Haven't blogged for awhile but figured I'd throw a few thoughts out there about the Pats and the G-Men............
The NFL Network could not be happier based on the quality of the game that America got to see tonight but the quality of the production.....nothing to write home about.
Is it just me or did the cadence for Rich Eisen's voice change since he's left ESPN? He almost sounded like he was doing a bad Howard Cossell imitation. Not to pile it on ol' Rich, but he also looks like he aged about 20 years since he left ESPN. What must Alycia Lane be thinking now?
As much as I love Deion Sanders and Marshall Faulk, there pregame commentary was about as useless and uninsightful as could be. Even Steve Marriucci's pregame commentary seemed geared toward folks that have never watched football. I must say though that Deion and the boys looked sharp as usual.
And on the opposite end of the "sharp" spectrum, who dresses Cris Collinsworth and Bryant Gumbel? Collinsworth looks like he got his suit at the thrift store and Gumbel looks like he's off to teach a Literature class.
While I'm on the subject of Bryant Gumbel, I must say that he is a positively awful play-by-play announcer. He should stick to conducting interviews. How rough it is for Collinsworth to have to work with someone who always seems on the verge of wanting to cross examine him. I'd imagine Gumbel caught an afternoon matinée of Denzel's movie, "The Great Debaters" and wanted to try to pick an argument with Collinsworth.
Could anyone else not hear the National Anthem or was it just me?
As for the game.............
The Giants are one corner and one receiver away from being a solid football team. Plaxico Burress and Aaron Ross are solid but Amani Toomer is not a #2 receiver anymore and the combination of Corey Webster and Sam Madison couldn't cover the chair I'm sitting in right now. Either Mario Manningham or Aquib Talib will look good in Giants blue come 2008.
I would have nightmares if I were an AFC Secondary coach trying to figure out a way to stop Moss, Welker, Stallworth and Gaffney.\
I would have nightmares if I were an AFC Linebackers coach trying to figure out a way to stop Ben Watson or Kevin Faulk.
Speaking of Faulk, 8 catches for 64 yards including to catches that resulted in first downs on scoring drives for the Pats in the second half... those are solid numbers. Faulk may be the most underrated part of the Patriots offense but tonight, he was money in the bank.
26 rushes, 32 receptions, 4 kickoff returns and 2 punt returns. 64 "touches" and no fumbles. That's why the Pats are 16-0.
Is anybody else sick of hearing Mercury Morris and the '72 Dolphins whine about the Patriots season?
While most College Football fans have had August 30 circled on their calendar's for some time and NFL fans can't wait for Thursday, September 6, there is one more date that all true football fans should be aware of.
Saturday, August 2.
On Saturday, August 2, approximately 360,000 children, ages 5-16 will take to the football field as Pop Warner football kicks off it's 78th season. While many of you will be glued to your television sets or heading off to support your favorite college football team, I would encourage you to find a local Pop Warner game and go out and support some of these wonderful and hard working kids!
Coach Urban Meyer with a few of my Knights at the University of Florida Football Camp
According to the Pop Warner website: "Pop Warner Little Scholars, Inc. (PWLS) is a non-profit organization that provides youth football and cheer and dance programs for participants in 41 states and several countries around the
world. Consisting of approximately 360,000 young people ranging from
ages 5 to 16 years old, PWLS is the largest youth football, cheer and
dance program in the United States." Pop Warner was founded in 1929.
As the President and Junior Pee Wee Head Coach for the Deland Knights Youth Football and Cheer Association, I have been actively involved with youth football for the past five seasons. As much as I love my Gators and my New York Jets, there is no team that I have a greater passion for then my beloved Deland Knights. I have committed myself to being the best league president and Head Coach that I can be and I know my kids have worked very hard to get ready for this season, as I'm sure most of these kids have worked really hard to get ready for this season.
For those of us that are big fans of youth football, it is a 365 day a year undertaking.From fund raising in December and January, to attending coaches clinics in February, to off season training and team meetings in March and April, to summer Flag football season in May and June, to training in July and kicking off the season in August, most youth football teams have been working toward August 2 since November of last year.
Coaching legends Bobby Bowden and Frank Irizarry comparing notes at the 2007 Nike COY Clinic
Even though our team won the 2006 Mid-Florida Conference (the SEC of youth football) Mitey-Mite Eastern Division championship last year, our kids and coaches did not rest on their laurels. Most of our kids went through rigorous off season training programs. For example, my son John attended the University of Florida Football camp, played Spring/Summer flag football and worked out three times a week with a personal trainer at the All Star Sports Training complex (you really need to check this out to see the future of training for youth athletics). This is no longer the exception as it fast becomes the norm in southern youth football.
John and Gators Defensive Coordinator Charlie Strong
Working out in the Swamp!
The Gator head that the players rub for good luck right at the entrance to the field - a Gator tradition!
Johnny and Coach Urban Meyer
Unless you are involved in it, it is almost impossible to imagine just how hard these kids are working. My kids have been practicing five nights a week since July 30. Rain, heat or any other inclement weather means nothing to these kids and coaches. They are tired and a little beat up but boy are they excited about this coming Saturday!
So.....If you want to see football played with love, heart and passion, go check out a local Pop Warner game this weekend.
If you are sick and tired of hearing about Mike Vick, Pacman Jones, Chris Henry, Tank Johnson and Lance Briggs, go check out a local Pop Warner game this weekend.
If you just plain love football in it's purest form and you want to see the future of the game, go check out a local Pop Warner game this weekend.
.........well here is your chance to make your case!
Tonight on the FoxSports.com Bloggers Show I am going to devote the full time to discussing College Football. The topic for the show will be:
"I believe my favorite college team has a shot at winning the BCS National Championship!"
I have six fantastic guests this week and they will get five-seven minutes to make the case why their favorite team will win the BCS National Championship. Slots for next week will be limited to one person per school so if you want to make a case, drop me a line at Gatordebate@aol.com as soon as possible.
The 14th installment of the FoxSports.com Bloggers Show will air on Wednesday, August 22 at 10:00pm EST. Guests will include:
Marty Walker (Ohio State)
Lisa4USC (USC)
Nostradomus (Nebraska)
Rev (Florida)
Josh Q. Public (BC)
KSP113 (Penn State)
The topic we will be discussing is:
"I believe my favorite college team has a shot at winning the BCS National Championship!"
With summer teaching, taking my last Graduate School class, getting ready for the Deland Knights Pop Warner football season and The All-Star Bloggers Show, I haven't really blogged much in the past month. It's been a combination of not quite having the time and not quite having something to get me charged up enough to do some blogging.
That was true until I turned on Sportscenter this morning.
When I saw Chad Johnson racing a horse at River Downs I went numb. I could not believe that 8,000 people would turn out to see a human being race an animal in the year 2007. Johnson raced and beat Restore the Roar yesterday. Restore the Roar's jockey, P.J. Cooksey said of Johnson "he's a fast man. That was phenomenal. When I looked over at him, all I
could see were his legs; they looked like a windmill. He was a blur. I
was beat bad." I can remember Al Campanis and Jimmy the Greek referring to a Black man's legs and being fired shortly thereafter. My how the times have changed.
My shock seemed to grow as I read numerous internet reports of the race. There seemed to be no negative commentary and no mention of a time in American history when one of our greatest athletes had to race horses to earn a living, not just as a publicity charity stunt. Is it me? Am I in the minority here? Am I out of touch with what is and is not decent in America? Do I have a skewed view of race and race relations in this country?
With all due respect to Babe Ruth, Michael Jordan, and Muhammad Ali, my vote for greatest athlete of all time is Jesse Owens and my vote for greatest athletic feat of all time is Owens' four gold medals in the 1936 Sumer Olympics in Berlin, Germany. Competing in a most hostile environment, in one of the most evil physical spaces on Earth and in front of the embodiment of racism and horror, Adolf ####, Owens captured gold in the Men's 100, 200, Long Jump and as the anchor of the U.S. Men's 4X100 relay team. Owens accomplishment transcended athletics and spilled over into the realm of international geopolitics and the intersection of culture and race.
The image of ####'s Brown Shirted Army marching through the stadium while the sickly chilling #### anthem "Deutschland Uber Alles" played was like watching a horror movie played out in front of your eyes. This was going to be ####'s attempt to show the world that he was right about his myth of Aryan supremacy. In Germany, the ####s portrayed African-Americans as inferior and
ridiculed the United States for relying on "black auxiliaries." One
German official even complained that the Americans were letting
"non-humans, like Owens and other Negro athletes," compete. When Owens was finished, this African-American son of a
sharecropper and the grandson of slaves had single-handedly crushed
####'s myth.
A proud and humble man, Owens never
rubbed it in. Just as sure as he knew fascism was evil, he also knew
his country had a long way to go as well in improving life for
African-Americans.
"When I came back to my native country, after all the stories about
####, I couldn't ride in the front of the bus," Owens said. "I had to
go to the back door. I couldn't live where I wanted. I wasn't invited
to shake hands with ####, but I wasn't invited to the White House to
shake hands with the President, either."
Upon Owens' return to New York and a ticker-tape parade, he had to
ride the freight elevator to a reception in his honor at the
Waldorf-Astoria. He was treated as a kind of an oddity. When
endorsements and other opportunities didn't come his way, he made money by, among other
activities, running against horses.
"People said it was degrading for an Olympic champion to run against a
horse, but what was I supposed to do?" Owens said. "I had four gold
medals, but you can't eat four gold medals."
While we as Americans reflect on the mid 1930's as a time when ####sm was the greatest blight on world history, we should also reflect on how issues of race and culture were not handled much better in our country. The fact that our greatest Olympic champion could compete under the most ominous of circumstances and almost singlehandedly destroy the myth of Aryan supremacy but then come home and have to ride freight elevators, sit in the back of buses, stay out of certain clubs and restaurants and yes, have to race horses for a living in a sad testament to where we were as a nation in 1936.
Fast forward to the year 2007. Things are not perfect in our country in the area of race but they are much better than they were seventy years ago. Of course African-Americans don't have to ride freight elevators anymore, or sit in the backs of buses, or stay out of certain restaurants. There are more Black Americans in U.S. colleges and universities today than ever before. There are more Black Americans that hold positions of prominence in law, politics, business and industry than ever before. Per Capita income of Black Americans is higher than probably 90% of the world. Mortality rates for Black Americans are lower in the U.S. than anywhere else in the world. Like I said, things are not perfect. There will always be racism and ignorance in this country. It's unavoidable. Why someone would do something that in any way would fuel that racism and ignorance is beyond me. Chad Johnson does not have to race horses to raise money for charity. It is demeaning to him, demeaning to Black America and demeaning to the legend of Jesse Owens who had to race horses to survive.
Early on in his career, Michael Jordan made the conscious decision to not allow interviwers to speak with him when he was sitting in a towel at his locker. If you wanted to interview MJ, you had to wait until he showered and put on his suit and went to the interview room. When asked why he did this, he said it was because he wanted to be looked at and treated as a professional and that is how professionals should carry themselves. By racing a horse (and I'm not even going to comment on the outfit he was wearing), Chad Johnson was not acting like the professional and the millionaire that he is. By racing a horse, Chad Johnson was doing nothing more than providing ammunition to the close minded bigot who watched that clip and thought to himself "See that n***er running against a horse, how fitting" or some other hateful venomous comment.
Now you might say that it is because of pioneering athletes like Jesse Owens that Chad Johsnon has the right to race a horse if he wants to. To me, that's just ####. You can also say that Johnson has the right to sing old slave songs while performing in white face at the local country club to raise money if he wants to but unless you are a member of the ####, you would probably agree that that would be wrong. Racing a horse is no different.
Seventy years ago Jesse Owens had to race horses to make a living. Chad Johnson does it as a publicity stunt. I don't know what Jesse Owens would say to Chad Johnson given the opportunity but I do believe in my heart that he is rolling over in his grave right now.
Let me get straight to the point folks. I'm starting an internet based radio show called the "Fox
Sports Bloggers Show."The show will debut next Thursday, May 24, at 12:00 AM (I like to think of it as midnight on Wednesday. Please don't get confused) I am sorry about the late time but the folks at BlogTalkRadio.com will not let us schedule an earlier show until we have three or four shows under our belt. Let me tell
you what I'm doing and why I'm doing it.
The angle for the show is
that I want an internet radio show spotlighting and profiling Fox
Sports Blogs and Bloggers. I've been to the blogs on other sites and I honestly believe we have the best
sports bloggers out there. I've been through the programming guide and
there isn't anyone else doing anything close to what I want to do.
Social media is fast becoming the cultural phenomenon of our generation
. Blogging, social networking and video sharing are, according to BTR,
"changing the face of the print and television industries." A network
devoted to the development of social radio seems to be the next step
and I really think BlogTalkRadio will be at the forefront of that
movement. I don't think BlogTalkRadio is going to replace the
conventional blog but I think BlogTalkRadio is a platform that extends
the blog.
The conventional blog has limits. The blog does not allow for
real-time interaction between the blogger and his or her readers or
even with other bloggers. BlogTalkRadio extends the blog to allow such
live interaction, as well as allow users to generate and consume
content in audio format as well as in written format. As for why I'm
doing it, I have a few reasons. First of all, I think it would be fun.
I blog for enjoyment and I think this would be a fun extension of that.
Secondly, I think bloggers are passionate sports fans and I think this
is the next logical outlet for the passion. Lastly, as much as I love writing my
blog, speaking and #### communication is a bit more in my wheel house.
I spent four years in college doing sports broadcasts on our campus TV
station with my roommate JW Stewart (from ESPN News). I hosted a radio
show just outside of Chicago back in the mid 90's and most recently I
spent a year doing the radio broadcasts for Stetson University's D-1
Basketball team. I stopped doing it when I began working on my PhD and
I miss live radio and this gives me a chance to get back to doing
something I love.
The First Show
There are a lot of sports talk shows out there, both in the terrestrial
realm and on the internet, but nothing quite like this. I don't know of
another show done by a blogger, with fellow bloggers, for bloggers and
about what the bloggers write about and even a little about the
bloggers themselves. This project though doesn't get off the ground
without getting other bloggers involved. That's why I've secured three great bloggers for the first show:
Lisa4USC
Reverend Rhythm
1steelerfan1
While I have a lot of love for a lot of bloggers out there, I think the
three of them are three of the most well known, well loved and well
respected bloggers in the Fox Sports Blogging community. I listen to
Colin Cowherd quite a bit and he always discusses what "moves the dial"
when it comes to talk radio. The three them definitely move the dial.
They are frequent holders of the "BOTD" and they receive a large number of responses on their blogs. They are fresh, opinionated, passionate and above all else, they know your sports. My long term vision is to get a lot of
bloggers involved as guests, listeners who call in or IM the show or
even as folks who may want to take over the reigns of the show for a
night (I really do view the show as a collective project and not just
my project which is why I named the show "The Fox Bloggers radio Show"
and not "The Frank Irizarry show") so if you are interested in being a guest on subsequent shows, let me know.
I would like to stress that this show is not affiliated with Fox Sports and not endorsed by Fox Sports. The opinions on these shows are those of the bloggers and not of Fox Sports.
So I'm reading Lisa's blog on the Saban/Spurrier debate and it reminds me of the absolute passion I see in these blogs and in these discussions about college teams and college coaches. The things we debate about are the actual things (among millions of others) that Athletic Directors have to take into consideration when they hire a football coach.
There are some AD's out there doing a sweet job. Jeremy Foley at Florida brought in Meyer and Donovan and he has been rewarded for it. Mike Garrett is a big time AD at USC. Keeping Carroll (although I'm not sure how difficult it is) away from the NFL suitors and working in a fish bowl like LA is amazing. Frank Broyles at Arkansas is a legend. Dealing with the Mitch Mustain/Springdale High clique and hanging on to Houston Nutt when so many backers wanted him fired is incredible. Mal Moore at Alabama must have the patience of a saint and a stomach of iron. Any AD that can deal with the most insane Boosters and the most off the wall State Board of regents/Trustees is godlike. If this Saban thing works out, people will actually begin to believe Mal Moore is God.
So here it goes folks. Do you think you have what it takes to be an Athletic Director? Of course I realize none of us do but this could make for a fun and spirited debate.
Here's what I'd like to see;
1) Pick a school
2) Tell us who you would hire as the Head Coach and why.
3) If the coach you are choosing is an Offensive coach, pick a Defensive Coordinator or vice versa.
4) The only stipulation is that you can not choose the current coach /coordinator of the school you are the mythical AD for. You can choose NFL coaches if you'd like.
So for example:
I choose he University of Florida. I would choose Rich Rodriguez to be my Head Coach/OC and Greg Robinson (former DC at Texas and current Head Coach at Syracuse) to be my Defensive Coordinator.
So who would you choose Fox Sports Bloggers.......................................... .................................................
As a fan of SEC football, I do not hide the fact that I firmly believe that top to bottom the SEC is the strongest conference in all of college football. The NFL draft this weekend seemed to validate that belief and it showed that many in the NFL also believe in the strength of the SEC. Consider the number of SEC first round picks relative to other conferences:
First Round Picks by Conference
SEC 11
Big 10 6
Big East 5
Big 12 4
ACC 3
Pac 10 1
Independent 1
Mid-American 1
35% of the first round picks came from the SEC and the SEC accounted for as many first round picks as the Big 10 and Big East combined.
SEC 1st Round Selections (11) #1 Oakland JaMarcus Russell, QB, LSU
#6 Washington LaRon Landry, S, LSU
#8 Atlanta Jamaal Anderson, DE, Arkansas
#11 San Francisco Patrick Willis, LB, Ole Miss
#16 Green Bay Justin Harrell, DT, Tennessee
#17 Denver Jarvis Moss, DE, Florida
#21 Jacksonville Reggie Nelson, S, Florida
#23 Kansas City Dwayne Bowe, WR, LSU
#27 New Orleans Robert Meachem, WR, Tennessee
#29 Baltimore Ben Grubbs, OG, Auburn
#30 San Diego Craig Davis, WR, LSU
The dominance seemed to extend beyond the first round. Consider the following:
- The SEC had the No. 1
pick in the draft for the fourth time in the last 10 years
- Three of the first
five defensive players taken were from the SEC
- Three of the first
eight players taken were from the SEC
- The SEC had 11 first round selections,
which was the most of any conference.
- The 11 first
round draft picks were the most ever by the SEC. In 1998 and 2005, the SEC had
10 first round draft selections.
- The SEC, Big
Ten and Pac-10 were tied with the most selections in the second round with six
each. The Big 12, WAC and Mountain West each had three selections.
- After two
rounds, the SEC led with 17 selections, followed by the Big Ten with 13, Big 12
and the ACC with seven each.
- During the
first day (three rounds of the NFL Draft), the SEC led with 21 selections,
followed by the Big Ten with 18, ACC with 14, Big 12 with nine and the WAC with
seven selections.
- The SEC
finished the draft with a total of 41 players selected
This folks, is yet another example of Southeastern Conference football Dominance!
SEC Players in the 2007 NFL Draft
PK (OVR)NFL TEAMPLAYER####.SCHOOLFIRST ROUND
#1
Oakland
JaMarcus Russell
QB
LSU
#6
Washington
LaRon Landry
S
LSU
#8
Atlanta
Jamaal Anderson
DE
Arkansas
#11
San Francisco
Patrick Willis
LB
Ole Miss
#16
Green Bay
Justin Harrell
DT
Tennessee
#17
Denver
Jarvis Moss
DE
Florida
#21
Jacksonville
Reggie Nelson
S
Florida
#23
Kansas City
Dwayne Bowe
WR
LSU
#27
New Orleans
Robert Meachem
WR
Tennessee
#29
Baltimore
Ben Grubbs
OG
Auburn
#30
San Diego
Craig Davis
WR
LSU
SECOND ROUND
#3 (35)
Tampa Bay
Arron Sears
OG
Tennessee
#9 (41)
Atlanta
Chris Houston
CB
Arkansas
#10 (42)
Indianapolis
Tony Ugoh
OT
Arkansas
#12 (44)
Minnesota
Sidney Rice
WR
South Carolina
#17 (49)
Cincinnati
Kenny Irons
RB
Auburn
#22 (54)
Kansas City
Turk McBride
DT
Tennessee
THIRD ROUND
#1 (65)
Oakland
Quentin Moses
DE
Georgia
#20 (83)
Carolina
Charles Johnson
DE
Georgia
#21 (84)
St. Louis
Jonathan Wade
CB
Tennessee
#34 (97)
San Francisco
Ray McDonald
DT
Florida
FOURTH ROUND
#22 (121)
Denver
Marcus Thomas
DT
Florida
#24 (123)
Houston
Fred Bennett
CB
South Carolina
#34 (133)
Atlanta
Martrez Milner
TE
Georgia
#36 (135)
San Francisco
Joe Cohen
DE
Florida
#38 (137)
Baltimore
Le'Ron McClain
FB
Alabama
FIFTH ROUND
#15 (152)
Tennessee
Antonio Johnson
DT
Mississippi State
#24 (161)
Seattle
Will Herring
OLB
Auburn
SIXTH ROUND
#16 (190)
St. Louis
Kendrick Shackleford
OT
Georgia
#20 (194)
Atlanta
David Irons
CB
Auburn
#23 (197)
Seattle
Courtney Taylor
WR
Auburn
#32 (206)
Tennessee
Ryan Smith
CB
Florida
SEVENTH ROUND
#3 (213)
Cleveland
Chase Pittman
DE
LSU
#10 (220)
New Orleans
Marvin Mitchell
ILB
Tennessee
#11 (221)
Chicago
Trumaine McBride
CB
Ole Miss
#17 (227)
Pittsburgh
Dallas Baker
WR
Florida
#18 (228)
Green Bay
Deshawn Wynn
RB
Florida
#30 (240)
San Diego
Brandon Siler
ILB
Florida
#36 (246)
Tampa Bay
Ken Darby
RB
Alabama
#38 (248)
St. Louis
Keith Jackson
DT
Arkansas
#45 (255)
Detroit
Ramzee Robinson
CB
Alabama
"......., Joe Thomas, Offensive Tackle,
University of Wisconsin." Now I know I said the same thing last year
about the Texans selecting D’Brickashaw Ferguson with the first pick and in
reality I'm not expecting to hear these words uttered by NFL Commissioner
Roger Goodell on April 28 at approximately 12:18 pm when he introduces the
first pick in the draft. Most likely, we will hear the name
"Russell" or "Quinn," or "Johnson" along with the
first pick (although I think JaMarcus Russell is almost a lock.) Much of
the debate in cyberspace as well as on the radio and television revolves
around Russell, I'm here to tell you that even though the analysts and
commentators are paid to give their opinions (while your humble scribe works
for free) that doesn't mean they are making the right call. Most analysts
believe Russell will go to the Raiders thus creating a modern day “Four
Horsemen of the Apocalypse” (Al Davis, Lane Kiffin, Randy Moss, and JaMarcus
Russell). Now I agree that this is how
things will probably turn out
but I'm here to tell you why I think things should
turn out differently. The following are the top five
reasons that the Oakland Raiders shouldselect Joe Thomas with the first pick in the draft:
#5 - You must solidify the
protection for the quarterback before you find the quarterback. In 2005,
David Carr suffered through 68
sacks, 424 yards lost, 17 fumbles, six fumbles lost. It was a rough season for the former number one
pick in 2002 NFL Draft. He received an
$8 million roster bonus which seemed to lock him up as the franchise
quarterback through the 2008 season but he never got there because the Texans
did not overhaul their offensive line. Mario Williams couldn’t protect
Carr and now Carr is gone. Four years of
quarterback development and an $8 million dollar roster bonus last season down
the tubes. Maybe a pick like
D’Brickashaw Ferguson could have helped salvage Carr’s career by providing
better pass protection for Carr. Now
it’s 2007 and the same scenario seems to be building. The Raiders are set to grab Russell, a big
armed and slow footed quarterback that seems to be more in the Byron Leftwich
mold than the Donovan McNabb mold. Now
I'm not saying that to be an NFL Quarterback you have to be a running
quarterback (although you will probably need to run for your life as a Raiders
quarterback). What I am saying is that when you play behind the worst Offensive
Line in football, you have to be able to move in and out of the pocket. To be
able to use the arm that can chuck a football 50 yards down the field, you need
pass protection that will hold up while your receiver gets 50 yards down the
filed. The Raiders O-Line is the worst in football. Statistically speaking they
were the worst
rated offense in the NFL in 2006. They gave up a league leading 72 sacks.
The Lions gave up the second most at 63 sacks. That's nine sacks worse over 16
games. They were the only team in the NFL to lose over 400 yards from sacks. Do
you really think it matters whether Russell can throw the ball 15 yards or 50
yards? Do you really think a rookie QB with a questionable work ethic, an
inability to read defenses and is slow of foot can win in a situation like
this? No way. Just check out the following image. This is what will happen to
Russell about 80 times next year.
A pick like Joe Thomas would solidify the
offensive line at the crucial left tackle spot.
The left tackle spot has emerged as one of the most crucial positions
for a football team. Michael Lewis,
author of the critically acclaimed Moneyball,
also penned The Blind Side: Evolution o####ame, in which he contends that in the evolution of football “first
came the modern, meticulously choreographed passing offense, then the ferocious
defensive pass rusher whose bone-crunching quarterback sacks demolished the best-laid
passing game, and finally the rise of the left tackle—the offensive lineman
tasked with protecting the quarterback from the pass rusher—whose presence is
felt only through the game-deciding absence of said sacks. A rare creature combining
300 pounds of bulk with ‘the body control of a ballerina,’ the anonymous left
tackle who is now often a team's highest-paid player.” The importance of the left tackle position
can not be over stated so if you have an opportunity to land a franchise
offensive tackle, as many scouts believe Thomas will be, then you land him.
Now some will say that the Raiders already
wasted a pick on a “franchise” left tackle by drafting Robert Gallery in
2004. First of all, Thomas is a much
better left tackle than Robert Gallery. While there are some similarities, there are
also crucial differences. Like Gallery,
Thomas is huge. He checked in at the combine at 6-6½, 311 pounds. Like Gallery,
Thomas is a great athlete for his size. He is mobile. He is quick. He has those
long arms. He can pull, slide and block in space. "There are some
similarities," said Mike Mayock, scouting analyst for the NFL Network.
"The knock on Gallery is his arm length. Thomas measures out with a much
longer wing span than Gallery, a huge factor for left tackles. Plus, Gallery is
a little more top heavy. I think
drafting Thomas means you can shift Gallery to Left Guard or Right Tackle,
where his shorter arm length and lack of lateral quickness won’t be such a
detriment plus you get to salvage your #1 pick from 2004. I refer to it is “DPM” or Draft Pick Maximization which means
simply that teams should draft based on a philosophy of building around key
positions and maximizing the talent around those positions. For example, the Bears spend a first round pick
on Brian Urlacher and build a defense around him. That means in subsequent drafts you need
strong interior defensive linemen to keep the guards away from Urlacher, hence
a pick like Tommie Harris. The Harris
pick helps to maximize the Urlacher pick because without a dominating defensive
tackle, the middle linebacker can’t be effective. The Raiders can maximize gallery by moving
him to guard and sliding Thomas into the left tackle spot which enables them to
quickly rebuild 40% of their wretched offensive line.
#4 – Russell is not the right piece
for a screwed up puzzle. If you
want to see a recipe for disaster, this is it. You take a 31 year old first
time Head Coach, two malcontent receivers in Moss and Porter, a wretched
Offensive line and you throw in an unproven rookie QB who has had his work
ethic questioned and his ability to read defenses scrutinized and you have what
could turn out to be the greatest football disaster ever witnessed. Now you
factor in this sideshow playing in front of 70,000 mad, rabid, crazed and
drunken Raiders fans and the picture gets even uglier. Then you factor in the
first time the hated Broncos come to town and the Russell has to face a
secondary that includes Pro Bowlers Champ Bailey, Dre Bly and John #### and it
would really be like watching a train wreck. It would be the most gruesome
spectacle ever seen on television. If the Raiders had a more seasoned Head
Coach (a Belichick, a Shanahan, a Dungy, and a Cowher) then this could possibly
work. The fact that the Raiders have a 31 year old Head Coach with NO HEAD
COACHING EXPERIENCE at any level, only one year of NFL coaching experience
(Kiffin was the Jaguars "Defensive
Quality Control Coach" in 2000...whatever the heck that is) does
factor into this situation. Let’s face it, nine years ago Kiffin was a Graduate
Assistant at Fresno State and you're telling me that in less than ten years he
can go from Graduate Assistant at a middling program to NFL Head coach? That’s
like going from legislative intern to U.S. Senator in three election cycles. It
just doesn't happen!
#3 - History says "draft a left
tackle!" While the
jury is still out on Robert Gallery (2004 #2 pick), we can see that other
tackles taken in the top 15 spots have paid BIG dividends for their
teams. Going back to 1995 we see the following tackles chosen in the top
10 spots have all made it into the playoffs, many have been to the Pro Bowl and a couple have won Superbowls:
2006 – D’Brickashaw Ferguson - #4 pick – New
York Jets: They go for 4-12 to the playoffs in a year with a noodle armed
quarterback and unproven running backs.
Somebody was making them better and that person was D’Brickashaw Ferguson
2005 – Jamaal Brown - #13 pick – New Orleans
Saints: The biggest reason the Saints went from doormat to the NFC Championship
game in a year was not the addition of Reggie Bush or Drew Brees but the fact
that Jamaal Brown anchored the left tackle spot. Bush and Brees would not have had the seasons
they did if they had the Raiders offensive line in front of them.
2004 – Shawn Andrews - #16 pick –
Philadelphia Eagles: A big reason the Eagles have been so solid for the past
few seasons was the pick of Shawn Andrews.
Andrews was one of those players drafted as a tackle and moved to guard
(my argument for what the Raiders should do with Gallery) and he has been a Pro
Bowl player ever since.
2003 - Jordan Gross - #8 pick - Carolina
Panthers: Lose Foster, lose Davis and Goings or Deangelo Williams can still torch
you. Who do you think they are running behind?
2002 - Levi Jones - #10 pick - Cincinnati
Bengals: Corey Dillon is a thousand yard rusher. He leaves and Rudi
Johnson becomes a thousand yard rusher. Carson Palmer looks relaxed in
the pocket and has a Pro-Bowl season. It's easy to be relaxed in the
pocket when you aren't getting sacked 60+ times a season.
2000 - Chris Samuels - #3 pick - Washington
Redskins: After many seasons of mediocrity, the once proud franchise seems to
be turning it around and a lot of the credit should go to the franchise tackle.
1998 - Tra Thomas - #11 pick - Philadelphia
Eagles: Alright, he was a number 11 pick but that's just one off.
Is there any question that the fortunes of McNabb and the Eagles franchise
turned around with the development of Deland High School's most famous football
alum?
1997 - Orlando Pace - #1 pick - St. Louis
Rams AND Walter Jones - #6 pick - Seattle Seahawks: One has a Superbowl
ring and the other played in the Super Bowl. Warner, Jackson and Faulk,
Hasselbeck and Alexander...who do you think is protecting these guys?
1996 - Jonathan Ogden - #4 pick - Baltimore
Ravens: Cornerstone of a mediocre offense and helped Jamal Lewis to the third
highest season rushing total in NFL history a few years back. Has a
Superbowl ring. If the best GM in sports, Ozzie Newsome, would spend a
high pick on a franchise left tackle, why wouldn't the Raiders?
1995 - Tony Boselli - #2 pick - Jacksonville
Jaguars: Helped lead an expansion team to the AFC Divisional Championship
game. Probably would have been the greatest of all time if career wasn't
cut short by injuries (although his career was still longer than the career of
the average NFL running back).
So as you can see, if the Raiders look to
history instead of bowing to popular opinion, they should make the right call
and draft Thomas. Successful teams build
around left tackles as opposed to building without left tackles.
#2 - Too many questions about JaMarcus
Russell. I spent some
time a few weekends back at the Nike Coach of the
Year Football clinic in Orlando, Florida. One of the featured speakers on
Saturday night was Les Miles, Head Coach at LSU. His session was on the LSU Red
Zone offense. Now if you've never been to a football coaching clinic let me
tell you what goes on in these sessions. Coaches will take a topic and bring in
cut ups of game film from the past season and they will go through formations
and plays that their teams ran. This is normally for the benefit of the High
School coaches (or youth coaches like me...Go Deland Knights!) who may be able
to steal and idea or two from the film. Miles went through an hour of LSU Red
Zone offensive plays from the 2006 season. Mind you, coaches usually only show
the best plays for that particular scenario/situation so all we saw were the
plays that Les Miles thought were the best executed plays in the redzone by the
LSU offense. After watching about 30 red zone offensive plays I was in shock,
as was much of the audience. How is it possible that a room full of youth and
high school coaches can see that Russell is a terrible red zone QB but the
Raiders can't see it? I can't tell you how many plays Russell was late getting
off his throw, how many times he threw to a double or triple teamed receiver
while another receiver was wide open or how many times he threw behind the
receiver. Other than the post/corner route where he threw a pretty ball, Russell’s
passes were ugly. Panther, Mesh, T-Slop, Power Pass (all LSU offensive
terminologies), it didn't matter. The passes were ugly. Let's face it folks, if
you can't make it n the Red Zone in the NFL, you are done for. I counted at
least 8-10 touchdowns that LSU scored that would have been picked off passes in
the NFL. Now you might say that Russell only threw eight interceptions last
year and that he's a fairly accurate passer. To that I would say, check his
stats. Sure he racked up big numbers against inferior teams but let's see
how he stacked up against better teams. I will give a team and follow that up
with his touchdown and interception numbers for that game:
Louisiana-Lafayette - 3/0
Arizona - 2/1
Tulane - 2/0
Mississippi State - 3/0
Kentucky - 2/0
Fresno State - 2/0
Alabama - 3/0
Ole Miss - 3/0
Arkansas - 2/0
TOTAL - 19 Touchdowns, 1 Interception
Now you look at these numbers and say
"Frank, you're crazy! Nineteen touchdowns and only 1 interception! Draft
him, sign him, break the bank and hand over the franchise to him!" Of
course, as my buddy Lee Corso says "not so fast my friend." let's see
how Russell fared against the better defenses he faced, the defenses that are
probably a lot closer to what he'll see in the NFL:
Florida - 1/3
Tennessee - 3/3
Notre Dame - 2/1
Auburn - 0/0
TOTAL - 6 Touchdowns, 7 Interceptions
Now I don't even think Notre Dame's defense
was that good. Florida and Tennessee were probably the best defenses he faced
all year and he threw six picks in those two games. Sure his overall stats for
the season were great but there are no Louisiana - Lafayette's in the NFL. No
Kentucky's, Tulane's, Fresno's or Arizona's in the NFL. The Florida defense was
probably the absolute closest thing to an NFL defense and even they aren't as
good defensively as the Chargers, Chiefs or Broncos.
Now you might say that the defenses will be
better in the NFL but the offensive support that Russell gets will also be
better in the NFL. I would say refer to points four and five above. The bottom line is Russell will
get eaten alive by the better pass defenses in the AFC West.
Can you imagine what will be going through Russell’s mind the first time he
faces the Shawne Merriman and the Chargers pass rush? Can you fathom what
Russell will be thinking the first time the Raiders play the Broncos and he is
facing a secondary of Bailey, Bly and ####, three Pro-Bowlers? Can you contemplate
wily old veterans (who still have gas left in the tank) like Ty Law and Pat
Surtain licking their chops at the prospect of facing a rookie QB when the
Chiefs invade Oakland? Let's face it; a team can get better faster by building
a running game, especially in the AFC West. There is absolutely no way the
Raiders could build up their passing offense to be even remotely competitive in
the AFC West next year.
#1 - Did you see the pictures of him
up top? Thomas is a prototype
Left Tackle. 6'6", 311 pounds, runs about a 4.9 second 40.
According to Scott Wright's Draft
Countdown;” A true left tackle
with terrific athleticism, Thomas is a better all-around prospect than
D'Brickashaw Ferguson was a year ago. An excellent athlete for the
position...Has outstanding feet...Great size with long arms...Very mobile and
agile...Displays great balance and gets set quickly...Able to pull, slide and
block in space...Still has the frame to bulk up and add some more
weight...Technically sound, instinctive and very smart with top intangibles...Rare
prospect who can legitimately play the crucial left tackle position at the pro
level.”
I’m not sure what others think about the
Thomas pick for the Raiders. As I said
at the onset, it doesn’t seem like a reality at this point. Hopefully the movement will gain momentum and
the crazy idea that the commish could be calling Joe’s name on April 28 at
12:18 pm may become a reality.
The Associated Press and ESPN are reporting that former Arkansas quarterback Mitch Mustain is transferring to USC. Mustain, the Parade magazine prep player of the
year in 2005, sought a transfer release in January and it was granted by The University of Arkansas. The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, citing an unnamed source, said
Mustain would enroll at USC during the summer semester. He has remained
enrolled at Arkansas for the spring semester, but did not participate
in the Razorbacks' spring workouts which concluded earlier this month.
As a transfer, Mustain would have to sit out a year at Southern
California which is irrelevant since he is still a work in progress. Mustain completed 69 of 132 passes last season, for 894 yards and 10
touchdowns, with 9 interceptions. He was benched after
throwing an interception in a November win over South Carolina, and
hardly played again. Also, the Trojans are set at quarterback next year with John David Booty, a Heisman contender coming off a season in which he threw for 3,347 yards with 29 touchdowns. All the more remarkable was that he was a first-year starter. Damian Williams, a teammate of Mustain's at Springdale High
School who was a Razorback receiver last season, has also enrolled at
USC.
The rich get richer.
USC will be a consensus #1 team when the season begins. They return 18 starters from a team that went 11-2 and crushed Michigan in the Rose Bowl. The spring media guide notes that "a case can be made that
almost each returning starter is an All-American candidate." That's probably not too far off base. Just on the defensive side of the ball alone you have nose tackle Sedrick Ellis, defensive end Lawrence Jackson (20 career sacks), three stud linebackers -- Keith Rivers, Rey Maualuga and
Brian Cushing -- and an athletic, experienced secondary, fronted by
sophomore free safety Taylor Mays who may be the next great USC safety. That's six potential All-American's and we haven't even got to the fact that they have a solid offensive line, Booty, and an almost obscene seven first or second year running backs that were Parade prep All -American in High School, three of those seven signed this year. Which brings me to the recruits. Scout.com rated USC the #2 recruiting class in 2007 and the #1 class in 2006. In 2007 they landed 12 of the nations top 100 recruits and in 2006 they hauled in 13 of the top 100. That's 25 top 100 recruits in two years. That means one out of every eight of the top recruits in the country enroll at USC. Landing Mustain and Damian Williams is like adding to that five star recruit count. USC will certainly benefit from bringing in Mustain and Williams.
Or do they?
There are three reasons I believe this move will backfire for Pete Carroll and the Men of Troy. Do I think it will have a significant impact on the USC freight train rolling on to a National Championship next season? Heck no. USC is a lock to be playing in New Orleans (and I don't mean for the Sugar Bowl) for the BCS Championship next January. Do I think this could effect the team the following season when Booty bolts to the NFL and Mustain believes it is his time to take the reins of the team? Now that's a more plausible scenario.
Reason #1: Mustain has a bad attitude. Guys like Palmer, Leinart and Booty are leaders. Good attitude guys that set the standard for their squads. Mitch Mustain is no Carson Palmer, Matt Leinart or John David Booty. Kurt Voigt, prep sports editor at The Morning
News in Springdale, wrote a book about Springdale's 2005 season. In the book he says that while being recruited, Mustain was
concerned about the Hogs' offense. After
Houston Nutt took credit for a play call following an Arkansas win, Mustain
said the Razorbacks "would have a better chance of getting me if Nutt
were fired." Are you kidding me? A high school player going on record saying the college 10 minutes down the road from his house would have a better chance at landing him if the coach was fired? That takes a big ego and an even bigger set of stones. Houston Nutt went to school at Arkansas and he brought that program back to life. I wonder what happens the first time Mustain runs his mouth about Pete Carroll and the Trojans play calling. Don't forget, the Trojans lose Lane Kiffin this year so it will be interesting to see how Sarkisian and Carroll handle Mustain.
Reason #2: Mustain and Williams' parents are meddlesome. By now the story about Mustain, Williams and Ben Cleveland's parents going to see Arkansas AD Frank Broyles last December to complain about Nutt and his play calling is legendary. There comments showed that they were clearly more concerned with their kids stats than for the good of the Arkansas football team. Ben Cleveland's dad wanted to "know what is the direction of Arkansas ’ football program?" He asked "are we
eventually going to get to Gus ’ offense or are we going to stay with
the way we are at present ?” Concerns with the present? At the time, Arkansas was 10-2, had won 10 straight games, were leading the SEC West Division and had wins over Vanderbilt, Alabama, Auburn and Tennessee. To have any complaints about a 10-2 team in the SEC, considering the up and down nature of the Arkansas football program over the past few seasons, is laughable. I coach a Junior Pee-Wee Pop Warner football team and I wouldn't put up with parents complaining to my football commissioner about my coaching style, playing time or position decisions whether we were winning or not. Of course my team was 6-0 in our division last year and we won our bowl game 20-0 so there were no complaints but Arkansas was also winning and the parents still went to Broyles with their gripes. Rick Cleveland said “ we never would have committed here knowing that this was the offense, because we knew our boys wouldn’t be happy.” I find his use of the term "we" when discussing the parents quite interesting. What this tells me is that winning (which is what they do at USC) is not enough for these kids. If they are not featured, they won't be happy. here's two more quotes from the meddlesome parent triumvirate.
Coach Urban Meyer with a few of my Knights at the University of Florida Football Camp
Coaching legends Bobby Bowden and Frank Irizarry comparing notes at the 2007 Nike COY Clinic
John and Gators Defensive Coordinator Charlie Strong
Working out in the Swamp!
