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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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| NBA | |
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Prospects On Center Stage NBA Preview 2008/09: Final Call
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Ranting and Raving, Vol. 5: 12/15/08 By Ron Jumper With football and basketball both going full speed ahead at the same time, there is much ranting and raving for me to do. There are bowls coming up (most of which don’t even merit watching), NBA coaches are dropping like flies, and the SEC coaching carousel is finally coming to a halt. Shockingly (wink wink), I have a lot of strong opinions about all the crazy things going on in sports. Enough with the small talk, lets get started. I can’t say I’m excited about this bowl season, as the matchups are just so boring. Take the BCS, this is the worst crop of BCS games I can recall. Virginia Tech-Cincinnati? Granted, someone from both ACC and Big East has to play in the BCS, but there should be an asterisk in there somewhere. Maybe a clause that says if over 55% of the general public would rather watch paint dry then watch the game, they have to omit it from the bowl schedule. If nothing else, Fox should get there money back because this can’t be what they envisioned when they bought the rights to the BCS games. Sometimes the matchups just don’t fall right, take Alabama-Utah for example. If the Utes could have been paired with Penn State, Ohio State, or Cincinnati then they would have a shot and I would want to watch. As it is, Bama is a tough matchup for them. The Crimson Tide have the most dominating lines in football collectively, though you could argue Oklahoma’s offensive line is as good or better. A non-BCS school like Utah just can’t line up and play with a team of this nature, especially if Alabama scores first then just runs down their throat for 60 minutes. I’m not even excited about the National Championship. Yes, I said it. What happens every time the Sooners make it to a game like this? Hint, it has helped critics coin the phrase “Choklahoma.” Florida has all the motivation it needs. The Sooners are ranked number 1, Sam Bradford won the Heisman over Tim Tebow, and some have called into question whether the Big 12 has surpassed the SEC in terms of who is the most dominant conference. I know people are excited about this game, but it just might get ugly in a hurry. Staying in college football for a minute, what are these SEC schools doing? Auburn, Mississippi State, and Tennessee all fired their coaches and hired very unproven, unspectacular guys to take over. My main concern is that this could lead to the downfall of the SEC and emergence of the Big 12 as the premiere conference. Auburn and Tennessee fired sure things in hopes of competing with Urban Meyer and Nick Saban. I got news for them though, this isn’t the way to make that happen. Tubberville has made Auburn a top 15 program. Winning at Auburn isn’t a walk in the park either, compared to a Florida, Oklahoma, or Texas where a blind monkey could keep those schools in the top 25 annually. Something to keep in mind with the Vols is that the reason they had such high expectations is because Fulmer got them there. With Tennessee though, at least they made an intriguing hire. I can’t wait to see what the Kiffin Combo has in store, even if it is at the expense of my Tampa Bay Buccaneers. I knew this day was coming, all good things come to an end. Back to the Vols though, the NFL experience should be able to make a strong impression in recruiting. Big recruits want to make it to the NFL and, more importantly, being told they know just how to get them there is exactly what they want to hear. Most are skeptical Lane can get it done, but I see a bright future ahead. Changing gears, what are NBA front offices doing? There have been 6 head coaches fired already this season in the NBA, most of which make no sense whatsoever. Granted, I told you when they hired Reggie Theus that he would do a terrible job and be fired, as you’ll read below: The Kings are not going to very good. Fans will scratch their heads throughout the season, as Reggie Theus is just simply not an NBA coach. I hate to break it to everyone but, wow, is he awful. Expect odd lineup combinations and poor game management time after time in crucial situations. He will be lucky if he makes it through the season with his job. While I was dead on, I kind of feel for the guy. Looking back to since he was hired, they traded Mike Bibby for Shelden Williams. I repeat, they traded MIKE BIBBY for SHELDEN WILLIAMS! That alone should buy you at least 3 years to turn things around. For goodness sake, Williams would be more useful if they used his spectacularly large forehead as a spare backboard. He has to be the only player in the NBA that literally can’t beat his girlfriend one on one (Candice Parker). Then, they unload Artest for Donte Greene and Bobby Jackson, which is basically just short of the Maloof brothers getting “Rebuilding” tattooed on their foreheads. What did you expect the Kings to do this season? More importantly, what do you know now that you didn’t know at the start of the season? They had Theus all last season and seemed content, what could have changed? The same goes for the Thunder, Timberwolves, and Wizards. Rebuilding is a staple of pro sports, why fire the coach? If anything, it really doesn’t matter who your coach is because no one could win with those teams right now. The firing that bothered me the most was in Toronto, as Sam Mitchell has earned the benefit of the doubt after starting 8-9. It isn’t like they stumbled out the gate 4-12. They shook up the roster, trading T.J. Ford for Jermaine O’Neal and handing over the reigns to Jose Calderon full time. Mitchell should have been given at least 25-30 games to work out the kinks, even then I don’t think I would have cut him loose. December 15, 2008 |
| 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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