As I've watched one of my favorite (now former) ESPN personalities, Michael Irvin, go about the business of being inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame, I've thought a lot about attitude, and its place in college and pro sports. Of course we all know that the NFL allows more freedom of expression. Players are able to let loose and play their own style. Chad Johnson's comments yesterday, "If I get in the endzone in Week 1, you will laugh for a lifetime" are enough to illustrate that point. But what about the attitude and swagger (or lack thereof) in the college game. The more I play NCAA Football, the more I long for the ability to play like the 1987 Canes, recruit like the SMU Mustangs (can you say death penalty) or just run a team like coaching greats Pete Carroll or Butch Davis.

One thing I can't help but notice about NCAA is the similarity of the teams. Now, I don't mean the playbooks, players, uniforms, or any of that. I mean the attitude. No matter what team I am, players react the same. Make a big play with Miami, and you'll get a lot of fist pumping, jumping around, maybe a little trash talking. Seems pretty realstic doesn't it? Now, bust a huge pass with Navy and watch the exact same reactions. Now, maybe it's me, but if I saw the second Tight End for Navy react to a TD in the same way Javariss James did, I'd be shocked. First off, if a service academy player showed any more emotion that the rest of his teammates, it would be a little out of place. Nothing against the service academies, but they are held at a different standard.

A great way to separate the way teams play would be by letting you, the coach, choose their style and attitude. Hey, maybe I want to turn Bowling Green into a bunch of trash talkin', visor wearin', decleatin' hype machines (as weird as that sounds). Or maybe I want to tone down the 'Noles to a nice, friendly, respectful team who give hugs and helps players up after the play (not a chance). I want my team to fit my coaching style and playing style.
Some of you may have checked out my previous articles, and those who did know about my beloved coach, Poindexter Buckley. As I've used Poindexter in the last two games, I've developed an identity for him. When I play a game, I "become" Coach Buckley. He's there with me, helping me make calls, yelling at players, praising them, you name it - he's just coaching. The reality though, is that Poindexter is just another name in a sea of coaches. The only thing that makes him unique is my imaginary back-story.

Here'e my challenge to EA - let us really TAKE OVER our team in dynasty mode. I've touched on this before, but give us more coach customization. Let us choose our coach's recruting style, coaching style, discipline style, personality and his ego. As long as the NCAA is ruling with an iron fist, we'll never be able to experience real college coaching. Loosen up NCAA, give us the ability to offer players cash, apartments, cars, etc etc. It goes on in real college football, let us take the risk. Of course with any risk comes a chance at being caught. Throw in NCAA sanctions and maybe, just maybe we can recruit with all the powers of a college coach.

As I stated, a team's attitude makes them who they are. We need to look no further than the 1987 Fiesta Bowl to see how much attitude play a part in the college game. The Miami Hurricanes were a brash, arrogant team. They outscored opponents 420-136 and finshed the season undefeated. The 'Canes had players like Vinny Testaverde, Brian Blade, and now HOFer Michael Irvin. When they arrived in Tempe, the team stepped off the plane in full fatigues "ready for a war." Their coach, Jimmy Johnson, built the image of his team and fit it perfectly.

Their opponent, Penn State was the antithesis of the 'Canes. Led by Joe Paterno, the team was soft-spoken, blue collar, hard nosed, and let their play do the talking. Penn State got off the plane in Tempe wearing their best suits. Although also undefeated, the Nittany Lions had done so in a much different manner, winning close games and surviving on defense. The theme of the game quickly became "Good vs. Evil."

Most of us know how the game turned out. PSU won a hard fought contest 14-10, and the game was the first sponsored bowl. It paved the way for the way football is played today. It also featured two teams with distinctly different styles feeding off of their strengths to fight for the National Title.

Just describing that game makes me think, "Could the EA do something like that?" I'm not sure. But I know it would be great to take over a team, and have a choice of styles. Want to play like the 'Canes? Give your team a lot of "Swagger" and don't rate them too high in the "Modesty" department. Couple these options with the right playbook, the right coach, and the right recruiting and you'll build the EXACT team you want. What do you think? Do you want to play with some attitude? Let me know!!