Nobody can anticipate injuries or problems off the field, but both have reared their ugly heads again for the Arkansas Razorbacks' football team in 2007. Senior WR Marcus Monk was being counted on to have a big year as the go-to target down the field, but a knee injury (torn meniscus, tendons) suffered in practice has instead forced him out of the lineup for more than a month. By the time he gets back on the gridiron, one wonders if the Hogs will still be in the thick of the race in the SEC West. It'll also be interesting to watch and see how healthy Monk can get himself at any point during the year. (Trainer Dean Weber expects him to be "limited" all season long.) In Monk's stead, the likes of Crosby Tuck, London Crawford and Reggie Fish will have to step up their play immensely to keep opposing defenses off the line of scrimmage.
Meanwhile, senior DE Marcus Harrison was shaping up to be a great comeback story as he rebounded from a torn ACL suffered in April. Instead, he's now hoping to avoid jail time for an incident in Fayetteville over the weekend. Harrison was caught speeding by police, and when they searched his vehicle they found an ecstasy pill and two marijuana cigarettes. Razorback head coach Houston Nutt has since suspended Harrison "indefinitely", and it's possible now he won't play until much later in the season, if at all. More intriguing is the question of whether or not Harrison's troubles will filter over psychologically to the rest of the team, as he has been one of the unquestioned emotional leaders of this group for the past couple years.
Away from those woes, however, Arkansas fans have some obvious reasons for being optimistic. First and foremost is the two word phrase known simply in the Natural State as "D-Mac." Darren McFadden is so tremendously capable offensively---running, passing, catching---in every possible way, he makes even the most serious of doubters believe anything is possible for the Hogs' offense when the ball is in his hands. There is no doubt that McFadden is the preseason favorite to win the Heisman Trophy; still, whether or not the do-everything tailback actually becomes the first Razorback player to win the award will probably most come down to how many wins his team ultimately gets.
Additionally, special teams should improve significantly for Arkansas this season. First and foremost, Hog fans now have a placekicker in Alex Tejada who should be able to consistently make extra points and short range field goals, two usual gimmes that were regular adventures for the Razorbacks last year. The freshman Tejada is a Springdale native who's known for his big leg and ability to make field goals well over the 50 yard mark. With his arrival, last year's kicker, Jeremy Davis, has moved over to handle punting duties. There shouldn't be much of a dropoff there from departed senior Jacob Skinner.
Maybe most important for Arkansas' special teams is the return game, now that the NCAA has mandated a rule change for all kickoffs to be made from the 30 yard line (like the NFL) instead of the 35. The five yard difference will put the ball in play more often on kicks, which bodes well for the Hogs. Having a return tandem like Felix Jones and Darren McFadden is downright intimidating for any other school and Arkansas should have pretty good field position every time it gets the ball this year.
Yes, Reggie Fish is handling the punt return duties again, along with backup tailback Michael Smith. But Fish appears mentally stronger and more capable of making the right decisions in the return game now than he did a year ago, when he was essentially thrown into the fire. No one will soon forget his botched punt in the end zone late in the third quarter of the SEC Championship game against Florida, let alone Fish himself. But they say whatever doesn't kill you only makes you stronger, and Arkansas fans can only hope that's the case with Fish now as well.
Throw all this into the Season Predictor Blender, shake it up, mix it down, and what do you get? A very interesting milkshake . . . Tasty with an offense that should be able to run the football till the cows come home, led by aforementioned Heisman contender Darren McFadden (maybe the greatest Razorback of all time) and speedster change of pace stud Felix Jones. But the same offense that is so phenomenal with the run has an injury-prone quarterback who will struggle against the stouter defenses, especially with no early season go-to target at wide receiver. The offensive line should be good enough to win lots of ball games, but the passing game probably won't be, even with the substitution of David Lee for Gus Malzahn at offensive coordinator.
You've also got a defense that is thin in terms of depth and elite talent, one that I expect to take a while to find its way. Reggie Herring is an underrated defensive mind, but it just doesn't look like he has all the necessary guns this year. Jamaal Anderson, Chris Houston, Sam Olajubutu and Keith Jackson were all integral parts of the unit last year, and all are playing in the NFL right now. That's with good reason. They were really good. There's no telling how much Arkansas will miss them at times this year.
Throw in a head coach who is constantly under fire in Houston Nutt and things just start to get a little bit strange. Unbelievable as it sounds, Nutt is now in his tenth season as head coach at Arkansas, and while still a pretty great motivator, and a halfway decent recruiter, his in-game decisionmaking, along with his difficulties in sorting out the X's and O's department, usually limit his ability to lift the Razorbacks to wins against the best of college football's best (i.e. USC, LSU, Florida and Wisconsin from a year ago.) Nutt will help this team be good, but can he turn it into something truly great? History, obviously, is not on his side.
The schedule opens with a competitive opponent in Troy, before a bye in week two. Could the open date have come at a better time for Arkansas? Absolutely, but you take what you get. September 15th's trip to Alabama will be a huge season indicator, as the Crimson Tide contest usually is for Arkansas. To think the Hogs will beat Nick Saban's team on the road for just the second time in the Houston Nutt era is probably a bit of a stretch, especially without Marcus Monk. Then it's home for Kentucky, an entertaining offensive opponent that Arkansas should be able to handle. Cakewalks through North Texas and Chattanooga loom after, before the best home game of the year, October 13th against Auburn. I'm picking Arkansas to win that game, but it would be far from surprising if Tommy Tuberville's crew avenged last year's home defeat. Ole Miss, Florida International and South Carolina are all highly winnable games for the Razorbacks, but then things get hugely difficult down the stretch. On the road at Tennessee on November 10th? Ugh. A home game in Little Rock against Mississippi State is next, and then it's off to Baton Rouge, at LSU the day after Thanksgiving. Um, ugh again.
Here's what I think: Arkansas goes 9-3 this year, 5-3 in the SEC (8-4, 4-4 would be far from surprising as well) but does not go back to Atlanta for the conference championship game. The Hogs will make a decent bowl and could realistically end up with ten victories on the year when all is said and done, but even with all-world talent Darren McFadden there are too many question marks to think this team will top last year's win total.
-JAB
Monday, August 27, 2007
Wednesday, August 08, 2007
Arkansas' 2007 Football Preview: Part II- The Defense
It’s year three of the Reggie Herring regime for the Arkansas defense. Whether it proves to be the best of the bunch for Herring and the Hogs remains to be seen. Major losses defensively from a year ago include DE Jamaal Anderson, CB Chris Houston, LB Sam Olajabutu along with DT Keith Jackson and S Randy Kelly. That’s a lot of personnel to replace in one offseason, but the talk so far is that Arkansas has done just that. Below we'll run through the three key groups defensively.
Much like the offense, it all starts up front with the defensive line. This year’s starting defensive ends will be Antowain Robinson and Malcolm Sheppard. Robinson was a bull at times last year, teaming with Jamaal Anderson to give Arkansas a fearsome pairing off the edges. Offseason shoplifiting troubles have put his leadership abilities back up for questioning, but the fact remains that he is the only proven pass rush commodity on the entire team. On the flip, Malcolm Sheppard may be the most hyped player---improvement-wise---on the defense. All we’ve been told is how much better he’s gotten in just a single offseason, and if he’s even half as good as Anderson, the Hogs should be fine off the edges. Expect Chris Wade to share time with Malcolm Sheppard in the DE rotation. Up the gut the Hogs will rely heavily on Ernest Mitchell and Marcus Harrison. Mitchell was a tremendous surprise to those around the program last year, coming in and playing so well after injuries to linemen up front. One of those injuries was indeed to Marcus Harrison, and unfortunately, he’s hurt again. Harrison tore his ACL in spring ball, and it’s unclear how quickly he’ll be back to 100% speed, if at all. The depth behind these guys is slight, to put it nicely, with Fred Bledsoe, Cord Gray and Marcus Shavers the first guys in line.
In the middle of the field, I think Arkansas has a chance to be a lot better than many people think. There’s no doubt that LB Sam Olajubutu was the defensive leader---vocally and on the field---over the past few years, but there’s no reason to think Arkansas can’t replace his physicality. First in line is Weston Dacus. The MLB plays bigger than he looks and has a tendency to cut down opposing tailbacks who’ve busted through the first line of defense. Flanking Dacus on the edges will be a lot of depth, if not a lot of proven commodity. Freddie Fairchild had a strong freshman season before seeing his sophomore campaign sidelined by a torn ACL in game two against Utah State. He’s going to be counted on for his speed off the side and in blitz packages. Then there’s a group of guys who haven’t really fully separated themselves from another. Chip Gregory, Ryan Powers and Wendal Davis are all expected to contribute, but I think it’s a true freshman who may make the biggest impact of them all. Texas native Jermaine Love is a frosh who looks like a junior. Physically, he is good to go in the SEC right now, but the question is going to be whether or not is able to grasp Herring’s schemes quickly enough. It’s my guess he’ll be starting by the Kentucky game.
Back it up to the secondary and things again don’t look nearly so bleak for the Hogs. FS Michael Grant has made what seems to be a complete recovery from a nasty knee injury suffered against South Carolina last year. He’ll be asked to help cut down on the big play again, and he should be able to take some chances, playing alongside physical SS Matt Hewitt. The corners are slated to be incumbent starter Materral Richardson and senior Jerrell Norton. How well JUCO safety transfer Walner Leandre plays in August could affect all of that.
Throw it all together, and upon further inspection, there is room for optimism about this year’s defense. Coordinator Reggie Herring has shown a tendency to have his teams improve as the seasons go on, and with no USC on the schedule this year, the Hogs may be able to skip an early season embarrassment in the points allowed department. Arkansas’ defense will be good this year, but will it be great? Therein may lie the answer to whether or not Arkansas gets itself back to Atlanta.
D-Line: B+
Linebackers: B-
Secondary: B+
Overall: B
-JAB
Much like the offense, it all starts up front with the defensive line. This year’s starting defensive ends will be Antowain Robinson and Malcolm Sheppard. Robinson was a bull at times last year, teaming with Jamaal Anderson to give Arkansas a fearsome pairing off the edges. Offseason shoplifiting troubles have put his leadership abilities back up for questioning, but the fact remains that he is the only proven pass rush commodity on the entire team. On the flip, Malcolm Sheppard may be the most hyped player---improvement-wise---on the defense. All we’ve been told is how much better he’s gotten in just a single offseason, and if he’s even half as good as Anderson, the Hogs should be fine off the edges. Expect Chris Wade to share time with Malcolm Sheppard in the DE rotation. Up the gut the Hogs will rely heavily on Ernest Mitchell and Marcus Harrison. Mitchell was a tremendous surprise to those around the program last year, coming in and playing so well after injuries to linemen up front. One of those injuries was indeed to Marcus Harrison, and unfortunately, he’s hurt again. Harrison tore his ACL in spring ball, and it’s unclear how quickly he’ll be back to 100% speed, if at all. The depth behind these guys is slight, to put it nicely, with Fred Bledsoe, Cord Gray and Marcus Shavers the first guys in line.
In the middle of the field, I think Arkansas has a chance to be a lot better than many people think. There’s no doubt that LB Sam Olajubutu was the defensive leader---vocally and on the field---over the past few years, but there’s no reason to think Arkansas can’t replace his physicality. First in line is Weston Dacus. The MLB plays bigger than he looks and has a tendency to cut down opposing tailbacks who’ve busted through the first line of defense. Flanking Dacus on the edges will be a lot of depth, if not a lot of proven commodity. Freddie Fairchild had a strong freshman season before seeing his sophomore campaign sidelined by a torn ACL in game two against Utah State. He’s going to be counted on for his speed off the side and in blitz packages. Then there’s a group of guys who haven’t really fully separated themselves from another. Chip Gregory, Ryan Powers and Wendal Davis are all expected to contribute, but I think it’s a true freshman who may make the biggest impact of them all. Texas native Jermaine Love is a frosh who looks like a junior. Physically, he is good to go in the SEC right now, but the question is going to be whether or not is able to grasp Herring’s schemes quickly enough. It’s my guess he’ll be starting by the Kentucky game.
Back it up to the secondary and things again don’t look nearly so bleak for the Hogs. FS Michael Grant has made what seems to be a complete recovery from a nasty knee injury suffered against South Carolina last year. He’ll be asked to help cut down on the big play again, and he should be able to take some chances, playing alongside physical SS Matt Hewitt. The corners are slated to be incumbent starter Materral Richardson and senior Jerrell Norton. How well JUCO safety transfer Walner Leandre plays in August could affect all of that.
Throw it all together, and upon further inspection, there is room for optimism about this year’s defense. Coordinator Reggie Herring has shown a tendency to have his teams improve as the seasons go on, and with no USC on the schedule this year, the Hogs may be able to skip an early season embarrassment in the points allowed department. Arkansas’ defense will be good this year, but will it be great? Therein may lie the answer to whether or not Arkansas gets itself back to Atlanta.
D-Line: B+
Linebackers: B-
Secondary: B+
Overall: B
-JAB
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
Arkansas' 2007 Football Preview: Part I - The Offense
Media days in the can, two a day practices underway, and now we can begin to speculate on just what lies ahead for the Arkansas Razorbacks this year on the football gridiron. Certainly the schedule is softer now than it was a year ago----all you have to do is note the absence of USC to know that----but a lot of questions persist. Today, I'll address the offense.
Let's start, as will most, with the tailback depth. Darren McFadden enters his third and final season at Arkansas as the preseason fave to win the Heisman Trophy. He's so good, adjectives don't do him justice. Think of the best running backs ever to play the game----Jim Brown, O.J. Simpson, Barry Sanders, Gale Sayers, Eric Dickerson, LaDainian Tomlinson----and McFadden truly does seem to have the skillset of the best of the lot of them. He's very strong, extremely fast, and highly agile, but he also possesses the one football attribute that can't be measured: Game IQ. Knowing when to cut, when to feel for a defender, and being able to anticipate things happening before they even do, those are the things that make up a player's Game IQ. The great ones had it, and D-Mac does too.
Even with a superback in McFadden, Arkansas' fortunes in the backfield do not rest on him alone. He's also got a great backup in Felix Jones. On any other team, Jones would be the star, but with Arkansas, he's got to fight for his opportunities. Averaging over seven yards per game again would be a great way to earn more of them . . . And woe is the plight of third string running back Michael Smith! He's certainly good enough to start for half the other schools in the SEC, but it's hard to see how he'll get the football much at all this year.
Yet the story with Arkansas' backfield success this year will---as is the norm---have more to do with the men blocking than with the speedsters themselves. Namely, Peyton Hillis. Already rated by some draft publications as the best fullback in the country, Hillis was a huge cog in the ground and passing attacks for the Hogs a year ago. With Hillis on the field, Arkansas maintained its versatility, never allowing opponents to know whether it intended to run or pass. With Hillis out of the lineup at the end of the year, Arkansas flat out struggled to move the football. It's up to Hillis to stay healthy, keep his head down, mouth shut and carve up nice chunks of space for his host of talented tailbacks. If he can do those things, he'll get his number called more often as well.
And then there's the offensive line. It was so good last year, with seniors Tony Ugoh, Stephen Parker and Zach Tubbs leading the way. The question now is whether guys like Jose Valdez, Nate Garner, DeMarcus Love and Mitch Petrus can stabilize a unit that has its stars entrenched in center Jonathan Luigs and guard Robert Felton. I'm of the belief that it can and will be a truly strong unit once again. It's also important to remember that tight end Wes Murphy was essentially a sixth lineman for Arkansas last year; now, with him gone, talented pass catching TE Ben Cleveland is going to be expected to improve his blocking drastically, while 6'7 Andrew Davie gets his share of opportunities to play, if only because of his intimidating size.
To the quarterbacks we go. Last year it was a battle to the end of August camp to see who would emerge as Arkansas' starter. Freshman Mitch Mustain pushed Junior Robert Johnson to the brink, all but taking the starting position from him. At the time, Casey Dick was battling a bad vertebrae in his back. Fast forward to now. Mustain went 8-0 as a starter before getting benched and later transferring to USC. Robert Johnson was converted to wide receiver. And Casey Dick's back is now healthy. It will indeed be Dick as the starting quarterback to begin the season for the first time in his Razorback career. He has all of eight starts under his belt, but at times seems to have a good command of the offense. How he is able to work with new offensive coordinator David Lee on correcting his mechanics is going to have as much as anything to do with his success this year. Hog fans want to know whether 3 for 19 against LSU was an aberration or a sign of more of the same from their quarterback. Beyond Dick, it's anybody's guess. Nathan Emert, Clark Irwin and froshes Joe Chiasson and Nathan Dick (Casey's younger bro) comprise a depth chart that isn't wowing anybody. And that's putting it lightly. It just may be the case where one significant injury to Casey throws the whole Hogs' season out of whack.
And who will these guys be throwing the football to? Marcus Monk dabbled with the idea of going pro, but wisely decided to return for his senior season. He's already Arkansas' all-time leader in touchdown receptions, and a tremendous number one option, but even he lacks gamebreaking speed. Beyond Monk, it's entirely up in the air: seniors like Chris Baker and Robert Johnson, junior Reggie Fish, sophomores London Crawford and Carlton Salters, and freshman Marquez Wade are all jockeying for position on the wideout depth chart. If there's one huge question mark hanging around the offense (besides QB depth) it's got to be the unproven wide receiver play.
Put in charge of all this stuff is offensive coordinator David Lee. Back for a third stint with the Hogs after time with Bill Parcells' Cowboys, Lee has been handed---we're told---complete control of play-calling in Houston Nutt's offense. Last year, the public was told the same thing about Gus Malzahn, and anybody reading this article who wasn't living under a rock knows how well that worked out. Still, this is different. Nutt and Lee aren't being forced to work together: they're actually friends. Houston will have his share of input (and he should, as a head coach) but come Saturdays it will be Lee's decisionmaking on the offensive side of the ball. How he balances the running and passing games, how often he uses Darren McFadden out of the Wildcat package, and how many spread sets he goes with are all decisions he'll have to make. And the Razorback faithful is certainly curious to see how it's all going to work out.
RBs: A+
O-Line: B+
QBs: C+
WRs: C
TEs: C-
Offense: B+
-JAB
Let's start, as will most, with the tailback depth. Darren McFadden enters his third and final season at Arkansas as the preseason fave to win the Heisman Trophy. He's so good, adjectives don't do him justice. Think of the best running backs ever to play the game----Jim Brown, O.J. Simpson, Barry Sanders, Gale Sayers, Eric Dickerson, LaDainian Tomlinson----and McFadden truly does seem to have the skillset of the best of the lot of them. He's very strong, extremely fast, and highly agile, but he also possesses the one football attribute that can't be measured: Game IQ. Knowing when to cut, when to feel for a defender, and being able to anticipate things happening before they even do, those are the things that make up a player's Game IQ. The great ones had it, and D-Mac does too.
Even with a superback in McFadden, Arkansas' fortunes in the backfield do not rest on him alone. He's also got a great backup in Felix Jones. On any other team, Jones would be the star, but with Arkansas, he's got to fight for his opportunities. Averaging over seven yards per game again would be a great way to earn more of them . . . And woe is the plight of third string running back Michael Smith! He's certainly good enough to start for half the other schools in the SEC, but it's hard to see how he'll get the football much at all this year.
Yet the story with Arkansas' backfield success this year will---as is the norm---have more to do with the men blocking than with the speedsters themselves. Namely, Peyton Hillis. Already rated by some draft publications as the best fullback in the country, Hillis was a huge cog in the ground and passing attacks for the Hogs a year ago. With Hillis on the field, Arkansas maintained its versatility, never allowing opponents to know whether it intended to run or pass. With Hillis out of the lineup at the end of the year, Arkansas flat out struggled to move the football. It's up to Hillis to stay healthy, keep his head down, mouth shut and carve up nice chunks of space for his host of talented tailbacks. If he can do those things, he'll get his number called more often as well.
And then there's the offensive line. It was so good last year, with seniors Tony Ugoh, Stephen Parker and Zach Tubbs leading the way. The question now is whether guys like Jose Valdez, Nate Garner, DeMarcus Love and Mitch Petrus can stabilize a unit that has its stars entrenched in center Jonathan Luigs and guard Robert Felton. I'm of the belief that it can and will be a truly strong unit once again. It's also important to remember that tight end Wes Murphy was essentially a sixth lineman for Arkansas last year; now, with him gone, talented pass catching TE Ben Cleveland is going to be expected to improve his blocking drastically, while 6'7 Andrew Davie gets his share of opportunities to play, if only because of his intimidating size.
To the quarterbacks we go. Last year it was a battle to the end of August camp to see who would emerge as Arkansas' starter. Freshman Mitch Mustain pushed Junior Robert Johnson to the brink, all but taking the starting position from him. At the time, Casey Dick was battling a bad vertebrae in his back. Fast forward to now. Mustain went 8-0 as a starter before getting benched and later transferring to USC. Robert Johnson was converted to wide receiver. And Casey Dick's back is now healthy. It will indeed be Dick as the starting quarterback to begin the season for the first time in his Razorback career. He has all of eight starts under his belt, but at times seems to have a good command of the offense. How he is able to work with new offensive coordinator David Lee on correcting his mechanics is going to have as much as anything to do with his success this year. Hog fans want to know whether 3 for 19 against LSU was an aberration or a sign of more of the same from their quarterback. Beyond Dick, it's anybody's guess. Nathan Emert, Clark Irwin and froshes Joe Chiasson and Nathan Dick (Casey's younger bro) comprise a depth chart that isn't wowing anybody. And that's putting it lightly. It just may be the case where one significant injury to Casey throws the whole Hogs' season out of whack.
And who will these guys be throwing the football to? Marcus Monk dabbled with the idea of going pro, but wisely decided to return for his senior season. He's already Arkansas' all-time leader in touchdown receptions, and a tremendous number one option, but even he lacks gamebreaking speed. Beyond Monk, it's entirely up in the air: seniors like Chris Baker and Robert Johnson, junior Reggie Fish, sophomores London Crawford and Carlton Salters, and freshman Marquez Wade are all jockeying for position on the wideout depth chart. If there's one huge question mark hanging around the offense (besides QB depth) it's got to be the unproven wide receiver play.
Put in charge of all this stuff is offensive coordinator David Lee. Back for a third stint with the Hogs after time with Bill Parcells' Cowboys, Lee has been handed---we're told---complete control of play-calling in Houston Nutt's offense. Last year, the public was told the same thing about Gus Malzahn, and anybody reading this article who wasn't living under a rock knows how well that worked out. Still, this is different. Nutt and Lee aren't being forced to work together: they're actually friends. Houston will have his share of input (and he should, as a head coach) but come Saturdays it will be Lee's decisionmaking on the offensive side of the ball. How he balances the running and passing games, how often he uses Darren McFadden out of the Wildcat package, and how many spread sets he goes with are all decisions he'll have to make. And the Razorback faithful is certainly curious to see how it's all going to work out.
RBs: A+
O-Line: B+
QBs: C+
WRs: C
TEs: C-
Offense: B+
-JAB
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Let the Games Begin: SEC Football Media Days
Some thoughts on SEC Football Media Days from here in Birmingham, Alabama . . . .
-South Carolina LB Jasper Brinkley is a big man. Very big. So is Vanderbilt LB Jonathan Goff. Both of these guys will be huge pieces of the puzzle for their respective defenses. And they'll both be first round picks come next April's draft. Brinkley has all the skills you look for in a defensive field general: he can stuff the box on the run, blitz the dickens out of the quarterback without much of a cheat, and inspire a defense to go above and beyond (don't forget the game against Auburn last year when the Gamecocks' defense was on the field for literally the entire third quarter. They gave up just three points.) He'll be the anchor for a unit that Steve Spurrier believes is vastly improved. It better be if the Ol' Ball Coach truly hopes to up the win total this year. As far as Vandy's Goff, a tall task awaits. A mechanical engineering major, he's a very smart player, if a man of few words. But can he carry a spotty defense to a season of sturdy performances? It's highly unlikely.
-The circus is in town! Two of them actually. Take your pick: Darren McFadden and the traveling Heisman show or Nick Saban and the hired gun parade. These guys have been swarmed from the get-go on their respective days. D-Mac was the star appearance for most folks on Day One while Saban took front and center stage on Day Two. Will McFadden win the Heisman this year? Probably, barring injury. He's too strong, quick and athleticially gifted to put up anything less than another monster season. Somebody just tell Arkansas coach Houston Nutt not to live and die with the wildcat package again. It has a place, but got way too gimmicky towards the end of last year. As far as the other circus goes, I think Crimson Tide faithful are believing a little too much in the quick fix. Will Saban return Alabama to prominence? Maybe, but not right away. You must have talented players to win big games against the heavyweights in the SEC, and Alabama just doesn't have enough of them---yet. But Slick Nick will get them eventually.
-Kentucky is going to be good in football for the second straight year. After winning eight games a year ago (including a Music City Bowl victory over Clemson), the Wildcats return a stacked deck offensively, led by stud quarterback Andre Woodson. With 31 TDs against just 7 INTs a year ago, Woodson helped Wildcat fans remember that there are sports beside basketball. I interviewed him on the Morning Rush yesterday and came away even more impressed. He's smart, humble and easy to talk with. Whether Kentucky can actually contend with the powerhouses in this league remains to be seen (doubtful), but it won't be for lack of trying by Woodson. The real question around his team is whether they can stop anybody.
-Dire straights continue for the college football teams from Mississippi. Ole Miss doesn't have stud LB Patrick Willis anymore, and it doesn't look like anyone is going to come even close to filling his shoes. The quarterback position is unsettled, with talented playmaker Brent Schaeffer making too many mistakes last year to keep Ed Orgeron happy. Instead, it will be Seth Adams under center at the outset of the season. Another senior, he's less mistake prone. But once again, it doesn't look good for the Rebels as far as winning games. On the flip, Mississippi State is only slightly less bad. Sylvester Croom is starting to run out of time in Starkville and the cupboard remains startlingly bare. QB Michael Henig, RB Anthony Dixon and DE Titus Brown are his only real playmakers. He'll need extraordinary performances out of all of them to win anything more than four games.
-As a whole, the SEC is still loaded. A lot of people would have you believe the conference is do for a down season, what with all the departures to the NFL, but I don't see it. Stack it up against any conference in the country---Pac-10, Big 10, ACC, Big 12---and top to bottom, the SEC is still number one by a lot in my book. In the East, Florida, Tennessee, Georgia, Kentucky and South Carolina are all legitimately great to good football teams, essentially in that descending order, while the West is awfully strong up top with LSU, Auburn, Arkansas and Alabama all poised for good years as well. That's nine out of twelve teams in the conference who can play with and beat pretty much anyone else in the country on a given Saturday. That's the best sign of a strong conference for me.
-JAB
-South Carolina LB Jasper Brinkley is a big man. Very big. So is Vanderbilt LB Jonathan Goff. Both of these guys will be huge pieces of the puzzle for their respective defenses. And they'll both be first round picks come next April's draft. Brinkley has all the skills you look for in a defensive field general: he can stuff the box on the run, blitz the dickens out of the quarterback without much of a cheat, and inspire a defense to go above and beyond (don't forget the game against Auburn last year when the Gamecocks' defense was on the field for literally the entire third quarter. They gave up just three points.) He'll be the anchor for a unit that Steve Spurrier believes is vastly improved. It better be if the Ol' Ball Coach truly hopes to up the win total this year. As far as Vandy's Goff, a tall task awaits. A mechanical engineering major, he's a very smart player, if a man of few words. But can he carry a spotty defense to a season of sturdy performances? It's highly unlikely.
-The circus is in town! Two of them actually. Take your pick: Darren McFadden and the traveling Heisman show or Nick Saban and the hired gun parade. These guys have been swarmed from the get-go on their respective days. D-Mac was the star appearance for most folks on Day One while Saban took front and center stage on Day Two. Will McFadden win the Heisman this year? Probably, barring injury. He's too strong, quick and athleticially gifted to put up anything less than another monster season. Somebody just tell Arkansas coach Houston Nutt not to live and die with the wildcat package again. It has a place, but got way too gimmicky towards the end of last year. As far as the other circus goes, I think Crimson Tide faithful are believing a little too much in the quick fix. Will Saban return Alabama to prominence? Maybe, but not right away. You must have talented players to win big games against the heavyweights in the SEC, and Alabama just doesn't have enough of them---yet. But Slick Nick will get them eventually.
-Kentucky is going to be good in football for the second straight year. After winning eight games a year ago (including a Music City Bowl victory over Clemson), the Wildcats return a stacked deck offensively, led by stud quarterback Andre Woodson. With 31 TDs against just 7 INTs a year ago, Woodson helped Wildcat fans remember that there are sports beside basketball. I interviewed him on the Morning Rush yesterday and came away even more impressed. He's smart, humble and easy to talk with. Whether Kentucky can actually contend with the powerhouses in this league remains to be seen (doubtful), but it won't be for lack of trying by Woodson. The real question around his team is whether they can stop anybody.
-Dire straights continue for the college football teams from Mississippi. Ole Miss doesn't have stud LB Patrick Willis anymore, and it doesn't look like anyone is going to come even close to filling his shoes. The quarterback position is unsettled, with talented playmaker Brent Schaeffer making too many mistakes last year to keep Ed Orgeron happy. Instead, it will be Seth Adams under center at the outset of the season. Another senior, he's less mistake prone. But once again, it doesn't look good for the Rebels as far as winning games. On the flip, Mississippi State is only slightly less bad. Sylvester Croom is starting to run out of time in Starkville and the cupboard remains startlingly bare. QB Michael Henig, RB Anthony Dixon and DE Titus Brown are his only real playmakers. He'll need extraordinary performances out of all of them to win anything more than four games.
-As a whole, the SEC is still loaded. A lot of people would have you believe the conference is do for a down season, what with all the departures to the NFL, but I don't see it. Stack it up against any conference in the country---Pac-10, Big 10, ACC, Big 12---and top to bottom, the SEC is still number one by a lot in my book. In the East, Florida, Tennessee, Georgia, Kentucky and South Carolina are all legitimately great to good football teams, essentially in that descending order, while the West is awfully strong up top with LSU, Auburn, Arkansas and Alabama all poised for good years as well. That's nine out of twelve teams in the conference who can play with and beat pretty much anyone else in the country on a given Saturday. That's the best sign of a strong conference for me.
-JAB
Monday, July 23, 2007
Slim Pickings in the Digital Music Age
I'm scanning the diminished aisles of the local music store last weekend, only to find mixed results, depending on your genre of choice. Rock music is doing all right, which is to say, there's still stuff out there worth checking out, if you're willing to look for it. Already in 2007, there have been quality new releases from the likes of the White Stripes, the Shins, Modest Mouse, Wilco, Velvet Revolver and the reunited Smashing Pumpkins, amongst others. These artists don't make nearly what they used to as far as album sales are concerned, but lest we forget, every new disc is reason enough to go on tour, which is still a pretty sizeable cash cow for most musicians. New releases are expected before the year is out as well from the likes of Radiohead, Counting Crows and Bruce Springsteen.
But swing the audio browser over to the hip hop aisles and things aren't looking so good. New releases last year from Outkast, the Roots, Jay-Z (shoulda stayed retired) and Nas offered reason for slight optimism for rap/R & B-over-beats, but it certainly hasn't carried over to 2007. Outside of Lil Wayne, where oh where has the production from the marquee names gone? That Fugees reunion? Yeah, right. Lauryn Hill? Muy loco. D'Angelo. MIA. Eminem? Hiatus. Biggie, Tupac? Still six feet under.
Maybe Nas was right, after all. I guess hip hop is dead.
-JAB
But swing the audio browser over to the hip hop aisles and things aren't looking so good. New releases last year from Outkast, the Roots, Jay-Z (shoulda stayed retired) and Nas offered reason for slight optimism for rap/R & B-over-beats, but it certainly hasn't carried over to 2007. Outside of Lil Wayne, where oh where has the production from the marquee names gone? That Fugees reunion? Yeah, right. Lauryn Hill? Muy loco. D'Angelo. MIA. Eminem? Hiatus. Biggie, Tupac? Still six feet under.
Maybe Nas was right, after all. I guess hip hop is dead.
-JAB
Friday, July 06, 2007
40 Things This Baseball Season Has Taught Me
To the all-star break we go in the 2007 major league baseball season . . . And what do we know for sure? About forty things. Here we go:
1) Barry Bonds will break the home run record this year---and nobody is happy about it.
2) The Red Sox were very wise to load up on starting pitching.
3) The Yankees were stupid not to.
4) Look up the word "sellout" in a dictionary, and you will see a picture of Roger Clemens.
5) The N.L. West is the best division in baseball.
6) The N.L. Central is definitely the worst.
7) Playing left field for the Mets might be worse for your health than smoking.
8) Alex Rodriguez has re-established himself as the premier player in the game.
9) He's also emerged as second to Barry Bonds on the most controversial player list.
10) There will be no repeat champion this year, as the Cardinals will not make the playoffs.
11) Chisox GM Ken Williams is the most confused man in baseball.
12) Yankees' GM Brian Cashman is the most concerned man in baseball.
13) Dodgers' catcher Russell Martin is now the best all-around backstop in the biz.
14) Forget the stats, Johan Santana is still the best pitcher in baseball.
15) Justin Verlander, Danny Haren, Jake Peavy and C.C. Sabathia are right behind him.
16) Saves continue to be the most overrated statisitical measurement in all of sports.
17) When healthy, Magglio Ordonez is a Top 5 major league hitter.
18) Now more than ever, Bud Selig is firmly entrenched as the worst commissioner of all-time.
19) Steroids increase body mass, but they decrease love for the game.
20) In terms of accomplishment, 600 home runs is the new 500, while 500 is the new 400.
21) 300 pitching wins will always be a marquee plateau.
22) The game changes and records break, but Joe DiMaggio's 56 game hit streak never will.
23) The Milwaukee Brewers are finally good again and they will make the playoffs this year.
24) Mike Hargove picked a very strange time to resign as Mariners' manager.
25) The Minnesota Twins desperately miss pitcher Francisco Liriano.
26) Phillies' LF Shane Victorino is a really good player.
27) Reds' OF Josh Hamilton is tougher than everyone thought he was.
28) If the Padres could hit, they'd be the best team in the National league.
29) If the Cubs could pitch, they'd be the best team in the National League.
30) The American League's top teams---Boston, Cleveland, Detroit and L.A.---are scary good.
31) The National League's top teams---the Mets, Atlanta, Milwaukee, San Diego, L.A. and Arizona---are all works-in-progress.
32) Barring injury, Derek Jeter has the best shot of any active player to get 4,000 career hits.
33) Daisuke Matsuzaka is the real deal.
34) Dontrelle Willis still has the coolest pitching delivery.
35) No one will ever win the hitting Triple Crown again.
36) Being 40 ain't nothing at all for Hall of Fame pitchers like Roger Clemens, Randy Johnson, John Smoltz, Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine, or for feisty veterans like Jamie Moyer, Kenny Rogers and Woody Williams.
37) Frank Thomas is a Hall of Famer.
38) So is Craig Biggio.
39) Fans should no longer be allowed to vote for all-stars.
40) Above all else, the All-Star Game should NOT decide home field advantage in the World Series.
-JAB
1) Barry Bonds will break the home run record this year---and nobody is happy about it.
2) The Red Sox were very wise to load up on starting pitching.
3) The Yankees were stupid not to.
4) Look up the word "sellout" in a dictionary, and you will see a picture of Roger Clemens.
5) The N.L. West is the best division in baseball.
6) The N.L. Central is definitely the worst.
7) Playing left field for the Mets might be worse for your health than smoking.
8) Alex Rodriguez has re-established himself as the premier player in the game.
9) He's also emerged as second to Barry Bonds on the most controversial player list.
10) There will be no repeat champion this year, as the Cardinals will not make the playoffs.
11) Chisox GM Ken Williams is the most confused man in baseball.
12) Yankees' GM Brian Cashman is the most concerned man in baseball.
13) Dodgers' catcher Russell Martin is now the best all-around backstop in the biz.
14) Forget the stats, Johan Santana is still the best pitcher in baseball.
15) Justin Verlander, Danny Haren, Jake Peavy and C.C. Sabathia are right behind him.
16) Saves continue to be the most overrated statisitical measurement in all of sports.
17) When healthy, Magglio Ordonez is a Top 5 major league hitter.
18) Now more than ever, Bud Selig is firmly entrenched as the worst commissioner of all-time.
19) Steroids increase body mass, but they decrease love for the game.
20) In terms of accomplishment, 600 home runs is the new 500, while 500 is the new 400.
21) 300 pitching wins will always be a marquee plateau.
22) The game changes and records break, but Joe DiMaggio's 56 game hit streak never will.
23) The Milwaukee Brewers are finally good again and they will make the playoffs this year.
24) Mike Hargove picked a very strange time to resign as Mariners' manager.
25) The Minnesota Twins desperately miss pitcher Francisco Liriano.
26) Phillies' LF Shane Victorino is a really good player.
27) Reds' OF Josh Hamilton is tougher than everyone thought he was.
28) If the Padres could hit, they'd be the best team in the National league.
29) If the Cubs could pitch, they'd be the best team in the National League.
30) The American League's top teams---Boston, Cleveland, Detroit and L.A.---are scary good.
31) The National League's top teams---the Mets, Atlanta, Milwaukee, San Diego, L.A. and Arizona---are all works-in-progress.
32) Barring injury, Derek Jeter has the best shot of any active player to get 4,000 career hits.
33) Daisuke Matsuzaka is the real deal.
34) Dontrelle Willis still has the coolest pitching delivery.
35) No one will ever win the hitting Triple Crown again.
36) Being 40 ain't nothing at all for Hall of Fame pitchers like Roger Clemens, Randy Johnson, John Smoltz, Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine, or for feisty veterans like Jamie Moyer, Kenny Rogers and Woody Williams.
37) Frank Thomas is a Hall of Famer.
38) So is Craig Biggio.
39) Fans should no longer be allowed to vote for all-stars.
40) Above all else, the All-Star Game should NOT decide home field advantage in the World Series.
-JAB
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Early Summer Thoughts (on Drafts, Flicks and the Hogs)
An NBA Draft Worth Watching Again
Greg Oden, Kevin Durant and then what?
That's the main question headed into tonight's NBA Draft. Will Atlanta grab Ohio State point guard Mike Conley, Jr. at number three? How about Florida Center Al Horford? Or Chinese 7-footer Yi Jianlian? A lot of big names sit atop the board this year: it's probably the deepest draft in ten years.
The big trade rumor in the days leading up to Selection Thursday has circled around the future of Kevin Garnett. It sure sounds like the Timberwolves are finally ready to pull the trigger on a deal for their franchise leader of the past eleven years.
All Minnesota wants back is a couple of high draft picks, which isn't asking all that much when you consider that KG is the only player in NBA history to average 20+ points, 10 + rebounds and 4 + assists for ten consecutive seasons.
Whose going to get him though? The Boston Celtics make no sense . . . Why would KG want to languish in the lottery there when he can stay at home and do it Minnesota? I don't think the Lakers really make all that much sense either . . . KG and Kobe co-existing with no other legitimate help to speak of? Not likely.
But the Phoenix Suns, now there's an idea. NBA sources say Phoenix has been talking to Minnesota and Atlanta about a three-team trade that would net them the Big Ticket's services for a package starting with the #5 pick in the draft.
Sounds good, but if you're Phoenix, you can't give up Amare Stoudemire to make this deal happen. Shawn Marion---versatile as he is---would make way more dispensable sense because he tends to be a perimeter player, much like Kevin Garnett. But you need to keep Amare to have a threat in the low post.
If this deal somehow goes down, and Phoenix trots out a lineup with Stoudemire, Garnett, Nash, Diaw and Barbosa next year, you can forget about it already. The Suns are your 2008 NBA Champions.
Finally, The Year's First Really Good Movie
This year's class of movies has been routinely awful. There's no other way to put it. Spiderman 3 . . . Pirates 3 . . . Shrek 3 . . . Enough with the garbage sequels already!
There really haven't even been any truly good DVD releases of late, which downright stinks for a moviehead like me. But finally, there's something to feel good about. It's called Knocked Up.
Judd Apatow (40 Year-Old Virgin, Anchor Man) directs the film, which focuses on the plight of a slacker (played by Seth Rogen) who has a one-night stand with a motivated entertainment reporter (played by Katherine Heigl). Of course, the night of fun leads to an unexpected pregnancy, but the movie isn't about morality lessons. Instead, it's about growing up and becoming a responsible adult, something that Rogen's slacker is forced to do in a hurry.
Plot details aside, the movie is seriously funny. (I literally caught myself laughing out loud four or five times in the first half hour.) And the best part about it is that never once do you feel like the flick is trying too hard, something that most definitely can't be said about the aformentiened triquels, or whatever you want to call them.
If you stick with it, you'll see that---much like Virgin---Knocked Up has a heart to it too. I'll give it a strong four stars out of five. Director/Writer Apatow is clearly a talent to be reckoned with. And so, in a movie year that's vying for the right to be called the worst of all-time, Knocked Up sits on top of the heap as the best of the year.
2007 Razorback Football Schedule Looms Tough
For the first time in three years, there's no early-season game with USC (thank goodness), but that doesn't mean Arkansas won't have its hand full with plenty of brutal SEC games. Two months to go until the season opener with Troy, here's my ranking of the five most difficult games on the '07 slate for the Hogs.
#1- at LSU, November 23rd. The Tigers are scary wherever you play them, so going to Baton Rouge the day after Thanksgiving is downright brutal for the Hogs. QB Jamarcus Russell is gone, but all LSU does is reload yearly with one of the four or five deepest recruiting wells in America. This game looms as large and as difficult as last year's season finale defeat against the Tigers in Little Rock.
#2- at Tennessee, November 10th. The Volunteers hate losing to Arkansas and should be out for revenge after getting pounded on national television last year in Fayetteville. Neyland Stadium is always a very difficult place to play, and you'd figure Phil Fulmer already has this game circled as a key contest on his calendar.
#3- home for Auburn, October 13th. I realize Arkansas dominated the Tigers at Auburn last year, but Tommy Tubberville is already out to prove that it was a fluke. Like many of Arkansas' opponents this year, Auburn will come to Fayetteville with a chip on its shoulder. And two linebackers keyed in on Darren McFadden at all times.
#4- home for Kentucky, September 22nd. Some folks may want to scoff at this pick. Ahead of Alabama? Yeah, I think so. The Wildcats were one of the most improved teams in the country last year (9 wins, crushed Clemson in a bowl) and they return a host of talent. None more gifted than QB Andre Woodson, who's undoubtedly the best quarterback in the SEC this year. Throw in the fact that Kentucky has a history of playing Arkansas tough (seven overtimes ring a bell?) and there's no reason to think the Wildcats won't make it another nail-biter this year.
#5- at Alabama, September 15th. This is clearly the key game to the season, but it's not nearly the toughest. Surely, Nick Saban will have his Crimson Tide up and ready for the game in Tuscaloosa, and there's no question that the fans will be whipped up and into a drunken frenzy by the time the nationally televised game gets going at six o'clock. But it's my belief that the Razorbacks are getting 'Bama at the right time of the year: early. I just don't see how Alabama's porous defense is going to contain Arkansas' ground attack.
-JAB
Greg Oden, Kevin Durant and then what?
That's the main question headed into tonight's NBA Draft. Will Atlanta grab Ohio State point guard Mike Conley, Jr. at number three? How about Florida Center Al Horford? Or Chinese 7-footer Yi Jianlian? A lot of big names sit atop the board this year: it's probably the deepest draft in ten years.
The big trade rumor in the days leading up to Selection Thursday has circled around the future of Kevin Garnett. It sure sounds like the Timberwolves are finally ready to pull the trigger on a deal for their franchise leader of the past eleven years.
All Minnesota wants back is a couple of high draft picks, which isn't asking all that much when you consider that KG is the only player in NBA history to average 20+ points, 10 + rebounds and 4 + assists for ten consecutive seasons.
Whose going to get him though? The Boston Celtics make no sense . . . Why would KG want to languish in the lottery there when he can stay at home and do it Minnesota? I don't think the Lakers really make all that much sense either . . . KG and Kobe co-existing with no other legitimate help to speak of? Not likely.
But the Phoenix Suns, now there's an idea. NBA sources say Phoenix has been talking to Minnesota and Atlanta about a three-team trade that would net them the Big Ticket's services for a package starting with the #5 pick in the draft.
Sounds good, but if you're Phoenix, you can't give up Amare Stoudemire to make this deal happen. Shawn Marion---versatile as he is---would make way more dispensable sense because he tends to be a perimeter player, much like Kevin Garnett. But you need to keep Amare to have a threat in the low post.
If this deal somehow goes down, and Phoenix trots out a lineup with Stoudemire, Garnett, Nash, Diaw and Barbosa next year, you can forget about it already. The Suns are your 2008 NBA Champions.
Finally, The Year's First Really Good Movie
This year's class of movies has been routinely awful. There's no other way to put it. Spiderman 3 . . . Pirates 3 . . . Shrek 3 . . . Enough with the garbage sequels already!
There really haven't even been any truly good DVD releases of late, which downright stinks for a moviehead like me. But finally, there's something to feel good about. It's called Knocked Up.
Judd Apatow (40 Year-Old Virgin, Anchor Man) directs the film, which focuses on the plight of a slacker (played by Seth Rogen) who has a one-night stand with a motivated entertainment reporter (played by Katherine Heigl). Of course, the night of fun leads to an unexpected pregnancy, but the movie isn't about morality lessons. Instead, it's about growing up and becoming a responsible adult, something that Rogen's slacker is forced to do in a hurry.
Plot details aside, the movie is seriously funny. (I literally caught myself laughing out loud four or five times in the first half hour.) And the best part about it is that never once do you feel like the flick is trying too hard, something that most definitely can't be said about the aformentiened triquels, or whatever you want to call them.
If you stick with it, you'll see that---much like Virgin---Knocked Up has a heart to it too. I'll give it a strong four stars out of five. Director/Writer Apatow is clearly a talent to be reckoned with. And so, in a movie year that's vying for the right to be called the worst of all-time, Knocked Up sits on top of the heap as the best of the year.
2007 Razorback Football Schedule Looms Tough
For the first time in three years, there's no early-season game with USC (thank goodness), but that doesn't mean Arkansas won't have its hand full with plenty of brutal SEC games. Two months to go until the season opener with Troy, here's my ranking of the five most difficult games on the '07 slate for the Hogs.
#1- at LSU, November 23rd. The Tigers are scary wherever you play them, so going to Baton Rouge the day after Thanksgiving is downright brutal for the Hogs. QB Jamarcus Russell is gone, but all LSU does is reload yearly with one of the four or five deepest recruiting wells in America. This game looms as large and as difficult as last year's season finale defeat against the Tigers in Little Rock.
#2- at Tennessee, November 10th. The Volunteers hate losing to Arkansas and should be out for revenge after getting pounded on national television last year in Fayetteville. Neyland Stadium is always a very difficult place to play, and you'd figure Phil Fulmer already has this game circled as a key contest on his calendar.
#3- home for Auburn, October 13th. I realize Arkansas dominated the Tigers at Auburn last year, but Tommy Tubberville is already out to prove that it was a fluke. Like many of Arkansas' opponents this year, Auburn will come to Fayetteville with a chip on its shoulder. And two linebackers keyed in on Darren McFadden at all times.
#4- home for Kentucky, September 22nd. Some folks may want to scoff at this pick. Ahead of Alabama? Yeah, I think so. The Wildcats were one of the most improved teams in the country last year (9 wins, crushed Clemson in a bowl) and they return a host of talent. None more gifted than QB Andre Woodson, who's undoubtedly the best quarterback in the SEC this year. Throw in the fact that Kentucky has a history of playing Arkansas tough (seven overtimes ring a bell?) and there's no reason to think the Wildcats won't make it another nail-biter this year.
#5- at Alabama, September 15th. This is clearly the key game to the season, but it's not nearly the toughest. Surely, Nick Saban will have his Crimson Tide up and ready for the game in Tuscaloosa, and there's no question that the fans will be whipped up and into a drunken frenzy by the time the nationally televised game gets going at six o'clock. But it's my belief that the Razorbacks are getting 'Bama at the right time of the year: early. I just don't see how Alabama's porous defense is going to contain Arkansas' ground attack.
-JAB
Monday, June 18, 2007
Josh's June News, Notes and Nuggets
U.S. Open Finishes Tight as a Wire
Angel Cabrera sent a message to the youth of the world at Oakmont yesterday: who needs a physique when you've got Marlboro Lights? The 36-year-old Argentine drove his way to the U.S. Open crown with a number of big tee shots, none larger than his smack-down-the-middle leadoff shot on eighteen. Chain smoking all the way, with a sagging waistline to boot, Cabrera was far from the picture of golfing beauty, but he still made enough shots to stymie the Tiger, who fell just one stroke short. It's not a misprint: five over par was enough to win the year's second major, making it more of a survival test than an actual high level competition. But there was still drama at the end, with Woods and Furyk pressing close, but Cabrera managing to puff his way past.
I guess the big winner here---besides Cabrera, of course---was Oakmont itself. Clearly, there's no more difficult a course you could hold a major on.
Interleague Slate Wrapping Up
Some thoughts on the Interleague baseball over the weekend:
Cardinals' fans rejoice! Kip Wells has finally been banished from the starting rotation. Sporting a 2-10 record with an ERA of almost seven, it's been a long time coming for the Pirates' defector. Unfortunately for the Redbirds, Wells' exit to the bullpen means Anthony Reyes gets another shot in the rotation. Called back up from Triple A Memphis, Reyes got a no-decision in a 10-6 win over the A's yesterday. He's still 0-8 on the year with an ERA over six. And you wondered why it feels like Saint Louis has had to come from behind so often this year....
Barry Bonds is an stoppable force. So is Alex Rodriguez. Bonds will get his home run record sometime in the next month when he passes Hank Aaron, but he won't get to keep it for long. Barring a run of unforeseen injuries, A-Rod is on course with destiny for sometime around 2014. Just nine dingers shy of 500---at the age of 30---all you have to do is a little quick math to see that Rodriguez only needs to average 40 longballs a year for the next seven years to get to 800. As amazing as that is to say, it's the absolute truth, and perhaps the only consolation for baseball fans like myself who want no part of watching Barry break Hammerin' Hank's record. A-Rod to the rescue? In this regard, I guess so....
Speaking of records, Pete Rose's career hits mark may not be all that safe either. Once thought untouchable, Charlie Hustle's total of over 4,200 career hits may be in the sights of another Yankee. Derek Jeter is 32 years old and has fifty more hits than Rose did at the same point in his career. A phenomenal base hit guy, DJ still looks and plays young. If he can stay hungry and healthy till he's in his early 40s, Jeter actually has a realistic shot at the mark....
Meanwhile, the Mets have major problems. All of a sudden, my pick---in both heart and mind---for the 2007 World Series crown is looking more and more perilous by the day. Tom Glavine has lost his location, El Duque has lost his zip, the once strong bullpen has sprung leaks all over, and the offense just doesn't have its groove.
Can Carlos Beltran and Carlos Delgado still turn it around? Of course. But unless the Mets trade for more pitching, or Pedro Martinez comes back and pitches like his younger self---an unlikely proposition---the Mets don't look any more likely to win it all this year than they did a year ago....
75 Days Till Troy!
The Hogs open the 2007 football season on September 1st, and for most folks around the Natural State, it can't come quickly enough. For a Razorback nation so snake-bitten by gossip, drama and hearsay over the last 12 months, it's ultimately going to take a new gridiron slate to fully wash last year's clean. Not that there aren't blocks to build upon from a year ago---ten overall wins, 7-1 in the SEC West, D-Mac and Felix, Monk as a go-to wideout, Antowain Robinson as an elite pass-rushing force, to name a few---there's still some hangover as well. Over what? How about a three game losing streak to close the year? How about the names Malzahn and Mustain and Williams? How bout Mama-gate? And Broyles-gate? And Bragg-gate? Or the McAfee stuff?
Yes, the sooner the 2007 season gets here, the better for Hogs' fans everywhere.
-JAB
Angel Cabrera sent a message to the youth of the world at Oakmont yesterday: who needs a physique when you've got Marlboro Lights? The 36-year-old Argentine drove his way to the U.S. Open crown with a number of big tee shots, none larger than his smack-down-the-middle leadoff shot on eighteen. Chain smoking all the way, with a sagging waistline to boot, Cabrera was far from the picture of golfing beauty, but he still made enough shots to stymie the Tiger, who fell just one stroke short. It's not a misprint: five over par was enough to win the year's second major, making it more of a survival test than an actual high level competition. But there was still drama at the end, with Woods and Furyk pressing close, but Cabrera managing to puff his way past.
I guess the big winner here---besides Cabrera, of course---was Oakmont itself. Clearly, there's no more difficult a course you could hold a major on.
Interleague Slate Wrapping Up
Some thoughts on the Interleague baseball over the weekend:
Cardinals' fans rejoice! Kip Wells has finally been banished from the starting rotation. Sporting a 2-10 record with an ERA of almost seven, it's been a long time coming for the Pirates' defector. Unfortunately for the Redbirds, Wells' exit to the bullpen means Anthony Reyes gets another shot in the rotation. Called back up from Triple A Memphis, Reyes got a no-decision in a 10-6 win over the A's yesterday. He's still 0-8 on the year with an ERA over six. And you wondered why it feels like Saint Louis has had to come from behind so often this year....
Barry Bonds is an stoppable force. So is Alex Rodriguez. Bonds will get his home run record sometime in the next month when he passes Hank Aaron, but he won't get to keep it for long. Barring a run of unforeseen injuries, A-Rod is on course with destiny for sometime around 2014. Just nine dingers shy of 500---at the age of 30---all you have to do is a little quick math to see that Rodriguez only needs to average 40 longballs a year for the next seven years to get to 800. As amazing as that is to say, it's the absolute truth, and perhaps the only consolation for baseball fans like myself who want no part of watching Barry break Hammerin' Hank's record. A-Rod to the rescue? In this regard, I guess so....
Speaking of records, Pete Rose's career hits mark may not be all that safe either. Once thought untouchable, Charlie Hustle's total of over 4,200 career hits may be in the sights of another Yankee. Derek Jeter is 32 years old and has fifty more hits than Rose did at the same point in his career. A phenomenal base hit guy, DJ still looks and plays young. If he can stay hungry and healthy till he's in his early 40s, Jeter actually has a realistic shot at the mark....
Meanwhile, the Mets have major problems. All of a sudden, my pick---in both heart and mind---for the 2007 World Series crown is looking more and more perilous by the day. Tom Glavine has lost his location, El Duque has lost his zip, the once strong bullpen has sprung leaks all over, and the offense just doesn't have its groove.
Can Carlos Beltran and Carlos Delgado still turn it around? Of course. But unless the Mets trade for more pitching, or Pedro Martinez comes back and pitches like his younger self---an unlikely proposition---the Mets don't look any more likely to win it all this year than they did a year ago....
75 Days Till Troy!
The Hogs open the 2007 football season on September 1st, and for most folks around the Natural State, it can't come quickly enough. For a Razorback nation so snake-bitten by gossip, drama and hearsay over the last 12 months, it's ultimately going to take a new gridiron slate to fully wash last year's clean. Not that there aren't blocks to build upon from a year ago---ten overall wins, 7-1 in the SEC West, D-Mac and Felix, Monk as a go-to wideout, Antowain Robinson as an elite pass-rushing force, to name a few---there's still some hangover as well. Over what? How about a three game losing streak to close the year? How about the names Malzahn and Mustain and Williams? How bout Mama-gate? And Broyles-gate? And Bragg-gate? Or the McAfee stuff?
Yes, the sooner the 2007 season gets here, the better for Hogs' fans everywhere.
-JAB
Monday, June 11, 2007
June's Sports Lacking Drama, So Leave It to HBO
I'm not sure what was worse to watch over the weekend: LeBron and the Cavs getting squashed by the Spurs in the second game of the NBA Finals, or my Mets getting spanked around Comerica Park by the Tigers in Interleague play. On that note, watching the Rocket pitch the Yankees to another win on Saturday was enough to make my stomach churn too.
What can you do? We're into that summer stretch of the sports year when events like the French Open final (Nadal just owns Federer on the clay) and the Belmont Stakes (Curlin nipped by a nose!) give way to tournaments like golf's U.S. Open and the NCAA's College World Series. Primo material? Absolutely not, but then, it sure is hard to find right now.
Let's face it: the Cavaliers have no chance of beating the Spurs this year. As in zero percent of possibility. As in nada. Cleveland just doesn't have enough weapons besides the King-ly one. Sasha Pavlovic and Larry Hughes? Anderson Varejao and Drew Gooden? Gimme a break! You can make the argument that this year's Cavs are the worst team ever to make an NBA Finals. Which isn't to take anything away from the Spurs---a Patriots-like organization that is now on the verge of its fourth championship in nine years. Tim Duncan is flat-out the best power forward of all-time. Tony Parker is an all-world point guard and Manu Ginobli is as versatile a perimeter player as there is in the game today. But San Antonio just isn't sexy.
Sexy is something the NBA hasn't really had since MJ left Chicago. It's something a lot of sports still lack. But HBO's long-running mob drama Sopranos has always had it in droves. Finally, after seven plus seasons of high-level entertainment, the Jersey-based program hung it up for good---supposedly---last night. And what can you say about the finale? There was never going to be a closing storyline that made everyone happy, there was no way it was ever going to completely appease the masses. Yet I think David Chase ended his show relatively strongly.
Look at what you had in the capper: AJ wakes from his season long depression after narrowly avoiding being blown up his car. Meadow has her eyes set on a legal career. Tony's crew hits back at the New York contingent by tracking down (with the Feds' help) and whacking Phil Leotardo. Nothing happens to Paulie or Uncle Junior; they're left to wallow in their delirious realities. It's the last scene though, that's left everyone up in arms.
The Sopranos---one by one---make their way into a diner for a meal. Tony cues up Journey's "Don't Stop Believing" on the jukebox. The camera gets ominous as it pans around to a couple of sketchy guys who eyeball the Soprano crew. The tension builds and the viewer is made to believe that something---big, small, whatever---is about to happen. But it never does. As Meadow heads through the door, Tony's eyes dart up, and the camera cuts quickly to black . . . No last line, no slam bang finale. Just the end.
I'm a big believer that the show should have ended two years ago when it was still truly relevant and on top of its game. But this final season did not disappoint. Instead we were left with the Soprano family struggling to keep its balance, eyes always looking over the shoulder, warily moving on into the future. To paraphrase MacArthur, here in the context of Sopranos, "Great shows never die, they just fade away...."
Ain't it the truth.
-JAB
What can you do? We're into that summer stretch of the sports year when events like the French Open final (Nadal just owns Federer on the clay) and the Belmont Stakes (Curlin nipped by a nose!) give way to tournaments like golf's U.S. Open and the NCAA's College World Series. Primo material? Absolutely not, but then, it sure is hard to find right now.
Let's face it: the Cavaliers have no chance of beating the Spurs this year. As in zero percent of possibility. As in nada. Cleveland just doesn't have enough weapons besides the King-ly one. Sasha Pavlovic and Larry Hughes? Anderson Varejao and Drew Gooden? Gimme a break! You can make the argument that this year's Cavs are the worst team ever to make an NBA Finals. Which isn't to take anything away from the Spurs---a Patriots-like organization that is now on the verge of its fourth championship in nine years. Tim Duncan is flat-out the best power forward of all-time. Tony Parker is an all-world point guard and Manu Ginobli is as versatile a perimeter player as there is in the game today. But San Antonio just isn't sexy.
Sexy is something the NBA hasn't really had since MJ left Chicago. It's something a lot of sports still lack. But HBO's long-running mob drama Sopranos has always had it in droves. Finally, after seven plus seasons of high-level entertainment, the Jersey-based program hung it up for good---supposedly---last night. And what can you say about the finale? There was never going to be a closing storyline that made everyone happy, there was no way it was ever going to completely appease the masses. Yet I think David Chase ended his show relatively strongly.
Look at what you had in the capper: AJ wakes from his season long depression after narrowly avoiding being blown up his car. Meadow has her eyes set on a legal career. Tony's crew hits back at the New York contingent by tracking down (with the Feds' help) and whacking Phil Leotardo. Nothing happens to Paulie or Uncle Junior; they're left to wallow in their delirious realities. It's the last scene though, that's left everyone up in arms.
The Sopranos---one by one---make their way into a diner for a meal. Tony cues up Journey's "Don't Stop Believing" on the jukebox. The camera gets ominous as it pans around to a couple of sketchy guys who eyeball the Soprano crew. The tension builds and the viewer is made to believe that something---big, small, whatever---is about to happen. But it never does. As Meadow heads through the door, Tony's eyes dart up, and the camera cuts quickly to black . . . No last line, no slam bang finale. Just the end.
I'm a big believer that the show should have ended two years ago when it was still truly relevant and on top of its game. But this final season did not disappoint. Instead we were left with the Soprano family struggling to keep its balance, eyes always looking over the shoulder, warily moving on into the future. To paraphrase MacArthur, here in the context of Sopranos, "Great shows never die, they just fade away...."
Ain't it the truth.
-JAB
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
Bron-Bron Rises Up
Seems like every nine years---to a tee---we get an era-defining shot in the NBA.
A shot that serves as a sign that a new day is dawning.
There's Magic Johnson with the skyhook to win Game 6 of the 1980 NBA Finals for his Lakers . . . There's Michael Jordan with the hanging winner against Cleveland in a first round Game 5 in 1989 . . . MJ again with the (what should've been) career-capper versus Utah in 1998 . . . Skip to the now, nine years later, and there's LeBron James with a fadeaway 3-pointer from the left wing to help push his Cavs versus the Pistons in Game 5 of the 2007 East Finals....
Picking one shot from that phenomenal 48 point, 9 rebound, 7 assist performance is darn near impossible to do, there were just so many tremendous shots on display from LBJ's already-vast repertoire. But clearly the fadeaway three, the shot that tied that Game 5 up at 107 in double overtime at Detroit, that was the shot that stabilized Cleveland, that was the shot that set up James' winner a little over a minute later, and maybe it was the shot that changed the future of the NBA.
You know it's a big deal when His Airness himself, Michael Jordan aka the Greatest Player of All-Time---a guy who's always been hesitant to dole out compliments to other players----he says that LeBron's performance against Detroit was "one of the best I've ever seen."
The guy hit jumpshots, he drove with authority, he slammed, he passed, he willed his team to victory against a decidedly more talented collective. Doing it so smoothly against a series of double and triple-teams was probably the most impressive part of LeBron's Eastern Conference Final performance this year, if mostly because the guy played like he'd been there before. Obviously, at just 22 years of age, James hadn't been there---not yet, at least---but he sure played the part, and at long last the NBA has a Finals storyline that it can sell again.
Watch LeBron James and his band of merry thieves as they try to rob the crown from the title rich Spurs fans of San Antonio and give it to the poor souls rooting for anything Cleveland! Alas, the Browns, Cavs and Indians have long been amongst the doormats of their respective leagues, but maybe, just maybe, that's about to change.
If LeBron James can continue playing at his current extraordinary level---a major if against the defensively-minded Spurs, even for Lebron---then the Cavs have a chance.
If Daniel Gibson and Larry Hughes and Donyell Marshall and Sasha Pavlovic can consistently make open three-pointers---another major if---then the Cavs have an even better chance.
If Drew Gooden and Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Anderson Varejao can step up their defense, use their fouls wisely and frustrate the heck out of Tim Duncan---maybe the most unrealistic of the ifs---then the Cavs are seriously in business.
Of course all this involves a combined breakdown of San Antonio's backcourt play by Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili---a solar eclipse is probably more likely to come first----but it's okay to dream right?
All major ifs, but you know the NBA wants it to happen sooo badly. It's a chance to officially pass the torch from Jordan to the next great marketable player in the league (no offense to Kobe and Dwyane).
Call him Bron-Bron if you want, or King James if you want to be formal---the guy is a stud of a basketball player.
Physically, Magic Johnson meets Karl Malone.
Competitively, hungry like Mike.
And if in some metaphysical fluke the basketball stars align just right over the next two weeks, LeBron James will walk away with the first of what's sure to be multiple NBA titles.
A lot of ifs. But at least there's something finally worth rooting for in an NBA postseason that has so desperately needed anything.
I'm rooting for you, LeBron. It's fun to dream every once and a while.
NBA Finals Prediction: San Antonio in six games
-JAB
A shot that serves as a sign that a new day is dawning.
There's Magic Johnson with the skyhook to win Game 6 of the 1980 NBA Finals for his Lakers . . . There's Michael Jordan with the hanging winner against Cleveland in a first round Game 5 in 1989 . . . MJ again with the (what should've been) career-capper versus Utah in 1998 . . . Skip to the now, nine years later, and there's LeBron James with a fadeaway 3-pointer from the left wing to help push his Cavs versus the Pistons in Game 5 of the 2007 East Finals....
Picking one shot from that phenomenal 48 point, 9 rebound, 7 assist performance is darn near impossible to do, there were just so many tremendous shots on display from LBJ's already-vast repertoire. But clearly the fadeaway three, the shot that tied that Game 5 up at 107 in double overtime at Detroit, that was the shot that stabilized Cleveland, that was the shot that set up James' winner a little over a minute later, and maybe it was the shot that changed the future of the NBA.
You know it's a big deal when His Airness himself, Michael Jordan aka the Greatest Player of All-Time---a guy who's always been hesitant to dole out compliments to other players----he says that LeBron's performance against Detroit was "one of the best I've ever seen."
The guy hit jumpshots, he drove with authority, he slammed, he passed, he willed his team to victory against a decidedly more talented collective. Doing it so smoothly against a series of double and triple-teams was probably the most impressive part of LeBron's Eastern Conference Final performance this year, if mostly because the guy played like he'd been there before. Obviously, at just 22 years of age, James hadn't been there---not yet, at least---but he sure played the part, and at long last the NBA has a Finals storyline that it can sell again.
Watch LeBron James and his band of merry thieves as they try to rob the crown from the title rich Spurs fans of San Antonio and give it to the poor souls rooting for anything Cleveland! Alas, the Browns, Cavs and Indians have long been amongst the doormats of their respective leagues, but maybe, just maybe, that's about to change.
If LeBron James can continue playing at his current extraordinary level---a major if against the defensively-minded Spurs, even for Lebron---then the Cavs have a chance.
If Daniel Gibson and Larry Hughes and Donyell Marshall and Sasha Pavlovic can consistently make open three-pointers---another major if---then the Cavs have an even better chance.
If Drew Gooden and Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Anderson Varejao can step up their defense, use their fouls wisely and frustrate the heck out of Tim Duncan---maybe the most unrealistic of the ifs---then the Cavs are seriously in business.
Of course all this involves a combined breakdown of San Antonio's backcourt play by Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili---a solar eclipse is probably more likely to come first----but it's okay to dream right?
All major ifs, but you know the NBA wants it to happen sooo badly. It's a chance to officially pass the torch from Jordan to the next great marketable player in the league (no offense to Kobe and Dwyane).
Call him Bron-Bron if you want, or King James if you want to be formal---the guy is a stud of a basketball player.
Physically, Magic Johnson meets Karl Malone.
Competitively, hungry like Mike.
And if in some metaphysical fluke the basketball stars align just right over the next two weeks, LeBron James will walk away with the first of what's sure to be multiple NBA titles.
A lot of ifs. But at least there's something finally worth rooting for in an NBA postseason that has so desperately needed anything.
I'm rooting for you, LeBron. It's fun to dream every once and a while.
NBA Finals Prediction: San Antonio in six games
-JAB
Monday, June 04, 2007
Hogs Bounced at Baum, While Billy 'D' Bails
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)
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)
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
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