- 08:37 AM
- 11/22/09
Gruden can not develop a QB. How many QB's did they go through in Tampa? Johnson, Garcia, Simms, Griese, and a whole bunch of guys I can't remember. Only Simms was drafted by them (and while he showed promise), Gruden benched him after he was hurt.
posted by jc at 02:27 PM on October 16
I have a son in grade 4, sadly he rejected hockey at a young age for karate which means no trips to the Frozen Four for me. We live in an older working class neighborhood. The school is older but I really believe the education he gets is inferior to both the education I got and what kids in wealthier areas get. While Mark has athletic talent, is it fair to him to hold him out of NCAA (or in my case, CIS) sports because of an inferior academic system.
Now with us, it's hypothetical as we spend a lot of time working with him and pushing him and we are in constant contact with his teacher on ways to challenge him but I can see some of his friends falling through the cracks being failed by parents and the school.
I think part of what the tutors do is even the playing field a bit in helping students overcome a failed system.
Now what FSU did was cheating and I reject the statement that "FSU is a better institution than that" as if they were, it would not have happened.
NCAA sports are in a weird spot as they are both developmental leagues for the NFL (and CFL), NBA, pro golf and in some cases, MLB and the NHL, the difference is that for the NHL, golf, and the MLB, there are other paths to the bigs while for kids with a bad education, there are not.
posted by jc at 02:24 PM on October 16
Anyone want to compare the Raiders to the trainwrecks in Buffalo, SF and Cinncinnati that went on for a while.
I know Al Davis is a horrible owner (or if you are a fan of their AFC West opponents, the best owner in the world) but I wonder how his decisions stack up to other teams that are or were chronically bad over an extended amount of time (like the Detroit Lions since Wayne Fontes and Barry left)
I would love to see a track record of coaching tenure, draft records, and also management structures.
Also, did anything structurally change after Jon Gruden left town?
posted by jc at 02:14 PM on October 16
In defense of Ricciardi, I am pretty sure he was willing to let Wells walk but Godfrey got involved and they Jays way overpaid for him. Rios at the time of his signing was looking to be a good young star before the weight of his wallet affected his ability to hit and make good baseball decisions.
posted by jc at 12:06 PM on October 06
As a Flames fan, I had a natural dislike for Gretzky but it pained me to see the job that he was doing in Phoenix. As many have noted, he really never had a system in place and didn't do that great of job of developing young players, characteristics he shared with other superstars who were mediocre coaches.
That being said, I think his work with Team Canada showed him to be a shrewd talent evaluator and I wonder if he would be better in a team's front office rather than behind the bench.
posted by jc at 04:52 PM on September 24
Not to alter the topic or anything but how does MJ compare to Wilt. His career numbers are absolutely amazing. 50 points a game. 100 points in one night. No one has come within 10 points a game average for a season for decades.
Not taking anything away from MJ (his speech did a good job of that) but are we overlooking Wilt because we never saw him on TV like we all saw Jordan?
posted by jc at 05:38 PM on September 13
I am a Canadian and not a lot of CIS kids are going the NFL and none are leaving early to go to the NFL so maybe I am out of my league.
I can't stand the idea that a kid just goes to a school like Sam Bradford just so he can play on Sundays. Yes Matt Leinart hurt his draft stock but at the same time to rip those that stay with their college programs out of loyalty and desire to win the NCAA championship should be saluted, not second guessed.
I don't know what his scholastic schedule is like at OU but if he is serious about getting an education and winning a NCAA championship, let's not second guess that, I am sure him and his family knew the risks.
posted by jc at 06:38 PM on September 06
He's going to Winnipeg... I don't think there is any night life in Winterpeg. He'll have to settle clubbing at Boston Pizza and be done by 10.
posted by jc at 06:55 PM on September 01
I am not Brett Favre fan but the block didn't so dirty to me as just incompetent. He's a QB and an aging one at that. When was the last time he was asked to make an open field block. He looked about as comfortable making that block as Deion Sanders did making an open field tackle on a fullback.
I think it was one of those spontaneous things athletes do in the heat of competition, especially when they are out of their comfort zones in a new role.
posted by jc at 06:54 PM on September 01
Friends of mine own a golf course and wanted to build their home/b&b on the 10th fairway. Before construction started, they had a bunch of long ball hitters see if they could hit their home. You would have thought a version of the same thought would have occurred to the Cowboys and their designers.
posted by jc at 08:28 PM on August 24
I'll take the under and say it will be four games.
posted by jc at 08:24 PM on August 24
I have read that Hanson is Davis' guy but I thought the reason that Cable was hired was because he was Davis' guy as well.
I also assume many owners have pigeons on staff in one way, shape, or form and you don't hear about them having their jaws broken. I doubt this will go to court but if it does, I would love to hear Cable's justification for it.
posted by jc at 08:24 PM on August 24
If I remember correctly, they also make all of the CFL footballs as well.
posted by jc at 08:21 PM on August 24
Does anyone think of Maddux as a Cub. When I think of him I think of him as an Atlanta Brave. It would be like the Calgary Flames retiring Brett Hull's # or the Toronto Raptors retiring Vince Carters.
posted by jc at 03:04 PM on March 25
Yahoo! Sports was suggesting that Mike was looking around for other work. It doesn't make sense but it does explain him getting the pink slip.
That being said, Denver lost to SF to miss the playoffs last year as well. Great coach, bad GM. Mike's big mistake is he won the power struggle to become GM and therefore had no one to take the fall.
posted by jc at 03:08 PM on January 02
The program needs to be given a "death sentence". Nothing is worth having players being raped.
posted by jc at 10:56 AM on September 25
I was kind of glad to hear him talking about it honesty. It is a problem that a lot of Canadians have and it was good to hear him say he beat it.
Although that being said, after watching the team last night, you hope he doesn't have a medical set back. They looked horrible (and I am not just talking about the retro jerseys)
posted by jc at 12:59 PM on September 13
I watched a couple of recent games of the Ticats and they looked like they quit of Taaffe. Being a Rider fan since 84, I know what that looks like :-)
When a team quits, whether it is the coaches fault or not, it is easier to fire a coach than the entire team.
posted by jc at 12:57 PM on September 13
It's a good thing. The Grey Cup unifies Canada like the Stanley Cup (which we no longer ever win) and it reminds troops that the connection between them and Canada is still strong.
posted by jc at 02:09 PM on July 01
Of course later on as I read the comments on YouTube, there is some questions as to weather the clip is real or part of a viral marketing campaign. SNOPES says it is a fake - sorry for posting this... should have done my research first.
posted by jc at 01:43 PM on June 25
I grew up with Carter as one of my favorite players but how many guys get managerial jobs in franchises like the Mets by lobbying in the press? Obviously some of those foul balls came back and connected with his noggin during his playing career. That and it was pretty classless even if it was going to work. I hope some day Carter has to apply for a job decided by Randolph.
posted by jc at 02:18 PM on May 27
BoKnows, I know it was probably just a typo but it was a "junior league", not a minor league championship. Out west, we take the "dub" pretty seriously.
posted by jc at 02:14 PM on May 27
Yeah okay, I just checked out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Piazza and my bias was wrong. His stats are HOF material.
posted by jc at 10:02 PM on May 20
I know he has great stats but I don't associate his career with a HOF one.
posted by jc at 09:19 PM on May 20
I like Matt Ryan and I agree with his ability to get rich but that's a lot of money to a kid that may be no better than let's say Andre Ware or a Joey Harrington. If I am Eddie DeBartolo and thinking of getting back into the NFL, I want a rookie salary cap. Of course that being said, if Matt Ryan is no better than Andre Ware, at least he will have a lot of money to console him as he plays in the CFL although I don't know if $34.75 million is enough to console anyone that has to play in Regina in November. Let's hope he makes it in Atlanta.
posted by jc at 09:18 PM on May 20
I thought he would be a UFA but according to this internet thingy, he hasn't been cut from the Atlanta Falcons, something to do with recovering his bonus.
posted by jc at 09:15 PM on May 20
Best sports scandal ever... Kind of off topic but have we ever discussed th e best sports scandal ever? I don't know if O.J.'s trial counts because he was retired but it rates up there. The Black Sox have to rank as well.
posted by jc at 02:36 PM on April 11
This fight sickened me. I played goal growing up until college and i don't have a problem with a fight but the Chicoutimi goalie didn't come out to fight but was in his crease at the other end. He turtled right away and didn't fight Roy at all. One of the reasons why I have never had a problem with fights in hockey is that normally both guys want to fight. The Chicoutimi goalie didn't want to fight and was attacked by Roy at the supposed urging of his dad. It looked more like and assault to me than a hockey fight and I think both should be suspended for a very long time.
posted by jc at 04:08 PM on March 24
lilnemo, I have thought of the same thing you have before and I think it was Peter Senge who talks about why re-training programs don't work in shattered industry towns like Flint... it is because people's identity's are wrapped up in their job and to lose that is to lose absolutely everything. I imagine te same is for some ball players as well, HOF career or not. Look at how many pro players slink into retirement clinging on to their career and trying to ride the coattails of their past glory. I think for pro athletes it is worse. The posse, the press, the groupies, even family is there for your because "you are the man" and when you retire, now what? I think NFL players it is easier because careers are shorter and their education is a bit better (compared to baseball and hockey anyways) but for many of them retirement seems to be a boring and sad existence.
posted by jc at 08:48 PM on January 17
In the past the problem with the Riders has not always been coaching but much rather the lack of talent on the roster, especially at QB. Where is Nealon Greene starting now? The other difference is that for the first time in many years, Saskatchewan is a destination that players and coaches want to be in. Thanks to Roy Shivers for building some of that but also for Eric Tillman to continuing that path. Al Ford was a nice guy and good money manager when things were bad but the difference is apparent all over the league. Still, Austin leaving hurts. At least it wasn't for another CFL team.
posted by jc at 09:45 AM on January 17
I woke up this morning and I heard that the Riders were going to sign him to a long term deal and then this.... I feel like I have been kicked in the groin.
posted by jc at 09:23 PM on January 16
Is the grind that much different of a pro coach versus the college coach? There is recruiting at the college level but there is less games (well not that many less).
posted by jc at 03:09 PM on January 12
I think we all seen some HORRIFIC calls late in a game and never seen a game result changed. I think of really, really, slow clock starts on home court. I wonder why those are not reviewable and this resulted in a do-over.
posted by jc at 02:53 PM on January 12
It doesn't look good for Barry Bonds but I was a little surprised that she got two months for using steroids. It is kind of a sad ending for her. Broke, shamed, and now an owner of a criminal record.
posted by jc at 02:43 PM on January 11
His record isn't bad considering two of the seasons were horrible but Gibbs does one thing many others can't -- he can win with mediocre talent at quarterback. I wonder if Gibbs doesn't win coach of the year any other year than this year (with a certain team going 16-0) I wish him the best.
posted by jc at 09:32 PM on January 08
I think the bigger issue with Billick is that he lost the team, especially in the later weeks. Unless they were prepared to release the core of the team and Ray Lewis, I think Billick was going to have to go. No offense is decent without a stud at QB and there are not many in the NFL today. Shanahan was a genius (sorry, a mastermind) with Young and Elway. Now with Cutler, he struggles. I am not looking to bait anyone but I wonder how good NE would have been with Boller and not Brady under centre. Anyone have any thoughts on who else (other than Cam Cameron) will be fired in the next couple of weeks.
posted by jc at 09:02 PM on January 01
cjets, I am indifferent to both Parcells and Bilichick but I am not sure you can link Parcells to a 3-11 season ten years later.
posted by jc at 06:49 PM on December 23
I am not a big fan of Atlanta but they do have a well respected and active owner. They are down now but I wouldn't bet on them being down and out in the long term. I would be more worried if I was a SF 49ers fan whose owners don't seem to have a clue on what to do. The question for me is will Tuna have enough patience (which is not his strong point) to turn around the Fins.
posted by jc at 08:34 PM on December 19
Billick's problem is that he won with Trent Dilfer and while you can do that once in a while, you generally need a stud for a QB or you will look bad each and every week and this is what happened. How much control does Billick have over personnel in Baltimore? Is this fault or the GM's?
posted by jc at 05:07 PM on December 19
Does Rodriquez have any ties to Michigan other than the big paycheck he will be getting from the Blue?
posted by jc at 06:02 PM on December 16
It will take some international players out of the NHL but I am not sure if I am the NHL I am all that worried. Despite Bettman's ideas that that he can take the game global (why take the game to London of all places), it is a North American league.
posted by jc at 06:01 PM on December 16
So the bigger question is: Is this season and losing to the Fins enough for Brian Billick to lose his job in Baltimore? If it is, any thoughts on where he will end up in 2008?
posted by jc at 05:59 PM on December 16
Yeah, I am biased being from Saskatchewan but I am a big Kevin Glenn fan. I don't know what Ryan Dinwiddie or Kliff Kingsbury have but since I had to look them up on Bluebombers.com and have never heard of them, I think they are in trouble.
posted by jc at 08:44 PM on November 18
Takes the sting off the beating that Notre Dame received today from Georgia Tech.
posted by jc at 07:42 PM on September 01
Couldn't Del Rio have figured this out a long time ago, you know before he denied Garrard of all of the reps with the first team offence? Nothing like setting your QB's development back at all.
posted by jc at 07:41 PM on September 01
Sometimes the competetive fires burn out at 35 when you have a kid, a lot of money, and you want to do something else with your life. Also, none of us know the true condition of his back, knees, or other joints that tend to really hurt after a season. You also have to think there are some environments that would be perfect for him and if they weren't interested, who is to blame him for hanging them up and enjoying the lake.
posted by jc at 10:39 PM on August 22
I live in Saskatoon and it drives us crazy as well. The reasoning is that it a lot of people drive down to the games from Saskatoon and there is a point to that. The highway from Saskatoon to Regina on gameday is crazy but like others, I am not sure if that justifies a lousy blackout all of the time.
posted by jc at 08:39 PM on August 21
If he can still play well when he gets out, he will get another chance. Some owner and GM will weather the protests... if not in the NFL, some team in the CFL will take him (see Exhibit A: Lawerence Phillips) My question is has there been another elite athelete that has taken a couple of years off during his or her prime and been able to shake the rust off. What is the impact of not throwing everyday going to be on Vick's skills?
posted by jc at 10:19 PM on August 20
I am a Calgary Flames fan and I applaud the Oilers for doing this but... Alberta may be going through one of the biggest economic booms in North American history with the province struggling to spend the surplus and yet here is a hockey team having to step in and pay for what is a city and provincial responsibility. Good for the Oilers, bad for the Province of Alberta. I know that was political but I just wanted to get it off my chest.
posted by jc at 05:10 PM on August 12
What I found interesting is that someone actually reads the NHL website :-)
posted by jc at 05:08 PM on August 12
I have read a couple of things regarding the power structure at Maple Leaf Sports and it is a mess at a level about JFJ which does explain some of the bumbling there. I am not a JFJ fan but when you have three or four guys all trying to gain more power of the Leafs, it can't be a great place to be GM of. The other thing is that while Bowman is a great coach, he was forced out as GM of the Wings and more than anyone, he has to know of the mess that the Leaf front office is in.
posted by jc at 04:00 PM on August 06
I think part of the problem fan wise is that while we have all shot and missed a three point shot or swung on an missed a fastball, we know how hard it is to do what Lebron or Derek Jeter does and we can admire that for what it is. The same with watching Tiger. Even playing touch football at the park makes you realize how hard it is to complete a pass with people who have no talent. With hockey, if you have never played it or even know how to skate, you don't have the same reference to the game. Part of my love of hockey comes from getting up for 6 a.m. practices in -40 below weather with frozen skates. I am not saying that you have to have experienced that to appreciate the game but if you have no idea of how hard it is to do what Crosby does, you are not going to appreciate or enjoy what you are seeing. I remember my first baseball game. I was in Toronto, tickets were six dollars a piece (for some tickets at the top of the Rogers Centre and Roger Clemons was pitching. I wasn't a big fan before of the game on television but I was afterwards.) With hockey, you can't buy tickets with the spare change in your wallet and you definately do go to a game on a whim. It could take years to make some of those cities into hockey markets.
posted by jc at 08:42 PM on July 10
There is also the CFL which isn't perfect (wide open field leads to receivers to running sloppy routes) but it doesn't cost the NFL anything. It also keeps suspended pot smoking running backs in shape and with teams in the prairies prepares players for games in Green Bay and Buffalo in December. A couple of years ago when the Saskatchewan Roughriders were in deep financial trouble, the NFL actually bought a huge block of season tickets and them gave them back the team to sell again.
posted by jc at 05:43 PM on June 29
tommytrump, The Argos signed him last season when he was suspended by the NFL.
posted by jc at 08:25 PM on May 11
I would love to see a couple of dome teams play in Regina's Taylor Field in December...
posted by jc at 06:43 PM on May 11
Even the Toronto Argos have grown tired of his act in the CFL although I think in the Argos case, it is that he sucked and this is a good excuse to cut ties without having to say that. He seemed to struggle last year and didn't look like nearly the runner he was on Sundays for the Dolphins.
posted by jc at 06:38 PM on May 11
Towards the end of the Bledsoe's run in New England, his skills were deteriorating. He had some great couple of years but for years he scared no one. I can't see him ever being in the Hall of Fame or even getting strong consideration.
posted by jc at 12:09 PM on April 12
The CFL would eat up Pete Rozelle and spit him out, same with Tagliabue, or even David Stern. Each league has crazy owners but in a small league like the CFL, they tend to dominate the league at any given time. If they can fire Tom Wright, they will fire Mark Cohon as well. I just wish the community owned teams who seem to see longer term had more clout. DrJohnEvans - thanks for the link to the podcast! They never mention it when I watch them on Sportsnet.
posted by jc at 04:09 PM on March 30
Sportsnet did a story a while ago on the Igloo's locker rooms which didn't fit the entire Toronto Maple Leafs and were smaller than some of the minor hockey league rinks I have been in and by far the worst pro locker room I have ever seen photos of. The Igloo won't be missed by anyone.
posted by jc at 05:17 PM on March 16
Brady Quinn's House Up For Sale
Brady Quinn = Rick Mirer 2.0