Monday, August 17, 1998 Heisman Hype MCNOWN: UCLA pushes quarterback McNown into spotlight By Greg Lewis Daily Bruin Staff As the college football season rapidly approaches, coaches, players and fans are anticipating the start of the big race. Not the race for the Pac-10 crown or the race for the Rose Bowl. It's the contest to see who is left holding the revered trophy when the smoke finally clears. Hello, Mr. Heisman. The Heisman trophy, awarded annually in December to college football's best player, is voted on by a panel of roughly 900 media members. Members, whose identities are kept secret, are inundated every year with Heisman propaganda from sports information directors across the country. The competition by athletic departments to get the most effective promotional materials out to those who decide the Heisman trophy winner begins in the new season's infancy. It has been decades since UCLA has had a bona fide contender for the Heisman, but this year, many experts say quarterback Cade McNown has a legitimate shot. The athletic department has been working day and night to keep the hype machine in full swing. However, McNown did not build his reputation on hype. | |
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