- 09:35 AM
- 11/05/24
The sad thing about it is that it wasn't just a football move, it was in a large part a response to the Miami Heat getting all of the attention in Miami and ticket sales.
I figure if Sparano doesn't turn things around, Maverick Carter will somehow be Miami's GM in the next couple of years.
posted by jc at 03:23 PM on January 09, 2011
I like Sparano but if I was him I would resign. I don't know if it was Ross's or Ireland to go after Harbaugh but if it was Ross's and he was forced to undermine myself and my head coach, Ireland should resign as well.
How does Sparano get the players respect in Miami when he gets no respect from his GM or head coach? He needs to go and become a coordinator somewhere and wait get another chance down the road.
posted by jc at 07:57 PM on January 08, 2011
Didn't Seattle get a 1st from Chicago when they traded Rick Mirer... all you need is one coach and GM who drinks the Tebow koolaid... of course I think Denver may have just fired that one coach.
posted by jc at 01:20 PM on December 08, 2010
Broncos won't trade Tebow. Jersey sales alone are probably paying for McDaniel's, Shanahan's and any money still owing to Wade Phillips and Dan Reeves.
I had to laugh when I saw that Jacksonville is a trade possibility. Of course Jacksonville is a trade possibility, just as all of the stories came out about Jack Del Rio trading up to get Tebow in the draft. I am sure there are also fans at THE Ohio State that think that if Troy Smith was given a chance in Cleveland, they would go to a Super Bowl.
posted by jc at 11:11 AM on December 08, 2010
What an odd season. Three in season coaching changes, Peyton Manning becoming an interception machine and who would have thought that the Derek Anderson signing would have turned out the way it did (oh right, nevermind).
posted by jc at 07:53 PM on December 06, 2010
This is starting to get old (spoken as a Rider fan).
posted by jc at 12:00 AM on November 30, 2010
I was watching "America's Game" the other night on NFL Network as the CFL game was blacked out in Canada. I realized that the game has changed a lot, even over 15 years and is far more physical and violent today. Several hits over the weekend were amazing and you realize that even over 15 years player are bigger, stronger, and faster. I know equipment is better and better today but I got this sick feeling in my stomach that you are going to see more and more serious injuries, despite the leagues' efforts to crack down on head shots.
posted by jc at 02:35 PM on October 18, 2010
I was going to say cycling but that is more at the team level. I am going to change my vote to cricket.
posted by jc at 02:32 PM on October 18, 2010
What's the difference between modern tracks and 1988 circa tracks?
posted by jc at 12:07 PM on October 06, 2010
Fabulon7 :: I was thinking Rob Johnson as I was watching the game as well but I don't think he pulled himself, not in a close game. I think he was hit so hard so many times that his whole body was spinning.
As Mike Silver pointed out, look at the beating that Warner took in the Martz system. It took Warner a couple of years to become a good QB again.
posted by jc at 06:06 PM on October 05, 2010
I have always been curious about the cultural differences in how we play hockey in the WHL and QMJHL. The old rule of thumb was that if you wanted defence, you drafted from the WHL and if you wanted goaltending, you went to the QMJHL. I read somewhere years ago that Patrick Roy would see 80 pucks a lot of nights, which may have explained why he was so good as a rookie, he was getting three times the more work per game than goalies in the WHL.
posted by jc at 11:16 AM on October 01, 2010
If I remember correctly, Jim Brown used to have the ownership's ear (like a lot of guys) and interfered in the operation of the franchise and when Holmgren came in, that stopped. Seems like the issue is that Jim Brown doesn't feel as loved and powerful as he once was.
Of course airing his grievances like he did, he sounds less like a tough guy from the east side and more like a spoiled aging legend who needs a hug.
posted by jc at 10:09 AM on September 02, 2010
tommytrump, just a loyal Saskatchewan Roughrider fan here.
Seriously, I have heard all of the comparisons to David Carr but Carr seemed to be comfortable being a backup and Leinhart seems to think his 8 mediocre starts makes him a starter in the NFL, which puts him only slightly ahead of Gary Kubiak as a starting QB.
posted by jc at 11:05 PM on September 01, 2010
He'll be playing for the Toronto Argonauts by the 2012 season.
posted by jc at 05:31 PM on September 01, 2010
This brings back so many bad memories of being both a soccer and hockey goaltender growing up.
posted by jc at 08:58 PM on August 29, 2010
Cito has a long history in bringing out big power years for hitters. I can't help but think that Bautista is a result of Cito's teachings.
posted by jc at 08:34 PM on August 24, 2010
It's frustrating as a Calgary Flames fan who lives five hours away from Calgary. To go and take in a game, it's a weekend trip and then when the schedule comes out, you are left with only part of the eastern conference teams coming to town for games. That and there are very few back to back home games any more which means for a longer season but no great weekends of hockey any more.
posted by jc at 01:17 PM on August 24, 2010
Tebow was great in college but had some weird mechanics which telegraphed where he would throw. In the pros it would be a recipe for failure. To Tebow's credit, he worked really hard at fixing it. The question is for Denver fans, when Tebow has been sacked all day, run for his life and is down by four points in the fourth quarter, will he resort to his old way of throwing....
The Tebow cracks come from the incredible media hype he got while at Florida, the man crush that Urban Meyer had on him (I admit, that was weird), and the almost messiah like following he has.
posted by jc at 01:35 PM on August 08, 2010
Sorry I was being a little sarcastic. My memories of the 80s with Ernie Witt was that he could be an incredible power and clutch hitter at times and then disappear for extended periods. JP's game reminded me of games that Witt would have. i just hope he can do it over the long run.
posted by jc at 01:32 PM on August 08, 2010
Now that you mention it, I think it is Rod Black.
posted by jc at 01:26 PM on August 08, 2010
He looks like the next Ernie Witt. Not sure if that is a good or bad thing.
posted by jc at 09:56 PM on August 07, 2010
Hasn't this headline been double and triple posted before? Oh right, it's not us, it's Brett.
Of course this could just be a big ploy for ESPN's new series "Decisions that we don't care about". Next week Albert Haynesworth decides whether or not to run Shanny's shuttles.
On a serious note, I will miss the "Favre Watch" graphic that NFL Total Access runs 10 times a show.
posted by jc at 11:32 AM on August 03, 2010
graymatters...
Sorry, wasn't totally clear. My point is that this wasn't a last year thing. I watch about 25 Raptors games a year on television he seems to get worn down when things aren't going well. I don't think he quit because of free agency, he is one that losing and adversity take a big toll on and it happens many years in Toronto (except for a couple of years ago when they lost to Orlando in the first round).
posted by jc at 12:22 PM on August 01, 2010
Umm, not to defend Bosh but he would always come to camp all gung ho and then as the season went on, start to dog it. This isn't a one time event but a pattern of his play in Toronto.
I know B.C. is a bit upset at him but it didn't matter what style of play the Raptors played or what kind of talent they put around Bosh, his game never elevated. He kind of reminds of a Sean Elliot. He would get you your 16-20 points a game but you don't want to build around him.
posted by jc at 03:57 PM on July 30, 2010
I would have added Nebraska's 1994 championship season in there as well. What boring football and then you had Lawrence Phillips assaulting his girlfriend, dragging her down some stairs, kind of being suspended and then still starting the Fiesta Bowl. Yeah, they are on my list.
As a Canadian, I have to include the 1986 World Junior Soviet hockey team. The brawl that cost Canada gold still bugs me.
posted by jc at 03:55 PM on July 28, 2010
CFL teams have done this for years. Saskatchewan Roughriders tickets on Labour Day are quite a bit higher than during the rest of the season. I don't really have a problem with it and it may generate an increase in ticket sales when poor drawing teams come to town.
posted by jc at 04:28 PM on July 05, 2010
Do the Marlins even draw 15,000 or is this a multi game promotion?
posted by jc at 04:33 PM on June 20, 2010
I know this is a little off topic but my high school football coach and grade nine and ten algebra teacher was traded from the Hamilton Tiger-Cats to the Calgary Stampeders for a box of sock tape. He took it as a sign that his teacher's degree was probably a better option than being a football player.
Back to the topic at hand...
In places like Saskatchewan, the fact that even team stars work in the community has built an extremely strong bond with the fans. These aren't multi-millionaires out there, they are guys making similar paychecks to the fans in the stands. It's a big deal.
posted by jc at 12:44 AM on May 19, 2010
rcade, I hope for his sake, he isn't any higher than a 3rd rounder. He isn't ready to step in right away and that is what you expect from a higher draft pick. He needs some time to fix some throwing motion issues and learn the game for a couple of years. If he does that, gets some experience, I think he could become a Tony Romo type QB in the league.
If he doesn't, he runs the risk of too many other QBs who were going to be "saviors" and were just eaten alive.
posted by jc at 02:59 PM on April 20, 2010
I tried to make an argument that the Nets season is worse but there is something iconic about going 0 for a season. Tampa Bay and Detroit are in a class of their own.
Plus, there isn't going to be a NFL Film about their futility like there was about Tampa Bay (it's a classic if you haven't seen it).
posted by jc at 01:10 PM on March 26, 2010
Is the pressure of the SEC getting to Urban Meyer. You don't see Steve Spurrier losing it like he did.
While I love hearing stories of how few hours Spurrier put in with the Redskins (and his team seemed to pay for it), you have Meyer on the other side almost destroying himself and hurting the program by the hours that he put in.
In some ways you can dismiss Roger's comment, "I love the body language in the photo with Meyer and the reporter. Meyer's acting like a tool. This is spring. Nobody was paying attention to anything going on there until Meyer threw that fit." but rcade wasn't the only one that saw it. We all saw the story and so did every recruit who is going to Florida and many of them have to be wondering if he is losing his marbles.
If I was recruiting against him, I would be putting the seeds of doubt of how long he will last and his odd behavior in the minds of every parent and high school prospect I talk to.
posted by jc at 01:07 PM on March 26, 2010
Great game for Butler but that was a horrible start to the game as Syracuse found new and creative ways to the turn the ball over again and again and again.
posted by jc at 01:02 PM on March 26, 2010
Even is Keselowski is hated in the NASCAR trailer (sorry, it is NASCAR), if his car had gone the other way, fans could and probably would have been hurt. They talk about how safe the car is and that's not true, the driver is safe inside the car but that car is still hurling around 170 mph out of control on the track.
posted by jc at 10:14 PM on March 15, 2010
I watched a couple of games he played two years ago where he didn't play that poorly. He almost beat Denver but was killed by dropped passes. He was hurt shortly after that but then last year, he had regressed horribly and I wonder how much of that was Mangenius not naming a starter until week one and you know, getting rid of the talent on offense, kind of like Josh McDaniels. At the same time Quinn was schooled in a pro-style New England type offense so as a Denver fan, I have some hope.
posted by jc at 09:08 PM on March 15, 2010
Does anyone know of an athlete his age coming back from a torn Achilles heal?
posted by jc at 09:00 PM on March 15, 2010
Any speculation on where he lands? Denver seems to be a good fit because Orton isn't the long term answer and Simms doesn't scare anyone (although what he did in those Reebok commercials last years was cool). He may have a shot at the starting job there if (when Orton) fails. Not sure what kind of upgrade he would be though.
Also he may be a fit in Arizona, depending on how much faith the Whiz has in Leinhert.
posted by jc at 11:45 AM on March 08, 2010
Duke beating UNLV in the Final Four. I was (and am) a UNLV fan and I remember literally sitting on the edge of my seat that entire game, almost overwhelmed by tension. There has been a lot of great games since then but that is the game that made me into a diehard NCAA basketball fan.
posted by jc at 10:02 AM on March 04, 2010
At the end of the day, someone always brings the Stanley Cup back to rural Saskatchewan so we are happy with it but it is odd that we get so upset when only three of six Canadian teams make the playoffs. It's as if something is wrong with the state of the game.
In the end, I think it proves the point that hockey has an almost unhealthy places in the Canadian ego and identity.
posted by jc at 08:18 AM on March 03, 2010
Yeah, I was just watching a documentary on the Cold War and it brought up how big of a deal the medal count was to both sides as it was seen as a validation of their worldviews.
Funny, after watching the USSR beat Canada in the 1981 Canada Cup, I never once thought that communism was the better way to live but what did I know :-)
I guess this mean that for Canada, the United States is our new ideological enemy. I guess I should lay down the ground rules...
- It's a toque, not a cap.
- Cheese + Gravy + Fries = Poutine and it's amazing
- For some reason it's a big deal when your hockey teams of Canadians, Europeans, and Americans beat our hockey teams of Canadians, Europeans, and Americans in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
- Don't point out the obvious when we defend the larger CFL football by saying that it is easier to punt... as if any one goes to a football game to watch the kickers.
I guess we will pick up this debate in Sochi in 2014. Just make it quick, it doesn't look like the NHL will be there so we will have to watch games there and here at the same time.
posted by jc at 08:35 PM on March 02, 2010
As a Canadian, it didn't feel like the American's were dominating the games and I mean that in a good way. Probably because Canada won the gold in several events that mattered the most to us and other countries cleaned up in areas where they traditionally dominate (like Nordic countries and X-country skiing events).
Plus, when you talk about domination, it doesn't quite fit what happened when someone was winning by 3/100th of a second. It's a win but is that domination?
I really enjoyed the Olympic American team and it was fun to compete against them, especially with a lot of the geo-political stuff that used to dominate the games being in the past.
posted by jc at 04:05 PM on March 02, 2010
I would assume it was related, unless they really want to sign Bart Andrus to a contract in Winnipeg.
posted by jc at 06:29 PM on December 18, 2009
Well if you look at this problems in Notre Dame (defense and to a degree, a lack of a running game), it reflects his coaching specialty. He is a great coordinator who could not hire good enough defensive coaches (or recruit good enough defensive talent) and as a offense guy, could not fix the problems on defense.
He would be a good fix in SC or the NFL, as long as someone can find him some running backs and not let him manage the end of a game.
posted by jc at 11:48 AM on December 06, 2009
Brady Quinn = Rick Mirer 2.0
posted by jc at 02:29 PM on October 16, 2009
Gruden can not develop a QB. How many QB's did they go through in Tampa? Johnson, Garcia, Simms, Griese, and a whole bunch of guys I can't remember. Only Simms was drafted by them (and while he showed promise), Gruden benched him after he was hurt.
posted by jc at 02:27 PM on October 16, 2009
I have a son in grade 4, sadly he rejected hockey at a young age for karate which means no trips to the Frozen Four for me. We live in an older working class neighborhood. The school is older but I really believe the education he gets is inferior to both the education I got and what kids in wealthier areas get. While Mark has athletic talent, is it fair to him to hold him out of NCAA (or in my case, CIS) sports because of an inferior academic system.
Now with us, it's hypothetical as we spend a lot of time working with him and pushing him and we are in constant contact with his teacher on ways to challenge him but I can see some of his friends falling through the cracks being failed by parents and the school.
I think part of what the tutors do is even the playing field a bit in helping students overcome a failed system.
Now what FSU did was cheating and I reject the statement that "FSU is a better institution than that" as if they were, it would not have happened.
NCAA sports are in a weird spot as they are both developmental leagues for the NFL (and CFL), NBA, pro golf and in some cases, MLB and the NHL, the difference is that for the NHL, golf, and the MLB, there are other paths to the bigs while for kids with a bad education, there are not.
posted by jc at 02:24 PM on October 16, 2009
Anyone want to compare the Raiders to the trainwrecks in Buffalo, SF and Cinncinnati that went on for a while.
I know Al Davis is a horrible owner (or if you are a fan of their AFC West opponents, the best owner in the world) but I wonder how his decisions stack up to other teams that are or were chronically bad over an extended amount of time (like the Detroit Lions since Wayne Fontes and Barry left)
I would love to see a track record of coaching tenure, draft records, and also management structures.
Also, did anything structurally change after Jon Gruden left town?
posted by jc at 02:14 PM on October 16, 2009
In defense of Ricciardi, I am pretty sure he was willing to let Wells walk but Godfrey got involved and they Jays way overpaid for him. Rios at the time of his signing was looking to be a good young star before the weight of his wallet affected his ability to hit and make good baseball decisions.
posted by jc at 12:06 PM on October 06, 2009
As a Flames fan, I had a natural dislike for Gretzky but it pained me to see the job that he was doing in Phoenix. As many have noted, he really never had a system in place and didn't do that great of job of developing young players, characteristics he shared with other superstars who were mediocre coaches.
That being said, I think his work with Team Canada showed him to be a shrewd talent evaluator and I wonder if he would be better in a team's front office rather than behind the bench.
posted by jc at 04:52 PM on September 24, 2009
Not to alter the topic or anything but how does MJ compare to Wilt. His career numbers are absolutely amazing. 50 points a game. 100 points in one night. No one has come within 10 points a game average for a season for decades.
Not taking anything away from MJ (his speech did a good job of that) but are we overlooking Wilt because we never saw him on TV like we all saw Jordan?
posted by jc at 05:38 PM on September 13, 2009
I am a Canadian and not a lot of CIS kids are going the NFL and none are leaving early to go to the NFL so maybe I am out of my league.
I can't stand the idea that a kid just goes to a school like Sam Bradford just so he can play on Sundays. Yes Matt Leinart hurt his draft stock but at the same time to rip those that stay with their college programs out of loyalty and desire to win the NCAA championship should be saluted, not second guessed.
I don't know what his scholastic schedule is like at OU but if he is serious about getting an education and winning a NCAA championship, let's not second guess that, I am sure him and his family knew the risks.
posted by jc at 06:38 PM on September 06, 2009
He's going to Winnipeg... I don't think there is any night life in Winterpeg. He'll have to settle clubbing at Boston Pizza and be done by 10.
posted by jc at 06:55 PM on September 01, 2009
I am not Brett Favre fan but the block didn't so dirty to me as just incompetent. He's a QB and an aging one at that. When was the last time he was asked to make an open field block. He looked about as comfortable making that block as Deion Sanders did making an open field tackle on a fullback.
I think it was one of those spontaneous things athletes do in the heat of competition, especially when they are out of their comfort zones in a new role.
posted by jc at 06:54 PM on September 01, 2009
Friends of mine own a golf course and wanted to build their home/b&b on the 10th fairway. Before construction started, they had a bunch of long ball hitters see if they could hit their home. You would have thought a version of the same thought would have occurred to the Cowboys and their designers.
posted by jc at 08:28 PM on August 24, 2009
I'll take the under and say it will be four games.
posted by jc at 08:24 PM on August 24, 2009
I have read that Hanson is Davis' guy but I thought the reason that Cable was hired was because he was Davis' guy as well.
I also assume many owners have pigeons on staff in one way, shape, or form and you don't hear about them having their jaws broken. I doubt this will go to court but if it does, I would love to hear Cable's justification for it.
posted by jc at 08:24 PM on August 24, 2009
If I remember correctly, they also make all of the CFL footballs as well.
posted by jc at 08:21 PM on August 24, 2009
Does anyone think of Maddux as a Cub. When I think of him I think of him as an Atlanta Brave. It would be like the Calgary Flames retiring Brett Hull's # or the Toronto Raptors retiring Vince Carters.
posted by jc at 03:04 PM on March 25, 2009
Yahoo! Sports was suggesting that Mike was looking around for other work. It doesn't make sense but it does explain him getting the pink slip.
That being said, Denver lost to SF to miss the playoffs last year as well. Great coach, bad GM. Mike's big mistake is he won the power struggle to become GM and therefore had no one to take the fall.
posted by jc at 03:08 PM on January 02, 2009
The program needs to be given a "death sentence". Nothing is worth having players being raped.
posted by jc at 10:56 AM on September 25, 2008
Suit: Clippers Owner Showed Women Nude Players
Obviously the NBA does not have the same power at MLB does in suspending owners because you compare Sterling's body of work to Steinbrenners and you have to ask yourself why Sterling has not been asked to take a year off away from the team and ask himself some hard questions about his behavior in running this franchise
Even if you don't want to accept Baylor's claims as being accurate, there is a lot of other issues in Sterlings body of work (including the claims of prejudicial rental practices made by the DOJ) that would not be tolerated in other leagues.