V-Dub's Sports Perspective

Super Bowl Preview Part II

2011-02-03T11:07:00.003-05:00

Tuesday, I took a look at the offenses of Green Bay and Pittsburgh. Today I look at two of the strongest Defenses in the National Football League. Hair seems to be the theme of these two Defenses. Green Bay has the long locks of Clay Matthews and the underrated hair of A.J. Hawk while the Steelers have the mane of Troy Polamalu and the Viking style beard of Brett Keisel. Let's break them down.

Defensive Line

During the regular season, Pittsburgh's Defense was the best run-stopping team in the NFL. They barely gave up 1000 yards for the entire season. They have to be licking their chops at the prospect of taking down Green Bay's running attack. Green Bay had a good line as well, giving up about 115 yards per game during the regular season, and the Bears and Falcons combined for only 128 yards on the ground in the last two playoff games. Rashard Mendenhall is going to be a guy they really have to key on in this game. B.J. Raji has been absolutely great during the post-season and the Green Bay lineman had a pick-six against the Bears. Both of these lines will pressure the opposite QB but what it really comes down to is the...

Linebackers

Clay Matthews has been an absolute beast this post season. James Harrison has been a force of nature as well. With 3.5 and 3.0 sacks, respectively, these guys will be a big part of their team's plans when it comes to putting pressure on the passing game. Clay will also be called upon to help shut down Mendenhall when he does get past the lineman. A.J. Hawk has been a bit of a presence too. While he hasn't been in the backfield as much as Matthews but he has nine solo tackles. He could have more than that in the Super Bowl alone, depending on how the Green Bay line affects the running game of Pittsburgh.

Defensive Backs

Tramon Williams and Sam Shields have been absolutely eye-popping this post-season. They have combined for five interceptions (one pick-six) 16 tackles and a forced fumble. In the Conference Championships, both passing defenses performed pretty well, giving up 236 (GB) and 219 (Pit) yards. The Jets passing Defense was able to shut down the Pittsburgh passing game and Green Bay should be able to do the same. Troy Polamalu will be looking to fly in from the outside to get to Aaron Rodgers and Green Bay's offensive line will have to be on its toes to keep Rodgers safe.

So, what will the outcome be? I honestly feel that this game is going to be one of the best Super Bowls of my lifetime. Maybe that's because I think that the Packers are going to roll. I would not be surprised if the Packers Defense kept the Steelers out of the endzone for the entire game. That being said, I think the final score will be 24-9 in favor of the Green Bay Packers. Yes, I know that Ben has been here before and it is a new experience for Aaron Rodgers, but Green Bay has played five straight playoff games. First, they had to win their last two regular season games just to get into the playoffs and they have flown through the NFC side of the playoffs to get to the Super Bowl. The Packers are the best team in this game.

Super Bowl Preview Part I

2011-02-01T15:19:00.002-05:00

You see what I did there? I used the whole Roman Numeral thing, just like the Super Bowl does. How awesome is that? I know what you're thinking. "This guy hasn't posted a blog in AGES! Now that one of his favorite teams is in the Super Bowl, NOW he decides to write a blog?" Well, yeah, that and I've had the writing bug for a while now with no time to give in to it. So, here it goes, back and better than ever, Part I of my Super Bowl Preview. Today, I will look at the offenses and Thursday I will tackle the two MONSTER Defenses that are playing in Big Game XLV.

Aaron Rodgers vs. Ben Roethlisberger

As much as it pains me to say it, Ben Roethlisberger is not a bad quarterback. But, he is also not of the same caliber, passing-wise, as Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers had 28 TD's to Ben's 17. Rodgers out threw Ben by over 700 yards. Rodgers completion percentage was slightly better, but still better. Rodgers did throw 11 interceptions to Ben's 5 but he also threw almost 100 more passes and played in four more games. Rodgers also had a higher QB rating than Ben and did not find his name in the Police Blotter as many times as Roethlisberger. In my opinion, Green Bay has a huge advantage in this department, especially since this game is being played in a dome. Look at what Rodgers did to the Falcons in the playoffs. Those numbers are ridiculous. Both of these guys are the faces of their franchise. Rodgers face is much, much better.

The Running Game

Pittsburgh clearly holds the advantage on the ground. Rashard Mendenhall is a freak of nature and picked up right where Jerome Bettis left off in the "running people over" department. He picked up almost four yards per carry in the regular season, scored 13 touchdowns and racked up over 1,200 yards. On the other side are the Packers and their "Runningback by Committee." Because of injuries and under performances, Green Bay's leading rusher, Brandon Jackson, finished the season with just three rushing touchdowns and just over 700 yards. Your Quarterback should never be your team's second leading rusher (unless said QB is named Michael Vick, then he could be #1) but that is exactly what happened in Green Bay. Pittsburgh will attempt to pound the ball down Green Bay's throat and Green Bay will have to find a way to stop them.

Receivers and Tight Ends

Let's look at the top threats for each team: Greg Jennings of Green Bay and Mike Wallace. These guys are frighteningly similar. They each went over 1,200 yards but Wallace did it in 16 less catches, averaging almost 20 yards per catch. Jennings was slightly lower at just under 17. Jennings had two more touchdowns and is great at going after the deep ball. Wallace likes to catch the short passes and break big runs after the catch. They both have the ability for YAC's but Wallace is slightly better. Overall, I think the Packers hold a slight edge in the Receivers game with Donald Driver, Jordy Nelson and James Jones all contributing in big ways.

When Jermichael Finley went down, it was a big blow to the Packers passing game but the other receivers were able to pick up the slack. Pittsburgh doesn't have to worry about that as Heath Miller was one of Ben's go-to-guys, but mostly outside of the red zone. Miller had just two touchdowns this year, down from six last year. Teams really keyed on him and focused on shutting him down. That combined with Mendenhall's ability to run over people on his way to the end zone made Miller a little less important in the Steelers game plan.

These two offenses are both very talented. In the playoffs, Green Bay has been the Number One offense while Pittsburgh is fifth on the list, behind even the Seahawks in total yards. That's right, a Super Bowl team is lower on the total yards list than a team that lost in the 2nd round. Green Bay has put up 90 points in this playoffs to just 55 by Pittsburgh. The Packers have gained almost 100 yards more per game in this playoffs and I don't see them slowing down any time soon. The offensive edge definitely goes to the Packers.

Check back on Thursday for my look at the two Defenses that will be battling in Super Bowl XLV!

The World Cup

2010-06-12T09:56:00.002-04:00

For those of you that know me you know that I am not a soccer fan. I have never liked the game and for years have denounced its claim to be a "sport." Somehow, however, every four years I get sucked in and find it hard to not glance at the matches taking place as part of the World Cup. Just this morning, as I was getting ready for work, I flipped on ESPN to see South Korea taking on Greece. Immediately I began rooting for the Republic. My Aunt taught there for a few years so I feel a small connection to South Korea. As for Greece, gyros are good but not enough to back the Papadapalous' of the world.

That's what the World Cup does to people. It makes them pick their favorite of two countries and root against the one they deem the "bad guys." Each match is like a little war between countries with the winner taking home much more than bragging rights. But all politics are put to the side. There is no discussion of peace treaties or terrorism at the World Cup. This is a get away, for many countries, from the bad things that are taking place in their homes. All they have to think about is soccer...or futbol if you want to be technical.

So, yes, I will be breaking my own rule today and watching as the United States goes up against England in their first match this afternoon. England is heavily favored, but hey, they were favored in 1776 too...how'd that turn out? The U.S. also handed England one of the biggest losses in their history back in 1950 I believe. Again, a heavily favored English team got taken down by a bunch of scrappy no-namers. It may be one of the first matches in this edition of the World Cup, but it's a match as big as the World itself.

The Strasburg Era Begins

2010-06-08T14:14:00.002-04:00

Tonight, Stephen Strasburg takes the Major League mound for the first time and it could potentially change the course of the Nationals history for years to come. If he's good, the Nats have the #1 spot in their rotation filled for the next decade. If he's bad, they've got a ton of money locked up in a player who can't be the integral piece to their team that they need him to be. Either way, we will learn a LOT about the future of the Washington Nationals tonight.

I have to say, this is the most excited I've been for a baseball game all season. I have never been a die-hard Expos/Nats fan but I like pitching. It's my favorite part of the game, and when someone like Stephen Strasburg comes along and is touted as "The Next Big Thing," I can't help but be a fan. I will definitely be watching tonight as the Pittsburgh Pirates head to the Nation's Capital to face Strasburg.

The Nationals couldn't have planned Strasburg's arrival any better. I hate to say it but the Pirates are the closest thing to the Minor League competition Strasburg will see. It's a good team to get his feet wet against. The only real threat to his ego will be Andrew McCutchen. Luckily for Strasburg, Major League rules prohibit "Cutch" from batting before or after himself. Strasburg will probably be on a pitch count in the 80-90 range which should, if he pitches well, get him to the 6th inning or so.

In other baseball news, the Nationals selected Bryce Harper with the first overall pick in the 2010 First Year Player Draft. The other reason I'm curious to see how Strasburg does is because it's pretty rare that back-to-back #1 picks turn into everyday players in the Show. I think Harper has the potential to possibly be a bust. All his power has been shown with Aluminum bats and the switch to Wood could hurt him. Luckily, he's only 17 years old so he'll be given a couple years to develop in the Minor's before he is expected to perform at the Major League Level.

So, enjoy your look into the future this evening. One way or another, it will be historic!

Remove LT From the Hall of Fame???

2010-05-11T14:54:00.002-04:00

This morning, on my way to work, I was listening to "Mike and Mike in the Morning" on ESPN Radio. They were talking about Brian Cushing, the Houston Texans player who failed a drug test and has had his Defensive Rookie of the Year title stripped so that the vote can be re-done due to this new detail. This, in turn, became a discussion about Lawrence Taylor being removed from the Hall of Fame. Basically, they were asking whether or not, due to the circumstances of Taylor's alleged involvement with a 16 year-old prostitute, this should somehow disqualify him from Hall of Fame eligibility.

The Major League Baseball Hall of Fame voting ballot contains a portion which states that players should only be voted in if they had great careers on, and off, the field. It says that their character, leadership and other human qualities help make them eligible. It is basically stating that "If Player X was a jerk, cheater, gambler, philanderer he should not be elected to Cooperstown." While I agree with this, to a degree, a player's enshrinement into a Hall of Fame should be dictated by their performance on their respective playing surface.

So now, back to Taylor. Lawrence Taylor is a Hall of Famer and he should always remain as such. If you remove him from the NFL Hall of Fame for a character issue, you have to also remove people like Ty Cobb (self-proclaimed racist and bigot) from Cooperstown, Michael Jordan (Gambling problem, cheated on his wife) from the NBA Hall of Fame and Michael Irvin (Drugs, Domestic Violence) from Canton. According to the ballot, Cobb shouldn't have been elected in the first place. You cannot keep someone out of the Hall of Fame just because they were a bad person.

This is where I state my case for Pete Rose. Did he bet on baseball? Yes. Did he EVER bet AGAINST his team? No. The man tore up the field for several years, set the mark for career hits which will never be broken and was nicknamed Charlie Hustle for his style of play. If you take his numbers alone, there is no way that Rose doesn't make the Hall of Fame but because Bart Giamatti decided to give him a lifetime ban from the game, Cooperstown has been devoid of one of the greatest hitters of all time.

Back to Taylor. Is what he allegedly did despicable? Yes, absolutely, without a doubt. Does it diminish any of his accomplishments ON the field of play? No, absolutely not, without a doubt. You can't take this man, or any other man, out of any Hall of Fame based on a character flaw. If you did that, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame would be empty based on drug use and infidelity alone. Unless you want to talk about letting Pete Rose be eligible for the Hall of Fame, leave things just the way they are.

Round One in the Books, Holmgren Still Team President

2010-04-23T14:15:00.002-04:00

I'd like a show of hands from people who thought that the Browns would bungle their first round draft pick. Shame on all of you! Mike Holmgren is in charge now! There is no way anything like the last decade of "drafting" would take place again. Ok, ok, I admit it. I was sweating bullets too. Up until the long "o" sound that came after the "j" sound, I thought the Browns would be the biggest blunder of the draft by taking Jimmy Clausen. Instead, the Browns shored up their defensive secondary a bit by taking Joe Haden from Florida. As for Clausen, Round 1 came and went and he stayed in the "Available" column. Wow.

Even more surprising was the fact that Tim Tebow, who some predicted as a late 2nd/early 3rd round pick, was taken by the Denver Broncos after they traded UP to get him! All in all the first round went pretty much according to plan. That is, until the Oakland Raiders went on the clock. JaMarcus Russel has been a complete bust for the Silver and Black ever since his holdout ended his rookie year. So we're all sitting there, waiting for the Jimmy Clausen pick to be made, but remember, I said he's still available. The Raiders seem to be moving towards an "11" defense where they use 11 Linebackers, no D-Lineman, no Secondary, just Linebackers. Granted, the Raiders are more than just one player away from contending again, but Linebackers rarely touch the ball. They can't effect the outcome of a game the same way a Quarterback can. I texted my friend the following after that pick: "Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr. Al Davis! I think he just makes picks to try to be that one Funny Guy Owner who is always like 'Hey ya'll, watch this pick! It's gonna be hilarious!'" and every other owner is thankful that Davis will never give up control because he will always make their pick look a little less dumb.

Sam Bradford went to the Rams as expected, Ndamakong Suh went second as expected and Gerald McCoy went third as expected. After that, it was pretty clear which players would be chosen it just wasn't very clear as to which order they would go in. Of course, ESPN ruined all the drama of the pick being read by Commissioner Roger Goodell by showing the player about to be picked either crying, on the phone, jumping up and down, hugging his family members or any combination of the four. Please, ESPN, lose about three cameras, move the draft start back to Saturday afternoon and keep it a 2-day affair.

In day two, I look for the Browns to find a Quarterback, and I'm hoping it's Dan LeFevour from Central Michigan. I think with with tutelage of Jake Delhomme, LeFevour can eventually take over the reigns a la Aaron Rodgers, minus the Hall of Fame waffler he's replacing. I also think the Browns will try to grab another couple guys on the defensive side of the ball and maybe a long shot offensive play maker. Whatever the case, Mike Holmgren will make sure Cleveland doesn't take Al Davis' title anytime soon.

12 Games In and my Head Hasn't Exploded

2010-04-20T09:22:00.002-04:00

As I watched the Indians play their first game of the 2010 campaign, against the White Sox in Chicago, I thought it wouldn't be long until my blood pressure reached a point where I could be in the danger zone for a heart attack. Then they won the next two games. I was able to calm down. Things were looking good. A trip to Detroit followed which saw the Indians blow a 7-run lead and lose in the 9th inning. I can remember shouting at the television and thinking to myself "This team is going to lose 100 games and I am going to have to start smoking five packs a day." When the got home for their Jacob's Field opener against the Texas Rangers, I was a bit more optimistic, until the bullpen brought out their gas cans and matches.

After a five-game losing skid, I was ready to write-off the season. But that's how we Indians fans are. It's how we've always been. We, as Clevelanders, are conditioned to expect the worst at the first sign of trouble. Things turned around though. The Tribe was sitting at 2-6, had one game left with the Rangers and then a three-game set with the ChiSox. That last game with Texas was looking grim heading into the 8th inning, that is until the Rangers remembered that they are the Rangers. Two errors and a ChooBomb later, the Indians were on top, 3-2 and David Huff told the men of fire to stay in the 'pen and let him get a complete game. Victory for the Tribe, first career complete game for Huff. Nice.

Now the Sux come into town and we're looking at our number five starter, Mitch Talbot (I never heard of half these guys!) against the perfect-game wielding Mark Buehrle. Paul Konerko, who has been KILLING the Indians for a couple years now, led off the second inning with a homer and every fan had that "Here we go again" feeling. But Talbot retired the next 12 South Siders that came to the plate. Then, in the 4th, the Tribe got on the board with an RBI from Austin Kearns and a 2-run blast from Luis Valbuena (Who had a Grand-Slam wasted in the Motor City). The White Sox got another run in the top of the 6th but Cleveland responded with three of their own in the bottom half, with help from some suspect defense. Talbot shut Chicago down the rest of the way and got HIS first complete game and first victory.

That was two in a row. One more, and we call it a "Winning Streak!" The Indians did just that. After scoring a run in the first inning, the Tribe bats went silent until the 8th inning when Asdrubal Cabrera smacked one out to right field and then Choo doubled home Grady Sizemore to give the Indians a 3-2 lead. Chris Perez then came on, but didn't bring flammable things with him. It was great. The only scary part was the long fly-ball by Konerko but Grady tracked it down.

On Sunday, the Indians went for their, get this, FOURTH straight victory. They started off the game hot, getting three runs in the 1st and then a ChooBomb good for four runs (we call that a Grand-Slam) out the Indians ahead 7-0. After that though, the Indians couldn't find a way to get another run home. The White Sox scored three runs in the 5th and then another in the 9th before Chris Perez came in to finish the job. I don't know what he did to fix himself after the s*** show in Detroit, but he's got four saves now and looking very good.

So, we sit at .500 with a great test over the next nine games as the Indians travel to Minnesota, Oakland and Anaheim. These games will tell us all we need to know about the season. I just hope that it's a positive message that gets sent to the fans, rather than one that shows us just how bad this team really is. If the Indians don't start hitting soon, it's going to be a bad year. This pitching is not going to carry us for the whole season. I hope my blood pressure can take it.

Quick Hits V

2010-03-01T10:13:00.003-05:00

I've got quite a few things on my mind so it's time for another edition of Quick Hits!

First, the Olympics are over after two weeks of very good action. I thought that I didn't like the Olympics but it's really just the figure skating I can do without. We saw some amazing highs including Apolo Ohno becoming the most decorated Winter Athlete in U.S. History and team Canada winning the hockey gold on their home soil. I would have rather seen Team USA win, but if they couldn't do it, I'd rather have it be Canada than anyone else. We also saw some lows including the death of the Georgian luger just a day before the games started and the horrible attitude of some Olympians including Evgeni Plushenko complaining about the judging in figure skating. All in all, I enjoyed the game this year.

Next, the NBA regular season is starting to wind down and we find the Cavs and Lakers still battling for the home court advantage throughout the playoffs. The Cavs won both regular season meetings with the Lakers so they hold the tie breaker as well. The Cavs just learned that Shaquille O'Neal will have surgery on his thumb that will most likely shut him down for the rest of the regular season. That shouldn't be too much of a problem though as the Cavs have a fairly easy schedule down the stretch with just two games against San Antonio and single games against Boston and Orlando (both home games) that stick out as possible pit falls. My playoff preview and predictions will be out in April when the seeds are set.

MLB's Spring Training is underway and games get underway later this week. A ton of players were on the move this offseason and you can read an in-depth season predictions article over at http://headsortailsdebates.blogspot.com that I write with my buddy Jason Kaminski. My predictions for the Indians will be coming soon but I wanted to at least wait until a few of the Spring games have been played to decide just how bad this team will be. I really hope I'm wrong and Manny Acta is the savior we've been waiting for but I'm not too optimistic.

March Madness is almost here too! I love the tournament. It's one of my favorite sporting events of the year. Three weeks of hopes, dreams and upsets. There is really nothing like it. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like the defending National Champion Tar Heels are going to make it to the dance. It's been quite the disappointing year for them and Roy Williams can't wait for the season to be over, it seems. I'll have predictions for the tournament in the next few weeks as well!

The Hockey regular season can resume now too. In the Eastern Conference, three teams (Tampa Bay, NY Rangers and Atlanta) are all within two points of the eighth playoff spot. The West is even more congested as five teams are within five points of the final spot in the playoffs. It will be interesting to see how the Olympic players come back from the tournament, whether they are energized or tired. All I know is that I can't wait for the NHL playoffs!

I went to Bowling Green this past weekend and got to see the men's Hockey team beat the #12/13 Michigan State Spartans 3-2 in a shootout. What a game! Bowling Green has struggled all season but have been putting up great fights in their last few outings heading into the CCHA playoffs. They are looking good at just the right time as they head to Omaha to take on the Mavericks of UNO. I like the Falcon's chances. While I was at the game I got to meet BG Alumni and member of the 1980 Miracle on Ice team, Ken Morrow. Awesome experience!

I think that covers things for now but I will be back soon with all those previews I've promised!

Hey Tiger, I Don't Care!

2010-02-19T11:57:00.002-05:00

By now, everyone has heard what Tiger Woods had to say in his pseudo-press conference this morning. About how sorry he is, about the mistakes he made and that he doesn't know when he's going to return to golf. You know what though? I don't care. Not one bit. His words mean absolutely nothing to me.

Let's start with a little back story. In 1997 I was 14 years old and I had never even dreamed of touching a golf club, until this young guy with a ton of charisma won the Masters. I wanted to do that too! I wanted to play golf for the first time in my life. Luckily, I had a cousin who was a Varsity College golfer and I got to go out and hit the links with him for the first time. I was bad. Really bad. But I knew that I enjoyed the time on the course and wanted to become better so that I could be like Tiger Woods. Tiger Woods was my favorite golfer. Though a very private person, he somehow made his fans feel connected to him.

It wasn't just me either. Golf's popularity has probably quintupled since Woods came on the scene. He and golf were on the rise and it seemed that Woods' greatness would never cease to be. All that came crashing down when it was discovered that Woods had been having an affair with, not one or two, but, 12 women. I guess we shouldn't really be surprised that a Super Star athlete was unfaithful to his wife, but if anyone says that they KNEW that Woods was getting in on the action (pun intended), they would be lying through their teeth. NO ONE saw anything like this coming from the Golden Boy who is threatening one of the game's greatest records.

I started to listen to Woods' press conference and then truly realized that I don't give one good damn about what he had to say. If this were the 127th ranked golfer in the world he'd just fix his marriage or get a divorce and move on with his life. But not Woods. Not the greatest golfer of this generation who could never be rattled. I think one of the parts that made me the most upset was apologizing to his "business partners." That just goes to show us that he doesn't care about golf the same way he used to. Today's golf headlines should be discussing what is taking place at the Accenture Match Play Championship, not what Woods had to say.

Ernie Els was one of the first to speak up about Woods' timing. He thinks it's pretty clear that this statement was made at this time SPECIFICALLY to take away from Accenture's (one of the companies that dropped Woods) match play tournament. How immature can one person be? That's Woods, not Ernie. When you mess up, you're going to pay for it, or in this case, not get paid because of it. Do you really blame a company for not wanting to be associated with someone whose adultered his marriage with multiple women? I am almost ashamed to be a golfer because it means I have something in common with Woods.

In addition to all this, Woods didn't even allow questions to be answered at this "press conference." I don't know why the press are still letting Woods call the shots. This man has opened his life up for all of us to see, kind of an unwritten contract of being famous, but wants privacy. You want privacy? Head out on your yacht. You messed up and many want to know what you're going to do to fix it. That is our right. I wish all major outlets would have boycotted the Woods "press conference." The Golf Writer's Association of America did just that and I applaud their efforts. They feel, and I agree with them, that by not letting the press be a true part of this statement it really makes the event lack credibility. But hey, look at Woods. He's all about lacking credibility. I hope he never gets it back. I used to root for "Tiger" to win. Now I will root for "Woods" to lose.

The Super Bowl Wrap-Up

2010-02-09T09:53:00.003-05:00

First off, I'd like to welcome you all to my 50th Blog. I have had a ton of fun doing this since I started it last summer. Thank you to all the people who have read it and make sure to tell everyone who loves sports to come back and check it out!

Now, on to the Super Bowl. What a game. Who here thought we were on our way to an Indy blowout when Pierre Garcon caught that touchdown pass to put the Colts up 10-0? I know I did. I thought for sure that Peyton Manning had figured out the holes in the Saints defense and would pick and pick at them until the game was way out of hand.

Instead, the Saints toughened up, held the ball for almost all of the 2nd quarter, went into the locker room down by just four, came out, did their Brass Balls "Ambush" play, went down, took the lead, gave up just one more score to the Colts, took the lead back and got a 2-point conversion. But then, Peyton had the ball in his hands and started matriculating the ball down the field, surely on his way to tie the game and make Super Bowl XLIV the first Super Bowl in history to go to overtime.

Tracy Porter and the images shaved into his head had different ideas. It was 3rd and five or six yards to go and the Colts went to their patented 3rd down play. Reggie Wayne make his way to about three yards past the sticks, cuts in and catches it at the marker, 1st down Colts. Unfortunately for Peyton, the Saints defense knew this was the play that was coming. They had seen it numerous times on film. Tracy Porter jumped the route, got away from Wayne, got a couple good blocks and took the ball all the way to the endzone. 31-17, Saints win the game.

After the game, Peyton was visibly upset. And, though he wouldn't say it out loud, I think a lot of it was directed at Reggie Wayne. Wayne looked old in this game and I have no idea why. His routes were sloppy, his feet were slow and on the interception, he barely attempted to get to Porter as he was streaking down the field. Not only that, but usually Wayne fights on his route to get to the ball before the defender. What happened? Was he suffering from some injury that he didn't tell anyone about? What was going on? I don't know if we'll ever know just what the problem with Wayne was, but he may have cost the Colts the game.

Let's talk about the halftime show for a second. Now, don't get me wrong, I love The Who and I think they are one of the ten best bands of all time, but that was not a strong performance and I think it's time for the NFL to get away from the old guys, get an up and coming performer, put them on a 45 second delay and do it. Roger Daltry's voice is nowhere near what it used to be and Pete Townsend looked exhausted after doing his windmills. It was a decent performance but I really feel that someone like Jay Z could have had a much better performance.

What are your thoughts on the Super Bowl? Let me know!

Time to Kill the Pro-Bowl

2010-01-27T13:50:00.002-05:00

It's that time, folks. Time to take the Pro-Bowl out to the woods, tie it to the tree and give it the Old Yeller treatment. Yes, we all love football and an extra week of it is always good but the Pro-Bowl has rabies, and it's spreading. The NFL is doing everything it can think of to save their All-Star game, but this year could truly show that it's time to put the old dog down.

Instead of having the Pro-Bowl the week after the Super Bowl, in the tropical sun of Hawaii, they have decided to hold it the week BEFORE the Super Bowl, on the same turf as the Super Bowl. Now, the positive in this is that no one will completely forget about the Pro-Bowl like they do most years. Instead, it's thrust into our faces like the specials at Applebee's. ESPN and the NFL will not LET us forget about the Pro-Bowl.

Now, let's look at the negative aspects this could have on the NFL. First, there's the turf. I know there is a full week between the games but did anyone see what numerous games did to the Citrus Bowl in Florida this year? A couple NCAA Bowl Games, a few High School Football games and we had a field that looked like the Battle of Gettysburg had been waged on. I can see it now, Peyton Manning dropping back to pass and stumbling over a huge chunk of sod that has been supplanted from the field by a 350 pound lineman.

And what do we do if this changing of the date DOESN'T boost ratings for the game? The NFL will then realize that it doesn't matter when this poor excuse for a football game is played. No one is going to watch it. What's the next step? I honestly can't think of another way that the NFL can make the Pro-Bowl matter.

Then there's the players. Having the Pro-Bowl the week BEFORE the Super Bowl guarantees that the biggest stars, on the best teams, will NOT participate! There is no chance in hell that Peyton Manning or Drew Brees are going to risk getting injured, in a game that doesn't matter, with the possibility of raising the Lombardi Trophy looming. What's the point of an All-Star game that doesn't have all the All-Stars?

I think I have a solution. The NFL needs to take the route of Baseball, Basketball and Hockey. Put it in the middle of the season. Give every NFL team two weeks off after week eight. Then you've got a week for the Pro-Bowl and a week off for everyone. Not only does this make the Pro-Bowl a better game to watch, you can also push the Super Bowl back a whole week, making the NFL season last just a little bit longer. Maybe it's not the best idea, but it's better than what is in place now.

Super Bowl 44 Set to Excite

2010-01-26T09:57:00.003-05:00

What a great Sunday it was. Both Conference Championship games were absolutely amazing and neither one disappointed. After the dust settled and the Overtime field goal was kicked, knocking the ageless wonder out of the playoffs, and possibly the NFL, we have a great matchup for Super Bowl 44 (I'm tired of the Roman Numerals, and I think the NFL will be too once we hit "50." I mean, seriously, who wants to watch "Super Bowl L?"). Peyton Manning and the high flying offense of the Colts against Drew Brees and the high flying offense of the Saints.

So, we've got two high octane offenses led by two quarterback's with great arms, one of which is a sure fire Hall-of-Famer and one who is continually making his case as one of the best field generals in the league. Peyton Manning has a trio of reliable receivers in Reggie Wayne, Dallas Clark and the Haitian Sensation, Pierre Garcon. Drew Brees has Marques Colston, Jeremy Shockey and Reggie Bush, not to mention the running of Pierre Thomas.

I think the only thing that really seperates the Colts and the Saints is their defensive units. I've seen the Colts step-up when the absolutely have to, like Sunday when they were down to the Jets and dug in their heels and came back to win. The Saints, while giving up 28 points, were still able to fly around on every play, pressure the quarterback (hitting Favre on numerous occasions), and get five turnovers, including an interception with under 15 seconds left in the game to send it to overtime. I think, overall, the Saints have a better defense, especially when it comes to creating turnovers.

So, who will win this game? Well, we've got two good stories here. First, as mentioned before, is the fact that Pierre Garcon is Haitian. He draped the flag of Haiti over the AFC Championship trophy during the presentation. As for the Saints, we've got the recovering city of New Orleans that was devastated by Hurricane Katrina, forcing the Saints to play almost all road games one season. And intertwined in all these stories is Archie Manning: the man who played for the Saints during their only other successful period in franchise history, whose son is Peyton Manning. I can't even begin to imagine the way his heart is pulling in two different directions.

Any way you slice it, the Super Bowl is going to be very exciting and probably one of the best of my lifetime but we will have to wait and see if that is truly the case.

Surprise, Surprise, Surprise...

2010-01-11T15:41:00.002-05:00

...but not really.

Mark McGwire has finally admitted that he used Steroids during his playing career, including the 1998 season which saw him break Roger Maris' record of 61 home runs. I guess I am torn about this. I'm glad that Big Mac finally came clean and decided to talk about the past, something he refused to do in front of a Grand Jury in 2005, but I'm also pissed because he lied to us for so long.

Now, we all knew he was lying but rather than keep the charade going, this should have come out a long, long time ago. Maybe if he would have come clean in those court hearings, other superstars would have followed his example. Instead, we still "don't know" whether or not Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens or David Ortiz took steroids.

McGwire decided it was time to come clean because he was going to be coaching young ballplayers for the St. Louis Cardinals, something I am vehemently against as noted in my blog back when this announcement was made. Now, if you're the Cardinals, aren't you rethinking the idea of bringing in McGwire, even just a little bit? Do you really want that media storm around your Clubhouse? Every home run that gets hit by a Cardinals player is going to be questioned. "I wonder how much Mark is 'helping' those players!"

The best part about him coming clean is the fact that we will finally find out what the Baseball Writers Association of America is going to think of steroid using players. Next year, when the Hall of Fame voting comes around, we're going to see what McGwire's fate is. I think he knows what will happen, which is why he waited to make his announcement until AFTER this year's balloting.

Anyway you slice it, the man was a cheater and he has tainted the game forever. If he and Sammy don't have that battle that year, maybe Bonds doesn't feel the need to juice, allegedly, and he doesn't blow up and hit 73 homers. He altered the game and there is no denying that fact. McGwire said in his statement that he wishes he never would have played in the steroid era. I wish he wouldn't have played at all.

Hall Of Fame Edition

2010-01-06T10:56:00.004-05:00

Today is the day that the Hall of Fame inductees will be announce by the Baseball Writers of America. There are 26 eligible players up for induction and to gain entry into the Hall and a player needs to receive a vote from at least 75% of the Baseball Writers to become a Hall of Famer. This year, there are ten first timers on the ballot. Included in the group are Roberto Alomar, Edgar Martinez, Barry Larkin and Fred McGriff. All in all, there are 15 first time nominees. Many of them will be a "one and done" vote as you must receive at least 5% of all votes to stay on the ballot. The Writers can vote for up to ten players but don't even have to vote for one. It's quite a procedure and it all comes together today.

So, who should go in? Well, first, let's look at the ballot.

New Candidates Returning Candidates
-Roberto Alomar -Andre Dawson
-Kevin Appier -Bert Blyleven
-Ellis Burks -Lee Smith
-Andres Galarraga -Jack Morris
-Pat Hentgen -Tim Raines
-Mike Jackson -Mark McGwire
-Eric Karros -Alan Trammel
-Ray Lankford -Dave Parker
-Barry Larkin -Don Mattingly
-Edgar Martinez -Dale Murphy
-Fred McGriff -Harold Baines
-Shane Reynolds
-David Segui
-Robin Ventura
-Todd Zeile

Of the returning candidates, I can really only see Andre Dawson and Bert Blyleven as finally getting the nod. Dawson is in his ninth year of eligibility and received 67% votes last year while Blyleven received 62.7% of votes, entering his 13th year of eligibility. These are the two I would vote for if I had a vote, but I don't.

As for the newbies, I like Roberto Alomar and Barry Larkin to get in on their first ballot. I think there are a few others that will eventually get elected in but they won't be first ballot Hall of Famers. Edgar Martinez and Fred McGriff fall into this category. Ellis Burks is another wild card. I just don't know if he did enough in his career to warrant entrance into the Hall of Fame.

There are also a few guys on this list who will fall short of the 5% needed to stay on the ballot. Mike Jackson, Shane Reynolds and Todd Zeile are three that I think will never be seen on a Hall of Fame ballot again.

Now, as for the future, Randy Johnson announced his retirement yesterday and in five years, he will be a guaranteed first ballot Hall of Famer. He has the second most strikeouts in history, 303 wins, a World Series title, a better Strikouts per Nine Innings percentage than Nolan Ryan and he obliterated a bird with one of his fastballs. Not to mention his perfect game in 2004, five Cy young Awards and 10 All Star selections. If Randy Johnson doesn't get in on the first ballot, I will eat my shoe.

Hopefully the announcement will come down at some point today as to who the Hall of Fame Inductees are. Once it does, make sure to check out my predictions to see if I'm right!

EDIT - 2:24 p.m.
The votes have been calculated and only Andre Dawson gets in. Really a shame as Blyleven misses by 0.8% and Alomar misses by 1.3% Sometimes I wonder if the Baseball Writers even like the game.

Boise State: National Champions

2010-01-05T16:01:00.002-05:00

Ladies and Gentlemen, last night your BCS Champion was crowned. The Boise State Broncos defeated the TCU Horned Frogs, 17-10 to finish their season (Regular and Bowl) at a record-tying 14-0. They beat the Pac-10 and MWC Champs, both of which went to BCS Bowls, and they also beat a total of five bowl teams in the regular season (Oregon, Bowling Green, Idaho, Nevada, Fresno State).

The Broncos went 12-1 last season, losing only to TCU, by one point, in a bowl game. In 2007, their only loss came on the road, to a Hawaii team that lost only one game, a BCS Bowl, to Georgia. In 2006, Boise State went 13-0 including a BCS Bowl victory over Oklahoma that we all remember. That's two perfect seasons in a four year span with no National Championships to show for it. Until now.

I say the Broncos declare themselves National Champions of all of NCAA Football. Why not? They meet the criteria. They are undefeated, the play in Division 1-FBS and the won a BCS Bowl. How do you not give this team the National Championship? Where is their Crystal Football?

They outscored their opponents 591 to 240. Other Division 1-FBS schools won't even schedule "Home and Home" contests with Boise State. They say it's because their stadium is too small. I say they're scared. They're scared of the blue turf, the fans in Boise and the coaching genius that is Chris Peterson. Oregon found that out first hand, as they were one of the first, if not the first, to schedule a "Home and Home." The result? Boise State-2, Oregon-0. Don't expect them to do that again.

If nothing else, the BCS needs to create a +1 game where, if two or teams finish their BCS bowl undefeated (in this case Boise State and the winner of the Texas/Alabama game), they should play each other to declare the winner the National Champion, otherwise the system remains flawed. The BCS is good at showing which teams do and don't belong in the roll of "Champion." Cincinnati showed us that. But to not give Boise State a crack at the big trophy is a shame.

The Bowl Season So Far

2010-01-02T09:07:00.002-05:00

First and foremost, I want to congratulate my Bowling Green Falcons for a great season that took us to a bowl game and saw us finish the season with a winning record. The new coaching staff that is in place is going to be great for a lot of years and I couldn't be happier with the direction this team is heading. That being said, we just couldn't hold on in the end to win the Roady's Humanitarian Bowl.

With 30+ seconds remaining, Freddie Barnes caught his final collegiate catch, and it was a touchdown to put the Falcons up by seven. Not only that, it was also his 17th catch of the game and 155th catch of the season, breaking Manny Hazard's single season record set back in 1989. FredEx was one of just a few weapons that the Falcons put on the field every week, was triple teamed and still had the talent to catch everything thrown his way. Unfortunately, the season didn't end with a victory. But what a game! Idaho had a 50 yard pass to get them in striking distance, caught a (questionable) touchdown with four seconds remaining and went for the 2-point conversion and got it. A well deserved win for the Vandals.

Speaking of well deserved, the Bearcats of Cincinnati got owned by Tim Tebow and the Florida Gators. Cinci looked like they didn't even belong in a bowl game the way they got manhandled. Tebow, alone, accounted for 531 yards of offense. Are you kidding me? Does the Big lEast know what "defense" is? Had Flordia wanted to put 70 points on the board, they easily could have. I guess the team really wanted to give Urban Meyer an easy time, knowing his heart is in a bit of trouble. "No need to worry or stress, coach. We're playing Cincinnati."

In other Big lEast news, Bobby Bowden went out on top at Florida State, taking down the Mountaineers of West Virginia. Rutgers seems to be one of the only Big East teams that can actually get it done when it counts. Anyways, it was nice to see Bobby Bowden go out on top (kind of). The man made that school's football program what it is and without him, they'd still be a bottom feeder in the ACC. Bowden goes out as one of the best coaches to ever coach the game.

One of the other top five coaches of all time, Joe Paterno, had a great day yesterday as well. The Nittany Lions of Penn State were able to take down LSU in a game played on a disaster of a football field. If I'm Capital One, I'm asking for my money back because my logo was ruined five minutes into the game. Chunks of sod were coming up any time someone tried to plant a foot. The field really helped Penn State slow down the usually fast Tigers.

It was a great day for the Big 10/11 all around as the Ohio State Buckeyes, led by Terrelle Pryor, took down an Oregon offense that was thought to be nearly unstoppable. Well, the Buckeyes held them to just 17 points. OSU dominated every aspect of the game. Ohio State offense racked up 419 yards of offense and held Oregon to 260. Ohio State held the ball for 41:37 while Oregon only had it for 18:23, a result of Ohio State running 89 plays to the Ducks 53. Oregon had 20 more penalty yards and one more turnover, one being a costly fumble into, and out of, the endzone which gave the Buckeyes the ball at the 20. Lagarrette Blount punched a Boise State player to start the season and his entire fan base in the gut to end the season.

And the best part of all of this??? There is MORE to come!!! We still get to see TCU and Boise State lock horns, the Big Ten can win it's 2nd BCS game of the season with a win over Georgia Tech and then on Thursday, Alabama and Texas go at it in a battle for the BCS National Championship. Look, I think the Bowl system is definitely flawed, but this is a fun game to watch and the more games, the better!

It's a GREAT Day in Cleveland!

2009-12-11T09:25:00.003-05:00

Cleveland Browns 13, Pittsburgh Steelers 6. Let me just type that again. Not so much for you, but for myself. Cleveland Browns 13, Pittsburgh Steelers 6. GOD that feels good! The Cleveland Browns came out of the locker room last night and played that game like they were fighting for their playoff lives and the did the unthinkable. They ended a, nearly, SIX year losing streak against the most hated team in Cleveland. More than the White Sox, Yankees, Bulls and Pistons combined. I could not fall asleep last night I was so ecstatic about beating the Steelers. And you know what? I really like what I am FINALLY seeing from this team! Let me explain.

First, their was the rushing game. Josh Cribbs lines up in the backfield in the Wild Cat. The Steeler KNOW he is going to be running the ball. He gets 14 yards anyways. Chris Jennings is a former CFL ball carrier, now he's got 73 yards on the Steelers Defense. In total, the Browns racked up 171 yards on the ground. Brady Quinn did not have a great night and the Steelers still could not stop the run.

Second, the defense. Are you freaking kidding me??? The Browns sacked Ben Worthlisberger EIGHT TIMES for a total of 60 yards. Not exactly what you want to hear about your quarterback who just had a concussion a few weeks ago. Being behind the whole game caused the Steelers to go away from the run (Only 75 yards rushing) and the Browns knew they would pass. The Browns pass defense has been weak but they stepped up big time and held Little Ben to 201 yards passing. With the sacks, that's a net of 141. The Steelers attacked the Browns' weakness and couldn't beat it.

Third, the coaching. Somehow, someway the coaches were able to get the players jacked up for this game, BIG TIME. The Browns seemingly have nothing to play for except a good draft pick and there was even the thought that Eric Mangini wouldn't make it through the entire season. Now this city and the players are loving the guy. He's let the reins loose a little bit and he's got this team fighting, tooth and nail, to the end of every game. Eric Mangini HAS to be the coach next year. The man can draft and we have ELEVEN draft picks in April. Awesome. We are going to have the chance to get a bunch of quality players and turn this team around for good.

It's a great day in Cleveland.

It's not a great day in Bowling Green. Freddie Barnes was passed over for the Fred Biletnikoff Award, given to the Nation's top Wide Receiver, for Golden Tate. Really? The kid who finished on a .500 team with 45 less catches than Freddie Barnes? More yards, more touchdowns, more receptions per game. But, because BG isn't in the National Spotlight like Notre Shame, Lame, Tame, _ame (They have no "D"), the award goes to Taint...excuse me, Tate. The Irish aren't even going to a bowl game because they are far too superior to put themselves in the position to possibly lose to a MAC team.

Barnes should have won it, hands down. He was the biggest weapon on his team, everyone knew the ball was going to him and they could do NOTHING to stop him. He's five catches away from breaking the single season record and should get that done in the Humanitarian Bowl against the Idaho Vandals. That's right. Bowling Green IS going to a Bowl Game, unlike the school from South Bend, Indiana. Go Falcons!

Manny Acta - What to Expect

2009-12-09T13:28:00.002-05:00

From the beginning of the Indians' Managerial search I was very critical of the fact that Manny Acta was one of the people being considered. I was even more disappointed that he was the man who was eventually hired. But I think I may have to re-think my position on this guy. First, it is clear that Acta had no talent to work with in Washington D.C. I think he is a born leader and it seems to me that all of the players he had looked up to him. Also, I read today in the Cleveland Plain Dealer that he is well respected by most of the league. That is a great thing. He's built a good coaching staff, including Sandy Alomar Jr. The only position he has left to fill is the bullpen coach.

The next thing that excites me about Acta is that he exudes a confidence that Eric Wedge never had and Charlie Manuel couldn't muster. He plans on giving this team all the confidence they need to go out and win ballgames. One of his quotes that struck me was "We don't want to compete. We want to win" which is the greatest mind-set a manager can give his players. The big test will be when the Indians lose a few in a row, because it will happen, and how he deals with it. Giving his team the ability to bounce back after a tough string of games is most important. I can honestly say that I never saw a "quit" in the Natinals, even when they were 30 games under .500.

Acta also believes that he has talent in place to compete and that this team is NOT rebuilding. While that may or may not be true, it is very important for the Indians' players to believe that they belong in the Majors. Again, it's all about the mindset that Acta puts his players in. He needs to keep the clubhouse upbeat and fun while getting his players to focus on fundamentals and achieving all they can. If he can do that, he and his team will be successful.

It's going to be very important for Acta to recognize the leaders of the team and let them take charge at times as well. It is equally important for those leaders to make themselves known. We can't have Grady sitting back and keeping quiet any longer. Give the man a "C" for his jersey so everyone knows, including him, that he is the leader of this team when it is on the field. Shake things up, make it fresh, fun, new. Make this team want to do its best.

Only time will tell just what Manny Acta can do with this team but I will be there, supporting the team, win or lose. Let's just hope that Mark Shapiro doesn't royally screw something up during the Winter Meetings to really put the Tribe behind the 8-ball.

Back in Black...Well, Back Anyways

2009-11-30T15:15:00.002-05:00

Actually, now that I think about it, I am back in black as I have mostly black on today. Whatever.

It's been almost two weeks since I last posted and quite a bit has happened. The first thing I want to talk about is the fact that I got to participate in the annual tradition that is the Lions playing on Thanksgiving Day. I was mostly excited because they were playing the Packers, my second favorite NFL team. Let me tell you, I did not have any thoughts that Ford Field would be just as amazing as it is. That building is a site to behold. I expected it to be a sanitized, watered down version of an NFL stadium, mostly because I think domes are stupid. I couldn't have been more wrong. That place was FILLED with character. Each side of the stadium was different. On the visitor's side it was a very "industrial" feel with a cement walkway that was very well lit. On the home side of the stadium, the walkway was a brick road with cast-iron fences in front of the seating sections. The lighting was not nearly as bright as the visitor's side of the stadium. It was a really nice contrast and gave it a feeling like they really want the home team to feel at home. All in all, it was a great trip as I got to see the Packers lay the wood to the Lions. Making it doubly sweet was the fact that I have Aaron Rodgers and Green Bay's Defense on my Fantasy Team (They both got me 23 Fantasy points).

Also, the Browns have had two games and lost both of them. One in heart-breaking fashion on an untimed down after a pass interference call on a "Hail Mary" by the defense. That was against the Lions...yes, the Browns lost to the Lions. Did I mention that the Browns were WINNING 24-3 in the FIRST QUARTER? They had the game in the palm of their hand and the Defense let it all go away. They made Matthew Stafford look like Peyton Manning leading a comeback like that. At first I was extremely pissed that the pass interference was even called...and then I saw the replay. The defender didn't really give the refs a choice. They HAD to make that call.

Then they lost to the Bengals. The Defense played a great game in this one, in my opinion. Some will say that offenses play conservative against the Browns because they know they will win. Well, I don't think that the Bengals purposely won by just nine points. The Bengals didn't let the Browns stick around like that. The defense earned it and the offense couldn't capitalize. Had it not been for Shaun Rogers' horse collar penalty at the end of the first half, the Browns are looking at needing a Touchdown to win the game. The Browns have now given up 10 points on untimed downs this season.

Tiger Woods wrecked his car. I don't care why, I don't care how, please stop talking about it. It's not news.

The Indians hired Sandy Alomar Jr. to be the first base coach and catcher's coach. This is a great PR move by the Tribe and I think it will pay off to some degree. First.....

This just in, Charlie Weis was fired.

...he'll be working with the Indians catchers VERY closely. Sandy was a great defensive catcher and under his tutelage I think the Indians' catchers will be some of the best at picking off potential base stealers. Second, there are some fans that will come just to see him in an Indians uniform again. Nevermind that Wyatt Torregas currently has number 15 on his back. That should change soon. Unfortunately, the Indians missed out on bringing back Omar Vizquel, another fan favorite from the '90's. He's going to the hated White Sox. Hey Omar, you're dead to me until you're out of that nasty city, ESPECIALLY since Shapiro actually did something smart and offered you a comeback.

I think that's all for now. Hall of Fame ballots are out and maybe I'll take a look at that next time.

What? Basketball Season Started???

2009-11-17T11:04:00.003-05:00

Well, I totally missed the boat on doing an NBA Preview. I'll tell you what, the NBA Season really does sneak-up on the world. You've got the NFL in it's Mid-Season, the NHL starting, Baseball finishing up and the NBA just gets lost in the shuffle sometimes. The Cleveland Cavaliers, for instance, have already played 10 games, winning seven of them. Surprising is that two of their losses have come at home, where they only lost two games all of last season.

The Cavaliers started out slow, learning how to play with each other and getting a feel for the way the new guys pass, shoot, play defense and move without the ball. Things weren't looking too good but the team has really started to gel and they are definitely heading in the right direction. LeBron is off to another great start, Shaq is finding his place in the offense and Z is having trouble adjusting to coming off the bench.

Cleveland had a great back-to-back in Florida last week, taking down the Magic and the Heat with great ease. Both teams were able to hang around for awhile but neither final score was telling of the game. The Cavs dominated both teams from the opening tip and were able to do all the right things to win. This included getting Dwight Howard into foul trouble early, in Orlando, and playing with extreme aggressiveness in Miami.

Mo Williams has been shooting out of his mind recently and I hope that is a trend that continues. Delonte West is having off the court issues and hopefully we'll see the signing of Antonio Daniels soon to take his spot. In all honesty, they should just sign him already and dump Coby Karl. The kid has played three minutes, in one game, and didn't attempt a shot. Why is he here? Daniels is a guy that can come in and contribute, especially with West sidelined for who knows how long.

In my opinion, this Cavaliers team is great. They definitely have a chance to win the NBA Title this year. They have to beat Boston though. I really thought that the Celtics made some mistakes in the off-season but all the changes they made are paying off. I did not expect Rasheed Wallace to do what he's doing, but the Cavs have Leon Powe coming back later in the season and he will be very helpful in a title run!

Finally!?!?

2009-11-07T09:11:00.003-05:00

All I keep hearing about is how "long" it has been since the Yankees won a World Series. I was actually rooting for the Yankees to win this year. I love C.C. Sabathia and really felt like he deserved to get a ring. But as soon as the final out was made all anyone kept talking about was how long it had been since the Yankees actually won it all. You know what? Bite me. Seriously.

The last time the Yankees won it all was 2000. Nine freaking years. That's it. Here in Cleveland, you know, the real world, we haven't sniffed a title since 1964. Sure, the Cavs went to the Finals a couple years back but did anyone really think we had a shot against Tim Duncan's Spurs? Not a chance. The Giants won the Super Bowl two years ago. It's not like the city of New York was aching for a championship win.

Let's put some things in perspective. The Yankees have now won 27 World Championships. That's one more than the Cardinals (11), Athletics (8) and Red Sox (7) combined. The Knicks have two titles, the Islanders, Rangers and Devils have combined for 11 Stanley Cups and the Giants have three Super Bowl victories. The Browns have never even been to the Super Bowl.

The last time the Indians were even in the World Series was 1997. The Yankees lost it in 2001 and 2003. Also, the Yankees have been to the World Series six times since the Indians last made a trip to the Fall Classic. I guess my point in all of these numbers and ramblings is SHUT THE HELL UP!!! I understand that many Yankee fans, including their former owner, consider anything other than a championship a failure. Well, that's just not the case. Be thankful for your 40 American League Pennants. Be grateful for your plethora of championships, not just in baseball, but in all four major sports. Yeah, the Knicks suck right now. But that's just God's way of evening things out. So quit your freaking whining and be thankful for the winning ways that you've (bought) had!

Jason Kaminski Responds

2009-11-05T10:42:00.004-05:00

Starting tomorrow, I will be participating in a new blog. I will also continue writing this one. The new blog, to be titled "Heads or Tails," will be a back-and-forth blog by Jason and I. We will discuss sports, movies, music and life in general. To get ready for that, Jason has written a blog in response to my most recent blog. Here it is...

It is a common theme these days to be hard on the Browns and Indians due to their lack of success. I thought this topic was a good one to discuss since it hits close to home for us both. Though I share a lot of the same sentiment that Matt does I have some differing opinions on a few things. First the Indians. We both grew up during a time when we just barely remember the bad days of the 80's and vividly remember the excitement of the 90's glory days. I do think it's sad when people "dismiss" teams as "their" teams because lets face it that is the definition of fair weather fandom. I feel I can never blindly follow a team and act like all is right with the world. Here's what I expect. Do what you can to win and don't lie to the fans who fund your paycheck. I believe the Indians SHOULD be questioned for their moves. I feel the Indians SHOULD take responsibility for bad moves instead of building up their GM like he's the second coming of Jesus. Other than the Colon for prospects deal, Shapiro has made bad move after bad move. I think that people who desert the team are weak but those who question it are passionate. We deal with "rebuilding" far too often.

Second the Browns. Here's where I differ greatly. I LOVE...repeat...LOVE the organized stayout and here is why. I have been a Browns fan my whole life and it was a very traumatic experience getting the team taken away from us. When the Browns came back people were just happy to have a team back in town. Fast forward to 10 years later. Our team is the laughing stock of the NFL and we were once the gold standard. Fans are tired of excuses. Fans are tired of the runaround. They are tired of losing. Embarrassed at what we've become. I have close friends of the family that have stuck by this team through thick and thin. They spend their hard earned paycheck on season tickets. It seems this team makes the same mistakes over and over and over. Bravo to fans who have the guts to stand up and say, "Look, enough is enough! We love our team so we will continue to buy tickets but we must do something in unison to show our disappointment." I actually wish they could do more because the Browns make some of the highest profits in the NFL and they have lost more than the majority of franchises in the last 10 years. ONE playoff appearance since returning and that was a fluke.

It is in my humble opinion that these things Lerner is trying to do to become more visible is directly related to the fans publicly displaying their displeasure. It's sad that we can not find competent front office people to stabilize this organization. What Matt views as fair weathered and sad I view to be some of the most passionate fan moves you will see. It's not that these fans are "deserting" the Browns. They paid their money for a product they are dissatisfied with. Season tickets are a big purchase for the blue collared, average worker. If you bought a car that performed like the Browns would you remain loyal to it? We love our teams but we expect more out of them than what we've been given. I don't want to hear "we should just be happy we have a team" because that train has left the station years ago. Now it's time we look like a real NFL team and not just a pity party gift from Paul Tagliabue.

So there you have it. Check out tomorow for the new "Heads or Tails" blog!!!

Time to Vent

2009-11-03T10:39:00.002-05:00

I know that I have been very critical of front office moves by both the Indians and Browns ever since I started writing this blog. I have questioned 99% of the things that each team has done. Some of it I have agreed with. Much of it has been the opposite. But you know what? I love these teams. I love the Indians. I love the Browns. They are MY teams. Always have been, always will be. As much as I have talked about boycotting the Indians if they do this or that, I could never do it. I love the team way too damn much. The same thing goes for the Browns. I hate how they are playing right now but when Sunday comes around I put on my jersey, sit in front of the television and scream my head off as I try to will them to the right decisions. It hasn't worked much but, hey, they won't go win-less. I love the city of Cleveland and I love the sports teams.

Now, the venting part. Why are there so many fair-weather fans in this world? Last Friday, at work, we had costume day. I dressed up as a Cleveland Indians baseball player. I must have received ten or 20 comments on how "scary" my costume was. What a load of crap! Many of these people are the same people that would've done the same thing 12 years ago when the Indians were playoff contenders every season. But now, just because we hit a rough patch, they don't want to associate with the team and call a costume representing a ballplayer as "scary." You know what I say to people like that? Go away. We don't need you. If you're going to be a fan, be a fan. If you're not, then fine. You know what though? Don't come back when that magical day comes and the Indians win the World Series. Don't show your face at the parade down Superior.

It makes me sick that Dawg Pound Mike would try to organize a "Stay Out" until the opening kickoff to make a point that the fans are unhappy. You know who else is unhappy? Randy Lerner. I know the man has been a very private person for most of his ownership period but he made two moves that I love. First, he stood in the Visitor's tunnel Sunday at Soldier Field as the Browns came off the field so they had to look him in the eye. They deserve it too. They are NOT earning the money they are being paid, well, most of them. Joe Thomas, Josh Cribbs, Kamerion Wimbley, these guys are earning their paychecks. They give their all on every play. Second, Randy Lerner decided to fire George Kokinis, less than a year after he was hired. Unfortunately, it was due to Lerner's own negligence that he was put in the position of needing to fire Kokinis. Lerner ignored the chain of command that should have taken place. He should have hired a GM, whoever he wanted, and then let that GM hire a coach. Instead, he let the coach pick his GM. Bad move. It looks like he is really taking the time to try and fix his mistakes.

As much as this team might make you angry, organizing a protest against them, after fighting tooth and nail to get them back after Satan took them to Baltimore, is absolutely ludicrous. This is OUR team. They will always be OUR team unless you turn your back. When you do that, you have no more rights to this team and I don't want to see you associated with them in any way, shape or form. When you do that, they are no longer YOUR team. So either be a fan or don't. No matter what, there will be fans and they will love this team...because they are OURS and no one can take that away from us....again.

Anyone Else Think This Might Be a Bad Idea?

2009-10-26T15:00:00.005-04:00

The last two seasons have seen the St. Louis Cardinals slug their way into the post-season only to watch their title hopes slip away. What is a team to do? How about hire one of your most famous alumni to come back and help out? That sounds like a good idea! I'm sure, even though he's almost 75 years old, that Bob Gibson could definitely show the Cardinals pitchers a few tricks!

They aren't bringing in Gibson? Well, it must be Ozzie Smith then! Man, he could definitely show those infielders a thing or two about defending their position. This is an awesome idea. The fans are going to love it, the team will respond well and they should definitely be able to move past that first round of the playoffs with him helping out!

Wrong again. How about Dennis Eckersley? I know he wasn't a Cardinal for an extended amount of time but, much like Gibson, he is a Hall of Fame pitcher with great credentials to help the bullpen out. He might even be able to turn Ryan Franklin into an even better closer than he already is. Plus, Tony LaRussa LOVES Eck. This is great.

Not him either? Ok, well who could it be then? Red Schoendienst? No way. He's 85 years old and there's not much he could do to help out. Steve Carlton? Orlando Cepeda? Lou Brock? No. All these people, even Red in his old age, would make more sense than the former Cardinal who is coming back to help St. Louis reach the World Series again. Mark McGwire.

What in the world are the Cards thinking? Do you really want this tainted big leaguer who was, at one time, a first ballot Hall of Famer around your young talent? I mean, just putting this guy in the same clubhouse as Albert Pujols puts a little doubt in every fans mind that maybe, just maybe, McGwire is "helping" Pujols out. I don't want that, and I know that Major League Baseball won't want it. Pujols and Derek Jeter are the good guys, may even be the only two left. Don't give us any doubt about one of them.

Yes, I know, McGwire had a magical season a decade ago and everyone thought he was the savior of the sport at the time. But that was before Congressional Hearings, the Mitchell Report and a 103-player list that may or may not have McGwire's name on it. It was before McGwire declared that he wasn't at the hearings to talk about the past and stated that he was there because, and I quote with grammatical errors caused by nervousness of having to possibly admit his steroid use, "I'm here because...because Steroids...is bad." They are bad, Mark, but St. Louis' decision to hire you is even worse.

Review of Stalemate: Silhouettes & Syllables

2009-10-22T10:01:00.001-04:00

About eight years ago, two friends of mine started a band, Jason Kaminski and Phil Martin. They found a drummer named Rob Schuster and Tooth Fuzz was born. For the better part of a decade, this trio from Elyria, Ohio has been playing shows all over the Midwest, opening for bands like the Starting Line and the Ataris and participating in the Vans Warped Tour with bands such as NOFX and the Transplants. In their early years they had influences ranging from the Foo Fighters to Sum 41. Now, they have outgrown pop-punk, outgrown the name Tooth Fuzz and become Stalemate. The same three guys have seen this whole thing through and have produced their best album, by far. I recently saw them perform many songs from the new album and was given a copy of the CD, Silhouettes and Syllables.

The first track, Dreams, starts with an extended intro of guitar chords seemingly played in reverse, fading to a clean instrumental opening to a song that quickly adds bass and drum to the mix. As the intro goes on, it builds to its climax which hears the guitar go to distortion for a crunching sound that leads to the first verse. This is where Kaminski really shines. His lyrical content is always full of meaningful material. This song is no different. We hear his vocals, talking about the dreams we all had at one time, with a very distinct bass line by Martin, amazing drum work by Schuster and subtle guitar plucking. The verses lead to a hard rock chorus in which Kaminski reaches for the limits of his vocal range and the angst and strain in his voice brings us to his revelation: “I don’t believe that everyone is wrong but they will never know what I’m really thinking so I can’t help to feel like I’m alone.

Ghost Town is next and it starts with a chilling open that leads directly to the first verse which is over only the guitar. The song talks about the hometown of the band and the despair and hopelessness that seems to envelope many of its citizens. A haunting acoustic guitar layered over the bass, drums and synthesizer are the focal points. Again, Kaminski breaks into a powerful chorus that is the complete opposite of the verses. A short acoustic break leads to a verse with the same extremes as the chorus. The song ends with an outro that has a faint sound of hope that things could get better sometime.

The outro from Ghost Town leads to Keep Moving On, a song about letting go of the past and being able to move past it. It starts light but you can tell it’s going to build into something much more and it does just that. Kaminski goes for his vocal peak in a strong chorus proclaiming “I won’t make the same mistake again, I’ll keep moving on.” A short bass solo by Martin leads to a perfectly placed keyboard and then Kaminski comes back with his guitar and sends our ears on a rollercoaster that reaches its highest point right before a keyboard trill fades in while the other instruments fade out.

Going Through the Motions is driving from beginning to end. This song really lets Schuster shine on the drums as he is let out of his cage. Each hit and kick is done with a purpose and it definitely has Schuster in the driver’s seat of the track. Kaminski’s vocals are an excellent mix of control and strain while Martin’s bass gives us a great background. The best part of the song takes place when Kaminski exclaims “Excuses all come easy!” and holds out the final note until letting the guitar end the track.

Next, Kaminski starts with calm vocals only on Planets. Shortly after the beginning the instruments come in and Kaminski hits his upper register and stays there for most of the song. Drums and bass are evident again with Schuster hitting backbeats and snare shots that penetrate the listener and only add to a great song. A short guitar solo ends the song on a very strong note.

Buckle up for the next track, What I Want to Believe. We hear Stalemate hauntingly remind us of the Kings of Grunge, Nirvana. Kaminski’s vocals are eerily reminiscent of Kurt Cobain and the slight punk undertones of the song meld together well with the grunge sound that has been a staple of this trio since its inception. There is no let-up in this song. From the moment the song starts, you are on a ride that won’t end until the band says so. Martin’s bass plays a great role in this song and keeps your heart thumping in time with everything else going on.

Streamline starts with a complete distortion of vocals and guitar alike. Another driving track is ahead with Kaminski straining his voice, and sounding great doing it. A bass solo in the middle leads to a calmer Kaminski making us think this song has reached its denouement when in fact he’s just preparing to unleash his final chorus on our eardrums.

Next, Stalemate goes Soul Searching. A great guitar intro leads us to the first verse where the bass and drums really drive the track. After the second verse, the kick drum starts off the chorus with the bass and guitar almost as an afterthought. Kaminski hits those high end vocals again, telling us “I searched for what I needed but I can’t fight this feeling, I’m on my way, I’m leaving.” After his extreme vocal to finish, we fade to the next track.

Southern rock undertones start us on a Long Ride Home. Kaminski again starts off in a calm voice, almost conversing with the person on the other end of his musical conversation before kicking us in the gut and telling us “I don’t owe you anything except a long ride home.” The solo that comes after the second chorus is a building, driving piece of art that starts with the bass giving us a prelude to a rock-a-billy guitar followed by a great round of drumming by Schuster. Kaminski’s vocal closing is him almost a crying that really gives this song a climax.

The next track is an acoustic one; just Kaminski and his guitar. His voice is nearly soothing in this song with great plucking on his guitar. It’s hard to describe the feeling you get when listening to this song. You’re waiting for a build that never comes, but in a good way. Kaminski really shows his vulnerability on this track that you would never think you would see coming from the other tracks. A lengthy outro gives the listener a feeling of calm with some mandolin mixed in for added serenity.

Our calm feeling doesn’t last for too long as Schuster takes to his tom-tom drums to start off the next track, Edge of Perception. The song builds, and builds with the bass and guitar coming in along with a synthesizer. Kaminski’s vocals build as well, leading us to a heavy chorus that tells us “Don’t let it go!” After the chorus we head back down hill only to build into the same driving chorus. Each chorus hears another layer of Kaminski vocals which sound phenomenal. A guitar solo leads us right back to a calm verse which builds right back up to the driving chorus.

The twelfth track is My Best Excuse, a song the band had recorded in the past but decided to update. Best. Idea. Ever. This version of the song is twice as good as the original. It starts off slow and clean and builds to a driving verse which features the vocals of Martin in the background and they are placed perfectly. Martin’s voice is a deep contrast to Kaminski’s which makes for a great sound. Once the chorus hits, you think the song is over but it’s just getting started. A slow build from nothing takes into a heavy guitar solo and a shouting refrain of “You don’t have me to blame!” with Kaminski and Martin shouting back and forth to each other.

The last track, Without You, is unlike anything that I’ve ever heard from this trio. A duet with Samantha Naelitz shows us the soft side of Stalemate…sort of. Kaminski starts with a verse and leads us to a harmonizing chorus with Naelitz that proclaims that “I’m doing fine without you in my life.” The first verse is a sharp contrast to this as it sounds as if he’s not doing all that well. Naelitz’ vocals on the second verse are absolutely beautiful. Her angelic voice carries us to the second chorus. A bridge with Naelitz and Kaminski going back and forth with a line each really gives us the Climax of the song, leading to a final chorus with Naelitz’ vocals drifting right over Kaminski’s to end a powerful, original album.

As a whole, this album is absolutely phenomenal, and each track evolves into something more than it seems at its starting point. The writing, both musically and lyrically, is light years away from it was when this band started its journey eight years ago. I highly recommend fans of all kinds of music to pick up this great, local masterpiece. Make sure you check out their MySpace page at http://www.myspace.com/stalemateohio. You will NOT be disappointed.