The Jack of All Sports on 105.7 The FAN Baltimore

February 2010
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The Emotional Story

Posted on February 8, 2010 by jackofallsports

I should have known not to use reason and common sense in predicting the Super Bowl winner this year. It doesn’t matter that the Saints had numerous flaws and weaknesses. The bottom line is that it was their year and destiny was on their side.

You have to give a lot of credit to Sean Payton and his staff for doing a great job of game preparation, and for taking important game-changing risks that helped the Saints win. Simply, the Colts played not to lose, and the Saints played to win. It is very difficult for any coach to be a gambler on the Super Bowl stage, and Payton could have been criticized for a lifetime if his decisions would have back-fired. But they didn’t, and these aggressive calls instilled energy and confidence into his team, helping propel the Saints to victory.

Gregg Williams dialed up the blitz that led to Porter’s game winning interception return. I didn’t think that blitzing Peyton Manning was the way to beat him, but I was wrong. You have to get pressure on the QB regardless of how good your cornerback’s are in coverage. Baltimore’s favorite Ravens fan Pat Cary always says that pressure bursts pipes.

Brett Favre isn’t the only marquee QB who gives games away with ill-timed interceptions. Add Peyton Manning to the list as well.

I still do not think that the Saints are a great team. They are a great offensive team with an opportunistic defense that started hot and secured home field advantage in the playoffs. The dome and home crowd gave them enough of an edge to make it to Miami. Once they made it to Miami, the Saints let it all hang out and allowed the emotional story and destiny to play out.

I felt a huge key to the game that few people are talking about was the Saints special teams. The Saints kicker Garrett Hartley hit field goals from 44, 46, and 47. Also, the Saints tackling on kickoff and punt coverage was excellent as well. This helped the Saints win the field position battle and made life tough on Peyton Manning.

Call me old fashioned, but I like physical front seven’s and teams that can run the football. I like teams that can win on the road and can handle bad weather. I hate playoff football in domed stadiums, and further dislike dink and dunk offense.

The Super Bowl was an exciting game and I feel great for the people of New Orleans. I don’t want to minimize their achievement, but I was never a believer in this Saints team. When I look back at the 2009 season and playoffs, I think Minnesota was actually the best team in the NFL.

Don’t expect the Saints to repeat in 2010, but tip your hat to them for a great run in 2009. Also, congrats to Drew Brees for a great game and MVP trophy. I think Brees is a great quarterback, but did not think he was in the same class as Peyton Manning. I guess I have to eat crow on that assessment.

Needless to say, I bet on the Colts and lost. I should have bet on the emotional story.

Woodman – first losing week in gambling in over two months.

Filed under: Football, NFL | Tagged: Drew Brees, indiannapolis colts, New Orleans Saints, Peyton Manning, sean payton, super bowl | 2 Comments »

An Open Letter to Notre Dame Fans

Posted on February 5, 2010 by jackofallsports

I was watching the big Notre Dame vs. Cincinnatti Big East battle last night in college hoops when, at the end of the game, the fans started chanting “Brian Kelly, Brian Kelly, Brian Kelly” to which I wanted to respond: “Really”. The reality is that two of the least relevent sports programs in the country are college hoops and college football at Notre Dame. The last time they were relevent was right before Rudy came out and Lou Holtz and Digger Phelps were roaming the sideline and courtside respectively.

This is an open letter to all Notre Dame fans:

YOU DON”T MATTER

Stop acting like you are this elite program who is better than anyone just becuase you have the clover, touchdown Jesus and the Golden Domes on your side. Brian Kelly? With all due respect, you fans have been high on every coach that’s sat at a press conference stating “7-5 just isn’t good enough here at Notre Dame” and where has that landed you?

Here are the cold hard facts…you just lost to a horrid Rutgers Basketball team and you haven’t won a big football game since George Bush was in office (I ain’t talking dubbya). It stuns me that you have the audacity to taunt any opponent.

Do you think that Cincinnatti really cares about the fact that they lost a college basketball game to Notre Dame last night or that they lost Brian Kelly? The answer is no with the reason being, they realize who they are…a middle of the pack college sports program. The irony lies in the fact that you don’t seem to realize who you are Notre Dame…a middle of the pack college sports program.

Will you ever realize that with your elitist standards, 7-5 is good enough. That’s as far as you are going to go in this day and age. Accept who you are which, at best, is a 7-9 win football team and a 15-18 win basketball team year in and year out.

I apologize to Lou, Digger, Montana, Tim Brown, “The Rocket”, Ryan Grant, the kid from the Goonies etc…but, Notre Dame is not a top tier program anymore and, will never be again. You are not the Yankees, Lakers, Patriots, Steelers, Red Wings. You aren’t even the Twins, Suns, Chargers or Philadelphia Eagles. At best you are that 8-8 NFL team that backdoors your way into a wild card spot in a down year.

That being said…beautiful campus folks.

Sincerely,

Tim Rescigno (Realist)

Filed under: Basketball, College Football, College Hoops, Uncategorized | Tagged: Big East, Brian Kelly, Digger Phelps, Joe Montana, Lou Holtz, notre dame, Ryan Grant, The Rocket, Tim Brown | 3 Comments »

The Best NCAA Center You’ve Never Heard Of

Posted on February 4, 2010 by jackofallsports

Lurking in the Big South Conference is a man whose name you should know, but you don’t. That’s what makes me so sad. For Radford University fans he is a household name but one that opposing play by play guys have yet to get right. My only hope is that Reggie Miller, Marv Albert & gang get it right next year.

Artsiom Parakhouski, a 6’11” 260lb beast from Belarus, a country smaller than Idaho arrived at Radford University last year as a Junior and immediately made an impact on the school and the team. Pronounced art-SEE-um pair-uh-COW-ski, Art has only been playing basketball for the last five years — and learning English for less than three. His quiet yet stoic demeanor made him an instant hit with the fan base. His intensity and dedication to the winning made opponents rethink their game plan. In just a year he lifted a team that was near the bottom of the conference to an NCAA appearance. So far this year he is tied for 2^nd in the nation in rebounding and 4^th in the nation in points scored per game.

Before Big Art started basketball in 2005, he was being groomed to play soccer in Belarus. Soccer is his first love, but coaches back home told him he was very literally ‘growing’ out of the sport. He still wanted to compete so his coached introduced him to basketball. Imagine how he will be 5 years from now. He already has more accolades than most players that have been playing 4 times longer.

Now I know the criticisms, I have heard them all: ‘he isn’t in the ACC’ or ‘level of competition’, but let me tell you this, he can stack up with anyone. Maybe you saw his double double against Kansas that included an excellent block on Cole Aldrich? No one in the Big South Conference can stop him and even Duke’s coach Mike Krzyzewski said, “He will be a first-round pick, easy, in the NBA,” “he would play for anybody in our league.”

I generally can’t stand the NBA, but what that attention can do for a mid-sized University is incredible. Art Parakhouski is a guy you can pull for too. He has no off-the-court issues and he isn’t flashy during the game. He simply hustles and plays hard. So as we get closer to the conference tournaments, keep your eyes out for Art and Radford because with any luck, the Belarusian will carry the team on his shoulders back to the NCAA Tourney.

~ Gordon Southard, Big South Enthusiast

Filed under: Basketball, College Hoops, Uncategorized | Tagged: Art Parakhouski, Mid Majors, NCAA Basketball, Radford University | 3 Comments »

A 96 Team NCAA Tournament

Posted on February 4, 2010 by jackofallsports

The NCAA is considering a move to a 96 team tournament format in 2011. NCAA officials are trying to terminate their existing TV contract with CBS in order to provide coverage of the additional games.

I have been on numerous message boards, and the 100% consensus is that this would be a terrible idea. Every college basketball fan is opposed to the change, feeling that it will water down the tournament product and diminish the importance of regular season games.

I can understand if NCAA football officials decided to move to an eight team playoff, that an SEC/elite team may feel like it has a margin for error in the regular season, and would possibly take the pedal off the metal. College football teams only play 11 or 12 games under the current BCS format, so every regular season game is of vital importance. If college football moves to a playoff format, yes, it may diminish the importance of regular season games.

College basketball teams play 35 games in the regular season/conference tournament. Within the 35 games there are ebbs and flows, peaks and valleys. I don’t think that Gary Williams would tell his Terps: “Hey, let’s mail in this game tonight at Florida St., so we can save our energy for Sunday at home against Carolina. Heck, we can lose a bunch of extra games now and still get in the NCAA tournament.”

Basically, the extra 32 teams that would be invited to the Big Dance would be the NIT field. Honestly, the teams in the NIT are not as bad as you think. Everyone thinks that the major conferences would be rewarded, and that all of their bubble teams would get in undeservedly. So what? They won’t have any chance of winning it all, so who cares if they are in the field of 96?

What about the MAC, MWC, and MVC teams that go 14-2 in the regular season and lose their conference tournament? These teams often times do not have a strong enough RPI’s to get into the NCAA tournament because there are not enough at large bids available. Is it a terrible thing that they would now be invited into the field of 96? I love seeing the little guy make a cinderella run to win their conference tournament and get in the NCAA tournament. But, why punish the team that dominated the conference in the regular season?

Honestly, I don’t care if the tournament stays 65 teams or moves to 96 teams. I just don’t understand why anyone would be against the change. We all know that only a handful of teams every year have a chance of winning the whole thing anyhow. Seriously, there are very few underdog runs to the Final Four (yes, I remember George Mason). You may think that the N.C State team in 83 or the Villanova team in 84 were underdogs, but go back and dig a little deeper. They were actually elite teams that simply underachieved at times in the regular season. However, the pedigree and talent was there and they both turned it on in the second half of the season. Most of the time you can look at the college basketball preseason rankings and isolate the half dozen teams that have a chance of cutting down the nets. One of those teams accomplishes this goal 90% of the time.

If the tournament field expands to 96 teams you have more David vs. Goliath. You would have mediocre teams from major conferences, and non-noteworthy teams from smaller conferences, getting destroyed by the top dogs all for the sake of the NCAA generating additional revenue. More TV money, more stadium ticket sales, more vending, and more revenue for the host cities. So what? It would mean more games for us to hook work and watch! More games to gamble on in Vegas with our crew.

Who cares if the bracket is harder to fill out? That is a ridiculous argument. Just shrink it down and jam it on to the page, because in the end we are all taking two #1 seeds, a #2, and one darkhorse. There could be 300 teams in the tournament this year but 90% of America will have Kansas winning it all. Everyone knows that if you do not have three NBA prospects on your roster, you are not cutting down the nets in early April.

Everyone that complains will embrace the change as soon as the tournament starts. And please, don’t argue with me like I am an advocate of the 96 team format. I just don’t care!!! I will watch the tournament and love every minute of it regardless of how many teams start out in the field. And yes, for all of you that will say, “you are just happy because it gives your crappy, mediocre Terps more margin for error”, so what? I love Maryland basketball and want them in the tournament every year! I am always realistic of their chances. People act like Maryland can go 6-10 in the ACC and still get in the tournament. NO! The margin for error increases slightly, but not as much as you would think. I wonder what America’s #1 sports fan, President Obama thinks of this possibility?

I know this topic is a hot button, so please hammer me and tell me I am an idiot.

Woodman – if only Len Bias had lived, we would have been the UCLA of the east

Filed under: Basketball, College Hoops | Tagged: 96 team tournament, college basketball, ncaa tournament | 4 Comments »

History in the Making

Posted on February 3, 2010 by jackofallsports

The Washington Capitals beat the Boston Bruins 4-1 last night to extend their current win streak to a franchise best 11 games. Instead of researching the stats I normally try to provide to give sizzle to my blogs, I wanted to paint some broader strokes on the state of the Washington Capitals.

#1, Ted Leonsis is one of the best owners in sports. Not only does he spend money and possess a keen understanding of marketing the brand, but he demonstrates loyalty as well. Every other owner in sports would have fired GM George McPhee as the Capitals endured a seven year playoff drought. However, Leonsis has stuck with McPhee and look at the results:

McPhee drafted star Russian youngster Alexander Semin in the 1st round in 2002. In 2004, McPhee proceeded to dismantle the team after the failed Jaromir Jagr experiment. Capitals fans cannot blame McPhee for this debacle as every fan wanted the Capitals to bring in the marqee NHL star. McPhee garnered three first round picks by dealing Jagr along with popular veterans Peter Bondra, Sergei Gonchar, and Steve Konowalchuk. McPhee parlayed improved draft position and extra first round picks in 2004 into Alexander Ovechkin (#1 overall), Jeff Schultz, and Mike Green. The icing on the cake occurred in the 2006 draft when McPhee drafted Nicklas Backstrom and Semyon Varlamov in the first round. McPhee had successfully rebuilt the future of the Capitals with a nucleus of talent that will keep the team in Stanley Cup contention for the next decade.

Following the NHL lockout season of 2004/2005, the Capitals finished in last place the next two seasons. The Capitals hit rock bottom in mid 2008, and promoted Hershey coach Bruce Boudreau to the bench to help salvage the season. The team responded by winning 15 of their last 19 games to make the playoffs. Unfortunately, the young Caps got ousted in seven games by the hated Philadelphia Flyers, but took a big step forward in the rebuilding process. Alexander Ovechkin emerged as a star, scoring 65 goals and won the franchise’s first Hart trophy as the regular season NHL MVP.

In 2009, the Capitals won the Southeast Conference and overcame a 3-1 series deficit to the New York Rangers to win their first playoff series in over a decade. The Caps proceeded to lose in the conference semifinals to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins. Once again Alexander Ovechkin won the Hart trophy and was recognized as the leagues’ best player.

Currently, the Capitals sit atop the Eastern Conference with 82 points, a 10 point lead over second place New Jersey. They are riding the highly publicized 11 game winning streak, the best in franchise history. The Caps lead the league in scoring, and feature three of the top scorers in the NHL (OV, Backs, and Semin). Six of the top thirteen rated NHL skaters in +/- wear a Capitals jersey. And, once again Mike Green leads all NHL defensemen in scoring. Needless to say, barring injury, Alexander Ovechkin is a lock for a third straight Hart Trophy. Only Bobby Orr and Wayne Gretzky have won three consecutive Hart trophies in NHL history. The Great One won eight in a row, and nine in a ten year span between 1979-1989.

Not to jinx anything, but no player that has won multiple Hart trophies has failed to win a Stanley Cup.

McPhee brought in veterans Sergei Federov and Victor Kozlov to help groom the young guns, and it helped propel the team to back to back playoff appearances. Both players are gone, but McPhee brilliantly replaced them with key veterans Brendan Morrisonn (11 goals, 20 assists) and Mike Knuble (19 goals, 15 assists). McPhee has built the Capitals into the deepest and most dynamic team in the NHL. I never thought in my lifetime that the Capitals would be this stacked with talent.

I thought the Caps would forever be a blue collar, hard working team that gets a seven seed in the playoffs at best. In the 80’s and 90’s, teams like the Rangers, Canadiens, Avalanche, and Red Wings would have already bought our top young players. Washington was not a hockey town and there wasn’t enough revenue for Abe Pollin to justify paying huge money for marquee NHL talent. Not anymore. Ted Leonsis is committed to keeping his core young stars and is not afraid to spend big money. The current Capitals sell out every game, and the Verizon Center is no longer half full of Penguin, Ranger, Devil, and Flyer fans. This is the Renaissance of hockey in the Nations capital and the future looks bright. Much of the credit has to go to Leonsis and his brilliant marketing strategy in growing the Caps fan base throughout the entire region.

Did I mention that every NHL player that has won multiple Hart trophies has won the Stanley Cup?

Unlike the Wizards who put all of their eggs in Gilbert Arenas’s basket, the Capitals entrusted their franchise to Alexander Ovechkin. Get it? Ever since OV has become captain, he is a man possessed. What other star player back-checks and plays with the physicality and edge that OV does? Not only is he the fastest skater and hardest shooter, but he is also the hardest worker.

I am nervous about the upcoming break in the NHL season due to the Olympics. Not because I fear an injury in Vancouver to one of the Caps star players, but because I want the team to stay on this roll. However, it may end up being a blessing in disguise. Hopefully the team will miss being around each other, and when they get back together, will rekindle the enthusiasm and excitement that led to the current win streak. This young team is gaining the confidence, maturity, and consistency required to win a Stanley Cup. I just hope the goaltending holds up when it matters most. Even though Jose Theodore takes a lot of heat, the guy did win a Hart Trophy in 2002.

Woodman – former Caps season ticket holder and Caps fanatic

Filed under: Hockey | Tagged: alexander ovechin, alexander semin, george mcphee, mike knuble, nicklas backstrom, ted leonsis, washington capitals | Leave a Comment »

The Ugliest game in ACC history

Posted on February 2, 2010 by jackofallsports

In a game that set college basketball back a decade, the Clemson Tigers held on to defeat the Maryland Terrapins 62-53 at Little John Coliseum. The Tigers were without their best perimeter player, Demontez Stitt, but still managed a crucial victory despite shooting only 32% from the floor.

Clemson played like a desperate team trying to end a three game ACC losing streak. The Tigers extended their defense and suffocated the Terps forcing 26 turnovers. They also held the ACC’s best shooting team to 35% shooting from the floor (18-52), and 2-10 from three point range. Maryland came into the game shooting over 50% from behind the arc. Also, Maryland led the ACC in assists per game with 17, but managed only eight against the Tigers. Simply put, Little John Coliseum has always been a place where Terp offenses go and die.

I always talk about the importance of guard play in college basketball, and the fact that Maryland has two seniors and two juniors handling the ball. Unfortunately, this game was not reflective of a veteran back court that averaged only 11 turnovers coming into the game. Greivis Vasquez was a total disaster turning the ball over nine times and shooting only 3-11 from the field. Senior back court companion Eric Hayes wasn’t much better turning it over five times himself, and hitting only 1 of four from downtown. Unheralded Tiger guards Andre Young and Tanner Smith played with great energy and smothered the Terps defensively. However, the Tiger guards were also sloppy handling the ball, offering up 21 turnovers of their own.

Even more frustrating than being unable to capitalize on playing Clemson without Stitt was the fact that the Tigers best player, Trevor Booker, shot only 2-16 from the floor. Booker led the ACC in field goal percentage last year and many Terp fans thought he would have a career day against the inexperienced Terrapin front line. Instead, Tiger center Jerai Grant decided to have a career day. Grant shot 7-11 from the field, scored 18 points, pulled 12 rebounds and blocked 4 shots. Booker did come through in the clutch and hit a crucial three -pointer (only his second of the year) and scored nine of his ten points in the final seven minutes of the game.

The Terps scored only six points in the final ten minutes of the first half, and looked worse than the North Harford Hawks JV team. And, despite playing like garbage and digging a double-digit second half deficit, the Terps rallied to take a 48-46 lead with eight minutes left in the game. The Tigers than proceeded to outscore the Terps 16-5 in the closing minutes to end the Terps four game win streak. When the Terps took their first lead of the game, I truly thought they were going to pull it out, but it wasn’t meant to be.

Trust me, even if the Terps had won, I would have still been disgusted and sickened by their quality of play. And, you know things are bad when Mr. Steady, Landon Milbourne, shoots 1-8 from the floor totaling three points for the game. This game was one of the ugliest displays of Div. I basketball I can ever remember witnessing. Neither team looked worthy of a bid to the NIT, let alone a ticket to the big dance.

The lone bright spot for the Terps was the play of ACC Rookie of the Week, Jordan Williams, who posted a double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds. The Terps’ next game is Thursday night in Tallahassee against Florida St. before returning home to play the beleaguered Tarheels on Sunday.

Woodman – this game ruined my weekend. Typical Terp trainwreck in Little John

Filed under: Basketball, College Hoops, Terps | Tagged: acc hoops, clemoson tigers, jordan williams, maryland terrapins, trevor booker | 5 Comments »

Revisiting the State of U.S. Soccer

Posted on January 28, 2010 by jackofallsports

U.S. Men’s National team first choice forward Charlie Davies is defying the odds as he continues his remarkable comeback from a fatal car crash last October. Nobody gave Davies a chance to be a part of the team Bob Bradley will send to represent the United States in South Africa this summer, but it appears everyone will be wrong. Davies has recovered from facial fractures, a broken elbow, hip, femur, and tibia injuries, and will rejoin his club team Sochaux in France for training by the end of February.

Doctor’s had to pull the skin on Davies face down to his chin in order to operate on his facial fractures. Davies has required numerous surgeries, and was walking on his own only within the last month. Now Davies is doing soccer drills including dribbling, running, cutting, etc. After enduring this life changing accident, which left Ashley Roberta of Phoenix, MD dead, Davies said he will be a lock to participate in the World Cup in June. Wow.

Even though Honduras beat the U.S. in a friendly last weekend, things are looking up for U.S. Men’s soccer.

Clint Dempsey, star midfielder for the U.S. and key cog for the English Premier League team Fulham, will not need surgery on his injured knee. Dempsey will resume training in the next few months, and hopes to return to the pitch by May. Stud defender and Maryland native Oguchi Onyewu is recovering from his patella injury, and will be back in training for Italian giant AC Milan in the coming month. Barring any setbacks, Davies, Dempsey, and Onyewu all look to be available for Bob Bradley’s selection this June. The U.S. needs all of these players to be healthy and effective in order to reach their goals in the World Cup.

The best player in the United States, Landon Donovan, finally may have found a European club that will showcase his talent. Donovan is on loan to the English Premier club Everton, and scored his first goal yesterday in a 2-0 home win against Sunderland. Unlike his time in Germany playing for Leverkusen & Bayern Munich, Donovan is starting and getting quality minutes. Everton is an excellent team with a number of world class players. The Merseysiders have a host of players returning from injury, so it will be imperative that Donovan continues to play well to ensure he maintains a place in the starting XI.

The MLS may have an impending work stoppage, so Donovan may extend his loan deal beyond the original 10 weeks negotiated by his parent club LA Galaxy. Everton is fighting for a place in the Europa Cup next year and Donovan will be playing in a number of very meaningful games. The U.S. needs their best player to acquit himself and make an impact for a world class club. Also, it would be great for Donovan to return to Everton next year for meaningful European football on a club that values his service. The transition has been easier for Donovan having U.S. Men’s first team goalkeeper Tim Howard by his side in training everyday.

Many players on the U.S. first team have been playing good football for numerous European clubs. Michael Bradley is a force for the German side Borussia Monchengladbach, and plays 90 minutes in central midfield almost every game. Jozy Altidore, who will be Charlie Davies’ attacking partner in South Africa, has been getting steady minutes for Hull City of the English Premier League. Altidore has yet to score this season, but Hull is a bottom of the table team that rarely possesses the ball. Jozy is a physical competitor who imposes himself on defenders, and his experience in the Prem is invaluable.

Even less notable players like midfielders Ricardo Clark (just signed to play for Frankfurt in the Bundesliga) and Stuart Holden (just signed with Bolton in the Prem) are getting opportunities to play for great clubs in Europe. The U.S. has always gotten respect for producing top notch goaltenders, but they are now being recognized for producing quality position players as well.

One last note on the African Cup of Nations: Algeria, one of the three teams included in the U.S. group in the World Cup, just beat tournament favorite the Cote D’Ivoire to advance to the semifinals against hated rival Egypt. The Egyptians are the two- time defending African Cup of Nations champion and were ousted by Algeria in the last match of World Cup qualifying. Anyone thinking that the U.S. has an easy ride to the knockout stage better think twice.

Woodman – futbol junkie and U.S. National team apologist

Filed under: Soccer | Tagged: ac milan, algeria, charlie davies, Clint Dempsey, everton, fulham, jozy altidore, Landon Donovan, michael bradley, oguchi onyewu, u.s. national team soccer, World Cup Soccer | 6 Comments »

S.O.S to Ted Leonsis: Please save the Wizards

Posted on January 27, 2010 by jackofallsports

NBA Commissioner David Stern dropped the hammer and issued season long suspensions to Washington Wizard gunslingers Gilbert Arenas and Javaris Crittenden. The Wizards will save over seven million in payroll because of the suspension to Arenas. Now that he knows his fate with regard to the NBA, Mr. Ill-Advised shot will have to wait another two months before finding out if his plea deal will spare him time behind bars.

I grew up a 76ers fan but tried to convert to being a Wizards fan when I lived in Washington D.C for over seven years. The Wiz were annually an average to below-average basketball team, but I enjoyed going to watch NBA games and would get caught up in the hometown excitement.

I couldn’t believe it when I first heard that the Wizards finally ponied up big money to sign a marquee NBA player: Gilbert Arenas. Not Dwayne Wade, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Tim Duncan, Dirk Nowitzki, Steve Nash, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett or a number of other legitimate NBA players who were worthy of being a franchise player. Nope, the Wizards finally came up with the money so they could sign an overrated ball-hog.

Whenever I see a basketball player take an ill-advised shot, I think of Gilbert Arenas. I love it that even though the Wizards have clutch players like Antawn Jamison and Caron Butler on the roster, Arenas felt that his pull-up 30 footer with one minute left in a tie game was the teams best option. Seriously, why trust your teammates and let other people touch the ball when you can dribble down the court and force a deep NBA three? I know, I know…he made 1 out of 5 and would get highlights on SportsCenter so fans across the country thought he was legit.

I was always impressed that his typical stat line looked like the following: 9-24 FG, 3-12 3 pt. FG, 9-10 FT, 30 points. Honestly, it is hard to find an NBA player with a worse FG% than Gilbert Arenas. How many times did you watch a Wizards game and just know he was going to huck a 30 footer when the game was on the line? 30 footers are definitely high percentage shots.

Abe Pollin was a good man and a tremendous philanthropist in our nation’s Capital. But whoever was responsible for selling Abe that they should put up the cash for this jerk should be tarred and feathered.

Caron Bulter is rumored to be heading to San Antonio or Denver. Jamison looks to be on his way to Cleveland or another playoff contender. The sky is falling on the Wizards and they are obviously blowing up this roster to rebuild. I refuse to do any legwork for this rant, but I have heard that Washington Capitals owner Ted Leonsis will transition into a majority ownership role for the Wizards after the estate of Abe Polin is finalized. Ted taking over is the only chance this franchise has of returning to quasi-relevance in the NBA. Ted will hire the right GM. Ted will get the right people in the right jobs. Ted will turn this circus show into an NBA contender. Bet it.

I am not saying the Wizards are a better team without Arenas, but for the money, there are 50 other players I would rather see in a Wizards uniform. I know the Wizards will try to make it work with Arenas next season. But, If I were the GM, I would try to use his felony plea as a technicality to void his contract and get out from under this nightmare.

Did I forget to mention that Arenas was injured or missed half of his games as a Wizard? What a trainwreck. Wizards fans can only hope they never see this clown on the court for their team ever again.

Woodman – letting it out

Filed under: Basketball | Tagged: david stern, gilbert arenas, javaris crittenden, suspension, washington wizards | 10 Comments »

Another Impressive Conference win for the Terps

Posted on January 26, 2010 by jackofallsports

I am used to losing ten years of my life every time the Maryland Terrapins earn an ACC win, so this recent stretch of domination is unsettling to say the least. Maryland continued it’s torrid start to ACC play by shredding the Miami Hurricanes 81-59 in College Park to move to 4-1 in the conference. Looking back at this recent run of quality play, the Terps jumped out to an 18 point first half lead on the road in Boston College en route to a 73-56 win. Maryland proceeded to drub N.C. State by 24 and were beating Miami by 31 in the second half of the game last night. Is armageddon on the horizon?

Maryland critics can point to a weakened ACC and fairly say that the Terps are not very athletic, explosive, dynamic, or sexy. Furthermore, the Terps do not have great size or blue chip talent.

These are the positive things you can fairly say about this team: they play hard (since the William & Mary debacle), share the ball, protect the ball, and look like they enjoy playing together. It may sound cliche but the Terps are a TEAM. Maryland was extremely unselfish against Miami and made the extra pass numerous times generating 19 assists on 28 made field goals.

Once again the Terps shot the lights out hitting 28-48 FG’s (58%) and were 7-15 from behind the arc (47%). There isn’t a single human being on this earth who thought this team could play this well offensively. Also, the Terps managed a draw in rebounding differential (28 rebounds for both teams) and won the turnover battle 19-11. Maryland had only five turnovers with eight minutes left in the game. I cannot overstate the importance of guard play in college basketball.

In the first half Maryland forced 14 turnovers and made more field goals (17) than the Hurricanes attempted (16).

Gary continued his trend of player rotation and got quality minutes from nine different Terps. Seven players scored eight points or more (five were in double digits). The rotation of players was so solid I never really noticed a drop-off in play regardless of the combination on the court. Also, Gary was relentless on the bench and got the team to focus for a solid 36 minutes despite winning by a large margin for most of the game.

Greivis did not force anything against the Hurricanes and got the team on track from the getgo. The emotional leader pumped in 16 points (14 in the 1st half when the game was in question) and dished out nine assists while committing only two turnovers. Landon Milbourne continued his steady play shooting 7-10 from the field and pumping in 16 points himself. Milbourne knows his spots on the floor and does an excellent job of getting shots that accommodate his skillset. Landon is always under control and will be a fantastic player in the European leagues upon his graduation from Terpland.

Obviously Maryland lacks the three NBA prospects required to win a National Championship (normally the formula for cutting down the nets in March Madness), but give Gary his due for conducting another virtuoso coaching effort on another unheralded group. I don’t know why people bother criticizing Gary for failing to bring blue-chip talent to College Park. Gary does his best when he is able to coach four year players that are interested in working hard and embracing his ideals and passion. I want blue chippers on this roster, but will give the credit and criticism to Rob Ehsan, Keith Booth, and Chuck Driesell who are the true engines behind the Terps recruiting locomotive.

Maryland travels to Little John on Sunday to play a desperate Clemson team coming off three straight losses. The Terps will be entering a hornets nest against a Tiger team that features the very talented Trevor Booker. The Tigers will be urgent to hold serve at home after dropping their last home game to the Dookies.

Jim, can you please give Maryland their due???

Woodman – Terp alum, fanatic etc.

Filed under: Basketball, College Hoops, Terps | Tagged: acc hoops, greivis vasquez, landon milbourne, maryland terrapins, Miami Hurricanes | 16 Comments »

I was Wrong and not afraid to admit it

Posted on January 25, 2010 by jackofallsports

I predicted a Chargers vs. Cowboys Super Bowl and wasn’t even close. I had to pick my beloved Cowboys just in case they were catching lightening in a bottle, but in retrospect, the Vikings were clearly the better team. Also, Peyton Manning is a beast and after collecting his fourth MVP, should have known he wasn’t going to settle for anything less than a Super Bowl ring.

Just to clean up the Dallas/Vikings game, I never expected the Vikings defensive line to dominate us the way that they did. Edwards played like a man possessed and ate Columbo alive at RT. There are no woulda-coulda-shouldas in that game: the Vikings were a better team than the Dallas Cowboys.

I know this is going to alienate a number of NFL and New Orleans Saints fans, but if the Saints played Minnesota on a neutral field they would get beat 9 out of 10 times. The Vikings were clearly the better team, but playing on the road in a dome is a very difficult proposition. How about this for domination:

The Vikings had 475 total yards to the Saints 257. Drew Brees didn’t even throw for 200 yards. The leading Saints receiver, Devery Henderson, caught four balls for 39 yards. So much for the vaunted Saints offense.

Minnesota put the ball on the carpet six times and lost three fumbles. Favre threw a terrible interception at the end of regulation and A.P. dropped a handoff at the end of the first half that could have swung the momentum toward the Vikings. I am happy for the community of New Orleans, but the Saints are just not that good. Saints starting linebackers Shanle & Fujita wouldn’t even make the practice squad in Dallas. I also believe if the Saints had to play any of the other five NFC playoff contenders on the road, they wouldn’t beat any of them. God bless their hearts, but next year this team will be 10-6 at best.

I will tip my hat to the Jets and Rex Ryan and want to congratulate them on a solid cinderella run. With that being said, thank God they got beat because nobody wanted to see this bush league squad in the Super Bowl. The Jets defense was not the 85 Bears, 86 Giants, or 2000 Ravens. The Jets offense was like watching grass grow and this team did not deserve to play in Miami. I like the Jets offensive line and defensive moxy, but if you give Peyton Manning enough looks at your scheme, he is going to figure you out.

Peyton came out in the second half and flat out attacked the aggressive Jets secondary. Needless to say he made the Jets pay to the tune of 24 unanswered points. When Manning marched the Colts down the field to answer the Jets score at the end of the first half, you knew it was the beginning of the end. The Jets schemed to take away Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark, so Peyton lit them up with Pierre Garcon (11 rec., 151 yards, 1 TD) and rookie Austin Collie (7 rec., 123 yards, 1 TD). What other QB could make these receivers look this good on this big of a stage? The best QB’s I have ever seen play: Marino, Montana, Elway, and Manning.

On the other side of the ball, let’s give the Colt’s defense their due as they held the league’s best rushing attack to 86 yards. Also, the Jets hit them with a couple of big plays including an 80 yard TD pass and a gimmick pass from wildcat QB Brad Smith. If you take these two plays off the board, the Jets didn’t make much hay against a fast, aggressive Colts unit.

I literally had a heart attack when I saw that the initial line for the Super Bowl was the Colts -4. Are you kidding me? I know that I am right and am not going to argue with anyone: the Colts are a LOCK to win the Super Bowl.

I know the Saints are the emotional story: Hurricane Katrina, the team representing a city rebuilding and putting so much stock and faith into their beloved Saints, etc. etc. etc. The Colts didn’t come all this way to botch it against this rubbish front seven. Peyton Manning is ready to crystalize his legacy and he knows he needs at least one more ring to solidify his legend. The Vikings should be playing in Miami against Indy and the Favre redemption storyline would have generated tremendous hype. I wanted it to happen so bad so that my co-host Jim would have eaten crow over his constant Favre criticism. Instead, Jim was vindicated and Favre choked it away just like many expected him to do.

I hope everyone enjoys this last season without my beloved Cowboys being in the Super Bowl. The Cowboys will be back with a vengeance in 2010 and will have the opportunity to have home field advantage in next years Super Bowl. Sorry Eagles fans, but the balance of power has shifted in the NFC East and there is a new sheriff in town. Dallas has a young nucleus of stars and they are only going to get better.

Last but not least, Drew Brees doesn’t even hold Peyton Manning’s jock strap. So let’s stop the Brees should have been MVP hype. The world will see who is clearly the best QB in the league in two weeks. And yes Patriots fans, that includes Tom Brady as well.

Colts will cover the spread, put your house on it.

Woodman – Cowboy apologist for life

Filed under: Football, NFL | Tagged: cardinals, chargers, colts, cowboys, handicapping nfl games, jets, nfl playoffs, Peyton Manning, Ravens, saints | 7 Comments »

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