Uniform Reflection & "Jersey's Team" - 1/14/17

The 2017-2018 season marks the official debut of Adidas as the official uniform supplier of the National Hockey League. September’s World Cup of Hockey was an extended preview, but next season will be the full reveal of Adidas’s NHL uniform plan. Reviews of the WCH uniforms were mixed at best. The USA look was relatively unchanged, but the stylized Canadian maple leaf and ridiculous Finland makeover were not met with great enthusiasm. And, of course, all uniforms were graced with those infamous three stripes, just like all Adidas soccer uniforms and Adidas practice jerseys/warmups in other sports.

I understand that uniforms are not untouchable (like everything else) in today’s sporting landscape. Soccer jerseys have long been adorned with ads that are double the size of the team crest. NFL practice jerseys have housed ads near the shoulder pads for nearly the last decade. CFL jerseys have shoulder patch ads as well. The NBA has recently put small ads on its All-Star jerseys. Despite the current landscape, hockey sweaters are still considered sacred by many, including me.

For hope, we can look to the NBA and the CFL. Adidas has outfitted the NBA since Reebok initially signed a uniform deal with the NBA in 2001 (Adidas, which owns Reebok, signed an 11-year extension to that deal in 2006.). While the signature Adidas three stripes are on NBA practice and warmup apparel, those stripes never appeared on NBA game uniforms. Adidas took over the CFL uniform contract prior to the 2016 season and the three stripes were nowhere to be found on those game uniforms either. The CFL redesign was actually quite classy and well-done. So while the World Cup of Hockey jerseys all had the stripes, there is some hope out there.

One of the first announcements that leaked out regarding the NHL and Adidas is that for the 2017-2018 season there will be no third jerseys. All teams will have only a home and away uniform set until Adidas is ready to do a full rollout (and perhaps redesign) for the following season. Rumors have followed regarding teams and uniform decisions. The Edmonton Oilers are already rumored to be ditching their home blues next season and will wear their orange alternates as their home jerseys next season. The Minnesota Wild seem to be leaning towards their green jerseys as opposed to their red ones for their home jerseys next season.

This brings me to “Jersey’s Team.”

Earlier in the week, several tweets broke the news that Adidas and the Devils have agreed on a “significant jersey redesign” for next season. Naturally, many Devils fans (myself included) reacted in outrage. Uniform redesigns and logo reinventions are par for the course these days and sometimes they do work out quite well. But there are times in which change is just not necessary…This is one of those times.

The Devils have had just two uniform sets in 35 years of existence, switching from red, green, and white to red, black, and white after the 1991-1992 season (the franchise’s 10th Anniversary season in Jersey). Despite the color scheme and striping change, the logo remained unchanged except for making the outline and circle black as opposed to green. The Devils’ set has been one of the more widely-appreciated looks in the league. They have never donned a third jersey, only bringing out the red and green throwbacks once a year. The Devils also refused to wear the stylized chrome logo in their Stadium Series game back in 2014, a decision that was applauded by many around the league. When you think about teams that have simple, consistent uniform sets, you think about teams like Alabama, Penn State, USC, the Yankees, the Canadiens, and the Red Wings. Certainly not bad company to be around.

When the words “significant redesign” came up surrounding the Devils’ Adidas uniforms, the best word to describe my feelings would be “mortified.” The absolute last thing I want to see is some ridiculous devil-looking character wielding a pitchfork. The Devils are the only professional sports team with “New Jersey” in its name. The Devils logo is iconic and represents our state and one of its most popular legends. I do not want to see the logo messed with under any circumstances! I’m hopeful that this redesign encompasses only minor tweaks like piping and striping. I wouldn’t be surprised if there was some type of shoulder patch/secondary logo that could later be part of a third jersey design.

Since the departure of long-time general manager Lou Lamoriello and the change in ownership, the changes have been coming fast and furious in Newark. Some of these changes have been welcome such as the players being allowed to interact on social media, far more giveaways/ticket holder opportunities, and uniform numbers outside the 1-35 range (including #13 for the first time in franchise history). While accessibility to players and a modernized uniform numbering system was welcome, there was still something endearing about being somewhat on the outside of the rest of the league on certain matters. We took a strange sense of pride in being the outsider of the league, rarely on TV, always rocking the same uniform, ushering in the “Dead Puck Era,” and making a huge roster splash about once a decade (Stevens, Gilmour, Mogilny, Kovalchuk). Naturally, winning three Stanley Cups and making five trips to the Final makes this all easier to accept and enjoy.

But with just one playoff appearance in the last six seasons, change was inevitable. The roster turnover has been practically nonstop since Ray Shero took over as general manager. That’s not really a complaint, just a fact. It’s been encouraging to see the prospects actually get a shot at playing at the NHL level and to see that competition at both the NHL and AHL level is important. It’s been even more refreshing to see that the Devils are actually drafting and developing better as well as making trades and signings to beef up the AHL affiliate down in Albany. Instead of seeing Mike Sislo, Tim Sestito, Joe Whitney, and others shuttling between Albany and Jersey, the Devils are bringing in players like Pavel Zacha, Blake Coleman, Miles Wood, Steven Santini, Michael McLeod, Blake Speers, and Nathan Bastian – legitimate prospects. For the last five or six seasons of Lou’s tenure, it always seemed that there just weren’t enough reinforcements in Albany to give the big club any type of jolt. Lamoriello still deserves some credit here, as he was responsible for acquiring some of those names – most notably Santini. And Lou was the GM who pulled off the Cory Schneider trade, allowing us a true successor to Martin Brodeur.

The reality is that we will all be forever indebted to Lou for turning the Devils into a legitimate organization that won three Stanley Cups and took four trips to the Final in a 9-year span. It was clear by the end of his tenure, though, that the cupboard was bare and a wholesale change in philosophy needed to be made. It’s been nice to see acquisitions such as Kyle Palmieri and Taylor Hall. Although, we miss Adam Larsson on the blue line a lot more than many outside of Jersey thought the club would. As players such as Palmieri, Hall, Adam Henrique, and Damon Severson continue to establish themselves in the red and black, reinforcements like Zacha, Speers, Santini, and Wood will arrive and try to prove themselves as NHL-caliber players.

It’s funny that a simple tweet about a uniform redesign brings up this groundswell of feelings. When your favorite team hasn’t seen the postseason since the 2011-2012 season after only missing the playoffs once in the twenty seasons before that, you find yourself reflecting often – trying to figure out what went wrong and how to fix it while smiling about all the fond memories of past successes. And a lack of winning will breed either change or insanity depending on the organizational hierarchy. This is just the way it goes in the world of sports.

But it’s important to remember that not every single thing has to change. The Devils can be a beacon of NHL success once more, but they can still do it with a traditional, iconic logo that truly represents “Jersey’s Team.”

Hurry-Up Offense
1. Congrats to Clemson and head coach Dabo Swinney on winning the national championship, defeating dynastic defending champion Alabama, 35-31, in the CFP National Championship Game. The rematch definitely lived up to the hype and then some as Clemson hung tough and turned Jalen Hurts’s fourth quarter TD run from defining moment into rallying cry. Quarterback Deshaun Watson engineered the game-winning drive with 2:01 left on the clock, throwing the winning score to former walk-on Hunter Renfrow with just one second remaining on the clock.

Some notable numbers from the game, courtesy of ESPN:
-Watson in two playoff games versus Alabama: 941 yards and 8 touchdowns
-The ACC this year: 9-3 in bowl games, 10-4 vs. the SEC, 6-2 vs. the Big Ten-
Dabo Swinney: back-to-back 14-win seasons, two postseason wins over Oklahoma, two postseason wins over Ohio State, a postseason win over Alabama, a postseason win over LSU, 89-28 overall record

2. The Chargers are officially headed to Los Angeles. Franchise relocation has long been synonymous with sport, but this is the first time I can truly recall both players and ownership genuinely being unhappy about the move. All reports indicate that the Spanos family felt there was no choice and that leaving San Diego for Los Angeles was a last resort. The city chose not build a new stadium and you can’t blame them for that. It’s just a shame to see nearly 60 years of history go down the drain as the team leaves and rumors of a rebrand persist. Maybe playing their home games in the cozy StubHub Center for the next two seasons will generate some good will for the Chargers. Of course, winning is the universal elixir.

Highlighting the lack of enthusiasm around the move was All-Pro quarterback Philip Rivers, the face of the franchise and long a proponent of remaining in San Diego. He had this to say to San Diego radio station KSLD-AM:

“I’m a little bit numb about it all. It hasn’t really settled in. I want it to be clear that my love for San Diego, the time here, the memories we had, the games, the practices, everything about it is special and awesome. But at the same time, I have to get excited, fired up about going up to a new arena and representing our team and organization and going and trying to win as many games as we can win. And be the same guy I’ve always been. That’s the only way I know.”

3. Just before the New Year, the Ottawa Senators continued their 25th Anniversary celebration by raising long-time captain Daniel Alfredsson’s #11 to the rafters. “Alfie” and his #11 become the first number retired by the Sens since their return to the NHL in 1992 (The original Senators relocated in 1934.). “Alfie” is the franchise’s all-time leader in goals, assists, and points and has long been my favorite non-Devils hockey player. I had the privilege of being at Game 4 of the 2013 Eastern Conference Semifinals, which turned out to be Alfredsson’s last home game as a Senator as he bolted for Detroit the following season. It was incredible, the amount of love and respect the Ottawa fans had for him. Every period when the clock read “11:11,” fans would chant “Alfie” in unison and better yet, he would acknowledge them. I recall Alfredsson speaking on the video tribute at Martin Brodeur’s jersey retirement last year. When he came up on the jumbotron, I turned to my friend next to me at “The Rock” and said “Alfie’s next and I want to be there.” Unfortunately, the timing didn’t really work out, but I watched on TV and will be sure to take another trip up to Ottawa to see his number hanging in the rafters. Congrats, Alfie. Very happy to see that both you and the Senators have made amends after a not-so-glorious exit.

4. I could fill a whole other post with all my thoughts on the college and NFL coaching carousels, but a quick note. This year’s hiring and firing cycle seems to be running a bit late. At the NFL level, the San Francisco 49ers are still without a head coach and both the Denver Broncos and now-Los Angeles Chargers have just made their hires (and they are quality hires, by the way, in Vance Joseph and Anthony Lynn). At the college level, both UConn and Cal fired their head coaches over a month after the season ended and Minnesota canned its head coach after a 9-win season. As sports continue to become more and more of a business, I strongly suspect that the coaching carousel will continue to spin in strange ways.

5. Random wrestling thought: In January 2002, Triple H came back from a devastating torn quadriceps muscle on the January 7, 2002, edition of RAW. The crowd at Madison Square Garden (and yours truly, watching at home) popped as Trips annihilated Kurt Angle and announced that he would be entering the upcoming Royal Rumble match. Just a warm memory as WrestleMania season is upon us.

Until next time.

-Meech

Sharks and Shoes - 5/27/16

Let’s get this thing in motion.....

1. Congrats to the San Jose Sharks on winning the Western Conference, defeating the St. Louis Blues, 5-2, in Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals at SAP Center on Wednesday night. The trials and tribulations of the Sharks are well-documented. Courtesy of ESPN Stats and Info, I’ll list a few now:

-Playing their first two seasons in franchise history with a .192 points percentage (28-129-7 record), the 4th-worst in NHL history for any team over any two-season span.
-Spending their first-ever draft pick (#2 overall, 1991) on winger Pat Falloon. Falloon’s career stat line: nine NHL seasons, no seasons scoring more than 25 goals. The next pick in the draft? Hall of Fame defenceman Scott Niedermayer.
-Three losing trips to the Western Conference Finals, including a particularly painful loss in 2011 on a game-winning goal in which no one knew where the puck was.
-Winning the Presidents’ Trophy in 2008-2009 only to be upset in the first round by 8-seeded Anaheim.
-The epic 3-0 collapse against the LA Kings in 2013-2014.
-Missing the playoffs last season.
-The stripping of the captaincy (at various points) of Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton – followed by trade rumors surrounding Marleau and a public tongue-lashing of GM Doug Wilson by Thornton.

This organization has been well-run for quite some time and it seems that everyone in and around the game is thrilled that the Sharks have finally gotten over the hump and to the Final. It’s a very easy team to root for with Marleau and Thornton (the first two overall picks of the 1997 NHL Draft) reaching the Final for the first time as both near their 20th season in the league. It should also be noted that both Marleau and Thornton have been productive in the postseason throughout their careers, averaging just under a point-per-game in over 150 playoff games each – their poor postseason reputation the product of a convenient narrative.

Some credit has to go to GM Doug Wilson as well. Wilson has been maligned on several occasions throughout San Jose’s run since the 2004-2005 lockout. He has regularly referred to it as a “retooling” as opposed to a “rebuilding.” Bringing in Paul Martin, Joel Ward, Martin Jones, Joonas Donskoi, Dainius Zubrus, and head coach Pete DeBoer while keeping the core of Thornton, Marleau, Logan Couture, Joe Pavelski, and Brent Burns intact is nothing short of impressive. It should also be noted that the Sharks have 10 new faces on this year’s roster that were not part of the LA collapse two years ago. Pete DeBoer was also correct in giving some credit to previous head coach Todd McLellan, who is now in Edmonton. The Sharks have always been a well-coached outfit that works hard and does things the right way. I’m definitely pulling for the Sharks to win the “whole f****n’ thing” (Nod to Major League). And just to drive home how much the hockey world loves Marleau and Thornton, check out these two articles.

An article from The Globe and Mail about Joe Thornton.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/hockey/joe-thorton-is-the-rare-sure-fire-hall-of-famer-who-goes-underappreciated/article30113099/

An article from ESPN.com on Marleau.

http://espn.go.com/nhl/story/_/id/15708107/nhl-2016-stanley-cup-playoffs-san-jose-sharks-veteran-patrick-marleau-enjoying-being-close-finals/

2. A short commentary on the latest in the athletic apparel front:

UCLA and Under Armour recently agreed to what is currently the largest all-school apparel deal ever in college sports. UCLA is leaving Adidas in July 2017 for a reported 15-year, $280 million deal. This is just the latest deal to be christened as “biggest ever.” In the last year alone, we have seen Michigan (Nike), Miami (Florida) (Adidas), Ohio State (Nike), and Texas (Nike) all strike new all-school apparel deals for extremely large sums of money. It’s only a matter of time before one of the big three apparel providers in the college game (Nike, Adidas, Under Armour) strike another deal for an even larger sum. As a matter of fact, about two weeks before Under Armour announced its deal with UCLA, it announced a deal with Cal-Berkeley, giving Under Armour a solid west coast footprint for the next decade or so.

My first instinct is to say that Adidas has suffered a great loss. In addition to UCLA, Adidas has lost Michigan (Nike), Tennessee (Nike), Wisconsin (Under Armour), and Notre Dame (Under Armour) in the last year. Although when I look at it again, Adidas still has Texas A&M, Nebraska, and Louisville under its football umbrella. Plus, the brand took Miami (Florida) and Arizona State away from Nike last year. It seems that this arms race is similar to the arms race in facilities that permeates the college athletics landscape. All we can do is wonder what the next big domino to fall will be.

This also extends into the professional ranks. Reebok has lost the NFL and the NHL (starting in the 2017-2018 season) recently. Nike has regained the NFL and will retake the NBA from Adidas starting in the 2017-2018 season. MLB has been aligned with Majestic since 1982 for its on-field uniforms and batting practice jerseys, making their agreement exclusive in 2005 and recently extending it. The NHL is now turning to Adidas (away from Reebok) at the start of the 2017-2018 season with a sneak peek coming in this September’s World Cup of Hockey.

As an avid hockey fan, I am worried about this. One major Adidas trademark is to put its signature three stripes wherever it can on its uniforms. The hockey sweater is iconic in its own right and imagining future NHL uniforms with the three stripes piping running underneath sleeves and even onto the shells is horrifying. Hockey sweaters still have a traditional feel to them and while some updates/upgrades are exciting, I just don’t want Adidas to completely bastardize them.

A sign of hope, perhaps, are the new CFL uniforms. Adidas is replacing Reebok this season as the official uniform provider of the Canadian Football League. A look at the new designs for the nine CFL franchises gives me some hope. The CFL redesigns are simple and, in some cases, barely noticeable. I’m hoping that Adidas leaves the traditional NHL designs alone and makes subtle improvements around the league…very much like their CFL rollout and a stark contrast from their college football uniform designs. Hopefully, that’s all a product of understanding their audience and maybe Adidas will respect the NHL and its professional tradition. Remember, the league celebrates its centennial season in 2016-2017.

3. Quick Hits

a. Tuesday marked 100 days until kickoff of the 2016 college football season! The Week 1 slate is incredible…thanks to the CFP forcing teams to schedule more legitimate non-conference opponents to beef up their strength of schedule argument. Some of the Week 1 highlights: Oklahoma/Houston; LSU/Wisconsin; Alabama/USC; Clemson/Auburn; Texas/Notre Dame; Stanford/Kansas State; and Florida State/Ole Miss.

b. Some credit to the Memphis Grizzlies: Former Memphis Grizzlies head coach Dave Joerger was hired to be the head coach of the Sacramento Kings just two days after being fired by Memphis. The Grizzlies, after being a laughing stock for much of their NBA tenure, have quietly made the playoffs six seasons in a row – the 3rd-longest active streak in the league after the San Antonio Spurs (19 straight) and the Atlanta Hawks (9 straight). Joerger and previous head coach Lionel Hollins (also unceremoniously dumped) deserve a lot more credit than I suspect they actually get in NBA circles. Memphis used an NBA-record 28 players this year due to injuries and still managed to go 42-40 before losing to San Antonio in a physical first round sweep. Here’s to hoping that Mike Conley comes back and Memphis can continue quietly surprising people in the West.

c. I don't want to make any specific comments regarding the dismissal of Baylor head coach Art Briles. I believe this is a situation that is only going to get stickier as it is investigated further. I will simply note the tremendous job Briles did in taking a Big XII doormat and turning it into a legitimate playoff contender and national player. He leaves Baylor with a 65-37 record and brought Baylor (in 2013) its first outright conference championship since 1980. He has also had a hand in the building of McLane Stadium.

d. A few good articles on the dismissal of Art Briles:

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/15745248/line-events-rise-dismissal-baylor-bears-coach-art-briles

e. I'm intrigued by the WWE’s recent announcement to go live on Tuesday nights with Smackdown every week as opposed to a Tuesday taping with a Thursday airing. I’m not a big fan of the Tuesday night airing as having RAW and Smackdown on back-to-back nights could be a bit much, but I like that they are giving the “blue brand” a much needed jolt. I hope that the distinct rosters lead to distinct wrestling styles and presentations between the two shows. I understand that they are both WWE products and will wrestle the “WWE style,” but I believe the shows can still have distinct flavors. I also hope that the WWE World Heavyweight Championship remains intact. Having one undisputed world champion floating between the two shows will keep both brands unified under the WWE banner while allowing them to grow on their own accord. I’m also curious to see how the superstar draft will work and how this affects NXT. Ultimately, the most likely main goal of all this has been accomplished: People are once again drawn into and talking about the WWE product.

f. And a quick shout out to Spurs. Despite fading down the stretch, Tottenham (my BPL team of choice) turned in their best Premier League finish ever, finishing second in the table and earning a spot in next year’s Champions League. With an incredible nucleus (Harry Kane, Dele Alli, Jan Vertonghen, Christian Eriksen, Erik Lamela, Toby Alderweireld, Hugo Lloris) and a contract extension for manager Mauricio Pochettino, hopes are high for countless Spurs supporters (such as myself) and the upcoming season.

g. Random thought: 16 years ago in May 2000, Triple H (my all-time favorite wrestler) defeated The Rock in a 60-minute Iron Man Match at Judgment Day to begin his 4th WWF Championship reign.

Until next time.

-Meech

Nothing Like a Ride on the Coaching Carousel - 11/30/15

Let's do this return to the "blogosphere" in "Grab Bag" (Thanks to @DownGoesBrown for the format and the whole "Grab Bag" concept.) format. Don't worry. I promise there will still be long-form posts but sometimes it's good to just weigh in with some quick hitters.

So let's go.

1. Les Miles is still IN at LSU
I am absolutely appalled at all the speculation that had been surrounding Les Miles the last two weeks. I understand that sports have become the epitome of a "what have you done for me lately" business but the stats still warrant a look. Miles has won over 75% of his games in 11 seasons (111-32), 2 SEC Titles, 1 National Championship (played for another one), and has had a whopping 64 NFL Draft choices during his tenure in Death Valley. There may not be a coach more synonymous with his school than "The Mad Hatter." It's no secret that I have long been a fan of Miles and I find it ridiculous that a group of rogue boosters could create an uprising to the point where the athletic administration let Miles twist in the wind while every sports news outlets ran video montages recapping his career at LSU. It's even crazier to think that within hours of the initial speculation about his job security becoming public, those rogue boosters said that the $15 million necessary for his buyout was already banked and ready to go. I thought Miles did a pretty good job handling the situation and LSU athletic director Joe Alleva eventually stated, "I want to make it very clear and positive that Les Miles is our football coach and he will continue to be our football coach." Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal went on record (via Twitter) and said, "Les Miles is a great coach and a better man. He is a fantastic ambassador for our state. I hope he remains our coach." You know you have to be doing something right if the governor of the state says something on your behalf.
I'm glad that LSU got this decision right. Patience is a virtue and while there are plenty of things to fix at LSU (particularly on the offensive side of the football), I truly believe that Miles is the guy who is most capable of getting the job done. I understand that he hasn't defeated Nick Saban and Alabama in his last five tries, but who has? Miles is a tremendous football coach and guys like him don't come along often. As ESPN's Mark Schlabach pointed out, Miles turned down the chance to coach his alma mater, Michigan, in 2007 while Saban was quick to bolt for the NFL and the Miami Dolphins. Plus, his players (along with plenty of LSU fans) absolutely love him and make no secret about it, evidenced by them carrying him off the field after Saturday's win over Texas A&M. I'm very happy to see that some sanity has prevailed in the topsy-turvy world of college football.

2. Mark Richt is OUT at Georgia
Just when I was feeling good about things, Georgia went and fired another one of my favorite coaches, Mark Richt. The easy assumption is that UGA fired him because he has not won an SEC Title in 10 years. However, Richt has taken Georgia back to national relevance not seen since the Vince Dooley era over his 15 seasons in Athens. Richt was 145-51 with SEC Titles in 2002 and 2005. He also captured the SEC East on three other occasions and had 79 players drafted by the NFL. A win in their bowl game would make 2015 Richt's tenth 10-win season at UGA. He had success against two of UGA's three big rivals, going 13-2 against Georgia Tech and 10-5 against Auburn. The knock on his resume is his 5-10 record against Florida. It's understood that watching Missouri win two of the last three SEC East crowns while Florida and Tennessee struggled can be conceived as missed opportunities but don't forget that UGA hadn't won an SEC crown in 20 years before Richt arrived on campus in 2002 after serving as Bobby Bowden's offensive coordinator at Florida State. Richt has been noted to be a religious man and a great influence on his players. St. Louis Rams running back Todd Gurley has gone on record with his anger and frustration at Richt's firing. I would add to that but I think Alabama head coach Nick Saban truly said it best. Saban was quoted in an article on AL.com, saying:

"I don't know what the world's coming to in our profession...Mark Richt's been a really good coach and real positive person in our profession for a long, long time. I think when you win nine games, that's a pretty good season, and especially with the body of work that he's been able to put together there for however years he's been there...I hate to see people that have the character and quality and ability to affect young people in a positive way like Mark Richt not be a part of our profession."

Well said, Coach Saban. Well said.

3. Progress in Jersey (Very excited about this!)
If anyone thought that the New Jersey Devils (Jersey's Team...and mine) would be 12-9-2 and playing respectable, hard-nosed hockey just past the quarter post of the NHL season, then he was probably part of the team locker room or staff. The transition out of the Lou Lamoriello/Martin Brodeur era was quite abrupt this summer but is finally starting to smooth out a bit. Cory Schneider has established himself as an All-Star netminder and the team is scoring nearly three goals per game. Guys like Lee Stempniak, Tyler Kennedy, Bobby Farnham, and Jordan Tootoo are playing that gritty style of hockey that used to be synonymous with the Devils. Mike Cammalleri and Adam Henrique are scoring. Kyle Palmeiri has been an excellent addition. Travis Zajac looks like a different player. And of course, Patrik Elias is doing what he always does and scored his first goal of the season Saturday at Montreal in his third game back from a knee injury. When my season tickets arrived this year I was excited (as always) but more curious than anything else. I had no postseason expectations and was just hoping to see some competitive hockey. But I feel the return on this team has been tremendous. I'm genuinely excited to see where this team goes as the season progresses. I'm still realistic as I don't expect playoffs and I hope that the higher-ups don't sacrifice the long-term plan that is clearly in place for a shot at a wild card berth this season. But it's been very gratifying to watch this team work their tails off night in and night out, a stark contrast to the last few seasons in Newark. Rookie head coach John Hynes is definitely in the process of putting his stamp on the team and I think the long-term prospects for Jersey's Team are very bright indeed.

4. Quick Hitters
a. Syracuse hoops is off to a good start, taking the Battle of Atlantis by beating UConn and Texas A&M, and now appearing at #14 in the AP Poll. #GoOrange
b. Johnny Manziel is an embarrassment. Period.
c. I'm still not an NBA guy at all but you have to respect the defending champion Golden State Warriors coming out of the gate with an 18-0 start.
d. I was thrilled to see the Toronto Blue Jays back in the MLB Postseason for the first time since 1993. I hope this isn't a flash in the pan and Canada's lone MLB team can continue to be competitive.
e. Congrats to the Edmonton Eskimos on winning the 2015 Grey Cup. Also props to the Ottawa Redblacks for turning a 2-16 campaign in 2014 into an East title and a near-win in this year's Grey Cup. It was not a banner season for my team as the Saskatchewan Roughriders limped to a 3-15 finish. Here's hoping 2016 is better in Riderville.
f. Very happy with the early returns on Tottenham's 2015-2016 BPL campaign, with 6 wins, 7 draws, and just 1 defeat, Spurs sit two points behind rival Arsenal for fourth in the BPL table. Come On You Spurs!

5. Random Wrestling Note

The insane 6-man Hell in a Cell Match for the WWE (then WWF) Championship at Armageddon featuring Kurt Angle (champion), Undertaker, The Rock, Triple H, Stone Cold, and Rikishi was 15 years ago this December. Yikes.

Until next time.

-Meech

We Can't Be on Top of the Sports World Forever - 2/25/15

Every sports fan wants the same thing...to have the love given to his/her team given right back in the form of championships, star players, long-term success/viability, merchandise, and affordable ticket prices. In a world where not all is created equally, there are plenty of sports teams that hit some of the markers but only a select few that hit them all. Being a sports fan is a cyclical exercise. There will be times when your teams are at the top of the mountain; and there will be other times when your teams are at the bottom of the barrel. In an era where four of the five (I'll give you some recognition, MLS.) major North American professional sports leagues have 30 or 32 teams along with plenty of financial realities and constraints, sustained dominance is harder than ever. We view dominance and success through a much different lens than fans did years ago. For example, from 1921-1930 the New York Yankees were in the World Series five times (winning three). That means the Yankees were in the World Series (on average) every other year. Or from 1932-1965, the Yanks appeared in the World Series a stunning 20 times. That means for more than half of the World Series played in that 33-year stretch, the Yankees were on one side of the field. This phenomenal feat may have frustrated many, but when there were only eight or ten other teams in the American League, fans of those other teams still had something to hope for.

Besides, that type of run is simply not possible now. Salary caps, expansion, diluted talent pools, TV deals, free agency, and various other realities have taken that dominance away from professional athletics. The buzzword these days is "competitive balance." From an ownership point of view, this makes perfect sense. Sports is still a business, a multibillion dollar one at that. In order for all franchises to be financially viable and appealing to a fan base, there has to be at least the illusion of winning or contending. If there was a team like the Yankees in any sport in this day and age, there would be many frustrated individuals. Most sports fans enjoy dominance over short time periods (i.e. the 2011-2014 Miami Heat, the 1991-1998 Chicago Bulls, or the 1999-2004 Los Angeles Lakers) but most tire of this dominance after a while and want to see fresh blood at the top of the ladder, not the teams that they feel are being forced on them all season due to national television appearances and broadcast contracts (This is similar to the John Cena argument in WWE, a frustration I will voice some other time.). By the way, isn't it crazy to think that since 1991, only EIGHT NBA teams have been crowned champions: Bulls, Rockets, Spurs, Lakers, Celtics, Mavericks, Pistons, Heat?? Anyway, if you ask most fans, they would naturally respond that they want to see their teams at the top of the ladder every year. Basically, dominance is perfectly acceptable as long as it's your team.

On the other hand, dominance does have an intriguing quality about it. It is very impressive to see how an organization can manage so many variables and still be wildly successful over a lengthy period of time. There's also the standard angle of loathing the dominating team and pulling for every underdog that presents itself. It's always nice to have that built-in bad guy as the payoff at the end is rewarding for many fans of the underdog teams. Whether you like them or not, the New England Patriots always seem to pique fan interest in the NFL. What the Pats have done since 2001 is nothing short of incredible. They have appeared in six of the last 14 Super Bowls (XXXVI, XXXVIII, XXXIX, XLII, XLVI, XLIX), won four Vince Lombardi trophies (XXXVI, XXXVIII, XXXIX, XLIX), appeared in nine AFC Championship games, have not had a losing season since 2000-2001, and have only missed the playoffs twice in the "Brady/Belichick Era." When you consider the current NFL landscape, this is a run of absolutely historic proportion. It seems like the Patriots have ruled the NFL for a generation. And how about the Atlanta Braves? From 1991-2005, "Hot-Lanta" took home 14 consecutive National League East Division championships, five NL pennants, and a World Series title in 1995. The Phillies and Red Sox have had mini-runs in the 2000s but nothing like the Braves.

But when you step back for a moment, you realize life wasn't always so good in Foxboro and Atlanta. From 1971-1995, the Pats made just six playoff appearances and posted a winning record only nine times. The Braves have made just three playoff appearances in the nine seasons since their run. Bottom line, even the most dominant teams have down periods. Nobody likes to remember the Yankees of the 1980s and early-1990s. It's hard to believe that it was actually the Mets that ruled the New York baseball scene then. Or that both the Celtics and the Lakers have found themselves in the NBA Draft Lottery their fair share over the last 25 years.

And all of this brings me to my own personal sporting cycle. I love sports but I must admit where my true die-hard fan passions lie. I am a huge football fan and will watch as much of it as I possibly can. But I am not a die-hard fan of any particular NFL team as my allegiances have shifted a bit over the years. I could say the same thing about baseball. In both cases, I was brought up on the local teams and still root for them to do well...after some brief childhood runs with the Marlins (MLB) and the Patriots (NFL). Yes, I openly admit that I was a Pats fan for a bit as a child. I was a big Drew Bledsoe/Bill Parcells fan growing up. And even crazier, I will admit that I was a Marlins fan for a bit as well. I was heartbroken when they sold everyone off after winning (buying) the 1997 World Series. I have never had a die-hard NBA passion as my heart always belonged to college basketball. While I am becoming a Tottenham Hotspur die-hard, I did not grow up watching the Premier League so this is still relatively fresh. Although, I will tell you that I am already experiencing the heartbreak and frustration that comes with being a Spurs supporter. My die-hard passions have always been in three places: New Jersey Devils hockey, Syracuse football & basketball, and Florida State football. Those are the three (or four) teams that I have never wavered in supporting. From the very first moments I can recall watching and playing sports, these have always been my teams of choice in their respective sports. The fact that I am a Devils season-ticket holder and a 'Cuse alumnus only speaks further to that fact.

Looking at most of my sporting fandom life, I have been quite fortunate. From the 1989-1990 season thru the 2011-2012 season, the Devils only missed the playoffs twice while appearing in the Stanley Cup Final five times and winning Lord Stanley's Cup on three occasions (1995, 2000, 2003). Florida State was quite dominant as well. From 1991 to 2000, the 'Noles won double digit games and were ranked in the AP Top 5 every year, winning the national championship twice and appearing in two more national title games on top of that. Syracuse hoops also had great success. From 1993-2006, the 'Cuse won at least 20 games every season except one, only missed the NCAA Tournament twice, reached two Final Fours, and won the national championship in 2003. From 1991 to 2001, Syracuse football won eight or more games seven times, played in eight bowl games, and won three Big East Championships. When you look at all of this on a whole, my sports fandom life has been one full of tremendous success and plenty of victories. There were several collaborative high points as well. In 2000, Florida State was crowned the BCS National Champion to start the year, defeating Virginia Tech in the Sugar Bowl. Syracuse would appear in the Sweet 16 before falling to eventual national champion Michigan State. The Devils would defeat the Dallas Stars in six games to win the franchise's second Stanley Cup, after rallying from a 3-1 series deficit against the hated Philadelphia Flyers in the Eastern Conference Finals. 2003 would prove to be a pretty solid year as well. The Devils would capture their third Stanley Cup. Syracuse, behind freshman sensation Carmelo Anthony, won the national championship, did not lose a home game all season, and trotted out the same starting five (McNamara, Duany, Warrick, Anthony, Forth) for all 35 games that season. Florida State would win the ACC title and earn a berth in the Orange Bowl. Syracuse football, although finishing at 6-6 and without a bowl berth, had a bright spot, pasting Notre Dame on national television at the Carrier Dome, 38-12. I, like any other fan, was on top of the world and feeling great.

Then reality...and the cycle...set in.

Syracuse football has been on a tremendous downswing. Since 2004, the 'Cuse has had just three winning seasons (two 8-5 finishes and one 7-6 finish), played in four bowl games, and won zero conference titles. The Devils have won just five playoff series since winning the Stanley Cup in 2003. "Jersey's Team" suffered first-round exits in 2004, 2008, 2009, and 2010 while missing the playoffs entirely in 2011, 2013, & 2014. As of right now, the Devils are eight points out of the second wild-card spot with 22 games left to play. Syracuse hoops has been up and down. From 2004-2008, the Orange exited the NCAAs in the first round twice and failed to qualify for the "Big Dance" twice. 'Cuse basketball has recovered a bit, reaching the Elite Eight in 2012 and the Final Four in 2013. But now the program is operating under looming NCAA sanctions and a self-imposed one-year postseason ban. Florida State took a dip in Bobby Bowden's final few seasons, turning out a handful of 7-6 finishes. The 'Noles are back on the upswing, though, winning the national championship in 2013 and reaching the College Football Playoff this past season.

My reaction to this current state of affairs is much different than it would be if I were in my childhood days. Losing one solitary game was the end of the world at that point in my life. I'm still immensely frustrated if my teams lose a game nowadays, but I also understand that the season is a long and sometimes grueling stretch and that one loss doesn't necessarily spell the end of championship aspirations...except in college football where one loss can sink your dreams (unless you're Ohio State this season). As you watch more sports and experience more in life, you begin to realize that it's just not plausible for your teams to stay at the top forever. They can't win the championship every year. They might not even be able to make the playoffs every year. It's also harder to stand behind one squad when you have national viewing options. Growing up, it was all local teams on television. Now, with the internet and streaming television, you can be a fan of anyone because you have access to all of their games. For example, I find that I have a growing affinity for the CFL's Saskatchewan Roughriders (something I have covered in a previous blog post) and I enjoy watching all the NHL and college football I can. Also, children tend to be wishy-washy, changing opinions at a moment's notice. The trick is that you have to stand behind your team through all the ups and downs. Sports fandom speaks to a deeper connection. As I mentioned before, my MLB and NFL allegiances have shifted often but my ties to the 'Cuse, the 'Noles, and the Devils have never wavered. And I'm also now building unwavering ties to Tottenham Hotspur. I possess a much deeper connection to those teams. I went to my first Devils game back in February of 1992 (the 28th to be exact - a 3-2 overtime loss to the New York Islanders), at 8 years old and I was hooked instantly. They are "Jersey's Team" and I take great pride in that. Syracuse is the only school I ever wanted to go to after watching Marvin Graves (football) and Lawrence Moten (basketball) as a child and I am now a proud alumnus. Florida State was the first football team I truly watched with my father and that bond has stuck as well. Spurs were the first BPL team I was exposed to and I am all-in.

Regardless of where your allegiances may be, you must understand that you can't be number one forever. At some point, your teams will experience down cycles. It's your job to simply stand behind them in continuing support.

And yes, you are allowed to "boo."

-Meech

Round 1 to the CFP - 12/9/14

Now that the dust has settled, let's take a look at what the Selection Committee has given us for the inaugural College Football Playoff.

(1) Alabama will take on (4) Ohio State in the Sugar Bowl while (2) Oregon will face (3) Florida State in the Rose Bowl. Those two semifinal matchups may be the best possible outcomes in terms of football and storylines for the first go of the CFP. The brand recognition is off the charts and I'm sure that many casual fans will be thrilled with these matchups. I am not a big Ohio State fan but as much as I hate to admit it, the committee got this one right...based on what they were given/presented to us as criteria for selection. It was also a thrill to see CFP Committee chair Jeff Long (AD at Arkansas) live on television explaining the process to the nation. That transparency is important and it also provides legitimacy to this whole deal while setting a clear set of expectations for future versions of the CFP. That being said, there are many in Fort Worth and Waco who will be complaining all the way to next September. I believe that both sides have fair gripes and could have been the fourth team in just as easily as Ohio State. So, let's vent.

Starting with Ohio State: What Ohio State has done with three different quarterbacks this season has been nothing short of impressive. It's hard enough when you lose one Heisman Trophy-caliber quarterback (Braxton Miller) but to lose another (J.T. Barrett) and still end up winning the Big Ten is quite the feat. Regardless of what the committee says, I believe the Buckeyes got a huge boost from their 59-0 pasting of Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship Game. I don't believe their "body of work" (the catchphrase that has been introduced to the college football lexicon this year) was what got them in. I wonder if Ohio State hadn't been as impressive against Wisconsin, would they have been invited to the big boy table. I know everyone says it's about the "body of work" but the human element naturally lends itself to being a bit swayed by that last impression. Plus, Ohio State was number six in the most recent ranking heading into Championship Weekend. I understand that a win doesn't necessarily hold serve like it does in the poll but I'm not sure about this. Ohio State was on the outside looking in the entire time and then manages to jump to number four in the end. TCU falls from three to six. Baylor sits at five. Based on all we have seen, it's just very hard for me to believe that Ohio State was rewarded for their body of work and not just on that last impression in the Big Ten Championship Game. That being said, Ohio State's body of work does look pretty solid. Their strength of schedule (45th) was the highest among the three teams fighting for that last spot (TCU 53rd; Baylor 59th). Ohio State also has a 7-1 record against the Top 60. That's a pretty nice body of work but their loss to Virginia Tech, even though it was in September, is still a sizable blemish. Of the three teams in question, Ohio State's loss is easily the worst. We are talking about a Virginia Tech team that lost to Wake Forest 6-3...in overtime. Even worse, that loss was at home in "The Horseshoe." Not exactly a completely forgivable slip-up for a playoff team.

Let's move on to TCU: The Horned Frogs were an impressive 11-1. Their strength of schedule was 53rd and they had a 6-1 record against the Top 60. TCU also had the best points-per-game differential in the country, beating its opponents by an average of 26.5 PPG. Further enhancing the Horned Frogs case is the fact that their loss (at Baylor) was easily the best among the three teams in question despite the fact that TCU blew a 21-point lead in that game. Losing to the #5 team in the country by three isn't the worst blemish on your record. TCU gets hurt by the fact that they were declared co-champions of the Big XII. This hurts because the reality of the situation is the Baylor beat them head-to-head so anyone who exhibits the slightest bit of common sense would tell you that the Horned Frogs are not the co-champions of anything. That being said, if you've watched them play at any point over the last month and a half, you would be hard-pressed to find a better football team in the country, Alabama included. Also, how does your "body of work" put you at #4 and then #3 for a good chunk of the rankings and then all of a sudden drop you to #6?

That brings us to Baylor: Baylor was 5-1 against the Top 60 and had a strength of schedule that ranked 59th, not terrible numbers but a bit short in comparison to both Ohio State and TCU. The Bears also strengthen their argument with the reality that they are the Big XII Champions. They beat TCU head-to-head. It's as simple as that. The "human element" of this whole thing should have been able to see right through the Big XII and Commissioner Bob Bowlsby's declaration of "co-champions." Baylor also plays a style of offensive football that would be very attractive to the television networks and the casual fans. They were second in Division 1-A (or FBS) to TCU in points-per-game differential, outscoring their opponents by an average of 24.7 PPG. Their one loss (at West Virginia) was not devastating as one might think. Yes, West Virginia wrapped up at 7-5, fading down the backstretch with losses in three of their last four games. However, they played Alabama tough on national television, played TCU and Kansas State within one score, and battled Texas in the midst of the Longhorns' hot streak. The thing that hurts Baylor (besides the whole co-champions nonsense) is their soft non-conference schedule, ranked the worst in the nation. Playing SMU, Northwestern State, and Buffalo in your non-conference slate when the CFP committee made it clear there would be a premium value placed on non-conference matchups was a huge mistake for the Bears and something they need to look into in the future. However, I would like to point out that the SEC never gets punished for playing cupcakes.

After poring after the numbers, you really could make a case for any of these three teams to be in that fourth spot. At the end of the day, it pains me to say it, but the committee did get it right. Ohio State's resume has the fewest holes and the Buckeyes were rewarded accordingly.

I do have one other concern though. I understand the concept of ranking the teams regardless of record but I just can't justify Florida State not being number one. It doesn't matter how you slice it, the bottom line is that the Seminoles have beaten everyone in front of them and they are the ONLY undefeated team in the country. Whether you like them or not, that is fact. If they're the only undefeated team in the country, then how are they not number one? Alabama and Oregon are strong but they have flaws. There is no clearly dominant team this year like Miami in 2001 or Alabama in 2009 or even Florida State last year. Nick Saban has put together another impressive squad in Tuscaloosa but they certainly didn't look dynamite in the Iron Bowl. Auburn moved the ball at will and Ole Miss certainly didn't have a problem putting points on the board either. Alabama is very good. I'm not arguing that. They also may very well be the number one team in the country but the fact remains that they did not win all of their games and should not be rewarded as such.

All things considered, if this is the biggest gripe we have with this year's CFP field then kudos to the committee. A job well done in Year One. Can't wait to see how this all plays out on the field. Needless to say, I will be rooting for whomever comes out the Oregon/Florida State game. No doubt about it.

I'll save my "Why does the SEC never get grief for playing cupcakes" and my "Why would the Big XII actually declare co-champions" rants for another time.

-Meech

Florida State: Playoffs?.....Florida: The "Interesting" Dismissal of Will Muschamp - 12/4/14

1. We are less than one week away from finding out which four teams will be playing in the inaugural College Football Playoff. There is wild excitement across the college football nation. However, for many, the tension is also palpable. I recall pundits arguing for years that a playoff would rid college football of controversy in deciding its national championship. I also recall many of my friends arguing the same point. I have always maintained that you can't rid Division 1-A (I still refuse to call it FBS.) of controversy without a large-scale playoff similar to the one they use at the 1-AA (FCS) level. The only thing a playoff would do is change the topic or focus of the controversy. Instead of arguing who the second-best team in the country was, we would all be arguing about who the fourth or fifth best team in the country was. The CFP was supposed to be similar to the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee in men's basketball. The "human element" was going to put everyone at ease and replace the BCS computers. Yet here we are with just one week left before the CFP is finalized and we have a realistic possibility that the only undefeated team in the country could be on the outside looking in.

This week, 10-1 TCU leapfrogged the defending national champions, 12-0 Florida State. FSU has had an interesting stay in the CFP rankings. In Weeks 10 & 11, they were #2, trailing Mississippi State. Week 12 saw Oregon jump ahead of the 'Noles. Week 13 saw Alabama take the top spot and Oregon retain its hold on #2. Now, with a win over Texas (6-6), TCU has jumped to #3. FSU, despite beating rival Florida (6-5) has dropped to #4. Ohio State has jumped up to #5 despite losing their second starting quarterback of the season to injury. Baylor sits at #6 with a big game against #9 Kansas State this weekend. Arizona and Michigan State are very much in the hunt as well. Looking at the patterns of the committee, it is actually realistic to envision some scenarios in which Florida State could win the ACC Championship and still be left out in the cold.

Seriously, let's think about that. For starters, Florida State beats Georgia Tech in the ACC Title Game, but not convincingly. That would mean either a late 4th quarter comeback, a large lead that was nearly lost, or a win that simply wasn't dominant despite leading the whole way. Regardless, FSU would be 13-0. Now let's say that Ohio State beats Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship Game with its third-string quarterback. Does the committee see that Ohio State is stronger than they think and discount the injuries to both Braxton Miller and J.T. Barrett? What if Arizona knocks off Oregon in the Pac-12 Championship Game? Do two wins over Oregon, including one in Eugene, give Arizona enough juice with the selection committee to warrant inclusion? What if Baylor really piles it on Kansas State and TCU easily handles Iowa State? Considering how tightly TCU and Baylor played each other earlier this season, combined with the aforementioned results this weekend, does the Big XII make a case to have both teams included in the CFP? There's also Alabama and Oregon. If they win their conference title games, there is no doubt they are in. If one of them ends up falling, the CFP will be in flux to say the very least.

Now, I understand that a record can be deceiving. Games can be won or lost in a variety of ways. Schedules can vary in strength. No two games look the same when weighed against one another. I understand this from experience. Over the last five years at MHS, we have been quite fortunate to have the run of success that we have: five straight state championship appearances, two titles in a row (looking to make it a third this weekend). We have won some games pretty convincingly and not been on the losing side often (52-7 since 2010). Every now and again I think back to that 2010 team. That squad started 2-4 before running off five straight wins to sneak into that state finals before falling to Randolph 19-0. No one remembers how we squeaked by, sneaked in, or managed to win any of those games. All they remember is that we won them. Then I think about this year's squad. We have not blistered opponents quite the way we did over the previous two seasons (outscoring our opponents by nearly 600 points combined) but the only thing that matters is that the defending state champions continue to win games...just like Florida State. Until someone actually knocks you down, you are still the king of the mountain. What an injustice it would be if Florida State were to win all of its games and yet be denied the opportunity to defend its crown.

All that being said, you can only play the teams that are on your schedule and Florida State has beaten them all, 28 in a row as a matter of fact. It's not like the ACC is the Sun Belt. Give the defending champs some credit here. They may not always be pretty but the 'Noles find ways to win games. And at the end of the day, isn't winning the bottom line in the business of major college football?



2. Speaking of which, that brings me to the Florida head coaching gig. Colorado State head coach Jim McElwain has reached an agreement to become the next head coach of the Gators. McElwain appeared to be the top target from the moment Will Muschamp was dismissed. McElwain has some history in the SEC, working as Nick Saban's offensive coordinator from 2008 to 2011. He and the Crimson Tide were renowned for their offensive balance. In 2011, on their way to a national championship, Alabama was the only SEC team to average both 200 yards passing and 200 yards rushing per game. McElwain also made quick work of turning around the Colorado State program. The Rams currently sit at 10-2 and have won 16 of their last 20 games. CSU lost 27 of 36 games before McElwain was hired in 2012. McElwain appears to check all the boxes laid out by Florida AD Jeremy Foley: head coaching experience (a must after Muschamp), several high-level assistant jobs, offensive philosophy and resume (CSU currently ranks 13th in the nation in total offense), and time spent coaching in the SEC.

This all seems to add up to a good hire for Florida. But as I read on, I keep thinking about the strange circumstances surrounding this whole thing. Usually when a coach is on his way out, there are countless rumors and groans from alumni (i.e. Brady Hoke at Michigan), epic clashes with the media surrounding the team (i.e. Bo Pelini at Nebraska), or billboards, websites, and television ads galore (i.e. Ron Zook at Florida in 2005 before Urban Meyer came aboard). That just didn't seem to be the case this time around in "The Swamp."

Will Muschamp took the Gators to the Sugar Bowl in his second season after replacing Urban Meyer. It looked like the Gators were trending upward after a 7-6 debut season for Muschamp in 2011. The bottom fell out though in 2013, as the Gators stumbled to a 4-8 record, their worst finish since 1979. Muschamp's offenses never got off the ground and this year's version ranked 109th in the nation in total offense. From an outside perspective, despite his failures in the win column, there was not a lot of overall negativity surrounding Muschamp. Even those vehemently calling for his dismissal seemed to be doing so without the usual vitriol. When Florida AD Jeremy Foley finally let Muschamp go, he said things such as:

"I will be forever grateful to Will and his staff for their unwavering commitment to the University of Florida and the mission of our athletic program. He will be missed by everyone in our athletic department - from the people that worked in his office to the people that painted the fields. Will knew everyone and they knew him and everyone in the building loved working with him. Will is as fine a man as you will ever meet, and I will always cherish our relationship with him and his family."

Those are pretty powerful words from Foley. You always hear the athletic director talk about the positive influence a coach had on the kids and the program but you don't see an AD cut to the core of the issue so openly like Foley did. Foley is not a typical AD either. He is well-respected in practically every football circle out there and, by all accounts, an absolute joy to work for. Still, it's uncharacteristic to see an administrator so openly distraught about having to fire an employee.

I keep searching for more negativity in the never-ending internet world and nothing of consequence pops up. There were a few "Hire Dan Mullen" websites but otherwise the words uttered by Foley after Muschamp's dismissal seemed to be the consensus. Even upon his firing, there were few negative words written about him. Most journalists said some version of "great guy, just didn't win enough games" and then focused on where he would end up as a well-compensated defensive coordinator. In a strange way, it's kind of refreshing to see this. Although college football has become quite the business monolith, these are still human beings. Coaches have family obligations and essentially act as a father or guiding hand to the 100+ kids on their teams and are also responsible for plenty of support staff. Many outsiders don't realize that even office assistants and equipment staff can be removed by an incoming coach who wants to be surrounded by his own people. Despite that simple truth, many people throw negativity around as if these coaches don't matter or don't care. It amazes me that Muschamp's dismissal was handled so professionally by all involved: the AD, the AD's administration, the players, the assistant coaches, the media, and ultimately Muschamp himself. I understand that not all individuals are as grounded as Foley and Muschamp and that some firings are nowhere near as simple as this one, but I hope that more of these moves can be conducted in this manner in the future. It's a refreshing and humane way to deal with such matters.



- Meech

3-Down Football??? - 8/10/14

My love for and involvement in the game of football over most of my life is both well-known and well-documented. As football has become a year-round sport and my experiences as both a coach and a player have developed, my love of the game has grown exponentially. The NFL season goes from August to February. The college football season goes from August to January. The NFL has the draft and minicamps to occupy fans from March to June. College football has its annual rite of passage known as spring practice that takes care of March and April. But the end of June through July is a rare quiet period for football. Thankfully, there is something out there to rescue us from that quiet period and provide us with competitive football while our college and NFL teams are knee-deep in practice and reorganization.

Enter the wonder that is the CFL...the Canadian Football League.

The CFL has been a bit of a passing fascination for me...for the better part of the last twenty years. I remember growing up and watching the "Run and Shoot" Houston Oilers, led by quarterback Warren Moon. There were many times when the announcers made a reference, veiled or blatant, to Moon's time in the CFL with the Edmonton Eskimos. Then we had the Doug Flutie experience with the Buffalo Bills in 1998. His wild success story, after washing out of the NFL in the mid-'80s, was accompanied by plenty of film of Flutie in a Calgary Stampeders uniform. A few years later, Jeff Garcia worked wonders for San Francisco. He, too, spent some time with the Stampeders. In 2010, I remember actually turning on a CFL game for the first time (They're not exactly easy to find in here in the States.). I recall it was the Saskatchewan Roughriders. The Riders were running their offense onto the field and quarterbacking the team was Darian Durant. I remember when I was at Syracuse and we played UNC in a home-and-home; Durant was the quarterback for the Tar Heels. My familiarity with a key player led me to continue watching. I caught a few more Riders game that year and the few years following that but I hadn't gone all-in just yet. In 2013, the NBC Sports Network simulcast a few CFL games, as did ESPN, so I was able to watch the Riders capture the 101st Grey Cup. I figured this year would be another year when I would catch a game or two and call it a day. But something was different this time around.

It started in mid-June with a few tweets from legendary Sports Illustrated football writer Peter King. King was tweeting about his new Monday Morning Quarterback website and mentioned that he was going to do an entire week devoted to the CFL as their season opened up, complete with guest columnists and game coverage. The first guest column was composed by Chicago Bears head coach Marc Trestman. When the Bears hired Trestman prior to the 2013 season, I recalled his time as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in San Francisco and Oakland (He was the OC for the Raiders when they lost to Tampa Bay in Super Bowl XXXVII.). I overlooked or hadn't even realized (depending on how you want to look at it) that Trestman spent five seasons as the head coach of the Montreal Alouettes, leading them to three Grey Cup appearances and back-to-back Grey Cup Titles in 2009 and 2010. Trestman's column that day was an excellent read. It did a great job of highlighting some of the major differences between American football and the CFL. But in addition to the obvious differences in the rules, Trestman pointed to things such as the rule that seven of a team's 24 starters (There are 12 men on the field at a time) must be Canadian and 20 of the 42 players on your gameday roster must be of Canadian heritage. Or the fact that in the last three minutes of each half the clock stops after every single play. This leaves room for lots of change of possessions and prevents a team from ever really truly being out of the game. Reading about all the rules and the small-town charm/feel of the CFL (The minimum salary in the CFL is $45,000...which is roughly 12 percent of the minimum NFL salary.) pushed me to pay a bit more attention but it was the passion with which Trestman wrote the column that really made me think twice. Here's an individual who is at the pinnacle of his profession yet clearly has such passion and love for his time in the CFL. Seeing this made me want to pay more attention. Then ESPN did me a favor, reaching a broadcast deal in which ESPN will televise all CFL games, giving us the TSN broadcast simulcast over ESPN2 or on the internet with ESPN3/Watch ESPN. Now having such great access, I went right back to where I started and tuned in to the Roughriders.

I thoroughly enjoyed watching the Riders take down Hamilton, 31-10, on opening night and resolved that I would do the best I could to keep up. Having familiarity with several Riders besides Durant (Taj Smith, Macho Harris, Chaz Schilens, Anthony Allen, and Tyron Brackenridge...to name a few) drew me in but it was the passion of the fan base that affectionately calls itself "Rider Nation" that kept me there. The Saskatchewan fans take great pride in their Riders. The passion and enthusiasm they have for their team and their unique brand of football is apparent, even through a computer screen. Peter King highlighted this when recounting his trip to Regina and every game I've watched always had a brief feature highlighting the proud province and its fan base. To boot, the team recently released its new CFL Signature uniforms. The emphasis on the "wheat to the sky" logo pays homage to the province while the "I Am Rider Nation" on the inside collar gives some love to the club's rabid fan base. Furthermore, the Riders have an ownership model similar to that of the Green Bay Packers. The fans and the people of Saskatchewan own the team and there was recently another share offering back in 2011.

As I've continued to watch the Riders, I have become fascinated by the little quirks of Canadian football. With just three downs to go ten yards, most offenses prioritize the passing game. However, on third-and-one, teams are quite inclined to go for it as the defensive line must line up one yard off the line of scrimmage. Throw in the fact that all six receivers are allowed to be in forward motion prior to the snap, a wider field, and a 20-second play clock and you have the making of a very fast-paced, exciting football game. Although it appears many of the CFL's rules favor the offenses, there is plenty of defense to be found across the league as well. Defenses get very creative with their pressure packages and I have seen more sacks per game than I'm used to seeing in the NFL. The differences I enjoy the most, however, come in the special teams department. For starters, there are no fair catches. All kicks have to be returned and coverage teams have to leave a five-yard halo around the returner. Then there's the rouge. Honestly, it's taken me some time to understand this one and I still don't think I quite understand it. If teams miss a field goal or punt the ball out of the end zone, they are awarded a single point. However, if teams return those missed field goals (The 20-yard end zone with the goalposts in the front make this a regular occurrence.), the single point is wiped off the board. The wildest special teams quirk is the rule that if a player is even with or behind the punter when he kicks, that player is eligible to recover and advance the ball. A few weeks ago I was watching the Riders take on Ottawa. Saskatchewan was up 28-0 and Ottawa was having all sorts of trouble moving the football. On third down, Ottawa lined up for a quick kick but motioned a player behind the kicker. That player raced down the field and recovered the football in the end zone for an Ottawa touchdown. Crazy!

All of these rules make the gameplanning process in the CFL so different from that in the NFL, college, and high school football here in the States. As a coach, I am very fascinated by these nuances and all the possibilities that the kicking game holds in Canadian football. And managing the clock is a more developed and valued skill as well. With that 20-second play clock, there isn't much down time. Players have to be in tremendous shape and the fans don't get much opportunity to blink for they may miss something big. It's a constant state of excitement and the pride that the fans, players, coaches, and league officials take in their unique brand of football make enjoying the CFL infectious. It also fits in the perfect time frame. June, July, and August possess no actual competitive on-field football (Sorry, preseason games don't count for fans...only as great evaluation tools for coaches and team personnel.) so the CFL fills a tremendous void stateside. I feel like it's catching on a bit around here but there are many fans who still don't give the game its due. People whine about all the rules and the differences from our game instead of just accepting them. If you just accept the CFL for what it is, I believe you'll find it quite enjoyable as it is highly competitive football. Everyone involved is professional and gives everything he has to the game. It's awesome to see how the CFL connects the entire country. The connection between the CFL and its fans is very obvious no matter what game you may be watching. CFL commissioner Mark Cohon always references how proud he is of the league's "uniquely Canadian football."

And that's what really got me. I absolutely love how everyone involved takes full ownership of the game. They don't make excuses. They don't act like they're minor league. The players who spent time in the NFL take their CFL jobs seriously. Those who used to be in the CFL and are now in the NFL speak of their time in Canada openly and quite fondly. I feel like you don't hear many coaches or players talk about the NFL the way the employees of the CFL talk about their league and their game. Seeing people work so hard yet enjoy their work so much makes you want to be a part of it. It makes you want to pay attention. I also enjoy the familiarity teams have with one another. Playing an 18-game schedule in a league with just nine teams breeds familiarity and plenty of contempt among players, coaches, and fan bases...yet another exciting layer to the product. Hopefully the CFL will take advantage of America's love of football and spread their game stateside. In the mid-'90s the league put teams in Las Vegas, Baltimore, Sacramento, San Antonio, Memphis, Shreveport, and Birmingham but they all folded as stateside fans failed to back these teams and couldn't get used to the differences between the CFL and NFL games.

As the league continues to grow and TSN puts all CFL games on national television, the game will continue to flourish in its home province. Seeing ESPN give its name and resources to the CFL gives me hope that it may stick around stateside and provide a great summer outlet for all of us die-hard football fans. In the meantime, I will continue to follow the Riders and the rest of the league. This American is firmly entrenched in Rider Nation and I intend to further immerse myself by taking the trip to Regina next season and attending a game before the Riders head to the new Mosaic Stadium in 2017. Can't wait!

Until next time...

-Meech

MLB Trade Deadline, New Dalton Deal, and more..... - 8/4/14

And we're back!

1. Over the past few years, my love of baseball has dwindled tremendously. The combination of constant PED nonsense, a terrible Mets team (I have found myself watching the Oakland A's more than any other MLB team over the past 3-4 years), and 24/7/365 access to football and hockey has taken away much of the joy I possess (and viewing time) for baseball. However, the off-season Hot Stove and the mid-season Trade Deadline always stoke my interest. The trade deadline is tricky day in any professional sport. The NFL trade deadline is not a big deal since the schemes and demands that surround the game of football make it nearly impossible to execute a mid-season trade that would be beneficial to anyone. The NBA and NHL trade deadlines have been subdued in recent years thanks to hard salary cap situations in those leagues. But the MLB deadline always has tremendous possibilities surrounding it. I remember when the deadline used to be at midnight Eastern time and you would stay up late to watch ESPN's Baseball Tonight and try to keep up with the madness, hoping there was a megadeal to be had. Recently, MLB has moved its deadline to 4pm ET on July 31st. I'm sure this shift makes the MLB offices that are processing and cross-checking all the deals a bit happier but it takes away a bit of the allure for the casual fan. My expectations have been moderate at best for a while now but this year's deadline was flat-out awesome, renewing some of my interest in the game.

Watching the Detroit Tigers and Oakland Athletics basically stare each other in the face and try to outdo each other at the trading table was a sight to behold. The A's have been a perennial playoff for the better part of the last ten years under the watchful eye of GM Billy Beane and his "Moneyball" philosophy. The A's have been playoff regulars of sorts but haven't reached the World Series since 1990, where they were swept by the Cincinnati Reds. In the span of about three weeks, the A's have shown they're all-in. Oakland picked up Jason Hammel and Jeff Samardzija from the Cubs and then swung a huge deal for Boston ace Jon Lester. The thing that makes the Lester deal so stunning is that it wasn't a megastar-for-prospects deal. The A's sent their cleanup hitter (outfielder Yoenis Cespedes) to the Sox to complete the deal. Not to be outdone, the Tigers pulled center fielder Austin Jackson in the middle of their deadline day game against the Chicago White Sox to complete a deal for Tampa Bay Rays ace left-hander David Price.

I don't know what was crazier: The A's trading away their cleanup hitter in the middle of a pennant race or the Tigers pulling their center fielder mid-inning. Kudos to both of these clubs. The A's, Tigers, and Angels are clearly the class of the American League (and perhaps all of baseball) and are so close to one another and are the clear AL favorites to reach the World Series. With that in mind, moves needed to made. It was so refreshing to see teams make some "go after it" trades. We've all become accustomed to teams trading away stars and getting nothing tangible in return. To watch what essentially breaks down to a Lester-for-Cespedes swap was awesome, like fantasy baseball come to life. We just don't see many of those trades anymore. And then for the Tigers to go all-in on David Price in response was even crazier. The Tigers and the A's are firmly planted in the win-now window. The Tigers made World Series appearances in 2006 and 2012 but couldn't finish the job. They're also the owners of three consecutive AL Central titles. Their window to win is now. Likewise, the A's have been arguably the most successful regular season team of the past decade but have failed to reach the World Series. With Hammel, Samardzija, and Lester joining Scott Kazmir and Sonny Gray, the A's have a phenomenal rotation that can match up with anyone...especially the Tigers trio of Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, and Price.

A few more pieces from the AL: The A's have to be thrilled with their new rotation after throwing the likes of Gil Heredia, Cory Lidle, Ted Lilly, Jarrod Parker, and Dan Straily (courtesy of ESPN.com's David Schoenfield) in recent postseason elimination games. The last time the Red Sox unloaded contract headaches (Adrian Gonzalez, Josh Beckett, Carl Crawford) was 2012. The next season they were World Series Champions. The biggest loser here...the Angels. When the two biggest postseason threats to you get that much better, a simple move for closer Huston Street isn't nearly enough to move the needle.

2. The Cincinnati Bengals re-signed quarterback Andy Dalton to a 6-year, $115 million deal. The deal is for $96 million with bonuses and incentives that can drive it to $115 million. Only $17 million is guaranteed and apparently the Bengals can walk away (with a small financial penalty) after any year of the deal (All contract terms courtesy of SI's Peter King). There are many critics of this contract and practically all of them point to Dalton's 0-3 postseason record. I have read several columns (including a good read by Grantland.com's Bill Barnwell) citing Dalton's inability to maintain poise and mechanics in the face of pressure. Many columnists have done a great job disproving the theory that the "postseason lights" are too bright for Dalton. They point to plenty of advanced metrics that show massive drops in Dalton's QBR under pressure. My verdict on this deal has nothing to do with numbers or metrics of any kind.

The Bengals were a franchise in a state of disarray, making just two playoff appearances from 1991 to 2010 and only finishing above .500 in those two seasons (They went 8-8 on four other occasions). There was a clear lack of direction and with Carson Palmer recovering from a major knee injury, unhappy with the direction of the team, and looking for a way out, the time for change had arrived. The Bengals spent the next several years drafting well, making smart free agent pickups, and then hit the jackpot in drafting wide receiver A.J. Green. In the second round of the 2011 NFL Draft, Cincy hitched its wagon to Dalton, the former TCU quarterback. Dalton has won 30 regular season contests in three seasons at the helm and has brought the Bengals to the playoffs in each of his three seasons. While I agree that his playoff performance (one touchdown, six interceptions) is not flattering, I believe that he is not the sole reason Cincy has failed to advance in its three recent playoff appearances. Football is the ultimate team game and as important as the quarterback position is, even he can't win it alone. Just ask Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos about last year's Super Bowl. Dalton has brought much-needed stability to the QB position in Cincy and he actually wants to be there. He's a very grounded individual that the organization has a tremendous amount of faith in. I agree with this decision. QBs are highly-paid and better to pay him now then be forced into a franchise tag situation this off-season. Take the evil you know over the evil you don't know. Cincy has a great amount of weapons surrounding him: one of the best offensive lines in the league, Gio Bernard, Tyler Eifert, and Green (just to name a few). Dalton's has tremendous poise and mechanics and is a strong decision-maker against teams that are not blitz-happy. I believe that new offensive coordinator Hue Jackson (Both of last year's coordinators, OC Jay Gruden & DC Mike Zimmer, are now head coaches.) can work with Dalton on his response to pressure. I also understand, though, that there is no coachable cure for "happy feet" in the pocket. Cincy will have to scheme around this as they have done a good job of in the regular season. Hopefully, Dalton can get the Bengals back to the postseason and they won't have to match up with a blitz-happy team like the Houston Texans of 2011 & 2012. I know I'm in the minority but, bottom line, I think this is a good deal for both Dalton and the Bengals. Dalton gets paid and gets some job security. The Bengals aren't paying much more than the going rate for quarterbacks, have a proven commodity, and know exactly what they need to do to make him better and get over the hump. I like this deal a lot and hope to see Dalton pick up a postseason win and quiet some of his critics.

3. I also want to give kudos to the Arizona Cardinals for locking up cornerback Patrick Petersen to a long-time deal. The Cards may have overpaid a bit ($70 million, including $48 million guaranteed) but it was a necessary move. Arizona could not afford to allow Petersen to test free agency. He is in the process of usurping Larry Fitzgerald as the face of the franchise. This is also a team that needs every weapon it can get in the rough and tumble NFC West with Seattle and San Francisco. Petersen is a proven hard-worker and although there are times where he relies too much on athleticism and not enough on fundamental technique, his track record that he will continue to work hard and get better...good news for the Cards.

4. I, for one, really hope the Cleveland Cavaliers and Minnesota Timberwolves make this Kevin Love deal on August 23rd, the first day Andrew Wiggins can be traded after signing his rookie deal with Cleveland. The NBA has done a tremendous job of making its free agency period an all summer long matter of intrigue. From Lebron James returning to Cleveland to Carmelo returning to New York to Eric Bledsoe still sitting in limbo, it's been an entertaining NBA free agency period. It's clear that Cleveland is pushing to win-now mode to appease Lebron, even though he says he understands that it will take time to make the Cavs competitive. To add Love to a core that includes James, Kyrie Irving, Tristian Thompson, Dion Waiters, and Anderson Varejao would instantly make the Cavs favorites in the East. More than that, I just don't want to hear about "a possible Kevin Love trade" anymore. Let's just trade him and get the rebuilding in full swing in Minnesota.

5. I'm absolutely thrilled the Devils have re-signed Cory Schneider. It's still a bit strange to admit that the Martin Brodeur era is over but I truly believe it's time to move forward. Having the 28-year-old Schneider under contract for the next seven years (at a manageable $6 million cap hit) is great stability for Jersey's Team. Schneider has had some of the best numbers in the league over the last few years but has to yet to prove himself as a number one goalie. He gets his chance now as the Devils have firmly hitched their wagon to him. It will be nice to go into next season without any questions about Marty's future and/or playing time hanging over the Devils. Overall, I'm pretty happy with their moves this offseason. Offense was a priority and (as we already know) you've got to overpay to get goals in Jersey so I can live with the 5-year deal inked by Mike Cammalleri. The Martin Havlat deal is low-risk/high-reward, similar to the deal Jaromir Jagr signed with the team last summer. Losing Mark Fayne and Anton Volchenkov doesn't bother me much. There is a wealth of strong defencemen in the system and it's time for them to get playing time to prove themselves, particularly Adam Larsson, the number four overall pick in the 2011 NHL Draft.

6. The WWE has become practically unwatchable these days. Daniel Bryan finally made it to the top of the mountain, only to get hurt shortly thereafter. CM Punk walked away from the company. The Undertaker saw his streak end at WrestleMania 30. John Cena is constantly holding or around the WWE Championship. The Shield was broken up. On top of all that, they keep giving huge pushes to Brock Lesnar, a part-timer who magically gets a WWE Title shot at Summerslam. I love Chris Jericho, but the latest Y2J return angle isn't doing much for me at all. Triple H has always been my favorite wrestler, but I'm getting tired of his act as well. Either be an authority figure or get back into the ring and be a wrestler. I understand it's hard to give up the in-ring competition and make that transition but this is tough to watch. Triple H was arguably the best heel of the last 15 years. His run as "The Game" in 2000 was legendary and made for tremendous television. But his cunning heel personality was born of intensity and it's hard to manufacture that when you're on TV in a suit 90% of the time. Perhaps Trips will become a great on-screen villain as an authority figure but no one did it quite like Mr. McMahon himself. There are also no new starts on the horizon. Guys that were tabbed as breakthrough stars such as The Miz, Dolph Ziggler, and Sheamus have fizzled out and faded into the mid-card picture. Will Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose lead the next wave of stars or am I going to be stuck watching John Cena reign as WWE Champion for the next five years. In the meantime, pay attention to Ring of Honor. There is some absolutely tremendous wrestling going on in that company right now.

7. That'll cover it for now.

-Meech

Players and coaches trade colors quickly..... - 12/6/13

There's been lots of moving and shaking in the world of sports this week. So let's get right into it.

1. Red Sox outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury goes for the pinstripes.....This move doesn't shock me much. The Red Sox under GM Ben Cherington have moved away from the strategy of matching the Yankees dollar for dollar. Being a bit more judicious with their money, shedding onerous contracts (Beckett, Crawford, Gonzalez), and finding complimentary pieces to surround and guide a strong core brought the Sox a World Series Title this year. Coming off a championship, there is no real reason for the Sox to panic. Their formula has proven to be a winning one and they have talented young players like Jackie Bradley Jr. in the outfield and Xander Bogaerts in the infield waiting for their opportunity to shine. They also still have a wealth of pitching from which they could make a deal should they see fit to do so.

This is not meant to downplay Ellsbury's contributions at all. He is an individual who I have been a big fan since he played college ball at Oregon State. He has played through injuries, established himself a Gold Glove-caliber center fielder, and continues to steal bases and a high rate. I believe that the 7-year, $153 million deal he signed with Yankees is not as outrageous as it initially appears. As long as he doesn't allow all the outside issues that come with being a Yankee get in his way, I believe that Ellsbury will live up to this contract. This also doesn't have the amount of emotion that Johnny Damon's Boston departure had. From an outsider's point of view it appeared that Damon had an endless reservoir of goodwill with the fan base and was certainly never labeled soft. It appeared that Ellsbury was not fully loved or appreciated by the fan base. While Damon's departure was met with t-shirts that read "Looks Like Jesus, Throws Like Mary, Acts Like Judas," I don't see anywhere near that type of outrage over Ellsbury's departure. I'm sure the Sox brass and their fans would've liked to have seen Ellsbury end up anywhere else but this is a business after all.

2. Steve Sarkisian bolts Washington to take the head coaching job at USC.....Sarkisian took over at "U-Dub" in 2009, after the Huskies bottomed out in the post-Don James era, going 0-12 in 2008. Sarkisian brought the program back to a level of respectability, going 34-29 (24-21 in Pac-12 play) over five seasons in Seattle. It's a homecoming of sorts for Sarkisian as he spent seven seasons as an assistant under Pete Carroll at USC. During his two seasons as assistant head coach and offensive coordinator, the Trojans were 22-3. This looks like a great hire on many fronts...but then again, the Lane Kiffin hire a few years back looked eerily similar in terms of a former assistant from the Pete Carroll glory days returning to the "Land of Troy" to bring USC back to national prominence. Then again, Kiffin had no track record of head coaching success, bottoming out after a year and a half with the Oakland Raiders and a season at Tennessee. The optimists will point to that fact: Sarkisian has a decent record as a head coach, has won a bowl game (2010 Holiday Bowl), and hasn't accumulated any NCAA violations at his program. But there are detractors out there...and they are vocal.

Sarkisian had many critics in Washington, saying he couldn't the program over the hump and up to the next level. Washington has gone all-in, renovating Husky Stadium to the tune of $281 million and building a brand-new, state-of-the-art 83,000 square foot facility. But Sarkisian finally broke the seven-win barrier after three years in neutral and was never able to get the best of northern rivals Oregon and Stanford. His teams have also lost in the Alamo Bowl (shootout against RGIII & Baylor) and the Maaco (artist formerly known as Las Vegas) Bowl the past two Decembers. Sarkisian also won't bring along the culture change and shock value that Ed Orgeron installed into the program after taking over for Kiffin. USC didn't lose to UCLA because of Orgeron. They lost because they have barely 60 scholarship players and Jim Mora Jr. has done an incredible job bringing it all together at UCLA. I'm not saying the Trojans should've hired Orgeron either. I don't think that would've necessarily been a slam dunk. But I do believe that his 6-2 run as interim head coach underscored the need for a breath of fresh air. Revisiting glory days is always nice but the jury is still out on whether Sarkisian has what it takes to push USC back into the national title picture as their NCAA sanctions finally end.

3. Washington hits the jackpot and hires Chris Petersen as its new football coach.....This is a move that I never thought I would see. Petersen was very happy at Boise State. His family was very happy with their way of life there. Petersen was also wildly successful. His 92-12 record at Boise makes him the winningest active head coach in Division 1-A (Sorry, I refuse to call it FBS.) football. He went to a bowl game at the end of every season of his Boise State tenure, including two trips to the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl. Petersen is also the only coach to ever win the Bear Bryant National Coach of the Year Award twice (2006 and 2009). Boise just put millions of dollars into its football facilities. Boise also has equal access to the new College Football Playoff as the Mountain West made enough of an impact to gain a bit of a national profile. Petersen was comfortable and wildly successful. He has turned down lucrative offers from Stanford, Penn State, and USC among others. But apparently, after sleeping on it and consulting with his wife and children, he felt this was the right time to move. According to several sources, Petersen and his family really like the vibe and way of life in the Pacific Northwest. Petersen is also reported to have said that Washington is a better fit for the way he runs his football program. Case in point, in addition to all of his wins, Petersen's Boise State squad has the second-highest APR (academic progress rate) in Division 1-A. Only Northwestern does a better job of graduating its players.

Petersen and Washington seem like a perfect fit. Petersen is a winner and Washington needs to take that next step. They're also a match for Petersen on a personal level as his family is comfortable with the move and Washington has a feverish fan base and a rising program in a major but not enormous metropolitan market. This was the type of splashy hire that we all thought USC could have made. Some believe it's the hire that USC should've made. My hat goes off to Washington. I never thought Petersen would ever leave Boise. I understand that it's all a business but it still saddens me a bit that he departed. It's a great move and I have enjoyed watching "U-Dub" for quite some time. But a part of me is sad as I love watching great college football coaches stay put and remain a constant in the turbulent lives of many young collegians. I also thought Petersen, Gary Patterson (TCU), Mark Richt (Georgia), and Pat Fitzgerald (Northwestern) would never leave. With Petersen now crossed off the list, I suppose I'll have to add Gary Pinkel, who just recently denied any interest in the Washington job and pledged his allegiance to Missouri.

4. Robinson Cano signs a 10-year, $240 million deal with the Seattle Mariners.....I'll start with a brief note about the money. Only Alex Rodriguez (with both Texas & New York) has signed a bigger contract. Albert Pujols signed for the same amount with the Angels. This whole thing is a bit hard to fathom. We knew the Yankees wouldn't go over $200 million and I don't believe they should have either. But who could've seen Seattle coming? Seattle has spent years nickel and diming, picking up utility players and spare parts to put around promising prospect and "King" Felix Hernandez. The Mariners have ultimately paid for that approach with dwindling attendance numbers and a lack of wins. Now the Mariners have to overcommit and overpay to make a splash.

There's no denying that Cano is likely the best second baseman in the game right now but was he worth a 10-year commitment? Cano will be 32 next season. That means the last 2-3 years of his deal, he'll be collecting big paychecks in his forties. I'm sure the Yankees had no interest in doing that again. Cano's numbers are spectacular, especially when you consider he had no protection in the Yankee lineup for much of last season. But one has to wonder if the M's are paying for what Cano has done as opposed to what he will actually do for them. Every time we see players sign these megadeals, performance seems to dip almost immediately. Besides, the Yankees just picked up Brian McCann and Jacoby Ellsbury and still need pitching...desperately. The Mariners and their fans are probably pretty pumped but, just like the Yankees, the Mariners still have a whole lot of holes to fill.

5. The United States gets a miserable World Cup draw.....Over the last four years, excitement over soccer in America has grown in ridiculously large and unquantifiable ways. Nearly all MLS teams have their own, soccer-specific stadiums. Half of the MLS clubs had better attendance figures than over a third of the clubs in Major League Baseball. The NBC Sports Network paid an absolute fortune for the rights to broadcast the Barclays Premier League and has centered its entire network around that and the National Hockey League. Fox paid a hefty price to take the World Cup rights away from ESPN/ABC. The only thing missing a deep run in the World Cup. 2002 seems like forever ago and even though 2010's performance was admirable, fans want more. Things have been looking up under Jurgen Klinsmann. And now we find out that the Americans are in a World Cup group with Germany, Ghana, and Portugal. Germany is currently ranked second in the world by FIFA and Portugal is fifth. Ghana may be 24th (the Americans are 14th) but given the US fits, beating them in the last two World Cups. As if the competition wasn't tough enough, the US will log 9,000 travel miles around Brazil to get to the sites of their three group contests. I know there are some that may think this year's "Group of Death" is Spain, Netherlands, Chile, and Australia but the group the US is in is the only group in which all four squads advanced to the knockout round of the previous World Cup. I'm sure I'll have more on this as the World Cup gets closer but I'll stop here for now.

Random wrestling thought of the post: The Rock has a lot of entertaining promos but his riff before Armageddon (and the 6-man Hell in a Cell Match) in 2000 was classic. Click and enjoy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6k_QYTaWe14

Final thought: On Wednesday night I got to once again enjoy my favorite perk as a New Jersey Devils season-ticket holder: the opportunity to watch warmups from the penalty box. It's always great to be close to the action. Hockey players tend to be unappreciated in the US for the amazing athletes they are. I got lots of great photos and had a great time as always. Here's a few to hold you over until next time.

- Meech