1:30 pm EST - Home sweet home! Just pulled into my house and my journey has finally come to a close. It really has been amazing. The last three days have been a whirlwind of food, football, food, basketball, food, amazing people, food, and things you can only see in New Orleans! It is absolutely one of my favorite places in the country to visit and I can't wait to return once again.
1:18 pm EST - Wheels down in Greenville! So excited to be home! I'm now starving again though. Hurry up ma! I want some grub!
Monday, December 21, 2009
11:23 am EST - One more quick post before I have to go into electronic free mode. There are few things worse than having to power walk from gate C18 to gate E6. Having to do it wearing a 30 lbs backpack and the need to piss like a racehorse is one of them. That was me. It was awful. So glad I got to take care of bidness before I got on the plane.
8:10 am - Wheels up! New Orleans its been a blast. A trip I'll never forget! See you in Charlotte!
8:07 am - Finally headed out. Apparently we're all accounted for.
7:45 am - Are you (explitive) kidding me?!?!? We're waiting on people because there was a long line at the ticket counter and security. Get there earlier! Since when do they hold planes! I've got a connection to catch you idiots not mention the fact that we're sitting on a plane! Not exactly a place to lounge!
8:07 am - Finally headed out. Apparently we're all accounted for.
7:45 am - Are you (explitive) kidding me?!?!? We're waiting on people because there was a long line at the ticket counter and security. Get there earlier! Since when do they hold planes! I've got a connection to catch you idiots not mention the fact that we're sitting on a plane! Not exactly a place to lounge!
5:39 am - Life is better. I've eaten. I saw a sign for a Popeye's somewhere however when I asked I was told it was back on the other side of security. I have that as garbage. Instead I got a microwaved airport sausage, egg, and cheese biscuit which somehow with a bottle of water cost me $11.54. The good news was it wasn't that bad, then again it could also be too early still for me to comprehend what I ate probably tasted like spiced cardboard.
Sunday, December 20, 2009
8:36 pm - Well that sucks. MT had a nice drive stall at the 20 or so and the FG was blocked. Some USM fans (who are beyond wasted) are yelling at our band from above. Get a life people. Go sit on your side of the stadium. Do you not have anything better to do than harass a bunch of college kids? Pathetic.
12:47 pm - Sorry it's taken me so long to get back to all four of you that read this but I've actually been working this morning! Knocked out two blogs on Sidelines website including my official New Orleans Bowl prediction and other than that I've done nothing. So you haven't missed much. Unless you wanted to know that I had a huge plate of fruit and pastries from the media room for breakfast and now you know that so consider yourself up to speed.
Life will get more exciting however after I'm done typing here. I'm going to lunch with my friend and then the day will be played by ear. Might head to the French Market and do some shopping, might head down to the Riverwalk, or I might come here and get my life in order so I can sleep as late as possible tomorrow morning. And by late I mean 3:50 am.
Life will get more exciting however after I'm done typing here. I'm going to lunch with my friend and then the day will be played by ear. Might head to the French Market and do some shopping, might head down to the Riverwalk, or I might come here and get my life in order so I can sleep as late as possible tomorrow morning. And by late I mean 3:50 am.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
10:47 pm - Walking down Bourbon Street. Just saw a 9 year old get hit in the head with beads. Hilarious!
10:32 pm - Wow what a game! Zack and I walked around trying to find a sports bar for a while, picked up my buddy Rob and one of his friends (I "mugged" Rob, scaring the hell out of him and in hindsight I was probably lucky I didn't get swung on) and we continued to try and find somewhere. After walking in an enormous circle and wasting nearly an hour we headed to Bourbon Street and after walking up and down looking for the one place multiple people recommended we gave up and wound up at some random sports bar called La Bayou. It wound up being good and the game was in the late 3rd quarter with the Saints down 24-3.
From there the Saints scored on their first two possessions of the 4th and all of a sudden it felt like there was going to be some Saints magic once again. There was no other place I would have rather been outside of the Superdome than on Bourbon Street if the Saints were indeed going to pull this off. Then the Cowboys shanked a short field goal because Nick Folk is awful (and will be jobless Monday) and the improbable comeback looked not only probable but inevitable. The Saints had 2:30 to go and 80 yards to go. They only got 30. Horrible clock management leading up to a 4th down conversion left the home team strapped for time and the miracle ended with a Demarcus Ware sack of Drew Brees and the ball laying on the turf with a Cowboy on top of it.
That was still an amazing experience! Now off to walk up and down Bourbon Street.
10:32 pm - Wow what a game! Zack and I walked around trying to find a sports bar for a while, picked up my buddy Rob and one of his friends (I "mugged" Rob, scaring the hell out of him and in hindsight I was probably lucky I didn't get swung on) and we continued to try and find somewhere. After walking in an enormous circle and wasting nearly an hour we headed to Bourbon Street and after walking up and down looking for the one place multiple people recommended we gave up and wound up at some random sports bar called La Bayou. It wound up being good and the game was in the late 3rd quarter with the Saints down 24-3.
From there the Saints scored on their first two possessions of the 4th and all of a sudden it felt like there was going to be some Saints magic once again. There was no other place I would have rather been outside of the Superdome than on Bourbon Street if the Saints were indeed going to pull this off. Then the Cowboys shanked a short field goal because Nick Folk is awful (and will be jobless Monday) and the improbable comeback looked not only probable but inevitable. The Saints had 2:30 to go and 80 yards to go. They only got 30. Horrible clock management leading up to a 4th down conversion left the home team strapped for time and the miracle ended with a Demarcus Ware sack of Drew Brees and the ball laying on the turf with a Cowboy on top of it.
That was still an amazing experience! Now off to walk up and down Bourbon Street.
7:45 pm - The road rally has been in town for over an hour but they got lost on the way to their hotel and are taking forever checking everyone in and thus I'm still sitting in my hotel waiting on one Zack Barnes (yeah I'm callin you out!) and whoever else is going to come to wherever we wind up to watch the game. Cooter Brown's is too far away and I'm tired of taxis. Speaking of the game though, what in the world do the Cowboy's think their doing. Forcing two 3 and outs and scoring on their first two drives. I still like the Saints but I sure as hell didn't see this coming.
5:53 pm - Got my plans set for tonight. Now I've gotta fill in the who as the road rally gets here but I'll be going to Cooter Brown's, one of the best sports bars in New Orleans to watch the Saints game. The food is supposed to be great and the atmosphere anywhere in the city is going to be unreal.
3:42 pm - Lunch was solid and would have been better if I wasn't so hungry. Fried chicken isn't great on a completely empty stomach. Time to head back and watch a little basketball before heading to fan fest. Still gotta shop too. Can't wait to watch the Saints game tonight. This city is already rockin. And by rockin, I also mean plastered.
12:12 pm - Just saw a friends Facebook post about final grades so I decided to check mine. Got an A in the one class I didn't know about yet. Have some! As far as the game goes, Kansas needs to figure out this 1-3-1 zone from Michigan or they could be in trouble. I think the solution is Xavier Henry since he can handle and has some height. Have him in the back court with Collins and work the trap.
10:51 am - Done at Mothers and I'm actually vaguely disappointed although I'll take the heat for it. Did a poor job ordering. Next meal will be what's widely considered the worlds best fried chicken. Can't remember the name of the place but I do know it will result in a gym stop later. I've got to head to the French Quarter later to buy some gifts but that's going to have to be balanced against a great day in College Hoops.
Also people have already started "preparing" for the game tonight. This city is gonna be bonkers!
Last but not least I now know that some of my longer posts aka the ones I've done via email haven't made it up for whatever reason. I'll work on fixing that. Also I'll go back and put them in. How do I know this? Because I'm re-united with my laptop!!! I had to pay for internet but I guess that's what I get for such a nice hotel at such a good price.
Also people have already started "preparing" for the game tonight. This city is gonna be bonkers!
Last but not least I now know that some of my longer posts aka the ones I've done via email haven't made it up for whatever reason. I'll work on fixing that. Also I'll go back and put them in. How do I know this? Because I'm re-united with my laptop!!! I had to pay for internet but I guess that's what I get for such a nice hotel at such a good price.
10:10 am - The line is out the door at Mother's but I'm waiting. This is part of the experience. A part I'm not fond of but a part nonetheless.
10:06 am - Finished wit the show and it was a really good one. Curtis called me out on my laptop but I'll forgive him. Headed to Mother's now for breakfast. Report card coming soon.
7:20 am - The thought that monday I'm going to have to get up 3 hours earlier is sickening. However here I am, up and at em and re-united with my lovely phone, coffee in hand waiting for curtis to get to the studio so I can call in. I stayed up prepping for the show until 1 last night. I really hope its worth it. I also hope 9 am comes quickly because the media room opens and they have food. I'm hungry (which is unbelievable after dinner last night) and Mothers is going to have to wait to after the show. Eventually there will be updates that don't involve food. But I'm in New Orleans and its me. So don't count on it around meal time.
10:06 am - Finished wit the show and it was a really good one. Curtis called me out on my laptop but I'll forgive him. Headed to Mother's now for breakfast. Report card coming soon.
7:20 am - The thought that monday I'm going to have to get up 3 hours earlier is sickening. However here I am, up and at em and re-united with my lovely phone, coffee in hand waiting for curtis to get to the studio so I can call in. I stayed up prepping for the show until 1 last night. I really hope its worth it. I also hope 9 am comes quickly because the media room opens and they have food. I'm hungry (which is unbelievable after dinner last night) and Mothers is going to have to wait to after the show. Eventually there will be updates that don't involve food. But I'm in New Orleans and its me. So don't count on it around meal time.
Friday, December 18, 2009
11:23 pm - Hibachi! Watching the Washington/Golden State and Gilbert Arenas is lighting it up. Hopefully he's getting back to being healthy and thus the player he once was. Also I'm really impressed with Anthony Randolph for Golden State. I need to see more but so far I don't discount the common Lamar Odom comparison.
Day 1 gets an A minus the struggles with technology. Speaking of which I'm headed downstairs to get this sucker (my blackberry) charged up for the night so I can do radio in the morning. Wild World of Sports at 8 am with me live from here and Curtis in studio. Holler at everybody then!
10:44 pm - Back at the hotel watching Sportscenter. I wish I was going so badly to the Saints game with a press pass tomorrow (which apparently was a possibility) so I could meet Michael Smith and punch Ed Werder. One of my favorite reporters and my least favorite all in one place.
9:40 pm - Me: 1 Poppy's steamed seafood: 0
Day 1 gets an A minus the struggles with technology. Speaking of which I'm headed downstairs to get this sucker (my blackberry) charged up for the night so I can do radio in the morning. Wild World of Sports at 8 am with me live from here and Curtis in studio. Holler at everybody then!
10:44 pm - Back at the hotel watching Sportscenter. I wish I was going so badly to the Saints game with a press pass tomorrow (which apparently was a possibility) so I could meet Michael Smith and punch Ed Werder. One of my favorite reporters and my least favorite all in one place.
9:40 pm - Me: 1 Poppy's steamed seafood: 0
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
It's December. Relax!
Ask anyone who knows me, and they'll tell you basketball is my passion. I know the sport inside and out, I played it, and I follow it as closely as I can. I go to practices, I don't miss games, and I ask questions of players and coaches. Not "how'd you feel about your performance?" questions, the "when you came off that staggered screen, what did you see?" questions.
For this reason I've apparently become the person everyone asks about our basketball teams in the media, which is fine with me, and I'm more than happy to respond with my opinion or with what I see as the answer. The question I've gotten the most lately is "what's wrong with our girls?" So here's the answer.
Much like I discussed in my first blog (www.mtsusidelines.com/blog-1.109/the-wild-world-of-sports), in order to win basketball games you have to put the ball in the basket. This is the "problem" with the Lady Raiders this year. Their simply not shooting well, and they know it. There has been one game where all the shooters were on and they put up 94 points and housed the defending national runner up in Louisville.
Ok so that leads to the next question: why?
I think that part of it is the pressure of expectations. To a man they said the goal this year was to get to San Antonio and the Final Four. This is a dangerous thing to shoot for for this reason: you take the risk of not looking game to game and looking too much big picture.
I don't think the first part of the problem. With all due respect to any coach I ever had and Coach Davis and the men's staff, Rick Insell is the best coach I've ever seen. He doesn't let the team ever look past a game, but at the same time it's got to be in the back of everybody's mind. That kind of thing can weigh on you and the statistics say it is.
Going into the game versus Louisville, Brandi Brown, who can shoot with anyone in the country (and I'm not kidding when I say anybody) was shooting 23% from the great beyond. That's not going to stay that way and she has been solid the past few games.
Anne Marie Lanning wasn't getting very many looks to start the year and wasn't hitting the few looks she did get. Rhythm is a huge part of shooting and thus this is not only understandable but expected.
Jackie Pickel was off to start the year, but anyone who knows Jackie knew that wasn't going to last. She works too hard. (And if you don't know Jackie, why don't you meet her www.youtube.com/watch). That being said, she was still on her game defensively and found other ways to contribute.
All of this is fine and dandy but at the end of the day you have to put the ball in the basket and Sunday at the aptly named Frost Arena against South Dakota State Middle Tennessee struggled again. 5-29 from 3. I'll do the math for you. That's 17%. I obviously don't endorse betting but if I did, I would put any amount of money on the fact that they won't shoot that poorly again. Everyone has off nights, but a night that bad doesn't happen very often even with shooters half as good as the ones we have.
The other factor that has to be looked at here is the competition. If I had told anyone on that team that going into conference play that they would have four losses they would have looked at me like I lost my mind, but they really don't have a "bad" loss. Sure the losses haven't been pretty and in that respect I'm sure the players, coaches, and fans are disappointed and that disappointment is quite honestly fair.
This team was supposed to be able to compete with the LSU's, Xavier's, and Tennessee's of the world and they can. But they didn't. And as for Sunday, South Dakota State is a good team, a really good team.
But let's have a little perspective. MT opened the season against defending Conference USA champion UCF and beat them by 20 while playing at best a mediocre game. The one "A" game the Lady Raiders have played this year was against Louisville and, as I said, they put up 94 points.
So once again, that's all fine and dandy, but what's the solution?
For one, patience.
Conference season starts Sunday and is on for good after the Dec. 28th game vs Kentucky. That's the important season. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger and trust me, this team isn't dead yet.
For two, show them your support.
This is one of the tightest teams I have ever seen. They truly love each other and they love this community. They don't want to let each other down and they don't want to let you, the fan down. Let them know you still support them by showing up to the games. These players thrive under pressure. Jackie Pickel's biggest game was against Tennessee. Alysha Clark and Chelsia Lymon always can sense when they need to kick it into that proverbial "extra gear." Give them the environment to thrive and they will.
And last but not least, sit back, relax, and be thankful that you've been given such quality team on and off the court. Sure the on court results haven't been exactly what everyone planned, but have you looked at a calendar lately? It's December people. There are two and a half months and all of conference season until march and if you think this is going to last you are out of your mind. I go to practices and the same shooters that have struggled in games are shooting just fine in practice so they haven't lost anything. Also they've done it in the past so there's no need to think they can't do it in games.
But notice that I didn't just say on the court, I said off. Coach Davis does an amazing time with the boys team of getting out into the community and its well documented on what kind of young man Coach Stockstill is looking for on his football team, but there is no other group of student athletes in the world I'd rather be represented as as a student than the Lady Raider Basketball team.
They are an intelligent group that is well spoken, care about the community, and are all genuinely nice people. I don't know all the girls, but I can honestly say some of my favorite moments of being a media member happened before or after interviews off camera with the girls I have gotten to interact with.
In short, relax people! It's the holiday season! Give thanks for a wonderful team that is led by a tremendous coach and WILL figure things out before long. Treat yourself by going to the games and enjoying a few solid hours of quality entertainment and scream your head off for the blue team (or against the guys in the stripes, MT fans are really good at that).
In the meantime, I'll gladly take the next question.
For this reason I've apparently become the person everyone asks about our basketball teams in the media, which is fine with me, and I'm more than happy to respond with my opinion or with what I see as the answer. The question I've gotten the most lately is "what's wrong with our girls?" So here's the answer.
Much like I discussed in my first blog (www.mtsusidelines.com/blog-1.109/the-wild-world-of-sports), in order to win basketball games you have to put the ball in the basket. This is the "problem" with the Lady Raiders this year. Their simply not shooting well, and they know it. There has been one game where all the shooters were on and they put up 94 points and housed the defending national runner up in Louisville.
Ok so that leads to the next question: why?
I think that part of it is the pressure of expectations. To a man they said the goal this year was to get to San Antonio and the Final Four. This is a dangerous thing to shoot for for this reason: you take the risk of not looking game to game and looking too much big picture.
I don't think the first part of the problem. With all due respect to any coach I ever had and Coach Davis and the men's staff, Rick Insell is the best coach I've ever seen. He doesn't let the team ever look past a game, but at the same time it's got to be in the back of everybody's mind. That kind of thing can weigh on you and the statistics say it is.
Going into the game versus Louisville, Brandi Brown, who can shoot with anyone in the country (and I'm not kidding when I say anybody) was shooting 23% from the great beyond. That's not going to stay that way and she has been solid the past few games.
Anne Marie Lanning wasn't getting very many looks to start the year and wasn't hitting the few looks she did get. Rhythm is a huge part of shooting and thus this is not only understandable but expected.
Jackie Pickel was off to start the year, but anyone who knows Jackie knew that wasn't going to last. She works too hard. (And if you don't know Jackie, why don't you meet her www.youtube.com/watch). That being said, she was still on her game defensively and found other ways to contribute.
All of this is fine and dandy but at the end of the day you have to put the ball in the basket and Sunday at the aptly named Frost Arena against South Dakota State Middle Tennessee struggled again. 5-29 from 3. I'll do the math for you. That's 17%. I obviously don't endorse betting but if I did, I would put any amount of money on the fact that they won't shoot that poorly again. Everyone has off nights, but a night that bad doesn't happen very often even with shooters half as good as the ones we have.
The other factor that has to be looked at here is the competition. If I had told anyone on that team that going into conference play that they would have four losses they would have looked at me like I lost my mind, but they really don't have a "bad" loss. Sure the losses haven't been pretty and in that respect I'm sure the players, coaches, and fans are disappointed and that disappointment is quite honestly fair.
This team was supposed to be able to compete with the LSU's, Xavier's, and Tennessee's of the world and they can. But they didn't. And as for Sunday, South Dakota State is a good team, a really good team.
But let's have a little perspective. MT opened the season against defending Conference USA champion UCF and beat them by 20 while playing at best a mediocre game. The one "A" game the Lady Raiders have played this year was against Louisville and, as I said, they put up 94 points.
So once again, that's all fine and dandy, but what's the solution?
For one, patience.
Conference season starts Sunday and is on for good after the Dec. 28th game vs Kentucky. That's the important season. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger and trust me, this team isn't dead yet.
For two, show them your support.
This is one of the tightest teams I have ever seen. They truly love each other and they love this community. They don't want to let each other down and they don't want to let you, the fan down. Let them know you still support them by showing up to the games. These players thrive under pressure. Jackie Pickel's biggest game was against Tennessee. Alysha Clark and Chelsia Lymon always can sense when they need to kick it into that proverbial "extra gear." Give them the environment to thrive and they will.
And last but not least, sit back, relax, and be thankful that you've been given such quality team on and off the court. Sure the on court results haven't been exactly what everyone planned, but have you looked at a calendar lately? It's December people. There are two and a half months and all of conference season until march and if you think this is going to last you are out of your mind. I go to practices and the same shooters that have struggled in games are shooting just fine in practice so they haven't lost anything. Also they've done it in the past so there's no need to think they can't do it in games.
But notice that I didn't just say on the court, I said off. Coach Davis does an amazing time with the boys team of getting out into the community and its well documented on what kind of young man Coach Stockstill is looking for on his football team, but there is no other group of student athletes in the world I'd rather be represented as as a student than the Lady Raider Basketball team.
They are an intelligent group that is well spoken, care about the community, and are all genuinely nice people. I don't know all the girls, but I can honestly say some of my favorite moments of being a media member happened before or after interviews off camera with the girls I have gotten to interact with.
In short, relax people! It's the holiday season! Give thanks for a wonderful team that is led by a tremendous coach and WILL figure things out before long. Treat yourself by going to the games and enjoying a few solid hours of quality entertainment and scream your head off for the blue team (or against the guys in the stripes, MT fans are really good at that).
In the meantime, I'll gladly take the next question.
Saturday, December 5, 2009
In case you missed it!
We realize we don't have the most desireable time slots to listen to but if you're not listening you're missing out! Luckily for you, there's this thing called the internet and we record our shows. Here are some of the highlights from the past two days.
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Jay Will 12-4.mp3 - Craig Hoffman and Curtis Nolte
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Chris Childers 12/5 - Craig Hoffman and Curtis Nolte
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Nets Big Headed Prediction.mp3 - Craig Hoffman and Curtis Nolte
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Were Going To New Orleans.mp3 -
Jay Will 12-4.mp3 - Craig Hoffman and Curtis Nolte
Chris Childers 12/5 - Craig Hoffman and Curtis Nolte
Nets Big Headed Prediction.mp3 - Craig Hoffman and Curtis Nolte
Were Going To New Orleans.mp3 -
Thursday, December 3, 2009
The Perfect Perspective
Believe it or not there are more important things than sports. Like life. Or having and being a part of a family. Someone who understands this is Jay Williams who we had the absolute pleasure of interviewing last week. I asked Jay if he had any plans of coming back. What he said truly amazed us:
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Jay Williams Perspective - Craig Hoffman and Curtis Nolte
Perspective like this is not always found in sports. Often athletes return too soon from injury and cause themselves long term injury. However it would aslo be nice to see this perspective from the fans. I'm all for pouring your heart and soul into your team, but don't let a loss ruin your life. Because while you're busy being upset, you might lose a moment with your kid or your spouse, and losing that is far more important than losing a game.
Jay Williams Perspective - Craig Hoffman and Curtis Nolte
Perspective like this is not always found in sports. Often athletes return too soon from injury and cause themselves long term injury. However it would aslo be nice to see this perspective from the fans. I'm all for pouring your heart and soul into your team, but don't let a loss ruin your life. Because while you're busy being upset, you might lose a moment with your kid or your spouse, and losing that is far more important than losing a game.
Friday, November 6, 2009
My Challenge to MTSU
In recent years student attendance has been up tremendously at Football games. As a matter of fact, every game this year has had a nearly full student section. Sadly the same cannot be said for basketball. To be frank, the basketball attendance last year was embarrassing. There was one sellout, which was against UT, and and a good quarter of the crowd was wearing orange. The biggest crowd of the year besides UT was a double header for Mardi Gras night and more people were there to dress up like hammered fools (some weren't "dressing up" for the hammered part) than to support their team. In our biggest game against our biggest rival against Western Kentucky we had 20 people in the student section. This year, let's change that.
We have a Men's team budding with potential, one with one of the best players in the conference in Desmond Yates. "Boogie" was the pre-season player of the year last year but was slowed by nagging injuries and was stuck playing out of position all year because of an injury to Theryn Hudson. This year Theryn is back and Boogie is healthy. By the end of the year King Boogie I could not only be that, the homecoming king, but also MTSU's all-time leading scorer. On top of Boogie, Theryn, Calvin O'Neil, and a few other returning players (including Montario Haddock who I think will have a breakout year) are some new editions that I'm incredibly high on. Last year was a struggle at Point Guard after Nigel Johnson got hurt. Nigel graduated and the man taking his place is one of the most exciting players in the Sun Belt. James Washington is quick, fast, can shoot, and is highly intelligent. Coach Davis plans to use his speed to the max, running constantly making for an exciting brand of basketball. Someone who should benefit from this is fellow JuCo transfer Rod Emanuel. Rod is a slick scorer with a sweet shot who should be the starting two-guard to open the year.
On the Women's side, we have one of the best players in the country in Alysha Clark. If you haven't seen her play, what the hell are you waiting for? She can do quite literally everything. She can score inside and outside, she rebounds, and is a tremendous athlete. She also is a versatile defender and a tremendous leader. Speaking of tremendous leaders, Chelsia Lymon is an ideal point guard. Lymon was the 08-09 Sun Belt Defensive player of the year and in the second half of the scrimmage Monday was a highlight real at the offensive end. Jackie Pickel and Anne Marie Lanning are back and have greatly improved their games as all-around players. Brandi Brown is also back and her shot is in mid-season form. Emily Queen and Dana Garret should also contribute off the bench as they did last year and you can also expect Tina Stewart to see significant playing time. All of these girls are tremendous players and even better people off the court. They play a beautiful brand of basketball and execute it to perfection.
So here's my challenge: let's have at least a 50% full student section at every game. I realize that basketball games aren't always as convenient to go to as football games, but filling up half of a section in a school with 24,000 undergrads isn't too much to ask. We can do this people. Coach Insell and Coach Davis are putting a good product on the floor. Come watch. I was talking to Coach Insell recently and said how much fun I had going to practice and covering his program, he immediately interrupted me and said "No, no. It's not my program. It's our program."
We have a Men's team budding with potential, one with one of the best players in the conference in Desmond Yates. "Boogie" was the pre-season player of the year last year but was slowed by nagging injuries and was stuck playing out of position all year because of an injury to Theryn Hudson. This year Theryn is back and Boogie is healthy. By the end of the year King Boogie I could not only be that, the homecoming king, but also MTSU's all-time leading scorer. On top of Boogie, Theryn, Calvin O'Neil, and a few other returning players (including Montario Haddock who I think will have a breakout year) are some new editions that I'm incredibly high on. Last year was a struggle at Point Guard after Nigel Johnson got hurt. Nigel graduated and the man taking his place is one of the most exciting players in the Sun Belt. James Washington is quick, fast, can shoot, and is highly intelligent. Coach Davis plans to use his speed to the max, running constantly making for an exciting brand of basketball. Someone who should benefit from this is fellow JuCo transfer Rod Emanuel. Rod is a slick scorer with a sweet shot who should be the starting two-guard to open the year.
On the Women's side, we have one of the best players in the country in Alysha Clark. If you haven't seen her play, what the hell are you waiting for? She can do quite literally everything. She can score inside and outside, she rebounds, and is a tremendous athlete. She also is a versatile defender and a tremendous leader. Speaking of tremendous leaders, Chelsia Lymon is an ideal point guard. Lymon was the 08-09 Sun Belt Defensive player of the year and in the second half of the scrimmage Monday was a highlight real at the offensive end. Jackie Pickel and Anne Marie Lanning are back and have greatly improved their games as all-around players. Brandi Brown is also back and her shot is in mid-season form. Emily Queen and Dana Garret should also contribute off the bench as they did last year and you can also expect Tina Stewart to see significant playing time. All of these girls are tremendous players and even better people off the court. They play a beautiful brand of basketball and execute it to perfection.
So here's my challenge: let's have at least a 50% full student section at every game. I realize that basketball games aren't always as convenient to go to as football games, but filling up half of a section in a school with 24,000 undergrads isn't too much to ask. We can do this people. Coach Insell and Coach Davis are putting a good product on the floor. Come watch. I was talking to Coach Insell recently and said how much fun I had going to practice and covering his program, he immediately interrupted me and said "No, no. It's not my program. It's our program."
Friday, October 23, 2009
Baseball, We Are in 2009. Can You Come Join Us?
I say I'm going to give you $100. You're reaction? Heeeck yeah! Now I tell you it's my contribution to help you buy that Ferrari you want. Not so excited are you. The same concept is true with time. How long is 30 seconds? If you have to be silent for that long, it feels like an eternity. If I ask for 30 seconds of your day and you're not busy, you're more than likely going to oblige. Where am I going with all this? Here:
I'm sick and tired of all the excuses of why baseball doesn't have replay. There are a million excuses, but they are all just that, excuses. No one has a valid reason of why, in 2009, we don't have expanded instant replay in baseball. So I'm going to rail through all the excuses, tell you why they suck, and then go home tonight and watch with frustration as the umps inevitably blow an obvious call (hey, we're battin over .500 in these playoffs of games with blown calls so I'm probably right) cause baseball is stuck in the stone-age.
1) "It'll take too long"
Really? How long does it take to see that you've missed a call in baseball? To answer a question with a question, how long does one replay take? How many replays are done of every pitch between pitches? At least three. It's not that hard to have an ump in the booth and a field side monitor and get a call corrected quickly. In fact it will take LESS TIME than a manager coming out and throwing a fit. Here's how you do it. Each manager gets one challenge per game, and on top of that you go by the college football system where every play is replayed in the booth. If it's blatently obvious that an ump missed the call, then the booth umpire will buzz down to the crew chief, who will take a look at the field side monitor (or God forbid the giant scoreboards) and confirm the call. It will take 30 seconds and nobody's mad. If a play is closer (such as a bang-bang play at first) than a manager can challenge. No added time. No problem. Suck it up.
2) "I like the human element"
Me too. The players are human. I like that. I'm not saying a manager can challenge every safe and out call at first, however if in a clutch spot he has a valid point, why should the umpires be able to effect the game? I'm not saying use questec for balls and strikes which in my mind should remain unchallengeable for now, but a fair/foul call or an out/safe call should be able to be challenged. These are not judgement calls. These are fact. Technically strikes and balls are too but there is far more interpretation involved in where the strike zone is as compared to did the ball hit the line. Errors are part of the game for the players and they happen, they're playing it. The umpires aren't playing the game. They aren't on one of the two teams. They don't have to be perfect, but their errors can't effect the game. The athletes make too much money and baseball is too big of a business to have their biggest games not being decided by the guys earning the big bucks.
3) "It'll show up the umpires"
Football officials don't seem entirely offended. Neither do NBA refs. All officials want to get it right. The end. They don't want you to know who they are, and they don't want to effect the game. They want to do their job, get their paycheck, and go home happy with no beer or popcorn thrown on them. Replay would allow this to happen.
I have a lot of respect for umpires. They do their job knowing that if they slip up one time, they're going to have thousands, if not millions of people nation and world-wide upset with them cause the call didn't go their teams way. Knowing that, why not give them a little help? Clearly the technology is there, we get to see it on this magical device called the television. Why can't they? Oh that's right! Cause baseball is stuck in the stone age. The managers, many of whom are 60 and 70 year old men still wear the same uniforms as the players. The concept of the Wild Card was considered radical when introduced less than 20 years ago; and the commissioner goes by the name of Bud, and his suits look like 3rd generation hand-me-downs. Baseball, we are in 2009. Can you come join us?
I'm sick and tired of all the excuses of why baseball doesn't have replay. There are a million excuses, but they are all just that, excuses. No one has a valid reason of why, in 2009, we don't have expanded instant replay in baseball. So I'm going to rail through all the excuses, tell you why they suck, and then go home tonight and watch with frustration as the umps inevitably blow an obvious call (hey, we're battin over .500 in these playoffs of games with blown calls so I'm probably right) cause baseball is stuck in the stone-age.
1) "It'll take too long"
Really? How long does it take to see that you've missed a call in baseball? To answer a question with a question, how long does one replay take? How many replays are done of every pitch between pitches? At least three. It's not that hard to have an ump in the booth and a field side monitor and get a call corrected quickly. In fact it will take LESS TIME than a manager coming out and throwing a fit. Here's how you do it. Each manager gets one challenge per game, and on top of that you go by the college football system where every play is replayed in the booth. If it's blatently obvious that an ump missed the call, then the booth umpire will buzz down to the crew chief, who will take a look at the field side monitor (or God forbid the giant scoreboards) and confirm the call. It will take 30 seconds and nobody's mad. If a play is closer (such as a bang-bang play at first) than a manager can challenge. No added time. No problem. Suck it up.
2) "I like the human element"
Me too. The players are human. I like that. I'm not saying a manager can challenge every safe and out call at first, however if in a clutch spot he has a valid point, why should the umpires be able to effect the game? I'm not saying use questec for balls and strikes which in my mind should remain unchallengeable for now, but a fair/foul call or an out/safe call should be able to be challenged. These are not judgement calls. These are fact. Technically strikes and balls are too but there is far more interpretation involved in where the strike zone is as compared to did the ball hit the line. Errors are part of the game for the players and they happen, they're playing it. The umpires aren't playing the game. They aren't on one of the two teams. They don't have to be perfect, but their errors can't effect the game. The athletes make too much money and baseball is too big of a business to have their biggest games not being decided by the guys earning the big bucks.
3) "It'll show up the umpires"
Football officials don't seem entirely offended. Neither do NBA refs. All officials want to get it right. The end. They don't want you to know who they are, and they don't want to effect the game. They want to do their job, get their paycheck, and go home happy with no beer or popcorn thrown on them. Replay would allow this to happen.
I have a lot of respect for umpires. They do their job knowing that if they slip up one time, they're going to have thousands, if not millions of people nation and world-wide upset with them cause the call didn't go their teams way. Knowing that, why not give them a little help? Clearly the technology is there, we get to see it on this magical device called the television. Why can't they? Oh that's right! Cause baseball is stuck in the stone age. The managers, many of whom are 60 and 70 year old men still wear the same uniforms as the players. The concept of the Wild Card was considered radical when introduced less than 20 years ago; and the commissioner goes by the name of Bud, and his suits look like 3rd generation hand-me-downs. Baseball, we are in 2009. Can you come join us?
Friday, October 9, 2009
Do The Right Thing: The Story of the NCAA (Not a Spike Lee Joint)
The NCAA is the governing body that oversees all major intercollegiate sports in the United States. It has a strict set of rules and by-laws for its institutions and particularly its players. If you cross the NCAA as a player you can be sure that you'll hear from them and will suffer sever consequences. When was the last time you heard a player suspended by the NCAA for a few games? Never. Because they don't play like that. If you break an NCAA rule than you're probably done for a significant amount of time. Which brings us to the case of one Dez Bryant.
The Oklahoma State standout was suspended this week by the NCAA for the remainder of the season, after it was found that Bryant lied to NCAA investigators about meetings he had with former NFL players Deion Sanders and Omar Stoutmire. As far as we know, all the meetings were legal and even set up through the university, yet for some reason Bryant felt like it was necessary to lie about them and he got busted. Once again, he did nothing wrong, lied about it for fear that he had when the NCAA sent investigators after him (because nobody but the NCAA really knows every in and out of the rule), and for that he has lost a year in which he was trying making his case to be a top 15 NFL Draft pick next April.
Bryant is appealing the decision and if the NCAA has half a brain it'll overturn it. The kid has obviously learned his lesson and there is nothing to be gained by suspending him. He's a big attraction so its a loss for Oklahoma State and the NCAA. It also would cost Bryant millions unless he has a miracle run of workouts, because his draft stock would take a huge hit not playing football for the 6 months leading up to the draft. This would leave the NCAA looking like what it really is, an uptight bully.
Bullies are only bullies until they are stood up to, challenged, and beaten. They always pick on the smaller kids because they know they can win, and they always put themselves in power positions. Since collegiate athletes are amateurs and can't unionize, they can't fight the NCAA like professional counterparts. The student-athletes simply have to deal with it.
The same unfortunately goes for us in the fans and media. First the fans side: who wants a college football playoff? You? Oh and you too? And you? Wow. That's, well, everybody. Yet for some reason known only to the NCAA and maybe God (but that's only a maybe) there isn't a playoff for college football. There is precedent. First, there are playoffs in every other level of NCAA football except for the bowl subdivision. Secondly, in the NCAA's second most popular, not to mention commercially successful sport, men's basketball, they have a little thing called "March Madness," which is the greatest playoff in the history of the world. I could continue on this tangent forever but that's not the point. The point is the NCAA is holding us, the fans, captive.
It also is holding me, the media, captive. Most college students know a few athletes, but because of my chosen future profession I've made sure to know a lot of them. One of these is MTSU Wide Receiver Garrett Andrews who is not only an acquaintance, but someone I consider a friend. We had talked about him coming on my radio show and hanging out for a significant part of the show, first with us interviewing him about MT football but then him staying around and picking the rest of the college and pro slate of games with us. When I ran this by the Athletic Communications Department, they immediately said absolutely not. Why? Because according to the NCAA, simply picking games is a form of gambling. Not picking games against the spread. Just stating who you think will win and lose a football game. So I asked if he could not pick the games and just give his thoughts. They had to call the NCAA on this one: still a no. He couldn't give his opinions on any team other than his own, even though that could probably do more harm than talking about other teams if you really think about it. I saw it as a chance for the Middle Tennessee fan base to get to know one of our student athletes in a non-interview setting while still talking about the sport he plays. Instead the NCAA sees it as something that could be used to gamble and shot me down.
So in review, the NCAA is a big bully and it's beating up everyone and taking their lunch money. It's robbing its players of many freedoms most people would never even think about having at risk such as who they associate with and who pays for lunch. They're robbing their fans of a true champion in their number one sport and the right through the media to see it's student-athletes without a uniform. Yet, through all this, the NCAA is still a multi-billion dollar corporation that will continue to thrive because no one can challenge it. Even congress has tried and that's gone no where. It's going to take the fans not showing up to games, or the best players going to NAIA schools, neither of which will or should happen, for a change to take place. In a way, it's good business. People are still paying their money, so why change? Because it's the right thing to do. But seriously, who does that nowadays anyway?
The Oklahoma State standout was suspended this week by the NCAA for the remainder of the season, after it was found that Bryant lied to NCAA investigators about meetings he had with former NFL players Deion Sanders and Omar Stoutmire. As far as we know, all the meetings were legal and even set up through the university, yet for some reason Bryant felt like it was necessary to lie about them and he got busted. Once again, he did nothing wrong, lied about it for fear that he had when the NCAA sent investigators after him (because nobody but the NCAA really knows every in and out of the rule), and for that he has lost a year in which he was trying making his case to be a top 15 NFL Draft pick next April.
Bryant is appealing the decision and if the NCAA has half a brain it'll overturn it. The kid has obviously learned his lesson and there is nothing to be gained by suspending him. He's a big attraction so its a loss for Oklahoma State and the NCAA. It also would cost Bryant millions unless he has a miracle run of workouts, because his draft stock would take a huge hit not playing football for the 6 months leading up to the draft. This would leave the NCAA looking like what it really is, an uptight bully.
Bullies are only bullies until they are stood up to, challenged, and beaten. They always pick on the smaller kids because they know they can win, and they always put themselves in power positions. Since collegiate athletes are amateurs and can't unionize, they can't fight the NCAA like professional counterparts. The student-athletes simply have to deal with it.
The same unfortunately goes for us in the fans and media. First the fans side: who wants a college football playoff? You? Oh and you too? And you? Wow. That's, well, everybody. Yet for some reason known only to the NCAA and maybe God (but that's only a maybe) there isn't a playoff for college football. There is precedent. First, there are playoffs in every other level of NCAA football except for the bowl subdivision. Secondly, in the NCAA's second most popular, not to mention commercially successful sport, men's basketball, they have a little thing called "March Madness," which is the greatest playoff in the history of the world. I could continue on this tangent forever but that's not the point. The point is the NCAA is holding us, the fans, captive.
It also is holding me, the media, captive. Most college students know a few athletes, but because of my chosen future profession I've made sure to know a lot of them. One of these is MTSU Wide Receiver Garrett Andrews who is not only an acquaintance, but someone I consider a friend. We had talked about him coming on my radio show and hanging out for a significant part of the show, first with us interviewing him about MT football but then him staying around and picking the rest of the college and pro slate of games with us. When I ran this by the Athletic Communications Department, they immediately said absolutely not. Why? Because according to the NCAA, simply picking games is a form of gambling. Not picking games against the spread. Just stating who you think will win and lose a football game. So I asked if he could not pick the games and just give his thoughts. They had to call the NCAA on this one: still a no. He couldn't give his opinions on any team other than his own, even though that could probably do more harm than talking about other teams if you really think about it. I saw it as a chance for the Middle Tennessee fan base to get to know one of our student athletes in a non-interview setting while still talking about the sport he plays. Instead the NCAA sees it as something that could be used to gamble and shot me down.
So in review, the NCAA is a big bully and it's beating up everyone and taking their lunch money. It's robbing its players of many freedoms most people would never even think about having at risk such as who they associate with and who pays for lunch. They're robbing their fans of a true champion in their number one sport and the right through the media to see it's student-athletes without a uniform. Yet, through all this, the NCAA is still a multi-billion dollar corporation that will continue to thrive because no one can challenge it. Even congress has tried and that's gone no where. It's going to take the fans not showing up to games, or the best players going to NAIA schools, neither of which will or should happen, for a change to take place. In a way, it's good business. People are still paying their money, so why change? Because it's the right thing to do. But seriously, who does that nowadays anyway?
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Forever in our Harts
I'm 19 years old. I have friends who are 22. Heck one of my best friends is 24. Nick Adenhart was 22. He had just pitched the game of his life, six scoreless innings in the major leagues, and was on his way out to celebrate with 3 friends when the vehicle they were driving was blindsided by a minivan that ran a red-light. The driver of the mini-van was drunk, with a blood-alcohol level 3 times the legal limit. The driver was also driving on a suspended licencewhich stemmed from a previous DUI. This is just another reminder of how precious life is, and it reminds us that every day could be our last. It also shows us how we can go from our highest moments to the end, just like that. It's often said that life isn't fair, and the end of life is no different.
At 22, Nick Adenhart was far too young to go. He was a precocious pitching talent, dominating 18 year old travel leagues at the age of 14, and the night of his death had made his first start in his first full rookie season (he had a few starts last year but is still considered a rookie this year). However according to teammate Dustin Moseley, Nick Adenhart's talents went far beyond a pitching mound and a baseball diamond. He was a bright young man who according to his father was everything a dad could dream of as a son. The most convincing thing to me in the day following Adenhart's death was the reaction of his agent Scott Boras. Boras is known as a hardass to say the least. One who doesn't take anything from anybody, and whose sole purpose in life is to make money for his clients and in turn himself. When talking about Adenhart, Boras completely and utterly broke down in tears. Not shed a tear; broke down in tears. A man who some believe has a heart of stone was crying uncontrollably at a microphone and could only compose himself long enough to say, "we lost a great young man."
Although the promising life of Nick Adenhart was cut short, life for the rest of us, and for his teammates goes on as did their season. On the Friday night the Angels played their first game since Adenhart's death and what I saw was simply unbelievable. With a memorial of his image in centerfield, his number 34 on the mound, and heavy hearts all around, the Angels took the field motivated to get a win for their comrade, something they had failed to do despite his brilliant performance a few nights earlier. I didn't get to watch the game but I did see highlights, and I really didn't need those. All I would have needed to see was a single picture of Angels' starter Jared Weaver's eyes to know how much this meant to him and the rest of the team. I have never seen a player in any sport be more in the zone than I saw Weaver that Friday night. To say he wasn't going to be denied would not be doing Weaver justice; simply put, failure was not an option and it never crossed Jared Weaver's mind.
It would have been very easy, for the Angels to just go through the motions this year, and really no one could blame them. The baseball season is 162 games long and during the 8 months a year baseball players are together they become family. And although Nick Adenhart was only a rookie, he played with many of the young Angels players in the minor leagues and was there through all of Spring Training this year. He was a brother, and a younger brother at that, to everyone on the Angels roster, and instead of going through the motions they went out and played in their fallen brothers memory.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, sports has an ability to bring people together after tragedy unlike anything else in the world outside of music. Sports and music both allow the mind to escape into the world of a game or a song. After 9/11, all of New York held its collective breath as the Yankees advanced to the World Series. After Hurricane Katrina, the citizens of New Orleans wanted nothing more than to have their Saints back. And a year later when they finally did, the buzz in the Superdome was far greater than Bourbon Street (or anyone on it) during Mardi Gras. And while these situations were far greater tragedies in terms of numbers, the loss of Nick Adenhart hit the Angel and Major League Baseball families just as hard. I expected the Angels to keep playing for their teammate and despite the fact the fact that their field talent isn't nearly what it has been in years past, they are once again around in October. And now that the season is all but over, I think they are proud of how they represented a teammate, whos life was cut far too short, and who now, as a fan put it in a make-shift memorial oustide the Angel's Stadium, is playing with another team of Angels.
R.I.P Nick Adenhart
1986-2009
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Stockstill: "We Have a Decision to Make"
Without a doubt, Middle Tennessee's best offensive player going into the year wore #21. For the rest of the year Phillip Tanner might be wearing warmups. In an interview with me yesterday, Head Coach Rick Stockstill said giving Tanner a medical redshirt following a torn MCL in week 2 versus Memphis is being considered.
When I asked Stockstill if the injury, which typically takes 3-4 weeks to heal could turn into a season ending problem he said, "It might. We definitely have a decision to make." Without a doubt the injury will be healed by the season's end, however since Tanner only played in the first two games, and this is his final year of eligibility, Stockstill has to decide what is best for the senior running back and the team, whether to wait out the injury or sideline Tanner for the rest of the year which would give him another year of eligibility, allowing him to return next year.
"I'd hate to have him play in that 6th game (if a player plays in his teams 6th game he is no longer eligible to be redshirted) or that 7th game and have his knee not be right and then he loses his Senior year...I'll be real smart about this decision."
In talking to Stockstill and other team sources, a redshirt seems the most likely option at this point as Tanner will not play Tuesday at Troy (7 pm, ESPN2) and would have to play an SEC opponent in his first game back against Mississippi State on October 17th. However, no final decision has been made. There are ten days in between the Troy and Mississippi State games so Tanner does have extra time to heal before the decision is made.
Tanner was named to the pre-season Doak Walker Award watch list, an award given to the nation's best running back. Tanner struggled in the first game against Clemson as he had only 10 carries for 36 yards however he was having a bounce back game against Memphis averaging 5.7 yards a carry before his injury. In Tanner's absence, D.D. Kyles has taken over the starting role, splitting time with Benny Cunningham. Stockstill said this will continue to be the case if Tanner is out, and to also expect to see a little bit of Sophomore Marquis Branton, as well as some of Desmond Gee in the backfield alongside the team's leading rusher, quarterback Dwight Dasher.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Hi, I'm Your Tour Guide
The student television season started this week and thus my show, MT Sports Live (9 pm CST on MTTV!), did just that, went live. About halfway through the show we were discussing the weekly football press conference when I remembered a particular question that had really bugged me when it was asked of every player and coach. "Does the mindset change going from a conference to non-conference game?" I proceeded to go on a mini-rant (and for the record my co-host Zac Defrancesca, a fellow former athlete backed me up) about how this might be dumber than asking Bill Belicheck for an injury report. Its a question you've heard asked a million times by media members and the answer never changes: it's always no. This is why I now present to you the fans and all my fellow media members an explanation of why, so that hopefully we can never hear this ridiculous question asked again. So come with me, as I take you on a guided tour inside the mind of an athlete!
The modern athlete is trained in media speak, and most of them have learned how to answer many questions put forth by us in the media in a simplistic answer that really doesn't provide any new information. This is why its such a breath of fresh air for me as an interviewer to interview someone like MTSU starting point guard Chelsia Lymon, who simply tells it like it is. However to say this stale, mundane routine of obvious question leading to obvious answer is the athletes and overprotective coaches faults is ridiculous. Its our fault in the media too. Many media members are former athletes who couldn't make it on a higher level (this is not an indictment as this includes me) but still have a love for sport and want to stay as close to it as possible. However it seems like many of these people forget what its like to be an athlete as soon as they cross over the athlete/media line. The question in focus here "does your mindset change now that we're in conference" is a perfect example.
As soon as an athlete steps on their particular playing surface it's game time, no matter who the opponent. It doesn't matter whether MTSU is stepping on the field versus North Texas, Maryland, or Texas, for each individual player, they are just playing football. Does that mean they don't adjust based on who they're playing? Absolutely not. If you're playing Alabama you're probably not going to run right at Mt. Cody in the middle of the defensive line, but it has nothing to do with the name on the front of the jersey. Unlike an athletes attitude, game planning has nothing to do with the name on the front of the jersey, it's all about the names on the backs.
The modern athlete is trained in media speak, and most of them have learned how to answer many questions put forth by us in the media in a simplistic answer that really doesn't provide any new information. This is why its such a breath of fresh air for me as an interviewer to interview someone like MTSU starting point guard Chelsia Lymon, who simply tells it like it is. However to say this stale, mundane routine of obvious question leading to obvious answer is the athletes and overprotective coaches faults is ridiculous. Its our fault in the media too. Many media members are former athletes who couldn't make it on a higher level (this is not an indictment as this includes me) but still have a love for sport and want to stay as close to it as possible. However it seems like many of these people forget what its like to be an athlete as soon as they cross over the athlete/media line. The question in focus here "does your mindset change now that we're in conference" is a perfect example.
As soon as an athlete steps on their particular playing surface it's game time, no matter who the opponent. It doesn't matter whether MTSU is stepping on the field versus North Texas, Maryland, or Texas, for each individual player, they are just playing football. Does that mean they don't adjust based on who they're playing? Absolutely not. If you're playing Alabama you're probably not going to run right at Mt. Cody in the middle of the defensive line, but it has nothing to do with the name on the front of the jersey. Unlike an athletes attitude, game planning has nothing to do with the name on the front of the jersey, it's all about the names on the backs.
I am about to crush a longstanding mathematical anomaly in sports, and that is no athlete plays 100% all the time. This is because it's impossible unless you want to be dead by the end of the first quarter of your game. There is also no such thing as 110%. Once again this is because it's impossible this time not because of physical limits but because of mathematical ones. Athletes play at about 85-90% for most of the time than elevate their games as they see fit. The great athletes, or at least those with superior mental makeup (you don't always get the superior athletic ability with the Michael Jordan mind, trust me. I know because I got the brain and a 5'11" body that runs a 4.8), are able to tell when it is time to elevate their game better than the standard athlete, and they are also able to sustain it longer. This has nothing to do with mindset going into a game, its simply reading the game as it comes along. Kobe Bryant doesn't go into a game knowing at the 8:48 mark of the 4th quarter its go-time; he assesses the game is it progresses and chooses his time to jump. This is also why I can become unguardable in many pickup games despite rarely being the best athlete on the floor. I see its go-time and turn my game up to 100% while everyone else is playing at 85% and at that point its as Lee Corso would say, goodnight sweetheart!
The same is true on a football field. In football when the ball is snapped you go and then the whistle blows so you stop. In theory you would go 100% for that time, but anybody who's watched a football game knows that's not the case. No, not because the tackle got beat by the defensive end on a particular play (someone has to win every battle). However, the evidence lies when about once a game a guy gets blown up on a block because he didn't keep his head on a swivel, or a receiver gets leveled over the middle because his quarterback left him out to dry. Paying attention is part of playing 100%, and in football the result of not playing at 100% is typically quite devastating for you or one of your teammates.
As Herman Edwards would say, "you play to win the game." This doesn't necessarily mean you play your hardest. You have to play better than the person opposite you. That's it. No matter how hard they play you have to play better. If you're 50% is better than your 100% than why play your best? It's wasted energy. If you have that much of an advantage than you play well enough to win decisively and that's the end of it. Does that sound great? Of course not. If a player admitted that to the media would his coach have a fit? You better believe it! However that's the truth and now you have to deal with it.
The important fact out of all of this though, is that it is not determined before a game how much effort a player will put in. Sure a player or a team can start on fire because they've preached putting forth the extra effort but eventually its the same game you've played all your life and you play it as such. The goal of an athlete is to maximize his or her abilities for the entirety of the game and it is up to them to figure out how to do that. "Leaving it all on the field" does you no good if you've left it all by halftime. Remember, a game is a game is a game is a game and a play is a play is a play is play is a play, no matter who an athlete is playing. So now that we have this understanding can I PLEASE never hear the ridiculous conference question again?
Alright that's enough, rant's over. And now that I mention it, so is your tour. Watch your step on the way out. Oh, and tips are gladly accepted!
Friday, September 18, 2009
Left Turn!
"Turning the corner" is a phrase that is used when someone realizes they have a problem and then solves it. Often this happens after some traumatic experience. This past week two examples of this were extremely prevalent, one in the world of sports and one in the world of entertainment. The sports example is one that shows that the athlete involved has not only turned the corner but is headed down the right road while the entertainer involved took the corner last Sunday night. In case you haven't figured it out by now, the athlete is Tennessee Titans Quarterback Vince Young, and the entertainer is one Kanye West.
For the most part, there hasn't been much good news when it comes to Vince Young in the past year. In week 1 last year he was replaced by Kerry Collins after being injured and reportedly refusing to come back in the game. He hasn't started a game since. There was also the police search after his mother feared Young was suicidal. If you ask Young (and me, not that anyone cares what I think) it was an overfearful mother and was blown out of proportion. That being said, it happened, and it wasn't a positive thing for the young quarterback. However without a doubt, the most traumatic thing that happened in Vince Young's life happened on Independence Day this summer, when Young's mentor, Steve McNair was shot and killed. At McNair's funeral, Young stood up on the pulpet side by side with Titans Head Coach Jeff Fisher to honor Mcnair's memory. This in itself was amazing to me, simply because to say the two haven't always seen eye to eye would be an understatement. However this was more important than their relationship as a football coach and quarterback, this was about a football team being family. McNair was the closest thing Young had to a father and he even called him "pops," however Wednesday it was Young who played dad.
St. Paul Christian Academy in Nashville has an annual tradition called the "Dear Dad's Breakfast" where fathers go with their sons to breakfast. Trenton and Tyler McNair didn't really know what to expect, since their dad was taken from them only a short two months ago. They probably figured they would just skip the tradition and go to school like any other day, but instead they were picked up early Wednesday morning by Young who took them to the event. Young promised the boys at their father's funeral that he would always be there for them, and he was. "Those are my boys," Young told The Tennessean and he took care of them as such, making what could have been a horrible day spent reflecting on a lost father into a fun experience the McNair boys, as well as the other St. Paul Christian Academy students, will never forget.
When Kanye West opens his mouth one of two things typically happens.
1) He's in a recording booth and he shows his skill as one of the best entertainers in the world.
-OR-
2) He has a microphone at some public event and every public relations person he has ever worked with cringes.
Sunday night it was #2.
As Taylor Swift accepted her VMA for "Best Female Video," West came on stage and took her microphone, saying he would let her finish but "Beyoncé had one of the best videos ever made," gave Swift back the microphone, and left. He then was asked to leave completely as he was kicked out of the award show and rightfully so.
The next night, West appeared on the brand new Jay Leno Show on NBC as scheduled for a performance with Jay-Z and Rihanna promoting the Jigga Man's new album The Blueprint 3. West asked if he could speak with Leno before the performance and issued an apology to Swift. This is typical media, PR controlling the image of a celebrity procedure, however this one was different. This one was heartfelt. This one was sincere. This one was soooo not Kanye. Leno asked him when he realized he had made a mistake and his answer was the only one that was acceptable: "right after I did it, when I handed her back the mic and she didn't keep going." Leno also asked why he did it and his explanation was not only plausible, but it made sense. Since the tragic loss of his mother in 2007, West has suffered from depression and as he has never really dealt with it as he told Leno:
"You deal with hurt and...so many celebrities, they never take the time off and I've never taken the time off...music after music and tour after tour and I'm just ashamed that my hurt caused someone else's hurt."
This to me says West, this time, is truly ready to turn the corner because not only does he realize there is a problem, but he sees the solution.
Simply put, West and Young now get it, and in my opinion, for as talented as both men are at their craft, its about time.
Monday, September 14, 2009
That Went Well
When people come up to me and say, "I have a question," I typically respond by saying "I have an answer. It may not be right, but I have an answer." Going into week 2 against Memphis, we all had questions for the MTSU football team, and we were hoping they had the right answers. The questions I had went as follows:
1) Will MT run early and often?
In week 1 against Clemson, the coaching staff made a conscious decision not to run the ball early because of the size advantage the Tigers had. The strategy worked late as holes opened up in the spread out Clemson defense, however there wasn't nearly enough short to intermediate passing early in the game to make up for the running game in keeping Clemson honest, which led to limited offensive success in the first half. However these Tigers (Memphis), weren't as big as those Tigers (Clemson) and I wanted to see the ball in our best players hands early, and that would be Phillip Tanner (who, in case you don't know, plays running back).
Answer: No. New offensive coordinator Tony Franklin can't seem to figure out that our best player running the ball doesn't wear #9, he wears #21. Unfortunately, Tanner got hurt in the second half and will be out a significant amount of time and now Franklin will get even more used to calling plays for Dwight Dasher instead of the running backs. Don't get me wrong, Dasher played well and is absolutely electric with the ball in his hands, however he's more effective the less carries he gets. Typically it's "go big or go home" when Dasher runs the ball. He's not going to get 4 or 5 yards a carry, he's going to get tackled behind the line of scrimmage or go for a big play. That's all fine and dandy considering he will inevitably come up with the big one, however that's not what you want from your primary ball carrier. It doesn't wear down the defense and since Dasher apparently never played baseball as a kid and thus never learned to slide, he's going to get himself killed. The solution is simple: call more run plays that aren't options where Dasher can't keep the ball. Just hand it off Dwight; just hand it off.
2) How in the world will we guard the mammoth wide receivers of Memphis?
Our secondary is really good, but its strength is definitely not in its size. Alex Suber is no taller than 5'7" and Rod Issac no taller than 6'1". Normally that's not too much of a problem because both have solid cover skills that make up for their lack of size. However Memphis had two receivers that were 6'4" and 6'9" respectively, not to mention a 6'8" tight end (I know they're a basketball school but are you serious???).
Answer: I'm not quite sure how they did it, but Suber, Issac, and nickleback Marcus Udell along with the rest of the secondary did it! Granted, Memphis didn't exactly fling it around to their monster targets but when they did, the Middle Tennessee defensive backs performed admirably. They challenged every ball as best they could, breaking up multiple passes, as well as hitting the tall, lanky receivers every chance they got. Kudos to the secondary on a job well done.
3) Can the defense force turnovers?
The defense kept Middle Tennessee in the first game against Clemson single-handedly (see "limited offensive success in the first half" above) and it did it with stops and turnovers. If MTSU doesn't force turnovers, it's not going to win many games this year. That's not saying it can't be done however as MTSU has a very opportunistic and aggressive defense that not only can, but will cause multiple turnovers this year.
Answer: No, but it didn't matter because the special teams made up for it in the turnover department, and although the defense didn't force turnovers it did make stops and a lot of them, holding them to 219 yards of total offense, and forcing Memphis to punt 10 times. Speaking of punts, in the 2nd quarter Kenneth Gilstrap shot out of a rocket covering one and lit up Memphis's return guy causing a fumble which Middle Tennessee recovered. They would go on to score a few plays later and never looked back.
4) Blackout anyone?
The blackout promotion was a success last year and it helped get fans into the seats and into the game. The question was, will it work again?
Answer: Yes! A record crowd of 28,105 showed up to Floyd Stadium Saturday night and nearly all of them were wearing black. The student section was buzzing nearly all game and only stopped when the game was out of reach. A majority of the even was dedicated enough to stay till the end. There was a much better alumni turnout than usual however the spirit is still lacking when it comes to the non-student areas of Floyd Stadium. I spent the entire game on the sidelines, the first half on the alumni side and the second half on the student side, and it was so much louder on the student side it wasn't even funny. So on behalf of the students to all the non-students who come to the games here is a challenge: be loud, be proud, and be blue! Oh and by the way, non-students and students alike: you're allowed to stand up! Sit down during timeouts, stand up during play. Did you not go to a high school with a football team? I mean really, everybody knows that.
So now that my questions have been answered here are a few more odds and ends that need to be mentioned from Saturday's intrastate clash:
1) What is Tony Franklin doing on 3rd down?
The Blue Raiders were a pathetic 35% (6 of 17) on 3rd down and I'm whole heartedly blaming the playcalling. It seemed like no matter the distance we were running a read option (which was normally kept by Dwight Dasher). That call is fine on 3rd and 3, but if it's 3rd and 8 don't you think we should try throwing it? Also, did we really try a fumblerooskie? A fumblerooskie is a trick play run from under center, so the second Dasher is not in the shotgun like he is for every other play in our offense, the defense automatically knows something's up. 3rd down in a close game (they tried it in the first half, if not the first quarter) is not the time to try out not only your one play under center, but your only gadget play from under center. Not smart.
2) Hurry up!
Middle Tennessee needs to play at a much faster pace on offense to be more successful and that was blatantly obvious Saturday night. In the third quarter MT went no huddle and played at a quick pace and it worked to the tune of two touchdowns in two drives. This not only has to do with how quickly they snapped the ball but the playcall. There were more short to intermediate passes which helped Dwight Dasher get into a rhythm. How do I know this? 1) I was paying attention and 2) I asked Dwight after the game and he told me so.
3) Everybody loves points in the red zone
Middle Tennessee's execution in the red zone was flawless Saturday, scoring all 4 times they were inside the 20 yard line, including 3 touchdowns. The Blue Raider offense is capable of big plays but isn't really designed for it, instead the goal is to, as Hank Stram once said, matriculate the ball down the field. This is harder to do once a team is in the red zone because there is less space for the defense to defend, making their job easier and what MT was able to do Saturday night all the more impressive.
For more on Middle Tennessee football be sure to listen to the Wild World of Sports on the radio 8 am CST on 88.3 WMTS. Curtis Nolte and I will break down the games every week as well as have interviews with coaches and players. Speaking of interviews with coaches, I will sit down every week with Blue Raider Head Coach Rick Stockstill for my tv show which will air Wednesday nights on MTTV Channel 10 (time TBD). I'd love to tell you the name of this show but it doesn't have one yet and this is where we get to the interactive section of the program. I want your help naming my TV show. It will be similar to PTI on ESPN and will be hosted by myself and Zac Defrancesca. Tweet me your suggestions at twitter.com/choffman223.
Friday, September 11, 2009
The Tale of Two Men
There is much strife in the Bay Area when it comes to football. Two once proud franchises are once again looking at below .500 seasons. Another similarity lies in the fact that a key player from both the Raiders and 49ers will probably be sitting out the season and missing out on millions of dollars. However, to say that Richard Seymour and Michael Crabtree are in the same situation would not be fair to Seymour at all and would be flattering Crabtree (and we all know how big his ego is already).
Richard Seymour got traded from arguably the best run franchise in sports to arguably the worst. Yes, the Patriots have had some turnover in recent years, but how many players have they lost that they actually wanted to keep? Don't stress yourself. It's 1. Asante Samuel. Other than that every player they have let go was past his prime and over the hill. That is until Richard Seymour, who they didn't give up, but simply traded away. That being said, despite losing a 5-time Pro Bowler, New England actually got the better end of the deal in a 2011 First Round Pick. On the other hand, Oakland has made one solid roster transaction since they lost the Super Bowl 7 years ago. They drafted Darren McFadden. Nearly all there other draft picks have either busted (see Michael Huff), been over payed (see Jamarcus Russell), or were drafted far too high (see this years first two picks in Darius Heyward-Bey and Mike Mitchell and Robert Gallery who was drafted as a franchise Left Tackle and is now simply a really good guard). So for Seymour, a man in the last year of a 3 year, $30 million extension, with well over $20 million already in the bank, to say I'm going to sit out the year and not have anything to do with the Raiders, I can't really blame him. He's 29, still with at least 3 good years and 3 or 4 solid years after that ahead of him, and his deal is up at the end of the year. That means he can sign with whoever HE chooses next spring.
On the other hand, Michael Crabtree hasn't played a down of NFL football in his life. He, like every other player who is highly touted out of college, is drafted and has no control over where he goes either geographically and more importantly in his case on the draft board. I had Crabtree as the #2 player in the draft behind now Seahawks LB Aaron Curry. There was no doubt he had top 5 talent, however injury concerns, no workouts because of injury, and now validated character issues saw him fall to #10. What Crabtree doesn't seem to grasp is that if you are drafted #10, you get paid as pick #10. Aaron Rodgers made a late charge to almost become the #1 pick in 2005, an honor that instead went to Crabtree's would be teammate Alex Smith. However Rodgers fell, and fell far, all the way to #24. He didn't whine and say he wanted #1 money, he simply signed his #24 pick contract and moved on.
OK, so both players are being unprofessional, poor teammates and are passing up on an opportunity most of us would kill for, to play professional football. So what's the difference? Crabtree's issue is all about money. He wants to be paid where he thought he should have been drafted. He wouldn't care if he had to play in Antarctica so long that he got his Benjamins. On the other hand, Richard Seymour cares about winning. To say Seymour is being unprofessional would be fair, but really, how professional are the Raiders and specifically they're mentally deranged owner Al Davis. We all know about the Kiffin letter. Point made, and if you have half a brain point taken. Also Seymour owes nothing to his new "teammates" in Oakland. He hasn't played with them, and probably doesn't know most of them from a hole in the wall. And finally yes its a great opportunity, but if you don't like the company you're working for, what do you do? You quit and find work, probably doing the same job, elsewhere. Why should Richard Seymour be any different? As for Crabtree, you can't be a diva receiver unless you've done something in the league, and even then its barely tolerated. Also, doing something requires far more than simply being drafted. Someone needs to remind him, he's played as many snaps in the NFL as me, and as shocking as this may be to you, I've played 0.
Friday, September 4, 2009
5 Things You Need To Know To Fulfill Your Fantasies
Football season is upon us and that means fantasy football season is also upon us. For a lot of us, this isn't our first fantasy football rodeo, while for many others this is their maiden voyage. Yet rookies and veterans alike all seem to make the same mistakes every year which cause them to lose. I've won leagues every year I've played (at least the past 3 years, if not more) and I'm going to share with you 5 tips to not make yourself looking like a fantasy football dummy. You're welcome.
1) Know the rules!
This might sound incredibly stupid but simply knowing the rules separates the men from the boys in fantasy football. Standard leagues give 4 points for passing TD's and 6 points for rushing and recieving TD's. This is why running backs are almost always your number 1 pick. However if you check your rules and passing TD's are worth 6 and you don't take a QB in one of the first two rounds you shouldn't be allowed to play any more. Also double check to see if your league is a PPR league, meaning a point per reception. This instantly makes Wes Welker into a late first to mid second round pick when he otherwise wouldn't go till far later.
2) Don't take a kicker till the last round! Ever!!!
This is because your kicker doesn't matter. As long as you get a fairly accurate kicker from a relatively high scoring team (think Stephen Gastkowski, Nick Folk, etc) you'll be just fine. However do notice this is Rule #2 not Rule #1 and Rule #1 comes first. If your league's kicking scoring is done by distance on field goals get guys who will take and make a decent amount of long field goals (such as Jason Hanson of the Lions who would otherwise be 100% worthless).
3) Brady and Moss are great for the Patriots, not for you.
The same goes for Manning/Wayne, Rodgers/Jennings, and any other QB/WR combo. Although its great on weeks where they connect for 3 TD's that may happen once a season and for the other weeks you better hope the entire offense is on. This might happen rather frequently for the Patriots but you don't want to sacrifice a week where they're off. Instead you could have an off Brady and an on Calvin Johnson and be fine. This is far more important on bye-weeks where all of a sudden your two best offensive players are on the bench and you're royally screwed. This could also be the case in your fantasy playoffs when Bill Belicheck decides to not expose Mr. Brady's knee and gives 81 the week off with him and your two best offensive players are on the bench in your fantasy Super Bowl so they can possibly be healthy for the real one.
4) Pay attention to your bye weeks!
ESPN has been ever so nice to put bye weeks in the first column next to a players name in their drafts. There's a reason its first! If your starter is Aaron Rodgers, don't make your backup Philip Rivers. They have the same bye-week. You wasted a pick. Good job. Also pay attention to schedules. Brett Favre isn't a good fantasy QB because he often forgets what team he's on. However if he's your backup for Drew Brees your fine because Brees's bye week is the same week Favre plays the Rams. This is especially important when drafting your defense. The Chargers are a good fantasy defense but they become a great 14th round pick when your starting defense is the Steelers. They play the Raiders on the Steelers bye week.
5) Don't Draft Rookies!!!!
I know it's tempting to draft your favorite college player who you swear will be an NFL star from play 1 in your fantasy draft, but don't. If you're right and they do explode into stardom you can get them off the waiver wire. Rookies are unproven commodities and you want stability and consistency in your fantasy lineup. I think Mark Sanchez is going to be fantastic this year and have very few rookie moments, but I'm avoiding him like the plague in fantasy. If he's tearing it up in Week 3 and he's still available that doesn't mean I'm not going to pick him up then, and put him on my bench to observe, but I'm not gonna go grab him after he has one good game and dump a proven commodity.
So there it is: your fantasy football survival guide. Have fun with it and be successful on your fantasy quest (unless you're in a league with me, in which case I hope you fail miserably). With all that being said, remember this is fantasy football! Don't let your fantasy team get in the way of your real football fandom. If you have Willie Parker and you're a Titans fan, you don't have to sit him the weeks the Steelers play the Titans, but you shouldn't be jumping up and down in your Titans jersey when he scores. Football first. Fantasy football second. That's like getting excited when your team wins a pre-season game. It's against the rules. Unless you're a Lions fan. Then you just take what you can get.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
I'm Goin Home! Who's Comin With Me?
Ask me where I'm from and I'll tell you New York. However ask me where I grew up and that answer is Greenville, SC. Greenville is the 3rd largest city in the Palmetto State behind the capital Columbia, and a city that was vital to our nation's founding, Charleston. About 45 minutes from Greenville is a small town called Clemson which is home to a not so small Clemson University. Clemson is a university rich in tradition that has gained national notoriety for many of its science and engineering programs amongst other academic achievements.
Athletically Clemson has been successful in many sports, turning out a plethora of pro athletes from Khalil Green (MLB) to Dale Davis (NBA) to US National Soccer Team member Oguchi Onyewu (who plays club fútbol for AC Milan). However our version of football, is without a doubt the sport by which Tiger fans live and die. MTSU will get to see this first hand this weekend as the Blue Raiders travel to Death Valley to take on the Orange and White, and as I travel home to watch the game I'm inviting you to come with me; here are 5 reasons why:
1) You should support your Blue Raiders!
First and foremost you should support your school. Not from home, but from the stands. I understand you can't go to every road game but this one is a) not absurdly far away and b) is on a long weekend. This is the perfect chance for you to be on the sidelines and show your Blue Raider pride at an away game. So no excuses! Be Loud! Be Proud! Be Blue!
2) Its not often you see passion like this.
As I said, Clemson fans live and die with their football team. Even if we filled our stadium with die hard Blue Raider fans, we
still wouldn't be close to what the experience is at Death Valley simply because Clemson's home turf has 80,000 seats while ours has less than half of that. For a true sports fan there's nothing like watching a game in that kind of atmosphere, seeing so many people come together for one cause. Hopefully on September 5th, that will be a losing cause but that's neither here nor there.
3) "The Most Exciting 25 Seconds in College Football"
Whether the above statement is true or not is clearly up for debate, however there is no arguing watching Clemson's pre-game tradition is a truly unique experience, one that must be seen in person to fully understand. Three buses full of players pull up to the stadium at which point the players pile off the bus, through the gate and to the top of "the hill." There they wait, giddy with anticipation, for their turn to touch Howard's rock and run full boar down the hill. It's a tradition that's over a half century old and you can see it simply if you make the trip.
4) "At Running Back...#28...C.J. Spiller"
You may have seen guys who are fast. But unless you've been to an Olympic track meet, you've never seen someone this fast. C.J. Spiller is a potential Heisman Candidate (if Clemson is a factor at all in the ACC) and is considered one of the top 5 and maybe even 3 running backs in the country. In his spare time he also runs track to the tune of a 10.22 100m time. Simply put he's blazing fast, but unlike someone like Trindon Holliday of LSU, Spiller can also run people over as opposed to running around them. He will almost certainly be a first round pick in next April's NFL Draft and probably could have been this year if he hadn't chosen to come back for his senior season. It's also worth noting that as absurdly fast as Spiller is, he's not even the fastest player on Clemson's roster. That honor belongs to starting receiver Jacoby Ford (#6) who was the only person who beat Spiller in the 100 meters at their NCAA Regional Meet. However, Ford's personal best of 10.01 in the 100m is his second most impressive time. Coming out of High School he was clocked at 4.126 in the 40 yard dash meaning he could seriously challenge Chris Johnson's record time at the NFL Combine in the spring should Ford choose to go pro in football and be invited to workout. Simply put, if you like to see guys who run fast, you need to be at this game!
5) Upstate South Carolina is Gorgeous!!!
You've got the whole weekend so you might as well use it. Upstate South Carolina has about everything you could ask for in a weekend getaway. Clemson is on Lake Hartwell which sits at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains. You can go hiking, rent a boat, go fishing, or simply stay on Clemson's campus which has plenty of nice green space to sit by itself. If you're more of a city person than the extra 45 minute drive to my hometown will definitely be worth your while. Greenville is a big city compared to Murfreesboro but tiny compared to somewhere like Atlanta, meaning its big enough to have all the different shops, restaurants, and boutiques of a big city, yet small enough so that you don't feel like you don't have space to breathe, nevertheless move on the sidewalks. Greenville also has Falls Park, which features a gorgeous suspension bridge overlooking Reedy River Falls (pictured) as well as plenty of grassy areas to spend a sunny Sunday afternoon.
There you have it, the top 5 reasons to travel with your Blue Raiders this weekend to Clemson. Consider this your official invitation to my home, the Palmetto State. See ya there!
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