Tuesday, August 31, 2010

College Football Picks: Week 1



Thursday, September 2:

#15 Pittsburgh at Utah:
This is an important early game for the Panthers who lost the Big East Title last season in gut wrenching fashion to Cincinnati.  Pitt has plenty of stars such as RB Dion Lewis, WR Jonathan Baldwin and DE Greg Romeus but questions remain at QB with the graduation of Bill Stull.  Utah is always an underrated team and their playing at home.  I like Utah in a squeaker.

Utah 27-23

Saturday, September 4:

Youngstown State at #19 Penn State:
This game is a so called “cupcake” for Penn State.  However the Nittany Lion coaching staff will look to experiment with new QBs Matt McGloin, Kevin Newsome and Robert Bolden.  This will keep the score much closer than it should be.

Penn State 30-3

Purdue at Notre Dame:
The Fighting Irish begin the Brian Kelly in style over a mediocre Purdue team.  Former coach Charlie Weis did in fact leave the cupboard full of offensive weapons (RB Armando Allen, WR Michael Floyd, and TE Kyle Rudolph) for Kelly to use.  The only way the Irish do not score a lot of points is if its offensive line can’t protect new QB Dayne Christ from All-Big Ten DE Ryan Kerrigan.  The game also marks the first game for new Purdue QB Robert Marve (transfer from Miami)

Notre Dame 31-17

Connecticut at Michigan:
Michigan Head Coach Rich Rodriguez is on the hot seat in Ann Arbor after a disappointing first two seasons (and NCAA violations).  Michigan is littered with questions on both sides of the ball and have a Quarterback controversy similar to Penn State.  Denard (Shoelace) Robinson appears to have won the job over last year’s freshman sensation Tate Forcier.  Connecticut is led by one of the sport’s most underrated coach in Randy Edsall and will look to be a factor in this season’s championship race in the Big East.  This game is much more important for Michigan and a loss for the Wolverines could lead to the beginning of the end for the Rich Rod era in Ann Arbor.

Connecticut 24-20

(24) Oregon State at (6) Texas Christian University:

Texas Christian is riding a wave of momentum after last season’s appearance in the Fiesta Bowl.  The Horned Frogs are led by a strong defense and returns QB Andy Dalton.  Oregon State always seems to be underrated and have a dynamic running back in Jacquizz Rodgers.  However, the Beavers are notorious slow starters to the season and TCU will look to impress fans/voters as they try to return to a Bowl Championship Series Bowl Game.
TCU 27-17

(21)LSU vs. (18) North Carolina (in Atlanta, Georgia)

LSU and the other SEC Conference Schools) has a habit of thrashing competition from the ACC.  To make matters worse North Carolina’s Defense is going to be riddled by suspensions due to an ongoing academic scandal.  On an even playing field, this game would be a toss-up since the Tar Heels have the most talented Defense in the country and LSU’s struggles offensively are linked to subpar play from QB Jordan Jefferson.  However with Carolina’s Defense likely ravaged by suspensions, LSU should win comfortably due to the UNC’s incompetent Quarterback play (T.J. Yates) which is even worse than LSU.

LSU 27-10

Monday, September 6:

(3)Boise State vs. (10) Virginia Tech (in Washington DC)

The Boise State Broncos will look to return to a BCS Bowl for the second time in four years.  The defending Fiesta Bowl Champions return 20-22 starters including standout Quarterback Kellen Moore.  What is interesting is that the Broncos have defeated marquee competition the past couple of seasons including Oklahoma and Oregon twice.  What will be interesting is that even though this game will be a neutral site game, it will be a de-facto Virginia Tech home game.  Virginia Tech returns a powerful running game with QB Tyrod Taylor and RBs Ryan Williams and Darren Evans.  We’ll see if “Cinderella’s slipper” will continue to fit Boise State.

Virginia Tech 20-17

Sunday, August 29, 2010

Meet the League’s Number 1 Defense...


....in the preseason.  Is it time for Carolina Panthers fans to get excited?  Through the first three weeks of preseason action, the Panthers lead the NFL in total defense, pass defense, sacks, and forced fumbles.  The team is also ranked second in terms of rush defense.  I know it is preseason but maybe Marty Hurney and John Fox knew that there were capable replacements for veteran stalwarts such as Julius Peppers, Damione Lewis, and Chris Harris.  Could the Panthers preseason weakness turn into a relative strength?  The answer will begin to be revealed September 12 against the New York Giants.

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Pirates Starting To Build the Right Way Despite Recent Reports



Official financial documents about a few Major League Baseball Teams were recently released to the public via Deadspin.com.  The team that created the biggest outrage was the Pittsburgh Pirates.  The Pirates are the most futile organization in Baseball with 18 consecutive losing seasons.  According to the report, the team profited 29.4 million dollars by gaining approximately 70 million dollars in income using MLB’s revenue sharing plan.  While many believe that the team is simply pocketing the money, the Pirates began to shed their large contracts in 2007.  While many fans were upset, these were the same players (Jason Bay, Jack Wilson, Freddy Sanchez and Xavier Nady for example) that failed to bring the Pirates out of the cellar of the National League). 

Instead, the Pirates General Manager Neil Huntington has chosen to start a so called “youth movement” built around prospects such as Andrew McCutchen, Jose Tabata, and Pedro Alvarez.  The Pirates have finally realized that they have to spend their money on their minor leagues and scouting in order to build a team that can grow together and become competitive.  Small market teams such as the Twins from the early 2000’s (with Corey Koskie, Torii Hunter, Jacque Jones) and the present day Tampa Bay Rays (with Evan Longoria and B.J. Uptown) have given a model for the Pirates to try and replicate.  The Pirates are able to try and follow the lead of those teams now that the disastrous tenures of former GM’s Dave Littlefield and Cam Bonifay are in the distant past and the team is spending money on draft picks and a baseball academy in the Dominican. 

While it is understandable that Pirates fans are upset with these new financial revelations, would it be better to have a 75 win team with no potential, or a 60 win team with pieces that could form to be the foundation of a contender in the coming years?  If the Pirates start to improve, the money that was not spent in recent years could be used to buy free agents that supplement the team’s core.  If the team had spent the profits acquired from the revenue sharing plan, they probably would have simply resigned some the players that they have given up in recent years.  Time will tell if the Pirates will try and keep these young players (McCutchen for example) when they hit arbitration or free agency?

Peter King Says The Giants Defense Will Be Better, I Say Who Knows?


In this week’s Monday Morning Quarterback, Peter King announced that he expects the Giants to be a “top-10 defense, and maybe top-five” defense in 2010. Disclaimer: King was referring to fantasy defenses. Nevertheless, it was a lofty prediction for a defense that was absolutely shredded down the stretch last season.

King's full quote: "N.Y. Giants: Only two teams -- St. Louis and Detroit -- allowed more points than the Giants last year. That'll turn around this year, in a big way. The Giants will be a top-10 defense, and maybe top-five. Once defenses start going off the board, I'd take the Giants."


I asked Giants beat writer Ralph Vacchiano on Twitter if he agreed with King: "@kevinbaumer No. Not from what I've seen so far."


In the final two games of the 2009 season, the Giants gave up 41 points to Carolina then 44 to the Minnesota Vikings. They allowed 40+ points three other times last season, to New Orleans and Philadelphia twice. And there's this, via Yahoo, "The Giants ranked 30th in the league last season in points-allowed (26.7), just behind the Chiefs and barely ahead of the Rams. In 2008, New York's defense finished fifth in both points (18.4) and total yards (292.0). The team recorded only 32 sacks in '09 after placing sixth in the NFL in '08 (42) and first in '07 (53)."

Yikes.

Last season was among the worst defensive performances in team history. Still, a very good defensive year in 2008 begs the question, was last year a fluke?

It shouldn’t be an excuse, but Giants defenders couldn’t stay healthy to save their lives last season. Key players Aaron Ross, Kenny Phillips, Antonio Pierce, Chris Canty, Jay Alford, Michael Boley and Corey Webster missed significant time.

Not only will the Giants be adding several now-healthy pieces to the mix, but they were not shy about addressing their weaknesses this offseason. Changes came in the coaching staff, through free agency and at the draft.

First, Big Blue replaced defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan with fiery Bills coach Perry Fewell. The players have already voiced a far more positive response to Fewell’s scheme and attitude than at any point last year. The Giants also added Pro Bowl safety Antrel Rolle, veteran linebacker Keith Bulluck and strong safety Deon Grant via free agency. In June, the G-Men spent their first four draft choices on defenders: defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul, tackle Linval Joseph, safety Chad Jones (who is out of the equation following a car wreck) and middle linebacker Phillip Dillard.

No one can accuse the Giants front office of sitting back and pretending last year didn’t happen. GM Jerry Reese was extremely active in trying to fix last year’s debacle, and he didn’t just fill the team’s many holes with stop-gap solutions. Bulluck may not play more than one year with the team, but the Giants added several pieces that figure to be important to the team this year and even more so down the line.

The question is: will all these changes yield actual results?

Really, the Giants can’t be any worse than last year. But they still must face the high-powered Colts, Texans, Vikings and Packers, and the Eagles and Cowboys twice each. If the D isn’t improved, those eight games could result in 40 point firework shows just like last year.

Barring more significant injuries, the Giants figure to have a much-improved pass rush, a dynamic tandem at safety, and serious depth across the board. Based on talent alone, there aren’t many defenses that should be better than the Giants. Much can go right if Perry Fewell communicates his wishes to his players accurately, a task Bill Sheridan couldn’t handle. And if Kenny Phillips and Antrel Rolle are both on the field at the same time, the Giants should be able to force quite a few turnovers in the secondary. And when healthy, Aaron Ross, Corey Webster and Terrell Thomas are among the league’s best young cornerback trios. And even if Keith Bulluck is on his last legs, he’s still an upgrade over pretty much everyone the Giants had at linebacker. And if Michael Boley can stay healthy and young linebackers Clint Sintim, Bryan Kehl and Jonathan Goff make strides, the Giants could have an extremely unsexy, yet effective group. And if Justin Tuck can conquer nagging injuries, he’s one of the best pass-rushers in the league. And if he can get even a little help from the underachieving Mathias Kiwanuka, and Osi Umenyiora stops whining and starts performing, and Jason Pierre-Paul harnesses some of his freakish natural ability, and Dave Tollefson builds off an impressive offseason, the Giants should be able to create more pressure than they have since their Super Bowl season. And of course, it wouldn’t hurt if Jay Alford, Rocky Bernard and Chris Canty can stay healthy at defensive tackle, where they’ll join stalwart Barry Cofield and mammoth rookie Linval Joseph. You’d think that would be a tough quintet to run through.

Then again, Perry Fewell is changing things for the second consecutive offseason, always a tough task for players. And Phillips has gigantic healthy concerns. And Rolle, while a very good player, may not really be worth the money the Giants gave him. And Ross already has a serious injury. And Bulluck’s legs really could fall off. And Boley has injury issues too, which could thrust way too much responsibility on the youngsters who may not be talented enough for starting jobs now, or ever. And despite the talent the Giants have had on the ends in recent years, the results have never quite been what we’ve expected, so why should that change now? And don’t hold your breath that any of the defensive tackles will play more than half the season.

Basically, it’s impossible to tell. The Giants could, and probably should, make a dramatic improvement on last year’s horrid defensive performance. Whether they’ll finish in the top-five or ten as King suggests is another story. That’s way too big of a leap for a team that was as bad as the Giants were last year. Still, there’s no way they can be that bad again, is there? The schedule as a whole is probably a touch easier than last season, but there are several matchups that could cause major problems for the Giants. If you’ve read this far and your head is spinning, I don’t blame you. At this point you probably have no idea what to expect from Big Blue. And neither do I.

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Required Reading: NHL + Winter Olympics


Must read for today: The hilarious hockey blog DownGoesBrown weighs the pros and cons of the NHL's participation in the Winter Olympics. Check it out here.

Pro: Having NHL players in the Olympics offers the league a rare opportunity to finally spend some time talking about Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin.

Don't Worry Cowboys Fans, Dez Bryant Still Has Two Feet, Contrary To Popular Belief


We can only assume that Tim MacMahon of ESPN Dallas was trying to explain that rookie Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant was able to make sharp cuts while running at practice today, but MacMahon's actual story could have used a quick read-through. The published text says that "Bryant ran and cut off his right foot for the first time since suffering the injury during a July 30 practice."

Chris Liss of Rotowire caught the error this morning, but it has yet to be corrected on ESPN's site.

Bryant is attempting to recover from a high-ankle sprain that has plagued him for much of training camp. He won't play in Sunday's game against the Houston Texans, but a return to action isn't far off since Bryant's foot is indeed still attached to his body.

Monday, August 23, 2010

Best "This Is SportsCenter" Commercial Ever

Had to pass this along. ESPN comes up with some hilarious commercials for SportsCenter, but this one may take the cake. As sick as I am of Brett Favre coverage, I still thought it was amazing. Give it a look.

Sunday, August 22, 2010

The Watchability Scale


For all sports fans there is a certain game hierarchy that determines whether we’ll watch, how closely we’ll watch, and who we’ll watch with. Some of us can’t stand missing the pregame show to an NBA Summer League game on NBA TV in the middle of July. Some of us won’t tune in unless our significant others sit us down on the couch and threaten to leave us unless we pay attention to the big game. But for most fans, most games fall somewhere in the middle of these two extremes. For many Americans, the Super Bowl is must watch TV and the World Series of Poker is nothing but idle noise. I’m here to break down the 13 tiers of sporting events, from those that sports fans will completely avoid, to those that they’d skip their sibling’s wedding for. This is my take on where sporting events fall on the watchability scale.

13. WNBA: There’s no way you’re watching this unless you fell asleep on the couch and the cat stepped on the remote.

12. The Tour de France: I don’t know a soul on the planet who actually watches the Tour de France live. Hell, I don’t know more than a couple people who could even name more than one rider other than Lance Armstrong. My dad used to watch the Tour a little, but only before Lance was revealed as a probable cheater. And even then, my dad was riding a stationary bike for exercise, so I refuse to belief he was watching for any reason other than motivation.

11. MLB Spring Training: Most Americans pay more attention to how their neighbor’s kid is doing in Little League than spring training games in early March. But for some diehards, the battle for the 25th spot on a major league roster is a matter of life and death.

10. A Random Regular Season Game: You haven’t hung out with your buddies in a while, so what better excuse to request some quality bonding time together than “you wanna come over tonight to watch the (whatever) game? None of your friends care who wins, and as the game wears on you realize you have no idea what the score is or who is doing well. But the game is providing some solid background noise and filler for lulls in the conversation.

9. Event Games That No One Cares About: No one cares about the MLB All-Star Game. This is a well known fact, but it doesn’t stop sports fans from gathering around the TV every July. Artificial events like the All-Star Game may be meaningless to sports fans, but they’re just the type of games that fans, especially baseball fans, are obligated to watch.

8. Your Team’s Regular Season Games: People handle these differently. Some take them very seriously and can’t be in the company of other human beings when their favorite team is on the tube. Others see these games as the perfect opportunity to spend some quality time with friends or significant others and watch something near and dear to the heart. Unlike Random Regular Season Games, there is much more focus on the action. If you’re with friends, conversation won’t revolve around how hot that girl at the bar was; it’s more likely to be about how Eli Manning needs to know the right read when a safety creeps in from the strong side.

7. July 4th Hot Dog Eating Contest: Some folks don’t appreciate one of America’s greatest traditions, but it is one of our country’s most patriotic events on our most patriotic day.

6. Big News Games: Think Strasburg’s first start. If you care about sports, you will be watching when the new “Big Three” take the floor for the first time as members of the Miami Heat. If you don’t watch that game, you’ll most definitely make sure you catch Sportscenter. Same goes for LeBron’s return to Cleveland.

5. NBA or NHL Finals: Both are niche sports. In a year when two legendary rivals like the Celtics and Lakers play for the title, the Finals vault up the scale. But otherwise, despite the championship ramifications, it’s pretty unlikely that anyone beside actual NBA or NHL fans will watch the Finals or even really talk about them.

4. International Competition: The World Cup and Olympics are unique, because for nine out of 12 months in a competition year, no one gives the athletes who will compete a second thought. But when competition begins, the world watches, regardless of how identifiable the competitors are. Still, it’s bizarre that we don’t pay any attention to these guys and gals 90 percent of the team but are required to know at least a little bit about the event when it takes place. If you intend to approach your company’s water cooler or meet strangers at a barbeque during the Olympics or World Cup, you’d better know something about what’s going on.

3. March Madness: It’s impossible to watch the entirety of this tournament. But no matter your age or sex, you’re sure to encounter at least a couple games during this marathon event. I fail to understand why everyone in the country, sports fan or not, doesn’t fill out a bracket. If that’s not enough to pique your interest in the games just a little, then I don’t know what is.

2. The Super Bowl: More people in the USA watch the Super Bowl annually than any other sporting event. Whether you care about football, or just want to see the newest Budweiser commercial, you are most likely planted in front of the TV for three hours on the first weekend in February. If your team is playing in the Super Bowl, it immediately moves to No.1.

1. An International Game Involving Your Country’s Team: There’s really no excuse for missing a USA World Cup game, especially deep in the tournament, or a USA/Canada Olympic hockey game. Whether you give a darn about the actual sport or not, there’s a requisite level of patriotism involved that make it imperative that you not only watch the game, but you watch the game with some close friends and family and have at least a couple interesting factoids to contribute to the conversation. If you plan on going to work the next day without watching this game, don’t expect a whole lot of people to talk to you.

Saturday, August 21, 2010

It’s Wait Til Next Year for the Mets

The inability to score runs and the recent K-Rod circus has all but eliminated the New York Mets from postseason contention. Prior to the All-Star Break, the Mets were within a few games of being the Wild Card leader with a record of 48-40. Since then, the squad went on a disastrous road trip to San Francisco, Arizona and Los Angeles where the team finished 2-9. The Mets have been unable to recover from the road trip and have a 61-61 record and have saw teams such as the Phillies, Giants, Rockies and Cardinals distance themselves in the race for the National League Wild Card. Add in the circus that occurred on August 12, when star closer Francisco Rodriguez allegedly beat up his father law in a dispute just a few steps from the Mets Locker Room. The Mets have recently “waved the white flag” by recalling young players such as 2nd Baseman Ruben Tejada and Outfielder Fernando Martinez (who has since been demoted) to take playing time from some disappointing veterans. With the season pretty much over, many questions loom on the future of the ballclub. These include:

Who will be running the baseball operations prior to the start of the 2011 season?

Many assume that Jerry Manuel (who is on the last year of his contract) will not be offered a second contract to stay on as manager for the Mets. Potential replacements include former Met Wally Backman and former manager Bobby Valentine. The bigger question is who will be the individual who picks the new manager. Omar Minaya came to New York in 2005 and did a good job until the historic 2007 collapse. Since then, Minaya has gone through two managers and has severely mismanaged the team’s payroll. Do the Wilpons give Minaya another shot to rebuild the Mets roster, or do they (swing for the fences) try and hire (former Padres GM) Kevin Towers? Towers is the personnel man most responsible for the team’s resurgence this year.

Can they unload the team’s dead weight?


Part of the reason Minaya has mismanaged the Mets’ payroll is by giving long term contracts to non-contributors such as Oliver Perez and Luis Castillo. Quite simply, these two individuals have absolutely no value on the trade market right now. The only way the two could be moved is by the Mets eating most of their contracts. Perez should be released because he declined an option to go to the minor leagues and try and fix himself. Right now, he is the last option in the bullpen and the team only uses him when there are no other pitchers to throw on the mound. Castillo is a different story. He is currently the best option at second base right now (due to Tejada being overmatched at the plate) offensively.

What to do with Beltran?

Many Mets fans have been disappointed with the play of Carlos Beltran since he returned from knee surgery in the middle of July. Beltran’s last year of his contract is in 2011 and many fans feel that they should get rid of Beltran even though management would have to eat much of his salary to make a deal work. Since he will be on the last year of his contract, Beltran will be motivated to have a great year (in 2011) to earn his next contract. That is why you keep Beltran until prior to the 2011 trade deadline.

What to do with K-Rod?


The Mets are expected to try and void the rest of Francisco Rodriguez’s contract after the altercation with his father in-law. If they are able to, they will have about 12 million dollars in extra money to spend (should they choose too). More than likely, they will not be able to void the contract and the team will be stuck with him (and all of his baggage). The team will then hope that all of the publicity will dissipate prior to next season and Rodriguez can continue to be a solid closer. For all of the people who want K-Rod out, just realize that the Mets will be unable to acquire a closer at the level that Rodriguez currently performs at.

Is it time to trade one of the franchise cornerstones?

Mike Francesa has stated on WFAN that he feels that the Mets should be open to trading both Jose Reyes and David Wright. While either of these players should not be considered to be “untradeable,” most trades involving Wright or Reyes give lesser value back to the Mets. It’s not like the Mets could trade either of these players for a superstar such as Albert Pujols or Evan Longoria. Trading Reyes would not make sense because his value is at an all-time low due to injury concerns. However, trading the Reyes makes more sense than trading the face of the franchise (which is Wright). Trading the fan favorite Wright, would send a bad message to Mets fans and the club would lose its most marketable player.

Who do the Mets build around?

The Mets should try and build their 2011 team around position players such as Wright, Reyes, and Angel Pagan, and Ike Davis. Jason Bay figures to remain (due to his long term contract) and will look to rebound from his disappointing first season in Queens. The Mets will look to “milk” one final year from Beltran. That leaves the Mets with two positions in which they can improve upon (2nd Base and Catcher). Mets management can choose to do nothing by keeping Tejada and Castillo platooning at 2nd and Josh Thole and Rod Barajas at catcher. Fans though will be further convinced that the team has money issues and does not have the commitment to winning. The lineup as it stands right now will continue to not be able to produce runs which caused the Mets to fall off in 2010. The future of the pitching staff is much clearer. Johan Santana, Jon Niese and Mike Pelfrey (even with his ups and downs) figure to be members of the starting rotation next season. R.A. Dickey has been a pleasant surprise this season and should be re-signed. That leaves one spot in the rotation up for grabs. Do the Mets commit to top pitching prospect Jenrry Mejia or do they try and sign a free agent such as Cliff Lee or Brandon Webb?

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Carmelo Anthony and the Denver Nuggets Headed Towards Divorce

Ric Bucher of ESPN is reporting that Carmelo Anthony has no intention of signing a contract extension and wants to leave the Denver Nuggets.  None of this is surprising due to Denver’s disappointing first round playoff loss to the Utah Jazz.  Anthony looks at the Nuggets roster and sees a team in decline.  Chauncey Billups is 34-years-old and is on the decline and the only young assets the team has are the mercurial J.R. Smith and rookie Ty Lawson.  Carmelo also knows that with Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, and Chris Bosh uniting in South Beach to play for the Miami Heat, he has to ally with other superstars to have a shot at a championship.  Anthony is the second star (joining Chris Paul) to show unhappiness with his current team after the “Decision.”  It would not be shocking to see more stars like Deron Williams try to find different teams as they search for a championship. 

Using ESPN Trade Machine, I have constructed a few possible trades that the Nuggets could pursue.

Atlanta Hawks receive Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith
Denver Nuggets: receive Josh Smith and Jamal Crawford

Why this deal could work:
Atlanta instantly becomes a contender in the Eastern Conference with Carmelo, Joe Johnson and Al Horford.  Denver adds Josh Smith, who performs at a near All-Star level, and Jamal Crawford’s expiring contract.  Crawford is better than Smith.

Charlotte Bobcats receive Carmelo Anthony
Denver Nuggets receive Gerald Wallace and DeSagana Diop or Nazr Mohammed

Why this deal could work:
Bobcats’ owner Michael Jordan acquires a Jordan Brand pitchman in what would be a one year rental.  Anthony would make the team nationally relevant for the first time ever, even it’s for just one year.  The Bobcats would definitely lose Anthony to free agency in the summer of 2011.  The only way Charlotte does this deal is if they can include their most toxic contract (DeSagana Diop).  But the Nuggets would more than likely insist on Mohammed who has an expiring contract.  Denver would add Wallace who could slide in at Carmelo’s former position of small forward.

Dallas Mavericks receive Carmelo Anthony and Chris Anderson
Denver Nuggets receive Tyson Chandler and Caron Butler

Why this deal could work:
Nuggets get a much-needed salary dump by including Anderson’s long-term contract.  They also acquire two expiring contracts in Chandler and Butler Dallas strengthens its position as a title contender.  Note: this deal would not be able to happen until September 13 due to Chandler’s trade restriction which lasts until then.

Orlando Magic acquire Carmelo Anthony
Denver Nuggets receive Vince Carter

Why this deal could work:
Nuggets save face by adding a marketable player in Carter.  Anthony joins Olympic teammate Dwight Howard (and Rashard Lewis and Jameer Nelson) to form a quartet that is better on paper than the Heat’s Big Three.

New Jersey Nets receive Carmelo Anthony
Denver Nuggets receive Devin Harris, Terrence Williams and Derrick Favors

Why this deal could work:
Nuggets add a potential franchise player in Favors and a nice young talent in Williams.  They would have to take on Harris to make the salaries match, which would create problems with Billups and Lawson in place, but the reward would be well worth it.  Anthony becomes the centerpiece for the Nets move to Brooklyn (assuming they can re-sign him).

Who can’t make a deal:

Chicago Bulls
The only way the Bulls can add Carmelo is if they can include Luol Deng (who has arguably the worst contract in the NBA) in the deal.  There’s no way that Denver would take on Deng even though they know that Carmelo will leave in 2011.

Leader in the Clubhouse:

New York Knicks receive Carmelo Anthony
Denver Nuggets receive Eddy Curry, Danilo Gallinari and Anthony Randolph (or Wilson Chandler)

It’s obvious why the Knicks would want Carmelo.  However, they already know that they are the favorites sign Anthony next summer, so why would they trade away their assets when they can sign Anthony for nothing but cash a year from now?  Instead the Knicks should continue to try to acquire Chris Paul so they can form their version of the “Big Three.” Denver would acquire Eddy Curry’s expiring contract and two young talents in Gallinari and Randolph (or Chandler). Many believe that the Knicks will eventually land Anthony.  The question is, will they part with their assets in order to acquire ‘Melo a year early?

Monday, August 16, 2010

Questions under Center Dominate Penn State’s Preseason

Rarely if ever has there been as much uncertainty and intrigue surrounding the Penn State football team.  While most casual observers believe that the biggest question surrounding the squad is about the uncertain future of the school’s legendary coach, Joe Paterno, a different question will have a much bigger impact on the squad’s 2010 season.  For the first time in years, the Nittany Lions have a full-fledged quarterback competition between four candidates.  Prior to spring practice, many assumed that redshirt sophomore Matt McGloin and true sophomore Kevin Newsome would be vying for the job.  After unimpressive showings in the spring game by both, the door was left open for true freshmen Paul Jones and Robert Bolden to enter the race to replace two time All-Big Ten performer Daryll Clark.
It has been reported by the Daily Collegian that during recent practices, all four quarterbacks have seen repetitions with the first-team offense.  Newsome has the most in-game experience among the four candidates.  He was Clark’s backup last season and completed 8-11 passes for 66 yards and also rushed for 95 yards.  Newsome is a dynamic runner who struggles with consistency in throwing the ball.  McGloin, a former walk-on, has emerged as a viable candidate much to the dismay of some fans.  His strength is his leadership skills.  Jones actually played the best of the three quarterbacks on the roster during the spring game.  He went 5-8 with 67 yards and two touchdowns.  Bolden, meanwhile, has sparkled during recent practices.  Dave Revsine of the Big Ten Network recently visited a Penn State practice and remarked “not only wouldn’t I be surprised if Bolden is PSU’s QB, I’d also be surprised if he isn’t – at least based on today.”
Even with fans clamoring for one of the true freshmen to start, many expect McGloin or Newsome to emerge as the starter on September 4th against Youngstown State.  Hopefully a viable candidate emerges because the Nittany Lions travel to Alabama to take on the defending BCS champions in the Crimson Tide in their next game.  Also on the schedule are road tilts with Iowa and Ohio State, two teams that stifled the Penn State offense led by Clark last season.  If no quarterback emerges, it is a good bet that the Nittany Lions will find themselves unranked at the conclusion of the 2011 Bowl Season.

2010 Predictions:

1.     The skill positions are loaded with talent, but production may not match talent due to questions at quarterback and along the offensive line. 
2.     Barring injury Evan Royster will break the all-time rushing mark at Penn State.  Royster needs 481.
3.     No receiver will stand out statistically for the Nittany Lions.  Last year’s starters, Graham Zug and Derek Moye, will each get their stats, but backups Shawney Kersey, Curtis Drake (when he returns from a broken leg), Justin Brown, and Brett Brackett are each capable of producing as well.
4.     Penn State’s defensive line will be amongst the best in the country by the end of the year.  The line is led by four-year-starter at defensive tackle Ollie Ogbu.  Also look for DT Devon Still and defensive end Jack Crawford to have breakout years.
5.     The linebackers will be solid but not as spectacular as in recent years due to relative inexperience across the board.  Penn State fans have been spoiled by the play of recent linebackers such as Paul Posluszny, Dan Connor, Sean Lee and Navorro Bowman.
6.     The secondary will be a relative strength on the team as it returns three out of four starters.
7.     Final prediction: 8-4 (5-3 in the Big Ten).  Losses to Alabama, Iowa, Ohio State and to either Michigan or Michigan State.

Friday, August 13, 2010

Zach Gets On The Radio!


Fast forward to the 35:05 mark of today's Mac Attack show on 610 AM radio to hear Zach talk about his excitment for Panther football!

Quick Recap and Tidbits from Panthers Preseason Game #1





Football season has arrived and it seems to be a complete 180 from last August for Carolina Panthers fans.  After the first preseason game last year, confidence in Panther nation was imploding after they were dismantled by the New York Giants.  Usually fans do not put much in stock in preseason affairs, but for the 2009 Panthers the loss was just a hint of what was to come during the regular season.  The Panthers lost all four games in the 2009 preseason and sleepwalked through a 0-3 start in the regular season (though Jake Delhomme was mainly to blame) that effectively killed their chances for a playoff berth.
Last night the Panthers opened the 2010 preseason with a tilt against the Baltimore Ravens.  The Ravens are a trendy Super Bowl pick this season and proved to be a solid test for the young and inexperienced Panthers.  Sure enough, the Panthers made a few mistakes and lost 17-12, but there are plenty of positives from preseason game number one.  ESPN, which broadcasted the game, marketed this matchup as the debut of Panthers rookie quarterback Jimmy Clausen.  Contrary to the belief of the “worldwide leader,” Clausen will not even be the starting quarterback of the team.  That would be Matt Moore.  Overall the team looked good but as should be expected, there were numerous bright spots and a few disappointments. 

Pluses:

Quarterback Play: Both Moore and Clausen looked effective in their short time on the field.  Even though the two combined to lead the team to only three points, three other potential scoring drives were thwarted by penalties, a fumble by running back Tyrell Sutton and a bad snap ona field goal attempt before the end of the first half.  Their stats may not look impressive, but a couple nice completions by Moore were negated by penalties on offensive linemen (namely Jordan Gross) and Clausen’s lone interception happened during a monsoon in the second half when his receiver (Dexter Jackson) slipped on the wet turf.  The offense was also missing star receiver Steve Smith and running back Jonathan Stewart.  It will be interesting to see the two quarterbacks with their full arsenal of weapons.

Defensive Line: The line produced six sacks on the night led by Tyler Brayton and rookie Greg Hardy with two each.  Baltimore had limited success on the ground as well.  The line was a huge question mark coming into training camp with the loss of starters Damione Lewis and Julius Peppers.  But at least for one game, Brian Baker and the D-line surpassed many fans’ expectations.

Minuses:

Offensive Line: The O-line struggled with penalties and constant pressure from the Ravens pass rush.  Panthers fans should not be too concerned though, the O-line is going to be the strength of the team and starting right tackle Jeff Otah did not suit up Thursday night.

Special Teams: The missed extra point and the bad snap on the field goal attempt probably can be attributed to the poor weather.  The coverage units are another story.  Many fans thought former special teams coach Danny Crossman was the reason for poor special teams.  Guess not.


Thursday, August 12, 2010

Chipper Is Out...Again


If I listed Mark Prior, Ken Griffey Jr., Jake Peavy, Carl Pavano, Chipper Jones and Kerry Wood together, I’ll bet the first thing that comes to your mind is that these guys are among the most injury prone baseball players in the world.

Some guys are just cursed. No matter how hard they train, how healthy they eat, and how careful they are, they get hurt year after year. Chipper could be the captain of the Al-Injury Prone team, and sure enough, he’s out for the season after tearing his ACL in Tuesday night’s game.

Jones also tore his ACL during his rookie season, and has missed 25 games or more in six of the last seven seasons, about to be seven of eight, excluding last year.

"Obviously, he's very, very disappointed. I would almost describe it as numb," agent BB Abbott told the AP. "He knows this will be a big blow to the team. Obviously, he has been going very well recently and felt like he was really contributing to the team's success. This is real disappointing for him."


Hard to believe that Jones is that shocked by his most recent injury. At this point shouldn't he just expect it?

Revis and Jets in a No Win Situation

The holdout of star cornerback Darrelle Revis has put a damper on the New York Jets’ hope and optimism in what has been the most anticipated training camp for the team and its fans since 1999.  Revis was arguably the Jets’ most valuable player last season.  Even though he lost the Defensive MVP award to Green Bay Packers cornerback Charles Woodson, Revis is considered by many to be the best cornerback in the National Football League.  Pundits even nicknamed him “Revis Island,” due to the fact the Jets are able to blitz the quarterback at will because of Revis’ ability to shut down the opposition’s top receiver by himself.  The hype around Revis and his play seemed to grow as the 2009 season continued and much of this was fueled by head coach Rex Ryan and the Jets themselves.  Mike Lombardi reported that the Jets told Revis and his agent at the conclusion of the 2009 season that they wanted to sign him to a “lifetime” contract.  Now the two sides cannot agree on a contract that is sensible for both.
Opinions vary on Revis and his contractual value to the Jets organization.  Proponents of Revis say that the Jets defense revolves around Revis and his play.  As stated before, the Jets ability to blitz is largely due to the play of the Jets secondary and specifically Revis.  Others say that Revis deserves to get paid but not at the level of elite quarterbacks Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and Phillip Rivers.  Now it is being widely reported that the two sides are approximately $40 million apart.  On today’s Boomer and Carton show, Craig Carton reported that the Jets recently offered Revis a 10 year, $120 million deal, while Revis reportedly wants 10 years, $160 million.  To makes matters worse for Jets fans, owner Woody Johnson said earlier this week that there is a good chance Revis’s holdout will last through the entire 2010 season.
Two interesting things about this situation are directly related to Revis’s family and the labor issues that surround the NFL right now.  Revis’s situation is directly related to the labor agreement as Revis is a relative of former NFL player Sean Gilbert.  Gilbert famously held out for the entire 1997 season, wanting a new contract from the Washington Redskins.  The potential for labor trouble amongst the NFL and its players could play a role in Revis’s own quest for a new contract.  It seems that the owners are united in their fight against the NFLPA for a labor deal that benefits the owners themselves.  Spending was down this offseason with teams such as the (opulent) Cowboys opting to not hand out ridiculous contracts to free agents even though there is no salary cap this year.  The only team of note that spent money was the Chicago Bears. Spending down league-wide only hurts Revis’s leverage against the Jets.

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Tentative Deal in Place to Appease CP3

Numerous sources say that the New Orleans Hornets, Indiana Pacers, Houston Rockets, and New Jersey Nets have agreed to a trade involving numerous spare parts.  The main components of the deal involve the Hornets moving their number one trade chip in sophomore point guard Darren Collison and James Posey’s bad contract to Indiana and getting Trevor Ariza from the Rockets.  To complete the deal Indiana will move Troy Murphy to New Jersey and Houston gets Courtney Lee from the Nets. 
Obviously New Orleans feels like they must do this deal to ease Chris Paul’s concerns about the current construction of the Hornets roster.  My immediate reaction is that Collison could and should have yielded much more for New Orleans.  As it stands now, New Orleans’ roster consists of Paul, promising sophomore Marcus Thornton, Ariza, former All-Star David West, and Emeka Okafor (and his albatross of a contract).  That’s definitely an improvement from last season but it’s not enough for the Hornets to make noise in the crowded Western Conference next season.  New Orleans’ roster continues to be a work in progress as the Hornets seek to add more talent to their roster before Paul becomes an unrestricted free agent in 2012.  They may more Peja Stojakovic’s expiring contract so they can make other moves before next season’s trade deadline.  What is perplexing is that New Orleans has continued to add long-term contracts the past couple summers (Okafor and now Ariza) even though owner George Shinn is losing boatloads of money and is rumored to be selling the team.
The Pacers, meanwhile, make out like bandits.  Team President Larry Bird finally gets a long-term solution at point guard in Collison at the cost of an expiring contract.  Sure, Indiana has to take on James Posey’s deal to make the trade work, but let’s face it, the Pacers are hard-pressed to attract big name free agents due to their market size, the region’s apathy to pro basketball after the Malice in the Palace, numerous legal problems (like Stephen Jackson shooting rounds of bullets in a strip-club parking lot), and arena lease issues that threaten the long-term commitment from the Pacers to the city of Indianapolis.  The Pacers now have a young point guard to go with their young core of Danny Granger, Roy Hibbert, Brandon Rush, Tyler Hansbrough and Paul George. 
New Jersey is making this trade to acquire Troy Murphy, a good stop gap at the power forward position.  The deal also gives them a $12 million expiring contract that they could trade before next season’s trade deadline.  Trading Lee opens up minutes for second-year guard/forward Terrence Williams. 
Houston’s reason for making this trade is to save money which was necessary after they spent a king’s ransom at the trade deadline and this summer by acquiring Kevin Martin, re-signing Kyle Lowry and Luis Scola and signing Brad Miller.  Those deals put the Rockets squarely in the luxury tax and Ariza was the odd man out in the shooting guard/small forward rotation of Martin, Ariza, Shane Battier and Chase Budinger.  Still, acquiring shooting guard Courtney Lee means that the logjam will continue at the guard and forward spots, albeit at a much cheaper price.




Welcome to Garden State Gurus!

Welcome to Garden State Gurus, our brand new sports blog and weekly podcast.  We plan on touching on a little bit of everything here: professional hockey, baseball, basketball, football and college sports.  It’ll take us a little time to figure out exactly how we want to handle everything, but for now you can expect a weekly BlogTalkRadio show and frequent posts on sports news, predictions, and analysis.  We’ve been friends since first grade and about 95 percent of our conversation has revolved around sports ever since.  In high school we had a critically acclaimed TV show on a local network.  Now, since we’re both pretty much unemployed, we figured we’d revive some of that old magic and spin some of our scintillating sports conversations into a radio show.  We hope you enjoy.

Before we go any further here’s a little about us:

Kevin Baumer, 21, graduated from Syracuse University in May with a major in magazine journalism.  He is currently an assistant editor with Blueshirt Bulletin and a freelance writer for Ultimate Athlete Magazine

Likes:
NY Giants/NY Rangers
Henrik Lundqvist
Hockey fights
Syracuse basketball
Tailgating
Jarrett Jack
Ultra-competitive guys
Guys who play through injuries
Bill Simmons
Little men that can
Tiger Woods jokes
Andy Rautins
Ozzie Guillen interviews
Fantasy sports
Barroom debates
The Palace Brawl and Queensbridge
Friday Night Lights
Sports Illustrated
Cocky Athletes who are funny (see Avery, Sean and Shockey, Jeremy)
Tom Coughlin’s upset face
Thanksgiving Day football
Armando Galarraga and Jim Joyce
Dan Gilbert’s letter



Dislikes:
Sidney Crosby
Martin Brodeur
Eli Manning
Dallas Cowboys/Philadelphia Eagles
Things that won’t go away: Tiger Woods, Brett Favre, steroids
NJ Devils/NY Islanders/Philadelphia Flyers
Sports stars who don’t care
Injury milkers
Ticket prices
Michael Vick’s pet care
The contents of Plaxico Burress’s pockets
Greg Oden’s lack of privacy
Guys who hit .230 with 40 bombs
The Baltimore Ravens
The lack of NHL TV coverage
Gary Bettman
Jim Rome
Wade Redden
Shootouts
Duke
Cocky Athletes who aren’t funny
John Tortorella’s anger management



Zachary Pletchan is a recent graduate from Penn State University As a graduate of the Department of Geography, he’s had a lifelong interest with maps and urban/regional planning.  Even though he did not go to school for this, his lifelong passion has always been sports.  This is his first attempt at sharing his passion and knowledge of sports with followers.

Likes:
Carolina Panthers
Charlotte Bobcats aka The JordanCATS
New York Mets
New York Rangers
Steve Smith
Gerald Wallace
Penn State Athletics
Twitter
RealGM.com
Colin Cowherd
Joe Beningo and Evan Roberts
Boomer and Carton
Brandon Tierney
Mike and the Mad Dog
Tom Izzo
The Mac Attack on 610 The FAN
TNT Inside the NBA Crew
Michael Jordan
Jerry Richardson
NFL Red Zone Channel





Dislikes:
Penn State’s Athletic Administration (Reference to Basketball)
Philadelphia Sports (Other than the Sixers)
Boston Sports
George Shinn
Pittsburgh Penguins
Jim Dolan
The Wilpon Family (As owners of the Mets)
Oliver Perez
Joe Buck
Michael Kay
Adam Morrison
Jimmy Clausen
Iowa Hawkeyes
ESPN Classic
The Bryce Jordan Center
Soccer Geeks
The Home Run Derby minus Steroids
The Bowl Championship Series
WFAN Overnights
Delusional and Homer Fans