http://espn.go.com/golf/story/_/id/8865487/tiger-woods-reinvents-golf-swing-third-time-career-espn-magazine
The link above is an interesting story about Tiger Woods that should be right up your alley. It's a subject that has always amazed me as I've told you before. Tiger's obsession with his swing and how he has managed to overhaul it 3 times and still keep winning.
S
Monday, January 28, 2013
Sunday, January 20, 2013
Stanley Frank Musial 1920 - 2013
The sports world lost a true icon yesterday when Stan Musial passed away. One of the most revered giants of any sport, and someone who a bad word was never said. As a baseball fan growing up in the 70's and learning about the greats of the game, Musial stood out even among the other all-timers. I had a long post about Musial in November of 2011 so I won't go long into it. Part of that post is copied below. Suffice to say that an era is now truly gone. I associate baseball with the iconic players of the era. There was the "Cobb, Wagner, Johnson, Matthewson" era, the "Ruth, Gehrig, Foxx, Hornsby, Grove" era, then the "Williams, Musial, DiMiaggio, Feller" era. Musial was the last of baseball's golden age, when the players were truly hero's and the exploits were seen through boxscores and radio only. My wife was taken aback at the look on my face this morning when she told me Musial had passed. I am truly sad today.
From my earlier post:
But when you look at what Musial accomplished, it is hardly rivaled by any player, and what he lacked in flash he made up for with sheer dominance. Start off with 7 batting titles in a 14-yr period. And while hitting at that level, he rained extra base hits on the league, leading it 8 times in doubles and 5 times in triples, and maintaining a slugging average near the .600 range. Never thought of as a pure slugger, he nonetheless led the league in OPS 7 times because he added an on-base average of around .425 to that .600 slugging average. And of course I always call out the 1948 season, in which Musial led the league in: hits, runs, doubles, triples, RBI, batting average, slugging average, on-base average, OPS, and total bases. He missed the triple crown by 1 home run, which was washed away in a rainout. Typical of his career, this season rivals any ever had by a ballplayer, but because he missed the triple crown, it’s largely forgotten.
If you remember I always liked to evaluate players on how much they dominated their league or era. Bill James liked to look at “Black Ink” and “Grey Ink”, meaning how many times did a player lead the league in a major category (Black) or finish in the top 10 (Grey). Musial is 5th all-time in black ink and 3rd all-time in grey ink. He totally dominated his era. Also, James came up with a hall-of-fame tester to evaluate a player’s worthiness for the hall. In his point system, Musial is 1st all-time.
S
From my earlier post:
But when you look at what Musial accomplished, it is hardly rivaled by any player, and what he lacked in flash he made up for with sheer dominance. Start off with 7 batting titles in a 14-yr period. And while hitting at that level, he rained extra base hits on the league, leading it 8 times in doubles and 5 times in triples, and maintaining a slugging average near the .600 range. Never thought of as a pure slugger, he nonetheless led the league in OPS 7 times because he added an on-base average of around .425 to that .600 slugging average. And of course I always call out the 1948 season, in which Musial led the league in: hits, runs, doubles, triples, RBI, batting average, slugging average, on-base average, OPS, and total bases. He missed the triple crown by 1 home run, which was washed away in a rainout. Typical of his career, this season rivals any ever had by a ballplayer, but because he missed the triple crown, it’s largely forgotten.
If you remember I always liked to evaluate players on how much they dominated their league or era. Bill James liked to look at “Black Ink” and “Grey Ink”, meaning how many times did a player lead the league in a major category (Black) or finish in the top 10 (Grey). Musial is 5th all-time in black ink and 3rd all-time in grey ink. He totally dominated his era. Also, James came up with a hall-of-fame tester to evaluate a player’s worthiness for the hall. In his point system, Musial is 1st all-time.
S
Thursday, January 17, 2013
All-Star Game in Allen
Eagle Stadium will host the Texas vs. Nation college all-star game on Feb. 2 at 1:30 pm. Coach Westerberg was asked to be on the Texas staff. This is a smaller version of the Senior Bowl and other pre-draft games. Big deal here in Allen, TX! Unfortunately I will be in Houston for a cheer competition! Bummer.
http://www.texasvsthenation.com/about/
S
http://www.texasvsthenation.com/about/
S
NBA Efficiency Ratings
Getting close to the season's midpoint; time to review the player efficiency ratings. I like to look at efficiency per 48 minutes to equalize older and younger players and coach's rotation patterns. Here are the top 20 players using efficiency per 48 (must play 25 minutes per game):
Lebron - 38.6
Durant - 37.5 closer to Lebron than last year
Duncan - 37.5 ageless, just can't do 40 minutes anymore
C. Paul - 34.2 now clearly way ahead of any point guard
Anderson Varejao - 33.5 huh?
Brook Lopez - 32.2 underrated
Blake Griffin - 32.1
Al Jefferson - 31.7
Demarcus Cousins - 31.6
Kobe Bryant - 31.6 still playing hard
David Lee - 31.4
Kyle Lowery - 30.9
Carmelo - 30.7
Dwight Howard - 30.7
Russell Westbrook - 30.6
Tyson Chandler - 30.5 Cuban wouldn't pay!
J.J. Hickson - 30.3
Carlos Boozer - 29.9
Tony Parker - 29.8
Chris Bosh - 29.9
Also, James Harden checks in at #23 and Dwayne Wade at #27.
S
Lebron - 38.6
Durant - 37.5 closer to Lebron than last year
Duncan - 37.5 ageless, just can't do 40 minutes anymore
C. Paul - 34.2 now clearly way ahead of any point guard
Anderson Varejao - 33.5 huh?
Brook Lopez - 32.2 underrated
Blake Griffin - 32.1
Al Jefferson - 31.7
Demarcus Cousins - 31.6
Kobe Bryant - 31.6 still playing hard
David Lee - 31.4
Kyle Lowery - 30.9
Carmelo - 30.7
Dwight Howard - 30.7
Russell Westbrook - 30.6
Tyson Chandler - 30.5 Cuban wouldn't pay!
J.J. Hickson - 30.3
Carlos Boozer - 29.9
Tony Parker - 29.8
Chris Bosh - 29.9
Also, James Harden checks in at #23 and Dwayne Wade at #27.
S
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Joe DeCamillis
He is gone!
Now that is an improvement in Dallas.
Ridiculous penatlies, players in the wrong postitons, punters and kick-off teams giving up big plays.
It has been painful to watch him make faces and act like the players are always at fault. I remember Coach Joe ripping him on air one night for not understanding blocking schemes on punts.
Thank you Chicago!
J.
Now that is an improvement in Dallas.
Ridiculous penatlies, players in the wrong postitons, punters and kick-off teams giving up big plays.
It has been painful to watch him make faces and act like the players are always at fault. I remember Coach Joe ripping him on air one night for not understanding blocking schemes on punts.
Thank you Chicago!
J.
Monday, January 14, 2013
More QB Playoff Stats
Looked up a few more famous QB's who had Super Bowl wins and lots of playoff experience for comparison.
S
| W | L | Comp % | Yds/Att | TD | INT | Rating | |
| Montana | 16 | 7 | 62.7 | 7.9 | 45 | 21 | 95.6 |
| Aikman | 11 | 5 | 63.7 | 7.7 | 23 | 17 | 88.3 |
| Young | 8 | 6 | 62.0 | 7.1 | 20 | 13 | 85.8 |
| Favre | 13 | 11 | 60.8 | 7.4 | 44 | 30 | 86.3 |
| Elway | 14 | 8 | 54.5 | 7.6 | 27 | 21 | 79.7 |
| Staubach | 12 | 6 | 54.4 | 6.8 | 24 | 19 | 76.0 |
| Bradshaw | 14 | 5 | 57.2 | 8.4 | 30 | 26 | 83.0 |
S
Peyton Manning in the Playoffs
I took it pretty hard that Manning blew a chance at another Super Bowl this weekend. He had 3 turnovers, all of which led directly to Ravens scores. He's on the hook for this one no doubt. So, his playoff record sank to 9-11 and the radio shows screamed at his lack of playoff success and what it means to his legacy. It is certainly a serious thing for a hall of famer to have a losing playoff record, but just how has he played? Surprisingly his stats and his measuring stick Tom Brady's are nearly identical, outside of the wins and losses. Here are the QB's most normally talked about as the best in the NFL at this point with playoff stats.
I think it's safe to say that Brady has played for more well-rounded teams. But, I was surprised to see that there is little difference in their overall performance, given the difference in record. Eli has made his reputation on the fact that his playoff stats are quite a bit better than the regular season. Peyton, Brady, and Big Ben cannot make that claim.
But, regardless, in the world we live in, the lack of playoff wins and the 1 Super Bowl win will continue to drag Peyton down.
S
| W | L | Comp % | Yds/Att | TD | INT | Rating | |
| P. Manning | 9 | 11 | 63.2 | 7.5 | 32 | 21 | 88.4 |
| Brady | 17 | 6 | 62.9 | 6.8 | 41 | 20 | 89.1 |
| Rodgers | 5 | 3 | 66.1 | 7.9 | 18 | 5 | 103.6 |
| Brees | 5 | 4 | 66.8 | 7.6 | 22 | 4 | 103.9 |
| Rothliesberger | 10 | 4 | 60.6 | 7.7 | 20 | 17 | 83.7 |
| E. Manning | 8 | 3 | 61.5 | 7.1 | 17 | 8 | 89.3 |
I think it's safe to say that Brady has played for more well-rounded teams. But, I was surprised to see that there is little difference in their overall performance, given the difference in record. Eli has made his reputation on the fact that his playoff stats are quite a bit better than the regular season. Peyton, Brady, and Big Ben cannot make that claim.
But, regardless, in the world we live in, the lack of playoff wins and the 1 Super Bowl win will continue to drag Peyton down.
S
Kiffin
The Question for Cowboys fans:
Kiffin vs. Ryan
I take Kiffin every day of the week unless someone knows that dementia has kicked in.
The logical excuse that the excuse makers are already screaming is that the Cowboys do not have the personnel to play a 4-3 with a Tampa 2.
I ask the simple question. Did they have the personnel to play the 3-4? They cannot seem to keep teams from scoring at will in the 4th quarter and give up a bunch of points on a team that has a high time of possession offense.
DLINE: Ware is without question capable of playing a DE in the 4-3. Spenser, don’t know and don’t care, he only showed up in contract years. Kick him to the curb. Ratliff has a lot of the same characteristics of Glover and Freeney, so I don’t see a problem there. Hatcher seems to be a better fit to me in a 4-3. If Dallas has a run stopper they hidden somewhere they will be vastly better.
LB- LEE seems to be a better fit with the 4-3 than the 3-4. Can you imagine him roaming all over the field? Carter is explosive and shows potential, he closes fast. Take your pick on the other LB, Cover or Run.
DB- This irritates me greatly. Supposedly the Cowboys have Man-to-Man backs, really? Besides Claiborne and Carr who was even close to a receivers? I do not understand why a great player cannot play a zone-man to man mixture like Kiffin ran in Tampa. One of the things that is a concern is the Safety, but isn’t that the same thing that Dallas has missed since Woodson left. I see no change in the secondary. Maybe a healthy Church will be the real deal with Kiffin. Kiffin will be letting him explode on people instead of trying to cover for Linebackers chasing people around in man to man.
My main concern is that the Spread is here to stay and neither Ryan nor Kiffin seem to have had an answer in their recent past.
J.
Kiffin vs. Ryan
I take Kiffin every day of the week unless someone knows that dementia has kicked in.
The logical excuse that the excuse makers are already screaming is that the Cowboys do not have the personnel to play a 4-3 with a Tampa 2.
I ask the simple question. Did they have the personnel to play the 3-4? They cannot seem to keep teams from scoring at will in the 4th quarter and give up a bunch of points on a team that has a high time of possession offense.
DLINE: Ware is without question capable of playing a DE in the 4-3. Spenser, don’t know and don’t care, he only showed up in contract years. Kick him to the curb. Ratliff has a lot of the same characteristics of Glover and Freeney, so I don’t see a problem there. Hatcher seems to be a better fit to me in a 4-3. If Dallas has a run stopper they hidden somewhere they will be vastly better.
LB- LEE seems to be a better fit with the 4-3 than the 3-4. Can you imagine him roaming all over the field? Carter is explosive and shows potential, he closes fast. Take your pick on the other LB, Cover or Run.
DB- This irritates me greatly. Supposedly the Cowboys have Man-to-Man backs, really? Besides Claiborne and Carr who was even close to a receivers? I do not understand why a great player cannot play a zone-man to man mixture like Kiffin ran in Tampa. One of the things that is a concern is the Safety, but isn’t that the same thing that Dallas has missed since Woodson left. I see no change in the secondary. Maybe a healthy Church will be the real deal with Kiffin. Kiffin will be letting him explode on people instead of trying to cover for Linebackers chasing people around in man to man.
My main concern is that the Spread is here to stay and neither Ryan nor Kiffin seem to have had an answer in their recent past.
J.
Johnny Football
I had mentioned to some of you about the relationships and prosperity of his family in Tyler. The money aspect is just so unusual for a superstar athlete. I realize that some people like Andrew Luck have been raised with a silver spoon, but we haven't seen a silver spoon baby that is a borderline spoiled rich kid.
Well Johnny is creating a stir with his normal extravagant lifestyle. The comment of buying his own floor seats to the Maverick game probably created a ton of raise eyebrows. Then he is filmed at Casino's with his family that show him as a big time playboy.
I had to laugh at the comments form D Coordinator for Oklahoma. This is a summary: "If he can stay out of jail, stay eligible and off twitter he may win a few Heisman's. "
Last year in College Station he was arrested fighting, failing to identify himself and for possessing two fake licenses.
Our version of Broadway Joe and Doug Flutie should be interesting during the next few years.
j.
Well Johnny is creating a stir with his normal extravagant lifestyle. The comment of buying his own floor seats to the Maverick game probably created a ton of raise eyebrows. Then he is filmed at Casino's with his family that show him as a big time playboy.
I had to laugh at the comments form D Coordinator for Oklahoma. This is a summary: "If he can stay out of jail, stay eligible and off twitter he may win a few Heisman's. "
Last year in College Station he was arrested fighting, failing to identify himself and for possessing two fake licenses.
Our version of Broadway Joe and Doug Flutie should be interesting during the next few years.
j.
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Belichick at 60
This is a rather painful post for me to write, but as I sat down today so watch yet another Patriot playoff game, I thought I'd look up Belichick's record. Quite impressive if I do have to say so. This is year 13 for B.B. in New England. After a poor year 1, in this era of extreme parity, where teams routinely go from bad to good and good to bad so quickly, he has reeled off a 12-year stretch where he has averaged 12 wins per year. That's a 75% win percentage for 12 years running. He's been in playoffs 10 of 13 years with of course 5 Super Bowl appearances and 3 wins.
After last week's events I can't help but think about this in terms of Belichick's relationship with friend and coaching sounding board Nick Saban. We talked about Saban's philosophy and ability to efficiently teach a system. I can't help but admire how Belichick has also done things a certain way, operating in an environment that punishes success and strives for equalness, he simply follows his 'process' and keeps racking up wins with a rotating cast and the constant of Tom Brady.
Maybe the 2 of them will retire to the beach in the near future.
S
After last week's events I can't help but think about this in terms of Belichick's relationship with friend and coaching sounding board Nick Saban. We talked about Saban's philosophy and ability to efficiently teach a system. I can't help but admire how Belichick has also done things a certain way, operating in an environment that punishes success and strives for equalness, he simply follows his 'process' and keeps racking up wins with a rotating cast and the constant of Tom Brady.
Maybe the 2 of them will retire to the beach in the near future.
S
| NE | 2000 | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 4th in AFC East | – | – | – | – |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NE | 2001 | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 1st in AFC East | 3 | 0 | 1.000 | Super Bowl XXXVI Champions |
| NE | 2002 | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 2nd in AFC East | – | – | – | – |
| NE | 2003 | 14 | 2 | 0 | .875 | 1st in AFC East | 3 | 0 | 1.000 | Super Bowl XXXVIII Champions |
| NE | 2004 | 14 | 2 | 0 | .875 | 1st in AFC East | 3 | 0 | 1.000 | Super Bowl XXXIX Champions |
| NE | 2005 | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 1st in AFC East | 1 | 1 | .500 | Lost to Denver Broncos in AFC Divisional Game |
| NE | 2006 | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 1st in AFC East | 2 | 1 | .667 | Lost to Indianapolis Colts in AFC Championship Game |
| NE | 2007 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 1st in AFC East | 2 | 1 | .667 | Lost to New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII |
| NE | 2008 | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 2nd in AFC East | – | – | – | – |
| NE | 2009 | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 1st in AFC East | 0 | 1 | .000 | Lost to Baltimore Ravens in AFC Wild Card Game |
| NE | 2010 | 14 | 2 | 0 | .875 | 1st in AFC East | 0 | 1 | .000 | Lost to New York Jets in AFC Divisional Game |
| NE | 2011 | 13 | 3 | 0 | .813 | 1st in AFC East | 2 | 1 | .667 | Lost to New York Giants in Super Bowl XLVI |
| NE | 2012 | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 1st in AFC East | 0 | 0 | .000 | |
| NE Total | 151 | 57 | 0 | .726 | 16 | 6 | .727 | |||
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