So I was watching RAW last week and Good Ol' JR said, "John Cena is one of the most polarizing stars in the WWE." Then I finished reading Chris Jericho's second book and recalled his high regard for Cena. The next thing I know, I'm sitting there thinking that maybe I should look at this a little more.
Before I go any further allow me to make something perfectly clear. My all-time favorite wrestler is, was, and will always be Triple H. From Terra Ryzing in WCW to "The Blueblood" Hunter Hearst-Helmsley to "The Game" Triple H, he has always been my favorite. Some other time I will gladly write a column outlining my Triple H fandom and talking about the rest of my Top 5: Trips, Chris Jericho, Rob Van Dam, Bryan Danielson (now known as Daniel Bryan), & Kurt Angle (minus the awful stint in TNA). Sabu & CM Punk are just underneath Angle.
Moving on...
JR's comment sat with me for a little bit after RAW. I'm not a big Cena fan but JR had an excellent point. For years now, many of us keep wondering when Cena will either turn heel or when Vince will stop shoving him down our throats as WWE Champion. But JR was right, Cena is polarizing. There aren't many people who are in-between on Cena. Regardless of what he is doing you always have a reaction, a strong reaction. You either love him or you can't stand him. Women and children tend to love him while most men and all hardcore wrestling fans can't stand him. I'm still not a Cena fan but admittedly, I do respect him.
When Cena first started in WWE he was a jackass who used to wear tights with the colors of the different sports teams of the town he was wrestling in. He was "The Prototype" and very agitating to watch. It didn't make sense to any of us how he ended up wrestling Jericho on PPV. About a year later, Cena would become the "Doctor of Thuganomics" and his career took off (Sorry, Bling Bling Buchanon). Every week Cena would take the mic and freestyle, verbally tearing his opponents to shreds in the process. He would win his WrestleMania debut (WM XX), defeating The Big Show for the United States Championship. Cena has fought for either the WWE or World Heavyweight Championship in every WrestleMania since. That's seven consecutive 'Mania main events for Cena.
Somewhere along the way between all that success, a large disdain for Cena grew. For me, it happened in the summer of 2005. Cena's star was red hot. He had just jumped ship to RAW as the first pick of the draft lottery. He was the reigning WWE Champion and they even redesigned the belt specifically for him. Cena would spend the summer feuding with RAW GM Eric Bischoff and his chosen challenger, Chris Jericho. While Jericho would lose cleanly to Cena at Summerslam, he would gain a larger victory with the fans. The crowd was split right down the middle. Anyone who watched the match would agree that Y2J thoroughly outwrestled Cena. This was the start of a pattern in which Cena would be outwrestled regularly at pay-per-views. Kurt Angle, Triple H, & Shawn Michaels all may have lost to Cena but they clearly paced the matches and exposed a lack of technique on the part of Cena. This wasn't lost on the fans.
Cena got a bit of boost in late 2006, feuding with Edge and actually dropping the title for a little while. But after the horrible events involving Chris Benoit, the WWE was forced to change its image and go TV-PG for the forseeable future. Taking the mic away from Cena and turning him into the ultimate babyface was great for raising the next generation of WWE fans. But for those who grew up on the Attitude Era this was the end of John Cena.
He has been the model citizen since he started and has done everything Vince McMahon has asked of him and then some. He is the consumate professional and he has improved in the ring. He's still unorthodox at best (Hey, so was Stone Cold Steve Austin.) and can be exposed by technically-superior competitors. However, Cena has learned to rise to the occasion. While CM Punk may have paced their Money in the Bank match, Cena was able to hang and get some of his own spots in.
The more I look at it, I realize that Vince will keep force-feeding us Cena because he sells merchandise, appeals to the kids (the next generation of WWE fans), and does everything he's asked to do (appearances, TV spots, music, charity work, Twitter responses) and then some. Whether we like it or not, Cena has become the ultimate "company guy" and that mainstream marketability has propelled him to becoming the face of the WWE, for better or worse. It's funny because when Stone Cold and The Rock and Triple H seemed to be in every single main event under the sun, no one cared. But everyone is sick and tired of Cena. Still, he gets a reaction (be it very mixed) and until the fans stop responding to him altogether, Cena will continue to be at the center of the WWE Championship picture.
Admittedly, I have gained some respect for Cena as a worker. But as a fan, Cena still sucks and Punk better become the Undisputed WWE Champion at Summerslam!
Some other news and notes:
1. The rebuilding of "Jersey's Team" continues as the club waived goodbye to Brian Rolston and Colin White. The Rolston move was slightly overdue and the loss of White was fast-approaching on the horizon. This is the final year of Martin Brodeur's contract and I'm convinced that after Brodeur walks away from the game the club will undergo a complete overhaul and truly become Ilya Kovalchuk's club. A lot of the youngsters who were pushed into action (Tedenby, Josefson, Palmieri, Fayne) last year are a year older and wiser and will be expected to take on even bigger roles this season. For the first time since the lockout, I feel like the Devils actually have a direction and aren't just trying to put pieces around Brodeur for one more Cup run. It may take a few years before everything truly settles in but at least there's solid direction in Newark. No matter what, I will be there cheering my ass off as always.
2. I'm still trying to figure out why it took North Carolina so long to fire Butch Davis. And just as I'm starting to comprehend that, it comes out that chancellor Holden Thorp committed a secondary NCAA violation, mentioning the name of a potential recruit. UNC is right next to Ohio State now in terms of bungling off-season compliance issues. The Tar Heels will now see their program set back several years, firing their coach so close to camp, and will be sure to lose a chunk of next year's recruiting class. It looks like the good folks of Chapel Hill will be going to back to the days of Carl Torbush and John Bunting...struggling for major victories.
3. A big thank you to the Denver Broncos for finally releasing the depth chart and naming Kyle Orton their starting quarterback. I understand Tim Tebow is a great guy who has quite the cult fan following but it's clear that Orton is the better quarterback and the guy the Bronco players believe they can win with. Being a great college player doesn't always translate to instant NFL success. Tebow has lots of work to do and losing minicamp and OTAs hurt him severely. He may develop into a solid NFL passer but right now he is number two on the depth chart and it's not even close. I'm also disgusted by all the outrage of Merril Hoge's comments on ESPN. He was in no way attacking Tebow as a person. He was simply making observations based on years in the league and plenty of film study. If you watch the film, there is nothing that Hoge said that isn't completely justified by Tebow's work last season.
4. I won't get into all the NFL player movement as there's just far too much to report on here. I'm just glad they're all back playing ball again. I wonder if the Giants got the memo that the lockout was over. The Saints and Eagles made some phenomenal acquisitions and the Packers are still the defending champions. The Giants, meanwhile, have stood idly by, waived goodbye to half of their offensive line, watched two of the best receivers flee the nest, and brought back Ahmad Bradshaw. It could be a long season for "Big Blue," especially since Rex Ryan and "Gang Green" look primed for another run deep into the AFC Playoffs.
5. I wonder if the Nashville Predators will be shopping captain Shea Weber after he received over $7 million in arbitration. The Preds run to the second round last season was entertaining and refreshing for all hockey fans. Hopefully the Preds go the other way on this and actually try to lock up their captain long-term.
6. Great hire by US Soccer in selecting German great Jurgen Klinsmann as the new coach of the men's national team. There really is no other way to describe it. I truly believe Klinsmann will clean up the youth development program, bring in a more attacking style, and push the US (hopefully) into the upper echelon of international soccer.
Until next time.
-Meech
Monday, August 8, 2011
Thursday, July 21, 2011
A Well-Deserved Thank You..... - 7/21/11
From the bottom of my heart and with every last fiber of my being, I want to give a truly heartfelt "thank you" to the US Women's Soccer Team.
This incredible group of women saved me from the doldrums that are the dog days of sports from the end of the Stanley Cup Finals to the beginning of NFL training camps and college football practices. Their journey, although it didn't have the desired ending, was absolutely riveting from start to finish. The drive, determination, backstory, and sheer beauty (athletically & aesthetically) of this team endeared them immediately to me and millions of patriotic Americans. So let's take a look back at their WWC rollercoaster.
The US Women are ranked number one in the world and have long been the powerhouse nation in the women's soccer universe. With that in mind, many may be quick to forget that the US was the last team to qualify for the Women's World Cup. They needed a stoppage time goal from Alex Morgan to defeat Italy in the second leg of their qualifier just to get in. Imagine if the Miami Heat and their "Big Three" needed to win on the last day of the regular season just to qualify for the playoffs. That's what the US road to the Women's World Cup was like. They lost games they probably shouldn't have and didn't come into the tournament on the best note.
The ladies got a decent draw for group play and would be able to avoid back-to-back champions Germany until the finals. They started with a young North Korean side and struggled to a 2-0 win on the strength of second-half goals from Lauren Cheney and Rachel Buehler. They then looked much more like the US Women's Team we're used to seeing, posting a 3-0 win over Colombia. Everything seemed to be in order as a win over Sweden would ensure that the Americans would win their group and take on Australia in the quarterfinals rather than Brazil. However, the wheels came off the bus as the Swedes thoroughly outplayed the Americans and took a 2-1 victory and the group play title. It was the first time the US had lost a WWC game in group play. Not only were they stuck with this stigma but they also had to play Brazil in the quarterfinals.
And that's when the stage was set for the US Women to take the nation by storm.
The US was up against it. In a game full of controversial calls the crowd was firmly entrenched on the US side. The fans were booing the great Marta for flopping and constantly appealing to the referees. Erica then went down with an injury, ate up nearly five minutes, got taken off on a stretcher, and then miraculously recovered and ran back into the pitch for Brazil. It was an absolutely awful display that got carded and eventually rewarded the never-say-die Americans with three additional minutes of stoppage time. And then it happened...a perfect cross by Megan Rapinoe was headed in the incomparable Abby Wambach in the 122nd minute to tie the game at two. The call by ESPN's Ian Darke was unforgettable: "Do you believe this? Abby Wambach has saved the USA's life in this World Cup!"
Hope Solo would then come through with the big save in the penalty kick shootout and the US successfully converted all five of their attempts to win 5-3 on penalty kicks, exactly 12 years to the day that the 1999 squad won the Women's World Cup on penalty kicks. And just like that the nation was hooked. The goal even won the ESPY for Best Play.
The US then outlasted France in the semifinals, 3-1, picking up second-half goals from Wambach and Morgan just three minutes apart.
The storylines for the final against Japan were moving on all fronts. The US was trying to forge its own identity and get out of the shadow of that 1999 team. Japan was trying to give its still-recovering nation something to truly grab onto and smile about as a point of national pride. Sadly, the US gave up both 1-0 and 2-1 leads before bowing 3-1 on penalty kicks. The final was an incredible see-saw battle in which neither team seemed to budge. A scoreless first half moved into the second before Morgan converted a long ball from Rapinoe to take a 1-0 lead in the 69th minute. Defensive miscues coughed up the lead but Wambach struck again in the 104th minute to reclaim the lead. But Japanese captain Homare Sawa scored in the 118th minute to force penalty kicks. Hope Solo was able to come up with a big save but the first three American attempts all failed, sealing their fate.
Despite the runner-up finish, there is something incredibly captivating about this team. They constantly had their backs against the wall from qualifying and all the way through the tournament. But they perserved and nearly grabbed the Cup. Their brand of soccer is fast, physcial, athletic, and truly stunning. For Garden Staters like me, there was a distinctly Jersey feel to this team as five members hail from the Garden State. And it just seemed like every major player had a great backstory. Goalkeeper Hope Solo was just ten months removed from career-threatening shoulder surgery. Many soccer observers also vividly recalled her tirade after the 2007 World Cup loss to Brazil in which she was benched. Defender (and captain) Christie Rampone was the only player left from that historic 1999 squad but she didn't play in that epic final. At age 36 and with over 200 caps this was probably her last World Cup. Abby Wambach was recovering from nagging leg injuries and trying to ensure that her reputation as an elite goal-scorer was not tarnished. Midfielder Heather O'Reilly was out to prove that her reputation as one of the fastest players in the women's game was well-earned. And Alex Morgan was out to show that just because she was the youngest player on the squad (age 22) didn't mean that she wasn't a valuable piece of the puzzle.
When it was all said and done we ended up falling in love with each and every one of these women. Wambach proved that she is still one of the most dangerous goal-scorers in the world, ending the tournament with 13 career World Cup goals and the title of highest-scoring American in WWC history and second-highest goal-scorer in all of WWC history. Her can-do attitude, outgoing and quotable personality, and incredible ability made her the perfect face for this club. She was humble in victory and gracious in defeat. Her on-pitch interviews after all of the knockout stage games were heartfelt and insightful. Hope Solo continued to establish herself as the best goalie in the women's game today. Her brutally honest tweets and interviews along with her on-field fire and ridiculously-good looks make her the favorite of many a red-blooded American male. And Alex Morgan became the breakout star of the WWC. The 22-year-old continued her timely goal scoring as the US supersub. She was easily the fastest player on the pitch and her left-footed lasers should be lighting up soccer nets for years to come. The California native also happens to be one of the most beautiful women I have ever had the privilege of laying eyes on. She plays her pro ball for the Western New York Flash of the WPS and I'm sure the Flash picked up a whole host of fans after the WWC.
So once again, a huge "thank you" to the US Women's Soccer Team. You saved me from the dog days of summer sports. You gave me (and the entire nation) a truly-compelling story and an incredible team to get behind. You and your brand of soccer are beautiful. Thank you! Oh, and Alex Morgan, phenomenal...on all fronts!
A few other tidbits:
1. "Jersey's Team" finally hired a head coach, ending over three months of speculation. GM Lou Lamoriello pulled a rabbit out of his hat and hired former Florida Panthers head coach Pete DeBoer to be the 21st head coach in franchise history. DeBoer compiled a 103-107-36 record with no postseason appearances in his three seasons on South Beach but those numbers are a bit deceiving. In his first season, Florida had 93 points (2nd-highest total in franchise history) but missed the playoffs on a tiebreaker with Montreal. The Panthers fell off a bit in the next two seasons as they were simply undermanned. DeBoer did well with what he had and hopefully that first NHL experience will serve him well in Newark. David Clarkson and Travis Zajac have both played for DeBoer and were highly-supportive. Let's hope the big guns (Kovalchuk, Parise, Brodeur) feel the same way. Let's also hope that this is the end of the coaching carousel in Jersey. I actually like the hire. He had tremendous success in juniors, winning the Memorial Cup in 2003 and the OHL Championship in 2008 while coaching Kitchener. He also has the NHL head-coaching experience, a tremendous plus when working with a team like the Devils.
2. The WWE may have had its best stretch of writing over the last few months since it went TV-PG back in late 2007/early 2008. The CM Punk/John Cena angle was enthralling from start to finish. Punk cut some of the best promos the industry has heard in quite some time. He shot from the hip and the support he received in his hometown of Chicago at the Money in the Bank pay-per-view was absolutely incredible. Punk says he's the best in the world at what he does and at the present moment I would have to agree. Punk's contract has officially expired and he has taken the WWE Championship with him. He executed a similar angle (complete with angry tweets and all) in ROH and ended up coming back for a few months and defending the belt. There have been no indications of his return coming anytime soon so we can only hope for the best. I'm still not a John Cena fan but you have to give him some credit here. He's a tremendously hard worker and the epitome of a company guy. He hung with Punk every step of the way and performed well at MITB.
3. Speaking of the WWE, the next big twist arrived on RAW when Triple H (my all-time favorite wrestler) returned and relieved his father-in-law Vince McMahon of his duties as Chairman of the WWE. This puts "The Game" in charge of the company. It's been a long time since the WWE has left me with no idea of where they will go next and I'm greatly looking forward to seeing where this angle goes. Of course the big plus here is the return of Trips!!!
Until next time.
- Meech
This incredible group of women saved me from the doldrums that are the dog days of sports from the end of the Stanley Cup Finals to the beginning of NFL training camps and college football practices. Their journey, although it didn't have the desired ending, was absolutely riveting from start to finish. The drive, determination, backstory, and sheer beauty (athletically & aesthetically) of this team endeared them immediately to me and millions of patriotic Americans. So let's take a look back at their WWC rollercoaster.
The US Women are ranked number one in the world and have long been the powerhouse nation in the women's soccer universe. With that in mind, many may be quick to forget that the US was the last team to qualify for the Women's World Cup. They needed a stoppage time goal from Alex Morgan to defeat Italy in the second leg of their qualifier just to get in. Imagine if the Miami Heat and their "Big Three" needed to win on the last day of the regular season just to qualify for the playoffs. That's what the US road to the Women's World Cup was like. They lost games they probably shouldn't have and didn't come into the tournament on the best note.
The ladies got a decent draw for group play and would be able to avoid back-to-back champions Germany until the finals. They started with a young North Korean side and struggled to a 2-0 win on the strength of second-half goals from Lauren Cheney and Rachel Buehler. They then looked much more like the US Women's Team we're used to seeing, posting a 3-0 win over Colombia. Everything seemed to be in order as a win over Sweden would ensure that the Americans would win their group and take on Australia in the quarterfinals rather than Brazil. However, the wheels came off the bus as the Swedes thoroughly outplayed the Americans and took a 2-1 victory and the group play title. It was the first time the US had lost a WWC game in group play. Not only were they stuck with this stigma but they also had to play Brazil in the quarterfinals.
And that's when the stage was set for the US Women to take the nation by storm.
The US was up against it. In a game full of controversial calls the crowd was firmly entrenched on the US side. The fans were booing the great Marta for flopping and constantly appealing to the referees. Erica then went down with an injury, ate up nearly five minutes, got taken off on a stretcher, and then miraculously recovered and ran back into the pitch for Brazil. It was an absolutely awful display that got carded and eventually rewarded the never-say-die Americans with three additional minutes of stoppage time. And then it happened...a perfect cross by Megan Rapinoe was headed in the incomparable Abby Wambach in the 122nd minute to tie the game at two. The call by ESPN's Ian Darke was unforgettable: "Do you believe this? Abby Wambach has saved the USA's life in this World Cup!"
Hope Solo would then come through with the big save in the penalty kick shootout and the US successfully converted all five of their attempts to win 5-3 on penalty kicks, exactly 12 years to the day that the 1999 squad won the Women's World Cup on penalty kicks. And just like that the nation was hooked. The goal even won the ESPY for Best Play.
The US then outlasted France in the semifinals, 3-1, picking up second-half goals from Wambach and Morgan just three minutes apart.
The storylines for the final against Japan were moving on all fronts. The US was trying to forge its own identity and get out of the shadow of that 1999 team. Japan was trying to give its still-recovering nation something to truly grab onto and smile about as a point of national pride. Sadly, the US gave up both 1-0 and 2-1 leads before bowing 3-1 on penalty kicks. The final was an incredible see-saw battle in which neither team seemed to budge. A scoreless first half moved into the second before Morgan converted a long ball from Rapinoe to take a 1-0 lead in the 69th minute. Defensive miscues coughed up the lead but Wambach struck again in the 104th minute to reclaim the lead. But Japanese captain Homare Sawa scored in the 118th minute to force penalty kicks. Hope Solo was able to come up with a big save but the first three American attempts all failed, sealing their fate.
Despite the runner-up finish, there is something incredibly captivating about this team. They constantly had their backs against the wall from qualifying and all the way through the tournament. But they perserved and nearly grabbed the Cup. Their brand of soccer is fast, physcial, athletic, and truly stunning. For Garden Staters like me, there was a distinctly Jersey feel to this team as five members hail from the Garden State. And it just seemed like every major player had a great backstory. Goalkeeper Hope Solo was just ten months removed from career-threatening shoulder surgery. Many soccer observers also vividly recalled her tirade after the 2007 World Cup loss to Brazil in which she was benched. Defender (and captain) Christie Rampone was the only player left from that historic 1999 squad but she didn't play in that epic final. At age 36 and with over 200 caps this was probably her last World Cup. Abby Wambach was recovering from nagging leg injuries and trying to ensure that her reputation as an elite goal-scorer was not tarnished. Midfielder Heather O'Reilly was out to prove that her reputation as one of the fastest players in the women's game was well-earned. And Alex Morgan was out to show that just because she was the youngest player on the squad (age 22) didn't mean that she wasn't a valuable piece of the puzzle.
When it was all said and done we ended up falling in love with each and every one of these women. Wambach proved that she is still one of the most dangerous goal-scorers in the world, ending the tournament with 13 career World Cup goals and the title of highest-scoring American in WWC history and second-highest goal-scorer in all of WWC history. Her can-do attitude, outgoing and quotable personality, and incredible ability made her the perfect face for this club. She was humble in victory and gracious in defeat. Her on-pitch interviews after all of the knockout stage games were heartfelt and insightful. Hope Solo continued to establish herself as the best goalie in the women's game today. Her brutally honest tweets and interviews along with her on-field fire and ridiculously-good looks make her the favorite of many a red-blooded American male. And Alex Morgan became the breakout star of the WWC. The 22-year-old continued her timely goal scoring as the US supersub. She was easily the fastest player on the pitch and her left-footed lasers should be lighting up soccer nets for years to come. The California native also happens to be one of the most beautiful women I have ever had the privilege of laying eyes on. She plays her pro ball for the Western New York Flash of the WPS and I'm sure the Flash picked up a whole host of fans after the WWC.
So once again, a huge "thank you" to the US Women's Soccer Team. You saved me from the dog days of summer sports. You gave me (and the entire nation) a truly-compelling story and an incredible team to get behind. You and your brand of soccer are beautiful. Thank you! Oh, and Alex Morgan, phenomenal...on all fronts!
A few other tidbits:
1. "Jersey's Team" finally hired a head coach, ending over three months of speculation. GM Lou Lamoriello pulled a rabbit out of his hat and hired former Florida Panthers head coach Pete DeBoer to be the 21st head coach in franchise history. DeBoer compiled a 103-107-36 record with no postseason appearances in his three seasons on South Beach but those numbers are a bit deceiving. In his first season, Florida had 93 points (2nd-highest total in franchise history) but missed the playoffs on a tiebreaker with Montreal. The Panthers fell off a bit in the next two seasons as they were simply undermanned. DeBoer did well with what he had and hopefully that first NHL experience will serve him well in Newark. David Clarkson and Travis Zajac have both played for DeBoer and were highly-supportive. Let's hope the big guns (Kovalchuk, Parise, Brodeur) feel the same way. Let's also hope that this is the end of the coaching carousel in Jersey. I actually like the hire. He had tremendous success in juniors, winning the Memorial Cup in 2003 and the OHL Championship in 2008 while coaching Kitchener. He also has the NHL head-coaching experience, a tremendous plus when working with a team like the Devils.
2. The WWE may have had its best stretch of writing over the last few months since it went TV-PG back in late 2007/early 2008. The CM Punk/John Cena angle was enthralling from start to finish. Punk cut some of the best promos the industry has heard in quite some time. He shot from the hip and the support he received in his hometown of Chicago at the Money in the Bank pay-per-view was absolutely incredible. Punk says he's the best in the world at what he does and at the present moment I would have to agree. Punk's contract has officially expired and he has taken the WWE Championship with him. He executed a similar angle (complete with angry tweets and all) in ROH and ended up coming back for a few months and defending the belt. There have been no indications of his return coming anytime soon so we can only hope for the best. I'm still not a John Cena fan but you have to give him some credit here. He's a tremendously hard worker and the epitome of a company guy. He hung with Punk every step of the way and performed well at MITB.
3. Speaking of the WWE, the next big twist arrived on RAW when Triple H (my all-time favorite wrestler) returned and relieved his father-in-law Vince McMahon of his duties as Chairman of the WWE. This puts "The Game" in charge of the company. It's been a long time since the WWE has left me with no idea of where they will go next and I'm greatly looking forward to seeing where this angle goes. Of course the big plus here is the return of Trips!!!
Until next time.
- Meech
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Down Time..... - 6/30/11
The NHL and NBA Playoffs have officially been history for a few weeks now. Beantown is still all smiles after their B's brought home their first Stanley Cup since 1972. The entire basketball population outside of Miami is still reveling in Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks defeating the mighty Heat for the NBA Title. Vancouver and Miami are still feeling the aftershocks. The NHL Hot Stove season officially begins on July 1st. However, many prime UFAs have already either re-signed with their current teams or had their rights traded away. Plus, the NHL is notorious for having a flurry of activity on the 1st and then having its Hot Stove season fade away.
Now, while I'm very excited for the NHL Hot Stove season, I still feel a large sporting void at the moment. There are some interesting developments on the MLB landscape. The Mets are scoring runs at a franchise-record rate and are two games above .500. The Pirates are still relevant as we head towards the All-Star Break. Cliff Lee had a June to remember (5-0, 0.21 ERA). Jim Leyland went on an unbelievable tirade. The Dodgers are an absolute embarrassment. But these things just aren't holding the interest of many (myself included) right now. The NBA had an abysmal draft and is now charging full-speed ahead towards a lockout. The NHL will have its free-agent flurry and then take a breather until September. The NFL is still in full lockout mode (over 100 days now) although there have been several secret negotiations recently.
So what to do with all this down time? Here are a few ideas.
Idea #1: Watch the FIFA Women's World Cup.
The US Women's Team is looking to add a third title to its resume (and a third star to its jersey) but is considered the underdog as two-time defending champion (and host country) Germany is widely considered the favorite. Brazil, with superstar Marta, is also among the favorites as the South Americans seek their first World Cup on the women's side. The US started the festivities with a solid 2-0 victory over North Korea, the same squad against which they opened the 2007 World Cup. The US women play an aggressive, athletic brand of soccer that is fun to watch. Also, there are some very good-looking ladies patrolling the pitch out there. Hope Solo, Alex Morgan, and Lauren Cheney immediately come to mind. Big props to Jersey Girls Heather O'Reilly and Carli Lloyd. Extremely talented, widely respected, and quite gorgeous.
Idea #2: Watch what's left of Wimbledon.
Roger Federer may be history and Maria Sharapova may be the one name left on the women's side but it's still Wimbledon. The fortnight at the All-England Club is still the seminal event in tennis. It is also one of the few places in sport that is still pure and not running rampant with corporate signage.
Idea #3: Watch the British Open.
Tiger Woods may still be on the shelf with an injury but the rise of Rory McIlroy and his emphatic US Open triumph has officially kicked off a new era in the PGA. Golfers seem genuinely happy for his success and at just 22 years of age, McIlroy is poised for a good, long run atop the game of golf.
Idea #4: Catch a minor league baseball game.
Whether you go watch an affiliate or an independent club, the cheap ticket price and fan-friendly atmosphere is sure to brighten even the dimmest of spirits.
Idea #5: Count the hours and pray.
Now, I will probably do all of the aforementioned ideas but this one is the idea I will be pressing the most. Count the hours until fall practices begin and the college football season gets closer to its majestic kickoff. Then, while thoroughly enjoying all that college football has to offer, pray that Roger Goodell and DeMaurice Smith can come to an agreement and allow the NFL to resume its normal business practices.
Some other quick notes:
1. The highlight of the NBA Draft was without a doubt the ridiculous makeout session put on by Jan Vesely and his hot girlfriend. After being picked sixth by the Washington Wizards, the Czech forward got up to walk to the podium and was pulled back in for some face-sucking time by his girl. You really can't fault either one of them. They both just became millionaires. And hey, if I had a girl that hot, I would take advantage of every opportunity I had to makeout with her.
2. Congrats to the South Carolina Gamecocks on repeating as College World Series champions. The championship series was a good old-fashioned SEC tilt between SC and Florida. Very entertaining baseball on all fronts. The new TD Ameritrade Park looked great and changed the dynamic of the CWS...for the forseeable future.
3. Still in shock over all the wheeling and dealing done by the Philadelphia Flyers this offseason. Jeff Carter and Mike Richards out the door. Ilya Bryzgalov brought in with a 9-year deal to solve their goaltending woes. Rampant rumors that they will send an offer sheet to Tampa Bay scorer Steven Stamkos. Considering this team won the Atlantic Division this past season and went to the Stanley Cup Finals the year before, you really have to wonder what the locker room chemistry was like. You don't just trade away your captain on a whim. Columbus (to get Carter) and Los Angeles (to get Richards) both gave up a lot but you have to say it's a win for both of those clubs. Columbus needed to make a move to show their fan base they're serious about winning as they've only made one postseason appearance in franchise history. Los Angeles got the center they so desperately craved for the last several seasons. Admittedly, I enjoy LA and if I had to pick a Western Conference team to root for, they would be it. So I'm pumped to see Richards head to LA and even more excited that it weakens the Flyers. I hate Philly! Let's go Devils!
4. Beyond excited that hockey is back in Winnipeg and that True North Sports and Entertainment got it right in naming the team the Jets. There will be many whiteouts to be certain at the MTS Centre this season.
5. As free agency begins, Zach Parise, Andy Greene, & Johan Hedberg are still unsigned and Jersey's Team is still sorely in need of a veteran, puck-moving defenceman. Here's hoping the UFA period is kind to my Devils and that first-round draft pick Adam Larsson delivers.
Until next time.
- Meech
Now, while I'm very excited for the NHL Hot Stove season, I still feel a large sporting void at the moment. There are some interesting developments on the MLB landscape. The Mets are scoring runs at a franchise-record rate and are two games above .500. The Pirates are still relevant as we head towards the All-Star Break. Cliff Lee had a June to remember (5-0, 0.21 ERA). Jim Leyland went on an unbelievable tirade. The Dodgers are an absolute embarrassment. But these things just aren't holding the interest of many (myself included) right now. The NBA had an abysmal draft and is now charging full-speed ahead towards a lockout. The NHL will have its free-agent flurry and then take a breather until September. The NFL is still in full lockout mode (over 100 days now) although there have been several secret negotiations recently.
So what to do with all this down time? Here are a few ideas.
Idea #1: Watch the FIFA Women's World Cup.
The US Women's Team is looking to add a third title to its resume (and a third star to its jersey) but is considered the underdog as two-time defending champion (and host country) Germany is widely considered the favorite. Brazil, with superstar Marta, is also among the favorites as the South Americans seek their first World Cup on the women's side. The US started the festivities with a solid 2-0 victory over North Korea, the same squad against which they opened the 2007 World Cup. The US women play an aggressive, athletic brand of soccer that is fun to watch. Also, there are some very good-looking ladies patrolling the pitch out there. Hope Solo, Alex Morgan, and Lauren Cheney immediately come to mind. Big props to Jersey Girls Heather O'Reilly and Carli Lloyd. Extremely talented, widely respected, and quite gorgeous.
Idea #2: Watch what's left of Wimbledon.
Roger Federer may be history and Maria Sharapova may be the one name left on the women's side but it's still Wimbledon. The fortnight at the All-England Club is still the seminal event in tennis. It is also one of the few places in sport that is still pure and not running rampant with corporate signage.
Idea #3: Watch the British Open.
Tiger Woods may still be on the shelf with an injury but the rise of Rory McIlroy and his emphatic US Open triumph has officially kicked off a new era in the PGA. Golfers seem genuinely happy for his success and at just 22 years of age, McIlroy is poised for a good, long run atop the game of golf.
Idea #4: Catch a minor league baseball game.
Whether you go watch an affiliate or an independent club, the cheap ticket price and fan-friendly atmosphere is sure to brighten even the dimmest of spirits.
Idea #5: Count the hours and pray.
Now, I will probably do all of the aforementioned ideas but this one is the idea I will be pressing the most. Count the hours until fall practices begin and the college football season gets closer to its majestic kickoff. Then, while thoroughly enjoying all that college football has to offer, pray that Roger Goodell and DeMaurice Smith can come to an agreement and allow the NFL to resume its normal business practices.
Some other quick notes:
1. The highlight of the NBA Draft was without a doubt the ridiculous makeout session put on by Jan Vesely and his hot girlfriend. After being picked sixth by the Washington Wizards, the Czech forward got up to walk to the podium and was pulled back in for some face-sucking time by his girl. You really can't fault either one of them. They both just became millionaires. And hey, if I had a girl that hot, I would take advantage of every opportunity I had to makeout with her.
2. Congrats to the South Carolina Gamecocks on repeating as College World Series champions. The championship series was a good old-fashioned SEC tilt between SC and Florida. Very entertaining baseball on all fronts. The new TD Ameritrade Park looked great and changed the dynamic of the CWS...for the forseeable future.
3. Still in shock over all the wheeling and dealing done by the Philadelphia Flyers this offseason. Jeff Carter and Mike Richards out the door. Ilya Bryzgalov brought in with a 9-year deal to solve their goaltending woes. Rampant rumors that they will send an offer sheet to Tampa Bay scorer Steven Stamkos. Considering this team won the Atlantic Division this past season and went to the Stanley Cup Finals the year before, you really have to wonder what the locker room chemistry was like. You don't just trade away your captain on a whim. Columbus (to get Carter) and Los Angeles (to get Richards) both gave up a lot but you have to say it's a win for both of those clubs. Columbus needed to make a move to show their fan base they're serious about winning as they've only made one postseason appearance in franchise history. Los Angeles got the center they so desperately craved for the last several seasons. Admittedly, I enjoy LA and if I had to pick a Western Conference team to root for, they would be it. So I'm pumped to see Richards head to LA and even more excited that it weakens the Flyers. I hate Philly! Let's go Devils!
4. Beyond excited that hockey is back in Winnipeg and that True North Sports and Entertainment got it right in naming the team the Jets. There will be many whiteouts to be certain at the MTS Centre this season.
5. As free agency begins, Zach Parise, Andy Greene, & Johan Hedberg are still unsigned and Jersey's Team is still sorely in need of a veteran, puck-moving defenceman. Here's hoping the UFA period is kind to my Devils and that first-round draft pick Adam Larsson delivers.
Until next time.
- Meech
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Venting - 5/1/11
Hard to believe that it's May 1st already. Nevertheless, here we are. The Stanley Cup Playoffs are knee-deep in the second round and the NBA Playoffs are getting set to begin their second round. As we hit these checkpoints, I am finally prepared to engage in my end-of-season venting exercise. It usually takes me about a month to let go of the end of the Devils' season and the final portion of the grieving process is always a long diatribe outlining my frustration followed by an image from the last game of the season.
I will get to that momentarily, but first a few quick notes on some other topics.
1. I am beyond thrilled that coach Barry Trotz and his Nashville Predators finally made it out of the first round of the playoffs. Trotz & GM David Poile have shown tremendous patience with the Preds and it has finally paid off. It's always nice to see organizations that do business the right way get rewarded. The Preds worked long and hard and learned from their crucial Game 5 loss in Chicago last year. Nashville had the lead late in the third period only to cough it up and eventually fall in overtime. They encountered the same situation in the first round this year in Anaheim but held on. The Preds then held serve at home in Game 6 to take the series. Mike Fisher has been a tremendous addition to the club, totaling six points (three goals, three assists) in the first round series against the Ducks. Hopefully the Preds can hang with the top-seeded Vancouver Canucks in the second round.
2. The Boston Celtics swept the New York Knicks right out of the NBA Playoffs in the Knicks' first postseason appearance since 2004. It was the Celtics' first postseason sweep since 1992. It was incredible to see how quickly the energy and the buzz around Madison Square Garden deflated as the Knicks (after coughing up the first two games in Boston) just couldn't muster enough offense or stop Rajon Rondo. It's great for the Knicks (and the NBA) that they are back in the playoffs but one thing is now abundantly clear. For all the points Carmelo Anthony can pour into the basket, it's Amar'e Stoudemire who is the engine that makes the Knicks go. He chose to go to New York this summer, grew up, put the team on his back, and willed them into the playoffs. They need a healthy Stoudemire next year if they are to have any hope of building on this year's postseason appearance.
3. The Mets put together a nice little winning streak against their fellow National League bottom-feeders last week. Then, they go to Philadelphia and everything returns to form. Mike Pelfrey implodes in the fifth inning Friday and Roy Halladay shuts the door on Saturday. Sadly, I believe the Mets' nightmare is just beginning. The figure outlining their monetary debt grows larger every day and I think it's fair to now wonder which franchise is encountering the uglier mess, the Mets or the now-MLB-owned Dodgers.
4. Four quarterbacks went in the first round of this year's NFL Draft. The Carolina Panthers took Auburn QB Cam Newton with the first overall pick. What does that pick say about Carolina taking Jimmy Clausen in the second round last year? Perhaps they don't believe he is the long-term solution at the helm. Washington QB Jake Locker shocked many by going eighth to Tennessee. Jacksonville then traded up to number ten to get Missouri QB Blaine Gabbert. The Minnesota Vikings finished it off by taking Florida State QB Christian Ponder with the twelfth pick. Ponder was the first Florida State QB ever to go in the first round of the draft. I was shocked that TCU QB Andy Dalton didn't go in Round 1 but he was snatched up quickly by Cincinnati early in Round 2. The fall of Arkansas QB Ryan Mallett wasn't as shocking. Many teams felt there were off-field issues and in the uncertain times of the lockout it appears as though teams were not willing to take the risk. The lockout had a severe effect on this year's draft. Without free agent signings and the like, many teams made value picks as opposed to addressing needs. Once the league year actually starts (hopefully soon) it should be interesting to see what happens with some of these draft picks.
And now onto the main event:
Despite the second half surge that made the season quite interesting, it's still extremely hard to swallow (even a month later) that the Devils didn't go to the postseason, absent from the greatest postseason in sports for the first time since the 1995-96 season. It was quite a ride in the second half but you always knew that the Devils weren't going to recover from that horrendous 10-29-2 start.
I think some struggles were to be expected. The team had a rookie head coach in John MacLean, several new defencemen (Henrik Tallinder, Anton Volchenkov, and a host of youngsters that would occupy the sixth defenceman spot at various points throughout the year), Martin Brodeur heading into the twilight of his career, an unhappy captain in Jamie Langenbrunner, and a smattering of players who had no clue how to play with new star Ilya Kovalchuk. Some struggles would naturally occur but no one could've seen 10-29-2coming.
Personally, I was not a fan of the MacLean hiring (Admittedly, I wanted Ken Hitchcock). I have tremendous respect for Johnnie Mac but I just don't think he was the right fit for the veteran team that GM Lou Lamoriello had assembled. Jacques Lemaire comes back (again) and rights the ship. He even shows that he can get his players to play some offense while still being defensively responsible. Brodeur goes down and backup Johan Hedberg gets red-hot while he fills in. I give Lamoriello credit for making a difficult decision in trading captain Langenbrunner, realizing that he and Lemaire would never get along. I also give him props for turning Jason Arnott into David Steckel and a draft pick. Steckel is a prototypical Devils' player and should be a great asset next season. Ilya Kovalchuk rose to the occasion, playing great two-way hockey, taking the club on his back and smacking home many game-winning goals. Some of the youngsters (Tedenby, Josefson, Palmieri) came along well and showed some great promise for next season as well.
Some big questions loom for next season. Can Martin Brodeur produce at 39 years old or will his workload have to be limited to 55-60 games? Is Andy Greene coming back? Is Zach Parise coming back? Can the club continue to adapt and build around Kovalchuk, who like or not is the face of Jersey's Team for the forseeable future? I have this weird feeling that Parise isn't coming back but I'll save that for another time.
I was absolutely lost when April 11th rolled around and the reality sank in that there would be no more hockey for the Devils this season. I had no clue what to do without any playoff games to go to at "The Rock." I refused to believe the season was over after defeating Boston on the last day of the regular season. I am still in a state of disbelief. It's almost like part of my life was missing this spring. I thoroughly enjoyed watching the various spring games (Alabama, Arkansas, Notre Dame, Florida State) that were televised this year but they don't replace playoff hockey in the Garden State.
The only plus is that is the first time in recent memory that a season hasn't ended with me in tears in the arena or punching seatbacks in the arena or at home. The irony is that this really isn't much of a plus. I still remember being dragged out of the Meadowlands after being eliminated in the 2007 Eastern Conference Semifinals by Ottawa like it was yesterday. Or smashing the TV remote against the wall after losing to Ottawa in '98. Or punching my seat at "The Rock" to the point where my knuckles were busted up after falling to Philadelphia in 2010. Or sitting in a complete state of shock, unable to utter a single word after blowing it against Carolina in 2009. Or cursing out Ray Bourque and the Colorado Avalanche after losing Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals in 2001. Or throwing more expletives and crying buckets after the debacle of 1994. There is nothing more devastating to watch than the end-of-series handshake that puts the finishing touches on a postseason series in the NHL. Or at least that's what I thought...until this season ended on a regular-season Sunday with the Devils raising their sticks to the crowd and thanking the fans.
Until next season. And as per usual, the picture says it all.
-Meech
I will get to that momentarily, but first a few quick notes on some other topics.
1. I am beyond thrilled that coach Barry Trotz and his Nashville Predators finally made it out of the first round of the playoffs. Trotz & GM David Poile have shown tremendous patience with the Preds and it has finally paid off. It's always nice to see organizations that do business the right way get rewarded. The Preds worked long and hard and learned from their crucial Game 5 loss in Chicago last year. Nashville had the lead late in the third period only to cough it up and eventually fall in overtime. They encountered the same situation in the first round this year in Anaheim but held on. The Preds then held serve at home in Game 6 to take the series. Mike Fisher has been a tremendous addition to the club, totaling six points (three goals, three assists) in the first round series against the Ducks. Hopefully the Preds can hang with the top-seeded Vancouver Canucks in the second round.
2. The Boston Celtics swept the New York Knicks right out of the NBA Playoffs in the Knicks' first postseason appearance since 2004. It was the Celtics' first postseason sweep since 1992. It was incredible to see how quickly the energy and the buzz around Madison Square Garden deflated as the Knicks (after coughing up the first two games in Boston) just couldn't muster enough offense or stop Rajon Rondo. It's great for the Knicks (and the NBA) that they are back in the playoffs but one thing is now abundantly clear. For all the points Carmelo Anthony can pour into the basket, it's Amar'e Stoudemire who is the engine that makes the Knicks go. He chose to go to New York this summer, grew up, put the team on his back, and willed them into the playoffs. They need a healthy Stoudemire next year if they are to have any hope of building on this year's postseason appearance.
3. The Mets put together a nice little winning streak against their fellow National League bottom-feeders last week. Then, they go to Philadelphia and everything returns to form. Mike Pelfrey implodes in the fifth inning Friday and Roy Halladay shuts the door on Saturday. Sadly, I believe the Mets' nightmare is just beginning. The figure outlining their monetary debt grows larger every day and I think it's fair to now wonder which franchise is encountering the uglier mess, the Mets or the now-MLB-owned Dodgers.
4. Four quarterbacks went in the first round of this year's NFL Draft. The Carolina Panthers took Auburn QB Cam Newton with the first overall pick. What does that pick say about Carolina taking Jimmy Clausen in the second round last year? Perhaps they don't believe he is the long-term solution at the helm. Washington QB Jake Locker shocked many by going eighth to Tennessee. Jacksonville then traded up to number ten to get Missouri QB Blaine Gabbert. The Minnesota Vikings finished it off by taking Florida State QB Christian Ponder with the twelfth pick. Ponder was the first Florida State QB ever to go in the first round of the draft. I was shocked that TCU QB Andy Dalton didn't go in Round 1 but he was snatched up quickly by Cincinnati early in Round 2. The fall of Arkansas QB Ryan Mallett wasn't as shocking. Many teams felt there were off-field issues and in the uncertain times of the lockout it appears as though teams were not willing to take the risk. The lockout had a severe effect on this year's draft. Without free agent signings and the like, many teams made value picks as opposed to addressing needs. Once the league year actually starts (hopefully soon) it should be interesting to see what happens with some of these draft picks.
And now onto the main event:
Despite the second half surge that made the season quite interesting, it's still extremely hard to swallow (even a month later) that the Devils didn't go to the postseason, absent from the greatest postseason in sports for the first time since the 1995-96 season. It was quite a ride in the second half but you always knew that the Devils weren't going to recover from that horrendous 10-29-2 start.
I think some struggles were to be expected. The team had a rookie head coach in John MacLean, several new defencemen (Henrik Tallinder, Anton Volchenkov, and a host of youngsters that would occupy the sixth defenceman spot at various points throughout the year), Martin Brodeur heading into the twilight of his career, an unhappy captain in Jamie Langenbrunner, and a smattering of players who had no clue how to play with new star Ilya Kovalchuk. Some struggles would naturally occur but no one could've seen 10-29-2coming.
Personally, I was not a fan of the MacLean hiring (Admittedly, I wanted Ken Hitchcock). I have tremendous respect for Johnnie Mac but I just don't think he was the right fit for the veteran team that GM Lou Lamoriello had assembled. Jacques Lemaire comes back (again) and rights the ship. He even shows that he can get his players to play some offense while still being defensively responsible. Brodeur goes down and backup Johan Hedberg gets red-hot while he fills in. I give Lamoriello credit for making a difficult decision in trading captain Langenbrunner, realizing that he and Lemaire would never get along. I also give him props for turning Jason Arnott into David Steckel and a draft pick. Steckel is a prototypical Devils' player and should be a great asset next season. Ilya Kovalchuk rose to the occasion, playing great two-way hockey, taking the club on his back and smacking home many game-winning goals. Some of the youngsters (Tedenby, Josefson, Palmieri) came along well and showed some great promise for next season as well.
Some big questions loom for next season. Can Martin Brodeur produce at 39 years old or will his workload have to be limited to 55-60 games? Is Andy Greene coming back? Is Zach Parise coming back? Can the club continue to adapt and build around Kovalchuk, who like or not is the face of Jersey's Team for the forseeable future? I have this weird feeling that Parise isn't coming back but I'll save that for another time.
I was absolutely lost when April 11th rolled around and the reality sank in that there would be no more hockey for the Devils this season. I had no clue what to do without any playoff games to go to at "The Rock." I refused to believe the season was over after defeating Boston on the last day of the regular season. I am still in a state of disbelief. It's almost like part of my life was missing this spring. I thoroughly enjoyed watching the various spring games (Alabama, Arkansas, Notre Dame, Florida State) that were televised this year but they don't replace playoff hockey in the Garden State.
The only plus is that is the first time in recent memory that a season hasn't ended with me in tears in the arena or punching seatbacks in the arena or at home. The irony is that this really isn't much of a plus. I still remember being dragged out of the Meadowlands after being eliminated in the 2007 Eastern Conference Semifinals by Ottawa like it was yesterday. Or smashing the TV remote against the wall after losing to Ottawa in '98. Or punching my seat at "The Rock" to the point where my knuckles were busted up after falling to Philadelphia in 2010. Or sitting in a complete state of shock, unable to utter a single word after blowing it against Carolina in 2009. Or cursing out Ray Bourque and the Colorado Avalanche after losing Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals in 2001. Or throwing more expletives and crying buckets after the debacle of 1994. There is nothing more devastating to watch than the end-of-series handshake that puts the finishing touches on a postseason series in the NHL. Or at least that's what I thought...until this season ended on a regular-season Sunday with the Devils raising their sticks to the crowd and thanking the fans.
Until next season. And as per usual, the picture says it all.
-Meech
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Taking It All In..... - 3/30/11
So, I think my head is still spinning about the Final Four. I have had a few days to digest it all but it's just not sinking in. My bracket (along with most of America's) has been ravaged beyond recognition. I lost my Orangemen before the Tournament's second weekend. I lost Duke (For as much as I hate the Blue Devils, I still had them going to the Final Four.) and Wisconsin in the Sweet 16. I lost Kansas (my national champion pick) in the Elite 8. Naturally, none of these losses sting more than the ugly 'Cuse loss to Marquette but the rest of my bracket still pains me nonethless.
Let's take a look at some of the numbers. This is the first time in NCAA Tournament history that there will not be a #1 or #2 seed in th efinal Four. Kentucky is a 4. UConn is a 3. Butler is an 8. VCU is an 11. The matchup between Butler and VCU is the highest combined seeding matchup in Final Four history. VCU is the first #11 since George Mason (2006) to reach the Final Four. There are tons of other numbers but the one stat that I am still stuck on is this one:
The 13-year span from Kentucky's last Final Four appearance (1998) to this year is the longest Final Four drought in UK hoops history. 13 years. That's it. How many schools would kill for a history like that? Oh, and the Wildcats took home the national title in '98.
Some other thoughts:
1. Recently, I was having a debate with a handful of people about what motivates a team. What gets players fired up to play? What gives players that extra push when they need it most? How do coaches tap into the internal psyche of their players and gain that competitive edge? A key moment that kept coming up was the Harvard/Princeton basketball game from a few weeks back. Harvard defeated their fellow Ivy Leaguers, forcing a one-game playoff for the League title and its automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament (The Ivy doesn't play a conference tournament and doesn't participate in the 1-AA football playoffs either. As the Crimson players celebrated and their fans stormed the court, Princeton head coach Sydney Johnson made his players stay on the floor and watch the celebration unfold. One week later, the Tigers took down Harvard in an exciting finish, 63-62, on a neutral court at Yale. Princeton would eventually bow to Kentucky in their first round (I know it's technically a second round game now but I refust to acknowledge those First Four games as an actual first round. They are still play-in games.) NCAA Tourney game, 59-57, but the strategy worked. The Princeton players used the Harvard celebration as motivation to stick it to them in the one-game playoff and they did just that...or so it sould seem. There are so many similar anecdotes and I'm sure psychologists and scientists everywhere would be willing to weigh in on this idea as somewhat of a hoax. However, anyone who has ever played and/or coached a sport knows that these little mind games are actually quite important. And the word "important," in this case, is a tremendous understatement.
2. It's hard to look at the Ohio State football program the same way. Since Jim Tressel came on board the Buckeyeshave been the class of the Big Ten, routinely taking home conference championships and making BCS appearances. With their recent domincance, many quickly forget how John Cooper's Buckeyes were regularly "put out to pasture" by Michigan. There were many who were excited to see Ohio State finallly beat an SEC team, outlasting Arkansas, 31-26, in the Sugar Bowl. There was a cloud over that game, of course, with Terrelle Pryor and company having their suspensions put on hold until the start of next season.
And now, there's Jim Tressel. I'm not a big Ohio State fan but I have long been a fan of Tressel. Maybe it's just the sweater vest that throws you off the scent but he always came across as one of the good guys on the sidelines. Tressel was the toast of the town in 2002 when he took the Buckeyes to the Fiesta Bowl and defeated the defending-champion Miami Hurricanes to capture the BCS National Championship. Fast forward eight seasons, Tressel plays five "ineligible" players in the Sugar Bowl, barely holds on for the win, knows about their transgressions, covers them up, backtracks in interviews, and has generally become a public relations nightmare. Ohio State may be okay with the 5-game suspension for both Tressel and the players but don't think for one second that the NCAA is done investigating the issue. Don't be surprised if THE Ohio State University ends up canning THE head coach before all of this is said and done.
3. Tennessee moved quickly. Just a few days before its NCAA Tournament opener against Michigan, Vols athletic director Mike Hamilton went on the air and didn't exactly give basketball coach Bruce Pearl a vote of confidence. The Vols then went out and laid an absolute clunker against the Wolverines. Days later, Tennessee fires Pearl and hires 39-year-old Cuonzo Martin, the head coach at Missouri State for the last three seasons. Martin was 61-41 at Missouri State, highlighted by this season's 26-9 finish in which he earned the school's first regular-season Missouri Valley Conference title. Martin was also an assistant at Purdue for eight seasons under both Gene Keady and Matt Painter (who is rumored to be a candidate for the Missouri job.).
Martin brings great energy and a powerful personal story (He is a cancer survivor.) to Knoxville. Hopefully he will be able to remove some of the stain that has engulfed the Vols' program. Despite the poor record of compliance, Pearl did accomplish some things in his six seasons at Tennessee: 145-61 record, the school's first-ever #1 ranking, the school's first SEC regular-season title in over forty years, and the school's first Elite Eight appearance.
4. MLB Opening Day is tomorrow. The Yankees host the Detroit Tigers at 1pm to kick off the MLB season on ESPN (The Mets open up in Florida on Friday.). There are plenty of storylines to pay attention to but here are a select few: Will Chase Utley or Johan Santana make significant contributions to their respective teams before the All-Star Break? Can the young rotation of the Oakland Athletics surprise the AL West? Is Don Mattingly the answer as manager of the Dodgers? Will the Brewers all-in (trading for Shaun Marcum & Zach Greinke) approach pay off? how will the Braves fare in their first season in two decades without the venerable Bobby Cox managing from the dugout?
Speaking of managers, keep an eye on Buck Showalter and his Baltimore Orioles. No one (me included) is saying they're going to jump into the thick of the AL East race. But after playing near-.600 ball aftger his hiring last season, the O's should be an interesting, scrappy, efficient bunch to watch.
5. The NFL lockout continues. People everywhere moan and groan. I do love the NFL but thank goodness I am a far bigger college football fan. The lockout has pushed spring football to the forefront. Colleges are getting coverage like never before. I cannot wait until ESPN gives us a full slate of spring games in April and early May.
6. The joyride that has been the second half of the New Jersey Devils' season has almost officially come to an end. Though "Jersey's Team" hasn't officially been eliminated, they are 12 points out of the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference with just seven games (one in hand on the 8th-place Buffalo Sabres) left to play. Two points by the Sabres at any point over their next six games will officially eliminate the Devils from the playoff race. The "One Game At a Time" approach brought great success and many of us are hoping that head coach Jacques Lemaire decides to come back for one more season. Lemaire has looked reinvigorated since returning to the Devils' bench in December. Perhaps he will stay for one more season and ride off into the sunset with goaltender Martin Brodeur, who is entering the final year of his contract next season. This will be the first spring since the 1995-96 season that there will be no playoff hockey in Jersey. There are no words to describe all of the anger and frustration I feel about this. However, to look back and think that this team was 10-29-2 at one point and that we would even entertain the notion of sneaking into the playoffs is crazy. Since hitting rock bottom before the New Year, the Devils have gone 24-7-3. Unbelievable.
7. WrestleMania XXVII is just four days away. Still can't believe that The Miz is the reigning WWE Champion and will get to main event WrestleMania. But I give him a lot of credit. It's clear that he has taken his role quite seriously and has put in the requisite work to succeed. He is the top heel on the RAW roster right now. And Triple H is back!!!!! Can you tell how excited I am? As much as I respect The Undertaker and his undefeated streak, here's hoping that the "Cerebral Assassin" ends 'Taker's streakand hangs that first loss on him.
Some WrestleMania predictions (or hopes): Edge retains the World Heavyweight Championship over Alberto Del Rio with some help from Christian; John Cena becomes the new WWE Champion by beating The Miz and then gets hits with a Rock Bottom courtesy of guest host The Rock; Triple H defeats The Undertaker and ends "The Streak"; CM Punk defeats Randy Orton; Jerry Lawler beats Michael Cole then guest referee Stone Cold Steve Austin hits all parties involved with the Stone Cold Stunner. Rey Mysterio defeats Cody Rhodes; John Morrison, Trish Stratus, & Snooki defeat Dolph Ziggler & Lay-Cool; Daniel Bryan regains the United States Title by beating Sheamus; The Corre defeats the Big Show and company in an 8-man tag match.
Random Moment: April 6, 1992
Over 50,000 fans pack the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minnesota, for the National Championship Game as the defending-champion Duke Blue Devils took on the freshmen "Fab Five" and the Michigan Wolverines. The Wolverines held a 31-30 halftime lead but the Blue Devils turned up the defensive pressure in the second half, limiting Michigan to just 29 percent shooting. Grant Hill had a double-double (18 points, 10 rebounds) and Duke defeated Michigan, 71-51, to repeat as National Champions. The "Fab Five" of Chris Webber, Jalen Rose, Juwan Howard, Ray Jackson, and Jimmy King would return to the National Title game in 1993, falling to North Carolina, 77-71, after Chris Webber's ill-fated "timeout" technical foul.
Until next time.
-Meech
Let's take a look at some of the numbers. This is the first time in NCAA Tournament history that there will not be a #1 or #2 seed in th efinal Four. Kentucky is a 4. UConn is a 3. Butler is an 8. VCU is an 11. The matchup between Butler and VCU is the highest combined seeding matchup in Final Four history. VCU is the first #11 since George Mason (2006) to reach the Final Four. There are tons of other numbers but the one stat that I am still stuck on is this one:
The 13-year span from Kentucky's last Final Four appearance (1998) to this year is the longest Final Four drought in UK hoops history. 13 years. That's it. How many schools would kill for a history like that? Oh, and the Wildcats took home the national title in '98.
Some other thoughts:
1. Recently, I was having a debate with a handful of people about what motivates a team. What gets players fired up to play? What gives players that extra push when they need it most? How do coaches tap into the internal psyche of their players and gain that competitive edge? A key moment that kept coming up was the Harvard/Princeton basketball game from a few weeks back. Harvard defeated their fellow Ivy Leaguers, forcing a one-game playoff for the League title and its automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament (The Ivy doesn't play a conference tournament and doesn't participate in the 1-AA football playoffs either. As the Crimson players celebrated and their fans stormed the court, Princeton head coach Sydney Johnson made his players stay on the floor and watch the celebration unfold. One week later, the Tigers took down Harvard in an exciting finish, 63-62, on a neutral court at Yale. Princeton would eventually bow to Kentucky in their first round (I know it's technically a second round game now but I refust to acknowledge those First Four games as an actual first round. They are still play-in games.) NCAA Tourney game, 59-57, but the strategy worked. The Princeton players used the Harvard celebration as motivation to stick it to them in the one-game playoff and they did just that...or so it sould seem. There are so many similar anecdotes and I'm sure psychologists and scientists everywhere would be willing to weigh in on this idea as somewhat of a hoax. However, anyone who has ever played and/or coached a sport knows that these little mind games are actually quite important. And the word "important," in this case, is a tremendous understatement.
2. It's hard to look at the Ohio State football program the same way. Since Jim Tressel came on board the Buckeyeshave been the class of the Big Ten, routinely taking home conference championships and making BCS appearances. With their recent domincance, many quickly forget how John Cooper's Buckeyes were regularly "put out to pasture" by Michigan. There were many who were excited to see Ohio State finallly beat an SEC team, outlasting Arkansas, 31-26, in the Sugar Bowl. There was a cloud over that game, of course, with Terrelle Pryor and company having their suspensions put on hold until the start of next season.
And now, there's Jim Tressel. I'm not a big Ohio State fan but I have long been a fan of Tressel. Maybe it's just the sweater vest that throws you off the scent but he always came across as one of the good guys on the sidelines. Tressel was the toast of the town in 2002 when he took the Buckeyes to the Fiesta Bowl and defeated the defending-champion Miami Hurricanes to capture the BCS National Championship. Fast forward eight seasons, Tressel plays five "ineligible" players in the Sugar Bowl, barely holds on for the win, knows about their transgressions, covers them up, backtracks in interviews, and has generally become a public relations nightmare. Ohio State may be okay with the 5-game suspension for both Tressel and the players but don't think for one second that the NCAA is done investigating the issue. Don't be surprised if THE Ohio State University ends up canning THE head coach before all of this is said and done.
3. Tennessee moved quickly. Just a few days before its NCAA Tournament opener against Michigan, Vols athletic director Mike Hamilton went on the air and didn't exactly give basketball coach Bruce Pearl a vote of confidence. The Vols then went out and laid an absolute clunker against the Wolverines. Days later, Tennessee fires Pearl and hires 39-year-old Cuonzo Martin, the head coach at Missouri State for the last three seasons. Martin was 61-41 at Missouri State, highlighted by this season's 26-9 finish in which he earned the school's first regular-season Missouri Valley Conference title. Martin was also an assistant at Purdue for eight seasons under both Gene Keady and Matt Painter (who is rumored to be a candidate for the Missouri job.).
Martin brings great energy and a powerful personal story (He is a cancer survivor.) to Knoxville. Hopefully he will be able to remove some of the stain that has engulfed the Vols' program. Despite the poor record of compliance, Pearl did accomplish some things in his six seasons at Tennessee: 145-61 record, the school's first-ever #1 ranking, the school's first SEC regular-season title in over forty years, and the school's first Elite Eight appearance.
4. MLB Opening Day is tomorrow. The Yankees host the Detroit Tigers at 1pm to kick off the MLB season on ESPN (The Mets open up in Florida on Friday.). There are plenty of storylines to pay attention to but here are a select few: Will Chase Utley or Johan Santana make significant contributions to their respective teams before the All-Star Break? Can the young rotation of the Oakland Athletics surprise the AL West? Is Don Mattingly the answer as manager of the Dodgers? Will the Brewers all-in (trading for Shaun Marcum & Zach Greinke) approach pay off? how will the Braves fare in their first season in two decades without the venerable Bobby Cox managing from the dugout?
Speaking of managers, keep an eye on Buck Showalter and his Baltimore Orioles. No one (me included) is saying they're going to jump into the thick of the AL East race. But after playing near-.600 ball aftger his hiring last season, the O's should be an interesting, scrappy, efficient bunch to watch.
5. The NFL lockout continues. People everywhere moan and groan. I do love the NFL but thank goodness I am a far bigger college football fan. The lockout has pushed spring football to the forefront. Colleges are getting coverage like never before. I cannot wait until ESPN gives us a full slate of spring games in April and early May.
6. The joyride that has been the second half of the New Jersey Devils' season has almost officially come to an end. Though "Jersey's Team" hasn't officially been eliminated, they are 12 points out of the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference with just seven games (one in hand on the 8th-place Buffalo Sabres) left to play. Two points by the Sabres at any point over their next six games will officially eliminate the Devils from the playoff race. The "One Game At a Time" approach brought great success and many of us are hoping that head coach Jacques Lemaire decides to come back for one more season. Lemaire has looked reinvigorated since returning to the Devils' bench in December. Perhaps he will stay for one more season and ride off into the sunset with goaltender Martin Brodeur, who is entering the final year of his contract next season. This will be the first spring since the 1995-96 season that there will be no playoff hockey in Jersey. There are no words to describe all of the anger and frustration I feel about this. However, to look back and think that this team was 10-29-2 at one point and that we would even entertain the notion of sneaking into the playoffs is crazy. Since hitting rock bottom before the New Year, the Devils have gone 24-7-3. Unbelievable.
7. WrestleMania XXVII is just four days away. Still can't believe that The Miz is the reigning WWE Champion and will get to main event WrestleMania. But I give him a lot of credit. It's clear that he has taken his role quite seriously and has put in the requisite work to succeed. He is the top heel on the RAW roster right now. And Triple H is back!!!!! Can you tell how excited I am? As much as I respect The Undertaker and his undefeated streak, here's hoping that the "Cerebral Assassin" ends 'Taker's streakand hangs that first loss on him.
Some WrestleMania predictions (or hopes): Edge retains the World Heavyweight Championship over Alberto Del Rio with some help from Christian; John Cena becomes the new WWE Champion by beating The Miz and then gets hits with a Rock Bottom courtesy of guest host The Rock; Triple H defeats The Undertaker and ends "The Streak"; CM Punk defeats Randy Orton; Jerry Lawler beats Michael Cole then guest referee Stone Cold Steve Austin hits all parties involved with the Stone Cold Stunner. Rey Mysterio defeats Cody Rhodes; John Morrison, Trish Stratus, & Snooki defeat Dolph Ziggler & Lay-Cool; Daniel Bryan regains the United States Title by beating Sheamus; The Corre defeats the Big Show and company in an 8-man tag match.
Random Moment: April 6, 1992
Over 50,000 fans pack the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minnesota, for the National Championship Game as the defending-champion Duke Blue Devils took on the freshmen "Fab Five" and the Michigan Wolverines. The Wolverines held a 31-30 halftime lead but the Blue Devils turned up the defensive pressure in the second half, limiting Michigan to just 29 percent shooting. Grant Hill had a double-double (18 points, 10 rebounds) and Duke defeated Michigan, 71-51, to repeat as National Champions. The "Fab Five" of Chris Webber, Jalen Rose, Juwan Howard, Ray Jackson, and Jimmy King would return to the National Title game in 1993, falling to North Carolina, 77-71, after Chris Webber's ill-fated "timeout" technical foul.
Until next time.
-Meech
Thursday, February 10, 2011
"Every New Beginning Comes from Some Other Beginning's End" - 2/10/11
This is one of my two least favorite times of the year (The other, naturally, being whenever the Devils have no more hockey left to play.). Super Bowl XLV is in the books as the Lombardi Trophy has returned to Titletown. The BCS National Championship Game has been history for over a month now. Football season is officially over. Yes, there are labor issues, recruiting, the Draft, and other events but the game (or even practices) are all said and done until colleges open up spring practices and the NFL, provided there is a 2011 season, hits the ground running with minicamp practices.
Now, if you're a football junkie like me, you will follow all these off-field events with both passion and purpose. I will gladly admit that I had the video feed of the Alabama "FaxCam" running on Internet Explorer on National Signing Day last week. As much of a disgusting spectacle (I will get into this some other time.) as NLI Day has become, I was still glued to my computer for the latest recruiting updates. And just so you know, this Florida State (the 'Noles and the 'Cuse have long been my two favorite college football programs since the days of Casey Weldon & Marvin Graves) recruiting class has been ranked number one by several scouting services. I have been scouring sources for any and all updates on the NFL labor negotiating front. I am beyond pumped for the NFL Scouting Combine and Draft.
Football has overtaken baseball as America's Game. The NFL has produced nearly all of the top 25-rated cable television programs in the last decade. Sundays (and Saturdays for all of us college football fanatics) have become quasi-religious experiences. Franchise values are at an all-time high. Attendance figures have held steady in most NFL cities despite the recession. It seems that practically anything with an NFL logo slapped onto it sells instantly.
The NFL cannot afford to lose its steam with a petty lockout now, when its popularity (and profit) is at an all-time high. I truly belive there will be a 2011 NFL season, but not without concessions from both the owners and the players. The owners should give up their dream of an 18-game regular season. The profit from the the extra home game owners would pick up absolutely does NOT offset the safety/injury risks inherited by the players. In return for keeping the current 16-game slate and, hopefully, receiving better post-career health care, the players may have to accept that their slice of the revenue will not substantially grow. If those concessions (along with a few others, I'm sure) can be made, then the game will go on for the betterment of all involved.
In the meantime, watch some NFL Films with the legendary voice of John Facenda narrating the action. Make sure you set your spring football game schedules. Review those Senior Bowl practices and get the draft guides ready. The University of South Florida opens spring practice March 3rd. That's less than a month away!
And a few NFL tidbits to keep us occupied:
- You have to love Aaron Rodgers standing on the Super Bowl dais with both the Lombardi Trophy and a replica of the World Heavyweight Championship belt. The WWE is getting some tremendous mainstream publicity with Rodgers's "belt celebration." Triple H appeared on ESPN NFL Countdown a few weeks back. Practically every NFL broadcast this postseason had some sort of segment on the "belt celebration." A picture of Rodgers with the belt made the front page of wwe.com. Plus, in a bit of scheduling luck, Smackdown was live from Green Bay this week. Naturally, the Packers appeared on the show. Clay Matthews, Tom Crabtree, Matt Wilhelm, Graham Harrell, Scott Wells, and Brian Bulaga were among the Packers to appear at the show.
- The New York Jets face some tough decisions next year. Braylon Edwards, Santonio Holmes, Brad Smith, David Harris, and Antonio Cromartie are among the key players entering free agency this offseason. There is a lot to like about this team for years to come but it is clear that this club was built to win now, as in this past season. The Jets will have to decide if Cromartie, despite his inconsistency, is the answer at corner opposite Revis. Jerricho Cotchery is the only wide receiver who gets significant playing time that is under contract and the team will not be able to afford resigning Smith, Holmes, and Edwards. Resigning Harris is also an absolute must.
- The Tennessee Titans became the last NFL team to secure its head coach for the 2011 season, hiring offensive line coach Mike Munchak to replace Jeff Fisher after 16 seasons at the helm of the Oilers/Titans. The 2001 Hall of Fame inductee steps into his first head coaching job with a tall task. The Titans will be seeking a new identity after spending the better part of the last two decades under the leadership of Fisher. Both Munchak and Fisher let go of assistants so the Titans' 2011 staff will have a vastly different look. Now it is onto the next big question for Tennessee: Who plays quarterback for the Titans in 2011?
- The poor infrastructure and logistics in North Texas for Super Bowl XLV have been well-documented. The game goes to Indianapolis next year but the real questions is this: Will the Dallas-Fort Worth area ever get another chance to host the Super Bowl?
- Next year is the last year you will be seeing the Reebok brand in the NFL. The 2012 NFL licensing contract belongs to a handful of companies. The big ones: Nike will do on-field uniforms. Under Armour & Nike will combine on sideline and fan gear. New Era will become the official cap provider.
Some other news and notes:
- The up-and-down rollercoaster that is the Syracuse men's basketball team this season took yet another turn. The Orangemen snap a four-game losing streak with a big win at UConn and smack South Florida around on the road. Then, with "Hoya Paranoia" coming to the Dome, the 'Cuse lays an egg and falls, 64-56. Syracuse is 20-5 overall but just 7-5 in the Big East. The loss was Syracuse's third straight home defeat, just the third time the Orangemen have lost three home games in a row in Jim Boeheim's 35 years at the helm.
- Spring training is less than two weeks away. It is hard to believe that baseball season is already here. The deadline for the St. Louis Cardinals to negotiate with Albert Pujols is merely a week away. I can't imagine the Cards without Pujols but I'm not sure they can afford his contract at this point. There are a lot of factors in play here and if you thought the Derek Jeter contract negotiations were a mess, wait until this one truly unfolds.
- The NHL stretch run is in full force. Dallas, Colorado, and the hated Rangers are plummeting. Carolina, San Jose, and our beloved Devils are surging. As crazy as it sounded during the first half of the season, the playoffs may not be as much of a pipe dream for Jersey's Team as one might think. The Devils (13 points out with 27 games left to play) still need some help from outside teams but if they keep putting runs together like the 9-2-1 run they're currently on, there's a chance! Pittsburgh is without Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin yet the Pens are holding water in both the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference standings. Pittsburgh is just three points behind Philadelphia for the top spot in both the Atlantic and the East. Out in the West, Vancouver is looking to put a vice grip on the top spot while Detroit, despite countless injuries, is holding onto the Central Division lead. Nashville traded for forward Mike Fisher today, signaling the first shift towards rebuilding in Ottawa and the push by the Preds to finally get past the first round of the playoffs. The four to eleven spots in the West are separated by a meager six points. It should be an interesting final third of the season.
- If you want a good laugh and a chance to get swept up in the "Jimmer-Mania" at BYU, check out this link: http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebasketballnation/post/_/id22753/jimmer-mania-gives-us-epic-facebook-thread
And how many people do you think know that BYU has one of the nation's largest college basketball arenas (fan capacity) behind only Syracuse, Tennessee, and Kentucky?
- Longtime Utah Jazz coach Jerry Sloan has resigned after 23 seasons with the club. He was, by far, the longest-tenured coach in the NBA and the four major professional sports. San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich is the NBA's next longest-tenured coach, a full eight seasons behind Sloan. Sloan has long been considered one of the best at his craft and has long been respected among his basketball peers. Recently, however, his relationship with star point guard Deron Williams has been deteriorating and the latest emotional flareup (over a changed play call) has been well-documented. Sloan leaves with a career record of 1,221-803 (.603 winning percentage) and a playoff record of 98-104. Sloan made two Finals appearances, losing to Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls in both 1997 and 1998. Sloan, the leader of the Stockton-Malone Jazz, was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2009.
Random Sporting Moment
- February 21, 2003 - The Devils would rally from a 2-1 deficit with two goals in a span of four minutes in the third period to defeat the Boston Bruins, 3-2, at Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford. Joe Thornton's 30th and 31st goals of the seasons gave the Bruins a 2-1 lead. But Jiri Bicek and Jeff Friesen would light the lamp for Devils in the third to give Jersey's Team the victory. That win would set off a five-game winning streak, vaulting the Devils to the top of the Atlantic Division. The Devils would stay there and capture their fifth Atlantic Division Championship. The Devils then defeated Boston, Tampa Bay, Ottawa, and Anaheim in the playoffs to win their third Stanley Cup.
Random Wrestling Match
- February 27, 2000 - WWF No Way Out was held at the Hartford Civic Center in Hartford, Connecticut. The main event featured Triple H defending his WWF Title against Mick Foley as Cactus Jack inside the demonic Hell in a Cell structure Cactus tried to pile drive Trips on the top of the cell but Trips reversed it with a back body drop, sending Cactus through the cell roof and crashing down through the mat below. When Cactus finally got back to his feet, Trips dropped him with the Pedigree for the pin and the win at 23:59 to retain the title.
Until next time.
-Meech
Now, if you're a football junkie like me, you will follow all these off-field events with both passion and purpose. I will gladly admit that I had the video feed of the Alabama "FaxCam" running on Internet Explorer on National Signing Day last week. As much of a disgusting spectacle (I will get into this some other time.) as NLI Day has become, I was still glued to my computer for the latest recruiting updates. And just so you know, this Florida State (the 'Noles and the 'Cuse have long been my two favorite college football programs since the days of Casey Weldon & Marvin Graves) recruiting class has been ranked number one by several scouting services. I have been scouring sources for any and all updates on the NFL labor negotiating front. I am beyond pumped for the NFL Scouting Combine and Draft.
Football has overtaken baseball as America's Game. The NFL has produced nearly all of the top 25-rated cable television programs in the last decade. Sundays (and Saturdays for all of us college football fanatics) have become quasi-religious experiences. Franchise values are at an all-time high. Attendance figures have held steady in most NFL cities despite the recession. It seems that practically anything with an NFL logo slapped onto it sells instantly.
The NFL cannot afford to lose its steam with a petty lockout now, when its popularity (and profit) is at an all-time high. I truly belive there will be a 2011 NFL season, but not without concessions from both the owners and the players. The owners should give up their dream of an 18-game regular season. The profit from the the extra home game owners would pick up absolutely does NOT offset the safety/injury risks inherited by the players. In return for keeping the current 16-game slate and, hopefully, receiving better post-career health care, the players may have to accept that their slice of the revenue will not substantially grow. If those concessions (along with a few others, I'm sure) can be made, then the game will go on for the betterment of all involved.
In the meantime, watch some NFL Films with the legendary voice of John Facenda narrating the action. Make sure you set your spring football game schedules. Review those Senior Bowl practices and get the draft guides ready. The University of South Florida opens spring practice March 3rd. That's less than a month away!
And a few NFL tidbits to keep us occupied:
- You have to love Aaron Rodgers standing on the Super Bowl dais with both the Lombardi Trophy and a replica of the World Heavyweight Championship belt. The WWE is getting some tremendous mainstream publicity with Rodgers's "belt celebration." Triple H appeared on ESPN NFL Countdown a few weeks back. Practically every NFL broadcast this postseason had some sort of segment on the "belt celebration." A picture of Rodgers with the belt made the front page of wwe.com. Plus, in a bit of scheduling luck, Smackdown was live from Green Bay this week. Naturally, the Packers appeared on the show. Clay Matthews, Tom Crabtree, Matt Wilhelm, Graham Harrell, Scott Wells, and Brian Bulaga were among the Packers to appear at the show.
- The New York Jets face some tough decisions next year. Braylon Edwards, Santonio Holmes, Brad Smith, David Harris, and Antonio Cromartie are among the key players entering free agency this offseason. There is a lot to like about this team for years to come but it is clear that this club was built to win now, as in this past season. The Jets will have to decide if Cromartie, despite his inconsistency, is the answer at corner opposite Revis. Jerricho Cotchery is the only wide receiver who gets significant playing time that is under contract and the team will not be able to afford resigning Smith, Holmes, and Edwards. Resigning Harris is also an absolute must.
- The Tennessee Titans became the last NFL team to secure its head coach for the 2011 season, hiring offensive line coach Mike Munchak to replace Jeff Fisher after 16 seasons at the helm of the Oilers/Titans. The 2001 Hall of Fame inductee steps into his first head coaching job with a tall task. The Titans will be seeking a new identity after spending the better part of the last two decades under the leadership of Fisher. Both Munchak and Fisher let go of assistants so the Titans' 2011 staff will have a vastly different look. Now it is onto the next big question for Tennessee: Who plays quarterback for the Titans in 2011?
- The poor infrastructure and logistics in North Texas for Super Bowl XLV have been well-documented. The game goes to Indianapolis next year but the real questions is this: Will the Dallas-Fort Worth area ever get another chance to host the Super Bowl?
- Next year is the last year you will be seeing the Reebok brand in the NFL. The 2012 NFL licensing contract belongs to a handful of companies. The big ones: Nike will do on-field uniforms. Under Armour & Nike will combine on sideline and fan gear. New Era will become the official cap provider.
Some other news and notes:
- The up-and-down rollercoaster that is the Syracuse men's basketball team this season took yet another turn. The Orangemen snap a four-game losing streak with a big win at UConn and smack South Florida around on the road. Then, with "Hoya Paranoia" coming to the Dome, the 'Cuse lays an egg and falls, 64-56. Syracuse is 20-5 overall but just 7-5 in the Big East. The loss was Syracuse's third straight home defeat, just the third time the Orangemen have lost three home games in a row in Jim Boeheim's 35 years at the helm.
- Spring training is less than two weeks away. It is hard to believe that baseball season is already here. The deadline for the St. Louis Cardinals to negotiate with Albert Pujols is merely a week away. I can't imagine the Cards without Pujols but I'm not sure they can afford his contract at this point. There are a lot of factors in play here and if you thought the Derek Jeter contract negotiations were a mess, wait until this one truly unfolds.
- The NHL stretch run is in full force. Dallas, Colorado, and the hated Rangers are plummeting. Carolina, San Jose, and our beloved Devils are surging. As crazy as it sounded during the first half of the season, the playoffs may not be as much of a pipe dream for Jersey's Team as one might think. The Devils (13 points out with 27 games left to play) still need some help from outside teams but if they keep putting runs together like the 9-2-1 run they're currently on, there's a chance! Pittsburgh is without Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin yet the Pens are holding water in both the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference standings. Pittsburgh is just three points behind Philadelphia for the top spot in both the Atlantic and the East. Out in the West, Vancouver is looking to put a vice grip on the top spot while Detroit, despite countless injuries, is holding onto the Central Division lead. Nashville traded for forward Mike Fisher today, signaling the first shift towards rebuilding in Ottawa and the push by the Preds to finally get past the first round of the playoffs. The four to eleven spots in the West are separated by a meager six points. It should be an interesting final third of the season.
- If you want a good laugh and a chance to get swept up in the "Jimmer-Mania" at BYU, check out this link: http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebasketballnation/post/_/id22753/jimmer-mania-gives-us-epic-facebook-thread
And how many people do you think know that BYU has one of the nation's largest college basketball arenas (fan capacity) behind only Syracuse, Tennessee, and Kentucky?
- Longtime Utah Jazz coach Jerry Sloan has resigned after 23 seasons with the club. He was, by far, the longest-tenured coach in the NBA and the four major professional sports. San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich is the NBA's next longest-tenured coach, a full eight seasons behind Sloan. Sloan has long been considered one of the best at his craft and has long been respected among his basketball peers. Recently, however, his relationship with star point guard Deron Williams has been deteriorating and the latest emotional flareup (over a changed play call) has been well-documented. Sloan leaves with a career record of 1,221-803 (.603 winning percentage) and a playoff record of 98-104. Sloan made two Finals appearances, losing to Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls in both 1997 and 1998. Sloan, the leader of the Stockton-Malone Jazz, was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2009.
Random Sporting Moment
- February 21, 2003 - The Devils would rally from a 2-1 deficit with two goals in a span of four minutes in the third period to defeat the Boston Bruins, 3-2, at Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford. Joe Thornton's 30th and 31st goals of the seasons gave the Bruins a 2-1 lead. But Jiri Bicek and Jeff Friesen would light the lamp for Devils in the third to give Jersey's Team the victory. That win would set off a five-game winning streak, vaulting the Devils to the top of the Atlantic Division. The Devils would stay there and capture their fifth Atlantic Division Championship. The Devils then defeated Boston, Tampa Bay, Ottawa, and Anaheim in the playoffs to win their third Stanley Cup.
Random Wrestling Match
- February 27, 2000 - WWF No Way Out was held at the Hartford Civic Center in Hartford, Connecticut. The main event featured Triple H defending his WWF Title against Mick Foley as Cactus Jack inside the demonic Hell in a Cell structure Cactus tried to pile drive Trips on the top of the cell but Trips reversed it with a back body drop, sending Cactus through the cell roof and crashing down through the mat below. When Cactus finally got back to his feet, Trips dropped him with the Pedigree for the pin and the win at 23:59 to retain the title.
Until next time.
-Meech
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Bits and Pieces - 1/30/11
It's been a while since I've hit the internet. What can I say? Sometimes life intercedes with life. But have no fear, I'm back with plenty to say. I've gone through so many different formats that I have reached a point where I have decided to just rant from the heart and see what the format looks like.
So, on with the show:
- Let's start with the absolute "Twilight Zone" of a season my beloved New Jersey Devils are having. At the NHL All-Star Break, the Devils are a league-worst 16-30-3 for a paltry 35 points. The first half of the season in Newark was highlighted by 11 consective road losses, the firing of John MacLean, another return for Jacques Lemaire, a ghastly -29 rating for star forward Ilya Kovalchuk, and a stretch where it seemed as though Martin Brodeur was being pulled from every start he made.
The Devils have rebounded slightly, going 6-3-1 in their last 10 games before the break. However, the club remains 22 points out a playoff spot and the postseason appears to be a pipe dream at best. If the club fails to make the postseason it will end a streak of 13 consecutive playoff appearances, the second-longest active streak to that of the Detroit Red Wings.
There are so many different theories that have been floated about to explain this debacle: MacLean was a poor hire who didn't have enough of a resume to be an NHL head coach. Kovalchuk's contract was a huge distraction and the club was unable to bring in players that would complement his style of play. Parise's knee injury derailed any hope of the club having more than one solid scoring line. Brodeur was finally running out of gas at 38 years old. There is a clear power struggle between GM Lou Lamoriello and principal owner Jeff Vanderbeek that has divided the organization.
Bottom line, it's beyond agonizing to see the Devils play this way. For most of my hockey-watching life the Devils have been a beacon for gritty, defensive, winning hockey. I have been privileged enough to witness the Devils capture nine Atlantic Division titles, four Eastern Conference titles, and three Stanley Cups. The way things went the first half of this season made me imagine how the fans for the Devils' first few seasons in Jersey must have felt, when the club was labeled a "Mickey Mouse" organization by the great Wayne Gretzky. Hopefully, the Devils will continue to be competitive in the second half, the youngsters will continue to grow, and the stage will be set for a huge 2011-2012 season at "The Rock."
- Sports Illustrated recently published an article that puts the PED spotlight once again on cyclist Lance Armstrong. I won't get into much detail on this but I have to wonder. Many of the individuals (Floyd Landis among them) who have accused Armstrong of doping are cheaters themselves and have been caught lying in public on numerous occasions. How credible are these sources? I almost feel like everyone is on a PED witch hunt at this point, looking to take down anyone who has accomplished something athletically mind-boggling. It is an absolute shame that we can no longer appreciate any great athletic feat without immediately accusing the athlete of doping. I wonder how the millions of cancer survivors that look to Armstrong for inspiration feel about all of this.
- The New York Mets' rebuilding took another turn for the strange and unusual when the Wilpon family recently came forward looking for a minority investor in the ballclub. This is the final piece of the puzzle and shows now (without much reasonable doubt) that the Wilpons were hurt by the Madoff scheme much more than they ever let on publicly. Now, let's get real here. There is no way someone is going to invest some $200 million in the Mets and not ask for more control than a lousy 25%. Don't be surprised if the Wilpons drag this show on, sinking the Mets even further into oblivion, until they are finally forced to sell the club. In the meantime, let's enjoy that Opening Day rotation of Mike Pelfrey, Jon Niese, R.A. Dickey, Chris Young, and Chris Capuano.
- And how about Brian Cashman speaking out against the Yankees' braintrust? Cashman is in the last year of his contract and both sides have repeatedly stated they want Cashman to remain the Yankee GM. So why is Cashman suddenly speaking out of turn so much? He was vocally against the Rafael Soriano signing and then did the unthinkable by suggesting that Derek Jeter would eventually be relieved of his everyday shortstop duties. Just when you thought Cashman had dug himself enough of a hole, he then went out and said the Red Sox (based on their Hot Stove work) currently have the better team. The Yankee Universe must have gone crazy upon hearing that one. Admittedly, it is refreshing to hear someone speak out against the Yankee machine, especially someone from that deep inside. However, it's clear that Cashman was hurt by some of the tidbits in the Joe Torre book and is starting to see that there aren't many people he can trust inside the organization. I still believe Cashman will get his extension but it will be a very entertaining ride along the way.
- After a scorching 18-0 start, the Syracuse men's basketball team has now dropped four in a row. The Orangemen (As an alum, I refuse to call them the Orange.) have bookended home losses against Villanova and Seton Hall with road losses to Pitt and Marquette. The Orangemen are young (only one senior: Rick Jackson) and just don't seem to be playing on the same page these days. The schedule in the brutal Big East doesn't let up. The next five games: at UConn, vs. Georgetown, at Louisville, and vs. West Virginia with a trip to South Florida after the UConn game the only respite.
- I went to the New Era Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium just before New Year's to watch the 'Cuse defeat Kansas State, 36-34, in one of the more entertaining bowl games of the year. It truly was the perfect storm for Syracuse football with the game in head coach Doug Marrone's backyard. Hopefully this game (and this season) is a sign of good things to come for the program. 2011 will be even more wide-open than 2010 in the Big East's final year as constituted. The Horned Frogs of TCU will be joining the conference in 2012.
- The New York Cosmos are trying to bring themselves back to life and gain entry into MLS as an expansion team. I'm sure MLS commissioner Don Garber would love to have two New York/New Jersey franchises and the Cosmos have a great pitch and sound management. But until they find a viable stadium, let's just keep those Cosmo dreams on hold.
- Was anybody besides me excited to see Zach Greinke go to the Milwaukee Brewers instead of one of the big power clubs? Maybe I should start calling those teams (Yankees, Red Sox, Mets, Phillies) the BCS teams of Major League Baseball. I think it fits quite well.
- The Tampa Bay Rays may have lost some key pieces from last year's club (Carlos Pena, Matt Garza, Rafael Soriano) but they will be competitive once again this year in the beast known as the AL East.
- This March marks the beginning of the newly-expanded NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. March Madness now has a field of 68 teams and will begin with "The First Four" on March 15th. Curious to see how this one works. I don't believe the NCAA field needed to expand but just like the bloated number of college bowl games (I am still a fan of the bowl system but even I will admit that there are a few too many bowl games.), it was only a matter of time.
- Steelers/Packers in Super Bowl XLV. The Terrible Towels vs. The Frozen Tundra. Bradshaw and the Steel Curtain vs. Lombardi & the Packer Sweep. A great game for those who value history as two of the NFL's most-storied franchises lock horns. The current versions of these two squads are pretty good too, in case you haven't been watching. The Steelers boast one of the best run defenses in NFL history while the Packers boast a very strong, attacking 3-4 defense of their own. The quarterback battle of Roethlisberger vs. Rodgers should also prove highly entertaining. My pick: Steelers.
- Great article by ESPN's Jayson Stark about the Albert Pujols contract situation. Check it out here: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/hotstove10/columns/story?columnist=stark_jayson&id=6056760
- The WWE Royal Rumble is tonight and for the first time ever the Rumble match will feature 40 superstars, instead of the usual 30. When the company had WCW and ECW wrestlers in addition to its stocked rosters of superstars, a 40-man Rumble made complete sense. Now, I'm not so sure. Anyway, look for some surprises tonight as there are always some at the Rumble.
- Random Sporting Moment: On February 1, 2003, the Syracuse Orangemen defeated the #2 Pitt Panthers, 67-65, in a wild finish (including disputed 3-pointers and clock resets) at the Carrier Dome. #1-ranked Duke lost earlier that day and had Pitt won, they would've been ranked #1 for the first time in school history. Hakim Warrick led the 'Cuse with 20 points.
- Random Wrestling Match: The WWF Championship was on the line on January 21, 2001, at the Royal Rumble. With a huge assist from Stone Cold Steve Austin, WWF Champion Kurt Angle defeated #1 Contender Triple H to retain the WWF Title. With referee Earl Hebner knocked out, Triple H hit Angle with the Pedigree. As Helmsley went to get Hebner, Stone Cold raced down to the ring. Austin (seeking retribution for Trips costing him the title a few weeks before) planted Triple H with the Stone Cold Stunner. Angle then covered a prone Triple H for the victory.
Until next time.
-Meech
So, on with the show:
- Let's start with the absolute "Twilight Zone" of a season my beloved New Jersey Devils are having. At the NHL All-Star Break, the Devils are a league-worst 16-30-3 for a paltry 35 points. The first half of the season in Newark was highlighted by 11 consective road losses, the firing of John MacLean, another return for Jacques Lemaire, a ghastly -29 rating for star forward Ilya Kovalchuk, and a stretch where it seemed as though Martin Brodeur was being pulled from every start he made.
The Devils have rebounded slightly, going 6-3-1 in their last 10 games before the break. However, the club remains 22 points out a playoff spot and the postseason appears to be a pipe dream at best. If the club fails to make the postseason it will end a streak of 13 consecutive playoff appearances, the second-longest active streak to that of the Detroit Red Wings.
There are so many different theories that have been floated about to explain this debacle: MacLean was a poor hire who didn't have enough of a resume to be an NHL head coach. Kovalchuk's contract was a huge distraction and the club was unable to bring in players that would complement his style of play. Parise's knee injury derailed any hope of the club having more than one solid scoring line. Brodeur was finally running out of gas at 38 years old. There is a clear power struggle between GM Lou Lamoriello and principal owner Jeff Vanderbeek that has divided the organization.
Bottom line, it's beyond agonizing to see the Devils play this way. For most of my hockey-watching life the Devils have been a beacon for gritty, defensive, winning hockey. I have been privileged enough to witness the Devils capture nine Atlantic Division titles, four Eastern Conference titles, and three Stanley Cups. The way things went the first half of this season made me imagine how the fans for the Devils' first few seasons in Jersey must have felt, when the club was labeled a "Mickey Mouse" organization by the great Wayne Gretzky. Hopefully, the Devils will continue to be competitive in the second half, the youngsters will continue to grow, and the stage will be set for a huge 2011-2012 season at "The Rock."
- Sports Illustrated recently published an article that puts the PED spotlight once again on cyclist Lance Armstrong. I won't get into much detail on this but I have to wonder. Many of the individuals (Floyd Landis among them) who have accused Armstrong of doping are cheaters themselves and have been caught lying in public on numerous occasions. How credible are these sources? I almost feel like everyone is on a PED witch hunt at this point, looking to take down anyone who has accomplished something athletically mind-boggling. It is an absolute shame that we can no longer appreciate any great athletic feat without immediately accusing the athlete of doping. I wonder how the millions of cancer survivors that look to Armstrong for inspiration feel about all of this.
- The New York Mets' rebuilding took another turn for the strange and unusual when the Wilpon family recently came forward looking for a minority investor in the ballclub. This is the final piece of the puzzle and shows now (without much reasonable doubt) that the Wilpons were hurt by the Madoff scheme much more than they ever let on publicly. Now, let's get real here. There is no way someone is going to invest some $200 million in the Mets and not ask for more control than a lousy 25%. Don't be surprised if the Wilpons drag this show on, sinking the Mets even further into oblivion, until they are finally forced to sell the club. In the meantime, let's enjoy that Opening Day rotation of Mike Pelfrey, Jon Niese, R.A. Dickey, Chris Young, and Chris Capuano.
- And how about Brian Cashman speaking out against the Yankees' braintrust? Cashman is in the last year of his contract and both sides have repeatedly stated they want Cashman to remain the Yankee GM. So why is Cashman suddenly speaking out of turn so much? He was vocally against the Rafael Soriano signing and then did the unthinkable by suggesting that Derek Jeter would eventually be relieved of his everyday shortstop duties. Just when you thought Cashman had dug himself enough of a hole, he then went out and said the Red Sox (based on their Hot Stove work) currently have the better team. The Yankee Universe must have gone crazy upon hearing that one. Admittedly, it is refreshing to hear someone speak out against the Yankee machine, especially someone from that deep inside. However, it's clear that Cashman was hurt by some of the tidbits in the Joe Torre book and is starting to see that there aren't many people he can trust inside the organization. I still believe Cashman will get his extension but it will be a very entertaining ride along the way.
- After a scorching 18-0 start, the Syracuse men's basketball team has now dropped four in a row. The Orangemen (As an alum, I refuse to call them the Orange.) have bookended home losses against Villanova and Seton Hall with road losses to Pitt and Marquette. The Orangemen are young (only one senior: Rick Jackson) and just don't seem to be playing on the same page these days. The schedule in the brutal Big East doesn't let up. The next five games: at UConn, vs. Georgetown, at Louisville, and vs. West Virginia with a trip to South Florida after the UConn game the only respite.
- I went to the New Era Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium just before New Year's to watch the 'Cuse defeat Kansas State, 36-34, in one of the more entertaining bowl games of the year. It truly was the perfect storm for Syracuse football with the game in head coach Doug Marrone's backyard. Hopefully this game (and this season) is a sign of good things to come for the program. 2011 will be even more wide-open than 2010 in the Big East's final year as constituted. The Horned Frogs of TCU will be joining the conference in 2012.
- The New York Cosmos are trying to bring themselves back to life and gain entry into MLS as an expansion team. I'm sure MLS commissioner Don Garber would love to have two New York/New Jersey franchises and the Cosmos have a great pitch and sound management. But until they find a viable stadium, let's just keep those Cosmo dreams on hold.
- Was anybody besides me excited to see Zach Greinke go to the Milwaukee Brewers instead of one of the big power clubs? Maybe I should start calling those teams (Yankees, Red Sox, Mets, Phillies) the BCS teams of Major League Baseball. I think it fits quite well.
- The Tampa Bay Rays may have lost some key pieces from last year's club (Carlos Pena, Matt Garza, Rafael Soriano) but they will be competitive once again this year in the beast known as the AL East.
- This March marks the beginning of the newly-expanded NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. March Madness now has a field of 68 teams and will begin with "The First Four" on March 15th. Curious to see how this one works. I don't believe the NCAA field needed to expand but just like the bloated number of college bowl games (I am still a fan of the bowl system but even I will admit that there are a few too many bowl games.), it was only a matter of time.
- Steelers/Packers in Super Bowl XLV. The Terrible Towels vs. The Frozen Tundra. Bradshaw and the Steel Curtain vs. Lombardi & the Packer Sweep. A great game for those who value history as two of the NFL's most-storied franchises lock horns. The current versions of these two squads are pretty good too, in case you haven't been watching. The Steelers boast one of the best run defenses in NFL history while the Packers boast a very strong, attacking 3-4 defense of their own. The quarterback battle of Roethlisberger vs. Rodgers should also prove highly entertaining. My pick: Steelers.
- Great article by ESPN's Jayson Stark about the Albert Pujols contract situation. Check it out here: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/hotstove10/columns/story?columnist=stark_jayson&id=6056760
- The WWE Royal Rumble is tonight and for the first time ever the Rumble match will feature 40 superstars, instead of the usual 30. When the company had WCW and ECW wrestlers in addition to its stocked rosters of superstars, a 40-man Rumble made complete sense. Now, I'm not so sure. Anyway, look for some surprises tonight as there are always some at the Rumble.
- Random Sporting Moment: On February 1, 2003, the Syracuse Orangemen defeated the #2 Pitt Panthers, 67-65, in a wild finish (including disputed 3-pointers and clock resets) at the Carrier Dome. #1-ranked Duke lost earlier that day and had Pitt won, they would've been ranked #1 for the first time in school history. Hakim Warrick led the 'Cuse with 20 points.
- Random Wrestling Match: The WWF Championship was on the line on January 21, 2001, at the Royal Rumble. With a huge assist from Stone Cold Steve Austin, WWF Champion Kurt Angle defeated #1 Contender Triple H to retain the WWF Title. With referee Earl Hebner knocked out, Triple H hit Angle with the Pedigree. As Helmsley went to get Hebner, Stone Cold raced down to the ring. Austin (seeking retribution for Trips costing him the title a few weeks before) planted Triple H with the Stone Cold Stunner. Angle then covered a prone Triple H for the victory.
Until next time.
-Meech
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