The first week of pro football is now in the books, and it has definitely provided us with some talking points for the rest of the week. The Texans are now a healthy 2-15 against the Colts all-time, the Kansas City Chiefs are leading the AFC West, and the Eagles may have more of a quarterback controversy than they envisioned they would encounter this season.
I think the most important topic is Philadelphia's quarterback situation. With Kevin Kolb out with a concussion, Michael Vick may start in his place this coming weekend at Detroit. Eagles coach Andy Reid has made it clear that Kolb is still the team's number one quarterback, which is a good decision in my opinion. However, since this weekend's game is against the Lions, if Vick starts, he may again look like a quarterback worthy of the starting job. The coaching staff will have a sticky situation on their hands; start Vick, with the knowledge that he could potentially account for one or two more wins for Philadelphia this season, or stick with Kolb, their quarterback of the future. Reid may feel the heat from fans this season if he opts to stay with Kolb after he returns from his injury, but I think it's the right decision. Vick is not their quarterback of the future, and probably won't even be in the league in a few years. His leg speed won't be there forever, and his performance this past weekend could just be a result of defensive coordinators not seeing him the past few years. Once teams have to prepare to stop Vick, I don't think he will be nearly as effective. Kolb will definitely take his lumps this season if he starts, but it will be worth it if Philadelphia wants to remain a contender in the NFC East in the future.
Speaking of quarterback controversies (well, I guess this next one isn't really a controversy anymore), Michigan's decision to go with Denard Robinson over Tate Forcier has worked out pretty well. Of course, let's not start the Heisman debate just yet. Robinson is good (430 yards passing and 455 yards rushing in his first two games? Yea, that's pretty good.), but he hasn't exactly been lighting it up against Alabama's or Ohio State's defenses, either. UConn has a defense that ranks in the bottom half of the Big East (known for particularly porous defenses) in yards per game allowed. Notre Dame gives up 427 yards per game, which would be good for...dead last in that same conference. For a few more weeks, Mr. Robinson will likely continue to rack up yardage and reel off ESPN worthy runs. However, I won't be truly impressed until early October. Starting October 9th, Michigan faces in-state rival Michigan State, number nine Iowa, and number twenty two Penn State on the road. If number sixteen is still ripping up defenses after those three games, then we can start talking about the Heisman. We've seen it happen before in the Big Ten, though. Juice Williams rode the spread offense all the way to the Rose Bowl in 2007, but couldn't do much against teams in his final two years. There is a chance that Denard Robinson could be the next Michael Vick, but my educated guess is that he is just taking advantage of unprepared (and mediocre) defenses.
I said that I would start to cover the U.S. Open in the later rounds, but I never really got around to it. Then I was going to cover the Final before it was played (assuming that it would be another Federer vs. Nadal epic), but Federer lost in the semi-finals and I had nothing to speculate on. Now that Nadal has won, completing his career Grand Slam, I have my newest poll: Is Nadal better than Federer? After Federer won at Wimbledon in 2009, the title of "World's Greatest Tennis Player", and to some extent, "Greatest Tennis Player Ever" was bestowed upon him. Enter 2010, where Nadal has won three of the four Grand Slam events. Federer was not the opponent in any of those finals. Federer is twenty-nine years old, so it is natural to assume that his best days may be behind him. However, in the Federer-Nadal rivalry, Nadal is 14-7. Even more telling of Nadal's dominance is his record against Federer in Grand Slam Finals, which is 5-2. What is the common measure of a player's lasting legacy in other major sports? Championships. Although Federer currently has more major championships (and probably isn't completely done yet), common sense tells us that, barring injuries, Nadal has more years left than Federer. If Nadal can catch Federer in number of Grand Slam titles and continue to remain dominant against him in head-to-head matches, will Nadal go down as the best player in his era? Or have we already given the crown to Federer, and fair or not, it is extremely hard to steal the crown that has already been given to someone in your own era. Considering Federer's age, this is an argument that should string out for at least two or three more years. This debate is also proof that just because Americans aren't dominant in tennis doesn't mean it's any less exciting.
- K. Becks
Showing posts with label philadelphia eagles. Show all posts
Showing posts with label philadelphia eagles. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
"Don't Tase Me, Bro!"
It has effectively been two and a half weeks since my last blog post. I swear, every day during these past two and a half weeks, I have said to myself "I am going to post a new blog entry today", only to fall asleep for two hours and not have time to do so. I don't know why the end of April and May are so busy, but other than the nice weather, this time of year sucks. Anyway, hopefully this is a good entry, because I kind of owe my subscribers (who, at this point, I know every one of personally and who really don't care whether or not I post a new entry) for my absence. So, here you go guys; here's something for you to read instead of paying attention in class.
Most people have probably heard of Steve Consalvi by now, or at least are aware of his famous stunt performed on Monday, when he ran onto the field at a Philadelphia Phillies game and was tased by police. I thought that it was hilarious, and since no one died, I have no problem with saying that. However, on Tuesday night, another man decided that pulling essentially the same stunt would be just as funny. First off, nothing is as funny the second time. Secondly, this guy (who is known as DJ Thoroughbred in Philadelphia) had illegal narcotics in his pocket when he was taken off the field. Not only did the novelty of his action wear off the night before when Steve Consalvi was walked off the field, but when you throw in that Tom Betz (okay, he should have to legally change his name to DJ Thoroughbred for this) had illegal drugs in his pocket, it's just plain stupid. Steve Consalvi is famous for being funny. Tom Betz is infamous for being dumb, and will likely be forgotten in a week. Remind me again which one of these guys is seventeen...
Since we've covered sports where fans go onto the field, we should probably cover a sport where players have been known to go into the stands (okay, I know that was 2004, but I needed a lead into this topic). The Phoenix Suns have decided to voice their political views by altering their jerseys for Game 2 of their playoff series against the San Antonio Spurs. The "Los Suns" will be honoring "our Latino community and the diversity of our league, the state of Arizona, and our nation," according to Suns owner Robert Sarver. I've heard some people say that politics has no place in sports, but I actually like this idea. Sure, I find it hard to rattle off names of current NBA players with Hispanic backgrounds, but this is good publicity for the league. Hell, even Obama is getting into it. If anything, it's probably going to increase ratings for the game tonight, since people will want to see the jerseys.
The Bengals must like trouble. Well, that's a given; we know they like trouble. Cincinnati is at it again, as it looks like they will sign cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones to a deal, after he was out of the league for the entire season in 2009. However, he wasn't out last season because of any suspensions or arrests. No, he just isn't that good. It seems that the Bengals have a knack for picking up players that are troublemakers and not that good, as they also signed wide receiver Matt Jones to a deal. My question is what was their rationale in signing Pacman? They already have a solid cornerback core, and they just drafted Wake Forest cornerback Brandon Ghee in the third round.
This last topic is somewhat dated, but was the biggest event of the last weekend in sports. The Kentucky Derby was won by Super Saver, who was ridden by jockey Calvin Borel. I think it goes to show how important an experienced jockey can be, as this is Borel's third Derby win in four years. However, I think that we're going to have to wait another year to see a Triple Crown winner. The muddy conditions made it hard to determine who the overall best horse could be, and it's likely that both the second and third place horses at the Kentucky Derby will be racing at the Preakness as well.
I've already talked about Pacman Jones today, but I'm bringing him up again for the sake of the newest poll. Jones is a troublemaker, but is he as hard for teams to handle as Milton Bradley? Bradley is in the news today for reportedly asking the Mariners' organization for help with stress. It's kind of ironic that a player who throughout his career has been such a headache for management is now asking for help with his own stress. There's an article about him, and it actually makes me feel a little bad for him. So, what do you think? Vote on the newest blog poll, and I'll give you my thoughts on what I think when the poll expires. As for my opinions on the last poll, "Will the Browns ruin Colt McCoy", I feel that they will. Although Mike Holmgren is running the show in Cleveland now, they still have major issues concerning the offense, ones that will take more than the mind of Holmgren to fix. Assuming that McCoy will be thrown into the action sometime during the upcoming season, he will be subject to learning on the job, just as Tim Couch was. How did that work out for Couch, anyway?
As I said, I'm extremely busy right now, but I'll try to update more frequently than every two and a half weeks. Thanks for staying with me, guys.
- K. Becks
Most people have probably heard of Steve Consalvi by now, or at least are aware of his famous stunt performed on Monday, when he ran onto the field at a Philadelphia Phillies game and was tased by police. I thought that it was hilarious, and since no one died, I have no problem with saying that. However, on Tuesday night, another man decided that pulling essentially the same stunt would be just as funny. First off, nothing is as funny the second time. Secondly, this guy (who is known as DJ Thoroughbred in Philadelphia) had illegal narcotics in his pocket when he was taken off the field. Not only did the novelty of his action wear off the night before when Steve Consalvi was walked off the field, but when you throw in that Tom Betz (okay, he should have to legally change his name to DJ Thoroughbred for this) had illegal drugs in his pocket, it's just plain stupid. Steve Consalvi is famous for being funny. Tom Betz is infamous for being dumb, and will likely be forgotten in a week. Remind me again which one of these guys is seventeen...
Since we've covered sports where fans go onto the field, we should probably cover a sport where players have been known to go into the stands (okay, I know that was 2004, but I needed a lead into this topic). The Phoenix Suns have decided to voice their political views by altering their jerseys for Game 2 of their playoff series against the San Antonio Spurs. The "Los Suns" will be honoring "our Latino community and the diversity of our league, the state of Arizona, and our nation," according to Suns owner Robert Sarver. I've heard some people say that politics has no place in sports, but I actually like this idea. Sure, I find it hard to rattle off names of current NBA players with Hispanic backgrounds, but this is good publicity for the league. Hell, even Obama is getting into it. If anything, it's probably going to increase ratings for the game tonight, since people will want to see the jerseys.
The Bengals must like trouble. Well, that's a given; we know they like trouble. Cincinnati is at it again, as it looks like they will sign cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones to a deal, after he was out of the league for the entire season in 2009. However, he wasn't out last season because of any suspensions or arrests. No, he just isn't that good. It seems that the Bengals have a knack for picking up players that are troublemakers and not that good, as they also signed wide receiver Matt Jones to a deal. My question is what was their rationale in signing Pacman? They already have a solid cornerback core, and they just drafted Wake Forest cornerback Brandon Ghee in the third round.
This last topic is somewhat dated, but was the biggest event of the last weekend in sports. The Kentucky Derby was won by Super Saver, who was ridden by jockey Calvin Borel. I think it goes to show how important an experienced jockey can be, as this is Borel's third Derby win in four years. However, I think that we're going to have to wait another year to see a Triple Crown winner. The muddy conditions made it hard to determine who the overall best horse could be, and it's likely that both the second and third place horses at the Kentucky Derby will be racing at the Preakness as well.
I've already talked about Pacman Jones today, but I'm bringing him up again for the sake of the newest poll. Jones is a troublemaker, but is he as hard for teams to handle as Milton Bradley? Bradley is in the news today for reportedly asking the Mariners' organization for help with stress. It's kind of ironic that a player who throughout his career has been such a headache for management is now asking for help with his own stress. There's an article about him, and it actually makes me feel a little bad for him. So, what do you think? Vote on the newest blog poll, and I'll give you my thoughts on what I think when the poll expires. As for my opinions on the last poll, "Will the Browns ruin Colt McCoy", I feel that they will. Although Mike Holmgren is running the show in Cleveland now, they still have major issues concerning the offense, ones that will take more than the mind of Holmgren to fix. Assuming that McCoy will be thrown into the action sometime during the upcoming season, he will be subject to learning on the job, just as Tim Couch was. How did that work out for Couch, anyway?
As I said, I'm extremely busy right now, but I'll try to update more frequently than every two and a half weeks. Thanks for staying with me, guys.
- K. Becks
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Wild Card Weekend
I had meant to post an entry yesterday to review the National Championship game and give a look back at some of my favorite games of the bowl season. However, due to the fact that the NFL Wildcard games start today, I'm going to have to put that on hold. As for the National Championship, I'm not saying anything that people haven't already said; it was a decent game, but we're left wondering "what if?"
Since the wildcard games start today, I've decided to give my picks for the games. Each week I'll make new picks as we work our way down to two teams. This year's matchups are particularly interesting, especially since many of these teams played each other just last week.
AFC Wildcard
New York vs. Cincinnati
I don't think that Cincinnati should be extremely concerned about last week's performance (other than the fact that they couldn't catch the ball). Carson Palmer needs to have a solid game against the tough Jets passing defense for Cincinnati to win. If he can do that, and Cincinnati can make Jets QB Mark Sanchez look like a nervous rookie in his first playoff appearance, then they will play another week.
Final Score: 24-17 Cincinnati
Baltimore vs. New England
The Patriots are pretty banged up heading into this one. Without wideout Wes Welker (say that one 5 times fast), guys such as Julian Edelman are going to have to step up big time. If the Ravens want to win this one, then RB Willis McGahee is going to need to gouge the Patriot defense much like he did last week against Oakland. The Patriots are 8-0 at home this season, and are also a perfect 7-0 at Gillette Stadium in the playoffs, but I think that the Ravens have the ability to win a close one. This game could be the most interesting of the wildcard weekend.
Final Score: 20-14 Baltimore
NFC Wildcard
Philadelphia vs. Dallas
This is probably the most anticipated matchup of the weekend. We will finally get to see if Tony Romo and Wade Phillips can win in the playoffs. Philadelphia has yet to beat Dallas this season, and trying to do that in Dallas will be no easy task. Time is running out for Donovan McNabb to get his Super Bowl ring, so he is going to need to play much better than he did last week if he wants to keep his season alive. Making Tony Romo revert to his previous late season play will be key for the Philly defense, and I think that they are capable of doing that.
Final Score: 35-33 Philadelphia
Green Bay vs. Arizona
This is my favorite game this weekend. I really don't want to see either team lose, because both have major upsides that are capable of taking them to the Super Bowl. Green Bay is one of the hottest teams in football right now, and QB Aaron Rodgers has been making people in Green Bay say "Brett who?" Arizona faces a tall task in stopping Rodgers, and I just don't see them doing it well enough. This game should be closer than last week's, but the "W" will go to the same team.
Final Score: 34-24 Packers
Like my picks? Think I have no idea what I'm talking about? I'd love to hear your comments. Shoot me an email at aroundthecornsportsblog@gmail.com or post a comment under this entry, and I'll try my best to get back to you in a timely manner. Thanks everyone.
- K. Becks
Since the wildcard games start today, I've decided to give my picks for the games. Each week I'll make new picks as we work our way down to two teams. This year's matchups are particularly interesting, especially since many of these teams played each other just last week.
AFC Wildcard
New York vs. Cincinnati
I don't think that Cincinnati should be extremely concerned about last week's performance (other than the fact that they couldn't catch the ball). Carson Palmer needs to have a solid game against the tough Jets passing defense for Cincinnati to win. If he can do that, and Cincinnati can make Jets QB Mark Sanchez look like a nervous rookie in his first playoff appearance, then they will play another week.
Final Score: 24-17 Cincinnati
Baltimore vs. New England
The Patriots are pretty banged up heading into this one. Without wideout Wes Welker (say that one 5 times fast), guys such as Julian Edelman are going to have to step up big time. If the Ravens want to win this one, then RB Willis McGahee is going to need to gouge the Patriot defense much like he did last week against Oakland. The Patriots are 8-0 at home this season, and are also a perfect 7-0 at Gillette Stadium in the playoffs, but I think that the Ravens have the ability to win a close one. This game could be the most interesting of the wildcard weekend.
Final Score: 20-14 Baltimore
NFC Wildcard
Philadelphia vs. Dallas
This is probably the most anticipated matchup of the weekend. We will finally get to see if Tony Romo and Wade Phillips can win in the playoffs. Philadelphia has yet to beat Dallas this season, and trying to do that in Dallas will be no easy task. Time is running out for Donovan McNabb to get his Super Bowl ring, so he is going to need to play much better than he did last week if he wants to keep his season alive. Making Tony Romo revert to his previous late season play will be key for the Philly defense, and I think that they are capable of doing that.
Final Score: 35-33 Philadelphia
Green Bay vs. Arizona
This is my favorite game this weekend. I really don't want to see either team lose, because both have major upsides that are capable of taking them to the Super Bowl. Green Bay is one of the hottest teams in football right now, and QB Aaron Rodgers has been making people in Green Bay say "Brett who?" Arizona faces a tall task in stopping Rodgers, and I just don't see them doing it well enough. This game should be closer than last week's, but the "W" will go to the same team.
Final Score: 34-24 Packers
Like my picks? Think I have no idea what I'm talking about? I'd love to hear your comments. Shoot me an email at aroundthecornsportsblog@gmail.com or post a comment under this entry, and I'll try my best to get back to you in a timely manner. Thanks everyone.
- K. Becks
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