Razorbacks Tripped Up in Baum Regional by OSU---Again
Well, that was quick, wasn't it? A bad outing from starter Jess Todd on Saturday against Oklahoma State, not enough run support on Sunday for a beleaguered bullpen in a Cowboys' rematch and the Razorbacks spit the bit in the Baum Regional Round against OSU for the second straight year. This one hurts more than last year's defeat though; it has to, when you consider that Arkansas had three potential first round draft picks in its rotation with Nick Schmidt, Jess Todd and Duke Welker.
But them's be the breaks in the world of baseball. If you don't hit, more often than not, you ain't gonna win. With Jake Dugger and Casey Coon battling through slumps at the end of the year, the honus was even more so on the backs of Danny Hamblin and Logan Forsythe, and the talented Razorback cornermen couldn't quite deliver.
So it's back to the drawing board for skipper Dave Van Horn. With Hamblin and Forsythe the only regulars leaving the lineup, you would think the offense and defense will be even better a year from now. But replenishing the pitching will be the key if the Hogs hope to not only get back to a Regional next year, but take it a step further.
And This Week's Dana Altman Award Goes To....
Billy Donovan, Florida Gators. You win back-to-back NCAA basketball championships---for the first time ever, mind you, with the same starting five---you've created an already unmatched resume at Florida, a place that didn't even know it had a basketball team until you got there, and you're leaving for the Orlando Magic? Just so you know, they don't have Shaq or Penny anymore....
See, it didn't even make sense to begin with, and now you've already signed the deal to hop to the NBA! Billy Donovan, what are you doing, buddy?
In case you didn't know, Donovan now wants out of his five-million-a-year deal with Orlando. Considering Florida will probably willingly take him back for three million dollars a year, the only loser here will be the Magic. If I were running them, I'd play hardball with Donovan, make him sweat it out a bit, if only to make a point.
-JAB
(Tomorrow's Blog Entry: LeBron Rises Up! '07 NBA Finals Preview)
Monday, June 04, 2007
Thursday, May 31, 2007
With High Hopes, Diamond Hogs Begin Regional Play
A strong showing last week at the SEC Tournament in Hoover, Alabama, was enough to restore the confidence of most folks in the Razorbacks' baseball team. Three straight series defeats to close the season surely had even the most devout Hogs' believers a little bit on edge, but all appears right again---for now---in the land of Pig Sooie. Amazing how easy it all looks when your starting pitching is on its game though, isn't it? In consecutive fashion, Arkansas' Nick Schmidt (9 IP, 2 H, 0 R), Jess Todd (8 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 17K) and Duke Welker (7 IP, 7 H, 1 ER) were dominant against SEC foes and the Diamond Hogs got back to their winning ways in Alabama.
A loss to Vanderbilt in the title game wasn't enough to diminish the important strides made by the Razorbacks during the week. In addition to tremendous pitching, Arkansas' offense hit its way out of the doldrums. CF Jake Dugger, LF Casey Coon, 3B Logan Forsythe and 1B Danny Hamblin are clearly the four key hitters on this team, and all found the stroke in Alabama. If the Razorbacks' starting pitching is even ordinary in the next couple of weeks, all this team needs is some consistent life out of its premier bats to make a deep run.
Now the honus is on skipper Dave Van Horn, who's made some adjustments to both the staff and the lineup. Pitchingwise, he'll go with third starter Duke Welker in the first regional game against Albany. Clearly, the fourth-seeded Great Danes are the weakest of the four clubs in a Baum Stadium Regional that also includes #2 Creighton and #3 Oklahoma State. Starting Welker gives Arkansas a chance to have staff aces Schmidt and Todd on the ready for the semifinal and championship games. But it also presents Arkansas with the risk of not even using Schmidt if the Hogs don't advance to Sunday. It's a risk that Van Horn has calculated and I think he's chosen correctly: even a halfway decent start from Welker should be enough to start the weekend with a win against Albany.
The lineup shuffling is a bit more confusing. Why choose now to dump season-long leadoff man Jake Dugger all the way down to #9 in the lineup? Just a hunch? Or is there something more to it that we don't know about yet? Whatever the case, Dugger swung a good bat in the SEC Tournament, and I thought more than justified keeping his spot in the order. Instead, it will be 2B Ben Tschepikow leading off, with Forsythe moving up from five to two in the order. Coon and Walker will stay at three and four, while Hamblin finally gets moved back to the five hole. (Batting him at seven was a bit of a waste, as most teams had the option of pitching around him whenever he came up.) Answers to the shuffling don't easily present themselves, but sometimes keen managerial maneuvers can make all the difference. We'll just have to trust that Dave Van Horn knows several things we don't.
Ultimately, the Diamond Hogs have all the makings of a team that could not only get to Omaha this year, but win there as well. The College World Series has been a goal for this squad all year long, and now is the time to go and get it. With a national #7 seed in hand and an opportunity to host a Super Regional staring them right in the face, the Razorbacks' have got as nice a set-up as they could've realistically hoped for before the year. And there's no doubt the success of this team in the postseason has emerged as the main sports storyline to follow for Arkansas fans this June.
The fact remains, this baseball team is as well-balanced as a good Division I college club should be. As long as the Hogs collectively swing the bats, I have no doubt they'll play through to the end of the month.
-JAB
A loss to Vanderbilt in the title game wasn't enough to diminish the important strides made by the Razorbacks during the week. In addition to tremendous pitching, Arkansas' offense hit its way out of the doldrums. CF Jake Dugger, LF Casey Coon, 3B Logan Forsythe and 1B Danny Hamblin are clearly the four key hitters on this team, and all found the stroke in Alabama. If the Razorbacks' starting pitching is even ordinary in the next couple of weeks, all this team needs is some consistent life out of its premier bats to make a deep run.
Now the honus is on skipper Dave Van Horn, who's made some adjustments to both the staff and the lineup. Pitchingwise, he'll go with third starter Duke Welker in the first regional game against Albany. Clearly, the fourth-seeded Great Danes are the weakest of the four clubs in a Baum Stadium Regional that also includes #2 Creighton and #3 Oklahoma State. Starting Welker gives Arkansas a chance to have staff aces Schmidt and Todd on the ready for the semifinal and championship games. But it also presents Arkansas with the risk of not even using Schmidt if the Hogs don't advance to Sunday. It's a risk that Van Horn has calculated and I think he's chosen correctly: even a halfway decent start from Welker should be enough to start the weekend with a win against Albany.
The lineup shuffling is a bit more confusing. Why choose now to dump season-long leadoff man Jake Dugger all the way down to #9 in the lineup? Just a hunch? Or is there something more to it that we don't know about yet? Whatever the case, Dugger swung a good bat in the SEC Tournament, and I thought more than justified keeping his spot in the order. Instead, it will be 2B Ben Tschepikow leading off, with Forsythe moving up from five to two in the order. Coon and Walker will stay at three and four, while Hamblin finally gets moved back to the five hole. (Batting him at seven was a bit of a waste, as most teams had the option of pitching around him whenever he came up.) Answers to the shuffling don't easily present themselves, but sometimes keen managerial maneuvers can make all the difference. We'll just have to trust that Dave Van Horn knows several things we don't.
Ultimately, the Diamond Hogs have all the makings of a team that could not only get to Omaha this year, but win there as well. The College World Series has been a goal for this squad all year long, and now is the time to go and get it. With a national #7 seed in hand and an opportunity to host a Super Regional staring them right in the face, the Razorbacks' have got as nice a set-up as they could've realistically hoped for before the year. And there's no doubt the success of this team in the postseason has emerged as the main sports storyline to follow for Arkansas fans this June.
The fact remains, this baseball team is as well-balanced as a good Division I college club should be. As long as the Hogs collectively swing the bats, I have no doubt they'll play through to the end of the month.
-JAB
Monday, May 21, 2007
Late May's Pontifications
Boxing's Middleweight Division Taking Shape
There aren't really many options left for Jermain Taylor at this point. The Little Rock native can either fight undefeated Kelly Pavlik (Youngstown, Ohio) in the middleweight class, or step it up eight pounds to junior middleweight for a challenge with southpaw Joe Calzaghe, who's also undefeated.
"We'll fight whoever's got the most money!" Taylor hollered after his split decision win over Cory Spinks.
And who's to blame him for that? Still, it's easy getting the feeling that Taylor's camp is stretching his reign at the top for all it's worth, a sign potentially he knows himself it's not going to last for long.
Pavlik ripped up #2 contender Edison Miranda in the undercard on Saturday, in a fight where the two fighers consistently engaged each other. It was far more entertaining than the supposed "main" event between Taylor and Cory Spinks. Spinks danced and then dance some more, forcing Taylor to methodically track him into corners for his limited punch opportunities.
Exciting stuff it was not, but Taylor scored better on two of three judges' cards, ensuring he would keep his middleweight crowns for at least another boxing season.
But it may not be for much longer than that. Both Kelly Pavlik and Joe Calzaghe present serious challenges for Taylor. They are sturdy, upright punchers with stalking styles, and Taylor would have trouble avoiding heavy exchanges with either man. You can only take on the Kassim Oumas and Cory Spinkses of the world for so long. Eventually, Taylor's going to have to fight someone who actually has the ability to hurt him.
"Bore-ing! Bore-ing!" was the FedEx Forum chant at Taylor on Saturday night.
Boring it was, but maybe---unfortunately---that's just Jermain Taylor's way.
First Interleague Baseball Weekend Wrapped
Over the weekend, three clear-cut diamond observations dawned:
#1: The Yanks are sunk this year---already---for real. What do you get when you add the following four players together: Bobby Abreu, Johnny Damon, Hideki Matsui and Jason Giambi? Answer: Really, really, really old. New York's offense is so lifeless, A-Rod's monster numbers don't nearly make up for it. By the time the Rocket gets here, it may be too late. On that note, it's probably already too late to save Joe Torre.
#2: The Mets are good, legitimately. The offense is deep and speedy, with Jose Reyes, Carlos Beltran and David Wright as serious anchors. And the starting pitching ain't half as bad as originally advertised. Youngsters John Maine and Oliver Perez have found their major league grooves, while Tom Glavine is bearing down hard on three hundred wins. If Pedro Martinez comes back anything like his old self in July, be very afraid. Barring a spat of major injuries, it's hard to see how the 'Mazins won't have a place in October.
#3: The Cardinals are down and out, with a thud. It's too bad, considering St. Louis has the ability to be so much better than this. But the bat struggles of Jim Edmonds and Scott Rolen have revealed a lineup with not nearly enough pop in it behind King Albert. Honestly, there's no reason any other team should even pitch to him right now. And what club can survive season ending injuries to its #1 and #2 starters? Not many. Chris Carpenter and Mark Mulder could have help stabilize this thing, but that's crying over spilled milk. They say all things even out in the end. Maybe this is the baseball gods' way of making up for last year's Redbird postseason magic. it's getting late early for Tony LaRussa's crew.
-JAB
There aren't really many options left for Jermain Taylor at this point. The Little Rock native can either fight undefeated Kelly Pavlik (Youngstown, Ohio) in the middleweight class, or step it up eight pounds to junior middleweight for a challenge with southpaw Joe Calzaghe, who's also undefeated.
"We'll fight whoever's got the most money!" Taylor hollered after his split decision win over Cory Spinks.
And who's to blame him for that? Still, it's easy getting the feeling that Taylor's camp is stretching his reign at the top for all it's worth, a sign potentially he knows himself it's not going to last for long.
Pavlik ripped up #2 contender Edison Miranda in the undercard on Saturday, in a fight where the two fighers consistently engaged each other. It was far more entertaining than the supposed "main" event between Taylor and Cory Spinks. Spinks danced and then dance some more, forcing Taylor to methodically track him into corners for his limited punch opportunities.
Exciting stuff it was not, but Taylor scored better on two of three judges' cards, ensuring he would keep his middleweight crowns for at least another boxing season.
But it may not be for much longer than that. Both Kelly Pavlik and Joe Calzaghe present serious challenges for Taylor. They are sturdy, upright punchers with stalking styles, and Taylor would have trouble avoiding heavy exchanges with either man. You can only take on the Kassim Oumas and Cory Spinkses of the world for so long. Eventually, Taylor's going to have to fight someone who actually has the ability to hurt him.
"Bore-ing! Bore-ing!" was the FedEx Forum chant at Taylor on Saturday night.
Boring it was, but maybe---unfortunately---that's just Jermain Taylor's way.
First Interleague Baseball Weekend Wrapped
Over the weekend, three clear-cut diamond observations dawned:
#1: The Yanks are sunk this year---already---for real. What do you get when you add the following four players together: Bobby Abreu, Johnny Damon, Hideki Matsui and Jason Giambi? Answer: Really, really, really old. New York's offense is so lifeless, A-Rod's monster numbers don't nearly make up for it. By the time the Rocket gets here, it may be too late. On that note, it's probably already too late to save Joe Torre.
#2: The Mets are good, legitimately. The offense is deep and speedy, with Jose Reyes, Carlos Beltran and David Wright as serious anchors. And the starting pitching ain't half as bad as originally advertised. Youngsters John Maine and Oliver Perez have found their major league grooves, while Tom Glavine is bearing down hard on three hundred wins. If Pedro Martinez comes back anything like his old self in July, be very afraid. Barring a spat of major injuries, it's hard to see how the 'Mazins won't have a place in October.
#3: The Cardinals are down and out, with a thud. It's too bad, considering St. Louis has the ability to be so much better than this. But the bat struggles of Jim Edmonds and Scott Rolen have revealed a lineup with not nearly enough pop in it behind King Albert. Honestly, there's no reason any other team should even pitch to him right now. And what club can survive season ending injuries to its #1 and #2 starters? Not many. Chris Carpenter and Mark Mulder could have help stabilize this thing, but that's crying over spilled milk. They say all things even out in the end. Maybe this is the baseball gods' way of making up for last year's Redbird postseason magic. it's getting late early for Tony LaRussa's crew.
-JAB
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Round the Razorback Horn
Arkansas Baseball Into Last Half-Dozen
Losing two of three to LSU last weekend wasn't enough to diminish Razorback fans' enthusiasm for their baseball team right now. With six games left, the Hogs are likely to win the SEC West outright, barring a collapse in the final road series against Alabama or the last home series against Ole Miss.
Dave Van Horn's team is well-balanced: offensively, defensively and especially in the pitching staff, this team has very few kinks in the armor.
Still, the big question has to be: when this team needs a big hit, who's the guy who comes through with it? I believe Danny Hamblin is the guy most Arkansas fans want to offer up as the answer, but he needs to up his game to an even higher level down the stretch to make that a reality.
Ahmad Carroll on the Ropes
I'll close with the boxing stuff, but Ahmad Carroll's NFL career is now officially knocked out. Arrested in Atlanta on Saturday morning for carrying a concealed weapon, police officers search Carroll's car and reportedly found eleven pills of ecstasy, a potent designer drug.
For a guy who was already fortunate enough just to get a second chance with the Jaguars, you've got to wonder what was going through Ahmad Carroll's mind with this one. Jacksonville quickly released the former Razorback cover man, citing NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell's new zero tolerance policy. (I still prefer to call it the "Guilty Until Proven Innocent Rule.")
With Ahmad Carroll, NFL life just didn't work out. He was torched on a regular basis for the Packers, then barely made the field with Jacksonville. The ecstasy incident brings a likely conclusion to Ahmad's NFL career, but fret not, Batman faithful, but look on the bright side: Carroll could still probably get a job starting for someone in the Arena Football League.
Boxing All But Finished
The Floyd Mayweather/Oscar De La Hoya fight was a decent one on Saturday night, but not nearly enough to "save the sport" as so many pre-bout promos would've had you believe. The fact of the matter is the sport of boxing has been dead for a while now.
Too much mismanagement and greedy, unfocused non-work by promoters like Don King and Bob Arum left the average boxing fan without the big fights for most of the past twenty years, and it's far too late to fix it all now.
More importantly, the once great sport---arguably the most popular in America at several points---is now nothing more than an afterthought. You're telling me if Muhammad Ali were 17 years old again, in this day and age, that he'd want to be a heavyweight fighter? Yeah, right. He'd be angling for a scholarship to go play tight end at a place like USC or Miami.
The youth of today has no appreciation for boxing, because the people in charge of the sport have helped to kill it off. Sad, but utterly true.
-JAB
Losing two of three to LSU last weekend wasn't enough to diminish Razorback fans' enthusiasm for their baseball team right now. With six games left, the Hogs are likely to win the SEC West outright, barring a collapse in the final road series against Alabama or the last home series against Ole Miss.
Dave Van Horn's team is well-balanced: offensively, defensively and especially in the pitching staff, this team has very few kinks in the armor.
Still, the big question has to be: when this team needs a big hit, who's the guy who comes through with it? I believe Danny Hamblin is the guy most Arkansas fans want to offer up as the answer, but he needs to up his game to an even higher level down the stretch to make that a reality.
Ahmad Carroll on the Ropes
I'll close with the boxing stuff, but Ahmad Carroll's NFL career is now officially knocked out. Arrested in Atlanta on Saturday morning for carrying a concealed weapon, police officers search Carroll's car and reportedly found eleven pills of ecstasy, a potent designer drug.
For a guy who was already fortunate enough just to get a second chance with the Jaguars, you've got to wonder what was going through Ahmad Carroll's mind with this one. Jacksonville quickly released the former Razorback cover man, citing NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell's new zero tolerance policy. (I still prefer to call it the "Guilty Until Proven Innocent Rule.")
With Ahmad Carroll, NFL life just didn't work out. He was torched on a regular basis for the Packers, then barely made the field with Jacksonville. The ecstasy incident brings a likely conclusion to Ahmad's NFL career, but fret not, Batman faithful, but look on the bright side: Carroll could still probably get a job starting for someone in the Arena Football League.
Boxing All But Finished
The Floyd Mayweather/Oscar De La Hoya fight was a decent one on Saturday night, but not nearly enough to "save the sport" as so many pre-bout promos would've had you believe. The fact of the matter is the sport of boxing has been dead for a while now.
Too much mismanagement and greedy, unfocused non-work by promoters like Don King and Bob Arum left the average boxing fan without the big fights for most of the past twenty years, and it's far too late to fix it all now.
More importantly, the once great sport---arguably the most popular in America at several points---is now nothing more than an afterthought. You're telling me if Muhammad Ali were 17 years old again, in this day and age, that he'd want to be a heavyweight fighter? Yeah, right. He'd be angling for a scholarship to go play tight end at a place like USC or Miami.
The youth of today has no appreciation for boxing, because the people in charge of the sport have helped to kill it off. Sad, but utterly true.
-JAB
Monday, April 30, 2007
Josh's 2007 NFL Draft Grade Report
I've broken it down into three categories as I see them: the winners, the losers and the teams where the jury is still out. All clubs are graded on an A-F scale. Here we go....
WINNERS (12)
New England Patriots (A)
Wow, Randy Moss for a fourth round pick . . . add him to Stallworth, Welker and Washington for the Pats’ receiver haul this offseason. Plus, S Brandon Meriweather from Miami late in the first, a trade out with San Fran for an extra first rounder next year. No second or third round choice, but the aggressiveness of New England’s moves should have the rest of the NFL very afraid.
Oakland Raiders (A)
Somebody finally smacked some sense into Al Davis’s head. LSU QB Jamarcus Russell automatically gives the Raiders’ franchise its first real hope in years. 2nd round TE selection Zach Miller was a great choice and he immediately gives Russell someone to develop a rapport with. I also like DE Quentin Moses out of Georgia in the 3rd and Louisville RB Michael Bush with the first pick of the second day of the draft. Oakland actually aced this one.
Carolina Panthers (A)
Traded down in the first round with the Jets and still got targeted linebacker help in Miami’s Jon Beason. Made a great decision at #45 in the second with USC WR Dwayne Jarrett, who just makes plays with great size and hands. USC C Ryan Kalil was another strong addition late in the second, while Georgia DE Charles Johnson is a beast who fell way too far. You could make an argument that Carolina had the best all-around draft of anyone.
Cleveland Browns (A)
GM Phil Savage stands his ground and takes the best LT prospect in Joe Thomas at #3. Then he gets after it and moves up to #22 from Dallas for QB Brady Quinn. Cleveland took a gamble on the character of 2nd round CB Eric Wright out of UNLV, but DE Chase Pittman late in the sixth could be a find.
San Francisco 49ers (A)
Two first round additions in Ole Miss LB Patrick Willis at eleven and Central Michigan OT Joe Staley in a trade up with New England at 28. Willis is an NFL star in the making, and could be Defensive Rookie of the Year. Both he and Staley should start right away, while DE Ray McDonald was a nice touch in the 3rd. Getting Seattle WR Darrell Jackson for a fourth rounder was a keen move as well.
Minnesota Vikings (A-)
Minnesota just sat and waited while a franchise tailback fell in its lap at #7. Sure there are durability questions about Adrian Peterson, but the fact remains that he is NFL ready right now. With him and Taylor as a 1-2 punch behind a really good offensive line, the Vikes now have an identity as a smashmouth team. WR Sidney Rice was much needed at 44 in the second, but Minesota still needs a quarterback, no offense intended to Tavaris Jackson.
Atlanta Falcons (A-)
In the eight slot, Arkansas’s Jamaal Anderson was the perfect pick to replace departed DE Patrick Kerney. Getting two talented second rounders in Tennessee G Justin Blalock and another Razorback in CB Chris Houston made it a really strong first day for the Falcs.
New York Jets (A-)
Don’t forget the Jets already made a great draft trade last month with Chicago for RB Thomas Jones. In that deal, the Jets held on to both of their 2nd round picks, then packaged one of those with the #25 pick to move up to 14 and snare the top-rated CB on the board in Pitt’s Darrelle Revis. He’s the first CB taken in round one by the Jets since Aaron Glenn in 1994, and should bolster both the secondary and return games immediately. 2nd round LB David Harris is a good fit for the 3-4 scheme.
New York Giants (B+)
Texas CB Aaron Ross is a great fit for the Giants’ secondary and kick return game. Getting him at #20 was probably just right, while USC WR Steve Smith was a straight up steal at #51 in the second. He’ll be the perfect complement to Plaxico Burress. Big Blue did itself proud for a change.
Arizona Cardinals (B+)
Penn State OT Levi Brown was a rock steady choice at #5. He can’t do anything but help the Cards’ anemic ground attack. Michigan DT Alan Branch fell to the top of the second after a bad combine, and Arizona was smart to scoop him up at #33. I also like the 3rd round pick of LB Buster Davis out of Florida State.
Buffalo Bills (B+)
Strong first round choice in RB Marshawn Lynch at #12. He should fill McGahee’s shoes right out the gates and could develop into a real difference maker. Penn State LB Paul Poluszny was a tremendous value in round two, while QB Trent Edwards is a good backup fit in the third. All in all, a good weekend for Marv Levy.
Indianapolis Colts (B)
Indy did pretty well by adding OSU WR Anthony Gonzalez at the end of the first. He’ll be a good slot complement to Harrison and Wayne. A savvy anticipation in the second round, where Arkansas OT Tony Ugoh should become a starter within two years. Even 3rd round choices of California CB Daymeion Hughes and OSU DT Quinn Pitcock have the chance to be role players on this team.
LOSERS (10)
Miami Dolphins (C)
I still don’t understand why the Dolphins passed on QB Brady Quinn at #9. They need a quarterback, don’t they? WR Tedd Ginn Jr. is unquestionably explosive, but Miami could’ve gotten him in the twenties. BYU QB John Beck doesn’t really do it for me in the second, though Hawaii offensive lineman Samson Satele will play soon, and FSU RB Lorenzo Booker could contribute in spots.
New Orleans Saints (C)
Tennessee WR Robert Meachem was an appropriate choice at #27, and should give Drew Brees another take-it-to-the-house threat. Ohio State RB Antonio Pittman was a good value in the fourth, but that’s not a large haul overall.
Houston Texans (C)
Lousiville DT Amobi Okoye made plenty of sense at number ten, but no matter what Houston did this year, all the Texan fans could think about was last year’s Reggie Bush disaster. Not having a second round pick made it another mediocre draft session for the bumbling team from H-Town.
Detroit Lions (C-)
Another WR? You’ve got to be kidding me. Georgia Tech’s Calvin Johnson is a stud, but with him and Roy Williams, the Lions now have two #1s at the position and are banking on 2nd round QB pick Drew Stanton to get them the ball. The Michigan State star doesn’t have a big down the field arm though. The rest of the offense is kind of weak, while the defense was in need of help. No trade down meant not a lot of depth added. Matt Millen shouldn’t be making these decisions anymore. Yuck.
Tennessee Titans (C-)
Texas S Michael Griffin is a solid football player, but there was better value than that available at #19. I think the Titans got too caught up in picking for a need there, but got a better second round value in Arizona RB Chris Henry. Overall, pretty blah though.
Green Bay Packers (C-)
Tennessee DT Justin Harrell was a good makeup pick at #16, but you just know the Packers were gunning for RB Marshawn Lynch. Why not trade up for him then? And just what went wrong with that Randy Moss deal? Nebraska RB Brandon Jackson is a decent choice for the second round, but I expected more from Green Bay than this.
Baltimore Ravens (C-)
I like the addition of Auburn G Ben Grubbs at #29, but that’s the only serious impact move Baltimore made all weekend. Heisman winner Troy Smith was picked up by the Ravens in the fifth round, but he’s a third stringer right now at best.
Seattle Seahawks (D+)
Seattle traded its first round pick this year to New England for WR Deion Branch. They also traded wideout Darrell Jackson to San Fran for a 4th rounder. Maryland CB Josh Wilson was the pick in round two, and should help a battered Seattle secondary. But this was a pretty weak showing for Mike Holmgren’s crew.
Philadelphia Eagles (D)
How long is Philly going to play the sit and wait game for? Season after season goes by without the Eagles making aggressive, we-can-win-it-all-right-now decisions. New England, Philly is not. After trading out of the first round, they had two second round picks: Houston QB Kevin Kolb is decent McNabb insurance, while Notre Dame DE Victor Abiamiri could develop down the road. The cheesteak contingent won’t be happy with this draft.
Washington Redskins (D-)
This is what happens when you trade away most of your picks. With the #6 pick, LSU S Laron Landry is a great complement to Sean Taylor, but the Redskins didn’t pick again until the fifth! Landry is a good physical player, but one skill player is not enough of a haul for an entire draft.
JURY OUT (10)
Jacksonville Jaguars (B-)
Gotta love S Reggie Nelson in the 21st slot. He’s the guy the Jags wanted at 17, and they were able to trade down and still get him. I think Nelson will develop into a Pro Bowl caliber player. And there’s no doubt he’ll help make Jax’s secondary even nastier. Taking Hampton LB Justin Durant in the second round was a little weird though, and there wasn’t anything significant to speak of after that.
Dallas Cowboys (B-)
There was a moment where it looked like Dallas might actually take QB Brady Quinn, but then the Cowboys traded out with Cleveland. Still, I like taking Purdue DE/LB Anthony Spencer at #26, as he’s a perfect guy for Dallas’s 3-4 edge scheme. 6’8 OT James Marten was a good value in the 3rd round, but after that, this draft was mostly about stockpiling picks and adding a bit of depth for Jerry Jones’ crew. Nothing to write home about.
Kansas City Chiefs (B-)
WR Dwayne Bowe was a need pick at #23, but with OT Willie Roaf retiring the Chiefs’ O-line still needs work. Taking DTs Turk McBride and Tank Tyler in the second and third rounds added some front four depth.
St. Louis Rams (B-)
Nothing splashy here whatsoever. Three good projects in first round DE Adam Carriker from Nebraska, second round tailback Brian Leonard out of Rutgers and 3rd round CB Jonathan Wade from Tennesee. They’re all projects, but they all have good potential. And who knows, maybe seventh round DT Keith Jackson out of Arkansas will develop into a serviceable role player as well.
Cincinnati Bengals (B-)
Michigan CB Leon Hall was a strong pick at #18, but he’s still got plenty of work to do to be a great NFL corner. Too many times last year he got beat for the big play. Auburn RB Kenny Irons was a good pickup in the second round though. I guess the Chris Perry change-of-pace experiment is over.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (B-)
I do think Clemson DE Gaines Adams will be a good fit for the Bucs pass rushing scheme. I’m just not sure he’s going to make a monster impact right away. Still, after failing to make a deal with Detroit for WR Calvin Johnson, Tampa didn’t really have anywhere else to go at number four. Good finds in second round G Arron Sears out of Tennessee and fourth round S Tanard Jackson out of Syracuse.
Chicago Bears (B-)
Getting the best TE prospect in the draft at #31 was good fortune. Miami’s Greg Olsen will immediately stretch the middle of the field for the Bears. Now if only he could learn how to block! Central Michigan DE Dan Bazuin was a reach in the second, but Northern Illinois RB Garrett Wolfe could be a gem in the third. He led the NCAA in rushing last year.
Pittsburgh Steelers (C+)
Florida State LB Lawrence Timmons will help fill Joey Porter’s shows within a year or two, but you get the feeling that Pittsburgh really wanted to add a cornerback like Revis. Michigan DE Lamar Woodley is a great find in the second, while the Steelers have the honor of taking the highest punter in the draft, with Baylor’s Daniel Sepulveda in the fourth round.
San Diego Chargers (C+)
Getting LSU WR Craig Davis was area of need at #30, but I’m still surprised the Chargers didn't opt for local guy Dwayne Jarrett out of USC. Jarrett seems a little more NFL ready right now to me. 2nd round made more sense: Utah S Eric Weddle should contribute right away.
Denver Broncos (C+)
Give Mike Shanahan credit for this: when his team has a need, he fills it. Three years ago it was CB, and all Shanahan did was trade Clinton Portis, his franchise back, for Champ Bailey, the best cover guy in the game. This year, the need was DE, and the Broncos traded up to seventeen to get Florida’s Jarvis Moss, a fiery edge guy. Then, in the second, they added, Texas pass rusher Tim Crowder. No more picks till the sixth was a little concerning, but DE is no longer a problem.
-JAB
WINNERS (12)
New England Patriots (A)
Wow, Randy Moss for a fourth round pick . . . add him to Stallworth, Welker and Washington for the Pats’ receiver haul this offseason. Plus, S Brandon Meriweather from Miami late in the first, a trade out with San Fran for an extra first rounder next year. No second or third round choice, but the aggressiveness of New England’s moves should have the rest of the NFL very afraid.
Oakland Raiders (A)
Somebody finally smacked some sense into Al Davis’s head. LSU QB Jamarcus Russell automatically gives the Raiders’ franchise its first real hope in years. 2nd round TE selection Zach Miller was a great choice and he immediately gives Russell someone to develop a rapport with. I also like DE Quentin Moses out of Georgia in the 3rd and Louisville RB Michael Bush with the first pick of the second day of the draft. Oakland actually aced this one.
Carolina Panthers (A)
Traded down in the first round with the Jets and still got targeted linebacker help in Miami’s Jon Beason. Made a great decision at #45 in the second with USC WR Dwayne Jarrett, who just makes plays with great size and hands. USC C Ryan Kalil was another strong addition late in the second, while Georgia DE Charles Johnson is a beast who fell way too far. You could make an argument that Carolina had the best all-around draft of anyone.
Cleveland Browns (A)
GM Phil Savage stands his ground and takes the best LT prospect in Joe Thomas at #3. Then he gets after it and moves up to #22 from Dallas for QB Brady Quinn. Cleveland took a gamble on the character of 2nd round CB Eric Wright out of UNLV, but DE Chase Pittman late in the sixth could be a find.
San Francisco 49ers (A)
Two first round additions in Ole Miss LB Patrick Willis at eleven and Central Michigan OT Joe Staley in a trade up with New England at 28. Willis is an NFL star in the making, and could be Defensive Rookie of the Year. Both he and Staley should start right away, while DE Ray McDonald was a nice touch in the 3rd. Getting Seattle WR Darrell Jackson for a fourth rounder was a keen move as well.
Minnesota Vikings (A-)
Minnesota just sat and waited while a franchise tailback fell in its lap at #7. Sure there are durability questions about Adrian Peterson, but the fact remains that he is NFL ready right now. With him and Taylor as a 1-2 punch behind a really good offensive line, the Vikes now have an identity as a smashmouth team. WR Sidney Rice was much needed at 44 in the second, but Minesota still needs a quarterback, no offense intended to Tavaris Jackson.
Atlanta Falcons (A-)
In the eight slot, Arkansas’s Jamaal Anderson was the perfect pick to replace departed DE Patrick Kerney. Getting two talented second rounders in Tennessee G Justin Blalock and another Razorback in CB Chris Houston made it a really strong first day for the Falcs.
New York Jets (A-)
Don’t forget the Jets already made a great draft trade last month with Chicago for RB Thomas Jones. In that deal, the Jets held on to both of their 2nd round picks, then packaged one of those with the #25 pick to move up to 14 and snare the top-rated CB on the board in Pitt’s Darrelle Revis. He’s the first CB taken in round one by the Jets since Aaron Glenn in 1994, and should bolster both the secondary and return games immediately. 2nd round LB David Harris is a good fit for the 3-4 scheme.
New York Giants (B+)
Texas CB Aaron Ross is a great fit for the Giants’ secondary and kick return game. Getting him at #20 was probably just right, while USC WR Steve Smith was a straight up steal at #51 in the second. He’ll be the perfect complement to Plaxico Burress. Big Blue did itself proud for a change.
Arizona Cardinals (B+)
Penn State OT Levi Brown was a rock steady choice at #5. He can’t do anything but help the Cards’ anemic ground attack. Michigan DT Alan Branch fell to the top of the second after a bad combine, and Arizona was smart to scoop him up at #33. I also like the 3rd round pick of LB Buster Davis out of Florida State.
Buffalo Bills (B+)
Strong first round choice in RB Marshawn Lynch at #12. He should fill McGahee’s shoes right out the gates and could develop into a real difference maker. Penn State LB Paul Poluszny was a tremendous value in round two, while QB Trent Edwards is a good backup fit in the third. All in all, a good weekend for Marv Levy.
Indianapolis Colts (B)
Indy did pretty well by adding OSU WR Anthony Gonzalez at the end of the first. He’ll be a good slot complement to Harrison and Wayne. A savvy anticipation in the second round, where Arkansas OT Tony Ugoh should become a starter within two years. Even 3rd round choices of California CB Daymeion Hughes and OSU DT Quinn Pitcock have the chance to be role players on this team.
LOSERS (10)
Miami Dolphins (C)
I still don’t understand why the Dolphins passed on QB Brady Quinn at #9. They need a quarterback, don’t they? WR Tedd Ginn Jr. is unquestionably explosive, but Miami could’ve gotten him in the twenties. BYU QB John Beck doesn’t really do it for me in the second, though Hawaii offensive lineman Samson Satele will play soon, and FSU RB Lorenzo Booker could contribute in spots.
New Orleans Saints (C)
Tennessee WR Robert Meachem was an appropriate choice at #27, and should give Drew Brees another take-it-to-the-house threat. Ohio State RB Antonio Pittman was a good value in the fourth, but that’s not a large haul overall.
Houston Texans (C)
Lousiville DT Amobi Okoye made plenty of sense at number ten, but no matter what Houston did this year, all the Texan fans could think about was last year’s Reggie Bush disaster. Not having a second round pick made it another mediocre draft session for the bumbling team from H-Town.
Detroit Lions (C-)
Another WR? You’ve got to be kidding me. Georgia Tech’s Calvin Johnson is a stud, but with him and Roy Williams, the Lions now have two #1s at the position and are banking on 2nd round QB pick Drew Stanton to get them the ball. The Michigan State star doesn’t have a big down the field arm though. The rest of the offense is kind of weak, while the defense was in need of help. No trade down meant not a lot of depth added. Matt Millen shouldn’t be making these decisions anymore. Yuck.
Tennessee Titans (C-)
Texas S Michael Griffin is a solid football player, but there was better value than that available at #19. I think the Titans got too caught up in picking for a need there, but got a better second round value in Arizona RB Chris Henry. Overall, pretty blah though.
Green Bay Packers (C-)
Tennessee DT Justin Harrell was a good makeup pick at #16, but you just know the Packers were gunning for RB Marshawn Lynch. Why not trade up for him then? And just what went wrong with that Randy Moss deal? Nebraska RB Brandon Jackson is a decent choice for the second round, but I expected more from Green Bay than this.
Baltimore Ravens (C-)
I like the addition of Auburn G Ben Grubbs at #29, but that’s the only serious impact move Baltimore made all weekend. Heisman winner Troy Smith was picked up by the Ravens in the fifth round, but he’s a third stringer right now at best.
Seattle Seahawks (D+)
Seattle traded its first round pick this year to New England for WR Deion Branch. They also traded wideout Darrell Jackson to San Fran for a 4th rounder. Maryland CB Josh Wilson was the pick in round two, and should help a battered Seattle secondary. But this was a pretty weak showing for Mike Holmgren’s crew.
Philadelphia Eagles (D)
How long is Philly going to play the sit and wait game for? Season after season goes by without the Eagles making aggressive, we-can-win-it-all-right-now decisions. New England, Philly is not. After trading out of the first round, they had two second round picks: Houston QB Kevin Kolb is decent McNabb insurance, while Notre Dame DE Victor Abiamiri could develop down the road. The cheesteak contingent won’t be happy with this draft.
Washington Redskins (D-)
This is what happens when you trade away most of your picks. With the #6 pick, LSU S Laron Landry is a great complement to Sean Taylor, but the Redskins didn’t pick again until the fifth! Landry is a good physical player, but one skill player is not enough of a haul for an entire draft.
JURY OUT (10)
Jacksonville Jaguars (B-)
Gotta love S Reggie Nelson in the 21st slot. He’s the guy the Jags wanted at 17, and they were able to trade down and still get him. I think Nelson will develop into a Pro Bowl caliber player. And there’s no doubt he’ll help make Jax’s secondary even nastier. Taking Hampton LB Justin Durant in the second round was a little weird though, and there wasn’t anything significant to speak of after that.
Dallas Cowboys (B-)
There was a moment where it looked like Dallas might actually take QB Brady Quinn, but then the Cowboys traded out with Cleveland. Still, I like taking Purdue DE/LB Anthony Spencer at #26, as he’s a perfect guy for Dallas’s 3-4 edge scheme. 6’8 OT James Marten was a good value in the 3rd round, but after that, this draft was mostly about stockpiling picks and adding a bit of depth for Jerry Jones’ crew. Nothing to write home about.
Kansas City Chiefs (B-)
WR Dwayne Bowe was a need pick at #23, but with OT Willie Roaf retiring the Chiefs’ O-line still needs work. Taking DTs Turk McBride and Tank Tyler in the second and third rounds added some front four depth.
St. Louis Rams (B-)
Nothing splashy here whatsoever. Three good projects in first round DE Adam Carriker from Nebraska, second round tailback Brian Leonard out of Rutgers and 3rd round CB Jonathan Wade from Tennesee. They’re all projects, but they all have good potential. And who knows, maybe seventh round DT Keith Jackson out of Arkansas will develop into a serviceable role player as well.
Cincinnati Bengals (B-)
Michigan CB Leon Hall was a strong pick at #18, but he’s still got plenty of work to do to be a great NFL corner. Too many times last year he got beat for the big play. Auburn RB Kenny Irons was a good pickup in the second round though. I guess the Chris Perry change-of-pace experiment is over.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (B-)
I do think Clemson DE Gaines Adams will be a good fit for the Bucs pass rushing scheme. I’m just not sure he’s going to make a monster impact right away. Still, after failing to make a deal with Detroit for WR Calvin Johnson, Tampa didn’t really have anywhere else to go at number four. Good finds in second round G Arron Sears out of Tennessee and fourth round S Tanard Jackson out of Syracuse.
Chicago Bears (B-)
Getting the best TE prospect in the draft at #31 was good fortune. Miami’s Greg Olsen will immediately stretch the middle of the field for the Bears. Now if only he could learn how to block! Central Michigan DE Dan Bazuin was a reach in the second, but Northern Illinois RB Garrett Wolfe could be a gem in the third. He led the NCAA in rushing last year.
Pittsburgh Steelers (C+)
Florida State LB Lawrence Timmons will help fill Joey Porter’s shows within a year or two, but you get the feeling that Pittsburgh really wanted to add a cornerback like Revis. Michigan DE Lamar Woodley is a great find in the second, while the Steelers have the honor of taking the highest punter in the draft, with Baylor’s Daniel Sepulveda in the fourth round.
San Diego Chargers (C+)
Getting LSU WR Craig Davis was area of need at #30, but I’m still surprised the Chargers didn't opt for local guy Dwayne Jarrett out of USC. Jarrett seems a little more NFL ready right now to me. 2nd round made more sense: Utah S Eric Weddle should contribute right away.
Denver Broncos (C+)
Give Mike Shanahan credit for this: when his team has a need, he fills it. Three years ago it was CB, and all Shanahan did was trade Clinton Portis, his franchise back, for Champ Bailey, the best cover guy in the game. This year, the need was DE, and the Broncos traded up to seventeen to get Florida’s Jarvis Moss, a fiery edge guy. Then, in the second, they added, Texas pass rusher Tim Crowder. No more picks till the sixth was a little concerning, but DE is no longer a problem.
-JAB
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
On Draft Day, A-Rod and First Round Upsets
Late April Means NFL Draft Takes Center Stage Again
This weekend, the NFL Draft returns to the Big Apple, and as always, it's the professional draft which is the most entertaining to watch, if also the most tedious in length.
You'd think Raiders' owner Al Davis would know not to pass on a marquee young quarterback by now, but then, he's Al Davis. After failing to land either USC's Matt Leinart or Vandy's Jay Cutler in last year's draft, Oakland is in complete desperation for a franchise guy under center. With the #1 overall pick expected to be LSU QB Jamarcus Russell, one would think he and the Raiders are a perfect match. But the fact remains that more than a few draft experts believe Al Davis prefers Georgia Tech WR Calvin Johnson, whom many regard as the best all-around prospect in the draft field. Still, it would make very little sense for Oakland to draft a wide receiver---no matter how freakishly talented---when it has no one to throw him the ball.
The two slot belongs to Detroit, and you know that Lions' President Matt Millen (how does he still have a job?) would love to grab another wide receiver, but the Lions' defensive needs may be more pressing, which makes me think they'll lean towards DE Gaines Adams.
And then there's the whole Cleveland predicament at #3: should the Browns take a potentially great running back in Adrian Peterson, or a potentially great quarterback in Brady Quinn? Both have tremendous upsides, yet both have question marks as well, for various reasons.
The first offensive tackle off the board will be Wisconsin's Joe Thomas, likely to Arizona at number five. From there, the first round could turn in any number of different directions.
Let's not forget the Arkansas Razorback players, a sizeable group this year. DE Jamal Anderson will probably go in the top half of the first round to a team looking for pass-rushing force, while CB Chris Houston should fall no later than the twenties to a club in need of a speedy cover man. OT Tony Ugoh will be gone by early in the second, but what about LB Sam Olajubutu or DT Keith Jackson? A number of draft pundits have them going in the fifth or sixth rounds. A bunch of other Hogs will get their shots at NFL rosters as free agents.
As far as my beloved J-E-T-S, it should be fun to watch Team Mangini make its next move. Already having acquired RB Thomas Jones in a swap of second round picks with Chicago, New York is off to a good draft before it even starts. With the 25th pick in the first round, I'm very curious to see what the Jets plan now. Will it be TE Greg Olsen out of Miami? Or CB Chris Houston out of Arkansas? Maybe it's a LB/DE prospect like Anthony Spencer? For a team with so many needs, options abound.
How shall it all unfold? Tune in to ESPN's peerless wall-to-wall coverage this weekend to find out....
A-Rod's A-mazing But Yanks Still Struggling
I know, I know: it doesn't matter if he doesn't do it in October. But Yankees' 3B Alex Rodriguez is off to an unprecedented start this year. With a week left in April, A-Rod has 14 HRs, 34 RBIs and a .400 average to boot, putting him in a hitting stratosphere all by himself right now. Obviously Rodriguez isn't going to keep this up over the long haul, but it's already clear that he's vastly improved his game from a season ago. A couple adjustments here and some confidence there and---voila! Alex Rodriguez is once again the best player in the game.
The problem for the Yankees is their starting pitching. I realize that Chien-Mien Wang and Mike Mussina have been hurt, but Chase Wright, Jeff Karstens and Carl Pavano are not going to cut it, no matter how you stack them up. The Red Sox appeared vastly superior to the Bombers in the pitching department during this past weekend's three-game sweep, and barring a colossal trade or a return by the Rocket to the Big Apple, that's not going to change during the season.
I'd be more than a little concerned about Mariano Rivera if were a Yankee fan right now too. He looks old and his fastball is not popping. It's very, very early, but right now it looks like the Bosox hold the edge on the Yanks, even with A-Rod's meteoric start.
Nuggets, Warriors Deliver Wake-Up Calls
I'm still taking the Suns over the Pistons to win this year's NBA title, but the playoff series that intrigues me the most right now is Denver and San Antonio. Ever since Iverson was traded from Philly to Denver in December, I've been waiting---and waiting---for George Karl's Nuggets to get their act together. I mean, the idea of Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson on the same team sounds scary, let alone Denver's also having Marcus Camby, Nene Hilario and J.R. Smith on the team. It sure did take the Nuggets a while to sort out the egos and the chemistry---Carmelo's suspension didn't help---but now they seem to have it down.
A 95-89 win at San Antonio in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals was impressive in its own right, but a series win would be phenomenal. With AI dashing in and out of the paint again and 'Melo playing like a real supersar, Denver is clearly causing Tim Duncan and the Spurs all kinds of headaches already. (Was it me, or did San Antonio look collectively old and slow on Sunday night?) It'd be easy to dismiss Game 1 as a fluke, and many will, but I see Denver building on Game 1, winning this series and looming tough for the Suns in round two.
Clearly, the West is where it's at in the playoffs . . . In the East, three of four higher seeds held serve, while the one that didn't---Toronto---is not better than the team it's facing---New Jersey. The only Eastern first round series really worth watching this year is Chicago and Miami. Meanwhile, the West has great storylines in Phoenix vs. Kobe, T-Mac trying to get the playoff monkey off his back, and upset possibilities in the Nuggets and Warriors.
Speaking of which, welcome back to the playoffs, Golden State! With Don Nelson back on the bench, the Warriors raced their way down the stretch to the #8 seed in the West, then stunned Dallas with a 97-85 road win in Game 1. PG Baron Davis had a phenomenal 33 point, 14 assist, 8 rebound effort to lead the way, while Golden State's small-ball lineup caused Avery Johnson's Mavs all kinds of problems. (It didn't help that Dirk Nowitzki shot 4 for 16 from the field either!) Expect Dallas to bounce back and win this series, but don't be surprised if it goes the full monty seven.
-JAB
Friday, April 13, 2007
Some Odds, Ends and Assorted April Nuggets
Spring Football Game in the Can
Wintry temperatures in the upper '30s kept the turnout pretty low for the Red/White football game on Saturday, but the ones who were there at Razorback Stadium got to see some solid play from some of the younger players on the roster. RB Michael Smith capped a strong spring with an assortment of moves on runs and receptions to further solidify his stock as the heir apparent to McFadden and Jones. FB Peyton Hillis looked healthy again---finally---and displayed the versatility that was lacking from last year's offense down the stretch. WR London Crawford made an acrobatic touchdown grab that caught some eyes, while DE Malcolm Sheppard wreaked enough havoc in the backfield to make folks believe he could be an impact player next year. You don't want to overblow the performance of anyone in a spring football game, but I certainly liked what I saw as far as overall team depth on Saturday. Now all these guys have to do is get in the weight room and stay there until early August.
Diamond Hogs Sweep Gators Away
It's not football or basketball, but three straight wins versus the Florida Gators is always something to be savored. The Razorbacks' baseball team played a feisty three game series with Florida over the weekend and came away with the upper hand in all three contests. Staff ace Nick Schmidt set the tone in the first of a doubleheader on Saturday, dominating the Gators en route to another win without a loss---still perfect on the year. He also became Arkansas' all-time strikeout king. Then in the nightcap, the Arkansas offense finally provided Duke Welker with some run support and the Hogs had won the first two of the three game set. The finishing touches were provided on Sunday, when Arkansas came from behind late to sweep the series out from under Florida. At the midway point now in SEC play, Arkansas is best in the conference with an 11-4 mark. Throw in a 29-10 overall record, and it's no doubt the Razorbacks are right on course for a trip back to Omaha.
Arkansas Basketball Gets Its Man . . . Finally
The Razorbacks have hired a new basketball coach and this one appears to be sticking around for a while. John Pelphrey was a player at Kentucky under Rick Pitino in the early '90s and later coached under Billy Donovan at Florida. He spent five years as the head coach at South Alabama in the Sun Belt Conference; the last two of those five saw his teams win 24 and 20 games respectively. Only time will tell whether or not he's the right fit for the job, but you've got to like the enthusiasm and excitement he brings to the table right out the gates. I'm pulling for him, but with seven seniors returning and high expectations for next year's team (22-25 wins?), Pelphrey doesn't have much time before he must show results. It won't take long for his sheen to wear off with Razorback fans if he's not winning.
Oaklawn Park Has a New Star
When this year's horse racing season began back in January, the talk at Oaklawn Park was all about a thoroughbred who's all but forgotten now. Most folks in the know figured that Hard Spun would be next in the line of Afleet Alex, Smarty Jones and Lawyer Ron to emerge from Hot Springs as a bona fide star. Yet, for whatever reason, he didn't like the track surface at Oaklawn and left for pastures elsewhere. Fast forward to right now: it's all about Curlin. After not running so much as a single race as a two-year-old, Curlin has left the rest of his class in a haze of dust at the age of three. Undefeated in all his races this season, the feisty horse destroyed the field at this past weekend's Arkansas Derby in record fashion. Winning by ten lengths, Curlin set a new track mark in the Derby, and now looms as a likely favorite for next month's Kentucky Derby. Whether or not his success at Oaklawn translates to Churchill Downs remains to be seen, but already Curlin has set himself up as the heavy rooting interest of choice for those here in the Natural State.
Don Imus Talks His Way Off the Air
Don Imus is a radio host who has walked a fine line with his comments for a long time on his morning talk show on WFAN out of New York. Growing up listening to Imus, there were many times when I'd do a double-take, as if to ask, "Did he really just say that?" Of course, that was part of his appeal. But finally, it appears, Imus went too far with his labeling of Rutgers' women's basketball team as a "bunch of nappy-headed hos." Despite similar terminology being spewed all over urban radio these days, the fact of the matter is that Imus is a white man in a very public position, and he just wasn't sensitive enough to what he was saying ahead of the fact. That it took MSNBC and CBS Radio a week to announce his dismissals from TV and radio goes to show you conclusively that the pulling out of major advertisers was the real impetus for his firing. Was the decision appropriate given the circumstances? Probably. But the fact remains that Imus' show had become a great forum for political personalities who otherwise may not have had a chance to reach the masses. Someone now will have to pick up that slack for WFAN, while my guess would be Imus likely has a future somewhere in satellite radio.
60th Anniversary of Robinson's Breaking the Barrier
No doubt Major League Baseball once again did a fine job in honoring the memory and significance of Jackie Robinson's playing career last night. With Jackie's widow Rachel on hand at the Dodgers/Padres' game, along with Hall of Famers Vin Scully, Hank Aaron and Frank Robinson, even much-maligned (and rightfully so) commish Bud Selig made a good showing, highlighted by some remarks about the continued relevance of Robinson's achievement. It really is amazing to think that only 60 years ago, African-Americans were not allowed to play the game at its highest level. Sixty years = my grandparents were my age. Really not that long a time frame when you sit down and think about it, folks. Baseball is to be commended for the way in which it still honors the import of what Robinson did. I only wish that other professional leagues would show a little more concern for their own histories.
The Passing of a Great American Writer
I don't know how many of you have read any of Kurt Vonnegut's novels, but if you haven't, you're missing out. Vonnegut passed away in New York earlier this week at the age of 84, leaving a mark on American literature several miles long. Books like "Cat's Cradle" and "Sirens of Titan" mix humor, sarcasm and political wit into a swirl of engaging science fiction. But the best of his works is unquestionably "Slaughterhouse Five." In that all-time great American novel, Vonnegut uses fictional main character Billy Pilgrim to tell the story of his own World War II experiences as a P.O.W. in Dresden, Germany. The book is a blend of history, humanity and spiritual truths, and should absolutely be taught to students in every high school around this country for as long as our nation exists. It's always sad to see a great one go, but in Vonnegut's case, at least there remains a published body of work that will stand the test of time.
Sopranos Starts Strong in Final Slate
For a television show to dominate the public conciousness for the better part of a decade is a tremendous accomplishment, let alone when it airs exclusively on a cable channel. But that's exactly what creator David Chase's Sopranos have done on HBO. The long-running mob drama---based in northern New Jersey---concludes this spring with nine hour-long episodes airing Sunday nights at 8:00 (CST). Watching James Gandolfini play Tony Soprano is still a dramatic pleasure, and the first two episodes have opened up some intriguing story arcs for the rest of the season. In the first episode, Tony and wife Carmela took a weekend getaway in the Adirondacks with Tony's sister Janis and her husband Bobby. The family dynamics at play in and after a game of Monopoly were utterly engrossing, while the second episode tidied up some loose ends with Johnny Sack. The scene is now set for a charge to the finish with an all-out war likely to be waged between the two opposing families . . . Bada bing!
-JAB
Wintry temperatures in the upper '30s kept the turnout pretty low for the Red/White football game on Saturday, but the ones who were there at Razorback Stadium got to see some solid play from some of the younger players on the roster. RB Michael Smith capped a strong spring with an assortment of moves on runs and receptions to further solidify his stock as the heir apparent to McFadden and Jones. FB Peyton Hillis looked healthy again---finally---and displayed the versatility that was lacking from last year's offense down the stretch. WR London Crawford made an acrobatic touchdown grab that caught some eyes, while DE Malcolm Sheppard wreaked enough havoc in the backfield to make folks believe he could be an impact player next year. You don't want to overblow the performance of anyone in a spring football game, but I certainly liked what I saw as far as overall team depth on Saturday. Now all these guys have to do is get in the weight room and stay there until early August.
Diamond Hogs Sweep Gators Away
It's not football or basketball, but three straight wins versus the Florida Gators is always something to be savored. The Razorbacks' baseball team played a feisty three game series with Florida over the weekend and came away with the upper hand in all three contests. Staff ace Nick Schmidt set the tone in the first of a doubleheader on Saturday, dominating the Gators en route to another win without a loss---still perfect on the year. He also became Arkansas' all-time strikeout king. Then in the nightcap, the Arkansas offense finally provided Duke Welker with some run support and the Hogs had won the first two of the three game set. The finishing touches were provided on Sunday, when Arkansas came from behind late to sweep the series out from under Florida. At the midway point now in SEC play, Arkansas is best in the conference with an 11-4 mark. Throw in a 29-10 overall record, and it's no doubt the Razorbacks are right on course for a trip back to Omaha.
Arkansas Basketball Gets Its Man . . . Finally
The Razorbacks have hired a new basketball coach and this one appears to be sticking around for a while. John Pelphrey was a player at Kentucky under Rick Pitino in the early '90s and later coached under Billy Donovan at Florida. He spent five years as the head coach at South Alabama in the Sun Belt Conference; the last two of those five saw his teams win 24 and 20 games respectively. Only time will tell whether or not he's the right fit for the job, but you've got to like the enthusiasm and excitement he brings to the table right out the gates. I'm pulling for him, but with seven seniors returning and high expectations for next year's team (22-25 wins?), Pelphrey doesn't have much time before he must show results. It won't take long for his sheen to wear off with Razorback fans if he's not winning.
Oaklawn Park Has a New Star
When this year's horse racing season began back in January, the talk at Oaklawn Park was all about a thoroughbred who's all but forgotten now. Most folks in the know figured that Hard Spun would be next in the line of Afleet Alex, Smarty Jones and Lawyer Ron to emerge from Hot Springs as a bona fide star. Yet, for whatever reason, he didn't like the track surface at Oaklawn and left for pastures elsewhere. Fast forward to right now: it's all about Curlin. After not running so much as a single race as a two-year-old, Curlin has left the rest of his class in a haze of dust at the age of three. Undefeated in all his races this season, the feisty horse destroyed the field at this past weekend's Arkansas Derby in record fashion. Winning by ten lengths, Curlin set a new track mark in the Derby, and now looms as a likely favorite for next month's Kentucky Derby. Whether or not his success at Oaklawn translates to Churchill Downs remains to be seen, but already Curlin has set himself up as the heavy rooting interest of choice for those here in the Natural State.
Don Imus Talks His Way Off the Air
Don Imus is a radio host who has walked a fine line with his comments for a long time on his morning talk show on WFAN out of New York. Growing up listening to Imus, there were many times when I'd do a double-take, as if to ask, "Did he really just say that?" Of course, that was part of his appeal. But finally, it appears, Imus went too far with his labeling of Rutgers' women's basketball team as a "bunch of nappy-headed hos." Despite similar terminology being spewed all over urban radio these days, the fact of the matter is that Imus is a white man in a very public position, and he just wasn't sensitive enough to what he was saying ahead of the fact. That it took MSNBC and CBS Radio a week to announce his dismissals from TV and radio goes to show you conclusively that the pulling out of major advertisers was the real impetus for his firing. Was the decision appropriate given the circumstances? Probably. But the fact remains that Imus' show had become a great forum for political personalities who otherwise may not have had a chance to reach the masses. Someone now will have to pick up that slack for WFAN, while my guess would be Imus likely has a future somewhere in satellite radio.
60th Anniversary of Robinson's Breaking the Barrier
No doubt Major League Baseball once again did a fine job in honoring the memory and significance of Jackie Robinson's playing career last night. With Jackie's widow Rachel on hand at the Dodgers/Padres' game, along with Hall of Famers Vin Scully, Hank Aaron and Frank Robinson, even much-maligned (and rightfully so) commish Bud Selig made a good showing, highlighted by some remarks about the continued relevance of Robinson's achievement. It really is amazing to think that only 60 years ago, African-Americans were not allowed to play the game at its highest level. Sixty years = my grandparents were my age. Really not that long a time frame when you sit down and think about it, folks. Baseball is to be commended for the way in which it still honors the import of what Robinson did. I only wish that other professional leagues would show a little more concern for their own histories.
The Passing of a Great American Writer
I don't know how many of you have read any of Kurt Vonnegut's novels, but if you haven't, you're missing out. Vonnegut passed away in New York earlier this week at the age of 84, leaving a mark on American literature several miles long. Books like "Cat's Cradle" and "Sirens of Titan" mix humor, sarcasm and political wit into a swirl of engaging science fiction. But the best of his works is unquestionably "Slaughterhouse Five." In that all-time great American novel, Vonnegut uses fictional main character Billy Pilgrim to tell the story of his own World War II experiences as a P.O.W. in Dresden, Germany. The book is a blend of history, humanity and spiritual truths, and should absolutely be taught to students in every high school around this country for as long as our nation exists. It's always sad to see a great one go, but in Vonnegut's case, at least there remains a published body of work that will stand the test of time.
Sopranos Starts Strong in Final Slate
For a television show to dominate the public conciousness for the better part of a decade is a tremendous accomplishment, let alone when it airs exclusively on a cable channel. But that's exactly what creator David Chase's Sopranos have done on HBO. The long-running mob drama---based in northern New Jersey---concludes this spring with nine hour-long episodes airing Sunday nights at 8:00 (CST). Watching James Gandolfini play Tony Soprano is still a dramatic pleasure, and the first two episodes have opened up some intriguing story arcs for the rest of the season. In the first episode, Tony and wife Carmela took a weekend getaway in the Adirondacks with Tony's sister Janis and her husband Bobby. The family dynamics at play in and after a game of Monopoly were utterly engrossing, while the second episode tidied up some loose ends with Johnny Sack. The scene is now set for a charge to the finish with an all-out war likely to be waged between the two opposing families . . . Bada bing!
-JAB
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
2007 National League Baseball Predictions
NL EAST
1-New York Mets (y)
2-Philadelphia Phillies (x)
3-Atlanta Braves
4-Florida Marlins
5-Washington Nationals
NL CENTRAL
1-Saint Louis Cardinals (y)
2-Chicago Cubs
3-Houston Astros
4-Milwaukee Brewers
5-Cincinnati Reds
6-Pittsburgh Pirates
NL WEST
1-Los Angeles Dodgers (y)
2-San Diego Padres
3-Arizona Diamondbacks
4-Colorado Rockies
5-San Francisco Giants
y= division champ
x= wild card
NLDS:
New York Mets over St. Louis Cardinals, 3 games to 1
Philadelphia Phillies over Los Angeles Dodgers, 3 games to 2
NLCS:
New York Mets over Philadelphia Phillies, 4 games to 2
WORLD SERIES:
New York Mets over Los Angeles Angels, 4 games to 3
AWARDS:
MVP: Carlos Beltran, New York Mets
Cy Young: Roy Oswalt, Houston Astros
Rookie of Year: Stephen Drew, Arizona Diamondbacks
Manager of Year: Willie Randolph, New York Mets
-JAB
1-New York Mets (y)
2-Philadelphia Phillies (x)
3-Atlanta Braves
4-Florida Marlins
5-Washington Nationals
NL CENTRAL
1-Saint Louis Cardinals (y)
2-Chicago Cubs
3-Houston Astros
4-Milwaukee Brewers
5-Cincinnati Reds
6-Pittsburgh Pirates
NL WEST
1-Los Angeles Dodgers (y)
2-San Diego Padres
3-Arizona Diamondbacks
4-Colorado Rockies
5-San Francisco Giants
y= division champ
x= wild card
NLDS:
New York Mets over St. Louis Cardinals, 3 games to 1
Philadelphia Phillies over Los Angeles Dodgers, 3 games to 2
NLCS:
New York Mets over Philadelphia Phillies, 4 games to 2
WORLD SERIES:
New York Mets over Los Angeles Angels, 4 games to 3
AWARDS:
MVP: Carlos Beltran, New York Mets
Cy Young: Roy Oswalt, Houston Astros
Rookie of Year: Stephen Drew, Arizona Diamondbacks
Manager of Year: Willie Randolph, New York Mets
-JAB
2007 American League Baseball Predictions
AL EAST
1-Boston Red Sox (y)
2-New York Yankees (x)
3-Toronto Blue Jays
4-Baltimore Orioles
5-Tampa Bay Devil Rays
AL CENTRAL
1-Cleveland Indians (y)
2-Detroit Tigers
3-Minnesota Twins
4-Chicago White Sox
5-Kansas City Royals
AL WEST
1-Los Angeles Angels (y)
2-Oakland Athletics
3-Texas Rangers
4-Seattle Mariners
y= division champ
x= wild card
ALDS:
Boston Red Sox over Cleveland Indians, 3 games to 1
Los Angeles Angels over New York Yankees, 3 games to 2
ALCS:
Los Angeles Angels over Boston Red Sox, 4 games to 2
AWARDS:
MVP: Travis Hafner, Cleveland Indians
Cy Young: Johan Santana, Minnesota Twins
Rookie of Year: Daisuke Matsuzaka, Boston Red Sox
Manager of Year: Mike Scioscia, Los Angeles
-JAB
1-Boston Red Sox (y)
2-New York Yankees (x)
3-Toronto Blue Jays
4-Baltimore Orioles
5-Tampa Bay Devil Rays
AL CENTRAL
1-Cleveland Indians (y)
2-Detroit Tigers
3-Minnesota Twins
4-Chicago White Sox
5-Kansas City Royals
AL WEST
1-Los Angeles Angels (y)
2-Oakland Athletics
3-Texas Rangers
4-Seattle Mariners
y= division champ
x= wild card
ALDS:
Boston Red Sox over Cleveland Indians, 3 games to 1
Los Angeles Angels over New York Yankees, 3 games to 2
ALCS:
Los Angeles Angels over Boston Red Sox, 4 games to 2
AWARDS:
MVP: Travis Hafner, Cleveland Indians
Cy Young: Johan Santana, Minnesota Twins
Rookie of Year: Daisuke Matsuzaka, Boston Red Sox
Manager of Year: Mike Scioscia, Los Angeles
-JAB
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
The Greatest Tournament in the World
The pain of my 'Cuse missing the Dance having mildly subsided, it's time to fill out the bracket. Always one of the best sports times of the year, this year's NCAA tourney should not disappoint. An extremely even playing field in the world of college basketball should translate to a bunch of very good games, first round all the way through to the Final Four in Atlanta. I'll break it down---as I see it---by region and games of note below. Away we go....
MIDWEST
This is why all of Florida's key players came back. All year long, Billy Donovan's crew has talked about focus and chemistry and selflessness while keeping an eye on the prize that is the NCAA Tournament championship. An SEC Tournament title was nice, but it wasn't the big goal for the Gators. With Joakim Noah and Al Horford dominating up front, Corey Brewer and Lee Humphrey lighting it up on the wings and Taurean Green running the show at the point, it's hard to see these guys losing to anybody right now. Sure, it's been 15 years since anyone went back-to-back in the Big Dance (Duke's '91 and '92 clubs were the last) but very few teams have ever been as good, as balanced and as unselfish as this Florida team. No one averages more than 12 shots per game. They play defense. And they're not going to lose in this region, let alone in this tournament. Oregon should win some games and could make Florida fans nervous, but Wisconsin seems to be sputtering down the stretch. Once again, the Gators are chomping at the bit for a crown.
Upset Special:
Old Dominion over Butler
First Round Game to Watch:
Winthrop and Notre Dame
Key Game in the Bracket:
Florida and Oregon
SOUTH
You could argue that the South is open as any of the four regions in this year's tournament. Ohio State---the #1 team in the polls---is rolling along with Greg Oden and Mike Conley Jr. doing tons of damage, but can the Buckeyes get it done against more seasoned teams in its own region? Tennessee and Virginia loom as possible knockout punchers, while Texas A & M and Memphis both have their respective believers. Don't forget Lousiville or Nevada as teams that could make some serious noise here either. All that being said, I'm going to give the edge to A & M in this bracket, if only because of their extremely talented depth. It doesn't hurt having sensational senior guard Acie Law on your side either: he truly is the definition of a "clutch" basketball player. When the chips are down and it's all on the line, I like Billy Gillespie's Aggies to run through this region all the way to Atlanta.
Upset Special:
Albany over Virginia
First Round Game to Watch:
Louisville and Stanford
Key Game in Bracket:
Texas A & M and Memphis
EAST
This is my personal favorite region in this year's tournament. With Roy Williams' highly-talented Tar Heels as the top seed, the red-hot Georgetown Hoyas as the number two, underrated Washington State as the three and Kevin Durant (the best college player in America) leading his Texas crew to the number four seed here, there's no doubt a lot of competitive games between seriously tough teams sit on the immediate horizon. And yet, with Roy Hibbert anchoring the middle and the electric Jeff Green doing his thing from the outside all the way in, I think Georgetown has the been the best team in the country for the last six weeks. The Hoyas play rugged defense, they hit the glass and they were the only club that even challenged Florida in last year's tournament. Patrick Ewing isn't the man in the middle for Georgetown anymore, but his son---the aptly name Patrick Ewing Jr.---is a good player off the bench for John Thompson III, the son of the Hoya Destroya's legendary coach. Georgetown is scary to match up with and I don't think anyone in the East wants a piece of them right now.
Upset Special:
Arkansas over USC
First Round Game to Watch:
Boston College and Texas Tech
Key Game in Bracket:
North Carolina and Texas
WEST
Clearly this is the weakest of the four regions in this year's tournament. Kansas is the most talented team here, with Julian Wright, Mario Chalmers and Brandon Rush leading the way. But that doesn't necessarily mean Bill Self is over his tourney jitters of the last two years. The Jayhawks need to come out in attack mode, or they'll get bounced by Villanova in round two. Elsewhere, Southern Illinois, a four seed, has its highest rank ever, but the Salukis don't look like they're going to be here beyond the second weekend at the latest. Meanwhile, Duke, Pittsburgh and UCLA sit on the bottom of the half of the bracket, which would usually mean a tough region, but all three of those teams have struggled to varying degrees down the stretch. Even without suspended leading scorer Josh Heytfeldt, Gonzaga could bust some brackets as well, especially against the Bruins in the second round. I'm banking on Kansas and its heaps of talent to prevail.
Upset Special:
Virginia Commonwealth over Duke
First Round Game to Watch:
Kentucky and Villanova
Key Game in Bracket:
Gonzaga and UCLA
_______________________________________
Josh's 2007 Final Four:
Florida, Texas A & M, Georgetown, Kansas
NCAA Championship Prediction:
Florida over Georgetown, 72-67
-JAB
MIDWEST
This is why all of Florida's key players came back. All year long, Billy Donovan's crew has talked about focus and chemistry and selflessness while keeping an eye on the prize that is the NCAA Tournament championship. An SEC Tournament title was nice, but it wasn't the big goal for the Gators. With Joakim Noah and Al Horford dominating up front, Corey Brewer and Lee Humphrey lighting it up on the wings and Taurean Green running the show at the point, it's hard to see these guys losing to anybody right now. Sure, it's been 15 years since anyone went back-to-back in the Big Dance (Duke's '91 and '92 clubs were the last) but very few teams have ever been as good, as balanced and as unselfish as this Florida team. No one averages more than 12 shots per game. They play defense. And they're not going to lose in this region, let alone in this tournament. Oregon should win some games and could make Florida fans nervous, but Wisconsin seems to be sputtering down the stretch. Once again, the Gators are chomping at the bit for a crown.
Upset Special:
Old Dominion over Butler
First Round Game to Watch:
Winthrop and Notre Dame
Key Game in the Bracket:
Florida and Oregon
SOUTH
You could argue that the South is open as any of the four regions in this year's tournament. Ohio State---the #1 team in the polls---is rolling along with Greg Oden and Mike Conley Jr. doing tons of damage, but can the Buckeyes get it done against more seasoned teams in its own region? Tennessee and Virginia loom as possible knockout punchers, while Texas A & M and Memphis both have their respective believers. Don't forget Lousiville or Nevada as teams that could make some serious noise here either. All that being said, I'm going to give the edge to A & M in this bracket, if only because of their extremely talented depth. It doesn't hurt having sensational senior guard Acie Law on your side either: he truly is the definition of a "clutch" basketball player. When the chips are down and it's all on the line, I like Billy Gillespie's Aggies to run through this region all the way to Atlanta.
Upset Special:
Albany over Virginia
First Round Game to Watch:
Louisville and Stanford
Key Game in Bracket:
Texas A & M and Memphis
EAST
This is my personal favorite region in this year's tournament. With Roy Williams' highly-talented Tar Heels as the top seed, the red-hot Georgetown Hoyas as the number two, underrated Washington State as the three and Kevin Durant (the best college player in America) leading his Texas crew to the number four seed here, there's no doubt a lot of competitive games between seriously tough teams sit on the immediate horizon. And yet, with Roy Hibbert anchoring the middle and the electric Jeff Green doing his thing from the outside all the way in, I think Georgetown has the been the best team in the country for the last six weeks. The Hoyas play rugged defense, they hit the glass and they were the only club that even challenged Florida in last year's tournament. Patrick Ewing isn't the man in the middle for Georgetown anymore, but his son---the aptly name Patrick Ewing Jr.---is a good player off the bench for John Thompson III, the son of the Hoya Destroya's legendary coach. Georgetown is scary to match up with and I don't think anyone in the East wants a piece of them right now.
Upset Special:
Arkansas over USC
First Round Game to Watch:
Boston College and Texas Tech
Key Game in Bracket:
North Carolina and Texas
WEST
Clearly this is the weakest of the four regions in this year's tournament. Kansas is the most talented team here, with Julian Wright, Mario Chalmers and Brandon Rush leading the way. But that doesn't necessarily mean Bill Self is over his tourney jitters of the last two years. The Jayhawks need to come out in attack mode, or they'll get bounced by Villanova in round two. Elsewhere, Southern Illinois, a four seed, has its highest rank ever, but the Salukis don't look like they're going to be here beyond the second weekend at the latest. Meanwhile, Duke, Pittsburgh and UCLA sit on the bottom of the half of the bracket, which would usually mean a tough region, but all three of those teams have struggled to varying degrees down the stretch. Even without suspended leading scorer Josh Heytfeldt, Gonzaga could bust some brackets as well, especially against the Bruins in the second round. I'm banking on Kansas and its heaps of talent to prevail.
Upset Special:
Virginia Commonwealth over Duke
First Round Game to Watch:
Kentucky and Villanova
Key Game in Bracket:
Gonzaga and UCLA
_______________________________________
Josh's 2007 Final Four:
Florida, Texas A & M, Georgetown, Kansas
NCAA Championship Prediction:
Florida over Georgetown, 72-67
-JAB
Monday, March 05, 2007
The Madness Looms, Heath Lays It On the Line
Wins over Mississippi State and Vanderbilt in the final week of the regular season were nice, but they're far from resounding enough to put the Razorbacks into the NCAA Tournament field. No, it's going to take quite the showing in Atlanta later this week for Arkansas to get there now. Which isn't to say it's impossible; it's just not all that likely.
A lot of people around these parts have argued for Stan Heath to be fired at the end of the year, claiming he's had his run with the school and that it's time for a change. (Isn't it amazing how the fans clamor for a coach with integrity, class and intelligence, when they have a guy with all of that already?) I'm going to reserve my judgment on Heath's future for now, pending the outcome of this week's conference tournament.
But clearly, a lot rides on the line for the Hogs this weekend. There's no question Arkansas was a young team this year, folks. Without Ronnie Brewer, Eric Ferguson or Jonathan Modica, the Hogs had very little experience on the perimeter going into the season, and it showed with major troubles in the ballhandling department.
Of late, things seem to have changed. It took a little pushing and shoving with Mississippi State last Wednesday to pull it out of them, but it appears the Razorbacks are finally showing the toughness, tenacity and togetherness that eluded them all season. Getting it to translate to the Georgia Dome this week will be Stan Heath's major task.
Which brings us back to Stan and the question of whether or not he'll return as coach next year. This much I know: you better have the replacement lined up and ready to roll before you make a move here. Heath increased his win total in each of his first four years before a bit of sidestep this year. But his team was mostly young, inexperienced and lacking a leader. It's taken almost the entire season, but of late, freshmen Michael Washington and Stefan Welsh have stepped up their games and now combine with Patrick Beverley to give Arkansas a talented corps foundation for the next few years.
I don't think Arkansas should have to win the SEC tournament for Stan Heath to return next year. Three wins and a trip to the SEC Final would probably leave Arkansas just a bit short in its quest for a Big Dance berth this year, but it ought to be enough to show folks that this team is headed in the right direction. And for Arkansas, that's what this week in Atlanta is all about: showing the Razorback faithful that the future is bright by giving them a taste of it right now.
_________________________________________________________
Now for the fun stuff....
Josh's Projected Top 16 Seeds:
#1 seeds: Ohio State, UCLA, Florida, Kansas
#2 seeds: North Carolina, Wisconsin, Texas A & M, Georgetown
#3 seeds: Memphis, Southern Illinois, Pittsburgh, Nevada
#4 seeds: Texas, Virginia, Butler, Washington State
Josh's All-America First Team
F- Nick Fazekas, Nevada
F- Kevin Durant, Texas
C- Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina
G- Acie Law, Texas A & M
G- Alando Tucker, Wisconsin
All-America Second Team
F- Mario Boggan, Oklahoma State
F- Derrick Byars, Vanderbilt
C- Greg Oden, Ohio State
G- Chris Lofton, Tennessee
G- Sean Singletary, Virginia
Honorable Mentions: Glen Davis, LSU; Brandon Rush, Kansas; Arron Afflalo, UCLA; Jarrius Jackson, Texas Tech; Aaron Gray, Pittsburgh; Roy Hibbert, Georgetown; Demetris Nichols, Syracuse; Aaron Brooks, Oregon; Joakim Noah, Florida; A.J. Graves, Butler
____________________________________________________________
-JAB
A lot of people around these parts have argued for Stan Heath to be fired at the end of the year, claiming he's had his run with the school and that it's time for a change. (Isn't it amazing how the fans clamor for a coach with integrity, class and intelligence, when they have a guy with all of that already?) I'm going to reserve my judgment on Heath's future for now, pending the outcome of this week's conference tournament.
But clearly, a lot rides on the line for the Hogs this weekend. There's no question Arkansas was a young team this year, folks. Without Ronnie Brewer, Eric Ferguson or Jonathan Modica, the Hogs had very little experience on the perimeter going into the season, and it showed with major troubles in the ballhandling department.
Of late, things seem to have changed. It took a little pushing and shoving with Mississippi State last Wednesday to pull it out of them, but it appears the Razorbacks are finally showing the toughness, tenacity and togetherness that eluded them all season. Getting it to translate to the Georgia Dome this week will be Stan Heath's major task.
Which brings us back to Stan and the question of whether or not he'll return as coach next year. This much I know: you better have the replacement lined up and ready to roll before you make a move here. Heath increased his win total in each of his first four years before a bit of sidestep this year. But his team was mostly young, inexperienced and lacking a leader. It's taken almost the entire season, but of late, freshmen Michael Washington and Stefan Welsh have stepped up their games and now combine with Patrick Beverley to give Arkansas a talented corps foundation for the next few years.
I don't think Arkansas should have to win the SEC tournament for Stan Heath to return next year. Three wins and a trip to the SEC Final would probably leave Arkansas just a bit short in its quest for a Big Dance berth this year, but it ought to be enough to show folks that this team is headed in the right direction. And for Arkansas, that's what this week in Atlanta is all about: showing the Razorback faithful that the future is bright by giving them a taste of it right now.
_________________________________________________________
Now for the fun stuff....
Josh's Projected Top 16 Seeds:
#1 seeds: Ohio State, UCLA, Florida, Kansas
#2 seeds: North Carolina, Wisconsin, Texas A & M, Georgetown
#3 seeds: Memphis, Southern Illinois, Pittsburgh, Nevada
#4 seeds: Texas, Virginia, Butler, Washington State
Josh's All-America First Team
F- Nick Fazekas, Nevada
F- Kevin Durant, Texas
C- Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina
G- Acie Law, Texas A & M
G- Alando Tucker, Wisconsin
All-America Second Team
F- Mario Boggan, Oklahoma State
F- Derrick Byars, Vanderbilt
C- Greg Oden, Ohio State
G- Chris Lofton, Tennessee
G- Sean Singletary, Virginia
Honorable Mentions: Glen Davis, LSU; Brandon Rush, Kansas; Arron Afflalo, UCLA; Jarrius Jackson, Texas Tech; Aaron Gray, Pittsburgh; Roy Hibbert, Georgetown; Demetris Nichols, Syracuse; Aaron Brooks, Oregon; Joakim Noah, Florida; A.J. Graves, Butler
____________________________________________________________
-JAB
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Frank Broyles Finally Calls it a Career
There will never be another Frank Broyles. And please know that such all-encompassing words aren't meant to discourage future aspiring athletic directors from trying to rise to the top of their chosen field, but merely as a reminder that the landscape of college athletics (and really, all the world of sport) has changed drastically in the 50 years since John Franklin Broyles first appeared on the scene at the University of Arkansas. No longer are athletic directors given totalitarian type control of their schools; those days have come and gone. As Hawgs Illustrated publisher Clay Henry put it on the Morning Rush this week, "There was a time when Frank Broyles was more powerful in the state of Arkansas than the governor." It couldn't be spelled out any more plainly than that.
Yet times change---inevitably and relentlessly---and without question the control allotted to athletic directors at NCAA Division I universities has changed as well. It used to be, when Broyles first started out, that ADs could make their decisions without having to defer all that much to a respective board of trustees, or anyone else for that matter. Nowadays, rarely, do we see anything like that. And certainly Frank Broyles is the last of such a dying breed.
But, oh, what a run Broyles did have . . . It started with his coaching of the Razorback football team for 19 years, in which his clubs amassed an impressive 144 wins against just 58 losses and 5 ties. (An especially strong record when you consider he lost his first six games as coach of the Hogs.) During that time, Broyles won seven Southwest Conference titles and his 1964 club captured Arkansas' only national football championship. Additionally, his 1969 team played Texas in a #1 versus #2 matchup that many still consider college football's "Game of the (20th) Century." But more than the wins and accolades his teams generated on the field, Broyles' legacy was fully cemented by his work off of it. As a coach, he spawned others coaches---Joe Gibbs, Jimmy Johnson, Jonny Majors and Barry Switzer, to name a few---and his players went on to (generally) successful lives after football, in or out of the pigskin sport.
And then comes his work as athletic director. During 33 years in that role, Broyles oversaw a complete overhaul of the school's athletic facilities. Take a drive around Razorback Road in Fayetteville these days and the buildings speak for themselves . . . For football, Razorback Stadium---a 70,000 seat crown jewel of a place. For basketball, 19,000 seat Bud Walton Arena, nearly as crisp and pristine now as it was when it was built in the early '90s. For baseball, 10,000 seat Baum Stadium, as nice a collegiate diamond home as anywhere else in the country. And that isn't even taking into account the Tyson track center, or the soccer fields, or the administrative complexes that house the people who spawn the magic that make it all happen.
On Saturday, during his farewell announcement, Broyles called that magic "the Razorback Miracle." He was referencing the optimistic financial situation at the university, which has grown increasingly viable as the years have gone by. Through tireless fundraising and generous donations from his network of support, Broyles has been able to turn the University of Arkansas campus---across the board---into the single most impressive host of collegiate athletics in the country. For the University and a state like Arkansas---with less than three million people in it---to be able to lay claim to that title is a remarkable thing. And Broyles was the engine driver behind all of it.
Officially, Broyles will step down at the end of the 2007 calendar year. The negative publicity that helped hurry his exit will not carry any water years from now when stocked up against his achievements. And one would hope that the rest of the year is filled with countless tributes and homages to a Decatur, Georgia native who has dedicated his life to the state of Arkansas. Whoever is ultimately tabbed to fill his position has an awfully lengthy shadow from which to emerge. Good luck trying to replace the legacy of Broyles. Frankly, it's downright impossible.
-JAB
Yet times change---inevitably and relentlessly---and without question the control allotted to athletic directors at NCAA Division I universities has changed as well. It used to be, when Broyles first started out, that ADs could make their decisions without having to defer all that much to a respective board of trustees, or anyone else for that matter. Nowadays, rarely, do we see anything like that. And certainly Frank Broyles is the last of such a dying breed.
But, oh, what a run Broyles did have . . . It started with his coaching of the Razorback football team for 19 years, in which his clubs amassed an impressive 144 wins against just 58 losses and 5 ties. (An especially strong record when you consider he lost his first six games as coach of the Hogs.) During that time, Broyles won seven Southwest Conference titles and his 1964 club captured Arkansas' only national football championship. Additionally, his 1969 team played Texas in a #1 versus #2 matchup that many still consider college football's "Game of the (20th) Century." But more than the wins and accolades his teams generated on the field, Broyles' legacy was fully cemented by his work off of it. As a coach, he spawned others coaches---Joe Gibbs, Jimmy Johnson, Jonny Majors and Barry Switzer, to name a few---and his players went on to (generally) successful lives after football, in or out of the pigskin sport.
And then comes his work as athletic director. During 33 years in that role, Broyles oversaw a complete overhaul of the school's athletic facilities. Take a drive around Razorback Road in Fayetteville these days and the buildings speak for themselves . . . For football, Razorback Stadium---a 70,000 seat crown jewel of a place. For basketball, 19,000 seat Bud Walton Arena, nearly as crisp and pristine now as it was when it was built in the early '90s. For baseball, 10,000 seat Baum Stadium, as nice a collegiate diamond home as anywhere else in the country. And that isn't even taking into account the Tyson track center, or the soccer fields, or the administrative complexes that house the people who spawn the magic that make it all happen.
On Saturday, during his farewell announcement, Broyles called that magic "the Razorback Miracle." He was referencing the optimistic financial situation at the university, which has grown increasingly viable as the years have gone by. Through tireless fundraising and generous donations from his network of support, Broyles has been able to turn the University of Arkansas campus---across the board---into the single most impressive host of collegiate athletics in the country. For the University and a state like Arkansas---with less than three million people in it---to be able to lay claim to that title is a remarkable thing. And Broyles was the engine driver behind all of it.
Officially, Broyles will step down at the end of the 2007 calendar year. The negative publicity that helped hurry his exit will not carry any water years from now when stocked up against his achievements. And one would hope that the rest of the year is filled with countless tributes and homages to a Decatur, Georgia native who has dedicated his life to the state of Arkansas. Whoever is ultimately tabbed to fill his position has an awfully lengthy shadow from which to emerge. Good luck trying to replace the legacy of Broyles. Frankly, it's downright impossible.
-JAB
Monday, February 12, 2007
Football Feud Gets Hot and Heavy
Whether or not you're a Houston Nutt supporter has little to do with how you should view Friday's "exchange" (for lack of a better phrase) between the Arkansas football coach and Democrat-Gazette sports editor Wally Hall. What should matter is good journalism, not unfounded opinions being spewed forth as fact simply to whip the natives into a frenzy.
In Friday's newspaper, Wally wrote an article in which he listed a number of grievances that he believes Razorback fans still have with Houston Nutt. The article was entitled "Media Not Responsible for Razorbacks' Mess." It should've been titled "Dear Houston." As I re-read the column right now, I believe the same things I did upon first review on Friday: the tone is accusatory, the point is misguided, and the facts are sketchy at best.
To begin with, never once have I heard or read about Houston Nutt blaming the media for this year's football recruiting class. If anything, Houston has taken the stance that this year's class satisfied all the needs his team had going into the off-season. Of course, that's what Houston has to say, or risk being labeled as an excuse artist. But that's just my point: Houston has not played the excuse card whatsoever, so claiming that he's blamed the media for his "difficulties" is not only inaccurate, it's libelous.
Wally's piece starts with that fallacy and degenerates from there. He goes on to claim that he has inside knowledge that since-transferred wideout Damian Williams played the last four games of the year against his own wishes with a separated shoulder. Now I'm the farthest thing from a medical doctor, but I can tell you this much based on my own separated shoulder experience in high school basketball: it is not possible to lift your arm above your waist, let alone catch passes in a football game. Williams would not have been on the field unless he said he was okay enough to play and had received clearance from the Arkansas training staff. To blame Houston for Williams being in the lineup is completely ridiculous.
I won't make this into a point-by-point rebuttal to Hall's article, it wouldn't be worth the time. Besides the fact that I think Wally is generally a pretty engaging writer. But needless to say, there are other quantum leaps in logic that Wally makes, including blaming Nutt for Casey Dick's back injury, alluding to an unnamed player who was forced to drive himself home from the hospital after a severe injury, and referencing low national recruiting rankings, all of which must apparently be Houston's fault alone.
Let me boil it down like this: I'm not a huge Houston Nutt supporter. But I do think the guy is a strong motivator who has shown resilience in weathering several previous pushes for his ouster. And let's not forget that he just won ten games---seven of them in the elite SEC---and certainly deserves kudos for that. On the flip side, there's no question his in-game tactics and decision-making leave a lot to be desired, and clearly he's the kind of person who will say one thing to your face, and then do the opposite, as he did with Gus Malzahn, Mitch Mustain and Damian Williams, among countless others.
Yet there's no way you can do anything other than laud Arkansas' football coach for answering the bell on Friday morning. After reading Wally Hall's morning "attack" in the newspaper, Houston called into a sports talk radio program in Little Rock that Wally co-hosts, and essentially called him out, point by point, for what he said were numerous "inaccuracies." Some will say, as an SEC football coach, Houston should have better things to do than to call into a talk show, but he's not the first big name to do that and he certainly won't be the last. Still, the big point made to me was that Houston stood up for himself and called the writer out, while Wally hushed up and cowered in a corner.
The audio is on the Internet; you can find it if you look for it. Once you hear it, tell me once, in the whole eleven minute clip, where you hear Wally Hall's voice? Tell me once where Wally defended what he wrote and offered factual statements to back it up . . . Can't do it? That's because Hall didn't do it. Instead he clammed up until Houston was done ripping him to shreds and then offered a feeble "I stand by my article."
Having worked in both print and broadcasting, I can tell you this much: it's one thing to be a newspaper writer and let your printed words speak for themselves as the end of the story on a given day. But once you venture into talk radio, once you put on the additional moniker of radio host, then you open yourself up to immediate response and interaction from whoever might be out there listening. And if you get a reaction from your chosen target, you better be ready to step up to the microphone and stand up for your statements. Otherwise, you come across---to me, at least---as scared and shaken, and it makes your initial article look like bloated, unfounded opinion posing as fact.
Say what you want about Houston Nutt, in my book, he won this round by knockout.
-JAB
In Friday's newspaper, Wally wrote an article in which he listed a number of grievances that he believes Razorback fans still have with Houston Nutt. The article was entitled "Media Not Responsible for Razorbacks' Mess." It should've been titled "Dear Houston." As I re-read the column right now, I believe the same things I did upon first review on Friday: the tone is accusatory, the point is misguided, and the facts are sketchy at best.
To begin with, never once have I heard or read about Houston Nutt blaming the media for this year's football recruiting class. If anything, Houston has taken the stance that this year's class satisfied all the needs his team had going into the off-season. Of course, that's what Houston has to say, or risk being labeled as an excuse artist. But that's just my point: Houston has not played the excuse card whatsoever, so claiming that he's blamed the media for his "difficulties" is not only inaccurate, it's libelous.
Wally's piece starts with that fallacy and degenerates from there. He goes on to claim that he has inside knowledge that since-transferred wideout Damian Williams played the last four games of the year against his own wishes with a separated shoulder. Now I'm the farthest thing from a medical doctor, but I can tell you this much based on my own separated shoulder experience in high school basketball: it is not possible to lift your arm above your waist, let alone catch passes in a football game. Williams would not have been on the field unless he said he was okay enough to play and had received clearance from the Arkansas training staff. To blame Houston for Williams being in the lineup is completely ridiculous.
I won't make this into a point-by-point rebuttal to Hall's article, it wouldn't be worth the time. Besides the fact that I think Wally is generally a pretty engaging writer. But needless to say, there are other quantum leaps in logic that Wally makes, including blaming Nutt for Casey Dick's back injury, alluding to an unnamed player who was forced to drive himself home from the hospital after a severe injury, and referencing low national recruiting rankings, all of which must apparently be Houston's fault alone.
Let me boil it down like this: I'm not a huge Houston Nutt supporter. But I do think the guy is a strong motivator who has shown resilience in weathering several previous pushes for his ouster. And let's not forget that he just won ten games---seven of them in the elite SEC---and certainly deserves kudos for that. On the flip side, there's no question his in-game tactics and decision-making leave a lot to be desired, and clearly he's the kind of person who will say one thing to your face, and then do the opposite, as he did with Gus Malzahn, Mitch Mustain and Damian Williams, among countless others.
Yet there's no way you can do anything other than laud Arkansas' football coach for answering the bell on Friday morning. After reading Wally Hall's morning "attack" in the newspaper, Houston called into a sports talk radio program in Little Rock that Wally co-hosts, and essentially called him out, point by point, for what he said were numerous "inaccuracies." Some will say, as an SEC football coach, Houston should have better things to do than to call into a talk show, but he's not the first big name to do that and he certainly won't be the last. Still, the big point made to me was that Houston stood up for himself and called the writer out, while Wally hushed up and cowered in a corner.
The audio is on the Internet; you can find it if you look for it. Once you hear it, tell me once, in the whole eleven minute clip, where you hear Wally Hall's voice? Tell me once where Wally defended what he wrote and offered factual statements to back it up . . . Can't do it? That's because Hall didn't do it. Instead he clammed up until Houston was done ripping him to shreds and then offered a feeble "I stand by my article."
Having worked in both print and broadcasting, I can tell you this much: it's one thing to be a newspaper writer and let your printed words speak for themselves as the end of the story on a given day. But once you venture into talk radio, once you put on the additional moniker of radio host, then you open yourself up to immediate response and interaction from whoever might be out there listening. And if you get a reaction from your chosen target, you better be ready to step up to the microphone and stand up for your statements. Otherwise, you come across---to me, at least---as scared and shaken, and it makes your initial article look like bloated, unfounded opinion posing as fact.
Say what you want about Houston Nutt, in my book, he won this round by knockout.
-JAB
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Five Reasons Why Indianapolis Will Win Super Bowl XLI
1) Forget the 34 points New England scored in the AFC Championship---14 of those tied directly to turnovers. The Colts' defense has been playing on an extremely high level for the last month. Allowing just 32 yards rushing and eight points total to Larry Johnson and the Chiefs was a tremendous achievement in the first round; shutting down Jamaal Lewis and holding the Ravens to a mere six points was even more impressive in the second. With Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis creating constant pressure on the edges, Anthony McFarland plugging up the middle, and Cato June and Bob Sanders cutting off pretty much everything else, there's no doubt that Indy's defense is peaking at the right time of year. This unit is a long way from the near 400 yards it allowed against Jacksonville late in the season. Rex Grossman should be more than a little concerned.
2) There's no one defender on the Bears who can cover Marvin Harrison. Don't say Nathan Vasher. I just don't see it, not over a full four quarters. And if I'm going to buy into the Devil's Advocate stuff and say that Vasher can cover Harrison, well then who in the world is going to cover Reggie Wayne? Charles Tillman? Give me a break. The Colts' wealth at the wideout slots is scary impressive; when you mix in Dallas Clark over the middle and Joseph Addai out of the backfield, it's no surprise that Peyton Manning is difficult to read: he's got so many superb options. Chicago is a strong defensive team that defends the deep ball well, but can they shut Indy down over the middle throughout the course of Sunday's game? Doubt it.
3) It's Peyton's time to shine. You knew I'd go there eventually, didn't you? Manning threw a whole bunch of heavy weights off his back in getting through the AFC playoffs this year. And there was no better exorcism of past playoff demons for Peyton than to have to rally three times in the second half to beat his nemesis in the New England Patriots. But Peyton got it done---finally---and now he can do the one thing that he's always done best: go out and play. Manning has waited and longed for this opportunity throughout his career; now he finally has it. To think that Peyton can win this game by himself is ludicrous. Football is arguably more of a team sport than any other, and clearly Manning needs strong games from those surrounding him. But given enough time in the pocket, he will be sharp on Sunday night. Big players play big in big games. And given his performance all year long, Peyton is undoubtedly a big player now. Look for Manning to sail into the glorious sunset of a Super Bowl victory with the MVP trophy wrapped up in his arms.
4) Adam Vinatieri wins playoff games, period. In his postseason career, he has never missed a kick, be it a field goal attempt or an extra point. That cannot be overstated. Vinatieri was the key free agent signing for the Colts in this past offseason, and he probably was the biggest free agent pickup in all the NFL. Imagine where Indianapolis would be right now if Mike Vanderjagt was still their placekicker . . . probably on a golf course somewhere and not in the Super Bowl, I can tell you that much. Vinatieri is already a legend, and he will further cement his legacy by hitting a couple of big ones in XLI. Chicago has a great young kicker of its own in Robbie Gould, but he's never been in this big a spot before. Can he handle the pressure of the game and a head-to-head with Adam Vinatieri? Something makes me think not.
5) Tony Dungy will have his team ready to go. Dungy is a man of tremendous integrity and faith. Listen to any of his players, assistants, employers, former co-workers, friends or opponents talk about the guy and what you hear is the repetition of some key words: honesty, loyalty, dedication, resilience. Dungy is a coach who has taken plenty of heat---along with Peyton---for the Colts' previous failed Super Bowl runs. Various reasons abound for what wrong with those teams, but clearly Dungy was one of the main things Indianapolis had right. That's why Bill Polian and the Colts' front office have kept him around, because he keeps finding ways to win and get back to the postseason. Last year's tragedy of Dungy's son James is well-documented by now, and there's really no reason to rehash it here, but the fact of the matter is that Tony's faith---in God, in himself, in his career---never wavered through any of it. To see him opposite Chicago head man Lovie Smith (a fantastic coach in his own right) on Sunday will be a thing of societal beauty: it's the first time an African-American head coach has ever been to the NFL's big game, let alone two of them at the same time. But it's also a story of individual determination as well, because Dungy never let go the reins of a ship he's chartered through plenty of rocky waters before.
Super Bowl XLI Prediction:
Indianapolis 34 - Chicago 17
Peyton, Dungy and the Colts finally get it done.
-JAB
2) There's no one defender on the Bears who can cover Marvin Harrison. Don't say Nathan Vasher. I just don't see it, not over a full four quarters. And if I'm going to buy into the Devil's Advocate stuff and say that Vasher can cover Harrison, well then who in the world is going to cover Reggie Wayne? Charles Tillman? Give me a break. The Colts' wealth at the wideout slots is scary impressive; when you mix in Dallas Clark over the middle and Joseph Addai out of the backfield, it's no surprise that Peyton Manning is difficult to read: he's got so many superb options. Chicago is a strong defensive team that defends the deep ball well, but can they shut Indy down over the middle throughout the course of Sunday's game? Doubt it.
3) It's Peyton's time to shine. You knew I'd go there eventually, didn't you? Manning threw a whole bunch of heavy weights off his back in getting through the AFC playoffs this year. And there was no better exorcism of past playoff demons for Peyton than to have to rally three times in the second half to beat his nemesis in the New England Patriots. But Peyton got it done---finally---and now he can do the one thing that he's always done best: go out and play. Manning has waited and longed for this opportunity throughout his career; now he finally has it. To think that Peyton can win this game by himself is ludicrous. Football is arguably more of a team sport than any other, and clearly Manning needs strong games from those surrounding him. But given enough time in the pocket, he will be sharp on Sunday night. Big players play big in big games. And given his performance all year long, Peyton is undoubtedly a big player now. Look for Manning to sail into the glorious sunset of a Super Bowl victory with the MVP trophy wrapped up in his arms.
4) Adam Vinatieri wins playoff games, period. In his postseason career, he has never missed a kick, be it a field goal attempt or an extra point. That cannot be overstated. Vinatieri was the key free agent signing for the Colts in this past offseason, and he probably was the biggest free agent pickup in all the NFL. Imagine where Indianapolis would be right now if Mike Vanderjagt was still their placekicker . . . probably on a golf course somewhere and not in the Super Bowl, I can tell you that much. Vinatieri is already a legend, and he will further cement his legacy by hitting a couple of big ones in XLI. Chicago has a great young kicker of its own in Robbie Gould, but he's never been in this big a spot before. Can he handle the pressure of the game and a head-to-head with Adam Vinatieri? Something makes me think not.
5) Tony Dungy will have his team ready to go. Dungy is a man of tremendous integrity and faith. Listen to any of his players, assistants, employers, former co-workers, friends or opponents talk about the guy and what you hear is the repetition of some key words: honesty, loyalty, dedication, resilience. Dungy is a coach who has taken plenty of heat---along with Peyton---for the Colts' previous failed Super Bowl runs. Various reasons abound for what wrong with those teams, but clearly Dungy was one of the main things Indianapolis had right. That's why Bill Polian and the Colts' front office have kept him around, because he keeps finding ways to win and get back to the postseason. Last year's tragedy of Dungy's son James is well-documented by now, and there's really no reason to rehash it here, but the fact of the matter is that Tony's faith---in God, in himself, in his career---never wavered through any of it. To see him opposite Chicago head man Lovie Smith (a fantastic coach in his own right) on Sunday will be a thing of societal beauty: it's the first time an African-American head coach has ever been to the NFL's big game, let alone two of them at the same time. But it's also a story of individual determination as well, because Dungy never let go the reins of a ship he's chartered through plenty of rocky waters before.
Super Bowl XLI Prediction:
Indianapolis 34 - Chicago 17
Peyton, Dungy and the Colts finally get it done.
-JAB
Friday, January 26, 2007
Razorback Basketball Utterly Inconsistent
Razorback basketball is a frustrating thing for its fans to watch right now. Losers of four out of five games, with a 13-7 record overall and a 2-4 mark in the SEC, a strong start to the season has faded into a distant memory. Game to game, play to play, there just isn't a lot of consistency for this team anywhere on the floor right now. Point guard Gary Ervin is clearly struggling to readjust to SEC play after a year off following his transfer from Mississippi State. Sandwiched around a couple of strong performances, Ervin has been erratic at best this season, making far too many careless turnovers, particularly in key late game spots. His play in the backcourt has almost overshadowed the strong freshman season shooting guard Patrick Beverley is turning in. A freshman from Chicago, Beverley looks like the real deal: a natural shooter who rebounds and passes well, plays strong man-to-man defense and displays boundless hustle.
Yet the dearth of depth at the guard slots has been a major thorn in the Hogs' collective sides. When Beverley is not making jumpshots, there just aren't many other options for Coach Stan Heath on the perimeter. Vincent Hunter plays smaller than his 6'10 frame and is far more comfortable staying away from the physical fray. Preston Cranford and Sean McCurdy are clearly not SEC-caliber players, while freshman Stefan Welsh hasn't shown nearly enough consistency to count on. Which leaves Arkansas' eggs at the guard spots almost exclusively in the baskets of Irvin and Beverley.
Given that note of struggling guard play, the frontcourt would be the logical next area turn to. But inconsistent performances have plagued Arkansas' big men as well. Junior forward Charles Thomas is a strong rebounder and defender, but his jumpshot still leaves much to be desired, and given his lack of range, he does not pull defenders away from the basket. Centers Steven Hill and Darian Townes remain enigmas as well. Hill---a junior and already the best shot-blocker in the SEC---does not possess any moves or shooting touch outside of point-blank range. If you don't get him the basketball in essentially perfect position, he's not going to score for you. Townes, on the other hand, has the offensive touch, but he's been astonishingly sub-par with his lack of defense in the post.
Which brings us to Sonny Weems. The University of Arkansas-Fort Smith transfer ranks right up there for the most athletic player in the league, but he's finding his own world of struggles in adjusting to the faster pace of the Division I level. How long until Weems reaches his comfort zone remains to be seen, but right now, he's been as up-and-down as anyone on the team. And it's all causing Coach Stan Heath a tremendous headache.
The fact of the matter is that Stan Heath is a likeable guy. He's nice, he's well-spoken and he's surprisingly low-key. But that stuff doesn't necessarily mean he's a great coach, let alone the right guy to steward the Arkansas basketball program going forward. Like it or not, five years into his tenure as the Razorbacks' coach, it's time to take full stock of where Stan Heath is at right now with this program. The first couple of years were not enough to judge him on alone, largely because of the damage Nolan Richardson had inflicted in his final years at the school. But right now, with Heath's own recruits on the floor, with a team that plays tremendous defense but still finds ways to get lowly losses to Ole Miss and South Carolina, you have to wonder when things are going to turn around. And if it doesn't start to happen soon---a critical stretch this week sees UA at Alabama and then home for Kentucky and Auburn---you have to wonder if it's ever going to happen at all.
-JAB
Yet the dearth of depth at the guard slots has been a major thorn in the Hogs' collective sides. When Beverley is not making jumpshots, there just aren't many other options for Coach Stan Heath on the perimeter. Vincent Hunter plays smaller than his 6'10 frame and is far more comfortable staying away from the physical fray. Preston Cranford and Sean McCurdy are clearly not SEC-caliber players, while freshman Stefan Welsh hasn't shown nearly enough consistency to count on. Which leaves Arkansas' eggs at the guard spots almost exclusively in the baskets of Irvin and Beverley.
Given that note of struggling guard play, the frontcourt would be the logical next area turn to. But inconsistent performances have plagued Arkansas' big men as well. Junior forward Charles Thomas is a strong rebounder and defender, but his jumpshot still leaves much to be desired, and given his lack of range, he does not pull defenders away from the basket. Centers Steven Hill and Darian Townes remain enigmas as well. Hill---a junior and already the best shot-blocker in the SEC---does not possess any moves or shooting touch outside of point-blank range. If you don't get him the basketball in essentially perfect position, he's not going to score for you. Townes, on the other hand, has the offensive touch, but he's been astonishingly sub-par with his lack of defense in the post.
Which brings us to Sonny Weems. The University of Arkansas-Fort Smith transfer ranks right up there for the most athletic player in the league, but he's finding his own world of struggles in adjusting to the faster pace of the Division I level. How long until Weems reaches his comfort zone remains to be seen, but right now, he's been as up-and-down as anyone on the team. And it's all causing Coach Stan Heath a tremendous headache.
The fact of the matter is that Stan Heath is a likeable guy. He's nice, he's well-spoken and he's surprisingly low-key. But that stuff doesn't necessarily mean he's a great coach, let alone the right guy to steward the Arkansas basketball program going forward. Like it or not, five years into his tenure as the Razorbacks' coach, it's time to take full stock of where Stan Heath is at right now with this program. The first couple of years were not enough to judge him on alone, largely because of the damage Nolan Richardson had inflicted in his final years at the school. But right now, with Heath's own recruits on the floor, with a team that plays tremendous defense but still finds ways to get lowly losses to Ole Miss and South Carolina, you have to wonder when things are going to turn around. And if it doesn't start to happen soon---a critical stretch this week sees UA at Alabama and then home for Kentucky and Auburn---you have to wonder if it's ever going to happen at all.
-JAB
Monday, January 15, 2007
NFL's Final Four a Fascinating Mix
AFC Title Game a Familiar Matchup
Back in August, before the season started, I figured this had to be the year of Peyton Manning---or else. Or else his team may have begun to fully lose confidence in his ability to perform in the clutch. Or else his massive fan base could would have been forced to work the words "choke" and "artist" into a cheer. Or else, more importantly, Peyton Manning himself would likely have started to believe in his own cursed postseason fate.
Fortunately for Peyton and the Colts, it looks like the "or else" clause will never become part of the equation.
With a grind-it-out, defensively-sturdy performance, Indianapolis is back in the AFC Championship game, thanks to a 15-6 road victory against Brian Billick's Baltimore Ravens on Saturday, in a game that featured a grand total of zero touchdowns. (Kicker Adam Vinatieri continues to shine through as the best free agent signing of the past off-season.) The reward: a rematch with the New England Patriots, the team that has long stood in Mr. Manning's Super Bowl way.
Surely, it will be must-watch TV when the Colts and Pats get together for a 6:30 (EST) AFC title tilt early Sunday evening. Indianapolis has finally employed the tactics head coach (and long ago defensive whiz) Tony Dungy has wanted to use for years: stingy run defense, lockdown pass coverage and an offense that eats the clock and does just enough to win. Indeed, the Indy defense has put it all together in a hurry here in the postseason, giving up just eight points to the Chiefs and six points to the Ravens. It's all the more amazing when you think about the fact that the Colts gave up almost four hundred rushing yards late in the regular season to the Jaguars, a team that didn't even qualify for January. But here they are, playing strong up front and generating pressure on opposing lines behind Dwight Freeney, Robert Mathis and Anthony McFarland. With linebackers Cato June and Rob Morris tackling well and secondary playmakers Bob Sanders and Nick Harper making plays again, Indianapolis no longer has to rely on Peyton's shoulders to carry them through. In fact, you can make the argument that Indianapolis has been winning in spite of Peyton, with Archie's son throwing five interceptions through just two playoff games this year.
But I'll elect not to go there, not after acknowledging the fact that Peyton had to hoist the load for all those other Colts' playoff appearances in the past decade. And let's not forget that Manning was the one responsible for several key run audibles on clock-eating, point-gaining drives at the end of the first and second halves that ultimately led to Indy's winning of the game on Saturday.
No, this is a time for Peyton's supporters to be out and in full effect. New England presents a tremendous challenge for Manning's crew on Sunday. Bill Belichick and Tom Brady are now a combined 12-1 in their postseason careers together at New England, truly an astounding mark given the current landscape of parity in the NFL. With Jabar Gaffney's emergence as a go-to receiver, rookie RB Laurence Maroney's success on the ground, and a defense that continues to make the important plays when they have to be made, New England will be no pushover at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis.
Sure, the Pats lost to the Colts earlier this year, 27-20 in a game played at Foxboro. And yes, Manning far outplayed Brady on that day, throwing for 325 yards against his counterpart's four interceptions. But the playoffs are a whole different world entirely, and you can throw everything out but the kitchen sink when trying to analyze this Sunday's game.
Watching New England's 24-21 win over San Diego was like sitting down for a movie you've already seen a dozen times before. Even with all the odds tilted in his favor, Chargers' coach Marty Schottenheimer still couldn't get through to a Super Bowl, falling to 5-13 all-time in the extra season. Time and again during the game it looked like San Diego was going to close it out, especially after a late Brady interception with the Chargers up by eight, but Belichick's Patriots kept jabbing away, and finally turned the tide on a Stephen Gostkowski field goal with a little over a minute left. No Vinatieri this time around for New England, and apparently no need.
Yup, both Indianapolis and New England earned their ways here. And both have their believers thinking February already.
On the line for the teams on Sunday: a trip to Super Bowl XLI in Miami.
On the line for Peyton: a chance to once and for all exorcise those Patriot (and AFC) playoff demons.
NFC's Championship a Terrific Twosome
Maybe all those "Donovan must go!" chants will finally subside in the City of (supposed) Brotherly Love.
Another supreme coaching job by the continually underrated Andy Reid wasn't enough to lift Philadelphia past New Orleans on Saturday, as the Saints' rags-to-riches story rolled on with a 27-24 victory. It is New Orleans who will travel to top seed Chicago for Sunday's 3:00 (EST) NFC championship game.
Eagles' QB Jeff Garcia was ordinary at best during his 15 for 30 passing performance against the Saints, and his output probably brought an end to all of the ridiculously unappreciative anti-McNabb talk that was bubbling from the red-hot cauldron of Philly sports talk during the past two months. RB Brian Westbrook's 116 yards on the ground were impressive, but his inability to take it in with a second-and-short setup inside the Saints' five yard line early in the fourth quarter was the game-changing series New Orleans' defense desperately needed.
Ultimately, New Orleans relied on its big name weapons to move the football when the game was hanging in the balance, and wow, did they come through: Drew Brees was an efficient 20 for 32 passing the football, Reggie Bush flashed some of his all-world moves in a series of spectacular runs, while Deuce McAlister had 143 yards on the ground in his best performance of the year.
Afterwards, Saints' coach Sean Payton spoke of his team's peformance in glowing terms, once again highlighting the motivation his squad derived from the post-Katrina plight of their home city of New Orleans. For a team that had won just three games a year earlier, it truly was the most remarkable single season turnaround of any team in NFL history.
And the prize for the Saints is a clash with the Bears in the Windy City. Chicago sure did look dead-in-the-sights for Seattle during large portions of the second half of their divisional playoff game yesterday. But the fact of the matter is, Lovie Smith's team did not fold when it very well could have against Mike Holmgren's pesky Seahawks. It certainly took all of Rex Grossman's and Thomas Jones' respective arsenals to squeak the Bears past NFC defending-champion Seattle, but the fact of the matter is the Bears' defense rallied itself to make important stops in all the crucial late game places.
How New Orleans handles a hostile road environment early on in this coming Sunday afternoon's game will go a long way towards determining who represents the NFC in this year's Super Bowl. If Drew Brees outplays Rex Grossman, it's likely the Saints' Cinderella story will continue. But it definitely won't continue in the cheesesteak capital of the world.
The Eagles---the hottest team in football over the past six weeks---were knocked out for the second time this season by a New Orleans' team that didn't even have a home stadium last year.
As Andy Reid can attest, coaching wits only go so far against superior talent.
AFC Championship Pick: Indianapolis 20 - New England 17
NFC Championship Pick: New Orleans 24 - Chicago 20
-JAB
Thursday, December 21, 2006
The Top Ten Sports Stories of 2006
by Josh Bertaccini
1) December. With an NFL single season record of 31 touchdowns (and counting, with two games left), San Diego Chargers’ RB LaDainian Tomlinson has had a phenomenal individual season. But it is his selfless personality and speak-with-action leadership that have really lifted the Chargers to a 12-2 record and legitimate shot at the Super Bowl. Watching LT week-to-week is like watching a caged cheetah: you just know he’s going to break free eventually, and when it happens, you’ll never be able to catch him. Tomlinson has been very public with his respect for the many great running backs that came before him; it is clear now that he has emerged as one of the great running backs of all-time himself. LT is the sports story and personality of the year.
2) January. In a legendary performance in one of the greatest college football games ever played, Texas QB Vince Young rushes for 200 yards and throws for 267, leading his underdog Texas Longhorns to a come-from-behind 41-38 win over USC in the Rose Bowl for the National Championship. Young scrambles for the game-winning 12 yard touchdown on 4th down with under twenty seconds left. Texas finishes the year at 13-0, preventing USC from a repeat championship. The game is all the more remarkable for the amount of NFL talent on hand, with the likes of Reggie Bush, Matt Leinart and Michael Huff among the many big names who would shortly thereafter become first round NFL picks.
3) February. It was made for Hollywood, except it was real. Rochester, NY, high school senior Jason McElwain gets in a varsity game and goes bananas, hitting six straight three-pointers en route to a total of 20 points in three minutes. McElwain suffers from autism, and was the team’s manager for several years. His coach, Jim Johnson, added him to the roster before the team’s final home game so he could be given a jersey and sit on the bench with his team. Little did Johnson know McElwain would become a national sensation with his performance. Sometimes sports really do get through to the heart better than anything else. The movie is already in the works.
4) October. The Saint Louis Cardinals win their 10th World Series title, and first since 1982. With 83 wins, the lowest ever total for a postseason team, the Cardinals hold on to the NL Central division title in the last weekend of the season, then get red-hot in the playoffs. Cards’ skipper Tony LaRussa revamps his bullpen on the fly to impressive results, with dominating performances by his relievers throughout the post-season, and Saint Louis rolls through the Padres in the first round, the Mets in an epic seven game NLCS, and finally the Tigers in a five game World Series romp. David Eckstein is named World Series MVP.
5) February. The Pittsburgh Steelers become the only sixth-seeded wild card team ever to win the Super Bowl, defeating the Seattle Seahawks, 21-10 in Super Bowl XL. At 23 years of age, Ben Roethlisberger becomes the youngest signal-caller ever to win a Super Bowl Trophy, while wide receiver Hines Ward wins the game MVP award, with a five catch, one touchdown, 123 yard performance. It is the Steelers’ first Super Bowl title since 1980, fifth all-time, and first under head coach Bill Cowher. It will prove to be one of the easier moments for Roethlisberger in what will become a physically difficult year for him personally.
6) July. Floyd Landis “cheats” to win the Tour De France. The doping problem in the world of sport continues to plague competition, fans and the athletes themselves. In cycling, the target of media scrutiny had been American Lance Armstrong for the better part of the last half-decade. But Lance retired last year after his seventh consecutive Tour De France victory. This opened the door for someone else to grab the crown, and American Floyd Landis was the man to do it. The 30-year-old Landis came from nowhere to win the most famous title in his sport, only to see it all called into question less than two weeks after the race, when two of his urine tests came up positive for high amounts of testosterone, a cycling no-no. Landis maintained his innocence, and still awaits an arbitration hearing to determine the fate of his crown, but public opinion is surely not on his side.
7) December. Tiger is named PGA Tour Player of the Year after dominating the golf world in limited action; in the ’06 season, he won multiple majors in the same year for the fourth time and ended up with more tournament wins than anyone else. Still, the story of the year for the greatest golfer on Earth was one of grief and mourning. Tiger disappeared from the public golf scene for more than two months after his father Earl’s death on May 3rd. When he returned, Woods was better than ever, dominating the field for victories in all six of his final PGA events of the year. Tigers’ career major victory total is now at eleven; Jack Nicklaus’ career record mark is 18.
8) March. George Mason’s improbable Final Four run. Although Florida claimed its first national championship, the majority of college basketball fans will remember 2006 for George Mason’s improbable trip to the Final Four. The Patriots upset two of the previous year’s Final Four teams---including an exciting back-and-forth overtime win versus UConn---to become the first mid-major to make the national semifinals since Indiana State and Pennsylvania both did it in 1979. Led by seniors Tony Skinn, Lamar Butler and Jai Lewis, George Mason showed what true team chemistry could allow a team to achieve in the greatest-ever NCAA Cinderella run.
9) June. The Miami Heat win the NBA title. What do you get when you put together an all-time great coach, a Hall of Fame center, a veteran supporting cast and an emerging superstar who can drive to the basket better than anyone on the planet? The answer: an NBA Championship. Overcoming a two games to none hole at the start of the series, the Miami Heat win their first-ever franchise title with a six game Finals triumph over the Dallas Mavericks. Pat Riley and Shaquille O’Neal were the big names on the Miami team, but Dwyane Wade was the story. With a freakish package of speed, agility and fearlessness, Wade immediately put himself on the short list of best players on the planet.
10) May. Barbaro shatters his front right leg at the Preakness. Equestrian athletes are some of the most extraordinary physical specimens in all of sport; unfortunately, the same gifts that make them so breathtaking also make them highly fragile. Few people, however, expected to witness the scene that transpired at Baltimore’s famed Pimlico racetrack in this year’s Preakness Stakes. Kentucky Derby champion Barbaro was a heavy favorite to win the race and perhaps the Triple Crown as well. But something was clearly awry when Barbaro bounded from his gate too early. After a restart, Barbaro pulled up lame early in the race itself, with a broken front leg. Most horses with such injuries never recover, and usually they are put to sleep. But Barbaro’s owners couldn’t accept those facts, and put the horse through an extensive surgery and subsequent rehabilitation. The lengthy recovery continues, but as of now, Barbaro is alive, improving and continuing to overcome the odds.
HONORABLE MENTION:
-2006 Winter Olympics in Turin
-Carolina Hurricanes
-Florida Gators win first-ever NCAA men’s hoops title
-TO’s ongoing soap opera
-Endy Chavez catch
-Maurice Clarett sentenced to jail
-Italy defeats France for the World Cup crown
-Roger Federer dominates the men’s tennis world
-Andre Agassi retires
-Dicekay Matsuzaka
-Knicks/Nuggets' brawl
-Allen Iverson traded
-Lamar Hunt’s passing
-Lamar Hunt’s passing
Thursday, December 07, 2006
Razorbacks Finish Special Football Season
Two heartbreaking losses to close out the year have a lot of Razorback fans feeling a bit glum these days. That's bound to happen when your team goes toe-to-toe with two of the best teams in the country (LSU and Florida) and comes up on the short end both times. I can hear the diehards bemoaning their team's predicament even now: "We were just a couple of plays away! If it weren't for the special teams mistakes, we'd be in the national title game! If only we could have passed the ball a little better!"
All the crying does is make you feel a little bit better about how it all went down. But it does nothing to change the three losses that 10-3 Arkansas will carry into its Capitol One Bowl matchup with Wisconsin. That game---slated for Orlando, Florida, at 1 o'clock on New Year's Day--- is a tough consolation prize for a fanbase that had visions of Arizona and New Orleans just weeks ago. Still, a "prize" it is for a team that barely missed its first-ever BCS appearance this year. In effect, Arkansas ended up with a pretty good deal out of it: the best non-BCS game there is and a very formidable opponent. One can make the argument that Wisconsin is a better team than Notre Dame, the school Arkansas would have been paired with had it made it to the Sugar Bowl in the Big Easy.
It's important for Arkansas fans to remember as well what this season was ultimately about. Sure, the fanciful talk of a national title appearance seemed great at the time, but there's a very slim margin of error in that regard for a team that wasn't even in the Top 25 polls at the start of the season. No, this year wasn't about that. Not yet, at least. This season the Arkansas Razorbacks went out and earned their way back into national relevancy. For the first time in a long time the Razorbacks were as good as any team in the country, and the national media respected them as such. The Hawgs were televised no less than eight times this year, which is a huge measuring stick for a program that was an afterthought for many college football pundits over the past five years. And Arkansas not only bashed heads with the best in the country this year, the Razorbacks beat a bunch of them too. You throw in Darren McFadden's amazing season (which will see him as a runner-up finalist to Troy Smith this weekend) and it's hard not to see Arkansas being back on a similar stage next year, with Darren McFadden as the early season Heisman favorite.
This was a truly great season for Arkansas football. The pills of defeat against LSU and Florida are tough ones to swallow, for sure, but they are better digestible when your brain wraps itself around the bright future that Razorback pigskin has in front of it.
-JAB
All the crying does is make you feel a little bit better about how it all went down. But it does nothing to change the three losses that 10-3 Arkansas will carry into its Capitol One Bowl matchup with Wisconsin. That game---slated for Orlando, Florida, at 1 o'clock on New Year's Day--- is a tough consolation prize for a fanbase that had visions of Arizona and New Orleans just weeks ago. Still, a "prize" it is for a team that barely missed its first-ever BCS appearance this year. In effect, Arkansas ended up with a pretty good deal out of it: the best non-BCS game there is and a very formidable opponent. One can make the argument that Wisconsin is a better team than Notre Dame, the school Arkansas would have been paired with had it made it to the Sugar Bowl in the Big Easy.
It's important for Arkansas fans to remember as well what this season was ultimately about. Sure, the fanciful talk of a national title appearance seemed great at the time, but there's a very slim margin of error in that regard for a team that wasn't even in the Top 25 polls at the start of the season. No, this year wasn't about that. Not yet, at least. This season the Arkansas Razorbacks went out and earned their way back into national relevancy. For the first time in a long time the Razorbacks were as good as any team in the country, and the national media respected them as such. The Hawgs were televised no less than eight times this year, which is a huge measuring stick for a program that was an afterthought for many college football pundits over the past five years. And Arkansas not only bashed heads with the best in the country this year, the Razorbacks beat a bunch of them too. You throw in Darren McFadden's amazing season (which will see him as a runner-up finalist to Troy Smith this weekend) and it's hard not to see Arkansas being back on a similar stage next year, with Darren McFadden as the early season Heisman favorite.
This was a truly great season for Arkansas football. The pills of defeat against LSU and Florida are tough ones to swallow, for sure, but they are better digestible when your brain wraps itself around the bright future that Razorback pigskin has in front of it.
-JAB
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
BCS Picture Hazy as Season Wraps
It will be nothing short of fascinating to watch watch the BCS picture fully unfold over the next two weeks. Does Michigan---with its season already finished---somehow stay at #2 in the rankings and make it to an Ohio State rematch and all-Big Ten national title game? Does USC win its last two games over Notre Dame and UCLA to grab a spot in its third straight championship game? Or does the SEC Champion---be it Arkansas or Florida---get a needed stumble from the Trojans and close out with enough momentum to slip into the second spot for Glendale? Can Notre Dame upset USC and ride historic sentiment all the way up the BCS ladder? So much left to be decided in a short amount of time, it's no wonder so many heads are spinning . . .
This much I already know for sure: Ohio State and Michigan should not rematch for the national championship. Plain and simple. The Wolverines had their shot at the Buckeyes and came up short. Say what you want about the final score being just a three point spread---anyone who actually watched the game knows the outcome was never in doubt. Ohio State controlled the flow of the contest pretty much from halfway through the first quarter on, allowing a meaningless touchdown to Michigan with a little over a minute left. To give the Maize and Blue another shot at the Buckeyes would be a supreme disservice to every other one-loss BCS contender in the country. Big Ten football is good, for sure, but it's in no way the best conference in the nation, let alone being that much better than every other league.
If life isn't fair (and we all learn early that it's most definitely not), then college football's BCS system is downright unjust. Surely, it's better than the way it was before 1998, when not having a ranking system that guaranteed a #1 vs. #2 matchup made the end of the season an absolute joke very year. But the joke is only slightly less funny now. The future of college football is bright, but to really take it to the next level of the American sports consciousness, an end of the year playoff system is required.
The way I see it, the BCS ranking system can still be used to help decide who makes it into the tournament. Whether it's four teams or eight (and I prefer eight), adding an extra game or two at the end of the year is in no way a major detriment to the student-athletes participating in the games. They're in winter break at Bowl Season every year anyway! The "missing class" argument went out the window a long time ago. And if the added time and effort for an extra game is such a big deal, then why not limit regular season slates to no more than 11 games? Some may urge caution before proceeding, and argue that the lesser bowls still have their place; I absolutely agree with that point as well. We all know the bowl system has survived as long as it has because of all the money in play. So I think you keep those money bowls for teams that don't qualify for the bigger payday BCS playoffs at the end.
Try looking at it like this: if an eight team playoff system were in place right now, Michigan's national title hopes would be not finished. Based on their strong overall season, the Wolverines would be no less than the #4 seed in an eight team tournament for the title. But as it currently stands in this deeply cruel world of NCAA Division I football, Michigan is got beaten by a better team in Columbus and is now headed to Pasadena for an at-large BCS date in the Rose Bowl.
As for now, the debate continues over who will play Ohio State in Glendale, Arizona, on January 8th, but clearly the conversation has been diverted from the more important issue of why college football still doesn't have a playoff system in place.
You know, the more I think about it, a playoff system will probably never happen. It just makes too much sense.
-JAB
This much I already know for sure: Ohio State and Michigan should not rematch for the national championship. Plain and simple. The Wolverines had their shot at the Buckeyes and came up short. Say what you want about the final score being just a three point spread---anyone who actually watched the game knows the outcome was never in doubt. Ohio State controlled the flow of the contest pretty much from halfway through the first quarter on, allowing a meaningless touchdown to Michigan with a little over a minute left. To give the Maize and Blue another shot at the Buckeyes would be a supreme disservice to every other one-loss BCS contender in the country. Big Ten football is good, for sure, but it's in no way the best conference in the nation, let alone being that much better than every other league.
If life isn't fair (and we all learn early that it's most definitely not), then college football's BCS system is downright unjust. Surely, it's better than the way it was before 1998, when not having a ranking system that guaranteed a #1 vs. #2 matchup made the end of the season an absolute joke very year. But the joke is only slightly less funny now. The future of college football is bright, but to really take it to the next level of the American sports consciousness, an end of the year playoff system is required.
The way I see it, the BCS ranking system can still be used to help decide who makes it into the tournament. Whether it's four teams or eight (and I prefer eight), adding an extra game or two at the end of the year is in no way a major detriment to the student-athletes participating in the games. They're in winter break at Bowl Season every year anyway! The "missing class" argument went out the window a long time ago. And if the added time and effort for an extra game is such a big deal, then why not limit regular season slates to no more than 11 games? Some may urge caution before proceeding, and argue that the lesser bowls still have their place; I absolutely agree with that point as well. We all know the bowl system has survived as long as it has because of all the money in play. So I think you keep those money bowls for teams that don't qualify for the bigger payday BCS playoffs at the end.
Try looking at it like this: if an eight team playoff system were in place right now, Michigan's national title hopes would be not finished. Based on their strong overall season, the Wolverines would be no less than the #4 seed in an eight team tournament for the title. But as it currently stands in this deeply cruel world of NCAA Division I football, Michigan is got beaten by a better team in Columbus and is now headed to Pasadena for an at-large BCS date in the Rose Bowl.
As for now, the debate continues over who will play Ohio State in Glendale, Arizona, on January 8th, but clearly the conversation has been diverted from the more important issue of why college football still doesn't have a playoff system in place.
You know, the more I think about it, a playoff system will probably never happen. It just makes too much sense.
-JAB
Thursday, November 09, 2006
Gameday in Fayetteville Another Sign Hogs are Back
I'm not big into hype. I realize I work in the media, folks, but that doesn't mean I buy into the constant publicity that frequently fills the content of our television and radio talk shows in this country. Not to get all Shakespearean on you this morning, but more often than not, sports hype is much ado about nothing. However, sometimes there is a reason for hype---to a certain extent, at least---and with ESPN's College Gameday program, it's always "all about" the school that is hosting the show for that particular week.
Unquestionably, College Gameday has emerged as the preeminent college football on television. Every Saturday morning during the football season, Chris Fowler (as good as any studio host working today) and analysts Lee Corso and Kirk Herbstreit hold court on the big college football stories and games of the day on location at a designated "school of the week." Frequently the chosen campus is home to a powerhouse amongst college football's giants, be it USC, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Texas, Florida, etc. But every once in a while, a darkhorse school emerges from the misty fog of the "lower" reaches of college football to host the program, and this week, for the first time ever, it's the University of Arkansas.
Bolstered mightily by all-world sophomore running back Darren McFadden, the Razorbacks are 8-1 overall, and an unblemished 5-0 in the SEC, hands-down college football's toughest conference. Arkansas is on an eight game winning streak since a season-opening loss to USC, this despite starting true freshman Mitch Mustain at quarterback for most of the season. However, that will change on Saturday against Tennessee when sophomore Casey Dick makes his first start of the year under center for Arkansas. Dick came off the bench for a struggling Mustain early on against South Carolina last weekend to lift his team to victory. The stat line was good for Dick---11 of 19 completions, 228 yards, 1 TD---with the end result (a road win in Columbia, SC) being even better. So it will be Dick again at Razorback Stadium on Saturday.
Arkansas has been clamoring for national respect all season long. Now the Hogs finally get some. Even though it's just a television show, ESPN hosting College Gameday at your school is a pretty big acknowledgement of the season you're having given the current landscape of college football. It's fun for the fans, it's great for recruiting and it adds just a little more fuel to Arkansas' fire in the great big hype machine that is today's sports media.
Given Tennessee's injuries problems at quarterback with Erik Ainge and running back with LaMarcus Coker, this is a game Arkansas should win. I realize the Hogs are 2-12 all-time against Tennessee, but this is the first time ever when Arkansas is actually the favorite going into the contest. And for good reason: Arkansas is the best team in the SEC right now. With a great offensive line, two tremendous tailbacks in McFadden and Felix Jones, an elite wide receiver in Marcus Monk, and a defense that's gotten better every week, I'll take it one step further and say that the Hogs are as hot as any team in the nation. . . .
Now just make sure, Razorbacks, when all the hype settle downs around 6 PM and the opening kickoff sails high into the air in Fayetteville, just make sure you win the game itself. That's the only way to capitalize on the accolades everyone's going to be waving in your collective faces all day long. It's one thing to start the day with people singing your praises, it's another thing entirely to end the evening with a stumble against the Vols and a complete about-face to your season.
Prediction:
Woo Pig Sooie! Arkansas gets out on Tennessee early and doesn't let the Vols breathe much after that.
Razorbacks 31 - Volunteers 17
-JAB
Unquestionably, College Gameday has emerged as the preeminent college football on television. Every Saturday morning during the football season, Chris Fowler (as good as any studio host working today) and analysts Lee Corso and Kirk Herbstreit hold court on the big college football stories and games of the day on location at a designated "school of the week." Frequently the chosen campus is home to a powerhouse amongst college football's giants, be it USC, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Texas, Florida, etc. But every once in a while, a darkhorse school emerges from the misty fog of the "lower" reaches of college football to host the program, and this week, for the first time ever, it's the University of Arkansas.
Bolstered mightily by all-world sophomore running back Darren McFadden, the Razorbacks are 8-1 overall, and an unblemished 5-0 in the SEC, hands-down college football's toughest conference. Arkansas is on an eight game winning streak since a season-opening loss to USC, this despite starting true freshman Mitch Mustain at quarterback for most of the season. However, that will change on Saturday against Tennessee when sophomore Casey Dick makes his first start of the year under center for Arkansas. Dick came off the bench for a struggling Mustain early on against South Carolina last weekend to lift his team to victory. The stat line was good for Dick---11 of 19 completions, 228 yards, 1 TD---with the end result (a road win in Columbia, SC) being even better. So it will be Dick again at Razorback Stadium on Saturday.
Arkansas has been clamoring for national respect all season long. Now the Hogs finally get some. Even though it's just a television show, ESPN hosting College Gameday at your school is a pretty big acknowledgement of the season you're having given the current landscape of college football. It's fun for the fans, it's great for recruiting and it adds just a little more fuel to Arkansas' fire in the great big hype machine that is today's sports media.
Given Tennessee's injuries problems at quarterback with Erik Ainge and running back with LaMarcus Coker, this is a game Arkansas should win. I realize the Hogs are 2-12 all-time against Tennessee, but this is the first time ever when Arkansas is actually the favorite going into the contest. And for good reason: Arkansas is the best team in the SEC right now. With a great offensive line, two tremendous tailbacks in McFadden and Felix Jones, an elite wide receiver in Marcus Monk, and a defense that's gotten better every week, I'll take it one step further and say that the Hogs are as hot as any team in the nation. . . .
Now just make sure, Razorbacks, when all the hype settle downs around 6 PM and the opening kickoff sails high into the air in Fayetteville, just make sure you win the game itself. That's the only way to capitalize on the accolades everyone's going to be waving in your collective faces all day long. It's one thing to start the day with people singing your praises, it's another thing entirely to end the evening with a stumble against the Vols and a complete about-face to your season.
Prediction:
Woo Pig Sooie! Arkansas gets out on Tennessee early and doesn't let the Vols breathe much after that.
Razorbacks 31 - Volunteers 17
-JAB
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
Josh's Official 2006-2007 NBA Predictions
y=division champ
x=playoff berth
(predicted conference ranking in parentheses)
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Atlantic Division
(y) 1-New Jersey Nets (2)
(x) 2-Boston Celtics (6)
3-Toronto Raptors (9)
4-Philadelphia 76ers (10)
5-New York Knicks (14)
Central Division
(y) 1-Detroit Pistons (3)
(x) 2-Chicago Bulls (4)
(x) 3-Cleveland Cavaliers (5)
4-Milwaukee Bucks (11)
5-Indiana Pacers (13)
Southeast Division
(y) 1-Miami Heat (1)
(x) 2-Washington Wizards (7)
(x) 3-Orlando Magic (8)
4-Charlotte Bobcats (12)
5-Atlanta Hawks (15)
Conference Finals: New Jersey over Chicago
NBA Finals: Phoenix over New Jersey
Best Player in East: (tie) Dwaye Wade, Miami, and Lebron James, Cleveland
Best Coach in East: Pat Riley, Miami
Best Rookie in East: Marcus Williams, New Jersey
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Northwest Division
(y) 1-Denver Nuggets (3)
(x) 2-Utah Jazz (6)
(x) 3-Seattle Supersonics (8)
4-Minnesota Timberwolves (12)
5-Portland Trailblazers (15)
Southwest Division
(y) 1-San Antonio Spurs (1)
(x) 2-Dallas Mavericks (4)
(x) 3-Houston Rockets (7)
4-Oklahoma City Hornets (11)
5-Memphis Grizzlies (14)
Pacific Division
(y) 1-Phoenix Suns (2)
(x) 2-Los Angeles Clippers (5)
3-Los Angeles Lakers (9)
4-Sacramento Kings (10)
5-Golden State Warriors (13)
Conference Finals: Phoenix over Dallas
NBA Finals: Phoenix over New Jersey
Best Player in West: (tie) Steve Nash, Phoenix, and Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas
Best Coach in West: (tie) Mike D'Antoni, Phoenix, and Greg Popovich, San Antonio
Best Rookie in West: Randy Foye, Minnesota
-JAB
x=playoff berth
(predicted conference ranking in parentheses)
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Atlantic Division
(y) 1-New Jersey Nets (2)
(x) 2-Boston Celtics (6)
3-Toronto Raptors (9)
4-Philadelphia 76ers (10)
5-New York Knicks (14)
Central Division
(y) 1-Detroit Pistons (3)
(x) 2-Chicago Bulls (4)
(x) 3-Cleveland Cavaliers (5)
4-Milwaukee Bucks (11)
5-Indiana Pacers (13)
Southeast Division
(y) 1-Miami Heat (1)
(x) 2-Washington Wizards (7)
(x) 3-Orlando Magic (8)
4-Charlotte Bobcats (12)
5-Atlanta Hawks (15)
Conference Finals: New Jersey over Chicago
NBA Finals: Phoenix over New Jersey
Best Player in East: (tie) Dwaye Wade, Miami, and Lebron James, Cleveland
Best Coach in East: Pat Riley, Miami
Best Rookie in East: Marcus Williams, New Jersey
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Northwest Division
(y) 1-Denver Nuggets (3)
(x) 2-Utah Jazz (6)
(x) 3-Seattle Supersonics (8)
4-Minnesota Timberwolves (12)
5-Portland Trailblazers (15)
Southwest Division
(y) 1-San Antonio Spurs (1)
(x) 2-Dallas Mavericks (4)
(x) 3-Houston Rockets (7)
4-Oklahoma City Hornets (11)
5-Memphis Grizzlies (14)
Pacific Division
(y) 1-Phoenix Suns (2)
(x) 2-Los Angeles Clippers (5)
3-Los Angeles Lakers (9)
4-Sacramento Kings (10)
5-Golden State Warriors (13)
Conference Finals: Phoenix over Dallas
NBA Finals: Phoenix over New Jersey
Best Player in West: (tie) Steve Nash, Phoenix, and Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas
Best Coach in West: (tie) Mike D'Antoni, Phoenix, and Greg Popovich, San Antonio
Best Rookie in West: Randy Foye, Minnesota
-JAB
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