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Random Sports Musings 3/12

March 12th 2010 17:39
Recent sports news has been highlighted by collegiate athletics. The college basketball conference tournaments are being played out. To my dismay, Pittsburgh lost to Notre Dame. That game was only one among the other shocking upsets that included the losses to Syracuse against Georgetown and Villanova's shocker loss against Marquette. Big East basketball continued its intrigue after a buzzer beater by Da'Sean Butler that allowed West Virginia to escape with a victory against Cincinnati.
There is a former coach that has no respect for his players. He threw the son of an ESPN analysist into a dark, confined room and said that he was treating the kid for a concussion. That is ridiculous. Former Texas Tech coach Mike Leach now has firm evidence of the coaching injustices he preformed. Leach brought down his players which included the following quotes:


There's a couple of you guys that your current living situation is going to change," Leach said. "We've got several of you, particularly on offense, all you do is pull mediocrity out of one another. Well, you're going to live somewhere else. Last time I checked, we're paying the [expletive] bills."

"What does God say? 'If you're lukewarm, I'll spew you out,' " Leach says. "... If you're a defensive player, I don't need one side of the brain on playing defense and one side thinking, 'Oh gee, I wonder, this. I wonder that. I wonder the other thing.' No, no. Screw that.

"Your whole head's got to be on defense. Your whole head has to be on offense. Your whole head for that play has to be on special teams. If you're not doing that, you guys who are throwing the book around all the time, you're defying the book."

Those comments are totally unprofessional and unacceptable. This man should be put in jail. Yes, I just said that. He should spend a year in a dark room as a punishment for lying, tarnishing the name of a well-respected football program, and for verbally- and sometimes physically- abusing his players. The most horrible thing about those quotes, they came during wins and blowouts. Mike Leach is on a gag order at the moment, and thankfully cannot comment on any of those quotes. He might just say something else disrespectful.

Mike Holmgrem and the Cleveland Browns continue their free agent spree. They filled a position of need by signing tight end Ben Watson. He is one of the fastest tight ends, and is now their second best receiving option.
I have something to say about Cleveland Browns fans. Their former quarterback who was released a few days ago, Derek Anderson, said that Browns fans were ruthless. He said that they would boo him on the field, and cheer him when he was injured. That is completely unacceptable. If you call yourself a fan of a franchise, then you better not wish ill and boo your own quarterback. There are enough people taking jabs at your franchise, you don't have to be stabbing yourselves with them. It is seriously rude and unjustified to be happy that somebody is in physical pain. That is especially true when that person really wants to help you out. Anderson says that he wants to play with a new team, start, and beat Cleveland out of town. I am in total agreement with Derek, and he has every right to state those things. Four teams are already interested in him, and I hope Browns fans can get it back together. If not, I hope a terrible wrath unto them.

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More on NFL Free Agency

March 10th 2010 17:04
1. New England Patriots- Resigned star corner Leigh Bodden to a four year deal and superstar Vince Wilfork inked a new five year deal worth 40 million overall. It is safe to say that he is the best DT in the NFL right now. If you disagree, please feel free to comment. Key RG Stephen Neal was resigned to a two year deal. LOLB Tully Banta-Cain was resigned to fill that position's void as Derrick Burgesses left as a free agent. Those were some great resignings to keep the team's core intact.

2. New York Jets- The character of Rex Ryan is one we love. Unfortunately, it also put him under scrutiny regarding tampering chargers with Raiders' CB Nnamdi Asomugha. I don't believe that charge one bit. I mean, look at Antonio Cromartie. Kerry Rhodes has every right to bash the Jets. Jim Leonhard and David Harris over Rhodes? Come on biased Ravens man Rex Ryan. Why do you coach the Jets when you only care about ex-Ravens? The Jets franchise treat their players like crap. Thomas Jones deserved that roster bonus. The dude was your best player offensively by far.

3. Miami Dolphins- DT Jason Ferguson is one of the most important defensive players on the Miami Dolphins. He received an eight game substance abuse suspension, yet the team still resigned him two days later. I guess nobody else wanted him, and the Dolphin's need him that much.

4. Buffalo Bills- Did nothing really. They just let seven decent players leave to free agency without so much as a phone call. Sweet dreams Buffalo.

5. Houston Texans- They resigned their punter Matt Turk to a one year deal. Not a bad move. A bigger one was a hefty five year contract to star WR Kevin Walter. Without Walter, the Schaub-Johnson tandem would be irrelevant.

6. Indianapolis Colts- The AFC champs cut starting LG Ryan Lilja. Bad move considering Lilja is a quality OL.

7. Jacksonville Jaguars- They made some huge deals like signing star kick returner Kassim Osgood to a three year deal. They finally got a big pass rusher with Aaron Kampman. Kampman got himself a lucrative four year deal, and should thrive as a DE in a 4-3. The way it should be.

8. Tennessee Titans- They signed WLB Will Witherspoon. He is an OK veteran, but one of the players I have always liked.

9. Baltimore Ravens- Did nothing except for talking about resigning WR Derrick Mason and bringing over WR Antonio Bryant for a workout.

10. Cincinnati Bengals- They actually resigned DT Tank Johnson. Wow.

11. Cleveland Browns- Mike Holmgrem is doing an awesome job. He signed up star LB Scott Fujita and solid T Tony Pashos. He also released one year wonder QB Derek Anderson. Great move. Holmgrem always loved Seneca Wallace back in the Seattle days. So he traded for the quality QB that is projected to be the team's starter. They only gave up a 2011 conditional draft pick which isn't much at all.

12. Pittsburgh Steelers- Did an awesome job as well. Ryan Clark never wanted to become a free agent. He worked out with the Dolphins, but he came back to Pitt just as both sides wanted it. He got a four year deal, and the Steelers signed another safety. Will Allen got himself a three year contract. Former Steeler standout Antwaan Randle El is back on a three year contract, and another receiver/punt returner with a three year deal by the name of Arnaz Battle is on the team.

13. Denver Broncos- They beefed up their formerly terrible D-Line by signing DE Jarvis Green and DT Jamal Williams. Williams was formerly a star on the Bronco's division rival Chargers.

14. Kansas City Chiefs- They now have a very feared running attack with the addition of stud Thomas Jones. He will team up with young speedster Jamaal Charles to make a fearsome tandem. Last season, Jones ran for 1402 yards and 14 touchdowns en route to leading the Jets to the AFC Championship Game. Thomas Jones is also a vocal clubhouse guy. Wide receivers Chris Chambers and Terrence Copper were resigned.

15. Oakland Raiders- Al Davis and Co. cut running back Justin Fargas. Justin is generating interest with a few teams. Star DE Greg Ellis was also cut, and will find a niche with a team soon. WR Javon Walker is skilled, but was injury prone in two years with Croakland, after signing a lucrative deal.

16. San Diego Chargers- Signed KR/RB Marcus Mason. Ugh, who cares?

17. Dallas Cowboys- Are staying put. Jerry Jones surprises us all.

18. New York Giants- Jim Sorgi now backs up the little Manning after spending a couple of seasons backing up Peyton.

19. Philadelphia Eagles- They traded a pretty good receiver in Reggie Brown to the Bucs for a 6th round pick in 2011. They should have asked for a fourth or fifth. The Eagles resigned up and coming receiver Jason Avant to a five year deal.

20. Washington Redskins- I thank Emmitt Smith profusely for trashing Skins' owner Dan Snyder.

21. Atlanta Falcons- Did a nice job in cutting a horrible receiver. Say bye-bye James Swinton. They also traded repeatedly burned corner Chris Houston for a fifth round pick to the Lions. Haha D-Town, you just got ripped off.

22.-Carolina Panthers- My Carolina Panthers' cutting spree is still going on. They cut fan favorite Brad Hooooooooovvvvvvvverrrrrrrr. I will miss ya Hoov.

23. New Orleans Saints- Resigned two scrubs.

24. Tampa Bay Buccanears- We already discussed Reggie.

25. Chicago Bears- Cut running back Kevin Jones, as expected. Although, i have always like Mr.Jones.

26. Detroit Lions- I already went over Houston. They acquired a new CB, this time it was
Jonathan Wade. Did an awesome job signing Corey Williams and Kyle Vanden Bosch under the influence of former Titans' defensive coordinator and Lions' coach Jim Schwartz.

27. Green Bay Packers- Ted Thompson was pretty much forced to resign Chad Clifton after teams in his division picked up Corey Williams, Julius Peppers, and Kyle Vanden Bosch. They also resigned star free safety Nick Collins.

28. Minnesota Vikings- They are talking with running back LaDainian Tomlinson. They also signed former Panther Rhys Lloyd. That is a good move because Lloyd is awesome at kickoffs. Ryan Longwell is a great field goal kicker and will still have that duty; but he is not a very good kick off man.

29. Arizona Cardinals- They lost Antrelle Rolle, but did an awesome job replacing him. They acquired disgruntled star safety Kerry Rhodes from the New York Jets. All they gave up was a fourth round pick and a seventh round pick in 2011. Ad Wilson and K-Rhodes make a great tandem at safety.

30. San Francsico 49ers- Signed David Carr to a two year contract to add to a crowded array of quarterbacks. Hopefully he will only be a backup as I am no fan of Carr and I want to see Alex Smith play a big role. Smith has a chance to be good.

31. Seattle Seahawks- Did nothing but that Wallace trade we already discuss. Well, they did get Brandon Marshall to take a visit.

32. St. Louis Rams- Signed veteran DT Fred Robbins to a three year deal.

Note: This list was compiled in no particular order.
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Bashing Sportswriters

March 9th 2010 18:14
Ah, I just feel like beating up a sportswriter that has no idea what he is talking about. Read this article Really Long Link

Yeah, that is just awful. Here are some points to keep in mind.You are never supposed to capitalize the word "quarterback" when it is used in the middle of a sentence. It is a common noun and not a proper noun.
This man also states that McNabb is one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL right now, as well as listing Brett Favre in that elite club. That is laughable. Aaron Rodgers and Philip Rivers are ten-fold better than McNabb. It is incomparable. By the way, this writer also must realize that the NFL today is not all about winning and losing. It is now about youth, draft picks, and money. I have badgered this man enough, and now it is time to give my take on McNabb.
Look, if your the Eagles and you have a QB in-waiting with Kevin Kolb; then why on earth would you keep McNabb? As good as D-Nabb is, he is 33 and is in the last year of his contract. The Eagles do not need to pay this guy an incredible sum of money with uncapped football and tough economic times. They should trade McNabb during the Training Camp Period, when teams are getting desperate for quarterback help. A first round pick and possibly more is realistic.
I used to live in Tampa, Florida and I will tell you this firsthand: the St. Petersburg Times has the worst sports section in history. Their writers have little credibility and offer poor and biased insight. I don't have the article to show you, but I can assure you that what a certain sportswriter said is completely true.
A big Florida Gators fan wrote that Tim Tebow was comparable to Joe Montana. That is such a preposterous statement. Tebow has no throwing mechanics and has never even played a game in the NFL, let alone drafted to a team. Now I'm not saying Tebow can never be good, but I am saying that there is no chance he will be a Montana.
So please writers out there, think before you write. There is nothing worse than a statement that can be contradicted easily. If you don't like this post, tough deal with it.
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NFL Free Agency Hotwire

March 6th 2010 18:06
There is just too much going on for a team spotlight, but I do have a nice free agency post for you all.
Football free agency is in full throat, and the top free agent was already snagged. The Chicago Bears signed All-Pro Defensive End Julius Peppers to a six year deal with a record 42 million of his supposed 91.5 million dollar deal guaranteed. This is a great signing, and is a huge upgrade over The Prince, who is also a free agent. Peppers provides an uncanny mix of size, speed, strength, and athleticism.
The desperate Bears came into terms with running back Chester Taylor. Taylor will receive seven million dollars in guaranteed money. Matt Forte's job is in jeopardy with this signing. I do think they should let Forte start. The Baltimore Ravens got some receiver help and a bargain deal. They were able to snag star wideout Anquan Boldin for a third and fourth round pick. The Ravens also got a fifth round pick from the Cardinals in the deal. Last year, he had 84 catches and 1,024 yards. Boldin is just 29 and he received a new four year, 28 million dollar deal with Baltimore. An interesting fact is that Boldin is the leader of all time in receiving yards per game. He averages 79.2 per outing


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NFL Scoop: Spotlight on Jets

March 3rd 2010 15:29
Before we get into some more NFL stuff, I would like to clear something up. There is usually no such thing as a bust. If a player works hard, has good conduct, and was a first round pick yet he does not play to his potential; then it is a problem with coaching. It is the job of coaches to bring out the best in a player and to polish a player. Remember, just because a player is drafted does not mean he is fully ready. He is still young and raw. Quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers Alex Smith is an example of this. He came into the league learning the NFL and an offensive playbook. From his debut season until now, he has gone through five offensive coordinaters. He is a hard working player that is dedicated to winning and does a lot for his community. It is stupid that a franchise would hurt him like that and make him go through five different playbooks. One of them was the very difficult one from Mike Martz.
Michael Vick says that he would most want to go to my Carolina Panthers. He said that he liked their jerseys, he liked the idea that he would play his old team twice, and he also lives close to Charlotte. However, it seems unlikely that he would go to the Panthers.
The combine showed the improvements in stock of a few rookies. Among those names are OT Bruce Campbell, RB Ryan Mathews, QB Tim Tebow, and FS Earl Thomas. Some players that slid down were OT Anthony Davis, DE Carlos Dunlap, RB Jonathan Dwyer, CB Joe Haden, and LB Sean Weatherspoon


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Football Talk and an Apology

February 28th 2010 16:22
I mean to write some recap posts for Friday and Saturday night games, but a problem occurred. There was an error that would not allow me to access the website. I know that excuses are unacceptable alternatives to performance. I want to write this post about recent NFL news and rumors.
The NFL may change the overtime rule for the playoffs. The pending rule would have both teams getting the ball at least once, unless the first team to get the ball scores a touchdown. If the first team hits a field goal and the other team ties it up, then the game would keep on going until a team scored again. In order for this rule to be enacted over the first team to score wins rule, two-thirds of the NFL teams would have to agree to the rule. This is huge news, and it really does not effect the game-play that much. Its really only for sour-grape Vikings fans.
The Bills did not offer a contract to their receiver Terrell Owens. He was awful this year. TO was not as enigmatic as he was in Philadelphia or Dallas, but he did not play well enough to justify his contract. The Vikings and coach Brad Childress are waiting on a Favre decision. This means that they are either happy with Sage Rosenfels and Tavaris Jackson, or they are very certain that Favre is going to come back. It seems like they will not draft a quarterback


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NBA Recap for 2/25

February 26th 2010 15:18
The Milwaukee Bucks squeaked by the Indiana Pacers 112-110 in a nail-biter. The Pacers, 19-39, actually played very well offensively. However, their defense has once again been the achillies tendon. Andrew Bogut once again had a big night with his double double. He scored 15 points with 10 rebounds. Earl Watson posted a good all-around game. He also had 15 points, but with 8 rebounds and 5 assists.
The Cleveland Cavaliers sealed themselves as the best team in the conference with their 20 point romping of their former running-mate Boston Celtics. LeBron James was once again fantastic, with his 36 points, 7 rebounds, and 9 assists. Rajon Rondo had a double double for the C's with 11 assists and 19 points.
The Denver Nuggets outscored the Golden State Warriors 127-112. This game was run by two star guards. Chauncey Billups had a night-high 37 points with 6 rebounds and 9 assists. Stephon Curry had a double double with 31 points, 7 rebounds, and a night-high 13 assists. The Warriors have actually lost 3 more games than the Pacers this season


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NBA Game Recaps

February 25th 2010 18:15
I just want to put a few sentences in here about how thankful I am. Without you readers, I probably wouldn't keep writing posts. Thank you for the over one hundred individual readers I have, and over four hundred hit count. Thanks for your support.
I have decided to do something new from time to time. I feel like recapping scores and important stats in basketball games from the night before when I have time. I would like comments and opinions on whether or not you like this idea, or ideas of posts I can create. Let's get started.
The Atlanta Hawks beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 98-92. Kevin Love had 19 points and twelve rebounds. Josh Smith led the Hawks with a big game. The star forward scored 27 points with ten rebounds and five assists. Joe Johnson dropped 21 points and also dished out five assists. Big man Al Horford continued his dominance as he was one of three players on the Hawks to post five assists, and he was also one of three players in the game to post a double double. He scored eleven points and had thirteen boards


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Sorry I took a hiatus on you guys. I was just really busy these past few days doing things such as writing raps. A lot has passed since my last posed. Most namely, the divorce filings of two great running backs.
Last year, LaDainian Tomlinson ran for just 730 yards with a 3.3 yards per carry average. Both totals were the lowest in his entire career. He is thirty years old. When a running back hits the big three-oh, he hits the wall and is never the same again. The only bright side was that he scored twelve rushing touchdowns, which means that LT can still score. Tomlinson says he still has football left in him. Of course he does. But is it good football in him? As he busily waves tearful goodbyes to the franchise he played nine season with, he must realize that the market for him is very low. He obviously wants to win an elusive Super Bowl title, but there is almost no chance of him playing for a contending team. I don't think his former backup, Darren Sproles, can fill the void. The Bolts need to draft a running back. Mark Ingram?
Brian Westbrook was not surprisingly released by the Philadelphia Eagles. The 31 year old running back missed half his games last season. He at least averaged 4.5 yards per carry. His concussion was so bad that he was considering retirement. Now, he says that he is not retiring and he wants to play. I thought that he would have no market, but it seems that a few teams are calling him for his services


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Back to Baseball

February 21st 2010 09:10
Spring training is finally around the corner, and so is Fantasy Baseball. Get those teams in. My personal fantasy recommendation is Yahoo Sports, but ESPN does a good job as well. There is still some baseball talk going on, including Johnny Damon.
Johnny Damon finally found a ball club to play for. The 36 year old left fielder hit 24 homers with 82 RBIs last year in the hitter-friendly park at Yankee Stadium As expected, he took a one year deal worth eight million a year with the Detroit Tigers. This deal makes no sense. Damon is the "replacement" for Curtis Granderson in the outfield. Stupidly, Damon is more expensive, older, and worse than Granderson. The only person that wins is Damon. He gets paid eight figures and has a weaker arm than a high school outfielder. I thought that GM Dave Dombrowski knew what he was doing.
Speaking of GMs, Houston Astros' GM Ed Wade got himself a two year extension through 2012. Manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Joe Torre, commits to the team through 2011. Which really is next year


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