American Sports---Time to Man Up

It has been a gradual process but it is now at its pinnacle: Our sports are growing softer by the minute. We are at the brink of seeing our favorite sports, the games we have grown up with, and obsessed over since we could first pick up a bat or catch a ball in our backyard, change for the worse. Dissipate from a hard-nosed T-bone steak into a vegan salad. Professional sports are teetering between the thin line of prudent safety measures and outlandish compromise to natural forces. The NFL is on the brink of sinking into flag football, baseball babies their pitchers along and cry foul when a key player gets hurt on a bang-bang play and basketball sends every player to the line if they are hand-checked.

The main culprit, the sport that dons most of my, as well as the nation’s spotlight, is Football. I am of course talking about the implementation of rules to “protect” the NFL players in the line of duty. I am not ignorant to the ramifications of playing football and I understand and respect the studies done on blunt force head trauma that is rendering some retired football players incapacitated. Still, there is a line in the sand and the NFL has jumped way too far over it. If and when the NFL does resume, we are not going to be watching the same game that we have become accustomed to. We will be watching a mockery of a sport that has forged its definition through gritty toughness and harsh brutality.

As for the changes, here are some of the key ones:  They have changed wedge rules on kickoffs and moved the ball forward so that essentially, any kicker worth a dime of his contract will induce a touchback. This means much fewer kickoff returns. That means that players like Devon Hester and Josh Cribbs are essentially useless.

The NFL has basically put enclosed the quarterbacks in an impenetrable fortress of whistled protection. In the past few seasons, we have seen 15-yard penalties for a defensive player who inadvertently touched the QB’s helmet with his hand, or landed on his leg. Aside from interceptions, the QB sack is the most exhilarating aspect of defense. Players (i.e. Demarcus ware, Clay Matthews) are drafted for the sole purpose of sacking the quarterback. Now what are we going to have them do? Two-hand touch the quarterback… or simply have them give up if they get too close to him?

Finally, they have basically given all receivers a free shelter from hard contact right after the catch. They must be allowed to protect themselves (as if the defenders aren’t at risk when they go for a tackle) before they can be hit hard.  A defenders mentality is first and foremost, to stop forward progress and to separate the ball carrier from the ball. If we disallow this, we are essentially playing a HS 7V7 type of game. I am okay with penalizing leading with the head or hitting a player on his dome but why penalize hits with the forearm or shoulder and hits on the shoulder. Last time I checked, my brain wasn’t located in either of those places. Rest assured, there will be a frustrating flurry of flags in this department next season.

I will acquiesce to the fact that many defenders are poor tacklers, and that often times they should concentrate on wrapping and rolling the ball carrier instead of going headfirst for a knockout hit and subsequently missing, but why are we taking the physicality out of the game? It is why football is so immensely popular. We love the big hits. We glorify them. The NFL and ESPN and like mediums glorify them, but hypocritically scold and penalize them. Remember when ESPN had Jacked Up? That was football at its best.  Ask anyone who played football in the NFL (not quarterbacks because they are soft) they NFL is taking away the heart of the game.

So what are the defenders supposed to do now? I believe that football will remain popular but there is going to be a severe amount of backlash against these measures that are essentially turning football into a timid sport. Rugby fans around the world are surely scoffing at these rule changes.  James Harrison, arguably the best defensive player in the NFL is entitled to that honor because of his backbreaking hits and his absolute ferocity on the field. How can you ask him to tone it down? Football is a game for men and the men controlling the rulebook are clearly not that.  It is an unfortunate result in football when a player is injured, but it is an inevitable consequence of playing the game. No one forced these players to play this violent sport….they worked their asses of so that they could have the privileged to play it. They knew what they were signing up for. Football has been a violent sport since its nascent beginnings in the early 1900’s. Players have always suffered severe injuries…It is simply part of the game. It’s why a majority of us don’t play it.

Buster Posey Broke his leg at this play at the plate

On a similar note, I saw as the San Francisco Giants young star catcher, Buster Posey suffered a severe ankle break the other night while he was blocking the plate and was leveled by Marlins CF Scott Cousins. I have sympathy for Giants fans, because no one wants to see anyone get hurt, especially such a bright young star. Still, this type of play is also a part of baseball. It always has been. Posey is not the first person to take a beating during a home plate collision. Now his agent is calling for a rule change to protect catchers from such plays. First off…If this was a no-name catcher, I doubt this would warrant a discussion, but I have a bad feeling that this will get some serious consideration. Baseball is conservative in the way it evolves its rules but this is why it is such a great sport. If it ain’t broken, don’t fix it. Cousins was doing everything that he could legally do to score, and he succeeded. He should be applauded. Baseball players suffer severe injuries much more commonly by simply throwing the ball…maybe they can change that rule to. Have the pitchers softball toss it so as to avoid torn ligaments.

There is one more party to blame for all of this rule changing, game softening nonsense. ESPN. God knows I love ESPN and all the access it gives millions to the sports we love. Still, they put every little play under a microscope, talk it to death, and all of a sudden people want to change rules. Back in the day, there wasn’t as much talk about rule changes because people weren’t having 50 ESPN analysts talking about a play that resulted in injury. There aren’t more people getting injured in professional sports now, we just see it more often because of the access we have to the games. ESPN is great, but it is definitely a culprit in this mess.

In conclusion: Let the kids play.  

Cowboys 3rd round pick

The Cowboys drafted Oklahoma RB Demarco Murray with their 3rd round selection. This pick was scratches the head of common sense but not necessarily the head of a Cowboys fan who has come to understand the peculiar gears that grind in Jerry Jones's head. He loves offensive players and he couldn't go another pick without taking someone who has potential "wow" ability. That "wow" ability is something that Murray does indeed have. I remember watching him at Oklahoma in amazement at his physical ability and his overall athleticism.

Murray is a very intriguing pick

The Cowboys do need help at running back but I was hoping they could get a bigger, bruising back who could carry the load and was not necessarily a change of pace back. Murry is a big back but he is very tall. He has tremendous speed but it seems that he is Felix Jones 2.0. He is fast and great in open space and can catch the ball out of the back field. What the Cowboys really needed at the RB position was someone who can create his own space and run over defenders if there is no space. I don't know that Murray is that guy.

Finally, I still believe this round was a good time to get a defensive end or possibly a secondary player who could come in right away and compete for a job. Rest assured, Murray will be a huge contributor on the offensive side of the ball but fixing the defense should take a precedent over the offensive skill positions at this point. Once again...Jerry...please spend well in free agency!

Cowboys Draft Bruce Carter at 40

Cowboys second round pick Bruce Carter

The Cowboys did go defense with their second round pick (#40) drafting UNC LB Bruce Carter. Carter sat out this past season with a knee issue but a year ago, Mel Kiper had him as a mid-first round projection. Carter is a physical beast...he ran a 4.39 40--that is fucking disgusting--- and was a Butkus Award finalist a year ago. The Cowboys will move him from outside backer to inside linebacker, and now have two youngsters in Carter and last year's second round pick, Sean Lee on which to build their defensive middle on.

I like Carter's physical ability but he will have to bulk up if he is to transition into the inside and he will definitely have to sure up his tackling ability. After watching film on him, he doesn't appear to be a heavy hitter or a consistent tackler. His instincts appear to at times be slow and are masked by his speed. I think he will have to be coached up real well in order for him to have a chance to see the field on a regular basis. His speed will give him a chance to play the nickel linebacker, a position that was never truly replaced after Bobby Carpenter's departure. 

Ultimately, I think that him and Sean Lee have bright futures with the Cowboys, granted they stay healthy. What concerns me is the fact that the Cowboys didn't address their real immediate needs with the second round pick. I want my second round pick to be an immediate contributor. I don't think Carter is going to supplant Bradie James as a starter and the Cowboys still have gaping holes on the defensive front and in the secondary. They will need to address these issues in free agency.

NFL Draft Round 1 Thoughts

Draft Thoughts…

Here are my thoughts on the first round.

Detroit burglarized the draft by nabbing Fairley at 13

Panthers- They had to pick Cam Newton. They have a new head coach and the franchise is in a overhaul process. Cam Newton will bring revive the fan base and there will be a tremendous spotlight on the Panthers once he starts playing. I am not sold on him being a great pro but the Panthers do have a decent line and run game so Cam has a chance to have some early success. This won’t be a Tim Couch or David Carr situation where Cam would be sacked every other play.

Broncos- Von Miller will be defensive rookie of the year and will be a regular at the Pro-Bowl in no time. No brainer.

Cardinals- They could not have been happier to get Patrick Peterson. He is arguably the most talented player in the draft and will be a shut down corner in the league. The Cardinals desperately needed to get a quarterback but my gut tells me that they will go after Kevin Kolb by any means necessary.

Browns/Falcons—This was a huge head scratcher. I understand that Julio Jones is a phenomenal talent but the Falcons gave up way too much for him. They are already a great team so he makes that instantly better on offense but this will end up working out much better for the Browns. They need a ton of players to rebuild the team and the Falcons put a ton of presents under their tree.  I like that the Browns got all those picks but I don’t think anyone liked their first pick of Phil Taylor. He is a 3-4 end and the Browns are switching to a 4-3. Could be a tough transition for him.

Titans- One of the big shockers of the first round was Tennessee’s pick of QB Jack Locker at # 8. I was surprised that he went ahead of Gabbert (and judging by Gabberts face, so was he) It may take some time before the verdict is in on Jake Locker but this pick seems so risky to me. His accuracy is highly questionable but I understand the mantra of trying to move past the Vince Young era and starting fresh at the most important position on the field.

Lions- The Lions got the steal of the draft. DT Nick Fairley was the most dominant defensive player in the best conference last year. There are questions about his work ethic and personality but he is joining Suh and Vanden Bosch in Detroit and they will make him work and he could not be in a better situation to succeed. Detroit’s opponents will only be able to double team one of those three so Farley has a great chance to get one-on-one matchups that he can dominate. Detroit might have the best front in the NFL.

Giants- Picking the Prince was a great choice for the Giants. He was the second best CB in the draft and the Giants need secondary help. Still, the Prince can go to hell because Dez Bryant is gonna bring it.

Saints- I really like this Ingram pick. We’ve all seen what he did in his brilliant career…Roll Tide. He is a true running back and will be an upgrade over anyone the Saints have. I know that Bush added a scary dimension to the Saints offense but at the end of the day Ingram will bring production, even if it’s not as glamorous. Bush looks like he’ll be hanging up the black and gold.

The Saints also picked up a stud DE, Cameron Jordan for a defense that desperately needs help pressuring the quarterback.

Cowboys 2011 Draft RD1

Cowboys 2011 Draft Round 1

Cowboys fans can stop holding their breath. The first round has come and gone  and I think it’s safe to say that at least Jerry Jones didn’t fuck this up. With the # 9 pick the Cowboys took USC tackle Tyron Smith. Jerry Jones is never to be fully trusted with drafts ( in 2009 he drafted back up players who no longer are on the roster) He likes to make sexy picks and often doesn’t address team needs. I was dreading the idea that Jerry would trade the Cowboys #9 pick when they need ready to play talent so desperately.

The Cowboys have a glaring need at O-Line and they did the prudent thing by addressing it. Smith is the top rated offensive lineman in the draft. He is a physical presence with tremendous athleticism who, hypothetically, should be an instant upgrade over the aging and injury-riddled Marc Colombo. He is, however, a risky pick. I thought that Costanzo from BC would have been a safer pick but not quite as sexy or promising. Smith might have a bit of a learning curve that he will have to hurdle at a greater speed than is probably suited for him. He needs to bulk up and keep his athleticism and I think he is a bit of a “project” pick. He could either be a great pick or a great bust.

Many of the experts (i.e. Kiper & McShay) project Smith to eventually be a left tackle. When you are the # 1 O-Lineman in the draft that would seem to hold water, so my concern is the fact that he was a right tackle in college. The best offensive lineman should be on the left side. However, this actually works into the Cowboys favor. Doug Free was excellent at left tackle last season and will be solid there again. This will give time for Smith to adjust to the NFL at the “easier” right tackle position. Free is a natural right tackle so once Smith has adjusted to the NFL after a season or two, one could potentially foresee the Cowboys having the two switch sides and have two of the best outside protectors in the league.

Tony Romo has to be excited because the offensive line was the Achilles heel of an otherwise extremely talented offense. The running game will benefit from this because Smith will be able to get to the second level much quicker than Colombo and the passing game will open up because Romo should have more time to sit in the pocket and pick apart defenses. With the biggest hole on the O-Line now addressed, the Cowboys must now turn their attention to a defense in need of a mini overhaul starting with the secondary. It will be interesting to see where they go with their 2^nd round pick .

Rex Ryan book

Enough of this fat clown

Never has a coach done so little and gotten so much attention. Rex Ryan's personality is so boisterous and magnetic and he is clearly the most interesting coach in the league but he's only been a coach for two years...and although his teams have been good he hasnt even been to the Super Bowl yet. Hardly worthy of published ink.

Even though the Jets and Rex Ryan have had more public controversey and scrutiny over  the past two years than every other team, I don't see what this book can tell us that ESPN couldn't put into a Ryan Top-Ten and have it be more interesting. What self respecting person is actually going to take the time to learn about the trivial trials of the Jets and Rex Ryan?

The only two things that I would really be interested in reading about would be A: The Foot PornGate incident and his thoughts on the videos that both he and his wife were in and videos that his wife and some random black dudes were in. Clearly this issue made Rex uncomfortable but he is the one that invites all this attention on himself so he should man up and talk about it.

The other thing I would want to hear about it TripGate. But it has already been reported that Rex says that neither he nor Jets special teams' coach Mike Westhoff had any prior knowledge to the incident. We all know that is dog shit.

Finally everything else that Ryan supposedly talks about in the book is stuff we all know and shouldn't really care about. Rex has already said he doesn't like Tom Brady. No one does. He says that Kerry Rhodes was selfish and that Vernon Gholston was a "phony." No shit, If anyone's ever heard Kerry Rhodes talk its clear that he's all about him self and everyone in the world knows that Vernon Gholston's playing ability is equivalent to Vin Diesel's acting ability. I'm sure that if I were a Jets fan I would love Rex's "Come Get Some" and tell all attitude but in the end...he's coached for two years. We don't need a book.

Cowboys Draft

Tyron Smith is a popular prediction from the Cowboys 9th pick

The draft is now only 3 days away and this is by far the most important and most intriguing draft for the Cowboys in recent memory. They have early picks in every round including the 9th overall in the first round. For the first time in the past few years, the Cowboys have a bundle of immediate needs and can't afford to draft "project" players, especially in the first few rounds. They need players who can step in and contribute in a positive manner IMMEDIATELY.

Many draft experts have the Cowboys taking the tackle from USC, Tyron Smith. Smith has a ton of physical upside and has potential to be a start left tackle in the future. The offensive line (and Safety) are the positions with the most glaring needs but I'm not 100% sold on the idea of taking Tyron Smith. He has had some knee issues and it seems that he will have a bit of a learning curve despite his upside. I am all for shoring up the offensive line with the first pick but I would rather take someone who can step in right away, say Solder from Colorado or Castanzo from BC.

The Cowboys also desperately need help at the Safety positions. I still think they should have grabbed some of the free agents that were available ( namely Atogwe who signed with the Redskins) but either way they must address this either in the draft or in other free agent options. The safety class is weak but if Rahim Moore (UCLA) is available in the second round I would love to Cowboys to grab him.  Some other potential safety prospects include Jaiquawn Jarrett from Temple. He has good size and has good on-the-field instincts and leadership qualities.  Ahmad Black (Florida) had an outstanding career in the SEC and is a hard nosed safety but has inadequate height that could hinder him in the passing game. Both Black and Jarrett play in a physical way that would be a huge upgrade from the softest safety tandem in the league (Ball & Sensebaugh).