Upon Further Review

Day 1 Draft Impressions

2011-04-29T11:24:00.003-05:00

Some Good....

Love what the Saints did in giving up next year's first rounder to move back in to the first round to get Mark Ingram. Mark Ingram may not be an elite athlete, but has the potential to be a top tier running back in the league, I believe. Good compliment to Reggie Bush and adds to the dynamic attack the Saints already have in place. That first rounder is likely in the 20s next year, good move. Add to that, the Saints had Cameron Jordan fall into their laps at 24. A superior athlete and pass rusher, but the thing I like about him is that he is an intelligent young man. I saw an interview of him pre-draft and came away very impressed.

Say what you will about drafting for need, the Lions in selecting Nick Fairley formed a downright nasty defensive line. As a Bears fan coming off a season where Jay Cutler was sacked 56 times (!?!?), I fear for his life with Fairley and reigning All-Pro Suh coming up the middle. Add Kyle Vanden Bosch flanking one side, it doesn't even matter who plays the other end spot - potentially the best defensive line in football. They'll be fun to watch.

Picks 2-5: No one reached, everyone drafted needs and they all got elite level, impact players. Matched value and best on the board with need, can't argue with that. I can't say the same about what may have followed after that...

Some Bad...

Teams drafting quarterbacks, with the exception of Jacksonville, reached on all accounts. If you watched Jon Gruden's QB Camp specials (which are phenomenal), you'll understand why I didn't like Cam Newton at #1. When Gruden talked to him about some of calls he has to make at the quarterback position and adjustments he needs to make at the line, he looked dumbfounded. It was scary. Jake Locker was a reach at #8, a case of the Titans falling in love with a quarterback. Christian Ponder was a baffling pick at #12, in short, the Vikings panicked. Of the four guys drafted in the top 12, no more than 2 will pan out. The only one I would have any confidence in would be Blaine Gabbert. I'm just giving the benefit of the doubt that 1 of the other 3 might.

The Atlanta Falcons gave up the farm to draft Julio Jones at #6. The idea, of course, is that they are one piece away from a Super Bowl; and they better be, because they gave up a ton of picks to get Jones. Don't get me wrong, Julio Jones has the potential to be a #1 wide receiver, in fact, I would say its probable that he will be one, however, they gave up a lot of picks/value/potential starters to get him. On the bright side, Falcons vs. Saints games should be fun to watch next year.... if we have a season.

I'm glad I live in the Midwest and I'm not generally going to have to watch NFC West games, because the NFC West Offenses were terrible last year. You have three teams that need a quarterback (exception being the Rams, who addressed this last year) and none that drafted one. And the team that has a quarterback could probably afford to give theirs some help. Not to say these teams drafted poorly (other than the Seahawks), but I just don't want to watch them because of the atrocity that will unfold when Alex Smith, Marc Bulger, and over-the-hill Matt Hasselback come trodding on to the field. Day 2 offers some intriguing quarterbacks, so we'll see what happens. I think Andy Dalton is good in the right system, I think Ryan Mallet is good in the right environment, and I think Colin Kaepernick is good if playing for the Iowa Barnstormers.

I'm back like Favre...

2010-10-06T20:16:00.002-05:00

Maybe not good, but here. As the baseball postseason starts, conference football gets under way, and teams start seperating themselves in the NFL, I'm reminded why October is my favorite sports month. I know what you're thinking, "Brian, the Cubs are never playing in October." You make a valid point.... and I'm gonna keep moving on. Though it is the fall, and it makes me think about football, I'm actually going to talk a little baseball in this blog.

First, to reflect on how well, I did on my preseason division predictions. Ok, so maybe "well" wasn't the right word to use there, but I will say that 3 of 8 hitting in baseball is pretty darn good. I had the Phillies in the NL East (granted, so did everyone else) and the Twins in the AL Central (my new #2 when it comes to baseball). I picked the Yanks to win the AL East and I'm still going to count that as a win, because anyone who was paying attention will tell you that the Rays and Yanks seem to battling it out for the Wild Card, not the Division. Admittedly, I did mention something to the extent of not believing the Reds hype whatsoever. Might have missed on that one. I will say that at least my World Series teams are still alive.

Everyone's talking about how this is the year of the pitcher, and there's a great deal of legitimacy to that, there is probably 10-12 guys between the two leagues that could have won the Cy Young in a year other than this one. But I think we could also make a play for this being the year of the rookie. Sure, rookies rarely ever make the impact of an ace pitcher, but there's a good case for this being one of the best rookie classes baseball has ever seen. Some of the most hyped rookies in recent history hit the big leagues this season, and many did not disappoint. It started with Jason Heyward crushing a homerun in his first at-bat in the big leagues, and climaxing at Stephen Strasburg's 14 strikeout performance in possibly the most hyped debut in major league history. Want to see how good this rookie class was? How's this for a team:

C: Buster Posey, SF Giants, .305 BA, 18 HRs, 67 RBIs (108 Games)

1B: Gaby Sanchez, FLA Marlins, .273 BA, 37 2Bs, 19 HRs, 85 RBIs

2B: Neil Walker, PIT Pirates, .296 BA, 29 2Bs, 12 HRs, 66 RBIs (102 Games)

3B: Danny Valencia, MN Twins, .311, 7 HRs, 40 RBIs (85 Games)

SS: Starlin Castro, CHI Cubs, .300 BA (10th in the NL), 31 2Bs, 41 RBIs, 10 SBs (125 Games)

OF: Austin Jackson, DET Tigers, .293 BA, 10 3Bs, 27 SBs, 103 R (T-6th in the AL)

OF: Jason Heyward, ATL Braves, .277 BA, .393 OBP (4th in the NL), 91 BBs, 18 HRs, 72 RBIs

OF: Mike Stanton, FLA Marlins, .259 BA, .507 SLG, 21 2Bs, 22 HRs, 59 RBIs (100 Games)

SP: Jaime Garcia, STL Cardinals, 13-8, 2.70 ERA, 132 Ks (28 Starts)

SP: Madison Bumgarner, SF Giants, 7-6, 3.00 ERA, 86 Ks (18 Starts)

SP: Stephen Strasburg, WSH Nationals, 5-3, 2.91, 92 Ks (12 Starts)

LH RP: Jonny Venters, 83 IPs, 24 Holds, 1.95 ERA, 93 Ks

RH RP: Alexi Ogando, 4-1, 1.30 ERA, 44 games, 41.2 innings, 39 Ks

CP: Neftali Feliz, 41 Saves, 4-3, 2.73 ERA, 71 Ks

Sounds like a team I wouldn't mind having for the future. Seven of those guys are playing in the postseason. Posey and Heyward are already in the heart of playoff team's lineups and all the relievers play integral roles for their teams. This class has superstars in the making in Posey, Heyward, and Strasburg (if he stays healthy); future perennial All-Stars in Castro, Jackson, and Stanton; and already All-Stars in Feliz and the aforementioned Jason Heyward. That's not even taking into account Aroldis Chapman, who lit up the bigs in September, throwing 104 mph on a regular basis. It should be exciting to see where this class goes in the future.

Back to the here and now, World Series predictions. I'll go with Yankees over Twins (definitely rooting for the Twins), Rangers over Rays, Phillies over Reds, and Giants over Braves. In the championship series I'll go with Yankees over Rangers and Phillies over Giants. That leaves Yankees and Phillies in the World Series, hmmmm.... sounds familiar. I'll predict Phillies over the Yankees, hmmm... that too sounds familiar.

GO TWINS!

The New Big 12

2010-06-12T11:11:00.003-05:00

Wednesday marked the beginning of what could be a seismic shift in college football conferences as we know it. When word came out that Nebraska would make the move to the Big 10, it began what will likely be a mass exodus from the Big 12, which will result in the dissolution of the conference. It could very well also result in the beginning of what many have predicted to be the "superconference era" in college football, with fewer conferences comprised of more teams holding more power. Though Colorado was the first team to officially sign on the dotted line, make no doubt about it, Nebraska was the school that prompted this shift - for good or bad. Nebraska is the school that was viewed by Texas as the school necessary to keep this conference together, and when news came out wednesday of their departure for the Big 10, the dominoes began to fall. As a Nebraskan, it really is kind of amazing to think that the school I cheer for in the heart of the country, may be the school that starts the reshuffling of BCS conferences as we once knew them.

In terms of what this means for Nebraska, the move to the Big 10 will allow for a lot more money. People are talking a lot about the fact that the Big 10 network will bring a significant chunk of change to the athletic department and the move to the Big 10 will ultimately result in up to $20 million dollars a year in the short-term, and possibly much more in the long-term. It also means a great deal of money in terms of academics, which may be even more important. The Big 10 represents millions of dollars in research money, and it will raise the academic profile of the university with the prestige of Big 10 schools such as Northwestern, Michigan, and Wisconsin, among others. This move wasn't about getting away from Texas, though that doesn't hurt, it was about making the right move for the university, and in the long run, I think, the athletic program. Don't get me wrong, money played a big role in this move, but this move was about the long term viability of the Big 10 and the University. Tom Shatel wrote a great article about what this move means to Nebraska, and instead of reading my amateur words, I will refer you to his.

In terms of what this means competitively, I believe it represents a step up. People have their preconceptions of every conference, most notably that the Big 10 is slow. As all the conference moves shake out, I think a lot of those misconceptions will be shown to be pure myth. No matter what you want to say about the conference, the Big 10 will now have four of the most prestigious football programs in the country. Though Oklahoma and Texas have had good runs in recent years, the traditions of Ohio State, Michigan, and Penn State can not be ignored. This move was made for college football, and thats obvious, but it also creates a great volleyball rivalry with Penn State and Nebraska, the basketball team could probably use a change of scenery, and maybe Mike Anderson and the baseball team can win a series in the Big 10. I am personally somewhat sad to see the historical match-ups of the Big 10, but I am also very excited about some of the potential new rivalries in the Big 10. The most natural will of course be Nebraska vs. Iowa, one that I wish didn't have to happen having a rooting interest in both teams, but the real exciting match-ups will be with the likes of Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State, and even Wisconsin.

The changes in conferences are likely far from done as we see what happens with the remaining Big XII teams. The non-Baylor south teams are likely to make their move early next week. Missouri may have a future spot in the Big 10, but it's really to soon to say. The other north teams are just trying to find a landing spot. The SEC will not sit still as the Pac-10 talks about expanding to sixteen. The Big East and ACC will likely be involved one SEC starts to make its moves. And the Big 10 is likely still on the lookout for potential new teams. There is and will be a lot to talk about, and its probably just the start a couple years worth of realignment. As for Nebraska's move, what I am really excited about is the possibility of watching Nebraska come up to the Twin Cities, my soon-to-be home, and play Minnesota every other year - you can bet that I will be in attendance every year. In the meanwhile, the cheer remains: GO BIG RED!

Handicapping LeBron's Next Stop

2010-05-19T20:00:00.003-05:00

After an unexpected early exit from the playoffs for LeBron, the talk of his impending free agency has heated up much, much more. I would like to first start by saying that LeBron at the end of that series with Boston was not healthy, he couldn't have been. We've gotten used to LeBron crashing through the lane like a freight train with "no regard for human life," as one commentator called it, and that was not the LeBron we saw at the end of that series. We may never know how much his elbow was bothering him - he admitted after the series that it affected him - but I find it hard to believe that he wasn't compensating for it by adjusting his game. This is not to discount the resurgent Celtics, who may have won the series against a healthy LeBron, I just would have liked to have seen it.

In handicapping where LeBron will end up, there are a number of things to consider. He has always claimed that his number one priority is to win, so that would seemingly weight the equation the most. He, of course, has the pull of staying home, as he has been able to do through the first seven years of his career in Cleveland. There's the friend factor, whether it be Jay-Z, minority owner of the Nets; John Calipari, potential coach of the Bulls, Nets, Cavs, Clippers, you name it; John Wall, future Washington Wizard; or any other number of players/friends. Where other star players, Chris Bosh, Dwayne Wade, Amar'e Stoudamire, Joe Johnson, and Carlos Boozer, go could all be a factor or hinge on what happens with LeBron. Oh yeah, and money might factor in - advantage Cavs. So here's how I give the percentages for the teams in the running.

Cleveland Cavaliers: 45%

Everyone is ready to pronounce that LeBron is done with the Cavs after the very disappointing playoff run, but I'm not quite there yet. There's a couple reasons I still think that the favorite is Cleveland, and I don't think its the money. The first reason is the overwhelming pull of playing in his hometown, where he is comfortable and has lived his entire life. The second major reason, at least for me, is the feeling of unfinished business he must have in not having brought a championship to Cleveland. It would have to leave a bad taste in his mouth leaving without the championship, and perhaps even put a "blemish" on his "legacy." Though I think there are certainly now questions about whether this team is built to win a championship, I still think the Cavs provide close to if not the best chance for him to win. Maybe if LeBron was healthy in the playoffs we'd still be watching them play, again we don't know the extent of the injury. Either way, if your the Cavs, I think your best strategy is to give Phil Jackson a load of money to come to Cleveland, with a backup plan of keeping John Calapari in your back pocket.

Chicago Bulls: 40%

The Bulls seem to be the hot name for LeBron after the Cavs playoff failures. They have an attractive budding superstar in Derrick Rose, as well as an energizer and potential All-Star center in Joakim Noah. Toss in the fact that the Bulls would have cap space to add in some other pieces (possibly another max-contract player through a sign-and-trade) and a coaching vacancy that could probably be filled by a candidate of LeBron's choice, and we have a pretty attractive option. Probably the biggest deterrent of Chicago is the shadow cast by the man LeBron idolized as a kid and is trying to chase down as a player, Michael Jordan.

New York Knicks: 10%

The Knicks have been preparing for this summer ever since they gave Isaiah Thomas the boot. The plan has long been to clear cap space and sign LeBron in 2010, and they've done such a good job that they could actually sign two LeBrons..... or perhaps LeBron and Bosh or Wade. The only problem is that they have done such a good job that they don't have a team that LeBron or any star(s) could walk into and have a legitimate shot at a championship. Still, they have the pull of playing in New York and in one of the meccas of basketball, Madison Square Garden. I don't think this is going to be the summer for them, however. I see a more likely scenario of maybe signing one of the second tier free agents (Johnson or Boozer) and then going after Carmelo Anthony next summer.

New Jersey Nets: 4.9%

Russian billionaire, Mikhail Prokhorov, has a plan to win a championship in a maximum of five years, and believes they may be able to next year. In order for that to happen, he has to get LeBron. For the worst team in the NBA, the Nets actually have a couple good pieces with Devin Harris and Brook Lopez. They also have part owner and friend of LeBron, Jay-Z, on their side. Unfortunately for them, the ping pong balls didn't turn out as they would have hoped and John Wall, potential star point guard and another friend of LeBron's, will not be suiting it up for the Nets, a major hit to their prospects of landing King James. Add to that the questions about whether they will actually ever move to Brooklyn, and their chances seem to be dwindling.

Miami Heat, L.A. Clippers, and Dallas Mavericks: .01%

I assume, as do most, that Dwayne Wade will resign with the Heat. Though it sounds like a fun marriage, it wouldn't work - they both need the ball. The Clippers could have the space but there are two strikes against them 1) they're the Clippers and 2) a guy named Kobe shares the same building. The Mavericks, like many teams in the NBA, don't actually have the cap space for LeBron, but unlike other NBA teams, they have Mark Cuban. If anyone would come up with some way to get a sign-and-trade done, it would be Cuban.

Having that all said, come to Chicago, Lebron!

I'm normally a fan of recycling, but....

2010-05-08T14:12:00.003-05:00

The recycling of coaches in the NBA is one of the most ridiculous practices in all of sports. This is not to say that someone who is fired was bad at their job and unworthy of a second chance, because people get those chances everyday in this country. I mean lets be honest, if your first opportunity in coaching was for the Nets or the Clippers, you weren't put into a position where success was possible, especially if a championship is the expectation. But we are talking about someone you are paying millions of dollars. Those people are C-level in the corporate world, and if they get fired, another company offering a job with the same or better pay isn't sitting there at their doorstep. This has been a long held opinion of mine and was recently refreshed as the names started coming out for the newly opened Chicago Bulls head coaching position.

On Tuesday, rightly or wrongly, the Bulls fired coach Vinny Del Negro. Reasons scattered from the altercations between Vinny and John Paxson to the fact that Vinny runs a high school offense consisting of five plays (literally). Bottom Line: Vinny was hired to be fired two years ago. At the time the Bulls were still paying Scott Skiles millions of dollars to sit at home, swung and miss on hiring Mike D'Antoni because they were hesitant to pull out the checkbook, and simply didn't want to pay a head coach. Enter Vinny Del Negro. Given his success over the last two years with a team not yet built to make a playoff run, he probably didn't deserve to get fired after leading them to the playoffs two years in a row, including one of the most exciting first round playoff matchups ever. Vinny, however, was not going to be the coach that lead the Bulls to their first championship since Michael, Scottie, and Phil. So it was time to make the change going into a summer that could completely change the course of the franchise for years to come (or put it back on course, however you want to view it).

The news was not unexpected and candidates had been coming out for weeks, but when it became official, speculation really took off. The initial lists have included Doug Collins (fired twice), Maurice Cheeks (fired twice), Eric Musselman (fired twice), Phil Jackson (a dream thats not going to happen), Jeff Van Gundy (fired once), Byron Scott (fired twice), Sam Mitchell (fired once), Tom Thibodeau (long-time assistant), Lawrence Frank (fired once), Dwane Casey (fired once), Avery Johnson (fired once), and John Calapari (fired once). So the question is, where is this desire for hiring a once (or more) deposed coach coming from? They obviously know something I don't know, as I would never claim to be an expert in basketball. I am merely a fan, but something seems fishy here.

Here's the backup for my case against recycling coaches. If you look back over the last two decades, there have been three coaches that had previously been fired to win a championship. The first was Chuck Daly who led the Pistons to back-to-back championships in '89 and '90. He had been allowed less than a full season in a previous stint with the Cavs, which is hard to even count given the time allowed and the franchise. The second was Larry Brown who also won with the Pistons in 2004. Brown, of course, has long been considered a journeyman in the basketball world and when he was fired by Larry Bird from the Indiana Pacers he had already had successful stints with Denver, New Jersey, San Antonio, the Los Angeles Clippers, and a National Championship with the Kansas Jayhawks. A resume far different from the names above. So, what teams are really hoping for is the next Doc Rivers. Doc Rivers won a championship with the Boston Celtics in 2008, after having spent four years with the Orlando Magic before being fired. The other names of the last 20-25 years Pat Riley (4 championships), Phil Jackson (10), Rudy Tomjanovich (2), Greg Popovich (4), not bad company. If you go to twenty-five years you add in KC Jones, who won two titles coaching the Boston Celtics but had previously been fired by the Washington Bullets. So, over the last twenty-five years that makes four coaches previously fired in the NBA, but only for two franchises, the Celtics and the Pistons, who, oh by the way, have won the first and fifth most championships of all time.

All this is to say that I don't know who the Chicago Bulls should hire if they want their next coach to take them to a championship, but I will say this, hiring someone like Dwane Casey, Sam Mitchell, or Eric Musselman would not only be unsexy, but also unsuccessful.

Mayday...

2010-05-01T12:22:00.004-05:00

OK, so its not quite mayday time for the Cubs, but April did see a rather lackluster month from the Cubbies, though it could have been worse. Here's a wrap on some of the numbers from the month that are positive and some that troubling. Let's start on a positive note!

Positive

16: The number of quality starts from the Cubs starting pitchers out of 24 starts, good for second in the National League, with a respectable ERA of 3.47. The Cubs starting pitching has been better than expected with Carlos Silva (not Zambrano) leading the way at 2-o with a 1.73 ERA and 4 out of 4 quality starts.

5: The number of Cubs regular starting position players with above .300 batting averages, with Soriano and frequent starter, Tyler Colvin, batting .292 and .289 respectively. The Cubs in general are batting well, paced by newcomer Marlon Byrd (.348 BA, .366 OBP, 4 HR, 16 RBI). Promising starts from Kosuke Fukudome (.344, .443, 5, 16) and Geovany Soto (.340, .500, 3, 7) add to some positive signs from the offense

35%: Geovany Soto's caught stealing percentage. Geo's recommitment to baseball, having lost 30 lbs in the offseason, has resulted a resurgence after a very disappointing sophomore season. His offense has gotten back to the level the Cubs were hoping for after his Rookie of the Year campaign, but the real bonus has been his defense, not known for being one of his strengths.

28: The number of home runs by the Cubs have hit on the season, good for tied for fourth in the majors and second in the National League. The troubling part of that stat is that the three teams ahead of them are 32-38, none of them over .500.

.311, 15, 50: The batting average, home runs, and RBIs from the four man platoon in the outfield of Kosuke Fukudome, Marlon Byrd, Alfonso Soriano, and Tyler Colvin. The four-headed outfield seems to be working in terms of offense. Its definitely better on defense when Colvin is manning right field.

Troubling

11-13: The Cubs record after April having not played the Phillies, Cardinals, or any of the good teams from the West. The Cubs are going to need to improve if they are going to move up in the standings when teams that are actually good get on to the schedule.

3: The number of saves the team has recorded. It's worth noting that it hasn't overly been the fault of Carlos Marmol, who has only blown one save but has looked good on the whole. Three saves makes the Cubs good for tied for 25th in the majors. This means they're not winning close games, which the good teams do.

9: The number of bases the Cubs have stolen, good for 23rd in the major league. This is indicative of the lack of team speed on this team. As a result, the Cubs have a subpar defense and have a hard time "manufacturing" runs.

4.80: The Cubs bullpen ERA, good for 12th in the National League. Add that to blowing four leads and registering six losses, and we're talking about one of the poorer bullpens in baseball through the first month.

.261: The Cubs batting average with runners in scoring position, good for 10th in the National League. This doesn't seem to do justice for how bad the Cubs have been in clutch hitting situations, but is indicative of the fact that the Cubs haven't had problems with baserunners, for the most part, as much as getting them in.

.357: Sounds like a really good first month for a hitter at the plate, but is unfortunately the combined batting averages of Cubs three and four hitters, Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez. Long-time staples of this offense, the Cubs need these guys to get going in order to win this season.

Favorite Stat of the Month

16.97: The K/9 IP ratio of Carlos Marmol, good for the best in the major leagues for pitchers who have logged more than 1.1 IP. He has 22 Ks in 11.1 IP, and is 1-0 with 3 saves and a 0.77 ERA. It's also positive that he has only walked five batters to this point. Carlos has looked solid knowing his role on the team as closer.

On the whole, the Cubs are doing one aspect of the game really well, and thats starting pitching. The defense is average at best, with limited range up the middle and shaky defense whenever Soriano is in the game. The relief seems to be getting better after the move of Carlos Zambrano to the bullpen, but there is definitely room for improvement. The big need for this team is better situational hitting and a turnaround by Ramirez and Lee. Here's to a better May!

Post Draft (Part 2): The Bad and the Ugly

2010-04-27T22:51:00.004-05:00

As I mentioned on my previous post, I graded all of the teams' drafts based on a normal curve. So, in analyzing the rest of the teams, its not that all of these teams had terrible drafts, or even bad ones, just that they were lower down on the curve in comparison to the teams I mentioned before. So here is the bottom half of the draft in grades.

C is average, right?:

Denver Broncos (C+) - A lot has been made of the reach they made in drafting Tim Tebow. Clearly this is a risky pick, and if it pans out they will be geniuses and everyone will forget about it. If it doesn't, the Broncos will have a new coach. I will say the rest of their draft is solid. I like Demaryius Thomas in terms of raw talent, but think Dez Bryant was better on the board. Late round picks Eric Decker (WR, 3rd) and Perrish Cox (CB/S, 6th) are solid and they got some rotation guys for the offensive line.

New York Giants (C+) - I really like what they did with their first four picks in bulking up a defense that struggled last year, after once being the strength of the team. They picked good values at their slot every time they picked it seem. Jason Paul-Pierre (DE, no. 15), Lindval Joseph (DT, 2nd), and Chad Jones (S, 3rd) could all start and Philip Dillard (ILB, 4th) can add some depth to their linebacker corp. Not the sexiest draft, but a solid one.

Atlanta Falcons (C) - I like Sean Witherspoon in the first round, he'll start from day one, but pretty uninspired draft the rest of the way. The defense needs to improve, thats for sure, but I don't know that they got a lot of difference makers here.

Chicago Bears (C) - I will say that I really liked what the Bears did with what they had. They didn't have a first (Cutler) or second (Gaines Adams) round pick, which hurts, but they got a starting safety in third round (Major Wright), a rotation/part-time starter at defensive end in Corey Wootton, a solid backup corner in the fifth (Joshua Moore). All of those guys I think will contribute next year, and I think Wootton was one of the bargains of the draft. I even liked a the sixth round pick of Dan Lefevour as a developmental quarterback and seventh rounder J'Marcus Webb, who was saw time as a true freshman at Texas prior to a stop in juco. Make no mistake though, their free agent signings were the focus of their offseason.

Green Bay Packers (C) - Started off great when Bryan Bulaga fell to them at no. 23, matching a great value with a great need. That said, the rest of the draft was kind of up and down for me. Michael Neal (DE) was a stretch pick in the 2nd, though I liked Morgan Burnett (S, 3rd) and James Starks (RB, 6th). Ultimately they may have got rotation guys, but I don't know if they drafted anybody that's going to start this year.

Miami Dolphins (C) - I thought the Dolphins made some solid picks including Jared Odrick in the 1st, Kao Misi in the 2nd, John Jerry in the 3rd, and Reshad Jones in the 5th, but Jerry was the only offensive pick they made in the entire draft. This team needs to get more tools around Henne if he's going to succeed, which is not a sure thing in my books.

New York Jets (C) - I like the value of CB Kyle Wilson in the first, but I'm not sure about drafting a position of strength in the first round. They essentially traded Leon Washington for Joe McKnight, don't really love that, and decided to roll the dice on replacing Alan Faneca on the best o-line in football with a rookie in Vladimir Ducasse. The draft was just a little puzzling to me.

Pittsburgh Steelers (C) - None of these picks just jump out at me, but I do think that the Steelers they improved the interior line with Maurkice Pouncey (C, no. 18) and Chris Scott (OG, 5th). Jason Worilds (DE/OLB, 2nd) seems like a Steeler if he can stay healthy. The possible steal in their class is RB Jonathan Dwyer, a productive back that didn't wow with his forty time, which likely made him slip.

Indianapolis Colts (C) - The Colts draft well, they just never draft high. They got a great value in the first by drafting Jerry Hughes, which just reminds you of a Colts DE - quick and undersized, but productive. Other than that, nothing too exciting in this draft, maybe some rotation guys and starters down the road.

St. Louis Rams (C) - They got their "franchise quarterback", supposedly, in Sam Bradford in the first. I suppose they had to take him to energize the franchise and get the value out of this pick, but I think its evidence that I have my doubts about him and don't about the three of the guys drafted shortly after him. Roger Saffold in the second round is a good pick in getting someone to protect Sam Bradford, but they've drafted plenty of offensive linemen in past drafts and they need to get some guys who can catch around Sam Bradford. Their only means of doing so was Mardy Gilyard in the third round, but that wasn't near enough in my opinion.

Houston Texans (C-) - I don't think its that they got bad players, but that I think there were better values in the position they were drafting at the pick they were drafting. I liked CB Kyle Wilson over Kareem Jackson at no. 20. I think their were some better big backs then Ben Tate in the second round, and actually I think they could have waited and gotten a guy like Anthony Dixon or Jonathan Dwyer in the 5th or 6th round. The one pick that I think could be strong if they find a way to use him is the versatile tight end Dorin Dickerson (TE, 7th), undersized but a good athlete.

This might hurt the ol' GPA (luckily most football players don't worry about that):

San Diego Chargers (D+) - They got a starter in the first round in Ryan Matthews, obviously the running back they coveted, but they gave up way to much to draft him way too high. The first real threat to take him was Houston at no. 20, and instead they jumped to 12 and had to give up a lot in doing so. I did like Donald Butler (ILB, 3rd) and Cam Thomas (DT, 5th), but Jonathan Crompton as a developmental quarterback in the fifth round, when guys like Tony Pike and Dan Lefevour are on the board is a joke.

Minnesota Vikings (D) - I thought Chris Cook (CB, 2nd) was a project more than a starter and Toby Gerhart was not the guy to team with Adrian Peterson. They are saying he's a change of pace back, but I think he's more of the same type of runner without the speed. Don't get me wrong, I like Gerhart, but given that they traded out of no. 30 where they could have had Jahvid Best, a true change of pace back, it's puzzling. The only pick I really liked in their draft was Everson Griffin (DE, 4th) who had late first or early second round talent.

Washington Redskins (D) - Their draft was Donovan McNabb, that needs to be said first, but I thought the rest of the draft was shaky, though Shanahan has never been noted as a great draft guy. Trent Williams is a top ten pick, but I think Russell Okung was the better tackle, and there are some risks with Williams in terms of his "want to." In terms of the rest of the draft, I just didn't really like any of their picks, but I could be wrong.

Buffalo Bills (D-) - CJ Spiller is an exciting player and a possible game changer, but this team has neither a quarterback nor an offensive line. I think they had bigger needs at no. 9, especially now that it appears they are hanging on to Marshawn Lynch. They stretched in round two to draft a nose tackle, waited until the fifth round to try to address the offensive line, and passed on Jimmy Clausen, a possible franchise quarterback, twice. Just didn't like they way they addressed their needs.

The Ugly, unfortunately you can retake this draft:

Jacksonville Jaguars (F) - In the normal curve of grades, someone has to fail. They stretched big time on Tyson Alualu (DT, no. 10), a guy I hadn't even heard of (which is saying a lot). My only explanation is that they wanted CJ Spiller and when he was drafted right ahead of them, they stumbled and just blurted out this guy. They then drafted the same position in the third round and only drafted one offensive player, a running back, in the sixth round. It was a confusing draft.

Well, those are my thoughts. Obviously, we won't truly know how good these drafts were for another 2 or 3 years, but that's my early take.

Post Draft (Part 1): The Good

2010-04-25T10:58:00.007-05:00

As the three day extravaganza came to a close yesterday, and Mr. Irrelevant (Timothy Toone) was being drafted by the Lions, Mel Kiper started doling out his top prospects for next year. Mel will probably have a "Big Board" on Monday and a mock draft, projecting where people will draft and who they will draft, out by Friday. There's a lot of football to be played on both the college and professional level before then, so I'm going to look at what the teams did over the last three days to make their teams better. Beings as though I am an MBA student, I decided to grade out all of the teams' drafts on a nice normal distribution (if you are unfamiliar: linky), something I am intimately familiar with.

Top of the Class: Seattle Seahawks (A+)

As much as I would rather not give Pete Carroll credit, I loved pretty much everything they did in this draft. It helps to have two first round picks, but you have to use them well. They replaced franchise LT Walter Jones with the best tackle in the draft in Russell Okung and followed up at pick 14 with a great value in Earl Thomas, a versatile safety who has corner-like cover skills. I like the ball skills and value of Golden Tate in the second round, as well as the value picks of Walter Thurmond (CB, 4th), Kam Chancellor (S, 5th), and Anthony McCoy (TE, 6th). They were also able to do a pick swap that cost them practically nothing to get LenDale White, a bruising goal line running back, and traded a 5th round pick for Leon Washington, a lightning quick running back and return man coming off of injury. Overall, loved this draft.

Other Top Performers: Baltimore Ravens (A), Carolina Panthers (A), San Francisco 49ers (A), and Cincinnati Bengals (A-)

Baltimore Ravens (A) - They wanted Dez Bryant in the first round at 25 but the Cowboys jumped ahead of them at 24 and picked him. Unfazed, Ozzie Newsome traded back with the Broncos (who picked Tebow) and got 2nd, 3rd, and 4th round picks - great deal. What did they do with their later picks? In the second round they drafted two first round talents, and great fits for their defense in DE/OLB Sergio Kindle and NT Terrence Cody. Between Cody and Haloti Ngata, the buffet table should be empty and the opposing offensive line occupied. I liked their next two picks as well in TEs Ed Dickson and Dennis Pitta, which should provide some nice targets for Joe Flacco in the middle of the field.

Carolina Panthers (A) - The Panthers thought about trading up in the 2nd round but didn't want to pay the price, and they were still able to get their guy in QB Jimmy Clausen, thought to be a top ten pick. For a team that needs a quarterback, this couldn't have played out better. I also like the picks of Brandon Lafell (WR, 3rd), Eric Norwood (OLB, 4th), Greg Hardy (DE, 6th), and David Gettis (WR, 6th). They gave up a 2nd round next year to draft QB/WR Armanti Edwards in the 3rd round, an intriguing prospect, but a high price. Overall though, I thought they had great value and I thing Hardy really has a chance to be a tremendous steal in the 6th if he stays healthy.

San Francisco 49ers (A) - They sured up the line with Anthony Davis (OT, no. 11) and Mike Iupati (OG, no. 17), both good value picks - I admittedly like building with the lines. They got a punishing safety with first round talent in the second in Taylor Mays, a nasty linebacker in the third in Navorro Bowman, and a bruising running back that I think has real potential to contribute in Anthony Dixon in the 6th round.

Cincinnati Bengals (A-) - I really like the Bengals draft but I am a little hesitant as they continue to draft some character issue players. Jermaine Gresham, the best tight end in the draft, will be a great weapon for Carson Palmer. They also got great values in terms of talent in Carlos Dunlap (DE, 2nd), Jordan Shipley (WR, 3rd), Geno Atkins (DT, 4th), Roddrick Muckelroy (ILB, 4th), and Dezmon Briscoe (WR, 6th). Dunlap was a top ten pick before he ran into some issues this past year and people started questioning his desire on the field, and Briscoe was likely a middle round pick but his attitude came into question causing him to slip. If they can keep their talents in line, it's a great draft.

Not fantastic, but really solid:

Detroit Lions (B+) - They may actually building something here. Obvioulsy love the Suh pick at no. 2, but also liked the defensive back help with Amari Spievey in the 3rd and offensive line help with OT Jason Fox in the 4th.

New England Patriots (B+) - Bill Belichik continues to do what he does. Trade down and acquire picks. They picked twelve times and law of averages says that a good number of those are bound to pan out. I liked their tight end picks Rob Gronkowski (2nd) and Aron Hernandez (4th), receiver Taylor Price (3rd), and defensive standouts Devin McCourty (1st) and Brandon Spikes (2nd).

Arizona Cardinals (B) - I really liked what they did defensively in getting the drafts top nose tackle, Dan Williams, as well as linebackers Daryl Washington (2nd) and O'Brien Schofield (4th). I also like the potential of small school picks Andre Roberts (WR, 3rd) and John Skelton (QB, 5th).

Dallas Cowboys (B) - Didn't have a whole lot of picks in the draft but I really like what they did in trading up to grab the top wide receiver in Dez Bryant at no. 24, especially because he was likely off the board at no. 25. I think they also got good value with Sean Lee (ILB, 2nd), Akwasi Owusu-Ansah (CB, 4th), and Sam Young (OT, 6th).

Kansas City Chiefs (B) - They didn't draft necessarily to needs but got some great values and athletes. They needed an offensive tackle but I absolutely thought Eric Berry was the right pick at no. 5, a Ed Reed type safety who will make a difference on the back end of the secondary.

New Orleans (B) - Solid picks throughout but really got value in finding tackle Charles Brown at the back end of the second round and great athlete with a high ceiling in tight end Jimmy Graham at the end of the third.

Oakland Raiders (B) - Strange to think they had a good draft, but they waited to get their combine babies until the third day and got starters in Rolando McClain (ILB) in the first and Lamar Houston (DT) in the second. They were able to get Bruce Campbell, mentioned in a pre-draft blog, in the 4th. Their most notable move was trading a 4th round pick next year for Jason Campbell, a good move to get a quarterback.

Philadelphia Eagles (B) - Did their best to act like the Patriots, moving back and accumulating picks. They were able to get difference makers in Brandon Graham (DE, 1st) and Nate Allen (S, 2nd), and values late.

Tennessee Titans (B) - They got the top defensive end in the draft in Derrick Morgan at no. 16 and I liked Damian Williams (WR) and Rennie Curan (LB) in the third round. I also like that they grabbed Rhodes Scholar Myron Rolle in the 6th round, a great kid that should be given a chance.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (B) - They improved the middle of their defense in the first and second round in drafting defensive tackles Gerald McCoy and Brian Price, both who were first round talents who will likely start. Wide Receivers Arrelious Benn (2nd) and Mike Williams provide help for Josh Freeman on offense, both having the potential to start.

Cleveland Browns (B-) - Downgraded a little because I thought they overdrafted in some cases, but they also made some very good picks. I liked CB Joe Haden in the first, but I thought Earl Thomas was a better value at no. 7. In turn, they then drafted safety T.J. Ward in the early second round, when he was probably a third or fourth round player. They did, however, get Colt McCoy in the 3rd, safety Larry Asante (I'm biased) in the 5th, and Carlton Mitchell (WR) in the 6th. Mitchell may have been my favorite pick in their draft.

Well, that's the top 50% of the draft. If you didn't read about your team in this blog, you'll have to check in for part 2 to see what I didn't like about your team's draft.

Draft Day 1

2010-04-22T21:38:00.001-05:00

After the first day of the class, here are my first day winners and losers:

Winners:

1. Seahawks - I love this draft for them. They had two picks after nabbing the Broncos 1st round pick last year and landed most people's top left tackle in Okung, at no. 6, and Earl Thomas, a top ten talent, at no. 14. Fits needs on both sides of the ball and great values.

2. Cowboys - Traded the no. 27 and a 3rd rounder for no. 24 and a 4th rounder to get Dez Bryant. As much as I don't like to give Jerry Jones and the Cowboys any love, this was a really good move. Bryant is the elite wide receiver prospect in this class and a great value. I'm not as worried about the "character issues" of his contact with Deion. Randy Moss had character issues too, worse than Bryant's.

3. Cardinals - Arizona has had a tough offseason losing their best defensive player in Carlos Dansby, their quarterback, Kurt Warner, and Anquan Boldin, a pro bowl wide receiver. They needed something to go well this year and getting Dan Williams, the top pure nose tackle in the draft. Could have gone in the top ten but didn't find a fit till no. 26 - great value.

4. Packers - The cheeseheads had Bryan Bulaga, projected as high as no. 5, fall right into their laps at no. 23. Offensive line is definitely the top need for this organization, especially considering how many times pro bowl quarterback Aaron Rodgers ended up on the ground. This also feels like a good organizational fit between player and team.

5. Lions (Suh @ no. 2), Buccaneers (McCoy @ no. 3), and Chiefs (Berry @ no. 5) - They picked who people generally thought they were going to pick, but these are great players and picks. Lions did well with Jahvid Best in trading up to no. 30 as well.

Also liked: Raiders (did I say the Raiders?) - Rolando McClain @ no. 8, 49ers - Anthony Davis @ no. 11 and Mike Iupati @ no. 17, Titans - Derrick Morgan @ no. 16, Pittsburgh - Maurkice Pouncey @ no. 18, and Bengals - Jermaine Gresham @ no. 21.

Losers:

1. Jimmy Clausen - The only thing going for him today is that he didn't choose to be in New York, because he would need to extend his stay another night. Rumored to be in the top ten, considered by the Rams for the no. 1 overall pick, and plummets out of the first round.

2. Jaguars - They took Tyson Alualuwho? I haven't even heard of this guy, and that's saying something. After doing some research, it appears as though his highest projection was at the end of the first round, I hadn't seen him that high anywhere that I had looked before. Needless to say, the Jaguars are looking rather suspicious here. My guess is that they were so shocked that the Bills took CJ Spiller (whom they were rumored to like) that they didn't know what to do and at last finally just said Alualu? Speaking of ....

3. Bills - Nothing against CJ Spiller, but he's the best pick for the Bills? With all of their needs and no quarterback? This could look great if they harken back to the Chargers draft in 2001, Tomlinson in the first and Drew Brees at the beginning of the second. If the Bills can get Clausen... and pray.... maybe. Too many holes here, but not the kind that CJ Spiller's looking for.

4. Rams - They got their "franchise quarterback" at the top pick, what's not to like? Well, I'm not sold on Bradford for one. The second thing for me is obviously a hindsight thing, but if they were seriously considering Jimmy Clausen with the no. 1, which granted could probably be a smokescreen, he is now sitting where they are drafting at the top of the 2nd round. I just think there was a lot more risk in drafting Bradford than a Suh or McCoy.

5. Broncos - I'm still confused as to everything they did today with the four trades they made. In terms of actual picks, I'm actually a little torn. I don't mind either of their picks per say, but I don't necessarily like where they were drafted. Demaryius Thomas has a lot of upside (DANGER), but I think Dez Bryant is more NFL-ready and was still on the board. I don't hate on Tebow as much as some of the "experts" but they gave up a lot to move up farther then they probably needed to. Maybe the other trades add up to making this better, but it was too much work to figure it out. Josh McDaniels is going to live or die with this Tebow pick, I will say that.

It'll be interesting to see how the rest of it shakes out and how teams build on Day 1. The biggest question of course is where will the QBs, Jimmy Clausen and Colt McCoy, go? I expect some trades being made overnight to get higher in the second round to possibly land one of these guys. We shall see!

This and That Pre-Draft

2010-04-21T20:36:00.005-05:00

The NFL Draft is one of the funniest "events" of the sporting world. The media devotes so much time and money writing articles, speculating this and that, projecting where players may get drafted, and creating 7 versions of their mock drafts. This goes on for four months culminating with a now three day "primetime" event where there is no competition, unless of course Mel "the hair" Kiper and Todd "don't call me Ryan Seacrest" McShay debate which late-round quarterback could potentially be a Tom Brady-like steal (I'll save them some time, none). The whole event is people just sitting around for 15 minutes for the commish to come up announce somebody's name. Meanwhile, elsewhere in the sports world the NBA playoffs and NHL playoffs are underway. I admit, it's all just a bit ridiculous and it makes no sense that people would watch this. And yet I do... and love it. I'm really fascinated by personnel issues and I really think it stems from this natural progression as a sports fan where you get to the point where in your head you think "I could do better than (insert GM name here)." If the name you inserted was ex-Lions GM Matt Millen, you're actually correct.

So having that said, these are few thoughts I have going into the draft:

1. If you have a top 10 pick, and don't have a QB - GET BEN ROETHLISBERGER. If he can really be had for a top 10 pick, this is an absolute no-brainer. Is he a good guy? No. Is he a hell of QB? Yeah, in fact, one of the top five or six in the league. Though he may not be a model citizen, or even a good one, he hasn't proven to be toxic in the locker room, which has a greater effect on the football field. (You're not gonna compete next year if you're in the top 10 anyway, so who cares about the 4-6 game suspension... as long as there isn't another.)

2. The Raiders draft board probably looks something like this:

S Taylor Mays, USC - had the fastest forty time of any of the DBs at the combine while weighing in at 6'3 240 lbs, forget the fact that he lacks football instincts.
OT Bruce Campbell, Maryland - Forty time originally reported at 4.77s (later said to be more like 4.85), while coming in at 6'7 315 lbs, so what if he can't block?
DE Jason Paul-Pierre, USF - Youtube clips show that he can do 15 consecutive flips, sounds draft worthy to me.
CB Akwasi Owusu-Ansah - don't know who this kid really is but I saw him on ESPN's First Take this morning and apparently he's a corner that runs a 4.3 and is projected as athird round draft pick. The Raiders are probably worried that he'll be off the board and will thus take him at no. 8 overall.
S(printer) Usain Bolt, Jamaica - Al Davis will try.

3. Three steps to fixing the Lions:

Draft Ndamukong Suh. This is easy. The Rams are going to pass on the best player in the draft (I'm biased, but seriously, he is), to take a "franchise quarterback" in Sam Bradford, who is far from a guarantee in my books. This drops Suh, the closest thing to a guarantee, right into your lap. Don't listen to Todd Seacrest... er McShay with all of his Gerald McCoy talk, draft Suh.
Change your freaking jerseys/colors. I personally rank the Lions jerseys among the worst in any of the major sports. And blue and silver, how did these colors become associated with Lions. Granted, tan or "brownish-gold" would be a lame color, but you had your choice and you came up with blue and silver?!? I mean who picks silver? The Lions have to be the only professional sports team that has silver as one of its primary colors. This just screams "We're shooting for second, if we can just get to second..."
Tank another year and get a top 3 pick again. OK, so I didn't say I was fixing this thing in one offseason. After three straight years of good picks in the top 3 of the draft, I think they may have a chance.

Sidebar: Jim Schwartz ranks among my favorite coaches in sports for two reasons. First of all, the "use the Schwartz" Spaceballs/Star Wars jokes are endless. Second of all, it looks like Ben Linus stepped right off the set of "Lost" and onto an NFL sideline (if this were true, it would only make sense that its the Lions and had to be a Matt Millen hire). Serious doppelganger thing going on here. Speaking of which, maybe he has the answers to all of my "Lost" questions....

4. If you didn't watch Jon Gruden's QB Camp on ESPN, you missed out. ESPN comes up with a lot of bits that are terrible, but they hit a home run with this one. Gruden schooled the "top four" QBs in different aspects of being a QB and the things he specifically saw in their games that needed some attention. The best part was when he was making fun of how Colt McCoy talks, and then proceeded to walk him through film of him being dominated by Suh. The sessions did change my impression somewhat of the QBs. I would count myself not a fan of Jimmy Clausen, because I don't like his intangibles and leadership abilities which are necessary at the QB position, but his studious approach to the game (equally necessary) impressed me. Sam Bradford came off as a little cocky and not very responsive to Gruden's coaching. McCoy and his "aw shucks" personality/voice are annoying - OK, so that wasn't new. The biggest insight to me was Tim Tebow. They talk about the intangibles a lot obviously, but when you watched him work with Jon Gruden you could see that he was incredibly coachable - incredibly. He will put in the work, he will watch film, and he will listen to his coaches. If he can't be a NFL QB, no one in the Tebow-mold can be. I'm going to say that I think he does it.

5. There's of course a lot of talk about teams towards the top of the draft wanting to move back in the draft and acquire more picks. It sounds like such a good idea when you have so many holes, but it rarely works out. Trades realistically won't start till at least after the top 5 picks, if not later. The thing to watch in this draft, I think, is trades involving getting a QB. Bradford's locked in to no. 1, and that's not going to change. However, there is a lot of variability with Jimmy Clausen, ranging from no. 7 to late in the first round. A team may get impatient or think another team is targeting him and move up to get him. I think the same thing could happen late in the 1st round, possibly early 2nd, involving Colt McCoy. I wouldn't rule out a similar scenario with Tim Tebow, whom GMs either love or hate. And of course, there's Ben Roethlisberger, who could shake up the draft significantly if traded.

Well, time to put on the GM hat and start critiquing. Happy Drafting!

Some additional quick notes....

Shocked that the Cubs front office and Lou Piniella had the balls to put Carlos Zambrano and his $17 million a year contract in the bullpen. Absolutely the right baseball move, just surprised they actually did it.

I've heard a couple of rumors recently about Big 10 expansion. The first has UConn joining the Big 10, Colorado and Utah joining the Pac 10, leaving TCU to join the Big XII. Makes a decent amount of sense, especially with the Pac 10 and Big XII moves, eventhough I don't like adding another team from Texas to the Big XII. UConn to the Big 10 is a bit odd in terms of geography, though a great add for the Big 10 in terms of their actual sports programs. The other rumor is Nebraska being the top choice after Notre Dame, who has balked at joining the Big 10. Don't love the move for Nebraska, but could possibly warm up to it.

A Superstition is Born

2010-04-14T22:39:00.002-05:00

Monday marked the start of baseball in 96-year-old Wrigley Field, and in attendance was yours truly. The great thing about opening day at Wrigley is the buzz and excitement of a new season that hasn't been around long enough for Cubs fans to get too pessimistic. There may always be a certain amount of pessimism, but this early there is still a glimmer of hope mixed in. On the whole the game was rather similar to any regular season game at Wrigley, however, there is definitely a buzz and excitement as the crowd begins to arrive in Wrigleyville and flood into the park for the real start of summer in Chicago. It was a fun experience, and of course a 9-5 win always helps.

My friend Rob and I wanted to drink in the experience of opening day, so the morning started at 7:15 a.m. with a nice 45 minute trip up the red line into Wrigleyville. Our first stop was at the Cubbie Bear to try to catch part of Mike and Mike, who are on a book tour with this stop taking them to Chicago. We arrived a little after 8 to catch new Cubs owner Tom Ricketts being interviewed by the Mikes. I will say that I'm pretty optimistic about the Ricketts family ownership, as I think it will provide better ownership than the corporate ownership of the last 25 years by the Tribune. Unfortunately, I was unable to get to Mr. Ricketts to inquire about a job prior to his departure. Following the show, I got to meet Golic and Greeny and get a book signed. Golic is a big fella, though P90X has the big guy looking pretty svelte.

Our next stop was the Salt & Pepper Diner to grab some breakfast. Though this doesn't appear to be a very noteworthy event, as we were leaving I casually mentioned that I had eaten at the Salt & Pepper diner two of the last three times I had gone to a game at Wrigley. Upon further thought, it turns out the two days I went to the S&P Diner they won, and the day I didn't they lost. The result of opening day, a victory. Will I be visiting the S&P Diner the next time I go to Wrigley Field? You betcha!

After breakfast we cruised around the park a little and ended up hopping in the line for the bleachers, which was already rather lengthy. The bleachers section is the one part of the park that is general admission, so upon the opening of the gates there is a made rush for the front of the bleachers in left field. Besides the booing of anyone wearing the attire of another baseball team, probably the most noteworthy thing that happened in the line was the sighting of a man wearing stilts that made him about seven-foot tall covered in ivy from head to toe with incredible hulk hands gloves, a green face, and 368 feet sign on his stomach. There was also a guy who came with various beer cans glued to his head - opening day brings out some interesting characters. As the gates opened the race for the front row began and baseball was ready to begin.

The bleacher bums were in midseason form as the taunting of opposing players.... and Alfonso Soriano began during batting practice. Multiple taunts were tossed at former Cub Jim Edmonds in regards to his status as an AARP member. All of the Brewers were of course booed during introductions (obviously the better the player, the louder the boo) and much of this would continue as the game progressed and the beer flowed. One of my favorite cheers is when the opposing bleachers would taunt the opposite bleachers (left field vs. right field), thus telling fellow Cubs fans that they suck... it was kind of a funny practice. The more I go to sporting events, the more I realize how unique the Nebraska fans at Memorial Stadium truly are. Nebraska fans represent great sportsmanship that cheer the other team and are in fact more likely to boo their own team/players than they are others. Very unique these days in sports at all levels.

As I mentioned, the beautiful day (65º in April in Chicago!) was made even more beautiful with a 9-5 victory over the Brewers. This was my 5th game in the last couple of seasons and the Cubs are 4-1 when I am in attendance. As I currently have nothing lined up after graduation, I'm thinking I need to make attending Cubs games a regular occurrence until I can convince the Cubs to pay me to attend game as a good luck charm. I think that truly would be my dream job. I should probably continue searching for jobs just in case this plan doesn't pan out.

Cheers!

Monday Madness

2010-04-06T21:36:00.002-05:00

This week is one of the better sports weeks of the year in terms of the span of significant sporting events. It starts with the National Championship in men's basketball and opening day and baseball, and ends with Championship Sunday at the Master's. Toss in a one-time event in Tiger Woods' press conference at Augusta, and yesterday was quite an eventful day. If Monday was any indication for the week, it should be a good one.

I'll start with the most significant event, the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship. Duke, playing the role of Goliath in this modern day replay of an ancient days duel, stumbled but did not fall to the stone of Butler. But Butler put up a great fight and provided one of the better National Championship games in recent history. The difference in this game though was quite simply the length of Duke, which comes from being able to recruit that length. Their length caused them problems as they went to the hoop, and you could see it when they went into the paint. Shots were blocked (Duke had 7, Butler none) and altered all night, resulting in a 34.5% shooting night for Butler. Though the rebounding margin wasn't as significant as I would have thought, the real difference came from the way in which Butler had to rebound. They sent four or five guys to the boards every time on the defensive end which essentially eliminated fast break opportunities, which meant that they were stuck in a half court offense that had to deal with Duke's length. That difference though, was only two points. Great game plan by Butler coach Brad Stevens, they belonged.

On a related note, I can't help but think that Duke just stole a National Championship. Not to discount their achievement, they were consistent and won six games in a row, but this was far from Coach K's best team. This group was easily his least talented championship team, and there are probably a number of teams he has coached that didn't win a championship that were better, but things just seemed to fall their way. They were put into a bracket widely regarded as the easiest region of the four (selection committee conspiracy?), played a Hummel-less Purdue team, a PG-less West Virginia team, and were able to avoid the giants (Kentucky, Syracuse, Kansas, Ohio State, etc.) to get to Monday's final where they faced a 5-seed. They took advantage of the opportunity put in front of them, but something just feels wrong about this one.

In regards to Major League Baseball's opening day, it could not have gone worse as a Cubs fan. Zambrano was able to raise his 5.88 opening day ERA by allowing eight runs while recording only four outs. The Cubs are now 1-5 on opening days with Zambrano as the starter, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what should have been done here prior to yesterday's debacle. Soriano looked as good as he did most of last year in going 0 for 4 with two strikeouts, Smardzija continues to look clueless on the mound, and the defense looks to be poor again this year. The "encouraging" items from the game are that Aramis Ramirez is back and still hitting, the lefties in the bullpen (Marshall, Russell, and Grabow) looked solid, and Zambrano didn't throw a temper-tantrum after sucking. I know it's VERY early, but signs point to a long year. Hopefully I'm wrong.

Other opening day notes: True aces are easy to identify (see Halladay, Santana, Lincecum, and Carpenter), there is a reason these guys pitch in big games and have won Cy Youngs and are always in contention to win another. Albert Pujols is still the best player in baseball - he now has four home runs in his last two opening days. Jason Heyward is legit - having watched his entire game against the Cubs, this kid is gonna hit a lot. His swing and the way the ball jumps off his bat is just a thing of beauty. The Phillies showed why they are the favorite in the NL, winning in dominating fashion (granted, they played the Nationals). Red Sox v. Yankees is still the best rivalry in all of sports, already two four hour games in the books with seventeen games to go in this season's series. And finally, if you didn't see the Mark Buehrle play from yesterday - youtube it.

Lastly, I just want to say that Tiger Woods' interviews at least seem to be getting a little more real and bearable. He continues to look more comfortable and genuine in talking with the media. Sure, he still shies away from the questions the reporters really want him to answer, but he did answer most questions that were fired his way. This was clearly more of his type of interview situation. Now it will be interesting to see if he can find his game on the golf course. I wouldn't say I expect him to win it, but I wouldn't be surprised.

Hope Springs Eternal

2010-04-03T10:20:00.002-05:00

With the turn of spring comes Opening Day for Major League Baseball - the best part of the season if you are a Cubs fan like myself... because there's still hope. This year I hope to drink in some of that hope with a trip to Chicago for the Cubs home opener. Though hope will surely be in abundance come opening day, to say that I think "This is the year" would be a stretch. The Cubs are getting up there in age, questions abound in the bullpen and the back end of the rotation, and health is always a big if with this team. If all these things fall in to place, they could certainly make the playoffs, but that's probably asking a lot. As for the teams that do have a shot, here are my winners:

AL West: This is somewhat of a crap shoot, and I think as long as you don't go with the A's you very well could be right. The Angels have lost a lot of parts in the last few years, but have one of the best managers in the game in Mike Scioscia. The Rangers can kill the ball on offense, but can they pitch the ball? And the Mariners have possibly the best 1-2 starters in baseball, but may not have a player hit more than 25 homers. Until they are unseated, I'm going with Mike Scioscia and the Angels. He always seems to get more out of less and will adjust his strategy to the team he has.

AL Central: Probably a battle between the White Sox and the Twins, with Detroit being the dark horse behind a good pitching staff and Miguel Cabrera. However, I'll take the Twins over the White Sox. Twins boast one of the best defenses in baseball, which will make their ace-less pitching staff look better than it is, and the best offense in this division with Mauer, Morneau, and Kubel in the heart of their lineup. The White Sox have better pitching, but they are an aging team and I think health issues may linger in by the end of the season - if not earlier.

AL East: The best division in baseball will surely have two teams in the playoffs, the question is which of the Yankees, Red Sox, and Rays will be there. All have good if not great pitching, all have very good lineups, and all now have legit closers. The edge in starting pitching (at least from a depth perspective) goes to the Red Sox, bullpen goes to the Yanks with Rivera, lineup probably goes to the Yanks, and defense goes to the Rays ahead of the Sox. Who's gonna win? I don't know. I'll go with the Yankees because its hard to go against them now that they have their confidence back, and the Red Sox as the Wild Card. Its unoriginal, but usually right.

NL West: The Rockies are the popular pick here, but I'm going to go with the Dodgers to repeat. I think both will make the playoffs, but I think the Dodgers take the division off a very good young lineup thats bound to get better, not to mention Manny in a contract year. Defense might be slightly behind the Rockies, but I like the Dodgers staff anchored by Clayton Kershaw and Chad Billingsley, with Broxton closing out games. I think the Rockies do take the Wild Card though to make their third playoff run in the last four years.

NL Central: I wish I could take my Cubbies here, but I don't see enough improvement to think this team is any better than last year. I think the Cardinals will repeat, though they are very dependent on the health of some key cogs including Carpenter, Wainwright, Pujols, Holliday, and Yadier Molina. They have the best top end talent in the division, but not the best depth of talent. All of these guys except Wainwright have had some injury issues throughout the spring. If any of these guys miss an extended period of time, it opens the door for the Cubs and Brewers.

NL East: No real question here - its the Phillies. Best lineup, best pitching staff, and best defense in the east. Not only are they the best team in the NL East, they are the best team in the National League. They added the best pitcher in baseball, Roy Halladay, to a two-time NL pennant winner. That's not even fair. I do think that the Braves and Marlins could make a run at the Wild Card, but the NL East - no.

Preseason World Series Pick: It's boring and uninspired but I'm going to take the Yankees and the Phillies in the World Series again. When you get to a playoff format, the Yankees top of the rotation is hard to beat. The Red Sox have the depth, but in the playoffs it becomes a wash with the shortened rotation. That brings it down to their lineups, and the Yankees can just hit more. I think the Phillies are the class of the National League, and though the Cardinals become difficult in the playoffs with a 1-2 in Carpenter and Wainwright, I think the Phillies still come out on top with the depth of their lineup and a better defense. In the series, I'll take the Phillies over the Yankees, getting revenge for their loss in the World Series last year.

It may look a certain way on paper, but they'll have 162 games to prove me wrong. Let's Play Ball!

March Madness Hangover

2010-03-31T20:46:00.002-05:00

It would seem as though many of the top seeds in the NCAA Tournament came into games this year riding a pretty wicked hangover, whether it be a uber-talented but young roster in Kentucky losing to a point gaurdless, offensively-impaired West Virginia team or a Kansas team, long considered the front runner, losing in the second round to a Northern Iowa team that has as many unpronounceable names as KU has lottery picks (which is a lot). The tournament has seemingly been typified not by great players or performances, as we expect come March, but rather by a lack of execution. I seemingly watched countless games where, coming down to the end of the game, teams would struggle to get a shot off, turn the ball over, or chuck a three from 6 feet behind the line. So what do the teams that advanced have that the teams that lost don't? Here's my four defining characteristics of the Final Four teams:

1. Veteran Team - Not just a veteran leader, but a veteran team. One of the most interesting stats of the Final Four is the number of freshmen starting for the Final Four teams - zero. In today's basketball a sophomore is a veteran, and these teams all start players that are at least in their second year on the court. Most of the best players left are upperclassmen, including Duke's Jon Scheyer, Kyle Singler, and Nolan Smith; Michigan State's Raymar Morgan, Durrell Summers, and Chris Allen; West Virginia's Da'Sean Butler; and Butler's Matt Howard. Some of these players even made it to their senior years. Notably, there are few freshmen contributors left in the final four.

2. Conference Champions - All of these teams won a conference championship of some sort. West Virginia, Duke, and Butler came into the tournament having won their conference tournaments, with Duke, Butler and Michigan State having won at least a share of the regular season title. What does that equate to? Champions, winners, and hot teams . Butler came into the tournament riding the nation's longest winning streak; perhaps we shouldn't be surprised to see them in the Final Four.

3. Defense - They say that defense wins championships and it still holds true. Butler is noted for having one of the stingiest man-to-man defenses in the country, allowing only 59.6 pts/gm this season. Michigan State, as always, is one of the toughest teams in the tournament, and with Izzo's teams that always starts on the defensive side. West Virginia has won on its defense all year, tough much like Michigan State, West Virginia mixes in a 1-3-1 zone with other defenses to keep teams off balance - it certainly worked against Kentucky. And Duke, though not necessarily known for their defense, has sacrificed points for defense and rebounding from their bigs and has allowed an average of only 56 pts/gm in the tournament.

4. Chemistry - I am admittedly a huge believer in a team that likes each other. Chemistry is more than that, but put simply I like to think of chemistry in sports meaning the desire to win not for you but the guy sitting next to you. Chemistry is often the result of veterans that play with each other for multiple years, but it can also be inherent in the team's culture. All of these teams seemingly have a culture that is the embodiment of the coach, whether it be the toughness of Tom Izzo or the intelligence and number crunching of Brad Stevens.

This isn't to say that none of the other teams have some of these characteristics, but rather that these teams have all of these characteristics. As a Kansas fan, though they had a fantastic year I felt like the team had a bit of an identity crisis the entire year and it finally came back to bite them in the end. Kentucky was young, Syracuse's defense wasn't the same with Onauku in the middle, Villanova forgot how to win, etc. As for who I'm picking, I'm going to save the embarrassment after having picked one final four team between my two brackets.

Brian vs. Mountain

2010-03-21T19:23:00.002-05:00

If you don't know of my athletic exploits, they are numerous and glorious. As I have mentioned before, the glory days of my athletic career were 7th and 8th grade C team basketball (we were undefeated both seasons). Football ended in the fourth grade when in practice I always got put on my butt by one of the "big" 6th graders - he was huge, I promise. A sprinkler head divot defeated me in baseball... I was the right fielder anyway, so my future probably wasn't bright. So, it only makes sense that I try to build on my prestigious athletic career. My most recent athletic venture - Skiing.

A friend from my MBA program suggested that he hopes to see me in the next Winter Olympics, and after today I would suggest that if I were only younger, I would totally be there. Ok, so that may have overstated my skills ..... scratch skills..... attempts at skiing. I really had hopes though, I really thought I had a shot at the 2014 Olympic Games. I started late in life, but there was still hope, maybe I was an untapped prodigy. That hope quickly diminished however when I found myself laying spread eagle on the slopes with a 6 year-old skiing by giving me the finger. Ok, so that didn't quite happen, but I saw those little patronizing eyes. Just because you came out of the womb wearing skis doesn't give you the right to judge a 24 year-old first time skier!

In all seriousness though, skiing was a lot of fun.... and I did end up on my butt a fair number of times. By all means though, I view this venture as a success. First of all, I'm still alive. I think this was a legitimate concern going in, and I defied the odds and made it out alive. Secondly, I came out of it without seriously hurting myself, and more importantly, without seriously injuring someone else. No doubt, when most of the Arapahoe Basin ski-goers saw me coming they probably immediately left for a different resort, but those who stayed came away unscathed, miraculously. And finally, I didn't get so frustrated that I wanted to quit and by all means would like to go skiing again. I will however need to lick my wounds and let my legs heal up from the repeated beating I gave them via skis. So, in twenty-four more years, look out Rocky Mountains, you will be conquered!

Let the Madness Begin!

2010-03-14T20:43:00.002-05:00

Work productivity is about to plummet in offices nationwide as employees gather round the water cooler to talk brackets. With the bracket just announced, I haven't filled out my bracket, but here are some of my initial thoughts in regards to the 2010 NCAA tournament.

In terms of toughest bracket, no question its the Midwest, which is rather illogical due to the Midwest having the number one overall seed. If ranked by seed, I would say the Midwest has the best 1-seed, 2-seed, 3-seed, 5-seed, 7-seed, 9-seed, and 10-seed. I also think there's an argument for Tennessee as the best 6-seed, and the "experts" have been talking about 11 San Diego State and 12 New Mexico State as well. Obviously I'm not an expert and all of those seedings could be argued, but there are some pretty good teams with the likes of Kansas, Ohio State, Georgetown, Michigan State, and Tennessee. The bracket also includes the likely National Player of the Year, as well as 6 coaches that have coached a Final Four team, 5 of which have made it to the Championship Game, and 3 of those being National Title winning coaches.

The weakest bracket is the definitely the West bracket. In my opinion it has the weakest top 2 seeds, and I wouldn't be totally surprised if any of the top 6 seeds came out of this bracket. That is also the reason I think Old Dominion is the most likely team to have a chance to pull a George Mason, even having the same seed at 11. Keep in mind I will not be picking that, but the bracket sets up the best for it. At the same time I wouldn't be surprised to see the 11, 12, or 13 seeds win in this bracket.... but which to pick in my bracket... that will require some further thought.

As for the first round games that I think have the chance to be the most intriguing/entertaining. 8/9 games always have potential with the Louisville v. Cal being a good matchup, though given thats just a bad teams from good conferences game, I'll take the UNLV v. UNI game. Mountain West had a solid season with four teams making the bracket and Northern Iowa, having won both the regular season and tournament title in the Missouri Valley, is a solid team. 7/10s are good games and the maybe one of the best first round match-ups is Big XII player of the year James Anderson and Okie State v. Georgia Tech, a very talented but inconsistent team. I also like 6 Notre Dame v. 11 Old Dominion, 6 Xavier v. 11 Minnesota, 5 Temple v. 12 Cornell, and 4 Purdue v. 13 Siena. Thursday and Friday are two of the best days on the sports calendar, hopefully it lives up to the billing!

A Bear Market

2010-03-05T20:33:00.002-06:00

The uncapped year in the NFL has officially begun, which, as ESPN continues to tell me, means there are no rules... except for five or six apparently non-rule rules. If anyone actually understands all the details of free agency and contracts in the major sports, it would be a miracle. I'm pretty sure most athletes don't even know half the rules, they just want to know when and how much they are going to get paid. The main point of the uncapped year though is that there is neither a ceiling nor a floor to team's salary expenditures. So, you'd think that this would mean that there would be a spending spree and that some team would try to take the Yankee approach to winning, though that's apparently not going to happen. Many teams are going to take a slower approach to free agency. The Bears, however, are not.

In the past twelve hours or so the Bears have signed one of the 3 or 4 best running backs on the free agent market, the best blocking tight end, and the premier free agent of the entire free agency class. All told they spent $55 million in guaranteed salaries and though all the details aren't out, likely about $115 million in total if they actually paid out the entire contracts. Initial concerns are that all of these players are 30 or older (a bad sign in a collision sport like the NFL) and thats a lot of money, but you always have to keep in mind that in the NFL players rarely get their entire contracts paid to them and if their skills decline, they simply get cut (see: Jake Delhomme). Having that said, I generally liked what the Bears did. Here's my take on all of the players:

Julius Peppers, 6 years - $91 Million ($42 M guaranteed): First, it is important to mention that Peppers fills what might possibly have been the Bears biggest need - a pass rusher - and he is definitely the best person available or even unavailable at his position. However, there is some talk about the supremely talented Peppers taking plays off, and that might be true, but when he takes plays off he is still probably better than most DEs in the league. He also likes to shy away from the spotlight, which he was constantly in the middle of in Carolina, being a hometown product (went to UNC) and really having the label of "star player" on his team. Cutler and Urlacher will no doubt deflect some of that spotlight, and that may possibly free Peppers up to just play football. I will say that the Cubs fan in me worries about this being another Soriano signing (a.k.a. 30-year old athlete in his prime signs one of the richest contracts in his league and then goes on to be fragile, and disappointing when he does play). Please, Please don't let this be a Soriano signing, PLEASE!

Chester Taylor, 4 years - $12.5 Million ($7 M guaranteed): Taylor is one of the over-thirty free agent running back club with LaDanian Tomlinson, Brian Westbrook, and Thomas Jones, and probably the least known. Having that said, I think he was probably the best out of that group for the Bears because he is well accustomed to being a backup/complimentary back, is good on third down, and definitely has the least mileage on the tires of any of those backs. The Bears have struggled to have two solid running backs for years and this should solve that. He was probably also the cheapest. He probably won't be around for all four of the years of his contract, but on the whole, a good pickup.

Brandon Manumaleuna, 5 years - total contract not released ($6 M gauranteed): I will admit this signing was a bit puzzling to me at first, especially given that it was the Bear's first of the free agency period. The Bears also already have two good TEs and don't appear to be cutting either. My first thought was that they just thought his name was cool, but the more I think about it, the more it makes sense. I would say the biggest problem with the Bear's offense last year was the offensive line, because Cutler had little time and Forte had no holes. Enter one of the best blocking TEs in the league. Coming in at a cool 300 lbs on his 6'2 frame, Manumaleuna is essentially a sixth offensive linemen, with more athleticism and the ability to make a catch here and there. Given that the free agency crop of offensive lineman isn't real strong, this makes sense.

The Bears, of course, ransomed their draft in the Cutler and Gaines Adams trades, leaving them without a first and second rounder, so they needed to get impact players through free agency. My suggestion for how they should draft - all picks on offensive linemen and hope one or two stick.

Olympics close as March opens.

2010-02-28T22:45:00.004-06:00

Video Recaps | Full Episodes | Webisodes

The Olympics, yet again, provided for great theater and sport, and as usually I was completely enthralled. This Olympic games may not have had as big of headliners as the Beijing games, having the likes of Michael Phelps and Usain Bolt, but it definitely provided for some great moments. So I've compiled my list of my top ten best moments/stories of the Olympics.

1. Joannie Rochette taking the ice after the tragic passing of her mother. That was the real story and moment, the perfect ending is that she took home a medal, winning the bronze.

2. Canada v. USA gold medal match. Sure the USA didn't take home a gold, but if you think about how much this medal means to Canada, its almost OK that we didn't take home the medal. Most Canadians would have traded their 13 other golds for the hockey gold. On top of that, what an incredible game. Ryan Miller was brilliant the whole tournament, and the US Men should hold their heads high. In the end, the legend of Sidney Crosby forges ahead as he brings home the gold for team Canada on home ice.

3. Alexandre Bilodeau wins the gold for his country and his brother. Bilodeau's inspiration is his older brother, who has cerebral palsy. He won the gold for him and his gold happened to be Canada's first gold on home soil, having now hosted two prior to Vancouver.

4. The US four-man bobsled team takes home the first four-man gold in 62 years. Piloted by veteran Steve Holcomb, the US team knocked out German pilot Andre Lange, who had never lost an Olympic race. Oh, and the teams break man, Curt Tomasevicz, was a former Husker football player and the pride of Shelby, NE.

5. Shaun White performs up to expectation and captures the gold. White is one of the most entertaining shows on snow/ice, and he displayed that again in Vancouver, reaching heights no other snowboarder can reach and just dominating the competition. His last run was essentially a victory lap, and to close it out he laid down the toughest trick that any snowboarder can land - just for kicks.

6. Evan Lysacek edges out Evgeni Plushenko for gold. Plushenko, a champion and world-class skater, put up a heck of a fight, but his execution of a quad could not edge out the better executed performance of Lysacek. Plushenko turned out to be a poor loser, blaming the scoring system for his loss.

7. Apolo Ohno takes home a US winter olympics record 7th medal. He won 3 medals overall, tying the record of 6 when one Korean wiped out another in the 1500m final to give him the silver and taking home another silver in the relay, however his bronze in the 1000m may have been his most impressive performance of the games. In prime position to make a run at the gold, with 2 laps left he was nudged by a canadian which threw him from 2nd to 5th and he charged back to grab the bronze, and US Olympic history.

8. Kim Yu-na, carrying the weight of an entire country, dominates in Women's Ice Skating, setting a record and living up to the astronomical expectations of her home country, where she is a celebrity, in taking home the gold.

9. Tessa Virtue and Scott Moyer take home Olympic gold in Ice Dancing. They not only performed incredibly but showed so much genuine emotion, probably the most spirited singers of "Oh, Canada" from the entire games.

10. Bill Demong takes home Olympic gold in the Nordic Combined. In another sport of US futility, Demong took home the first ever Nordic Combined gold, as the US Nordic Combined team had a fantastic Olympics, with three silvers and one gold in four events.

I wish I could say that I didn't watch all of these events, but unfortunately I did.... and yes I even watched the Nordic Combined. Not mentioned but deserving props are the US alpine skiing team, having their most successful Olympics, with Lindsay Vonn and Bode Miller gaining some redemption from Torino. On the whole, the United States had a great Olympics, winning the medal count at a Winter Games for the first time ever and setting an Olympic record for winter medals in one games with 37. The Canadians also deserve credit, taking home the most gold medals and hosting a great Olympic Games. They also deserve credit for getting me to want to travel to Vancouver.... seriously, I want to go, it looks beautiful.

Next up - March Madness! Woohoo!

Cap and Trade

2010-02-19T15:27:00.004-06:00

No, I'm not referring to governmental regulation of air pollutants, but rather the seeming legislation in the NBA that has dictated the frenzied fad that has clearing cap space and trading for expiring contracts in. This legislation has been introduced by the Senators James, Wade, and Bosh, to name a few. This summer is bound to be the most talented free agent pool ever with this being the potential free agent class:

Prize Horses: LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh (who has been lost in Canada), and technically Kobe Bryant falls into this category as well because he has an early termination option (ETO) though an extension is inevitable if not imminent.

No Small Consolation: Joe Johnson, Carlos Boozer, Amar'e Stoudamire, Dirk Nowitzki (ETO), and Yao Ming (ETO)

You lost out on the above and decided to overpay these solid-but-not-an-all-star-if-on-good-teams players: David Lee, Rudy Gay (restricted)

Aging/Falling Stars: Paul Pierce (ETO), Tracy McGrady, Shaquille O'Neal, Allen Iverson (who likely will retire), Manu Ginobili, Michael Redd (ETO), Ray Allen, Jermaine O'Neal

So you may now understand why teams seem to be ransoming this year, or in the case of the Knicks seemingly the last decade, to get a shot at these free agents. It's become so ridiculous that trades like the one involving the Knicks as well as the Rockets and Kings happened the other day. Because the Rockets don't appear to be resting hopes on the summer free agency, which is probably smart, they were able to come out like bandits. They acquired Kevin Martin (a very good player from the Kings), Jordan Hill (high ceiling rookie PF from the Knicks), the right to swap picks with the Knicks next year, and their 2012 first rounder. What did they give up for this haul? Their best bench player in Carl Landry and Joey Dorsey (a little cap space). The Knicks got a huge expiring contract in McGrady and a backup point gaurd. The Kings got cap space and Carl Landry, which wasn't enough but I can only assume that they didn't think that Tyreke Evans and Martin fit well together on the floor. If the Knicks don't get any of the big three, people are going to look at this deal in a few years and think Isaiah Thomas was behind it.

Having that said, my Bulls (stuck with 'em even after Jordan left) had a similar strategy. They made good moves to gain cap space and can now for sure offer a max contract this summer. With a little more maneuvering they may be able to do a little more. Its easy to look at the dream scenarios starting with luring LeBron out of Cleveland or getting Wade to come back home, but right now I don't see either leaving their current teams. What I may like even better than landing either of those two however is to go after two free agents in Chris Bosh and Joe Johnson. In terms of a gaurd, I think Joe Johnson would look perfect in the Bulls backcourt. His prolific shooting would look great next to Derrick Rose and though he doesn't have the clutch reputation that LeBron and Dwayne may have, he is definitely a better shooter. Given that the Bulls don't have great shooters, he would look great, especially if Deng is still playing SF. As for Bosh, he would provide the stud big that the Bulls have possibly never had, and unlike Amar'e Stoudamire and David Lee, he plays defense. As a second option for a low post scorer to compliment Noah's defense and energy, I would go with Boozer. Rose should be an attractive court mate for many of the free agents and hopefully they can land one or two.

As for other sporting news, Shawn White continues to live up to the hype and defy gravity, he's been one of the Olympic highlights for sure. I admittedly watched parts of the ice skating and really what makes watching it great is Scott Hamilton. He gets super excited when skaters do something well with Bill Raftery-like reactions, and he's equally funny when he dogs on skaters for having bad form and such. The competition was good as well, its always nice to see an American win, and Plushenko spiced it up by essentially saying he should have won because he executed a quad after trying to act like gracious loser. As for Tiger's press conference, I didn't buy it - didn't seem geniune, though not perfect Bill Simmons probably writes it better than I do.

Olympic All-Star 500

2010-02-15T22:34:00.003-06:00

The weekend was filled with a number of "major" sporting events. With the Olympic Games starting on the weekend of the NBA All-Star Game and the Daytona 500, it was definitely a full weekend. I will admit that I am not a Nascar fan, so I pretty much pay attention to who won the race so I know if someone asks. Jamie McMurray, right? I think the fact that I'm familiar with his name should count for something. Anyway, I thought it was pretty awesome that they had problems with a pothole at the Daytona 500. How does this happen? And given that it took a couple stoppages that I think ended up being over 2 hours of downtime - not good. Needless to say, this is not what you want at your sport's Super Bowl and if you were a casual fan watching the race, you stopped watching. Unfortunate.

The All-Star Game I suppose is a big event, it was at least in attendance this year setting a world record, but lets be honest, no one really cares about any of the major sports' all-star games. My real guff here though is with the dunk contest. This used to be one of the best events in all of sports with the epic duels of Dominique and MJ and the birth of Vincanity, but those days are long since past. They either need to get the premier players in the league (i.e. Lebron, D-Wade, The Durantula, etc.) or stop having it. I didn't watch any of it but then saw the end when they were asking Nate Robinson if he was having troubles being creative. Really? How bad was it? I think they were muting Charles Barkley's mic because he was saying how "terble" it was. And speaking of Nate Robinson, he won again? Nate Robinson now is the only 3-time Dunk Contest winner, that's should be a feat, but instead is a joke. Nate Robinson can't start for the Knicks! It's gotta stop. Be creative, come up with something new NBA so we don't have to see Nate Robinson win because he beat three other bench players only because the fans like a short guy dunking. Ok, so I probably won't watch if you do come up with something new, but someone might.

So obviously the real thing to watch was the Olympics. It started on a sad note with the death of luger from the former Soviet Republic of Georgia, which put a dark cloud over the opening ceremonies. But the show went on and the opening ceremonies were pretty good. It was unfortunate, however, that the quintessential moment of the opening ceremony, the lighting of the torch, had a malfunction when one of the legs to the Olympic cauldron didn't come out of the floor. Since the actual competitions started though, the games have been great. There have been great moments and races, and some even better stories. My favorite story so far has been Canadian gold medal moguler Alexandre Bilodeau, whose inspiration in competing is his older brother, who suffers from cerebral palsy. Not only did he win this gold for his brother, but also for his country. Obviously all athletes are there competing for country, but Bilodeau's gold had even more significance as it was the first gold that Canada had ever been won on their own soil, in this their third time hosting. It was just a great story all around. This story is one among many that make the Olympics so great. I look forward to the next couple of weeks of Olympic events, and I hope you do too. Happy viewing!

Texas to the Big 10?

2010-02-12T14:39:00.002-06:00

Ever since the Big 10 announced that they were going to more actively seek a 12th member a few months ago, rumors have run rampant about not only who that school may be, but also realignment amongst all the other conferences. The domino affect of a team changing conferences and moving into the Big 10 would not have to happen if Notre Dame would sacrifice its status as an independent team in football, but they have stated multiple times that they have no desire to do so. The other logical teams that have been brought up are regional teams like Missouri and Pittsburgh, as well as teams that may expand their presence into different markets, such as Syracuse and Rutgers. The most recent rumor has the Big 10 having preliminary talks with Texas.... yes, Texas. Here's the case as I see it:

Why Texas would do this:

The Big 10 would provide increased revenues from the conference, mostly as a result of the Big 10 network, which I believe was the first conference network and is the most widely distributed. The Big 10 is also a stronger conference in terms of academics, which always helps with those people that think these kids go to school to get an education. The Big 10 also provides for some intriguing match-ups in terms of competition with the likes of Ohio State, Penn State, and Michigan (should they get back to glory). The most intriguing part of the competition is that Texas has to feel as though they could win that conference every year. Much of the Big 12 gets Texas talent, some of the best in the country, but little of the Big 10 does, and with the (perceived) weakness of the Big 10, Texas has to think they could possibly win the conference and thus be in competition for the National Championship every year.

Why Texas wouldn't do this:

The first is the natural rivalries within the Big 12 conference. The Texas A&M rivalry has the longest history, but the Oklahoma game has become one of, if not the, biggest rivalry games in all of college football, and no doubt brings huge revenues in itself to Texas. Texas would also have to balance the cost of traveling within the conference, not only for football, but all 20-30 (maybe more) sports. These costs would have to be more than matched in the increased revenues. The other consideration, though it may not be as big, is the effects on recruiting. Now, Texas has never had problems recruiting, in Texas all they have to do is offer and the kid seems to come. However, in following recruiting I see that kids frequently refer to wanting to play in fill-in-the-blank conference, and that is frequently geographical. As most conferences stand, they are mostly geographical, though there is certainly no rule that they have to. Whether a conference change would affect recruiting, I guess we won't know until it happens, but I think it's possible. The perceived lesser competition could be viewed as a negative as well, so that may play against joining the Big 10 as well.

Ultimately, I don't see Texas doing it. I don't think they'd give up the rivalries, and I think the Big 12 will make an effort to keep them around. In addition, the Big 12 network is likely growing, as it is fairly young at this point, and could bring greater revenues soon. The geographic aspect obviously doesn't make a whole lot of sense either. But who am I kidding? I'm a Nebraska, if the Big 10 wants them, they can have 'em.

Predictions Sure to go Wrong

2010-02-08T15:24:00.002-06:00

From this point forward I will be calling any and all predictions I may make as "Predictions Sure to go Wrong," as this will help everyone as they're placing there bets - simply do the opposite of whatever I pick. As a friend of mine was quick to point out, my Super Bowl pick was wrong, but I was perfectly OK with that and rooting for the Saints. We've been really quite spoiled recently with good Super Bowls, great games the last three years, and last night's game was the most watched TV program ever, passing the last episode of M*A*S*H over 25 years ago.

As for last night's game, the moment in that game that will be most remembered is undoubtedly the onside kick. It was possibly the gutsiest call by any coach in Super Bowl history, and if it doesn't work it would probably be considered the dumbest coaching move ever. However, it was executed perfectly and turned the momentum in that game. As a result of the onside kick, Peyton Manning took the field after New Orlean's touchdown having not been on the field for 45 minutes with confidence clearly risen on the New Orlean's sideline. Though that was the signature play of this game, I would argue the biggest play of the game was the interception by Porter. At the point that he made that interception, everyone watching that game, and probably even some of the Saints, were sure that Manning was going to tie that game and overtime was on the horizon (oh what could have been...), but Porter sealed that game with that interception.

The interesting part of this game is that it likely means that Peyton Manning just lost his chance at being the greatest quarterback of all time, and Drew Brees just became a future Hall of Famer. It's funny how the NFL works like that. It's a similar situation to two years ago with the Patriots. Tom Brady wins that Super Bowl and his legacy is cemented, possibly as the greatest of all time. He would have been 4-0 in Super Bowls, capped with a 19-0 season in which he led the most prolific offense in the history of the NFL in terms of scoring and set the new bar for touchdown passes in a season. The only other QB with a 4-0 Super Bowl record is Joe Montana, frequently mentioned as the greatest quarterback of all time. Regardless of what this game did to "legacies" it was a great game for the fans. Peyton Manning and Drew Brees both played very well, and regardless of the outcome, both are great quarterbacks.

Congratulations to the Saints and the city of New Orleans! They deserve every bit of it!

Wrong Lane!

2010-02-06T15:52:00.003-06:00

Lane Kiffin is all that is wrong in college football. This guy is a joke. As I mentioned in a previous post, Lane Kiffin is definitely one of my least favorite coaches in college football mostly because of the way he handles his business. The most recent story is the commitment he received from a 13-year-old quarterback. This story is absolutely ridiculous. This kid has yet to hit puberty, yet to pick a high school, yet to even clear the 7th grade. He's a prospect for the recruiting class of 2015. There are many things I view wrong with this situation and people to blame, but by no means do I blame the kid. He says USC was his dream school and so it was natural for him to commit upon receiving the offer. Kiffin and the father/parents on the otherhand, they each have their share of the blame in my estimation.

I understand that you want to get in on recruits early, but this is seriously ridiculous. Kiffin doesn't need to offer this kid now in order to seal his commitment. Kiffin obviously has no need to get in this early in order to seal a top quarterback, he coaches at USC, where he shows them the beach, the celebrities, and the money and they commit. This seems to be another promotional ploy that Lane Kiffin tends to make to get his name in the news, and the media always falls for it. It's very self-serving and if you look at the potential affects this may have on the kid, it could be harmful. I'm not saying that this kid isn't going to grow up to be the next Drew Brees or Peyton Manning, but you can bet that everyone is going to be prepared to take their shots at the kid who is already committed to USC. People are going to start to cling to him, claiming to be "friends," just to be there when he makes it big, and we've all seen how high school posses have affected some professional athletes (see: Michael Vick). I think this ultimately does more harm than good, but in todays recruiting world, should we expect any less?

I also think the parents, especially the father, have a part to play to. It's the story of modern sporting culture, trying to make your child the next Tiger Woods or LeBron James, or perhaps in this case Peyton Manning. So you start training your kid to try to be elite at one sport (this kid has one of the top QB coaches in the country that he trains with), and frequently that sport is determined by the parent. It strips a child of all the freedoms of finding the sport that he loves, living a normal life of discovery and mistakes the lead to learning. Parents structure their lives towards what they view as success, not necessarily what the child has a passion to do. There was a story a few years ago about the best female basketball player in the country who had been playing basketball her entire life and felt an obligation to keep playing, she felt the pressure from the people around her. She got a scholarship to UConn, arrived on campus, and just couldn't do it. She didn't have enough passion for the sport to keep going. She ended up transferring to a Division II school and playing volleyball. I'm not saying that this is or will be the case for this kid, but give him a chance to be a kid.

Super Bowl Prediction: Colts 34, Saints 24

I love the story of the Saints, as does most of the nation, but I'm going with the experience of the Colts and of course, Peyton Manning. They have more than 20 players back from their previous Super Bowl victory and the best quarterback in the league, and possibly all-time by the end of his career. I really just want a competitive game (unlike the Nat'l Championship game), and I think this one should be rather entertaining. Happy Viewing!

Happy National Signing Day!

2010-02-03T21:07:00.003-06:00

Today is one of the most ridiculous days of the sporting world, National Signing Day (NSD). The day college football coaches sit around a fax machine waiting for letters of intent from 17 and 18 year old recruits from across the nation. I will admit that I have got caught up in the hype of college football recruiting, which has become a business all in and of itself, but that doesn't mean that I don't see the ridiculousness in it all. As a member of a recruiting website (rivals) you spend the year following the decision process of 17 and 18 year old kids, and read posts from men of all ages agonizing over their decisions, or indecision. It all climaxes on signing day, which has become a hoopla all in itself, kids picking between hats, putting on shows for ESPN, it's all ridiculous. And yet, I'm hooked.

This NSD went about the same as most NSDs. The rich get richer as athletes make the original decision of going to USC, Florida, Texas, Alabama, etc. The most amazing case is USC, which lost Pete Carroll to the NFL, likely one of the 3 to 5 best coaches in college football, and replaced him with a slime ball of a coach in Lane Kiffin, who made it an entire 14 months at Tennessee before jumping ship. Lane definitely has a spot in my top five slimiest coaches in college football, but that's for another post. Despite Kiffin's character flaws or deficiencies, he was still able to reel in the #2 recruiting class in the country - amazing. For those of you who don't visit recruiting websites and are curious school rankings, here's the top 5:

1. Florida

2. USC

3. Texas

4. Auburn

5. Alabama

As for my beloved Huskers, we closed up with a respectable #23 ranking in recruiting. With one of the best staffs in the country (especially on the defensive side), I'm confident that they can get the best out of these recruits. As Bo Pelini said in his press conference, this is when the real recruiting begins for them, building these guys into players that can be contributors, and I have no doubt that they will do exactly that. As for the names to look for in the near future, the ones I think you may be hearing from in relatively short order are DT Chase Rome, DT Jay Guy, OT Jamarcus Hardrick, and LB Lavonte David. These are the guys that I think most have a chance to see the field next season, with the first three already on campus for spring ball.

With this recruiting cycle coming to a close, the next recruiting cycle is already halfway done, as in todays age it has become a two year process. So, now the ride starts over(ish). The 2011 recruiting class for Nebraska is already off to a solid start with verbal commitments from three recruits likely to be in the top 250 in the nation. It looks to be an exciting year already. Next up: Junior Days and then Spring Ball. Go Big Red!

Six More Weeks of.... Football?

2010-02-02T21:20:00.003-06:00

Turns out Punxsutawny Phil saw his shadow again this year, the verdict: SIX MORE WEEKS OF FOOTBALL! OK, so that's not how it works, it's six more weeks of winter, but shouldn't we get six more weeks of football as well? I mean its the only thing that makes these cold winters bearable. (sidebar: when was the last time Punxsutawny Phil actually didn't see his shadow? seriously....) Well, rest assured our government is working on a solution. I'm glad our government is getting to the crux of our country's problems, I mean this has gone on too long. Let's fix the way we pick a champion in college football.

The BCS, in fact, reminds me a lot of the movie "Groundhog's Day" featuring Bill Murray, a reporter covering Punxsutawny Phil who wakes up every morning replaying Groundhog's Day. The BCS is seemingly the same, we get to December every year and 3 or 4 or more schools seemingly have a claim on one of the two coveted spots in the BCS National Championship Game. It never fails and yet we wake up every year on the sunday after the conference championship games with the same problem. So, I've developed a solution to both our problems, that of course being crowning a national champion and living through six weeks of winter without football. A 96 TEAM PLAYOFF!

That's right, this solves all of our problems. Every team that realistically has a claim on the National Championship (and many more that don't) gets there chance. In fact, all of the bowl eligible teams in 2009 would get a chance (there were 71). Not only that, but this gives us seven more weeks of meaningful college football! Alright, so here's how it works. The first week the top 32 teams get a bye with the bottom 64 teams matching up. Then the second week the top 32 teams join the party making it a 64 team tournament a la March Madness, with the exception that only one round is played every weekend instead of two. For this year, you start the first set of games the weekend around New Year's Day and then it continues the six weeks after. That means right now you would be anticipating two more weekends of the best college football of the year, and Valentine's Day weekend you would have your one true love - college football. BRILLIANT!

Now, I know what you're thinking, there's still four more weeks of winter that isn't covered here. No worries, the NFL would not want to share their postseason with college football, thus they would push back there season (which seems to be happening every year anyway) and likely add at least two more weeks to the regular season (they're talking about this anyway), which of course means more football to watch. So, the four weeks of the NFL playoffs start the weekend after the National Championship Game and we have football through all of winter. Football fans win! There you have it, a solution to solving the winter doldrums we face due to the lack of the warmth that football provides in our life. President Obama, can you please start working on this.

Note that I in fact support a Plus One system that would create what amounts to a four team playoff with the BCS Championship game being played by the winners of two national semifinals played in two of the four BCS bowls, by the top four teams, on a rotating basis. Should schools/conferences be opposed to two less BCS teams, I would make the Cotton Bowl the fifth BCS bowl and add it to the rotation.

Hy-Vee Hall of Fame

2010-02-01T14:47:00.002-06:00

In the age of Brett Favre, Kurt Warner is a breath of fresh air. A humble man who was thankful for the blessings that the game provided him and thankful for everyone who helped make it happen and knew when it was time to call it quits. Often referred to as one of the great men in all of sports, even being recognized as the Walter Payton Man of the Year in 2008, Warner's impact off the field will likely be greater than the impact he had on the field, which was great in its own right. His story is one of movies, Division II quarterback goes undrafted, to the European League, to the Arena Football League, to the grocery bagger at Hy-Vee to MVP and Super Bowl Champion. Undoubtedly he will have a place in the Hy-Vee Hall of Fame, but does he have a spot in Canton?

He qualifies on what most quarterbacks are measured: three Super Bowls with one victory, two regular season MVPs, a Super Bowl MVP, and one of the most impressive postseason resumes the NFL has seen. His numbers are in fact better in the playoffs then they are in the regular season, but a Hall of Fame resumé should also include excellent regular season play. When Warner was on he was one of the best, as is evidenced by his two MVPs, 5 Pro Bowls and two All-Pro teams, but in between his three season run with the Rams and three season run with the Cardinals he was anything but the best. In those five seasons Warner threw 27 touchdowns and 30 interceptions and had a 13-29 record as a starter. His is undoubtedly a tale of two careers.

Ultimately, I think Kurt Warner ends up in the Hall of Fame for a few reasons. The first reason is his playoff record, the measure of quarterbacks in the NFL. The second reason is the ridiculous rules of the NFL where they have a minimum and maximum number of inductees for every year (4 and 7), so if he's not in on the first ballot, time will be in his favor. The third reason is his story, which is one of the NFL's all-time best. The final reason is that I believe Kurt Warner the man colors how people view Kurt Warner the player. I'm not saying thats a bad thing, but I think it undoubtedly helps his candidacy. As for my opinion, Kurt Warner has a Terrell Davis type feel to him for me. One of, if not the best player at his position for a relatively brief period of time, though Terrell Davis never had a chance to have the bad stretch Warner did due to injury. Davis isn't in the Hall of Fame and as a result I don't think Warner's resume warrants it either. Having that said, I hope he does get in because of Kurt Warner the man.