Born in Akron, Ohio in 1984 LeBron Raymoe James is basketball. All of his life has been dedicated to basketball. His first time ever picking up the basketball for real game play was at 6. His parents still have pictures of him every year he played. (Right is LeBron in high school.)

LeBron was first recognized when he was in high school. NBA scouts knew that he would be a top prospect. As he continued in high school his amazing stats made him Ohio's Mr. Basketball. One of his most amazing stats is his 22 points per game and his 52% shooting percentage. At times he could also rebound for his team averaging about 5 rebounds per game. With possible future teams keeping this in mind they had a tough decision to put him at either point guard or power forward.

Draft Day

LeBron skipped college for the purpose of knowing that it would take away time that he could have in the NBA. Draft day in 2003 came upon him as he was selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers. If I had the first pick from the looks of the players I would've chosen him to for his potential in the NBA. The Cavaliers made his position a “point forward” otherwise known as a small forward. Not only did he improve his team he was a crowd favorite. He is known as “King James” from all of his fans. Now, one of his favorite game rituals is taking flour in both hands and throwing it up in the air as if he was doing a magic trick.

Career

His first season led him to be the rookie of the year, when the press asked him who he admired most in basketball he replied with Jason Kidd. LeBron always liked the fact that you can make your team better in basketball not yourself, just as Kidd does. In 2004 he was selected to go in the Olympics and he came out with a bronze medal. Again he was selected in this 2008 Olympics and this time came out with a gold medal. So far, he has averaged 27.3 points in his career and can't stop with the amazing stats, and his dunks never get old.

(LeBron in the 2008 Olympics)

Personal Life

James has two children with his high school sweetheart, Savannah Brinson. James has many contracts and one of his biggest is his shoeline with Nike. You can also see him with Upper Deck (sport cards) and Bubblicous. He has co-hosted the 2007 ESPY awards and he has been seen in many shows including David Letterman, Saturday Night Live. He also likes to show his kids some basketball moves.

The Future

With his previous stats we can only predict that he will keep at it, eventually breaking records one by one. He could also be going global in basketball with rumors saying that if he gets paid $50 million dollars annually by the Greece basketball team/league, he might join. Only time will tell to see how the Greatest will become greater.

The BCS is a corrupted program that is not fair.  Their goal was to help determine a National Champion.  False, they do not help find a National Champion.  That is why college football needs to stop the BCS and make a play-off system!  That will determine a true National Champion. 

The play-off system should invite 16 teams.  The champion of every conference (there are 12 conferences), and have 4 at large teams.  This way every team in the nation has a chance of being the National Champion.  College Basketball has the perfect system to find a National Champion.  Why can’t college football use a smaller version of that system?  Look at College Football division 1-aa.  They have a play-off system and it is a blast to watch, and it works beautifully.   Even President Obama voiced his opinion on having a play-off system!

The BCS is a corrupted system which has a goal of making millions of dollars.  Let’s make a true National Champion.  Why can’t college football have their own March Madness?  Why can’t it change?  Everyone from the white house to ESPN wants a play-off system.  So lets make it happen.  Let’s have a play-off system for college football!

The Boise State vs. TCU game will be the best non-bcs game by far this year.  Both Boise State and TCU were in the hunt for Bustin' the BCS for most of the season.  Boise State did finish 12-0 this year, but a great Utah team beat them out for playing in the Sugar Bowl.  TCU went 10-2 this season, but they first lost to Oklahoma and also a close game to Utah.  Boise State has an explosive offence, and TCU has a strong fast defence.  I pick TCU winning by a small margin, 35-32 TCU.

Missouri vs. Northwestern are both strong oppenents.  Missouri won the Big 12 North, and lost to Oklahoma in the Big 12 Championship game.  Missouri is lead by an amazing quarterback Chase Daniels.  Missouri will be only has good as Chase Daniels.  Northwestern doesn't have a strong offence, or an amazing defence.  Although I think they will keep it moderately close.  Missouri is going to win this bowl game, 42-28 Missouri.

The third great game is Oklahoma State vs. Oregon.  Oklahoma State is  lead by a great running back Kendall Hunter who has ran for over 1,500 yards this season.  Oklahoma State has a great offence and will put up a lot of points.  Oregon has had the injury bug this season, but they are still playing great.  Oregon has two good running backs and a good offence.  This game will be full of offence.  The strong Big 12 will have another victor, 59-45 Oklahoma State.

All three of these games are most see.  Anything could happen.  If you can only see one it has to be the Boise State vs. TCU game.  That is going to be amazing.  So sit down, relax and watch the bowl games this season.  They are going to be exciting!

Colt McCoy is a 6'3, 210lbs. Texas native. This season he has thrown for 3,445yrds. and 32 touchdowns, and has a rating of 179.20. Colt is a great quarterback who can also run the ball when needed. His team should be undefeated, but huge comeback at Texas Tech was a little to late. Colt is a great quarterback, but he will not win Heisman. Even though he won't win it this year he has one more year to win it.

Sam Bradford is a 6'4, 218lbs. Oklahoma native. Over this season he has thrown for 4,464yrds. and 48 touchdowns, and has a rating of 186.29. He has really shown that he is a wonderful passer, but he hasn't shown that he can run the ball. Sam didn't need to show running skills this season because Oklahoma has great running backs.

Tim Tebow is a 6'3, 240lbs. Florida native. This season he has thrown for 2,515yrds. and 28 touchdowns, and has a rating of 176.74. His passing yards isn't has high as McCoy's or Bradford's, but it doesn't reflect on his passing abilities. He is a great passer, and he is an amazing runner. Tebow has the record for the most rushing touchdowns by a quarterback in the SEC conference.

Alll three of these quarterbacks are amazing athletes and deserve this award. Unfortunately Colt McCoy won't win Heisman this year. Tim Tebow and Sam Bradford will be a toss up. Either one could win the most honored trophey this season. If I had to pick a quarterback for my team it would be Tim Tebow. His running and passing abilities are amazing. To bad the decision will be made before Florida plays Oklahoma in the National Championship game because that would show the true winner right there. So who do you think will win?

It's either work or play. That seems to be the motto of college athletics. There are not enough hours in the day for athletes to balance schoolwork, practice, games, and a job. Some students, regardless of their division, have the benefit of being

able to get, and temporarily keep a job until their desired sport begins. But, those that play major sports like basketball and football are spending at least five months of their academic year dedicated to the sport. They have to be up before dawn for conditioning, in the gym as soon as classes are over for practice, and available on the weekends for scrimmages. This is all started as early as the second week of schooling. In college sports, work and play are the same.

All athletes, no matter their division, are given merchandise that the school pays for, to represent their sport, such as shirts, sweat suits, ankle braces, shin protectors, warm-up suits, shoes, and medical insurance for any injuries they receive while playing. Their meals and hotels are also paid for when they have games, and travel. Many Division I and Division II schools give scholarships to their athletes. If they continue to stay dedicated to their sport(s), and maintain the required minimum GPA, they are able to keep them. On top of these scholarships, they are given the priority of a work study, and any other similar forms of money for their academics. In a June 2002 article, John Fleck wrote that the NCAA Division I manual states:

“a student athlete may be paid as a counselor in a summer camp or in a recreation department program. Compensation provided to the student-athlete shall be commensurate with the going rate for camp or clinic counselors of like teaching ability and experience and may not be paid on the basis of value that the student-athlete may have for the employer because of the athletics reputation or fame that the student-athlete has achieved.”

Division III athletes, on the other hand, do not get the benefit of a free, or partially free education, having to get academic scholarships, grants, and loans to compensate. This is where an argument could be made that since these athletes don't get athletic scholarship benefits, they should be allowed stipends for participating in a sport.

Education is supposed to be the intended reward for anyone who goes to college. For athletes, it is a little bit different. High school athletes work to be the best at their sport, so they can get looked at by some of the finest colleges. Many look at the academics, while others look at which school has the most championships. Besides this, these students know that the only way they will be able to attend college is if they get an athletic scholarship. Their test scores and GPA may not be high enough to attend the school, but college coaches have ways of going around the system to ensure getting high quality players.

Once in college, these students struggle maintaining their GPA. They focus more on their sports instead of giving time to their studies. They don't take advantage of the free education they are receiving. The outcome of this is a failing grade point average, and ineligibility. This is partly because they feel the same method that was used to get them into the school will be the same method used to keep them there. What they don't know is that college coaches are constantly recruiting players, and once one player slips up, he or she will be immediately replaced by someone of just as equal amount of talent. But, how can you get rid of someone if you don't underline the importance of academics? There are many college coaches who don't stress the value of education, but are quick to release a player who is not living up to their academic expectations. These coaches main objective is geared towards building a winning team on the court or field, and not off it. However, there are some college coaches who will do almost anything to keep their star players, even going as far as getting the answers to exams, or having someone else write their essays.

So, if a person isn't meeting their academic requirements when they're receiving a scholarship, what will it be like if they are getting paid? How can you expect someone to achieve in one area when the only thing they're concerned about is how much money they can make in the time they spend playing their sport? A degree earned in college is ten times more rewarding than money earned, because money only lasts for so long. As soon as the athlete leaves college, that money becomes non-existent.

One of the main reasons behind why college athletes have financial limitations, are the bylaws of amateur status. What exactly does the NCAA consider amateur status? Joshua P. Wimmer wrote in his article, “Student Athletes or University Slaves”, of an instance that occurred where University of Northwestern running back and theater major, Darnell Autry went to Italy over the summer to appear in a movie, and was not paid for his services because it would damage his amateur status. Amateurs are defined as being non-professional, or not in the activity for gain (Wimmer). Many people say the fact that college athletes are amateurs and not paid gives college sports their appeal (Wimmer). Amateur status affects students majorly in the fact they aren't able to receive payment for things they do outside of the sport they play. These same restrictions also play a part in how much they can receive from their parents, friends, and other family members. Division II and Division III athletics don't place as much emphasis on amateur status when it comes to family and friends supporting them financially, but due to the fact Division I schools are at the top, they are scrutinized more often when they don't strictly enforce these restrictions. The amateur rules only create more problems and put an infinite number of restrictions on student athletes that just are not fair (Wimmer).

Due to the fact that NCAA rules are so confining, “many schools find ways to pay the athletes under the table: they fix up the athlete's family with a nice house or car, things to give the family a little relief; however, if anyone ever finds out, this is also a violation and the players and universities will be put on probation or even suspended” (Wimmer).

In an ESPN the Magazine article written earlier this year, sports analyst Stephen A. Smith officially brought to light the shady side of recruiting athletes. He pointed out that there are many high school athletes that are offered products which exceed the money limit that the NCAA allows. Some of these players we know about like “Marcus Camby, Chris Weber, and Keith Lee”, but a lot that have never been heard about. Smith questions how the public can place judgment on students getting paid to participate in their sports when, if the student isn't getting paid legally, he or she is receiving it “under the table”.

There have also been arguments about why students leave college early and go professional. When a person is not able to support themselves financially, they will look to the easiest source that will benefit them. Professional sports pay athletes millions of dollars. Athletes that chose the quick way out and succeeded are Lebron James, Kevin Garnett, and Kobe Bryant. The number of failures to successes, though, is high. The thing that college athletes don't look at is what happens if their career comes up short.

Many athletes that do not have at least a bachelor's degree don't have a reliable foundation to fall back on when they either get injured or unexpectedly have to leave the pro leagues. Korleone Young is a prime example of this. He was a top prospect high school player; recruited by all the top Division I schools. He opted to go straight into the NBA, sitting out two years on injured reserved, and eventually leaving the league. In Wimmer's article, university coach Kevin White recognizes that “universities should do all they can to keep their students in college and working towards a degree.” A college degree is necessary to have a successful livelihood after a time of sports.

When athletes leave school early to attempt a life and career in pro sports, they are also challenging the quality of NCAA athletics. This is a major reason as to why the promotion of paying athletes is so widely talked about. If you reward the athlete in ways that will please them immediately, they will stay and finish the job. A college degree is looked at as a long-term reward, and many don't have the patience to sustain for such a prolonged period.

A small, but still important, factor in regards to paying college athletes is the amount of money that would be put into it. Counting separately men's and women's athletics, there are over fifty college sports (NCAA Sports Sponsorship). There are over 300 division one schools that make up Division I athletics, 250 in Division II, and over 400 in Division III (NCAA.org). The NCAA rakes in billions of revenue annually from immense game telecasting, the advertisements of big name athletes, and the sells of those athletes merchandise. But, if every college and university isn't helping to bring in that revenue, it wouldn't be fair to pay all college athletes with the money that only some schools are helping to bring in. There is also the bias of which sports are bringing in that revenue. Basketball and football are at the top in college athletics, being the most advertised, and bringing in the most wealth. Even more controversy will ensue when these athletes raise a fuss about every athlete getting paid when their sport is bringing in no funds. It is just best to not pay any athlete, than to try to meet equilibrium, and deal with refute.

By saving the authenticity of what college sports are about, the most likely and appealing resolution to the never-ending debate as whether or not to pay college athletes would be to change the policy of amateur status. Allow students to receive funds from jobs they partake in outside of their sport, and let them be able to receive a higher allowance from family and friends. Doing this will prevent future Darnell Autry's, Marcus Camby's, and Korleone Young's.

In a USA Today article, Kelly Whiteside listed different changes that could be made to ensure athletes stay in school and receive their full education. Some included:

• “Scholarships count for four years regardless of whether the athlete stays that long.”.
• “Return control of college sports to the colleges.”.
• “Allow athletes who transfer to play immediately for their new schools.”.
• “Athletic scholarships renewable on a four-year basis, not year-to-year.”.
• “Minimum 50% graduation rate for teams to make the postseason.”.
• “No freshman eligibility.”

A few of the options Whiteside suggested are a tad bit extreme, but could be highly affective. Preventing freshman eligibility would help make sure incoming college students are starting on the right track of focusing on their education, and requiring a fifty percent graduation rate would ensure college coaches are emphasizing the significance of schooling.

By returning control to the colleges instead of leaving it with the whole NCAA organization, then the sports will not continue to be treated as though they are professional franchises. Allan Sack wrote that “as long as the NCAA continues working toward building a sports entertainment empire, the demand that athletes get paid is going to continue to be constant.” The importance of a college education should be what's most important. It is the backbone of success and fortune. Everything else is just temporary satisfaction.

Works Cited

Fleck, John. “College athletes - pay for play?” Jan. 2002. Buzzle.com Intelligent Life on the Web. 3 December 2008. .

NCAA National Collegiate Athletic Association. NCAA. 3 December 2008. .

NCAA Sports Sponsorship. 2006. NCAA. 3 December 2008. .

Sack, Allen. “Should college athletes be paid? Go all amateur, or give them pro benefits”. Mar. 2008. The Christian Science Monitor. 3 December 2008. .

Smith, Stephen A. “Up Front: Don't pretend to care if O.J. Mayo got paid. You'll just encourage the NCAA (and the media)”. ESPN - ESPN The Magazine. 2008. 3 December 2008. .

Whiteside, Kelly. “College athletes want cut of action”. Aug. 2004. USA TODAY. 2008. 3 December 2008. .

Wimmer, Joshua P. “Student Athletes or University Slaves”. Fresh Writing. 1998-2008. 3 December 2008. .

The basis of college football is formed around the huge rivalries, whether it is Alabama and Auburn, or Ohio and Ohio State, or even Florida and Florida State.   These rivalries usually occur during the last week of the season and if a playoff system were in place, these games would lose their meaning.  With a playoff, college football would be more like the NFL.  Most people who watch the NFL know that most playoff spots have been filled coming into the last week, therefore, the games mean nothing.  Most teams play their second string players.  Imagine a rivalry game that means nothing.  The intenseness is replaced with fear of a starter being injured.  No possibility of an upset from an in state rival, because who cares, the playoffs are already set.  All of the rivalry fire has been lost! 

However, the rivalries are not the only essence that would be lost to college football fans.  The excitement of every game during the regular season would be diminished.  Currently, every game in college football is meaningful. Whether it’s the challenge of actually making a bowl game, or trying to remain in the championship hunt, each and every regular season game means a lot.  Many compare college football to college basketball, because basketball has the NCAA tournament.  Oh yeah, March Madness is great, and very entertaining, but does anyone know what happened during the regular season?  What about major upsets?  College football fans know every major upset that occurs during the regular season, but most college basketball fans can not name the upsets, unless they happen during the tournament.  Who cares if their team loses during the regular season, as long as they win during the tournament?  As great as this tournament is, it steals its greatness from the regular season. 

Experts believe that creating a playoff system would eliminate the controversy of the BCS.  However, there is even controversy in the NCAA basketball tournament, and 65 teams are allowed to participate in that.  If there is an eight team playoff, then the ninth team that got left out could argue that they belong.  The same with a sixteen team tournament, the seventeenth team could argue the same point.  There will always be controversy, no matter which system is in place.

Another idea is to not determine the National Championship game until after the first four BCS bowl games have been played.  This would be fair to the players and schools, but would not be fair to the fans.  Most fans who travel to watch their team play in a bowl game, have to save all year to make this trip.  However, they could not make two trips for two bowl games.  If this system were in place, it would be unfair to the fans.  And there would still be controversy as to whichever team gets left out. 

The system that is in place now is truly the most fair and balanced of any of the above mentioned systems.  Instead of complaining about the current system, why not adapt to it?  The weaker conference teams should schedule higher ranked non-conference opponents, instead of non-ranked teams.  That way they could prove that they belong in the championship game, instead of crying because they cannot get into the game.  This system is by far the most exciting and makes college football what it is today: without it, the regular season of college football would be as exciting as the college basketball season.    

The title game in Miami should be a rematch between Oklahoma and Texas. I have no ties to any of these schools  and even a guy like myself can see that this BCS ranking stuff is garbage. Florida is in this game because they are Florida and no other reason, and it may as well be considered a home game for them, much like the LSU, Ohio State game was last year being held in the Superdome In New Orleans.

They have to come up with a playoff system for this reason. There is plenty of extra time to play a bracket style playoff, between the top eight or the top 16 teams to determine a real champ. They have been making excuses way to long," that would be too many games", bull these are some of the most in shape athletes in any sport and most are between 18 and 25 years old. "It would be too complicated", come on this is not already too complicated, this BCS stuff has been wrong since it started and we have had controversy every year.

Looking at this years title game is the most blatant show of support for a team to play a game in their home state that we have ever seen. This is nothing more than a money game for Florida as if they need more tourist money in Miami.

Here is how the BCS should have the papers type up their headlines:

Oklahoma plays for National Championship they scored 702 points this season and 60 plus in 5 straight!!!

Longhorns have to wait until next year even though they beat Oklahoma and lost to a good Tech team!!!!!!

Gators playing for title in their home state even though they lost to unranked team at home!!!Oh well, we'll forget about that one.

Go playoffs!!! Go away BCS!!! Go Florida !!!OH BY THE WAY OLE MISS WINS 31-30 IN THE SWAMP!!!

Last year, LSU was the proclaimed "champ" despite losing 2 games during the season.  Champ?  More like chump.  They were defeated by 2 different teams who, by the simple law of we-beat-you-so-obviously-we're-better-than-you, would technically have just as much claim to that title as LSU did.  Not only that, there was a long list of other teams that either had just one or two losses that you could make arguments deserved the title just as much.  What it came down to was popularity and media hype.  In reality, there was no champion team last year.   And no fan will remember it anyway.

It's obvious that now more than ever there needs to be a playoff.  And I for one, as a college football fan, am willing to boycott any bowl games.  Once the college football realizes that fans are willing to withhold their money from the NCAA, then you'll see a playoff system involving 4 to 8 teams.  Which, let's face it, is a far more accurate way of determining a true champion.

1. Colt McCoy- One quarterback that seems to have a great chance at winning the Heisman, is Colt McCoy. Some say he may have lost the Heisman when Texas Tech was able to beat them, however he still may have a chance. Colt McCoy has already set a record for TD passes this season with 30 of them. This 6' 3” and 210 pound quarterback could be named one of the best quarterbacks to play for the Longhorns.

2. Graham Harrell- Some people are already saying that the Heisman trophy is only Graham Harrell's to lose. In 10 games Harrell has thrown for 4,077 yards and 36 touchdowns. Graham Harrell could have taken away Colt McCoy's chances when he and his team beat the Longhorns. Harrell has some tools that could definitely help him get the Heisman, such as a good offensive line, and some good receivers like Michael Crabtree.

3. Sam Bradford- Although Bradford is a redshirt sophomore, that does not mean he cannot win the Heisman. It seems like it is mostly Juniors and Seniors who win the Heisman, however Tim Tebow won it as a sophomore, so it is possible Sam Bradford could too. Bradford in 10 games has 38 touchdowns, he is 6' 4” and 220 pounds, and he just may be the next winner of the Heisman trophy.

4. Tim Tebow- Don't forget about Tim Tebow over in Florida. He won the Heisman last year as a freshman and could be looking to win it again this year. Tim Tebow is a quarterback who has been known to run that football. He was on a tear during a stretch of 6 games, in which he passed or rushed for over 22 touchdowns, in that stretch Florida averaged 49.8 points per game. He could possibly in the Heisman again this year.

So those are four college football quarterbacks that may have a chance at winning the Heisman trophy. Time may tell who will win this award. There is still some football to play, and there are still some games that can be won. Players besides quarterbacks can win Heismans too, maybe a player from another position will take home the Heisman this year.

If you want to see how this 2008-2009 college football season progressed over the season check out these articles: College Football preseason rankings, BCS Busters: Who Has a Chance, and BCS Busters: The Final Stretch. Those are all great articles to keep you up to date on what happened over the season.

There are 3 BCS Bowl Games and 1 National Championship Game. The 3 BCS Bowls are the Rose Bowl played in Pasadena, California on January 1. The Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Arizona on January 5. Then the Sugar Bowl is played in New Orleans, Louisiana on January 2. The fourth Bowl is the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida played on the first of January. Last but certainly not least is the National Championship game played this year in Miami, Florida on January 8.

I predict that Oregon State will play Penn State at the Rose Bowl. Oregon State will get blown out by Penn State. Oregon State is a good team, but not a BCS team. The only reason they are in this bowl game is because they miraculously beat USC and the Pac-10 isn't a good conference this year. Penn State is a great team with a great coach that will come up with a great game plan. The final score will be 38-17 for Penn State.

In the Fiesta Bowl I think USC will play Texas. Both of these teams are great football teams. It's going to be close, but I am going to take Texas by a touchdown. Both teams are lead by amazing quarterbacks and they will light up the score that night. The final will be 49-46 for the Texas Longhorns.

The Sugar Bowl will host Utah and Alabama. Utah is one of the few undefeated teams this year and is the BCS Buster from the Mountain West Conference. Alabama is a good team at #1 right now, but they are going to lose to Florida in the SEC Championship game. So that will send them to the Sugar Bowl instead of the National Championship. With Utah's great defense and explosive offence I predict the final score will be 38-28 for Utah.

In the Orange Bowl I think Georgia Tech will play Cincinnati. Georgia Tech will beat Boston College in the ACC Championship game and will land in this bowl game. While Cincinnati will get an at-large bid after they have had an impressive season. This game will be low scoring with the final score being 17-14 for Cincinnati.

For all the marbles in the National Championship Game I predict Florida will play Oklahoma. Florida in the late part of the season has been immortal. I don't see any flaw on the Florida team. Oklahoma pulled a huge upset over undefeated Texas Tech and completely creamed them. These are truly the best two teams in the Nation right now. I will have to go with Urban Meyer's team to take it 35-28; Florida will be the National Champion in 2009!