For Clemson, there's urgency in dethroning Alabama dynasty
— -- When John Madden, he of video game, foot fungus and broadcasting fame, wears his Super Bowl XI ring, someone inevitably asks the former Oakland Raiders coach the same question.
"They say, 'Hey John, how come you only have the one ring?'" the Hall of Fame coach likes to explain. "I always give them the same answer. My other four are at Terry Bradshaw's house. Unfortunately, he played for the Pittsburgh Steelers."
There is no more frustrating aspect of making one's living in the sports world than a team or athlete being really, really good and knowing that they are really, really good ... but also knowing that their place on the sports history timeline just happens to coincide with another team's place on that timeline. And those other guys, they aren't merely really, really good. They are really, really great.
Just ask the 1990 to '93 Buffalo Bills (dang Cowboys!) or the 1997-98 Utah Jazz (dang MJ!) or the mid-century L.A. Dodgers (dang Yankees!) or the 2017 Clemson Tigers ... maybe.
It's tough to be the last team standing in a college football world draped in houndstooth and crimson.
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