Sunday, January 26, 2014

Season defining seven days for Michigan

Just over a week ago...the University of Michigan basketball program was not ranked, and not mentioned as a possible contender to crack the top 25. A historic seven days later, the Wolverines find themselves atop the competitive B1G conference, and knocking on the door of the top 10.

What a difference a week makes.

Last Saturday night, Michigan knocked off the 3rd ranked Wisconsin Badgers in their place for the first time since 1999. They followed that up with an impressive defensive effort against 10th ranked Iowa and their high octane offense. But the Wolverines saved their best performance for their in state rival, and 3rd ranked Michigan State Spartans...scoring 50 second half points over one of the best defenses in the country. The 80-75 victory, only the second in their last 15 tries in East Lansing, put Michigan in first place with an improbable 7-0 start.

History was made along the way...

Michigan defeated three top 10 teams in a row for the first time in school history. It hasn't been done nationally since 1987. The Wolverines also snapped a 50 year drought by defeating not one, but two top 5 teams on the road. The feat itself is impressive, but more importantly, Michigan took themselves off the tournament bubble...while thrusting themselves back into the national spotlight.

All in seven days.    

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Saturday, January 18, 2014

Post Burke era starts today for Michigan

With football in the rear view mirror...the University of Michigan shifts it's focus to the basketball program. A program that surprised the nation with a championship game appearance in last year's Final Four. Trey Burke, last year's national player of the year, is now in Utah. His back court running mate, Tim Hardaway Jr, is now a New York Knick. And Mitch McGary, preseason All American, is out for the season following back surgery. The new look Wolverines are 12-4, riding a six game winning streak, and are surprisingly tied for first place in the B1G with a 4-0 start. But folks in Ann Arbor know the season...and all of it's post season hopes...start today in Wisconsin.

The Wolverines have done a good job of beating the teams they are supposed to beat. Three of their four conference wins have come against cellar dwellers Northwestern (1-4), Nebraska (0-4), and Penn State (0-5 in conference play). By the looks of their early conference opponents, it's understandable for Michigan to have gone relatively unnoticed so far.

That's about to change...for better or worse.

Today Michigan travels to Wisconsin to face the 3rd ranked Badgers in a late afternoon tilt on ESPN. The Wolverines have not won there since 1999. From there, Michigan will host 14th ranked Iowa, before traveling to East Lansing to take on 4th ranked Michigan State in a prime time Saturday night match up.

And that's just for starters.

Michigan will play all of those teams twice, along with Indiana (twice), Purdue (twice), and Ohio State. The Wolverines are win less against opponents that are currently ranked (Iowa St, Duke, Arizona). The past two years, Michigan relied heavily on the back court tandem of Burke and Hardaway Jr to navigate this stretch of the schedule....and they often delivered in dramatic fashion (see Kansas). But with such an inexperienced team this year, no one knows what to expect over the next few weeks.

One thing's for sure, Michigan will have to slay a giant or two if they want another tournament game in Dallas this year. And they no longer have the luxury of doing it under the radar.

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Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Gasol, Grizzlies, offer blueprint on handling star injuries

The Memphis Grizzlies had just completed an impressive four game west coast sweep when starting center, and reigning defensive player of the year Marc Gasol went down with a knee injury.

That was seven weeks ago.

Gasol was impressive in his return Tuesday night, hitting a contested 30 ft shot over Kevin Durant late in the fourth quarter to help Memphis secure the victory. But more impressive was the way the Grizzlies organization handled Gasol's injury, both internally and externally.

You don't have to work in Vegas to understand the importance of injuries when it comes to sports, especially when it's a star player. Wins, losses, even jobs often hang in the balance. It's also reasonable to expect status updates on players from the media. But some organizations take it too far, often with disastrous results. Translation....

A closed mouth can't be misquoted.

Or as we say in the south...dang, you talk too much!!!

Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls organization immediately comes to mind. Ahhh, D-Rose' infamous 2012 knee injury. Whether it was Rose himself, head coach Tom Thibodeau, or brother Reggie, we were constantly provided conflicting information on Rose's status, and pending return date. I know it drove Bulls fans crazy! Even Rose' teammates could offer little help, and you can tell it began to wear on them at the end of the season. Derrick could have put a stop to it himself, but his passive aggressive approach (I suppose in an attempt to please everyone) only made matters worse. His public image still has not fully recovered.

The Washington Redskins offered us plenty of material to misquote, in their handling of star qb Robert Griffin III and his knee injury. Head coach Mike Shanahan was negligent by naming Griffin the week one starter, even though he had not played a snap in preseason. RGIII must not only share the blame, he should completely own it...with all of the off season bellyaching about being held back by the coach and training staff. It was as if Shanahan grew tired and said..."ok...go on out there then and get busted up". And guess what? That's exactly what happened. Griffin was clearly not ready to return...the man could barely run. Even the team doctor said he had nothing to do with it. Wait...wait...but you're the doctor...how could you not know..?!!?!

Let me digress on that one.

Shanahan lost his job and RGIII lost his confidence as a result. Completely bizarre.

Meanwhile...back in Memphis....

Credit the Grizzlies organization for keeping Gasol's rehab and pending return in house. And it's not like the local media didn't poke and prod. When Marc did speak, which was rare, he only spoke of progress...and no time table. Head coach Dave Joerger maintained his "out indefinitely" assessment, before completely shutting the topic down all together. And let's keep in mind that Memphis started piling up the losses in Gasol's absence, dropping to as low as second to last in the Western Conference at one point. And there were grumblings in the Bluff city...trust me. Especially with last year's trip to the Western Conference Finals still fresh in everyone's mind. Last night, unbeknownst to the fans, Marc Gasol was introduced in the starting lineup...to an ear popping standing ovation. Memphis fans were not teased and toyed with regarding Gasol's return. Judging from the atmosphere in FedEx Forum last night, as well as the tone of today's talk shows, it was applauded and appreciated.

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Wednesday, January 8, 2014

CJ's future with Titans: Price vs Production

The Tennessee Titans are officially on the hunt for a new coach, after releasing longtime Oiler / Titan Mike Munchak last weekend. One of the big decisions facing the new coach is whether or not to keep running back Chris Johnson, and his 8 million dollar salary next season. The topic has been feverishly debated in Nashville for the past few seasons, and it seems pretty much split down the middle. But one thing's for sure, if you thought that CJ would play nice for his new regime then check out this direct quote.

“I feel like if they are not going to use me the way I am supposed to be used and let me be the horse, then I would rather them let me move on. Their money would be wasted on me,” Johnson told Jim Wyatt of the Tennesseean. “I feel like if they are not going to use me right, let somebody get me that’s going to use me the right way.”

He went on to add....

“I want to help the team win. People say, ‘He is not worth the $10 million, he is not worth the $8 million.’ I feel like if you give me $8 million, let me earn it. At crucial times of the game, I shouldn’t be on the sideline watching.”

Well?...He does have a point. Mike Munchak's vision for the team was a two back rotation, with Johnson splitting equal carries with newly acquired Shonn Greene. Johnson was often times the man who drove the Titans down the field for a score, only to be replaced by Greene the following possession.

Can Johnson come off as a "me first" numbers guy? Sure...sometimes. But he does have the numbers to back it up.

Since being drafted by the Titans in 2008, all CJ has done is...

*Become the sixth back in NFL history to rush for 1,000 or more yards his first six seasons.
*Become the seventh back in NFL history to rush for over 2,000 yards.
*Average 4.8 yards per carry...for his career.
*Break the NFL record for yards from scrimmage in a season with 2,509
*NFL Offensive Player of the Year in 2009
*Averaging 1,420 combined yards and 8 td's a season for his career
*Never missed a start to injury in six seasons. Think about that. For an NFL rb...that's insane

When you sum it all up, it seems that CJ has lived up to his end of the deal. Now back to the new regime.

The new head coach should ask himself one simple question. Can I afford CJ and still put a competitive roster on the field in 2014? If the answer is no, then release CJ and spread that 8 million to other areas. If the answer is yes, then you obviously have to keep a player that's historically known to be durable, and productive. I even have to check myself when assessing CJ's 2K season...it was a once in a lifetime event...just like it was for the six that did it before him. If you compare Johnson's numbers to the other rb's in the 2008 draft class (Felix Jones, Steven Jackson, ect...) it's laughable.

With so many uncertainties surrounding the Titans right now, there is one thing that we can absolutely count on to be fact.

CJ ain't taking a pay cut.

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Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean contributed to this story.



Sunday, January 5, 2014

Vindication for the NFL's Ryan twins

I am sure the next time that twin brothers Rex and Rob Ryan see each other, they will enjoy an adult beverage, a high five, and a few expletive filled "take that" rants to their NFL pundits. The Ryan twins have been vindicated.

What a difference a year makes.

Coming into the season, the Ryan brothers were under fire, and people wondered if this would be their swan song. Head coach Rex Ryan and his New York Jets were coming off a miserable season...one filled with internal bickering, shoddy qb play, and lots of losing. National media outlets unveiled their initial power rankings for this year, and Ryan's Jets were listed at 32. For my casual fans...there are only 32 teams in the league! To make matters worse, Ryan was hammered in the media when embattled "starting" qb Mark Sanchez was lost for the year after being put in...in the 4th quarter of a meaningless preseason game. The Jets were now forced to hand the keys to untested rookie qb Geno Smith.

Meanwhile...thousands of miles away in the great state of Texas...defensive coordinator, and twin brother Rob Ryan was under his own ambush. While vacationing after another disappointing Cowboys season, he received word that his services were no longer needed...after just one season. To make matters worse, owner Jerry Jones all but exclusively blamed Ryan for the Cowboys' woes. Yes, the defense was bad, but it did finish 19th. Ryan fired back that he would have a new job "in five minutes". Figuratively...he did, as the Saints snatched him up to revive a defense that was not only the actual worst defense in the league in 2012 (32nd), they were also statistically one of the worst defenses in the history of the league! If Ryan was going to revive his career, he sure picked the toughest place to do it.

Fast forward to today...

Rex Ryan, somehow...someway lead his team to a respectable 8-8 finish this season. He did it with a no name offense (quick...name me two skill players from the Jets' roster....1....2...)...

I couldn't either.

Ryan also succeeded in spite of his rookie qb, who played about as erratic as you'll ever see from a rookie. Ryan received a vote of confidence at year's end, and will reportedly continue to lead the Jets into the future. Meanwhile....thousands of miles away in Louisiana...Rob Ryan exceeded expectations as well. His New Orleans Saints defense finished fourth overall this season....up from dead last. Not only that, his defense was the main cog in the Saints winning their first ever road playoff game. Ryan's unit all but shut down the high powered Eagles offense. Oh...and the Cowboys' defense this year?.....

I digress.

Whether or not you like the Ryans...you have to tip your hat to their collective efforts. That took a lot of courage, self belief, and resolve to make that kind of turn around.

Vindicated.

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Wednesday, January 1, 2014

RGIII, Vince Young: A cautionary tale

Washington Redskins qb Robert Griffin III had a season to forget. Production was down, wins were down, spirits were down. The lowest point coming at the end of the season, when then head coach Mike Shanahan benched a healthy RGIII for the final three games of the season. It turned out to be a blessing in disguise for Griffin, as the benching was the straw that broke owner Daniel Snyder's back...Shanahan was fired on black Monday.

As Griffin prepares for the next chapter of his football life, I would encourage him to study the career of Vince Young. Their stories are eerily similar.

When you think of Vince Young now, you think of two things. The Rose Bowl vs USC, and NFL bust. Young's story did not start that way, and certainly didn't have to end that way.

Listen up RGIII...

Young and Griffin were both celebrated qb's in the state of Texas. Both should have won the Heisman (Young was robbed in 05), and both were top ten first round draft picks. Both earned Rookie of the Year honors, and both were media darlings (RGIII and his numerous commercials, VY made the cover of Madden). Both revived their cities, and both lead their teams to the playoffs early in their careers. Both players were hand picked (and some would even say...coddled) by their owners. And unfortunately, neither was wanted...or embraced by their head coaches.

Coming into the 06 draft, the Tennessee Titans knew they had to grab a qb. Then head coach Jeff Fisher wanted to take USC qb Matt Leinart. After all, Fisher is a Trojan himself. Then owner, and late Bud Adams said with no uncertainty that Tennessee would draft Vince Young. After all, Adams was a Houston native, just like Young...and had been following Vince's career since high school. Of course Adams won, and Young was selected with the third overall pick.

There were no early signs of tension between coach Fisher and VY, after all, Young had just captured the ROY award, and brought the 0-5 Titans to within a game of the playoffs (he entered the lineup by demand of the owner in week 6). The next season, the Titans got in. But after the playoff season, and as the team started losing, more and more stories of "ill will" between the coach and qb started to surface. Young was benched several times, and it got to a point of picking sides. It divided the locker room, and the city. There were several reports of heated exchanges between the two, the most notable being a game late in the season in which Young threw his pads into the stands, cursed the coach out, and stormed out of the locker room. Neither Young or Fisher returned after that scene. 

Why should RGIII care?

Because Young never dreamed in a million years that we would not get another NFL job after being released by the Titans...especially after posting a 31-19 record as a starter. Only in hindsight is he able to now see where his lack of maturity fanned the flames that ultimately lead to his release. How he may have used his relationship with the owner to undermine the coach. How he may have taken everything for granted. How me may have received too much...too soon.

Sure, Shanahan may not have wanted to draft Griffin. Sure, there were blow ups as a result, and yes...it did divide the locker room. But it's not too late for RGIII. He get's a new lease on life with a new coaching staff next year. But this time it's on you Robert, if the same stories of locker room issues continue next season, then it will only be a matter of time before the name RGIII becomes an adjective to describe another NFL bust.

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