Recast the Heisman Trophy.
   
I doubt the New York Athletic Club will listen to me but I think it’s only right. You can’t keep giving away a little trophy showing a running back in a stiff-arming pose when most of the nominees are passing quarterbacks. There should be two Heisman trophies.
 
From the year 2000, seven of eight of the last Heisman winners were quarterbacks. All of the seven suffered what has been called “the Heisman Jinx.”  If you’re a passing quarterback and you accept a trophy showing a running back… well, you’re going to be jinxed.
 
Do you need more proof? In the year 2000, besides Conan O’Brien and Andy Richter shining flashlights on their faces, Chris Weinke won the Heisman and then lost the BCS championship. But he went on to a pro career, you say? Hardly. How often do you recall him playing? The next year Eric Crouch won and then lost in the BCS championship game. But he went on to a pro career, again, you say? Last we heard, he was a fourth team QB in the Canadian League.
 
In 2002, Carson Palmer won, didn’t go to the championship game but did go to the Bengals. Have you followed what’s been going on with the Bengals? Yes, the Heisman jinx lives on. In 2003, Jason White won the Heisman, lost the championship game, never made it to the NFL. In 2004, Matt Leinart won the Heisman and did win the championship game. So now he’s starting for the Cardinals in the NFL. Oh, wait a moment, their starter is Kurt Warner.
 
In 2005, Reggie Bush won.  He’s not a quarterback, so there’s no jinx, except there is some kind of problem involving an agent and money to his parents. Oh, well, 2006 would be different when the trophy went to quarterback Troy Smith of Ohio State, right? Uh..no.. because Ohio State lost to Florida and Troy Smith hasn’t played much in the NFL.
 
Okay, then, 2007 was different because quarterback Tim Tebow won and Florida did win the championship. Well, yes, except Tebow was more a running quarterback than a passer and did use a stiff arm a lot so he more resembled the trophy pose. How, or if, he works out in the NFL is still to be seen.
 
One can argue that NO quarterback who won the Heisman since 1970 has had any kind of a career in the NFL. Palmer may be the exception except he is sitting in the football hell known as the Bengals.  Pat Sullivan (1971)? No. Doug Flutie from 1984, had a small career. Vinnie Testaverde, from 1986, had perhaps the only decent NFL career.  Andre Ware (1989), Ty Detmer (1990), Gino Torreta(1992), Charlie Ward(1993), Danny Wuerffel (1996), do you remember any of these guys? Yes, there should be two trophies, one with a passer pose to give to passing quarterbacks. After all, ALL the candidates, this year, are passing quarterbacks.  Do they really want to accept a trophy of a stiff-arming running back? I’m thinking NO!! It’s not what they do. It’s like a golfer accepting a trophy with bag-carrying pose or a holding the flagstick pose. Those trophies are for caddies. It’s the same with the Heisman. Modern it up. Even Tebow and McCoy, who run fairly often and sometimes throw stiff-arms, want to make it in the NFL. They don’t want a jinxed trophy damaging their career.
    Will the NYAC listen to us?  Even when we’re right? Doubt it.