10 years ago, Nyack High School had one of their most memorable boys’ basketball seasons. The 2001 squad, under Coach Gary Gray, went 24-3, winning a section title and a regional title before losing in the state semifinals. While they did have a few standout players, their success was mainly a team effort, with different guys stepping up on different nights. Three members of the team went on to play D-1 basketball in college, and the crew had to defeat several future D-1 players on their road to the state Final Four in Glens Falls. They had a rough 2-2 start, largely because many of the players were on the state championship football team and had barely practiced, but they were able to recover and win 22 games in a row before getting knocked out.
The ’01 Nyack squad was marked with a lot of resiliency and toughness. They had been able to reach the section title game in 2000, but couldn’t use star guard Kudjo Sogadzi, who had transferred from New Jersey, and ended up losing to Kennedy. That same Kennedy team, led by future Providence star Donnie McGrath, defeated Nyack again at the beginning of the ’01 season, which helped put Nyack in a troublesome 2-2 start. Then, the resiliency and toughness that came partially from members of the state championship football team jump started the club.
QB Ronnie King and RB/DB/K Nigel Morris were key guards, and RB Jason Alcin was a major force inside. 6’10 center James Smith was inexperienced, but definitely made his presence felt. However, the team’s leaders were Sogadzi, and forward Alvin Carter, who lived in the same home. Carter and Sogadzi both committed to D-1 Fairfield, while Smith ended up being a star center at Marist. Morris played football at Toledo.
Behind the offensive firepower of Sogadzi, who averaged over 20 points per game, a quick transition game, and stingy a defense that only allowed 43 points per game before their final loss, Nyack entered the sectional playoffs on a roll. They had won 16 in a row, and easily added blew away Byram Hills and Nanuet to earn a trip to the Westchester County Center for the sectional semifinals, and another rematch with mighty Kennedy. Nyack was the 3 seed, and Kennedy was the 2 seed, with both teams sporting a stellar 20-2 record. Both defenses were superb, resulting in a slim 37-36 Nyack lead heading into the 4th quarter. McGrath and James Gray hit huge 3-pointers to keep the Gaels in the game when the Indians jumped ahead, but a nice jumper by Morris with 1:25 proved to be the dagger, and Nyack ended up winning 50-47.
Nyack then turned in another phenomenal performance in the section final against Peekskill, and won 48-40 behind 24 points from Sogadzi. It was their first title since 1994. They were able to hold 6’10 center Hilton Armstrong, who won a national championship with UConn and is currently playing for the Wizards in the NBA, and star point guard Rashard Turner to just 14 combined points. The Indians advanced to the state playoffs, and defeated section 9’s Onteora 67-46, before beating section 4’s Chenango Valley 54-46 for the regional championship.
Nyack advance to the state semifinals in Glens Falls, where they would have to take on defending state champion Amityville from section 11, who was 23-1, and had won 23 in a row. Amityville was tall, fast, athletic, and powerful. They were led by St. John’s-bound guard Tristan Smith, and monstrous junior center Jason Fraser, who was 6’9”. Fraser was one of the top players in the country, amongst the likes of Carmelo Anthony, and was predicted to be one of the most dominating college players in the country at Villanova, but his career was derailed by led injuries. The squads had met in the state semis in 1991, where Nyack won, and advanced to the state final, where they lost by 2 in OT to Nottingham. Amityville dominated from the start this time, mainly behind Fraser. They led 17-2, and 23-9 after the first quarter behind 66 percent shooting. Nyack shot 28 percent, and had no answer for Fraser, who finished with 22 points, 12 rebounds, 6 blocks, and 4 assists. Smith had 10 points, 6 assists, and 7 steals. Nyack did put a fight in the end, crawling back late in the 4th quarter, but it was already out of hand, and Nyack lost 74-65. Sogadzi led all scorers with 23 points, and Carter finished with 12, but was shut down by Fraser in the 1st half, scoring just 1 point. Amityville went on to win this state championship, and then the next two after that, becoming the only team in state history to win 4 in a row.
Even though they couldn’t go all the way, the 2001 Nyack boys’ basketball team still accomplished a lot. They brought back league, section, and regional hardware back, and showed that they could overcome periods of doubt and frustration to accomplish their goals. They were able to get their revenge on rivals Kennedy and Peekskill, and extended the wonderful spirit in the Nyack community that had stemmed from the football team’s success. This excitement was carried on by the girl’s lacrosse team, who battled to win a 5th straight section title, and a 3rd straight regional crown.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Cappe Looks to Cap off Astronomical Season with Championship
Tevion Cappe’s football statistics could be described as excellent or stellar or stupendous or momumental or whatever you’d like. Nevertheless, an adjective doesn’t really exist to describe the numbers Cappe is putting up. The senior running back from Watertown High School is embarrassing opponents, and is helping carry his team through the Section 3 Class A playoffs at the same time.
The Cappe-led Cyclones have advanced to the sectional championship game as the 6 seed, where they will take on the defending champions, Whitesboro. When Watertown played Whitesboro during the regular season, the Cyclones actually had control most of the game, and had a 13-point lead going into the 4th quarter, before the Warriors buried them by a few touchdowns. That loss put the Cyclones at 3-3, and not a guarantee to be in the playoffs. Since then, they have ripped off 3 straight impressive wins, including a 42-point win over East-Syracuse Minoa, and a 20-point victory over Indian River, which was the only team to beat Whitesboro this season, so far.
Back to the man who made this all happen. Tevion Cappe; the 5’9”, 190 lb running back whose numbers for this season would still be great for 5 seasons. The Cyclones’ feature back isn’t a secret weapon. Last season, Cappe rushed for well over 1,000 yards to go with 12 TDs, which is considered more than a successful campaign. This year, Cappe has done so much more. Through 9 games, Cappe has rushed 2,080 yards and 35 touchdowns. Just take a second to think about what that means. Well, maybe I’ll just tell you. Cappe has averaged over 230 yards and nearly 4 TDs per game, and that doesn’t include the countless two-point conversions that he completes for Watertown. He’s averaged 10.5 yards per carry. Yes, 10.5 yards per carry. That means that, on average, he runs for a 1st down every time he touches the ball. Cappe’s has had some pretty spectacular performances this season, especially in the playoffs, where it counts the most. In that 58-16 blowout of East-Syracuse Minoa in the 1st round, Cappe put up one of the greatest performances in state history. He totaled 457 yards and 4 touchdowns in the victory that few who attended will ever forget. Cappe’s 457-yard single game performance ranks No. 6 in state history, amazingly still over 100 yards shy of Dale Ross’ record of 569. Cappe broke out again in the section semifinals verses favored Indian River, rushing for 283 yards and 5 touchdowns. The super senior ran for 179 of those yards on his touchdown runs alone. He also ran for 391 yards and 5 TDs in a victory over Camden in their final regular season game to put them in the postseason.
So, as absolutely ridiculous as Cappe’s statistics are, Watertown’s main focus will still be on trying to win the 1st football section championship in school history. The Warriors of Whitesboro do present a tall task. The 8-1 Warriors have averaged over 41 points per game this season, highlighted by games where they have scored 51, 59, and even 62 points in the quarterfinals versus Jamesville-DeWitt. They destroyed No. 1 Cortland 49-13 in the semis, and still remember how the Cyclones nearly knocked them off earlier in the year in Whitesboro. Watertown’s offense isn’t just Cappe, however. Star senior QB Tyler Augliano has several superb wide receivers in senior Caleb Bettis, who is one of the best wide outs in the section, and 6’5” junior Dustin Pond, who is a big time basketball star. Regardless of the winner, this matchup should be an incredible one for a section championship. And as for Tevion Cappe; the sky’s the limit for what this super senior can pull off.
The Cappe-led Cyclones have advanced to the sectional championship game as the 6 seed, where they will take on the defending champions, Whitesboro. When Watertown played Whitesboro during the regular season, the Cyclones actually had control most of the game, and had a 13-point lead going into the 4th quarter, before the Warriors buried them by a few touchdowns. That loss put the Cyclones at 3-3, and not a guarantee to be in the playoffs. Since then, they have ripped off 3 straight impressive wins, including a 42-point win over East-Syracuse Minoa, and a 20-point victory over Indian River, which was the only team to beat Whitesboro this season, so far.
Back to the man who made this all happen. Tevion Cappe; the 5’9”, 190 lb running back whose numbers for this season would still be great for 5 seasons. The Cyclones’ feature back isn’t a secret weapon. Last season, Cappe rushed for well over 1,000 yards to go with 12 TDs, which is considered more than a successful campaign. This year, Cappe has done so much more. Through 9 games, Cappe has rushed 2,080 yards and 35 touchdowns. Just take a second to think about what that means. Well, maybe I’ll just tell you. Cappe has averaged over 230 yards and nearly 4 TDs per game, and that doesn’t include the countless two-point conversions that he completes for Watertown. He’s averaged 10.5 yards per carry. Yes, 10.5 yards per carry. That means that, on average, he runs for a 1st down every time he touches the ball. Cappe’s has had some pretty spectacular performances this season, especially in the playoffs, where it counts the most. In that 58-16 blowout of East-Syracuse Minoa in the 1st round, Cappe put up one of the greatest performances in state history. He totaled 457 yards and 4 touchdowns in the victory that few who attended will ever forget. Cappe’s 457-yard single game performance ranks No. 6 in state history, amazingly still over 100 yards shy of Dale Ross’ record of 569. Cappe broke out again in the section semifinals verses favored Indian River, rushing for 283 yards and 5 touchdowns. The super senior ran for 179 of those yards on his touchdown runs alone. He also ran for 391 yards and 5 TDs in a victory over Camden in their final regular season game to put them in the postseason.
So, as absolutely ridiculous as Cappe’s statistics are, Watertown’s main focus will still be on trying to win the 1st football section championship in school history. The Warriors of Whitesboro do present a tall task. The 8-1 Warriors have averaged over 41 points per game this season, highlighted by games where they have scored 51, 59, and even 62 points in the quarterfinals versus Jamesville-DeWitt. They destroyed No. 1 Cortland 49-13 in the semis, and still remember how the Cyclones nearly knocked them off earlier in the year in Whitesboro. Watertown’s offense isn’t just Cappe, however. Star senior QB Tyler Augliano has several superb wide receivers in senior Caleb Bettis, who is one of the best wide outs in the section, and 6’5” junior Dustin Pond, who is a big time basketball star. Regardless of the winner, this matchup should be an incredible one for a section championship. And as for Tevion Cappe; the sky’s the limit for what this super senior can pull off.
Monday, October 11, 2010
If It All Ended Today
Sometimes it’s fun to just see, if the college football season ended today, who you think would deserve what awards. Since the regular season is half way down, now appears to be an appropriate time to measure up performances around the country with one another. Injuries, poor play, and other factors could change how the college landscape looks down the road, but we can still enjoy playing with the names and numbers with 6 weeks in the books and 6 weeks to go. This article will discuss the Heisman Trophy Award Favorites. Coming Soon: Doak Walker Award, Fred Biletnikoff Award, Chuck Bednarik Award, and more.
Heisman Trophy: The most prestigious award in the country; goes to the most outstanding player in the nation.
Winner: Denard Robinson, QB, Michigan, Sophomore: Robinson is still the Heisman frontrunner after throwing 3 picks in the Wolverines loss to Michigan State. How often do you hear about a sophomore quarterback, who is a first-year starter, leading the nation in rushing yards with 991 through 6 games? Robinson had led Michigan to a perfect 5-0 start and a No. 18 rank before losing to unbeaten rival Michigan State, who was ranked No. 17. Before struggling against the Spartans last Saturday, Robinson had thrown just one interception all year to go along with 7 passing touchdowns and 8 rushing touchdowns. He was averaging nearly 10 yards per carry before the Michigan State game. Robinson became the first player in Division 1 FBS history to have two regular season games with 200 rushing yards and 200 passing yards and also set the Big Ten single-game rushing record for a quarterback with 258 rushing yards against Notre Dame. Michigan’s tough schedule may hurt him down the road, however, as they face 3 ranked teams, including current No. 1 Ohio State and No. 15 Iowa, who possesses the nation’s top defense in terms of points allowed. Nevertheless, fate is on his side. After 71 years with only upperclassmen winners, the last three victors have been sophomores.
Runner-up: Cameron Newton, QB, Auburn, Junior: Newton has helped revive the Tiger’s program, leading them to a 6-0 start and a No. 8 ranking. Newton is second in the nation with a QB rating of 180.7 and leads the country with 10.5 yards per passing attempt. He’s thrown for 1138 yards to go along with 672 rushing yards. The first-year starter has 21 total touchdowns, 12 passing and 9 rushing, to go along with just 5 interceptions. Newton has a 64.8 completion percentage and has put Auburn in the national title mix single-handedly. He too has a tough remaining schedule, with matchups against three current top 12 teams, including former No. 1 Alabama and their top-tier defense. Newton impressed all with his 5 TDs against Kentucky, 4 of which were rushing.
3rd Place: Terrelle Pryor, QB, Ohio State, Junior: Pryor is essentially the same player Newton is; 6’6”, a junior who is an excellent running QB and is a superb athlete. A possible advantage for Pryor is experience. Pryor has been the main man at Columbus since he was a freshman, and has started every Buckeyes game over the past 2 ½ years, including last season’s Rose Bowl victory. Like Newton, Pryor has led his club to a perfect 6-0 start, but Pryor’s Buckeyes are ranked No. 1 in the nation. Pryor has thrown 15 TD passes and just 3 interceptions to go along with a 68 completion percentage and a QB rating over 170. He has also run for 354 yards and 3 scores. He two will have difficult competition to step up against, including that stellar Iowa defense.
All three have the potential to break out for a huge, game-changing play. On the other hand, all three have been known to make poor decisions while running the field and their teams. The one who has the ability to limit those mistakes, make the big play, and even carry their team to a significant bowl victory, possibly in the national championship, should come out on top.
Heisman Trophy: The most prestigious award in the country; goes to the most outstanding player in the nation.
Winner: Denard Robinson, QB, Michigan, Sophomore: Robinson is still the Heisman frontrunner after throwing 3 picks in the Wolverines loss to Michigan State. How often do you hear about a sophomore quarterback, who is a first-year starter, leading the nation in rushing yards with 991 through 6 games? Robinson had led Michigan to a perfect 5-0 start and a No. 18 rank before losing to unbeaten rival Michigan State, who was ranked No. 17. Before struggling against the Spartans last Saturday, Robinson had thrown just one interception all year to go along with 7 passing touchdowns and 8 rushing touchdowns. He was averaging nearly 10 yards per carry before the Michigan State game. Robinson became the first player in Division 1 FBS history to have two regular season games with 200 rushing yards and 200 passing yards and also set the Big Ten single-game rushing record for a quarterback with 258 rushing yards against Notre Dame. Michigan’s tough schedule may hurt him down the road, however, as they face 3 ranked teams, including current No. 1 Ohio State and No. 15 Iowa, who possesses the nation’s top defense in terms of points allowed. Nevertheless, fate is on his side. After 71 years with only upperclassmen winners, the last three victors have been sophomores.
Runner-up: Cameron Newton, QB, Auburn, Junior: Newton has helped revive the Tiger’s program, leading them to a 6-0 start and a No. 8 ranking. Newton is second in the nation with a QB rating of 180.7 and leads the country with 10.5 yards per passing attempt. He’s thrown for 1138 yards to go along with 672 rushing yards. The first-year starter has 21 total touchdowns, 12 passing and 9 rushing, to go along with just 5 interceptions. Newton has a 64.8 completion percentage and has put Auburn in the national title mix single-handedly. He too has a tough remaining schedule, with matchups against three current top 12 teams, including former No. 1 Alabama and their top-tier defense. Newton impressed all with his 5 TDs against Kentucky, 4 of which were rushing.
3rd Place: Terrelle Pryor, QB, Ohio State, Junior: Pryor is essentially the same player Newton is; 6’6”, a junior who is an excellent running QB and is a superb athlete. A possible advantage for Pryor is experience. Pryor has been the main man at Columbus since he was a freshman, and has started every Buckeyes game over the past 2 ½ years, including last season’s Rose Bowl victory. Like Newton, Pryor has led his club to a perfect 6-0 start, but Pryor’s Buckeyes are ranked No. 1 in the nation. Pryor has thrown 15 TD passes and just 3 interceptions to go along with a 68 completion percentage and a QB rating over 170. He has also run for 354 yards and 3 scores. He two will have difficult competition to step up against, including that stellar Iowa defense.
All three have the potential to break out for a huge, game-changing play. On the other hand, all three have been known to make poor decisions while running the field and their teams. The one who has the ability to limit those mistakes, make the big play, and even carry their team to a significant bowl victory, possibly in the national championship, should come out on top.
Monday, August 16, 2010
Ohio Opposites
Even though Cincinnati and Cleveland are both technically part of the same state, they are as far apart from each other as two Ohio cities can be. Despite being basically connected by one road, I-71, the 200 miles that separate them is approximately equivalent to the distance between New York City and Washington D.C. Cincinnati sits on the southwestern border with Kentucky while Cleveland is located on the northeastern border on Lake Erie. For the past few decades, both towns were known for failure in the sports world, but now Cincinnati is returning to the prowess they once possessed back in the ‘70s and ‘80s while their distant acquaintances upstate are falling into further and further athletic despair.
One should always start with the positives, so we’ll look at Cincy first. Many youngsters today would laugh at the notion the Cincinnati Reds once had one of the greatest dynasties of all time. They would have good reason to. The Reds haven’t had a winning season since 2000 and haven’t been in the playoffs since 1995, which was the last time that they were the winners of the NL Central. But anyone who knows just a little bit about baseball history has probably heard at least one thing about the powerhouse that was the Big Red Machine. This dominating Reds ballclub went 953-657 during the ‘70s, the best record of any team during the decade, and managed to win 6 divisional titles, 4 NL pennants, and 2 World Series despite playing in what was probably the most competitive decade in baseball history. During the ‘70s, the Orioles won 944 games, the Pirates won 916, the Red Sox won 895, the Yankees won 892, and the A’s won 838. All of the aforementioned teams combined to win every single World Series that decade, with the exception of the Red Sox. The tremendous Reds hitters combined to win 6 MVP awards that decade. Cincinnati featured several future Hall of Famers, such as Johnny Bench, Tony Perez, and Joe Morgan, and baseball’s all-time hit leader, Pete Rose, who would be in the Hall if not for his gambling. In another decade they would have won twice as many championships, but their great legacy will still stand tall. After winning it all in 1990, the Reds have only made the playoffs once, and much of the lore of the past seems like it belongs to another franchise.
However, this season, the Reds seem to be regaining some of their Big Red Machine form. They’ve been battling the perennial NL Central champion Cardinals for first place all season, and currently lead the red birds by a game. Although their lineup may not strike fear into the hearts of their opponents the way their predecessors did, the Reds still have one of the most potent offenses in the league, behind MVP candidate Joey Votto. Votto, who is in the top 5 in the NL for nearly every major hitting category, has been complimented well by the hitting of Scott Rolen, Brandon Phillips, Jonny Gomes, and others. Their young pitching staff has been solid throughout the year so far, and has been lead by starters Bronson Arroyo, Johnny Cueto, and Mike Leake. The bullpen, headed by veterans Arthur Rhodes and closer Francisco Cordero, have been dominant. They may not be favorites to win it all, but don’t be shocked if Cincinnati hosts Game 1 of the World Series this October.
While baseball’s popularity is reemerging down in Cincy, football will probably garner just as much attention this fall. The Bengals have been good recently, making the playoffs twice in the last five seasons, but not great, losing in the first round each time. In the bigger picture, things have looked much worse for the Bengals. They’ve only made the playoffs twice since 1990, which was the last time they won a playoff game. Despite appearing in two Super Bowls, in 1981 and 1988, the Bengals have never won on football’s greatest stage. They may have a shot this time around with talented weapons in all facets of the game. Quarterback Carson Palmer has been superb his entire career in Cincinnati and seems to be cutting down on his turnovers, which plagued him when he was younger. The addition of loud-mouthed wide-receiver legend Terrell Owens, wide-receiver Antonio Bryant, rookie receiver Jordan Shipley, and rookie tight end Jermaine Gresham, along with the return of playful wide-receiver Chad Ochocinco, should provide Palmer with plenty of targets. While their passing game may rank among the best in the league, their running game is nearly as formidable. Cedric Benson burst onto the scene last season with 1251 rushing yards, and Bernard Scott was invaluable when Benson was hurt, not only as an explosive back, but as a stellar return man. The defense is headed by tackling machine Dhani Jones, the exceptional cornerback duo of Leon Hall and Johnathan Joseph, and rookie sensation Carlos Dunlap. The Bengals will certainly be motivated by their recent playoff struggles, but they have major questions with maturity issues involving the prima donna pair of Owens and Ochocinco, and the recent legal trouble of Dunlap, Scott, and others. This season, they seem to have the tools to make a run at their first title, but the only thing that is certain is that there will be a lot of drama along the way. They’ll have a whole city behind them, but they probably can’t count on the support of their upstate counterparts.
Oh, the sorrow that is Cleveland sports. The city that hasn’t won a championship in a major sports in 46 years. The teams that get so close, only to fail once more. No matter where you look in Cleveland, the past, present, and future of their athletics all seem sour. The heaviest of all tragedies was obviously the loss of LeBron James, essentially the greatest player in Cavaliers history and maybe, down the road, one of the greatest in NBA history. LeBron’s decision to join Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami didn’t just shock and hurt Cavs fans, it destroyed them. Burned jerseys and harsh words were the wake of James’ departure, and his apparent treachery, at least in their eyes, will be his legacy. This, of course, isn’t fair. James, the two-time reigning NBA MVP, helped not just turn an abysmal Cavs team around, he helped them become one of the elite Eastern Conference powers. He led them to the playoffs in each of the last 5 seasons, without much help from his teammates, and was unable to capture a crown. The LeBron-led Cavs did make the finals once, only to be swept by the Spurs. Last season, James and company had the best record in the NBA, 61-21, heading into the playoffs, but were defeated by the Celtics in the Conference semis, during which LeBron played sub-par basketball. The Cavs will return next season with that horrible taste of defeat in their mouths, without their franchise player, and with a mostly new coaching staff. They ended up not drafting any players in the first 2 rounds of the NBA Draft, and are only left with aging star Antawn Jamison, underwhelming point guard Mo Williams, and a crew of athletic but inexperienced youngsters. In a powerful Eastern Conference with the Dream Team Heat, and the always tough Celtics and Magic, the Cavs are looking at a depressing 2010-11 season, and their long quest for a title may not be granted any time in the near future.
The disappointment that is the Cleveland Browns is nowhere near as compelling of a failure. The Browns are one of four teams in the NFL to have never appeared in the Super Bowl. They did win a few NFL Championships, but they were during the pre-Modern Era, and their most recent one was in 1964. They did go to the playoffs in 5 consecutive seasons in the ‘80s, but since then they have only gone to the postseason twice, and have only achieved 3 winning seasons. They have gone 98-174 since being eliminated from the 1989 playoffs, and have finished last in the AFC North in every season since 2003, with the exception of their 2nd-place finish in 2007. They have traditionally been one of the most boring teams in the league as well, a fact that isn’t helped by their very boring uniforms and helmets. They have added quarterbacks Jake Delhomme and Colt McCoy in an attempt to improve on their NFL-worst passing game. They also drafted cornerback Joe Haden in hopes that he can aid a defense that ranked near the bottom of the NFL across the board. They do return Jerome Harrison and Jamal Lewis after they led the Brown’s 8th-ranked rushing attack, but the odds are that once again they will finish in the cellar in a very competitive division that includes playoff contenders like the Steelers, the Ravens, and, oh yeah, the Cincinnati Bengals. The Browns are 3-9 against the Bengals since beating them in the season finale in 2003.
Finally we take a look at the sorry Cleveland Indians. The Indians may have won two World Series, but those were in 1920 and 1948. They have appeared in 3 World Series since, but have failed to obtain a title each time. They made it to the postseason in 5 consecutive seasons from 1995-1999, but fell short of the crown each time. Since falling to the Red Sox in the ’07 ALCS, the Indians have 193-243, and this season they sit tied with the Royals for last place in the AL Central, 19 games behind the 1st-place Twins. The face of the franchise, Grady Sizemore, is out for the rest of the season. Popular slugger Travis Hafner did return from the DL with a bang by hitting a grand slam, but his production was greatly missed when he was hurt. Nearly all of the impact players from their ’07 playoff run, like pitchers Cliff Lee and CC Sabathia, have been traded away and are large parts of playoff contenders elsewhere. The one positive seems to be in the future of the club with rookie starter Jeanmar Gomez, who has started his MLB career 3-0 with a 1.54 ERA. The Indians are ranked near the bottom of the league in several key categories such as batting average, RBIs, ERA, and strikeouts. It will most likely take several key trades, free-agents, and draft picks to resurrect this awful bunch. It’s just the way things are in Cleveland right now: discouraging, and it appears that there are only a few bright spots in the futures of any of the major sports in town. Maybe they need to take a trip down south through the rest of the state and visit places like Canton, where the Football Hall of Fame resides, Columbus, where Ohio State football appears to be poised for a national championship, or even all the way down to Cincinnati, where it seems expectations are rising fast, and multiple championships are likely in store.
One should always start with the positives, so we’ll look at Cincy first. Many youngsters today would laugh at the notion the Cincinnati Reds once had one of the greatest dynasties of all time. They would have good reason to. The Reds haven’t had a winning season since 2000 and haven’t been in the playoffs since 1995, which was the last time that they were the winners of the NL Central. But anyone who knows just a little bit about baseball history has probably heard at least one thing about the powerhouse that was the Big Red Machine. This dominating Reds ballclub went 953-657 during the ‘70s, the best record of any team during the decade, and managed to win 6 divisional titles, 4 NL pennants, and 2 World Series despite playing in what was probably the most competitive decade in baseball history. During the ‘70s, the Orioles won 944 games, the Pirates won 916, the Red Sox won 895, the Yankees won 892, and the A’s won 838. All of the aforementioned teams combined to win every single World Series that decade, with the exception of the Red Sox. The tremendous Reds hitters combined to win 6 MVP awards that decade. Cincinnati featured several future Hall of Famers, such as Johnny Bench, Tony Perez, and Joe Morgan, and baseball’s all-time hit leader, Pete Rose, who would be in the Hall if not for his gambling. In another decade they would have won twice as many championships, but their great legacy will still stand tall. After winning it all in 1990, the Reds have only made the playoffs once, and much of the lore of the past seems like it belongs to another franchise.
However, this season, the Reds seem to be regaining some of their Big Red Machine form. They’ve been battling the perennial NL Central champion Cardinals for first place all season, and currently lead the red birds by a game. Although their lineup may not strike fear into the hearts of their opponents the way their predecessors did, the Reds still have one of the most potent offenses in the league, behind MVP candidate Joey Votto. Votto, who is in the top 5 in the NL for nearly every major hitting category, has been complimented well by the hitting of Scott Rolen, Brandon Phillips, Jonny Gomes, and others. Their young pitching staff has been solid throughout the year so far, and has been lead by starters Bronson Arroyo, Johnny Cueto, and Mike Leake. The bullpen, headed by veterans Arthur Rhodes and closer Francisco Cordero, have been dominant. They may not be favorites to win it all, but don’t be shocked if Cincinnati hosts Game 1 of the World Series this October.
While baseball’s popularity is reemerging down in Cincy, football will probably garner just as much attention this fall. The Bengals have been good recently, making the playoffs twice in the last five seasons, but not great, losing in the first round each time. In the bigger picture, things have looked much worse for the Bengals. They’ve only made the playoffs twice since 1990, which was the last time they won a playoff game. Despite appearing in two Super Bowls, in 1981 and 1988, the Bengals have never won on football’s greatest stage. They may have a shot this time around with talented weapons in all facets of the game. Quarterback Carson Palmer has been superb his entire career in Cincinnati and seems to be cutting down on his turnovers, which plagued him when he was younger. The addition of loud-mouthed wide-receiver legend Terrell Owens, wide-receiver Antonio Bryant, rookie receiver Jordan Shipley, and rookie tight end Jermaine Gresham, along with the return of playful wide-receiver Chad Ochocinco, should provide Palmer with plenty of targets. While their passing game may rank among the best in the league, their running game is nearly as formidable. Cedric Benson burst onto the scene last season with 1251 rushing yards, and Bernard Scott was invaluable when Benson was hurt, not only as an explosive back, but as a stellar return man. The defense is headed by tackling machine Dhani Jones, the exceptional cornerback duo of Leon Hall and Johnathan Joseph, and rookie sensation Carlos Dunlap. The Bengals will certainly be motivated by their recent playoff struggles, but they have major questions with maturity issues involving the prima donna pair of Owens and Ochocinco, and the recent legal trouble of Dunlap, Scott, and others. This season, they seem to have the tools to make a run at their first title, but the only thing that is certain is that there will be a lot of drama along the way. They’ll have a whole city behind them, but they probably can’t count on the support of their upstate counterparts.
Oh, the sorrow that is Cleveland sports. The city that hasn’t won a championship in a major sports in 46 years. The teams that get so close, only to fail once more. No matter where you look in Cleveland, the past, present, and future of their athletics all seem sour. The heaviest of all tragedies was obviously the loss of LeBron James, essentially the greatest player in Cavaliers history and maybe, down the road, one of the greatest in NBA history. LeBron’s decision to join Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami didn’t just shock and hurt Cavs fans, it destroyed them. Burned jerseys and harsh words were the wake of James’ departure, and his apparent treachery, at least in their eyes, will be his legacy. This, of course, isn’t fair. James, the two-time reigning NBA MVP, helped not just turn an abysmal Cavs team around, he helped them become one of the elite Eastern Conference powers. He led them to the playoffs in each of the last 5 seasons, without much help from his teammates, and was unable to capture a crown. The LeBron-led Cavs did make the finals once, only to be swept by the Spurs. Last season, James and company had the best record in the NBA, 61-21, heading into the playoffs, but were defeated by the Celtics in the Conference semis, during which LeBron played sub-par basketball. The Cavs will return next season with that horrible taste of defeat in their mouths, without their franchise player, and with a mostly new coaching staff. They ended up not drafting any players in the first 2 rounds of the NBA Draft, and are only left with aging star Antawn Jamison, underwhelming point guard Mo Williams, and a crew of athletic but inexperienced youngsters. In a powerful Eastern Conference with the Dream Team Heat, and the always tough Celtics and Magic, the Cavs are looking at a depressing 2010-11 season, and their long quest for a title may not be granted any time in the near future.
The disappointment that is the Cleveland Browns is nowhere near as compelling of a failure. The Browns are one of four teams in the NFL to have never appeared in the Super Bowl. They did win a few NFL Championships, but they were during the pre-Modern Era, and their most recent one was in 1964. They did go to the playoffs in 5 consecutive seasons in the ‘80s, but since then they have only gone to the postseason twice, and have only achieved 3 winning seasons. They have gone 98-174 since being eliminated from the 1989 playoffs, and have finished last in the AFC North in every season since 2003, with the exception of their 2nd-place finish in 2007. They have traditionally been one of the most boring teams in the league as well, a fact that isn’t helped by their very boring uniforms and helmets. They have added quarterbacks Jake Delhomme and Colt McCoy in an attempt to improve on their NFL-worst passing game. They also drafted cornerback Joe Haden in hopes that he can aid a defense that ranked near the bottom of the NFL across the board. They do return Jerome Harrison and Jamal Lewis after they led the Brown’s 8th-ranked rushing attack, but the odds are that once again they will finish in the cellar in a very competitive division that includes playoff contenders like the Steelers, the Ravens, and, oh yeah, the Cincinnati Bengals. The Browns are 3-9 against the Bengals since beating them in the season finale in 2003.
Finally we take a look at the sorry Cleveland Indians. The Indians may have won two World Series, but those were in 1920 and 1948. They have appeared in 3 World Series since, but have failed to obtain a title each time. They made it to the postseason in 5 consecutive seasons from 1995-1999, but fell short of the crown each time. Since falling to the Red Sox in the ’07 ALCS, the Indians have 193-243, and this season they sit tied with the Royals for last place in the AL Central, 19 games behind the 1st-place Twins. The face of the franchise, Grady Sizemore, is out for the rest of the season. Popular slugger Travis Hafner did return from the DL with a bang by hitting a grand slam, but his production was greatly missed when he was hurt. Nearly all of the impact players from their ’07 playoff run, like pitchers Cliff Lee and CC Sabathia, have been traded away and are large parts of playoff contenders elsewhere. The one positive seems to be in the future of the club with rookie starter Jeanmar Gomez, who has started his MLB career 3-0 with a 1.54 ERA. The Indians are ranked near the bottom of the league in several key categories such as batting average, RBIs, ERA, and strikeouts. It will most likely take several key trades, free-agents, and draft picks to resurrect this awful bunch. It’s just the way things are in Cleveland right now: discouraging, and it appears that there are only a few bright spots in the futures of any of the major sports in town. Maybe they need to take a trip down south through the rest of the state and visit places like Canton, where the Football Hall of Fame resides, Columbus, where Ohio State football appears to be poised for a national championship, or even all the way down to Cincinnati, where it seems expectations are rising fast, and multiple championships are likely in store.
Monday, July 19, 2010
Notable Local Basketball Players to Watch in 2010
High School
Class AA
Section 1
Jabarie Hinds-sr.-Mt. Vernon
P.J. Torres-sr.-New Rochelle
Nate Gause-sr.-Poughkeepsie
Shane Martinez-sr.-North Rockland
Elijah McLaurin-sr.-Poughkeepsie
Alexis Nunez-sr.-White Plains
Ethan Telfair-so.-Ketcham
Section 2
Galal Cancer-sr.-CBA
Section 5
Mandell Thomas-sr.-Rush-Henrietta
Ashton Broyld-sr.-Rush-Henrietta
Section 8
Shaquille Moseley-jr.-Uniondale
Section 11
Tavon Sledge-sr.-Hills West
Tyler Harris-sr.-Hills West
PSAL
Mike Taylor-sr.-Boys & Girls
Ryan Rhoomes-sr.-Cardozo
Shaquille Stokes-sr.-Lincoln
Yunus Hopkinson-sr. West 50th St.
Catholic
Corey Edwards-sr.-Christ the King
Omar Calhoun-jr.-Christ the King
Jermaine Sanders-sr.-Rice
Class A
Section 1
Joel Neri-sr.-Port Chester
Pat Peterson-jr.-Tappan Zee
Section 2
Terell Winney-sr.-Scotia-Glenville
Jordan Greene-sr.-South Glens Falls
Section 3
Dajuan Coleman-jr.-Jamesville-DeWitt
Demetrius Mitchell-sr.-Jamesville-DeWitt
Dustin Pond-jr.-Watertown
Section 5
Jamahl Coleman-sr.-Aquinas
Section 8
Sheldon Hagigal-sr.-Westbury
Section 9
Dan Totten-sr.-Red Hook
Section 11
Matt McLeod-sr.-Harborfields
Catholic
Pete Aguilar-sr.-Mt. St. Michael
Conroy Baltimore-sr.-Stepinac
Stan Weir-jr.-Nichols
Chauvaugh Lewis-sr.-St. Mary’s
AIS
Achraf Yacoubou-sr.-Long Island Lutheran
Terry Brutus-sr.-Long Island Lutheran
Class B
Section 1
Davonne Henry-sr.-Woodlands
Section 5
Andrew Hoy-sr.-Batavia
PSAL
Jordan Washington-so.-Pathways Prep
College
Jonathan Mitchell-Mt. Vernon-sr.-Rutgers
Michael Coburn-Mt.Vernon-sr.-Rutgers
Mike Poole-St. Benedict's-fr.-Rutgers
Kevin Jones-Mt.Vernon-jr.-West Virginia
Sherrod Wright-Mt.Vernon-so.-George Mason
Vaughn Allen-Mt.Vernon-fr.-LIU
Odayne Clarke-Mt.Vernon-so.-Hill JC
Ricky Cadell-Peekskill-sr.-St. Francis
Mookie Jones-Peekskill-so.-Syracuse
Brandon Triche-Jamesville-DeWitt-so.-Syracuse
Matt Lyde-Iona Prep-so.-Syracuse
Ralph Watts-Peekskill-fr.-Albany
Daquan Brickhouse-Peekskill-fr.-CCSU
Ken Horton-Ossining-jr.-CCSU
Brandon James-Poughkeepsie-so.-Colgate
Nick Pascale-Jamesville-DeWitt-jr.-Colgate
Alshawn Hymes-Jamesville-DeWitt-so.-Canisius
Chris Manhertz-Cardinal Spellman-fr.-Canisius
Sean Kilpatrick-White Plains-fr.-Cincinnati
Tony Taylor-Stepinac-jr.-George Washington
Lou Larizza-Port Chester-so.-Farleigh Dickinson
Jordan Henriquez-Roberts-Port Chester-so.-Kansas State
Shane Southwell-Rice-fr.-Kansas State
Jhared Hall-Blessed Sacrament-jr.-Loyola
David Samuels-Blessed Sacrament-fr.-Loyola
Antonio Williams-Poughkeepsie-jr.-Coppin St.
Chaz Williams-Bishop Ford-so.-Hofstra
Tobias Harris-Hills West-fr.-Tennessee
Jayvaughn Pinkston-Bishop Loughlin-fr.-Villanova
Branden Frazier-Bishop Loughlin-fr.-Fordham
Devon McMillan-Newburgh-fr.-Fordham
Jeff Short-JFK-fr.-Fordham
Brian Voelkel- Iona Prep-fr.-Vermont
Sandro Carissimo-Iona Prep-fr.- Vermont
Simeon Marsalis-New Rochelle-so.-Vermont
Jordan Bronner-Iona Prep-fr.-New Hampshire
Antoine Mason-New Rochelle-fr.-Niagara
Will Bartlett-Collegiate-fr.-Yale
Marcus Henderson-Newburgh-fr.-Wagner?
Russell Smith-Archbishop Molly-fr.-Louisville
Devon Collier-St. Anthony's-fr.-Oregon St.
Derek Williams-St. Anthony's-fr.-Richmond
Kadeem Jack-Rice-prep-South Kent
Maurice Harkless-Forest Hills-prep-South Kent
Dayvon Whitaker-prep
NBA
Elton Brand-Peekskill-Duke-Sixers
Hilton Armstrong-Peekskill-UConn-Wizards
Ben Gordon-Mt.Vernon-UConn-Pistons
Andy Rautins-Jamesville-DeWitt-Syracuse-Knicks
A.J. Price-Amityville-UConn-Pacers
Lance Stephenson- Lincoln-Cincinnati-Pacers
Class AA
Section 1
Jabarie Hinds-sr.-Mt. Vernon
P.J. Torres-sr.-New Rochelle
Nate Gause-sr.-Poughkeepsie
Shane Martinez-sr.-North Rockland
Elijah McLaurin-sr.-Poughkeepsie
Alexis Nunez-sr.-White Plains
Ethan Telfair-so.-Ketcham
Section 2
Galal Cancer-sr.-CBA
Section 5
Mandell Thomas-sr.-Rush-Henrietta
Ashton Broyld-sr.-Rush-Henrietta
Section 8
Shaquille Moseley-jr.-Uniondale
Section 11
Tavon Sledge-sr.-Hills West
Tyler Harris-sr.-Hills West
PSAL
Mike Taylor-sr.-Boys & Girls
Ryan Rhoomes-sr.-Cardozo
Shaquille Stokes-sr.-Lincoln
Yunus Hopkinson-sr. West 50th St.
Catholic
Corey Edwards-sr.-Christ the King
Omar Calhoun-jr.-Christ the King
Jermaine Sanders-sr.-Rice
Class A
Section 1
Joel Neri-sr.-Port Chester
Pat Peterson-jr.-Tappan Zee
Section 2
Terell Winney-sr.-Scotia-Glenville
Jordan Greene-sr.-South Glens Falls
Section 3
Dajuan Coleman-jr.-Jamesville-DeWitt
Demetrius Mitchell-sr.-Jamesville-DeWitt
Dustin Pond-jr.-Watertown
Section 5
Jamahl Coleman-sr.-Aquinas
Section 8
Sheldon Hagigal-sr.-Westbury
Section 9
Dan Totten-sr.-Red Hook
Section 11
Matt McLeod-sr.-Harborfields
Catholic
Pete Aguilar-sr.-Mt. St. Michael
Conroy Baltimore-sr.-Stepinac
Stan Weir-jr.-Nichols
Chauvaugh Lewis-sr.-St. Mary’s
AIS
Achraf Yacoubou-sr.-Long Island Lutheran
Terry Brutus-sr.-Long Island Lutheran
Class B
Section 1
Davonne Henry-sr.-Woodlands
Section 5
Andrew Hoy-sr.-Batavia
PSAL
Jordan Washington-so.-Pathways Prep
College
Jonathan Mitchell-Mt. Vernon-sr.-Rutgers
Michael Coburn-Mt.Vernon-sr.-Rutgers
Mike Poole-St. Benedict's-fr.-Rutgers
Kevin Jones-Mt.Vernon-jr.-West Virginia
Sherrod Wright-Mt.Vernon-so.-George Mason
Vaughn Allen-Mt.Vernon-fr.-LIU
Odayne Clarke-Mt.Vernon-so.-Hill JC
Ricky Cadell-Peekskill-sr.-St. Francis
Mookie Jones-Peekskill-so.-Syracuse
Brandon Triche-Jamesville-DeWitt-so.-Syracuse
Matt Lyde-Iona Prep-so.-Syracuse
Ralph Watts-Peekskill-fr.-Albany
Daquan Brickhouse-Peekskill-fr.-CCSU
Ken Horton-Ossining-jr.-CCSU
Brandon James-Poughkeepsie-so.-Colgate
Nick Pascale-Jamesville-DeWitt-jr.-Colgate
Alshawn Hymes-Jamesville-DeWitt-so.-Canisius
Chris Manhertz-Cardinal Spellman-fr.-Canisius
Sean Kilpatrick-White Plains-fr.-Cincinnati
Tony Taylor-Stepinac-jr.-George Washington
Lou Larizza-Port Chester-so.-Farleigh Dickinson
Jordan Henriquez-Roberts-Port Chester-so.-Kansas State
Shane Southwell-Rice-fr.-Kansas State
Jhared Hall-Blessed Sacrament-jr.-Loyola
David Samuels-Blessed Sacrament-fr.-Loyola
Antonio Williams-Poughkeepsie-jr.-Coppin St.
Chaz Williams-Bishop Ford-so.-Hofstra
Tobias Harris-Hills West-fr.-Tennessee
Jayvaughn Pinkston-Bishop Loughlin-fr.-Villanova
Branden Frazier-Bishop Loughlin-fr.-Fordham
Devon McMillan-Newburgh-fr.-Fordham
Jeff Short-JFK-fr.-Fordham
Brian Voelkel- Iona Prep-fr.-Vermont
Sandro Carissimo-Iona Prep-fr.- Vermont
Simeon Marsalis-New Rochelle-so.-Vermont
Jordan Bronner-Iona Prep-fr.-New Hampshire
Antoine Mason-New Rochelle-fr.-Niagara
Will Bartlett-Collegiate-fr.-Yale
Marcus Henderson-Newburgh-fr.-Wagner?
Russell Smith-Archbishop Molly-fr.-Louisville
Devon Collier-St. Anthony's-fr.-Oregon St.
Derek Williams-St. Anthony's-fr.-Richmond
Kadeem Jack-Rice-prep-South Kent
Maurice Harkless-Forest Hills-prep-South Kent
Dayvon Whitaker-prep
NBA
Elton Brand-Peekskill-Duke-Sixers
Hilton Armstrong-Peekskill-UConn-Wizards
Ben Gordon-Mt.Vernon-UConn-Pistons
Andy Rautins-Jamesville-DeWitt-Syracuse-Knicks
A.J. Price-Amityville-UConn-Pacers
Lance Stephenson- Lincoln-Cincinnati-Pacers
Friday, June 18, 2010
MLB Update
As we grow nearer and nearer to the MLB All-Star Game on July 13th in Anaheim, now could be an interesting time to look at how awards’ races and standings are shaping up before players and teams gear up for the 2nd half of the season. Many of the battles for awards and playoff spots are tight, while certain players and teams are standing alone after superb starts. Here is how some of the awards races have played out so far and which players seem to be closer to securing the awards then others:
AL MVP: 1. Robinson Cano, 2B, New York Yankees: Cano has had a phenomenal season so far for the Yankees, leading all of baseball with a .372 average. He’s also had impressive power numbers, 14 homers and 49 RBIs, to go along with Gold Glove caliber play at second base. His Yankees are tied with the Rays for the first place in the AL East, and also show baseball’s best record with the Rays, even with the struggles of Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira thanks, in a large part, to Cano.
2. Miguel Cabrera, 1B, Detroit Tigers: Cabrera is in a close 2nd behind Cano if it weren’t for his batting average plummeting over the past few weeks, and the fact that Cano is usually a better hitter in the 2nd half of the season. Cabrera had been maintaining an average over .350 until as recently as June 6th, but has recently fallen to .332. His power certainly hasn’t been depleted seeing as he currently leads MLB with 19 homers and 59 RBIs. His Tigers are only 1.5 games behind the Twins for first in the AL Central, and they seemed poised to pass them because of Cabrera.
NL MVP: 1. Ubaldo Jimenez, SP, Colorado Rockies: It’s not very common for a pitcher to win MVP. In fact, it hasn’t been done since Dennis Eckersley won both the AL MVP and AL Cy Young awards in 1992. This is due to the fact that many voters believe that the pitchers already have their own award, the Cy Young Award, and shouldn’t be allowed to win MVP. Nevertheless, the combination of Ubaldo’s dominance with the lack of an outstanding hitter in the NL makes the possibility of the trend being broken. Jimenez has mowed down nearly all opposition with ease, going 13-1 with 88 strikeouts, two shutouts, and an outstanding 1.15 ERA. Did I forget to mention that he threw the Rockies first ever no-hitter in April and that in his one loss, he only gave up 1 run on 2 hits. Jimenez is the only thing keeping the Rockies afloat as they sit at 34-32 in 4th place in the NL West. He is the easily the best player in baseball, and barring a gigantic meltdown, he should easily wrap up the NL MVP and NL Cy Young awards.
2. Joey Votto, 1B, Cincinnati Reds: The fact that Albert Pujols isn’t listed here is probably a shock to most, but Pujols’ wonderful start has shattered. While he still has quality numbers, 15 homers, 49 RBI, and a .308 average, the lack of his former ability has hurt his Cardinals, who are a half a game behind Votto’s Reds for first in the NL Central. Votto has played a huge role in the Reds’ success this season with great stats of his own, 14 homers, 43 RBI, and a .307 average. His stellar hitting along with excellent fielding at 1st base has helped resurrect the sorry Reds club that had dwelled in the bottom half of the division for the last decade. If the voters decide they don’t want a pitcher as MVP, it appears that Votto would have the best shot to dethrone the 2-time defending NL MVP Pujols from his pedestal above the NL.
AL Cy Young: 1. David Price, SP, Tampa Bay Rays: The hype has finally become a reality for 24 year-old sensation David Price, who has finally pitched up to the incredible expectations baseball fans had for him. He owns an impressive 10-2 record to go along with a 2.31 ERA and 64 strikeouts, and his efforts so far have helped the Rays acquire a tie with the Yankees for baseball’s best record at 41-25. If he can maintain this level of performance, the Rays should have no trouble finding themselves playing deep into October.
2. Clay Buchholtz, SP, Boston Red Sox: Another youngster making a successful living in the hitter-laden AL East, the 25 year-old already has already thrown a no-hitter, which was in his 2nd career start in 2007, been sent down to the minors, and worked his way back into the Red Sox rotation. He is now the leader of that rotation, and if he can propel the 3rd place Red Sox into the playoffs, he should definitely deserve consideration for the award named after the former Red Sox great. He is currently 9-4 with 58 strikeouts and a 2.67 ERA. He also threw a shutout this season.
NL Cy Young: 1. Ubaldo Jimenez, SP, Colorado Rockies: As previously stated, Jimenez would need to completely fall of the tracks to lose his grip on the NL MVP and Cy Young awards. Ubaldo has put up ridiculous numbers for a sub-par squad, and despite a lack of run support, he has been the biggest part of making 2010 the year of the pitcher.
2. Adam Wainwright, SP, St. Louis Cardinals: If Ubaldo were to have an unfortunate implosion during the 2nd half of the season, the man most likely to scoop up the Cy Young would probably be Wainwright. He has 97 strikeouts to complement a 9-4 record and a 2.41 ERA. If the Cardinals want to make it into the postseason, Wainwright will definitely have to be the focal point from a pitching perspective. He was a World Series hero before and has the stuff to take the Cardinals back to the Fall Classic once again.
Of course, anything can change over the course of half a season. Anyone can get hot, anyone can go into a slump, and anyone can get hurt. One thing to be sure of is the fact that when it all comes down to it, the true best players will be able to step up in the end and carry their teams to the next level, with a few of them adding a prestigious trophy (or 2 in Ubaldo’s case) to their collections.
AL MVP: 1. Robinson Cano, 2B, New York Yankees: Cano has had a phenomenal season so far for the Yankees, leading all of baseball with a .372 average. He’s also had impressive power numbers, 14 homers and 49 RBIs, to go along with Gold Glove caliber play at second base. His Yankees are tied with the Rays for the first place in the AL East, and also show baseball’s best record with the Rays, even with the struggles of Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira thanks, in a large part, to Cano.
2. Miguel Cabrera, 1B, Detroit Tigers: Cabrera is in a close 2nd behind Cano if it weren’t for his batting average plummeting over the past few weeks, and the fact that Cano is usually a better hitter in the 2nd half of the season. Cabrera had been maintaining an average over .350 until as recently as June 6th, but has recently fallen to .332. His power certainly hasn’t been depleted seeing as he currently leads MLB with 19 homers and 59 RBIs. His Tigers are only 1.5 games behind the Twins for first in the AL Central, and they seemed poised to pass them because of Cabrera.
NL MVP: 1. Ubaldo Jimenez, SP, Colorado Rockies: It’s not very common for a pitcher to win MVP. In fact, it hasn’t been done since Dennis Eckersley won both the AL MVP and AL Cy Young awards in 1992. This is due to the fact that many voters believe that the pitchers already have their own award, the Cy Young Award, and shouldn’t be allowed to win MVP. Nevertheless, the combination of Ubaldo’s dominance with the lack of an outstanding hitter in the NL makes the possibility of the trend being broken. Jimenez has mowed down nearly all opposition with ease, going 13-1 with 88 strikeouts, two shutouts, and an outstanding 1.15 ERA. Did I forget to mention that he threw the Rockies first ever no-hitter in April and that in his one loss, he only gave up 1 run on 2 hits. Jimenez is the only thing keeping the Rockies afloat as they sit at 34-32 in 4th place in the NL West. He is the easily the best player in baseball, and barring a gigantic meltdown, he should easily wrap up the NL MVP and NL Cy Young awards.
2. Joey Votto, 1B, Cincinnati Reds: The fact that Albert Pujols isn’t listed here is probably a shock to most, but Pujols’ wonderful start has shattered. While he still has quality numbers, 15 homers, 49 RBI, and a .308 average, the lack of his former ability has hurt his Cardinals, who are a half a game behind Votto’s Reds for first in the NL Central. Votto has played a huge role in the Reds’ success this season with great stats of his own, 14 homers, 43 RBI, and a .307 average. His stellar hitting along with excellent fielding at 1st base has helped resurrect the sorry Reds club that had dwelled in the bottom half of the division for the last decade. If the voters decide they don’t want a pitcher as MVP, it appears that Votto would have the best shot to dethrone the 2-time defending NL MVP Pujols from his pedestal above the NL.
AL Cy Young: 1. David Price, SP, Tampa Bay Rays: The hype has finally become a reality for 24 year-old sensation David Price, who has finally pitched up to the incredible expectations baseball fans had for him. He owns an impressive 10-2 record to go along with a 2.31 ERA and 64 strikeouts, and his efforts so far have helped the Rays acquire a tie with the Yankees for baseball’s best record at 41-25. If he can maintain this level of performance, the Rays should have no trouble finding themselves playing deep into October.
2. Clay Buchholtz, SP, Boston Red Sox: Another youngster making a successful living in the hitter-laden AL East, the 25 year-old already has already thrown a no-hitter, which was in his 2nd career start in 2007, been sent down to the minors, and worked his way back into the Red Sox rotation. He is now the leader of that rotation, and if he can propel the 3rd place Red Sox into the playoffs, he should definitely deserve consideration for the award named after the former Red Sox great. He is currently 9-4 with 58 strikeouts and a 2.67 ERA. He also threw a shutout this season.
NL Cy Young: 1. Ubaldo Jimenez, SP, Colorado Rockies: As previously stated, Jimenez would need to completely fall of the tracks to lose his grip on the NL MVP and Cy Young awards. Ubaldo has put up ridiculous numbers for a sub-par squad, and despite a lack of run support, he has been the biggest part of making 2010 the year of the pitcher.
2. Adam Wainwright, SP, St. Louis Cardinals: If Ubaldo were to have an unfortunate implosion during the 2nd half of the season, the man most likely to scoop up the Cy Young would probably be Wainwright. He has 97 strikeouts to complement a 9-4 record and a 2.41 ERA. If the Cardinals want to make it into the postseason, Wainwright will definitely have to be the focal point from a pitching perspective. He was a World Series hero before and has the stuff to take the Cardinals back to the Fall Classic once again.
Of course, anything can change over the course of half a season. Anyone can get hot, anyone can go into a slump, and anyone can get hurt. One thing to be sure of is the fact that when it all comes down to it, the true best players will be able to step up in the end and carry their teams to the next level, with a few of them adding a prestigious trophy (or 2 in Ubaldo’s case) to their collections.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Roll Tide
Defending a national championship in college sports is a daunting task which requires nearly every factor to work out in your favor. You can only have players for four years, and the best players usually leave a year or more early to earn money at the professional level. You need a top-rate coach, a superb recruiting system, and a tradition with which you can attract players and fans. The Alabama Crimson Tide football team seems poised to be able to pull off a repeat this season. The Tide dominated college football last season, bulldozing through football’s toughest conference, the SEC, en route to a 14-0 record and a victory in the national championship game over Texas. Their powerful running game, combined with the nation’s top defense, was an unstoppable force as the y defeated 6 ranked teams over the course of the season, including Tim Tebow’s No.1 Florida Gators. All that the dedicated Bama fans, which includes the 85,000 that attended one of the spring scrimmage games, want to know now is if their guys can repeat. Well, they certainly have all the pieces to say yes.
Alabama football starts with Nick Saban. The already legendary coach had to himself to the diehard Crimson Tide faithful, and has done a superb job so far, which includes having one of the top recruiting classes each season. The Tide offensive, which if not prolific was still excellent last year, returns nearly every single weapon in its arsenal. The headliner is quite obvious in junior running back Mark Ingram, last season’s recipient of the Heisman Trophy award given to the best player in the country. Ingram was Alabama’s first ever Heisman winner, and he earned it, rushing for 1658 and 17 touchdowns last season. Alabama also has an excellent backup back in sophomore Trent Richardson, who recorded 751 rushing yards and 8 TDs last year. Another key factor in the Tide’s favor is the return of starting QB Greg McElroy, who threw for 2,500 yards and 17 TDs with just 4 interceptions in his first year as a starter last season. McElroy has two high quality targets to throw to this season in juniors Julio Jones and Marquis Maze. Jones, considered a top 5 receiver in the country, was hampered last season by injuries and double teams. But with the emergence of Maze as a threat, as well as their powerful running game, Jones has a better shot to have a breakout season and be the superstar that many believed he would become.
Analysts say that Bama’s Achilles heel this year will be that formerly tenacious defense. Really? How could last year’s best defense be the Tide’s weakness? Well, they are losing the majority of their starters, 9 to be exact, including most of their defensive leaders. Gone to the NFL are linebacker Rolando McClain (1st round-8th pick), CB Kareem Jackson (1st round- 20th pick), CB Javier Arenas (2nd round), monster nose guard Terrence Cody (2nd round), DB Marquis Johnson (7th round), and DE Brandon Deaderick (7th round). Nevertheless, you can never underestimate an Alabama defense, especially not a Nick Saban defense. The Crimson Tide do return a trio of juniors that could all go in the 1st round of the 2011 NFL Draft. Linebacker Dont’a Hightower was the best returning defensive player for the Tide before last season, even better than McClain by many accounts, but he suffered a knee injury that ended his season. Saban expects a full recovery and thinks that Hightower will be the nucleus of his defense, as well as more than a worthy replacement for McClain. Defensive end Marcell Dareus should terrorize offensive linemen as one of the toughest D-lineman to block in the nation, and safety Mark Barron should improve on a stellar sophomore campaign in which he led the SEC in interceptions and passes defended and was second on the team in tackles.
As usual, Alabama’s regular season schedule has some rough spots. They host a tough non-conference opponent in Penn State in Week 2. While the Nittany Lions may have lost star QB Daryll Clark, they return superstar running back Evan Royster and leading receiver Derek Moye. Week 4 presents a challenging road game against Arkansas and their prized QB Ryan Mallet, who returns along with leading receiving Greg Childs. The next week they take on Florida, a talented but well depleted squad. The Gators lost the majority of their starters on both sides of the ball, including QB Tim Tebow, who is considered by many to be the greatest college football player of all-time. The only other game that should provide a true challenge during the regular season is when the Tide go to Baton Rouge to take on always loaded LSU. In terms of the rest of the country, the top competition for Alabama appears to be Ohio State and Boise State. Ohio State returns stellar and experienced QB Terrelle Pyror along with a great defense, and Boise State returns all but one starter from a team that went undefeated last season. The biggest obstacle for the Crimson Tide will be history. AS previously mentioned, defending a title in college football is an unlikely phenomenon. In fact, only two teams have been able to repeat as consensus national champions in the last six decades, Oklahoma in 1955-56, and Nebraska in 1994-95. Obviously, it takes more than being a special team to repeat, and the folks down there in Tuscaloosa have a lot more.
Alabama football starts with Nick Saban. The already legendary coach had to himself to the diehard Crimson Tide faithful, and has done a superb job so far, which includes having one of the top recruiting classes each season. The Tide offensive, which if not prolific was still excellent last year, returns nearly every single weapon in its arsenal. The headliner is quite obvious in junior running back Mark Ingram, last season’s recipient of the Heisman Trophy award given to the best player in the country. Ingram was Alabama’s first ever Heisman winner, and he earned it, rushing for 1658 and 17 touchdowns last season. Alabama also has an excellent backup back in sophomore Trent Richardson, who recorded 751 rushing yards and 8 TDs last year. Another key factor in the Tide’s favor is the return of starting QB Greg McElroy, who threw for 2,500 yards and 17 TDs with just 4 interceptions in his first year as a starter last season. McElroy has two high quality targets to throw to this season in juniors Julio Jones and Marquis Maze. Jones, considered a top 5 receiver in the country, was hampered last season by injuries and double teams. But with the emergence of Maze as a threat, as well as their powerful running game, Jones has a better shot to have a breakout season and be the superstar that many believed he would become.
Analysts say that Bama’s Achilles heel this year will be that formerly tenacious defense. Really? How could last year’s best defense be the Tide’s weakness? Well, they are losing the majority of their starters, 9 to be exact, including most of their defensive leaders. Gone to the NFL are linebacker Rolando McClain (1st round-8th pick), CB Kareem Jackson (1st round- 20th pick), CB Javier Arenas (2nd round), monster nose guard Terrence Cody (2nd round), DB Marquis Johnson (7th round), and DE Brandon Deaderick (7th round). Nevertheless, you can never underestimate an Alabama defense, especially not a Nick Saban defense. The Crimson Tide do return a trio of juniors that could all go in the 1st round of the 2011 NFL Draft. Linebacker Dont’a Hightower was the best returning defensive player for the Tide before last season, even better than McClain by many accounts, but he suffered a knee injury that ended his season. Saban expects a full recovery and thinks that Hightower will be the nucleus of his defense, as well as more than a worthy replacement for McClain. Defensive end Marcell Dareus should terrorize offensive linemen as one of the toughest D-lineman to block in the nation, and safety Mark Barron should improve on a stellar sophomore campaign in which he led the SEC in interceptions and passes defended and was second on the team in tackles.
As usual, Alabama’s regular season schedule has some rough spots. They host a tough non-conference opponent in Penn State in Week 2. While the Nittany Lions may have lost star QB Daryll Clark, they return superstar running back Evan Royster and leading receiver Derek Moye. Week 4 presents a challenging road game against Arkansas and their prized QB Ryan Mallet, who returns along with leading receiving Greg Childs. The next week they take on Florida, a talented but well depleted squad. The Gators lost the majority of their starters on both sides of the ball, including QB Tim Tebow, who is considered by many to be the greatest college football player of all-time. The only other game that should provide a true challenge during the regular season is when the Tide go to Baton Rouge to take on always loaded LSU. In terms of the rest of the country, the top competition for Alabama appears to be Ohio State and Boise State. Ohio State returns stellar and experienced QB Terrelle Pyror along with a great defense, and Boise State returns all but one starter from a team that went undefeated last season. The biggest obstacle for the Crimson Tide will be history. AS previously mentioned, defending a title in college football is an unlikely phenomenon. In fact, only two teams have been able to repeat as consensus national champions in the last six decades, Oklahoma in 1955-56, and Nebraska in 1994-95. Obviously, it takes more than being a special team to repeat, and the folks down there in Tuscaloosa have a lot more.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Best of NYC Basketball
Bronx
Jeff Short- 6’4”-senior-JFK
DaShawn Joyner-6’0”-senior-South Bronx
Naquan Pierce-5’9”-senior-JFK
Jordan Aaron- 5’10”-senior-Wings
David Coley-6’1”-senior-Jefferson
John Hargrove-6’4”-senior-Smith
Brooklyn
Shaquille Stokes-5’11”-junior-Lincoln
Jayvaughn Pinkston-6’6”-senior-Bishop Laughlin
Branden Frazier-6’3”-senior- Bishop Laughlin
Clarence Crawley-6’3”-senior-Coble Hill
Michael Taylor-6’3”-junior-Boys & Girls
Leroy Isler-6’5”- senior-Boys & Girls
Manhattan
Shane Southwell-6’6”- senior- Rice
Kadeem Jack- 6’8”-senior- Rice
Yunus Hopkinson-5’10”-West 50th
Nataniel Acosta-5’11”-senior-Bread & Roses
Anthony Mason Jr.-6’4”-senior-Bedford
Queens
Jordan Washington-6’7”-freshman-Pathways
Thomas Tsatsis-6’0”-senior-Townsend
Malik Batine- 6’3”- Richmond Hill- senior
Tim Johnson-6’3”-senior-Springfield Gardens
Omar Calhoun-6’4”-sophomore-Christ the King
Maurice Barrow-6’4”-senior- Christ the King
Staten Island
Aaron Morton-6’0”-junior-New Dorp
Sharef Manley-5’9”- senior-Mckee
Giovanni Oppedisano-5’11”-senior-Tottenville
Atigi Moore-6’1”-senior- McKee
Tyler Summers-5’10”-freshman-Petrides
Jeff Short- 6’4”-senior-JFK
DaShawn Joyner-6’0”-senior-South Bronx
Naquan Pierce-5’9”-senior-JFK
Jordan Aaron- 5’10”-senior-Wings
David Coley-6’1”-senior-Jefferson
John Hargrove-6’4”-senior-Smith
Brooklyn
Shaquille Stokes-5’11”-junior-Lincoln
Jayvaughn Pinkston-6’6”-senior-Bishop Laughlin
Branden Frazier-6’3”-senior- Bishop Laughlin
Clarence Crawley-6’3”-senior-Coble Hill
Michael Taylor-6’3”-junior-Boys & Girls
Leroy Isler-6’5”- senior-Boys & Girls
Manhattan
Shane Southwell-6’6”- senior- Rice
Kadeem Jack- 6’8”-senior- Rice
Yunus Hopkinson-5’10”-West 50th
Nataniel Acosta-5’11”-senior-Bread & Roses
Anthony Mason Jr.-6’4”-senior-Bedford
Queens
Jordan Washington-6’7”-freshman-Pathways
Thomas Tsatsis-6’0”-senior-Townsend
Malik Batine- 6’3”- Richmond Hill- senior
Tim Johnson-6’3”-senior-Springfield Gardens
Omar Calhoun-6’4”-sophomore-Christ the King
Maurice Barrow-6’4”-senior- Christ the King
Staten Island
Aaron Morton-6’0”-junior-New Dorp
Sharef Manley-5’9”- senior-Mckee
Giovanni Oppedisano-5’11”-senior-Tottenville
Atigi Moore-6’1”-senior- McKee
Tyler Summers-5’10”-freshman-Petrides
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Great Day for Jamesville-Dewitt
It was truly a memorable day for Jamesville-DeWitt high school, its fans, and its community. The school witnesses its dynasty in boy’s basketball continue while watching alumni succeed on the next level. The high school squad won its 3rd consecutive Class A state championship by beating Newark 59-45. They were led by 6’9” 280 pound sophomore forward DaJuan Coleman, who had 12 points and 14 rebounds, along with star senior guard Lamar Kearse, who had 17 points. Coleman’s tremendous size, superb athletic ability, and limitless potential shall probably land him a spot in the NBA one day, barring injury. He has expressed interest in attending Syracuse University, where his father and NBA All-Star Derrick Coleman attended.
While Coleman and his teammates celebrate and prepare for their next game against Bedford Academy in the Federation tournament, they can also be proud of a few recent J-D alums who have also excelled on the court today. Senior Andy Rautins, who led J-D to a state championship victory in 2004 over 4-time defending champs Amityville, and freshman Brandon Triche, who was the starting point guard on J-Ds state championship teams in ’08 and ’09, helped lead Syracuse to an 87-65 win over Gonzaga, putting the Orange in the Sweet Sixteen. Rautins had the hot hand, hitting 5 3-pointers and finishing with 24 points, while Triche scored 13 points. They didn’t play together in high school; Rautins red-shirted one year at Syracuse, allowing them to be on the same team this year; but they certainly had great chemistry today and were both definitely happy that J-D win another state crown. Triche and Rautins have made everyone in the Jamesville-DeWitt community as well as everyone who supports Syracuse proud, including their famous relatives. Andy’s father Leo and Brandon’s uncle Howard both starred at Syracuse during the 1980s. If Brandon sticks around until his senior season ends, and DaJuan decides to attend Syracuse, the senior-freshman combo would create a phenomenal historical coincidence. Howard Triche, a senior at the time, and Derrick Coleman, a freshman, were teammates for the 1987 Syracuse team that made it all the way to the national championship game. With their rich basketball past, and bright, talented futures, both Syracuse and Jamesville-DeWitt shall be celebrating basketball success for years to come.
While Coleman and his teammates celebrate and prepare for their next game against Bedford Academy in the Federation tournament, they can also be proud of a few recent J-D alums who have also excelled on the court today. Senior Andy Rautins, who led J-D to a state championship victory in 2004 over 4-time defending champs Amityville, and freshman Brandon Triche, who was the starting point guard on J-Ds state championship teams in ’08 and ’09, helped lead Syracuse to an 87-65 win over Gonzaga, putting the Orange in the Sweet Sixteen. Rautins had the hot hand, hitting 5 3-pointers and finishing with 24 points, while Triche scored 13 points. They didn’t play together in high school; Rautins red-shirted one year at Syracuse, allowing them to be on the same team this year; but they certainly had great chemistry today and were both definitely happy that J-D win another state crown. Triche and Rautins have made everyone in the Jamesville-DeWitt community as well as everyone who supports Syracuse proud, including their famous relatives. Andy’s father Leo and Brandon’s uncle Howard both starred at Syracuse during the 1980s. If Brandon sticks around until his senior season ends, and DaJuan decides to attend Syracuse, the senior-freshman combo would create a phenomenal historical coincidence. Howard Triche, a senior at the time, and Derrick Coleman, a freshman, were teammates for the 1987 Syracuse team that made it all the way to the national championship game. With their rich basketball past, and bright, talented futures, both Syracuse and Jamesville-DeWitt shall be celebrating basketball success for years to come.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
NFL Draft Preview
Even though the 2010 NFL Draft isn’t taking place for a while, mock drafts can be put together now based on each teams’ major needs. The draft is one of the biggest events of the year in the NFL as teams try to improve on the previous year’s faults and build up for the future. This is a big draft for both New York teams as the Giants try to clean up their defense and the Jets try to build on the their AFC Championship game run. This mock draft could end up being pretty accurate or not so accurate, but it should give us a good enough preview of what April’s draft will look like. Here are likely options for the first five picks, as well as the first picks for the Giants and Jets:
1. St. Louis Rams: DT Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska: Even though the Rams have a huge need at QB, the upper level of QBs in this year’s draft is weaker than most, and there are a lot of question marks around the top passers. Suh seems impossible to pass up after winning 4 college football awards, including 2 for best defensive player of the year, and being one of the five Heisman finalists. He was 4th in the country with 12 sacks and also recorded 82 sacks. He would make an immediate impact in helping a Rams defense that finished in the bottom part of the league in nearly every defensive category.
2. Detroit Lions: DT Gerald McCoy, Oklahoma: McCoy would have been the top defensive lineman in any other draft except this year’s, thanks to Suh. McCoy had a stellar career at Oklahoma and certainly has an NFL body at 6’4” 297 pounds. McCoy was the leader on a Sooner’s defense that recorded 3 shutouts and gave up less than 15 points per game. He would be a huge addition to a Lions defense that finished dead last in 6 major defensive categories.
3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: S Eric Berry, Tennessee: Berry has drawn many comparisons to Ravens star safety Ed Reed, which is the highest compliment a safety can get. Berry won the Jim Thorpe Award, which is given to the most outstanding defensive back. He also has great tackling ability for a safety and would be a great fit for the Bucs’ defense that finished in the bottom part of the league in most scoring categories.
4. Washington Redskins: QB Sam Bradford, Oklahoma: Bradford was considered a top prospect before the previous draft, but he opted to return to college at Oklahoma. His decision was costly, as he suffered an early shoulder injury that forced him to sit out most of the year. He appears to be healthy, but we’ll have to see if his shoulder can take NFL hits. Jason Campbell was a decent QB with a very good completion percentage, but he wasn’t a great decision maker and couldn’t win games for the Redskins. Bradford has the accuracy and poise to get the Redskins out of the cellar of the NFC East if they draft him and give him the chance.
5. Kansas City Chiefs: OT Russell Okung, Oklahoma State: Okung, the best offensive lineman in the draft, could really make a difference in Kansas City. The Chiefs were sacked 45 times last season, which ranks 6th most in the NFL. Okung could certainly help after leading an Oklahoma State offensive line that recorded the 4th lowest total for sacks allowed in the country with 11. The Cowboys were 21st in rushing yards thanks to Okung and the O-line. He would pay huge dividends in Kansas City.
15. New York Giants: DE Carlos Dunlap, Florida: Dunlap was an absolute monster for the Gators during his collegiate career, highlighted by a stellar performance in the 2009 BCS Championship game that earned him the game’s defensive MVP award. Regardless of off-field troubles, Dunlap has been able to apply huge amounts of pressure on opposing QBs, recording 9 sacks each of the last 2 seasons. Dunlap would add a lot of depth for the Giants alongside Osi Umenyiora, Justin Tuck and Mathius Kiwanuka, and could help the Giants defense that finished 30th in points per game allowed.
29. New York Jets: WR Golden Tate, Notre Dame: Tate would be a phenomenal weapon for Mark Sanchez and is a superb playmaker. Tate won the Biletnikoff Award for the nation’s best receiver after finishing 4th in the nation in receiving yards. He was also 2nd in the nation in touchdowns among wide receivers. Tate would be a perfect complement for Jerricho Cotchery and would be a good option to have if WR Braylon Edwards had to miss time because of his legal troubles.
1. St. Louis Rams: DT Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska: Even though the Rams have a huge need at QB, the upper level of QBs in this year’s draft is weaker than most, and there are a lot of question marks around the top passers. Suh seems impossible to pass up after winning 4 college football awards, including 2 for best defensive player of the year, and being one of the five Heisman finalists. He was 4th in the country with 12 sacks and also recorded 82 sacks. He would make an immediate impact in helping a Rams defense that finished in the bottom part of the league in nearly every defensive category.
2. Detroit Lions: DT Gerald McCoy, Oklahoma: McCoy would have been the top defensive lineman in any other draft except this year’s, thanks to Suh. McCoy had a stellar career at Oklahoma and certainly has an NFL body at 6’4” 297 pounds. McCoy was the leader on a Sooner’s defense that recorded 3 shutouts and gave up less than 15 points per game. He would be a huge addition to a Lions defense that finished dead last in 6 major defensive categories.
3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: S Eric Berry, Tennessee: Berry has drawn many comparisons to Ravens star safety Ed Reed, which is the highest compliment a safety can get. Berry won the Jim Thorpe Award, which is given to the most outstanding defensive back. He also has great tackling ability for a safety and would be a great fit for the Bucs’ defense that finished in the bottom part of the league in most scoring categories.
4. Washington Redskins: QB Sam Bradford, Oklahoma: Bradford was considered a top prospect before the previous draft, but he opted to return to college at Oklahoma. His decision was costly, as he suffered an early shoulder injury that forced him to sit out most of the year. He appears to be healthy, but we’ll have to see if his shoulder can take NFL hits. Jason Campbell was a decent QB with a very good completion percentage, but he wasn’t a great decision maker and couldn’t win games for the Redskins. Bradford has the accuracy and poise to get the Redskins out of the cellar of the NFC East if they draft him and give him the chance.
5. Kansas City Chiefs: OT Russell Okung, Oklahoma State: Okung, the best offensive lineman in the draft, could really make a difference in Kansas City. The Chiefs were sacked 45 times last season, which ranks 6th most in the NFL. Okung could certainly help after leading an Oklahoma State offensive line that recorded the 4th lowest total for sacks allowed in the country with 11. The Cowboys were 21st in rushing yards thanks to Okung and the O-line. He would pay huge dividends in Kansas City.
15. New York Giants: DE Carlos Dunlap, Florida: Dunlap was an absolute monster for the Gators during his collegiate career, highlighted by a stellar performance in the 2009 BCS Championship game that earned him the game’s defensive MVP award. Regardless of off-field troubles, Dunlap has been able to apply huge amounts of pressure on opposing QBs, recording 9 sacks each of the last 2 seasons. Dunlap would add a lot of depth for the Giants alongside Osi Umenyiora, Justin Tuck and Mathius Kiwanuka, and could help the Giants defense that finished 30th in points per game allowed.
29. New York Jets: WR Golden Tate, Notre Dame: Tate would be a phenomenal weapon for Mark Sanchez and is a superb playmaker. Tate won the Biletnikoff Award for the nation’s best receiver after finishing 4th in the nation in receiving yards. He was also 2nd in the nation in touchdowns among wide receivers. Tate would be a perfect complement for Jerricho Cotchery and would be a good option to have if WR Braylon Edwards had to miss time because of his legal troubles.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Rocky Top
“Rocky Top you'll always be; Home sweet home to me; Good ole Rocky Top, Rocky Top, Tennessee; Rocky Top, Tennessee.” Rocky Top, the fight song for the University of Tennessee, has been an ironic representation of this past school year for the Volunteers. A few of the things that have been “rocky” for fans in Knoxville include the ups and downs of this past football season as well as the current basketball season.
The controversial school year actual started on a high note when Tobias Harris, one of the top high school basketball players in the country, signed with the Vols for next season. Harris, who was considered one of the top 10 seniors in the nation by many, is an incredibly talented power forward who helped make Tennessee’s 2010 draft class one of the best in the country so far. The 6’8” power forward with good ball-handling and decent perimeter shooting said that he liked the passion of the coaches in Knoxville, especially head coach Bruce Pearl.
Things started to head down hill on Christmas Eve. In fact, everything fell apart at once. Tennessee’s football team suffered a 37-14 blowout loss to Virginia Tech in the Chick-fil-A Bowl game, but was hit much harder with what happened right after the game. Quarterback Jonathan Crompton was sent to the hospital immediately after the game with an undisclosed injury, and star junior safety Eric Berry confirmed that he would skip his senior season with the Vols to enter the NFL Draft, where he is predicted to be a top 10 pick. Early the next morning, to literally add more insult to injury, several Tennessee basketball players were arrested for weapons charges and marijuana possession, including All-SEC forward Tyler Smith, who had lead the team in scoring the previous season. The three other players were later reinstated to the team, but Smith was suspended for the whole season.
Amazingly, the basketball team recovered, and did it in large fashion by knocking off unbeaten No. 1 Kansas a little over a week after the incident. But the prosperity in Knoxville only lasted a few days as head football coach Lane Kiffin bolted for the head coaching job at USC after just one season as Tennessee’s coach. Even though some say getting rid of the tumultuous Kiffin will be good in the long run for the Vols, his departure will seriously set back both recruiting and team chemistry at a school with a tradition of winning. Meanwhile, over on the hardwood, the boys basketball team seems to be in good shape being ranked 14th in the nation, but they have struggled of late and have dropped their last two games. The Lady Vols basketball team has had a better than anticipated season under legendary coach Pat Summit, currently sitting at No. 5 in the country and No.1 in the SEC.
Regardless of the good or bad reputation Tennessee receives from these events, their school pride and spirit has remained one of the strongest. Fans, players, and coaches know that they have a rocky road ahead of them if they want to find their way back to being near the top in the realm of college sports. The one thing we know for sure is that no matter what the people in Knoxville go through, at the end of the day, they will always be singing “Home sweet home to me, good ole’ Rocky Top Tennessee.”
The controversial school year actual started on a high note when Tobias Harris, one of the top high school basketball players in the country, signed with the Vols for next season. Harris, who was considered one of the top 10 seniors in the nation by many, is an incredibly talented power forward who helped make Tennessee’s 2010 draft class one of the best in the country so far. The 6’8” power forward with good ball-handling and decent perimeter shooting said that he liked the passion of the coaches in Knoxville, especially head coach Bruce Pearl.
Things started to head down hill on Christmas Eve. In fact, everything fell apart at once. Tennessee’s football team suffered a 37-14 blowout loss to Virginia Tech in the Chick-fil-A Bowl game, but was hit much harder with what happened right after the game. Quarterback Jonathan Crompton was sent to the hospital immediately after the game with an undisclosed injury, and star junior safety Eric Berry confirmed that he would skip his senior season with the Vols to enter the NFL Draft, where he is predicted to be a top 10 pick. Early the next morning, to literally add more insult to injury, several Tennessee basketball players were arrested for weapons charges and marijuana possession, including All-SEC forward Tyler Smith, who had lead the team in scoring the previous season. The three other players were later reinstated to the team, but Smith was suspended for the whole season.
Amazingly, the basketball team recovered, and did it in large fashion by knocking off unbeaten No. 1 Kansas a little over a week after the incident. But the prosperity in Knoxville only lasted a few days as head football coach Lane Kiffin bolted for the head coaching job at USC after just one season as Tennessee’s coach. Even though some say getting rid of the tumultuous Kiffin will be good in the long run for the Vols, his departure will seriously set back both recruiting and team chemistry at a school with a tradition of winning. Meanwhile, over on the hardwood, the boys basketball team seems to be in good shape being ranked 14th in the nation, but they have struggled of late and have dropped their last two games. The Lady Vols basketball team has had a better than anticipated season under legendary coach Pat Summit, currently sitting at No. 5 in the country and No.1 in the SEC.
Regardless of the good or bad reputation Tennessee receives from these events, their school pride and spirit has remained one of the strongest. Fans, players, and coaches know that they have a rocky road ahead of them if they want to find their way back to being near the top in the realm of college sports. The one thing we know for sure is that no matter what the people in Knoxville go through, at the end of the day, they will always be singing “Home sweet home to me, good ole’ Rocky Top Tennessee.”
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