tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36487021682600619202024-03-19T05:28:46.975-07:00The Sports BarMike Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13155707580524622593noreply@blogger.comBlogger60125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3648702168260061920.post-24093892442453483632010-06-25T10:16:00.001-07:002010-06-25T10:29:11.061-07:00NBA Draft Winners and LosersBy: Laz Jackson<br />
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Uggghhh... I need coffee, I can't feel my left arm, there's marker all over my right arm, one of my eyelids feels heavier than the other, and I don't remember a thing. It MUST have been an awesome night. The good picks, the bad picks, the awesome trades, the "scratch-your-head" trades (Babbitt and Ryan Gomes for.... Martell Webster? Huh?). It's starting to come back to me... so let's review:<br />
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<strong>Last Night/She Said/Oh Baby I Feel So Down/And I Don't Know Why: Losers of the 2010 NBA Draft</strong>:<br />
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Last night, after the first round, the losers stood as such: Golden State, the Clippers, Portland (for the first time in recent memory) and Memphis.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lazchancemsu.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/mike-dantoni.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" class="size-full wp-image-914" height="200" src="http://lazchancemsu.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/mike-dantoni.jpg" title="Hornets v Suns" width="149" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">"Is he crazy? Or is he crazy SMART? Time will tell. (Photo courtesy of Getty Images)"</span></div><br />
New York THREW themselves into the Loser category by taking a guy no one else was going to (Andy Rautins, who actually kinda fits into D'Antonio's crazy system) and a guy no one else had ever heard of. Ever. (Seriously, can someone put out an APB for a Landry Fields? He's got a couple camps in New York to go to before he heads to the D-League.)<br />
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Golden State made only one draft choice, and to my delight, they spent it on Ekpe Udoh. Udoh is by no means a terrible prospect, but Golden State already drafted this guy. Twice. (Anthony Randolph and Brendan Wright.) Not that I WANTED them to take Greg Monroe... but I'll wait for the winners section to explain that.<br />
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The Clippers? Actually, after the second round and the trade news, not as bad as I thought. Picking up Eric Bledose (my favorite PG prospect of the draft, because he might be the only one that ISN'T a combo guard) in a trade with Oklahoma City (who switched places so much, you'd think they were Bruce Chen), then picking up Willie Warren in the second round wasn't a bad way to go. They still fail, though. Because of Al-Farouq Aminu. He's exactly what they needed: a swingman who can (emphasis on CAN) shoot, defend, and rebound. But he only does ANY of these things when he wants to. If he had some excuse, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Sharpe">like narcolepsy,</a> I could see maybe drafting him. But when he's just a lazy S.O.B. who just wants to get paid? Uh-uh. He even wore the Kid Cudi glasses to the biggest day of his life. Nope. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHOJtN7hi7c">Don't believe in you, Al.</a><br />
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The Portland Trail Blazers aren't used to being in the Loser's column, but when <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=5325352">you fire your GM an HOUR before the draft, </a>he tends to be a little pissed. And so, last night, I think we got the first ever Eff-You (copyright: Bill Simmons) DRAFT. Poaching Babbitt from Minnesota wasn't a terrible move, but drafting two combo guards when the combo guard you drafted two years ago (Jerryd Bayless) still can't get any playing<br />
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<a href="http://lazchancemsu.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/kevin-pritchard.jpg"><img alt="" class="size-full wp-image-913" height="202" src="http://lazchancemsu.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/kevin-pritchard.jpg" title="kevin pritchard" width="278" /></a><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">"Fire Me? Fire ME? I BUILT THIS BUSINESS!!" (Photo Courtesy of the Portland Tribune)"</span><br />
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time because he's stuck behind your best starter and your best bench player (Brandon Roy and Rudy Fernandez, respectively) and you have another guard prospect (Patrick Mills) ready to return to the U.S.? And you needed another big man for when Greg Oden goes down? Yup... that's how you screw your boss on your way out.<br />
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Memphis, Memphis, Memphis. Replacing Rudy Gay with Xavier (pronounced Zaa-Vee-Yay, according to the illustrious Stuart Scott) Henry? (We're jogging towards it....) Trading a draft pick to a team MUCH smarter than you for straight cash? (We're sprinting full speed for it...) Drafting a 6-6 guard who's described as "the only guard in the NBA who loses a footrace to Bill Simmons"? (Yup, we just ran off the cliff of sensibility. Thank you, Chris Wallace.) Oh, and this warrants mentioning again: Greivis Vasquez? One UGLY-looking dude.<br />
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"This WAS supposed to be a picture of Greivis Vasquez's face, but I don't hate you guys that much. "<a href="http://lazchancemsu.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/blankness.jpg"><img alt="" class="size-medium wp-image-915 " height="211" src="http://lazchancemsu.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/blankness.jpg?w=300" title="blankness" width="240" /></a><br />
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<strong>The Story That's Just Begun/The Promise of What's to Come/I'ma Remain a Soldier/Until The War is Won: Winners of the 2010 NBA Draft:</strong><br />
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And last night, after the first round, my winners were the Pistons (a little bit of hometown bias, no lie), New Jersey, Oklahoma City, San Antonio, and Houston. After a bit of deliberation with the Council of One, it was determined that Oklahoma City was no longer a "winner" because no one could keep track of all the crap they did. So we are appointing Indiana to replace them after Indy made two good picks (Paul George in the first, who should provide offense off the bench as well as a potential replacement for Danny Granger, and Lance Stephenson, who's main problem is being able to score while taking stupid shots. Not a bad problem to have) and traded their WTF pick to... Oklahoma City!<br />
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Detroit had the second no-brainer pick of the draft at #7. (No-brainer #1 being John<br />
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"Cue Me doing Laps around my basement. (Photo Courtesy of Getty Images)"<a href="http://lazchancemsu.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/greg-monroe-draft.jpg"><img alt="" class="size-medium wp-image-916" height="300" src="http://lazchancemsu.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/greg-monroe-draft.jpg?w=300" title="Greg Monroe Draft" width="300" /></a><br />
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Wall.) Greg Monroe, a big man described as the best passer in the draft (not the best-passing big man, the best passer PERIOD.) who can play on the perimeter AND with his back to the basket, has a high basketball IQ, can rebound, and ISN'T a headcase? Yes please. I literally ran laps around my basement with happiness when they made this pick. I tweeted it last night, and I still stand by this: This is Joe D's best draft pick. Not Tay. Not Stuckey. This guy right here.<br />
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New Jersey got the most athletic big man in the draft (Derrick Favors) to pair with their already-rock-steady big man Brook Lopez. Favors reminds me of Amare', the way he gets to the rim without regard for human life and finishes when he gets there. I'd say that's a good pick. But New Jersey also managed to snag Damion James out of Texas, a classic 'tweener because of his height (6'8) and his perimeter game. He'll give them energy off the bench and potentially replace the departed Chris Douglass-Roberts. With these two assets (Favors, in particular, is EXCELLENT trade bait) the Nets also set themselves up nicely for the upcoming free-agent period.<br />
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San Antonio, magically, like they always seem to, found an NBA-ready player in the<br />
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"HOW does San Antonio always seem to get NBA-ready guys? (Photo Courtesy of ESPN)"<a href="http://lazchancemsu.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/james-anderson.jpg"><img alt="" class="size-medium wp-image-917 " height="270" src="http://lazchancemsu.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/james-anderson.jpg?w=266" title="james anderson" width="239" /></a><br />
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latter half of the first round in James Anderson. An NBA-ready scorer who has good height for his position (a 6'6 shooting guard), Anderson can shoot, get to the line, and even rebound a little. How these guys always seem to fall to the Spurs I'll never understand, but I'll always appreciate how they never miss these guys. San Antonio also got a workout warrior with potential (Ryan Richards) in the second, but their main steal is Anderson.<br />
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Houston only had one pick in this draft, but they made it count by taking Patrick Patterson, aka "Younger, Better Carl Landry, whom we traded not six months ago". Houston GM Daryl Morey just perpetuates the idea that he's one of the smartest GM's in the league with picks like this. Patterson is taller than Landry, has a bit more range, and passes better, but is less of a banger. Patterson will be given every opportunity to reach his full potential in Houston's "Everybody is an option" offense.<br />
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So there you have it, the Winners and Losers of the 2010 NBA Draft. Got a gripe? Think I missed something? Didn't insult the Timberwolves enough for your taste? Tell me about it the comments below! Oh and you get a bonus prize if you identify which songs both the lead-ins come from. Until the next time we meet, C'est La Vie.<br />
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<em>Lazarus Jackson is a writer and connoisseur of pro and college sports, especially Detroit-area pro teams. You can contact him at <a href="http://mail.google.com/">lazchancemsu@gmail.com</a> or on Twitter at <a href="http://twitter.com/lazchance">twitter.com/lazchance.</a> Read his work at <a href="http://lazchancemsu.wordpress.com/">lazchancemsu.wordpress.com</a><br />
</em>Mike Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13155707580524622593noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3648702168260061920.post-78672559624087049702010-06-24T23:28:00.000-07:002010-06-24T23:48:29.049-07:00The Nightcap: Cuz it feels so right<object height="385" width="640"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/eIGIAh2GTOA&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xd0d0d0&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/eIGIAh2GTOA&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xd0d0d0&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="640" height="385"></embed></object><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Just when you thought you couldn't get enough vuvu in your life</div><br />
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- I have been trying to deflect from acknowledging any sort of r<a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=5317801">umor that involves Chris Paul getting traded from the New Orleans Hornets</a>. This is one of the biggest mistakes any franchise in any sport could make. I know, I know they are only rumors but the fact that it has even been brought in within the Hornets inner circle is enough for me to roll my eyes. There is no way Paul is going anywhere, and if New Orleans could afford it, I am sure they would lock him up to a blockbuster deal. Even though the NBA has had a renaissance of new superstars step into the limelight in recent years, dealing Paul would not only be ridding the team of the best point guard in the league, but would be ripping the heart and soul out of the franchise. Backup point guard Darren Collison played very well last season while filling in for Paul while he was injured, but there is just no way the Hornets could ever get equal value for a player like Paul. There is just no two ways about it. New Orleans needs Chris Paul around for a long time. <br />
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- Bobby Valentine and his porn 'stache disguises are apparently on the verge of returning to baseball. <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=5325157">The Florida Marlins are prepared to make him the next manager of the team. </a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp1BaVqsYPKfMZPwJQWnFOXX3hispfOhYU82GyzimPfocM2qtgQ2nKGFqvFQ3rq4ZyeewXffaqH7RcWog4kSVpJPbYs83R8kedGEVoeoq-nEKPGgCeCzeGuyoXKL7w4K_RFE3eFpatSR-V/s1600/bobby_valentine_fake_mustache.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp1BaVqsYPKfMZPwJQWnFOXX3hispfOhYU82GyzimPfocM2qtgQ2nKGFqvFQ3rq4ZyeewXffaqH7RcWog4kSVpJPbYs83R8kedGEVoeoq-nEKPGgCeCzeGuyoXKL7w4K_RFE3eFpatSR-V/s200/bobby_valentine_fake_mustache.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />
- The NBA draft happened tonight. Laz Jackson wrote up a great live blog of the event that can be found <a href="http://lazchancemsu.wordpress.com/2010/06/24/the-2010-nba-draft/">here</a>. The Sacramento Kings have got to love snagging DeMarcus Cousins with the 5th pick. He could be Rookie of the Year in 2011. I don't really want to hear about maturity issues just yet. He is 19 years old, of course there are maturity issues. He possesses all of the physical attributes that could make him a beast for the Kings for years to come. Only time will tell.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgroKhhHC9_3eBhKCSTehDGB3UCmKFyN1zWXr3oQ6DzXc5esokap-Ib2JSSGC0v-f0u1CUQ4RHZElPkhWqKkoEnz0QLyIJPay8kEx5zQo7Yql7oPMSnyV1Yzv5ZrmO19VGuAb1KsAWj3lNc/s1600/PicImg_Albert_Haynesworth_Signs_712c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgroKhhHC9_3eBhKCSTehDGB3UCmKFyN1zWXr3oQ6DzXc5esokap-Ib2JSSGC0v-f0u1CUQ4RHZElPkhWqKkoEnz0QLyIJPay8kEx5zQo7Yql7oPMSnyV1Yzv5ZrmO19VGuAb1KsAWj3lNc/s200/PicImg_Albert_Haynesworth_Signs_712c.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>- Redskins defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth stepped his game up and told his team he will be present once mandatory camps open up here very shortly. The fact that his presence was even in question is both sickening and disheartening. A year ago Haynesworth signed a contract for 7-years and $100 million with an NFL-record $41 million in guaranteed money. A humongous contract for a defensive tackle who himself has had trouble playing at a high level on a consistent basis. Now, the Washington Redskins will be changing the scheme of their defense this season-moving from a 4-3 to a 3-4 and thus putting more pressure on Haynesworth to shoulder much of the defensive load while fighting off constant double and triple teams. This didnt sit well with the big fella and there were reports that he would not attend camp. On top of that, the new Mike Shanahan regime in D.C is already looking to deal Haynesworth and his massive contract. My two-cents? SHUT THE F**K UP AND PLAY. YOU JUST GOT $41 MILLLLLLLLL. 4-3? 3-4? 1-6? WHO CARES. Whatever happened to athletes actually being...well, athletes.<br />
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- I was watching Any Given Sunday over at a friends house today and a few things came to mind since I hadn't seen it in years. I do like the movie. I think it was one of the first movies to really dive into many of the things that go on behind the locker room doors. Of course it was highly exaggerated as only Hollywood knows how to do, but for the most part it does a good job. However, this film has some of the worst cuts of unnecessary male dong scenes ever. What genius thought that putting so much visible locker room dong in a movie marketed to MEN would be a good idea. I dunno, I just didn't remember there being so many times I had to look away before...maybe I am just used to the made for TV version. It's just too awkward...and no ladies, it is NOT the same as seeing female nudity in films. Not even close.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2KvcVfd4j5ZM4UKfyLijUov0yoo8hwSM0kFjAk8TKMyPdfYUOv2PZf6dHEdGlqtAJCJznxm8vonCc97WFk916UTqMp9akYffzqhITPQn2G-valXiR6RhHDywGrXQrfCLiSYs9wm_75ZYL/s1600/500x_120238381-a7d3eaf515092f61bd952cc2d73b4bb3.4c23b238-full.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2KvcVfd4j5ZM4UKfyLijUov0yoo8hwSM0kFjAk8TKMyPdfYUOv2PZf6dHEdGlqtAJCJznxm8vonCc97WFk916UTqMp9akYffzqhITPQn2G-valXiR6RhHDywGrXQrfCLiSYs9wm_75ZYL/s320/500x_120238381-a7d3eaf515092f61bd952cc2d73b4bb3.4c23b238-full.jpg" /></a></div>- Bill Clinton still knows how to get down. Tippin a few back with Team USA after their World Cup victory is something we should all be able to embrace. Let's just hope there were no cigars around...or blue dresses...or interns....<br />
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-Whatever we want. Whenever we want it. The Nightcap.<br />
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-MJKMike Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13155707580524622593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3648702168260061920.post-5330630572940009692010-06-18T19:36:00.000-07:002010-06-18T19:38:29.073-07:00The Lakers Held It Down. The Rest Is Now History.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Vx0xhrEhNH88hubrgZrqIQ643JwOvtvdKy86blkXIWffAPennYTGw2P77Nt5ReTUDXSn88cS0myELP6KSaQoJVkDy3zqq1dTLN5_i8maG2Z7R36j0XLk2bwggBzzGLU-RFM3GtiDG3tm/s1600/54371797.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Vx0xhrEhNH88hubrgZrqIQ643JwOvtvdKy86blkXIWffAPennYTGw2P77Nt5ReTUDXSn88cS0myELP6KSaQoJVkDy3zqq1dTLN5_i8maG2Z7R36j0XLk2bwggBzzGLU-RFM3GtiDG3tm/s320/54371797.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Even when they trailed 3-2, the series was always within arms length for the Lake Show</span></div><div><br />
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By: David Washington<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">Two very evenly matched teams played a closely contested game last night and managed to create a sports atmosphere that rivaled even a Superbowl. The Lakers-Caltics rivalry was back in full force. The intensity of a Game 7 was relevant throughout, but the mood that was created seemed to peak late in the fourth quarter. The Lakers had been trailing the Celtics for the majority of the game, when Los Angeles began surging back. Slowly but surely, the familiar chants of “MVP” began to ring throughout the Staples Center as Kobe Bryant began to do what he does best, take control of the game. Sure, his shooting night was extremely poor, but a true champion never stops trying to find a way to contribute. His 15 free throw attempts helped to force four Celtics players into foul trouble. His 15 rebounds put him only second to Pau Gasol for the game. And his defense, though immeasurable by any numerical stat, was stifling. Managing to dominate a game without having a hot shooting hand? Sounds like a champ to me.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> With the win, Kobe’s name will once again be thrown around by fans, players, and analysts alike as they try to decide who the greatest basketball players of all time are. Sure, four championship rings was nothing to scoff at. Hell, few players can even claim to have been to the NBA finals, never mind win four rings. But, because Kobe was wearing the Purple and Gold of the Los Angeles Lakers, just four is never good enough. What Kobe needed as a stamp on his Hall of Fame Laker career was something that all the Lakers greats had, a win over the Boston Celtics. A daunting task, considering the fact that the Celtics feature three surefire hall of famers in Allen, Garnett, and Pierce as well as one of great young point guards in the NBA in Rajon Rondo. With the recent injury troubles of Lakers Center Andrew Bynum, the quest to beat the Celtics got even harder. But Bryant managed to pull through and win it all in one of the most memorable Finals of recent history. Does this make him the greatest Laker, or even (dare I say it) the greatest player of all time? I say not yet. But there’s a key word there, “yet”. I’m sure that by the end of his career, Kobe will have firmly secured his name as, at the very least, equal to names like “Magic” and “Kareem”. Will Mr. Bryant be able to surpass Jordan? That’s still uncertain, but even the consideration of being on par with MJ is an accomplishment that few people though any man would be able to achieve. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> There’s a multitude of other stories that have emerged from this NBA finals other than Kobe’s assertion as one of the most dominant players of NBA history. First of all, will Phil Jackson retire, firmly secured as the greatest pro basketball coach of all time? Will Doc Rivers take a break from coaching so that he can spend time with his family? What about the Big Three? are they officially “too old” and “finished”? How about Ron Artest finally getting that hard fought piece of jewelry into his much deserving hands. “Queensbridge’s Finest” has long been considered one of the best defensive players in the game, but his somewhat illogical and irrational behavior (see “The Malice at the Palace”) has often kept GMs away from him as the key ingredient on their potentially championship winning team. However, in a bold offseason move, the Lakers acquired Artest through free agency and marketed “Tru Warrior” as the missing ingredient for a repeat. Finally, the talented but unpredictable Artest was getting his chance on a championship caliber team. And now that he had been given the opportunity, Ron-Ron wasn’t about to let it pass him up. He cemented his legacy with an excellent NBA finals performance that could’ve won MVP on a team that didn’t sport a future legend (I’m speaking of Kobe of course). His defense was on point and, though he took a few errant shots here and there, his shooting was often clutch when the Lakers needed him to step up his game the most. Almost as important was Artest’s emotional control, as he was able to contain himself and refrain from picking up an abundance of technical’s during the series. And with that Ron Artest cemented his legacy on the game. Other than the aforementioned Bryant and Jackson, and perhaps Pau Gasol, there is no one that deserves more credit for this championship than Artest.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Kobe Bryant’s resume as a Lakers legend and one of the greatest to play the game strengthened. Ron Artest finally got his much deserved championship ring. And the sport of basketball gets to put on a premiere series that not only excited avid basketball fans, but was able to draw in many others that don’t frequently watch as well. This will surely make the 2010 NBA finals a series to remember. In closing, I’d like to point out that there are few cities that know how to celebrate a championship like LA (which is probably a good thing because we can only afford to divert so much police attention to stop championship induced riots). Almost as entertaining to watch as the game itself, LA fans celebrations often result in the destruction of thousands of dollars of property damage. But if there was one championship to celebrate like a madman, this would be the one. Hard fought Game 7 wins over your most hated rivals only come every once in a while. So party on Lakers fans, party on. You deserve it. </div>Mike Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13155707580524622593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3648702168260061920.post-66649348039559564482010-06-17T14:44:00.000-07:002010-06-17T15:16:17.702-07:00Why This Game 7 Will Be More Than Just A Game<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRPEB9VWRqYdnUSZ2-dmOh0oKHm4Wc7wmlE7Tkm0tqHk1MFvT9CEM98HffX2M5co-o9GZDz4hbCthBcIb-qn-ilESwQKmBESGd5olG0cFWKXuawtxsQnkzhD8B7k8LmVyG5XyvRJJdylOb/s1600/lakers_celtics_game3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRPEB9VWRqYdnUSZ2-dmOh0oKHm4Wc7wmlE7Tkm0tqHk1MFvT9CEM98HffX2M5co-o9GZDz4hbCthBcIb-qn-ilESwQKmBESGd5olG0cFWKXuawtxsQnkzhD8B7k8LmVyG5XyvRJJdylOb/s320/lakers_celtics_game3.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Its hard for many of us to look back to the days when Bird and Magic saved the NBA, which is why this chapter of the Celtics-Lakers rivalry should mean more to us as current fans of the league. <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Why this Game 7 will be more than just a game:</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">By: MJK</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvU4mzftJEF6K4tzjxa9VJjYPOxiVRihqMy0kly3M66U9dJ45VSkWM1YDZMTGTMC1kL2VtbsSzfNWa3Xoyiw0MW046drlnakqpZuYSojQSHwBgyrS3cV8eri7ZaLejoizrv1NUEKEXQSZ7/s1600/larry-bird-and-magic-johnson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvU4mzftJEF6K4tzjxa9VJjYPOxiVRihqMy0kly3M66U9dJ45VSkWM1YDZMTGTMC1kL2VtbsSzfNWa3Xoyiw0MW046drlnakqpZuYSojQSHwBgyrS3cV8eri7ZaLejoizrv1NUEKEXQSZ7/s200/larry-bird-and-magic-johnson.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">-</span></span></span>There is no Magic Johnson or Larry Bird. No Bob Cousy or Elgin Baylor. No Bill Russell or Jerry West. What we are witnessing now is a Lakers-Celtics rivalry that is fit for our generation. The game has changed as much as the players. In twenty years it will be this and the 2008 (and any future) series that we will reminisce on.</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">-</span></span></span>A 5<sup>th</sup> ring for Kobe will only further enhance his resume for not just the greatest player in the NBA today, but for the Greatest of All Time. Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and ____________ <--(insert name here) enthusiasts need not apply. Its something to think about. </div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">-</span></span></span>A Celtics victory will give the franchise its 18<sup>th</sup> championship, most in the NBA. The Lakers? Just behind them. A win for the Lake Show will push their total to 16, just one behind the C’s. </div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpNOtLVrYds7LRp0pSmDI4McvborUNpqOLEnYoYIVr3s0RXOcMhbQXWaib039yvMpcnmyxNjqL8wylPsivPj3m5ycqPhH043S76__2wayIWMHiYrDqpTKSz1_6KBSQnH6DINY1ALqYubGY/s1600/beetlepierce.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="117" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpNOtLVrYds7LRp0pSmDI4McvborUNpqOLEnYoYIVr3s0RXOcMhbQXWaib039yvMpcnmyxNjqL8wylPsivPj3m5ycqPhH043S76__2wayIWMHiYrDqpTKSz1_6KBSQnH6DINY1ALqYubGY/s200/beetlepierce.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">-</span></span></span>The collection of nicknames that are being repped in this series is one for the history books. Try to keep pace now: The Black Mamba, The Candy Man, Ron-Ron or Queensbridge or Tru Warrior, The Big Ticket, The Machine, Jesus Shuttlesworth, The Truth or Beetlejuice, and Big Baby amongst others. Only if we could get the commentators to call games like this. “Shuttlesworth misses the three, Tru Warrior with the board. Mamba pushes the ball up court, passes the ball back to Ron-Ron who spots up and SINKS THE THREE!…SAY QUEENSBRIDGE!!”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/YtS-IPGjrKQ&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/YtS-IPGjrKQ&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSOOcFc6JPi3797F6pbNMFCRlJBrVSN-JAcPQhVM0DRrhG7CZN1mtOET7ylq4iSGBbccifVdTRV5kldMfiDPEbjqtLDAMrPRjntzSQOvpCnO1ZKAzinj3E7kF2KzP6fqGGiA1FR11hh2r9/s1600/Phil+Jackson+poses+with+his+hat+and+holds+up+10+fingers+to+signify+his+10+NBA+championships.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSOOcFc6JPi3797F6pbNMFCRlJBrVSN-JAcPQhVM0DRrhG7CZN1mtOET7ylq4iSGBbccifVdTRV5kldMfiDPEbjqtLDAMrPRjntzSQOvpCnO1ZKAzinj3E7kF2KzP6fqGGiA1FR11hh2r9/s200/Phil+Jackson+poses+with+his+hat+and+holds+up+10+fingers+to+signify+his+10+NBA+championships.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">-</span> </span></span>Rumors have been running rampant about the futures of both coaches. Just yesterday Phil Jackson came out and said that he did not know if he had another run in him after this season. If he departs (which I doubt he will) it will be goodbye to the greatest basketball coach of the modern era. Say what you will. Even if he does leave, I think he comes back to coach for another team somewhere down the line. Doc Rivers has been heard mentioning that he also doesn’t know what life beyond this season holds. Rivers is only 48 years old and has said that he would like to spend more time with his family in Orlando. He obviously could revisit coaching a few years down the road. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4X5p9p4AmQV3YmRdI7N4NFbAttThF5W59RG2cv0izFeNRCfwlN1F8o_GlS6GT-Ux2tvon_fIYXBje42qfbxOBm1Uc8srXTElUSmjz8lbW3EGAPzIChAjTmyeJKQ7PAASCHlVBfm0MkvIi/s1600/kevin+garnett+championship.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4X5p9p4AmQV3YmRdI7N4NFbAttThF5W59RG2cv0izFeNRCfwlN1F8o_GlS6GT-Ux2tvon_fIYXBje42qfbxOBm1Uc8srXTElUSmjz8lbW3EGAPzIChAjTmyeJKQ7PAASCHlVBfm0MkvIi/s200/kevin+garnett+championship.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">-</span> </span></span>The strength of vindication: No matter what happens to the Celtics tonight, you have to tip your cap. Coming into this seasons playoff run, the Cavaliers and Magic seemed to be the best bets to make the finals out of the East. Many had written the team off as old and inconsistent. Well, with the <a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/ball_dont_lie/post/Doc-Rivers-hides-2600-in-the-Staples-Center-cei?urn=nba,245661">help of some sneaky motivational techniques</a>…they find themselves one win away from a title.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJZuvdi2T-ptNEqrY6ziCgQlc6yHZS-sfRA7eDeZ9PaTsqJnWkjNXVMae6mJew-X07MZmbJ_pa8QERvtA14KM-JzH_2alKm-Vjwz7MV0V0iuEPcmch3GfST5vxEwUI7syfTYM-58wIj7ap/s1600/artesthair.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJZuvdi2T-ptNEqrY6ziCgQlc6yHZS-sfRA7eDeZ9PaTsqJnWkjNXVMae6mJew-X07MZmbJ_pa8QERvtA14KM-JzH_2alKm-Vjwz7MV0V0iuEPcmch3GfST5vxEwUI7syfTYM-58wIj7ap/s200/artesthair.jpg" width="166" /></a><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">-</span></span></span>Throughout the Lakers Game 6 blowout victory it seemed as though Ron Artest and Kobe could have played 5-on-2. During much of the first half, these two played defense that obviously stifled the Celtics. Everywhere you watched it was one of the two making hustle play after hustle play. Now we all know what Kobe brings to the table. But if Mr. Ron-Ron can step up one more time it could be a long night for Boston fans. Hate him or love him…Ron Artest IS the X-Factor in this game. The Lakers don’t need six-3 pointers from him, just six made shots at a decent percentage. Remember, Artest is still trying to prove that the Lakers swap from Trevor Ariza was the right move to make. Well, Ariza has his ring….will Queensbridge’s finest get his?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">-</span></span></span>Not to stray too far away from Game 6…it will be interesting to see how the Lakers will come out. Game 6 was impressive, no doubt….but that was just about as bad as it gets for Boston and as good as it gets for L.A. Let’s not forget. In 2008 when the Celtics came out in Game 6 and threw down the hammer on the Lake Show and the rest as they say is history. I think the Lakers will take this game home, but if they don’t watch their back- the wiley Celtics could just as easily put them on their backs one more time. Momentum may be one of the most over-used and over-rated terms in sports. That being said, I wouldn’t want to see any of it wasted on a Game 6 that was over before half time. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn1En74lWxAswCeJPjCYH3ZcvBuSKR-xjNGd253cXSy7sk-7z0yJjr3NaZGKuE8-cu8RahwhskNhu_8GnzuvzDhmJIboYia2IBGv13cWXrTsXFcUfR7bUUn4TKpY5Y_xRm2E7yBb0XllZz/s1600/bynum.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn1En74lWxAswCeJPjCYH3ZcvBuSKR-xjNGd253cXSy7sk-7z0yJjr3NaZGKuE8-cu8RahwhskNhu_8GnzuvzDhmJIboYia2IBGv13cWXrTsXFcUfR7bUUn4TKpY5Y_xRm2E7yBb0XllZz/s320/bynum.jpg" /></a></div><div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">-</span></span></span>Which team will be able to overcome the lack of a big man? Boston center Kendrick Perkins is out after hurting his knee in Game 6 and Lakers center Andrew Bynum’s injured knee has been much chronicled. Boston will have to adjust some of its in-game strategy, but lets be honest….we are talking about Kendrick Perkins. A big body who can snag rebounds, but its not Shaq in his prime. The Lakers may be less equipped with a hampered Bynum, but they are much more prepared since Bynum has been going through this injury for most of the postseason. <br />
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- There have only been four NBA Finals Game 7's in the past thirty-years. The Celtics are a perfect 8-0 in Finals Game 7's dating back to 1957. Four of those wins have come against the Lakers. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">-</span></span></span>Mamba and the depth of the Lakers versus the Big Three. Should be one for the ages. Just remember, this rivalry is writing history all over again. Everyone in my generation is about to experience a Lakers-Celtics NBA Finals Game 7 for the very first time. Lets sit back and enjoy what should be a terrific game. <br />
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</div><div class="MsoListParagraph"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5g93GTNk4SAmGTo03-OnKsNloDxb4VM2_co1Wl1K_X3ECL2YyFsjU-ti2erciRrF3pp7twZtD-stSDc7DEMesemN8rBNXSRPrBjvqNQtgefknm0hbVdqqLxFOMibFw6F4BuBdWi0_Qwxi/s1600/lakers.celtics.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5g93GTNk4SAmGTo03-OnKsNloDxb4VM2_co1Wl1K_X3ECL2YyFsjU-ti2erciRrF3pp7twZtD-stSDc7DEMesemN8rBNXSRPrBjvqNQtgefknm0hbVdqqLxFOMibFw6F4BuBdWi0_Qwxi/s320/lakers.celtics.jpg" /></a></div><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDKF_fQP4sZ7vxiCkWQXTXBOGMrdxdBAO2LGKcOoXkTKvlCmBVPivgcx02K2QNQQsYM1d_dS9nir2MYPyidMSeGWwUYXLs8YlTS02iMreBmIKHHZalRXmUM2NIVGPo3h1Q3Fsw0OPE-QK4/s1600/xinsrc_1920605181343906372313.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDKF_fQP4sZ7vxiCkWQXTXBOGMrdxdBAO2LGKcOoXkTKvlCmBVPivgcx02K2QNQQsYM1d_dS9nir2MYPyidMSeGWwUYXLs8YlTS02iMreBmIKHHZalRXmUM2NIVGPo3h1Q3Fsw0OPE-QK4/s200/xinsrc_1920605181343906372313.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />
</div>Mike Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13155707580524622593noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3648702168260061920.post-85695616178748174722010-06-13T12:41:00.000-07:002010-06-13T12:50:14.060-07:00USC Has A Long Ways to Go Before they Become Relevant Again<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu4yKbMMuSKhtWgYz9y1Lq6nOHzGF8xbmCID85v2WAd3HxUc_hKCIE7oTKFo-t_WH56Qx-r7WtT3HADqT-OVfvVuYRZjqCSTgOjf4AKJV4kYVdifKE9YFj-cQ5NpoIKklKy8dqm8lQSVW9/s1600/1587455.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu4yKbMMuSKhtWgYz9y1Lq6nOHzGF8xbmCID85v2WAd3HxUc_hKCIE7oTKFo-t_WH56Qx-r7WtT3HADqT-OVfvVuYRZjqCSTgOjf4AKJV4kYVdifKE9YFj-cQ5NpoIKklKy8dqm8lQSVW9/s320/1587455.jpg" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The state of USC football is certainly up in the air after a harsh NCAA ruling</span><br />
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</span></div><div style="text-align: left;">By: David Washington</div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal">It was obvious that there was going to be some NCAA violations with the recruitment and handling of former USC running back Reggie Bush. The college football community was certain that there would be some sort sanctions against the Pac 10 powerhouse. But, rather than merely giving the Trojans a sharp reprimand or a slap on the wrist, the NCAA threw the book at the storied program and banned them from postseason play for 2 years AND took away 30 scholarships (10 per year for the next three years). That’s like expecting to be grounded for a week and instead being sent to military school. So was the NCAA too harsh, or did the punishment fit the crime? And how will this affect the future of Trojan and Pac 10 football?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYDjxn_Ed7GPdNsrv2nslWmcs6rECySNBvqOtSzYNcFYLuc5Rpp0BJg3M9Fq9xVkIj6pp0rcvSneOiIVgFAnc5v2rr9svqPlD_-9ZYaWQgSJG_iUUdvQ-pyHoVrvJFIxVP3T5HosdkSI9k/s1600/539w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYDjxn_Ed7GPdNsrv2nslWmcs6rECySNBvqOtSzYNcFYLuc5Rpp0BJg3M9Fq9xVkIj6pp0rcvSneOiIVgFAnc5v2rr9svqPlD_-9ZYaWQgSJG_iUUdvQ-pyHoVrvJFIxVP3T5HosdkSI9k/s200/539w.jpg" width="200" /></a>The term “student athlete” has been a joke for many years at schools with major athletic programs. These athletes are often recruited using illegal methods. Bribery is not an uncommon tool, andspecial treatment is commonplace simply because of their physical ability. To make matters even worse, many of the star athletes have failed to complete their roles as a student, and they are still given unfair advantages. Though USC has the two highest profile faux “student athletes” in recent memory with both the OJ Mayo and Reggie Bush scandals, there are quite a few others that have occurred in recent years. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Alabama was recently caught in a textbook scandal and was forced to vacate three years worth of victories. Florida State’s whole athletic department was put under a microscope when it was found that athletes in 10 different sports were caught cheating in an online music history class. Oklahoma was recently sanctioned for “failing to monitor” their players employment and allowing players to receive money from an outside source simply because of their status on the football team. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Though all these violations were punished, none were as severe as the one that USC had handed down. Perhaps this is because the Trojans have so often been suspected of violating NCAA rules or because USC and Reggie Bush denied all allegations of wrongful activity. Another logical, though unfair, reason for the harsh sanctions is that the NCAA simply hopes to make an example out of USC. By showing other institutions how much it will cost them if they continue to break rules then they will be punished in a manner that will affect their program for years to come. Not exactly the fairest scenario for USC. However, if that’s what it takes to put the honorable term “student” back into the “student athlete,” than so be it. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Needless to say, the biggest question still remains: “How will the sanctions affect USC football?” Only time will tell, but it is easy to speculate anything from a two year break from the national title picture to an eternal irrelevance. Realistically, the outcome will most certainly reside somewhere in the middle. If you look back to the most recent event that compares to the Trojans current plight is that of the Alabama Crimson Tide in 2002 and 2003. After being accused of 11 violations, the Crimson Tide were banned from postseason play in college football for three years. Though this didn’t destroy the program, it certainly damaged them and caused them to go 43-33 (a downright embarrassing record for a college football powerhouse) between 2002 and 2007. The team went on to win the National Championship just this past season. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP536Q5zbJb0Vyqpt_hocoqe-_vH34lBEFAh9UyfsorpnvMGBT5FsA7AHL9ECYWm2HRU2X_6a8Zs1iY6GiSlosF5Y_pgPdYdp5BSmnKREJZfQwVbs4m43Ym2pXJIpcNFdL7JlaRnGohL88/s1600/usc-570x380.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP536Q5zbJb0Vyqpt_hocoqe-_vH34lBEFAh9UyfsorpnvMGBT5FsA7AHL9ECYWm2HRU2X_6a8Zs1iY6GiSlosF5Y_pgPdYdp5BSmnKREJZfQwVbs4m43Ym2pXJIpcNFdL7JlaRnGohL88/s200/usc-570x380.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">USC fans should expect the fate of their program to go something similar to that of Alabama, but on a slightly larger scale due to contributing factors that are out of USC’s control. With the Pac 10’s almost assured expansion to the Pac 16 (along with the rise of schools like Cal, UCLA, Oregon, and Oregon State), USC’s recruiting would’ve already suffered without the sanctions. Now, with 2 years of bowl free football in the Coliseum, many top tier recruits will avoid the Trojans like the plague and instead aim for one of the other big name schools in the conference (which will soon include Texas, Oklahoma, and other Big 12 Powerhouses). The Trojans should expect more than 5 years to pass before they even challenge for a BCS title and the damned-before-it-began Lane Kiffin era of USC football will be ugly to watch and short lived.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">So I’m sorry Trojan fans but, because of more reasons than simply the sanctions. USC football will never be the same. Never again will the cardinal and gold of the Trojans dominate college football as it did back in the days of Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush. Never again will dozens new four and five star recruits charge into the Coliseum and marvel at the arena that they will be allowed to showcase their skills.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">You’ve had a good run, but It’s over. </div></div>Mike Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13155707580524622593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3648702168260061920.post-89607952465491924762010-06-12T10:55:00.000-07:002010-06-12T10:55:49.282-07:00The Scene in East Lansing<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"></span><br />
<div><b><u>Tom Izzo Meets with MSU Basketball Players: Friday, June 11</u></b></div><div><b><u><br />
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</u></b></div><div> </div><div><b>By Nick Kowalski</b></div><div> </div><div>News trucks associated with Fox 2, Channel 4, and Channel 7 were ready to pounce - to be the first to speak with the coveted MSU head basketball coach Tom Izzo as he emerged from the Breslin Center, the site of an impromptu meeting between school officials and players.</div><div> </div><div>Since I knew a story could break at any moment, I camped out in the Breslin Center parking lot for about an hour. My goal was to be there if and when something news-worthy were to leak from the mouth of a key staff member or the horse himself. Dressed in a suit and tie, I figured my attire would help me blend in, if need be. Afterall, I <i>am</i> an independent news/blog writer.</div><div> </div><div>Pen and paper in hand, I approached the entrance of the home of the Spartans' basketball team. I had heard that a 'vigil' was held on Izzo's behalf on Thursday; after noticing an array of flowers, burnt-out candles, and homemade signs reading "Just Say... NO to Cleveland" and "Please Stay, Izzo," I am convinced that a legitimate service was in fact held by concerned students and alumni for the feared-to-be-departing, god-like college basketball icon.</div><div> </div><div>*PRIMARY SOURCE NEWS*</div><div> </div><div>Upon arrival, I asked Fox 2 News sports reporter Jennifer "Hammer" Hammond, who was on-site awaiting news from the closed-door meeting, if the news conference had yet happened or if it were scheduled. "No word of a news conference. There's a player meeting right now inside. Did you know about that?" said Hammond, treating me like a fellow news reporter (and rightfully so!). I also chatted with Hammond's cameraman, who told me that there was "no news conference." Channel 4 sportscaster Katrina Handcock, along with a news reporter with Channel 7, rounded out the Detroit media trio.</div><div> </div><div>A few minutes went by, and then a couple of players left the building, heading toward the parking lot. The two players appeared to be laughing with one another - not the mood typical of a somber gathering of coaches and players. Above all else, this stood out to me, potentially signaling that Izzo would remain in East Lansing. One of the players was sophomore center Derrick Nix, who walked out with another player that I did not recognize. From a distance, I heard Hammond say something to Nix, followed by a brief reply. As Nix was climbing into the passenger seat of what appeared to be a Hummer H2, I asked him what took place in the meeting. In response to a pressing inquiry, Nix told me that "nothing" was said regarding Izzo's future with the team. Nix said that the players "got [their] Big Ten rings," as the team earned a share of the conference title this past season, during the meeting - and that was that. </div><div> </div><div>I spent some more time just outside of the Breslin, with the handful of Detroit network news reporters, cameramen, and personnel, hoping that Izzo or a representative from the school would issue a bombshell statement for better or worse. At one point, two MSU Police cars entered the parking lot, which led me to believe that something important was about to occur - but no dice. By the time 4:35 had rolled around, nothing new had happened, aside from a couple of gentleman who were dropped off and immediately entered the building, only expressing to the media that they "[could] not talk today." The vehicle that the two men arrived in took off with a player who left the Breslin - a two-for-one swap. I departed the vicinity shortly thereafter.</div><div> </div><div>It has since been announced that Izzo will hold a news conference tomorrow, presumably to address his future at MSU and with the Cleveland Cavaliers</div>Mike Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13155707580524622593noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3648702168260061920.post-12179502933358580202010-06-12T10:39:00.000-07:002010-06-12T10:41:56.825-07:00The Nightcap<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;"></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6nOnRmlI54DxexwC0iDS7KPytocP35cdgsYbWKz7gWlRcTDTmYCvq-AvEXAoouirBvCvGDa53ZxG2pz1pOg2ACUtsXQDzO0682epUlrYKl31xlrwvQ-oZZu2zfK-_nWe5bEq142JzXDL-/s1600/large_usa_world_cup_mexico.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6nOnRmlI54DxexwC0iDS7KPytocP35cdgsYbWKz7gWlRcTDTmYCvq-AvEXAoouirBvCvGDa53ZxG2pz1pOg2ACUtsXQDzO0682epUlrYKl31xlrwvQ-oZZu2zfK-_nWe5bEq142JzXDL-/s320/large_usa_world_cup_mexico.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;">Apparently, the Lakers are synonymous with Team USA</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;"><br />
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</span></span></div></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;">By: Laz Jackson</span></span><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-outline-level: 1;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b>United States of America vs. England.</b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Six letters, you Tory, tea-and-crumpet-loving, bad teeth-having, Doctor-Who-watching soccer hooligans... </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">U-S-A. U-S-A.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"></div><b>The Pac-16 Closer, Nebraska to join Big Ten (Ironically, now the Big 12)</b><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">We’ll have an answer on our Pac-16 SuperConference possibilities by next week. Promise. But whether or not this is a good thing remains to be seen. And as for Nebraska, welcome to the Big <s>Twelve </s>Ten. We needed you to hold a league championship game to make more money, and in return, you get to swim on a pile of money like Scrooge McDuck. Win-Win.</div><br />
<b>Big Baby “Beasts” Boston Back (Say it Five Times Fast)</b><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">With the Lakers’ Game counter-punch, every analyst and journalist KNEW that if the Celtics were going to win Game 4, it would have to be on the offense of Ray Allen and Paul Pierce. Fortunately for Boston, coach Doc Rivers didn’t know that. In sticking with his (suddenly) productive and high-energy bench players, Rivers gave the Celtics (and the Boston Crowd) a shot in the arm and tightened this series at two games apiece. Between the bench, Andrew Bynum’s knee, and the rest the starters got (which is important with their veterans), the momentum in the series has swung back to Boston. Of course, <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/playoffs/2010/columns/story?columnist=adande_ja&page=momentum-100609">momentum doesn’t seem to mean much in this series.</a> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-outline-level: 1;"><b>Tom Izzo Must LOVE the Clash</b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">Because he’s been singing “Should I Stay or Should I Go” for the last week straight, and it’s been driving me crazy. I’m a Spartan, Spartan born, Spartan bred, and I can guarantee that sales of aspirin and antacid are through the roof in East Lansing right now. He’s the face of the university. He’s from around here. If he stays, he has an All-American backcourt to win another championship with. If he goes, he may (emphasis on MAY) get to coach LeBron and the Pips. I freaking LOVE you, Tom. Don’t do this to me. To us. News conference scheduled for today. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Interleague Play this Week:</b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">Yes, that’s right, stuff is happening in baseball-land, too! Interleague play gives us the opportunity to watch classic rivalries be renewed (White Sox-Cubs, Angels-Dodgers). Unfortunately, it also gives us some really, REALLY uninteresting series (Are YOU gonna watch Tigers-Pirates or Yankees-Astros? Yeah, didn’t think so). But the chance to watch Strasburg mow down a D.H.? THAT, I gotta see. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Please Do Not Blow the Vuvuzelas:</b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/SrYb9qtO8OQ&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/SrYb9qtO8OQ&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">The Nightcap will not be a nightly installment. However, It will cover loose tidbits of whatever we want...whenever we want it. Until next time, I’m Lazarus Jackson, offering the Midwest Perspective.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
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</div>Mike Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13155707580524622593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3648702168260061920.post-74661814501235931192010-06-11T18:17:00.000-07:002010-06-11T18:17:46.823-07:00The UFC looks to recapture the crowd with a couple of fan favorites<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisHqkzBWMuUg1lf1ZvGvYjZtrXt3zHhOKsLM_2a9W4_cGw2uPD_H6R15D7YxDc5y5GlbuFSxBTaDcUPZwVhn5gV-9VNSH7BS1UW8bP8rVg4oU_02gRiOt741Vkox7pqZ8_II5FBO6dt2zL/s1600/ufc115_poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisHqkzBWMuUg1lf1ZvGvYjZtrXt3zHhOKsLM_2a9W4_cGw2uPD_H6R15D7YxDc5y5GlbuFSxBTaDcUPZwVhn5gV-9VNSH7BS1UW8bP8rVg4oU_02gRiOt741Vkox7pqZ8_II5FBO6dt2zL/s320/ufc115_poster.jpg" /></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">By: David Washington </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">As both a writer and a fan, I believe that all sporting events should serve at least one of two duties (and ideally both). The first is to crown a champion by any means necessary. This at least allows the fan to acknowledge who and what sets the standard for any given sport. This is a tangible goal that all organizations strive to achieve and it inspires fairness and good sportsmanship in sports. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">However, there is another duty that in my opinion is a much more important obligation that all sporting entities must share. This responsibility is the true reason that these entities exist and without being able to draw buzz and excitement to the sport people lose interest extremely quickly. Providing an entertaining product to the public should be priority number one. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">Seems like a no brainer, right? <o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">Unfortunately, the UFC has been criticized of late for not truly entertaining the fans with their fights. Sure, all recent events have succeeded to find top contenders and new champions, but many of the fights that have occurred have ended not to the thunderous applause that the fighters deserve for their efforts, but rather to a chorus a boos. But this weekend, the UFC returns to its fan pleasing roots by giving the everyone a card that may lack any sort of title relevance, but in turn will bring the people back to their feet.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">From the preliminary card all the way to the main event, UFC 115 is stacked with fighters that have a reputation of pleasing the fans with their exciting styles. With guys like Ultimate Fighter winner Mac Danzig (who will be fighting Matt Wiman) and Tyson Griffin (who will compete against Evan Dunham) on the undercard, UFC booking agent Joe Silva has put the UFC’s best foot forward and has made sure that everyone knows from the beginning of the night that they will surely be entertained. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">The main card features Carlos Condit, a welterweight who has ended the fight with a submission or knockout in all but one of his victories. Heavyweight Gilbert Yvel, is a man who is big even for his division and has always delivered exciting fights (including one where he was disqualified for knocking out the referee in a fit of anger). Though Yvel and Condit aren't yet household names to the casual fan, true connoisseurs of MMA know that any time either of them is involved in a fight it will be something exciting to watch.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">The night will then progress with two matchups that could, on any other night, compete for fight of the night honors. The first is a fight between Swiss kick boxer Martin Kampmann and one-loss Brazilian Paul Thiago. Both fighters are near the top of the welterweight division and are almost certainly going to stand and bang until one of them ends up taking a nap on the canvas. The next is a heavyweight matchup between American Kick boxer Pat Barry and "The Croatian Sensation," Pride Fighting legend Mirko Cro Cop. Neither of these men have any interest in taking the fight to the ground, and they will surely put on a spectacular show of kickboxing that will please the MMA die hard and casual UFC fan alike.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">The main event, a contest between UFC hall of famer Chuck Liddell and one of the true warriors of the sport, Rich Franklin, is a fight that needed to happen, regardless of its irrelevance to the light heavyweight title picture. On any other night, either of the two aforementioned fights may stake claim to the best fight of the night. However, on Saturday these two household names will be sure to put in their two cents. Both Liddell and Franklin are fan favorites that love to put on a show. These two brawlers both have considerable abilities on the ground, but I'll be shocked if either of them go for a takedown in a fight that has the potential to be an instant classic. If you look at their most recent common opponent, Wanderlei Silva, you see that they both were able to defeat "The Axe Murderer" (though Franklins win was at a catch weight of 195) and both were able to produce UFC classics in the process. When Franklin and Liddel step into the octagon against each other on Saturday, they'll be looking for a repeat performance and I guarantee they deliver.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;"><br />
</div><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">The UFC owes the fans a card like this. Sure, people may claim that its unimportance to the title picture makes it a waste of time and effort, but that’s not what this is all about. This card gets back to the roots. A lineup of pure entertainment for everyone to enjoy, and I promise these fighters will deliver.</span>Mike Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13155707580524622593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3648702168260061920.post-8564651826825537822010-06-10T22:33:00.000-07:002010-06-11T16:10:06.580-07:00Team USA's Marquee Matchup May Not Be the One You Think<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3w8f-4sI3ShUDU2JEB05_Bf3IzwIjhD2wWCAuvOzp5wE2eJL9QF-dCu9et4allJidEFdJI6j9GGidzwzRVZT-kX-YgEDzkv_9m_EMXzTUhDhDxanoEoCFNA-PR-MiV_1yFZInz8KKDAFX/s1600/1274809629-ussoccer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3w8f-4sI3ShUDU2JEB05_Bf3IzwIjhD2wWCAuvOzp5wE2eJL9QF-dCu9et4allJidEFdJI6j9GGidzwzRVZT-kX-YgEDzkv_9m_EMXzTUhDhDxanoEoCFNA-PR-MiV_1yFZInz8KKDAFX/s200/1274809629-ussoccer.jpg" width="170" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNwJs5PLr_lmwD-oUvHYQ3mE0x2v-8TDSsqh5hNEo8f6hsL1A5kf9eAEfobB4oSu7k-xZWXDYTdpMP9hyphenhyphenkQ_IBM7437nQYfhDYhEacRufGWhk_i91IGPuqm8knRYr4-E6V4HkE3d1Wlsq-/s1600/World-Cup-trophy-2_6.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNwJs5PLr_lmwD-oUvHYQ3mE0x2v-8TDSsqh5hNEo8f6hsL1A5kf9eAEfobB4oSu7k-xZWXDYTdpMP9hyphenhyphenkQ_IBM7437nQYfhDYhEacRufGWhk_i91IGPuqm8knRYr4-E6V4HkE3d1Wlsq-/s200/World-Cup-trophy-2_6.png" width="115" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">By: Jared Quient</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Here is a statement you’re bound to hear at least a dozen times on ESPN before this Saturday’s World Cup opening match between the United States and England: “This is the most important match in U.S. soccer history.” </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I’m not even sure it’s the most important match the U.S. will play this week. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Don’t get me wrong. Saturday’s game against the Three Lions is going to be sick. I cannot remember being more excited to watch a sporting event than I am to watch this game (especially with the venerable Martin Tyler calling the action). It is certainly the most <i>hyped</i> game in U.S. soccer history. But to say it’s the most important match is a bit short-sited. Because whatever happens in Saturday’s clash, it’s ultimately what the U.S. does in its next game against Slovenia that will determine whether it moves through to the elimination round.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">In many ways, the match with Slovenia poses a more difficult test than England. They are exactly the type of team that gives the U.S. fits – big, tactically disciplined, and organized. Slovenia plays a similar style to the Czech Republic who beat the U.S. 3-0 in the World Cup opener in Germany four years ago and 4-2 in a friendly late last month. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The point is this: if you are a fan of the U.S., try not to get too high or too low based on what happens in Rustenberg against England. While it will be fantastic to beat the Brits at their national pastime, it won’t mean a thing if the U.S. doesn’t bring it’s A-game against Slovenia.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Here are some things to watch for:</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">1)<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span><b>Who starts alongside Jozy Altidore? </b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Since Charlie Davies was <s>wrongfully</s> omitted from Bob Bradley’s final 23, there has been rampant speculation as to who would replace him as the second striker to play next to Jozy Altidore. My money is on Edson Buddle, the Los Angeles Galaxy striker who scored twice in the United States’ final tune-up against Australia. Soccer is all about form, and in this case Bradley should play the hot hand with Buddle, who has a goal-scorer’s knack for being at the right place at the right time. Starting Buddle also allows Bradley to keep stars Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan where they are most comfortable and effective – on the wings as attacking midfielders.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">2)<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span><b>How fit is the Gooch?</b> </div><div class="MsoNormal">Perhaps the biggest question mark during the team’s training camp has been the fitness of Oguchi Onyewu. After spending the past seven months recovering from a torn patellar tendon, Onyewu looked sluggish against the Czech Republic and Turkey. He’ll need to regain his leg strength to compete in the air with England’s front line. If he can match the form he displayed prior to his injury, the U.S. defense ceases to be the massive liability the pundits are claiming it to be.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;"><b>3)<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></b><b>Does Landon Donovan take the next step toward superstardom?<o:p></o:p></b></div><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Coming off of a superb run while on loan at Everton, it is clear that Donovan has the ability to compete with the best in the world. If the U.S. is going to make a deep run in this tournament, Donovan will have to continue to score goals and make plays. His form will be the key to the U.S. team’s success. A strong performance on the world stage could also set Donovan up for an opportunity with a top European club team next season.</span><br />
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</span>Mike Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13155707580524622593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3648702168260061920.post-1954434086674251562010-06-09T17:18:00.000-07:002010-06-09T21:30:53.075-07:00Lets Introduce: Bryce Harper<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 1;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzTIm2djRkLMr1yHIvQ44NQK-ksqi6a6mrUHmAzbeZ6wNCuiu3gpAVzhQ7tkcdg9Lygma4pQIwqRhtFu2QT4tMDY0uAE4TJg8_ZiN3V3LZ2c8w_rDAei9xnkxyozKGdzBKUTJgasSYXjOk/s1600/bryce-harper-verducci.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzTIm2djRkLMr1yHIvQ44NQK-ksqi6a6mrUHmAzbeZ6wNCuiu3gpAVzhQ7tkcdg9Lygma4pQIwqRhtFu2QT4tMDY0uAE4TJg8_ZiN3V3LZ2c8w_rDAei9xnkxyozKGdzBKUTJgasSYXjOk/s320/bryce-harper-verducci.jpg" width="260" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">The face of the future of Major League Baseball: Bryce Harper</span><br />
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<div style="text-align: left;"><b>By: David Washington</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><b><br />
</b></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">There’s never been a lack of young talent in baseball. Ken Griffey Jr. Alex Rodriguez. Justin Upton. All baseball prodigies. All number one overall picks. All current (or in the case of Griffey, recent) superstars. And all of them will soon be overshadowed by a kid named Bryce Harper. <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">If you’ve followed prospects in baseball, then the mere mention of Bryce Harper probably already has you salivating. If not, then let me introduce you to the future of baseball, Mr. Bryce Harper. Harper has been called (by Sports Illustrated) the Lebron James of baseball, and with good reason. He has the ability to play any position on the baseball diamond (including catcher) and has an excellent batting eye. Scouts claim that he was more developed physically and talent wise at the age of sixteen than all three of the aforementioned prodigies were at 18. I hear the voices now: “More developed than even surefire hall of famers Junior and A-Rod two years earlier? Please tell me more Mr. Washington.” I’d be glad to.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">The seventeen year old Harper carries 205 pounds of solid muscle on his 6 foot 2 frame and has the physical attributes that most men would kill for. Despite never truly playing pitcher, to preserve his arm and allow him to bat on a daily basis, he’s recorded a 96 mile per hour fastball. His speed around the bases is extremely impressive and often allows him to steal bases on wild pitches. And his power… Well his power is what truly makes Harper a gem. His power is some of the most impressive that major baseball has <u>EVER</u> seen. In 2009, as a sixteen year old high school sophomore, he hit a home run out of Tropicana Field. The distance of the long ball? A Tropicana field record 502 feet. Let me repeat, a sixteen year old set the record for the distance of a home run out of a professional baseball stadium. As if that wasn’t enough, as a 15 year old high school freshman, Harper hit a 570 foot bomb out of his high school baseball diamond. 570 feet. Some of the greatest sluggers of all time would have loved to hit a 570 foot jack in batting practice during the prime of their careers, and Bryce Harper was able to do it at the tender age of 15. Let me give you a moment to comprehend that and pick your jaw up off the ground. You good? Good, I’ll continue.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">As a 17 year old, after receiving his GED and forgoing his last two years of high school, Harper enrolled into the College of Southern Nevada to attain eligibility for the 2010 MLB draft and also to face stiffer competition. This doesn’t mean that his production slowed however, as in 66 games he hit 31 bombs, 98 RBIs while holding a .443 batting average and a .987 slugging percentage. All of that using a wooden bat. High school fluke? Harper answered that question with an emphatic “NO”.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">Not only is Harper physically gifted and extremely talented, but he is a kid who realizes his potential and is extremely ambitious. “I know I’m going to make it there” Harper once stated. He is also extremely aware that the position that he enjoys won’t be the position that will maximize his ability. So, while he has a natural affinity and attraction to the catcher position, Harper will adapt and allow himself to be moved to the outfield to prolong his career and prevent injuries. Harper has even claimed that he believes he could be one of the greatest players in the game of baseball if he puts his mind to it. Intelligent, confident, media friendly, and determined to become one of the all time greats. That’s a person that you would love to represent your organization.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">Just the other day, Harper was drafted #1 overall by the Washington Nationals. By the end of the year, Harper will almost certainly make his professional debut in the low minors for the Nationals and truly begin to make his mark on baseball. Now, Mr. Harper has quite lofty expectations to live up to. With rookie pitching phenom Stephen Strasburg well on his way to stardom (14 k’s in 7 innings in his ML debut last night) the Nats have cornerstone pieces to building a winner of a franchise for years to come. When, note that I say not if but WHEN, Bryce Harper meets and exceeds everyone’s expectations, Baseball may very well have its very first billion dollar contract. That’s a lot of zeros. You Ready for It? Bryce Harper is. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi_wwotC2AZI5UtMcvhW-nKbo5AuarCNabOYaF-Is_e0Le-NO5eTU2vxNZTJ9YofUVk1_jOSzNYG6OjuKSK5DdytR_ejwx1rGEzHKDjnEsRVzhzATu4yFXXinM3VPT2ywM8zvOKIy_WZUf/s1600/harper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi_wwotC2AZI5UtMcvhW-nKbo5AuarCNabOYaF-Is_e0Le-NO5eTU2vxNZTJ9YofUVk1_jOSzNYG6OjuKSK5DdytR_ejwx1rGEzHKDjnEsRVzhzATu4yFXXinM3VPT2ywM8zvOKIy_WZUf/s320/harper.jpg" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div>Mike Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13155707580524622593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3648702168260061920.post-38787098755496036252010-06-08T22:52:00.000-07:002010-06-08T23:34:08.266-07:00The Nightcap<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEREbyqcTiBVC1pJGWzbkix2LAIPmDohcSSrB3hfKjwQmR_LSYFbmf2P8MCQDLsSWKNE2TppCNZWJhUf9pjhud4ibHoGI1SrWuzsz2SiEMj5fNzbC7gfjItL_5OBlWjhYSsd4foT7WE1t9/s1600/austin-powers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEREbyqcTiBVC1pJGWzbkix2LAIPmDohcSSrB3hfKjwQmR_LSYFbmf2P8MCQDLsSWKNE2TppCNZWJhUf9pjhud4ibHoGI1SrWuzsz2SiEMj5fNzbC7gfjItL_5OBlWjhYSsd4foT7WE1t9/s200/austin-powers.jpg" width="159" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>The Nightcap-Like a dry martini... </b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br />
</b></div><b>-Don’t sleep on the other Laker going for ring number five-</b><br />
Kobe is going to get his night in and night out and Gasol in all of his euro glory will continue to be the poster child for potential Speed Stick deodorant commercials. But soon enough Ron Artest may have to lend his Tru Warrior label to the true Tru Warrior, Derek Fisher. We should all know by now what Fisher brings to the table. It is never flashy or sexy, but his game is so representative of what I am sure every other team in the league wants from their starting point guard. Tough, smart, strong willed, determined, heart…the clichés could go on and on. In Fishers case, they are never exaggerated. His three-on-one break in the waning seconds of the game tonight in which he drew a foul and sunk the shot for a three-point play summed up all that you need to know. This isn't new news by any means, its just worth noticing every time you watch him play.<br />
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<b>- Stephen Strasburg makes MLB debut-</b><br />
He lived up to the hype in his <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=300608120">first major league start</a>. Strasburg set a Nationals team record with 14 strikeouts, and fell just one K short of setting the MLB record for strikeouts in a players first career start. Impressive is an understatement. Mark this day down ladies and gents. This debut will go down as the most anticipated in MLB history. The fact that it all went according to plan was just the cherry on top. Although the Nationals may cap his innings around 100, no one should be surprised if he is able to produce an ERA under 3 from here on out. He is THAT good.<br />
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<b>- Munchie Run: Courtesy Rotoworld.com-</b><br />
Rookie WR Golden Tate was <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=5265276">caught trespassing</a> inside a Top Pot donut shop in Bellevue, Washington at 3:00 a.m. Saturday morning. Profootballtalk.com confirms the report.<br />
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Tate and a friend apparently got the munchies after hitting the bar scene. The only problem was that the donut shop was closed while they were scarfing down breakfast. Tate managed to escape arrest, receiving a "trespass warning" instead. While he should also avoid league discipline, he won't be so fortunate when it comes to rookie hazing at training camp. Jun. 8 - 2:26 pm et<br />
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<b>- A Flyers cheerleader made the front page of the Chicago Tribune -</b><br />
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</div><div><b>-Take Note. What not to do when squatting and where not to sit when judging a squat competition-</b></div><object height="385" width="640"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/c99fKwte_-4&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xd0d0d0&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/c99fKwte_-4&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xd0d0d0&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="640" height="385"></embed></object><br />
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-The Nightcap will not be a nightly installment. However, It will cover loose tidbits of whatever we want...whenever we want it. Until next time...GOODNIGHT NOW!!<br />
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-MJK<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM1OCXvDbPalCZkFKL_nKbOiQOByUmqGTO-Wc9N95Zde4fLRKNa4uLCGWYARQaRbi9gEkeE_k8AMTXDQhOT5oWuZn6Kox4hpHA-wlWqZoB1Nmgd3mx2FNrKZoZPZXg4ZrLDPf3pgvBiqic/s1600/mila-kunis-stuff-magazine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM1OCXvDbPalCZkFKL_nKbOiQOByUmqGTO-Wc9N95Zde4fLRKNa4uLCGWYARQaRbi9gEkeE_k8AMTXDQhOT5oWuZn6Kox4hpHA-wlWqZoB1Nmgd3mx2FNrKZoZPZXg4ZrLDPf3pgvBiqic/s400/mila-kunis-stuff-magazine.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br />
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</div>Mike Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13155707580524622593noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3648702168260061920.post-51974671585953527992010-06-08T21:00:00.000-07:002010-06-08T21:02:28.344-07:00The Bigger, The Better<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6vu-j0AR2MwLR48Ts5qYMj6E3-D_JDF79COGB0m67hsyPO1ir2v1uksge54AUs34JqFxHiTpFGc1fofnY6dvjDu8jmK8caSCMBTa3XMR-Ioo3okzOSVFmO0aBZg52Xnvfk-blth4sZtk8/s1600/ncf_g_young_300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6vu-j0AR2MwLR48Ts5qYMj6E3-D_JDF79COGB0m67hsyPO1ir2v1uksge54AUs34JqFxHiTpFGc1fofnY6dvjDu8jmK8caSCMBTa3XMR-Ioo3okzOSVFmO0aBZg52Xnvfk-blth4sZtk8/s320/ncf_g_young_300.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">A Texas-USC nightcap could become commonplace with a proposed "Super-conference" taking shape</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b>Written By: David Washington</b> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Expansion of the Big Ten and Pac 10 conferences, at the cost of the dissolution of the Big 12 Conference, can solve some of the greatest problems in college football. “What?!?! How dare David make such a bold and outlandish statement!” Yes, I do dare, and if you will hear me out for a moment, I believe that you too will be convinced that expansion will help, not harm, the state of college football.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 1;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Money, Money, Money<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div><div class="MsoNormal">It’s the real reason why expansion is so often spurred on. Dreams of opening new football markets and making millions more in profits, while also letting more teams in to share the wealth are often the top priorities of many school Athletic Directors. With the possibility of expansion, these dreams can become reality. By expanding the Big Ten Conference and adding at least Missouri and Nebraska (as well as possibly Notre Dame, Syracuse, Pittsburgh, and Rutgers), traditional Big Ten powerhouses such as Ohio State and Michigan can simply watch as their coffers fill with money. The Big Ten network would also cater to people in the states of Missouri and Nebraska while also leading to the very likely probability of two more bowl berths every year (more bowl berths mean more money for every team in the conference). </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">If the Big Ten were able to snag the Fighting Irish as well, then the wallets of the teams will overflow with money (Notre Dame is probably the biggest cash cow in all of college football). Though Notre Dame would miss not receiving all of its money from its bowl berths, as it is shared amongst the teams in the league, the guarantee of some money every year will no doubt be adequate compensation. The Pac 10 (or should I say Pac 16 if it is able to add Texas, Texas Tech, Texas A&M, Colorado, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State) would be in for a similar scenario as far as money goes. Why not help everyone get richer? With the only true casualties of this growth being the less profitable Big 12 Teams (Baylor, Iowa State, Kansas State, and Kansas) then why shouldn’t the true money makers of the Big 12 look out for number one? Chances are, the four remaining teams in the Big 12 will be split between the Mountain West and the Big East conferences, both of which could use some former top conference teams to legitimize their existence. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 1;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">The Playoff Problem<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div><div class="MsoNormal">It seems like every year in college football a situation arises that makes people yell and scream for a playoff system. Multiple teams going unbeaten often cause this and when BCS time comes a knocking, one or more of those teams has to sit out and watch as the rest of them duke it out for National Championship supremacy. By expanding the conferences, it will greatly increase the degree of difficulty for the schedules of all the top teams and make it so that the few (if any) that do go unbeaten will truly deserve their spot in a BCS bowl game. This will weed out the weak from the strong and make it clear that some teams never even deserved to be in the discussion for a possible playoff and some are the real deal. Imagine it now, an unbeaten USC team and an unbeaten Texas team going at it in the Pac 16 Championship for a spot in the national title game. Also, the presence of Nebraska and Mizzou in the Big Ten will help to validate an unbeaten Big Ten team’s record. Unbeaten teams that deserve to be unbeaten? Two teams that have truly faced a perilous gauntlet and come out unscathed to face each other in the national title game? Sound too good to be true? It COULD be a reality very soon.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 1;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Quality of Recruiting<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div><div class="MsoNormal">For the smaller teams in the big conferences (I’m looking at you Washington St., U of Arizona, Indiana, and Minnesota) as well as new additions (Colorado, Syracuse, Notre Dame), this expansion is truly a blessing. Being in a big name conference makes it possible to pick up a number of top tier recruits as the best recruits often want to play on the big stage against the best teams. The better the conference, the more likely recruits are willing to go to the second and third tier schools in the conference just to play against teams like Michigan and UCLA. Though teams like Notre Dame have never had any problem picking up recruits, every year there’s a few that are swayed away to an Ohio State or USC with the promise of being in a premiere football conference with a championship to win. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 1;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Helping Out The Little Guy<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div><div class="MsoNormal">Though it seems like Baylor, Kansas, Kansas State, and Iowa State are getting the raw end of the deal, this expansion could very well help them out as well. By letting them go from a Big 12 where they have little to no chance to compete in (I really like Baylor’s improvements the past few years, but seriously? They aren’t gonna challenge Texas any time soon) to a conference that they can actually make some noise in. The Big East or Mountain West would love to greet Baylor and Kansas into the fold to strengthen the schedules of all of their teams, while Baylor and Kansas would (in the long run) appreciate being with teams more suited towards their level of play. The addition of a former Big 12 team to the Mountain West or Big East conference will also ensure that, should a Boise State or West Virginia go undefeated, the school will truly deserve a spot in a BCS game. And who knows? Maybe by being put into a division that they have a chance in, Baylor can get back to a bowl game (where they haven’t been since 1994). Getting back to a bowl game means getting back to bowl money, something that I’m sure Baylor has been needing to do for over a decade. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">College football traditionalists may still scream “Blasphemy!” when the topic of conference expansion is brought up. But if college football wants to solve some of the biggest problems that it currently has, all thing must be considered. Even teams like Baylor and Kansas, which will be left out of the two newly expanded conferences, will stand to gain from it. So, though the transition from our present day conferences to “Super-conferences” may not exactly be clean, it will be necessary to bring forth a new age in college football. An age where bigger is better and the best truly play the best…So, without any further ado, let the era of Super-conferences begin!</div>Mike Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13155707580524622593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3648702168260061920.post-52972861266904108842010-06-07T20:56:00.000-07:002010-06-07T21:23:01.206-07:00Putting the Pac-10 on Trial<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgudP5I3BNIGN6SiptXWxM30Z1rMGipXCsEVyr7PYCkLuDWigcTlxaDeGsYLX2G8EVbw4cWpFWOTwKWcrtGTBkxaTpmXhkoJrauJNKg1k87ws9M9jt65BQGklemnL16eL3sP0yXnn05ue6I/s1600/184352853-baylor-university-quarterback-robert-griffin-10-rushes-past-washington-state.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgudP5I3BNIGN6SiptXWxM30Z1rMGipXCsEVyr7PYCkLuDWigcTlxaDeGsYLX2G8EVbw4cWpFWOTwKWcrtGTBkxaTpmXhkoJrauJNKg1k87ws9M9jt65BQGklemnL16eL3sP0yXnn05ue6I/s320/184352853-baylor-university-quarterback-robert-griffin-10-rushes-past-washington-state.jpg" /></a></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-outline-level: 1; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">A Baylor versus Washington State rivalry would be like watching an episode of South Park. Hysterical and politically incorrect.</span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-outline-level: 1; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-outline-level: 1; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-outline-level: 1; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-outline-level: 1; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Putting the Pac-10 on Trial.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-outline-level: 1;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">How would the Pac-10’s planned expansion hold up in a court of law? Let me show you….</span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-outline-level: 1;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-outline-level: 1;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">By: Laz Jackson</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-outline-level: 1;">Bailiff: “All Rise!!”<br />
<br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The ambience in the courtroom is electric. Some can’t believe it. The Pac-10? On trial? For what?</i> <br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><br />
</i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">“Court is now in session, the Honorable Judge Jackson presiding.”<br />
<br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">Judge: “This is case #532401, The People of College Football Nation vs. The Pac-10. On the charges of Conspiracy to commit Grand Larceny and Conspiracy to Commit Murder, Pac-10, how do you plead?”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">Pac-10: “Grand Larceny? Murder? Who were we going to do this to?”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">Judge: “The Big Twelve, Pac-10. The Big Twelve. How do you plead?”<br />
<br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Pac-10, shaken after the reading of the charges, attempts to look confident.</i><br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><br />
</i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">P10: “We plead not guilty, your honor.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">J:”The defendant has entered a plea of not guilty. You can all be seated. Prosecution, call your first witness.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">Prosecution: “The Prosecution calls The Big East Conference to the stand.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Big East rises and walks to the witness chair. Three very large scars are visible on The Big East’s face, and the jury recoils a little at the sight. The Big East is sworn in.”<o:p></o:p></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">Prosecution: Big East, you were attacked by the ACC in 2005, were you not?</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">Big East: “Yes.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">P: “Do you know what the ACC was after?”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">BE: “Yes. They were after the University of Miami, Virginia Tech, and Boston College.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">P: “They were successful in this attack, correct?”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">BE: *sniffles* “Yes, yes they were.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">P: “How did you recover after such a vicious attack?”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">BE: “I… I was forced to add Conference USA teams. The doctors say that I will live, but that I’ll never have the same quality of life that I had before. Never.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">P: “And… how has your quality of life been affected since the attack?”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">BE: “My life has been mediocre.” *sniffles* “It’s been medio…” *Breaks down crying* “It’s been TERRIBLE!!! I used to BE somebody… now all I have is Pitt over UNC in the Mieneke Car Care Bowl. Do you know what that’s like? DO YOU?”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">P: “No, I don’t, Big East, and I am so sorry for your loss... Thank you, Big East.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">As the Prosecution rests for the moment, the Defense gives the Big East a moment to compose themselves.<o:p></o:p></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">Defense: “Big East… I, too, sympathize with you. But isn’t it true that Miami, BC, and Virginia Tech were dying to leave anyway?”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-outline-level: 1;">P: “OBJECTION!”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">J: “Overruled. Big East, answer the question.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">BE: “Well… I cannot speculate on the mindset of traitors.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">D: “That’s ok. I’ll do it for you.” *Whips out a file folder* “I present Exhibit A: A formal letter of complaint from the University of Miami to you, dated 1999, outlining some of their problems with you. Do you recall this letter?”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">BE: “I do.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">D: “Did you address and of the concerns the University presented in this letter?”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-outline-level: 1;">BE: “Well, we try not to prioritize one University over another…”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">D: “DID. YOU. ADDRESS. THE. CONCERNS?”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">BE: *Hangs head* “No, no I did not.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">D: “So your own negligence brought about your attack?”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-outline-level: 1;">P: “OBJECTION!” </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">D: “Withdrawn. Nothing further, your honor.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Big East steps down, looking a little rattled by the Defense’s presentation of the letter. The Prosecution rises.<o:p></o:p></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">J: “Next witness, prosecution?”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">P: “Prosecution calls The Mountain West Conference to the stand.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Mountain West conference swaggers into the witness chair. Younger than the Big East, the Mountain West looks equally happy to be in the courtroom and eager to show that he belongs there. After being sworn in…<o:p></o:p></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">P: “Mountain West, you knew about the alleged conspiracy to murder the Big 12, didn’t you?”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">Mountain West: “ I did.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">P: “You knew that THAT organization, in THAT chair, *vigorously points to Pac-10 in the defendant’s chair* was planning to brutally rob and kill the Big 12, correct?” </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">D: “OBJECTION! Asked and Answered.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">J: “Sustained. Get to the point, Council.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">P: “Mountain West… why didn’t you say anything? Why not make some attempt to defend your neighbor conference? I remind you that you are under oath.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">MW: “I didn’t say anything because… I was in on it.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The courtroom seems to contract from the gasping from the gallery. The Prosecutor slyly smiles.<o:p></o:p></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">P: “What do you mean, ‘In on it’?”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">MW: “The defendant and I had a deal. He gets the big names, a new TV network, whatever. I get the leftovers, but with those leftovers comes legitimacy. No one would look down on the conference who swallowed a third of the Big 12.” </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">P: “Thank you, Mountain West.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Prosecution strides to his side, confident he just put a major cut into the defense’s armor. The Defense quickly rises to cross-examine. <o:p></o:p></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">D: “Mountain West, if you are ‘in on it’, as you say, why are you in the witness stand and not sitting next to my client?”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">MW: “The prosecution offered me immunity against another trial for my participation in this one.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">D: “And what was your part in the alleged conspiracy?”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">MW: “Just to keep my head down and my mouth shut. If I did that, your client promised me a seat at the big boy table when it all went down.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">D: “Promised?”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">MW: “Well… Promised is a strong word.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">D: “What word would you use?”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">MW: “ Your client strongly hinted I’d get a say.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">D: “Could it be that my client couldn’t promise you anything because there was NO such conspiracy?” </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">P: “OBJECTION!! Speculation.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">J: “Sustai-“</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">D: “I’ll withdraw the question, your honor. Mountain West, did you KNOW that after this alleged conspiracy, that you would obtain the remaining wealth of the Big 12? Did you definitively know that?” </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-outline-level: 1;">MW: “No. I couldn’t know that for certain. But your client did promise me-“</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">D: “Could THAT be the real reason you’re testifying against my client? You’re afraid? AFRAID he’s allegedly going to screw you out of your ‘legitimacy’?” </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">P: “OBJECTION! Relevance?” </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">J: “Overru-“</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">D: “I’ll withdraw the question, your honor.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">J: “But I was going to…”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">D: “I know, your honor. Thank you. No further questions, your honor.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">J: “Mountain West, you may step down.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Mountain West conference does step down, glaring at the Defense on his way back to his seat. <o:p></o:p></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">P: “The Prosecution rests, your honor.” </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">J: “Alright then, Defense, call your first witness.” </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">D: “The Defense calls Baylor University to the Stand.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Baylor University rises in a cheap three-piece suit that doesn’t quite fit him right. He flashes a smile to the jury as he is sworn in. <o:p></o:p></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">D: “Baylor, have you ever spoken to my client about defecting?”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">Baylor University: “Never.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">D: “But you’re a member of the Big 12 AND a Texas University! Surely, if there was an acquisition going on, you would know about it?” </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">BU: “I’ve never spoken to your client. I know nothing about any alleged ‘acquisition’.” </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">D: “Nothing?”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">BU: “Nothing.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">D: *Turns to judge* “Nothing further, your honor.” </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Defense looks confident going back, until he sees the look on the Prosecution’s face. Is there something he missed? Was he too quick?<o:p></o:p></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">P: “Baylor?”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">BU: “Yes?”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">P: “Is it… Is it true that you are the ‘redheaded stepchild’ of Texas Football?”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">D: “OBJECTION! Relevance?”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">P: “Trust me, your honor, this has a point.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">J: “I’ll allow it, but this had better go somewhere fast, Council.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">P: “Thank you, your honor.” *Turns to Baylor* “Baylor?”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">BU: “I wouldn’t say we’re the ‘redheaded stepchild’, no.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">P: “When was the last time you won the Big 12?”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">BU: “Well, we only joined in 1996, so we’ve never actually WON the Big 12 Title, but I’m sure there are other schools-“</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">P:”I see. How would you describe your record against your fellow Big 12 teams?”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">BU: “…Poor.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">P: “Poor! Excellent word choice. So, my question to you is, if, if, IF there was a conspiracy to rob the Big 12 blind and leave it for dead… why would anyone tell you?”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Baylor whips a pleading look at the Defense, who is shaking his head in his hand.<o:p></o:p></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">BU: “I’m important! I matter! I’m a part of Texas Football Tradition!!”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-outline-level: 1;">P: “Keep telling yourself that. Nothing fur-“</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">BU: *Smugly* “The Texas Legislature says I’m important! THEY want me in!”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">P: “Excuse me?”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">BU: “Uh, Uh, Uh… Nothing.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">P: “I will remind you that you are under oath. WHAT does the Texas Legislature want you in on?”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Baylor realizes he’s said too much and whips another pleading look at the Defense, who is at this point hiding his head in his hands. <o:p></o:p></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">P: “He can’t help you right now. Answer. The. Question.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">BU: “The Texas Legislature… wants me to be a part of the plan.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">P: *Smiling* “Would that be the plan you’ve never heard of and know nothing about? The plan to rob the Big 12, you included, by the Pac-10?</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">BU: *Slinking down on the stand* “Yes.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">P: “Nothing further, your honor.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Baylor is led off the stand, sobbing. The Defense and the Pac-10 are both shaking their heads in disbelief.</i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">J: “Defense? DEFENSE!”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">D: “Yes, your honor?”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">J: “Your next witness?”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">D: *Still Shellshocked* “Right… the Defense calls the Big Ten to the stand.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Big Ten is a grizzled old man with a distinct air of defiance around him. He looks like a man who could give you a friendly back-slap with one hand and choke-slam you with the other in the same breath. He’s sworn in. <o:p></o:p></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">D: “Big Ten, you have plans to acquire two teams from the Big 12, correct? </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">Big Ten: “That’s correct.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">D: “So what is the difference between my clients’ alleged conspiracy and your plans?”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">BT: “We asked more nicely than your client. We’ve made our plans known for months. The public is comfortable with the idea of our plans coming to fruition. We’ve won in the court of public opinion.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">D: “Did you know of my clients’ alleged conspiracy?”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">BT: “We heard rumblings. To tell you the truth, I think that your client’s alleged plan is good for the supposed victim, the Big 12. Sure, the Big 12 will die, but its assets will go to much better use in my hands, or the hands of your client.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">D: “So you’re insinuating the death of the Big 12 is a good thing?”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">BT: “Yes. As the oldest conference, I have to say, my years of wisdom would do nothing but help the assets of the Big 12. They would be in larger, steadier hands.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">D: “Thank you, Big Ten.” *To Prosecution* “Your witness.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Prosecution steadies himself. He knows the defense made a nice comeback from the Baylor Blunder, and he’ll have to tread carefully to keep the jury on his side.<o:p></o:p></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">P: “Big Ten, what are your acquisition plans, exactly?”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">BT: “We’d like the University of Nebraska and the University of Missouri.” </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">P: “That’s it?”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">BT: “That’s it.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">P: “ You have your own cable network, correct?”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">BT: “That’s correct.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">P: “If the Big 12 were murdered by the defendant-“</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">D: “OBJECTION!”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">J: “Sustained.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">P: “… If you were to acquire the aforementioned Universities, you’d gain access to two brand-new television markets, correct?”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">BT: ”…Correct.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">P: “So you’d stand to make a nice profit from the… dissolution of the Big 12, correct?”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-outline-level: 1;">D: “OBJECTION!”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">J: “Overruled.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">P: “Big Ten?”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">BT: “…that’s correct.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">P: “Nothing further, your honor.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">J: “We’ll have a short recess, then we’ll hear closing arguments from both sides.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">During the recess, both sides like their chances. The Big Ten, the defense’s star witness, held, and the defense knows their Mountain West cross was good. The Prosecution, on the other hand, has the Baylor Blunder on their side, but doesn’t want to belabor the point to the jury. As everyone files back in for closing, the electricity returns to the atmosphere. <o:p></o:p></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">J: “Prosecution?”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">P: “Thank you, your honor.” *Stands, straightens tie* “It is CLEAR that the Pac-10 was, and still may be, trying to rob and kill the Big 12. We know WHY, as well; it’s for the usual reasons, money, power, respect. You heard the Big Ten makes the assertation that the Big 12’s assets, their teams, would be better served in their experienced hands. I’m almost positive the defense feels the same way. And maybe that is true. But even if it is, that does not, DOES NOT, condone the looting and murder of a conference. The conferences are like a family. And if a family kills one brother, only to shelter and spoil his widow and child, does that make the murder any better? No! It doesn’t. And this isn’t right, either. It’s. Not. Right. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Prosecution, giving one final look to the jury, walks slowly, yet purposefully, back to his chair. The Defense rises. <o:p></o:p></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">D: “The Prosecution says the conferences are a family. This is true. But this is NOT the murder of a brother, the loss of a close family member. This is comparable to letting a cousin die, of natural causes, and dividing his estate so it can be looked after. My client is not out to rob and kill the Big 12. My client merely wishes to take care of his cousins assets. To make his nieces and nephews, who no longer have a father, rich and successful. To take pride in the accomplishments of the children, while asking for none of the credit. If the family can further the accomplishments of the children, shouldn’t it be allowed to? Let my clients’ family; his experienced, well-versed, highly competitive, successful family, take care of the kids. Even the redheaded stepchildren.” </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Defense, confident in his extension and reversal of the Prosecution’s family metaphor, rests. The judge gathers himself, then instructs the jury to deliberate…<o:p></o:p></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Deliberation lasts for days. Heated arguments abound, and both sides are wary of a mistrial. But, after 6 days of waiting, we’re back in the courtroom.<o:p></o:p></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The jury files into their seats, looking weary and tired. The foreman hands sheet of paper to the bailiff, who hands it to the judge, who looks at it, then hands it to the bailiff to give to the foreman. A buzz starts to build in the back of the room, but is quickly silenced by the judge…<o:p></o:p></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">J: “Will the Defendant please rise?”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Pac-10 gets to his feet. He’s heard everything from an acquittal to the unthinkable in these last few days, and is ready to know his ultimate fate. <o:p></o:p></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">“Has the jury reached a verdict?”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">Foreman: “We have, your honor.” </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">J: “Let’s hear it.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">F: “In the case of The People of College Football Nation vs. The Pac-10, on the charge of Conspiracy to commit Murder, we find the defendant, the Pac-10… Not Guilty.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Pac-10 lets out a huge sigh of relief, and looks thankfully at the Defense. The Defense isn’t as happy though, he senses something wrong, he senses it’s not quite over yet…<o:p></o:p></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"> “On the charge of Conspiracy to Grand Larceny, we find the defendant… Guilty.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Pac-10 looks as if he’s been shot. Whipping his head to the Defense, he sees the Defense gritting his teeth and grabbing the table as if it letting go will kill him. What did he miss? What did he do? What did he not do? How could this happen…<o:p></o:p></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">“The Defendant is sentenced to watch Baylor-Washington State play awful, awful football every time he closes his eyes.” </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">Judge: “The jury is dismissed, and this case is adjourned.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">Well, I laid down MY sentencing, but is there room for a retrial? Let me know in the comments below. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> <o:p></o:p></i><br />
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<i>Find Laz and much more of his work on sports and life at <a href="http://lazchancemsu.wordpress.com/">The Blackboard- www.lazchancemsu.wordpress.com</a></i></div>Mike Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13155707580524622593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3648702168260061920.post-75834139926009276232010-02-10T12:29:00.000-08:002010-02-10T12:33:51.805-08:00NFL Draft Analysis- The Running Backs<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuhd8zXSig0JwSkZeDk3ZkpImOJVcKPQc58RKR8daAuqZB-PKQ56hyUiMGGvE5-hN5fGGPDyJs-SE-wmMb0wG-xk5dazJxI0eAqzHR2YWzV7HZ7vp_tIC_zXGNfWyM8lmc8NZ4V3k0OfGk/s1600-h/CJ-Spiller-csmphoto152380-20081115-zaf-cc7-007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuhd8zXSig0JwSkZeDk3ZkpImOJVcKPQc58RKR8daAuqZB-PKQ56hyUiMGGvE5-hN5fGGPDyJs-SE-wmMb0wG-xk5dazJxI0eAqzHR2YWzV7HZ7vp_tIC_zXGNfWyM8lmc8NZ4V3k0OfGk/s320/CJ-Spiller-csmphoto152380-20081115-zaf-cc7-007.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">When it comes to the top running back prospect around...the case for CJ Spiller is almost unanimous</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">Written by: D. Wash</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">Running back, more than any other position on the football field, relies quite heavily on instincts of the player. Because of this, it tends to be an easier position to evaluate potential than the other skill positions as long as one doesn’t get sold on incredible measurables alone. This year’s draft has countless backs to be drafted, but if teams are looking for a complete, every down back, the options become limited. However, due to the “running back by committee” system that a lot of teams are beginning to run, some of the many short yardage specialists in this year’s draft will be able to find a home that suits them.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><b><u><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 21px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">CJ Spiller</span></span></u></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">This kid has had undoubted pro potential from the day he stepped onto campus. Sub par teammates have hampered his production, but he is clearly still the most explosive back in the group. Spiller is great moving both north-south and east-west. Great potential as a return man and also has the ability to catch out of the backfield. When he has the ball in his hands, he’s always a home run threat. An extreme competitor, he always plays with emotion and will give 110% on the field. He does tend to dance a little bit in between the tackles. His vision is above average, but not superb. He won’t be able to run inside to often, but ability to make the most of the open field, talent as a receiving running back, and return man potential make him worth it. He won’t fall out of the mid 1<sup>st</sup> round.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><b><u><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 21px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Jahvid Best</span></span></u></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">Has all the tools to become a premiere running back in this league. Great vision and patience when going through holes. Can charge through a hole on an inside run, but needs to work on leg strength to be able to drive the pile. On outside runs, Best shows that he is able to accelerate to his top speed extremely quickly and that he can change directions quickly. He also has the ability to break arm tackles and use a good stiff arm to hold off defenders. He shows the willingness and ability to make plays, regardless of the cost to his body. Because of that, there will be scouts that worry that his playing style will cause him to get injured. If he works on his ability as a receiver and doesn’t get injured, he could be the best running back in the draft class (and easily a pro bowler).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><b><u><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 21px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Jonathan Dwyer</span></span></u></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">A bigger guy, Dwyer is extremely durable and hasn’t missed a game despite the Georgia Tech “run first, second, and third” offensive system. Unlike Best and Spiller, Dwyer shows the strength to run and make plays on the inside. Will bang into the hole and drive his shoulder into the first defender (who will rarely be able to bring him down). Unlike Spiller and Best, his “home run” play ability is limited. Dwyer’s speed is good for his size (5-11, 235), but it won’t be able to outrun NFL defensive backs. As a blocker, Dwyer has potential simply because of his size, but he needs to be convinced to give 100% on plays where he isn’t the feature. He also needs to improve is discipline, as he tends to get too heavy at times.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><b><u><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 21px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Ryan Mathews</span></span></u></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">Good size, but his speed does leave something to be desired. He can turn the corner and tends to play faster than he’s timed in a 40, but he won’t be able to outrun the superior athletes in the NFL. On inside runs, he is decisive, strong, and explosive. He’ll sprint through the hole and will be able to make short yard gains even if the hole seems to be stuffed (goal line situations are probably where he’ll make the most impact on a team). Still needs to learn how to block and how to work effectively as a receiver from the backfield. His vision is good, but he needs to be more patient at times, as he often will outrun his pulling guards which effectively takes a blocker out of the play. Most likely won’t be an every down back, but does show great potential for a 2 back system as the power back.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><b><u><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 21px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Dexter Mccluster</span></span></u></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">The first thing that scouts will notice about Mccluster, fairly or unfairly, is his size. At 5-7 163, it’ll be hard for Mccluster to convince teams that he can play on Sundays. There will be questions about his durability due to his size and teams will really need to think about him before they pick him up. His speed is incredible, the best out of all of the running backs available, which will be one of the big reasons teams will draft him. If he gets out into the open field, good luck catching him. Not only extremely fast north-south, he can also cut on a dime and break defenders ankle’s without breaking stride. His potential as a return man is undoubted, and teams that draft him will expect for him to make an impact on special teams almost immediately. If he proves that he can remain durable and can improve his hands, there is a place for Mccluster in the NFL as a scat back. If not, his return abilities will still make him worth drafting.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><b><u><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 21px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Joe McKnight</span></span></u></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">He was billed as Reggie Bush 2.0, but McKnight failed to live up to that expectation while he was at USC. Even then, it may be best to examine McKnight in comparison to the former Trojan and current Super Bowl champion. He’s slimmer than Bush, but with a higher center of gravity which makes him easier to tackle than the 2005 Heisman trophy winner. Like Bush, he shows elite quickness and good acceleration, but lacks the top speed to be a top home run threat in the NFL. There are injury questions, and you can bet that scouts will be looking carefully at every joint in his body to see if he’s gonna be durable in the NFL. Can make incredible moves east-west, but sometimes makes too many of him and gets tackled as a result. Good vision and seems to find cut back lanes more easily than other backs. When he’s in the open field, he’ll be difficult to tackle due to his quickness and overall ability to elude defenders. He can make a big impact in the passing game since he is a naturally crisp route runner and can make the tough catches. Won’t be a every down back, but will be a good change of pace guy if he can stay durable.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><b><u><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 21px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">LaGarette Blount</span></span></u></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">There’s no doubt that there’s character and maturity questions about Blount and his infamous highlight reel sports a punch that would make Rampage Jackson proud. He also has questionable work ethic when it comes to offseason training. Despite that, Blount’s performance at the senior bowl showed something that a lot of the running backs in this class don’t have, the potential to be an every down back. He’s durable and will almost never miss a down due to an injury. His size is great and his speed at that size is good. He can make plays on inside runs and is too competitive to be taken down after the first hit. His ability to block and overall aggressiveness in pass protection is another thing that will make scouts look over the issues with his intangibles. Whether Blount even gets drafted will depend on how he well he interviews at the combine. If he acts mature and seems like he’s grown through his punishment, there is probably a place for him in this league as an every down back.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><b><u><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 21px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Montario Hardesty, Toby Gerhart, Ben Tate, Charles Scott</span></span></u></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">I group these guys together because, apart from the uniform, they are almost the same running back. All have good size and inside running ability. All are natural competitors and hard to take down after the first hit. All have good vision and ability to let the play develop. But all (with the possible exception of Tate) will be limited to just short yardage backs because they lack even above average speed and ability to make plays on the outside. It’s a tough break, but there’s not much that they can do about it, because at this point of a running backs career, getting faster is a lot like getting taller, it just won’t happen.</span></div>Mike Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13155707580524622593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3648702168260061920.post-74650881824109238872010-02-09T10:36:00.000-08:002010-02-09T10:37:39.874-08:00NFL Draft Analysis- The Quarterbacks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5VNKFv28zFN_HYj10D_ZPA9kvF66eiuHdcjZw9gYYieYAfv82lA8UiJTb-rQ_64NaW8im1fQZS4Mw_9SYpYoj1P_d88RskqA3hws6gixNhks-41HUAS86iyScAV2RlHo1go9PX53iD7c9/s1600-h/brad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5VNKFv28zFN_HYj10D_ZPA9kvF66eiuHdcjZw9gYYieYAfv82lA8UiJTb-rQ_64NaW8im1fQZS4Mw_9SYpYoj1P_d88RskqA3hws6gixNhks-41HUAS86iyScAV2RlHo1go9PX53iD7c9/s320/brad.jpg" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">There are quite a few quarterback options that will be available at all times during the draft, but most of the quarterback prospects have questions. There is no doubt in my mind that there are multiple pro bowlers in this group of quarterbacks, there are too many skilled guys to not have some studs. The question remain however, who will rise when put on the biggest stage and who will become irrelevant and forgotten except when mentioned in reference to their spectacular feats in college?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><b><u><span style="line-height: 24px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Sam Bradford (The Tactician)</span></span></u></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">He possesses near perfect mechanics and accuracy that the scouts rave about. It may be hard for some of us to remember, but at this time last year it was projected that he would be the number 1 draft pick if he did happen to enter the draft. His intelligence and ability to break down defensive coverages is a major plus for him as well. Both his Heisman trophy and his national championship ring prove that he knows how to win and perform under pressure, and it sure doesn’t hurt that he played under center in a traditional offense for his entire college football career. The only question that exists when it comes to Bradford is how his shoulder injuries will affect him, both mentally and physically. Physically, scouts will do everything short of dissecting his shoulder to determine how much it will affect his future playing and whether it if fully healed. Mentally, it will be impossible to tell how exactly the knowledge of previous injury will affect his game until you put him into a game situation. Will he shy away from hits or stand strong in the pocket and make the throws he needs to? The answer to that could affect his success in NFL because, if Bradford plays scared, it will cause a rough start of his career.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><b><u><span style="line-height: 24px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Jimmy Clausen (The Gunslinger)</span></span></u></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">His rocket arm is something that you notice instantly when you watch him. He has very crisp mechanics and, physically, has all the tools to be a successful NFL quarterback. As far as decision making goes, he has gotten significantly better during his widely publicized college career, but at times has looked like a reckless gunslinger with high risk, high reward potential. In that sense, he looks a lot like Jay Cutler. The constant exposure and adversity that he has had to experience throughout his college career has toughened him and shown that he is mentally strong enough to take the criticisms of media and fans that are inevitable for any quarterback in the NFL (even Peyton Manning makes mistakes). The constant media coverage he incurred at Notre Dame will also make it easy for him to adjust to playing on Sundays, as Saturdays for Notre Dame are a lot like Sundays for pro teams. He can make reads and has the instincts to make big plays. The abundance of film that is readily available on Clausen has given scouts to break down every element of his game, so in that sense Clausen is one of the safest picks in the draft because you know exactly what you get. His experience in a pro style offense at Notre Dame will transition quite well into almost any NFL team.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><b><u><span style="line-height: 24px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Colt Mccoy (The Playmaker)</span></span></u></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">His arm accuracy is good, but not at the level of Sam Bradford. His strength is good, but not at the level of Jimmy Clausen. He knows how to make reads and take control of the game when he needs to. He isn’t afraid of getting hit and, despite the fact that he’s a prolific rusher, has no relevant injuries. Mccoy had 3 years of solid Heisman candidacy and was a star all four years at Texas. He owns more wins than any other college football quarterback and has never missed a start (quite impressive considering that he’s been starting since his freshman year). Competing in the tough Big 12 made it so that he has plenty of experience. There’s a question to how he will be able to transition to a more conservative pro style offense and how he’ll be able to work against NFL D-Line pressure (performance against Nebraska’s Suh is worrying to say the least.) 6-2 isn’t short, but it’s definitely borderline for a quarterback. Scouts will be thinking about that when they evaluate him.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><b><u><span style="line-height: 24px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Tim Tebow (The Wildcard)</span></span></u></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">He’s a great leader with unbelievable intangibles. Absolutely no off the field issues to speak of, and it’s clear that mo’ money won’t cause mo’ problems for Tebow. His size is like that off a tight end, which definitely will give him the ability to see effectively over his offensive line. Committed to playing football and determined to play quarterback at the next level. He’s confident without being cocky, and shows great heart. His strong arm is definitely a plus, but his elongated throwing motion, difficulty working under center, and sloppy footwork will make him a project for a quarterback’s coach. Accuracy for medium to long passes is suspect. Lacks the ability to make good reads against zone coverage and is too often thinking run. Clearly quite mobile, but at the next level it will be less relevant unless he changes position. More of a running back playing quarterback than a quarterback who can run. Coaches will need to rework his throwing motion and fundamentals from the ground up if he decides to stay at QB.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><b><u><span style="line-height: 24px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Sean Canfield (The Low Risk Prospect)</span></span></u></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Has the prototypical size and weight for an NFL quarterback. Can definetly take a hit, and often did behind a questionable Oregon St. offensive line in 2009. He has a strong arm, good accuracy, and good mechanics. Reads defenses relatively well, but will need to work on that at the next level as Pac 10 defenses are notoriously weak compared to other conferences. Struggled mightily as a sophomore starter, bringing up question about whether he was a one year wonder or the real deal. The Rodgers brothers opened up the offense for him, so without superior athletes like them, there is a question about how effective he will be. Questionable decision making because he sometimes overestimates his ability to fit a ball into a tight window.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><b><u><span style="line-height: 24px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Dan Lefevour (The Dark Horse)</span></span></u></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Lefevour boasts a moderately strong arm and great arm accuracy, even while on the run. College production was exceptional (responsible for more career touchdown than any player in D 1 history). Mobile in the pocket (much like a Tom Brady) and even when flushed out of the pocket he’s looking downfield as a passer. Lefevour is great under pressure and in the red zone, as evidenced by his bowl victory against Troy. Extremely intelligent and considered a “film junkie”. This leads to his ability to read defenses quickly and effectively as well as his ability to make the smart throw. He was named the North’s most outstanding player in the senior bowl. Didn’t play under center in college, but showed ability to take snaps under center at the Senior Bowl. The level of competition that he competed with is questionable.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><b><u><span style="line-height: 24px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Tony Pike (The Future Backup)</span></span></u></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Pike has good height (6-5) and speed, but could use some more bulk. Has good accuracy, especially on short passes, but lacks the arm strength to gun the ball long or work outside the hash marks. There are durability questions and he needs to work on reading NFL coverages. His work ethic has been called into question as well, which may limit him from reaching his full potential of being an average starting quarterback. He played in the spread in college, but showed at the senior bowl that he can work under center. His mental game will have a major affect on where teams draft him, and if teams don’t think they can get him to work hard enough to reach full potential, he could fall to the 5</span><sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">th</span></span></sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> or 6</span><sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">th</span></span></sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">round despite his potential.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><b><u><span style="line-height: 24px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Others</span></span></u></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><b><u><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Jevan Snead</span></span></u></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">: Too young and left school a year too early, most likely due to poor coaching and low quality of offensive weapons. Will be a little project for a quarterbacks coach, but has more potential as a pro style QB prospect than Tebow.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><b><u><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Jarrett Brown</span></span></u></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">: Athleticism and crisp mechanics are beginning to interest many different scouts. Not enough film to justify drafting him too high yet, but a solid combine performance could land him in the 3</span><sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">rd</span></span></sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> or 4</span><sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">th</span></span></sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> round.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><b><u><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Darryl Clark</span></span></u></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">: Another athletic quarterback with good size. He would like to play quarterback in the NFL, but isn’t totally opposed to playing other positions (unlike Tebow). Penn St. coaches call him extremely coachable, and if his measurables at the combine impress, he’ll be drafted in the 4</span><sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">th</span></span></sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> or 5</span><sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">th</span></span></sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">.</span></div>Mike Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13155707580524622593noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3648702168260061920.post-79485812633528134852010-02-08T21:04:00.000-08:002010-02-08T21:05:19.708-08:00National Signing Day Reset<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"></span><br />
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</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3dVQucIKgSfwI7a7B2icbM5AG3FlL4kEfODN7nvUCYDMXwXAoAMmcy7ei5fFn8TLB4J0uJ855UhGgjZJi_Z96lvlYkdFhvCFN3uNzMSjcgD07YgD7IACEnUIp_bI2UAkqzbVaM5aFPMoQ/s1600-h/recruit_i_powell_800.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3dVQucIKgSfwI7a7B2icbM5AG3FlL4kEfODN7nvUCYDMXwXAoAMmcy7ei5fFn8TLB4J0uJ855UhGgjZJi_Z96lvlYkdFhvCFN3uNzMSjcgD07YgD7IACEnUIp_bI2UAkqzbVaM5aFPMoQ/s320/recruit_i_powell_800.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Ronald Powell was the most sought after recruit in America, and the Florida Gators snatched him up</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Written by: D. Wash</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">There weren’t any parades, Turkeys, or chestnuts roasting on an open fire. But last week there was a major holiday for college football. February 3<sup>rd </sup>was National Signing day. National Signing day is the day that shapes the future of college football and, indirectly, the NFL for years to come. Every year hundreds of high school recruits decide what college they will go to and on national signing day recruits can officially sign their Letter of Intent to attend and play sports for a school. </span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><b><u><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 27px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Winners</span></span></u></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> Despite coaching questions and changes, the recruiting classes that the University of Florida and USC were able to put together were by far the best in the nation. Between the two schools, they picked up six of the top seven prospects and 21 of the top 100 prospects, which is unbelievable. If even some of these prospects can perform up to their potential, then there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that both of these schools will be able to continue their tradition of winning and being the premiere teams in college football.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><b><u><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 21px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">USC Motto: “Offense Sells Tickets”</span></span></u></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">Lane Kiffin was not only able to keep together the excellent recruiting class that Pete Carroll assembled, but he also picked up some new tools that will be used effectively. The school’s top 5 recruits are all project to make an impact on the offensive side of the ball (with the possible exception of #6 recruit Robert Woods who could play either wideout or safety in college). Both Running Back Dillon Baxter and Wideout Kyle Prater (ranked #17 and #3 respectively) have already enrolled, giving them a chance to make an impact despite a talented roster of skill position players. Prater especially could make an impact his entire duration at USC, as he has excellent body control and the size (6-5, 205) to be able to make a catch even if he’s covered. Offensive Tackle recruit Seantrel Henderson (#2 recruit nationally) is another impressive pick up by the Trojans. He is huge (6-8, 301) and could easily be groomed into a first round draft pick by the time he leaves USC. The aforementioned Robert Woods has impressive speed (4.43) and overall athleticism. He hits like a linebacker and is simply explosive with the ball in his hands, which will give Kiffin and the USC staff a difficult decision to make about which side of the ball he belongs on. Though those four are the top of the recruiting class, USC was also able to get an astonishing 13 four star prospects in addition to the 4 five star recruits (Henderson, Prater, Baxter, and Woods). With these future Trojan stars on their way to campus, as well as the building blocks already present in Pasadena, people should only expect USC to look more and more impressive offensively over the next few years.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><b><u><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 21px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Florida’s Motto: “Defense Wins Championships”</span></span></u></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">Florida went looking for talent on the other side of the ball, and they found it in both quality and quantity. The star of the class is without a doubt the destructive defensive end prospect Ronald Powell. Blessed with speed (4.52), size (6-4, 230), and an array of moves, Powell (who had the honor of being named the #1 recruit in the class)has the potential to make an immediate impact on the Gators Defense. Even when matched up against top offensive linemen prospects, he’s been able to be extremely effective and fight through blocking. If coaches at Florida can inspire him to give 110% in every practice rep, then Powell has the opportunity to amount one of the most impressive sack totals that college football has ever seen. He’s that good. Future teammates of Powell include defensive tackles Sharrif Floyd and Dominique Easley (ranked #4 and #7 respectively). Both have the potential to play as freshman, and with those three all coming into Florida at the same time, SEC quarterbacks should be very afraid of what they should be able to do when put together. Other top recruits include the versatile 5 star athlete Matt Elam and the extremely strong 4 star cornerback prospect Joshua Shaw. Florida was able to pick up some offensive prospects (TE Gerald Christian, WR Chris Dunkley, OL Ian Silberman and Chaz Green) as well, and with a total of 4 five star prospects and 18 four star prospects, its my opinion that Florida had the top recruiting class of 2010. Not only was the class they put together impressive, but by convincing 11 of their recruits to enroll early, Florida is giving themselves a chance to use some of their extensive recruiting talent from 2010 in this upcoming season.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><b><u><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 21px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Best of The Rest</span></span></u></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">Though Florida and USC easily had the top 2 recruiting classes, there are a number of other schools that had impressive classes as well. Texas was able to bring a lot of their instate talent to Austin for the upcoming season. DE Jackson Jeffcoat has the potential to build a Julius Peppers like body if he commits himself to football full time (he also plays basketball) and LB Jordan Hicks has the speed and coverage abilities to do a lot in pass coverage and blitzing. Add in 5 four star wide receivers, and there is little doubt that Texas will be able to continue their contention for national titles in upcoming years. UCLA was a big surprise this year, and with another big recruiting class next year they may be able to realistically contend with USC. Cal also had a big year, picking up quite a few top defensive prospects such as top Safety recruit Keenan Allen and massive DE prospect Chris Martin. Florida state is another team that was able to pick up a pair of five star recruits, stealing them from Florida even though they are undergoing a coaching change. While Notre Dame’s class wasn’t extremely impressive, it didn’t have a precipitous drop off that you would expect after an unpleasant coaching transition.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><b><u><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 21px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">What’s Happened to Big Ten Football?</span></span></u></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">The biggest disappointment of national signing day (and the entire college recruiting process) was the efforts of the Big Ten. The SEC and Pac 10 were able to draw the majority of the 26 five star prospects (11 and 9 respectively), while the Big Ten could only manage to reel in a single 5 star recruit (MSU commit, DE prospect William Gholston). That in itself is enough reason to lose some hope for Big Ten football, as its 5 star prospects that end up becoming Heisman winners, National Champions, and First Round Draft Picks. Penn State did manage to pick up enough four star recruits to have a top 15 ranked recruiting class (Michigan was also able to crack the top 25 recruiting classes), but considering the deep tradition of winning in Big Ten Football, only two top 25 recruiting classes is just embarrassing. If the Big Ten is unable to turn around their lackluster performance in recent years with good recruiting classes, I fear that the reputation of the conference will forever be tarnished, and they will never be able to return to the place of glory that they had five or ten years ago.</span></div>Mike Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13155707580524622593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3648702168260061920.post-75235772103052502672010-02-07T11:47:00.000-08:002010-02-07T11:54:57.322-08:00Super Bowl XLIV Preview<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSGoHel_89DZA_0lcYLEpBE3SynLnBUoLsKdi3U1nLBg3hEXyGMw6qoIChog9XkQBUdVYn2rSCkNsLaHsBw5GHDQU9KQZGF4CXhwoZQCcfnXRkQpHAKLiGl26LwSNWuACF2imcnKsiXhtN/s1600-h/SuperBowlXLIV.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSGoHel_89DZA_0lcYLEpBE3SynLnBUoLsKdi3U1nLBg3hEXyGMw6qoIChog9XkQBUdVYn2rSCkNsLaHsBw5GHDQU9KQZGF4CXhwoZQCcfnXRkQpHAKLiGl26LwSNWuACF2imcnKsiXhtN/s320/SuperBowlXLIV.gif" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;"><br />
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<b>Written by Nick Kowalski<br />
</b>With Super Bowl XLIV being just hours away, a complete examination of the match up is in order. In a battle between both conference's top-seeded teams, the AFC Champion Indianapolis Colts (16-2) will face off against the best the NFC has to offer, in the New Orleans Saints (15-3). The Colts-Saints battle for the Vince Lombardy Trophy will mark the first between the league's two top-seeded teams since 1993.<br />
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The big game will be played at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida - in what will be Little Havana's tenth time as host - beginning at 6:25 p.m. on CBS.<br />
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Led by four-time regular-season MVP and Superbowl XLI Champion, Peyton Manning, the Colts appear to be flying high. Jim Caldwell's team took swift care of upstart rookie running back Ray Rice's Baltimore Ravens in the second round. Sure, Indy had a slow first half in the AFC Championship vs. the Jets, as Manning and Co. were held to just 13 points. But in the second half, the Colts' offense took over. Referring back to the tail end of the regular season, die-hard Colts fans and the like criticized the team for, essentially, giving up the chance at a perfect record - after having started the season 14-0 - by resting several key players, in back-to-back losses against the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills. It is a given that the decision of Indianapolis' coaching staff to bench a faction of their starters was implemented with the intent of preparing for a deep run in the playoffs. And, for one, a perfect (regular) season already has been accomplished (2006 New England Patriots) - and, as proven, does not guarantee a Superbowl victory.<br />
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In opposition, New Orleans' high-octane offense, with All-Pro quarterback Drew Brees at the helm, will look to cap off its season-long success in what will be the franchise's first Superbowl appearance. Much like the Colts, the Saints flirted with perfection, but backed-into the playoffs, having suffered three straight losses in Weeks 15-17. Once they lost, 24-17, at home to the Cowboys, N. O. chose to preserve their talent for the playoffs - which, in hindsight, was a brilliant decision. Though an undefeated regular season would have meant a tremendous amount to the city ravaged by Hurricane Katrina, a win on Sunday in the franchise's first-ever Super Bowl appearance would mean even more.<br />
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The stats -<br />
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In an analysis of the regular season and playoff statistics, here is a brief highlight of both teams' numbers:<br />
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In the regular season, New Orleans led the league in total offense, at 403.8 yards per game, 272.2 of which were via air mail (4th best in league).<br />
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On the other hand, the Colts, who averaged 282.2 passing yards per game, were second in the NFL. In the playoffs, Indianapolis managed to average an impressive 368 yards of total offense. As well, Larry Coyer's bunch allowed the Ravens and Jets just a combined average of 86.5 yards on the ground.<br />
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Brees finished the season with a 70.6 completion percentage - an NFL record. Additionally, the proficient passer threw for 34 touchdowns, which was most in the league.<br />
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Injury report -<br />
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Pivotal injuries to star players can play a role in determining the outcome of the big game. If recent history is any indicator, inflicted players, dependant upon type and degree of injury, will strive to play through pain - and either triumphantly succeed, a la wide receiver Terrell Owens (9 receptions, 144 yards, 1 receiving touchdown) in Superbowl XXXIX or fail trying, like Heinz Ward (2 receptions for 43 yards) just last year.<br />
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This year is no exception. Colts' All-Pro defensive end, Dwight Freeney, is suffering from a sprained right ankle. Reportedly, Freeney, who has been virtually sidelined since the AFC Championship, did not practice with the team on Friday. The five-time Pro Bowl selection - who recorded a career-best 13.5 sacks this season - is an integral part of the Colts' rush defensive scheme and his full-strength services will be deeply missed on Sunday. It is a safe bet that Freeney will make a determined effort to play, but the likelihood of his making an impact on the field is doubtful. Also, Indy's top wide receiver, Reggie Wayne, left practice early on Friday after coming up short on a pass route, according to the Boston Herald. The four-time Pro Bowl wide out has allegedly re-aggravated a nagging hamstring injury.<br />
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The Saints have avoided the injury bug, to an extent. While starting safety Darren Sharper, linebacker Jonathan Vilma, and tight end Jeremy Shockey are recovering from minor knee injuries, all three practiced with the team on Friday and did not appear to be phased by any ailment. Notably, Shockey sat out Super Bowl XLII with the New York Giants due to a season-ending broken left fibula acquired in Week 15. After practice, Head Coach Sean Payton stated that his team put a cap on a "good week of work." More importantly for the Bourbon Street dwellers, all members of the injury list suited up and practiced on Friday.<br />
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Weather report -<br />
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The National Weather Service reports that there will be sunny skies and a high/low near 71/54 degrees Fahrenheit in Miami on Sunday. There is a 30-40% chance at rain for Saturday, but it is expected to clear up in the evening.<br />
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Interesting note: As both the Saints and Colts play their home games in domes, neither team has played outdoors this playoff season. In fact, January 3 was the last time either team played a game in the elements - the Saints lost at Carolina (23-10) and the Colts got blown out in Buffalo (30-7).<br />
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Opinionated rambling -<br />
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I believe this year's Super Bowl will be memorable in that it pits two offensive powers against one another. Obviously, two All-Pro gunslingers, Peyton Manning and Drew Brees, who were both on the sidelines for this past week's Pro Bowl, will combine to throw for several touchdowns - early and often. For the Colts, even if Wayne is not at 100%, Manning has other weapons to work with, such as Clark or Addai. On the flip side, the New Orleans offense can score at will, too. Though known primarily for its elusive passing attack, the Saints' offense is actually two-pronged, as they command the leagues sixth-ranked rushing offense, led by running back Reggie Bush - which is not to snub rushing contributors Pierre Thomas and Mike Bell. Quite conversely, the Colts have the league's worst rushing offense, averaging a mere 80.9 yards per game. The game may be decided by who has the ball last, which brings place kickers into the equation. In that category, I give a solid advantage to the Colts's veteran kicker, Matt Stover, over the Saints' second-year kicker, Garrett Hartley. Without a healthy Freeney, the Colts will need Antoine Bethea to step up his game and get to Brees if they are to have a chance at halting the Saints' efficient and devastatingly destructive offense. That aside, Indianapolis' defense does tend to play sloppy and give up a lot of points, as seen in snippets throughout the second half of the regular season, though they did have the eighth-best scoring defense in the NFL (19.2 points per game). N. O.'s defense, featuring Vilma (110 tackles in 2009) and Sharper (tied for first with 9 interceptions this season), may have a comparative advantage over the Colts.<br />
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Prediction -<br />
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Peyton may have an edge in experience and leadership (after all, he is the league's reigning MVP), but I am confident in Brees' ability to move the chains against the Colts' mediocre defense. To no one's surprise, I expect New Orleans to take a page or two out of the Jets' first-half play book and blitz Manning throughout the game. Now, it may or may not pan out, but, either way, it may be enough to hold Manning to a few three-and-outs, especially late in the game. I believe wide receiver Marques Colston will have a quality outing as the Saints march past the Colts in what will be a high-scoring affair. Score: <i>Saints 44, Colts 34</i>. MVP: <i>Drew Brees</i>.<br />
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There you have it - I have provided an in-depth preview of Super Bowl XLIV and have shared with you my gut instinct regarding the outcome. Please feel free to leave a comment or contact me via email at nknk09@yahoo.com.</span>Mike Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13155707580524622593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3648702168260061920.post-9187210948453440792010-01-24T12:00:00.000-08:002010-01-24T12:07:34.495-08:00NFL Playoffs- Championship Weekend<div class="MsoNormal"><b>New York Jets vs. Indianapolis Colts</b><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">We all know the formula for the Jets if they have any plans on making the trip to Miami for the Super Bowl. Run the ball. Play the hell out of some defense. Seems easy enough right? <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">New York’s battle will begin with the play action pass. Mark Sanchez is young. We know this, and when he gets confused bad things happen. But to have an over reliance on the run game here will not surprise the Colts. It will be fun to watch the balancing act of New York in trying to protect the mistakes of Sanchez while also trying to confuse the Colts defense with some play action downfield to help keep the defense honest. <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Thus far, Sanchez has held his own in terms of making the right decisions…but one has to think that the simplicity of the Jets offensive scheme has to catch up with them at some point. If the Jets can somehow win the time of possession battle they will put themselves in good position to win the game. If they use their offense as an extension of their defense by keeping the Colts off the field with long drives that eat up the clock, then it will just mean that much less time to worry about Peyton Manning and the rest of the Colts offense. On defense, they face a similar task as last weeks matchup versus San Diego. The upgrade from Philip Rivers to Peyton Manning is substantial, as Manning is smarter at the line of scrimmage and adjusts better to defensive pressure on the fly. In most cases, Manning adjusts to the defense faster than defenses adjust to him…which is what makes him so damn good. New York simply has to hope that they land a few body blows with a confusing blitz package that gets to Manning a few times. Maybe we will see Manning audible at the line after he sees an alert, only to have the Jets disguise a blitz coming from the other side. It will be fun and interesting to watch. <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">The Jets are playing with house money here. They were almost left for dead midway through the season before backing into the playoffs with some help and now they have caught fire at just the right time. They do have a formula in place to advance even further, but I am going with the smarter and more experienced team who has been there before. Remember, the Colts were winning 15-10 in their late season matchup with the Jets before pulling most of their starters and gift wrapping a New York victory. <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Colts 24-17<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Minnesota Vikings vs. New Orleans Saints</b><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">This game pits the saga of the Brett Favre comeback with the resurrection of post-Katrina New Orleans. One storyline has become as dilapidated as the figure it follows while the latter is one of community and hope. <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">The Saints came out last week and played like bats out of hell. Ever since this team began to slump towards the end of the regular season, I have been hesitant to put all my chips into the middle with them. Thankfully last week they reminded everyone why they were the most dominant and exciting team in the NFL for the seasons first 13 weeks. The secondary remains underrated as their numbers on paper are skewed due to the fact that they have been holding big leads for the high-powered Saints offense for most of the season. What they are at its core is a physical, ball -hawking defense that forces turnovers and makes big plays. It is almost amazing to think that teams would even start to think about sleeping on Adrian Peterson, but he has really slowed down his production as Brett Favre and company have stressed the passing attack downfield. I think Peterson gets loose today.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">If this game gets into a shootout, Minnesota will lose this game handedly. They simply do not possess the same game changing scheme as New Orleans do. <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Minnesota’s front seven is intimidating and can get to the quarterback without bringing much exterior pressure. However, their secondary can be exposed and will be if they are unable to take Drew Brees down. Brees and company will look to attack, attack, attack downfield and once the Vikings secondary starts playing on its heels they will look to gash on the edges with super versatile duo of Reggie Bush and Pierre Thomas. If they are unsuccessful pushing the ball downfield, they will lose this game.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">When it comes down to it, I think Adrian Peterson finally breaks out of his slump and goes for 100+ yards on the ground as Minnesota will look to take some pressure off the offense and resist getting into a shootout. That being said , I am going to roll with the home field inspiration and a team that looks close to unstoppable on offense when things are clicking…and they usually are.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Saints 31-24<br />
</div>Mike Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13155707580524622593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3648702168260061920.post-24332538289294328852010-01-16T13:35:00.000-08:002010-01-16T13:52:03.969-08:00Match Play-NFL Divisional round<div class="MsoNormal">Written by: MJK<br />
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<b>Arizona Cardinals vs. New Orleans Saints</b><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">If the Cardinals matchup with the Packers last week was any indication, we should expect a lot of points on the scoreboard when these two teams square off. The Saints are coming off a season in which they staked their claim as the best team in the NFC record wise, locking up the #1 seed and home field advantage throughout the playoffs. This advantage begins against the defending NFC Champions and an equally hungry Cardinals squad. Statistically, the Saints outperformed the Cardinals (and just about everyone else) in total offense this season…but Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner has the best quarterback rating in postseason history and is not to be discounted when trying to match these two teams up. <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Cardinals receiver Anquan Boldin is not likely to play, but surprisingly I do not think this will be enough of an issue to slow down this Cardinals offense as noticed by last weeks 51 point outburst, as well being 2-0 without Boldin the past two postseasons. Steve Breaston and more importantly Early Doucet have stepped up more than enough to keep this offensive train rolling, much to the credit of Warners pocket presence and preparation. Even though I fully expect a shootout to happen, we cannot sleep on the run game of either of these teams. For the Cardinals, rookie running back Beanie Wells has impressed as he has learned the nuances of NFL defenses. He has shown flashes of brilliance and could gash this overrated Saints defense if given the chance. <br />
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The Saints on the other hand are coming off a bye week in which they limped into the postseason after three weeks worth of sub par play. Still, they were they highest scoring offense in the NFL this season but it will be interesting to see how they react to coming off a bye week. It really was discouraging watching this team play at such a high level for most of the season, only to watch the team play such uninspired ball down the stretch. Who knows how much bearing this will have in the outcome of this game. We all know what quarterback Drew Brees and company are capable of but much like Beanie Wells for the Cardinals, running back Pierre Thomas (if healthy) is a multi talented back who can catch passes and is elusive enough to gain a good amount of yards against an over aggressive Cardinals defense. <br />
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When it is all said and done I truly believe these offenses are extremely evenly matched regardless of what the regular season stats say on paper. The combination of Warner to Fitzgerald has yet to be stopped in postseason play the past two seasons and until that happens I wont be counting out the Cardinals offense in any scenario. Most importantly, the Cardinals defense is extremely underappreciated and is physical and aggressive enough to keep the Saints off balance. It will be tough for either of these teams to hold one another under 30+ points. That being said I have more faith in the Cardinals speedy and athletic defense than the New Orleans unit who still has problems on the edges and in the front seven. I think the Cardinals have a bigger chip on their shoulder after falling short last season and walk into NOLA and rip the hearts out of the Louisiana faithful.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Cardinals 38-31<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Baltimore Ravens vs. Indianapolis Colts</b><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Much like the Saints, Indy sputtered into the postseason and their bye week after a couple of really bad performances to end the season. However, Indy was rolling right along until they started pulling starters out of games in an effort to preserve key players for the playoffs, making their end of the season slump a little more understandable. <br />
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Baltimore is coming off an impressive whooping of the once dominant New England Patriots in the opening round. Baltimore has been able to run the ball more effectively than any other team in recent weeks and this really has been the bread and butter to their team success. Ray Rice and Willis McGahee have been running fools over in impressive fashion and really have asserted themselves as forces to be reckoned with. Joe Flacco has taken major steps back since coming out of the gates to start the season, but he still resembles enough of a game manager to where he should not hurt the team downfield, and if he gets the right looks he has an upside of a 300 yard day. If outside lineback Terrell Suggs can make a big play early in the game much like he did last week against Tom Brady, the Ravens could use that momentum swing and never look back.<br />
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Indy has looked so impressive throughout much of the year its really hard to pinpoint how they matchup in this situation. The team has had a lot of trouble performing well in postseason games after coming off a bye week and this should pose a threat to the fluidity of their offense. Defensive end Dwight Freeney has reasserted himself as one of the most feared defensive ends in the league. If he gets loose today, then Baltimore will have problems. That being said, the Ravens wont be throwing the ball enough for Freeney to be a factor. But it only takes one play to change game. <br />
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I think the Ravens are riding high on some good momentum right now and could very well rush for 200+ yards today, but I think they offer just enough offensive shortcomings for the team to be worried about keeping pace with a Colts offense that probably will come out looking sluggish and rusty, but will click when it needs to in order to move on to the next round. <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Colts 24-20<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Dallas Cowboys vs. Minnesota Vikings</b><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">This game is the most difficult to matchup simply because the Cowboys are playing at such a high level right now while the Vikings are the better team top to bottom. <br />
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Dallas just came off back to back victories over a Philadelphia Eagles team that for much of the season looked like the favorite to come out of the NFC East as champions. Dallas has put most of the questions of past late season performances to rest as their offense has really hit their stride, and even more impressively their defense has gelled as a unit. Quarterback Tony Romo has utilized his weapons to the best of his abilities as we can almost expect a big day out of Jason Witten and Miles Austin. The most important aspect of this offense will be the three headed rushing attack of Marion Barber, Felix Jones and Tashard Choice. The Vikings boast the NFLs best run defense, but if Dallas can use its mixture of backs well enough- it could be the difference in the game. The play of linebacker Demarcus Ware, DT Jay Ratliff and CB Mike Jenkins has vaulted this defenses play into the upper echelon of the NFL, and they will have to bring their A game here. <br />
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The Vikings have had a few blips on the radar this season but for the most part they have been as consistent as teams come. Their offensive line play has come under a little scrutiny lately as running back Adrian Peterson has not been able to break off the big games we have all become accustomed to seeing. I think this has much more to do with relying more on the pass than anything, but in any event Peterson simply has not been the game changing force we have all come to know. Brett Favre has reinvented the Vikings offense with an impressive season, making a pro bowler out of once maligned receiver Sidney Rice. The Vikings have as much, if not more weapons on offense than the Cowboys do and will attempt to open up holes in the front seven for Peterson by stretching the field with Rice and rookie Percy Harvin. I would expect defensive end Jared Allen to have a big game, although this defense has not been nearly as impressive since lineback EJ Henderson went down with a broken leg a few weeks back. Cornerback Antoine Winfield has also been hobbled.<br />
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I have bet against Brett Favre too many times this season (mostly because I am tired of his act), but when the Vikings click on all cylinders they cant be stopped. The Cowboys are trying to piggy back off of the momentum they have gained in beating a one dimensional Eagles team two straight weeks, but I think this task may be a little too tall. I simply do not trust Wade Phillips enough to lead this team to the promised land.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Vikings 31-17<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>New York Jets vs. San Diego Chargers</b><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Jets head coach Rex Ryan has been talking a lot of talk this postseason and if last weeks win was any indication, his team is more than prepared to walk the walk. The truth is the Bengals were a bit of a mirage all season and the Jets were able to exploit some of their inefficiencies with their well planned defensive scheme. <br />
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All season long the Jets have used their defense as the cornerstone for the teams success. This defense is scary top to bottom, highlighted by cornerback Darrell Revis and linebackers David Harris and Bart Scott. Most importantly, Ryan’s scheme has proved to work time and time again. They just have an attitude that is carried about them that is reflected through the mirror image that is the tenacity of their head coach. On offense, the two headed running back monster of Thomas Jones and Shonne Green have really taken the load off of rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez. When Sanchez has looked comfortable in the pocket this season, he has been the perfect game manger for this team. However, when he has been confused or under pressure he has had a deer in headlights look that should trouble any Jets fan. The Jets will have to rush for over 180+ total yards in order to win this game, and Sanchez will have to play mistake free football.<br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
The Chargers have simply been on fire, riding a franchise best 11 game win streak while locking up the #2 seed in the AFC. Philip Rivers has taken the next step into the NFL’s elite group of quarterbacks, and while running back LaDainian Tomlinson is not the runner he once was…he has still provided just enough spark down the stretch to keep defenses honest. The x-factor in this game will be tight end Antonio Gates as he provides a huge mismatch for anyone on the Jets defense. Wide receiver Vincent Jackson is almost guaranteed to be shut down by Revis, making Gates the most important aspect of this teams offense. <br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
It takes a lot of pride swallowing to roll with Norv Turner, but the Chargers are too hot to ignore. Even though I don’t think the Jets are getting enough credit, once again its difficult investing a lot of faith in a rookie quarterback. Although, I think Sanchez will play relatively well and this will be a close game…I think the Chargers will have just enough to move on.<br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Chargers 28-24<br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>Mike Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13155707580524622593noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3648702168260061920.post-41232826421565079072010-01-10T10:58:00.000-08:002010-01-10T11:05:58.525-08:00Match Play: Wild Card Playoffs<div class="MsoNormal">Sunday Game Edition<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Written by: MJK<br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQUwqoQjYiWsA0UdvIevEWH8hXUQNzgB0nZwENQtlx6wf-ew36womVJ55QdtyfT2JfPMa9943VYie75Eufu47x2sLicxB7a7RXbBqbqwe4yGoX7a47hp2nc6PBynpT12nYZTOojsTX4giu/s1600-h/aaron-rodgers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQUwqoQjYiWsA0UdvIevEWH8hXUQNzgB0nZwENQtlx6wf-ew36womVJ55QdtyfT2JfPMa9943VYie75Eufu47x2sLicxB7a7RXbBqbqwe4yGoX7a47hp2nc6PBynpT12nYZTOojsTX4giu/s320/aaron-rodgers.jpg" /></a><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Baltimore Ravens vs. New England Patriots<br />
Ray Rice versus the Pats run D<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Its not everyday we encounter a player who is enough of the total package to do the things Ravens running back Ray Rice does. Not only does he run the ball with a great combination of power and elusiveness, but he has also become of the best receivers out of the backfield in the league today. If the Patriots have visions of advancing to the next round than stopping Ray Rice will be priority #1.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyg8wPX4uvd5_K3uRQhbJjaM6K20JWdDUTavpS8occI3v8s1fStpepoR5VSqkMCl5575OFjeXWV6s5Q9NoGNfDtVfpRUFfOqpk4CEwGG7OBVMKOMIM4yJdNtk8egDdes4mIV2NZY1NAK18/s1600-h/ray-rice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyg8wPX4uvd5_K3uRQhbJjaM6K20JWdDUTavpS8occI3v8s1fStpepoR5VSqkMCl5575OFjeXWV6s5Q9NoGNfDtVfpRUFfOqpk4CEwGG7OBVMKOMIM4yJdNtk8egDdes4mIV2NZY1NAK18/s320/ray-rice.jpg" /></a>The mystique of the Patriots has taken a hit this season. Everyone remembers their performance from the 2007 season in which they marched through everyone before losing in the Super Bowl to the Giants. This is not the same team. Tom Brady is banged up, Wes Welker is out for the remainder of the season, and most importantly the defense is young, inexperienced and at times a sieve versus the run. Nose Tackle Vince Wilfork and ILB Jerod Mayo are going to have to play their keys to perfection, allowing safeties Brandon Meriweather and Brandon McGowan to roam without worry.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Ray Rice has emerged as one of the most dangerous players in the league this year. He does lose touches to Willis McGahee in certain spots (around the goalline especially) but this keeps him fresh. Not only has Rice provided quarterback Joe Flacco with a nice security blanket out of the back field, but he has earned the trust and respect of his teammates. The second year player will be sure to gash this Patriots defense with great tenacity. IF the Patriots can hold Ray Rice under 100 total yards, they will win this game. However, this is not a likely feat considering their defensive woes throughout the season.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Verdict- Ray Rice- 22 Rush- 130 yards- 2 touchdowns-5 receptions- 50 yards<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Outcome- Ravens- 24-20<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Green Bay Packers vs. Arizona Cardinals<br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Battle of the secondaries<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Both of these offenses are very potent and constantly look to use their passing attacks as extensions of the run game, while also taking plenty of shots deep. On paper, the Packers may be the more complete team…but the Cardinals are hungry and looking to prove that last seasons Super Bowl run was no fluke. It will come down to stopping the intermediate and long passing games to determine the outcome of this game.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidZbUmx6Pe7rWu9gzSl7Kb88LI-AMT51rj3H24sWLrYad7XsezokP5zwQJzzyZSyKK-s6zZ2JGXqN0Eyoj14G1OB6JgdJI-Eb5fudD1IM5xD7M0i7aQq8aiDQufemseVM-nnMyzbFgLj-1/s1600-h/larry-fitzgerald.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidZbUmx6Pe7rWu9gzSl7Kb88LI-AMT51rj3H24sWLrYad7XsezokP5zwQJzzyZSyKK-s6zZ2JGXqN0Eyoj14G1OB6JgdJI-Eb5fudD1IM5xD7M0i7aQq8aiDQufemseVM-nnMyzbFgLj-1/s320/larry-fitzgerald.jpg" /></a><br />
</div>Arizona is still wondering if ultra speedy cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie will play, all indications are that he will…but if he does not it will be a big hit to a defense that could use all of its best playmakers. They will have the task of slowing down quarterback Aaron Rodgers and his array of vertical threats in Donald Driver and Greg Jennings. Safety Adrian Wilson is an all-pro player who brings smarts and physicality to a secondary that is active and underrated as a unit. Converted cornerback Antrel Rolle is athletic enough to compete with any route combination over the middle, while he and Wilson bring enough oomph for the Packers to have to worry about passing lanes up the middle. Still, Rodgers and company are a smart bunch who seem to continue to grow together with every game. Rodgers will be looking to assert himself upon the upper echelon of NFL quarterbacks.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Along with the aforementioned DRC, the Cardinals are also waiting until game time to announce if wide receiver Anquan Boldin will play in today’s game after sustaining ankle and knee injuries last week. If Boldin cannot go it will put a huge damper in Arizonas offensive gameplan. Steve Breaston’s roll will expand, and he is more than capable of handling the duties, but no receiver in the NFL presents opposing defenses with the physical presence of Boldin. Green Bay will deploy a secondary that has really stepped up this season, as cornerback Charles Woodson just completed arguably his best regular season of his career. For a 12 year veteran, that is saying something. This ball hawking unit, with help from a linebacking unit that could be second to none in the league will look to shut down all world receiver Larry Fitzgerald and quarterback Kurt Warner with a variety of blitzes that will look to confuse and stymie the Cardinal attack. Without Boldin, it will be that much easier.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Verdict: Green Bay’s receivers will provide a more complete package for Aaron Rodgers to utilize, especially if Anquan Boldin does not play. If he does play, I like the Cardinal receivers to have the advantage. That all being said, I like the Packers to win with or without Arizonas infirmary of injured players.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Outcome: Green Bay- 34-30<br />
</div>Mike Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13155707580524622593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3648702168260061920.post-54829522500828314072010-01-09T13:18:00.000-08:002010-01-09T13:26:47.694-08:00Match Play- Wild Card Playoffs<div class="MsoNormal">Saturday game edition<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit72UuEdyfD374a0sTJed3vOWjjur2El-8ol_xooaRrZttLZNce65rysim79UerJQ_aq4Equm7vop_1QMb2ilKYTT7VFtC2k_d8CmPJzxvQN_sj4QeHJfmvVRT1kDnMdp9xSkkWBqvWHXs/s1600-h/42d21567-6998-44c7-88ad-5c11c7d974a4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit72UuEdyfD374a0sTJed3vOWjjur2El-8ol_xooaRrZttLZNce65rysim79UerJQ_aq4Equm7vop_1QMb2ilKYTT7VFtC2k_d8CmPJzxvQN_sj4QeHJfmvVRT1kDnMdp9xSkkWBqvWHXs/s320/42d21567-6998-44c7-88ad-5c11c7d974a4.jpg" width="238" /></a><br />
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Written by: MJK<br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Jets QB Mark Sanchez vs. the Cincinnati Bengals Defense</b><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">New York used a convincing 37-0 victory over these Bengals less than a week ago to catapult them into one of the final two AFC wild card spots. The Bengals, having the #4 seed already locked up, rested running back Cedric Benson and looked horrible while playing most of their starters into the third quarter. Still, I don’t think too much stock can be put into a game where one team had everything to play for and the other team had nothing. <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Sure, it’s a bit cliché to call out the rookie quarterback in his first career playoff game while playing on the road. But it’s the matchup that will decide this game, and not the Darrelle Revis Chad Ochocinco matchup on the other side. Both of these teams rely on a strong defense and power running attack, but Mark Sanchez is going to have to hope for a very simple and smart game plan from his coaching staff if he wants to be successful against a very underrated and physical Cincinnati defense. <br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYZ_pO9ZfUEKGemqswmttV5QTY3Mk1ASrAvc5JoAY9Czs5M9VXSNiuV62rtcWe0vg8Zu5bCj5AgI4I7uQWApdgMc8IKzd6lgFMsrElbebAC8_frVvdg3wVyfMV80qcfivktOvcu-c3IcHy/s1600-h/6a5c42db-1820-4597-a776-6b393b7b1790.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYZ_pO9ZfUEKGemqswmttV5QTY3Mk1ASrAvc5JoAY9Czs5M9VXSNiuV62rtcWe0vg8Zu5bCj5AgI4I7uQWApdgMc8IKzd6lgFMsrElbebAC8_frVvdg3wVyfMV80qcfivktOvcu-c3IcHy/s320/6a5c42db-1820-4597-a776-6b393b7b1790.jpg" /></a><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">New York's game plan will rely heavily on the run game as it always does, but there have been spots throughout the season where head coach Rex Ryan starts trusting Sanchez a little too much and has allowed him to start taking shots downfield. Not usually a recipe for success. Ryan will again have to hope the run game is able to pound the Bengals defense in an attempt to keep them honest and let Sanchez dink and dunk his way down the field. If the running game is not successful, it could be a very long day for Sanchez. If he is efficient enough to complete about 65% of his passes then the Jets will be in much better position to win this game. Asking that from a young quarterback who 20 INT’s during the regular season might be a bit too much to ask. <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Cincinnati will come at Sanchez with a balanced attack that will be a certain blend of casual pressure with intent of stopping the run. They do not enforce as much of a blitz heavy scheme as New York does, but they will still come at Sanchez with a good amount of pressure. Cornerbacks Leon Hall and Jonathan Joseph provide enough stability on the outside that the Bengals will be allowed to focus on stopping the run early and often. I would not be surprised if Braylon Edwards got loose on a long TD pass or two if Hall or Joseph don’t bring their A game. <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>The Verdict</b>: Sanchez final line- 11-23-179 yards-1 touchdown-2 interceptions. Bengals D will return one Jets turnover to the house. <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Outcome</b>: Bengals- 20-13<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Dallas Cowboys vs. Philadelphia Eagles- Passing Attack</b><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">This game will be the second rematch of week 17 opponents and should prove much more exciting. Both of these teams have a stable of running backs that play integral roles in keeping drives moving. They both also love pushing the ball down field while taking out huge chunks of yardage via the deep pass. <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">The emergence of Dallas wide receiver Miles Austin has been a saving grace for Tony Romo and the rest of the offense. Dallas gave up a lot to acquire receiver Roy Williams from Detroit last season and signed him to a huge contract in the hopes that he would be able to supplant the released Terrell Owens as the teams #1 receiver. While he has shown signs of life in spots this season, Williams has inconsistent hands and whats more, does not have the 100% trust of Romo in big spots. Austin has given the Cowboys a deep threat down the field that must be respected. More importantly, he has become a much more complete receiver as the season has gone on as his short and intermediate route running is much improved. If tight end Jason Witten can keep the linebackers honest by staying tight in routes while forcing the front seven to respect the pass over the middle, Austin should be able to get a few looks deep. <br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2DJ4jTsMXoalWer28eaX7R_LPQ453999heqLIKpkYxKBQ8OyUv5TSNluY2glKl-SY7mgWauPKIrOYNMBuBhWWH30SLcpeHy9ezmjyTeTqSnkIZGdesSF-FglTb7caqdaTBTIGlWPKjeFk/s1600-h/3a120b02-4f39-4781-8532-1a9b655b987e.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2DJ4jTsMXoalWer28eaX7R_LPQ453999heqLIKpkYxKBQ8OyUv5TSNluY2glKl-SY7mgWauPKIrOYNMBuBhWWH30SLcpeHy9ezmjyTeTqSnkIZGdesSF-FglTb7caqdaTBTIGlWPKjeFk/s320/3a120b02-4f39-4781-8532-1a9b655b987e.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Phladelphia has utilized running back Brian Westbrook so well the past few seasons but with Westbrook slowing down with injuries for most of this season, he has become a shadow of the offensive staple he once was. This has led to a much heavier passing attack that has been anchored by the explosive play making abilities of second year receiver Desean Jackson. The Cowboys have been able to keep Jackson in check in two previous meetings this season, but he is a player that is not to be over looked in any situation. Brent Celek has become Donovan McNabbs favorite target underneath and has provided a safety blanket for McNabb that has seemed to fill a void that was left behind by the catching abilities of Westbrook. Jeremy Maclin has been a nice surprise in his rookie season and possess’ quick feet and explosive burst that give the Eagles a dangerous combination of speed on the outside. Still, Jackson has been the most consistent producer of offense for the Eagles this season and I think it will be tough to keep him from having a big game three times in a row. <br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>The Verdict</b>: <b>Romo</b>- 21-34 280 yards, 2 touchdowns, 2 interceptions; <b>Austin</b>- 4 catches- 90 yards- 1 touchdown; <b>Witten</b>- 9 catches- 100 yards- 1 touchdown; <b>McNabb</b>- 24-39 305 yards, 3 touchdowns, 1 interception;<b> Jackson</b>- 5 catches-110 yards; <b>Celek</b>- 6 catches- 85 yards- 2 touchdowns<br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Outcome</b>: Philly 27-21<br />
</div>Mike Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13155707580524622593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3648702168260061920.post-72054410527515827522010-01-01T18:51:00.000-08:002010-01-01T20:15:51.564-08:00Ramblings, Rants and Rage outs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig-bS2XRtPvyV0VQpR7_8T9gX9zAKpGQSwokL4dLZvgtkFPrGwLGgLhyphenhyphen8te-nHz-cTbQQ_mS2O8yxJW9WLEfu3mVTRaJJR8HOUaq12q7DYXLaE7PBxjjMRNHayR1TwDw-vHEAgDkRfDKAA/s1600-h/Tebow-Crying.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig-bS2XRtPvyV0VQpR7_8T9gX9zAKpGQSwokL4dLZvgtkFPrGwLGgLhyphenhyphen8te-nHz-cTbQQ_mS2O8yxJW9WLEfu3mVTRaJJR8HOUaq12q7DYXLaE7PBxjjMRNHayR1TwDw-vHEAgDkRfDKAA/s320/Tebow-Crying.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">The Meat Parade<br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
Written by: Bernie B.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">For anyone that has been following the Heisman for any length of period of time, knows that it should be aptly renamed “The Meat Parade”. Because that is exactly what it is. It is extremely difficult for me to write this piece, as I am overflowing with disgust and pure unadulterated rage based on the outcome of this year’s heist, er, Heisman. <br />
<br />
Mark Ingram? Really? For those of you who may not be aware, I am going to reset Ingram’s meat parade award. He rushed for 1,542 yards over a 13 game span. That’s 118 yards per game. Is that impressive? In the NFL, yes. In college? No. I’m not saying that Ingram isn’t good, I’m just saying that 1,500 yards in college is about as shocking and surprising as the big 10 losing by 30+ points in a meaningful bowl game. Oh. He played in the SEC this year? Thanks for the heads up, ESPN. You made that painfully clear throughout the decade as you chose not to cover any other conference. Thank you. However, he also played against non-SEC teams as well. Not only non-SEC, but also non D I-A teams as well. Yes. That 118-ypg average includes games against Florida International, North Texas, and Chattanooga. I’ll give you a few minutes to guess which of those teams are technically Div I-A and which are Div I-AA. When you are surrounded by the talent that a school like Alabama has, are you telling me that you couldn’t insert 20 other running backs from other schools and get equal if not better production? Could you imagine CJ Spiller in that offense? To me, Ingram is a product of his system; Alabama is not a product of Ingram. Furthermore, the kid is a sophomore. When Larry Fitzgerald got hosed on the Heisman with Pitt, that set the bar for sophomores not being allowed to win the Heisman. <br />
Until the great white hype, mediocre bible humper Tim Teblow won it for Florida. That opened up the floodgates as Bradford won it last season, and Ingram this year. Three sophomores in a row. If the award is given to “sophomore with most media hype on the #1 team in the country”, then Ingram, congratulations. <br />
<br />
However, last time I checked, the Heisman is theoretically given to the best college football player in the nation. If Nebraska could sneak in on ESPN once every season in between Lou Holtz’s dentures slurping on Charlie Weis and Jimmy Clausen and College Football Live: The SEC Mini Series, perhaps voters would have known who Ndamukong Suh was before Wrestlemania, er, the Big 12 championship game (this will be explored at a later date, with much more venom and rage involved). Before we get into Suh, lets just brush over the other “candidates”. <br />
<br />
Toby Gerhart had a much more impressive season. He however, has two fatal qualities. One, he plays in the pac-10. If I had to play against Stanford, I could take a shit on the 50-yard line, and that would be a better defensive unit than anything Gerhart saw in conference this season. Second, he’s a white running back. Moving along. <br />
<br />
Tim Tebow. You were invited to the ceremony because A. you already stole a trophy and B. this will be the last time you are relevant as a football player, and wont be in a NFL locker room in three seasons unless you are picked up by some team to lead prayers during half time. That is if you are available and not circumcising polar bears in Antarctica. <br />
<br />
Colt McCoy. If the Heisman was a lifetime achievement award, by all means, give it to McCoy. Really. I’d be ok with that. Kind of like when you give an actor/director/producer/musical artist an award, even though their latest album or movie sucked, but you are afraid they might die before they make something award-worthy again, so you throw them the pity grammy/oscar. However, it is not, so he does not deserve it. So there is one logical choice. <br />
<br />
The defensive tackle out of Nebraska who was by far the single most dominating player in college football. NOBODY wreaked as much havoc on defense as he did. More importantly, NOBODY changed more game plans, strategies, and outcomes of games than he did. No matter who stepped on the field with or against him, he was the BEST player out there. <br />
<br />
Now, to focus on the Survivor Series, er, Big 12 championship game for a second, lets look at some of the game’s performers. Texas RB Tre’ Newton, who had scored touchdowns 3 games in a row, and had posted yards per carry averages in his last three games of 11.4, 5.5, and 6.4 respectively, was held to 36 yards on 19 carries, for zero touchdowns. The 1.9 ypc was the lowest output of the season. Well if Newton couldn’t get it done, then surely Mr. McCoy and his career 1,500 rushing yards and 20 td rushes would, right? Wrong. Colt got blown up for -20 yards on 17 carries for a -1.2 ypc. The “-“ sign you are seeing before those numbers is a negative sign. As in, every time Colt rushed, he was moving backwards from the line of scrimmage, and getting tackled there. No biggie. Because while Colt is known as a dual threat QB, it’s REALLY his passing game that’s taken him places. Entering the game he already threw for over 3,300 yards and had a td:int ratio of 27:9. Further, he had a 72% completion percentage entering the game. Sounds like I’m promoting him for a Heisman campaign, huh? Well, had he never crossed paths with Mr. Suh, I may have been. Unfortunately for him, that wasn’t the case. In the Royal Rumble, er, big 12 championship game, McCoy successfully posted 0 passing td, 184 yards, a 55.6% completion %, and three INT. Just a quick reminder, this game was to keep Texas undefeated, and for a chance to play in the cage match, er, bowl game with Alabama. In the biggest game of McCoy’s career, he had his first 0-touchdown game of the season and threw MORE interceptions than he had in the last EIGHT games COMBINED. Even better still, he was sacked NINE times. NINE times. If I told you that player A threw for less than 200 yards, 0 td’s, racked up 3 picks, and was sacked nine times, would you say- “that guy gets my Heisman vote!”? Then I would say, oh by the way, that was the performance of a 4-year starter surrounded by the best offensive talent in the country in the most important game of his career that decided an undefeated season and bid for the title fight, er, game. What would you say?<br />
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I don’t care if Suh wasn’t even invited to the Heisman ceremony. I don’t care that if they voted on every player on every college team in the country, and he was ranked as the 2<sup>nd</sup> least deserving player in the country for the Heisman, AS LONG AS the LEAST deserving player was Colt Mccoy. He made Colt Mccoy his bitch. He made Mccoy call him daddy. And he made Mccoy beg for more and say please. And he finished BEHIND mccoy in the Heisman vote? Are you fucking kidding me!??! If that game was in-fact the national championship, and not the fucking local dog and pony show, this performance would be as highly regarded as what Vince young did to USC in the rose bowl a few years back. It was one of, if not, THE most impressive defensive performance we have ever seen in college football, and he finished BEHIND the kid with a 0 td, 3 pick, 9 sack game? I can only assume that the Bush administration was involved in the voting process, because I can’t remember if I’ve seen an election so rigged, biased, corrupt, and incorrect since 2000. I wish I was a better writer, because I truly cannot put into words (do they even exist?) how much of a sham the vote is when after a game like that, the disgraced gets more votes than the guy that delivered the most entertaining and dominating performance of the season.<br />
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Ok. Well, I’ve now written for an hour and a half and explored everything except for the main purpose of this article- translating my man crush on Suh into an argument for him being the Heisman winner. Suh had been terrorizing, disrupting, and destroying offenses all season long. He was doing this from quite possibly the least publicized defensive position in the game- the defensive tackle spot. Because of this, he won’t have the Terrell Suggs twenty-something sacks to back up his argument. In the Texas game alone, he had twelve tackles. If I were telling you the stats for a 49er game, you would probably think I’m talking about MLB Patrick Willis. I’m not. I’m talking about DT Ndamukong Suh. He had SEVEN tackles for loss. That’s a good SEASON for most players. He had two quarterback hurries. He had 4.5 sacks. 4.5 sacks. In one game. Not impressed yet? He had more sacks in this GAME by HIMSELF than McCoy was sacked by any TEAM in a single game in his entire CAREER. Just to add a dash of perspective. Texas, which arguably has the nation’s most explosive and talented offense, up until this game was averaging 43 points per game. Look at their final scores. You would think Texas was an ivy league basketball team as opposed to a college football team just by looking at their game log. A Suh-led Nebraska comes into Texas, to play in front of 80,000 texas fans at a neutral (try to keep a straight face) site in Cowboys Stadium in Dallas, and holds Texas to their lowest point total of the season- 10 points. I’m not going to count the three points that were scored after the clock expired. Why would you? That would be like counting the points in a shoot around before the start of a NBA game. You wouldn’t do it. The game isn’t in progress at either point. But I digress. They hold Texas to a quarter of their average point total. This isn’t a rare occasion either. Nebraska allowed final scores of 3, 9, 16, 0, 12, 31, 9, 10, 3, 17, 3, 20 and 10 points. If they had a functional offense that resembled anything better than the mighty ducks pre-The Flying V, you would expect those scores to result in a 12-1, 11-2 team at worst. <br />
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Suh single handedly shot down a Heisman candidate that looked like a lock in just a short three-hour period. Ndamukong Suh is the ONLY logical choice for Heisman. In fact, he was SUCH a worthy winner, that he was the first defensive player EVER to win the AP player of the year award. Jay Mariotti is a member of the AP. When JAY MARIOTTI is making more sense than your entire voting roll call, its time to revisit the purpose of the award. Here is his final pre-bowl stat line: 1 Interception, 82 tackles, 19.5 tackles for loss, 12 sacks, 10 passes broken up, 19 quarter back hurries, 1 forced fumble, and for good measure, a measly 3 kicks blocked. From the DT position, that’s the equivalent to like 47 sacks as a DE, and 213 pass deflections from a DB. Ladies and gentleman, your 2009 Heisman trophy winner! Now, if only we could find Mark Ingram in the middle of that meat parade thrown in his honor…<br />
</div>Mike Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13155707580524622593noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3648702168260061920.post-59094432276894611552009-12-06T10:15:00.000-08:002009-12-06T11:32:41.764-08:00Match Play<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_kI4sJJ8ladbqmEacWwe_Kwe_COjpfLnMRy7H2wy0awPMhaPg7AsbFnw1Xg5usFgbUC9TYgui2rY0v54RyyHytyRHO1omxNNfXbR3-MyR14s-zESP1ntZlrEzSr5BbrSP-JiBcGS56YoV/s1600-h/deware.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_kI4sJJ8ladbqmEacWwe_Kwe_COjpfLnMRy7H2wy0awPMhaPg7AsbFnw1Xg5usFgbUC9TYgui2rY0v54RyyHytyRHO1omxNNfXbR3-MyR14s-zESP1ntZlrEzSr5BbrSP-JiBcGS56YoV/s400/deware.jpg" /></a><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">A look at three of the week's best match-ups<br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Written by: MJK<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Dallas Cowboys (8-3) versus New York Giants (6-5)<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Both of these teams have been a bit of a façade this season. The Cowboys come in with an 8-3 record and sit atop the NFC East standings. They have looked strong in spurts but what once was a high-octane offense has seemed to slow to a crawl for the past month or so. Running back Marion Barber has not been the dominant physical presence that he has been in years past, and while Felix Jones and Tashard Choice bring a little electricity to the air nothing has really panned out on the ground as the team I am sure had hoped. Wide Receiver miles Austin has shown flashes of the type of talent he can be, but both he and Roy Williams are far from consistent on a game to game basis as neither of them have yet to produce against some of the leagues top secondary’s. Even last week when Austin went off against the Oakland Raiders, he was covered by the smaller Chris Johnson rather than all pro Nnamdi Asomugha more times than not. <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> The Giants on the other hand started off the season very strong and but now have lost 5 of 6 and are now reeling to hang onto any glimpse of hope for a playoff push. This is a huge game for them. Their secondary has been depleted all season long and more recently they have lost linebacker Antonio Pierce for an extended amount of time. Still, good teams find ways to win and the defensive replacements have not done a good job of holding the opposition in check. Eli Manning continues to be bothered by a sore heel but has played relatively well considering. <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">If the Giants expect to win this game they will need to find ways to neutralize Dallas’ elite pass rush and pound the rock with Brandon Jacobs and company, something that has not been done with any effectiveness for a number of weeks. For the Cowboys it is simple. Play to their abilities. They are the better team in this game and if all else holds true than they should have no problem sending the Giants further into a tailspin.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Ray Rice, RB, Bal. versus Green Bay Packers run defense <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">The Packers have been a top 5 defense against the run all season long and will look to slow down one of this seasons breakout players in Ray Rice. Rice is an all purpose yard machine, much like in the mold of a Maurice Jones-Drew. He has totaled over a 100 yards from scrimmage in all but two games this season and has compiled an astounding 61 receptions. The complete package. The Packers have played much better of late, riding on the coattails of an impressive shutout of the Cowboys a few weeks back. Still, they will be without Aaron Kampman and Al Harris in this game and will set back a defense known for its run support fixtures. The rest of the defense has stepped what relatively well, but if any back can gash a defense it is Rice and his versatility. <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Tennessee Titans (5-6) versus Indianapolis Colts (12-0)<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">The Colts have staged impressive late game victory after impressive late game victory and one has to think it will catch up with them at some point. The team has needed to come back from fourth quarter deficits in their last five games. Either way they have gotten the job done until this point and will look to continue their win streak in whatever way possible. The Titans on the other hand have won five straight on the back of quarterback Vince Young. Along with Young, head coach Jeff Fisher has rallied the defensive troops as the unit has played much more inspired ball the past few weeks. They have still been giving up points, which is worrisome against this Indy team, but they have been playing with much more intensity and that can go a very long way. I would still look for Peyton Manning to shred this secondary but if Vince Young can keep the game close as the Colts have been known to let teams do, the end result could be a very humbling one for Manning and the Colts.<br />
</div>Mike Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13155707580524622593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3648702168260061920.post-8494884255008397612009-12-04T14:19:00.000-08:002009-12-04T14:25:06.370-08:00The Real Mccoy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibTzQPoErklA_Q_3FDlfJT_QjGZ1E53XQaq4ZFXd_fOOzts34s8aQkyc3OHtam400MY5L75fSi9WrBF1ogJEqB83jw2g_eLNCb8foisB2IcWQ6YcKcrta_ma3XWcHmttqk-uIjrc6E2Otj/s1600-h/colt-mccoy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibTzQPoErklA_Q_3FDlfJT_QjGZ1E53XQaq4ZFXd_fOOzts34s8aQkyc3OHtam400MY5L75fSi9WrBF1ogJEqB83jw2g_eLNCb8foisB2IcWQ6YcKcrta_ma3XWcHmttqk-uIjrc6E2Otj/s400/colt-mccoy.jpg" /></a><br />
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Why Mccoy should win the Heisman<br />
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Written by: D. Wash<br />
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This year's Heisman race isn't cut and dry like many of the races in the past. Instead of one clear front runner, we now have a handful of stars that can all make a solid case for the award of the nations best college football player. <br />
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Florida quarterback and media darling Tim Tebow is always mentioned in Heisman discussions, but avid college football fans know that he shouldn’t be one of the front runners. No, the frontrunners should consist of Mark Ingram (RB, Alabama) , Toby Gerhart (RB, Stanford) , and Colt Mccoy (QB, Texas). <br />
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All three have numbers that impress, but in my mind Colt Mccoy is the only logical choice for the award. Overcoming the pro-QB bias is no small feat and it’s true that Gerhart and Ingram have definitely earned their spots in the Heisman discussion, but they don't deserve the Heisman nearly as much as Colt Mccoy does. <br />
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Ingram's team's success hasn't been based on his production, but rather a dominant SEC defense. He has also been rendered ineffective in a few games this year, which is something that shouldn’t happen to a Heisman candidate. Ingram may still be able to earn himself the trophy, but he'll need to single handedly beat Florida in the SEC title game, something that I doubt will happen. Toby Gerhart is the leader of his team and one of the few reasons Stanford has been successful this year, but it is difficult for a player from a team with a few losses to win a Heisman. Unlike Ingram and Mccoy, Gerhart doesn't have another opportunity to impress the Heisman voters, so while the other two stars pad their resume, Gerhart will just be watching and wondering whether he did enough. <br />
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Mccoy is leading a team that is undefeated and near the top of the BCS rankings. Mccoy IS the reason that his team has been so successful this season. Just look at his Thanksgiving day performance. He rushed for a career high 175 yards and was responsible for a total of 5 touchdowns in Texas's win over rival Texas A&M. He's done it again and again this year and there is little doubt in anyone's mind that Mccoy is fully responsible for each and every Texas win. Also, though it technically shouldn't be considered for this year’s award, its hard not to look at Mccoy's total body of work over his college football career. He's been a star at Texas since he stepped onto campus and is now the all time QB leader in career wins in college football. He's put up great performances year after year and has shown that he is one of the greatest college quarterbacks to ever grace the gridiron. The fact remains that Colt Mccoy has been consistently the most excellent player in all of college football and deserves the Heisman Trophy.Mike Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13155707580524622593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3648702168260061920.post-71322899692823155662009-12-03T22:38:00.000-08:002009-12-03T22:57:43.604-08:00One City…Two Teams (and no I'm not talking about New York)<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 143.0pt;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjOkALG9olEWC7Su2z10oGL0PW__YjXmfeDUDs4i89xaVW26IpW5xGmNlP6x3n9Mgyu03XIRg-FgxNuo7FYlZBOiQ75r0aioFdALx-2gBtwlXf1Fx_w8Y-BK8g-3XMC3-sHZ7TBaoKT5i_/s1600-h/nfl_a_vyoung1_576.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjOkALG9olEWC7Su2z10oGL0PW__YjXmfeDUDs4i89xaVW26IpW5xGmNlP6x3n9Mgyu03XIRg-FgxNuo7FYlZBOiQ75r0aioFdALx-2gBtwlXf1Fx_w8Y-BK8g-3XMC3-sHZ7TBaoKT5i_/s400/nfl_a_vyoung1_576.jpg" /></a><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 143.0pt;">Written by: MJK<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Five weeks ago the Tennessee Titans were coming off of their bye week a team searching for answers and above all else, their first victory. This years rendition of the team made it so easy to forget that in 2008 they went 10-0 before losing their first game and went into the playoffs with the NFL’s best record at 13-3. Fast forward to 2009. Seven weeks go by and suddenly this juggernaut of a team from just one season prior sat at the bottom of the AFC South standings with a record of 0-6. Head coach Jeff Fisher’s job security was suddenly being called into question. Under normal circumstances Fisher’s job security could be best described as bulletproof, one of the best and most tenured coaches the league has today. The pieces to the puzzle just didn’t fit. Lots of questions were being asked about where the finger pointing should begin. <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Had Fisher lost his coaching edge? Did the loss of mammoth defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth to free agency really make it so the team could not win a game? Had the rest of the NFL caught up to the Titans ground and pound offensive philosophy? Why was Kerry Collins unable to control and manage the game as he did in 2008? <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">While all of these questions are fair and factual in their implications, one thing was definitely for certain…the team needed a spark. Running back Chris Johnson has been one of the leagues most feared players since coming onto the scene last season, and he was one horse in the stable the team could rely on during its winless stretch to begin this year. He has been the most exciting player in the league this season and his gaudy stats (1396 rushing yards, 10 total TD’s and two games with 200+ yards from scrimmage) are simply jaw dropping. With five games remaining, he has a decent shot at eclipsing the magical 2000 yard mark. The problem was, he needed a running mate. He got one in Vince Young. <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">It is easy to appreciate all that quarterback Kerry Collins did for this team last season, but lets be honest…we are talking about a 37-year old dink and dunk thrower who’s offensive gameplan is relegated to check downs and 8 yard out patterns. He was the master of game management. But when his abilities as a game manager began to flounder, change was needed. When the Titans decided to make the change to Vince Young at quarterback, it seemed like it was long over due. Sure he has had his ups and downs (17 picks in 2007, reports of suicidal tendencies and bouts with depression) but the guy has a winning record in the NFL and all the talent in the world. <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Since taking over the helm in Tennessee, Young has jumpstarted a team that was in dire need of a swift kick in the ass. He has led the team to five straight wins and the team has scored 30+ points in 3 out of 5 of those games. A far cry from the direction the 0-6 version of the team was headed in. Most importantly, the team now has an outside chance of making the playoffs as a wild card team. This was almost unfathomable 6 weeks ago. There are a lot of exciting duos in the NFL that come to mind, but none possess the same kind of fireworks that Chris Johnson and Vince Young can while on the field together. <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">What does all of this mean for VY? Well, obviously he needs to keep winning. His talent and athleticism has never been in question. His mental and emotional strength has however. He is riding the high of highs right now, and the true test will come when he faces adversity. Will he be able to handle the limelight? It is quite apparent that his decision making and accuracy is markedly improved from seasons past, which makes him as dangerous an NFL player as anyone. If he can harness the intangible of being able to pick himself up when he gets knocked down, the sky is the limit. If these last 5 games are any indication, he is well on his way.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">I will never forget watching VY march down the field against USC in the National Championship game in what was probably one of the greatest individual performances in an athletic event I will ever see. So whether it is in college or driving 99-yards and threading the needle on a game winning touchdown pass against the Arizona Cardinals like he did this past weekend in the NFL…football is a better place when VY is at his best. So when the Titans take the field for the rest of the season do not expect to find the 0-6 team anywhere. Do however, take notice of the new and improved unbeaten product led by Vince Young.<br />
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</div><object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/vbv54h5uQ2k&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/vbv54h5uQ2k&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object>Mike Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13155707580524622593noreply@blogger.com0