Much can be said for the state of America right now. As the government spends your money to promoting actions that would put a few names in old Joe McCarthy's pocket while the most absurd candidates are fighting to lead our country, many people are looking at themselves in the mirror and asking themselves...what can I do now?
I've got the answer for you. Get behind the Tampa Bay Rays with everything you've got.
Never before has there been one team that no one has really cared about with a shot at going to the World Series. Who likes the Red Sox? Who cares about the Phillies or Dodgers (outside of the ManRam)? Would it be great to see the ManRam in Dodger blue crushing everything in site off, over and into the Green Monster? Well, yeah. But...what he, like Jonathan Moxon, is only one man.
The Rays winning a World Series would defy every odd, arguably in baseball history. Never before has a sport been so invested in it's players. You know the salaries and who gets them. But if you go to a Rays game, who's name would you see on the back of a fan's jersey? Crawford? Well, he's hurt anyway. Kazmir? No, I didn't misspell the title of the Zeppelin classic. Longoria? That's Evan not Eva.
You don't know these guys. I mean, I barely know who they are. But they are the American League Eastern Division Champions not named Yankees or Red Sox. So this team of young kids with nothing to lose are staring down the most coveted championship in American sports. A bunch of guys you've never heard of, who play hard, lay down bunts, and pitch well top to bottom...who play the game the way it was meant to be played. The way it was coached to you in little league.
If you need something to get excited about, hurry up and get excited about the Rays. It's an easy thing to do, and believe you me, you won't be the only one.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Next Year Isn't Here
You know what doesn't help? Walking seven in five innings.
The Cubs looked so bad yesterday, it's unreal. Remember that time I talked about contemplating that the Cubs being "the Cubs" is better than the Cubs that have a high payroll and win back to back division titles?
The Cubs played really well in the regular season. For about a month, the Cubs played with the fire and magic that makes you believe. Then they put it in cruise control and started beating people down. It's not the Cubs. This is not what it's like to be a Cubs fan. Focusing on success, and expecting success isn't what being a Cubs fan is about.
It's interesting because so much of the talk about one of my other main teams, the Vols, is about attendance this weekend, and how mad the fans are. Tennessee fans, and most SEC fans are said to be the most loyal in sports, but when things go south...they get off the bandwagon. Cubs fans, no matter what, love their team. More than anything with an unrivaled passion. So when teams have great years, it means something.
That stadium last night was dead. Why? Because the fans there knew they were going to have their rears in the seats 8 months ago. Think about 2003. Who expected that run? No one and that city was alive...and the entire city went on a two week bender after the NLCS. Look at the Red Sox and what they've become. What does it mean to be a Red Sox fan now? Nothing. Absolutely nothing, it means as much as being a Yankees fan. And that's what the Cubs are turning into. The, "expect to win" mentality isn't what built the most loyal fan base in the world. It's the hope that they can turn it around, the hours of heartache, and the joy in winning any game against the Cardinals or Mets.
This isn't the Cubs. And look what they did yesterday. They laid one fat egg. Walk the bases loaded...I've got news for you, that never ends well. Then, ManRam hits a "meaningless" home run. You think that was meaningless? First of all, if I was Lou Pinella, I'd see to it that Manny didn't take a swing all series. Walk that guy, every time, high school baseball style with the coach saying "Put Him On" to the ump and the hitter just goes to first without a pitch. Why? Because last night he hit a ball 420 off his ankles. You think that was meaningless? That showed everyone that you can't pitch to this guy. He's the best hitter there is, and if he has to, he can win games by himself. That wasn't a meaningless home run, that made a statement. To me at least.
Sure, it was only one game. And maybe the Cubs can turn this around, beat Manny and make a run at the title. But if this continues, the Cubs are taking 100 years of regular season woes and throwing them all into a five game series. And it doesn't mean anything. At least in 2003, it meant something. When the Cubs were on their way to winning the division in the last weekend of the season, I mean, I'm getting chills thinking about it, watching the stadium on TV, and what it really meant. The Cubs have become a business. And I don't know if I honestly like it.
The Cubs looked so bad yesterday, it's unreal. Remember that time I talked about contemplating that the Cubs being "the Cubs" is better than the Cubs that have a high payroll and win back to back division titles?
The Cubs played really well in the regular season. For about a month, the Cubs played with the fire and magic that makes you believe. Then they put it in cruise control and started beating people down. It's not the Cubs. This is not what it's like to be a Cubs fan. Focusing on success, and expecting success isn't what being a Cubs fan is about.
It's interesting because so much of the talk about one of my other main teams, the Vols, is about attendance this weekend, and how mad the fans are. Tennessee fans, and most SEC fans are said to be the most loyal in sports, but when things go south...they get off the bandwagon. Cubs fans, no matter what, love their team. More than anything with an unrivaled passion. So when teams have great years, it means something.
That stadium last night was dead. Why? Because the fans there knew they were going to have their rears in the seats 8 months ago. Think about 2003. Who expected that run? No one and that city was alive...and the entire city went on a two week bender after the NLCS. Look at the Red Sox and what they've become. What does it mean to be a Red Sox fan now? Nothing. Absolutely nothing, it means as much as being a Yankees fan. And that's what the Cubs are turning into. The, "expect to win" mentality isn't what built the most loyal fan base in the world. It's the hope that they can turn it around, the hours of heartache, and the joy in winning any game against the Cardinals or Mets.
This isn't the Cubs. And look what they did yesterday. They laid one fat egg. Walk the bases loaded...I've got news for you, that never ends well. Then, ManRam hits a "meaningless" home run. You think that was meaningless? First of all, if I was Lou Pinella, I'd see to it that Manny didn't take a swing all series. Walk that guy, every time, high school baseball style with the coach saying "Put Him On" to the ump and the hitter just goes to first without a pitch. Why? Because last night he hit a ball 420 off his ankles. You think that was meaningless? That showed everyone that you can't pitch to this guy. He's the best hitter there is, and if he has to, he can win games by himself. That wasn't a meaningless home run, that made a statement. To me at least.
Sure, it was only one game. And maybe the Cubs can turn this around, beat Manny and make a run at the title. But if this continues, the Cubs are taking 100 years of regular season woes and throwing them all into a five game series. And it doesn't mean anything. At least in 2003, it meant something. When the Cubs were on their way to winning the division in the last weekend of the season, I mean, I'm getting chills thinking about it, watching the stadium on TV, and what it really meant. The Cubs have become a business. And I don't know if I honestly like it.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
The Quarterback Position In Knoxville
I don't like to dwell, often, about posts specifically related to Tennessee Football. But somethings are just meant to be, and with the 1-3 start, there's without question some reasons to talk.
As you know, I was high on the Vols pre-season. I thought they had a tough road, but I thought they certainly had the talent to be not just competitive, but very, very competitive, not only in the SEC, but by season's end, the national picture. Then Norm Chow happened. Then Jonathan Crompton happened, and more Arian Foster than we know what to do with.
It's almost hard to find a place to start with how bad things are looking. I was high on Crompton coming into the year, I really was. Big kid, strong arm, but apparently, he's the dumbest person of all time, best said by Gary Danielson's comment, "I mean, is this kid coached to not throw touchdown passes..." after he apparently didn't see a streaking Denarius Moore all alone in the endzone last Saturday against Auburn.
This kid is so bad, it's unreal. It's almost like there's someone in the second row in a catchers outfit, crouched down signaling for the fastball, and Crompton just looks to deliver the heat up into the 2nd row each throw on the sideline. Apparently, this kid can't see the middle of the field. Apparently, this kid sees his first read as being covered, and throws the ball into the next zipcode.
I've never seen anyone like this. How do you not complete a ball in the fourth quarter? The Vols defense was as good as about anyone in the nation, especially in the second half of last Saturday's game. But the kid couldn't complete a pass to save his life, let alone the life of his team in the SEC race.
And the fumbles are out of control. Say what you want, but I know the position of quarterback. Execution was always another story, but I know the position. And the fumble on Saturday wasn't Arian Foster's fault. Sure, he didn't help Crompton out too much, but Foster didn't grab at the ball. It's Crompton's job to get him the football regardless how small of a cradle that Foster gives him to work with, and that I why I put the blame on Crompton.
If we had anyone serviceable at the quarterback position, we'd be 3-1 at least. And that doesn't include being down only 14-10 at halftime against Florida. Sure, anything could have happened, but we could have won that game with the way our defense played. Ok, special teams is another story as well.
But this is on the quarterback. He's miserable, absolutely terrible. I won't even get into what I think about the offensive coordinator. But at this point, at 1-3, the head coach has to do something to show the fans that there is something coming. Give us something to believe in. He has said that putting Eric Berry in the backfield might not give us anything that Gerald Jones can't with his package. Maybe that's the case, but if Eric Berry is lined up at quarterback, at least every fan that knows anything about the Vols would go absolutely nuts and would be more excited at that point in time than at any other time throughout the course of this season.
1-3 is terrible but honestly, I believe we are one terrible player away from having the ability to win the rest of our games, with the way our defense is playing. We don't need much if they keep this up. Not a whole lot at all. But just one time, please, just once, put in anyone. I don't care who it is, but we can't continue to be competitive with Crompton at quarterback, so we might as well try something else.
As you know, I was high on the Vols pre-season. I thought they had a tough road, but I thought they certainly had the talent to be not just competitive, but very, very competitive, not only in the SEC, but by season's end, the national picture. Then Norm Chow happened. Then Jonathan Crompton happened, and more Arian Foster than we know what to do with.
It's almost hard to find a place to start with how bad things are looking. I was high on Crompton coming into the year, I really was. Big kid, strong arm, but apparently, he's the dumbest person of all time, best said by Gary Danielson's comment, "I mean, is this kid coached to not throw touchdown passes..." after he apparently didn't see a streaking Denarius Moore all alone in the endzone last Saturday against Auburn.
This kid is so bad, it's unreal. It's almost like there's someone in the second row in a catchers outfit, crouched down signaling for the fastball, and Crompton just looks to deliver the heat up into the 2nd row each throw on the sideline. Apparently, this kid can't see the middle of the field. Apparently, this kid sees his first read as being covered, and throws the ball into the next zipcode.
I've never seen anyone like this. How do you not complete a ball in the fourth quarter? The Vols defense was as good as about anyone in the nation, especially in the second half of last Saturday's game. But the kid couldn't complete a pass to save his life, let alone the life of his team in the SEC race.
And the fumbles are out of control. Say what you want, but I know the position of quarterback. Execution was always another story, but I know the position. And the fumble on Saturday wasn't Arian Foster's fault. Sure, he didn't help Crompton out too much, but Foster didn't grab at the ball. It's Crompton's job to get him the football regardless how small of a cradle that Foster gives him to work with, and that I why I put the blame on Crompton.
If we had anyone serviceable at the quarterback position, we'd be 3-1 at least. And that doesn't include being down only 14-10 at halftime against Florida. Sure, anything could have happened, but we could have won that game with the way our defense played. Ok, special teams is another story as well.
But this is on the quarterback. He's miserable, absolutely terrible. I won't even get into what I think about the offensive coordinator. But at this point, at 1-3, the head coach has to do something to show the fans that there is something coming. Give us something to believe in. He has said that putting Eric Berry in the backfield might not give us anything that Gerald Jones can't with his package. Maybe that's the case, but if Eric Berry is lined up at quarterback, at least every fan that knows anything about the Vols would go absolutely nuts and would be more excited at that point in time than at any other time throughout the course of this season.
1-3 is terrible but honestly, I believe we are one terrible player away from having the ability to win the rest of our games, with the way our defense is playing. We don't need much if they keep this up. Not a whole lot at all. But just one time, please, just once, put in anyone. I don't care who it is, but we can't continue to be competitive with Crompton at quarterback, so we might as well try something else.
Friday, September 19, 2008
Into This Weekend, Status Update
First, I will begin with the status of No Owens Sports. It's central office is now moved to a secure location, which will most likely lead to a stronger array of posts weekly. This is good, this is very good, for all parties. That being said, let's dive into the weekend.
Before we get into college football, the playoff races in Major League Baseball are shaping up very nicely. Sure, the Cubs and Angels have more or less locked up their divisions, and the second place team in the AL East will more than likely get the Wild Card. Other than that, there's a lot up in the air, and plenty of drama to go with. The NL East is where it was last year, minus the whole meltdown and Carlos Delgado, apparently, acting like an MVP Candidate. That, and the AL East leading RAYS can't seem to get a sell out in their ball park, not even now. It's amazing how many, die hard, RAYS fans there are now.
The AL East is really a compelling race. I don't know if it's a true, "David vs. Goliath" type story, but it's pretty close. I mean, how does a team with Josh Beckett's salary not beat the RAYS easily. Or, the Yankees for that matter. I'd like to get into it, but you can imagine what this focus is today.
Tomorrow is pretty much the biggest day of my year. Fortunately, I don't have to go into the land of jersey, jean-short, weird chain-wearing land to see the game this year. I'm referring to Gainesville, not Roy Oswalt's family reunions.
Tennessee hosts Florida tomorrow at 3:30 Eastern tomorrow on CBS. The sad thing is, I have no confidence int he Vols whatsoever going into this game. Like, the Tennessee coaching staff has given me no reason to have any faith. The guys are terrible and it seems that we have an amateur as an offensive coordinator. All of this being said, UT, wins games like this that they really shouldn't or aren't supposed to.
What's interesting about the last point is that up until about five or six years ago, games that UT shouldn't win didn't exist. They should have business winning every game and every team they play should expect that anything than their best is going to cause a rout in the favor of the Vols.
So say the Vols come out, control the line of scrimmage on offense, run the ball well and win the game. What does that mean? Does it mean the Vols are back in the scene and have the ability and swagger to run the rest of the table in the East? Who knows. Regardless of the outcome of this game, the coaching staff at UT still needs a tweak, barring the Vols ripping off 10 in a row, which seems unlikely, especially right now. So even if the Vols pull the upset (pull the upset at home is a pretty terrible concept) it shouldn't all of a sudden mean that Coach Fulmer is the man in Knoxville.
Mind you, for any SEC non-believers out there, while the Vols and Gators play at 3:30, don't forget that LSU@Auburn is a prime time game, so too is Georgia@Arizona State. I still think that LSU is a force that no one is really paying attention to yet. Watch out. As for Georgia, they are running into a pretty mad ASU team after losing last week. Not that that means anything to the Dawgs or anything but we shall see.
Outside of that, here's my favorite story. So we know what happened to Ohio State last weekend. Which we all knew, but riddle me this...Terrelle Pryor is about the worst thing that could have happened to that team this year. If Pryor wasn't in the picture, there would be no quarterback controversy as proven Todd Boeckman wouldn't be forced into trying to learn some new offensive schemes. Also, he wouldn't lose his rhythm throughout the course of a game, with the high demand to get snaps for Pryor. In my opinion, Ohio State is a worse team with Pryor than they are with him right now. I don't know what he was thinking when he didn't go to Michigan, but as of right now, that would have been a move that would have benefited both parties, in my opinion, if that's possible.
I enjoy the weekend, as best as possible.
Before we get into college football, the playoff races in Major League Baseball are shaping up very nicely. Sure, the Cubs and Angels have more or less locked up their divisions, and the second place team in the AL East will more than likely get the Wild Card. Other than that, there's a lot up in the air, and plenty of drama to go with. The NL East is where it was last year, minus the whole meltdown and Carlos Delgado, apparently, acting like an MVP Candidate. That, and the AL East leading RAYS can't seem to get a sell out in their ball park, not even now. It's amazing how many, die hard, RAYS fans there are now.
The AL East is really a compelling race. I don't know if it's a true, "David vs. Goliath" type story, but it's pretty close. I mean, how does a team with Josh Beckett's salary not beat the RAYS easily. Or, the Yankees for that matter. I'd like to get into it, but you can imagine what this focus is today.
Tomorrow is pretty much the biggest day of my year. Fortunately, I don't have to go into the land of jersey, jean-short, weird chain-wearing land to see the game this year. I'm referring to Gainesville, not Roy Oswalt's family reunions.
Tennessee hosts Florida tomorrow at 3:30 Eastern tomorrow on CBS. The sad thing is, I have no confidence int he Vols whatsoever going into this game. Like, the Tennessee coaching staff has given me no reason to have any faith. The guys are terrible and it seems that we have an amateur as an offensive coordinator. All of this being said, UT, wins games like this that they really shouldn't or aren't supposed to.
What's interesting about the last point is that up until about five or six years ago, games that UT shouldn't win didn't exist. They should have business winning every game and every team they play should expect that anything than their best is going to cause a rout in the favor of the Vols.
So say the Vols come out, control the line of scrimmage on offense, run the ball well and win the game. What does that mean? Does it mean the Vols are back in the scene and have the ability and swagger to run the rest of the table in the East? Who knows. Regardless of the outcome of this game, the coaching staff at UT still needs a tweak, barring the Vols ripping off 10 in a row, which seems unlikely, especially right now. So even if the Vols pull the upset (pull the upset at home is a pretty terrible concept) it shouldn't all of a sudden mean that Coach Fulmer is the man in Knoxville.
Mind you, for any SEC non-believers out there, while the Vols and Gators play at 3:30, don't forget that LSU@Auburn is a prime time game, so too is Georgia@Arizona State. I still think that LSU is a force that no one is really paying attention to yet. Watch out. As for Georgia, they are running into a pretty mad ASU team after losing last week. Not that that means anything to the Dawgs or anything but we shall see.
Outside of that, here's my favorite story. So we know what happened to Ohio State last weekend. Which we all knew, but riddle me this...Terrelle Pryor is about the worst thing that could have happened to that team this year. If Pryor wasn't in the picture, there would be no quarterback controversy as proven Todd Boeckman wouldn't be forced into trying to learn some new offensive schemes. Also, he wouldn't lose his rhythm throughout the course of a game, with the high demand to get snaps for Pryor. In my opinion, Ohio State is a worse team with Pryor than they are with him right now. I don't know what he was thinking when he didn't go to Michigan, but as of right now, that would have been a move that would have benefited both parties, in my opinion, if that's possible.
I enjoy the weekend, as best as possible.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Vince Young Is A Certified Whack Job
Before we get into today's topic, let me remind you of something outstanding.
The other day I was watching ESPN and the best thing ever came across the bottom line: Michelle Wie to Enter LPGA Qualifying School.
It's about time her own tour figured out she's terrible.
As many of you know, I am a huge Vince Young fan. I love the guy on the field. I think he has an athletic ability and a drive synonymous with about no one I've ever seen. At the same point, he apparently has a mental condition stronger than anyone I've ever seen to go with it.
You know there are issues when the cops are called to find the franchise player of a football team because he's gone missing without his cell phone. I mean, what if this was a false alarm and he just went into Waffle House to grab a bite and his phone was just in his car charging? Is it in his contract to have his phone on him at all times? How much would my new favorite player Chad Ocho Cinqo love that concept? He'd duct tape one of those TAG phones to his helmet.
So Vince is a "Me" guy. He's not a "Team" guy. What gives? Now that I go back and think about it, it was the same thing in college. Except being a "Me" and "Team" guy was the same thing because he was that squad. So today, there are all of these character issues with Vince, and I'm not even going to speculate as to where they really, deeply come from. But what I do know, is that whatever this is, is affecting him to be a game changer on the field.
Living in Nashville, I have to listen to all of these Titans fans and Nashvillians say things like, "I knew all along we should have drafted Jay Cutler." Because Cutler looked good against the Raiders on Monday, who are about the worst team ever (no offense to some readers), he apparently is the best thing since sliced bread. Sure, Cutler may have a better career than Vince, but he wasn't the value pick at #3. In that draft, there were four guys capable of going #1 and none of them played in the SEC.
And to further address my point, Young is the perfect quarterback for the Titans. Why? Look at the Titans and how the organization has been structured since it's been in Nashville. Be a power running team, play solid defense and with on that side of the ball, and keep the budget down. So when you aren't an offensive minded team, basically by business structure, how perfect is it to draft a guy who has the ability to go the distance from the moment he takes the snap? That's an added dimension that you are getting a fairly reasonable value, all things considered, and the guy has won more games than he's lost as a starter in this league with a couple of those wins coming with the natural ability that he possesses.
Sure, he throws some bad balls. He threw two awful picks this past Sunday. But at the same rate, he also had two key balls dropped by his receivers. Does he turn the ball over too much? Yeah, but he's also got a defense that allows you to make a few mistakes. They are that good, believe me. So to me, all things considered, Young is the perfect guy for that team, as a player.
The issue now is how do you take control of your team as a quarterback. It's funny because in the past two weeks, I've heard so much about the two quarterbacks in this state and their reactions to adversity (Vince and the Vols Jonathan Crompton). Vince is a good kid, I think. He's cocky, but he can be, and he's got the swagger of a star. The question is, where is it? Where has it gone? And why is it effecting him on the level that it apparently is, off the field. Because what I see is a guy bringing his off the field problems down the tunnel and on the field on Sundays.
Maybe things are pretty bad at home and in the old neighborhood in Houston as has been speculated. But I saw an interview once with of all people Keith Richards where he said something along the lines of, "Getting out on stage every night is the only time I get some piece and quiet." Meaning to me, that life can be demanding, but he gets out there to do the thing he loves to do, and lets everything else go, and nothing matters. Maybe when he's back on the field in 2-4 weeks, he can use his love of the game of football to get him through whatever other problems he's been having.
The other day I was watching ESPN and the best thing ever came across the bottom line: Michelle Wie to Enter LPGA Qualifying School.
It's about time her own tour figured out she's terrible.
As many of you know, I am a huge Vince Young fan. I love the guy on the field. I think he has an athletic ability and a drive synonymous with about no one I've ever seen. At the same point, he apparently has a mental condition stronger than anyone I've ever seen to go with it.
You know there are issues when the cops are called to find the franchise player of a football team because he's gone missing without his cell phone. I mean, what if this was a false alarm and he just went into Waffle House to grab a bite and his phone was just in his car charging? Is it in his contract to have his phone on him at all times? How much would my new favorite player Chad Ocho Cinqo love that concept? He'd duct tape one of those TAG phones to his helmet.
So Vince is a "Me" guy. He's not a "Team" guy. What gives? Now that I go back and think about it, it was the same thing in college. Except being a "Me" and "Team" guy was the same thing because he was that squad. So today, there are all of these character issues with Vince, and I'm not even going to speculate as to where they really, deeply come from. But what I do know, is that whatever this is, is affecting him to be a game changer on the field.
Living in Nashville, I have to listen to all of these Titans fans and Nashvillians say things like, "I knew all along we should have drafted Jay Cutler." Because Cutler looked good against the Raiders on Monday, who are about the worst team ever (no offense to some readers), he apparently is the best thing since sliced bread. Sure, Cutler may have a better career than Vince, but he wasn't the value pick at #3. In that draft, there were four guys capable of going #1 and none of them played in the SEC.
And to further address my point, Young is the perfect quarterback for the Titans. Why? Look at the Titans and how the organization has been structured since it's been in Nashville. Be a power running team, play solid defense and with on that side of the ball, and keep the budget down. So when you aren't an offensive minded team, basically by business structure, how perfect is it to draft a guy who has the ability to go the distance from the moment he takes the snap? That's an added dimension that you are getting a fairly reasonable value, all things considered, and the guy has won more games than he's lost as a starter in this league with a couple of those wins coming with the natural ability that he possesses.
Sure, he throws some bad balls. He threw two awful picks this past Sunday. But at the same rate, he also had two key balls dropped by his receivers. Does he turn the ball over too much? Yeah, but he's also got a defense that allows you to make a few mistakes. They are that good, believe me. So to me, all things considered, Young is the perfect guy for that team, as a player.
The issue now is how do you take control of your team as a quarterback. It's funny because in the past two weeks, I've heard so much about the two quarterbacks in this state and their reactions to adversity (Vince and the Vols Jonathan Crompton). Vince is a good kid, I think. He's cocky, but he can be, and he's got the swagger of a star. The question is, where is it? Where has it gone? And why is it effecting him on the level that it apparently is, off the field. Because what I see is a guy bringing his off the field problems down the tunnel and on the field on Sundays.
Maybe things are pretty bad at home and in the old neighborhood in Houston as has been speculated. But I saw an interview once with of all people Keith Richards where he said something along the lines of, "Getting out on stage every night is the only time I get some piece and quiet." Meaning to me, that life can be demanding, but he gets out there to do the thing he loves to do, and lets everything else go, and nothing matters. Maybe when he's back on the field in 2-4 weeks, he can use his love of the game of football to get him through whatever other problems he's been having.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
And Now, The NFL
With the obsession that No Owens has with college football (and now Sarah Palin), it's tough to really get fired up about the world's biggest league, the NFL. What's interesting is there is actually a lot to get fired up about in the NFL.
First, lets start with the New Orleans Saints. As most teams in the NFC continue to struggle to find themselves, the under achieving Saints from last year have added yet another offensive weapon in Jeremy Shockey at tight end. Not to mention, Robert Meachem has decided he wants to show up. So, if Reggie Bush can figure out how to be an NFL back, the Saints will have the best offense in the NFL. Yes, that's right, the NFL. They will be more balanced than the Patriots should the Saints find a consistent running game. Now, you have a hurricane in Louisiana, that tends to bode well for the Saints. Can their defense stop anyone? Probably enough to keep it under 28 points per game, because I get the Saints score more than that per game.
After insulting the Patriots, we might as well get to them. It's going to be interesting to see just how smart their coaching staff is. Why? First, it's hard to have the kind of success they had offensively two years in a row in the NFL, especially running their style of offense. Ask the Rams. Keep in mind that the Pats and Colts run two very different types of offenses. The Colts are much more balanced, making them better suited for the long term, which is why their 11+ win consistency hasn't been met by the Patriots. Not to mention their defense isn't a bunch of hungry rent-a-players. They are players built to stay/last. That being said, of the two super powers in the AFC, I like the Colts to have the better year, assuming they can stay healthy. They are going to need to find an alternative to Marvin Harrison going forward. Personally, I can't believe they let Early Doucet get away from them. He would have been a perfect fit to be the next Marvin. But what do I know?
What I do know is that I think this is the year for the Jaguars in the AFC. Assuming the Patriots are going to be down a little this year, and assuming the Colts are going to have issues with their health, look for the Jaguars to take a Wild Card birth to the Super Bowl. They aren't built to win their division, but they are built to win a Super Bowl. Stingy defense and a solid running game to go with a great quarterback that will be recognized as one of the league's best at year's end. Maybe not in your fantasy league, but overall. This guy is a player. And as much as I hate to want a Gator to succeed, I think Fred Taylor is one of the best running backs of all time never to get any credit. I think a ring would do a lot for his creds, and potentially get him into the Hall.
And of course, I can't get out of this without talking about the Packers. I hate to draw comparisons to the college game, and it is ironic, but look at LSU last year. LSU went into the year with all the talent in the world coming back, but sans their quarterback. And Matt Flynn (now Packer clipboard holder) had to keep it simple and not turn the ball over. That's what he did and they won a title. I think what we've seen from Rodgers, as I've said before, is that he just needs to be an expert in this offense and facilitate. He's not flashy and he doesn't have to be. Leave that to Greg Jennings, Donald Driver, and James Jones. One thing to watch for is this...Ryan Grant will be the biggest bust of all fantasy drafts. Figure it out for yourself, but he's not the best running back on that team, and won't be the starter come week three.
Going into the season, if I was forced to pick a Super Bowl match up, it would be New Orleans and Jacksonville. Apparently, the Panthers are going to be back this year as are the Eagles. I'll buy into the Panthers, but I'll believe the Eagles when I see it. What I do see is an interesting year in the NFL. You should too.
First, lets start with the New Orleans Saints. As most teams in the NFC continue to struggle to find themselves, the under achieving Saints from last year have added yet another offensive weapon in Jeremy Shockey at tight end. Not to mention, Robert Meachem has decided he wants to show up. So, if Reggie Bush can figure out how to be an NFL back, the Saints will have the best offense in the NFL. Yes, that's right, the NFL. They will be more balanced than the Patriots should the Saints find a consistent running game. Now, you have a hurricane in Louisiana, that tends to bode well for the Saints. Can their defense stop anyone? Probably enough to keep it under 28 points per game, because I get the Saints score more than that per game.
After insulting the Patriots, we might as well get to them. It's going to be interesting to see just how smart their coaching staff is. Why? First, it's hard to have the kind of success they had offensively two years in a row in the NFL, especially running their style of offense. Ask the Rams. Keep in mind that the Pats and Colts run two very different types of offenses. The Colts are much more balanced, making them better suited for the long term, which is why their 11+ win consistency hasn't been met by the Patriots. Not to mention their defense isn't a bunch of hungry rent-a-players. They are players built to stay/last. That being said, of the two super powers in the AFC, I like the Colts to have the better year, assuming they can stay healthy. They are going to need to find an alternative to Marvin Harrison going forward. Personally, I can't believe they let Early Doucet get away from them. He would have been a perfect fit to be the next Marvin. But what do I know?
What I do know is that I think this is the year for the Jaguars in the AFC. Assuming the Patriots are going to be down a little this year, and assuming the Colts are going to have issues with their health, look for the Jaguars to take a Wild Card birth to the Super Bowl. They aren't built to win their division, but they are built to win a Super Bowl. Stingy defense and a solid running game to go with a great quarterback that will be recognized as one of the league's best at year's end. Maybe not in your fantasy league, but overall. This guy is a player. And as much as I hate to want a Gator to succeed, I think Fred Taylor is one of the best running backs of all time never to get any credit. I think a ring would do a lot for his creds, and potentially get him into the Hall.
And of course, I can't get out of this without talking about the Packers. I hate to draw comparisons to the college game, and it is ironic, but look at LSU last year. LSU went into the year with all the talent in the world coming back, but sans their quarterback. And Matt Flynn (now Packer clipboard holder) had to keep it simple and not turn the ball over. That's what he did and they won a title. I think what we've seen from Rodgers, as I've said before, is that he just needs to be an expert in this offense and facilitate. He's not flashy and he doesn't have to be. Leave that to Greg Jennings, Donald Driver, and James Jones. One thing to watch for is this...Ryan Grant will be the biggest bust of all fantasy drafts. Figure it out for yourself, but he's not the best running back on that team, and won't be the starter come week three.
Going into the season, if I was forced to pick a Super Bowl match up, it would be New Orleans and Jacksonville. Apparently, the Panthers are going to be back this year as are the Eagles. I'll buy into the Panthers, but I'll believe the Eagles when I see it. What I do see is an interesting year in the NFL. You should too.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Life, Back to Normal
Or at least close to it.
Tonight, we finally get college football back. Sure, there isn't really anything exciting to watch match up-wise. I mean, South Carolina and NC State being your #1 option?
Great! It's COLLEGE FOOTBALL!
As previously stated and now quite late, the preseason predictions.
ACC: The ACC is pretty much a terrible conference right now. If this was 1999, things would be different. But it's almost ten years later. What is Florida State going to do? I actually really like Miami this year. I really like Miami. I think Miami is going to play Florida a lot tighter in week two than anyone thinks. But they are at least one year away. Clemson is again, a top ten team going into the year. Their quarterback, apparently, is a big time player, along with their two-headed monster in the backfield, on paper, say that Clemson is the favorite. Well, I don't buy it. I'll take Virginia Tech.
Big 10: Who's going to beat Ohio State? Outside of USC? If Ohio State loses a conference game this year, they should fire Jim Tressel. Period. They have no business whatsoever losing a game in that conference. The Big 10 is abysmal. Ohio State should walk over that conference.
Big 12: As far as I'm concerned, the Big 12 is the most intriguing conference in the nation this year. There are a number of teams at the top of that conference that can get it done, and Texas isn't one of them. Oklahoma and Missouri are great teams with great offenses. So is Texas Tech, who has probably the greatest offense in America. I think Texas Tech, this year, is a serious threat Oklahoma and the national picture. On paper, Oklahoma is the most balanced team in the conference and they should win the conference. I like Oklahoma, but Missouri sure is tempting. I've gone back and forth on this for weeks, but I see Missouri in the North and Oklahoma in the South with OU winning the rematch.
Big East: Again, West Virginia has no business losing any game, outside of their mid-season clash with Auburn, this year if Pat White stays healthy. If Pat White stays healthy, he should win the Heisman as he's the most dynamic and valuable player in the country. If he doesn't, well, then there's an issue. I think one way or the other, White will stay healthy enough to get WVU into another BCS game, but they his health could get them into a title game. If they're lucky.
Pac-10: Why shouldn't USC win this conference? I don't know, but for some reason, I just don't really like the Trojans this year. I could be wrong, very wrong. But to me they don't seem as strong as they have in previous years. Part of the problem with how great "those" USC teams were is that it's so hard to replace such great players, and Mark Sanchez, though a highly touted recruit, is not Matt Leinart. Personally, I think Joe McKnight is the most overly hyped recruit I've possibly ever seen. Sure, a lot of that has to do with him being "The Next Reggie Bush" but you can't expect that, and he's not in Bush's class. Oh, and who's going to catch the ball? Patrick Turner hasn't blossomed in LA. Their big TE is gone. USC is going to have a great defense, as usual, but they aren't going to be able to get by on defense alone when their offense, probably isn't the best in the Pac-10. Watch for a very competitive Pac-10 this year. I'm going to go on a limb, but I like Oregon to win the conference. And watch out for Arizona to win a at least one big game. They are going to score points.
SEC: Ah yes, the SEC. This year, I think the SEC is too competitive for it's own good. That being said, I think there are some teams coming back to the pack. Look, Georgia isn't the best team in the country. I don't know who is. But they have a lot of trouble catching the football and that's not going to be helped with their starting left tackle out. Their defense isn't what it was last year. And they were hot last year. How long can a hot streak last? Sure, everyone has their flaws, just like Florida's entire defense has. Florida is going to score their points, and they will make their big plays on defense. Is Tennessee a better team than both the Dawgs and Gators? I don't know, but I think they are all on a much more even playing field than the experts think. In the West, it's obviously LSU and Auburn, and I'm not quite sold on Auburn. Though I see Auburn beating Tennessee at Auburn, I still think I like LSU. They are just as strong everywhere on the field as they were last year, and mind you, Glenn Dorsey was banged up all year, so what's the difference? My prediction is this: Tennessee beats Florida in Knoxville, for Florida's only conference loss, Tennessee loses at Auburn and at Georgia, and Georgia loses to LSU, Florida, and someone else down the road. LSU bounces back and beats Florida (who will lose to Florida State) in the SEC Championship game with Tennessee and LSU representing the SEC in the BCS. How's that sound?
All things considered, I think Oklahoma will beat Ohio State for the National Title. I don't see Pat White staying healthy enough to get WVU there. He hasn't done it in the past, I don't see it starting now. Unfortunately, I don't see Pat White winning the Heisman either. Though he should, it looks like he won't. Tebow will be there with Florida playing the the post season, but his numbers won't be the same. ESPN will find a way to get him there though. Keep in mind, last year Tebow won the award by default...If I had to take someone today, I'd take Beanie Wells. Should he win it? I don't know, probably not. But there isn't going to be anyone in the north to challenge his votes.
It's back, it's back tonight, and most notably on Monday night. But get ready for a wild year in college football. We aren't lucky enough to have a '99 Florida State team that everyone knows is going to run the table, no questions asked. So get ready for the debates at the bars with your buddies, because this year is going to get flat out nasty.
Tonight, we finally get college football back. Sure, there isn't really anything exciting to watch match up-wise. I mean, South Carolina and NC State being your #1 option?
Great! It's COLLEGE FOOTBALL!
As previously stated and now quite late, the preseason predictions.
ACC: The ACC is pretty much a terrible conference right now. If this was 1999, things would be different. But it's almost ten years later. What is Florida State going to do? I actually really like Miami this year. I really like Miami. I think Miami is going to play Florida a lot tighter in week two than anyone thinks. But they are at least one year away. Clemson is again, a top ten team going into the year. Their quarterback, apparently, is a big time player, along with their two-headed monster in the backfield, on paper, say that Clemson is the favorite. Well, I don't buy it. I'll take Virginia Tech.
Big 10: Who's going to beat Ohio State? Outside of USC? If Ohio State loses a conference game this year, they should fire Jim Tressel. Period. They have no business whatsoever losing a game in that conference. The Big 10 is abysmal. Ohio State should walk over that conference.
Big 12: As far as I'm concerned, the Big 12 is the most intriguing conference in the nation this year. There are a number of teams at the top of that conference that can get it done, and Texas isn't one of them. Oklahoma and Missouri are great teams with great offenses. So is Texas Tech, who has probably the greatest offense in America. I think Texas Tech, this year, is a serious threat Oklahoma and the national picture. On paper, Oklahoma is the most balanced team in the conference and they should win the conference. I like Oklahoma, but Missouri sure is tempting. I've gone back and forth on this for weeks, but I see Missouri in the North and Oklahoma in the South with OU winning the rematch.
Big East: Again, West Virginia has no business losing any game, outside of their mid-season clash with Auburn, this year if Pat White stays healthy. If Pat White stays healthy, he should win the Heisman as he's the most dynamic and valuable player in the country. If he doesn't, well, then there's an issue. I think one way or the other, White will stay healthy enough to get WVU into another BCS game, but they his health could get them into a title game. If they're lucky.
Pac-10: Why shouldn't USC win this conference? I don't know, but for some reason, I just don't really like the Trojans this year. I could be wrong, very wrong. But to me they don't seem as strong as they have in previous years. Part of the problem with how great "those" USC teams were is that it's so hard to replace such great players, and Mark Sanchez, though a highly touted recruit, is not Matt Leinart. Personally, I think Joe McKnight is the most overly hyped recruit I've possibly ever seen. Sure, a lot of that has to do with him being "The Next Reggie Bush" but you can't expect that, and he's not in Bush's class. Oh, and who's going to catch the ball? Patrick Turner hasn't blossomed in LA. Their big TE is gone. USC is going to have a great defense, as usual, but they aren't going to be able to get by on defense alone when their offense, probably isn't the best in the Pac-10. Watch for a very competitive Pac-10 this year. I'm going to go on a limb, but I like Oregon to win the conference. And watch out for Arizona to win a at least one big game. They are going to score points.
SEC: Ah yes, the SEC. This year, I think the SEC is too competitive for it's own good. That being said, I think there are some teams coming back to the pack. Look, Georgia isn't the best team in the country. I don't know who is. But they have a lot of trouble catching the football and that's not going to be helped with their starting left tackle out. Their defense isn't what it was last year. And they were hot last year. How long can a hot streak last? Sure, everyone has their flaws, just like Florida's entire defense has. Florida is going to score their points, and they will make their big plays on defense. Is Tennessee a better team than both the Dawgs and Gators? I don't know, but I think they are all on a much more even playing field than the experts think. In the West, it's obviously LSU and Auburn, and I'm not quite sold on Auburn. Though I see Auburn beating Tennessee at Auburn, I still think I like LSU. They are just as strong everywhere on the field as they were last year, and mind you, Glenn Dorsey was banged up all year, so what's the difference? My prediction is this: Tennessee beats Florida in Knoxville, for Florida's only conference loss, Tennessee loses at Auburn and at Georgia, and Georgia loses to LSU, Florida, and someone else down the road. LSU bounces back and beats Florida (who will lose to Florida State) in the SEC Championship game with Tennessee and LSU representing the SEC in the BCS. How's that sound?
All things considered, I think Oklahoma will beat Ohio State for the National Title. I don't see Pat White staying healthy enough to get WVU there. He hasn't done it in the past, I don't see it starting now. Unfortunately, I don't see Pat White winning the Heisman either. Though he should, it looks like he won't. Tebow will be there with Florida playing the the post season, but his numbers won't be the same. ESPN will find a way to get him there though. Keep in mind, last year Tebow won the award by default...If I had to take someone today, I'd take Beanie Wells. Should he win it? I don't know, probably not. But there isn't going to be anyone in the north to challenge his votes.
It's back, it's back tonight, and most notably on Monday night. But get ready for a wild year in college football. We aren't lucky enough to have a '99 Florida State team that everyone knows is going to run the table, no questions asked. So get ready for the debates at the bars with your buddies, because this year is going to get flat out nasty.
Friday, August 22, 2008
How Soon We Forget
Remember how fired up everyone was about the Olympics last week? And even more so the week before that?
Well, how things have changed.
Honestly, I really could care less these days. Why? Well, because I know all the results. And then NBC tries to pawn off the events from "Last Night" in China as if we didn't all know what happened.
I mean, even America can't force the sun to rise at different times that are more convenient for us, but this is really just killing the Olympics for the countries where households have TV's in North America. Swimming traditionally has been a morning sport, so we lucked out on that. Courtesy of Beach Volleyball also being a morning sport, I have found a reason to get into that. But we all know when that Bolt guy wins thanks to every website. So...am I going to wait around to listen to more Michael Phelps lifetime achievements that aren't being hosted by Dick Enberg or some other story about NBC celebrating Communism by Mary Carillo?
Seriously though. These Mary Carillo things are out of control. I'm sick of this celebration that NBC promotes of Chinese culture. They're Communists. They're the economic enemy of the United States, among other things. Basically, they stand for nothing that America does. Sure, they have a rich heritage that goes back long before George Washington was around but I'd sure like to see NBC, America's station covering the Olympics, the station that brought us Seinfeld, take a little anti-Communist stance.
However, I was at lunch yesterday with a co-worker. And I said, "Ron, check that out." He says, "Oh man, what sport is that?"
"TEAM HANDBALL."
Needless to say, I've hooked another one on the HANDBALL bandwagon. This is a sport that Americans could dominate given the chance. Give me some Arena Football players, a couple of minor league baseball players, and Doc Gooden, and I'll take on anyone.
Well, how things have changed.
Honestly, I really could care less these days. Why? Well, because I know all the results. And then NBC tries to pawn off the events from "Last Night" in China as if we didn't all know what happened.
I mean, even America can't force the sun to rise at different times that are more convenient for us, but this is really just killing the Olympics for the countries where households have TV's in North America. Swimming traditionally has been a morning sport, so we lucked out on that. Courtesy of Beach Volleyball also being a morning sport, I have found a reason to get into that. But we all know when that Bolt guy wins thanks to every website. So...am I going to wait around to listen to more Michael Phelps lifetime achievements that aren't being hosted by Dick Enberg or some other story about NBC celebrating Communism by Mary Carillo?
Seriously though. These Mary Carillo things are out of control. I'm sick of this celebration that NBC promotes of Chinese culture. They're Communists. They're the economic enemy of the United States, among other things. Basically, they stand for nothing that America does. Sure, they have a rich heritage that goes back long before George Washington was around but I'd sure like to see NBC, America's station covering the Olympics, the station that brought us Seinfeld, take a little anti-Communist stance.
However, I was at lunch yesterday with a co-worker. And I said, "Ron, check that out." He says, "Oh man, what sport is that?"
"TEAM HANDBALL."
Needless to say, I've hooked another one on the HANDBALL bandwagon. This is a sport that Americans could dominate given the chance. Give me some Arena Football players, a couple of minor league baseball players, and Doc Gooden, and I'll take on anyone.
Friday, August 15, 2008
Because Michael Phelps Made You Forget...
College Football is less than two weeks away. I don't think you understand just how amazing it is that we are going straight from the Olympics into college football. The single most unifying sporting event in America to the single most house-dividing, fight-driven, relationship ending sport there is. How ironic is this?
Going into the year, obviously, the big story is the SEC with their boatload of teams in the top 20. But, as we've analyzed about Florida having history not on their side with their offense along with injuries, as well as Georgia's schedule and now injuries, what are you to make of it?
What that's going to turn into is Big Ten fans talking about how weak the SEC is when there are a bunch of beat up three loss teams. Not to mention you are looking at a strong likelihood of a SEC Championship game re-match from last year if both teams can stay healthy. Again, I don't see an SEC team playing against Ohio State this year. I just think it's too tough.
I'm rambling and I know that I am. After posting pictures yesterday, I have just been dying to come up with a reason to talk to you about why I like Oklahoma, and that's because their quarterback has more French Open Titles than all the other teams in the nation, combined:
Yes, that's right, Justine Henin is looking to lead Oklahoma to an elusive BCS win and possibly a shot at the title. Their defense is stacked and Henin returns as the most efficient passer in the nation.
I like Missouri in the North and I like West Virginia, but if all plays out, I really think you are going to see Oklahoma play Ohio State. Now, are those the two best teams? Of course not. But that doesn't mean that's how it's going to go down. Later next week, look for a more in-depth look at the season and the conference predictions from No Owens. But for now, feel free to understand that Sam Bradford and Justin Henin are the same person.
Going into the year, obviously, the big story is the SEC with their boatload of teams in the top 20. But, as we've analyzed about Florida having history not on their side with their offense along with injuries, as well as Georgia's schedule and now injuries, what are you to make of it?
What that's going to turn into is Big Ten fans talking about how weak the SEC is when there are a bunch of beat up three loss teams. Not to mention you are looking at a strong likelihood of a SEC Championship game re-match from last year if both teams can stay healthy. Again, I don't see an SEC team playing against Ohio State this year. I just think it's too tough.
I'm rambling and I know that I am. After posting pictures yesterday, I have just been dying to come up with a reason to talk to you about why I like Oklahoma, and that's because their quarterback has more French Open Titles than all the other teams in the nation, combined:
Yes, that's right, Justine Henin is looking to lead Oklahoma to an elusive BCS win and possibly a shot at the title. Their defense is stacked and Henin returns as the most efficient passer in the nation.
I like Missouri in the North and I like West Virginia, but if all plays out, I really think you are going to see Oklahoma play Ohio State. Now, are those the two best teams? Of course not. But that doesn't mean that's how it's going to go down. Later next week, look for a more in-depth look at the season and the conference predictions from No Owens. But for now, feel free to understand that Sam Bradford and Justin Henin are the same person.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Sorry Brian, But You Brought This Upon Yourself
Before I get into Alicia Sacramone being the biggest choker in women's gymnastics history (whatever that means) let's quickly analyze that all things considered, she is Brian Urlacher's sister. Or him. Either way, they look exactly the same, and their neck is the same size.
I can rag on Sacramone for the following reasons: first because she's twenty, in college and just like I can rag on any college athlete for choking, I can do the same to her whereas getting all over a sixteen year old isn't very nice, or in the case of the Chinese, a twelve year old. Secondly, because I was actually watching gymnastics.
Look, I am no expert in gymnastics. But I do know that this Sacramone fell, twice, and basically cost her American teammates the gold after the Beijing Middle School team left the door wide open for them. So the question, I suppose, becomes, did the Americans deserve to be in the gold medal fight anyway? I mean, I don't know.
But from what I can tell, gymnastics is rigged. This new scoring system basically gives everyone a head start, which is absurd. The Olympics is about giving your best performance, leaving it all out there, and seeing if you are the best. The new scoring system doesn't do that. It allows someone to be rewarded for choosing something harder to do, before they take to the mat. The difficulty should be rolled into the final score, not given a pre-determined amount. And then you get the crazy Chinese who do these ultra sophisticated moves, don't execute them and still get huge scores just because they were hard. Not to mention, when they don't execute, they still get monster scores. Look, it's rigged.
The Olympics have been pretty strong though. I mean, I actually got to watch TEAM HANDBALL the other day. I didn't know what to do with myself and when it was on the next morning, I really didn't know what was happening. I thought I was dreaming. Team Handball is probably the best sport ever and I'm glad it's getting air time. Even the other day at lunch I overheard someone telling a fellow patron about it's amazingness. Watch it, YouTube it, do something, but check this game out. It rocks.
And then there is this swimmer from America. He's absolutely amazing. But we knew that. He really hasn't had any business losing any of his races that he's been in, except that 4x100 free relay, which was without question, the best sporting event I've watched in years. I would love to know just how many Americans, sitting on their couch watching that and when the Americans out-touched the Frogs, jumped out, fist pumped and yelled, "YES!" I wonder who Johnny Depp was rooting for?
The American team is doing just fine, heading into the track and field events, where the Chinese aren't going to be as strong. The badmintons and ping pongs won't be as much of a factor in the overall medal count then. As long as we can keep Urlacher on the sidelines, we should be alright.
Friday, August 8, 2008
Five Colored Rings
I'm not sure who schedules this stuff, but the PGA Championship, which is Tigerless meaning most people other than me don't care, and the start of the Olympics, are both this weekend. What TV executives looked at the calendar along with the PGA and thought, "This is a great weekend?"
So this year is the last year of softball and baseball is gone. Yet we still care about precision air rifle shooting, apparently. It's a small miracle that basketball still exists. What I'm getting at is the summer games are pretty inferior to those in the winter. Sure we have the swimming story lines of Michael Phelps and Dara Torres, but you can pretty much look at past times in swimming and know who's going to win. It's pretty tough to just shave a half-second off your time with the medal ceremony on the line. Track I find to be another story. Because you're going so much faster on flat ground with wind conditions that actually do assist, and I think you can kick it into another gear if necessary. But in most cases, in most of the "speed" events you know who's going to win going in.
What's sad is the American spirit at these Olympics. America, at the present, is a pretty separated country. There are a lot of unhappy folks with what's going on here. How cool would it be if some team or someone came out of no where and as cheesy as it sounds, "capture the hearts of most Americans?" People talk about how awful things are right now (even though people still flock to the malls and buy stuff they can't afford so in other words Americans just make bad personal choices but find reasons to blame someone else other than themselves) but like in 1980, how great if there was a team, an event that everyone could relate to? What if even, even coming from me, the men's soccer team came out of no where to win the gold? I mean, I'm a soccer hater but an American first, and that would be pretty amazing.
Americans are passionate about their sports. So much that they physically fight with fans of other teams and hold people's teams of preference against their moral character. I do. If you're a Florida fan, I probably don't like you. But for two weeks, if we could channel all of our energy into a team that we all relate to, the United States Olympic Team, I think it would do us all a lot of good.
So this year is the last year of softball and baseball is gone. Yet we still care about precision air rifle shooting, apparently. It's a small miracle that basketball still exists. What I'm getting at is the summer games are pretty inferior to those in the winter. Sure we have the swimming story lines of Michael Phelps and Dara Torres, but you can pretty much look at past times in swimming and know who's going to win. It's pretty tough to just shave a half-second off your time with the medal ceremony on the line. Track I find to be another story. Because you're going so much faster on flat ground with wind conditions that actually do assist, and I think you can kick it into another gear if necessary. But in most cases, in most of the "speed" events you know who's going to win going in.
What's sad is the American spirit at these Olympics. America, at the present, is a pretty separated country. There are a lot of unhappy folks with what's going on here. How cool would it be if some team or someone came out of no where and as cheesy as it sounds, "capture the hearts of most Americans?" People talk about how awful things are right now (even though people still flock to the malls and buy stuff they can't afford so in other words Americans just make bad personal choices but find reasons to blame someone else other than themselves) but like in 1980, how great if there was a team, an event that everyone could relate to? What if even, even coming from me, the men's soccer team came out of no where to win the gold? I mean, I'm a soccer hater but an American first, and that would be pretty amazing.
Americans are passionate about their sports. So much that they physically fight with fans of other teams and hold people's teams of preference against their moral character. I do. If you're a Florida fan, I probably don't like you. But for two weeks, if we could channel all of our energy into a team that we all relate to, the United States Olympic Team, I think it would do us all a lot of good.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Catching Up With News
As I had no reasons to watch the Yankees last night, I threw Casino Royale in the DVD player. When it was done, Sportscenter came on when the breaking news was that Brett Favre had been traded to the New York Jets. What's interesting is, I didn't really feel anything. I wasn't upset that Favre was no longer a Packer. I wasn't happy about it either. I guess it was just something that was expected now, and best for both sides that the Packer/Favre saga was over.
Now, the first time I see him in a different green, things might be different.
No Owens previously put out their stance, backing the team and their decisions. But the differences that the Packers and Favre apparently had, even after the Packers went to make sure Favre was ok with retiring shortly after he announced as they wanted him back, were apparently too much for Favre who was allegedly going to get a chance to fight for a starting job. Would he have won it? Probably. But at the end it was Favre that wanted out. And the Packers were able to keep him out of the division.
So today, the Aaron Rodgers era officially begins. And I don't think the Packers are going to drop off too far. They have too good of a defense and too good of players on the offensive side of the ball. The Jets on the other hand, well, good luck, Brett.
Moving on.
The Florida Gators are hurting a little bit. Three of their key offensive players haven't been going full speed, if at all early in camp: receiver Percy Harvin, track star Chris Rainey, and tight end Cornelius Ingram. So many are high on the Gators going into the year but pre-season injuries aren't what the Gators need. They open with Hawaii at home and then host the Miami Hurricanes. You can bet that will be one physical game and then the Gators head to Knoxville for a 3:30 CBS showdown with the Vols. As many are high on the Gators, unlike No Owens as much, note they still aren't sold on a running back. We haven't really seen this super fast Chris Rainey, but we'll see how a track star really fares against football players. And also, they have a lot of faith riding on USC transfer Emmanuel Moody.
Is USC really that much more competitive than Florida? I mean, if he couldn't play at USC, do you think he's going to make it in the SEC? Don't get your hopes up in the backfield, Gator fan.
And in Baseball. ManRam is hitting somewhere around .600 since he's been a Dodger. Watch out. The Cubs will most likely draw the Dodgers in the first round. Interesting match up that we'll get into another time.
Now, the first time I see him in a different green, things might be different.
No Owens previously put out their stance, backing the team and their decisions. But the differences that the Packers and Favre apparently had, even after the Packers went to make sure Favre was ok with retiring shortly after he announced as they wanted him back, were apparently too much for Favre who was allegedly going to get a chance to fight for a starting job. Would he have won it? Probably. But at the end it was Favre that wanted out. And the Packers were able to keep him out of the division.
So today, the Aaron Rodgers era officially begins. And I don't think the Packers are going to drop off too far. They have too good of a defense and too good of players on the offensive side of the ball. The Jets on the other hand, well, good luck, Brett.
Moving on.
The Florida Gators are hurting a little bit. Three of their key offensive players haven't been going full speed, if at all early in camp: receiver Percy Harvin, track star Chris Rainey, and tight end Cornelius Ingram. So many are high on the Gators going into the year but pre-season injuries aren't what the Gators need. They open with Hawaii at home and then host the Miami Hurricanes. You can bet that will be one physical game and then the Gators head to Knoxville for a 3:30 CBS showdown with the Vols. As many are high on the Gators, unlike No Owens as much, note they still aren't sold on a running back. We haven't really seen this super fast Chris Rainey, but we'll see how a track star really fares against football players. And also, they have a lot of faith riding on USC transfer Emmanuel Moody.
Is USC really that much more competitive than Florida? I mean, if he couldn't play at USC, do you think he's going to make it in the SEC? Don't get your hopes up in the backfield, Gator fan.
And in Baseball. ManRam is hitting somewhere around .600 since he's been a Dodger. Watch out. The Cubs will most likely draw the Dodgers in the first round. Interesting match up that we'll get into another time.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
The Ongoing Saga That is...The ManRam
The Boston Red Sox are supposedly trying to work a deal that will send the best right-handed hitter of this generation, Manny Ramirez, somewhere that isn't playing in front of the green monster.
Reports and quotes from Manny himself have indicated that he isn't happy, they aren't happy with him, and he just flat out doesn't want to be there. Is this really anything new?
Did Manny every really run hard on ground balls in the infield? Just the other day, I saw him hit a ball down the line, put his head down and bust it down the line and got to second.
Manny's 36. He picks his spots. He hits, he hits a lot. Sure, he doesn't put the numbers up that he used to. That's what happens when you're 36 and aren't on the juice. But, he can still consistently drive runs in. The other night, I saw him drive a ball on the outside corner into the right-center field gap. Few hitters, with runners on second and third, stay on that pitch with less than two strikes and just drive it for a base-hit. Manny just gets hitting. He gets the science that is driving in runs.
So why do you trade him? How can he possibly be so unhappy? I mean, sure, he should have been suspended for getting after the traveling secretary. At the same point, I'm sure the Red Sox handled everything behind closed doors, which given the chance, was the right thing to do. But I want to know exactly what it is that Manny feels so poorly treated by. I really want to know what that is. Because if they've been treating him and other, allegedly great players, any differently now than when he was putting rings on their executives fingers, Theo and the boys are nuts.
But I don't think they are. I think Manny is needing attention, as always. Let's face it, he's a baby and he's probably mad that Favre is now the biggest baby in professional sports.
What's interesting is the cash involved. The Red Sox have something along the lines of a $20 million option for Manny they can pick up. Which they aren't going to give to a 36 year old who isn't going .330/40/140 every year. Instead he goes .300/30/120, but whatever and is the most clutch player in the game. Regardless, I don't know if even I, a huge ManRam fan would find $20 million in that. I suppose, the only way you can justify that cash is with a ring. And if ManRam goes to the Marlins, watch out.
You don't want anything to do with a team that has Hanley and Manny Ramirez on it. Nothing to do with it whatsoever. You think the Cubs want to face the Marlins, again, in the NLCS? I don't think so. I don't want that.
I just can't get the Red Sox. Just deal with him for another two months and get done with it. Don't pick up his option move on, sign Teixera, and be done. It's not hard. But if you want to win, win, and you do it with Manny Ramirez in the middle of your lineup.
Reports and quotes from Manny himself have indicated that he isn't happy, they aren't happy with him, and he just flat out doesn't want to be there. Is this really anything new?
Did Manny every really run hard on ground balls in the infield? Just the other day, I saw him hit a ball down the line, put his head down and bust it down the line and got to second.
Manny's 36. He picks his spots. He hits, he hits a lot. Sure, he doesn't put the numbers up that he used to. That's what happens when you're 36 and aren't on the juice. But, he can still consistently drive runs in. The other night, I saw him drive a ball on the outside corner into the right-center field gap. Few hitters, with runners on second and third, stay on that pitch with less than two strikes and just drive it for a base-hit. Manny just gets hitting. He gets the science that is driving in runs.
So why do you trade him? How can he possibly be so unhappy? I mean, sure, he should have been suspended for getting after the traveling secretary. At the same point, I'm sure the Red Sox handled everything behind closed doors, which given the chance, was the right thing to do. But I want to know exactly what it is that Manny feels so poorly treated by. I really want to know what that is. Because if they've been treating him and other, allegedly great players, any differently now than when he was putting rings on their executives fingers, Theo and the boys are nuts.
But I don't think they are. I think Manny is needing attention, as always. Let's face it, he's a baby and he's probably mad that Favre is now the biggest baby in professional sports.
What's interesting is the cash involved. The Red Sox have something along the lines of a $20 million option for Manny they can pick up. Which they aren't going to give to a 36 year old who isn't going .330/40/140 every year. Instead he goes .300/30/120, but whatever and is the most clutch player in the game. Regardless, I don't know if even I, a huge ManRam fan would find $20 million in that. I suppose, the only way you can justify that cash is with a ring. And if ManRam goes to the Marlins, watch out.
You don't want anything to do with a team that has Hanley and Manny Ramirez on it. Nothing to do with it whatsoever. You think the Cubs want to face the Marlins, again, in the NLCS? I don't think so. I don't want that.
I just can't get the Red Sox. Just deal with him for another two months and get done with it. Don't pick up his option move on, sign Teixera, and be done. It's not hard. But if you want to win, win, and you do it with Manny Ramirez in the middle of your lineup.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
I'm Actually Going to Say It
College football can't get here fast enough. I have found myself just talking to myself in the car about college football. This is ridiculous. It needs to show up in a hurry.
But this is going to be a very interesting year in college football. The schedules align in an odd manner and there are some certain rock stars in the league who are captivating audiences.
The most prolific is obviously Florida quarterback Tim Tebow. This happens when you're a junior returning with a Heisman. Of course, No Owens isn't a big endorser of Tebow. But let's get this out there: Tebow is the perfect fit for his system and flourishes in it. He's a solid, solid football player. Deserving of the Heisman last year? You know I don't think he was the best player on his team. That team goes as Tebow goes. So what does that mean?
I posed this question to a buddy of mine at the bar last night: Since 1991, how many teams have won national titles with their quarterback being "the man?" Now, by "the man" I'm referring to...the guy that has to win games for his team. In that time frame, I counted three: Charlie Ward, Vince Young, and Tommie Frazier. That's not a very high percentage...
The point is this. Teams that have success have role playing quarterbacks, not quarterbacks that are supposed to put their team on their back. Look at the great Miami and USC teams from earlier this millennium. Ken Dorsey and Matt Leinart were great players because they knew their role; get the ball to Andre Johnson, Roscoe Parrish, Willis McGahee, D'Wayne Jarrett, Steve Smith and Reggie Bush...not do it themselves. By the way, Danny Wuerffel, that wasn't his team that was, let me throw the ball up to Reidel Anthony, Ike Hilliard and Jacquez Green's team.
So where do you put the burden of your team? Look at last year. Who was Matt Flynn. A fifth year guy who knew the system, didn't make many mistakes and didn't try to do too much. Wins a national title. Look at Chris Leak. Once he harnessed his system, he facilitated for his playmakers. In the national picture this year, I don't like Florida as much as others. I don't like teams who's play is so dependant on their quarterback. Sure Tebow was even hurt last year, but what was his record against ranked teams? Remember they had four losses last year. When was the last time a four loss team had a Heisman winner? You'd probably have to look in the pre-ESPN decides who win the award, era.
Again, when measuring quarterbacks, success is the most important. Wins, big wins and championships. Tebow is a phenomenal talent and a great player. But while his teammates are in Gainesville busting it all summer, Tebow is on mission trips. Now, I'm not going to there's anything wrong with bringing assistance to the needy, but what I will say is that Tebow, who's measured as such a leader by the press because he does jumping jacks after two hard gains, isn't a guy who relates to his players. He's a rock star...who has absolutely nothing in common with anyone on his team. Maybe I'm wrong about his "leadership" abilities, but I know that the other SEC quarterbacks spent their entire summer busting it with their teammates on the field, in the weight room, and at the bars. The latter two are the ones that really count.
Tebow is a great talent. He puts up great stats. But that doesn't necessarily mean wins. And Tebow has so much talent on the field, but his style doesn't traditionally lead to titles. Now, Florida has a great team and a lot of talent, but I see them finishing as the #3 team in the SEC East.
But this is going to be a very interesting year in college football. The schedules align in an odd manner and there are some certain rock stars in the league who are captivating audiences.
The most prolific is obviously Florida quarterback Tim Tebow. This happens when you're a junior returning with a Heisman. Of course, No Owens isn't a big endorser of Tebow. But let's get this out there: Tebow is the perfect fit for his system and flourishes in it. He's a solid, solid football player. Deserving of the Heisman last year? You know I don't think he was the best player on his team. That team goes as Tebow goes. So what does that mean?
I posed this question to a buddy of mine at the bar last night: Since 1991, how many teams have won national titles with their quarterback being "the man?" Now, by "the man" I'm referring to...the guy that has to win games for his team. In that time frame, I counted three: Charlie Ward, Vince Young, and Tommie Frazier. That's not a very high percentage...
The point is this. Teams that have success have role playing quarterbacks, not quarterbacks that are supposed to put their team on their back. Look at the great Miami and USC teams from earlier this millennium. Ken Dorsey and Matt Leinart were great players because they knew their role; get the ball to Andre Johnson, Roscoe Parrish, Willis McGahee, D'Wayne Jarrett, Steve Smith and Reggie Bush...not do it themselves. By the way, Danny Wuerffel, that wasn't his team that was, let me throw the ball up to Reidel Anthony, Ike Hilliard and Jacquez Green's team.
So where do you put the burden of your team? Look at last year. Who was Matt Flynn. A fifth year guy who knew the system, didn't make many mistakes and didn't try to do too much. Wins a national title. Look at Chris Leak. Once he harnessed his system, he facilitated for his playmakers. In the national picture this year, I don't like Florida as much as others. I don't like teams who's play is so dependant on their quarterback. Sure Tebow was even hurt last year, but what was his record against ranked teams? Remember they had four losses last year. When was the last time a four loss team had a Heisman winner? You'd probably have to look in the pre-ESPN decides who win the award, era.
Again, when measuring quarterbacks, success is the most important. Wins, big wins and championships. Tebow is a phenomenal talent and a great player. But while his teammates are in Gainesville busting it all summer, Tebow is on mission trips. Now, I'm not going to there's anything wrong with bringing assistance to the needy, but what I will say is that Tebow, who's measured as such a leader by the press because he does jumping jacks after two hard gains, isn't a guy who relates to his players. He's a rock star...who has absolutely nothing in common with anyone on his team. Maybe I'm wrong about his "leadership" abilities, but I know that the other SEC quarterbacks spent their entire summer busting it with their teammates on the field, in the weight room, and at the bars. The latter two are the ones that really count.
Tebow is a great talent. He puts up great stats. But that doesn't necessarily mean wins. And Tebow has so much talent on the field, but his style doesn't traditionally lead to titles. Now, Florida has a great team and a lot of talent, but I see them finishing as the #3 team in the SEC East.
Friday, July 25, 2008
Wie Don't You Understand?
Michelle Wie has been invited to play again. With men.
Wie was supposed to be done with playing with the boys. Years of missing the cut at men's events (she has made only one) and a poor start to her career on the LPGA Tour conspired to bring some sense into the teen phenom's scheduling. With the wise, and cautious, David Ledbetter offering advice in the background, Wie had decided to stick to women's events.
At least Dave had thought it through a little.
What is this girl's problem? Aside from the fact she apparently was about to turn in her best, professional performance before she got DQ'd for not signing her scorecard...you'd think someone would take a hint. What's Ty Tryon doing these days?
Maybe Wie is going to be something, some day. But again, win on your own tour, follow the rules of your tour before jumping around. Any tournament director that's giving this girl exemptions is just a joke.
Wie was supposed to be done with playing with the boys. Years of missing the cut at men's events (she has made only one) and a poor start to her career on the LPGA Tour conspired to bring some sense into the teen phenom's scheduling. With the wise, and cautious, David Ledbetter offering advice in the background, Wie had decided to stick to women's events.
At least Dave had thought it through a little.
What is this girl's problem? Aside from the fact she apparently was about to turn in her best, professional performance before she got DQ'd for not signing her scorecard...you'd think someone would take a hint. What's Ty Tryon doing these days?
Maybe Wie is going to be something, some day. But again, win on your own tour, follow the rules of your tour before jumping around. Any tournament director that's giving this girl exemptions is just a joke.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
How Can We Forget?
Amidst all of the hoop-la of this past week, you know the pointless Dan Uggla-lost All-Star Game and the Favre saga, we have conveniently forgotten that The Open Championship is officially underway.
The big question is obviously, what's going to happen without Tiger? Well, for the first part, I can tell you there will probably be less "Get In The Hole" guys. I can also tell you that David Duval, once the #1 player in the world, threw up a 41 on the front this morning. Greg Norman and Jean Van de Velde are also tied for second.
But this is a different game. It's like, even if Tiger was there, there is still a good shot that he wouldn't win. It's not automatic. Especially in The Open with the amount of players who play more frequently on the links style courses. So in my opinion, this is a different animal than say Tiger being out of The Masters, US Open, or the PGA. I always like the crazy B list Euros to win The Open. The Paddy's and Monty's and Karlsson's and the Bjorno's (I'm assume T. Bjorn is no where to be found but he's still the man).
We don't talk much about my boy Phil. Nor should we these days. Frankly, he's been playing average golf, especially with the likes of Kenny Perry running around (who doesn't appear to be in the field). Phil's game is just not suited to win in The Open. Wild drives kill you more than anywhere up there. And flop shots, for no reason, don't hold on their greens. Phil is built to play in America, he should just stay home. It's not like he plays many tournaments anyways.
As you know, I love watching golf. And The Open might be the most fun tournament of the year. There are more players hitting balls from the spots of amateurs in The Open than in any other tourney. I know I've never played a links course, but in all reality, why do they just not hit the ball in the fairway? To me it always seems like players out think themselves at The Open. Maybe it's because my game is always going for the pin, no matter what. That's probably how a guy can shoot 88 with a 50 on the front. Either way, I'd like to see some guys play the American game on that course. Not including Mickelson as he can't find a fairway anyhow.
Enjoy The Open, and watch it without Tiger. It was probably give the tournament more excitement anyways. Especially with Van de Velde in the hunt.
The big question is obviously, what's going to happen without Tiger? Well, for the first part, I can tell you there will probably be less "Get In The Hole" guys. I can also tell you that David Duval, once the #1 player in the world, threw up a 41 on the front this morning. Greg Norman and Jean Van de Velde are also tied for second.
But this is a different game. It's like, even if Tiger was there, there is still a good shot that he wouldn't win. It's not automatic. Especially in The Open with the amount of players who play more frequently on the links style courses. So in my opinion, this is a different animal than say Tiger being out of The Masters, US Open, or the PGA. I always like the crazy B list Euros to win The Open. The Paddy's and Monty's and Karlsson's and the Bjorno's (I'm assume T. Bjorn is no where to be found but he's still the man).
We don't talk much about my boy Phil. Nor should we these days. Frankly, he's been playing average golf, especially with the likes of Kenny Perry running around (who doesn't appear to be in the field). Phil's game is just not suited to win in The Open. Wild drives kill you more than anywhere up there. And flop shots, for no reason, don't hold on their greens. Phil is built to play in America, he should just stay home. It's not like he plays many tournaments anyways.
As you know, I love watching golf. And The Open might be the most fun tournament of the year. There are more players hitting balls from the spots of amateurs in The Open than in any other tourney. I know I've never played a links course, but in all reality, why do they just not hit the ball in the fairway? To me it always seems like players out think themselves at The Open. Maybe it's because my game is always going for the pin, no matter what. That's probably how a guy can shoot 88 with a 50 on the front. Either way, I'd like to see some guys play the American game on that course. Not including Mickelson as he can't find a fairway anyhow.
Enjoy The Open, and watch it without Tiger. It was probably give the tournament more excitement anyways. Especially with Van de Velde in the hunt.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Many Takes, Here's Mine
This whole Brett Favre saga is starting to even get to me. Get to me that I think I was sick over it on Friday night.
The speculations of Favre coming back that had been reported in the past few weeks were just kind of like, whatever. You knew these things were going to happen. I mean, didn't you? I didn't actually think this was going to happen though.
So let's lay the facts out there quickly, alright? January 2008, Favre throws worst pass ever resulting in a playoff loss. February 2008, Mike McCarthy meets with Brett Favre to let him know that the Packers want him back for the next season. March 2008, Brett Favre retires from the Green Bay Packers. Somewhere between then and now, Brett Favre apparently is in great shape because he's been throwing with a high school team. Two weeks ago, rumors fly that Favre wants to come back. Last Friday, Favre claims the Packers don't want him to play for them and asks for his unconditional release.
First, before I absolutely start to rail my second favorite athlete ever, let me tell you that this has been a really, really hard thing for me to deal with. Because somewhere, we have to draw the line of what's right and what's wrong, not what we feel inside about a guy.
Now. Brett Favre retired from the Green Bay Packers in March. More or less, he quit, under contract. So, as much as I may not have noticed, but the world didn't stop spinning when Favre retired. From that second, the Packers have been making every arrangement that follows them having a new starting quarterback for the first time since Don Majkowski. Aaron Rodgers, who's had to deal with this saga for how many years, was finally the guy, the day that Favre retired, left, quit.
The Packers had an alright draft, bringing in two quarterbacks to their roster, Louisville's (should have been Tennessee's) Brian Brohm and LSU's Matt Flynn. Both guys have apparently been solid during mini-camp. Rodgers has been taking the necessary steps as a leader in the locker room and in the community as this is now his spot. The Packers have moved on since Favre formally announced his intentions not to play.
Before we get any further, what were those reasons? Weren't they not because he didn't want to play, but because he couldn't handle the daily grind, the film study, and the...off season workouts? So do we find it surprising that Favre is trying to find a Roger Clemensesque deal, where basically he can do whatever he wants whenever he wants because, he deserves it? I mean, I am surprised, but the pieces really fall into place.
No man, other than Michael Jordan, is bigger than the team. Favre is trying to state his case for being bigger than the franchise in this scenario. He doesn't run the team, the GM and Head Coach do. The second that they let Favre start to dictate their policy, where does it end? How much of an impression does this set for the young team as to what this franchise is all about? Favre retired, he was supposed to have moved on and the Packers had no choice but to. To me, this almost seems like a ploy because of what Favre didn't want to deal with he's not having to. It almost seems like this was Favre's plan all along. Retire, not deal with the other stuff and come back. They'll want me.
Maybe we do. Maybe the Packers are a better team tomorrow with #4 under center. Maybe they aren't? But what are they supposed to do? The Favre Saga has become more drama-filled in the past 3 years than MTV knows what to do with. If I was the Packers, this is what I'd do. Contractually, he is still theirs. So I'd make a move, put him on the roster at the last QB spot and tell him, if he wants to play, he better work at it because they've seen nothing from him. Aaron Rodgers is their guy and if Favre wants the spot, he better take it because that's all he's going to get.
If they take Favre back, what does that mean? Well the circus comes back to town and the focus is not on the team but on Favre's status. Is he going to play, will he be traded, what color is his hair? It's what to expect. Favre is making a mockery of the Packers right now, and there are some Packer fans out there who apparently think it's alright. I don't.
The speculations of Favre coming back that had been reported in the past few weeks were just kind of like, whatever. You knew these things were going to happen. I mean, didn't you? I didn't actually think this was going to happen though.
So let's lay the facts out there quickly, alright? January 2008, Favre throws worst pass ever resulting in a playoff loss. February 2008, Mike McCarthy meets with Brett Favre to let him know that the Packers want him back for the next season. March 2008, Brett Favre retires from the Green Bay Packers. Somewhere between then and now, Brett Favre apparently is in great shape because he's been throwing with a high school team. Two weeks ago, rumors fly that Favre wants to come back. Last Friday, Favre claims the Packers don't want him to play for them and asks for his unconditional release.
First, before I absolutely start to rail my second favorite athlete ever, let me tell you that this has been a really, really hard thing for me to deal with. Because somewhere, we have to draw the line of what's right and what's wrong, not what we feel inside about a guy.
Now. Brett Favre retired from the Green Bay Packers in March. More or less, he quit, under contract. So, as much as I may not have noticed, but the world didn't stop spinning when Favre retired. From that second, the Packers have been making every arrangement that follows them having a new starting quarterback for the first time since Don Majkowski. Aaron Rodgers, who's had to deal with this saga for how many years, was finally the guy, the day that Favre retired, left, quit.
The Packers had an alright draft, bringing in two quarterbacks to their roster, Louisville's (should have been Tennessee's) Brian Brohm and LSU's Matt Flynn. Both guys have apparently been solid during mini-camp. Rodgers has been taking the necessary steps as a leader in the locker room and in the community as this is now his spot. The Packers have moved on since Favre formally announced his intentions not to play.
Before we get any further, what were those reasons? Weren't they not because he didn't want to play, but because he couldn't handle the daily grind, the film study, and the...off season workouts? So do we find it surprising that Favre is trying to find a Roger Clemensesque deal, where basically he can do whatever he wants whenever he wants because, he deserves it? I mean, I am surprised, but the pieces really fall into place.
No man, other than Michael Jordan, is bigger than the team. Favre is trying to state his case for being bigger than the franchise in this scenario. He doesn't run the team, the GM and Head Coach do. The second that they let Favre start to dictate their policy, where does it end? How much of an impression does this set for the young team as to what this franchise is all about? Favre retired, he was supposed to have moved on and the Packers had no choice but to. To me, this almost seems like a ploy because of what Favre didn't want to deal with he's not having to. It almost seems like this was Favre's plan all along. Retire, not deal with the other stuff and come back. They'll want me.
Maybe we do. Maybe the Packers are a better team tomorrow with #4 under center. Maybe they aren't? But what are they supposed to do? The Favre Saga has become more drama-filled in the past 3 years than MTV knows what to do with. If I was the Packers, this is what I'd do. Contractually, he is still theirs. So I'd make a move, put him on the roster at the last QB spot and tell him, if he wants to play, he better work at it because they've seen nothing from him. Aaron Rodgers is their guy and if Favre wants the spot, he better take it because that's all he's going to get.
If they take Favre back, what does that mean? Well the circus comes back to town and the focus is not on the team but on Favre's status. Is he going to play, will he be traded, what color is his hair? It's what to expect. Favre is making a mockery of the Packers right now, and there are some Packer fans out there who apparently think it's alright. I don't.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
On Site
Tonight, No Owens will be on location at the Sommet Center in Nashville. The event taking place is Poison with Special Guests Dokken and Sebastian Bach. I'm sure good tickets are still available.
Monday, July 7, 2008
Breakfast, Lunch and a Mid-Day Snack at Wimbledon
I woke up early to watch tennis yesterday. I pretty much didn't move most of the day. Thankfully, it was arguably the greatest match in the history of tennis.
In case you missed it, Rafael Nadal beat NO favorite Roger Federer in a five set marathon finally breaking Federer at 7-7 in the fifth set. Nadal became the first player to win both the French Open and Wimbledon in back to back years since Borg in 1980 and denied Federer the chance at becoming the first ever six-in-a-row champion at the All England Club.
The match was like nothing I'd really ever seen. When Nadal came out and broke in the first, I thought it was over. I thought that the Federer reign was done. Then the rain came down two sets and Federer seemed to kick it in winning the third and fourth before neither player dropped a set on serve until overtime in the fifth.
The interesting thing is, Federer should have won in four. Federer was up 4-2 in the second before losing 4 straight games. It was almost embarrassing. Federer served well all match, except for one game. And that's the one that will undoubtedly haunt him. He let Wimbledon go in the second, not in the fifth.
But though we can analyze Federer's losing the tournament, it's hard to take away the match from Nadal. He was unreal. Absolutely unreal. He was broken, what, once? In that second set and broke right back. He hit's unreal passing shots off balanced, with a two-handed backhand as if he knows exactly where Federer is going to be when Roger comes to net.
I think Nadal is just a smarter tennis player than Federer. He makes better decisions, adjusts, and doesn't try to beat himself. Federer will play his game and do it over and over. Granted, it's worked well, but he's now lost on his turf. Will Federer rock some ridiculous outfits next year?
The thing about Nadal's preparation that astounds me the most is his use of his serve. His ace total is obviously not what Federer's is. But he structures the points to his favor with his serve. So though he's not getting the glam numbers with the aces, he's getting the awkward returns he wants from his carefully positioned serves. The higher percentage play and if you didn't notice, the play that wins you titles.
Yesterday was an amazing day for tennis. Even Johnny Mac was emotional. But you probably witnessed the greatest match of all time if you watched yesterday. And as much of a Federer fan that I am, it really didn't bother me to see him lose that way. Seeing such a great sporting event like that is enough for me. But a changing of the guard is in the air as Nadal is moving closer to being the #1 player in the world. But can Nadal win on the hard court? We will see very soon.
In case you missed it, Rafael Nadal beat NO favorite Roger Federer in a five set marathon finally breaking Federer at 7-7 in the fifth set. Nadal became the first player to win both the French Open and Wimbledon in back to back years since Borg in 1980 and denied Federer the chance at becoming the first ever six-in-a-row champion at the All England Club.
The match was like nothing I'd really ever seen. When Nadal came out and broke in the first, I thought it was over. I thought that the Federer reign was done. Then the rain came down two sets and Federer seemed to kick it in winning the third and fourth before neither player dropped a set on serve until overtime in the fifth.
The interesting thing is, Federer should have won in four. Federer was up 4-2 in the second before losing 4 straight games. It was almost embarrassing. Federer served well all match, except for one game. And that's the one that will undoubtedly haunt him. He let Wimbledon go in the second, not in the fifth.
But though we can analyze Federer's losing the tournament, it's hard to take away the match from Nadal. He was unreal. Absolutely unreal. He was broken, what, once? In that second set and broke right back. He hit's unreal passing shots off balanced, with a two-handed backhand as if he knows exactly where Federer is going to be when Roger comes to net.
I think Nadal is just a smarter tennis player than Federer. He makes better decisions, adjusts, and doesn't try to beat himself. Federer will play his game and do it over and over. Granted, it's worked well, but he's now lost on his turf. Will Federer rock some ridiculous outfits next year?
The thing about Nadal's preparation that astounds me the most is his use of his serve. His ace total is obviously not what Federer's is. But he structures the points to his favor with his serve. So though he's not getting the glam numbers with the aces, he's getting the awkward returns he wants from his carefully positioned serves. The higher percentage play and if you didn't notice, the play that wins you titles.
Yesterday was an amazing day for tennis. Even Johnny Mac was emotional. But you probably witnessed the greatest match of all time if you watched yesterday. And as much of a Federer fan that I am, it really didn't bother me to see him lose that way. Seeing such a great sporting event like that is enough for me. But a changing of the guard is in the air as Nadal is moving closer to being the #1 player in the world. But can Nadal win on the hard court? We will see very soon.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
The Chase For Baseball's Most Impressive Number
Home Runs. RBI. Even today you hear about these crazy things that Bill James invented like 15 years ago and they are now becoming in vogue like an OPS, adjusted or not.
All of these things are nice and great. But if you want to ask me what the most important stat in baseball is, it's the old fashion, no frills attached batting average.
If you hit for a strong average, you get on base. You get on base, you have the ability to score runs. If you hit, you have the ability to knock runs in. The higher the average, to me, the higher the value. A guy with a high career average tells me that I know exactly what I'm going to get day in and day out, year in and year out. Home runs can come and go and RBI can fluctuate if you're on a team that doesn't have people around you or if you're hitting in a certain spot in a batting order (pending it's in the top 5 spots, Edgar Renteria is a .280 hitter, but .330 hitting in the 7 hole, imagine if Al Pujols hit 7).
So to me, average is the ultimate in consistency. Home runs can come and go, but a guy who's going to hit .320 is going to give you a strong presence at the park everyday, and in a season that is 162+ games, I prefer consistency over the flash.
So to me, the quest for .400 is always very interesting. There's a reason that the last guy's name to do it is Ted Williams and names like Mantle, Yount, and Gwynn never accomplished it. It's singly the hardest feat to accomplish in baseball, possibly in all of sports, in my opinion.
So we have Chipper Jones who has been red hot pretty much all year and has been up over .400 and in the .390's for most of the season. Chipper's having a great year and has the other numbers to back up his average to come towards the mid-back end of a really nice career. So the question comes to, can Chipper do this?
Well, here's the plan for hitting .400. I hit .403 or .407 or something like that the summer after my freshman year of high school. Granted, the competition wasn't the best and I was hitting three with Ryan Trembath behind me so I clearly saw good pitches, but I was hitting really well that summer. Bob Conner printed off our stats at the end of the year and I remember studying the game by game log and wondering how I got to the final average that I had. What the sheet looked like was a bunch of 1-3 and 1-4 games with a few multi-hit games sprinkled in.
For a guy chasing the big number, it's every hit that counts. Get them however you can get them. So what's interesting is that Chipper is a power hitter. Can he beat out infield hits? I don't think so. Neither could Ted. But as long he can keep one hit, in any fashion, in the boxscore he has a shot.
I just don't see a guy like that doing it. Someone who can create the intangibles. Someone like Ichiro or Carl Crawford. A guy who hits 1-2 in the lineup who's job it is to create offense for the rest of the lineup. Chipper has one nice luxury and that's he has Mark Texiera hitting behind him. Tex is the key for Chipper's run because you can't pitch around Chipper and if you do, you get to one of the best hitters in the league. I hope Chipper does it, but don't get your hopes up. If he does, he owes Tex a new Porsche.
All of these things are nice and great. But if you want to ask me what the most important stat in baseball is, it's the old fashion, no frills attached batting average.
If you hit for a strong average, you get on base. You get on base, you have the ability to score runs. If you hit, you have the ability to knock runs in. The higher the average, to me, the higher the value. A guy with a high career average tells me that I know exactly what I'm going to get day in and day out, year in and year out. Home runs can come and go and RBI can fluctuate if you're on a team that doesn't have people around you or if you're hitting in a certain spot in a batting order (pending it's in the top 5 spots, Edgar Renteria is a .280 hitter, but .330 hitting in the 7 hole, imagine if Al Pujols hit 7).
So to me, average is the ultimate in consistency. Home runs can come and go, but a guy who's going to hit .320 is going to give you a strong presence at the park everyday, and in a season that is 162+ games, I prefer consistency over the flash.
So to me, the quest for .400 is always very interesting. There's a reason that the last guy's name to do it is Ted Williams and names like Mantle, Yount, and Gwynn never accomplished it. It's singly the hardest feat to accomplish in baseball, possibly in all of sports, in my opinion.
So we have Chipper Jones who has been red hot pretty much all year and has been up over .400 and in the .390's for most of the season. Chipper's having a great year and has the other numbers to back up his average to come towards the mid-back end of a really nice career. So the question comes to, can Chipper do this?
Well, here's the plan for hitting .400. I hit .403 or .407 or something like that the summer after my freshman year of high school. Granted, the competition wasn't the best and I was hitting three with Ryan Trembath behind me so I clearly saw good pitches, but I was hitting really well that summer. Bob Conner printed off our stats at the end of the year and I remember studying the game by game log and wondering how I got to the final average that I had. What the sheet looked like was a bunch of 1-3 and 1-4 games with a few multi-hit games sprinkled in.
For a guy chasing the big number, it's every hit that counts. Get them however you can get them. So what's interesting is that Chipper is a power hitter. Can he beat out infield hits? I don't think so. Neither could Ted. But as long he can keep one hit, in any fashion, in the boxscore he has a shot.
I just don't see a guy like that doing it. Someone who can create the intangibles. Someone like Ichiro or Carl Crawford. A guy who hits 1-2 in the lineup who's job it is to create offense for the rest of the lineup. Chipper has one nice luxury and that's he has Mark Texiera hitting behind him. Tex is the key for Chipper's run because you can't pitch around Chipper and if you do, you get to one of the best hitters in the league. I hope Chipper does it, but don't get your hopes up. If he does, he owes Tex a new Porsche.
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