On the heels of losing Bob Feller, we lost another great player from the days when baseball ruled America yesterday. Duke Snider was always a favorite of this stats geek, but he was the lesser known of the 3 great NY centerfielders of the 50's. Despite this, he led the 50's in homers and RBI's and was an icon in Brooklyn. Snider did not have a long prime, but during a 5-yr stretch in the mid-50's, he was as good as anyone, posting an OPS of greater than 1 with over 40 homers each year, and leading the Dodgers to their first series win in 1955, hitting 4 homers in the series. Mostly forgotten now, the Duke was rivaled only by Musial as the NL's best player in the golden 50's.
S
Monday, February 28, 2011
QB Crisis
J and I discussed this today, but I wanted to post. All you hear on sports TV and radio is how few good QB's there are in the league, how many teams need a QB, you can't win without a great QB, etc. But, the system is perpetuating the problem. After 1 or 2 good college years, QB's are being drafted with high picks and being rushed onto the field without sufficient preparation. Unlike a fews years back when the trend in college was pro-style offenses, now colleges run variations of the spread, which leaves the QB's groping when they reach the NFL. And, because of the ridiculous salaries and bonuses, they must play right away to justify the money. Teams keep drafting QB's, paying them huge sums, and giving up on them quickly in order to draft another. The rookie wages must be adjusted so teams can draft and develop QB's. The odds right now are stacked against these guys since they don't have time to learn the NFL before being thrown to the wolves. In addition, the NFL really could use a development league again like Europe a few years ago. Playing NFL QB is just too hard to expect them to just "get it" because they're making a lot of money.
S
S
College Basketball
Did anyone notice that North Carolina has tied Duke for the conference lead?
Texas and Kansas are tied an both seem beatable on any given night.
The entire prediction process for March Madness will be a crap shoot.
No team looks that great to me and anyone can win this year.
I am amazed that Pitt and Louisville are on top of the Big East, what great coaching jobs.
Speaking of great coaches, Purdue has a good one.
Watching BYU and San Diego State did little to convince me that they will survive high intensity defensive teams.
It will a fun tournament.
J
Texas and Kansas are tied an both seem beatable on any given night.
The entire prediction process for March Madness will be a crap shoot.
No team looks that great to me and anyone can win this year.
I am amazed that Pitt and Louisville are on top of the Big East, what great coaching jobs.
Speaking of great coaches, Purdue has a good one.
Watching BYU and San Diego State did little to convince me that they will survive high intensity defensive teams.
It will a fun tournament.
J
End of ERA in Starkville.
Jack Cristil retired after 54 years behind at the microphone at Mississippi State.
If you think about the timeline it truly is ridiculous. Since 1953 he has called 636 football games alone.
I listened to him calling the MSU-Ole Miss game this year.
His old school gruff voice is memorable and will be missed.
If you think about the timeline it truly is ridiculous. Since 1953 he has called 636 football games alone.
I listened to him calling the MSU-Ole Miss game this year.
His old school gruff voice is memorable and will be missed.
Golf Weekend.
Kaymer took over number 1 in the world this weekend and it is well deserved.
He is so mechanical with power and appears to be a steady superstar. I have commented previously on how good I think he will be, but I am still amazed at watching Bubba Watson play golf.
His power and ability to work the ball is just fascinating. It really is too bad he doesn't seem to be able to block out the negative that is required to be great.
I stand by my comments from last January, that Dustin Johnson is the freak on the tour.
If he learns how to win under pressure I believe he will become the top player in the world.
J
He is so mechanical with power and appears to be a steady superstar. I have commented previously on how good I think he will be, but I am still amazed at watching Bubba Watson play golf.
His power and ability to work the ball is just fascinating. It really is too bad he doesn't seem to be able to block out the negative that is required to be great.
I stand by my comments from last January, that Dustin Johnson is the freak on the tour.
If he learns how to win under pressure I believe he will become the top player in the world.
J
RB at Indy.
RB is not the strongest crop of speed demons in Indy.
Mark Ingram ran a 4.63, but this is the kind of wasted times that mean nothing.
Ingram is elusive in a small area and will pick up 6 yards before the 4.4 230lb straight ahead guys get 3 yards.
I saw where D Murray out of Okla ran a 4.41, if he can stay healthy he should be a solid player for someone eventually.
J
Mark Ingram ran a 4.63, but this is the kind of wasted times that mean nothing.
Ingram is elusive in a small area and will pick up 6 yards before the 4.4 230lb straight ahead guys get 3 yards.
I saw where D Murray out of Okla ran a 4.41, if he can stay healthy he should be a solid player for someone eventually.
J
Julio Jones
In a previous post a while back, I commented on Julio Jones not being a top 10 projection in the upcoming draft. My specific comments are vague, but I knew that when the scouts saw his physical attributes the tickers would start the climb upwards into a top 10 or higher.
Julio ran a 4.39 and showed a huge explosion in the drills today. He stole the show from all reports coming out of Indy. At 6'3 220lbs, Jones can officially be considered a freak of nature.
Green ran a 4.5 and had a decent workout reportedly, while showing his ability to adjust to deep passes.
J.
Julio ran a 4.39 and showed a huge explosion in the drills today. He stole the show from all reports coming out of Indy. At 6'3 220lbs, Jones can officially be considered a freak of nature.
Green ran a 4.5 and had a decent workout reportedly, while showing his ability to adjust to deep passes.
J.
State Champs
Congrats to the Allen High wrestlers who won their 2nd straight state title this weekend, scoring the highest total points in 21 years. Coaching is everything. Allen has dynamic coaches in football, wrestling, hockey, and volleyball. Baseball is fairly good, but basketball and track are pathetic. There is no excuse for basketball being this bad with the resources they have. The Plano schools can play basketball. New leadership is needed.
S
S
Durant/OKC
My opinion on just where the limits are for Kevin Durant has topped out this year. He is showing a disturbing trend toward poor games against the better teams. Yesterday's 8 for 20 shooting 21-pt showing against the Lakers is becoming typical when I see him play the elite teams or coaches. And since he doesn't rebound or pass well, he has to score efficiently to really impact the game. He remains too skinny to effectively respond to thuggish defensive tactics, which does not bode well for the playoffs. J knows that I love scorers and I think we may have to accept that Durant's career will be that of a Gervin or King; a scorer who might not be able to carry a playoff team.
S
S
Friday, February 25, 2011
High School Sports Shady Underside
This week a story broke about the #2 5A team in TX, Flower Mound Marcus, currently 32-1 heading into the playoffs. Seems that their star point guard Marcus Smart and his family is living in a home in Flower Mound owned by the head of the FM Marcus boosters, one Phil Forte. Further, Mr. Forte just happens to be the AAU coach of Marcus Smart who was whisked out of south Dallas (Red Oak) with his family before beginning his high school career. Phil Forte claims the Smarts are paying him a fair rent for the home and he was only looking out for their safety. A decision is pending before the UIL to determine Smart's eligibility for the playoffs.
S
S
Cheer Nationals 2011
This weekend is NCA Cheer Nationals in Dallas, my 5th time to attend the Super Bowl of competitive cheerleading. Luckily for us it's in Dallas every year. For those who don't know about this sport, here's an idea of the size, something I was shocked by when my daughter started 5 years ago. This year there will be 655 teams competing, coming from 31 states plus Canada. There will be over 16,000 cheerleaders parading around the Dallas Convention Center and over 35,000 spectators are expected. There are teams from all the corners of America here this weekend; WA and OR, CA and AZ, FL, NY, and all points in between. Fox Sports will be covering the event for TV. Shelby's Pro Spirit team will be trying for a 3rd national championship in her/their division; wish us luck.
S
S
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Rock Band Seedings
The Colin Cowherd show on ESPN was running a bit where they filled out a 64-team bracket of the all-time greatest rock bands and they encouraged listeners to nominate bands for the #1 seeds on the bracket. I took up the challenge and sent the following supporting my choice as #1 overall seed (I know, I need a job):
The Rolling Stones are a slam-dunk #1 seed, and in fact are the greatest rock ‘n roll band of all time. While the Beatles had more hits and Zeppelin basically invented heavy metal, no band can match the Stones’ combination of peak greatness, longevity, and iconic career highs and lows. They are the living, breathing definition of a rock band. Consider the following points:
PEAK: The Stones peaked between the years 1968 and 1972 when they produced a 4-album “grand slam”, all 4 of which are considered among the greatest albums in rock history, with Exile on Main Street and Let It Bleed generally thought to be in the top 10 or 15 ever. During this period they wrote and recorded such iconic rock songs as Jumpin’ Jack Flash, Honky Tonk Women, You Can’t Always Get What You Want, Sympathy for the Devil, Brown Sugar, Tumbling Dice, Street Fighting Man, Can’t You Hear Me Knocking, Wild Horses, Bitch, & Gimme Shelter. If the Stones had only existed for these 4 years, they still might be the best ever.
LONGEVITY: From 1964 when they first topped the British charts until 1981 when Start Me Up reached #2 in the U.S. the Stones were churning out hit songs and became the biggest brand in rock music. They had 8 straight #1 albums in the U.S. in the ‘70’s and had #1 singles spread out between 1965 (Satisfaction) and 1978 (Miss You).
INTANGIBLES: For anyone who grew up in the 60’s or 70’s, the Rolling Stones pretty much define the term Rock ‘n Roll Band. Mick Jagger is without a doubt the most iconic front man in rock history and what other band has an actual icon or label as recognizable as the Stones’ lips & tongue logo? Their 1965 song (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction took rock music in a whole new direction from the pop that dominated the early ‘60’s. It became a generational anthem and maybe the greatest rock song ever.
SUPPORT: The Stones have released 29 studio albums, 10 live albums, and 92 singles in their career. They have 14 singles among Rolling Stone magazine's top 500 ever and 10 albums among the 500 greatest. They were the first true rock band admitted into the Hall of Fame.
Finally, why would I rate the Stones ahead of the Beatles when the Fab Four clearly had more hits and more sales? The answer is because the Beatles were not a rock band at all. They were a pop group that couldn’t and wouldn’t play live music and had only marginal talent as musicians and performers. They were great songwriters. The Stones made great music and took it to their fans year after year. They have performed as a band for over 40 years and have left a body of work 2nd to none.
S
The Rolling Stones are a slam-dunk #1 seed, and in fact are the greatest rock ‘n roll band of all time. While the Beatles had more hits and Zeppelin basically invented heavy metal, no band can match the Stones’ combination of peak greatness, longevity, and iconic career highs and lows. They are the living, breathing definition of a rock band. Consider the following points:
PEAK: The Stones peaked between the years 1968 and 1972 when they produced a 4-album “grand slam”, all 4 of which are considered among the greatest albums in rock history, with Exile on Main Street and Let It Bleed generally thought to be in the top 10 or 15 ever. During this period they wrote and recorded such iconic rock songs as Jumpin’ Jack Flash, Honky Tonk Women, You Can’t Always Get What You Want, Sympathy for the Devil, Brown Sugar, Tumbling Dice, Street Fighting Man, Can’t You Hear Me Knocking, Wild Horses, Bitch, & Gimme Shelter. If the Stones had only existed for these 4 years, they still might be the best ever.
LONGEVITY: From 1964 when they first topped the British charts until 1981 when Start Me Up reached #2 in the U.S. the Stones were churning out hit songs and became the biggest brand in rock music. They had 8 straight #1 albums in the U.S. in the ‘70’s and had #1 singles spread out between 1965 (Satisfaction) and 1978 (Miss You).
INTANGIBLES: For anyone who grew up in the 60’s or 70’s, the Rolling Stones pretty much define the term Rock ‘n Roll Band. Mick Jagger is without a doubt the most iconic front man in rock history and what other band has an actual icon or label as recognizable as the Stones’ lips & tongue logo? Their 1965 song (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction took rock music in a whole new direction from the pop that dominated the early ‘60’s. It became a generational anthem and maybe the greatest rock song ever.
SUPPORT: The Stones have released 29 studio albums, 10 live albums, and 92 singles in their career. They have 14 singles among Rolling Stone magazine's top 500 ever and 10 albums among the 500 greatest. They were the first true rock band admitted into the Hall of Fame.
Finally, why would I rate the Stones ahead of the Beatles when the Fab Four clearly had more hits and more sales? The answer is because the Beatles were not a rock band at all. They were a pop group that couldn’t and wouldn’t play live music and had only marginal talent as musicians and performers. They were great songwriters. The Stones made great music and took it to their fans year after year. They have performed as a band for over 40 years and have left a body of work 2nd to none.
S
Bruce Pearl- Ethics
We have a new poster boy for Crocodile Tears.
It is being reported that Bruce Pearl cheated onlyFOUR Days
after his tearful apology when he was first penalized for cheating.
Time for the New Yorker to go back north.
J
It is being reported that Bruce Pearl cheated onlyFOUR Days
after his tearful apology when he was first penalized for cheating.
Time for the New Yorker to go back north.
J
La Boys Highschool Basketball Starts Friday.
5A-No. 4 Airline; No. 10 Natchitoches Central; No. 17 Southwood
Only Airline has a true chance to get to the Cajun Dome. NCHS no longer has their best player and it hurts them on both ends of the court.
4A-No. 3 Huntington 28-2; No. 6 Bossier 28-2; No. 15 Minden 27-4;
All 3 of the area teams ended up in the same side of the Bracket.
Ridiculous! Peabody gets a free ride.
Interesting -Bossier lost 2 games to Huntington without their best player and didn't get power points for winning two out of state tournaments against Power teams from Arlington, Memphis and Illinois.
Minden has the best player in N La, but he doesn't start or play 70 percent of the minutes, even if he leads them in scoring and defense.
Bossier and Huntington have a real chance to win Lafayette, Bossier is weak on the inside, but incredibly quick, Huntington is a college size team that if they play decent defense will be hard to beat.
Minden is just difficult to explain and should lose the first time they play a team with guards.
Huntington lost 2 also , one to Bossier and one to Airline.
Minden has a 15 seed at 27-4. 2 losses to Bossier, 1 to Huntington and a one point loss in Monroe to No 4 seed Neville.
The out of state power points need to counted in this system. Bossier or Huntington should have been the top seed.
j
http://www.lhsaa.org/images/db_results/177-r.pdf
Only Airline has a true chance to get to the Cajun Dome. NCHS no longer has their best player and it hurts them on both ends of the court.
4A-No. 3 Huntington 28-2; No. 6 Bossier 28-2; No. 15 Minden 27-4;
All 3 of the area teams ended up in the same side of the Bracket.
Ridiculous! Peabody gets a free ride.
Interesting -Bossier lost 2 games to Huntington without their best player and didn't get power points for winning two out of state tournaments against Power teams from Arlington, Memphis and Illinois.
Minden has the best player in N La, but he doesn't start or play 70 percent of the minutes, even if he leads them in scoring and defense.
Bossier and Huntington have a real chance to win Lafayette, Bossier is weak on the inside, but incredibly quick, Huntington is a college size team that if they play decent defense will be hard to beat.
Minden is just difficult to explain and should lose the first time they play a team with guards.
Huntington lost 2 also , one to Bossier and one to Airline.
Minden has a 15 seed at 27-4. 2 losses to Bossier, 1 to Huntington and a one point loss in Monroe to No 4 seed Neville.
The out of state power points need to counted in this system. Bossier or Huntington should have been the top seed.
j
http://www.lhsaa.org/images/db_results/177-r.pdf
MELO-MELO-MELO
Carmelo opening night in Madison Square Garden was enjoyable.
He ended with 27pt and 10reb and scored 11 in the 4th with game on the line.
My favorite thing in sports is when a crowd chants songs or a players name.
Last night the MELO-MELO-MELO chants were great. I hope it turns out well for the Knicks.
If they pick up another guard for the mad scientist coach, the Knicks will challenge in the Playoffs.
J.
He ended with 27pt and 10reb and scored 11 in the 4th with game on the line.
My favorite thing in sports is when a crowd chants songs or a players name.
Last night the MELO-MELO-MELO chants were great. I hope it turns out well for the Knicks.
If they pick up another guard for the mad scientist coach, the Knicks will challenge in the Playoffs.
J.
Deron Williams and the Jazz.
How easily a perception of a player can change. My favorite point guard for the last 4 years has been sent to Never-Never land in Jersey. Deron Williams conflict with the Jazz finally led to a amazing trade.
This entire story of his attitude and controversy has caught me off guard.
Deron Williams 17pt and 9.12 assist for career assist only behind Paul (9.9) and Kidd (9.16)for his career, but has outplayed both of them head to head during the last 6 years and his defensive ability allows him to shut down players on the perimeter and the other two cannot.
Utah made out like bandits in the trade for a player they would likely have lost next year anyway.
The Jazz will get New Jersey's first-round pick this year, which is not lottery protected, and Golden State's first-round pick, which is partially protected, next year.
As a positive sidebar, Devin Harris gets away from Avery Johnson again. We can laugh about Johnson handling of Harris while in Dallas and the lack of development he produced, as Harris became an all around player in New Jersey.
j
This entire story of his attitude and controversy has caught me off guard.
Deron Williams 17pt and 9.12 assist for career assist only behind Paul (9.9) and Kidd (9.16)for his career, but has outplayed both of them head to head during the last 6 years and his defensive ability allows him to shut down players on the perimeter and the other two cannot.
Utah made out like bandits in the trade for a player they would likely have lost next year anyway.
The Jazz will get New Jersey's first-round pick this year, which is not lottery protected, and Golden State's first-round pick, which is partially protected, next year.
As a positive sidebar, Devin Harris gets away from Avery Johnson again. We can laugh about Johnson handling of Harris while in Dallas and the lack of development he produced, as Harris became an all around player in New Jersey.
j
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Cam at the NFL Combine
Embarrassment is almost how I feel, I am excited to see Newton commit to participate at the combine.
It is refreshing for a freaky athlete to be bold enough to compare himself to the lesser known people.
J
It is refreshing for a freaky athlete to be bold enough to compare himself to the lesser known people.
J
Monday, February 21, 2011
Griffin's Dunks
After watching Blake Griffin's ridiculous dunking display this weekend, I also went back and watched his top 10 dunks on You Tube. The thing that stands out the most, other than the total lack of fear, is how hard he plays. Those put-back dunks don't happen unless you're crashing the boards hard on every play. His energy is fantastic and I can see where Charles Barkley would say that the league should be embarrassed to watch how hard Griffin plays in comparison to everyone else. I hope we get to see those hops for a long time to come.
S
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Friday, February 18, 2011
Some Thoughts on Tennis Greats
I just read the Andre Agassi autobiography "Open". A fairly good read; the problem with autobiographies is that for them to be any good, the writer has to share some private thoughts which are probably best left not shared. In this book Brooke Shields and Pete Sampras suffer that fate. He is not particularly kind to either of them. Agassi was a somewhat typical child prodigy; spoiled and without many skills other than his specialty. For that little pipsqueak to end up with the Teutonic warrior-woman Steffi Graf is amazing.
One of the most interesting aspects of the book is his rivalry with Sampras. Starting in 1990 they played 34 official matches through 2002 when Sampras retired. It was as close as 17-14 until Sampras won the final 3 and ended up with a 20-14 overall edge. Agassi had a grudging respect for Sampras while he just hated Boris Becker. The whole thing got me thinking about judging the all-time greats and how important it is to have a true rival to be compared against.
In tennis and golf we have a couple of good examples of what I'm talking about. Both Roger Federer and Tiger Woods suffer in my opinion because they had issues with their contemporaries. Tiger never had a close rival like Nicklaus did. There were no Palmers, Trevinos, Players, Watsons to measure Tiger against. He had 14 majors and his closest rival had 3. Federer has a different issue; he had no rival for a while, then when one came along (Nadal), the rival started whipping him. Nadal is currently 14-8 vs. Federer.
I did a quick comparison of Sampras and Federer. Federer now leads in major 16-14. But, as I mentioned, he had no contemporary who was winning majors to compare him against, until Nadal arrived. Can you be considered the best ever when your chief rival has a big edge on you head to head? On the other hand Sampras foughts against Agassi (8 majors), Becker (6), Stefen Edberg (6), etc. Sampras went 20-14 against Agassi, 12-7 vs. Becker, 8-6 vs. Edberg, and 12-4 vs. Patrick Rafter.
Because Sampras and Nicklaus both won while competing against rivals who had the talent and mental strength to win multiple majors, I have a hard time accepting that Federer or Woods have surpassed them in any way.
S
One of the most interesting aspects of the book is his rivalry with Sampras. Starting in 1990 they played 34 official matches through 2002 when Sampras retired. It was as close as 17-14 until Sampras won the final 3 and ended up with a 20-14 overall edge. Agassi had a grudging respect for Sampras while he just hated Boris Becker. The whole thing got me thinking about judging the all-time greats and how important it is to have a true rival to be compared against.
In tennis and golf we have a couple of good examples of what I'm talking about. Both Roger Federer and Tiger Woods suffer in my opinion because they had issues with their contemporaries. Tiger never had a close rival like Nicklaus did. There were no Palmers, Trevinos, Players, Watsons to measure Tiger against. He had 14 majors and his closest rival had 3. Federer has a different issue; he had no rival for a while, then when one came along (Nadal), the rival started whipping him. Nadal is currently 14-8 vs. Federer.
I did a quick comparison of Sampras and Federer. Federer now leads in major 16-14. But, as I mentioned, he had no contemporary who was winning majors to compare him against, until Nadal arrived. Can you be considered the best ever when your chief rival has a big edge on you head to head? On the other hand Sampras foughts against Agassi (8 majors), Becker (6), Stefen Edberg (6), etc. Sampras went 20-14 against Agassi, 12-7 vs. Becker, 8-6 vs. Edberg, and 12-4 vs. Patrick Rafter.
Because Sampras and Nicklaus both won while competing against rivals who had the talent and mental strength to win multiple majors, I have a hard time accepting that Federer or Woods have surpassed them in any way.
S
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Pujols' Contract
From Albert today: "If you think I'm greedy, you don't know who I am". I've been trying to put this in perspective. Pujols is 10 years into a career which has already established him as probably the greatest right handed hitter of all time, and in the top 5 ever from either side. After 10 years he has a .331 average and over 400 homers, 1200 RBI, and 400 doubles; 3 MVP awards and a series ring. Already a walking hall of famer. If you were him, what would you ask for? How do you pay someone who is not just great, but close to the best ever? There is no way to compensate him if you use A-Rod as the baseline. But, St. Louis isn't a huge market and they have a $90mm payroll. Should Pujols take less than market value? If he settles for 7 years @ say $22mm, that contract is less than C.C. Sabathia's. I don't know the answer. I'd like to think I would take something like that in order to remain where I started and where they love me. But I will say if he is asking for $300mm, then he is greedy despite his claims otherwise.
S
S
DFW Hoops
The playoffs approach, and as usual DFW is in charge. The top 5 teams in 5A are all from DFW: Flower Mound Marcus (32-1), Garland Lakeview (29-1), Desoto (31-3), Cedar Hill (29-3), and North Crowley (28-5). In 4A, Lincoln is 27-2 (with a 7-pt loss to Findlay Prep) and has the 4th rated player in the nation, and Kimball is 30-2.
S
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Alabama Ugliness
I get a kick listening to the Paul Finebaum show and hearing the Alabama and Auburn fans go at it every day. But, I cringe when the fanatics call in in their deep southern twang and can only imagine what the fans outside of Alabama think. But it got really ugly this week when it was discovered that an Alabama fan applied a deadly herbicide to 2 130-year old oak trees in Auburn where the Tiger fans gather to celebrate big wins, including the championship on Jan 10. A radio caller who identified himself as "Al from Dadeville" took credit for the act. Authorities said the trees will not survive and the hunt is on for Al. This is why the south is looked at in ridicule. A sad commentary about college athletics.
S
S
Barnes and the Horns Number 1.
Amazing year watching the Horns come together and fight through games.
I saw where 2 players for the burnt orange do not want to be NO. 1.
I'm glad, the horns have earned the top spot.
J
I saw where 2 players for the burnt orange do not want to be NO. 1.
I'm glad, the horns have earned the top spot.
J
Bill King on Rivals Radio
A contract dispute has temporarily killed the best college sports show on the radio.
Bill King is in a contract dispute with the power brokers and is no longer on in the morning.
I heard him say he may be back in a few weeks. I hope he is.
XM 143 Sirius 122 6-9am.
J
Bill King is in a contract dispute with the power brokers and is no longer on in the morning.
I heard him say he may be back in a few weeks. I hope he is.
XM 143 Sirius 122 6-9am.
J
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Meyer/Nutt/NCAA
I ready your posts and I've been listening to Finebaum's show where the topic is constantly Cam Newton, the investigation, the practice of oversigning, etc. We are such fans and therefore so close to college football that we just take it all for granted. If you step back and look at it from a distance, you would have to say it is the most convuluted, corrupt, and confusing organization in all of sports. The problem of course is that no one is actually in control. There's no Roger Goodell or David Stern. If you wanted to review just a handful of disturbing events from NCAA football of late:
Luckily, we just like football, and like most fans we'll just roll with the lunacy of it, and hope our team can play the "game" well enough to win the games on the field.
S
- Cam Newton's dad is found to have shopped his son for huge sums of money and even though the by-laws read that players will be held responsible for the acts of their family or representatives, he is cleared to play, win the national championship, and will get rich(er) soon.
- Several important Ohio St. players violate several NCAA rules before their bowl game, yet the Sugar Bowl steps in and Viola, the players are cleared to play.
- The practice of oversigning, farming players out to JUCO, dropping scholarship players, etc. becomes a hot topic, especially in the SEC where Nick Saban just lost 17 players and signed 24.
- NCAA coaches are speaking out about the practice of agents approaching their pro prospects in violation of NCAA rules, calling into question the eligibility of their best players.
- Texas joins with ESPN to start their own TV network where they will market their school all over the country and give them a leg up in recruiting (like they need it).
- Despite Michigan knowing that Rich-Rod would be completely overhauling the way the Wolverines play, recruiting a totally different type of athlete, and changing their recruiting geographic base, the school drops him 3 years in while he is playing almost exclusively frosh/sophomores.
- The Big 10 raids the Big 12, the Big East raids the Mountain West, the Mountain West raids the WAC, and on, and on, and on.........
Luckily, we just like football, and like most fans we'll just roll with the lunacy of it, and hope our team can play the "game" well enough to win the games on the field.
S
Monday, February 14, 2011
Houston Nutt not being portrayed in a positive manner.
http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20110213/SPORTS030103/102130331/Rebs-Nutt-denies-cutting-players
We all know that over signing and cutting players is common place in Southern College Football, but Nutt is really getting killed. It appears he has cut 7 since the recent signing day and not being truthful about some of the reasons.
J
We all know that over signing and cutting players is common place in Southern College Football, but Nutt is really getting killed. It appears he has cut 7 since the recent signing day and not being truthful about some of the reasons.
J
Urban Goes off on the NCAA.
I found this on SportbyBrooks.
“What I’ve seen the last five years is a complete turn in the integrity of the college coaching profession. It’s completely turned the other way. Right now, it’s not good because the risk-reward is ‘have at it, do what you’ve got to do get the great player, go win games and at the end of the day we’ll find out what happens down the road "
“You tell me how a young man who is a wide receiver (Dez Bryant of Oklahoma State) and he lied to the NCAA and they took away his eligibility and he was never allowed to play again. And then there’s violations in other areas of the country and that doesn’t happen.”
“If there’s a law and it’s an unforceable law, and deep down they don’t want to enforce it, you are officially in the wild, wild west and anything goes. We need to revamp this thing.”
I suggest you read this article.
I found the tirade interesting, especially coming from a man that have I picked at because of the number of arrested players in Florida.
http://www.sportsbybrooks.com/urban-meyer-outlaw-coaches-not-afraid-of-ncaa-29493
j
“What I’ve seen the last five years is a complete turn in the integrity of the college coaching profession. It’s completely turned the other way. Right now, it’s not good because the risk-reward is ‘have at it, do what you’ve got to do get the great player, go win games and at the end of the day we’ll find out what happens down the road "
“You tell me how a young man who is a wide receiver (Dez Bryant of Oklahoma State) and he lied to the NCAA and they took away his eligibility and he was never allowed to play again. And then there’s violations in other areas of the country and that doesn’t happen.”
“If there’s a law and it’s an unforceable law, and deep down they don’t want to enforce it, you are officially in the wild, wild west and anything goes. We need to revamp this thing.”
I suggest you read this article.
I found the tirade interesting, especially coming from a man that have I picked at because of the number of arrested players in Florida.
http://www.sportsbybrooks.com/urban-meyer-outlaw-coaches-not-afraid-of-ncaa-29493
j
Who would be worse at GM than Jerry.
Here is an article in which a NFL.com writer says the Cowboy's should consider drafting a QB at the 9th pick in this years cattle call.
http://www.dallasnews.com/sports/dallas-cowboys/20110214-nfl.com-analyst-cowboys-will-have-to-look-at-some-of-the-qbs-available_with-top-pick.ece
How can reporters that are supposed to watch football games really think that Romo is close to the problem in Dallas?
Maybe they just think that the plays he makes and the huge stats are just luck.
It is well documented on his productivity in Winning percentage, QB rating and Yards per attempt being amongst the best in NFL history. Only Rogers and Rivers have higher QB rating, only Rivers and Big Ben average as many yards per attempt as Romo.
So, I decided to see if how bad Romo really ranks on the negative numbers versus the ELITE.
Interceptions- Romo throws a pick 2.9% of the time. Favre and Eli 3.3 Big Ben 3.0 Manning and Brees 2.7 Rivers 2.3 Brady 2.2 Rogers 1.9.
Sacks Yard lost- Romo 3.1 yds per attempt. Big Ben 6.5, Rogers 4.9 Eli 3.5 Favre 3.4, Brady 3.2, Rivers 3.5, Brees 2.8, Manning 2.0 (Manning is truly amazing.)
All of this doesn't mean anything in the long run, but it does show that the objective numbers being blamed on the need to replace Romo is suspect at best and being claimed by those not paying attention.
Here is the post on career numbers on Jan 17 2011.
http://jcsmsports.blogspot.com/2011/01/follow-up-on-rodgers-and-qb-ratings.html
Rivers and Rogers are really great QB's.
The moral of my post, QB is not the area the Cowboys need to address in this draft.
J
http://www.dallasnews.com/sports/dallas-cowboys/20110214-nfl.com-analyst-cowboys-will-have-to-look-at-some-of-the-qbs-available_with-top-pick.ece
How can reporters that are supposed to watch football games really think that Romo is close to the problem in Dallas?
Maybe they just think that the plays he makes and the huge stats are just luck.
It is well documented on his productivity in Winning percentage, QB rating and Yards per attempt being amongst the best in NFL history. Only Rogers and Rivers have higher QB rating, only Rivers and Big Ben average as many yards per attempt as Romo.
So, I decided to see if how bad Romo really ranks on the negative numbers versus the ELITE.
Interceptions- Romo throws a pick 2.9% of the time. Favre and Eli 3.3 Big Ben 3.0 Manning and Brees 2.7 Rivers 2.3 Brady 2.2 Rogers 1.9.
Sacks Yard lost- Romo 3.1 yds per attempt. Big Ben 6.5, Rogers 4.9 Eli 3.5 Favre 3.4, Brady 3.2, Rivers 3.5, Brees 2.8, Manning 2.0 (Manning is truly amazing.)
All of this doesn't mean anything in the long run, but it does show that the objective numbers being blamed on the need to replace Romo is suspect at best and being claimed by those not paying attention.
Here is the post on career numbers on Jan 17 2011.
http://jcsmsports.blogspot.com/2011/01/follow-up-on-rodgers-and-qb-ratings.html
Rivers and Rogers are really great QB's.
The moral of my post, QB is not the area the Cowboys need to address in this draft.
J
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Garrett hires a new strength coach.
I realize the hiring of Mike Woicik to replace Joe Juraszek is because of health reason, but I think the team improved immediately.
Dallas has been weak on the lines for over a decade, it has been sickening watching the Giants and Eagles blow them off the line for years. The only time you see a bicep muscle on a Cowboy lineman is on film from the 90's.
J
Dallas has been weak on the lines for over a decade, it has been sickening watching the Giants and Eagles blow them off the line for years. The only time you see a bicep muscle on a Cowboy lineman is on film from the 90's.
J
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Ranger Avoid Arbitratrion with Hamilton.
The Natural signs two years for 24 million, Thank Goodness.
The last thing the Rangers need to is an arbitration hearing where they use examples of ways to break down Hamilton's confidence and trust in the Rangers front office.
J
The last thing the Rangers need to is an arbitration hearing where they use examples of ways to break down Hamilton's confidence and trust in the Rangers front office.
J
My Vacation From Sports Is Over.
I have missed commenting on my correct Super Bowl prediction.
Dirk being more important than Lebron and Texas turning in a nation title contender.
How about Saint Sean moving his family to Dallas.
1. Packers- What a great coach in Green Bay. They should never have won with that many injuries, what a great statment for the Pennsylvania native.
2. Dirk has a plus 12point difference with his team when his is in the game. Lebron is second in the league at plus 10. Rose was around 3pts.
MVP? Its funny, but if you throw in what has happened to Cleveland without King James it is hard not to give him the MVP.
3. Texas Longhorns Basketball- Undefeated in conference and picking up speed. Since the OT loss to UConn they have seemed to lose all fear of failure. They attack from the opening tip and it is fun to watch.
4. Sean Payton finally has moved his familty back to the DFW area. It had to hurt a few feelings in New Orleans. Covington-Mandeville where he lived is the pride and joy of the area for raising a family around the area. It really is a nice place.
Now, when Garrett goes 8-8 next year the rumors will go to a feverish pich.
J
Dirk being more important than Lebron and Texas turning in a nation title contender.
How about Saint Sean moving his family to Dallas.
1. Packers- What a great coach in Green Bay. They should never have won with that many injuries, what a great statment for the Pennsylvania native.
2. Dirk has a plus 12point difference with his team when his is in the game. Lebron is second in the league at plus 10. Rose was around 3pts.
MVP? Its funny, but if you throw in what has happened to Cleveland without King James it is hard not to give him the MVP.
3. Texas Longhorns Basketball- Undefeated in conference and picking up speed. Since the OT loss to UConn they have seemed to lose all fear of failure. They attack from the opening tip and it is fun to watch.
4. Sean Payton finally has moved his familty back to the DFW area. It had to hurt a few feelings in New Orleans. Covington-Mandeville where he lived is the pride and joy of the area for raising a family around the area. It really is a nice place.
Now, when Garrett goes 8-8 next year the rumors will go to a feverish pich.
J
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Signing Day
I was checking the signing news and got the idea to check some specific high schools for the number of 3-star or higher D1 signings they had. For instance, Allen High had 3 seniors rated 3-star or higher and those 3 went to Baylor, Missouri, and Iowa. Euless Trinity had 4 players rated that high that signed D1. Coppell had 5, West Monroe had 3 (the best of which signed with TCU), and South Panola 3. St. Thomas Aquinas in FL had 5, and 3 of those were 4-stars who committed to FL or FL St. and their QB was 3-star and signed with Miami. Also, Rivals had Malcolm Brown as one of their 5 players most likely to have a big impact in their freshman year(?).
S
S
Franchise QB
Here's another reason to admire Peyton Manning; from Rick Gosselin's column today:
Lord knows Peyton Manning has his detractors. But let me say this about Manning - he knows and understands his responsibilities as a franchise quarterback better than any of his peers.
Understand how the Pro Bowl works. Every quarterback in the NFL wants to be selected to the Pro Bowl but none want to make that trip to Hawaii to play in the game.
Brett Favre was selected to 11 Pro Bowls but only played in four - and not a one since 1997. Dan Marino was selected to the Pro Bowl nine times but only went to Hawaii twice to play in the game. John Elway only played in five of his nine Pro Bowls. Tom Brady has played in just two of his five Pro Bowls and none since 2005.
Manning has been selected to 11 Pro Bowls and has played in 10 of them. Manning goes to Hawaii every February for the NFL - not for himself. He understands what his presence means to the contest. When you play a game of stars, you need some of the biggest to show up. Manning knows that.
S
Lord knows Peyton Manning has his detractors. But let me say this about Manning - he knows and understands his responsibilities as a franchise quarterback better than any of his peers.
Understand how the Pro Bowl works. Every quarterback in the NFL wants to be selected to the Pro Bowl but none want to make that trip to Hawaii to play in the game.
Brett Favre was selected to 11 Pro Bowls but only played in four - and not a one since 1997. Dan Marino was selected to the Pro Bowl nine times but only went to Hawaii twice to play in the game. John Elway only played in five of his nine Pro Bowls. Tom Brady has played in just two of his five Pro Bowls and none since 2005.
Manning has been selected to 11 Pro Bowls and has played in 10 of them. Manning goes to Hawaii every February for the NFL - not for himself. He understands what his presence means to the contest. When you play a game of stars, you need some of the biggest to show up. Manning knows that.
S
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
World of Golf
It was enjoyable to have golf back on the Tube this weekend.
Crazy ending to the tournament with Phil laying up and having his caddie tend the pin from 72 yards out and missing by about a foot.
But the biggest story: Woods- PGA Rookie said that Woods quit on Sunday.
His ability to read greens has always been his golden trigger and now that seems to have vanished.
On weeks in which Woods reads his putts he will still blow people away and forget that he ruined his own swing. But the mental psyche of seeing negatives has entered his mind and now he has to find it again.
For the record Phil may not be able to practice with his illness, but he is still a force.. He was off on Sunday and still almost pulled it out.
j
Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2011/02/01/fanhousetigerwoodsbrendanste.DTL#ixzz1Cl42V3kzuring the final round.
Crazy ending to the tournament with Phil laying up and having his caddie tend the pin from 72 yards out and missing by about a foot.
But the biggest story: Woods- PGA Rookie said that Woods quit on Sunday.
"I don't think he gave it everything today," "Once it started going in the wrong direction, I don't think it had his full attention."Wow! It is well known that I cannot stand Tigger, but I winced when I saw his new putting stroke and then this comment made me pause.
His ability to read greens has always been his golden trigger and now that seems to have vanished.
On weeks in which Woods reads his putts he will still blow people away and forget that he ruined his own swing. But the mental psyche of seeing negatives has entered his mind and now he has to find it again.
For the record Phil may not be able to practice with his illness, but he is still a force.. He was off on Sunday and still almost pulled it out.
j
Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2011/02/01/fanhousetigerwoodsbrendanste.DTL#ixzz1Cl42V3kzuring the final round.
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