Monday, January 31, 2011
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Here is the article I just wrote for bleacher report concerning the future of Cam Newton and whether he can succeed. Many see him as another first round bust but others salivate over his tools. Only time will tell. Enjoy the article. To read the full piece, click here."With off-the-field issues clouding his years at Florida, Newton transferred to Blinn Junior College and then to Auburn, where he quickly established himself as a star. Many drool over his tools and the potential he flashes. He has the athletic ability that scouts dream about. But he’s got a long road to success, with many expecting him to fail." Read Full Article Here.
Posted on Sunday, January 30, 2011 by Unknown
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
They certainly did so, but in a rather peculiar fashion. Rather than beating the teams I figured to be pushovers for them, they went 6-0 in their division; demolishing the Chargers and Broncos and defeating the division champion Chiefs twice each. The Raiders went 8-8 winning 6 games in their division and missed the playoffs. What a world right?
The point is, the Raiders improved immensely this season. Their passing defense was notable as always, going from the #7 spot in '09 to the #2 spot in 2010. The rushing defense improved minimally, from 30th to 29th. However, the Raiders truly shined in rushing this year, as Darren McFadden had his breakout season helping Oakland to reach 155.5 yards rushing per game and the #2 overall rushing attack. When your running offense and passing defense are that good, teams sort of find themselves in a bind. When forced to run competing with a superior attack, and unable to out-throw, some teams will just fold in.
As stated in June, this is at least partially due to the improvement to the Raider's air attack with the dumping of the Purple Drank. Though it was downright ugly at times, and yes I was more than a little wrong about which recievers would be impact players (Sorry Jacoby Ford, Louis Murphy), the passing game improved enough with Campbell and Gradkowski to give the runners some breathing room. They will definitely need to look for a more permanent solution in this area, or hope one of those two improves enough to lead legitimately. However, having two middle talent QB's with room for improvement is certianly better than having a 300 pound, lazy, charisma-less blob.
In fact, the worst thing the Raiders did in 2010/2011 was fire Tom Cable. The guy was on the cusp of bringing the team out of the darkness. Yes he had a few losing seasons, but building a team takes time. Sadly of course, the bane of the Raiders-Al Davis-swooped in and took that man away. A team just about to resurface to relevance does not need a turbulent coaching change. Hopefully for them, all will go smoothly. If the Raiders have any luck, the new coach will keep order, and Raider nation will have a chance again in 2011. They have the tools, the drive, and the youth. With the right leadership, the Silver and Black could be around for the 2012 playoffs.
Posted on Wednesday, January 26, 2011 by Jake Silver
"Don't stop mangling your Spanish quite yet, though. Ochocinco hasn't filed the paperwork yet for the name change and has gone back on this promise before. In 2009, he said he'd change it back if Darrelle Revis(notes) shut him down in a game. Revis did and Ochocinco didn't follow through."
~ Chris Chase, Yahoo SportsThe chatty wide receiver finds a way to claim more attention. Chad Ochocinco is changing his surname back to Johnson, looking for a new start. After consistent riffs with his Head Coach, Marvin Lewis, number 85 seems to be on the cusp of a release or trade from Cincinnati. After the most unproductive streak of his career, under the name Ochocinco, Johnson will look to find his old form. Once feared by defensive backs, he has no longer been a threat and recruited his buddy Terrell Owens to improve the offense. After one year, T.O. seems to be on his way out as well. To read the full story, click here.
Posted on Wednesday, January 26, 2011 by Unknown
Posted on Wednesday, January 26, 2011 by Unknown
Posted on Wednesday, January 26, 2011 by Unknown
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Posted on Tuesday, January 25, 2011 by Unknown
Sunday, January 23, 2011
JZ Sports welcomes back contributor Bill Eckert back from vacation, with his prediction for Sunday's AFC Championship battle between Gang Green and the Black and Yellow. Read and Enjoy.Hey there gang! Bill Eckert here to make a few predictions on Sunday’s games. I found myself in a situation last week that didn’t allow me see the Steelers/Ravens game live, but thanks to my trusty DVR I was able to go to work and not worry myself about the game. Fast forwarding through the unneeded flagaphiles we call refs tends to eat up too much play time and I find no more joy zipping past that as I do in any other enjoyable activity (how’s that for vague). Anyhow, as the chef of my kitchen warned me earlier in the shift, I wasn’t getting out of that shift without knowing what happened in the game. With an hour or so left in my shift, Brian, our door guy, strolls back into the kitchen for a cup of coffee; before I knew it, Brian turns to Chef and I, matter-of-factly stating, “So, the Steelers won,” leaving me only to hang my head and nod in acknowledgment to Chef that he was on the money and I was out the results to what I was calling MY Super Bowl, since it was my Steelers facing their greatest rival.
Posted on Sunday, January 23, 2011 by Unknown
Friday, January 21, 2011
"There was no summer more significant to the New York Knicks future than in 2010. The LeBron James sweepstakes began and it was evident that his choices were the Chicago Bulls, his former team the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Knicks.
Donnie Walsh was confident, with the perfect pitch in place to recruit him. Everything looking good, it all fell apart and James took his efforts to Miami where he is dominating with his all-star tandem of Chris Bosh and Dwayne Wade, who is the face of the Heat franchise. The Knicks settled for a power forward who is only second in the league in scoring right now with 26.4 points per game.
After Amare Stoudemire signed with the Knicks, he proclaimed to the NBA world that the Knicks were back. Well, they have made that clear this year. At 22-19, they are the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference and have beaten the likes of the San Antonio Spurs and New Orleans Hornets. It took a last second shot by Paul Pierce for the Boston Celtics to scrape by. They are playing with toughness and vigor.Whether they win or lose the game, their play is always exhilarating.
With their new-found attitude and fearless play, the Knicks are making noise in the NBA and other teams are taking note. Whether they make the postseason or not this season, albeit a catastrophic collapse, the Knicks are to be feared next season and in the future. It's an exciting time for Knicks fans. Here's why."Second article for bleacher report, enjoy. Knicks are back. To read the full article, click here.
Posted on Friday, January 21, 2011 by Unknown
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Posted on Thursday, January 20, 2011 by Unknown
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Posted on Tuesday, January 18, 2011 by Unknown
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Posted on Sunday, January 16, 2011 by Unknown
Seeing these guys fly isn't as jaw-dropping and phenomenal as watching the professional basketball players effortlessly leaping from the foul line without a spring to propel them. The dunker, James White, is in the NBA D-League, considered the minor leagues of the NBA, which makes this slam more astonishing.
Posted on Sunday, January 16, 2011 by Unknown
Saturday, January 15, 2011
"Three of the four NFL playoff games this weekend figure to be played in arctic conditions and the results could lead to the ultimate showdown — Green Bay at Chicago."
As football fanatics salivate in preparation of the second week of playoff football, Chris Erskine of the LA Times presents the possibility of the NFC championship game out-doing the Superbowl. He predicts the Packers to beat the Falcons and the Bears to beat the Seahawks, giving fans the chance to witness another January rivalry game in the tundra that will be nothing short of hard-hitting with a plethora of blood stained jerseys walking off the field in the end. Personally I do see the Packers overcoming the highly-touted Falcons but the Seahawks defeating the Bears, not allowing Erskine's duel to occur. To read the full article, click here.~ Chris Erskine, LA Times
Baltimore @ Pittsburgh... A hard-nosed rivalry, this one will be fought hard on both sides, with plenty of blood and bone-breaking. Watch for hard hits by Harrison and Reed, two hungry veterans who know what it takes to win. Ray Lewis will be his usual self, riling his teammates and letting loose on blind-sighted tight ends, while Roethlisberger will find gaps in their vulnerable secondary and will take this one with a 20-17 win.
Green Bay @ Atlanta... With the week off Atlanta loses momentum. The Packers resemble the 2008 Giants who surged through the playoffs as the underdogs with a 10-6 record to beat the undefeated Patriots. The Packers are hungry, humble and ready to make noise. Aaron Rodgers will get routine pressure from John Abraham and the Atlanta defense but will elude it by scrambling as he does so well and finding Jennings consistently. Packers win by 10.
Seattle @ Chicago... Seahawks are on a roll and Chicago has a streaky offense and an overrated quarterback in Cutler. This picture resembles the face Mike Martz will have after seeing his quarterback face constant pressure and throw consistently wild chucks to his receivers. Seahawks win in their second upset of the playoffs, finally reaching .500 at 9-9. Win by 7.
New York @ New England... Jets have a chance to make a statement and Rex Ryan has them believeing, albeit talking too much (Cromartie). In the game of the week, there will be hard hits and emotions flying high. Jets win by 3 and propel themselves into the AFC Championship, having to face yet another elite team in the Steelers.
Posted on Saturday, January 15, 2011 by Unknown
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Breakfast.....Three fried-egg sandwiches loaded with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, fried onions and mayonnaise. Two cups of coffee. One five-egg omelet. One bowl of grits. Three slices of French toast topped with powdered sugar. Three chocolate-chip pancakes.
Lunch.....One pound of enriched pasta. Two large ham and cheese sandwiches with mayo on white bread. Energy drinks packing 1,000 calories.
Dinner.....One pound of pasta. An entire pizza. More energy drinks (according to the Wall Street Journal).
...For a shrubbery connoisseur like Michael Phelps, the munchies are to be expected. Yet this lanky Olympic legend goes to lunatic-esque lengths to cement himself as an eating champ. Someone give Adam Richman a call, fast.
Posted on Thursday, January 13, 2011 by Unknown
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Lynch started off strong in the NFL with consecutive 1,000 yard seasons after being drafted number 12 overall by the Bills in 2007, citing being in "Beast Mode" during games as the reason for his success. However, the beast was tamed in 2009 when he ran into legal troubles and injuries, resulting in a meager 450 yard season on 125 carries.
The legal issues and slowed production caused Buddy Nix to trade him to the Seahawks 3 games into the 2010 season, where he again had a subpar year as the Seahawks went 7-9 and miraculously won their division. However, Beast Mode emerged once again with 3:37 to go in the Wild Card game against the heavily favored Saints. In a play designed to run the clock down, the Beast decided to break out of its cage. Trucking through linebackers and defensive linemen, Lynch roared into the secondary, tossing Tracy Porter with a powerful stiff arm and putting on a burst of speed to roll into the endzone, looking like the back everyone knew he was at Cal. The run caused such an uproar at Qwest field that a nearby seismic monitoring station registered it as a small earthquake.
The Seahawks can only hope that the Beast is here to stay as they travel to Chicago to face the 2-seed Bears. The fans, the coaches, the teammates, everyone wants to see that moment this week where the Beast will roar, and somewhere in Buffalo, I'm sure Buddy Nix is using a photo of C.J Spiller as a dartboard.
Posted on Wednesday, January 12, 2011 by Jake Silver
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Posted on Tuesday, January 11, 2011 by Unknown
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Posted on Sunday, January 09, 2011 by Unknown
Posted on Sunday, January 09, 2011 by Jake Silver
Posted on Sunday, January 09, 2011 by Unknown
Posted on Sunday, January 09, 2011 by Unknown
Saturday, January 8, 2011
“I’m not sure that the recession is over,” said David Stern, commissioner of the NBA, whose attendance has fallen in certain markets. Others say high unemployment figures and a reluctance of companies to hire have led to greater uncertainty among fans.The glut of games–35 bowls this season, with many suffering from empty seats–shows that the handful of super-wealthy college programs may be the only ones truly immune from economic pressures.Marketers are spending again, and TV advertising and sponsorship are reportedly back to pre-recession levels, SportsBusiness Journal reports. But many companies and consumers seem more willing to pay as they go, rather than to commit to long-term deals.
As the economy continues to progress and improve from the recession that crushed so many businesses, the omnipresent question is how future individual strategies have changed as a result. This article makes it clear that the recession has indeed altered the way business leaders in sports are more inclined to "pay as they go" rather than commit long term. With the obvious fear of future economic depressions, this mindset is having a crucial effect on sports. Once vigorous and aggressive in their pursuit, owners are now afraid of commitment and, while they acknowledge the obvious improvement of the economy, are more protective of the assets they have. It is curious as to how this short-termed ideology will affect the athletic industry in the future, in college and the pros. Enjoy the article.~ Brad Wolverton, The Chronicle
Posted on Saturday, January 08, 2011 by Unknown
Monday, January 3, 2011
Posted on Monday, January 03, 2011 by Unknown
Posted on Monday, January 03, 2011 by Jake Silver
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Posted on Sunday, January 02, 2011 by Unknown
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Posted on Saturday, January 01, 2011 by Unknown
Posted on Saturday, January 01, 2011 by Unknown
Posted on Saturday, January 01, 2011 by Unknown
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