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Wednesday, January 27, 2010

In A Gang Green State of Mind

Last weekend the Colts and Saints punched their tickets to Super Bowl XLIV in Miami, making for what is the biggest offensive juggernaut game since 1998, when the Packers and Broncos met in Super Bowl XXXII. But I’ll go into more depth on this game next week. This week I’m concentrating on one of the losers this weekend – the Jets – and how their performance against Indy showed why Gang Green will be a force in the AFC for years to come.
Sure, in the second half of Sunday’s game Peyton Manning picked apart the Jets defense with relative ease, but how many times have we seen Manning make good defenses look mediocre? But pointing out the good things from the game has to have other AFC East teams (that means you Pats fans) a little worried. Mark Sanchez played is best game of the year, throwing for 257 yards, 2 touchdowns and an interception. His 80-yard TD pass to Braylon Edwards was perfectly executed, complete with a pump fake that looked like it came from a 10-year veteran, not a shaky rookie out of USC.
At 23, the Sanchize has a bright future ahead of him, and the cast around him isn't too shabby either, especially in the backfield. Rookie Shonn Greene showed signs that he’s ready to take the reigns from Thomas Jones in the coming years in what is already the league’s best running game. He was taking the bulk of the snaps before missing all of the second half with a rib injury. In the two games before he compiled 263 yards and 2 TDs on the ground. His 53-yarder against San Diego ended up being the back-breaker in the team's 17-14 win. The Iowa alum might be the best 3rd-round pick since the 49ers took Frank Gore with the 65th pick in 2005 . And on defense the team’s top 6 tacklers were under 30, and they are led by Bart Scott, a disciple of Ray Lewis and the relentless Ravens defense, so you know the Jets, with former Ravens coordinator Rex Ryan as head coach, will basically be Baltimore East on defense. Oh, and they have Darrelle Revis, by far the best defender in the league who should have been Defensive Player of the Year (not sorry to Charles Woodson). Excuse me for thinking the corner who held these receivers to the following stats deserved the award:

(NOTE: An ESPN statistician went back and looked at all the plays where Revis covered the #1 receiver. So these stats include times when Revis wasn't covering them.)
  • Andre Johnson, the most underrated WR in football: 4 catches, 35 yards
  • Randy Moss ,arguably one of the top 5 greatest receivers ever: 9 catches, 58 yards, 1 TD in 2 games
  • Marques Colston, who should have been a Pro Bowler: 2 catches, 33 yards
  • Terrell Owens, who's still dominant when he wants to be: 3 catches, 13 yards
  • Mike Sims-Walker, the sleeper of 2009 (kudos to Zack for picking him up in fantasy. Too bad Rolls Joyce was just too much in the ESPN league): 3 catches, 49 yards, TD
  • Roddy White, Pro Bowler: 4 catches, 33 yards
There is no doubt that no one is as valuable to their defense right now than Revis is to the Jets. Troy Polamalu of the defending Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers (I can only say this until February 8th, so I'm trying to get it in as much as possible) is a close second, though.

(Random tangent: How is it that the absence of one player turn a defense from historically good to incredibly mediocre? I mean this year's Steelers defense lost one starter from last year's Super Bowl team, Larry Foote, who was replaced by a young, talented Lawrence Timmons. They still had reigning Defensive Player of the Year James Harrison, LaMarr Woodley, Brett Keisel, and Aaron Smith. You're telling me that with Polamalu the D can be one of the Top 5 all-time historically, yet when he's out with a leg injury they make Jay Cutler, Bruce Gradkowski, Matt Cassell, and Brady Quinn (Brady freaking Quinn!) look like Marino, Elway, Unitas, and Montana?? And they won the Super Bowl?? Name 2 other players who had that kind of effect on a defense. Ridiculous...)

Anyways, the cornerstone of all this is head coach Rex Ryan. Eric Mangini was a pure Belichick disciple: quiet, intimidating, sucked to begin his career. He didn't fit into the New York-style. Ryan, though, carries a swag and passion that gives the team a “We can beat anyone” attitude. He'll talk trash and act like his team is the greatest ever, but deep down all coaches think they're team has the talent to win the Super Bowl, except, of course, the Lions. Can they be relegated to the UFL? Is that allowed?
I love what the Jets are doing with their organization. They have the combination of talent, youth, and attitude to be a force in the always loaded AFC for a very long time. So while 2009 wasn’t the year of the Jets, New York fans should have plenty of reasons to cheer.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Coming February 14th: The NBA All-Used-to-be-All-Stars Game!

Sorry for the delay. Work/life/exams got in the way this weekend (Derivatives, functions, and tangent lines better be key parts of broadcasting sporting events, otherwise my calculus exam will pretty much go to waste in the future...). Since last Monday lots has happened in the sports world. The Jets shocked everyone by beating the Chargers in San Diego to advance to their first AFC Championship Game since 1998. Nate Kaeding better be receiving a cut of the players' bonuses should New York make it to the Super Bowl. In tennis the Australian Open began in Melbourne. I know all of you anxiously wait all day for the tape-delayed reruns on ESPN. And in the NBA, LeBron James announced he won't participate in this year's Slam Dunk Contest, reneging on his promise last year that he would give it a go. But this week I'm concentrating on an interesting quote said by Celtics guard Ray Allen on fans getting all the say in who participates in the All-Star Game:

I like the fact that the fans get the opportunity to vote and pick who they'd like to see in the All-Star Game, but I don't think it should be 100 percent," said Allen.

The way he suggested to do it was have fans account for 50% of the votes, and players and the media each have 25% of the vote. This comes in light of the results released by the NBA which, to put it lightly, are not a reflection of this season. Yeah, some obvious names top the list, and deservedly so. Kobe, D-Wade, Melo, and LeBron are the top four vote-getters, which makes sense since they are the league's four best players. But some other names ridiculous, especially Allen Iverson and Tracy McGrady. AI is actually starting for the Eastern Conference, even after playing in only 18 games, averaging 14.7 points for the 76ers. McGrady received over 1,000,000 votes, yet has played in 6 games this year, averaging a whopping 3 points, and is now refusing to play for the Rockets because of a lack of playing time. Iverson.I wholeheartedly agree with Allen: it's time to stop leaving All-Star voting entirely in the hands of fans in all sports, not just basketball. The All-Star Game is supposed to highlight all of the best players in the league. T-Mac and AI are by no means among the league's top players anymore, and to have them nearly be starting is ludicrous. But this issue goes far beyond the NBA. In every sport the All-Star Game is a popularity contest where the most recognizable names get in, not the best players. In the MLB last year Manny Ramirez was suspended just 29 games into the season for trying really, really hard to get pregnant testing positive for hCG, a women's fertility drug. Even with the suspension, though, he came awfully close to starting in the All-Star Game in St. Louis. On May 27th he was the 4th in votes in terms of outfielders, and he ended up 7th when voting ended on July 2nd. He finished ahead of Andre Ethier, the most clutch player in the majors last year with 6 walk-off hits, and Jayson Werth of the Phillies, who had a career year with 36 homers, 99 RBIs and 98 runs scored, to name a few. Clearly leaving this power in the hands of the fans is a mistake. If the powers that be were to give the media and players some say, those deserving of an All-Star nod would be the ones participating. Iverson (with 163,976 votes through Dec. 10th) would not have more votes than the Celtics' Rajon Rondo (113,371 votes), who is more important to his team than anyone else in the league. The Knicks David Lee, the most consistent 20-point-15-rebound-a-night guy in the league, would be second among centers in the Eastern Conference, not even coming close to getting the nod.
I realize that the leagues are a business, and the players are the products they are selling. If the fans want to see certain players, the league will more than oblige to it. But it's not fair to the players who don't trash talk or scored 50 points a night four years ago before injuries and an ego got in the way, yet are far more deserving than the McGradys and Iversons of the world. I know I would much rather want to watch Rondo and Lee play basketball the right way than McGrady and Iverson throw up fadeaway jumpers and not play defense. Baseball games are long enough. Basketball games are long enough. If I'm going to watch a meaningless, long-winded All-Star Game, at least give me the best players, instead of the most popular.

Monday, January 11, 2010

The Least Breaking News Ever

In what can only be considered the least surprising breaking news ever, headlines this week have been dominated by baseball player Mark McGwire’s confession that he took steroids for over a decade. It reminded me of a scene from one of my favorite movies as a kid, Disney's Aladdin. To this day, my favorite line remains, "Oh there's a big surprise! That's incredible - I think I'm going to have a heart attack and die of not surprise!" Of course Iago, Jafar's parrot sidekick, wasn't talking about McGwire and his "shocking" revelation. Still, the fact that Big Mac admitted his sins was less shocking than Britney and K-Fed's divorce. Even less shocking is that two of the years he took steroids were 1998 and 1999, when he hit a then-record 70 and 65 home runs, respectively. Nevertheless, when I first heard the news of his steroid use, that line was the first thing I thought of. This story is right up there with the sun being bright, fire being hot, and "Achy Breaky Heart" being the worst song of all-time. It's obvious, and saying it seems kind of pointless. In fact, in a list of the most obvious revelations in the past year, here are ten storylines more surprising than McGwire being on PEDs:

10) As always, 12 NFL teams made the playoffs. However, in a shocking twist, none of them were named the Detroit Lions. (Get the heck out!)

9) Michael Jordan was among the Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2009... in his first year on the ballot. (Gasp!)

8) With 5 teams finishing undefeated, there was once again controversy surrounding the BCS. (Cue jaw dropping)

7) Even with stars like Chris Jackson, Siaha Burley and, of course, the amazing Damian Harrell, the Arena Football League filed for bankruptcy and folded. (Temperature in Hell today: 31 degrees)

6) Even when finishing with a mediocre 6-6 record, Notre Dame football finished with 7 or fewer wins for the 9th time since 1994. Here's the kicker: they still get more national media than almost every other team (Ok, so this may not belong on the list. I just really hate ND football and the fact that they get all this attention because they were good in the '40s, '70s, and late '80s. This just in: THEY HAVEN'T BEEN GOOD SINCE 1993. GET OVER IT!)

5) The following players did NOT make any all-decade teams in their respective sports: Ryan Leaf, Darko Milicic, Maurice Clarett, any member of the Washington Nationals (All pilots, watch out for those flying pigs)

4) In the Sugar Bowl against Cincinnati, Florida QB Tim Tebow went 20-23 for 321 yards, threw for 3 touchdowns, delivered twins, ran a triatholon, cured cancer, and, reportedly, walked on water, all before halftime.

3) Even with no prior head coaching experience on any level, then proving himself gutsiest coach in the NFL by faking a field goal twice in the same play, the Washington Redskins fired coach Jim Zorn.

2) The typically subdued and shy Chad Ochocinco was fined by the NFL this season for jokingly bribing a referee with a dollar bill and donning a poncho and sombrero after scoring a touchdown against Detroit. (Basically, because of the severity of surprise here, it's a sign the apocalypse is near)

1) The discovery that some college basketball players are only in school because of the NBA age limit, not because they want an education. (O.M.G.)

Basically, what I'm trying to get at is no one was surprised. ESPNews anchor Mike Yam said Tuesday morning, "He will forever go down as a steroid user." Newsflash Mike! He’s been considered a steroid user ever since his famous 2005 line to Congress, “I’m not here to talk about the past,” which basically implied he juiced up more than the adorable Welch's girl. Had he not been blatantly guilty, he would be in the Hall of Fame. He has the numbers: his 583 home runs is tied for 8th all-time. His one home run for every 10.6 at-bats is a major league record. If the writers thought he was clean, he would have been elected to Cooperstown 3 years ago. Players with those numbers, especially ones who saved the game like McGwire and fellow ‘roider Sammy Sosa did in ’98, don’t get 23% of the required 405 votes needed to get to the Hall unless they were considered guilty.

Basically, the only thing that came out of this was the tearful, cliché, “I’m sorry. I wish I never took steroids. It was a mistake.” Blah, blah, blah. We've heard it all before. Bill Clinton in 1998 about his relationship with Monica Lewinsky: "I deeply regret that." Alex Rodriguez last year after his steroid use was revealed: "You know, I’m just sorry. I’m sorry for that time. I’m sorry to fans." Tiger Woods on his recently uncovered adultery: "I regret those transgressions with all of my heart." Mark, while it may be good to finally come out and admit your wrongdoings, really, we've heard it all before, no one is surprised, and few have sympathy for you.

Friday, January 8, 2010

R-E-S-P-E-C-T, Find Out What It Means to Bert Blyleven

If I were to tell you that a pitcher finished his career with 287 wins, a 3.31 earned run average, 3701 strikeouts (5th all-time), and 2 World Series rings, you'd probably say that he would be a Hall of Famer right? Well, if your name is Bert Blyleven, that's not the case. Because for the 13th straight year, Blyleven fell below the necessary 75% of votes to get the call to Cooperstown. This year was the most gut-wrenching. With an incredibly weak list of names on the ballot, it seemed like it was finally his year. 'Twas not so, as he fell just 5 votes shy of the 405 needed. So let me get this straight - the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA) will elect Andre Dawson, who averaged a mere 20 home runs, 90 runs batted in, and a .279 batting average per season, but will leave out Blyleven? Let's be serious. Dawson's numbers, as put by Mike Francesa of WFAN, are because he played for 21 seasons. He was what Francesa called a "compiler." Because of his longevity, his numbers were good. If the writers are willing to put the Hawk in based on this strategy, then leaving out Blyleven is nothing short of ridiculous. 8 times he surpassed the 16-win mark, and had it not been for a few injury-riddled seasons, his numbers would look even better. For 17 of his 22 seasons, his ERA was below 3.30, and 10 times it was 2.99 or better. These numbers make up for the fact that his winning percentage (.534) was less than spectacular. Plus, his curveball is one of the filthiest ever. When writer Bob Klapisch asked Hall of Fame pitcher Goose Gossage about the curve, he put Blyleven in high regard, saying:

"Oh my God, that fucking curveball was unreal. People used to talked about [Dwight] Gooden's hook, I swear Blyleven's was better. I've never seen anything like it, then or now. You know the expression, 'dropping off the table?' That's what his curveball was like. It just disappeared. And the thing is, he threw it hard, then he'd blow that fastball right by you up in the strike zone. Guys had no chance." (see Klapisch's entire article here)

The biggest blemish on the Dutchman's record is that he never won a Cy Young, and only finished in the Top 4 in voting three times. Writers had no respect for him then, it should be no surprise that none comes now. But looking more closely at the teams he was on, was his 287-250 record entirely his fault? It's not his fault that he only made the postseason 3 times. It's not his fault that the 1984 Indians finished 6th in their division, or that the 1986 Twins finished 21 games out of 1st place. When given the opportunity, Blyleven thrived, going 4-1 with a 2.74 ERA in 6 postseason starts. It's not fair to ignore his dominance based on his teams' disappointing records. Besides, surely anyone willing to go around wearing shirts like this or being able to win a World Series wearing these deserves something, right?

Bottom line, a Hall of Fame pitcher is one that strikes fear into a hitter and can be described as dominant. Was Bert Blyleven dominant? Gossage: "Hell, yes. Dominant pitcher, great pitcher." Brooks Robinson, Hall of Fame Class of 1983: "Bert was a terrific pitcher - a dominant pitcher."

The stats are there. The fear and intimidation factors are there. Now all that's missing are 5 measly votes.