Hot Seats Aren't on Fire

Rams coach Jeff Fisher was fired this week- making him the first NFL coach fired mid-season this year. Fisher was pretty obviously underachieving, and there aren't a whole lot of things to criticize about the move, but I was struck by the fact that the Rams were the first to fire a coach, and that it took until week 14. 

I'm curious to see if the proverbial bye-week head coach firing will be a thing of the past, or if this year was just an anomaly in patience, but I applaud teams for staying the course with coaches. I've never thought that the bye-week coaching change was ever terribly effective for more than a few weeks, and much has been made of the mediocrity of September and October football since the new CBA was signed. That mediocrity has also led to many teams staying "competitive" later in the season, but that trend seems here to stay given the new CBA. Teams are doing the right thing by staying the course through the season, despite coaching ineptitude. 

The Rams needed to fire Jeff Fisher after he revealed publicly that he was unaware of Les Snead's contract extension. When you are that out of touch with the organization, and reveal it publicly, you need to go. The Rams have plenty of work to do still on fixing that problem, but getting rid of Fisher was definitely a part of the solution. While many franchises face a similar decision, I'm glad to see that many are choosing to do so after the season. 

Replacing a Legend

   For the last several years since Tiger Woods' life spun a 180 both on- and off the course, the golf world has been eager to find a replacement to the hype and legacy of one of its brightest stars. After that Thanksgiving, Tiger has clearly not been the same. And his struggles have undeniably left a bit of a void. Naturally, people have been looking for a generational player to turn this around and to take up the mantle. But after this week, it seems that the golf world has begun to learn that they may be fortunate enough to have a few stars who may take up the torch.
   For too long during Tiger's post-scandal decline, the pundits wanted to crown the next Tiger Woods individually. First, I think this overstates Tiger's legacy. To clarify, Tiger is undoubtedly one of the best golfers to ever live. But the very fact that people in Tiger's prime looked to players like Vijay Singh early, and Phil Mickelson to challenge Tiger is indicative of the desire to have more than one dominant figure on the main stage.
   That's what I find so great about Jordan Spieth's dominant victory at Augusta this weekend. Spieth played one of the greatest weekends in golf at the Masters, finishing in the Top 5 scores (including ties) each day of the tournament. And yet, almost all of the pre-tournament talk focused on whether anyone could beat Rory McIlroy, Tiger's next potential heir. But what Spieth's weekend taught us was that Rory doesn't need to be Tiger's only heir. Just like Tiger had Vijay and Phil, the new generation should embrace the possibility of the growing rivalry between Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth. Golf will be better if both of them emerge as stars, rather than one at the expense of the other.

Coaching Circus

Like many of you, I have heard all season about the rift between Jim Harbaugh and the 49ers. We could all see that there was legitimately something wrong in the 49ers front office. And after Harbaugh and the team officially divorced, I couldn't shake the feeling of how stupid it was that the division between Harbaugh and GM Trent Baalke and/or owner Jed York was able to break up one of the most successful front offices in recent history. Today it really hit me the underlying crisis of this though is how remarkably short-sighted the feud is and how it continues a trend of egotistical owners getting in the way of their teams being competitive.

Obviously no one beats the egotistical owner ineptitude of Dan Snyder, but the Harbaugh situation brings to light a seemingly systemic issue with consistently struggling franchises: an inability to hire and keep good coaches and front office managers. I can't believe that certain owners (who by the way are almost unanimously enormously successful in other business ventures) are incapable of interviewing candidates and hiring those who share a consistent vision. As an example, it's hard to pass over the late Al Davis Raiders. Even when they seemed to make the turn toward being competitive by building depth and eliminating crazy high-risk-mediocre-reward trades, there would come word that Davis wasn't content with the slow transformation.

Ironically, said Raiders may finally be on their way to becoming genuinely competitive. Mark Davis seems to have genuinely understood the mistakes of his father, and has allowed Reggie McKenzie to keep his job despite a struggling season. Why was this important? Because he was clearly brought in to clean house and eliminate unreasonably overpaid salaries. The Raiders certainly tried to get Harbaugh to be their next coach. If Harbaugh's personality is really that abrasive, then it might be a good thing that the Raiders didn't end up hiring him. Maybe his personality will be a great fit in his return to college as players graduate continuously. But struggling team owners should end this cycle of short-sightedness and make sure that they are hiring candidates to fit their overall philosophy as well as coach the team successfully. Only through that consistency will a team be able to enjoy success for more than a few year stretches.

Tainted

Apparently Coach John Harbaugh of the Baltimore Ravens is one of the many people that take exception to the various scandals that have plagued the NFL in the last few years. While doing an interview with a Baltimore radio station, Harbaugh was asked his thoughts on the Saints' bounty program and reportedly said that he felt that the Super Bowls for both the Saints and Patriots were tainted by the cheating scandals.

Naturally, ESPN needed to milk this story for all it's worth, and had Tedy Bruschi, a former Patriot embroiled in the controversy to respond. Bruschi's response was that the Patriots had done all in their power to prove that they were championship teams, and that the scandal did not mean that they did not have championship caliber teams.

I think Bruschi is missing the entire point of Harbaugh's comments. In saying that the championships are stained, or somehow have asterisks attached to them, Harbaugh is not saying that the teams weren't talented. I would argue that he is completely willing to accept that the Patriots and Saints had teams capable of winning multiple Super Bowls, but his point is that they didn't do it properly.

The example of Pete Rose is telling. No semi-rational human being could possibly keep Rose out of the Hall of Fame for his statistics. No one even argues that. What they argue is that he has radically dishonored the game of baseball.

Bruschi's response is like repeating the chorus of Pete Rose's baseball statistics as though there were still someone that needed to be convinced of his numbers. It doesn't matter if you have championship quality. No one is denying the work that was put in for the Saints and Patriots to win their championships. What they are questioning is the integrity of an organization that seeks to find ways around the rules, rather than within them, to win championships.

Risk/Reward

When I first heard that the Chiefs had selected Dontari Poe as their 1st round draft pick last night. I was terribly disappointed. I agreed with all the critics that a talented workout freak that had underperformed in college against mediocre (at best) talent was not worth the number 11 pick in the draft. At #11, you should still have near-lock picks available. And for the Chiefs last night, one was even available in David DeCastro, the guard from Stanford.
I think there are two great reasons why the Chiefs didn't actually lose on this pick. First, the new draft salary structure from the new collective bargaining agreement means we're paying WAY less for Poe than we would have a few years ago. I know many Kansas City fans are tired of being tied to a defensive lineman's fate, as was the case with Ryan Sims, and until recently with Tyson Jackson. First, the Chiefs quite intelligently restructured Tyson Jackson's contract to reflect his lack of production compared to his enormous salary as the #3 pick under the old draft salary program. This was huge, and during what will probably be a contract year for Jackson, you can certainly expect him to be putting forth effort this year. But most importantly, choosing Dontari Poe as the hopeful Haloti Ngata or Vince Wilfork of the Midwest is a risk much easier to take when your franchise's entire financial future is not hanging in the balance. It is a risk much more logically taken when defensive linemen have vastly improved their formerly pedestrian production under the current head coach as well.

The other reason the Poe pick makes a lot of sense is the depth at offensive guard in the draft. It seems as though almost unanimously draft gurus are saying that the Chiefs should have picked DeCastro rather than Poe. I completely agree with them that DeCastro is a sure starter from day 1, but I think the much more glaring need for the Chiefs is at nose tackle. The argument will almost certainly be made that this draft is equally deep at defensive tackle as it is at guard, but that argument ignores the fact that nearly every defensive tackle prospect, except for Poe, was a 4-3 technique tackle, rather than a nose tackle. And in my opinion, they were all glaringly fit for the 4-3 scheme, rather than the Chiefs' 3-4 scheme. Do the Chiefs need to upgrade the guard position of Ryan Lilja? Certainly, but our run defense and ability to remove the quarterback's ability to step up and throw in the pocket on EVERY down was a much more glaring need. Add to that, that prospects like Kelechi Osemele, Cordy Glenn (who also may be able to transition to tackle if we lost Branden Albert), Amini Silatolu, or even Peter Konz, the center from Wisconsin will most likely be available when the Chiefs pick 10th in the second round this evening, and I think the Poe pick is the better choice.

The comparison of this pick to the Tyson Jackson pick that began the Pioli era is unfair and inaccurate. Yes, it is a potential reach for a position of need. But the similarities end there. There isn't nearly as much of our future success tied to Poe's success, our future has not been mortgaged to sign him, and we are still able to get a starting prospect at guard without trading up. The Chiefs scored big two years ago in landing Eric Berry and Jon Asamoah, and I think time will prove them right in selecting Poe and a guard in the second round.

Do Your Best

Today I was watching First Take, and to no surprise Skip Bayless took a hard line when asked if Nelson Cruz was to blame for last night's Rangers loss in Game 1 of the World Series. He said yes, absolutely. This wasn't particularly shocking, though as you will see I disagree, but what was even more astounding was that the entire panel seemed to vehemently agree that Nelson Cruz and basically argued that he absolutely SHOULD have caught that ball. That ball slicing away from him at top speed as he slid to make a catch!

I was talking to my girlfriend this morning and mentioned that I hadn't put up a scouting related post in awhile. She's right. And then I thought about Nelson Cruz, and how he was getting lambasted for not making an incredibly difficult catch. Before we go into Cruz's efforts, I think it is worth pointing out that the Rangers' manager, Ron Washington, pointed out that it was not his team that lost the game as much as the Cardinals won it. Too true.

I don't know what it is about the over-sensitized media juggernaut of ESPN that makes it so necessary to always ask who or how one team lost, when it seems far more appropriate to congratulate the winning team. If I were Ron Washington in the Rangers clubhouse today I think I would say, "Guys, great job last night. Let's try and be a little more patient and get better pitches to hit tonight. But remember, you just lost last night to a perennial Cy Young candidate in his own ballpark, in one of the most notorious baseball cities in America. Don't worry about it and let's get 'em tonight!"

Back to Cruz. I've seen easily 10 to 12 replays of this play at this point, and I can't shake the notion that Cruz did absolutely nothing wrong! The scout oath (even as early as Cub Scouts) says that you should do your best. I honestly and sincerely believe that that was EXACTLY what Nelson Cruz was doing in trying to catch Allen Craig's slicing liner. He was clearly running very hard for the ball, knowing that it was slicing toward the foul line. It's not like he was pulling a Hanley Ramirez from a few years ago, he was hoofing it to the ball! And here's the thing I don't understand people giving Cruz flak for: He slides. Many people have argued that he either should have kept running or dove headfirst for the ball. First of all, I cannot disagree more. Second of all, talk about the luxury of hindsight! Of all the split-second decisions in sports, I can think of only a few that are more clearly irrelevant to judging whether a player is to blame for not making a play than Cruz's decision to slide.

Add to this the fact, that you only have to go to the last playoff series of Cruz's play to reveal that diving isn't always a good option. In the Tigers 7-5 win over Cruz's Rangers in the ALCS, the Tigers monster scoring inning was begun with, wait for it... Yes! of course! A Victor Martinez triple on a slicing line drive toward the right foul line that just escaped the grasp of a DIVING Nelson Cruz! Going back to last night, while Cruz did not make the catch as his glove came within inches of the ball, his leg did trap the ball from going any further, keeping the Cardinals trailing runner at 3rd and Craig at 1st. The way I see it we shouldn't be vilifying Cruz for missing the catch, we should be praising him from keeping more damage from being done in the inning!

I realize that this is by no means the only case of pundits somewhat irrationally questioning the decisions of pro athletes without putting those decisions in the proper context, but it seems particularly preposterous to assert that somehow this was a play that Cruz SHOULD have made. There is no doubt in my mind that Cruz was, in every sense of the word, doing his best. Unfortunately, and this is a lot of people's favorite part of the game of baseball, the sport does not always reward a player for doing their best or hustle. That doesn't mean that we shouldn't recognize it and congratulate it when it occurs, despite the result.

On the Couch: Contender Week

This is your first great weekend of football fellas! We've got a great Saturday lined up with several pairings of undefeated teams vying for supremacy in divisions, conferences, and even the national title race. So, without further ado, let's get to this week's games.

Saturday's rating: Putting on the team colors
I'm so excited to have a great Saturday of college football ahead. Something has been missing the last couple weeks. I just haven't gotten the sense when out doing other things that I am missing the big game. This week is different: the big games are on. Despite a slow start at the noon hour, with the best game featuring the Tar Heels of North Carolina against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, things really get going during the 3 o'clock hour. In the weekly SEC on CBS showdown Arkansas visits Alabama. This should be a great game, but I think the Crimson Tide survive thanks largely to their defense and the lack of Arkansas's best rusher Knile Davis.

It might be worth hitting a sports bar for this hour, unless you are really confident of your remote skills, because as the Crimson Tide and Razorbacks battle it out, two of the Big 12's 3 top 10 representatives meet in College Station as Oklahoma State visits Kyle Field to take on the Aggies of Texas A&M. Though A&M has improved, I think the OSU passing offense is just too dangerous. Cowboys 42-38 in a shootout. In a battle for Atlantic division supremacy in the ACC, the Seminoles try to avenge last week's loss to OU by traveling to Clemson to face the Tigers. I visited Clemson last year, and though they love their baseball team, it is clear that people in the South love one thing more than anything: college football. Clemson enjoys the home field and marches to victory 34-24 against a Florida State team that has lost E.J. Manuel who disappointed me last week by dashing my upset prediction.

In the primetime games, Vanderbilt-South Carolina has more intrigue than normal, as does Florida-Kentucky. Though the last several years have been dominated by SEC champions, keep in mind that many 1 loss SEC teams have made the national title game. If 1 of these teams wants to try and be the surprise undefeated representative of the SEC East in the title game, they will have to take care of business against opponents who have exceeded expectations so far this year. Mizzou-Oklahoma shouldn't be too exciting, but you just never know with Big 12 powerhouses. And finally, the marquee matchup goes to the Tigers of LSU who come to Morgantown to visit the West Virginia Mountaineers. This should be a great game, but I think that LSU shuts down a potent offense, just as they did with Oregon.

For the late night menu, turn to the UFC fight, but if you are still in a football mood I think Oregon-Arizona will outshine USC-Arizona State. I'll update the NFL section later tonight, so tune in! Have a great Saturday of TV watching!

Much Ado About Nothing

Yes, I know... ESPN analysts have to have something to talk about. And yes, like it or not, the Cowboys will always command a certain amount of media attention, even as a mediocre team that underachieves in comparison to the talent gathered on the roster. That said, I cannot help but think that the criticism of Tony Romo's performance last week against the Jets was overblown thanks to the media engine that is ESPN.

I do not mean for this to take away from the praise of his performance this week against the 49ers, as it is much deserved, though perhaps equally overblown. There were a few calm heads prevailing this week that assured us that even though Tony Romo clearly blew the Jets game, he would still be fine. But, and this is what eventually tired most of the people I talk to, pundits largely stayed in two camps: Tony Romo can never be a championship quarterback or Tony Romo can't be blamed at all for the loss (absurdly championed, of course, by the one and only Skip Bayless).

I suppose I am okay with a talk show like First and 10 choosing debate topics that evaluate an entire player's legacy after a bad game if that game seems indicative of common mishaps during his career. So, I can't blame ESPN for wondering if pundits felt that the Jets game was indicative of common mistakes made by Tony Romo. In some ways, I generally agree with the many pundits who did argue that Romo does falter in big moments. BUT, Tony Romo was by no means the only reason that the Cowboys have faltered in these big games. It is a team sport, and Tony Romo should not be assigned all of the blame for everything that goes wrong.

That said, Tony Romo has individually probably lost games for the Cowboys, or at the very least been able to save a win minus his own mistakes. I can't remember whether the dropped extra point attempt several years ago was for the win or to put the game into overtime, but that drop was pretty squarely on Tony Romo. Equally, had Tony Romo not fumbled at the goal line last week versus the Jets, the Cowboys probably would not have lost the game. No, Tony Romo is not completely at fault for the loss, but the absurd argument, that for some reason continued until Friday on First and 10 that Jason Witten was to blame, is even more ludicrous. While Tony Romo is not the ONLY member of the Cowboys team, he is certainly a key member of it, and his name should certainly come up when blame is doled out after a loss.

What I mean to say is simply that most evidence points toward Tony Romo being an above average quarterback, and the knee-jerk reactions of the media after one loss promote an exaggerated reaction to both the positives and negatives of his career as a quarterback. It would be nice to see a little more perspective given to the arguments from pundits.

Interesting NFL Trends

I happened to peruse the expert picks for this week's NFL games this morning, and couldn't help but notice the number of unanimous picks. Maybe it is just the product of this year's matchups, or of important factors like injuries to star players like Peyton Manning or Eric Berry. It just seems odd to me that there are so many games that many deem so apparently predetermined.

One of the great strengths of the NFL regular season has long been that anybody seems to be able to pull out a game on any given Sunday. Perhaps the experts just don't want to go out on a limb as much and pick upsets, but the unanimity seems to suggest that most of the games are heavily favored one way. It is at least encouraging that there have been surprise starts like the Redskins possibly leading their division at 2-0 with a win this week, or the mighty NFC South having every team lose their opening game. But it would be nice to see less uniformity and more intrigue when picking games.

On the Couch: Week 3

Well sports fans, another weekend of great gridiron action is upon us. It has been awesome to get back into the swing of football weekends. This weekend promises to be pretty a solid weekend with a few more marquee games now that the season is in full swing.

Things kick off early as LSU and Mississippi State square off in an early SEC West showdown. Mississippi State will keep this game close, despite LSU's incredible talent. I won't go with a straight pick, but I will say that if the Bulldogs can intercept two Jarret Lee passes, they will win the game. Otherwise, LSU's run defense is going to be able to pack the box against Mississippi State's outstanding running back tandem.

Fans hopping on the Boise State bandwagon again this year can watch the Broncos play against a Toledo team that almost surprised in-state kingpin Ohio State last week. Don't expect this game to be anything resembling competitive though as the Broncos will try and prove that they are deserving of the lofty praise they are growing accustomed to. Then the games really get cranked up on a weekend with some interesting regional matchups and some important road games for contenders.

Saturday's rating: Laying back with a beer
There are a couple potentially great games this weekend, but I get a sense that many of the games could turn quickly into blowouts, so I'm giving this weekend's college mania an average rating.

The 11 o'clock hour features a couple interesting contests. Auburn tries to keep its title defending season equally perfect against Clemson. I think the Alabama tigers escape in a close one here. Meanwhile, further North the Mountaineers of West Virginia travel to College Park to visit upstart Maryland. I am picking the Terps as I think that Randy Edsall has finally gotten over the hump of beating the Mountaineers with last year's win with his UConn squad.

The 2 o'clock hour pits old rivals Tennessee and Florida against each other in the opening SEC on CBS game of the season. I will be rooting for the Gators, but I think that this is the year that UT gets over the hump and finally beats the Gators for the first time in 6 years. And in a testament to how average this weekend of college football will be, I am still talking about the Irish as the marquee game. I'm picking the Irish to compete again, but dash the hearts of their faithful, and put a good coach who deserves a shot and a team that doesn't turn the ball over 10 times in 2 games on the hot seat. Michigan State 31-24 with a last gasp effort by the Irish.

Unfortunately the next moderately appealing game comes at 6 when the Sun Devils who shocked Missouri last week travel to Champaign to take on Illinois. I say the fighting Dennis Erickson's keep the streak rolling and beat the Illini in a high-scoring affair. Finally, in the nightcap it may be worth heading out to somewhere with a few more TV screens as Miami and Ohio State square off and Oklahoma rolls the wagon train into Tallahassee to take on Florida State. Miami upsets Ohio State vaulted by the return of key defensive players like Sean Spence, and EJ Manuel puts forth an impressive Heisman-esque performance with a late touchdown to shock the world as Big-Game Bob continues his tradition of failing to live up to his nickname.

If you are looking for a late night sleeper game, you can always watch Andrew Luck put on a passing clinic against Nick Foles and the Arizona Wildcats.

Sunday also gets a Laying Back with a Beer rating. Some intriguing games as some contenders look to rebound from rough starts and a few marquee games make for a decent day of NFL action. We'll do straight pick'ems this week.
For the noon games: Lions over my Chiefs (it hurts), Bucs over Vikings, Raiders over Bills, North over South as the Ravens and Browns beat the Titans and Colts respectively, the Saints passing attack overwhelms an emotionally charged Bears team with Urlacher grieving, the Jets overwhelm the Jags, the Steelers recover, the Redskins are a lucky 2-0, and the Pack prove what champions are made of in the NFL to Cam Newton's Panthers.

In the 3 o'clock spot: Patriots offense is just too much for the Bolts, Tony Romo doesn't falter against the Niners, Kyle Orton silences idiotic fans who wasted tickets to the Super Bowl to put up an ad calling for Tebow in Denver, and the Texans prove they have some defensive ability against the Dolphins. Side note: this will be the Texans year into the postseason, and in a bold prediction they will be 8-2 heading into their Week 11 bye.

For the primetime games: Atlanta gets back on track in the NFC South and the Rams squeak out a win in the injury bowl on Monday Night.

That's all for this weekend sports fans, see you next Thursday On the Couch.

Record Asterisks

Yesterday Cam Newton threw for an NFL debut record 422 yards. It was a truly impressive debut, and it is no small feat to throw for 400+ yards against any NFL team. That said, it brought up an interesting reflection on records in sports. How much credit is due to the level of competition in any given record.

I'm not by any means arguing that Newton does not deserve credit for his record, nor am I arguing that Newton is the exception rather than the rule. I know that there are other records out there that are present because of fortunate circumstances like weak opponents.

It is just interesting that most records are never told with the context surrounding them. I'm pretty sure that many people made a big deal in 2007 when the Patriots went undefeated during the regular season that they had a favorable schedule, but that is the last instance of people discrediting a record for mitigating circumstances that I can think of. It just seems that after the fact, no one bothers to preserve the context. I don't mean for this to only include mitigating circumstances; I suppose there are several records that could be more impressive than others given the circumstances (this seems more likely in baseball where we have "clubs" like the 40-40, 500, 300, etc).

Maybe that is something essential about records though: that their contexts are forgotten. Part of the appeal of records is the sense of immortality in an accomplishment, even if that record may be broken eventually. When someone joins a mile-marking club in baseball, they have still reached an elite, regardless of the surrounding circumstances. When a team achieves a historic season, it probably doesn't matter whether their schedule might have been easier than the average team. And perhaps it is not our place to try and find mitigating circumstances to these records, because it robs us of the true essence of the accomplishment.

Reaping What You Sow

Serena Williams just lost the US Open to Samantha Stosur from Australia. Stosur absolutely deserves credit for the win, and played an incredibly dominant match. She was the only person able to play her own game against Serena throughout this tournament. But this is not about what Samantha Stosur did right, it is about what Serena Williams did wrong.

During the opening game of the second set, after losing the first set 6-2, Serena was serving and facing a break point when she yelled "Come on!" during the point. This resulted in the point being awarded to Stosur, infuriating Williams. She then proceeded to rip into the chair umpire during several breaks between every game.

The commentators made the point that Serena's screaming happens all the time. While this may be true, it was entirely unnecessary to spend every break yelling at the umpire, including calling her different variations of a bad/mean person. One could not help but relive Serena's profanity laced 2009 tirade against the poor line judge that included a facetious threat. Unfortunately, this time around the crowd began to get behind Serena.

I understand getting frustrated at a referee over a bad call for a bit. I don't mind when a crowd boos a bad pass interference call for a play or two. What bothered me was that Serena was constantly berating the umpire, for making what was later confirmed to be the right call. The utter lack of sportsmanship became blatantly apparent after a few games, especially after Stosur maintained graceful composure and maintained her serve throughout the next few games.

It truly felt like karma was smiling on Stosur as she exuded such grace and went on to win her first grand slam final. Equally, it was relieving to see that such outbursts aimed personally at officials are not rewarded in the field of play.

The Greatest Birthday Gift- On the Couch Edition

Yes, that's right, it's my birthday today! Perhaps the best gift of all is that this weekend's edition of On the Couch now also features a full Sunday of NFL games as well. I certainly had moments of fear this summer considering the possibility of a birthday weekend without NFL action. It just wouldn't be the same breaking in my 24th year without my Chiefs opening up a new season.

Fortunately for me and all of you gridiron gurus, the NFL has blessed us with a great Thursday matchup this week to really crank things up. The reigning Super Bowl Champion Packers will take on fellow NFC offensive juggernaut New Orleans in a game that promises to put some points on the board. Even though New Orleans has added key players in Sedrick Ellis and Shaun Rogers in the last few years to their defensive line, I don't see them being able to make a significant pass rush with their linebacker blitzes. With Aaron Rodgers on his feet for most of the game, he will pick apart the Saints secondary. Add that to a Green Bay defense which is certainly capable of getting a few stops, I'm taking the Pack in a not as close as expected 35-24 victory.

Make sure you are heading to a sports bar or have the remote in hand on Thursday night to watch bits of the underrated matchup in college football between Pac-12 up-and-comer Arizona and the dying conference's Oklahoma State Cowboys. I'm taking the Cowboys in another game that will feature a lot of aerial attacks.

Friday night is not a lost cause either, especially not for the Tigers fans in the area. A showdown between Mizzou and Arizona State pits the Big-12 and Pac-12 against one another again. I'm gonna take the hometeam Sun Devils stealing the upset in the desert on Friday night.

Things start heating up this weekend as school pride is on the line during the second weekend of college football. My pride rests in the morning with the Black and Gold as my Hawkeyes take on their neighbors across the state the Cyclones in a battle for the CyHawk trophy. I don't feel like I need to make it clear for any of you that this game had better not be anywhere close to competitive if the Hawkeyes want to take advantage of a favorable schedule and compete for a division title in the newly organized Big Ten. Other games worth watching at this hour on Saturday morning include an SEC West showdown between Mississippi State and Auburn and the first legitimate test for the Wisconsin Badgers as Oregon State travels to Madison. I'm going with the Badgers and the Bulldogs here.

In the 2 30 hour, tradition reigns as Alabama and Penn State rematch last year's battle in Tuscaloosa, but transport it up to Happy Valley. With 2 new quarterbacks on the roster, Alabama might struggle and Penn State will be able to remain competitive, but I will go with SEC power here in a nail-biter.

Just a little after at 3 30, look for the SEC to impress as South Carolina takes on Georgia in an early SEC East battle. I'm taking South Carolina big as pressure builds on Mark Richt to improve or start polishing up that resume.

In primetime, look for struggling programs rich with tradition to look forward to a new day as Notre Dame visits Ann Arbor to take on the Wolverines in the first night game ever at the Big House. I'll take the improving Wolverines over the Irish in a clash that is surely going to be competitive regardless of how little may actually be at stake. The only other game in a somewhat lackluster primetime lineup is Utah-USC meeting at the Coliseum.

And Sunday brings good cheer! NFL on Sundays is back! Wives everywhere are pissed again, and girlfriends can forget about getting any attention for a few more months. Just kidding, I suggest cheering along beside us! Anyway, there are some big clashes at the noon hour. First, the Ravens and Steelers always leave everything they have out on the field. I'm taking the Ravens in this one. Also, the Texans look to defeat a Peyton-less Colts team and NFC powerhouses the Atlanta Falcons and the Chicago Bears look to prove that they are ready to compete for a title this year starting week 1.

For regional fans, both the Chiefs and Rams play at this hour. While the Chiefs will look to keep a struggling offense going with an injured Matt Cassel, the Rams will need to pressure the Eagles offense to keep Michael Vick at bay. Both teams have the chance to win, but preventing mistakes will be critical.

The late afternoon games are highlighted by an NFC West battle between the 49ers and the Seahawks, and a fight for the most style points between the Cowboys and Jets. In all, Sunday should be an exciting return for professional football.

And, on Monday Night Football, we will be treated to a double-header divisional struggle between the Dolphins and Patriots and Broncos and Raiders. The Patriots will show that they are perenially going to compete for a division title as they run over the Dolphins, and I expect that the Raiders running game will be too much even for an improved Broncos defense to solve.

It will be a great weekend of football, and don't forget to set your fantasy lineups for tonight's game.

Lightning in a Bottle

Occasionally I wonder how Roger Federer's recent struggles in grand slams could happen so quickly to such a dominant player. In a weird way it really doesn't seem that most of the time it is a matter of Roger struggling, but it has become clear that for awhile he has not been able to command a match as he did so skillfully in the peak of his dominance.

And then...

I watched him play last night. Juan Monaco had the unfortunate mischance of playing Federer on a night where he clearly asserted his dominance as if it were three years ago. Almost every point was dominated by Federer. He served four aces in a row to win one game. His backhand was out of this world again, and it seemed that Monaco could never pass Federer if he came to the net.

I remarked earlier that night to a friend that I don't like that tennis broadcasts do not comment during the rallies. I miss a great play-by-play announcer who can help artfully craft the drama of the moment. I miss the growing anticipation as the point seems to sway in favor of one player, and the alternating growth of a miraculous comeback. And yet, when Roger Federer was playing last night, I didn't need that commentator. You could see and feel the dominance through the TV. You could feel the aggression of Roger dominating his opponent when he would whiz a backhand down the line. There was ZERO competitive tension in this match. Monaco was overmatched from the word go. But you could still feel the electricity of the match because you knew that you were seeing one of the best at his best.

I don't know whether this is a stepping stone for Roger to bring back the magic for the rest of the US Open, or whether this was just lightning in a bottle. But I can tell you that it was well worth watching that lightning strike. It could not have been clearer last night that Roger absolutely belongs in the conversation as the greatest player to ever play the game, and why for two years I never missed a grand slam final that he played in. He really is that fun to watch.

On the Couch Returns: Amateur Showcase

And we're back!
It's been awhile since we've seen a wonderful weekend of college football, and even longer since you guys have read me talking about it. Amid a bevy of scandals and suspensions, it is still comforting to see football on the tube again.

The season kicks off tonight with a Thursday night clash between the Running Rebels of UNLV and the Badgers of Wisconsin. Unfortunately for the Rebels, Wisconsin just lost a kind of important bowl game to fellow Mountain West school TCU. Though the Horned Frogs will not be on the field, don't be surprised if the Badgers have a little extra fight for this game.

We've all watched week 1 of the college season before, and seen our beloved teams pummel FCS schools like Grand Valley State, but there are a few games well worth watching this labor day weekend.

The aforementioned Horned Frogs open up the post-Andy Dalton era with a hard-fought regional matchup with steadily improving Baylor on Friday night. With a sophomore quarterback at the helm, this game is nowhere near an automatic win for the Horned Frogs, who are coming off an undefeated season and a Rose Bowl win.

Unfortunately for us TV viewers, both marquis games on Saturday occur in the primetime slot. I guess I'm actually going to have to do something with my Saturday then. Nonetheless, it is awesome to see two five-star games in the first weekend.

First, number 3 ranked Oregon meets number 4 LSU in Arlington, TX so that Jerry Jones can show off Cowboys Stadium to even more people. Look at the bright side, with punters unfamiliar to Cowboys stadium, maybe we will see a live ball bounce off Jerry's megatron. Realistically, I hope your focus is more on the action on the field because this early showdown could certainly have huge BCS title implications. Don't expect a one-loss Oregon to be in the title game, so I suspect they will be very hungry for the win. If it weren't for the fact that LSU quarterback Jordan Jefferson is suspended for this game, I would take the SEC powerhouse in this dogfight. Replacement quarterback Jarret Lee is just far too prone to making mistakes, so I'm taking the Ducks sealing the deal with a late interception.

In the other primetime slot, the Boise State Broncos head for a showdown with the Bulldogs from Athens, Georgia in another "neutral" site game in none other than Hotlanta at the Georgia Dome. With both quarterbacks losing their leading receivers to the NFL, don't be surprised to see the offenses use the running game more in this game. While Boise State's running backs match up on paper with Washaun Ealy from Georgia, the clear defensive advantage goes to the SEC team. I am sticking with SEC dominance in this game and predicting a Bulldog win, as much as it pains me to do so.

Well, if these two games aren't enough to delay your trip to the lake until Sunday, I don't really know what else to tell you. Anyway, have a great labor day weekend, and enjoy your time to relax on the couch and take in a couple great gridiron showdowns on Saturday night.

Moss the Titan

Here is why Moss can work out in Tennessee: Jeff Fisher. In the last few weeks, many people have realized that Moss' relationship with Patriots head coach Bill Belichick was much healthier than once thought soon after he was traded to the Vikings. Just like Belichick had enough status and respect in the locker room to control potential problem players, so can Fisher.

Even more than that, Fisher is more prone to keep problem players around and handle things in house. He has already handled players like Albert Haynesworth with rebellious streaks. The Titans image as a tough, no prisoners football team is well known. Moss improves the Titans immensely from a football standpoint, and Fisher will have no trouble dealing with any behavior issues that may arise.

Brief Note on a Playoff Bracket

I love reading ESPN's Pat Forde. Particularly, his Forde Yard Dash. Every Tuesday, I look forward to reading it between two of my classes. Those of you who have read Forde will know that he is most likely Boise State's most prominent promoter for the BCS title game. I couldn't agree with him more. I absolutely agree that Boise State deserves a shot as an unbeaten team over any one loss team. Yes, even a one loss Alabama who redeems its only loss to South Carolina in a potential SEC Championship game. But, this week, Forde took the opportunity in Forde Yard Dash to promote a playoff bracket. This bus, I cannot jump on.

Forde used the example of the Butler basketball team which came so close to winning the NCAA tournament this year after winning the Horizon league. Forde argues that just like basketball, football should have a playoff. When the heck are people going to realize that football and basketball are not the same sport! A basketball team plays over 30 games throughout a season. Going undefeated through a 20 game regular conference schedule, even if that schedule is weaker than in automatically qualifying conferences is much more telling of a basketball team's success than a 8 to 10 game conference season like that of football.

It also needs to be considered how much more likely upsets are in college basketball. Nearly every week of the basketball season features a small school upsetting the mammoth powerhouse schools. And, more importantly, many great teams will occasionally lose to lesser competition, yet still end an incredible season with a winning tournament. But, think about the last few years of upsets in college football. Almost all of the championship subdivision upsets over big schools come over schools that are having down years. In 2007, when Michigan lost to Appalachian State, the Wolverines ended 9-4. While this is not a terrible record by any stretch, no one was barking for the Wolverines to be in the title game, and wouldn't have done so if you had wiped away the loss to Appalachian State. The NCAA basketball season ends perfectly with a thrilling postseason tournament. But, tournaments fit basketball better than they do football.

One final note. The column features a quote from Butler basketball coach Brad Stevens saying that Boise's schedule is different because everyone expects perfection out of them but not others, putting the Broncos under a unique pressure. I couldn't disagree with this more. When any football team loses a game in the regular season, what is the immediate reaction for all of the pundits? Oh yeah, that's right... to talk about which teams are left in the title picture. 8 of the 12 teams that have been crowned BCS champions have been undefeated. Additionally, in only 2 of the years where a BCS champion has had a loss has there been an undefeated team. The point is that the voters do expect perfection out of the football teams. In basketball, they don't.

I'm fine with entertaining notions of a playoff system in college football, though I will continue to stand behind the BCS system. That said, arguing that a football playoff is logical because a playoff is effective in crowning a basketball champion is absurd.

We've Been Here Before

The Texas Rangers have been here before. Yes, Cliff Lee was not the impetus of the last Game 1 loss. Yes, Cliff Lee has been an incredible leader for this team during this postseason, mostly due to the fact that everyone seemed to think he would infallibly have a good game, even a great game. But the fact is, that the Rangers have reached the World Series on more than just Cliff Lee's pitching.

Against the Yankees, the Rangers could not take advantage of Lee's first good outing. This is exactly why it is incredibly important for them to realize that they got here together. Without their aggressive hitting, their other starters, and the improvement of the bullpen, the team would not have beaten the Yankees in the ALCS. Today, it seemed as if everyone was dismissing the team because of Lee's bad outing. Many people cited that this reflects some new comfort that the Giants' hitters have found with Texas pitching, but the reality is they are hitting .231 this postseason.

Everyone has treated the Giants' hitting last night as if was their normal production. They have scored more than 4 runs in a whopping 1 other game since September! They have scored 41 runs, with 38 RBI this postseason. The Rangers on the other hand are batting .283, and have scored 66 runs with 62 RBI. The truth is that last night was an aberration, and the Rangers only have to go out and be the TEAM that they have been throughout this postseason. Even more comforting should be the fact that the Rangers scored 4 runs in 5+ innings on Lincecum, the Giants' own ace. The Rangers continued their normal rhythm of aggressive hitting last night, the Giants had a great game. Credit to them for that, but it is important to realize that the Giants in no way took the Rangers out of their game. The Giants are now playing the Rangers game, and even a blind squirrel finds an acorn every now and again. The Rangers aren't going to win every slugfest, but they will win the majority of them, and as a team, they will keep up this great postseason, and return to their winning ways.

Inspiration

Honestly, I started this blog in an effort to legitimize all of the time that others thought I wasted watching sports. Yes, I watch sports, all the time. It has been something I have warned nearly every girlfriend of mine about. In some distant memory, sports has always been the lost regret of my high school career, always wishing I had played. But when I started this blog, it was something different inspiring me. There was another pull beside my time-wasting and my regrets of my past: it was the brilliance of writers who evoke an experience of sports.

The other day I watched the interview between Buster Olney from espn.com and Cliff Lee after Game 3 of the ALCS, and I was struck by the admiration Buster had for Lee's performance. After his first question, you'll notice that Buster cracks an immense smile. Some might consider this a lack of journalistic integrity. I call it an appreciation for the beauty of the game. Buster clearly grasped the tremendous accomplishment of Lee's postseason, and recognized how it glorified the sport he loved. After all, isn't a no-hitter, 14 K's, and multiple shutouts the essence of complete dominance in pitching! Buster understood not only that this was the year of the pitcher, but that with every great postseason pitching performance, this postseason becomes more magical. Not only do I not consider this a biased perspective from Olney, I consider it a refreshing reminder of the beauty of America's greatest game. (The interview can be found by searching Buster Olney on espn.com)

Tonight, I read Joe Posnanski's blog post about Cliff Lee's game (Labeled "Natural Lee" at joeposnanski.blogspot.com), and was again struck by the brilliance of Posnanski's words. Joe, unlike any other sportswriter right now, makes you believe in the glory and goodness of baseball. I hate the Yankees more than any other team in baseball, and yet when Joe writes about Mariano Rivera's brilliance, I can't help but appreciate how much Rivera has accomplished in his career. When I read Joe's columns or blogposts, I absolutely forget all my preconceived notions of baseball. I get lost in the beauty of the world that he describes, whether I love or hate the player or team Joe is talking about. Joe has an ability to transform your understanding as a reader. He enables you to see your mistakes and provide you with new information without making you feel like you are trading in all of your feelings. When I reflect on what it means to make sports important, to make them mean something, I look at the writers I admire most.

I don't know what it is about sportswriting, but there is an ability in a good sports journalist to evoke an experience out of the reader. When I read Joe Posnanski's column on the 32 Greatest Calls in History, I didn't just admire his retelling of these stories, I loved that Joe enabled me to better experience each call. When I hear Joe talk about Vin Scully's calls, I gain an appreciation for the artistry of Scully as well as Posnanski. I will never understand this gift of great sportswriters, but I will certainly always cherish it.

And I think the most important influence of mine has been seeing what the "little guys" can do in sportswriting. To this day, one of my favorite sports columns is my best friend and ex-roommate Blake's article about a Truman basketball player (http://www.trumanindex.com/2.10112/from-cameroon-to-kirksville-1.1461402). The thing I love about this article is the way it inspires the reader. I can honestly say that if I had had 20 negative experiences with Patrick Fandja before that column, I think that column would have erased that resentment. There is something about good sportswriting that can inspire a person to think better of someone after reading about that person.

When people ask me why I have a blog about sports, the easy answer is to say that it is my way of legitimizing all of the time I spend watching sports. But the truth is, it is my small attempt at emulating the sportswriters who I have read and admired so immensely. And it is important to make it clear that my goal has never been to provide others with my experience of the sports world, but to allow them to have their own experience with that world, just like the sportswrters I admire have allowed me to do.

Yankees Pitching

The way I see it, you put your best guy out there. I still don't understand how Joe Girardi cannot go to CC Sabathia on short rest for tonight's game. The TBS commentators went on forever about how that wouldn't work because it would put Hughes and Pettite on short rest as well. But, as TBS broadcasters do, they neglected the apparent idea of pitching Sabathia tonight to even the series, and then Burnett with the possibility of a good boost and a lead in the series. I'll never understand why a TBS producer was not yelling in the ear of the commentators, whose names I regrettably do not recall, this impossibly easy puzzle to solve. Enjoy the game, but my money is on the Rangers to exploit an ability to be aggressive with Burnett.