First off, read Bill Simmons' column from today (http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/110128&sportCat=nba) which backs up reasons to love Ray and Pierce. The Celtics this year are playing well. We have a few people to thank for that, namely, Semih Erden, Shaquille O'neal, Von Wafer, and the rest of the Celtics rotation outside of Rondo, Pierce, Garnett, and Allen. Why do I thank them and not the big 4? Because we expect them to perform. And they have.
When Garnett has been healthy he's made a case for himself as the best power forward on the east coast. He rebounds, he scores, he makes players like Charlie Villanueva cry. He is everything Boston is embodied in a person. He's pissed off, like Boston usually is, because if we aren't winning championships all the time than nobody should be. Aside from Stoudemire, there is no one who holds a candle to him. If Bosh had half the winning drive that Garnett has he might be in the conversation but for now he seems content to just be a subheading to the Lebron/Wade show.
Now the bench, and it's wondrous glory. Won Wafer came out of nowhere. Erden came out of Turkey. Luke Harrangody came out of South Bend. Somehow we managed to put together a team that not only plays well, but makes it look like they have been doing it for awhile. Through injuries to both the relevant O'Neal and the other one, Kendrick Perkins, Garnett, and Rondo this team has maintained it's spot on top of the league. The bench is deep, the starters play like a championship is inevitable not just an option, and Nate Robinson keeps flapping his arms the entire time.
Defense wins championships. If I had a quarter for every time I heard that growing up. This team plays defense. They are 2nd in opponent PPG and 4th in opponent FG %. That could win a championship this year.
Honestly there are many reasons to love the Celtics. Historically there have been some of the best players in league history grace the parquet floor in both the former Boston Garden and now the TD Banknorth Garden. From Bird and Parish to Garnett an Pierce the fortune of being a Boston Sports fan is unparalleled. Other places have won championships but in the past 10 years nowhere can say 3 teams hailing from their city have won it all. Aside from the Bruins who have been good but not good enough and the Revolution that no one watches, Boston is a City of winners.
Friday, January 28, 2011
Sunday, January 23, 2011
NFC Championship Thoughts
The Packers Bears game ended with some familiarity, almost deja vu. I just pictured the game ending with Jay Cutler walking off the field after starting slow then making a near come back until he ended the game with an interception. I still saw a Bears quarterback leaving the game with his helmet unbuckled and half off his head, but this Bears quarterback shouldn't hang his head.
Caleb "handy man" Hanie did everything he could as a third string quarterback. A little background info on my man Hanie. Thanks to sports nation we know this: Hanie is 25. He's a three-year NFL veteran out of Colorado State, and went to high school in Texas. He had completed eight of his 14 passes as an NFL quarterback entering today for no touchdowns. He had thrown one interception.
He has a little over 6,000 Twitter followers. He was 19th nationally in pass efficiency in his senior season at Colorado State. He was the Bears only hope as Cutler played like absolute sh*t.
Hanie played well for the Bears as he got a rhythm, and most impressively led a quick touchdown drive when everyone though it was over at 21-7 and the big man, BJ, got a little "Raji" with it in the end zone.
Despite the valiant effort by a third string quarterback, the Bears are going to want Cutler's head. Unless his leg needed to be amputated, he had to stay in the football game. Announcers openly criticized Cutler's injury. They didn't even know when he got hurt! The Bear's offense was frustrating to watch with Cutler, disgusting with Collins, and at least relevant with Hanie. I though that Hanie played like a man. He came into the game after the Bears had done nothing on offense (2 first downs before he came into the game) and actually gave them a chance to go into OT. Job well done kid. He never expected to get into this game. Back to Cutler. He has ruined his reputation and played scared. Whenever there was pressure he lost his mechanics and did the notorious Cutler "throw off the back foot thing." Cutler did everything right for the Bears to lose, and I thought the Packers would win by 14. That said, you have to tip your hat to the rest of the Bears.
Rodgers came into this game red hot. He worked the Bears defense on their first possession like it was a practice squad. But, as the second half continued the Bears played better coverage and almost funneled Packers receivers into the middle of the field where Bears linebackers waited. Quick note, for anyone who said Urlacher couldn't play football anymore can eat their words. Urlacher was every bit of the player and leader he was 5 years ago. An impressive performance for the veteran, 10 tackles, 1 sack, 1 interception, and 2 tackles for a loss. Urlacher wanted this game and he showed it. The Bears D held Rodgers to only 244 yards (73 on the first drive), 2 INT, and 39 yards on the ground with a rushing touchdown. The Bears contained Rodgers enough to win the game. Yet, as a 6th seed and a road team the Packers had so much momentum they still were favored by 3 and half points coming into the game. The momentum showed in the first half and it was to much to overcome. The Packers are looking for the championship belt.
Caleb "handy man" Hanie did everything he could as a third string quarterback. A little background info on my man Hanie. Thanks to sports nation we know this: Hanie is 25. He's a three-year NFL veteran out of Colorado State, and went to high school in Texas. He had completed eight of his 14 passes as an NFL quarterback entering today for no touchdowns. He had thrown one interception.
He has a little over 6,000 Twitter followers. He was 19th nationally in pass efficiency in his senior season at Colorado State. He was the Bears only hope as Cutler played like absolute sh*t.
Hanie played well for the Bears as he got a rhythm, and most impressively led a quick touchdown drive when everyone though it was over at 21-7 and the big man, BJ, got a little "Raji" with it in the end zone.
Despite the valiant effort by a third string quarterback, the Bears are going to want Cutler's head. Unless his leg needed to be amputated, he had to stay in the football game. Announcers openly criticized Cutler's injury. They didn't even know when he got hurt! The Bear's offense was frustrating to watch with Cutler, disgusting with Collins, and at least relevant with Hanie. I though that Hanie played like a man. He came into the game after the Bears had done nothing on offense (2 first downs before he came into the game) and actually gave them a chance to go into OT. Job well done kid. He never expected to get into this game. Back to Cutler. He has ruined his reputation and played scared. Whenever there was pressure he lost his mechanics and did the notorious Cutler "throw off the back foot thing." Cutler did everything right for the Bears to lose, and I thought the Packers would win by 14. That said, you have to tip your hat to the rest of the Bears.
Rodgers came into this game red hot. He worked the Bears defense on their first possession like it was a practice squad. But, as the second half continued the Bears played better coverage and almost funneled Packers receivers into the middle of the field where Bears linebackers waited. Quick note, for anyone who said Urlacher couldn't play football anymore can eat their words. Urlacher was every bit of the player and leader he was 5 years ago. An impressive performance for the veteran, 10 tackles, 1 sack, 1 interception, and 2 tackles for a loss. Urlacher wanted this game and he showed it. The Bears D held Rodgers to only 244 yards (73 on the first drive), 2 INT, and 39 yards on the ground with a rushing touchdown. The Bears contained Rodgers enough to win the game. Yet, as a 6th seed and a road team the Packers had so much momentum they still were favored by 3 and half points coming into the game. The momentum showed in the first half and it was to much to overcome. The Packers are looking for the championship belt.
Important Playoffs for Roethelisberger's Reputation
As a Patriots fan the wind was taken out of my playoff sails when I watched a completely different team collapse at home for the second straight year. What happened? The trash talk of the Jets was in the Patriots head's and Brady simply choked. One pass completed for more than twenty yards. It was hard to swallow, but whats worse is Brady may not even be the best playoff quarterback in the league anymore. The loss to the Jets dropped Brady's playoff record to 14-5 while Roethelisberger enters his Jets showdown Sunday as 9-2 with two super bowls and a potential third on the way.
Big Ben just wins football games, at a time when they matter most. A 90.0 passer rating is better than Peyton Manning's 87.1 and that includes a couple tough stretches. Ben had a bad performance against Seattle in their Super Bowl win, a poor performance against the Patriots in 2004 and a bad first half in a playoff loss to Jacksonville. Those games included and he still possesses a 90.0 quarterback rating.
When it matters he has been great. He was great in 2005 Super Bowl season before the Seahawks game and who could forget the 2008 run and the masterful drive against Arizona to capture his second Superbowl. Two years later he is the same position in only his sixth NFL season. People may have their own opinions about him for his off-field issues, but when it comes to winning football games Roethelisberger could solidify himself as the best with Manning and Brady already watching from the sidelines.
Big Ben just wins football games, at a time when they matter most. A 90.0 passer rating is better than Peyton Manning's 87.1 and that includes a couple tough stretches. Ben had a bad performance against Seattle in their Super Bowl win, a poor performance against the Patriots in 2004 and a bad first half in a playoff loss to Jacksonville. Those games included and he still possesses a 90.0 quarterback rating.
When it matters he has been great. He was great in 2005 Super Bowl season before the Seahawks game and who could forget the 2008 run and the masterful drive against Arizona to capture his second Superbowl. Two years later he is the same position in only his sixth NFL season. People may have their own opinions about him for his off-field issues, but when it comes to winning football games Roethelisberger could solidify himself as the best with Manning and Brady already watching from the sidelines.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Yankees Schmankees
Baseball, America's pastime and my second favorite sport(College Basketball is king). The approaching onset of the 2011 season is a mere 2 months away and there is almost no way to describe the feeling of excitement building inside me. We got Adrian Gonzalez, then we got Carl Crawford, then the Yankees got... some other guy named Soriano. Now, well, the Yankees are "talking about" Andruw Jones, according to Buster Olney. I love hearing the words "Yankees" and "Andrew Jones" together, it's almost harmonic, of course it would be if every time I heard anything about the Yankees I didn't puke in my mouth a little.
This "interest" proves something that has long escaped us. The Yankees are in desperation mode. With their captain enjoying a notable contract despite reduced range and sub standard offensive production last season, who wouldn't be? This team is aging at a less than graceful pace and what better way to compliment it than the ever growing balloon that is Andruw Jones. He used to be good, really good, then he gained some weight and became a paper weight for a hot dog wrapper blowing around center field.
Last season with only a .230 average and no sizable stats offensively there is little to love on either side of the ball. He used to be a perennial gold glover, now he has the outfield range equivalent of Derek Jeter, god I love it when the Yankees over pay for reputation.
I mean the Yankees are still a dangerous team every game. They have a few decent pitchers... right? NOT, with Pettitte likely to move on to greener pastures in retirement it is likely their rotation will be a mess. They couldn't land any of the top free-agents and now look to sign the rotting bottom of the barrel so they can save face. Ohh yeah, and Cashman isn't so stoked on this Soriano signing demonstrating just how up in arms this entire organization is. I guess the Sox will just have to fight it out with the Rays in the AL East. And to the Yankees, it's only preseason, but you can adopt the former mantra of the Red Sox as your own now- "There's always next year".
This "interest" proves something that has long escaped us. The Yankees are in desperation mode. With their captain enjoying a notable contract despite reduced range and sub standard offensive production last season, who wouldn't be? This team is aging at a less than graceful pace and what better way to compliment it than the ever growing balloon that is Andruw Jones. He used to be good, really good, then he gained some weight and became a paper weight for a hot dog wrapper blowing around center field.
Last season with only a .230 average and no sizable stats offensively there is little to love on either side of the ball. He used to be a perennial gold glover, now he has the outfield range equivalent of Derek Jeter, god I love it when the Yankees over pay for reputation.
I mean the Yankees are still a dangerous team every game. They have a few decent pitchers... right? NOT, with Pettitte likely to move on to greener pastures in retirement it is likely their rotation will be a mess. They couldn't land any of the top free-agents and now look to sign the rotting bottom of the barrel so they can save face. Ohh yeah, and Cashman isn't so stoked on this Soriano signing demonstrating just how up in arms this entire organization is. I guess the Sox will just have to fight it out with the Rays in the AL East. And to the Yankees, it's only preseason, but you can adopt the former mantra of the Red Sox as your own now- "There's always next year".
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Players that Should be on TV, Pay attention David Stern (Ongoing Conversation)
BAM: So thus far this year the East coast has missed out on some of the good young talent on the other side of the country. Thank you David Stern, shielding me from whatever it is that's over there has really helped me. Not seeing Monta Ellis or Blake Griffin has helped me better appreciate the truly talentless teams. The Rockets on national television is awesome considering Yao is out and the rest of the team is pretty unremarkable. I don't care one bit about Kevin Martin. He's been in the league long enough and is not the electric player that these others are. And on top of all this I never want to see the Nets. Give me single player teams long before I have to deal with no player teams like the Cavaliers. Why on earth is Lakers/Cavaliers a televised game. After the first time that an elite team smashed them into the ground I don't need to see it happen again. Not only was it uninteresting but Kobe and Pau scored less than 20 points each. Unless you get Jack Nicholson out on the floor for the half time show to start filming a new "Departed" I'm not even close to interested.
After that Rant these are players that we want to see weekly. Not monthly, or every now and then, but weekly. Blake Griffin and Kevin Love are both on historic Double-Double streaks and I have yet to see either of them play. The fact that Griffin spends more time on the ESPN Top 10 than on national broadcasts is absolute bull.
1. Blake Griffin. Period.
Blake Griffin is the Top 10 on ESPN. He isn't just part of it anymore, he owns it. He is in the middle of the second longest active double-double streak in the league and a historic one for a rookie. Last night he scored 47 points, the highest single game point total this year and his second game of more than 44 points. 6'9", can handle the ball and apparently has a decent mid range game as well. Tell me why he isn't on TV every night of the year. Not only is Griffin interesting to watch but the clippers have won 10 of the last 14. This includes wins against the Lakers, Heat, Suns, and Bulls. That is TV worthy. Not only that but you also will see Eric Gordon, another young player having a good season on a bad team that no casual fan really pays any attention to. This may be the only time anyone has ever said this... I want to watch the Clippers.
2. (Chuck) Chris Paul
That's right, Chris Paul. Somebody tell me how many Hornets games they have seen this year. Unless you pay for NBA league pass the answer is 0. The New Orleans Hornets have one nationally televised game for the season. Blake Griffin may already be the most exciting player in the Association, but the Clippers are ten games under .500 at 15-25. The Hornets are a different story. At 27-16 the Hornets currently hold the 6th spot in the West. There is one more thing about the Hornets, they have Chris Paul! Arguably the best point guard in the league, Paul has been key to Hornets resurgence from their disappointing 37-45 the year before; Paul only played in 45 games. This season Paul has returned to form averaging 16 points, 10 dimes, and almost three steals per game. I have to pay 200 dollars a year to watch Chris Paul! C'mon man! To the delight of the fans like the NFL evolving into a passing league, the NBA has turned into a point guards league, but we don't get to see the best of the best. Chris Paul has his own website for crying out loud.
3. (Bam) Monta Ellis and Stephen Curry
A little more televised than the other two but still deserving to be on this list. The Lakers and Thunder are deserving of national broadcast, I wont argue that, but the Sacramento Kings are on 4 nationally televised games in the month of January to Golden States 1. WHY? Tyreke Evans, their leading scorer, ranks 39th. That is not nearly as impressive as Monta Ellis at 3rd. Not only does televising Golden State show us Ellis, but Stephen Curry who is as of now looking like the next great shooter. Averaging 1.8 3's per game at just north of 42% and splitting time at PG with Ellis, is another noteworthy young'n in the league. Combined this duo is among the top 2 man combos in the league, isn't that worth the spot on TV?
After that Rant these are players that we want to see weekly. Not monthly, or every now and then, but weekly. Blake Griffin and Kevin Love are both on historic Double-Double streaks and I have yet to see either of them play. The fact that Griffin spends more time on the ESPN Top 10 than on national broadcasts is absolute bull.
1. Blake Griffin. Period.
Blake Griffin is the Top 10 on ESPN. He isn't just part of it anymore, he owns it. He is in the middle of the second longest active double-double streak in the league and a historic one for a rookie. Last night he scored 47 points, the highest single game point total this year and his second game of more than 44 points. 6'9", can handle the ball and apparently has a decent mid range game as well. Tell me why he isn't on TV every night of the year. Not only is Griffin interesting to watch but the clippers have won 10 of the last 14. This includes wins against the Lakers, Heat, Suns, and Bulls. That is TV worthy. Not only that but you also will see Eric Gordon, another young player having a good season on a bad team that no casual fan really pays any attention to. This may be the only time anyone has ever said this... I want to watch the Clippers.
2. (Chuck) Chris Paul
That's right, Chris Paul. Somebody tell me how many Hornets games they have seen this year. Unless you pay for NBA league pass the answer is 0. The New Orleans Hornets have one nationally televised game for the season. Blake Griffin may already be the most exciting player in the Association, but the Clippers are ten games under .500 at 15-25. The Hornets are a different story. At 27-16 the Hornets currently hold the 6th spot in the West. There is one more thing about the Hornets, they have Chris Paul! Arguably the best point guard in the league, Paul has been key to Hornets resurgence from their disappointing 37-45 the year before; Paul only played in 45 games. This season Paul has returned to form averaging 16 points, 10 dimes, and almost three steals per game. I have to pay 200 dollars a year to watch Chris Paul! C'mon man! To the delight of the fans like the NFL evolving into a passing league, the NBA has turned into a point guards league, but we don't get to see the best of the best. Chris Paul has his own website for crying out loud.
3. (Bam) Monta Ellis and Stephen Curry
A little more televised than the other two but still deserving to be on this list. The Lakers and Thunder are deserving of national broadcast, I wont argue that, but the Sacramento Kings are on 4 nationally televised games in the month of January to Golden States 1. WHY? Tyreke Evans, their leading scorer, ranks 39th. That is not nearly as impressive as Monta Ellis at 3rd. Not only does televising Golden State show us Ellis, but Stephen Curry who is as of now looking like the next great shooter. Averaging 1.8 3's per game at just north of 42% and splitting time at PG with Ellis, is another noteworthy young'n in the league. Combined this duo is among the top 2 man combos in the league, isn't that worth the spot on TV?
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Weekend NFL Preview
Wild card weekend was wild to say the least. A stunning upset by the Seahawks over the Saints started the weekend, as well as showed us what "beast mode" really meant courtesy of Marshawn Lynch. A field goal in Indy to send Petyon packing and Vick's season ending on an interception made the upcoming divisional round that much harder to wait for. If you didn't know this already, the NFL is awesome.
Saturday 4:30 eastern, Ravens at Steelers: The Ravens dominated the Chiefs last weekend and showed they were deserving of facing the Steelers. After splitting with the Steelers in the regular season, this match-up has some familiarity. Yet, the Steelers are almost a lock to win this game. Despite the thrashing on the Chiefs, Jamal Charles had a stellar first half rushing for over 80 yards and a touchdown. Quietly this has been Baltimore's worst rushing defense since 1996 giving up 3.9 yards per carry. The Steelers will pound the ball with work horse Mendenhall giving opportunities to the speedy Mike Wallace on the outside. The bye week gives the Steelers a chance to rest their star safety Troy Polamalu. Over the last two seasons the Steelers are 14-4 with him and 5-7 without; he is a stud. And I have a gut feeling Joe Flacco can't win a big playoff game, I don't trust him. Steelers get the nod.
Steelers 16 Ravens 10
Saturday 8:00 p.m, Packers at Falcons: This is a tough game. The Falcons don't do anything flashy or spectacular, but they are efficient and well-coached. The Falcons were the least penalized club in the NFL and had the third best turnover ratio. That being said, the Packers and Aaron Rodgers are red hot. If the NFL ended today the best quarterback rating of all-time would belong to Aaron Rodgers. He is that good. The best corner back in the duo will be enough to slow down Falcon's receiver Roddy White and tight end Tony Gonzalez. Matt Ryan is having nightmares of Clay Matthews. Packers win this game in a dogfight.
Packers 20 Falcons 17
Sunday 1:00 Seahawks at Bears: Wouldn't it be crazy if the Seahawks pulled this off? Knock off the super bowl champions then go into Chicago and end their season. The reality is the Seahawks are 2-6. But, there is always a but, one of those road wins came in week 6 at Chicago in a 23-20 win. Cutler could throw a couple picks, Hester could be contained, and the Lynch could be in "beast mode" once again. It just can't happen two weeks in a row though. The Bears defense causes turnovers, and when the Bears are rolling they really are a special football team. In Chicago they won't lose to the Seahawks, who despite winning last week, still are a sub 500 football team.
Chicago 30 Seahawks 20
Sunday 4:30 Jets at Patriots: Rex Ryan has pegged this game as Rex vs. Belichick. Bold move after the 45-3 beat down the Patriots gave the Jets last time they visited Foxboro. Ryan does his mind games with the media, but calling out Belichick, the best coach in the league seems like a bad idea. Ryan said Manning worked harder than Brady. Yes, Ryan beat Manning the week before, but the Colts are missing half their time due to injuries. Brady is playing '07 good and maybe better considering the supporting cast around him. Two rookie tight ends, number one receiver nine months removed from knee surgery, a scat back cut by the Jets at the beginning of the year, and a return of Deion Branch equals 36 touchdowns and a historically low 4 interceptions. The Patriots are silly good right now. It looks like Rex will get back to rubbing feet instead of watching film a few weeks earlier than planned.
Patriots 28 Jets 17
Saturday 4:30 eastern, Ravens at Steelers: The Ravens dominated the Chiefs last weekend and showed they were deserving of facing the Steelers. After splitting with the Steelers in the regular season, this match-up has some familiarity. Yet, the Steelers are almost a lock to win this game. Despite the thrashing on the Chiefs, Jamal Charles had a stellar first half rushing for over 80 yards and a touchdown. Quietly this has been Baltimore's worst rushing defense since 1996 giving up 3.9 yards per carry. The Steelers will pound the ball with work horse Mendenhall giving opportunities to the speedy Mike Wallace on the outside. The bye week gives the Steelers a chance to rest their star safety Troy Polamalu. Over the last two seasons the Steelers are 14-4 with him and 5-7 without; he is a stud. And I have a gut feeling Joe Flacco can't win a big playoff game, I don't trust him. Steelers get the nod.
Steelers 16 Ravens 10
Saturday 8:00 p.m, Packers at Falcons: This is a tough game. The Falcons don't do anything flashy or spectacular, but they are efficient and well-coached. The Falcons were the least penalized club in the NFL and had the third best turnover ratio. That being said, the Packers and Aaron Rodgers are red hot. If the NFL ended today the best quarterback rating of all-time would belong to Aaron Rodgers. He is that good. The best corner back in the duo will be enough to slow down Falcon's receiver Roddy White and tight end Tony Gonzalez. Matt Ryan is having nightmares of Clay Matthews. Packers win this game in a dogfight.
Packers 20 Falcons 17
Sunday 1:00 Seahawks at Bears: Wouldn't it be crazy if the Seahawks pulled this off? Knock off the super bowl champions then go into Chicago and end their season. The reality is the Seahawks are 2-6. But, there is always a but, one of those road wins came in week 6 at Chicago in a 23-20 win. Cutler could throw a couple picks, Hester could be contained, and the Lynch could be in "beast mode" once again. It just can't happen two weeks in a row though. The Bears defense causes turnovers, and when the Bears are rolling they really are a special football team. In Chicago they won't lose to the Seahawks, who despite winning last week, still are a sub 500 football team.
Chicago 30 Seahawks 20
Sunday 4:30 Jets at Patriots: Rex Ryan has pegged this game as Rex vs. Belichick. Bold move after the 45-3 beat down the Patriots gave the Jets last time they visited Foxboro. Ryan does his mind games with the media, but calling out Belichick, the best coach in the league seems like a bad idea. Ryan said Manning worked harder than Brady. Yes, Ryan beat Manning the week before, but the Colts are missing half their time due to injuries. Brady is playing '07 good and maybe better considering the supporting cast around him. Two rookie tight ends, number one receiver nine months removed from knee surgery, a scat back cut by the Jets at the beginning of the year, and a return of Deion Branch equals 36 touchdowns and a historically low 4 interceptions. The Patriots are silly good right now. It looks like Rex will get back to rubbing feet instead of watching film a few weeks earlier than planned.
Patriots 28 Jets 17
Where WIll He Go From Here?
Cam Newton had a good game, not a dominant game, but a good game. In my opinion this is the best player in this draft, if he decides to be a part of it. Undoubtedly his dad will want a donation to a local charity or a no-show salary like that of Tony Soprano for Barone Sanitation for anything that Cam does.
If he does go pro he can look forward to possibly playing with Steve Smith in Carolina because little confidence has been placed in the hands of Jimmy Clausen. This is a 6'6". 250lb QB. If he doesn't work out taking snaps he could play defensive end, tight end, or almost any other position with a little bit of coaching. He is mobile, has a strong arm, and appears to have the leadership qualities necessary to lead a team. What team wouldn't draft him given the opportunity?
There are numerous other players ranked higher on Mel Kiper's draft board but will they be drafted ahead of Newton? I think when it comes down to it the top 8 teams are candidates to take a QB in the first round. Pending a trade the Cardinals have no QB and the 5th spot is where I would say he most likely comes off the board. Further down the list are the Vikings at 12th, the spot where Newton is rated against the other players in this draft according to Kiper. Tavaris Jackson has had little trust from the Vikings and the budding Joe Webb seems to be number 1 on the depth chart for now, but I doubt they're in love with that scenario.
The conclusion, Cam Newton goes top 10. No doubt about it. With the CBA still not negotiated he may be tempted to stay in school and go for another National Championship but with the greed that has been demonstrated by his father I doubt he'll be at Auburn next year especially with the size of the signing bonus hes bound to get.
If he does go pro he can look forward to possibly playing with Steve Smith in Carolina because little confidence has been placed in the hands of Jimmy Clausen. This is a 6'6". 250lb QB. If he doesn't work out taking snaps he could play defensive end, tight end, or almost any other position with a little bit of coaching. He is mobile, has a strong arm, and appears to have the leadership qualities necessary to lead a team. What team wouldn't draft him given the opportunity?
There are numerous other players ranked higher on Mel Kiper's draft board but will they be drafted ahead of Newton? I think when it comes down to it the top 8 teams are candidates to take a QB in the first round. Pending a trade the Cardinals have no QB and the 5th spot is where I would say he most likely comes off the board. Further down the list are the Vikings at 12th, the spot where Newton is rated against the other players in this draft according to Kiper. Tavaris Jackson has had little trust from the Vikings and the budding Joe Webb seems to be number 1 on the depth chart for now, but I doubt they're in love with that scenario.
The conclusion, Cam Newton goes top 10. No doubt about it. With the CBA still not negotiated he may be tempted to stay in school and go for another National Championship but with the greed that has been demonstrated by his father I doubt he'll be at Auburn next year especially with the size of the signing bonus hes bound to get.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Packers at Eagles
Packers at Eagles
For the Packers, there is one thing more scary than number 7, the fact everyone is picking them. It seems every lay men is picking the Packers, and Sports Illustrated pick them as their favorite to go to the Super Bowl. They need to get out of Philadelphia first. Vick's quadriceps are 100% and people are claiming that the blueprint on stopping superman was exposed by Minnesota. Yet, Vick seems to visually dazzle us and do things we didn't know possible from the quarterback position up against the most overwhelming odds. Remember in 2003 in the frigid air of Lambeau field he came in and beat the Packers in spectacular fashion at a time when the Packers hadn't lost a home playoff game. The Packers have the best cornerback duo in the NFL in Woodson and Williams which will cause problems for the Eagles. But Andy Reid is a great x's and o's coach, better than Mike McCarthy. The Packers are one dimensional and I think Reid will think of a way to slow down Aaron Rodgers as well as giving Vick chances to make plays. Block Clay Matthews, let Vick loose, and contain Aaron Rodgers. A tall task, but one Reid is ready for. Eagles win this game at home in a slug fest.
Eagles 24 Packers 20
For the Packers, there is one thing more scary than number 7, the fact everyone is picking them. It seems every lay men is picking the Packers, and Sports Illustrated pick them as their favorite to go to the Super Bowl. They need to get out of Philadelphia first. Vick's quadriceps are 100% and people are claiming that the blueprint on stopping superman was exposed by Minnesota. Yet, Vick seems to visually dazzle us and do things we didn't know possible from the quarterback position up against the most overwhelming odds. Remember in 2003 in the frigid air of Lambeau field he came in and beat the Packers in spectacular fashion at a time when the Packers hadn't lost a home playoff game. The Packers have the best cornerback duo in the NFL in Woodson and Williams which will cause problems for the Eagles. But Andy Reid is a great x's and o's coach, better than Mike McCarthy. The Packers are one dimensional and I think Reid will think of a way to slow down Aaron Rodgers as well as giving Vick chances to make plays. Block Clay Matthews, let Vick loose, and contain Aaron Rodgers. A tall task, but one Reid is ready for. Eagles win this game at home in a slug fest.
Eagles 24 Packers 20
Friday, January 7, 2011
AFC Wildcard Preview
First off lets assume that there will be a surprise this weekend... which there wont be. I'll break it down for you real quick...
Jets @ Colts
The Colts will win. Rex Ryan is going to run his mouth until the post game conference and Manning is going to use his no-name receiving core as a means to advance to Pittsburgh. There is no way that Manning let's his team lose especially when his legacy is on the line every moment of every season. Inevitably, either the Jets lose to New England next week or the Colts will lose to Pittsburgh. That's whats at stake in this game, one week of bragging rights before either team loses to their opponent next weekend.
Ravens @ Chiefs
Ravens win. No one runs on Baltimore and Ed Reed is a freak. He missed half a season and still led the league in interceptions, who does that? Honestly? Matt Cassel is no match for this secondary and the Chiefs alleged running attack is a mere mirage. Joe Flacco is going to have a decent game and Ray Rice will do what he does and this game will be decided by the Ravens defense. When the Chiefs fail to put more than 10 points on the board no one will be surprised. This game will be lopsided and though the Chiefs have done well this season they wont this weekend.
Jets @ Colts
The Colts will win. Rex Ryan is going to run his mouth until the post game conference and Manning is going to use his no-name receiving core as a means to advance to Pittsburgh. There is no way that Manning let's his team lose especially when his legacy is on the line every moment of every season. Inevitably, either the Jets lose to New England next week or the Colts will lose to Pittsburgh. That's whats at stake in this game, one week of bragging rights before either team loses to their opponent next weekend.
Ravens @ Chiefs
Ravens win. No one runs on Baltimore and Ed Reed is a freak. He missed half a season and still led the league in interceptions, who does that? Honestly? Matt Cassel is no match for this secondary and the Chiefs alleged running attack is a mere mirage. Joe Flacco is going to have a decent game and Ray Rice will do what he does and this game will be decided by the Ravens defense. When the Chiefs fail to put more than 10 points on the board no one will be surprised. This game will be lopsided and though the Chiefs have done well this season they wont this weekend.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Ten Things we learned from the 2010-2011 regular season.
1. Tom Brady and Bill Belichick are the best quarterback-coach combo of all-time; literally and statistically.
2. Turnovers are what decides football games and turnover differential is the best representation of a good team. Top three: Patriots (14-2) +28, Steelers (12-4) +17, and Falcons (13-3) +14.
3.Anyone can beat anyone if it is one of those years. See Browns over Patriots, Lions over Packers, or a 1-7 Cowboys team beating the then 6-2 Giants. Or talk to anyone who tried to bet on the NFL this season. I made it to week five in a double elimination suicide pool.
4. Despite killing dogs and spending over 730 days in jail, Michael Vick is still the most exciting player in the NFL.
5. Chad Henne is the least exciting player in football. STOP CHECKING DOWN AND THROW THE BALL TO BRANDON MARSHALL!!
6.Dan Snyder is officially the worst owner in all of football. Did he actually offer McNabb an extension worth over 50 million guaranteed during the middle of his worst season ever?
7. The NFL has evolved into a passing league, not because of better quarterbacks, but because of the changing rules protecting quarterbacks. 15 yard penalty for giving a quarterback a titty twister.
8. The most talked about division at the end of the year was the NFC west because of its poor play.
9. There are a few unblockable bad-ass men on Sundays: Clay Matthews, Terrell Suggs, and Julius Peppers.
10. People don't feel safe in Minnesota's Metrodome.
2. Turnovers are what decides football games and turnover differential is the best representation of a good team. Top three: Patriots (14-2) +28, Steelers (12-4) +17, and Falcons (13-3) +14.
3.Anyone can beat anyone if it is one of those years. See Browns over Patriots, Lions over Packers, or a 1-7 Cowboys team beating the then 6-2 Giants. Or talk to anyone who tried to bet on the NFL this season. I made it to week five in a double elimination suicide pool.
4. Despite killing dogs and spending over 730 days in jail, Michael Vick is still the most exciting player in the NFL.
5. Chad Henne is the least exciting player in football. STOP CHECKING DOWN AND THROW THE BALL TO BRANDON MARSHALL!!
6.Dan Snyder is officially the worst owner in all of football. Did he actually offer McNabb an extension worth over 50 million guaranteed during the middle of his worst season ever?
7. The NFL has evolved into a passing league, not because of better quarterbacks, but because of the changing rules protecting quarterbacks. 15 yard penalty for giving a quarterback a titty twister.
8. The most talked about division at the end of the year was the NFC west because of its poor play.
9. There are a few unblockable bad-ass men on Sundays: Clay Matthews, Terrell Suggs, and Julius Peppers.
10. People don't feel safe in Minnesota's Metrodome.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Sorry for Sam
It was kind of weird to see poor teams in prime time on Sunday night. I mean, it was better than watching American Dad. The game had a playoff spot on the line and still drew little interest. Despite being the last start of Sam Bradford's rookie season it is doubtful that it was a DVR worthy event in many households. It was too bad to see his last pass attempt intercepted as Chris Collinsworth said "this is his time to step and make a name for himself."
In the first half he was not making the throws he could. Checking down to often, and missing routine completions. This considered, think about where the Rams have come from. At this time last season there were thinking about whether to draft Bradford number one overall after finishing the previous season with one win. At 7-8 entering Sunday's night contest Bradford had a chance on national television to truly assert his presence; and he did just that.
The management and organization of the Rams has been in turmoil since the firing of Mike Martz in 2006. In 2007 they won three games under Scott Lineham. He would be fired in 2008 after an 0-4 start. The Rams won two games in '08. The only positive from all the losing is that road lead to Sam Bradford.
The Rams are simply a bad team, without Bradford this season they win no more than three games. Their receiving core is the worst in football. Their number one receiver is Brandon Gibson. A 6th round draft pick in '09 who has not scored a touchdown or gone over 70 yards since week 11. When Bradford starting going down the field there were three perfect balls that can be considered easy catches in the NFL. On the road, as a rookie, and without a consistent set of hands Bradford couldn't lead the Rams into the playoffs. Not only did Sunday night spotlight Bradford's talents, but it showed how bad the Rams are and just how valuable Bradford is to them. The Rams got an encroachment call on a 4th and 3 with 2:45 left on the clock and two timeouts left. The center didn't even move the ball for the Seahawks. A poor teams mistake.
It was to much for Bradford to overcome. He did everything he could in Sunday's game and is the cornerstone to build this franchise around. Manning, the one in the playoffs, didn't throw less than 14 interceptions until his sixth season. I'm not sorry for the Rams loss which led to another missed post season, but I did feel a little tinge of sadness for Sam Bradford.
In the first half he was not making the throws he could. Checking down to often, and missing routine completions. This considered, think about where the Rams have come from. At this time last season there were thinking about whether to draft Bradford number one overall after finishing the previous season with one win. At 7-8 entering Sunday's night contest Bradford had a chance on national television to truly assert his presence; and he did just that.
The management and organization of the Rams has been in turmoil since the firing of Mike Martz in 2006. In 2007 they won three games under Scott Lineham. He would be fired in 2008 after an 0-4 start. The Rams won two games in '08. The only positive from all the losing is that road lead to Sam Bradford.
The Rams are simply a bad team, without Bradford this season they win no more than three games. Their receiving core is the worst in football. Their number one receiver is Brandon Gibson. A 6th round draft pick in '09 who has not scored a touchdown or gone over 70 yards since week 11. When Bradford starting going down the field there were three perfect balls that can be considered easy catches in the NFL. On the road, as a rookie, and without a consistent set of hands Bradford couldn't lead the Rams into the playoffs. Not only did Sunday night spotlight Bradford's talents, but it showed how bad the Rams are and just how valuable Bradford is to them. The Rams got an encroachment call on a 4th and 3 with 2:45 left on the clock and two timeouts left. The center didn't even move the ball for the Seahawks. A poor teams mistake.
It was to much for Bradford to overcome. He did everything he could in Sunday's game and is the cornerstone to build this franchise around. Manning, the one in the playoffs, didn't throw less than 14 interceptions until his sixth season. I'm not sorry for the Rams loss which led to another missed post season, but I did feel a little tinge of sadness for Sam Bradford.
Rams vs. Seahawks
If the Seattle Seahawks win Sunday night they will become the first 7-9 team to ever host a playoff game. The NFC west is the laughing stock of the NFL and yet, if you win you your division, no matter how bad it may be, you deserve to host a playoff game. Despite the poor play of the NFC West there is one reason to watch the Sunday night matchup: Sam Bradford.
Bradford is becoming a star in the NFL. 3,357 yards and 18 touchdowns as a rookie, if nothing else, justifies the Rams use of their first overall pick. You may not care about the Rams or Seahawks, but any average football fan should become a fan of Bradford. In Bradford's first season they are now in position to earn their first playoff birth in seven years, if they can win tonight. Bradford will make throws down field with unbelievable accuracy for a first year quarterback, with such a pocket presence there is little to debate about his future in the league.
Bradford is becoming a star in the NFL. 3,357 yards and 18 touchdowns as a rookie, if nothing else, justifies the Rams use of their first overall pick. You may not care about the Rams or Seahawks, but any average football fan should become a fan of Bradford. In Bradford's first season they are now in position to earn their first playoff birth in seven years, if they can win tonight. Bradford will make throws down field with unbelievable accuracy for a first year quarterback, with such a pocket presence there is little to debate about his future in the league.
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