Northwestern good - but '95 team was better

Go Fitz Go! This team is damn good. College football has changed since then so it's hard to compare. Time will tell how good they are. Fitzgerald is a real good young coach and should be around and successful for a long time. He seems to be a great recruiter which is one of the halmarks a top flight college coach. As far as learning I have heard Jo Paterno say he is still learnig so I don't think it matters. The two seasons prior to this the cats were playing better at the end of the season then the begining. Fitzgerald wirghted the ship after rocky starts. This team has started strong. If he can get them to improve and play better. This team will go a long way and the Northwestern football program has a bright future. Go Cats! Lets bring the Purple back to Passadina!

Nice article. But I have to wonder, did Sam V do something to you Teddy? Did he not pick you for a team or something in college, or black ball you from a fraternity? Or were you just short three words. Either way, not a classy move.

In the Special Teams comparison of the Northwestern Wildcats of '95 versus 2008, you noted that Kicker Sam Valensizi tore his ACL "celebrating a kick-off."
As individuals who were at that game and saw the events transpire, we feel obligated by the truth to set the record straight.
The entire contest was played in a soaking rainstorm – with pools of water gathering on the field. The game was a complete shut out. This we all remember clearly.
Before you lampoon Sam Valensizi, your All-American Kicker, perhaps you should first ask Coach Gary Barnett why he still had his star kicker in the game at that point.
Barnett had already pulled all of his other star players from the game – so as not to risk their injury in a game that was no longer competitive.
Coach Barnett, who failed to honor his contract with Northwestern, also failed to show respect for the physical well-being of his kicker – a pattern that Barnett seems to have carried through to Colorado…
- RD
Mequon, Wisconsin

RDJ wrote:

Nice article. But I have to wonder, did Sam V do something to you Teddy? Did he not pick you for a team or something in college, or black ball you from a fraternity? Or were you just short three words. Either way, not a classy move.

Good point, RDJ. As a life-long Northwestern football fan, I read pretty much every article written about them, and just have to say ENOUGH ALREADY. The author could have said that despite having his season (and career, as it turns out) cut short at the half-way point of the season he still was named an All-American. But no, the author has to rehash old bull***t. Enough. I am very grateful to Sam for his leadership, skill and representation of my school, and am tired of reading this crap from people who sound like they're making fun of his personal tragedy. What has the author ever done but write about sports? Has he ever played a sport? Ever put himself on the line like these guys did? I doubt it, or else he'd probably show a little more sensitivity.

Stupid Article