Welcome to my week dedicated to the anticipation many of us are feeling for the beginning of the college football season! With the publication of this year's preseason coaches poll, I thought I'd go through and highlight my own top teams to watch going into the preseason. I'll be doing 5 a day for the remainder of the week in ascending order. For each team, I'll name why they're ranked where they are, what's holding them back, and what you can expect from them over the course of the season- all my own humble opinions of course. Everyone should feel free to disagree. Also, notice that there's a new poll on the blog- something I have neglected for lack of content this summer- so take a look and voice your opinions.
While I'll be taking a look at my top 20 for the rest of the week, I wanted to talk a little bit today about teams you shouldn't expect to see in my rankings. Because of the scale of the top 25 polls, many voters often fill the voids with power teams that are traditionally good from year to year because of the lack of information. Sometimes they just carry teams over that were successful the previous year- it's just the nature of the game. So I spent the better part of the last seven days compiling information, and now I'm ready to give you the filler teams from most polls that you should ignore, at least for now, until they prove themselves in the coming weeks:
TEXAS
Why they could contend: It's really the same reason why they could contend every year. Texas lies in the heart of one of the most fertile recruiting grounds in the country. When you mix four and five star recruits with top-of-the-line facilities, you always have the ability to be a pretty solid team. Many of the same pieces are still in place from last year too, which means more experienced players are around to improve on the Longhorn's 2010 5-7 campaign.
Why they won't contend: What's changed since last year? Coaches have been switched around, but it's primarily the same offense, same defense, and most of the same players that didn't jel. Mainly, it's the presence of quarterback Garrett Gilbert, who just isn't that great of a leader or player. Unlike most bigtime signalcallers, Gilbert really lacks the inner fire that drive most of these college football stars... watching him is not exciting. He lacks a lot of confidence, and that carries over and affects the play of his teammates. A loaded quarterback stable, including Colt McCoy's little brother, is going to put some pressure on Gilbert to play better this year, but don't expect much to be different.
What you should expect: Expect the record to be a little better; don't expect the team to be much better. I expect Texas to drop at least three conference games (expect the longhorns to go 1-3 out of games @Missouri, @A&M, Oklahoma, OkSt) plus their road game at UCLA. An 8-4 record is enough to get Texas into a lower tier bowl game, but I expect a fired up team with less talent to come in and steal a victory. Texas will end its season 8-5: a step in the right direction after a losing season for Mack Brown but still far from where expectations lie in the heart of longhorn nation.
Notre Dame
Why they could contend: The installation of former Cincinatti coach Brian Kelly has Notre Dame heading toward a Recruiting Rennaissance. In many ways, BK has been made out to be the Messiah that the Fighting Irish need, and that could still very well prove true. BK fervor has attracted a lot of young talent to South Bend, and the defense that Notre Dame puts forth should be above average this year. On the offensive side of the ball, Brian Kelly is a mastermind of putting points on the board, and any offense he's commanding has to be given some respect.
Why they won't contend: Departures from last year's offense already have hurt the Irish. They retain their best wide receiver, but serious off the field/mentality issues may threaten his ability to contribute. Possibly the most worrisome preseason problem plaguing the Notre Dame offense is the giant quarterback controversy. Four different athletes are all competing for their chance to call the signals for the offense, but Brian Kelly has decided to not make a decision in the immediate future. Instead, he will wait until ten days before the team's first game to decide who will be leading the offense- a highly risky move that could create serious controversy and consternation in the backfield.
What you should expect: Kelly is building Notre Dame into a contender, but the Irish aren't quite there yet. Look for a very underrated and speedy South Florida team to come in and shock Notre Dame in the very first weekend, setting the home upset tone for the remainder of the year. The Irish also host, among other teams, Boston College, USC, Air Force, and Michigan State. I expect them to go 2-2 against these four teams. I also think they will drop games at Pitt and Stanford, thus finishing the season at 7-5. Though technically it's a worse finish than their 8-4 mark from last year, Kelly is going in the right direction and the program will reascend to greater heights in the next few years.
TCU
Why they could contend: Coach Gary Patterson has escalated TCU's football program to a new level. They are constantly in the national spotlight and have established a tradition of excellence in the last 10-15 years. This much is obvious, seeing as they were recently invited to join an AQ conference. The AQ invitation only helped to create more hype around the program, and recruits have been flooding to the horned frogs in waves. Patterson has consistenly put together tough defenses that are capable of allowing this team to hang around with anyone.
Why they won't contend: Don't get me wrong- the defense is still good. But it's not quite the same as it was in the previous few years. The linebacker positions are still a huge strength for the horned frogs, but heavy depletions on the front d-line as well as in the secondary have left the defense slightly more vulnerable. I'm not saying the recruits aren't capable in their own right- they certainly are- but this won't be the same defense that halted the insane power-running game of Wisconsin in last year's Rose Bowl. On the other side of the ball, celebrated TCU quarterback Andy Dalton has graduated and declared for the NFL draft, and the heir to his position is probably not quite as skilled as he was at running the TCU offense. Finally, the Mountain West did the frogs no scheduling favors in their last year in the conference before their move to the big east. TCU must face an early challenge at Baylor, and travel to both Boise and San Diego State. These and other road challenges could put a damper on the expectations for Patterson's squad; a perfect season repeat is pretty unlikely.
What you should expect: TCU probably drops two games at the minimum, probably even three. They still get to go to a bowl game, where they will likely dominate some lesser AQ team from the middle of their conference. TCU grabs another 10+ win season as they leave the mountain west for the big east, but the comparison to last year's undefeated Rose Bowl winners leaves frog fans yearning for just a little bit more.
Michigan State
Why they could contend: Quarterback Kirk Cousins in a winner. The Spartan stable of runningbacks is formiddable, there's no question. Though this team did get absolutely walloped by an angry Alabama team in last year's Capital One bowl, they were still a very solid group that shared the Big Ten title. A big portion of that experienced, skilled team returns. So why wouldn't they be able to put it together this year?
Why they won't contend: The Spartans took a pretty big hit to their front 7 on the defensive side of the ball, which might make many of their games this year into more of a shootout. Cousins and his runningbacks are very good, but at the same time... if you had to choose an offense to win you a shootout, would Michigan State's immediately come to mind? In addition, much of MSU's success last year was thanks to an incredibly favorable schedule. As nice as last year's was, this year's is just the opposite. The Spartans play some serious cupcakes in their non-conference, and probably won't be ready for their first road game at Notre Dame. Don't bet on that game folks- it could go either way. If the Spartans can escape South Bend with the W, they must soon travel to Ohio State- another game that could go either way because of the multiple player suspensions Ohio State will suffer from for their first five games (MSU is OSU's fifth game). The spartans do get to host both Michigan and Wisconsin, but they must later travel to Nebraska, Iowa, and Northwestern. By the end of the season, I think MSU's runningbacks get eaten up by injuries because of the lack of other playmakers, and the Spartans drop at least 4 games. They do make a bowl game at 8-4, but surprisingly drop their postseason game to a lesser team to finish 8-5.
Auburn
Why they could contend: Any time a team wins a national championship, their recruiting skyrockets. While Auburn's recruiting hasn't been nearly as good as other recent national champions (many of their desired recruits have jumped ship to conference rival Florida or archrival Alabama), they've still had a solid intake of young talent to keep the wins coming in.
Why they won't contend: Can you honestly name an offensive player from last year's national championship team besides Cam Newton? It's harder than you think. Auburn's defense was great last year; with the loss of Nick Fairley and others to the NFL draft, it reverts to just good. As for the offense, it was 100% powered by the versatility of Cam Newton. The SEC is not a league often associated with dual threat quarterbacks (it's more of a big 12/ACC thing, and the big east gets some good ones every once in a while too), so when a team gets a Cam Newton or a Tim Tebow that has any amount of running talent at all... forget about it. You couple that with a good defense and you've perfected the formula for a national championship team. With the loss of Auburn's home run hitting ability, their offense will slack back into the mediocrity of three years ago. It doesn't matter if you have a good defense when your offense can't put up enough points outscore the other team.
What you should expect: Auburn plays in the SEC west, which is somehow even more loaded than it was last year. Alabama, LSU, Arkansas, and Mississippi State are all solid top 25 teams this year, not to mention at least one very good team from the east (South Carolina). Auburn might be a decent team in other conferences, but expect them to get lost in the mix of incredible talent that is the SEC West. They could manage to squeak by Mississippi State at home in week 2, but @SCAR, @Arkansas, @LSU, and @Georgia are all games they will most likely drop. Don't forget a loss to a far superior Alabama team in the Iron Bowl. Factor in a probable 1-1 record between hosting Florida and visiting Clemson, and you're looking at team one year removed from a national championship that could very well end up at 6-6... or worse.
Georgia
Why they could contend: Nabbing the top runningback in the country always helps your offense go, and the bulldogs have an above average defense led by guys like linebacker Jarvis Jones, who was recently cleared by the NCAA to play for Georgia this year. With many of the defensive pieces falling into place, and an incredibly friendly SEC schedule, it looks like Georgia could finally be back to their 10 win form that dominated the SEC for most of the last decade, but mysteriously disappeared for the last few years.
Why they won't contend: Sure, the dawgs grabbed the top runningback, but huge holes in their offensive line aren't going to support the inexperienced true freshman very much. And if he gets injured, Georgia's RB depth is shallower than the kiddie pool at your neighborhood recreational facilities. Either way, Georgia's offense is already going to be pretty one-dimensional, with the pass attack averaging a very low yards-per-attempt mark the last few years; the departure of receiver AJ Green isn't gonna help that stat either. If SEC teams start loading the box against Georgia's run, it could be trouble- and it appears that the team doesnt have the star power at receiver to keep defenses honest.
What you should expect: Georgia is going to stumble out of the gate. Even though the Boise State Broncos will yet again traverse the country to play an east coast AQ team, and even though I seriously doubt their ability to pull away with a win, the boys from Idaho have a reputation for pulling out wins against upper level teams. Georgia could win a game against Boise... or it could drop it. Either way, I don't see them beating South Carolina one week later, and the game against Mississippi State is a toss up too. Tennessee is a bit of a trap game because the Vols match up well against the dawgs, and Florida is never a gimme game. Between those five games, I expect Georgia to go 2-3. An incredibly easy SOS will probably allow the bulldawgs to win at least 6 of their remaining 7 games, and they will probably wind up somewhere around
8-5 or 9-4. The bulldawgs will be denied another ten win season, but the uptick in ticket sales, program interest, and wins will save Mark Richt's job.
Tomorrow I start my top 20 countdown. Keep it here for more college football!
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Thursday, July 28, 2011
The Sixth Man: NBA Point Guards
Anybody missing basketball yet? Let's talk point guards ala one of ESPN's latest roundtable discussions.
1. Who's the best point guard in the NBA today?
Maybe this time last year I would have said Rondo- despite his flaws, I love purist point guards, and he's as pure as they come-but this year's playoffs made me think twice. Chris Paul is a machine. Be honest, did you expect the hornets to contend as much as they did in this year's playoffs? They may have lost 4-2, but they were in every single game down to the wire, and it was probably the most purely entertaining from a basketball standpoint- as opposed to the off-the-court-storyline standpoint that surrounded the Heat-Mavs final series. CP3's postseason play this year was absolutely superhuman, a wonder to behold, an instant highlight reel from start to finish. He elevated a shaky offensive club into an efficiency machine with a combination of leadership, distribution, shot selection, and energy that is incredibly rare. He's the general I want leading my army on the floor over anyone else in the NBA today.
2. Who's the most underrated point guard in the NBA today?
Part of me wants to say Stephen Curry, but he's still putting the pieces together/learning to actually play defense. (If you want proof of that, consider that the warriors were in the top 2 practically all year in points allowed, right up there with the Knicks) Part of me also wants to say John Wall, because he played incredibly all year, but the hype surrounding him only lasted about six games until he nabbed his first triple-double. I'm going with a guy already pretty far up the food chain- Deron Williams. He's a fantasy basketball staple and a frequent offender on the highlight reels, but as a fellow blogger stated, "analysts and experts alike seem to develop amnesia when discussing the league's best point guards." D-Will gets in there and does his job. He often times doesn't have the Hollywood touch, but he puts up beyond solid numbers night in and night out and is as reliable as they come. He is undervalued, even as a perceived franchise player.
3. Who's the most overrated point guard in the NBA today?
I've been saying this forever- Chauncey Billups. When the big Nugs-Knicks trade happened, I really thought that New York came out on the wrong end of it. Many people I talked to assured me that I was overreacting and that a big asset that New York had gained was Chauncey Billups. I really never understood what was so great about him, and now that we're almost six months, half a season, and one playoff session later... well, I still don't. The guy plays mediocre defense, he's proan to having off nights just as often as he has good nights, and he doesn't have the leadership of a Dwayne Wade or other elite point guards. He gets a rap from the media and others of being a top tier guard when I would only put him as above average.
4. Who's the most promising point guard in the NBA?
I think John Wall has somehow become a cliche answer to this question by now, but I'm still going with the youngin from Kentucky. His athleticism alone puts him above other young point guards, and he's picked up some serious battle experience in his first year with the wizards- much more than your average NBA freshman would. I would have liked to at least gotten to consider Kyrie Irving for this question, but the hard truth is that Irving hasn't even played half a season of college basketball. As talented as he looks, he's beyond untested. I hold him responsible for Duke's loss to Arizona in the sweet sixteen, and I'm not sure I can look past his selfishness and lack of understanding of the game that I witnessed in that sweet sixteen loss. Until he can prove me wrong in the NBA, J-Wall is my guy.
5. Who's the best point guard of all time?
Jerry West, call me unbiased. He's the logo, Mr. Clutch, one of the all time greats who had as much talent as he did class. He literally did it all and inspired so many of the other all time greats, playing in the 60's and 70's. However, the position he played is rather ambiguous, so I suppose I have to give another answer that is a definitive point guard. That person has to be Magic Johnson. Magic had every skill set imaginable and was still the pinnacle of humility and grace outside of the basketball arena. His combination play will probably never be seen again.
1. Who's the best point guard in the NBA today?
Maybe this time last year I would have said Rondo- despite his flaws, I love purist point guards, and he's as pure as they come-but this year's playoffs made me think twice. Chris Paul is a machine. Be honest, did you expect the hornets to contend as much as they did in this year's playoffs? They may have lost 4-2, but they were in every single game down to the wire, and it was probably the most purely entertaining from a basketball standpoint- as opposed to the off-the-court-storyline standpoint that surrounded the Heat-Mavs final series. CP3's postseason play this year was absolutely superhuman, a wonder to behold, an instant highlight reel from start to finish. He elevated a shaky offensive club into an efficiency machine with a combination of leadership, distribution, shot selection, and energy that is incredibly rare. He's the general I want leading my army on the floor over anyone else in the NBA today.
2. Who's the most underrated point guard in the NBA today?
Part of me wants to say Stephen Curry, but he's still putting the pieces together/learning to actually play defense. (If you want proof of that, consider that the warriors were in the top 2 practically all year in points allowed, right up there with the Knicks) Part of me also wants to say John Wall, because he played incredibly all year, but the hype surrounding him only lasted about six games until he nabbed his first triple-double. I'm going with a guy already pretty far up the food chain- Deron Williams. He's a fantasy basketball staple and a frequent offender on the highlight reels, but as a fellow blogger stated, "analysts and experts alike seem to develop amnesia when discussing the league's best point guards." D-Will gets in there and does his job. He often times doesn't have the Hollywood touch, but he puts up beyond solid numbers night in and night out and is as reliable as they come. He is undervalued, even as a perceived franchise player.
3. Who's the most overrated point guard in the NBA today?
I've been saying this forever- Chauncey Billups. When the big Nugs-Knicks trade happened, I really thought that New York came out on the wrong end of it. Many people I talked to assured me that I was overreacting and that a big asset that New York had gained was Chauncey Billups. I really never understood what was so great about him, and now that we're almost six months, half a season, and one playoff session later... well, I still don't. The guy plays mediocre defense, he's proan to having off nights just as often as he has good nights, and he doesn't have the leadership of a Dwayne Wade or other elite point guards. He gets a rap from the media and others of being a top tier guard when I would only put him as above average.
4. Who's the most promising point guard in the NBA?
I think John Wall has somehow become a cliche answer to this question by now, but I'm still going with the youngin from Kentucky. His athleticism alone puts him above other young point guards, and he's picked up some serious battle experience in his first year with the wizards- much more than your average NBA freshman would. I would have liked to at least gotten to consider Kyrie Irving for this question, but the hard truth is that Irving hasn't even played half a season of college basketball. As talented as he looks, he's beyond untested. I hold him responsible for Duke's loss to Arizona in the sweet sixteen, and I'm not sure I can look past his selfishness and lack of understanding of the game that I witnessed in that sweet sixteen loss. Until he can prove me wrong in the NBA, J-Wall is my guy.
5. Who's the best point guard of all time?
Jerry West, call me unbiased. He's the logo, Mr. Clutch, one of the all time greats who had as much talent as he did class. He literally did it all and inspired so many of the other all time greats, playing in the 60's and 70's. However, the position he played is rather ambiguous, so I suppose I have to give another answer that is a definitive point guard. That person has to be Magic Johnson. Magic had every skill set imaginable and was still the pinnacle of humility and grace outside of the basketball arena. His combination play will probably never be seen again.
Saturday, July 23, 2011
A Tale of Two Cities (and their football teams)
A comfortably warm Sunday afternoon in late September could have held many wonders for me last fall. A month into school, my roommates and I had developed a system- wake up by 10, brunch by 11, Super Smash Brothers immediately following brunch. Maybe then we would go outside and throw a frisbee or football. We would sometimes play xbox. Usually by 1, we would turn on NBC or Fox to watch football and keep up with the fantasy football league that we all played in together. Many people had unfinished homework or studying, so friends would come and go as they please from my room, which was deemed the unofficial hangout spot for the year when my roommate Justin bought a 37 inch flatscreen the second day of school.
On this particular day, we had finished watching all the afternoon football we cared for and had already eaten an abnormally early dinner. We sat passing an Xbox controller around with Modern Warfare 2 popped in the console. Small talk was in no short supply as we jumped from topic to topic, when my good friend Brian asked me a hypothetical sports question that was sure to be controversial from the moment it left his mouth.
"Chase, if JMU ever played West Virginia in football, who would you cheer for?"
I opened my mouth to respond, but no answer came to mind. It was a difficult question, one that I was surprised I had never thought about before. We had all just experienced the euphoria that was 21-16, JMU upsetting Virginia Tech in vaunted Lane Stadium. We all remembered what it felt like to slay Goliath. It was even more personally exciting for me because I have loathed Tech ever since I was running around tailgating WVU-VT games as an 8 year old- but an upset of that size feels good no matter who you're besting on the astroturf. I was never prouder to be a JMU student than on September 11, 2010.
And yet... could I really cheer against West Virginia, the University I grew up living around and driving five miles down the road to their home games? Could I really cheer against my heritage, having descended from a family that is 100% born and bred from the country roads of the 35th state in the Union? When it came down to it, would I be capable of betraying my past for my present?
And yet how could I not cheer for JMU? It's the school I love to be a part of, my home, the place where I feel safest... Harrisonburg and the university that resides there is the Hogwarts to my Harry. How could I wish them to lose when the benefits of a second epic upset would be undescribably monumental?
Lost in thought, I guess I hadn't realized that the whole room was waiting for my answer. My friends will be the first to tell you that my love of West Virginia sports sometimes blurs the tight line between diehard fandom and creepy obsession, so my answer to this supposedly hypothetical question would be as interesting a conversational topic as could be found.
"I... I'm not sure." It was a total copout. I know the answer all of my friends were waiting for, but I honestly wasn't sure which way I would lean. "I don't think I could ever know for sure until I was in that moment, you know? I think if I was at the game, I would know what I was feeling, but not until then." Satisfied with my answer, I went back to my game... but I think I was the only one that was satisfied. I took solace in the fact that I would probably never have to face a situation where I would have to choose which of my two schools I would cheer for, and more importantly, which one I would cheer against...
Probably.
That is until this week, when it was officially announced that WVU will play JMU in football on September 15, 2012 at FedEx field, home of the Washington Redskins. There have been pretty solid rumors floating around for a couple weeks now, but the confirmation came early this week that the game will definitely happen. The good news, regardless of my feelings or who I wish to cheer for, is that both teams will come out of this game with significantly heavier pockets. Both teams are guarenteed a flat rate, which additional incentives available depending on the amount of tickets sold. FedEx, which is actually the largest NFL stadium in the country with something like 95,000 seating capacity, will be hard to fill for a college game which will see a regional powerhouse play an FCS powerhouse. And yet... WVU fans travel very well, and JMU alumni are all over the Washington DC area (if you need proof, think about how hard it is to go out on a weekend and NOT find someone from nova). Will this sell out? Still, probably not. But don't underestimate the turnout for this game. Most importantly, JMU students, fans, and alumni, make sure you buy you're tickets through a proper vendor (such as the school), as opposed to scalping them or buying them the day of if it's not sold out, etc... remember, the school gets extra incentives if we hit a certain mark, so make sure you're ticket is counted as a JMU ticket!
Anyway, back to me. What the hell am I going to do? I haven't heard from my buddy Brian because we've both been busy this summer (and Pennsylvania isn't within reasonable driving distance for the 60 hour a week worker), but I'm sure a big smirk lit up his face when he heard the news. September, 2012? That's my senior year people. I don't want to be dealing with this kind of conflict my last year of college! Possibly more importantly, it's WVU quarterback Geno Smith's senior year. Smith is considered even as a junior to be a fringe Heisman contender- a loss to JMU would all but eliminate him from Heisman consideration. WVU would also be eliminated from National Championship contention, a possibility starting this year and, as far as I'm concerned, continuing every year as long as high-octane Holgorsen is around as Head Coach.
But of course I want JMU's program to flourish! I can't cheer against them!
Of course my friends from school are putting all kinds of pressure on me to cheer for JMU. Meanwhile, I'm getting texts from family members like "don't forget where your roots are!" or "remember, you were in morgantown 10 years before you were in harrisonburg!" It's clearly an impossible situation; unless they bring ties back to college football, I'm stuck between a mountain and a hard place.
They say old habits die hard. But until I can bring myself to make that decision, I plan to make a custom shirt for this game. Blue will be on the right, right next to old gold, which will fade into regular gold, which will be next to purple. I'm still working on the words.
For now, I have spent two years in Morgantown and two years in Harrisonburg. I have one foot firmly planted in each city, and I don't expect to step either way any time soon... but I do wish each school the best of luck. I can promise that, come Spetember 15, 2012, I will be the loudest one screaming in all of Landover, Maryland- though for who, I still don't know.
On this particular day, we had finished watching all the afternoon football we cared for and had already eaten an abnormally early dinner. We sat passing an Xbox controller around with Modern Warfare 2 popped in the console. Small talk was in no short supply as we jumped from topic to topic, when my good friend Brian asked me a hypothetical sports question that was sure to be controversial from the moment it left his mouth.
"Chase, if JMU ever played West Virginia in football, who would you cheer for?"
I opened my mouth to respond, but no answer came to mind. It was a difficult question, one that I was surprised I had never thought about before. We had all just experienced the euphoria that was 21-16, JMU upsetting Virginia Tech in vaunted Lane Stadium. We all remembered what it felt like to slay Goliath. It was even more personally exciting for me because I have loathed Tech ever since I was running around tailgating WVU-VT games as an 8 year old- but an upset of that size feels good no matter who you're besting on the astroturf. I was never prouder to be a JMU student than on September 11, 2010.
And yet... could I really cheer against West Virginia, the University I grew up living around and driving five miles down the road to their home games? Could I really cheer against my heritage, having descended from a family that is 100% born and bred from the country roads of the 35th state in the Union? When it came down to it, would I be capable of betraying my past for my present?
And yet how could I not cheer for JMU? It's the school I love to be a part of, my home, the place where I feel safest... Harrisonburg and the university that resides there is the Hogwarts to my Harry. How could I wish them to lose when the benefits of a second epic upset would be undescribably monumental?
Lost in thought, I guess I hadn't realized that the whole room was waiting for my answer. My friends will be the first to tell you that my love of West Virginia sports sometimes blurs the tight line between diehard fandom and creepy obsession, so my answer to this supposedly hypothetical question would be as interesting a conversational topic as could be found.
"I... I'm not sure." It was a total copout. I know the answer all of my friends were waiting for, but I honestly wasn't sure which way I would lean. "I don't think I could ever know for sure until I was in that moment, you know? I think if I was at the game, I would know what I was feeling, but not until then." Satisfied with my answer, I went back to my game... but I think I was the only one that was satisfied. I took solace in the fact that I would probably never have to face a situation where I would have to choose which of my two schools I would cheer for, and more importantly, which one I would cheer against...
Probably.
That is until this week, when it was officially announced that WVU will play JMU in football on September 15, 2012 at FedEx field, home of the Washington Redskins. There have been pretty solid rumors floating around for a couple weeks now, but the confirmation came early this week that the game will definitely happen. The good news, regardless of my feelings or who I wish to cheer for, is that both teams will come out of this game with significantly heavier pockets. Both teams are guarenteed a flat rate, which additional incentives available depending on the amount of tickets sold. FedEx, which is actually the largest NFL stadium in the country with something like 95,000 seating capacity, will be hard to fill for a college game which will see a regional powerhouse play an FCS powerhouse. And yet... WVU fans travel very well, and JMU alumni are all over the Washington DC area (if you need proof, think about how hard it is to go out on a weekend and NOT find someone from nova). Will this sell out? Still, probably not. But don't underestimate the turnout for this game. Most importantly, JMU students, fans, and alumni, make sure you buy you're tickets through a proper vendor (such as the school), as opposed to scalping them or buying them the day of if it's not sold out, etc... remember, the school gets extra incentives if we hit a certain mark, so make sure you're ticket is counted as a JMU ticket!
Anyway, back to me. What the hell am I going to do? I haven't heard from my buddy Brian because we've both been busy this summer (and Pennsylvania isn't within reasonable driving distance for the 60 hour a week worker), but I'm sure a big smirk lit up his face when he heard the news. September, 2012? That's my senior year people. I don't want to be dealing with this kind of conflict my last year of college! Possibly more importantly, it's WVU quarterback Geno Smith's senior year. Smith is considered even as a junior to be a fringe Heisman contender- a loss to JMU would all but eliminate him from Heisman consideration. WVU would also be eliminated from National Championship contention, a possibility starting this year and, as far as I'm concerned, continuing every year as long as high-octane Holgorsen is around as Head Coach.
But of course I want JMU's program to flourish! I can't cheer against them!
Of course my friends from school are putting all kinds of pressure on me to cheer for JMU. Meanwhile, I'm getting texts from family members like "don't forget where your roots are!" or "remember, you were in morgantown 10 years before you were in harrisonburg!" It's clearly an impossible situation; unless they bring ties back to college football, I'm stuck between a mountain and a hard place.
They say old habits die hard. But until I can bring myself to make that decision, I plan to make a custom shirt for this game. Blue will be on the right, right next to old gold, which will fade into regular gold, which will be next to purple. I'm still working on the words.
For now, I have spent two years in Morgantown and two years in Harrisonburg. I have one foot firmly planted in each city, and I don't expect to step either way any time soon... but I do wish each school the best of luck. I can promise that, come Spetember 15, 2012, I will be the loudest one screaming in all of Landover, Maryland- though for who, I still don't know.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
10 Things: Football in July
I'm enjoying some much needed time off work, and you know what that means, readers... time for some blogging. Here are ten things you may want to know (but might not) to keep up with this year's college football offseason, which is rapidly coming to a close.
1. By now, probably every person in the country has heard something or other about the Ohio State scandal of epic proportions. Following the departure of quarterback Terrelle Pryor and Head Coach Jim Tressel, Ohio State has vacated any and all wins from the 2010-2011 football season. This has various implications for the program, the most amusing of which is that Ohio State remains 0-9 against SEC schools in bowl games. Have a chuckle, readers. THAT is funny. Even when they win, they still don't win.
2. It was relatively easy to not hear the dull roar of yet another scandal, this one rising out of Eugene, amidst the loud noise coming out of Columbus, Ohio. However, the Oregon Ducks now are in the thick of an NCAA investigation centering around Willie Lyles, a "consultant" who exchanged recruiting information on various high school players (such as LaMichael James, Oregon's whiplash-inducing runningback) across 22 states for $25,000 cash. As the story unfolds and details are slowly released, it seems that the Lyles payment was less about recruiting information and more about recruiting access. Information seems to point to the conclusion that Lyles sent recruiting information as a red herring to throw any investigators from the NCAA off the trail of what he was really doing. His real job seemed to be providing schools with an inside track to recruits, a clear violation of NCAA rules. He provided schools with detailed information on what prospective recruits liked. He also allegedly used his influence over high school players to push them in the direction of schools who were playing him. The investigation has centered around Oregon, but LSU and Cal have also come forward and admitted to paying the man. Because of their openness, LSU and Cal are likely to receive minimal/nonexistant NCAA sanctions. However, a coverup seems to have occurred at the University of Oregon regarding this matter, and the NCAA will most likely come down hard on the football program just as they did when Ohio State's program attempted a cover up of NCAA violations.
3. This year's College Football Hall of Fame inductions included Charles Haley, a 5-time superbowl winner from the 49'ers and Cowboys. His significance on this blog is due to the fact that he played his college ball at none other than James Madison University from 1982-1985. In 1986, he became the first Duke to ever be drafted to the NFL, and he is still the career tackles leader at JMU 25 years after his graduation.
4. Alabama is certainly having a difficult offseason. Two weeks ago, Coach Nick Saban suspended freshman Keiwone Malone and sophomore Darrington Sentimore for an "unspecified team rule violation." In general, this usually means they failed a drug test for marijuana. Safety Robby Green also left the team after being suspended by the NCAA. Alabama transfer Aaron Douglas died in May from what seems to be a drug overdose at a party. Most recently, they lost arguably their top incoming recruit, runningback Demetrius Hart, to a season-ending knee injury. Alabama is being highly regarded as back to their 2009 national championship form, and these injuries certainly won't help them... then again, a bunch of people thought they'd repeat as national champions last year, and that certainly didn't happen.
5. Former Michigan quarterback Tate Forcier, whocried like the spoiled brat that he is and complained to his daddy when Denard Robinson proved he was a much better quarterback than him left the football program in Ann Arbor when he lost his starting job he had held as a freshman in 2009, is looking to transfer down to San Jose State or Hawaii. Forcier is certainly not an All-American, but will probably exceed all expectation of a typical Western Athletic Conference quarterback. Pay attention to the school he transfer to- they will post likely have a prolific air attack. Forcier has one heck of a canon for an arm.
6. The NCAA has accepted West Virginia's self-imposed sanctions regarding multiple allegations of improper oversight in the Rich Rodriguez era. WVU took away two of their own 2010 scholarships and one of their scholarships from the upcoming school year. They also placed themselves on two years probation. The NCAA did not deem additional sanctions were necessary, so they accepted the self-imposed punishment that AD Oliver Luck suggested. I speak for all fans of the athletic program when I say that this was the best possible outcome to the situation.
7. Dual-threat quarterback Russell Wilson from NC State has left the school and transferred to Wisconsin. Many people consider the addition of a quarterback who is very mobile to an already prolific running-based offense will catapult Wisconsin into the Big 10 preseason favorite conversation. I am a little more skeptical- I'd like to see how the ACC standout fares against a Big 10 line before I crown the Badgers.
8. The NFL recently counted down their top 100 current players.... Guess which AQ leagues did the best? Believe it or not (and most of you will not), the Big East led the top 6 leagues with 16 players. Mind you, this is the Big East including pre-2003-draft players from Miami and Virginia Tech, as they were still in the league at that time, but it's the Big East nonetheless. The list also featured 12 ACC players. Many criticize these two leagues for their "toughness," particularly in years like 2010 when both leagues experienced a down year. Expect the ACC to bounce back a little this year, and the Big East to come back in a big way. WVU and USF will both be competitors on the national scale.
9. The Director's Cup is awarded to a school every year that outpeforms all other schools in 20 sports, ten male and ten female. Stanford recently won for the 17th year in a row- with Stanford's very average basketball team in the forefront of many minds, it's easy to forget how dominant they were in last year's football season. One only needs to look at their postseason performance against Virginia Tech to remember how good they were, not to mention their year-after-year consistent domination in track and field. Other nearby notable teams are: #5 Duke, #6 North Carolina, #7 Virginia, #13 Penn State, #17 Maryland, #40 West Virginia, #45 Virginia Tech, #50 Villanova, #96 William and Mary, #114 James Madison.
10. Lastly, and of huge importance... In case you haven't heard, JMU will play WVU on neutral ground (FedEx field, home of the Redskins) next fall. This is precedent-setting and deserving up national attention, which it most likely will not get. But allow me to explain some of the reasons why this story is significant.
First and foremost, JMU pulled a stunning upset of Virginia Tech last year in Blacksburg, 21-16. This upset thrusted JMU onto a national upset scale for the forseeable future, and high profile games such as JMU vs UNC or JMU vs WVU will certainly receive a little bit more attention. In practical terms, more exposure means more money, and a game in an NFL stadium will mean even more potential money. While WVU will pocket a majority of the ticket sales from the game, they must then turn around and pay JMU a minimum payment of $350,000 for playing the game regardless of JMU's turnout at the game. Depending on the turnout, JMU may receive additional revenue if ticket sales for the Dukes cross a certain threshold (in other words, JMU fans, don't scalp tickets. Buy them through JMU!). The game is also important for recruiting exposure, as the Dukes' football program will gain exposure in the very large Washington DC market. Don't underestimate the large amount of alumni from JMU in the DC area- this game is a big deal, win or lose.
I will, as many of you might have already guessed, be writing a more personal entry regarding the JMU-WVU saga. Hope you all look forward to that piece, as I will most likely be submitting it to The Breeze. Until then!
1. By now, probably every person in the country has heard something or other about the Ohio State scandal of epic proportions. Following the departure of quarterback Terrelle Pryor and Head Coach Jim Tressel, Ohio State has vacated any and all wins from the 2010-2011 football season. This has various implications for the program, the most amusing of which is that Ohio State remains 0-9 against SEC schools in bowl games. Have a chuckle, readers. THAT is funny. Even when they win, they still don't win.
2. It was relatively easy to not hear the dull roar of yet another scandal, this one rising out of Eugene, amidst the loud noise coming out of Columbus, Ohio. However, the Oregon Ducks now are in the thick of an NCAA investigation centering around Willie Lyles, a "consultant" who exchanged recruiting information on various high school players (such as LaMichael James, Oregon's whiplash-inducing runningback) across 22 states for $25,000 cash. As the story unfolds and details are slowly released, it seems that the Lyles payment was less about recruiting information and more about recruiting access. Information seems to point to the conclusion that Lyles sent recruiting information as a red herring to throw any investigators from the NCAA off the trail of what he was really doing. His real job seemed to be providing schools with an inside track to recruits, a clear violation of NCAA rules. He provided schools with detailed information on what prospective recruits liked. He also allegedly used his influence over high school players to push them in the direction of schools who were playing him. The investigation has centered around Oregon, but LSU and Cal have also come forward and admitted to paying the man. Because of their openness, LSU and Cal are likely to receive minimal/nonexistant NCAA sanctions. However, a coverup seems to have occurred at the University of Oregon regarding this matter, and the NCAA will most likely come down hard on the football program just as they did when Ohio State's program attempted a cover up of NCAA violations.
3. This year's College Football Hall of Fame inductions included Charles Haley, a 5-time superbowl winner from the 49'ers and Cowboys. His significance on this blog is due to the fact that he played his college ball at none other than James Madison University from 1982-1985. In 1986, he became the first Duke to ever be drafted to the NFL, and he is still the career tackles leader at JMU 25 years after his graduation.
4. Alabama is certainly having a difficult offseason. Two weeks ago, Coach Nick Saban suspended freshman Keiwone Malone and sophomore Darrington Sentimore for an "unspecified team rule violation." In general, this usually means they failed a drug test for marijuana. Safety Robby Green also left the team after being suspended by the NCAA. Alabama transfer Aaron Douglas died in May from what seems to be a drug overdose at a party. Most recently, they lost arguably their top incoming recruit, runningback Demetrius Hart, to a season-ending knee injury. Alabama is being highly regarded as back to their 2009 national championship form, and these injuries certainly won't help them... then again, a bunch of people thought they'd repeat as national champions last year, and that certainly didn't happen.
5. Former Michigan quarterback Tate Forcier, who
6. The NCAA has accepted West Virginia's self-imposed sanctions regarding multiple allegations of improper oversight in the Rich Rodriguez era. WVU took away two of their own 2010 scholarships and one of their scholarships from the upcoming school year. They also placed themselves on two years probation. The NCAA did not deem additional sanctions were necessary, so they accepted the self-imposed punishment that AD Oliver Luck suggested. I speak for all fans of the athletic program when I say that this was the best possible outcome to the situation.
7. Dual-threat quarterback Russell Wilson from NC State has left the school and transferred to Wisconsin. Many people consider the addition of a quarterback who is very mobile to an already prolific running-based offense will catapult Wisconsin into the Big 10 preseason favorite conversation. I am a little more skeptical- I'd like to see how the ACC standout fares against a Big 10 line before I crown the Badgers.
8. The NFL recently counted down their top 100 current players.... Guess which AQ leagues did the best? Believe it or not (and most of you will not), the Big East led the top 6 leagues with 16 players. Mind you, this is the Big East including pre-2003-draft players from Miami and Virginia Tech, as they were still in the league at that time, but it's the Big East nonetheless. The list also featured 12 ACC players. Many criticize these two leagues for their "toughness," particularly in years like 2010 when both leagues experienced a down year. Expect the ACC to bounce back a little this year, and the Big East to come back in a big way. WVU and USF will both be competitors on the national scale.
9. The Director's Cup is awarded to a school every year that outpeforms all other schools in 20 sports, ten male and ten female. Stanford recently won for the 17th year in a row- with Stanford's very average basketball team in the forefront of many minds, it's easy to forget how dominant they were in last year's football season. One only needs to look at their postseason performance against Virginia Tech to remember how good they were, not to mention their year-after-year consistent domination in track and field. Other nearby notable teams are: #5 Duke, #6 North Carolina, #7 Virginia, #13 Penn State, #17 Maryland, #40 West Virginia, #45 Virginia Tech, #50 Villanova, #96 William and Mary, #114 James Madison.
10. Lastly, and of huge importance... In case you haven't heard, JMU will play WVU on neutral ground (FedEx field, home of the Redskins) next fall. This is precedent-setting and deserving up national attention, which it most likely will not get. But allow me to explain some of the reasons why this story is significant.
First and foremost, JMU pulled a stunning upset of Virginia Tech last year in Blacksburg, 21-16. This upset thrusted JMU onto a national upset scale for the forseeable future, and high profile games such as JMU vs UNC or JMU vs WVU will certainly receive a little bit more attention. In practical terms, more exposure means more money, and a game in an NFL stadium will mean even more potential money. While WVU will pocket a majority of the ticket sales from the game, they must then turn around and pay JMU a minimum payment of $350,000 for playing the game regardless of JMU's turnout at the game. Depending on the turnout, JMU may receive additional revenue if ticket sales for the Dukes cross a certain threshold (in other words, JMU fans, don't scalp tickets. Buy them through JMU!). The game is also important for recruiting exposure, as the Dukes' football program will gain exposure in the very large Washington DC market. Don't underestimate the large amount of alumni from JMU in the DC area- this game is a big deal, win or lose.
I will, as many of you might have already guessed, be writing a more personal entry regarding the JMU-WVU saga. Hope you all look forward to that piece, as I will most likely be submitting it to The Breeze. Until then!
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Analyzing an Overanalysis: The LeBron James Saga Continues
Even those of us that live under rocks have figured out by now that LeBron James and the Miami Heat are in the NBA finals. That seems to be the only fact the world as a whole is sure of at the moment.
This blog entry is honestly intended to less informative and more of angry rant that will hopefully make you as engraged as I already am. Well, maybe rage isn't a good word. Frustrated. Annoyed. Disappointed that the sensationalist news tone that seems to infect political news shows have also creeped onto ESPN and other media outlets that cover sports. Have you been watching the media frenzy following the NBA finals this year? Anyone with half a brain knew that the storylines would obnoxiously revolve around any combination of the following: LeBron James being amazing, the Miami Heat big 3, Wade's second ring, Chris Bosh's role (still trying to figure out what that is on some days, to be honest), Spoelstra's redemption after a year full of criticism at the slightest mishap, Lebron James choking, Pat Riley's schemes fulfilled, Lebron James being alive, the Miami Heat bench. And did I mention Lebron James?
The truth is that never before has one team inspired a seemingly infinite amount of stories from all possible media angles. I get that. By now, I think most people get that. But for the love of all things holy on the hardwood, could we please go back to talking about the actual basketball game?
These NBA finals have been absolutely incredible. Dirk has been on a tear, despite a torn finger tendon and running a fever of 102 degrees. Are you kidding me? That's some superman stuff, the kind of side story background information that, should the mavs win the finals, doesn't just make him a ringowner... it makes you a legend. Possibly even more incredible, the entiretly of the Miami Heat has been really good. But that story has largely been overlooked in favor of overanalyzing EVERY SINGLE LITTLE THING about Lebron James. How many assists, how many points, how many ppg, how many points per quarter. I literally read a column yesterday with fictional, made up statistics regarding James' play. And while the author's point was well made, do you think I care about LeBron's LOB- the "minutes the player you're guarding is left on the bench?" Seriously?
But overanalysis is nothing new. Any professional sport's final is going to feature such overhyped journalism. No, what really grinds my gears is the rediculous kneejerk overanalysis that is going on. As of 8:58 PM on Wednesday night (when I'm writing this sentence), if you get on ESPN, you will literally find the following in order of importance and text size:
1. LeBrondown II- featuring four stories revolving around the game 4 performance of LeBron James and comparing it to the famous "game 5" from his days in cleveland. This is one of the five boxes on ESPN, and thus is looked at by nearly everyone.
2. The top headline (and being discussed on sportscenter right now, as well) of ESPN is currently that the Mav's swing player Stevenson is talking trash about LeBron James, and saying he mentally checked out of Game 4... wow.
3. Another top headline: ESPN feels it is not just newsworthy, but significantly newsworthy to tell us that Charles Barkley doesn't feel he can root for the Heat because the fans are too obnoxious for his liking.
4. A Bill Simmons column talking about how suckish LeBron James has been.
5. A Rick Reilly column talking about how amazing LeBron James has been.
And that's just the front page. Actually, that's just the front page concerning LeBron James. Don't even BOTHER looking at the special event page ESPN has created to house the NBA finals news.
I get the window on LeBron's performance. But the rest? Really? On a night where the NHL is seeing their finals game 4 (following an 8-1 victory by the team that was formerly down 2-0 in the series??) and the red sox are playing in the bronx... amid a GIGANTIC ohio state scandal that has seen their star coach and quarterback leave the program recently... right after Plaxico Burress is released from jail, and Michael Vick wants to publicly speak about their similarities... right after a pitcher from the current MLB world champions strikes out 11... all that is going on, and ESPN's top story is that a bench player was talking smack to LeBron James? And he's got a track record of talking for years? That's not news, that's a facebook status.
Oh really Charles Barkley, you can't get behind the Miami Heat? Gee, I had no idea that you didn't like them. Honestly, everyone on the planet knows you don't like them Chuck. You publicly criticize LeBron James on national television more often than you eat breakfast. My kid sister knows so little about the National Basketball Association that I'm not even sure she can spell NBA, and I bet even SHE knows that Charles Barkley doesn't like the Miami Heat.
And I'm sorry but the kneejerk journalism has gotta stop. NBA final games are at most 72 hours apart. LeBron James can't be a God in game 3 and be no better than an AAU player in game 4. No one is perfectly consistent, but this is rediculous. Writers, please get it together. You're sensationalism is so rediculous that all of us readers are going to develop a bipolar disorder pretty soon.
Analyzing an analysis is completely and utterly rediculous. And yet I feel like that level of stupidity in journalism is what perfectly describes what the media is force feeding us throughout these NBA finals. Please, I'm begging a network exec to read this and hear my plea. Stop with the reactionary sensationalism. You're making our heads hurt.
This blog entry is honestly intended to less informative and more of angry rant that will hopefully make you as engraged as I already am. Well, maybe rage isn't a good word. Frustrated. Annoyed. Disappointed that the sensationalist news tone that seems to infect political news shows have also creeped onto ESPN and other media outlets that cover sports. Have you been watching the media frenzy following the NBA finals this year? Anyone with half a brain knew that the storylines would obnoxiously revolve around any combination of the following: LeBron James being amazing, the Miami Heat big 3, Wade's second ring, Chris Bosh's role (still trying to figure out what that is on some days, to be honest), Spoelstra's redemption after a year full of criticism at the slightest mishap, Lebron James choking, Pat Riley's schemes fulfilled, Lebron James being alive, the Miami Heat bench. And did I mention Lebron James?
The truth is that never before has one team inspired a seemingly infinite amount of stories from all possible media angles. I get that. By now, I think most people get that. But for the love of all things holy on the hardwood, could we please go back to talking about the actual basketball game?
These NBA finals have been absolutely incredible. Dirk has been on a tear, despite a torn finger tendon and running a fever of 102 degrees. Are you kidding me? That's some superman stuff, the kind of side story background information that, should the mavs win the finals, doesn't just make him a ringowner... it makes you a legend. Possibly even more incredible, the entiretly of the Miami Heat has been really good. But that story has largely been overlooked in favor of overanalyzing EVERY SINGLE LITTLE THING about Lebron James. How many assists, how many points, how many ppg, how many points per quarter. I literally read a column yesterday with fictional, made up statistics regarding James' play. And while the author's point was well made, do you think I care about LeBron's LOB- the "minutes the player you're guarding is left on the bench?" Seriously?
But overanalysis is nothing new. Any professional sport's final is going to feature such overhyped journalism. No, what really grinds my gears is the rediculous kneejerk overanalysis that is going on. As of 8:58 PM on Wednesday night (when I'm writing this sentence), if you get on ESPN, you will literally find the following in order of importance and text size:
1. LeBrondown II- featuring four stories revolving around the game 4 performance of LeBron James and comparing it to the famous "game 5" from his days in cleveland. This is one of the five boxes on ESPN, and thus is looked at by nearly everyone.
2. The top headline (and being discussed on sportscenter right now, as well) of ESPN is currently that the Mav's swing player Stevenson is talking trash about LeBron James, and saying he mentally checked out of Game 4... wow.
3. Another top headline: ESPN feels it is not just newsworthy, but significantly newsworthy to tell us that Charles Barkley doesn't feel he can root for the Heat because the fans are too obnoxious for his liking.
4. A Bill Simmons column talking about how suckish LeBron James has been.
5. A Rick Reilly column talking about how amazing LeBron James has been.
And that's just the front page. Actually, that's just the front page concerning LeBron James. Don't even BOTHER looking at the special event page ESPN has created to house the NBA finals news.
I get the window on LeBron's performance. But the rest? Really? On a night where the NHL is seeing their finals game 4 (following an 8-1 victory by the team that was formerly down 2-0 in the series??) and the red sox are playing in the bronx... amid a GIGANTIC ohio state scandal that has seen their star coach and quarterback leave the program recently... right after Plaxico Burress is released from jail, and Michael Vick wants to publicly speak about their similarities... right after a pitcher from the current MLB world champions strikes out 11... all that is going on, and ESPN's top story is that a bench player was talking smack to LeBron James? And he's got a track record of talking for years? That's not news, that's a facebook status.
Oh really Charles Barkley, you can't get behind the Miami Heat? Gee, I had no idea that you didn't like them. Honestly, everyone on the planet knows you don't like them Chuck. You publicly criticize LeBron James on national television more often than you eat breakfast. My kid sister knows so little about the National Basketball Association that I'm not even sure she can spell NBA, and I bet even SHE knows that Charles Barkley doesn't like the Miami Heat.
And I'm sorry but the kneejerk journalism has gotta stop. NBA final games are at most 72 hours apart. LeBron James can't be a God in game 3 and be no better than an AAU player in game 4. No one is perfectly consistent, but this is rediculous. Writers, please get it together. You're sensationalism is so rediculous that all of us readers are going to develop a bipolar disorder pretty soon.
Analyzing an analysis is completely and utterly rediculous. And yet I feel like that level of stupidity in journalism is what perfectly describes what the media is force feeding us throughout these NBA finals. Please, I'm begging a network exec to read this and hear my plea. Stop with the reactionary sensationalism. You're making our heads hurt.
Friday, May 27, 2011
I Hate to Say (that They Love to Say) I Told You So
I was never raised as an NBA fan.
My whole life, my mom raised me to appreciate the game of basketball because her dad (my grandfather) was a basketball coach. I was in youth leagues when I was a kid to learn the fundamentals, and I played a lot of pick up games when I was growing up. My parents took me to a couple games at the Coliseum in Morgantown, and even a U of R game when the mountaineers came to Richmond shortly we after we moved here in Chester. I was even born inside the holy triangle of college basketball- the area known as the "research triangle" between Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill which also features the two schools that make up the rivalry of college basketball.
But even with all that, I never truly followed the NBA at any point when I was a kid. I knew Michael Jordan was the closest thing to Zeus on the hardcourt in Chicago. As a teenager, I knew Kobe and Lebron were both serious contenders to follow Jordan's legacy. But that was about it.
It wasn't until I got to college and Da'Sean Butler got drafted by Miami that I honestly cared about what went on in the NBA. I threw my lot in with Miami the night I found out they had picked up Butler in the second round. Several weeks later, I found out Lebron James was teaming up with Wade (and "that other guy from Toronto"). Some of the best minds in the NBA would be mentoring my favorite player. When many others doubted their potential, I embraced it.
Of course, many of you that listen to my frequent complaints throughout the year know how this story ends. Mike Miller gets injured in preseason practice, and the Heat have to cut Da'Sean Butler after the final cuts had been made in order to make room for a replacement for Miller. Da'Sean eventually ended up with the Spurs, a team I already favored anyway. So it all worked out in the end. But I couldn't shake the feeling that the Heat were a Dynasty in the making.
Some said their superstar attitudes couldn't work. I said that some degree of humility would be prevail. Some said there would be no rings. I said 2 in the next 3 years, and 3 in the next 5. Some said LeBron James was a punk. I said... actually, I kind of thought LeBron was a punk for a while too.
But the fact remains the same. An actual army of people, led by Skip Bayless, Rick Reilly, and angry Cleveland residents, were actively hating on the team from Miami. Pick one of the multitude of reasons that were floating around out there, and that was surely why this superteam would never work. The big 3 wasnt born out of trust and good drafting, it was smashed together out of arrogance. Surely such a conglomoration can't work- at least, that's the storybook ending we would be read by our parents if this was a morality-teaching picture book from our childhood. Arrogance is bad. It doesn't lead to rewards.
And yet here the Miami Heat are, officially in the NBA finals. The regular season is over. Sometimes they sank, sometimes they swam. But regardless, they're here, and like the all-stars that they are, they have saved their best basketball for when it mattered most. They've gotten to the NBA final in- correct me if I'm wrong- 15 games? That's pretty rediculous, when you consider that they had to beat a scrappy Sixers team, a veteran C's team, and a MVP-led Bulls team.
Doc Rivers said it best. As the Heat had regained momentum in one game vs the Celtics pretty early on in the series, the sideline cameras panned over to Doc as he told his players "Remember what we talked about. Did you think I was kidding? You're not going to outathleticize them. You can't beat them at their own game." And he proved to be right. No team is more freakishly talented or athletic than the Heat, and now that they've finally figured out the winning formula (D-Wade and LeBron do their thing and take turns leading the team, while Bosh is just a really really really good role player. If a team decides to double guard James or Wade, or the PF pulls for help defense, then Bosh gets to make them pay with a nice stat line), the sky is the limit for this team. Can a team really play unselfish, extra pass basketball for 7 whole games? I don't know, but I do know what happens if no one is capable of doing so. Ironically, arrogance is what protects the ultimate team of arrogance.
So yeah. Keep fueling their fires, haters. I really do hate to say that I was right about the Heat. I want nothing more than a classic showdown, where the focus was the team and not the individual. I want Scotty Pippin and Jordan taking on whoever could challenge. But the Heat are elite, and they're here to stay. And the more the Skip Baylesses of the world hate, the more the talented ones in South Beach are going to rub it in your face.
My whole life, my mom raised me to appreciate the game of basketball because her dad (my grandfather) was a basketball coach. I was in youth leagues when I was a kid to learn the fundamentals, and I played a lot of pick up games when I was growing up. My parents took me to a couple games at the Coliseum in Morgantown, and even a U of R game when the mountaineers came to Richmond shortly we after we moved here in Chester. I was even born inside the holy triangle of college basketball- the area known as the "research triangle" between Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill which also features the two schools that make up the rivalry of college basketball.
But even with all that, I never truly followed the NBA at any point when I was a kid. I knew Michael Jordan was the closest thing to Zeus on the hardcourt in Chicago. As a teenager, I knew Kobe and Lebron were both serious contenders to follow Jordan's legacy. But that was about it.
It wasn't until I got to college and Da'Sean Butler got drafted by Miami that I honestly cared about what went on in the NBA. I threw my lot in with Miami the night I found out they had picked up Butler in the second round. Several weeks later, I found out Lebron James was teaming up with Wade (and "that other guy from Toronto"). Some of the best minds in the NBA would be mentoring my favorite player. When many others doubted their potential, I embraced it.
Of course, many of you that listen to my frequent complaints throughout the year know how this story ends. Mike Miller gets injured in preseason practice, and the Heat have to cut Da'Sean Butler after the final cuts had been made in order to make room for a replacement for Miller. Da'Sean eventually ended up with the Spurs, a team I already favored anyway. So it all worked out in the end. But I couldn't shake the feeling that the Heat were a Dynasty in the making.
Some said their superstar attitudes couldn't work. I said that some degree of humility would be prevail. Some said there would be no rings. I said 2 in the next 3 years, and 3 in the next 5. Some said LeBron James was a punk. I said... actually, I kind of thought LeBron was a punk for a while too.
But the fact remains the same. An actual army of people, led by Skip Bayless, Rick Reilly, and angry Cleveland residents, were actively hating on the team from Miami. Pick one of the multitude of reasons that were floating around out there, and that was surely why this superteam would never work. The big 3 wasnt born out of trust and good drafting, it was smashed together out of arrogance. Surely such a conglomoration can't work- at least, that's the storybook ending we would be read by our parents if this was a morality-teaching picture book from our childhood. Arrogance is bad. It doesn't lead to rewards.
And yet here the Miami Heat are, officially in the NBA finals. The regular season is over. Sometimes they sank, sometimes they swam. But regardless, they're here, and like the all-stars that they are, they have saved their best basketball for when it mattered most. They've gotten to the NBA final in- correct me if I'm wrong- 15 games? That's pretty rediculous, when you consider that they had to beat a scrappy Sixers team, a veteran C's team, and a MVP-led Bulls team.
Doc Rivers said it best. As the Heat had regained momentum in one game vs the Celtics pretty early on in the series, the sideline cameras panned over to Doc as he told his players "Remember what we talked about. Did you think I was kidding? You're not going to outathleticize them. You can't beat them at their own game." And he proved to be right. No team is more freakishly talented or athletic than the Heat, and now that they've finally figured out the winning formula (D-Wade and LeBron do their thing and take turns leading the team, while Bosh is just a really really really good role player. If a team decides to double guard James or Wade, or the PF pulls for help defense, then Bosh gets to make them pay with a nice stat line), the sky is the limit for this team. Can a team really play unselfish, extra pass basketball for 7 whole games? I don't know, but I do know what happens if no one is capable of doing so. Ironically, arrogance is what protects the ultimate team of arrogance.
So yeah. Keep fueling their fires, haters. I really do hate to say that I was right about the Heat. I want nothing more than a classic showdown, where the focus was the team and not the individual. I want Scotty Pippin and Jordan taking on whoever could challenge. But the Heat are elite, and they're here to stay. And the more the Skip Baylesses of the world hate, the more the talented ones in South Beach are going to rub it in your face.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
The Sixth Man: Heat vs Bulls
Hello and welcome, readers, to my newest recurring entry that I will henceforth refer to as The Sixth Man. This name is a tip of my hat to ESPN's 5v5 basketball segment which features five bloggers from around the internet answering five critical questions regarding notable basketball games or series around the nation. Since I'm unlikely to be asked to participate in ESPN's 5v5, I instead will offer my opinions on here regarding basketball games as the sixth man.
Today's 5v5 concerns the NBA's eastern conference finals- the Chicago Bulls at the Miami Heat.
1. Who will be the best player in the Miami-Chicago series?
Dwayne Wade. Derrick Rose is the rightful regular season MVP, and he has carried that excellence into the playoffs. However, Derrick Rose isn't the only superstar on the court. LeBron is always a monster (except... well, except when he isn't) and Chris Bosh has his moments. But I think Dwayne has been the spark plug, gasoline source, and accelator for the Heat in the playoffs so far, and I think his experience that Rose lacks along with his incredible talent pushes him over the top for MVP of the conference finals.
2. Which player will you watch most closely?
Carlos Boozer. Miami is a flat out more athletic team than Chicago, and that's saying a lot when your point guard is D-Rose. The 1-2 of Wade/James is, to a certain extent, pretty unstoppable; the best Chi-town can do is contain them. Carlos Boozer has to be on his defensive game and contain Chris Bosh. It's one thing if Dwayne and Lebron start lighting it up, but if Chris Bosh is firing on all cylinders too, this isn't even a fair series. The good news is that Bosh is a bit of a baby, and if Boozer comes out playing inspired in the first half, Bosh can easily get down on himself and shoot horribly as the game goes on. That puts more pressure on the Big 2, which could lead to some easy implosions. Boozer's offensive consistency should get a shout-out here too, as their front court often goes as he does.
3. What is the potentially fatal flaw for each team?
For Chicago, I think it's Derrick Rose. I know that seems counterintuitive, but when Chicago struggles offensively, Rose takes over the game. The problem is that Rose isn't a superhuman and is capable of playing almost as poorly as the rest of his team given the right (or wrong, if you're Chicago) circumstances. Rose loves to drive to the basket, and when you're playing a defense that can be as physically imposing and brutal as the Heat, that can take its tole over multiple games. Not to mention fatigue over the course of one game and foul trouble.
For Miami, this is the part where I'm supposed to say they're perimeter shooters have to play more consistently. While it's true the outside has to play well to open up the lanes, I think they will get enough to make it a non-issue. I think a bigger problem is Miami's ability to grab rebounds and limit Chicago's second chance points. The bulls badly outrebounded the heat in the regular season, and their control of the boards allowed them to dominate Miami in the regular season.
4. Chicago won 62 games and Miami 58. Is this the real NBA Finals?
I think a cruely efficient Mavs team might be offended by this question. Bulls-Heat might be the best remaining matchup, but don't get it twisted. The NBA finals do not occur in the month of May.
5. Who wins?
Chicago's run ends here. I said it throughout the entire calendar year of 2011- with rare exception, you can't win the NBA finals with a scoring point guard. Miami wins in 6 games and takes another big step to quiet all the haters.
Today's 5v5 concerns the NBA's eastern conference finals- the Chicago Bulls at the Miami Heat.
1. Who will be the best player in the Miami-Chicago series?
Dwayne Wade. Derrick Rose is the rightful regular season MVP, and he has carried that excellence into the playoffs. However, Derrick Rose isn't the only superstar on the court. LeBron is always a monster (except... well, except when he isn't) and Chris Bosh has his moments. But I think Dwayne has been the spark plug, gasoline source, and accelator for the Heat in the playoffs so far, and I think his experience that Rose lacks along with his incredible talent pushes him over the top for MVP of the conference finals.
2. Which player will you watch most closely?
Carlos Boozer. Miami is a flat out more athletic team than Chicago, and that's saying a lot when your point guard is D-Rose. The 1-2 of Wade/James is, to a certain extent, pretty unstoppable; the best Chi-town can do is contain them. Carlos Boozer has to be on his defensive game and contain Chris Bosh. It's one thing if Dwayne and Lebron start lighting it up, but if Chris Bosh is firing on all cylinders too, this isn't even a fair series. The good news is that Bosh is a bit of a baby, and if Boozer comes out playing inspired in the first half, Bosh can easily get down on himself and shoot horribly as the game goes on. That puts more pressure on the Big 2, which could lead to some easy implosions. Boozer's offensive consistency should get a shout-out here too, as their front court often goes as he does.
3. What is the potentially fatal flaw for each team?
For Chicago, I think it's Derrick Rose. I know that seems counterintuitive, but when Chicago struggles offensively, Rose takes over the game. The problem is that Rose isn't a superhuman and is capable of playing almost as poorly as the rest of his team given the right (or wrong, if you're Chicago) circumstances. Rose loves to drive to the basket, and when you're playing a defense that can be as physically imposing and brutal as the Heat, that can take its tole over multiple games. Not to mention fatigue over the course of one game and foul trouble.
For Miami, this is the part where I'm supposed to say they're perimeter shooters have to play more consistently. While it's true the outside has to play well to open up the lanes, I think they will get enough to make it a non-issue. I think a bigger problem is Miami's ability to grab rebounds and limit Chicago's second chance points. The bulls badly outrebounded the heat in the regular season, and their control of the boards allowed them to dominate Miami in the regular season.
4. Chicago won 62 games and Miami 58. Is this the real NBA Finals?
I think a cruely efficient Mavs team might be offended by this question. Bulls-Heat might be the best remaining matchup, but don't get it twisted. The NBA finals do not occur in the month of May.
5. Who wins?
Chicago's run ends here. I said it throughout the entire calendar year of 2011- with rare exception, you can't win the NBA finals with a scoring point guard. Miami wins in 6 games and takes another big step to quiet all the haters.
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