An absolutely gut wrenching loss last night for the Hokies. In a national showcase game that served as the start of a pivotal weekend in college football, the Hokies defense revisited prior years with a dominant performance over the course of the first 56 minutes of the football game. Unfortunately, Boston College QB Matt Ryan chose that moment to legitimize himself as a Heisman trophy candidate and future first round NFL draft choice, leading the Eagles to consecutive touchdown drives, with the final score coming with 11 seconds remaining, in a scene that reminded me of the loss the Hokies suffered in 1998 to Syracuse in the Carrier Dome. In both cases, the QB made a throw across the field, barely avoiding the outstretched hand of a Hokie defender, and subsequently booted their breakfast all over the sideline.
In this case, the loss was more costly as the Hokies removed themselves from the group of one loss teams trying to claw their way back into the National Championship picture. Even with a win, the Hokies would have struggled to remove the images of their early season lopsided loss to LSU from the minds of the voters. However, by demonstrating some of the same deficiencies that have plagued the team and performing in a way that has not been characteristic of Hokie football, they gave Matt Ryan and BC an opening that they took advantage of.
In most losses of this fashion, fans seek to assign blame. After all, someone must have screwed up, right? There is no doubt that mistakes were made by the Hokies in this game. WR Josh Morgan was unable to handle the onside kick that gave the Eagles their final possession, which also required the defense to return to the field with little time to recover from BC's last long drive. QB Sean Glennon, who effectively managed the game in the first half and made several plays with his arm and his feet, reverted to the form that led to his struggles last year and his benching at the beginning of this season. In the first half, Glennon made quick and decisive decisions in rhythm, choosing to make quick reads and, if the receiver wasn't available, made plays with his feet. In the second half, Glennon began holding the ball, not trusting the scheme or his receivers, getting out of rhythm, taking sacks. The failure to generate any sort of drive placed greater pressure on the defense. RB Branden Ore came through with a solid game, performing as if healthy for the first time this year. However, at a pivotal moment in the game, immediately after DB D.J. Parker had intercepted Ryan in BC territory, the coaching staff inserted RB Kenny Lewis, Jr into the game, a questionable move that resulted in two runs with minimal gains. At that point, why isn't the workhorse, the rusher that you have stuck with all year in spite of his being less than 100%, who clearly is the most talented back on the roster, in the game? Some have questioned the strategy of rushing 3 and 4 lineman on the last two drives. However, the Hokies D had generated pressure all night with the 4 man rush (one of the hallmarks of a Bud Foster defense). On the game winning drive, the Hokies were consistently generating pressure on Ryan and actually had him scrambling from sideline to sideline.
Individually, none of these plays cost the Hokies the game. Realistically, they didn't lose as the result of these plays or decisions collectively. Instead, the Hokies were beaten by a QB who had the best 4 minutes of play of the college football season, making pinpoint throws while running for his life. It is a credit to the defense and the coaching staff that they managed to make that same QB and his offense look harried, confused, and inept for 56 minutes. The Hokies can only hope that they can build on those 56 minutes and, should they win out, get an opportunity to take those 4 minutes back from Matt Ryan in a rematch in the ACC Championship game.
26 October 2007
20 October 2007
By the Skin of Their Teeth...
* The best ending of the year in college football just took place in Baton Rouge, LA. LSU QB Matt Flynn completed a 22-yard touchdown pass to WR Demetrius Byrd with one second remaining on the clock to beat the Auburn Tigers 30-24. Though the action on the field was outstanding, the questionable decisions on both sidelines makes you question if the athletes can overcome some poor coaching the rest of this season.
Auburn led this game 17-7 at the half, dominating LSU's offense, with LSU's longest drive comprising 6 plays. Auburn capitalized on a Ryan Perriloux fumble deep in LSU territory, converting the turnover into a touchdown. LSU immediately asserted itself in the second half, scoring 16 unanswered points. On its last possession, Auburn put together its best drive of the game, taking the ball 82 yards in 9 plays, capping the drive with a 3 yard touchdown pass by QB Brandon Cox, leaving 2:32 on the clock.
Auburn, seeking to keep the ball away from the speed of LSU's returners, had employed a strategy of squibbing kicks along the ground to the upbacks on all their kickoffs. In this case, with little time remaining in the game, LSU having squandered two timeouts earlier in the half, facing an offense which had driven the field on several occasions in the second half with little resistance, you have to kick the ball deep, don't you? Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville did not deviate from his plan for the evening in a situation that absolutely called for a kick deep. In spite of the danger of kicking it to the talented returners of LSU, you have to put it upon LSU to make plays to win the game instead of shortening the field for that offense. Not only that, isn't this a situation where you have prepared your special teams, coaching them thoroughly to combat the scouting reports that indicated the speed of the LSU returners? Tuberville made a coaching decision that is sure to get him excoriated by the media at Auburn, resulting in LSU beginning their drive at their own 42. QB Matt Flynn quickly and easily drove the Tigers to the Auburn 22 (admittedly aided by a questionable first down that was awarded in spite of several replays that showed that WR Richard Murphy was down a half yard short of the first down on a 3rd and 3...how is that call not reviewed when, supposedly, every play is reviewed in college football? ESPN had time to show the replay twice with clear evidence that the receivers elbow was down short of the line of gain. Even Mike Patrick, with Britney Spears dancing in the back of his mind, was able to discern the proper call.), with about 45 seconds remaining in the game. Tuberville again makes a questionable coaching decision, not using either of his two remaining timeouts to try and save some time for his offense with LSU already in makeable field goal range. LSU chooses to run the clock down, trying to remove any chance for Auburn to get the ball back. Les Miles and his staff decide to run one play before attempting a game winning 39 yard field goal and, with one timeout, seem to have enough margin to do so. Except, they allow the clock to run down to 8 seconds before snapping the football. Flynn drops back and, with a three receiver set and Byrd split wide to the left with single coverage, floats a perfect pass to the back of the end zone that is narrowly missed by the Auburn DB, who has excellent coverage on the play but fails to get his head around in time to see the incoming pass, and gathered in by Byrd. As the referee signals touchdown, there are 2 seconds remaining in the game. Should that ball be bobbled or the referee take his time in blowing the whistle, there is a strong likelihood that the game would have been over and Tiger fans would have thrown Miles into Mike VI's million dollar habitat. Miles made a highly questionable and ill timed decision that, admittedly, has been in keeping with his gambler's stance this season. But, with so little time remaining on the clock at the snap of the ball, Miles nearly handed this game over to Tuberville, who was trying his best to give it away.
(On a side note, was Holly Rowe even watching the end of the game? In a situation where LSU did not use their final timeout and made the above mentioned questionable time management decision, she asks the following:
Rowe: Coach, you called timeout, what happened next? Take us through that process...your decision there.
Miles: On...what?
Is anyone else as confused as Miles must have been? And what timeout is Rowe talking about? Did the end of the game not conform to one of the canned questions that she always asks?)
For the second straight week, LSU's defense struggled, with the physical play of the SEC perhaps taking a toll. An Auburn team which has struggled mightily on offense all season put up 24 points on this defense in Baton Rouge. LSU next travels to Tuscaloosa to face former coach Nick Saban and an Alabama offense whose passing game improves each week and today decimated Tennessee's weak secondary. With Glenn Dorsey's status up in the air with a sprained knee, inflicted by a dirty and vicious chop block by Auburn's center, you have to wonder if LSU can get things together in time for next week's trip and whether or not Les Miles' streak of gambles will continue to pay off.
Does anyone want to win the national championship??????
Auburn led this game 17-7 at the half, dominating LSU's offense, with LSU's longest drive comprising 6 plays. Auburn capitalized on a Ryan Perriloux fumble deep in LSU territory, converting the turnover into a touchdown. LSU immediately asserted itself in the second half, scoring 16 unanswered points. On its last possession, Auburn put together its best drive of the game, taking the ball 82 yards in 9 plays, capping the drive with a 3 yard touchdown pass by QB Brandon Cox, leaving 2:32 on the clock.
Auburn, seeking to keep the ball away from the speed of LSU's returners, had employed a strategy of squibbing kicks along the ground to the upbacks on all their kickoffs. In this case, with little time remaining in the game, LSU having squandered two timeouts earlier in the half, facing an offense which had driven the field on several occasions in the second half with little resistance, you have to kick the ball deep, don't you? Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville did not deviate from his plan for the evening in a situation that absolutely called for a kick deep. In spite of the danger of kicking it to the talented returners of LSU, you have to put it upon LSU to make plays to win the game instead of shortening the field for that offense. Not only that, isn't this a situation where you have prepared your special teams, coaching them thoroughly to combat the scouting reports that indicated the speed of the LSU returners? Tuberville made a coaching decision that is sure to get him excoriated by the media at Auburn, resulting in LSU beginning their drive at their own 42. QB Matt Flynn quickly and easily drove the Tigers to the Auburn 22 (admittedly aided by a questionable first down that was awarded in spite of several replays that showed that WR Richard Murphy was down a half yard short of the first down on a 3rd and 3...how is that call not reviewed when, supposedly, every play is reviewed in college football? ESPN had time to show the replay twice with clear evidence that the receivers elbow was down short of the line of gain. Even Mike Patrick, with Britney Spears dancing in the back of his mind, was able to discern the proper call.), with about 45 seconds remaining in the game. Tuberville again makes a questionable coaching decision, not using either of his two remaining timeouts to try and save some time for his offense with LSU already in makeable field goal range. LSU chooses to run the clock down, trying to remove any chance for Auburn to get the ball back. Les Miles and his staff decide to run one play before attempting a game winning 39 yard field goal and, with one timeout, seem to have enough margin to do so. Except, they allow the clock to run down to 8 seconds before snapping the football. Flynn drops back and, with a three receiver set and Byrd split wide to the left with single coverage, floats a perfect pass to the back of the end zone that is narrowly missed by the Auburn DB, who has excellent coverage on the play but fails to get his head around in time to see the incoming pass, and gathered in by Byrd. As the referee signals touchdown, there are 2 seconds remaining in the game. Should that ball be bobbled or the referee take his time in blowing the whistle, there is a strong likelihood that the game would have been over and Tiger fans would have thrown Miles into Mike VI's million dollar habitat. Miles made a highly questionable and ill timed decision that, admittedly, has been in keeping with his gambler's stance this season. But, with so little time remaining on the clock at the snap of the ball, Miles nearly handed this game over to Tuberville, who was trying his best to give it away.
(On a side note, was Holly Rowe even watching the end of the game? In a situation where LSU did not use their final timeout and made the above mentioned questionable time management decision, she asks the following:
Rowe: Coach, you called timeout, what happened next? Take us through that process...your decision there.
Miles: On...what?
Is anyone else as confused as Miles must have been? And what timeout is Rowe talking about? Did the end of the game not conform to one of the canned questions that she always asks?)
For the second straight week, LSU's defense struggled, with the physical play of the SEC perhaps taking a toll. An Auburn team which has struggled mightily on offense all season put up 24 points on this defense in Baton Rouge. LSU next travels to Tuscaloosa to face former coach Nick Saban and an Alabama offense whose passing game improves each week and today decimated Tennessee's weak secondary. With Glenn Dorsey's status up in the air with a sprained knee, inflicted by a dirty and vicious chop block by Auburn's center, you have to wonder if LSU can get things together in time for next week's trip and whether or not Les Miles' streak of gambles will continue to pay off.
Does anyone want to win the national championship??????
Quick Hits...
* Notre Dame is wearing some awful uniforms in today's game against USC. They look like an old school version of the Oregon Ducks. Is this supposed to inspire the team and their fans? Or is Charlie Weis hoping that USC will be confused by this unrecognizable opponent and think they are playing a team that actually possesses the team speed to keep up with the Trojans? (Then again, Notre Dame may not recognize this USC team that, with an offensive line of reserves and WRs that can't actually catch the ball, doesn't resemble the recent powerhouses that typically rolled over the Irish.)
* I'm sure that Dane Cook will once again be proclaiming that there is only one OCTOBER (!) tonight. But, if, after a 9 day layoff for the Colorado Rockies' that removes them even further from the national consciousness and dampens the momentum of their 21 victories in 22 games, they are able to extend the World Series to seven games, with game 7 scheduled for November 1, will there be only one NOVEMBER!? And will the Fall Classic become a winter classic?
* Two more top 10 teams down (USF and South Carolina), with both falling to unranked opponents. This now makes 12 on the year. And the confusion continues...
* Good for Joe Torre for standing up to the arrogance of the Yankees ownership and turning down their contract offer. Torre is one of the few personalities that could navigate the sports media of New York that seems to multiply exponentially year after year. His willingness to subjugate his own ego and cover his players from the constant attention and pressure foisted upon them has been as important to the success of this team as their $200 million plus payroll. I'm not sure that many managers would have gotten the support and praise from the New York media after such a tumultuous season that ended in the Division Series, indicating Torre's acumen and savvy in his media dealings. The next manager will likely be judged as much for his off the field leadership as for his on field game management, a situation that isn't likely to lend itself well to a first time manager such as Don Mattingly.
* In retrospect, perhaps Coach Weis chose those terrible uniforms, to attempt to take the attention away from from the Irish's terrible play. Not a successful ploy as the final score provided the largest victory margin for the Trojans in the course of their rivalry with the Irish.
* Does anyone else hate the Saturday night college football theme on ABC? This "song", "I Just Want to Celebrate" or whatever they call that steaming pile, is terrible. What the hell is the point of that song? And, with Perry Farrell, 50 cent, John Ondrasik, and some unidentified lady, etc, couldn't they have come up with something better? This is even worse than the Big and Rich with Cowboy Troy theme song Gameday employed for the last few years. Ugh.
* The Red Sox have pushed the ALCS to a game 7. The pressure seemingly shifts to the shoulders of the Cleveland Indians, who, for a fourth game in this series, were unable to get an ace like performance from their two top of the rotation starters. However, the confidence of the Red Sox and their fans has to be a little shaken with Dice-K lined up to toe the rubber.
* I'm sure that Dane Cook will once again be proclaiming that there is only one OCTOBER (!) tonight. But, if, after a 9 day layoff for the Colorado Rockies' that removes them even further from the national consciousness and dampens the momentum of their 21 victories in 22 games, they are able to extend the World Series to seven games, with game 7 scheduled for November 1, will there be only one NOVEMBER!? And will the Fall Classic become a winter classic?
* Two more top 10 teams down (USF and South Carolina), with both falling to unranked opponents. This now makes 12 on the year. And the confusion continues...
* Good for Joe Torre for standing up to the arrogance of the Yankees ownership and turning down their contract offer. Torre is one of the few personalities that could navigate the sports media of New York that seems to multiply exponentially year after year. His willingness to subjugate his own ego and cover his players from the constant attention and pressure foisted upon them has been as important to the success of this team as their $200 million plus payroll. I'm not sure that many managers would have gotten the support and praise from the New York media after such a tumultuous season that ended in the Division Series, indicating Torre's acumen and savvy in his media dealings. The next manager will likely be judged as much for his off the field leadership as for his on field game management, a situation that isn't likely to lend itself well to a first time manager such as Don Mattingly.
* In retrospect, perhaps Coach Weis chose those terrible uniforms, to attempt to take the attention away from from the Irish's terrible play. Not a successful ploy as the final score provided the largest victory margin for the Trojans in the course of their rivalry with the Irish.
* Does anyone else hate the Saturday night college football theme on ABC? This "song", "I Just Want to Celebrate" or whatever they call that steaming pile, is terrible. What the hell is the point of that song? And, with Perry Farrell, 50 cent, John Ondrasik, and some unidentified lady, etc, couldn't they have come up with something better? This is even worse than the Big and Rich with Cowboy Troy theme song Gameday employed for the last few years. Ugh.
* The Red Sox have pushed the ALCS to a game 7. The pressure seemingly shifts to the shoulders of the Cleveland Indians, who, for a fourth game in this series, were unable to get an ace like performance from their two top of the rotation starters. However, the confidence of the Red Sox and their fans has to be a little shaken with Dice-K lined up to toe the rubber.
Angels' Offseason...
Plaschke recently discussed the resignation of Angels' GM Bill Stoneman and the front office dynamics that will result. The increased influence that manager Mike Scioscia and speculation about the possible resulting moves serve as the basic premise for the column.
Since the Angels' World Series victory in 2002, the work of Stoneman was viewed through two prisms. On one hand, he and his staff did an excellent job of building one of the most highly regarded stables of prospects in MLB. On the other hand, Stoneman valued those same prospects to the point where he could not be persuaded to part with any of them in order to procure the slugger that the Angels' desperately needed to enable them to again reach the Fall Classic. While those prospects have now begun fulfilling some of their promise, taking hold of everyday jobs with at the major league level (1B Casey Kotchman, Cs Jeff Mathis and Mike Napoli, 2B Howie Kendrick, OF Reggie Willits, and Ps Jeff Weaver, Joe Saunders, and Ervin Santana), none have been thus far able to fill the considerable void behind Vladimir Guerrero in the lineup.
Plaschke indicates that some definite changes can be expected with the introduction of new GM Tony Reagins and the increased role that Scioscia is expected to play in player personnel decisions. Plaschke speculates that the aggressive methods that Scioscia displays in game management will be replicated in the Angels' personnel moves, postulating about possible deals for the Twins' Johan Santana and the Orioles' Miguel Tejada. Though it is no secret that the Angels covet both players (the Angels even reached a deal in principle with the Orioles prior to the trading deadline in 2006 for Tejada in exchange for Santana and Erick Aybar, which was scuttled by Orioles owner Peter Angelos), the reality is that Santana will extract an exorbitant price that may leave the cupboard too bare to be able to also acquire Tejada.
With a likely starting pitching staff that will comprise John Lackey, Kelvim Escobar, Jeff Weaver, Joe Saunders, and Ervin Santana, the Angels are beginning from a position of strength. While Santana ranks amongst the top five pitchers in the game, he may be a luxury that the Angels can not afford if they want to upgrade the offense. The Angels would be better off pursuing the Marlins' Miguel Cabrera, as posited in earlier posts. He provides better numbers than Tejada right now, with the principal difference being that Cabrera is about to turn 25 while Tejada is on the verge of the age of 32. Tejada also spent time on the disabled list for the first time in six seasons this past year, while his production has been slowly declining at the plate over the last two years.
Johan Santana's contract with the Twins expires after next season. If a member of the Angels staff struggles during the year, they can attempt to extract Santana from the Twins at that time, when the price will have likely gone down slightly due to Santana's impending status as a free agent. Should the price be too high, the Angels could bide their time, give an opportunity to one of their minor league prospects, and use Arte Moreno's considerable resources to big for Santana's services next offseason. Perhaps the idea of pitching with fellow Venezuelan Kelvim Escobar will serve as an additional enticement for Santana, who, with his pointed criticism of the Twins organization after their midseason trade of 2B Luis Castillo, clearly wants to play for an aggressive and competitive organization?
I hope that this offseason will provide a glimpse of a new aggressive stance on the part of the Angels' leadership, with Scioscia's influence leading that charge. However, with little roster flexibility, their moves must be shrewd in addition to aggressive. A third baseman fits well with the current strengths of the roster. With Guerrero likely to require additional starts at the DH spot, Chone Figgins can rotate between third base and right field to spell Guerrero and any new additions at 3B. Center field, a position of strength in this year's free agent market, is not a likely source of relief for the Angels, as has been postulated in several mediums. Even if the Angels' could entice Andruw Jones, Torii Hunter, or Aaron Roward to the big A, the large and long term contact signed by Gary Matthews is not one the Angels can easily set aside. And, with his struggles at the plate this past year, it is unlikely the Angels would be able to extract much in the way of value from another organization. In spite of his struggles on the offensive side of the ball, Matthews served as a stabilizing force for the up the middle defense, covering a great deal of ground between Guerrero and LF Garrett Anderson, once again making the Angels' defense a source of strength for the team after a difficult and error prone 2006. Therefore, 3B appears to be a likely position for the Angels to address, but, with the Angels' unlikely to dole out the funds A-Rod and Scott Boras will require and the Red Sox likely to re-sign Mike Lowell, they will have to be creative in their dealings with other franchises.
Since the Angels' World Series victory in 2002, the work of Stoneman was viewed through two prisms. On one hand, he and his staff did an excellent job of building one of the most highly regarded stables of prospects in MLB. On the other hand, Stoneman valued those same prospects to the point where he could not be persuaded to part with any of them in order to procure the slugger that the Angels' desperately needed to enable them to again reach the Fall Classic. While those prospects have now begun fulfilling some of their promise, taking hold of everyday jobs with at the major league level (1B Casey Kotchman, Cs Jeff Mathis and Mike Napoli, 2B Howie Kendrick, OF Reggie Willits, and Ps Jeff Weaver, Joe Saunders, and Ervin Santana), none have been thus far able to fill the considerable void behind Vladimir Guerrero in the lineup.
Plaschke indicates that some definite changes can be expected with the introduction of new GM Tony Reagins and the increased role that Scioscia is expected to play in player personnel decisions. Plaschke speculates that the aggressive methods that Scioscia displays in game management will be replicated in the Angels' personnel moves, postulating about possible deals for the Twins' Johan Santana and the Orioles' Miguel Tejada. Though it is no secret that the Angels covet both players (the Angels even reached a deal in principle with the Orioles prior to the trading deadline in 2006 for Tejada in exchange for Santana and Erick Aybar, which was scuttled by Orioles owner Peter Angelos), the reality is that Santana will extract an exorbitant price that may leave the cupboard too bare to be able to also acquire Tejada.
With a likely starting pitching staff that will comprise John Lackey, Kelvim Escobar, Jeff Weaver, Joe Saunders, and Ervin Santana, the Angels are beginning from a position of strength. While Santana ranks amongst the top five pitchers in the game, he may be a luxury that the Angels can not afford if they want to upgrade the offense. The Angels would be better off pursuing the Marlins' Miguel Cabrera, as posited in earlier posts. He provides better numbers than Tejada right now, with the principal difference being that Cabrera is about to turn 25 while Tejada is on the verge of the age of 32. Tejada also spent time on the disabled list for the first time in six seasons this past year, while his production has been slowly declining at the plate over the last two years.
Johan Santana's contract with the Twins expires after next season. If a member of the Angels staff struggles during the year, they can attempt to extract Santana from the Twins at that time, when the price will have likely gone down slightly due to Santana's impending status as a free agent. Should the price be too high, the Angels could bide their time, give an opportunity to one of their minor league prospects, and use Arte Moreno's considerable resources to big for Santana's services next offseason. Perhaps the idea of pitching with fellow Venezuelan Kelvim Escobar will serve as an additional enticement for Santana, who, with his pointed criticism of the Twins organization after their midseason trade of 2B Luis Castillo, clearly wants to play for an aggressive and competitive organization?
I hope that this offseason will provide a glimpse of a new aggressive stance on the part of the Angels' leadership, with Scioscia's influence leading that charge. However, with little roster flexibility, their moves must be shrewd in addition to aggressive. A third baseman fits well with the current strengths of the roster. With Guerrero likely to require additional starts at the DH spot, Chone Figgins can rotate between third base and right field to spell Guerrero and any new additions at 3B. Center field, a position of strength in this year's free agent market, is not a likely source of relief for the Angels, as has been postulated in several mediums. Even if the Angels' could entice Andruw Jones, Torii Hunter, or Aaron Roward to the big A, the large and long term contact signed by Gary Matthews is not one the Angels can easily set aside. And, with his struggles at the plate this past year, it is unlikely the Angels would be able to extract much in the way of value from another organization. In spite of his struggles on the offensive side of the ball, Matthews served as a stabilizing force for the up the middle defense, covering a great deal of ground between Guerrero and LF Garrett Anderson, once again making the Angels' defense a source of strength for the team after a difficult and error prone 2006. Therefore, 3B appears to be a likely position for the Angels to address, but, with the Angels' unlikely to dole out the funds A-Rod and Scott Boras will require and the Red Sox likely to re-sign Mike Lowell, they will have to be creative in their dealings with other franchises.
16 October 2007
Quick Hits...
* Will the plaintive cries emanating from Boston after game 4 drown out the strains of "Icky Thump" being played yet again during a return from commercial on Fox?
* Is there a better way for Tom Osborne to resurrect his political future in Nebraska than to rescue its citizens from the morass of mediocrity currently surrounding Lincoln and its proud power running tradition? (And can you imagine the anguish of the boosters surrounding this program that they're willing to finance the departure of AD Pederson at a reported cost of $2.2 million and the inevitable buyout of coach Bill Callahan for more than $3 million?)
* I understand Francona's desire to not display a sense of panic by going to Beckett on short rest, but do you think that there's a sense of panic after losing three straight and knowing that, should they fight back and get to a game 7, the specter of Dice-K looms? (And I don't want to hear any of this "we take it one game at a time" stuff.) The Red Sox could have pitched Beckett in game 4, Wakefield in game 5, Schilling in game 6 (keeping him on extended rest), and brought Beckett back for game 7. The Sox have obviously come back from worse in the past but Beckett, Schilling, and Matsuzaka isn't the same as Pedro, Schilling and Lowe.
* Rarely do you see a trade, period, in the NFL, much less one in sports that makes sense for both teams. A terrific trade by the Chargers and Dolphins. Chambers will enable the Chargers to stretch the field (though whether or not Rivers can throw it that far with his shot put motion remains to be seen) and open things up underneath for LT and Gates. The Dolphins pick up a second round pick for a receiver they didn't need with little experience at QB behind the punch drunk Trent Green. The only way this trade is better was if they could have convinced the 'Fins to take Norv Turner along with that pick.
* Can someone inform the blogosphere christened "Schrutebag" that, now that the Rockies have won 21 of 22 to reach the World Series, they are a serious threat to take down whoever emerges from the ALCS, regardless of the fact that they have emerged from a weaker NL. 21 of 22 takes down all paradigms and, with a likely rotation of ace Jeff Francis, power pitching youngster Ubaldo Jimenez, Josh Fogg (whose "Dragonslayer" nickname was uttered at least 200 times by Chip Caray), and a returning Aaron Cook, who was the Rockies second best pitcher all year, combined with their confident bullpen, impregnable defense, and deep lineup, will present a serious challenge to the AL pennant winner. So, abandon your now expired "conventional" wisdom and actually pay some attention to the stable of writers, far more qualified than yourself, from your own network, who are lauding this team.
* By the way, it's nice to be able to banish Cowturd now that an alternative exists to listen to in LA with the arrival of Dan Patrick on KLAC to fill in the gaps during Kevin and Bean commercial breaks. Dan Patrick in the mornings and Petros and Money in the afternoons makes commuting slightly more manageable.
* A serious fall from grace for Coach Fran. After a puzzling decision to leave Alabama for a less prestigious post at A&M, he may lose out on an $8 million check to go away because of the $30K plus that he earned from his insider newsletter. $8 million in one hand, $30K in the other...
* With Stoneman's departure from the Angels' front office, will the new triumvirate of Moreno, Scioscia, and new GM Tony Reagins be able to formulate an enticing offer to pry away Marlins' 3B Miguel Cabrera, who is bound for arbitration this offseason and likely to command a budget busting $11 million or more? After all, the Marlins will be able to request a higher premium for Cabrera, in spite of his battles with weight, than they will for a seemingly declining Dontrelle Willis.
* First prediction for the 2008 MLB season? The Indians' dust Manny in his first plate appearance against them next season after his decision to admire his shot at the tail end of the back to back to back chain the Red Sox put together tonight. No need to take revenge during the ALCS but I guarantee that the Indians will remember Ramirez's self-admiration.
* Curtis Granderson has already established himself a post playing career, bringing the personality and composure from the playing field to the broadcast desk. Good stuff.
* Did Peter Gammons just ask Paul Byrd if he's ever done a "triple pump"?
* Is there a better way for Tom Osborne to resurrect his political future in Nebraska than to rescue its citizens from the morass of mediocrity currently surrounding Lincoln and its proud power running tradition? (And can you imagine the anguish of the boosters surrounding this program that they're willing to finance the departure of AD Pederson at a reported cost of $2.2 million and the inevitable buyout of coach Bill Callahan for more than $3 million?)
* I understand Francona's desire to not display a sense of panic by going to Beckett on short rest, but do you think that there's a sense of panic after losing three straight and knowing that, should they fight back and get to a game 7, the specter of Dice-K looms? (And I don't want to hear any of this "we take it one game at a time" stuff.) The Red Sox could have pitched Beckett in game 4, Wakefield in game 5, Schilling in game 6 (keeping him on extended rest), and brought Beckett back for game 7. The Sox have obviously come back from worse in the past but Beckett, Schilling, and Matsuzaka isn't the same as Pedro, Schilling and Lowe.
* Rarely do you see a trade, period, in the NFL, much less one in sports that makes sense for both teams. A terrific trade by the Chargers and Dolphins. Chambers will enable the Chargers to stretch the field (though whether or not Rivers can throw it that far with his shot put motion remains to be seen) and open things up underneath for LT and Gates. The Dolphins pick up a second round pick for a receiver they didn't need with little experience at QB behind the punch drunk Trent Green. The only way this trade is better was if they could have convinced the 'Fins to take Norv Turner along with that pick.
* Can someone inform the blogosphere christened "Schrutebag" that, now that the Rockies have won 21 of 22 to reach the World Series, they are a serious threat to take down whoever emerges from the ALCS, regardless of the fact that they have emerged from a weaker NL. 21 of 22 takes down all paradigms and, with a likely rotation of ace Jeff Francis, power pitching youngster Ubaldo Jimenez, Josh Fogg (whose "Dragonslayer" nickname was uttered at least 200 times by Chip Caray), and a returning Aaron Cook, who was the Rockies second best pitcher all year, combined with their confident bullpen, impregnable defense, and deep lineup, will present a serious challenge to the AL pennant winner. So, abandon your now expired "conventional" wisdom and actually pay some attention to the stable of writers, far more qualified than yourself, from your own network, who are lauding this team.
* By the way, it's nice to be able to banish Cowturd now that an alternative exists to listen to in LA with the arrival of Dan Patrick on KLAC to fill in the gaps during Kevin and Bean commercial breaks. Dan Patrick in the mornings and Petros and Money in the afternoons makes commuting slightly more manageable.
* A serious fall from grace for Coach Fran. After a puzzling decision to leave Alabama for a less prestigious post at A&M, he may lose out on an $8 million check to go away because of the $30K plus that he earned from his insider newsletter. $8 million in one hand, $30K in the other...
* With Stoneman's departure from the Angels' front office, will the new triumvirate of Moreno, Scioscia, and new GM Tony Reagins be able to formulate an enticing offer to pry away Marlins' 3B Miguel Cabrera, who is bound for arbitration this offseason and likely to command a budget busting $11 million or more? After all, the Marlins will be able to request a higher premium for Cabrera, in spite of his battles with weight, than they will for a seemingly declining Dontrelle Willis.
* First prediction for the 2008 MLB season? The Indians' dust Manny in his first plate appearance against them next season after his decision to admire his shot at the tail end of the back to back to back chain the Red Sox put together tonight. No need to take revenge during the ALCS but I guarantee that the Indians will remember Ramirez's self-admiration.
* Curtis Granderson has already established himself a post playing career, bringing the personality and composure from the playing field to the broadcast desk. Good stuff.
* Did Peter Gammons just ask Paul Byrd if he's ever done a "triple pump"?
I Hope the Hokies Don't Read Shanoff...
Just a teeny, tiny mention by Dan Shanoff at the tail end of his weekly post on Deadspin.
With even the slightest whiff of expectation, the Hokies have a disturbing tendency to fold like a lawn chair. So, please, let them continue to stay under the radar, reading press clippings detailing their struggles on offense and their rapidly dwindling depth at linebacker (Cam Martin is joining Vince Hall on the sidelines with a recently diagnosed case of mono), steadily moving up the rankings as they take advantage of the fact that they lost in week two of the season, while team after team stumbles in front of them, and all the while hoping that voters will mitigate their lopsided loss in Baton Rouge with the understanding that this is an evolving and different team from the one that got the piping on their Nike uniforms blown off in the Bayou.
Of course, all this will be moot unless:
1) Ore can get healthy to take advantage of the reconstituted offensive line.
2) The Hogs' progeny (though he wasn't a lineman, Donnie Warren was an honorary Hog) fill the void left by the absence's of Hall and Martin.
3) Beamer, Stinespring, and O'Cain can find a way to make teams game plan for BOTH Taylor and Glennon, taking a cue from the Flynn/Perriloux combo that gave them trouble, and demonstrate the offensive imagination that all too often has been missing under Stinespring.
So, root for Ohio State to get buckeyed in Happy Valley, BC to fall in Blacksburg, South Florida to go down on the banks of the Raritan, LSU to stumble in Tuscaloosa (or in the SEC championship), Oklahoma to trip in Lubbock, South Carolina to suffer in Knoxville, Kentucky to suffer a letdown at home against Florida, Arizona State to implode in Autzen, and Oregon to get overconfident at home against USC, leaving VT to try to emerge from the wreckage and curry the favor of the computers and the pollsters. Luckily, no one reads any of this so I can postulate about this in private, without fear of a midge of expectation landing on the neck of the Hokies.
With even the slightest whiff of expectation, the Hokies have a disturbing tendency to fold like a lawn chair. So, please, let them continue to stay under the radar, reading press clippings detailing their struggles on offense and their rapidly dwindling depth at linebacker (Cam Martin is joining Vince Hall on the sidelines with a recently diagnosed case of mono), steadily moving up the rankings as they take advantage of the fact that they lost in week two of the season, while team after team stumbles in front of them, and all the while hoping that voters will mitigate their lopsided loss in Baton Rouge with the understanding that this is an evolving and different team from the one that got the piping on their Nike uniforms blown off in the Bayou.
Of course, all this will be moot unless:
1) Ore can get healthy to take advantage of the reconstituted offensive line.
2) The Hogs' progeny (though he wasn't a lineman, Donnie Warren was an honorary Hog) fill the void left by the absence's of Hall and Martin.
3) Beamer, Stinespring, and O'Cain can find a way to make teams game plan for BOTH Taylor and Glennon, taking a cue from the Flynn/Perriloux combo that gave them trouble, and demonstrate the offensive imagination that all too often has been missing under Stinespring.
So, root for Ohio State to get buckeyed in Happy Valley, BC to fall in Blacksburg, South Florida to go down on the banks of the Raritan, LSU to stumble in Tuscaloosa (or in the SEC championship), Oklahoma to trip in Lubbock, South Carolina to suffer in Knoxville, Kentucky to suffer a letdown at home against Florida, Arizona State to implode in Autzen, and Oregon to get overconfident at home against USC, leaving VT to try to emerge from the wreckage and curry the favor of the computers and the pollsters. Luckily, no one reads any of this so I can postulate about this in private, without fear of a midge of expectation landing on the neck of the Hokies.
14 October 2007
Advancing a Green Country...
In today's op-ed column by Tom Friedman in the New York Times, he discusses the contrasting leadership of President George Bush and Nobel Peace Prize recipient Al Gore. Within this article, regarding conservatives, Friedman states, "They can’t see what is staring us in the face — that in pushing American companies to become greener, we are pushing them to become more productive, more innovative, more efficient and more competitive" and "In pushing our companies to go green we are spurring them to take the lead in the next great global industry — clean power."
Under the guise of protecting their constituents, legislation raising emissions and efficiency standards for automobiles in the United States has been unable to gain a foothold due to the opposition of numerous representatives and Senators, as well as President Bush, with support from the nation's big domestic automakers, as well as representatives from the current leading innovator in the field of clean automobiles, Toyota. In doing so, the belief is that the government is protecting the interests of domestic automakers (never mind the prurient interests of the oil companies). Instead, they are failing these automakers by not pushing them to become "more productive, more innovative, more efficient, and more competitive". This has resulted in the continuing failures of the domestic automobile industry, falling well behind foreign corporations who have aggressively taken on the challenge of developing lower emissions, higher efficiency and alternative power vehicles, resulting in the ascendancy of Toyota as the #1 automobile maker in the US.
This serves as a microcosm of the greater issues that Friedman cites in his piece. Until the leaders in government raise the standards for domestic companies, they will continue to fall behind their international competition and see declines in their future profitability and prosperity, damaging the citizens who comprise their workforces in the present and the future.
Under the guise of protecting their constituents, legislation raising emissions and efficiency standards for automobiles in the United States has been unable to gain a foothold due to the opposition of numerous representatives and Senators, as well as President Bush, with support from the nation's big domestic automakers, as well as representatives from the current leading innovator in the field of clean automobiles, Toyota. In doing so, the belief is that the government is protecting the interests of domestic automakers (never mind the prurient interests of the oil companies). Instead, they are failing these automakers by not pushing them to become "more productive, more innovative, more efficient, and more competitive". This has resulted in the continuing failures of the domestic automobile industry, falling well behind foreign corporations who have aggressively taken on the challenge of developing lower emissions, higher efficiency and alternative power vehicles, resulting in the ascendancy of Toyota as the #1 automobile maker in the US.
This serves as a microcosm of the greater issues that Friedman cites in his piece. Until the leaders in government raise the standards for domestic companies, they will continue to fall behind their international competition and see declines in their future profitability and prosperity, damaging the citizens who comprise their workforces in the present and the future.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
