Thursday, November 26, 2009
Headed to the mall for Black Friday
I am about to head to the mall right now for Black Friday, and am really looking forward to it. I have always tried to have a good fashion sense, but since the spring of 2008 I've tried to step it up by wearing lots of Polo gear. Pretty much all of my pants and fancy shirts are made by Ralph Lauren. This year's going to be no different. I'm trying to wear Polo all day and all night, whether I'm going to school, the club or the golf course. I'm also trying to pick up some Burberry and Bvlgari gear to really stop playing with these Peter Cady haters. I really like Burberry's signature Beige, brown and red scarfs and handbags, and the sophistication of Bvlgari's handbags. I also may look for a new pair of Nike shoes, but thats low on my list of priorities. I'm finna get off the ball like Jeff Saturday and hit the mall, and I encourage you to do so to on Black Friday in order to help out the economy both at the micro and macro level.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Stanford can only limit Harbaugh's quest for a national championship
It is not a matter of if Stanford football coach Jim Harbaugh will leave the Cardinal.
It is a matter of when.
That reality is sad for the few passionate college football fans in the Bay Area who are desperate to see the local media cover college sports like their neighbors in Los Angeles do, but it is the truth nonetheless.
The chances of Stanford winning a national championship at some point in the next thirty years are about as low as seeing an attractive stripper at the Hustler Club in San Francisco, and that's saying something.
All realistic Cardinal fans know this, and while Harbaugh may publicly state that he thinks winning a championship is possible, in private he would acknowledge that doing so at Stanford is a stretch to say the least.
But more importantly, he realizes that the chances of winning a championship at another institution are much higher, and that he has the opportunity to be considered as a favorite for pretty much any division I college football and NFL jobs that open up in the near future.
Collectively the privileged fraternity of college and pro football coaches are like the stock market.
A coach's peak value is high, but there is also no limit to how low their stock can fall and how hungry their boosters can get.
Harbaugh's counterpart in tomorrow's Big Game knows this better than anybody.
Jeff Tedford garnered the same amount of praise that Harbaugh is receiving today back in 2004 when he led the Bears to a 10-2 record and groomed a first-round quarterback in Aaron Rodgers.
Back then reporters and analysts were quick to mention him as a candidate for high-profile college football and NFL jobs that sprang open.
That is not the case today.
He chose to stay at Cal, and is the headmaster of a stagnating program at a school whose administration doesn't value football enough to give him the support that he needs to legitimately compete for a Pac 10 title.
I don't see how that fate would be any different for Harbaugh if he stays at Stanford.
Their athletic department has won 15 consecutive Director's Cups, which is given to the school that is considered to have the best all-around athletic program.
In other words, those trophies mean that Stanford's athletic department wants all sports to do well, and isn't going to sacrifice one or two in order to put its football program in a position to be in the top ten every year.
And the Harvard of the West's admissions standards will never allow for Harbaugh to compete with USC and Oregon in the long-run either.
Harbaugh has experienced recent success in getting high-caliber athletes to come to Stanford, and beating USC by 34 points will help that cause substantially, but it is unlikely that his team's rosters can be as deep as that of the Trojans and Ducks year in and year out when his pool of prospects is limited.
And that would most likely eventually put him in the same position as Tedford; the author of perennial bowl teams, but teams whose amount of consistent success leaves fans wanting more, which is unachievable for schools that don't place football on a pedestal like Florida and USC do.
Cardinal fans still have a lot to be optimistic about though.
It is unlikely that Stanford will be without Harbaugh for at least the next two seasons.
Notre Dame has become a death wish for any coach and I doubt that he'd want that job even if it opened up, as he is the highest definition of a Michigan Man, being one who played for Bo Schembechler (that job won't open up this year, but it might by this time in 2010, and despite his opinionated comments about the school in 2007, I bet that he'd be able to get it).
He is much more likely to take the Bobby Petrino route and ride his star quarterback to a BCS game (which won't happen this year) before leaving for the NFL or a more recognizable college team, with the bowl bid and a rebuilt program serving as justification for his decision.
There are only so many coaches who have a chance to win a national championship or a Super Bowl in their lifetimes.
The 45-year old Harbaugh has been blessed with that chance, and he should take advantage of it.
That means leaving Stanford.
It is a matter of when.
That reality is sad for the few passionate college football fans in the Bay Area who are desperate to see the local media cover college sports like their neighbors in Los Angeles do, but it is the truth nonetheless.
The chances of Stanford winning a national championship at some point in the next thirty years are about as low as seeing an attractive stripper at the Hustler Club in San Francisco, and that's saying something.
All realistic Cardinal fans know this, and while Harbaugh may publicly state that he thinks winning a championship is possible, in private he would acknowledge that doing so at Stanford is a stretch to say the least.
But more importantly, he realizes that the chances of winning a championship at another institution are much higher, and that he has the opportunity to be considered as a favorite for pretty much any division I college football and NFL jobs that open up in the near future.
Collectively the privileged fraternity of college and pro football coaches are like the stock market.
A coach's peak value is high, but there is also no limit to how low their stock can fall and how hungry their boosters can get.
Harbaugh's counterpart in tomorrow's Big Game knows this better than anybody.
Jeff Tedford garnered the same amount of praise that Harbaugh is receiving today back in 2004 when he led the Bears to a 10-2 record and groomed a first-round quarterback in Aaron Rodgers.
Back then reporters and analysts were quick to mention him as a candidate for high-profile college football and NFL jobs that sprang open.
That is not the case today.
He chose to stay at Cal, and is the headmaster of a stagnating program at a school whose administration doesn't value football enough to give him the support that he needs to legitimately compete for a Pac 10 title.
I don't see how that fate would be any different for Harbaugh if he stays at Stanford.
Their athletic department has won 15 consecutive Director's Cups, which is given to the school that is considered to have the best all-around athletic program.
In other words, those trophies mean that Stanford's athletic department wants all sports to do well, and isn't going to sacrifice one or two in order to put its football program in a position to be in the top ten every year.
And the Harvard of the West's admissions standards will never allow for Harbaugh to compete with USC and Oregon in the long-run either.
Harbaugh has experienced recent success in getting high-caliber athletes to come to Stanford, and beating USC by 34 points will help that cause substantially, but it is unlikely that his team's rosters can be as deep as that of the Trojans and Ducks year in and year out when his pool of prospects is limited.
And that would most likely eventually put him in the same position as Tedford; the author of perennial bowl teams, but teams whose amount of consistent success leaves fans wanting more, which is unachievable for schools that don't place football on a pedestal like Florida and USC do.
Cardinal fans still have a lot to be optimistic about though.
It is unlikely that Stanford will be without Harbaugh for at least the next two seasons.
Notre Dame has become a death wish for any coach and I doubt that he'd want that job even if it opened up, as he is the highest definition of a Michigan Man, being one who played for Bo Schembechler (that job won't open up this year, but it might by this time in 2010, and despite his opinionated comments about the school in 2007, I bet that he'd be able to get it).
He is much more likely to take the Bobby Petrino route and ride his star quarterback to a BCS game (which won't happen this year) before leaving for the NFL or a more recognizable college team, with the bowl bid and a rebuilt program serving as justification for his decision.
There are only so many coaches who have a chance to win a national championship or a Super Bowl in their lifetimes.
The 45-year old Harbaugh has been blessed with that chance, and he should take advantage of it.
That means leaving Stanford.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Oakland Raiders on the cusp of breaking away from mediocrity
The Raiders can’t let head coach Tom Cable ruin their season, as doing so would eliminate their chance of establishing the winning foundation that they need to make the playoffs in 2010.
That may sound funny to the Keystone Light-drinking fraternity bum whose sole
knowledge of the Raiders consists of JaMarcus Russell interceptions and fumbles seen on ESPN, but the team is that close to finally overcoming their six-year period of being stuck in the Bermuda Triangle of mediocrity.
They have a running back tandem that can play with practically anybody, a decent offensive line, a scary secondary and a defensive line that can only get better with more time to mesh.
After all, Oakland would be 4-4 and thinking about a wild card berth right now if they had just made a few more big plays in their two games against San Diego.
Yes, they could also be 0-8 thanks to Russell.
But he was efficient when given a limited number of opportunities against the Chargers in their most-recent game two weeks ago, and should only get better with trustworthy receiver Chaz Schilens and explosive running back Darren McFadden likely to play this week against Kansas City.Schilens hasn’t played a single game so far this year due to a broken foot, while McFadden hasn’t left the sideline since week four against Houston with a knee injury that resulted in surgery.
And that is the biggest reason why the Raiders can’t let Cable’s issues distract them.
Right after getting the Randy Hansen situation temporarily off his back, Cable was once again the center of attention for all the wrong reasons last week with allegations surfacing that he has both physically and verbally abused his significant others in the past.
Cable may end up being suspended by the time this paper comes out, though I doubt that Al Davis will fire him.
And while Cable (who admitted to slapping his ex-wife last week) deserves any punishment he gets, the sad thing is that the team will have to spend a considerable amount of dealing with questions related to it from the media, and thus it could potentially distract them from focusing on playing football.
But Nnamdi Asomugha must keep the silver and black focused (which I expect him to do), as the squad should now be able to put their best product on the field barring a setback to Schilens or McFadden.
Russell’s 48.3 quarterback rating (which is the second worst clip in the league) and depressing two touchdowns mixed with nine interceptions as of Nov. 1 is horrendous, but it is not like he has been playing with Randy Moss and Brandon Marshall on the outside either.
His two starting receivers have been rookies Darrius Heyward-Bey and Louis Murphy, who are talented, yet in way over their heads at this point in their careers.
But that should change this week when Schilens steps back onto the field, which will give Russell another pass-catching threat that he is comfortable with in addition to tight end Zach Miller.
That may sound funny to the Keystone Light-drinking fraternity bum whose sole
knowledge of the Raiders consists of JaMarcus Russell interceptions and fumbles seen on ESPN, but the team is that close to finally overcoming their six-year period of being stuck in the Bermuda Triangle of mediocrity.
They have a running back tandem that can play with practically anybody, a decent offensive line, a scary secondary and a defensive line that can only get better with more time to mesh.
After all, Oakland would be 4-4 and thinking about a wild card berth right now if they had just made a few more big plays in their two games against San Diego.
Yes, they could also be 0-8 thanks to Russell.
But he was efficient when given a limited number of opportunities against the Chargers in their most-recent game two weeks ago, and should only get better with trustworthy receiver Chaz Schilens and explosive running back Darren McFadden likely to play this week against Kansas City.Schilens hasn’t played a single game so far this year due to a broken foot, while McFadden hasn’t left the sideline since week four against Houston with a knee injury that resulted in surgery.
And that is the biggest reason why the Raiders can’t let Cable’s issues distract them.
Right after getting the Randy Hansen situation temporarily off his back, Cable was once again the center of attention for all the wrong reasons last week with allegations surfacing that he has both physically and verbally abused his significant others in the past.
Cable may end up being suspended by the time this paper comes out, though I doubt that Al Davis will fire him.
And while Cable (who admitted to slapping his ex-wife last week) deserves any punishment he gets, the sad thing is that the team will have to spend a considerable amount of dealing with questions related to it from the media, and thus it could potentially distract them from focusing on playing football.
But Nnamdi Asomugha must keep the silver and black focused (which I expect him to do), as the squad should now be able to put their best product on the field barring a setback to Schilens or McFadden.
Russell’s 48.3 quarterback rating (which is the second worst clip in the league) and depressing two touchdowns mixed with nine interceptions as of Nov. 1 is horrendous, but it is not like he has been playing with Randy Moss and Brandon Marshall on the outside either.
His two starting receivers have been rookies Darrius Heyward-Bey and Louis Murphy, who are talented, yet in way over their heads at this point in their careers.
But that should change this week when Schilens steps back onto the field, which will give Russell another pass-catching threat that he is comfortable with in addition to tight end Zach Miller.
Sonoma State Seawolves young but good
Excitement, expectations, patience.
Those messages became clear to me from the get go last Thursday when I interviewed Sonoma State men’s head basketball coach Pat Fuscaldo about his team’s upcoming 2009-2010 campaign.
Excitement, expectations, patience.
Excitement for the Seawolves’ 11 underclassmen that are already talented and yet can only get better in the years to come, the expectation of the team being able to vie for a spot in the CCAA Tournament after finishing in the top-half of the conference, and patience when it comes to letting them learn how to play together and shake off their rust.
“We have five guys that are 18, and two guys that are 19,” said Fuscaldo. “It’s goanna take us a while (a year or more) to become a great team, and it may never happen, you never know with injuries and things like that, but if we do it’ll be exciting.”
Many fans may be anything but excited this Friday when they arrive at Seawolf Gym for the Ron Lodgsdon Basketball Classic only to see last year’s leading scorer dressed in street clothes.
Guard Ben Washington is out for the season with a severe quadricep injury, and he will be sorely missed, as he averaged 10.1 points per game for SSU last year and at times reminded me a lot of the Pacers’ T.J. Ford with his quickness, floor vision and pull- up jumper.
But it shouldn’t take long for those fans to see how athletic this Seawolves team is in comparison to past Seawolf teams of the recent future and that it could easily build off of its 12-16 record and CCAA Tournament berth that it earned last March.
Fuscaldo was quick to cite how deep SSU is and how strong its shooting will be, both of which will most likely be on display against Hawaii-Pacific and Concordia on Friday and Saturday respectively.
The star of this year’s team could very well be a true freshman in Sterling Arterberry, whose athleticism and skill set could make him an All-American two or three years down the road.
“He’s an extremely athletic player,” Fuscaldo said of the point guard from Sacramento.
“He does a lot of things well and can dunk. He’s going to do some really exciting things this year, and once people hear what he can do they’re goanna want to see him play.”
And there is also sophomore guard Steven Pratt, who caught the eye of Stanford coaches last Friday after scoring thirteen points in 28 minutes against the Cardinal.
“After the game the (Stanford) coaches were asking me, ‘where did you get this guy?’” said Fuscaldo. “I’m friends with one of the assistant coaches for Stanford, and they were watching the game on film afterwards and were really impressed.
“They were bumping him one way and he was going the other way, and he was hitting shots off of screens.”
And the team also features the proven junior forward Mike Nelson, two promising big men in seniors Chad Chambers and Kyle Shandera, and two other talented players in sophomore point guard Ashley Arnott and freshman big man Dominic Powell who haven’t played a meaningful basketball game for a long time (Arnett was slated to be last year’s starting point guard but suffered a back injury that forced him to miss the entire regular season, and Powell ran track for Cal last year but wasn’t a member of the Bears hoops team).
No one in Rohnert Park should sleep on Arizona State transfer Brenton Thomas either, a swingman who is also just a freshman.
The young Seawolves (who were picked to finish seventh in the CCAA coaches preseason poll) may not be able to outclass the veteran squads of Cal Poly Pomona, Humboldt State and CSU San Bernardino for the top-three spots in the CCAA this year, but should have a solid shot at making the eight-team CCAA Tournament yet again.
But combine the experience that this year’s team (which will remain primarily intact next fall) will gain with a healthy Washington (who will be a redshirt senior next year) and SSU could have a legitimate shot at a CCAA Championship in 2011.
“We have the pieces to win, but the players have to get to know each other on the court, and that can only come with lots of practice and lots of game experience,” said Fuscaldo.
“You can’t rush chemistry or cohesion. It’s a process that takes time.”
That process should be fun to watch this year.
Those messages became clear to me from the get go last Thursday when I interviewed Sonoma State men’s head basketball coach Pat Fuscaldo about his team’s upcoming 2009-2010 campaign.
Excitement, expectations, patience.
Excitement for the Seawolves’ 11 underclassmen that are already talented and yet can only get better in the years to come, the expectation of the team being able to vie for a spot in the CCAA Tournament after finishing in the top-half of the conference, and patience when it comes to letting them learn how to play together and shake off their rust.
“We have five guys that are 18, and two guys that are 19,” said Fuscaldo. “It’s goanna take us a while (a year or more) to become a great team, and it may never happen, you never know with injuries and things like that, but if we do it’ll be exciting.”
Many fans may be anything but excited this Friday when they arrive at Seawolf Gym for the Ron Lodgsdon Basketball Classic only to see last year’s leading scorer dressed in street clothes.
Guard Ben Washington is out for the season with a severe quadricep injury, and he will be sorely missed, as he averaged 10.1 points per game for SSU last year and at times reminded me a lot of the Pacers’ T.J. Ford with his quickness, floor vision and pull- up jumper.
But it shouldn’t take long for those fans to see how athletic this Seawolves team is in comparison to past Seawolf teams of the recent future and that it could easily build off of its 12-16 record and CCAA Tournament berth that it earned last March.
Fuscaldo was quick to cite how deep SSU is and how strong its shooting will be, both of which will most likely be on display against Hawaii-Pacific and Concordia on Friday and Saturday respectively.
The star of this year’s team could very well be a true freshman in Sterling Arterberry, whose athleticism and skill set could make him an All-American two or three years down the road.
“He’s an extremely athletic player,” Fuscaldo said of the point guard from Sacramento.
“He does a lot of things well and can dunk. He’s going to do some really exciting things this year, and once people hear what he can do they’re goanna want to see him play.”
And there is also sophomore guard Steven Pratt, who caught the eye of Stanford coaches last Friday after scoring thirteen points in 28 minutes against the Cardinal.
“After the game the (Stanford) coaches were asking me, ‘where did you get this guy?’” said Fuscaldo. “I’m friends with one of the assistant coaches for Stanford, and they were watching the game on film afterwards and were really impressed.
“They were bumping him one way and he was going the other way, and he was hitting shots off of screens.”
And the team also features the proven junior forward Mike Nelson, two promising big men in seniors Chad Chambers and Kyle Shandera, and two other talented players in sophomore point guard Ashley Arnott and freshman big man Dominic Powell who haven’t played a meaningful basketball game for a long time (Arnett was slated to be last year’s starting point guard but suffered a back injury that forced him to miss the entire regular season, and Powell ran track for Cal last year but wasn’t a member of the Bears hoops team).
No one in Rohnert Park should sleep on Arizona State transfer Brenton Thomas either, a swingman who is also just a freshman.
The young Seawolves (who were picked to finish seventh in the CCAA coaches preseason poll) may not be able to outclass the veteran squads of Cal Poly Pomona, Humboldt State and CSU San Bernardino for the top-three spots in the CCAA this year, but should have a solid shot at making the eight-team CCAA Tournament yet again.
But combine the experience that this year’s team (which will remain primarily intact next fall) will gain with a healthy Washington (who will be a redshirt senior next year) and SSU could have a legitimate shot at a CCAA Championship in 2011.
“We have the pieces to win, but the players have to get to know each other on the court, and that can only come with lots of practice and lots of game experience,” said Fuscaldo.
“You can’t rush chemistry or cohesion. It’s a process that takes time.”
That process should be fun to watch this year.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Potential Reasons for why the Mark Sanchez jersey was behind Manuel
If you watched the Fox postgame show after the Yankees won the World Series tonight, then you probably saw Charlie Manuel being interviewed by Ken Rosenthal. And if you did, then you saw the Mark Sanchez home Jets jersey hanging in the background.
I have no clue what the jersey was doing hanging behind Manuel in what I assume was an area located close to the Phillies locker room, and it is tough for me to definitively say why it was there.
My best guess would be that maybe somebody on the Phillies had an assistant or somebody affiliated with the team go out and get them the jersey before the game, and when they came back they found the clubhouse closed or weren't able to gain access into the locker room, or perhaps it was left by a player as a gift to a reporter or friend. Or perhaps a player on the Yankees bought the jersey for a player on the Phillies as a gift but couldn't find a way to have someone bring it into the locker room for some reason (or maybe he had it intentionally left outside the locker room so as to surprise him after the team headed out of the facility-which would have been a tremendously nice gesture by the way.
There may have also been a player on the Phillies who wanted to change outside the locker room so as to not see the sad looks on his teammates' faces and thus he or a clubhouse assistant brought his clothes outside. This sounds like perhaps the most rational reason for it.
And last but not least, I guess that somebody on the Yankees could have had a clubhouse assistant hang the jersey outside in that area if both team's locker rooms are close to each other or if it just so happened that Manuel was being interviewed away from the Phillies' locker room.
Either way, I am very interested to figure out why the Sanchez jersey was there. It is of no relevance whatsoever, but is a unique sidenote to the close of a great World Series nonetheless, and perhaps even more unique than the funny hat that Phil Jackson wore to celebrate his tenth NBA title last June.
I have no clue what the jersey was doing hanging behind Manuel in what I assume was an area located close to the Phillies locker room, and it is tough for me to definitively say why it was there.
My best guess would be that maybe somebody on the Phillies had an assistant or somebody affiliated with the team go out and get them the jersey before the game, and when they came back they found the clubhouse closed or weren't able to gain access into the locker room, or perhaps it was left by a player as a gift to a reporter or friend. Or perhaps a player on the Yankees bought the jersey for a player on the Phillies as a gift but couldn't find a way to have someone bring it into the locker room for some reason (or maybe he had it intentionally left outside the locker room so as to surprise him after the team headed out of the facility-which would have been a tremendously nice gesture by the way.
There may have also been a player on the Phillies who wanted to change outside the locker room so as to not see the sad looks on his teammates' faces and thus he or a clubhouse assistant brought his clothes outside. This sounds like perhaps the most rational reason for it.
And last but not least, I guess that somebody on the Yankees could have had a clubhouse assistant hang the jersey outside in that area if both team's locker rooms are close to each other or if it just so happened that Manuel was being interviewed away from the Phillies' locker room.
Either way, I am very interested to figure out why the Sanchez jersey was there. It is of no relevance whatsoever, but is a unique sidenote to the close of a great World Series nonetheless, and perhaps even more unique than the funny hat that Phil Jackson wore to celebrate his tenth NBA title last June.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Oct. 18 recap
Oct 18:
Quality of Day: Average
Outfit: Khakis, white polo shirt, Titans sweatshirt, Yankees hat.
Analysis: Today I woke up at about 6:45 PM and watched the Bears-Falcons game on my T.V. while I streamed the Dodgers-Phillies game on my computer. I went to the El Rancho Taqueria at halftime to get a Shrimp burrito, two carne asada tacos and two fruit punch Jarritos. Then I went to The Stepfather at 10:45, and it turned out to be a decent movie but lacked an indepth plot and had a horrible ending. Then I went back to my apartment and did a little bit of homework but mostly played poker while I watched CNN. Now I'm finna play a game of Madden (online if I can find an opponent otherwise I'll just play in franchise mode) and then go to bed.
Quality of Day: Average
Outfit: Khakis, white polo shirt, Titans sweatshirt, Yankees hat.
Analysis: Today I woke up at about 6:45 PM and watched the Bears-Falcons game on my T.V. while I streamed the Dodgers-Phillies game on my computer. I went to the El Rancho Taqueria at halftime to get a Shrimp burrito, two carne asada tacos and two fruit punch Jarritos. Then I went to The Stepfather at 10:45, and it turned out to be a decent movie but lacked an indepth plot and had a horrible ending. Then I went back to my apartment and did a little bit of homework but mostly played poker while I watched CNN. Now I'm finna play a game of Madden (online if I can find an opponent otherwise I'll just play in franchise mode) and then go to bed.
Friday, September 25, 2009
September 24, 2009 Recap
September 24, 2009
Quality of Day: Good
Outfit: Black Adidas cross trainers, beige khaki shorts, carolina blue undershirt, white Ralph Lauren polo shirt, and fitted authentic Dodgers hat
Analysis: I went to bed at 4:30 and was goanna go to the computer lab at 10 but was too tired, and since there was no official class that day (the teacher was not goanna be there) and the computer lab where the class was meeting was filled with another class, I took advantage of the opportunity to sleep more.
However, this backfired on me, as I then work up at 2:57, three minutes before my investments class. I washed my face off and hurried to class, arriving at 3:19 and taking the chance of getting a parking ticket since I don't have a sticker to park at my school. I then bounced out of this class at 5 and worked with my friend on some homework in the computer lab, then bounced out at 6 and went home. I then turned on the Ole Miss-South Carolina game, did some dishes and cooked some polenta, which I ate with a steak. I then wrote an article about the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim for my school's paper.
Now I'm finna go to bed.
Biggest thoughts of the Day: That was a big win by Steve Spurrier today, hopefully he can use that to put together a 10-win season. He seems like a nice guy. I wasn't impressed with Ole Miss when I saw them play Memphis. Also, I'm a big fan of this Justin Bieber guy's "One Time" song. It has a pretty sick beat and Bieber has a pretty cool voice.
Quality of Day: Good
Outfit: Black Adidas cross trainers, beige khaki shorts, carolina blue undershirt, white Ralph Lauren polo shirt, and fitted authentic Dodgers hat
Analysis: I went to bed at 4:30 and was goanna go to the computer lab at 10 but was too tired, and since there was no official class that day (the teacher was not goanna be there) and the computer lab where the class was meeting was filled with another class, I took advantage of the opportunity to sleep more.
However, this backfired on me, as I then work up at 2:57, three minutes before my investments class. I washed my face off and hurried to class, arriving at 3:19 and taking the chance of getting a parking ticket since I don't have a sticker to park at my school. I then bounced out of this class at 5 and worked with my friend on some homework in the computer lab, then bounced out at 6 and went home. I then turned on the Ole Miss-South Carolina game, did some dishes and cooked some polenta, which I ate with a steak. I then wrote an article about the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim for my school's paper.
Now I'm finna go to bed.
Biggest thoughts of the Day: That was a big win by Steve Spurrier today, hopefully he can use that to put together a 10-win season. He seems like a nice guy. I wasn't impressed with Ole Miss when I saw them play Memphis. Also, I'm a big fan of this Justin Bieber guy's "One Time" song. It has a pretty sick beat and Bieber has a pretty cool voice.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
September 23, 2009 Recap
Sept. 23, 2009
Quality of Day: Good
Outfit: beige khaki shorts, aqua blue Ralph Lauren Polo, carolina blue undershirt, blue New York Giants fitted coaches hat, black Adidas cross-trainers
Analysis: I woke up at 4:11 PM, then studied for my International Marketing class. Along the way I got two calls from a friend and my boss. I had interesting conversations with both of them, as my friend talked of some fools from my teen days and my boss talked of the progress we've made with our social marketing efforts.
I then walked to my class from 5:46 to 5:55, all the while with my book out. I did some studying once I got to the class, then took the midterm. At first I was overthinking, but I soon realized how easy it was. I would be surprised if I didn't get all questions right. From there I went to the computer lab to try to work on some Marketing Decision Making work, but ended up being distracted and not getting anything done. I walked to the library and cafe to see if any of my friends were there but they werent, so I then bounced.
I must have gotten back to my apartment a little before 8, and got in my car and drove to the Panda Express. I then watched TV and started on an article about the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. From here I'm goanna play a game of Madden and go to bed.
Biggest Thought of the Day: I watched an interesting True Life documentary today on people who were rehabbing from sports injuries. One guy was paralyzed (I think from hockey but I'm not sure), and it was sad, yet inspiring to see him have to be moved around by his parents and experience physical pain while they moved him to and from his bed and wheelchair. He had a cool attitude about his situation, as he conveyed that he knew he had to deal with it the best that he could. That was inspiring to me, as I have it much better in life, and thus should appreciate all that I have instead of worrying about all the things that I want. Obviously its easier to say that and harder to do it, but I think that being content is the key to happiness in life, and hopefully I can achieve that at sometime during my life.
Quality of Day: Good
Outfit: beige khaki shorts, aqua blue Ralph Lauren Polo, carolina blue undershirt, blue New York Giants fitted coaches hat, black Adidas cross-trainers
Analysis: I woke up at 4:11 PM, then studied for my International Marketing class. Along the way I got two calls from a friend and my boss. I had interesting conversations with both of them, as my friend talked of some fools from my teen days and my boss talked of the progress we've made with our social marketing efforts.
I then walked to my class from 5:46 to 5:55, all the while with my book out. I did some studying once I got to the class, then took the midterm. At first I was overthinking, but I soon realized how easy it was. I would be surprised if I didn't get all questions right. From there I went to the computer lab to try to work on some Marketing Decision Making work, but ended up being distracted and not getting anything done. I walked to the library and cafe to see if any of my friends were there but they werent, so I then bounced.
I must have gotten back to my apartment a little before 8, and got in my car and drove to the Panda Express. I then watched TV and started on an article about the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. From here I'm goanna play a game of Madden and go to bed.
Biggest Thought of the Day: I watched an interesting True Life documentary today on people who were rehabbing from sports injuries. One guy was paralyzed (I think from hockey but I'm not sure), and it was sad, yet inspiring to see him have to be moved around by his parents and experience physical pain while they moved him to and from his bed and wheelchair. He had a cool attitude about his situation, as he conveyed that he knew he had to deal with it the best that he could. That was inspiring to me, as I have it much better in life, and thus should appreciate all that I have instead of worrying about all the things that I want. Obviously its easier to say that and harder to do it, but I think that being content is the key to happiness in life, and hopefully I can achieve that at sometime during my life.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Sept. 22, 2009 Recap
Sept. 22, 2009
Quality of Day: Average
Outfit: white khaki shorts, aqua blue Ralph Lauren polo shirt, carolina blue undershirt, home Dominican Republic World Baseball Classic hat, Seiko gold and silver watch, black Adidas cross-trainers
Quality of Day: Average
Analysis: Tuesday was an all-too-common one for me, filled with little excitement. I woke up at 9:10 and got up at 9:25, only got four-and-a-half hours of sleep at most but felt pretty good. I then grabbed a Mountain Dew and walked to my Marketing Decision Making class, which lasted only 28 minutes. I talked to a couple of people in this class, then headed to the library to check on some internet stuff and then get some rest in the comfy chairs, which I got to by approximately 11:10 a.m.
At 12:48 I headed to my Consumer Behavior class, which was very boring. I talked to a girl named Alex for a short time. I then bounced out of this class at 2:47, hung outside for a little while and then rolled to my 3 o'clock investments class. I was tired so at one point I dozed in-and-out of consciousness, but drank some Mountain Dew at the 4 o'clock break and increased my energy level. A fool asked me a question about a book after a girl named Anastasia asked him if they sell it at the bookstore.
Then at 4:50 PM I bounced out, hung around campus for a while, then walked home to my apartment, which I got to by 5:36 PM. I then watched TV, headed to the El Rancho Taqueria where I ordered un burro grande con camarones y un numero cuatro (two carne asada tacos with beans and rice) and two strawberry Jarritos.
From here I watched some TV and did some work, then tried to go to the gym (which I hadn't been to since Aug. 25) but I forgot to get the new sticker for the fall semester. Now I'm finna do a tiny bit of work, play a game of Madden and go to sleep. I'm watching Bill Clinton on the David 'Grumpy bum' Letterman show.
Biggest Thought of the Day: What happened to Plaxico Burress (him being sentenced to 2 years of jail and heading to the penn today) is a shame. He's not only a great receiver, but he appears to be a nice man, and it was very inspiring to see him with tears in his eyes at the Super Bowl with his loved ones. I don't think that sentence is very fair, but I know he's goanna make the best of the situation, then get out in 20 months and probably have another 3-to-6 productive years as an NFL receiver so long as he can stay healthy and is in relatively good shape when he gets out.
Quality of Day: Average
Outfit: white khaki shorts, aqua blue Ralph Lauren polo shirt, carolina blue undershirt, home Dominican Republic World Baseball Classic hat, Seiko gold and silver watch, black Adidas cross-trainers
Quality of Day: Average
Analysis: Tuesday was an all-too-common one for me, filled with little excitement. I woke up at 9:10 and got up at 9:25, only got four-and-a-half hours of sleep at most but felt pretty good. I then grabbed a Mountain Dew and walked to my Marketing Decision Making class, which lasted only 28 minutes. I talked to a couple of people in this class, then headed to the library to check on some internet stuff and then get some rest in the comfy chairs, which I got to by approximately 11:10 a.m.
At 12:48 I headed to my Consumer Behavior class, which was very boring. I talked to a girl named Alex for a short time. I then bounced out of this class at 2:47, hung outside for a little while and then rolled to my 3 o'clock investments class. I was tired so at one point I dozed in-and-out of consciousness, but drank some Mountain Dew at the 4 o'clock break and increased my energy level. A fool asked me a question about a book after a girl named Anastasia asked him if they sell it at the bookstore.
Then at 4:50 PM I bounced out, hung around campus for a while, then walked home to my apartment, which I got to by 5:36 PM. I then watched TV, headed to the El Rancho Taqueria where I ordered un burro grande con camarones y un numero cuatro (two carne asada tacos with beans and rice) and two strawberry Jarritos.
From here I watched some TV and did some work, then tried to go to the gym (which I hadn't been to since Aug. 25) but I forgot to get the new sticker for the fall semester. Now I'm finna do a tiny bit of work, play a game of Madden and go to sleep. I'm watching Bill Clinton on the David 'Grumpy bum' Letterman show.
Biggest Thought of the Day: What happened to Plaxico Burress (him being sentenced to 2 years of jail and heading to the penn today) is a shame. He's not only a great receiver, but he appears to be a nice man, and it was very inspiring to see him with tears in his eyes at the Super Bowl with his loved ones. I don't think that sentence is very fair, but I know he's goanna make the best of the situation, then get out in 20 months and probably have another 3-to-6 productive years as an NFL receiver so long as he can stay healthy and is in relatively good shape when he gets out.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
2009 NBA Mock Draft
Here is my mock draft for the 2009 NBA Draft. I will go so far as to guarantee you that I will hit on at least 20 of these picks and that my analysis will be spot on in regards to the careers that these players will have in the NBA.
1) Los Angeles Clippers: Blake Griffin, F, Oklahoma. I watched Griffin play a lot this past year, and am not as impressed with his game as most people. His three point shot is poor and his inside game is highly overrated. He’ll be a consistent scorer in the league, but not a dominant one like Kobe Bryant. Think of Griffin as a medium between Mike Miller and Richard Hamilton from the standpoint that his point totals will rarely top 20 on most nights. Tyreke Evans will be a much better player than Griffin. I’d rather take him than Griffin if I’m the Clippers.
2) Memphis Grizzlies: Hasheem Thabeet, C, Connecticut. I love Thabeet as a Dikembe Mutombo-type shotblocker in the NBA who will cause fits for most NBA big men on defense, and am much more optimistic about his ability to improve on offense than most people. I think he could be a consistent 15-to-25 point scorer for the Grizzlies by the start of 2010. He showed me light years of improvement in his footwork around the rim in March, and he could develop into a Dwight Howard-type presence if his touch improves. Memphis should pick Thabeet over Ricky Rubio, as Mike Conley is still only the equivalent of a college junior and had some good games down the stretch last year.
3) Oklahoma City Thunder: Ricky Rubio, G, DKV Joventut (Spain). Rubio is the best point guard in this year’s draft due to his quickness and Steve Nash-type ability to see the floor. He’ll lead the Thunder to the playoffs this year and we’ll be a better version of Nash and Jason Kidd.
4) Sacramento Kings: Tyreke Evans, G/F, Memphis. Tough pick here for the Kings from a standpoint that their biggest need is a good big man. However, Evans is the best player on the board at this point and we’ll kill it right away in the NBA like O.J. Mayo did last year, as he can shoot lights out from the perimeter as well as snap fools’ ankles off the dribble. He can play point guard, shooting guard and small forward, and we’ll give Sacramento a deadly 1-2-3 combination with Beno Udrih and Kevin Martin.
5) Minnesota Timberwolves: James Harden, G/F, Arizona State. Harden’s a great scorer, as he can drive to the basket and shoots well from the perimeter, and while he didn’t do a great job of setting up his teammates at Arizona State from a passing standpoint, he provided a Kobe-type presence by commanding double teams and so much attention in zones. He’ll do the same thing for the Timberwolves right away, and we’ll be no worst of an NBA player than Griffin.
6) Minnesota Timberwolves: Stephen Curry, G, Davidson. I don’t like Del’s son as much as most people. He’s not a great passer and doesn’t seem to be able to drive or set up his shot at all. He won’t be any better than J.J. Redick in the NBA.
7) Golden State Warriors: Jordan Hill, F/C, Arizona. I Love how this guy developed from his sophomore year to his junior year from a physicality standpoint. Two years ago he would shy away from contact in the paint, but this year he would back down his defenders and take the ball right under the basket instead of settling for hook shots. He’s also a good rebounder and kick-out passer. It will be tough for him to get minutes on a team that features Andris Biedrins, Anthony Randolph, Ronny Turiaf and Brandon Wright, but he has all the tools to be a solid big man in the NBA.
8) New York Knicks: Jrue Holliday, G, UCLA. Don’t like this guy at all. He had a bad season at UCLA despite having a lot of resources around him, and there is not one thing that he is great at. Don’t expect him to make any all-star games nor crack many starting lineups in his career.
9) Toronto Raptors: DeMar DeRozan, G, USC. I loved watching this guy play at ‘SC this past year, as he has a great shot and can drive with ease. He’ll be a better version of Mike Miller in the NBA.
10) Milwaukee Bucks: Brandon Jennings, G, Pallacanestro Virtus Roma (Italy). Jennings’ subpar performance in Italy this past year can be attributed to him playing against much more physical grown men and the limited minutes philosophy of his head coach (if he had played for Arizona this past year he would have been just as good as Jonny Flynn). However, with that said, I do not think Jennings’ future is very bright in the NBA, as his floor vision is very low and his ability to beat defenders off the dribble is mediocre. He has a good shot, but not much else, and we’ll be no better than Sebastian Telfair in the NBA.
11) New Jersey Nets: James Johnson, F, Wake Forest. Johnson will be everything that Lamar Odom wishes he was in the NBA, as he can play both the 3 and 4 and has both an inside and outside game. He’ll kill it right away in the NBA.
12) Charlotte Bobcats: Terrence Williams, G/F, Louisville. I liked Earl Clark more than Williams for Louisville this year, but with that said Williams will be a consummate pro in the NBA, as he plays good defense and has a high basketball IQ (he isn’t particularly great at shooting, penetrating or passing though). He’ll be another Francisco Garcia in the NBA.
13) Indiana Pacers: Tyler Hansbrough, F/C, North Carolina. He’ll be a good rebounder in the NBA, but the biggest question is whether he’ll be able to finish at the rim against physical big men (he struggled with that in college). I don’t think he can, and see him being no better than Ronny Turiaf.
14) Phoenix Suns: Earl Clark, G, Louisville. This is a good fit for the Suns, as Clark can run with their fast-paced offense and possesses both a good jumpshot and the ability to beat defenders off the dribble while being a solid defender at the same time. I see him being a Moe Williams-type player in the NBA.
15) Detroit Pistons: Jonny Flynn, G, Syracuse. Flynn is small and quick like T.J. Ford (he’s slightly bigger than Ford) but can shoot like Devon Harris. His game will be more Ford than Harris in the NBA though due to his size, but will be a contributor nonetheless (an NBA mainstay but not exactly a star).
16) Chicago Bulls: B.J. Mullens, C, Ohio State. The Bulls are loaded in the backcourt, so guards like Jeff Teague and Gerald Henderson won’t do them much good. I really like Mullens for the Bulls, as he had a good year as a freshman for Ohio State and is a solid defender and rebounder who should develop significantly as an offensive presence in a couple of years. His body is pretty developed for his age (which is a good sign), which combined with his height should give him the ability to be just as good as Andris Biedrins in the NBA. My guess? He’ll be a slightly lesser version of Biedrins in the NBA while being a starter for the large majority of his career.
17) Philadelphia 76ers: Jeff Teague, G, Wake Forest. He’ll get the nod over Ty Lawson because of his potential to be a solid NBA point guard, and being tutored by a smooth veteran in Andre Miller won’t hurt him either. Back during March Madness I wrote that Teague seemed to be lost in the Bermuda Triangle for the second half of the year, but his jump shot and quickness gives him a high probability of being a successful point guard in the NBA. He won’t be the next Chris Paul, but I’ll bet you that he makes a couple of All-Star games during his career.
18) Minnesota Timberwolves: Eric Maynor, G, Virginia Commonwealth. Maynor’s quick and has a good mid-range jump shot (he’s not too shabby of a passer either). He could end up being the next Monta Ellis, but I see him being more of a Jordan Farmar-type role player in the NBA.
19) Atlanta Hawks: Gerald Henderson Jr., G/F, Duke. Henderson’s a good shooter and defender without much of an inside game. He’ll play about 20 minutes a night and score seven-to-ten points per game with a couple of assists mixed in but won’t do much after that unless he morphs into a Bruce Bowen-type defender, which I doubt.
20) Utah Jazz: Ty Lawson, G, North Carolina. Lawson’s best days ended in college, as he isn’t big enough to be a great scoring point guard in the NBA and doesn’t possess the floor vision to be a great passing guard, and at best he’s a so-so defender. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a UNC fan and I like the guy, but I don’t see him possessing the quickness to succeed as a point guard in the NBA. He’ll bounce around the league and won’t make a single all-star game during his career.
21) New Orleans Hornets: DaJuan Summers, F, Georgetown: Summers has a good inside game, but could be a better defender. His offense makes him a potential Paul Millsap hybrid, but I see him coming up just a bit short of fulfilling that potential due to his lack of a close-range jump shot.
22) Portland Trail Blazers: Pat Mills, G, Saint Mary’s, Calif. Mills is slippery quick and has great floor vision, though his perimeter game could be a lot better. His size won’t make him a great point guard, but he’ll be just as good as T.J. Ford in the NBA. His biggest problem right off the bat in Portland will be getting significant minutes.
23) Sacramento Kings: Omri Casspi, F, Maccabi Tel Aviv (Israel): My friends at NBADraft.net compare Casspi to Andres Nocioni and Hedo Turkoglu. He’s 6-9 though his body is not very muscular, and supposedly (I’ve never seen him play) can drive to the basket or shoot from the perimeter. From what I’ve read, I think he’ll be a slightly lesser version of Hedo Turkoglu. Geoff Petrie likes foreign players more so than many other GM’s in the league, so this pick would not be anything out of the ordinary for him.
24) Dallas Mavericks: Chase Budinger, F, Arizona. Whenever I watched this guy play at Arizona, it always seemed like he’d never score. He’s tall enough to get his shot off when defended in the NBA (and he has a good one) and will be a good defender with his range, and will drive inside sporadically, but not as much as he’ll shoot. Worst case scenario: J.J. Redick. Best case scenario: Mike Miller
25) Oklahoma City Thunder: Jonas Jerebko, F, Pallacanestro Biella (Italy): This is another guy that I’ve never seen play before, but my friends on NBADraft.net compare him to Thebo Sefolosha (who’s a better player than you think he is) who can hit threes and post up on the inside but is not effective with his shot when he’s on the move or off the dribble. However, NBAdraft.net’s ravings about his three-point shot combined with his ability to post up in the paint lead me to believe that he’ll be the median of Jermaine O’Neal and Tim Duncan in the NBA. Its a leap of faith, but what I’ve read leads me to believe that we have something special here with Jerebko.
26) Chicago Bulls: DeJuan Blair, F/C, Pittsburgh. I love Blair’s physicality and can-do attitude. He also has great footwork and has a knack for being in the right position as a defender. He could end up being a slightly lesser version of David West in the NBA.
27) Memphis Grizzlies: Austin Daye, F, Gonzaga. Daye has the ability to be the fulfillment of Lamar Odom, as he is skinny and athletic while still being able to play both small and power forward and has a good outside shot. Don’t expect him to possess much of an inside game for the Pacers, but he’ll fill up the stat sheet every night and we’ll be a decent double digit scorer as a pro.
28) Minnesota Timberwolves: Toney Douglas, G, Florida State: One of the more underrated guards in college last year, Douglas can both shoot from the perimeter and beat defenders off the dribble consistently, and at times shows a meanstreak on defense. He has a score-first mentality, and could be a Kevin Martin-type player in the NBA if he’s given enough minutes to flourish right away.
29) Los Angeles Lakers: DeMarre Carroll, F/C, Missouri. Though he will be picked late, Carroll will be a better, more physical version of LaMarcus Aldridge in the NBA, as he can both finish at the rim and his ability to retrieve rebounds almost rebounds me of Ben Wallace in his prime.
30) Cleveland Cavaliers: Vyacheslav Kravtsov, C, BC Kyiv (Ukraine). The Cavs desperately need an efficient big man, and this is the only guy available that fits the build of a dominant rebounding center, as he’s built like Hasheem Thabeet and looks good on film as a shot blocker. I’d take him and try to build him into a Dikembe Mutombo-type player and let the offense come later.
1) Los Angeles Clippers: Blake Griffin, F, Oklahoma. I watched Griffin play a lot this past year, and am not as impressed with his game as most people. His three point shot is poor and his inside game is highly overrated. He’ll be a consistent scorer in the league, but not a dominant one like Kobe Bryant. Think of Griffin as a medium between Mike Miller and Richard Hamilton from the standpoint that his point totals will rarely top 20 on most nights. Tyreke Evans will be a much better player than Griffin. I’d rather take him than Griffin if I’m the Clippers.
2) Memphis Grizzlies: Hasheem Thabeet, C, Connecticut. I love Thabeet as a Dikembe Mutombo-type shotblocker in the NBA who will cause fits for most NBA big men on defense, and am much more optimistic about his ability to improve on offense than most people. I think he could be a consistent 15-to-25 point scorer for the Grizzlies by the start of 2010. He showed me light years of improvement in his footwork around the rim in March, and he could develop into a Dwight Howard-type presence if his touch improves. Memphis should pick Thabeet over Ricky Rubio, as Mike Conley is still only the equivalent of a college junior and had some good games down the stretch last year.
3) Oklahoma City Thunder: Ricky Rubio, G, DKV Joventut (Spain). Rubio is the best point guard in this year’s draft due to his quickness and Steve Nash-type ability to see the floor. He’ll lead the Thunder to the playoffs this year and we’ll be a better version of Nash and Jason Kidd.
4) Sacramento Kings: Tyreke Evans, G/F, Memphis. Tough pick here for the Kings from a standpoint that their biggest need is a good big man. However, Evans is the best player on the board at this point and we’ll kill it right away in the NBA like O.J. Mayo did last year, as he can shoot lights out from the perimeter as well as snap fools’ ankles off the dribble. He can play point guard, shooting guard and small forward, and we’ll give Sacramento a deadly 1-2-3 combination with Beno Udrih and Kevin Martin.
5) Minnesota Timberwolves: James Harden, G/F, Arizona State. Harden’s a great scorer, as he can drive to the basket and shoots well from the perimeter, and while he didn’t do a great job of setting up his teammates at Arizona State from a passing standpoint, he provided a Kobe-type presence by commanding double teams and so much attention in zones. He’ll do the same thing for the Timberwolves right away, and we’ll be no worst of an NBA player than Griffin.
6) Minnesota Timberwolves: Stephen Curry, G, Davidson. I don’t like Del’s son as much as most people. He’s not a great passer and doesn’t seem to be able to drive or set up his shot at all. He won’t be any better than J.J. Redick in the NBA.
7) Golden State Warriors: Jordan Hill, F/C, Arizona. I Love how this guy developed from his sophomore year to his junior year from a physicality standpoint. Two years ago he would shy away from contact in the paint, but this year he would back down his defenders and take the ball right under the basket instead of settling for hook shots. He’s also a good rebounder and kick-out passer. It will be tough for him to get minutes on a team that features Andris Biedrins, Anthony Randolph, Ronny Turiaf and Brandon Wright, but he has all the tools to be a solid big man in the NBA.
8) New York Knicks: Jrue Holliday, G, UCLA. Don’t like this guy at all. He had a bad season at UCLA despite having a lot of resources around him, and there is not one thing that he is great at. Don’t expect him to make any all-star games nor crack many starting lineups in his career.
9) Toronto Raptors: DeMar DeRozan, G, USC. I loved watching this guy play at ‘SC this past year, as he has a great shot and can drive with ease. He’ll be a better version of Mike Miller in the NBA.
10) Milwaukee Bucks: Brandon Jennings, G, Pallacanestro Virtus Roma (Italy). Jennings’ subpar performance in Italy this past year can be attributed to him playing against much more physical grown men and the limited minutes philosophy of his head coach (if he had played for Arizona this past year he would have been just as good as Jonny Flynn). However, with that said, I do not think Jennings’ future is very bright in the NBA, as his floor vision is very low and his ability to beat defenders off the dribble is mediocre. He has a good shot, but not much else, and we’ll be no better than Sebastian Telfair in the NBA.
11) New Jersey Nets: James Johnson, F, Wake Forest. Johnson will be everything that Lamar Odom wishes he was in the NBA, as he can play both the 3 and 4 and has both an inside and outside game. He’ll kill it right away in the NBA.
12) Charlotte Bobcats: Terrence Williams, G/F, Louisville. I liked Earl Clark more than Williams for Louisville this year, but with that said Williams will be a consummate pro in the NBA, as he plays good defense and has a high basketball IQ (he isn’t particularly great at shooting, penetrating or passing though). He’ll be another Francisco Garcia in the NBA.
13) Indiana Pacers: Tyler Hansbrough, F/C, North Carolina. He’ll be a good rebounder in the NBA, but the biggest question is whether he’ll be able to finish at the rim against physical big men (he struggled with that in college). I don’t think he can, and see him being no better than Ronny Turiaf.
14) Phoenix Suns: Earl Clark, G, Louisville. This is a good fit for the Suns, as Clark can run with their fast-paced offense and possesses both a good jumpshot and the ability to beat defenders off the dribble while being a solid defender at the same time. I see him being a Moe Williams-type player in the NBA.
15) Detroit Pistons: Jonny Flynn, G, Syracuse. Flynn is small and quick like T.J. Ford (he’s slightly bigger than Ford) but can shoot like Devon Harris. His game will be more Ford than Harris in the NBA though due to his size, but will be a contributor nonetheless (an NBA mainstay but not exactly a star).
16) Chicago Bulls: B.J. Mullens, C, Ohio State. The Bulls are loaded in the backcourt, so guards like Jeff Teague and Gerald Henderson won’t do them much good. I really like Mullens for the Bulls, as he had a good year as a freshman for Ohio State and is a solid defender and rebounder who should develop significantly as an offensive presence in a couple of years. His body is pretty developed for his age (which is a good sign), which combined with his height should give him the ability to be just as good as Andris Biedrins in the NBA. My guess? He’ll be a slightly lesser version of Biedrins in the NBA while being a starter for the large majority of his career.
17) Philadelphia 76ers: Jeff Teague, G, Wake Forest. He’ll get the nod over Ty Lawson because of his potential to be a solid NBA point guard, and being tutored by a smooth veteran in Andre Miller won’t hurt him either. Back during March Madness I wrote that Teague seemed to be lost in the Bermuda Triangle for the second half of the year, but his jump shot and quickness gives him a high probability of being a successful point guard in the NBA. He won’t be the next Chris Paul, but I’ll bet you that he makes a couple of All-Star games during his career.
18) Minnesota Timberwolves: Eric Maynor, G, Virginia Commonwealth. Maynor’s quick and has a good mid-range jump shot (he’s not too shabby of a passer either). He could end up being the next Monta Ellis, but I see him being more of a Jordan Farmar-type role player in the NBA.
19) Atlanta Hawks: Gerald Henderson Jr., G/F, Duke. Henderson’s a good shooter and defender without much of an inside game. He’ll play about 20 minutes a night and score seven-to-ten points per game with a couple of assists mixed in but won’t do much after that unless he morphs into a Bruce Bowen-type defender, which I doubt.
20) Utah Jazz: Ty Lawson, G, North Carolina. Lawson’s best days ended in college, as he isn’t big enough to be a great scoring point guard in the NBA and doesn’t possess the floor vision to be a great passing guard, and at best he’s a so-so defender. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a UNC fan and I like the guy, but I don’t see him possessing the quickness to succeed as a point guard in the NBA. He’ll bounce around the league and won’t make a single all-star game during his career.
21) New Orleans Hornets: DaJuan Summers, F, Georgetown: Summers has a good inside game, but could be a better defender. His offense makes him a potential Paul Millsap hybrid, but I see him coming up just a bit short of fulfilling that potential due to his lack of a close-range jump shot.
22) Portland Trail Blazers: Pat Mills, G, Saint Mary’s, Calif. Mills is slippery quick and has great floor vision, though his perimeter game could be a lot better. His size won’t make him a great point guard, but he’ll be just as good as T.J. Ford in the NBA. His biggest problem right off the bat in Portland will be getting significant minutes.
23) Sacramento Kings: Omri Casspi, F, Maccabi Tel Aviv (Israel): My friends at NBADraft.net compare Casspi to Andres Nocioni and Hedo Turkoglu. He’s 6-9 though his body is not very muscular, and supposedly (I’ve never seen him play) can drive to the basket or shoot from the perimeter. From what I’ve read, I think he’ll be a slightly lesser version of Hedo Turkoglu. Geoff Petrie likes foreign players more so than many other GM’s in the league, so this pick would not be anything out of the ordinary for him.
24) Dallas Mavericks: Chase Budinger, F, Arizona. Whenever I watched this guy play at Arizona, it always seemed like he’d never score. He’s tall enough to get his shot off when defended in the NBA (and he has a good one) and will be a good defender with his range, and will drive inside sporadically, but not as much as he’ll shoot. Worst case scenario: J.J. Redick. Best case scenario: Mike Miller
25) Oklahoma City Thunder: Jonas Jerebko, F, Pallacanestro Biella (Italy): This is another guy that I’ve never seen play before, but my friends on NBADraft.net compare him to Thebo Sefolosha (who’s a better player than you think he is) who can hit threes and post up on the inside but is not effective with his shot when he’s on the move or off the dribble. However, NBAdraft.net’s ravings about his three-point shot combined with his ability to post up in the paint lead me to believe that he’ll be the median of Jermaine O’Neal and Tim Duncan in the NBA. Its a leap of faith, but what I’ve read leads me to believe that we have something special here with Jerebko.
26) Chicago Bulls: DeJuan Blair, F/C, Pittsburgh. I love Blair’s physicality and can-do attitude. He also has great footwork and has a knack for being in the right position as a defender. He could end up being a slightly lesser version of David West in the NBA.
27) Memphis Grizzlies: Austin Daye, F, Gonzaga. Daye has the ability to be the fulfillment of Lamar Odom, as he is skinny and athletic while still being able to play both small and power forward and has a good outside shot. Don’t expect him to possess much of an inside game for the Pacers, but he’ll fill up the stat sheet every night and we’ll be a decent double digit scorer as a pro.
28) Minnesota Timberwolves: Toney Douglas, G, Florida State: One of the more underrated guards in college last year, Douglas can both shoot from the perimeter and beat defenders off the dribble consistently, and at times shows a meanstreak on defense. He has a score-first mentality, and could be a Kevin Martin-type player in the NBA if he’s given enough minutes to flourish right away.
29) Los Angeles Lakers: DeMarre Carroll, F/C, Missouri. Though he will be picked late, Carroll will be a better, more physical version of LaMarcus Aldridge in the NBA, as he can both finish at the rim and his ability to retrieve rebounds almost rebounds me of Ben Wallace in his prime.
30) Cleveland Cavaliers: Vyacheslav Kravtsov, C, BC Kyiv (Ukraine). The Cavs desperately need an efficient big man, and this is the only guy available that fits the build of a dominant rebounding center, as he’s built like Hasheem Thabeet and looks good on film as a shot blocker. I’d take him and try to build him into a Dikembe Mutombo-type player and let the offense come later.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Congrats to Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers
I'd like to take this time to congratulate Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers for winning their fourth and tenth NBA Championship respectively. I've always felt that Kobe Bryant is better than Michael Jordan (I get a tremendous amount of flak for that from Jordan lovers) and his performance this season further solidifies my belief, as he can do everything that Jordan could back in his prime-take over a game, hit a game-winning shot and make his teammates better. Just because he doesn't have his own company and distinct logo doesn't make him any worse than Jordan, and the fact that he only has four rings compared to Jordan's six is largely irrelevant since Bryant played with average talent for the three years between Shaquille O'Neal's departure in 2004 and the emergence of Andrew Bynum along with the acquisition of Derek Fisher and Pau Gasol in 2008 and 2009 respectively (Bryant would have five rings today had Shaq continued to don the purple and gold during that period-I bet he's regretting asking Jerry Buss for more money now).
And when it comes to Phil Jackson, Mike Krzyzewski made a great point on the Dan Patrick show when he said that managing players like Bryant, Jordan and O'Neal is an extremely difficult task and that Jackson has done a tremendous job doing it. He's a brilliant and innovative basketball coach (see the triangle offense) and deserves each of his ten rings. Just because he has always had great players doesn't mean that he's an overrated coach, as he has a tremendous feel for the game and doesn't cost his team victories with overcoaching like other coaches in the NBA do (see Don Nelson).
Once again, congratulations to the Los Angeles Lakers, and a special congratulations to Sasha Vujacic, who while not scoring any points in the finals still played a large role in the series with his tenacious defense on the floor and enthusiastic spirit on the bench.
And when it comes to Phil Jackson, Mike Krzyzewski made a great point on the Dan Patrick show when he said that managing players like Bryant, Jordan and O'Neal is an extremely difficult task and that Jackson has done a tremendous job doing it. He's a brilliant and innovative basketball coach (see the triangle offense) and deserves each of his ten rings. Just because he has always had great players doesn't mean that he's an overrated coach, as he has a tremendous feel for the game and doesn't cost his team victories with overcoaching like other coaches in the NBA do (see Don Nelson).
Once again, congratulations to the Los Angeles Lakers, and a special congratulations to Sasha Vujacic, who while not scoring any points in the finals still played a large role in the series with his tenacious defense on the floor and enthusiastic spirit on the bench.
Less than a month 'till NCAA Football 2010
With today being June 15, that means that there are only 29 days (less than a month) until Best Buy's and GameStop's everywhere are stocked with EA Sports' NCAA Football 2010. Michael Crabtree (XBox 360 cover), Brian Johnson (PS3 cover), Brian Orakpo (PS2 cover) and Mark Sanchez (PSP cover) will be featured more than annoying, anti-athlete Rick Reilly articles in ESPN The Magazine or Kobe and Lebron puppets on ABC (I'm a fan of those Nike commercials, and don't understand why Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon aren't), and I can't wait. This year's game will feature sideline commentary from ESPN's Erin Andrews (who talks like a dime), and while I usually don't get hyped up over a game's features (I have basically skipped past features like superstar mode and mascot mode), I am interested about the new strategic-playcalling feature, which claims that you can fool opponents by running virtually the same types of plays out of one formation (say consistent HB dives and smashes to the 2.5 hole) via "Playaction, misdirection or double moves (EA Sports)."
I will get the game at Best Buy on July 14 and play it heavily (along with Tiger Woods 10, which I am playing now) until Madden 1o comes out on August 14, and then play it at about a 1-t0-8 ratio to Madden (that's the tough thing about playing a college game with a pro game, the pro game is usually played at a faster pace, and thus better-in my opinion).
There are three teams that I am looking forward to playing with the most in NCAA Football 10, The U, Ohio State and LSU. Jacory Harris was really good in the game last year and should be even better this year in the green and orange, and you can probably say the same thing for Sean Spence, Aldarius Johnson and LaRon Byrd, while playing with Terrell Pryor is just as fun as playing with Troy Smith for the Buckeyes a couple of years ago, and I am looking forward to seeing who is better at QB for the Tigers in this years game, Jordan Jefferson (who played well in the Chick-Fil-A Bowl last New Year's Eve) or Russell Shepard, the true freshman who is this year's SEC version of Julio Jones from a hype and scouts/rivals.com standpoint. Plus in dynasty mode you will have to go to Georgia, Alabama and Ole Miss with Les Myles' team.
It will also be interesting to see how Sam Bradford and Colt McCoy compare to each other in the game, and how good EA Sports makes Mitch Mustain, Aaron Corp, Matt Barkley and Garrett Green, who are all vying to fill Mark Sanchez's shoes at USC.
I cannot wait to play NCAA Football 10 on PS3 in 29 days, and guarantee you that I can beat anybody in an online game no matter what their ranking (my PS3 gamer tag is cletitans if anyone's interested in playing me). Its nothing to Prince Peter mane!
I will get the game at Best Buy on July 14 and play it heavily (along with Tiger Woods 10, which I am playing now) until Madden 1o comes out on August 14, and then play it at about a 1-t0-8 ratio to Madden (that's the tough thing about playing a college game with a pro game, the pro game is usually played at a faster pace, and thus better-in my opinion).
There are three teams that I am looking forward to playing with the most in NCAA Football 10, The U, Ohio State and LSU. Jacory Harris was really good in the game last year and should be even better this year in the green and orange, and you can probably say the same thing for Sean Spence, Aldarius Johnson and LaRon Byrd, while playing with Terrell Pryor is just as fun as playing with Troy Smith for the Buckeyes a couple of years ago, and I am looking forward to seeing who is better at QB for the Tigers in this years game, Jordan Jefferson (who played well in the Chick-Fil-A Bowl last New Year's Eve) or Russell Shepard, the true freshman who is this year's SEC version of Julio Jones from a hype and scouts/rivals.com standpoint. Plus in dynasty mode you will have to go to Georgia, Alabama and Ole Miss with Les Myles' team.
It will also be interesting to see how Sam Bradford and Colt McCoy compare to each other in the game, and how good EA Sports makes Mitch Mustain, Aaron Corp, Matt Barkley and Garrett Green, who are all vying to fill Mark Sanchez's shoes at USC.
I cannot wait to play NCAA Football 10 on PS3 in 29 days, and guarantee you that I can beat anybody in an online game no matter what their ranking (my PS3 gamer tag is cletitans if anyone's interested in playing me). Its nothing to Prince Peter mane!
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Cady shows up at B412 again
I hit B412 in Palo Alto again tonight and had a great time. I came through with the light blue and white plaid Rocawear dress shirt, dark blue jeans and Sperry’s with gel in my hair and owned the place like I was JaMarcus Russell. I enjoyed meeting a girl named Krystal out of Fremont (who looked dime in a shiny red top, white shorts, heels and long curly brunnette hair, and a girl named Kittie out of Idaho (who looked dime in a white outfit with a black belt with long brunnette hair. The DJ’s in both the main room and the patio were spinning great music, but especially the DJ in the main room, as he played a lot of gangster music like Icey by Gucci Mane and Young Jeezy and Speeding by Rick Ross and R. Kelly. I’d like to thank John Farhang, the owner of the club for a great night.
Friday, June 12, 2009
The top five destinations for Vick
Michael Vick will still be a very productive football player in the NFL even after two years away from the game (he was still playing football in jail), whether it be as a quarterback, running back or receiver. He’ll still be a fast runner and have the same keen sense for the game that he did with the Atlanta Falcons, so long as he is in good shape, and will be able to find a team by the start of the season with a good attitude and the willingness to play other positions besides quarterback. Now that the Falcons have officially released Vick, here are the five teams that I think Vick would succeed with the most. Whether or not a team would be willing to sign Vick is also taken into account for my list:
1) Indianapolis Colts: The Colts could use a scat back, and Vick would be able to get open underneath as a receiver playing alongside Reggie Wayne and Anthony Gonzalez. Plus, Tony Dungy (who still has the ability to strongly influence the Colts front office and head coach Jim Caldwell) is a supporter of Vick, and could encourage team president Bill Polian that Vick has changed and deserves a second chance.
2) San Francisco 49ers: Mike Singletary says that Vick deserves a second chance and says that he hasn’t made a decision yet in regards to whether the team should sign Vick or not (though GM Scott McCloughan and team president Jed York do not seem to be as open to the prospect of Vick wearing Red and Gold), and Vick would allow the team to run a mean wildcat with Frank Gore and Alex Smith or Shaun Hill. Vick could also serve as a changeup back to Frank Gore and Michael Robinson, and could also be a productive fourth receiver for a team that already features three threats at the position along with a flat-out boss in tight end Vernon Davis.
3) Jacksonville Jaguars: The team could run a great wildcat with Vick, David Gerrard and Maurice Jones-Drew, and he could be productive as a spell back for Drew and stretch the field as a receiver in an offense that will feature mostly possession receivers this year (note: the Jaguars receivers will be a lot better at catching the football this year with the addition of Torry Holt and rookies Mike Walker and Tiquan Underwood).
4) Baltimore Ravens: Ray Lewis (who had his own legal issues back in the day) would be a great mentor for Vick, and he could potentially see a lot of carries as a running back for the team, as Willis McGahee has had surgery twice this off-season, and John Clayton says that because of that Ray Rice (who had a solid season last year but runs like McGahee) will be the starter. Vick could be a great changeup back to Rice and McGahee, and the team could be dangerous in wildcat plays with Vick, Joe Flacco and McGahee/Rice on the field at the same time.
5) St. Louis Rams: Mark Bulger always misses about four-to-six starts each year, and Vick would be a better quarterback for them when Bulger is out than Kyle Boller or Brock Berlin. Vick could bring some buzz to the team, which desperately needs it after going 2-14 in 2008 and releasing Torry Holt in the off-season. Vick could provide the Rams with the ability to run outside at the running back position, which the Rams currently lack.
1) Indianapolis Colts: The Colts could use a scat back, and Vick would be able to get open underneath as a receiver playing alongside Reggie Wayne and Anthony Gonzalez. Plus, Tony Dungy (who still has the ability to strongly influence the Colts front office and head coach Jim Caldwell) is a supporter of Vick, and could encourage team president Bill Polian that Vick has changed and deserves a second chance.
2) San Francisco 49ers: Mike Singletary says that Vick deserves a second chance and says that he hasn’t made a decision yet in regards to whether the team should sign Vick or not (though GM Scott McCloughan and team president Jed York do not seem to be as open to the prospect of Vick wearing Red and Gold), and Vick would allow the team to run a mean wildcat with Frank Gore and Alex Smith or Shaun Hill. Vick could also serve as a changeup back to Frank Gore and Michael Robinson, and could also be a productive fourth receiver for a team that already features three threats at the position along with a flat-out boss in tight end Vernon Davis.
3) Jacksonville Jaguars: The team could run a great wildcat with Vick, David Gerrard and Maurice Jones-Drew, and he could be productive as a spell back for Drew and stretch the field as a receiver in an offense that will feature mostly possession receivers this year (note: the Jaguars receivers will be a lot better at catching the football this year with the addition of Torry Holt and rookies Mike Walker and Tiquan Underwood).
4) Baltimore Ravens: Ray Lewis (who had his own legal issues back in the day) would be a great mentor for Vick, and he could potentially see a lot of carries as a running back for the team, as Willis McGahee has had surgery twice this off-season, and John Clayton says that because of that Ray Rice (who had a solid season last year but runs like McGahee) will be the starter. Vick could be a great changeup back to Rice and McGahee, and the team could be dangerous in wildcat plays with Vick, Joe Flacco and McGahee/Rice on the field at the same time.
5) St. Louis Rams: Mark Bulger always misses about four-to-six starts each year, and Vick would be a better quarterback for them when Bulger is out than Kyle Boller or Brock Berlin. Vick could bring some buzz to the team, which desperately needs it after going 2-14 in 2008 and releasing Torry Holt in the off-season. Vick could provide the Rams with the ability to run outside at the running back position, which the Rams currently lack.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Nick Montana commits to Washington
A son of Joe Montana has committed to play for Steve Sarkisian at Washington. (Westlake Village, CA) Oaks Christian Star Nick Montana committed to play for the Huskies last night, according to Oaks Christian head coach Bill Redell. Montana had offers on the table from a plethora of schools, including Alabama, LSU and Ohio State. His older brother Nate is currently following in his father's footsteps as a quarterback for Notre Dame. See the full story here.
-Rivals.com
-Rivals.com
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Lakers will beat Magic in seven
The Los Angeles Lakers will beat the Orlando Magic in seven games, thanks to a three-deep set of big men with 16 fouls to give, Lamar Odom and a solid supporting cast.
Don't get Peter da Prince wrong, I see the Magic proving to be just as formidable of a threat for the Lakers as the Rockets were, as Mickael Pietrus is an extremely underrated defender who will be able to pester Kobe Bryant (though he won't be able to stop him) and Dwight Howard should be productive in every single game (Howard hitting his free throws will be crucial for the Magic).
However, Bryant should be able to score a good amount of points in every game and so should Gasol, and Odom, Shannon Brown, Luke Walton, Andrew Bynum (maybe), Derek Fisher and Sasha Vujacic should each be good for at least one solid game so as to give the Lakers a win or two if Bryant or Gasol has an off night.
The Magic killed the Cavaliers with three point shooting, but the Lakers (while not playing good inside defense) have limited the Jazz, Rockets and Nuggets to 30-percent shooting from beyond the arc, which is not a good sign for Hedo Turkoglu, Rafer Alston and Courtney Lee. Expect Vujacic to do a good job on defense against whichever one of these players he is guarding, and for Phil Jackson to give D.J. Mbenga (a solid defender) a good amount of minutes against Howard.
The Magic will only have a shot at winning this series if Rashard Lewis has three 25-plus point games, and I don't see that happening, as Odom has the ability to step out and guard him from the perimeter, something that Anderson Varejao and Ben Wallace couldn't do against him in the Eastern Conference Finals. Of course the Magic could also give the Lakers fits with Howard and the Polish Hammer (errr, Sausage) Marcin Gortat in the game at the same time against the soft-Lakers big men, and if Jameer Nelson can prove to be an anti-Bynum and play at an All-Star level right away after four months of no real competition.
However, the Lakers bench should be good enough to overcome any of these afore-mentioned scenarios for two games, and Bryant and Gasol should have monster games to carry them to two more victories and the NBA Championship. The Lakers should win games one and two before the Magic win games three, five and six (the Lakers will win game four) and then the Lakers will take game seven by ten-plus points to be finals champions.
The Lakers will win their 15th NBA Championship on Thursday, June 18th. Lock it like a double clip from an AK-47, as I guarantee a Lakers championship.
Don't get Peter da Prince wrong, I see the Magic proving to be just as formidable of a threat for the Lakers as the Rockets were, as Mickael Pietrus is an extremely underrated defender who will be able to pester Kobe Bryant (though he won't be able to stop him) and Dwight Howard should be productive in every single game (Howard hitting his free throws will be crucial for the Magic).
However, Bryant should be able to score a good amount of points in every game and so should Gasol, and Odom, Shannon Brown, Luke Walton, Andrew Bynum (maybe), Derek Fisher and Sasha Vujacic should each be good for at least one solid game so as to give the Lakers a win or two if Bryant or Gasol has an off night.
The Magic killed the Cavaliers with three point shooting, but the Lakers (while not playing good inside defense) have limited the Jazz, Rockets and Nuggets to 30-percent shooting from beyond the arc, which is not a good sign for Hedo Turkoglu, Rafer Alston and Courtney Lee. Expect Vujacic to do a good job on defense against whichever one of these players he is guarding, and for Phil Jackson to give D.J. Mbenga (a solid defender) a good amount of minutes against Howard.
The Magic will only have a shot at winning this series if Rashard Lewis has three 25-plus point games, and I don't see that happening, as Odom has the ability to step out and guard him from the perimeter, something that Anderson Varejao and Ben Wallace couldn't do against him in the Eastern Conference Finals. Of course the Magic could also give the Lakers fits with Howard and the Polish Hammer (errr, Sausage) Marcin Gortat in the game at the same time against the soft-Lakers big men, and if Jameer Nelson can prove to be an anti-Bynum and play at an All-Star level right away after four months of no real competition.
However, the Lakers bench should be good enough to overcome any of these afore-mentioned scenarios for two games, and Bryant and Gasol should have monster games to carry them to two more victories and the NBA Championship. The Lakers should win games one and two before the Magic win games three, five and six (the Lakers will win game four) and then the Lakers will take game seven by ten-plus points to be finals champions.
The Lakers will win their 15th NBA Championship on Thursday, June 18th. Lock it like a double clip from an AK-47, as I guarantee a Lakers championship.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Ramirez still belongs in Hall, Williams, others committed worst forms of cheating
The politically correct, wannabe baseball fans are whining again after Dodgers leftfielder Manny Ramirez was suspended for 50-games due to having a subscription for a women’s fertility drug and submitting a urine sample back in spring training that showed that he had abnormally-high testosterone levels compared to that of a prototypical male, which could only be attributed to using banned supplements or steroids.
Until it is otherwise noted by a medical expert as to why Ramirez would need a prescription for a female fertility drug and whether he could have theoretically had high testosterone levels without taking steroids, it looks like ManRam is guilty, no ands, ifs or buts about it.
However, with that said Ramirez is still a Hall of Famer, and more importantly, baseball fans, reporters, players and analysts who rail against good players who have admitted to, tested positive for or been suspected of using steroids need to realize that the substances do not determine a good baseball player and that worst forms of cheating have occurred in the past.
Ramirez is a great hitter because of his ability to keep his weight back on pitches until he figures out what they are and consistently uncork a smooth, level swing that keeps the barrel of his bat in the zone for as long as possible.
He should and would have gone to Cooperstown regardless of whether or not he used steroids, as he has comfortably surpassed 500 home runs (he has 533 homers up to this point), drove in 1’745 runs and maintained a career .315 batting average and .412 on-base percentage at the same time, which is more than enough stat-padding to get him enshrined.
Even if Ramirez had the body of Juan Pierre he still would be a Hall of Famer because of the fundamentals of his swing. Put a steroids-free Ramirez in the leadoff spot with Pierre’s stature and Ramirez’s speed and you would get a ManRam with a higher batting average than the real one since he wouldn’t be as concerned with the situational hitting that he deals with as a middle-of-the-order hitter while concurrently stealing enough bases and scoring enough runs to get enough writers to vote him into the hall.
Sure, steroids could help Ramirez have a quicker swing and thus allow him to wait on pitches longer, but only to an extremely minimum extent in my opinion, as quick wrists are born, not made.
The steroids-obsessed fans who rail against great players like Ramirez miss this point, and make themselves out to be even bigger buffoons when they state that any player who has been caught or acknowledged using steroids or merely just suspected of using it does not belong in the Hall of Fame and should be removed from the record books or have an asterisk next to his name in the books at the very least. If that is the case, then you must punish players in past eras that cheated just as much as a player in today’s era of steroids and religious weightlifting. That list would include Ted Williams, Don Sutton, Gaylord Perry, Whitey Ford and many more.
ESPN’s Peter Gammons reported that a former teammate of Williams had told him that the Red Sox Hall of Famer said that he used a corked bat during his last season in the big leagues in order to make up for lost bat speed, the New York Giants allegedly won the 1951 Pennant while using a telescope in centerfield to see opposing teams signs, and Don Sutton, Gaylord Perry and Whitey Ford said that they spit on balls during their careers.
Stealing signs via a telescope is much worst than steroids, as it allows a hitter to time his swing better and thus increase his chances of hitting the ball whereas steroids may help you hit the ball farther but won’t help you make contact with it, a corked bat is essentially based on the same concept as steroids, as it gives you more pop, and a pitcher smearing foreign substances on a baseball before throwing a pitch may directly impact its movement.
We do not know how many teams had spies in the bleachers back in the days of Babe Ruth and Ted Williams when the media and commissioners office did not have the technology to scrutinize every player, call on the field and stadium’s resources like it does today, nor do we know how many Hall of Fame hitters or pitchers used a corked bat or a corrupted ball to boost their average or strikeout totals, but we don’t penalize them for this.
However, we are now penalizing players for using steroids in today’s era despite the fact that they are probably less advantageous as the aforementioned other forms of cheating. That’s about as smart as sailing a yacht along the Somali coast without a couple of Uzis, rocket-propelled grenades and AK’s.
Don’t get me wrong, steroids should be completely banned from baseball with strict consequences for those who stray or allowed with few restrictions. However, they do not create a great player and never will, and those who want to keep suspected or known steroid users out of the Hall of Fame or the record books will only be able to justifiably do so if they look into every other form of cheating that took place in the past. It is time for fans who whine about steroids to either recognize this fact, or watch another sport like WNBA basketball so real fans won’t have to hear their repetitive, fraudulent arguments every day.
Until it is otherwise noted by a medical expert as to why Ramirez would need a prescription for a female fertility drug and whether he could have theoretically had high testosterone levels without taking steroids, it looks like ManRam is guilty, no ands, ifs or buts about it.
However, with that said Ramirez is still a Hall of Famer, and more importantly, baseball fans, reporters, players and analysts who rail against good players who have admitted to, tested positive for or been suspected of using steroids need to realize that the substances do not determine a good baseball player and that worst forms of cheating have occurred in the past.
Ramirez is a great hitter because of his ability to keep his weight back on pitches until he figures out what they are and consistently uncork a smooth, level swing that keeps the barrel of his bat in the zone for as long as possible.
He should and would have gone to Cooperstown regardless of whether or not he used steroids, as he has comfortably surpassed 500 home runs (he has 533 homers up to this point), drove in 1’745 runs and maintained a career .315 batting average and .412 on-base percentage at the same time, which is more than enough stat-padding to get him enshrined.
Even if Ramirez had the body of Juan Pierre he still would be a Hall of Famer because of the fundamentals of his swing. Put a steroids-free Ramirez in the leadoff spot with Pierre’s stature and Ramirez’s speed and you would get a ManRam with a higher batting average than the real one since he wouldn’t be as concerned with the situational hitting that he deals with as a middle-of-the-order hitter while concurrently stealing enough bases and scoring enough runs to get enough writers to vote him into the hall.
Sure, steroids could help Ramirez have a quicker swing and thus allow him to wait on pitches longer, but only to an extremely minimum extent in my opinion, as quick wrists are born, not made.
The steroids-obsessed fans who rail against great players like Ramirez miss this point, and make themselves out to be even bigger buffoons when they state that any player who has been caught or acknowledged using steroids or merely just suspected of using it does not belong in the Hall of Fame and should be removed from the record books or have an asterisk next to his name in the books at the very least. If that is the case, then you must punish players in past eras that cheated just as much as a player in today’s era of steroids and religious weightlifting. That list would include Ted Williams, Don Sutton, Gaylord Perry, Whitey Ford and many more.
ESPN’s Peter Gammons reported that a former teammate of Williams had told him that the Red Sox Hall of Famer said that he used a corked bat during his last season in the big leagues in order to make up for lost bat speed, the New York Giants allegedly won the 1951 Pennant while using a telescope in centerfield to see opposing teams signs, and Don Sutton, Gaylord Perry and Whitey Ford said that they spit on balls during their careers.
Stealing signs via a telescope is much worst than steroids, as it allows a hitter to time his swing better and thus increase his chances of hitting the ball whereas steroids may help you hit the ball farther but won’t help you make contact with it, a corked bat is essentially based on the same concept as steroids, as it gives you more pop, and a pitcher smearing foreign substances on a baseball before throwing a pitch may directly impact its movement.
We do not know how many teams had spies in the bleachers back in the days of Babe Ruth and Ted Williams when the media and commissioners office did not have the technology to scrutinize every player, call on the field and stadium’s resources like it does today, nor do we know how many Hall of Fame hitters or pitchers used a corked bat or a corrupted ball to boost their average or strikeout totals, but we don’t penalize them for this.
However, we are now penalizing players for using steroids in today’s era despite the fact that they are probably less advantageous as the aforementioned other forms of cheating. That’s about as smart as sailing a yacht along the Somali coast without a couple of Uzis, rocket-propelled grenades and AK’s.
Don’t get me wrong, steroids should be completely banned from baseball with strict consequences for those who stray or allowed with few restrictions. However, they do not create a great player and never will, and those who want to keep suspected or known steroid users out of the Hall of Fame or the record books will only be able to justifiably do so if they look into every other form of cheating that took place in the past. It is time for fans who whine about steroids to either recognize this fact, or watch another sport like WNBA basketball so real fans won’t have to hear their repetitive, fraudulent arguments every day.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Woody Paige Reacts to Cady's World Series Pick
My good friend Woody Paige, a sports columnist for the Denver Post, frequent guest of Around the Horn and voter for the NFL Hall of Fame, wrote the following to me after I explained to him why I thought the New York Mets would win the World Series.
"Peter: Thanks. Next time I'm in Sonoma I'll look up your stuff. Wish you well. You make a strong case for the Mets, and I agree, even though you didn't ask, that they'll win the division and maybe the league championship. But I'll take the Yankees. How about both stadiums in the series? That's rhetorical. Woody"
"Peter: Thanks. Next time I'm in Sonoma I'll look up your stuff. Wish you well. You make a strong case for the Mets, and I agree, even though you didn't ask, that they'll win the division and maybe the league championship. But I'll take the Yankees. How about both stadiums in the series? That's rhetorical. Woody"
Cady Picks Mets to Win World Series
The Yankees, Red Sox, Rays, Cubs and Phillies have been crowned as 2009’s favorites to win the World Series as Major League Baseball began its long and grueling season last Sunday.
These are all strong picks, as each of these teams possesses a strong lineup and pitching staff.
However, I believe that the New York Mets will win the World Series this year, due in large part to their lineup and Johan Santana, but most importantly their bullpen, which has gone from one of the leagues worst in 2008 to the game’s best (on paper) in 2009.
When I asked some of my friends in the sports media business whether or not they agreed with my pick, the reactions weren’t favorable.
“I don't think the Mets have enough starting pitching right now, although their new ballpark is supposed to be more hitter-friendly than Shea (Stadium), so perhaps they can out slug teams,” said Andrew Baggarly, who serves as the San Jose Mercury News’ beat writer for the San Francisco Giants.
“I do agree that they have the resources to bolster their rotation in the second half, and if they were to add (Jake) Peavy, etc., they could make a successful run once the playoff crapshoot begins. For now, I certainly expect the Mets to contend.”
“I am not convinced of the Mets’ ability to last through October,” added San Francisco Chronicle sports columnist and frequent Jim Rome is Burning guest Ray Ratto. “Certainly if every cheery scenario comes to pass they’d be a factor, but it is hard to see that happening for anyone, because baseball is about the challenges rather than the triumphs.”
However, contrary to Baggarly and Ratto, I fully believe that the World Series Champions come this fall will be the Mets.
My main reason is very simple: Their games have now been shortened from nine innings to seven. The Mets blew 29 saves last year and their bullpen was horrible down the stretch. But now that weakness has arguably turned into the team’s biggest strength, as General Manager Omar Minaya acquired both J.J. Putz from Seattle and Francisco Rodriguez from the Angels in December, both of whom are lights out, shutdown relief pitchers.
No team should stand much of a chance of coming behind against them in the eighth inning (and the seventh if necessary) against the flame-throwing Putz, and will definitely not stand a chance of getting a win once Rodriguez comes into the game in the ninth, as the all-time single season saves leader features a curveball that moves more than a stripper at the Body Shop in Hollywood.
Combine that with Santana and a lineup that is as strong as anybody at the one-through-five slots with table setters in Jose Reyes and Luis Castillo to go along with mashers in David Wright, Carlos Beltran and Carlos Delgado, and the Mets should have plenty of two-plus run leads this year going into the eighth inning
Consider that with the fact that four out of the Mets first five hitters in their lineup played in the World Baseball Classic, a newly-acquired Gary Sheffield that still has some pop in his bat and a New York media that will largely focus on the new Yankee Stadium (the Mets’ new stadium is not as big of a deal to most people than the replacement for the house that Ruth built) and how Alex Rodriguez plays and is greeted by fans when he comes off the D.L. in the first half of the season instead of the Mets, and you are looking at a team that could get comfortable and hot right away and ascend to the top of the standings early before coasting to October.
And when it comes to the team’s one weakness, their starting rotation, it is not as bad as you may think. The team’s three starters after the dominant Santana (Mike Pelfrey, Oliver Perez, John Maine and Livan Hernandez) are all big league mainstays who know how to get hitters out, and their average-to-good stuff will largely be canceled out by the team’s offense and weak National League lineups that they will see (with the exception of the Phillies, Cubs, Nationals and Dodgers).
Plus I agree with Baggarly that the Mets have the prospects and cash to acquire at least an Erik Bedard or Vicente Padilla if not Peavy at the All-Star break, and don’t count out Minaya signing former Mets pitcher Pedro Martinez between now and July if the Dodgers don’t pull the trigger either.
The Mets’ bullpen, a Santana-led starting rotation and an imposing lineup will lead them to an NL East title over the Phillies (who are due for a letdown after winning the World Series last year) this year, and victories over the Dodgers and Cubs in the first two rounds of the playoffs before beating the Yankees in the World Series, where Santana and their ability to manufacture runs with Reyes and Castillo will be the difference. I guarantee it.
These are all strong picks, as each of these teams possesses a strong lineup and pitching staff.
However, I believe that the New York Mets will win the World Series this year, due in large part to their lineup and Johan Santana, but most importantly their bullpen, which has gone from one of the leagues worst in 2008 to the game’s best (on paper) in 2009.
When I asked some of my friends in the sports media business whether or not they agreed with my pick, the reactions weren’t favorable.
“I don't think the Mets have enough starting pitching right now, although their new ballpark is supposed to be more hitter-friendly than Shea (Stadium), so perhaps they can out slug teams,” said Andrew Baggarly, who serves as the San Jose Mercury News’ beat writer for the San Francisco Giants.
“I do agree that they have the resources to bolster their rotation in the second half, and if they were to add (Jake) Peavy, etc., they could make a successful run once the playoff crapshoot begins. For now, I certainly expect the Mets to contend.”
“I am not convinced of the Mets’ ability to last through October,” added San Francisco Chronicle sports columnist and frequent Jim Rome is Burning guest Ray Ratto. “Certainly if every cheery scenario comes to pass they’d be a factor, but it is hard to see that happening for anyone, because baseball is about the challenges rather than the triumphs.”
However, contrary to Baggarly and Ratto, I fully believe that the World Series Champions come this fall will be the Mets.
My main reason is very simple: Their games have now been shortened from nine innings to seven. The Mets blew 29 saves last year and their bullpen was horrible down the stretch. But now that weakness has arguably turned into the team’s biggest strength, as General Manager Omar Minaya acquired both J.J. Putz from Seattle and Francisco Rodriguez from the Angels in December, both of whom are lights out, shutdown relief pitchers.
No team should stand much of a chance of coming behind against them in the eighth inning (and the seventh if necessary) against the flame-throwing Putz, and will definitely not stand a chance of getting a win once Rodriguez comes into the game in the ninth, as the all-time single season saves leader features a curveball that moves more than a stripper at the Body Shop in Hollywood.
Combine that with Santana and a lineup that is as strong as anybody at the one-through-five slots with table setters in Jose Reyes and Luis Castillo to go along with mashers in David Wright, Carlos Beltran and Carlos Delgado, and the Mets should have plenty of two-plus run leads this year going into the eighth inning
Consider that with the fact that four out of the Mets first five hitters in their lineup played in the World Baseball Classic, a newly-acquired Gary Sheffield that still has some pop in his bat and a New York media that will largely focus on the new Yankee Stadium (the Mets’ new stadium is not as big of a deal to most people than the replacement for the house that Ruth built) and how Alex Rodriguez plays and is greeted by fans when he comes off the D.L. in the first half of the season instead of the Mets, and you are looking at a team that could get comfortable and hot right away and ascend to the top of the standings early before coasting to October.
And when it comes to the team’s one weakness, their starting rotation, it is not as bad as you may think. The team’s three starters after the dominant Santana (Mike Pelfrey, Oliver Perez, John Maine and Livan Hernandez) are all big league mainstays who know how to get hitters out, and their average-to-good stuff will largely be canceled out by the team’s offense and weak National League lineups that they will see (with the exception of the Phillies, Cubs, Nationals and Dodgers).
Plus I agree with Baggarly that the Mets have the prospects and cash to acquire at least an Erik Bedard or Vicente Padilla if not Peavy at the All-Star break, and don’t count out Minaya signing former Mets pitcher Pedro Martinez between now and July if the Dodgers don’t pull the trigger either.
The Mets’ bullpen, a Santana-led starting rotation and an imposing lineup will lead them to an NL East title over the Phillies (who are due for a letdown after winning the World Series last year) this year, and victories over the Dodgers and Cubs in the first two rounds of the playoffs before beating the Yankees in the World Series, where Santana and their ability to manufacture runs with Reyes and Castillo will be the difference. I guarantee it.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
With playoffs in sight, Seawolves take two from Otters
The Sonoma State Seawolves softball team took two of four games from the CSU Monterey Bay Otters last weekend in doubleheaders on Friday and Saturday that ran the gambit from pitching duels to offensive slugfests.
The team lost its first game on Friday by a score of 5-0 before beating the Otters 3-2 later that day, and then repeated that pattern on Saturday, as they lost their first game by a score of 12-3 before taking the series finale by a score of 11-8.
SSU is now 20-16 (11-12 CCAA) for the year, good for sixth place in the CCAA, and has won 15 out of their last 19 games, but more importantly was ranked fifth in last week’s NCAA West Region Rankings, the first regional rankings released for the year. The Seawolves will make the NCAA West Regional Tournament in May as long as they finish no lower than eighth in the poll at season’s end.
CSUMB’s Jessica Boyle was the star of game one between the Otters and the Seawolves, as the pitcher shutout the Seawolves while giving up only two hits and striking out four in a complete game effort in the CSUMB’s 5-0 win. Lindsay Emmel received the loss for the Seawolves, as she pitched the whole game for SSU but gave up the five earned runs and seven hits while striking out six.
SSU then played its second game of the day against the Otters, which turned out to be almost as intense as the Cuban Missile Crisis.
The two teams entered the top of the seventh inning with CSUMB clinging to a 2-1 lead, and CSUMB retired two Seawolves before Courtney James, Janelle Arnold and Jessica Abelia loaded the bases with back-to-back-to-back singles for SSU, setting the table for Kayla Ledford. Ledford then proceeded to continue the singles trend for the Seawolves and drove in pinch runner Ashley Sardina and Arnold to give the Seawolves the 3-2 lead.
The Otters then proceeded to load the bases against SSU in the bottom of the seventh before Seawolves pitcher Brittany Reynolds got a fly out to right that resulted in a throw to first base that beat CSUMB base runner Channing Peebles to the bag for a game-ending double play. Reynolds got the win for the Seawolves as she improved her record to 6-6 for the year with a complete game seven-hitter while striking out five CSUMB hitters in the process.
The otters then roughed up the Seawolves like a Jack Bauer interrogation in game three on Sunday, as CSUMB had a 10-0 lead by the third inning and a nine-run lead by the middle of the fifth, thus resulting in the Otters getting the victory via the mercy rule.
The Otters’ Shelair Rowell got the win for CSUMB with a three-inning, three-hit, three-strikeout performance while Emmel got the loss for the Seawolves as she gave up five runs (three of which were earned) and three hits in 1.2 innings while striking out two CSUMB hitters. Abelia, Nicole Cordova and Simone Brandalise were responsible for the Seawolves’ three RBI’s in the contest.
The fourth game of the series was all about Ledford and Sardina, as Ledford went 4-4 from the plate with a homer and four RBI’s while Sardina went 1-1 with a grand slam en route to the team’s 12-8 victory. SSU pitcher Brittany Williams gave up eight earned runs and 12 hits while striking out four in a complete game effort to get the win and improve her record to 6-3 for the year.
Interview requests left to two Seawolf softball players were not immediately returned.
“It’s good to hear that our other programs are doing well,” said SSU no. 1 singles and doubles player Connor Olson. “If they make the playoffs that would be awesome, and if they do I will be supporting them.”
SSU will play a doubleheader against Cal State East Bay this Tuesday at Seawolf Diamond (one that was originally scheduled for March 3 but was canceled due to rain), and will then travel to Turlock to play in Cal State Stanislaus’ Tournament of Champions. Their Next CCAA game will be a doubleheader on April 17 against CSU San Bernardino in Rohnert Park.
The team lost its first game on Friday by a score of 5-0 before beating the Otters 3-2 later that day, and then repeated that pattern on Saturday, as they lost their first game by a score of 12-3 before taking the series finale by a score of 11-8.
SSU is now 20-16 (11-12 CCAA) for the year, good for sixth place in the CCAA, and has won 15 out of their last 19 games, but more importantly was ranked fifth in last week’s NCAA West Region Rankings, the first regional rankings released for the year. The Seawolves will make the NCAA West Regional Tournament in May as long as they finish no lower than eighth in the poll at season’s end.
CSUMB’s Jessica Boyle was the star of game one between the Otters and the Seawolves, as the pitcher shutout the Seawolves while giving up only two hits and striking out four in a complete game effort in the CSUMB’s 5-0 win. Lindsay Emmel received the loss for the Seawolves, as she pitched the whole game for SSU but gave up the five earned runs and seven hits while striking out six.
SSU then played its second game of the day against the Otters, which turned out to be almost as intense as the Cuban Missile Crisis.
The two teams entered the top of the seventh inning with CSUMB clinging to a 2-1 lead, and CSUMB retired two Seawolves before Courtney James, Janelle Arnold and Jessica Abelia loaded the bases with back-to-back-to-back singles for SSU, setting the table for Kayla Ledford. Ledford then proceeded to continue the singles trend for the Seawolves and drove in pinch runner Ashley Sardina and Arnold to give the Seawolves the 3-2 lead.
The Otters then proceeded to load the bases against SSU in the bottom of the seventh before Seawolves pitcher Brittany Reynolds got a fly out to right that resulted in a throw to first base that beat CSUMB base runner Channing Peebles to the bag for a game-ending double play. Reynolds got the win for the Seawolves as she improved her record to 6-6 for the year with a complete game seven-hitter while striking out five CSUMB hitters in the process.
The otters then roughed up the Seawolves like a Jack Bauer interrogation in game three on Sunday, as CSUMB had a 10-0 lead by the third inning and a nine-run lead by the middle of the fifth, thus resulting in the Otters getting the victory via the mercy rule.
The Otters’ Shelair Rowell got the win for CSUMB with a three-inning, three-hit, three-strikeout performance while Emmel got the loss for the Seawolves as she gave up five runs (three of which were earned) and three hits in 1.2 innings while striking out two CSUMB hitters. Abelia, Nicole Cordova and Simone Brandalise were responsible for the Seawolves’ three RBI’s in the contest.
The fourth game of the series was all about Ledford and Sardina, as Ledford went 4-4 from the plate with a homer and four RBI’s while Sardina went 1-1 with a grand slam en route to the team’s 12-8 victory. SSU pitcher Brittany Williams gave up eight earned runs and 12 hits while striking out four in a complete game effort to get the win and improve her record to 6-3 for the year.
Interview requests left to two Seawolf softball players were not immediately returned.
“It’s good to hear that our other programs are doing well,” said SSU no. 1 singles and doubles player Connor Olson. “If they make the playoffs that would be awesome, and if they do I will be supporting them.”
SSU will play a doubleheader against Cal State East Bay this Tuesday at Seawolf Diamond (one that was originally scheduled for March 3 but was canceled due to rain), and will then travel to Turlock to play in Cal State Stanislaus’ Tournament of Champions. Their Next CCAA game will be a doubleheader on April 17 against CSU San Bernardino in Rohnert Park.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
With Only Top-Notch Teams Left, NCAA Tournament Can Now Take Off
The NCAA Tournament can now really begin.
The Radford’s, Morgan State’s and Binghamton’s of the world can take their amateur players and amateur uniforms back to their respective campuses and watch the big boys play, cherishing the fact that they took a small program like theirs’ to the tournament (And in the case of Morgan State’s Ameer Ali, relish the fact that he body slammed Blake Griffin, putting him up there with Chris Webber for biggest idiot in the history of the tournament).
The disappointments of the tournament, like Wake Forest, Illinois, Ohio State and Tennessee can spend the rest of March and early April watching the action and the rest of their off-season from now until the fall thinking about how they can get better (And in the case of Wake Forest point guard Jeff Teague if he doesn’t declare for the NBA Draft, try to fly out of the Bermuda Triangle that he’s been stuck in since January).
The Cleveland State’s of the world can enjoy the fact that they won their first NCAA Tournament game since 1986 and use the win to sell more tickets and bring in better recruits to the Mistake by the Lake, Western Kentucky can continue to try to become the Gonzaga of the southeast after reaching the round of 32 for the second straight year, and Oklahoma State can build off of the momentum of making the tournament for the first time since 2005.
But now it is time for the elite programs from elite conferences with elite players to play. Time for well-known programs like Duke, North Carolina, Connecticut and Memphis to take center stage.
Time for coaches that have been at the top of their profession for years to show people why they make more than their universities’ president and states’ governor. Time for Mike Krzyzewski to develop a defensive gameplan that will allow the Blue Devils to play enough inside defense against Villanova to get a win if they don’t shoot well from the perimeter (their bread-and-butter), time for Brian Zoubek (the only center that Duke has) to grab enough rebounds to limit Villanova’s second chance opportunities, and time for Greg Paulus, Jon Scheyer and Gerald Henderson to be more lights out from the perimeter than a Mexican hotel room in order for Duke to advance to the elite eight.
Time for Jim Boeheim to figure out a way for the ‘Cuse to contain Griffin when they play the Sooners, and time for Paul Harris to block shots, Eric Devendorf to hit threes and Jonny Flynn to prove to America that he’s the best point guard in the country so that the Orangemen can have a shot against OU.
Time for John Calipari to continue to tell his Memphis team that the world is against them, then gel up his hair, put on his $1,000 Armani suit and $500 custom-made Robert Talbot Italian shoes and watch as Tyreke Evans executes all of his offensive plays to perfection and Shawn Taggert and Robert Dozier shut down Demarre Carroll and Leo Lyons on the other end on their way to a smooth victory over Missouri.
Time to see if Mark Few and Gonzaga can catch North Carolina playing poor defense, and then get enough points from Matt Bouldin, Jeremy Pargo, Austin Daye and Josh Heytvelt while limiting the point totals of the nine-deep Tar Heels on the other end on their way to an upset of the Tar Heels.
Time to see if Nic Wise, Jordan Hill and Chase Budinger can continue their stellar play for Arizona against a great defensive team in Louisville and whether it will be enough for the Wildcats to beat the Cardinals.
Time to see if Xavier can catch Pittsburgh sleeping like they were against East Tennessee State last week and make them pay and if Sherron Collins can light up Michigan State when his Kansas team faces the defensive minded Spartans, and time to see if JaJuan Johnson, Robbie Hummel and Purdue will be able to draw the Cameroon hitman Hasheem Thabeet away from the basket or whether he’ll just stand around the block and swipe away Boilermaker shot after shot as Connecticut slaughters them like a fat cow at the Harris Ranch.
Time to see if all of the one and two seeds in the tournament will play each other in the elite eight (which would mean a Griffin-Tyler Hansbrough matchup in Memphis and an Evans-A.J. Price showdown in Glendale), and if all number one seeds can advance to the Final for the second time in two years (up until 2008 an NCAA Tournament had never featured four number one seeds in the Final Four since the seeding system was implemented in 1979).
This is what college basketball is all about; big-time programs, big-time players, big-time coaches, big-time fan bases. Not mid majors who may win one or two games but can’t finish, and not watching a sixteen seed get pummeled. The Radford’s, Binghamton’s and Wake Forest’s of the world have gone home. Now it's time for the prime time players to take the spotlight. We couldn’t ask for more as college basketball fans.
The Radford’s, Morgan State’s and Binghamton’s of the world can take their amateur players and amateur uniforms back to their respective campuses and watch the big boys play, cherishing the fact that they took a small program like theirs’ to the tournament (And in the case of Morgan State’s Ameer Ali, relish the fact that he body slammed Blake Griffin, putting him up there with Chris Webber for biggest idiot in the history of the tournament).
The disappointments of the tournament, like Wake Forest, Illinois, Ohio State and Tennessee can spend the rest of March and early April watching the action and the rest of their off-season from now until the fall thinking about how they can get better (And in the case of Wake Forest point guard Jeff Teague if he doesn’t declare for the NBA Draft, try to fly out of the Bermuda Triangle that he’s been stuck in since January).
The Cleveland State’s of the world can enjoy the fact that they won their first NCAA Tournament game since 1986 and use the win to sell more tickets and bring in better recruits to the Mistake by the Lake, Western Kentucky can continue to try to become the Gonzaga of the southeast after reaching the round of 32 for the second straight year, and Oklahoma State can build off of the momentum of making the tournament for the first time since 2005.
But now it is time for the elite programs from elite conferences with elite players to play. Time for well-known programs like Duke, North Carolina, Connecticut and Memphis to take center stage.
Time for coaches that have been at the top of their profession for years to show people why they make more than their universities’ president and states’ governor. Time for Mike Krzyzewski to develop a defensive gameplan that will allow the Blue Devils to play enough inside defense against Villanova to get a win if they don’t shoot well from the perimeter (their bread-and-butter), time for Brian Zoubek (the only center that Duke has) to grab enough rebounds to limit Villanova’s second chance opportunities, and time for Greg Paulus, Jon Scheyer and Gerald Henderson to be more lights out from the perimeter than a Mexican hotel room in order for Duke to advance to the elite eight.
Time for Jim Boeheim to figure out a way for the ‘Cuse to contain Griffin when they play the Sooners, and time for Paul Harris to block shots, Eric Devendorf to hit threes and Jonny Flynn to prove to America that he’s the best point guard in the country so that the Orangemen can have a shot against OU.
Time for John Calipari to continue to tell his Memphis team that the world is against them, then gel up his hair, put on his $1,000 Armani suit and $500 custom-made Robert Talbot Italian shoes and watch as Tyreke Evans executes all of his offensive plays to perfection and Shawn Taggert and Robert Dozier shut down Demarre Carroll and Leo Lyons on the other end on their way to a smooth victory over Missouri.
Time to see if Mark Few and Gonzaga can catch North Carolina playing poor defense, and then get enough points from Matt Bouldin, Jeremy Pargo, Austin Daye and Josh Heytvelt while limiting the point totals of the nine-deep Tar Heels on the other end on their way to an upset of the Tar Heels.
Time to see if Nic Wise, Jordan Hill and Chase Budinger can continue their stellar play for Arizona against a great defensive team in Louisville and whether it will be enough for the Wildcats to beat the Cardinals.
Time to see if Xavier can catch Pittsburgh sleeping like they were against East Tennessee State last week and make them pay and if Sherron Collins can light up Michigan State when his Kansas team faces the defensive minded Spartans, and time to see if JaJuan Johnson, Robbie Hummel and Purdue will be able to draw the Cameroon hitman Hasheem Thabeet away from the basket or whether he’ll just stand around the block and swipe away Boilermaker shot after shot as Connecticut slaughters them like a fat cow at the Harris Ranch.
Time to see if all of the one and two seeds in the tournament will play each other in the elite eight (which would mean a Griffin-Tyler Hansbrough matchup in Memphis and an Evans-A.J. Price showdown in Glendale), and if all number one seeds can advance to the Final for the second time in two years (up until 2008 an NCAA Tournament had never featured four number one seeds in the Final Four since the seeding system was implemented in 1979).
This is what college basketball is all about; big-time programs, big-time players, big-time coaches, big-time fan bases. Not mid majors who may win one or two games but can’t finish, and not watching a sixteen seed get pummeled. The Radford’s, Binghamton’s and Wake Forest’s of the world have gone home. Now it's time for the prime time players to take the spotlight. We couldn’t ask for more as college basketball fans.
Monday, January 5, 2009
Ohio State-Texas Tostitos Fiesta Bowl Wrapup
I feared that Ohio State had left too much time on the clock after they scored the go-ahead touchdown with 1:58 left in the 4th-quarter, but that fourth-and-three play got my hopes up, as when I first saw the play I thought that WR James Kirkendoll was short of the red line. That turned out to be false however, and Colt McCoy was able to march down the field and hit WR Quan Cosby on that slant route for the thirty-yard touchdown. With that said, I thought that Buckeyes defensive coordinator Jim Peacock's play-calling on that drive was particularly poor to say the least, as his decision to play man-to-man coverage before Cosby's score let McCoy pick apart OSU on slant and drag routes over the middle (that wouldn't have happened in zone coverage) and on Cosby's play he had the safeties covering guys instead of dropping back to cover the deep ball on their respective side of the field. If Peacock would have called a cover 2-man under or even a cover one then Cosby most likely would have been stopped at about the five yard line, giving the Bucks 16 seconds of defense to play. Other major factors in the outcome of this game was the quarterback play of Terrelle Pryor compared to that of Colt McCoy, the sidelining of Beanie Wells and the first missed two-point conversion by the Buckeyes and second missed field goal by Aaron Pettrey. If Pryor throws a better in to Brian Robiskie on the two-point conversion when the score was 17-15 early in the fourth quarter instead of the ball that dropped short of him (say a ball up and to his side away from the defender) then the sure-handed Robiskie (when the ball is thrown between his thigh-slightly above his head, he has trouble with low balls due to his height) probably makes the catch, which would have put the score at 17-17 and calls for the Buckeyes to kick the extra point on their next score, putting the score at 24-17 and meaning that the game would have gone into overtime assuming everything stays the same. Of course though if the snap is handled correctly during Pettrey's second field goal in the first quarter and Pettrey hits the kick (he hit one from about the same if not the same distance on his first kick) instead of pulling it, then the Buckeyes probably kick both extra points on their next drive and the game goes to overtime tied at 24 also. The passing of Pryor really hurt the Buckeyes, as while McCoy made the large number of completions that he usually makes in a game (Texas usually calls mostly high-probability short passing plays meaning that McCoy will complete most of them. McCoy did not have his best game, as he should have had three picks instead of one due to about three-to-five bad decisions that he made), Pryor's throws were short and inaccurate for the most part. Todd Boeckman proved to be the team's better passer in this game, as his precise deep ball to Brian Robiskie and fade to Pryor proved. You could argue that the Buckeyes would have won this game had Boeckman been the starter for its entirety, as they would have had a decent chance of scoring at least one more field goal or touchdown with him in the game, but then again you wouldn't have Pryor's 78 yards on 15 carries if he was in the game and the Longhorns did get a very effective pass-rush (especially on the edge with Brian Erakbo and Henry Melton) on both QB's throughout the game. Beanie Wells had 106 yards on 16 carries for the Buckeyes with a touchdown, but he sat out most of the second-half of the game (I believe that the medical staff was concerned that he might have suffered a concussion), which had a big impact on the Buckeyes ability to run the football. Sure Boone Herron had 5 carries for 30 yards and a touchdown, but if Wells is still in the game you could argue that the Buckeyes would have continued to run the football more in the second-half which could have led to them scoring with the clock at :58 instead of 1:58. Props to Herron though for having a good game. Cosby and RB Chris Ogbonnaya really impressed me for the Longhorns, as Cosby reminded me of how quick he is coming out of his breaks and Ogbonnaya turned out to be faster than I originally thought he was. I think Cosby could be as high as a late-second round pick in the draft this year and Ogbonnaya's performance might get him picked in the sixth-seventh round, as Selvin Young (the Current Broncos star back who I believe had a better career for the Longhorns than Prior) went undrafted in '07 and I think knowing that will probably cause a NFL GM to foresee him as a potential efficient NFL back like Young. What the guy has overcome in his life alone is unbelievable, as two of his adopted brothers have passed away in his lifetime. Of the Buckeyes' two best players entering the draft this year, Robiskie and CB Malcolm Jenkins (who earned the Champ Bailey/Nnamdi Asomugha treatment from McCoy last night) I think Jenkins goes in the top 8 while Robiskie goes between the mid second-early third round. I think McCoy will stay at Texas for another year depending on whether OU QB Sam Bradford and Georgia QB Matt Stafford (both of whom who I believe are better NFL prospects than McCoy) stay in school or not (I believe he might come out if both enter the draft, I would put it at a 70% probability). It will now be interesting to see what type of reaction Texas' narrow win generates from AP Top 25 voters and DI coaches (one of which) has a say in whether their will be a split national championship this year or not. Yes, Texas beat the no. 10 team in the nation, but had to come from behind late to do so against an OSU team that critics had been dogging all year as being an average-to-good team playing in a mediocre conference when many people (not me who picked them to win and at least cover their +8 spread-the Jan. 30-31 Caesars spread documented in my BCS picks article) thought that they would destroy them. If I'm a coach or writer with a vote I put them third behind the winner of the Oklahoma-Florida game and Utah, though if Oklahoma wins somewhat convincingly I may give them a no. 2 vote, as I strongly believe that Oklahoma has improved enough on defense since they last played Texas that they would beat them if the two teams were to play today at the Cotton Bowl or another neutral site.
Friday, January 2, 2009
AllState Sugar Bowl Post Game Analysis
Utah's 31-17 win over Alabama in the Sugar Bowl is not a good thing for me and the rest of the college football purists who believe in the current BCS system that separates the big-time teams from the San Jose State's and North Texas's of the world, as now I will not only possibly have to hear about Texas' right to share the BCS National Championship title with Oklahoma or Florida, but may also have to hear about Utah being deserving of sharing it and the need for a playoff system. There were really four keys to the Utes winning this game: Utah QB Bryan Johnson, Utah's no-huddle offense, Utah's pass rush and the Tide secondary consistently missing tackles.
Johnson really surprised me in this game, as his reads were excellent and he not only displayed a strong arm but also the ability to be a finesse passer. I thought he was goanna come into this game and throw the ball up in the air like I saw him do before this season, and because of that Alabama super safety Rashad Johnson and co. would get a couple of picks and win the game easily, but he really proved me wrong, and I think he's earned the right to be a 5th round pick in the NFL Draft this April because of his solid performance against a big-time SEC defense.
The Utah receivers also impressed me a lot. Freddie Brown (6 catches, 175 yards, 1 TD) ran great routes and looked to have hands softer than an Italian pizza makers, and Bradon Godfrey and Brent Casteel also displayed an impressive ability to run crisp routes, read defenses and get open throughout the game.
Alabama could not seem to handle Utah's no-huddle offense for some reason, and I don't understand why. They have good LB's and DB's, but on Utah's first drive they went down the field quick and no 'Bama LB's or DB's seemed to be in position to make a play on any of Johnson's passes. I know that Tide coach Nick Saban had his defense practice against a no-huddle offense in his bowl preparation, as he is one of the best coaches in college football and prepares for everything that his opponent could possibly come onto the field with seeing as he is a Belichick disciple and all, so he must have been just as surprised as I was that they couldn't handle it.
We should note that not only was Alabama without all-american LT Andre Smith (suspended, improper contact with agent), but Saban said that the team was also without their second best OL (I didn't hear who it was and there is no information on espn.com about it) in his postgame news conference, so this game clearly would have been different had Smith and this other guy been on the field, but you still have to give credit to the Utes D-line and LB's for getting such a good pass-rush on 'Bama QB John Parker Wilson throughout the game. Their stunts and DL shifts were very creative and caught the Crimson Tide's OL's off-guard time-and-time again, though 'Bama TE Travis McCall showed that he is not that good of a pass-blocker on that third-down play on the Tide's first possession of the game. Utes defensive coordinator Gary Andersen should do a great job at WAC Utah State if he can get his D-line to play like they did tonight.
Alabama's secondary missed tackle after tackle in this game, and that really cost them. They gave up a lot of big plays that could have gone for only 5-10 yards had their first player to the ball made his tackle, and could have probably forced a couple more punts. Bama CB Kareem Jackson was probably the biggest foe in this regard, but in general I saw a ton of arm tackles by UA LB's and DB's in this game. I bet that Saban works on tackling come the second or third UA spring practice in March. But with Alabama's bad tackling set aside, the UA DL sure didn't help R. Johnson, Jackson and Javier Arenas and co. in coverage, as they didn't get nothing on B. Johnson all night.
I love 'Bama wide receiver Julio Jones, as he has the body and physicality of a tight end combined with a great 40-time (I think I read somewhere that he ran something like a 4.2 last spring or back in his senior year of high school), but I'm disturbed at how many passes he's dropped this season in big games. I've seen him drop passes against LSU, Florida and now a couple against Utah. He should have caught that pass on the deep in route in the third quarter, but it bounced off the tip of his hands just like that deep crossing route he dropped in the first quarter. Jones has been a star receiver since high school and is definitely a future first round draft pick, but he needs to put a lot of work in this spring if he wants to cut down on his drops.
Alabama would have had a legit shot at winning this game in the fourth quarter if Leigh Tiffin would have made those two field goals earlier in the game, as it would have been 23-28 going into the fourth quarter, making it so Alabama could have tried to reestablish their running game which they virtually abandoned (Glen Coffee got only 13 carries and Mark Ingram saw only eight). They could have tried to run Coffee outside on a couple of HB toss or stretch plays to see if they might break a big run or two, but that couldn't happen due to Tiffin's inability to draw a kick in. Tiffin was one of the main reasons why current Jacksonville Jaguars quarterbacks coach Mike Shula got fired from Alabama in 2006 (see 3-4 missed field goals in close loss to Arkansas that year), and he kicked real good this year but didn't help tonight.
And last but not least, a shoutout to Utes QB/RB Matt Asiata and kicker Louie Sakoda. Asiata is probably the only samoan to sport a better hairstyle than the Steelers' Troy Polamalu with his long braids and did a good job of operating the wildcat offense for the Utes while also having some good rushes as an RB (he only had 29 yards on 13 carries but one of those rushes was that first quarter Utes touchdown), and Sakoda is a San Jose kid and the best kicker in the country.
Random Thoughts:
1) Utah probably has the most players of polynesian descent on their team not counting Hawai'i. I saw a huge number of Polynesian players on their sidelines and in the game, and it is no secret that the Utes have often tried to tap into the Hawaiian pipeline going back to the days of Urban Meyer (and possibly before that). Think Bruce McMackin wishes he could have a couple of players on his Rainbow Warriors team right now after getting stomped by Notre Dame 49-21? Plus I believe that the state of Utah has a somewhat large Polynesian population, though I cannot substantiate that. Utah definitely has more polynesians on their team than Oregon or Arizona, which would be the only other two teams that I could think of that sport a large number of Polynesians on their teams other than McMackin's squad (Southern Methodist might creep into the picture a little later now that former UH coach June Jones is the sideline general for the Mustangs).
2) Utah was definitely a better team than Alabama in the Sugar Bowl tonight, but their players were sure outclassed by the Tide. I saw a couple of Utes players acting like punks on the field tonight via trash talk (see Casteel) and unnecessary celebratory actions (see LB Stevenson Sylvester), whereas I saw Bama players giving Utes a hand after they were tackled and congratulating them after their win. Saban should be proud.
3) I don't know if Utah will get another trip to a BCS game next year, but they should be able to contend for another Mountain West Conference title in 2010 as long as whoever takes over at QB for Johnson is productive. They have to go to Oregon early in the season, but other than that they will probably just have to deal with BYU (without QB Max Hall) and TCU again in '10. They are definitely as big of a program as you can get while playing in a non-BCS conference (yes, bigger than Boise State), and should now focus on trying to get an invitation into the Pac-10 so as to make sure that coach Kyle Wittingham doesn't leave for a BCS school in the near future like Urban Meyer did for Florida back in '04 after leading Alex Smith and co. to an undefeated season and a Fiesta Bowl win over a hapless Pittsburgh team.
Johnson really surprised me in this game, as his reads were excellent and he not only displayed a strong arm but also the ability to be a finesse passer. I thought he was goanna come into this game and throw the ball up in the air like I saw him do before this season, and because of that Alabama super safety Rashad Johnson and co. would get a couple of picks and win the game easily, but he really proved me wrong, and I think he's earned the right to be a 5th round pick in the NFL Draft this April because of his solid performance against a big-time SEC defense.
The Utah receivers also impressed me a lot. Freddie Brown (6 catches, 175 yards, 1 TD) ran great routes and looked to have hands softer than an Italian pizza makers, and Bradon Godfrey and Brent Casteel also displayed an impressive ability to run crisp routes, read defenses and get open throughout the game.
Alabama could not seem to handle Utah's no-huddle offense for some reason, and I don't understand why. They have good LB's and DB's, but on Utah's first drive they went down the field quick and no 'Bama LB's or DB's seemed to be in position to make a play on any of Johnson's passes. I know that Tide coach Nick Saban had his defense practice against a no-huddle offense in his bowl preparation, as he is one of the best coaches in college football and prepares for everything that his opponent could possibly come onto the field with seeing as he is a Belichick disciple and all, so he must have been just as surprised as I was that they couldn't handle it.
We should note that not only was Alabama without all-american LT Andre Smith (suspended, improper contact with agent), but Saban said that the team was also without their second best OL (I didn't hear who it was and there is no information on espn.com about it) in his postgame news conference, so this game clearly would have been different had Smith and this other guy been on the field, but you still have to give credit to the Utes D-line and LB's for getting such a good pass-rush on 'Bama QB John Parker Wilson throughout the game. Their stunts and DL shifts were very creative and caught the Crimson Tide's OL's off-guard time-and-time again, though 'Bama TE Travis McCall showed that he is not that good of a pass-blocker on that third-down play on the Tide's first possession of the game. Utes defensive coordinator Gary Andersen should do a great job at WAC Utah State if he can get his D-line to play like they did tonight.
Alabama's secondary missed tackle after tackle in this game, and that really cost them. They gave up a lot of big plays that could have gone for only 5-10 yards had their first player to the ball made his tackle, and could have probably forced a couple more punts. Bama CB Kareem Jackson was probably the biggest foe in this regard, but in general I saw a ton of arm tackles by UA LB's and DB's in this game. I bet that Saban works on tackling come the second or third UA spring practice in March. But with Alabama's bad tackling set aside, the UA DL sure didn't help R. Johnson, Jackson and Javier Arenas and co. in coverage, as they didn't get nothing on B. Johnson all night.
I love 'Bama wide receiver Julio Jones, as he has the body and physicality of a tight end combined with a great 40-time (I think I read somewhere that he ran something like a 4.2 last spring or back in his senior year of high school), but I'm disturbed at how many passes he's dropped this season in big games. I've seen him drop passes against LSU, Florida and now a couple against Utah. He should have caught that pass on the deep in route in the third quarter, but it bounced off the tip of his hands just like that deep crossing route he dropped in the first quarter. Jones has been a star receiver since high school and is definitely a future first round draft pick, but he needs to put a lot of work in this spring if he wants to cut down on his drops.
Alabama would have had a legit shot at winning this game in the fourth quarter if Leigh Tiffin would have made those two field goals earlier in the game, as it would have been 23-28 going into the fourth quarter, making it so Alabama could have tried to reestablish their running game which they virtually abandoned (Glen Coffee got only 13 carries and Mark Ingram saw only eight). They could have tried to run Coffee outside on a couple of HB toss or stretch plays to see if they might break a big run or two, but that couldn't happen due to Tiffin's inability to draw a kick in. Tiffin was one of the main reasons why current Jacksonville Jaguars quarterbacks coach Mike Shula got fired from Alabama in 2006 (see 3-4 missed field goals in close loss to Arkansas that year), and he kicked real good this year but didn't help tonight.
And last but not least, a shoutout to Utes QB/RB Matt Asiata and kicker Louie Sakoda. Asiata is probably the only samoan to sport a better hairstyle than the Steelers' Troy Polamalu with his long braids and did a good job of operating the wildcat offense for the Utes while also having some good rushes as an RB (he only had 29 yards on 13 carries but one of those rushes was that first quarter Utes touchdown), and Sakoda is a San Jose kid and the best kicker in the country.
Random Thoughts:
1) Utah probably has the most players of polynesian descent on their team not counting Hawai'i. I saw a huge number of Polynesian players on their sidelines and in the game, and it is no secret that the Utes have often tried to tap into the Hawaiian pipeline going back to the days of Urban Meyer (and possibly before that). Think Bruce McMackin wishes he could have a couple of players on his Rainbow Warriors team right now after getting stomped by Notre Dame 49-21? Plus I believe that the state of Utah has a somewhat large Polynesian population, though I cannot substantiate that. Utah definitely has more polynesians on their team than Oregon or Arizona, which would be the only other two teams that I could think of that sport a large number of Polynesians on their teams other than McMackin's squad (Southern Methodist might creep into the picture a little later now that former UH coach June Jones is the sideline general for the Mustangs).
2) Utah was definitely a better team than Alabama in the Sugar Bowl tonight, but their players were sure outclassed by the Tide. I saw a couple of Utes players acting like punks on the field tonight via trash talk (see Casteel) and unnecessary celebratory actions (see LB Stevenson Sylvester), whereas I saw Bama players giving Utes a hand after they were tackled and congratulating them after their win. Saban should be proud.
3) I don't know if Utah will get another trip to a BCS game next year, but they should be able to contend for another Mountain West Conference title in 2010 as long as whoever takes over at QB for Johnson is productive. They have to go to Oregon early in the season, but other than that they will probably just have to deal with BYU (without QB Max Hall) and TCU again in '10. They are definitely as big of a program as you can get while playing in a non-BCS conference (yes, bigger than Boise State), and should now focus on trying to get an invitation into the Pac-10 so as to make sure that coach Kyle Wittingham doesn't leave for a BCS school in the near future like Urban Meyer did for Florida back in '04 after leading Alex Smith and co. to an undefeated season and a Fiesta Bowl win over a hapless Pittsburgh team.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Rose Bowl and Orange Bowl Analysis
I am going to analyze every BCS bowl game for you, starting with the Rose Bowl Presented by Citi between Derrick Williams and Penn State and Rey Maualuga and USC and the 75th FedEx Orange Bowl between Mardy Gilyard and Cincinnati and Victor 'Macho' Harris and Virginia Tech. Peter Cady knows more about football than all of you bums combined (despite me being a Serbian immigrant who has spent little time in this country), so this is the least that I can do:
The Rose Bowl Presented by Citi:
USC did what it has done the last two years today in Pasadena at the Rose Bowl: It played their A-game, executing on all sides of the ball. Now once again people will wonder if 'SC deserved to play in the BCS National Championship game (No). The story of the game was all of the mistakes that Penn State made in the first half, both mentally and physically from the coordinators on down, as Mark Sanchez killed PSU safety Anthony Scirrotto and the Nittany Lions cover two look with post route after post route to Damian Williams and Ronald Johnson (PSU D-Coordinator Tom Bradley should have had his D play a cover 3 scheme after he first got beat) to go along with a good amount of PSU offsides and personal foul penalties along with a Stephfon Johnson fumble after a big gain on a screen play and blown coverage on a Sanchez deep ball to Ronald Johnson (blown coverage by Sciriano). The Trojans were too much for the Nittany Lions to handle on both offense and defense, and it showed on both sides of the ball, but with that said, I was very impressed with how Jordan Norwood and Deon Butler did against the 'SC secondary, as they both ran solid routes and weren't afraid to go up against 'SC safety Taylor Mays, who hits almost as hard as the Late Great Sean Taylor. I was also quite surprised with how well PSU backup RB Staphfon Green did against 'SC's defense. Both Green and starting RB Evan Royster (who left the game in the first quarter with a leg injury) averaged 5.7 yards per carry, pretty impressive considering how fast 'SC's D is. PSU QB Daryll Clark had a decent game statistically (21/36, 273 yards, 2 td's/int's). He wasn't the reason why PSU lost the game, and didn't make too many bad reads. I think he'll kill it this year even though he'll have to work with a lot of new receivers. He'll improve his footwork and look to make more finesse throws than just chucking it deep to the post. If I'm Ronald Johnson, I declare for the NFL Draft right now, as essentially all he would be going up against would be Texas Tech's Michael Crabtree, Ohio State's Brian Robiskie, some OU receivers and the PSU receivers Derrick Williams, Norwood and Butler. He could easily be a mid-late first round pick this April depending on his 40-time. I don't think Patrick Turner will be much of a hit in the NFL, as he runs sluggish routes and drops more passes than a Cal wide receiver. I think at best he'll be a fifth round draft pick, and won't be more than a Michael Jenkins type receiver in the NFL, a guy capable of a big play here or there mixed in with a couple of drops in between. Maualuga has a legit chance of being the next Ray Lewis in the NFL if he can cut down on his over-pursuits. He'd be a great fit for the St. Louis Rams, Cincinnati Bengals, Jacksonville Jaguars or Cleveland Browns. The Niners or Raiders should both take dead aim at drafting Mays (if the junior comes out), as he can both hit hard and cover in man-to-man. He could go down as the next Ronnie Lott in the NFL. Look for USC CB Cary Harris to also be a starter as a rookie in the NFL next year. And last but not least, shoutout to 'SC left tackle Charles Brown (#71) and receiver David Ausberry. I interned with these guys in Los Angeles last summer, and they are both class acts and very nice guys, and both of them had solid games today, as Brown was solid at the LT spot and Ausberry caught a WR screen pass for a 5-yard gain.
The 75th FedEx Orange Bowl:
Fox's production of this game really annoyed me, as they kept on shoving ugly-looking programs from past Orange Bowl games down my throat after they came back from commercials to commemorate this bowl's 75th anniversary, they didn't show the team's timeouts below their name on the screen like ESPN does and the announcing by Thom Brennaman (normally a good announcer) and Charles Davis (mediocre) was horrible. And furthermore you had to see Cincinnati Bearcat head coach Brian Kelly and the rest of the UC staff in their ridiculously ugly adidas red white and black gear that is complete with ridiculous color schemes that make you want to jump into the bay, far from the plush Nike gear that Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer and his staff sport on the sidelines. Most fans wouldn't think that the actual game between the Hokies and Bearcats was much better, but those are the types of fans that wait outside the Dairy Queen for a tornado to come by (shot courtesy of the Jim Rome Show presented by the premiere radio networks), the types of fans that don't like defense. The story of this game was how much of a swarming unit the Hokies defenders were. Hokies safety Victor 'Macho' Harris is a sure first round draft pick. How he defended that Tony Pike deep ball down the right sideline in the first quarter was something special. He didn't look up for the ball, he just kept running with the faster Bearcats receiver to get in position and then read where his hands and eyes were before tipping the ball and aiding in a Hokies interception. I was also really impressed with fellow safety Kam Chancellor for how he played, and shoutout to Hokies linebacker Barquell Rivers for stuffing Pike at the goal line on that fourth-and-1 play at the 7:30 portion of the fourth quarter. Also shoutouts to Hokies LB Cody Grimm, CB Stephan Virgil, Chancellor and DE Orion Martin for each getting picks off of Pike. The whole Hokies unit in general played like madmen, just like they have throughout the year. They swarm ball carriers and get good rushes on QB's while not over-pursuing in the process. I was concerned that they were goanna get lit up after Pike and Cincy drove down the field and threw that touchdown to Mardy Gilyard (that was a great ball and a great catch by Gilyard) early in the first quarter, but from there on out Hokies defensive coordinator Bud Foster (one of the better DC's in the country) got his unit in check and completely shut down that UC offense (the Hokies special teams helped out a lot on that to). Hokies QB Tyrod Taylor is a winner (period) despite not being the best passer in the world (he can run just as well as former Va. Tech QB and Miami Dolphins WR Marcus Vick, not Michael). He's a great game manager and leader despite being only a sophomore, and he reads defenses well. He could easily be a Heisman contender in '09 or '10 if he works on his passing game (and in particular his deep balls). He's a future NFL player for sure, whether its at QB or WR. Va. Tech RB Darren Evans also really impressed me with both his between the tackles running and elusiveness. I think he's a better Hokies back than Kevin Jones, and is arguably just as good as OSU's Beanie Wells (he runs pretty much the same as him, though he's not quite as big). This guy's another future NFL player, and could be better than Green Bay's Ryan Grant if given the opportunity to be a starter. And last but not least, Va. Tech TE Greg Boone. This guy is something else. He looks out of shape in uniform but runs almost as fast as fellow big skill player Javorskie Lane (RB/FB Texas A&M) and has great hands. It was an honor to watch him play, and I think that he could be an Alge Crumpler-type tight end in the NFL if he turns out to be as fast as the Tennessee Titans tight end. Quite frankly (shout out to Stephen A!) I am not real high on Pike after watching this game, as while he has looked good when I have seen him earlier this year, he looked like Colt Brennan against the '07 Georgia D in the Sugar Bowl yesterday: Outmatched. His footwork was shaky to go along with his reads and throws, once again proving that anybody can be a successful passer in a shotgun 75% passing offense, as you just get the ball and throw it with hardly any footwork involved. The only Cincinnati player that I was genuinely impressed with was WR Gilyard, as he's tall (though not as tall as I thought he was. He's only 6-1), fast and versatile, something that USC WR Patrick Turner wishes he was. That ball that he caught for a touchdown in the first quarter was one of the better catches that I have seen this year. He reminded me a lot of Bengals wide receiver Chris Henry, and I think he could be a slightly lesser-receiver in the NFL. He's a senior and I think he could be a third-round pick if he has a good 40-time in the February combine. If not then he'll probably go in the 5th or 6th round. Fellow Bearcat receivers Dominick Goodman and Marcus Barnett also looked good. I think Goodman (a senior) will see time in an NFL training camp this summer, but I don't think that he will be drafted in April, and since both Gilyard and Barnett(once again another correlation to Brennan and the '07 Hawai'i team-a squad that is three deep at receiver but lacks a dominant run game that can carry it to victory), I don't know if Cincinnati will be able to fend off Pittsburgh, West Virginia or South Florida next year for the Big East title. Switching sides, I think Virginia Tech would have a legitimate shot to be a BCS National Championship contender in '09 if not for the fact that they start the year against Nick Saban and Alabama at the Georgia Dome (that's a 25-17 'Bama win), but I digress. Taylor and the Hokies got to the Orange Bowl this year despite having to replace now NFL players Eddie Royal (WR, Denver Broncos), Josh Morgan (WR, San Francisco 49ers) and the crazy good Xavier Adibi (LB, Houston Texans) from last year's OB team, and Evans along with a better passing Taylor will probably lead the Hokies to another ACC Championship this year if Randy Shannon and Miami, Butch Davis and North Carolina or Bobby Bowden and Florida State (don't kid yourselves, the Seminoles will have one of their better teams in the 21st century come September) don't have have something to say about it, as they meet Miami, NC and Boston College in Blacksburg with their toughest road game being at Georgia Tech (they also play Nebraska at home on Sept. 25). They could easily go 11-1 (8-0 ACC Coastal) in 2009 if they play as well as they did tonight, though they will have to replace Harris on D.
Random Thoughts:
1) It was nice to see Serbian Vlade Divac playing basketball on TV again on that Taco Bell ad for the Gordita crunch. Most Taco Bell ads stink (especially compared to Jack in the Box ads), but that one was ok.
2) ESPN is shameless. Who else would promote the April Master's (ESPN's next big event) in January except the Microsoft of sports television. I'm just glad that NPR reporter Mike Tirico wasn't featured in any of those spots. I can't wait 'till next year's BCS games (which ESPN has the rights to) where they will be shoving the supermeaningless Pro Bowl down my throat (another event which ESPN will have the rights to in '10).
3) Kirk Herbstreit and Brent Musburger are the best sports announcer combination in all of sports. Herbstreit has the same level of enthusiasm that I have for college football (that of a kid who has just drank 5 Mountain Dew Code Red's) and breaks down plays better than Ron Jaworskie (when he is on Monday Night Football, not when he is on NFL Matchup-obviously, there's more time to break down plays on NFL Matchup) or Jon Madden, who is too rudimentary in his analysis of NFL games. And shifting to Musburger, the guy has a whitty sense of humor to him, speaks on a much more friendlier level to his viewers than the pompous Tirico does (the man makes you feel more inferior than a French waiter in Paris while mentioning obvious observations/facts) and also announces with passion like Herbstreit commentates. In a world where Tirico, Tony Kornheiser and Jon Barry can be announcers/commentators, this pair gives us hope that sports announcing will not be diluted much further (well, at least a little-Note to NFL Network: Don't let Rich Eisen ever call an NFL game!).
The Rose Bowl Presented by Citi:
USC did what it has done the last two years today in Pasadena at the Rose Bowl: It played their A-game, executing on all sides of the ball. Now once again people will wonder if 'SC deserved to play in the BCS National Championship game (No). The story of the game was all of the mistakes that Penn State made in the first half, both mentally and physically from the coordinators on down, as Mark Sanchez killed PSU safety Anthony Scirrotto and the Nittany Lions cover two look with post route after post route to Damian Williams and Ronald Johnson (PSU D-Coordinator Tom Bradley should have had his D play a cover 3 scheme after he first got beat) to go along with a good amount of PSU offsides and personal foul penalties along with a Stephfon Johnson fumble after a big gain on a screen play and blown coverage on a Sanchez deep ball to Ronald Johnson (blown coverage by Sciriano). The Trojans were too much for the Nittany Lions to handle on both offense and defense, and it showed on both sides of the ball, but with that said, I was very impressed with how Jordan Norwood and Deon Butler did against the 'SC secondary, as they both ran solid routes and weren't afraid to go up against 'SC safety Taylor Mays, who hits almost as hard as the Late Great Sean Taylor. I was also quite surprised with how well PSU backup RB Staphfon Green did against 'SC's defense. Both Green and starting RB Evan Royster (who left the game in the first quarter with a leg injury) averaged 5.7 yards per carry, pretty impressive considering how fast 'SC's D is. PSU QB Daryll Clark had a decent game statistically (21/36, 273 yards, 2 td's/int's). He wasn't the reason why PSU lost the game, and didn't make too many bad reads. I think he'll kill it this year even though he'll have to work with a lot of new receivers. He'll improve his footwork and look to make more finesse throws than just chucking it deep to the post. If I'm Ronald Johnson, I declare for the NFL Draft right now, as essentially all he would be going up against would be Texas Tech's Michael Crabtree, Ohio State's Brian Robiskie, some OU receivers and the PSU receivers Derrick Williams, Norwood and Butler. He could easily be a mid-late first round pick this April depending on his 40-time. I don't think Patrick Turner will be much of a hit in the NFL, as he runs sluggish routes and drops more passes than a Cal wide receiver. I think at best he'll be a fifth round draft pick, and won't be more than a Michael Jenkins type receiver in the NFL, a guy capable of a big play here or there mixed in with a couple of drops in between. Maualuga has a legit chance of being the next Ray Lewis in the NFL if he can cut down on his over-pursuits. He'd be a great fit for the St. Louis Rams, Cincinnati Bengals, Jacksonville Jaguars or Cleveland Browns. The Niners or Raiders should both take dead aim at drafting Mays (if the junior comes out), as he can both hit hard and cover in man-to-man. He could go down as the next Ronnie Lott in the NFL. Look for USC CB Cary Harris to also be a starter as a rookie in the NFL next year. And last but not least, shoutout to 'SC left tackle Charles Brown (#71) and receiver David Ausberry. I interned with these guys in Los Angeles last summer, and they are both class acts and very nice guys, and both of them had solid games today, as Brown was solid at the LT spot and Ausberry caught a WR screen pass for a 5-yard gain.
The 75th FedEx Orange Bowl:
Fox's production of this game really annoyed me, as they kept on shoving ugly-looking programs from past Orange Bowl games down my throat after they came back from commercials to commemorate this bowl's 75th anniversary, they didn't show the team's timeouts below their name on the screen like ESPN does and the announcing by Thom Brennaman (normally a good announcer) and Charles Davis (mediocre) was horrible. And furthermore you had to see Cincinnati Bearcat head coach Brian Kelly and the rest of the UC staff in their ridiculously ugly adidas red white and black gear that is complete with ridiculous color schemes that make you want to jump into the bay, far from the plush Nike gear that Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer and his staff sport on the sidelines. Most fans wouldn't think that the actual game between the Hokies and Bearcats was much better, but those are the types of fans that wait outside the Dairy Queen for a tornado to come by (shot courtesy of the Jim Rome Show presented by the premiere radio networks), the types of fans that don't like defense. The story of this game was how much of a swarming unit the Hokies defenders were. Hokies safety Victor 'Macho' Harris is a sure first round draft pick. How he defended that Tony Pike deep ball down the right sideline in the first quarter was something special. He didn't look up for the ball, he just kept running with the faster Bearcats receiver to get in position and then read where his hands and eyes were before tipping the ball and aiding in a Hokies interception. I was also really impressed with fellow safety Kam Chancellor for how he played, and shoutout to Hokies linebacker Barquell Rivers for stuffing Pike at the goal line on that fourth-and-1 play at the 7:30 portion of the fourth quarter. Also shoutouts to Hokies LB Cody Grimm, CB Stephan Virgil, Chancellor and DE Orion Martin for each getting picks off of Pike. The whole Hokies unit in general played like madmen, just like they have throughout the year. They swarm ball carriers and get good rushes on QB's while not over-pursuing in the process. I was concerned that they were goanna get lit up after Pike and Cincy drove down the field and threw that touchdown to Mardy Gilyard (that was a great ball and a great catch by Gilyard) early in the first quarter, but from there on out Hokies defensive coordinator Bud Foster (one of the better DC's in the country) got his unit in check and completely shut down that UC offense (the Hokies special teams helped out a lot on that to). Hokies QB Tyrod Taylor is a winner (period) despite not being the best passer in the world (he can run just as well as former Va. Tech QB and Miami Dolphins WR Marcus Vick, not Michael). He's a great game manager and leader despite being only a sophomore, and he reads defenses well. He could easily be a Heisman contender in '09 or '10 if he works on his passing game (and in particular his deep balls). He's a future NFL player for sure, whether its at QB or WR. Va. Tech RB Darren Evans also really impressed me with both his between the tackles running and elusiveness. I think he's a better Hokies back than Kevin Jones, and is arguably just as good as OSU's Beanie Wells (he runs pretty much the same as him, though he's not quite as big). This guy's another future NFL player, and could be better than Green Bay's Ryan Grant if given the opportunity to be a starter. And last but not least, Va. Tech TE Greg Boone. This guy is something else. He looks out of shape in uniform but runs almost as fast as fellow big skill player Javorskie Lane (RB/FB Texas A&M) and has great hands. It was an honor to watch him play, and I think that he could be an Alge Crumpler-type tight end in the NFL if he turns out to be as fast as the Tennessee Titans tight end. Quite frankly (shout out to Stephen A!) I am not real high on Pike after watching this game, as while he has looked good when I have seen him earlier this year, he looked like Colt Brennan against the '07 Georgia D in the Sugar Bowl yesterday: Outmatched. His footwork was shaky to go along with his reads and throws, once again proving that anybody can be a successful passer in a shotgun 75% passing offense, as you just get the ball and throw it with hardly any footwork involved. The only Cincinnati player that I was genuinely impressed with was WR Gilyard, as he's tall (though not as tall as I thought he was. He's only 6-1), fast and versatile, something that USC WR Patrick Turner wishes he was. That ball that he caught for a touchdown in the first quarter was one of the better catches that I have seen this year. He reminded me a lot of Bengals wide receiver Chris Henry, and I think he could be a slightly lesser-receiver in the NFL. He's a senior and I think he could be a third-round pick if he has a good 40-time in the February combine. If not then he'll probably go in the 5th or 6th round. Fellow Bearcat receivers Dominick Goodman and Marcus Barnett also looked good. I think Goodman (a senior) will see time in an NFL training camp this summer, but I don't think that he will be drafted in April, and since both Gilyard and Barnett(once again another correlation to Brennan and the '07 Hawai'i team-a squad that is three deep at receiver but lacks a dominant run game that can carry it to victory), I don't know if Cincinnati will be able to fend off Pittsburgh, West Virginia or South Florida next year for the Big East title. Switching sides, I think Virginia Tech would have a legitimate shot to be a BCS National Championship contender in '09 if not for the fact that they start the year against Nick Saban and Alabama at the Georgia Dome (that's a 25-17 'Bama win), but I digress. Taylor and the Hokies got to the Orange Bowl this year despite having to replace now NFL players Eddie Royal (WR, Denver Broncos), Josh Morgan (WR, San Francisco 49ers) and the crazy good Xavier Adibi (LB, Houston Texans) from last year's OB team, and Evans along with a better passing Taylor will probably lead the Hokies to another ACC Championship this year if Randy Shannon and Miami, Butch Davis and North Carolina or Bobby Bowden and Florida State (don't kid yourselves, the Seminoles will have one of their better teams in the 21st century come September) don't have have something to say about it, as they meet Miami, NC and Boston College in Blacksburg with their toughest road game being at Georgia Tech (they also play Nebraska at home on Sept. 25). They could easily go 11-1 (8-0 ACC Coastal) in 2009 if they play as well as they did tonight, though they will have to replace Harris on D.
Random Thoughts:
1) It was nice to see Serbian Vlade Divac playing basketball on TV again on that Taco Bell ad for the Gordita crunch. Most Taco Bell ads stink (especially compared to Jack in the Box ads), but that one was ok.
2) ESPN is shameless. Who else would promote the April Master's (ESPN's next big event) in January except the Microsoft of sports television. I'm just glad that NPR reporter Mike Tirico wasn't featured in any of those spots. I can't wait 'till next year's BCS games (which ESPN has the rights to) where they will be shoving the supermeaningless Pro Bowl down my throat (another event which ESPN will have the rights to in '10).
3) Kirk Herbstreit and Brent Musburger are the best sports announcer combination in all of sports. Herbstreit has the same level of enthusiasm that I have for college football (that of a kid who has just drank 5 Mountain Dew Code Red's) and breaks down plays better than Ron Jaworskie (when he is on Monday Night Football, not when he is on NFL Matchup-obviously, there's more time to break down plays on NFL Matchup) or Jon Madden, who is too rudimentary in his analysis of NFL games. And shifting to Musburger, the guy has a whitty sense of humor to him, speaks on a much more friendlier level to his viewers than the pompous Tirico does (the man makes you feel more inferior than a French waiter in Paris while mentioning obvious observations/facts) and also announces with passion like Herbstreit commentates. In a world where Tirico, Tony Kornheiser and Jon Barry can be announcers/commentators, this pair gives us hope that sports announcing will not be diluted much further (well, at least a little-Note to NFL Network: Don't let Rich Eisen ever call an NFL game!).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)