally led the squad with 8.5 tackles for loss and with 4.0 sacks. Grant amassed 319 tackles in his career, making him 18th-best among active NCAA players. He earned 36.0 career tackles for losses putting him 21st among active NCAA players. The machine ranks in the Top 25 in tackles and tackles for loss in the NCAA.

The Machine amazingly started and played in ALL 49 games during his collegiate career and was donned captain during his senior season. This shows that he has a lot of leadership abilities and is mentally tough to play throughout the entire year. At the NFL level, the seasons are longer and the games are much tougher. Kevin's stats show that he has what it takes to stay healthy for an entire season, physically and mentally; something that many amazing college players cannot claim (Knowshon Moreno, Chris Wells, Percy Harvin). With the assets he already has along with his continued drive to improve his speed and overall abilities, Grant has tremendous upside. Kevin's consistency and determination on and off the field will make him an asset to any NFL team.

We are extremely excited about the addition of Kevin to the Dynasty family. Go ahead and check out his new website: http://dynastyreps.com/grant/

Please direct all media/interview inquiries to: press@dynastyreps.com

Murray back healthy

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 11:21:00 -0500

Oklahoma Sooner Football Articles and Notes Murray: I feel like my old self: The sophomore running back was badgered by questions of whether the offseason knee surgery he suffered was hampering him. He was adamant it wasn't. But his seven carries for 6 yards against Texas couldn't hide the truth. ...

(11/27) OU Football Articles and Notes

Thu, 27 Nov 2008 16:46:44 -0500

Oklahoma Sooner Football Articles and Notes Gresham named Tight End of the Week: Jermaine Gresham was named the John Mackey Tight End of the Week for the second time this season. Gresham caught five passes for 95 yards and a touchdown in OU's 65-21 win over Texas Tech. (The Oklahoman) More honors: ...

OU's Gresham a Mackey Semifinalist

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 10:09:42 -0500

Oklahoma Sooner Football Articles and Notes Oklahoma TE Jermaine Gresham a Mackey semifinalist: Oklahoma tight end Jermaine Gresham was one of eight semi-finalists announced Monday for the 2008 John Mackey Award. Gresham leads the Sooners with nine touchdown receptions this season. The junior ...

LIST: UPDATED, by all you BARKERS --- Here's your NEW & IMPROVED: "BEST Players to ever wear the number"

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 08:35:37 -0500

I want to thank all the BARKERS in the YARD that took the time to comment on this list and add some players we overlooked in the first go around. That said, BARKERS, we bring you the NEW & IMPROVED UPDATED LIST with players brought to us from all you BARKERS. Now we need to see if we can narrow this list down to our......"BEST EVER to WEAR the NUMBER" What are your thoughts? You can vote on here and I will continue to update on here for all you guys. HERE IS YOUR NEW LIST of the "BEST EVER to WEAR the NUMBER from 0 - 99" 0. Wilber "Pete" Henry 00. Jim Otto 1. Jim Thorpe (wore #'s 3 & 21) over Warren Moon could go here. 2. Charley Trippi 3. Bronko Nagurski over (if you put MOON #1, J.THORPE HERE) 4. Brett Farve 5. Paul Hornung over Donovan McNabb 6. Benny Friedman 7. George "PAPA BEAR" Halas (He started it all for us) over John Elway, if you don't agree w/"PAPA BEAR" 8. Troy Aikman over Steve Young, I went w/ the SB wins 9. Carson Palmer over Sonny Jergenson 10. Fran "THE MAN" Tarkenton 11. Norm Van Brocklin 12. Tom Brady over Terry Bradshaw & Jim Kelly 13. Dan Marino over Don Maynard (my 2nd choice @ this #) 14. Y.A. Tittle 15. Bart Starr 16. Joe Montana over George Blanda (Played 2 positions, {QB & K} & had the record for several years for most points scored in NFL history) 17. Don Meredith 18. Payton Manning over Charlie Joiner 19. Johnny Unitas 20. Barry Sanders over Brian Dawkins and Ed Reed 21. Deion " PRIMETIME" Sanders over LT2 (SD RB) 22. Emmitt Smith over Paul Krause & Roger Wehrli 23. Devin Hester over James Lofton 24. Lenny Moore over Champ Bailey 25. Fred Bilentnikoff 26. Herb Adderley over Rod Woodson 27. Ken Houston 28. Darrell Green over Marshall Faulk 29. Eric Dickerson 30. Bill Willis over Terrell "TD" Davis 31. Jim Taylor 32. Jim Brown 33. Sammy Baugh over Tony Dorsett (Sorry Dallas Fans) 34. Walter "SWEETNESS" Payton over Earl Campbell 35. Pete Pihos 36. Brian Westbrook over Jerome Bettis 37. Doak Walker 38. Mack Strong 39. Larry Csonka 40. Gale Sayers 41. Terrence Newman over Lorenzo Neal 42. ***THIS WAS {1} OF THE TOUGHEST #'s TO PICK FOR ME*** Paul Warfield, Ronnie Lott, Charlie Taylor & Sid Luckman...I'll go CHARLIE TAYLOR 43. Troy Polamalu 44. John Riggins 45. Emlen Tunnell (HOF'er) over T.J. Duckett (this is a hard # to come up with the BEST EVER to Wear #45) 46. Ladell Betts 47. Mel Blount 48. Daryl "Moose" Johnston over Justin Snow 49. Tony Richardson 50. Mike "WIDE EYED" Singletary 51. Dick Butcus 52. Mike Webster over Ray Lewis 53. Keith Bulluck over Harry Carson 54. Randy White over Brian Urlacher 55. Lance Briggs 56. LT (NYG LB) over Shawne Merriman 57. Dwight Stephenson 58. Jack Lambert over Derrick Thomas 59. Jack Ham 60. Chuck Bednarik 61. Bill George 62. Jim Langer 63. Gene Upshaw over Willie Lanier 64. Dave Wilcox 65. Tom Mack over Elvin Bethea 66. Ray Nitschke over Larry Little & Alan Faneca (Tough pick here) 67. Bob Kuechenberg over Tony Ugoh ( I can't think of any others that wore #67, little help here?) 68. Joe Delamielleure 69. John Runyan 70. Rayfield Wright over Art Donovan & Sam Huff 71. Walter Jones over Fred Dean 72. Dan Dierdorf 73. Ron Yary over John Hannah and Joe Klecko (Hard Pick here) 74. Merlin Olsen over Ron Mix 75. Deacon Jones over "Mean"Joe Green & Jonathon Ogden 76. Steve Hutchinson 77. Red Grange 78. Anthony Munoz over Jackie Slater, Art Shell, Bruce Smith & Bobby Bell 79. Bob St. Clair 80. Jerry Rice over Cris Carter 81. Dick "NIGHT TRAIN " Lane over Doug Atkins , Terrell Owens (TO) & Andre Reed 82. Ozzie Newsome 83. Ted Hendricks 84. Randy Moss (before he switched #'s) over Shannon Sharpe 85. Jack Youngblood 86. Dante Lavelli over Buck Buchanan 87. Dave Casper over Willie Davis 88. Marvin Harrison over John Mackey Alan Page & Michael Irvin 89. Gino Marchetti over Mike Ditka 90. Julius Peppers 91. Tommie Harris 92. Reggie "Minister of Defense" White 93. Dwight Freeny 94. DeMarcus Ware 95. Shawn Phillips 96. Adalius Thomas 97. Patrick Kerney 98. John Henderson over Tony Siragusa 99. Jason Taylor over Dan Hampton & Jerome Brown

Can I have your autograph?!!

Thu, 31 Jan 2008 18:33:25 -0500

Tom Brady may be the pilot of a perfect season, but many "experts" still consider the late Johnny Unitas to be the all-time top dog. Johnny U. couldn't have done it without John Mackey, a tight end who forever changed the landscape of the tight end position. Or so I've heard. He retired years before I was even born. He won a Super Bowl, went to a bunch of Pro Bowls, blah blah blah. Today he was in Scottsdale signing autographs for fans on the street, most of whom probably didn't know who he was but OH MY GOD THERE'S A GUY WITH A SUPER BOWL RING AND HE HAS A SHARPIE... GET OUT MY WAY! - Dewey

Beltway Boxing Year in Review -- 2007

Sun, 30 Dec 2007 05:36:55 -0500

I decided to share my thoughts on pro boxing in the DC/MD/VA corridor for 2007. We had a great year this year and I wanted to tell the YardBarker community all about it. The year 2007 will be remembered as a pivotal one for the Beltway Boxing community. Boxers in DC, Maryland and Northern Virginia made great strides to the point where for the first time in a number of years, fans of the area can truly define where a number of their favorite boxers are ranked. This was also a very active year for the region as 37 cards took place. Maryland held 18, Virginia regulated 15 and the District of Columbia had four. Here is the best from one of the best years in recent Beltway Boxing History: The Five Best Beltway Boxing Cards of 2007 1a: December 7 ? Pikesville National Guard Armory, Pikesville, MD. Rarely has there been a card in the Beltway area with so many razor-thin decisions that no one had any complaints about. This six-bout card, promoted by Baltimore Pro Boxing, saw all six bouts go the distance and three bouts end in draws. Two of the bouts ranked among the best bouts of the year and two other bouts were rematches that were either as good as or better than the first time around. 1b: August 3 ? Rosecroft Raceway, Fort Washington, MD This card shares the honor of card of the year because it was the most exciting card of 2007. It was also a model card to show how the combination of amateur and pro bouts on one card is supposed to work. The amateur portion of the card featured three of the most talked about young boxers in the area (Seth "Mayhem" Mitchell, Abodurin Akinyanju and Dusty Harrison) as well as some great pro prospects in Alexander "The Great" Johnson, Horace "The Reason" Grant and Thomas "KO" Snow. There was no better consistent crowd response than on this Keystone Boxing card. 3. May 25 ? DC Armory, Washington, DC The highest-profile card of the year featured two of not only the Beltway's best, but also the world's best contenders. The Undefeated Peterson Brothers put on solid performances on this ESPN-televised card. NABO Lightweight champ Anthony Peterson successfully defended his title with a ninth-round TKO over Luis Ernesto Jose while Lamont Peterson scored an eighth-round TKO over veteran John Brown. On the undercard, Beltway Boxing prospects Reginald Taylor, Ty Barnette and Jessie Nicklow all remained undefeated. September 16 ? ABC Sports Arena, Springfield, VA Exciting cards were plentiful in the Commonwealth of Virginia in 2007. However, the Left Hook Promotions card that took place at the ABC Sports Complex was filled with competitive bouts. This included a main event that completed one of the better area stories of the year ? The resurgence of junior welterweight Jaime "The Punisher" Palma who won an eight-round unanimous decision over veteran Dean "Pit Bull" White. Also, some of Virginia's best prospects were on the show, including junior middleweight Andrew "Doo Man" Farmer, cruiserweight Terry "T-Brick" Roy and junior welterweight Todd "White Lightning" Wilson. All won in good, exciting performances. June 23 ? Howard University, Washington, DC DC's cards were few in number, but two of them managed to make this list. This Babie Girl Promotions card featured a brand new venue as well as controversy and one of the best bouts of the year. Former US Olympian Clarence Vinson made his return after more than a year's absence and won a 10-round unanimous decision over Robert DaLuz. However, Vinson lost an opportunity to win the WBC USNBC Bantamweight title because he came in over the 118-pound limit. Also, there was an outstanding co-feature between local prospect Reginald Taylor and Philadelphia's Jameel "Black Gold" Wilson as well as a dominating performance by local junior welter Reggie "The Mechanic" Holly. There was also history on this card as Michelle Hall became the first female to referee a pro bout in the Beltway. Five Best Beltway Boxing Bouts of 2007 December 7 ? John Mackey vs. Tony Cygan, Pikesville National Guard Armory, Pikesville, MD This was far and away one of the best bouts seen in the Beltway area in many years. These were two prospects that simply enjoyed performing the "sweet science." Mackey, a native of DC who now lives in Montgomery, AL, traded solid head and body shots with the Baltimore native Cygan. Both men showed incredible class as they traded smiles and gestures of sportsmanship throughout the bout. Mackey won by six-round unanimous decision. June 23 ? Reginald Taylor vs. Jameel Wilson, Howard University's Burr Gymnasium, Washington, DC Until the December 7 card, this six-round contest was the clubhouse leader as bout of the year. This was a classic youth vs. experience bout between undefeated light heavyweight prospect Reginald "Rat Man" Taylor and veteran Jameel "Black Gold" Wilson. Both boxers turned fighting in close quarters into an art form, trading head and body shots. Wilson took the advantage in the middle rounds but Taylor showed strong resilience to come back with a strong sixth round to win the bout. May 12 ? Jimmy Lange vs. Fontaine Cabell, George Mason University Patriot Center, Fairfax, VA The rematch of one of the best Beltway bouts of 2006 had a lot of excitement and a solid performance by the hometown hero, Lange. As in the first bout, both men were very aggressive, but Lange deserves credit for fighting seven rounds with a torn rotator cuff, that he hurt in the first round. Lange did a great job in wearing Cabell down. Lange dropped Cabell with a solid right hand late in the seventh round before stopping Cabell 55 seconds into the eighth round. The win gave Lange the WBC Continental Americas Junior Middleweight title, but put him on the shelf for the rest of 2007. Lange is slated to return in March. November 17 ? Andrew Farmer vs. Curtis Smith, ABC Sports Arena, Springfield, VA This bout proved that some fathers have no apprehension in testing the abilities of their sons. Scott Farmer of Left Hook Boxing Promotions cannot be accused of giving his son ? Andrew "The Doo Man" Farmer an easy road to a title. Such was the case when Farmer fought Curtis Smith of Atlanta and won a six-round split decision. Farmer took advantage early in the bout with quick and accurate punches. But in the sixth round, Smith landed a sneaky uppercut and followed up with a barrage of punches that made Farmer slump to the canvas. However, Farmer gamely got up and managed to win the bout. December 7 ? Tim Coleman vs. Martinus Clay, Pikesville National Guard Armory, Pikesville, MD The main event on this card was a very spirited bout between one of the busiest boxers in the Beltway in Baltimore welterweight Tim "Pit Bull" Coleman and tough veteran "Magnificent" Martinus Clay of Wilson, NC. Coleman, fighting for the ninth time in 2007, was fighting in his first scheduled 10-round contest. Clay was fighting an undefeated boxer for the seventh consecutive time. Coleman got off to a great start, landing solid shots in the first two rounds. Clay used his experience to gain a strong advantage in the middle rounds. Coleman, fighting with a right hand that was broken in the fifth round, used great defense to set his offense in the latter stages. However, both men could only manage a draw. Coleman plans to drop to 140 pounds in 2008, but he says he wants a rematch with Clay. Five Best Beltway Boxing Knockouts of 2007 (not including Wilson-Nwodo) There is no question that Darnell Wilson's 11th round knockout of Emmanuel Nwodo was the knockout of the year among Beltway Boxers. However, the bout didn't take place in a Beltway location. These were the top five that took place in the Beltway area. 1. March 10 ? Elias Bouloubassis, first-round KO over Vincent Robbins, Pikesville National Guard Armory, Pikesville, MD This was the first pro victory for the "Golden Greek," a super middleweight from Reisterstown, MD. The former Marine had two earlier bouts end in draws, but the one thing that was prevalent in his career was his power, which he brutally displayed in this rematch against the York, SC, -based Robbins. The first bout in December of 2006 ended because of an accidental headbutt. This time, Bouloubassis left no doubt as he jumped on Robbins early with solid left and right hands. Robbins was out on his feet. In just 15 seconds, the bout was over. The knockout is reportedly the fastest in the history of the super middleweight division, eclipsing Allen Green's 2005 knockout of Jaidon Codrington by three seconds. 2. May 30 ? Nick Collins, second-round TKO over Terrell Nixon, Michael's Eighth Avenue, Glen Burnie, MD This was a gutsy knockout victory for Collins, a middleweight from Bel Air, MD. Collins bounced back from being dropped in the first round by the Cincinnati, OH-based Nixon. Collins started strongly in round two, using solid shots to back Nixon off. With 10 seconds remaining in the second, Collins caught Nixon with a straight right hand that dropped Nixon to the canvas. Nixon beat the count, but was not fit to continue. Collins won the bout at 2:58 of the second round. 3. May 11 ? Jessie Nicklow, third-round TKO over Matt Berkshire, Du Burns Arena, Baltimore, MD Nicklow, an undefeated, promising junior middleweight from Severn, MD had only one minor blemish on his record, a first-round technical draw against Matt Berkshire of Morgantown, WVA two months earlier. The rematch turned out to be a quality performance by Nicklow who dropped Berkshire with two brutal left hands. The bout was stopped at 1:20 of the third round. 4. October 7?Willis Lockett, third-round TKO over Calvin Riley, Hilton McLean Tysons Corner Hotel, McLean, VA Yet another rematch, except the result was very similar to the first bout. Takoma Park, MD cruiserweight Willis "The Prophet" Lockett defeated Olney, MD's Calvin Riley in the third round in August. Lockett did it again two months later scoring a crushing right hand. Riley beat the count but was unfit to continue. The time of the bout was 1:05 of the third. 5. November 17 ? Stennis Floyd, first-round TKO over Ed Edwards, ABC Sports Arena, Springfield, VA No one made a more explosive pro debut in the Beltway area than Bristow, VA light heavyweight Stennis "Hard Banging" Floyd, who scored a wicked first-round knockout over Ed Edwards of Wilson, NC. Edwards sent two solid right hands that dropped Edwards for the count at 59 seconds of the round. Five Best Beltway Boxing Stories of 2007 1. Gary Russell Jr. becomes first Beltway Boxer since 2000 to make US Olympic Team This was a story more than a decade in the making. Since before his teens, the 19-year-old Russell, a native of Capitol Heights, MD, has had many Beltway Boxing observers dreaming the Olympic dream. Russell was the youngest member of the US Elite amateur team and was named the USA Boxing Athlete of the Year in 2005, so making the Olympic team was thought to be a done deal. However, Russell lost his first bout at the Olympic Trials this past August and was put into the consolation bracket. Russell regrouped and won six straight bouts in six days, including two victories over the boxer that beat him in the first round to win the berth, becoming the first Beltway Boxer since Clarence Vinson to make the Olympic Team. Only three other US amateurs ?- Evander Holyfield, Roy Jones, Jr. and Floyd Mayweather, Jr. have won Olympic berths out of the consolation bracket. In October, Russell officially punched his ticket to Beijing. 2. Maryland becomes industry pioneer in promoting and regulating pro-am cards. The state of Maryland was very busy in regulating boxing cards. Maryland regulated 18 boxing cards, marking the fourth straight year that the state has hosted more than 15 cards in a year. Sixteen of the 18 cards featured a number of amateur boxers that fought prior to the pro boxers on the show. The Maryland State Athletic Commission worked hand in hand with not only different promoters in the state, but also with both the Potomac Valley AAU and the South Atlantic Boxing Association who handled amateur programs in Prince George's County and Baltimore, MD respectively. Fan response was very favorable and Maryland State Commission Executive Director Patrick Pannella was asked to give a presentation during USA Boxing's Annual Convention in Houston, TX in November. 3. DC licenses first female professional boxing referee ? Michelle Hall works June 23 card at Howard University. This was an extremely overlooked story. Michelle Hall, a local amateur official and inspector in Virginia, received an opportunity to work as a referee on a pro card, becoming reportedly the first female to referee a pro bout in Beltway Boxing history. Hall worked two bouts on the June 23 card at Howard University's Burr Gymnasium and was very accomplished in her work. 4. Beltway Boxers win nine major regional titles. A number of local boxers made solid strides in their careers by winning major regional titles. Lamont Peterson won two titles (WBC US Junior Welterweight, NABO Junior Welterweight) as did Darnell "The Ding-A-Ling Man" Wilson (Trans-America (Canada), USBA Cruiserweight and Tony "The Tiger" Thompson (WBC Continental Americas and NABO Heavyweight) Thompson and Anthony Peterson (NABO Lightweight) won regional titles en route to achieving number one contender status in their respective weight classes. Even former world heavyweight champion Hasim Rahman captured the USBA Heavyweight title during his quest to regain the world title. Only one of the regional titles was won in the Beltway area. Jimmy Lange captured the WBC Continental Americas Junior Middleweight title on May 12 in Fairfax, VA. 5. Jaime Palma wins six straight bouts to go from under .500 to Virginia State Lightweight champ to ranked number 14 in USBA rankings. Many boxing fans may remember the story of Freddie Pendleton, who went from an under. 500 record to win the IBF Lightweight title. Pendleton's story is the blueprint that Alexandria, VA lightweight Jaime Palma has been following since 2005. At that time, Palma was 7-10-1. Palma started his six-bout winning streak in 2006 with three wins against under.500 competition. But in 2007, Palma stepped up his game with three more wins against tougher competition. A six-round unanimous decision win against tough Richmond trialhorse Edward Anderson raised some eyebrows. Palma then won the Virginia State Junior Welterweight title with a fifth-round TKO over Artie Benbury. But it was his eight-round unanimous decision win over Dean White on September 15 in Springfield, VA that caused some in the boxing world to take notice. At the end of 2007, Palma cracked the USBA lightweight rankings at number 14. The Five Best Beltway Boxing Rookies of 2007 1. Bayan Jargal, Arlington, VA (5-0-1, three KO's) A native of Mongolia, Jargal started his career in late November of 2006 with a first-round TKO of Patrick Bozeman. Still technically a rookie, Jargal didn't fight again until May 12, 2007 when he scored another first-round TKO over veteran Shane Gierke in Fairfax, VA. Jargal's only minor setback came in a May 31 bout against Jaime Rodriguez in Glen Burnie, MD. Jargal battled Rodriguez to a four-round draw in the only bout where he was a little slower on the draw than usual. Since that bout, Jargal has looked very impressive and has already moved up to six-round bouts, winning by unanimous decision over Reggie Holly on November 8 in DC and scoring a second round TKO over Nathan Francis on December 15 in DC. Jargal is as technically sound as it comes and does show solid power and focus. He is the choice as Beltway Boxing Rookie of the Year for 2007. 2. Alexander "The Great" Johnson, Oxon Hill, MD (4-0, three KO's) a tall, lanky light heavyweight, Johnson has shown impressive power in his first year. Johnson has scored two first-round knockouts and was in complete control during his last outing, a four-round unanimous decision over Zeferino Albino on November 29 in Glen Burnie. If Johnson can do a better job in controlling his emotions, he could be a dominant prospect in 2008. 3. "War Time" George Rivera, Charlottesville, VA (6-1, three KO's) A rapidly-improving junior middleweight who bounced back very well from an early loss. After winning his pro debut with a first-round knockout over Clarence Horne on February 3 in Fisherville, VA, Rivera was stunned with a second-round knockout loss to Charles Norwood just 14 days later in Winchester, VA. Since that loss, Rivera has reeled off five straight impressive victories. Rivera has also quickly attracted a large fan base, known as "La Familia" that stretches from Virginia to Rivera's birthplace of Queens, NY. 4. Todd "White Lightning" Wilson, Arlington, VA (3-0, one KO) A boxer who, if he continues to be successful, may renew interest in collegiate boxing. A champion from VMI, Wilson has shown solid talent in his short pro career. Wilson made his pro debut with a second round TKO over Jay Watts on April 28 in Fisherville, VA and has scored unanimous decision victories over starter opponents Henry Goss and Edward Anderson. Wilson is another young boxer who is gaining quick popularity in the area. 5. "The Golden Greek" Elias Bouloubassis, Reisterstown, MD (3-0-4, three KO's) Bouloubassis, a super middleweight, has had one of the strangest rookie years of any boxer in recent memory. The four draws on his record don't look great, especially when two of them were technical draws, caused in part by Bouloubassis's straight-ahead style. But when he plants his feet and throws, he has as much power as anybody around, as evident by his 15-second knockout of Vincent Robbins and his knockouts of Jessie Horton and Rakeem Carter. Needs to develop a jab to progress, but he is still a fun boxer to watch. Other quality rookies: Earl "Mighty Mouse" Cole (welterweight, Baltimore, 2-1, one KO), Lawrence Jones (junior middleweight, DC, 2-1, one KO), Danny Kisner (Glen Burnie, MD, 1-0, one KO), Travis "O.T.T. Mallin, (bantamweight, Fairfax, VA, 2-0, one KO), Edgar "The Tiger" Torres (junior welterweight, Springfield, VA, 2-0, two KO's) The Five Best Beltway Boxing Prospects of 2007 1. Tim "Pit Bull" Coleman, Baltimore, MD (14-0-1, three KO's) No boxer in the DC/MD/VA region has progressed as well as this welterweight prospect. Coleman advanced in all facets of the game ? work rate, competition and length of rounds. Coleman fought nine times in 2007, working a total of 55 rounds. Coleman also progressed in his competition, defeating the likes of Jason Champion, Richard "Tiger" Lee Hall, Doel Carrasquillo and Scott Ball, before fighting a tough 10-round draw against Martinus Clay in his last outing on December 7. Also during the year, Coleman went from six-to eight to 10 rounds this year. Plans to drop to 140 pounds in 2008, where he may find an increase in power. Because of his progression, Tim Coleman is the selection as the 2007 Beltway Boxing Prospect of the Year. 2. Mike "The Persecutor" Paschall, Baltimore, MD (14-0-1, two KO's). Fought only four times this year, but fought solid gatekeeper-style opponents. The super middleweight advanced as a boxer-puncher with an improving ability to adapt to the opponent he is facing. In his best win of the year, Paschall won an eight-round unanimous decision over Richard Stewart on August 25 in Ocean City, MD by using movement and sharp jabs. In his last outing against Randy Pogue on November 29 in Glen Burnie, MD, Paschall was more of a puncher and was able to pound out a six-round decision. 3. Horace "The Reason" Grant, Riverdale, MD (10-1, seven KO's). This heavyweight prospect appeared in eight contests this year, progressing nicely, All 2007 opponents had .500 or better records. Grant improved his power and scored nice knockouts against the likes of Glenn Williams, Mike Sheppard and Harvey Jolley. Grant will be a solid heavyweight prospect to watch in 2008. 4. Jessie "The Beast" Nicklow, Severn, MD (14-0-1, five KO's). The 2006 choice for Rookie of the year, the junior middleweight prospect progressed slightly in 2007. A major difference for Nicklow was his power, as he scored three solid knockouts this year. Fought his first undefeated fighter in Matt Berkshire and after the first bout ended in a first-round technical draw, Nicklow scored his best knockout of the year in the rematch, a third-round TKO. This prospect will be looked upon to make a move in 2008. 5. Reginald "Rat Man" Taylor, Washington, DC (8-0, four KO's). A good light heavyweight prospect who stepped up his game late in 2007, Taylor has yet to have an opponent who has an under.500 record. Put on a great performance in a six-round war against veteran Jameel Wilson in June. However, reportedly did not perform well in winning a six-round decision against 14-2 Jermain Mackey on November 17 in Turks and Caicos. If Taylor can start the year well, he could be heard from in 2008. Other quality prospects: Ty Barnette (junior welterweight, DC, 12-0-1, nine KO's), Andrew "The Doo Man" Farmer (lightweight, Front Royal, VA, 9-1, six KO's), "JC Superstar" Juan Carlos Robles (cruiserweight, Waynesboro, VA, 9-0, four KO's), Terry "T-Brick" Roy, (cruiserweight, Front Royal, VA, 7-0-1, six KO's), Thomas "KO" Snow, (featherweight, Capitol Heights, MD, 10-0, eight KO's). The 2007 Beltway Boxer of the Year is? Darnell "The Ding-A-Ling Man" Wilson, Takoma Park, MD (22-5-3, 19 KO's) In a year where there were many Beltway Boxing standouts, Wilson's impact on the cruiserweight division places him slightly above his Beltway brethren. Wilson continued the turnaround that began in September 2006 with a fourth-round TKO over Daniel Judah with three quality knockout performances that set the cruiserweight division on his ear. On January 19, Wilson traveled to Edmonton, Alberta, CA and scored a second-round TKO over hometown hero Dale Brown, marking the first time Brown had been knocked out on his home turf. Then on February 23 in Scranton, PA, Wilson endeared himself to a nationally televised ESPN audience by scoring a third-round knockout over former IBF Cruiserweight champ Kelvin Davis. But it was his sickening 11th round knockout over fellow Beltway Boxer Emmanuel Nwodo on June 29 in Staten Island, NY that truly sent shockwaves throughout the division. The knockout has already been a fixture on numerous year-end polls as the knockout of the year and made Wilson a household name in the Cruiserweight division. Wilson is slated to defend his USBA Cruiserweight title against undefeated BJ Flores in his third straight ESPN2 appearance on February 8 in Dover, DE. A year ago, Wilson had four straight losses and was thought of as an also-ran. Now, he is a legitimate contender and is recognized as the 2007 Beltway Boxer of the Year. Other Beltway Boxers deserving of consideration: Tony "The Tiger" Thompson, (heavyweight, Washington, DC, 31-1, 19 KO's) If Wilson had not had such an impactful year, Thompson would have won this award going away. Thompson won two regional titles and leaped above two contenders in Timor Ibragimov and Luan Krasniqi, defeating the latter by fifth-round knockout in Krasniqi's own home town of Hamburg, Germany to become the number-one ranked contender in the WBO and one of the most feared contenders in the division. Thompson continued his undefeated streak, which has now stretched over a seven-year period. If all goes well, Thompson will face the winner of the unification bout between WBO champ Sultan Ibragimov and WBC titleholder Wladimir Klitschko. Thompson is scheduled to be on the undercard of the unification bout on February 20. Anthony Peterson (lightweight, Washington, DC, 25-0, 18 KO's). Peterson had a solid year, winning four times (with three knockouts) and has spent the year as the WBO's number-one ranked lightweight contender. Peterson will not rest on his laurels in 2008 as he is slated to defend his NABO Lightweight title against tough Guadalupe Rosales on ShoBox on January 4. Lamont Peterson (junior welterweight, Washington, DC, 23-0, 11 KO's). Peterson started to shed the image of a pure boxer by scoring three stoppages in 2007. The most impressive knockout came in front of his hometown crowd on national television against veteran contender John Brown on May 25. Peterson registered an eighth-round TKO in that bout. Peterson then won the NABO Junior Welterweight title, stopping Frankie Santos in the sixth round on September 7 in Biloxi, MS. Like his brother, Anthony, Lamont Peterson looks to make a move for a world title as he defends his NABO title against undefeated Antonio Mesquita on the same January 4 ShoBox card. In Memoriam: Dr. Arnold W. McKnight ? Chair of the District of Columbia Boxing and Wrestling Commission for 12 years. Bobby Glassmeyer ? Long-time Maryland boxing trainer Lorado Williams ? Baltimore, MD amateur boxer Truman E. Tuttle ? One of the most notable names in amateur boxing. Tuttle headed the DC and the National Golden Gloves program for many years. Alton Rice ? a DC amateur and professional super middleweight boxer. Ernest "Sonny Boy" Williams ? DC lightweight who boxed in the 1950's. Jeffrey Arnold ? the older brother of former welterweight contender Derrell Coley. The Five Stories to Watch in 2008 1. Can the Beltway have four world champions again? The DC/MD/VA area is poised to do something that has not been done since 1996. With Darnell Wilson, Tony Thompson and Lamont and Anthony Peterson, the Beltway is in position to win four world titles in 2008. In 1996, Mark Johnson, Keith Holmes, Sharmba Mitchell and William Joppy accomplished that feat. Going into 2008, Thompson and Anthony Peterson are ranked first in their respective division. Lamont Peterson is ranked third by the WBC and Wilson is ranked seventh by the WBO. 2. Will the 2008 Rookie Class be better than 2007? The 2007 Beltway rookie class was one of the best in recent years. But 2008 could be even better. Three of the members -- amateur standout Fernando Guerrero of Salisbury, MD, Bristow, VA's Stennis Floyd and Harold Orji of DC -- already made victorious pro debuts late in 2007. . Beltway Boxing fans are also anxiously awaiting the debut of Brandywine, MD heavyweight Seth "Mayhem" Mitchell, who has already had a number of high-level pro boxing promoters talking about him. 3. Will DC increase its number of pro cards in 2008? While DC only had four pro cards in 2007, two of them were quality cards. The Nation's Capital hopes to increase its total under new Boxing and Wrestling Chair Jason Turner. A good sign of progress is that there are reportedly cards already slated for February and March of 2008. The first DC card of 2007 didn't take place until April. 4. Will Gary Russell Jr. Medal at the Olympics? The bulk of the summer of 2008 will focus on Russell Jr. who will be trying for an Olympic medal in Beijing, China in August. The 19-year-old from Capital Heights, MD will try to continue a standard set by the likes of Norvel Lee, Sugar Ray Leonard and Andrew Maynard ? who all won gold medals in Olympic competition. 5. Will Jimmy Lange bounce back from injuries to get into world title contention? Arguably, the Beltway's most popular boxer, the Great Falls, VA junior middleweight won the WBC Continental Americas Junior Middleweight title in 2007 but suffered a torn rotator cuff injury in the title win over Fontaine Cabell in May. Lange is scheduled to return in late March and needs to stay healthy to be a serious contender. Who Lange will face and how he will progress will be an interesting story in the coming year.