The biggest story surrounding this years NFL Draft does not surround the number one pick. It revolves around a young man who may not even be drafted in the first round come April.
Tim Tebow is arguably one of if not the most successful college football player in history. A Heisman Trophy, 2 National Titles, 2 First-team All Americans, the list goes on and on. But everyone in the football world is asking what is in store for Tim Tebow at the next level.
The NFL has transitioned into a passing league the past few years, with Tom Brady and Peyton Manning shattering records year after year. The play at the quarterback position has been elevated significantly in the past decade. So the question is, will a man who rode most of his success and fear with his legs, have the arm to make it in the NFL?
I have watched every single game that Tim Tebow has played at the University of Florida, and from watching I can safely say that Tim Tebow will not be a successful every-down quarterback in the NFL. Tebow has taken less than 10 snaps under center in 4 years as a quarterback at Florida. The Gators added a goal line I-formation in his Senior year in order to mix it up in the Red Zone. A little late in the process to learn how to take snaps under center in a league where around 75% of the plays run are under center. If you have been keeping up with Senior Bowl talk this week, you would find out that Tebow struggled under center, having to learn the footwork and the feeling of working from under center. Its not just the snapping of the ball, its the footwork of hand offs to the right and left sides, the play action passes, and the 3,5, and 7 step drops. Play action passes are vital in the NFL today. With defenses committed to stopping the run on early downs, that little fake is a vital decoy to keep defenses on their heels and think twice about taking one step up before the running back has the ball. Tim Tebow has only attempted play action passes out of shot gun with the running back lined up either directly to the right or left of him. He is a little late in the process where his colleagues have been doing it consistently for a decade.
Once you look past all the pre-throw routine, lets get into Tebow's most vital flaw, his throwing motion. Lets take a look at how the all time great Peyton Manning defines the throwing motion:
That may be the kindergarten version of the basic fundamentals of the throwing motion, but there is one element that is Tebow's Achilles heel. Notice how Peyton does not drop the ball below his waist when he begins to move his arm back. Tebow consistently drops the ball to as low as his knee while winding up his arm. Now a lot of Tebow lovers will argue that he did it for 4 years in college and that he can do it in the NFL. With the NFL, things come at you twice as fast and twice as hard and every millisecond counts. The window of opportunity to fit in the ball closes faster than you can snap your fingers. On routes where timing isn't a problem that wont hurt him. But most passing plays are drawn up to go no more than 15-25 yards down the field. On outs, ins, curls, and hitches, the longer it takes for Tebow to deliver the ball, the easier it will be for defenses to close the gap on receivers.
No one is doubting Tebow's arm strength. He could throw the ball 50 yards down field without breaking a sweat. The arm is there, its the mechanics. For those who I've talked to about Gator football over the last 4 years, they know I have advocated for Urban Meyer to bring in an experienced quarterback coach to specifically work with Tebow on his mechanics. Sadly my pleas were not answered.
So where will Tim Tebow fit in in the NFL? With the "Wild Cat" becoming more and more of a fixture in the league, its a perfect scenario for Tebow to jump into. What would work best for Tebow is to incorporate himself into a Wild Cat package for a team and run about 25 plays per game out of that package only. Work in some sweeps, some dive plays, some draws, and some passing plays. All things he has done and done well in his career. The formation is very successful in Miami, where they average 7 yards a play out of it. Incorporating Tebow in that type of scenario will work, and work successfully. But what will not work successfully is Tebow running a conventional package under center game in and game out. His mechanical flaws, along with the fact that he does not respond well to pressure at his feet, does not equal a great scenario for Tebow in the NFL.
I have one message for Tebow, and it is this...PROVE ME WRONG!
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Monday, January 25, 2010
Championship Sunday Recap
Colts 30 Jets 17
If you would have told me early in the week the Colts would score 30 points, I would have told you the Colts would win.
If you would have told me early in the week the Jets would not rush for 100 yards, I would have told you the Jets would lose.
If you would have told me early in the week the Colts would score 30 points, I would have told you the Colts would win.
With those combined circumstances coming true on Sunday, it would be hard for the Jets to win, but they came close. They had Peyton confused early and they tried some different disguise coverages that worked to perfection on the first 2 Colt drives. Then Donald Strickland got injured on the Colts third drive, and Peyton took advantage of Lito Sheppard who looked like a completely different person from last week. He was awful. Garcon catches the ball for a big gain, but the Colts commit a false start and come away with only 3 points. On the very next play after the kickoff, the Jets hit the big play in the passing game I said they would need if they wanted to win. They run a SLO-GO with Edwards on Powers replacement Lacey for an 80 yard TD to put the Jets on top. The Colts respond on their next drive with a FG again to cut the lead to 1. The Jets drive right down the field and answer thanks in part to a Wild Cat pass by Brad Smith that lead to a Keller TD and the Jets are up 8. The Jets are smelling blood. The Colts drives are stalling and the Jets are looking to blow it open. On the Colts next possession, Pace comes flying into the backfield and hits Addai before he even has a chance to secure the hand-off from Peyton and the Jets recover the fumble at the Colt 29. This is where the Jets need to punch it home. They commit a false start penalty at the most inopportune time on 1-10 and they settle for a field goal. Great teams make the most of their opponents mistakes. The Jets did not. Now Manning has a little over 2 minutes left in the half and he begins to feel it, he hits Collie in the seem who was covered by Drew Coleman who had great position, but got greedy and laid out for the ball looking for an INT but missed. What are you doing there son? You are with the receiver stride for stride and had more of a chance for the INT if you hadn't dove for it. Its a play he will look back on and ultimately regret. Peyton hits Collie again in the endzone where he was wide open where Rex said there was some "miscommunication" and the Colts were right back in it.
In the second half, Shonn Greene got injured after 2 plays and would not return. The Jets again did not deviate from their offensive identity. They stuck with the running game with Thomas Jones who was fighting an injury and doesn't have the explosiveness that Greene has. The Jets on their first drive missed a 52 yard FG, Peyton drives down the field again and scores, and the feeling Jets fans know all too well began to take effect. The Jets did not move the ball offensively in the 2nd half as well as they did in the first half, but don't blame the Jets offense, credit the Colts defense. The Colts defense committed to the run for the entire game. They did not let the Braylon Edwards TD or the Brad Smith Wild Cat pass to Cotchery effect their game plan. They knew if they took away the Jets running game they would not win.
The Jets lost this game because of their defense. The Garcon and Collie were running uncovered in the secondary all game long and the Jets had no answer for it. Now what can cover that up is a pass rush. The Jets sacked Manning on the first 2 drives, they never sacked him again. The only thing that covers up shaky coverage is a pass rush, and the Jets did not have it. Manning dinked and dunked and caught fire, throwing for 377 and 3 TD's and the Jets had no answer. Ball game.
Saints 31 Vikings 28
This had to be one of the sloppiest championship games I have ever seen. Neither team looked like they wanted to win the game. Adrian Peterson's fumbling issues continued, Reggie Bush muffed a punt, and interceptions took place that were mind boggling.
At the end of the half, Reggie Bush muffed at his own 10 yard line that the Vikings recover. 2 plays later, Favre and Peterson have exchange problems and the Saints recover to keep the score tied at the half.
Lets fast forward to the Vikings final drive. The score tied at 28. 1-10 and the 21. The Vikings execute a perfect drive combining the run and pass to get the ball down to the Saints 33 yard line. The Vikings call a timeout with 19 seconds left. They come out of the timeout, and they have 12 men in the huddle. 12 MEN IN THE HUDDLE, AFTER A TIMEOUT! Now they are on the outer boundary of field goal range. Favre rolls right on a boot, has a bout 15 yards ahead of him to run out of bounds. What does he do? He sees Sidney Rice open in the middle of the field. He throws across his body, forces the ball to Rice, and is intercepted. This is a play that defines Brett Favre. He has the safe play right in front of him right there for the taking to put it in the hands of one of the most reliable kickers in the league. Now if Favre had not come out of the game earlier to get his ankle tapped up after the abuse he was taking, would he have run? Probably not. Favre was manhandled all day, but the Saints did not have a single sack.
Game goes to overtime, Saints win the toss. After 2 first downs, the Saints have 1-10 from the Vikings 41. Brees overthrows his receiver on the left sideline, but the back judge calls a dumb penalty on the Vikings linebacker on a ball that is clearly uncatchable. The Saints get another 1st down, and Hartley kicks the game winner from 40 to send the Saints to their first Super Bowl. I could not be any happier for the people of New Orleans, Drew Brees and Sean Payton.
But the better team lost this game. Its been said over and over and over again that the team that commits the most mistakes usually does not win, and the team that makes the most of their opponents mistakes usually does. The Vikings made the most mistakes, and the Saints made the most of their opportunities.
Your thoughts about Championship Sunday in Comments
If you would have told me early in the week the Colts would score 30 points, I would have told you the Colts would win.
If you would have told me early in the week the Jets would not rush for 100 yards, I would have told you the Jets would lose.
If you would have told me early in the week the Colts would score 30 points, I would have told you the Colts would win.
With those combined circumstances coming true on Sunday, it would be hard for the Jets to win, but they came close. They had Peyton confused early and they tried some different disguise coverages that worked to perfection on the first 2 Colt drives. Then Donald Strickland got injured on the Colts third drive, and Peyton took advantage of Lito Sheppard who looked like a completely different person from last week. He was awful. Garcon catches the ball for a big gain, but the Colts commit a false start and come away with only 3 points. On the very next play after the kickoff, the Jets hit the big play in the passing game I said they would need if they wanted to win. They run a SLO-GO with Edwards on Powers replacement Lacey for an 80 yard TD to put the Jets on top. The Colts respond on their next drive with a FG again to cut the lead to 1. The Jets drive right down the field and answer thanks in part to a Wild Cat pass by Brad Smith that lead to a Keller TD and the Jets are up 8. The Jets are smelling blood. The Colts drives are stalling and the Jets are looking to blow it open. On the Colts next possession, Pace comes flying into the backfield and hits Addai before he even has a chance to secure the hand-off from Peyton and the Jets recover the fumble at the Colt 29. This is where the Jets need to punch it home. They commit a false start penalty at the most inopportune time on 1-10 and they settle for a field goal. Great teams make the most of their opponents mistakes. The Jets did not. Now Manning has a little over 2 minutes left in the half and he begins to feel it, he hits Collie in the seem who was covered by Drew Coleman who had great position, but got greedy and laid out for the ball looking for an INT but missed. What are you doing there son? You are with the receiver stride for stride and had more of a chance for the INT if you hadn't dove for it. Its a play he will look back on and ultimately regret. Peyton hits Collie again in the endzone where he was wide open where Rex said there was some "miscommunication" and the Colts were right back in it.
In the second half, Shonn Greene got injured after 2 plays and would not return. The Jets again did not deviate from their offensive identity. They stuck with the running game with Thomas Jones who was fighting an injury and doesn't have the explosiveness that Greene has. The Jets on their first drive missed a 52 yard FG, Peyton drives down the field again and scores, and the feeling Jets fans know all too well began to take effect. The Jets did not move the ball offensively in the 2nd half as well as they did in the first half, but don't blame the Jets offense, credit the Colts defense. The Colts defense committed to the run for the entire game. They did not let the Braylon Edwards TD or the Brad Smith Wild Cat pass to Cotchery effect their game plan. They knew if they took away the Jets running game they would not win.
The Jets lost this game because of their defense. The Garcon and Collie were running uncovered in the secondary all game long and the Jets had no answer for it. Now what can cover that up is a pass rush. The Jets sacked Manning on the first 2 drives, they never sacked him again. The only thing that covers up shaky coverage is a pass rush, and the Jets did not have it. Manning dinked and dunked and caught fire, throwing for 377 and 3 TD's and the Jets had no answer. Ball game.
Saints 31 Vikings 28
This had to be one of the sloppiest championship games I have ever seen. Neither team looked like they wanted to win the game. Adrian Peterson's fumbling issues continued, Reggie Bush muffed a punt, and interceptions took place that were mind boggling.
At the end of the half, Reggie Bush muffed at his own 10 yard line that the Vikings recover. 2 plays later, Favre and Peterson have exchange problems and the Saints recover to keep the score tied at the half.
Lets fast forward to the Vikings final drive. The score tied at 28. 1-10 and the 21. The Vikings execute a perfect drive combining the run and pass to get the ball down to the Saints 33 yard line. The Vikings call a timeout with 19 seconds left. They come out of the timeout, and they have 12 men in the huddle. 12 MEN IN THE HUDDLE, AFTER A TIMEOUT! Now they are on the outer boundary of field goal range. Favre rolls right on a boot, has a bout 15 yards ahead of him to run out of bounds. What does he do? He sees Sidney Rice open in the middle of the field. He throws across his body, forces the ball to Rice, and is intercepted. This is a play that defines Brett Favre. He has the safe play right in front of him right there for the taking to put it in the hands of one of the most reliable kickers in the league. Now if Favre had not come out of the game earlier to get his ankle tapped up after the abuse he was taking, would he have run? Probably not. Favre was manhandled all day, but the Saints did not have a single sack.
Game goes to overtime, Saints win the toss. After 2 first downs, the Saints have 1-10 from the Vikings 41. Brees overthrows his receiver on the left sideline, but the back judge calls a dumb penalty on the Vikings linebacker on a ball that is clearly uncatchable. The Saints get another 1st down, and Hartley kicks the game winner from 40 to send the Saints to their first Super Bowl. I could not be any happier for the people of New Orleans, Drew Brees and Sean Payton.
But the better team lost this game. Its been said over and over and over again that the team that commits the most mistakes usually does not win, and the team that makes the most of their opponents mistakes usually does. The Vikings made the most mistakes, and the Saints made the most of their opportunities.
Your thoughts about Championship Sunday in Comments
Friday, January 22, 2010
NFC Championship Preview
The Minnesota Vikings head on down to New Orleans to face the Saints this Sunday Night in a big time offensive showdown. The Saints are looking for their first ever Super Bowl appearance while the Vikings look to go for the first time since Super Bowl XI.
The Vikings at home are a completely different team then they are on the road this season. They almost look like 2 totally different teams. Will that dynamic front 4 of Allen, Williams, Williams, and Edwards show up this Sunday? Going to have to if the Vikings have any shot to win. The Saints have given up the 4th fewest sacks in the NFL this season. If the Vikings are going to let Drew Brees sit in the pocket and have his time to pick apart the Vikings secondary that ranks in the middle of the pack against the pass, the Vikings will have no shot. The Saints are going to look to spread out that Vikings defense and turn the game into a backyard, 7 on 7 type of game. Do the Vikings have an answer to all those weapons the Saints have? I don't really see any.
On the other side of the ball you have Brett Favre having a spectacular season where he threw for 4,000 passing yards and turned ordinary players *cough* Vishante Shiancoe *cough* into offensive superstars. Everyone who followed Percy Harvin in college knew he would become an explosive NFL player but Favre has elevated him to another level. The Vikings have gone from a top 5 rushing attack with Peterson and Chester Taylor last year to an explosive passing team and a mediocre running team this year. Does this have to do with Favre? Definitely. But Brad Childress this season on a couple of occasions has tried too much to lean on the running game and create passing opportunities. This has become a burden on Favre many times this year. The Vikes do not run to set up the pass anymore. They are not the running team they were a year ago. They need to come out of the gate passing and passing and passing some more.
Besides the Jets, the Saints blitz more than any other team and at a rate 10% above the league average. Greg Williams believes in a highly aggressive defensive system dating back to when he was with Joe Gibbs and the Redskins in the earlier part of the past decade. The aggressive style has paid of with interceptions, as the Saints ranked third in the league with 26. If the Saints can get to Favre and Favre turns into the Favre of old when he threw 6 interceptions against the Rams a decade ago, it will be a long night for the Vikings.
Prediction: Saints 37 Vikings 21
Enjoy the games everyone. Make your picks in Comments.
The Vikings at home are a completely different team then they are on the road this season. They almost look like 2 totally different teams. Will that dynamic front 4 of Allen, Williams, Williams, and Edwards show up this Sunday? Going to have to if the Vikings have any shot to win. The Saints have given up the 4th fewest sacks in the NFL this season. If the Vikings are going to let Drew Brees sit in the pocket and have his time to pick apart the Vikings secondary that ranks in the middle of the pack against the pass, the Vikings will have no shot. The Saints are going to look to spread out that Vikings defense and turn the game into a backyard, 7 on 7 type of game. Do the Vikings have an answer to all those weapons the Saints have? I don't really see any.
On the other side of the ball you have Brett Favre having a spectacular season where he threw for 4,000 passing yards and turned ordinary players *cough* Vishante Shiancoe *cough* into offensive superstars. Everyone who followed Percy Harvin in college knew he would become an explosive NFL player but Favre has elevated him to another level. The Vikings have gone from a top 5 rushing attack with Peterson and Chester Taylor last year to an explosive passing team and a mediocre running team this year. Does this have to do with Favre? Definitely. But Brad Childress this season on a couple of occasions has tried too much to lean on the running game and create passing opportunities. This has become a burden on Favre many times this year. The Vikes do not run to set up the pass anymore. They are not the running team they were a year ago. They need to come out of the gate passing and passing and passing some more.
Besides the Jets, the Saints blitz more than any other team and at a rate 10% above the league average. Greg Williams believes in a highly aggressive defensive system dating back to when he was with Joe Gibbs and the Redskins in the earlier part of the past decade. The aggressive style has paid of with interceptions, as the Saints ranked third in the league with 26. If the Saints can get to Favre and Favre turns into the Favre of old when he threw 6 interceptions against the Rams a decade ago, it will be a long night for the Vikings.
Prediction: Saints 37 Vikings 21
Enjoy the games everyone. Make your picks in Comments.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
AFC Championship Preview
In Week 16, the Jets limped into Indianapolis at 8-7 with a slim glimmer of hope that with 2 wins and help they would be eligible for the playoffs after losing a heart breaker at home to Altanta 7 days earlier.
The Colts were a freight train rolling in at 14-0 looking to make history. 4 days before the game even kicks-off, Colts President and General Manager Bill Polian decided to not play his starters for the entire game and pull the plug on the pursuit of perfection. Midway through the 3rd quarter with the Colts leading 15-9, Peyton Manning hit the bench. In the first play of the second series that Peyton came out, backup Curtis Painter, playing his first ever NFL game, gets sacked, fumbles, Jets recovered for a Touchdown. After that play, it was all Jets. The Colts defense basically laid down the rest of the game.
The Jets have said since then that they didn't get any credit for the win. What kind of credit are you looking for? The Jets played a team with a quarterback that had zero NFL experience and a defense that did not play the entire game. Credit should be given to where credit is deserved, and the Jets deserve credit in that they showed up for the game, and that's about it.
4 weeks later, we have come full-circle and the match-up we have all been hoping for has finally come true. A chance for the Jets to solidify that they in fact are better. A chance for the Colts to show that perfection is not worth the sacrifice of a Super Bowl berth.
For statistical purposes in the Week 16 game, we will only visit the first half. The Jets attempted 16 rushes for 58 yards. They put up 3 points and had two 3 and outs on 5 first half possessions (1 at the end of the half). The Jets on offense did nothing to solidify themselves in the game.
The Jets are a totally different team then they were 4 weeks ago. The running game has been a force with the emergence of Shaun Greene in week 17 and the 2 playoff games. How the Jets win this game is very very simple. Lets start on offense. The line has finally emerged as one of the best in the NFL and they have a great fullback. They should be lining up in some power formations, lot of 2 tight end sets, and lot of I-formation. The Colts know the Jets are built to run the ball. So the Jets should just say "O.K. here it is, line up and stop us." And the Colts do not line up as well on defense man for man than the Jets in the running game. The Colts are in the bottom 3rd in the NFL in rushing defense, averaging 126 ypg. The Jets need to create opportunities to pass the ball when the Colts are thinking run, and run the ball when they are thinking pass. How do you do that? You stay out of predictable down and distances. Positive yardage on 1st and 2nd down, creating manageable 3rd down situations. The Colts feed off of their pass rush with Freeney and Mathis, so if the Jets can keep them on their heels and make them commit to the run, this will create the opportunities for Sanchez to get some big chunks of yardage in the passing game because there is going to come a time in the game when the Jets are going to have to throw if they want to win.
For the Jets on defense, it all revolves around one thing...PASS RUSH! The Jets live and die by how often they get to the quarterback. Not necessarily sacks, but pressure and penetration. They made Phillip Rivers day last Sunday a bad one and forced him to throw when he wasn't ready or his receivers weren't ready. Different situation this week, but they need similar results. Peyton is an expert on identifying defenses and calling them out to his line for pass protection. If you've ever watched the Colts or the NFL, you know that Peyton calls more signals at the line of scrimmage than almost any other quarterback. The Jets need to confuse Manning, not an easy thing to do. But teams who have had success against him in the past during the playoffs that confuse Manning run a 3-4 defense. Go back to the days when Bellichick and New England faced the Colts in '04 and '05. The Pats held the Colts to 17 points in 2 playoff games.
The Colts have one of the greatest quarterbacks to play the game and a suspect running game. Rex Ryan pointed out this week that when you have a cornerback as good as Derelle Revis is, it puts you in a situation where you can put him 1 on 1 with their number 1 receiver, rather than double cover the number 1 receiver and put the best cornerback on the number 2 receiver. He says that this entices the ball to be thrown to the number 1 reciever and with a corner like Revis, Rex feels he and the receiver both have an equal chance of coming down with the ball. This has worked out quiet effectively for the Jets this year. Revis has shut down Randy Moss, Chad OchoCinco, Andre Johnson, Steve Smith, and Marques Colston. But the Colts also have the best tight end in football this year in Dallas Clark. What do you do with him? Do you put a linebacker on him? Do you put Kerry Rhodes on him? Do you bring in an extra corner to cover him? That decision will be a difficult but the best choice would be to bring in an extra DB. That allows you to disguise the coverage better and be able to send him on the pass rush to get to Manning. The Jets have had problems this season getting to the quarterback with a conventional pass rush. They blitz 58% of the time, way more than the rest of the league. I believe Lito Sheppard will handle Pierre Garcon, so look for the key match-up to be Dallas Clark on whoever the Jets decide to cover him.
For the Colts to win, I think it comes down to one thing...get up by 2 scores. If the Colts are up at any point in the game by more than 2 scores, I think it would be extremely hard for the Jets to overcome. What the Colts can not do is become one dimensional on offense. They must keep the Jets guessing and stick to the game plan. Mix in the run in a few unconventional places early in the game. Do not become predictable like the Chargers did last week.
If you've ever watched an NFL films highlight of the Colts, you would know that Peyton Manning always has 2 plays for each play, a running play and a passing play. If Peyton gets to the line of scrimmage and does not think the original play called looks like it will work, he will change the play. Also the Colts run a lot of no huddle, so if the Jets get into a situation where they have bad personnel on the field, Manning will get his team to the line quickly and get the snap off and keep running plays until he can't. Those two things are what put Peyton Manning ahead of a lot of great quarterbacks who have played the game. The Jets are going to need to be very aware of those 2 things to have a chance this Sunday.
Prediction: Jets 20 Colts 17
Make your predictions and thoughts on this game in Comments. Saints/Vikings preview tomorrow
The Colts were a freight train rolling in at 14-0 looking to make history. 4 days before the game even kicks-off, Colts President and General Manager Bill Polian decided to not play his starters for the entire game and pull the plug on the pursuit of perfection. Midway through the 3rd quarter with the Colts leading 15-9, Peyton Manning hit the bench. In the first play of the second series that Peyton came out, backup Curtis Painter, playing his first ever NFL game, gets sacked, fumbles, Jets recovered for a Touchdown. After that play, it was all Jets. The Colts defense basically laid down the rest of the game.
The Jets have said since then that they didn't get any credit for the win. What kind of credit are you looking for? The Jets played a team with a quarterback that had zero NFL experience and a defense that did not play the entire game. Credit should be given to where credit is deserved, and the Jets deserve credit in that they showed up for the game, and that's about it.
4 weeks later, we have come full-circle and the match-up we have all been hoping for has finally come true. A chance for the Jets to solidify that they in fact are better. A chance for the Colts to show that perfection is not worth the sacrifice of a Super Bowl berth.
For statistical purposes in the Week 16 game, we will only visit the first half. The Jets attempted 16 rushes for 58 yards. They put up 3 points and had two 3 and outs on 5 first half possessions (1 at the end of the half). The Jets on offense did nothing to solidify themselves in the game.
The Jets are a totally different team then they were 4 weeks ago. The running game has been a force with the emergence of Shaun Greene in week 17 and the 2 playoff games. How the Jets win this game is very very simple. Lets start on offense. The line has finally emerged as one of the best in the NFL and they have a great fullback. They should be lining up in some power formations, lot of 2 tight end sets, and lot of I-formation. The Colts know the Jets are built to run the ball. So the Jets should just say "O.K. here it is, line up and stop us." And the Colts do not line up as well on defense man for man than the Jets in the running game. The Colts are in the bottom 3rd in the NFL in rushing defense, averaging 126 ypg. The Jets need to create opportunities to pass the ball when the Colts are thinking run, and run the ball when they are thinking pass. How do you do that? You stay out of predictable down and distances. Positive yardage on 1st and 2nd down, creating manageable 3rd down situations. The Colts feed off of their pass rush with Freeney and Mathis, so if the Jets can keep them on their heels and make them commit to the run, this will create the opportunities for Sanchez to get some big chunks of yardage in the passing game because there is going to come a time in the game when the Jets are going to have to throw if they want to win.
For the Jets on defense, it all revolves around one thing...PASS RUSH! The Jets live and die by how often they get to the quarterback. Not necessarily sacks, but pressure and penetration. They made Phillip Rivers day last Sunday a bad one and forced him to throw when he wasn't ready or his receivers weren't ready. Different situation this week, but they need similar results. Peyton is an expert on identifying defenses and calling them out to his line for pass protection. If you've ever watched the Colts or the NFL, you know that Peyton calls more signals at the line of scrimmage than almost any other quarterback. The Jets need to confuse Manning, not an easy thing to do. But teams who have had success against him in the past during the playoffs that confuse Manning run a 3-4 defense. Go back to the days when Bellichick and New England faced the Colts in '04 and '05. The Pats held the Colts to 17 points in 2 playoff games.
The Colts have one of the greatest quarterbacks to play the game and a suspect running game. Rex Ryan pointed out this week that when you have a cornerback as good as Derelle Revis is, it puts you in a situation where you can put him 1 on 1 with their number 1 receiver, rather than double cover the number 1 receiver and put the best cornerback on the number 2 receiver. He says that this entices the ball to be thrown to the number 1 reciever and with a corner like Revis, Rex feels he and the receiver both have an equal chance of coming down with the ball. This has worked out quiet effectively for the Jets this year. Revis has shut down Randy Moss, Chad OchoCinco, Andre Johnson, Steve Smith, and Marques Colston. But the Colts also have the best tight end in football this year in Dallas Clark. What do you do with him? Do you put a linebacker on him? Do you put Kerry Rhodes on him? Do you bring in an extra corner to cover him? That decision will be a difficult but the best choice would be to bring in an extra DB. That allows you to disguise the coverage better and be able to send him on the pass rush to get to Manning. The Jets have had problems this season getting to the quarterback with a conventional pass rush. They blitz 58% of the time, way more than the rest of the league. I believe Lito Sheppard will handle Pierre Garcon, so look for the key match-up to be Dallas Clark on whoever the Jets decide to cover him.
For the Colts to win, I think it comes down to one thing...get up by 2 scores. If the Colts are up at any point in the game by more than 2 scores, I think it would be extremely hard for the Jets to overcome. What the Colts can not do is become one dimensional on offense. They must keep the Jets guessing and stick to the game plan. Mix in the run in a few unconventional places early in the game. Do not become predictable like the Chargers did last week.
If you've ever watched an NFL films highlight of the Colts, you would know that Peyton Manning always has 2 plays for each play, a running play and a passing play. If Peyton gets to the line of scrimmage and does not think the original play called looks like it will work, he will change the play. Also the Colts run a lot of no huddle, so if the Jets get into a situation where they have bad personnel on the field, Manning will get his team to the line quickly and get the snap off and keep running plays until he can't. Those two things are what put Peyton Manning ahead of a lot of great quarterbacks who have played the game. The Jets are going to need to be very aware of those 2 things to have a chance this Sunday.
Prediction: Jets 20 Colts 17
Make your predictions and thoughts on this game in Comments. Saints/Vikings preview tomorrow
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Recapping NFL Divisional Playoff Weekend
They saved the best for last this weekend as 3 of the games again were snoozers and one had some pretty good excitement. Lets take a look at all 4.
Saints 45 Cardinals 15
As I wrote last week, I expected Boldin to play and unfortunately he did not and it was a burden on the Cards offense this past week. Warner was roughed up badly by the Saints defense that played much better than they have going into the playoffs. The Cards need to invest some money into the offensive line and defense in the offseason or they are going to continue to have problems. I expect the defensive coordinator for Arizona to be fired and for them to hire a big time coach to call defense because Ken Whisenhunt has an offensive background and seems clueless with what to do with that defense that lacks personnel to play the defense they are playing. Will Warner retire or not? No one knows at this point, but I expect Matt Lienart to have a great NFL career. The Saints did everything right on Sunday, and it appears that Reggie Bush has re-established himself in the Saints offense and specials. More on the Saints later in the week
Colts 20 Ravens 3
I did not give the Ravens a shot at all to win last week and rightfully so because Flacco was awful. Everyone knew they were going to have to pass the ball more to win, which they attempted to do passing 35 times, however Flacco threw 2 INTs. But the play of this game was Ed Reed's interception and subsequent fumble. I know Ed Reed is a dynamic football player trying to make a play for his team with his offense struggling, but how does he not go out of bounds on that INT return? Defensive players play defense for a reason, if you watch defensive backs hold the ball after interceptions or fumbles, they hold them like a loaf of bread. Ed Reed did not hold the ball "high and tight" as coaches like to call it. It was a game changing play that would have given the Ravens huge momentum, but the game ended for them on that play. Peyton was as good as he needed to be, he wasn't great but he did what he had to do to win. If the Colts are going to win next week, they are going to have to run the ball better than they did against the Ravens. More on that matchup later in the week.
Vikings 34 Cowgirls 3
I said this game would come down to the Dallas offense against the Vikings defense and it turned out to be true. Flozell Adams left the game in the second quarter, and on the 2nd play after he left, Jared Allen went right around Jason Witten and got the strip sack. Not that Flozell was playing great anyway, but what it did was take Jason Witten out of the game and force Dallas to use him in pass protection. So now one of the primary Dallas weapons has been totally neutralized which releases the safeties to double on the outside. It was an unfortunate break for Dallas and certainly something that the Vikings took advantage of. Now as far as the Vikings going for it on 4th and 3 from the 11 with 2 minutes to go in the game up by 24. Questionable? Yes. Bush league? Maybe. The decision is not bush league, but the celebration by Favre and Shiancoe was bush league. Act like you've scored before! You show no respect for your opponent when you act like that. Favre was a pinhead who is no straight shooter either.
Jets 17 Chargers 14
The J-E-T-S- JETS! JETS! JETS! are on their way to the AFC Championship for the first time since 1998. The Jets did what they do to win, rushing and defense. The offense went 3 and out on their first 4 possessions. But to the Jets credit, they stuck to what they do, and they did not try to become a team that they are not. I give Rex and Brian Schottenheimer an enormous amount of credit for that. Its very easy to abandon everything you have worked on all week and all year in the heat of battle in a playoff game. But the Jets stayed true to who they are, relied on their defense, kept pounding, and pounding, and pounding the ball and that pays off late in games. If you have a defense that can keep the score down like the Jets do, 14 points per game in the regular season, it allows you to cover up flaws on offense. When you run the ball 38 times like the Jets did Sunday, that takes a toll on defenses in the interior who are sick of hitting you by the 4th quarter and then all of a sudden are subbing and guys are going in and out and thats when you catch them for big play like Greene made on the 53-yard run late in the game. Thats the kind of game the Jets play, and they play it effectively.
The Chargers did a lot to help the Jets also. Nate Kaeding missed 2 easy field goals from 40 and 36 yards (I don't count the 57 yarder you can't expect anyone to make that). Nate must have thought it was deja vu and 2004 all over again.
Norv Turner also had some questionable calling of his own. After the Chargers got it to within 3 with 2:14 left, Norv tries for an on-side kick. As I'm watching I am saying to myself, WHAT IS HE DOING? Now this is a totally different story if there is less than 2 minutes left and no timeouts. But the Chargers had a time out AND the 2 minute warning. They on-side kick, and don't recover. Now the Jets run 3 times, get it to 4th and 1 from the 29. San Diego has used their time out and the 2 minute warning has passed. No brainier for Rex, puts in the power I, puts in the veteran Thomas Jones, runs it up the gut, 2 yard gain. GAME OVER. If the ball is kicked deep, the Chargers would have gotten the ball back and had an opportunity for a field goal to tie. Instead it was game over, another questionable call for Norv Turner who's playoff woes as head coach of the Chargers continue.
Later in the week, I'll have the Jet/Colts and Saint/Vikings previews.
Saints 45 Cardinals 15
As I wrote last week, I expected Boldin to play and unfortunately he did not and it was a burden on the Cards offense this past week. Warner was roughed up badly by the Saints defense that played much better than they have going into the playoffs. The Cards need to invest some money into the offensive line and defense in the offseason or they are going to continue to have problems. I expect the defensive coordinator for Arizona to be fired and for them to hire a big time coach to call defense because Ken Whisenhunt has an offensive background and seems clueless with what to do with that defense that lacks personnel to play the defense they are playing. Will Warner retire or not? No one knows at this point, but I expect Matt Lienart to have a great NFL career. The Saints did everything right on Sunday, and it appears that Reggie Bush has re-established himself in the Saints offense and specials. More on the Saints later in the week
Colts 20 Ravens 3
I did not give the Ravens a shot at all to win last week and rightfully so because Flacco was awful. Everyone knew they were going to have to pass the ball more to win, which they attempted to do passing 35 times, however Flacco threw 2 INTs. But the play of this game was Ed Reed's interception and subsequent fumble. I know Ed Reed is a dynamic football player trying to make a play for his team with his offense struggling, but how does he not go out of bounds on that INT return? Defensive players play defense for a reason, if you watch defensive backs hold the ball after interceptions or fumbles, they hold them like a loaf of bread. Ed Reed did not hold the ball "high and tight" as coaches like to call it. It was a game changing play that would have given the Ravens huge momentum, but the game ended for them on that play. Peyton was as good as he needed to be, he wasn't great but he did what he had to do to win. If the Colts are going to win next week, they are going to have to run the ball better than they did against the Ravens. More on that matchup later in the week.
Vikings 34 Cowgirls 3
I said this game would come down to the Dallas offense against the Vikings defense and it turned out to be true. Flozell Adams left the game in the second quarter, and on the 2nd play after he left, Jared Allen went right around Jason Witten and got the strip sack. Not that Flozell was playing great anyway, but what it did was take Jason Witten out of the game and force Dallas to use him in pass protection. So now one of the primary Dallas weapons has been totally neutralized which releases the safeties to double on the outside. It was an unfortunate break for Dallas and certainly something that the Vikings took advantage of. Now as far as the Vikings going for it on 4th and 3 from the 11 with 2 minutes to go in the game up by 24. Questionable? Yes. Bush league? Maybe. The decision is not bush league, but the celebration by Favre and Shiancoe was bush league. Act like you've scored before! You show no respect for your opponent when you act like that. Favre was a pinhead who is no straight shooter either.
Jets 17 Chargers 14
The J-E-T-S- JETS! JETS! JETS! are on their way to the AFC Championship for the first time since 1998. The Jets did what they do to win, rushing and defense. The offense went 3 and out on their first 4 possessions. But to the Jets credit, they stuck to what they do, and they did not try to become a team that they are not. I give Rex and Brian Schottenheimer an enormous amount of credit for that. Its very easy to abandon everything you have worked on all week and all year in the heat of battle in a playoff game. But the Jets stayed true to who they are, relied on their defense, kept pounding, and pounding, and pounding the ball and that pays off late in games. If you have a defense that can keep the score down like the Jets do, 14 points per game in the regular season, it allows you to cover up flaws on offense. When you run the ball 38 times like the Jets did Sunday, that takes a toll on defenses in the interior who are sick of hitting you by the 4th quarter and then all of a sudden are subbing and guys are going in and out and thats when you catch them for big play like Greene made on the 53-yard run late in the game. Thats the kind of game the Jets play, and they play it effectively.
The Chargers did a lot to help the Jets also. Nate Kaeding missed 2 easy field goals from 40 and 36 yards (I don't count the 57 yarder you can't expect anyone to make that). Nate must have thought it was deja vu and 2004 all over again.
Norv Turner also had some questionable calling of his own. After the Chargers got it to within 3 with 2:14 left, Norv tries for an on-side kick. As I'm watching I am saying to myself, WHAT IS HE DOING? Now this is a totally different story if there is less than 2 minutes left and no timeouts. But the Chargers had a time out AND the 2 minute warning. They on-side kick, and don't recover. Now the Jets run 3 times, get it to 4th and 1 from the 29. San Diego has used their time out and the 2 minute warning has passed. No brainier for Rex, puts in the power I, puts in the veteran Thomas Jones, runs it up the gut, 2 yard gain. GAME OVER. If the ball is kicked deep, the Chargers would have gotten the ball back and had an opportunity for a field goal to tie. Instead it was game over, another questionable call for Norv Turner who's playoff woes as head coach of the Chargers continue.
Later in the week, I'll have the Jet/Colts and Saint/Vikings previews.
2010 Australian Open
The 2010 Australian Open is underway in Melbourne, so lets take take a look at who has the best shot on both the mens and womens side.
Mens
1) Roger Federer: RFED has reached the finals in 17 of the last 18 Grand Slams. He lost the first set in his 1st round match, then won the next 3 easily. Gonna take him a few matches to get him going to the RFED we know, but once he gets going, you don;t want to get in his way.
Chance to win:65%
2) Rafael Nadal: The defending champion is coming in looking to repeat after winning his first Ausie Open last year over Roger Federer. He has a chance to face Andy Murray in the fourth round, followed by Andy Roddick in the quarters.
Chance to win:15%
3) Andy Roddick: Andy reached the semifinals last year after Novak Djokovic had to retire in the Quarters. Roddick cruised in his first round match, but you never know when the wheels may come off.
Chance to win: 10%
4) Novak Djokovic: Novak as we mentioned had to retire last year in the Quarters because of heat stress last year. Can he handle the sun down under better this year?
Chance to win: 10%
5) Marcos Baghdatis: Just because he is my favorite, I had to give him a shout out. GO MARCOS!
Chance to win: less than 1%
Womens
1) Serena Williams: I have lost all respect for Serena after what she did last year at the U.S. Open. She is seeded #1 and is the defending champion and cruised in her first round match against Radwanska.
Chance to win: 40%
2) Kim Clijsters: Kim came back last year after having her first child and totally shocked the tennis world by winning the U.S. Open last fall. If she plays the way she played in the U.S. she has a great shot.
Chance to win: 25%
3) Carolina Wozniacki: Just because shes my favorite womens player. I give her a shot!
Chance to win: 15%
4) Venus Williams: My favorite of the two sisters has not won a major since Wimbledon in 2008. Can she get back on track this year?
Chance to win:10%
5) Elena Dementieva: The top Russain, now that Sharapova is out, has a great shot with a favorable draw.
Chance to win: 10%
Make your predictions in Comments.
Mens
1) Roger Federer: RFED has reached the finals in 17 of the last 18 Grand Slams. He lost the first set in his 1st round match, then won the next 3 easily. Gonna take him a few matches to get him going to the RFED we know, but once he gets going, you don;t want to get in his way.
Chance to win:65%
2) Rafael Nadal: The defending champion is coming in looking to repeat after winning his first Ausie Open last year over Roger Federer. He has a chance to face Andy Murray in the fourth round, followed by Andy Roddick in the quarters.
Chance to win:15%
3) Andy Roddick: Andy reached the semifinals last year after Novak Djokovic had to retire in the Quarters. Roddick cruised in his first round match, but you never know when the wheels may come off.
Chance to win: 10%
4) Novak Djokovic: Novak as we mentioned had to retire last year in the Quarters because of heat stress last year. Can he handle the sun down under better this year?
Chance to win: 10%
5) Marcos Baghdatis: Just because he is my favorite, I had to give him a shout out. GO MARCOS!
Chance to win: less than 1%
Womens
1) Serena Williams: I have lost all respect for Serena after what she did last year at the U.S. Open. She is seeded #1 and is the defending champion and cruised in her first round match against Radwanska.
Chance to win: 40%
2) Kim Clijsters: Kim came back last year after having her first child and totally shocked the tennis world by winning the U.S. Open last fall. If she plays the way she played in the U.S. she has a great shot.
Chance to win: 25%
3) Carolina Wozniacki: Just because shes my favorite womens player. I give her a shot!
Chance to win: 15%
4) Venus Williams: My favorite of the two sisters has not won a major since Wimbledon in 2008. Can she get back on track this year?
Chance to win:10%
5) Elena Dementieva: The top Russain, now that Sharapova is out, has a great shot with a favorable draw.
Chance to win: 10%
Make your predictions in Comments.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Troy Calhoun will leave Air Force for TennesseeUPDATED 9:12 P.M 1/18/2010 Vols hire Derek Dooley as head coach
UPDATED 9:12 P.M 1/18/2010 Vols hire Derek Dooley as head coach
UPDATED 9:12 P.M. 1/18:Sorry I could not update this sooner, but this news broke after I left for the weekend.
Tennessee has named former Louisiana Tech coach Derek Dooley as their new head coach replacing Lane Kiffin. You can't get them right all the time. Just 3 years ago, everyone on earth thought Les Miles would leave LSU to go to Michigan, and look how that turned out...
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An unnamed source has told me that Troy Calhoun has called a team meeting for 3:50 Mountian time and is expected to announce that he will be leaving Air Force to become the new head coach at Tennessee. Calhouns tenure has been a successful one for the Falcons, leading them to 3 bowl games in three years.
Tennessee has named former Louisiana Tech coach Derek Dooley as their new head coach replacing Lane Kiffin. You can't get them right all the time. Just 3 years ago, everyone on earth thought Les Miles would leave LSU to go to Michigan, and look how that turned out...
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An unnamed source has told me that Troy Calhoun has called a team meeting for 3:50 Mountian time and is expected to announce that he will be leaving Air Force to become the new head coach at Tennessee. Calhouns tenure has been a successful one for the Falcons, leading them to 3 bowl games in three years.
NFL Divisional Playoff Weekend
Here it is folks, the best weekend in the NFL is upon us. Lets take a look at the 4 matchups and make a few predictions.
Arizona @ New Orleans
The Cards are coming of a WILD Wild Card win against the Packers at home last week where neither team played ANY defense. I like the way that the Cardinals are playing right now. Early Doucett came in for the injured Anquan Boldin and stepped up tremendously scoring 2 TD's. I have to believe that Boldin will be back this week, which means the deathly combo of Fitzgerald and Boldin will be back in action and I believe that will be too much for Sharper and the Saints defense. I also expect Beanie Wells to have a huge game on the ground against a Saints run defense that ranks in the bottom third of the league.
PREDICTION: Arizona 37 New Orleans 28
Baltimore @ Indianapolis
Joe Flacco and the Ravens travel into Lucos Oil to take on the 4 time NFL-MVP Peyton Manning and the Colts. I give the Ravens NO SHOT to win this game. The Ravens are not going to be able to do what they did last week to Brady. Brady had his worst postseason performance in his career, and looked totally confused. Flacco completed only 4 passes last week because...well he could. Manning is not going to hand them the game like Brady did lat week.
PREDICTION : Baltimore 10 Indianapolis 35
Dallas @ Minnesota
The Cowgirls are coming of their first postseason win since 1996 after routing the Eagles in 2 straight weeks. Will this trend of Dallas' hot play continue this week? I believe so. The Minnesota defense has been playing badly of late, giving up 30 points against Arizona and Chicago. With the way Tony Romo and the Dallas offense is playing right now, I dont see the the Vikes stopping them. Brett Favre has had an excellent season (on my fantasy team btw) and I expect him to have a decent game, but this game will come down to the Dallas offense against the Vikings defense.
PREDICTION: Dallas 35 Minnesota 27
New York Jets @ San Diego
The Jets head a little further west than expected this week to take on Phillip Rivers and the Chargers who have won 11 in a row leading up to the playoffs. Mark Sanchez and the Jets ran all over the Bengals 2 weeks in a row to get themselves to a place no one expected to be at the beginning of the season. But you know what, their here, and their playing like they deserve to be too. The defense is playing absolutely outstanding and this matchup favors them well this week. The Chargers are next to last in the NFL in rushing, only the Colts are worse. That has been a liability for the Jets for some parts of the season. I think that Rivers throws at least 40 times Sunday which will play right into the Jets hands. I think Vincent Jackson will be next to join the many on Revis Island. So it will come down to how well the Jets defend Naanee, Gates and Sproles. Heres what you have with that matchup, you have Sheppard on Naanee, I like Sheppard. Then you have a combination of Rhodes and the Jets linebackers on Gates. HUGE edge to Gates there. Look for him to have a big game recieving. If the Jets are going to win this game, they are going to have to put big pressure on Rivers and make him force those passes to the outside and the Jets can not allow checkdowns to go for 5+ yards. The Jets offensively are going to have to play big ball control like they have been with Shawn Greene and Thomas Jones. Sanchez needs to play smart, no turnovers, but he also is going to need to get the ball downfield to Cotchery and "Don't let it hit me in the hands" Edwards.
PREDICTION : Jets 24 Chargers 21
Enjoy the games everyone! Make your predictions in comments.
Arizona @ New Orleans
The Cards are coming of a WILD Wild Card win against the Packers at home last week where neither team played ANY defense. I like the way that the Cardinals are playing right now. Early Doucett came in for the injured Anquan Boldin and stepped up tremendously scoring 2 TD's. I have to believe that Boldin will be back this week, which means the deathly combo of Fitzgerald and Boldin will be back in action and I believe that will be too much for Sharper and the Saints defense. I also expect Beanie Wells to have a huge game on the ground against a Saints run defense that ranks in the bottom third of the league.
PREDICTION: Arizona 37 New Orleans 28
Baltimore @ Indianapolis
Joe Flacco and the Ravens travel into Lucos Oil to take on the 4 time NFL-MVP Peyton Manning and the Colts. I give the Ravens NO SHOT to win this game. The Ravens are not going to be able to do what they did last week to Brady. Brady had his worst postseason performance in his career, and looked totally confused. Flacco completed only 4 passes last week because...well he could. Manning is not going to hand them the game like Brady did lat week.
PREDICTION : Baltimore 10 Indianapolis 35
Dallas @ Minnesota
The Cowgirls are coming of their first postseason win since 1996 after routing the Eagles in 2 straight weeks. Will this trend of Dallas' hot play continue this week? I believe so. The Minnesota defense has been playing badly of late, giving up 30 points against Arizona and Chicago. With the way Tony Romo and the Dallas offense is playing right now, I dont see the the Vikes stopping them. Brett Favre has had an excellent season (on my fantasy team btw) and I expect him to have a decent game, but this game will come down to the Dallas offense against the Vikings defense.
PREDICTION: Dallas 35 Minnesota 27
New York Jets @ San Diego
The Jets head a little further west than expected this week to take on Phillip Rivers and the Chargers who have won 11 in a row leading up to the playoffs. Mark Sanchez and the Jets ran all over the Bengals 2 weeks in a row to get themselves to a place no one expected to be at the beginning of the season. But you know what, their here, and their playing like they deserve to be too. The defense is playing absolutely outstanding and this matchup favors them well this week. The Chargers are next to last in the NFL in rushing, only the Colts are worse. That has been a liability for the Jets for some parts of the season. I think that Rivers throws at least 40 times Sunday which will play right into the Jets hands. I think Vincent Jackson will be next to join the many on Revis Island. So it will come down to how well the Jets defend Naanee, Gates and Sproles. Heres what you have with that matchup, you have Sheppard on Naanee, I like Sheppard. Then you have a combination of Rhodes and the Jets linebackers on Gates. HUGE edge to Gates there. Look for him to have a big game recieving. If the Jets are going to win this game, they are going to have to put big pressure on Rivers and make him force those passes to the outside and the Jets can not allow checkdowns to go for 5+ yards. The Jets offensively are going to have to play big ball control like they have been with Shawn Greene and Thomas Jones. Sanchez needs to play smart, no turnovers, but he also is going to need to get the ball downfield to Cotchery and "Don't let it hit me in the hands" Edwards.
PREDICTION : Jets 24 Chargers 21
Enjoy the games everyone! Make your predictions in comments.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Lane Kiffin ditches Knoxville for LA
Lane Kiffin is no stranger to controversy. Over the past 14 months as head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers, he has committed at least 3 NCAA violations.
USC is no stranger to controversy either. The school is under investigation for a slew of NCAA violations involving Reggie Bush and Joe McKnight. McKnight has allegedly been driving an SUV owned by a California businessman, a violation of NCAA rules. Bush has been sued by Lloyd Lake for allegedly accepting $300,000 in gifts during his time at USC.
So what does this all mean? This leaves Tennessee in a real bind. They have no head coach, and a bunch of recruits who have only verbally committed to the school. This means that they they did not sign a letter of intent, meaning they are free to decommit and choose a school of their liking, including USC. Tennessee must now frantically search for a head coach, even though most of the talented ones are gone. My guess is they hire Mike Leach, who has filed a lawsuit against Texas Tech after they fired a few weeks ago.
Lane Kiffin must pay Tennessee $800,000 for leaving his contract at Tennessee. Then he is off to USC to become their next head coach after Pete Carrol left to become head coach of the Seattle Seahawks. So the question remains, why did Lane Kiffin take this job? Well it is a higher profile job then Tennessee, who has not won the SEC since 1998. USC has been a powerhouse in the PAC-10 under Carroll, winning at least a share of 2 National Titles and 7 PAC-10 titles. USC is the cream of the crop right now. And the cast Kiffin is surrounding himself with is incredible. His Dad, Monte, will join him as defensive coordinator after he left the NFL to be with Lane at Tennessee last year. Ed Orgeron will also be on his defensive staff. It has been rumored that Norm Chow will leave UCLA and head to USC to become their offensive coordinator. Chow had that position while Carrol was their but left for UCLA 2 years ago.
But these sanctions are still hanging over USC. What will happen after these investigations are over is anyone's guess. But if they tie Lane Kiffins hands, he is going to have a difficult time getting USC back to where it was.
USC is no stranger to controversy either. The school is under investigation for a slew of NCAA violations involving Reggie Bush and Joe McKnight. McKnight has allegedly been driving an SUV owned by a California businessman, a violation of NCAA rules. Bush has been sued by Lloyd Lake for allegedly accepting $300,000 in gifts during his time at USC.
So what does this all mean? This leaves Tennessee in a real bind. They have no head coach, and a bunch of recruits who have only verbally committed to the school. This means that they they did not sign a letter of intent, meaning they are free to decommit and choose a school of their liking, including USC. Tennessee must now frantically search for a head coach, even though most of the talented ones are gone. My guess is they hire Mike Leach, who has filed a lawsuit against Texas Tech after they fired a few weeks ago.
Lane Kiffin must pay Tennessee $800,000 for leaving his contract at Tennessee. Then he is off to USC to become their next head coach after Pete Carrol left to become head coach of the Seattle Seahawks. So the question remains, why did Lane Kiffin take this job? Well it is a higher profile job then Tennessee, who has not won the SEC since 1998. USC has been a powerhouse in the PAC-10 under Carroll, winning at least a share of 2 National Titles and 7 PAC-10 titles. USC is the cream of the crop right now. And the cast Kiffin is surrounding himself with is incredible. His Dad, Monte, will join him as defensive coordinator after he left the NFL to be with Lane at Tennessee last year. Ed Orgeron will also be on his defensive staff. It has been rumored that Norm Chow will leave UCLA and head to USC to become their offensive coordinator. Chow had that position while Carrol was their but left for UCLA 2 years ago.
But these sanctions are still hanging over USC. What will happen after these investigations are over is anyone's guess. But if they tie Lane Kiffins hands, he is going to have a difficult time getting USC back to where it was.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Where in the World is Tiger?
We have not seen or heard from Tiger Woods since the day after he crashed his Cadillac into a fire hydrant and then a tree in his driveway in Orlando on Thanksgiving. Where hes been since that time is anyone's guess.
Is he out of the country trying to repair his marriage with his wife and his relationship with his kids?...I sure hope so.
Is he on his yacht "Privacy" circling the Caribbean Sea for the past month plus with a bunch of beautiful women?...Possibly
Is he hiding out in the Oheka Castle on Long Island gaining his thoughts and planning his next move?...Probably not
Whatever Tiger is doing, he is contemplating some very important and difficult decisions about his life. When will he return to the sport he has dominated for the past decade? And when he does return, will he be a more open and accessible Tiger Woods?
From my perspective, no matter what he does from now until he retires, he has lost all of my respect. In a press conference years ago, in reference to his personal life, Tiger responded with "you know me." No Tiger, we don't know you. We know nothing about you. All we know about you is what we see on a weekly basis between the ropes on the course. What we all thought we knew about you shattered in the days after Thanksgiving when one woman after another came out admitting their affairs with the man.
Now I have no idea what motives these women had, but I do think we all know what motives Tiger had. I will leave those motives unsaid.
So the question still remains, whats next? Many, including me, have said that he needs to be out their on the course playing in every single tournament he possibly can from now on. But someone told me last month that Tiger Woods has only one shot to repair his life with his wife and his children, and once that shot is gone, its gone and its not coming back. So if he's is out doing that, I would understand. But if he is doing anything other than that, it is a big mistake.
So here is the question, where in the world is Tiger?
Is he out of the country trying to repair his marriage with his wife and his relationship with his kids?...I sure hope so.
Is he on his yacht "Privacy" circling the Caribbean Sea for the past month plus with a bunch of beautiful women?...Possibly
Is he hiding out in the Oheka Castle on Long Island gaining his thoughts and planning his next move?...Probably not
Whatever Tiger is doing, he is contemplating some very important and difficult decisions about his life. When will he return to the sport he has dominated for the past decade? And when he does return, will he be a more open and accessible Tiger Woods?
From my perspective, no matter what he does from now until he retires, he has lost all of my respect. In a press conference years ago, in reference to his personal life, Tiger responded with "you know me." No Tiger, we don't know you. We know nothing about you. All we know about you is what we see on a weekly basis between the ropes on the course. What we all thought we knew about you shattered in the days after Thanksgiving when one woman after another came out admitting their affairs with the man.
Now I have no idea what motives these women had, but I do think we all know what motives Tiger had. I will leave those motives unsaid.
So the question still remains, whats next? Many, including me, have said that he needs to be out their on the course playing in every single tournament he possibly can from now on. But someone told me last month that Tiger Woods has only one shot to repair his life with his wife and his children, and once that shot is gone, its gone and its not coming back. So if he's is out doing that, I would understand. But if he is doing anything other than that, it is a big mistake.
So here is the question, where in the world is Tiger?
No Love for Hockey
I like to believe that hockey is a sport that does interest a lot of people, but the lack of coverage it gets on all stages just angers me. When a goal like this is scored and it does not even make Top 10 plays OF THE DAY.....never mind the year......THE DAY, it angers me. This will probably be one of the NHL's Top 10 goals of the year.
Now I'm no fan of basketball, but I do like seeing slam dunks and alley-oops from time to time, but how much of the same thing can ESPN show on their Top 10 plays of the day? Besides the Top 10 issue, I rarely see highlights of the major NHL games on SportsCenter the following day. But they are sure to show all NBA highlights, including last place teams playing each other. Turn on TSN in Canada and they are sure to show highlights of every hockey game that happened the previous day on SportsCentre.
ESPN also has a separate show dedicated to the 3 other major sports, Baseball Tonight, NFL Live, and NBA Fastbreak. Where is the NHL's show?
I do think that the NHL lockout in 2004-2005 was a detriment to the league from the public standpoint, but it did wonders for the sport in a lot of ways. Also not having live NHL games on ESPN probably has a lot do with their lack of exposure on that network. But last time i checked they are still the NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE, and still part of the 4 major sports in this country. When the commissioners were asked by Congress to testify about performance enhancing drugs, Garry Bettman was there. I hope soon ESPN will give hockey some more exposure.
Now I'm no fan of basketball, but I do like seeing slam dunks and alley-oops from time to time, but how much of the same thing can ESPN show on their Top 10 plays of the day? Besides the Top 10 issue, I rarely see highlights of the major NHL games on SportsCenter the following day. But they are sure to show all NBA highlights, including last place teams playing each other. Turn on TSN in Canada and they are sure to show highlights of every hockey game that happened the previous day on SportsCentre.
ESPN also has a separate show dedicated to the 3 other major sports, Baseball Tonight, NFL Live, and NBA Fastbreak. Where is the NHL's show?
I do think that the NHL lockout in 2004-2005 was a detriment to the league from the public standpoint, but it did wonders for the sport in a lot of ways. Also not having live NHL games on ESPN probably has a lot do with their lack of exposure on that network. But last time i checked they are still the NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE, and still part of the 4 major sports in this country. When the commissioners were asked by Congress to testify about performance enhancing drugs, Garry Bettman was there. I hope soon ESPN will give hockey some more exposure.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Mark McGwire
It is being reported today that Mark McGwire has finally come clean about his steroid use during his playing days. McGwire has admitted he did use steroids during the 1998 season when he broke Roger Maris' single season home run record.
McGwire is someone I did admire growing up. I was 10 years old when he and Sammy Sosa were in that great home run race. I was always fascinated by home runs and my favorite players were power hitters like Griffey, Tino Martinez, and Jason Giambi,
I believe McGwire needs to take a note from Arod. He needs to sit down at a press conference right when the Cardinals begin spring training, make his statements, apologize, and answer questions leaving nothing to suspect. I believe if he does this the Arod way, he will be forgiven for his mistakes. We are a forgiving society, and I believe if he does this the right way, he too will be forgiven. But he can not stop with just this statement to the AP. He must man up and answer questions at a press conference or do an interview as Pete Rose did.
As far as the consequences that should happen to players who have taken steroids, I wish that they would have some type of asterisk or something similar, but I don't think the records will be taken out of the books. There is no way that MLB will do that, but I do believe that Mark McGwire will not make the Hall of Fame.
UPDATED 5:30 P.M.: Mark McGwire will be on MLB Network at 7:00 tonight doing his first interview since coming clean
UPDATED 7:45 P.M.: In his interview with Bob Costas on MLB Network, Mark McGwire told the world that he never took steroids with the intent to enhance his performance. He also told us that he thought he hit more home runs because his "swing got better" and that he "got more underpin on the ball".......UTTER NONSENSE! It would be rediculous for anyone to believe either of those two statements. For him to say that taking performance enhancing drugs DID NOT in any way help his baseball performance is nonsense. He took one step forward and two steps back with this interview.
Mark McGwire is doing this all for himself, not for his family, his former teammates, or his fans. He is doing all this as a plea for the Hall of Fame.
McGwire is someone I did admire growing up. I was 10 years old when he and Sammy Sosa were in that great home run race. I was always fascinated by home runs and my favorite players were power hitters like Griffey, Tino Martinez, and Jason Giambi,
I believe McGwire needs to take a note from Arod. He needs to sit down at a press conference right when the Cardinals begin spring training, make his statements, apologize, and answer questions leaving nothing to suspect. I believe if he does this the Arod way, he will be forgiven for his mistakes. We are a forgiving society, and I believe if he does this the right way, he too will be forgiven. But he can not stop with just this statement to the AP. He must man up and answer questions at a press conference or do an interview as Pete Rose did.
As far as the consequences that should happen to players who have taken steroids, I wish that they would have some type of asterisk or something similar, but I don't think the records will be taken out of the books. There is no way that MLB will do that, but I do believe that Mark McGwire will not make the Hall of Fame.
UPDATED 5:30 P.M.: Mark McGwire will be on MLB Network at 7:00 tonight doing his first interview since coming clean
UPDATED 7:45 P.M.: In his interview with Bob Costas on MLB Network, Mark McGwire told the world that he never took steroids with the intent to enhance his performance. He also told us that he thought he hit more home runs because his "swing got better" and that he "got more underpin on the ball".......UTTER NONSENSE! It would be rediculous for anyone to believe either of those two statements. For him to say that taking performance enhancing drugs DID NOT in any way help his baseball performance is nonsense. He took one step forward and two steps back with this interview.
Mark McGwire is doing this all for himself, not for his family, his former teammates, or his fans. He is doing all this as a plea for the Hall of Fame.
Welcome
First of all let me start by introducing myself and stating my sports alliances.
My name is L.J. and I am a 21 year old college student. I attend the University of Central Florida, originally from Long Island, NY and moved to a small town called Niceville, FL. Love sports, love talking about, watching it, sometimes re-watching it.
We'll start with football because obviously that is the most popular sport in this country right now. I am a dedicated New York Giants fan since 2004. I have followed the team religiously since that time. During my pre-teen years I was never a football fan, in fact I HATED football for reasons I can not think of today. College football is the reason I started watching football in the first place. Moving from the northeast to the south, you can see a huge disparity in the following of college football. I am a huge fan of the Florida Gators.
Baseball I stand with the 27, YES 27 time World Series Champion New York Yankees. I went to my first game in 1995 and I haven't looked back since.
Hockey is a sport that I am most passionate about even though it does not get the publicity that the other 3 major sports get at least in the States. The New York Islanders are a team rich with history and unfortunately for me that history took place before I was born, but I am hoping in years to come I will be there when they write some new history. And I'm not talking about history that has them moving to Kansas City.
FULL DISCLOSURE: I was an intern/sales executive for the New York Islanders during the summer of 2008.
Basketball is a sport that is hard for me to watch, because I can't really get into it, so you will rarely see me write about it in this space unless its something major.
I am an avid golfer and my ups and downs live with Phil Mickelson. Ive been playing since I was 3 years old thanks to my father and grandfather.
Now that you know my teams, know that I am a knowledgeable sports fan. You may hear me rant about my struggles rooting for some of my teams, but you will never see me write something I can't back up. Yes I loath some teams, the Dallas Cowboys and New York Rangers among others, but I give credit where credit is due.
I welcome all comments from all sports fans, but please do not write anything that is not FACT, and keep comments on the topics I am talking about. Also I know we will disagree, probably often, on most topics, but personal and silly attacks will not be tolerated and will be deleted. "Are you stupid" and the like included. Please have respect for me and fellow readers.
I will update as often as I can with topics going around in the sports world, plus on some topics I sometimes have to vent about (Probably after Islanders loses after blowing 3 goal leads), but I hope you enjoy the blog and have some fun.
Please start by introducing yourself and your sports teams in Comments.
My name is L.J. and I am a 21 year old college student. I attend the University of Central Florida, originally from Long Island, NY and moved to a small town called Niceville, FL. Love sports, love talking about, watching it, sometimes re-watching it.
We'll start with football because obviously that is the most popular sport in this country right now. I am a dedicated New York Giants fan since 2004. I have followed the team religiously since that time. During my pre-teen years I was never a football fan, in fact I HATED football for reasons I can not think of today. College football is the reason I started watching football in the first place. Moving from the northeast to the south, you can see a huge disparity in the following of college football. I am a huge fan of the Florida Gators.
Baseball I stand with the 27, YES 27 time World Series Champion New York Yankees. I went to my first game in 1995 and I haven't looked back since.
Hockey is a sport that I am most passionate about even though it does not get the publicity that the other 3 major sports get at least in the States. The New York Islanders are a team rich with history and unfortunately for me that history took place before I was born, but I am hoping in years to come I will be there when they write some new history. And I'm not talking about history that has them moving to Kansas City.
FULL DISCLOSURE: I was an intern/sales executive for the New York Islanders during the summer of 2008.
Basketball is a sport that is hard for me to watch, because I can't really get into it, so you will rarely see me write about it in this space unless its something major.
I am an avid golfer and my ups and downs live with Phil Mickelson. Ive been playing since I was 3 years old thanks to my father and grandfather.
Now that you know my teams, know that I am a knowledgeable sports fan. You may hear me rant about my struggles rooting for some of my teams, but you will never see me write something I can't back up. Yes I loath some teams, the Dallas Cowboys and New York Rangers among others, but I give credit where credit is due.
I welcome all comments from all sports fans, but please do not write anything that is not FACT, and keep comments on the topics I am talking about. Also I know we will disagree, probably often, on most topics, but personal and silly attacks will not be tolerated and will be deleted. "Are you stupid" and the like included. Please have respect for me and fellow readers.
I will update as often as I can with topics going around in the sports world, plus on some topics I sometimes have to vent about (Probably after Islanders loses after blowing 3 goal leads), but I hope you enjoy the blog and have some fun.
Please start by introducing yourself and your sports teams in Comments.
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