Wednesday, December 9, 2009
A big reason why Locker should stay
Upon reading two similar articles from the Seattle Times and the Tacoma News Tribune, I began to think that the biggest reason for Jake Locker to return is that despite his great numbers (and having to play for Willingham) he wasn't a winner. It says more than one would think. There were growing pains this year (less than last year thank God). There were, however, games that were winnable, but were lost. Two wins over ranked teams are nice, but he must stay for more tutelage. How more impressive would it be if he stayed one more year and pad the resume: more wins, more awards and revenge (Oregon). I'm out.
Monday, December 7, 2009
My chest can't bare this, I have to get it off
I feel like my mind has been dormant. I'm not proud of this, it's just something that happens to me all to0 periodically. Once again, my friends, or those of you who sort of read this, which raises the question that if you're reading this, what is wrong with YOUR life? But, as I resume, my friends this has been an otherwise entertaining football season. Yes, the exception of another year without a postseason to brag about (Seahawks and Huskies), but it has been a good one nonetheless. I'd like to get a few things off my chest while I have your ears, however. I have been struggling with my own likeness and my own motivational creativity. I know it's down there somewhere, let me take another look. It's been there before and it can be here again. And for those of you who care, I will try to please your sour taste buds that is sports life to the best of my ability. I have been stricken with the all to easily, self-diagnosed, writer's block. It's a simple mode to fall under. If I write about sports or my life or whatever comes to this simple mind, and nobody reads it, does it make a sound? And what I'm struggling with is that even if this doesn't make the sweet music that I intend it to have, why should I stop? A musician doesn't stop making music if nobody hears it.
First, let me talk about the recent BCS bowl selections. It looks like everything turned out as it probably have. Alabama beat Florida to rid the nation of another upset stomach virus from the over-telecast and constant storylines of the bromantic relationship
between Urban Meyer and Tim Tebow. That story will have to be buried, which won't be a problem for most Americans who all too often get tired of success stories. I don't mind success stories, I just don't like it being shoved down our throats by the likes of Sportscenter.
So Alabama and its magnificent run game and defense will take on Texas. This is the matchup that most people have been waiting for. You have two top coaches (Mack Brown and Nick Saban), two top programs, two top Heisman candidates (Colt McCoy and Mark Ingram) and two great defenses. The BCS keeps getting a pass from their inevitable disaster of putting two teams that don't deserve a spot in the national title game. But this year is not much different from any other year. The top two teams are in it without any controversies. So now, we as a football nation must wait for mid January for these two teams to meet. I think because of this, the defenses are going to look great and it will end in a low-scoring match. Instead of a 41-38 thriller like
2005-06 Rose Bowl National Title game (the last time Texas was in the hunt), I believe this year will be on the lines of a 24-17 thriller. It will exceed expectations as far as a thriller go, but not much scoring and it will end in a lackluster way. I can't say who will win it this year, but I would rather see a Big 12 team win it than an SEC team.
So then lets move onto the other games. Florida and Cincinnati in the Sugar Bowl, which is kind of an odd matchup. I think Florida will absolutely kill, demolish, throttle, dismantle the Bearcats. Nothing against Cincy, but Florida will be extra pissed after the way they ended their regular season and if there is one player that I would want on my team in a bowl game, it is Tebow. I know I just got done ripping he and Meyer, but that's because they're good at what they do, win. I feel bad for Cincy, they should have gotten Boise State.
Speaking of Boise State, the Fiesta Bowl is now the non-BCS BCS game. I actually really like this matchup. With a few exceptions. These two teams played last year,
they're both non-BCS teams and when putting these two teams up against each other, what the BCS committee is really saying is, "We love TCU and BSU. So much that we want them to play each other while not proving anything to the rest of the nation." What this matchup does (or doesn't do) is make all of their arguments to get into a legit BCS bowl or a BCS conference bogus. What it really says is, we like you enough to put you in the BCS, but we still don't believe either team can beat Florida or Cincy or Georgia Tech or Iowa. We like you so much that we want to see who is the best non-BCS team rather than risk another miraculous upset.
And because of this match and because of this political discrepancy within the BCS, this game will probably the best game. Both teams have something extra to prove. Consider this game a job interview in front of the nation. Who is the better non-BCS team and who deserves all of this recognition? Both teams are fighting not just for themselves, but for their respective non-BCS conferences. I still think the best way for either team to continually compete in the BCS with no controversy is for Boise State to jump into the Mountain West thus making the Mountain West a BCS conference with Boise State, TCU, Utah and BYU all conference foes, all top 25 teams this year. But that's something that I've stated for years.
The Rose Bowl: Let me put it plainly. I don't like either of these teams (Ohio State and Oregon). Neither team is worth my writing. Except for this, the Buckeyes have no idea what is coming their way. Oregon has a scheme that is unstoppable. Beware Buckeyes, beware.
The Orange Bowl. Eh? Iowa and Georgia Tech? I don't know either team very well enough to state anything that matters, except I think Iowa will get beat. They're overrated. Any team from the Big 10 is overrated.
National Coach of the Year: Brian Kelly, Cincinnati
Heisman: Mark Ingram, Alabama (although I think Toby Gerhart deserves it, no west coast love)
National Champions: Alabama
New Notre Dame coach: Brian Kelly
Pac-10 coach of the Year: Whoever implemented Oregon's offense. (But it should go to Jim Harbaugh of Stanford)
Biggest regional postseason story: Will Jake Locker return? (And deservedly so)
My friend posed a statement to me on Facebook about how both Steve Sarkisian and Jim Mora have the same record (5-7), but do the Huskies have the better 5-7 record. That's a good question on two different scales. For one, all of the Seahawks' wins none were over good teams. They were against mediocre to bad teams. The Huskies at least beat Cal and USC. The Huskies also have more team unity. If there were one thing that I would knock the Seahawks on, it's team chemistry. I don't feel there isn't a whole lot, if any on that team. The Seahawks have a chance to improve to 8-8 this year. As far-fetched as it may seem, it is possible.
I attribute the lack of team chemistry to the expectations the Seahawks had preseason. Many people predicted them to win the NFC West. And when the expectations don't go as planned, finger pointing begins and the team begins to unravel. This is squarely on Mora, nothing else. When Mora put public blame on Olindo Mare for missing two field goals against the Bears (even if he deserved blame) the team took a turn for the worse. There are obvious differences between pro and college ball, but one big difference in the coaches is that Sark wouldn't have thrown anyone under the bus, even when he had chances. Pro or college, you don't throw players under for their mistakes. All that does is takes the confidence out of the players and all of a sudden you have a split locker room.
Sark should have the step up on Mora because of the preseason expectations the Huskies had. They lost every game last season and were expected to win maybe 2 this year. They win 5. Should have been at least 7, but they won 5. With wins over two top 20 teams.
I am, however, a firm believer in second chances and a bigger believer in patience. Mora should have another chance to redeem himself as the leader of the Hawks. If the SeaChickens can finish at either 8-8 or 7-9, that is considered a success of sorts. Even though, the fans have a new found expectations that the NFC West should run through the Oregon Trail first and foremost (which it should).
But in a tail of two coaches, it's not a disaster like last year. Neither team smells the postseason, but at least they have momentum for next season, which last year, neither team had.
NFL awards:
MVP: Drew Brees, New Orleans
Offensive Player: New Orleans offense
Defensive Player: Darren Sharper, New Orleans
Coach of the Year: Peyton Manning, Indy
Rookie of the Year: That fast guy who plays for Minny.
Sports Mustache of the Week:
Mark Mangino's Stache and his Belly will be remembered most for turning around KU, buffet lines and little stache on a big body. But sadly, he'll also be remembered for being an ass. One could say he Rock Chalked his way out of Lawrence. Good thing they have a pretty good basketball team.
First, let me talk about the recent BCS bowl selections. It looks like everything turned out as it probably have. Alabama beat Florida to rid the nation of another upset stomach virus from the over-telecast and constant storylines of the bromantic relationship
between Urban Meyer and Tim Tebow. That story will have to be buried, which won't be a problem for most Americans who all too often get tired of success stories. I don't mind success stories, I just don't like it being shoved down our throats by the likes of Sportscenter.
So Alabama and its magnificent run game and defense will take on Texas. This is the matchup that most people have been waiting for. You have two top coaches (Mack Brown and Nick Saban), two top programs, two top Heisman candidates (Colt McCoy and Mark Ingram) and two great defenses. The BCS keeps getting a pass from their inevitable disaster of putting two teams that don't deserve a spot in the national title game. But this year is not much different from any other year. The top two teams are in it without any controversies. So now, we as a football nation must wait for mid January for these two teams to meet. I think because of this, the defenses are going to look great and it will end in a low-scoring match. Instead of a 41-38 thriller like
2005-06 Rose Bowl National Title game (the last time Texas was in the hunt), I believe this year will be on the lines of a 24-17 thriller. It will exceed expectations as far as a thriller go, but not much scoring and it will end in a lackluster way. I can't say who will win it this year, but I would rather see a Big 12 team win it than an SEC team.
So then lets move onto the other games. Florida and Cincinnati in the Sugar Bowl, which is kind of an odd matchup. I think Florida will absolutely kill, demolish, throttle, dismantle the Bearcats. Nothing against Cincy, but Florida will be extra pissed after the way they ended their regular season and if there is one player that I would want on my team in a bowl game, it is Tebow. I know I just got done ripping he and Meyer, but that's because they're good at what they do, win. I feel bad for Cincy, they should have gotten Boise State.
Speaking of Boise State, the Fiesta Bowl is now the non-BCS BCS game. I actually really like this matchup. With a few exceptions. These two teams played last year,
they're both non-BCS teams and when putting these two teams up against each other, what the BCS committee is really saying is, "We love TCU and BSU. So much that we want them to play each other while not proving anything to the rest of the nation." What this matchup does (or doesn't do) is make all of their arguments to get into a legit BCS bowl or a BCS conference bogus. What it really says is, we like you enough to put you in the BCS, but we still don't believe either team can beat Florida or Cincy or Georgia Tech or Iowa. We like you so much that we want to see who is the best non-BCS team rather than risk another miraculous upset.
And because of this match and because of this political discrepancy within the BCS, this game will probably the best game. Both teams have something extra to prove. Consider this game a job interview in front of the nation. Who is the better non-BCS team and who deserves all of this recognition? Both teams are fighting not just for themselves, but for their respective non-BCS conferences. I still think the best way for either team to continually compete in the BCS with no controversy is for Boise State to jump into the Mountain West thus making the Mountain West a BCS conference with Boise State, TCU, Utah and BYU all conference foes, all top 25 teams this year. But that's something that I've stated for years.
The Rose Bowl: Let me put it plainly. I don't like either of these teams (Ohio State and Oregon). Neither team is worth my writing. Except for this, the Buckeyes have no idea what is coming their way. Oregon has a scheme that is unstoppable. Beware Buckeyes, beware.
The Orange Bowl. Eh? Iowa and Georgia Tech? I don't know either team very well enough to state anything that matters, except I think Iowa will get beat. They're overrated. Any team from the Big 10 is overrated.
National Coach of the Year: Brian Kelly, Cincinnati
Heisman: Mark Ingram, Alabama (although I think Toby Gerhart deserves it, no west coast love)
National Champions: Alabama
New Notre Dame coach: Brian Kelly
Pac-10 coach of the Year: Whoever implemented Oregon's offense. (But it should go to Jim Harbaugh of Stanford)
Biggest regional postseason story: Will Jake Locker return? (And deservedly so)
My friend posed a statement to me on Facebook about how both Steve Sarkisian and Jim Mora have the same record (5-7), but do the Huskies have the better 5-7 record. That's a good question on two different scales. For one, all of the Seahawks' wins none were over good teams. They were against mediocre to bad teams. The Huskies at least beat Cal and USC. The Huskies also have more team unity. If there were one thing that I would knock the Seahawks on, it's team chemistry. I don't feel there isn't a whole lot, if any on that team. The Seahawks have a chance to improve to 8-8 this year. As far-fetched as it may seem, it is possible.
I attribute the lack of team chemistry to the expectations the Seahawks had preseason. Many people predicted them to win the NFC West. And when the expectations don't go as planned, finger pointing begins and the team begins to unravel. This is squarely on Mora, nothing else. When Mora put public blame on Olindo Mare for missing two field goals against the Bears (even if he deserved blame) the team took a turn for the worse. There are obvious differences between pro and college ball, but one big difference in the coaches is that Sark wouldn't have thrown anyone under the bus, even when he had chances. Pro or college, you don't throw players under for their mistakes. All that does is takes the confidence out of the players and all of a sudden you have a split locker room.
Sark should have the step up on Mora because of the preseason expectations the Huskies had. They lost every game last season and were expected to win maybe 2 this year. They win 5. Should have been at least 7, but they won 5. With wins over two top 20 teams.
I am, however, a firm believer in second chances and a bigger believer in patience. Mora should have another chance to redeem himself as the leader of the Hawks. If the SeaChickens can finish at either 8-8 or 7-9, that is considered a success of sorts. Even though, the fans have a new found expectations that the NFC West should run through the Oregon Trail first and foremost (which it should).
But in a tail of two coaches, it's not a disaster like last year. Neither team smells the postseason, but at least they have momentum for next season, which last year, neither team had.
NFL awards:
MVP: Drew Brees, New Orleans
Offensive Player: New Orleans offense
Defensive Player: Darren Sharper, New Orleans
Coach of the Year: Peyton Manning, Indy
Rookie of the Year: That fast guy who plays for Minny.
Sports Mustache of the Week:
Mark Mangino's Stache and his Belly will be remembered most for turning around KU, buffet lines and little stache on a big body. But sadly, he'll also be remembered for being an ass. One could say he Rock Chalked his way out of Lawrence. Good thing they have a pretty good basketball team.
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