The overabundance of mediocre football known as the College Football Bowl season kicks off Dec. 20 with a quad...fecta(?) of games that are sure to bore anyone to tears. The full 34 game bowl schedule was announced yesterday and as always there are winners and losers.
Winners
Oklahoma - Proving the BCS honchos' theory that the regular season is a playoff is wrong, wrong, wrong.
Utah - Second BCS bowl in school history. The Utes are in a good situation right now. Urban Meyer couldn't have bolted faster, but Kyle Whittingham is a Utah guy having played at BYU and having coached at Utah now for more than 15 years. He's done a good job keeping the standard set by Meyer and is in it for the long haul in SLC.
Cincinnati and Virginia Tech - Does anyone honestly think either of these teams would have gone better than 6-6 in the Big 12?
GMAC Bowl - for some reason this game is the last game played before the BCS national title game and honestly I think I will watch more of it than the Orange Bowl. There's 7500 yards and 69 passing touchdowns between the two QBs David Johnson and Nate Ball and we'll get to see a real stern test for Ball State who got exposed by a 7-5 Buffalo team Friday night in a game you probably didn't watch.
Poinsettia Bowl - Actually, this is the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl matching up Boise State and TCU. No kidding, this is possibly the best non-BCS Bowl game and it's happening Dec. 23. Boise State has had a great season and this is potentially the swan song for Chris Petersen, but TCU is stout and played in the best Non-BCS conference in America. The Poinsettia organizers have to be ecstatic for once that the focus will be on the game and not the pronunciation of the Bowl itself (Poin-SET-uh or Poin-set-EE-uh?)
Cotton and Alamo Bowls - The glut of good teams in the Big 12 created a trickle down effect and these two bowls benefited big time. The Cotton Bowl gets an 11-1 Texas Tech team that should be playing in a BCS Bowl and the Alamo gets Missouri, who disappointed by all tangible measure, but still features an offense that is way better than any Alamo Bowl deserves.
Vanderbilt - The Long time winner of Bowl season, the Commodores have always gotten to cash in on the shared revenue of SEC Bowls without incurring any travel costs. Now, the 'Dores are Bowl eligible and headed to...Nashville. That's right, the Commodores get to play in the Music City Bowl which means nice payout and no travel costs, the perfect scenario for a school without an Athletic department.
Georgia Tech - Similar situation to Vandy's. Tech will finish one of the more surprising seasons in the FBS playing right down the street from campus.
Chick-Fil-a Bowl - as good as it is for Ga Tech to play at home, that still wouldn't drive ticket sales so fortunately for the organizers they landed LSU which, even though this season has been a disappointment for the Bayou Bengals, will pretty much guarantee a sell out.
Notre Dame - How do you reward a 6-6 season that crashed and burned at the end? A trip to Hawaii. Luck of the Irish indeed.
Losers
Texas - If Oklahoma wins the BCS Title game the Longhorns will forever have to live with the fact that they beat the national champions. If Oklahoma loses, Texas will forever have to live with the fact that they beat a team that didn't deserve to play for a national championship instead of them. I know Ohio State is a power house program, but USC set the bar for Texas at 35-3. Anything short of that will ultimately be a disappointment in the Fiesta Bowl.
Texas Tech - Winners of the Missouri award going to the team that inevitably gets left out of the BCS because only two teams from a conference can make it and the winners of the ACC and Big East have to go to BCS games automatically. Come on, you know an Alabama-Texas Tech Sugar Bowl would be the most intriguing game after the national title game. Hell, a Texas-Texas Tech rematch of probably the best game of the year would be better than Texas-Ohio State.
Oregon State - Last year an injury to Dennis Dixon took the Beavers' arch rivals, Oregon, from national title contention to the Sun Bowl. This year, an injury to freshman Phenom Jacquizz Rogers was a big reason why Oregon State went from a possible Rose Bowl appearance for the first time in 44 years to the Sun Bowl. I hear El Paso is lovely in December.
New Orleans - For a city that relies heavily on sports tourism to bolster the economy, Utah couldn't be a worse selection for the crescent city. Utah doesn't have a huge fan base and it's obviously unlikely that a largely Mormon fan base is going to partake in some of the more adult style activities one would normally partake in in New Orleans.
The Orange Bowl - In January 2006 they got the instant classic old timer's bowl between FSU and Penn State, however other than that it's been sparse for the Orange Bowl in terms of intriguing games. Last year was close, but Kansas didn't deserve a spot over Missouri. They've hosted two stinker national title games (OU over FSU, USC over OU) and other than that it's really been a drag as of late. Expect no different with Cincy and Beamer Ball.
The Humanitarian Bowl - the folks in Boise had a dream match up, relatively speaking, in the works to get the home town Broncos against then undefeated Ball State. The Cardinals balked at the offer (presumably because they didn't want the butt whipping) and thusly the hometown team said 'see ya' heading for a game with TCU in San Diego leaving the home folks with Nevada and Maryland. Blech.
The Independence Bowl - Already struggling for survival, this year's edition is sponsorless and it got worse when its tie-in conferences, the Big 12 and SEC, couldn't field enough eligible teams. As a result they get stuck with Northern Illinois and Louisiana Tech. The good news is that La Tech's campus in Ruston is only an hour from Shreveport, but these games rely on sponsors to survive and no company in its right mind wants to sponsor a game featuring teams like this.
The Capital One Bowl - just an Oregon State win against Oregon away from a preseason #1 v. #2 game between Georgia and Ohio State, the Beavers lose to Oregon State bumping USC up to the automatic Rose Bowl bid and Ohio State to an at-large. Michigan State v. Georgia just doesn't have the same buzz.
Monday, December 8, 2008
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
The NFL: All about the Benjamins Baby
In case you missed it, there was a controversial finish to the Steelers-Chargers game the other day. Trailing by one, the Chargers tried one of those wacky lateral plays. LaDainian Tomlinson tried to lateral to Chris Chambers, but Troy Polamalu scooped up the ball and scored making it 17-10, game over...or so we thought. The refs, for no apparent reason, decided to review the play, even though the game was over. They ruled that the Chargers committed an illegal forward lateral and that the ball was ruled dead, the touchdown wiped out and the game ended Pittsburgh 11, San Diego 10. The refs ruling was incorrect. They admitted so after the game. So what's the big deal? Pittsburgh was favored by 4.5. TD stands, Steelers cover. TD gets wiped out they don't.
WebWire says that $100 million was bet on the game nationwide. With the Steelers not covering on the final play of the game, $32 million that should have gone to gamblers went into the pockets of bookies. That is a staggering number no doubt. Now, it must be noted the $100 million number is probably exaggerated just a tad, nevertheless the NFL is leaping to action.
Mike Pereira, NFL VP of officiating, says a change could be coming. The current replay rules say that once the Referee leaves the replay booth on the field he cannot return and consult with the official in the booth. The NFL is considering changing this rule to allow the official to return and consult with the booth official. That seems reasonable. More interestingly, this rule could be changed during the season by the time the playoffs start.
So let me get this straight. A bunch of money changes hands, at the detriment to gamblers, and the benevolent NFL leaps to action to provide some oversight to the replay system to make sure calls are correct. However, the Falcons lose a game to Philadelphia because the officials made an incorrect call that AFFECTED THE OUTCOME OF THE GAME and the Falcons couldn't challenge it because of the rules of replay and the league decides to address the situation after the season.
The Falcons called their last time out with 3 minutes to go and there is no booth review until the two minute mark. It was INCREDIBLY flukey that the Falcons needed a challenge and didn't have one to use and as far as I know that scenario hadn't happened in the NFL since they brought back replay. However, how often would a replay official need to go back to the booth to re-confirm with the official in the booth? a couple of times a season maybe?
This sends a bad, but predictable, message to NFL teams. I'm not saying we needed a congressional hearing over the Falcons loss to the Eagles and I'm fine with the league looking at it after the season. And don't get me wrong, I have the Steelers defense and had that 6 points I had taken away for the defensive TD cost me my fantasy match up I'd have been plenty peeved, but is this serious enough to warrant corrective action immediately. It says to teams that the NFL cares more about the gamblers than it does the teams.
I get it. Gambling drives up interest in the NFL. Betting on games, and especially the advent of fantasy football leagues many of which are money leagues, has helped the NFL boom into the dominant sports league it has become. I just think it's interesting that the NFL would look after the interests of the audience more than they would the interests of their product.
WebWire says that $100 million was bet on the game nationwide. With the Steelers not covering on the final play of the game, $32 million that should have gone to gamblers went into the pockets of bookies. That is a staggering number no doubt. Now, it must be noted the $100 million number is probably exaggerated just a tad, nevertheless the NFL is leaping to action.
Mike Pereira, NFL VP of officiating, says a change could be coming. The current replay rules say that once the Referee leaves the replay booth on the field he cannot return and consult with the official in the booth. The NFL is considering changing this rule to allow the official to return and consult with the booth official. That seems reasonable. More interestingly, this rule could be changed during the season by the time the playoffs start.
So let me get this straight. A bunch of money changes hands, at the detriment to gamblers, and the benevolent NFL leaps to action to provide some oversight to the replay system to make sure calls are correct. However, the Falcons lose a game to Philadelphia because the officials made an incorrect call that AFFECTED THE OUTCOME OF THE GAME and the Falcons couldn't challenge it because of the rules of replay and the league decides to address the situation after the season.
The Falcons called their last time out with 3 minutes to go and there is no booth review until the two minute mark. It was INCREDIBLY flukey that the Falcons needed a challenge and didn't have one to use and as far as I know that scenario hadn't happened in the NFL since they brought back replay. However, how often would a replay official need to go back to the booth to re-confirm with the official in the booth? a couple of times a season maybe?
This sends a bad, but predictable, message to NFL teams. I'm not saying we needed a congressional hearing over the Falcons loss to the Eagles and I'm fine with the league looking at it after the season. And don't get me wrong, I have the Steelers defense and had that 6 points I had taken away for the defensive TD cost me my fantasy match up I'd have been plenty peeved, but is this serious enough to warrant corrective action immediately. It says to teams that the NFL cares more about the gamblers than it does the teams.
I get it. Gambling drives up interest in the NFL. Betting on games, and especially the advent of fantasy football leagues many of which are money leagues, has helped the NFL boom into the dominant sports league it has become. I just think it's interesting that the NFL would look after the interests of the audience more than they would the interests of their product.
Monday, November 17, 2008
The Monday 10
Trying something new, 10 random thoughts for Monday.
1. Bad performance from Atlanta yesterday at an inopportune time. The offense was inconsistent, the dropped passes were a problem again and the defense just couldn't stop the Denver when they needed to. At this point the Falcons have far surpassed expectations for the 2008 season, but with time you need to adjust expectations and we are expecting this team to compete for a playoff spot. Yesterday's performance was unacceptable. They really need to hunker down and prepare for a Carolina team that beat them soundly once already this season.
2. After a 6-0 start the Hawks are now 6-3. The loss in Boston was understandable, the losses to New Jersey not so much. Devin Harris exposed a major flaw in the Hawks defensive abilities and Vince Carter, proving once again why he's among the most disliked athletes in sports, put up two virtuoso performances when his team needed it. Seriously, this is a guy who could have been one of the all time greats, but seemingly never cared enough to live up to his potential.
3. The record of Atlanta teams since the legendary Furman Bisher declared Atlanta no longer "Loserville"? 1-4. The lone win was the Thrashers who beat Carolina Friday. They lost to Philly yesterday.
4. Another sloppy performance in a win for Georgia on the plains at Auburn Saturday. Where do you even start with this team? The reliance on the mediocrity of Matt Stafford in crunch time instead of your best player, Moreno, is foolhardy. The team in general lacks the ability to tackle anybody. The penalty situation is a flat out embarrassment. The team lacks discipline. I thought I might be going out on a limb early in the season when I linked the programs recklessness during the offseason to its recklessness on the field, but it's not a stretch now. Mark Richt needs to get this program under control. This team will probably finish 10-2 which is a fine accomplishment, but the way they're going to get there is a tremendous disappointment after last seasons remarkable finish.
5. With the SEC Championship game a national semifinal in all likelihood, the only thing keeping us from BCS controversy is Texas Tech beating Oklahoma Saturday and Missouri in the Big 12 championship game (surely even an unfathomable loss to Baylor wouldn't keep the Big 12 champs out of the title game, would it?). I'm sure BCS officials have put in the call to the Big 12 asking them to make sure Tech wins Saturday. I'm not really sure they could fix it, Big 12 officials are too inept to pull off such a scam.
6. Giants-Titans in the Superbowl. I'm not saying it's going to happen necessarily, but it's certainly looking like we're headed down that path right now. The Titans look like the 2000 Baltimore Ravens. Not quite as good defensively, but still outstanding and Kerry Collins is playing at a high level right now. The Giants, even though the Titans are unbeaten, are the best team in the league right now in my opinion. They have so much balance on offense with Eli playing well and rotating the backs effectively keeping everyone as healthy as possible. The defense loses Strahan and Osi (I'm not even going to try to properly spell Uminyeyeoeyora) and they don't seem to miss a beat. The road gets tougher for the G-men from here on out, all six of their remaining opponents are fighting for playoff spots. For the Titans, beat the Jets this week and they could cruise to 14-0 by beating the Lions, Browns and Texans. They end with a doozy of a double header, Pittsburgh and Indianapolis, two teams that it looks will be fighting for their playoff lives.
7. I don't know what amuses me more, a tie in the NFL or the first ever 11-10 final score in league history. I think the NFL should modify the college overtime system by starting on the 40 and do away with ties all together. It is pretty amusing it was the Eagles, in what should have been a gimmie, tying the lowly Bengals. Meanwhile, as the Steelers get pushed from the record books (they were part of the last tie, a memorable game with Atlanta that ended when Plaxico Burress caught the ball with his body in the endzone, but not the ball,on the final play of overtime) they come up with something to make history. Is there a team with worse weather luck than Pittsburgh? Last year they played a 3-0 barnburner with Miami in a monsoon. Now they play the first ever 11-10 game in a blinding snowstorm.
8. I know hyperbole in sports is out of control these days, but ESPN.com actually had a headline that said Jimmy Johnson winning his third straight Sprint Cup title was among the best feats in sports history. I respect NASCAR drivers because I think they're crazy, but for one thing NASCAR drivers aren't athletes and secondly NASCAR isn't a sport. I understand that the zealots that follow these sports aching for full mainstream support (NASCAR is on its way, but will always have trouble winning over segments of the population) have a myopic world view, but Jimmy Johnson shouldn't be mentioned alongside Michael Jordan, Babe Ruth and Jim Brown. That's like equating the US Women's Curling team winning the 2003 World title to the Miracle on Ice. Don't ask me why I was watching Curling, but I'll never forget it. The most hyperbolic call in sports history.
9. I'm not a huge MMA fan, but I enjoy watching it when I catch it. I made sure to seek out the big Brock Lesnar-Randy Couture fight on Saturday night. Couture was the crafty veteran champion and Lesnar, the former WWE star, the up-and-coming monster. Couture seemed to have a good strategy going in, but strategy went by the wayside when Lesnar caught him with a clean shot in the temple and then punished Couture on the ground with some hammer like fists to the face prompting a second round TKO. Lesnar is the UFC heavyweight champ with a 3-1 career record. I'm not sure if that's a good thing for the UFC in terms of credibility, but it's good for publicity because Lesnar is a HUGE dude with some name recognition from his WWE days and has a legitimate wrestling background so he won't be a flash in the pan like Kimbo Slice.
10. I wish I had more college football for you, but what a dreadful slate of games this past week. Fortunately, we make up for it with a pretty solid slate this week. The week is highlighted by the huge Texas Tech-Oklahoma showdown. There are plenty of intriguing games elsewhere. Utah and BYU battle with BCS implications on the line, Ohio State and Michigan play (seems to have lost some luster this year, no?), Oregon State looks to keep improbable Rose Bowl hopes alive at Arizona, Michigan state and Penn State battle as top 15 teams and the ACC has two critical games as Miami plays Georgia Tech Thursday and Florida State plays Maryland.
1. Bad performance from Atlanta yesterday at an inopportune time. The offense was inconsistent, the dropped passes were a problem again and the defense just couldn't stop the Denver when they needed to. At this point the Falcons have far surpassed expectations for the 2008 season, but with time you need to adjust expectations and we are expecting this team to compete for a playoff spot. Yesterday's performance was unacceptable. They really need to hunker down and prepare for a Carolina team that beat them soundly once already this season.
2. After a 6-0 start the Hawks are now 6-3. The loss in Boston was understandable, the losses to New Jersey not so much. Devin Harris exposed a major flaw in the Hawks defensive abilities and Vince Carter, proving once again why he's among the most disliked athletes in sports, put up two virtuoso performances when his team needed it. Seriously, this is a guy who could have been one of the all time greats, but seemingly never cared enough to live up to his potential.
3. The record of Atlanta teams since the legendary Furman Bisher declared Atlanta no longer "Loserville"? 1-4. The lone win was the Thrashers who beat Carolina Friday. They lost to Philly yesterday.
4. Another sloppy performance in a win for Georgia on the plains at Auburn Saturday. Where do you even start with this team? The reliance on the mediocrity of Matt Stafford in crunch time instead of your best player, Moreno, is foolhardy. The team in general lacks the ability to tackle anybody. The penalty situation is a flat out embarrassment. The team lacks discipline. I thought I might be going out on a limb early in the season when I linked the programs recklessness during the offseason to its recklessness on the field, but it's not a stretch now. Mark Richt needs to get this program under control. This team will probably finish 10-2 which is a fine accomplishment, but the way they're going to get there is a tremendous disappointment after last seasons remarkable finish.
5. With the SEC Championship game a national semifinal in all likelihood, the only thing keeping us from BCS controversy is Texas Tech beating Oklahoma Saturday and Missouri in the Big 12 championship game (surely even an unfathomable loss to Baylor wouldn't keep the Big 12 champs out of the title game, would it?). I'm sure BCS officials have put in the call to the Big 12 asking them to make sure Tech wins Saturday. I'm not really sure they could fix it, Big 12 officials are too inept to pull off such a scam.
6. Giants-Titans in the Superbowl. I'm not saying it's going to happen necessarily, but it's certainly looking like we're headed down that path right now. The Titans look like the 2000 Baltimore Ravens. Not quite as good defensively, but still outstanding and Kerry Collins is playing at a high level right now. The Giants, even though the Titans are unbeaten, are the best team in the league right now in my opinion. They have so much balance on offense with Eli playing well and rotating the backs effectively keeping everyone as healthy as possible. The defense loses Strahan and Osi (I'm not even going to try to properly spell Uminyeyeoeyora) and they don't seem to miss a beat. The road gets tougher for the G-men from here on out, all six of their remaining opponents are fighting for playoff spots. For the Titans, beat the Jets this week and they could cruise to 14-0 by beating the Lions, Browns and Texans. They end with a doozy of a double header, Pittsburgh and Indianapolis, two teams that it looks will be fighting for their playoff lives.
7. I don't know what amuses me more, a tie in the NFL or the first ever 11-10 final score in league history. I think the NFL should modify the college overtime system by starting on the 40 and do away with ties all together. It is pretty amusing it was the Eagles, in what should have been a gimmie, tying the lowly Bengals. Meanwhile, as the Steelers get pushed from the record books (they were part of the last tie, a memorable game with Atlanta that ended when Plaxico Burress caught the ball with his body in the endzone, but not the ball,on the final play of overtime) they come up with something to make history. Is there a team with worse weather luck than Pittsburgh? Last year they played a 3-0 barnburner with Miami in a monsoon. Now they play the first ever 11-10 game in a blinding snowstorm.
8. I know hyperbole in sports is out of control these days, but ESPN.com actually had a headline that said Jimmy Johnson winning his third straight Sprint Cup title was among the best feats in sports history. I respect NASCAR drivers because I think they're crazy, but for one thing NASCAR drivers aren't athletes and secondly NASCAR isn't a sport. I understand that the zealots that follow these sports aching for full mainstream support (NASCAR is on its way, but will always have trouble winning over segments of the population) have a myopic world view, but Jimmy Johnson shouldn't be mentioned alongside Michael Jordan, Babe Ruth and Jim Brown. That's like equating the US Women's Curling team winning the 2003 World title to the Miracle on Ice. Don't ask me why I was watching Curling, but I'll never forget it. The most hyperbolic call in sports history.
9. I'm not a huge MMA fan, but I enjoy watching it when I catch it. I made sure to seek out the big Brock Lesnar-Randy Couture fight on Saturday night. Couture was the crafty veteran champion and Lesnar, the former WWE star, the up-and-coming monster. Couture seemed to have a good strategy going in, but strategy went by the wayside when Lesnar caught him with a clean shot in the temple and then punished Couture on the ground with some hammer like fists to the face prompting a second round TKO. Lesnar is the UFC heavyweight champ with a 3-1 career record. I'm not sure if that's a good thing for the UFC in terms of credibility, but it's good for publicity because Lesnar is a HUGE dude with some name recognition from his WWE days and has a legitimate wrestling background so he won't be a flash in the pan like Kimbo Slice.
10. I wish I had more college football for you, but what a dreadful slate of games this past week. Fortunately, we make up for it with a pretty solid slate this week. The week is highlighted by the huge Texas Tech-Oklahoma showdown. There are plenty of intriguing games elsewhere. Utah and BYU battle with BCS implications on the line, Ohio State and Michigan play (seems to have lost some luster this year, no?), Oregon State looks to keep improbable Rose Bowl hopes alive at Arizona, Michigan state and Penn State battle as top 15 teams and the ACC has two critical games as Miami plays Georgia Tech Thursday and Florida State plays Maryland.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
How do you like them apples?
All day yesterday on the radio sports talk hosts were criticizing Atlanta fans for their lackluster support of the Falcons against the Saints on Sunday. Despite selling the game out, the crowd didn't seem that into the action and many of the seats were empty. They argued that this team has earned support and I can agree with that. But you can hardly blame Falcons fans. We're Will Hunting.
What does that mean? Well, in the classic 1997 film, Matt Damon plays the enigmatic boy genius. A brilliant prodigy with a troubled past and troubled present he has trouble letting anyone new into his life because he was abused by people who were supposed to take care of him during childhood. It leads to a classic exchange between Will and his therapist Sean (Robin Williams) about the physical abuse he used to suffer at the hands of his foster dad:
Will: He used to just put a belt, a stick, and a wrench on the kitchen table and say, "Choose."
Sean: Well, I gotta go with the belt there.
Will: I used to go with the wrench.
Sean: Why?
Will: Cause fuck him, that' why.
I can't help but equate the Falcons past with Will's. My first indoctrination into Falcon fandom was in 1991. That year the Falcons got the 6th seed in the NFC playoffs and upset division rival New Orleans in the first round of the playoffs. The Falcons were overmatched in the second round by Washington, but it was still exciting to be a Falcons fan. How did they follow it up? Back-to-back 6-10 seasons that got Jerry Glanville fired.
My grandparents were season ticket holders for 30 years. When the Georgia Dome opened they had the best seats in the entire place in the first row of the club level on the 50 yard line. I used to beg my dad to take me and he pretty much always obliged. We went to every home game but one during the 1995 season and the last game, Christmas eve, the Falcons needed to beat the defending Super Bowl champ 49ers to make the playoffs. They did so in improbable fashion. Again the Falcons were outclassed by a playoff opponent, this time the Packers, but good times were coming for the Falcons...Or not. The Falcons finished a dreadful 3-13 in 1996 and June Jones got the ax as a result. That ushered in the Dan Reeves era and the team finished strong in '97 winning five of their last six games setting them up for one of the most improbable runs in league history.
1998 was a year that will never be forgotten in Falcon lore. They started with two wins before losing to long time nemesis San Francisco. A few more wins got them to 5-1, but people were still a tad skeptical after getting waxed by the Jets 28-3 to move to 5-2. A couple of weeks later Atlanta traveled to New England and put a whooping on the Pats. People were starting to believe. They followed it up by beating the 49ers at home and the bandwagon was at full speed. You know the rest. Miracle in Minnesota. Eugene Robinson tries to pay for nookie. Falcons blown out by the Broncos in the big game.
Despite the aging of key players, there was still plenty of optimism in 1999. The team returned a lot of players and had just inked star running back Jamal Anderson to a big contract. Anderson destroyed his knee in game one of the 99 season. The Falcons season was destroyed with him. The Falcons finished 5-11 and went 4-12 the following season, but help was set to arrive in 2001.
I'll never forget where I was the day the before the 2001 NFL draft. I came home from school and logged on to espn.com to find out the Falcons had traded for the number one pick and the right to draft Michael Vick. People were ecstatic. He sat most of 2001, but we got some rare glimpses into his brilliance. He was handed the keys to the franchise in 2002 and led the team to a 9-6-1 record and a playoff birth. His legend grew when he led the Falcons to a playoff win at historic Lambeau Field. A few days later the jumbotron at the Hawks game spotted him sitting courtside and the fans gave him a standing ovation. Our future was bright.
Our future was bright until Adalius Thomas broke Vick's leg and our hopes and dreams in a preseason game and sent the 2003 down the drain. Still, Vick came back and played well at the end of the season and that translated into an NFC title game appearance in 2004. The Falcons lost, but we were still optimistic. We'd never seen anything close to this kind of stability. 2005 and 2006 played out in the same fashion, and neither were good. Both years the Falcons started hot and finished poorly missing the playoffs and leaving many to question the mettle of this team and the ability of its Franchise quarterback. The lackluster finishes cost Jim Mora his job and we were cautiously optimistic that new coach Bobby Petrino could mold Vick into the quarterback the franchise needed him to be. Petrino never got that chance.
Again, you know what happened. Drug bust on a Vick owned property. Dogfighting equipment found. Vick denies allegations. Federal charges come down. Former friend flips. Vick admits guilt. Falcons organization crushed. Rock Bottom came for the Falcons on December 12, 2007 when Bobby Petrino tucked his tail between his leg, left his players dear john letters and hightailed it for Arkansas like the coward and scumbucket he is. We'd seen our darkest day.
Mind you, that's only 17 years of Falcons history. Folks who have been around longer have suffered through more (Don't even get my old man started on the 1980 playoff game against Dallas). So why should we believe it's any different now? I would say without any doubt in my mind everything this franchise has done personnel wise has been a home run since Petrino quit. Thomas Dimitroff has brought in good players and Mike Smith and his staff have prepared them to play well every week. Still, in the mind of Falcons fans every where we're about 50 percent sure Matt Ryan will become a pro bowl quarterback and 50 percent sure he'll be caught galavanting with underage transexual prostitutes, because honestly at this point what could shock people more than federal dog fighting charges.
Sure, we're a slow fan base to energize, but you can't blame Atlanta fans for being hesitant to get on board. We don't jump into our professional sports pool with both feet, we have to dip our toe first, then a leg then both legs and then the whole body. We've been burned too badly in the past to jump in feet first. Like Will Hunting, the Atlanta fans have a ton of potential, but it's going to take more convincing before we let ourselves go and open up.
What does that mean? Well, in the classic 1997 film, Matt Damon plays the enigmatic boy genius. A brilliant prodigy with a troubled past and troubled present he has trouble letting anyone new into his life because he was abused by people who were supposed to take care of him during childhood. It leads to a classic exchange between Will and his therapist Sean (Robin Williams) about the physical abuse he used to suffer at the hands of his foster dad:
Will: He used to just put a belt, a stick, and a wrench on the kitchen table and say, "Choose."
Sean: Well, I gotta go with the belt there.
Will: I used to go with the wrench.
Sean: Why?
Will: Cause fuck him, that' why.
I can't help but equate the Falcons past with Will's. My first indoctrination into Falcon fandom was in 1991. That year the Falcons got the 6th seed in the NFC playoffs and upset division rival New Orleans in the first round of the playoffs. The Falcons were overmatched in the second round by Washington, but it was still exciting to be a Falcons fan. How did they follow it up? Back-to-back 6-10 seasons that got Jerry Glanville fired.
My grandparents were season ticket holders for 30 years. When the Georgia Dome opened they had the best seats in the entire place in the first row of the club level on the 50 yard line. I used to beg my dad to take me and he pretty much always obliged. We went to every home game but one during the 1995 season and the last game, Christmas eve, the Falcons needed to beat the defending Super Bowl champ 49ers to make the playoffs. They did so in improbable fashion. Again the Falcons were outclassed by a playoff opponent, this time the Packers, but good times were coming for the Falcons...Or not. The Falcons finished a dreadful 3-13 in 1996 and June Jones got the ax as a result. That ushered in the Dan Reeves era and the team finished strong in '97 winning five of their last six games setting them up for one of the most improbable runs in league history.
1998 was a year that will never be forgotten in Falcon lore. They started with two wins before losing to long time nemesis San Francisco. A few more wins got them to 5-1, but people were still a tad skeptical after getting waxed by the Jets 28-3 to move to 5-2. A couple of weeks later Atlanta traveled to New England and put a whooping on the Pats. People were starting to believe. They followed it up by beating the 49ers at home and the bandwagon was at full speed. You know the rest. Miracle in Minnesota. Eugene Robinson tries to pay for nookie. Falcons blown out by the Broncos in the big game.
Despite the aging of key players, there was still plenty of optimism in 1999. The team returned a lot of players and had just inked star running back Jamal Anderson to a big contract. Anderson destroyed his knee in game one of the 99 season. The Falcons season was destroyed with him. The Falcons finished 5-11 and went 4-12 the following season, but help was set to arrive in 2001.
I'll never forget where I was the day the before the 2001 NFL draft. I came home from school and logged on to espn.com to find out the Falcons had traded for the number one pick and the right to draft Michael Vick. People were ecstatic. He sat most of 2001, but we got some rare glimpses into his brilliance. He was handed the keys to the franchise in 2002 and led the team to a 9-6-1 record and a playoff birth. His legend grew when he led the Falcons to a playoff win at historic Lambeau Field. A few days later the jumbotron at the Hawks game spotted him sitting courtside and the fans gave him a standing ovation. Our future was bright.
Our future was bright until Adalius Thomas broke Vick's leg and our hopes and dreams in a preseason game and sent the 2003 down the drain. Still, Vick came back and played well at the end of the season and that translated into an NFC title game appearance in 2004. The Falcons lost, but we were still optimistic. We'd never seen anything close to this kind of stability. 2005 and 2006 played out in the same fashion, and neither were good. Both years the Falcons started hot and finished poorly missing the playoffs and leaving many to question the mettle of this team and the ability of its Franchise quarterback. The lackluster finishes cost Jim Mora his job and we were cautiously optimistic that new coach Bobby Petrino could mold Vick into the quarterback the franchise needed him to be. Petrino never got that chance.
Again, you know what happened. Drug bust on a Vick owned property. Dogfighting equipment found. Vick denies allegations. Federal charges come down. Former friend flips. Vick admits guilt. Falcons organization crushed. Rock Bottom came for the Falcons on December 12, 2007 when Bobby Petrino tucked his tail between his leg, left his players dear john letters and hightailed it for Arkansas like the coward and scumbucket he is. We'd seen our darkest day.
Mind you, that's only 17 years of Falcons history. Folks who have been around longer have suffered through more (Don't even get my old man started on the 1980 playoff game against Dallas). So why should we believe it's any different now? I would say without any doubt in my mind everything this franchise has done personnel wise has been a home run since Petrino quit. Thomas Dimitroff has brought in good players and Mike Smith and his staff have prepared them to play well every week. Still, in the mind of Falcons fans every where we're about 50 percent sure Matt Ryan will become a pro bowl quarterback and 50 percent sure he'll be caught galavanting with underage transexual prostitutes, because honestly at this point what could shock people more than federal dog fighting charges.
Sure, we're a slow fan base to energize, but you can't blame Atlanta fans for being hesitant to get on board. We don't jump into our professional sports pool with both feet, we have to dip our toe first, then a leg then both legs and then the whole body. We've been burned too badly in the past to jump in feet first. Like Will Hunting, the Atlanta fans have a ton of potential, but it's going to take more convincing before we let ourselves go and open up.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Pinch me and make sure I'm awake
It's almost unfathomable at this point. The Atlanta Falcons are for real. The Atlanta Hawks seem to be too. What the heck happened? Is this really happening? It seems too good to be true. In the city where professional sports apathy runs rampant due in large part to the long term ineptitude of management, it's hard to believe both teams are headed in positive directions.
Having lost four straight games to the Saints, the Falcons waxed Drew Brees and Co. at the Dome yesterday. The Falcons offense continues to impress which isn't entirely surprising since the Saints defense is a mess. Still, week after week the Falcons offense looks better and better. At this point the shock of Matt Ryan is starting to wear off and we're starting to realize that this guy, a rookie, is just a damn good player. If you figure that this is the floor of what he can do in this league the future is brighter than anyone could have imagined.
The season has been a revelation in so many more ways. The offensive line has been mostly outstanding, Michael Turner has been worth every penny, Roddy White continues to emerge as one of the NFC's best wide outs leading the conference in receiving yards (until tonight when Larry Fitzgerald passes him again) and Michael Jenkins, the much maligned enigma, has been money the last few weeks developing into a legit number two option. The defense continues to get better. Everyone knows John Abraham, but the linebacking corps has been good and the defensive backfield is improving week to week. How the heck did the Falcons get Dominique Foxworth? Why did the league's 28th rated pass defense in Denver let this guy go?
Suddenly, the playoffs aren't such a pipe dream. The Falcons are part of an NFC log jam with a bunch of other teams and both division rivals Tampa Bay and Carolina have to come to the Georgia Dome where the Falcons have trailed for all of 11 seconds this season. If the Falcons can win these next two home games with Denver and Carolina that puts them at 8-3 going into a tough two game road stretch against San Diego and New Orleans. Even if they lost those, if the Falcons run the table at home that gives them no fewer than 10 wins and as this team has shown, anything is believable on the road at this point.
Meanwhile, across the street they're going to have to contemplate changing the name of the building from the Highlight Factory to the Win Factory. The Hawks are the lone unbeaten in the Eastern Conference as they moved to 5-0 with a sloppy win over Oklahoma City last night. The Hawks starting five is a known commodity, but there was a ton of doubt about the Hawks bench after Josh Childress bolted for the riches of Olympiakos. New Hawks GM Rick Sund didn't panic, he went out and signed Mo Evans and Ronald "Flip" Murray and both have been crucial, especially Flip. Flip is averaging 12.4 points per game and put the Hawks on his back and led the comeback last night. Furthermore, the Hawks have gotten good minutes out of Zaza Pachulia the first week of the season and Solomon Jones this week providing some much needed front court depth.
The Hawks are getting it done on both ends of the floor holding opponents to an Eastern Conference best 85.8 points per game while ranking 7th in the league in 3pt percentage on offense. Both stats are telling for a team that struggled in its commitment to defense and struggled shooting the three pointer in the past. The fact that they've improved in both areas is huge and even without Josh Smith for who knows how long with an ankle injury, this team should be able to persevere and look like they will be a formidable opponent for the long haul.
It's been a wonderful ride for the past few weeks and months with the teams in Atlanta. We can only hope the good times continue. If anything the future looks bright. Heck, even the Thrashers have won four straight. Things might finally be going their way....nah.
Having lost four straight games to the Saints, the Falcons waxed Drew Brees and Co. at the Dome yesterday. The Falcons offense continues to impress which isn't entirely surprising since the Saints defense is a mess. Still, week after week the Falcons offense looks better and better. At this point the shock of Matt Ryan is starting to wear off and we're starting to realize that this guy, a rookie, is just a damn good player. If you figure that this is the floor of what he can do in this league the future is brighter than anyone could have imagined.
The season has been a revelation in so many more ways. The offensive line has been mostly outstanding, Michael Turner has been worth every penny, Roddy White continues to emerge as one of the NFC's best wide outs leading the conference in receiving yards (until tonight when Larry Fitzgerald passes him again) and Michael Jenkins, the much maligned enigma, has been money the last few weeks developing into a legit number two option. The defense continues to get better. Everyone knows John Abraham, but the linebacking corps has been good and the defensive backfield is improving week to week. How the heck did the Falcons get Dominique Foxworth? Why did the league's 28th rated pass defense in Denver let this guy go?
Suddenly, the playoffs aren't such a pipe dream. The Falcons are part of an NFC log jam with a bunch of other teams and both division rivals Tampa Bay and Carolina have to come to the Georgia Dome where the Falcons have trailed for all of 11 seconds this season. If the Falcons can win these next two home games with Denver and Carolina that puts them at 8-3 going into a tough two game road stretch against San Diego and New Orleans. Even if they lost those, if the Falcons run the table at home that gives them no fewer than 10 wins and as this team has shown, anything is believable on the road at this point.
Meanwhile, across the street they're going to have to contemplate changing the name of the building from the Highlight Factory to the Win Factory. The Hawks are the lone unbeaten in the Eastern Conference as they moved to 5-0 with a sloppy win over Oklahoma City last night. The Hawks starting five is a known commodity, but there was a ton of doubt about the Hawks bench after Josh Childress bolted for the riches of Olympiakos. New Hawks GM Rick Sund didn't panic, he went out and signed Mo Evans and Ronald "Flip" Murray and both have been crucial, especially Flip. Flip is averaging 12.4 points per game and put the Hawks on his back and led the comeback last night. Furthermore, the Hawks have gotten good minutes out of Zaza Pachulia the first week of the season and Solomon Jones this week providing some much needed front court depth.
The Hawks are getting it done on both ends of the floor holding opponents to an Eastern Conference best 85.8 points per game while ranking 7th in the league in 3pt percentage on offense. Both stats are telling for a team that struggled in its commitment to defense and struggled shooting the three pointer in the past. The fact that they've improved in both areas is huge and even without Josh Smith for who knows how long with an ankle injury, this team should be able to persevere and look like they will be a formidable opponent for the long haul.
It's been a wonderful ride for the past few weeks and months with the teams in Atlanta. We can only hope the good times continue. If anything the future looks bright. Heck, even the Thrashers have won four straight. Things might finally be going their way....nah.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
A 8 team playoff in college football? No thanks.
What I'm about to say might shock you.
I think a playoff would be bad for college football.
There, I said it. Now let me explain. I must preface it by saying if our only options were a playoff or the BCS, I'd take a playoff any day of the week. Fortunately we live in a free world and the only time we're pigeonholed into making an either/or decision in this world is when we're electing the next leader of the free world. So yay America.
With that out of the way, a playoff system would be bad for College Football. The frustration with the current system is never ending. The powers that be can tweak the system year after year, but new challenges arise that question the effectiveness of the selection method almost every college football season. The only time the BCS works is when there are clearly two teams that are better than the rest of the field like in 2005 when Texas and USC were head and shoulders better than anyone else. In any other situation the BCS is destined to fail. It's clear something needs to be done, but my friends, a playoff is a bad option.
My reasoning is simple: College Football is the greatest sport in the world because every regular season game matters. Every week your national championship hopes are on the line. If we had an eight team playoff this year, Texas' loss to Texas Tech wouldn't be nearly as heartbreaking because it's likely if Texas runs the table they would be one of the 8 teams selected for a playoff. Without it, I'm trying to erase the last 90 seconds of last weekend's classic from my memory because Texas now needs a fair amount of help to get a chance to play for a national title.
A playoff devalues the regular season. The more teams you add to the playoff, the more that fact is true. The more that fact is true, the more College Football becomes College Basketball, a sport with an exciting post season, but a regular season that doesn't mean anything. The NCAA tournament is one of my favorite months of the year. The College Football regular season are my four favorite months of the year. Why would you want to take away the best element of a sport in favor of a playoff system that would still be problematic.
Why would a playoff be problematic? Because there is no perfect way to implement it. There are two schools of thought on a playoff. Use a system like BCS rankings to rank the top eight teams in America and those eight teams make the playoff. That would seem to be the most fair policy. But fairness isn't important to the conference commissioners, money is important. Have you watched ACC or Big East football the past few years? It's pretty likely we could go a stretch of years where no ACC or Big East team finishes in the top 8 and those teams get shut out of the playoff payday. So why not just agree to split the money between the conferences regardless of who is in the playoff? Because what incentive is there for the SEC or Big 12 to share money with the other conferences when they could have as many as three or four teams in the playoff in any given season? So you'd have to put a limit on how many teams from a conference can make the playoff, similar to the current format of the BCS where only two teams from a conference can make a BCS Bowl, and you run the risk of one of the eight best teams in America not getting a shot to play for the title.
The other playoff scenario involves the conference champions of the six BCS conferences and two at larges, but again that's going to shut out some pretty good teams. Right now, do you honestly believe North Carolina or Georgia Tech or West Virginia could beat any of the top four teams in the Big 12? Could any of those teams beat Georgia or LSU, who aren't nationally elite teams but still solid? I'm not sure they could. Right now, Oklahoma would be left out of the playoffs in this scenario and that team would probably hang 60 on the ACC or Big East champ.
So an eight team playoff system creates a new set of problem and runs the risk of eliminating the best quality of college football so we need to come up with a better solution. A plus one system or possibly a four team tournament would be the best option for College Football right now. It's the best sport on Earth, let's keep it that way.
I think a playoff would be bad for college football.
There, I said it. Now let me explain. I must preface it by saying if our only options were a playoff or the BCS, I'd take a playoff any day of the week. Fortunately we live in a free world and the only time we're pigeonholed into making an either/or decision in this world is when we're electing the next leader of the free world. So yay America.
With that out of the way, a playoff system would be bad for College Football. The frustration with the current system is never ending. The powers that be can tweak the system year after year, but new challenges arise that question the effectiveness of the selection method almost every college football season. The only time the BCS works is when there are clearly two teams that are better than the rest of the field like in 2005 when Texas and USC were head and shoulders better than anyone else. In any other situation the BCS is destined to fail. It's clear something needs to be done, but my friends, a playoff is a bad option.
My reasoning is simple: College Football is the greatest sport in the world because every regular season game matters. Every week your national championship hopes are on the line. If we had an eight team playoff this year, Texas' loss to Texas Tech wouldn't be nearly as heartbreaking because it's likely if Texas runs the table they would be one of the 8 teams selected for a playoff. Without it, I'm trying to erase the last 90 seconds of last weekend's classic from my memory because Texas now needs a fair amount of help to get a chance to play for a national title.
A playoff devalues the regular season. The more teams you add to the playoff, the more that fact is true. The more that fact is true, the more College Football becomes College Basketball, a sport with an exciting post season, but a regular season that doesn't mean anything. The NCAA tournament is one of my favorite months of the year. The College Football regular season are my four favorite months of the year. Why would you want to take away the best element of a sport in favor of a playoff system that would still be problematic.
Why would a playoff be problematic? Because there is no perfect way to implement it. There are two schools of thought on a playoff. Use a system like BCS rankings to rank the top eight teams in America and those eight teams make the playoff. That would seem to be the most fair policy. But fairness isn't important to the conference commissioners, money is important. Have you watched ACC or Big East football the past few years? It's pretty likely we could go a stretch of years where no ACC or Big East team finishes in the top 8 and those teams get shut out of the playoff payday. So why not just agree to split the money between the conferences regardless of who is in the playoff? Because what incentive is there for the SEC or Big 12 to share money with the other conferences when they could have as many as three or four teams in the playoff in any given season? So you'd have to put a limit on how many teams from a conference can make the playoff, similar to the current format of the BCS where only two teams from a conference can make a BCS Bowl, and you run the risk of one of the eight best teams in America not getting a shot to play for the title.
The other playoff scenario involves the conference champions of the six BCS conferences and two at larges, but again that's going to shut out some pretty good teams. Right now, do you honestly believe North Carolina or Georgia Tech or West Virginia could beat any of the top four teams in the Big 12? Could any of those teams beat Georgia or LSU, who aren't nationally elite teams but still solid? I'm not sure they could. Right now, Oklahoma would be left out of the playoffs in this scenario and that team would probably hang 60 on the ACC or Big East champ.
So an eight team playoff system creates a new set of problem and runs the risk of eliminating the best quality of college football so we need to come up with a better solution. A plus one system or possibly a four team tournament would be the best option for College Football right now. It's the best sport on Earth, let's keep it that way.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Rocky Top now a Slippery Slope
The ax finally dropped on the longest tenured SEC head coach as Phil Fulmer stepped down as the Vols head coach at the end of the season. This might have been shocking news prior to the 2008 season as Fulmer signed a lengthy extension this past offseason, but reality set in for the Vols head man after embarrassing performances against UCLA, Florida, Georgia, Alabama and South Carolina. You can always judge an SEC fan base's contentment with its head coach based on the level of delusion they operate at. The fans at Tennessee's biggest rival schools (Georgia, Florida and Alabama) are all operating at off the chart levels of delusion for good reason. Tennessee fans just seemed to lose their spark this year. One year removed from an SEC title game appearance they ducked out just after halftime against Florida at home this year and in general Vols fans weren't among the cockiest and proudest in the SEC.
Letting your fans dictate the direction of your program is always dangerous and the restlessness with Fulmer seemed a little unfair. Here's a guy won a national title in 1997, won 9 games on average every season, won more games than any Tennessee coach except the guy whose name is on their stadium and like I mentioned earlier was in the SEC title game last year. It's not like he was free from criticism either. It's true the program had seemed to lose its luster in the post-Peyton era. It seemed like the program was barely above average without David Cutcliffe mentoring the Quarterbacks and calling the offensive plays. Folks are down in Knoxville, but they must be wary of this: there is no guarantee they are going to get better.
One name being bandied about is Butch Davis, the man who rebuilt the Miami dynasty and is currently building an outstanding team at North Carolina. On the college level he is probably one of the five best coaches in America. If you can land Davis, you've won if you're Tennessee. Outside of that, who can you guarantee will be better than what Fulmer was? I'm a huge Mike Leach fan, but there are definite concerns as to how he'll fit in as an SEC coach. I think his system can work, but he's not exactly the fiery guy that Saban and Meyer are. He's kooky. And how well will kooky play in the SEC? If he wins, it'll play better than not. How long would it take to make that offense efficient anyway? Could he turn Nick Stephens or Jonathan Crompton into the next Kingsbury, Symons, Hodges or Harrell in a season? Would Tennessee fans remain patient if they struggled through a season or two similar to the one they are currently suffering through to bear the fruits of Leach's system?
The other hot name in the world of coaching is Texas defensive coordinator Will Muschamp. Muschamp will undoubtedly bring the fire and intensity to the Tennessee job that a Saban or Meyer would and he knows the SEC as a former UGA Linebacker and Defensive Coordinator at LSU and Auburn. The assistant-turned-head-coach route has paid off in spades in some cases (Mark Richt and Bob Stoops come to mind) and in other cases not so much (How'd Ed Orgeron work out for Mississippi?). Coach Boom, as he's affectionately known for a tirade caught on ESPN and circulated around on youtube, should make a good head coach, but there is no way of knowing for certain.
There are plenty of other guys who you hear about, Chris Petersen at Boise State and Todd Graham at Tulsa are two names, but making the jump from a smaller school to a bigger program isn't necessarily a recipe for success either. Tennessee has an opportunity to create a buzz that has faded in recent years from Knoxville, however there is still a very real possibility that one day they'll long for the stability of Ol' Phil up on Rocky Top.
Letting your fans dictate the direction of your program is always dangerous and the restlessness with Fulmer seemed a little unfair. Here's a guy won a national title in 1997, won 9 games on average every season, won more games than any Tennessee coach except the guy whose name is on their stadium and like I mentioned earlier was in the SEC title game last year. It's not like he was free from criticism either. It's true the program had seemed to lose its luster in the post-Peyton era. It seemed like the program was barely above average without David Cutcliffe mentoring the Quarterbacks and calling the offensive plays. Folks are down in Knoxville, but they must be wary of this: there is no guarantee they are going to get better.
One name being bandied about is Butch Davis, the man who rebuilt the Miami dynasty and is currently building an outstanding team at North Carolina. On the college level he is probably one of the five best coaches in America. If you can land Davis, you've won if you're Tennessee. Outside of that, who can you guarantee will be better than what Fulmer was? I'm a huge Mike Leach fan, but there are definite concerns as to how he'll fit in as an SEC coach. I think his system can work, but he's not exactly the fiery guy that Saban and Meyer are. He's kooky. And how well will kooky play in the SEC? If he wins, it'll play better than not. How long would it take to make that offense efficient anyway? Could he turn Nick Stephens or Jonathan Crompton into the next Kingsbury, Symons, Hodges or Harrell in a season? Would Tennessee fans remain patient if they struggled through a season or two similar to the one they are currently suffering through to bear the fruits of Leach's system?
The other hot name in the world of coaching is Texas defensive coordinator Will Muschamp. Muschamp will undoubtedly bring the fire and intensity to the Tennessee job that a Saban or Meyer would and he knows the SEC as a former UGA Linebacker and Defensive Coordinator at LSU and Auburn. The assistant-turned-head-coach route has paid off in spades in some cases (Mark Richt and Bob Stoops come to mind) and in other cases not so much (How'd Ed Orgeron work out for Mississippi?). Coach Boom, as he's affectionately known for a tirade caught on ESPN and circulated around on youtube, should make a good head coach, but there is no way of knowing for certain.
There are plenty of other guys who you hear about, Chris Petersen at Boise State and Todd Graham at Tulsa are two names, but making the jump from a smaller school to a bigger program isn't necessarily a recipe for success either. Tennessee has an opportunity to create a buzz that has faded in recent years from Knoxville, however there is still a very real possibility that one day they'll long for the stability of Ol' Phil up on Rocky Top.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Picking up the pieces: Perspective on Texas/Texas Tech
It's been almost two full days and the reality has set in completely: The undefeated dream is over. Sure there is a lot to play for and there is plenty of reason for optimism for Longhorn fans, but one thing nearly 48 hours rings true.
This one hurt.
It still hurts, but you know what? It happens. That's life. When you boil it down sometimes you just have to shake your head and say, damn it just wasn't our night.
First and foremost, make no mistakes about it took a total team effort to lose that game Saturday night. Plenty of people want to place the blame on Blake Gideon for the dropped INT or Earl Thomas and Curtis Brown for being burned on the final touchdown, however it starts at the top and works its way down. First and foremost, Mack Brown and the coaching staff did not do an adequate job of getting this ready to play from the get go. The offensive line was atrocious, the wide receivers developed a case of the dropsies for the first time all season including critical drops by the normally sure handed Jordan Shipley, the defensive line got pushed around and the team was all kinds of out of sorts in the first half.
But a funny thing happened on the way to a blow out. The Longhorns didn't quit. This team doesn't know the meaning of the word quit. The defense persevered and played a good second half until the final 90 seconds. The offense fought through mistakes, more bad blocking and a pick six, to finally find momentum on offense and the Longhorns fought back. They took the lead with a minute and a half to go. Then it happened. Tech made the charge. They made the plays. They scored the touchdown. We were left with national title dreams slowly going down the drain (or so we thought).
There's plenty of blame to go around. Maybe the clock management on Texas' last touchdown drive wasn't great. Maybe Blake Gideon made a Buckner-esque drop, maybe Texas should have called a time out to settle down the defense, maybe Earl Thomas should have had his head in the game more on the final play. Or maybe we can accept the reality: all those things are strong possibilities, but at the end of the day this was the perfect storm for Tech.
Think about it. Texas was vastly outplayed most of the game, Texas played without it's co-best wide receiver for most of the game, they lost their best defensive player for most of the second half, their second best defensive player was playing hurt through the fourth quarter, the heart and soul of the offense was a glorified tackling dummy and played like a damn warrior fighting through it and leading the team to what could have been a victory. It just didn't happen. With one second left, Tech took the lead. How many times has it been Texas who snapped victory from the jaws of defeat? shall we list them?
What about last year when Texas trailed Oklahoma State by 21 in the fourth quarter and trailed Nebraska in the fourth quarter before Jamaal Charles became Superman and led furious comebacks? what about 2006 when Nebraska just had to run out the clock, but Texas forced the turnover and Ryan Bailey became a campus legend? The drive in the horseshoe at night? The final drive and Mangum kick against Michigan? The Chance Mock miracle at home against Tech? And who can ever forget that fateful night in January 2006 when Vince Young led the comeback in the greatest game in college football history?
A football is an oblong object, it bounces funny some times, on Saturday it just so happened to be one of those times when the ball bounced the wrong way for Texas.
So why am I positive? Why am I (no longer) in full shut down mode? There are a few reasons. First and foremost, unlike losses in past years, this wasn't coming from a mile a way as an indictment of things this team had done wrong all year. This was the perfect storm for Tech. This wasn't the long time coming, can see it coming from a mile away loss that plagued past Texas teams. This was just one of those things where you shake your head and say, "damn, we let an opportunity get away with us, let's keep our heads up our goals are still within reach."
Secondly, this thing is far from over. This was the end of the murderer's row stretch of games for Texas. This was just the beginning for Tech. If they lose to OU or Oklahoma State and that team runs the table, you'd end up with a three way tie scenario that would likely send Texas to a Big 12 title game. If Tech loses twice, Texas controls its own destiny. If Texas wins out and wins a Big 12 title there is a very realistic possibility they'd play for a national title. They're number four in the current BCS, the only team they have to worry about coming from behind to jump them is Florida. If any combination of Tech, Alabama or Penn State run the table then you just have to pat them on the back and say good job, lets go to the Fiesta, Sugar or Rose Bowl and take care of business.
Finally, I believe in this team. I believe this is going to hurt for a long time. I believe this is going to make them better. I think they have the make up of a championship team with great coaches and one hell of a leader. Colt McCoy is a Warrior. I know war cliches are taboo, but he was beaten, battered and destroyed Saturday night but he picked himself up and led this team admirably. This is a team through and through and even if they don't make it to Miami we should all be proud of how they performed this season. Look, losing isn't easy, but Texas was trying to beat four straight top 12 teams, a feat that had been accomplished just once in the sport's history, and they did as well as anyone could have reasonably expected. Tip your cap to this team, they've been outstanding, and greatness is still a very real possibility for the 2008 Texas Longhorns.
This one hurt.
It still hurts, but you know what? It happens. That's life. When you boil it down sometimes you just have to shake your head and say, damn it just wasn't our night.
First and foremost, make no mistakes about it took a total team effort to lose that game Saturday night. Plenty of people want to place the blame on Blake Gideon for the dropped INT or Earl Thomas and Curtis Brown for being burned on the final touchdown, however it starts at the top and works its way down. First and foremost, Mack Brown and the coaching staff did not do an adequate job of getting this ready to play from the get go. The offensive line was atrocious, the wide receivers developed a case of the dropsies for the first time all season including critical drops by the normally sure handed Jordan Shipley, the defensive line got pushed around and the team was all kinds of out of sorts in the first half.
But a funny thing happened on the way to a blow out. The Longhorns didn't quit. This team doesn't know the meaning of the word quit. The defense persevered and played a good second half until the final 90 seconds. The offense fought through mistakes, more bad blocking and a pick six, to finally find momentum on offense and the Longhorns fought back. They took the lead with a minute and a half to go. Then it happened. Tech made the charge. They made the plays. They scored the touchdown. We were left with national title dreams slowly going down the drain (or so we thought).
There's plenty of blame to go around. Maybe the clock management on Texas' last touchdown drive wasn't great. Maybe Blake Gideon made a Buckner-esque drop, maybe Texas should have called a time out to settle down the defense, maybe Earl Thomas should have had his head in the game more on the final play. Or maybe we can accept the reality: all those things are strong possibilities, but at the end of the day this was the perfect storm for Tech.
Think about it. Texas was vastly outplayed most of the game, Texas played without it's co-best wide receiver for most of the game, they lost their best defensive player for most of the second half, their second best defensive player was playing hurt through the fourth quarter, the heart and soul of the offense was a glorified tackling dummy and played like a damn warrior fighting through it and leading the team to what could have been a victory. It just didn't happen. With one second left, Tech took the lead. How many times has it been Texas who snapped victory from the jaws of defeat? shall we list them?
What about last year when Texas trailed Oklahoma State by 21 in the fourth quarter and trailed Nebraska in the fourth quarter before Jamaal Charles became Superman and led furious comebacks? what about 2006 when Nebraska just had to run out the clock, but Texas forced the turnover and Ryan Bailey became a campus legend? The drive in the horseshoe at night? The final drive and Mangum kick against Michigan? The Chance Mock miracle at home against Tech? And who can ever forget that fateful night in January 2006 when Vince Young led the comeback in the greatest game in college football history?
A football is an oblong object, it bounces funny some times, on Saturday it just so happened to be one of those times when the ball bounced the wrong way for Texas.
So why am I positive? Why am I (no longer) in full shut down mode? There are a few reasons. First and foremost, unlike losses in past years, this wasn't coming from a mile a way as an indictment of things this team had done wrong all year. This was the perfect storm for Tech. This wasn't the long time coming, can see it coming from a mile away loss that plagued past Texas teams. This was just one of those things where you shake your head and say, "damn, we let an opportunity get away with us, let's keep our heads up our goals are still within reach."
Secondly, this thing is far from over. This was the end of the murderer's row stretch of games for Texas. This was just the beginning for Tech. If they lose to OU or Oklahoma State and that team runs the table, you'd end up with a three way tie scenario that would likely send Texas to a Big 12 title game. If Tech loses twice, Texas controls its own destiny. If Texas wins out and wins a Big 12 title there is a very realistic possibility they'd play for a national title. They're number four in the current BCS, the only team they have to worry about coming from behind to jump them is Florida. If any combination of Tech, Alabama or Penn State run the table then you just have to pat them on the back and say good job, lets go to the Fiesta, Sugar or Rose Bowl and take care of business.
Finally, I believe in this team. I believe this is going to hurt for a long time. I believe this is going to make them better. I think they have the make up of a championship team with great coaches and one hell of a leader. Colt McCoy is a Warrior. I know war cliches are taboo, but he was beaten, battered and destroyed Saturday night but he picked himself up and led this team admirably. This is a team through and through and even if they don't make it to Miami we should all be proud of how they performed this season. Look, losing isn't easy, but Texas was trying to beat four straight top 12 teams, a feat that had been accomplished just once in the sport's history, and they did as well as anyone could have reasonably expected. Tip your cap to this team, they've been outstanding, and greatness is still a very real possibility for the 2008 Texas Longhorns.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
The Big XII Schools as Might Ducks Characters
For those of you who know me know I'm a message board geek. One of the great minds that posts on one of my boards, Drew Fox, does a weekly preview for the Texas game and in his preview he came up with a brilliant comparison. He compared Texas Tech to Charlie Conway from the Mighty Ducks movie and I got to thinking, which Mighty Ducks characters represent all of the Big 12 football teams. So lets get right to it.
Oklahoma Sooners - The Hawks
Just like their likeness in the Ducks movies, the Sooners are a longtime powerhouse program in the sport of college football and they are just flat out winners. They have an incredibly unlikeable head coach (Bob Stoops/Jack Reilly) and aren't above doing bad things to be successful (Big Red Imports/Taking Banks out in the championship game)
Texas Longhorns - Adam Banks
Like legendary Texas head coach Darryl Royal from Oklahoma, Banks came to the Ducks from their arch rival, the Hawks. Banks isn't really liked by anyone, but part of that is probably due to the fact that is more talented than anybody else really. Like Texas he has issues. For Banks it's the injury issue which represents Texas' seeming inability to win big games for a long time.
Texas Tech - Charlie Conway
From Drew Fox's Blog: http://longhornmafia.blogspot.com/2008/10/texas-football-texas-tech-game.html
Who is Charlie Conway? Well he started out as an awkward Minnesota youth that played pee wee hockey to pass the time. The Gordon Bombay "taught him to fly" and Conway scored the unlikely game-winning goal as his Ducks defeated the evil Hawks for the Minnesota state title. Later, he allowed a pick-up player to claim his roster spot when the Ducks (implausibly) represented the USA at the Junior Goodwill Games, presumably because Conway's leadership meant more than his middling talent level.
Then as the Ducks moved into high school - and jumped the proverbial shark - Conway, the awkward, marginal role player, suddenly becomes the star of the team. Out of nowhere. It just didn't make sense.
Tech has always been that marginal, middling program. Sure, they may score a big goal against an evil Texas or OU, but they're not the conference's star. Yet here we are nine weeks into the season and the Red Raiders are hosting College Gameday and a national prime time game between top ten teams. Texas needs to put them back in their place this weekend.
Texas A&M - Dave Karp
Remember the fat kid from the first movie that everyone made fun and then was never really relevant? Yep, very Aggie like.
Oklahoma State - Guy Germaine
Guy is the member of the team who is usually solid, but unremarkable but has the REALLY hot girlfriend and it makes no sense as to why she digs him. Well, the Cowboys pretty much fit that to a T with another T, T. Boone Pickens, playing the hot girlfriend who digs Oklahoma State for no real reason (I know he's an alum).
Baylor Bears - Lester Averman
Lovable loser who you can't quite figure out why he's even on the team. Couldn't describe Baylor more.
Nebraska - Gunner Stahl
So Gunner was a COMPLETE badass in the D2. The dude was just a flat out machine, just like Huskers were for years and years. What you might not know, is that Gunner Stahl appears in D3. Well sort of, it's actor Scott Whyte who plays Gunner in D2 re-appears in D3 as an anonymous Varsity team member named Scott. That's Nebraska for you. Once a Super Badass program, now anonymous.
Kansas State - Fulton Reed
Awkward at times and came out of nowhere. He's not particularly skilled overall, but with his shot power he is able to make things happen from time to time (KSU beating OU in the 2003 Big 12 title game)
Missouri - Julie "The Cat" Gaffney
Plays second fiddle for a long time, but has one brilliant moment to shine. (stopping gunner's Penalty shot in D2 = the entire 2007 season)
Colorado - Wolf Stannson
The dentist was a talented player, but he was banned from the NHL for being a goon. That pretty much sums up Colorado and their fans. They've had plenty of outstanding football teams over time, but also have had plenty of shady characters.
Iowa State - Tammy Duncan
She was only on the team in the first movie because her brother wanted to be on the team and they had to play together. Iowa State is only part of the Big 12 because they were part of the Big 8. Both Tammy and the Cyclones are relatively useless.
Kansas - Goldberg the Goalie
Too Easy.
Oklahoma Sooners - The Hawks
Just like their likeness in the Ducks movies, the Sooners are a longtime powerhouse program in the sport of college football and they are just flat out winners. They have an incredibly unlikeable head coach (Bob Stoops/Jack Reilly) and aren't above doing bad things to be successful (Big Red Imports/Taking Banks out in the championship game)
Texas Longhorns - Adam Banks
Like legendary Texas head coach Darryl Royal from Oklahoma, Banks came to the Ducks from their arch rival, the Hawks. Banks isn't really liked by anyone, but part of that is probably due to the fact that is more talented than anybody else really. Like Texas he has issues. For Banks it's the injury issue which represents Texas' seeming inability to win big games for a long time.
Texas Tech - Charlie Conway
From Drew Fox's Blog: http://longhornmafia.blogspot.com/2008/10/texas-football-texas-tech-game.html
Who is Charlie Conway? Well he started out as an awkward Minnesota youth that played pee wee hockey to pass the time. The Gordon Bombay "taught him to fly" and Conway scored the unlikely game-winning goal as his Ducks defeated the evil Hawks for the Minnesota state title. Later, he allowed a pick-up player to claim his roster spot when the Ducks (implausibly) represented the USA at the Junior Goodwill Games, presumably because Conway's leadership meant more than his middling talent level.
Then as the Ducks moved into high school - and jumped the proverbial shark - Conway, the awkward, marginal role player, suddenly becomes the star of the team. Out of nowhere. It just didn't make sense.
Tech has always been that marginal, middling program. Sure, they may score a big goal against an evil Texas or OU, but they're not the conference's star. Yet here we are nine weeks into the season and the Red Raiders are hosting College Gameday and a national prime time game between top ten teams. Texas needs to put them back in their place this weekend.
Texas A&M - Dave Karp
Remember the fat kid from the first movie that everyone made fun and then was never really relevant? Yep, very Aggie like.
Oklahoma State - Guy Germaine
Guy is the member of the team who is usually solid, but unremarkable but has the REALLY hot girlfriend and it makes no sense as to why she digs him. Well, the Cowboys pretty much fit that to a T with another T, T. Boone Pickens, playing the hot girlfriend who digs Oklahoma State for no real reason (I know he's an alum).
Baylor Bears - Lester Averman
Lovable loser who you can't quite figure out why he's even on the team. Couldn't describe Baylor more.
Nebraska - Gunner Stahl
So Gunner was a COMPLETE badass in the D2. The dude was just a flat out machine, just like Huskers were for years and years. What you might not know, is that Gunner Stahl appears in D3. Well sort of, it's actor Scott Whyte who plays Gunner in D2 re-appears in D3 as an anonymous Varsity team member named Scott. That's Nebraska for you. Once a Super Badass program, now anonymous.
Kansas State - Fulton Reed
Awkward at times and came out of nowhere. He's not particularly skilled overall, but with his shot power he is able to make things happen from time to time (KSU beating OU in the 2003 Big 12 title game)
Missouri - Julie "The Cat" Gaffney
Plays second fiddle for a long time, but has one brilliant moment to shine. (stopping gunner's Penalty shot in D2 = the entire 2007 season)
Colorado - Wolf Stannson
The dentist was a talented player, but he was banned from the NHL for being a goon. That pretty much sums up Colorado and their fans. They've had plenty of outstanding football teams over time, but also have had plenty of shady characters.
Iowa State - Tammy Duncan
She was only on the team in the first movie because her brother wanted to be on the team and they had to play together. Iowa State is only part of the Big 12 because they were part of the Big 8. Both Tammy and the Cyclones are relatively useless.
Kansas - Goldberg the Goalie
Too Easy.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
The Top 5 Storylines in Southeastern Football
Yeah, I know the blog has been dead, but I'm reviving it with top 5 lists periodically up until the start of the college football season. Today I look at the biggest storylines around the South as we get geared up for the 2008 season.
5. Will the ACC ever get better?
When the ACC added Miami, Virginia Tech and Boston College it was supposed to make a decent conference much better. Va Tech and BC both have helped at times, but the Canes have been by and large a disappointment since joining the league. I thought the ACC hit rock bottom when Wake Forest and Georgia Tech stunk up Jacksonville in the ACC title game two years ago, but can we say that by and large the conference is any better now? Clemson could be elite (more on them later) but other than Virginia Tech, who even coach Frank Beamer admits is re-tooling, can you count on anyone in the ACC to make waves? Matt Ryan is gone from BC, Virginia was a surprise last year, but a tumultuous offseason has left them scrambling to fill key spots, Florida State seems to chronically underachieve, Miami is restocking a cupboard of talent that is surprisingly bare, Georgia Tech is re-filling it's roster with players capable of running Paul Johnson's offense and nobody else really stands out. UNC could make a run at a conference championship game appearance this year the ACC is that wide open.
4. How will the Murderer's row of coaching affect the SEC standings?
Les Miles became the 5th SEC coach with a national title, Saban brought in maybe the best recruiting class in the nation, Richt and Meyer are supposed to compete for a national title, Tuberville continues to fly under the radar, Spurrier has a potentially sick defense, Nutt inherits a talented roster at Ole Miss, slimeball Petrino gets indoctrinated into the SEC. You could legitimately argue the SEC has 12 of the 40 best head coaches in America.
3. Is it Clemson's year?
Every year it seems as if Clemson is on the verge of finally winning the elusive ACC championship before crashing and burning in spectacular fashion. There is a lot to love about this Clemson team. The best running back tandem in the nation, one of the five best receivers in college football possibly, a school record breaking QB and a fast, aggressive defense returning eight starters. The offensive line is a huge question mark and if anything that could spell doom for the Tigers. They kick off the season in Atlanta against Alabama and if they can get by that stout test they should roll into a Thursday night game with Wake Forest on October 9th undefeated. That game, a roadie at Florida State and a rivalry game with South Carolina are the toughest tests on the schedule so all things considered it's pretty favorable. The big question is can the Tigers not trip over their own feet for a change. Last year it was a home game against Boston College. In 2006 it was a home loss to Maryland. What peril awaits the Tigers this year? There should be none. They should roll to an ACC title and an outside shot at a national title game birth, but this is Clemson, hold your breath.
2. Georgia vs. the World
Ok, it's not quite the world, but it is the nation's toughest schedule. Yes, they have a physical specimen of a quarterback, a spark plug of a running back a solid corp of elder receivers (and a freshman Mark Richt has compared to Randy Moss) a solid, but depleted offensive line and a defense as deep as any in college football. That said, at South Carolina, at Arizona State, Alabama, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, at LSU, Florida in Jacksonville, at Kentucky, at Auburn finish with Georgia Tech. Are you kidding me? Vandy and Kentucky are by far the weak links there, but both games are landmine games after brutal stretches. There are maybe three or four teams in the last decade that could stand a chance to run the table against that slate. This Georgia team isn't one of them.
1. Does Superman have an encore?
2007 was the year of Tebow. The Florida phenom went from Rock Star to Gator God becoming the first Sophomore to win a Heisman trophy. Heisman returnees have had an interesting place in college football in recent years. Both Jason White and Matt Leinart returned to school after winning Heisman trophies. Both had years comparable to their Heisman seasons statistically as seniors. Both were invited back to the Heisman ceremony. Both weren't even close to winning a second Heisman. There is little benefit for a Heisman winner in coming back. Instead of celebrating their greatness we try to break them down. We get bored with them. That explains why Leinart lost out to fellow Trojan Reggie Bush in 2005 and that's why I have a sneaking suspicion, for a variety of reason, Tebow could very well lose out to a Gator teammate. First of all, don't expect Tebow to shoulder as much of the load as he did in 2007. Urban Meyer wants to keep him fresher for a stretch run. The Gators, unlike last season, have a variety of running backs to help take the pressure of Tebow. Furthermore, if we get bored with Tebow we'll start looking for reasons why the Gators were so successful on offense that don't have to do with Tebow and one name will emerge: Percy Harvin. A 13-0 or 12-1 season for the Gators and a Gator will hoist the Heisman Trophy again in 2008 and it won't be Tim Tebow, it'll be Percy Harvin.
5. Will the ACC ever get better?
When the ACC added Miami, Virginia Tech and Boston College it was supposed to make a decent conference much better. Va Tech and BC both have helped at times, but the Canes have been by and large a disappointment since joining the league. I thought the ACC hit rock bottom when Wake Forest and Georgia Tech stunk up Jacksonville in the ACC title game two years ago, but can we say that by and large the conference is any better now? Clemson could be elite (more on them later) but other than Virginia Tech, who even coach Frank Beamer admits is re-tooling, can you count on anyone in the ACC to make waves? Matt Ryan is gone from BC, Virginia was a surprise last year, but a tumultuous offseason has left them scrambling to fill key spots, Florida State seems to chronically underachieve, Miami is restocking a cupboard of talent that is surprisingly bare, Georgia Tech is re-filling it's roster with players capable of running Paul Johnson's offense and nobody else really stands out. UNC could make a run at a conference championship game appearance this year the ACC is that wide open.
4. How will the Murderer's row of coaching affect the SEC standings?
Les Miles became the 5th SEC coach with a national title, Saban brought in maybe the best recruiting class in the nation, Richt and Meyer are supposed to compete for a national title, Tuberville continues to fly under the radar, Spurrier has a potentially sick defense, Nutt inherits a talented roster at Ole Miss, slimeball Petrino gets indoctrinated into the SEC. You could legitimately argue the SEC has 12 of the 40 best head coaches in America.
3. Is it Clemson's year?
Every year it seems as if Clemson is on the verge of finally winning the elusive ACC championship before crashing and burning in spectacular fashion. There is a lot to love about this Clemson team. The best running back tandem in the nation, one of the five best receivers in college football possibly, a school record breaking QB and a fast, aggressive defense returning eight starters. The offensive line is a huge question mark and if anything that could spell doom for the Tigers. They kick off the season in Atlanta against Alabama and if they can get by that stout test they should roll into a Thursday night game with Wake Forest on October 9th undefeated. That game, a roadie at Florida State and a rivalry game with South Carolina are the toughest tests on the schedule so all things considered it's pretty favorable. The big question is can the Tigers not trip over their own feet for a change. Last year it was a home game against Boston College. In 2006 it was a home loss to Maryland. What peril awaits the Tigers this year? There should be none. They should roll to an ACC title and an outside shot at a national title game birth, but this is Clemson, hold your breath.
2. Georgia vs. the World
Ok, it's not quite the world, but it is the nation's toughest schedule. Yes, they have a physical specimen of a quarterback, a spark plug of a running back a solid corp of elder receivers (and a freshman Mark Richt has compared to Randy Moss) a solid, but depleted offensive line and a defense as deep as any in college football. That said, at South Carolina, at Arizona State, Alabama, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, at LSU, Florida in Jacksonville, at Kentucky, at Auburn finish with Georgia Tech. Are you kidding me? Vandy and Kentucky are by far the weak links there, but both games are landmine games after brutal stretches. There are maybe three or four teams in the last decade that could stand a chance to run the table against that slate. This Georgia team isn't one of them.
1. Does Superman have an encore?
2007 was the year of Tebow. The Florida phenom went from Rock Star to Gator God becoming the first Sophomore to win a Heisman trophy. Heisman returnees have had an interesting place in college football in recent years. Both Jason White and Matt Leinart returned to school after winning Heisman trophies. Both had years comparable to their Heisman seasons statistically as seniors. Both were invited back to the Heisman ceremony. Both weren't even close to winning a second Heisman. There is little benefit for a Heisman winner in coming back. Instead of celebrating their greatness we try to break them down. We get bored with them. That explains why Leinart lost out to fellow Trojan Reggie Bush in 2005 and that's why I have a sneaking suspicion, for a variety of reason, Tebow could very well lose out to a Gator teammate. First of all, don't expect Tebow to shoulder as much of the load as he did in 2007. Urban Meyer wants to keep him fresher for a stretch run. The Gators, unlike last season, have a variety of running backs to help take the pressure of Tebow. Furthermore, if we get bored with Tebow we'll start looking for reasons why the Gators were so successful on offense that don't have to do with Tebow and one name will emerge: Percy Harvin. A 13-0 or 12-1 season for the Gators and a Gator will hoist the Heisman Trophy again in 2008 and it won't be Tim Tebow, it'll be Percy Harvin.
Monday, May 5, 2008
Where do they go from here?
So midnight struck predictably and emphatically for the Cinderella Atlanta Hawks yesterday after a resounding beatdown by the Celtics. Still, despite 45 regular season losses and four blowouts in Boston in the first round Atlanta won't soon forget the magic provided by the Hawks in games 3, 4 and 6. The Hawks did something incredible: they awoke the long dormant rabid basketball fan base in this city. That being said, awakening that fan base and sustaining that fan base are two totally different things.
There are four personnel issues that are critical this off-season and they need to be dealt with as swiftly as possible. The first and most critical is the front office situation. The contracts of GM Billy Knight and coach Mike Woodson expire on June 31. Knight has been an easy target for Atlanta's failures the past several seasons and there's no need to bring them up here (although Chris Paul did look pretty solid in Game 1 against San Antonio). Knight did make the moves needed to get the team to the playoffs (drafting Horford, trading for Bibby) but it's still hard to overlook the past. On top of that he and Woodson don't speak to each other.
Now, there doesn't seem to be a reason why they aren't talking. Sure, Knight tried to have Woodson fired several times during the season, but why would that put a strain on a working relationship? Woodson has been a target of mine for a couple of years now, but I'm starting to lean more to his side. I'm beginning to think the problems the Hawks have on the floor are 50 percent the players own lack of basketball sense and 50 percent Woodson's bad decision making. That's a drastic change. That percentage was at 80 percent Woody's fault at some point, so I've come around on him.
Woodson to me has to go. It's not necessarily fair, but it's business and the unfortunate thing is, decisions have to be made that aren't always fair. First and foremost, Woodson and Knight simply can't work together. If you replace Knight a new GM is going to want to bring in his own head coach. If you get rid of Knight and keep Woodson, Woodson has ownership on his side and you're undermining your new GM from day one. That's not a good business practice.
Secondly, like I said earlier, it's hard to know how much of Atlanta's inabilities and deficiencies on the court should be blamed on Woodson or the Players. You can make an argument for both and you'd be right blaming both. One eternal truth about sports rings true in this situation though: You can replace a coach, you can't replace 15 players (or 25 in baseball, 60 in the NFL etc). Again, it's not fair, but it's reality. Woodson did a dreadful job for the most part during the regular season, but for three magical games he pushed all the right buttons. In a realistic world, that won't be enough to save his job. Fortunately for him, the Atlanta Spirit Group doesn't always operate in a world of reality.
So what about the roster? Well, there are two major pieces up for grabs. Let's start with the easier one to assess: Josh Childress. Childress is an invaluable piece to this team as the 6th man bringing intensity and effort every time he's on the floor. He's one of the most basketball savvy guys on the team getting rebounds and put backs, not because of his size or strength necessarily, but because of his smarts around the basket. It'll be hard to lose Chill so ASG must make any attempt to keep him, but if someone tries to drive the price too high, it might not be worth it. Chill might be the casualty of this offseason. Fortunately, he's Larry Birded into Atlanta which means the Hawks can pay him more money than any other team. The big question is will they?
Then you get to the guy who truly might be the toughest player in the NBA to figure out: Josh Smith. J-Smoove, as he's known here, is a riddle wrapped up inside an enigma wrapped up inside a question mark covered in tattoos. One of the most electrifying players in the NBA without a doubt, he can bring down the house with a block or a dunk. He's a good defender and at times he's unstoppable on offense. Other times he's lazy, inconsistent, stubborn and ball hoggish. He falls in love with his deep jumper which can most favorably be considered mediocre. He's a sloppy ball handler and makes mind-bogglingly terrible passes from time to time. He can also be a malcontent as he's feuded with Woodson on several occasions. As much as you can rip on his game, one thing, to me anyway, is true: You have to give the man his money.
His potential is too great. You can't let a local kid with that much ability just walk away. At that point it leaves you with Joe Johnson and Al Horford as your core beyond next year, can you say rebuilding? You also can't run the risk of letting a 22 year old get away because of his inconsistency just to watch him blossom into a superstar somewhere else. Josh Smith is the Andruw Jones in the new millenium of Atlanta sports. Watching Jones you couldn't help but wonder if the guy would ever develop into one of the great stars in baseball. Jones had a unique skill (an unparalleled defensive ability), but was stubborn in his approach to offense and that kept him from being one of the best players of his generation. Smith has a unique skill set (again, watch him dunk or block a shot and tell me it doesn't raise the hairs on your arms) but the jury is out as to whether or not he'll "get it" or improve in the little areas that it takes to go from potential to superstardom.
Still though, if you want to have any hope of sustaining the momentum you built during this playoff run, you have to pay up. You also need to pay up to keep Childress unless the price is too high. As for the front office, realistically it's time for a new direction, this team is probably as good as they'll ever be under Woodson and Knight. If you bring in a new regime it will pump more fresh air into the franchise and excite people even more. If you do that, then you begin to focus on the smaller roster issues (more shooters? more depth?).
Then again, with the Atlanta Spirit in charge, we're probably looking at the Joshes walking and the most dysfunctional GM/Coach relationship is sports persisting.
There are four personnel issues that are critical this off-season and they need to be dealt with as swiftly as possible. The first and most critical is the front office situation. The contracts of GM Billy Knight and coach Mike Woodson expire on June 31. Knight has been an easy target for Atlanta's failures the past several seasons and there's no need to bring them up here (although Chris Paul did look pretty solid in Game 1 against San Antonio). Knight did make the moves needed to get the team to the playoffs (drafting Horford, trading for Bibby) but it's still hard to overlook the past. On top of that he and Woodson don't speak to each other.
Now, there doesn't seem to be a reason why they aren't talking. Sure, Knight tried to have Woodson fired several times during the season, but why would that put a strain on a working relationship? Woodson has been a target of mine for a couple of years now, but I'm starting to lean more to his side. I'm beginning to think the problems the Hawks have on the floor are 50 percent the players own lack of basketball sense and 50 percent Woodson's bad decision making. That's a drastic change. That percentage was at 80 percent Woody's fault at some point, so I've come around on him.
Woodson to me has to go. It's not necessarily fair, but it's business and the unfortunate thing is, decisions have to be made that aren't always fair. First and foremost, Woodson and Knight simply can't work together. If you replace Knight a new GM is going to want to bring in his own head coach. If you get rid of Knight and keep Woodson, Woodson has ownership on his side and you're undermining your new GM from day one. That's not a good business practice.
Secondly, like I said earlier, it's hard to know how much of Atlanta's inabilities and deficiencies on the court should be blamed on Woodson or the Players. You can make an argument for both and you'd be right blaming both. One eternal truth about sports rings true in this situation though: You can replace a coach, you can't replace 15 players (or 25 in baseball, 60 in the NFL etc). Again, it's not fair, but it's reality. Woodson did a dreadful job for the most part during the regular season, but for three magical games he pushed all the right buttons. In a realistic world, that won't be enough to save his job. Fortunately for him, the Atlanta Spirit Group doesn't always operate in a world of reality.
So what about the roster? Well, there are two major pieces up for grabs. Let's start with the easier one to assess: Josh Childress. Childress is an invaluable piece to this team as the 6th man bringing intensity and effort every time he's on the floor. He's one of the most basketball savvy guys on the team getting rebounds and put backs, not because of his size or strength necessarily, but because of his smarts around the basket. It'll be hard to lose Chill so ASG must make any attempt to keep him, but if someone tries to drive the price too high, it might not be worth it. Chill might be the casualty of this offseason. Fortunately, he's Larry Birded into Atlanta which means the Hawks can pay him more money than any other team. The big question is will they?
Then you get to the guy who truly might be the toughest player in the NBA to figure out: Josh Smith. J-Smoove, as he's known here, is a riddle wrapped up inside an enigma wrapped up inside a question mark covered in tattoos. One of the most electrifying players in the NBA without a doubt, he can bring down the house with a block or a dunk. He's a good defender and at times he's unstoppable on offense. Other times he's lazy, inconsistent, stubborn and ball hoggish. He falls in love with his deep jumper which can most favorably be considered mediocre. He's a sloppy ball handler and makes mind-bogglingly terrible passes from time to time. He can also be a malcontent as he's feuded with Woodson on several occasions. As much as you can rip on his game, one thing, to me anyway, is true: You have to give the man his money.
His potential is too great. You can't let a local kid with that much ability just walk away. At that point it leaves you with Joe Johnson and Al Horford as your core beyond next year, can you say rebuilding? You also can't run the risk of letting a 22 year old get away because of his inconsistency just to watch him blossom into a superstar somewhere else. Josh Smith is the Andruw Jones in the new millenium of Atlanta sports. Watching Jones you couldn't help but wonder if the guy would ever develop into one of the great stars in baseball. Jones had a unique skill (an unparalleled defensive ability), but was stubborn in his approach to offense and that kept him from being one of the best players of his generation. Smith has a unique skill set (again, watch him dunk or block a shot and tell me it doesn't raise the hairs on your arms) but the jury is out as to whether or not he'll "get it" or improve in the little areas that it takes to go from potential to superstardom.
Still though, if you want to have any hope of sustaining the momentum you built during this playoff run, you have to pay up. You also need to pay up to keep Childress unless the price is too high. As for the front office, realistically it's time for a new direction, this team is probably as good as they'll ever be under Woodson and Knight. If you bring in a new regime it will pump more fresh air into the franchise and excite people even more. If you do that, then you begin to focus on the smaller roster issues (more shooters? more depth?).
Then again, with the Atlanta Spirit in charge, we're probably looking at the Joshes walking and the most dysfunctional GM/Coach relationship is sports persisting.
Monday, April 28, 2008
Not Buyin' Ryan
We can speculate all we want, but we won't know what kind of NFL player Matt Ryan is for at least three years. Hopefully we'll look back on this post three years from now and laugh. Unfortunately, Matt Ryan had better make several pro bowls or his drafting will be another in a long history of disasters for the Atlanta Falcons franchise. Throughout the weekend those that championed the pick made one point time and time again:
This pretty much closes the door on the Michael Vick era in Atlanta.
Uh uh. Not by a long shot.
Drafting a quarterback doesn't close the door on anything. Brian Griese, Jake Plummer and Jay Cutler haven't erased the memory of John Elway in Denver. Jay Fiedler, Ken Lucas, Brian Griese, A.J. Feeley, Gus Frerrote, Daunte Culpepper and Cleo Lemon haven't made Miami fans forget about Dan Marino. Drafting Matt Ryan isn't going to make people forget at #7 in Atlanta.
There is only one way people in this town will ever be over the positives and negatives of the Michael Vick era.
Winning.
In case you haven't noticed, that's not something the Falcons franchise has been good at historically. I'm not going to regurgitate the statistics of futility, at this point they're practically tattooed on the foreheads of Falcons fans everywhere. If the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results, than the Falcons management belongs in an asylum.
It's not sexy and it's overly cliche, but the game of football is won in the trenches. Ask the New York Giants about that. It's such a simple concept, so why have the Falcons been so negligent in that regard?
Yes, they drafted Offensive Tackle Sam Baker in the first round and paid a hefty sum to do so, but that was the first time in 15 years the Falcons drafted an offensive lineman in the first round. In those 15 years the Falcons spent a first day selection on offensive linemen just four times (1994 3rd rounder Alai Kalaniuvalu, 1998 2nd rounder Bob Hallen, 2000 2nd rounder Travis Claridge, 2007 second rounder Justin Blalock). They've been about as negligent when it comes to drafting interior defensive linemen. In the past 15 years the Falcons have spent one first rounder (Shannon Brown 1996) on the defensive tackle position and just two total first day picks on defensive tackles (Johnathan Babineaux the other).
With a few rare exceptions the Falcons have ranked near the bottom of the league in rushing defense every year since 1993. They also traditionally rank near the bottom of the league in rushing and sacks allowed. The exception of course was when they had the most dynamic quarterback in league history. Even so while the rushing numbers thrived with Vick, the sacks and sacks-per-pass attempt numbers were still pretty bad.
People will say you can't win without a good quarterback. I'd respond by saying, "Then why do Trent Dilfer and Brad Johnson have Super Bowl rings?" But being less snarky I'd say, well look at guys like Roethlisberger and Eli Manning. Which came first, the Steelers and the Giants drafting franchise Quarterbacks and then putting together great defenses or putting the defenses in place and then getting the quarterback? This isn't a chicken and egg situation, as I've mentioned in previous blogs no team has won a Super Bowl in the past 20 years without a dominant defense or a defense that was dominant in the playoffs.
Let's assume for a second Ryan and Glenn Dorsey live up to expectations. Dorsey is still the one who helps you out in more positions right now than Ryan. Dorsey obviously helps out your run defense. He also can provide an interior rush that makes John Abraham and Jamal Anderson out on the edges. Abraham has always been at his best in Atlanta when Rod Coleman was pushing the pocket in the middle. Dorsey eats space and helps Keith Brooking run free. Brooking looked old and slow last year and was non existent in a lot of games because the tackles couldn't keep blockers off of him. The Falcons are starting a combination of a rookie, second year man and career back-up at Cornerback. A dominant pass rush would help them out tremendously. Glenn Dorsey (again, assuming he lives up to his potential) makes several players better around him immediately.
Matt Ryan, best case scenario, has a one year learning curve at Quarterback. He has an offensive line with maybe two guys you should feel comfortable going forward (Baker and Blalock) a running back with a ton of potential, but limited experience, one proven wide receiver, one rookie a lot of people are high on, no other receiving threats in your receiver corps and no tight end. There's potential Matt Ryan can help those guys get better, but the relationship between a quarterback and his supporting cast is symbiotic and right now the Falcons supporting cast just simply isn't good enough to help Matt Ryan succeed.
Falcons brass was impressed with how Ryan handled himself during the meeting process when OC Mike Mularkey and QB Coach Bill Musgrave had a work session with Ryan and he handled himself very well when they tried to trick him and confuse him. Problem is, football games are played on the field and not in the classroom. How will Matt Ryan handle situations when he's getting hit in the mouth every play? People love Matt Ryan's leadership skills and intangibles. Well, people also loved David Carr's leadership skills and intangibles. Several years later Carr has one foot out the door on an NFL career. It's hard to say how much of that is Carr and how much of it is the residual effect of the beating he took as Texans QB.
If the Falcons don't find a way to upgrade both lines soon Matt Ryan's career will more closely resemble David Carr's and Joey Harrington's rather than Brady's and Manning's. The new management of the Falcons said they were going to get bigger and stronger up the middle. So far that mission has not been accomplished and for that reason they are setting themselves up for failure.
This pretty much closes the door on the Michael Vick era in Atlanta.
Uh uh. Not by a long shot.
Drafting a quarterback doesn't close the door on anything. Brian Griese, Jake Plummer and Jay Cutler haven't erased the memory of John Elway in Denver. Jay Fiedler, Ken Lucas, Brian Griese, A.J. Feeley, Gus Frerrote, Daunte Culpepper and Cleo Lemon haven't made Miami fans forget about Dan Marino. Drafting Matt Ryan isn't going to make people forget at #7 in Atlanta.
There is only one way people in this town will ever be over the positives and negatives of the Michael Vick era.
Winning.
In case you haven't noticed, that's not something the Falcons franchise has been good at historically. I'm not going to regurgitate the statistics of futility, at this point they're practically tattooed on the foreheads of Falcons fans everywhere. If the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results, than the Falcons management belongs in an asylum.
It's not sexy and it's overly cliche, but the game of football is won in the trenches. Ask the New York Giants about that. It's such a simple concept, so why have the Falcons been so negligent in that regard?
Yes, they drafted Offensive Tackle Sam Baker in the first round and paid a hefty sum to do so, but that was the first time in 15 years the Falcons drafted an offensive lineman in the first round. In those 15 years the Falcons spent a first day selection on offensive linemen just four times (1994 3rd rounder Alai Kalaniuvalu, 1998 2nd rounder Bob Hallen, 2000 2nd rounder Travis Claridge, 2007 second rounder Justin Blalock). They've been about as negligent when it comes to drafting interior defensive linemen. In the past 15 years the Falcons have spent one first rounder (Shannon Brown 1996) on the defensive tackle position and just two total first day picks on defensive tackles (Johnathan Babineaux the other).
With a few rare exceptions the Falcons have ranked near the bottom of the league in rushing defense every year since 1993. They also traditionally rank near the bottom of the league in rushing and sacks allowed. The exception of course was when they had the most dynamic quarterback in league history. Even so while the rushing numbers thrived with Vick, the sacks and sacks-per-pass attempt numbers were still pretty bad.
People will say you can't win without a good quarterback. I'd respond by saying, "Then why do Trent Dilfer and Brad Johnson have Super Bowl rings?" But being less snarky I'd say, well look at guys like Roethlisberger and Eli Manning. Which came first, the Steelers and the Giants drafting franchise Quarterbacks and then putting together great defenses or putting the defenses in place and then getting the quarterback? This isn't a chicken and egg situation, as I've mentioned in previous blogs no team has won a Super Bowl in the past 20 years without a dominant defense or a defense that was dominant in the playoffs.
Let's assume for a second Ryan and Glenn Dorsey live up to expectations. Dorsey is still the one who helps you out in more positions right now than Ryan. Dorsey obviously helps out your run defense. He also can provide an interior rush that makes John Abraham and Jamal Anderson out on the edges. Abraham has always been at his best in Atlanta when Rod Coleman was pushing the pocket in the middle. Dorsey eats space and helps Keith Brooking run free. Brooking looked old and slow last year and was non existent in a lot of games because the tackles couldn't keep blockers off of him. The Falcons are starting a combination of a rookie, second year man and career back-up at Cornerback. A dominant pass rush would help them out tremendously. Glenn Dorsey (again, assuming he lives up to his potential) makes several players better around him immediately.
Matt Ryan, best case scenario, has a one year learning curve at Quarterback. He has an offensive line with maybe two guys you should feel comfortable going forward (Baker and Blalock) a running back with a ton of potential, but limited experience, one proven wide receiver, one rookie a lot of people are high on, no other receiving threats in your receiver corps and no tight end. There's potential Matt Ryan can help those guys get better, but the relationship between a quarterback and his supporting cast is symbiotic and right now the Falcons supporting cast just simply isn't good enough to help Matt Ryan succeed.
Falcons brass was impressed with how Ryan handled himself during the meeting process when OC Mike Mularkey and QB Coach Bill Musgrave had a work session with Ryan and he handled himself very well when they tried to trick him and confuse him. Problem is, football games are played on the field and not in the classroom. How will Matt Ryan handle situations when he's getting hit in the mouth every play? People love Matt Ryan's leadership skills and intangibles. Well, people also loved David Carr's leadership skills and intangibles. Several years later Carr has one foot out the door on an NFL career. It's hard to say how much of that is Carr and how much of it is the residual effect of the beating he took as Texans QB.
If the Falcons don't find a way to upgrade both lines soon Matt Ryan's career will more closely resemble David Carr's and Joey Harrington's rather than Brady's and Manning's. The new management of the Falcons said they were going to get bigger and stronger up the middle. So far that mission has not been accomplished and for that reason they are setting themselves up for failure.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Hawks-Celtics First Round Breakdown
Half of me says why even bother, but the other half of me is excited to talk about something other than the Braves pitching staff being put together with duct tape and how bad the Falcons are, so I thought I'd give a man for man match-up in the first round series.
Point Guard
Rajon Rondo vs. Mike Bibby
The big question mark and undoubtedly the biggest x-factor in a title run for Boston is Rondo. He's an incredibly talented player, but, pun intended, he's green when it comes to the playoffs. I guess there is reason for optimism when your Point Guard has a ton more experience than his counterpart, but if you saw the last game these two teams played, the beat up, worn out Bibby couldn't keep Rondo in front of him and Rondo did pretty much whatever he wants. The experience factor keeps this match up closer than it is based on performance.
Edge: Boston (slight)
Shooting Guard
Ray Allen vs. Joe Johnson
The Hawks broke the bank to sign Johnson a few years ago and it paid dividends down the stretch this season when Joe played like an All-Star and a warrior to lead the team into the playoffs. Allen is the third banana, but a dangerous one who despite his advancing age is a dangerous 3 point threat any night. It's bad news for the Hawks when their best player isn't head and shoulders above the guy he's matched up with.
Edge: Atlanta (slight)
Small Forward
Paul Pierce vs. Marvin Williams
Hey, did you know the Hawks could have drafted Chris Paul or Deron Williams?
Edge: Boston (significant)
Power Forward
Kevin Garnett vs. Josh Smith
Josh Smith is a very talented player. This one isn't close.
Edge: Boston (significant)
Center
Kendrick Perkins vs. Al Hoford
The people's choice for rookie of the year is a better scorer, rebounder and passer. That's pretty cut and dry.
Edge: Atlanta (moderate)
Bench
Boston's bench beat Atlanta in the 4th quarter the other night. The Hawks don't have a bench.
Edge: Boston (Significant)
Coach
Doc Rivers vs. Mike Woodson
I'd take Isiah Thomas over Mike Woodson in a one game situation (presuming Isiah didn't put his team together himself). I don't know what further indictment I can give Woody.
Edge: Boston (Significant)
Best Case Scenario for Atlanta
Playoff jitters get to Rondo, Garnett's past playoff failures make him tight. Joe Johnson is on fire. Bibby is clutch. Josh Smith plays like a guy looking for a big contract. Horford dominates Perkins. Hawks lose in 5 games, all of which come down to the wire.
Worst Case Scenario for the Hawks
Whatever it is, expect it to unfold in this series.
The Pick
Even if everything goes wrong for Boston in this series, they're still playing Atlanta and Mike Woodson will find a way to neutralize any advantages Atlanta might cook up. It's great Atlanta has made the playoffs and hopefully can build on it this offseason. However, in this situation the outlook ain't rosy.
Boston in 4.
Point Guard
Rajon Rondo vs. Mike Bibby
The big question mark and undoubtedly the biggest x-factor in a title run for Boston is Rondo. He's an incredibly talented player, but, pun intended, he's green when it comes to the playoffs. I guess there is reason for optimism when your Point Guard has a ton more experience than his counterpart, but if you saw the last game these two teams played, the beat up, worn out Bibby couldn't keep Rondo in front of him and Rondo did pretty much whatever he wants. The experience factor keeps this match up closer than it is based on performance.
Edge: Boston (slight)
Shooting Guard
Ray Allen vs. Joe Johnson
The Hawks broke the bank to sign Johnson a few years ago and it paid dividends down the stretch this season when Joe played like an All-Star and a warrior to lead the team into the playoffs. Allen is the third banana, but a dangerous one who despite his advancing age is a dangerous 3 point threat any night. It's bad news for the Hawks when their best player isn't head and shoulders above the guy he's matched up with.
Edge: Atlanta (slight)
Small Forward
Paul Pierce vs. Marvin Williams
Hey, did you know the Hawks could have drafted Chris Paul or Deron Williams?
Edge: Boston (significant)
Power Forward
Kevin Garnett vs. Josh Smith
Josh Smith is a very talented player. This one isn't close.
Edge: Boston (significant)
Center
Kendrick Perkins vs. Al Hoford
The people's choice for rookie of the year is a better scorer, rebounder and passer. That's pretty cut and dry.
Edge: Atlanta (moderate)
Bench
Boston's bench beat Atlanta in the 4th quarter the other night. The Hawks don't have a bench.
Edge: Boston (Significant)
Coach
Doc Rivers vs. Mike Woodson
I'd take Isiah Thomas over Mike Woodson in a one game situation (presuming Isiah didn't put his team together himself). I don't know what further indictment I can give Woody.
Edge: Boston (Significant)
Best Case Scenario for Atlanta
Playoff jitters get to Rondo, Garnett's past playoff failures make him tight. Joe Johnson is on fire. Bibby is clutch. Josh Smith plays like a guy looking for a big contract. Horford dominates Perkins. Hawks lose in 5 games, all of which come down to the wire.
Worst Case Scenario for the Hawks
Whatever it is, expect it to unfold in this series.
The Pick
Even if everything goes wrong for Boston in this series, they're still playing Atlanta and Mike Woodson will find a way to neutralize any advantages Atlanta might cook up. It's great Atlanta has made the playoffs and hopefully can build on it this offseason. However, in this situation the outlook ain't rosy.
Boston in 4.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Moooovin on Up, to the Eastside, finally got a piece of the pie!
Drink it in Atlanta. DRINK. IT. IN.
For the first time since 1999 the Atlanta Hawks are playoff bound. Thanks to their resounding win over...ok, so it took Indiana losing to Washington last night for the Hawks to clinch that elusive playoff spot. Someone asked me a fair question the other day: Is Atlanta making the playoffs a credit to the Hawks or an indictment of the Eastern Conference?
Obviously, with the Hawks guaranteed of making the playoffs with a losing record it is a fair indictment of the bottom half of the conference which has been flat out atrocious this season, but why is it in sports that we have to have absolute answers? I've never understood this "either/or" mentality. Was Tiger Woods mortal and the rest of the field unspectacular at the Masters? Certainly, but Trevor Immelman played so well for three days that he was able to struggle a little bit Sunday and still win. Did Memphis choke away a national championship in basketball? Absolutely, but Kansas made huge plays down the stretch and played incredible defense keeping Memphis from scoring to give themselves a chance.
I could go on, but you get my point, while the bottom half of the East is terrible, the Hawks deserve some credit for surviving the muck. The reality is that everybody has to play the same competition and the Hawks were just a little bit better than Indiana, New Jersey and Chicago. Since acquiring Mike Bibby the hawks are 15-14. In that time, Joe Johnson has averaged 24.5 points per game, Bibby has hit big shots in several big games to help Atlanta win and supporting characters Al Horford, Josh Smith and Josh Childress have all shined at times.
Yes, it took way too long for the Hawks to get back the playoffs. Yes, it was thanks in large part due to the incredible mediocrity of the Eastern Conference. Yes, with the Joshes unsigned for next year and Bibby beyond next year the future is uncertain. Yes, Joe and Bibby are running on fumes. Yes, the rest of the starting cast has beyond Horford has been terribly inconsistent and Yes, the Hawks have no bench to speak of. All that being true, the Hawks are in the playoffs and that's an achievement for the much maligned franchise and since their first round draft pick goes to Phoenix making the Playoffs is MUCH better than the alternative.
Monday, April 14, 2008
The Monday Replay
Tiger Woods wins the Masters..wait, he didn't?
I thought it was a sure thing he was going to win all four majors this year? Some guy named Trevor Immelman shot an incredible 75 Sunday to win by three strokes. That's right, he was three over par and still won comfortably at -8. Basically everyone around him choked and Tiger was just mortal shooting even par 72. They say the Masters doesn't start until the back 9 on Sunday, well Immelman made just enough shots on that stretch Sunday I suppose, but I think being 11 under par through three rounds had as much to do with it as anything. I'm dogging him I suppose, but seriously there have been bigger collapses in history and he maintained his composure every time the collar got tight and rallied and that's not easy to do. Perhaps this is a dawn of a new rival for Tiger, but I doubt it and as frustrating as it might be for Eldrick, all he can do is set his sights on crushing the field at the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines. Seeing as how He's won the Buick Invitational at Torrey Pines four years in a row and five of the last six, something tells me he'll be the favorite.
Hawks still waiting to clinch 8th playoff spot
The stage was set up perfectly for the Hawks Saturday night at the highlight factory. With Charlotte clinging to a victory in Indianapolis the Hawks had a chance to clinch the 8th seed in the East with a win over Boston. The Celtics starters led Boston to a 55-44 halftime lead, but Josh Smith and Al Horford responded with a combined 23 to even the score after three. Boston then pulled the Big 3 opening the door for the Hawks, who in typical Hawks fashion, were unable to seal the deal. The Hawks jumped to an 84-80 lead then 74 year old Sam Cassell went nuts and Boston finished on a 19-5 run to win by ten. Still, with the Indy loss, the Hawks magic number is one and could have the spot locked down before taking the floor with Orlando tomorrow night. Washington clings to life for home court advantage in the first round so if the Wiz take care of Indiana at home tonight, the Hawks are going to end the longest playoff drought in the league.
Ow, my groin
The Braves starting rotation took another hit as Mike Hampton went down with an injury. Wait sorry, I'm just conditioned to typing that sentence. Actually it was 42 year old Tom Glavine who didn't make it out of the first inning before tweaking a groin muscle. The team is taking a wait and see approach, but here's guessing a 42 year old's groin ain't gonna heal overnight, so for the time being, the Braves are back to where they were last year: Smoltz and Hudson and pray for...somethin? I dunno, it doesn't just roll of the tongue like "Spahn and Sain and pry for rain" does. Well, maybe Jo-Jo Reyes is ready to be a major league starter...yeah I'm not holding my breath either.
I thought it was a sure thing he was going to win all four majors this year? Some guy named Trevor Immelman shot an incredible 75 Sunday to win by three strokes. That's right, he was three over par and still won comfortably at -8. Basically everyone around him choked and Tiger was just mortal shooting even par 72. They say the Masters doesn't start until the back 9 on Sunday, well Immelman made just enough shots on that stretch Sunday I suppose, but I think being 11 under par through three rounds had as much to do with it as anything. I'm dogging him I suppose, but seriously there have been bigger collapses in history and he maintained his composure every time the collar got tight and rallied and that's not easy to do. Perhaps this is a dawn of a new rival for Tiger, but I doubt it and as frustrating as it might be for Eldrick, all he can do is set his sights on crushing the field at the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines. Seeing as how He's won the Buick Invitational at Torrey Pines four years in a row and five of the last six, something tells me he'll be the favorite.
Hawks still waiting to clinch 8th playoff spot
The stage was set up perfectly for the Hawks Saturday night at the highlight factory. With Charlotte clinging to a victory in Indianapolis the Hawks had a chance to clinch the 8th seed in the East with a win over Boston. The Celtics starters led Boston to a 55-44 halftime lead, but Josh Smith and Al Horford responded with a combined 23 to even the score after three. Boston then pulled the Big 3 opening the door for the Hawks, who in typical Hawks fashion, were unable to seal the deal. The Hawks jumped to an 84-80 lead then 74 year old Sam Cassell went nuts and Boston finished on a 19-5 run to win by ten. Still, with the Indy loss, the Hawks magic number is one and could have the spot locked down before taking the floor with Orlando tomorrow night. Washington clings to life for home court advantage in the first round so if the Wiz take care of Indiana at home tonight, the Hawks are going to end the longest playoff drought in the league.
Ow, my groin
The Braves starting rotation took another hit as Mike Hampton went down with an injury. Wait sorry, I'm just conditioned to typing that sentence. Actually it was 42 year old Tom Glavine who didn't make it out of the first inning before tweaking a groin muscle. The team is taking a wait and see approach, but here's guessing a 42 year old's groin ain't gonna heal overnight, so for the time being, the Braves are back to where they were last year: Smoltz and Hudson and pray for...somethin? I dunno, it doesn't just roll of the tongue like "Spahn and Sain and pry for rain" does. Well, maybe Jo-Jo Reyes is ready to be a major league starter...yeah I'm not holding my breath either.
Monday, April 7, 2008
Monday quick hits
In Rose I trust
On the December 29th Instant Replay I predicted John Calipari's Memphis team would cut down the nets in San Antonio. For some reason I listened to the "experts" and went homer and picked UCLA to win it all and Memphis to lose to Texas. That's what I get for not trusting myself. Kansas-Memphis should be an outstanding game (how many blowouts have we said that about in this tournament?) so when it's close, go with the best player on the floor and in this tournament it has been this man:
Freshman phenom PG Derrick Rose has been phenomenal in the tournament embarrassing a who's who of college basketball point guards
first in the Sweet 16 there was four year starter and All-Big 10 first teamer Drew Neitzel. Then in the Elite 8 it was First team All-American D.J. Augustin and then in the Final 4 he lit Pac-10 defensive player of the year Russell Westbrook to the tune of 25 points, 9 rebounds and four assists. Kansas' Russell Robinson is next on Rose's hit list.
I think both teams are good enough to muck the game up defensively, so I like Memphis 79-70, all of the starters go pro and five years from now they all admit they got paid to go to Memphis.
Smoltz rises to the challenge again
Never mind that he only pitched one time in the Spring with Johan Santana making his debut in the Mets/Braves rivalry, Smoltz rose to the occasion with a sore shoulder and pitched well enough to eke out a win. Both pitchers were great and Mark Teixeira came up huge with a two run bomb in the 8th and a game saving diving stop to finish off the Mets in the 9th. The Braves are 3-3 after the first week of the season and had a chance to win all 6 games. You can't really make much of the first week of the season, but you have to love watching Smoltz go out there and give his all like it's October.
Michael Vick's Longest Yard
So according to the New York Daily News, piggybacking on a story first reported in the AJC, Michael Vick and Arthur Blank have written letters to each other since Vick was incarcerated in Leavenworth Prison. According to the Daily News, Vick stays in shape by participating in Prison Yard football games. To keep things fair, Vick plays quarterback for both teams. It wasn't originally planned that way, but the team that drafted was complaining about his TD to INT ratio so they thought it would only be fair to make him play for both sides.
Blank says "Never say Never" in regards to Michael Vick's future and while it's highly unlikely Vick will ever suit up for the Dirty Birds again, for the league minimum and low risk involved if you honestly believe he's a rehabilitated human being why not give him a chance?
On the December 29th Instant Replay I predicted John Calipari's Memphis team would cut down the nets in San Antonio. For some reason I listened to the "experts" and went homer and picked UCLA to win it all and Memphis to lose to Texas. That's what I get for not trusting myself. Kansas-Memphis should be an outstanding game (how many blowouts have we said that about in this tournament?) so when it's close, go with the best player on the floor and in this tournament it has been this man:
Freshman phenom PG Derrick Rose has been phenomenal in the tournament embarrassing a who's who of college basketball point guards
first in the Sweet 16 there was four year starter and All-Big 10 first teamer Drew Neitzel. Then in the Elite 8 it was First team All-American D.J. Augustin and then in the Final 4 he lit Pac-10 defensive player of the year Russell Westbrook to the tune of 25 points, 9 rebounds and four assists. Kansas' Russell Robinson is next on Rose's hit list.
I think both teams are good enough to muck the game up defensively, so I like Memphis 79-70, all of the starters go pro and five years from now they all admit they got paid to go to Memphis.
Smoltz rises to the challenge again
Never mind that he only pitched one time in the Spring with Johan Santana making his debut in the Mets/Braves rivalry, Smoltz rose to the occasion with a sore shoulder and pitched well enough to eke out a win. Both pitchers were great and Mark Teixeira came up huge with a two run bomb in the 8th and a game saving diving stop to finish off the Mets in the 9th. The Braves are 3-3 after the first week of the season and had a chance to win all 6 games. You can't really make much of the first week of the season, but you have to love watching Smoltz go out there and give his all like it's October.
Michael Vick's Longest Yard
So according to the New York Daily News, piggybacking on a story first reported in the AJC, Michael Vick and Arthur Blank have written letters to each other since Vick was incarcerated in Leavenworth Prison. According to the Daily News, Vick stays in shape by participating in Prison Yard football games. To keep things fair, Vick plays quarterback for both teams. It wasn't originally planned that way, but the team that drafted was complaining about his TD to INT ratio so they thought it would only be fair to make him play for both sides.
Blank says "Never say Never" in regards to Michael Vick's future and while it's highly unlikely Vick will ever suit up for the Dirty Birds again, for the league minimum and low risk involved if you honestly believe he's a rehabilitated human being why not give him a chance?
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Oh where have you gone Boris Diaw?
When the Phoenix Suns shipped disgruntled, up-and-coming star Joe Johnson to the Hawks for two first round picks and Boris Diaw a vast majority of the public laughed at the Hawks.
"What are they thinking? They didn't have to give up that much!" the cynics laughed, and they were right. The Hawks seemingly gave up a lot to get a guy the Suns had no intentions of paying top dollar. In the 2005-06 Season, Diaw found his niche and blossomed. He averaged 13.3 points, 6.9 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game for Phoenix. Meanwhile Johnson had a decent season on a dreadful Hawks team that won 26 games (which sadly doubled their win total from the year before). Pundits laughed at the Hawks. "Look at what happened with Diaw! Can you believe the Hawks gave this guy up??? AND Phoenix gets a draft pick from Atlanta? Boy are the Hawks dumb."
Well, as fortune would have it, the Hawks avoided having to give up their draft pick until 2008 quieting all the people who wrote "Can you imagine who Phoenix might get with Atlanta's pick in the 2007 draft? They could get Joakim Noah at #5? He'd be perfect in their system!" or "Atlanta's pick is unprotected in 2008, Phoenix can get anyone if the Hawks miss the playoffs!"
Well, as of right now the Hawks cling to the 8th playoff spot leading Indiana by 3 games with just 8 to play. Joe Johnson is proving he deserved that second All-Star spot down the stretch averaging nearly 25 points and seven assists per game in the month of March. The Hawks have won 8 of 10 and appear to be on the verge of a playoff birth for the first time since 1982 (I might have to go check the records on that.)
So what's Diaw up to these days? Well he's nearly dropped 5 points, two rebounds and three assists per game since the 05-06 season and you don't hear much about him as an impact player. And as for the draft pick, well barring a total collapse (which is possible with the Heart Attack Hawks) Phoenix will be selecting in the middle of the first round. NBADraft.net has Phoenix selecting French Shooting Guard Nicholas Batem with Atlanta's pick #15.
The Hawks have Johnson signed through the next two seasons, so let's play a game: Let's see who averages more points per game these next two years, Joe Johnson or Boris Diaw and whomever Phoenix selects with Atlanta's pick. I'll take Joe. I'd like to see some of these media blowhards come out and admit they were wrong and that the trade was a fair one and that Atlanta made out pretty well in the end, but then who would the media have to kick around? I guess the Clippers are back to sucking so it could be then. Please, talking heads give Joe Johnson some love.
"What are they thinking? They didn't have to give up that much!" the cynics laughed, and they were right. The Hawks seemingly gave up a lot to get a guy the Suns had no intentions of paying top dollar. In the 2005-06 Season, Diaw found his niche and blossomed. He averaged 13.3 points, 6.9 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game for Phoenix. Meanwhile Johnson had a decent season on a dreadful Hawks team that won 26 games (which sadly doubled their win total from the year before). Pundits laughed at the Hawks. "Look at what happened with Diaw! Can you believe the Hawks gave this guy up??? AND Phoenix gets a draft pick from Atlanta? Boy are the Hawks dumb."
Well, as fortune would have it, the Hawks avoided having to give up their draft pick until 2008 quieting all the people who wrote "Can you imagine who Phoenix might get with Atlanta's pick in the 2007 draft? They could get Joakim Noah at #5? He'd be perfect in their system!" or "Atlanta's pick is unprotected in 2008, Phoenix can get anyone if the Hawks miss the playoffs!"
Well, as of right now the Hawks cling to the 8th playoff spot leading Indiana by 3 games with just 8 to play. Joe Johnson is proving he deserved that second All-Star spot down the stretch averaging nearly 25 points and seven assists per game in the month of March. The Hawks have won 8 of 10 and appear to be on the verge of a playoff birth for the first time since 1982 (I might have to go check the records on that.)
So what's Diaw up to these days? Well he's nearly dropped 5 points, two rebounds and three assists per game since the 05-06 season and you don't hear much about him as an impact player. And as for the draft pick, well barring a total collapse (which is possible with the Heart Attack Hawks) Phoenix will be selecting in the middle of the first round. NBADraft.net has Phoenix selecting French Shooting Guard Nicholas Batem with Atlanta's pick #15.
The Hawks have Johnson signed through the next two seasons, so let's play a game: Let's see who averages more points per game these next two years, Joe Johnson or Boris Diaw and whomever Phoenix selects with Atlanta's pick. I'll take Joe. I'd like to see some of these media blowhards come out and admit they were wrong and that the trade was a fair one and that Atlanta made out pretty well in the end, but then who would the media have to kick around? I guess the Clippers are back to sucking so it could be then. Please, talking heads give Joe Johnson some love.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
The Window is Closing on Marvin Williams
The point has been beaten to death: The Hawks should have drafted Chris Paul or Deron Williams instead of Marvin Williams. It's almost as if Marvin's middle name is Chrispaulorderonwilliams. I've always been one of Marvin's biggest supporters. He's a nice guy and got a bad rap because he wasn't developing into a star as quickly as Paul or Deron Williams. Marvin is just 21 and in his third year as a pro. He missed a quarter of his second season with a broken hand. Still, in his third year he was expected to take the next jump and it looked as if that was going to happen.
Through January Marvin only had one game in which he scored fewer than 10 points. Not even All-Star Joe Johnson could boast that claim. However Marvin's points per game dipped from 16.7 in January to 11.7 in February. He's inched that number up to 12.0 in March. Furthermore, it looks like his confidence has decreased over the past couple of months. He had a dreadful February shooting barely 35 percent from the floor. He tenses up in late game situations and is a turnover machine in the 4th quarter of tight ball games.
The knock on Marvin was never his skill level. There were some people who were concerned with his work ethic. I can't speak for him so I can't criticize him for that, but it is hanging over head. He needs to get stronger to become more of a force on the glass. He's an ok rebounder, but for a guy that big and athletic he should be a better rebounder. He's got a good mid-range game, but he's not a three point shooter and he doesn't really have any post moves either.
Is it fair to hold Marvin up against the standards set by other players in the draft? Well, when Chris Paul averages 25 points and nearly 13 assists per game in March while trying to push his team to the top seed in the brutal Western Conference, it's unfortunate, but fair to compare.
With 12 games to go and the Hawks clinging to the 8th playoff spot in the East the onus is on Marvin Williams to make an impact. The Hawks need someone to help take the pressure off Joe Johnson late in games and it's time for Marvin to make his impact. If he can't do it, the Hawks need to seriously pursue a trade this offseason.
Through January Marvin only had one game in which he scored fewer than 10 points. Not even All-Star Joe Johnson could boast that claim. However Marvin's points per game dipped from 16.7 in January to 11.7 in February. He's inched that number up to 12.0 in March. Furthermore, it looks like his confidence has decreased over the past couple of months. He had a dreadful February shooting barely 35 percent from the floor. He tenses up in late game situations and is a turnover machine in the 4th quarter of tight ball games.
The knock on Marvin was never his skill level. There were some people who were concerned with his work ethic. I can't speak for him so I can't criticize him for that, but it is hanging over head. He needs to get stronger to become more of a force on the glass. He's an ok rebounder, but for a guy that big and athletic he should be a better rebounder. He's got a good mid-range game, but he's not a three point shooter and he doesn't really have any post moves either.
Is it fair to hold Marvin up against the standards set by other players in the draft? Well, when Chris Paul averages 25 points and nearly 13 assists per game in March while trying to push his team to the top seed in the brutal Western Conference, it's unfortunate, but fair to compare.
With 12 games to go and the Hawks clinging to the 8th playoff spot in the East the onus is on Marvin Williams to make an impact. The Hawks need someone to help take the pressure off Joe Johnson late in games and it's time for Marvin to make his impact. If he can't do it, the Hawks need to seriously pursue a trade this offseason.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
The Play-In Game
So Joe Lunardi was on the radio this morning in Atlanta talking about the tournament (obviously) and one of the hosts started griping about conference tournaments and that teams like San Diego and whoever win the Sun Belt (with S. Alabama getting upset last night) playing a great week of basketball and getting in. Well, Lunardi shut him down, but it got me thinking about the play-in game.
The play-in game is a joke. ESPN and the tournament people try to convince us that it's important, but it's really not. They usually match a historically black college against some other spare Mid Major team. The winner goes on to get whipped by a #1 seed. It's a pointless venture and to me takes away a little bit of the charm of what makes March Madness great. Yes, these teams are sacrificial lambs, but to them, making the field of 64 and getting to participate in a Thursday or Friday game is a huge thrill for these teams.
Lunardi made a great point this morning, he said that while the major conference bubble teams are better than most of the small conference champions, they also have a ton of chances to secure their spot in the field and if they haven't they have no one to blame but themselves. He said that after last night, Ohio State is the last team in his field and Florida is sitting at 68th (I think). That really sparked something in me.
The "Play-in" Game should be between the last two at-large teams.
Once the field is seeded, figure out what the last at large seed is. According to his Bracketology Today it was defending national runner up Ohio State who is the 12 seed in the South. So if that's how it falls on selection Sunday, instead of having the SWAC champ and the Big Sky champ battle for irrelevancy, let two major programs play for that last at large bid, which currently is the 12 seed in the South. If Ohio St is 65 and Florida is 66, that would be infinitely better for a play in game than anything else.
The play-in game is a joke. ESPN and the tournament people try to convince us that it's important, but it's really not. They usually match a historically black college against some other spare Mid Major team. The winner goes on to get whipped by a #1 seed. It's a pointless venture and to me takes away a little bit of the charm of what makes March Madness great. Yes, these teams are sacrificial lambs, but to them, making the field of 64 and getting to participate in a Thursday or Friday game is a huge thrill for these teams.
Lunardi made a great point this morning, he said that while the major conference bubble teams are better than most of the small conference champions, they also have a ton of chances to secure their spot in the field and if they haven't they have no one to blame but themselves. He said that after last night, Ohio State is the last team in his field and Florida is sitting at 68th (I think). That really sparked something in me.
The "Play-in" Game should be between the last two at-large teams.
Once the field is seeded, figure out what the last at large seed is. According to his Bracketology Today it was defending national runner up Ohio State who is the 12 seed in the South. So if that's how it falls on selection Sunday, instead of having the SWAC champ and the Big Sky champ battle for irrelevancy, let two major programs play for that last at large bid, which currently is the 12 seed in the South. If Ohio St is 65 and Florida is 66, that would be infinitely better for a play in game than anything else.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
My endorsement
So supposedly there are some Democratic primaries going on today, but those aren't important. With Darren McFadden out of the equation I must turn my attention to someone new for the Falcons to draft, but after much thought as of today March 4, 2008 I endorse this man
LSU defensive tackle, Glenn Dorsey. Now, no one has clamored for the need for a dominant Offensive Tackle as much as I have, but the old cliche in football rings true in it's simplest form: Defense wins championships.
As great as Eli Manning was in the fourth quarter in the Super Bowl, the Giants don't stand a chance in that game if they don't have a dominant performance from their front four. I love Vince Young, but he didn't make progress as a quarterback this year, yet the Titans went 10-6 primarily due to a dominant defensive line, led by mammoth tackle Albert Haynesworth.
Unless you can snag a pro-bowl quarterback in free agency and totally revamp your offensive line, building a dominant front unit, it's hard to completely turn around a dreadful offense. Even if you have a great offense, how many teams have won titles without a great defense in the past decade? The Rams in 2000 are the only one that comes to mind. The next year the Ravens had one of the great defenses of all time. The Patriots built a dynasty with a great foundation on defense. So were the Steelers and Giants. The Colts finally won a title because their defense was very much improved.
Dorsey would fill a HUGE need. The Falcons have three DT's on the roster right now, the best of whom (Trey Lewis) is coming off major knee surgery. They need depth at that position desperately.
Would I be heartbroken if we end up drafting Jake Long? No. Matt Ryan? I'd never forgive them. But Glenn Dorsey makes the most sense. With a great defense, the Falcons can turn their fortunes around more quickly than any other way. With a GM from the Patriots organization and a coach from the Jaguars organization, hopefully my plan can come to fruition.
LSU defensive tackle, Glenn Dorsey. Now, no one has clamored for the need for a dominant Offensive Tackle as much as I have, but the old cliche in football rings true in it's simplest form: Defense wins championships.
As great as Eli Manning was in the fourth quarter in the Super Bowl, the Giants don't stand a chance in that game if they don't have a dominant performance from their front four. I love Vince Young, but he didn't make progress as a quarterback this year, yet the Titans went 10-6 primarily due to a dominant defensive line, led by mammoth tackle Albert Haynesworth.
Unless you can snag a pro-bowl quarterback in free agency and totally revamp your offensive line, building a dominant front unit, it's hard to completely turn around a dreadful offense. Even if you have a great offense, how many teams have won titles without a great defense in the past decade? The Rams in 2000 are the only one that comes to mind. The next year the Ravens had one of the great defenses of all time. The Patriots built a dynasty with a great foundation on defense. So were the Steelers and Giants. The Colts finally won a title because their defense was very much improved.
Dorsey would fill a HUGE need. The Falcons have three DT's on the roster right now, the best of whom (Trey Lewis) is coming off major knee surgery. They need depth at that position desperately.
Would I be heartbroken if we end up drafting Jake Long? No. Matt Ryan? I'd never forgive them. But Glenn Dorsey makes the most sense. With a great defense, the Falcons can turn their fortunes around more quickly than any other way. With a GM from the Patriots organization and a coach from the Jaguars organization, hopefully my plan can come to fruition.
Monday, March 3, 2008
Draft Needs
So we're now less than two months away from the greatest event in televised sports, the NFL Draft. With Free Agency in full swing the Falcons landed four players this weekend (Michael Turner, TE Ben Hartsock, CB Von Hutchens and S Erik Coleman) There might be a few more moves made (OG Maurice Williams appears to be in the mix), but it's time to start shifting focus towards the draft. Obviously after such a dreadful season and relative roster purge, this draft is huge for the Falcons. Unfortunately for the Falcons, there are so many areas of need that there's not one quick fix player to put them in playoff contention. Fortunately for the Falcons, there are so many areas of need that they can't really go wrong in any direction...unless they want to cripple their franchise by drafting Matt Ryan. Before we get into all the debates over who to pick where, today I wanted to focus on the biggest positions of need for the Atlanta Falcons.
1. Defensive Tackle
You will hear a lot of hub-bub about taking Jake Long at #3 and it's hard to argue with the logic. That being said, the Falcons have Johnathan Babineaux, Montavious Stanley and Trey Lewis signed at defensive tackle right now. I'm a big Lewis fan, I thought he showed flashes before his knee injury last season and can be a productive player if he's healthy. If not, it just amplifies the need for that position even more. Our run defense was atrocious last year (just as bad as our run offense) and we're thin at that position.
2. Offensive Tackle
So you knew we weren't going very far without addressing this concern. In case you were wondering why this is an issue, I can answer that with a question. When was the last time the Falcons drafted and developed a franchise tackle?
anyone? Bueller?
That's what I thought.
3. Quarterback
Allow me to brag on Chris Redman and Joey Harrington a bit here. Were they great last year? Nah, but you know what? In the grand scheme of things, they weren't THAT bad. In fact, Aside from the Tampa debacle following Quitrino's abandonment, Redman played pretty well in fact. The Falcons ranked in the middle of the league in most passing statistics. Redman's QB rating was over 90 in his short stint as starter. I think Redman has earned a shot to keep the starting job this season. Is he a long term answer? Probably not, and thus the need to draft a young QB they can develop.
4. Middle Linebacker
The one long standing Falcons veteran that survived the roster purge was Keith Brooking. Honestly, in terms of production that was surprising to me. Brooking might still have some value at his natural position, Outside Linebacker, but he's simply way out of his league in the middle where he played last year. If you can add a good, young MLB to the mix, with Boley and Brooking on the outside and Stephen Nicholas rotating in, well then you have something to work with.
5. Receiver
I'm sort of lumping here. Roddy White had a breakout season, hopefully he'll continue to improve in 2008. If you listen to the show, you know my disdain for Michael "butterfingers" Jenkins. Ben Hartsock was a solid addition, but he's a blocker and not a pass catcher, so adding another tight end who can help replace some of Crumpler's production is necessary.
1. Defensive Tackle
You will hear a lot of hub-bub about taking Jake Long at #3 and it's hard to argue with the logic. That being said, the Falcons have Johnathan Babineaux, Montavious Stanley and Trey Lewis signed at defensive tackle right now. I'm a big Lewis fan, I thought he showed flashes before his knee injury last season and can be a productive player if he's healthy. If not, it just amplifies the need for that position even more. Our run defense was atrocious last year (just as bad as our run offense) and we're thin at that position.
2. Offensive Tackle
So you knew we weren't going very far without addressing this concern. In case you were wondering why this is an issue, I can answer that with a question. When was the last time the Falcons drafted and developed a franchise tackle?
anyone? Bueller?
That's what I thought.
3. Quarterback
Allow me to brag on Chris Redman and Joey Harrington a bit here. Were they great last year? Nah, but you know what? In the grand scheme of things, they weren't THAT bad. In fact, Aside from the Tampa debacle following Quitrino's abandonment, Redman played pretty well in fact. The Falcons ranked in the middle of the league in most passing statistics. Redman's QB rating was over 90 in his short stint as starter. I think Redman has earned a shot to keep the starting job this season. Is he a long term answer? Probably not, and thus the need to draft a young QB they can develop.
4. Middle Linebacker
The one long standing Falcons veteran that survived the roster purge was Keith Brooking. Honestly, in terms of production that was surprising to me. Brooking might still have some value at his natural position, Outside Linebacker, but he's simply way out of his league in the middle where he played last year. If you can add a good, young MLB to the mix, with Boley and Brooking on the outside and Stephen Nicholas rotating in, well then you have something to work with.
5. Receiver
I'm sort of lumping here. Roddy White had a breakout season, hopefully he'll continue to improve in 2008. If you listen to the show, you know my disdain for Michael "butterfingers" Jenkins. Ben Hartsock was a solid addition, but he's a blocker and not a pass catcher, so adding another tight end who can help replace some of Crumpler's production is necessary.
Sunday, March 2, 2008
The Newest Atlanta Falcon
Well it won't be Darren McFadden that's for sure. Today the Falcons reached a 6 year, 34 million dollar contract, with about $15 million guaranteed, with this man
Michael Turner who served as LaDainian Tomlinson's backup in San Diego for the past four seasons. Turner has 228 carries for 1,257 yards and 6 touchdowns in his career.
There are plenty of pros and cons with this deal. Let's start with the positive:
Package Deal
No, The Falcons aren't getting Tomlinson, or any of the spectacular blockers from San Diego alogn with Turner, but this gives the Falcons options at the third pick. If Jake Long the big OT from Michigan is available at #3 then he's the shoo-in pick there and it's hard to argue with the Falcons logic of signing a solid free agent back and drafting the best tackle. The Free Agent tackle class was weak this year so basically a Turner/Long combo is better than any combo you could come up with involving McFadden.
Flashes of brilliance
With Tomlinson ailing (and sulking) during the playoffs, Turner ran for 164 on 43 carries against Tennessee, Indy and New England, that's not a bad group of opponents at all. He also went for over 150 in a game against Denver this year and has three of the 11 longest rushes in San Diego Franchise history. The guy is 5'10, 235lbs with tremendous burst for a guy that big. A big/little combo of Turner and Jerious Norwood is pretty enticing.
Cons
Lack of PT
Despite those flashes of brilliance, you still just gave 15 million guaranteed to a guy with 228 career carries. That's nearly $66,000 per NFL carry. Yes, he was backing up the best back in the league, but there's no way of knowing how he'll handle being the primary back for a 16 season. He has little mileage on him, so that's a plus, but still it's risky giving a guy that much money who hasn't seen that much time on the field.
McFadden WILL be a star
I'm not the only one who feels that way and I feel pretty confident in saying it. All McFadden has done is dominate the best conference in America for the last couple of years. Michael Turner will now be compared to McFadden in Atlanta for the rest of his life. If Turner is just a solid to mediocre back in Atlanta and McFadden is the player a lot of people think he will be, then it's just further going to disenfranchise a fan base that has been continuously kicked in the nuts for the last 40 years. It will be the next "Marvin Williams/Chris Paul/Deron Willams" or "Shelden Williams/Brandon Roy" debacle.
This opens the door to draft Matt Ryan
If Matty Ice is there at #3 (Chris and Jake Long go #1 and #2 let's say) there is a very real possibility that the Falcons will take Matt Ryan. I'm sure Matt Ryan is a nice guy, but how a guy who completed less than 60 percent of his passes, threw 19 interceptions and was less efficient than 60 college quarterbacks last season is a sure fire top 5 pick is beyond me. There is this huge misnomer that turning around an NFL franchise is a long process. Long is a relative term. The Pittsburgh Pirates haven't been competitive in 16 seasons. The Atlanta Hawks haven't made the playoffs in this millenium. Every team in the NFL has made the playoffs in the last five seasons except Detroit, Miami, Arizona and Buffalo and those franchises have been the definition of pathetic this decade. In 2006 the New Orleans Saints went from hopeless to the NFC title game. The Falcons won't turn it around because they haven't revamped the offensive line in its entirety and don't have a pro-bowl QB like Drew Brees on the Roster. That being said, with smart drafting and free agent signings why can't the Falcons turn it around in three years?
You don't draft a quarterback in the top 5 unless you are certain that guy is Peyton Manning or Carson Palmer or because your roster is pretty solid but you're desperately seeking a decent QB to run the show. Matt Ryan might be the latter, but he's not the former and there are too many issues for the Falcons to worry about a marginal top 10 QB prospect. Draft Jake Long if he's there. If he's not, draft Glen Dorsey. If he's not there, see if you can trade. One of those two guys will likely be there for you so it shouldn't be an issue.
Michael Turner who served as LaDainian Tomlinson's backup in San Diego for the past four seasons. Turner has 228 carries for 1,257 yards and 6 touchdowns in his career.
There are plenty of pros and cons with this deal. Let's start with the positive:
Package Deal
No, The Falcons aren't getting Tomlinson, or any of the spectacular blockers from San Diego alogn with Turner, but this gives the Falcons options at the third pick. If Jake Long the big OT from Michigan is available at #3 then he's the shoo-in pick there and it's hard to argue with the Falcons logic of signing a solid free agent back and drafting the best tackle. The Free Agent tackle class was weak this year so basically a Turner/Long combo is better than any combo you could come up with involving McFadden.
Flashes of brilliance
With Tomlinson ailing (and sulking) during the playoffs, Turner ran for 164 on 43 carries against Tennessee, Indy and New England, that's not a bad group of opponents at all. He also went for over 150 in a game against Denver this year and has three of the 11 longest rushes in San Diego Franchise history. The guy is 5'10, 235lbs with tremendous burst for a guy that big. A big/little combo of Turner and Jerious Norwood is pretty enticing.
Cons
Lack of PT
Despite those flashes of brilliance, you still just gave 15 million guaranteed to a guy with 228 career carries. That's nearly $66,000 per NFL carry. Yes, he was backing up the best back in the league, but there's no way of knowing how he'll handle being the primary back for a 16 season. He has little mileage on him, so that's a plus, but still it's risky giving a guy that much money who hasn't seen that much time on the field.
McFadden WILL be a star
I'm not the only one who feels that way and I feel pretty confident in saying it. All McFadden has done is dominate the best conference in America for the last couple of years. Michael Turner will now be compared to McFadden in Atlanta for the rest of his life. If Turner is just a solid to mediocre back in Atlanta and McFadden is the player a lot of people think he will be, then it's just further going to disenfranchise a fan base that has been continuously kicked in the nuts for the last 40 years. It will be the next "Marvin Williams/Chris Paul/Deron Willams" or "Shelden Williams/Brandon Roy" debacle.
This opens the door to draft Matt Ryan
If Matty Ice is there at #3 (Chris and Jake Long go #1 and #2 let's say) there is a very real possibility that the Falcons will take Matt Ryan. I'm sure Matt Ryan is a nice guy, but how a guy who completed less than 60 percent of his passes, threw 19 interceptions and was less efficient than 60 college quarterbacks last season is a sure fire top 5 pick is beyond me. There is this huge misnomer that turning around an NFL franchise is a long process. Long is a relative term. The Pittsburgh Pirates haven't been competitive in 16 seasons. The Atlanta Hawks haven't made the playoffs in this millenium. Every team in the NFL has made the playoffs in the last five seasons except Detroit, Miami, Arizona and Buffalo and those franchises have been the definition of pathetic this decade. In 2006 the New Orleans Saints went from hopeless to the NFC title game. The Falcons won't turn it around because they haven't revamped the offensive line in its entirety and don't have a pro-bowl QB like Drew Brees on the Roster. That being said, with smart drafting and free agent signings why can't the Falcons turn it around in three years?
You don't draft a quarterback in the top 5 unless you are certain that guy is Peyton Manning or Carson Palmer or because your roster is pretty solid but you're desperately seeking a decent QB to run the show. Matt Ryan might be the latter, but he's not the former and there are too many issues for the Falcons to worry about a marginal top 10 QB prospect. Draft Jake Long if he's there. If he's not, draft Glen Dorsey. If he's not there, see if you can trade. One of those two guys will likely be there for you so it shouldn't be an issue.
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