Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Scott Simon asks that you not sleep on Russell Wilson
With the best day of the year only two weeks away, Scott Simon gets us started with a love letter to Russell Wilson -- a true RFH-style, two-sport hero...
A few things to get out of the way right off the bat…
1. I went to the University of Wisconsin and have followed the program religiously since 2003.
2. I don’t work for ESPN, so this is not a promo for ESPNU’s Camp Confidential: Jon Gruden’s QB Series starring Russell Wilson tonight on ESPNU.
3. I am not bullshitting you.
Russell Wilson is the second best quarterback in the 2012 NFL Draft. I’ve got Luck first and Wilson tied for second, along with Robert Griffin III.
Now, let’s get two more things clear: I’m not saying Wilson is the second best quarterback prospect in the draft (he’s probably third), but he is the second best draftable quarterback right now and a future NFL starter.
Let’s also quell the notion that this is some badger-bias bologna and that I just feel like pumping up my boy. That’s not what this is either. I’ve seen a ton of quarterbacks come through the Wisconsin program, the big ten, and the entire nation. Few quarterbacks I’ve seen are as accomplished as Russell Wilson in the history of college football. Four years of superb play includes All America honors twice. He’s second in ACC history in total touchdowns. He’s the most efficient passer in the history of college football. Put that and Brandon WEEDen in your pipe and smoke it.
With actual talent around him, Wilson’s senior year was impeccable. 33 TDs and only 4 INTs with a 72.8% completion percentage with a ridiculous 10.3 YPA (second in the country). My favorite stat: he misfired only 84 times all season (6.5 per game)! A unanimous first team all Big Ten selection, Wilson also rushed for over 300 yards and five scores. Now remember Wilson only made it to Madison in July and had a short time to get to know his teammates (who eventually named him a captain), coaches, and their tendencies.
He’s everything you could want in a quarterback outside of the obvious: he’s short. I’ll get back to that in a moment.
Let’s build the perfect QB, shall we?
The first thing you need is smarts. Wilson graduated NC State in three years and picked up Paul Chryst’s pro-style playbook in a month.
Second, and this is just my personal opinion, I want accuracy. If you can’t complete passes you can’t play. You hear me, Tim Tebow?
Third, I’d like athleticism. Wilson was drafted by the Colorado Rockies in the fifth round and was going to ply his trade as a second baseman or outfielder until he decided to give football (real football, not that ACC crap) a go. He runs a 4.5 forty and with a 34 inch vertical. Forget numbers. Watch this.
Fourth, toughness. If you can’t stay on the field, what good are you? Wilson played four straight seasons and has no injury history whatsoever.
Fifth, some leadership skills would be great. Wilson was named a captain at NC State (no surprise) AND Wisconsin (pretty remarkable given the short time he was on campus). I’ve got leadership fifth because Eli Manning is no General MacArthur and he wins, and Tim Tebow is a tremendous leader and he’s, well, awful. In short, Wilson has leadership qualities in spades. It might be one of his best characteristics.
Sixth, a good arm is always nice to have. RW has that too. He can throw the route tree. Hell, he can throw the route tree on the run.
I’ve got size seventh. And here is where we’re stopped in our tracks by the elephant in the war room. Wilson is 5’11 in his Adidas, which means he’s a QWERTY row from being average NFL QB height. This would concern me if I didn’t know any better… but I do. Wisconsin’s offensive line is one of the biggest in football. Not college football. All of football. Their center, Peter Konz, is 6’6”. The tackles go 6’7” and 6’8” respectively. Wilson had no problem throwing over them thanks to his unique overhead throwing motion. This isn’t that David Carr three-quarters nonsense.
Work with me here. Pantomime throwing a ball. Go ahead. I’ll wait. You’ve got it cocked by your ear right? Now raise your arm six inches. That’s Wilson’s unique release point. (You can take your arm down now.) And because he’s such a tremendous athlete, Wilson doesn’t need to be in perfect form each time for him to be effective throwing the rock (hi, Kirk Cousins). And because he’s smart and a veteran, he can see windows to throw better than some of these novice QBs, or system QBs entering the draft like Brock Osweiler (only a year of actual game experience). The fact that he’s got great feet and can move is really just an added bonus and perfect for moving the sticks on third downs.
Let’s look at the top two QBs for a hot one:
I think Andrew Luck is probably the easiest #1 overall decision since Michael Vick in 2001. He’s got everything I’d want in a QB. He ticks all the boxes. #1 for me. No doubt.
Robert Griffin III and Wilson had very similar seasons. Eerily similar, in fact. Their numbers are close, and they both led their teams to 10-3 records. Here’s why I have Wilson ahead of RGIII: In conference play, Wilson was much better. RGIII threw four INTs which resulted in three of Baylor’s losses. Wilson threw two in all of conference play (both at Michigan State where the Badgers lost on a hail mary). The Big Ten was probably the defensive conference then the basketball-on-grass Big12, but I don’t have the inclination to test that theory. I do know this, Baylor’s defense ranked 114 (out of 120) in the nation. Perhaps it was because they were on the field so often because the offense was putting up points. Or, were they so bad that Griffin and the offense needed to carry the team, and thus, his numbers are ‘inflated’ out of necessity. The truth, likely, lies somewhere in between.
Now, I can find faults in the rest of the QBs in this draft class. From Ryan Tannehill’s average completion percentage to Brandon Weeden’s age, and Brock Osweiler’s erratic play to Kirk Cousins noodle arm and wimpy athleticism all come with serious holes.
You can likely throw out Cousins and Osweiler right away. Neither will be major contributors. Cousins is a system kid with a good head but little in terms of NFL desirables. Osweiler, who I admit to having seen little of, has been labeled with “high bust potential” by several scouts.
And I wouldn’t trust Tannehill or Weeden either. You know who the most decorated, Big12-seasoned QB in the league is? It’s Josh Freeman. Then Colt McCoy. (The jury is still out on Sam Bradford. It has to be).
You can argue Griffin III over Wilson with me. That’s fine. RGIII has all the tools to be a fine NFL starter and franchise QB (despite his Big12 background), but don’t tell me Ryan Tannehill, Brandon Weeden, Kirk Cousins or Brock Osweiler are better players than Russell Wilson. In time they could be, but I highly doubt it. Wilson is everything I’d look for in a leader and gun-slinger. He should be the third quarterback off the board at the end of the month, but as we all know, he won’t.
Sorry for getting all Tom Hanks on you. I just really, really like Wilson.
Thursday, April 5, 2012
New Day for the Dodgers
Last week a friend of mine from college asked me to write a piece for his new website about Magic Johnson, et al's, purchased of the DOdgers for $2 bajillion. I accepted, but what came out was more about Frank McCourt's departure than Magic's entry. Enjoy.
To say that Mr. McCourt left a sour taste in this, and most, Dodger fans’ mouths would be a gross understatement. He was a carpetbagger is the truest sense, the Boston mogul come West to poach a fledgling former champion with the sole intent of personal gain and notoriety. It’s difficult to express the full extent of my disgust with Mr. McCourt, so allow me to explain my connection with the Dodgers and what his expulsion means.
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Mike Tomlin, Draft Ninja
Word is Tomlin and Kevin Colbert were at Michigan State's pro day and all over (previously unheard of by me) safety Trent Robinson:
Looks like the dinner with the noodle-armed (Scott Simon's words) future backup wasn't necessarily a smokescreen, but potentially a reconnaissance mission by none other than the baddest man to wear a coaches headset. You're a bad man, Mike Tomlin.The Steelers' braintrust showed up in East Lansing today to scout the Michigan State pro day, and they apparantly (sic) weren't there for DT Jerel Worthy, WR/RS Keshawn Martin or TE Brian Linthicum. According to a tweet from draft pundit Tony Paulice, Colbert and Tomlin were "all over safety Trent Robinson."Trenton Robinson is an athletic, quick three-year starter at free safety for Michigan State who intercepted seven passes the last two seasons. He's a 5-9 3/4, 195-pounder who just turned 22 last month.At the combine, Robinson ran a 4.52 40 with 15 bench reps and a 35-inch vertical jump. Catch him on a replay of the Big 10 championship game when he made 12 tackles against Wisconsin. I believe he's a third or fourth-round prospect.Was it smoke for the aforementioned three players? Doubtful, since Tomlin and Colbert are not the types to waste time, but Worthy (6-2.3, 308, 5.08) and Martin (5-11.4, 188, 4.45, 39.5 vj, 6.85 3-cone) are certainly interesting prospects.
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Say no to Jeff Backus
You don't want this, Scott Simon. You want the Steelers to say no to Jeff Backus.
Monday, March 12, 2012
Monday, February 20, 2012
One Day Kevin Durant Can be the next Carmelo....If things work out
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| Hang in there Melo you winning machine |
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Mea What????? Why Von Miller is Still Overrated
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| I remember my first coverage sack....loser |
Reason #1Von Miller still sucks Size: As a 3-4 outside linebacker Miller is grossly undersized. Standing at 6’2 and weighing 237 Miller is too light to play the 7 technique in the NFL.
The number one problem with being undersized is that you wear down during the course of the season. Miller showed that he simply could not stay productive as the season wore on. The statistics back this up.
Monday, January 9, 2012
An In-Depth Look at the Men Behind the Curtain: NFL GM's: Josh McDaniels
This is a RFH Collective signature series featuring the men who make the personell moves in the NFL. Check out other Behind the Curtain articles on Ozzie Newsome, Phil Savage, A.J Smith, and Thomas Dimitroff
One of the biggest story lines this week is of Josh McDaniels reunion with a Broncos team he supposedly left in tatters at the end of last year. At the time of McDaniels departure the Broncos were a 4-12 team with a number of aging vetrans and few up and coming prospects. McDaniels was excoriated for both the 2009 and 2010 drafts that were seemingly filled with busts. It seemed like our man Josh was the poster boy of an Xs and Os man who should never be allowed to shop for his own groceries. Then came 2011. Out of nowhere the Broncos were one of the best teams in the AFC, and despite adding some new talent (I admit Von Miller is good), many of the key performers were McDaniels hold-overs. With this story on the tip of everybody's tongues lets take a behind the curtain look at the Broncos drafts of 2009 and 2010.
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
The First Annual RFH Collective Fantasy Hoops League
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| RFH Collective fantasy hoops. Do it. |
You can join the league here.
Password: rfh.
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Things I am thankful for: Offensive Lineman
Most of the time the importance of offensive linemen renders me speechless. There is no other position in sports that combines massive size, agile feet, smarts, and toughness than tackle, guard or center. For these reasons I am thankful to these modern day heavy weight gladiators. Thank you offensive lineman.
Monday, November 28, 2011
The Dry Erase Board: Bo Ryan's Swing Offense
For the second installment of The Dry Erase Board series we will be heading back to Big Ten country and taking a look at Bo Ryan's Swing Offense. Much like our first subject John Belein, Bo Ryan has coached his way up the collegiate ranks from Division 3 to high major Division 1 and kept it more real than any coach ever has by staying in Wisconsin the whole time. That alone deserves its own blog series. Maybe we'll call it "Real G's: Coaches That Keep it Real" or something of that nature. Anyway, I digress. Without further ado I give you Bo Ryan's Swing Offense.
The General Concept The Swing is a continuity motion that is a direct off-shoot of the Flex Offense. Anyone who has ever played organized basketball beyond the 6th grade has run the Flex and to be honest it is by far my least favorite offense ever. The Flex is boring and predictable and designed for teams that have no idea how to play basketball. Every now and then you can score against a really bad defensive team but in general it is not particularly potent. With that being said, I love the Swing. Bo Ryan has used good parts of the Flex, replaced the bad ones and created a continuity motion that can be run at all levels. Teams that run the Swing typically use it to compliment a disciplined man-t0-man defense, control tempo, limit turnovers and physically punish an opposing team's defense through a series of never-ending screens.
The Action The Swing operates from the same 4-out, 1-in base spacing as the Flex. The 5-man runs to the ball side of the rim, the 2 and 3 run wide to the wings and the 1 and 4 fill the alleys. The Swing can be initiated in many different ways and coaches have the freedom to develop quick-hitter sets as they see fit but for the purpose of this blog we will walk through the base movement. Like the Flex, the Swing is initiated by a ball reversal and a baseline back-screen between the 5 and 2. However, instead of reversing the ball to a stagnant 4-man who may struggle to make the next play and risking a "pick-6 turnover" (one that leads directly to a break away lay-up) the Swing calls for the trailing 4-man to screen away for the 3-man on the wing so he can come open for a jumper/curl or simply catch the reverse pass and continue the motion. Much of the action in the Swing calls for big-to-small screens so switching is not a good idea. Once the 3-man catches the reverse pass from the 1, he looks for the 2-man coming off the back-screen from the 5 either for a lay up or a post catch (depending on the player's skill set). This is where the Swing breaks off from the Flex completely. Instead of reversing the ball again after the weak side screens for one another (1 to 5) and then starting the baseline back-screen motion all over, the 3-man passes to the ball-side corner (4) and then receives an up-screen (set at the elbow) from the 2-man who just flashed into the post. The 2-man then shapes up for the jumper after he sets the screen and the 4 looks to the hard cutting 3 for a lay up/post up. If not there, the ball gets reversed around again and the motion resets. The actual motion is great but the really deadly part of the Swing is getting to where the players know when to counter the action and catch defenders cheating.
The Players Unlike the 2-Guard, I believe many different types of players can be fit into the Swing. Perimeter shooting isn't nearly as vital and players hoops IQs don't need to be quite as high. Players with non-traditional skills sets for their position (guards that post, bigs that shoot) can find a home with Bo Ryan. There is one thing that is 100% necessary and that is physicality. Players 1-5 have to want to screen defenders and enjoy "head hunting". One poor screener or soft player can ruin the entire possession. Hitting the weight room is just as important, if not more important, than anything that is done on the court. I believe the Swing allows coaches to have a few one-dimensional guys out there and not be completely exposed. Bo Ryan has a direct line to hay-bailing, strong-jawed Mid-Westerners to fill his roster so all his assistants need to do is find one stud players with NBA talent. One player that can make a tough shot and make a play in the last 15 seconds of the shot clock because you will find your self there quite often.
The Strengths Like many basketball "systems" the Swing does a great job hiding weaknesses and minimizing talent differences. The Swing does this by slowing the pace of the game, minimizing turnovers and forcing opponents to absorb 25-35 seconds of pounding on the defensive end. Everything is clean and within the rules but the defense knows that every time the ball moves you are going to get hit and hit hard. The defense gets lazy and tired and they may start racking up fouls or giving up lay ups. A ten point lead in a game that is paced by the Swing might as well be a 20 point lead and the frustration sets in. If your opponent goes to down and takes a quick shot (even if it's a good one) they know they will be back in the meat grinder seconds later and now their tempo is effected as well. Plus, you can expose post-up mismatches regardless of the position with any intentional designing. That is by far my most favorite element of the Swing.
The Weaknesses As evident by many of Wisconsin's performances the Swing can create a very low scoring affair. I'm talking peach basket scores. Teams that run the Swing can get bogged down in the motion and forget to look at the basket. It is certainly not a crowd pleasing or pretty style of play and I am sure many potential recruits are turned off by the pace of lack of freedom. As a coach who used it for a season I did find that the structure of the motion sometimes disabled the players instincts and accidentally turned them into screening robots.
Conclusion The Swing, like many other "systems" has its fair share of strengths and weaknesses but at the end of the day it does what it is supposed to do; give the program an identity and a chance to win. Bo Ryan has won every where he has gone and does not apologize for the way he does it. Like many niche systems, I don't think the Swing is an appropriate style of play if a team is loaded with elite talent but with one or two elite players and a bunch of tough guys it will win you games. If you don't like the Swing or Bo Ryan's teams then keep it to yourself. If not, you will be viciously back-screened someday while walking to your car.
Next on The Dry Erase Board...University of Arkansas-Mike Anderson's 40 Minutes of Hell 2.0
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
What Do We Think of the Amnesty Clause?
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| Rashard Lewis: Potential Amnesty Candidate |
I wrote the following for ClipperBlog, and while it's about how the amnesty clause relates to the Clippers, I'd love to know everyone's thoughts on the proposed details (as described in the post), possible candidates, implications, whatever...
The notion of an amnesty clause is exciting to many fans. Most teams have at least one “bad” contract — many have more — so it figures that people would embrace the opportunity to see the franchise for which they cheer drop the most undesirable in favor of a roster spot and cap space for a potentially better player. But it also portends more player movement, which we as fans also tend to enjoy, especially in a time when barely anything basketball-related is happening at all.While opposition to it based on the somewhat hypocritical message that some individual owners will be sending by simultaneously crying broke and angling for a new way to spend money (much more on that here) appears futile, the whole idea is incredibly unfair to teams that have been successful at not handing out bad contracts. Like the Clippers.Even if there are provisions to give such teams the chance to amend a future mistake, as backwards as that may be, you can’t help but wonder just how drastically the advantage accrued by managing the cap responsibly will be slashed.
Friday, November 4, 2011
Team Earthbound
The Gold Standard: Wes Unseld
Measurements: 6'7, 250
Notable Accomplishment: Career average of 14 rebounds per game (9 defensive)
Earthbound Superpower: Outlet passing, defensive rebounding
Any discussion of an earthbound player begins with Wes. He was a bruising presence who dominated the glass. He lead an unspectacular Bullets team to a championship while also being named to five all-star games. Unseld's biggest contribution to the game was his uncanny ability to throw full court outlet passes from his chest. Take that Kevin Love!
Thursday, November 3, 2011
The Dry Erase Board: John Beilein's "2 Guard-Offense"
There are two facts all basketball fans should be accepting right now. 1) We won't be watching professional basketball for at least another month or so and 2) No matter how much we love college basketball, it is not as good. Watching two teams play super hard is only fun if they are playing hard AND playing well. Let's face it, there is a ton of ugly, 48-46 college basketball games and that's even at the highest levels. There is excitement for the upcoming college basketball season not only because of the NBA lockout but because the power teams are littered with NBA talent and no matter what "purists'' say that is what we all want to see. Since the large majority of college teams are not blessed with elite physical talent hoops fans have to find some other way to be interested in the product. One of the ways basketball nerds can find enjoyment in college hoops is watching "systems" instead of players.
Basketball systems, or playing styles, are created by the coaching staff to provide the program with an identity. In "The Dry Erase Board" series (who uses chalk boards?) I will breakdown some of college basketball's more unique systems that maximize talent and hide physical shortcomings. And no, the "Pro-Style" or "Dribble-Drive" offense will not be featured. To quote Coach Cal from a Nike clinic I attended the key to the "Dribble-Drive" offense is to "have more talented and athletic players than your opponent"...pure genius. Today we will look at Upstate New York's own John Beilein and his "2 Guard Offense". (Interesting note: Beilein has been a JUCO, D3, D2 and D1 coach for 35 years and never an assistant)
The General Concept An off-spring of the Princeton offense, the 2-Guard offense emphasizes unique floor spacing, back-screening, hard cuts to the basket and perimeter shooting. The 2-Guard is most known for having 4 offense players on the perimeter (2 in the slots and 2 on the wings) and 1 post player that positions himself between the foul line and the top of the key (i.e. Pittsnogle). When spaced correctly the players should form a flat "X" and the deep corners should be left unoccupied for cutters to fill.
The Action The 2-Guard offense is sometimes unfairly labeled as a "continuity" offense where a pattern can be run over and over (i.e. the "Flex" or "Swing") but it's really more of a quick hit motion like the "Triangle". The action is determined by the first pass made and that pass triggers a serious of deep corner cuts, back screens, down screens and pick and rolls. No matter what action is triggered it depends on one important element; shooting. The idea is to get the defense spread out and off the help-line which neutralizes shot-blocking and athleticism.
The Players Many times unique offensive systems are created because not all programs can recruit the elite talent so they recruit the talent that is right for them. John Beilein's programs are a perfect example of this philosophy. I recently had the opportunity to sit-in on two University of Michigan practices. The first thing I noticed was how physically unimposing the roster was as they came out on the court. The second thing I noticed was how unbelievably quick they were to pick-up on everything the coaching staff put in front of them. The number one skill a John Beilein player must possess is basketball IQ. The actual system is not that complicated and it doesn't come attached with 30 set calls but the players must know how to play the game. 18-22 year-olds must know how to play like old dudes at the Y who have lost there athleticism. If basketball IQ is skill 1A) then shooting is skill 1AA) and arguably even more important. The 2-Guard can only operate at full-strength when all 5 players on the floor are knock down shooters. It can be argued that some of Beilein's struggles at Michigan can be attributed to the fact that he hasn't found that guy yet. Since players 1-4 in the 2-Guard are for the most part interchangeable you do not have to have a traditional point guard or power forward on the roster, which are two of the hardest positions to recruit. Ultimately you need to recruit players with versatile skill-sets who are a knock down shooters, are somewhere between 6'2"-6'7" and know how to play. So pretty much Euros...
The Strengths Like all effective "systems" the 2-Guard offense does an excellent job of emphasizing strengths and hiding weaknesses. If your team doesn't feature elite athletes the floor spacing that is created by the 2-Guard generates the space needed to get to the basket for high percentage shots either through cuts, back screens or dribble drives. Of course the 3-point shot is a major weapon and is associated as the vocal point of an offense like this. However, it is the the threat of a 3-pointer in your face that is more important than the actual shot. That threat starts forcing a defender to hug his man and neglect his helpside defensive duties leaving the basket open for uncontested lay-ups. The video above is a perfect example of a more talented Michigan State team uncharacteristically giving up easy buckets and leaving the rim unprotected.
The Weaknesses Smart coaches will stay true to the "live by the 3, die by the 3" philosophy and not panic if a couple of bombs drop in and the building is rocking. For the most part, teams do not lose from 3-pointers. Even if a team goes 12 for 20 from 3-point land that's still only 36 points, so how did they score 80? Teams should stay true to protecting the rim from the weak-side and making the other team contested jump shooters. The trap that 2-Guard teams fall into is too many jump shots, long rebounds and run-outs the other way. However, teams defending the 2-Guard do want to limit corner threes by not helping on dribble drives from the strong-side creating easy drive-and-kick opportunities. Stay at home and force the ball-handler to finish over help. If the center is not a great shooter than the other team can have their 5-man protect the rim at all times which is why it is important for the 5-man to be a shooting threat.
Conclusion Like many systems that are dependent on shooting the 2-Guard offense can be either unstoppable or extremely stoppable, there is no in-between. It looks like Michigan is going to land blue-chipper Mitch McGary, a skilled and athletic 4-man, and it will be interesting to see how an elite-level talent fits into this niche style of play. As a coach, I was on the bench when we whooped teams trying to run this and and I have sat there helpless when it was kicking our butt. Like 99.9% of all other situations in life the key is still talent, both on the court and on the sideline.
Next feature...University of Wisconsin: Bo Ryan's "Swing" Offense
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Widdoes Preview of the Pats/Steelers Football Game
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| Bring it. |
Sheesh, after reading the Hendrie's game preview I feel like I've been standing in line at the Cask 'n Flagon, getting heckled for not wearing black boots, a leather jacket and a head full of grease (covered up by a backwards Red Sox cap). Rap sheet this, tabloid innuendo that, can we talk about football, please?
I mean, everyone knows the Pats haven't won a Super Bowl since being convicted of cheating...there just isn't much more to say about that.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
The Steaks were Ray'sed
The RFH Collective is connected not only by the man whose initials form its name, but also by two sets of birthdays that are miraculously close together. Charlie and John were born about a month apart, and Sam and Dave two years and one day apart. The latter tie brought the entire Collective together in our nation's capitol last weekend for the first annual RFH Summit, a celebration of birth, food, all things athletic. Like any convention of influential power brokers, we made sure to fit wholesome meals in between informative seminars and spirited, occasionally contentious meetings of the minds. Indeed, we needed to fuel the fire.
It began on Friday night, when Dave and I prepared for the brotherly arrival with a couple Taylor Gourmet subs. No doubt they provided a nice base layer for the night ahead, but our chicken cutlet subs were decidedly too bready. But worry not, the grub would only improve. The next morning, Charlie and I awoke to fulfill his only demand during this trip: the bacon, egg and cheese croissant at Firehook Bakery. I promise you, it beats the crap out of any bacon, egg and cheese you've ever had. Why? Freshly scrambled eggs, crispy bacon, fully melted cheddar cheese, and a perfectly flaky, just-greasy-enough croissant. Anyway, it had to be good -- we wouldn't eat again for nine hours.
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| Our last meal....until like 9 p.m. |
Friday, October 7, 2011
Barack Obama: The Jobs President
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| Water The first issue I decided to discuss is jobs, and more specifically, how our President's administration has fared in regards to creating and saving them. This issue is especially poignant to most of our readers because they are young, recent college graduates, looking to find their way into the job market. When looking at the job market it is hard not to be pessimistic. The recent labor department employment numbers show that despite the economy adding 103,000 jobs, the unemployment rate is still staying at a stubbornly high number of 9.1%. This number has been above 8% for over a year, and should remain high for the foreseeable future. At this moment many of you are probably wondering how these dismal numbers translate into a post about our President being the ultimate jobs chief executive. Let me tell you why. |
NFL Draft Revisited: AFC East
Patriots
17 Nate Solder: Starting right tackle in place of Sebastian Vollmer
33 Ras-I Dowling: 3 tackles in two games played.
56 Shane Vereen: Injured
73 Stevan Ridley: 148 yards on 18 carries (8.2YPC) and 1 TD
74 Ryan Mallett: 3rd String Quarterback
138 Marcus Cannon: Injured (PUP)
159 Lee Smith: Cut
194 Markell Carter: Cut
219 Malcolm Williams: Cut
What I said in April: "In addition to the trading mastery, the Pats also picked six players who we are confident will be rotation players eventually....Solder is a franchise left tackle, he is a man mountain with great arms and hands....Dowling is great value at pick 33 considering he would have been a top 15 pick if he wasnt injured this past season....Vereen is a young Kevin Faulk while Ridley will be a solid first and second down power back...We did not rate Mallett very high, but the more information coming out about him, the better he seems...Maybe the best pick for the Pats was Cannon at 138. He was slated to be a top 50 pick before a cancer diagnosis."
What has happened so far: Solder continues to show us that he can one day step in for Matt Light and become the teams next left tackle. During the first four games he has struggled at times, but has also shown some flashes of dominance in pass protection. His performance in week one against Cameron Wake should excite Pats fans about the future. Injuries have taken a toll on the depth of this draft class. Neither Vereen or Dowling have been healthy hardly at all either during the pre-season or regular season. Due to this, their performance deserves an incomplete. Ridley could end up being the gem of this class. As RFH contributor John Hendrie noted in a past article, he has the ability to step into a pretty awesome situation. With Danny Woodhead going down, look for Ridley's numbers to explode. Cannon, as expected, will sit this season. One sizable disappointment was Lee Smith. Expected to fill the blocking tight end role, Smith never lived up to expectations and was cut.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Wings and Things Power Rankings: Week 4
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| This is what the first place Dream Shakes are doing right now. |
1) Dream Shake -- Another week, another 1st place team. This time it's the Dream Shakers leaving no doubt with a whopping 221 points and a commanding lead of 60 points over the next closest team. 31 points for Forte and Beanie, 30 from Nicks, 28 from Megatron, and on and on. Well done, my young son. Keep having fun partying with Matt Leinart and those Southern California babes... and the girl on the right.
Monday, October 3, 2011
Centrally Isolated: Therapy for a Syracuse Fan
I am sure everyone the reads The Collective knows by now I am from Central New York. Being from CNY is a rusty badge of honor. Central New Yorkers like to say we are "centrally isolated", just far enough from New York City to not feel any true allegiance and 4-6 hours away from about 6 major American cities. For the most part CNY is pretty neutral territory in the sports world except for one thing; Syracuse Orange Basketball. We own 'Cuse basketball. Jim Boeheim is our whiny, grumpy Uncle that we love because he paid for our college tuition. We don't see Derrick Coleman as an underachiever. We laugh when other schools talk about having "good crowds" as we pack 35,000 people into The Dome. Year after year 5-Star recruits pass up smart weather and dumb girls to play in front of a community that makes them feel like they never left the comfort of their high school gyms. Although Syracuse, New York is a worn-out notch on the Northeast's rust belt, we have a top flight Division 1 basketball program and everyone in the country knows it. We may be in the middle of nowhere to some, but to the basketball world we were in the heart of something special; The Big East.
Denial and Isolation When I first heard about Syracuse and Pittsburgh leaving the Big East and joining the ACC I thought it was joke. Literally, I thought it was a joke headline because of all the shuffling in major conferences someone was trying to be funny. When I realized it was for real I shut down for a day. A whole day. I didn't even think about it
Anger Pure, unadulterated, dropping F-bombs to my Mom anger. How could this possibly be happening. For football?!?!? Are you serious....FOOTBALL!! Don't get me wrong I respect the SU Football program and I understand the revenue it generates, blah, blah, blah. Whatever. I should have know something like this was going happen when they hired a soft, west-coast Athletic Director from USC. I was seriously considering ending my relationship with SU cold-turkey.
Bargaining I started to tell myself "hey, this could be sweet, I hate Duke...and UNC would come through every year, that could fun" and "The ACC will be an unbelievably good basketball, awesome". I started to convince myself that when UConn got accepted to the ACC it would be all good, we would have BC, Pitt, UConn, it would be like nothing ever happened! Hey we don't want to be left in the cold for football. Mega-Conferences are where all the cool kids will be!
Depression Then it hit me...it's over. Big East basketball is all I know. I only know bad-ass, punch-you-in-the-mouth, attack the rim basketball. I only starting shooting jumpers when I got to college and realized I was 6'1 and 6'1 guys have to shoot jumpers. I hated it. When I started coaching my teams defended hard, attacked the rim and didn't take any shit (even if they were in 7th grade). I thought about it and realized that even though I love Syracuse at different times of my life I owned apparel from Pitt, Georgetown, St. John's, PC, and UConn. When John and I saw Ryan Gomes and Donnie McGrath court side at the Mohegan Sun I was just as excited as a Providence native would be. They were OUR guys...Big East guys. When the Big East added those weirdo Conference-USA schools it was strange at first but to me it just meant the gang we started got bigger and stronger. It's over now. Growing up there was only one thing I knew for certain about my life. I would NEVER live south of the Mason-Dixon line...EVER. You could never pay me enough money to live in the South and now because of the move to the ACC I feel like I have duel residency. To make matters worse, PC and St. Johns are getting good again and I am not going to be able to enjoy it with them. And to make them even worse than that the conference championship is in Greensboro, North Carolina. Not exactly a hotbed for Syracuse alumni.
Acceptance This past Saturday I went online and bought season tickets for the 2011-12 Syracuse Orange basketball season. Two seats to all 21 homes games and a parking pass. I have never had season tickets before and no one in my family has either. They weren't cheap but I had to do it. For the first time in 20 years I am not playing or coaching basketball on an organized level and this will be the first opportunity I've ever had to truly submerge myself into a season with the Orange. I will enjoy it with my friends and family, for better or worse, and then it will be over. Syracuse will more than likely be gone from the Big East next year and join the ACC.
I will still love Syracuse basketball and support them no matter what. I will never support ACC Basketball and we don't need them to support us. We will still be a tough gang but it will never be like it was. In the Big East we are a tough gang with our own turf but have always felt an allegiance to a larger organization, our own gang culture. Now we are on our own, much weaker and in a different world...centrally isolated.
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