Friday, December 22, 2017
College Players staying in State
This picture from Max preps explains why the south is football crazy for D1.
j
Thursday, December 21, 2017
An article to follow up on you post from the past about 4-5 stars
No. 1 Clemson
Stars
Number of starters
Best starter
5
4
DT Dexter Lawrence
4
11
RB Ray-Ray McCloud
3 and below
7
QB Kelly Bryant
No. 2 Oklahoma
Stars
Number of starters
Best starter
5
1
LB Caleb Kelly
4
11
RB Rodney Anderson
3 and below
10
QB Baker Mayfield
No. 3 Georgia
Stars
Number of starters
Best starter
5
4
RB Nick Chubb
4
14
LB Roquan Smith
3 and below
4
DB Dominick Sanders
No. 4 Alabama
Stars
Number of starters
Best starter
5
9
Minkah Fitzpatrick
4
8
QB Jalen Hurts
3 and below
5
Levi Wallace
A closer look at the QBs
Team
QB
Stars
Overall rank
Clemson
Kelly Bryant
3
No. 420 (2015)
Oklahoma
Baker Mayfield
3
No. 1029 (2013)
Georgia
Jake Fromm
4
No. 44 (2017)
Alabama
Jalen Hurts
4
No. 192 (2016)
https://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/alabama-football/5-stars-win-championships-lets-break-4-playoff-teams/
Sunday, December 3, 2017
SEC vs Big 10 Non Conference.
Non-conference games a year
Big 10 3 games
SEC 4 games. If the SEC changes this format, smaller schools would lose tons of money, but the argument would wane.
Complaining about playing outside the power 5, (a complaint by mostly the Pac 12) or playing FCS schools (Big 10 and Big 12 complaint) is strictly a argument against low population areas or wealth by regions.
Games vs Bowl Teams
Big 10 22 52%
SEC 28 50%
Teams ranked in the top 20
Big 10 1 Okla
SEC 5 This is in a year that Fla State was down and Fla plays them annually. I doubt anyone in the Big 10 or Big 12 would ever schedule Fla State annually. Not to mention Clemson vs South Carolina annual event.
(Now the Pac 12 has some great non conference rivals.. Stanford/USC vs Irish.)
The teams the SEC play are definitely higher ranked. It is strange the Alabama is accused of weak schedule, They played 3 Bowl Teams . Ohio State did play two, but lost to the ranked team.
The insanity continues.
SEC leads head to head 43-32
NFL players ? Waste of time even addressing this.
The Pac 12 and definitely the ACC have surpassed the Big 10 in my opinion.
Judging quality wins by beating people in your own conference is as antiquated as a conference championship when all the best teams do not play each other.
J
Big 10 3 games
SEC 4 games. If the SEC changes this format, smaller schools would lose tons of money, but the argument would wane.
Complaining about playing outside the power 5, (a complaint by mostly the Pac 12) or playing FCS schools (Big 10 and Big 12 complaint) is strictly a argument against low population areas or wealth by regions.
Games vs Bowl Teams
Big 10 22 52%
SEC 28 50%
Teams ranked in the top 20
Big 10 1 Okla
SEC 5 This is in a year that Fla State was down and Fla plays them annually. I doubt anyone in the Big 10 or Big 12 would ever schedule Fla State annually. Not to mention Clemson vs South Carolina annual event.
(Now the Pac 12 has some great non conference rivals.. Stanford/USC vs Irish.)
The teams the SEC play are definitely higher ranked. It is strange the Alabama is accused of weak schedule, They played 3 Bowl Teams . Ohio State did play two, but lost to the ranked team.
The insanity continues.
SEC leads head to head 43-32
NFL players ? Waste of time even addressing this.
The Pac 12 and definitely the ACC have surpassed the Big 10 in my opinion.
Judging quality wins by beating people in your own conference is as antiquated as a conference championship when all the best teams do not play each other.
J
Wednesday, November 15, 2017
TCU & Gary Patterson - A Sports Miracle
I don't remember what I've previously posted on Gary Patterson and TCU, but it's been something I wanted to capture. This is one of the remarkable sports stories of our time. To put it in context, imagine waking up in 15 years to find that Vanderbilt has become a perennial power, contending for conference titles and living in the top 20. It's easy now to forget how bad TCU was. We don't remember a time when TCU was even decent, since it hadn't happened since before we were born.
Gary Patterson, surly as he is, has created a money-making brand out of literally nothing. 160 wins in 17 seasons, a 74% winning percentage, 11 seasons of 10+ wins, 5 times in the final AP top-10, 10 wins in 16 bowl appearances, 2 major bowl wins, 6 consensus all-Americans, and twice national coach of the year, at TCU, where they had not finished in the AP top-20 since 1959!
I have said and still believe that if you judge a coach by performance vs. expectations, then Patterson is at the top. In a business dominated by huge state schools with sparkling tradition, he puts little TCU in the national discussion on a regular basis. And, thanks to his 47-5 run from 2008-2011 including the most improbable Rose Bowl win in history, he dragged the Frogs into the Big 12, meaning millions in revenue for the school. We wondered if he could adapt to a power conference, so after going 11-14 to start, he reeled off a 23-3 run with 2 top-7 AP finishes in years 3-4, and with this year's 11-3 finish, got to the 11-win mark for the 3rd time in 6 Big 12 seasons.
Despite a personality very hard to like, let's appreciate one of the great coaching jobs we'll ever see.
S
Gary Patterson, surly as he is, has created a money-making brand out of literally nothing. 160 wins in 17 seasons, a 74% winning percentage, 11 seasons of 10+ wins, 5 times in the final AP top-10, 10 wins in 16 bowl appearances, 2 major bowl wins, 6 consensus all-Americans, and twice national coach of the year, at TCU, where they had not finished in the AP top-20 since 1959!
I have said and still believe that if you judge a coach by performance vs. expectations, then Patterson is at the top. In a business dominated by huge state schools with sparkling tradition, he puts little TCU in the national discussion on a regular basis. And, thanks to his 47-5 run from 2008-2011 including the most improbable Rose Bowl win in history, he dragged the Frogs into the Big 12, meaning millions in revenue for the school. We wondered if he could adapt to a power conference, so after going 11-14 to start, he reeled off a 23-3 run with 2 top-7 AP finishes in years 3-4, and with this year's 11-3 finish, got to the 11-win mark for the 3rd time in 6 Big 12 seasons.
Despite a personality very hard to like, let's appreciate one of the great coaching jobs we'll ever see.
S
Monday, October 23, 2017
The Greatest Athlete in America Jim Thorpe.
An orphaned child from the Sac and Fox Indians of the Oklahoma territories. (His mother called him Wa-Tho-Huck meaning Bright Path.) He was raised by the government after his parents passed. He started college as a slight person at 5'9 and grew into a powerful 6'1 185lb freak of an athlete.
In 1912 Thorpe won the decathlon and pentathlon at the Stockholm Olympics. (15 Events plus the long jump 4th place and high jump 7th place.) . The scary part is that he really didn't train to be an Olympian and never competed as Decathlete again.
Some of the records he shattered at the Olympics lasted for decades. His point differential will never be broken evidently.
It was 36 years later before an Decathlon Olympian matched Thorpe's time in the 100 meter dash of 11.2.
His 110 hurdles was faster than Bob Mathis during his 1948 Gold medal run.
The 1500 meters time he ran wasn't matched until 1972.... 60 years it last....Only Joe DiMaggio gets into that class.
As a side note:
After the Olympics, Thorpe returned to his Sr Year at Carlisle and ran for 1,869 yards on 191 attempts and was widely considered the best football player in America.
After college he was a superstar in pro football.
He also played 7 years of Pro Baseball (6 years for John McGraw and the New York Giants.)
Jim Thorpe was inducted into these:. (I am sure there are others.)
He was an overwhelming choice as greatest athlete of the century in 1950 and in 2001 Wide World of Sports named him athlete of the century.
ESPN had him 7th in North American Greatest Athlete, which is rather disrespectful and flattering. In my opinion, he definitely had more accolades on his checked off list than any person on the list.
He is the greatest Athlete of the 20th Century in my opinion.
He tops Pele out of sheer versatility in what he did.
He was best football player of his era, the greatest Olympian also and played professional baseball against Babe Ruth, Roger Hornsby, Ty Cobb, Shoeless Joe Jackson and was a teammate of Christy Mathewson.
That my friend is a resume.
J.
In 1912 Thorpe won the decathlon and pentathlon at the Stockholm Olympics. (15 Events plus the long jump 4th place and high jump 7th place.) . The scary part is that he really didn't train to be an Olympian and never competed as Decathlete again.
Some of the records he shattered at the Olympics lasted for decades. His point differential will never be broken evidently.
It was 36 years later before an Decathlon Olympian matched Thorpe's time in the 100 meter dash of 11.2.
His 110 hurdles was faster than Bob Mathis during his 1948 Gold medal run.
The 1500 meters time he ran wasn't matched until 1972.... 60 years it last....Only Joe DiMaggio gets into that class.
As a side note:
After the Olympics, Thorpe returned to his Sr Year at Carlisle and ran for 1,869 yards on 191 attempts and was widely considered the best football player in America.
After college he was a superstar in pro football.
He also played 7 years of Pro Baseball (6 years for John McGraw and the New York Giants.)
Jim Thorpe was inducted into these:. (I am sure there are others.)
- College Football Hall of Fame
- Pro Football Hall of Fame- Football Digest has him 17th greatest to ever play.
- Track and Field Hall of Fame
- US Olympic Hall of Fame.
He was an overwhelming choice as greatest athlete of the century in 1950 and in 2001 Wide World of Sports named him athlete of the century.
ESPN had him 7th in North American Greatest Athlete, which is rather disrespectful and flattering. In my opinion, he definitely had more accolades on his checked off list than any person on the list.
He is the greatest Athlete of the 20th Century in my opinion.
He tops Pele out of sheer versatility in what he did.
He was best football player of his era, the greatest Olympian also and played professional baseball against Babe Ruth, Roger Hornsby, Ty Cobb, Shoeless Joe Jackson and was a teammate of Christy Mathewson.
That my friend is a resume.
J.
Pele Athlete of the Century Needed a reminder.
Named Edson Nascimento in honor of Thomas Edison in 1940 and called Called Dico" by his family.
Lifetime 1,283 goals in 1,363 games
World Cup for Brazil with 77 goals in 92 games.
World Cup for Brazil with 77 goals in 92 games.
Only man with three world cup titles.
- FIFA Player of the Century: 2000[45]
- FIFA Order of Merit: 1984[147]
- BBC Sports Personality of the Year Overseas Personality: 1970[148]
- Athlete of the Century, by Reuters News Agency: 1999[149]
- Athlete of the Century, elected by International Olympic Committee: 1999[150]
- South American Footballer of the Year (1): 1973[151]
- Football Player of the Century, elected by France Football's Ballon d'Or Winners: 1999[152]
- Inducted into the American National Soccer Hall of Fame: 1992[153]
- World Team of the 20th Century: 1998[154]
- TIME: One of the 100 Most Important People of the 20th century: 1999[155]
- Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire: 1997[156]
Thursday, October 5, 2017
What Carter Lost
Since we vividly remember and constantly discussed this team during that year, I found it very entertaining.
Amazing: 28 Scholarship offers and 8 players from that team playing pro ball is absolutely insane.
Do I think they were best team that I ever saw in high school? No probably not, only because there were just too many close games.(Coaching and discipline)
But, they probably are the most talented group of athletes that I have watched since watching Joe Ferguson and the Woodlawn Knights win state in 1968.
The usual racial banter was difficult to accept throughout the show.
As someone who lived in the area and was surrounded by many races, it is unfair to stereotype the region in this way. Most non-blacks were pulling for Carter and at the same time very disappointed in the ridiculous grading system used at Carter,
Do I think they used flawed grading system?...Yes. obviously they cheated the system.
I did love following this team.
J.
Amazing: 28 Scholarship offers and 8 players from that team playing pro ball is absolutely insane.
Do I think they were best team that I ever saw in high school? No probably not, only because there were just too many close games.(Coaching and discipline)
But, they probably are the most talented group of athletes that I have watched since watching Joe Ferguson and the Woodlawn Knights win state in 1968.
The usual racial banter was difficult to accept throughout the show.
As someone who lived in the area and was surrounded by many races, it is unfair to stereotype the region in this way. Most non-blacks were pulling for Carter and at the same time very disappointed in the ridiculous grading system used at Carter,
Do I think they used flawed grading system?...Yes. obviously they cheated the system.
I did love following this team.
J.
Finally! People are recognizing Red Jesus
Todd Archer
My opinion will remain the same in regard to the head coaches that live off of execution.(Like Garrett)
You will only win if you have superior talent. Schemes win in Playoffs.
J
The Cowboys have been outscored 34-7 in the third quarter this season. They enter the fourth quarter trailing... http://www.espn.com/espn/now?nowId=21-40003752-4 …
You will only win if you have superior talent. Schemes win in Playoffs.
J
Monday, October 2, 2017
LSU Depth Chart / Recruiting Rankings
Looked up the current Tiger depth chart and their 247sports rankings during recruiting. Trying to figure out if there has been a talent fall off or just bad coaching.
| 2017 LSU Football Depth Chart | |||||
| OFFENSE | 247 Sports Stars | 247 Sports Rating | 247 Sports Pos Rank | ||
| R | 7 | Chark, D.J. SR/2 | 3 | 0.8728 | 61 |
| WR | 83 | Gage, Russell SR/1 | 3 | 0.8455 | 74 |
| WR | 19 | Dillon, Derrick RS SO/1 | 4 | 0.9252 | 21 |
| LT | 63 | Malone, K.J. SR/3 | 3 | 0.8656 | 9 |
| LG | 78 | Brumfield, Garrett JR/2 | 4 | 0.9517 | 6 |
| OC | 64 | Clapp, William RS JR/2 | 4 | 0.9054 | 15 |
| RG | 70 | Ingram, Edward FR | 4 | 0.9217 | 13 |
| RT | 66 | Weathersby, Toby JR/2 | 4 | 0.9497 | 6 |
| TE/F | 44 | Moore, John David SR/3 | NA | ||
| QB | 16 | Etling, Danny SR/TR/1 | 4 | 0.8967 | 17 |
| RB | 5 | Guice, Derrius JR/2 | 4 | 0.9777 | 5 |
| DEFENSE | |||||
| DE | 18 | LaCouture, Christian SR/3 | 4 | 0.9004 | 15 |
| NT | 99 | Gilmore, Greg SR/2 | 4 | 0.958 | 7 |
| DE | 90 | Lawrence, Rashard SO/1 | 5 | 0.9846 | 5 |
| FLB | 23 | Thompson, Corey SR/3 | 4 | 0.9106 | 17 |
| ROVER | 40 | White, Devin SO/1 | 4 | 0.9366 | 6 |
| MLB | 48 | Alexander, Donnie SR/3 | 3 | 0.8702 | 37 |
| BLB | 49 | Key, Arden JR/2 | 4 | 0.959 | 4 |
| CB | 1 | Jackson, Donte JR/2 | 4 | 0.9731 | 3 |
| SS | 26 | Battle, John SR/2 | 3 | 0.88 | 31 |
| FS | 9 | Delpit, Grant FR | 4 | 0.9679 | 9 |
| CB | 29 | Williams, Andraez RS FR | 4 | 0.9122 | 20 |
| NB | 15 | Vincent Jr., Kary FR | 4 | 0.9567 | 13 |
| 3.82 | 0.9237 | 17.9 | |||
Wednesday, July 26, 2017
Tuesday, July 25, 2017
Katie Ledecky - Simply the best
Age 20 she breaks the all time record for world swimming titles with her 20th.
Of course she only won by 19 Seconds. 19 Seconds!.Yes, that is basically 50 meters ahead of second place. To make things even worse, Ledecky did not use her leg kick in this race.
The final racers in this win finished 97 seconds after her. This was 22 seconds than her WR time set previously with a leg kick.
Phelps has 26 world swimming titles and he was the greatest we have seen.
J.
Of course she only won by 19 Seconds. 19 Seconds!.Yes, that is basically 50 meters ahead of second place. To make things even worse, Ledecky did not use her leg kick in this race.
The final racers in this win finished 97 seconds after her. This was 22 seconds than her WR time set previously with a leg kick.
Phelps has 26 world swimming titles and he was the greatest we have seen.
J.
Sunday, April 30, 2017
Cowboys Drafting
I'm probably just being a fan, but after really reading up on the Cowboys' picks from this weekend, I'm cautiously excited. We were lucky that this year's strength in the draft played into what we needed. I expect that Awuzie, Lewis, and Woods will all be on the field next year. If Brown is really a player, it has some promise. Charleton will obviously play a lot. He will have to convince me, but those DB's I think may rebuild that secondary.
Overall I'm so gratified that the Cowboys have started to look like professional drafters. One of our favorites, Rick Gosselin gave the weekend a glowing stamp of approval. Imagine following your board and staying calm and improving your weaknesses. They look like a real front office of late.
The stat we saw about the pro bowl players the Cowboys have drafted in the last 15 years was interesting. I looked back over these last 25 years. When Johnson left it got truly awful and remained that way for more than a decade. Even after getting Ware and Ratliff in 2005, they still struggled with lots of pure misses. People like Witten (2003) and Ware made it look better, but they still whiffed on entire drafts as late as 2009.
Since 2010 it's gotten somewhat better, although still too many misses. Those rounds 2 - 4 where Gosselin always talks about the great teams putting together their rosters were still iffy for the Cowboys. Bringing in Dez, Sean Lee, Tyron Smith, and Demarco Murray in 2010/2011 gave way to a horrible 2012 class. 2013 was not a lot better after Frederick. Martin, Lawrence, and Hitchens came in '14, while '15 is going to depend somewhat on whether Chaz Green is going to hold down the right tackle spot going forward. Taking Randy Gregory and Jaylon Smith in round 2 in 15/16 was too risky. 2016 could be one of 2 or 3 best drafts in team history.
The best teams repeatedly find solid starters in the first 3 to 4 rounds. We may get that out of 2016 and 2017 with the new crop of DB's along with the health of Jaylon Smith being the key to whether we can capitalize on the ridiculous wealth of offensive stars on this team. What I feel good about is that if Stephen Jones continues to take on more influence in the front office, his draft philosophy is beginning to take root. Scout well, put your board together, and let the picks come to you.
S
Overall I'm so gratified that the Cowboys have started to look like professional drafters. One of our favorites, Rick Gosselin gave the weekend a glowing stamp of approval. Imagine following your board and staying calm and improving your weaknesses. They look like a real front office of late.
The stat we saw about the pro bowl players the Cowboys have drafted in the last 15 years was interesting. I looked back over these last 25 years. When Johnson left it got truly awful and remained that way for more than a decade. Even after getting Ware and Ratliff in 2005, they still struggled with lots of pure misses. People like Witten (2003) and Ware made it look better, but they still whiffed on entire drafts as late as 2009.
Since 2010 it's gotten somewhat better, although still too many misses. Those rounds 2 - 4 where Gosselin always talks about the great teams putting together their rosters were still iffy for the Cowboys. Bringing in Dez, Sean Lee, Tyron Smith, and Demarco Murray in 2010/2011 gave way to a horrible 2012 class. 2013 was not a lot better after Frederick. Martin, Lawrence, and Hitchens came in '14, while '15 is going to depend somewhat on whether Chaz Green is going to hold down the right tackle spot going forward. Taking Randy Gregory and Jaylon Smith in round 2 in 15/16 was too risky. 2016 could be one of 2 or 3 best drafts in team history.
The best teams repeatedly find solid starters in the first 3 to 4 rounds. We may get that out of 2016 and 2017 with the new crop of DB's along with the health of Jaylon Smith being the key to whether we can capitalize on the ridiculous wealth of offensive stars on this team. What I feel good about is that if Stephen Jones continues to take on more influence in the front office, his draft philosophy is beginning to take root. Scout well, put your board together, and let the picks come to you.
S
Friday, April 28, 2017
Tony Romo
The story of Tony Romo deserves better than what I can ever write. His story is so unique, not only because of how successful he has become, but the path in which took him to the pinnacle of sports fame in America as the QB for Dallas.
He was definitely the most polarizing figure in football during his career and one of those cursed with detractors that choose not to believe what the numbers say.
A .602% winning percentage and (I doubt anyone will claim that he had excellent coaches after Parcells.)
60% is top 15 all time area for a player with over 130 games started in the NFL.
He trails only some of the greats:
Brady, Montana, Manning, Big Ben. Rodgers, Young, Elway, Kelly, Farve, Flacco and McNabb, All of these guys had HOF type coaches, (Harbaugh maybe on the way.)
You stated some of his all time NFL stats in the previous post.
Here is a few NFL RECORDS he holds.
He was definitely the most polarizing figure in football during his career and one of those cursed with detractors that choose not to believe what the numbers say.
A .602% winning percentage and (I doubt anyone will claim that he had excellent coaches after Parcells.)
60% is top 15 all time area for a player with over 130 games started in the NFL.
He trails only some of the greats:
Brady, Montana, Manning, Big Ben. Rodgers, Young, Elway, Kelly, Farve, Flacco and McNabb, All of these guys had HOF type coaches, (Harbaugh maybe on the way.)
You stated some of his all time NFL stats in the previous post.
Here is a few NFL RECORDS he holds.
- Highest QB rating in month of December (133.7)
- Highest QB rating in fourth quarter
- Most games in a season with a passer rating of at least 135.0 (6)
Yes, he had moments of infamy with his interceptions, I believe he threw 8, I think Brady was second with 7 before last year. but goodness what he did was special. He held the highest QBR in history during last two minutes the last time I checked.
There is not telling how many games they lost where he scored with less than two minutes in his career. The 25 are only games in which Dallas actually won. I saw somewhere they lost 37 somewhere, but I cannot prove this number.
This chart simply shows QBR in 4th and OT during the modern passing era.
2006-2016
I will miss the crazy comebacks, but I am glad he retired without more injuries.
As for Hall of Fame, if you judge it based on stats amongst his peers he deserves to be considered. If you only take the top 5 for his time played, I wouldn't give him a chance.
If he had played in a wide open offense like Brees, of course he would be in the HOF with a higher winning percentage and better numbers than Brees. But he didn't and Saint Sean got New Orleans a Super Bowl.
Is Romo on the level with Manning, Brady, Rodgers, and Big Ben? Not in my opinion, especially those first three.
On the plus side, he is definitely the best golfer to play QB since John Brody.
J
LSU
As you know, I really don't like paying attention to spring games.
The fact that Etling and the new LSU offense looked putrid has people worried. It was obvious that Canada did not use his full offense in this game. Etling was poor at best, He missed his last 7 passes and finished 4/11 in the game.
Worrisome was that Etling had a so called minor surgery on his back following the game and is has rehab for next couple of months. Why was he playing? Did it happen at game? Supposedly the offense has been killing the defense all spring.
The best quote of the spring to me was Guice bragging about his open field moves in the passing game. He was quoted as schooling Devin White in practice.
Guice reportedly ran a sub 4.4 40 at 5'11 222lbs. I find this a little hopeful, but if he can run 4.43 as originally reported, that is scary good.
Devin White is just a freak, as Louisville found out in the bowl game, At 6'1 255 plus with 4.49sh speed as a high school senior and an obvious mean streak, he could explode this year.
Below, I posted an article on the recently turned 19year old.
http://www.nola.com/lsu/index.ssf/2017/03/devin_white_stepping_into_lead.html
The fact that Etling and the new LSU offense looked putrid has people worried. It was obvious that Canada did not use his full offense in this game. Etling was poor at best, He missed his last 7 passes and finished 4/11 in the game.
Worrisome was that Etling had a so called minor surgery on his back following the game and is has rehab for next couple of months. Why was he playing? Did it happen at game? Supposedly the offense has been killing the defense all spring.
The best quote of the spring to me was Guice bragging about his open field moves in the passing game. He was quoted as schooling Devin White in practice.
Guice reportedly ran a sub 4.4 40 at 5'11 222lbs. I find this a little hopeful, but if he can run 4.43 as originally reported, that is scary good.
Devin White is just a freak, as Louisville found out in the bowl game, At 6'1 255 plus with 4.49sh speed as a high school senior and an obvious mean streak, he could explode this year.
Below, I posted an article on the recently turned 19year old.
http://www.nola.com/lsu/index.ssf/2017/03/devin_white_stepping_into_lead.html
North Carolina and Roy Williams
I find it incredibly humorous that Roy Williams doesn't get mentioned with the great coaches.
All he has is 9 final fours, 6 Title games, 3 National Championships and 17 conference titles in 29 years.
All he has is 9 final fours, 6 Title games, 3 National Championships and 17 conference titles in 29 years.
- Of course Wooden is in class to himself. 12 Final fours 10 titles.
- Coach K has 5 titles and 12 final fours
- Even Dean Smith only has two titles with his 11 final fours.
- Winning Percentage Williams 79.1 Coach K 78.6 Wooden 80.04.
To downgrade Williams for recruiting great players and teaching a system that works is ludicrous. He doesn't have to make as many in game adjustments because he is prepared. I highly doubt that Wooden made many adjustments either. The difference is Williams accepted the ability to let players play within a system before anyone else. He doesn't draw up set plays, like Knight or Izzo, This system works obviously and in my opinion it is harder to teach a team to always be prepared than to correct things you missed in pregame with mid-game adjustments. Losing to Villanova last year did leave his critics with ammunition, but a great player beat them after his guard missed an assignment.
The recruiting thing is ridiculous argument since Coach K recruits as well if not better year in and year out.
In no way is this post meant to demean the greatness of Coach K, he built Duke into this juggernaut and I would put him second behind Wooden.
Since going to ACC Williams has won 8 conference titles in 13 years. Duke has 2.
He has won 55 NCAA games since 2000, Next in line are those considered great coaches by the media. Izzo at 43. Self at 42 (also underrated) Cal at 40.
North Carolina on the blue bloods as you like to say has been on an incredible run and overshadowed by Duke in the media.
Duke and North Carolina in last 30 years are far an away the best programs in college.
In 40 years, they basically have split all games with Duke getting the edge at the end of this year with a one game lead in series.
UNC and Duke have 5 national championship since 1982
Both have 12 final four appearances since then.. (UNC also went in 1981)
\
Amazing run of excellence!
J
Dirk
I still get a kick out of watching Dirk, what an amazing career.
Honestly, he is such an incredible player and I am glad that he has a title and MVP.
Scoring 30,000 points is insane considering where he came from as a skinny project.
His toughness and my favorite jump shot of all time has been a treat.
I enjoyed your comment, that during his prime he was basically unstoppable,
The underlier to me is that he is probably the most unselfish scorer in history. I can only consider Kareem and Lebron from the top 10 in this category,
We all know that if these two would have demanded the ball and they would have scored ridiculous amounts of points. Maybe Westbrook should look at this fact.
Sitting at 6th all time just confirms the toughness and touch of Dirk.
Duncan and Kobe took the headlines, but Dirk is next for this generation.
Yes, I have Duncan ahead of Kobe as the best player in the generation.
Should Dirk be consider as best power forward of all time?
(Duncan is a center, no matter what Pop claims, ridiculous arguement. )
What a treat it has been watching Dirk.
J.
Demarcus Ware
It is funny to type this, but how can a Hall Of Fame player be under appreciated while playing for the most popular and over publicized team in America?
Ware quickly became my favorite defensive player in the NFL, Not only was he a freak of nature, his public personality is worthy of the NFL using it as an example for incoming players.
The stats you posted previously speak for themselves,
When you trial Lawrence Taylor and Reggie White (The Greatest) in sacks per game, you have achieved a place beyond expectations.
(Side bar, Reggie White had 23.5 more sacks the 2 years in Memphis prior to Philly. And he was never just an end rusher like the rest of the top sackers.)
I was glad he won a Super Bowl ring after suffering through the mediocre years in Dallas, but I hated that he didn't get his farewell in Dallas.
His NFL friend and college teammate summed it up very well, Osi Umenyiora called him the "greatest player ever."
I still get upset that Harrison was voted Defensive MVP over Ware in 2008, Ware had more sacks and more tackles on a team with much less talent. In my opinion he should have won in 2007 also.
Hurry up and put him in the Ring of Honor.
J.
Ware quickly became my favorite defensive player in the NFL, Not only was he a freak of nature, his public personality is worthy of the NFL using it as an example for incoming players.
The stats you posted previously speak for themselves,
When you trial Lawrence Taylor and Reggie White (The Greatest) in sacks per game, you have achieved a place beyond expectations.
(Side bar, Reggie White had 23.5 more sacks the 2 years in Memphis prior to Philly. And he was never just an end rusher like the rest of the top sackers.)
I was glad he won a Super Bowl ring after suffering through the mediocre years in Dallas, but I hated that he didn't get his farewell in Dallas.
His NFL friend and college teammate summed it up very well, Osi Umenyiora called him the "greatest player ever."
I still get upset that Harrison was voted Defensive MVP over Ware in 2008, Ware had more sacks and more tackles on a team with much less talent. In my opinion he should have won in 2007 also.
Hurry up and put him in the Ring of Honor.
J.
Josh Hamilton
I have never seen anything like Josh Hamilton! How does a drug addict show up in the major leagues at 26 years of age and become a phenom?
He is one of only two true 5 tool players that I have ever seen in his prime.
(The other is ARod for anyone that wonders, ironically another person that let drugs tarnish his legacy.)
1. Speed- The times reported for his 40yd and times to first base rival Mantle. This era of Stolen Bases in analytics and fear of injuries, (rightly feared) obviously kept him from the 40-40 club. He covered the outfield completely.
2. Throwing- His arm strength- (What really keeps most of the superstars out of the 5 tool category is the arm.) Griffey, Bonds, and even Trout are good, but not great. Hamilton had a cannon and with his 95mph fastball in high school, (prior to new radar guns) he could have been top line pitcher.
3. Fielding- He was definitely the best center fielder we have watched for the Rangers, but goodness he was fearless which caused too many injuries.
4. Hitting- I still cannot believe that he led the majors in Batting Average after being homeless. How does anyone go from homeless drug addict to leading the majors in BA? He hit over 300 with 130 RBIs in just two years back from the brink of death.
5. Power- I have seen home runs as long as he hit them, but nothing like the consistent bombs when he was focused. I had a post a few years ago about the top ten longest home runs in MLB in a few years span. He had more than half in his playing time.
Mental health destroyed what may have been the most talented baseball player we have ever seen.
J.
He is one of only two true 5 tool players that I have ever seen in his prime.
(The other is ARod for anyone that wonders, ironically another person that let drugs tarnish his legacy.)
1. Speed- The times reported for his 40yd and times to first base rival Mantle. This era of Stolen Bases in analytics and fear of injuries, (rightly feared) obviously kept him from the 40-40 club. He covered the outfield completely.
2. Throwing- His arm strength- (What really keeps most of the superstars out of the 5 tool category is the arm.) Griffey, Bonds, and even Trout are good, but not great. Hamilton had a cannon and with his 95mph fastball in high school, (prior to new radar guns) he could have been top line pitcher.
3. Fielding- He was definitely the best center fielder we have watched for the Rangers, but goodness he was fearless which caused too many injuries.
4. Hitting- I still cannot believe that he led the majors in Batting Average after being homeless. How does anyone go from homeless drug addict to leading the majors in BA? He hit over 300 with 130 RBIs in just two years back from the brink of death.
5. Power- I have seen home runs as long as he hit them, but nothing like the consistent bombs when he was focused. I had a post a few years ago about the top ten longest home runs in MLB in a few years span. He had more than half in his playing time.
Mental health destroyed what may have been the most talented baseball player we have ever seen.
J.
So many changes in our world of favorite teams since my last post, that I don't know where to start.
- Tony Romo
- Demarcus Ware
- Josh Hamilton
- Dirk
- Coach O and Canada in Baton Rouge
- Draft
- Dak
- Rangers Bullpen
- Trout, Kershaw, Machado and Harper
- Recruiting for next year.
- Coach Wade at LSU
- Golf
- NBA - Lebron, Durant, Davis, Leonard, Curry, Westbrook and Harden.
- North Carolina and Roy Williams
- Sports Illustrated lack of delivery of magazines.
- Ohtani and Hunter Green both 6'4" and being tagged as a "Babe Ruth"
I will try to comment on your post and add a few thoughts.
J
Monday, April 24, 2017
End of the Line for Josh Hamilton
With the Rangers releasing Josh Hamilton this week, his career is likely over and it got me going through his numbers again. I've posted plenty about Josh in the past. He should have been winding up a hall of fame career, the best player of this generation. But instead he's likely done having played parts of 9 seasons, with less than 4,000 total at bats. The greatest waste of talent we have seen. But he leaves us with flashes that I'll always remember.
Of course the moments; 28 homers in the first round of the home run derby at Yankee Stadium in 2008, the 4-homer game in Baltimore in 2012, the should-have-been World Series winning 10th inning homer in 2011, the game in 2010 that left JJ Taylor searching for words in his DMN column. But at the top of my list are the stretches of pure greatness that rival anything I've seen in 40 years of watching baseball.
Start with the summer of 2010. This was the stretch where God let us see on full display talent on par with Mantle and Mays. It was sort of unexpected. He rolled into June with only fair numbers. Then over 80 full games and 310 at bats from June - August, he hit .410 with 22 homers, a .720 slugging %, and an OPS over 1.1. Plus he played center field, ran down anything, and threw bullets all over the field. I'll always just be glad we saw the full extent of that talent, even for only 1 summer. In typical Josh fashion, he then got hurt and didn't play in September. But, .410 for 80 games? Wow.
Then, one of the weirdest falls I've ever seen. Healthy going into 2012, he started on a roll and as June began, after 47 games, Josh was sitting at .368 with 21 bombs and again an OPS over 1.1. He was once again the best player in the league and it seemed that he would top his 2010 MVP season. The other-worldly night in Baltimore with 4 homers and 18 total bases. But, that was it. For the rest of 2012, he hit .244. The Rangers let him walk and in 2 seasons with the Angels he hit .255 with 31 total homers. After May of 2012, he fell into a slump and never came out of it. How does that happen? Did his abused body just hit the wall at age 31?
At least Josh got his cash from the Angels. Through it all he leaves with a .290 average and .865 OPS. They don't do justice to what he could have been. I like to look at the per-162 game averages and those are impressive for Josh: 32 homers, 37 doubles, and 111 RBI per 162. I hope he can keep his demons under control in retirement. For us, we'll have the summer of 2010.
S
Of course the moments; 28 homers in the first round of the home run derby at Yankee Stadium in 2008, the 4-homer game in Baltimore in 2012, the should-have-been World Series winning 10th inning homer in 2011, the game in 2010 that left JJ Taylor searching for words in his DMN column. But at the top of my list are the stretches of pure greatness that rival anything I've seen in 40 years of watching baseball.
Start with the summer of 2010. This was the stretch where God let us see on full display talent on par with Mantle and Mays. It was sort of unexpected. He rolled into June with only fair numbers. Then over 80 full games and 310 at bats from June - August, he hit .410 with 22 homers, a .720 slugging %, and an OPS over 1.1. Plus he played center field, ran down anything, and threw bullets all over the field. I'll always just be glad we saw the full extent of that talent, even for only 1 summer. In typical Josh fashion, he then got hurt and didn't play in September. But, .410 for 80 games? Wow.
Then, one of the weirdest falls I've ever seen. Healthy going into 2012, he started on a roll and as June began, after 47 games, Josh was sitting at .368 with 21 bombs and again an OPS over 1.1. He was once again the best player in the league and it seemed that he would top his 2010 MVP season. The other-worldly night in Baltimore with 4 homers and 18 total bases. But, that was it. For the rest of 2012, he hit .244. The Rangers let him walk and in 2 seasons with the Angels he hit .255 with 31 total homers. After May of 2012, he fell into a slump and never came out of it. How does that happen? Did his abused body just hit the wall at age 31?
At least Josh got his cash from the Angels. Through it all he leaves with a .290 average and .865 OPS. They don't do justice to what he could have been. I like to look at the per-162 game averages and those are impressive for Josh: 32 homers, 37 doubles, and 111 RBI per 162. I hope he can keep his demons under control in retirement. For us, we'll have the summer of 2010.
S
Thursday, April 6, 2017
Tony Romo Retires
Following on the
heels of the great DeMarcus Ware’s retirement, now comes Tony Romo calling it
quits after 13 seasons. Romo was
certainly one of the most polarizing players of the era and I’m not totally
sure why that is. If you put his career
in context, he was an undrafted player with no expectations who rose to lead an
iconic franchise for about a decade, making 4 pro bowls. It should be a great story. But everyone gets irrational when talking
Tony Romo.
The Cowboy fans spoiled by success and 2
HOF QB’s could never forgive his shortcomings.
Fans across the country saw him as the face of a team they hate and were
jealous for the attention and coverage of the team and their leader. At his best, he could play the position with
anyone, literally making some of the most beautiful passes we’ll ever see. At his worst he could melt down in big games
or situations, never understanding his responsibility to play safe when called
for.
I do not think Romo is a hall of
famer. He did not win an MVP or even
make 1st team all-pro (although he should have once in 2014). He didn’t have playoff success and he played
in an era when many QB’s had gaudy stats similar to his. The Cowboy Ring of Honor will be
interesting. The bar is very high. As the franchise leader in most passing
categories and making 4 pro bowls, I think he’ll get in.
·
Black ink – he led the league in QB rating once,
yards per attempt twice, and completion % once
·
4 pro bowls, 1 all-pro team (2nd
team)
·
78-49 as a starter (61.4%)
·
Career yards per attempt of 7.9 is 6th
all-time at retirement
·
Career QB Rating of 97.1 is 4th
all-time at retirement
·
30 game-winning drives is 17th
all-time at retirement
·
25 comebacks is 14th all-time at
retirement
S
Tuesday, April 4, 2017
College Basketball Bluebloods
I've posted on this before as related to college football, but not basketball. These are the programs that most fans would list as the all-time best; the "bluebloods". I'm ranking them based on giving 1 point for a final four appearance and 2 points for winning the title, including the Tar Heel's title from last night, their 6th.
S
- UCLA - 17 final fours and 11 titles (last 1995)
- Kentucky - 17 final fours and 8 titles (last 2012)
- North Carolina - 20 final fours and 6 titles (last 2017)
- Duke - 16 final fours and 5 titles (last 2015)
- Kansas - 14 final fours and 3 titles (last 2008)
- Indiana - 8 final fours and 5 titles (last 1987)
S
Thursday, March 16, 2017
DeMarcus Ware Retires
I feel like Ware is slightly underrated and under-appreciated. I will definitely remember him as one of the top-tier Cowboys and one of the most freakishly gifted athletes I ever saw. I was glad to hear most talk shows this week say that he is a clear hall of famer. At about 6-4 and 260 he was an incredible combination of explosion and strength. Also a great guy, a great interview, and a guy who was always smiling.
- Had 8 seasons of double-digit sacks
- High sack seasons of 20, 19.5, 15.5, and 14
- Led the league in sacks twice
- 4-time 1st team All-Pro and 3 times 2nd team
- 9 Pro Bowls
- Super Bowl winner in 2015 season
- Retiring at 8th on all-time sack list with 138.5
- 7.5 sacks in 8 career playoff games
- 3rd all-time at retirement in sacks per game at .78 trailing only Reggie White and Lawrence Taylor
Friday, March 10, 2017
Dirk Hits 30K
Although Dirk is not retiring and plans to play another year or two, the occasion of him hitting 30,000 points, which is 6th all-time, made me want to re-visit his career. 19 seasons ago, everyone was trying to score a potential star player from Europe. When Nellie traded for this kid from Germany it was hard to imagine he would end up being the best. Being the #6 all-time scorer is rare air so you have to try to figure out where he belongs in history. I previously published my top 12 and he wasn't in it. But, I can make the case he is top-20.
The best case for Dirk involves 2 things; his appearance on all-NBA teams, and his playoff performances. He appeared on 12 consecutive all-NBA teams during his prime, 4 times 1st team and 5 times 2nd team. Clearly highly respected by peers and media, culminating in the league MVP award in 2006-07 when he had a historic 50/40/90 shooting line. His case is also boosted by how he raised his play in the playoffs. In 145 playoff games, he carries a 25.3 scoring average + 10 rebounds and a 23.8 PER. During the run to the championship in 2010-11, he averaged 27.7 on .485 shooting and won finals MVP. He averaged over 26 points during 8 different playoff seasons. He is also ranked #8 in career win shares, and 23rd in career PER.
At his peak, Dirk was a pretty much un-guardable force who would get you 26 nightly. His dominance in the championship run was spectacular to watch. His career shooting line of 47/38/88 is unbelievable for a big man and sort of revolutionized the power-forward position. The "stretch 4" position so popular today pretty much started with Dirk. You also have to mention that he is the perfect teammate and franchise icon in terms of work ethic, maturity, and attitude.
Some other notes from his career:
The best case for Dirk involves 2 things; his appearance on all-NBA teams, and his playoff performances. He appeared on 12 consecutive all-NBA teams during his prime, 4 times 1st team and 5 times 2nd team. Clearly highly respected by peers and media, culminating in the league MVP award in 2006-07 when he had a historic 50/40/90 shooting line. His case is also boosted by how he raised his play in the playoffs. In 145 playoff games, he carries a 25.3 scoring average + 10 rebounds and a 23.8 PER. During the run to the championship in 2010-11, he averaged 27.7 on .485 shooting and won finals MVP. He averaged over 26 points during 8 different playoff seasons. He is also ranked #8 in career win shares, and 23rd in career PER.
At his peak, Dirk was a pretty much un-guardable force who would get you 26 nightly. His dominance in the championship run was spectacular to watch. His career shooting line of 47/38/88 is unbelievable for a big man and sort of revolutionized the power-forward position. The "stretch 4" position so popular today pretty much started with Dirk. You also have to mention that he is the perfect teammate and franchise icon in terms of work ethic, maturity, and attitude.
Some other notes from his career:
- 29-point quarter vs. Utah in 2009
- 50 points in game 5 of West finals vs. Suns 2006
- 48 points on 15 shots in West finals win over OKC 2011
- 27 career 40+ point games
- 3-point shootout champ in 2006
Monday, January 9, 2017
Updated NFL rating from Dec 1
Most watched NFL games in 2016:
1. DAL-WASH: 35.1M viewers
2. DAL-PIT: 28.9M
3. DAL-GB: 28.0M
4. DET-MIN: 27.6M
5. DAL-NYG: 27.5M
1. DAL-WASH: 35.1M viewers
2. DAL-PIT: 28.9M
3. DAL-GB: 28.0M
4. DET-MIN: 27.6M
5. DAL-NYG: 27.5M
Sunday, January 8, 2017
Rory is playing new clubs
Now that those subpar Nike clubs are history, it will be interesting year with Rory getting better clubs and even Tiger coming back to be shoved down everyone's throat.
Rory's last tournament in October he used a Taylormade M2 and was carrying the ball past Bubba Watson. He is going to make his first start this week, using Callaway Epic driver and Irons with Titleist wedges and a Callaway Putter that evidently only Phil has used. He said he will use the Pro V1X because it fits the driver and it created too much spin on his old Nike Irons..
Tiger's saturation event in Bahamas was a good start for him, but he still had the fear of the big stick anytime it was trouble on the left. This will show up in tournaments that matter in terrible fashion for him, unless he fixes it. Of course if he putts well, he can win any week.
Personally, I liked watching him gag from the demons he now sees.
Jack recently commented on Rory, Interesting comments, a lot of people took it as a shot, but it's actually a huge compliment.
Rory's last tournament in October he used a Taylormade M2 and was carrying the ball past Bubba Watson. He is going to make his first start this week, using Callaway Epic driver and Irons with Titleist wedges and a Callaway Putter that evidently only Phil has used. He said he will use the Pro V1X because it fits the driver and it created too much spin on his old Nike Irons..
Tiger's saturation event in Bahamas was a good start for him, but he still had the fear of the big stick anytime it was trouble on the left. This will show up in tournaments that matter in terrible fashion for him, unless he fixes it. Of course if he putts well, he can win any week.
Personally, I liked watching him gag from the demons he now sees.
Jack recently commented on Rory, Interesting comments, a lot of people took it as a shot, but it's actually a huge compliment.
“Rory is one of those young men who has got a tremendous amount of talent,” said Nicklaus, who had won seven majors at McIlroy’s age.
“He has won and played on his talent to this point. If he wishes to dominate and go forward then he’s got to improve.
“He has to work hard, he’s got to focus on what he is trying to do and it is up to him. Certainly he has all the tools to be able to do it - it is just whether he has the desire and the willingness to give up some other things.
“And that’s his call. I mean, whatever Rory does, he has established himself as one of the great players that has ever played the game.
“Whether he wants to be the greatest player to have played the game, that’s his determination and it’s his decision whether he wants to make that effort to try to do that.”
J
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
