Wednesday, December 14, 2011
The First Annual RFH Collective Fantasy Hoops League
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| RFH Collective fantasy hoops. Do it. |
You can join the league here.
Password: rfh.
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Things I am thankful for: Offensive Lineman
Most of the time the importance of offensive linemen renders me speechless. There is no other position in sports that combines massive size, agile feet, smarts, and toughness than tackle, guard or center. For these reasons I am thankful to these modern day heavy weight gladiators. Thank you offensive lineman.
Monday, November 28, 2011
The Dry Erase Board: Bo Ryan's Swing Offense
For the second installment of The Dry Erase Board series we will be heading back to Big Ten country and taking a look at Bo Ryan's Swing Offense. Much like our first subject John Belein, Bo Ryan has coached his way up the collegiate ranks from Division 3 to high major Division 1 and kept it more real than any coach ever has by staying in Wisconsin the whole time. That alone deserves its own blog series. Maybe we'll call it "Real G's: Coaches That Keep it Real" or something of that nature. Anyway, I digress. Without further ado I give you Bo Ryan's Swing Offense.
The General Concept The Swing is a continuity motion that is a direct off-shoot of the Flex Offense. Anyone who has ever played organized basketball beyond the 6th grade has run the Flex and to be honest it is by far my least favorite offense ever. The Flex is boring and predictable and designed for teams that have no idea how to play basketball. Every now and then you can score against a really bad defensive team but in general it is not particularly potent. With that being said, I love the Swing. Bo Ryan has used good parts of the Flex, replaced the bad ones and created a continuity motion that can be run at all levels. Teams that run the Swing typically use it to compliment a disciplined man-t0-man defense, control tempo, limit turnovers and physically punish an opposing team's defense through a series of never-ending screens.
The Action The Swing operates from the same 4-out, 1-in base spacing as the Flex. The 5-man runs to the ball side of the rim, the 2 and 3 run wide to the wings and the 1 and 4 fill the alleys. The Swing can be initiated in many different ways and coaches have the freedom to develop quick-hitter sets as they see fit but for the purpose of this blog we will walk through the base movement. Like the Flex, the Swing is initiated by a ball reversal and a baseline back-screen between the 5 and 2. However, instead of reversing the ball to a stagnant 4-man who may struggle to make the next play and risking a "pick-6 turnover" (one that leads directly to a break away lay-up) the Swing calls for the trailing 4-man to screen away for the 3-man on the wing so he can come open for a jumper/curl or simply catch the reverse pass and continue the motion. Much of the action in the Swing calls for big-to-small screens so switching is not a good idea. Once the 3-man catches the reverse pass from the 1, he looks for the 2-man coming off the back-screen from the 5 either for a lay up or a post catch (depending on the player's skill set). This is where the Swing breaks off from the Flex completely. Instead of reversing the ball again after the weak side screens for one another (1 to 5) and then starting the baseline back-screen motion all over, the 3-man passes to the ball-side corner (4) and then receives an up-screen (set at the elbow) from the 2-man who just flashed into the post. The 2-man then shapes up for the jumper after he sets the screen and the 4 looks to the hard cutting 3 for a lay up/post up. If not there, the ball gets reversed around again and the motion resets. The actual motion is great but the really deadly part of the Swing is getting to where the players know when to counter the action and catch defenders cheating.
The Players Unlike the 2-Guard, I believe many different types of players can be fit into the Swing. Perimeter shooting isn't nearly as vital and players hoops IQs don't need to be quite as high. Players with non-traditional skills sets for their position (guards that post, bigs that shoot) can find a home with Bo Ryan. There is one thing that is 100% necessary and that is physicality. Players 1-5 have to want to screen defenders and enjoy "head hunting". One poor screener or soft player can ruin the entire possession. Hitting the weight room is just as important, if not more important, than anything that is done on the court. I believe the Swing allows coaches to have a few one-dimensional guys out there and not be completely exposed. Bo Ryan has a direct line to hay-bailing, strong-jawed Mid-Westerners to fill his roster so all his assistants need to do is find one stud players with NBA talent. One player that can make a tough shot and make a play in the last 15 seconds of the shot clock because you will find your self there quite often.
The Strengths Like many basketball "systems" the Swing does a great job hiding weaknesses and minimizing talent differences. The Swing does this by slowing the pace of the game, minimizing turnovers and forcing opponents to absorb 25-35 seconds of pounding on the defensive end. Everything is clean and within the rules but the defense knows that every time the ball moves you are going to get hit and hit hard. The defense gets lazy and tired and they may start racking up fouls or giving up lay ups. A ten point lead in a game that is paced by the Swing might as well be a 20 point lead and the frustration sets in. If your opponent goes to down and takes a quick shot (even if it's a good one) they know they will be back in the meat grinder seconds later and now their tempo is effected as well. Plus, you can expose post-up mismatches regardless of the position with any intentional designing. That is by far my most favorite element of the Swing.
The Weaknesses As evident by many of Wisconsin's performances the Swing can create a very low scoring affair. I'm talking peach basket scores. Teams that run the Swing can get bogged down in the motion and forget to look at the basket. It is certainly not a crowd pleasing or pretty style of play and I am sure many potential recruits are turned off by the pace of lack of freedom. As a coach who used it for a season I did find that the structure of the motion sometimes disabled the players instincts and accidentally turned them into screening robots.
Conclusion The Swing, like many other "systems" has its fair share of strengths and weaknesses but at the end of the day it does what it is supposed to do; give the program an identity and a chance to win. Bo Ryan has won every where he has gone and does not apologize for the way he does it. Like many niche systems, I don't think the Swing is an appropriate style of play if a team is loaded with elite talent but with one or two elite players and a bunch of tough guys it will win you games. If you don't like the Swing or Bo Ryan's teams then keep it to yourself. If not, you will be viciously back-screened someday while walking to your car.
Next on The Dry Erase Board...University of Arkansas-Mike Anderson's 40 Minutes of Hell 2.0
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
What Do We Think of the Amnesty Clause?
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| Rashard Lewis: Potential Amnesty Candidate |
I wrote the following for ClipperBlog, and while it's about how the amnesty clause relates to the Clippers, I'd love to know everyone's thoughts on the proposed details (as described in the post), possible candidates, implications, whatever...
The notion of an amnesty clause is exciting to many fans. Most teams have at least one “bad” contract — many have more — so it figures that people would embrace the opportunity to see the franchise for which they cheer drop the most undesirable in favor of a roster spot and cap space for a potentially better player. But it also portends more player movement, which we as fans also tend to enjoy, especially in a time when barely anything basketball-related is happening at all.While opposition to it based on the somewhat hypocritical message that some individual owners will be sending by simultaneously crying broke and angling for a new way to spend money (much more on that here) appears futile, the whole idea is incredibly unfair to teams that have been successful at not handing out bad contracts. Like the Clippers.Even if there are provisions to give such teams the chance to amend a future mistake, as backwards as that may be, you can’t help but wonder just how drastically the advantage accrued by managing the cap responsibly will be slashed.
Friday, November 4, 2011
Team Earthbound
The Gold Standard: Wes Unseld
Measurements: 6'7, 250
Notable Accomplishment: Career average of 14 rebounds per game (9 defensive)
Earthbound Superpower: Outlet passing, defensive rebounding
Any discussion of an earthbound player begins with Wes. He was a bruising presence who dominated the glass. He lead an unspectacular Bullets team to a championship while also being named to five all-star games. Unseld's biggest contribution to the game was his uncanny ability to throw full court outlet passes from his chest. Take that Kevin Love!
Thursday, November 3, 2011
The Dry Erase Board: John Beilein's "2 Guard-Offense"
There are two facts all basketball fans should be accepting right now. 1) We won't be watching professional basketball for at least another month or so and 2) No matter how much we love college basketball, it is not as good. Watching two teams play super hard is only fun if they are playing hard AND playing well. Let's face it, there is a ton of ugly, 48-46 college basketball games and that's even at the highest levels. There is excitement for the upcoming college basketball season not only because of the NBA lockout but because the power teams are littered with NBA talent and no matter what "purists'' say that is what we all want to see. Since the large majority of college teams are not blessed with elite physical talent hoops fans have to find some other way to be interested in the product. One of the ways basketball nerds can find enjoyment in college hoops is watching "systems" instead of players.
Basketball systems, or playing styles, are created by the coaching staff to provide the program with an identity. In "The Dry Erase Board" series (who uses chalk boards?) I will breakdown some of college basketball's more unique systems that maximize talent and hide physical shortcomings. And no, the "Pro-Style" or "Dribble-Drive" offense will not be featured. To quote Coach Cal from a Nike clinic I attended the key to the "Dribble-Drive" offense is to "have more talented and athletic players than your opponent"...pure genius. Today we will look at Upstate New York's own John Beilein and his "2 Guard Offense". (Interesting note: Beilein has been a JUCO, D3, D2 and D1 coach for 35 years and never an assistant)
The General Concept An off-spring of the Princeton offense, the 2-Guard offense emphasizes unique floor spacing, back-screening, hard cuts to the basket and perimeter shooting. The 2-Guard is most known for having 4 offense players on the perimeter (2 in the slots and 2 on the wings) and 1 post player that positions himself between the foul line and the top of the key (i.e. Pittsnogle). When spaced correctly the players should form a flat "X" and the deep corners should be left unoccupied for cutters to fill.
The Action The 2-Guard offense is sometimes unfairly labeled as a "continuity" offense where a pattern can be run over and over (i.e. the "Flex" or "Swing") but it's really more of a quick hit motion like the "Triangle". The action is determined by the first pass made and that pass triggers a serious of deep corner cuts, back screens, down screens and pick and rolls. No matter what action is triggered it depends on one important element; shooting. The idea is to get the defense spread out and off the help-line which neutralizes shot-blocking and athleticism.
The Players Many times unique offensive systems are created because not all programs can recruit the elite talent so they recruit the talent that is right for them. John Beilein's programs are a perfect example of this philosophy. I recently had the opportunity to sit-in on two University of Michigan practices. The first thing I noticed was how physically unimposing the roster was as they came out on the court. The second thing I noticed was how unbelievably quick they were to pick-up on everything the coaching staff put in front of them. The number one skill a John Beilein player must possess is basketball IQ. The actual system is not that complicated and it doesn't come attached with 30 set calls but the players must know how to play the game. 18-22 year-olds must know how to play like old dudes at the Y who have lost there athleticism. If basketball IQ is skill 1A) then shooting is skill 1AA) and arguably even more important. The 2-Guard can only operate at full-strength when all 5 players on the floor are knock down shooters. It can be argued that some of Beilein's struggles at Michigan can be attributed to the fact that he hasn't found that guy yet. Since players 1-4 in the 2-Guard are for the most part interchangeable you do not have to have a traditional point guard or power forward on the roster, which are two of the hardest positions to recruit. Ultimately you need to recruit players with versatile skill-sets who are a knock down shooters, are somewhere between 6'2"-6'7" and know how to play. So pretty much Euros...
The Strengths Like all effective "systems" the 2-Guard offense does an excellent job of emphasizing strengths and hiding weaknesses. If your team doesn't feature elite athletes the floor spacing that is created by the 2-Guard generates the space needed to get to the basket for high percentage shots either through cuts, back screens or dribble drives. Of course the 3-point shot is a major weapon and is associated as the vocal point of an offense like this. However, it is the the threat of a 3-pointer in your face that is more important than the actual shot. That threat starts forcing a defender to hug his man and neglect his helpside defensive duties leaving the basket open for uncontested lay-ups. The video above is a perfect example of a more talented Michigan State team uncharacteristically giving up easy buckets and leaving the rim unprotected.
The Weaknesses Smart coaches will stay true to the "live by the 3, die by the 3" philosophy and not panic if a couple of bombs drop in and the building is rocking. For the most part, teams do not lose from 3-pointers. Even if a team goes 12 for 20 from 3-point land that's still only 36 points, so how did they score 80? Teams should stay true to protecting the rim from the weak-side and making the other team contested jump shooters. The trap that 2-Guard teams fall into is too many jump shots, long rebounds and run-outs the other way. However, teams defending the 2-Guard do want to limit corner threes by not helping on dribble drives from the strong-side creating easy drive-and-kick opportunities. Stay at home and force the ball-handler to finish over help. If the center is not a great shooter than the other team can have their 5-man protect the rim at all times which is why it is important for the 5-man to be a shooting threat.
Conclusion Like many systems that are dependent on shooting the 2-Guard offense can be either unstoppable or extremely stoppable, there is no in-between. It looks like Michigan is going to land blue-chipper Mitch McGary, a skilled and athletic 4-man, and it will be interesting to see how an elite-level talent fits into this niche style of play. As a coach, I was on the bench when we whooped teams trying to run this and and I have sat there helpless when it was kicking our butt. Like 99.9% of all other situations in life the key is still talent, both on the court and on the sideline.
Next feature...University of Wisconsin: Bo Ryan's "Swing" Offense
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Widdoes Preview of the Pats/Steelers Football Game
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| Bring it. |
Sheesh, after reading the Hendrie's game preview I feel like I've been standing in line at the Cask 'n Flagon, getting heckled for not wearing black boots, a leather jacket and a head full of grease (covered up by a backwards Red Sox cap). Rap sheet this, tabloid innuendo that, can we talk about football, please?
I mean, everyone knows the Pats haven't won a Super Bowl since being convicted of cheating...there just isn't much more to say about that.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
The Steaks were Ray'sed
The RFH Collective is connected not only by the man whose initials form its name, but also by two sets of birthdays that are miraculously close together. Charlie and John were born about a month apart, and Sam and Dave two years and one day apart. The latter tie brought the entire Collective together in our nation's capitol last weekend for the first annual RFH Summit, a celebration of birth, food, all things athletic. Like any convention of influential power brokers, we made sure to fit wholesome meals in between informative seminars and spirited, occasionally contentious meetings of the minds. Indeed, we needed to fuel the fire.
It began on Friday night, when Dave and I prepared for the brotherly arrival with a couple Taylor Gourmet subs. No doubt they provided a nice base layer for the night ahead, but our chicken cutlet subs were decidedly too bready. But worry not, the grub would only improve. The next morning, Charlie and I awoke to fulfill his only demand during this trip: the bacon, egg and cheese croissant at Firehook Bakery. I promise you, it beats the crap out of any bacon, egg and cheese you've ever had. Why? Freshly scrambled eggs, crispy bacon, fully melted cheddar cheese, and a perfectly flaky, just-greasy-enough croissant. Anyway, it had to be good -- we wouldn't eat again for nine hours.
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| Our last meal....until like 9 p.m. |
Friday, October 7, 2011
Barack Obama: The Jobs President
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| Water The first issue I decided to discuss is jobs, and more specifically, how our President's administration has fared in regards to creating and saving them. This issue is especially poignant to most of our readers because they are young, recent college graduates, looking to find their way into the job market. When looking at the job market it is hard not to be pessimistic. The recent labor department employment numbers show that despite the economy adding 103,000 jobs, the unemployment rate is still staying at a stubbornly high number of 9.1%. This number has been above 8% for over a year, and should remain high for the foreseeable future. At this moment many of you are probably wondering how these dismal numbers translate into a post about our President being the ultimate jobs chief executive. Let me tell you why. |
NFL Draft Revisited: AFC East
Patriots
17 Nate Solder: Starting right tackle in place of Sebastian Vollmer
33 Ras-I Dowling: 3 tackles in two games played.
56 Shane Vereen: Injured
73 Stevan Ridley: 148 yards on 18 carries (8.2YPC) and 1 TD
74 Ryan Mallett: 3rd String Quarterback
138 Marcus Cannon: Injured (PUP)
159 Lee Smith: Cut
194 Markell Carter: Cut
219 Malcolm Williams: Cut
What I said in April: "In addition to the trading mastery, the Pats also picked six players who we are confident will be rotation players eventually....Solder is a franchise left tackle, he is a man mountain with great arms and hands....Dowling is great value at pick 33 considering he would have been a top 15 pick if he wasnt injured this past season....Vereen is a young Kevin Faulk while Ridley will be a solid first and second down power back...We did not rate Mallett very high, but the more information coming out about him, the better he seems...Maybe the best pick for the Pats was Cannon at 138. He was slated to be a top 50 pick before a cancer diagnosis."
What has happened so far: Solder continues to show us that he can one day step in for Matt Light and become the teams next left tackle. During the first four games he has struggled at times, but has also shown some flashes of dominance in pass protection. His performance in week one against Cameron Wake should excite Pats fans about the future. Injuries have taken a toll on the depth of this draft class. Neither Vereen or Dowling have been healthy hardly at all either during the pre-season or regular season. Due to this, their performance deserves an incomplete. Ridley could end up being the gem of this class. As RFH contributor John Hendrie noted in a past article, he has the ability to step into a pretty awesome situation. With Danny Woodhead going down, look for Ridley's numbers to explode. Cannon, as expected, will sit this season. One sizable disappointment was Lee Smith. Expected to fill the blocking tight end role, Smith never lived up to expectations and was cut.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Wings and Things Power Rankings: Week 4
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| This is what the first place Dream Shakes are doing right now. |
1) Dream Shake -- Another week, another 1st place team. This time it's the Dream Shakers leaving no doubt with a whopping 221 points and a commanding lead of 60 points over the next closest team. 31 points for Forte and Beanie, 30 from Nicks, 28 from Megatron, and on and on. Well done, my young son. Keep having fun partying with Matt Leinart and those Southern California babes... and the girl on the right.
Monday, October 3, 2011
Centrally Isolated: Therapy for a Syracuse Fan
I am sure everyone the reads The Collective knows by now I am from Central New York. Being from CNY is a rusty badge of honor. Central New Yorkers like to say we are "centrally isolated", just far enough from New York City to not feel any true allegiance and 4-6 hours away from about 6 major American cities. For the most part CNY is pretty neutral territory in the sports world except for one thing; Syracuse Orange Basketball. We own 'Cuse basketball. Jim Boeheim is our whiny, grumpy Uncle that we love because he paid for our college tuition. We don't see Derrick Coleman as an underachiever. We laugh when other schools talk about having "good crowds" as we pack 35,000 people into The Dome. Year after year 5-Star recruits pass up smart weather and dumb girls to play in front of a community that makes them feel like they never left the comfort of their high school gyms. Although Syracuse, New York is a worn-out notch on the Northeast's rust belt, we have a top flight Division 1 basketball program and everyone in the country knows it. We may be in the middle of nowhere to some, but to the basketball world we were in the heart of something special; The Big East.
Denial and Isolation When I first heard about Syracuse and Pittsburgh leaving the Big East and joining the ACC I thought it was joke. Literally, I thought it was a joke headline because of all the shuffling in major conferences someone was trying to be funny. When I realized it was for real I shut down for a day. A whole day. I didn't even think about it
Anger Pure, unadulterated, dropping F-bombs to my Mom anger. How could this possibly be happening. For football?!?!? Are you serious....FOOTBALL!! Don't get me wrong I respect the SU Football program and I understand the revenue it generates, blah, blah, blah. Whatever. I should have know something like this was going happen when they hired a soft, west-coast Athletic Director from USC. I was seriously considering ending my relationship with SU cold-turkey.
Bargaining I started to tell myself "hey, this could be sweet, I hate Duke...and UNC would come through every year, that could fun" and "The ACC will be an unbelievably good basketball, awesome". I started to convince myself that when UConn got accepted to the ACC it would be all good, we would have BC, Pitt, UConn, it would be like nothing ever happened! Hey we don't want to be left in the cold for football. Mega-Conferences are where all the cool kids will be!
Depression Then it hit me...it's over. Big East basketball is all I know. I only know bad-ass, punch-you-in-the-mouth, attack the rim basketball. I only starting shooting jumpers when I got to college and realized I was 6'1 and 6'1 guys have to shoot jumpers. I hated it. When I started coaching my teams defended hard, attacked the rim and didn't take any shit (even if they were in 7th grade). I thought about it and realized that even though I love Syracuse at different times of my life I owned apparel from Pitt, Georgetown, St. John's, PC, and UConn. When John and I saw Ryan Gomes and Donnie McGrath court side at the Mohegan Sun I was just as excited as a Providence native would be. They were OUR guys...Big East guys. When the Big East added those weirdo Conference-USA schools it was strange at first but to me it just meant the gang we started got bigger and stronger. It's over now. Growing up there was only one thing I knew for certain about my life. I would NEVER live south of the Mason-Dixon line...EVER. You could never pay me enough money to live in the South and now because of the move to the ACC I feel like I have duel residency. To make matters worse, PC and St. Johns are getting good again and I am not going to be able to enjoy it with them. And to make them even worse than that the conference championship is in Greensboro, North Carolina. Not exactly a hotbed for Syracuse alumni.
Acceptance This past Saturday I went online and bought season tickets for the 2011-12 Syracuse Orange basketball season. Two seats to all 21 homes games and a parking pass. I have never had season tickets before and no one in my family has either. They weren't cheap but I had to do it. For the first time in 20 years I am not playing or coaching basketball on an organized level and this will be the first opportunity I've ever had to truly submerge myself into a season with the Orange. I will enjoy it with my friends and family, for better or worse, and then it will be over. Syracuse will more than likely be gone from the Big East next year and join the ACC.
I will still love Syracuse basketball and support them no matter what. I will never support ACC Basketball and we don't need them to support us. We will still be a tough gang but it will never be like it was. In the Big East we are a tough gang with our own turf but have always felt an allegiance to a larger organization, our own gang culture. Now we are on our own, much weaker and in a different world...centrally isolated.
NFL Recap: First Quarter Review
The "Elite Eight"
The NFL is a peculiar beast. Worst to first is common, and guaranteed locks fall by the wayside every years. Lets take a look at the status of the "Elite Eight" after the first four weeks.
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| Bryan Bulaga likes the Cold, Jim Beam, and protecting Aaron Rogers |
Packers: 4-0
Although there defense has some room for improvement, the Packers are a perfect 4-0 and looking virtually unbeatable. Aaron Rogers has a seemingly endless array of targets at his disposal. A repeat is very much in their grasp.
"Winner Takes it All"- Over the Top Voice
Patriots: 3-1
Saints: 3-1
Ravens: 3-1
Each of these teams just know how to pull out wins. The Patriots and Saints do it with superb quarterback play while the Ravens defense never disappoints. Although they are on the right track, these teams have some question marks that could derail their superbowl aspirations.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Wings and Things Power Rankings: Week 3
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| The most delicious grub in Stamford: the High School from Garden Catering, in honor of DandyBoy. |
1) Vlad Ducasse -- As Tommy Satran aka Satchy Satch said, Danny is the best teammate. I put him at the top of the power rankings and he made sure to make me look good for doing so. Soom's mouth tastes like foot because Big Vlad gave the Shape Ups the business. Amish Rifle and Ray Rice got 20 apiece, but even more impressive is the work that Dandyboy does to get 19 and 18 points from Jimmy Graham and Tim Hightower, respectively.
2) Softer Knocks -- The matchup of the week did not disappoint, but Timmy's Golden Boy QB's were no match for Joe. Matt Stafford, beast QB of the 3-0 Lions has passed for 977 yards, 9 TD's , and only 2 picks through the first three games. At this point, we can safely say that the former Elite 11 favorite of Football Jukes (below, far right), is officially and Elite NFL QB as long as he can stay healthy. The Knocks look strong even in the wake of Jamaal Charles' injury thanks to Jermichael Finley (who scored 31 points last week) and the man who is on pace to gain over 2,000 yards receiving this season.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Like a Phoenix, The Friars are Rising From the Ashes
Then came a glimmer of hope. It came in the form of a hometown hero. A man who valued integrity about anything else. Ed Cooley was the complete package. He would win and he would be at Providence for a long time.
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| Legend |
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Better-late-than-Never NFL Division Preview: AFC North
After two eventful weeks, the AFC North is all square, each team sitting at 1-1. That means it's fair game to roll out another division preview featuring two Super Bowl contenders and two...teams that have a couple young guys we like.
1. Go on record and then explain why. Who is the better safety: Ed Reed or Troy Polamalu.
Dave Hendrie: This is tough going forward because I think that Polamalu could be better going forward. Reed may only play for a few more years. Up until this point, I will have to give a slight edge to Reed. He is a slightly better playmaker and makes far fewer mistakes. Polamalu is explosive but makes too many mistakes in coverage.
Sam Widdoes: Sadly, I going to say Ed Reed. I watch every play the Steelers make, so I see ever play that Troy overcommits on and every tackle he misses, and also every spectacular interception and tackle he makes. I just don't see Ed making the mistakes Troy makes, or being out of position the way he is sometimes. I realize that's a product of the way Troy plays, but Reed seems to be just as effective without as much of the detriment. Plus, Ed ranked a couple spots higher on the NFL Network Player's Vote.
Scott Simon: Both are great players but I think, when playing at their peak, Polamalu is a SIGNIFICANTLY better safety than Ed Reed. He just does more. Reed is the league's best centerfielder- without a doubt. When he gets his hands on the ball he generally ends up in the end zone. He's a big play waiting to happen. But he can go quiet for GAMES at a time. Polamalu is more consistent and he is known to make a big play from time to time as well. Ed Reed is more Ken Griffey where Polamalu is Willie Mays. Both are top 5 safeties of all time, but Polamalu is just better.
Johhny Hendrie: Ed Reed. Slightly better big play capability. Slightly better pass defender, in a passing league. Went to The U as compared to USC.
Johhny Hendrie: Ed Reed. Slightly better big play capability. Slightly better pass defender, in a passing league. Went to The U as compared to USC.
Wings and Things Power Rankings: Week 2
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| Beef on Weck, at worst the 2nd best grub Buffalo. In honor of the 2-0 Bills. |
1) Beefcakes -- Timmy's in first place and he has a good team, so he's #1 in the power rankings now. I took my whoopin' last week thanks to 29 points apiece from Brady and Jahvid Best and 26.6 more from LeSean McCoy. Epic showdown between two of three 2-0 teams this week, the Beefcakes and Softer Knocks. Can Timmy hold on to the top spot?
2) Vlad Ducasse -- The Vlads had another strong showing in a Week 2, 152-150 loss to Dream Shake. I was all ready to give it to Soom for doubting my ranking prowess, then Will ruined everything by pulling out a comeback win on Monday night. Unavailable for comment, Soom's publicist issued a statement for Dandyboy, saying of their Week 3 matchup, "if Michael Vick is allowed to play after sustaining a concussion and not practicing all week, you're going down!"
But I don't know about you guys, I am buying what the Amish Rifle is selling. Ryan Fitzpatrick is making that magic in Buffalo to the tune of 472 yards, seven touchdowns and only one pick through two games, so it'll be up the the gritty bunch from The Estates at Benedict Canyon Woods to knock them back down to earth.
4) Kiss the Baby -- Demps made sure to put an end to all that "Jukes may go undefeated" talk with a swift, 195-139 beatdown in the battle of last year's cellar dwellers. Vincent Jackson let the charge with 36 points and both Ryan Matthews and Peyton Hillis got over 23, but it was a total team effort that his Guy has to be proud of, wherever he is.
5) G-MEN -- The fantasy G-MEN rebounded from a crappy Week 1 and panic over the QB situation to produce the biggest blowout of the week, a 197-139 win against the preseason power rankings leader, the RI Bulldogs. (The real life G-Men also won, but predictably looked like crap). Same story this week, a lot will be riding on Rodgers, Purple Jesus and Miles Austin (38 points last week, but projected for 0 this week on the matchup page as of 12:08 PM EST, is he hurt or something?) to carry the load.
Friday, September 16, 2011
Got Next: Anthony Johnson
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| Typical Freshmen Year Picture |
Amidst this otherwise typical game, a defensive tackle on LSU caught my eye. He was over 300 pounds, got off the ball quicker than anyone on the field, and made a splash play that was astonishing. Just as I was about to look this kid up, the TV crew began singing his praises, in the process dropping that he was a true freshmen.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Wings and Things Power Rankings: Week 1
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| Not sure where these are from, but I want to go there. |
Week 1 is in the books, but not before some big time shake-ups in the power rankings. I tried not to be too reactionary because it's only one week, but some teams really showed me something so I had to adjust my initial evaluations of each team. As always, feel free to comment and send pics of wings and/or things.
Friday, September 9, 2011
Wings and Things Draft Recap and Preseason Power Rankings
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| Wings from Anchor Bar, Buffalo |
This year’s draft got off to a horrible start, thanks to a clerical error on my part and general confusion that I blame on everyone but myself, because I’m the commissioner so I’m the one who doesn’t have to do anything I don’t want to, like be organized. That’s my word and I’m sticking to it.
First we did a live draft lottery, in which Craig and Scott’s G-Men (present) and my Roger Goodell squad wound up with the first two picks. (Imagine the possibilities for my season!) When I went to plug in the order and the keepers, Yahoo! had already generated the random order and made changing it impossible. The best we could do was to take our keepers in the first round and go from there – meaning that Round 2 was essentially Round 1. For those keeping score at home, that makes this the most triple-randomly determined drat order of all time.
Once the dust settled, we were off and running with the third annual Wings and Things draft. The season begins tonight, but not before we look back at the draft and ahead to our first power rankings of the year.
New England Renaissance Series: #3 Kaleb Tarczewski
The New England Renaissance Series is an ongoing countdown of some of the best prospects in the region regardless of class. It is important not to dwell on the order of the rankings but rather on the unprecedented amount of talent the region possesses.
#3 Kaleb Tarczewski (2012)
#3 Kaleb Tarczewski (2012)
Height: 7'0 Weight: 220
Hometown: Claremont New Hampshire
School Team: Saint Marks
Travel Team: New England Playaz
NERR Rank: 2 National Rank: 6
Kaleb Tarczewski is one of the rarer talents ever to come out of New England. He runs the floor beautifully, has great hands, and solid footwork. The fact that Tarcezewski has already come this far as a high school 7 footer makes this writer think that he has a 10 year NBA career written all over him. Whether he goes to Kansas, UNC, or Arizona, it will be surprising if he is there for the full four years. That is how rare of a talent this kid is. Here is his ESPN evaluation and highlight tape.
Tarczewski is a true center with great size and tremendous upside. He runs the floor extremely well and has good mobility for a 7 footer. He has excellent hands and finishes drop off passes and clear paths above the rim. He has become an explosive and powerful finisher with both hands around the basket and his good hands allow him to catch tough passes and turn them into baskets. He has a good left shoulder hook with a high release and is gradually developing his right shoulder as well. He is a excellent area rebounder especially on the offensive end and is also a decent on ball shot blocker. Physically he is becoming more and more immovable in the paint as his frame continues to fill out. Tarczewski is also a big man who takes to coaching and has shown great improvement over the course of his career as a result.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
NFL Division Preview: NFC North
Kiss the Ringzzz
In honor of the World Champion Green Bay Packers kicking things off tonight, we move to the NFC Norse for our next division preview...
1.) Who is the best player in the NFC North: Aaron Rodgers (GB), Calvin Johnson (DET), Julius Peppers (CHI) or Adrian Peterson (MIN)?
Dave Hendrie: I love AP but I have to go with Rodgers based on the importance of his position.
Johnny Hendrie: The top talent in the NFC North is obviously as good as it gets, not counting Tom Terrific. A top-3 WR, top-3 QB, top-3 pass rusher and the best running back alive. I first became aware of Peterson after seeing a special on him when he was still in high school. I declared that he was the best running back I had ever seen. Nothing has changed.
Scott Simon: Aaron Rodgers is the best player in the entire league. I said it.
Sam Widdoes: I have loved Julius since his Tar Heel days, and his resurgence in Chicago is a beauty to see, but Adrian Peterson is the best running back in the league still and top dog in the NFC North.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
NFL Division Preview: AFC West
Jamaal Charles > The Broncos
Next up, the AFC West, in the style of Cold Coors Light 6-Pack of Questions:
1) When you're talking about the running backs in the AFC West, you're talking about a lot of good running backs under the age of 25. How do you rank Jamaal Charles, Knowshon Moreno, Ryan Mathews and Darren McFadden?
Dave Hendrie: Charles and McFadden are a clear one and two. Choosing between Moreno and Matthews is hard. They both are young with potential, but neither has been especially productive so far in their respective careers. I will give the edge to Matthews because of the situation he is in.
Sam Widdoes: Darren, Jamaal, Ryan, Knowshon. Ryan might get to the level of the top two, but McFadden and Charles are clearly way ahead of the pack.
Scott Simon: Mathews is last. Sorting out the other three is like ranking my favorite pairs of socks. 1,400 is a big number these days so I respect Charles' 2010 season. Ill give Charles my #1 ranking, followed by McFadden, then Moreno (then Mathews).
Johnny Hendrie: Great question. Jamaal Charles has to be the top dawg in this group as he is an established, elite back already. Right now, Run DMC narrowly beats out Ryan Matthews in my book but I was head over heels in love Matthews when he was coming out of Fresno and he could have a breakout year in 2011. Moreno is solid but unproven.
New England Renaissance Series: #4 Wayne Selden
#4 Wayne Selden (2014)
Height: 6'4 Weight: 200
Hometown: Boston Mass
School Team: Tilton
Travel Team: BABC
NERR Rank: 2 National Rank: 10
The Collective's love of Selden's game is well documented. The fact that he was just a freshmen last year is frightening. One could go on an on about all of Selden's tools, but his most impressive attribute is his killer instinct. Expect big things from this young man. Here is his ESPN evaluation and highlight video.
A powerful forward who already owns a man's body, Selden is strong as an ox and able to overpower virtually anyone in his age bracket. He goes strong to the rim, going right at any shot-blocker, and consequently getting to the free-throw line in high volume. He is at his best in the open floor where he combines his power with some break-away athleticism and good instincts. While he is naturally a good passer, his perimeter skill set is also coming along with both his three-point shot and mid-range pull-up vastly improved.
Sunday, September 4, 2011
New England Renaissance Series: #5 Ricardo Ledo
The New England Renaissance Series is an ongoing countdown of some of the best prospects in the region regardless of class. It is important not to dwell on the order of the rankings but rather on the unprecedented amount of talent the region possesses.
#5 Ricardo Ledo (2012)
Height: 6'6 Weight:180
Hometown: Providence, RI
School Team: Notre Dame Prep
Travel Team: Expressions Elite
NERR Rank: 3 National Rank: 22
It pains me that I have Ledo ranked this low but thats just how good New England is right now. Ledo was built to be a NBA wing. He already has the nuanced offensive game to be a one and done type of player in college. He is an extremely gifted mid range scorer and passer. Here is his ESPN evaluation and highlight tape.
Ledo is a pure scorer who is capable of getting buckets from any spots on the floor. He has great size for his position with a long build, explosive athleticism, and the full range of offensive skills. He is quick off the bounce with a tight handle and corresponding range to the arc off the rhythm dribble. He has great body control in the lane where he can finish either above his man or around multiple defenders he is very creative with his finishes. Watch him attack and beat the first defender then beat the help as his instincts to score are special.
Ledo is a pure scorer who is capable of getting buckets from any spots on the floor. He has great size for his position with a long build, explosive athleticism, and the full range of offensive skills. He is quick off the bounce with a tight handle and corresponding range to the arc off the rhythm dribble. He has great body control in the lane where he can finish either above his man or around multiple defenders he is very creative with his finishes. Watch him attack and beat the first defender then beat the help as his instincts to score are special.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
NFL Division Preview: NFC South
Look here, Matt: it says if Peyton doesn't play, you might be the top QB in the AFC South!
The Indianapolis Colts may have won the AFC South eight of the past 10 years, but after a season in which they did so with only 10 wins -- their fewest since 2002 -- the winds of change may be blowing through. Below is the first of our divisional previews which we will roll out as a precursor to more in-depth looks at the beasts of the AFC, Pittsburgh and New England.
1) Which QB in the division will have the best QB Rating at the end of the season?
Scott Simon: Schaub is going to have a big year, in part, thanks to his defense. He won't need to make as many plays or take as many chances this fall. That being said, it's Peyton. No question.
Sam Widdoes: I'll just assume this question is really asking "Who will be the best quarterback in the division?" The answer is Peyton Manning because Hasslebeck sucks, the Killer G's for the Jags will combine to be mediocre, and I'm still not ready to give Matt Schaub the division crown.
Johnny Hendrie: Obviously it depends on the health of Manning, which isn't looking particularly good right now for Indy. If healthy, it's Manning. If not, Paper MaSchaub by default.
Nate Hendrie: Matt Schaub. The Texans are banged up at RB to start the season, they have games against Oakland, Cleveland, Cincy and Carolina to fatten up, and no other team will start a QB for more than 13 games. Easy pick.
Dave Hendrie: The last thing I will ever do is underestimate Peyton Manning. Unless this is his last year I don't expect him to be anything but exceptional.
Monday, August 29, 2011
Ed's Food Commentary: Game Day Special
Football is all about things you can eat with one hand so you don't have to miss the action by having to look down and use utensils. Here are some d'oeuvres that will fit your Saturday quite nicely.
Quick Dip Tip: Get a personal French baguette and a bag of tortilla chips for everyone dippin. Triscuits are money dippin utensils too.
Chicken Taquitos
Taquitos are mini enchiladas that Texans eat on a regular basis, so you know they're over the top and awesome. |
| These men were all vegans before they had a taquito. |
Dissecting the "Elite 8" of the NFL
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| Thanks Todd and Company |
Steelers (14): 1362
Packers (10): 1303
Eagles (10): 1160
Ravens (10): 1132
Patriots (8): 927
Colts (7): 777
Falcons (8): 759
Saints (8): 731
Next post, I will take a look at each on of these teams depth by taking Scout inc.'s player score (95 for Tom Brady) and adding them up for every starter. Until then, here are the elite player breakdowns by team.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Q&A with Howard Schnellenberger
A Q&A with Howard Schnellenberger
Howard Schnellenberger is the current coach of Florida Atlantic University, but is known for his role as the head coach of Miami University that brought them to glory. He also coached under legends like Bear Bryant and Don Shula. He was kind enough to take aside time from entering games in helicopters (read the entire article, it will melt your face) and wearing pimp ass suits every game to give me a Q&A session about all things football.Q: Turning a program from obscurity to bowl eligible must be a daunting task and you’ve done it with two different programs. How do you do it?
Howard: First off you must have a solid routine. Every morning I make myself a good breakfast steak, the most important steak of the day, then I watch the entire Rambo series to pump myself up. After that it’s on to practice where we uppercut lions and run sprints through active minefields. You know the usual football stuff.
What looks like a break during practice is actually lunges on broken glass.
Monday, August 22, 2011
Of Clippers and Thunder, Gordon and Westbrook
In Part Two of at least a two-part series I'm doing at ClipperBlog, I looked at the importance of Westbrook and Gordon to their respective teams. As it turns out, looking at the disparate recent success of the two franchises and the raw production of Westbrook tends to mislead, at least as a predictive tool for the Clips.
Westbrook had career highs in: points (21.9 per game), assists (8.2), and steals (1.9). He became an All-Star for the first time thanks to increased efficiency from the field (44 percent), from the line (84 percent) and even beyond the arc (33 percent) — up from only 22 percent in his second season. Still not a strong shooter, he showed promising signs by playing to his strengths, getting a quarter of his looks (6.8/game) at the rim and converting those at a 60 percent clip.
What may not be so encouraging for Thunder fans were instances down the stretch where Westbrook struggled to stay under control. For all his power and quickness, the guy whose 316 turnovers led the NBA by 32 over the next highest total underwent a very public battle over his decision-making and execution. He found himself on the bench during the playoffs in favor of Eric Maynor because Maynor took care of the ball, and he seemed to struggle, at times , to understand why. Unlike fellow 2008 draftee Derrick Rose, he is not designed to be the primary option on his team — that’s Durant. And unlike Gordon, he seemed unable at times to defer to his star teammate...
Even in a down year, Gordon is the better shooter by far, and it is the area in which he figures to have the biggest advantage going forward. He is a natural shooter with the athleticism and strength to get to the hoop, whereas Westbrook is a penetrator by trade taking jumpers when defenses give him too much space. If Gordon can even return to his career form of 37.5 percent from downtown — and he should continue to find openings as teams focus on Griffin — it shouldn’t be a surprise to see his numbers jump into All-Star territory. For whatever that’s worth.
What makes Westbrook’s journey through last spring even more interesting to Clipper fans is what it can teach us about Eric Gordon. We saw what Westbrook could do – both good and bad — over a season in such high usage, but to this point Gordon has not had that opportunity. He may not be the primary ballhandler next season, but he does have a clear opportunity to assume an even more prominent role with Mo Williams playing to his strength off the ball as a spot up shooter.
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