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NFL Mock Draft 2009 Draft of 2009 Lacks Star Power NFL Draft 2009: Getting Started Super Bowl Well Worth Tuning In For
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Prospects On Center Stage NBA Preview 2008/09: Final Call
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Letting Off Steam By Ron Jumper With it being a busy time in sports, it would be just absolutely impossible to dedicate a full article to all the interesting topics. So, with that being said, I thought I would give my two cents on everything that is bothering me right here in one column. Ranging from college football to the NBA, yours truly has a lot on his mind. I wanted to start with bowl-eligible teams that were snubbed, I just can’t fathom taking the likes of Alabama, Ball State, Cal, Colorado, or Maryland over the South Carolina Gamecocks. I know that the majority of the decision came down to bowl bids that are designated to certain conferences but, with bowls normally coming down to money, I’m shocked no one grabbed the fan-friendly Gamecocks. South Carolina has a packed house for every home game whether they are good or bad, and would most certainly do a good job of filling the seats at a bowl game no matter where it was. I also hate that the SEC is literally being punished for being too good. They have so many good teams that the bar is raised to 7 wins to insure a bowl appearance due to the lack of SEC slots. To me that is terrible, as a 6-win SEC team is better than 7-win teams in other BCS conferences and 8-win teams in non-BCS conferences. Sorry South Carolina, you got snubbed… (On a separate note, I know Louisville has been awful this season but I would have liked to have seen Brian Brohm play one more time. The 6-6 Cardinals didn’t receive a bowl bid. Going back to my earlier point, bowl games are about money or otherwise we could have a playoff, so why don’t we pick the teams that would be fun to watch and put fans in the seats? I’m confused…) On to the biggest head-scratcher of them all: the BCS. What in the world are Illinois and Kansas doing in the BCS? When Hawaii is the 3rd least deserving team to be in the BCS, there must have been a miscalculation somewhere. Kansas has beaten… well… they beat… umm… NO ONE!!!! The best win they have is Kansas State, and they didn’t even qualify for a bowl game!!! The Jayhawks played no one in their non-conference and didn’t play Oklahoma or Texas in conference play. Then we have Illinois, who only has 1 win to hang its hat on: beating Ohio State on the road. Nevermind losing to Iowa and Michigan, while only being 9-3 overall. All that leads me to the biggest snub of them all in Missouri, I mean all they did was beat both Illinois and Kansas. The only team the Tigers lost to was Oklahoma, who would beat both Illinois and Kansas by at least 35. It is sad that I have this much to rant about without even talking about Hawaii, who has accomplished nothing. There, I said it. NOTHING! The best wins they have are Fresno State, Boise State, and Washington. Those 3 teams have a combined zero wins over teams currently in the Top 25 and Washington didn’t even make it to a bowl game at all. We really shouldn’t forget that they went to overtime with Louisiana Tech and San Jose State either, as those are both powerhouses. Gotta love the BCS… At the risk of sounding like I hate virtually everything about college football, the Heisman Trophy is a joke. The whole idea of the award and what it supposedly stands for, plus the sickening presentation of the award itself to Mr. Tebow, just made me nauseous. Tim Tebow played up how classy and devout a Christian he was, but I’d like to ask his pornstar girlfriend her opinion on that… (If you’re curious, just Google “Tebow’s girlfriend” and see what comes up.) Anyways, I just feel like McFadden got completely robbed. McFadden didn’t win it the first time because he was an underclassmen. Instead the award was given to the pitiful Troy Smith. (On a side note, how did the National Championship Game go for you, Troy? What are you doing now? It must be embarrassing to be third-string behind Kyle Boller.) This season, when McFadden was the upperclassmen, the award was given to the sophomore QB Tim Tebow. Am I the only one that doesn’t think that is fair? So he deserved to win it twice, but walks away without winning it even once? That just doesn’t seem fair but, hey, it isn’t like McFadden is the most talented player in college football and most likely the top pick in next year’s draft. Oh wait… yeah, he is. Alright, switching gears for a minute, it is time to talk about some college hoops. This year was the first annual Big East/SEC Challenge. While it sounds like a great idea, it was just not properly done whatsoever. It was basically the best teams in the Big East against the worst teams in the SEC. Georgetown played Alabama and still nearly lost. The Hoyas trailed by 2 at halftime and were down 57-56 with under 4 minutes to play. Even Alabama would admit they aren’t a top team in the SEC, but yet they nearly beat the best team in the Big East. In the other 3 games, Auburn, LSU, and South Carolina were the SEC representatives. Without question, the worst 3 teams in the SEC. However, LSU played #21 Villanova, Auburn played West Virginia, and South Carolina played Providence. It is not surprising the Big East went 3-1 in the 4 games. However, what if it had been the other way around? What if we’d had matchups like Tennessee-Depaul, Arkansas-Cincinnati, Florida-South Florida, and Vanderbilt-Rutgers? I wonder how that would have turned out? I bet the Big East wouldn’t have been proud, though. I know it is early, but potential sleepers are emerging as possible BracketBusters come March. The first team that comes to mind is Rhode Island. The Rams are 10-1 and have wins over South Florida, UAB, Providence, and Syracuse already this season. They are certainly going to cruise through most of the Atlantic 10 conference, with the big showdown coming February 18th against #20 Xavier. I love what they bring to the table and, to no surprise, it is strong guard play from a veteran cast of upperclassmen. That being said, the guy that makes them able to compete with the big boys is Will Daniels. Daniels is a 6’8” 225 forward who scores from all over the floor. The good mid-major clubs have good 3-point shooting and veteran guards, but it takes the ability to score from inside and out to win in March. I know it is early, but look out for this Rhode Island club. They’re very dangerous and hitting on all cylinders right now. Other teams to watch out for are Florida State, Kent State, and Western Kentucky. On to the NBA, I have to discuss the Miami Heat. I’m sick and tired of Shaq getting the blame for their bad start. How can it be all Shaq’s fault? First of all, Wade has been injured and is just getting back going. More importantly, this roster doesn’t compliment what Shaq and Wade do. Who’s fault is that? Did Shaq get rid of Antoine Walker, Jason Kapono, or James Posey to bring in Ricky Davis, Mark Blount, and Penny Hardaway? Did Shaq strikeout on signing an impact point guard (Mo Williams) and have to settle for Smush Parker? Besides trading for team cancer Ricky Davis and the softest big man in the league in Mark Blount, the real problem is that the Heat have no outside shooting to spread the floor for Shaq and Wade. Opponents can double team Shaq with no fear of leaving shooters and collapse in the lane to keep Wade from penetrating. The real man to blame is Pat Riley. Enough said. Continuing on with the NBA, I think this could be a wide open MVP race this season. Right now, I would say it is a 3-man race. Kevin Garnet is leading the way, followed by Dwight Howard and Chris Paul. Where are the usual suspects? Well, Duncan and Lebron have been injured and Nash’s Suns have been struggling thus far. Kobe would win the award every year if it was the most talented award, however that is just not the case. All that being said, I like this year’s early candidates. Kevin Garnet has done a great job leading the Celtics to the best record in the NBA and making the all-new Celtics roster click with virtually no transition period. Dwight Howard has emerged as the best center in the NBA. Chew on that for just a minute. The best center in the NBA. Not Shaq. Not Yao. Not Duncan, only because I consider him a power forward. That leaves Howard. Don’t forget the Magic currently sit at 16-7 and atop the Southeast Division. Now, obviously there is a good chance the Magic will fall back down to earth like last season. If that isn't the case, Howard needs to be on your MVP ballot at the end of the season. As for Chris Paul, he is very similar to Steve Nash in that he is the engine that makes his team go. Right now, the Hornets are going at full speed through the Western Conference. The numbers are there as well, with Paul averaging 21 points and 9.8 assists a ballgame. Keep an eye on these 3 guys as the season progresses because, remember, no one thought Dirk could win the MVP at this time last season. It is a long season, so anything is possible. Well there is everything on my mind right now in the world of sports. However, with bowl games and coaching changes coming up, that probably won't last long. December 12, 2007 |
| NCAA Football | |
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Be Careful What You Wish For
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| NCAA Basketball | |
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Jumpology: My Bracket Jumpology: Scouting The Heavyweights Jumpology: Reviewing The Bracket
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