Scooter Hobbs column: Heisman hype comes to an end

Published 11:00 am Saturday, December 9, 2023

Just some random musings here while waiting to see if LSU gets its third Heisman Trophy tonight:

It’s quite an honor just to be invited to New York as one of four finalists for the presentation gala — dashing to and fro with the Big Apple at their beck and call.

Yet it’s not all playtime and wining and dining.

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It turns out that three of the four finalists for the trophy, with 15 years of college between them, presumably including some class work, were able to get a jump-start on life after football.

That’d be the three quarterbacks — Jayden Daniels of LSU, Michael Penix of Washington and Bo Nix of Oregon.

They all took a break Friday in the middle of dashing about New York.

Therein the last college audible they called included the words, “Would you like fries with that?”

So it’s not all fun and games.

All three were enlisted to work a shift at the front counter of the Raising Cane’s in Time Square, where they dished out the chicken fingers and reminded the unusually large crowds that rushed the joint, even by New York standards, that the crispy fries would be an appropriate way to finish off the order.

In the old days we’d have said that was awfully manual-type labor for a future millionaire. But with name, image and likeness riches rolling in, they probably already are flush enough, even if they had work their way in New York.

In the pictures that I saw, they all managed to keep a smile while having to sing for their supper. Daniels likely had an edge on his fellow Heisman competitors there. Raising Cane’s was born in Baton Rouge, Daniels’ portal-adopted home town.

Daniels, by the way, was seeing New York for first time and was probably surprised to learn he’d be put to work, but seemed to take it in stride. As did Nix and Penix.

The other finalist, Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., declined the offer on that field trip. That “raised” suspicions that Harrison has realized that he’s in New York as the token non-quarterback, just along for the ride.

Anyway, it’s not likely that any of their fast-food performances will have an effect on the big prize’s outcome.

According to Las Vegas, Daniels is the fairly heavy favorite going in even though he didn’t play last week, while Penix and Nix were battling out in the Pac-12 championship game. The odds went up-and-down and back-and-forth like a yo-yo during that game. But in the end, according to the odds at least, Daniels became the minus-1,400 choice, meaning a $10 wager would net you $10.71. Penix was next at plus-900, which would turn your $10 into a cool $100. If

Harrison came in, it would set you up for life.

But you’re too late to get a bet down on Daniels or anybody else.

The sports books shut down any new bets Monday afternoon once the window was closed for the 870 voters.

Makes sense, I guess. Once the voting deadline passed, I have to believe somebody — probably a technologically advanced hermit holed away in a New York alley — knew who the winner was. Somebody has to write that name on a card for the announcement.

Never mind that nobody does security quite like the sponsoring Downtown Athletic Club.

Me, I’m gray enough to remember when you filled out an index card with a ballpoint pen and trusted the U.S. Postal Service to get it to the proper authorities in New York.

Not anymore.

These days — online, of course — just to navigate all the hoops and multiple passwords you have jump through to cast a ballot, it requires you to watch a handy YouTube instructional video (in my case, multiple viewings) just to figure out the fool thing.

Did I mention that you are also sworn to secrecy that would make the Freemasons blush?

As a voter I’m forbidden by sworn oath from revealing my choices in advance — you pick 1-2-3 — and I’m not about to mess with them.

Not sure what the punishment would be. There is the threat of taking away your voting rights the following year.

Who knows? You might run the risk a sentence of a year’s time cleaning the fry cooker at Raising Cane’s.

Scooter Hobbs covers LSU athletics. Email him at scooter.hobbs@americanpress.com