NCAA Football New Mexico State Football

In case you hadn't noticed from all the pink themes and packaged consumer goods available, October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month (September) passed without notice, and testicular cancer only gets a week in April (and very little support from professional athletes). Everything, though, goes pink for a couple weeks in October (before the black and orange of Halloween themes reassert themselves). It also builds something of a backlash, as there is plenty of awareness but how much actual support?

Some people, schools and organizations are actually raising money and doing something beyond the easy tie-in to breast cancer awareness, like at New Mexico State last week. While everyone wanted to focus on the Aggies wearing pink socks and ribbons on the helmets, the school actually raised $230,000 for the cause. Awareness is nice, but action is far better.

The NFL is doing plenty to promote the awareness with temporary tattoos and pink Gatorade towels this weekend, but their financial support appears limited to auctioning off autographed gear and the pink Gatorade towels. (At the very least put the cheerleaders in pink outfits to help remind every straight guy why this is an important issue).

Still, that's better than others. Take the Big East, which will boldly have their football officials use pink whistles in October. Something no one will notice until pointed out by the TV crew when given the appropriate press release and cue to mention it. This smacks of little more than self-promotion than awareness. "Oooh. Look how concerned and sensitive we are to the issue. We care." It's right up there with wearing an "Amish Support" Ribbon Pin (who knew?).

It's not your typical football color, but at least it's for a good cause.

The Aggies will wear pink socks and their coaches will wear pink golf shirts for a Sept. 29 game against Arkansas-Pine Bluff in a push to raise money for breast cancer research, a cause close to coach Hal Mumme's heart.

His wife, June, was diagnosed in late 1996. She began chemotherapy treatments a few months later -- right after Mumme was hired as Kentucky's coach.

"It's a terrible disease and a lot of people have to go through it," Mumme said. "When you see what your wife is going through and what your friends are going through, what to call on third-and-9 doesn't seem that important."

The fundraising push is called "Aggies are Tough Enough to Wear Pink."

The players will wear pink ribbon stickers on their helmets and the field will be painted with large pink ribbon stencils. The marching band will wear pink, and organizers hope to sell pink T-shirts to fans in a bid to "pink out" the 30,343-capacity stadium.

Major League Baseball made a similar charitable/honorary effort this year as well.

Here's some useful trivia to amaze your friends with this week: after two weeks of play the NCAA passing leader isn't from Texas Tech. No sir. It's none other than New Mexico State's Chase Holbrook.

Who?

You know, the guy with 153 more yards than Texas Tech's Graham Harrell. Holbrook has completed 69% of his passes so far, throwing for 853 yards and six touchdowns against just one interception. Harrell is second with 718 yards and Tennessee's Erik Ainge is third with 624 yards, another 229 yards behind Holbrook.

How did this happen, you ask? Well look no further than the Aggie coach, Hal Mumme. He's the man who lifted the cobwebs off Kentucky's offense as their coach, recruited Tim Couch and started tossin' the pigskin around a little. And now he's found some success in the WAC, natch.

Holbrook is a 6'-5" sophomore, lured to New Mexico State after playing a few games with Mumme at I-AA Southeast Louisiana. Thanks to a second year running the system, the Aggie offense has taken off with Holbrook behind center after inheriting quarterbacks recruited for the previous option-based offense.

So far, the Aggies are 1-1, having defeated Southeastern Louisiana 30-15 and losing a wild one to New Mexico 34-28. In that game, Holbrook set a school record with 37 completions and threw for 472 yards with four touchdowns.

Holbrook should continue to put up huge numbers with a host of WAC defenses to prey upon. His next two games are against Texas Southern and UTEP.

Now you know.