I feel like I'm living in some sort of alternate reality when the top game of the day in college basketball features 26-2 BYU facing off against 27-1 San Diego State.
Two Mountain West Conference schools. . . ranked #6 and #7 in the nation. . . playing each other. . . on February 27? That's like something made up in a story book.
Eat your hearts out, Utah Utes.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Thursday, February 24, 2011
If You Are Ever So Inclined
I think I've finally decided on my favorite Subway sandwich (after all these years), if you ever want to bring me one. The recipe:
Roast Beef on Italian bread
Pepper Jack cheese
Lettuce
Tomato
Pickles
Green Peppers
Light Mayo (NO MUSTARD)
Pretty simple, I guess. But it's just right for me.
Roast Beef on Italian bread
Pepper Jack cheese
Lettuce
Tomato
Pickles
Green Peppers
Light Mayo (NO MUSTARD)
Pretty simple, I guess. But it's just right for me.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Here's a Thought
I'm ready for a resolution to this Carmelo Anthony thing - we're going on eight months now. Some pregnancies don't last that long.
I've stated before that it certainly is the right of Carmelo or LeBron to work wherever they want. This is America, after all. If Carmelo doesn't want to play in Denver anymore, there really isn't anything we can or should do to make him stay.
Of course, the problem is that Carmelo wants to have his cake and eat it too. He wants the $65 million contract, but only two teams so far are willing and able to pay it - the Nuggets and the New Jersey Nets. The problem is that he doesn't want to play for either team.
So I guess that's where a lot of people, including myself, have an issue. Probably a lot of people would rather live somewhere than where they are currently living. But sometimes it's not possible because they need to live where they have the best job.
Also, I'm tired of Melo "playing dumb" about the whole thing. He always acts in the media as if he knows absolutely nothing about potential trades and is perfectly content in Denver. Which everyone knows his absolutely false. I wish he would just come out and say, "Look, I'm not coming back to Denver and I don't want to play for any team other than the Knicks. So stop wasting your time arranging the 83rd different trade with the Nets."
My solution for this whole soap opera is simple. Instead of trading Melo, let's just trade franchises with New Jersey. Some of the proposed trades have them exchanging half of their rosters anyways. So let's just trade everything. Players, coaches, trainers, mascots, equipment, and ownership groups. A straight-up swap. The Denver Nets. I could get used to that. The part I would most enjoy would be having the Russian billionaire and Jay-Z as owners. I need more of the carrier pigeon quotes.
New Jersey can have Kroenke & Son. They can have all of our Wal-Marts too. Old Stan would probably not even notice this one small transaction in his vast "Sports Empire". He's probably too busy negotiating to buy the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the CFL or an Australian Rules Football team.
I've stated before that it certainly is the right of Carmelo or LeBron to work wherever they want. This is America, after all. If Carmelo doesn't want to play in Denver anymore, there really isn't anything we can or should do to make him stay.
Of course, the problem is that Carmelo wants to have his cake and eat it too. He wants the $65 million contract, but only two teams so far are willing and able to pay it - the Nuggets and the New Jersey Nets. The problem is that he doesn't want to play for either team.
So I guess that's where a lot of people, including myself, have an issue. Probably a lot of people would rather live somewhere than where they are currently living. But sometimes it's not possible because they need to live where they have the best job.
Also, I'm tired of Melo "playing dumb" about the whole thing. He always acts in the media as if he knows absolutely nothing about potential trades and is perfectly content in Denver. Which everyone knows his absolutely false. I wish he would just come out and say, "Look, I'm not coming back to Denver and I don't want to play for any team other than the Knicks. So stop wasting your time arranging the 83rd different trade with the Nets."
My solution for this whole soap opera is simple. Instead of trading Melo, let's just trade franchises with New Jersey. Some of the proposed trades have them exchanging half of their rosters anyways. So let's just trade everything. Players, coaches, trainers, mascots, equipment, and ownership groups. A straight-up swap. The Denver Nets. I could get used to that. The part I would most enjoy would be having the Russian billionaire and Jay-Z as owners. I need more of the carrier pigeon quotes.
New Jersey can have Kroenke & Son. They can have all of our Wal-Marts too. Old Stan would probably not even notice this one small transaction in his vast "Sports Empire". He's probably too busy negotiating to buy the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the CFL or an Australian Rules Football team.
Friday, February 4, 2011
I Respect That
Another football post. Sorry. This one is quick.
I just reviewed a website detailing "how the Steelers were built" and "how the Packers were built" and the two teams are very similar.
Of the Packers 53-man roster, 29 were acquired through the draft, 20 were free agents, and 4 were off waivers.
Of the Steelers 53-man roster, 29 were acquired through the draft, 22 were free agents, and 2 were through trades.
I don't have the exact numbers on the Broncos final 53-man roster, but it's something along the lines of 19 through the draft, 30 free agents, and 4 through trades.
And that is why the Packers and Steelers are playing in the Super Bowl and the Broncos are sitting at home trying to figure out what to do with Tim Tebow, and biding the time until they (hopefully not) blow the number 2 pick in the 2011 draft.
I just reviewed a website detailing "how the Steelers were built" and "how the Packers were built" and the two teams are very similar.
Of the Packers 53-man roster, 29 were acquired through the draft, 20 were free agents, and 4 were off waivers.
Of the Steelers 53-man roster, 29 were acquired through the draft, 22 were free agents, and 2 were through trades.
I don't have the exact numbers on the Broncos final 53-man roster, but it's something along the lines of 19 through the draft, 30 free agents, and 4 through trades.
And that is why the Packers and Steelers are playing in the Super Bowl and the Broncos are sitting at home trying to figure out what to do with Tim Tebow, and biding the time until they (hopefully not) blow the number 2 pick in the 2011 draft.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Pro Football Hall of Fame 2011 Breakdown Part 3 of 3
I need to get this thing posted before Saturday arrives. At this point, I think I will count up, rather than count down, the candidates. So I'll start with the individual I think has the best case for the Hall of Fame, and I will work my way down, finishing with the two players who barely miss out.
1. Marshall Faulk. Maybe we should penalize him because he played his college football in a non-BCS conference? Because, you know, inferior competition. He wasn't playing the SEC every week, so he must be a total fraud. Seriously, though, I think he has the best case of anyone on the list. He's not as high on the all-time rushing list as Bettis or Martin, but if you look at his combined rushing and receiving yards, he is fourth all-time with 19,154. He also scored 136 career touchdowns. He won an NFL MVP award, played in two Super Bowls, won one of them, was a 7-time Pro Bowler, and was three times 1st Team All-Pro.
2. Deion Sanders. Most people will probably tell you that he is the one "lock" from this years class. And it's hard to argue with that. He was an 8-time Pro Bowler, and six times was 1st Team All-Pro. He has a couple of Super Bwols rings. Despite the fact that he was not an offensive player, he scored 18 career touchdowns - 9 on interception returns, 6 on punt returns, 3 on kickoff returns, and 1 on a fumble return. And he was the NFL defensive player of the year in 1994. One of the drawbacks is that you don't strongly identify him with any one team. He played for the Falcons, the 49ers, the Cowboys, the Redskins, and the Ravens over a 14-year career.
3. Willie Roaf. He was an offensive tackle, and there is no real great way to value offensive lineman other than the honors they were given. He was selected to 11 Pro Bowls over a 13-year career. I know I kind of devalued the meaning of a Pro Bowl selection earlier, but if you were selected 11 out of 13 years, then you were an elite player. Additionally, he was selected 1st Team All-Pro three times.
4. Shannon Sharpe. He should already be in, so I suppose I should put him at #1. I will put him first among those who are not first-time candidates. Three Super Bowl rings, 8 Pro Bowls, 4 times 1st Team All-Pro. He had 815 career receptions as a tight end. Not bad for a former 7th round draft choice. The only possible explanations for why he's not already in are that the voters lump him in with wide recievers and the fact that he played most of his career in Denver.
5. Cortez Kennedy. I'll take the former defensive tackle as my fifth and final inductee. It only seems fair since I denied the other defensive linemen. He made 8 Pro Bowls, was three times 1st team All-Pro, and was the 1992 AP Defensive Player of the Year.
6. Dermontti Dawson. The former center just missed my cut. He was a seven-time Pro Bowler and was named 1st team All-Pro 6 times, which is more than anyone else on the list. I'm sitting here wondering if maybe he should make it instead of Kennedy. The tiebreaker is that I already have Willie Roaf on my list as an offensive lineman, and I'm trying to spread it out among the positions.
7. Cris Carter. Like Tim Brown and Andre Reed, he had a long, productive career as a wide receiver. Although he never played in a Super Bowl, his stats are pretty remarkable. He caught 1,101 passes for 130 touchdowns over his 16-year career. He had at least 75 catches every year between 1993 and 2000, and had at least 10 touchdown catches every year from 1995 to 1999. He also made 8 Pro Bowls and was twice 1st team All-Pro. I think he's clearly the most qualified wide receiver on the list.
So there you have it. Keep in mind, that's my take on how I think it SHOULD go. But am I going to be surprised if they announce the 2011 Hall of Fame class as Deion Sanders, Jerome Bettis, Richard Dent, Ed Sabol, and Cris Carter? Not really.
1. Marshall Faulk. Maybe we should penalize him because he played his college football in a non-BCS conference? Because, you know, inferior competition. He wasn't playing the SEC every week, so he must be a total fraud. Seriously, though, I think he has the best case of anyone on the list. He's not as high on the all-time rushing list as Bettis or Martin, but if you look at his combined rushing and receiving yards, he is fourth all-time with 19,154. He also scored 136 career touchdowns. He won an NFL MVP award, played in two Super Bowls, won one of them, was a 7-time Pro Bowler, and was three times 1st Team All-Pro.
2. Deion Sanders. Most people will probably tell you that he is the one "lock" from this years class. And it's hard to argue with that. He was an 8-time Pro Bowler, and six times was 1st Team All-Pro. He has a couple of Super Bwols rings. Despite the fact that he was not an offensive player, he scored 18 career touchdowns - 9 on interception returns, 6 on punt returns, 3 on kickoff returns, and 1 on a fumble return. And he was the NFL defensive player of the year in 1994. One of the drawbacks is that you don't strongly identify him with any one team. He played for the Falcons, the 49ers, the Cowboys, the Redskins, and the Ravens over a 14-year career.
3. Willie Roaf. He was an offensive tackle, and there is no real great way to value offensive lineman other than the honors they were given. He was selected to 11 Pro Bowls over a 13-year career. I know I kind of devalued the meaning of a Pro Bowl selection earlier, but if you were selected 11 out of 13 years, then you were an elite player. Additionally, he was selected 1st Team All-Pro three times.
4. Shannon Sharpe. He should already be in, so I suppose I should put him at #1. I will put him first among those who are not first-time candidates. Three Super Bowl rings, 8 Pro Bowls, 4 times 1st Team All-Pro. He had 815 career receptions as a tight end. Not bad for a former 7th round draft choice. The only possible explanations for why he's not already in are that the voters lump him in with wide recievers and the fact that he played most of his career in Denver.
5. Cortez Kennedy. I'll take the former defensive tackle as my fifth and final inductee. It only seems fair since I denied the other defensive linemen. He made 8 Pro Bowls, was three times 1st team All-Pro, and was the 1992 AP Defensive Player of the Year.
6. Dermontti Dawson. The former center just missed my cut. He was a seven-time Pro Bowler and was named 1st team All-Pro 6 times, which is more than anyone else on the list. I'm sitting here wondering if maybe he should make it instead of Kennedy. The tiebreaker is that I already have Willie Roaf on my list as an offensive lineman, and I'm trying to spread it out among the positions.
7. Cris Carter. Like Tim Brown and Andre Reed, he had a long, productive career as a wide receiver. Although he never played in a Super Bowl, his stats are pretty remarkable. He caught 1,101 passes for 130 touchdowns over his 16-year career. He had at least 75 catches every year between 1993 and 2000, and had at least 10 touchdown catches every year from 1995 to 1999. He also made 8 Pro Bowls and was twice 1st team All-Pro. I think he's clearly the most qualified wide receiver on the list.
So there you have it. Keep in mind, that's my take on how I think it SHOULD go. But am I going to be surprised if they announce the 2011 Hall of Fame class as Deion Sanders, Jerome Bettis, Richard Dent, Ed Sabol, and Cris Carter? Not really.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Pro Football Hall of Fame 2011 Breakdown Part 2 of 3
11. Jerome Bettis. This is his first year of eligibility. Nothing about Jerome Bettis screams "First Ballot Hall of Famer" to me. The good news is, he will get in eventually. If for no other reason than he played for the Pittsburgh Steelers and went out of the game Elway-style, as the last game of his career was a Super Bowl 40 victory. Also, he's number five on the All-time rushing list. On the other hand, Floyd Little retired as the seventh All-time leading rusher and it took 35 years to get him in the Hall of Fame.
8. (tie) Richard Dent, Chris Doleman, and Charles Haley. I debated for some time about which of these pass rushers was most Hall-worthy. Doleman played 15 seasons, compiled 150.5 quarterback sacks, made 8 Pro Bowls, and was twice named 1st Team All-Pro. Haley played 14 seasons, has 100.5 sacks to his credit, was selected to 5 Pro Bowls, and was also twice named 1st Team All-Pro. And when you add his two Super Bowl rings, he pretty much had an equal career to Doleman. And then there's Richard Dent. 15 seasons, 137.5 sacks, two Super Bowl rings, 4 Pro Bowls, 1 All-Pro.
So that's three pretty comparable guys, and I can't really put one ahead of the other. I imagine Hall voters have the same problem. I think it's clear that Richard Dent will be the first one of these three to get in - this is his 7th time as a finalist. The fact that he was MVP of Super Bowl 20 probably puts him slightly ahead of the others.
What finally convinced me that none of them should go in right now is that they failed the Neil Smith Test. Neil Smith was a contemporary of the aforementioned defenders who played 13 seasons, primarily with the Kansas City Chiefs and Denver Broncos. He had 104.5 career sacks, made 7 Pro Bowls and one 1st-Team All-Pro. Plus he won two Super Bowl rings with the Denver Broncos. You can't tell me that Doleman, Dent, or Haley are clearly better candidates than Smith. Yet you never hear of Neil Smith getting a sniff at the Hall of Fame. It doesn't make sense to me.
As a result, I had to say no to all three. If your career was basically the same as a guy who doesn't get mentioned, then I think that seriously weakens your case.
So if I was forced to rank the three, I think it would go like this:
10. Charles Haley
9. Chris Doleman
8. Richard Dent
But I'm not forced to do anything, because it's my blog. So they remain tied.
8. (tie) Richard Dent, Chris Doleman, and Charles Haley. I debated for some time about which of these pass rushers was most Hall-worthy. Doleman played 15 seasons, compiled 150.5 quarterback sacks, made 8 Pro Bowls, and was twice named 1st Team All-Pro. Haley played 14 seasons, has 100.5 sacks to his credit, was selected to 5 Pro Bowls, and was also twice named 1st Team All-Pro. And when you add his two Super Bowl rings, he pretty much had an equal career to Doleman. And then there's Richard Dent. 15 seasons, 137.5 sacks, two Super Bowl rings, 4 Pro Bowls, 1 All-Pro.
So that's three pretty comparable guys, and I can't really put one ahead of the other. I imagine Hall voters have the same problem. I think it's clear that Richard Dent will be the first one of these three to get in - this is his 7th time as a finalist. The fact that he was MVP of Super Bowl 20 probably puts him slightly ahead of the others.
What finally convinced me that none of them should go in right now is that they failed the Neil Smith Test. Neil Smith was a contemporary of the aforementioned defenders who played 13 seasons, primarily with the Kansas City Chiefs and Denver Broncos. He had 104.5 career sacks, made 7 Pro Bowls and one 1st-Team All-Pro. Plus he won two Super Bowl rings with the Denver Broncos. You can't tell me that Doleman, Dent, or Haley are clearly better candidates than Smith. Yet you never hear of Neil Smith getting a sniff at the Hall of Fame. It doesn't make sense to me.
As a result, I had to say no to all three. If your career was basically the same as a guy who doesn't get mentioned, then I think that seriously weakens your case.
So if I was forced to rank the three, I think it would go like this:
10. Charles Haley
9. Chris Doleman
8. Richard Dent
But I'm not forced to do anything, because it's my blog. So they remain tied.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Pro Football Hall of Fame 2011 Breakdown Part 1 of 3
I've always wanted to break down my thoughts on the vote for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, which takes place the day before the Super Bowl. However, this vote coincides with the time of year when I'm really starting to get busy at work, so I don't have much time for writing such a piece.
This year, I made time. For you.
You're welcome.
There are 15 finalists. Ultimately, 5 will be chosen to be inducted this coming summer in Canton, Ohio. In this series of posts, I will rank these candidates from 15 to 1 according to my book. In this post, I will cut the first four. In my next post, I will cut another four. In the final post, I will give you my top seven, along with the five who I feel should be chosen. And then we'll have the fun of finding out on February 5th how closely my thoughts align with those of the Hall voters.
Let's begin.
15. Ed Sabol. The only non-player on the list, the founder of NFL Films looks like a strong sentimental choice this year. I don't think players and non-players should be on the same ballot. I think they should choose 5 former players, and 1 former non-player. No more Ralph Wilson edging out Shannon Sharpe, which happened last year. Sorry, Ed.
14. Tim Brown. The former WR spent most of his 17 seasons with the Raiders. He put up some good numbers by hanging around so long, and was selected to 9 Pro Bowls. He was consistent, catching at least 75 passes every year from 1993 through 2002, but he was never selected AP 1st Team All-Pro. And as the voters love to remind people, it's the Hall of Fame, not the Hall of Very Good.
13. Curtis Martin. The argument against this former Jet and Patriot RB is the same as the one given above. He was consistent - enjoyed 10 straight seasons of 1,000 yards rushing. But he was never great. Only one AP 1st Team All-Pro. No Super Bowl rings. Plus he fails the name recognition test. It just doesn't seem like Curtis Martin belongs in company with Barry Sanders, Walter Payton, and Eric Dickerson. He'll eventually get in, because somehow he wound up as the fourth All-time leading rusher in history. And he spent most of his career in New York.
12. Andre Reed. The former Buffalo Bills WR is a fifth-time finalist this year. He probably deserves to get in at some point, with 951 career receptions. But again, although he was selected to seven Pro Bowls, he was never selected AP 1st Team All-Pro. He did play in four Super Bowls, but the Bills lost them all. Sorry, Andre, but I have to let you go.
In case you haven't noticed, I really like AP 1st Team All-Pro selections as a measuring stick.
The number of Pro Bowls is often cited, but it is kind of a distorted statistic. Because no one actually wants to play in the Pro Bowl, this is how it usually goes. They name the Pro Bowlers, then after half the team elects not to go, they name a bunch of alternates. And there are separate teams for the AFC and the NFC. So the actual Pro Bowl selection list becomes a bit bloated. In one year I looked at, there were 8 Pro Bowl quarterbacks. That's 25 percent of the league's starting quarterbacks! It's hardly a measurement of the truly elite.
With the AP 1st Team All-Pro designation, you know that the player was either THE BEST at his position or ONE OF THE TWO BEST at his position. And it includes the entire NFL - no separation of NFC and AFC.
So check back soon as I make the cut from 11 to 7.
This year, I made time. For you.
You're welcome.
There are 15 finalists. Ultimately, 5 will be chosen to be inducted this coming summer in Canton, Ohio. In this series of posts, I will rank these candidates from 15 to 1 according to my book. In this post, I will cut the first four. In my next post, I will cut another four. In the final post, I will give you my top seven, along with the five who I feel should be chosen. And then we'll have the fun of finding out on February 5th how closely my thoughts align with those of the Hall voters.
Let's begin.
15. Ed Sabol. The only non-player on the list, the founder of NFL Films looks like a strong sentimental choice this year. I don't think players and non-players should be on the same ballot. I think they should choose 5 former players, and 1 former non-player. No more Ralph Wilson edging out Shannon Sharpe, which happened last year. Sorry, Ed.
14. Tim Brown. The former WR spent most of his 17 seasons with the Raiders. He put up some good numbers by hanging around so long, and was selected to 9 Pro Bowls. He was consistent, catching at least 75 passes every year from 1993 through 2002, but he was never selected AP 1st Team All-Pro. And as the voters love to remind people, it's the Hall of Fame, not the Hall of Very Good.
13. Curtis Martin. The argument against this former Jet and Patriot RB is the same as the one given above. He was consistent - enjoyed 10 straight seasons of 1,000 yards rushing. But he was never great. Only one AP 1st Team All-Pro. No Super Bowl rings. Plus he fails the name recognition test. It just doesn't seem like Curtis Martin belongs in company with Barry Sanders, Walter Payton, and Eric Dickerson. He'll eventually get in, because somehow he wound up as the fourth All-time leading rusher in history. And he spent most of his career in New York.
12. Andre Reed. The former Buffalo Bills WR is a fifth-time finalist this year. He probably deserves to get in at some point, with 951 career receptions. But again, although he was selected to seven Pro Bowls, he was never selected AP 1st Team All-Pro. He did play in four Super Bowls, but the Bills lost them all. Sorry, Andre, but I have to let you go.
In case you haven't noticed, I really like AP 1st Team All-Pro selections as a measuring stick.
The number of Pro Bowls is often cited, but it is kind of a distorted statistic. Because no one actually wants to play in the Pro Bowl, this is how it usually goes. They name the Pro Bowlers, then after half the team elects not to go, they name a bunch of alternates. And there are separate teams for the AFC and the NFC. So the actual Pro Bowl selection list becomes a bit bloated. In one year I looked at, there were 8 Pro Bowl quarterbacks. That's 25 percent of the league's starting quarterbacks! It's hardly a measurement of the truly elite.
With the AP 1st Team All-Pro designation, you know that the player was either THE BEST at his position or ONE OF THE TWO BEST at his position. And it includes the entire NFL - no separation of NFC and AFC.
So check back soon as I make the cut from 11 to 7.
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