Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Pac 10 vs. The SEC

This is a debate that has raged on since before the season started. It began with Louisana State's head coach Les Miles proclaiming that the University of Southern California has an easier road than any of the SEC teams. Being a student at Arizona State and having lived out west my entire life let me try and put my bias aside for a moment and comment on this:

1. HE'S OFF BASE
Don't get me wrong. I love the SEC. They've got an insanely committed fan base, great teams, great stadiums, great traditions, and great players. A large portion of the NFL either played or was raised in SEC territory. There's no doubting their spremacy in the high school, college, and pro ranks especially in Florida. HOWEVER, you have to take a look at the early season schedules for the top teams. Your out of conference schedule matters hugely in college football and if you're just scheduling wins, then your road is definitely easier. Plus, all of the teams that are any good, the SEC has usually lost to. Let's take a peek:

SEC in the first couple of weeks so far:
LSU schedules Mississippi State, a school it has murdered for god knows how many years and Sylvester Croom has won I think 9 games in three years, they're not a good football team

Alabama vs. Western Carolina-WIN
Arkansas vs. Troy-WIN
Florida vs. Western Kentucky-WIN
South Caroilna vs. UL-Layfayette (WHO?!)-WIN
South Florida vs. Alabama-LOSS
Florida vs. Troy-WIN
Kentucky vs. Kent-WIN
Georgia vs. Western Carolina-WIN
LSU vs. Middle Tennessee-WIN
The only school that had the nerve to schedule a team that was worth anything was Tennessee and they got hammered at the hippie-fest known as Cal-Berkley. I'm not very fond of these teams scheduling so many W's. How are they able to prove they're the greatest conference if two teams are scheduling TROY!!??

PAC-10 on the other hand has had a much more impressive out of conference scheduling:
Washington vs. Syracuse
Utah at Oregon State
San Jose State vs. Arizona State
Colorado vs. Arizona State
Tennessee at California
Arizona at BYU
Washington State vs. Wisconsin
Oregon State vs. Cincinnati
Boise State at Washington
California at Colorado State
Houston at Oregon
Oregon at Michigan
San Diego State at Washington State

Within the first three weeks of the season there is only one team that is scheduled that's not a 1-A school, my alma mater, Northern Arizona University. They played a team that's the weakest in the Pac-10, Arizona. This game isn't just about scheduling a W though, at least 20% of the people that attend NAU are originally from Tucson and this game is great for NAU and U of A students to reconnect with friends who went to a different school. Aside from that, LOOK AT THE PAC-10 SCHEDULE! All of those teams are Division 1-A schools. NO TROYS! NO UL-LAYFAYETTES! None of these schools that get killed every time they step on the field. These teams like San Jose State, Boise State, Michigan, Cincinnati, and Utah have all either been ranked in the last three years or appeared in a bowl game and that's just off the top of my head.

I'm not saying the Pac-10 is years better than the SEC. The SEC is literally RIGHT behind the Pac-10, but I really couldn't see Georgia or South Carolina beating Arizona State or California right now. Until the SEC schedules tougher out of conference games like the Pac-10 then I have to say the Pac-10 is better.

Monday, September 24, 2007

Quarterbacks

This article is in response to Donovan McNabb's statemenet saying that "black quarterbacks have a tougher time than white quarterbacks." Being black and a football fan I felt it was my duty to weigh in on this situation (as if you care). I've got a few thoughts on the issue and some others on quarterbacks....


1. He's wrong, but to a certain extent he MIGHT be right

I've never been a quarterback in the NFL in one of the toughest cities in the country (Philadelphia) so my information is obviously based off my personal experience as a university advisor and world-wide badass. But before I take a bite out of McNabb let me say that at a certain point he might be somewhat right. Let's say, as a quarterback, you have 10 people and 9 that say "you suck!" when you throw a pick. But as a black quarterback that 10th one says, "you suck N***er!" Should a Pro-Bowl quarterback like McNabb be worried about that 10% of jokers out there that say something so stupid and moronic? Absolutely not. But is it the first or last time this happens? Absolutely not. Does it stick with you? Yes. Does it disappoint you and make you think that some people may feel the same way, but they're just not saying it? Yes..............With that aside, WAKE UP DONOVAN! Sports is at the point now where black quarterbacks are no longer a novel idea. Hell, the top quarterback in the SEC last year was JaMarcus Russell. There's six starting quarterbacks in the league right now and many more that were too athletic to play the position so they were moved to another one. Black quarterbacks are in fact less rare than white running backs right now. Do white running backs have more pressure? No. What about white receivers? No. As I mentioned earlier that's one of the great things about sports is that you may be purple, but if you can dunk a basketball or catch a knuckleball you're going to start. Donovan has probably faced some racism in his life, but it shouldn't decide his life. He's earned the respect of everyone in the sports world through his play and his leadership which is how it should work in America. Besides, who are the most hated quarterbacks in the league right now? Leinart? Grossman? Harrington? None of them black....


2. The disconnect between college (running) and pro (passing) quarterbacks

I think part of the reason this issue still comes up is because college football actually works against some quarterbacks in this area. Guys like Tim Tebow and the kid from West Virginia (White I think his name is) have yet to prove to the nation that they're capable of throwing the ball downfield, an invaluable trait in the NFL. However, this works out great for their current team. In college football there are huge gaps in between guys that are NFL fast and college fast. Alex Smith and Vince Young were NFL fast while everyone else was a step behind during college. Now, they have to step up their game. I've seen Alex Smith go for the sideline against some guys in the NFL and they chase him down like a hungry lion chasing a buffalo. In college, he would have turned it upfield and have been gone. Basically, being a running quarterback in college is a GREAT thing. It's exciting and useful. However, if doesn't prepare them for the NFL


3. Rex Gross-man needs to go

I don't have NFL Sunday Ticket so I don't know a lot about a hell of a lot of the NFL. But Rex Grossman is one of the quarterbacks that I've seen the most since he became a starter and I can say perfectly well that he...well....sucks. The forgettable Monday night debacle by the Cardinals in 2006 showed me that Rex Grossman didn't have what it took. The Cardinals D was good, but he was making them look like the '85 Bears ironically enough. So I started watching him some more. I started looking at his decision making. I started looking at how long he holds the ball. How fast his release was. And his confidence. The only thing that I can say is good is his confidence which is solid proof that he's not sucking because he's nervous. He's sucking just because he sucks. Go to http://www.suntimes.com and check out how bad this guy is getting blistered. Chicago wants a winner, not a scrub.


4. I'm not sold on Romo

There are some major benefits for playing for one of the most popular teams in the entire country, the Dallas Cowboys. You get a ton of press, get to make decisions, and as soon as you win a Super Bowl there your bust gets enshrined in the Hall even before you reitre. After watching him play last night I can say that he's got talent. But he doesn't have talent like Peyton Manning talent. Not Donovan McNabb talent. Not even Kurt Warner talent. He's got......Porn Star Jenna Jameson talent. Basically it's things that anybody can really do, but he's getting a lot of love for it. He moves around in the pocket and finds open receivers. It's simple, it's easy, and it turns people on, like Jenna Jameson taking one in the......never mind. His confidence is up and it's driving his ability. But wait until people start catching on. They'll clamp down and make his life harder. The difference between mediocre quarterbacks in the lague and great ones is the great ones rise above being figured out, but for right now, I'm not sold on Romo (doesn't his name sound like a nickname? Like it should be Romonina or something? Check his green card!).


5. College quarterbacks have not been impressing me

I try to watch as much college football as possible (I LOVE IT), but as far as the top teams are concerned I'm not impressed with their quarterback ability. Defenses? I'm totally impressed. I just watched the Kentucky/Arkansas game again last night and there was nothing about the quarterback play that overwhelmed me. The Kentucky defense? That thing is for real. To a certain extent, I think that's a great thing for college football. For so long the pro-style offenses have dominated the college level. The defenses have been largely ignored and/or exposed completely. I'm not a huge fan of 3-0 games, but great defensive players in college are usually overlooked by everyone. Look at Patrick Willis of the San Francisco 49ers and formerly of Ole Miss. This guy is AWESOME. He is fast, he's straong, smart, and athletic. WE NEVER HEARD ABOUT HIM. I hope they keep punishing quarterbacks so many more defensive players can get the notariety they deserve.


Alright, back to my thesis. I'm doing a litereature review on if there are differences in sentencing between latinos, whites, and blacks in Maricopa County (Phoenix), Arizona........please pity me.

Saturday, September 15, 2007

A Comment on Pats Head Coach Bill Write-a-Check

Bill Belichek did NOT get what he deserved and I'm completely ashamed of the NFL for not putting their foot down on this issue. A little background on the situation......Bill Belichek, the New England Patriots Head Coach had a camera of an assistant of his be confiscated during the Jets game on September 9th. Officials believe the Patriots employee was using the camera to steal signals from the Jets sideline, a complaint that has been made about the Patriots team before. Well, it was found that Belichek not only knew, but orchestrated a taping of the signals, a violation of NFL policy, and was slapped with a $500,000 fine, the maximum for a coach, the Pats were slapped with a $250,000 fine, and if the team makes the playoffs, they lose a 2nd and third round pick and if they don't make the playoffs they lose their two first round picks.

This entire fiasco is a joke, but what's bothering me is those that are apologizing for what he did. In professional football it's difficult enough to try and gain an edge on the other team. They have a lot of good players. Your team has a lot of good players. Revenue sharing allows you to keep good players on bad teams like Matt Leinart, Vince Young, or Brett Favre so the ability to one-up a team is almost impossible. Unless of course you're a cheater like Bill Belichek. Here is why I hate what's gone on:

1. Fining rich people money is playing into their game
Bill Belichek is the orchestrator of three Super Bowl championships since the 2000 season which is virtually unheard of in today's salary cap market and this allowed him to not just become rich, but SUPER rich coaching football. $500,000 is going to make this all go away now. Let's say he gets fired from the Pats tomorrow. He picks up an assistant job with another team. He picks up a head coaching job in college. He goes into TV. He goes into radio. Frankly, he'll go into a job that will earn him $500,000 in a remarkably short amount of time in the worst case scenario. For what he did, that's bunk. Head coaches are supposed to have a higher moral character than everyone else on the team. They're a leader of men. They need to be charismatic, compelling, convincing, tough, supportive, and most importantly, HONEST. This act, recording signals of other teams to give them an unfair edge, calls into question all of the other qualities he has too.

2. What about the draft pick?
Although this is a less intended effect it will still change the life of an NFL hopeful. With the Patriots losing a draft pick that means only 31 teams instead of 32 are picking, leaving an odd man out. For a player coming out of college being a first rounder and a second rounder makes significant differences in playing time, money, and respect in the locker room. For the rest of that player's career he'll be known as the 2nd round pick from State University. The NFL didn't punish the Pats with this, they punised the player with this.

3. "Hey, everybody's doing it."
The weakest excuse for when you get caught. This excuse doesn't work with people doing 80 MPH in a school zone does it? Then why should it work for the Pats? Besides, there's not even a shred of proof that any other team was doing this dispicable act. It reminds me of a child that is trying to claim that "Johnny had his hand in the cookie jar too." Did the teacher see Johnny? NO. Did the teacher see you? YES. Clam it up and take your punishment.

4. "It's to gain a competitive edge."
There is a very fine line between cheating and gaining a competitive edge. If Bill Bellichek or one of his staff members HAPPENED to figure out a snap count, defensive signal, or offensive trick play through watching, learning, and adjusting then we could give the "master of half time adjustments" his fair shake. When you're RECORDING something like THAT, you lose any integrity that may have been involved in gaining an edge. There's a reason the NFL says that it is against the rules. It's the equivalent of going into their playbook, ripping out a couple of pages, photocopying them, studying them, then using them to your advantage. The NFL and all of the coaches understood the rule and why it's in place and unlike the Suns/Spurs dibacle where Amare and Boris Diaw jumped off the court in a moment of human reaction this was a coldly calculated plan by the HEAD COACH after the rule was put in place. It was a boneheaded move and he thought he would be able to get away from it. This team can kiss its credibility with the fans comopletey good bye. They may have some good will left with the press, but hey, the power of the internet is in OUR hands, not theirs.

Let me just say on a personal note I've lost respect for the Patriots organization. They have shown a lack of class that only Barry Bonds has been able to duplicate. Did I mention Bill Bellichek was Nick Saban's best friend? Birds of a feather are snake-like together....

Friday, September 7, 2007

NFL WEEK 1 PICKS

It's the most wonderufl tiiiiime of the yeeeaaaarrr!! There are helmets-a-cracking, fans are a-cheering, and backs filled with feeeaaaarrrrrr, it's the most wonderful time of the yeeeaaaarrr.


Here are my week 1 picks for the greatest sport in the history of earth besides Badminton. All of my wrong picks are in red.

Denver vs. Buffalo
Denver

Tennessee vs. Jacksonville
TENN

Miami vs. Washington
Washington

Carolina vs. St. Louis
Saint Louis

New England vs. NYJ
New England

Atlanta vs. Minnesota
Atlanta

Pittsburgh vs. Cleveland
PITT

Philadelphia vs. Green Bay
Philly

Kansas City vs. Houston
Kansas City

Tampa Bay vs. Seattle
Seattle

Chicago vs. San Diego
San Diego

Detroit vs. Oakland
Who cares, but Detroit

New York Giants vs. Dallas
New York

Baltimore vs. Cincinnati
Baltimore

Arizona vs. San Francisco
Cardinals Baby!

It sucks my favorite team is the LAST game of the first week of the season. I'm dying here.

Things That Annoy Me About Sports

I've been going on and on for a couple of months about how great I think sports are. In fact, sports and I getting married in San Diego on Sunday. I have to admit though that not everything in sports is that great and in an effort to be fair and honest I need to be able to have different angles on the world of sports. Of all of the things I love there are a number of things that get on my last damn nerve. Here is the start of the on-going list....

1. The argument that college players should be paid for pay
This is one of the most ridiculous arguments that I've ever heard. Some sports columnists that cover college sports, in particular college football, feel that athletes should get a piece of the financial pie. They feel that that they're responsible for bringing in revenue for not just the other sports, but for the students on campus as well...................................Now that I'm done laughing my ass off here is my rebuttal. These columnists don't realize that these guys aren't really "working" for this money that they're bringing in. College athletes are the most pampered college students you'll ever want to meet. They get tutors, they get first pick at their classes, many of them are on scholarship, and they get special treatment by administrators and professors on campus as they should, I mean, they're the stars. Those are just the legitimate benefits. Let's not forget these players get invited to every party, all of the girls want them on campus, they get national and local media exposure, and some even have a shot at a proffesional career. Those benefits KIND of make a difference in a 20 year old's life. In reference to the scholarships, the money these players receive, although not in cash, is extensively more than most scholarship students on campus. They get free food, free board, stay in fancy hotels, have access to world class training facilities, and get free text books, and oh yeah, free tuition. Never mind the fact only a small percentage of players even have a shot at giving the college team a national championship. I haven't even touched on the illegal benefits some of the players are privy to (Maurice Clarrett anyone?). Most teams have 85 scholarships to give away and maybe 10 of those guys will help the team win or even turn pro. Most of these guys are going to go on regular careers having had an easier path financially and socially than most students. If you're a communications major at Arizona State or a marine biology major at the University of Miami and a scholarship athlete, you're basically set for life...............for free. Columnists, wake up you jerks, education is still the most valuable investment ever made so these guys/gals aren't missing out.

2. NFL Coverage on CBS
UGGGGGH. If you have an HDTV like I do you understand exactly what I'm talking about. Is it against the f***ing LAW to not broadcast games in high definition on that channel??? They'll put Shannon Sharpe's country-time ass in high-def, but Tom Brady, NOPE! That would be out of the question. Get with it CBS, I understand you're an old person station, but HDTV's are becoming cheaper and more available and if you want us to continue to watch the games you need to put them in HD. You cheap (muffled cursing).....

3. The Summer
I can't think of a time where I hate watching sports more. Golf tournaments, baseball, tennis, and the WNBA dominate the sports world during the summer months and there's nothing I'd want to do LESS with my life. During the summer I'm usually the most productive around the house, I play with my kids a lot, go out with my wife, and catch up with my friends. These are all great things in my life, but it's obvious sports means a great deal to me and these so-called "sports" are fun to play, but boring as hell to watch. The sports world needs to shake up the seasons and start basketball in the summer along with baseball and keep hockey and footbal lin the fall. When it's 112 degrees in Phoenix all I want to do is watch some good games....


4. Guaranteed Contracts
Chances are whatever you do for a living provides you with adequate compensation. My job does certainly. Now imagine if the CFO walks into your cubicle, offers you ten million dollars guaranteed, and says you can continue to do the job you're best at, how do you think that would change you? For most people, they would get lazier and feel more entitled. Welcome to the world of an NBA basketball player and an MLB baseball player. The more money you guarantee people the more likely they are to not give that extra effort. What do they have to work for? They've already got all of the money they need. If you fire them, they STILL get their money, it's a win-win situation for them, but a lose-lose situation for the fans and the teams. We get to watch guys fake injuries, have contract hold-outs, complain in the press, and not really give their all. Can we blame them though? We can't. It's human nautre, but it still annoys me about sports.

5. How Serious Sports Can Be
Don't get me wrong, I take sports more seriously than I should take most things in my life like my weight or the amount of sun I get, but that's just who I am. I live sports. I breathe sports. I am sports. But there's a point where that all stops. Although sports is a great leisure activity for me and a hobby, it gets pushed back on my list of prioroties harder than Chris Farley movies make me laugh when something else pops up. Simple things like my family, my friends, and work tend to have a greater piece of my heart than a Bills/Jets game. For some people, those things STILL don't matter. And by this I mean soccer fan especially. They waste their lives fighting, yelling racist slurs, and drinking their asses off before every match prior to their impending arrest. And for what? A soccer match? Get a life. Take up sewing. Start a book club. Work on the yard. Hit the gym. Just DO something else with your free time because you're embarrassing the rest of us. Work on your own happiness that way Thierry Henry doesn't have to provide that empty shell of a life, just an FYI.