Secondary Issues

All right before I get into what I really want to talk about credit to Mike Tomlin, Dick LeBeau, and the Steelers. They did what no one thought they would do and adjust. They changed up from the zone blitzes and switched it to man pressure. The cornerbacks maned up on Welker, Branch, and the Pats receivers and wouldn't allow them any space to operate. OK now lets get to the good stuff.


Yesterdays performance by the Patriots secondary was pathetic and sad. Big Ben and that offense came out throwing the ball all over the place as well they should. Every time there was a 3rd and long, the Steelers were converting with ease. The corners were so far off the receivers and just giving them free releases off the line, letting them run easy to a spot and letting Big Ben complete easy passes. Mike Wallace, Antonio Brown, and Heath Miller were just running their routes, just having a grand old time like their playing catch in the backyard. Devin McCourty has taken a huge step this year and has been useless. I could sit here and rip Phillip Adams and Moulden but no one knows who those guys are and I don't expect anything from them anyway. McCourty has zero confidence right now and it shows. Yesterday he was the king of playing all the receiver. If you iso'd on McCourty yesterday, like I did on many plays, he would be up on the receiver and then right before the ball is snapped he'd back up and give a free release. Watch Revis. He's up in guy's faces all day giving them nothing easy. Because I'm insane I'm gonna re-watch the game and count how many times McCourty was up close and then back off last minute. That defensive backfield was awful and it made the Steelers look like 1999 St Louis Rams. The secondary is just Pat Chung and a bunch of practice squad guys. Is Leighh Bodden available?


Brady and the offense only had the ball for 20 minutes and with that little time they still put numbers and points. With the way the seondary played, the offesne couldnt afford 3 and outs and they had a few of those yesterday. Another disturbing is that Pats wide outs cant get open vs man coverage. It goes back to the Jets playoff game. Ochocinco is on his last legs here. He cant even run a deep post without looking like a drunk frat kid on Halloween weekend. Talk about useless.


The call for the onside kick was awful. Down 6 just about 2:30 left with 3 timeouts and the 2 minute warning. I know the defense was awful but you have to trust them there. Chances are the Steelers were going to run and we are actually pretty good vs the run. That's telling how Belichick has no faith in the defense. Maybe they weren't going to stop them but it could be a learning experience for them down the road. The execution of the kick was horrendous. The kick went about three feet. Just the wrong call in my opinion.


Well that's that. The secondary is poop sandwich. Yesterday was frustrating to watch. Next up we got the New York Giants and you damn well that ESPN is going to love to show Super Bowl 42 highlights. Get ready to chance that channel.


Until next time...

ESPN book review

I recently just finished reading the book about the history of everybody's favorite sports network, ESPN. The book is called ESPN: Those Guys Have All The Fun and it's written by James Andrew Miller and Tom Shales. It's a pretty solid read albeit a long one. It's not a traditional book, it's an oral history. It's 745 pages of interviews and anecdotes from the employees and anchors of The Worldwide Leader of Sports.


The book talks about 9 steps that led to ESPN's rise to world dominance:
Step 1- Bill and Scott Rasmussen's (the father and son who came up with the idea for an all sports network) decision to buy a transponder satellite in 1978. That transponder would allow them to broadcast their show all over the United Sates to houses that have cable.

Step 2- The Getty oil company's investment of 15 million dollars into ESPN in May of 1979. That investment allowed them to have some money to spend. Also, Getty at that time was a huge company and ESPN being involved with legitimized them in a way.

Step 3- The advancement of a duel revenue stream in March of 1983.

Step 4- Coverage of the America's Cup in 1987. The America's Cup was a yacht race. Airing the race on ESPN opened up new viewership and it was the first big event that ESPN helped produce and air. By doing that it would help ESPN be able to show that you can air big time sporting events on the station. ESPN has gone on to have football, baseball, basketball, and hockey all air on their channel.

Step 5- In the same year, ESPN acquired the rights to air ESPN games. This wasn't a full TV deal, that came down the road, but it showed they could air big time major sports.

Step 6- In 1989, ESPN and Major League Baseball hooked up with 4 year deal worth 400 million dollars. In my opinion, baseball is usually the game that ESPN airs and produces the best (except with Joe Morgan). Also by having MLB on their network, it helped launch Baseball Tonight which is one of ESPN's most stable studio shows.

Step 7- The classic "This Is Sportscenter" commercials. You know the ones, with the athletes and the mascots hanging around and mingling with the anchors at the ESPN studios in Bristol. The old ones are so classic. The commercials became so popular that every now and then they air a show that's all Sportscenter commercials.

Step 8- ESPN finally getting a full season of NFL games in 1998. Through Sunday Night Football and now Monday Night Football, games on ESPN have been memorable. The announcers have struggled ( Tony Kornheiser? Paul Maguire, I couldn't stand) but they've had some classic games. The Joe Namath/ Suzy Kolber game is memorable for a different reason but they've had Farve lighting up the Packers with the Vikes. The Pats keeping the perfect season alive in Baltimore. Even though lately the games have sucked, ESPN is a good place to watch a football game.

Step 9- The ninth and final step to ESPN's rise to world dominance is the creating ans airing the SportsCentury. My opinion is that the best things that ESPN airs is the documentaries. The SportsCentury series was so well done. Some of the scenes in them are ultimate goosebump scenes. The Bob Cousey part in the Bill Russell, where he tears up thinking about how he could have helped Russell adjust to life in Boston as a black man, is one of my personal favorites. And to to this day with the tremendously well done 30 for 30 films. The Len Bias story, Reggie Miller vs the Knicks, The Fab Five, Four Days in October are just some of my favorites.


Say what you want about ESPN, and I certainly have, that their bias, that their too cocky, that their too powerful in the world of sports, but you cant doubt that their one of the the most powerful companies in the world. How they built the empire is a great success story. I enjoyed this book and if you like to read and enjoy sports and business I recommend reading it.

Patriots vs Steelers Preview

One of the great rivalries of the last decade is renewed on Sunday afternoon. The Pats head down to Pittsburgh where they have routinely handled the Steelers in the Brady/Belichick era. Brady has lost to the Steelers once in his illustrious career and it was back in 2004. I would like to sit here and try and say how its going to be a tough game, that Pitt is tough to play in, that Ben Roethlisberger is a top fligt QB whos tough to beat, and its all true. I can't fear the Steelers and this game but I do love to beat them and hear them whine about it after. The Patriots always beat the Steelers and they do it the same way every time.


The Patriots are a game plan team. That means the game plan changes from week to week. One week it could be a running attack. The next it's a passing attack centered around Welker and then the next week Gronkowski and Hernandez. The Steelers, on the other hand, do what they do. Their going to blitz you and their going to blitz you often from a variety of spots. It's been the same way for years dating all the way to when Bill Cowher was first hired. Belichick has coached circles around the duo of Cowher and Dick LeBeau and now Mike Tomlin and LeBeau. What the Pats do is spread the field out, let Brady see where the blitz is coming from, and he just picks it apart. Brady has throw 1 interception in his career vs the Steelers and I've seen every Brady game and I can't even remember the game and situation when it happened. Look for a big game from Gronk. Last year, Gronk had his breakout game vs the Steelers, having 3 TDs and setting up his future career on twitter with Bibi Jones.


Another thing Brady and the Pats do is routinely catch Troy Polamalu out of position. They take advantage of his aggressive style with play action and bait him into jumping the deep in cuts and then hit the bomb over the top. He has always been a non factor vs the Patriots.


Big Ben has been known to make plays. Hes a huge guy, could play tight end that's how big he is. He hangs in the pocket and gets outside the pocket and makes big plays down field to Mike Wallace. The Patriots don't try to sack Roethlisberger like they would with other quarterbacks because he is so tough to bring down. They try to keep him contained and make him try and been a basic prototype pocket passer. When the play breaks down and he gets outside the pocket, that is when the Steelers will hurt the Patriots defense. Keep an eye out for that.


Brady probably enjoys beating the Steelers maybe more than any other team besides the Jets and the Colts (the real Colts, not the stink bomb team this year). It goes all the way back to Joey Porter, Jermome Bettis, Anthony Smith, and the SpyGate stuff that they still complain about. Its always fun beating the Steelers. Pats win.


Until next time...

A Great 4 Year Run

Late last night news broke that the NBA was going to cancel another two weeks of the regular season. My feeling throughout this whole lockout is that we won't have a regular season at all. And that has got me thinking about my favorite team, the Boston Celtics, and what it means for the franchise with the most Larry O'Brien trophies.


What it really means is that this is the end of the Kevin Garnett era of Boston Celtics basketball. And by that I mean RIP to the chance of winning titles with the New Big Three. We knew this team had at least a 4 year window. We got one title in 2008. Were a KG injury from getting back to the Finals in 2009. Came so so close in winning in 2010. And we were geared up to do it again in 2011 until the Perk/Jeff Green trade railroaded the season. KG, Ray, Pierce, and Rondo will still all be back next time NBA will be played and it'll still be fun to watch but they won't be at a championship level (kills me to say). The Heat are there, along with the Bulls, Knicks, 76ers are hungry. The Boston Celtics are not the class of the East anymore. It was a tremendous 4 year of basketball and it meant a lot to me personally.

Ask anyone that knows me how I always talk about how the Celtics were the first team that I remember as young kid.

Ask anyone how I was basically raised on watching Larry Bird 80s games on my father's VHS tapes and ESPN Classic.

Ask anyone how during the Celtics 18 game losing streak in 2006, I started to become delusional and would wish for the glory days of Larry Bird and Red Auerbach even though I wasn't alive during it.

Ask anyone how devastated I was that the Celtics didn't get one of those top 2 picks in the Oden/Durant draft. Turns out it was the best thing that happened.

Ask anyone how pumped I was when the KG deal went through and I finally had a legit Celtic team to call my own.

I could go on and on. I was so happy when they won the title. I ran around the championship parade like a 3 year old. I was equally devastated when KG hurt his knee in Utah. We probably would've went back to back that year. Perk hurt his knee in 2010 in Game 6. If Perk's healthy in Game 7, I guarantee that we would've won that game and that championship in LA. I still have visions of Ron Artest hitting the biggest shot in that game to basically seal it for the Lakers. And don't get me started on the Perk trade. Worst trade ever.


So that's that on the New Big Three. Great basketball, great memories watching those games with my friends. Something that I always dreamed about. Only got 4 years of it after I waited 20 years. Here's hoping I don't have to wait another 20 years.

P.S. on Notre Dame. What a debacle. Come out and get down 17-0. Came back make it 17-10, get down to 1 yard line about to tie it and fumble. USC takes it back for a touchdown. Then its 24-17 after USC shanked a field goal and then they turn it over on a swing pass which ended up being ruled a lateral. Next play, touchdown Trojans. USC was begging to give that game away and Notre Dame couldn't take advantage. The Irish never come through for me when I want them too.


Until next time...

A Look Back: Notre Dame vs USC

Now I am a unabashed Notre Dame football fan and I wont apologize for it. This Saturday our hated rivals, the USC Trojans, are coming down to South Bend. It's going to be the first time USC plays at South Bend at night. Both teams are unranked so its not as big a game nationally then it should be but, for me, I am so hyped up and excited for this game. Plus whenever I see Notre Dame and USC match up it brings back memories of that classic game from 2005. Lets hop back in the time machine and talk about the game that has been known as "The Bush Push".


October 15, 2005. USC came into Notre Dame Stadium at the height of their powers. Defending National Champions. Matt Leinart was the reining Heisman winner and Reggie Bush was on his way to a Heisman and even was considered a every down back. USC was also on a 27 game win streak. It was the first year of the promising Charlie Weis era. ND was 4-1 and ranked 9th in the polls. Brady Quinn was establishing himself as a great college quarterback. This game was hyped from the start. College Gameday was there. The Irish came out in the green uniforms. It was setting up to be a classic game. And it was.

The Irish led at halftime 21-14 due to a Quinn-Samardzija touchdown connection and punt return TD by Tom Zbikowski. Reggie Bush had a 45 yard TD run to tie it at 21 in the 3rd and in the 4th quarter is when the real fun began. Bush and Leinart ripped off a 80 yard drive to take a 28-24 lead with 5 minutes left. Then it was up to Quinn try to put a stamp at Touchdown Jesus. He led a great, what seemed at the time, a game winning drive. I remember when Quinn ran that touchdown in to take the lead 31-28, I was absolutely freaking out. I knew there was still about 2 minutes left but I couldn't help thinking that Irish football is back and that we took down the mighty Trojans. Shame on me.

All I remember is that USC had to convert a 4th and 9. Leinart dropped back and throw a low fade to Dwayne Jarret. The corner was right there and all he had to was stick his right hand out, knock it down, and the Irish win. Nope, instead Jarret catches and almost takes to the house but was stopped at the 13 yard line. USC got down to the 2 and Leinart rolled out this left and tried to jump into the end zone. He got stuffed, fumbled out of bounds, the clock ran out, players and fans alike rushed the field and the game was over. That's I what I thought. I started to celebrate. I was watching the game with my buddy, Seth, and you can ask him, I started to jump around and celebrating, yelling "WE JUST BEAT USC!!". As Lee Corso says, "Not so fast, my friend". There was still 7 seconds on the clock. Leinart ended up trying to sneak it in, got stuffed, but was helped in by Reggie Bush pushing him in. Game over. Trojans 34 Irish 31. I was devastated obviously. The push by Bush was crap but that never gets called.


It was one of the great college games and one of the best I've ever seen. USC ended up losing to Texas in the title game while Notre Dame got spanked by Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl. Its crazy to think about where all the key guys from that game are now. Pete Carroll is coaching the Seahawks. Weis famously flamed out at Notre Dame and is now offensive coordinator of Florida. Bush got a Super Bowl ring but is a glorified 3rd down back in the NFL. And both starting quarterbacks, Leinart and Quinn are back ups in the NFL. Lets hope this Saturday that this game can live up to that game 6 years ago. Only that the Fighting Irish come out on top.


Until next time...

Tebow Time

Tim Tebow, through all his faults and positive traits, is really one of the most talked about athletes of the last decade. Everyone has an opinion, good or bad, of him. He's probably the nicest guy in the world but there's people out there that don't like the guy. Ever since he enrolled in Florida in 2006, controversy has followed him and he became one of the most accomplished college athletes ever. The controversy his freshman year at Florida was because the fans wanted him to be the starter over Chris Leak. Tebow backed up Leak, came in on special packages and threw alley oop passes at the goal line, and Florida wound up winning a National Championship with Leak as the starter.


Leak then graduated and Tebow started full time and pulled off a great season. Throwing for 29 TDs, rushing for 22 more, finishing with 51 total and taking home the coveted Heisman Trophy. The next year he led the Gators to a National Title, adding to the legend of Tebow and gave a heartfelt speech after a tough loss about that he was going to play harder than anyone in college football. That speech is legendary at Florida and is engraved on a plaque out at Gainesville. His senior year, he came up a game short of another National Title but broke Florida's record for rushing touchdowns. He truly is a great leader and great college player but will it translate into the NFL?


All his flaws as a quarterback are well documented. His footwork stinks. His throwing motion is awkward which leads to him being inaccurate and his arm strength isn't all there. But when he goes in the game for those Denver Broncos, they seem to respond and play hard for him. He does provide them with a sense of energy but that can only last for so long. When hes skipping throws in the dirt, I doubt players will still respond to his Rah-Rah routine. John Elway and John Fox weren't the ones that drafted Tebow and for so long they were hesitant to even play him, let alone start him. Honestly, I don't think they believe in Tebow that much. If they believed in him and wanted him to succeed, then I don't think they would've traded his best weapon in Brandon Lloyd for next to nothing.


Tebow's not a franchise QB. Bottom line. With a good defense and good weapons around him maybe he could be a good NFL QB. Its tough to change your footwork and your throwing motion on the fly after you've been doing it one way your whole life. He's got all the intangibles and traits you want in a player- great work ethic, team guy but the NFL is about performance. If he cant make the throws then he isn't going to play. Love him or hate him, he is fun to watch and its a story every time he plays. He really is an enigma.


Until next time...

Ocho Stinko

Since Belichick's quest to acquire Chad Ochocinco finally came to fruition, he's been a number 1 hot topic among Patriots fans. Its either been friends arguing when they called Ocho coming to the Pats, what kind of numbers he is going to put up, or why the hell he doesn't know the plays.


When the Pats finally got Chad, he became a victim of how big a name he is and his brand as a whole. Fans see him on Twitter, and they see the touchdown dances and the highlights and people expected him to put numbers like Randy Moss. He never was going to do that. Here he was going to be just another weapon to get open and add to the plethora of options that Tom Brady has. What Randy Moss did here in his time in New England is something we will never see again. 2007 was a special kind of year, obviously. Welker and Hernadez are going to have the big catch numbers. Gronk is going to have the touchdown numbers. Woodhead and Branch are going to be the safe options that Brady always knows is going to be there. That last group is the one I want Ocho in. Someone Brady is confident in and always knows is going to be in the right spot. After Chad ran the wrong route on Sunday, Brady chewed him out and Chad wasn't see again. Brady's confidence in Ocho may be wavering.


Another thing is his ability to grasp the playbook. It's been well documented how tough this playbook is for receivers to handle and it's a long list of casualties that couldn't handle it. I'm starting to fear that Ocho cant handle it and he'll join Donald Hayes, Bethel Johnson, Doug Gabriel, Joey Galloway, and Brandon Tate. That's a list of names I'm sure Ochocinco never thought he be on. I know that Chad didn't have a training camp and he came in late but the players that have thrived here have seemed to picked it up right away. Welker came in and immediately bonded with Brady. So did Randy Moss. Deion Branch picked it up right away as a rookie. Whenever there's been a hint of talk about a player not being able to pick up the system, that player usually never does. The receivers that play well here seem to pick it like second nature. The clocks ticking on Ochocinco.


Brady, Belichick, and other coaches and players have come out and defended Chad and as well they should. They have to defend him. They did the same thing with Randy Moss, even after they traded him. But you know behind closed doors they are getting on Chad about the playbook. Who knows if he is working as hard as he should. Here's hoping he does.


Until next time...