Let me begin this article by saying that, at best, I’m a casual tennis fan. I never watch tennis outside of grand slam events, and sure as hell don’t even watch the Australian Open, so my knowledge of tennis is rather limited. This does not, however, disable me from spotting an asinine statement (or in this case, multiple asinine statements) about tennis when I see them. As some of you may know, Andre Agassi recently came out about his past drug use in a new autobiography. Agassi confessed to using crystal meth dozens of times, including one instance where he was contacted by the ATP regarding a failed drug test, to which Agassi said his drink had been inadvertently spiked by his manager. No penalty was levied by the ATP, and Agassi eventually stopped using crystal meth and became the number 1 tennis player in the world, winning 8 grand slams and earning over $30,000,000 in prize money. Despite these accomplishments, let me make this very clear. The actions done by Agassi are not admirable, acceptable, legal, or justifiable. However, after this huge announcement, many tennis legends voiced their opinions, and frankly their opinions are wrong. The most egregious statement made regarding Agassi was made by Martina Navratilova, a former women’s number 1 in the world and winner of 18 grand slams. Navratilova was quoted as saying that she had “Not as much shock that he did it as shock he lied about it and didn't own up to it. He's up there with Roger Clemens, as far as I'm concerned. He owned up to it [in the book], but it doesn't help now.” This statement is completely incorrect for a number of reasons. The most obvious, as well as idiotic part of this statement is the comparison to Roger Clemens. While there has been no proof of Clemens’ steroid use, this statement was clearly an implication of that, that Agassi’s use of crystal meth is comparable to Clemens’ use of performance enhancing drugs (PEDs). I personally have never used crystal meth, but everything that I’ve ever heard about it, as well as general logic, would imply that crystal meth is far from a drug which enhances your performance. Another inaccuracy in the comparison to Roger Clemens is the fact that Agassi did not vehemently deny his drug use in front of a court of law. He did not brashly shake off reporters and attorneys as his legacy was going up in flames in front of him. Agassi simply made a huge mistake, and has now owned up to it. Considering the immense surprise at this news, it’s completely realistic to say that Agassi could have just as easily simply not told anyone about the crystal meth usage, and it would have likely never become public knowledge. However, out of a need to clear his conscience (and let’s be honest, sell books), Agassi came out and told everyone that he had a drug problem, and that he overcame it to become the best in his sport.
Interestingly enough, the Agassi story makes an interesting comment about the media in the U.S.A. in general. When I read about Agassi’s confession, my first thought was that this is somewhat similar to the story of a man who is currently viewed as a hero in our culture, a man who represents the evils of addiction and the capabilities of a man to overcome those addictions and achieve greatness. The man I am referring to is Josh Hamilton, a prodigy, turned junkie, turned the greatest runner-up in the history of the Home Run Derby. Hamilton, however, was never able to hide his drug use. He was arrested, failed drug tests, and generally viewed as a pariah. After years of destroying his life, Hamilton was able to come back and make the all-star team, play in the Home Run Derby, and capture the nation’s hearts. Agassi’s journey is interestingly similar. He was a prodigy at tennis, and had a career that was seemingly leading to greatness. He won Wimbledon in 1992 and was at the top of his game. By 1997, however, he was ranked 141 in the world and was essentially a complete nobody in tennis, a has-been. After stopping his crystal meth use, Agassi rebounded, and shot up to number 1 in the world by 1999. Had Aggasi’s drug abuse been known at the time of his ascension to the top of his sport, he would have been a symbol of inspiration, a public hero who overcame drug abuse to become a champion. Due to the world we live in, however, Agassi is considered a fraud, a liar, a disgrace, etc., because of this act of honesty. I’m not condoning his actions, and I acknowledge that it was absolutely wrong of Agassi to lie about his drug test, but to compare him to Roger Clemens and to view him as a disgrace to his sport is not only idiotic, but it’s completely uncalled for, inaccurate, and typical of our culture today.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Ricketts' Ideas are Good in Theory
As a Sox fan, it is weird for me to say this or to even think this but, Tom Ricketts buying the Cubs will end up being really really good for Cub fans. He seems to be a smart businessman and when you add that to his fandom for the Cubs, you’ll find an owner who is going to do whatever it takes to bring a winner to the North Side of Chicago. Bruce Levine of ESPN1000 and espnchicago.com outlined the plan that Ricketts wants to accomplish in the near future when it comes to Wrigley Field and I wanted to take a closer look at some of them:
The first thing Levine lists is a plan to refurbish the grandstand and the upper deck of Wrigley Field. This is obviously the biggest need for the ballpark at almost 100 years old the building is slowly falling apart. He wants to add new skyboxes and restaurants, which I think, is an interesting idea. Skyboxes and restaurants undoubtedly mean more revenue for the team, but I as a baseball fan, think that this idea might make Wrigley too modern. This seems more like a remodel as a way to make a profit quicker than a simple refurbish to stop concrete from falling and preserve the history of Wrigley Field.
Another thing that is outlined that sort of goes with the refurbishing is expanding the concourse and bathrooms in the park. I think this is a great idea because the times I am leaving Wrigley are just a hassle fighting the crowds of people leaving and the people waiting in line for the bathrooms.
The next two are topics that rub a lot of Cub fans the wrong way. The first thing is an video scoreboard that can also be used a place to sell advertising. I personally think it’s a thing Wrigley has been missing for some time and I think if done properly will only add to the atmosphere in Wrigley. The most ideal situation is to have a rooftop owner that will allow the Cubs to put a scoreboard up there. But really to not have a video board in 2010 at a sporting event is just mind-boggling.
The final thing I wanted to talk about is naming rights for the field. I think it would be a huge mistake to just sell the rights to name the field to the highest bidder. But I do think it provides a great source of revenue and could even allow the Cubs to receive some money to make these renovations out of someone else’s pockets (similar to the White Sox and U.S. Cellular). So what I think the best solution is to keep Wrigley Field in the name but name the building and the area, similar to the San Francisco 49ers when their stadium was called Monster Field at Candlestick Park. I also think some company would be thrilled to do this because their company would be associated with Wrigley Field instead of being seen as replacing Wrigley Field.
But hey what do I know? I’m only a Sox fan.
The first thing Levine lists is a plan to refurbish the grandstand and the upper deck of Wrigley Field. This is obviously the biggest need for the ballpark at almost 100 years old the building is slowly falling apart. He wants to add new skyboxes and restaurants, which I think, is an interesting idea. Skyboxes and restaurants undoubtedly mean more revenue for the team, but I as a baseball fan, think that this idea might make Wrigley too modern. This seems more like a remodel as a way to make a profit quicker than a simple refurbish to stop concrete from falling and preserve the history of Wrigley Field.
Another thing that is outlined that sort of goes with the refurbishing is expanding the concourse and bathrooms in the park. I think this is a great idea because the times I am leaving Wrigley are just a hassle fighting the crowds of people leaving and the people waiting in line for the bathrooms.
The next two are topics that rub a lot of Cub fans the wrong way. The first thing is an video scoreboard that can also be used a place to sell advertising. I personally think it’s a thing Wrigley has been missing for some time and I think if done properly will only add to the atmosphere in Wrigley. The most ideal situation is to have a rooftop owner that will allow the Cubs to put a scoreboard up there. But really to not have a video board in 2010 at a sporting event is just mind-boggling.
The final thing I wanted to talk about is naming rights for the field. I think it would be a huge mistake to just sell the rights to name the field to the highest bidder. But I do think it provides a great source of revenue and could even allow the Cubs to receive some money to make these renovations out of someone else’s pockets (similar to the White Sox and U.S. Cellular). So what I think the best solution is to keep Wrigley Field in the name but name the building and the area, similar to the San Francisco 49ers when their stadium was called Monster Field at Candlestick Park. I also think some company would be thrilled to do this because their company would be associated with Wrigley Field instead of being seen as replacing Wrigley Field.
But hey what do I know? I’m only a Sox fan.
Weekend Soccer Preview
As always, home team listed first, all times Eastern. Here is a link to a time zone converter if you for some reason cannot pull off the simple subtraction. Click on the league name to see the league table!
Game of the Week (Rankings from Poll)
8:45 ET Saturday (English Premier League on ESPN2)
(7) Arsenal v (11) Tottenham
A big London Derby is a fantastic way to kick off a weekend of football. This game will be shown in the US on ESPN2 nice and early so everyone should be up and ready to watch it. Arsenal’s Russian striker Andrei Arshavin was nearly a Tottenham player last summer, but they could not agree to terms with Arshavin’s old club Zenit St. Petersburg. Manager Arsene Wenger foresees a big game for Arshavin: “Arshavin can change any game, anywhere at any moment so I believe he will have a great game tomorrow. He is a player I love, not only because he is talented, but because he is efficient. I am confident he will have a big impact on the game tomorrow.” Arsenal is 4-0-0 at home this year while outscoring opponents an incredible 17-4. Arsenal’s only two losses have come to Manchester United and Manchester City, both in Manchester. They are coming off a weak 2-2 draw at West Ham last weekend and will look to take out their frustration on a Tottenham squad who is still reeling from a 1-0 loss at home to Stoke City. If Tottenham wants to stay in the top 4 to the end of the year this is the exact type of game they must take points from. Tottenham will have to come out and attack with energy early and hope they can bog down Arsenal’s attack in the middle. Both teams have broken the 5 goal barrier twice this season and can be explosive on goal. Expect a barnburner in north London.
My pick: Arsenal 4, Tottenham 2
Other Games Between Two Ranked Teams
13:30 ET Saturday (German Bundesliga)
(19) Schalke 04 v (10) Bayer Leverkusen
Schalke are in 4th in the Bundesliga, only two points behind leaders Bayer Leverkusen. This is Schalke’s second top-four clash in as many weeks, as they played to a thrilling 3-3 draw against Hamburg last weekend.
Top of the Table Clashes
14:00 ET Saturday (French Ligue 1)
(8) Bordeaux v AS Monaco
Monaco is off to a surprise start this season, as they finished 11th in Ligue 1 in 08-09. Bordeaux lead by 1 point and will look to make that 4, with manager Laurent Blanc saying, “It is not by chance they are in second…We must be at our best for this game. It’s a big week with three matches and we must take maximum points when we play at home.” AS Monaco’s Brazilian striker Nene leads the league in goals and Bordeaux will have to keep him in check to preserve their 38 match undefeated streak at home in Ligue 1.
17:15 ET Saturday (Portugal’s La Liga)
Braga v (T21) Benfica
Game between Two Teams whose names are just impossible to pronounce
7:00 ET Sunday (Turkish Premier League)
Gaziantepspor v Diyarbakirspor
English Premier League
8:45 ET Saturday
(7) Arsenal v (11) Tottenham Hotspur (ESPN2)
11:00 ET Saturday
Bolton Wanderers v (T1) Chelsea
Burnley v Hull City
Everton v Aston Villa
Fulham v Liverpool
Liverpool is in perfect position to sneak back into the top four this weekend with the Arsenal-Tottenham match earlier in the day. They sit just a point back of each and a win guarantees that they’ll be in the top 4 somehow. However, Liverpool will have to make the trip to London without Steven Gerrard, Alberto Aquilani, and Glen Johnson. The Gerrard injury is a main concern for Liverpool, as his fitness is the key to the rest of Liverpool’s season. Rafa Benitez has reason to be worried, as anything but a win at Fulham along with a loss in Lyon next Wednesday would put him suddenly back on the hot seat even after the 2-0 win against Manchester United last weekend.
Portsmouth v Wigan Athletic
Stoke City v Wolverhampton Wanderers
Sunderland v West Ham
13:30 ET Saturday
(3) Manchester United v Blackburn Rovers
11:00 ET Sunday
Birmingham City v (T12) Manchester City
Scottish Premier League
11:00 ET Saturday
(23) Celtic v Kilmarnock
7:45 ET Sunday
Dundee United v (24) Rangers
Spain’s La Liga
13:00 ET Saturday
(4) Real Madrid v Getafe
15:00 ET Saturday
Osasuna v (T1) Barcelona
Xerez v (T5) Sevilla FC
13:00 ET Sunday
Malaga v Valencia
15:00 ET Sunday
Deportivo La Coruna v Sporting Gijon
Italy’s Serie A
13:00 ET Saturday
(9) Juventus v Napoli
15:45 ET Saturday
(T14) AC Milan v Parma
AC Milan is coming off of a disappointing 2-2 draw mid-week against Napoli. They are already in 5th and 9 points behind leaders and bitter rival Inter Milan. Parma is one point ahead of Milan in 4th place. Milan manager Leonardo is confident in his squad: “Of course there is still a bitter taste from the two points we dropped, but there is a belief in what we’re doing and in our play…It is difficult to see which way the title race will go and the league is wide open as seen in the matches this week.”
9:00 ET Sunday
AS Roma v Bologna
(T12) Fiorentina v Catania
Livorno v (T5) Inter Milan
(T16) Sampdoria v Bari
14:45 ET Sunday
Palermo v Genoa
German Bundesliga
10:30 ET Saturday
(T13) Hamburg SV v Borussia Monchengladbach
Nurnburg v (T24)Werder Bremen
VfB Stuttgart v Bayern Munich
VfL Wolfsburg v Mainz
13:30 ET Saturday
(19) Schalke 04 v (10)Bayer Leverkusen
French Ligue 1
14:00 ET Saturday
(8) Bordeaux v AS Monaco
Marseille v Toulouse
16:00 ET Saturday
St. Etienne v (T18) Lyon
Dutch Eredivisie
14:45 ET Saturday
PSV Eindhoven v Vitesse Arnhem
Roda JC Kerkrade v Twente Enschede
15:45 ET Saturday
FC Groningen v AZ Alkmaar
6:30 ET Sunday
Ajax Amsterdam v Feyenoord Rotterdam
Portuguese Liga
17:15 ET Saturday
Braga v (T21) Benfica
15:15 ET Sunday
Sporting CP v Maritimo
Russian Premier League
Results from Friday
(T18) CSKA Moscow 1-0 Terek Grozny
(T25) FK Rubin Kazan 4-1 PFK Samara Kryliya Sovetov
Turkish Super League
9:00 ET Sunday
Galatasaray v Sivasspor
13:00 ET Sunday
Kayserispor v Fenerbahce
Greek Super League
Atromitos v (T16) Olympiakos
12:00 ET Sunday
Panathinaikos v Panionios
Ukranian Premier League
14:00 ET Saturday
Dynamo Kiev v Karpaty Lviv
9:00 ET Sunday
Chornomorets Odessa v Shakhtar Donetsk
MLS Conference Semi-finals (First Leg)
From Thursday: Seattle Sounders FC 0-0 Houston Dynamo
18:00 ET Saturday
Real Salt Lake v Columbus
14:00 ET Sunday
New England v Chicago
17:00 ET Sunday
Chivas USA v Los Angeles
Copa del Rey (Spain)
This is the main cup competition in Spain. The first leg of the Round of 32 was played this past week with one absolutely stunning result. Real Madrid lost at lowly Alcorcon of the Segunda Division B-Group 2 (of 4), which is two leagues down from La Liga. This was the club’s first ever match against a team from the top flight. The team has only once finished above 7th in their current division, which occurred when they finished 3rd in the league last year. Currently they sit at 6th in the league. Alcorcon has a stadium capacity of 3,000 and a budget of 1.1 million euro, which is barely a quarter of the price Real Madrid paid for defender Alvaro Arbeloa, who scored an own goal in the match. All in all, Real Madrid has a budget of 420 million euro, almost 400 times that of Alcrocon. Real Madrid did not play one youth player in this tie, and though their squad was without Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka, and Xabi Alonso, they still had Raul, Raul Albiol, Rafael van der Vaart, Guit, and other first-squad players on the field. Fans in Madrid will be calling for manager Manuel Pellegrini’s head after that debacle. In other action, Barcelona defeated Cultural Leonesa 2-0, and would face Real Madrid in the round of 16 if Madrid were to pull off the miracle comeback in the second leg. Sevilla, Valencia, and Atletico Madrid also won their first leg ties.
Game of the Week (Rankings from Poll)
8:45 ET Saturday (English Premier League on ESPN2)
(7) Arsenal v (11) Tottenham
A big London Derby is a fantastic way to kick off a weekend of football. This game will be shown in the US on ESPN2 nice and early so everyone should be up and ready to watch it. Arsenal’s Russian striker Andrei Arshavin was nearly a Tottenham player last summer, but they could not agree to terms with Arshavin’s old club Zenit St. Petersburg. Manager Arsene Wenger foresees a big game for Arshavin: “Arshavin can change any game, anywhere at any moment so I believe he will have a great game tomorrow. He is a player I love, not only because he is talented, but because he is efficient. I am confident he will have a big impact on the game tomorrow.” Arsenal is 4-0-0 at home this year while outscoring opponents an incredible 17-4. Arsenal’s only two losses have come to Manchester United and Manchester City, both in Manchester. They are coming off a weak 2-2 draw at West Ham last weekend and will look to take out their frustration on a Tottenham squad who is still reeling from a 1-0 loss at home to Stoke City. If Tottenham wants to stay in the top 4 to the end of the year this is the exact type of game they must take points from. Tottenham will have to come out and attack with energy early and hope they can bog down Arsenal’s attack in the middle. Both teams have broken the 5 goal barrier twice this season and can be explosive on goal. Expect a barnburner in north London.
My pick: Arsenal 4, Tottenham 2
Other Games Between Two Ranked Teams
13:30 ET Saturday (German Bundesliga)
(19) Schalke 04 v (10) Bayer Leverkusen
Schalke are in 4th in the Bundesliga, only two points behind leaders Bayer Leverkusen. This is Schalke’s second top-four clash in as many weeks, as they played to a thrilling 3-3 draw against Hamburg last weekend.
Top of the Table Clashes
14:00 ET Saturday (French Ligue 1)
(8) Bordeaux v AS Monaco
Monaco is off to a surprise start this season, as they finished 11th in Ligue 1 in 08-09. Bordeaux lead by 1 point and will look to make that 4, with manager Laurent Blanc saying, “It is not by chance they are in second…We must be at our best for this game. It’s a big week with three matches and we must take maximum points when we play at home.” AS Monaco’s Brazilian striker Nene leads the league in goals and Bordeaux will have to keep him in check to preserve their 38 match undefeated streak at home in Ligue 1.
17:15 ET Saturday (Portugal’s La Liga)
Braga v (T21) Benfica
Game between Two Teams whose names are just impossible to pronounce
7:00 ET Sunday (Turkish Premier League)
Gaziantepspor v Diyarbakirspor
English Premier League
8:45 ET Saturday
(7) Arsenal v (11) Tottenham Hotspur (ESPN2)
11:00 ET Saturday
Bolton Wanderers v (T1) Chelsea
Burnley v Hull City
Everton v Aston Villa
Fulham v Liverpool
Liverpool is in perfect position to sneak back into the top four this weekend with the Arsenal-Tottenham match earlier in the day. They sit just a point back of each and a win guarantees that they’ll be in the top 4 somehow. However, Liverpool will have to make the trip to London without Steven Gerrard, Alberto Aquilani, and Glen Johnson. The Gerrard injury is a main concern for Liverpool, as his fitness is the key to the rest of Liverpool’s season. Rafa Benitez has reason to be worried, as anything but a win at Fulham along with a loss in Lyon next Wednesday would put him suddenly back on the hot seat even after the 2-0 win against Manchester United last weekend.
Portsmouth v Wigan Athletic
Stoke City v Wolverhampton Wanderers
Sunderland v West Ham
13:30 ET Saturday
(3) Manchester United v Blackburn Rovers
11:00 ET Sunday
Birmingham City v (T12) Manchester City
Scottish Premier League
11:00 ET Saturday
(23) Celtic v Kilmarnock
7:45 ET Sunday
Dundee United v (24) Rangers
Spain’s La Liga
13:00 ET Saturday
(4) Real Madrid v Getafe
15:00 ET Saturday
Osasuna v (T1) Barcelona
Xerez v (T5) Sevilla FC
13:00 ET Sunday
Malaga v Valencia
15:00 ET Sunday
Deportivo La Coruna v Sporting Gijon
Italy’s Serie A
13:00 ET Saturday
(9) Juventus v Napoli
15:45 ET Saturday
(T14) AC Milan v Parma
AC Milan is coming off of a disappointing 2-2 draw mid-week against Napoli. They are already in 5th and 9 points behind leaders and bitter rival Inter Milan. Parma is one point ahead of Milan in 4th place. Milan manager Leonardo is confident in his squad: “Of course there is still a bitter taste from the two points we dropped, but there is a belief in what we’re doing and in our play…It is difficult to see which way the title race will go and the league is wide open as seen in the matches this week.”
9:00 ET Sunday
AS Roma v Bologna
(T12) Fiorentina v Catania
Livorno v (T5) Inter Milan
(T16) Sampdoria v Bari
14:45 ET Sunday
Palermo v Genoa
German Bundesliga
10:30 ET Saturday
(T13) Hamburg SV v Borussia Monchengladbach
Nurnburg v (T24)Werder Bremen
VfB Stuttgart v Bayern Munich
VfL Wolfsburg v Mainz
13:30 ET Saturday
(19) Schalke 04 v (10)Bayer Leverkusen
French Ligue 1
14:00 ET Saturday
(8) Bordeaux v AS Monaco
Marseille v Toulouse
16:00 ET Saturday
St. Etienne v (T18) Lyon
Dutch Eredivisie
14:45 ET Saturday
PSV Eindhoven v Vitesse Arnhem
Roda JC Kerkrade v Twente Enschede
15:45 ET Saturday
FC Groningen v AZ Alkmaar
6:30 ET Sunday
Ajax Amsterdam v Feyenoord Rotterdam
Portuguese Liga
17:15 ET Saturday
Braga v (T21) Benfica
15:15 ET Sunday
Sporting CP v Maritimo
Russian Premier League
Results from Friday
(T18) CSKA Moscow 1-0 Terek Grozny
(T25) FK Rubin Kazan 4-1 PFK Samara Kryliya Sovetov
Turkish Super League
9:00 ET Sunday
Galatasaray v Sivasspor
13:00 ET Sunday
Kayserispor v Fenerbahce
Greek Super League
Atromitos v (T16) Olympiakos
12:00 ET Sunday
Panathinaikos v Panionios
Ukranian Premier League
14:00 ET Saturday
Dynamo Kiev v Karpaty Lviv
9:00 ET Sunday
Chornomorets Odessa v Shakhtar Donetsk
MLS Conference Semi-finals (First Leg)
From Thursday: Seattle Sounders FC 0-0 Houston Dynamo
18:00 ET Saturday
Real Salt Lake v Columbus
14:00 ET Sunday
New England v Chicago
17:00 ET Sunday
Chivas USA v Los Angeles
Copa del Rey (Spain)
This is the main cup competition in Spain. The first leg of the Round of 32 was played this past week with one absolutely stunning result. Real Madrid lost at lowly Alcorcon of the Segunda Division B-Group 2 (of 4), which is two leagues down from La Liga. This was the club’s first ever match against a team from the top flight. The team has only once finished above 7th in their current division, which occurred when they finished 3rd in the league last year. Currently they sit at 6th in the league. Alcorcon has a stadium capacity of 3,000 and a budget of 1.1 million euro, which is barely a quarter of the price Real Madrid paid for defender Alvaro Arbeloa, who scored an own goal in the match. All in all, Real Madrid has a budget of 420 million euro, almost 400 times that of Alcrocon. Real Madrid did not play one youth player in this tie, and though their squad was without Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka, and Xabi Alonso, they still had Raul, Raul Albiol, Rafael van der Vaart, Guit, and other first-squad players on the field. Fans in Madrid will be calling for manager Manuel Pellegrini’s head after that debacle. In other action, Barcelona defeated Cultural Leonesa 2-0, and would face Real Madrid in the round of 16 if Madrid were to pull off the miracle comeback in the second leg. Sevilla, Valencia, and Atletico Madrid also won their first leg ties.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Week 9 College Football Picks
West Virginia over South Florida
Florida over Georgia: Flordia wins this game but I really do think Georgia will give them an extremely tough game but the SEC officials will make a call to help the Gators out.
Iowa over Indiana
TCU over UNLV
Oklahoma State over Texas: I just don’t think Texas is that good of a team this year, and Oklahoma State finds a way to shut down the McCoy-Shipley connection.
USC over Oregon: I really wanted to pick Oregon but I just don’t see USC and Texas both losing this weekend.
Boise State over San Jose State
LSU over Tulane
Penn State over Northwestern
Ohio State over New Mexico State
Miami over Wake Forest
Cincinnati over Syracuse
Georgia Tech over Vanderbilt
Utah over Wyoming
Houston over Southern Miss
South Carolina over Tennessee: I’m picking the Gamecocks but I wouldn’t be surprised to see Lane Kiffin pull the upset this week, his team is playing hard and it’s bound to pay off at some point this season.
Notre Dame over Washington State: For some reason this game is being played in San Antonio but the Irish win anyway.
California over Arizona State
Ole Miss over Auburn
My apologies for missing the Va. Tech – UNC game, busy week.
Florida over Georgia: Flordia wins this game but I really do think Georgia will give them an extremely tough game but the SEC officials will make a call to help the Gators out.
Iowa over Indiana
TCU over UNLV
Oklahoma State over Texas: I just don’t think Texas is that good of a team this year, and Oklahoma State finds a way to shut down the McCoy-Shipley connection.
USC over Oregon: I really wanted to pick Oregon but I just don’t see USC and Texas both losing this weekend.
Boise State over San Jose State
LSU over Tulane
Penn State over Northwestern
Ohio State over New Mexico State
Miami over Wake Forest
Cincinnati over Syracuse
Georgia Tech over Vanderbilt
Utah over Wyoming
Houston over Southern Miss
South Carolina over Tennessee: I’m picking the Gamecocks but I wouldn’t be surprised to see Lane Kiffin pull the upset this week, his team is playing hard and it’s bound to pay off at some point this season.
Notre Dame over Washington State: For some reason this game is being played in San Antonio but the Irish win anyway.
California over Arizona State
Ole Miss over Auburn
My apologies for missing the Va. Tech – UNC game, busy week.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Fan Support or Team Success, What comes first?
I was reading a book for my Inequality in Sports class written by C. Vivian Stringer the head coach for the Women’s Basketball team at Rutgers and she brought up an interesting question. Should fans come out to support a team before it is successful or should the team have to be successful for the fans? I thought it’d be a good idea to try to answer this and when I thought about it, I found that it really doesn’t have an answer because there are different scenarios surrounding different teams. The best examples of both of these scenarios just happen to come from the teams in the city of Chicago, and specifically with both baseball teams.
The Chicago Cubs are a team that has not had success when it comes to winning a championship (101 years so to say not having success is putting it nicely), yet their “fans” will come out to Wrigley Field day in and day out to watch the lovable losers. I think a large part of why they sell out every game despite having ultimate success is because they play in Wrigley Field, which has an aura to it (For more details on the attraction of Wrigley Field read this). While some of the true fans of the Cubs will refuse to spend their money at the ballpark while the team suffers in mediocrity, the majority of Cub fans will continue to go to Wrigley because it’s the cool place to go. That type of attitude isn’t found on the South Side of Chicago.
When it comes to the White Sox, they experienced a surge in attendance towards the end of 2005 and into 2006 and 2007, and if you remember correctly, that can be attributed to the World Series title in 2005. Some people will say those are all the bandwagon fans who just want to support a winner. I would argue it’s the true fans of the White Sox spending their hard earned money on the White Sox as a way to support the team so that they can continue to experience success for many years in the future. If the team stinks or won’t win a championship that year why should fans go out and spend a ridiculous amount of money to watch a baseball game that they can just as easily turn on their television and see the same game?
For me personally I hold the belief that I’ll attend games in person whether or not the team was a winner (I even sat through the debacle that was the 20-1 White Sox loss to the Minnesota Twins this past summer). However, if the team was winning consistently and I could afford it, I would purchase season tickets and make that investment into my team to show them that I support them and I appreciate the way they’re playing.
The Chicago Cubs are a team that has not had success when it comes to winning a championship (101 years so to say not having success is putting it nicely), yet their “fans” will come out to Wrigley Field day in and day out to watch the lovable losers. I think a large part of why they sell out every game despite having ultimate success is because they play in Wrigley Field, which has an aura to it (For more details on the attraction of Wrigley Field read this). While some of the true fans of the Cubs will refuse to spend their money at the ballpark while the team suffers in mediocrity, the majority of Cub fans will continue to go to Wrigley because it’s the cool place to go. That type of attitude isn’t found on the South Side of Chicago.
When it comes to the White Sox, they experienced a surge in attendance towards the end of 2005 and into 2006 and 2007, and if you remember correctly, that can be attributed to the World Series title in 2005. Some people will say those are all the bandwagon fans who just want to support a winner. I would argue it’s the true fans of the White Sox spending their hard earned money on the White Sox as a way to support the team so that they can continue to experience success for many years in the future. If the team stinks or won’t win a championship that year why should fans go out and spend a ridiculous amount of money to watch a baseball game that they can just as easily turn on their television and see the same game?
For me personally I hold the belief that I’ll attend games in person whether or not the team was a winner (I even sat through the debacle that was the 20-1 White Sox loss to the Minnesota Twins this past summer). However, if the team was winning consistently and I could afford it, I would purchase season tickets and make that investment into my team to show them that I support them and I appreciate the way they’re playing.
Monday, October 26, 2009
College Football Top 25 Heading into Week 9
Well there wasn’t much change in the top 10 of my Top 25 but TCU jumped up and Oregon joined the party.
1. Florida (1)
2. Alabama (2)
3. Texas (3)
4. Iowa (4)
5. USC (5)
6. TCU (9): The biggest win this weekend in College Football, TCU is forcing the voters to notice that it will likely be them and not Boise State as the Non-AQ school to be in a BCS Bowl.
7. Cincinnati (7)
8. Boise State (6): The Broncos will unfortunately be left out of the BCS this year and the reason is the schedule just isn’t good enough to warrant a BCS berth.
9. Oregon (12)
10. LSU (10)
11. Penn State (13): The Nittany Lions are starting to hit on all cylinders which could get the Big Ten two representatives in the BCS for another season.
12. Georgia Tech (11)
13. Virginia Tech (14)
14. Oklahoma State (15)
15. Pittsburgh (17)
16. Ohio State (22): Terrelle Pryor and the Buckeyes look like they found some offense in the second half against Minnesota, and if they did the stretch run for the Big Ten Title will be very interesting.
17. Arizona (NR): The Wildcats might be the best team no one is talking about.
18. Utah (19)
19. Houston (18)
20. West Virginia (21)
21. Miami (8)
22. Notre Dame (NR): With their 2 losses the Fighting Irish can still make a BCS Bowl much to the chagrin of the millions of fans who hate Charlie Weis and the Irish.
23. South Carolina (23)
24. Idaho (25)
25. California (NR)
Dropping Out: BYU (16), Texas Tech (20), Kansas (24)
1. Florida (1)
2. Alabama (2)
3. Texas (3)
4. Iowa (4)
5. USC (5)
6. TCU (9): The biggest win this weekend in College Football, TCU is forcing the voters to notice that it will likely be them and not Boise State as the Non-AQ school to be in a BCS Bowl.
7. Cincinnati (7)
8. Boise State (6): The Broncos will unfortunately be left out of the BCS this year and the reason is the schedule just isn’t good enough to warrant a BCS berth.
9. Oregon (12)
10. LSU (10)
11. Penn State (13): The Nittany Lions are starting to hit on all cylinders which could get the Big Ten two representatives in the BCS for another season.
12. Georgia Tech (11)
13. Virginia Tech (14)
14. Oklahoma State (15)
15. Pittsburgh (17)
16. Ohio State (22): Terrelle Pryor and the Buckeyes look like they found some offense in the second half against Minnesota, and if they did the stretch run for the Big Ten Title will be very interesting.
17. Arizona (NR): The Wildcats might be the best team no one is talking about.
18. Utah (19)
19. Houston (18)
20. West Virginia (21)
21. Miami (8)
22. Notre Dame (NR): With their 2 losses the Fighting Irish can still make a BCS Bowl much to the chagrin of the millions of fans who hate Charlie Weis and the Irish.
23. South Carolina (23)
24. Idaho (25)
25. California (NR)
Dropping Out: BYU (16), Texas Tech (20), Kansas (24)
Sunday, October 25, 2009
A Comprehensive Weekly Look at the Top Teams In European Football
This is the first edition of a Top 25 Poll of European Football Clubs as voted upon by myself (Tom) and Blaine! We hope you enjoy and we hope this further increases your interest in the great spectacle that is European Football.
Rank Team (Nationality) Points
T1. Barcelona (Esp) 49
T1. Chelsea (Eng) 49
Tom: You really cannot go wrong with either team as the choice for number one for this poll. I chose Chelsea as they are number one in the best league in Europe, the English Premier League, and they are perfect in their Champions League group, with wins over Atletico Madrid, FC Porto, and APOEL. On the other hand, Barcelona are the defending Champions of Europe, and flexed that muscle with a beautiful 6-1 win over Real Zaragoza this weekend, vaulting them to top of the table in La Liga with a great 7-1-0 record. The mid-week shock loss to FK Rubin Kazan at home prevented me from putting them at the top of my rankings. Before Manchester United’s 2-0 loss at Anfield to a struggling Liverpool side, they too had a strong case for best in Europe. However, it is a long season and these are sure to be volatile rankings.
3. Manchester United (Eng) 46
4. Real Madrid (Esp) 44
T5. Inter Milan (Ita) 40
T5. Sevilla FC (Esp) 40
7. Arsenal (Eng) 38
8. Bordeaux (Fra) 35
Tom: Bordeaux is atop Ligue 1 with a 7-1-2 record from 10 games and is leading a decent Champions League group consisting of Juventus, Bayern Munich, and Maccabi Haifa. Bordeaux secured a solid away draw at Juventus and beat Bayern Munich 2-1 at home. No matter what my colleague says about the Bundesliga, any time you take down a team of Luca Toni, Franck Ribery, Hamit Altintop, and Miroslav Klose, it is a win to be proud of. Still, they have lost two of their last three domestic matches and have a top of the table clash with AS Monaco this coming Saturday, followed by a mid-week match with in Germany to face Bayern and they will be welcomed back by Lille, who is weak in domestic form this year but still a formidable opponent for the French league. The coming two weeks will tell whether or not the relatively young squad is for real this season.
9. Juventus (Ita) 34
10. Bayer Leverkusen (Ger) 27
11. Tottenham Hotspur (Eng) 23
Blaine: Tottenham “Ham”, “Spurs”, Hotspur: Yes, Spurs do have 3 losses this year in the Barclay’s Premier League. However, one must consider that 2 of these three losses are to Manchester United and Chelsea, the 3rd and 2nd ranked teams on this list, respectively. Spurs’ loss this weekend to Stoke City, while disgraceful, was not enough to knock them off this list, or even out of the top 10. Spurs are a young, talented club led by an experienced manager and a captain who has been playing at the highest level of football since he was 17. Robbie Keane (the aforementioned captain) was a highly regarded footballer for years before a hugely unsuccessful transfer to Liverpool, but since returning to Spurs he has 5 goals in 10 matches, along with 2 assists. I expect Spurs to take this loss to Stoke and use it as motivation, and go on quite the run this season, perhaps finishing around 4-5 in the Premiership.
T12. Fiorentina (Ita) 20
T12. Manchester City (Eng) 20
T14. AC Milan (Ita) 18
Blaine: After having started off the season miserably, AC Milan has seemingly found their form lately. Ronaldinho is allegedly showing up at the San Siro to practice hours before matches and, on non-match days, at an incredibly early hour. Alexandre Pato, the young Brazilian starlet, has been on a brilliant run as of late, culminating in a brace in Milan’s 3-2 win over Real Madrid. That very match is one of the main reasons that Milan is ranked so high on this list, as it was Madrid’s first loss of the season at the Bernabeu all season.
T14. Hamburg SV (Ger) 18
T16. Olympiakos (Gre) 14
T16. Sampdoria (Ita) 14
T18. CSKA Moscow (Rus) 13
T18. Lyon (Fra) 13
20. Schalke 04 (Ger) 12
T21. Benfica (Por) 11
T21. FC Porto (Por) 11
23. Celtic (Sco) 9
24. Rangers (Sco) 8
T25. Dynamo Kiev (Ukr) 7
T25. FK Rubin Kazan (Rus) 7
T25. Werder Bremen (Ger) 7
Also Receiving Votes: Fenerbahce (Tur) 6, Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukr) 4, Valencia (Esp) 4, Sunderland (Eng) 3, Braga (Por) 2, PSV Eindhoven (Ned) 1, Sporting CP (Por) 1
Here is how the voters voted:
Next 5 in for Tom, in order from West to East: Porto, Liverpool, AS Monaco, Fenerbahce, FK Rubin Kazan
Next 5 in for Blaine, in order from East to West: Galatasaray, Panathinaikos, Sampdoria, Anderlecht, Lille
Comments from Blaine: Overall a fairly typical top 25. While going through league tables and European competition results there weren’t too many shockers as to who was apparently quite good and who wasn’t, so this list closely resembles the one that I had in mind before doing some research. As expected, my list is a bit heavy on English football, but frankly for good reason, as the Premiership is pretty much hands down the best league in the world. There are a few interesting differences in mine and Tom’s lists, most noticeably my lack of respect for the Bundesliga, and Tom’s lack of respect for the Scottish Premier League. I’ve never really bought into the fact that the Bundesliga is one of the “major leagues” of Europe. Frankly I think that most of Germany’s football reputation is a result of the glory of a past generation including players such as Oliver Khan and the formerly great Michael Ballack. It is for this reason that only one Bundesliga club appears on this list, and, interestingly enough, that club is not Bayern Munich. Munich is by far the most recognizable German football club, and they have a lot of very good players, but their current 5th place position in the Bundesliga, combined with their relatively poor showing in the Champions League (3rd in their 4 team group), has doomed them to stay the hell off this list. Another interestingly placed club on this list is the Italian club Juventus. Juve is currently 3rd in Serie A and 2nd in their Champions League group, which in theory should not put them as high as they are on this list. However, given their talented roster, and the fact that they have the best keeper in the world, Gianluigi Buffon, I think it’s pretty reasonable to say that they’re at the very least the 8th best club team in Europe. Finally, there’s the inclusion of Shaktar Donetsk, a Ukrainian club that is currently sitting in 2nd place in the Ukrainian premier league. However, when one combines Donetsk’s winning of last year’s UEFA Cup, as well as the fact that they’re currently a perfect 3-0-0 in their Europa league group (with a goal differential of a whopping +10) merits their inclusion in this list. Let the controversy among all 7 readers begin!
Rank Team (Nationality) Points
T1. Barcelona (Esp) 49
T1. Chelsea (Eng) 49
Tom: You really cannot go wrong with either team as the choice for number one for this poll. I chose Chelsea as they are number one in the best league in Europe, the English Premier League, and they are perfect in their Champions League group, with wins over Atletico Madrid, FC Porto, and APOEL. On the other hand, Barcelona are the defending Champions of Europe, and flexed that muscle with a beautiful 6-1 win over Real Zaragoza this weekend, vaulting them to top of the table in La Liga with a great 7-1-0 record. The mid-week shock loss to FK Rubin Kazan at home prevented me from putting them at the top of my rankings. Before Manchester United’s 2-0 loss at Anfield to a struggling Liverpool side, they too had a strong case for best in Europe. However, it is a long season and these are sure to be volatile rankings.
3. Manchester United (Eng) 46
4. Real Madrid (Esp) 44
T5. Inter Milan (Ita) 40
T5. Sevilla FC (Esp) 40
7. Arsenal (Eng) 38
8. Bordeaux (Fra) 35
Tom: Bordeaux is atop Ligue 1 with a 7-1-2 record from 10 games and is leading a decent Champions League group consisting of Juventus, Bayern Munich, and Maccabi Haifa. Bordeaux secured a solid away draw at Juventus and beat Bayern Munich 2-1 at home. No matter what my colleague says about the Bundesliga, any time you take down a team of Luca Toni, Franck Ribery, Hamit Altintop, and Miroslav Klose, it is a win to be proud of. Still, they have lost two of their last three domestic matches and have a top of the table clash with AS Monaco this coming Saturday, followed by a mid-week match with in Germany to face Bayern and they will be welcomed back by Lille, who is weak in domestic form this year but still a formidable opponent for the French league. The coming two weeks will tell whether or not the relatively young squad is for real this season.
9. Juventus (Ita) 34
10. Bayer Leverkusen (Ger) 27
11. Tottenham Hotspur (Eng) 23
Blaine: Tottenham “Ham”, “Spurs”, Hotspur: Yes, Spurs do have 3 losses this year in the Barclay’s Premier League. However, one must consider that 2 of these three losses are to Manchester United and Chelsea, the 3rd and 2nd ranked teams on this list, respectively. Spurs’ loss this weekend to Stoke City, while disgraceful, was not enough to knock them off this list, or even out of the top 10. Spurs are a young, talented club led by an experienced manager and a captain who has been playing at the highest level of football since he was 17. Robbie Keane (the aforementioned captain) was a highly regarded footballer for years before a hugely unsuccessful transfer to Liverpool, but since returning to Spurs he has 5 goals in 10 matches, along with 2 assists. I expect Spurs to take this loss to Stoke and use it as motivation, and go on quite the run this season, perhaps finishing around 4-5 in the Premiership.
T12. Fiorentina (Ita) 20
T12. Manchester City (Eng) 20
T14. AC Milan (Ita) 18
Blaine: After having started off the season miserably, AC Milan has seemingly found their form lately. Ronaldinho is allegedly showing up at the San Siro to practice hours before matches and, on non-match days, at an incredibly early hour. Alexandre Pato, the young Brazilian starlet, has been on a brilliant run as of late, culminating in a brace in Milan’s 3-2 win over Real Madrid. That very match is one of the main reasons that Milan is ranked so high on this list, as it was Madrid’s first loss of the season at the Bernabeu all season.
T14. Hamburg SV (Ger) 18
T16. Olympiakos (Gre) 14
T16. Sampdoria (Ita) 14
T18. CSKA Moscow (Rus) 13
T18. Lyon (Fra) 13
20. Schalke 04 (Ger) 12
T21. Benfica (Por) 11
T21. FC Porto (Por) 11
23. Celtic (Sco) 9
24. Rangers (Sco) 8
T25. Dynamo Kiev (Ukr) 7
T25. FK Rubin Kazan (Rus) 7
T25. Werder Bremen (Ger) 7
Also Receiving Votes: Fenerbahce (Tur) 6, Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukr) 4, Valencia (Esp) 4, Sunderland (Eng) 3, Braga (Por) 2, PSV Eindhoven (Ned) 1, Sporting CP (Por) 1
Here is how the voters voted:
| Rank | Tom | Blaine |
| 1 | Chelsea | Barcelona |
| 2 | Barcelona | Chelsea |
| 3 | Manchester United | Manchester United |
| 4 | Real Madrid | Real Madrid |
| 5 | Inter Milan | Arsenal |
| 6 | Sevilla | Sevilla |
| 7 | Bordeaux | Inter Milan |
| 8 | Hamburg SV | Juventus |
| 9 | Arsenal | Tottenham Hotspur |
| 10 | Juventus | Bordeaux |
| 11 | Bayer Leverkusen | AC Milan |
| 12 | Sampdoria | Fiorentina |
| 13 | Lyon | CSKA Moscow |
| 14 | Schalke 04 | Bayer Leverkusen |
| 15 | Benfica | FC Porto |
| 16 | Manchester City | Manchester City |
| 17 | Olympiakos | Celtic |
| 18 | Fiorentina | Rangers |
| 19 | Werder Bremen | FK Rubin Kazan |
| 20 | Tottenham Hotspur | Fenerbahce |
| 21 | Dynamo Kiev | Olympiakos |
| 22 | Valencia | Shakhtar Donetsk |
| 23 | Braga | Sunderland |
| 24 | AC Milan | Dynamo Kiev |
| 25 | PSV Eindhoven | Sporting CP |
Next 5 in for Tom, in order from West to East: Porto, Liverpool, AS Monaco, Fenerbahce, FK Rubin Kazan
Next 5 in for Blaine, in order from East to West: Galatasaray, Panathinaikos, Sampdoria, Anderlecht, Lille
Comments from Blaine: Overall a fairly typical top 25. While going through league tables and European competition results there weren’t too many shockers as to who was apparently quite good and who wasn’t, so this list closely resembles the one that I had in mind before doing some research. As expected, my list is a bit heavy on English football, but frankly for good reason, as the Premiership is pretty much hands down the best league in the world. There are a few interesting differences in mine and Tom’s lists, most noticeably my lack of respect for the Bundesliga, and Tom’s lack of respect for the Scottish Premier League. I’ve never really bought into the fact that the Bundesliga is one of the “major leagues” of Europe. Frankly I think that most of Germany’s football reputation is a result of the glory of a past generation including players such as Oliver Khan and the formerly great Michael Ballack. It is for this reason that only one Bundesliga club appears on this list, and, interestingly enough, that club is not Bayern Munich. Munich is by far the most recognizable German football club, and they have a lot of very good players, but their current 5th place position in the Bundesliga, combined with their relatively poor showing in the Champions League (3rd in their 4 team group), has doomed them to stay the hell off this list. Another interestingly placed club on this list is the Italian club Juventus. Juve is currently 3rd in Serie A and 2nd in their Champions League group, which in theory should not put them as high as they are on this list. However, given their talented roster, and the fact that they have the best keeper in the world, Gianluigi Buffon, I think it’s pretty reasonable to say that they’re at the very least the 8th best club team in Europe. Finally, there’s the inclusion of Shaktar Donetsk, a Ukrainian club that is currently sitting in 2nd place in the Ukrainian premier league. However, when one combines Donetsk’s winning of last year’s UEFA Cup, as well as the fact that they’re currently a perfect 3-0-0 in their Europa league group (with a goal differential of a whopping +10) merits their inclusion in this list. Let the controversy among all 7 readers begin!
Friday, October 23, 2009
Weekend Soccer Preview
Another exciting week in soccer! Click on the league title to see league table.
English Premier League (Home team listed first, all times AM unless otherwise noted)
7:45 ET Saturday
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Aston Villa (ESPN2)
10:00 ET Saturday
Birmingham v Sunderland
Burnley v Wigan Athletic
Hull City v Portsmouth
Tottenham Hotspur v Stoke City
Chelsea v Blackburn Rovers
9:30 ET Sunday
Bolton Wanderers v Everton
10:00 ET Sunday
Liverpool v Manchester United
11:00 ET Sunday
Manchester City v Fulham
12:15 PM ET Sunday
West Ham v Arsenal
Scottish Premier League
10:00 ET Saturday
Rangers v Hibernian
8:30 ET Sunday
Hamilton Academical v Celtic
Spain’s La Liga
15:00 ET (3:00 PM ET) Saturday
Sporting Gijon v Real Madrid
16:00 ET Sunday
Barcelona v Real Zaragoza
Italy’s Serie A
15:45 ET Saturday
Inter Milan v Catania
10:00 ET Sunday
AS Roma v Livorno
Siena v Juventus
15:45 ET Sunday
Chievo Verona v AC Milan
German Bundesliga
9:30 ET Saturday
Bayern Munich v Eintracht Frankfurt
French Ligue 1
Dutch Eredivisie
Russian Premier League
Champions League
With the games of this past week, we are now officially halfway through the group stage of the Champions League. The top two teams from each group will qualify to the knockout round, and the third placed team drops down to the knockout round of the Europa League (Formerly the UEFA Cup). In the group stage, there are 8 groups of four teams each. Each team will play each other team once at home and once away. Here are the tables along with some commentary:
Group A
The only team effectively eliminated at this point is Isreal’s Maccabi Haifa. Bayern and Juventus were the two favorites to make it through to the next round, and that is still a fairly likely occurrence. Bayern still gets Bordeaux and Maccabi Haifa at home, but lost at Bordeaux 2-1 this past match day. Bordeaux got an impressive away draw at Juventus on the first match day.
Group B
Manchester United are the strong leaders of Group B after 3 successive one goal victories. They have already navigated the difficult mid-week journeys to Russia and Turkey for the matches at CSKA Moscow and Besiktas, so barring a colossal collapse the second half of group play, they should move on to the knockout rounds. Wolfsburg, on the other hand, still has yet to go to Turkey or Russia, and will have a hard time keeping their scant second place lead over CSKA Moscow.
Group C
This has been an interesting group so far. FC Zurich has made the long journey through two qualifying rounds to get to this group stage, and proceeded to first lose at home 5-2 to Real Madrid, then shocked AC Milan, getting a 1-0 at the San Siro. Milan then went on to beat Real Madrid 3-2 at Real Madrid, so this group looks like it will shake out as expected, with Real Madrid and AC Milan progressing on. Still, Milan was very close to having only 3 points mid-way through this group stage, and has had a run of poor form to start the year in Serie A, as they are in 9th through 8 games with only 11 points. The fight for 3rd place and a spot in the Europa League will still be an interesting one.
Group D
Chelsea and FC Porto have taken full control of their group, with Chelsea already just a draw away from virtually ensuring themselves a spot in the knockout rounds. APOEL Nicosia comes from the unheralded Cypriot First Division and had a solid draw at Atletico Madrid and only narrow losses to Chelsea and FC Porto. Atletico Madrid has been hurt by the severe 4-0 loss at Chelsea and will have to take big points away from matches against the top two if they wish to move onto the knockout stages or even the Europa League. Atletico Madrid is in poor form in the domestic league as well, where they are 15th, with 6 points from 7 games.
Group E
Injury-plagued Liverpool have had a rough start in Europe to go along with their rough start to the Premiership season. A 2-1 loss at home to Lyon was the ultimate punch to the gut, and Liverpool only has one home match left in the group stages, at home against Fiorentina on the final match day. Debrecen is all but eliminated from all further European competitions barring any shock results, so the battle to stay in the top European competition will be a contentious one among the top three.
Group F
In the closest and definitely most interesting group going forward, we see four teams that all have the chance to move on to the knockout round or come in last in the group. The big stunner was Rubin Kazan making the trip from Russia to Barcelona and coming back with a win this past Tuesday. As a result, Barcelona is left with a trip to Russia to face Kazan again, a home match against an always tough Inter Milan side, and a trip to Ukraine to face Dynamo Kiev. It is never easy to make a long mid-week trip in the Champions League, and Barcelona will have to navigate two more with success on top of a visit from Inter to make it to the next round. Inter Milan has some work to do to even qualify for the Europa League, as they will have to go to Ukraine to play Dynamo Kiev as well as the previously mentioned trip to Barcelona. Every game in this group will hold massive importance and will hopefully create some genuine European drama until the final match day.
Group G
Unirea Urziceni are the surprise of this group, and are in second by virtue of a good 1-1 draw at home to Stuttgart and a 4-1 thrashing of Rangers in Glasgow. The game in Glasgow featured two own goals by Rangers and a missed penalty for Rangers, who are flailing in Europe much like their cross-town rivals Celtic, who are in last in their Europa League group. Sevilla is only a win away from progressing to the knockout stages, and they should get it, with home matches against Stuttgart and Rangers left to go with a trip to Romania to visit Unirea Urziceni.
Group H
In one of the only groups that has gone more or less by the books, Arsenal and Olympiakos are both looking at spots in the knockout stages, while AZ will look to hold off Standard Liege for a place in the Europa League. Olympiakos still has trips to Belgium and Holland to face Standard Liege and AZ respectively, so there could still be a battle for second place in this group
English Premier League (Home team listed first, all times AM unless otherwise noted)
7:45 ET Saturday
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Aston Villa (ESPN2)
10:00 ET Saturday
Birmingham v Sunderland
Burnley v Wigan Athletic
Hull City v Portsmouth
Tottenham Hotspur v Stoke City
Chelsea v Blackburn Rovers
9:30 ET Sunday
Bolton Wanderers v Everton
10:00 ET Sunday
Liverpool v Manchester United
11:00 ET Sunday
Manchester City v Fulham
12:15 PM ET Sunday
West Ham v Arsenal
Scottish Premier League
10:00 ET Saturday
Rangers v Hibernian
8:30 ET Sunday
Hamilton Academical v Celtic
Spain’s La Liga
15:00 ET (3:00 PM ET) Saturday
Sporting Gijon v Real Madrid
16:00 ET Sunday
Barcelona v Real Zaragoza
Italy’s Serie A
15:45 ET Saturday
Inter Milan v Catania
10:00 ET Sunday
AS Roma v Livorno
Siena v Juventus
15:45 ET Sunday
Chievo Verona v AC Milan
German Bundesliga
9:30 ET Saturday
Bayern Munich v Eintracht Frankfurt
French Ligue 1
Dutch Eredivisie
Russian Premier League
Champions League
With the games of this past week, we are now officially halfway through the group stage of the Champions League. The top two teams from each group will qualify to the knockout round, and the third placed team drops down to the knockout round of the Europa League (Formerly the UEFA Cup). In the group stage, there are 8 groups of four teams each. Each team will play each other team once at home and once away. Here are the tables along with some commentary:
Group A
| Team | W | D | L | GD | Pts |
| Bordeaux | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 7 |
| Juventus | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| Bayern Munich | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| Maccabi Haifa | 0 | 0 | 3 | -5 | 0 |
The only team effectively eliminated at this point is Isreal’s Maccabi Haifa. Bayern and Juventus were the two favorites to make it through to the next round, and that is still a fairly likely occurrence. Bayern still gets Bordeaux and Maccabi Haifa at home, but lost at Bordeaux 2-1 this past match day. Bordeaux got an impressive away draw at Juventus on the first match day.
Group B
| Team | W | D | L | GD | Pts |
| Manchester United | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 9 |
| Wolfsburg | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| CSKA Moscow | 1 | 0 | 2 | -2 | 3 |
| Besiktas | 0 | 1 | 2 | -2 | 1 |
Manchester United are the strong leaders of Group B after 3 successive one goal victories. They have already navigated the difficult mid-week journeys to Russia and Turkey for the matches at CSKA Moscow and Besiktas, so barring a colossal collapse the second half of group play, they should move on to the knockout rounds. Wolfsburg, on the other hand, still has yet to go to Turkey or Russia, and will have a hard time keeping their scant second place lead over CSKA Moscow.
Group C
| Team | W | D | L | GD | Pts |
| Real Madrid | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 6 |
| AC Milan | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| Marseille | 1 | 0 | 2 | -3 | 3 |
| FC Zurich | 1 | 0 | 2 | -3 | 3 |
This has been an interesting group so far. FC Zurich has made the long journey through two qualifying rounds to get to this group stage, and proceeded to first lose at home 5-2 to Real Madrid, then shocked AC Milan, getting a 1-0 at the San Siro. Milan then went on to beat Real Madrid 3-2 at Real Madrid, so this group looks like it will shake out as expected, with Real Madrid and AC Milan progressing on. Still, Milan was very close to having only 3 points mid-way through this group stage, and has had a run of poor form to start the year in Serie A, as they are in 9th through 8 games with only 11 points. The fight for 3rd place and a spot in the Europa League will still be an interesting one.
Group D
| Team | W | D | L | GD | Pts |
| Chelsea | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 9 |
| FC Porto | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 6 |
| APOEL Nicosia | 0 | 1 | 2 | -2 | 1 |
| Atletico Madrid | 0 | 1 | 2 | -6 | 1 |
Chelsea and FC Porto have taken full control of their group, with Chelsea already just a draw away from virtually ensuring themselves a spot in the knockout rounds. APOEL Nicosia comes from the unheralded Cypriot First Division and had a solid draw at Atletico Madrid and only narrow losses to Chelsea and FC Porto. Atletico Madrid has been hurt by the severe 4-0 loss at Chelsea and will have to take big points away from matches against the top two if they wish to move onto the knockout stages or even the Europa League. Atletico Madrid is in poor form in the domestic league as well, where they are 15th, with 6 points from 7 games.
Group E
| Team | W | D | L | GD | Pts |
| Lyon | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 9 |
| Fiorentina | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 6 |
| Liverpool | 1 | 0 | 2 | -2 | 3 |
| Debrecen | 0 | 0 | 3 | -6 | 0 |
Injury-plagued Liverpool have had a rough start in Europe to go along with their rough start to the Premiership season. A 2-1 loss at home to Lyon was the ultimate punch to the gut, and Liverpool only has one home match left in the group stages, at home against Fiorentina on the final match day. Debrecen is all but eliminated from all further European competitions barring any shock results, so the battle to stay in the top European competition will be a contentious one among the top three.
Group F
| Team | W | D | L | GD | Pts |
| Barcelona | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Dynamo Kiev | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| FK Rubin Kazan | 1 | 1 | 1 | -1 | 4 |
| Inter Milan | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
In the closest and definitely most interesting group going forward, we see four teams that all have the chance to move on to the knockout round or come in last in the group. The big stunner was Rubin Kazan making the trip from Russia to Barcelona and coming back with a win this past Tuesday. As a result, Barcelona is left with a trip to Russia to face Kazan again, a home match against an always tough Inter Milan side, and a trip to Ukraine to face Dynamo Kiev. It is never easy to make a long mid-week trip in the Champions League, and Barcelona will have to navigate two more with success on top of a visit from Inter to make it to the next round. Inter Milan has some work to do to even qualify for the Europa League, as they will have to go to Ukraine to play Dynamo Kiev as well as the previously mentioned trip to Barcelona. Every game in this group will hold massive importance and will hopefully create some genuine European drama until the final match day.
Group G
| Team | W | D | L | GD | Pts |
| Sevilla FC | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 9 |
| Unirea Urziceni | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| VfB Stuttgart | 0 | 2 | 1 | -2 | 2 |
| Rangers | 0 | 1 | 2 | -6 | 1 |
Unirea Urziceni are the surprise of this group, and are in second by virtue of a good 1-1 draw at home to Stuttgart and a 4-1 thrashing of Rangers in Glasgow. The game in Glasgow featured two own goals by Rangers and a missed penalty for Rangers, who are flailing in Europe much like their cross-town rivals Celtic, who are in last in their Europa League group. Sevilla is only a win away from progressing to the knockout stages, and they should get it, with home matches against Stuttgart and Rangers left to go with a trip to Romania to visit Unirea Urziceni.
Group H
| Team | W | D | L | GD | Pts |
| Arsenal | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 7 |
| Olympiakos | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 |
| AZ Alkmaar | 0 | 2 | 1 | -1 | 2 |
| Standard Liege | 0 | 1 | 2 | -2 | 1 |
In one of the only groups that has gone more or less by the books, Arsenal and Olympiakos are both looking at spots in the knockout stages, while AZ will look to hold off Standard Liege for a place in the Europa League. Olympiakos still has trips to Belgium and Holland to face Standard Liege and AZ respectively, so there could still be a battle for second place in this group
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Week 8 College Football Picks
There aren’t many standout games this week so there isn’t much commentary with these picks but with how I performed last week maybe just picking games will change my luck:
#1 Florida over Mississippi State
#2 Alabama over Tennessee
#3 Texas over Missouri
#4 Boise State over Hawaii
#5 Cincinnati over Louisville
#6 Iowa over Michigan State
#7 USC over Oregon State
#16 BYU over #8 TCU: In the marquee game of the week I think BYU pulls it off playing at home.
#9 LSU over Auburn
#10 Miami over Clemson
#11 Oregon over Washington
#12 Georgia Tech over Virginia
#13 Penn State over Michigan
#15 Oklahoma State over Baylor
#17 Houston over S. Methodist
#18 Utah over Air Force
#19 Ohio State over Minnesota
South Florida over #20 Pittsburgh
#22 Arizona over UCLA
#23 West Virginia over Connecticut
#24 South Carolina over Vanderbilt
Oklahoma over #25 Kansas
#1 Florida over Mississippi State
#2 Alabama over Tennessee
#3 Texas over Missouri
#4 Boise State over Hawaii
#5 Cincinnati over Louisville
#6 Iowa over Michigan State
#7 USC over Oregon State
#16 BYU over #8 TCU: In the marquee game of the week I think BYU pulls it off playing at home.
#9 LSU over Auburn
#10 Miami over Clemson
#11 Oregon over Washington
#12 Georgia Tech over Virginia
#13 Penn State over Michigan
#15 Oklahoma State over Baylor
#17 Houston over S. Methodist
#18 Utah over Air Force
#19 Ohio State over Minnesota
South Florida over #20 Pittsburgh
#22 Arizona over UCLA
#23 West Virginia over Connecticut
#24 South Carolina over Vanderbilt
Oklahoma over #25 Kansas
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
How Can the UFL Succeed?
Last night there was a really interesting documentary on who was to blame for the USFL folding in the 80’s, and it got my thinking of way that the new UFL could survive and succeed like so many thought the USFL was going to. The way for the UFL to flourish is to quite frankly copy what the USFL did but don’t get too greedy too quickly.
The UFL makes it a point of saying that they are not competing directly with the NFL or College Football for that matter by airing their games on Thursday nights, the problem is that it is still going up in the fall where there is already so much football going on that it’s hard to keep up. The first suggestion is to play the games in the Spring. There’s no secret that ESPN loves football and by playing in the Spring there would be no direct competition with any other football league which in turn could give the UFL more exposure on SportsCenter and other sports outlets. The USFL was successful during this season and ESPN didn’t have the power then that it does now so the possibilities for success seem endless.
The USFL was great at generating publicity by signing the reigning Heisman winners, Herschel Walker, Mike Rozier, and Doug Flutie immediately after they won and kept them from the NFL. They were also able to sign players like Steve Young by throwing a lot of money at them. Now I don’t think the UFL has the resources to throw money out at top college players to get them to pick the UFL over the NFL but there is a rule that they could develop that would lead to a lot of publicity. The USFL was able to get Walker because there was a rule that didn’t allow juniors to enter the NFL, so Walker took the payday that the USFL offered him and became a pro football player. The NFL currently only lets 4-year Juniors and Seniors enter the NFL Draft every April, if the UFL adopts a rule that allows Freshman and Sophomores to enter their league they could really develop a fan base by signing some of the top college players who aren’t old enough to enter the NFL yet. Could you imagine the fan fare if a UFL team signed Tim Tebow the year after he won the Heisman as a sophomore? ESPN would have a crew on that team 24/7 based on how much they love Tebow.
Those are just two ideas that came to me while watching that documentary last night on ESPN, they don’t seem too crazy or out of the ordinary but I doubt they ever happen.
The UFL makes it a point of saying that they are not competing directly with the NFL or College Football for that matter by airing their games on Thursday nights, the problem is that it is still going up in the fall where there is already so much football going on that it’s hard to keep up. The first suggestion is to play the games in the Spring. There’s no secret that ESPN loves football and by playing in the Spring there would be no direct competition with any other football league which in turn could give the UFL more exposure on SportsCenter and other sports outlets. The USFL was successful during this season and ESPN didn’t have the power then that it does now so the possibilities for success seem endless.
The USFL was great at generating publicity by signing the reigning Heisman winners, Herschel Walker, Mike Rozier, and Doug Flutie immediately after they won and kept them from the NFL. They were also able to sign players like Steve Young by throwing a lot of money at them. Now I don’t think the UFL has the resources to throw money out at top college players to get them to pick the UFL over the NFL but there is a rule that they could develop that would lead to a lot of publicity. The USFL was able to get Walker because there was a rule that didn’t allow juniors to enter the NFL, so Walker took the payday that the USFL offered him and became a pro football player. The NFL currently only lets 4-year Juniors and Seniors enter the NFL Draft every April, if the UFL adopts a rule that allows Freshman and Sophomores to enter their league they could really develop a fan base by signing some of the top college players who aren’t old enough to enter the NFL yet. Could you imagine the fan fare if a UFL team signed Tim Tebow the year after he won the Heisman as a sophomore? ESPN would have a crew on that team 24/7 based on how much they love Tebow.
Those are just two ideas that came to me while watching that documentary last night on ESPN, they don’t seem too crazy or out of the ordinary but I doubt they ever happen.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Twitter, the Better Post-Game News Conference
“We’re going to take it week by week,” “it’s a marathon, not a sprint,” “we just have to get back to the fundamentals,” and “we have to get better every game” are quotes that have become synonymous with professional athletes in America. The media gets angry when players don’t make themselves available for interviews, but the truth is why bother trying to get that interview when you’re just going to get a vanilla response to a question? In the 21st century the public has been introduced to Twitter and Blogs and many athletes have taken advantage and turned them into ways to promote themselves.
You have Chad Ochocinco and his Twitter account and Chris Cooley of the Washington Redskins with his blog. Both players are great at their respective positions but when their teams start to falter, the media immediately gets on their case that they, as individuals, aren’t spending enough time preparing for each week, because they’re spending too much time “tweeting” or working with their blog. My response to that is so what, the new technology that has been introduced has given fans and the media a better way to get inside the head of professional athletes. While this isn’t necessarily the case with Ochocinco (who shows his personality on the field every Sunday), Twitter and Blogs give the fans the chance to see a personality from these millionaire athletes and gives us a bigger reason to root a certain player or team because fans can actually feel a connection to these players, besides that they just play for their favorite team.
Recently I signed up for a Twitter account and the only people I really follow are members of the Chicago Bears (Jay Cutler, Greg Olsen, Devin Hester, Alex Brown, and Tommie Harris) and then Ochocinco, Shaq, and Mark Sanchez. And after reading the tweets that these guys do you can actually get a sense that these guys prepare real hard all week to put on a great performance each week, but you also get to see a lighter side to them when they are talking trash with each other (see Ochocinco riling up pretty much any Bear with a Twitter), or just tweeting back and forth with different athletes (Cutler and Dwyane Wade). The media can’t have it both ways, they either need to accept the generic responses and look down on Twitter, or just wait for a post game tweet.
You have Chad Ochocinco and his Twitter account and Chris Cooley of the Washington Redskins with his blog. Both players are great at their respective positions but when their teams start to falter, the media immediately gets on their case that they, as individuals, aren’t spending enough time preparing for each week, because they’re spending too much time “tweeting” or working with their blog. My response to that is so what, the new technology that has been introduced has given fans and the media a better way to get inside the head of professional athletes. While this isn’t necessarily the case with Ochocinco (who shows his personality on the field every Sunday), Twitter and Blogs give the fans the chance to see a personality from these millionaire athletes and gives us a bigger reason to root a certain player or team because fans can actually feel a connection to these players, besides that they just play for their favorite team.
Recently I signed up for a Twitter account and the only people I really follow are members of the Chicago Bears (Jay Cutler, Greg Olsen, Devin Hester, Alex Brown, and Tommie Harris) and then Ochocinco, Shaq, and Mark Sanchez. And after reading the tweets that these guys do you can actually get a sense that these guys prepare real hard all week to put on a great performance each week, but you also get to see a lighter side to them when they are talking trash with each other (see Ochocinco riling up pretty much any Bear with a Twitter), or just tweeting back and forth with different athletes (Cutler and Dwyane Wade). The media can’t have it both ways, they either need to accept the generic responses and look down on Twitter, or just wait for a post game tweet.
Monday, October 19, 2009
College Football Top 25 Heading into Week 8
Here is what I think the Top 25 should look like:
1. Florida(Last Week: #1): They have been ranked #1 all year and the only way they can get bumped to me is if they lose a game. You don’t like it? Have the first rankings come out later.
2. Alabama (2): Impressive, real impressive so far, I understand the argument for them being ranked #1 but Florida has to lose first.
3. Texas (3): The question is how much further can the Colt McCoy-Jordan Shipley offense get the Longhorns?
4. Iowa (5): Another week, another big win for the Hawkeyes. The Big Ten is clearly theirs for the taking as long as the offense continues to build week to week.
5. USC (6): Went into another hostile environment and pulled out another win, a big matchup with Oregon still looms but they’re well on their way to another Rose Bowl appearance or possibly the National Championship.
6. Boise State (7): Had a little bit of a scare against Tulsa this week but the rest of the schedule is a breeze so they should finish undefeated.
7. Cincinnati (11): A big win against South Florida this week moves the Bearcats up in the rankings, it’ll be interesting to see how they manage without dark horse Heisman candidate Tony Pike.
8. Miami (9): Jacory Harris continues to look impressive and they should be right in the mix for the ACC championship.
9. TCU (10): The Horned Frogs took care of business like they were supposed to against Colorado State, the defense continues to impress.
10. LSU (12): Despite not playing the Tigers move up due to Ohio State and Virginia Tech losing.
And rounding out the top 25:
11. Georgia Tech (19)
12. Oregon (13)
13. Penn State (14)
14. Virginia Tech (4)
15. Oklahoma State (17)
16. BYU (18)
17. Pittsburgh (25)
18. Houston (23)
19. Utah (24)
20. Texas Tech (NR)
21. West Virginia (NR)
22. Ohio State (8)
23. South Carolina (21)
24. Kansas (15)
25. Idaho (NR)
Dropping out: Nebraska (16), South Florida (20), Notre Dame (22)
1. Florida(Last Week: #1): They have been ranked #1 all year and the only way they can get bumped to me is if they lose a game. You don’t like it? Have the first rankings come out later.
2. Alabama (2): Impressive, real impressive so far, I understand the argument for them being ranked #1 but Florida has to lose first.
3. Texas (3): The question is how much further can the Colt McCoy-Jordan Shipley offense get the Longhorns?
4. Iowa (5): Another week, another big win for the Hawkeyes. The Big Ten is clearly theirs for the taking as long as the offense continues to build week to week.
5. USC (6): Went into another hostile environment and pulled out another win, a big matchup with Oregon still looms but they’re well on their way to another Rose Bowl appearance or possibly the National Championship.
6. Boise State (7): Had a little bit of a scare against Tulsa this week but the rest of the schedule is a breeze so they should finish undefeated.
7. Cincinnati (11): A big win against South Florida this week moves the Bearcats up in the rankings, it’ll be interesting to see how they manage without dark horse Heisman candidate Tony Pike.
8. Miami (9): Jacory Harris continues to look impressive and they should be right in the mix for the ACC championship.
9. TCU (10): The Horned Frogs took care of business like they were supposed to against Colorado State, the defense continues to impress.
10. LSU (12): Despite not playing the Tigers move up due to Ohio State and Virginia Tech losing.
And rounding out the top 25:
11. Georgia Tech (19)
12. Oregon (13)
13. Penn State (14)
14. Virginia Tech (4)
15. Oklahoma State (17)
16. BYU (18)
17. Pittsburgh (25)
18. Houston (23)
19. Utah (24)
20. Texas Tech (NR)
21. West Virginia (NR)
22. Ohio State (8)
23. South Carolina (21)
24. Kansas (15)
25. Idaho (NR)
Dropping out: Nebraska (16), South Florida (20), Notre Dame (22)
Friday, October 16, 2009
Weekend Soccer Preview
Coming off of an exciting week of World Cup qualifiers, it is back to the domestic leagues starting again this weekend. Here is what is in store:
English Premier League (Home team listed first, all times AM unless otherwise noted)
7:45 ET Saturday
Aston Villa v. Chelsea (ESPN2)
Chelsea is top of the table again as they travel to Villa Park, where the hosts look to make strides towards their goal of cracking the top four this season. Villa sit in 7th place with 13 points, 8 back of leader Chelsea, but Chelsea have played one more game.
10:00 ET Saturday
Arsenal v. Birmingham
Everton v. Wolverhampton Wanderers
Manchester Untied v. Bolton Wanderers
United held the lead at the top of the table for a brief moment of time, but a draw to Sunderland last match-day put a swift end to that. With Chelsea away in a tough match to Villa, this could be an opportunity for United to gain some ground on the leaders. Manchester United will be without striker Wayne Rooney, who picked up a calf injury playing against Ukraine last Saturday. Rooney is also doubtful for the midweek Champions League clash with CSKA Moscow. United may also be missing Dimitar Berbatov, whose partner (wife?) gave birth recently. Michael Owen will look to take on the brunt of the striking duties coming off of a groin problem of his own.
Portsmouth v. Tottenham Hotspur (FSC, Delayed)
Stoke City v. West Ham United
Sunderland v. Liverpool (FSC)
Darren Bent and Kenwyne Jones have Sunderland off to a solid start in the Premiership, where they have not finished above 15th in the past 8 years. Sunderland will look to take their momentum from a 2-2 draw at Old Trafford two weeks ago and turn it into a win against injury-plagued Liverpool, who have new striker Sotirios Kyrgiakos out with a knee injury and stars Steven Gerrard and Fernando both ruled out due to minor injuries incurred during World Cup Qualifiers.
8:00 ET Sunday
Blackburn Rovers v. Burnley
11:00 ET Sunday
Wigan Athletic v. Manchester City (FSC)
15:00 ET (Also known as 3:00 PM ET) Monday
Fulham v. Hull City (ESPN2)
Scottish Premier League
7:30 ET Saturday
St. Johnstone v Rangers
10:00 ET Saturday
Celtic v Motherwell
Celtic sit one point ahead of Rangers after 7 games of the Scottish Premier League. It will again be a two-horse race this season, so both teams will look to gain maximum points in this weekend’s matches.
Spain’s La Liga
14:00 ET Saturday
Real Madrid v. Valladolid (ESPN360.com)
Madrid will be missing Cristiano Ronaldo, who will be out for up to four weeks after suffering an ankle sprain playing for Portugal last Saturday. Real lost 2-1 at Sevilla in the previous match-day and is now 3 points back of the undefeated Barcelona. Madrid will also be missing Guti, Fernando Gago, Christoph Metzelder, and Ruud van Nistelrooy, but will get Lassana Diarra and Alvaro Arbeloa back from injury.
16:00 ET Saturday
Valencia v. Barcelona (GolTV)
Barcelona midfielder Xavi should be fit in time to factor in Saturday’s contest after picking up a knee problem while on duty for Spain. Thierry Henry, however, will be out for about ten days after obtaining a thigh injury in a 3-1 win over Austria on Wednesday. A win for Barcelona would give them a record-setting seven straight wins to start the season.
Italy’s Serie A
12:00 ET Saturday
Juventus v. Fiorentina (FSC)
14:45 ET Saturday
Genoa v. Inter Milan
14:45 ET Sunday
AC Milan v. AS Roma
AC Milan are not happy with the lengthy injury to Oguchi Onyewu incurred in the final minutes of the USA’s thrilling qualifier vs. Costa Rica: "I'm very angry because once again the national teams take our players and we have to pay the consequences of injuries," complained Milan chief executive Adriano Galliani on Thursday. "We demand compensation from the American Federation because we cannot pay the salary of a player who cannot play for six months." Note that the quote mainly focuses on the fact that they will have to pay Onyewu, not on the fact that Onyewu won’t be able to play. While this injury will hurt Milan’s depth at the back, Gooch’s non-existent playing time for Milan indicates this will not be a fatal blow to the side. Roma and Milan are floundering in the league, at 8th and 12th respectively after 7 matches, and both teams will see this game as a launching pad back up to the top of the table.
MLS
6:00 PM ET Saturday
New England Revolution v. Chicago Fire (FSC)
The Revolution welcome the Fire in a vital Eastern Conference showdown. There are two games left in the season and the Fire lead the Revolution 41 points to 38 for second place in the East. Only the top two teams in each conference qualify for the playoffs automatically, with 4 other spots allocated to the next 4 best teams regardless of conference, so whichever team comes in third is likely to still sneak into the playoffs, though second place is preferred due to seeding. Also, the Fire are in a heated battle to remain in the top 6 in the league, which would assure them of a place in the U.S. Open Cup in 2010.
German Bundesliga
9:30 ET Saturday
SC Freiburg v. Bayern Munich
VfB Stuttgart v. Schalke 04
Werder Bremen v. TSG Hoffenheim
12:30 ET Saturday
Hamburg SV v. Bayer Leverkusen (GolTV)
These two teams are tied atop the table after 8 games in the Bundesliga. It will be a reunion of sorts for Hamburg coach Bruno Labbadia, who was the coach of Leverkusen last season when they narrowly missed out on a place in Europe.
Austrian Bundesliga
12:00 ET Saturday
Austria Vienna v. SV Salzburg
After 10 games, Salzburg has 23 points to Austria Vienna’s 20 points in the Austrian Bundesliga. This is a key top-of-the-table clash before both teams take part in mid-week Europa League matches. Salzburg will host Bulgarian side Levski Sofia, while Austria Vienna welcomes German squad Werder Bremen, both formidable opponents.
English Premier League (Home team listed first, all times AM unless otherwise noted)
7:45 ET Saturday
Aston Villa v. Chelsea (ESPN2)
Chelsea is top of the table again as they travel to Villa Park, where the hosts look to make strides towards their goal of cracking the top four this season. Villa sit in 7th place with 13 points, 8 back of leader Chelsea, but Chelsea have played one more game.
10:00 ET Saturday
Arsenal v. Birmingham
Everton v. Wolverhampton Wanderers
Manchester Untied v. Bolton Wanderers
United held the lead at the top of the table for a brief moment of time, but a draw to Sunderland last match-day put a swift end to that. With Chelsea away in a tough match to Villa, this could be an opportunity for United to gain some ground on the leaders. Manchester United will be without striker Wayne Rooney, who picked up a calf injury playing against Ukraine last Saturday. Rooney is also doubtful for the midweek Champions League clash with CSKA Moscow. United may also be missing Dimitar Berbatov, whose partner (wife?) gave birth recently. Michael Owen will look to take on the brunt of the striking duties coming off of a groin problem of his own.
Portsmouth v. Tottenham Hotspur (FSC, Delayed)
Stoke City v. West Ham United
Sunderland v. Liverpool (FSC)
Darren Bent and Kenwyne Jones have Sunderland off to a solid start in the Premiership, where they have not finished above 15th in the past 8 years. Sunderland will look to take their momentum from a 2-2 draw at Old Trafford two weeks ago and turn it into a win against injury-plagued Liverpool, who have new striker Sotirios Kyrgiakos out with a knee injury and stars Steven Gerrard and Fernando both ruled out due to minor injuries incurred during World Cup Qualifiers.
8:00 ET Sunday
Blackburn Rovers v. Burnley
11:00 ET Sunday
Wigan Athletic v. Manchester City (FSC)
15:00 ET (Also known as 3:00 PM ET) Monday
Fulham v. Hull City (ESPN2)
Scottish Premier League
7:30 ET Saturday
St. Johnstone v Rangers
10:00 ET Saturday
Celtic v Motherwell
Celtic sit one point ahead of Rangers after 7 games of the Scottish Premier League. It will again be a two-horse race this season, so both teams will look to gain maximum points in this weekend’s matches.
Spain’s La Liga
14:00 ET Saturday
Real Madrid v. Valladolid (ESPN360.com)
Madrid will be missing Cristiano Ronaldo, who will be out for up to four weeks after suffering an ankle sprain playing for Portugal last Saturday. Real lost 2-1 at Sevilla in the previous match-day and is now 3 points back of the undefeated Barcelona. Madrid will also be missing Guti, Fernando Gago, Christoph Metzelder, and Ruud van Nistelrooy, but will get Lassana Diarra and Alvaro Arbeloa back from injury.
16:00 ET Saturday
Valencia v. Barcelona (GolTV)
Barcelona midfielder Xavi should be fit in time to factor in Saturday’s contest after picking up a knee problem while on duty for Spain. Thierry Henry, however, will be out for about ten days after obtaining a thigh injury in a 3-1 win over Austria on Wednesday. A win for Barcelona would give them a record-setting seven straight wins to start the season.
Italy’s Serie A
12:00 ET Saturday
Juventus v. Fiorentina (FSC)
14:45 ET Saturday
Genoa v. Inter Milan
14:45 ET Sunday
AC Milan v. AS Roma
AC Milan are not happy with the lengthy injury to Oguchi Onyewu incurred in the final minutes of the USA’s thrilling qualifier vs. Costa Rica: "I'm very angry because once again the national teams take our players and we have to pay the consequences of injuries," complained Milan chief executive Adriano Galliani on Thursday. "We demand compensation from the American Federation because we cannot pay the salary of a player who cannot play for six months." Note that the quote mainly focuses on the fact that they will have to pay Onyewu, not on the fact that Onyewu won’t be able to play. While this injury will hurt Milan’s depth at the back, Gooch’s non-existent playing time for Milan indicates this will not be a fatal blow to the side. Roma and Milan are floundering in the league, at 8th and 12th respectively after 7 matches, and both teams will see this game as a launching pad back up to the top of the table.
MLS
6:00 PM ET Saturday
New England Revolution v. Chicago Fire (FSC)
The Revolution welcome the Fire in a vital Eastern Conference showdown. There are two games left in the season and the Fire lead the Revolution 41 points to 38 for second place in the East. Only the top two teams in each conference qualify for the playoffs automatically, with 4 other spots allocated to the next 4 best teams regardless of conference, so whichever team comes in third is likely to still sneak into the playoffs, though second place is preferred due to seeding. Also, the Fire are in a heated battle to remain in the top 6 in the league, which would assure them of a place in the U.S. Open Cup in 2010.
German Bundesliga
9:30 ET Saturday
SC Freiburg v. Bayern Munich
VfB Stuttgart v. Schalke 04
Werder Bremen v. TSG Hoffenheim
12:30 ET Saturday
Hamburg SV v. Bayer Leverkusen (GolTV)
These two teams are tied atop the table after 8 games in the Bundesliga. It will be a reunion of sorts for Hamburg coach Bruno Labbadia, who was the coach of Leverkusen last season when they narrowly missed out on a place in Europe.
Austrian Bundesliga
12:00 ET Saturday
Austria Vienna v. SV Salzburg
After 10 games, Salzburg has 23 points to Austria Vienna’s 20 points in the Austrian Bundesliga. This is a key top-of-the-table clash before both teams take part in mid-week Europa League matches. Salzburg will host Bulgarian side Levski Sofia, while Austria Vienna welcomes German squad Werder Bremen, both formidable opponents.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Can the Blackhawks Win with Huet or Niemi?
Let me preface this by saying I’m not the most intelligent hockey fan, but I’m trying to learn on the fly.
The Chicago Blackhawks have started this season with earning 9 points out of a possible 12 and that’s largely thanks to the incredible offense the Hawks have been able to generate. There is no question that this Hawks team is likely a playoff team once again this season but the real question is can the Hawks make it to and win the Stanley Cup Finals this season with either Cristobal Huet or Antti Niemi between the pipes? Clearly all Hawks fan remember Monday night when Huet and Niemi combined to allow 5 goals in the first period, but the offense was able to battle back and complete the biggest comeback in franchise history. And based on the early results, I think the Hawks will be fine all season with either goaltender in the game. The reason is the offense is just so good and they don’t even have Marian Hossa or Adam Burish yet.
The Hawks are playing a style of hockey that allows them to control the puck far more than their opponents do. This can be seen through the shots per game compared the shots against per game the Hawks have this season. They are averaging an incredible 37.5 shots per game and are allowing just 21.7 shots per. It’s commonsense, a team can’t score unless they have the puck and so far this season the Hawks have been able to hold on to the puck. This style can continue to be effective for the Blackhawks and will be even better when everyone is back healthy. I also think more playing time to Niemi will push Huet to realize that his starting spot wasn’t guaranteed and he needs to work hard to earn any playing time he may receive. I think we’ll see an increase in production from Huet and really the Hawks just need a goalie who is competent and can make a handful of saves because this Blackhawk offense will make sure the defense and goaltender will not face many shots this season.
The Chicago Blackhawks have started this season with earning 9 points out of a possible 12 and that’s largely thanks to the incredible offense the Hawks have been able to generate. There is no question that this Hawks team is likely a playoff team once again this season but the real question is can the Hawks make it to and win the Stanley Cup Finals this season with either Cristobal Huet or Antti Niemi between the pipes? Clearly all Hawks fan remember Monday night when Huet and Niemi combined to allow 5 goals in the first period, but the offense was able to battle back and complete the biggest comeback in franchise history. And based on the early results, I think the Hawks will be fine all season with either goaltender in the game. The reason is the offense is just so good and they don’t even have Marian Hossa or Adam Burish yet.
The Hawks are playing a style of hockey that allows them to control the puck far more than their opponents do. This can be seen through the shots per game compared the shots against per game the Hawks have this season. They are averaging an incredible 37.5 shots per game and are allowing just 21.7 shots per. It’s commonsense, a team can’t score unless they have the puck and so far this season the Hawks have been able to hold on to the puck. This style can continue to be effective for the Blackhawks and will be even better when everyone is back healthy. I also think more playing time to Niemi will push Huet to realize that his starting spot wasn’t guaranteed and he needs to work hard to earn any playing time he may receive. I think we’ll see an increase in production from Huet and really the Hawks just need a goalie who is competent and can make a handful of saves because this Blackhawk offense will make sure the defense and goaltender will not face many shots this season.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
World Cup Qualifying Progresses
23 of the 32 teams that will be participating in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa next summer have punched their tickets, with 9 spots up for grabs in key match-ups in mid-November. Here are the teams that have already qualified:
The remaining 9 spots will be decided by playoffs and the final group stage games in Africa. The playoffs are as follows:
UEFA
The teams from Pot A (higher ranked teams) will be randomly drawn against the teams from Pot B (lower ranked teams), and will play home and away legs on November 14 and 18. The decision to rank teams in this manner instead of in a free draw has drawn some criticism, as it seems as if FIFA wants to protect its big name teams (and players, namely Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo) to ensure there is enough public interest in the tournament. Ireland goalkeeper Shay Given was particularly upset, claiming, “"Had they stated the rules from day one then that would have been fair on everyone. We deserved to finish second, Russia and Portugal deserved to finish second, so I do not see how it should be different for them and for us. You would just like to think it would be fair for everyone. Why should these teams get preferential treatment? It should be the same for everyone." Still, the playoffs will offer some of the biggest drama the football world will see until the World Cup Finals come around next June.
AFC/Oceania
Bahrain and New Zealand have played the first leg of their two-legged playoff, a 0-0 draw in Bahrain, and the second leg is to come November 14 at Westpac Stadium in Wellington, New Zealand. A draw of one or more goals sends Bahrain to its first World Cup in the country’s history via the away goals rule, while a New Zealand win on home soil would send it to its first World Cup since 1982, where they went winless and got outscored 12-2 in three matches. Though neither team will be expected to make much noise next summer, this will still be a racket of a match, with national glory on the line.
CONMEBOL/CONCACAF
In two of the more dramatic regions, a spot in the World Cup will come down to a two-legged playoff between Uruguay and Costa Rica, to be played in Costa Rica on November 14 and Uruguay on November 18. Argentina came within 4 points of needing to qualify via this playoff, needing a 1-0 win at Uruguay on the final match-day of qualifying to help ensure their spot in South Africa. On that same day, Costa Rica was within minutes of qualifying automatically, until a stunning Jonathan Bornstein goal in the 5th minute of extra time gave the USA a draw, and took away two essential points from Costa Rica, sending Honduras to South Africa. These are two fantastic teams with fantastic fan bases that are more passionate about football than anything else.
CAF
In group A, Cameroon leads Gabon 10 points to 9 with one match left each, with Cameroon traveling to Morocco and Gabon traveling to Togo on November 14. Both teams should be favorites to win their respective games, which would ensure Samuel Eto’o and Cameroon a spot in the World Cup.
In Group B, Tunisia leads Nigeria 11 points to 9. The teams are even on goal differential, so a Nigeria win at Kenya and Tunisia draw at Mozambique would send Nigeria to the World Cup. For Tunisia, it is win and you’re in.
In Group C, Algeria leads Egypt 13 points to 10, with the colossal match-up of Algeria at Egypt to come on November 14. Algeria has a +7 GD while Egypt is a +3, so Egypt needs at least 2 goal win. This would give both teams a +5 GD and 9 goals scored. In this case, the group winner and South Africa-bound team would be decided by a random draw or playoff (I hope to God it’s a playoff…). If Egypt wins by more than 3 goals, they are in the World Cup.
Surprise Teams Left Out
Croatia: Highest ranked team in the FIFA World Rankings that will not make it, at 9th.
Czech Republic: A Czech tabloid offered European minnows San Marino a large sum of money if they were to beat Slovenia, which would have allowed the Czechs a chance at qualifying. However, San Marino lost 3-0, wrapping up their qualifying campaign with an 0-0-10 record, getting outscored 47-1.
Bulgaria: The fighting Dimitar Berbatovs finished third behind Italy and Ireland in their group.
6th ranked Russia and 10th ranked France will both be involved in nerve-wracking qualifiers to make it to South Africa.
| UEFA (Europe) | AFC (Asia) |
| Denmark | Australia |
| England | Japan |
| Germany | North Korea |
| Italy | South Korea |
| Netherlands | CONMEBOL (South America) |
| Serbia | Argentina |
| Slovakia | Brazil |
| Spain | Chile |
| Switzerland | Paraguay |
| CONCACAF (North America) | CAF (Africa) |
| Honduras | Ghana |
| Mexico | Ivory Coast |
| USA | South Africa (host nation) |
The remaining 9 spots will be decided by playoffs and the final group stage games in Africa. The playoffs are as follows:
UEFA
| Pot A | Pot B |
| France Greece Portugal Russia | Bosnia and Herzegovina Republic of Ireland Slovenia Ukraine |
The teams from Pot A (higher ranked teams) will be randomly drawn against the teams from Pot B (lower ranked teams), and will play home and away legs on November 14 and 18. The decision to rank teams in this manner instead of in a free draw has drawn some criticism, as it seems as if FIFA wants to protect its big name teams (and players, namely Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo) to ensure there is enough public interest in the tournament. Ireland goalkeeper Shay Given was particularly upset, claiming, “"Had they stated the rules from day one then that would have been fair on everyone. We deserved to finish second, Russia and Portugal deserved to finish second, so I do not see how it should be different for them and for us. You would just like to think it would be fair for everyone. Why should these teams get preferential treatment? It should be the same for everyone." Still, the playoffs will offer some of the biggest drama the football world will see until the World Cup Finals come around next June.
AFC/Oceania
Bahrain and New Zealand have played the first leg of their two-legged playoff, a 0-0 draw in Bahrain, and the second leg is to come November 14 at Westpac Stadium in Wellington, New Zealand. A draw of one or more goals sends Bahrain to its first World Cup in the country’s history via the away goals rule, while a New Zealand win on home soil would send it to its first World Cup since 1982, where they went winless and got outscored 12-2 in three matches. Though neither team will be expected to make much noise next summer, this will still be a racket of a match, with national glory on the line.
CONMEBOL/CONCACAF
In two of the more dramatic regions, a spot in the World Cup will come down to a two-legged playoff between Uruguay and Costa Rica, to be played in Costa Rica on November 14 and Uruguay on November 18. Argentina came within 4 points of needing to qualify via this playoff, needing a 1-0 win at Uruguay on the final match-day of qualifying to help ensure their spot in South Africa. On that same day, Costa Rica was within minutes of qualifying automatically, until a stunning Jonathan Bornstein goal in the 5th minute of extra time gave the USA a draw, and took away two essential points from Costa Rica, sending Honduras to South Africa. These are two fantastic teams with fantastic fan bases that are more passionate about football than anything else.
CAF
In group A, Cameroon leads Gabon 10 points to 9 with one match left each, with Cameroon traveling to Morocco and Gabon traveling to Togo on November 14. Both teams should be favorites to win their respective games, which would ensure Samuel Eto’o and Cameroon a spot in the World Cup.
In Group B, Tunisia leads Nigeria 11 points to 9. The teams are even on goal differential, so a Nigeria win at Kenya and Tunisia draw at Mozambique would send Nigeria to the World Cup. For Tunisia, it is win and you’re in.
In Group C, Algeria leads Egypt 13 points to 10, with the colossal match-up of Algeria at Egypt to come on November 14. Algeria has a +7 GD while Egypt is a +3, so Egypt needs at least 2 goal win. This would give both teams a +5 GD and 9 goals scored. In this case, the group winner and South Africa-bound team would be decided by a random draw or playoff (I hope to God it’s a playoff…). If Egypt wins by more than 3 goals, they are in the World Cup.
Surprise Teams Left Out
Croatia: Highest ranked team in the FIFA World Rankings that will not make it, at 9th.
Czech Republic: A Czech tabloid offered European minnows San Marino a large sum of money if they were to beat Slovenia, which would have allowed the Czechs a chance at qualifying. However, San Marino lost 3-0, wrapping up their qualifying campaign with an 0-0-10 record, getting outscored 47-1.
Bulgaria: The fighting Dimitar Berbatovs finished third behind Italy and Ireland in their group.
6th ranked Russia and 10th ranked France will both be involved in nerve-wracking qualifiers to make it to South Africa.
Top 25 College Football Picks
Let’s see how I fare when it comes to picking college football games for this week:
Wednesday Game
Tulsa over Boise State
Thursday Game
South Florida over Cincinnati: South Florida is a good team that will finally get a lot of recognition after Thursday night, if they were at home I’d say Cincinnati pulls it out but on the road on Thursday night it just reeks of an upset.
Saturday Games
Iowa over Wisconsin: The Vegas oddsmakers have the Hawkeyes as at least a 2 ½ point underdog going into Madison, the Hawkeyes defense will step up and stop John Clay and force Scott Tolzien into bad decisions all day, Hawks with the win.
Florida over Arkansas: This game could possibly be closer than the 24 point line Vegas is giving the Gators, but Florida should pull it off.
Alabama over South Carolina: Alabama is just too good for even one of the best Spurrier teams in recent memory to pull the upset.
Texas over Oklahoma: The Red River Shoot Out should be a good one, Texas had to be looking ahead to this game last week when they played Colorado and they’ll hit on all cylinders this weekend and provide an entertaining game with the Sooners.
Virginia Tech over Georgia Tech: Virginia Tech will be able to contain the triple option attack of Georgia Tech and continue to open eyes as they win on the road.
Notre Dame over USC: The Irish actually have a legitimate shot at winning this game this weekend in South Bend. They have as good of an offense as ever and they’ll be going up against one of Pete Carroll’s weaker USC teams. Charlie Weis will get his first signature win for the Irish and start to validate that insane contract that he signed when he “almost beat USC.”
Ohio State over Purdue
Miami over Central Florida
TCU over Colorado St.
Penn State over Minnesota
Nebraska over Texas Tech
Oklahoma State over Missouri
Kansas over Colorado
BYU over San Diego State
Houston over Tulane
Utah over UNLV
Wednesday Game
Tulsa over Boise State
Thursday Game
South Florida over Cincinnati: South Florida is a good team that will finally get a lot of recognition after Thursday night, if they were at home I’d say Cincinnati pulls it out but on the road on Thursday night it just reeks of an upset.
Saturday Games
Iowa over Wisconsin: The Vegas oddsmakers have the Hawkeyes as at least a 2 ½ point underdog going into Madison, the Hawkeyes defense will step up and stop John Clay and force Scott Tolzien into bad decisions all day, Hawks with the win.
Florida over Arkansas: This game could possibly be closer than the 24 point line Vegas is giving the Gators, but Florida should pull it off.
Alabama over South Carolina: Alabama is just too good for even one of the best Spurrier teams in recent memory to pull the upset.
Texas over Oklahoma: The Red River Shoot Out should be a good one, Texas had to be looking ahead to this game last week when they played Colorado and they’ll hit on all cylinders this weekend and provide an entertaining game with the Sooners.
Virginia Tech over Georgia Tech: Virginia Tech will be able to contain the triple option attack of Georgia Tech and continue to open eyes as they win on the road.
Notre Dame over USC: The Irish actually have a legitimate shot at winning this game this weekend in South Bend. They have as good of an offense as ever and they’ll be going up against one of Pete Carroll’s weaker USC teams. Charlie Weis will get his first signature win for the Irish and start to validate that insane contract that he signed when he “almost beat USC.”
Ohio State over Purdue
Miami over Central Florida
TCU over Colorado St.
Penn State over Minnesota
Nebraska over Texas Tech
Oklahoma State over Missouri
Kansas over Colorado
BYU over San Diego State
Houston over Tulane
Utah over UNLV
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Cutler vs. Orton, What Team got the Better Deal?
Today I called Tom a “supORTON” (Supporter of Kyle Orton, thanks to Waddle and Silvy on ESPN 1000 for that nickname) because he believes that Orton can do anything that Jay Cutler can do and to defend himself he asked me what team had the better record. That got me thinking, would the Bears be undefeated with Kyle Orton still the signal caller in the Windy City? Simple answer is no, because I don’t think Orton has the ability to make the throws late in the fourth quarter that Cutler made against Pittsburgh and Seattle. Do I think that Cutler would be undefeated if he was still with the Broncos? Yes, I do because the offensive weapons in Denver coupled with the offensive mind of Josh McDaniels are just great. But I still think this trade will go down as a great one for both teams. Whether or not Orton is the long-term answer at quarterback for Denver is debatable but with the amount of draft picks the Broncos got and the ability of McDaniels to coach Orton is reason enough to say this deal has worked out for the Broncos already.
Orton was a quarterback in Chicago that didn’t have a pool of talent that matched his skill set. Orton is a quarterback who needs receivers that can catch a short to middle distance pass and then use his strength to break it for a touchdown (look to Brandon Marshall a couple of weeks ago for proof). He didn’t have that in Chicago, he instead had guys who were fast, who needed the ball thrown deep and with accuracy down the field for them to be successful. Receivers like Devin Hester and Mushin Muhammad while in Chicago were not guys who could catch a ball and then use his strength to break tackles and make a big play. He now has the ability to throw the ball to Marshall and Eddie Royal and let them go get the ball and then make a play, Cutler was able to do that but he’s a guy the Bears can stretch the field with now.
Out of Vanderbilt, Cutler was constantly compared to Brett Favre as having the same gunslinger mentality and a strong and accurate arm to match. Now in Chicago, Cutler will be asked to show off the arm at times and throw the ball deep for speedsters like Hester and Johnny Knox. He’s also going to be asked to be the leader for this offense, something I don’t recall seeing with Orton while in Chicago. Cutler has the characteristics of a leader, he’s got that cockiness to him that can rub people the wrong way but it’s something that to me shows that he belongs on the field with the best of the NFL (I compare it to A.J. Pierzynski of the White Sox). He certainly needs to learn how to channel that cockiness so he doesn’t appear to be a spoiled baby and so far I think he’s been able to show great maturity in handling the excessive expectations that have been put on him since coming to the Bears.
Overall, this has proved to be a great trade for both teams six weeks into the NFL season and long-term it should be looked upon as a trade that benefited both teams.
Orton was a quarterback in Chicago that didn’t have a pool of talent that matched his skill set. Orton is a quarterback who needs receivers that can catch a short to middle distance pass and then use his strength to break it for a touchdown (look to Brandon Marshall a couple of weeks ago for proof). He didn’t have that in Chicago, he instead had guys who were fast, who needed the ball thrown deep and with accuracy down the field for them to be successful. Receivers like Devin Hester and Mushin Muhammad while in Chicago were not guys who could catch a ball and then use his strength to break tackles and make a big play. He now has the ability to throw the ball to Marshall and Eddie Royal and let them go get the ball and then make a play, Cutler was able to do that but he’s a guy the Bears can stretch the field with now.
Out of Vanderbilt, Cutler was constantly compared to Brett Favre as having the same gunslinger mentality and a strong and accurate arm to match. Now in Chicago, Cutler will be asked to show off the arm at times and throw the ball deep for speedsters like Hester and Johnny Knox. He’s also going to be asked to be the leader for this offense, something I don’t recall seeing with Orton while in Chicago. Cutler has the characteristics of a leader, he’s got that cockiness to him that can rub people the wrong way but it’s something that to me shows that he belongs on the field with the best of the NFL (I compare it to A.J. Pierzynski of the White Sox). He certainly needs to learn how to channel that cockiness so he doesn’t appear to be a spoiled baby and so far I think he’s been able to show great maturity in handling the excessive expectations that have been put on him since coming to the Bears.
Overall, this has proved to be a great trade for both teams six weeks into the NFL season and long-term it should be looked upon as a trade that benefited both teams.
Monday, October 12, 2009
My College Football Top 25
Well with the College Football regular season 6 weeks old I figure it's as good of time as any to lay out what I think the top 25 teams in the nation are, here it is:
1. Florida – This is really close between the Gators and Alabama, but there is just so much talent on that Florida team and combined with Tebow’s determination they would probably beat any team on any day.
2. Alabama
3. Texas
4. Virginia Tech – They certainly benefit from playing in the ACC, but in a year where it’s Florida, Alabama, Texas and then everybody else, they’re right there.
5. Iowa – Now I’ll come right out and say I’m probably biased with ranking the Hawkeyes this highly. That being said, I know how this team is capable of playing and the defense and special teams have been outstanding so far and the offense should continue to get better as most Kirk Ferentz teams do.
6. USC
7. Boise State – Being undefeated is worth something, even if you play in the WAC. They’ll be in a BCS game as long as their record stays unblemished.
8. Ohio State
9. Miami
10. TCU – Great defense and a good team, they probably won’t make a BCS bowl if Boise State stays undefeated but they’re a good team.
11. Cincinnati
12. LSU
13. Oregon – Their matchup with USC in two weeks will likely determine the Pac-10 champ. A win against the Trojans could give the Big Ten a new opponent in the Rose Bowl.
14. Penn State
15. Kansas – Undefeated gets you ahead of other schools in your conference.
16. Nebraska
17. Oklahoma State – inconsistency paired with the possible ineligibility of Dez Bryant could put a damper on the Cowboys’ season.
18. BYU – They beat an OU team with great expectations but then got blown out by a bad Florida State team, not sure what BYU can bring to the table.
19. Georgia Tech
20. South Florida – consistent success coupled with Florida State failure could vault USF ahead in terms of Florida schools.
21. South Carolina
22. Notre Dame – People hate on Notre Dame way too much. They’re 4-1, playing respectable schools, the defense still has questions to be answered but a win against USC would legitimize Notre Dame’s season.
23. Houston
24. Utah
25. Pittsburgh
Compare it to the real polls: www.espn.go.com/college-football/rankings
1. Florida – This is really close between the Gators and Alabama, but there is just so much talent on that Florida team and combined with Tebow’s determination they would probably beat any team on any day.
2. Alabama
3. Texas
4. Virginia Tech – They certainly benefit from playing in the ACC, but in a year where it’s Florida, Alabama, Texas and then everybody else, they’re right there.
5. Iowa – Now I’ll come right out and say I’m probably biased with ranking the Hawkeyes this highly. That being said, I know how this team is capable of playing and the defense and special teams have been outstanding so far and the offense should continue to get better as most Kirk Ferentz teams do.
6. USC
7. Boise State – Being undefeated is worth something, even if you play in the WAC. They’ll be in a BCS game as long as their record stays unblemished.
8. Ohio State
9. Miami
10. TCU – Great defense and a good team, they probably won’t make a BCS bowl if Boise State stays undefeated but they’re a good team.
11. Cincinnati
12. LSU
13. Oregon – Their matchup with USC in two weeks will likely determine the Pac-10 champ. A win against the Trojans could give the Big Ten a new opponent in the Rose Bowl.
14. Penn State
15. Kansas – Undefeated gets you ahead of other schools in your conference.
16. Nebraska
17. Oklahoma State – inconsistency paired with the possible ineligibility of Dez Bryant could put a damper on the Cowboys’ season.
18. BYU – They beat an OU team with great expectations but then got blown out by a bad Florida State team, not sure what BYU can bring to the table.
19. Georgia Tech
20. South Florida – consistent success coupled with Florida State failure could vault USF ahead in terms of Florida schools.
21. South Carolina
22. Notre Dame – People hate on Notre Dame way too much. They’re 4-1, playing respectable schools, the defense still has questions to be answered but a win against USC would legitimize Notre Dame’s season.
23. Houston
24. Utah
25. Pittsburgh
Compare it to the real polls: www.espn.go.com/college-football/rankings
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)