A little home-team cheerleading: USA TODAY relaunched the newspaper today -- if you check out the sports section, the historically snoozy "Sportsline" section on the left side of the first page of the sports section has a much more of a "Quickish" vibe. Proud to say I played a small role in that. Meanwhile, USATODAY.com relaunches tomorrow -- give it a look over the weekend. Our college football and NFL coverage throughout the day will help you keep up with all of the big (and fun) storylines.
Meanwhile:
*The Packers didn't look great, but the Bears looked even worse. (Maybe I'm just bitter about Green Bay because I started both Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb on my fantasy team.)
*Week 2 Picks: Bills over Chiefs, Bengals over Browns, Colts over Vikings, Panthers over Saints, Texans over Jaguars, Raiders over Dolphins, Pats over Cards, Giants over Bucs, Ravens over Eagles, Redskins over Rams, Cowboys over Seahawks, Jets over Steelers, Chargers over Titans, 49ers over Lions, Falcons over Broncos.
*CFB picks: I'm picking all seeded teams (or higher-ranked teams) to win. I always root for upsets, but just don't see any.
*CFB Game of the Weekend: Florida at Tennessee. It coulda/shoulda/woulda been Alabama at Arkansas, but the Hogs' loss to Louisiana-Monroe last week combined with starting QB Tyler Wilson missing the game means that Alabama is going to obliterate them even more than they would have if Arkansas was unbeaten and at full strength. If there was an upset to watch it's Stanford over USC.
Fun weekend ahead. Enjoy it.
-- D.S.
Friday, September 14, 2012
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
09/13 (Calhoun) Quickie
Jim Calhoun came across like a bit of a bully. He also was in charge of a program that might have done some pretty sketchy* things and is on the NCAA's spit list.
He was also one of the Top 3 greatest men's college basketball coaches of the past 30 years.
What threads that top 3 together -- Calhoun, Coach K and Rick Pitino (sorry, Bob Knight) -- is that they all took unsuccessful programs and turned them into champs.
(In K's case, Duke had slid into mediocrity; he turned it into a perennial Final Four team. In Pitino's case, he took an also-ran at Providence to the Final Four, which is like another coach taking a better program and winning it all; clearly, Pitino rebuilding Kentucky wasn't quite the same level of difficulty, but nonetheless, he delivered one of the most devastating teams of all time.)
Jim Calhoun went from Northeastern to a UConn program with zero identity beyond being the laughingstock of the most visible and most competitive conference in college sports history and -- over a hell of a long slog -- molded into a championship team not once, not twice, but three times, across three different player eras.
He totally out-coached Coach K in the '99 title game. He rode the country's best player to a title against an iffy field in 2004. And then, in his masterpiece, he engineered a Cinderella run behind a 6-foot superstar in 2011. Three titles, all from a program that began as a punching bag.
There is no analogue in college basketball. The coaching job he did was among the finest in the sport's history -- probably more impressive than Pitino, arguably more impressive even than Coach K.
We will never see anything like it again in college hoops, a worst-to-first storyline building over nearly two decades, followed by a stretch of a dozen years in the top tier of the sport -- replacing rebuilding with reloading -- and with two national titles to show for it.
The struggles at the end with the NCAA simply cannot erode the staggering success.
* -- Not particularly sketchy, one of my favorite memories of my career is sitting in a, um, "bar" in Tampa at 3 in the morning the night in 1999 when UConn upset Duke to win the NCAA Tournament. Up rolls the Huskies in various sports cars and luxury limos. They proceeded to, um, make it rain. I didn't file that story.
More:
Notre Dame joins the ACC: Yes, it's about the money. Yes, it's about the coming college football playoff. Yes, it's about creating a bit more certainty for ND in its scheduling. Yes, it's about the ACC making a power move to keep pace among the conferences in the second tier after the SEC. (The Pac-12 was already there; the Big Ten enjoys a lot of security; the last time we heard from the ACC, they were potentially going to lose Florida State to the Big 12 -- not anymore.)
The Big Ten must be wondering how they lost out on this, but it's simple: The ACC commish Jack Swofford is a better wheeler-dealer than the Big Ten's Jim Delany. Is it a shame that Notre Dame is going to replace Michigan, Michigan State and Purdue and others on its schedule with ACC teams? Yes, when it's ND vs. Wake or ND vs. Duke or ND vs. Maryland; no, when it's ND vs. FSU, which should happen every year.
MLB: Yankees-Red Sox. I actually like the Red Sox a lot more when they have nothing more to play for than to spoil the Yankees' season.
MLB: Interleague play in 2013 will start on April 1st -- sure, why not?
CFB: My favorite part about this week's BlogPoll Top 25 is that my temporary placement of Louisiana-Monroe at No. 2 drew the jeers of poll administrator Andy Hutchins in his weekly analysis of ballots. I swear I wasn't trolling: They have played a single game, it was on the road at a Top 10 team (nevermind that in hindsight, they aren't a top 10 team) and they won. Can any other team in the Top 25 point to a "better" win? Maybe Utah State over Utah, but that was at Utah State. Maybe Clemson over Auburn, but Auburn is 0-2. Maybe Arizona over Oklahoma State, but that was at Arizona -- and I don't think anyone thought as highly of OSU as they did of Arkansas. I'm just saying: If you go by "resume" -- what a team has done THIS season, on the field, not last season or in preseason polls -- ULM has as good of an argument as anyone except Alabama. Will that change as they play worse teams (or lose)? Sure. But for now? I'll stand by my pick.
My favorite thing I tipped on Quickish on Wednesday: SmartFootball's Chris Brown, via Grantland, on the plays that made RGIII a success. (I can't get enough RGIII. BTW, NBC Sports Network has a new weekly show called "Turning Point" that is excellent -- they had a segment on the Skins-Saints game that was awesome. The whole show was great.)
-- D.S.
He was also one of the Top 3 greatest men's college basketball coaches of the past 30 years.
What threads that top 3 together -- Calhoun, Coach K and Rick Pitino (sorry, Bob Knight) -- is that they all took unsuccessful programs and turned them into champs.
(In K's case, Duke had slid into mediocrity; he turned it into a perennial Final Four team. In Pitino's case, he took an also-ran at Providence to the Final Four, which is like another coach taking a better program and winning it all; clearly, Pitino rebuilding Kentucky wasn't quite the same level of difficulty, but nonetheless, he delivered one of the most devastating teams of all time.)
Jim Calhoun went from Northeastern to a UConn program with zero identity beyond being the laughingstock of the most visible and most competitive conference in college sports history and -- over a hell of a long slog -- molded into a championship team not once, not twice, but three times, across three different player eras.
He totally out-coached Coach K in the '99 title game. He rode the country's best player to a title against an iffy field in 2004. And then, in his masterpiece, he engineered a Cinderella run behind a 6-foot superstar in 2011. Three titles, all from a program that began as a punching bag.
There is no analogue in college basketball. The coaching job he did was among the finest in the sport's history -- probably more impressive than Pitino, arguably more impressive even than Coach K.
We will never see anything like it again in college hoops, a worst-to-first storyline building over nearly two decades, followed by a stretch of a dozen years in the top tier of the sport -- replacing rebuilding with reloading -- and with two national titles to show for it.
The struggles at the end with the NCAA simply cannot erode the staggering success.
* -- Not particularly sketchy, one of my favorite memories of my career is sitting in a, um, "bar" in Tampa at 3 in the morning the night in 1999 when UConn upset Duke to win the NCAA Tournament. Up rolls the Huskies in various sports cars and luxury limos. They proceeded to, um, make it rain. I didn't file that story.
More:
Notre Dame joins the ACC: Yes, it's about the money. Yes, it's about the coming college football playoff. Yes, it's about creating a bit more certainty for ND in its scheduling. Yes, it's about the ACC making a power move to keep pace among the conferences in the second tier after the SEC. (The Pac-12 was already there; the Big Ten enjoys a lot of security; the last time we heard from the ACC, they were potentially going to lose Florida State to the Big 12 -- not anymore.)
The Big Ten must be wondering how they lost out on this, but it's simple: The ACC commish Jack Swofford is a better wheeler-dealer than the Big Ten's Jim Delany. Is it a shame that Notre Dame is going to replace Michigan, Michigan State and Purdue and others on its schedule with ACC teams? Yes, when it's ND vs. Wake or ND vs. Duke or ND vs. Maryland; no, when it's ND vs. FSU, which should happen every year.
MLB: Yankees-Red Sox. I actually like the Red Sox a lot more when they have nothing more to play for than to spoil the Yankees' season.
MLB: Interleague play in 2013 will start on April 1st -- sure, why not?
CFB: My favorite part about this week's BlogPoll Top 25 is that my temporary placement of Louisiana-Monroe at No. 2 drew the jeers of poll administrator Andy Hutchins in his weekly analysis of ballots. I swear I wasn't trolling: They have played a single game, it was on the road at a Top 10 team (nevermind that in hindsight, they aren't a top 10 team) and they won. Can any other team in the Top 25 point to a "better" win? Maybe Utah State over Utah, but that was at Utah State. Maybe Clemson over Auburn, but Auburn is 0-2. Maybe Arizona over Oklahoma State, but that was at Arizona -- and I don't think anyone thought as highly of OSU as they did of Arkansas. I'm just saying: If you go by "resume" -- what a team has done THIS season, on the field, not last season or in preseason polls -- ULM has as good of an argument as anyone except Alabama. Will that change as they play worse teams (or lose)? Sure. But for now? I'll stand by my pick.
My favorite thing I tipped on Quickish on Wednesday: SmartFootball's Chris Brown, via Grantland, on the plays that made RGIII a success. (I can't get enough RGIII. BTW, NBC Sports Network has a new weekly show called "Turning Point" that is excellent -- they had a segment on the Skins-Saints game that was awesome. The whole show was great.)
-- D.S.
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
09/11 (Finally) Quickie
Thoughts with all those who lost loved ones, friends and colleagues 11 years ago -- or in the ensuing years since, as a result. Unfortunately, a blunt transition to the superficiality of sports...
Three words: Andy. Murray. Finally.
Any time you have a longtime top-tier athlete or team "finally" win a championship, it is a wonderful moment. There is a special awesomeness to Andy Murray's first Grand Slam title.
I would argue that no team/athlete had to contend with a competitive environment as difficult as Murray. Not the Barkley/Ewing/Malone-Stockton NBA during the Jordan years. Not MLB contenders during the Yankees dynasty. Certainly not the NFL or college basketball. The closest analogue would be any college football team outside of the SEC beating an SEC team for the national title -- but only after the SEC extends its dominance from 6 straight titles to 16 or 36.
That is the only way to grasp the roadblock in front of Andy Murray during his prime: Roger Federer, only the greatest tennis player of all time. Rafa Nadal, probably in the Top 5 all-time (if not Top 3). Novak Djokovic, who will probably finish his career in the Top 3 and is at his peak right now.
And so Murray's first Slam championship is extra-sweet -- years of frustration, of looking up at the Rushmore of his sport, of nagging doubts and plenty of doubters. He finally gets his. Finally.
As Djokovic affirmed last night: It is impossible not to feel good for Murray today.
More:
Ravens blow out Bengals: After years of being defined by its defense, the show that Baltimore put on last night foreshadows that this season might be the year the offense finally drives the bus.
Chargers beat the Raiders: That San Diego needed Oakland snapping problems to win the game doesn't bode well for San Diego's long-term chances of being a playoff contender. But 1-0 is 1-0.
RG3 Mania: I love the instant "Griffining is the new Tebowing" meme -- it fits the way Griffin exploded on the national scene on Sunday, carrying over to yesterday, where he was -- by far -- the No. 1 story of the NFL (and all of sports). Today's best RG3 pieces take a look at how Mike Shanahan veered from his offensive orthodoxies to take advantage of RG3's unique skills while recognizing he was only in his first-ever NFL game.
CBB: Academic fraud in college? You don't say! That it happens at Harvard the same way it happens everywhere else says less about Harvard than it does about college students more generally.
MLB: Gio Gonzalez for NL Cy? I'm not a big fan of "wins" as a Cy metric (he got his 19th last night), but it just so happens that Gio's advanced stats are just as impressive. (I'm a Nats fan, yet still partial to RA Dickey for Cy.) I will say that no offseason move was more savvy than DC GM Mike Rizzo trading some of the Nats' best prospects for Gonzalez, then locking him up for a half-decade at a reasonable rate for a league ace.
Clemens Watch: Houston is so irrelevant that I'm all for Roger Clemens pitching for them in the final few weeks of the season. Why not? It would be fun -- he's ageless. And he's probably pitch well, too. Hell, bring him back next year for a full run.
NFL vs. the Refs: Five more weeks...at least? There were probably two dozen screw-ups on Sunday -- ranging from minor to Seattle-Arizona -- and the more weeks that go by, the greater chance of a defining snafu will occur.
How'd your fantasy team do in Week 1? One of my teams was tied going into the final game of the week, and my opponent got 2 measly points out of Heyward-Bey, which was enough to get the winning margin. My other team had Philip Rivers in the final game, and I won by 2 points. So I guess all it proves is that things tend to even out. BTW, if you are in a Yahoo league, check out the "recap" feature on your scoreboard, where a cool company called Automated Insights has generated a custom game recap for your team's game. It's pretty awesome.
-- D.S.
Three words: Andy. Murray. Finally.
Any time you have a longtime top-tier athlete or team "finally" win a championship, it is a wonderful moment. There is a special awesomeness to Andy Murray's first Grand Slam title.
I would argue that no team/athlete had to contend with a competitive environment as difficult as Murray. Not the Barkley/Ewing/Malone-Stockton NBA during the Jordan years. Not MLB contenders during the Yankees dynasty. Certainly not the NFL or college basketball. The closest analogue would be any college football team outside of the SEC beating an SEC team for the national title -- but only after the SEC extends its dominance from 6 straight titles to 16 or 36.
That is the only way to grasp the roadblock in front of Andy Murray during his prime: Roger Federer, only the greatest tennis player of all time. Rafa Nadal, probably in the Top 5 all-time (if not Top 3). Novak Djokovic, who will probably finish his career in the Top 3 and is at his peak right now.
And so Murray's first Slam championship is extra-sweet -- years of frustration, of looking up at the Rushmore of his sport, of nagging doubts and plenty of doubters. He finally gets his. Finally.
As Djokovic affirmed last night: It is impossible not to feel good for Murray today.
More:
Ravens blow out Bengals: After years of being defined by its defense, the show that Baltimore put on last night foreshadows that this season might be the year the offense finally drives the bus.
Chargers beat the Raiders: That San Diego needed Oakland snapping problems to win the game doesn't bode well for San Diego's long-term chances of being a playoff contender. But 1-0 is 1-0.
RG3 Mania: I love the instant "Griffining is the new Tebowing" meme -- it fits the way Griffin exploded on the national scene on Sunday, carrying over to yesterday, where he was -- by far -- the No. 1 story of the NFL (and all of sports). Today's best RG3 pieces take a look at how Mike Shanahan veered from his offensive orthodoxies to take advantage of RG3's unique skills while recognizing he was only in his first-ever NFL game.
CBB: Academic fraud in college? You don't say! That it happens at Harvard the same way it happens everywhere else says less about Harvard than it does about college students more generally.
MLB: Gio Gonzalez for NL Cy? I'm not a big fan of "wins" as a Cy metric (he got his 19th last night), but it just so happens that Gio's advanced stats are just as impressive. (I'm a Nats fan, yet still partial to RA Dickey for Cy.) I will say that no offseason move was more savvy than DC GM Mike Rizzo trading some of the Nats' best prospects for Gonzalez, then locking him up for a half-decade at a reasonable rate for a league ace.
Clemens Watch: Houston is so irrelevant that I'm all for Roger Clemens pitching for them in the final few weeks of the season. Why not? It would be fun -- he's ageless. And he's probably pitch well, too. Hell, bring him back next year for a full run.
NFL vs. the Refs: Five more weeks...at least? There were probably two dozen screw-ups on Sunday -- ranging from minor to Seattle-Arizona -- and the more weeks that go by, the greater chance of a defining snafu will occur.
How'd your fantasy team do in Week 1? One of my teams was tied going into the final game of the week, and my opponent got 2 measly points out of Heyward-Bey, which was enough to get the winning margin. My other team had Philip Rivers in the final game, and I won by 2 points. So I guess all it proves is that things tend to even out. BTW, if you are in a Yahoo league, check out the "recap" feature on your scoreboard, where a cool company called Automated Insights has generated a custom game recap for your team's game. It's pretty awesome.
-- D.S.
Monday, September 10, 2012
09/10 (RG3) Quickie
Three words: Robert. Griffin. III.
After last season’s Cam-Mania -- only the most exciting debut season in the history of the NFL -- I’m not sure anyone thought it could be topped, let alone topped less than a year later. And yet, here we are: RG3 exploded on the NFL scene like no player ever. (Yes, even Cam Newton.)
It was the combination of big plays and charisma and a franchise that resonates nationally and, most of all, the most unexpected win of the first week of the new NFL season.
The Redskins waltzed into the Superdome and lit up the Saints, a team that -- even if you allow for the bountygate distraction -- is nearly unbeatable at home, particularly if the opponent is a team that the year before was among the NFL’s dregs.
And so the NFL has a new super-duper-star -- a player instantly on par with Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady and Drew Brees and Cam Newton (and even Tim Tebow). RG3 might not be there with Super Bowl wins (yet), but his “OOH!” factor is right there.
He is the most must-see player in the NFL right now.
More NFL quickish-hits:
*It is ludicrous to read too much into the first week of the NFL. But!
*The 49ers would like you to understand immediately they are here to win a title.
*The greatest achievement of Tim Tebow’s career was inspiring Mark Sanchez to THAT.
*Wow, we were so close to Philadelphiamageddon. Clearly it’s a “when not if” thing.
*Jay Cutler and Brandon Marshall are going to be an awesome combo until they implode.
*If there’s such a thing as a moral victory in the NFL, the Rams got one.
*As it turns out, “Hard Knocks” will be the highlight of the Dolphins’ season.
*Matt Barkley Watch: Close call, but should Seattle just tank the rest to get Carroll’s guy?
*I’m still on the Cam Newton bandwagon, but good seats suddenly available.
CFB Storyline I’m Still Thinking About This Morning: “Grown Man Football.” That was the impromptu post-game message scribbled on a white board and held up by Georgia players to their fans who had made the treck to Columbia to see the Bulldogs welcome Mizzou to the SEC. Both Missouri and Texas A&M hung in for a while, but ultimately, the culture shock -- represented fairly by blazingly fast future NFL anvils on the UGA and UF defensive sides -- was as inevitable as it was indomitable.
CFB Team of the Week: Louisiana-Monroe, which when to Arkansas and beat the Razorbacks, who could be forgiven for looking ahead to next week’s make-or-break game hosting No. 1 Alabama... except before they could have lost to Bama, run the table otherwise and settled for a BCS-level bowl game. Now? Their season is a punchline.
Looking Ahead to CFB Next Week: Alabama at Arkansas suddenly feels a lot less epic... Florida at Tennessee might just decide the SEC East... If USC needed all four quarters to put away Syracuse, then Trojan nemesis Stanford has a puncher’s chance... This week’s Heisman ballot would go to: Ohio State QB Braxton Miller.
Serena: ‘Nuff said.
MLB: The Strasburg Shut-Down. I believe deeply in “process over outcome,” but I also believe in “flags fly forever.” Championship opportunities are not really “windows”; they are fleeting moments that are one-part design, one-part serendipity, one-part vagaries of chance -- just ask the 88-89-90 A’s or ‘91-99 Braves, two would-be dynasties that combined for as many championships as the carpetbagging Marlins. For the sake of Nats fans (of whom I count myself) -- not to mention GM Mike Rizzo and Strasburg himself -- I hope the Nats win a championship with Strasburg in the next five years. (Or just win one in October and shut everyone up for good.) Until then, this “what if?” defines the franchise.
Penn State: Saturday was the first time that the NCAA sanctions felt like they really hurt the program. There is a direct link from Sandusky and Paterno to the NCAA sanctions allowing any player to transfer without penalty to incumbent starting kicker TK bolting campus for Texas to replacement TK missing 4 of 5 FGs, any one of which made would have changed the game’s outcome, rather than put Penn State in an 0-2 hole to start the year.
Thoughts with Tulane’s Devon Walker, whose horrifying injury on Saturday cast a pall over the sports weekend.
-- D.S.
After last season’s Cam-Mania -- only the most exciting debut season in the history of the NFL -- I’m not sure anyone thought it could be topped, let alone topped less than a year later. And yet, here we are: RG3 exploded on the NFL scene like no player ever. (Yes, even Cam Newton.)
It was the combination of big plays and charisma and a franchise that resonates nationally and, most of all, the most unexpected win of the first week of the new NFL season.
The Redskins waltzed into the Superdome and lit up the Saints, a team that -- even if you allow for the bountygate distraction -- is nearly unbeatable at home, particularly if the opponent is a team that the year before was among the NFL’s dregs.
And so the NFL has a new super-duper-star -- a player instantly on par with Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady and Drew Brees and Cam Newton (and even Tim Tebow). RG3 might not be there with Super Bowl wins (yet), but his “OOH!” factor is right there.
He is the most must-see player in the NFL right now.
More NFL quickish-hits:
*It is ludicrous to read too much into the first week of the NFL. But!
*The 49ers would like you to understand immediately they are here to win a title.
*The greatest achievement of Tim Tebow’s career was inspiring Mark Sanchez to THAT.
*Wow, we were so close to Philadelphiamageddon. Clearly it’s a “when not if” thing.
*Jay Cutler and Brandon Marshall are going to be an awesome combo until they implode.
*If there’s such a thing as a moral victory in the NFL, the Rams got one.
*As it turns out, “Hard Knocks” will be the highlight of the Dolphins’ season.
*Matt Barkley Watch: Close call, but should Seattle just tank the rest to get Carroll’s guy?
*I’m still on the Cam Newton bandwagon, but good seats suddenly available.
CFB Storyline I’m Still Thinking About This Morning: “Grown Man Football.” That was the impromptu post-game message scribbled on a white board and held up by Georgia players to their fans who had made the treck to Columbia to see the Bulldogs welcome Mizzou to the SEC. Both Missouri and Texas A&M hung in for a while, but ultimately, the culture shock -- represented fairly by blazingly fast future NFL anvils on the UGA and UF defensive sides -- was as inevitable as it was indomitable.
CFB Team of the Week: Louisiana-Monroe, which when to Arkansas and beat the Razorbacks, who could be forgiven for looking ahead to next week’s make-or-break game hosting No. 1 Alabama... except before they could have lost to Bama, run the table otherwise and settled for a BCS-level bowl game. Now? Their season is a punchline.
Looking Ahead to CFB Next Week: Alabama at Arkansas suddenly feels a lot less epic... Florida at Tennessee might just decide the SEC East... If USC needed all four quarters to put away Syracuse, then Trojan nemesis Stanford has a puncher’s chance... This week’s Heisman ballot would go to: Ohio State QB Braxton Miller.
Serena: ‘Nuff said.
MLB: The Strasburg Shut-Down. I believe deeply in “process over outcome,” but I also believe in “flags fly forever.” Championship opportunities are not really “windows”; they are fleeting moments that are one-part design, one-part serendipity, one-part vagaries of chance -- just ask the 88-89-90 A’s or ‘91-99 Braves, two would-be dynasties that combined for as many championships as the carpetbagging Marlins. For the sake of Nats fans (of whom I count myself) -- not to mention GM Mike Rizzo and Strasburg himself -- I hope the Nats win a championship with Strasburg in the next five years. (Or just win one in October and shut everyone up for good.) Until then, this “what if?” defines the franchise.
Penn State: Saturday was the first time that the NCAA sanctions felt like they really hurt the program. There is a direct link from Sandusky and Paterno to the NCAA sanctions allowing any player to transfer without penalty to incumbent starting kicker TK bolting campus for Texas to replacement TK missing 4 of 5 FGs, any one of which made would have changed the game’s outcome, rather than put Penn State in an 0-2 hole to start the year.
Thoughts with Tulane’s Devon Walker, whose horrifying injury on Saturday cast a pall over the sports weekend.
-- D.S.
Sunday, September 09, 2012
This Week's BlogPoll Top 25 Ballot
Alabama stays at the top, but if you're truly going to be a "resume"-based voter, the only intellectually defensible choice for No. 2 is Louisiana-Monroe, which has played just a single game this season -- and it happens to be the "best win" (level of opponent, location) of the season, across the nation. Here is the rest of the list, as usual mish-mash of "resume" and "Hey, wait, didn't you say you vote based largely on resume? If so, how do you explain X?"
DanShanoff.com Ballot - Week 2
| Rank | Team | Delta |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alabama Crimson Tide | -- |
| 2 | ULM Warhawks | -- |
| 3 | LSU Tigers | -- |
| 4 | Oregon Ducks |  -2 |
| 5 | West Virginia Mountaineers | -- |
| 6 | Florida St. Seminoles |  10 |
| 7 | USC Trojans | -3 |
| 8 | Clemson Tigers | -2 |
| 9 | Ohio St. Buckeyes | 1 |
| 10 | Utah State Aggies | -- |
| 11 | Arizona Wildcats | -- |
| 12 | Oklahoma Sooners | 2 |
| 13 | South Carolina Gamecocks | -- |
| 14 | Michigan St. Spartans | -6 |
| 15 | Louisville Cardinals | 5 |
| 16 | Virginia Tech Hokies | -4 |
| 17 | Georgia Bulldogs | -2 |
| 18 | Florida Gators | -- |
| 19 | Kansas St. Wildcats | -- |
| 20 | Texas Longhorns | -- |
| 21 | TCU Horned Frogs | -4 |
| 22 | Tennessee Volunteers | 1 |
| 23 | Mississippi St. Bulldogs | -- |
| 24 | Michigan Wolverines | 1 |
| 25 | Arkansas Razorbacks | -16 |
| Dropouts: Ohio Bobcats, Utah Utes, Nebraska Cornhuskers, Oklahoma St. Cowboys, Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Colorado St. Rams, Boise St. Broncos | ||
SB Nation BlogPoll College Football Top 25 Rankings »
9/9 CFB Hangover
Stray college football thoughts while waiting for today's NFL kickoff...
*Just when you think a week looks "boring":
- Arkansas is stunned (only a win over Alabama next week could save the Hogs' season now, and that ain't happening, and it gets worse if QB Tyler Wilson's injury carries over)...
- Oklahoma State loses to instantly rebuilt Arizona (mock RichRod all you want, but it's impressive)...
- Jim Mora leads UCLA to a signature win over Nebraska (which was probably overrated going into the week, but who cares)...
- Wisconsin loses on the road at Oregon State (making me look smart for not ranking the Badgers in my Top 25 last week)...
Not bad for a "slow" week. More:
*Welcome to the SEC: The best image of the day in college football was Georgia players, after their win over Mizzou, holding up a white board to the crowd with "Grown Man Football" scribbled on it.
*Penn State loses again: There is a straight-line correlation between the NCAA sanctions, the incumbent starting kicker transferring, the replacement missing 4 of 5 FGs and another L.
*No reason not to leave Alabama at No. 1. Might drop USC out of the Top 5 after they had trouble shaking Syracuse. Adding Utah State, TCU, Arizona, Mississippi State and Florida.
*Looking ahead to next week: (1) Alabama at Arkansas, (2) USC at Stanford, (3) Florida at Tennessee, (4) Notre Dame at Michigan State, (5) Utah State at Wisconsin.
*Thoughts with Tulane's Devon Walker.
-- D.S.
*Just when you think a week looks "boring":
- Arkansas is stunned (only a win over Alabama next week could save the Hogs' season now, and that ain't happening, and it gets worse if QB Tyler Wilson's injury carries over)...
- Oklahoma State loses to instantly rebuilt Arizona (mock RichRod all you want, but it's impressive)...
- Jim Mora leads UCLA to a signature win over Nebraska (which was probably overrated going into the week, but who cares)...
- Wisconsin loses on the road at Oregon State (making me look smart for not ranking the Badgers in my Top 25 last week)...
Not bad for a "slow" week. More:
*Welcome to the SEC: The best image of the day in college football was Georgia players, after their win over Mizzou, holding up a white board to the crowd with "Grown Man Football" scribbled on it.
*Penn State loses again: There is a straight-line correlation between the NCAA sanctions, the incumbent starting kicker transferring, the replacement missing 4 of 5 FGs and another L.
*No reason not to leave Alabama at No. 1. Might drop USC out of the Top 5 after they had trouble shaking Syracuse. Adding Utah State, TCU, Arizona, Mississippi State and Florida.
*Looking ahead to next week: (1) Alabama at Arkansas, (2) USC at Stanford, (3) Florida at Tennessee, (4) Notre Dame at Michigan State, (5) Utah State at Wisconsin.
*Thoughts with Tulane's Devon Walker.
-- D.S.
Saturday, September 08, 2012
09/08 (Very) Quickie
College football Saturday, thankfully. Even if it looks like the slate is a foregone conclusion -- with the one exception being my team, playing on the road in College Station in Texas A&M's first-ever SEC game, which qualifies as the Game of the Day.
Saints back in the game: It's a rare moment when Roger Goodell is told what he can/can't do, and Saints fans are rejoicing. Hard to know what impact this has on the team in Week 1 -- or until the previously suspended players are up to speed -- but it can't hurt. Sean Payton, Mickey Loomis and Gregg Williams remain suspended, appropriately.
Serena to U.S. Open women's final: She's as must-see as any athlete in sports right now.
MLB: And back and forth the Yankees and Orioles go. This is fun, even if you don't care about Baltimore (although you should if you enjoy competitive balance in baseball); at the very least, you're enjoying rooting against the Yankees.
Thinking good thoughts for a full recovery for Brandon McCarthy.
-- D.S.
Saints back in the game: It's a rare moment when Roger Goodell is told what he can/can't do, and Saints fans are rejoicing. Hard to know what impact this has on the team in Week 1 -- or until the previously suspended players are up to speed -- but it can't hurt. Sean Payton, Mickey Loomis and Gregg Williams remain suspended, appropriately.
Serena to U.S. Open women's final: She's as must-see as any athlete in sports right now.
MLB: And back and forth the Yankees and Orioles go. This is fun, even if you don't care about Baltimore (although you should if you enjoy competitive balance in baseball); at the very least, you're enjoying rooting against the Yankees.
Thinking good thoughts for a full recovery for Brandon McCarthy.
-- D.S.
Thursday, September 06, 2012
09/07 (Week 1) Quickie
In a Quickie tradition, NFL Week 1 picks below...
It's been just about exactly one year since my family and I relocated from Brooklyn to DC. There have been a handful of sports highlights: I was at Verizon Center when my Wizards got their best win of the past half-decade, beating the Thunder. I took my kids to their first hockey game. I have totally embraced the Nats, made much more fun by being up close. The Redskins traded up for RG3 (I'm not even a Redskins fan, and it has me excited). My Wizards drafted Bradley Beal, the player I desperately wanted them to get.
But the best thing, by far, was moving from Time Warner to Verizon FIOS, because a year ago this weekend, I got my first taste of Red Zone Channel, and it was the single-greatest media or fan experience of my life. Gabe and I turned it on at 1, then sat slack-jawed for the next seven hours, mesmerized by what we were witnessing. It turned Gabe into an NFL nut. It made me love watching the NFL on Sundays again, after years of being bored by being forced to watch the Giants and Jets.
And so we will welcome Red Zone Channel host Scott Hanson back into our house this Sunday, like a favorite friend coming back after being gone for the past 9 months, from 1 p.m. kickoff until the signature game-ending "Touchdown Montage" -- or, should I say, "Touchdown Massage," which is what Gabe called it, which I then tweeted to Hanson, who then used it the next week.
Game day is back.
CFB Saturday: It's a snoozer of a week -- I'm picking all ranked teams to win, including Florida beating Texas A&M in the Aggies' SEC opener. (Famous last words...)
CFB Viewing Guide:
Noon: UCF at Ohio State (ESPN2), Penn State at Virginia (ABC), Auburn at Mississippi St (ESPN)
3:30: Florida at Texas A&M (ESPN), 7:00: Washington at LSU (ESPN)
8:00 Vandy at Northwestern (Big Ten Net)
NFL Week 1: My favorite storylines
*Can Peyton Manning make it through a game?
*The NFL debuts of RG3 and Andrew Luck.
*The debut of Tim Tebow in the Jets offense.
*Game of the Week: Packers-49ers. Whammo.
*Cam Newton: That's all. Just watching Cam Newton.
NFL Picks: Bears over Colts, Eagles over Browns, Pats over Titans, Chiefs over Falcons, Vikings over Jaguars, Saints over Redskins, Jets over Bills, Lions over Rams, Texans over Dolphins, Packers over 49ers, Seahawks over Cardinals, Panthers over Bucs, Broncos over Steelers, Ravens over Bengals, Chargers over Raiders. (Season to date: 0-1)
RIP Art Modell: Cleveland fans might loathe him, but he was instrumental in bringing the NFL to a national TV audience. And bringing football back to Baltimore. Seattle basketball fans would love to find an owner like Modell.
MLB: Back in March, anyone have "Yankees-Orioles" as the biggest baseball series of the weekend of September 6-9? Hell, it might be the biggest single baseball series of the year.
Book rec: "Soldiers First," by three-time Varsity Letters contributor Joe Drape, who spent a season inside Army football. Excerpt here, Amazon link here.
Must-See: The new "This Is SportsCenter" featuring John Clayton is the best one in the series in years -- it's an instant classic. Check it out here.
This is rooting for the home team, but offered earnestly: If you haven't given Sports On Earth a try yet, head over and check out some of the great work they've produced this week, only their second.
Yes, I bought a new Nike Jets Tebow jersey.
-- D.S.
It's been just about exactly one year since my family and I relocated from Brooklyn to DC. There have been a handful of sports highlights: I was at Verizon Center when my Wizards got their best win of the past half-decade, beating the Thunder. I took my kids to their first hockey game. I have totally embraced the Nats, made much more fun by being up close. The Redskins traded up for RG3 (I'm not even a Redskins fan, and it has me excited). My Wizards drafted Bradley Beal, the player I desperately wanted them to get.
But the best thing, by far, was moving from Time Warner to Verizon FIOS, because a year ago this weekend, I got my first taste of Red Zone Channel, and it was the single-greatest media or fan experience of my life. Gabe and I turned it on at 1, then sat slack-jawed for the next seven hours, mesmerized by what we were witnessing. It turned Gabe into an NFL nut. It made me love watching the NFL on Sundays again, after years of being bored by being forced to watch the Giants and Jets.
And so we will welcome Red Zone Channel host Scott Hanson back into our house this Sunday, like a favorite friend coming back after being gone for the past 9 months, from 1 p.m. kickoff until the signature game-ending "Touchdown Montage" -- or, should I say, "Touchdown Massage," which is what Gabe called it, which I then tweeted to Hanson, who then used it the next week.
Game day is back.
CFB Saturday: It's a snoozer of a week -- I'm picking all ranked teams to win, including Florida beating Texas A&M in the Aggies' SEC opener. (Famous last words...)
CFB Viewing Guide:
Noon: UCF at Ohio State (ESPN2), Penn State at Virginia (ABC), Auburn at Mississippi St (ESPN)
3:30: Florida at Texas A&M (ESPN), 7:00: Washington at LSU (ESPN)
8:00 Vandy at Northwestern (Big Ten Net)
NFL Week 1: My favorite storylines
*Can Peyton Manning make it through a game?
*The NFL debuts of RG3 and Andrew Luck.
*The debut of Tim Tebow in the Jets offense.
*Game of the Week: Packers-49ers. Whammo.
*Cam Newton: That's all. Just watching Cam Newton.
NFL Picks: Bears over Colts, Eagles over Browns, Pats over Titans, Chiefs over Falcons, Vikings over Jaguars, Saints over Redskins, Jets over Bills, Lions over Rams, Texans over Dolphins, Packers over 49ers, Seahawks over Cardinals, Panthers over Bucs, Broncos over Steelers, Ravens over Bengals, Chargers over Raiders. (Season to date: 0-1)
RIP Art Modell: Cleveland fans might loathe him, but he was instrumental in bringing the NFL to a national TV audience. And bringing football back to Baltimore. Seattle basketball fans would love to find an owner like Modell.
MLB: Back in March, anyone have "Yankees-Orioles" as the biggest baseball series of the weekend of September 6-9? Hell, it might be the biggest single baseball series of the year.
Book rec: "Soldiers First," by three-time Varsity Letters contributor Joe Drape, who spent a season inside Army football. Excerpt here, Amazon link here.
Must-See: The new "This Is SportsCenter" featuring John Clayton is the best one in the series in years -- it's an instant classic. Check it out here.
This is rooting for the home team, but offered earnestly: If you haven't given Sports On Earth a try yet, head over and check out some of the great work they've produced this week, only their second.
Yes, I bought a new Nike Jets Tebow jersey.
-- D.S.
Wednesday, September 05, 2012
09/05 (NFL Kickoff) Quickie
Replacement refs. Concussion epidemic. Peyton Manning. Tim Tebow. The X factor.
Those are -- in rough order -- the biggest storylines of the new NFL season, which kicks off today (I'll take the Giants over the Cowboys, who will struggle all season).
*The best leverage for the usual officials is that the replacement refs bungle things so badly that it erodes the integrity of the season, where one play can mean one win can mean playoffs or not.
*Concussions will be an even bigger problem, even if the league is slightly better about keeping players off the field who are recovering.
*I can't believe some of the predictions for Manning and the Broncos -- SI's Peter King tabs Manning as league MVP as Denver wins the AFC. I'll say Manning doesn't make it through 8 weeks.
*Another year, another round of doubt about Tim Tebow's ability to make a meaningful contribution -- this despite the fact that he led the Broncos to the playoffs last year, including a win. He'll be fine. The Jets may not be very good, but Tebow will be -- as usual -- better than everyone expects. (Have I bought my Tebow Jets jersey? Yes. Yes, I have.)
*And then there is the X-Factor: The team (or teams) that always go from nowhere to contention. The player that explodes on the scene. The player that gets injured. The fantasy superstar. That is always my favorite part.
Predictions: The only one that matters -- Green Bay over New England in the Super Bowl.
(Packers over 49ers in NFC title game; Pats over Ravens in AFC title game.)
NFC: Giants (East); Packers (North); Saints (South); 49ers (West); Lions, Panthers (WC)
AFC: Pats (East); Ravens (North); Texans (South); Chiefs (West); Steelers, Jets (WC)
Here's to a great season ahead for your team, for your fantasy team and for everyone.
A year ago, we moved from NYC to DC and switched from Time-Warner Cable to Verizon FIOS, with the main implication being that, for the first time, I got to experience Red Zone Channel. I am not exaggerating when I say that within 10 minutes, it became my favorite media experience ever.
Scott Hanson -- the most talented TV person in all of NFL-related media -- I look forward to another year with you at the helm.
-- D.S.
Those are -- in rough order -- the biggest storylines of the new NFL season, which kicks off today (I'll take the Giants over the Cowboys, who will struggle all season).
*The best leverage for the usual officials is that the replacement refs bungle things so badly that it erodes the integrity of the season, where one play can mean one win can mean playoffs or not.
*Concussions will be an even bigger problem, even if the league is slightly better about keeping players off the field who are recovering.
*I can't believe some of the predictions for Manning and the Broncos -- SI's Peter King tabs Manning as league MVP as Denver wins the AFC. I'll say Manning doesn't make it through 8 weeks.
*Another year, another round of doubt about Tim Tebow's ability to make a meaningful contribution -- this despite the fact that he led the Broncos to the playoffs last year, including a win. He'll be fine. The Jets may not be very good, but Tebow will be -- as usual -- better than everyone expects. (Have I bought my Tebow Jets jersey? Yes. Yes, I have.)
*And then there is the X-Factor: The team (or teams) that always go from nowhere to contention. The player that explodes on the scene. The player that gets injured. The fantasy superstar. That is always my favorite part.
Predictions: The only one that matters -- Green Bay over New England in the Super Bowl.
(Packers over 49ers in NFC title game; Pats over Ravens in AFC title game.)
NFC: Giants (East); Packers (North); Saints (South); 49ers (West); Lions, Panthers (WC)
AFC: Pats (East); Ravens (North); Texans (South); Chiefs (West); Steelers, Jets (WC)
Here's to a great season ahead for your team, for your fantasy team and for everyone.
A year ago, we moved from NYC to DC and switched from Time-Warner Cable to Verizon FIOS, with the main implication being that, for the first time, I got to experience Red Zone Channel. I am not exaggerating when I say that within 10 minutes, it became my favorite media experience ever.
Scott Hanson -- the most talented TV person in all of NFL-related media -- I look forward to another year with you at the helm.
-- D.S.
Tuesday, September 04, 2012
9/3 (September Is Here) Quickie
Be sure to get that fantasy draft in the books today before Wednesday's NFL kickoff...
MLB: I'm a Nats fan, but the Orioles are the best story in baseball this season, and it's not even close.
Meanwhile, the biggest story is the Nats' Strasburg shut-down, which I maintain is among the worst ideas in the recent history of baseball.
The Red Sox are a mess: Bobby V is as good of a person to blame as anyone.
CFB: I had Virginia Tech slotted 12th in my new BlogPoll ballot under the assumption that they would win -- if not roll -- against Georgia Tech. After barely escaping last night, 12 might be a little high, but I think GA Tech is only slighly below Auburn, Michigan and Boise State as the toughest opening-week opponent of the season.
Penn State: I wasn't a big fan of Bill O'Brien when they hired him, and he didn't do much to change that opinion after the opening-week loss to Ohio. I typically wouldn't worry about a coach's public posture -- and the media certainly seems inclined to sanctify him simply for showing up -- but I continue to contend that acting like Belichick won't help him.
Rory is back (did he ever leave?)
Honey Badger back at LSU: He's still not on the team, but let's add a big ol' "yet" to the end of that.
Florida names Jeff Driskel the starting QB: I'm a fan, and he's just OK. Combine that with some average receivers and it's on the running backs and defense to get this team to the 8-win mark.
Best story of the fall: Erin DiMeglio, the first girl to play QB in high school football in Florida history. No matter what happens with her on the field this year, that's going to make a great movie.
MLB: I'm a Nats fan, but the Orioles are the best story in baseball this season, and it's not even close.
Meanwhile, the biggest story is the Nats' Strasburg shut-down, which I maintain is among the worst ideas in the recent history of baseball.
The Red Sox are a mess: Bobby V is as good of a person to blame as anyone.
CFB: I had Virginia Tech slotted 12th in my new BlogPoll ballot under the assumption that they would win -- if not roll -- against Georgia Tech. After barely escaping last night, 12 might be a little high, but I think GA Tech is only slighly below Auburn, Michigan and Boise State as the toughest opening-week opponent of the season.
Penn State: I wasn't a big fan of Bill O'Brien when they hired him, and he didn't do much to change that opinion after the opening-week loss to Ohio. I typically wouldn't worry about a coach's public posture -- and the media certainly seems inclined to sanctify him simply for showing up -- but I continue to contend that acting like Belichick won't help him.
Rory is back (did he ever leave?)
Honey Badger back at LSU: He's still not on the team, but let's add a big ol' "yet" to the end of that.
Florida names Jeff Driskel the starting QB: I'm a fan, and he's just OK. Combine that with some average receivers and it's on the running backs and defense to get this team to the 8-win mark.
Best story of the fall: Erin DiMeglio, the first girl to play QB in high school football in Florida history. No matter what happens with her on the field this year, that's going to make a great movie.
Monday, September 03, 2012
This Week's BlogPoll Top 25 Ballot
Alabama still rules, and I've put Oregon in the No. 2 spot. Virginia Tech's spot is pending tonight's result. It's where I'd rank them if they won, but if they put on a show, they'll move up.
DanShanoff.com Ballot - Week 1
| Rank | Team | Delta |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alabama Crimson Tide | -- |
| 2 | Oregon Ducks | -- |
| 3 | LSU Tigers | -- |
| 4 | USC Trojans | -- |
| 5 | West Virginia Mountaineers | -- |
| 6 | Clemson Tigers | -- |
| 7 | Ohio Bobcats | -- |
| 8 | Michigan St. Spartans | -- |
| 9 | Arkansas Razorbacks | -- |
| 10 | Ohio St. Buckeyes | -- |
| 11 | Utah Utes | -- |
| 12 | Virginia Tech Hokies | -- |
| 13 | South Carolina Gamecocks | -- |
| 14 | Oklahoma Sooners | -- |
| 15 | Georgia Bulldogs | -- |
| 16 | Florida St. Seminoles | -- |
| 17 | TCU Horned Frogs | -- |
| 18 | Nebraska Cornhuskers | -- |
| 19 | Oklahoma St. Cowboys | -- |
| 20 | Louisville Cardinals | -- |
| 21 | Notre Dame Fighting Irish | -- |
| 22 | Colorado St. Rams | -- |
| 23 | Tennessee Volunteers | -- |
| 24 | Boise St. Broncos | -- |
| 25 | Michigan Wolverines | -- |
SB Nation BlogPoll College Football Top 25 Rankings »
Sunday, September 02, 2012
9/2 (CFB Hangover) Quickie
A few thoughts after college football's opening weekend:
*It's already obvious that it is Alabama, then everyone else. USC and Oregon and LSU may roll along, but if/when they play the Tide, the reality check will be definitive.
*Breakout: Remember when Trent Richardson was a freshman and it was evident right away that he was even better than the RB in front of him, Mark Ingram, who only went on to win a Heisman? That's the way I feel about Bama freshman backup RB TJ Yeldon.
*Oregon is a juggernaut, and I can't wait for the Ducks to silence all the folks who seem to think that not only is USC the best team in the Pac-12, but the Trojans are the best team in the country (an absurd idea if you watched Alabama last night).
*Penn State isn't very good. Ohio is much better than anyone was giving them credit for (although many saw the upset coming). Bill O'Brien isn't in a position to have a terse Belichickian style; he needs to work on his charm. The media gives him the benefit of the doubt -- not sure he's earned that -- but he comes across like he's doing us a favor by being at Penn State.
*The best win of the weekend was Clemson beating a tough Auburn team in Atlanta.
*OK, looks like Urban Meyer will be just fine this season. Braxton Miller is a perfect QB for his system.
*Nothing I saw from Oklahoma made me doubt my preseason pick that West Virginia is going to be the best of the Big 12 -- and, don't forget, Oklahoma finishes the season having to travel to Morgantown. West Virginia will only get more effective from here.
*I've watched a lot of Northwestern games, particularly in the post-2000 era where they are constantly in barn-burners, and that was the most Northwestern game ever (with the possible exception that it didn't end with the opposing team going 3/4 of the field in the final minute for a game-winning FG).
*Florida: Last year was not fun. Doesn't feel like this season will be much fun either. I'm not sold on Jeff Driskel and I'm annoyed Jacoby Brissett didn't get more of a chance. The defense is fine, but I'm unclear how the offense will move the ball at Texas A&M next week.
*Tentative top 5: (1) Bama, (2) Oregon, (3) LSU, (4) USC, (5) West Virginia.
*Tentative Heisman ballot: (1) TJ Yeldon, (2) Marcus Mariota, (3) Marqise Lee.
So glad college football is back.
-- D.S.
*It's already obvious that it is Alabama, then everyone else. USC and Oregon and LSU may roll along, but if/when they play the Tide, the reality check will be definitive.
*Breakout: Remember when Trent Richardson was a freshman and it was evident right away that he was even better than the RB in front of him, Mark Ingram, who only went on to win a Heisman? That's the way I feel about Bama freshman backup RB TJ Yeldon.
*Oregon is a juggernaut, and I can't wait for the Ducks to silence all the folks who seem to think that not only is USC the best team in the Pac-12, but the Trojans are the best team in the country (an absurd idea if you watched Alabama last night).
*Penn State isn't very good. Ohio is much better than anyone was giving them credit for (although many saw the upset coming). Bill O'Brien isn't in a position to have a terse Belichickian style; he needs to work on his charm. The media gives him the benefit of the doubt -- not sure he's earned that -- but he comes across like he's doing us a favor by being at Penn State.
*The best win of the weekend was Clemson beating a tough Auburn team in Atlanta.
*OK, looks like Urban Meyer will be just fine this season. Braxton Miller is a perfect QB for his system.
*Nothing I saw from Oklahoma made me doubt my preseason pick that West Virginia is going to be the best of the Big 12 -- and, don't forget, Oklahoma finishes the season having to travel to Morgantown. West Virginia will only get more effective from here.
*I've watched a lot of Northwestern games, particularly in the post-2000 era where they are constantly in barn-burners, and that was the most Northwestern game ever (with the possible exception that it didn't end with the opposing team going 3/4 of the field in the final minute for a game-winning FG).
*Florida: Last year was not fun. Doesn't feel like this season will be much fun either. I'm not sold on Jeff Driskel and I'm annoyed Jacoby Brissett didn't get more of a chance. The defense is fine, but I'm unclear how the offense will move the ball at Texas A&M next week.
*Tentative top 5: (1) Bama, (2) Oregon, (3) LSU, (4) USC, (5) West Virginia.
*Tentative Heisman ballot: (1) TJ Yeldon, (2) Marcus Mariota, (3) Marqise Lee.
So glad college football is back.
-- D.S.
Thursday, August 30, 2012
8/31 (Tailgate) Quickie
College football is back, thank god. Let's review: I think Alabama is going to thump Oregon in the national title game to claim its second straight championship.
Bama will get there by fending off LSU; Oregon will get there by beating USC in LA, then doubling down by beating them in the Pac-12 title game. (It is more than a little intriguing that Oregon could lose to USC in the regular season, then leapfrog them with a win in the Pac-12 title game.)
I enter my 12th season as a Florida football fan -- at some point, I won't be considered a worthless carpet-bagger, but undoubtedly this ain't going to be the year. Regardless, I predict the Gators will do better than last season's pathetic 7-6 but do worse than the 14-0 that I expect from the program every year. At this point, I just want to go through games without wanting to throw my remote through the TV, which is how I spent the past two seasons.
Season opener: South Carolina escapes Nashville with a close win over Vandy, a tougher team than most folks give credit for. Not feeling like South Carolina looks like a Top 10 team.
Tonight: Michigan State will beat Boise State tonight, but it'll be awfully close. I mean, it's Boise -- they live for these kinds of games, regardless of whether or not they lost all their talent from last year.
This weekend: Picking all favorites but hoping we get an upset -- or at least a close finish or two. (Check out my fancy "picks" page at USATODAY.com.)
Andy Roddick retiring: He's got that one U.S. Open title and it's not like U.S. men's players have been particularly good over the past decade -- and don't forget that he played in the height of the Federer Era, when no titles were available except at Roland Garros -- but it always felt like Roddick never quite became what we all wanted him to be.
Notre Dame: I like SI's Mike Rosenberg and Yahoo's Pat Forde, but any column lauding Notre Dame's "values" that doesn't mention that ND head coach Brian Kelly contributed to the tragic death of team student manager Declan Sullivan is woefully incomplete. As far as I'm concerned, the way the school handled that situation -- from putting Sullivan up in the air to white-washing the "investigation" -- said everything we need to know about the school's values.
Best thing I read today: JR Moehringer's "120 reasons why football isn't going anywhere." Brilliant stuff.
Headed to the Nats-Cards game tonight, in the wake of the news that Sunday's Strasburg start is one of his final 3 of the season. This remains the stupidest thing I've seen a contending team do in a long time.
-- D.S.
Bama will get there by fending off LSU; Oregon will get there by beating USC in LA, then doubling down by beating them in the Pac-12 title game. (It is more than a little intriguing that Oregon could lose to USC in the regular season, then leapfrog them with a win in the Pac-12 title game.)
I enter my 12th season as a Florida football fan -- at some point, I won't be considered a worthless carpet-bagger, but undoubtedly this ain't going to be the year. Regardless, I predict the Gators will do better than last season's pathetic 7-6 but do worse than the 14-0 that I expect from the program every year. At this point, I just want to go through games without wanting to throw my remote through the TV, which is how I spent the past two seasons.
Season opener: South Carolina escapes Nashville with a close win over Vandy, a tougher team than most folks give credit for. Not feeling like South Carolina looks like a Top 10 team.
Tonight: Michigan State will beat Boise State tonight, but it'll be awfully close. I mean, it's Boise -- they live for these kinds of games, regardless of whether or not they lost all their talent from last year.
This weekend: Picking all favorites but hoping we get an upset -- or at least a close finish or two. (Check out my fancy "picks" page at USATODAY.com.)
Andy Roddick retiring: He's got that one U.S. Open title and it's not like U.S. men's players have been particularly good over the past decade -- and don't forget that he played in the height of the Federer Era, when no titles were available except at Roland Garros -- but it always felt like Roddick never quite became what we all wanted him to be.
Notre Dame: I like SI's Mike Rosenberg and Yahoo's Pat Forde, but any column lauding Notre Dame's "values" that doesn't mention that ND head coach Brian Kelly contributed to the tragic death of team student manager Declan Sullivan is woefully incomplete. As far as I'm concerned, the way the school handled that situation -- from putting Sullivan up in the air to white-washing the "investigation" -- said everything we need to know about the school's values.
Best thing I read today: JR Moehringer's "120 reasons why football isn't going anywhere." Brilliant stuff.
Headed to the Nats-Cards game tonight, in the wake of the news that Sunday's Strasburg start is one of his final 3 of the season. This remains the stupidest thing I've seen a contending team do in a long time.
-- D.S.
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
08/30 (Day Late) Quickie
Day late on Happy Madden Day -- hope you enjoyed it.
Best thing I've read this month -- maybe this entire summer: ESPN.com's Kevin Van Valkenburg on why people play football.
NFL vs. Refs, Cont'd: If -- no: WHEN -- the replacement NFL refs screw up in Week 1, the NFL is going to lose its position. Unclear why a few bucks is so important to the league, relative to the integrity of the game. (Yahoo's Jason Cole takes the opposite view, and it's certainly one folks might relate to more.)
MJD Watch: The Jags seem prepared to call his bluff. I could see him sitting out the entire season. It's probably better for his health in the long run.
US Open: Ah shoot, I was kind of hoping for a longer run out of Kim Clijsters.
CFB Picks Preview: Went with all ranked (or higher-ranked) teams. Michigan is going to get throttled by Alabama. Michigan State is going to barely escape Boise State.
I'm really enjoying the new site Sports On Earth, and that's not (just) because they're a corporate sibling to Quickish and staffed with tons of folks I know and like. It's off to a really good start -- check it out.
-- D.S.
Best thing I've read this month -- maybe this entire summer: ESPN.com's Kevin Van Valkenburg on why people play football.
NFL vs. Refs, Cont'd: If -- no: WHEN -- the replacement NFL refs screw up in Week 1, the NFL is going to lose its position. Unclear why a few bucks is so important to the league, relative to the integrity of the game. (Yahoo's Jason Cole takes the opposite view, and it's certainly one folks might relate to more.)
MJD Watch: The Jags seem prepared to call his bluff. I could see him sitting out the entire season. It's probably better for his health in the long run.
US Open: Ah shoot, I was kind of hoping for a longer run out of Kim Clijsters.
CFB Picks Preview: Went with all ranked (or higher-ranked) teams. Michigan is going to get throttled by Alabama. Michigan State is going to barely escape Boise State.
I'm really enjoying the new site Sports On Earth, and that's not (just) because they're a corporate sibling to Quickish and staffed with tons of folks I know and like. It's off to a really good start -- check it out.
-- D.S.
Sunday, August 26, 2012
8/27 (Monday) Quickie
Check out my initial BlogPoll Top 25 ballot below, led by Alabama (picking Oregon to meet them in the national title game and picking West Virginia to surge through the Big 12).
Tebow vs. Panthers: You know, I'm clearly Team Tebow, but even if you don't like Tebow, does Mark Sanchez really look better? I don't think so. I think Tebow will be more productive in the half-dozen plays he'll get in the first few weeks of the season -- and when the Jets are out of playoff contention under Sanchez, Tebow will do just as well (and probably better) than Sanchez as the starter.
Seahawks name rookie Russell Wilson starting QB: A bit shocking given that Seattle acquired Matt Flynn to be their starting QB, but unsurprising if you had been following Wilson this preseason (or watched him in college at either NC State or Wisconsin). Yeah, he's short, but so what? So talented. Absurdly, he could have been had by any team with a QB issue (cough-Jets-cough).
Meanwhile, the Bills are getting Tarvaris Jackson from Seattle to be their backup QB: So there's that.
Colts trade for CB Vontae Davis: Another fun development for "Hard Knocks." The bet in Indy is that his attitude problem in Miami can be corrected with a change of scenery. We'll see.
CFB: Notre Dame suspends starting RB Cierre Wood for the season opener in Dublin next Saturday and Week 2 vs. Purdue -- this only works out for Brian Kelly if ND goes 2-0 without him and the other players suspended. If they lose that opener to Navy -- and they could -- yikes.
U.S. Open: Rooting for Serena and Federer, as usual. More likely to see the former win than the latter -- Djokovic will be motivated and a fan favorite in his own right.
LLWS: Now that was a throttling.
MLB: Curtis Granderson has 200 career home runs? That feels like a lot, doesn't it?
Tebow vs. Panthers: You know, I'm clearly Team Tebow, but even if you don't like Tebow, does Mark Sanchez really look better? I don't think so. I think Tebow will be more productive in the half-dozen plays he'll get in the first few weeks of the season -- and when the Jets are out of playoff contention under Sanchez, Tebow will do just as well (and probably better) than Sanchez as the starter.
Seahawks name rookie Russell Wilson starting QB: A bit shocking given that Seattle acquired Matt Flynn to be their starting QB, but unsurprising if you had been following Wilson this preseason (or watched him in college at either NC State or Wisconsin). Yeah, he's short, but so what? So talented. Absurdly, he could have been had by any team with a QB issue (cough-Jets-cough).
Meanwhile, the Bills are getting Tarvaris Jackson from Seattle to be their backup QB: So there's that.
Colts trade for CB Vontae Davis: Another fun development for "Hard Knocks." The bet in Indy is that his attitude problem in Miami can be corrected with a change of scenery. We'll see.
CFB: Notre Dame suspends starting RB Cierre Wood for the season opener in Dublin next Saturday and Week 2 vs. Purdue -- this only works out for Brian Kelly if ND goes 2-0 without him and the other players suspended. If they lose that opener to Navy -- and they could -- yikes.
U.S. Open: Rooting for Serena and Federer, as usual. More likely to see the former win than the latter -- Djokovic will be motivated and a fan favorite in his own right.
LLWS: Now that was a throttling.
MLB: Curtis Granderson has 200 career home runs? That feels like a lot, doesn't it?
Initial BlogPoll Preseason Top 25
Take a look and let me know what you think. I'll revise the final version on Monday night after seeing your comments.
A few points:
*As usual, I'm going with "how I think the season will end." I really don't think we'll get an Alabama-LSU rematch in the national title game -- I think Bama will run the table in the SEC en route to another national title, but there's no way the system creates a second straight "intra-conference rematch national title." (Although I do think that either Alabama or LSU would beat any other team in the country.) However: All it takes is an unbeaten team from another conference to give the system its ballast for SEC hegemony, and I think it will be...
*Oregon, who will get to play Alabama in the national title game, and fare much the same as it did against Auburn in the NCG two years ago (and against LSU at the start of last season). This pick implies that Oregon is going to go down to LA and beat USC in what will turn out to be a de facto national title semifinal playoff game. Beyond being impressed by Oregon's offense, I think they will have terrific motivation after USC ruined their season in Eugene last year.
*I think West Virginia is going to take the Big 12 by storm (and so will TCU, to a slightly lesser extent -- I think TCU stuns Oklahoma in the final week of the regular season, which is why I have TCU ahead of OU.)
*The rest of the poll is the usual mish-mash -- SEC dominance in the Top 10, a rough prediction of how I think each conference will end up by where I put each of its Top 25 teams relative to each other. Things can and will change immediately after next weekend, when I will revert to "resume" voting, with a premium on beating quality opponents.
*As usual, I'm going with "how I think the season will end." I really don't think we'll get an Alabama-LSU rematch in the national title game -- I think Bama will run the table in the SEC en route to another national title, but there's no way the system creates a second straight "intra-conference rematch national title." (Although I do think that either Alabama or LSU would beat any other team in the country.) However: All it takes is an unbeaten team from another conference to give the system its ballast for SEC hegemony, and I think it will be...
*Oregon, who will get to play Alabama in the national title game, and fare much the same as it did against Auburn in the NCG two years ago (and against LSU at the start of last season). This pick implies that Oregon is going to go down to LA and beat USC in what will turn out to be a de facto national title semifinal playoff game. Beyond being impressed by Oregon's offense, I think they will have terrific motivation after USC ruined their season in Eugene last year.
*I think West Virginia is going to take the Big 12 by storm (and so will TCU, to a slightly lesser extent -- I think TCU stuns Oklahoma in the final week of the regular season, which is why I have TCU ahead of OU.)
*The rest of the poll is the usual mish-mash -- SEC dominance in the Top 10, a rough prediction of how I think each conference will end up by where I put each of its Top 25 teams relative to each other. Things can and will change immediately after next weekend, when I will revert to "resume" voting, with a premium on beating quality opponents.
DanShanoff.com Ballot - Week 19
| Rank | Team | Delta |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alabama Crimson Tide | -- |
| 2 | LSU Tigers | -- |
| 3 | Oregon Ducks | -- |
| 4 | West Virginia Mountaineers | -- |
| 5 | USC Trojans | -- |
| 6 | Arkansas Razorbacks | -- |
| 7 | South Carolina Gamecocks | -- |
| 8 | Florida St. Seminoles | -- |
| 9 | TCU Horned Frogs | -- |
| 10 | Oklahoma Sooners | -- |
| 11 | Georgia Bulldogs | -- |
| 12 | Virginia Tech Hokies | -- |
| 13 | Michigan Wolverines | -- |
| 14 | Boise St. Broncos | -- |
| 15 | Ohio St. Buckeyes | -- |
| 16 | Louisville Cardinals | -- |
| 17 | Florida Gators | -- |
| 18 | Wisconsin Badgers | -- |
| 19 | Michigan St. Spartans | -- |
| 20 | Texas Longhorns | -- |
| 21 | Clemson Tigers | -- |
| 22 | Oklahoma St. Cowboys | -- |
| 23 | Kansas St. Wildcats | -- |
| 24 | Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets | -- |
| 25 | Stanford Cardinal | -- |
SB Nation BlogPoll College Football Top 25 Rankings »
Saturday, August 25, 2012
08/25 (Very) Quickie
In one week, the college football season begins (technically, one week from last night, with the tantalizing Boise St at Michigan St opener), and I can't wait.
I have muted expectations for Florida.
I am pretty sure that the national champ is a foregone conclusion -- Alabama.
I am pretty sure that USC might run the table and it won't matter.
I am pretty sure that both West Virginia and TCU are going to take the Big 12 by storm.
I am pretty sure that both Mizzou and Texas A&M are in for a rough freshman season in the SEC.
I am pretty sure that Matt Barkley is a lock for the Heisman.
I am pretty sure that Urban Meyer will have Ohio State better -- but by no means great.
But I am also pretty sure that I felt as certain last year that Alabama would roll to the title -- the loss to LSU certainly could have counted as disqualifying.
(Although I think it's clear that the SEC will always have a claim -- a legitimate one -- to one of two title-game spots. In most years, the opponent should be the best non-SEC team, but as we saw last year, that doesn't always work out.)
And I (and everyone else) was pretty sure that Andrew Luck was a lock for the Heisman -- was RG3 even on the Heisman radar at all on August 25, 2011?
Despite the hegemony of the SEC's championship dynasty and the temporarily limited two-team playoff system, college football remains the best "week-in-week-out" sport and every year on the last Saturday before the season starts, I look ahead to spending the next three months' worth of Saturdays immersed.
More on the college football season over the course of the next week.
-- D.S.
Meanwhile, the Red Sox are lucky the Dodgers want to spend their way back to relevance. The trade, by the way, is a massive repudiation of the Theo Epstein Era in Boston (at least since the second title.)
I have muted expectations for Florida.
I am pretty sure that the national champ is a foregone conclusion -- Alabama.
I am pretty sure that USC might run the table and it won't matter.
I am pretty sure that both West Virginia and TCU are going to take the Big 12 by storm.
I am pretty sure that both Mizzou and Texas A&M are in for a rough freshman season in the SEC.
I am pretty sure that Matt Barkley is a lock for the Heisman.
I am pretty sure that Urban Meyer will have Ohio State better -- but by no means great.
But I am also pretty sure that I felt as certain last year that Alabama would roll to the title -- the loss to LSU certainly could have counted as disqualifying.
(Although I think it's clear that the SEC will always have a claim -- a legitimate one -- to one of two title-game spots. In most years, the opponent should be the best non-SEC team, but as we saw last year, that doesn't always work out.)
And I (and everyone else) was pretty sure that Andrew Luck was a lock for the Heisman -- was RG3 even on the Heisman radar at all on August 25, 2011?
Despite the hegemony of the SEC's championship dynasty and the temporarily limited two-team playoff system, college football remains the best "week-in-week-out" sport and every year on the last Saturday before the season starts, I look ahead to spending the next three months' worth of Saturdays immersed.
More on the college football season over the course of the next week.
-- D.S.
Meanwhile, the Red Sox are lucky the Dodgers want to spend their way back to relevance. The trade, by the way, is a massive repudiation of the Theo Epstein Era in Boston (at least since the second title.)
Friday, August 24, 2012
8/24 (Lance) Quickie
Happy birthday to my dad: It's funny: I was a die-hard Cubs and Bears fan as a kid because my dad is from Chicago and was a fan of those teams.
Eventually, my fandom for those teams eroded (although I'm still highly sympathetic, but I can't insult real Cubs/Bears fans by calling it "fandom" anymore), but it was that "first love" for a team -- particularly being a "displaced fan" -- that turned me into a sports fan.
It was on my mind last night as I did my annual fantasy football draft. I was picking 7th and committed to taking a QB first. Rodgers, Brees and Brady were all off the board, and I was deciding between Cam Newton and Matthew Stafford.
In the end, the thing that proved decisive is that Cam Newton is my 6-year-old ason Gabe's favorite player -- I knew we'd have a lot more fun this fall watching games on Red Zone if we had a mutual rooting interest in Newton.
I wonder if Gabe will be a Panthers fan for life or if he merely loves Cam -- he likes a lot of individual players and a range of teams, mostly the TD-scorers he knows from watching Red Zone last year.
When I was 6, I'm not sure I had much more of a handle on sports than knowing which NFL team nickname went with which city. Last week on vacation, Gabe and I went through the Top 100 players in fantasy football and he knew the specific team for roughly 75% of the list.
Is he growing up too fast? Is that just the evolution of having more information available? At age 6, I'm not even sure I really understood that I was a Bears fan -- that didn't come for another few years, in my hazy recollection.
In the end, I think the "how did we get here?" is less important than the fact that he and I can share the experience together.
(Funny: This was supposed to be just a short "Happy birthday to my dad!" line at the end of the post. It turned into the lead.)
More:
Lance: I think I've always been in the "I assume he's a cheater but then again they're all cheaters so really in the end who cares he seems like a pretty amazing athlete who has done amazing things for so many people" camp.
Mississippi State: It's sort of like recruiting in college football -- everyone is doing something shady, so it's not surprising or insulting when those tactics come out, as they seem to be doing in Starkville. I'm a fan of Dan Mullen's, so this is an example of where I'll go "Oh well" where I might not for, say, a coach I dislike like Jim Tressel. (Not that the potential violations are anywhere on the same scale. Also, my biggest problem with Tressel was that he was so sanctimonious. Mississippi State's goal is to try to get bowl-eligible in the SEC as a historically second-rate program -- as noble of a goal as you could find.)
NBA: Can we please not make a big deal out of this Wade thing about LeBron and Jordan? OBVIOUSLY, LeBron isn't at Jordan's level yet. It's hardly an issue Wade would affirm that.
NFL: I kind of love that the Colts would trade a 1st-round pick to try to complete their rebuilding in less than a year.
CFB: I started working on my BlogPoll ballot -- one of my favorite little fun side hobbies every fall. I'll tell you right now that I'm picking Alabama No. 1, and the notion of anyone picking USC over the Tide is absurd to me. USC may go unbeaten through the regular season, but they will get leveled by whoever wins the SEC (probably Alabama). I look forward to heading down the ballot, where things get more interesting.
Fantasy: So here's the obligatory post-draft "here's my team" list:
Cam Newton (7th overall in a 14-team league), with Luck as the backup QB. Historically, I have drafted RBs and WRs early and suffered during the season with weak QBs. Not this year.
RBs: Marshawn Lynch and Peyton Hillis (with Kevin Smith as initial W/R, plus Jacquizz Rodgers and Alex Green as backups).
WRs: Jordy Nelson and Percy Harvin (with Justin Blackmon, Randall Cobb and Brandon LaFell as backups. Cobb was basically my Nelson handcuff.)
TE: Vernon Davis (with Greg Olsen as backup -- I'm clearly going long on the Carolina O.)
I'm actually pretty happy with my draft for once. That clearly means I'm headed for a bottom-three finish.
-- D.S.
Eventually, my fandom for those teams eroded (although I'm still highly sympathetic, but I can't insult real Cubs/Bears fans by calling it "fandom" anymore), but it was that "first love" for a team -- particularly being a "displaced fan" -- that turned me into a sports fan.
It was on my mind last night as I did my annual fantasy football draft. I was picking 7th and committed to taking a QB first. Rodgers, Brees and Brady were all off the board, and I was deciding between Cam Newton and Matthew Stafford.
In the end, the thing that proved decisive is that Cam Newton is my 6-year-old ason Gabe's favorite player -- I knew we'd have a lot more fun this fall watching games on Red Zone if we had a mutual rooting interest in Newton.
I wonder if Gabe will be a Panthers fan for life or if he merely loves Cam -- he likes a lot of individual players and a range of teams, mostly the TD-scorers he knows from watching Red Zone last year.
When I was 6, I'm not sure I had much more of a handle on sports than knowing which NFL team nickname went with which city. Last week on vacation, Gabe and I went through the Top 100 players in fantasy football and he knew the specific team for roughly 75% of the list.
Is he growing up too fast? Is that just the evolution of having more information available? At age 6, I'm not even sure I really understood that I was a Bears fan -- that didn't come for another few years, in my hazy recollection.
In the end, I think the "how did we get here?" is less important than the fact that he and I can share the experience together.
(Funny: This was supposed to be just a short "Happy birthday to my dad!" line at the end of the post. It turned into the lead.)
More:
Lance: I think I've always been in the "I assume he's a cheater but then again they're all cheaters so really in the end who cares he seems like a pretty amazing athlete who has done amazing things for so many people" camp.
Mississippi State: It's sort of like recruiting in college football -- everyone is doing something shady, so it's not surprising or insulting when those tactics come out, as they seem to be doing in Starkville. I'm a fan of Dan Mullen's, so this is an example of where I'll go "Oh well" where I might not for, say, a coach I dislike like Jim Tressel. (Not that the potential violations are anywhere on the same scale. Also, my biggest problem with Tressel was that he was so sanctimonious. Mississippi State's goal is to try to get bowl-eligible in the SEC as a historically second-rate program -- as noble of a goal as you could find.)
NBA: Can we please not make a big deal out of this Wade thing about LeBron and Jordan? OBVIOUSLY, LeBron isn't at Jordan's level yet. It's hardly an issue Wade would affirm that.
NFL: I kind of love that the Colts would trade a 1st-round pick to try to complete their rebuilding in less than a year.
CFB: I started working on my BlogPoll ballot -- one of my favorite little fun side hobbies every fall. I'll tell you right now that I'm picking Alabama No. 1, and the notion of anyone picking USC over the Tide is absurd to me. USC may go unbeaten through the regular season, but they will get leveled by whoever wins the SEC (probably Alabama). I look forward to heading down the ballot, where things get more interesting.
Fantasy: So here's the obligatory post-draft "here's my team" list:
Cam Newton (7th overall in a 14-team league), with Luck as the backup QB. Historically, I have drafted RBs and WRs early and suffered during the season with weak QBs. Not this year.
RBs: Marshawn Lynch and Peyton Hillis (with Kevin Smith as initial W/R, plus Jacquizz Rodgers and Alex Green as backups).
WRs: Jordy Nelson and Percy Harvin (with Justin Blackmon, Randall Cobb and Brandon LaFell as backups. Cobb was basically my Nelson handcuff.)
TE: Vernon Davis (with Greg Olsen as backup -- I'm clearly going long on the Carolina O.)
I'm actually pretty happy with my draft for once. That clearly means I'm headed for a bottom-three finish.
-- D.S.
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
8/22 (Strasburg Extra) Quickie
From the NYT's Tyler Kepner this morning, defending the Nats' plan to shelve Strasburg:
"The way to win a title is to reach the playoffs as often as you can and hope everything breaks right one time."
But is that really true? Let's look at a healthy selection of the last decade of World Series winners:
2010 Giants
2008 Phillies
2006 Cardinals
2005 White Sox
2003 Marlins
2002 Angels
2001 Diamondbacks
These were teams that didn't make the playoffs consistently before winning a championship.
And that's just the last decade. Before that, if you take away the Yankees dynasty -- which was a function of institutional (and non-replicable) financial advantage as much as anything else -- the reality is that the way to win a title is pretty clear, particularly in the Wild Card Era: Get into the playoffs when you are having one of Those Years.
Kepner's model described above didn't work for the mid-90s Braves. It didn't work for the early-90s A's. Those two would-be dynasties collected division title after division title... and combined to win as many World Series titles as the one-year-wonder, title-or-bust Marlins ('97 and '03).
"Hope" is not a strategy. The two staples of October -- luck and the variance of small sample sizes -- almost always beat the best-laid organizational plans.
Flags fly forever. The history of baseball -- of any pro sport, really -- is that if you have the very unique and viable chance to win a championship, you do whatever you can to win it that year. Because there are no guarantees the next year, no matter how good your roster looks.
If the Nationals' window really is "five years," I would rather win a title this year and miss the playoffs the next four than make the playoffs this year and each of the next four but without winning a championship, with nothing to show for the run but a "Division Champ!" or "Wild-Card Earner!" t-shirt. Nobody wears a "Made the Playoffs" ring.
Kepner quipped: "With apologies to The Social Network, one playoff appearance isn’t cool. You know what’s cool? Five playoff appearances"
Actually, making the playoffs a lot isn't cool.
You know what's cool? Winning a World Series.
-- D.S.
UPDATE: Loyal reader Steve S. emailed me to take issue with my analysis of the Yankees: "I feel that you unfairly wrote off their dynasty run as a result of a huge financial advantage.
"The way to win a title is to reach the playoffs as often as you can and hope everything breaks right one time."
But is that really true? Let's look at a healthy selection of the last decade of World Series winners:
2010 Giants
2008 Phillies
2006 Cardinals
2005 White Sox
2003 Marlins
2002 Angels
2001 Diamondbacks
These were teams that didn't make the playoffs consistently before winning a championship.
And that's just the last decade. Before that, if you take away the Yankees dynasty -- which was a function of institutional (and non-replicable) financial advantage as much as anything else -- the reality is that the way to win a title is pretty clear, particularly in the Wild Card Era: Get into the playoffs when you are having one of Those Years.
Kepner's model described above didn't work for the mid-90s Braves. It didn't work for the early-90s A's. Those two would-be dynasties collected division title after division title... and combined to win as many World Series titles as the one-year-wonder, title-or-bust Marlins ('97 and '03).
"Hope" is not a strategy. The two staples of October -- luck and the variance of small sample sizes -- almost always beat the best-laid organizational plans.
Flags fly forever. The history of baseball -- of any pro sport, really -- is that if you have the very unique and viable chance to win a championship, you do whatever you can to win it that year. Because there are no guarantees the next year, no matter how good your roster looks.
If the Nationals' window really is "five years," I would rather win a title this year and miss the playoffs the next four than make the playoffs this year and each of the next four but without winning a championship, with nothing to show for the run but a "Division Champ!" or "Wild-Card Earner!" t-shirt. Nobody wears a "Made the Playoffs" ring.
Kepner quipped: "With apologies to The Social Network, one playoff appearance isn’t cool. You know what’s cool? Five playoff appearances"
Actually, making the playoffs a lot isn't cool.
You know what's cool? Winning a World Series.
-- D.S.
UPDATE: Loyal reader Steve S. emailed me to take issue with my analysis of the Yankees: "I feel that you unfairly wrote off their dynasty run as a result of a huge financial advantage.
"This link shows the payroll for every MLB club from 1994 to 2006. If you
review it you will see that from 1994 to 2001 (using the loss in the
2001 World Series as the end of the dynasty) you will see that the
Yankees had the highest payroll 6 of the 8 years, but that most years
the number two spender was just a little behind them.
"In fact the numbers don't really start going crazy
until 1999, which was a result of re-signing Bernie Williams and trading
for Roger Clemens more than anything else. Also, the Braves were in the
top 5 every year from 1995 to 2000, further weakening the argument that
the success was due to a financial advantage.
"The Yankees core was made up of wisely chosen
players, some homegrown. Jeter, Posada, Brosius, O'Neill, Knoblauch,
etc. Since 2001 the Yank's financial strength has actually hurt them
since they now chase big names, not big producers."
(Still, S.S. says: "Anyway, your larger point about going all in when
you have the chance is right. Nothing is guaranteed. When you have a hot
hand going, ride it.")
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
08/21 (Very) Quickie
History! Minor-league baseball oddity Billy Hamilton stole his 146th base of the season on Tuesday night, breaking Vince Coleman's old (seemingly unbreakable) record. Hamilton is going to shatter it.
I like sneakers very much, although I gave up collecting them when the kids came along, but there isn't a chance in hell I'd pay $315 for any sneaker, let alone LeBron X's.
Anyone want to trade for MJD? Probably quite a few. Anyone want to pay him what he wants? Probably a lot less.
Seahawks starting rookie QB Russell Wilson for preseason Week 3: I'm a big Wilson fan, and I hope he wins the starting job for the regular season. I suspect Flynn will be the guy... to start.
I'm quite sure Roger Clemens could still pitch at the MLB level. Maybe the Nationals should sign him -- that's just as absurd a notion as benching Stephen Strasburg for the playoffs.
The Joe Paterno book: All I know is that Joe Posnanski, a writer I like very much, had just about the toughest job in the world on this. Once the Sandusky story broke, it was never going to work out.
Slowest sports week of the year by far? Slowest sports week of the year by far.
-- D.S.
I like sneakers very much, although I gave up collecting them when the kids came along, but there isn't a chance in hell I'd pay $315 for any sneaker, let alone LeBron X's.
Anyone want to trade for MJD? Probably quite a few. Anyone want to pay him what he wants? Probably a lot less.
Seahawks starting rookie QB Russell Wilson for preseason Week 3: I'm a big Wilson fan, and I hope he wins the starting job for the regular season. I suspect Flynn will be the guy... to start.
I'm quite sure Roger Clemens could still pitch at the MLB level. Maybe the Nationals should sign him -- that's just as absurd a notion as benching Stephen Strasburg for the playoffs.
The Joe Paterno book: All I know is that Joe Posnanski, a writer I like very much, had just about the toughest job in the world on this. Once the Sandusky story broke, it was never going to work out.
Slowest sports week of the year by far? Slowest sports week of the year by far.
-- D.S.
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